[Mari]

It was a chilly evening, not that Zelda could feel it. Between the very nice dress she was wearing and the emblazoned black cloak over it she was quite warm. The cloak had become a regular part of her wardrobe since the explosion that destroyed her kingdom in one fell swoop. Although it was quite warm, the actual purpose was that of mourning. There was a certain... weight that hung over her shoulders as she returned to the ruins of the once proud kingdom, a weight that never completely left her. Moving on after the death of someone you loved was difficult. Moving on after your family died was a challenge that some people simply never rose to. These were difficult problems with difficult solutions, like bear encounters. Moving on after almost everyone you'd ever personally known and sworn to protect as sovereign ruler died and your life was destroyed on the other hand was an entirely different beast. It was like if your bear problem took a dive into a pool of highly corrupting arcane magic and emerged as a abomination of nature and evil in demigod form. There was simply no preparing for something so over the top and terrible, and in that right Zelda couldn't blame herself. However, being free of blame did little to change the terrible reality of what had happened. Just because she did her best didn't mean she hadn't failed, or that people had not suffered greatly under her care. Because of this, she had never stopped mourning. It was... the least she could do to pay respects to what must have been the greatest loss of life Li had ever experienced.

She wasn't here to address the tragedy however, at least not directly. That was a task too painful and probably lethal for her to undertake. She had no doubt in her mind that a portion of her kingdom had likely looked for something to blame in the wake of their demise and turned upon her. She dreaded the day that she met such a spirit and was certainly not ready to seek one out, something that caused her additional anxiety every time she revisited the land of Hyrule. There was no telling when one might find her.

No--Today, Zelda was here to visit her parents. As she approached the badly damaged yet still intact ruins of Hyrule Castle, Zelda stopped in her tracks. She pulled her hood down so as to dignify it with her identity, but was very hesitant to take another step forward. She was not Link, and might need a moment to summon the courage to face the inside of her castle for the first in such a long time.

[heirtothemonado]

Midna warped from the Life Sphere, appearing in the desolate ruins of the Kingdom of Hyrule. She was following a tip-off from Ciel that Zelda had left to Life Sphere in a hurry, without telling anyone where she was going. Well if Princess Zelda was would head anywhere on Li by herself, this would definitely be the place she would go.

Poor girl. Ever since the war on the Starvia started, she had been distant and reclusive, hardly leaving her apartment or talking to anyone. Midna had tried connecting with her before, but she had almost always turned her away. In fact, the only time Midna had saw her at all was when they had gone on a single mission together.

It was easy to see why she was upset. Her entire kingdom, everyone who had depended on her for safety, all destroyed in a single stroke. It was enough to make anyone depressed. What Midna wanted to do was to reconnect with her. She had lost her kingdom of twilight in the explosion too, so she knew how Zelda felt.

Midna soon arrived at the remains of Hyrule Castle. In front of the gate stood a familiar robed figure.

"Zelda" Midna called out to her. Perhaps she could help with whatever Zelda was going through.

---

Midna
Damage: 0%
Status: Concerned

[Mari]

Zelda flinched, her long ears drooping a bit in an expression of distress. They were a bit expressive that way. She wasn't expecting anyone to be here, let alone a familiar voice. Familiar voices weren't usually the thing you wanted to hear when investigating lands that probably held ghosts in them, but this particular voice belonged to someone still among the living, one of the few people she could still call ...Was Midna her friend? She felt as if she did not deserve to say such a thing. Friends had been something she'd deprived herself from. Regardless, Midna was here and there was no avoiding this. The princess reluctantly summoned her speaking voice, something she hadn't used in a long time. Silence had been a part of the period of mourning. "Midna..." Zelda would acknowledge in a soft tone that sounded foreign leaving her mouth. Indeed, her voice had changed a bit in the years since she'd last spoken to Midna properly. Whether that was the result of years of disuse or just a bit of age was unclear, but the latter was rather unlikely if one was aware of the way time had a tendency to work on Li. Even Zelda seemed a little surprised to hear her own voice. She took a moment to consider what to say. A part of her was confused, but she knew that there was nothing here of significance to the twilight princess. Nothing except... herself. It slowly dawned on her that Midna was here to confront her about her absence. Although she had a job to do, Zelda reluctantly allowed herself to step back and approach Midna, closing some of the distance between them so that they could talk normally. Stopping before the other, she hung her head slightly. "I... I was not expecting anyone to follow me here. Did you come... for me?" Zelda asked somewhat hesitantly. She tried to face Midna with whatever dignity she could muster, but her self-esteem had tanked pretty hard and it had also been a while since she'd tried to hold herself in any regard. It was only out of respect for Midna that she attempted to be her old self. ...A lie, if you would.

