*Hello, everyone! I'm back with a new chapter! :D I was pretty upset I had to edit with the last one, specifically the ending, so I'll be sure to work extra hard on this one. ^^ Not that anyone will be able to tell the difference… ;_; *le sigh* Whatever, I love writing this stuff for you. ^^ Enjoy the newest chapter of Battle of Light!*

He remembered the first time he saw her. That stupid little imp beyond the bars of his cell. When she first called him a "slave" and gave him his first order, he wanted no more than to throw her off his back. But after a few months with her, they slowly formed an unspoken bond. She stopped ordering him around every second she had, and he found himself actually caring for her.

And right now, under the twilit sky, Link rested his head against the back of his horse, Epona, who laid down to keep him warm against her body. Midna, that imp he used to despise so much, was resting on his lap, her head laying on his chest. She was beginning to nod off. Link could tell easily since the Fused Shadow she wore began to gently nudge against his arm repeatedly. She told him to wake her up if she started to fall asleep, but this was admittedly adorable… Perhaps he should just let her drift off.

However, once he thought this, Midna jerked awake at the sound of a rabbit hopping along and snapping a twig. She glared at the rabbit for a moment before cursing under her breath and readjusting her position.

"That wasn't very ladylike for royalty," Link smirked.

"Zip it," Midna snapped. "And I thought I told you to keep me awake."

The hero patted her head. "But you looked so peaceful for a second there. You never get any sleep these days."

"We shouldn't even have the luxury to sleep," Midna scowled. "We need to get that first mirror shard. The sooner we have our hands on it, the better."

"I know, I know," Link sighed. "…I think we're rested up by now. It's been a few hours, right?"

Midna scoffed at his words. "A few hours too long. So get moving; I'm not the one doing the traveling."

Link smiled to himself and refrained from muttering a mocking, "Yes, your majesty," under his breath.

Link hesitated with his aim. It was something he never did before, but he couldn't help it this time. His enemy was someone he knew was a defenseless girl in reality. She had been turned into a mindless monster by the power of the mirror.

"Link!" he heard Midna shout from his shadow. "What are you doing? Just hit her already!"

It was the perfect shot too: the monster was writhing in pain from an arrow Link had previously shot to her head. He didn't think it would do much. But now that he saw the poor thing suffer so much…. It's not like she did anything to deserve this.

"Look, Yeta's gonna be fine," Midna assured him, though she didn't seem too confident. "Just one strike to the heart and she'll be freed."

The hero still hesitated. He didn't want to be responsible for the death of an innocent girl. However, the sight of Yeta struggling to stand panicked him. Without allowing himself a chance to rethink his actions, he lunged his sword into Yeta's chest. She let out a shrill scream as black pixels darted out from her wound.

"Uh…" Midna rose up from Link's shadow and scratched her head. "Maybe she won't be fine. My bad."

Link shot her a "not the time" glare and rushed to catch Yeta as she fell to the ground, her shrieks ceasing. He swore under his breath when she went limp, her eyes shutting. Midna pretended to focus her gaze on the frozen floor.

"Link, I…" Midna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, groaning at what she was about to say. "Sorry. I know it's hard, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. It's the truth, and you just have to face it."

The hero raised an eyebrow at the regret in her voice. Perhaps she had to do something similar at some point. But he couldn't worry about that. For now he had to worry about what would happen when Yeto-

"YETA!"

Shit.

Link put on his most convincing "I didn't do it" face and held Yeta up as best he could for her partner. Yeto simply pushed Link out of the way, probably not even noticing him. The hero was flung to the side and into the wall. Yeto still didn't pay him any mind, opting to cradle Yeta with a worried gaze.

Yeta raised her head slightly, trying to get her bearings. "Uh…uh… What wrong with me?"

"You just dreaming, uh," Yeto told her. She glanced over at the mirror shard, which had somehow materialized from the pixels that came from her body. It was lying on the ground harmlessly. Yeta squirmed a bit in an attempt to get it.

