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  stop her of course, but wouldn't someone like Verona, who had nearly killed Midna in her takeover of the Twilight Realm, try to do more to keep Link from interfering with

  her plans than something as simple as this?

  All the same, even though Midna couldn't wrap her head around Verona's strange plans, she was still just as resolved as before to help Link stop her. After all, the Twilight

  Princess's vendetta against her cruel, trouble-making cousin was clear after everything she had done in this one evening alone. Clearly, the Queen of Shadows needed to

  be taken down, before she did anything worse than she already had.

  The hours passed on swiftly and uneventfully as Link and Midna rushed through the empty fields, neither of them seeing any point in taking a break or rest at a time like

  this. As they got closer and closer to the forest and further away from the castle, the hero found that he still could not take his mind off of what had happened, specifically

  his worries concerning Zelda. There was a very large chance that Verona planned on hurting her, if not worse. And even if the Queen of Shadows had only imprisoned the

  Hylian Queen, certainly she was anxiously waiting for him to come to her aid once more. And as much as Link was resolved to do just that, he couldn't help but feel guilty

  for what had happened in the first place. He hadn't been strong enough to stand up to their enemy, and because of that, he had failed to protect the queen like he had

  promised to do. In his brashness and impulse, he had been struck down so easily, cursed and cast out, as if he had barely been a threat to Verona at all. And yet, the hero

  refused to let the shame of this failure hold him back from fulfilling the promise he had made to Zelda. He was going to find a way to fix this mess and return peace to the

  kingdom he had worked so hard to save, before anyone had to suffer. He was going to make up for his foolish haste by taking much more care and caution in facing the

  Queen of Shadows next time, but in the end, he was determined to do whatever it took to come out on top, just like he had last time.

  By the time the pair had crossed into the threshold of Faron Woods, the temperature had dropped significantly, to the point that Midna was basically pushing herself into

  Link's fur in order to stay warm. Of course, the hero was not immune to the cold either, even despite his current wolfish state. Ever since they had left the castle, the

  snow had been falling steadily and heavily, making trudging through it gradually harder as it rose from inches to feet over the course of a few hours. Fortunately, there was

  less of it in the southern forest, but a significant amount of it had piled up nonetheless. However, the immense amount of snow was not the only thing off about nature

  itself, something that the Twilight Princess had quite clearly noted as they made their way to the Sacred Grove.

  "Hey…" Midna said, taking a look up to the still dark skies even though dawn clearly should have broken by now. "Shouldn't the sun be up? In fact, shouldn't it already be

  well on into the morning by now? I mean, we've been traveling for several hours now… Is this something that normally happens in Hyrule during the winter?"

  Taking note of this strange phenomena as well, Link shook his head in confusion, wondering what was keeping the sun from rising and instead making the skies so

  unnaturally dark. It was almost as if a permanent night had settled over Hyrule, and it didn't take the Twilight Princess or the hero much thought in realizing who was the

  cause of it.

  "Of course Verona would do something like this," Midna scoffed bitterly, crossing her arms as they went on. "Hyrule has too much natural light for her to handle in the day,

  so why not do the next best thing aside from covering it in Twilight and cover it in night instead? All the more reason for us to stop her quickly."

  Adding this endless night onto the list of crimes that Verona had committed against Hyrule already, the hero and the Twilight Princess continued onto the Sacred Grove

  and, without much resistance from any of the wildlife, or even the wintry conditions, they finally found themselves in its wooden depths. The grove had always been a

  rather solemn place, but now it seemed even moreso. The bright, airy tune played by the mischievous Skull Kid that had guided Link and Midna to the Master Sword

  before no longer echoed through the tall, barren trees, and the creatures of the forest all seemed to be hiding completely out of sight. The entire area was eerily still and

  silent, as even the winter gusts of wind had stopped blowing, though the snow still fell from the dark heavens, though it was finally showing signs of letting up.

  Upon noticing that the Skull Kid was missing from the woods, Midna let out another sigh of aggravation, slightly startling Link, since the area was so densely silent. "Well,

  this is just great!" she moaned, though it was clear that there was a hint of stress and frustration in her tone. "Things can never be easy for us, can they? How in the

  world are we supposed to find that stupid sword now!?"

  If the hero had been able to talk, he would have consoled the Twilight Princess, telling her to calm down and that they would find a way, just as he always had in the past

  whenever she would get worked up like this. But of course, he understood her frustration well; after all, any setback in their way now was just another obstacle standing

  between him and helping Zelda and Hyrule.

  However, no more than a moment later after Midna had made her comment, as if in answer to their problem, a sudden voice, one that seemed to come from

  everywhere and nowhere all at once, sounded throughout the grove, filling in the stated silence. "Chosen hero…" the mysterious, feminine, yet calculating voice called out,

  specifically to Link. "Come this way…"

  A sudden burst of light illuminated the area, coming from a glowing blue orb that had appeared several feet away from the hero and the Twilight Princess. The orb floated

  in place until both of them turned to face it fully, before it moved a little deeper into the grove, though it did not disappear from sight. Link and Midna exchanged a

  confused, wondering glance, but they decided to not question it too much at a moment like this. After all, any lead they could get was a good one at this point.

