Hi all, Joe Elf here with chapter 3.
WARNING: The following text contains an unintentional "arrow to the knee" joke which I swear I only noticed when my friend pointed it out to me. Please don't kill me for it.
OMG people are actually reading this! Every time I get a "story alert" e-mail, a warm bubble appears in my heart. Thanks to Shadowman 747 for his awesomeness! I try my best to serve the people.
Anyway, Zelda and Link might seem a bit OOC in this chapter, hopefully it won't hurt the story for you. It is admittidly the most comedious chapter I've written, even though I'm not that good at writting humor. That said, this is my longest chapter so far (9 pages!), so have fun!

Disclaimer: I'm not even old enough to legally own a copyright...

Chapter 3: A Link to the Twilight

The mailman ran with all haste across the fields. According to the Princess, this might be his most important delivery yet. He was to find the Hero of Time and personally deliver her letter into his hands only. He had half a mind to open it and read it, just to see what could possibly be so important, but he did not for two reasons.

First of all, he took the privacy of his clients seriously. Very seriously. "Secondly," he thought, now running over the bridge, "Considering the rumors circulating about her majesty and the Hero, I suspects whatever she has to say is... Private..." Besides, he couldn't wait to show off the new official mailman jingle he had written to boost business. Finally spotting a green-clad horseman, he yelled "MR. LINK!"

As Link rode his steed out of a rickety stone section of the path, he heard someone call out his name in an annoyingly familiar voice. That accursed mailman was back. He sighed, too wiped out from his previous trials to complain as the object of his hatred jogged into view.

"Hey Mr. Link, I have a letter for you! It's a letter from Princess Zelda, for your eyes only." Now this was different... Why would Zelda write him a letter? She knew were he was and when he would return, so what purpose would it serve?

Unless something bad had happened in the short time he was away... Nervous, Link took the envelop bearing the royal seal from the other guy's hand and thanked him for delivering it. "Before I leave, allow me to present to you the Hyrule Mail Service's official song!" Link stared open-mouthed as he cleared his throat and began to sing in the most horrible voice he had ever heard. He must have been worst that Ilia!

"Through rain and snow, through sleet and hail,
I deliver to you the daily mail.
You'll never live to see the day,
When bokoblins will block my way."

As Link cringed at the sound of the "singing", the mailman smiled widely, then scampered off to his next delivery. Wondering what he had done to the goddesses to deserve this, he stopped Epona, laid down the Dark Sword (he had been carrying it in his hands due to his lack of scabbard) and opened the letter. His eyes widened as he read the familiar, carefully written handwriting of his friend. It said:

Oh great Hero,

I hope this correspondence finds you in good health and, more importantly, before you find the Dark Sword. Many circumstances have changed since you left not so long ago and they require immediate attention. I cannot say all that I would like in this letter, for it must not be intercepted. Therefore, I simply must ask you to return to the castle in all haste. There is someone you need to meet who claims to have vital information concerning your current goal. I feel it fair to warn you in advance that the person you must meet may seem a little strange. I, personally, am not sure what to think of him. We will be waiting.

Yours truly,

Princess Zelda

Astonished, and a bit worried, Link reread the letter a few times. It was a little too late to not get the Dark Sword and according to what Zelda had written, it was imperative he not get it. What did she mean? Did she change her mind and decide it was too risky to recreate the mirror? If so, he didn't care. He would go to the castle, but no matter what was said he would go directly to the mirror chamber afterward and he would return to the Twilight. On the other hand, if something else was wrong...

He shuddered to think of what it could be. From the mood in the letter, it had to be something extremely important. Then there was this stranger. All she had said was that he was a bit odd. She hadn't even mentioned a name. Why? For security reasons? Or simply because she didn't know it? Or maybe even she just didn't consider it.

Any way, he would have to first return to the castle and speak to her. Sighing from exhaustion, he climbed back on Epona and, head buzzing with questions, theories and unwanted memories of the last test, he urged her forwards towards the setting sun and the mighty castle in the distance.

Having just finished leaving Epona in the less-than-capable hands of a young stable boy, Link hurried up the great central staircase towards the throne room. It was past sundown but, according to a night guard outside the gates, the Princess was still up and waiting for his return. Wishing nothing more than to flop down on his comfortable palace bed and sleep for seven years, he made himself alert and ready, then knocked on the large, carving-adorned oak doors.

