The sounds all drowned out around Zelda as she lost all consciousness of the world. Zelda did not hear Midna's desperate cries for Link to wake up, nor did she see Renado jump out of the room to stop the village children from coming in upon hearing screams and crying. She did not hear the children's voices, high with worry at what was going on. She didn't see, feel or hear. The beautiful voice that had just recently been talking to her, faded away leaving the familiar tingling feeling she felt whenever she tried to use magic. No, instead, she heard the same three note melody play over and over and over again in her head.

B A F, B A F…

It sounded sad and empty, like it was incomplete. It started high, and then the notes descended, becoming lower. It sounded soft, like a flute, but not quite, though Zelda couldn't put her finger on it. The instrument sounded familiar to the Hyrulian princess, as if it were a distant memory resurfacing. Zelda wondered what the rest of the song was. Surely the three notes weren't the whole song? It sounded depressing, yet hopeful, empty, but full of promise, broken and forgotten all at the same time. Oddly enough, it was calming, soothing even. Distant memories of a hero, remarkably similar to Link appeared. He was a boy, then a man, then a boy again. He wielded the Master Sword, and played a strange blue instrument.

An ocarina… Zelda thought, automatically picturing it in the ancient music book she had once seen. That was the sound she heard! The boy appeared again, this time playing the instrument. Its soft notes rang out as a sad withered tree came into focus. It was horribly bent, twisted beyond recognition, and it had a sad face. It seemed to cry along with the grown Deku Shrub wailing at its side.

B A F, B A F…

A dead Goron hero regrets not being able to help his people. The song continues, and he lets go, his legend living on in the mask he left behind. A young Goron child cries in the cold for his missing father.

The soft notes ring out as a dying Zora dissipated into the air, leaving behind nothing but a mask. A woman stares blankly out at the sea and mourns the loss of her eggs, her children.

B A F, B A F…

A talented dancer regrets not passing on his dance. He waits to share his knowledge, but knows he can't. He waits, bound to the land by his regrets.

A cursed man hides in the closet. A young girl, his daughter locks the doors and cares for him, even though he is becoming "one of them".

B A F, B A F…

Instinctively, Zelda reached for Link, not even realizing she was doing so. She cupped his face in her hands, and begun to softly hum the notes. As she begun humming the melody louder, her hands started to glow even brighter. A warm feeling surged through her hands, and into Link. His body was enveloped in a bright white light. It looked as though it was swallowing him whole, and it illuminated Zelda's face with a divine glow. Her hair looked so pale; it could easily be mistaken for blonde, and the light cast shadows on her face that made her look so much older. For a second, Midna didn't know who she was looking at – Zelda or someone else. Confused, she dismissed the topic, and thought it to be the shadows making Zelda's face look so distorted and different.

Midna stared at Zelda through red, puffy eyes. Her face was damp with tears, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. Zelda seemed to be in some sort of trance. Her eyes were closed, and she kept repeating that tune. Whatever it was, Link was reacting to it. His body was glowing, almost supernaturally, in some sort of holy white light. The twilli wondered if she was easing his soul away, transferring it to the Sacred Realm. Could that be what Zelda was doing? Midna didn't know; there was still so much she didn't understand, or even know about these light dwellers. They were so confusing. If she were easing him into the Sacred Realm, the place those light dwellers believed their soul went to in the afterlife, that meant there was no chance of him getting back up. Ever. Tears filled her eyes at the thought, as the full reality of the situation hit her. She could warp to Castle Town and buy some potions for him. Or, maybe, try using those medical herbs, and "homemade remedies" she had seen Link so often use. Midna considered stopping Zelda from continuing her mantra. They couldn't give up hope yet! Link had never given up, so why should they? For love of Faroe, they could even take him to the Twilight Realm, where the technology, which far surpassed Hyrule's, would be able to help him. There was still a chance! But they couldn't, and Midna knew that. Getting him there would require transforming him into a wolf, which would utterly kill any hope of his survival, and even if that didn't kill him, the wait would. Her land had its own problems, its own people to heal, regardless of who showed up at their doorstep dying. Just getting to the hospital, if it had not been destroyed by Zant, would take too long, and even then, who was to say that her people still loved her? She was a traitor to them, a princess who fled their country and abandoned her people when they needed her most. Getting Link there would be nearly impossible. She cried some more. He truly was gone, wasn't he?

Perhaps it's for the best, a small, annoyingly optimistic, part of her thought. At least I won't have to make him choose between the Light and Twilight worlds. Midna surprised herself with how selfishly, and morbidly, she was thinking. How could she even consider taking him away?

She sniffed, trying her best to stop crying. At least he was at peace now. He wouldn't be hurt any more, wouldn't have to worry. The weight of the world was off his shoulders, he was free now. Too bad he was so young. Tragic, really, how he never really got to enjoy his whole life. But Midna knew him, and he wouldn't have wished any other way. She remembered asking him on his quest why he always just did what others told him to do, without any question, or even hesitation. He didn't choose his fate, so why did he always just go along with it, like it was something he deserved? What he said changed her view of him forever.

"What do you mean 'why?'?" He asked, setting down the barrel of steaming hot water to rest for a moment.

"How come?" Midna huffed at him, getting impatient with the way he tended to get side tracked helping people so often. "Why do you just go around helping people like it's your job?

He thought for a minute. "Because," he paused to lift up the heavy barrel, and continued, "it is my job"

"What?! That doesn't even make any sense!" Midna said with an exasperated sigh. Of all things he could be doing right now, he decided to go carry a big barrel full of hot water to some lazy Goron, just to wake him up, and for what? Because some shrivelled-up old Goron said that a "young one" was missing?

