denying him of her love, she had certainly created a void in his heart, one that could only grow until it was filled with the shallow sustenance that only darkness could
provide. What could she possibly say or do to keep that darkness from growing into something that could no longer be reconciled or controlled?
Since Zelda didn't answer, Faron continued, addressing the queen this time as Midna glided off to the side, crossing her arms as she tried to come up with a plan to rescue
Link from this prophecy herself. "If this prophecy truly does come to pass, then the Hero of Twilight shall indeed become the dreaded Hero of Shadow," the light spirit said
rather ominously. "With the magic granted to him by the corrupted Triforce of Courage he wields, none will be able to stop his great power. Save for one… the Queen of
Light, the one of the Blood of the ancient Goddess Hylia, which is bound to the Spirit of the Hero…"
The queen closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, already knowing full well that the light spirit was referring to her. This information only made her situation even more
difficult for Zelda knew that if she failed in saving Link before he turned rouge, then the only way to protect her kingdom would be to destroy him, a thought that was
absolutely unbearable to her.
"Zelda… Queen of Hyrule," Faron went on as the waters around Zelda's feet began to glow even brighter, a thin swirl of golden light starting to spiral around her. Both the
queen and the Twilight Princess watched it in wonder, wondering what was happening, until the light covered Zelda completely, washing her in its sacred, warm glow and
hiding away every trace of darkness. Midna could no longer see the queen at all as she was concealed by its brilliant radiance, but the light spirit merely continued as
though nothing was happening. "You are the Queen of Light, the antithesis of the Hero of Shadow. You are the one who is meant to drive away the darkness he will bring.
You restore life where he brings death. You remain pure when he is corrupted. Your shining soul shall smite his blackened heart. You will rise above to glory when he falls
low from grace. Your light shall destroy his shadows. Behold, O Queen of Light… Behold your destiny!"
The light surrounding Zelda suddenly flashed brightly, blinding Midna entirely for a moment. When it faded, both women were able to see the change that had taken place in
the queen's outfit. Her black cloak was gone, as if to represent the shadows that had just been purified from her. In its place was a beautiful, ornate battle gown. Upon her
shoulders rested her usual golden sturdy armor as well as an upper chest plate bearing the Hylian crest upon it to match the necklace she wore that also bore the symbol
of her kingdom. Her top was purple, fortified underneath by a sheet of thin armor. She wore a skit that went down to her shins, golden accents swirling upon the lavender
fabric as her classic tabard bearing the royal crest and the Triforce, as well as the mark of Nayru, hung from her belt. Her warm leather boots remained, as did her Triforce
shaped earrings and her coronation tiara, and from her shoulders hung a long, pure white cape to match her long gloves. The entire outfit told of her regality and showed
her beauty well, but even more than that, it was symbolic. It showed that she was the Queen of Light, the one meant to protect Hyrule in place of its fallen hero, almost
as if she was replacing him in a way. And yet, Zelda never wanted to replace Link, much less take him down. She could only hope that she could stop the hero from
turning from one of Twilight to one of Shadows before she was faced with that task.
"To fulfill this destiny, you will need the light to banish darkness," the light spirit said as yet another golden glow formed, this time right in front of Zelda. "You will need the
strength of a weapon you have wielded before, one that can pierce the shadows and restore the light of restoration and peace to the world. Take this weapon now,
Queen of Light; be the one who rises in place of the fallen. Be the light that destroys the shadows…"
As Faron's voice and presence began to fade away, the glow shaped itself into something that the queen was certainly happy to see: the Bow of Light. Though she had
wielded this bow in the past, specifically when her and Link had stood against Ganondorf together, Zelda knew that its power would only be stronger now thanks to her
newly acquired light magic. Even though the thought of using against the hero was certainly unsavory to her, the queen knew that its might would defiantly prove to be
useful against the other, more immediate threat Hyrule was facing: the Queen of Shadows.
"Zelda, we have to hurry," Midna said urgently as Zelda took the Bow of Light into her own hands. "If we don't find Link soon, then he… he might…"
"I know…" the queen said worriedly. "But we cannot allow that to happen. Verona will certainly want to influence him to give into this dark destiny of his, but we must
separate him from her at all costs, lest she ruin him completely. Now come. We've not a moment to lose."
The Twilight Princess nodded resolutely, quickly following the queen's hurried pace out of the spring and back into the forest. Zelda was quick to whistle for her horse,
which came to her at her call and without any further deliberation, the two women were off, knowing that since the hero was no longer in the forest, then they would just
have to search elsewhere for him until the found him. It wasn't the ideal way to go about it, but they didn't have much of a choice. After all, both of them were
determined to do whatever it took to rescue the hero they both cared so much about from the evil hat could quite possibly destroy him. However, neither of them could
be prepared for the sight they saw when they emerged out of the Faron province and back into Hyrule Field.
