Midna stammered, caressing the blonde hair in her hands. "I was scared, Link." She sighed, looking down into his eyes. "I didn't want any further psychotic Twili to invade your realm." Link exhaled a warm breath, and his stolid expression only transferred as disbelief, which he had a right to at the time. "You remember, on that day many moons ago, before I came back home and the mirror shattered… you remember what I was going to say to you?" Midna grinned slightly, attempting to ease the tension in the air.

Link nodded. "You never finished your sentence. You called my name… but paused. Blurting out that you'd see me later, right as the mirror took you away from me." The blonde looked away from Midna, sniffling a bit. "That hurt, Midna. You lied to me." The frown on his face looked like a child – it made him look like a child.

The Twili took her hand and brushed the boy's hair from his face, and turning his chin to face her, then toyed at his ears. She held a motherly grin on her lips, a smile that showed her care for the Hylian resting on her. "I never got to finish that because I was scared – scared of how you would think of me since I would have to leave immediately afterwards." Link raised a brow at Midna, and opened his mouth when the Twili hushed him, inching her face closer to his.

"Link, do you know the feeling for when you really care for somebody? You care for somebody with all your heart and soul?" She wrapped her hands around the blonde's cheek, and he mumbled a quiet yes with shifty eyes. "Well, Link, I have that feeling for you. I have missed you so hard this past year. I have longed for you. I begged the goddesses for some way to see you again. And for many moons, I was left unanswered. But now you're here, despite the state you're in, and I have been thanking the goddesses plenty."

"Midna… are you saying…" the words tumbled from Link's mouth, as he stuttered. His face flushed a bright red, a smile forming on his lips and tears welling up in his eyes. His whole body shook and trembled.

The Twili's face was less than a centimeter from making contact with the blonde's. A slight smirk planted itself on her face, as she began to coy at Link's empty hand with hers. "Yes, Link." She giggled a slight bit before closing her eyes.

"What I wanted to say that day," Midna's face crept closer and closer to the boy's. "Was that I love you, Link. I love you so dearly."

And with those words, she clasped her lips with Link's, obviously taking him off guard. He was stiff until he opened up, remaining awkward like a first-timer, though. He pulled his hand from Midna's and wrapped it around her waist, refusing to let go. When the Twili pulled herself away, she was left with a puffy eyed blonde with tears down his face which held a wholehearted smile.

"I-I'm so glad you feel the same way about me," he quickly let out. The blonde leant into Midna's shoulder as a overjoyed and crying mess. He hadn't let go of her, he still held her in his hands. "I'm never letting you leave again," he muffled the words into the woman's shoulder.

Midna grinned and ruffled his hair with her hand, and wrapped the other around him. "I won't ever leave you again. I promise."

"Thank you, Midna."

Grinning, the Twili, pulled the blonde from her shoulder, and faced him in the eye. "And you will never be leaving my sight until I get you back to your normal self."

Link sat there, confused for a moment, but smiling the next, and nodding. Midna ran her hands along his shoulders – along the collar bones, the ribs, the sunken in abdomen. She frowned, resulting in the blonde copying her expression.

"I can't believe this was all my doing," she whimpered. "I'm so sorry, Link." Almost simultaneously, Midna pulled Link into her arms, embracing him and swaying gently from side to side, as if she were cradling a child. She never let him go, either. She let the boy glide into a rest on her shoulder, before she laid him down back in her bed.

She wouldn't let the guards find an extra room for him – no. She knew if she didn't personally guard him, the Twili would kill him. And thus lead to the sharing of her room. Midna stood from her bed and watched the boy. The gentle rise and fall of his chest reassured her. She watched his face. Oh how peaceful he looked whilst asleep – she hadn't seen that face in forever. When they had journeyed Hyrule, his expression only translated fear, anticipation, and heavy anxiety. What emotional burdens the goddesses could put on their hero, who was still growing intellectually, emotionally, and physically. She had always pitied Link, but over those many travels, she began to admire him.

His bravery, strength, courage – everything about him. It hurt her leave, she never wanted to leave. But after Zant had come and gone, Midna knew she couldn't risk it again. Yet, she had become unknown to what was happening to her beloved friend back in Hyrule. Learning of a light dweller, who seeked an audience with her, who was sent by Princess Zelda –she could only imagine what had gone wrong.

Seeing Link again overjoyed her – she was ecstatic. But Zelda wouldn't have risked putting the mirror back together if it hadn't been for something important. Such a thing left Midna with questions – lots of them. What had gone terribly wrong in Hyrule? What did she have to send Link into her realm, while he was still sick as a dog? What hadn't nobody informed her of?

