Nintendo created all the characters and places and stuff. I just made the story up. The cover was done by Zeliga of DeviantART.
Chapter one - Powerful Connections
Link let out a gasp as Midna climbed up the set of stairs. She turned in silence as a beam of white light came from a huge reflective surface that Midna had called the Twilight Mirror. The same mirror both she and Link had braved the cold, travelled into time's temple and risked the clouds for. A few crystal tears fell down Midna's cheeks. Zelda held Link back with a stare as she vanished into a growing portal that shone from a black piece of marble.
Midna vanished and the mirror smashed into a thousand flakes like confetti. She was gone.
Over the course of four months, Link had become a hero, but only to a few people; many regarded him as the Ordonion boy who knew no fear. But Zelda and Midna had known different; they had seen him as a beast. His heart crumbled. His beast form had ripped open the grieving wound for Rinku; his guide, his guardian and his friend. He had longed to be able to run with him on four legs, even for a moment. But that moment had never happened and it was never going to happen again. Rinku's soul had been repaired and he was finally free to move on. Midna was the only one who he could be truthful with about Rinku now, she had seen him.
But she also saw him in Link.
From that fateful day they met shortly after Link's transformation to his beast form she could see golden. A golden heart filled with grief. One night, while Link was sleeping, keeping her warm with his tail while Zant's spell had forced her into a pathetic imp form, she had put a hand to Link's head and looked into it. Her heart had also fallen that night; his life had been through more blows of grief and despair than she could have thought for, something she could never heal without her love.
Something she was determined to fight for.
It was the night she had decided to save the light world too. Link was her friend, no matter how hard she pushed him; he did as told, not even knowing he was a commoner that was following a princess.
Link dropped to his knees, his heart thumping against his chest. Zelda put her hand on his shoulder; he looked up at her; Rinku had seen her as a child, but he never saw the same woman. She had long brown hair that was both over her shoulders and tied behind her back, her white dress was covered in a layer of dirt and sand at the bottom. She looked at Link with dark eyes, they did not understand but they were filled with sadness, sadness for her kingdom and the loss of her friend.
"I should go now." Link mumbled putting a hand on the solid stone frame that was now filled with sharp cracks "Only the true leader of the Twilight can destroy the mirror." he repeated, Midna's words had never really sunk in till now.
"Must you?" Zelda asked glancing at the black marble that the portal had vanished to "Link, you have done this world a valuable service, without you I would have still been a prisoner in my own castle."
"I appreciate your words, Your Highness." Link muttered blinking back tears
"It would be an honour for you to stay at the castle. It would be noble of me to give you a knighthood. I insist." Zelda spoke giving Link a light bow
"I'm grateful but-" Link stammered, Zelda lifted up a gloved hand to halt him; Link lowered his head, he had never been good at talking to Zelda in an aristocratic sense. It made him feel uncomfortable
"You have shown great services to me, to Hyrule and to the Twilight. You deserve a knighthood at the least!" Zelda shouted, Link crouched to his knees, he knew he was dealing with a monarch; he had never been able to crouch in his beast body, it more along the lines of a sit.
"Of course, Your Highness." Link said, Zelda tutted and walked down a set of steps into the sand to the exit
"I will be able to get you a house in Hyrule Castle Town, I'll get you servants, I-" Zelda began but saw Link sitting on the bricks, looking a little lost
"If you don't mind, Your Highness. I would like to just live in Ordona Province with my family and friends. My mother is due to give birth soon and I want to be there for her and my father." Link sighed
"But don't you want some sort of reward?" Zelda asked folding her arms "You are getting your knighthood whether you want it or not."
"Actually, there is something…" Link mumbled, biting his lip "Can you show me where Link the IV is buried? I want to pay my respects."
"Wh-what?! You've never had any connection with him! No family came to his funeral!" Zelda hissed, Link looked her squarely in the eye
"It's not like I could. I am his great grandson." Link said; Zelda's mind seemed to roll over.
