The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Queen

We Live in a Twilight World

Something was different when Midna woke up. She wasn't cold. Last night when she'd come into her room, she'd fallen asleep without so much as a glance at the blankets. She rarely bothered to make her bed. Not the most queenly thing, she knew. Her magic could do it easily but most mornings she just didn't care. So she'd fallen asleep with the blankets crushed at the end of the bed and scattered across the floor. Now she was awake and a nice thick blanket rested over her shoulders.

"Link?" she wondered softly, sitting up. He'd visited her in a dream or somewhere in between sleep and wake. She couldn't recall which. He'd looked stunning, though in a tragic heartbreaking way. Even with the dim lighting and sleep riddled eyes she'd been able to tell. Sweat had glistened above his brow. Exhaustion was just barely suppressed in his walk. Scars cut across his forearm, glowing an angry red. Stress battled with the calm blue in his eyes. He'd seemed distant and colder than the air around her. But when he'd looked at her, his eyes had softened, brightened and regained some essence of their normal brilliance. His hands had trembled lightly as he'd set the blanket over her. His lips soft as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. She'd called out to him, but maybe he hadn't heard. Or maybe it truly had just been a dream.

Whatever it had been, he wasn't there now. She was alone. She didn't know if she was comforted by that fact or disappointed.

Midna stood, glaring at her blankets. She wasn't going to make her bed today.

With a brisk wave of her hand. Her slept in clothes changed to something fresh. A short black dress with streaks of violet flashing through and long flowing sleeves. A black hood arched over her head, most of her hair hidden within the depths but some brave strands daring to challenge the twilight. Tall tight black boots made of crisscrossed lace reached to her knees. The bottoms were cut out, so she got the look of boots without the limitations.

Midna walked out into her kitchen. She half expected to see Link slumped against the counter. No one was there.

She glided out to her living room. Surprise tinted her cheeks when she discovered that Link wasn't asleep on the couch. Had he even made it back to the Twilight Realm? Had the Zoras taken him prisoner and were keeping him captive against his will? Or worse, he'd done something stupid like traveled to the fields and was in danger? There was nothing she could do if he hadn't made it back. She couldn't travel between realms. Not anymore.

But maybe he had made it back... After all, what reason would the Zoras have for keeping him there? He'd probably just gotten lost in the palace. She hadn't even thought to give him directions, much less a map. He'd probably just fallen asleep in an alcove somewhere. Too proud and stubborn to ask for help, now wandering around aimlessly. That was something she could work with. If he was in the Twilight Realm, she had the power to find him.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Link." She exhaled, rotating her hand in a slow lazy circle. Sparks gravitated to her skin as she searched the Twilight Realm for Link. She didn't have to look for long. He was right outside the door.

"Why..." Her magic ended with a confused and stuttered stop. If he'd found his way back here, why had he chosen to stay out there?

"It's too early for this kind of confusion," Midna mumbled as she opened a red door with silver decorations and stepped out into the hall.

A sleeping form was bunched up against the wall next to the door. Link. A majestic wolf exhausted from the trials of being a hero, sleeping on the frigid uncomfortable floor like an idiot. Too stupid to have considered sleeping on the couch.

"Link?" His ears perched up, yet his eyes remained closed.

"Link?" She nudged him with her boot. He rolled over, pressing closer to the wall.