Midna App
Midna Application -- A Trial by Fire -- backdated post (original posting date: July 13th, 2009)
Personality:
When we first meet Midna, she's a little imp, both literally and figuratively. She's an enigmatic and sarcastic person who holds her cards very close to her chest, stringing Link along with teasing hints about what's going on and how to save his world. She knows a lot more than she's willing to reveal and has an agenda all her own, and she's not above using others to achieve it. She's manipulative, clever, and has a playful and teasing way of speaking and behaving that can all too easily turn to cruelty, like when she taunts Link with the fate of the children and world he's trying to save.
Midna is a bold and determined person who is not afraid to fight for what she believes in -- or to speak her mind, making her a little contemptuous at times. If she thinks you're being an idiot, she'll probably tell you so, propriety be damned, as she has very little tolerance for stupidity. Her passion and boldness also comes hand-in-hand with a fiery temper that, when ignited, can lead to some rather violent results. Midna won't take insult or attack lying down, and will bite back, even when the odds are stacked staggeringly high against her.
In the beginning, she herself says that she didn't care at all what happened to either Link or his world, so long as her own goals were accomplished. However, after spending time with both Link and Zelda, her feelings change: it's not just her own Twilight Realm she must save, but Hyrule as well. As she warms to Link, her attitude softens as well, and though she is still commanding in their search for the pieces of the Mirror of Twilight, she is much more respectful towards a man she now views as something closer to a partner rather than a servant. She drops the games and is much more honest, not just in what she tells him, but how she acts -- while Midna is a playful and certainly impish person at heart, much of that was originally exaggerated to keep a distance between herself and others, and to hide her true feelings. The betrayal by Zant prior to the beginning of the story left her not only trapped as an imp (a form she hates, and feels ashamed of) but also incredibly mistrustful and bitter, and it takes some time before both Link and Zelda remind her that people aren't necessarily all as bad as she thinks they are.
Cynical, insensitive, imperious, and possessing of a biting wit though she may be, Midna is at heart a self-sacrificing person who is concerned with the welfare of others and will lend a helping hand. She'll just probably make sure to point out she "didn't exactly do it for you" afterwards.
History:
We first see Midna watching as Link, trapped in the form of a wolf and unconscious, is being dragged across the Twilight-enshrouded Faron Woods. Immediately after, she reveals herself to him and demands that, in exchange for her help, he has to do exactly as she says (like a servant!). She frees him and helps him escape the confines of the dungeon to ultimately meet Zelda, the princess of Hyrule who is being help captive in exchange for the (dubious) safety of her people. After that meeting, which Midna mostly participates in by mocking the imprisoned Zelda, Midna returns Link to the world of light as promised... after taunting him with the fate of his friend Ilia and the other children, of course. Who knows what sort of nasty things are in store for them and his world?
Ultimately, Link has no choice but to do what this mysterious little imp creature says, and travels with her around Hyrule, searching for three items Midna is after and restoring the stolen light to the light spirits that guard various areas in Hyrule (Faron Woods, Lake Hylia, etc.). She is the only one that can allow Link to travel into the Twilight-affected areas, and is also the only one that seems to have any idea of what's going on or how to fix it.
During their travels, Midna reveals little other than the name of the things she's looking for, "Fused Shadows", and the name of their mutual enemy, "Zant", a self-proclaimed King of Shadows. It's clear that Midna considers Zant to be a hated enemy, and she puts the blame for what's happening with the two worlds squarely on his shoulders. It's the light spirits that reveal to Link a little more about the nature of the Fused Shadows, which turn out to be pieces of a dark and twisted magical weapon that certain "interlopers" once used to try to invade the Sacred Realm. Of course, Midna already knew this, and isn't bothered in the least. As far as she's concerned, Link shouldn't be either -- he should just continue on and do as he's told like a good little wolf.
Immediately after completing the Lakebed Temple and retrieving the last piece of Fused Shadow, though, things change greatly for all involved. Zant surprises the pair outside the temple, and after cursing Link back into his wolf form, he takes the Fused Shadows from Midna before she has a chance to use them and strikes her down with the power of the light spirit Lanaryu, leaving her near death. Lanaryu transports them to Hyrule field, which begins a desperate dash to the castle and Princess Zelda -- after all, the little imp that Link bears is slowly dying. As a being of shadow, she cannot tolerate the pure light of the spirit Lanaryu, and exposure to it should prove to be fatal. They return to Princess Zelda's side, and Midna begs the princess of the light world to help Link, because he is the only one who can save both worlds. Zelda, however, is not about to stand by and watch someone die, and sacrifices herself to save Midna after telling Link to go get the Master Sword, the only thing that can break the curse on him.