[heirtothemonado]

Without another word, Midna floated over to Zelda and gently gave her a hug. Poor girl needed all the emotional help she could get.

"Of course I came here for you, Zelda. Ciel tipped me off that you had left the Life Sphere on your own, and I got worried. I figured that you would come here, so I followed you." Midna replied. She let go of Zelda and looked her in the eye.

"I want to reconnect, Zelda. You've been in isolation for a good while now, and I understand why. You lost your kingdom and you feel responsible for what happened. I know how you feel. I don't even know what happened to the Twilight Realm after Hyrule was destroyed, or if it even if it still exists. So the weight of a dead kingdom is on me as well." Midna paused "I don't expect you to move on from what happened, at least not for a while, but you can talk to me. Bottling yourself up like that won't do you any favors."

Midna broke eye contact and looked around. "What were you planning on doing here anyway?" she asked "If it's anything I can help with I'd be more then welcome to."

---

Midna
Damage: 0%
Status: Normal

[Mari]

Zelda felt her chest tighten with anticipation as Midna approached her, only to find herself being embraced. She hadn't been used to being hugged even before the hard times had fallen, but this--...Seeing Midna reach out to her like this tore into Zelda. It benefited no one to waste their time thinking about the hyrulian princess, a broken woman with no ambition and no future. She'd long since accepted that being forgotten and fading away was perhaps the most dignified end left for the Hyrulian Royal Family. And yet, here Midna was selflessly trying to help her, attempting to give her empathy even. It was enough to make Zelda tear up and begin choking back tears. A gloved hand slipped out from beneath her cloak and she turned her head away, hovering her hand over her mouth and nose as if to hide her face. At this point, the gesture was more for her own comfort than to spare herself any dignity. She could not possibly disappoint her people by appearing pathetic before them now. The princess appeared to shudder as she wrestled for control back over herself. It was clear that Midna had hit the nail on the head, nearly sending Zelda into a breakdown as all those emotions she'd been bottling up threatened to spill over. However, now was not the time for that. She was here on a mission, after all. After a long moment, she seemed to regain some semblance of composure, however she would need a bit longer to return to a state of calm. " . . . I'm sorry. I didn't think that you would--...I didn't think you would want to... deal with me. Not while I'm... like this." Zelda would reply, clearly shaken up by this turn of events. The lack of confidence showed in her words. She never would have stumbled over her words like that back in the day. She hadn't expected anyone to want to deal with her while she was such a mess, for lack of a better word. It was a lot of drama and a lot of intense emotions that she couldn't expect just anyone to tolerate. The fact that Midna had not only sought her out but offered knowing full well that Zelda wouldn't be able to just get over it spoke volumes about what Zelda meant to Midna. She'd never realized she had such a good friend at her disposal.

...Meeting Midna's eyes, Zelda's azure gaze held a strong hint of pleading to it. She now realized that she was very, very desperate for companionship. "...It would mean a lot to me if I could have your company and confidence. I've...--I've been trying my best, but I don't think I can go on alone." Zelda explained, only to realize how clingy she sounded moments after speaking. As much as it was difficult for her, she needed to control her emotions. She couldn't imagine that anyone was perfect enough to put up with goods that damaged. She averted her eyes again to hide her guilt.  "...*Sigh* I apologize. I shouldn't have said it like that. I came here to protect the graves of my parents, or if necessary put them back to rest. ...There are rumors that the starvia's presence has intensified in the area, and I'm worried that it might attempt to defile them." Zelda explained, glancing back over her shoulder towards the awaiting castle. "I... also fear that I might encounter the spirits of those I left behind while I am here. I'm not ready to face them, but I feel that I have no choice. I have nothing to repay my debt to you for helping me with this, but perhaps I will find a way..." Zelda finished explaining, offering Midna the only thing she had to her name and a promise of gratitude.

