Link's eyes opened and he found himself staring up at a rocky surface. Slowing shaking off the presence of sleep that still hung about his mind and body, Link gradually hoisted himself up onto his elbows. He remembered being chased down dark, chiseled corridors of stone with Zelda at his side. He recalled a brief fight, and later on hours of galloping before he and Zelda reached a cave. This apparently housed the entrance to the Mirror, if the map Zelda managed to swipe proved to be correct. So they were close. It was time that they moved. Link turned to Zelda and gently shook her awake. The Princess groaned softly as she emerged from her slumber. She rolled over and put an arm over her eyes. "Are we traveling to the Mirror now?" she mumbled, yawning at the end of her question.

"It's best if we do," replied Link, unable to keep a smile from creeping over his lips.

Zelda sat up, combing her hair with her fingers. "All right then," she managed.

The Mirror was not far off from where they were. It towered over their heads, its dark violet frame rising from the ground. Link remembered the last time he saw a Mirror of Twilight. A bittersweet goodbye, a tall silhouette making its way into the dark chasm in the Mirror's center, then finally an earsplitting crack as the Mirror shattered, never to be seen again. Or so they thought; Here was the same structure in a different location, hidden from view. Looking into the dark abyss where the Mirror's glass was supposed to be, Link felt a sense of urgency. He had to go to Midna, and hopefully Zelda and he would find Ganondorf before it was too late.

Zelda laid a hand on his arm, alerting Link to her presence. "Well," she said, "Shall we?"

Link turned to her and nodded. "The horses stay here, though. Last I remember they couldn't enter the Twilight Realm."

The Princess dismounted from her steed, and Link did the same. "Stay here, all right?" he asked Epona, who seemed to sense that she would be, once again, separated from her master. The horse swiped at the ground with her fine hoof, downcast. She looked up again as her master gave her one last peck on her nose before his hands fell away from her long face. "Don't move," he ordered, a sad smile on his face. With one soft whinny, Epona hung her head in an act of submission. She did not raise her head until a panicked cry from her companion made her raise her heavy head. Her master and the Princess were gone, swallowed up by the darkness.

Down Link fell, gravity tugging him and pulling him ever more into the dark. Further and further he fell. The Hero tried to cry out, but something closed his throat so that no sound could escape his lips. Then he noticed the pain. It blasted through his whole body, spreading to each and every limb as rapidly as a forest fire. He wanted to scream, to yell out to Zelda who he could no longer see as he closed his eyes in response to the spark that was crackling through his whole body. Link strained with every muscle to gain control, but in vain. In his mind, he wished that the agonizing pain would leave him, that it would all be over, and that they would quickly reach the Twilight Realm. His body felt as though it was swelling now, and it seemed that every part of him was growing larger until he felt he would explode.

Finally, Link hit hard ground, the pain leaving a numbing sensation behind. He dared not open his eyes, as he had yet to recover from the experience. The Hero sensed his breathing slow down as he sucked air deep into his lungs. Slowly, he opened his eyes and flicked his pupils side to side to take in his surroundings. The sight almost made him give a slight chuckle as he looked at what used to be his hand. A gigantic paw had taken its place, covered in gray fur.

Link drew all four of his mobile limbs towards him, forming a base from where he gradually stood up, careful to maintain his balance. Looking behind him, he saw a tail which he wagged to accustom himself to a form into which he had not transformed for some time. Throwing his head back, he howled. A second wolf cry caused him to flick his head to the right in surprise. Another wolf, smaller in size than he, was approaching him. Her fur was as white as snow, and she appeared to float with each step, elegant as she was. Her eyes were the midnight blue Link was so used to seeing. The Hero walked towards Zelda. Once they reached each other, Link rubbed his snout against hers, just to be sure it was the Princess.

"I'm not quite sure what happened," Zelda said, a little nervous.

"It's your Twilight form," answered Link.