Upset by Zelda's unwanted sacrifice, Midna accompanies Link to retrieve the Master Sword, which also gives him the ability to shift between wolf and human form at will with a little help from Midna. It's now time to confront Zant in the Twilight Realm itself. Only... when they arrive at the Mirror of Twilight, the gate between the two worlds, they find it broken into pieces and scattered across Hyrule by Zant in a desperate bid to keep them away.
They have no choice but to travel again for the pieces of the broken mirror, and this time around Midna is much more pleasant company, not to mention more forthcoming. Between her and the Sages waiting at the mirror, we learn who Midna truly is, and the story of her people:
Midna is, in fact, the Twilight Princess (and not Zelda, to whom she had previously mockingly bestowed the title). She is the true ruler of the Twili, a race of magic users that had once dwelled in the light realm, just as the Hylians do. They became twisted by greed, and forged a horrible power -- the Fused Shadows -- with which they marched on the Sacred Realm itself, intent on taking over. The three goddesses of Hyrule intervened and banished these "interlopers" to another world, utterly devoid of light. It was here that the Twili came to be. Locked away in that other world, they became "as shadows", no longer able to mingle with the light. But, they grew to be a gentle and peaceful race, content to live in their darkened world and leaving behind the greed and selfishness that had once driven them.
Prior to the main storyline, two events occurred that would spur everything into motion. First, Zant, who had been a loyal retainer for the Twili royal family in the hopes that he would have a chance to bear the title of king, was passed over in favour of Midna. This left him nearly mad with rage and agony, as he felt he should have been the one to lead their people, not a royal family who calmly accepted their fate. Second, Ganondorf, who in many ways was more like a demon than a man, was captured and sentenced to execution by the sages for his crimes. However, Gandondorf bears the Triforce of Power, a divine force of the goddesses themselves, and the sages severely underestimated both him and it. They impaled him with a glowing white sword, but the power of his Triforce saved his life, and Ganondorf broke free and murdered one of the sages. In a panic, they opened the Mirror of Twilight's portal, and cast him into the other realm.
Here, Ganondorf revealed himself to Zant in the form of a god, and granted him dark power -- power enough to usurp Midna, and curse her into the form of an imp. Zant turned that power on his own people as well, transforming them into the horrific shadow beasts, and then proceeded to invade Hyrule according to the will of his "god".
Midna, struggling to come to terms with her new self and situation, found the first piece of the Fused Shadows, which she used as a headpiece from then on. Initially driven by revenge more than anything else, she resolved to find the remaining pieces -- and spotted Link, whose wolf form reminded her of a legend from her tribe concerning a holy beast that could save the Twili. It's because of that legend that she believed Link may prove useful to her, and so began the story.
Together, Midna and Link gather the pieces of the fragmented Mirror of Twilight and reassemble it, finally able to go confront Zant in the Twilight Realm itself. They restore the world's Sols, (they are something like the sun in the light world) and defeat Zant, though Midna is still trapped as an imp. She was cursed by Ganondorf's power, so an imp she'll stay until Ganondorf is defeated. However, she does manage to recover her Fused Shadows, which she uses in a fit of rage to seemingly destroy Zant, though he claims that Ganondorf can and will resurrect him without end.
With the Fused Shadows, Midna can now use a new form -- a massive shadow monster with the power to tear down Ganondorf's barrier, which is exactly what she does in an attempt to save Princess Zelda and stop the threat to both worlds. Only, the power overwhelms her, and instead of waking up in Link's arms, she finds herself at World's End.
Appearance: Wiki's got a link here for both imp and true form.
Sample log entry:
She's dizzy. It's the first thing that registers, and after a moment's thought, she's not surprised by it. It was... a lot of power, maybe too much power, but she'd endured it and beaten it down and mastered it, and her last clear memory was the sound and feel of the barrier cracking and splitting under the blunt force of the Fused Shadows' magic. It's a dark magic, intoxicating and toxic, and she can feel it humming in her veins, whispering at the back of her mind, haunting her thoughts. It wants to be used, of course, but more than that, it wants to be abused -- that is, after all, what it was created for, isn't it?
But she's stronger than that. She won't be ruled by an ancient greed, and she won't repeat the mistakes of her ancestors.
She opens her eyes, and shakily, she pushes herself up, dismayed at her own weakness and the trembling in her limbs. Then she's downright appalled -- really, swooning, like some helpless maiden? How unbecoming. It's a little late in the game for such dramatics, they're right on Ganondorf's doorstep -- or, technically, Zelda's doorstep. How long had she been out? Surely someone would have acted on such a direct assault, wouldn't they?
