I'm riding on the back of a wolf right now. That might sound nonsensical if I just say it like that, but honestly, the situation itself is nonsensical, so there's no helping it. A large silver wolf—Link, who was human until something inexplicably turned him into a beast—cuts across Hyrule Field. The grass sways in the evening breeze, and orange light stains the ground. I, Midna, fold my arms and gaze at it all absently from the wolf's back. To be honest, this wasn't supposed to happen. I'm originally the princess of Twilight. I was born and raised in the Shadow World—also called the "Eternal Dusk Land"—and was supposed to spend my entire life there. A quiet world beneath an amber and violet twilight sky, dimly lit by floating orbs of light called Lumina Lamps. That was where I belonged. But now I'm cursed, shrunken to this tiny form, existing in the world of light. If I trace it back to the source, it's all Zant's fault. He was originally a retainer of the Twilight royal family. But driven by ambition—he must have made some kind of pact—he staged a coup and seized the palace. He cursed me, transformed me into this small shape, and cast me out. And now Zant is spreading Twilight's domain into Hyrule. It's called "Shadow Encroachment," and it turns the inhabitants of the light world into beings of pure spirit. Already a third of Hyrule is covered in shadow. So I searched for Link. A powerful human in Hyrule. At first, it was just the feeling of finding someone useful. Normally, the light world and Twilight are connected only through the "Mirror of Shadows." A single mirror enshrined at the "Altar of Mirroring," deep within the Gerudo Desert in Hyrule's northwest. That's the only door. About nine hundred years ago, an event called the "Great Severance" tore the two worlds apart, and they've existed separately ever since. According to legend, our Twilight ancestors used forbidden magic, and by the goddess's judgment, we were banished. I came to Hyrule using that mirror. I pulled Link in, and we've been traveling together. Defeat Zant. Reclaim Twilight. After that, destroy the Mirror of Shadows. That was my mission, the entirety of this journey. ...Or so it was supposed to be. --- The wolf stopped at the edge of the grassland. Link must have decided we should rest here. He can't speak, but I've started to understand him somehow. Recently. I jump down from his back and sit on a nearby rock. Link shifts back to his human form and silently begins gathering dried branches from the area. Always the same. Silent, efficient movements. No complaints, no grumbling. He just does it. Watching him, Midna thought absently. (He's easy to use, at least.) That's what she tried to think. But honestly, lately it felt like there was more to it than that, and it was becoming a bit bothersome. Link returns with an armful of firewood. He's tall, his golden hair stained by the twilight's glow. His blue eyes glance over at her briefly, then return to preparing the fire. He says nothing. The small patterns on Midna's arms glowed faintly orange. It was only for an instant, and Midna herself didn't notice. "[sarcastic]You're boring, you know that? Just picking up firewood in silence" The words came out louder than she intended. Link doesn't turn around, striking flint. Click, click—small sounds. "[sarcastic]Are you even listening?" The fire ignites. Link confirms the flame and lets his shoulders relax slightly. That's all. Midna sighs. She couldn't quite understand why she was so irritated. --- When the campfire had settled. Link was resting a little distance away, and Midna was alone, watching the flames. Red, flickering, warm. There's no fire like this in Twilight. That world is eternal dusk, so everything—temperature, light—is muted. Completely different from the pale blue glow of the Lumina Lamps. She turns over the purpose of the journey in her mind. Defeat Zant. To do that, gather fragments of power with Link and grow stronger. Once Zant is defeated, reclaim Twilight. And then—destroy the Mirror of Shadows. Once the mirror is destroyed, there's no going back and forth between Hyrule and Twilight. She'll never see Link again. ...She stopped thinking about that part. It doesn't matter anyway, she told herself. I'm the princess of Twilight, and this is just a means to an end, and Link is just a tool— The flame flickered. Wind rustled the grass. (It's not like I care about any of this anyway.) Who was she making excuses to? Herself, probably. And that bothered her too, so she just watched the flames again. --- Then she heard footsteps. Hurried, rushed footsteps. Link quickly stood and placed his hand on his sword. Midna tensed as well—but the figure that approached was a young knight. A man in his twenties, dressed in the uniform of Hyrule Castle's guard. He was breathing hard. When he saw Midna and Link, his face showed a moment of confusion, but it quickly turned serious. "[serious]Are you Link, sir?" Link nods. "[serious]I've come with a message from Princess Zelda" The knight continued. The Shadow Encroachment has reached Lanayru Canyon. A massive chasm about seventy kilometers east of the castle town, two hundred meters deep—the only suspension bridge that crosses it is now in danger. Before the eastern region becomes isolated, she asks that you come