prework: for fanofthisfiction's January 2019 Show Me The Love Challenge.
prompt: misunderstandings
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Link wonders if he is being selfish when he ventures outside of Ordon. There's always that rush of excitement whenever Mayor Bo, reluctantly, allows him to deliver packages to Kakariko or make trips to Castle Town. He can't help but relish the taste of fresh air, the constant sense of freedom, and the sound of Epona sprinting across Hyrule Field.
It reminds him of when his shadow felt heavier, with Midna's presence hiding just underneath. It reminds him of the solitude of the Lost Woods, the searing heat of Death Mountain, and the mystic waters of Lake Hylia. It reminds him of twilight afternoons spent resting underneath a tree, dreaming of other lives.
But all adventures must come to an end, and Link eventually returns to Ordon. It's not that he feels trapped in his hometown, but there's something in the air that tastes like stagnation.
"You're home," says Ilia gently when Link and Epona navigate their way into the village. She brushes Epona's head, who nuzzles into her hand affectionately.
You have no home, says something in the back of Link's head.
The hero ignores it and politely nods.
It had been a long day at the ranch when Ilia comes to fetch him for dinner. Not long in the sense of physical exertion, for Link barely broke a sweat herding the goats, but in the sense of utter boredom. There were no puzzles to solve, no monsters to sneak past, no battles to be fought.
He daydreams of how the Master Sword felt gripped tight in his left hand, with the Hylian Shield on his right. The way the blade felt just right in his hands, as if he had wielded it for many lifetimes. The way it glowed at night sometimes when he was traveling. Once or twice, he even recalls that it spoke to him—
Link blinks, shaking himself out of the reverie. He looks down at his grooved palms and thick fingers. His hands are far too calloused to just be stacking hay. Ilia waits for him to finish, standing quietly next to Epona, who nuzzles against her warmly.
When he's finished closing up, Link hitches himself onto Epona and offers Ilia a hand.
"Do you want a ride back?"
Ilia doesn't blush like she used to at his request, but she still takes his hand and mounts Epona quietly. She slides her arms around his waist for stability, cheek resting against his back.
Link feels guilty, because the sensation reminds him of Zelda, who had joined him atop Epona to fire light arrow after light arrow at Ganondorf. There's a brief spike of adrenaline when he remembers urging Epona to charge ahead at the Gerudo, and—Ilia says something that he can't make out.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Link says, trying to steady his heartbeat.
"Aren't you relieved it's over?" she asks quietly. Link pauses and almost says no.
"I-" he starts, before biting his lip. It wouldn't do Ilia any good to know that he missed it. The open air, the danger, the adventure. But Link didn't want to lie to her either. After all she's been through, Ilia deserves, at the very least, a modicum of truth.
"Only sometimes," he murmurs. Epona nickers gently, as if to call him a liar.
"I don't understand," Ilia responds, arms wound more tightly around his waist now. "Weren't you scared?"
Link can't stop the laugh that erupts from his mouth when he hears her question.
"Goddesses, yes. All the time. Whenever I woke up, I always wondered if it would be my last day alive," he says honestly, turning his head to look at Ilia. Her eyes are shining, but she quickly blinks and looks away.
"But I was doing it for Hyrule. For Zelda. For Mid-"
He stops himself, blinking away his own tears now.
"...For the people. And for you too," Link continues softly, placing one hand against her intertwined arms.
He hears her breathe in and exhale deeply, and they are quiet for the remainder of the ride back down to Ordon.
Link enjoys a humble meal of pumpkin soup and bread. If there is one thing he doesn't miss from his journey, it's the feeling of hunger. The terrible pangs in his stomach when he was badly battered and lost midway through a dungeon still haunt him at times.
He, along with Ilia, sit with the other adults now. Sera and Fado ask him questions about his current journeys to Kakariko and the Castle, and Link can't help but let the words spill out in a tone that's far too eager. Mayor Bo looks on, somewhat disapprovingly, but doesn't say a word.
At the very least, no one had asked him about what saving the kingdom had been like — Link would regale them with stories of near-death without a second thought, and no one needed to hear that, let alone Ilia.
Ilia eats quietly, watching Link all the while. There is something bright in his eye when he speaks about riding across Hyrule Field and seeing the kingdom.
"Link?" she interrupts softly. He turns to look at her, and the brightness is gone. Her heart, very briefly, aches.
"I'm going to take Epona to the springs, if that's alright with you," Ilia says, trying to look in any other direction. Out of her blurred, peripheral vision, she sees him nod, so Ilia walks away briskly.
Link frowns, and Ilia does not see it.
He comes to see her, late at night. Ilia is still by the springs, feet partially submerged in the water. She doesn't notice his presence. There are a few fairies that pulse gently with light, floating serenely above the waters. They remind him of the infinite levels of the Cave of Ordeals and the struggles of blessing each spring, but Link pushes those thoughts away.
"It's late," Link says quietly. She turns to look at him, eyes slightly puffy and pink.
