on utilizing her magic. However, even despite her resolve, it seemed as though Verona had an endless supply of monsters at her disposal, and no doubt she was watching
Zelda struggle against them from somewhere nearby. However, what the queen had not been expecting was for monsters to begin appearing from behind her.
Zelda let out a sudden scream as a sharp pain rippled through her exposed back, tearing through her white cape and drawing blood. Without even glancing behind her, the
queen spun around, letting a light arrow fly into the face of the shadow beast who had attacked her from behind only to find that several more were there, meaning that
now she was surrounded on all sides.
Zelda set her jaw as she blew her hair out of her face, already forming a few more light arrows over her bowstring. However, before she could even let them loose, a dark
hand suddenly gripped her shoulder, roughly pulling her backwards. The light arrows dissipated as the queen's focus suddenly broke, and though she struggled against the
hold of the shadow beast that had grabbed her, she was all too soon swept off her feet by a pair of monsters behind her. Zelda's head swam the moment it met with the
pavement, and yet she somehow managed to remain conscious enough to attempt to kick the shadow beasts away, even though it was no use. By now, there was a
monster gripping onto each of her limbs as they held onto her tightly, her bow discarded just out of her reach. Though the queen tried to concentrate long enough to use
her magic to summon the light to drive them away, her overwhelming panic prevented her from doing so as their dark claws began to bare into her skin, drawing blood
and causing her great pain. However, much to her surprise, before the shadow beasts could cause too much damage, something miraculous happened.
In a matter of mere seconds, the entire group of shadow beasts surrounding Zelda met their abrupt, violent ends as they were all impaled by large, deadly spires of ice
that had somehow emerged from the ground. The queen let out a cry of surprise as she collapsed to the ground out of their grip, her eyes widening as she saw the many
cold spires raised high all around her, amazed that not a single one had touched her. However, as Zelda slowly picked herself and her bow up off the ground, she soon
caught sight of who had happened to save her as she turned her gaze towards the south.
She only saw him for a moment as he stood above her, atop one of the inner walls leading into the marketplace, but she knew it was him. He leapt from his perch before
she could even call out to him, taking off even further into the market, but the queen was determined to peruse him, to finally talk to him and tell him the truth instead of
masking herself away with forced lies and betrayal.
Zelda didn't call out for him as she swept into the street of the market, her tattered white cape strewn out behind her as she tried to catch sight of him again, though he
must have taken to a nearby alley as she wasn't able to spot him. Her heart was racing with sudden nervousness and fear as she tried to think of what she wanted to say
to him after breaking his heart in the way that she had, hurting him in one of the worst ways possible. She was stunned that he would even save her at all after what she
had done to him, but she was thankful for it nonetheless; after all, it restored some of her hope in the hero, making her feel that perhaps the light spirit had been wrong.
Perhaps he wasn't destined to fall into hatred and darkness after all.
Zelda stopped short as she passed by the back alley that led to Telma's bar, especially when she noticed the Triforce of Wisdom resonating in a glowing blue color as she
approached it. The queen took in a deep breath, knowing that he was there, perhaps even waiting for her, and even still she was not ready to confront him. Not after
what she had done.
And yet, she gathered her courage all the same as she slipped into the alley, instantly catching sight of him as she began down the short staircase leading into the
enclosure before the bar. Zelda wasn't entirely sure if she was even breathing anymore as she stopped and stared at him for several moments, his back turned to her and
his arms held at his side, his fists clenched as he seemed to be staring up at something she couldn't see. Her footsteps were anxious and nearly silent as she slowly went
down the stairs and came to stand only a few feet behind him, her heart pounding in her chest as she gazed upon him, her dark blue eyes wide, yet hopeful. She wasn't
sure if he knew she was there, and it didn't really matter to her if he did. What did matter was that they were at last alone, and at last she could tell him everything she
had been holding back before. She could apologize, she could beg for his forgiveness, she could tell him how important he was to her, how she never wanted him to leave
her side again. Perhaps she could even tell him that her affections for him were deeper than she had ever realized before…
And so, not wanting to waste another second, Zelda slowly held her hand up and took another small step closer to him before she began to reach her hand towards his
shoulder. She swallowed nervously as she hesitated briefly before touching him, unsure of how he would react to seeing her again, but she quickly forced herself to go
through with it, knowing that waiting would only prolong her anxiety.
At long last, she gently skimmed his shoulder with her fingertips, a small part of her remembering how wonderful it had felt to be folded into his warm, caring embrace not
too long ago. She noticed him slightly tense upon her touch, but he still didn't turn to face her, even as she retracted her hand away a bit and whispered his name, her
voice small and tight with oncoming emotions. "Link?"
