Twilight Princes

たそがれ王子

Why can't I forget him…

It hurts so much…

I keep having this dream where he never left…

We're so happy there, in the dream world…

I don't want to wake up…

"HEY!"

"HEY! LISTEN!"

As my eyes open, returning me to the crushing reality of life without him, Navi circles above, no doubt to tell me about some new crisis that I must take care of.

It has been a few years since we stopped Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm. Right now he's rotting away in a jail cell deep beneath Hyrule Castle. My memories of being an adult have faded with time, and now I wonder if it ever really happened, it feels like a strange alternate world at this point. Was I really once considered the Hero of Time? Now, I'm just a normal kid growing up here in the Kokiri Forest. Normal maybe isn't the right word… I've never felt like I really fit in here. Everyone is friendly enough, but they always keep their distance… Except for him…

It was two years ago, tall grass swaying in the breeze, the sun low on the horizon. He made his move.

Having been entrusted with the Ocarina of Time by Princess Zelda, I carried it with me wherever I went, but I was terrible at playing it. On this summer evening, in a clearing in the woods that was 'our place,' I thought I would try and play Saria's Song for Yuri.

Yuri had always been there for me. The first to greet me when I returned to Kokiri Village, by my side when I would have nightmares about Ganondorf, and he was the only one that believed I had once been the Hero of Time and had travelled to the future. Yuri had beautiful chestnut brown hair, it was wavy, and would always get caught perfectly by a breeze, gently falling across his face just so. He had freckles, that were only noticeable when a ray of light would shine across his face. Like a perfect constellation of stars guiding me towards the deep pools of his emerald green eyes. We were friends, but he meant more to me than that.

I started to play, but could feel his eyes on me, and quickly became flustered.

"What's wrong? You were doing so well!"

"I can't focus with you staring at me like that."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Look away? That's no fun."

"Fine. Then I'm turning around."

And I did. With my back to Yuri I could still feel his eyes looking me over, but at least I felt like I could concentrate on the song a bit better. I started over, with my eyes closed I found myself getting lost in the song. I could hear the gentle rustle of the grass, I could feel the warmth of the sun slowly waning on the horizon.

"Here, let me help you."

Yuri whispered as his silky hair slid along my cheek.

Taking hold of the ocarina, Yuri took my hands in his, caressing them softly as he did so.

"Let me help you find the right holes"

Moving my hands gently up the body of the ocarina, Yuri corrected my fingering, his body pressed up against mine.

"Now, blow."

The song was perfect. His hands working with mine, sliding up and down the ocarina, it was a beautiful melody. With each breath, he pressed closer into me. We were in sync, our breathing, our heartbeats, I had never felt so close to anyone before. The feeling was overwhelming. As he leaned his head against mine, I could feel my body begin to tremble. I could feel his breath on my cheek, its warmth only intensifying the heat I was already feeling. I could feel my hands getting weak, the ocarina shaking in them.

"hold on... just a little longer." he murmured, his head pressed firmly into my cheek at this point. My mind was racing. My heart was fluttering.

The ocarina dropped.

There, in that meadow, where once music had been echoing, now was only silence. Save for the gentle breeze, our hurried breathing, and my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

"What now?" he asked. Turning me around to face him. I couldn't look at him. I was too embarrassed.

"W-w-what do you mean, 'what now?'" finally getting up the nerve to look into his eyes. Those beautiful emerald eyes, piercing into my soul, melting my flesh. I was transfixed.

"Well..." he said, leaning in close. He pulled my body in towards his, tilted my chin ever so slightly, and pressed his lips softly into mine. A tingling sensation went through me. I felt like I had been struck by a bolt of lightning thrown by Lanayru herself.

He pulled back for a second. "How about that?"

I was at a complete loss for words. So close to this person, who I could not deny my feelings for, yet in the moment, I was shocked, I could not for the life of me put a sentence together.

