It was only five minutes since she left the Mirror chamber, yet Midna was already regretting her lack of preparation. Instead of climbing down the tower through the nearby stairs, it was more time conserving to simply levitate to the ground far below, but after that, Midna quickly discovered this strange orange place was very unforgiving on her bare feet.

She considered levitating out of the area but decided against it, for even though she clearly saw the top few spires of a castle, the distance was far too great to cross. Already, the borders of her vision were blurring and her back and neck were drenched in sweat. If only there were shade nearby, but the closest thing to "shade" were tiny shrubs that could not possibly help Midna.

Maybe I can warp to the castle, she thought. It seemed a long shot but it would cost her much less energy than levitating or walking. The distant location was most likely not the home of Hyrule's King and Queen, but it would at least provide an opportunity to practice the warp spell.

Midna searched around for a relatively close tall rock or structure to provide her with a better view of the castle, but she found only the remains of some sort of plaque to her left and a dried up well far on the right. With a huff, she willed herself to levitate up and onto a set of boulders nearly half a mile away.

The spell took its toll as she breathed in deep and slow to recuperate, but the new vantage point was much more than what she expected. The boulders were positioned just before an enormous chasm that spanned nearly the entire plateau, but in the distance far across the gorge, Midna saw the castle, but her eyes were drawn to the sheer amount of green that surrounded the building. Green was not a stranger to her eyes, for it was the color used in the magics of the palace and jewelry, but never had she seen rolling hills seemingly made of nothing but green.

A trickle of sweat rolled into her eye and ended her stupor. It was time to focus, for the heat was becoming almost too much. She saw, or rather, perceived through her magic that there were many balconies and landings on the walls of the castle, but it was still too far to warp with any amount of accuracy.

If only there was a mesa or some rocks or…

Her thoughts trailed off as she spotted exactly what she was looking for; a large, flat-topped stone set near the edge closest to the castle. Rather than spending energy levitating to the structure, she decided to utilize the warp spell.

Now if I could just remember how it went, she wondered. It had been years since she actually used the spell, but old habits die hard. She closed her eyes and stretched her perception out to the stone she was aiming for. Her senses took over her consciousness and willed her being to be on the stone, and she felt herself disintegrate in a shroud of Twilit particles, as though she was turning into air.

The tunnel Midna had torn open to warp herself was cool, a much needed comfort to her heat-laced body, and it carried her through with such swiftness that she almost did not realize she had exited the tunnel, except the heat from the sun returned with vigor. Despite the reheat, Midna's energy was relatively intact, much more than if she had levitated.

Turning to the castle, she found that the view was much better, especially compared to her previous location. Though the distance was still considerable, Midna could now sense the balconies and lofts with greater accuracy. In fact, she noticed one balcony stood out from the rest. This one was larger and she could sense a greater amount of décor and substance, and she could feel two hearts beating inside the room that was connected to that balcony.

Probably not Hyrule Castle or wherever they live, but it's a start, she thought with an impish grin.

I was a little surprised that absolutely no one came to check up on me after my outburst, but I figured someone would ask on his or her own time. It was only five minutes since I realized my mistake but it still stung to think that I could have brought a pistol at the least, but the damn thought never occurred to me.

Of course not, why would it? That would be convenient.

At last, I dragged myself up from the floor and picked up the bedding, then shook it vigorously and tried to ignore the dust that floated out. I aimed my phone to the alcove I saw earlier and noticed it had a ladder, so I dropped the bedding and headed for it.

Maybe that chest full of rupees is still there, I wondered as I climbed down. It was pitch black down in that alcove, so dark that it was easy to notice the pair of blue eyes staring right at me through the blackness. It startled me out of common sense, and I approached the eyes and saw that they were coming closer as well.

I don't know how but I managed to avoid bumping my knee against anything on my way to the eyes, and when the eyes and I stood as close as possible, the eyes winked at me. I finally snapped out of the trance and turned on my phone, but nearly dropped it when I saw that the pair of eyes was my own reflected through a mirror.

A cold shiver ran up my spine as I inspected the mirror, but there was nothing peculiar about it; a silver mirror and nothing more. I shook off the shiver and turned to investigate the rest of the cel- basement, I watched horror movies enough times to know to never call this room the cellar. It was filled almost entirely to the ceiling with boxes and crates and left almost no room for anything else, except for the chest just beside the mirror.

