"I'm telling you Vi, you're making a mistake. It's one thing to steal from Castle Town, but the castle itself? Come on. Don't tell me you have that big of a death wish." He was desperate, trying to talk her out of it. She was laughing, very entertained by what he was saying.

"Death wish? And just who's going to kill me? The guards that all but collapsed when Zant attacked?"

"No. The Elite Guard. You know, the one's that Link trained in his own skills before forging them armor and weapons from those dark knights?" Violet paused as she turned to look at Alex.

"Oh...those...those guards. They're not at the castle. They set off towards The Great Waste yesterday. Queen Zelda sent them and a sorceress to investigate some ancient ruins located within them. She wants them to test a ritual that's supposed to make it livable again. Or that's what my informant said anyway."

"What he said? What if he's wrong? What if they aren't in the waste." Alex took a step towards her, glancing towards the entrance to the alleyway as he spoke, still trying to talk her out of this.

"She is right. The only thing I doubt that she knew for sure is the reason. Zelda was given the Gift of Wisdom by Nayru. She knows the Great Waste can never be restored." Violet had nothing left to say at the point, making sure the Shadow Gauntlets were pulled on nice and tight. "Besides. With these on, I can't get caught." She made a fist and a purple aura started to surround the gauntlet before she vanished, reappearing atop the building at the alley's end as she winked at Alex, disappearing from sight.

Alex sighed in exasperation as she did, closing his eyes. "...Stubborn fool."

Zelda's Private Chambers

Zelda's chambers were made up of three chambers in themselves, two of which could only be accessed through the main room. They weren't originally, but after the destruction of her castle she had been forced to move to a different area. Over time she had the doors to the other rooms sealed off and made it into her private section of the castle. When the castle was finally finished with the reconstruction, she had already gotten readjusted to her new chambers. She decided to just stay where she was now.

Two of the rooms were neatly arranged the way a Queen's room should be...the last room, which she was in now, was a complete mess. Books and scrolls dating back to the earliest centuries of Hyrule Kingdom were scattered across the room, some of the being in mint condition whilst some were close to falling apart. Normally she would've made sure they were better taken care of...but right about now, she didn't have a care.

She was looking for a spell or a ritual or anything that would reconstruct the Twilight Mirror. It was by complete accident that she discovered the scroll speaking of the seal, and the fact that it was going to break any day now...both Midna's Kingdom and Zelda's own Kingdom needed each other to have any chance to stand up against the evil that had nearly destroyed both Kingdoms seven thousand years ago. If either kingdom was destroyed, the other would inevitably fall as well. Separated, they had no chance at survival. Together they had a small chance, but a chance none the less.

Zelda sighed as she finished another book, finding yet another legend hinting at the mirror and the Twilight Realm, yet having no solid information. The closest she'd come to it was a spell that allowed for the user to contact another person no matter the distance between them...as long as they were in the same Realm. It didn't work in between the Light and Twilight Realms. She quickly performed the spell that allowed her to do it, feeling her mana stirring as she did. "Link. I haven't found anything new, besides a legend referring to a collection of items known as the 'Shadow Artefacts'. How are things with you? Have you reached the grotto yet?"

"We're there. We haven't found anything useful yet though. The majority of everything that would've been useful seems to have been ruined in the fire that destroyed the sanctuary...these Shadow Artefacts though, what do you know about them?" She shook her head as he said that, shifting through various scrolls and books before she found the one she was looking forward, reading the legend aloud, layering her voice in the spell's magic.

"...bathed in darkness, before they were...Light. The Mask, with powers of illusion and trickery, given to his youngest son as... The Shroud, with powers of agility and strength, given...youngest son as...of training. The Gauntlets, with...given to his middle son as a sign of age. The Sword...with limitless power given to his eldest son as a sign of experience. The Mirror, given to his daughter as a sign of his love and care. And The Crown..."The legend didn't end there, but it was all they had. The rest had been lost in time, stolen or destroyed by looters. That was also the reason there were various gaps throughout the legend. They didn't exactly have much to work with."That's the Legend of the Shadows Artefacts...I hope you find something. That seal could crack any moment, and we'd be up against an enemy we have no chance to defeat."

Zelda sighed as she sealed the scroll once more, looking at the mess on her desk even as she stood up and walked over to the mirror at the end of her room, examining it silently. "...Midna...whatever problems you have to deal with over there...I...please be safe." She blamed herself for this. Anything that happened because their kingdoms were separated was her fault. Zelda had known what she had intended to do. She could've spoken up. Could've told Link...but she didn't. She kept silent. And now...her entire kingdom was going to pay the price for her mistakes. "Yea. Me too. Look, I gotta go. The sorceress needs me for something. I'll contact you if we find anything."

Midna had plenty of problems of her own to deal with, and she had no idea of the seal that was getting closer and closer to breaking with every passing day. Right now, she had a war to take care of. When she returned she expected everyone to accept her rule, and for their to finally be peace over her Realm. And for a while...there was. But it didn't last long before one of the members of her council rallied a claim for the throne and demanded she step down. She had already had her throne stolen once. She had no intentions of having it done again.

She had responded by exiling him, and he had left...and his supporters had followed him. He had raised up an army, and for the past three months she'd been fighting this war. When it came down to it, she could win in one battle. And he knew it. Every time he attacked, he would keep up the attack until his scouts reported the arrival of her, and then he would retreat. He had a small chance against her ancestor's power...but combined with the Fused Shadows? The moment they met in the field of battle, Midna would win the war. It was a simple fact, and both of them knew it. Right about now, she was drawing him into a trap.

She had very publicly left the capitol, leaving it unguarded and basically completely defenseless. Although she doubted he wouldn't be prepared for it to be a trap...he had no choice. If he didn't make a strong offensive step in the war, he would start losing his support. He had no choice but to attack the city, regardless of the risks. "...Tell me Ariana. Is it wrong of me, doing what I am?" Her voice was soft as she spoke, turning to look back at her most trusted friend.

"No. You have no choice, and no one will get hurt. You made sure to evacuate all the children and the elderly. The city will be undamaged and the citizens will be safe. You're making the right choice here. The alternative is drawing out this stupid war when we have much more concerning issues to take care of." Midna considered that before she spoke again.

"And what would you say is our most pressing issue?" She was curious as to her friend's opinions.

"Repairing the Mirror. I know you broke it so that nothing like what Zant did can happen ever again, but we need to be able to contact the Light Realm. We need them. Our society could benefit from their knowledge, and their society could benefit from our knowledge. We need to fix the Mirror Midna...please." Ariana looked desperate, trying to convince her friend that she was correct.

"...You're right. I know you're right. We'll work on fixing the Mirror...on getting back to the Light Realm...after we've finished the war." Midna turned away and stared down the side of the mountain, silently examining her town and waiting as she thought about what else she'd left behind in the Light Realm. 'Back to the Light Realm...and back to Link..."