Welcome! As a forewarning: this FanFiction is leaning heavily on the Arata the Legend series, or at least, a concept within it. I DO NOT OWN ARATA THE LEGEND. OR LEGEND OF ZELDA.
This is what's been occupying my time, but don't worry: The Hero of Darkness will be completed, but it shall be drawn out. There's also something wrong with the interwebs (sorry, that's what I call the internet), and I'll get that fixed ASAP!
Also: Please don't expect updates to be as frequent as each week or something like that. Instead, expect good, long chapters that have been looked over again and again…
Now, without further ado, ENJOY!
...
The first thing I notice are the lights.
They shine too brightly, too brilliantly to be true. They're blinding, making me unable to see my surroundings. Florescent, indistinct blotches of pure light. They worm their way into my mind, tracing rough patterns beneath my eyelids, making every thing I know—lights. Terribly pure and gleaming, making everything full of a blank whiteness of no end.
Then the voices.
They reach my ears, sharp and loud, too loud. They screech with each minuscule movement I make, tearing through my eardrums like knives. As I open my eyes into the lights, the noise climbs to impossible heights. The language is garbled and I can't make sense of it. They pierce my sharp Hylian ears, ripping through my being and into my mind, an overwhelming tide of pure sound.
Who…
I flinch away swiftly, the hair plastered to my scalp by sweat unmoving, as a hand suddenly grasps mine. The palm of the other sends a searing pain through my arm. I recoil harshly away, hitting something cool and solid with my head. I blink rapidly, attempting, in vain, to get my vision back.
Who…
"Nas-knil!" a voice yells practically in my ear. Again, I flinch away. My head pounds unbearably… Just…who are these voices? These people? "Nas-knil!" the voice repeats insistently, to my growing dismay and anger. "Deirrow os neeb ev'ew!"
"Deraef ew sa si ti," another, barely softer voice says. Just barely. I can't make sense of their language! Is it just my head messing with me? Have I forgotten Hylian? No, I'm able to form words in my mind. So what language is this? "Aisenma sah eh."
"On!" the first voice screeches, and I flinch away yet again. Why does it have to be so loud? My headache grows worse, my mind throbbing within the confines of my skull. "Detneirosid tsuj s'nas-knil!"
Who…
Suddenly the room comes into view, jagged pains slicing through my eyes. Again, I blink away the spots, and find myself on a white sheeted bed, surrounded by people. Well, three people. But…their ears are not pointed. And they wear such strange garb…
One man, with a stern face that leaves no room for kindness, is dressed in a white…overcoat, a large metallic circle upon his head. Is it a kind of accessory? Across from me sits another girl—Ilia? She has short, sandy brown hair, her almond shaped eyes filled with tears. She wears a strange leather jacket, covering a small white t-shirt with some sort of round green slogan upon it. She wears weird, stiff blue pants with buttons and pockets, along with short leather boots. Why is Ilia wearing this? Behind her stands another, more aged man. Rusl? He wears the same pants as Ilia, except a baggy white top. I don't know how else to describe it…it's nothing like the clothes he would wear back in Ordon. Where are we? How did we get here? Why are there so many lights? Has the sun turned white?
No, it couldn't have. I can hardly believe candles or lanterns gave off this sort of glow…it must be magic. There's no other explanation. That means we have to be somewhere with a mage, or magician. And a strong one, with enough magic to create blaring lights.
"Nas-knil!" Ilia shouts, bringing me back to the present, a tear running down her cheek. "Thgir, ko er'uoy? Thgir?!"
"I don't know what—" It's no use. My voice is too soft and hoarse to be used. My throat aches from where the open air entered it as I inhaled, and I clamp my mouth shut. I bite my lip and bring a hand to the distraught girl's cheek, hoping to comfort her, but instead getting the completely opposite result. She keeps crying, her teeth bared in sadness, a strand of saliva connecting the upper teeth to the lower.
"Nas-knil!" Ilia is suddenly dragged out by the man in white roughly, his gnarled hands clutching her forearms. I cry out weakly and reach out a hand as one of the only people I have a connection with in this strange environment is taken away from me, past a solemn Rusl.
The said man looks at me, the wrinkles in his face apparent in the terribly bright light. "Knil. Siht hguorht lupp ll'uoy. Lliw uoy wonk I."
The words, although gibberish to me, soften the man in white's face, who returns shortly after taking Ilia away. He speaks quite briskly to Rusl a few more words of gibberish. Frustrated at not being able to understand their speech, I curl my fingers beneath the sheets of the bed I'm on. I realize I'm in some sort of gown—perhaps I'm being healed in some way. From what wound? What happened? All I remember is…returning to Ordon after the Mirror of Twilight was shattered…and then what? What happened to Epona? Perhaps…was I attacked?
"Yadot emoh mih ekat nac ouy," the man says to Rusl, who nods. "Hguoht, gnihtyna rebmemer t'now eh."
