A/N: Edited 9/19/13. New version up!

Read, Review and Enjoy!

~Shard of Freedom

Legend of Zelda: Shadow Reign

Prologue: A Mournful Celebration

When wars end, there's supposed to be peace.

When wars end, the Hero should rise triumphant, the villain vanquished through sheer force of will and excellent fighting ability. The streets should ring with the cheers of the citizens who realize that they have at last been saved.

When wars end, there should be a fluffy blanket of serenity that encompasses all. A new age should be realized, brought into light by the sheer strength of will of those who fought for it.

When wars end, life should return to normal. Things should go back to the way that they once were.

But life isn't as it should be.

Link stood in the Mirror Chamber, staring at the Mirror of Twilight. Midna was gone. She had left, graceful and tall, no longer the sharp-tongued imp that he had known, to return to the life that she had once had in the halls of the Twilight Palace. She would be a princess worth her kingdom. The goddesses may have dubbed Link with the Triforce of Courage, but Midna was a hero as well.

And now she was gone. Link wasn't going to pretend that he hadn't seen it coming. They had spent all that time adventuring, fighting, killing, nearly dying—in order for her to return her kingdom to its former glory. She had manipulated him and others, ran from her birthright and fought tooth-and-nail side by side with a wolf-boy who was the incarnation of a former Hero. If she had turned her back on her kingdom after Zant and Ganondorf were both defeated . . . Link might have slapped her. She hadn't worked so hard to give up what she had fought for. She wasn't that person. Link wouldn't have let her let everything go to stay in the world of Light. She deserved so much more than that.

Few people knew about Midna's time in the world of Light. Princess Zelda was one of them. But despite what Zelda and the others thought, Link and Midna's relationship never went beyond anything but friends. They were partners, comrades, fellow fighters, and working for the same cause from different angles. She was his advice giver, the one that tugged his ears when he was a wolf and patted his head when he did something right. She was the little imp that hid in his shadow and made snide remarks. He was her Hero, the savior who was needed to return her world to the way it was. He was the courageous young kid that she had picked up to fight her battles for her.

As Link looked at the empty half-circle that was the holder of the Mirror of Twilight, he realized that there was no way back. Her last action in the world of Light was to shatter the Mirror of Twilight, to insure that there would always be the uncorrupted balance of Light and Twilight. No more invasions like Zant's. She had put aside the only connection that they had to each other in order to protect them. With a single tear, she had protected the generations to come. Link was certain that he would never see Midna again. And despite that depressing thought, he was pleased that things had turned out the way that they were. Midna had a life and a throne waiting for her in the Twilight. There was nothing left for her in the Light. She was only a shadow here after all.

Link sighed. He played with the bracers on his wrists, caked in mud, dust, and blood from the battle that ensued on hours ago. Despite the warping to the Mirror Chamber, Link had wiped off most of the gore from his green tunic in Ordon Spring. He had felt that it would be inappropriate to be covered in grime at this occasion. But still, there were flecks of Ganondorf's blood on his cheek and his own cuts on his arms. His side was bandaged from a particularly close call. He would have to chug some red potion when he got back to Epona.

The princess of Hyrule stood next to him, motionless and pristine, staring at the large stone protruding from the sand, as if willing the portal to open up again once more. As far as Link knew, Zelda and Midna had never been close, but the Hylian princess had been willing to give her life for Midna's, so there was that certain bound between them.

Compared to Link's grimy battle-worn appearance, Zelda was perfect. Her brown hair was tied with ribbons and jewels, her dress was clean and beautiful, her ceremonial sword polished and her skin unmarred. Link looked like a field hand compared to her. Which, he supposed, he was.

Link sighed once more and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Link looked over his green-clad shoulder to see Zelda calling out for him. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Why are you leaving?" The princess looked so worried and distraught that Link had to wonder what he had done that was so terrible.

Link looked back to the pillar of stone in the center of the circular ruins. "There's no need to stay. She's not coming back anytime soon. I'm no longer needed here." His words were short and soft, carrying the weight of his will.

Zelda regained her poise, her voice returning to its normal calm and collected tone. "But you're still needed in Hyrule. We have to rebuild! My father was killed in the raid of the Twilight Beasts. It's up to me to return Hyrule to its former glory, and I need a man like you to help me."

"Princess—"

"I'm not being foolish! You're a hero, Link, and the soldiers need a skilled weapons master to lead them. You know more of this world than most. You have connections with all the races that inhabit our lands. You are a man of great knowledge and skill. Hyrule became a weak country under my father's rule. I need you to help me to return it to what it once was. I need you at my side."

Link scratched the back of his head. "Princess, this is all very flattering—"

Zelda sighed and tilted her head. "I know that this is all very sudden and uncalled for, but I would like you to return to Hyrule Castle with me. Not many know of your deeds, and they have a right to know their savior. You could teach the soldiers to know true courage. You could show the world what a real hero is."

Link paused, an unreadable look on his face. "What are you asking me to do, Princess?"

"Come back to Hyrule Castle with me. I will place you at the head of my army, and you will be given the title of lord. You will be known throughout the kingdom and a hero to all. I only ask of you to help me protect Hyrule together with me, at my side." Zelda's voice was high and mighty, the voice that she had probably used in the throne room, talking to her subjects. She waited patiently, confidently, for his answer.

Link shuffled uncomfortably. "Listen, Princess, that's all nice and good, but I'm not one for the limelight. You have other nobles, other strong fighters. I'm a farm boy from the Ordon Province. I know nothing of how to act like a noble. I do not wish to be pushed into a world of politics." Zelda looked like she would refute his statement, but Link silenced her with a look and continued speaking. "It may be selfish of me to refuse, but it was also selfish of you to ask. This world does not need a hero anymore. It will only give them a false sense of security. It would be better if the Hero of Twilight faded, along with the deeds that went along with him. I will be only a reminder of bad times, and a bloody fight that only I know the full story of. That is not a hero you show to the public. I am a vague figure that not many will accept. I must refuse your offer."

Zelda's face was unreadable, but there was hurt and betrayal in her eyes. "You would abandon Hyrule in its time of need!"

Link started walking away again, crushing the sand beneath his coarse brown boots. When Zelda spoke however, Link glanced over his shoulder. His eyes were feral and blue.

"Hyrule doesn't need me right now. Hyrule needs you. And don't misunderstand me, Princess. When darkness rises again, as it always will, I will be there to fight it." He gave a small sad smile as he looked back to the empty Mirror holder. "I promise you that."

Link turned away, kicking up sand with his boots, not glancing back to the now broken connection he had with the second world he had saved. Zelda called out after him, trying to catch him without tripping over her own dress, but Link was too quick for her and eventually faded away on the horizon.

That was the last time the world would hear of him for three years.

Drip. Drip.

There was always that sound. For thousands of years. What was it? Blood? Water? Life?

He didn't know.

Or perhaps he did. There was no way to tell. He was simply a shell, waiting for that breath of light to return, as it always did. He had planned that it would.

And his plans were never wrong.

Drip. Drip.

CRACK.

Yes, his plans were never wrong.

He rubbed his hands, feeling the restless freedom that he was now granted.

"Excellent." A vicious sneer. "Well, Hyrule, did you miss me?"

Drip. Drip.