"But… What about mirror?" she asked sadly. Yeto tightened his grip on her slightly to stop her from grabbing it.

"No, Yeta. Forget about mirror," he replied, shaking his head. "Look into eyes of Yeto. In their reflection... There lies true beauty!"

Link couldn't help but smile as Yeto embraced her. After a few seconds of the spectacle, he felt something tap his shoulder.

"Aren't you forgetting about something?" Midna huffed, planting her hands on her hips. "We're kind of on a time limit here, so it would be nice if you'd hurry it up."

The hero sighed and stood up, his arm still in pain from the impact of Yeto tossing him aside. He strode over to the mirror while Midna retreated to his shadow, picking it up off the floor. He struggled somewhat to lift it since it was much heavier than it looked, but he managed. He somehow found the strength to fully lift it to eyelevel. He could here Midna shouting something, but it was drowned out. He wasn't sure what she was saying. Probably just barking another order, as usual.

Link took a moment to study his reflection in the mirror, grimacing at a bruise on his cheek. It was from running on the ice and falling from his face like an idiot, no doubt. But…

He narrowed his gaze at his reflection and held the mirror at arm's length, mustering the strength to hold it. Was that even him at all? The surface of the mirror was a bit dusty, making the image difficult to make out, but his facial expressions were the same. His movements were the same. And yet…

The more he stared into the eyes of the reflection, the more of a stranger the image became. Eventually Link was staring harder every second, the memory of his own appearance fading. Soon he wasn't wondering where that bruise came from or why the surface was so dirty.

He was wondering where he'd seen this boy before.

Yes, this boy looked strikingly familiar, and yet he couldn't tell who it was. It was like seeing someone in the market one day, barely for a moment, but upon seeing them again…

Who is this?Link thought, becoming incredibly irritated by now. I know I've seen him before… Have I met him on the road? No, that can't be it. He wasn't in the market either. But I know I've seen his eyes before…

Link focused his gaze squarely on the figure's eyes. He blocked out any other features. And yet nothing came to mind. No one popped into his head. But he knew this boy from somewhere! Perhaps they'd only met eyes for a fraction of a second, but they knew each other!

Link brought the mirror closer to his face. He was beginning to go mad from this. The other features were blurry in his head. The dark blond hair could've easily been brown and his skin could've have been much darker. Still, even then, Link would rack his brain to figure out who this person was.

It was all in his eyes. They were like none Link had ever seen. No one else he knew had them: deep blue, seemingly vast as the ocean… It seemed as if one looked too hard, they'd drown in them. It sounded silly, but they were just so…

Link shook the thought from his head. No, that was stupid. Coming back to his senses for a moment, he mentally scolded himself for what he was about to think. He was just about to admit to himself how attractive this boy was! He grimaced at the thought. Impossible.

"Are you sure?"

Link barely even heard the voice, much less react to it. It sounded almost like it came from the back of his mind, like it was a forgotten afterthought. …Or something like that.

"Go on, don't be shy!" the faint voice said with an amused tone. "One more look ought to do it!"

The hero hesitated before giving the boy a wary sideways glance. But if only he knew how right the voice was…

One look did do it.

It did it once and a thousand times over. Suddenly, everything else was gone. Yeto, Yeta, Midna, even the very room he stood in… There was nothing but him in the boy.

Link's mouth was agape in wonder. The image in the mirror was so captivating all of a sudden…

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the voice asked, now loud and clear. "So pure and perfect… So easily tainted…" It laughed manically at its own words. "Captivating as well. Isn't it grand?"

The hero was unaware at the stupid grin spreading across his face. He gazed into the boy's eyes, his own half-lidded, wondering how anything could be so perfect.

"Easily influenced too, eh?" Link felt someone playing with his hair, but he was too absorbed in the mirror's image to notice. "But don't you think it's sad? Such a lovely thing is used as a toy for other's gains." It waited for an answer, but received none. "Busy, are we? Well, don't let me interrupt you."