Glancing back at Link, Midna figured that he may have some of the answers. He seemed to have gotten closer with Zelda during her absence. The Twili only shrugged her shoulder, hoping for the best for when Link would awaken. For the time being however, Midna changed from her royal robes and into a simple sleeping gown. She walked over to her bed, which was half occupied by the sleeping Hylian.

Smiling, the Twili slipped herself into her bed, planting a small kiss on the boy's shoulders before cuddling herself into a comfortable position, taking up the last of the room on the rather small bed. As she drifted away from the conscious world, her body subconsciously snuggled itself to the skinny boy beside her. And that night they dreamed, whilst unknowingly intertwined.

Link felt like he was floating – in which he was. His feet hovered only a few inches above the soil, booted in the finest leather. As he wandered up his legs and abdomen, he realized he was garbed in the green tunic of the Hero. He bore the gauntlets entrusted to him by the Hero's Shade, the sheath to the Master Sword was strapped to his back, and the infamous hat was right on his head. Besides the old outfit of the Hero that he used to wear – his body was back to normal; his bones didn't jut out likes rocks on a riverside. A thick layer of muscle protected his inners from the dangers of the outside. He felt alive for once – alive like he was still on a journey, fighting for the Goddesses.

His smile grew wide as he flung his arms out and began to run about in the starry landscape, like he were Midna in her imp form. Link twirled in little circles, in pirouettes like ballerinas, until the scenery around him became something else. It was no longer a starry serenade and peaceful field. It turned to a rainy day in what appeared to be a lonely, yet elegant section of Hyrule. Maybe it was the Faron woods? Or near Zora's Domain? Or the small overlook of the East Bridge from the Hyrule field? Link couldn't put his tongue on it.

But then he saw the hoard of people that he knew – people he knew far too well, all dressed in black, with the gentlemen carrying umbrellas over their women. And Princess Zelda… Eric was to her right, Impa to her left, each carrying a cover for her. Their faces looked pained, troubled – eyes were puffy and red, like they were crying. Zelda stood at the front of the neatly lined crowd and spoke with soft words. Link couldn't make out as to what the words were, but he could tell from the scrunching of her brows and the quivering of her lips that her words were things we wished she didn't have to say.

But then Link noted something rather odd – he saw everybody he knew there except he. Rusl, Uli, Colin and Emma, Beth and her parents, Malo and Talo, their parents, Mayor Bo, Ilia and Fado, the Resistance, Telma, Eric, Impa, Renado, Agitha, and of course, Zelda. They were all there, every single one of them. But, where was he? Link didn't see himself everywhere. He could only watch as the mass of people began to facilitate in a line behind Princess Zelda, each taking turns going up and saying a few words and leaving flowers. Curious, Link stood himself in the back of the line. He figured that nobody would recognize him – he only appeared to be a spirit in a dream.

When he finally made his way to the front – the people in front of him were leaving in tears. He didn't know why. Link saw Epona in the back with Zelda, a ring of flowers around her neck. He grinned – that told him that he was here, somewhere. And then the person in front of him stepped away, also in tears, and Link took an anticipating step forward. He only took a step forward to have his heart broken right then and there.

An oblong hole in the ground with a wooden coffin and a hand engraved headstone, courtesy of Zelda, that was full of intricate detail. Link gulped, avoiding reading the name on the headstone, and went straight for the coffin. He wrapped a ghastly hand around the wooden lid and slowly lifted it. His stomach turned and churned at the sight – his dead, cold body was in the coffin. He looked worse than he was now. As of now, he was already emaciated and gaunt. The copy of him in the coffin looked far worse though – his skin almost gray, white patches of hair in splotches that was also falling out. Link wanted to touch the skin of his dead self, but it looked like it would crumble away if he did.

The blond boy then looked at the headstone. In fine lettering was written, "Link Rinku: 'The Hero of Twilight', 19 years of life" and it made him sick. He was nineteen. Was he supposed to be dead? Or was this what would become of him if Zelda and Eric hadn't forced him to go to Arbiter's grounds with them, and then go to the Twilight Realm?

Although nobody could hear him, Link fell to his knees and sobbed. He didn't want to die – no, not anymore, not yet. He had just returned to the love of his life, he couldn't leave her already. He bit his lip as he allowed the rain to pelt him and hide the tears on his face. The scenery began to fade from him, though, and become the starry field once again. This time, he was greeted with a guest – somebody who was quiet familiar to him. He didn't physically recognize him, but he could just feel that he already knew him.

"We meet once again, my son." The golden blonde man spoke, standing above him and offering a hand. He also was garbed in green, with the hat as well. The only difference between his tunic and Link's, was the intricacy of Link's – the small details sewn into the olive green fabric.