Zelda stopped the horse in its tracks and froze as her eyes widened, and likewise, Midna's jaw dropped in absolute shock. The queen desperately wanted to rip her eyes
away from the horrible sight that she could see from even many miles away, but she found she was unable to. For this was a sight that she had seen in her nightmares
several times before, a sight that she had prayed time and time to the goddesses to prevent, but those prayers all seemed to be in vain now. On the horizon, Castle Town
was glowing amidst the darkness, set alight by the unquenchable flames destroying it, as if it were a sign to the Queen of Light that her kingdom, and everything else she
cared about, was all too quickly falling down all around her.
Though Link had reservations about going with Verona at all, he had hesitantly agreed on her proposal to take to the Twilight Realm for his training instead of remaining
anywhere in Hyrule. After all, Zelda's guards were certainly still on the hunt for him, most likely more enraged and provoked than ever after hearing that he killed several of
their peers. The more he avoided any of them, the hero reasoned, the better. Of course, Link didn't really want to leave Midna behind without so much as an explanation
or sign, especially since she was injured, but considering the animosity between the Twilight Princess and the Queen of Shadows, he didn't even bother to bring this issue
up to Verona as they departed from the realm of light using her teleportation magic.
The Twilight Realm was largely as the hero remembered it looking during his first excursion there months ago. Since the darkened realm never really experienced seasons
or even time the way Hyrule did, its skies were stuck in a perpetual dusk and it was untouched by the chill of winter. Since an even thicker darkness lingered in the world of
light, it took Link no time at all to adjust his eyes to the shadows of the Twilight as him and Verona appeared directly in front of the Palace of Twilight.
Before the hero really even had time to reorient himse
lf, the Queen of Shadows turned to him, giving him another soft, benevolent smile. "Now, as eager as I am to get
to work," she began cordially, holding her hands behind her back. "Is there anything you would like, Link? I certainly wouldn't want to be a bad hostess, after all."
"Don't act like the Twilight Realm belongs to you because it doesn't," the hero said coldly, still being mindful that despite her apparent kindness to him, Verona was no ally.
"You and I both know that Midna is the true ruler of this place."
Verona frowned at this, though there was no anger in it. "So you say," she said with a shrug. "But just as you've realized that Zelda doesn't match up to your
expectations of her, with time you'll also see that Midna is not as wonderful of a person as she'd like you to think either."
"I doubt that," Link said, rolling his eyes in disbelief. After all, Midna had been the only one who had vowed to stay by his side when no one else would. And unlike Zelda,
the hero knew that every word from the Twilight Princess was nothing less than absolutely sincere.
The Queen of Shadows simply shrugged once more, not particularly caring to dwell on the subject any longer. "Think what you want then," she said, her tone rather
unconcerned. "Nonetheless, my prior question still stands. Are there any comforts that you desire before we dive right into training?"
Link was very tempted to flat out say no, instead opting to just get this entire training session over with so he could return to Hyrule and carry on with the rest of his life
instead of lingering in the company of the enemy. However, before he could, he was hit with a sudden pang of hunger, reminding him that he had scarcely eaten anything
in days thanks to constantly being on the move. His first long journey had conditioned him to go long periods of time without food, but he still didn't really like doing it if he
didn't have to. "Um… I guess I'm a little hungry?" he chanced a bit uncertainly, not really sure how the Queen of Shadows would respond to something so simple.
Verona smiled warmly, laughing a bit as if amused by his request. "Then come," she said, turning and beckoning for him to follow her. "You shall eat your fill."
The hero hesitated for a brief moment before trailing after her, entering into the Palace of Twilight. The palace itself was eerily empty of regular Twili people, and instead
Shadow Beasts roamed around freely, mostly likely creatures of Verona's own creation. Most of them roared or snarled at Link, even after bowing their heads in
reverence to Verona, largely because he was a being of the light, a rare sight to see within the Twilight. The Queen of Shadows chuckled to herself, glancing back towards
the hero as he fiercely growled right back at the beasts, a testament to the instincts of a wolf that he still carried even in his human form.
"Don't worry, Link," Verona reassured him, and the hero was quick to catch himself in embarrassment, not even realizing how he had been snarling. "My little Shadow
Beasts will mind their manners so long as you mind yours."
Link didn't respond to this as he continued to glare at the Shadow Beasts, remembering how many of them he had taken down during the Twilight Invasion and knowing
well what manner of wicked creatures they were. Their presence here only served as a reminder to the hero that the Queen of Shadows was true to her title: the queen
of the shadows and all of the evil things that lied within them. Her benevolence was but a mask, an act she was putting forth to gain his trust. And Link was not about to
let himself fall for it so easily. If she planned on fooling him, then it wasn't going to work. After all, his trust had been broken before thanks to Zelda; he wasn't about to
give it so freely to anyone else ever again.
