Chapter Five: Long Nights

"Ew," I muttered looking at Link who was now spattered with blood from the freshly killed bulblin.

"Link go wash yourself off," Zelda commanded almost immediately. Link just shrugged and started walking again.

We had been walking for a couple of days now with Castle Town well behind us. After gathering some supplies we decided our first stop was Ordon Village. If this was anything like the Twilight invasion, then Ordon would likely be untouched for the most part. Luck granting, the people of the village wouldn't even know there was a new invasion… yet. Link woke up with a grin on his face this morning, telling Zelda and I that we'd make it to Ordon before nightfall today. He was obviously looking forward to checking on his friends, and Zelda would be glad to take a break from sleeping on the hard ground. Me though?

I didn't care either way. For the most part I had been riding in Link's shadow so obviously I wasn't very exhausted. In fact I was the most energetic out of either of my two companions. Not once had I even slept under the stars with them. Like I said, most of the time Link's shadow was just fine by me. Cool, comfortable, and I could watch over Link a bit easier. If something were to attack I would want to be as close as possible not dragging behind like Zelda. Hmm, where is Zelda anyways?

"Hey Link," I called from the depths of his shadow. He stopped and stared down. "I think you lost someone." He spun around; looking frantically for the now lost Queen of Hyrule. I spotted her first, standing a good ten yards away. I almost hit my head with my palm at her expression: frowning with her feet planted and arms crossed. It almost looked like she was pouting but not quite. No, this was a classic the-princess-gets-what-she-wants pose. Of course, Zelda wasn't technically a princess anymore…

"Zelda!" Link called, exasperated. "Hurry up, I want to get to Ordon. The sooner we get there the sooner we can return to Castle Town and start rebuilding." Zelda stood her ground, simply shaking her head. I rolled my eyes as Link started to walk back to her.

"Zelda what are you –" The queen in question held up a hand causing Link to stop talking mid-sentence, obedient to a fault as always.

"Link I requested that you wash yourself off before traveling any further now I demand it, lest you wish for an execution as home coming," Zelda proclaimed icily. I hadn't realized she could be so harsh. Link glared back defiantly for a moment before a strange look came over his face, almost like he was in pain. Suddenly the Triforce on my hand glowed brilliantly, if only for a moment, and I was forced from his shadow. Landing unceremoniously on my butt, I glanced up at Link to see his face back to normal.

"Fine," he pouted, walking towards the nearby creek. I cocked my head to the side and looked up at Zelda who was now whistling with her hands behind her back.

"Zelda?" I asked curiously. She glanced down at me. "Did you see that just now?"

"See what?" She replied with a frown.

"The Triforce on my hand lighting up at the same moment Link looked like he was in pain," I clarified. Zelda simply stared at me with even greater confusion.

"I didn't see anything," she said with a quick shrug. Link chose to make his reappearance then, and we continued on our way to Ordon, the brief but strange moment forgotten for now.


Due to what Link was referring to as "Zelda's episode" we had to camp out again that night at Faron's spring. In honor of the last night under the stars I decided to sleep outside of Link's shadow with the Hylians, if only to see what the big attraction was.

A fire was lit, and with a quick good night everyone chose his or her side of the fire for the night. Zelda slept closer to the spring while Link slept closer to the Ordon side of the flames. I didn't care either way, really, but I chose to sleep on the side closest to the tunnel that led to Coro, the lantern oil merchant, and Faron woods. I had some of my fondest memories in those woods.

I glanced over at Link who was staring forlornly towards his home. His deep blue eyes, though fearless as always, were plagued by the heartache of homesickness. I wondered if he had ever looked so defeated and almost hopeless on our previous journey together. I couldn't recall a single time where Link was really desperate, almost fearful of what could happen. Link was never really one for what-ifs, yet here he was as readable as a book.

What if Ordon hadn't been so lucky this time? What if we were walking into a trap? What if he had to see his best friend dead? What if he had to see his adoptive-family slaughtered like goats? What if… what if… what if…

I raised my hand up and smacked Link on the back to the head. He attempted to jump up and spin around, but got tangled in his sleeping mat and went face-first into the dirt.

"Hey, Link?" I asked, just barely resisting a smile. "Nice fall, I give it a ten." He squirmed around trying to detangle himself, flinging dirt everywhere in the process. "Ew, Link watch it," I complained loudly, getting a spray of dirt down my shirt. Finally he managed to sit up.

"What was that for?" He demanded. I sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, gently.

