The castle gate of Hyrule Castle Town stood imposing when viewed from a distance. A massive stone gate. Guards with spears standing on either side. Flags fluttered, catching the morning light and gleaming gold. The castle town—the capital of the Kingdom of Hyrule, a fortified city where some thirty-five thousand people lived—symbolized the abundance of the Light World simply by existing. Midna floated near Link's shoulder, gazing at it all. They had walked since breaking camp last night to reach this point. The knight had already gone ahead; they were to regroup inside the castle. Nocta followed silently beside Midna, her silver hair swaying in the morning breeze. It happened the moment they approached the gate. Two guards crossed their spears. "[serious]Halt," Link stopped. Midna did the same. One of the guards stared intently at Midna. Her small frame. The patterns running across her body. The markings on her forehead. Not human—something fundamentally alien—and the guard's face twitched, just for a moment. "[serious]The Shadow Folk are forbidden entry. By regulation, we cannot permit any of the Twilight race to pass through this gate," Behind them, people who had been trying to pass began to murmur. "...Isn't that one of those shadow monsters?" "It's like when the twilight encroachment came..." "A cursed being. Don't get involved." The pointed remarks stabbed at her ears. Midna's expression didn't change. —Not because she was used to it. She simply couldn't move it. The patterns across her body wavered faintly. Evidence of the Twilight race's magic, linked to emotion. When strong feelings arose, the patterns glowed; when depleted, they faded—this one wavered, so she suppressed it. She managed to suppress it. Barely. (My true form isn't like this.) She immediately buried that thought. "[cold]Whatever. If it's regulation, then there's nothing to be done about it," Her voice was calm. She was surprised by how calm it sounded. That was when Link moved. Just one step. Forward—standing directly in front of the guard. That was all. No words. He didn't even place his hand on his sword. He simply held the guard's gaze straight on, his blue eyes quietly but unmistakably saying something. For several seconds, all three remained motionless. Sweat began to bead on the guards' cheeks. —The guard slowly lowered his spear. "...Please, go ahead," With only those words, he stepped aside. Link began walking first. Midna and Nocta followed behind him. Midna watched Link's back. A broad back. The back of someone who stepped forward without a word and made the guard yield with nothing but a gaze. Something pulsed violently deep in her chest. —Shut up. Midna thought that toward her own heart. Shut up, this isn't the time for that. "[sarcastic]...I-I'm not thanking you or anything," She muttered it at a volume no one else could hear. Beside her, Nocta's mouth curved into a smile. "[sarcastic]I heard that," "[angry]Shut up," --- The audience chamber of Hyrule Castle was quieter than she'd imagined. High ceiling. Light streaming through narrow windows created striped patterns on the stone floor. The Goddess's crest was carved into the walls, and the weight of Hyrule's long history seemed to have seeped into the very air itself. And there was Zelda. Soft golden hair flowed past her shoulders. Clear emerald-green eyes. A faintly glowing mark on her forehead—the pattern said to be proof of the Triforce of Wisdom. Her bearing was full of grace, and without even waiting to be addressed, she was simply there, becoming the center of the space. Twenty years old. Slightly older than Link. The moment Zelda saw Link, her expression softened. "[gentle]I'm so relieved you're safe," There was warmth in that smile. The instant Midna saw it, she felt as though a needle had been driven straight through the center of her chest. —Ah, this woman cares for Link. Not merely as an ally. Not merely as a cooperator. Something deeper. Something precious. All of that weight was packed into those single words: "I'm relieved." Midna read it in an instant. "[sarcastic]Well, well. A personal welcome from Princess Zelda herself. How touching," She snorted as she spoke. The edge of her voice was slightly hard. Zelda shifted her gaze to Midna. No surprise in her eyes, no condescension—only a calm, gentle look. "[gentle]I'm grateful you came all this way from the Shadow World. Midna, is that correct?" "[cold]I don't need your thanks. Your interests and mine just happened to align, that's all," "[gentle]...I see," Zelda didn't grow angry. She continued smiling. That composure cut into Midna like a blade. (What is this woman. Why won't she get angry?) Midna glanced at Link. He stood slightly ahead, facing Zelda. The air flowing between them contained something beyond words. Trust accumulated over a long time—or perhaps something more. Nocta whispered softly near Midna's ear. "[whispers]Midna, your face is scary," "[cold]Shut up," --- After that, Zelda spoke in a quiet voice. "[gentle]The power I shared with you then—it should still dwell in your patterns," The moment Midna heard those words, images flashed through her mind. —It was right after fleeing Zant's coup. The boundary between Twilight and Hyrule—deep within Faron Forest, in the thin boundary space called the "Shadow Border" where mist hung thick. There, Midna had nearly collapsed. Cursed by Zant, stripped of her true form, her magic nearly drained away, and yet she still crawled forward without giving up. That was when Zelda came. The Princess of Hyrule, all the way to the shadow