"Kaeps eh nac?" Rusl asks in a questioning tone. My head spins as the words fail to trigger any memories. Why is Rusl dressed like this? Where am I? Where's Ordon?
The other man shakes his head, murmuring to Rusl. Rusl glances at me with kindness in his eyes after a lengthy exchange of words with the other man, and extends a weathered hand. I blink a few times before taking it hesitantly, and he helps me off the bed, my bare feet slipping on some sort of hard, cool surface. I'm suddenly unsteady on my feet, the ground tilting slightly before me. I don't say anything about it, just perhaps clasp Rusl's outstretched hand harder than I mean to. The old man's arm strains with holding my weight, but he doesn't show it on his face.
I want to hunt around for my familiar green tunic, and I see it on a nearby chair in the square, white room. Where's the Master Sword? The Hylian Shield? I need those items. They're essential for my journey. And who is the man in white? A healer? Perhaps he's the magician. That might explain the metal on his head…to channel his energy? It would be strange for him to do so in such a manner…
"Egnahc ot uoy evael ll'I," the man says, quickly shuffling from the room, leaving me and Rusl alone in the suddenly silent room. It's a relief to my ears, as they still throb painfully. My head doesn't hurt as much, but bile rises in my throat as I take a agonizingly slow step forwards, towards my tunic.
I open my mouth again to speak, but Rusl is already frowning at the green tunic sloppily laid on the chair. "Taht teg uoy d'erehw?" he murmurs, and I blink. He sounds confused, staring at the tunic with a furrowed brow. Does he not remember that I wear that? Perhaps he's so used to my Ordonian clothes…
"Rusl," I whisper in a barely audible voice, even to my ears, but his head snaps up, his eyes lighting up considerably.
"Knil!" Rusl's voice is softer, more bearable. "Erehwemos, ereht ni erew uoy wenk I!"
I blink a few times, uncomprehending, but I smile anyways for him. Rusl smiles back, perhaps too widely, but the joy on the old man's face is clear. I pick up the green tunic, no qualms about Rusl being with me. I find that I still have my undergarments on, thankfully. I pull on my green tunic, briefly running my fingers against a scar on my ribcage I know is there. The bumpy wound is the only familiar thing here in this place, the only thing not bizarre. The two are Rusl and Ilia, that's for sure. But they've changed. Ilia's still as clingy as always, and Rusl as kind and as brave. Even so, they're different. I can't quite place my finger upon it…
I place the green hat upon my head, where it rests with a reassuring weight. Rusl looks at it oddly, but as he catches my gaze he forces a smile. I appreciate his efforts, but do they have to be so…fake? Quick? Forceful? It's burdening the man.
"Uoy no doog skool yllautca taht, Knil, io," Rusl mutters in his strange tongue. Why are they not speaking Hylian? What's wrong with it?
It…
Wait a moment. Rusl is helping me into some sort of chair, like the one an elderly woman from Castle Town once sat in—I forgot her name. It's maneuverable and comfortable, the blue leather seat cushioned. How did they get blue leather? Did they dye it? How?
The wheels turn smoothly against the cold, white floor, taking me past a glass door and into a horribly colored hallway, striped with blue and yellow paint. No one else greets us in the hallway, making me wonder where they took Ilia.
I just want to go home. Back to the treehouse in Ordon, back to the ranch. I want to hear Fado's reoccurring call, hear the laughter of the children, the soft thump of Colin's wooden sword upon trees as he practices. I want, I want, I want. I want a lot of things right now, and I'm not going to get them. Instead, I'm in this unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people—except for Ilia and Rusl. Why are they even here? Where's Bo? And what happened to me in the first place?
My head swims, and I lean it on my palms, staring into the grooves in my skin, even as I'm rolled out onto some sort of smooth, gray stone—but it's not cobblestone. I lace my fingers together as Rusl taps my shoulder, and glance up. I am met with a truly strange sight.
Metallic lump are all stationed within white lines in a huge, stone…hall. There are of several different colors and sizes, all gleaming brightly in more magical lights above me. They all have overly large wheels connected to them, and glass in several places, revealing even weirder interiors. What is this?
It solidifies my suspicions, however. How can I still be in Hyrule when these are here? But why are Rusl and Ilia here? Rusl has taken me next to a large gray one, clearly telling me to get up. I do, somewhat shakily, and stumble. I catch the metallic surface as I pitch over, righting myself just in time. The metal is cool to the touch, strangely smooth.
I watch in bewilderment as Rusl pries open a hatch upon the transportation device, leading to seats inside. I see Ilia already seated on one, her eyes puffy with tears. When she sees me, though, she puts on a fake smile. So many fake smiles… Rusl is instructing for me to do something. To get in? I do so, sliding over black leather and inhaling a sharp tang. Is this the smell of the transportation device? They look like lump. Perhaps I'll just call them Lump, for now. Until I know what they're actually called.
"Ih, Nas-knil," Ilia says somewhat shyly, but blushes furiously and ducks her head as Rusl shoots her a look.