He heard a rustle on the other side. "Link? Link! You're back! Please, do come in!" readying himself for the certain outburst he was about to endure for getting the dark weapon, he pushed open the large doors and walked into the throne room. The Princess stood in front of her throne, looking very tired. "Thank goodness you're ba-" she began, only to suddenly cut off as she saw what he was carrying in his hand.

"WHAT!" she practically screamed and Link closed the door to prevent waking the other resident of the castle. "You got it? Didn't you get my letter? Why did you- When did you..." She trailed off, groaning to herself.

"Sorry," replied Link. "I only got the letter after I already had the sword, I didn't know..."

"Oh, its fine... I don't blame you, it's just that he's bound to be upset."

"He who?"

"He, the mystery man"

"Oh, yeah. Were is he anyway? You said he would be here..."

"I don't know..." she sighed. "He said he would come back when you returned then jumped out the window."

As they talked, neither of them noticed a subtle, shadowy figure seemingly glide over the tiled floor until.

"Looking for me?" said a deep, powerful voice right behind Zelda, who shrieked, tumbling forwards and tripping on her skirt only to have Link gallantly catch her before she truly fell.

"Don't DO that!" she cried, trying to catch her breath.

The shadowy figure chuckled. "Won't you be so kind as to introduc- wait, what's that in your hand?" he said, staring as the black hilt.

Link stared at the man and, seemingly deeming him safe, reveal the entire Dark Sword. The stranger froze. Glaring at Link for what seemed like an eternity before turning his back and sighing loudly.

"This is, truly very, very, extremely uncool... Now that you have the Dark Sword in hand, there is no stopping fate. I'm sorry for having you stay up so late, but it there is no longer anything we can do tonight. I will explain more in the morning." The stranger strode towards the window, but just before he jumped, Link called after him.

"Wait! How did you get inside the room without being seen?" The intruder smiled.

"Magic," he answered, letting himself fall backwards over the windowsill. Link started, running over to the edge.

"Don't bother..." said Zelda, let's just go to bed..." In light of the events that happened that day, Link was only too happy to comply. He considered for a moment confiding the vision of the last trial to Zelda, but decided against it.

"I mean, it was just an illusion, right?" he thought to himself as he bade her royal highness goodnight. Being as tired as he was, he simply threw himself fully clothed onto the bed and fell asleep.

The following morning, Link rose late. He had been so tired the day before that he must have slept well into the afternoon. Blinking tiredly, he got up and ran through his daily stretches. As he washed his face, he began smiling rather foolishly, thinking about what he was going to do today. He knew the ride to the mirror chamber would be long, but being able to see Midna again would make it all worth it. Feeling as if nothing could spoil his good mood, he made his way out of his room and began the walk to the throne room.

When he arrived in front of the doors, he took a deep breath. He wasn't nervous about seeing Zelda, but the stranger made him uneasy. How was it possible for someone to know so much about him, his quest and the Twilight? Why did he regret him obtaining the Dark Sword? Why did he refuse to show his face? And how, oh how, did he do all his so-called "magic"? He didn't trust that man...

Putting his concerns aside, he knocked on the large wooden doors, then entered. The Princess was sitting on her large throne, muttering instructions to a servant. On the left side of the room, next to the window he was so fond of jumping out of, stood the orange-eyed man. There was something different about him though. He now had a sword of his own, which was sheathed in an delicate, gold-plated scabbard on his waist.

The hilt of his sword was black and gray, much like that of the Dark Sword, except it was much larger and lacked the curved guards, sporting instead two straight ones with two spikes coming out vertically on either end. Smiling as she noticed Link, the monarch gently dismissed her servant and summoned both men up to her. Instead of her usual, white garb, she sported a cloak not unlike the one he had first met her in at the beginning of his journey, which was odd considering her political position.

"You said you had something to explain to us this morning," she stated calmly. "If you have no objection, I suggest you explain it to us on the way to the Arbiter's Grounds, for it would be excellent if we could arrive there before nightfall." Link stared.

"You're coming? Your majesty, that is really not necessary. I wouldn't even think of taking you away from your people."