"Link," I murmured softly, "you must stop worrying about everything. What ever happens, we'll deal with it together. Just like the first time. Relax, please." He smiled at me and nodded once before flopping back onto the ground. He was out within minutes.

I let out a sigh and glanced towards Zelda, who was still awake. She caught my eye and smiled gently asking, "What's on your mind Midna?"

I peeked over at Link to make sure he was asleep before responding. "Mostly about the Forest Temple near here, deeper in the woods, and how hard I was on him during it," I replied with a sad smile.

Zelda nodded once in understanding. "I've told you before Midna, you were destined to make a hero out of him, you shouldn't feel so bad over doing that the hard way at first." She paused briefly, to look at Link's slumbering form. "Besides, it's not like you really hate him or anything, not any more." I scowled at her wordlessly.

After a few moments of silence Zelda spoke up again. "What was it like?"

"Well," I pondered out loud, my thoughts drifting back to the Forest Temple. "It was definitely one of his turning points."


Link stood, panting, on the edge of the pool of now crystal clear water. His mouth was hanging open, eyes wide. For a moment I was worried he might pass out and drown himself in the water. He continued to stand there and I grew impatient. What was wrong with him? Why was he just standing there? Oh, so a big scary plant tried to kill him, big whoop. I got the fused shadow, he got to help his pet monkey, everyone's happy, now can we leave please?

I floated over to him and tried to smack him, but my hand passed through his jaw like a ghost. He yelped and spun around to face me, drawing his sword in the process.

"Oh, would you calm down?" I scolded him. "Just get in the portal so we can get out of here, I'm sick of this place." He put his sword away, uncertainly. I floated over to the portal and beckoned him. Link walked slowly towards the portal, but paused on the edge.

"M-Midna?" He asked, eyes filled with a mix of wonder and horror. "Will all of the Fused Shadows… will we have to kill things like this for every single one?" I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"How am I supposed to know?" I snapped at him. "You're job is to get the Fused Shadows, not cry about killing monsters." Flinching at my tone, he looked down and fingered his tunic nervously before speaking.

"You know, there are many people who would think that you and I are monsters, if they were ever able to see us," he spoke slowly, judging each word.

"You're only a monster part of the time, Wolf Boy," I hissed. "I am always going to be a monster to your people, why do you think I want the Fused Shadows so badly? I want to go home where everyone thinks I'm perfectly normal, not some freakish shadow imp. I swear if I had my way I would destroy your world and return to mine, laughing as yours burned. Then you hateful light-beings can call me a monster all you want!" I huffed and turned away from him, embarrassed by my outburst.

If this blue-eyed beast were to help me then he couldn't be thinking that I might betray him in the end.

I turned around to find Link silently waiting for me in the portal. With a burst of Twili magic we were transferred outside. Link remained silent for the entire walk to Eldin province, right up to the Twilight barrier that would take him another step closer to saving his realm and mine. As he talked to the light spirit, Eldin, and started his search for the Light, I thought about what words had been exchanged between us so far.

It remained painfully obvious, no matter what way I looked at the situation, that Link and I didn't trust each other at all. A summary of our relationship would be "at each other's throats." Which would be fine with me, but he needed to believe he could trust me with his life. Otherwise he might start to question my actions and words. Then that was just a stone's throw away from leaving me to die in Hyrule Field.

Of course, he's much more powerful in this realm than I am. Link is the Hero of Light, a beacon of all that is good and strong. If he really wanted to he could easily leave me… it would even be a simple thing to kill me. No, he's the Light Realm's hero for a reason; he doesn't kill without a good intention. Which I guess is why the first temple we were forced to go through shook him up so much. The peaceful disposition must be in his blood-history somewhere, though. There isn't a Twili that I know of who wouldn't kill his own mother if he had to.

I resolved to learn more about Hylian history once I returned home. Though it would be shameful to admit out loud, this Light Dweller fascinated me.

Nonetheless, I couldn't let him think he held power over me. I would lull him into a false sense of security, gain his trust. I nearly gagged at what that could mean for me though. He was a smart kid, not easily fooled, but he had a tragic flaw just like all heroes. A weakness, so painfully obvious, one almost overlooks it. I saw the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of Ilia. The way he blushed when Zelda lowered her hood in Hyrule Castle.

The hero who could conquer the world was horribly shy and awkward around the opposite sex. Laughable? Yes. Useable? Totally.


