author greets you and welcome you to the third chapter... this is my attempt to be dramatic!

firstly (is that a word? it is NOW!) i wat to thank my best friend for agreeing to be my editor! thanks rissy! and i want to apologize for batching the second chapter with confusingness. i think i fixed it! so with out further ado sit down and read this latest chapter! also sorry about it being super long... i think i realized that to get the whole story written i need to start making the chapters really long... otherwise im gonna end up with like 150 really little one sentance chapters... and those suck.

sadly i am poor so i dont own zelda or its characters. you will gain about 14 bucks and my wii. thats about all i have to my name. but i do however own mitaku! MITAKU FTW! XD

Zelda paced in her office, absent mindedly chewing a nail. She kept remembering the day Midna had returned to the twilight realm. She was going over the scene where the twilight princess had destroyed the mirror of twilight. She shed a tear and it hit the mirror… nothing ultra special about destroying the only link to the realm of light she had. Except for the fact she had left Link with a shattered heart. "It must have killed her to leave like that" Zelda thought. "She loved Link with all her soul! Why would she leave without telling him so?"

Link had stared at the mirror platform unseeingly. Zelda hesitated to approach him. He looked so fragile she felt that if she touched him he may break. The princess finally rested one gloved hand on his shoulder, trying to ease his sadness. Link had only stiffened under her touch.

"Link…" Zelda said, "Tell me what Midna meant to you." She had tried to look into Link's eyes. What she saw there before he turned away from her was a mixture of anger and sadness.

"She was my best friend." He said simply walking around the platform to examine the ruins of the mirror. Link had bent down, and picked up a small shining object off the floor. As he turned to go, the princess glanced at the object that rested on his palm and gasped. It was Midna's tear.

Link had made the tear into a necklace which he never took off. When Zelda had asked him why he kept it the Hero always answered with either "I don't know" or "she was my friend… I don't want to forget her".

"What was she thinking?" cried Zelda, silently cursing the twilight princess for leaving her with this mess. Feeling a little dizzy, Zelda went to the balcony to look out over her people. Seeing the bustling city folk calmed the princess and she sat down.

"Darkness is seeping through the void…" Zelda said to herself. "And the only other magic I sense is Midna's. What ever is happening on the other side is getting out of control and for some reason she managed to come back to the realm of light. The first thing we need to do is inform the sages and Link. Then we can find out what's going on." Zelda grabbed her pen and wrote a letter to Link telling him to come to the castle and gave it to a servant outside her chamber to have it delivered. She went back to her balcony to observe the people of hyrule. They were completely unaware of the impending evil that would knock on their doors soon if this problem wasn't taken care of. "What is Midna doing back? Wouldn't she see Link first?" Zelda thought until her head felt sore. "What should I tell Link…?" The princess said to herself "Knowing Midna is back, after all these years, may destroy what stable part of his soul that's left. He would probably leave hyrule behind and search the world if it meant finding her! " Zelda allowed herself a small smile. "That idiot! He doesn't realize he loves Midna."

"Princess!"

Zelda turned to see her closest advisor Fadore at the door to her chamber. She was struck with the immediate feeling of déjà vu.

"Fadore? What's wrong?"

"N-N-Nothing Your Highness!"

"Then what is so urgent that you barge into my private chambers?"

Fadore looked down at his feet. "Begging your pardon Highness but the royal gardener found something that may interest you in the flower beds!"

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "Really? May I see this interesting thing?"

Fadore looked surprised at his princess's shrewdness. "Yes… of coarse…right away!"

Zelda moved closer as Fadore pulled something out of his coat pocket. It shone with a reddish-orange light.

"This has magic in it…" the princess whispered, examining the object closely. "But I have seen this magic before… where could I have possibly seen this same type of magic?"

"Forgive me my princess" said Fadore, voice quavering. "But I don't know."

"I don't expect you to Fadore" Zelda said kindly. "You may return to your duties while I continue to examine this."

As Fadore bowed and left the room Zelda turned her full attention to the shining object. It was made of glass and strangely tear shaped… and it gave off a faint trace of Midna's magic.

