Hello there! Welcome to my second fanfiction ever! I had an ache to either play Twilight Princess or write, and since my Wii is broken... yeah. Anyway, this is about Link's emotions just after Midna breaks the Mirror. I'd say it's been anywhere from 30-45 minutes or so; any violent feelings have somewhat ebbed away. Link is debating something, and a new friendship will develop. I might extend the story later. What do you think? I love your reviews; please leave some for me!

Anyway. Enjoy "What Comes After".

The road to victory is a long one; Link knew this by heart.

But as he turned and caught sight of the shattered Mirror one last time, he wasn't sure if it had truly been won.

Zelda touched his arm gently; he sighed and walked away beside her. Had they won? Hyrule was safe now, wasn't it? The gorons were finally at peace with Kakariko. The zoras, now under Ralis' rule, were finally beginning to thrive again. The twilight was gone; the Shadow King and his so-called "god" were gone. Dead. Word had been sent to Kakariko that the kids were free to return home. He would see Ilia again.

Ilia. Somehow, his thoughts of her had been altered. Why? He constantly asked himself why he wasn't aching to be by her side like he once had. Sure, he missed her- she was his best friend, wasn't she? Mayor Bo would be so ecstatic to see them both.

For some reason, though... he didn't want to go home. Not yet, anyway. It almost seemed that there was something he was leaving behind here in Hyrule. Something... or maybe... someone.

Her.

His only companion throughout the whole trip was gone. Midna. He felt an ache every time her name entered his thoughts. He hasn't been ready to let her go. He'd seen the tear slip from her eye- was she unprepared, too? No, no, not Midna. She was a princess, and princesses always knew what they were doing. Even Zelda knew it was only for the best when she surrendered.

Zelda. He was suddenly grateful for her presence; if it weren't for her, Link's anger would have gotten the best of him hours ago, when Ganondorf had taken Midna's life. Regal Zelda had aided him in battle and had offered him nothing less than her encouragement. Their friendship wouldn't be left here, he was sure. She was what kept him together when Midna... when she broke the mirror.

He still couldn't understand why she did it! Why would she leave him without even a simple "goodbye"? Goddesses, it was so unfair! However... it didn't make sense why he even cared. It was only weeks ago that she had been nothing less than a brutal pest, torturing him daily with cruel remarks and hard strikes of "physical encouragement". Those were the days when he wanted nothing more than to be a simple country boy again, living as a herder and acting as a playmate to the kids.

Nothing's changed though. Right? he asked himself. Even now, he wasn't sure. Yes, he missed his best friend... but her touch felt foreign now. Even as he visited her in Kakariko after she regained her memory, there had been a shift. She noticed it, too; that much was obvious. He wasn't sure how, though. Why can I not just understand? That's all I want! He suddenly had a new respect for Ilia- she must have felt much worse than this when her memory couldn't serve.

Zelda rested a hand on his shoulder, awakening him from his thoughts. "We're here," she explained softly. Sure enough, here they were, at the edge of the cliff overlooking Lake Hylia. "I'll use my magic here," she added. "I'll get us back to Castle Town."

"Yeah," he murmured distractedly. They stood in silence for a moment, both somber after the moment shared up in the Mirror Chamber. Finally, Zelda sighed and turned to the newest Hero. "Listen, Link," she began. He looked at her with a hint of confusion; this is probably the most informal way she'd ever addressed him.

"Link, I... I'm really sorry about Midna. I know you two really cared for each other. She was... well, when I knew her, she was a rather... impatient little imp, to say the least." Link offered a slight chuckle, encouraging Zelda to continue. "However, I see the way she took care of you and how wonderfully you two got along. She was a fiery spirit... lively as her hair." Zelda stopped for a moment, remembering in grateful nostalgia the girl who she gave her life for and who gave her own life for Hyrule. "I think I know why she did what she did. Had the mirror remained intact, the same events could have befallen us again."

Link sighed. "I know. And I trust her wholly... I just regret not being able to stay with her."

Zelda nodded. "That won't change; it will only become easier to bear. I don't expect you to forget her. I don't want you to."

Link watched her for a moment, then smiled. "You, either." She lifted her eyes to meet his, then matched his smile. She gratefully reached out and offered him a tight hug.

"Thank you for your sacrifice," she whispered. "Will you return to the city with me, if only for long enough for me to honor you appropriately?"

Link closed his eyes. He had to return home. Memories of Midna would haunt him in Castle Town, and he missed his friends. But Zelda was his friend, now, too.

"No honors," he insisted. "But I'm not leaving you yet." They pulled apart and he smiled at the beautiful princess. "I'm here to help you, remember?"

Midna would have wanted me to.