Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Light, Shadow, and Night

"You have the Triforce of Mediation?" Zelda squeaked. Link and Darian both stared at her, shocked that she knew exactly what it was.

"What do you know about the Triforce of Mediation?" Darian asked. It was clear that Zelda knew much more about the Triforce piece than even he did. Then again, he thought, she does have the Triforce of Wisdom. It shouldn't be that much of a shock that she would know almost everything, if not everything. He looked at Link, who merely nodded his head in agreement. It was clear he trusted Zelda, and if he trusted her, Darian might as well. He waited for her answer patiently.

"Well… No one has seen that Triforce piece since the Ancient War!" Zelda started. "It is said three Goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, created this land using their powers and left their mark in the form of the Triforce pieces. We know those three pieces are Power, Wisdom, and Courage." Link and Darian nodded in agreement. Zelda continued. "It is also said a fourth Goddess, Mudora, created the Triforce of Mediation in the event one of two things happened. Either one of the Triforce pieces becomes so corrupt the Bearer of Mediation has to step in and restore balance to the Triforce, or something catastrophic happens, during which time the Mediator has to help the other three Triforce-wielding members combine their powers to eradicate the evil and restore peace."

"Well I guess we don't need to worry about the first possibility since Courage and Wisdom are together and pure," Link stated.

"But what of the Triforce of Power?" Zelda asked. When Link did not have an answer, Darian spoke up.

"I believe what Link is trying to say is that since you both killed Ganondorf, the Triforce of Power is currently out of the equation. It probably went back to the Sacred Realm and is waiting for someone worthy to claim it." Darian saw Link nod out of the corner of his eye and continued. "Which brings us to the second reason. The catastrophe. Are we talking about a devastating war, or perhaps bad weather to the point where it ravages the land? Or…" Horror dawned on his face. "Wait… Please don't tell me you're thinking of the possibility of the end of the world."

Zelda looked grim, and Link realized Darian had hit the mark. "Oh I'm afraid that may be exactly the catastrophe the Goddesses were referring to." They sat for a minute in silence, unable to speak another word. The end of the world? How are we supposed to stop that? Link thought in dismay. Zelda's next words brought him out of his thoughts.

"Why don't we head to the library? I think there is one book that may help us make some sense of all this."

"You know best, Princess," Darian smiled. "Lead us to the library then." He and Link followed her through many doors, taking care to avoid some of the debris littered around in the hallways. When they got to the library, they were mildly surprised.

The library itself remained flawlessly intact, as if nothing had happened. It was a miracle, really, for if any part of it caved in, they may never have found the book Zelda was now holding in her hands. It looked extremely fragile, like it would fall apart if someone merely touched its spine. It was a large, somewhat like an oversized encyclopedia. On the front was an image of the Triforce, the colors red, green, and blue all faded out with age. She gestured towards a table and they sat down, Zelda gently setting the book down and opening its pages.

The text, surprisingly, was not faded at all, as if magic prevented it from doing so. Zelda took out a pair of glasses and was trying her hardest to decipher the words. Darian turned slightly pink and looked away. Link noticed, and wanting to be subtle tried to convey a message with his eyes. Darian frowned, but then pointed to his Triforce. Link somehow got the message and formulated a thought. "Darian, do you fancy Zelda by any chance?" He was surprised when his Triforce glowed slightly and hoped he received his message.

The response came almost immediately. "She is kind and smart, and she is no doubt beautiful. I personally admire a woman with glasses, and I wanted to pay her a compliment, but I do not wish for her to become offended or angry with me, thinking of me as someone who only likes her based on her looks."

"What do you have to lose Darian? Tell her! I personally think she will like it." Link smiled and encouraged him. Zelda noticed and looked at the two quizzically.

Darian took a deep breath and looked at Zelda. "Princess, you look cute with those glasses," he blurted before looking away shyly, his face reddening.

"Thank you. And please, call me Zelda," she said before resuming her reading. Link noticed, however, that her face was slightly pink and was now smiling, though subtly. "You are in the clear Darian. She is smiling." Darian regained some confidence and gave him a small wink before turning back to Zelda.

"Oh I give up!" she cried desperately. "I cannot understand a word this thing has to say!" Indeed, the book seemed to be written in an old language that Link could not understand. He too looked at Zelda.