Link didn't even bother listening. The more he stared into the mirror, the more lightheaded and captivated he became. He leaned forward slowly towards alluring the boy, pleased at the affectionate smile he was receiving.

"Quite the trance you're in," the voice giggled. "I'm guessing you're especially susceptible now. Now, why don't I allow you and this guy to be together?"

For once, Link listened. His eyes shot open, frozen in a shocked expression.

"Oh, looks like I've caught your attention. Very well. I'll do what I can."

The hand retracted from Link's hair and faded away. He would've turned around if he weren't so occupied. His eyes were still fixated on the boy's icy gaze, now-

Wait…

Link blinked at the image, stupefied. He boy smirked at him, no longer mimicking his expressions and movements.

"So?" the boy asked with a hint of arrogance. "What do you think? You haven't lost interest all of a sudden, have you?"

Link shook his head vehemently. "N-No! Of course not," he stammered. His face turned bright red as the boy laughed at his embarrassment.

"How cute," he grinned. "You know, kid, I think I like you. You'd make a nice slave." Link's blush deepened. The boy grinned in amusement. "Are you thinking something dirty? You haven't changed."

"Changed?" the hero repeated.

"Oh, just ignore that," the boy shrugged. "Nothing you should worry about. But about us being together…" Link instantly perked up at the words. "See, I'm a bit stuck in here."

"…Oh." Link slumped his shoulders in disappointment. "Isn't there anything I can do?"

A sly grin spread across the boy's face. "Actually, yes. See, I'mstuck in here, but you're not." Link titled his head in confusion. "Dense as ever, I see. Here it is in simple terms: I have no real physical being right now. I'm trapped in here with no way of getting out. Or, maybe I'm lying to you. Perhaps I just want you to give yourself to me so I can control you."

Link shook his head furiously before giving the boy a determined look. "I trust you."

The boy's grin widened unnaturally, his eyes quickly changing to a deep red. The hero flinched involuntarily at it, but even so he didn't become suspicious. However, he couldn't help but let his eyes widen in fear when he saw a hand reaching out from the mirror. The glass surface was rippling where the boy's arm came out, pausing just before Link's face.

"Oh… Scared, huh?" he asked in mock worry. "Wipe that stupid look off your face. This won't hurt a bit. Just hold on a second."

He extended his pointer finger and touched the cold skin to Link's chest. The hero shuddered at the touch, feeling as if ice was filling his veins. The boy's arm disintegrated after a few seconds, starting at the fingertips and traveling down to his elbow. Within moments, even his grinning face had evaporated into black particles and disappeared into the air.

"W-Wait!" Link stuttered desperately. "Where-"

"Oh, please, I'm standing right here."

Link gasped in surprise as he felt someone's arms wrap around his shoulders, clasping their hands in front of his chest. He heard the boy laugh, entertained by his reaction. Link tried to turn his head to look behind him, but he felt himself unable to move. Panic quickly swept over him at the immobility.

"It's okay, don't panic," the boy's voice said. "Just part of the process. It's a little slow, but at least it's not painful, right?"

The hero would've responded, but he found himself unable to do that as well.

"And you know what the funny part is?" The boy released Link and began to walk around to face him. The hero blinked stupidly as the boy walked back into his line of sight. While he still held Link's general appearance, every feature of him was now pitch black, apart from his glowing red eyes and a prominent wide smile. He took his time taking in Link's shocked expression before continuing.

"I lied to you!" he cackled. "And you didn't even realize it! You're so dumb. I could've left anytime I wanted. AndI could've forced myself into your body, but I thought seeing you submit to me would be a little more fun, don't you think?" He let out a long, happy sigh. "Oh, you may be stupid, but you certainly are adorable!"

This dark version of Link leaned over the hero's arms, which were still holding the mirror. Dark Link, or whatever this thing was, glanced from the hero to the mirror curiously.

