Ilia leaned over the short fence as she watched Link herd the goats back into the barn. After he saved everyone, he just resumed the work of a regular farm boy with the exception of one day every two weeks. He just had to go one or two days a week to meet with the princess. No one ever knew what they did at those meetings but neither of them ever missed one so everyone just figured it was just important.

This had been going on for one month and the cold mornings were starting to turn back to warm ones which everyone was thankful for. Ilia liked to spend her days watching Link do his work and she spent everyday waiting for him until he was done.

And just like everyday, when he was done, he would close the barn and meet Ilia by the gate near the entrance.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Link asked as he led Epona out.

"How about a nice swim?" Ilia suggested. "Just you, and me." To say Ilia was happy that Link was home was an understatement. She was happy that she could spend time with him again. She really did see a future for the two of them and she knew he saw it too.

"Fine by me, just let me take Epona home then we can go."

Everyone in the village saw it. These two kids liked each other and everyone but the little kids thought it was cute. Talo, Malo and Beth thought it was gross and they complained that all the teens did was hug and take walks.

The sun was just starting to set as the two made their way to the second spring deeper in the woods. The sounds of nature sent a calm peaceful tone through the forest, the sky was painted an amazing pink scattered with beautiful red colors. Everything was perfect for a date.

The boy and girl sat there on the edge with their feet in the warm water. They were well hidden because the tiny lake was off to the left of the entrance of the spring so any passer by wouldn't see them unless they were really looking.

"So tell me again what the Twilight Realm was like?" Ilia asked.

"You hear about it all the time." Link smiled lightly.

"I like the idea of it." The girl stared up to him expectantly.

"Fine, fine. It's hard to explain, I wish I could've taken you there. Everything was dark but it was beautiful, the sky constantly like it is now, everything decorated with a blue-green color and it always looked like it was glowing."

"Were the people nice?"

"Couldn't understand them, but Midna said they were thankful."

"The didn't speak Hylian?"

"No, they're Twili. Different everything."

"Was Midna nice at least?"

"Let's just say... she had a weird sense of humor. It seemed like she laughed about everything."

"Sounds cool. The fact that there's another world parallel to ours with people just like ours and... it just sounds so amazing." Ilia sighed and looked into the water.

There was a short silence until Ilia sat up and pushed Link into the water. It took him a few seconds to swim back up and grab Ilia's hand to pull her in with him.

"Link! My clothes are all wet!" Ilia smiled.

"So are mine, what's your point?"

"My point is that I now have to walk through the village while sopping wet! You don't even have to go into the village." Ilia smiled lightly.

"My apologies miss. I forgot cat's didn't like getting their fur wet." The hero chuckled.

"Well unlike all the other cats you've dealt with, this one's got claws." Ilia had playfully splashed Link with water making him return the gesture, and soon the two were dunking each other in the water just playing around and having fun.

Eventually, the two were floating there in the moonlight, panting from being underwater too long. The teens slowly leaned in, Ilia wrapped her arms around Link's neck and his around her waist as they went in for their first kiss.

Suddenly, a rattle in the bushes made the hero look up in slight alarm.

"What?" Ilia asked wondering if she had put him off.

"Nothing. I just thought I heard something." Link smiled back down to her and leaned in again.

His head jerked up as soft padded footsteps and ragged breathing was heard, and all he saw was a flash of black before everything went silent again.

"What is it?" Ilia asked turning around.

"I don't know."

Another rustle in the bushes made the hero softly push Ilia away towards the back where she'd be safe. He got out of the water and slowly made his way to the opening.

All the sudden out of absolutely no where, moblins ran by, a few stopping to look at the hero in anger. Five of them stayed behind while the rest chased whatever it was that previously ran by.

Link looked back to Ilia who had eyes as wide as the moon. He wished he had his sword...

The first one swung at him and he easily ducked under the large knife and while the moblin was distracted, Link turned around and reached forward, forcefully taking the moblin's weapon making the others yell and run at him in outrage.

The weapon wasn't ideal, but it would suffice.

The hero made quick work in killing the five of them as if he was just swatting away an annoying mosquito.

"Ilia," He called out. "Go back to the village I'll meet you there."

"What? No!" But before she could object any further, he was already gone.

Link had run the same was the dark blur had. Either someone was being chased by these monsters or they had created them. He didn't have to go very far because just around the corner were five more bokoblins hovering around something on the ground.

"Hey!" Link called readying his weapon. "Leave them alone."

The hoard took no time to charge forward and try to take the hero down and once again, Link killed them as easily as he did the first group.

When he was finished, he walked over to the limp figure on the ground, a dark cloak hiding any noticeable features. The figure was small and trembling in the moonlight as Link approached.

