Favorable side Page 4

  far too oppressive and stagnant. I believe that both of our kingdoms would prosper greatly from an era in which shadows were revered instead…"

  "You speak of upsetting the natural balance between light and shadow, and I shall have no part of it," Zelda proclaimed firmly, holding her ground so that all would see that

  she was a dedicated, unyielding ruler. "Hyrule shall never ally itself with you, and neither shall any of its citizens!"

  "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that, your highness…" Verona said mysteriously as she turned her glance slightly behind her, her eyes locking onto the hero who still

  stood at the ready to defend against her for the queen's sake if need be. The Queen of Shadow's soft grin deepened as she turned to face Link even more, giving him a

  long stare that was both examining and piercing at the same time. The hero's sharp glare directed towards her suddenly faded into discomfort upon seeing this, as he felt

  as though her burning red gaze was searching his very soul. But even so, he did not back down, but kept his sword aloft nonetheless, just in case she decided to bring any

  form of harm upon Zelda.

  After a moment or two later, the Queen of Shadows finally turned to face the Hylian queen once more, her relaxed, easygoing manner still ever present as she casually

  placed the orb of her staff in her free hand. "But either way, I suppose that if you disagree with my tactics and motivation, there is little I can do…" she said with a relenting

  sigh. "If that is the case, then there really is no reason for me to be here… I might as well be on my way…"

  Zelda was quite taken aback upon hearing this, especially as Verona turned to exit the room in the same way in which she had come in. Why had the Queen of Shadows

  come at all if she did not even intend to do anything? "R-really?" the Hylian queen asked in clear confusion, as a rumble of equally wondering whispers came from the

  crowd below.

  "Well…" the Queen of Shadows said thoughtfully as she fully faced Zelda once more. "Not quite yet… After all, I would be terribly remiss if I did not offer up a gift in honor

  of her royal highness's grand coronation…" Having said this, Verona held up her hand and conjured up a small, floating object above it; immediately, Midna recognized it as

  the strange black shard that the Queen of Shadows had briefly shown off during their battle in the Twilight Realm, but she still had no idea what it really was or what it did.

  Which was which she was quick to grasp Link firmly by the arm as the hero prepared to leap into action, already knowing how dangerous the ominous item looked.

  "Link, wait!" the Twilight Princess whispered sharply so that only the hero would be able to hear her. "I don't know what that thing is, but I can sense a great deal of dark

  energy coming from it. Don't go and do anything stupid. Just wait a minute and see how this plays out."

  "But, Midna, I-" Link's aggravated protest was quickly cut off however as Verona spoke once more, this time her tone taking on even more malice and cruelty as her

  former polite manner disappeared.

  "Now, your highness," she began, an aura of magical shadows surrounding the shard above her hand. "I will make this offer one last time. Surrender Hyrule to me

  peacefully… or watch it perish because of your own stubbornness… It's your choice."

  Zelda took in a silent gasp upon hearing this, her former confidence instantly melting away from such a threat. Like Midna, she was also detecting a great dark power

  coming from the shard that Verona wielded, and certainly, with power like that, she had the capacity to bring both Hyrule and its queen to her knees in a matter of hours if

  she really wanted to. However, as fear filled her heart for both herself and her people, the queen happened to look towards the hero, their eyes meeting for just a

  moment. All at once, everything that had happened on the balcony mere moments ago was forgotten, and it was clear to Zelda that Link's sole intention at the moment

  was protecting her from Verona, even though she feared that he would get hurt in the process.

  However, as the hero looked to the queen, whose lovely blue eyes were wide with clear terror and worry, he felt more compelled than ever before to defend her from any

  harm whatsoever. He would do anything to keep herself, even throw himself into danger headfirst if he had to. Which was why, even despite Midna's previous warnings

  and Zelda ever so slightly shaking her head at him, Link decided that he could no longer simply stand by and watch the queen he cared for be threatened in such a way. He

  stepped out of the Twilight Princess's grip, but before Midna could stop him, he spoke up, prompting her to slip back into the crowd so that Verona would not find her.

  "Hey!" the hero shouted firmly to the Queen of Shadows, showing no fear or hesitation in his tone whatsoever. "Leave her alone!"

  Still keeping the shard positioned above her palm, Verona slowly turned around to face him, her eye nearly alight with untold excitement as she looked upon him. "Ah…"

  she cooed, her tone falsely sweet and smooth once more. "Link… The Hero of Twilight… Your name and reputation precedes you… I have heard much of your courageous

  deeds and I commend you for them. A spirit such as yours is certainly a strong one indeed…"

  Link ignored her flattering words as he kept up his stance while both Zelda and Midna watched him worriedly all the while, both of them wishing that he would remain out

  of harm's way instead of putting himself into blatant danger such as this. "I told you to get away from her!" the hero proclaimed with clear anger, the protection of both

  the queen and her kingdom at the forefront of his mind. "Or I'll make you!"