"All I've ever heard was that it's my job." He took a deep breath, and wiped the sweat from his face onto his shoulder. "Everyone says that I'm the only one who can save everybody. That we all stand no chance against evil without me. What am I supposed to do? Just sit back and watch my home be destroyed? You know I can't do that, especially with so many lives depending on me."

"Don't you ever wonder why they chose you?" Midna asked, slightly in awe of selfless nature.

"No." Link said simply, before setting down the barrel to dispatch of some monster that strayed a little too close to their precious cargo. "Why not me? I've lived a good life, and if it's the goddesses who chose me, then I doubt they made a mistake. This is my purpose. I wouldn't want anyone else having to do this." He picked up the barrel and continued, "I don't care if it's saving the entire world, or helping Sera find her cat again . I can't just not help people. They depend on me: the children, the Gorons, the Zoras, the princess, the people. It's all the same. It's not that I have to help them. I want to."

At least, Midna sighed, she'd have good memories. She forced herself to look at Link, and tried to ignore the hopeless, guilty, angry feeling inside her. And this is what "helping" gets you, she thought bitterly. Midna felt like screaming at how unfair this was. Link had gone through so much for Hyrule, for the Twilight Realm; for everyone. Yet, here he was, dead, motionless and cold. Most of the people didn't know him. In fact, they were probably bustling about; going back to their normal routine, unaware of the young hero's many sacrifices. They'd rebuild their castle, their homes and buildings. They'd replant the dead crops, harvest them, and be on their way. Those could all be replaced. Link couldn't be. Midna felt the anger bubble inside of her. He was her best friend, like another half of her. Him being gone was like being torn apart. Torn, ripped to shreds; empty, desperate and hopeless. After he (and princess Zelda) saved her life they had become inseparable – literally. Sure she was bound to him by his shadow, but now they didn't mind each others company. In fact, they enjoyed it. From then on forward they trusted each other, cared and worried for each other.

The bright light around Link dulled into a soft blue, and then faded away completely. For some reason the room seemed much darker. Even the candles looked gloomy, but the young woman continued her song.

Zelda opened her eyes, and pulled Link up, into a seated position. Stoking his pale face ever so gently, she mumbled, "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" For reasons unknown to Midna, it sent shivers down her spine. The way Zelda said it was so… chilling. The regal woman brushed his hair out of his eyes before continuing the tune. She gently stoked his face again, and a small cut just below his eye began disappearing, not even leaving a scar behind.

"Zelda? Zelda, what's wrong with you?" Midna asked, not seeing the cut turn into a scar, and then fade away. She was beginning to worry about the princesses' strange behaviour. It was slightly unnerving, and for all Midna knew, she could be possessed. Maybe she wasn't helping Link, after all…

"Zel –" The twili begun, but stopped immediately when Link's eyes shot open. He gasped, as if he had been underwater for a long time, only coming up for air now. He coughed, and stared at Zelda with wide, stunned eyes. Link was… alive?!

"The song of healing," he breathed, and for a moment he looked like another person altogether. He looked younger, so much younger, like a boy again. The moment ended as quickly as it started, leaving Midna so confused, that for once she was speechless. Why did weird things like that keep happening? Midna gaped at Link, trying to form words to express her overwhelming emotions.

"You – you're here… You're alive!" Midna began crying, purely from relief and joy. She waited for Link to reassure her, tell her that it was true, and that she wasn't dreaming, but that never came. She looked at the two. They didn't seem to know she was there. Curious, and slightly hurt, Midna inched closer, about to grab Link's arm, and make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Princess, you – you – " Link stammered from shock, "that song…" He studied her face, as if this was his first time seeing her, "How did you know it?"

Snapping out of her trance, she admitted, "I – I don't exactly know. It was like I always knew it." She wasn't lying, hearing the song almost filled her with nostalgia, even though she couldn't remember why. Should she remember it, or was it just another gift from the goddesses? Tears filled her eyes, and she pulled the Ordonian into a tight hug, surprising everyone – including herself. Link's back stiffened, and his face went beet-red at the sudden, unexpected, embrace. The tips of his ears turned red too, just as they always did when he was embarrassed. Midna bit the inside of her lip. She wasn't supposed to do that! A pang of jealousy made the twili turn away. The sounds of Zelda's muffled cries were the only sound in the room. It made Link relax; for some reason he found it reassuring. He hugged her back, and quietly whispered, "Thank you,"

Zelda just squeezed him tighter and said, "You're really alive," She didn't care how "improper" it was for her to hug him. All that mattered to her was that he was here. He was here, and he was alive. The young woman continued to cry, Link rubbing her back gently to comfort her. She laughed inwardly; she was supposed to be comforting him. Instead it was the opposite. As much as she hated to admit it, Zelda liked the way Link was holding her.

Midna watched the two people in front of her. She felt a twinge inside of her, like a spark. She felt suffocating, angry and hurt all at the same time. It flickered throughout her, making her feel the need to change the subject. "Link!" she cried, instantly making the two let go of each other. There was a pause, and before it could become awkward, Midna hugged Link.

Link, much to her surprise, pulled away slightly. Midna had never been the sentimental kind before, so why was she now? Midna tightened her grip on him, and murmured, "You're okay," trying hard to mask the hurt in her voice. Why had he hugged Zelda back, but not her? He had always been closer to her, had spent the past months, past year, in fact, with her, but was holding Zelda like that after a day? She let go of him, ashamed that she was feeling jealous of the woman that had just saved his life. If anything, she should be thanking her, but instead, was wishing she wasn't here. Midna didn't feel like sharing her pet wolf. Selfish though it was, she didn't want to. But why did she feel this way? Could she actually -? Midna berated herself for thinking like that. Why does it matter anyways? In a day, maybe two, she would leave. She would break the mirror and leave behind everyone, and everything she had come to love about the Light World. What was the use in getting overly-attached now?

