Hilda and Ravio arrived at the outskirts of the Maze that lay outside of the Dark Palace, and was the only clear path to the entrance, even if it was a little confusing.

Hilda was tightly gripping onto Ravio's elbow, scared she would make a misstep and tumble straight into one of the chasms that streamed across Hyrule, marring the landscape forever.

Ravio had been sure to guide his Princess throughout all of Lorule, though he could understand how frustrated she was that she wasn't able to see her newly healed kingdom up close for the first time.

Ravio had a few months in Hyrule where he was able to adjust to the natural sunlight that was present in Hyrule, along with the beautiful starlit skies that appeared at night.

The healing power of the Triforce had already begun to slowly put Lorule back together, as the dead grass that had existed before had been completely wiped out, with the beginnings of new green grass already starting to grow.

The monsters had been completely wiped out as well, all of them destroyed by the power of the sun, as they were creatures of darkness, making it easier to wander throughout the kingdom without getting eaten alive.

"Hilda, are you sure you want to go through the Maze? The Royal Guards might not even be here anymore." Ravio said, and Hilda glared at him, or as best she could with a blindfold tied over her eyes to keep out the sunlight.

"While that may be true, we still need to check to see if they are still here. Those are my people that were mind-controlled by a vicious beast, and I was too weak to stop them. I won't rest until I find them." Hilda said, and Ravio sighed, though he was smiling as well, and was grateful Hilda couldn't see his face.

"Okay, we'll go through the Maze. The canopy that hangs above the pathway should keep the area dark enough so you can see and not have to use the blindfold, but that also means there might still be monsters in there. Are you ready?"

Hilda nodded, summoning her staff into her hands, as Ravio took a breath to steel himself against whatever possible threats lay inside the Maze and maybe even inside the Dark Palace, as the two walked through the stone archway that marked the entrance to the Maze.

The Maze that led to the Dark Palace was originally the Palace's gardens, tended to daily by a legion of fierce and determined gardeners and to make sure that while one could maneuver through the Maze, if that person didn't know the way, they would get hopelessly lost.

As Hilda and Ravio stepped into the darkness of the Maze, Hilda finally felt the burning of the sun leave her skin, the cool dampness a breath of fresh air, as Hilda slowly untied the blindfold and opened her eyes.

It had been years since she and Ravio had stepped into the Maze, but she had only seen it a couple of weeks before when Link had ventured here to brave the Dark Palace and rescue one of the Seven Sages of Hyrule, a young boy named Gulley, the Blacksmith's Son.

Hilda looked at the faint glow of her staff, and she used some of her magic to make it glow brighter to see by, teal light flooding the area, revealing all the cracks in the stone pathway, as the stone walls of the Maze once had beautiful flowers growing on them having grown into ivy instead.

"Your staff isn't flickering with the rainbow fire anymore. Did something happen to it?" Ravio asked, pointing at the tip of Hilda's staff, and she shrugged.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but when I woke up this morning, the rainbow fire was just gone. Maybe it assimilated into the staff overnight? I'm not entirely sure, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Hilda said, looking away and moving forward, away from him.

Ravio sighed, as he reached out to comfort her, before pulling his hand back and putting both his hands in his pockets.

He knew that while Hilda was pretending to be okay with everything, she was still hurt about him leaving, as well as worried about the possible destruction of Lorule if she didn't find the hidden kingdom in time.

All he could do was help her as much as he could, and hope Sheerow would return soon with Zelda's response to his letter.

Sending Sheerow as a messenger bird to Princess Zelda to request for help would not sit well with Hilda at all, especially once she found out Ravio did it behind her back, and she would possibly lose any little trust she still had in him.

"It doesn't matter if Hilda doesn't trust me ever again after this, I need to make sure that Lorule will stand strong against any crisis that will occur any feature, even if Hilda is too afraid to ask for help because of guilt." Ravio thought to himself, but snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a loud snapping noise.

He immediately unsheathed his dagger and rushed forward to stand by Hilda, as she held her staff at the ready to fight off the possible enemy that was stepping closer and closer to them.

"Do you remember the drill?" Hilda asked, and Ravio chuckled, as he turned to face the front while Hilda pressed her back against his and faced back.

"Just because I left Lorule for a few months doesn't mean I forgot the years of training we have been doing together, Princess." He said, as a monster leaped out from the top of the Maze, another humanoid figure chasing after it.

The monster noticed the two Loruleans standing in its path as it snarled and bared its fangs, before lunging at Ravio.

Ravio smirked, as he broke away from Hilda to slash at the monster, before the two spun around and Hilda used her magic to trap the weakened monster, before they spun around once again, with Ravio jumping up and driving his dagger deep into the monster's head, immediately killing it.