I kept the part about finding his weakness out of the story as I explained things to Zelda. I smiled to myself, remembering how elated I had been at the revelation. Such a simple way to manipulate him, I had thought at the time. Little did I know I didn't need it. Link had a heart of gold; there really was no other way to put it.

"Eldin Province came and went without much instance," I continued as Zelda listened, enthralled by the story. "Aside from Link learning how to sumo wrestle, nothing really interesting happened. Well we did find the br – er, kids, but I didn't really care much for them either way, in all honesty. Then we moved on to Lanayru Province, and forced our way through the Zora's Temple." My face clouded over as the story started to slow in my mind.

I had repressed this part of the tale for a long time. It was one of the most nightmarish parts of our journey. Honestly everything had been fairly innocent up until we finished off the monster at the bottom of the lake. Our worst mistake was taking Zant for granted, though I would never admit it out loud. It was my fault that everything happened as it did after that. If only I had been more cautious, or we had some kind of warning. We thought we were doing so well. And then…

"We went to speak to Lanayru after obtaining the last Fused Shadow, then the plan was to move on to the Hyrule Castle and destroy the problem at its source," I told Zelda, picking up the story once more.

She frowned. "This is right before you came to me for help?" I nodded once and her face turned grim. "Continue, please."


I grinned to myself in Link's shadow. The last Fused Shadow, finally! After Link spoke with the Light Spirit we would be on our way to challenge Zant. If he remained in this world then it would be simple to make our way to Hyrule Castle and take him out there. Something pricked at the back of my thoughts. How did Zant get to this realm in the first place? He had thrown me out of the palace and then, next thing I knew, I was in this world. How did I get back home?

I shrugged, indifferently. We could interrogate him before we destroyed him. I smiled up at Link from my place in his shadow, he could do it – I knew it in the bottom of my heart. He could challenge Zant and win. I leapt nimbly from his shadow to create a portal for him to exit through.

"Ready, Wolf Boy?" I asked, using my favorite nickname for him.

"You bet," he replied eagerly. "I can't wait to get the kids home and then I can focus on helping Ilia." A brief look of pain flashed across his face before he shook it off and walked over to the portal. I made no comment at this; I couldn't care less about the obnoxious farm girl.

As we reformed in Lanayru's spring I could tell something was off. I saw him before Link did.

Zant.

Link gasped in surprised and took a step back. Suddenly Lanayru sprung from his resting spot and prepared to destroy the evil that had infiltrated his sacred place. The usurper king didn't even flinch in the face of the light spirit's attack. A shockwave of magic rolled off Zant and to my utter horror Lanayru was blasted down along with Link. The light spirit vanished and Twilight flooded the area. Link transformed, forcing me from his shadow in the process.

Zant suspended me in midair and was quick to seize the Fused Shadows. I tried to protest and break free, but his magic held firm. He took one look at the Fused Shadows and tossed them away like trash. He questioned my loyalties and I questioned him right back: How could he abuse our tribe's magic? He seemed insulted by this, claiming his magic was not the same as mine. It was a new magic.

Ready to teach me a lesson, Zant flung me across the floor and prepared to shoot me down with some of his so-called new magic, but Link regained consciousness and leapt at him. The wolf took the full force of Zant's blow and was thrown across the room, losing consciousness once more.

The usurper pulled me towards him and started to talk about things he knew nothing about.

…one of the light dwellers who oppressed our people…You cannot consort with their kind! …Lend me your power…

I broke free from his grip and rushed to Link's side. I vaguely heard Zant mutter something along the lines of, "So be it," but I was too worried about Link to notice. Link. Oh, Link, goddesses, please… I couldn't lose him, not now. Not when all of our hard work was just starting to come together. I can't lose you! Please wake up…!

Suddenly I was jerked harshly away from Link's side once more and forced in front of Lanayru. Briefly it looked as if though Lanayru was confused by what he was attacking, like he missed a beat and couldn't find the rhythm again. My skin tingled as the light approached and for the first moment it didn't hurt. Then I screamed as the pure light hit me, undiluted by any shadow, and pain rushed in. I lost my grip on reality. The black abyss of my own mind swallowed me.


"Of course I was in and out for most of the trip through the sewers," I concluded. "But, then again, you know the rest of the story from there." Zelda shook her head affirmatively.

"You changed after that," she stated.

"Yes, though everything happened so fast once we reached Ganon. I wasn't around long enough to figure out if you were the one who changed me or if I really…" I looked up at her puzzled. After Ganon was defeated I really did wonder how much of my relationship with Link, and the Light Realm in general, was effected by Zelda.

