She Dies

--Introduction--

She is from the Twilight, from a land shrouded in darkness. From a place enclosed in the warm embrace of the time in between.

She is from the Twilight.

Then why is she here?

(Is it because she doesn't love it—no, no she absolutely loves the black cloud of twilight, mourns it's passing every time her companion banishes it, bathes in it's cool, beautiful light)

(is it because she loves the world of light—no, she holds nothing but contempt for beings of the light, arrogant and stupid and too young to rule anything at all)

(is it because she does love it, she can't stand seeing it on this horrible plane, wants to keep it from the wrong hands—no, it may be closer, but her only alliance is to herself)

It is because she can not stand him. Zant—he is not her leader, not her king, not her ruler, not hers.

He is disgraceful and dishonorable and disgusting and a bad name for all the beings of her world and…and he is evil.

(Call her what you will, she is not evil, and neither is her twilight)

She is from the Twilight, but he is not her leader and she will not follow him.

--End of the Beginning--

Midna enjoys her first meeting with her soon-to-be partner.

She has always enjoyed seeing beings of the light angered, and this one had quite a temper.

But like all of them, if you scratch their back they lie down immediately. A little offer—I was planning to let you free (or something like that, Midna really doesn't bother to remember silly details like that. Why does it matter what she said, word for word?) and he was willing to do whatever she wanted him to.

And afterward, she really enjoyed jerking his chain whenever she could.

Because Midna can't stand him—that stupid little kid from a stupid little town who doesn't know how to fight and definitely doesn't know how to win but tries anyway, who needs her to do everything for him and hold his hand like he's three, who smiles at her and nods like she's his friend and not like she's making him do all this.

She wonders why she continues to travel with this idiot, why she stands by and lets him destroy her beautiful Twilight.
Midna must remember what Zant is doing to her world before she gets on his back, and sometimes it's the only thing keeping her sanity.

--Interlude--

Zelda was concerned when she was on death's bed. Zelda. Princess Zelda. So stupid Zelda had to give her all her power, had to freaking shroud Hyrule castle in…something, dark and sinister and evil to the core, had to give her everything she had left, had to freaking do something.

Stupid Zelda.

But Link was worse—so much worse, because he was not concerned, but worried, sick to his stomach, running at top speed towards Hyrule castle not because of the newest development with Zant, but because of her, because she is dying on his back and he cannot let that happen. Because she has gotten too close and he cares about her too much. He never growls at her anymore or glares at her, never does what she says because he has to anymore.

He was so much worse than Zelda.

Because stupid Link just couldn't let her die.

Later Midna has to acknowledge that Link probably wouldn't have gone on without her. She should be so angry at him for that, fuming because Zant falling is all that matters, but…

Link was so much worse than Zelda, but Midna can't be angry at him like she can Zelda.

--Beginning of the End--

Midna has changed. She sees it, sees how she no longer holds such contempt for the beings of light. She is different, kinder, better. She loves her Twilight, but she loves this world, too.

She is a being of the Twilight. So why is she here?

Because Zant is not her leader, not her king and not her ruler.

But still, behind that reason but rising closer and closer to the surface, is that she loves this new world. She sees it everyday, in everything she does. How she was willing to stay on the side of light and not serve Zant, even when her life was at stake.

How she was worried when Zant knocked Link to the side trying to get her down, out of Zants grip.

How she said his name for the first time when she was praying Link would be strong enough to keep going without her.

How she addresses him now as a person now, not a servant, as a person, as a friend, as a loved one.

How it changed from: What is it? to What is it, Link?

How she put her hands on his shoulder and had asked him to help her find the mirror of Twilight.

Midna sees it, sees him, and suddenly Link is Link and no one else. She wants to help him, help his world, for him.

Midna has changed, and although she will never be a part of this world, it is her reason for being here.

--Finale--

Midna can see clearly now.

This world is worth it—it is beautiful and strong and deserves its light and love and beauty.

Its own, not hers, because no matter how hard the Twilight is placed here, it will never lay properly across the land, never illuminate the trees in the right way or reflect the light off the water in the most perfect pattern.

So Midna can see clearly now. She has to help them, help him, no matter what the cost is.

Because Midna would have been the one to live on—after Zelda and Link had grown old and died—but…

This world, its culture, its places, its creatures, its memories, its ideas…

Its people—are worth dying for.