A.N.: * This chapter is rewritten*
This is my first story I ever write in English, so I bet there are some mistakes among the text. Okay, so this is a Twilight Princess story as you know, but the storyline won't be exactly the same, and there will be OC's too. I hope you enjoy my story ^^'

Chapter 1

It had been a long time since Link last had been in the woods. Something had changed there, she could feel it deep inside her, like a heavy, black cloud had settled over the forest. There were no animals anywhere near, which was unnatural. Usually there were lot of birds flying in the light blue sky, squirrels jumping from tree to tree and little, green frogs everywhere near the spirit's springs crystal-bright waters. And when normally the woods was full of the sounds of nature, now the only sound there was the wind, breezing calmly around the trees and whistling in the caves.

Link was sitting by the Faron's spring with Rusl, who was the best swordsman in the village. It was evening, the dusk had started to fall over the woods. The sky was beautiful when the dusk fell, filled with purple-, red- and yellowish colours. Rusl's sword lay next to him as always. He carried it with him even though there was no sign of danger.

"Tell me, Link, do you ever feel strange sadness when dusk falls?" Rusl asked, still watching calmly waving water in front of him, then tilting his head back to watch the sky. Link turned her head and looked at Rusl with confused and curious look in her eyes at the same time.

"What do you mean?" she asked back, playing with the sand with her fingers.

"You have never thought about it, haven't you?" Rusl asked, slightly smiling. Link shook her head just enough for Rusl to notice the movement.

"It is the only moment, when our world is connected to theirs." Rusl told and sighed before continuing. "It is called the hour of twilight."
Link frowned a bit, sky-blue eyes full of questions. "What do you mean by theirs?"

Rusl was quiet for what seemed like an age, deep in his thoughts. Link waited all that time, sitting quietly and listening to the sounds of nature, and the familiar, calming melody of Faron flowing along a small breeze. The man took a deep breath, the girl turned her gaze.

"A long time ago, an old legend tells, the three goddesses created a world of light, and a world of shadow. The two parallel worlds were made to balance each other, neither of them knowing about the other's existence. By theirs I mean the world of shadow, in which shadow creatures dwell, and which is very different and similar to ours at the same time."

A pause. Link viewed at the reddish horizon.

"They are living right here, their world made of shadows locates in the same place as ours do. The shadows you see all around, are a sign of it – the place where the light of our world can't reach is filled with a shadow from their world. Only a bit of our light gets into the shadow world through the distortion of space, and the same goes with the shadows of their world. The worlds are attached onto each other, so without the other, the remaining will stop existing. That is the reason why at the hour of twilight, shadow, you can feel the presence of those shadow beings, and it can feel like there is something, or someone, right beside you. And in fact, there is, but not in this world."

Link was speechless, not able to think a suitable way to react. In the corner of her eye she saw Rusl smiling slightly. "It may feel complicated now, but as you grow and learn, you will understand."
Link gazed the man. "Do you mean that... it isn't just a legend?"
"I highly doubt it to be just a legend." when said, he stood up and brushed his hands on his shirt, then heading towards Link's mare, Epona. The girl followed.

"It's getting late. Better to go back to the village before night falls. Here is no longer safe when is night. Help me get the logs on Epona."
Together they got the logs in two baskets hanging on Epona's sides in no time, and headed towards the village.

As Rusl was locking the gate which separated the provinces of Ordon and Faron, he sighed, getting Link glance at him. When Link was younger, she always wondered why the gate should be locked all the time. Now, when she was older, she knew a reason. It was because Rusl didn't want unwanted visitors into the village, and he was approximately the only one in Ordon who went to Faron Woods every day.

"I was thinking... You know I should deliver my home-made gift to Hyrule day after tomorrow, and I was thinking that maybe you should deliver it instead of me. You have never been to Huryle, right? You are almost an adult now, and you have never been further than Faron Woods, so... I think it's time to you to see what it looks like out there."
Link looked at him in disbelief.

"A-are you really letting me to go... out there... alone?" she gulped, but smiled widely right after.

"You won't be alone, you'll have Epona." Rusl patted the mare, who whined pleased. Link was deep in her thoughts for almost a minute, until the man continued.

"You can deliver the gift to Hyrule's Royal Family if you want to. I'm not going to force you to, you should know that. But, I doubt it won't do you any bad. I know how badly you've wanted to see Hyrule with your own eyes and now you have the best chance to do it." Rusl smiled at her, placing his hand on her shoulder when they had come in front of Link's house.
The house was made in a huge tree, it was the only treehouse in Ordon.

Link nodded to Rusl, petted Epona and then made her way to ladders, climbing up and turning one more time to Rusl, seeing him waving and hearing him say; " Well, think about it, Link" Then he left with Epona.

