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smilesrobotlover · 24 days ago

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Chapter 15- Escape

“Piercing the barrier is one thing, but escaping the island is another.”

Zelda stared at the small map on the table, with Vand pointing to an area on the edge.

“We must be strategic on where the barrier is destroyed,” Vand said, “lest we run around mindlessly while the beast catches up to us. We are a separate island, and the only way off is by using the kargarok carriers.”

“Kargarok carriers?” Zelda repeated, and Vand nodded.

“It��s how we get from island to island. I don’t know if they’re still there, but they usually rest on this part of the island.” Vand pointed to a small peninsula on the map, and Zelda nodded.

“So we need to get to that spot at the barrier and rush to the kargaroks,” she said, and Vand nodded again.

“Yes. If they’re there.”

Zelda frowned, staring at the map. “How far is that spot away from the barrier?”

“It’s far. The beast surrounded the city, but the outskirts where the kargaroks stay weren’t trapped within.”

“So they couldn’t have been threatened enough to fly off?” Zelda suggested.

“That is the hope.”

“And where are we?”

Vand pointed to a spot almost on the opposite side of the peninsula. “We’re far. Getting to the barrier in that area will be a challenge.”

Zelda narrowed her eyes, her eyes looking between where they were and where they needed to be.

“It’s doable, we’ll just need to be careful.” She said, then she turned to Vand and the other Twili. “Someone needs to keep an eye out to see if the twilight beast is away, then we can make our escape.”

“I’ll go,” Hoz volunteered, and Turk stepped up.

“I will go too.”

Zelda nodded. “Good. Come back once the beast is away. We mustn’t let it know what we’re doing.”

“Yes, my queen.” Hoz bowed and left the room with Turk. Vand turned to Zelda when they left, slouching over the map on the table.

“We’ll need to be quick as soon as the barrier is destroyed, but not too quick so we don’t scare off the kargaroks.”

“We’ll also need to decide who goes with who,” Zelda stated. “If there’s only three kargaroks, I doubt they can carry all of us.” There weren’t a lot of survivors left, but there were enough to make taking the kargaroks challenging. From what she saw, there were only eight Twili left, including Vand, and with her and the others, that added up to twelve people in total. She didn’t know how much the kargaroks could carry, but if there were too many of them…

“Kargarok carriers are strong, stronger than regular kargaroks,” Vand explained, easing Zelda’s worries. “They can carry up to three Twili, and you light dwellers are so small, I doubt they’ll notice your weight. You and Hoz may go with me and my son. The other light-dweller and the prince may go with Nerc, who is skilled with the carriers.” Vand pointed at the round Twili, who was one of the first Twili Zelda greeted. Zelda nodded, but she didn’t feel entirely relieved.

“Some may still have to stay behind,” she muttered, and Vand looked down.

“I can’t lose anyone else.”

“If there’s not enough kargaroks, then we will lose people,” Zelda said firmly. “You must face the reality that we can’t take everyone with us. The survivors will be safer down here than up there stranded with nowhere to go.”

Vand didn’t meet her eyes. He clearly didn’t want to think about it.

“What do you suggest we do then?” Vand asked, his voice soft.

“If you absolutely must, take Rusl and Kori with you. They know Midna personally and can easily get through to her.”

“No, we must take you as well. You’re the queen with light arrows.”

Zelda glanced down at her hand. She hated being so important where her life was more important than others, but he did have a point. Her light arrows would prove useful in case anything happened beyond the barrier.

“Very well,” she muttered, “we will go, but the rest of the Twili may have to stay.”

Vand’s expression turned somber, and he nodded sadly, turning to where the survivors were huddled. She understood his hesitation, but they had to make sacrifices to survive.

“We’ll come back for them,” she said, trying to ease his concerns. Vand nodded seriously, not meeting her gaze.

“I will make sure of it,” he whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hoz had to say, he was grateful the Twili were so tall. Sitting on Turk’s shoulders was embarrassing, but he was able to peek through the hole cover that hid their hideout without fully exposing the two. But Turk wavered slightly under Hoz’s weight, causing Hoz to nearly drop the cover.

“Hold it steady,” Hoz ordered, and Turk nodded.

“S-sorry.” He apologized, gripping onto Hoz’s legs. “You’re heavier than I thought you’d be.”

Hoz sighed, lifting up the cover again and peeking through. It seemed to be empty from what he saw; he didn’t even hear the twilight beast lurking around.

“I think we’re clear!” He cheered softly. “I see no beast!”

“Oh, that’s good,” Turk sighed with relief. “Let’s head back and—”

“Wait a second.” Hoz narrowed his eyes, spotting something moving in the city. It clearly wasn’t the beast, but instead was black magic swirling around in a small puddle, but the longer Hoz watched, the bigger the magic grew. Soon, before his very eyes, it grew into a figure, and a wavering armored beast that carried a heavy sword began patrolling the streets, with more like it appearing. Hoz gasped when one threatened to appear right in front of the cover, and he dropped it to hide the two.