"I'm surprised you tried this long to understand it Zelda. I would have given up after a few seconds!" Darian suddenly looked at the text.

"Zelda, hand me the book. Let me have a stab at it." She raised her eyebrow before slowly passing the book to him. He gently took it and started flipping through the pages. Suddenly he came across the section he must have been looking for, for he exclaimed "Aha! Here it is! The Unification of the Triforces."

"WHAT!" Link and Zelda stared at Darian with their mouths hanging open. How could he read it so easily?

"What?" he asked. "It says it right here, black on white!" When they continued to stare at him the same way, he realized it. "Oh, you don't understand the text?" he asked gently. They shook their heads in affirmative.

"Now I understand. The explanation is simple. The text was written in an ancient form of Hylian, and very few people even know it exists, much less understand it. My older brother Ionin was educated to understand this language as our own library contains many texts like this one. I was lucky that he helped me understand it. As of right now, he and I are the only two to currently be able to successfully translate it to modern Hylian. It is no shame to not be able to read it!" he assured. Link and Zelda relaxed slightly. Darian continued. "So where were we? Ah yes, the Unification of the Triforces." And with that, he began to read.

"In the ancient days, after the almighty Goddesses Three created the land of Hyrule, people lived in perfect harmony. Although they formed different tribes, they coexisted peacefully, spreading their teachings, whether they be politics, magic, or the use of the sword.

"However, as time went on, certain groups of people were experimenting with magic that was incomprehensible to their fellow tribes. They were thus shunned for dabbing in what they called 'Dark Magic'. These people left in order to perfect this magic, away from prying eyes. For some time, they were not seen or heard from by any of their old friends.

"One day, a tribe was completely wiped out. Men, women, and children were all murdered in cold blood. Only one survivor made it out alive and went to warn the rest of the tribes. These people had indeed increased their power in magic. But they had also combined their own magic with the magic of True Darkness. Essentially, they were exiled for dabbing in magic that resembled the Darkness, yet it was not evil at all. They became angry and thus decided to tap into the powers of True Darkness as revenge for being dismissed by their former friends.

"Their leader, Caedin, led the rebellion, his people known as the Magicians of Darkness. They ravaged many villages and armies, devastating families and destroying all in their way. His two elite commanders, known to us as Majora and Fierce Deity, led their troops with an iron fist, following Caedin's wishes without question. They too felt betrayed by their fellow tribesmen, believing their magic was once righteous as well.

"In order to combat the Magicians, the rest of the villagers formed alliances and fought Dark with Light, believing that to be the only solution. However, all initial battles ended in failure. That was when another group of individuals stepped forward. These people were very skilled in their art of Light Magic, yet they needed more than just that to combat True Darkness. They became the Dark Interlopers, for they began to experiment with Shadow Magic, and thus created an object to help them fight off Darkness, known as the Fused Shadow. They split its powerful magic into four parts, thus stabilizing them and making it easier to control.

"Meanwhile, some of the Magicians of Darkness turned on Caedin, realizing he merely wanted to destroy all life and thus bring about the end of the world. They came to the Dark Interlopers and the Light Fighters, offering their teachings of the magic now known as Night Magic to all who trusted them. Initially the remaining Resistance forces distrusted them, fearing betrayal, but as more villages fell, they had no choice.

"Caedin, Majora, and Fierce Deity reached the capital of the Resistance roughly one month later. The battle that ensued was devastating to both sides, and lasted roughly 70 hours. All that remained were the Three Chosen Warriors of Light, those who were granted the Power of the Goddesses, the Dark Interlopers, who survived due to the Fused Shadow, and the Magicians wielding the Night Magic.

"The Three Chosen Warriors, wielding Power, Wisdom, and Courage, fought bravely, managing to seal Majora and Fierce Deity in separate masks, rendering them unavailable to fight. However, even they could not take down Caedin as his Darkness was too much for even them to overcome. He thus gave them a 72 hour respite in which he offered peace if they surrendered, withdrawing his remaining army.

