A/N: Long chapter to make up for not updating in a long time! I worked really hard on this one, so I hope you all like it. If you can, please review, it helps me out a lot! Enjoy! :)
Midna and Link followed Zelda obediently through the winding halls and twisting staircases to the royal library. Midna felt defeated from her truthful confession, her cheeks still prickling from embarrassment. She had went into more detail than she wanted to, feeling like Link could read her clearly now that the entire mirror encounter was out in the open. Midna had been in the light world for less than fourty-eight hours and already expressed more emotions than she had for the last year.
"Here we are," Zelda announced as the three of them approached a lengthy door that stretched from the floor to ceiling.
The entire entrance was engraved in writing that Midna realized were names.
Zelda pushed the heavy door open, revealing a room with more books than Midna had ever seen in her life. Shelves were packed full of books from all sorts. Skinny, thick, short and tall, every kind of book was there.
Zelda marched with authority to the ladder on the east end of the room.
"I figured we should start with old folklore tales," she said, while climbing up to the top shelf. "There are old stories of light and twilight, ones that our ancestors wrote. There could be clues as to why they are united."
Midna and Link nodded simaltaneously.
"Aha!" Zelda exclaimed, pulling out a thick golden book with black trim. "This is the one."
Hugging it to her chest, Zelda crawled down the rungs of the ladder.
"I know I had said that it was the God's design that we should meet, but I've been beginning to wonder if it's more than that."
She strode to a table, dropping the book on top with a heavy thump.
"But what if it's more than just old folklore?" Midna asked quietly.
"I have theories. It could be possible that Ganondorf is back," Zelda pondered.
Link slammed a fist down on the table.
"That's not possible," he sneered, "I killed him, and he's never coming back."
Midna watched his muscles ripple through the thin fabric of his tunic, and cowered at the menacing hate in his eyes.
Zelda didn't seem the least bit affected by his expression.
"I know, Link," she sighed impatiently, "But we have to consider everything."
"Let's just get to the story," Midna suggested quickly before Link could snap back.
Zelda turned her attention back to the book, opening the heavy cover.
She mumbled the titles of stories to herself before pointing to one called, 'Shadow and Light.'
"This is an old legend that my ancestor wrote," Zelda explained, pointing to the author's name, "See? We have the same name. She was the first princess of Hyrule. We have had princes and kings, of course, but this kingdom originated from her leadership, and there has always been a woman to rule the throne with her king."
Zelda smiled. "I take great honour in being named after a woman so brave, one who could always control this land."
She lifted her head, looking up at Midna and Link. "Shall we?"
Link nodded at the same time Midna motioned her hands for Zelda to continue.
She flipped to the correct page, staring at the sketch that welcomed them.
The top half of the picture was of a man with shaggy hair in a green tunic, holding his sword above his head while on a large horse. There was a woman gripping his waist, sheathed in draping fabrics, her long curly hair blowing out behind her. Midna couldn't be sure, but the two held a close resemblance to Link and Zelda. A stone building that Midna recognized as Hyrule castle was in the background behind them.
In the bottom of the picture, it was nearly black. Monsters were drawn in all corners, their teeth glistening sharply. There was a close-up of a cloaked character, painted darkly. Midna could make out the whites of his eyes, and a slimy grin painted on his mouth but nothing else.
There was another character, peeking out from his shadow. This one was cloaked as well, though not as drastically as the other man. She could see the side of the persons face clearly. Midna could tell it was a woman from the long eyelashes and plump lips that her side profile showed, as well as the outline of an unusual crown perched on her forehead. Midna squinted her eyes, leaning in closer to the woman's face. She recognized the bony structure, ski-slope nose and strong eyebrows. She looked at that same face everyday.
"This woman looks exactly like me!" Midna blurted, gesturing to the photo.
"I was thinking the same thing about this guy," Link agreed, pointing to the green-clad man.
Zelda glanced up at them both, before turning the page.
"Events of the darkest sort are taking place, evil creeping in from every corner, no mercy for left for anyone who survives for the goodness of the world." Zelda read, "There is a force that is taking over Hyrule, one far darker than anyone could have ever imagined possible. The Mirror of Twilight has been constructed by the gods to keep evil from infiltrating our world, but it has defied our wishes and evil is attempting to take over."
"It sounds a lot like what happened last year," Link observed.
Midna nodded.
Zelda continued. "There is a tribe descended from sorcerers, and this tribe attempts to gain control of the Sacred Realm after the Triforce was created."
Link and Zelda's markings glowed brightly as if in response.
"This tribe fails to gain control however, and the Goddesses banish them to a far-away land that is known as the Twilight Realm." Zelda said.
"That was the tribe I was born into," Midna whispered.
Zelda ignored her. "Over many, many years, these banished beings turn from their original human forms, into a completely different race. They are now called the Twili. These beings adapt to their new home in the shadows, giving up on their plans of taking over the Sacred Realm."
Midna looked at her hands, wondering what they would look like in a peachy colour rather than light blue.
"The evil that has infiltrated our world goes by the name of Ganondorf. He was facing his death sentence by the Ancient Sages, the Mirror of Twilight poised to banish him forever. Ganondorf gained power from their hatred of the Twili, thereby cheating death and escaping unharmed."
"Just like the story we were told when we went to the Mirror Chamber." Link nodded.
Zelda raised an eyebrow, adding onto the story. "One foolish Twili, a candidate to be king, believes Ganondorf is sent as a god when he shows up in the Twilight Realm. This man vows to do anything for Ganondorf, anything he can. Ganondorf shares his evil magic with the man, sending him to take over the kingdom. There is a woman who is also eligible to rule, one of extreme beauty and wit, and also chosen by her people over the man himself. He uses Ganondorf's magical powers to steal the woman's deserved throne, transforming her beauty into a cursed form, and the rest of the Twili into beasts. Ganondorf orders him to cover the world in Twlight, and the man willingly obeys, unleashing evil throughout Hyrule."
