This is my first fanfic, but that shouldn't stop you all from giving me reviews and constructive criticism. Please, opinions are appreciated!

Without further ado, let the tale begin!

Chapter 1: See You Later

"Link… I… See you later." With those words, Midna, the true Princess of Twilight, shed one tear and pushed it toward the Mirror of Twilight. Midna's words, although soft, rang loudly in the young Hero's ears. Wait, this isn't how it is supposed to be... Damn it Link, say those words! SAY THEM!

"Midna…" Was all that Link could say before he heard a loud CRACK. Both he and Zelda turned around and were horrified when they saw a small crack in the mirror, slowly increasing in size and splitting in several directions. All he could do was look back at the one he loved, slowly disappearing through the portal which he very well knew led to her home and people. Midna looked back at him with beautiful but sad, red eyes and gave him a small smile before completely fading away. The mirror died down and then shattered into small pieces, and with that, shattering Link's heart.

Zelda looked at the metal rim that once held the mirror in place and sighed. You broke Link's heart. And you broke your own. Midna, what have you done…?

"Link…" Her voice was gentle. She looked to where he stood, mouth slightly open in absolute shock. She's never coming back, he thought. She's gone, and she broke the mirror. I'll never see her again. I wish I told her… Told her…

"Midna… I… I love you…" He managed, before falling to his knees and letting the tears he held fall in earnest. Never had he felt this way about anyone else, save for perhaps Ilia, and that was before the Twilight War started. Now he could not get Midna out of his head. See you later. How could he have missed it? The opportunity to tell her what he truly felt. And now, he could not tell her, and could never tell her.

Zelda looked upon the now 18-year-old and she herself shed a tear, knowing what he felt. Walking over to him slowly, she knelt down and placed an arm around Link and he brought his head to her chest and sobbed. She didn't care that her clothes would be tear-stained; she only wanted his heart mended. She wanted to see her friend, her hero, happy, but she knew the only person who could do that was gone and would not come back. Why did the Goddesses have to be so cruel to him?

So the young princess let him cry for what seemed like hours, knowing this was the only way to let out his emotions, all the while comforting him. Once he had no more tears to shed, he stood up, Zelda with him.

"I only wished… I could tell her…" Link started finally, wiping his tears from his puffy eyes and face. Zelda looked at him for a time, wondering if he would continue his thought. When he didn't, she took a breath.

"Link… I know this is hard for you. This probably seems unbearable to you, and you feel like it is the end of the world as you know it. I wish I knew exactly how you felt, so then perhaps I could share your pain, and help you. But you should know… Midna would not have wanted you to sulk and be so upset. If you remember, I once gave her light and my spirit and hers were connected. She cares deeply for you, Link. She… She loves you." She spoke gently and sincerely.

"Yeah? Then tell me, Princess. Why did she shatter the mirror? Why did she leave without so much as a proper goodbye? If she felt all those things about me like you say she did, why did she never tell me what she was planning on doing?" He asked bitterly.

"She did not want to tell you what she felt because she knew it would hurt you even more to know you could never see her again. Believe me, Link. Believe me when I say that the decision she made hurt her just as much as it hurt you. She felt she had a duty to her people as Twilight Princess to return to her home realm, and she destroyed the mirror in the hope that no more evil like Zant should befall Hyrule again."

"Yeah well, she obviously either didn't know or didn't care that it would destroy me. I just wish…" Link sighed, knowing he could not argue with Zelda, because deep down he knew she was right. "I just wish she knew how much she meant to me. How much she MEANS to me. I could never forget her even if I tried. She and I did everything together during the War and stuck with each other right to the very end. Do you know what I felt when Ganondorf came out of the castle holding Midna's helmet and then crumbling it?"

"No," Zelda answered truthfully.

"Well…" Link hesitated, thinking that he might tear up again at the thought. "It felt as if my whole world came crashing down. I have never felt so angry with any one person before. At that point, I wanted to slaughter him, make him pay for what he did to her. At that point… Everything I did, I did for her." He thought some more, and he remembered Zant's attack at Lanayru Spring. He continued, "Actually, I started doing everything for her when you gave her light. I realized I could not do anything without her and there were times in which I felt truly alone. All that time, Midna was there for me, even if she sometimes smacked me around or ordered me around like I was her 'slave'. That was all I needed, really, to get back on my feet. I love her so much, and…" He stopped talking, fighting back the tears that were once again coming.

"Link, I am so sorry," Zelda said softly. "Now I know that she meant everything to you and it pains me to see you this way. I have no doubt in my mind that she loves you just the same, and she would want you to be happy and not lose hope. Chin up, wolfy." Link smiled at the nickname Midna had given him so long ago. "You never know. There may be a way back into the Twilight Realm and we simply have not discovered it yet. I promise you I will search for that path. In the meantime though, why don't we head back to the Castle? Or what is left of it anyways," she finished with a sigh.

Link's spirits gradually rose. Zelda was right. Midna would not want him to feel down in the dumps. He also knew there had to be a way back to the Twilight, back to her. He was also grateful to Zelda for her kind words and for what she had done for him over the last few hours. So he turned to the girl.

"Princess-"

"Zelda. Please, just Zelda," she smiled.

"Okay, Zelda. I hope your castle was insured," Link said and his face turned to a familiar grin.

Zelda smirked. "Don't worry about insurance. I have my ways." Link chuckled.

Using the power of Farore's Wind, Zelda transported them to the remains of the once beautiful castle. As it turns out, one wing of the castle, holding all of the bedrooms, remained fully intact and the ground floor was surprisingly passable. The rest of the castle was completely destroyed in the fight with Ganondorf.

"Well at least we still have the rooms…" Zelda mumbled before turning to Link. "Why don't you spend the evening in the wing? I will make arrangements for breakfast to be brought to you in the morning and you can be on your way back to Ordon. I suspect you would like to visit your friends."

"That is most appreciated, thank you Zelda," Link responded.

Zelda took him to his chambers, and he was surprised at just how large the room was. "Zelda… This… This is much more than I ever expected. Thank you," he said gratefully.

"Is there anything else you need before I go?" Zelda asked gently.

"No, I… I'll be okay." He responded with a hint of uncertainty. Zelda knew he was thinking about Midna, but she decided not to press the matter.

"Okay, but please do not hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do to help," she said softly, and gave him a warm smile before she left.

Link went over to the bed and sat down. Thoughts ran amok in his brain, and each was darker than the last. Maybe I was never meant to be with her. Maybe… Maybe I was just meant to be a Hero in this cruel world. Am I not supposed to love? Am I not supposed to enjoy my own life, and find the one I wish to spend my life with? At this, another image of Midna came to him. In this one, she was smiling and saying something witty. What? Say something! Am I so beautiful you've no words left? Then the answers came to him.

Yes. I am supposed to love. Yes there is someone out there for me. I have always had her, how could I have been so stupid as to not realize it? I love Midna, and I know the Goddesses will help me. His body was suddenly warmed up and he was given a feeling of resolve. Yes. That is what I will do. I will find her. I will find Midna. I MUST find her. I won't stop until I have done so, as she is the one for me. Life isn't the same without her and I refuse anyone else but her. Midna I promise you. I will find you.

With that, Link went to bed and immediately fell asleep, his dreams filled with a bright future.