“What is it, Hoz?” Turk asked, his voice wavering.

Hoz hopped off of Turk’s shoulders, grabbing the Twili’s arm and pulling him to the others. “We must return! Hurry!”

“Wait, what’s happening?” Turk asked, pulling away and reaching for the lid.

“Don’t! Turk!” Hoz hissed, but the Twili didn’t listen as he lifted the cover and took a peek himself. As soon as the cover was lifted, it was immediately closed as Turk turned to Hoz with his red eyes wide.

“Oh sh—”

“Come on!” Hoz yelled, though quietly enough so the new monsters wouldn’t hear, and the two sprinted through the tunnels to return to their respective leaders.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hoz and Turk tore through the entrance, both wide-eyed and frantic as they spotted Zelda and Vand. Zelda walked up to Hoz, her mind racing as to why the two were so frazzled.

“What happened?” She asked, and Hoz swallowed, catching his breath.

“Uh… well… we have good news and bad news.” Hoz said, straightening his back and clasping his hands together. “The good news is, the twilight beast is nowhere in sight!”

Zelda frowned while Hoz gave a thumbs-up. “So what’s the bad news?”

“Well… it created monsters that are patrolling the city!”

Zelda felt her stomach drop, and she looked to Vand who’s eyes were wide.

“It what?”

“It created monsters that are patrolling the city.”

“What kind of monsters?”

Hoz looked at Turk, who stepped up.

“Armored monsters that carry swords! There’s several of them, and I think they’re looking for us!” Turk explained.

“We’re dead!” Nerc wailed, but Rusl stepped up, his arms crossed.

“We’re not dead yet! We’ll just have to sneak past them!”

The group all looked at him, and Hoz nodded.

“Yes! There’s a lot, but they’re spread out enough that there’ll be windows of opportunity for us to sneak past!”

“How will we all sneak past safely?” A Twili asked, and Vand looked to him before looking at Sheik.

“Some may have to stay behind.” He said softly.

“What?”

The remaining Twili stood, all hovering near Vand who looked noticeably uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, but I can only take the light dwellers, Nerc, and Turk with me. The rest of you will have to stay,” he explained, but the others didn’t seem pleased with the explanation.

“Are you serious?” One asked in disbelief. “When we finally have a chance to escape, you’re going to leave us here?”

“I’ll be back—“

“You’re the reason this got to the point in the first place!” Another shouted, getting close to Vand. “And now you’re running away and abandoning us?!”

“No! I’m not abandoning you!” Vand said desperately, stepping away from the angry Twili. “I swear I’ll be back with help!”

“How can we believe you? You did nothing when people were disappearing under your own nose!”

Zelda stepped up, standing between Vand and the Twili. “Please listen to me. It’s your best chance of survival to stay here until we get help! If there’s not enough kargaroks then you’ll be stranded, having to get back here undetected! Do you want that? To be trapped with nowhere to go when you could stay here?”

The Twili all stared at her for a moment, some stepping back after a moment, but a couple lingered.

“How do we know you won’t abandon us?”

“Because I am the queen of Hyrule, and my home and my family are threatened by the beast, just like you! I will not let it stay any longer, and I will not let any more innocent lives get taken because of this thing!” She put her hand over her heart, giving each Twili firm looks. “If you cannot trust Vand, then trust me. I promise, lest the golden three strike me down, we will return for you. We will all survive this!”

The Twili were silent for a long moment, and they finally stepped back. Zelda calmed down, relieved that they were finally accepting the situation, though they still didn’t look happy. She couldn’t blame them; if she was in their position, she’d be upset too.

“So what’s the plan?” Hoz asked, and Zelda looked down, trying to think.

“We need to know the path each monster travels so we can sneak around. And we’ll have to be very careful. We don’t know what we’re up against.”

The group all nodded, and Vand stood up, avoiding eye contact with the other twili.

“We should move out now. I fear more issues will pop up if we wait any longer.”

“I agree.” Zelda turned to the light dwellers. “Are you all ready?”

“I’ve been ready for a while now,” Rusl chuckled, holding Kori next to him.

“Good. Let’s not waste anymore time.”

Zelda and the others left the room, with Vand lingering near the entryway with a concerned expression on his face.

“I will return for you. I promise,” he said, but the twili said nothing. They only watched while pressed up against the wall opposite to them. Hoz glanced at Zelda with an uncomfortable expression, and they finally left, with Zelda growing more and more determined to escape.

While she was trying to find sleep earlier, the light arrows wouldn’t leave her mind. She didn’t know how she was going to summon them, or if the sol would actually help, and she tossed and turned for what felt like hours trying to think of ideas. When she finally found rest, they were full of nightmares. They were all different, but the same person was in each of them: Amber.