After wandering through a series of hallways that the hero was unfamiliar with, they eventually made it to a large, lavish dinging hall with a high vaulted ceiling. The wall on
one side of the room was nothing but glass windows, allowing one to look out and see the endless glimmer of the Twilight outside. A long black table mostly filled the
room and many elegant chairs were lined around it, though the room itself was empty save for the hero and the Queen of Shadows.
"You know, come to think of it, I'm rather peckish myself," Verona mused as she sauntered towards the head of the table on the far end of the room. Though Link was
fully prepared to take the other end, the Queen of Shadows shook her head and motioned for him to sit closer to her, which he slowly complied with as he sat
immediately to her right. Verona smiled kindly at him before turning her attention to the empty table before them. However, after a mere snap of the Queen of Shadow's
fingers, the table was suddenly full of a large assortment of various food, all of which looked deliciously good. Roasted cuccoo, steamed vegetables, pumpkin soup,
elegant tarts and small cakes, freshly picked fruit, and countless other options still lined the entire length of the table. The hero eyed all of it hungrily, feeling somewhat
overwhelmed by it all. He knew that if he was a wolf at that moment, he would have completely disregarded manners and indulged his appetite indiscriminately.
Verona smiled to herself, pleased with her handiwork as she sat down. "Well, this certainly looks appeasing, if I do say so myself," she said with clear pride in her magical
cooking skills. "What do you think, Link?"
"It's amazing…" Link said in awe before he could catch himself, still staring at all of the food. "How did you make all this?"
"You'd be surprised with what certain types of magic can do," the Queen of Shadows said as she began to help herself to a plate of food. "Of course, I doubt that
elemental magic such as yours could make a meal like my conjuring magic could, but they have advantages all their own. You must be excited about finally learning to fully
master it, am I right?"
"I don't care about mastering it as much as I do controlling it," the hero answered truthfully, filling his own plate with food once Verona was finished. "I'd rather rely on my
sword than magic."
"I can understand why you feel that way," Verona said, taking a sip of wine. "From what I've heard, you're quite the formidable swordsman. But just imagine how
powerful you could be if you added magic to your skillset."
"I'm not interested," Link said resolutely, knowing he didn't need any magic to enhance his swordsman ship. So long as he kept them under control and under the surface,
then his life could finally return to normal and he could put all of this behind him.
"Well, you might change your mind after a few days with me," the Queen of Shadows said coyly, her lips curling into a knowing grin.
A long bout of silence passed between both of them, one that was rather awkward as they both ate. Though Link wasn't particularly too interested in really conversing
with Verona, he couldn't help but notice that the Queen of Shadows was staring at him rather intently, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable, as though her visible
scarlet eye was search his soul for something. And though the hero was tempted to be direct and ask her why she was giving him such a close examination, he ended up
breaking the silence by asking something else instead.
"So… why do you really want to help me?" he asked tentatively, not willing to be answered with a mere act this time. "I mean… it's not like you have anything to gain from
this, do you?"
Verona smirked as she let out a small laugh. "Oh, Link…" she said warmly, shaking her head. "Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps I volunteered to train you not
because I had anything to gain from it, but because I wanted to? Earlier I told you that I pitied you and it's certainly true. You were scorned, cast out and hated by the
very people you swore to protect. Believe it or not, I know exactly how that feels
…" For the first time in a while, the Queen of Shadow's confident expression became
downcast as she glanced to the unchanging Twilight outside. "After all… the very same thing happened to me…"
Now it was Link's turn to give Verona a quizzical look as he realized this was the first time since he had met her, she was being genuinely morose and vulnerable,
something that confused and interested him all at once. "What… what happened?" he asked, his curious getting the better of him.
The Queen of Shadows looked away from the hero fully as she rose to stand, approaching the window slowly, her black cape trailing out behind her gracefully as she
stood before it. She said nothing for the longest time, but when she finally did, her tone was quiet and reserved, so unlike the authoritative and formal tone she usually
spoke with. "It seems like it was so long ago now…" she began thoughtfully. "But in reality, it was only about two years ago… I was young, innocent… terribly naive… In a
sense, I was much like you are, Link… An idealist, always trying to see the best in the world and everyone in it… But I was more than just an idealist; I was a scholar. From
the time I was young, I had always found myself fascinated by history and mythology, of both the Twilight Realm and the realm of light. I suppose it was only fitting,
seeing as how I came from a long line of Twili nobility, the ones who are meant to bear our tales and legends across the generations. I would spend endless hours
researching and studying both, never tiring of learning all I could as I found it all so interesting. In fact, it was as I was engrossed in my studies one day that I… I met
someone who was… very important to me…"
The large library of the Palace of Twilight was a place of serenity and peace to Verona, and much to her fortune it was always open to members of the Twili court. She
would steal away to the large labyrinth of books every chance she got, always heading towards the history or mythology section and pouring over a different book or
scroll every time. Her thirst for knowledge was nigh unquenchable, and though she had read nearly every piece of literature that was of interest to her, she would still hunt
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