Mira woke up in a haze, she didn't recognize her surroundings. She tried to move, only to receive a sharp pain that shot through her back.

Everything that had happened to this point came flashing back. The woods, on their way to Sacred Grove.

The ambush...and getting injured. Where was she now then?

"Mira." A voice called out into the darkness. She heard some shuffling and the sound of chains rattling.

As her eyesight began to adjust to the darkness, she saw Link peering at her a few feet away. They seemed to be in some sort of dark chamber.

Link crawled as close to her as the shackles around his wrists and ankles would allow.

"How's your back?"

"It still hurts a bit." Mira answered with a wince. "Where's Conan?"

"I don't know. They took him out a little while ago." Link informed her.

"Do you think they took him out because he isn't like us? He doesn't share the..you know. Destiny with us." She whispered.

Link shrugged. "I have no idea."

Just then a heavy door was thrown open to the side of the room. Dim torch light flooded the small area.

Two Bokoblins led Conan into the room by his chains. His bindings were secured against the wall. The monsters left, slamming the door behind them.

"Where did they take you?" Link asked the returned boy.

"Another room. I was questioned by a woman. And that man thing that was at the ambush." Conan told them.

"What did you tell them?" Mira asked.

"Nothing." Conan replied.

The Bokoblins returned. This time they unhooked Mira's chains from the wall. She yelped when they yanked her chains, throwing her arms forward and hurting her back.

They guided her from the room, securing the door once again. She noticed a Moblin stood guard next to it.

She followed the stone corridor. On each side were cells. Some were guarded with a Bokoblin or Moblin, others appeared unoccupied.

They climbed a winding stone staircase and followed yet another hall once they reached the top. At the end of the hall a large door waited.

Two Moblins stood next to it. They opened the door for them to enter when they approached.

The room that waited for Mira was dark, only lit with torches. A large table was placed in there. At one end a woman was seated with the man from the ambush standing to her right.

Mira was forced into a seat, sending pain through her back once again. Her shackles were secured to the arms of the chair and then the Bokoblins left.

"Hello." The cold voice of the woman spoke from across the table.

The woman had white-blonde hair and piercing crimson eyes. Her dress was all black, along with the crown that rested upon her head.

"Who are you?" Mira asked.

The woman chuckled darkly. "My name is Laila, current Queen of Hyrule. And you are...Mira?"

"You aren't the queen of Hyrule and you'll never be." Mira snarled.

"Oh I definitely am. And once my King is resurrected, we'll rule Hyrule together. Turning it into a Kingdom of darkness." The queen smirked.

"Resurrected?" Mira murmured.

"You should really speak up dear. Nobody can understand your mumbling." The evil woman said.

"What do you mean resurrected?" Mira asked more clearly.

The queen rolled her red eyes. "I won't bore you with details, hun, but basically I need royal blood to bring My King back into this world."

"As in...Princess Zelda?" The young heroine asked.

"Precisely, dear." Laila answered with a dark grin.

"Why were we brought here?"

"Uh, uh, uh. It's my turn to ask the questions." Laila chided, leaning back comfortably.

"Where did you get those clothes?"

"That's none of your concern." Mira snapped.

"Oh, but it is my concern. One of my largest concerns right now, Mira. Now I'm going to ask again, where did you get those clothes?" Laila asked more sharply.

Mira folded her arms and stared into the red orbs on the woman's face. Laila leaned forward, clasped her hands, and stared right back.

After a few minutes, the queen stood.

"You have ten seconds to answer, or else things are going to take a drastic turn. And you won't like it." She threatened.

Mira just shook her head and waited in silence.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six..."

The young girl dressed in heroine clothing ignored the count down. She refused to give this dark woman any useful information.

"...Three, two, one. Big mistake, Mira."

The dark queen raised her hand. Suddenly electricity shot from the tips of her fingers and struck Mira.

Mira struggled against her chains. Writhing and screaming in agony. It felt like she was being burned inside and out.

Laila stopped after a few seconds. To Mira, it felt like hours.

"Do I need to ask again, stubborn little girl?"

"I got my clothes in the woods." Mira answered finally.

"Where in the woods?" The queen persisted.

"I don't know exactly. I found them when we were riding through." Mira half lied.

The burning sensation shot through her again.

"I SAID WHERE IN THE WOODS FOOLISH GIRL!" The queen yelled angrily once the electricity had subsided.