"W-w-we can't... This isn't right." I stuttered, my head still spinning.

"Why not? You can feel it. I can feel it. We shouldn't hold back." As he leaned back in. This time, kissing my neck. He worked his way back up, and soon his tongue was inside me. I was powerless, because I knew he was right. I wanted it too. Feelings are hard to understand, but maybe that's the point. You don't have to understand, you just have to feel.

He began to untie my tunic, but stopped because I must have flinched. "What's wrong?"

"N-n-nothing... I just didn't think it would go this far."

"Well, we can stop here if you like."

In that moment, that seemed to hang forever, I knew what I wanted.

"No... I don't want to hold back around you."

He smiled, and just then the last fragment of sunlight passed across his face, illuminating his freckles, glowing a deep orange as they reflected the setting sun. It made him seem almost otherworldly. His perfect skin shimmering in the fading light.

It was then that he laid me down in the tall grass, now standing straight up as the breeze had died down. Sliding my tunic off, Yuri began kissing my chest. "Hngh." I couldn't help but let out a little cry. He worked his way further down, tracing his finger along my body closer to… parts now exposed.

"It's so cute..." I heard him whisper.

He began getting very close. My body quivered with anticipation, I felt like I was going to black out. He licked my stomach, and looked up at me with pleading eyes. "So, how 'bout it?"

I nodded. And then...

"HEY!"

"HEY LISTEN!"

I had been daydreaming again, lost in my memories.

"WE'VE GOT TO HEAD TO THE LOST WOODS. THE GREAT DEKU TREE SAYS THERE IS A MONSTER CAUSING HAVOC, AND WE HAVE TO STOP IT."

"Navi, I just don't feel like it today…"

She began to bounce frantically around the room.

"LISTEN! IT'S YOUR JOB TO KEEP THE FOREST SAFE!"

Knowing that she wouldn't give up until I did what the Deku Tree asked, I obliged. Throwing on my casual tunic and boots, and collecting my sword and shield I was ready to head out.

Today was a day like any other, the sun was shining, the crisp air of fall had set in, the village was peaceful. It's a little boring when things are like this. Everyone smiles, but behind the façade, I can tell there is something else going on. Feelings of disapproval, distrust, and disgust permeate from every ounce of their being. The fakeness these people display makes me wish I had vanished when he did.

I trudged in to the Lost Woods, in search of whatever it was that was freaking the Deku Tree out.

Ever since that night, the people in the village have been treating me and Yuri differently. We kept our relationship a secret to everyone, but our closeness was attracting some unwanted attention. The whispers were starting to become deafening. A cacophony of rumor and accusation.

"Don't let it get to you." Yuri would tell me with a loving smirk on his face.

"All that matters is how we feel about each other."

His comforting words helped ease my anxiety, but it was still hard to deal with all the stares. Their eyes piercing through me. Stripping me of my humanity.

Our love continued to be intense. The secretive aspect of the relationship, simultaneously a source of anxiety and extreme pleasure. To be sneaking around to steal a kiss, running off under cover of darkness to 'our place' to truly be alone together, it was exhilarating. A sensation I had never know before.

With his arms wrapped around me, I was safe, I was loved. The first time he entered me was everything I wanted it to be, despite being a bit painful, I never felt closer to anyone, ever. Under the moonlit sky, in the same clearing where we first realized our true feelings for one another, we became one. Each thrust going deeper, penetrating not only the physical, but plumbing the depths of my very soul, it was a euphoria that was unmatched. Still, I could hardly look at him while in the act. The embarrassment of the situation, to be so exposed to someone, so vulnerable, caused me to blush, even though I was enjoying every second of it.

"You look so cute when you're embarrassed. I love that about you."

"S-s-shut up." I said, trying to hide my ecstasy.

When he finished, he collapsed in a heap on top of me. Utterly drained. Sweat glistened on his chest, we were both a mess, panting in the immediate aftermath of the passion of the moment. As I looked up at him, he looked down and smiled. No words needed to be said.