"Su dnatsrednu t'nseod ylbaborp eh," he replies back to her, closing the door with a final bang. The rush of air as the door slams is welcomed, and it ruffles my hair.
Suddenly, we're alone in the dark cabin.
It's so cramped in here…
I'm acutely aware of each breath I take as Rusl opens another hatch that leads to another seat, in front of me. Another strange wheel is in the center, and the man fumbles with something before taking a seat and slamming his door. Why does he have to do it so loudly?
He inserts something within a small slot—a key. And it roars to life.
I jump and almost bang my head on the ceiling as the Lump around me shakes. Is it an earthquake? What's going on? I glance at Ilia, but she seems perfectly fine, staring at me with a bewildered expression. Rusl turns back to me, facing me with a concerned face. I take a deep breath, or at least, as deep as I can, and try to relax. This has to be like some sort of wagon, but what pulls it?
Rusl, content that I'm okay, cranks some sort of knob to his right and we're suddenly moving. My nervousness mounts as we flash by more Lump with a great speed, hurtling across the strange, flat stone at amazing speeds. What is this? How does it work?
Ilia cries out in exasperation, and I look over at her with wide eyes. She reaches over, smiling, and her hand touches my chest, pushing me back into the seat. Surprised, my body surrenders to her command. What is she doing? She reaches past me and to some sort of strap to my left. Drawing it over my body, she clicks it into a small latch, and I'm trapped. I pull at the strap curiously, testing its durability, and am half shocked as it rockets back towards my chest as I let go of it, slamming into my skin. Ilia lets out a bark of laughter, but it sounds forced. Everything is forced, from them.
Light suddenly fills the Lump, and we're out. Out of the stone. I gaze in awe at the sight before me, past the glass windows. More Lump speedily fly by on the same smooth stone, each a different size and color. People are scattered around the sidewalks, each in a strange outfit, some holding black squares that reflected the sun high above. Huge glass structures reached for the sky, and as I crane my neck up, they seem to disappear into the clouds. Sunlight suddenly bursts into my eyes, a million blazing colors at once. I hastily turn my back to the glass, instead looking at Ilia.
Wait—it's so simple. Why haven't I done this before? All I need to do is tap into the Triforce…and I can understand them! I do so, concentrating hard on the holy power within me, harnessing it at its core. I can feel tendrils of golden light just below my skin—don't ask me how, I can just feel them. I grab hold of a few, mentally, and shape them into a glowing ball of light. Ilia is halfway in the middle of a sentence as she suddenly reverts to Hylian…or I suddenly understand her language.
"Nas-knil, don't llaf asleep!" she is saying, followed by a small thump on my shoulder as she smacks me lightly. I break my concentration, knowing what's done is done.
I grin back at her. "I won't, don't worry." Thankfully, my tongue obeys my command, and I'm greeted with two identical gasps within the car.
"Link!" Rusl exclaims, his eyes wide as he takes them off the other Lump for a second. "You can speak! The doctor said you wouldn't be able to!"
I'm not sure what to say to that, so I simply nod. I muster a small smile in their general direction before turning back to the window. We flash by colorful signs and people, chatting so loud I can hear them from within the Lump. The sound of a blaring horn catches my attention, but I manage to stay in my seat this time.
"Link, do you remember what happened?" Ilia inquires, and I shrug a shoulder, asking her with my eyes. Oblivious to Rusl's noises of disapproval, she says, "Oh…do you want to know?" I nod, and she says, "All right. Although this is strange telling you something that you did… Anyways, you, er, went for a walk at twilight. Sometime then. You were mad about something that happened in school. Uh, some guy teased you. What was his name? Mido?"
Mido? The name doesn't sound familiar, but deep within me a twinge of anger stirs. Why? I don't know any Midos… There aren't any Midos in Hyrule. Perhaps one of my past lives or ancestors met with a Mido. I'm not entirely sure.
"I don't know, but you went out, and you didn't come back," Ilia continues. "I went out to search for you along with Da, and we found you knocked out on the pavement, in that silly tunic you're wearing right now. We took you to the hospital…and found you had amnesia. That's it."
I blink a few times, uncomprehending. Does that mean there was a Link before me, a Link that lived in this world? Where is he now? Perhaps he still resides in it, and I'm just intruding upon Ilia and Rusl, posing as the Link? The mere thought makes me shudder. Where will I go in a world filled with unknown people and places? What is a 'school'? I've never been to one, but I've heard it being mentioned by people in Castle Town… And did Ilia call Rusl 'Da'? What about Bo? Is Uli Ilia's mother? What kind of twisted world is this?
So many questions in my head, I know it'd be unwise to voice them aloud. We flash by more buildings for what seems like eternity until we reach a large body of water, and ride along it, on a paved stone path. Lines mark areas where the Lump are able to go, but my eyes are all for the water. Endless blue waves stretch farther than the eye can see, and I can't help but take in the shining glory of them. The sea is the only thing that reminds me of home—well, of when I traveled past Hyrule into a different land—I forgot its name. Of course I did. I try to remember it, but it stays out of my grasp. It wasn't that important, anyways. Not to the situation I'm currently in.