Both wolves turned and looked about them. They were in the middle of a field. Unlike Hyrule, this peculiar world seemed to be shrouded in a faint layer of black, with the sole source of light being the sky. The latter was like a painting, with orange, yellow, dark purple, and black all mixed into one integrated tapestry of eternal dusk. Zelda could not help but observe in awe, her jaw slightly open to take in all that she saw. "This...is the Realm of Twilight?" she asked in wonder.

"The very one," replied Link.

"Amazing," commented Zelda breathlessly, "Last I remember the Twilight Realm did not look like this. This is a different Twilight altogether from the one I knew when I was trapped in Hyrule Castle."

A few seconds passed before she spoke again, "It's so much more beautiful than I remember, in a dark and melancholic way."

Link nodded before something in the sky caught his eye. Smoke was rising in the distance.

"Zelda, look!"

"Smoke...Let's go see."

Together, the two wolves bounded in the direction of the smoke, which was rising higher and higher; A black tower in the middle of a gently lit sky.

What was once a town splayed out for kilometers. Ashes took the place of houses, cinders settled down in what used to be stores, and fire was everywhere. Link and Zelda could not believe what was laid out in front of their eyes. Smelling the air, the stench of burnt wood and corpses forced Link to feel ill. In front of them, a giant stone castle was left standing in the center of the town. Link knew that they would need to get there. He began to trod the ground, with Zelda at his side, the ashes beginning to dot her white mane.

Toy swords were burnt almost beyond recognition, and pieces of glass were laying everywhere. As they traversed deeper into the city, the smell of the destruction became suffocating, and most unbearable. Smoke stung at Link's eyes, causing them to water a little and the heat made him sweat, making his fur stick to him. Link and Zelda stumbled on, speechless. Neither one had ever seen destruction so complete in their lives. It was a depressing sight, enough to dampen the morale of even the most fierce and courageous soldier. Beams creaked as they gave way to the fire that was gnawing at their bases. Occasionally, one would completely collapse, startling both wolves with its sound.

As they neared the castle, a whimper caught their attention. Link and Zelda whipped their heads around and there, in front of them, was a member of the Twili. Dried blood stained her garments, and ashes covered her gray face. Streams of tears flowed from her eyes down to her chin as she crawled along the ground. Suddenly, she looked up. Seeing the wolves an eerie smile fluttered across her face and she crawled towards the wolves. Link and Zelda dared not move.

"You're saviours, aren't you?" she asked in awe, almost childlike, "There was a Hero and he would appear as a great wolf. One of you is the Hero, and I know I'm right."

She was now right in front of them. "You know where my baby is, I know you do!" she exclaimed in joy.

Link and Zelda remained silent, unsure of what to do.

"I know you know! The Hero knows all! You can tell me where my baby is," she continued, grabbing on to Link's front leg. Her raw touch almost made Link pull back.

"He's very easy to spot. He's tiny...tiny, tiny, tiny!" she continued, tears still coursing down her cheeks despite her smile, "He's just about three months old! Just a little boy! There was a man of dark complexion, darker than even us and he came with an army of darkness! I'm afraid I lost my baby boy then...Can you help me? He must be so worried about his mama."

At that moment another Twili emerged, an arm in a makeshift cast. He limped walked over and knelt down next to the woman, his hand on her shoulder. "Darling, let's not disturb the wolves. Let's go back. We need to build the house up again," he said tenderly.

"No...no..." the woman protested, suddenly taking her head in her hands. She pushed her fingers into her temples and dug them deep. "We have to find the baby," she gasped out.

"Darling, it's late, let's get back now."

"Don't you see? They know where the baby is," the Twili woman insisted, her voice still childlike, but now she was whimpering and beginning to sob, "They can tell me where he is!"

She was rocking back and forth as she crouched on her heels.

"When I find him, I'll sing him a lullaby. A nice little lullaby for him to get to sleep! He must've had the most tiring day! And he'll wake up the next morning and my husband will take him for a walk all around town! And people will marvel at him, and tell my husband how lucky he is to be a father to that boy!"