Only, when she finally looks around, really looks, the sight that greets her isn't exactly what she was expecting. Instead of a grand castle (or, the worst case scenario: a pile of rubble strewn with bodies), there's a landscape that belongs neither to the light world nor her own native Twilight -- this she knows instantly, instinctively. Somehow more distressing that this, though, is Link -- or rather, the absence of Link. Because, if there's one thing she's learned, time and again and despite herself, it's that he would be there. He wouldn't abandon her in the eleventh hour, not if he could help it.
Had... something happened?
...Well. Standing here and wondering about it won't accomplish anything.
She shakily takes to the air, hovering a few inches above the ground. There are buildings of some kind in the distance, though even from here she can see their ruin, but it seems to be as good a place as any to start.
Her lips curve into a humorless smile, one tiny fang peaking through. It's with no small amount of irony that she says (to herself, to the heavy air, to the gods that she has no faith in), "...You'll just have to help yourself for a change, won't you?"
Sample journal entry:
[At first, there's just sound. No voice, just clicks and clatters, as something or some one handles the little device, and not exactly carefully. Then the screen flickers for a moment, static, before finally cutting in: an eye is visible, red and staring curiously down into the camera. The view swings wildly now, sky and earth and sky again and earth again with snatches of dark and shadow and glowing glyph-like markings in between. Whatever the creature is, it's clear that it's shaking the device.
There's a final jolt and loud clatter, and the device is on the ground, the camera capturing a slender leg with a strange, curling marking on it. The little creature huffs in discontent, and it becomes obvious that it is in fact a she, and very much unimpressed with her recent find.]
"Hmph. What's this useless trinket?"
[Her voice is light and girlish, and she sighs a moment later, before dropping to the ground cross-legged -- and as a result, dropping into view of the camera. She's a little thing, all curves and shadows and black and grey, an imp tattooed with strange rune-like markings. She hisses at the device now, seemingly addressing it directly.]
"Whatever game this is, I don't have time for it."
[She rests her head on one hand. A stone mask covers one eye, while the other one -- bright with anger -- glares accusingly at the device, as if it were at fault for her current situation. But it's clear that no one is there to answer her words, and as her anger ebbs, she begins to simply look weary.]
Personality:
When we first meet Midna, she's a little imp, both literally and figuratively. She's an enigmatic and sarcastic person who holds her cards very close to her chest, stringing Link along with teasing hints about what's going on and how to save his world. She knows a lot more than she's willing to reveal and has an agenda all her own, and she's not above using others to achieve it. She's manipulative, clever, and has a playful and teasing way of speaking and behaving that can all too easily turn to cruelty, like when she taunts Link with the fate of the children and world he's trying to save.
Midna is a bold and determined person who is not afraid to fight for what she believes in -- or to speak her mind, making her a little contemptuous at times. If she thinks you're being an idiot, she'll probably tell you so, propriety be damned, as she has very little tolerance for stupidity. Her passion and boldness also comes hand-in-hand with a fiery temper that, when ignited, can lead to some rather violent results. Midna won't take insult or attack lying down, and will bite back, even when the odds are stacked staggeringly high against her.
In the beginning, she herself says that she didn't care at all what happened to either Link or his world, so long as her own goals were accomplished. However, after spending time with both Link and Zelda, her feelings change: it's not just her own Twilight Realm she must save, but Hyrule as well. As she warms to Link, her attitude softens as well, and though she is still commanding in their search for the pieces of the Mirror of Twilight, she is much more respectful towards a man she now views as something closer to a partner rather than a servant. She drops the games and is much more honest, not just in what she tells him, but how she acts -- while Midna is a playful and certainly impish person at heart, much of that was originally exaggerated to keep a distance between herself and others, and to hide her true feelings. The betrayal by Zant prior to the beginning of the story left her not only trapped as an imp (a form she hates, and feels ashamed of) but also incredibly mistrustful and bitter, and it takes some time before both Link and Zelda remind her that people aren't necessarily all as bad as she thinks they are.
Cynical, insensitive, imperious, and possessing of a biting wit though she may be, Midna is at heart a self-sacrificing person who is concerned with the welfare of others and will lend a helping hand. She'll just probably make sure to point out she "didn't exactly do it for you" afterwards.