Before the monster could bleed too much, it poofed into a cloud of purple dust, leaving the only sign of a struggle by the black blood on Ravio's dagger.

Hilda's magic returned to her staff as she placed it back on the ground while Ravio used a rag to clean off the blood, while the humanoid figure approached them.

"Halt! In the name of the Lorulean Royal Guard, I command you to drop your weapons!" The figure shouted as they stepped into the light of Hilda's staff, causing Hilda and Ravio to gasp.

It was a Royal Guard, though he still wore the robes of when he was enslaved by the beast, his sword was unmistakably a Lorulean Royal Guard's Sword.

Hilda cleared her throat, and raised her staff, allowing the Guard to see her face.

"I am Princess Hilda of Lorule, the very person that the Royal Guards have been sworn to serve. What is your name?" She asked, and the Guard immediately knelt before her, placing his sword on the ground.

"I am sorry for the offense, Your Majesty, I was not aware that any member of the Royal Family would ever leave the safety of the Castle. I am Sir Garrys Myrr of the Lorulean Royal Guard. I am among the Royal Guards that had previously been taken hostage by the horrible beast living in the Dark Palace before a young boy managed to slip through our defenses and infiltrate the Dark Palace to destroy the beast once and for all." He said, and Hilda frowned, placing her staff back on the ground.

"Sir Garrys, would you please lead us to where the rest of your Royal Guards are staying? I am here to escort you all back to Lorule Castle and reinstate you as official guards. That is, if you wish to be reinstated at all." She said, and Ravio looked at her worriedly, while the Guard just stared at her in confusion.

"There is no greater honor than to lay down our lives to protect the Royal Family, why would any of us give that up?" He asked, and Hilda sighed.

"We are in a new era of healing and prosperity. Our Triforce has been restored by the heroic efforts of the same boy who freed you and your fellow Guards. All are welcome to stay in Lorule Castle, regardless of whether or not they serve the Crown. Why would anyone wish to serve a Royal Family who had driven this kingdom into ruin?" She demanded, and Sir Garrys clasped a hand over his chest and bowed slightly.

"I cannot speak for all of my comrades, but I swear on my life that I will protect you, Your Majesty, and any future potential family you may have. That is my sworn duty as a Royal Guard to the Lorulean Royal Family." He said, and Hilda's mouth curled into a slight smile, though Ravio could still see the sorrow and guilt in her eyes.

She didn't want anyone's loyalty, because she felt as if she didn't deserve it.

"Thank you, Sir Garrys. Now, would you please lead us to the rest of your comrades, so that you may share with them the great news?" Hilda asked, and Sir Garrys nodded, before motioning with his hand for Hilda and Ravio to follow.

Ravio reached his hand out to Hilda, hesitantly placing it on her shoulder as a sign of comfort, though he feared she would just push him away.

She looked back at him, before taking his hand into her own and holding it, walking beside him instead of in front of him, a look of sorrow still on her face.

"Hilda, I know that you feel guilty that you weren't able to come sooner to retrieve the missing Guards, but I have no doubt they will be delighted to return to the Castle and will be eager to help restore the Kingdom as best they can." He said, and Hilda nodded solemnly, wiping her eyes to keep from tears that had started to threaten to spill over from running down her cheeks.

"I know, I'm just worried I won't be able to live up to their expectations. What if this threat that Tempus foretold ends up arriving before we can seek out the hidden kingdom? What if the people in the hidden kingdom won't help us when we plead to them? Lorule will be doomed before it even has the chance to be fully restored, and then you and all of our people will be lost to the abyss forever?"

Ravio thought for a moment, squeezing Hilda's hand in comfort, carefully picking his words so he wouldn't make her more stressed.

"Hilda, you and I have been close with one another since we were teenagers, and in all that time I've known you, you have only been going to one desperate attempt after another to save Lorule. I know that you are worried that Lorule will crumble if we don't do something about the prophecy, but I swear, I will do anything to make sure our kingdom won't ever crumble. You have given our people hope for the first time in centuries, hope for a bright future for their children, and perhaps even for themselves." He said, and Hilda smiled, as squeezed his hand back.

"Thank you, Ravio. I suppose that is why you sent Sheerow to Hyrule to ask for help from Princess Zelda and Link, correct?" She asked, Ravio's smile freezing on his face as he went into an internal panic.

"Are you angry with me about that, because I swear, I will have Sheerow come back and give them a letter saying we don't need help if that's what you want." He said frantically, and Hilda laughed.

"I'm not angry with you, Ravio. I'm relieved that you did so before I could stop you. The only thing that I hope for now is that Princess Zelda and Link won't be too angry with me for asking for help so soon after I had almost destroyed both of our kingdoms." She said, smiling sadly, and Ravio shrugged.