boundary. Kneeling down, meeting Midna at eye level. Her face looked pained—because she was using her own magic. But she hid that, speaking in a calm voice. "—If you fall, both Hyrule and Twilight will fall together." Light poured in. Zelda's magic transformed into light and flowed into Midna. That warmth still remained deep in her body. The memory ended. Zelda in the audience chamber waited quietly. Midna looked away for just a moment. —I don't want to admit it. But it's true. I was saved by this woman's power. Without it, I wouldn't be standing here now. Our "aligned interests" aren't one-sided. This woman acted before I fell. That fact, and the irritation it brought, mixed with an awkward gratitude in Midna's chest. She didn't even know which was stronger. Midna said nothing. That was all she could manage right now. --- Night fell. A stone tower near the highest point of the castle. At the end of a spiral staircase, on the edge of a stone parapet. Midna sat there alone. The lights of the castle town spread out below her. The glow of street stalls, the light from inn windows, torches held by soldiers. Hyrule's night was completely different from Twilight's eternal dusk. This night was black. Truly dark, and because of that, the lights shone beautifully. Midna spread her small hands and stared at them. These hands. Not her real hands. Her true form was different. As the Princess of Twilight, her body had been much larger, her patterns beautiful, her form tall and capable of wielding shadow magic freely. Zant had taken that from her. On the night of the coup, in the depths of the "Vespera Palace," the deepest chamber of the royal palace, he had cursed her. That moment came rushing back. Impact. Vision warping. The sensation of her body shrinking. Before she could even understand what was happening, it was all over. The humiliation of losing her true form. The humiliation of losing her palace. The anger of having her world, her home, stolen from her—all of it surfaced, just a little, just for tonight. Tears welled in her eyes. "My true form isn't like this," Her voice reached no one. One tear traced down her cheek. —Then. The shadow of the tower rippled like water. From the darkness, a figure emerged smoothly. Silver hair. Water-blue at the tips. Mismatched eyes—left silver, right red. Nocta. "[gentle]You're crying, Midna," Her voice was gentle. Not her usual carefree tone—unusually soft. "[cold]I'm not crying," She sniffled. Completely unconvincing. Nocta said nothing. She simply sat down beside her, leaning quietly against Midna's small shoulder. It was warm. Midna said nothing. Nocta said nothing. The lights of the castle town flickered in the distance. Wind passed between them. After a while, Midna noticed something. Nocta's gaze wasn't on Midna. A room in the castle—a window with light. Midna knew who was in that room. Nocta's left and right eyes were fixed on that window. Silver and red. The emotions floating in those two pupils—Nocta herself hadn't yet sorted them out. That much was clear from the subtle tremor in her expression. Midna said nothing. She didn't even feel like saying anything. --- The next morning. Four people gathered in a small strategy room within the castle. A map of Hyrule was spread across the table, and Zelda pointed to a location with her slender finger. "[serious]Based on continuous observation of the shadow encroachment waves, the source likely originates from the direction of the Gerudo Desert," The Gerudo Desert—approximately one hundred sixty kilometers northwest of the castle town. Daytime temperatures exceeded fifty degrees Celsius; nighttime approached freezing. Sandstorms occurred frequently, and at its deepest point lay the "Mirror Altar." The only place where the shadow mirror was enshrined. Zelda continued. "[serious]We must cross the Lanayru Great Canyon and head into the Gerudo Desert. The canyon is approximately seventy kilometers east of the castle town. It's a chasm two hundred meters deep with only one bridge crossing it. Beyond that, the path to the desert opens," Midna studied the map, organizing the route in her mind. Cross the Lanayru Great Canyon, walk through the desert, find the source of the encroachment. "[cold]Understood. We'll go," She turned her back to the table and moved toward the door. "[gentle]Link—be careful on the way," Those words reached her back. Midna didn't stop walking. But she heard them. --- They left through the castle gate and began walking along the morning road through Hyrule Field, the four of them together. Grass swayed in the wind. The castle's shadow in the distance. The sky was still blue and clear. Midna spoke toward Link's back. "[sarcastic]Princess Zelda seems worried sick about you. How nice—to have a princess concerned for you," She said it deliberately. Link didn't answer. He kept walking forward. "[sarcastic]Midna, that all sounds like sarcasm," Nocta whispered quietly. "[angry]Shut up!" She shouted it out loud and began walking ahead of the group. Quickening her pace, moving in front of everyone. She heard Nocta laugh behind her. She couldn't see what expression Link had. She didn't look. The morning light painted the grass golden. Hyrule Field was vast, stretching far into the distance. Toward the east. Beyond the road to Lanayru Great Canyon, the sky was slightly darkened. Not orange, not a sunset—a murky darkness. Evidence of advancing shadow encroachment. Midna stared at that darkness as she walked. She didn't know what awaited beyond it yet. But she had to go. That much was certain.