WOW it's been a long time. And I'm sorry for that, just to let you know. Blame Sailor Moon, and my obsession for it because I CAN'T FIND EPISODE 167!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Sigh-

Never mind, I found it. In fact… I finished the series. Wow.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy. I told you Midna wasn't going to die!!!

(Link's POV) Link sat on the edge of Lanayru's spring facing Lake Hylia. The birds chirped happily in the forest all around him and the fluffy white clouds rolled in the bright blue sky overhead. The trees were green, and the temperature was perfectly comfortable. The sound of crashing water from Zora's River tried to make his mind at ease, but it might as well have been a rainy day for him. It was a waste of a beautiful day with his constant worry about Midna. It was pouring when he was deep in Lake Hylia, but it was the end of it and was forced into a drizzle when he surfaced. Everything was clear now, only the smell of a former rain remained.

Footsteps startled Link- he whipped around and had his hand on the Master Sword on instinct.

"Who are you?" a small girl asked him, standing on the bridge. "You don't look like you're from around here."

The girl, of course, was referring to his clothing. Link looked down at it, then back up at her. "No, I'm not. But I've been here for awhile."

"I have to catch a fish for my family's dinner. Could you help me?"

Link smiled. "Sure."

The girl came and sat next to Link and threw her fishing rod into the water. She looked to be about ten years old.

"My mom tells me not to talk to strangers, but I couldn't help myself. I wasn't able to catch a fish, and the old guy over there looks too scary to talk to."

Link looked over in the general direction of the way her head was turned- she was talking about Fyer.

"I agree. At first, I was a little nervous to talk to him."

"Yeah."

Soon her arm was shaking- a fish must have gotten the hook. A look of determination crossed her face as she yanked her arm back.

"Let the fish have some reign if it jumps, okay?" Link told her. She nodded. "Just keep reeling it in… that's right."

The girl got the fish close enough, and Link reached down and grabbed it and put it in her bucket. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" she cried.

Link smiled. "It's no problem."

"Hey wait, you never told me your name!"

"It's Link."

"Link? That's a nice name. Mine's Haylie," she said, and stood up.

"Nice to meet you, Haylie," Link said with a smile.

"Thanks again!" Haylie called over her shoulder as she skipped away, over the bridge, and over a second bridge that Hyrule installed. She climbed up the tall ladder to Hyrule Field and was gone.

It wasn't often that Link got to see young people. It made him feel like he really did save the world- that the human race still exists and he's not on his own island.

Maybe I'll go see how everyone is doing now that I can. After all, it's been six years. Uli's child can talk now. Ilia, Malo, Talo, Beth and Colin are older now.

The effect of passing time…

Midna won't be okay and able to walk for a couple of days. That gives him opportunity to see people he hasn't seen for awhile.

He followed the girl's passage out, and headed south. He didn't have his horse call anymore- it broke three years ago. Cherished memories were broke along with it. But he didn't think about that now- he just kept walking. By nightfall he got to Ordon Spring, where he cleansed his feet and sores from walking. He put his boots back on again and climbed the ladder into his old, familiar house and took in the scent of trees and pure nature. He climbed onto his hammock and fell fast asleep.

***************************************************

Someone opened his door the next morning. Link looked outside- it was still dark. It must only have been five. They crept about the house, and then Link sat up in his bed and grabbed his sword and shield next to his bed. He always was a light sleeper.

"Who's there?" Link demanded in his most threatening voice.

"Wh-who are you?" the voice asked. It was a masculine voice- and it sounded familiar somehow.

Link came out of the shadows and looked at the boy in his house. He looked to be thirteen or fourteen.

"L-link?!" the boy asked. Link's face turned down.

"Talo?" he asked.

"Link! Oh my god, it can't be true! You're back!" Link hustled down his ladder and gave him a huge hug.

From Link's embrace, Talo called to Malo, who was apparently standing outside. "Malo! Link's back! He's back, Malo! Come in here!!"

Malo barged through the door. "Link?!" He joined his older brother in giving Link hugs and then stood away from him.

"It's been so long, Link! Your hair… it's gotten darker!"

"I haven't noticed."

"You have to come see everybody else, Link," Malo said seriously.

"I will. I promise."

"Good! Now let's go! Now!" Talo said, pulling Link along by his sleeve that wasn't torn. Link ran along behind him, and smiled at the familiar creek running through Ordon Village. He was relived nothing had happened to it.

"Hey! Guess what everybody? Link's back!" Malo called in his loudest voice that was sure to get everybody's attention. The first person that stepped out of his house was Rusl, followed by Uli and Colin and a girl in Uli's arms. All three of them rushed to Link and gave him huge hugs.

"Link! I'm so happy to see you're alive and well! It does my heart well!" Uli exclaimed.

"So you still have that sword that was supposed to go to the Royal Family?" Rusl joked. Link smiled and shook his head no.

But Colin looked up at him in awe, and let a tear glide down his cheek.

"It's really you, Link."

Link smiled and nodded. "It's me."

Colin gave Link a huge hug. "Thank you, Link, for coming back!" Colin sobbed. "Thank you, so much, for seeing us again!"

Link got down on a knee and hugged him tight. "I've missed you guys, so much."