For some reason, thinking about her daughter filled her with an intense sense of dread, knowing that she was in danger while the beast roamed the land, and it filled her with a righteous anger. She wasn’t going to let the beast touch her daughter, her family, her home. And when she woke up from the nightmares, she felt the divine magic within her swelling, and she knew how to summon the light arrows. She would think about Amber.

As bad as she felt for him, she was glad that Kori was with them. Though he supposedly met Amber once, he clearly meant a lot to her daughter with the way she gave him her toy, and his childness and innocence reminded him so much of her. It’d make summoning the light arrows easier for her.

Though, it wasn’t just Amber. When Zelda awoke from her nightmare, she felt something in her pocket pressing up against her leg uncomfortably. It was the chocolate orange Edmund gave to her before, completely forgetting about it. It wasn’t just Amber she was fighting for, but also hope—hope for her future and happiness.

She needed to do whatever she could to destroy this thing.

They stood by the entrance while Hoz and Turk peeked through the hole, and Zelda noticed Kori pressing himself up against Rusl’s legs. He looked terrified, no doubt stressed from everything that’s happened recently, and she felt sorry for the poor thing. Kori was just too young to go through something like this.

“Kori,” she started, and the boy looked up at him, almost surprised that she said his name. She took out the chocolate orange and handed him a piece. “It’ll be ok.”

Kori stared at the chocolate, looking up at Rusl in confusion, but the man nudged him forward which gave him the courage to take the piece.

“Thank you,” he said, and Zelda nodded, smiling. She glanced at Rusl.

“Do you want one? It’s a good energy boost.”

Rusl let out a quiet laugh. “How can I refuse a gift from the queen?”

The three each ate a piece, with Zelda becoming more and more determined to break the barrier and escape the fallen city, tucking the sol onto her back so she wouldn’t need to hold it in her arms. When Hoz and Turk gave her a nod, the group all quickly left their sanctuary, once again standing out in the open where Zelda spotted the monsters Hoz mentioned earlier. They were patrolling the alleys and streets, stumbling and moving as if undead. Immediately, Hoz led the group to cover, where one too close for comfort walked by, seemingly not noticing them.

“Spirits,” Rusl muttered under his breath, picking up Kori and holding him close as he watched the monsters. “Where do we need to go?”

Vand pointed ahead, to an area framed by trees. Rusl nodded and watched the one closest to them again, and when it left their vision, the group all started to move. To Zelda’s surprise, Rusl was in the front despite carrying a child, his feet barely making a sound as he half-ran to the next cover. Zelda had studied many Sheikah techniques to sneak around, but this Ordonian was almost making her ashamed of her skills.

The group all huddled inside a broken building, making sure that they were all out of the monster’s sight. Hoz and Rusl watched the monsters, and the captain turned to Zelda, his brows furrowed.

“That one isn’t moving,” he whispered, pointing to one that stood while looking side to side. “What should we do?”

Zelda frowned, taking in the area they were in. The monster was up in an alleyway, blocking off the path that they needed to take, so sneaking around would be nearly impossible. They needed a distraction.

“We need to make it move,” she said, pointing to where it should go. “Someone needs to distract it.”

“I can do that,” Hoz immediately volunteered, already grabbing a rock and moving into position. Zelda grabbed his arm, giving him a firm look.

“Don’t get spotted.”

Hoz stared for a moment before nodding and giving her a confident smile. “I won’t.”

The group stayed back while Hoz moved in, throwing the rock away from the path they needed to move to. The monster standing guard immediately turned its head to the sound, beginning to move to it, and Hoz tucked himself away from its vision. The twili began moving, with Rusl following while holding Kori’s hand. It seemed he gave up on carrying him. Zelda waited for Hoz to start moving before she followed the rest, but just as she reached the path, a horrifying shriek shattered the silence. Zelda spun around to see the monsters’ eyes on Hoz, who looked panicked.

“Hoz—” Zelda hissed, but the man took off running, deeper into the city and leading dozens of the monsters to chase after him.

“Oh no!” Turk cried, and Rusl shoved Kori closer to Vand and his son, climbing up the building before Zelda could even think. She cursed under her breath and followed, commanding the others to hide as she sprinted after Rusl, who was jumping across buildings. The monsters were clearly clambering after Hoz, though the two couldn’t see where he was. Rusl jumped over another alleyway and stopped abruptly, pointing to an area where they finally spotted the man, who was running desperately for his life. The two jumped down into the alleyway, running to where Hoz was going to escape to, and just as he was about to pass them, Rusl suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the sight of the sprinting monsters.