"That's exactly what Zant did to me, and the Twilight Realm!" Midna exclaimed.
"Chaos is strewn through the once peaceful land, and I am forced to give up my kingdom to the foolish man. I have heard about the Chosen Hero, the one who is set to save our world from evil. The rightful Twilight Princess has sought me out, enlightening me of her tribe's legends. They say that the one who will save us all will appear as a blue-eyed beast."
Midna sighed quietly. "But... why is everything repeating itself?"
Zelda frowned, but continued. "I am locked in the castle, my only passage to the outside world is a window. I cannot see Hyrule changing drastically, but little by little Twilight is disappearing and light is returning. I do not remember many events after giving part of my life away to the Twilight Princess, but I can connect myself to her mind and see her and the hero saving Hyrule. The hero wears a green tunic, and wields the Master Sword, given to him by the gods. I watch as they defeat the usurper, and restore the Twili."
"The hero duels with Ganondorf, and I am returned to my body at last. I watch as the sword is plunged through Ganondorf's chest, seemingly killing him. The princess returns through the Mirror of Twilight, promising to come visit us after her kingdom is restored. The hero and I spend more time together, blossoming into a new friendship that I had never been exposed to before."
Midna wondered if the princess had considered breaking the mirror.
"He confesses to me his feelings for the Twilight Princess, admitting that he had fallen deeply in love with her. He tells me that she was the reason he wanted to save Hyrule, and restore her throne. I am shocked, but nevertheless, accept his feelings for the woman."
Midna peeked over at Link, only to find him doing the same to her, his pink face matching hers.
"The princess never comes back, as she had promised before returning to the twilight. I go with the hero to the Mirror Chamber, accompanying him to the Twilight Realm in search of the woman he loves so dearly. We find her, but not alone. She is ruling her throne with another man that she calls her husband. She spots us, explaining desperately that she needed to return to her throne and serve the Twilight Realm, telling us she can't return to the light world if she is to be a proper queen. The Chosen One chooses not listen to her, instead running quickly back to the mirror, vowing never to return. He spirals into a thick depression, never healing, never moving forward, never considering his duties as the hero." Zelda read intently.
Midna felt her throat tighten, her eyes starting to tingle with tears, even though it was just the story.
"I grow sick with worry about this man who has become my friend, the one who holds the matching Triforce of mine. I decide to pay a visit to the gods, praying to them for the hero's return. I am shocked by the news that I am told. They give me a prophecy, one that still rings in my ears to this day."
Link leaned in expectantly.
"'The Chosen One has failed us. Ganondorf will return and evil will take over.'" Zelda's face drained of all colour, her blue irises growing wide. "'The seventh ruler will face the hero's punishment, and history will repeat itself once again. If the second hero is foolish enough to make the same mistake as the first, evil will return only one year later.'"
Zelda's mouth hung open in shock, her eyes terrified.
"Zelda?" Midna's voice shook.
"I'm the seventh ruler," she whispered, "This is all happening because of me."
"It's not your fault." Link shook his head furiously. "This was going to happen whether we wanted it to or not."
"What was the mistake that you made though?" Zelda asked, worried. "I thought you killed him."
The answer dawned on Midna.
"You fell in love," she said softly.
"Sorry?" Link looked straight at Midna.
"You fell in love," Midna said again, this time more clearly. "You fell in love with someone you're not supposed to."
Something inside Zelda snapped quicker than Midna knew was possible.
"You fell in love?" She screeched. "We have to go through this again because...because...Your. In. Love?" Zelda enunciated each word.
Link took a step back, his eyes widening slightly.
"I knew you liked her, I just thought it was something you could get over!" She continued shouting, "I gave you all of my sympathy! I let you tell me everything. I talked you through all of it and you still couldn't get over it?"
"Calm down, Zelda!" Link shouted back.
"How am I supposed to calm down when my entire kingdom is at stake because of you? It's not my fault at all, you're the Chosen One, it's your responsibility to do what you're supposed to!" Zelda's shoulders were shaking.
Midna had never seen her this angry, or this out of control. All she could do was sit in stunned silence.
"You don't even need to be in love, Link!" She carried on, "You're nineteen years old, you have a lot of life left."
A burning anger flashed in Link's eyes. "No, I don't! I'm off nearly everyday fighting someone or something that's threatening your title, or your throne. I'm risking my life trying to save this world!"
Zelda seemed at lost for words, so she turned to Midna instead.
"You just had to come to the light world and make Link your little pet didn't you?" She sneered, "We could have been done with Ganondorf. You could have left the mirror unbroken. You didn't have to break his heart! You didn't have to be so selfish!" Zelda ended with a screech.
"This isn't her fault!" Link's veins were pulsating so furiously, Midna could see them clearly.
Midna took a deep breath. "Let's just calm down. This isn't any of our faults. All we can do is prepare ourselves for Ganondorf. By the sounds of it, he's not back yet, so we have time."
She watched as Link closed his eyes, the redness in his face calming down. Zelda rubbed her eyes with her right hand, tapping her left one on her hip.
"We still have plenty of things that we need to work through," Midna continued, "But we did this before, and we can do it again."
"That doesn't mean I want to," Zelda snapped.
Slamming the book closed, Zelda kicked a chair out of the way, stopping in the doorway, book in hand.
Sending an icy glare at Midna, she spoke loudly enough for the entire castle hear.
"It's your fault he's in love."