Epilogus

Viva la Vida, pro Cras es Noster
"Live your Life, for the Future is Ours"

Midna awoke happily to witness Link's peaceful expression while he lay deep in slumber before her. The Twili was overjoyed to see him that way, even if the sight happened to be a common one as of now - the two closer than they had ever been before. Thinking back on what he was like in the past, she could see that the Sheikah had changed slightly more from his extended time in the world of her – of their – people.

The lines on his skin that had a soft blue glow upon first entering the realm still remained, and if anything, had become a touch more noticeable. It was unlikely Link's image would change more than this, as he still retained Hylian characteristics such as his pointed ears. His skin, however, now had the lightest touch of a bluish tinge to it - almost nonexistent really - and that could be attributed to the lighting in the Twilight, as the color seemed to disappear at times when the two ventured to Hyrule. In addition to those alterations, probably the most prominent difference from his appearance upon first entering the Twilight Realm after the Mirror was shattered is that currently his once dirty blonde hair had become a striking copper tone. It now appeared to have a beautiful, almost metallic, sheen. Link had grown it out a bit as well after Midna told him just how much she liked the color. Since then he kept it bound in a short ponytail with the shackle she had previously worn hers in. The object was a gift the Twili gave her husband on their first anniversary.

Midna still couldn't believe they had been married for well over a year, a few short weeks shy of two. After they had agreed to share the rule of the Twilight Realm, their relationship progressed much more smoothly than before as they began to reveal all that they kept hidden. After far too long the two were finally free of secrets as well as anything else plaguing them from the truth – the truth that they simply wanted one another to be happy, and in turn their own happiness from that of the other's.

Thinking back to the most joyous day of her life, Midna recalled their wedding. The event was a simple occasion that combined the customs of the Twili with the setting of Hyrule. The ceremony took place in the Mirror Chamber that held so many memories for the both of them. The secondary portal Zelda spoke of with her council had been opened up at that location thanks to the powers of the rulers of Light and Twilight, drawing magic from their ancestors to be used together on good terms. It provided the backdrop to the matrimony of the two and only a select few people were present to witness the union of the Twilight Princess and her Sheikah hero. The heads of the houses along with Aralie for members of the Twilight Realm attended, and as for the Hylians present, Telma, Colin, and Zelda were the only guests.

At the beginning of her initial journey into the Light realm, the then Twilight Princess hadn't expected to ever fall in love - her sharp attitude somewhat off-putting to most. Even though she had good relations with her subjects, she felt as if none would ever be able to get involved with her romantically, so in turn Midna never thought she would develop intimate feelings towards someone. But after everything she went through… it all changed. She found that being in the shadow of one from another world opposite her own for so long only made the Twili realize that light wouldn't be bright without darkness to contrast it, and a shadow couldn't be cast without the glow of light. In a way it seemed they were destined from the start. Midna felt like an idiot when she finally came to that realization, it being only recently. The Twili wished she had done so sooner as to not deal with all the subsequent problems that arose from her actions of breaking the initial portal between worlds. But that was in the past, and now she fully understood what she had learned from it.

Since the two promised to be free of secrets, Link and Midna had a happy and loving relationship – still full of her typical amusing antics of course. The Twili had to make up for what they missed out on when their status was far from ideal. What they shared now though was exactly how she always wanted it to be, and their adopted daughter was so very happy to have parents again. In the recent past Link had told Midna he hoped the girl could have a sibling, something she had learned the Sheikah wanted when he was younger. The Queen felt the same way, having been an only child as well. She smiled with the thought, curious as to what a child of their own might look like; traits from the world of Light and those of her people combined.

Link's eyelids slowly opened, and the Sheikah's expression became one of happiness upon waking up to the sight of the woman he loved as she smiled back at him. A moment later her husband reached his hand out, taking that of his wife's and intertwining their fingers. Link brought his face close to Midna's and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose, then drew back, looking her in the eyes that matched his for a moment, recalling what he was like before, and what he was now. She quietly chuckled with his action and he scooted closer.

"Good morning, Twilight Queen," he whispered, breath warm as he nuzzled his face into her neck.

"Good morning," Midna replied with a grin, although she knew he couldn't see her happy expression at the moment. "We have a pretty big day ahead of us."

The Sheikah abruptly pulled his hand from her grasp and threw his arm over the form of the Twili, drawing her into a tight hug from the side. Ignoring her words, Link mumbled something that brought with it many memories.

"I'm not letting you go."