Hoz squirmed and yelled, but Rusl had his arms wrapped around the man, his hand pressed firmly against his mouth. Zelda entered his vision and he stopped squirming, his eyes wide as they waited for the monsters to run past. They stayed there for a moment until it quieted down, and Zelda gestured for them to climb up the buildings again. Hoz and Rusl nodded, and the Ordonian let her captain go, the man looking a few shades lighter. The three climbed up the buildings and began their trek back to the others, making sure that the monsters weren’t facing them as they jumped from building to building. For one building, Hoz tripped and nearly fell into the alleyway where a monster was patrolling, but Zelda and Rusl were able to pull him up before the monster spotted them.

“Goddesses,” Hoz cursed under his breath, allowing the two to help him stand. They finally reached where the others waited, being able to jump over the guarding monster, and Vand let out a quiet sigh of relief when he spotted them, his hand over his heart.

“We got so worried,” he whispered, and Hoz nodded.

“Yes, I’m sorry. Thank you, your highness,” he thanked, bowing low while holding Zelda’s hand, and she nodded back, smiling. She wasn’t going to lose anyone here to the twilight beast.

“We’re almost there,” Vand said, leading the others down their path, and Zelda followed.

“You’re welcome,” Rusl grumbled while trailing behind her and she simply gave him a smile. They were entering more open areas, which made sneaking far more trickier for them, but they had no more mishaps as they moved around each patrolling monster. Finally, they entered a forest, where the barrier was much closer now. Making sure no monsters were around, the group ran up to the barrier, with Vand pointing straight ahead.

“Do you see those Kargaroks?” He asked, and the others nodded. Several giant winged creatures stood ahead of them, with glowing markings circling around inside their bloomed face staring mindlessly, unaware of the group planning to get to them. “We go for them after this barrier is destroyed. Zelda, you and Hoz go with me. Nerc, Turk, you two take the light dweller and prince.”

Everyone nodded again and stepped back, giving Zelda the opportunity to do what she needed to do. She took out the sol from her back, staring at the divine magic swirling within it. She closed her eyes, thinking about what she needed to fight for.

“Hello, mother and father. I finished my studies and I wanted to catch you when the meeting ended!”

Amber’s voice rang out in her mind, and she bowed her head to pray, her daughter’s sweet face, curious eyes, and bright smile coming into her mind.

“I do… care about you.”

Edmund’s voice spoke up, making her remember the chocolate that was still in her pocket.

“I just want to help out.”

The light magic swirled within her, the mark on her hand growing warm from the Triforce of wisdom.

“If you ever wanna… I dunno… turn into Sheik and visit Ordon… We’d love to have you.”

Anger suddenly bubbled within her chest, the fury making her shake. The light grew brighter and brighter, and the bow of light appeared in her hand once again.

“I love you Amber…”

“…I love you too.”

She let an arrow loose, aiming right for the barrier, and it cracked under the divine power.

But it didn’t break.

Panic spiked in her chest as shrieks from the patrolling monsters were heard, and she fired another arrow, then another, each one deepening the cracks, but never breaking the barrier. The monsters were coming closer, and she saw the others getting more ansty out of the corner of her eyes. Losing her patience, she fired one more arrow, then charged at the barrier, throwing her whole body against it. To her relief, it finally shattered, and she landed on the ground with a harsh thud.

“RUN!” Vand yelled, and Zelda was suddenly picked up by Hoz and dragged to where the Kargaroks waited. She remembered them when Zant first attacked—it was odd how they were helping her now.

There were about five of the creatures sitting there, with some flying away from the group sprinting at them. Zelda sent a prayer that not all would fly away, and Vand was able to grab one before it got away.

“Sh, quiet!” He tried to soothe, giving it pets to calm it down. The other group was struggling to nab a kargarok, with them threatening to fly away while Nerc tried to coax it back. The patrolling monsters were bursting through the broken barrier, running dangerously close to the group. They needed to leave, now!

Vand got control of the Kargarok and got his son onto its back, desperately gesturing for Hoz and Zelda to follow. The captain let her go first where she sat behind Vand, then he sat behind her. Zelda glanced over at the others to see Rusl struggling to get Kori on the other one, Nerc and Turk already on the carrier. Kori was put on successfully, and Rusl was about to get on himself, but he was too late.

The monsters caught up to them, Vand taking to the skies which was safe from them, but Rusl was grabbed and pulled off just as Nerc tried to fly away, with Kori screaming his name.

“Rusl!” Zelda called out, pulling out the light arrows and aiming for the monster pinning Rusl to the ground. To her surprise, it completely vaporized into a golden light, allowing Rusl to scramble to his feet. Nerc, however, was already too far away, his expression tense as he watched Rusl helpless on the ground.

“I’ll get him!” Vand yelled, kicking the kargarok’s sides and sending it to where Rusl stood, who was defensively watching the monsters get closer.

“Rusl!” Zelda called out to him again, and he looked up just in time to see the karagarok’s claws reaching out for him, picking him off the ground before the monsters could reach him, and they finally flew away.

