Chapter 1: The Hour of Twilight

The wind howled through the empty sky, clouds blocking out the lowering sun in the distance as twilight descended upon the Kingdom. It blew back her hair as she stepped out onto the balcony, feeling a sense of wonder and dread. Something wasn't right. Something was wrong and it left a foul taste in her mouth. She didn't recognize where she was, towers above the rooftops below her. She turned and gasped, finding tall pillars holding up a carved and slanted roof. She could feel her heart race as she walked to the stairs on either side of the doors she just exited. On top of the staircase she saw the large empty space where doors should be.

The wind picked up and the sun descended further into night, sending a shiver down her spine as she continued into the doorway, driven by nothing but a hungry curiosity. On the other side ruined pillars and a torn red carpet greeted her, the ruins lying across the grand hall. Directly before her was a huge throne, with a statue of three women surrounding a large triangle, made up of three other triangles in a pyramid.

With a jolt, she raised her left hand before her face. It was the same as her birthmark! How could this be?

A low, dark chuckle made her lower her hand and she gasped, seeing a tall, imposing man rise from the throne. He wore dark heavy armour and a decorative crown in his flaming red hair, his hair pulled back akin to a mane. He only laughed further as he walked down the steps to the throne, slowly leading her into a corner she couldn't escape. She shook as his figure overshadowed her small being.

"You? You are what stands in my way?" he gripped her throat, raising her above his head and crushing her windpipe. She grasped at his hand, but couldn't escape. "This will be too easy. What are the Goddesses playing at? You'd best be ready to say your final goodbyes. They will begin soon!"

He threw her to the ground, placing his foot on her back and laughing as he drew a sword high above his head, plunging it into her back-

With a strangled scream, she woke with a flail strong enough to knock herself out of bed. Legs strewn on her bed and back on the floor, Link took deep breaths to calm down. It did not help as the vivid nightmare began to fade from memory. The harder she tried to remember, the more the memory slipped until she was left with nothing but the feeling of panic and dread. She winced and brought her left hand before her face, seeing the mark slowly fade back to it's normal dull brown. She groaned, letting her forearm fall across her sweaty forehead.

Third nightmare this week, she thought, groaning as she untangled her legs from her covers and stood, stretching out the kinks in her back and arms. Damn these dreams. Makin' me lose any Goddess-damn sleep I can get.

With the final cracks and pops of her back, Link yawned and looked out the window beside her bed. The morning light was shining through her blind, warning her if she fell back asleep she would only be woken by the village children a few moments later. Smiling to herself, she lazily fixed up her bed and grabbed a change of clothes from her chest. All set she descended down the ladder leading to her kitchen, walking to a small room beside her kitchen.

Inside the sink was spring water Rusl had managed to rig in so it flowed from the nearby Spirit Spring. Due to the magical properties of the water it remained cool and fresh. Link shook her head. Magic. Always magic. She splashed her face with the spring water and sighed, letting it drip from her face as she looked herself in the mirror.

A pale and freckled face looked back, damp dirty-blonde hair framing the face in messy short half-curls. Evening blue eyes, akin to the dusky night sky, shined in the light coming from the window, and when the light hit them just right they became entwined with a deep, rich violet. Long, large pointed ears protruded from the sides of her head. They twitched to every small sound heard inside and outside of the room. She sighed, using a hand towel to dry the rest of her face. It was fair to say she was...far different than the others in her village.

Freshened up and a little less pale, Link left her washroom dressed in her usual attire; a patchy tan shirt with a single sleeve missing and the other a forest green, muddy brown breeches reaching to the middle of her calves and a dark blue wrap-around held by a belt worn red around her waste. The usual clothes of the people of Ordon Village, her home.

Grabbing some dried meat from her small pantry, Link left the house and smiled as the late-spring sun cleared the misty due from the trees and grass. Her house was built within the branches of a large, tall tree just on the outskirts of the village. She had lived here for the last three years, after the villagers helped her build it. She crouched and jumped off her porch, smiling at the gigantic Clydesdale mare standing at the base of the tree house. The large horse had a chestnut-brown coat with white fur around her hooves, a white blaze down her nose and white mane and tail. She had intelligent brown eyes that turned to Link as she left the house and she whinnied at her master.