"Hey, I have a great idea!" he announced. "Instead of just erasing your consciousness permanently, why don't I just trap it in this mirror for all eternity?"

Link's heart stopped. For whatever reason, Midna came to mind, and he wished for once that she would pop up and help him out.

Dark Link laughed again. "Nah, I wouldn't do that to little old you! Hm… Maybe it's time I explain myself a bit. Would you like to hear what I have to say?"

His words were returned with an icy gaze. Dark Link frowned, but continued nonetheless.

"See, I actually know you very well," he began. "In fact, I know you a lot better than you know yourself. We have quite the history together. I've seen you be used by the very gods you worship. Isn't that sad? But you just go right along with it, huh?" He reached out and brushed his hand against Link's cheek. The hero would've shuddered if he could move. "You… You're just not smartenough to realize that everyone is using you as their toy! They all work you like a dog and don't treat you better. But you just do what you're told. Almost like a naïve child. You simply can't handle this, can you? I've wanted to help you out for so long, but I needed your consent to take over. Think of it as taking away your security. But lucky for me, I could use this pretty mirror to my advantage! Too bad the effects wore off now that I came out of it…"

Link was just about ready to strangle him now. He was about to become a puppet for this…thing!The hero silently begged for Midna's help.

"And funny story," Dark Link said with a playful smile. "I was always with you, but I never actually woke up until you were, say, nine? Yeah, that was it. You were off on your first ride with Epona and when you came back, that silly farm girl got angry at you for an injury you couldn't even see. You were so angry! She even took Epona away. You didn't talk to her for a week. And as your fury grew, I came into being. It was the first time you felt true anger."

Link knit his eyebrows. The first time he was truly angry was over something so petty? It sounded ridiculous. But then again, this thing had to come from somewhere.

"And that's where I came in!" Dark Link spread out his arms theatrically, as if he just said something of great importance. "I'm the manifestation of everything you absolutely despise in this world. Even if you don't know what they are."

"Hey!"

Link would've smiled if he could. That was Midna's voice, wasn't it? He was saved!

However, his excitement was cut short by Dark Link's furious expression. "Dammit. I knew she'd interfere with this. Stupid bitch. I could just kill her right now, but…" He patted Link on the head and added in a mockingly sweet tone, "I know how much you like her, so it would be cruel of me to do that, hm? But I'll just wait for my next chance. Yup, next time."

Next time? Link thought, confused. Can't he just do this now, even with Midna around? Wat's he planning…?

"Oh, of course I can!" Dark Link replied, much to his counterpart's surprise. "And as for what I'm planning… Well, that's better off a surprise, isn't it? But I will tell you this…" His glowing red eyes bore into Link's excitedly. "I want us not to be bothered. One hundred percent alone. That way we won't have any witnesses I have to do away with. Though they will meet their end eventually. I just want to toy with them first!" He giggled childishly. "Can you imagine how crushed Ilia would be if she came back to town from a walk and saw it burned down with a bunch of charred corpses everywhere? It would be hilarious!"

Link's counterpart cackled at his own words. The hero was becoming more fed up with his crap by the second…

"Hey, Link!"

He was catapulted forward as something large and heavy suddenly made contact with his back. The mirror flew from his hands at the impact. He made a weak attempt to grab it, finding he could now move again, but it was quickly came out of his reach. The hero caught sight of Midna catching it with her hair before slamming into the wall.

"That was close…" Midna sighed in relief. "Link, what happened? I thought I told you beforehand not to look into the mirror. And you did it anyway!"

Link looked up at her from the floor, the room beginning to spin. "Huh?" he managed groggily.

Midna quirked an eyebrow and hovered over to him. "I said I told you not to look into the mirror!"

"Mirror…? What mirror?"

His question was met with confusion. "This one!" Midna huffed, shoving a large chunk of engraved glass in his face. "You know, what we came here for?"

Link immediately beamed at the sight of it. "You got it? That's great! That means we can leave now, right?"