She put her hands up defensively. "Now Midna, you know as well as I do I couldn't influence you. All I was able to do was wait and observe in the back of your mind." I shrugged indifferently. Now that I had returned to the Light Realm I guess the question of her influence was a moot point. Even without having a Light Dweller in my head, I still held a certain love for this realm and the people within it. I glanced over at Link.

He never had any doubts as to where his loyalties lie. A part that I loved so much despite the trouble it gave me in the end. Loyal to the last, my eyes locked with his as the mirror shattered: the pain, the hurt, everything echoing between us as our worlds fell apart just as everyone else's pulled together. I quickly shied away from the memories that were speeding down a path I had no desire to visit again.

"Do you remember the Arbiter's Grounds?" I inquired suddenly. Zelda pulled her gaze away from the fire and looked at me thoughtfully. "I've always been kind of curious as to how much you really saw…"


"Midna, let's warp up to Castle Town, I think the Adventurer's Guild might be able to help again," he deduced with a grin. Obviously playing detective excited him, and he didn't hold a doubt in his mind. The opposite was true for me. Arbiter's Grounds had been a waste of time – a wild cucco chase. I warped him when he asked me to, not really caring about the where and why any more.

The entire situation I found myself in left me in a state of pondering, with Zelda commenting, naturally.

My mission to save my realm and my people from Zant failed. I had to face that now. The thought felt like a razor blade. I failed. I would pray everyday for them. Zant wanted desperately to rule the Twilight Realm, but that didn't mean he wanted our people to suffer. There could be hope for them. As for the Light Realm, well…

I looked around Hyrule Field as Epona's hoofs thundered against the rocky terrain. The sun shone brilliantly as if encouraging this wild cucco chase. I couldn't help but smile at the look on Link's face. He looked so joyous, so carefree, so determined. The beginning had been hard on him; he was just realizing his destiny as the Hero of Light when he got partnered with a cranky imp. Maybe this really is it. Maybe it was my destiny to guide him as a blossoming hero and assist in saving the Light Realm.

That certainly made sense. The Twilight Realm was a doomed and cursed place that was now shut off from the goddesses' beloved Hyrule. Of course everything wasn't back to normal quite yet. There was still the matter of Zelda for one thing.

I'm the last thing we need to worry about.

Right, the castle was still trapped under that Twilight barrier. It would be hard to break without the Fused Shadows or some extra muscle. Not that the people really cared it seemed, with the exception of Telma and her group. We had to dethrone Ganon and return Zelda to her rightful place. Then everything would be back to normal.

What about Link's friend Ilia, and you?

I frowned at the mention of the farm girl. When we first arrived at Castle Town, or more accurately when Link finally arrived in his Hylian body, I expected Ilia to take one look at him and start singing in joy. She didn't though. She took one look at him and then started worrying over the Zora boy again. I could feel Link's shock as she turned away from him without recognition. Link would find a way to help her, of that I was sure.

You're still avoiding the largest problem here. What about you?

Oh, gee thanks, I'm a problem.

You know what I mean. If you don't return to the Twilight Realm where will you live in the Light Realm? How will you live here? I've seen my fair share of strange creatures, but you look like nothing I've ever seen previous to the invasion. People will become suspicious, and they certainly won't trust you. What are you going to do?

This was the most difficult question to answer. I could accept the fate of my people. I could accept that I existed solely to help Link become what he was destined to be. All of that was easy, though. What about me? Where was my place in this world? No, that wasn't the right question to ask. I already knew my place in this world. I didn't belong here; I had no place in this realm. Maybe I could just lie in Hyrule Field and wait for a keese to pick my brains out.

Midna!

I sighed. Okay, fine. Maybe that was a little extreme. The only real option I had was Link's shadow. I could stay here and watch over him. I would never have to leave him like I originally planned.

Even if you never leave this world behind you should tell him how you feel, Midna. He deserves to know. Plus I would think you'd like to know if he returns those feelings…

No, shut up. We've talked about this. You live in an awfully romantic mind for a princess.

Actually that's pretty normal where I'm from. And need I remind you that I'm not in my own mind at that moment…?

Ew, don't put it like that, it sounds creepy.

You know what I mean.

Yeah but I wouldn't even know how to tell him. And, no, I don't want your help before you ask. I want to tell him myself, not with the help of a voice in my head. No, no, no I refuse to even consider this. It's only you planting ideas in my head! You should know that a princess is trained to avoid men not run into their arms like a fairy tale.