Vand dropped Rusl off on the other carrier where Turk helped him down, and he let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you,” he said to Zelda and Vand, his voice wavering, and Zelda nodded, looking behind her to the island they were flying away from. The monsters were pouring over the sides in a desperate attempt to get to them, but they were safe.

Goddesses they were safe.

Zelda let out an involuntary sob as she leaned her body over the sol, and she felt Hoz rest his head against her back. They were safe.

“Ok, to the queen then,” Vand said, giving Nerc a nod, and he nodded back. They flew over the twilight skies, with Zelda noting the miles and miles of emptiness below her. But it didn’t frighten her, for she felt a weight lifted off her shoulder. They had a fighting chance now, they had a chance to defeat the beast.

They were safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It felt like they flew for hours, passing other islands and towns that watched them fly by. The Twilight Realm was not at all what she was expecting it to be, like how the islands were basically floating in the air, making them travel with the kargaroks. It was unlike anything she’s ever seen, and it made her think of Amber and her fascination with big birds that Hylians used to fly on. She wondered if she’d like it here. Eventually, they finally made it to a large island with an elaborate castle standing out against the red sky, and Zelda could almost feel Midna’s presence there. A ping of fear went through her heart as she thought about her, anxiety beginning to gnaw at her insides. She hasn’t seen Midna in ten years. How would she be now? Would she be excited to see her? Or would she feel awkward?

When Zant first attacked Hyrule, Zelda had found herself all alone, with her soldiers and parents turned into shadow beasts, the kingdom she now inherited covered in shadows. But then, when she was almost overwhelmed by the loneliness, Midna came along. She wasn’t the warmest person by any means, but she was the friendliest face Zelda had seen in a long time, even before Zant invaded. Midna meant a lot to her, whether she liked to admit it or not, so seeing her again after so long filled her anxieties. Was she still the same from when she first broke the mirror? Or has she changed? With how Link and Kori acted, it seemed she was still the same, but how could she know?

The group landed, and Hoz practically rolled off the kargarok carrier, getting on his hands and knees.

“Oh, sweet land,” he huffed, and Zelda joined him, stretching her aching legs.

“Goddesses above almighty,” Nerc breathed out after dismounting the carrier. “That was… wow…”

“We escaped! We’re here at the castle!” Turk cheered, and he and Nerc both gave each other a hug.

“Yes, I haven’t seen the skies in… I don’t know how long,” Vand muttered, and his son ran up to Kori.

“We made it Kori!” He exclaimed, and Kori grinned wide, his dimples denting his cheeks.

“We made it!”

The two boys hugged each other, and Rusl finally got off the Kargarok, chuckling to himself.

“Makin’ friends everywhere you go, huh Kori?” He asked, and Kori gave him a bashful look before looking down.

“I guess,” he mumbled, and Rusl laughed again, ruffling his hair. Zelda watched them, her brow furrowed as she noticed Rusl’s shirt ripped along his arm and chest.

“Are you alright, Rusl?” She asked, and Hoz nodded.

“You had a bit of a scare there!”

Rusl waved them off, chuckling slightly, though he did look drained.

“I’m fine, it’s just a scratch.” He turned to Zelda, giving her a deep bow. “I owe you my life, Zelda.”

Zelda opened her mouth, but Hoz spoke up before she could get a word out.

“We all owe you our lives! That was just… incredible!” Hoz stood beside Rusl, a proud smile on his face. “I didn’t know you were capable of such… skill! And here I thought I couldn’t respect you more than I already do!”

Zelda’s face went warm and she looked down, trying to downplay the compliments. “I’m just glad we all made it out alive.”

“We wouldn’t have if not for you,” Vans said. “Now we must get the rest of them out. Come, let us go to the queen.”

Zelda looked up at Vand and nodded, glancing at Hoz and Rusl who were still smiling wide at her. Her face went warm again and she turned away, following Vand as he walked away.

“Let’s go see the queen.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, have you thought about it—”

“No.”

The chancellor of the Twilight Realm, Ethel, scoffed, turning away from Midna in frustration.

“You’re not even going to consider it?” He asked, and she shook her head.

“I told you, I’m not interested in a king or a husband,” Midna explained simply, sitting in her throne comfortably, definitely not how a queen should sit in one.

“It would make things easier, you know. Don’t you think I deserve such a title?”

“Are you carrying the heir for nine months? Are you gonna be responsible for every single physical need when she’s born? Your contribution to the future of the twilight realm was only five minutes.”

Ethel made a face, crossing his arms. “This will be much easier for everyone if you weren’t so stubborn. It took us years to finally convince you to have an heir to the Twilight Realm, yet you still refuse a king.”

“Do you remember what happened last time we had a king?”

“Do you honestly think I’ll turn out like Zant?”

Midna gave him a look, trying to decide how she would go answering him.

“No.” She finally said.