Midna blinked stupidly. "You don't remember holding it or anything?"

"I did?" Link shook his head. "If I held it, I don't remember."

"Huh…" The mirror shard dissolved into black pixels as Midna's hair retracted to a ponytail. "I guess it must just be a side effect. Yeta doesn't seem to recall anything either. But it was creepy! I was stuck in your shadow and I couldn't really tell what was going on, but… You were just sort of standing there for a while."

"I was?" Link's gaze shot to the ceiling in thought. "Nope. Don't remember. I must've blacked out after my fight with Yeta.

"I guess so…" Midna obviously became worried at the hero's memory lapse, but she did her best to hide it. "Whatever. We got our hands on the mirror shard, so it doesn't matter. We have better stuff to do than stick around here, so let's hurry up."

"Link, wake up."

He groaned at the voice. It was probably Midna again. Telling him to get up and get moving. But… She wasn't around anymore, so this was just a dream or something.

"I said wake up, stupid!"

"Go 'way," he mumbled on instinct. It was only nature for him to sleep as late as possible, even if he had to tell a hallucination to be quiet.

"Seriously, get up!" Midna's voice pleaded in an uncharacteristic tone. "Before someone sees you!"

Two tiny hands were planted on his shoulder and began shaking him. Finally, he cracked open and eye and rolled over onto his back with a groan.

"Finally," Midna sighed in relief. She levitated into his line of sight, arms crossed over her chest. "Have you always been this lazy?"

The hero quirked an eyebrow at her. He used to hear Midna's voice in his head even after she left, but seeing her physically was new…

"Hey," the imp huffed impatiently. She chopped her hand on Link's forehead repeatedly. "Anyone home?"

He blinked stupidly as reality came to him. "…Midna?"

"Oh, you remember my name. Well, aren't I honored?" she smirked mockingly. Her smile quickly faded as footsteps echoed from a hallway outside the room. "Get up!"

Link instantly bolted to his feet, but instead of hiding like Mina was prompting to, he looked around the room. It was small and simple, made of blue walls with little to no furniture. There was one solitary window outside with a picture-perfect view of a lake.

"Look, I'll explain later!" Midna pleaded. She grabbed a fist-full of his sleeve and began pulling towards the window. "Let's just get out of here before someone sees you!"

"But…" Link stared at her for a few long seconds. He was at a loss for words, not sure if he should say something meaningful or just question why she was here in the first place.

"I can explain later, stupid," Midna groaned. "There's plenty of time for that!" She floated open to the window, a glass plane with intricate designs Link couldn't understand. She slid it to the left, opening it up to the outside world.

"Midna, is that you?"

The princess gasped at the voice. "Impa! Come on, let's go!"

Link wasn't about to question his long-time partner. If she was panicking this much, he knew well they had to leave. He quickly climbed onto the windowsill and leapt off, landing in the tall grass that surrounded the building. Midna followed right behind him, pressing herself belly first into the dirt.

"Don't move," she whispered. "Run towards the lake when I say."

Link nodded and crouched low to the ground. He heard a woman walk into the room and call Midna's name. She left no more than a few seconds later. Once Midna was sure she was gone, she pointed towards the massive lake and took off with Link. He wasn't quite sure where they were going, but he just followed Midna's lead without hesitation.

"There, go there!" Midna sporadically commanded. She jabbed a finger at a small cliff-like formation jutting out of the ground. They ducked behind it and pressed their backs to the side of it. The cliff was facing sideways to the place they ran from, so they were safe from view. For now, at least.

"What… What was that about?" Link panted heavily, struggling to catch his breath from running so fast. He slid towards the ground in exhaustion.

"Nothing," Midna replied vaguely. "But aren't you a little, uh, confused?"

"Confused?" Link repeated.

He could practically feel Midna resisting the urge to slap a hand to her forehead. "Like, I'm back all of a sudden and you woke up in a strange place… How could you not be?"

