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Note: This fic is based off of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, predominantly Twilight Princess plot line and central characters, but I may also incorporate Ocarina of Time in my plot.

Since this story takes place after the events of Twilight Princess, and I also wanted people who didn't play the game to be able to read if they want to, there may be some spoilers in my explanation of past events, I am warning you now so you cannot come and lynch me if you read it and ruin part of the game plot.

I'm fairly busy with school lately, but I need to do something not related to school. However, since my work load may restrict how often I have time to update I ask you to be patient and I'll write more as soon as I can.

Princess of Shadows, Hero of Light:
Chapter One:Wish

Princess of Shadows, Hero of Light:
A LoZTP fanfic

“My Lady, will you be joining the court for super?” A young maid asked timidly.

The woman she addressed stood staring out the window of the palace library. Her pale blue-grey tinted face had been vacant, her orange-red eyes looking on some distant place only she could see. Her eyes narrowed at the young girl’s voice.

“I’m not hungry!” She snapped irritably. “ And I don’t want to be disturbed right now.”

“ Very well my Lady, I shall inform the others.” The girl said trembling slightly as she left.

Midna sighed. Her words had come out harsher then she had intended. She supposed she would eventually have to take up the roll of ruler once again, going to court events, finding a husband and continue the royal bloodline, but ever since she had returned home for the last times she had no desire to do such things. Though she cared deeply for her people and the Twilight Realm she often found herself thinking of a different world, one where the sky was blue and the sun and moon shone instead of the light of a perpetual sunset. A world that was home to a kind young man who’s blue eyes revealed the spirit of a proud feral beast.

She reached into her pocket and drew out a black and orange crystal. It had been a painful reminder of being with him and she’d tried to get rid of it a thousand times but could never bring herself to leave for good. Twice she’d thrown it while walking in the woods only to run back later and spend hours searching for it in the bush. Destroying it completely was out of the question. Sighing again she slipped the Twilight Shard back into her pocket and resumed staring out the window.
“Link.” She whispered to herself.
‘I should have told him then.’ She thought regretfully. ‘ I wish I could see him once more, even if it’s just for a minute.’

‘But you’ll never see him again Midna.’ Another part of her said bitterly. ‘ The Mirror’s broken, tiny shards the size of grains of sand buried in the desert sand, and you’re the one who broke it.’

Suddenly the doors of the library burst open. Midna spun around to face them and could only stare open mouth in disbelief at the figure standing there. The same strange silver helmet covered his head and the same feeling of evil and insanity radiated from him.

‘Not possible!’ Her mind screamed at her in panic.

Outwardly she tried to keep herself calm.

“ Zant.” She said coldly.

“What, no ‘welcome home’ Princess?” He asked.

A powerful wave of dark energy hit Midna and she fell back into the book cases.

“I told you would never be rid of me Midna.” He laughed insanely as he hit her again and sent her flying across the room like a rag doll. However he was not expecting the guards who had come in behind him.

“Run Princess!”A guard shouted.

Though they managed to hold him back for a moment he soon threw them a side easily and advanced again. Midna cast a pained look around at the lifeless forms of the warriors who had come to her aid. Her hatred of Zant burned even stronger but she knew she wouldn’t be able to fight him alone. Just as he sent another wave of magic her direction she called on her own and opened a portal. For a moment she feared her magic would not be strong enough and she was about to die, then she stood blinking in a pool of water bathed in brilliant sunlight before she collapsed from exhaustion.

“Link!” She cried weakly as she fainted.

* * *

He was laying on his back in the grass daydreaming as he had almost every day before the fateful day when his village was attacked and the children captured. Now that they were home life had begun to return to normal. Today the village was unusually peaceful due to the children visiting Renado in Kokariko Village with Rusl and Ulie, and Fado being out of the village on some business. The birds were singing, the sun shining and every once in a while he could hear the clinking of a goat’s bell as it moved a few feet to graze more. Yes it really was a nice peaceful day.

“ARRRRGH! IT’S TOO QUIET!” He shouted sitting up suddenly.

“Bwahhh?” A nearby ram said inquisitively as it looked up from its grazing.

Before that day Link had not minded his life as a goat herd. He was glad that the others had been able to return to their normal lives, but he had grown used to being constantly on the move, always ready to fight off an attack, racing throughout Hyrule, whither on foot or as a beast or riding on Epona. As much as he didn’t want to admit it to the others Link was BORED!