"Ah, there you are," I whispered, and with several swift steps, I knelt before the chest and tugged on the lid, but it wouldn't budge. I pulled and pulled, but the damn thing was sealed shut. You aren't getting away from me, I thought as I gave one last mighty tug.

The lid flipped open with such suddenness that I fell onto my back and knocked the wind out of me. "Son of a bitch," I groaned and sat up, then leaned over to see the contents of the chest. There were a few trinkets inside, like a pair of kid-sized brown boots, a leather bandolier not unlike Farore's, a cracked ocarina, and a small lantern.

I took the lantern and closed the chest, which clicked loudly as I walked away and climbed up the ladder. As I stepped onto the wooden main floor and pocketed my phone, I heard giggling and childish whispers just outside. A hand to my forehead, I tromped over to see who my visitors were and what they wanted.

"Sleep, my child,

Go to sleep, my child,

Dream sweet dreams of golden times."

The soothing lullaby echoed down the grand halls of Hyrule Castle, sung by a beautifully serene and peaceful voice only a mother could possess. Her name was Zelda, and she wore a flowing white dress topped with a violet gown, both laced with gold trimmings. Her light brown hair flowed elegantly along her back, as she cradled a child, no more than three years old, with matching brown hair, to sleep for her afternoon nap.

"Dream, my child,

Sweet dreams, my child,

Rest your weary eyes."

The child yawned and snuggled deeper into her mother's bosom, the entire world outside tuned out and out of focus. Zelda pressed her lips against the soft locks of her sleepy daughter and continued the lullaby, sitting down in a small but comfortable chair as she did so. Nearby sat a crib lined with sky blue linens and blankets and a mobile adorned with trinkets of heroes and magical creatures.

"Waltz under moonlit trees,

Sail all the wondrous seas,

Give into all your dreams,

And sleep."

The child gazed up with dreamy blue-green eyes at her mother and reached out to hold her chin, but stopped and began to whimper at something that, were she old enough, she could identify. All she knew was that she was unhappy, and that was all that mattered to her. Zelda smiled and gently shushed her child with a finger to her lips.

"Sleep, my child,

Go to sleep, my child.

Have no fear,

I'm here by your side."

The child gave a final whine and then drifted at last into blissful slumber, accompanied by a tiny thumb stuck between her gums. Her mother leaned over and laid the child into her crib, still singing that heavenly tune. Pulling the linen up to cover the toddler's small form, she lowered her head and planted a loving kiss on her forehead.

"Dream, my child,

Sweet dreams, my child,

Keep your hopes alive.

Drift through the open sky,

Wings spread and spirits high,

Wave as the clouds go by,

And Sleep."

The lullaby completed, Zelda retreated slowly to the balcony and closed the door softly behind her. Her white-gloved hands rested on the railing as she smiled out to her kingdom below.

"How sentimental," said an eerie voice somewhere behind her. She spun on her heel and locked her blue eyes with two yellow and red orbs lurking in the shadows. "You know, I haven't been this choked up since I got a hunk of moussaka caught in my throat!"

A raised brow was Zelda's only response. The speaker sighed and stepped into the light, revealing a tall thin woman with the most unusual pale blue skin that almost seemed to glisten in the afternoon sunlight. She wore a hooded black cloak that had a light teal interior, a long black sarong, and dark, almost black, patches of clothing on her chest and left leg, leaving her naval and right leg bare and exposed. Her hair was fiery orange, wrapped in a braid just below her collarbones, though her eyebrows were black and majestically framed her eyes. The feature that caught the most attention was the glowing inscriptions on the stranger's forearms and right thigh.

Despite her dark visage and piercing eyes, the stranger gave off no malignant intentions, only slight amusement and curiosity. The two women stared at each other for nearly five minutes until the dark one spoke again.

"You wouldn't happen to know the King and Queen of Hyrule, would you?" she asked in that ghostly-echoed voice.

After a slight pause, Zelda straightened and replied, "Perhaps. What business is it of you?"