“I can’t tell if that’s an insult or not.”

She laughed bitterly and turned away. “We don’t need a king, chancellor, now quit worrying about it.” Ethel went silent, though he stayed by her throne as if trying to think of an argument. Midna sighed and rolled her eyes, sitting up straight. “Why are you even here? To pester me about everything you want?”

“I’m here to see if you’re carrying the heir yet,” Ethel grumbled. “It’s been so many years, you know how impatient the realm has become. I just want to make sure my five minutes didn’t go to waste.”

Midna frowned. It was all that they cared about now. Every conversation had something to do with the heir, each one passive-aggressively insulting her one way or another. It was tiring with how they stopped respecting her as their queen and more like a servant, only there to do their bidding. “I can’t tell yet. Come back in nine months,” she finally said, turning away.

Ethel sighed, giving up. “Fine, be that way. But I warn you, Midna, if you keep this attitude up, the realm might eventually turn against you.”

“The heir will come, alright?” Midna snapped. “Now show your queen some respect, huh?”

Ethel frowned, shaking his head. “I’m sorry if I expressed too much concern for you,” he murmured. Midna only rolled her eyes, feeling relief when a knock came at the doors. She straightened her back and rested her hands on the armrests, letting out a sigh as her long legs crossed over each other.

“You may enter,” she yelled in a bored voice, watching the servants by the door open it. A guard walked in, followed by a small group of twili from what she saw, and the guard bowed low.

“My queen, the governor of Rajani city is here.”

Midna sucked in a breath, giving the guard a nod. Rajani city had been pretty quiet for the past year, making Ethel and many of the court nervous for a possible rebellion rising up against her. Which was why they pressed for a heir so much, hoping it’d ease the tension between her and the many cities throughout the realm.

“Very well, bring him here,” she ordered, and the guard nodded, stepping aside so the governor was able to walk towards her. He looked terrified, his hands fidgeting with each other in front of him, and he bowed.

“M-my queen, I—”

“MOMMY!”

Midna felt her blood run cold, her stomach plummeting to the floor when she saw Kori pop out from behind the governor, him sprinting across the room and throwing himself onto her lap, sobbing hysterically into her arms. She gasped, grasping onto him instinctively, her face tingling from dread as she held her son. Her eyes traveled back up to the governor where she suddenly spotted Rusl and Zelda watching, concerned looks on their faces. They shouldn’t be here, why were they here?

“Kori,” she breathed, almost too shocked to move as his cries filled the air, and she saw Ethel step closer to her.

“Is that—” he started, but she shot him a death glare.

“Don’t. Come. Any. Closer,” she growled, looking back at the confused guards in the room. “I need everyone to leave. Now!”

The guards and Ethel seemed hesitant, so Midna pointed at Ethel and the guards, gesturing them to the doors.

“Everyone except the governor, leave!”

Ethel finally moved away, his expression slightly concerned, taking the guards with him. All that was left in the throne room was Midna, Kori, and everyone who just came in. It was deafeningly silent, with Kori’s crying slowing down, and Rusl finally stepped closer to them.

“Midna—”

“What are you doing here?” She asked, a sharpness in her voice. Rusl was taken aback, shocked at her tone.

“We’re here to get help from you,” he explained, and Midna shook her head aggressively.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

“Well we are. And we need your help.” Rusl said bluntly, and Midna finally looked him in the eyes. He looked like a mess, with his blond hair tangled, his black clothes ripped and bloodied, and bruises scattered all over his face. His eyes looked tired, and the usual strength in his body was clearly waning. She frowned as she observed him, her grip on Kori tightening.

“What happened?”

Rusl pursed his lips before glancing at the governor, gesturing to him with his head.

“I’ll let Vand here explain it.”

Midna looked at the governor, giving him a nod of permission to speak. He knelt down and rested his head on the ground, as if he were apologizing for something.

“My queen. I come to ask you for aid. For the past year, a rogue shadow beast has been taking my citizens, stealing their force and growing more and more powerful—”

“Wait, a shadow beast?” Midna glanced at Rusl who nodded.

“Did Link tell you about the disappearances? That’s what’s been causing this.”

Midna frowned, shaking her head. “No. There’s no more shadow beasts. Me and Link killed them all.”

“Well clearly one escaped.”

She shook her head again. “It’s not possible!”

“I’m sorry, Midna. It is.”

Midna stared, seeing the seriousness in Rusl’s face. How could it happen? How could one escape from them? Zant used all of the shadow beasts to attack them and to guard him in the castle—they killed them! And the ones that were about to be turned were turned back! It wasn’t possible, it couldn’t be!

“My queen,” Vand spoke up again, “the beast has stolen the force of so many twili in our city, and it has grown powerful over the past ten years. I ask that you help me rescue the last remaining citizens, including the light dwellers it stole away.”