"I honestly don't know. We were between villages. It was hard to tell where we were on the map." Mira told the evil queen. It wasn't a full lie. She really didn't know where the Kokori Forest was on the map, but she wouldn't provide the name either.

Laila rubbed her temples exasperatedly.

"What made you decide to put the outfit on then?" She asked in a calmer tone.

Mira held her breath, trying to think up a good lie. She couldn't find one. What would cause someone to put on a random outfit in the woods? She couldn't give away that she knew about Minara and definitely not about her triforce piece.

"My clothes were really dirty. I forgot to bring a change of clothes." She answered after a few long seconds.

Laila arched an eyebrow and gave the young girl a suspicious look. "You didn't bring extra clothes on a journey such as this one? Are you completely gullible?"

Mira shrugged her shoulders. "There was so much excitement when we were leaving. It must've slipped my mind."

The queen rubbed her temples again. As if she was talking to a kindergartner who didn't get a simple concept.

"So tell me. What's the purpose of this quest you're on?"

Mira thought for a moment. She assumed Link would receive the same question. Conan probably already had as well. If their answers weren't the same, then there could be serious trouble. She decided to be very vague about it.

"It was kind of an experience gaining thing. See we're super close to graduating the academy and the top of our class, so we got honored with the privilege to leave the village and tour the Kingdom."

Once again, the evil lady didn't look very convinced, but she didn't persist.

"I see. You're dismissed."

Her henchman that had remained silent the entire interrogation clapped his hands once.

The two Bokoblins that had escorted her earlier entered the room. They unsecured her shackles from the arms of the chair, then once again pulled her harshly from the room by her chains.

She was led the same way they came back to her cell. The door was unlocked, she was secured to the wall, and Link was taken in her place.

She didn't have time to go over anything with him. Just like that the door was shut and locked once again. Leaving her and Conan in utter darkness.

"Conan?" She called out.

There was no answer. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen him when she was put back in the cell. She was so worried about Link.

"Conan?" She tried again.

Yet still, nobody answered.

-:-

"You know nothing." Link answered simply.

Laila rolled her eyes in frustration. "You and that stupid girl are so irritating."

Link shrugged nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal.

"I'm not completely stupid. I know it wasn't just some 'Kingdom Tour.' I also know you didn't just find those outfits in some random ass bushes." She folded her arms and glared at him with red eyes.

"Just what do you think we're up to?" Link asked, meeting her gaze with sapphire eyes.

Her eyes narrowed. She leaned forward on the table. "I think you know where Princess Zelda is. And I think you're helping the little rat hide out. That wagon was probably full of supplies for her."

Link kept a neutral expression. So they didn't have the princess in captivity, which means she's on the loose somewhere. "Interesting." He answered.

"Interesting? That's all you have to say?" She asked between clenched teeth.

The imprisoned boy responded with a small nod.

Electricity shot throughout his body, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists until the pain subsided.

"Do you know where the princess is?" She asked more forcefully.

Link shook his head, actually being honest rather than evasive.

The shock waves shot through him again. This time it lasted far longer.

When it finally ended he found himself panting heavily.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Where is the princess?"

"I don't..know." Link answered hoarsely.

Laila sent a final long shockwave at the obnoxious boy. "Take him away." She said in an exhausted tone.

The Bokoblins entered the room again and dragged the drained boy away.

Piers, her loyal servant, entered right after. "The master wants to speak with you."

"Thank you, Piers." She answered and left the room quickly.

She headed up staircase after staircase through many halls until she reached one of the tallest towers.

The circular room was bare save for a large black chest that sat perfectly in the center of the room.

She walked over and opened the chest. Inside was a large crystal orb, much larger than her head. A black smoke-like substance floated about the orb.

Suddenly dark red eyes appeared in the orb.

Quickly she bowed. "Piers told me you wanted to speak, Master."

"Yes." The grizzly voice answered. "I've been told you captured the hero descendants."

"Yes, Master. I interrogated them just this evening. They gave no information what so ever regarding Princess Zelda, The Triforce, Minara, or Link. Though they were dressed in the hero clothes." She informed him.

"How disappointing." He replied with a hint of anger in his tone.

"I'll try again tomorrow, and much harder. I know I can break them." She replied quickly.

"You better. Don't make me regret giving you what I have."

"Of course not master. Thank you very much." She replied bowing again.

The red eyes disappeared from the black smog. She closed the lid to the chest and left the chamber quickly.

She needed to find Princess Zelda, and soon.