The stranger flashed a grin and raised her arms. "Oh, nothing much. A cup of tea, maybe some books, the Fused Shadows, nothing important."

"Why do you seek the Fused Shadows? Who are you?"

The stranger giggled and took an overdramatic curtsy. "Name's Midna, at your service." There was another long pause before 'Midna' spoke again. "I told you my name, so tell me yours. Fair's fair, after all."

Zelda folded her hands in front of her and answered, "I am Zelda, Queen of Hyrule."

Are all Light Dwellers this…tan? Midna thought. She stood a good eight inches over Zelda, but she felt as though she was only three and a half feet tall. The Queen's commanding presence and grace complimented her own brash humor and nonchalant demeanor.

Midna was also mildly surprised that she found the Queen so quickly. She figured it would have taken at least a day to find her, but she was not complaining. Zelda certainly fit the Queen notion well, at least from what Midna could gather from her own mother. Speaking of mothers… Midna thought.

"Cute kid in there. She looks almost, what, three years old?"

Queen Zelda raised one eyebrow and Midna noticed her jaw clench. "Do you wish harm upon her?"

Midna put a hand to her chest in a genuine display of surprise and a little hurt. "I would never hurt a child." The tone in her voice caused Zelda to tense up her shoulders but relax her jaw, as though it was just what she wanted to hear. Before either could make any more conversation, a bead of sweat rolled into Midna's eye. "Can we go inside? It's a little warm out here."

Zelda eyed her for another moment and then nodded. "Please keep your voice down, Jun only just fell asleep." Midna nodded in return and then entered the room, mouth slightly open at the amount of color present.

"Perhaps we should speak elsewhere," whispered Zelda. She leaned down and gently placed a kiss on Jun's cheek, then silently stepped out of the room, Midna following. Zelda took note of the almost envious look Midna gave to Jun, but pressed onward. The hall was empty, and Midna was thankful for that. The less she interacted with these Light Dwellers, the better. It was a relatively short walk from the nursery to Zelda's own room, and the carpet was doing wonders on Midna's feet.

Queen Zelda held the door open for her dark guest, who entered promptly and sighed in what sounded like relief. Zelda noticed a particular glyph just above the inscriptions on Midna's thigh, and her mind began searching for where she had seen that symbol before.

She must have stood there for a while, as Midna shifted the balls of her feet and tilted her head. "See something you like?" she asked with a lifted brow.

Zelda stirred from her musings and dipped her head as she closed the door behind her. "Forgive me," she said. "I was lost in thought. You sought me out, and I wish to know why."

Midna nodded and sat down in the nearby chair, her dark clothes and blue skin contrasting with the lush red and gold of the seat. "Like I said, I need the Fused Shadows for… certain reasons, shall we say?"

It clicked in Zelda's head why Midna's symbol looked familiar. All the pieces fit perfectly into place and she knew exactly what to do. "Come with me," was all she said before she glided through the room, past the bed, and into a hallway connecting the bedroom to what looked like a small armory.

Hanging on the walls were various shields and weapons, all aged and worn from battles long past. There must have been three shields, all similarly designed with a blue backdrop and red bird, and several different weapons such as longswords and spears, along with suits of armor standing imperiously on mannequins.

Zelda stepped swiftly over to one specific set of armor: a golden chest plate with matching gauntlets and boots, all of which were cracked and dented in places. Sitting atop the suit was a helmet whose three horns stood out on the left and right cheeks of the faceguard and atop the crown. Zelda tugged on the nearby wall torch and stood back as the wall shifted and moved to the side.

Midna was still admiring one of the shields when she felt Zelda gently touch her shoulder and say, "Please follow me. I will take you to the Fused Shadows."

"Wait, you're just handing them over, just like that?" asked Midna as they walked into the dimly lit tunnel. Midna had no trouble seeing in the dark and Zelda seemed to know where she was going, so they both moved with speed.

"I had a dream several nights ago," Zelda began. "In it, this golden land of Hyrule was bathed in a dim and bleak darkness. A large sigil, exactly like the symbol on your leg, emerged from the shadows and with it was the Fused Shadows, and as the sigil approached, the darkness faded away. I did not understand its meaning until you appeared. It is clear to me now that you are meant to possess the Fused Shadows."