Link was still standing in front of the door of her house, smiling and thinking harder than ever. She will go to Hyrule day after tomorrow. She knew it already. But was she ready for such a long trip? Earlier today Rusl had told her there were dangerous creatures roaming in the large fields of Hyrule, and you needed to have some fighting skill to deal with them – or then hide from their view, which would be rather hard in the open plains.

The small breeze from earlier had grown into a strong wind. Link's long, light greyish-brown hair that had just a moment ago rested on her back and shoulders, was now waving roughly in the it, while her deep blue eyes were staring forward, at a narrow path that'd lead to Ordon Village. Dark grey clouds had bunched up on the sky, foreshadowing rain and thunder. Link frowned at it, turning around and opening the door, stepping inside and shutting the door behind. She did a little fire in her fireplace, that would keep her warm over the night, and then changed her clothes from day clothing to her pajama. She climped ladders near the fireplace up to second floor, which was too small to actually be a second floor, and then again ladders up to third floor where her bed was. She quickly looked out of the window, noticing it had started raining outside. As her head touched the pillow soon after, she fell asleep almost immediately.

The following morning was sunny from the start. Link had already awoken, but was too tired to do anything. She hadn't sleep well because of the storm that was raged over the village and woods, and even she had fallen asleep right away she had touched the bed, she had woken up throughout the night. She never slept well when it was stormy outside.

"Heeyy, Link! Have you woken up already?" shouted a man's voice from the yard below. Link yawned, and slowly stood up viewing out of the window. She saw Fado, a young rancher-man from Ordon Ranch, standing there with a waiting look in his eyes, right leg tapping the ground and arms crossed over his chest and stomach. Link knew he was helpless with goats, and she knew what he wanted; help with goats.

"I'm coming... Just wait a while..!" shouted Link back in weary tone, leaving the window there and climbing down both of the ladders. She changed into her farm clothing and combed her hair, then leaving the house and carefully jumping down onto the still a bit wet ground. Before she had said any words, Fado started rub it in that he really needed help with his goats.

"Ya know they don't listen to me, don't ya?" he complained, looking at Link with an I'm-serious-look. Link nodded and rolled her eyes, walked towards a pole that was on the left side of the house, there Link usually ties Epona. Suddenly, she stopped like she had walked into a wall, and looked down at the place where she expected Epona was; The horse wasn't there.

"Hey, where's Epona?" Link asked from Fado, gazing him like he had done something to her loved horse.

"I have no idea, really. And don't you look at me like that, I've done nothing to her." Fado said shrugging his shoulders and taking a hesitant step backwards.

Of course Link knew where Epona was, she just wanted to tease Fado a little bit. She let out her melodious, girly laugh that got Fado a bit nervous. Ranch-man gazed her laughing there, scratching back of his head and having no idea what was going on.

"Hey, girl, you should go and find your horse as soon as possible, or goats' pasture will be out of fresh grass if they hang around there all-day long." Fado worried and Link stopped laughing, again rolling her blue eyes.

"I know, Fado, I know. I know where Epona is. I'll come to the ranch in a minute!" she shouted rest of her sentence while running towards the woods ahead.

Link ran to the Ordon Springs entry and stopped there, watching Ilia, Link's all-time best friend, washing Epona with the springs healthy water. A smile gradually rose on her light-pink lips while she watched the two, they looked so happy together that Link wouldn't have liked to interrupt it, but she had to. She needed Epona for work.

Ilia soon noticed Link, and turned to her, smiling lightly and petting Epona at the same time.

"Hi, Link." she greeted, still smiling. She sounded happier than normally when she continued; "I washed Epona for you, she was extra-dirty!" Ilia laughed. "You should care about her so much more!" Link laughed hesitantly, being unsure was she serious or not.

"Thank you, Ilia. You're always so golden, there's no better friend for me than you!" Link thanked and hugged her best friend.

"Don't bother to thank me, it was my pleasure to wash her..." she patted Epona. "... your beautiful mare. I wish I could have a horse too." she praised her, a sad look appearing in her eyes. Link showed her a light, caring smile. She knew what Ilia felt like.

"Hey don't worry, my dear. You can be with Epona whenever you want, or well, when she has free-time." Link comforted her. Ilia nodded and smiled when Link grabbed Epona's reins and swung herself up, high onto Epona's western-saddle.

"I should go for now, I have works to do..." she sighed.

"Fado and his goats again?" Ilia giggled and shook her head grinning.

"Yeah... Depressed Fado and his goats." Link laughed and kicked Epona gently with her heels, who calmly started trotting away from spring, crystal-water splashing under her plate-sized, grey hooves.

"See you soon, Ilia!" Link shouted over the heavy steps of Epona. When the spring and Ilia were both out of sight, Link urge Epona to canter. She was already late.