She couldn't be any less wrong. Link was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that his partner, the only one in the entire world that fully understood his experiences, was back at his side. He restrained himself from lunging forward and pulling her into a hug. Still, he couldn't help but allow himself a nostalgic smile.

"I am a little," he admitted. "But as long as you know what you're doing, I'll be fine."

Midna stared at him judgingly. "What?"

"I trust you, that's all," Link replied. "But I wouldn't really mind if you answered my questions."

The princess was taken back at the statement, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. However, she crossed her arms and sighed in frustration. "I'll give you the basics. First of all, I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm your little friend from another dimension. I've never talked to you in my life and we don't know each other. So don't give me all that friendship crap."

Link's shoulders slumped as he focused his gaze on the ground. "Oh… I knew it was too good to be true," he sighed.

"Second, I can't tell you where you are since this is where our army is stationed at. But don't worry. I'll send you back to your own place soon so you'll be out of my hair. Got it?" Link solemnly nodded. "You can stop with the mopey attitude. It's gonna be annoying after a while."

"I'm sorry, I just…" Link apologized quietly. "I actually thought she came back."

Midna, for just a second, saw that same look in his empty eyes. The same look as the hero from her world, the one that signaled when a person found nothing more to be happy about. And from what Lana told her, her dimension's Link wasn't around anymore…

"Well, that irritating attitude won't bring her back."

The princess mentally slapped herself. She wanted to say something uplifting, but instead she said…that. Link's eyes darkened even more, causing her to stare at a tall blade of grass absentmindedly. She secretly racked her brain for something comforting to say, but nothing came to mind.

Silence continued for a few long minutes, Midna's escape plan out of mind, until finally the hero let out a small, "What about me?"

Midna knitted her eyebrows. "Huh?"

"We're from different worlds, right?" Link continued hesitantly, gaze focused on his hands resting on his lap. "I was just wondering how I was doing there…"

"Oh…" Midna bit the inside of her cheek nervously. "You want the truth."

"Of course I do."

"If you say so…" The princess took a deep breath and quickly began, "From what I've heard, you weren't doing very well after you finished your little adventure. No one could make you feel any better, so you just sat around staring into space. Maybe you were lonely or something, I don't know. Then one day, you took some rope, went into your house, and…"

She traced her finger across her neck and made a gagging sound. The hero simply stared at her in horror.

"You mean I..." His voice trailed off as reality set in.

"Exactly," Midna shrugged. "You went on your quest alone, so I imagine that didn't help the situation. But honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you did the same thing."

Link bit his lip anxiously. This was impossible. After everything he'd survived, there was no way he would just throw it away…

"Why do you say that…?" he asked quietly.

"I thought it would be obvious," Midna huffed, losing patience. A wide smirk crossed her face as she thought of her next statement. "After all, you did travel with me, didn't you? You must've been crushed when I left!" She laughed haughtily at her words, ignoring the shadow being cast across Link's eyes. "And when I wasn't there at that stupid village of yours, you must have wished I was there instead of all those stupid kids. Am I right?"

She grinned proudly, thinking she had irritated the hero, but all she did was cause him to realize she was right. When he came back from his quest and tried to settle down at Ordon, he heard a girl call his name from behind. He turned around, an ecstatic expression on his face, expecting to see Midna about to tease him. But instead he saw Ilia running to him for a hug. He was so crushed she didn't remember him when she lost her memories, but when he came back…

He recalled the emotions he felt when Ilia forgot him. Not angry, not sad, not even grieving.

Emptiness. That's all there was. A big hole of nothing where Midna should be. And now Ilia was there to take her place, to try to be his partner. But she wasn't Midna. There was no other Midna. But she was gone forever. And yet Link refused to accept it. He went to the Mirror of Twilight to try and piece it back together. Even now he couldn't accept it.