So much for Link's weakness being the opposite sex…

Would you please stay out of my head!

Well…

Never mind! You know what I mean! I want some of my memories to be left undefiled.

I only look at memories that stand out and call to me. I haven't read anything from before you met Link. Its not as if I'm trying to be a pain in the—

"Hey Midna," Link called, standing in a small tunnel. I popped out of his shadow.

"What's up?" I asked, shivering. There was an artic blast filtering through the tunnel, and I wondered where we were at the moment. I had yet to be somewhere Hyrule that was this frigid.

"We're going up the mountain, I need you to change me so I'm not freezing to death," he explained with a big, goofy smile on his face and a spark of excitement in his eyes. I nodded, changing him, and, with a practiced move, landed nimbly on his furry back. I reclined with a sigh as he dashed into the growing snowstorm.

Five minutes later and I couldn't get close enough to Link's warm wolf-body. The Twilight Realm was a place in constant Twilight, obviously, so the weather never changed. There's no such thing as a warm day or cool day, there are only days – well only twilights technically. I never realized that temperature even changed this dramatically.

Link whined uneasily, worried about me I assumed seeing as there was no other danger near by with the exception of the storm. I opened my mouth to reassure him only to find I couldn't speak through my chattering teeth. The cold really had gotten to me. Link trotted off to a near by cave, instinctively knowing, I guess, that I needed to warm up.

I transformed him back into his Hylian form before slumping against the cave wall furthest from the storm.

"Midna? Are you okay?" he inquired in a worried tone. "You don't look so good."

"I don't feel so good." He frowned down at me thinking for a moment before removing his tunic and boots. I watched him curiously. "You're going to freeze," I told him bleakly as he tugged his gauntlets off. Soon he was stripped down to only a pair of shorts. He was quick to build a good-sized fire between us, to keep us from both dieing a miserable, frozen death.

"Feeling any better?" He questioned, still worried about me when he was the one without any clothes on.

"I'd feel better if you'd put your clothes back on, you're going to catch a cold or something," I complained, voicing my concern. He shook his head and, gesturing to the clothes, said:

"They're wet, I'm more likely to get sick with them on."

Weird. How'd his clothes get wet when he was in wolf form? Then again I'd never seen his coat anything but dry before so maybe the clothes change with the fur. He sat down next to me and wrapped strong arms around my waist. I started to protest and tried to squirm away, but he wouldn't have it.

"If I don't keep you warm you'll freeze, this is the best way," he explained, ever patient.

I would've argued and pointed out that there was a fire right there, but resting in his arms did warm me up much faster than the fire. So I sat on his lap (which was much more preferred than the cold stone floor) and rested my head against his soft, warm chest. I thought how strange it was that he's just as warm with fur as without. He rested his chin on my head and within minutes he had drifted asleep.

I found that sleep evaded me through out the night. I remained distracted by thoughts of Link and what he was doing for me. Keeping me warm, sure, but also searching for the shards when I had given up hope. He really was a beacon of light in these dark times. I risked a look at his face as he slept peacefully. His blonde hair had grown lighter in the desert sun and I wondered if it would dull down a bit after a time.

I reached up and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. His hands were calloused and worn from this little adventure, but his face remained soft and un-aged by the troubling events of late. My hand drifted down, tracing the line of his jaw then trailing down to his strong chest. It was no wonder everyone liked him, he was certainly attractive by Light Dweller standards. Honestly he was attractive by Twili standards as well, though it was a more… exotic attraction.

Hey careful with the thoughts there, I have to hear them too you know.

I groaned in frustration. Give me a break, princess; it is my head after all. I sighed and leaned my head on Link's powerful shoulder. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I was never destined to fall in love with him and yet I did, didn't I? I clenched my jaw and tried to drawn out my own feelings. I never thought love hurt this much. I can't…

Don't beat yourself up over it, Midna. Love is not something you can control, nor should it be.

Maybe not, but it was wrong. Link and I came from two different worlds that couldn't mix. Just look at what happened when they did. An innocent soul was forced to forge into the darkness to save people who would never truly appreciate him. He thought he could find the mirror's shards and I had to believe in that – I had to believe in him. I just needed my escape first. Then, once the Light Realm was back to normal, with Ganon dead and Zelda out, I could leave – for good.

…Midna… I may not be in Link's head, but I can tell you that leaving him is the last thing he wants.