"Hello," Link mumbled, taking the hand of the man in front of him. "I know that we have met before, but who are you?" His face turned red, he felt too proud to say such a thing, but he needed to know.

The older man chuckled and helped the smaller up to his feet. He placed his hands on his hips, his shoulders wide and broad – fitting his towering height. "I would have expected such words; you've only seen me as bones and armor… and as that golden wolf, too! You knew me as the Hero's Shade? But I have an actual name and title, just like you."

As the dots connected in Link's head, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "You're the one who tutored me all that time, everything that you taught me saved my life several times…"

The older nodded and grinned. "Yup! That's me. Now, you are Link, the Hero of Twilight. I am Link, Hero of Time. I saved Hyrule many, many years before you even stepped foot in the world. And yet, you were the first of my descendants to be called to as the bearer of the Triforce of Courage since me… that was why I aided you. I wanted to teach my skills to somebody who could put them to use."

Link gave a halfhearted grin. "Well I must thank you for that! But, for my time being here, what shall I call you? Since our names are identical."

"Kokau." He immediately spit out. "It means 'of the Kokiri'."

Link nodded, turning to the Hero of Time. "Okay so, Kokau, what was it that I just saw? This is just a dream, correct? That didn't actually happen, and it's not going to happen, right?"

Kokau nodded, turning towards the younger. "No worries, it was only a dream." He placed a hand on the younger's shoulder. "All I decided to show you tonight was what could have happened. That was almost you. But thanks to Zelda and Eric, you made it to your lover in time." And with the words, Kokau smirked and winked.

Link sighed in relief as he looked up at the taller. "That's assuring."

Kokau nodded, but his grin dropped and he stared at Link in the eye. "You still need a vast recovery, though. You look like a stalfos but with skin." The golden blonde watched as the younger sneered, but continued to speak. "All I have to say is that you need to listen to Midna when she tells you do something, and by that I mean everything. Listen to everything she says."

Link nodded, smirking in return towards Kokau.

"Link, I'm serious. You could still end up like so if you don't heal, gain some weight, pick up your training again." The older spoke sternly with his words, his eyes fixed on Link with utmost seriousness. "I don't want to have to attend your funeral, nor do I want to have to be the one to perform the ritual that allows you to stay in the sacred realm with the previous heroes. I will let you in when it's your time – but I don't want that time to be any sooner than it needs to be."

Link turned to Kokau and said, "I will, sir."

Kokau grinned at Link and opened his arms wide, to pull the boy in for a hug. "Just call me your grandpa, okay? I know there are a ton of greats attached onto that, but I couldn't care."

The dirty blonde gleamed and ran into the taller, wrapping his arms tight around him and burying his face into the older's tunic. "I can't thank you enough."

Kokau grinned and wrapped his arms around the fading boy and spoke, "I do it out of love."

And in the next moment the boy flashed from the Hero of Time's arms, leaving him with tears in his eyes. Immediately, he dropped to his knees and faced the starry sky. "Farore, please grant him the life he needs to get back on his feet and living again. I don't want him to join me here until he's had a happy life – gotten married, had kids, and just enjoyed living. Allow him to live to a time to where he doesn't have to carry a sword on his back at times. Give him the life to live to the age where he can just enjoy the birds in the forest and the blessings that you, Nayru and Din give. I just don't want him to live with me, yet. Nor in the near future."

"Please just let him live."

Midna watched as the blonde's eyes began to flutter open. She had wrapped the boy in blankets during the night – he shivered violently, tightly gripping her many times to obtain heat, and then there was a small period where he had begun to cry in his sleep. Since that, Midna had been awake and watching Link as he slept. As the Sols began to shine a small bit of light through her windows, the Twili had prepared a small breakfast for the boy. She was prepared to heal him to his normal self. She wanted him to just feel normal again.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" The Twili grinned at Link as he sat up and stared at her blankly, yawning. It was discernable that he was still half asleep, shown by his foggy attention span.

"I was expecting a 'wolfy' or 'wolf-boy', but sleepyhead works just fine," Link chuckled, rubbing his eyes and slowly grinning at Midna. He noted that she had pulled a chair up to the bed and sat by him. He didn't have a clue as to how long she had been sitting there, but he felt quiet safe with her watching over him.

The Twili smirked back at the blonde in her bed, and giggled. "Eh, I'll save those for later, when you're better and I can properly tease you… eh he he!"

The resonating pitch of her laugh was euphoric to Link; he widened his grin even more and laughed himself. Lost in his own euphoria, the blonde hadn't noticed when Midna reached around to her nightstand, grabbed a small platter and placed it on his lap. The boy looked up at the Twili with raised brow and an inquisitive expression. On the platter was a bowl of seemingly hot soup, a type in which he had never seen before.