[heirtothemonado]

Midna respectfully looked away for a moment while Zelda attempted to control her emotions. It looked like she needed a great deal of support, no matter how much she tried to deny it.
Once Zelda appeared to have regained some semblance of emotional stability, Midna met her eyes again.

"I would be glad to accompany you and help you with whatever you need me for. As for repaying debts, I haven't forgotten when you gave up your spirit to save my life back when Zant threatened both of our worlds. I owe you my life" Midna said, remembering old times. Those times were long gone, but the feeling of debt still remained. "If anything, I would be repaying a debt to you"

Midna floated over to the castle entrance, and waited. "Whenever you feel that your ready, I'll be waiting. Take as much time as you need"

---

Midna
Damage: 0%
Status: Waiting

[Mari]

Zelda considered the past for a moment. It felt weird and wrong to think of that as a better time, but circumstances had changed and she wasn't in a good place right now. To think that her sacrifice would have put Midna in debt, though... She'd never quite thought of it that way before. She instinctively disagreed with the idea of indebting Midna by putting her life on the line in their battle against Ganon, but the gesture sat well with her and she certainly wasn't about to correct the other. Not now, anyway. It wasn't the time for that. Instead, she allowed her gaze to fall and a very subtle smile to grace her face for just a moment. "...Thank you, Midna." the princess would reply in a somewhat quiet but still quite audible tone before moving to join the other.

...Passing through the castle, Zelda led the way to the castle graveyard. It was in a state of severe dissaray. If one didn't know any better, they'd think it had already been raided. However, this was simply the post-blast damage. One could tell it hadn't actually been touched yet by the lack of any gaping holes in the ground. There was a grand gravestone in an alcove visible at the back of the yard, likely her parents judging by the unusual space it occupied. Zelda meandered forward. "It seems like we're early. Perhaps I can protect the gravei f we have enough--" Zelda began to muse aloud thoughtfully. If Midna were paying attention, however, she'd hear the sound of shifting dirt. It seemed the princess had spoken too soon. Suddenly, Zelda jolted to a stop in her tracks. A hand had just burst from the ground and grabbed her leg. It wasn't quite visible underneath her dress, but one could hear that something was wrong and see how flustered Zelda was. A gasp of alarm escaped her as a second hand latched onto her just below the knee and she began to squirm. "Nn--Something's got me!" the princess blurted out.

[heirtothemonado]

Midna floated behind the princess as they both moved into the graveyard. Midna kept an eye out for danger, focusing on repelling threats from anything that might reveal itself from behind the old tombstones. She was so focused on the surroundings, that she didn't notice when Zelda stopped suddenly, looking flustered. That is, until she began to panic and call out to her.

"Zelda? What's wrong?" Midna asked, although a closer look gave her an answer. Something had latched on to Zelda's leg, which left Midna in a pickle with how to dispose of it. None of her attacks were able to damage the monster without putting Zelda in harm's way. Maybe she could just pull Zelda out of the monster's grip?

Ok Zelda, I'm going to try to pull you away" Midna grabbed Zelda's hand. "Ready? One. Two...."


NDMYQILgp_1d20+1 (Midna's attempt to pull Zelda free)

Midna lost her grip, and flew back into the mud. No luck there. Midna wasn't very strong to begin with, and that monster had an iron grip.

