Notice

I was browsing the Internet today for good pictures to use for a cover when I stumbled upon this sweet one, depicting Link and Ilia in the scene when Ilia recovers her memories. I immediately decided to write this oneshot describing that scene in Twilight Princess as I see it. It may not be completely canon, but it will be for the most part. Reviews greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: If I owned the Legend of Zelda or were any of Nintendo's affiliates, would I be writing this? I am simply someone who greatly enjoys the work of those people.

The darkness faded as my feet touched the ground, now in a place that was different from where they were a few seconds earlier. And yet, they were in a very similar place. Previously, they stood in a deserted village once known as Kakariko. Though I didn't know what had happened to it, its inhabitants abandoned the hidden village, creating a new one with the same name in the place I am standing on now. It is still the middle of the night, not long since I had been led towards that forsaken place in hopes of helping my dear friend.

I closed my eyes, recalling her smile back when peace still reigned in the land. It seems like forever since those peaceful days in Ordon, and it still feels as if those days may not return for a long time if they do return at all. There was something about her that made me feel happy whenever I was close to her. Perhaps it was because she filled the void that had defined my existence since I first began to remember things. I never had a family in the traditional sense; I was found in the forest, at least that is what I've been told. But I had a family in all of the families home in Ordon. Rusl and Uli, Jaggle and Pergie, Hanch and Sera, and even Mayor Bo and Fado all helped me grow up and learn about the world. Even though they accepted me in the village, I would often feel very alone, maybe because there weren't many kids my age. Maybe because of that, there was always a void in my heart that never seemed to be satisfied. Except when Ilia was around. I felt at peace and content with her. I am grateful that she cared enough about me to keep me sane...except when I did something insanely stupid or careless that caused her to be angry. Her wrath was something that I never wanted to see because it hurt me to see the girl who cared the most about me stop tolerating me. And still, I was thankful that she would forgive me for whatever I had done. I prayed to the Goddesses that I'd never do anything to lose her.

The day when she was kidnapped and this whole adventure began still haunts me. I had been useless to stop King Bulbin and his cronies from taking her away. When I was taken to the Castle and found myself trapped and desparate, I did not know what I could possibly do. That was when Midna shook me from my self-pity. Reminding me who was truly important, I resolved then and there that I would not rest until I had saved her. The cherished memories of our childhood filled me with the strength to follow this destiny the Goddesses have set forth, in hopes of finding her.

Except I didn't really find her. When I entered Telma's Bar and first saw the girl I'd kept in my mind throughout the ordeal, I didn't see any recognition or anything in her face. Not even an acknowledgement of my existence. At first, I thought she might still be mad at me for being so careless with my horse, Epona, or that I had taken so long to find her that she had lost all hope. When Telma told me the truth, that she had completely lost her memories, I felt even worse. The friend I'd grown up with, the one who kept me going during the darkest times of my journey, was no longer there, only a lost soul that never found her way when the light returned.

Much has happened between that moment and the time I received Renado's letter. I found the last Fused Shadow, a powerful artifact that Midna needed to defeat Zant, the dark force apparently responsible for kidnapping Ilia and the others and covering Hyrule in the cursed Twilight. However, Zant had taken the Fused Shadows, cursed me to stay as a wolf, and left Midna to die. Princess Zelda saved her at her own expense, and I was cleansed by the power of the Master Sword, the ancient Blade of Evil's Bane. Our only course of action was to confront Zant in his lair. To do that, we journeyed to the desert, hoping to find the Mirror of Twilight. Finding that only a shard was left, we located two of the others in Snowpeak Ruins and in the ancient Temple of Time. Not knowing any way to get to the sky where the final shard rested, we headed for Telma's in hopes of a new lead when the Postman came with the letter telling me to hurry back to Renado's sanctuary.

When Renado told me he had an idea on restoring Ilia's memories, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I felt like I was running around in circles around Castle Town searching for clues regarding some sort of wooden statue. Telma's cat told me that Stalhounds in the field had taken it, and I didn't hesitate to take it back from them. When I returned to show it to Ilia, she seemed to remember something. I was hopeful that it would mean her memories, except that it only meant someone in need in somewhere called the Hidden Village. The Goron patriarch, Darbus, cleared the way in where I found a overrun with Bulbin. Of all the enemies I've faced, I personally hate the Bulbin most for their role in taking away my one childhood friend. I eagerly shot them down with my bow, clearing the village of every last one of them when a frail woman named Impaz came out of one of the houses. I mentioned Ilia's name to her, and her face brightened. She promptly gave me a strange shaped item resembling a horseshoe. I didn't know what to make of it, but I took it anyway and headed back, hoping that, somehow, this would finally do the trick...

"Hey!" a voice called to me, snapping me out of my thoughts. It is Midna, the strange imp who had been there to help me ever since this all began. "You're worrying about how this thing is going to turn out, aren't you?"

I held out the item, not knowing what would happen if it didn't work. I wasn't even sure how it would work, but I had no other option. "No," I responded. "It's going to work." It has to, I thought. It has to.

Midna smiled. "What are you waiting for then? Run along, hero. Find that friend behind those doors. And don't worry. I'll stay out here so I don't interrupt you two."

I returned the grin. Midna has certainly changed a lot since I first met her. No longer was she a distant personality with a hidden agenda. She had become a true friend, helping me as I fought the evil in the land. Most importantly, she also cared about Ilia, no longer as a means of getting me to do her bidding. "Don't worry. This will all be worth it." I took a breath and entered the sanctuary.