Link frowned as he looked at Midna. Why was she so upset? He was here now, wasn't he? "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, perplexed at all the emotions on the Twili princess' face.

Before Midna could respond, Renado walked in the room. He kept his eyes on the ground, a grim look plastered on his face. "The children are sleeping, now. I just don't know how to tell them that Link-"

"That Link what?" the young man cut in with a cheeky grin.

"Link, good heavens, you're alive?!" Renado jumped, obviously startled by hearing the "dead man's" voice.

"Hey, after all I've been through, you thought I was going to go down without a fight?"

"But how-"

"I –" Zelda began, getting off the edge of Link's bed. Upon standing, she wavered, and almost fell over. Link reached out to steady her. She gave an awkward laugh, before smiling and saying, "Sorry. Using so much magic isn't good for one's health. I believe that is what I did for Link… Renado, I used the song of healing."

"Only a select few can make the song reality, Your Highness. You must be exhausted. Even in the time when magic was abundant, it took a great deal of energy to actually heal someone with it." Renado said, recalling information from the many books he had studied. He helped Zelda back to her bed, and after telling her to rest turned to Link. It wasn't that the shaman cared for Zelda more. In fact, all he wanted to do was make sure the young man beside him was alright. Though, as proper mannerism dictated, Renado was to make sure the princesses were alright first. A little impatiently, Renado offered Midna the third bed to rest on.

"No, I'm fine, thank you." Midna said plainly, not really caring about what Renado was saying. She just wanted him to leave so she could talk to Link. Zelda was already sleeping, so it wouldn't matter if she were here.

The man turned to Link, and smiled, "We thought we had lost you, boy." Wanting to skip being sentimental, as it made him uncomfortable, Renado turned away, and opened a cabinet. He produced a bottle filled with a violet liquid Link recognized as chuchu jelly. "Although you are healed, you still need your rest. Your body should still be quite exhausted from these past few days." He handed Link the bottle.

Link held it up and examined it. "Isn't this purple chu jelly?" he inquired with a slight grimace. The one time he had tried it, it didn't end so well. Midna giggled slightly at his expression. The stupid wolf had thought it was red chuchu jelly. What with it being dark in the Lakebed Temple, Link didn't see that it was indeed purple, and not red. Besides, this was his first time seeing the slimy creatures, and he didn't really know how to distinguish them. All he knew was that they were good for various things, like healing or lantern oil. How he drank the disgusting thing was beyond Midna, but it supposedly acted just as good as red potion, so it had to make do for the time being. He drank about half the bottle before getting violently sick. He threw up into the murky, piranha-filled, water until he had nothing left. Even then, after all the stomach sickness, he had a slight fever, and was light headed. After that, Link made sure he was extra careful with potions and chu jelly alike.

"Yes," Renado answered with a slight smile, also remembering the purple chu incident. Link had stumbled into the inn, sick as a dog, and proclaimed it to be the chuchu jelly making him like that. "But this is different."

Link narrowed his eyes suspiciously, even though he knew the shaman would never dream of poisoning him. "How so?" Just because he wouldn't poison him, didn't mean it tasted very good.

Chuckling, Renado replied, "This is infused with medical herbs and blue chu jelly."

"Ew,"

"Aww, is the big brave knight afraid of a little medicine?" Midna teased, wagging her finger at Link, as if she were a mother reprimanding her child.

Link shot a look her way before gulping down the drink quickly. He nearly gagged on it. "Ugh…" Link said, sticking out his tongue.

"Here," Renado said, handing Link a cup of water.

After drinking the water, in hopes that it would tone down the after-taste, Link said, thinking out loud, "I thought you had no potions."

"That," Renado laughed, "is the remains of the chu that got too close to the children when they were outside."

"You killed it?"

"The children take after you more than you know. Talo was pretending to be you, saving Beth from the 'slimy ugly blob'"

Link laughed too. His eyelids drooped, and he felt instantly drowsy. He turned on his side, facing the window and Midna, before yawning. "This is sleeping potion…" Link stated, automatically feeling exhausted.

"Yes, it is. Good night, Link." The inn keeper said quietly, nodding at Midna, before leaving the room.

"Link?" Midna called quietly, not wanting to wake Zelda. When he didn't respond she repeated it louder. "Link?" She was starting to get frustrated with the fact that the only time she could talk to him was when he was either half-asleep or drunk. Midna quickly changed her mind, and decided to be happy with the little time she had left with him.

"Yeah?" he answered sleepily.

Midna considered telling him her plan to break the mirror. "I, uh, goodnight." She said, hastily deciding to not tell him. She reasoned with herself; telling him would make it harder to say goodbye, but not telling him would be selfish. While caught up in her thoughts, Midna didn't hear Link say goodnight.

"Link, I've been meaning to tell you something. I –" Midna stopped herself upon hearing him snore faintly. He looked serene, cute even. Midna stared at him, watching the rise and fall of his chest. Not long ago he had looked similar: calm. Unnervingly calm. Unnervingly calm, and dead. But he was breathing now, and undoubtedly alive. He shifted in his sleep, rearranging himself so he'd more comfortable. Subconsciously, he pulled the sheet over his shoulder and whispered "Good night Midna…"

Sighing, Midna retreated to his shadows. I guess I'll have to tell you tomorrow, then.