"Ilia," I begin tentatively, and she leans forward a little too enthusiastically. "I think…that you have the wrong Link."
"What do you mean, Link?" Ilia raises an eyebrow, her eyes shining with confusion. "Of course you're Link, silly!"
"Aye, sorry," I quickly cover up, and notice Rusl staring at me from some sort of mirror up front.
"Ilia, don't be concerned, the doctor told me he might spout random things," he reassures the young girl. "We'll have to get used to it for a little, eh, Link?"
"Er…right," I say, biting my lip. How do I tell people who wish so badly to have their own Link back?
We flash by houses, small yet intricate shacks of many colors and sizes, just like the Lump. Some attend to small gardens out front, and chopped grass. Why chop the grass? It's fine on its own.
We pull into a slightly more rough stone pathway, where the Lump stops rumbling. I relax tensed muscles, finding the latch to open the door. I step into the sun, thankful for its warmth, as I look upon the welcoming blue house. It doesn't look anything like the ones back in Ordon, and Ilia seizes my hand, her fingers curling around mine. At first, I'm stiff and want to instinctively wrench my palm away from hers, but she drags me towards the front door, flying over the steps. I have to leap up them, using my momentum to sail over them.
She yanks open the door and hollers, "Colin! Mid! He's home!"
The entrance opens into a wooden floor, framed by a carpeted staircase that leads upwards onto a balcony far above. To my right is a cozy living room, beige couches set up to face each other. In the middle is a strange glass table, but it looks quaint and nice. The stairs rumble as two forms sweep down it, one easily outpacing the other before slamming into the wall adjacent to the door.
"Midna, I swear, if you've broken your nose again—"
Midna? Midna? MIDNA?! I stare in shock as the Twili peels herself from the wall irritably, grumbling about Colin being a know-it-all. She wears what she did when I saw her in her true Twili form—a beautiful dark robe with Twili patterns embroidered upon it. Her dark eyes find mine seeming to search them. her luminescent orange hair glows faintly despite the light entering the windows.
I have to remind myself—this isn't Midna. This is the Midna of a different realm…not mine. I take a shuddering breath and instead focus on the shorter, smaller figure. Colin hasn't grown since I last saw him, his wide forehead framed with sandy yellow bangs, his small blue eyes as large as saucers with excitement. He wears a simple blue t-shirt and baggy pants with many pockets.
"Link!" Midna is the first to toss herself at me, enveloping me in a hug. I stiffen, unable to return to gesture. She pulls away, joy still in her eyes. "Com'on, Beasty, show me some love!"
"Midna, remember he has amnesia, for Farore's sake," Ilia sighs, but her sentence perks my attention. That must mean they still retain the goddesses despite the fact that this is another realm.
"Whatever, I just get to pick on him more," Midna rolls her eyes playfully, glancing back at me. "Like…your favorite food is broccoli."
What, in Din's name, is broccoli? I raise an eyebrow as Colin protests loudly, "It's not! He despises broccoli!"
Midna turns to Colin, pouting. "Aw, Col, you completely ruined it!" She turns back to me, mischief glowing in her dark eyes. "I'll get you one of these days, just you wait, Beasty."
"Link, do you remember these two?" Ilia asks, and I shake my head, even though I know them quite well. "This is Midna, and this is Colin. Midna's adopted, but she claims that Colin's the one who's adopted…well, you get the point. They're your brother and sister, although," Ilia adds with a small smirk in Midna's direction, "I might be the better sister based on her display of—"
"So not true," Midna mutters under her breath. She's so much like the Midna I know… I can't help but release a small chuckle that's been building up inside me.
But still…Ilia and Colin are now siblings. And Midna's an adopted other. This world just gets weirder and weirder…
"Ma!" Ilia shouts upwards. "Link's home!"
"She knows," Midna says, her voice suddenly not as pleasant and upbeat. She flashes Ilia a somber look, which quiets the girl. Turning to me, she changes her demeanor entirely, flashing a cocky smile. "So, Beasty, what do you want to do tonight? Ma's gonna cook up some mighty fine vegetable stew—your absolute favorite!"
"You liar, Midna," Colin accuses, jabbing the older girl in the ribs. "He hates veggie soup!"
"Come on Colin, that's the second time you've ruined my plans!" Midna snarls back playfully. She turns to me, and I have to quell the smile threatening to break free, to dance across my lips. "What's up with that outfit, Beasty? Eh, I'll get you a new one, you'll love it!"
"Er…sure?" I'm suddenly being dragged up the stairs, my wrist grasped in the firm hold of the Twili's. I'm barely aware of Colin telling me to take off my boots as we enter a small hallway and barrel down it noisily. Midna bangs open a door to one of the rooms, shoving me inside. I trip and stumble forward, catching onto a bed as I fall. The mattress sinks below my hand, springy and strange. The blankets are forest green, blending in perfectly with my tunic. Two white doors on the opposite walls creak open as Midna pushes them, closing the door with her left foot at the same time. Light filters in from a small window at the head of the bed, to the left. A desk sits in the corner opposite the window, next to the door. The walls are painted a beautiful forest green like the bed, but what really is attention-grabbing is the tree.
