All alone. Completely alone. Ice colored eyes scanned the surrounding area. A table was pushed into the far corner of the room; it was supposed to be a bed. The stench of death covered everything with a fine layer of dust to keep it company. The girl drew her gaze to the barred window out looking her lost kingdom. She wondered what time of day it was, or even what the date itself was. She had lost track of the days.

Her kingdom lay desolate, the people nothing but spirits. At least they were blissfully unaware of the tragedy they had become. A crashing sound outside her door brought her attention back to the inside of her corner of Hyrule Castle. The Head Guard, Moblin Gaek, tossed her her tray of food and walked away, locking the wooden door behind him. She could hear his grubmblings and bumblings his whole way down the flight of stairs. She had heard the talk, the rumors that were circulating amongst the Moblins and all of the like creatures. There was someone in the Twilight Realm, causing havoc for Zant. The girl had lost her hope however. Her faith in any sort of rescue died the day her kingdom fell.
She handed her stale bread to a mouse trembling in the corner. Rather, a Twilight version of a mouse, still just as timid though. She hadn't eaten in weeks, but her magic, even though it was limited in this twisted version of her home, was able to stabilize her. Everyday she gave her food away. Eventually, she knew she would lose her magic altogether, and her last hope of survival would die. She knew she would soon follow.

She walked back to her window, her only key to the outside world. She could see the glowing green orb of one of her own guard, shining in the distance. Night and day blended into one here, in the Twilight.
Twilight. It is always Twilight here. How much more inhuman can this place get?
She knew not of the history of the Mirror Realm. Her knowledge was only what she was able to gather on her own, listening to the words of the creatures surrounding her. She didn't know of the horrible origin of her new quarters. She was just as blissfully unaware as her people were. She looked down at them with sympathy, but also relief. She felt awful for how she failed her kingdom, but she was glad that they didn't know where they were or what was happening. She had disappointed them enough; they didn't need to know the truth. It was safer for them not to. She herself didn't want the information she possessed, but it was her fault everything had turned out the way it had, so her loneliness was to be her punishment. It was completely fair.

Not once did her faith fall in her Goddesses. Without them, Hyrule would not have had the peace they had lived in for so long. Without the three, Din, Farore, and Nayru, Hyrule would cease to exist. In the beginning of her captivity, she had thought that maybe Hyrule's non-existence would have been for the better. If her kingdom had not existed, then nothing tragic would have befallen her home. But she swayed herself away from those thoughts. She knew it was the evil of the place she was now in convincing her otherwise. The evil was making her doubt her faith. The darkness had begun to take over, but her Inner Light managed to chase it away.
However, now, as she looked out on Hyrule, she couldn't help herself. The darkness was becoming too strong, or she was just getting weaker and weaker. Perhaps she should give up. If the three Goddesses were really there, really watching over, then wouldn't they have protected their beloved Hyrule from destruction? Just as the woman was about succumb to the sorrow, her vision caught sight of something that sparked her Light once more. She saw a Twilight creature, a hideous imp, riding on the back of a wolf. They were nearing the tower she was now being held in. It wasn't this site that brought the princess back. No, it was the eyes of the wolf. A determined navy color. They were so familiar, so...human. The girl thought about her dream the night before. She was standing on a hilltop, playing a long forgotten instrument. The melody that left the ocarina summoned a blonde boy. In her dream, the girl loved the boy with all of her heart. She was recalling her dream at the moment for one reason. The wolf standing in front of her now, and the boy in her dream, had the exact same eyes. They were the same person, she could see that.

Now that the wolf and his rider were in the room with her, the girl could see that the creature was only Midna, not something dreadful as her human eyesight tricked her into believing before. Something pulled at the girls heartstrings. She saw the way Midna looked at the wolf, and it was the same way she herself looked at him. Love. The girl stumbled backwards, her hood falling from the crown of her head. Love? She loved this wolf? A wolf? But even then she knew, she knew he was no ordinary wolf. And when they left, her thoughts were once again distracted by her dream. Her dream of the navy-eyed boy.

That night she dreamed again. When her ocarina called forth the boy once more, this time, he grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips. Not a word was spoken, but she knew then that she truly loved this boy. She knew it in the bottom of her heart too, he was here to save her home. To save her. And as they looked into each other's eyes, her gaze lowered, as did the boy's height. Now before her stood a wolf. And together they walked through the fields of Hyrule.

Her eyes flickered open. The Princess got to her feet. Crossing back to the window, she looked over her kingdom with a renewed hope. A renewed faith. No, she would not give up, could not give up. She was Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. And Hyrule was her home. It belonged to her and no one else. She would protect it with everything she had. Besides, Zelda knew. She knew her love was off fighting for her and their home. And that gave Zelda the strength to fight. She didn't know how though. How was this possible? A love this strong upon one meeting, and not even a meeting of the true form, should not exist. How could it? Little did the Princess know, she was one of many incarnations of the Royal Hylian bloodline. Her destiny had forever been entwined with that of the blue eyed beast, and neither of them truly knew it. But she had felt their love, so strong that over the thousands of year and innumerable meetings, she could still feel the undying devotion. It had not once faltered through even the reign of evil.

But what of Midna? Did the boy love her instead? No, no he did not. Yes, he had learned to love Midna, but not romantically. His heart, though he was unaware himself, rested with Zelda's. The moment she saw him, she knew, despite the jealousy she felt. She knew he was hers and she was his. That was how it was since the beginning of time. Even in the darkness, Zelda had her unyielding faith, her undying devotion, and now, her everlasting love.

Her head held high, Zelda prepared herself. Aiding her newfound love in his quest was going to be a challenge, but for him, and for all of Hyrule, she would give it her all. She had to.