"Unfortunately, Hero, it is necessary. I know you're doing this to reunite with Midna," the stranger gave a barely perceptible start. "But you are also opening contact with an entire realm full of people and as such, you need a high-ranking diplomat. And if Midna is as you describe her, a normal, snooty, protocol-obsessed maniac will only get in the way. She knows you and has met me several times, so there shouldn't be any problems. Might I also remind you that yes, I may be the Princess of the Kingdom, but it is also yours as you are the one who saved it, the legendary Hero."

Link sighed, considering arguing the point but too eager to get going to actually protest.

"Fine, but what about him, do you really think he should come? As you pointed out, it's very serious business and those uninvolved should stay so." He said, staring pointedly at the other man. The piercing orange eyes stared at him in mock shock.

"What. You think I can't handle it? I've only been there, what, perhaps a dozen times..."

The two hylians stared. "But enough about me. I don't mind storytelling while riding, so let us go." He strode away (to the window, again) calling back "I'll be waiting at the town gates, don't take too long." Desperately wanting to know more, the other two hustle out of the room in the direction of the stables.

"Don't worry about Hyrule, I was explaining to that servant what story to tell the people about why we weren't present and, if I do say so myself, it should keep them busy," explained Zelda as they hurried out of the castle proper and into the courtyard.

"Oh really? What did you say?"

Flashback

"No, it's not true! I'm just telling you to say this to stop the council from bickering."
"Whatever you say madam. And where are you going for your honeymoon?"
"I'm pretending to go to a secret mansion in the Snowpeak region"
"So you're going to a hidden cottage in the middle of nowhere with the chosen Hero for an undetermined amount of time."
"I'm pretending to"
"Right, I'll say that..."
"And whatever you do, don't tell Link"
"Why not?"
"Because- oh! Here he is! Go on, I need to talk to him."
"Who's the other guy?"
"Um... A new adviser. Go away."
"Of course, your highness."

End flashback

"Oh," said Zelda as they finally reached the stables, "Nothing much, really... It's not important. Let's hurry."

"Riiiiiight..."

Reaching the stables, the Princess announced that the current stable masters should prepare the royal horse and the Hero's noble steed. Bringing them out, the man in charge asked when they could expect them to return.

"I'm not sure."

The man's eyes widened as he looked unashamedly from the Zelda to Link who, fortunately, was too busy feeding Epona a carrot to notice. Slightly stunned, the stable master gave her the reins of her shockingly white stallion and stumbled off to his office in the back. Nervous and ready to leave before encountering more people, Zelda quickly motioned Link to straddle his horse and they were off.

Since they, or at least Zelda, were keen to not be seen, the pair traveled along backstreets and alleyways and received very few curious glances. Hopefully, not many of the people who had noticed them realized she was the Princess for she had, upon departure, lowered her hood so as to hide the most of her face possible.

Finally reaching the gates, they spotted "Mr. Mysterious" waiting outside on a jet-black, fast-looking warhorse, waiting for them in the shade of a tree. Spotting them, he stirred his mount in their direction and off they were, Link in the lead, towards Lake Hylia.

"Well," began Zelda, as they sped to a trot. "We're waiting." The man chuckled, in Link's opinion, evilly.

"Very well, let us begin."

"The Master Sword, unlike what common history will tell us, was not created by the sages, but by an ancient and powerful sorceress who's name is unknown. It was used, at the time, by the very first Hero, to seal away an evil power unlike any the world has ever seen. Even more powerful than Ganondorf. It's true form was given birth thanks to the sacred flames of the goddesses that the original Hero earned by passing certain trials.

Now, if we backtrack to the beginning of time, the great Nayru stated in her infinite wisdom that for there to be peace, the world's power must always be balanced between good and evil. Thus, when the evil spirit of old was born, so was the Hero, who could bring the world back to peace. This is why, when the Master Sword was finally complete, another blade was created. A blade with dark powers known as the Dark Sword.

For many years, this sword was hidden, it's incredible power untapped, until the son of the Hero found it. At first, he believed it to be nothing but an ordinary sword, simply crafted with an unknown material, but he was wrong. Luckily, he realized his error before anything bad happened. Knowing that the sword mustn't be in close contact with the population, but assuming that it might be needed again someday, he decided to hide it.

