My deeries,

Concocting another bit of riveting rigmarole has taken me a stretch. I relish your candidness, but unfortunately cannot painstakingly assure you anything. Savoring your flatteries, I shall aspire to do only my best to indulge your amusements. This tale consists of much more concise chapters which may hearten those of you hesitant readers to take a further glance.

Staggeringly Compulsory Premonitory Criterion: By all means, venture over to my other tantalizing tale, Timeless, to read my caveat. However, you shall find that I still haven't wed any LoZ characters, game developers, or your mom. Woe is me!

Now then, may I present:

Dusk
There is a Princess of Shadow and a Hero of Dark.

Midna was weeping. Silvery tears cascaded down her lovely, pallid blue cheeks. To view her people free and content brought a great sense of comfort to her heart, but her homecoming had been fantastically bittersweet at best. A celebration raved in the halls of the Palace of Twilight, beyond its walls, and into the streets. Yet, behind the thick, heavy doors of her bedchamber, she had collapsed upon her bed a lamenting, joyless mass. Away from the twili, away from her world, and far from the realm of light she could cry. It was the only thing that gave her relief.

"Link... I..." she had managed, then given up. "See you later."

She couldn't bring herself to tell him. Not when she could see so clearly how smitten he was with the Princess of Light. Looking down at her hands, she saw the gray-blue pallor of her beautiful skin. Beneath her sleeves, her arms were the same hue and she envisioned the glowing green-blue patterns, the very source of her twili magic, that wove up them. Her powerful magic was her gift, but her blessing was also her curse. She was too different from him.

Rising and strolling to her window, she wiped away her tears and peered out into the serene beauty of a world in perpetual dusk. It was a sight always so welcome because it was certain never to alter. How unlucky for her that matters of the heart were something entirely out of control. How could it be that she, a divine creature of shadow, could fall so completely for one of the brightest of the light? Perhaps it was his selflessness and his bravery or perhaps it was something different entirely. She wasn't certain that she would ever ascertain and it was probably much better that way.

I am being a fool, she scolded herself silently. What would my people think of me if they knew of my affections for a being of the light?

They would most likely find weakness and shortsightedness in such thoughts. The twili people were peaceful and filled with an intimate kindness, but even still, beings of shadow required a great and powerful leader. At first, it had been simple for them to submit to the rule of Zant, but they had soon regretted it as it blackened their souls and transformed them into terrible monsters.

At least that insolent is gone! To think that imbecile might have been my husband! her mind seethed with anger.

Before Zant's decent into madness, he had been a favored member of the Twilit King's entourage. Many in the realm believed he was a likely candidate to succeed Midna's father as king, but it soon became clear that they and Zant himself were wrong. The Twilit King had made it certain that his intentions were not to give Midna's hand to Zant and that is what had driven him to lunacy. Ultimately some immense power, which she now knew to be Ganon's, had been bestowed upon Zant and he had used it to cut down her father and all men close to him in order to illegitimately gain the throne. As an extra precaution, he'd transformed Midna into an imp and banished her, though she knew he'd still longed for her to join him at his side and in his chambers every night. The very contemplation turned her stomach.

Venturing away from her window, she started for the door to go back out with her people. It was an important time to be amongst them, no matter what grief she felt for herself. As she grasped the handle of the tall, metal door, shrieks erupted outside of the palace. Wasting no time, Midna rushed out onto her balcony. She gazed around and could see commotion below, but could not pinpoint any source.

Terrific! Things have only just settled and already some moron has to create chaos, she thought scornfully and rolled her eyes.

It was certain that she would be needed now. Leaving her bedchamber, she made her way out into the massive hallway. Sure enough, a twili guard came rushing up the corridor toward her.

"Highness!" he called then bowed lowly and clumsy.

"Yes, what is it?" she questioned impatiently, though she mockingly thought, "He'd make a fine doormat."

"There has been a disturbance. We have the culprit in custody. He has been taken to the dungeon," the guard informed.

"Very well. I will go down and see to the matter immediately. Thank you and you are dismissed." She shooed him with a wave of her hand.

Moments later, Midna made her way onto the main landing of the palace's ballroom and descended the stairs to a throng of her cheering people. She regarded them tenderly as she waded through the crowd. Finally, she made it through them and vanished into a hallway. She went down several flights of stairs and into the dankness of the dungeons where members of the guard stood around with their lanterns glowing the aqua tint of twili magic.

"Where is the man in charge?" Midna asked more as an order for him to appear.

The captain of the guard stepped forward. "I am here, your highness."

"What of the disturbance?" Midna waited.

"Calmed now, majesty. It began when a young man began a picking a fight with some people on the streets for a reason which has yet to be established," the captain explained.

"Where is this young man now?" she questioned.

"We have brought him here to the dungeon," the captain answered.

"Take me to him!" she ordered.

"As you wish highness, please be careful though," he warned. "He is quite a wild one. We had a real time capturing him."

Midna followed the captain of the Twili Guard down some stairs and they came to a stop in front of a barred cell.

"He is in there, majesty." The captain gestured. "You might not want to venture too close."

"I require a lantern," Midna said casually as though it weren't a command.

The captain called one of the guards over and he supplied Midna with a lantern.

"Thank you," Midna told the guard when she took it from him.

"Highness, you may not be able to get a thing out of him. He seems quite stubborn and…" the captain began to explain.

Midna cut him off with a wave of her hand. "You in there!" she called to the prisoner's attention. "What do you mean by causing disturbance during our celebrations? I demand to know why you have caused such commotion on our streets!"

Midna heard shuffling in the cell as the captive rose from the floor and came forward. He said nothing, but she saw faintly in the darkness that his pale hands, lined with that eerie glow came to grasp the bars of the cell. She waited a moment, but he didn't say a word.

"Have you not heard me? Why do you not answer?" Midna asked impatiently.

Slowly, she lifted up her lantern to see his face. Her shock was instantaneous. Her eyes went wide and she swiftly brought her hand over her nose and her mouth which hung agape.

"No!" she whispered under her breath.

Staring into his beautiful crimson eyes, she filled with horror at recognition. He was a man - a striking twili man, but how? She closed her eyes to clear her vision, but when she opened them, he was still there. How?! How could this be? Her mind raced trying to think of any possible explanation, but there was none.

Her eyes took in his face. She knew him well, but somehow she didn't know him at all. She wanted to turn and walk away, yet she felt she couldn't leave. Even as she stood cemented to the floor, she knew already that her dreams would be haunted by him. He was devastatingly gorgeous, this Link of the shadows.

Kindly assess my anecdote, deeries. I will be most gracious.