"That's what I'm sensing!" The Princess cried. "I can sense Midna's magic in this realm but it must not actually be her! It must be things she left behind! Yes that's it! I have to tell Link… he needs to find them. We need to find the traces of Midna's power that she left behind for us. There has to be some meaning…" Zelda resumed pacing around the room. "But I already sent him a letter and that postman can't be trusted carrying information like this. He always reads his costumers letters. What if I tracked him down?" Zelda thought "I could be confidential and we could get started right away. And if I'm outside the palace I could even help. But then the problem is how would I manage to leave the grounds?" the princes bit her lip "its not like I'm allowed to go wherever I want all the time. I'd need a good disguise…" Zelda smacked headfirst into a cabinet (as she wasn't looking where she was going) and fell to the ground. The cabinet creaked open and the princess looked up at its contents. The disguise that had belonged to her ancestor was hung neatly inside. It had become a family air loom as it represented a turn in the history of hyrule. Zelda looked up at the red symbol that had been painted on the chest.

"This will do just fine…" Zelda thought to herself with a small chuckle.

In his dream Link was thirsty.

Not just a little thirsty, Link felt like his mouth was turning to dust as he lay in the mirror chamber of Arbiter's Grounds. He had no means of escape as the walls were to high and the sand storm outside would not let up. Link had exhausted the last drop of the Great fairy's tears and relished in his moment of partial strength. But the spell had soon faded, causing Link to spiral into a depression. Just when he couldn't take it any longer storm clouds rolled in over the desert, casting a dim but welcome shadow over the land. Link smiled at his good fortune and silently thanked the goddesses for the gift of rain clouds. As the sweet moisture fell from the sky Link opened his mouth, intending to savor every drop. But when the raindrops hit his chapped throat he instantly knew something was amiss. This rain didn't taste like rain, much to Link's surprise and disappointment. No it tasted almost salty. That's when the sages, aroused from their slumber, added their own tears to the salty rain. Sobs racked the sage of forest's body as Link watched the terrifying scene, unable to help. Something hard fell on his head and dropped to the ground. He looked about and realized it was the tear Midna had used to destroy the Mirror of Twilight three years ago. Dubiously, Link bent to pick it up wondering why his charm was not around his neck. Link reached down the front of his tunic to retrieve the chord he had strung around Midna's tear. The glass glowed a faint orange as he held the two tears up to compare them. They were completely identical, save for the one in Link's right hand which had a chord strung round it. The rain changed to hail, the stones bouncing around on the floor of the mirror chamber some shattering upon impact. But Link's eyes were not fooled for long. As he watched the hail he realized it was made of glass, not ice. Shattered glass was littered every where making walking around nearly impossible unless you wanted shards in your foot. Link realized a little too late that he should shield his eyes from flying pieces of glass. A large shard flew into Link's left eye, momentarily leaving him blind. The sages wept as Link cradled his eye in his hand. "It's raining Midna's tears" he thought before his dream ended.

Link awoke with a pain in his eye and a hole through his heart. His wife Ilia was making his favorite breakfast of toasted bread with a spread of Ordon goat cheese. She hadn't noticed he was awake and, feeling unsociable as always. Link settled back down in bed with his head under his pillow crying silent tears of fear and sorrow, holding Midna's glass tear close to his chest.

"Great job today Link!" called Fado, waving his hand enthusiastically. The farmhand merely raised a hand in farewell, nudging his horse, Epona, in the direction of home. Fado scratched his head thoughtfully. He's never been so slow before…

Epona dragged on through town, her mood matching her masters' as they trekked home. The Hero of Twilight pulled her to a stop in front of the entrance to the village outskirts and dismounted. Epona whickered half-heartedly when Link turned her to face him.

"You can find your way home right?" Link whispered. Epona simply looked into his eyes and gave the tiniest of nods as if the question was silly. Ever since Link had first become a wolf and talked to the animals he understood them better, even if they had no voice to speak with. His horse turned and continued on the path to the house as Link walked to the dock by Hanch and Sera's house. He slipped into the water so he didn't wake the whole family. Link defiantly didn't want to be seen heading to his favorite hiding spot. The Hero of Twilight swam out to the small ledge where ordon catfish swam. He had a habit of coming here when he didn't want to be found. The monkey that guarded the forest temple made her nest in a tree above the ledge and sometimes, if he was lucky, she would bring her babies down to play. Tonight though Maria, (That's what Link named her. She was a girl monkey after all!) came down to sit with the hero alone. Link scratched the monkey behind the ear and in turn, she picked a bug off of is tunic. About a half hour had passed before one of the little monkeys up above let out a tiny squeak. Maria looked at him as if she was saying "I have to go…"

Link sighed. "Ok but I'll be sitting here for a little longer ok?"