"You're putting an awful lot of faith in a dream, aren't you?"

"Sometimes, faith in a dream is all one needs."

They walked together in silence until at last they emerged into a large antechamber, filled with strange and wondrous items such as a mask of a white-haired warrior, a conductor's baton, and even an old and faded sailcloth. Zelda walked past all the artifacts and into a small hallway that seemed to end suddenly. She held up her right hand and whispered something foreign to Midna's ears, and the wall faded away to reveal what Midna had never seen before but could clearly identify as though she knew them all her life: The Fused Shadows.

"Halt, who goes there?" I asked in a bored drone. Three sets of eyes shot up and stared at me, and if they weren't children, I would have felt intimidated. I recognized the kid who tried to shoot down that hawkling as Talo, and the other two as Beth and Malo.

Beth wore dark purple pants that ended and bunched at her knees, a matching light purple waistband tied with a white sash, and a white sleeveless shirt. Her eyes were sky blue and stared at me with both fear and wonder and her thin nose was topped with freckles. Her hair seemed reminiscent of the Power Puff Girls' Buttercup, only Beth's hair was light brown like Ilia and topped with a little red bow.

The squirt, Malo, standing between the rock-thrower and girl was tiny, to say the least. Malo barely reached up to the other boy's shoulder, and his dark brown hair was tied back in a bun. He wore an orange skirt that was too long for him, a green waistband wrapped with a burgundy belt, and yet another white tunic.

"Ugh, kids," I muttered as I climbed down the ladder and stood straight with arms crossed. It wasn't that I didn't like kids, but they had a tendency to make noise, smell, induce headaches, smell, do stupid things, smell.

"Why'd you climb up that tree, mister?" asked Beth, who stood as tall as she could at a little more than four feet, with her hands placed snootily on her hips. I knew right then and there that we were not going to get along.

"Because I'm part monkey, kid."

"I'm not a kid, I'm eleven years old!" she cried and stuck her arms straight down in that annoying 'I'm upset and I want a cookie!' pose.

"You must be so proud." The eleven-year-old promptly snapped her jaw shut and I inwardly smirked. Talo and Malo both snickered but hushed under Beth's intense glare.

"So what can I do for you squirts today?" I asked.

Beth and Talo both fumed but Malo chuckled and nudged Beth's knee. "Father told us to deliver this to you, since you so graciously left it at the mayor's house," he said as Talo and Beth pulled up my wooden sword from…somewhere. I'm still trying to figure out where they were hiding it.

I slowly walked over and then stopped in front of them. Talo and Beth retreated slightly but Malo stood still, until I shot my hand out and snatched the sword up before they could react.

I held the sword by my waist and said, "Now that I have this, you can run along and play or something." I turned to go back into the storehouse but stopped and pointed the sword at Talo. "And you, stop throwing rocks at hawk nests."

"But it's fun," he protested.

I shrugged and said, "Fine, I'm sure the parent hawk would absolutely love to have fun with you." There was soft laughter somewhere behind me, and when I turned, I saw yet another child hiding near the base of the storehouse. He wore a similar outfit to Malo, only his skirt was dark green and the waistband was silver. He had blonde hair that parted down the middle, and I knew that this kid was Colin.

I raised my arms in mock surrender and said, "Oh no, I am surrounded." Colin smiled kindly at me and waved, which caught me by surprise. "Kid, I'm right here, you don't have to wave at me."

"He's not waving at you," said a familiar voice. I turned and found Rusl standing there with his sheathed sword strung across his back with his arms looped over it. He nodded once to the kids and smiled up at me. "I see you've become acquainted with the children. Malo, Talo, Beth, your parents are waiting." The aforementioned kids took one last glance at me and trudged out of sight through the village gate.

I noticed that Colin stayed behind and when I eyed him, he blushed and ran to his father's side. Rusl laid a calm hand on Colin's shoulder and said, "I hope you don't mind young Colin staying to watch a warrior in training."

I raised an eyebrow but shrugged and shook my head. "Not at all," I said. "Let's get started."

Author's Note: I would like to credit ellebirdy23 of Newgrounds for the lyrics to the lullaby, though I have tweaked them somewhat.