  The orb guided the two of them on a twisting path through the maze-like grove, making tiny-chiming sounds every time it moved a few inches, but it patiently waited for

  them to catch up each time. Of course, neither the hero nor the Twilight Princess knew exactly what they were following, but judging from its unassuming appearance,

  they supposed that it was nothing malevolent or harmful. And indeed, somehow it knew exactly where they wanted to go, for soon enough, Link and Midna found

  themselves within the inner depths of the Sacred Grove, and, even more important, in the chamber of the Master Sword itself.

  Upon entering the chamber, the orb of light picked up speed and quickly rushed towards the blade of evil's bane, still resting as picturesque in its pedestal as it had the day

  the hero returned it months ago. Once the orb reached the sword, it seemed to enter into it, giving Link and Midna the impression that the blade itself had somehow

  guided them to it, as impossible as that idea seemed. But all the same, that was really the last thing on the hero's mind as he began to rush towards the Master Sword,

  knowing that it would free him from this curse and give him the strength that he needed to rescue Hyrule once more.

  However, as Link came within just a few feet of the Master Sword, something strange happened that forced him to stop in his tracks. The sword began to emit a bright,

  vibrant blue light, one that made both the Twilight Princess and the hero look away lest they be blinded by it. As the light faded and the two of them were finally able to

  look to th
e blade once more, their eyes widened at the sight they now saw floating before it.

  A mysterious, angelic like being was positioned between Link and Midna and the Master Sword, its figure and features looking decidedly feminine in nature. The figure

  appeared to be composed of some sort of unknown sacred metal as it remained gliding gently in the air by its blue and violet cloak, hiding its arms, if it even had any. Its

  hair, if it could be called that, was short and came to a point at the top of its head, and its figure, clad in a short purple dress was curvaceous and flowing. Its graceful legs

  were delicate and lithe, branded in the same blue bands that crossed the hilt of the Master Sword. The skin of its face, along with its hair, were light blue, and its expression

  was expressionless yet focused, specifically its pupil-less, empty eyes at it looked down upon the pair looking up at it in wonder, its entire form seeming to shimmer just

  like the blade of evil's bane did in the dark of the night.

  "Hero of Twilight…" the being said in the same voice that had beckoned to the pair earlier, only now they were both able to hear that it was even more melodic, yet

  robotic, than before. "It is fortunate that you have come. There is much to discuss. Firstly, allow me to introduce myself. I am the spirit that has resided in the Master

  Sword since its creation eons ago. I have aided your kind many times in the past, and I have been called upon by the goddesses to aid you now. I am called Fi."

  For what seemed like ages, Link simply stared up at Fi with absolute awe, unable to shake the feeling at he had seen her somewhere before, or at the very least, had

  heard her voice, even if he had never encountered her before now. And yet, something inside of him was screaming that she was familiar, as if she was hidden away in a

  past that he didn't even know about or remember.

  "Wait a sec," Midna suddenly cut in, giving the sword spirit a suspicious glance. "If you were in that sword this whole time, then how come you never came out and said

  anything to Link during the Twilight Invasion?"

  "I am only able to leave my vessel upon the command of the goddesses," Fi said eloquently. "My appearance now has only been ordered because the ancient curse of the

  Dark Interlopers has been set in motion once more."

  Upon mention of the Dark Interlopers, both Link and Midna exchanged a glance, both of them remembering hearing this term from a story that the light spirit Lanayru had

  told them of the origins of the Twili and the Twilight Realm. The Dark Interlopers were a now-extinct group of powerful magic users, who had been banished from Hyrule

  by the goddesses and imprisoned for their great crimes in the Twilight Realm, eventually evolving into the benevolent Twili race, of which both Midna and Verona were a

  part of.

  "I surmise that you are both familiar with the Dark Interlopers…" Fi said, her cold expression unchanging. "However, I also calculate that there is a 90% chance that you

  do not know their entire history. Allow me to properly inform you of their origins, as it is information pertinent to the situation that Hyrule is currently facing. The Dark

  Interlopers were a sect of the Sheikah tribe of old, a race of people who were tasked with the protection of the ancient protector goddess of this land, Hylia. In a time

  long forgotten to this era, the Interlopers waged war against Hylia and her chosen hero, and this land was nearly lost to their power. However, after the goddesses and

  the light spirits intervened and split the source of their magic, the Fused Shadow, apart, they were banished to the Twilight Realm through the Mirror of Twilight. And yet,

  as they entered an exile, they uttered a curse against the descendants of the goddess and the hero, those who bore the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero,

  ensuring that their seed would forever be at war with the breed of the goddess and the hero. This curse came to pass in the era of the Hero of Time, with the appearance

  of the Sorceress of Shadow, and, it is set to come true once more in this era now that the Queen of Shadows has begun her conquest of Hyrule…"

  "Oh yeah!" the Twilight Princess said to Link more than Fi once the sword spirit was finished her long explanation. "When Verona attacked the Twilight Realm, she

  mentioned something about the Sorceress of Shadows."

