AN: I reference TP a lot in this story- as well as OoT- so if you haven't finished either of those games yet, SPOILERS AHEAD! Oh, and there may be a SS reference or two snuck in there. XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda. 'nuff said. This fantastic world belongs to the genii at Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto.

That being said, on with the story! Read, Enjoy, and Review!

The Legend of Zelda: The Hero's Twilight, a 'Legend of Zelda' fanfic by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 1

-Two years after the Twilight War-

"Link." Ilia whispered quietly one morning as they walked through Ordon Village, just enjoying each other's company. The blond, blue-eyed boy looked at her. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Confused, the Hero of Twilight cocked his head, a silent question in his eyes. Trusting his long-time childhood friend, the young man followed the mayor's daughter into the woods of Faron.

"It started a few days ago. I was exploring in the Sacred Grove- in a part I'd never been to before- and suddenly I heard this eerie, haunting melody. It was coming from a side chamber of the old Temple of Time. I tried to get through, but it was blocked off by rocks. I even tried putting a bomb next to it, but nothing happened. Some of the rubble was cleared away by the bomb, but there's still a huge cube* blocking the way. It's marked with the same symbol as the old Door of Time that protected that legendary blade, the Master Sword." She explained.

[* You can find the same cubes when you play OoT. They're mostly in dungeons. And there's one in Dampé's grave/windmill]

Link listened intently to his friend's story, trying in vain to discover what her point was. He didn't remember any side chambers on the first floor of the temple, but he did admit that he could be mistaken. Then he turned his attention back to Ilia, who had started speaking again.

"I was wondering if you could help me, being a hero and all." Ilia smiled, extremely proud of her best friend. Her silent companion nodded without hesitation, his noble spirit not allowing him to refuse the request of a friend.

-Eventually-

They made their way to the central chamber of the ancient temple, and Link spotted the enormous stone block that barred the way to the side chamber.

"This is it." Ilia confirmed. "According to Rusl, the Hero of Time used to be able to move these blocks with a special song. Of course, they also say he had a magical ocarina, but both the tune and the instrument have been lost to time. It's a little ironic, don't you think?" She asked, and the young Hero nodded. Without warning, a piercing howl cut through the evening air in the Grove, and Link recognized the melody as the one that filled the Temple of Time in the ancient past.

As the wolf's song faded, so too did the giant cube that blocked their way into the chamber. Link and Ilia exchanged an excited look, then they both walked into the ruined room.

After traversing a number of gaping holes and springing a few hidden traps, the two friends came upon a sight that was thought to have been lost for centuries:

The tomb of the Hero of Time.

Ilia gasped and put her hands to her mouth, hardly believing what they had discovered. Link was more concerned with what lay atop the sepulcher, though he too felt a sense of awe and wonder at their find. For, laying on his belly facing them- red eye alight with some unknown mix of emotions- was the Golden Wolf.

Though he knew the sacred beast to be a friend and even mentor, Link drew his blade- stepping protectively between the animal and the girl he deeply cared for.

The wolf seemed to raise an eyebrow, and the strange emotions in his eye seemed to strengthen. Ilia noticed this, and she asked, "Is he- laughing at us?" She was wearing a nearly identical expression to the wolf's: a mixture of amusement, mischief and greeting in her green eyes.

Link shrugged, then sheathed his blade and relaxed his stance ever so slightly. The wolf got to his feet and stepped off the stone sepulcher, loping over to a small stone chest that the two humans hadn't noticed earlier. He whimpered quietly, and the young Hero slowly approached his former teacher. Taking an unspoken cue from the Golden Wolf, Link carefully opened the stone chest and peered inside. Resting at the bottom were two beautifully carved ocarinas- one blue like the ocean waves and with a silver band marked with the Triforce, the other looking like it was carved from rose quartz with a green band*. Link gasped softly as he picked up the rose-colored instrument, reverently admiring the ancient ocarina as if it were a priceless treasure.

[* Ganondork actually shattered Time's Fairy Ocarina in the manga, but it's not canon.]

The Golden Wolf seemed to smile, then began to howl a different tune. Link recognized this one as well. It was the first song he'd used to call the Golden Wolf with the Howling Stones. He'd since learned its name from Uli: The Song of Healing. Taking the hint, Link played the melody of the song while the wolf howled in perfect harmony. Ilia gasped as her Hero and the Sacred Beast began to glow with a golden light, and she soon found herself unable to look at them anymore for the brightness.

Eventually, the beautiful duet drew to a close, and the golden light dimmed and slowly faded away. However- when Ilia opened her eyes- only Link remained in the room, and no sign of the Golden Wolf could be found. Ilia looked around frantically for the noble beast, her wide eyes clearly asking, 'Where did he go?'

Link smiled solemnly and rested his left hand on the tomb of his ancestor. He's finally at peace. After all these centuries, his spirit can finally rest. He's earned it.

Unfortunately, that wasn't what the goddesses had planned for the Hero of Time. For as soon as Link removed his hand from the tomb, a great rumbling shook the ground beneath their feet and the stone lid of the barrow cracked with the sound of thunder. Both Link and Ilia gasped and landed hard on their backsides as the quakes increased in intensity, and stared up at the sepulcher with fear, wonder and just a bit of curiosity. A burning sensation in his left hand* made the young Hero look down, and he gasped as Farore's mark began to glow like never before. Acting on instinct, he stood and raised his hand high into the air, curling it into a fist.

[* I play the GC version of this game. To me, Link will always be left-handed, and- based on extensive research (IE, playing the games)- I have concluded that the Triforce mark always shows up on Link's 'sword-hand'.]

