Chapter Text
As they made their way to the palace, the commotion grew louder. Guards rushed to and fro, their armour clanking and their voices raised. The sight was both chaotic and unnerving.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Ghost murmured, his brow creased with worry.
"I'm sure it'll be okay," Twine said, though his tone lacked conviction.
The crowd parted as a man pushed his way through, his features haggard and his clothes torn.
"Someone, please!" he cried, desperation evident in his voice. "Please, save the queen! She's in grave danger!"
Twine's eyes widened, his expression one of surprise and concern. "...Shire? Is that you?"
"Who? Listen kid, if you're not going to help then get out of the way."
Twine looked taken aback by Shire's response, his gaze clouded with confusion. “Shire, what are you talking about?”
Not-Shire's brow furrowed. " I don't have time for this."
"But..."
The man shouldered past them, disappearing into the crowd followed by a multitude of guards.
---
The library’s double doors creaked open, revealing a cavernous room lined with shelves brimming with ancient tomes, manuscripts, and scrolls. The scent of old parchment and polished wood filled the air, evoking a sense of reverence and tranquillity. Dust particles danced in the shafts of sunlight streaming through the high-arched windows, casting a golden glow over the room.
Twine released Ghost's arm and bounded towards a particularly massive book resting on an ornate lectern in the centre of the room. "Look at this, Navy! This book must be ancient! I bet it’s full of secrets about this place."
Ghost followed at a more measured pace, his eyes scanning the titles of the books as he walked. "Remember, Twine, we’re here for a reason. Let’s not get too sidetracked."
Twine turned back, his face split into a wide grin. "Oh, come on, Navy. Lighten up a bit! We might find something useful in here."
Ghost sighed, the correction once again ignored, but he let it slide. "Fine. Just don’t touch anything breakable or valuable."
Twine was already flipping through the pages of the massive book, his eyes wide with wonder. "Wow, this is amazing! There are stories about past heroes, battles, and… Hey, listen to this: 'The Hero of Time, guided by destiny, traversed the realms to restore balance and order...'"
Ghost allowed himself a small smile at Twine’s enthusiasm. "Fascinating. But remember why we’re here."
Twine’s face fell slightly, but he nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know."
As they delved deeper into the library, Ghost couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. He glanced over his shoulder, but the room was empty except for the two of them. Still, he couldn’t dismiss the unease that settled in his chest.
Twine’s voice broke through his thoughts. "Hey, Navy, check this out!" He held up a scroll, its edges frayed with age. "It’s a map! Looks like it shows different realms or something."
Ghost took the scroll, his eyes narrowing as he studied the faded lines and markings. "This could be important. If we can understand how these realms are connected, it might help us figure out how to fix the disturbance."
Twine nodded eagerly. "Yeah! And look here, there’s a symbol that looks a lot like the one on Queen Zelda’s throne. Maybe this map can lead us to something that can help."
Ghost folded the map carefully and tucked it into his bag. "We’ll study it later. For now, let’s keep looking for more clues."
As they continued to search the library, the door creaked open again. Ghost’s hand instinctively moved to his weapon, but he relaxed when he saw it was the same guard who had escorted them earlier. The guard inclined his head respectfully. "Her Majesty has requested your presence in the council chamber. She believes she may have some information that will assist you."
Ghost nodded, his suspicions momentarily allayed. "Lead the way."
Twine bounced up, ready to follow, his curiosity undiminished. "This is it, Navy! We’re going to get some answers!"
The guard led them through a series of corridors, each more opulent than the last. Tapestries depicting the history of Hyrule adorned the walls, and chandeliers sparkled overhead. Finally, they arrived at a set of double doors guarded by two imposing sentinels.
The guard pushed open the doors, revealing a large chamber dominated by a round table. Queen Zelda stood at the head, flanked by several advisors. Her eyes met Ghost’s and Twine’s as they entered, a mixture of hope and determination in her gaze.
"Please, take a seat," she said, gesturing to the chairs around the table. "We have much to discuss."
Ghost and Twine took their places, the weight of the moment settling over them. Zelda’s advisors murmured among themselves, but fell silent as the queen raised her hand.
---
Ghost decided that since he couldn’t read anything anyway, he would move to explore and leave Twine to it. He knew from experience that information didn't need to be written down to be conveyed and understood. He had the intelligence to piece everything together, he knew he did, he needed to figure out what there even was to piece together in the first place.
He couldn’t stop a small, dispirited puff of air, face crumpling sourly.
Ghost considered trying each row of shelves individually, and working his way around methodically. He stopped at one bookshelf in particular, reaching out to pull a book out from where it had been shoved unceremoniously between the tops of the rest of the books and the upper shelf.
What a shame. It had such a pretty cover too.
Ghost opened the book, flipping through the pages as he wandered over to a nearby table, eyes lighting up as he found a few scribbles in the margins that he could read.
"I wonder, who wrote-" He gasped, foot twisting beneath him as he was sent sprawling to the floor, crashing into the carpet with a thump. His teeth clamped down on his tongue as his jaw hit the ground, whining a little in pain, as his prosthetic made an unhappy twang.
He was so tired, the ground felt so warm and soft, he wanted to stay down there and sleep. Twine could take care of the research.
From somewhere else, there was a yelp, whoever it was sounded like they were in sheer agony.
And Ghost couldn't find it in him to stay on the ground.
But when he finally hobbled round the corner to peer along the hall, down to the alcove he'd been resolutely ignoring the whole time, an uneasy feeling rearing its ugly head in his heart, his pain and exhaustion left him all in one punched-out breath.
On the ground, Twine was curled up hugging his knees to his chest, salty tears staining his white pants as he cried into them, clawing desperately at his head with his hands. Under his breath, he was mumbling to himself, eye flashing between green-red-purple-blue in a wild flurry of colour. A kaleidoscope of agony.
Ghost's heart shattered, and he hobbled forward, taking far longer then he would've liked to reach the little smith.
By the time he'd gotten there, Twine had stopped crying, and was staring blankly at the marble flooring, eye red from rubbing away the tears.
Ghost took one step onto into the alcove, and felt his world fall out from beneath him, his grey eye meeting Twine's as panic suddenly crossed the smith's face. Twine reached out to Ghost, as if to stop him.
"No, Navy don't! You'll only-"
His ears were ringing. His vision was dark.
Maybe Ghost should go to sleep. The floor over here looked just as comfortable, and he was so tired.
He was out before he hit the ground.