ZeLink: Au Revoir

Eight - Midna

~ 11th of May ~

Zelda heard the newspaper thud to the floor at exactly at 8 pm. She went to pick it up. She could read again.
She was slowly getting better. Her eyes didn't twitch anymore. She was living a pretty normal life now.

"Lille and other cities close to Belgium under Germany's supreme lead
The head of France just got the information about Germanys plan. Conquereing Belgium and Luxembourg, then attacking our dear country. Today morning, at 5.35 am, Germany's first soldiers marched inside France and in almost no time, conquered Valenciennes, Lille, Calais, Dunkerque, Arras, and many more of our beautiful cities. With almost seventy-thousand people dead, Germany continues its bloody attack through our country. We must prepare to a bloody fight! We mustn't be defeated, or all is lost! Pour la France!"

Zelda dropped the newspaper to the cold floor and almost fell down herself. Conquered Valenciennes?!

"N-no.."

She picked the newspaper back up, crumpled it into a ball and threw it towards the wall with all her might. It didn't make much sound, but atleast Zelda got a bit of her anger out. She walked to her bedroom, threw her suitcase to her bed and started to pack. She squeezed everything she owned into the case and closed it. She set her alarm clock to wake her up at 6 am the next morning.
She is going to Valenciennes, she is going back to her parents, she is going to save them.

~

The next morning Zelda did not wake up to the sound of her alarm clock. She woke up to the sound of a loud shout.

"Personne ne doit quitter Paris! Nobody is allowed to leave Paris! As long as we have those damned Germans raiding through the north, nobody is allowed to step out of this city! They will not get to here, so stay calm! Français, au nom de la!"

Zelda smashed her fist to the wall. "Tu es entrain de blaguer!" She cried. She then quickly clenched her fists and grabbed her suitcase and ran outside. She stopped the next bus she saw and walked in.

"To Valenciennes."

"Whoa there little lady." The driver said shocked. "Valenciennes? Ain't that a bit too dangerous? You don't have no company or nothing either."

"I don't care." Zelda threw all the cash she had in her pockets towards the driver mad. "Please, take me to Valenciennes."

"It's dangerous to go alone. Far too dangerous." The driver handed Zelda her money back. "Plus, didn't you hear what the lead of Paris told this morning? Just a moment ago? Nobody is allowed to leave the city."

"Please.." Zelda insisted.

"No. I'm sorry." The driver pointed outside and looked at Zelda angrily.

Zelda eventually walked out of the bus and she felt how the passengers on the bus looked at her scornfully. "I.. I need to see my family.." She cried. She fell down to the wet ground.

Soon a tall orange haired lady rushed to her. "Oh my, you poor thing.." She helped her up.

"T-thank you.." Zelda mumbled. She looked at the extraordinarily tall lady. She had very pale - almost like light blue skin, orange hair, she was completely dressed up in black, she wore a dress that bared her other leg entirely, she also had weird blue tattoos - or so Zelda thought - on her leg and arms and a wolf looking dog with her.

"My pleasure. Are you okay?" The lady asked smiling.

Zelda nodded. "Zelda Fraysse." She offered the lady her hand.

She shook it. "Midna." She smiled. "Midna Mitternacht."

"Are you from around here?" Zelda asked cleaning the dust away from her jacket.

"Oh no, my dear, I'm from Germany." Midna responded smiling a bit.

Zelda looked questioningly. She wanted to ask Midna about Germany and the life there, but on the other hand, thinking about the stuff that is going on she kept her mouth shut.

But Midna saw from her expression that Zelda wanted to know more. She sighed. "Yes, Germany. It was another land entirely.. The antithesis of France, where the sun shines bright.. But.. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished our land, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes." She kept a short pause and shed one tear. "No matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing... Death." Midna kept another pause. "But the winds that blew across the other green fields of Europe brought something other than suffering and ruin... He coveted that wind, I suppose."

"...He?" Zelda asked quietly.

Midna turned to look at her. "Our 'king'. The most feared man in Europe."

Zelda didn't say anything.

"But he will never be my king! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength... Not that your Philippe Pétain is much better." Midna snapped.

"I agree." Zelda nodded. "Why did you come to France, Midna?"

"To flee the horrors of Germany. A place once like a dream, is now a mere nightmare."
Midna then started to smile again. "But Zelda, I need to go now. I have some unattended business. It was nice to chat with you, come visit me sometime, I live in the street of Rue Alasseur." She gently tapped Zelda's shoulder, winked and quickly left dragging her gray dog behind her.

Zelda looked after her and waved but Midna did not notice her. She vanished around the corner and Zelda realized she was just standing there in the middle of the road and the busy people. She quickly rushed inside, back to her apartment. She unloaded her stuff back to their rightful places. She sighed.

She squeezed Link's green pendant again and wished, wished that he'd come back for her someday. "What am I wishing for? I know you'll come back." She sighed, "like you said, see you later."