Mornin', Epona, she greeted, laughing as the mare brushed her torso with her head, lifting Link off her feet for a moment. She ran a hand down her horse's blaze, who nuzzled her in response. The plan was to go for a quick ride through the forest, but one of the villagers ran out of the gates towards her. Fado, the tall owner of the Ranch and the one in charge of the Ordon Goats, the village's only cattle. Because Link had the last horse in the village since a Famine that struck Hyrule a few years prior he hired her as his Ranch Hand to help him herd the Goats into their pens. She didn't mind, it was fine pay and she liked the work. Sure there wasn't much in Ordon she could use the money for (and she often sneaked the money back to Fado later, he was none-the-wiser) but it never hurt to have something in her pocket. She had even gotten a little stronger since beginning.

"Hey, Link. Ah know ah told ya you could have the day off taday, but the Goats've been gettin' restless. More than usual, lately," the Rancher was embarrassed, his blush deep and his hand behind his head. "I was wonderin' if you wouldn't mind helpin' later tonight."

Link grinned and nodded, her own little way of agreeing to help. Fado let out a sigh of relief, to which Link chuckled. As if she would turn away from him when he needed help. "Thanks a ton. There ain't too many bein' a pain, so it shouldn't take long. After that ye can have tomorrow off. How's 'bout it?"

The two parted ways as Link filled Epona's water and feed. Lately all the animals had been acting up. The Goats were getting aggressive, the game in the forest were getting harder to find and the monkeys were becoming huge pests. Most villagers thought it was because of the larger number of Bokoblins in the area, but Link would be honest and say she felt something off as well. She wasn't sure what made her think so, but she believed something bad was happening somewhere in Hyrule.

Oddly, Link noticed, Epona wasn't acting strange at all. Although to be honest Epona did not seem like a normal horse. To Link it was as though she could think coherently and make sense of her surroundings, those intelligent brown eyes of hers always moved around, taking in every detail. Link could sometimes swear the young mare could feel what she felt. Sometimes Link didn't have to whistle or even move to command her.

She yelped as she felt cold water spray against her back, causing her to spin and find a brown-haired, green eyed girl laughing with an empty bucket of water. The girl's hair was short, cut closer to her head than even Link's, and swirled around the base of her neck. Unlike most other villagers she only wore a simple tan shirt and brown pants, without any wrap-arounds. "Daydreaming as always," she giggled. Although she appeared younger than Link, she was a good head taller and much less scrawny.

Link smirked, flicking her hand at the girl and spraying her with droplets. The girl was Ilia, the Mayor's daughter and Link's best friend. She was a year younger than Link and the two treated each other more like sisters than friends. They considered each other family.

And as the bigger sister, Link bounded quickly behind Ilia and messed with the back of Ilia's hair. Ilia laughed and spun, grabbing Link's hand and ruffling her own hair in retaliation.

Epona decided she wanted some fun as well and trotted over, knocking over both with a gentle nudge of her shoulder. She neighed loudly as the two girls tumbled over into a pile. Link got off Ilia and held out a hand, gently flicking Epona on the nose playfully.

"I saw Fado head into the village. Did he ask you for help?"

Link nodded.

"Well, let's go for a walk beforehand. Besides, I think dad will get mad that I didn't bring back the water he asked for."

The friends went north, out of the small patch of land Link called home, and down the path leading away from Ordon Village. It was worn to dirt by the hunts into the forest and the treks for wood and water to the point were little vegetation grew.

Link tried focusing on what Ilia was chatting happily about but couldn't. Her mind would crawl back to her recent nightmare and send a shiver of fear down her spine. She never remembered them, but always remembered what they felt like. Not knowing exactly what made her so afraid made it all even worse.

"Hey," Link jolted from her thoughts, blinking at Ilia as the younger but taller girl paused to give her a concerned look. "Are you alright? You're not having those nightmares again, are you?"

Link would forever be grateful to whatever God or Goddess blessed Ilia with the gift of reading people so well. Unable to talk all her life, Link could always find comfort knowing Ilia would understand her unspoken words. No one in the village quite knew why, but Link was mute; couldn't say a single word. Because of this she was forced to find alternate ways to say what she was thinking to the villagers. Only four people in the village understood her almost all the time. There were times when no one knew what exactly was on her mind.