"At this point, even the Goddesses were unsure of what to do. Caedin's magic was far too powerful for them to contain, and could only hope the Chosen Warriors and their comrades would emerge victorious. It was at this time a fourth Goddess decided to lend them a hand. Mudora, the Goddess of Mediation, realized only the right combination of Power, Wisdom, and Courage would be able to overcome the True Darkness. So she left her mark on the world, which would be known as the Triforce of Mediation, in the hopes that someone worthy would wield it and successfully unite Power, Wisdom, and Courage.

"It is said a Night Magic Wielder, who was once siding with Caedin's forces, claimed it. This is due to his repentance for his previous actions, and the fact that he wanted nothing more now than to spread his teachings and save the world from Caedin's destruction. Also at this time, the Dark Interlopers offered the Fused Shadow to the Light Warrior wielding the Triforce of Power, as they deemed him the only one suitable to use it.

"72 hours later, Caedin and his forces returned to the city and offered the chance to surrender once again. At the Resistance's refusal, he launched another attack. The Three Chosen Warriors, along with the Night Guardian, as he was now called, successfully merged the pieces of the Triforce, the Fused Shadow, and the Night Magic to form a single being. This entity fought Caedin on equal footing and after a long duel, finally weakened him enough that the Goddesses were able to intervene.

"They sealed Caedin, along with all of the Magicians of Darkness into the Night Realm, where they deemed they would no longer cause trouble. Unfortunately, in doing so, they accidentally sent the Dark Interlopers into the realm now known as the Twilight Realm. They became the Twili, people living in the Twilight. Some of the Magicians who sided with the Resistance, along with the Bearer of Mediation, offered to travel to the Night Realm to guard the seals holding the traitors. They became the Night Dwellers, and lived peacefully now that the main threat was gone.

"It is said the Magicians of Darkness, with the exception of Caedin, passed away, wanting to deal with their burden no longer. Caedin's seal, along with the seals holding the Masks of Majora and Fierce Deity, was to remain intact as to not allow them to escape and cause any trouble. The Bearer of Mediation was not heard from again, and his piece, along with the other Triforce pieces, returned to the Sacred Realm, until such time they would be called upon again."

Darian looked up from the reading. Link and Zelda stared back at him, listening to his every word. None of them spoke for a time, pondering over everything they had just learned. Link finally spoke first.

"So… We are up against a madman who is plotting the end of the world, huh? But it doesn't make any sense. How was he able to break the seal the Goddesses themselves placed?"

"Link, since when does anything make sense regarding the end of the world?" Darian countered. Link sat back, murmuring "Touché." Zelda took her glasses off and placed the book back on the shelf. She sat back down and stared at the two men.

"Well, I think we know what we must do. We find the one who wields the Triforce of Power, use our powers, and destroy Caedin once and for all." she said with finality.

Link and Darian nodded, both realizing the magnitude of the quest they were about to embark on. Link took out the broken Fused Shadow and looked at it.

"Is that the Fused Shadow you and I recovered back in the Eldin fields?" Darian asked.

"Yes," Link answered. "As I said before, I thought you would know what to do with it, considering Ordona seemed to think so." he finished, looking at Zelda.

"Unfortunately I do not," Zelda responded sadly. "I think the only way back to the Twilight Realm was the Mirror." Darian refused to believe it.

"I really think there is another way," he countered. "I doubt the Goddesses made only one connection to the Twilight. What in the world?" The broken Fused Shadow pieces suddenly floated into the air. At the same time, all three of their Triforces started glowing furiously.

"What the hell?" Link said in disbelief. Right before their eyes, the Fused Shadow was slowly but surely mending itself, using the golden power of the Triforce. "I don't believe it! It's repairing itself!" Zelda and Darian could only watch in wonder as the pieces became one again. It floated towards Link and he gently caught it… And almost dropped it one second later as a voice spoke through it. In the absence of the one bearing Power, you have been chosen to use our magic, oh Hero of Light and Twilight.

Darian could only stare, dumbfounded, at the events that had just transpired, and Zelda gasped. She looked at Link with worry in her eyes. "Link, that thing is dangerous! Don't listen to it!"

Darian finally recovered and looked at Link and then the Fused Shadow. "No, I believe he was destined to wield some of its power. Remember Zelda, that piece of the Fused Shadow contains only one quarter of its power. It also has chosen him, meaning he is worthy to use it without the threat of being corrupted. But Link be careful and do not revel in power, for it shall lead you astray."