Maria nodded and gave link a quick hug before swinging into her tree to shush the baby monkey. The blonde boy looked up at the night sky, remembering the conversation he had with Midna all those years ago

"The night sky is purple and the stars are orange…" that was what she said… right?

Link felt the familiar stabbing pain in his chest. He pulled out the tear Midna had used to destroy the Mirror of Twilight. He had found it among the mirrors shattered remains and the hero had taken it so he would never forget his dearest friend. But lately, Link was having a hard time NOT thinking about her. He had so many unanswered questions.

"Why did you destroy the mirror?" was one. Did Midna never want to see them again after what had happened? But she wouldn't have cried if she never wanted to see them again. Link's head swam with questions and possible answers. He did even notice the man standing atop the roof of Sera's house.

"Link?" the man half yelled. The hero could just barley make out the white running suit the man wore.

"Oh shit…"

"HEY!" the postman screamed. "!"

"I will kill you one day…" Link snarled under his breath. "and no one will care! They might even have a celebration in my honor!" the blonde boy smiled mischievously at the thought as the post man dove into the pool of water and swam for the ledge. He clambered out of the pond, soaking wet and said…

"Greetings Mr. Link! I have a letter for you!" the postman reached into his pack and pulled out a dripping wet letter. "OH no!" he cried. "Now I will have to dry them all out!" the postal worker looked as if he were about to cry until Link coughed.

"The letter please?" he said, dripping venom into his words.

"Ah yes" the postman said, handing the silently fuming hero the letter. "It's from Princess Zelda." The postman smiled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Link. The golden haired boy snorted.

"Idiot! I'm…" Link swallowed, as if the words were hard to say. "I'm married… a-and the Princess only calls me when she needs me for a quest or some prissy event." Link flipped the letter over only to realize it had already been opened. "What the hell? Who did thi-" Link stopped and turned to the postman. "did you open this you prick?" the hero hissed. The postman merely smiled an arrogant smile.

"Read it!" he giggled, hardly containing himself. Link pulled out the parchment and read it aloud.

Link,

Please come to my castle… we need to talk.

Sincerely,

Zelda

"Sounds like an important 'quest'…" the postman said, using air quotes around the word quest. He started to laugh until Link grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him into the air.

"I swear…" Link growled "if you ever read my mail again I will kill you. If you ever approach me at night I will kill you. And if you ever think I don't have the guts remember… I killed Ganondorf and stopped the spread of twilight in hyrule. Killing you would be like breaking a twig."

"Who's Ganondorf?" the postman whimpered.

"stupid low profile villans." Link thought as the post man trembled in his grip. The hero held him over the pond effortlessly with one hand and whispered "would you like me to drop you?"

The poor man shook his head vigorously and Link set him down. "Holy crap man!" he said rubbing his neck "what the hell is wrong with you?"

Link growled in an almost canine manner causing the man to flinch away from him. the hero dove into the water and swam until reaching the dock by the shopkeepers house. Link's hair dispelled droplets of water when he shook his head. The golden haired boy ran a hand through his hair, pushing back his blonde bangs. Link tiptoed up to his house, stifling a yawn. There was a light on in the kitchen and as the hero turned to make his escape into the forest he was ambushed by Ilia.

"Link!" she cried, girlishly "honey you missed dinner…again."

"I was at the ranch late."

"Yea and Epona came home without you."

"She was tired!"

Ilia snorted. "Since when did you become the one who communes with horses?"

Link raised his arms in defeat. "Alright I didn't come home immediately! I'm awful!"

"Actually you are! You mister…" his wife said poking him in the chest, "are never home anymore! You know Midia hardly knows what a father is let alone who her father is!"

Link flinched at the sound of his daughter's name. "I-"

"Link…" she interrupted, "I'm not up for your bullshit tonight."

"Ilia she-"

"No, she doesn't know what a father is! You can't justify that! You leave for work before she wakes up and you're gone the whole day!"

"But I-"

"Shut UP LINK! You work all day and come back late at night often after she's gone to sleep. And sometimes you get random letters from the Princess calling you to her court! I mean how outrageous is that?"

Link pulled out the soggy letter. "It's from Zelda" link said wincing at the look of purest malice that crossed his wife's face. "She said she needs to speak to me at the castle."

Ilia's lower lip started to tremble and she hid her face in her hands. Link had officially made a girl cry. And what was more he had made his wife cry.

"Ilia… don't cry! Ill only be gone a couple of days…."

Ilia looked up at him sharply and Link realized they were tears not tears of sorrow, they were tears of rage.