The faint rays of the morning sun shone through the window. Zelda, after having a goodnight's sleep, was instantly awake. She loved the morning. Although it was quiet, Zelda could hear the shuffle of feet down stairs. It was either Renado – that kind man never got any sleep to himself - or his daughter Luda, whom Zelda had come to learn, was just as selfless. They were probably preparing breakfast for the inn. A few minutes later, as Zelda expected, Luda came up carrying three trays. She had incredible balance, as the third tray was balanced on her head.

"Good morning, Luda" Zelda said cheerfully

"Princess," the girl replied respectfully, curtseying as best as she could, while keeping the trays balanced. "I made you breakfast." Luda handed her one of the trays, and left Link his one on the side table beside his bed. She put the third tray on the chair, though she didn't know why her father had requested for her to bring up three. Princess Zelda and Link were the only ones there. Maybe one of them was really hungry. Zelda thanked her, which Luda responded to with a polite smile before heading out the door. The princess watched Luda leave, briefly wondering how she was Renado's daughter when the two looked nothing alike. And where was her mother?

Zelda ate the breakfast of egg and toast, and set her tray down on the side-table similar to Link's.

"Princess Zelda!" Renado called from another room. "The children have a surprise for you."

Smiling at Link before she left, Zelda met an eager looking boy at the door. The energetic one, Talo, grabbed her hand and pulled her to a room down the hall.

"Cover your eyes!" Zelda obliged, and entered the room, guided by Talo.

"SURPRISE!" Beth and Talo shouted. Zelda winced slightly at the sound.

"Luda and I fixed your dress." Beth said, proudly handing the Hyrulian the neatly folded outfit. Zelda inwardly sighed. Back to that old thing. It had been nice wearing the peasant's gown.

"Thank you, that was very nice of you," Zelda smiled, politely taking the mended garment and examining their handiwork.

"We washed it and stitched back up for you," Luda added shyly, informing the princess of what they had been doing.

"Yeah!" Beth gushed, obviously more excited than Luda was to fix Zelda's clothes, "We had lots of practice before. Whenever Link came back from his adventure his clothes would be torn. And really dirty too. Luda and I always fixed it for him, so we're really good at it now!" Beth pointed to the table where they had a basket filled with different coloured threads, needles and patches of fabric. Beside it was Link's forest green tunic, now looking almost new. It looked slightly brighter after being washed, and the large rips from when Link was cut were expertly stitched back together.

Renado took the initiative of dismissing the princess, "There is a bathroom down the hall, across from your room, if you wish to change."

"Thank you,"

She head back to the room she shared with Link and Midna to see if either were awake, and was surprised to see Link and Midna still asleep when she came back. Stifling a laugh, Zelda thought them both to be the same. Not morning people. She noticed that her tray was taken away, and in its place laid a clean towel. Zelda took it and head to the bathroom to change her clothes and have a much desired shower.

"Do you think he's awake?" Talo whispered rather loudly, energetic, and ignorant, as ever.

"With the way you're yelling, how could he not be?" His younger brother quipped back

"I'm not yelling!"

"Stop arguing and help me see, will you?" Beth said, paying no mind to their pointless fights.

The trio snuck in, even though Mr. Renado clearly told them to stay out last night. Thinking it was okay to, they tip-toed over to Link, trying their best to be quiet. They hadn't bothered to ask Colin to join them. They thought he would just tell on them and get them in trouble. All three troublemakers stopped in their tracks when Link turned in his sleep. He was now facing them. They stood perfectly still, as if Link would awaken to the slightest movement. Malo rolled his eyes, and began walking away.

"Malo!" Beth hissed, "Get back here!"

"He's still asleep," Malo replied plainly, having grown bored of their kid-like behaviour, despite being the youngest. Only after Malo left, did Beth and Talo let out their breath.

"That was close!"

"Shh!" Beth held her finger to her lips to emphasize the need for silence. "You are so loud sometimes! Now wait, I just need to see if he's okay." Beth snuck up to Link's bed, and was about to remove his blanket when he rubbed his eyes and yawned. The duo bolted out of the room, nearly ramming the princess over in the process.

"Sorry!" they chimed in unison before bolting down the hall to their room.

That aside, Zelda walked in the room and saw a very drowsy looking Link sitting up in bed. Giggling slightly, Zelda used a hand to cover her mouth, and hide her un-princess like behaviour. She couldn't really help it. He looked so tired, despite having a goodnight's rest, and was shirtless. Recently, she had been feeling more flustered in his presence. Very un-princess like of her indeed.

"Princess?" he asked, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes, and staring at her from behind the mess of hair covering his face.

Zelda laughed at "sleepyhead" behaviour, "Really, there is no need to call me that. I would say we're on about the same level now, wouldn't you, hero?" She said the last part in a teasing voice.

"I won't call you princess if you don't call me hero anymore." Link replied with a smile.

"Deal,"

They laughed for a bit, before Link's stomach growled loudly.

"Oh, uh, excuse me…" Link said, thoroughly embarrassed, as his face turned red, "I don't think I've eaten anything since before I fought Ganondorf."

"Well then, eat up!" Zelda insisted, handing him the tray Luda had brought up a while ago. "Oh, where's Midna?" She added upon remembering the third plate.

"I think she's still asleep," Link joked, casting a sideways glance at his shadow. "And I thought I slept in late." The shadow seemed to flicker slightly, in a rhythmic way, as if it were snoring.

"Link," Colin called quietly, not wanting to disturb his older brother in any way. "Ilia wants to talk to you."

Link mentally slapped himself for not thinking of her sooner. He was so caught up in everything these past few days he hadn't remembered to talk to Ilia. "Thanks Colin," Link said, bracing himself for whatever Ilia was going to reprimand him for.

