Chapter One

Ilia stood at the edge of Ordon Village, looking up at the large tree house. Ordon's most revered resident lived there, but he rarely spent time there. He spent most of his hours with his horse, riding across the Kingdom of Hyrule.

She sighed, looking down at her feet. Link had changed in the past year: after his adventures, he had turned impatient and more easily irritated. As to the reason why, Ilia was unknowledgeable, but she did have some idea. She knew it had to do with the grand adventure he went on.

None of the Ordonians truly knew what had happened to him. One day, Ilia was captured, along with the other children of Ordon, and the next thing Ilia knew, she was in the Hidden Village, and later she somehow wound up in Castle Town. The details were all very fuzzy – she doubted she would ever completely recover her memory – but something had happened to Link, something bigger than she would ever be able to comprehend. He had done something, gone somewhere…met someone. Ilia was sure of that, and it broke her heart.

She loved Link, fully and truthfully, with all emotion she could handle, but it was clear that he could never return her love. His mind and thoughts were filled with someone else, and he could not love Ilia. She had mixed feelings towards this: if Link would pretend, then at least she could pretend, too, that Link loved her, and she would be happy. But it was better knowing the truth than being used.

Ilia glanced at the post next to the ladder leading up to the tree house. Epona was not tied there: she had not been for several days. Link was gone somewhere – 'Maybe to see that other woman,' she thought glumly, turning back to Ordon Village – and he would not return for a while. That was how he was, leaving randomly and coming back as though he hadn't been gone at all. Everyone noticed this, but no one dared mention it to him. They did not know what had happened to him, but they knew it was something strange, difficult…something dark, something he might never want to mention again. Only one man, Rusl, seemed not to be disturbed by Link's drastic change of character.

Ilia looked up at the brilliant sun, and then back at Ordon. Maybe she wasn't meant to understand; maybe all she could do was give Link continual love and support as he struggled through his own conflicts.

OoO

"That Ilia doin' okay, honey?"

Link shrugged as Telma set a mug of beer in front of him. He grasped it, taking a sip before responding: "Yes."

"But you ain't," she commented lightly, looking at him with a slight frown. "You ain't visited me for over ten months and then, now you come walking in as if it's only a few days!"

Link took another draught. "I've been busy, Telma. I have things to do, places to be."

Telma raised her eyebrows, folding her arms across her chest. "'Places to be'? Like where?"

Link shrugged again, finding her questions to be irritable. "Just 'round. Hyrule is an expansive place."

"'Tis indeed," agreed Telma, nodding. Her plump, white cat leapt up on the bar, giving Link a knowing look. She meowed a friendly greeting, and Link smiled faintly at her, putting a gloved hand on her head and sliding it down her back.

Telma shook her head in bemusement. "Link honey, I ain't seen Louise take a likin' to any human but you. You must be something special, huh? Or it could be those feral eyes of yours…" Their gazes met, and Telma winked jovially. "C'mon, honey; lighten up. I ain't know half of what you've been through, but I do know that you've been down since you went into Hyrule Castle. The Group told me 'bout how they saved you from a huge horde, and ain't seen you since – except for Rusl, of course."

Link shrugged slowly; he did not want to get into this conversation.

"Hey, honey, I have an idea that might cheer you up."

He looked up at Telma, raising his eyebrows doubtfully. "Oh? What's that?"

She grinned. "Why don't you visit the Princess? The entryway's right there – " she pointed – "and it goes right to her room."

Link was silent for a few moments, contemplating this plan. He had not seen the Princess for a long while, and she alone knew what he had gone through.

"Good idea," he replied. "I'll do so right now."

Okay, so I know because of the high demand of Twilight Princess games, not everyone has completed it, but I have...thus, there will be spoilers here for anyone who has not completed this game, because this fic is based off of something seen in the ending credits. Still, for those of you who either like spoilers (oh, I'm guilty of that!) or have completed the game, I hope you enjoy this!