"Guys you worry too much," Link grinned. "I'll only use it to protect those I care about. Trust me."

"I respect your decision, and I will help you in any way I can so you can master its power," Darian smiled. Zelda hesitated, but then she too relaxed.

"Link, I trust you will do the right thing. Darian, I know you too will help us against Caedin. It is the only way we can prevent the end of the world." She shuddered at the thought.

"On my life as the Bearer of Mediation, I will help you both."

All three of them gasped at what happened next. Their Triforces reacted violently and golden light bathed the room. They did not know how long this lasted, or when it would stop, the glowing became more and more intense. When it finally dimmed down, they looked at their hands and were astonished at the sight.

Link's Triforce was much brighter, but that wasn't the only difference. The Triforces of Wisdom and Mediation could now faintly be seen on his hand as well. The point connecting Wisdom and Courage contained star similar to the one Darian once showed him, symbolizing their connection. Finally, the line between Courage and Mediation was outlined more clearly in a darker gold shade. Zelda looked at her hand and saw a similar image, only Wisdom was bright and Courage was faint.

Darian's Triforce was now a shade between gold and white, with clear, dark gold lines separating his Triforce from Courage and Wisdom. The star between Courage and Wisdom was now white, and strengthened the closer the three of them stood. "Wow," he breathed. "I think this is the first step the Goddesses wanted us to take. Because we trust each other completely, our bonds grew stronger and our Triforces shine brighter. We only need Power now." He smiled at his two friends. They returned the gesture, but Zelda spoke.

"I don't know about you two, but it has been a long day. Maybe we should head to bed? You both can stay here in the castle if you would like." Both Link and Darian nodded and murmured their thanks. Darian stood up and stretched his wings. Zelda rolled her eyes and said "Showoff. We don't have that luxury."

"What? I can't stretch them out? I have not flown all day! That usually makes me cramp up the following day!" He answered with a wry smile and a wink.

It was damp and cold. The dungeons were dark and there were no guards. There didn't have to be any. The chains that held the prisoners were enhanced with magic to prevent their escape.

One of the prisoners was a woman. She was roughly 17 years old and was tall and beautiful. She was wearing the traditional Twilight garb that only added to her exotic features. She looked up slightly, her ruby eyes half open, and allowed tears to fall down her face. "Link… My love… Where are you…? Please… Help me…"

The other prisoner was a male. He was 18 years of age, had pale skin, short and ruffled jet black hair, and emerald green eyes. He looked at the woman, and back down to the ground. He was similarly chained, and thus could not break out of this cell either. "Darian… Ionin… I hope you both are okay… Please… One of you… Anyone…" He turned to the woman. "Who are you? And what are you doing chained up here?"

"My name is Midna," she said through tears. "I am the Twilight Princess. I was imprisoned here by the madman Zant who now sits on my throne again." He looked at her, shocked… Zant… Midna continued. "Who are you? I have never seen you around here before…"

"Drimani. I am from the Night Realm. My brothers and I were attacked by the same person who attacked you. I escaped through a portal and ended up here. Not long afterwards though, Zant attacked and the next thing I know, I woke up here… Who is Link? Why do you call his name?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Link… He… He is a Light-dweller. He and I were on an adventure together and we defeated Zant once before… I guess I was wrong. He is back… I love Link… I realized it too late before I shattered the only way to get here from the Light Realm… Who are Darian and Ionin?"

"They are my brothers… Oh gods… I hope they are okay…" Drimani was cut off as the door to the dungeon swung open. "Midna… Whatever happens here, we must be strong. They will come for us. I know it."

"I hope so Drimani, I hope so." A light cackling was heard.

"Ahhh I hear our two prisoners are awake?"

"Zant," Midna and Drimani growled.

Link awoke with a start, panting and sweating. Midna. Zant has her! I must go! He was out of the door and running to Zelda's room…

In the next room, Darian awoke just as suddenly. Drimani… He too was quickly out of the room…

They ran into each other, noticing the other just as disheveled.

"You saw them too, huh?" Link had a bad feeling about this.

"Yes. They were chained in a dungeon." Horror came on both of their faces.

"Midna…"

"Drimani…"

"Let's go. They need us."

R&R? How are my first 5 chapters?