But it's the first thing he needs, I countered. She fell silent.

I could shatter the mirror. Zant couldn't because of his bloodline, but I could. The Light and Dark would never mix again, my plan was perfect because Link wouldn't find out until it was too late to stop me – if he even cared enough to try. My gaze drifted back to Link's angelic face. I felt a single tear drop run down my cheek.

Yes, perfect.


The night on Snowpeak Mountain had been a turning point, for better or for worse. If not for that night then Link and I would've remained as friends. We wouldn't be stumbling around in this clumsy and awkward friendship. Some things just shouldn't have been said. I thought after the mirror was shattered I'd never have to live through soft spoken words on cold nights, where maybe you inched a little closer because it was cold. And maybe you just touched him because, well, who was really going to know? Who could possibly find out if we just lost ourselves in each other for an hour or two?

No one would know – we'd never have to speak of it again.

"You were pretty quite that night," I commented.

Zelda shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable. "I didn't want to be an intrusion; you two needed a night to yourselves. I'm sure you could use another one soon, hm?" I laughed once without humor.

"You being in my head and actually sitting right there makes kind of a big difference," I informed her. "Aside from that, we have more pressing matters." Zelda's face turned grim as she recalled said 'pressing matters.'

"Well you told me a story, how about I tell you one?" She inquired, a smile upon her lips.

"Don't you need sleep?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you want to hear a story or not?"

"Fine, fine, let's hear it."

"Long ago lived the first Princess Zelda – the first one to hold a Triforce piece and the first to assist in Ganondorf's downfall. You would never think it, but I am a reincarnation of her – as Link is a reincarnation of the hero of the time," she started, her face turning thoughtful. "The Zelda of the time when the Triforce first appeared in the royal bloodline was also known as Princess of Destiny, and she has tried to contact me through similar methods used on her.

"Through dreams, she's told me things about the hero of our time and how to find him. She's also tried to warn me to watch for certain signs that foreshadowed Ganon's return. Obviously, despite her best efforts, I was incapable to receive all of the knowledge I needed before it was too late. Triforce of Wisdom indeed," Zelda snorted softly and shook her head. "Well I did learn that the Link and Zelda of that time were, how should I say… rather intimate.

"They noticed things that other generations couldn't have because of that. Like how each of their Triforce pieces seemed to react to the others the deeper their relationship became. Eventually the Princess of Destiny claimed she could communicate with the Hero of Time, her Link, through the power of the Triforce," Zelda concluded.

I mulled this over for a few minutes before responding. "Wouldn't that be dangerous?" I asked.

Zelda looked surprised, "How do you mean?"

"Well, if someone, somehow, tainted that connection wouldn't it be disastrous for both of them?" I clarified.

Zelda's expression turned grim. "Yes, they were very aware of their fault in creating the connection, but they were well practiced at keeping secrets. It is very likely the reason the hero's birth now comes after the Wisdom holder's and frequently in a very different area. Even untainted as the pieces of Wisdom and Courage, that does not make them impervious."

"Wisdom and courage?" I questioned, a little confused.

"Oh, right," she muttered before answering. "You must realize that there were – are – three pieces of the Triforce. Those pieces represent the three goddesses. Link holds the piece of courage, from Farore, and I wisdom from Nayru."

"So I have Din's which is…" I trailed off uncertainly.

"Power," Zelda concluded.

I nodded and stared blankly into the fire. Zelda's words made for a good history lesson, but nothing more. After all, I wasn't one destined to retain the Triforce, so I couldn't control its magic. Certainly I couldn't create a bond that has been banished for hundreds, possibly thousands of years, with the strange gift from the goddesses.

I knew enough Hylian history to understand Din was a reckless and easily angered goddess, hence the Triforce of Power. I could understand the more laid-back Nayru and loyal Farore creating a bond through wisdom and courage, respectively. Yes, I'm quite certain Link would just as soon propose to Zelda as I was to create a bond through the Triforce with him. Honestly I've had enough of this whole creepy Hylian 'bonding.' Why did Hylians have to bind through magic in such strange ways? First Zelda harassing my mind and now possibly Link through a dead stone in my hand.

Said stone quickly flashed as if to remind me that it wasn't simply a 'dead stone.' I looked to the Eastern horizon and noticed for the first time that the morning twilight was approaching, and the once roaring fire had dimmed to a miserable flame. I groaned loudly. Great now I was going to be sleep deprived for the rest of the day.