Midna glanced at Zelda this time, seeing her looking down and fidgeting with her fingers. So much was happening at once, and she was struggling to keep up with it all. Guilt ate away at her as the story echoed through her mind; how could she let such a thing happen? How could she not notice Rajani city suffering so? How could she, as queen, not know about this? Why was Zant still haunting her every waking moment even after she killed him?

“Midna?” Rusl spoke up, his expression filled with concern.

“How did you get here?” She asked him, fearing for what he’d say. She made sure that no one would be able to enter the light realm ever again, where only she had the keys to travel between worlds. It was the most tight-lipped she’s ever been about anything, out of fear of shattering the mirror being in vain. There was no way Rusl, Zelda, and Kori got here the same way she’s been traveling, right?

“That twilight beast got so powerful that it’s now able to move between worlds at will,” Rusl simply explained, his arms crossed in front of his chest. “Me, Zelda, and Kori got caught up in the portal when it tried to retreat.”

Midna stroked Kori’s hair, feeling her heart hurt that her son got caught up in such danger. She tried so hard to keep him safe from the dangers of the twilight, but she had failed.

She had failed.

It wasn’t from how she traveled, but the idea of the beast being powerful enough to travel between worlds was terrifying, proof of its incredible power. To open gateways of one’s own free will was a mark of a powerful mage. To do it across dimensions was incomprehensible.

Whatever they were up against, it was no normal shadow beast, deeming it a serious threat not only against the Twilight Realm, but to Hyrule as well.

As it always was, it seemed.

“I am sorry,” she finally said, meeting Vand’s eyes. “I am sorry for not doing more for you when you needed me most.” She stood, still holding Kori in her arms and avoiding everyone’s gazes. She needed to think, but they all needed to be cared for first. “I’ll take you all to the medics, it seems you need it. Follow me.”

Midna began walking through the halls of the castle, with Kori staring at the walls and ceilings, the place he used to call home when he was a child. Everyone was silent as they walked, almost as if saying anything would set her off. They reached the medic, who quickly began tending to the twili while eyeing Rusl curiously.

“Please take care of them,” Midna ordered, referring to all of the light dwellers as well. The medic looked between Rusl and Midna, excitement apparent on his face.

“I would be honored to take care of the light dwellers,” he said, moving to Rusl who took a step back.

“Be gentle,” Midna warned, “that’s my father-in-law you’re dealing with.”

The medic paused, giving Midna a nervous look before getting closer to Rusl more cautiously. Rusl simply gave her a small grin, almost looking surprised.

“Father-in-law, eh?” He teased as the medic carefully poked at the scratches on his arms. Midna simply turned away, not in the mood for the teasing.

“You all may stay here, it seems you’ve been through a lot,” she muttered, setting down Kori and ruffling his hair. “Go ahead and rest up. I’ll get the army ready and save the last survivors,” she promised, and immediately Kori tried to tag along.

“Mommy,” he pleaded, holding onto her cloak, and she cupped his cheek with her hand.

“Kori, my little sol, I want you to stay with your grandpa, ok?” She kissed him on the head, but he pulled back with his brows furrowed.

“But—”

“I’m going to deal with this, then we’ll go home to your dad, ok?”

A flicker of relief went across Kori’s expression, but he still wouldn’t let go of Midna, his eyes wide and pleading. It hurt her heart to peel his hands away, having to turn away to do what she was raised to do. To protect her realm.

“I’ll be back,” she simply said, “you all… um… take care of yourselves.” She gave the medic a nod and rushed out the door, fire running through her veins, everything happening from the past few minutes running rampant through her mind. Though when she finally had the opportunity to think, her name was called, stopping her in her tracks.

“Midna?” Zelda’s voice rang out through the castle, her smooth, elegant voice that held nothing but dignity and wisdom filling the air. Something she hasn’t heard in a while. Something she wouldn’t think she’d ever hear again.

“Zelda,” Midna replied, afraid to face her, to see her face.

There was silence for a moment, and she heard shuffling behind her.

“Um… It’s been a while,” Zelda finally said, and Midna turned to her in confusion. She seemed… shy. Midna had never seen her like that. Reclusive yes, but never shy.

“It has,” Midna mumbled, just as awkward as she. Zelda’s expression kept changing from scared, to confident, and to uncertainty, as if she was trying to think of what to say. Midna took the opportunity to really look at her. She looked tired, worn down, hanging on by a thread, yet still trying to hang on regardless. Her regal facade was clearly breaking, and it was clear that the past ten years were not kind to her. Though, her entire life was riddled with hardships and trials. Midna swallowed, feeling guilt build up within her again as she stared at her old friend. She completely abandoned her, didn’t she?

“I’m happy to see you again,” Zelda finally said, and Midna stared blankly.

“What?”

“I-I said I’m happy to see you again.”

She frowned, staring at the ground, almost angry at the comment. “Why?”