  The Queen of Shadows simply let out a soft, melodious chuckle at this, the shard seeming to take on an even darker shade as it rested suspended in midair. "Oh, you

  will?" she asked, though her tone was not doubtful or patronizing, oddly enough. "Well then, go on ahead. I would simply love to see you try…"

  Without another word, Verona turned her back to Link, as if she was not concerned with is presence whatsoever. However, as she lifted the shard up into the air, the dark

  aura surrounding it intensifying even more, the hero received all of the motivation he need to leap into action before it was too late.

  "Link, no!" Midna shouted in a panic as he began to rush towards the Queen of Shadows' turned back, but ultimately she was too late, for nothing could have stopped

  what happened next. For in the end, haste and hesitation were the reasons why it happened in the first place.

  Hesitation had kept Zelda frozen in place out of terror as she stood doing nothing while her hero selflessly and blindly rushed to her aid.

  Haste had been what had forced Midna into running to the world of light when she should have stood by her people instead of leading her foe to an all new land.

  Hesitation had also been what held Midna back out of fear over facing her cruel and violent cousin after what happened the last time the dueled.

  But most of all, haste had been what had prompted Link into rushing forward to protect Zelda, having no idea what he was about to get himself into, but instead only

  caring about doing all he could to save her from a terrible fate, not even knowing that he was about to fall victim to one himself.

  For at the very moment that they hero reached the Queen of Shadows, his sword raised and prepared to strike, Verona suddenly spun around in a movement so quick,

  Link barely even saw it. The Queen of Shadows quickly lowered the shard in her palm, before thrusting her hand forward towards the hero as he was only about a foot

  away from her, sending the shard his way with an incredible speed. Time itself seemed to come to a crashing halt as the shard struck Link directly in the chest with an

  immense amount of force, its sharp tip penetrating his chainmail comple
tely and stabbing its way into his skin. His mouth opened in a silent cry of agony as it dug itself

  into his body deeper and deeper, the puncture wound it had created pouring with blood already. And, when the shard was about halfway embedded into his chest, or more

  specifically, his heart, Verona's dark grin grew triumphant and wicked as she let out a wave of powerful energy, repelling the hero away from her as he crashed to the

  ground semi-consciously several feet away.

  "Link!" both Zelda and Midna shouted in near perfect unison, both of them shocked and terrified at what they had just witnessed. A wave of panic was rushing through the

  crowd upon having watched the Queen of Shadows so easily take down the Hero of Twilight himself. If he had been subdued by her power, what hope was there for any

  of them to stand against it?

  Upon hearing the hero let out a sharp cry of pain as the shard dug ever deeper into his chest somehow, the Twilight Princess completely forgot about keeping her cover up

  and she immediately rushed to his side, ripping her concealing cloak off and not even caring about the frightened whispered from the crowd as she knelt down beside him

  and looked over him with wide, fearful eyes. All the while, all Link could do was clutch his chest, unable to rip the shard out of himself as it finally embedded itself into his

  body fully, the skin and tissues over where it had been stabbed somehow magically repairing themselves even though he was still in an incredible amount of anguish. A

  painful shiver of cold tore through his entire body as it felt as though needles were stabbing him everywhere. He was in so much pain that he could not even think as the

  world began to grow dark through his vision, but not before his eyes met Zelda's for just a moment, the queen's expression of horror and concern for him quite clear,

  before he finally blacked out, another moan of agony escaping him first.

  "No!" Zelda exclaimed worriedly as she began to rush towards Link and Midna, before Verona erected a clear barrier before her, barring her from leaving the platform and

  forcing her to only watch with worry.

  "Oh, come now, your highness," the Queen of Shadows said to her with a small, teasing laugh. "Don't be so cross. I never said that the gift was for you…"

  "What did you to do him!?" the Hylian queen asked anxiously, her eyes not leaving the suffering hero for a second.

  Verona ignored her question as she began to saunter over to Link and Midna, her cold smile deepening even more upon seeing her hated cousin. "Ah… Midna…" she said

  with a hint of clear ire in her tone as the Twilight Princess finally tore her gaze away from the hero and glanced up at the Queen of Shadows fearfully. "I knew you were

  here somewhere… After all, if it had not been for you, then I would have never found my way here…"

  Midna gave her a completely appalled look, having no idea how Verona had even gotten to the world of light in the first place, since the gateway she had made had only

  lasted long enough for her to get there and no one else. "But… I didn't-" she began to stammer, but the Queen of Shadows simply cut her off with a cruel laugh.

  "Now, now, dear cousin," she said patronizingly. "No need to be so alarmed… After all, I think I've changed my mind about killing you, at least for the moment. Instead, I

  think I'll be content in just… humiliating you a little. And besides, your noble hero is going to need you now more than ever…" With a wicked laugh, Verona lifted her scepter

  high into the air as a dark glow surrounded it, before aiming it right at the Twilight Princess, a blast of shadow magic escaping from it. Midna only had time to let out a

  shocked gasp before the dark energy struck her, enveloping her form in its cursing shadows. She let out a small cry of pain, shutting her eyes tightly as the world turned

  to pitch black and she felt a bitter pain coursing through her. And then, all at once, it was over. The shadows surrounding her disappeared, revealing a form far different

  from the Twilight Princess's true, beautiful appearance.