History:
We first see Midna watching as Link, trapped in the form of a wolf and unconscious, is being dragged across the Twilight-enshrouded Faron Woods. Immediately after, she reveals herself to him and demands that, in exchange for her help, he has to do exactly as she says (like a servant!). She frees him and helps him escape the confines of the dungeon to ultimately meet Zelda, the princess of Hyrule who is being help captive in exchange for the (dubious) safety of her people. After that meeting, which Midna mostly participates in by mocking the imprisoned Zelda, Midna returns Link to the world of light as promised... after taunting him with the fate of his friend Ilia and the other children, of course. Who knows what sort of nasty things are in store for them and his world?
Ultimately, Link has no choice but to do what this mysterious little imp creature says, and travels with her around Hyrule, searching for three items Midna is after and restoring the stolen light to the light spirits that guard various areas in Hyrule (Faron Woods, Lake Hylia, etc.). She is the only one that can allow Link to travel into the Twilight-affected areas, and is also the only one that seems to have any idea of what's going on or how to fix it.
During their travels, Midna reveals little other than the name of the things she's looking for, "Fused Shadows", and the name of their mutual enemy, "Zant", a self-proclaimed King of Shadows. It's clear that Midna considers Zant to be a hated enemy, and she puts the blame for what's happening with the two worlds squarely on his shoulders. It's the light spirits that reveal to Link a little more about the nature of the Fused Shadows, which turn out to be pieces of a dark and twisted magical weapon that certain "interlopers" once used to try to invade the Sacred Realm. Of course, Midna already knew this, and isn't bothered in the least. As far as she's concerned, Link shouldn't be either -- he should just continue on and do as he's told like a good little wolf.
Immediately after completing the Lakebed Temple and retrieving the last piece of Fused Shadow, though, things change greatly for all involved. Zant surprises the pair outside the temple, and after cursing Link back into his wolf form, he takes the Fused Shadows from Midna before she has a chance to use them and strikes her down with the power of the light spirit Lanaryu, leaving her near death. Lanaryu transports them to Hyrule field, which begins a desperate dash to the castle and Princess Zelda -- after all, the little imp that Link bears is slowly dying. As a being of shadow, she cannot tolerate the pure light of the spirit Lanaryu, and exposure to it should prove to be fatal. They return to Princess Zelda's side, and Midna begs the princess of the light world to help Link, because he is the only one who can save both worlds. Zelda, however, is not about to stand by and watch someone die, and sacrifices herself to save Midna after telling Link to go get the Master Sword, the only thing that can break the curse on him.
Upset by Zelda's unwanted sacrifice, Midna accompanies Link to retrieve the Master Sword, which also gives him the ability to shift between wolf and human form at will with a little help from Midna. It's now time to confront Zant in the Twilight Realm itself. Only... when they arrive at the Mirror of Twilight, the gate between the two worlds, they find it broken into pieces and scattered across Hyrule by Zant in a desperate bid to keep them away.
They have no choice but to travel again for the pieces of the broken mirror, and this time around Midna is much more pleasant company, not to mention more forthcoming. Between her and the Sages waiting at the mirror, we learn who Midna truly is, and the story of her people:
Midna is, in fact, the Twilight Princess (and not Zelda, to whom she had previously mockingly bestowed the title). She is the true ruler of the Twili, a race of magic users that had once dwelled in the light realm, just as the Hylians do. They became twisted by greed, and forged a horrible power -- the Fused Shadows -- with which they marched on the Sacred Realm itself, intent on taking over. The three goddesses of Hyrule intervened and banished these "interlopers" to another world, utterly devoid of light. It was here that the Twili came to be. Locked away in that other world, they became "as shadows", no longer able to mingle with the light. But, they grew to be a gentle and peaceful race, content to live in their darkened world and leaving behind the greed and selfishness that had once driven them.
Prior to the main storyline, two events occurred that would spur everything into motion. First, Zant, who had been a loyal retainer for the Twili royal family in the hopes that he would have a chance to bear the title of king, was passed over in favour of Midna. This left him nearly mad with rage and agony, as he felt he should have been the one to lead their people, not a royal family who calmly accepted their fate. Second, Ganondorf, who in many ways was more like a demon than a man, was captured and sentenced to execution by the sages for his crimes. However, Gandondorf bears the Triforce of Power, a divine force of the goddesses themselves, and the sages severely underestimated both him and it. They impaled him with a glowing white sword, but the power of his Triforce saved his life, and Ganondorf broke free and murdered one of the sages. In a panic, they opened the Mirror of Twilight's portal, and cast him into the other realm.
Here, Ganondorf revealed himself to Zant in the form of a god, and granted him dark power -- power enough to usurp Midna, and curse her into the form of an imp. Zant turned that power on his own people as well, transforming them into the horrific shadow beasts, and then proceeded to invade Hyrule according to the will of his "god".