"when you get back…" she whispered "I swear I will lock you up in the cellar so you'll have to spend time with us!" then she grinned mischievously "and maybe I'll chain you to the bed…" she purred seductively "so you can't escape me…" Ilia traced the tip of her finger across Link's chest. The hero blushed slightly and shrugged away from her touch.

"If I leave now I can be at the castle by morning." He said, cursing the blood that rushed to his face.

"Honey you've been up all day." Ilia whispered "you should come inside and get some rest…"

Link shook his head, his blush still staining his face. "I'll send you a letter when I get there."

Ilia frowned at her husband's stubbornness and, after a moment's hesitation; she decided a joke might lessen his attitude.

"Oh please don't." she sighed "that mailman creeps me out." Ilia cast a glance at Link. He was fussing with Epona's reins as he packed for his journey. She could tell by the look in his eyes and the perk in his pointed ears that the hero was only half listening. "He hits on me all the time…" Link still wasn't listening. Instead he mounted Epona and led her to the entrance of the forest.

"I'll see you in a few days ok?" he said, looking back at Ilia.

She looked like she was going to kill him. "No Link." She said "you won't leave without giving me a goodbye kiss to hold me over until you get back." Ilia beckoned him closer and closed her eyes. "I'm waiting…" she said when Link hesitated.

He grimaced and looked around for means of an escape.

"Just a second" he called as he tiptoed Epona out into the forest. As soon as Ilia was out of sight Link urged his horse into a trot, a lope and then a gallop. Soon Link and Epona jumped the gate that lead to hyrule field. Link relaxed when they crossed the bridge and into the monster infested plains. Even his crazy wife would follow him out here. The hero slowed Epona to a walk, patting her neck and praising her on her speed. He started to lead her in the direction of the great bridge of hylia when Epona snorted and stomped her hoof. She pointed in the direction of castle town.

Link sighed, "Sorry girl, but I'm not going to castle town yet. Do you think I want to be there catering to the princesses EVERY need? Go arrest these people hero!" he said, in his best mock Zelda voice. "Link, go risk your life to check out this area! Link, go kill something! Link; be my champion Knight since you don't have a choice. Link does this dress make me look fat?"

Epona stomped her hoof and shook her mane.

"I know I shouldn't complain about being Zelda's champion knight…but sometimes I just want to be link the farmhand! Is that to much to ask? When I go into castle town I don't want to be attacked by that mob of screaming fan girls.

Epona turned her head to look into her masters eyes.

"I know I wouldn't have complained before I became a hero but now it's different! That was before Ilia…" Link trailed of as Epona trotted over the great bridge of hylia. "Why didn't I kiss her? I've never had a problem like that before…"

"You know talking to your horse is a sign of insanity."

The hero froze, looking at his horse. Epona turned her head to look at her master, wondering why he had stopped.

"Epona…" Link said tentatively. "Did you say that?

"Wow the goddesses chose you to save Hyrule? You twit... I said that."

The blonde boy turned his head to a stranger clothed in blue. His hair was contained in a turban like head piece that he used to also conceal most of his face. His only features visible were his sandy blonde bangs and one bright red eye. He sat, reclined against the bridge wall looking very relaxed as the hero almost fell off of his horse. Link took a moment to collect his raging thoughts and emotions as he dismounted Epona.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he said, feigning calmness.

"I'm enjoying my first taste of free fresh for the first time in years" Replied the stranger, shifting so that he was facing the blonde boy "but I could ask you the same thing. Sounds to me like you came here to escape your wife."

Link blushed when he said that. Curse his face for reddening so easily! "I don't know…" was his answer… "Is that it? Am I avoiding Ilia?"

"You don't know why you're in the midst of a monster infested field in the middle of the night? Any normal man would be home enjoying his wife's company, if you catch my drift." Link could almost detect the traces of a smile in the stranger's tone.

"I guess I'm not normal then…or at least I can't be normal now."

"You didn't have to tell me you aren't normal I figured it out on my own." The stranger stood up and walked gracefully around Link, almost as if he were dancing. "So you are the Hero of Twilight." He said, not asking a question but stating a fact. "VERY unimpressive."

"WHAT?" Link shouted startling both his horse and himself. "What the hell would you know?"

"I know you're a creep who talks to his horse and marries a woman he doesn't care too much for."

"Shut up you bastard." Link snarled.

The man shrugged, "I tell it like it is! I don't get to do it that often."