For just a second though, I saw something in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. I couldn't tell what it was, but there was something there. His gaze went from me, skyward, taking in the moon and stars on display for us tonight, they are only witnesses. Something about the wistful look in his eyes filled me with fear, but I was sure that it was just my imagination, coming down from such a high, I wasn't thinking straight.

It was not long after that night, he was gone.

I knew my way around the Lost Woods by now, so getting lost was never a concern for me. Every tree, every rock, every fallen log I know them all. Walking around, I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. It was eerily quiet, though. Usually the Lost Woods has an energy to it, it isn't necessarily a pleasant one, but there is some semblance of life to it. Today it felt dead.

As I continued doing my rounds, I suddenly heard something. A faint laugh, off in the distance.

Heading in the direction of the sound, I could hear that accompanying the laughter was a flute, drawing me towards it like the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

I reached an intersection, and down one path, for just a second, I saw a figure dancing merrily out of sight. That must be the cause of the furor back in the Village. Despite not getting a good look at whatever it was, I started to have this intense feeling of sadness come over me. Why?

After our last tryst in the woods, Yuri had become distant. Something changed. I didn't know what it was... It really had me worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, one night in his home. The two of us snuggling under a Wolfos-fur blanket.

"I don't know. I think the pressure is starting to get to me."

He clung tightly to me, the heat from his body enveloped me, a wonderful feeling, but the look in his eyes was the same as it was on that night. I could tell that the pressure he was feeling was really bothering him. When it was just me who was on the receiving end of the nasty looks from the other villagers, I eventually got used to it. It was sad, but I came to accept it. Yuri wasn't used to that treatment, and when he started getting close to me, he began to realize just how mean people could be. He always seemed so strong though, I would lean on him for support, and it's seemed like maybe he needed me a bit more than I thought.

"should we just run away?"

"maybe... but how about we just enjoy tonight."

With his arms around me, I looked up into his eyes and saw a bit of the old Yuri. He kissed me softly on the forehead, and I buried my face into his chest.

I began to work my hand down his body, but he stopped me.

"Everything is just right, as it is. Sorry I've been a bit off the last little while. Like I said, sometimes the way people look at us gets to me. But right now, this is perfect."

I kissed him a few times on the chest, lifted my head up and met his lips with mine, before nuzzling his neck. He smelled faintly of the wildflowers from our special place. I felt that sleep was upon me, kissed him once on the neck, and closed my eyes.

I woke up several hours later alone on the couch. The Wolfos-fur blanket draped over me just so. Yuri was nowhere to be found. That's when I found the note.

It simply said.

- Link -

Thank you for everything. I will always love you.

-Yuri-

Tears immediately welled up, my cheeks flushed.

Where did he go?

Why did he leave?

What should I do?

I went to the only place where I thought he might go. Our place.

The clearing in the Lost Woods, where we were allowed to be free.

I stumbled through the forest, the tears blurring my vision, my frantic heaving the only sound I could hear. Finally I arrived in the clearing, only to find... nothing.

So, I waited.

The hours passed, and still no sign of him. Was he really gone?

I waited until sundown, and decided to head back to Kokiri Village.

For the next week I visited the same place, hoping against all odds that Yuri would be there, waiting for me. By the end of the week I had run myself into the ground. The loss had taken a devastating toll on me. He was my only real friend in the village. Without him, I'd be nothing. I started to wall myself off from everything. Spending days on end in my home, only emerging to procure the most essential of supplies. Thankfully, I hadn't been summoned to do any work cleaning up threats to the village, I don't think I could have dealt with it.

I was living a miserable existence, but there was really no alternative. My life had been torn to pieces, and I would just have to live in this new, broken reality.

