The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Queen

The Queen of the Twilit Hall

It had happened again. Every time she closed her eyes for much needed rest, it happened. It seemed she was destined to never get any good sleep again. Never again... Every time she so much as blinked, the haunted memory of her return to the Realm of Twilight played in her mind. Peaceful sleep was impossible, too unpleasant was the memory.

It had always been her plan to destroy the Mirror of Twilight... Always. It was too dangerous to remain. The mirror would destroy both realms, if it wasn't destroyed first. So that's what she had done. Destroyed it. Obliterated it. Scattered it. She had the power to destroy it... She was being smart by destroying it. It was for the good of her people. It was for the good of the people in the Light Realm as well. It was... It was a decision that she regretted with every passing second. It tore her apart inside, eating away at her heart. She'd lost too many people she cared about. First her parents to a plague. The cure was found a few weeks too late. She'd lost her best friend, because she hadn't been there for him when he needed her most. Then her brother to the tyranny of Zant, a calamity she should have been able to stop. And now Link, to her own foolish decision.

It hurt to think about it, but as Midna shook off the remaining hold of an uneasy sleep, she forced herself to remember. She reminded herself that it was better this way, the realms were safer this way.

Whenever she remembered that moment, she always started it with the same thing. His eyes. A beautiful blue with the orange of twilight dancing along the edges. Tears that he was too proud to let fall clinging to his lashes. His mouth hung open, as though he was about to surrender precious words from the battle his lips waged... But he never made a sound. The silence was worse than if he had screamed at her. It was like she and Link were back to when they first met, when he didn't talk more than was absolutely necessary. She'd hated it, it was impossible to have an actual conversation with him. His green hero's clothes were bright against the serene twilight and he held a hand up, as though desperately reaching for her. He was the last of the Light Realm she saw before her return to twilight.

When she'd returned, there was this pain she experienced. It felt as though she'd been stabbed, like a shard of the shattered mirror had accidentally pierced her heart. She would never see Link again. Nor would she ever see Princess Zelda. Nor anyone else she had met on her adventures.

Her people, the newly freed Twili, had cheered when they saw her alive. Somehow that only managed to stab at her heart more. She didn't deserve their applause, Link did. The sight of her people should have reinforced her decision, but it only made her regret it more. Think of how much greater her people could have become with contact to the other realm. Wasn't that what the Twili were missing? Wasn't that what caused the rebellion in the first place? Couldn't they merge shadow and light to make something beautiful?

She needed to believe that she had made the right decision. Though her heart rebelled, her mind knew it had to be for the best. Princess Zelda had agreed with her. The last moments they had had together, Princess Zelda's expression had been saddened but she had given a nod of agreement. The Hylian princess wasn't strong enough to do it, she had too much faith in the good intentions of the Goddesses. But Midna? She had no faith in her deities. Not anymore. She would do it, even if it broke her.

Midna shook her head, banishing her doubts. Banishing everything. She needed to embrace her decision. She shouldn't dwell on it so much. Already a year had gone by since then, she needed to move on. She needed it not to echo in her mind every time she so much as closed her eyes. Or thought his name...

Midna drifted out of bed, her feet hitting the cold stone floor lightly. Though she'd managed to get a little sleep, she was still tired. Incredibly tired. Her nightgown floated around her as she walked. It was white as snow and soft as fur. She stopped her gentle steps in front of a window as tall as the ceiling. Through the clear glass was a magnificent view of the Twilight Realm. Her realm. The sky was yellow with streaks of orange. It was going to be a beautiful day of perpetual twilight... Yet she couldn't help but feel sad at the sight of it, at the very idea of there being a beautiful day.