"Eat up." The woman crossed her arms and legs, smirking the boy. "I requested the doctors to concoct a soup that will give you what you need to grow strong again." To her words, the blonde boy gave a faint grin to her. "So eat up, wolf boy."

Link snickered and shook his head. That was the Midna he knew. Slowly, he began to spoon the thick liquid into his mouth. It was bitter, and he couldn't help making faces to it. The Twili laughed at him, but gestured for him to finish it. Groaning, Link began to dreadfully lift his spoon to his mouth, under the direct attention of the Twili.

"You're nineteen now, right? I think I remember right," Midna said, propping her head up on her hands.

Link nodded, dropping the spoon in the bowl and facing the woman. "My birthday's on the day that you had shattered the mirror. I turned eighteen when you left, and I turned nineteen yesterday."

Midna's mouth sprouted into a wide grin as the lightbulb went off in her head. "That's right! How could I forget such a thing…" Her words trailed off into the nothingness of the room. "Damn. I'm year and a half older than you. Almost two. But I feel you'd prefer just a year and a half, heh."

Link smirked at her, she was right. Despite that she was older than him however, she acted much younger. He hadn't suspected at all that she could be older than he. The idea had never come to his mind. "Just keep it at that." He began to shovel another spoonful of the sour soup into his mouth.

Shoving the empty bowl aside, Link sat criss-crossed and faced Midna. "So when can I go take a walk or something? To move somewhat before I get stiff."

The Twili's already pale face turned a ghostly white as the words zoomed from her lips, "Never."

Link was taken back; inquisitively raising a brow, he raised his voice as well. "What do you mean 'never'? I know I need to gain weight to actually physically improve, but if you're going to coop me up I'm going to get fat. I don't want to get fat." He crossed his arms at her, giving a frustrated glare.

The Twili placed her forehead in her hands and stared the blonde in the eye. "The other Twili… let's just say that I may be the only one who doesn't want to seek vengeance to the light dwellers. Everybody else seems to want to kill each one in their sight. The only reason the guards didn't kill you is because the murder of a felon before a trial is punishable by torture."

Link's mouth formed a small 'oh' as he hushed, sinking back away from the princess.

"For now, I can clear the lowest level of the castle to allow you a large room to train yourself in your recovery." Midna's hands were folded in her lap, and she stared down into it. Her cheeks held a bit of a rosy complexion to them, like she was ashamed for the circumstances.

"Well, if you're doing it to protect me, I'm fine with that, Midna." Link grinned at her with a cheesy attitude, making her smile and lift her head.

"Thank you for understanding."

"I'll always try to understand, Midna. Always."

The red head had paced along the sandy dirt at the mirror chamber since Link had gone through. Telma and Zelda had set up a tent for them, but only the two women were calm enough to sleep. Eric was worried sick. The sun was beginning to rise and the stars were falling from the sky. Zelda stood from her tent to find Eric still pacing.

Slowly, she approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder, resulting in him jolting in surprise. His freckled cheeks flushed pink as he rubbed the nape of his neck. "Oh, Zelda! How nice to see you? Such a beautiful morning, you must agree?"

Zelda gave Eric a halfhearted grin, and said, "You need to sleep."

At instant, Eric flailed his arms in the direction of the mirror, stuttering and spitting. "But… what about Link! We must wait for him to return! I need to know if he's safe!"

Zelda chuckled. "He's in Midna's care now, Eric. He loves her. I'm one hundred percent sure that he is alright."

The red head opened his mouth as if to speak, but shut it, crossing his arms. "I guess so." He turned toward the tent and was about to enter when a frustrated Telma exited.

"Zelda, do you want me to get the mead? I brought the strongest I got – surely it will knock him out, force him to get the sleep he needs," the plump woman huffed, her arms crossed and a playful smirk on her face.

Eric stared wide eyed at her, their faces only inches apart. Zelda called from behind, "I don't believe that will be necessary, Telma. He's going to rest right now." And with that, Telma moved out of the way, allowing Eric into the tent.

Telma strode up beside Zelda and stuck her chest out proudly, giving the princess a smirk. "So, how do you think Link's doing?"

The brunette shook her head, crossing her arms. "In all honestly, Telma, I am as scared as Eric. But, before we sent him over, I was able to sneak a spell onto him. I can tell whether he is alright or not whilst over in the Twilight."

Telma raised her brows at Zelda. "And?"

"He seems to be doing just fine, for now. He's having a lot of ups and downs. Nothing too serious. I just hope that he did find Midna, and that he is under her care."

The plump woman shrugged. "Well, if it's Link that we're dealing with – and if he is as passionate for her as he sounds, I'm sure he won't stop at nothing to get to her."

A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, read and review please!