Just above the bed is a brown trunk, reaching upwards toward the ceiling, which is made to look like several leaves. In the middle of the tree is a small name in gold ink, the letters curling about one another. Link Ordona. Connected to Link, yet above him, is Rusl Ordona and Uli Ordona. Beside me are Midna, Colin, and Ilia's names, all branching out from Rusl and Uli. More names follow Rusl and Uli's, but names I don't recognize. They all follow branches within the tree before disappearing into the leaves.
"…what the heck is this? Great Din, Beasty, what do you keep in your closet?" Midna is saying. I turn my attention back to the Twili, who is inspecting different articles of clothing on different hangers. She finally chooses one, a baggy green sweatshirt paired with a gray t-shirt, a small yellow design on the bottom. Bringing it over to me, she huffs, "What's up with you and green? Green everything."
She somehow produces a pair of "jeans" and orders me to put them on. I obey her command as soon as she leaves the room, making sure to place them on the correct way, with the tag in the back. They're stiff and cling to my upper leg, but otherwise are fine. I drape the loose gray t-shirt over my skin, finally pulling on the green sweatshirt, leaving my beloved tunic on the bed. I open the door, and come face-to-face with Midna.
"Better," she sighs, looking me over. "Now, let's go back down!"
She runs for the stairs, and I trail behind slowly. Stopping at the top of the stairs, my eyes are drawn to a room with double doors. They're closed, but I can hear something from the inside—it sounds almost like crying. Uli. I shake my head and pound down the carpeted staircase, just as a disgruntled Rusl arrives, carrying several brown bags.
"Colin, help me with these," Rusl grunts, and Colin pouts, but races to help his father. As soon as Colin takes the bags and rushes into a hallway opposite the door, Rusl turns a stern eye upon us. "Don't take Link anywhere too extreme, and remember he has amnesia, for Nayru's sake! That goes double for you, Midna!" Rusl exclaims at the Twili, who feigns innocence. As soon as he turns his back to address Colin, she flashes me a smirk. That can't be good. Rusl leaves with Colin, and I'm left with the two girls.
"Okay, how about we visit a friend?" Ilia purses her lips. "Like…say, Malon? Or Romani? They're the twins at school, they'll be easy to visit and talk to…or do you need a boy? Mikau? Darunia?"
All of the names are unfamiliar, and I shake my head. None of those. I don't even know those people! Where's Beth? Talo? Even Malo? They probably exist somewhere else. Somewhere other than here… With other parents, perhaps from Ordon, maybe from Kakariko.
"Why don't we grab some coffee?" Midna asks Ilia, her eyes pleading. Ilia sighs and turns to me, asking me with her eyes. I'm not sure what 'coffee' is, but I nod. "Come on, there's a new place that opened up down the street. They have job openings…and Da's been urging you to get a job," she adds to me, and Ilia rolls her eyes.
"He hasn't," the shorter girl whispers to me as Midna pulls on dark slippers. "She just wants your money."
Money? Like, rupees? Is that their currency here? I blink as Midna opens to door into a beautiful twilight. She sighs as she looks at it, and I wonder if she knows, however faintly, about the Twilight realm. She inhales deeply with a dreamy look on her face, but visibly shakes her head and turns back to us, grinning.
"Come on, slowpokes, we're not going tomorrow!" Midna says, charging out the door onto the severed grass. I shrug to Ilia and follow the Twili outside. The other girl follows me. Soon we're walking among another paved walk, but raised from the path the Lump take. Large green and blue bins are pulled up in front of houses, small chipped wheels used to move them. I let the two girls pull ahead, ambling behind them, contemplating.
How am I going to get back to my own realm? And can I meet the other Link? Link Ordona? What's he like? He obviously must look exactly like me—or somewhat like me. My eyes fall on the two girls ahead, and my ears twitch as they always do when I'm straining to hear. I hate the little gesture, and cup my palms over them for one fleeting, self-conscious moment. The moment passes, and I freely listen to the girls' conversation.
"…hardly have changed," Midna is saying. "I don't understand. He's still as silent and has that able-to-be-teased-by-Midna attitude."
"Yeah, but he's been known to take things silently," Ilia responds, her whisper softer. "He was visibly startled at the car."
The car? Is that what a Lump is? Nah, I think I'd rather call it a Lump. The word just somehow fits.
"The car? He must not remember as much…" Midna sighs. "He promised he'd help me with homework!"
"No, you forced him into doing your homework!" Ilia shoots back, accompanied by a small burst of laughter. "Goddesses, Midna…"
"He's just so willing," Midna murmurs. "And he's still so willing. And kind. Is that just a universal Link thing or something?"
