He landed on something that reminded him of the paths in the Lakebed Temple. It carried him down, until he fell into something like a fountain. There was a door on the wall, but it was closed. Link would have to take the longer path, wherever it ended up taking him.

The trek through the waterways blurred together as he ran. Keese dove down to attack him and were struck down. Giant spiders dropped from the ceiling, but backed away with a fearful hiss when he growled at them.

Clambering through an underground tunnel. Through a place that reminded him of his trek out of the castle dungeon. Even then, despite how mean she'd been... She had still helped him.

Climbing up a broken tower. She had asked him to trust her. It had taken him time - a lot of time, if he was being honest. But, at some point... he did.

Running past a familiar piece of rubble. With her, he'd done things he never thought he'd be able to do.

The roof of the castle was different, without eternal twilight clouding his senses. There was still the fog of rain, but everything was more real without the twilight. Another shuddering wheeze from Midna spurred him forward, faster. There would be time to reflect, to think, later.

He reached the room where Princess Zelda was. He panted with each step he took. The wound on his shoulder stung, his paw pads ached, his head's pulsing grew angrier with each step, and his eyelids were heavy. But he continued forward. Midna needed him to. So he did.

As soon as he reached the middle of the room, Midna slid from his back. His heart dropped as he spun to face her. Her eyes - how odd it was, seeing her with two eyes rather than one - squinted open. Her breathing was still so unsteady. But at least she was still breathing.

Princess Zelda gasped and sprinted from her bed. She sank to the floor, kneeling at Midna's side.

Midna reached a feeble hand out to Princess Zelda. "Please... How... to break... the curse... on him?" Her voice... By Ordona's horns, it was so raspy. So weak. So fragile.

Link whined. 'What about you?' He'd been stuck as a wolf before. He'd been hurt before. But Midna... Midna was hurt.

Even with the ache that seeped to his bones, even with the chill that threatened to have him shivering like Midna was, Link wasn't halfway to his grave.

Princess Zelda stared down at Midna, her voice tense. "What... happened to you?"

A whine escaped from his throat. 'Zant found us at Lanayru's spring. He attacked us, and now she's hurt really badly.'

Princess Zelda's head whipped up to look at him, her eyes wide. Then she frowned, closing her eyes and lowering her head. "I am... sorry." Her words were barely whispers, and her voice shook. "He asked where you were, and if I didn't tell him..." She trailed off.

What kinds of threats had Zant made?

He would drag the answers out of Zant. But later. After Midna was okay.

Midna's voice was pleading, even with the exhaustion. "Princess... He's the one. You need him... to save your world." She gave a weak smile. "So... you have to help Link!" No! She had to help Midna first!

Princess Zelda stood and looked down at Link. She raised a hand from her side, pointing her palm towards him. There was a sound and a glow that reminded him of Ordona, and then she lowered her hand with a somber frown. "What binds him is a different magic than what transformed him when he first passed through the curtain of twilight." Her voice lowered, darkened. "It is... an evil power." A shiver raced down Link's spine.

"Our world is one of balance. Just as there is light to drive darkness away, so too is there benevolence to banish evil." Link looked up at Princess Zelda, tilting his head to one side. Her eyes were closed as she continued. "Deep within the lands protected by Faron is a sacred grove. There, you will find a weapon said to have been crafted with the wisdom of the ancient sages. The Blade of Evil's Bane. The Master Sword. It's a sacred blade that evil cannot touch."

Princess Zelda held up the back of her hand. To Link's surprise, a familiar and yet different triangle-shaped marking shone through her glove. "Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses. The Master Sword... It is your birthright." A shiver ran down his spine again. So the princess also had the Triforce? What did that mean?

Midna's voice was still raspy. "Link... You can... You can get to the woods... on your own, right...?" What? No! No, he wouldn't go without Midna!

Midna wouldn't look at him. Only at Princess Zelda. "I have... one last... request. Can you tell him... where to find the Mirror of Twilight?" Last request? No, no, she couldn't mean-

Princess Zelda took in a sharp breath. Not quite a gasp. A small sound Link almost didn't hear. For a few moments that passed like lifetimes, the air hung still, with just the wheezing of Midna's breaths. Then Princess Zelda sighed. "Midna... I believe I understand now just who and what you are." What did that mean?

Princess Zelda reached a ginger hand down to brace Midna's arm. "Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead. These dark times are the result of our - of my ancestors' deeds - yet it is you who have reaped the penalty." Princess Zelda closed her eyes. "Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you."

Princess Zelda's body began to glow. The glowing spread down from her arms and onto Midna, whose eyes widened.

Then Midna started to float in the air, gasping and reaching for Princess Zelda. "No! Link, stop her!" Stop her? From doing what? And how? Princess Zelda only looked up at Midna with a smile on her face.

In a blinding flash of light, it was over. Midna floated back down and stood in front of Link. Her hair was a vibrant orange again, her skin no longer pale. She was okay. His tail wagged, even with the ache in his head and his bones and his shoulder.

