Prologue
No one had expected it. At least, not entirely. They knew there were tensions between Hyrule and Holodrum. But they thought that the treaty that had been put into place soon after the Days of Stolen had fixed the issues. There was to be no invasion, no war, no fighting, and both countries would live in peace within their own boundaries. And, naturally, that is what happened. For a few years.
But the King of Holodrum was persistent. He wanted and craved Hyrule's green fields, its deep blue lake, its towns and villages. He waited five years, and then struck with all his force, first at the small towns on the border, then as the larger villages, still by the border.
Word had gotten to the good King Matthew and Queen Zelda of Hyrule of the attacks, and they fought back, not only with their own military forces but with words as well. When they demanded at a short parley why King Astor was not upholding his end of the bargain, the man sneered. And there in front of Zelda and Matthew, Astor held up the treaty and burned it, laughing almost maniacally as he did so.
That was, of course, the official beginning. That was when word was sent to Hyrule's allies, the Twili, ruled by a Hylian Hero and his Queen, Link and Midna. The news, as expected, was not good, putting both the King and Queen in a sour mood. Link wanted to leave immediately to aid his kingdom, but he had been ordered by the Queen of Hyrule herself to not leave the Twilight Realm unless Hyrule absolutely needed their Hero. He should remain with his family until then. Besides, the war hadn't gotten that bad...yet.
The days stretched to weeks, the weeks to months, and the months to two years. It was a stalemate: neither side gained nor lost. But then, one day, about a year after Astor had first burned the treaty so carefully crafted with good intentions, the bloodiest battle so far occurred. Hundreds upon hundreds were killed and in the end, Holodrum was the victor.
Things had taken a turn for the worse. Less and less battles were won by Hyrule, and soon, Matthew and Zelda had no choice but to call upon their allies of the Twilight. The armies of those who dwelt within the shadows gathered and prepared to go to the aid of Hyrule.
It was with tearful embrace that Midna let her husband and eldest child, a girl of seventeen years, go through the portal to the World of Light to save the kingdom that was undoubtedly entwined with the Twilight Realm forever. Link had donned his green tunic, one he had worn on his first adventures when he was no older than his daughter, Nellie. A Hylian Shield was strapped to his back, but he had no sword. That wouldn't be the case for long, however, since he would make a stop to the resting place of the Blade of Evil's Bane, the sword of the Heroes of Hyrule: the Master Sword.
Princess Nellie had a shirt of chain mail topped with a black-and-green tunic, and a long blade strapped to her hip, her red hair in a tight braid that was tossed in front of one shoulder. Though she seemed not very well defended, she had a deep knowledge of magic taught to her by her mother. She was skilled in all but one ability of the Twili magic, a novice in the way of warping, the Twili's way of getting around.
As the troops filed up to the portal between the Light World and the Twilight Realm, Midna pulled Link aside. She was taller than him by at least half a foot, as were most of the other Twili, but that didn't stop her from claiming his lips one last time. Their two younger children, fourteen-year-old Andrew, and seven-year-old Nico, stood nearby, watching with awe as the Twili troops marched past them with their sister.
"Midna..." Link said softly as they parted ever so slightly.
"You take care of yourself and Nellie, got it?" Midna asked, holding back tears. Link nodded, staring into the fiery pools of light that were his wife's eyes. She stared back, and a tear broke free, racing down her pale cheek. Link reached a hand up, wiping the tear away gently.
"I'll be back before you know it," he said. He slipped from his wife's embrace, bid his two sons farewell, and, with Nellie and the rest of the troops, entered the Light World.
A month passed, and then another, and then a third. Link and Nellie sent letters as often as they could to thier family back home, and Midna read and kept every single one of them, praying to the goddesses that her husband and only daughter would be safe.
And this, dear readers, is where our story begins.
Author's note: Indeed, this is where the story begins. This is seven years after the events of my fanfic Stolen. I'm hoping to work on this and my other two stories Sick Days and Mask. I might not update that fast, but I hope you enjoy! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think!