to Hyrule Castle at once. "[serious]The princess says you would be able to help, sir. ...She has remained in the castle, protecting the people. When the Shadow Encroachment began, she was willing to sacrifice her own power to protect them" There was genuine respect in the knight's voice. When Midna heard the name "Zelda," her expression changed slightly. She didn't understand why. Something just caught in her chest. "[cold]...So what are you going to do?" She meant to ask Link. But Link had already made his decision, already standing and facing toward the castle. Silent. But his back said everything. (So he's going.) Midna's chest tightened again. Not anger, not relief—some feeling she couldn't quite name. Irritation at the way Link decided things without saying anything? Or something else? ...Bothersome, she thought. --- It happened just as they were about to leave. The shadow at Midna's feet rippled. Like ripples on water. But not water—the shadow itself. Something dark and murky rose up from the ground. Midna reflexively jumped backward. From it, a figure emerged. Short silver hair. The tips a pale cyan. Not very tall—about the same height as me, or maybe a little shorter. The body was unsteady. Hands on knees, struggling to stand. Patterns ran across the body, flashing violently, glowing so unstably they seemed about to vanish. But the mouth was curved in a grin. One eye silver, the other a deep red. Those mismatched eyes, tired and half-lidded, looked up at Midna. "[laughing]Long time no see, Midna. Glad to see you're doing well" Breathing heavily. Voice hoarse. Tried to stand but legs wavered, and she ended up sitting down with a plop. Midna froze for a moment. ...Nocta. Her childhood friend, Nocta. The patterns on her body were flashing violently—a sign of severe exhaustion. A Twilight's magic makes the patterns glow stronger with emotion. But Nocta's weren't glowing so much as convulsing. Overused. Nocta possessed an ability called "Shadow Crossing." One in two hundred Twilight have it—a rare gift. The power to move between worlds using shadow as a medium, without needing the Mirror of Shadows. But using it even once causes severe exhaustion for three hours afterward. Looking at Nocta now, the meaning was clear. "Wait three minutes. I'll recover," Nocta said, placing both hands on the ground. The flashing of the patterns gradually, slowly, began to settle. "[cold]...Why are you here?" Midna's voice was low. "[laughing]To see you, obviously" A breezy answer. Not serious at all. But those mismatched red and silver eyes seemed to be saying something different. After about three minutes, Nocta managed to stand, swaying. She brushed back her silver hair and stared intently at Link. "[curious]...Huh" Her face was full of curiosity. "[excited]You're heading to the castle, right? Take me with you" She said it as if it were obvious. "[cold]Rejected" "[laughing]Why?" "[cold]Why? You were practically collapsing just now" "I'm fine now. Look," Nocta said, spreading both arms. The flashing of the patterns had stopped. Her expression was pure confidence. Midna sighed. This one had always been like this. Unstoppable. --- In the end, the four of them began walking together. Hyrule Field is vast. There's still distance to the castle town. The sunset stains the grassland orange, and the wind blows gently. The knight walks a little ahead, Link behind him. Midna floats near Link's shoulder, and Nocta walks beside Midna. ...The group had grown. Nocta kept glancing at Link's back. "[whispers]Hey" She whispers in Midna's ear. "[whispers]That human is younger than I thought" Midna's chest tightened. Why. Why did she feel that way now? "[cold]...It doesn't matter, does it?" She answered immediately. But even she could hear that her tone had hardened slightly. Nocta said nothing. She just smiled with a meaningful expression. That made it worse. To cover it up, Midna called out to Link's back. "[serious]Hey, you" Link turns slightly. His blue eyes look at her. "[serious]I'm never telling you my real name. Just accept that" Link didn't answer. He just tilted his head slightly and turned forward again. Twilight folk have what's called a "shadow name"—a true name given at birth. It's directly connected to the soul, and if someone learns your shadow name, there's danger of magical domination. So in the light world, we use false names—that's our custom. "Midna" isn't a false name. But my real name—my shadow name—is something else. Only one person on this journey knows it. Midna glanced at Nocta. Nocta was still grinning. The two of them know each other's shadow names. That means a connection deeper than words. A sign of trust—but right now, it felt a bit bothersome. "[sarcastic]Got it. Won't tell Link. I was listening" She said it breezily, still looking at Link. Midna faced forward. The smell of the dead campfire still seemed to cling to her clothes. Grass and smoke. Hyrule Field stains itself in the sunset's glow. Red, warm, a color that could never exist in my world. Four shadows stretch toward the castle. Midna noticed her shadow beginning to overlap with Link's—and pretended not to care, shifting slightly to the side. (It's not like I care about any of this.) She told herself that again. The wind of the plain passed gently between the four of them.