The sadness continued to rend my soul to and fro and I began to chase after the laughing, dancing menace. Always staying just out of sight, I couldn't get a good look at him. It looked like it might be a Skull Kid, which I have come across before here... I lost sight of him, but could still hear laughing and the melody from his flute. It sounded like it might be Saria's Song that he was playing.

As I followed the sound, I realized that I was on a familiar path. Was he leading me to...

No. It couldn't be. Why would it be doing that?

Sure enough, I emerged from the dense forest, out into a clearing. It was our place.

The music had stopped, and there was no one here. A faint breeze rustling the tall grass was the only sound. I hadn't been back to this spot in over a year. The painful memories of that time were too much for me, and I could feel the despair creeping back in.

Riding on the breeze, I caught the slightest hint of wildflowers in the air, but it was the wrong season. None were in bloom. The scent brought back a flood of emotion, and once more brought tears to my eyes. I was compelled to pull out my ocarina and play Saria's Song, like I had two years ago on that magical evening.

I brought the ocarina up to my lips and began to play.

The melody was shaky, with the tears running down my face, and my hands trembling, I was ruining the song.

"It's OK." a familiar voice whispered.

A pair of warm, grey hands grabbed hold of the ocarina, positioned my fingers correctly, and gently brought the ocarina back up to my mouth.

"Now, blow."

It was just like that time. And the voice was unmistakable.

I began to play, but turned to look at who was there behind me.

It was a Skull Kid.

But...

he had soulful, emerald colored eyes. Deep, beautiful, piercing emerald colored eyes.

I knew it was him.

"Yuri!"

"Yes, it's me. I... I suppose I have to explain. I ran away from the village, from you, because I couldn't take the accusing eyes of the people anymore. I was so weak. I wandered in to the Lost Woods, intent on going to our place one last time...

I got lost..."

He looked away, then looked up to the stars, now starting to shine in the early twilight, his fists were balled up at his sides.

"I immediately regretted my decision. I wanted to go back to you. I wanted to be with you forever. But, by that point... I was already turning. Soon enough... I was a Skull Kid. I've been trying to reach out to you ever since, but haven't been able to. And now you're here... And now you know what happened to me, And... And now we can never be together."

"I'm so sorry... I always thought you were so strong, Yuri.

I felt like I was leaning on you too hard, and that's why you left.

You should have told me how you felt. I would have done anything to keep you in my life."

"Would you play Saria's Song for me, one more time?"

"Um... well, I'll try."

I began to play, my nerves still getting the better of me. I was still shaking from the realization that he was still here.

"There's something special about that song, Link" Yuri said to me, his gangly, skeletal legs clattering as he danced in the tall grass.

He stopped, with his back to me, turning his head back in my direction, "I couldn't figure out how to speak to you, I was always there… watching. When you spent a week here waiting for me, I was right behind you, but you couldn't see me or hear me."

He spun around gracefully, and pulled out his flute, looking at it intently.

"But, I just happened to play Saria's Song one day, and people started to notice I was there. It was amazing. Maybe if I kept playing, you'd come back to me."

He held up the flute to his mouth.

"How about we play together?"

He started playing the first few bars of Saria's Song, before I joined in. He was so good. Even as a Skull Kid, every note sounded perfect. Just keeping up with him was a challenge, let alone sounding as good as he did.

The music echoed through the clearing, resonating in the trees, and in our hearts.

As we played, there was no other sound. Any little critters had silenced their cries, the wind had died down. There was nothing but the sound of his flute and my ocarina. It was then that something magical happened.

As we played, particles of light began to gather and dance in a circular pattern around us. Just a few at first, my initial thought was that these were fireflies, but soon there were too many for that to be the case.

The light was beautiful. Warm and inviting, it slowly encapsulated us, a planetarium all our own. These celestial orbs began to drift closer to us. Soon, it became too bright to see. The intensity of the light faded slowly, and I opened my eyes. Adjusting to the twilight again, I looked over at Yuri.

He…

He…

He was human again!