"Don't worry, princess, I'll think of something to get you out." Midna reassured Zelda

---

Midna
Damage: 0%
Status: Normal

1d20+1

[Mari]

A cold sweat ran down Zelda's spine as a dead hand rudely dug its nails into her thigh. She wasn't so much worried about what the creature would find as she was acutely aware of what would happen once it got a better grip on her. She tried to tug away, but it was no use and Midna's efforts were ... unfortunate to say the least. And then, it happened. The zombie bit her. A squeal of alarm escaped Zelda as a set of gross zombie teeth got familiar with her flesh. The princess began to panic. ...Just a little. It wasn't easy not to fly into a full blown blind panic when you were being eaten alive by the ravenous undead, but Zelda knew that she needed to at least be able to focus if she were to defend herself. She began to thrash, shifting her weight back and forth and kicking at the zombie in an effort to pull herself away, however this only dug the creature's teeth deeper into her as it went back in for a second bite. "It's biting!" the princess blurted out. Moving her legs was decidedly painful and self-destructive, so she made a reluctant decision. She shed her thick black coat, revealing her ornate dress underneath it. One could clearly see the deformation in the skirt of her dress now where the zombie had latched onto her, previously hidden by the thick cloak. Her longsword hit the mud nearby, having fallen from her person. Zelda then awkwardly grasped at the zombie through her dress and fumbled to try and push it back down, eliciting a groan from the ... mildly annoyed creature. She decidedly wasn't very strong, and her shoving of its head only slowed its biting down a bit. "A-Ah..! Please, do whatever you must..!" the princess would softly, breathlessly plead. She was struggling to speak coherently through the pain, but it was clear that she wanted Midna to get in there and kill the literally damned thing. At this point, she wasn't too concerned with her dignity or even friendly fire. IF they didn't do something fast, she might not have use of her legs for much longer.

((Midna! ...You may make attacks. Your accuracy roll will determine whether you hit Zelda, or just the zombie. The success threshold is 10.))

[heirtothemonado]

Midna began to worry. That zombie that was clinging to Zelda's leg was a tough one, and it was beginning to get aggressive. The biting was causing Zelda to panic, and Midna was still hesitant about attacking her. Twili Magic would do more harm to Zelda then good, and regardless of what she said, Midna wasn't to keen on hitting her.

Then Midna spied the longsword that was lying where it had fallen. Midna wasn't sure if she could wield it properly, but it was a better option then nothing. She swooped over to the sword and picked it up. Testing it's balance in her grasp for a quick moment, Midna raced over to Zelda and took a swipe at her dress.


dKSULCG4p_1d20+1 (....ouch. Sorry Zelda!)

---

Midna
Damage: 0%
Status: Normal

1d20+1

[Mari]

The thrashing princess could imagine no greater pain than this zombie having a munch on her thigh. Or well--That was what she thought anyway. The princess did her best to hold still as Midna approached her, only to notice at the last moment that Midna was pulling the blade back for a swing. Oh no. At that last moment Zelda realized that Midna probably didn't know how to use a sword and her ears drooped in anticipation. Unfortunately, it was too late for her to interject. As Midna took a swing at Zelda she would find that the blade met very little resistance, perhaps less than she might have been expecting. It just... went straight through them.

Moments later Zelda collapsed rather bodily as her legs gave out from underneath her, the zombie cushioning her fall with a muffled groan. Her dress did a fine job of hiding just how badly she was hurt, but judging by the confused, clumsy way Zelda shifted and pushed at the ground in an effort to stand back up without success the answer was pretty badly. One could tell that her legs simply weren't cooperating anymore and the fallen princess soon gave up attempting to stand up. Midna had just fully paralyzed Zelda's lower body. It seemed likely that the zombie had taken the brunt of the swing and its wounds were preventing it from struggling free of Zelda's weight. That, or it had outright died shortly after falling. Either way, it wasn't moving much. Neither, however, was Zelda. The fallen princess seemed to be in shock. If she couldn't walk ... then this was the end for her! She'd never make it back to the life sphere before her wounds caught up with her, perhaps at all. She couldn't possibly ask Midna to... carry her. Th-That was just a silly thought. How could Midna carry her at their current size? ...But, maybe it was just Zelda's turn to join the fallen, she reasoned. It was an oddly comforting thought. She had found it very difficult to care about her own well-being for a long time now, but this... was perhaps a new low. The princesses slipped into despair, hanging her head in resignation. She looked quite pathetic, but probably not as pathetic as she felt right about then.

And then, the sound of metal scraping across a stone floor was heard. Something was coming, attracted by the noise--or perhaps the freshly spilled blood.