I misstep once, thinking how dangerously close to the truth Midna is. I bite my lip. I'm Link from Ordon…not Link Ordona. How ironic is it, to have the Triforce of Courage yet not have the will to tell them that I'm different. That I'm not who they think I am. Perhaps I just want to let them live under the idea that I'm one of them. So as to not cause them despair. It can't be my own selfish needs, I'm accepted back in my own land. So why? Why can't I tell them?
"He's not all that different, as I'd expect him to be," Ilia whispers back at Midna. "And he seems to be knowledgable about our names—but nothing else. I mean, Da said—as Link was getting out of the car—that Link remembered Rusl's name. And he knew mine, too. He said it in the car."
"That's strange," Midna says back, tilting her head so her orange hair catches in the fading sun. "He seemed surprised that I was adopted, and that Colin's his brother, et cetera. Just a little. It's hard to read Beasty—but I've got it down!" the Twili winks at Ilia in such an obvious way I break into a small smile, but push it down and pretend to be admiring the passing houses as Ilia turns to look back at me, hastily sinking back into conversation with Midna as I return her gaze with a hopefully curious expression.
"Shouldn't tell him he's adopted either, otherwise he might not…" Ilia trails off, and Midna nods, understanding her concerns. "I don't know how he is emotionally. He usually takes it all, even from Mido. Without a second thought. But…how does he do it all? We've left him alone for so long, Midna, and he's suffered so much…"
"Only because we thought he was capable of handling it on his own," Midna murmurs back to the distraught girl. "Remember? But I know what you mean by us no longer having the opportunity to help him…we've missed out on so many things we could've done…his amnesia really makes you think, doesn't it?"
"Well, we can rebuild him, in a sense," Midna mutters to Ilia, contemplating. "We can…try to awaken parts of him."
It's painful, seeing them suffer under the delusion that I have amnesia. I feel my arm twitch and instinctively reach back to where my sword and shield would be—but they're not there. Of course they aren't. Weaponless, defenseless, and lost. Great.
"Come on, let's talk to him for once. Even if he doesn't say anything back," Ilia says, slowing down. I drag my gaze over the the two girls, who now flank me somewhat protectively.
"Hey, Beasty," Midna says, pursing her lips. "What kind of coffee are you into?"
"Er…I dunno," I reply truthfully, still foreign to the concept of 'coffee'.
Ilia catches my confusion. "Do you even know what coffee is?"
"I…er…can't say I do," I admit, feeling my cheeks heat up as Ilia's eyes narrow. "I don't need anything."
"Yes, you do!" Ilia takes a hold of my hand, and Midna my other. I feel my shoulders tense up, and force myself to try to relax as their hands swing my own in opposite directions as we walk on.
"Well, Beasty, do you remember…my favorite color?"
"Er…no, sorry. Orange?"
"Great goddesses, Ilia, I think Beasty's still in there somewhere."
"Uh, Midna, his name is Link for Farore's sake…"
"Whatever you say," Midna pouts. Without skipping a beat, she looks at me seriously and utters, too low for Ilia to hear, "Beasty."
I shake my head and laugh at Midna's antics, trying to loosen up the tense atmosphere. It is sort of strange that Midna would call me 'Beasty' even though she doesn't know about my wolf form.k
"We're almost there," Ilia says, her eyes glued to a quaint brown and green shop interrupting the endless flow of houses. Its golden lights glow warmly, sending out their light into the darkening neighborhood. Large, gold lettering is painted across it: Cafe Stansbury.
Ilia pries open the door and we enter. I take in the polished wooden tables and counter, the endless mechanisms behind the wooden divide. Behind the counter stands none other than Telma—or at least, this world's version of her. Tanned skin, almond eyes, and slightly larger, Telma wears a brown shirt with green letters displaying the slogan for Cafe Stansbury. She looks up and gives us a hearty smile as we enter.
"What would you like, dears?" she asks in her motherly voice. Ilia smiles and her eyes are drawn to blackboards above the woman stating the names of various drinks.
"I'll go with your mocha cappuccino," Ilia says, stepping aside to let Midna order next.
"Er…hot chocolate is fine."
And then the spotlight's on me.
Goddesses help me…
"I'll…er…get a pumpkin spice latte," I blurt out quickly. I can feel my cheeks heating up, and I turn away slightly.
"You sure about that?" Telma asks me with a wink. "Most customers don't enjoy that drink, for some odd reason, but others adore it."
"I'm sure," I nod, but I feel like an idiot bobbing my head. Suddenly very self-conscious, I half want to duck behind Midna, but I refrain from doing so. I'm the bearer of the Triforce of Courage!
Midna starts discussing "important matters" with Telma as she busies herself behind the counter, leaving me and Ilia to find a seat. We sit beneath one of the golden lights, and my eyes dart around the place, searching for something that could hopefully distract me. Or her. I've never been one to converse with others, and I'm not sure I want to start that now.
"Hey, Link," Ilia starts somewhat nervously, and I turn to look in her direction, shifting on the hard chair I sit on. "What do you remember?"