And then there was the problem with women. Zelda had become a good friend, she would never be more then that, no matter what other people might whisper about them. And then Bo and the others in the village expected him to marry Ilia if he wasn’t interested in the princess. Unfortunately he found the mayor’s daughter to be rather annoying and she became increasingly irritating as time passed, always trying to hang around him, taking Epona off to the springs when he needed her, giggling and attempting to flirt and just not understanding him at all. Someone had asked him a few days ago why he showed no interest in either of the two women the others sought to match him with.

“They’re just not my type! Besides I prefer red heads to blondes.” He had answered irritably. The last part had slipped out unexpectedly and he had turned away quickly to hide the blush and pained expression that crept to his face.

It was the truth however. Even when he didn’t know if Ilia was dead or alive, when her memories were still lost, even when Zelda had vanished, none of those things had pained him as much as seeing Midna pale and weak when she was forces into the World of Light, thinking she would die, and later seeing her pass through the Mirror of Twilight and watching it shatter behind her. He missed her terribly, and he would never admit it but whenever he visited his friends in Castle Town he would also go to the desert and back to the Mirror Chamber hoping in vain for it to be whole again.

“Link!Link!” Ilia’s voice cut shrilly across the field as she came running.

Of course she had stayed in the village when all the others left to visit their friends. Suppressing a groAn he stood and waited for her to reach him.His brow furrowed when he saw that she wore a concerned and slightly panicked expression.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

Ilia’s response came rapidly.

“W-what?” He sputtered as she ramble and ran her words together. “ Slow down Ilia.”

“Come quick! There’s a strange creature in the spirit’s spring!” She blurted as she seized his arm and started dragging him along. “It’s weird and bluish and-”

Link walked a head of Ilia, trying not to roll his eyes. If she had gotten him because of some stupid insect…

When Link entered the spring he’s heart stopped then began to pound painfully as his eye fell on the figure laying there. Its shape was a woman’s and her skin was a pale bluish hue and her hair flame orange.

“M-Midna?!” Link gasped in disbelief. With that his knees buckled and he collapsed face first at the edge of the water.

{{Finally got it done to a point that I liked it enough to post. What do you think?}}
Chapter 3:Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire:

The grove was hidden in the heart of Faron Forest and difficult to reach by ordinary means. And once one reached the entrance of the grove they would have to follow the lantern light of the Skullkid to reach the ruined temple while fighting off the guardians he summoned. Fortunately for Link and Midna a portal had been opened outside the temple when they defeat the Shadow Beasts sent after them in their previous journey.

“Huh?” said Midna as she looked around. “Link is it just me or do these ruins-“

“Look more ruined?” He finished. “I thought the same thing.”

“It has been a while since we were here last.”

He nodded but felt uneasy. Something in his heart seemed to tell him that the recent damage had was not the result of the force of nature and ongoing march of time. He headed up the path leading to the true Sacred Grove where the Master Sword was kept, but he stopped short a few feet from the pedestal that it rested in.

“Link?” Midna asked worriedly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Squeezing past him her eyes fell on the pedestal. It was empty. Staring in disbelief she watched Link go to kneel beside it.

“Midna,” He said weakly as he turned and held something up.

“How can it be?” She gasped as she recognized it. Link was holding a broken fragment of the sword’s hilt.

“ I don’t know. I didn’t think it was possible for-“ Nearby a bush rustled and Link cut himself of.

Creeping towards it he suddenly launched himself directly into it and caught hold of the figure hiding under it.

“WHAAAA! DON’T HURT ME!” wailed the Skullkid as it fought to free itself.

“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you.” Link tried to reassure it as he loosened his grip a little, but not enough for it to get free.

“You’re the hero who came here before.” It said as it recognized him. “You come back to get the sword again?”

“What happened?” Link asked.

“The evil man broke it. I called the guardians but he killed them. I called more and more but it was no use and then he broke my trumpet and attacked me. I pretended to be dead. He went in and he got thrown back by the Swords magic but he attacked it again and again and it broke. He sorta looked a little like her.” It said pointing at Midna

“Zant.” She spat.

“ But is he acting on his own or is he just a puppet again?” Link asked. He let go of the Skullkid’s cape. “Find somewhere safe to hide in the woods and if he comes again stay hidden, I doubt he’ll leave you for dead again without checking.”

The little creature nodded then jumped up and vanished.

“Good luck, Hero!” Its voice called a moment later and then the grove was still once again.