"We have too, my son," Rusl said. Link stood up.

"You've become a fine swordsman in the time I did see you seven years ago. You saved us, for which I am thankful."

"Glad I could be of assistance," Link said with a smile.

"And my god, it's nice to see you smile!" Uli exclaimed. "Oh! I forgot to mention, I had my little one! Right after the world was saved, isn't that interesting? She was born into a world anew… Her name is Syra." (AN- like "syrup" Syra. Sear-uh. Get it right.)

"She's adorable. How old is she?"

"Seven," Uli and Link said at the same time.

"Hi," Syra said quietly. She had short, straight blond hair and deep blue eyes. She was wearing a purple skirt with a white shirt and a yellow belt.

"Hello, my name is Link, Syra."

"Hi Link…" she mumbled.

"She's a little shy," Rusl said, "but she talks more."

Syra blushed.

"So Link, guess how old I am now!" Colin gushed.

"Hmm… twenty-four?"

Colin laughed. "No. Try lower."

"Twenty-three?"

"A lot lower, Link!"

"I don't know, how old are you?"

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Link, so stop treating me like one!"

Link smiled and turned to Rusl when he started talking. "It's true- he's becoming a fine swordsman. However, I think you would be a better teacher than I would ever be!" Rusl said with a laugh.

"I'd be glad to," Link said.

"Oh, would you? Thanks, Link! So how old am I?"

"I don't know, how old?"

"Fourteen!"

Link chuckled. He was twenty-six years old now. It seemed like forever ago that he was nineteen and was asked to save the world, and if he died something terrible would happen. No pressure.

"Malo's twelve, Beth's sixteen, and I'm fifteen," Talo explained.

Link nodded.

"Still a man of few words, eh?" Fado chuckled and slapped him on the back. "So… met any nice women on your big, amazing journey??" he teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Link half-joked, half being serious. How would he explain to everybody he married someone from another realm?

"Aw come on, you must know someone who's caught your fancy! There are a million women in Castle Town, and not even one appealed to you?"

"Not one."

Soft footsteps came from behind Rusl. He turned around, and Link peered around Fado's shoulder to see who it was.

"Link?" a soft, familiar voice came.

"Ilia…?"

Fado smiled and gave Link another slap on the back, which he was not prepared for. He jerked forward and nearly fell. The others around him left, the kids very reluctant. They were alone.

"It's… nice to see you again…" Ilia murmured.

"It's good to see you too," Link responded, even quieter.

"I know you've met someone, I can already tell," Ilia started off. Link knew it wouldn't end well. Link didn't respond, so Ilia took the initiative to keep talking.

"It's fine with me."

"Really?" Link blurted out, then regretted it.

"What do you mean, did you think I wouldn't be fine with it?"

Link just began to dig himself a deep hole, hypothetically, and he won't be able to get out if he continues to dig deeper. "I- It's not that, I mean,"

"Okay, nevermind. Anyway… May I see who this woman is?"

Link went cold. "You want to see her?"

"Yes, I do. There's no hiding that you love someone. So who is she? At least tell me her name."

"Midna," Link said without hesitation.

"…That's a pretty name."

"Yes," was all Link could say.

(Midna's POV) This realm was cold and uninviting. It seemed like Death would sweep across this realm and reach through Midna's chest to her soul and gently take it out, bringing her to the Goddesses where she would receive her punishment for marrying a light-dweller. However, Midna had no regrets. Love, she thought, should conquer everything, defy law and rule. She didn't find it fair.

"Midna…" a voice whispered to her.

"Midna…"

"Who are you?" she tried, but her voice would not work.

"I can no longer keep you within my waters… If you are to stay, your energy and power will be drained and your life will go with it. You must get out, O Twilight Princess…"

"Yes, Lanayru, but how?"

"Believe…"

What kind of answer is that? Believe… How? Believe in what? Link? Lanayru? The Twili? Her future, her past? That was a pretty broad statement, and would be hard to decipher.

"In everything… Believe… in everything…"

Alright, whatever, Midna decided to give it a shot. She still thought she was dreaming, but she started to believe.

"I believe in Link, in life, love, and the distinguishing of right and wrong. I believe in the savior of the Twilight Realm, of Hyrule, of the world. I believe I will get out of here alive…" Midna whispered this and several other things she believed in. She felt herself disintegrating.

Could it have been that easy?

Midna appeared on the ledge of Lanayru's Spring.

"Am I alive?" Midna asked.

"Yes… To answer your next question, Link is in Ordon Village… But you need to listen to me, O Twilight Princess. Your future entails great ordeals, most of which you cannot do alone. The final ordeal, Link will not be able to help you. You decipher that as you wish."

The Palace of Twilight flashed into her mind for a split-second, but it was enough. It was burning, and all around Midna were people running, screaming, shoving. The image slowly zoomed in on the castle, and a dark silhouette formed inside the fire. Midna automatically assumed Dark Link, but as the image zoomed in, his hat was missing. The figure opened his brilliant blue eyes and mouthed Midna's name. Midna looked down into her arms, and there was Link's green hat, singed and burnt by the escape from the fire.

"If you do not do something to stop the madness slowly encroaching on this world, then the Chosen Hero of Hyrule that saved it will be no more…"