"Uh…" I trail off, furiously trying to make up something—something—that will get me out of this situation. "Er…not much. I still remember your names, though. They're vague, but there."
"Oh, good," Ilia says, and the brief spark of conversation is gone. Until, of course, Midna shows up.
She sighs as she lowers herself into the chair adjacent to me. "Well, Beasty, I've got you a job."
"What?!" Ilia exclaims, her eyes widening. "Midna, you can't just do that—"
"But I did," Midna grins back at Ilia. "I explained all the amnesia stuff to Telma, and she took pity on Beasty. She's gonna give him a job here."
"But what if he doesn't want a job, Mid?" Ilia shoots back, her eyes alight with anger. "He just got back!"
"And she's willing to let him think about it," Midna drawls on, ignoring the smaller girl. "Besides, it'd be good for him to get out more, now. Learn to be social again."
"The Link we knew wasn't social—" Ilia stops, wide-eyed. She turns to me, somewhat pleadingly, "Link, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"
Do they want to keep his past a secret? To build Link up again? I shake my head. "All's well, Ilia. Don't worry about it."
We fall into an awkward silence, and I don't have to listen to the others bicker, thankfully. Telma arrives with steaming cups of 'coffee', and I take a sip of mine. Flavor explodes in my mouth, exotic and burning at the same time. I smile in appreciation of the drink, and Ilia pays in rupees, thankfully. It appears the currency hasn't changed.
We finish our drinks, Ilia and Midna doing so notably faster than me, and throw them away in the neat bin just before heading out the door with a quick thank-you to Telma. I sigh as the sun is now completely below the horizon, yet still casts its light across the sky. A Lump pulls up to a small parking space in front of the cafe, and for a moment I stand, blinded. Midna then takes me by the hand and ushers me away, but I twist around to see who comes out.
No…
A brunette gets out the side Rusl usually resides in, wearing a knee length lilac skirt, brown boots, and a…jean jacket, wrapped around a white shirt. Her brown eyes find mine, and suddenly I'm locked in place. Her smooth features are delicate, yet strong, just like how she is back in my world. Her eyes are wide and startled, and for a moment we just stare at each other. Then I see her ears.
She's also Hylian.
And she's…
I shake the feeling of nostalgia away and follow Midna and Ilia, who have been waiting patiently for me. Midna tells Ilia a joke, and she laughs, but I don't hear it. I'm too wrapped up in thinking about that girl. She's so familiar…
The walk back is swifter than the walk there was, and as we pull open the door, we're greeted by a pouting Colin. Rusl made him do chores around the house to "prepare" for Link's first night back, and although he was appreciative of the purpose, he doesn't see why he has to be the one to do the work. I let a small smile light my face, and excuse myself to go to "my room". Well, Link Ordona's room, anyways.
I climb slowly up the stairs, taking my time to feel the carpet fibers beneath my bare toes. I make it all the way up, right by those intriguing double doors. They burst open the moment I get up, and I feel my eyes widen. A disheveled woman stands, her eyes red and puffy, her face wet with tears. She sobs once before heading down in a bundle of red and gold—Uli.
I don't turn to look around at her, but continue to my room, pushing down the urge to go and comfort her. I don't think I can do that—not now. She's probably crying because of me. Instead, I shuffle to Link Ordona's room, defeated. I'm suddenly very weary, and I've been up and about ever since I resurfaced from unconsciousness. I arrive and collapse on the vibrant green bed, staring at the leafy ceiling.
I start to finger the front of my shirt. Something's annoying me there. I sit up and gasp aloud as my fingers brush a hard, metal object. It's draped around my neck, like a necklace. I pull it forward so I can see it, and see a small metallic Triforce symbol connected by a chain that reaches around my neck. How did I not notice this before?
As I watch, the symbol of Courage starts glowing in my hand, both on the necklace and on my skin. Golden light fills the room, and I quickly shut the door with a small click. I watch in awe as the light filters away from me, breaking into tiny glowing particles, and forming on the wall. A chain made of light connects my hand, the necklace, and the wall. The names on the tree are quickly covered up as more light spreads throughout the room. The particles cascade over furniture, and to the door. I blink as they also cover that up, surrounding me in light. I let out a breath between my teeth, awe filling me, along with courage. I feel like I have boundless energy, I can go anywhere. The earlier fatigue is now gone, instead replaced by bursting strength. The light isn't blinding or terrible as the one at the hospital's was, but gentle and caring.
The light gathers in one place, beside me, climbing upwards in a swirl until it takes vague human form. I blink as it solidifies and the light melts away, leaving a young man standing there.
He looks exactly like me.
He also wears the same thing I do, right now. The baggy green sweatshirt and jeans. I gape at him for a moment, and he gapes back. Is this…a reflection? I dig my toe into the ground to check, but he doesn't do the same. He lifts a hand instead, as if I'm the reflection. Maybe I am.
"Who…" the other's eyes are wide, and his voice soft and breathy. Like mine.