* * *

“Well, this leaves us with a nice little problem.” Midna stated tiredly as they headed back to the chamber before the sword room. “So what are we going to do now? We have to fix that sword, but where are we supposed to start looking for the pieces?”
Link looked around the ruin and his eyes fell on the guard statues. To his surprise they seemed undamaged by the attack.

“Maybe we should check out the rest of this place out as well.” He said thoughtfully as he looked at the statue before what had been the doors. “Before it was a ruin.”

“Excellent idea. I see your wits haven’t dulled in the time since our last meeting. I hope the same can be said for your skills with the blade and bow.” A firm and rather familiar voice said suddenly. “You there! Let them pass.”

No sooner had the command been spoken then the statue in front of the door vanished. Exchanging glances with each other the young Hylian and Twili climbed up to the platform where the doors were and entered into a past time when the walls still stood.

As they walked down the stairs inside the temped doors and entered the sword chamber Link realized why the voice had been so familiar. Standing on the dais were the Master Sword should have been was the shadowy figure of a warriors spirit. When they reached the platform Link stopped and bowed respectfully. The warrior was one of the heroes of old and had mentored Link in swordsmanship throughout his past journey.

“I am glad no harm has come to you.” The warrior said. “And I hope that you will have fair fortune with your task this time as well. You will need it. You saw with your own eyes the damage to Blade of Evil’s Bane. In order to fight that evil you must first mend that blade, which will be no easy task itself.”

“Can’t something be easy for once? It really would make a nice change.” Midna muttered, ignoring the glare from the warrior.

“Tell me, do you know what this place is?” He asked them.

“ The stories about this temple say it was once one of the most sacred places in all of Hyrule.” Link answer remembering the stories Rusl and his friend Shad had told him.

“Indeed it was. This was once the temple that protected the Triforce that both you and Princess Zelda wield fragments of, and a safe haven for the sages of the elements in Hyrule.” His teacher said.

“ Elemental sages? Then this…” Midna’s voice trailed off as she stared at the room as if seeing it for the first time.”Could it really been?”

“ I see even those who dwell in Twilight still remember the ancient tales. Yes Twilight Princess, this was once the Temple of Time.” With that the warrior took on the golden wolf form in which they had first met him. Walking to a strange insignia on the ground he threw back his head and gave a mighty howl. As the echoes began to fade away Link and Midna notice a door opening in the wall were there had been none before. Beyond those doors was a strange round chamber, and on the floor was a ring of small round daises, each bearing the symbol of a different element.

“In order to restore the Master Sword you must first find the sages.” The golden wolf said once again leading them out of the room. The door instantly vanished leaving a bare wall once more. “You will not be able to return here until you have found at least one of the sages. Without them the sword cannot be mended”

The three left the temple and once again it became a ruin covered in vines and fallen leaves.

“How are we supposed to find the sages anyway?” Midna asked. “And what about those in the desert colossus? Aren’t they sages?”

“They are, yet they are not.” The warrior answered.

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“The sages in the desert served as an outer ring of guardians around the true sages. They have some power and help maintain the balance in this world. I trust you both know the legend of the Triforce and the goddesses.”

Link nodded.

“After create the world and the life within it Din, Nayru and Farore returned to the heavens, leaving the Triforce at the point where they departed and those lands became the Sacred Realm.” He said condensing the long legend into a much shorter version.

“That is correct. And you know then that Hyrule is the shadow of the Sacred Realm, just as the Twilight is a shadow of Hyrule. The same rule applies to the sages. Unable to enter the Sacred Realm, those in the desert are but mere shadows of what the true sages are. As for where to find the sages, all that I can say is listen to what people say and ask your friends from your previous journey. Perhaps they may have heard something helpful.” The warrior said. “ Good luck to you both.”

With that the warrior’s spirit vanished and Link and Midna were left alone in the grove.

“ So what will we do now, Link?” Midna signed sitting on a boulder. “ It may be safer than it was the last time evil tried to take over the world, but it is still to dangerous to wander outside of your village without a sword. You’re good with a bow but that’s no use at close range against knives.”

“Let’s go back to the village and talk to Rusl. He helped us the last time and he did make the sword I used before the Master Sword. Maybe he can make another if he doesn’t already have one.” He said after a moment. “Besides, if there is any potential danger to my Ordona Village I want him to know so the others won’t be caught off guard again.”

“ Sounds like a good idea.” She agreed. “ Let’s go before it gets much darker. With the current situation here I don’t really want to spend the night in the dark.”