"It's alright now, they can't hurt you." Link reasoned kneeling down to lift the cloak. Red eyes filled with tears looked up and locked with blue ones of shock.

The hero jumped back in shock throwing the cloak away as his eyes took in the sight.

A small child with red eyes and black hair gazed back to him, but what was even more terrifying was the fact that the child looked almost exactly like the hero himself with just a few differences. The child was almost evil-looking with glowing red eyes, pale skin, and coal black hair. A lose-fitting white shirt hung from his tiny frame as he stared up in horror and confusion.

"Wh-who are you?" Link asked holding his weapon out in case this was a trap.

"Are y-you gonna h-hurt me?" The child trembled. "P-please don't sir! I-I promise! I-I'll be g-good!" The child pleaded.

Link lowered the weapon softening his glare. "No. I wont hurt you. Who are you?"

"I-I was always c-called, 'Dark'." The boy whimpered backing away.

Link sighed and walked closer to Dark with a soft smile. "Hi Dark, I'm Link."

"I-I'm s-sorry... for the m-moblins. I'll leave now."

"No."

"What?" Dark whimpered. "P-please don't beat me... I didn't mean to lead them here!" The young child started to cry loudly as Link approached him. "Please! I'll do anything! I'll serve you until I die just please don't beat me!"

By now, Link had dropped the weapon. This was a child who was afraid of being hurt by the stranger.

"Listen," Link had started softly. "I wont hurt you." The hero said as he knelt to the ground. "Where did you come from?"

"I... I can't tell you..." The boy whimpered backing away some more.

"Why not? You are safe here."

"He'll get me." The boy shook his head, clutching it with his tiny hands. "He'll get me and bring me back!" He sobbed out in pure fear. "He's going to find out I talked to you and he's going to get me!"

"Who?" Link got close enough to make physical contact. "Who is going to hurt you? If you tell me, I can protect you from them."

Dark just cowered and shook his head as tears trailed down his cheeks.

"At least come with me. You can't stay out here, who knows what would find you..." Link held out his hand but Dark just stared at it like it was poison.

"I'm not allowed to."

"Who said?"

"Um... he... he... he's... um... he's my... d-dad..." Dark replied.

"Your dad? Does your dad beat you?"

"No! I mean... yes... I mean..." Dark nodded his head. Link knew he was lying, but he'd play along if it made the child go with him, there was just a few things he needed to figure out.

Like where did this kid come from? And why did he look like the darker half of the hero? And what was he doing in Ordon?

"Listen, just come with me, please. It's too dark and dangerous for you to be outside, and it's too dark for you to see the pathway anyway. Please stay with me." Link reached his hand out and patiently waited. Something changed in Dark as he looked at the hand. For some odd reason, he felt comfort near this strange man. Maybe he could get Dark away from...

"My ma- I mean father is most likely away on business. He'll sense my presence and come to you to get me. And so until that point, sir, I am your slave until then." Dark had decided.

"No, you wont be my slave." Link shook his head lightly as Dark took his hand.

"No? Then servant!" The child smiled. "I was only made to serve you."

"Let's talk about this more when we get to my house okay? But I will let you know now, I will never count you as my slave, servant or anything else."

"What about a butler? Butlers are cool."

"Listen Dark, I don't want you to serve me, I just want to be your friend okay?"

"Okay." Dark nodded. "Master, why are you wet?"

Ilia waited near Link's house for him to return. She was fearful of what might've happened or what could've happened to him. She was about to go after him when she saw a shadow coming towards her.

"Link! You're okay!" Ilia sighed in releif and started to run towards him until she saw the boy with him. "Who's that?"

"His names Dark." Link replied. "Hey, stay here I'm going to talk to Ilia over there okay?" Dark nodded obediently as Link walked over to Ilia.

"Dark? As in Dark Li-"

"Let's just call him 'Dark' for now." Link interrupted.

"So... is he evil?"

"I don't know... But he doesn't seem evil. He's just a child."

"Why does he look like you?" Ilia asked next giving a suspicious gaze to the boy behind them.

"I'm not sure. All I know about him is that he was running from someone or something and he has been abused his entire life."

"Really? This seems like a cliche. The mighty hero finding a child that looks exactly like him except younger and the child's been abused his entire life. This almost sounds like a story a fangirl from Hyrule would write about you." Ilia crossed her arms.

"Ilia, I'm sorry about tonight and I promise I'll make it up to you. Let me just work this out okay?"

"It's fine Link. After all, I'm used to you running off on a whim remember?" Ilia sighed and turned to the village. "I better get going."

Link sighed and shook his head lightly. It wasn't like he was trying to leave her all the time...