"I suppose we'll find out when Sheerow returns, but I believe we've arrived at our destination."

The two looked up to see that Sir Garrys had stopped outside of a small camp, which had only a dozen Royal Guards staying there, most of them sitting around a campfire trying to get warm.

Sir Garrys cleared his throat, and all of the guards turned to look at him.

"Comrades! I have joyous news for us all! I have brought the Princess of Lorule to our camp, and she has given us the news that our Triforce has been restored!"

The Guard stepped aside, allowing the rest of the Guards to see Hilda standing behind him, her staff in her hand again, her head held high, a fierce expression on her face, Ravio standing behind her in awe.

She looked like a Queen.

A Guard stood from where they were sitting around the campfire, and Hilda could tell that he was the leader of the Guard, as his robes had different markings on them than the rest of the Guards, as he bowed to her.

"Your Majesty, it is an honor to be in your presence once again and based on what I hear from my comrade, in such a wonderful time as well. I am Lieutenant Marlus Luffua, the leader of the Lorulean Royal Guard. What orders do you wish to give to my men?" He asked, and Hilda stepped forward, clearing her throat.

"I am Princess Hilda Lorania of Lorule, your future Queen, and I come bearing great news. Thanks to the heroic efforts of the Hero of Hyrule, the Lorulean Triforce has been restored, causing most monsters in Lorule to cease to exist. I have come to escort you all back to the castle, where you are free to do as you please, as I will not hold anyone under oath to protect me any longer." She said, and the Guards all looked at her with a look of surprise.

Lieutenant Marlus glanced at Hilda through the corner of his eye, while Sir Garrys bowed his head in acknowledgment, as the other Guards began asking questions.

"The Triforce is restored?"
"What will happen to my family if I leave the Guard?"
"Is it safe to leave the castle?"

One question rang out over the others, one that caught Ravio, Sir Garrys, and Lieutenant Marlus by surprise, though Hilda's face turned into one of anger.

"What will we do with the traitors who defect from the Guard?" A Guard asked, a smirk on his face as he snickered.

Hilda glared at the Guard who had made that comment, as she cleared her throat loudly to grab the attention of the Guards once again.

"There will be no punishment for those who decide to leave the Guard. Expecting someone to lay down their lives for another because their position may be higher is not right, and I will not condone it any longer for those who felt they had to. However, if I discover that any who decide to stay as Guards try and punish the ones who left, I will have the true traitors banished to Death Mountain, where you will contemplate your actions before you freeze to death."

Everyone went completely still, and the Guard who had made the original comment had a look of utter fear in his eyes as he felt as if Hilda's glare was burning a hole into his soul.

Hilda clapped her hands together, the sound only slightly muffled by her gloves, as she smiled serenely as possible.

"Now, if you would all please clean and pack away your camp, so that we may be on our way back to the Castle. There is much to be done for our kingdom."

All of the Guards immediately began rushing around and packing away their camp, including Sir Garrys, while Lieutenant Marlus looked over at Hilda and Ravio.

"Your Highness, if I may, do you believe that banishing your few citizens to Death Mountain to freeze is wise? Our population is so scarce as it is, we don't need any other unnecessary deaths for doing something out of turn." He said, Hilda turning to glare at him, while Ravio was looking between the two of them in fear.

"I will no longer tolerate elitism in my kingdom anymore now that we are at peace, and that goes for the Guard as well. I wish for everyone to be able to explore their true interests and learn about themselves with no consequences or judgment now that they are able to, and I'll be damned if anyone tries and stops me. If you would like to not have anyone banished to Death Mountain, then I suggest you have a talk with your comrades about how they are supposed to act."

The Lieutenant huffed, as the rest of the Guard finished packing the last of the camp, and got into a line behind him, as the Lieutenant and Sir Garrys stood at attention.

Everything was all calm and peaceful, as everyone marched in silence throughout the maze, Ravio and Hilda in the lead, on the lookout for any threats.

"It sure is quiet, huh? Do you think maybe all the monsters have disappeared?" Ravio asked, and Hilda looked around worriedly.

"I'm...not entirely sure. That monster may have been just a loner and attacked us out of malicious intent, or it used itself as a sacrifice, so its absence would be noticed by any other monsters it was traveling with, so that its comrades would know there were intruders, and would come to attack us." She said, and just as she said it, a large booming noise was heard in the distance as the ground shook.

Lieutenant Marlus held up his spear in defense, as did the rest of the Guard, as the ground kept shaking beneath them, when they all heard a roar.

Monsters began hopping over the walls and started surrounding the entire group, all of them holding weapons at the Guards' throats, as Hilda and Ravio had two monsters drop in front of them, both of them holding spears.