"I'll leave you to it then," Zelda commented, leaving with Colin to give Link and Ilia their privacy.

"Hey,"

Link looked up at the door. "Ilia!" He jumped out of bed and ran to greet his long-time best friend. He had seen her many times on his journey, so it wasn't like they were being reunited by any means, but it didn't mean Link hadn't missed her.

Ilia beamed at him, "It's finally over, isn't it?" she wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him as best she could, despite their height distance. She pulled away just enough so that she could see his face. She looked up at him and continued, "You can come home now. We can go home now."

There was no doubt about it; the two of them had liked each other for quite some time, though they were oblivious to it. Even the citizens of Ordon had known about it, and even at times tried to set them up together. Before all this happened, they spent almost all their free time together. Although they had yet to admit it to each other, they loved each other.

"Yeah… yeah we can," Link replied taking in the full reality of being able to go home. As nice as it seemed, Link couldn't get used to the idea of life at Ordon again. It almost seemed… boring. Something seemed missing, a void that was never there before ate at him and filled him with longing. A longing for the very adventure that he was plagued with from the beginning.

"Well, we're – the kids and I - are leaving tomorrow. We finally get to go back to Ordon Village!" Ilia stated happily. In a sudden change of emotions, her eyes filled with tears and she looked down. "I miss father, and the smell of hay, and the gusty Ordon wind. It feels like so long ago, I can barely remember… the way the dirt felt beneath my feet, the sunrise, everything." Ilia had a sad, distant, dreamy look on her face. She exhaled and snapped out of her wishful thoughts.

Looking up at Link again, Ilia instantly perked up. "You'll be coming with us, won't you?"

"I, uh, got to take care of something first." Link replied vaguely, scratching the back of his head. Midna had said that she needed to go back to her realm soon. Her people needed her, she had said, albeit sadly, though Link didn't think Midna liked it in the light world that much. He wanted to be there to wish her goodbye and tell her to visit soon. Besides, being the princess – soon to be queen - it may be a while before she visited again, so he needed to be there for her. Maybe, he'd go with her to the Twilight Realm for a bit. Little did he know, Link would be there longer than he thought.

"Oh." Ilia mumbled, disheartened, "Hero business, huh?"

Link smiled apologetically, "Something like that,"

"Well, don't be too long, okay?" Ilia scolded, back to her usual demeanor. "Now come on, the children have been waiting to play with you!" She grabbed him by the wrist, and began pulling him towards the door.

Link sighed, there goes breakfast. "Wait, don't I get to put a shirt on first?"

Rolling her eyes, Ilia laughed, "Beth and Luda fixed your tunic up for you. I'll be waiting outside."

"HYAAAH!" Talo yelled, thrusting his fake sword forward at the scarecrow. After being attacked by the bulbins in Ordon Spring, the children tried to become better at defending themselves, except for Malo, of course, who was too busy taking care of things at Malo Mart. They had made scarecrow dummies to practice on, much like the one Link had outside of his house. "I'm going to protect us all on the way back to Ordon!" he bragged.

In the background Malo was signing some papers with a Goron. "It's just until I come back…" said Malo, writing his name on the deed to his shop, Malo Mart. He took the Goron inside to discuss something further.

"Enough, already!" Beth exhaled, exasperated. "Give us a turn now!" She put her hands on her hips and stared at Talo waiting for him to move.

"Okay…" He grumbled, moving to the side to let Beth have her turn. Beth, who was still quite boastful about it, had gotten the Wooden Sword Link had previously owned. After Jaggle and Pergie grounded Malo and Talo for running after the monkey, Beth had gotten full ownership of the Wooden Sword.

"HEEEYAAAAAAH!" Beth shrieked as she stabbed the dummy multiple times. Throwing the sword down, Beth tightened the white ribbons around her arms and began punching the scarecrow. "And now I'm a Sheikah!"

Luda, who didn't have any weapon, joined in, "Yeah!" She exclaimed, mirroring Beth's movements. Ilia had told the girls about the Sheikah, a group of skilled fighters, and the founders of Kakariko Village. While they were interested in learning about the Sheikah, the boys were far more interested in swordsmanship, claiming that it was "more fun to be Link". Luda had even stitched on the Sheikah mark, the "crying eye", on the back of her clothes. It had taken a while, and Beth didn't have nearly as much patience as Luda did, so she settled for the arm bandages that made it easier to hit with your forearms. The girls continued this until they burst into a fit of giggles. Talo rolled his eyes at their girly behaviour.

Colin sat at the edge of the spring. Deciding that he should bring out his sword and shield now, Colin advanced towards the rest of his friends. The Ordon Sword and Shield: The best birthday gift Colin could have ever received. Back when Hyrule Castle was shrouded in the mysterious twilight, Colin had his eleventh birthday. Mr. Renado and the others planned a nice little birthday party for him, but it wasn't the same without Link. When it was night time, and almost everyone was asleep, Colin snuck out to the spring for a minute. He knew he wasn't supposed to be awake or outside at this time, but he was going to be quick. He stared up at the stars, just like Link and he had done back in Ordon so often. He picked out the constellations and pretended Link was there with him. When Link actually showed up the young boy had been so excited that he almost forgot to be quiet.

"Happy birthday Colin," Link smiled, holding out the Ordon Sword and Shield.

"What's this?" Colin said, confused as to why Link was showing him the things his father had made.

"They're for you,"

"They are?!" Colin gasped in disbelief. He held up the large shield and sword and Link helped him strap it on.

"You didn't think I'd forget your birthday, did you?" Link chuckled.

"No," Colin admitted truthfully, still in awe of the present.

"Well, these are for you. I think you can put this to better use than I can."