"You-you were the baby! You were the one who escaped! We didn't know if you were alive or not!" Zelda screamed as her escort finally arrived around the corner "Now you must come to the castle! There is much to discuss!"
Link slid in his chair; Zelda had ordered the knighthood to be done in the morning and he could not sleep in a bed. The best he could do was the cold stone floor that closed him in. This place was full of ghosts, some flitting in and out of the stone walls and others howling in complaint at the fact there was someone in the room. Link did not fear them; he could not sleep no matter how hard he tried. Slipping out of the window he wandered in the gardens a bit, keeping well away from any of the guards on patrol. He found Rinku's grave and dropped to his knees.
There were lots of autumn flowers growing near the headstone, mainly small lilies, and the headstone was covered in a layer of moss and overgrown grass. Link snapped.
His heart was in shreds, Midna had broken it, Rinku had broken it and now he was getting a knighthood for something he felt he needed to do. He had NEVER wanted a reward for his contribution to Ganondorf's demise.
"Why did you leave me, Rinku? Why couldn't you stay?!" Link screamed, he did not care how loud he shouted, he did not care who heard his mournful cries. He felt Daku turn uncomfortably in his soul; he could feel his comforting hand his shoulder and his warm fingers wiping away his tears.
"I'm here to give you confidence, Link. Why is your heart suffering?" Daku asked as he started to materialise in front of him in a white shroud
"People have left me behind." Link managed to utter before cleaning the headstone with his sleeve
"But Link, you can't grieve forever. Face it, the only reason you want Rinku is because you want him to tell you what to do." Daku spoke forcing Link to look up at him "He can't do that anymore, he gave the reins to you. You were ready for him to leave. You healed him."
Link lowered his head
"At the price of losing him forever?" Link whined sitting in the grass
"He's here, Link." Daku reminded him placing a hand on Link's racing heart "You are eighteen now and in love. You have a choice, stay in the past with a grieving heart, or you can travel to your future with a happy one. Up to you, whatever you choose, I'll be here." Daku whispered vanishing with the morning sunlight. Link looked up to the dawn with a tear soaked face then marched back inside the castle.
"Her Highness is ready for you." a guard spoke gently knocking on a wooden door. Link bit his lip as the guard opened it; Link wore a dark green tunic, similar to one Rinku had worn in his Hylian form, with thin slip-on boots, he had his sword in a sheath on his hip instead of his back and his Horse Call from Ilia around his neck. His hair had been brushed tat-free by one of Zelda's ladies-in-waiting and he had been given a long red cape that he had trodden on more than a few times, almost choking himself. As he walked towards the throne room, a group of girls in long dresses let out a squeal, a girl dressed in blue collapsed on the floor. Link stood and for a moment
"Are you ladies alright?" Link asked trying to talk snobbish, how he loathed it. The girl dressed in orange let out a high pitched squeak
"It's him!" the third girl in a bright pink dress screamed cuddling a book to her chest, Link swallowed hard
"What have I done?" Link mouthed to a guard standing by the door who gave him a quick shrug, Link turned his head and gasped in fright as two faces were so close to him he nearly fell over
"I like your hair." one of the girls commented
"Th-thank you." Link answered slightly backing away
"He's so strong, I bet I could hang from his arm like a monkey!" the other girl squealed reaching for his shoulder
"Are you going to get knighted now?" the first girl asked
"Uh, yes. I am. Do excuse me." Link whined, eager to escape. He climbed some stairs to get to the throne room, he knew the castle well, his beast form had made a mental note; he had slept on the very stair carpet.
On the way he heard the clanking of armour and two men came down the stairs. Knights. Link hoped they would not spot him. As if.
"So this is the runt who has had no training and no studying, yet he gets to be a knight." the bigger of the two men growled stabbing a finger into Link's shoulder. He felt Daku turn in his soul in annoyance, he felt Link's emotions more than Link did as they often reached him first and gave him the power to pep talk to Link before it got out of control.