Midna, struggling to come to terms with her new self and situation, found the first piece of the Fused Shadows, which she used as a headpiece from then on. Initially driven by revenge more than anything else, she resolved to find the remaining pieces -- and spotted Link, whose wolf form reminded her of a legend from her tribe concerning a holy beast that could save the Twili. It's because of that legend that she believed Link may prove useful to her, and so began the story.
Together, Midna and Link gather the pieces of the fragmented Mirror of Twilight and reassemble it, finally able to go confront Zant in the Twilight Realm itself. They restore the world's Sols, (they are something like the sun in the light world) and defeat Zant, though Midna is still trapped as an imp. She was cursed by Ganondorf's power, so an imp she'll stay until Ganondorf is defeated. However, she does manage to recover her Fused Shadows, which she uses in a fit of rage to seemingly destroy Zant, though he claims that Ganondorf can and will resurrect him without end.
With the Fused Shadows, Midna can now use a new form -- a massive shadow monster with the power to tear down Ganondorf's barrier, which is exactly what she does in an attempt to save Princess Zelda and stop the threat to both worlds. Only, the power overwhelms her, and instead of waking up in Link's arms, she finds herself at World's End.
Appearance: Wiki's got a link here for both imp and true form.
Sample log entry:
She's dizzy. It's the first thing that registers, and after a moment's thought, she's not surprised by it. It was... a lot of power, maybe too much power, but she'd endured it and beaten it down and mastered it, and her last clear memory was the sound and feel of the barrier cracking and splitting under the blunt force of the Fused Shadows' magic. It's a dark magic, intoxicating and toxic, and she can feel it humming in her veins, whispering at the back of her mind, haunting her thoughts. It wants to be used, of course, but more than that, it wants to be abused -- that is, after all, what it was created for, isn't it?
But she's stronger than that. She won't be ruled by an ancient greed, and she won't repeat the mistakes of her ancestors.
She opens her eyes, and shakily, she pushes herself up, dismayed at her own weakness and the trembling in her limbs. Then she's downright appalled -- really, swooning, like some helpless maiden? How unbecoming. It's a little late in the game for such dramatics, they're right on Ganondorf's doorstep -- or, technically, Zelda's doorstep. How long had she been out? Surely someone would have acted on such a direct assault, wouldn't they?
Only, when she finally looks around, really looks, the sight that greets her isn't exactly what she was expecting. Instead of a grand castle (or, the worst case scenario: a pile of rubble strewn with bodies), there's a landscape that belongs neither to the light world nor her own native Twilight -- this she knows instantly, instinctively. Somehow more distressing that this, though, is Link -- or rather, the absence of Link. Because, if there's one thing she's learned, time and again and despite herself, it's that he would be there. He wouldn't abandon her in the eleventh hour, not if he could help it.
Had... something happened?
...Well. Standing here and wondering about it won't accomplish anything.
She shakily takes to the air, hovering a few inches above the ground. There are buildings of some kind in the distance, though even from here she can see their ruin, but it seems to be as good a place as any to start.
Her lips curve into a humorless smile, one tiny fang peaking through. It's with no small amount of irony that she says (to herself, to the heavy air, to the gods that she has no faith in), "...You'll just have to help yourself for a change, won't you?"
Sample journal entry:
[At first, there's just sound. No voice, just clicks and clatters, as something or some one handles the little device, and not exactly carefully. Then the screen flickers for a moment, static, before finally cutting in: an eye is visible, red and staring curiously down into the camera. The view swings wildly now, sky and earth and sky again and earth again with snatches of dark and shadow and glowing glyph-like markings in between. Whatever the creature is, it's clear that it's shaking the device.
There's a final jolt and loud clatter, and the device is on the ground, the camera capturing a slender leg with a strange, curling marking on it. The little creature huffs in discontent, and it becomes obvious that it is in fact a she, and very much unimpressed with her recent find.]
"Hmph. What's this useless trinket?"
[Her voice is light and girlish, and she sighs a moment later, before dropping to the ground cross-legged -- and as a result, dropping into view of the camera. She's a little thing, all curves and shadows and black and grey, an imp tattooed with strange rune-like markings. She hisses at the device now, seemingly addressing it directly.]
"Whatever game this is, I don't have time for it."
[She rests her head on one hand. A stone mask covers one eye, while the other one -- bright with anger -- glares accusingly at the device, as if it were at fault for her current situation. But it's clear that no one is there to answer her words, and as her anger ebbs, she begins to simply look weary.]