This chapter is going to be the longest I have, I believe. It might be six pages! That's long, for my story. I'm sorry about that- chapters shouldn't be extremely long.


Link and Zelda, whose sweat was now visible through her dress, finally made it to the balcony of Arbiter's Grounds. Zelda dropped to her knees and looked at the steps to the Mirror Chamber.

"So close… Yet so far…"

"You can make it, Zelda."

"You try it- lugging up chains using magic!"

Link raised his eyebrows, and Zelda hung her head, but met Link's eyes. "I'm sorry for being so rude, it's just… I'm very tired."

"We're almost there- we can take a break when we get to the Twilight Realm."

Zelda took a deep breath, but made no more complaint. She motioned with her hands for the chains to come up, and they did. The golden glow was around them, and Zelda started walking. Link followed, and chuckled once when Zelda didn't see the opening in the steps and fell through.

Zelda didn't look at him- Link knew she was blushing. She picked herself up and continued.

The Mirror of Twilight allowed them to pass through, but something on it made Link nervous- it was a tiny crack on the right side. But he made no movement to touch it- he was afraid he would make it worse. After all, this was a needed object in his life. Midna wasn't going to break it and never see him again.

Zelda went through first, and Link followed. He found her staring at the palace- it was burning. The side halls were completely destroyed, and some Hylians were still there throwing flammable objects into it. Some of the parts of the statues were missing, and Link noticed one that made him furious- it was Midna's stone head.

"That's not…"

"No, Link, that's not the real Midna. That's a statue."

Link couldn't help but ask- he was too afraid that Midna was already dead.

She probably was.

Zelda had started working on tying a chain belt for Link and then threw it over his head and let it fall to his side.

"Tell me when…"

Zelda started tightening it little by little and started to crush his ribs. "It's fine!" Link choked out. Zelda nodded and picked up the end of the chain and threw him down into the Open Twilight.

When there was no more chain left to fall, the recess of the iron must have reduced his stomach size- he almost threw up.

"I have no more chain!"

"You couldn't have done that slower?!"

"Midna's life is at stake!"

"You don't want to kill me while trying to save hers!"

Zelda groaned. "Take it like a man! Now what should I do?"

"Use your magic to lower me farther!"

Zelda didn't say anything more; if she did, Link couldn't hear her. It was just the way Link liked it to be.

He kept going lower and lower into the Open Twilight, and the darkness immersed him almost entirely. He almost couldn't see the chain above him.

A faint, tiny blue light slowly came into focus, and it grew larger for a time, and then stopped. Link realized he had stopped falling. He swung slowly back and forth for a moment or two, and Link tried to struggle out of the chain prison. He had gotten one arm out when he started falling faster and faster- Zelda must have let go of the chains.

Link knew he shouldn't panic- he just kept quiet for a moment or two, but then realized he couldn't hold it in any longer; he started to scream, but only for a second. But that second was long enough to let someone know he was here.

He hit the ground hard- really hard. So hard that he heard his knee crush with his weight and gravity forcing him to the ground.

Link couldn't see anything but that faint blue light, so he walked towards it, finding no where better to go. His hurt leg dragged a little on the ground, and soon he couldn't bear it any longer. Carefully, he sat on the ground.

The ground didn't feel right- it was like wet sand, but felt gross. Deciding it would be best not to stay there too much longer, he started walking again.

The light got didn't get any brighter, but got bigger. Soon, the light split in two. As he got closer, he saw a silhouette standing by the light. Link whipped out his sword and shield.

He forgot his sword shone with the Sol's light in the Twilight Realm, and used it to look at the ground. It was black, it looked like, with pebbles in them. Little red pebbles. He put his sword up- the tip of it facing the silhouette, but only got a glimpse of his pants and part of his chest. It was enough.

"Redmer," the silhouette said. Link took in a quiet breath; this voice…?"They're quite powerful. But you must know how to use them to get the power."

Link glared at the silhouette.

"You can't see me, but I can see you. That's because the light of my eyes points at you, but the shadow faces me."

"Zant," Link hissed.

"Yes?"

"Where's Midna," he demanded.

"We're having tea inside, would you like some?"

"Funny."

"I'm not kidding. But you see, it's a different kind of tea. I wanted her to try a different brand of mine."

"Don't you poison her!" Link yelled and charged up his sword and did the improved Jump Attack.

Zant made both of his hands and forearms parallel, his fingers clawed. Then he straightened them again, and an orange and black ball of magic came flying at Link. He blocked it with his shield.

"She hasn't had it yet," Zant murmured, his voice quiet. "But she will. And I will personally give it to her. I'll let you have some too, if you would like."

Link hit Zant with his shield and then did the helm splitter and the improved spin attack. Zant made a force field with his hands and protected himself with it.

Can he really just stay like that forever?

Link looked harder- Zant seemed to be concentrating really hard. No… It must take energy. Just let him stay like that and…

Zant started to move towards a larger silhouette and went inside it. A house? Down here?

