Luminescence

A Charge by Light

"No need to sound so dramatic. It's probably just a new moon tonight."

"Last night was a full moon, though."

And he remembered this very distinctly, for he had spent a good deal of his sleepless hours gazing up into it and wishing he could howl once more in its light. Just to be sure, however, he scanned the tree line and the edges of the forests for a trace of silver.

"Maybe it just hasn't risen yet." she said.

"Full moons rise early, don't you know that?"

She gave him a peculiar look. "Since when have you been so into the moon cycle?"

But the hairs on the back of his neck had prickled. The sensation was far too familiar. His old instincts tingled at something in the air and he looked around restlessly.

By the time they had reached Ordon Spring his fingers ached from clenching the handle of his sword. Ilia looked to be a bit on edge as well as she helped her father lower the winged girl into the waters. They glistened orange beneath his lamplight.

He wasn't ready for the water to begin glowing at the touch of her body. Bo leapt back in surprise, yet his daughter forced herself to stay still to hold up the girls head above the water. Gold light glistened off her form. The winged girl, however, just seemed white; white and luminescent as though the moon still shone.

"Goddesses!" cried Ilia, mouth agape, but otherwise speechless.

Something tickled at the back of his mind. The hairs all over his body stood on end as metallic noise rattled behind him.

He whirled around with a whip of his unsheathed sword. Where the light from the spring ended and the darkness begun, an inhuman face reflected back the light; metal, flat, and riveted with black symbols. The flat face cocked to the side. Red lines spidered across its otherwise invisible, black body.

For a moment, he couldn't breathe. It had been so long since he had seen a creature of the Twili. The corrupted being of twilight stumbled slowly towards him, rattling all the way. It didn't move right. It seemed...injured. And where were the rest? There was never just one Twili. He knew that all too well.

A scream erupted behind him. Ilia had finally noticed the creature. It grew agitated at the sound and paused in the light to rattle its plate-head faster.

"Shut up!" he hissed behind him. He clenched his right hand and cursed the lack of his shield. Well, better kill it quick while it was the odd one before—

Too late. The Twili threw its head back and gave the most unearthly, blood chilling screech. He winced and jerked his hands to his ears. His entire body had seized up at the sound.

The moment it ran out of breath he scrambled forward, sword held high—teeth clenched. He tried his best to ignore the growing lines of red appearing in the darkness. The eyeless plate just watched him. It fell underneath his sword without complaint and far too quickly. So it had already been weakened. But why?

"Link!!"

Somehow, faster than shadows themselves, the resurrected Twili had dashed past him, ignoring him completely to make a beeline for Ilia and the winged girl. He cursed and ran back, but he knew he wouldn't make it. Not this again!

But the moment the shadow beasts touched the water the spring exploded with brilliant light. The clearing and trees' colors shone out as though in broad daylight. He stumbled into the spring and squinted. In it he could make out the gleaming form of a goat. It lowered its horns to the black creatures writhing in its presence. Between his hooves lay the silvery white form of the winged girl, Bo, and Ilia.

'Now, Hero!' he heard in his mind. With a war cry he tackled the first creature, blade first. They fell before him, four in all, like ash statues. When the last Twili had fallen the light finally began to dim. Ilia stared up at the great creature. She looked close to fainting. Her father simply stared, jaw to his belt.

Link approached it numbly. A confused buzzed filled his mind.

"Do you," he cleared his throat, "do you know what just happened?"

The great shimmering goat shook its ragged head.

The guardian of the gap between dimensions must be in peril, for I sense a weakening of the boundaries. The creatures of darkness must have slipped through its weakening security.

"Guardian of the gap? But...what's that?"

The goat raised its head to the sky. Sure enough, it pointed its glowing nose to the blank darkness he had noticed before.

The moon.

Instinctually, he looked to the winged girl, still giving off a faint, silvery light.

"It's her, isn't it?"

I do not believe so, said Ordona, to Link's surprise. He had been so sure he was right. This girl looks nothing like the moon spirit and is, most importantly, very mortal.

He frowned to himself. "Well, what is she then?"

For the first time, he witnessed a great spirit of light hesitate. The affect was immensely unnerving.

"You don't know...?"

The goat shook its head. And then, as though to make up for the alarming lack in its infinite knowledge, it said: but I do know that if the moon spirit is not rescued soon from whatever calamity that has fallen upon the dimensional gap, the two worlds will cease to be separate and meld together as one. All the land will be covered in twilight.

The image of Midna as he last remembered her (tall and oh so curvy), rose to his mind. He had the stupid urge to ask if a veil of twilight would be so bad, but remembered he had fought specifically to prevent that just over a year ago and mentally shook himself. He must be losing it.

Ordona had begun to flicker. It lowered its nose to the winged girl at its hooves. Ilia gawked up at its wide horns holding the shifting orb of light.

I sensed a great light and innocence in this girl, however, and that is why I have healed her. Link thought he could feel the great being glance at him. That is why you have brought her to me, no?

He nodded. The spirit continued to fade. The darkness of the night started to close in.

I believe it would be in your best interest to watch over this girl.

He was about to nod again, when he stopped.

"Wait! What about the moon spirit?"

I am leaving to counsel with the other light spirits...as we speak...

And with that, darkness resumed. He blinked furiously as his eyes adjusted. Ahead of him, Bo collapsed with a large splash.

"By golly..." he said.

But a strange, hopeful wriggle had come to life in Link's chest. At the same time his gut twisted with guilt. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't be hoping for twilight of all things. It was selfish and, Din, it was stupid! He had specifically killed Zant and in turn Ganon to bring an end to a never-ending twilight, and now he was hoping for it just so he could see Midna again? What would she think of him if she could hear him now!

In the stunned silence he furiously berated himself. But by the time Bo and Ilia were ready to speak on what had just happened, the hope still fluttered in his chest like a tiny flame curving in the shape of a woman.