"You should go..." Zelda quietly suggested, having lost her voice. "...There's no need for both of us to meet our end here." the princess went on to state very softly after a moment's hesitation. She wasn't even looking up to see what was coming, but Midna could certainly take note. A horde of zombies was sluggishly approaching their location, their hollow eyes glowing in the dim light. Some carried weapons, while others looked like they still packed a lot of muscle. One had to wonder where they'd gotten it....

((Midna! ...You have options. You may choose to flee at no risk. You may also choose to try and carry Zelda if you're capable of taking your true form at no risk Alternatively, you may attempt to protect Zelda. The royal family's grave is also in the area, though it is not in immediate danger like Zelda is..))

	Zelda Damage: 80% Status: Fully Paralyzed from the waist down, Mortal Wound (80%)
	Royal Family Grave Contamination: 0%
	Zombie Horde 280HP Status: Normal

[heirtothemonado]

As soon as the sword passed through Zelda's dress, Midna knew that something was wrong. There should have been way more resistance then she had felt, given that it had to pass though Zelda's dress and the zombie before hitting her. Zelda collapsed in a heap.

The longsword fell from Midna's grasp as she rushed over to Zelda. At first glance, she didn't seem to be too injured, but Midna knew better then that. The way she fell suggested that she couldn't use her legs anymore.

"Zelda! I'm...I'm so sorry. I didn't know that that sword would have been that sharp, or whether I'd be able to use it properly, or..." Midna started stammering. She felt absolutely terrible. This was all her fault.  
 
Suddenly Midna felt something in her chest, and she was wreathed in the golden glow. This was something that had not happened to her in a long time. When the glow faded, standing before Zelda was Midna, but not the Midna that was there before.

Midna had taken on her true form. Scooping Zelda into her arms, Midna ran off, not even considering the royal grave at the moment. All that mattered at this point was getting Zelda to safety.

(Midna has assumed her true form and carried Zelda to a safer place. If she gets a chance, she might be able to come back to defend the grave)

---

Midna (True Form)
Damage: 0%
Status: Running

[Mari]

Zelda was a bit busy having the breathe stolen from her by the steadily increasing pain coursing through her body, unable to react properly to Midna's worry right away. Normally she would have tried to calm the other down, but well--She was merely mortal, and she had suffered a pretty terrible wound. In cases like these, silence was perhaps the least alarming thing someone could give. The princess was not done being surprised today, though. Zelda's eyes widened in recognition. That was -- ...Before her stood a woman of her own size, perhaps slightly greater even. She recognized Midna's true form, but hadn't anticipated that it would reveal herself. Before Zelda could react, she found herself being scooped into Midna's arms. Zelda weakly clung to the other for stability, submitting to her protective embrace rather readily. Normally it would not be appropriate to lay ones hands on royalty, but well... This was not an appropriate time for formal manners. Thankfully the undead chasing Midna were pretty slow, impaired by their rotten bodies. I mean, they could still catch Zelda--but that wasn't saying much.

Zelda still had the presence of mind to question what had just happened, though. What had spurred Midna's transformation? What did it mean that Midna had taken her true form at a time like this? Her heart raced, but a part of her was grateful. She didn't want to go through this pain alone, and Midna was there for her. That at least dulled the emotional pain. ...By the time Midna stopped, Zelda had begun to tremble gently in her arms. They were now in what appeared to be a ... kitchen. Midna could leave Zelda here if she wanted and go back to protect the grave, but what if a zombie just wandered in and decided to nibble on Zelda? Perhaps it would be a good idea to leave the princess somewhere more hidden, but castles didn't exactly have closets. There were a few alcoves, one of which was meant to be a brick oven complete with a chimney to ventilate the smoke and the other of which was a storage closet. Neither were very sanitary, the storage closet smelling of rotten food and the oven being full of ashes. There were some table clothes, a few buckets, some rope, and what appeared to be a little well! She could certainly get creative with what she had for the purposes of hiding Zelda.