Now, you may be wondering "how in the world does he know all this?" and I can see in your faces that I'm right. Well, it just so happens that the Hero's son enlisted the help of his most trusted assistant to aid him in the task of hiding he Dark Sword so as to make sure that only someone good would be able to retrieve it. That assistant was my ancestor. The reason he was chosen for the job was that apart from being the most loyal servant to the royal family, he was also adept at magic.

Together, the Hero's offspring and my ancestor sealed the Dark Sword in a large cave in a mountain a fair distance from the city. Knowing that despite the protections put in place around the sword there would be need of living protectors, my forebearer decided to stay nearby and protect it. Training certain, trusted guards in the most intense ways possible, there soon grew to be a small village where the sword lay, hidden. The residents of the "village" eventually became known as the Sheikah, who were the helpers of the goddess who created the original, unimproved version of the Master Sword.

The guards were never told what they were protecting and, with the death of my ancestor and the Hero's son, there was only one person alive who knew of it. My ancestor's son. He knew that if the knowledge of the Dark Sword was kept to a oral level, it would no longer exist by the time it was needed again. Thus, he wrote two books. One was implanted in secret in the royal library, that was the book you found, and the other was handed down, father-to-son, until it came to me.

That book contains the true story of what happened. Obviously, my ancestor's son did not believe certain rumors... You see, the reason that I disapproved of you obtaining the Dark Sword is that in said book, it is mentioned that while no physical manifestations occurred, there was a rumor that an evil spirit resided within the sword and that it was fighting to get out.

This is the reason it was turned to stone. As long as it remained in the stone, the spirit could not, in theory, get out. However, because these rumors are unfounded, there is no reason to believe in them. None-the-less, I would have preferred to leave the Dark Sword where it was, just in case. Therefore, Link, I urge you to use the Dark Sword as little as possible in favor of the Blessed Blade."

"I would," Link said, interrupting for what seemed like the first time in hours. "But for some reason it seems really heavy all of a sudden..."

"Obviously. The Master Sword has but one purpose, which is to aid the chosen Hero defeat an evil enemy. Since there are none of those left, the sword would normally return to it's resting place. However, in our current circumstances, that isn't happening.

It is merely a sign that you are not suppose to overuse it's power. It will keep getting heavier until returned to it's home. When we arrive at the Arbiter's Grounds, I can lend you another sword for personal use until I leave."

Zelda, still absorbing the news, asked "That is all well, but it still does not explain how you knew that Link was going to get it now, nor how you supposedly have voyaged to the Twilight realm in the past."

"Indeed. Not to be rude, but there's a reason I didn't broach that subject. It is a secret. Thus, I will never tell. Actually, there's nothing more, really, to say. Which is good because we've arrived at the lake."

So deeply preoccupied were they, that the other two had not noticed that the trio had stopped outside the familiar (at least to Link) cucco gliding game house. The stranger, apparently, had also been there before because he followed Link confidently into the building while the Princess trailed behind. Unsure of what they were doing in a place like this. Walking down a small indoor slope, Link grabbed a cucco and advanced to talk to an odd-looking clown-man who stood in a doorway leading out of the "house" and into... Nothing.

As Link approached, the clown-man spoke: "Well, hi there! Welcome to Falbi's Flight-by-Fowl. Are you ready for a flight full of dreams and sweet, sweet bonuses? A cucco-powered ride around Lake Hylia? You will LOVE it! Next up for fantastication: ONE BIG GUY- wait, you're three. Right then, that's 60 rupees for three tickets to the isle of riches. How about it, partners?"

The stranger strode in between the two men.

"I have a better idea," he said, partly unsheathing his sword revealing a slightly golden blade. "How about either we go down, or you do," he finished, glaring down at the man.

"O-O-O-Of course s-sir, that seems perfectly f-f-fair. Hehehe..." Said the clown, trembling from head to toe as the stranger glowered down at him. Gulping loudly, he scurried off. Practically running up a ladder on the far side of the room and quickly leaving the house.

"That was not necessary," said the Hero sternly. "I would have paid."

"Bah, whatever. It's not like he's poor or anything..." The Princess, wishing to avoid an argument interrupted with a question of her own.

"How are we suppose to reach Lake Hylia from here?" Link smiled evilly at her from the ledge.

"Like this," and he jumped.