Wait… MIDNA!

Link charged in after him, his sword at the ready, looking for Zant and his red force field. He saw nothing.

"Midna!" Link called loudly. "Answer me!"

Nothing was heard for a moment, but Link was sure he heard muffled screaming. He looked all around- all he saw was concrete wall and the door that led outside. There was nothing more in the room.

"Midna!" he yelled again. "Midna!" Link was spinning around in circles, hoping that her image will be visible to him, or at least Zant, to know where he was…

There was no more screaming now. "Midna…!" Link called desperately, on the verge of going insane.

Then he heard more muffled screaming, and a faint ripping sound.

"Link! Link! Get me out!"

Relief washed over him, but began to look more frantically.

"WATCH OUT!"

Zant came up behind Link and unleashed magic on his back. Link was flung forward at the force of the hit and fell on his stomach. He got up instantly and picked a bomb out of his pack and threw it at him. Zant dodged it easily. Link coughed from the smoke and it watered his eyes.

"LEFT!" someone called. Link immediately turned to his left and saw Zant charging up some magic. Link did a back flip and narrowly missed the spell by inches.

Zant went to the far corner of the room and Link did the same. They stood staring at each other for a moment, their vision still clouded by smoke.

"I see. This is how it shall be played. But… it's unfair. So… Midna?"

Zant disappeared behind a cloud of smoke. Link charged forward at him, but he was gone.

Link hit the walls with his sword- hoping one wall will sound different than another. It was no use. He went all the way around the room.

Suddenly something appeared in front of him. It was… an orange and black spike.

"Since Zant was so kind enough to give us this gift, I think we should put it to good use!"

Midna had said that while they were in the Sacred Grove, trying to find the Master Sword.

It was the spike that gave Link the ability to transform into a wolf! Immediately he touched it with his forefinger and felt that familiar sensation about him being forced onto his hands and knees and the weird feeling of growing fur.

He turned on his senses and looked around. A light blue wall stuck out among the regular concrete. Link remembered the spot and touched the spike again, turning himself into a human so he could open the door.

He couldn't bring the spike with him- hopefully he wouldn't need it. If he touched it- he would turn into a wolf. And as a wolf, he can't open doors. But Link didn't have time to think- he opened the door and went through.

There was a light blue tint in this long hallway, and it seemed the building went on forever. The floor was clear glass and showed many, many hallways beneath him.

Knowing Zant.... mostly, he probably put her on the bottom floor…

Link looked for staircases, opened every door, but they were all empty dungeons.

He opened the last door in the hall. It was a staircase, but something orange caught his eye. It was a clump of hair… Midna's hair. It looked like it was yanked out of her head. Link looked down the staircase. It seemed to get darker when it got to the landing, and there was no light down there at all. Link took out his sword and shield again and let the Master Sword guide him.

He found several more doors too. Upon opening them, a stench so terrible it could only come from a rotted corpse filled his nose and watered his eyes. The oxygen, what little there was, felt terrible to inhale. Yet still he kept going- his heart and mind determined to find Midna, and he sprinted past this hallway, but still opened the doors. Finally he got to another staircase. It got brighter down there, so away he went, relieved to have light. But he didn't put away his weapon; he must not be so quick to lower his defenses.

The smell still existed, but it was faint. He walked this time, and breathed in a small breath of air. It was still very hard to breathe, and his head was growing dizzy, but he was still alive. That was all that mattered.

Midna wasn't screaming anymore, and the silence scared Link the most. He tried the next stone knob, and it wouldn't open.

"Found us, Link? Try getting in! This door's different!"

"Midna!" Link yelled, trying to get some help. She didn't respond. He banged on the door, but it did no good use. He looked around at all the other doors- they had splintery wooden knobs- this one was stone. The knob wouldn't turn, either. So he did the only thing he could think of- use his sword and slash it open. It actually worked.

Zant was apparently surprised to see him- he immediately stood up in front of Midna and had his hands clawed in case he would need them.

"Fancy sword you have there," Zant said calmly, even though his chest was heaving.

"It'll be the one to rip your heart out!" Link yelled, but didn't move. He could hurt Midna if Zant dodged his attacks.

Zant fired a small ball of evil magic at him, and Link blocked it with his shield. Then Zant rose into the air. His body split into seven, exact copies of himself. In unison, they all rose their hands to their chest and concocted a spell. Link ran over and stood in the right corner, opposite where Midna lay unconscious on a wooden chair in the left corner.

Zant threw the ball of magic at Link, and blocked every one except one spell with his shield. The one spell didn't hurt too much, but he felt it when he placed his weight on it.

Zant thought for a moment, then turned to the helpless Midna. He readied a ball of magic and prepared to throw it at her.

Link's eyes widened and ran towards her. Zant threw the magic, but Link was there in time. The magic got Link right in the middle of his chest, close to where his heart was.