Link's whole body was shuddering with rage. The Hero was barley controlling himself.

"What's more that necklace you're wearing? It must remind you of that Twilight Princess right?"

Link twitched and slowly reached up for his sword. He did think about the fact that this stranger knew more about him than anyone else. Not even Ilia dared to ask him about his necklace. The only thing going through Link's mind was kill the bastard. Make him suffer for the insults that stain his tongue. Let him die by the blade of my sword.

"Oh did I hit a soft spot Hero?" sneered the stranger. "I bet you loved her…"

"SILENCE!" screamed Link as he drew his sword with the speed of the Goddesses. He performed his favorite of the seven hidden skills, the mortal draw. The man just barley missed being decapitated by Link's sword but he knew it was coming. The man arched back into a bridge and, when Link had stopped his swing, lifted his legs into the air to land a perfect kick under his jawbone. Link staggered back and after a moment pointed his sword at his opponent's chest, rubbing his jaw. The man laughed a musical taunting laugh.

"You've gone soft Hero!" he chuckled. As quickly as the laughter had begun, it ended, leaving the two men standing on the bridge in silence, one fuming and planning his next move and the other calmly examining a nail. The stranger seemed to have forgotten about Link until he turned his head sharply, intensity showing in his ruby red eye.

"My name is Sheik." He said jabbing a finger at the hero "and I am here to test your will to fight. With out it… Hyrule will fall."

~~~~~~~~~~Later, somewhere else. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girl looked around frantically as she ran down the corridors of the palace. She just needed to reach the throne room! There she would be safe. But the evil monsters were hot on her trail and she was beginning to feel tired. Seeing the final stretch gave her the energy to push on and she used the stick she was carrying to hit the button that activated the moving platform of light.

"I hope I remember the combination of platforms" she thought, clutching her doll to her chest. She jumped from platform to platform reaching the ledge that lead to the throne room. So close to her goal, the girl looked over the edge to see if the monsters had continues to pursue her. One looked up at the girl and snarled, shooting a poison barb at the ledge. The barb struck her right in the shoulder and, after a few seconds spent writhing in pain, she gathered her things and ran into the throne room. The princess sat not on her seat above the masses but among the crowd. She was holding several crying children, murmuring words of comfort into their ears. Hearing the doors open she bolted up and took a fighting stance ready to defend her people from what ever may come. But then she saw the girl. And then she saw the poison barb. The princess ran over to the girl just in time to catch her as she fainted. The barb was sizzling in her shoulder and the princess took great care in removing it.

"Princess…" the girl coughed, suddenly awake again. "Will I die?"

"I will not allow it." The princess told her sternly. She beckoned the nearest doctor with a finger and she left him to his job.

"If only the Hero of legend were here" cried a man, holding his arm gingerly.

"The sacred beast?" scoffed another "he will never come."

"We must remain hopeful!" shouted the princess so that all could hear her words.

The people settled down into their silence again, a mother occasionally shushing a crying child.

The princess turned and walked to a corner in the room were none of her people could see her. The princess's legs crumpled beneath her as sobs racked her body. "What do I do?" she whispered, her voice thick with tears. "What a fool I've been!" she punched the ground with her fist, ignoring the throbbing pain that spread up her arm. "My hero hasn't come for me and my kingdom is crumbling…"

"Princess Midna?"

Midna looked up to see her best friend Mitaku standing beside her. Seeing her face drenched in tears, Mitaku bent down to sit beside her leader and friend. Midna buried her face in Mitaku's cloak and wept silently. Mitaku stroked her hair and whispered

"Midna you can tell me anything. It's not the monsters that troubling you." Midna's sobs became more violent as she fought for air and the right words to say. Mitaku continued. "If it's not the monsters that troubling you then you can tell me what is."

Midna looked into her friends orange eyes and nodded. The sadness in her gaze spoke for itself. Yes I will tell you her eyes said. But not here. Mitaku raised her head and beckoned to a palace knave.

"The princess has exhausted her magic healing the people" she lied smoothly. "I will be taking her to her rooms to rest."

The knave nodded and scurried off to assume his duties. Mitaku slung one of Midna's arms across her shoulders and helped her across the room to her private chambers. Only time would tell if the princess would be able to recover from this grievous mental wound. The twili had many remedies to cure what ever ailed you but there were none that could be used to mend a broken heart.

i have BIG plans for these guys! read and reveiw or else i may hold the next chapter hostage! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA byebye! :)