A sound caught my attention in the sanctuary. It was the door, and it was the young man dressed in green...Link. The name seems familiar, but I don't know why. He seems like a nice man, though he doesn't seem to say much. He seems to have a sad look in his eyes, as if he lost someone important to him. I don't know what happened, and I think I should ask.

I don't know why, but I can't remember anything about myself. The earliest thing I remember is an old woman telling me to run. I don't know how long I ran, nor do I know why I was running. I stopped only when I saw a figure lying on the ground. His breath seemed short, and he didn't seem to respond to my touch. I remember feeling worried for this stranger, hoping that nothing bad would happen to him. I found the company of a nice lady named Telma who shared my concern for this stranger. I don't know how long I spent there before the town doctor said something about not being able to help him. Telma said something about getting him to the other side of the country, and there were men who were willing to help...until they seemed to disappear. Only one man was there, different from the others. He was dressed in green, and, though he seemed to be in pain, he eagerly helped take the stranger to safety. The path was not generous; it was full of strange beasts who all wanted to harm us for some reason, even setting fire to the wagon. Somehow, that mysterious man managed to keep all of us safe, and the stranger, who turned out to be a Zora prince, recovered. Thanking the man for his troubles, I asked him for his name.

"Link," he replied with the sad look in his eyes.

"Link?" I started. It sounded familiar...like someone I once knew. His eyes lighted up for a moment before I continued. "That's a nice name." It was all I could say at the time, and the light disappeared from his eyes. As he started to leave, I said a few last words to him. "Link...thank you." He looked back and nodded at me.

I stayed with the Zora prince, whose name is Ralis. We were under the care of a kind man name Renado. There were children who visited, but they all were visibly disappointed. They must know me, I realized. If only I knew me...

"Ilia..." a voice called out, breaking my train of thought. It was the Goron elder, Gor Coron. Recently, he and the Goron patriarch, Darbus, had been visiting. Perhaps they wanted to help. I don't think I knew them from anywhere else, but I appreciated their concern. "This young man has something he wants to show you."

The man approached, hesitating for a moment. Then, he pulled out something I had never seen before: a small instrument in the shape of a horseshoe. I let out a gasp in surprise, not knowing what to make of it. I grasped it gently as he held onto it, and I closed my eyes, not knowing exactly why I was doing so.

And yet, this strange instrument spoke to me as I spoke aloud. "I...I knew you once..."

A strangely familiar melody began to play. "Yes...this feels so familiar..."

A goat's bleat and the galloping of a horse. "The scent of hay...long ago..."

A wave of nostalgia captured me, growing stronger by the second. "When we were young...you and I..."

Two children were laughing playfully, lost in youthful innocence. It made me feel...happy. "You were always there..."

The man dressed in green stood by the lost girl. He took her hand and smiled. "You were always beside me..." The two stood together. Nothing was more important in the world than each other.

"Link." I opened my eyes, and I knew I was home. Before me stood not the strange man in the clothes of a legendary hero. Instead, it was him. Link. In the clothes of our home of Ordon. The waters of the spring flowed in harmony with the horse...no, with Epona. The troubles in the world passed away, and his eyes shined like nothing I'd ever seen before. I took his hands in mine, no longer lost in the world. I would never be lost as long as he stayed by my side...

The warmth of the friend I'd always known...the warmth I had worried was lost forever now shined through stronger than ever. She was truly back, and I had never been happier. Satisfied, Renado and Gor Coron left to leave us to ourselves.

Her eyes moved towards the strange item. "This gift was meant for you. It was something I wanted to give you before your journey." Then, I understood. This is what she had been working on that day she told her father not to let me see her. She wanted to keep it a surprise. "It's the Horse Call. It's specially made for the bond between you and Epona. If you use it, Epona will find you."

"Ilia," I started. "I..."

She put a finger before my mouth. "There's no need to talk." And I understood. We both leaned forward, staring into each other's eyes. That's when we both heard a cough coming from outside. Turning, we saw the children: Colin, Beth, Talo, and Malo. I gave a smirk in their direction as they quickly scattered while hiding my inner disappointment. The special moment had passed, but I guess that wasn't important right now. There were still loose ends that needed to be tied up, namely the final mirror shard.

Ilia smiled, though I had a feeling she was also a bit disappointed because of the interuption. "Say, Link. The woman in the village said something about a messenger from the Royal Family with the rod of the heavens...I don't know why that just struck me but..."

I smiled. She didn't know that she had just given me an important clue; yet, I think she did know that she had told me something very useful. We took each other's hands again. Without waiting for any further interruptions, we both leaned forward and shared a first kiss. The familiar tastes and senses of home came through mixed with her raw beauty. Yes...she is truly here. And I won't let anything like before ever happen to her again. And perhaps, when this was all over...just perhaps...

After a little while longer, we stopped, both knowing that it was time for me to continue on. No rest for me until I am certain that she will stay safe. As I turned to leave, Ilia spoke a few words. "Link...promise me you'll be back soon." I nodded as I went out the door.

As soon as I had left, I saw Midna waiting beside the door with a smile on her face. "So, totally worth it?"

I grinned in return. "Yeah, totally worth it. Anyways, I think we need to head back to the Hidden Village."

Midna nodded. "So, shall we warp there now?"

I shook my head. "No, I think we should take Epona there." The instrument was around my neck, and I played its tune. Epona came galloping fast, seeming more content than she normally did. Perhaps that's the magic of Ilia's work.

As I saddled up, I saw Ilia in the window waving me good-bye. I waved back, and gave Epona a small kick. "Hiyah!" And then, we were off. Ready to make new memories and share them with her once all of it was over.