  "I estimate that there is an 85% chance that the Queen of Shadows is a direct descendant of the Sorceress of Shadows," Fi inferred, looking directly at Midna as she

  spoke instead of Link. "I can also deduct that you are also born of her lineage, Twilight Princess."

  "W-what?!" Midna exclaimed, completely appalled in being reminded of this fact as she did her best to ignore the hero's glowing eyes staring back at her, wondering why

  she had not told him this before. "How did you…? Oh, whatever. It doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that you return Link to normal, which we know you, or the

  sword, or whatever it was, can do, since you did it before."

  Fi seemed to hesitate in giving a response to this, not just because of the harsh tone that the Twilight Princess was using, but for another reason entirely. "Actually… I am

  afraid that I have some rather… unfortunate news to report in regards to that…" she said, her tone still emotionless as she looked to the hero once more. "I have

  performed several thorough scans since you have arrived, and I am unable to pinpoint the source of dark magic that has cursed you into this form once more."

  "Are you crazy?!" Midna snapped in disbelief, looking just as taken aback by this news as Link was. "Verona literally stabbed him in the middle of the chest with a shard of

  dark magic! If you're so smart, how can you not find it inside of him?!"

  The sword spirit merely shook her head slowly before speaking once more. "I am unable to locate any type of magic, Twilight or otherwise, that would have brought

  about such a transformation," Fi reported, starting intently at Link, her eyes totally unblinking. "However, I can detect a strange shift in your energy, almost as if it is

  constantly twisting and converging to a certain point within you, though I am unable to determine exactly where or what the cause of this phenomena is."

  "Hm," the Twilight Princess scoffed, crossing her arms as she sent a brief, frustrated glare towards the sword spirit. "Looks like this thing isn't as wise as she seems to be,

  Link," she said to the hero, though the hint of pointed mocking towards the spirit was clear.

  "You are incorrect," Fi said astutely, not seeming to be offended by Midna's comment. "I am knowledgeable in many things. However, the magic that the Queen of

  Shadows has at her disposal is beyond even the vast knowledge that I am equipped with. And, even though the Master Sword has the capacity to lift most types of dark

  magic, it is my duty to conclude that, because I am unable to identify the properties of this curse, I am unable to lift it at the current time."

  Both Link and Midna were silenced into shock and dread upon hearing this. They had come all this way with the hopes that the Master Sword would be able to lift the

  curse on the hero, but it had all been for nothing. They had wasted all this time, time that could have been spent searching for a real cure instead, only to be met with this

  revelation. It was certainly disappointing to say the least.

  "I apologize for this… setback," Fi said tactfully. "If there was anything that I would be able to do to aid you, then I would, but as I said, I cannot."

  "I can't believe this…" Midna muttered under her breath, and Link could tell just from her tone that she was about to burst into a fit of rage. "We came all this way for

  nothing! The Twilight Realm, Hyrule, Zelda, everyone's in danger, and we can't even do anything to save it because some useless sword can't even lift a dumb curse!? This

  is ridiculous! What are we s
upposed to do now, huh?! At least tell us that, since you aren't good for anything else!"

  Fi was silent for a long moment as the Twilight Princess's heated words echoed throughout the clearing loudly. All the while, Link looked back at Midna worriedly, wishing

  that he could tell her to calm down. Of course, he was upset like she was, especially since what Fi had just told them was barring him from helping Zelda like he wanted to,

  but he knew that there had to be another way out of this. It was easy to see that the Twilight Princess was stressed out and that her anger towards the sword spirit came

  out of a great deal of concern for the hero. After all, the last thing that either of them wanted was for him to be stuck as a wolf forever, especially with Hyrule in such dire

  straits, but unlike Midna, Link knew that getting angry about it wasn't going to solve anything. Only action would.

  Choosing to ignore Midna's outburst, Fi glanced down at the hero once more, who understood that it was not her fault that he was stuck like this and the Master Sword

  could do nothing about it. "Again, I apologize, Hero of Twilight," she said respectfully. "However, I implore you not to let this lower your spirits. Though the Master Sword is

  incapable of lifting this curse, you may find freedom from it through some other avenue, though I am cannot recommend any with absolute certainty. For now, I would

  suggest seeking the aid of a light spirit. Perhaps one of them will hold the answer to returning you to your true form. Once you are restored, I also suggest returning here

  and taking up the Master Sword once more. You will need its sacred power in battling against the Queen of Shadows. Farewell for now, Hero of Twilight. May we meet

  again soon." All at once, the sword spirit began to glow in a soft blue light, before soaring high up into the air in a magnificent flip and then diving back towards the Master

  Sword, entering into her vessel once more in a burst of light.

  The chamber was once again dark and still after Fi vanished, leaving Link and Midna alone once more. The Twilight Princess slouched on the hero's back as she let out a

  disappointed sigh, frowning down at her companion with pity and worry. "Sorry, Link…" she said, her anger having finally dissolved. "I really thought that would work…"