Link screamed- the pain was so terrible. The magic held him in the air for a moment, but then he crashed to the ground. Link felt like he was on the verge of passing out, but he lied there, still conscious, but he couldn't move.

"Still breathing, eh?" Zant's voice echoed in the small room. "We can fix that. Then you can be with Midna again."

That set Link off. He shakily got to his feet and thrust his sword toward Zant. He got him, right on the arm where Zant was about to defend himself. His cut bled so much that it fell to the floor in chunks. Link was unaware that he was bleeding as well- a big red stain was on his chest. He clutched it with his life- it was his vulnerable spot now.

Link scooped up Midna in his arms and ran out of her prison. He was leaving a trail of blood- and knew that running made his blood pump more and more out of the gaping hole in his chest, but he continued anyway. As long as Midna was safe, he could die.

He ran through the pitch black hallway and up the stairs and out of the jail. Then he fell to his knees and Midna rolled out of his arms.

Link coughed, and blood went out of his mouth and along with his spit. It didn't hit Midna, but Link still faced the other way.

Must… save… Midna…!

Link used that thought to stand up, but immediately fell down again. His head was too dizzy.

"Redmer. They're quite powerful. But you must know how to use them to get the power…"

Link did the only thing he thought of- he picked one up and put it into his mouth and chewed, and swallowed.

He felt the effects of it immediately. The taste was disgusting, and it made him almost throw up. But Link was sure this was the way. His head and his chest felt terrible, and a few spots on his leg were in excruciating pain as well. He looked at his chest, and the skin was bubbling. It was expanding over the gaping hole. The blood was being sealed away inside him, and his head was becoming less and less fuzzier.

It was healing him. And soon, he could stand up. He picked Midna up, who was covered with blood on her left side because of her body touching his wound.

Link jumped into the air without thinking to the ledge closest to the ground. He made it. He continued this for an hour or so, Midna not waking up.

Eventually, he could see, and his heartbeat started picking up. Link didn't know where Zant was, and didn't really care. His heart and mind were now set on bringing Midna back to where she belonged.

The light from the Twilight Realm became brighter evermore, and he saw Zelda and all the Twili people waiting Link's return.

Cheers erupted when Link jumped to the top ledge. Zelda came to him and gave him a big hug, and then the rest of the Twili encircled him, but stayed well away from the Open Twilight.

Midna's eyes flickered, and the rest of the crowd became silent. Link looked hopefully down at her, and then her red eyes opened entirely, and everybody cheered and roared and was happy.

Midna must have realized this wasn't a dream, or she wanted to make the most of it, so she leaned her head against Link's red chest and smiled. Link tilted her down, and Midna got up from his embrace and stood up. The Twili hugged her and were delighted to have her back. Some cried with joy, some patted her on the back, but Midna leaned against Link and put her lips to his ear and whispered, "Thanks."

Link smiled and nodded. "Any time."

Then the Twili thanked Link. They ran to him, thanked him many times over, and told him what a great warrior he was and how he has saved them many times.

When the Twili had all gone back to their houses, it was sunset. The time the light world and the shadow realm were closest. Zelda walked up to the passage to Hyrule.

"Guess this is farewell, huh?" Link asked Midna, smiling sadly.

"I hope not, but…"

"It should be." Link finished for her, his eyes showing he was so depressed.

"…Yeah." Midna muttered.

"Maybe this is how it should be. No more Hylians will bother the Twilight Realm, and Ganondorf and Zant won't be back in Hyrule," Zelda said optimistically. "I just wish that you could come to our wedding, Midna."

"It would be fun, but I think it would be best if I stayed here. Zant's not dead yet. Our battle rages on."

"I want to fight that for you," Link said. Midna shook her head.

Zelda walked up to Midna and took her hand. "Thank you, so much, for everything. You and Link fulfilled my destiny of saving Hyrule. When I was weak, you were strong."

Midna nodded and smiled faintly.

Zelda walked up to the passage to Hyrule and waved, and stepped inside the ring. In moments, she was gone.

The light of the Mirror of Twilight started flickering, and Link and Midna gasped. The ring of light started to fade, and soon, it vanished. The mirror must have been broken!

"I… guess this means the wedding's off, huh?" Link said and smiled.

"Link! This is terrible! You can't get back!"

Link took Midna's head in his hands. "I don't mind…" Link murmured, and kissed her passionately on the lips. Midna kissed back, but didn't move. "Do you?"

Midna stood there, her eyes with worry. But she stepped closer to Link and wrapped her arms around his neck. "No…"

They kissed there, in the dim light of the Twilight Realm, knowing that they're together, forever.


Did… you… like it? I personally thought it was okay. There's an epilogue next, by the way. Harry Potter style! Kidding. I don't know how I'll do it.
Thanks for reviewing!!! I love you guys so much!!!
Keep at it!
WOO!!