Author's Note: This story was actually created by Xployalist; I am simply doing it as a request. It's something I typically don't do, but hey, it's a good story and a good chance to test my skills. Hope this story is everything you want from it Xployalist. As usual, I don't own Legend of Zelda.

Chasing Shadows

Chapter 1: The Dawn isn't Always a Happy Sight

See you later. Those words continued to bounce around in his skull. Those weren't the words he wanted to hear. They weren't the words he needed to hear. The Hylian couldn't pinpoint when it happened, but at some point he fell for the Twilight Princess. But he knew one thing, once he saw her, finally free from Zant's curse, he could barely contain it. Now that the Twilight Mirror was shattered, thus cutting off the Twilight Realm from his own, he wished he hadn't found the strength to contain it. He had only one regret throughout the quest, not telling Midna how much he loved her. But now she was gone, and he'd never see her again, despite those last words.

Link's House, a few days later…

Link had barely left his house since he returned. The only one to have any real contact with him since he returned was Ilia.

"Could you watch over Epona for awhile Ilia?" Link asked, "I don't know if I feel up to it right now."

"Of course Link." Ilia said, "Is there something bothering you? You can always talk to be about it. We've been friends for how long."

"No. It's nothing you could help with." Link said, "No one could."

Since then, no one's seen or heard from Link. He wouldn't come out to help Fado with the goats, he wouldn't come out to spar with Rusl, most of the residents of residents of Ordon Village were wondering if he even was still eating.

I wish everyone would leave me alone. Link thought as he watched Colin, Malo, and Talo leave after an attempt to get him to leave his house, I suppose it's unhealthy to keep up this depression, but I can't shake it. Every shadow I see, I can't stop hoping that her voice will come from it.

Hyrule Castle…

Zelda was looking through old lore books of Hyrule. Twilight Portals where opened all over the kingdom, so there must be some way to enter the realm without the mirror. Finding such a way seemed easy when she started.

"So these are all the books we have on Hyrule's legends?" Zelda asked one of her attendants.

"Yes princess." The attendant said, "Well, all the books savable from the old castle's library."

"Old Castle?" Zelda asked confused.

"It was long before any of our lifetimes." The attendant said, "Centuries ago, a massive earthquake struck Hyrule, permently altering the landscape. The old castle town was destroyed, almost reduced to more than rubble. We moved all the items we could, but some just couldn't."

"How many of the books?" Zelda asked.

"Most of the books were destroyed I'm afraid." The attendant said, "But odds are all the legends will be found in any book."

"Well thank you." Zelda said, "You may leave." Link's done so much for us. Zelda thought as the attendant left, So bravely fighting against Zant and Ganondorf. He deserves to at least see her one last time. Zelda took the first book off the shelf and began reading.

Now, it was starting to seem as if the goddesses where punishing him for something. So far, no legend seemed to depict a second way into the Twilight Realm.

"Well, that's the last book." Zelda said to no one, "It would appear that the Mirror was the only way in this realm to open another portal." A yawn escaped the princesses lips, "I suppose I may as well go to bed. I'll have to give Link the bad news in the morning." Later that night, the Goddesses seemed to finally give them a break of luck. A memory long since buried in Zelda's mind, came lose that night.

"Another realm?" A very young Zelda asked confused. She was being told a story from her mother, the queen of Hyrule and her name sake.

"Yes Zelda." Her mother said in her soft voice, "It's a legend handed down amongst the royal family. Only passed on by word of mouth."

"Why don't we write it down?" Zelda asked.

"Because it was first told by one of our ancestors, another princess who shared your name." the elder Zelda said, "You see, she knew the man who disappeared into the realm. Somewhere deep in the Faron Woods is an area that was once the castle. It was around there he disappeared."

"Wasn't the castle always here?" The naïve princess asked.

"No dear, the old castle was destroyed." Her mother said, "As the legend goes, the young boy wanted to find an old friend. But he was attacked by a creature wearing a wicked mask. He followed him through a tree, and came out in a new world."

"What happened?" Zelda asked.

"We don't know." Her mother said, "All we know is the mask never reappeared."

"But what about the people who made it?" Zelda asked, "Couldn't they make it again?"

"Relax honey." The queen said, "The gods banished them after the evil the mask held was revealed. A few of our older scholars believe the mask tried to retreat to its creators. But they would have to face the Hero of Time, a man who journeyed across time itself to stop evil. We've enjoyed an era of peace due to his actions in this world, and the one he disappeared into."

Zelda awoke. It was still a few hours before sunrise, but the answer had finally come to her. The Twilight Realm was used as a place for the goddesses to banish those who excelled in dark magic. If the legends where true, the mask tried to run back to whoever created it. And that meant, somewhere in the older woods of Hyrule, was a way back into the Twilight Realm.

Wow, that chapter was a little more flashback heavy than I first thought. Oh well, I promise the rest won't be. Any comments or questions? Leave a review.