"Are you Link Ordona?" I ask, and he nods slowly in confirmation. What happened? Why is he here?
"Are you Link, Hero of Twilight?" Link asks, and I nod in reply, the same way he did.
"Does that mean…we switched places?" I breathe, and I can see Link's muscles visibly tense.
"You're with Midna?" he gasps, and I utter a small 'yes' before he quickly continues, "Is she all right? How's Rusl? Is Ilia fine? Uli?" The questions are desperate.
"They're all okay," I say, and the other Link visibly relaxes. "So you're in my world right now? Is everything okay there?"
"I'm glad they're all right… And sheesh, you accepted that pretty fast," Link says, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, everything's all right. Ordon—is it?—is fine. And I was summoned by a messenger to have an audience with the princess…does that mean your land is in a monarchy?"
"Er…yes," I say. "But, the princess?! Ask Ilia to refresh you on etiquette, but don't… I mean, we…I…"
"Do you like her?" Link says teasingly, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "I could get you in with her, if you want…"
"No!" I exclaim angrily, not at all pleased with his antics. "I'm supposed to be a mute in that world!"
"Oh," Link doesn't say anything for a while, before speaking back up, "Is the power of the Triforce establishing this connection?" Spotting my confused gaze, he explains, "Really? Did you think we'd forget about the three goddesses who created Hyrule?"
I nod in response to his earlier question, about the Triforce. "I believe it is. Perhaps the goddesses made us switch places…because…"
"We are probably needed in each other's worlds," Link muses. "Hey—should I act like nothing's happened? Like I'm you?"
"Er…how good are you at swordplay?" I ask, and Link's face falls.
"Goddesses, this is going to be harder than I thought," he mutters, taking a seat. I do the same, sitting cross-legged across from him. "So, do you want to start over from the beginning?"
We do.
He tells me of his life before, as a simple schoolboy who wanted nothing more than friends and a happy life. He would always help when needed, but no large deeds like mine. He was going to be a "junior" in "high school" this year, but seeing as we switched places, I might have to go to school in his place. He warns me to look out for Mido, another boy in his grade. He's apparently a—well, not a nice thing.
I quickly explain the journey I went through, and he's slightly appalled that I can turn into a wolf. I give him a lopsided smile and show him the shadow crystal that forced me into the form, safely wrapped in black velvet. I don't know where I got it from—it's just suddenly there. I go on to tell him about the Twilight realm, and how I saved Hyrule and the former.
"Oi, you've done a lot more than I have," Link says, grinning sheepishly. "I'm not sure if…" I can live up the the bar you've set. I can tell he's going to say that because…well, he's me. But he refrains from doing so, and we lapse into silence.
"Are they convinced you have amnesia, too?" I inquire, changing the subject. Only slightly.
"Yeah," Link rubs the back of his neck. "And they tried to get me into some sort of weird garb…but, seriously, who puts together white, blue, red, green, and more? I dunno…"
"For Farore's sake," I murmur. "They're Ordonian clothes, you'll fit in better with them on. Make sure to accept the green tunic, though, when they offer it. The Princess will want to see you that way."
"Okay, I guess…" the other Link huffs, and I smile.
"Thank you," I say, gratitude filling me. I close my eyes for a moment, and we sit in the shimmering room silently.
"So, what do we do now?" Link Ordona asks, raising an eyebrow at the same time I do. Weird. "And, more importantly, do you remember how you got here—well, there? To my world, I mean."
"Oh," the question takes me by surprise and I shake my head. "No, I woke up in a…hospital, I think it was called, and Ilia told me that she had found me unconscious on the street."
"Aye," Link says, bobbing his head. "Same here. They thought I was trampled by goats, though. Why goats?"
"Ordon's main export are goat products and pumpkins," I murmur, thinking of the fields and the farm. "And Heroes."
"Link—?" Link Ordona is suddenly glowing. My gaze snaps back to him, and I hastily reach a hand forward and intertwine my fingers within his.
"Good luck!" I yell at him over the sound of rushing water in my ears. "Protect everyone for me, will you?"
"Of course!" Link shouts back, his eyes wide. "We'll meet again, promise! Good luck!"
And then he's enveloped in light and taken away. The Triforce necklace stops glowing, and a warmth fades on the back of my left hand. The room comes back into view, no longer covered in the glowing particles. Along with a banging on the door.
"Hey! Link, you in there?" comes Ilia's voice. "Supper's ready!"
I heave a great sigh and place my hand on the cold handle of the door, feeling the cool metal beneath my palm. Running a hand through my messy blond hair, I heave it towards me, and Ilia almost falls into me. She catches herself on the doorframe, and for a second our faces are millimeters apart.
The girl's cheeks flush pink, and she quickly withdraws, heading back down the stairs. I pause for a moment in the doorframe, analyzing the room before me. And then I take the last steps towards the stairs.
The steps into Link Ordona's life.
...
This concludes the first chapter of this story! Did you like it? Review and critique, I want to hear your opinions!