The last tiny specks of light, again so much like Ordona's, faded away. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her hands, at Link, and then up at Princess Zelda.

Princess Zelda had slumped to the floor, her eyes tired. No, beyond that. Exhausted. She gave a pained smile. "You needn't worry. I will... be fine. I will just need... to rest." She nodded at Midna. "But now... this world's light... should not harm you."

How? How had the princess done that?

Then she looked at Link. "Go now, Link. The Blade... of Evil's Bane... awaits its new master." With a groan, the princess rose to her feet and staggered over to sit on the bed.

He stepped forward, to help her, to give her someone to lean on as she walked, but she waved him away. "The guard... will be making his rounds again... soon. You... should be leaving."

Only after Princess Zelda was seated on her bed did Link turn and creep out of the room, Midna by his side. She was silent as she walked, until she looked at her hand. Sure enough, that same familiar marking appeared as she looked, much like Princess Zelda's. Similar, but slightly different. She had a triangle, but only the one; the other two parts were missing.

Gor Coron had mentioned that only one triangle had glowed, on Link's marking. Was it the same for Princess Zelda's?

She sighed, her voice a whisper. "Zelda... I've taken what you had to give... though I do not deserve it."

The next thing Link knew, he and Midna were outside of the city. She was on his back again. Rain still fell, no longer the stinging needles it had been before, though just as cold. There were puddles, of rain and of mud, scattered along the ground.

He looked over his shoulder, at her. 'How are you feeling?'

Her voice was still quiet, softer than usual. "I'm... I'm fine." Was she? Her expression was hard to read, but it was off.

She smiled. A halfhearted expression, one that didn't reach her eyes. "Really, I'm fine. I just... it's going to take a bit to get used to... this." She gestured at her hand for emphasis. That was understandable. He still wasn't sure what to think of what Gor Coron had told him, much less what Princess Zelda had just said.

How long ago had Gor Coron said that, anyways? He glanced around. Now that Midna was okay, more things stuck out to him. The leaves of trees, no longer green but now red and yellow and orange. A soft breeze that made the raindrops dance and swirl.

Midna sighed, dropping forward to lay on Link's back. "Why... why did Zelda do that? Doesn't she need her piece of the Triforce?" Piece? What did that mean?

There would be time to ask, later. Link let out a whine. 'You were...' No, he still couldn't say that. 'You were hurt really badly. She couldn't just sit there and not do anything to help you.'

Midna huffed. "As if an imp like me is worth sacrificing her sacred gift over."

'Princess Zelda certainly seemed to think so.'

Midna didn't say anything for some time, and neither did Link. Should he just start walking to Faron? Should he ask her to teleport him back? He turned to look ahead and raised his paw to take a step.

And then he froze. Midna, she... She had used his name. She called him Link, instead of 'wolfy' or 'Mr. Important Hero'. Why? Was it because she knew she was going to-

No. No, he was not going to think about that. Princess Zelda had told him to go get the Master Sword. So that's what he was going to do.

Then, a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked back. Midna was looking at him, her expression again hard for Link to read. "What about you, Link? Are... are you okay?" Her voice was still soft, as she said his name. Not even a hint of the mocking tone.

Was he okay? Her eyes were staring into his. At least part of her expression was easy to read. Familiar, even. Concern. Worry. Would she believe him, if he said he was?

What should he tell her?

Why did he want to tell her? She had mocked him, yelled at him, insulted him at times.

But there was no mockery or insult in her voice, in her eyes, just then. She'd used his name. She wasn't- she wasn't hurt. Not after whatever Princess Zelda did for her.

He sighed, closing his eyes as he hung his head. 'I... The last few days... weeks? have been... a lot.' That was putting it mildly.

"I'm sorry." He opened his eyes and looked back at her. Huh? "You've wanted to hear that for a while, haven't you? For dragging you around." She smirked, but even it was more gentle than usual. "For using that bird to carry you around." Her smirk fell. "... For dropping you. For making fun of you. For making fun of your friends, your family." She looked to the side. "I called you my servant, but... the way I treated you, that's no way to treat a servant. And I'm sorry."

Midna sighed, before turning to look at Link. "So... you don't have to be my servant anymore." Link blinked and tilted his head. She gave him a smile - not a smirk, but a genuine smile. Something that went up to her eyes - which, now that he noticed, were a delicate orange. It was like her eyes were tiny sunsets, ones that only he could see. "Maybe, instead, we could be... allies?"

Allies. He knew that word. It's what Hyrule and Ordon were. The people of Ordon helped Hyrule, and in return, the people of Hyrule were supposed to help Ordon.

Well, that sounded familiar. He gave a grin, as best he could. 'Aren't we already?'

Midna blinked, her eyes wide. Then her smile returned. And, were those dimples forming on her cheeks? "Thank you, Link."

Before Link could respond - could even think about the soft way she'd said his name, and about the pleasant warmth in his chest after she had - another gentle breeze carried him away.