"Thank you, Link!" Colin exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

Link laughed, "Now you'd better go to bed. I think we'll both get in trouble for being out here this late."

Link had left to go back on his adventure after that. Colin had been so excited he had forgotten how late it was. He snuck back inside the inn, past Ilia and Renado to his room. He hid his gift underneath his bed and went to bed with a good conscience after seeing Link. Colin had kept his gift a secret until now, only taking it out to practice with when no one was watching. The last thing he needed was Talo trying to take the sword from him. Link had specifically said to be careful with it, and Talo was anything but careful.

"Can I have a turn?" Colin asked, holding his sword out in fighting stance like Link had showed them to.

"WHOA! That's Link's sword!" Talo shouted, eyeing Colin's weapon jealously.

"Yeah, how'd you get it?" Beth inquired, hands on her hips, as she usually did when she was demanding something.

"Link gave it to me," Colin stated quietly, not wanting to make a big deal about it.

"Lucky!" Talo exclaimed, pouting slightly that Link hadn't given it to him.

"Ooo, I want to see you use it!" Beth squealed, wondering how it felt to have Link's sword; probably pretty cool. Link was the hero, after all, and that in itself was beyond amazing to the children.

Colin stood in front of the fake enemy. Pretending that it was a real threat, Colin swiped at it viciously with the basic horizontal, vertical and diagonal sword slices that he and Talo learned. Colin remembered how Link had showed them the jump attack the day of the invasion. It was a risky move that neither Colin nor Talo were allowed to try. If done wrong, they could hurt themselves badly. Focusing on the memory, Colin mimicked the sword moments. He jumped up and yelled, "Hyaaaaaah!" The hat was smashed off the dummy's pumpkin head.

"Whoa!" Beth, Luda and Talo cried in unison.

"Wow, Colin! I'm impressed." Ilia praised, having come outside.

"Did you wake Link up?" Colin asked, dodging the compliment. He is just like Link, Ilia thought. Can't take a compliment.

"Yeah, he should be outside by now." Ilia thought out loud. She steered the conversation back to where it began. "All your practicing has paid off, Colin. Your dad would be so proud!"

Colin avoided her stare and blushed. Thankfully, Talo cut in, giving Colin an excuse not to answer. "Oh, look what I can do!" Talo blindly swiped his stick around, though it wasn't nearly as powerful as the other swords. Knowing he wasn't impressing anyone, Talo made an attempt at a jump attack. "Aww," Talo whined when he missed the scarecrow all together and fell down after trying a jump attack.

"Maybe if you opened your eyes when you used that stick, you'd be able to hit it." Beth teased smugly, very much enjoying the fact that she had a real sword and he didn't. Talo scoffed at her and turned away, not liking being the butt of her joke.

"Hey guys!" Link chirped happily upon seeing the kids practice with the swords he entrusted to them.

Ilia clicked her tongue impatiently, "What took you so long?"

"Hey, I had to eat breakfast too!" he replied, raising his arms defensively.

"Hey, Link, you know we've been practicing really hard to be like you!" Talo burst out, unable to contain his excitement. He wanted the hero to know just how much they had worked on their skills.

"Yeah, Luda and I learned the sheikah arts!" Beth added. Luda took this as her cue to jump back to back with Beth and scream their battle cry. "HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Link was taken aback at how excited Luda was acting. She was usually the calm one. Link smiled at Luda's "inner child."

Colin grinned from ear to ear, "And I've been using the sword you gave me!"

Link smiled mischievously at Ilia. "Do you guys want to play 'Rescue the Princess'?"

"YEAH!"

"What do you think you're doing? Ahhh! Link, let go of me!" Ilia yelled through a fit of laughter, as Link grabbed her by the waist and slung her over his shoulder.

"Come back here, you evil fiend!" Beth commanded with mock bravery.

Feigning malice, Link laughed evilly, "You'll have to come and get me then!"

Colin, Beth, Talo and Luda charged after Link, trying to surround him and rescue "Princess Ilia."

Sighing Renado watched the display with Hyrule's leader. "It seems our hero is still a boy at heart,"

"Indeed he is," Zelda smiled half-heartedly, wishing that she could be so carefree and enjoy herself like that.

Outside, Link fell dramatically to the floor. The kids cheered triumphantly upon rescuing the fair maiden, Ilia. They tried to pin him down by pressing his arms and legs to the floor, but Link suddenly jumped up and grabbed Colin, tickling him and demanding they give him back Ilia. He chased after the others, each one running away, screaming in fear of the "tickle torture" Link was dealing out. Eventually, they got him cornered near the spring and Ilia snuck up behind him, dunking him in the water. He resurfaced, and a splash fight ensued between the two. The kids eagerly joined in, and when everyone was thoroughly exhausted, and soaked, they got out of the spring.

"LET'S DO THAT AGAIN!" Talo panted through ragged breaths.

"No way, I'm exhausted!" Luda laughed, wringing the water from her short hair.

They all sat in the sun until their clothes dried. It took a while, and the autumn wind was slightly chilling, but they bide their time talking and telling funny stories about each other. Link sat outside even after everyone went inside. He sat on the spring's edge, bare feet in the cool liquid, feeling content.

"Midna?"

"Yeah?" she answered, not leaving his shadow.

"When were you planning on going back to your realm?"

"Umm, today, actually…"

"Can't you stay a little longer?" Link's eyes were pleading, though he knew she had to go.

No, then it will be impossible to say goodbye to you… Midna thought, but instead said, "I wish I could, but my people need me,"

"I understand," There was a silence between the two, and Link decided to ask the question he had on his mind. "How long will it be before you visit us again?"