Upon hearing her voice, the hero finally glanced behind him at her, his expression largely unreadable, though there was certainly no warmth to it. Zelda suppressed the
urge to gasp upon seeing the now-noticeable Twili markings running jaggedly upon his face as they seemed to glow in the dim light of the area, and yet even despite
them, she couldn't deny the fact that he was still so handsome. The queen was struck with breathlessness as she stared at him, her hands moving over her heart as she
tried to think of something to say, but before she could, he spoke first.
"Zelda," was all Link said, and the way he had said it made Zelda feel as though a winter chill had come over her. Instead of sweet and devoted, his tone was hallow and
almost ridged, sounding so unlike him as he seemed to be holding some unknown emotion back, one that the queen couldn't really determine.
Zelda opened her mouth to say something to him, knowing that the best place to start would be with an apology for all of the pain she had caused him, even though she
knew that it would never be enough to ease all of her heavy guilt. However, before she could even get a single word out, she let out a sudden scream as a sharp burst of
agony struck her in the back, instantly coursing through her body in hot, painful waves. Time seemed to slow as Zelda began to collapse to the ground, her bow falling out
of her gasp as the world began to darken through her vision and pain continued to pound throughout her entire body.
As the queen finally collapsed to the ground roughly, she did so right in front Link, who seemed to not even so as much as a sign of concern for her. Exhaustion poured
through Zelda as she glanced up at the hero through tired eyes, realizing that he had finally turned to face her fully as she heard a familiar feminine laugh coming from not
too far away.
"L-Link…" Zelda muttered in agony as she looked up at him pleadingly, but her heart ached as she noticed his expression. The last thing the queen saw before she slipped
into the void of unconsciousness was her former hero glaring down at her with
nothing less than absolute hostility and hatred in his haunting silver eyes.
Verona and Link had left the world of light and returned to the Twilight Realm with an unconscious Zelda in tow before the fire had even burned itself out. By the time they
departed, the entire city was clearly abandoned and there was clearly no salvaging it after the immense inferno that had been set to it. And so, seeing as there was
nothing left for them to do there, the Queen of Shadows and the hero returned to the Palace of Twilight, quickly ensuring that the Queen of Light was securely imprisoned
in the darkest dungeon imaginable. Anticipating that Zelda had powers just like Link, Verona had even gone a step further from merely taking her Bow of Light away and
had cast an enchantment upon the cell that the Hylian queen was locked in, ensuring that the effects of her magic were completely negated within it, though the hero's
powers would still would as effectively as ever.
Though there was much Link wanted to say to Zelda upon her awakening, he didn't have the patience to wait around for her to wake up. After all, there would be plenty of
time for him to rub her mistakes in her face later; and so for the moment, he stood alone in the throne room of the Palace of Twilight, leaning casually against the wall as
he waited for Verona to arrive. Not long after their return, the Queen of Shadows had told him that she wanted to see him later, but that she had some business to attend
to first, though she gave no details about it. But nonetheless, the hero was somewhat thankful for this bout of silence and solitude, especially in the aftermath of the fire.
In truth, Link wasn't entirely sure how to feel now that their assault on Castle Town was all said and done. He knew he should have been elated and empowered after
unleashing such a powerful force of destruction upon those who had cast him out and called him a monster. He should have felt like he had accomplished something by
capturing the queen and imprisoning her just as she had planned on doing with him. And yet, in the wake of his revenge, he couldn't help but feel… empty somehow, as
though it all meant nothing at all. He couldn't explain why, but he had thought that destroying his enemies would have felt much more satisfying than this. Even the recent
memory of it didn't seem to particularly spark any sort of excitement or revelry in him. It was as though he was numb to the whole thing, too neutral to feel either
remorse or enjoyment over the disaster he had willingly and wantingly caused.
And he hated it. He wanted to be able to feel something, anything, after everything that had happened, but it was as if his emotions had been leeched from him,
completely drained out of him at a moment that he didn't really want them to. The hero shook his head as he tried his best to make himself angry in any way he could,
even holding his hand out in front of him expectantly, but no flames appeared over it. No ice surrounded the ground he was standing on in response to his hatred. No
winds circled around him as a sign of his confidence. Even his powers were being blocked by this listlessness, and for once, Link actually found himself craving something
that would release them once more, even if they were thrown out of control once more.
The hero was pulled out of his dull musings however as the large doors to the throne room creaked open, and the Queen of Shadows gracefully sauntered in. Unlike Link,
Verona was clearly in high spirits over their recent conquest, something that could be seen from the triumphant smile showing on her dark pink lips. And that wide grin only
brightened as she caught sight of the hero standing not too far away from the throne.
"Oh, Link!" Verona exclaimed, her tone lilting and delighted. "You're already here! Wonderful. I apologize for the slight delay; I was busy preparing a surprise for you
actually."
"A surprise?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as he stood upright once more. "What is it?"
"Ah, patience, Link," the Queen of Shadows said with a warm laugh as she continued her approach on the throne. "You'll see it soon enough. But for now, I think a
celebration is in order."
