It was not Link. With a closer look, Zelda knew it to be true. His eyes were piercing as those of a hawk and his hair was not as sun-kissed as the Link she knew. Yet, he had the same stance and there was something else. She felt connected to him in some way and was at ease in his presence. It was like meeting a long forgotten friend.

"And who are you?"

Zelda shrieked as a black blob wrapped around the Link lookalike. It had one red eye and leaned in close.

"Why are you here? What is your connection with Link?"

"Um," Zelda shuffled backwards. The thing seemed intelligent. It also had the ability to float. Strangely, the thing did not have a definite edge in its form; rather it gradually faded.

Like a shadow.

"It's a rosy-nosed peasant girl. Maybe she got lost in the woods. Let's go." The shadow grabbed the sleeve of the lookalike and pulled, but he would not move. "Oh, come on! No more side quests. We. Have. To get. To. The. Castle." With one more pull, the shadow gave up and sat in midair.

"I'm Zel-," Zelda hesitated. "Guh. Zelguh." It was probably not wise to share her name. Not until she learned more about this land and its inhabitants.

"Zelguh, huh? I think I knew a Twili with that name," the shadow said. "On second thought, it might have been Zelgurt. He was a weirdo."

"Y... yes. Pardon me for asking, but what are you?"

The shadow's eye narrowed. "You're serious?"

"Who are you then?"

"Well, Zelguh," the shadow started, enunciating the "guh" more than necessary. "Midna's the name. Don't wear it out. And, yes, I am a Twili." Midna's grin faded to a frown at Zelda's apparent confusion. "The shadow people? We live in the Twilight Realm?"

"Shadow people?"

"Pfft. A sheltered peasant girl. Anyway, Link, we have to go!" Midna continued the labor of moving the hero.

Zelda's eyes met his. "Are you really Link? The bearer of the Triforce of Courage?"

The green-clad hero gave a curt nod. He knew something. She was sure of it.

"I... you shouldn't know that," Midna responded.

"I am so confused. I am not from this world. Please, could you help me?"

Midna sighed. "Listen, we each have our own problems and time is of the essence. You are probably going through post-trauma or something. Don't worry. We'll fix everything."

Useless. "One last request. May I take a picture of you, Midna?"

"Take a what?"

Zelda fumbled with her Sheikah Slate. "It's just for my record. I have never seen someone like you."

Midna scratched the top of her head with her hair. "Yeah, and I have never met someone as peculiar as you. What in the name of darkness is that?"

"It's a Sheikah Slate."

"Like that answers my question. Whatever."

Zelda moved the screen until she got both Midna and the Link lookalike and then tapped the screen. "And... good."

"Ow ow ow!" Midna curved her face with her hair hand. "Ugh, what was that?"

The princess looked down at the picture. Midna appeared only as a black blob. "Are you alright?"

"No. That burned!" said Midna. She rubbed her eye. Her face seemed to be a lighter shade of gray.

"The flash? I had to use it because it is so dark. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, and try to kill me?" Midna balled her hands into little fists. Link laid a hand on her shoulder and her fists uncurled slightly.

"I truly am sorry. I had no idea," she said. "I swear." Midna huffed and crossed her arms while Zelda put the slate away, vowing to not use it again until she returned home. She stood up and brought out her journal and pen. "May I at least do a quick sketch? There is no light involved," she added.

"I know that," Midna retorted. "Yeesh, I hope she rewards you well for this side quest," she told Link.

It took Zelda a short time though she gave up on the details of her mask and opted for a simple shape instead. Midna was surprisingly patient. "What do you Twilis eat?"

"Food."

The princess stopped asking questions after that.

"And done! Thank you so much. I hope I didn't bother you too much."

"Yeah, yeah," Midna muttered. She glided behind Zelda. "Hmm, I'd say that's accurate. Nothing beats the real deal though." In a flash, Zelda's journal was lifted into the air by the Twili's hair hand. "You have seen some strange things. Oh!" She flipped the book around to a drawing. "This looks like a bokoblin. Why did you make it look cute?" She continued flipping pages and finally stopped at one near the end. "What's this?"

Zelda peered over. Flattened on the page was a four-leaf clover. She had found it with Link. He had been a magnet to the elusive clovers while she could show nothing for her efforts. Finally, she found one. Truth be told, it was already picked out from the ground and was impossible not to notice. She knew her knight had put it there, but she couldn't care any less. Seeing the familiar plant once again caused Zelda to smile. "That's a four-leaf clover. They are considered lucky and are rare to come by."