With that simple statement, Midna recalled the instant that began their struggle to be together. Everything since that moment flew through her mind: she shattering the Mirror, Link becoming ingrained into the Twili society, the night he began to change, their journey to the world of Light as well as Link's decision there, the confessions they shared beneath the star dotted sky of Hyrule, the distance worming its way between them after that, and finally the ordeal the two faced that helped fully bring them together once more. The Twilight Queen was lost in her memories and was only brought back to the present moment when she heard Link begin to quietly snore. Somehow, he'd managed to fall asleep.

Again.

Midna sighed, pulling her head back to see his face now that the embrace of her husband was looser thanks to him drifting off once more. The Twili really didn't want to get up, simply staying in his company like this… but it was an important day after all.

"Link," she spoke sternly. From the corner of her eye Midna noticed the edges of his lips curve up in a smile just the slightest. At that moment she knew he was faking it from the action. "Do you want me to turn you into a wolf?" the Twili sighed.

With those words his eyes snapped open and the Sheikah pushed himself away from her the slightest, face concerned as matching red eyes met.

"Please don't."

"Good. Now you're awake," she replied, not indicating either way if she would or wouldn't go through with her threat.

"So the whole point of that was to wake me up? Midna, that's just mean," he pouted. The Twili didn't let that expression of his get to her. She remained unfazed as she spoke.

"Honestly, I really can't believe that the fate of two kingdoms rested in such incapable paws like yours if you'd rather sleep in than go out."

Link snuggled up to her again, pretending as if he didn't hear the Twili. His breathing quickly became even once more.

"You do remember what today is, don't you?" the Queen spoke, not letting him escape into slumber that easily.

With Midna's stern utterance, Link tensed the slightest for a brief moment. The Sheikah's eyes widened as he drew back to look at her, his own expression one of shock at remembering.

"Damn it, Midna! Why didn't you remind me earlier?" he questioned, abruptly shoving himself out of the bed.

"It seems you still can't survive without me, you poor little lost wolf," she joked, propping herself on an elbow as she watched him frantically rush about. In truth, the Twili didn't want to admit she was enjoying every moment of simple company they shared together.

"Keep in mind this wolf rescued you, and your kingdom," he remarked.

"Our kingdom. Don't place all the blame on me. Besides, you needed my help for all that, and I saved your life. The debt has been more than paid."

Both realized that their bantering was so ironically familiar considering the day.

"Shut up," the Sheikah playfully replied.

"The thought of turning you into a wolf is becoming more and more tempting with every word you say," Midna hummed a familiar tune with her statement.

"Then I will just serenade you with my howls, my dearest Queen," Link cajoled in reply, sparing a moment to give her a sarcastic half-bow. The Twili smiled, summoning the Shadow Crystal with his rebuttal. Link noticed, eyes widening.

"Are you joking again?" he questioned. She simply continued to look at him with the same expression she had when materializing the magic. "You… aren't joking?" He tilted his head in confusion.

"Hmm… I don't know. Why don't you wear your fur coat today and we can see?" she asked in a rhetorical manner as she got up, walking towards him. The Queen felt dizzy for a moment, pausing for the briefest time to let her slightly blurred vision clear. She was thankful that Link didn't seem to take notice of that though. Midna didn't want to him to be concerned.

"M-Midna, No," he spoke, backing away from her as she approached. "As useful as that form is, I don't exactly prefer it anymore."

She sighed and put away the magic. "Fine. I was joking anyway. Being a wolf in the meeting? That's far from formal."

"True," Link spoke simply in reply, letting out a silent sigh of relief with the conformation about her question being merely a jest. He wouldn't necessarily mind being a wolf, as it brought memories of both joy and pain. Link just knew if she transformed him, he wouldn't know when he'd return to his other shape, as since they had been married Midna once tricked him into thinking she wouldn't remove the transformation magic for quite some time. The Sheikah should have known better though. Of course she was just messing with him.

"Anyway, have you seen my belt?" he continued, almost prepared to leave with the exception of that single article of clothing that seemed to have been misplaced.

"Honestly, you can't keep track of your own stuff. I still wonder how you managed to make it this far," she spoke with a sigh, grabbing said item from where he had left it previously.

"Well, I did have you," her husband smiled as Midna threw the band around his waist, attempting to buckle it a moment later. She quickly gave up though, letting the Sheikah take care of the matter. Midna never understood why clothing from the world of Light had to be so complex. He still wore the robe she had given him not long after their initial tumble into the world of Twilight, but her husband continued to hold it secure with a leather strap from Hyrule, just as he had done before.

"Yes, and we still have each other," she spoke kindly; setting a kiss on his nose after Link finished fastening the waistband. Now that he was just roughly a few centimeters or so below her own height, the action was a normal expression of love passed between the two. The Sheikah even returned the Twili's initial teasing in a playful manner, ruffling her hair just like she did so to him, showing that they were no longer sorrowful and had what they did – and more – a few years past.