She nodded, yawning into her hand as they walked into Ordona's Spring. It was said that the spirit looking over the province lived in the waters, but there had never been any evidence or sign of spirits. This is were the village got most of it's water, as the small lake bed inside the village served as a graveyard.

"The Red Potion didn't help?" Potions were a bitter medicine used in many ways, the most common being consumption. They healed most wounds and aside from magic were the best way to heal any kind of ailment. They also left one drowsy and sleep soundly. But having too much could cause serious side affects, like addiction, a craving for it when healthy, and sometimes even insanity or death. Link had put some Rupees aside and bought a Potion from a travelling merchant that passed into their small home and that hadn't helped her nightmares like she hoped.

"I wonder why you get them so badly. Usually nightmares come and go but yours always linger, don't they?" Ilia said more to herself then to Link. Ilia filled the bucket with water and frowned into the basin with a thoughtful hum. "Maybe they're a sign."

Link raised an eyebrow skeptically, to which Ilia shrugged. "What if it's a sign of your magic finally budding?"

Link winced, hoping that wasn't the case. She couldn't quite explain why but magic always unnerved her. Luckily in Ordon she wasn't exposed to it very often, but it left her feeling drained and paranoid. Maybe it was the nature of how magic worked, connected to one's mind and controlled so easily by most. From what she had seen magic was unpredictable, someone could use a spell with only their mind and she would be none-the-wiser until it was upon her. Fighting someone with a sword you could see what they were about to do. You can't read someones mind.

"Guess not then."

The two stayed at the spring until the afternoon, splashing each other or drawing poor doodles in the sand as Ilia talked and Link listened. By the time the sun was high they returned to see Rusl leaving the village, smiling at the two as they entered. He was a middle-aged man with greying light brown hair and calm blue eyes, tall and square. He used to be a soldier in the Hyrulian Army, but retired early and settled down with his wife. He had raised Link since she was a baby, when her father dropped her into his care and left. While Rusl had told her all he knew, she felt bothered that there was so much more to the whys and hows surrounding the mystery.

"I was just about to come looking for you. The spare wood we had got tampered with by those damn monkeys and Bo asked if I could get some more. I could use your help if you wouldn't mind, Link." She wondered why Rusl would ask her to come. She was far from strong and wouldn't be able to carry much weight. Luckily she had a giant, bulky horse who was more than happy to come along, but she felt there was another reason for this.

The two went deep into Faron Woods to collect the wood, a forest just north of Ordon and home to yet another Spirit Spring. It was a large forest that teemed with life and always had something changing. But with the recent increase of monsters the animals had gone much deeper, deeper than it was safe for the few Ordonians experienced in hunting. Link would often go on nightly treks through the forest with a torch and her wooden sword, but the last time she had gone the sword broke when she used it to clumsily smack a Bokoblin over the head. She had gotten quite an ear-full from Uli, Rusl's wife, when she found out about Link's midnight strolls.

It was turning dark when they collected all they could. It would be enough for summer if the monkeys didn't return to mess with it again. Taking a break at the Faron Spirit Spring, Link lied down on her back and smiled at the dusky sky. She had always been drawn to this time of day. It was always beautiful.

"I remember when you were still a little girl, you would climb onto the roof and watch the sunset," Rusl smiled at the memories. "Gave Uli and I heart attacks, you did. You always held a love for this time. Have I ever told you one of Ordon's most ancient legends about dusk?"

Link shook her head, never recalling such a tale. Rusl smiled sadly. "It is not so much of a happy legend. It is said that lost spirits from our world live in the dusk, in the time between Light and Dark, Life and Death. They wander, looking for the ones they love. But no matter how long they search, they can never find them. Until the sun begins to set. It is believed that when the sun goes down, in those moments before the stars shine, that that is when our world is closest to theirs. When our worlds collide like this we hear the desperate wails of the lost, the cries for freedom and reunion. We don't hear it as such, but as the wind blowing through the trees, or the rush of water." Link directs her ears to the trees and spring subconsciously. "That is why, although there is much beauty in it, there is always sadness in the Hour of Twilight."

Well she had certainly never heard that legend. She gazed back to the sky, finding it hard to believe that such beauty could hold a darker meaning.

"But I suppose it is good that this is only a legend," Rusl chuckled, smiling now at her. "These days it is hard to believe what is real and what is not, but this I'm sure is only a tale to scare children into being home before dark. Not that it would have worked for you."