"Hilda, what are we going to do? We're completely surrounded!" Ravio whispered, and Hilda thought for a moment, before she stood up, her face set in a determined expression.

"Sir Garrys, will you and the rest of the Guards be able to handle yourselves for a moment? I need these monsters to stay distracted while I try something, and I need Ravio's help." She said, and Sir Garrys nodded, craning his neck away from the spear pointed at him, while Lieutenant Marlus kept an eye on the rest of the Guard after the three of them.

"Ravio, could you please hold my hand for this? I need to be in direct contact with you in order for this spell to work." Hilda said, pulling off one of her gloves and holding out her hand to Ravio, who copied her motion and took ahold of her hand, though he could not hide the worry on his face.

"Hilda, what are you about to do?" He asked, and she looked at him, trying to hide the look of fear in her eyes.

"I am going to try and cast a spell that could get us out of here, but I need you to make sure that whatever happens, you cannot let go of my hand. If you do, we are all going to die. Do you understand?" She said, and Ravio nodded hesitantly, gripping Hilda's hand tighter.

"Yes, I understand."

Ravio looked at Hilda worriedly, as she summoned her staff and appeared to be summoning energy to her staff as it glowed brighter.

"Hilda, what exactly does this spell do, and why do you need my help for this? You know I can't do magic." He asked, and Hilda looked at him and smiled.

"You have been in Hyrule for months, absorbing not only the natural sunlight that fell upon the kingdom, but also some of its magic as well. I'm using some of that stored magic to help with temporarily purifying my magic to perform this spell." She said, as the staff turned from a teal color to a bright white color, as Hilda's eyes also slowly began to glow white.

Sir Garrys stepped back in surprise, his spear in his hand, as Lieutenant Marlus and the rest of the Guard backed away as well.

"Hilda, what type of spell are you performing where not only can you purify your magic, but also where it has to be purified in order for the spell to work?" He asked, and Hilda glanced at him, tears rolling down her face from the intensity of the purified magic, her eyes glowing brighter.

"I am setting all of the ivy in this Maze on fire and vaporizing all of the monsters in the area. I won't have anyone else put themselves in danger if they wish to travel here."

Ravio's face transitioned from one to worry to terror, as he looked as the entire staff glowed white, tears flowing from Hilda's eyes as her face contorted into one of pain.

Ravio could feel intense heat emanating from Hilda's body, almost to the point of being painful, as he felt himself starting to sweat from the heat.

Hilda then held her staff aloft, as a pure white beam of light shot from the tip, golden light circling around it as the light travelled upwards and hit the large canopy above the maze, as white fire began to spiral out from where the beam of light hit, lighting everything on fire, as Hilda immediately cast a protective sphere around herself, Ravio, and the Guard, while intense fire spread around them, eating away at the thick ivy on the walls.

Hilda began screaming in pain, her expression twisted into one of pure agony, her face shining from her tears, as she gripped Ravio's hand tightly from the pain.

Ravio held on as best he could, trying not to yell in pain, as all the monsters began screeching in unison, almost drowning out Hilda's, before exploding into golden piles of dust, white fire raging all around the Maze, to the point where it was almost blinding.

Sunlight began to stream in overhead as the canopy burned away, and Ravio and the rest of the Guards could hear the screams of other unlucky monsters in the area as they were vaporized by Hilda's magic.

Ravio turned to see that jagged white lines had begun to snake around Hilda's face from her eyes as if she was about to crumble.

"Hilda, stop, please! You're killing yourself with this much power! The monsters are gone, you can stop!" Ravio pleaded, and Hilda glanced over at him, her eyes full of sorrow.

"I...can't. I can't lose anyone else, not to a monster, not to being murdered by a criminal, not falling to their death! It's my fault everyone suffered for so long, it's my fault that another kingdom was almost destroyed! I need to fix my mistakes, I need to fix my kingdom!" She said, and Ravio could feel tears welling up in his eyes, as he pulled Hilda into a one-armed hug, making sure to keep ahold of her hand.

"It's not your fault. It never was your fault. You were led astray and taken advantage of by Yuga, and I was too afraid to stop him from hurting you, but I promise, I will never let anyone hurt you ever again. Please, come back to me."

Hilda's eyes stopped glowing white, as she dropped her staff and collapsed into Ravio's arms, as he desperately tried to hold her up and keep her from collapsing.

"Hilda? Hilda! Can you hear me?" He said, looking at Hilda's face, though her eyes had closed and the glowing white cracks had disappeared.

Hilda could only feel pain, so much pain, as she heard Ravio calling out to her, but she couldn't respond, it was too painful.

"I'm sorry, I failed you." She thought to herself before she drifted off into unconsciousness.