Link smiled yet again with her loving gesture and Midna returned the grin.

Once they had quickly prepared for the day, the two left the palace to find Shad out in the open with Aralie. The Hylian and Twili were standing near to where the Mirror once resided, but now the portal created by the Fused Shadows occupied the location. The scholar had finished his studies in the City in the Sky that Telma had mentioned a few years past, and now the spectacled man was currently spending much of his time in either the Hidden Village or Twilight Realm in hopes of unearthing more of the past that had been cloaked in shadows for far too long. So far his research had proven to be fruitful, as he had found information and artifacts belonging to Link's mother in the secluded village. The Sheikah was grateful, learning more of his past and that of the race he was now a part of.

Once the diplomatic matters had been resolved between the two worlds not long after the creation of the portal, tourism and travel were addressed. Hylians weren't able to stay for extensive periods of time in the twilight, as no one knew what would happen to them, Link and Midna fearing that they might suffer some sort of ill effects. For the same reason, Twili that had very little or no magic were restricted to limited times they could be in the other world. But slowly, they were beginning to push the boundaries on both sides and so far there had been no negative incidents.

Upon seeing her adoptive parents, Aralie immediately ran up to the royals with a bright and happy expression on her face.

"Shad told me more about the Oocca! Now more than ever I want to go see them. Can I one day?"

Link smiled at the girl. "Yes. One day we can all go for a short trip to visit their city, alright?" he spoke in reply. The child nodded enthusiastically to her father's words. The Sheikah had told her about them long before Shad had, but since Link didn't have extensive knowledge on their kind, he was unable to satisfy her many questions regarding the unique species. A young mind like Aralie's was always eager for more information and Link had felt bad when he'd run out of stories to tell the girl regarding his travels in the Light kingdom. Luckily though, she had gotten to see glimpses of his homeland now that it was once more connected to the Twilight Realm.

"But not today," Midna spoke; finishing Link's thought aloud for him. He turned to his wife and nodded. They'd been sidetracked long enough already and had plenty of work to do. After everything was done then they could relax. Midna could also sit down and discuss something very important that she hadn't yet had the chance to. Even though the day was young, she almost felt exhausted just from knowing what was to come. The sooner everything was over, the better.

"See you later Aralie," Link waved, following Midna who had once more begun to make her way towards the portal. The Sheikah stopped next to his wife as she gazed up to the great gateway, her sight meeting his a moment later.

"To Hyrule?" he questioned, knowing the answer from the smile she gave him.

"We can't keep them waiting any longer than we already have."

Upon their arrival the two were greeted by Zelda herself, the Hylian royal was smiling and nodding in respect as they came to stand before her.

"You seem to have just barely made it. For the others have already arrived," the Princess of the Light world spoke.

"Sorry. Somebody didn't exactly want to get up this morning and just so happened to forget what today was," the Twili turned to look at Link with her playful accusation.

"If somebody got me up earlier, then this wouldn't have happened," he partially joked back, voice a little louder than Midna's.

Zelda held up her hand, silencing the two. They looked at her for a second or so before the Hylian began to talk.

"You may discuss this at a later time. If you speak any louder, I believe they will hear you," Zelda's eyes glanced off to the side towards the back of the throne.

"Right," Link said in a quieter tone than his last. The Hylian turned silently and began to make her way towards the front of the grand seat, the two Twilight rulers following that of the one of Light. They entered the open area of throne room to be greeted by many familiar faces from throughout both of their journeys across worlds. Link couldn't help but smile as his sight crossed that of everyone from Darbus and the Goron Elders to King Ralis as well as the members of Zelda's court, and of course the three leaders of the houses in the Twilight Realm.

The group settled in their respective places around the meeting place and Zelda took a deep breath before addressing the various dignitaries and representatives that met over one common goal.

"It has been four years to the day where the events that had seemingly separated our realms permanently have come to pass. Thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of those who were willing to put themselves last for a time they believed indefinite, we have learned from the past and now embrace this happiness, peace, and truth as a result. Though it will not last forever, as you all know. When the day darkness falls once more, we must thank those who prepared us for it." She looked to each representative individually, meeting the determined gazes of all who attended before continuing.

"So, what of the struggles you have endured to make the knowledgeable future a reality?"

The Princess of Hyrule formally bade farewell to all the members of the summit once it had drawn to a close. Link and Midna were last, standing beneath the throne with the symbol of the Goddesses looking down on them.

"All is well. I cannot thank you two enough for everything and I am so very glad you have found the happiness that you so greatly deserve," the Hylian spoke with a genuine smile.