Midna cringed. That was the very question she had wanted to avoid! She thought about it for a minute before replying, "It may be a while," She lied. Well, not a complete lie, it would be a while, just much longer than Link thought. More like permanent.

"Oh, well I'll visit you soon then…" Link said. It was going to be hard getting used to not having Midna around all the time, but at least she wasn't leaving for good…

Midna felt like she had taken a dagger to her heart. "Y-yeah,"

"Hey," Link soothed, hearing Midna's voice crack, knowing that she may start crying, "It won't be that long,"

And the blade was being twisted.

"Are you okay, Midna?"

"Yeah," She sniffed, "I'm fine. Too bad I won't be here to watch your careless behind."

Link laughed. Oh, how she was going to miss his laugh. Tears filled her eyes, and Midna was grateful that she decided to stay in her shadow form where Link couldn't see her.

"Link, do you mind if we go now?"

"What? So soon? I didn't even get the chance to hang out with you today."

"I-I need to go soon, it's getting late," Please, stop making this hard for me, Link.

"Late? But it's only about 4 o'clock." Link argued, trying to convince his twili friend to stay longer.

"Link, please!" Midna snapped, unable to hide her frustration and sadness. "Let's just get Zelda and teleport there!" Why couldn't he understand that she needed to go?

Link was shocked at her tone, but decided to just do as she wished. "Alright,"

The Twilight Princess was angry at herself for getting so snappy with Link. It wasn't his fault she couldn't just tell him the truth. Midna was about to apologize to him when he walked into the inn. This is it… Midna thought, and broke into tears. While in Link's shadow nobody could see her cry, so it didn't matter. She would cry now and be strong later.

An hour later they were in the Mirror Chamber. After Link and Zelda said a quick goodbye to their friends, Midna had warped both the princess and Link to the northern desert. Her heart was beating rapidly, and Midna was sure that the others could hear it. She stood beside the mirror, facing Link and Zelda. She turned her back to the gateway that led into her realm. She wanted to avoid thinking about it for as long a she could, though it was hard when the glaringly large stone slab was casting a shadow on her. The aforementioned Hyrulians made their way up the stairs. She was feeling miserable, and wanted so badly to stay, or better yet keep the gate open between the two realms. However, she was a princess, and a princesses' first duty is to her people which meant protecting their well being. That meant the mirror couldn't stay.

"Well… I guess this is farewell, huh?" Midna hinted, not being able to think of something else to say. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know." The gears in the portal continued humming, as if calling her towards it. "But… Never forget there's another world bound to this one." Midna certainly never could forget. Breaking the connection between the two realms was like ripping herself in half.

Link opened his mouth to say something, but Zelda started first. Her face was expressionless and stoic, icy blue eyes boring holes into the Twilight Princess. They seemed to berate her for not telling Link sooner, "Light and shadow are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other." Midna's lip trembled and Zelda's implied words. Oh, Link… The Hyrulian shook her head slightly at Midna, as if telling her to not cry.

"I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world. They left it because it was there design we should meet." Midna kept her watery eyes focused on Zelda, even though she knew Link's eyes had not once left her. One wrong move, and Midna would be bawling on the floor, and any plans of destroying the mirror would be thwarted. She couldn't afford to look at him now. "Yes… that is what I believe."

Midna met her gaze, "Zelda… Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you, then maybe you'll do alright." There was so much about this light world she was going to miss: seeing the stars, all the bright colours, the people… and Link. No, she averted her thoughts from him, she had to stay strong just a little bit longer.

Link smiled at Midna, catching her attention. She loved his smile… and that was probably the last time she'd see it. Midna walked to where the steps would appear and turned around. Staring deeply into Link's wild blue eyes, she whispered, "Thank you," Continuing in a louder voice, Midna said, "Well the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around we could meet again… Link…" A single tear slipped out of her eye. "I –" The twili stuttered, trying to think of the right way to phrase her goodbye. She pushed her tear towards the mirror, knowing that it would be strong enough to break it for her. "See you later…"

The tear passed through the center, and the cracks began spider webbing across its surface.

The two unsuspecting people, Link and Zelda, swiveled around abruptly to face the mirror. The sharp cracking sound continued, and Link gasped when he registered what Midna was doing.

"Midna?!" he cried, his face a mixture of hurt, surprise and confusion. He watched her run up the stairs towards the mirror, dumbstruck. Midna smiled at him before she began dissipating into white particles.

"MIDNA!" Link yelled, sprinting up the stairs as fast as he could to catch up with her. By the time he reached the top, Midna was already gone. The Mirror of Twilight shattered, and without giving it a second thought, Link jumped through the portal.

Please, oh, please let me not be too late! He prayed, before he felt a sharp pain on his side and he exploded into black squares.

Midna reappeared in the Twilight Realm. The sky was unusually dark and cloudy, and it fit her mood perfectly. The twili felt the hot tears streak down her face, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing her heart away. She sucked in short, shallow breaths, trying to control her tears, but to no avail. Her bottom lip trembled, and Midna hastily wiped her arm across her face to dry it. "I'm so sorry, Link..." Midna wanted nothing more than to keep the mirror there, to be able to see him whenever she liked. What she wouldn't give to see him one more time. His betrayed expression would haunt her forever, plaguing her incessantly. She walked slowly away from the castle, towards the cliff. She stared out past the horizon blankly, grief devouring her from the inside out.

Midna snapped her head around. The familiar sound of distorted time and space rang out, loud and clear. A portal...

Link materialized in the center of the gold marking on the floor. Instantly, it's colour receded towards the center where the Triforce was. It shone brightly for a moment before all the light faded away. Link groaned and pushed himself up onto his knees and forearms.