Yet, now that things were slowing down and Zelda was regaining some of her composure in spite of the pain she was in, the princess was ready to speak about what had happened. "...Midna, be careful." Zelda softly replied, one of her hands drifting to rest over Midna's heart. It was perhaps an awkward gesture, but not without its purpose. A tingling sensation radiated from Zelda's hand, beginning at the chest but quickly spreading out over Midna's entire body. It seemed that Midna had been gifted with some form of magic, perhaps a donation of power on account of Zelda not being able to make much use of hers currently. It was a rather pleasant sensation, but what exactly that magic was meant to do besides make Midna feel a bit better wasn't clear yet. " . . . Come back for me, alright?" the princess would go on to request after a long moment.

	Zelda Damage: 84% Status: Fully Paralyzed from the waist down, Mortal Wound (80%)
	Royal Family Grave Contamination: 0%
	Zombie Horde 280HP Status: Normal

[heirtothemonado]

Midna ran as fast as she could into the castle gates, carrying Zelda in her arms. She was barely conscious of which direction she was headed, and only when she stopped did she find herself in a kitchen of some sorts. Perhaps she could find a place for Zelda to stay while she went back and protected the royal grave. It was the least she could do for Zelda now, to finish the goal that Zelda wanted to accomplish in the first place.

Looking around, Midna saw many different areas where Zelda could hopefully stay out of sight. Thinking for a moment, she carefully placed Zelda on the floor and grabbed a large bucket and a length of rope. Tying the rope to the buckets handle, Midna gently placed Zelda in the bucket and began to lower her into the well. The well would have been dry by now, so there wasn't much risk of Zelda getting wet. There was definitely a chance there was something in the well waiting for Zelda, but that was a chance that they would have to take.

Before Midna could ,however, Zelda reached out and placed her hand over Midna's heart and warned her to be careful. Midna met her eyes "I'll be fine, Zelda, just wait here until I get back." As she said this, Midna could feel a tingling feeling spread from Zelda's hand throughout her body. Had Zelda given her some sort of power?

After holding Zelda's gaze for a while, Midna began to lower Zelda into the well. "I'll be back soon. Be safe." Midna said as she bid farewell to Zelda. Once Zelda was at the bottom, she left the kitchen and made her way back to the courtyard.

---

Midna (True Form)
Damage: 0%
Status: Normal

[Mari]

((Challenge activated! Kill the zombie horde before Zelda perishes or the grave's contamination reaches 100% Attack multiple zombies with a single attack for bonus damage.))

Zelda just sort of found herself curled up at the bottom of that well. Boy--She sure hoped Midna came back. She might not make it out of that well if they other didn't. Meanwhile, Midna would encounter several of the zombies she'd fled from on her way back to the graveyard! It seemed like they'd gotten lost while chasing the other, but immediately began stalking towards the twilight princess upon Midna presenting herself. A stalfos is the first to reach Midna, lunging out with impressive speed for the undead and attempting to drive its blade through her!

((Midna! Roll 12+ to dodge the stalfos' blade. Else, take 20% damage))

A Gibdo is the second to come into attacking range, sluggishly attempting to smack Midna with its enormous sword! Not very good for cutting, but plenty good for bruising and breaking.

((Midna! ...Roll 12+ to dodge the gibdo's dull sword! Else, take 20% damage))

But then--A piercing shriek! A redead manages to stun Midna, its horrible gaze peering into her soul. It was the slowest of the bunch, but its sluggish crawl did nothing to quell the horror of knowing what it would do to her, and that there was nothing she could do to stop it. The redead lunged out at Midna rather abruptly, its mouth opening wide as it went in to bite her! ...But then, something perhaps unexpected happened. That tingling sensation from before returned, this time with greater intensity. A large blue translucent crystal manifested itself around Midna and smacked into the redead, blocking its attack and bouncing it backward! It then shattered, sending magical crystals shooting out to rip into the zombies surrounding her. It seemed that Zelda had imparted Midna with Nayru's Love! ...From her very own heart. It couldn't shield her from every attack, but it might give her the edge she needed.

	Zelda 42 HP Status: Fully Paralyzed from the waist down, Mortal Wound (80%)
	Royal Family Grave Contamination: 10%
	Zombie Horde 250HP Status: Normal