"I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway," Ilia sniffles, cupping some water in her palms and letting it seep through her fingers. Link wants to say he can't sleep either, but explaining that his own insomnia is caused by a lack of adventure seems like a poor way to comfort her.
He decides to set down and dip his bare feet in the water as well. The moon is bright tonight, without a cloud in the sky to obscure it. Ilia looks somewhat ethereal, bathed in the moonlight and soft glow of the fairies. Like someone plucked out of a dream. Link realizes he's staring somewhat brazenly and shifts his vision while leaning back on his arms.
A moment passes. The night is warm, though the spring's water keeps them both comfortable.
"Even now, I don't always remember everything, you know?" she says softly, hugging her knees. "It's hard sleeping because I have nightmares about things I can't remember."
"The whole thing...it was all like one big nightmare," she shudders, before looking at Link with those big green eyes. "But everyone else seems to be okay, and you actually miss it, so why am I still-"
Ilia holds back a sob.
Link reaches out a hand, then retracts it. It would be cruel, when he is a living reminder of those troubled times.
"Nobody ever said you have to be okay now," he says softly, listening carefully to the water. "Everyone heals on their own time."
There is little, if any, reaction to his words. Epona nickers softly to the side, before dropping to her knees and closing her eyes for the night. Eventually, Ilia turns to look at him.
"What was it like?"
Link doesn't know what to say. He had been closer to death more times than he could count. He remembers running to the next destination, the next dungeon, the next enemy, even when he was bloody, hungry, tired, and cold. But it all had given him purpose and being back in Ordon feels almost crippling.
"Do you really want to know?" he says, unsure.
Ilia gives the question some thought, then nods. She moves closer to him, the sides of their hips just barely touching. The words are still caught in his throat.
Link lets his back touch the sand.
"It was like a dream," he whispers. He looks at Ilia to gauge her reaction, but she doesn't move a muscle, staring straight across the spring.
"Sometimes, it was like a nightmare, but most of the time, it felt like a never-ending dream. The whole thing was so out of my league that it just felt unreal."
The words hang in the air.
Ilia lays down on the sand perpendicular to Link, with her head atop his chest. His left hand is placed on her stomach and Ilia gently places her own hands over it. She turns to face him, eyes green and bright.
"Tell me more."
Link tells her everything. The words spill out raw and unfiltered, and he hopes Ilia doesn't notice the tears that leak out occasionally.
She gasps and frowns when he tells her about the injuries. She knits her fingers together anxiously when he talks about the Twilight. But sometimes Ilia laughs softly at his words, head bouncing against his chest.
Link is glad to see her smile after so long.
The night passes, and streaks of orange are now coloring the sky. Link feels tired for the first time coming back to Ordon. Ilia traces the Triforce lazily on the back of his left hand.
"...and then I came home," he finishes quietly, eyes drooping from exhaustion.
Link decides he likes the way this feels: grains of sand sticking to his skin, the water lapping at his ankles. Ilia's head is warm, resting on his chest, his left hand intertwined with hers. She turns to face him, viridian eyes lidded with fatigue as well.
"Yes," she agrees, eyes closing gently. "You're home."
Link falls asleep and dreams of nothing.
"Come back safe," she says, lips curving upwards. Princess Zelda's coronation is this afternoon, and Link has been invited to attend. Never one to pass up a chance to revisit the kingdom, Link dresses in his green tunic, Ordon sword and Hylian Shield strapped to his back. He feels almost nostalgic, as though he is about to save the world a second time.
"I will," he promises, adjusting Epona's saddle. Link turns to face her and say goodbye, but he feels her thin arms slide around him quickly in an embrace, and all of a sudden no words come to mind.
"Link, I..." she starts, face pressed against his chest.
But Ilia just tilts his head down and brushes her lips against his cheek. She pulls away, hands behind her back, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Link is still speechless.
"Don't do anything out of your league again, please."
Link smiles and nods earnestly before mounting Epona. He takes one last look at Ilia, before urging Epona to move forward. There's still that rush of excitement that floods his veins when he enters Hyrule Field, but Link no longer feels the ominous dread of having to return to Ordon.
The journey involves nothing but Link, Epona, and the wind rushing past his ears. The castle grows larger by the minute, and he can almost hear the bustle of the townspeople, eager to see their princess become a queen. Pressing Epona on faster, Link lets his mind wander.
Ilia might never understand the whole of it, he thinks.
But that's okay.
He remembers her smile, those gentle green eyes, and the feeling of her kiss against his cheek.
For once, Link is relieved that the adventure is over.
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notes: i always felt that after everything Link had gone through, he would have a hard time leaving the adventure behind whereas Ilia would probably like nothing more but to leave the past in the past. there's a fundamental mistunderstanding about the nature of Link's journey between Ilia and our hero, but nothing that can't be resolved with communication and time. finally, this fic was largely inspired by sarsaparillia's stories on post-canon twilight princess, namely the fics 'wither' and 'zombie'. i really recommend you go check them out :)
additional notes: let me know if you liked it! ;)