While all this was happening, Ilia happened to glance at the tomb and received a horrifying shock. A hand had come from inside the grave and was pushing one half of the lid off of the sepulcher. Ilia could see the mark of the Triforce on the back of this hand- just like her friend's- the mark of Courage standing out from the others.

However, the strangest thing about this hand was its appearance. It did not look like it belonged to a centuries-old corpse. In fact, it looked like it belonged to a young man in his late teens. Ilia's assumption was confirmed a moment later as a second hand and arm joined the first- followed closely by a blond-haired, blue-eyed head. The figure stood up from the stone coffin, his ragged and corroded armor still managing to glimmer in the filtered sunlight that pierced through the trees. Link's eyes widened when he realized that his old teacher had looked almost exactly like him in life, except for his hairstyle. The Hero of Twilight parted his hair on his right side, while the Hero of Time had a part in the center.

Time slowly stepped out of his resting place, his eyes on his descendant and pupil. His mouth was turned up ever so slightly in a solemn smile, and Twilight recognized the glimmer in his ancestor's blue eyes. Pride. The Hero's Shade was proud of him! The gravity of the situation finally dawning on him, Twilight knelt down on one knee before his old master. He was in the presence of a legendary hero! The Hero of Time!

But then, Time did something unexpected. He put a gentle hand on Twilight's shoulder and spoke. "Rise, my son. A man need not bow to or kneel before his equal."

Twilight slowly looked up, his face a mask of confusion. What was he talking about? He- a mere ranch boy- could never measure up to the legendary Hero of Time!

Time smiled softly, guessing correctly the question written all over Twilight's face. "We have both saved the world of Hyrule from the tyranny of Ganondorf in our day. Do not downplay your feats of Courage. You have earned the title of 'Hero', just as I did. You have proven that Farore chose her Champion well." He imparted, displaying the mark on the back of his own hand for emphasis.

"H-Hero of Time?" Ilia breathed softly, hardly believing the scene before her very eyes. Time looked over at the young woman as if seeing her for the first time. Something in the young man's cobalt eyes gave her the courage to continue, and so she did. "The legends say that- you were the savior of not one world, but two. Is there really a parallel world connected to Hyrule? Is- is Termina real?"

Time's smile grew wider as he reached into another chest in the room and drew out a mask. A mask with white hair, tanned skin and odd markings on its face and forehead. The mask that allowed the Hero of Time to borrow the powers of a god* to save a world from certain doom.

[* or demon in Japanese]

"The Fierce Deity's* mask-" Ilia gasped, staring at the mask in wonder. The legends of Termina and Majora's Mask were true after all!

[* Oni]

As this exchange took place, Twilight's countenance fell once again. Time had saved two worlds, while he-

"-Saved two worlds as well. Or have you forgotten the world of the true Twilight Princess?" Time interrupted his train of thought with a wink. "Like I said, a man needn't kneel before an equal."

Link gasped. He had forgotten about Midna. So much had happened since she shattered the Mirror of Twilight that- in two short years- she had disappeared from his mind completely.

You have another question, my lady. I can see it in your eyes." Time stated, turning back to Ilia with interest. After a minute of silence, he asked her question for her. "You are wondering, 'Why are you here?' Am I correct?"

Still too stunned to speak, Ilia nodded. Time closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I too am confused as to why I was returned to life in this time. Perhaps Farore needs the both of us for some purpose. Though I cannot imagine why two heroes would be needed in the same time and place. For the time being, we should make the most of what we have now. I am here, and you two are here, but this old temple does not feel like the right place to be."

"I know what you mean." Ilia nodded, speaking up suddenly after finding her voice. "It feels like we should be getting back home, and quick." Twilight looked at her, and she could see the same feeling in his eyes.

Suddenly, Time's eyes lit up with excitement. "Link, do you still have the Dominion Rod? I want to try something." Twilight nodded, then drew the ancient staff out of one of the pouches on his belt. Time led the other two to the ancient doors, then turned to his descendant. "Will you do the honors?" He invited.

It was a rhetorical question, but Twilight nodded anyway. Activating the Dominion Rod, he flung the orb of light at the temple doors, which shuddered a little upon impact. Then he stored the Rod and pushed the doors inward, exposing the portal to the past. Time walked in first, then- as a gentleman should- held out a hand to help Ilia through. Finally Twilight walked through the portal, and the doors closed behind him.

End of chapter 1

From now on, I'll be calling the heroes by their titles (or just Time and Twilight), since they look almost exactly alike and have the same name. It's too confusing otherwise! Unless Time is talking to Twilight or vice versa. They'll just call each other 'Link'. Or, Time will call Twilight 'Link' or 'my son' or something to that effect, and Twilight will call Time by his title or something. I dunno.

So, the Hero's Shade has returned! What could Farore possibly be planning for her 'Chosen Heroes' this time? You'll just have to wait and see!

Ever since I played TP for the first time, I wondered if the Hero's Shade could be the Hero of Time, and whaddya know, I was right! Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed it in Hyrule Historia! HA! Called it!

I know that you couldn't access any such place as the tomb of the Hero of Time in TP, but just pretend it's in a part of the Sacred Grove that the Skull Kid didn't let you into before.

It turns out that Time did keep the Fairy Ocarina from Saria after all! I like to think of it as the Ocarina of Friendship, and there was a reason that I had Twilight claim it. You'll find out why soon.

Okay, that's not technically canon to the manga, but the manga's technically not canon to the games! And this is a Fanfiction. We authors can write whatever we want, right? So there. XD

Oh Ilia, why'd you have to ask that? Are you trolling Twilight on purpose? No matter how I write that, it always comes out that way. Sorry, Link!

Don't worry, my lovely readers. You'll find out where they're going in the next chapter! Until then, sayonara!

God Bless!

Tsunami Storm