In the everlasting sunset of the Twilight Realm, the cries of a young girl could be heard in the early mornings from the balcony high above the town square.
The Twili under the rule of their benevolent queen, Midna went about their daily business while a large grey and white wolf with forest green highlights was overseeing the lanky girl's practice.
He sat proudly on is haunches, tail curled around his legs, while intelligent blue eyes followed her every move. "Rin, your stance is off." he chastised her gently, though his muzzle made no such words come out.
The majestic wolf's breath came out in a white puff of vapor as the morning was rather chilly. The girl, Rin mumbled and religned herself. Shoulder length brown hair tied up in a loose ponytail, tanned skin from working in the fields all day, a madrid of scars from fighting with animals and monsters, bright blue eyes to match the wolf behind her, skinny in body type, wearing a white tank top and traditional Oradin clothing, that was the appearance of 16 year old Rin.
Taking a deep breath, and gripping the wooden sword in her hands, Rin faced the scarecrow that was before her. "Concentrate. Your enemy isn't going to stand around to let you get the sleep out of your eyes." The wolf was yawning now himself, making Rin smile a bit.
"Hypocrite." She said, with a bite of sarcasm, before an idea popped into her head. The wolf was laying down on the grey cobbled ground where the runs glowed a bright neon teal, his attention directed elsewhere.
With a loud battle cry she raised her crude sword up preparing to strike at the beast only for him to easily roll out of the way. The girl turned only to have him use his tail to trip her up.
"Whoa!" she cried, hitting the ground hard, and her sword flying out of hand, and her feeling the heavy, but gentle press of the wolf's paw on her chest. His blue eyed stare was hard but full of amusement.
"Nice try, sweetheart, but it'll take a lot more than that to trip your old man up." he gave her a playful lick on the cheek before moving, leaving Rin to pout.
"It's not fair when you've got the instincts of a beast on your side, Papa." she complained, sitting up and rubbing the lump that was slowly forming on the back of her head. "Not to mention a tail to work with."
A strange coughing like bark that sounded suspiciously like laughter came from the wolf, there was a shadow of a grin on his grizzled muzzle."You use what you've been dealt with to win battles Rin. Me using my tail in this form is no more fair than you using your arm to punch someone. Remember that, now then, before we move on why don't we talk for a while? You never did get to tell me about that dream you've been having."
Rin stopped what she was doing, her hand slowly dropped to her side. "That dream…" she repeated with a far away hazy voice, as if the world melted away before her. The Twilight Realm's soft colors disappeared, as if a lens shifted over the girl's eyes. She was no longer a girl, but a young wolf entering adulthood, beautiful golden brown fur, hard intelligent blue eyes. A world of white, where snow covered the land, in the middle of it stood that old golden wolf.
"...He's always standing there, he's got a big fluffy white beard that hangs off is muzzle and he's missing an eye." she recalled carefully, half in reality, half dreaming. "Whenever I'm there in that version of Hyrule it's very cold, so cold I can feel it through my own fur…"
Link tilted his head, listening to is daughter intently, ears pricked forwards as his eyes were on her. The golden wolf of her dreams, well it was only one answer as to who it was. The old wolf thought to himself, wondering why he would make his appearance here. "And what about this wolf, sweetie?" he quired gently, a short whine coming from is wolf mouth.
Rin furrowed her brow, thinking hard as she tried to grasp hold of the dream before it slipped away, back into the confines of her own mind. "I feel like I know him...but I don't know why or where from. Like a friend...or maybe something else…I try to ask him what he wants, but…"
"But…?" Link repeated, urging her gently. Rin shook her head and stared up at the battle hardened wolf.
"Everytime I ask, I wake up, so I never get to hear what he wants." she appeared upset, and sighed rubbing her eyes. Link pondered this in his own mind. So he was reaching out to her, but surely there had to have been a reason? And the fact that Rin stated she herself appeared as a wolf….could it mean something was about to happen to is precious puppy? For now, all he could do was give her a lick on the cheek.
"I think that's enough practice for today. Since we are here in the Twilight Realm as the Queen's guests why don't we look around and see the sights?"
"...Alright then." Rin smiled, grateful for the excursion and went to go put up her sword an wash up, leaving Link out on the balcony on is own...sort of.
As if on cue of some sort, a golden wolf had appeared, a larger beast even bigger than the wolf standing on the palace ground. His pelt sparkled in the half light with a sacred luster. Scars that told the stories of countless battles decorated his muzzle and body. A slight limp to his otherwise graceful, and silent stride, an strikingly yet, a bright red eye that pierced one's very soul.
"An interesting girl you have there, it seems you've already chosen to pass the torch along. Though she's about as aimless as you were when you first started out." the grizzled wolf spoke in a very rough, growly tone.
Link couldn't help but smile at his words, "I suppose that should make me less worried. But it only serves to do the opposite...So tell me, why have you been appearing in Rin's dreams? Or is this some form of a lesson that only she can learn?"
"Impatient as ever still, I see….but I can at least tell you this. The girl appears to me in the form of the proud beast. The mark of the hero burns brightly within. Rin will lose that human form soon, shadows are moving across the land Link. Your daughter will look to you and I for assistance."
"Old man…" Link snorted. "Being cryptic isn't giving me the answers I want." he grumbled before receiving a tail whack himself.
"Don't be sarcastic, boy." the Old Wolf snarled. It was playful, but still serious. "This is all I can tell you for now. On the night of her 17th birthday Rin will wake in the form of a proud beast, and then...the new shadow will begin to make its move. It will attempt to seize her while she is confused. But do not worry, I intend to be watching over you both."
In a wisp of smoke the Hero's Shade disappeared into the morning mist of the Twilight Realm, leaving Link alone on the balcony. "Somehow, that only makes me even more uneasy…" The wolf sighed before loping into the palace of Twilight himself, but this was only the beginning of something new.