In her madness, she sounded like a little girl who had just unwrapped a gift.

"Please, let's get back," the man was pleading and he grabbed her shoulder.

In a complete change of character, the woman threw him back and shrieked. "No! They know where my baby boy is! I want my baby boy! You're not my husband, so let me go!"

Terrified, the man tried his best, "It's late, we need to rebuild. We'll build and then we'll look for him all right?"

"No! My baby is here! My baby is here he's a tiny little thing!" she was sobbing in anguish and confusion now, her hands frantically clawing at the ground, then her face, "He can't walk! Someone must have seen him he's here somewhere I know it!"

Her voice alerted more of the Twili, who fearfully appeared before the two wolves out of their hiding places. A woman ran to her side and gently cradled the first Twili woman in her arms.

"Shhh," she hushed gently, "Sister, your husband is right. Let's build the house first and then we'll find my nephew." Tears were coursing down her cheeks as well.

The woman turned to her, distressed, "Who...are you?" she inquired. Her sister bit her own lip.

"I...I don't know you, do I?" the woman continued, "Can you help me, then?"

The second Twili woman tried to pull her. Enraged, the woman shrieked and scratched at her sister. "No! I want my boy! You stay away from me, stay away from me!" Her screams echoed in Link's head.

Two men ran over and grabbed her, pulling her away. The woman screamed and reached for the two wolves as she was pulled away. "Please!" she begged, "Tell me where he is! He's three months old he needs me! My baby is alive, I know it! You're all lying to me! Traitor! Traitor! Let me go can't you idiots see the Hero knows where my baby is and he's about to tell me?"

Her voice was going higher and higher as grief hit her with its blows over and over again, "I'll give him his toys and he'll play all day!"

She was harder to drag now, "And...And I'll watch him and sing him sweet songs and when he tires I'll take him into my lap and he'll sleep! When he wakes, I'll take him to my sister's because he loves his aunt and he'll fall asleep in the evening when we return home!"

Her sobs were completely taking her over as she continued shrieking, "And then I'll go to bed and the next day I will see him when I wake! Hero! You know where he is so why aren't you telling me? Where's my baby? Where's my baby!"

Then she disappeared around the corner. Her husband looked up at the wolves and sobbed as well, his breath coming in heart-wrenching gasps. An old man approached Link.

"Go to the castle, Hero," he said, "They will know much more than we do here. You must see the Princess Midna or one of the nobles. They will know what is happening. Please, go! You must save us all."

Stunned, Link and Zelda continued towards the castle with silence forming a dark wall around their minds. The old man's voice reached their ears.

"They stabbed him in her arms, you know? Right in front of her. Just like that she deteriorated and she hasn't been the same. She still believes with all her heart that he is alive. But no one can help her."

It wasn't until they arrived at the front gate of the castle when Zelda spoke. A lump formed in her throat and her eyes teared thinking of the Twili mother.

"That was just...horrible. How can...someone do that?" she stuttered under her breath.

"No one knows the answer to that, Zelda," replied Link, equally as downcast.

The castle itself was only slightly better off than the town was. Dark scorch marks painted the castle walls black, and here and there stones were missing or cracked. Trodding up to the castle, Link felt overwhelmed; He had to see Midna, to see if she was all right.

As if she read his mind, Zelda turned to him, "If the townsmen told us to see Midna, she is inside for sure."

A grunt allowed her to know that Link had acknowledged her words, and she followed as he went through the castle gates first. When they were halfway into the destructed courtyard, Link stopped.

"Zelda," he began, "Thank you."

Zelda laughed softly. "For partaking in your misery?" she teased.

Link chuckled sadly. "Almost," he answered and began walking again, leaving Zelda wondering what exactly he was thanking her for. The answer came as they reached the palace front doors, one of which was unhinged and hanging to the side.

"Thank you, for not leaving me alone."