"I did ask Her Highness not too." Link mumbled as the smaller of the two men grabbed him by the collar and picked him up off the floor, he could smell alcohol on his breath. Link tried not to gag on his own.
"Look at him, why do the ladies love this 'fearless' boy? He's a weakling!" the bigger of the two knights spoke circling him like a vulture, Link said nothing but his fingers itched to unsheathe the Master Sword
"The only one who became a knight at eighteen was Link the IV and he was just as a runt as you. Except he wasn't brain dead, he knew how to handle a blade." the smaller of the two knights chuckled dropping Link so hard he toppled over. Link had never been one for a temper, but his beast instincts were not shy on the emotion. Link was angry, but hid it well.
"You're just an orphaned farm boy who would shame the thought of such a good man." the bigger of the two knights grunted. Link's hand grasped the handle of his sword
"Don't talk about him like that. His family may not like it, if they were alive that is. How foolish!" the smaller of the two knights laughed.
In a moment the two knights had no idea what had just hit them. Link stood over them, his temper flaring like a fire.
"I am Link the IV's great grandson, you will talk about my family with the same respect I am expected to give you." Link snarled pointing the Master Sword at the bigger of the two knights "And I am not just an 'orphaned farm boy' I don't plan to stay here in these stone walls. The reason why the ladies-in-waiting like me is perhaps because I am polite to them and not filled with booze and brawl filled thoughts. Excuse me gentlemen."
"Can't finish what you started?" the bigger of the two men laughed getting up off the floor, Link halted but did not turn around, he sheathed the Master Sword and took out an arrow tip, one broken from a Moblin during an attack of hunger he had made with Shell. He tossed it with a flick of his hand and drew his sword out, he smacked the arrow tip into the wall just above the knights head.
"I don't miss twice. Good day, gentlemen." Link growled sheathing the sword once more and walking up to the throne room "Oh, watch out for the carpet." Link smirked giving it a sharp tug to hear the knights crash at the bottom of the stairs.
The guards opened the doors to Zelda's throne room for him; he nodded his thanks and glanced around at the small audience of knights, elders and council members. Some ushered whispers as he crossed the long way to Zelda, she held out the blade that had tasted Link's blood in her right hand ordered the audience to rise; Link gulped. His eyes were searching for any sign of his family or the Resistance who had helped him but none were there. Link brought himself back to the present and stopped walking. The audience sat down, eyes stared into the back of his head as Zelda began her speech
"As long as there has been a castle here, there have been the many great soldiers and knights fighting for it. Some wise as oak trees, some as strong as the wind and even some who are powerful than time itself, we honour Link today for his brave deeds to Hyrule and the gift of his modesty." Zelda roared with such a voice that Link thought she could not own, he crouched on one knee and lowered his head as the tip of Zelda's sword touched his shoulders "Sir Link of Ordona Province."
Gasps filled the room, Link lowered his head even more, just hearing those two names made people think he was not worthy of such a title.
"Hush!" a booming voice shouted; an elder came forward, lifting his arms up to silence the people
"Teacher, not at this moment, please." Zelda hissed "I told you no objections."
"I do not give an objection, Your Highness. I merely wish to tell the audience how wrong they are to gasp at this young man." Teacher replied "People! You see this boy? He has done more for this world than you can imagine and keeps humble through it all. Has he been rude to any of you within the time he has been here? Who else do we know who was a very wise and just man, one who was the bearer of Courage?"
Link was pulled from his crouch by his left wrist, the audience fell into uproar.
"Who are we to judge this boy? When the Goddesses themselves have chosen him to be humble, brave and kind?" Teacher yelled, Link pulled his wrist away and bowed to Zelda before marching away
"What was that all about?" a man from the audience shrieked as Link shut the doors with a slam
"He's not one for attention. He refused the knighthood at first." Zelda sighed "Just like his grandfather."