Zelda watched in horror as he guided himself onto a small, square island in the middle of the lake. Once he had landed, he looked up to the house and waved.

"There is no way I'm doing that. Forget it."

"Aw, don't be such a pampered princess," said the stranger turning around and looking at her. "You'll have fun once the ride starts," and with that, he grabbed her arm and jumped into the void.

"AAAAAAAAAAAOMGAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed as they fell to what she was sure to be their doom. He had, after all, not even taken a cucco. As they approached the island where Link was standing, watching with trepidation as the stranger whom they had dared trust guide the needed Princess of Hyrule to her death, Zelda dared open her eyes, wanting to see the clear blues skies one more time before...

She didn't have that chance. The only thing visible were the stranger's hate-filled eyes. Then, to her astonishment, they began to glow red. She didn't have any time to examine this, however, and as the distance between them and the ground closed she flinched, closing her eyes, waiting for impact. It never came.

Zelda opened her eyes. She was clinging to the still-hooded stranger who was standing tall on a patch of land a few yards away from another house that was floating on logs a little ways into the lake. She released her hold on the man and tried to stand. Beside her, she heard the Hero yelling at Mr. Mysterious.

"ARE YOU INSANE? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED THE BOTH OF YOU!"

"Not a chance, I have never, ever missed a jump."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! YOU, YOU, AAAARGH! Fine. Let's... Let's just... move on."

The trio approached the floating house, Zelda a little unstable due to the recent events. As Link began speaking to another oddly dressed man, she turned on the man beside her.

"Never, never, do that again."

"What, didn't enjoy it?" replied the stranger as Link paid the man, who then opened the door of his house and went to a lever attached to the side of said house.

"NO. I thought I was going to die!"

"Then you're gonna love this," he answered, shoving her through the door, which slammed shut behind her.

Link was glaring daggers at the whistling stranger as Flyer cranked up his cannon and Zelda's worried voice could be heard through the door.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Let me out of here! Hmmm, why does this look like the inside of a cannon? ... NO! ABSOLUTLY NOT! LET ME OUT OF HERE"

BOOM

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Flyer turned around. "So, who's next?"

"We'll both go," said Link quickly, not wanting to chance leaving the Princess with the stranger alone for more than no time at all.

"So be it. Step right in, fellers." 30 seconds later, they were flying through the air.

When they came crashing down to the ground in the desert, the stranger somehow managing to fall on his feet, Link immediately set off to where Zelda was kneeling a few meters to the left to make sure she was okay.

In the end, since it was almost sundown, they decided to camp out at the edge of the desert for the night. A contributing factor to the decision might have been that Zelda was paralyzed, refusing to move and twitching every now and then. So after a frugal meal of dried meats and fruits, which only the two hylians ate, Link stood watch over their "camp" while the others slept. When the time came to change guards, the stranger gladly woke and took over while the Hero got his sleep, promising to wake him if there was any trouble.

The following morning, once Zelda could move again, the trio set off. Link and the Princess followed Mr. Mysterious at a safe distance since she was still scared out of her mind of him. She was not only regretting having let him come, she also was convinced that he was in no way someone to trust if ever there was trouble, which there was sure to be if just the smallest thing went wrong.

As mid-day neared, they approached the exit from the desert into the more rocky area that preceded the the prison. They had been traveling in the recessed sections scattered a bit everywhere in order to avoid the miniscule scorpion-like creatures that roamed the sandy seas. As the they reached the end of the vein, the stranger abruptly stopped and motioned his companions to be quiet. Glancing at each other, they hurried forwards to see what was wrong.

They immediately saw the problem. The outpost set up by the bulblins that Link had defeated on his first passage through the desert was now back up and fully functioning. Not only that, but it seemed as though there were even more towers than before.

"Well, I'm sure you two can handle the archers. I'll get the boars," commented the stranger, setting off playfully in broad daylight over to the small group of boar-riders.

"Geez, so much for strategy... Well, I think I can get them all with my bow, just stay close, alright?" said the Hero, as he began running, crouched over, to the many towers scattered around.

As they approached the towers, Link took out the Hero's bow and, with Zelda crouching beside him, shot an arrow at the closest bulblin archer. That was a mistake. As the arrow pieced it's heart, it let out a mighty shriek, causing all the others to turn around. Noticing the two intruders, they drew their own bows and let them have it. Link immediately took out his shield to block the arrows, but realized at the last moment that he could not cover both himself and the Princess.