Link stirred on his cot and slowly awoke. "Mmrgm?" He asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Come again?" I asked tilting my head to the side in amusement.

"Why are you awake so early" – He looked over at Zelda – "and you?"

I shrugged. "It was a long night."

He seemed to accept this and began packing his things, eager to reach Ordon. I hadn't really given much thought about what to do while in Ordon. Certainly I didn't want to stand around and have the villagers gawk at me while Link was resting up and Zelda was settling down. As I pondered this I vaguely noticed Zelda talking to Link, but it wasn't until Zelda tapped my shoulder did I pay them any heed.

"Midna, why don't you and Link go for a walk? I'll clean up here – I really haven't been doing enough. You two deserve a break," she explained. I scowled at her. She just smiled and started to douse the fire.

"Fine, come on Link," I commanded, walking off towards the deeper part of the Faron Woods.


"What were you two talking about all night?" Link asked suddenly. We had been sitting on a soft patch of grass by a stream in silence up until his inquiry. I was a bit surprised when he asked; I didn't think he would realize we were up all night. I must look really tired, I mused to myself

"Just random stuff," I responded. "Zelda told me that you could communicate through the Triforce – that was probably the highlight of the night."

"Communicate through the Triforce… How?" His tone caused me to look at him curiously. He sat, patiently waiting for me to continue, his features not giving away any hints as to what he might be thinking.

"Well supposedly it's really hard to do." I hedged.

"Can we try?" He wondered excitedly. "That could be really useful while we look for Ganon and figure out what happened at the castle." Naturally, the Hero of Light was up to a challenge. I cursed Farore and her stupid courage piece.

"It could be really dangerous," I cautioned him. His face lit up, like some realization just dawned on him. He fell silent and turned towards the bubbling brook once more. He was quiet long enough for me to think that maybe he forgot about it.

"I think we should try," he said, speaking softly. "We've been through a lot together, I think we can handle this." He paused, frowned and looked up at me. "How would we do this anyway?"

"I think, um," I hesitated, not really sure what to tell him. Zelda mentioned something about the last two people to form the connection were very… "Uh, I' m not sure, really," I bluffed.

"Here," Link said, offering me his hand. I just stared at it. He let out a heavy sigh and grabbed my hand. Slowly, he raised his eyes and looked right into my own. "Anything?" He spoke softly, like if he were to speak too loudly he would scare me off. I shook my head in a negative. He leaned closer to me and rested his forehead on my own. The tips of our noses brushed and he whisper, "What about now?"

"Nothing," I breathed.

"Maybe…" He moved a little closer, tilting his head so his lips brushed mine. I felt a fire deep in the pit of my stomach flare and I leaned into the kiss with more enthusiasm than Link had expected. "Midna," he mumbled – it sounded almost like a warning. "We can't…" he started to pull away, but I quickly grabbed the front of his shoulders.

"I just need to know," I whispered. I pressed my body closer to his and buried my hands in his soft, golden hair. He tensed; the last of his uncertainty fleeing as my tongue traced along his bottom lip. I felt his strong hand slide down my waist and slip under my traveling blouse.

We probably would've continued on like this for a while. Who's to say? Maybe we would've gone beyond this sweet kiss. Maybe we would've finally gotten the courage to just say those three words. Maybe, but we were never destined to know.

Suddenly thunderous rumbling could be heard and Link broke away from me to stand up. I was quick to followed suit and leapt to my feet. We stood tense, the last few minutes forgotten for the time being. We waited for some sign of movement in the suddenly silent and eerie trees. A fog seemed to roll over the clearing and I felt Link reach for his sword, slowly.

I heard him before I saw him.

"Well, well, well," he commented dryly. "What have we here?" Without waiting for an answer he continued. "Naughty, naughty Hero of Time, you should be in more control of your emotions than this. You remember what happened last time." I could finally see the owner of the voice, nothing more than a shadowy figure from this distance. Slowly he walked through the fog of the forest and my throat squeezed shut as I realized who stood across the clearing from me – Ganondorf.

Suddenly a bright light to my side diverted my attention from the specter. I turned in time to see Link fall to his knees, clutching his left hand and dropping his sword in the process. He howled out in pain for the briefest moment before collapsing on the ground.

"Link!" I cried out in panic, kneeling next to him. Ganon walked a little closer and I suddenly had a flash of déjà vu.