"Speaking of happiness, you seem to be doing pretty well on your own, but are you ever going to marry?" Midna asked jokingly with a grin. The Princess of the Light realm turned her gaze from that of the Twili to look at the Sheikah. The Queen of Twilight noticed Zelda's change in sightline. "Why are you looking at Link like that?" Midna questioned, glancing from her Light counterpart then back to her husband. The Twilight ruler pulled the Sheikah into an embrace. "He's mine, you know."

Link blushed at her words and the public display of affection Midna showed towards him, in front of the Princess of Hyrule no less. Of course their relationship had progressed much, but Link was just as shy as ever when it came to showing that in public, even around Zelda, although she knew just how deeply they cared for one another and the risks they were willing to take to have that be a reality. The Princess knew more so than anyone else did. From Midna's close proximity, the Sheikah whispered into the ear of his wife.

"And you say I'm childish."

Zelda smiled, her Hylian ears enabling her to hear quite well but of course never as sensitively as the Sheikah. She began to giggle from the words she had caught, laughter quite out of character for one as serious as she, yet soon after Midna joined, followed by Link who couldn't deny the contagious happiness spreading between them; the bond connecting the three from all they had gone through only further reinforcing their delight.

After the sound of joy died down, Midna released Link and let her sight travel up to the symbol of the Goddesses.

"I don't think we'll ever know everything," the Twili said with a thoughtful expression, bringing a topic to the table that the others hadn't seen coming.

"What do you mean?" Link asked almost in shock, not expecting the sudden seriousness after the joyful mood from moments ago.

"Why the Goddesses did what they did: creating Hyrule and its inhabitants, the Sheikah as guardians, and also blessing three with something I'm sure the two of you have thought as a curse in previous lives, if not this one as well."

"I do agree Midna. That is something that will probably forever remain a mystery," the gaze of the Hylian followed the Twili. Link looked to the great marble carving above as well. After a short time of intense thought and silence, Midna took a deep breath before speaking once more, bringing her eyes back to the others.

"Zelda, as you so eloquently said the day I shattered the Mirror, our realms really are two sides of the same coin, and a coin can't have just one side – neither can light exist without a shadow in some form. They are connected." Midna smiled, looking to the Hylian Princess and her own Sheikah husband, opposites in so many ways yet aiming for one common goal. "Even if the face of a coin can't see its rim let alone the other side, it's still there, keeping them together. Whatever the reason behind the design of the Goddesses, no matter what happens, the edge of that coin can't be worn down completely unless the goal is to inevitably destroy both sides," she said, recalling the past relationship between the two worlds, unknowledgeable about the other. The risk of evil overtaking one and the other having no way to help if they were truly separated… the thought of another Interloper War and banishment of sorts deeply frightened the Twili. "We have to keep our worlds connected, or we will forget what has come to pass, just as we did with the history of the Sheikah. Secrets aren't meant to stay in the dark forever. They must meet the light, casting shadows that will act as guideposts and if necessary, become a legend so that we do not forget them," Midna concluded, letting out a small sigh after her deep explanation.

"You said that quite eloquently yourself," Zelda replied with a genuine smile. "Nothing is ever truly lost. You just need to know where to look for it, and it seems that in this era, we have found that." The Hylian turned to Link. "You cannot have courage without knowing the pain of fear," she addressed him, shifted her attention back to Midna. "And you do not know of wisdom without first learning from your mistakes," she finished sorrowfully. Midna picked up from where the Hylian royal left off.

"Yes, and I think I've made the biggest one of all. I'm so sorry. Link, I've hurt you in so many ways, and Zelda, I've put your people through far too much."

"It is not your fault Midna. Nothing could have prevented what came to pass, as it was written in fate ages long gone," Zelda replied. The Twilight Queen knew that. No matter what she did, it would have happened. The events were far beyond her control. Midna just wished she could have done more in some way, lessening the burden that was put on others.

"Hey, stop clinging to it like it's a bad thing. The most important lesson here has been learned," Link spoke, reaching out and setting his hand on her shoulder. Midna glanced at him with a small smile, setting her own hand on that of her husband's.

"Yes, and let us hope that those who follow will take heed of it. We have done all we can in this life. Go on and live it to the fullest now," Zelda nodded with a wise and true smile.

Link stretched his arms above his head. The Sheikah was glad that the two councils and dignitaries of the other races in Hyrule only met every six months, switching between that of the Light world and Twilight Realm. He figured he would probably go insane if he had to sit through meetings that long more often than twice a year, and the little discussion with the royals following it didn't exactly help lighten the mood either. Thankfully the Princess of Light left for other duties relatively quickly compared to the meeting, ending the serious conversation but not before mentioning the date and location of their next, more leisurely, reunion. Link was looking forward to a trip to Ordon.