Since the green man was the one who had shot one of their kind, the bulblins first shots were directed solely at him. However, upon seeing that he could block all of them with his shield, one of them had the brilliant idea of shooting the other one who couldn't defend herself. As Link turned, he saw the arrow zooming towards her.

"WATCH OUT!" he yelled, but it was too late. The arrow was nearly upon her and all she could do was stare as the point that would pierce her came closer at far too quick a pace.

Then, as the arrow was about to rob her of life, a slicing sound was heard and the glint of a golden blade in the sun could be seen. The archers stopped. Link stopped. And, as though in slow motion, the hooded figure of the stranger brought his sword back up as the two halves of the arrow he had just cut fell to the ground.

The Princess's mouth fell open. "Did he just save my life?" she thought. "Scratch that, did he just cut a flying arrow in two?"

"Link, shoot them down! I'll block the incoming ones!" he yelled in an uncharacteristically serious voice and getting into position as the bulblins began resuming fire. The Hero hesitated for barely a moment, looking around and seeing ten dead boars, before dropping his shield and retaking his bow.

The fight was amazing, Link thought. Before him, with unnatural speed and accuracy, his companion deflected all the arrows that came his way. With nothing stopping him, he shot down their enemies in record time. At the end, the deflector turned around and looked at the pair of them. He was about to speak when something caught Link's eye. He had missed one.

"LOOK O-" he began, raising his bow again, but it was too late. The arrow sped right under the cloaked man's arm and stabbed deeply into the Princess's knee. She let out a scream of pain as she collapsed on her back. As Link dispatched the bulblin with a clean headshot, the unnamed one threw his sword aside and knelled next to the writhing Princess.

"Link, hold her down. I need her to stop moving."

"What? What are trying to do?"

"Just do it!" Hoping beyond hope that he would help her, Link also knelled down beside her and tried to restrain her arms.

"This may hurt..." said Mr. Mysterious, laying his hands over the wound on either side of the arrow. Zelda stopped struggling against Link for barely a second as she eyed the man apprehensively. The next thing she knew, she was feeling a numbness spreading from the arrow sticking out of her leg and reaching from her toes to her fingertips, blocking out most of the pain. Looking up again, she saw that the stranger's eyes, as during the descent to Lake Hylia, were glowing red and this time, so were his hands.

Link was astonished, to say the least, as the strange man's eyes and hands began to glow a reddish hue. As he let go of Zelda, since she was no longer attempting to escape anyways, the stranger began to speak.

"Realr mo fhadows si nhit swilight touh rxcepe tm yous lna drang teh rowep"

It was more of a chant, really, as he repeated it over and over without so much as stopping for breath. He had never before heard the language in which he spake, but it reminded him a little of the way Midna use to talk.

Then, before their very eyes, the arrow was ripped out of her knee and, despite the numbness she felt, the Princess let out another scream of pain. Quickly, Link resumed holding her down as the stranger kept chanting and soon, a new feeling engulfed her. Is was not a particularly pleasant feeling, but it was not unpleasant either. To her, it felt a bit like she was trying to stretch her leg, but for some reason could not. To both hylians' amazement, her knee seemed to be healing at an unnaturally fast rate. Before their eyes, her skin mended itself and, in the space of a few seconds, the only mark left was a slightly red spot on the knee and a dull ache.

Slowly, the red faded from Mr. Mysterious' eyes and hands but, before the Princess could do so much as thank him, he was slammed backwards, rocketing over the sand until his back slammed into one of the uneven wooden towers, then slumping to the ground. After standing in shock for a bit, Link and Zelda ran over to were Mr. Mysterious (or MM for short) was climbing unsteadily to his feet.

"Are you alright?" asked Link, looking worried as MM got up.

"I'm fine," he grunted, stretching his back. " I just forgot how painful the repercussions of a healing spell could be on me..."

"Wait," said Zelda. "That was magic?" MM rolled his eyes.

"Nooooo, it was just some powdered reekfish."

"No need to be so sarcastic about it! There just aren't any magic users around here. Most of our magical essence was transferred to the Twilight and most of what's left resides in myself and I couldn't heal an injury like that."