Link flushed. Her adventurous and curious nature had landed her in many situations she would rather not speak or think of. Chuckling once more Rusl turned his eyes to the sky as well, smiling wistfully.

"I guess you have wondered why I brought you out here today?" Link nodded. "I wanted to speak to you personally about something. Link, Uli is five months from giving birth to our second child. We haven't gotten...this far since Colin, but I still worry. What if something goes wrong? What if it once again fails? I will need to be there for her and Colin. As you know this isn't the first time one has...died this late."

Link grew sad, ears drooping at the memories. Uli had gone to a healer many years ago, when Link was still little, when it was discovered she had a very small fertility rate. It would take a miracle for her to give birth. One came in the form of Colin, their only son who was practically a little brother to Link, and now they had another chance. But many children had died within Uli. Link remembered the sleepless nights she would spend with the woman she considered her mother, comforting her as she wept for yet another lost child.

"But with the yearly tribute due to be presented to the Knights of Hyrule soon, I will have to leave. No one else in Ordon can spare the time for such a long and tiresome journey across Hyrule to our capital. Except...perhaps one," he gave her a small smile. Link felt her heart thud louder, but didn't dare to hope. Not yet. "Link, I know you have wanted to leave Ordon for a long time. To see our kingdom and venture to the unknowns. Well, now I believe is the time. You are seventeen now, seen as an adult in the eyes of our village, though not yet perhaps to the rest of Hyrule. I left Ordon when I was only sixteen. I would have loved to see you leave earlier, but it wasn't safe."

Because of the Famine. Link heard tales that it had hit Hyrule Castle Town very hard. She didn't like thinking about that time. It left a sour taste in her mouth.

"But now you have regained your strength, the land flourishes, and the Castle is beautiful. Link, I want you to take the sword to Hyrule Castle. I need to be with Uli should the worst come to pass. Will you accept?"

Link nodded her head so much she turned dizzy, but ignored it. Finally, she could leave this small village and see what the world had to offer! As much as she loved Ordon, she had felt like she hadn't belonged for a long time. She was too different from the Ordonians, too curious, too ambitious, too adventurous. No Ordonian dreamed of leaving the village forever, maybe for a quick trip around to see the realm, but ultimately they all came back. Even Rusl could not resist the Call of Ordona, as many call it, when he retired young. But Link never felt this...Call. She never held a desire to remain. It was as if another Call was tugging her away, urging her to see what the world had to offer.

Her guardian smiled and stood. "Thank you. I will speak to Bo about the arrangements later. You have Fado to help and I have some wood to store."

The walk back to Ordon was quiet. Link lead Epona down the path and Rusl was ahead, lighting a torch as the sky began to darken further. His new tale hung in Link's head, as they always did when he told her a new legend. It made her rethink her small world, if only for a few days. So absorbed in her thoughts was she that she did not notice the burning of her left hand as she passed the Spring of Ordona. If she had looked perhaps she would have seen the golden eyes fixated on her.

Epona noticed and halted, making Link stumble out of her own world and make a huff at her mare. The Clydesdale stood firm and Link followed her gaze, the eyes were now gone and Link was left with the conclusion that her mare had spotted a weasel or something. Clicking her tongue Link prompted Epona to keep moving, the mare's ears were pinned back in an unsure way and Link pet the side of her face in comfort.

With Rusl's help they took the wood off of Epona's saddle and he piled it onto a waggon, waving to Link as he walked towards the village gate. Waiting there were Uli and Colin. Both had bright blonde hair and light eyes, making them stand out as people not born in Ordon. All Ordonians had dark hair and eyes, even the fair-skinned family who owned the shop. Not Uli and Colin, they apparently had the looks of what could be considered abnormal even in Uli's hometown of Kakariko.

Link supposed she wasn't the only outsider living in the village, but she was certainly the only Hylian.

The Hylians were a mysterious race of people who were long thought to be extinct. Obviously Link was proof that that may not be the case. But whether or not they are still alive remains a mystery. Of course there are many legends and tales of the ancient race; said to have been from the Sky and descended after a great war, claiming the land and naming it after their Goddess, her true name lost in time but believed to be Hylian or Hyrule. They had strong gifts of magic and bright minds, with long ears that could hear the faintest sound. Over millions of years the race grew and fell, sometimes covering all the land and sometimes being rare. In the last thousand years they had all but vanished from their Kingdom and left the Hyrulians alone to wonder where they could have gone. Until the last few decades.