"LINK?!"

The said hero didn't move. For a second he was paralyzed with pain. He looked down and saw a piece of the Mirror of Twilight protruding from his side. Not just any piece either; this was the Triforce from the center of the mirror. He whimpered as it embedded its self in further in his abdomen. Shakily he raised his tunic and saw the tip of the Triforce submerge itself inside him. The wound closed itself and the scar left behind began glowing blue. Shakily, he got to his feet and faced Midna, smiling weakly at her.

"Link, you idiot!" Midna fumed. When she had said she wanted to see him again, she didn't mean by taking him out of the Light world forever! "Don't you understand why I didn't tell you about my plan to break the mirror?! I knew you'd follow me! Ugh, you idiot! There is no way back, you'll be stuck here forever!"

Link looked down at his feet in shame, "You should have told me. I wouldn't have came with you if you didn't want me to."

"Stupid wolf." Midna cried, hugging him briefly. She wiped her tears on her cloak. "Don't you realize how much you just gave up? There is no way back. I destroyed the mirror for good."

"I couldn't lose you forever,"

"You really just gave up everything, you know." Midna realized, still trying to comprehend that Link had given up all that he loved just to not lose her. In a way she was touched, but was to angry to tell him that. "You're going to be awfully lonely here, Link. You won't fit in with the rest of us. The people of this realm despise light dwellers. Oh, Link..." Midna cried, her heart breaking in two as she saw Link's face. He was staring at the ground, tears in his eyes. Link had rarely ever cried, and seeing him now like this was just too much for her. "Why didn't you just stay there?"

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed overhead. A few drops of rain started falling, splashing loudly against the ground. Midna grabbed Link by the wrist and began tugging him towards her castle, trying to get there before the rain started pouring.

"Come on!" she called over the roaring wind.

The man in green staggered a bit, feeling dizzy and uncoordinated. He clutched at his throbbing abdomen with one arm and brought his hand up to his head. The edges of his vision blurred, black spots hindering his vision. He squinted through the wall of rain, trying to make sense of what Midna was shouting and gesturing about. The thunder rumbled again, this time menacingly, and Link understood what she meant. He ran after her towards the castle.

Midna slammed the door shut, shivering in her soaked clothes. "Link, what's wrong with you?" She noticed the dazed look in his eyes and lightened her tone. "Are you okay?"

Link stumbled a bit and rubbed his temple. "Yeah, just a headache..." he lied, but Midna decided not to press him for answers.

Sighing, the Twilight Princess guided Link down the hall. "Let's just find you a room to rest in. It's been a long day."

Princess Zelda looked at where the mirror once stood. Her eyes were wide, heart beating rapidly, and mouth open. He – he left?! All that was left was a cold slab, and the frame of the mirror. She dropped to her knees, ignoring that her dress was being cut, even though it was mended so recently. The small little tears in the fabric made her dress look ragged. The air seemed void of its usual heat, and instead seemed cooler. The wind whipped around angrily, a little harshly, as if there was something missing and it was trying to fill in the gap. Yes, there was something missing. Someone was missing, and it was if the goddesses themselves were angry about it. Of course they were; their chosen hero had just jumped through the portal, to the land of people they had banished, connection broken, without any way to get him back. Why wouldn't they be angry? Wind was Faroe's element, and Link was her favourite. It made sense that she was upset.

Sadly, Zelda picked up one of the mirror pieces; one of the many scattered shards. She ran her gloved fingers over its smooth surface. The lone Hyrulian let it drop from her hand, to the hard marble floor, with a sharp clang. It broke into pieces. Not that it mattered; she was in a sea of broken shards. Burying her face in her hands, Zelda sobbed. Why? Why did he have to leave too? Hyrule needed it's hero. He was going to be the head of her army, mayor of Ordon, and so much more. Zelda cried until she had no more tears left. He would have been the country's perfect king. Hyrule had been without one long enough, and now Link, the only man she'd ever considered sharing the throne with, was gone. When her father had taken it upon himself to find someone for Zelda to marry she had out right refused. None of the suitors even came close to Link, and Zelda was sure she wouldn't let her brother, Sheik, be king. He was banished for a reason. But did that mean she loved him? Or was she just putting her country ahead of herself again? She looked up at the sky. It was twilight. The princess wiped off her tears, and with new-found determination, began collecting the broken shards of the mirror. There were hundreds of pieces, but that didn't stop her. She would return Link to the light world if it was the last thing she did. And so, she began the daunting task of restoring the Mirror of Twilight.

So, what's up? I know this chapter is way longer than my other ones, but I felt bad about not updating in a while. I was aiming for about 5,500 words, but somehow ended up with this 9,500 word monstrosity of a chapter. Sorry if really long chapters aren't your thing, but I don't think that I'll be writing such large ones regularly (unless you guys want me to) and I couldn't really find anywhere to end this.

Anyways... Wow... Nobody said a thing about Link dying.

On to the thanks!

CupcakePride101, thanks for following my story and always being the first to review! And yes, Zelda is acting a bit mysterious... ;)

veggiefruit, you know how you said that you were playing Majora's Mask a lot? Well, I hope you caught the "subtle" MM hint I added at the beginning. I added it just for you!

14shadowrose... Oh my goodness, you rock! Thank you so much for going in and reviewing on all three chapters, and then following AND favouriting me! All your positive comments made me so happy it probably is the reason I typed at break-neck speeds to get this chapter done! YOU ARE AWESOME! :DD

Selphie Kinneas 175, thank you for reassuring me I was doing fine and that the characters weren't a little OOC. I was a little worried about it until you helped! :)

Let me know what you think of this chapter! :D