Author's Note

I was very happy to discover two reviews waiting for me this morning! Thank you, Twilight in Rain and Kurodarkness! You've really made my day with your favorable reviews. :D

Anyways, you've provided me with enough inspiration to get cracking on the next chapter...even though I just woke up ten minutes ago. :P

Hopefully, it will be up to par with your expectations. Though I'm still not sure where exactly I'm taking this, I have some ideas...though they may seem somewhat far-fetched. I'll just have to see where the story takes me. Well, I guess I'll get started on chapter three, then! Who knows? If I'm up to it, maybe I'll even get in another chapter or two (or three! xP) before the day is done.

Link awoke not to the calming spell of water, gently massaging his body, but to a cold, hard, wooden floor. This alone confused him, but when he felt as though the ground itself was moving, he rose, cautiously, unsteady, to find himself looking at a woman he had never seen before in his life.

He couldn't tell if he was dreaming or not. With his recent...vision, or whatever it may have been, in any case...he found it difficult to ascertain the truth in the things around him. Was this real? He sighed, closing his eyes.

There was a crashing noise, and the ground shook violently, sending him on a collision course with the hard wood beneath him. After his face was thourougly acquainted with the floor, he began to think that maybe this was real, after all.

Groaning, he brought his eyes back up to the woman, who smiled, albeit crookedly and darkly. That grin reminded him slightly of another...he scowled slightly, unwilling to think of her again. Not now. It wasn't the time.

She had long, flowing black hair, and eyes circled with shadows. She was attractive, but she held an air of cruelty around her. Link didn't exactly trust her, but sat with his legs crossed, staring at her, waiting for an answer.

When it was obvious she wasn't going to say anything, Link cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So...where am I?"

The woman seemed to ignore him for a moment, but Link waited patiently, never breaking eye contact. She noticed this, chuckled slowly, and leaned in closer.

"You don't know? Well, I suppose you wouldn't, it's only natural. In any case, you're not in Ordon any longer."

Link had suspected this, and he remained calm. He had experienced enough excitement today...no need to waste any more energy panicking. If this was indeed real, well...he'd get to the bottom of it.

"Would you...care to tell me where, then, I presently find myself? And perhaps some information on who you are and why you're here, with me?"

The wry grin never left her face, though the humor seemed to vanish from her eyes.

"You've been betrayed. It's a long story, but that sums it up. Care to know more?"

Link froze. Betrayed? Who would...who in Ordon would betray him?

Don't get ahead of yourself, it could've been...no...it had to have been someone from Ordon...hadn't it?

After a moment of digesting the information, he found his voice, faltered for a moment, and spoke up.

"...Who?"

The woman inched closer and bent down, as if to tell him a secret.

"Who, indeed? Does it really matter? In any case, we're almost there. Get ready."

Link was puzzled. This woman seemed incapable of giving him a straight answer...

He remained quiet, listening to whatever he could hear from the outside world. There were some birds, and then things seemed to slow down. Suddenly, they stopped. Link blinked.

"Well, we're here." The woman blankly stated, standing up and stretching. Link stood up, as well, awaiting further instructions.

You're taking this awful calmly, Link. You've apparantly been kidnapped, and here you are, standing, nothing holding you back, and you're just waiting for her to tell you what to do?

Tear her apart...become an animal, Link...get out...

He was surprised at the thoughts he was having, and turned to look at the woman, who was eying him suspiciously. She held her hand on her hip, and motioned to the blade holstered at her side with her finger.

"Don't try anything, if that's what you're thinking. I'll cut you down without a second thought, brat. Right now, you're mine, and you will do as I say. Clear?"

Well, you certainly don't have a choice, do you? You better listen to her...

No...you can take care of this...you can get rid of her...kill...

Link nodded, slowly, as if to assure himself that he was in control of his own mind. The woman smiled, crookedly, and patted his back.

"Good boy. Now, let's get out of this thing."

Link still didn't know what it was they had been traveling in, but it was revealed to him as she pushed him out, roughly, and he hit the ground. He looked up, head throbbing...so, it was a wagon...

She calmly stepped out, glancing to the side, and walked over to him. She kicked him gently in the ribs, and he rose. She motioned for him to follow her.

It was then that he realized where they were...yet he failed to understand why, of all places, they would be here.

Light filtered in, gently, through the plentiful foliage, shining light on a forgotten age. The statues that held their guard at the entrance were scarred with time, cracks here and there, filled with moss and secrets.

They walked in, and Link felt memories hit him...hard. They were here...he thought he was done with this place.

The sacred grove.

And he felt fear well up inside him as he stared blankly at what was supposed to be right before his eyes, but was gone...

The master sword.

Twilight was a beautiful sight to behold. So eerie, yet at the same time, so calming...infused with an air of sadness.

It was particularly silent, today. She could feel it, strongly within her bones, as if she was attached to the twilight itself, as if she could feel it...

Something was sucking the spirit from this place. Something was coming. Something may already be here, even.

She crossed her legs, propping her head up with her palm, elbow against the side of the throne, deep in thought. She stared into the vast blanket of twilight that defined and secluded this realm. The only link to a world free from this beautiful, sad thing...gone. Broken. And she was responsible.

The Twilight Princess could not afford to falter. Not now. She had returned to her people, and she was in the process of making a better life for them...but she could not claim to find much happiness in her seclusion within the walls of the palace of twilight.

Within these walls, much had happened. Within these walls, they had fought, she and a certain blue-eyed beast...

She closed her eyes, frightened of the power her memories held over her. At first, she had used him, but something more had grown between the two...she had felt it, recognized it, and reacted in a way that, at the time, she found suitable. She could not afford to...love.

She had to lead. It was all she had left.

Outside the palace of twilight, darkness crept ever closer, as the hand of shadow inched further, further, threatening to touch, to seduce.

Something, indeed, was coming. Something was slowly moving in, as if waiting, waiting for the opportune moment.

The veil of twilight would be ripped asunder, and the hands of a god would give shape to a new empire...

Soon...

Hmmm...I dunno, maybe I should have waited until I've properly waked up before writing? Well, in any case, it's done now, so I'll submit it. Forgive me if this isn't up to your expectations...I'm in the process of thinking up new ideas, and stalling for time until I have anything really concrete. I'll try and wrap things up neatly within the next few chapters, though, but this just seems rather unpolished and sloppy to me. Still, what do I know? Review, please, and give out constructive critiscm, if you feel the need. I'll see you later! :D