But why did he even miss Midna like he did? The answer was painfully obvious, though hard to come by. She was the only one by his side for all that time. Through the difficult battles and the rare peaceful days, she was there. She may have been hiding in his shadow, but her playful taunts never stopped. And when Link was beginning to doubt himself and his fate, she would be sure to set him back on track. He could tell she thought the same way about him too. The bond they shared was confusing, but true nonetheless.

"H-Hey!" Midna stuttered, placing a tiny hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?!"

Link touched his cheeks, only to find they were wet with tears. He pushed away the embarrassment and managed a smile. "It's nothing. Sorry."

Realizing he was fine, Midna rolled her visible eyes and groaned. "Who knew the 'hero' was such a baby? I was just messing with you, stupid!"

The hero couldn't help but find amusement in her mannerisms. She certainly claimed to be a different Midna than the one was used to, but he could tell they were both the same at heart.

"Anyway," Midna pouted. "We have to go. I'll take you back to your place. Just don't do anything stupid on the way, alright?"

Link wiped away his tears and smiled with newfound optimism. "I'll try my best."

He picked himself off the ground and brushed himself off, taking off after Midna as she left without him. The hero looked up at the clear blue sky, a hint of regret in is otherwise happy expression. He mentally apologized to his Midna in the Twilight Realm, hoping she wouldn't think he was replacing her.

The Twilight Princess ran her hand over a crystal ball in her room. She had it especially made for her once she got back, just to be sure she could keep an eye on her hero. It was just to be sure, though she did find it annoying when she could scream "advice" into his ear like before.

"Your Highness!" a voice called out. She looked up from the ball sitting on her bed as a servant rushed in.

"What is it, Adel?" she sighed impatiently. "I'm a bit busy."

Her attendee bowed nervously. "I-I'm sorry, I just- Oh, what's that?"

Midna rolled her eyes. "It's nothing. And if you don't mind, I'd like to be left alone for a while. Can you handle that?"

Adel nodded vigorously. "Yup! I'll go, uh, dust something or other. Sorry for intruding!"

With that, she slammed the door shut. Midna took a moment to rub her temples. Her new servant could always came in unannounced for something unimportant. It was especially irritating when Midna was preoccupied with other things.

Once again, she went back to gazing at the crystal surface with a solemn smile. Link was happily walking along with the "other Midna," poking fun at her in all the right ways and knowing exactly what to say to set her off. The Twilight Princess knew Link must've been worrying that she would've thought he had replaced her. No, that was the opposite! After seeing him become so distant and depressed, this was a gift from the Goddesses themselves.

She wished that the crystal ball would allow her to go meet him again, but Midna had outlawed any form of travel between worlds or time. Her people had the technology to do it, but she couldn't let any threat come from the outside world and risk another war. The Twilight Realm had finally reobtained peace, and she intended to keep things as such.

Still, simply being able to tell her hero how much she missed him would make her happy… She picked up the ball and held it at eye level, sadly gazing into it. She internally forgave Link for anything he may have thought he did, and prayed to the Goddesses and deities of her realm that they would meet again in another life.

*I live! :D You musta thought I died, didn't ya?

Young Link: I guess my break's over, huh? T_T Dammit. I was having fun.

Hoarde of Fangirls: Liiiiiink~! :D

Wha-?! Link, what did I tell you about keeping fangirls in your room?! They take up too much space!

Wolf Link: I think he might've stolen from my pile. =_=

…Whatever. =_= Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Quite a few issues came up during the writing process, but I can safely say I'll have an easier time making the next one. ^^ Also, I know I put the "real" Midna at the end, but I think this will be her only appearance. It would be too confusing to have two Midna's, but I just had to have her make a cameo. :3 Until next time~!

Young Link: Which will probably be sometimes in 2020~!

Wolf Link: When there's a blue moon~!

Sky Link: And the planets align~!

SHUDDAP!

K bye.*

P.S. My good friend, MCFanFics, is working on a collab with me! :D It's called Breathing Life into Myth and tells the story of Hylia's Chosen Hero along with Hylia herself. A few chapters have already been posted. Be sure to check it out on my profile. :3