Hello there! Welcome to my story :D I've never even considered writing game fanfiction before, but as I'm sure ever LoZ player can agree: Zelda is more than just a game! So here's this! This is an intro-type chapter, the next few will really get into the storyline. It'll eventually have some legit. romance... LinkxMidna forever!
Please enjoy and thank you for reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, or any of the characters. If only I was cool enough to have came up with this epic series of games!

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Peace ruled the land of Hyrule. One year ago, a brave Hero had rid the land of evil and destruction. The rightful rulers of Hyrule and the land of Twilight alike had been restored. Every person of every race was able to sleep soundly.

...Save for one person.

The one who everyone would expect to rest easiest was troubled by sleepless nights, and this night was no exception.

Link, The Hero of Time who had freed two worlds of evil, tossed and turned in his bed, plagued by nightmares. His dreams were riddled with memories he would just as soon forget.

Ganondorf raised himself up from the ground and locked eyes with Link. "Do not think it ends here." His voice was surprisingly strong for someone who had just been run through with a sword. "The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"

He groaned and tossed...

Midna stood in front of the Mirror of Twilight. She couldn't be leaving. What would Link do without her around? Without her sarcasm, forceful encouragement, and even some occasional kindness? She looked at him and something rolled down her cheek... It couldn't be a tear, could it?

He wanted to say something to her, tell her what he thought of her... How he felt about her. After spending so long with someone under the circumstances Link and Midna were under together, it would be impossible for at least one of the parties involved to develop feelings for the other.

Link didn't know if it would be a stretch to call what he felt love.

"Link..." She wiped the tear away from her face, and although it started floating, he couldn't move his eyes away from her beautiful face. "I..." What? She what? Could it be possible that she-

"See you later..." Link watched helplessly as the Mirror of Twilight cracked and as Midna ran up the stairs made of light and disappeared. The Mirror shattered, and Link knew she was completely gone.

...And turned...

Link hated hurting her. He loved Ilia, but not in the way she wanted him to. He tried to love her in a romantic way, really. After all, who else but his childhood crush would be able to make him forget Midna? Ilia was the one he wanted to want, but it was all a wasted effort.

"There's someone else, isn't there?" Her big, wounded eyes were gazing up at him, glistening with what he hoped weren't tears. She wiped at her eyes and took a shaky breath. "Someone you meant on your grand adventures?" She attempted to alleviate some awkwardness with a joke, "I couldn't imagine you falling for Beth."

Link smiled tightly. "Yes," his voice was stiff, this situation was making him uncomfortable, "she isn't from Ordon."

"So, you'll be leaving Ordon to be with her, right?" She sighed sadly and her eyes grew distant. She was just being polite, it was obvious, but Link didn't notice.

"That would be... Impossible." As guilty as he felt, he was feeling self-pity, too.

"I always thought it would be you and me, Link."

"I did, too."

The scene mercifully faded away as the morning light filtered through Link's window. He had only a few minutes of sleeping peacefully before a voice outside of his tree house woke him.

"Link!" His eyes cracked open slowly and tried to place where the voice was coming from.

"Link!" He groaned, sat up, and rubbed eyes with the heels of his hands, trying to shake away his dreams.

"LinkLinkLink!" He swung his legs over the side of his bed and walked in a stupor over to his window.

"...Colin? What are you doing here? You're already back from Castle Town?" A few days earlier, Colin had gone with some men of Ordon to sell the town's livestock at Castle Town. Link had offered to go with, but Colin, in his quest to grow up to be like Link, said he needed to 'do things on his own.' It made some sense in a little kid kind of way... Well, it almost made sense, anyway.

Colin nodded vigorously. "I have something important to tell you Link!"

Link rubbed his eyes eyes again and nodded. "Alright. I'll be down in one minute." Colin nodded and Link turned away from the window. He quickly made himself presentable: he changed into his standard garb-he had never switched back from the hero's green tunic after returning to Ordon- ran his fingers through his hair, rubbed his eyes one last time, and walked out the door.

Colin was sitting at the foot of the ladder when Link reached the ground. "How did the trip go?"

Colin's face lit up and he jumped to his feet. "We sold all of the goats! And I met Princess Zelda!" Before Link could even get in a, "That's great," Colin continued in a rush of words. Link didn't think he had ever heard him talk so much. "She recognized us as Ordonians by our clothes, and asked me to deliver a message to you.

"The Princess said, 'Please tell Link that I need his counsel urgently.' She looked worried, you don't think that Hyrule is in danger again, do you?"

After Link comprehended what Colin told him, that was exactly what he thought, but he didn't want to worry his young friend. "I'm sure that's not it. But I should probably leave immediatly." Colin had only asked the question to gain reassurance that Hyrule was not in danger, but comforting had never been Link's forte. However, he didn't notice the little boy's face crease in worry. Link's mind was already busy with things he would have to do before he left: he would have to saddle Epona, and probably practice his swordplay- no, he could do that on the way to the Castle, there were always beasts to fight with in Hyrule field. Since all of the livestock was just sold, he didn't have to worry about the ranch...

There wasn't much for him to take care of at all.

"Do you think you're going to have to leave for a long time again?"

Link, lost in his own thoughts, didn't hear the worry in Colin's voice. "Maybe," he mumbled. He caught sight of Colin's worried face and realized how stupid he was being. "I mean, I'm sure I'll be back soon, but you'll have to protect the village while I'm gone, okay?"

A determined look passed over the boy's face. "You can count on me, Link!"

Link smiled, but all he could think about was how miserable another quest would be without Midna. But of course, there was no way he could have known what exactly was waiting for him at Hyrule Castle.