It is said that even the weakest Hylian has a Core stronger than any Hyrulian Mage. A Core is where all magic is stored in the body to be borrowed at a moments notice. Many magic users believe the Core is a sister to one's soul. But Link, even though she was Hylian, could never feel it. She supposed she should count her blessings, she gave Rusl and Uli enough trouble as a kid they didn't need one who had wild magic at her disposal.

She shook her head as she noticed Colin waving at her. Smiling, she waved back. If there was one thing Colin inherited from his father it was his height. Only at ten he was already Link's height, a fact everyone in the village teased her about, and soon he would tower over her much like everyone else. Until then she would not stop ruffling his hair.

Who was she fooling, she would never stop teasing him. What else were older sister's for?

Sometimes it pained Link to remind herself that this wasn't her family, but she always pushed the thoughts aside. Blood related or not they would always be her family. Even if she didn't refer to them as mother, father and brother they were that and more to her.

She stood a few moments in silence before finally snapping out of her thoughts. This was the problem being a mute, you tended to go inside your own head to make up for the silence.

After giving Epona a quick wash, she mounted her bare-back and began through the village. The ranch was on the other side, settled between a small valley in the hills and trees. All of Ordon rested in a valley, small and serene with little trouble. They had no walls, only the front gate, as the hills were walls enough. Several houses lay within, spread out to make the village seem bigger. It was widely known that Ordon was not a rich village, in fact it was considered a peasant village little above poverty. But these peasants were proud and stubborn, happy to live their lives here. In legends Ordon was said to be built on the back of a man so proud and so stubborn that when he at last completed the village he keeled over and began the sprout for the giant tree that made up the center.

Ordon had many legends, Link mused as she guided Epona through. Waving to the other villagers not yet asleep, Link at last made it to the ranch where she worked. The goats were Ordon's pride and joy. They grew big, bulky and with thick grey fur. They were as stubborn as the people and as sturdy as the hills, bending to very few and obeying even less. In the village only Fado could tame them all on his own without a mount or help, but with them so restless it would be dangerous for him if one were to charge. So Link, with the higher ground gained only through Epona, was the only one able to tame the goats aside from Fado.

Which is why she worked here.

Before Fado could open the gate for her Epona jumped over it, startling a nearby goat away. Link turned back to Fado with a sheepish grin, knowing not everyone liked seeing her riding Epona without a saddle and doing such a thing as jumping. But both master and mare disliked saddles, only using them when absolutely needed. Something just felt wrong with saddles

Link turned to the goats. There were only ten left to guide back into the stables. So Fado had gotten most of them in on his own. She went around the outside and grabbed a short stick from a hanging branch. She would never hurt the goats, but a little encouragement from a would-be weapon would be enough to scare them into listening. She waved it through the air as she rode past one, making it jolt and run forward at the feigned strike and sharp whistle.

It turned dark by the time Link had urged the final goat into its pen. She smiled and walked Epona over to Fado, who grinned back and flicked a Red Rupee over to her. "Thanks fer the help, Link. Ah dunno how ah ever would do wit'out ya. As promised ye can have tomorrow off. Sleep in a little, even." They liked to tease Link for her tendency to sleep well past noon. She took it in stride, knowing it was something to tease her about.

Back home in her bed, relaxing with the moon shining through, Link watched as the stars danced in the sky. In the silvery light her eyes turned lighter, becoming more violet. Whenever uneasy she always looked to the stars. As if they would guide her. Sometimes she swore that her Call would lead her to them. It had always bothered her that she never felt a Call. She desired to leave Ordon, sure, but that was no tug. That was her own wishes coming forth.

In a few days, perhaps her wish would come true.

That night she dreamed. She dreamed of a grey castle at twilight, the broken throne room, and the dark man awaiting for her on the throne.

Updated Chapter! Didn't like how this one started out, so redoing it! So ideas popped into my head while doing this...more world building of my Hyrule to be exact. So this might be a bigger update to the story than I initially thought xD But hey, that's the fun of writing. Hope you enjoyed this update! See ya!