It was Zelda’s turn to stare blankly, her hands still fidgeting nervously in front of her.

“Pardon?”

Midna scoffed, shaking her head in frustration. “How could you be happy to see me after everything?”

“Wh-why wouldn’t I be? It’s been so long, Midna.”

Midna looked down, ignoring the obvious fear in her expression. “I know I hurt you by breaking the mirror. I just… I thought you’d resent me for it.”

Zelda frowned. “No! It hurt, yes, but I never resented you for it!” She looked down at her hands, shrinking away from her. “As rulers we must make difficult decisions for the best of our people. You did what you had to do to protect everyone. It hurt to see the mirror broken, but I know it hurt you more.”

Midna sighed. It was the most painful thing she’s ever done. She tried convincing herself that she wouldn’t miss Link and Zelda when she left, that she wouldn’t be upset over never seeing them ever again. But with the way she was clearly a support to Zelda, the way that she and Link made love that one night, it was nearly impossible to do. Which made everything so frustrating. She went through all that heartache and for what? Just to return two years later? Despite everything, she still tried to keep herself a secret, but Link had begged her to meet the rest of his family, and though she didn’t regret it, it still made things feel vain.

And Zelda never saw her all those years. Midna was too scared to visit.

It wasn’t just because it was risky (though it was), but she was afraid of how Zelda would react to her. Admittedly she was afraid with Link as well, but she knew Link better than he knew himself, so it brought her some comfort that he wouldn’t outright hate her. But Zelda was very quiet and very serious. It was hard to tell how she truly felt about something. The twili were generally very unforgiving if someone were to cross them, so she assumed Zelda would be the same.

Yet here she was, saying that she missed her.

Goddesses.

“Why are you and Link so nice?” Midna whimpered, walking right up to Zelda and pulling her into a hug. Zelda made a surprised noise, her face buried into her chest, but she hesitantly reciprocated, her head resting fully against her. They stood there for a moment, simply holding each other, until Zelda pulled away.

“Are you leaving to fight the beast by yourself?” She asked, and Midna shrugged.

“I won’t be alone, but I do want you to stay here and—”

“No.” Zelda pulled out the sol she was carrying, tapping it with her finger. “With this, I can use the light arrows, which will aid in the battle. Take me with you, and I can help turn the odds to our favor!”

Midna stared at the sol and sighed. She didn’t want to endanger Zelda any further; she felt like she had the responsibility to fight the beast alone since she let it escape, but Zelda had a stubborn expression on her face.

“Let me go with you.” She asked again, and the door to the medic’s room opened, revealing two of the twili and the other light dweller she didn’t know.

“We’re going too!” The light dweller exclaimed, and Zelda shook her head.

“N-no, Hoz, you—”

“It’s like you said before, my queen. I need to retreat and make a plan so that I may strike again!” The light dweller, Hoz, pumped his fist. “I’m going to rescue my men that I abandoned and the rest of the missing people, just like you ordered!”

The other two twili stepped up, each one bowing to Midna.

“My name is Nerc,” a rounder looking one introduced himself. “This is my friend Turk. We wish to help save the rest of our city! Please let us go with you!”

Midna frowned, looking between each person and sighing. “I can’t ask that of you. You’ve already been through so much.”

Nerc smiled, bowing slightly. “We have, but it has strengthened us. I am a skilled kargarok flier and can help in any way that I can. But I cannot sit back and let the remaining survivors suffer while I am here. Please, my queen, let me go with you!”

Turk bowed as well, his hands clasped together to beg. Midna frowned, looking between the two twili, then at Zelda and Hoz.

“But… you’re all injured.”

“No, luckily it’s just me.”

Rusl suddenly appeared at the door, his arms crossed and leaning against the frame. He had a smirk on his face and nodded at Midna. “You’ll want them with you, Midna. Trust me.”

Midna frowned, still feeling hesitant, but if he felt confident, then surely they would be fine, right? She smiled slightly at Rusl, walking up close to him and resting her hands on his shoulders. “Will you… watch over Kori? K–keep him safe… from… everything?” Her voice dropped to a whisper, her expression pleading as she stared into his icy-blue eyes. Rusl’s gaze softened and he nodded.

“Nothing will happen to him, Midna. I promise.”

Midna let out a small sigh, nodding back at him and turning to the others, giving them a firm and commanding look.

“Alright,” she agreed, gesturing for them to follow. “If you all want to come so bad, then I won’t stop you.” She turned towards the hallway, gesturing for them to follow. “Let’s go kill a beast.”

#love at twilight #twilight princess #midlink #fankid #Zelda oc #Zelda ocs #smiles writes #Kori #so sorry this is late!#hope you guys like it regardless 😊#we’re nearing the end here!#legend of Zelda #legend of Zelda au #Zelda au #thank you for beta reading as always bearie

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