Midna examined the mutation. "Luck?" She picked up the clover and closed the book, handing it to Zelda. "This will do. We'll need all the luck we can get."

Zelda took the book, dumbstruck. "Excuse me?"

"Okay, Link," Midna tucked the clover into her hairband. "Now we really have to go." This time, Link followed Midna.

"No. Don't leave me alone!"

Midna looked over her shoulder. "Link will help you after he helps my people. Bye-bye!"

Zelda ran after them, her feet create plumes of dust in her wake. She didn't want to be alone, but the duo was fast. A while later, she heard the whinny of a horse and, just as she exited the clearing, Link and Midna were riding off toward a castle in the distance.

...

Zelda didn't know where she was walking to. Her feet lead the way like clockwork. One step in front of the other.

"One step in front of the other."

A sinister aura prevented Zelda from nearing the castle, but she had to keep moving. At least, it was getting warmer. Had anyone in her world knew of her disappearance? Were they looking for her? Did her world even exist? She picked up her foot and saw the red sand shake down like a waterfall. When had she landed in the desert? When was the last time she had anything to eat? Was that a monument in the distance? My, her knees were trembling a lot. One more step.

The sand continued to burn under her feet.

...

Peppermint. Honey. The combination of smells was enough to wake Zelda from her slumber.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed. When she saw the ruined stone walls and crimson sand below, her heart dropped into her stomach. The sun blazed above, mocking her misfortune. She rose to her feet and then saw the looking glass. Larger than her and resting atop a pedestal, it was adorned with strange markings and the Triforce. A small teacup was placed on the ground beside the pedestal. Zelda's eyes went from the mirror to the teacup before she rushed to the teacup. This was the source of the peppermint and honey smell. Sand hugged the edge and the cup felt cold in her hand, yet it still found a way to her lips.

Sand. Only half of it was tea and it was cold. The rest was wet sand. She coughed and sputtered out the sand before drinking again. The feeling of tea going down her throat was worth it. The cup was empty in a few seconds.

"I must be mad," she said, dangling the cup by the handle. "Positively mad."

"Princess Zelda, I sense that there is much that we could learn from each other."

Zelda perked her head up. In the direction where the voices were coming from, a group of three silhouettes danced on the wall. She scrambled behind the pedestal.

"I came back here before telling you both about my leave, yet I felt it was only right to return. You didn't have to come," the voice continued. Zelda couldn't figure out why this voice sounded so similar.

"Of course we had to come. It will be a long time until we meet again, Midna."

Midna! Zelda peeked from behind her hideaway. She recognized Link, but the other two women were strangers. One of them in particular caught her interest. Her skin was almost white and markings splattered her skin. In her own way, she looked just as regal as the other woman. She couldn't be Midna, could she?

Zelda ducked behind again as the trio climbed up onto the pedestal. "Well... I guess this is farewell, huh?" Midna said. "As we all know, light and darkness can't mix." This was not the small imp she remembered. Where was she going?

"But never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

Another world? Zelda almost blew her cover and was about to speak up, yet something told her that they were thinking of different worlds. Her mind twisted into a knot. It was all too much.

"See you later." She could hear a sound similar to breaking ice and stood up. Cracks spiderwebbed the surface of the looking glass. Her eyes followed Midna's feet as she skipped up a clear stairway to a portal. Midna turned around at the top and smiled. Zelda could've have sworn that her red eyes gazed in her direction, a mischievous and knowing twinkle shining before she blinked and faded away. A small, green object fluttered down in front of her and Zelda picked it up gingerly.

Her clover.

Zelda held the clover to her chest. The portal was gone by now. She would return, wouldn't she? Zelda looked up a that mirror and was blinded by a brilliant white light.

Crash!

Glass flew in all directions and scattered light like a kaleidoscope. Time seemed to stop as the shards came closer, but she couldn't move. This strange world went black when the particles of glass struck her eyes.

...

Zelda's eyes shot open. Why did she have to relive this nightmare again? The cries of seabirds and the lapping of waves replaced the darkness of the last world. She hoisted herself and sat on the wooden floor.

Shink.

The blade of a sword hovered under Zelda's chin and she followed it to its handler. A petite, tan girl glowered down at her. Behind the girl, a group of what Zelda could only assume were pirates, showed no glimmer of kindness.

"What are you doing on my ship?"