Now that they were alone, the rulers of the Twilight made their way to the area behind the Hylian throne where the portal resided. Evening light filtered in from the large openings in the stone wall, casting long shadows and creating a serene orange-ish glow in the quickly dimming light. Link approached the balcony, leaning forward and resting his forearms against the railing as he looked out over the beauty Hyrule on the cusp of transitioning to dusk.

Midna walked up to him, stopping next to the Hero-turned-Sheikah-now-Twilight-King as they gazed into the evening light. The hour of twilight was so beautiful in Hyrule. The Twili still wondered what came first: the name of her realm, or that of the time of day in the world of Light. Maybe she'd ask Zelda eventually; the one of Wisdom might know. For now though…

"All that went on longer than expected. At least everything is sorted out. Though it probably would have been quicker if we got around earlier," Midna said, breaking the peaceful silence - not that Link minded. They were glad to be alone now, only the company of the other's presence. After a short while, Link pushed away from the railing to face her. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, and you look pretty tired," he told her. In response to his words Midna let out a yawn. The sound was quite familiar to the two from over their journey. Shortly after the action she wrapped her arms around his neck and he brought his about her waist.

"I wonder how you could tell," she replied rhetorically with a tilt of her head. It was true though. She normally wouldn't be like this after one of these meetings, but this one was different than the others, at least for her, considering what was still on her consciousness that she had yet to share. The Queen was both excited and nervous, having kept the thought in the back of her mind for a time now.

"Well, the two of us can't keep secrets anymore, now can we?" Link chuckled with a wide smile.

Midna simply grinned in return, yet somehow differently than normal. Link tilted his head in confusion, picking up on the slight change in her mannerism. The Sheikah could tell she was hiding something, but from her pleased expression he knew it couldn't be bad.

"As for secrets, this one is worth it, so don't be worried. You'll know it soon enough anyway."

It was true that Midna had one last secret to tell him; something she herself only discovered relatively recently. The Queen couldn't wait to see her husband's face when she revealed the truth - expecting it to look exactly like it did the moment he laid eyes on her true form, but the Twili was also open to any other entertaining reaction of his. Link was full of surprises after all.

"So, back to the Twilight Realm?" he asked a moment later, pulling away from her and reaching his hand out, palm up. Midna smiled, resting her own in his. She'd tell him there, in the meantime enjoying his slight confusion and amusing expression that came along with it as he wracked his brain for a possible answer. At the same time she was a bit eager to see his reaction; positive that no matter what, Link would be happy to know Aralie would have a younger sibling in the upcoming months.

"Where else?" she beamed, smile bright and pure like that of the evening glow surrounding them.

They turned to the portal, and then let their bright red gazes meet once more. The two laughed as they gently squeezed the other's hand; their kind grip bringing with it memories of both happiness and sadness, knowing that since they understood each other now, they could courageously face whatever was to come.

So together with truth and love, they walked joyously into the Twilight.

~Finis~

A/N: My first multichapteral fanfiction has finally come to an end! :3 I can't thank you all enough for reading. (To completion nonetheless! I'm so very glad that you didn't give up on me. xD) I really hoped you enjoyed it. I had so much fun creating this story! It was definitely a lot of work as well. I kept freaking out about the troubles with Fanfiction's website in addition to thinking I had bitten off more than I could chew regarding this tale. (I still think I did, especially considering this was my first ongoing fic.) I'm not entirely satisfied with the result. :/ One day I might go back and do some major restructuring to much of this, but that's incredibly unlikely considering I have other things I wish to write. Lengthy stories are a big challenge for me for many reasons. I prefer to write things instantaneously as they come to my mind. Heck, this fic was originally just a one-shot I came up with after completing a three-heart run of TP, but due to interest in it continuing, I had to come with a plot in about two weeks. xD

Anyway, I feel that one-shots are definitely my forte, but I will be writing another ongoing fanfic for the LoZ series! \(^o^)/ I've actually begun the outlining and planning for it, but it will not be posted any time in the near future and I cannot guarantee when I will be doing so. With my current lifestyle and health I can't handle going about writing in the way I have. For my next multichapteral fic, I'm going to approach creating it completely different than this one. How, you may be asking? Well, I'm not going to tell and you'll just have to wait and see. ;) If you aren't the patient type I have over two dozen one-shots for various games in the Legend of Zelda series, so feel free to check those out. (Lol, dat self promotion tho. xD)

Once more, thank you for reading and see you later~ Eee hee hee!