  The moment Midna opened her eyes and looked down at her hands, she gasped in shock and rage, not even need to look at herself in a mirror to know how she looked

  now. Zelda took in a sharp gasp upon seeing that the Twilight Princess had been reverted to the same impish form that she had been cursed into by Zant, complete with

  the Fused Shadow resting upon her head as it always did, save for one of its handles being broken due to Ganondorf breaking the dark relic prior to his defeat.

  The now-impish Twilight Princess sent a hateful, enraged glare to her cousin for cursing her into this hated form once more, especially as a few screams of terror came

  from the crowd behind her for her startling appearance, though she paid them no mind. She had no words to say as she was so angry, not just for this, but for whatever

  Verona had apparently done to Link. Even though she had embedded the shard into his body somehow, he appeared to have no physical injuries from it, but it was clear,

  from how his expression was twisted in agony, that it was causing him a great deal of pain from the inside.

  As the Queen of Shadows was distracted by taking delight in the fear her magic had stirred up within the crowd, Midna placed her concerns for herself aside as she

  devoted her all of her worry to the hero instead, gently placing a small hand upon his shoulder as she tried to rouse him awake. "Link, come on," she whispered nervously

  to him, her voice higher to match her smaller form. "Wake up…"

  With a low, barely audible groan, Link, having heard her words, slightly opened his eyes and glanced up at her as she floated near him, not even bothering to acknowledge

  the fact she was an imp once more as the world blurred through his vision. "M-Midna?" he muttered softly as another unexplainable wave of pain coursed through him.

  However, he was unable to say anything else as Verona turned her attention back to the two of them. The Twilight Princess was quick to place herself between the Queen

  of Shadows and the injured hero, just in case she wanted to cause him more harm. However, Verona merely scoffed at her cousin's valiant efforts as she used some

  simple magic to shove her away from Link, causing her to land on the ground roughly several feet away. With the Twilight Princess out of the way, Verona continued her

  approach, coming to stand right before the hero as he cast as much of a glare as he was able to up at her.

  "Be at ease, dear hero…" she said with an almost benevolent smile. "You'll be thanking me for the wonderful gift that I've given you soon enough…"

  Link only had a moment to be confused upon hearing this, before the Triforce of Courage on the back of his hand suddenly emitted a bright, blinding light, sending another

  burst of pain through his already aching body, however, this was a kind of agony was quite familiar to him. He shut his eyes tightly, instinctually embracing himself for a

  change he had undergone many times before, but still wasn't used to. The hero was unable to hold back a cry of heavy pain as his body convulsed violently, unable to do

  anything as his Hylian form gave way to a lupine one once more, though he had absolutely no idea as to what was bringing this transformation about at a time such as

  this.

  Zelda and Midna both let out shocked gasps as they watched with confusion as Link quickly and suddenly shifted from human to wolf once again, both of them having

  never anticipated that such a thing would occur ever again. However, though the queen was still trapped by the barrier the Queen of Shadows had set up, the Twilight

  Princess was quick to rise once more and rush towards the hero as the transformation completed and his human cries of pain briefly drifted off into wolfish howling before

  he fell unconscious from the strain of the shift.

  Upon seeing the Hero of Twilight transform int
o a beast before their very eyes, the crowd finally broke out into an all-out panic, their screams of terror echoing throughout

  the hall as they all backed away from the hero-turned-wolf out of fear that he would attack them. Zelda finally tore her eyes away from Link upon hearing what some of

  the dignitaries in the throng were shouting about him, her jaw dropped in shock at some of their accusations. "The hero is a monster!" someone cried in horror. "He'll kill

  us all!" another person screamed fearfully.

  The queen shook her head at these panicked words, knowing that the hero was not the true threat here, but rather the Queen of Shadows who had apparently been the

  cause of his transformation in the first place. And in light of this, Zelda refused to let this chaos go on any longer. "Wait!" she called out, straining to be heard amidst the

  cries of the crowd, even though her voice was ultimately lost among them. "He will not harm you! He is not-"

  "Let them think what they want, your majesty," Verona cut her off as she turned to face Zelda once more, a sadistic grin on her face as she watched the people quiver

  with fear. "Who knows? In a few days' time, their fear of him might even become rational…"

  The Hylian queen gave her adversary a confused look for a moment before she looked to Link once more, ashamed that she could do nothing to help either him or Midna

  in light of what had just happened. All she had done during this entire encounter was stand by helplessly and watch with fear as her friends were attacked and cursed,

  unable to aid them at all. Her heart broke for them both, but especially for the hero as the very people who had applauded his heroism mere hours ago now trembled in

  terror at the mere sight of him. No matter what she said or did, she was unable to curb their frightened reactions, nor was she able to undo whatever strange, dark magic

  Verona had cast upon them. Anxiety ate away at Zelda as she looked out across the ballroom, realizing that even though she had been resolved to protect her people,

  she had been unable to help any of them when they needed her most.

  Midna also heard the fearful words of the crowd and, to keep Link safe from any further damage to his once-good reputation, she contorted her magical, long, orange hair