I leapt into his arms, tears falling uncontrollably. He pulled me in close, and kissed me deeply. The intensity was unbelievable. A feeling that I thought had died inside me. That was laid to rest at the bottom of my broken heart. With just one touch from him, these feelings re-emerged from the depths of my pitiful solitude. All the loneliness, all the sleepless nights, all the pain, was washed away in an instant.

"I can't believe you're right here in front of me now…"

"Neither can I. I've missed you so much."

We tumbled to the ground, arms around one another, renewing a love that we had thought was lost to time. He ran his hands down my back, slipping one underneath my tunic, grabbing my butt. It was forceful, but it felt so good. I sat up on top of him, and began to untie my tunic. It slipped off with ease, and there I was, exposed to him. Unlike before, there was no embarrassment, I had the complete confidence to love him in this moment. I started to take his tunic off, slowly. I slid just the top part off, my heart racing. I licked his exposed chest, concentrating my efforts on his right nipple, gently kissing it, nibbling it. I could see he was enjoying it, so I kept going. By this point, I could feel something hard underneath Yuri's tunic, and I knew we were getting close to escalating the action. My eyes met his, and I worked my way back up to his mouth, sending my tongue deep inside. I pulled back, the slightest trail of saliva dripping out of my mouth, landing on his chest, glistening in the moonlight. We were both panting, but as I looked into his gorgeous eyes, we knew it was time.

I pulled off his tunic, revealing everything. In our previous encounters, I had never actually touched… it. But, now there it was, in my hand, so warm and hard, like a lava rock from Death Mountain. I was worried that it might erupt, but Yuri's face told me we weren't there yet.

I softly kissed it, then ran my tongue up and down its length. It was simultaneously a foreign taste, and yet, seemed so very familiar.

"You don't have to do that…" he whispered between his quiet moans.

"I want to."

And with that, I put it in my mouth, sending Yuri over the edge into an ocean of ecstasy. It wasn't quite as easy as I imagined, there was so much of it in there. But, I just wanted to connect with him as deeply and intimately as I could.

"I can't believe this is really you. You're so sure of yourself. You were never like this before…"

"Wel, it's all thanks to you." I said as I pulled my head up. Looking up at him with a smile. "Now… put it in."

He flipped me on to my back, the grass was soft, but tickled just a bit. Lifting my legs up, he put it in with everything he had. From here, I can barely remember what happened. It was an out of body experience.

When he had finished, we lay together in the grass, side by side, holding hands. The stars a glittering curtain, hiding the infinite mysteries of the universe behind them. I wanted this moment to last forever. But…

I looked over at Yuri and noticed that he was sparkling. fractals of light, like the grains of sand in an hourglass, floating upwards towards the starlit sky. And like an hourglass, I had a horrible feeling these tiny lights were telling me our time together was coming to an end.

"Yuri! What's happening to you?"

"I think this is it. I've been living in limbo here in the Lost Woods, unable to move on. My regret and my desire to see you kept me here as a Skull Kid."

Yuri stood up, the particles of light slowly disintegrating his body into dust. He looked at me, with a calm expression on his face.

I stood up in front of him.

"But… I don't want you to go. I finally found you again. I can't lose you… I…." The tears started falling. I kissed him one last time.

"You'll be fine. You're already so much stronger than you were."

"But I'm nothing without you…"

"That's not true. You ARE the Hero of Time no one can take that from you."

He was almost completely gone now.

"I will always be with you, Link. I love you."

"I love you too…" I whispered as tears streamed down my face.

The crystalline light shimmered as it floated upwards towards the Heavens, becoming a part of the night sky. A constellation that will guide me for the rest of my life.

"I'll find you…" I said "Someday, somehow…"

I sat there, my disheveled tunic hanging crooked on me, looking up at the stars. And for just a second, I thought I heard a few notes of Saria's Song. All alone in our special place, I felt him there with me, and knew that I could carry on.

-FIN-