You cannot consort with their kind…

Link groaned and I snapped out of my revere. "Link?" I shook his shoulder, attempting to get him up before Ganon got any closer. If he didn't get up we'd both be dead. Slowly but surely Link rose to his feet and picked up the Master Sword. He spat off to the side before raising his eyes to meet Ganon's.

"Hey, Scumbag," he greeted the dark lord.

"Hm, you aren't the Ordon boy are you?" Ganon questioned. Link barked a laugh.

"Nope and I have to say its pretty nice to be in a physical body again. At the very least I can see why you did it, but," Link paused, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "that doesn't give you the right to come back."

Ganondorf snorted unbelieving. "You're one to lecture, look at what you've done." He gestured towards Link and laughed. The hero scowled.

"Unfortunately," Link replied with a grin, the cockiness returning to his voice. "This one is much weaker than I was, not nearly as much experience. You would've killed him and I can't have that happening now can I?" Link sighed and rubbed his arm, absentmindedly. "My poor son, at least he had his childhood to live through, but it made him weak…"

My eyes darted between Link and Ganondorf, confused. What were they talking about? And what's wrong with Link? "Link…?" I questioned, uncertainly. He turned towards me and blinked once as if just now realizing I was standing next to him.

"Who are you?" He replied just as uncertain. My mind drew a blank as I tried to process his question.

"Link!" Shouted an enraged voice. Link tore his gaze away from me and turned his head slowly to the source of the sound. "What in the name of Farore do you think you're doing?" Zelda screeched dashing out of the woods to our left. Zelda stopped in front of him and slapped him across the face – hard.

"Ow, what the heck Zel –" He started to demand but was cut off by the queen herself who had grabbed his shirt.

Shaking him she demanded, "Get out of his body now, you'll screw up this entire timeline!"

"I'm the Hero of Time," Link replied in a 'duh' kind of voice. "The timeline will be fine, I have experience with these kind of things." He winked at her and she smiled a little despite herself. "Besides," he continued, face turning grim as he turned towards Ganon. "This one can't handle him yet; we need to do something."

"We don't need to do anything," Zelda told him, gaining his full attention once more.

"If he dies that could be it for everything we have tried to protect for all of these years," Link countered. "He's like a son, I can't let him die because I wasn't strong enough to finish Ganondorf at the time…"

"Don't talk to me about time," she snapped.

Frustrated by the conversation that I had long ago given up trying to figure out, I turned to Ganondorf, prepared to shoot him down with a bolt of magic. He looked bemused. His eyes met mine and a wicked grin crept over his face. He sauntered forward while Link and Zelda were distracted arguing.

"You're coming with me," he hissed, grabbing my wrist.

"Let her go!" Link shouted, finally pulled out of his conversation with Zelda. What was wrong with him? Since when did he get distracted? Maybe a better question would be, since when did Zelda distract him?

"Way to go, O mighty Hero of Time," Zelda remarked sarcastically, stepping back. She reached behind her expecting something to be there that wasn't. "Nayru! Why doesn't she have a bow with her?"

"Link!" I screamed, desperately trying to get his attention. I couldn't summon any magic – Ganon must have something on to restrain me. Darn it! "Let me go!" I demanded, struggling.

"Midna?" Link asked blankly, hesitating. He shook his head and dropped to his knees, nails digging into the dirt. "Sh- I'm loosing him!" Zelda rolled her eyes and took a step back. Both of their Triforces flared and suddenly, after the Triforces dimmed, they both looked confused.

"I don't have time for this," Ganondorf muttered. He started making signs in the dirt with a wave of his hand and I recognized the designs as Twili. He finished the last symbol and mumbled an incantation – a transportation spell, I realized too late.

"Ah, my dear Twilight Princess," he purred. "You have some explaining to do." With these words and a flash of light we were whisked away from Faron woods, but I lost my mind to the darkness before his spell could finish.

I was no longer in Faron Woods when Link finally rose from the ground, head pounding. I wasn't there when he turned to Zelda confused. I wasn't present when he started to call my name in panic. Certainly I wasn't there when he found the person who looked like me. Nor was I around when he accepted Ganon's minion's story about fending off the dark lord. I wasn't there, not really, the one with Link now was just a clone – one of Ganon's shadow lackeys. Not to mention I'm nearly positive that I'm still unconscious.

I could see and hear it all though, through Link's eyes and ears. His gaze fell on the look-alike and I felt a strange pang of guilt and confusion. I drifted into a deeper and darker part of my mind, desperately trying to block out his emotions.

My connection with Link, through the Triforce, was strong indeed.