"Oh… well… I don't really see why we need to celebrate anything," the hero said aloofly, his arms crossed as he glanced to the ground. "It really wasn't that big of a deal."
"Oh, but it was!" Verona said, amused by his humbleness over the whole thing. "What we did, what you did… it was nothing short of incredible. We singlehandedly laid
waste to the capital city of Hyrule! We completely diminished the royal guard to the point that there is practically none of them left! We captured the tyrant Queen Zelda,
the one who put you through all this suffering. And now that we have her, you're free to make her suffer as much as you desire…"
"Yeah…" Link said with a half-hearted smile, knowing that he should have found this thought tantalizing, but at the moment, he actually found himself dreading meeting
Zelda again face-to-face. After all, so much had changed since the last time they spoke to each other. The hero himself had no idea how he would react or even what he
would say to her when he eventually would have to see her again.
"Couldn't you just feel their terror?" the Queen of Shadows went on with perverse excitement, not even noticing the hero's melancholy. "Couldn't you just hear it in their
screams? They were afraid… Afraid of you, Link. Just think… the very people who wanted you dead are now dead by your own hands! Doesn't that feel absolutely
cathartic? Doesn't that just warm you in every way possible?"
"I guess," Link said, his tone relatively stoic, and this time, Verona did notice it.
"Is… something the matter, Link?" she asked inquisitively, having already stepped past him so she could stand before the throne.
The hero's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this question, wishing that he had been more discreet in his lack of excitement and had instead put on a front to appease
the Queen of Shadows. But that didn't mean it wasn't too late to try. "Um… No, everything's fine," he said, forcing a smile. "Great, even. It's just like you said. We, uh…
we really showed everyone."
Verona frowned knowingly as Link even faked a small laugh for her sake, which was why she took a step closer to him and made her tone more gentle than it had been
before. "You feel guilty, don't you?"
"No," the hero said almost immediately, knowing that guilt wasn't what he felt. Not entirely anyway. After all, he found no remorse in raining fiery destruction upon a town
of nameless faces, and he certainly felt no remorse for capturing the woman who had emotionally ruined him. "I don't. They all deserved what happened to them.
Especially her."
"I agree…" the Queen of Shadows said with an icy grin. "But, Link… I… There's something I want you to know…" Verona paused for a long moment as she simply stared at
the hero, remembering her reasons for needing him in the first place, but at the same time, seeing him as something beyond a means to an end. And though she would
have liked to think that her next statement was only part of her deception towards him, a small part of her knew, deep down inside, that what she was about to tell him
was genuinely sincere. "I'm… I am proud of you. Truly and honestly. Your powers… your strength… It truly is something to be admired. I could have never accomplished all
of this without you, and for that, you have my thanks. Do not forget that…"
Link was stunned into silence upon hearing this, amazed that Verona had been the one to ultimately break his ongoing stoicism. He never could have dreamed that the
Queen of Shadows, the woman he had been told countless times before by both Zelda and Midna was his enemy, could be capable of making him feel more valuable than
he had felt in quite a while. Somehow, her
kind words had filled him with a new sense of worth and confidence, they had reminded him that he had changed; he had
become someone stronger and more powerful than he had ever been before. And he had her to thank for that. "Verona… I… I don't know what to say…" he began in clear
astonishment, obviously touched by her appreciation. "I didn't think you actually…"
"Cared?" Verona finished, still giving him a soft smile. "Well… I must admit I have developed a certain… fondness of you. I suppose it's because I see so much of myself in
you, as I've said before, which is why I'm so proud of you. You've made great strides in areas I never could have dreamed of when I was your age. Already, you have
proved your strength to me and to everyone else in Hyrule. Which is why it's only fitting that you be rewarded on a job well done…"
"You mean that surprise you were talking about earlier?" Link asked in genuine interest, wondering what the Queen of Shadows had in store for him.
"I do," Verona said with a nod as she held her hands out in front of them, magic sparking above them. "Hold on just a moment and…" she trailed off as something began
to materialize above her palms, shrouded in darkness for a moment or two before it took the form of a black bundle. The Queen of Shadows smiled as she looked down
at the bundle of fabric before she looked back to the hero, holding it out to him. "These… are for you," she said, motioning for him to take them.
"What are they?" Link asked, frowning in confusion as he tried to figure out what the black cloth was.
"Oh, how rude of me!" Verona said with a melodious laugh, shaking her head. "I suppose these mean nothing unless you're wearing them! Allow me." With a simple wave
of her hands, the black bundle disappeared from the Queen of Shadow's hands and instead appeared elsewhere. The hero flinched at the sudden weight he felt upon his
shoulders, as well as the fact that he felt something dragging behind him, though it was a familiar sensation. Glancing around, Link found that he was once again wearing a
cape, but it looked nothing like the one Zelda had given him weeks ago. Instead of bright crimson, this cape was pitch black, as dark as the shadows themselves, flowing
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