AN: So this story is for my friend Sammy. She loves The Legend of Zelda and tolerates my writing and is pretty much a saint. Love you hon. 3 To the other readers, because I hope there will be as well, I hope you enjoy this! Please R&R!
I own none of these characters, unfortunately.
He watched as the princess of the Twilight shed a single tear and the Mirror of Twilight was destroyed, turning into dust before his eyes.
"Link…see you later," she murmured in farewell and returned to her realm, the swordsman watching her with his bright blue eyes never leaving her face, grateful beyond words for everything, for helping him restore light to his world, for helping him free Zelda, and for being a friend and a companion for the last few months. They had embraced danger together, risking life and limb. That was a bond that could not be described, could only be experienced. Oh, he would miss her, the swordsman realized as he watched the princess leave the world of light, returning to her land.
"We will be forever indebted to her," Link thought aloud, "for everything she did to us." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Princess Zelda nod, tall, proud and stoic.
"And you as well, Link. You both saved us, all of us." She walked to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. He tore his eyes away from where the mirror had once stood to look at Zelda, but then returned his gaze to the empty mirror frame.
"Come," she said suddenly, motioning for him to follow her. "Night is coming, and you deserve to rest before returning to the Ordon province." He nodded and turned to follow her, taking out the whistle Ilia had given him and calling Epona to them; riding on her would be faster than going on foot, and safer, for he doubted that all the beasts of Hyrule had left the land.
The beautiful, proud horse came galloping to where they stood, pushing her muzzle into his palm as he patted her flank affectionately. He climbed on to the mare and pulled the princess up with him, glancing behind them at the empty frame where the Mirror of Twilight once stood one last time before galloping off.
Behind them, the sun was setting and night was quickly falling. In the distance he could see the towers of Hyrule castle looming in the distance, now free from the prison that it had been confined in. It looked beautiful in the twilight; he had never really noticed before, barely taking time to look around him before dashing off to new places, helping people and eradicating the monsters and demons that lurked in the new locations.
They said little as they rode towards the castle, for which the swordsman was grateful; it allowed him a few silent moments to think and to organize his thoughts, which were threatening to overtake his mind.
"Will you stay here tonight, or continue on to your village?" the Princess of Hyrule asked as they reached the beautiful castle, the moon beginning its slow descent into the sky. "It is growing late. Perhaps you wish to rest?"
Link thought about staying for a moment, realizing that, for unknown reasons, he did not want to immediately return to Ordon. The thought was almost unpleasant. And as soon as he realized this, he became aware of how exhausted he truly was.
Not being completely aware of what he was saying, he obliged and the Princess visibly relaxed.
"Thank you for staying," the Princess said gratefully as she folded her hands. They were seated in a small room, the décor of which was ornate and luxurious. After they had entered the castle, Princess Zelda had requested privacy from the servants and led the swordsman to a room in the corner of the castle. "There is much I wish to discuss with you, and I wish to hear about your journey from our first encounter to now. If you don't mind, of course," she quickly added, watching him as she spoke.
Realizing quickly that she wished for him to speak first, the blue eyed swordsman recounted the journey for her, explaining what Midna had told him, and what they had learned about not only Zant, but Ganondorf as well. He could still see the evil man in his mind, and he felt even more exhausted as he remembered the final battle between them.
"It seems Ganondorf planned for this from the very beginning," she murmured after listening to Link. "He escaped after being imprisoned by the sages…" her voice trailed off as she looked down.
"But he has been sealed away, permanently," Link added quickly, although he did not fully believe what he was saying.
"I do not believe so," she spoke softly, tearing her gaze away from his. "It is very likely he could escape again, in which case we would need to be ready to fight him." Realization flooded through the swordsman.
"He would want revenge." He thought aloud, raising his own gaze to the ceiling above. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zelda nod, looking almost worried.
How long until he does escape, if he does at all? But Zelda is right; it is likely he will. He did once. But that was different! Thoughts flooded into his mind faster than he could keep track of them. The sages sealed him into the Twilight, where he could become powerful once again. But we did not do that.
"Link, I would like to give you something." The princess's smooth, clear voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he returned his gaze to her, watching her hands as she rotated a small blue-gray stone and rubbed it with her thumb. "If Ganondorf returns, or anything else, I will need to contact you." She looked down at the stone, then handed it to him. Link reached out a hand to take the stone, then stopped suddenly when the triforce on the back of his hand began to emit a faint glow. At the same time, the earth began to shake, however it was over almost as soon as it began.
Princess Zelda looked up at the ceiling, her eyes wide, but returned her gaze to Link, who was rubbing the back of his hand and watching her. She stood quickly, her dress rustling, and handed the stone to Link, looking again at the ceiling.
The swordsman looked down at the stone as the princess turned away, watching as she sighed and lowered her head.
"Ganondorf may be gone, but we will meet again somehow." She lowered her voice and turned to face Link again, her eyes moving to the stone in his hands. "We have been chosen by the gods, and our fates will be forever intertwined."
The princess turned and walked to the corner of the room where an ornate shield hung on the wall, running a finger down it as she spoke.
"He will have supporters, followers, who will attempt to bring him back. When that does happen, we must be prepared. They could begin tomorrow, or many years in the future. But we must be prepared, Link."
Link thought of Zant briefly, and the swordsman felt nauseous as he thought of Ganondorf's followers being used in the same manner.
"The stone I gave you, it will be a way for us to communicate. It will alert you if I need you here. I am not sure how you will be alerted, but you will know. Until then, please be careful Link." She kept her eyes on his, then looked to the ground and walked towards the swordsman.
"What will you do after you return to Ordon?" The princess was sitting again and beckoned for Link to do the same. The question left him lost, and unsure how to answer.
To be honest, he had never thought much about life after defeating Zant, and then Ganondorf. He never allowed himself to think about the future, was more like it. When he and Midna could be killed at any time, they thought of the present, not the future. Now, here he was, the future coming at him.
"I'm not sure," he answered after much thought. "Before, I worked as a goat herder. I'll probably return to that and to my life before." Would he be able to though? After everything he had seen and done, he doubted that his life could ever return to normal. He still saw the burning face of Ganondorf, clear as if he were seeing it again. He still felt traces of the fear and anguish that had threatened to overcome him when he thought Midna had been killed by Ganondorf.
Princess Zelda smiled softly, and looked over Link's shoulder to the window; night had fallen.
"You are leaving in the morning?" She asked suddenly, surprising Link.
"Yes, at dawn." The journey back to Ordon would be a long one.
"Then forgive me. I should allow you to rest." She smiled softly again, and turned to leave. "Thank you, Link. You are a true hero. Thank you for lending us your strength today, and in the days before this one. And thank you for continuing to do so. We will need it." She sighed and left the room, closing the door behind her.
AN: I hope everyone enjoyed reading the first chapter. It was a bit slow, but I promise that there will be more action and better dialogue in the chapters to follow. Please review and let me know what you think!