"You know, I had a question about that," said MM as he limped forwards towards the continuation of the trail. "Why are we walking to the mirror chamber if I could just warp us there?" There was dead silence. Zelda turned around, fire burning in her eyes.

"You. Could. Have. Warped us there?" More silence.

"...Maybe"

"I. WILL. KILL YOU!" yelled Zelda, charging forward at MM, who cringed. Then the blows started landing.

"I FELL OFF A CLIFF!" she yelled, whacking him repeatedly in the face. "I WAS BLASTED OUT OF A CANNON!" she continued, now punching him in the stomach. "AND I WAS SHOT IN THE KNEE BY AN ARROW AND THE WHOLE TIME YOU COULD HAVE WARPED US?" Enraged, the Princess continued pommeling MM. Her eyes were those of a crazed murderer and Link, not wanting to let MM get killed (if only because he could warp them and bypass the desert temple) was forced to tackle the Princess and half strangle her as he tried to explain why they shouldn't kill him.

As Zelda began to lack air, she finally stopped trying to move in favor of clutching at her throat, which Link promptly released. As Zelda regained her wind, Link looked around. He expected to see MM down on the ground, out cold or maybe dead. To his stunned surprise however, he seemed to be standing and not only that, but looking absolutely fine. Furthermore, he found himself standing in no other place than the mirror chamber itself.

"Uhhh... What happened? How did we get here? Why are you not dead?"

"Well, to answer you first question, I warped us here to avoid getting killed. To answer your second question... Well I kind of already did. And for the third question it's simple. Those hits were nowhere near strong enough to hurt me."

"Wait, let me get this straight. You can withstand the wrath of Princess Zelda but you can't heal her without being seriously hurt?" he added, noting he was still limping slightly. The man chuckled.

"Because of who I am, there are certain rules I have to follow... Not that you'll ever understand. Anyway, let's get this show on the road."

Link stared at him quizzically then, understanding what he meant, took out the Dark Sword and approached the the mirror's former frame.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he asked. MM thought for a moment, during which Zelda managed to catch her breath and was getting to her feet.

"Well, if I am correct, there is a magic phrase that will activate the sword's power. However, since you are the one using the sword, you will have to be the one to activate it." As he spoke, Zelda closed in on him.

"Don't think this is over. We will talk about this again. And soon..." She said in a, if possible for a member of the royal family, downright evil voice.

"Whatever you say, milady. Now then, the magic words are "Ru ta des tu valoomes". Your turn."

Link was ready. He could feel his heart beat with excitement. In just a few moment, he would recreate the portal to the Twilight and he would be able to see Midna again. In complete confidence, he raised the Dark Sword to the sky and and said in the most powerful voice he could muster:

"Ru ta des tu valoomes!"

What happened next was something that could have been taken from a dream.

A ray of the black fire that enveloped the sword shot skyward, off into the heavens. In a second, the entire chamber was covered in a whirlwind of small glittering pieces. "Fragments of the mirror!" Link recognized them immediately. Slowly, the tornado of glass closed in around the center of the room, where Link stood, the sword still raised next to the mirror frame. No one could see what was happening within the tornado. Even Link was blinded by the fierce mix of wind, sand and glass fluttering around him.

And then, as suddenly as it began, it all stopped. The sand that had been lifted by the wind fell to the ground and as the smoke cleared, the Princess could see Link, sword still in hand, standing in front of a completely mended mirror of Twilight.

Link stared at the mirror, his dreams coming true, he turned around and gave a huge smile in Zelda's direction and looked over at MM. To his continual surprise, MM was not even the slightest bit fazed by what had just happened. He was just standing there, as cloaked as ever despite the strong winds the magic had stirred up.

"Well, I'm sure you want to get going, so shall we?" Too happy to be unnerved by the calmness of the man, Link nodded and the three companions approached the edge and stepped onto the magical steps that appeared as a consequence of their previous action.

Link, hardly daring to believe what was happening, closed his eyes and stepped into the portal. When he opened them again, he was in the Twilight.

YAY, plot advancement! What will happen when Midna and Link reunite? Stuff, for sure! Like it? Hate it? Have no life besides leaving irrelevent comments? Then R&R!