DISCLAIMER: The majority of these characters (Link, Midna, Zelda, Ilia, etc) are the intellectual property of Nintendo and are used here solely in a non-for-profit entertainment format.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The events in this story take place shortly after the conclusion of the Twilight Princess, though in a world whose sequence of events is altered slightly from the canon and is far more mature and gritty than the original game. I will attempt to bring up planned deviations in the storyline as soon as possible though a few things will likely be missed and sneak up on the reader out of left field. I hope you enjoy.
The lone rider's horse meandered its way along on the path that was carved through the surrounding forest by years of foot and horse traffic. Despite the fact that it was mid-day, shadows abounded along the path as the lush canopy of the trees above the singular traveler provided ample shade from the blistering heat of the sun burning in the skies above. The natural sounds of the thick woodlands along the sides of the path was its usual din of bird calls and small mammals skittering across the underbrush, but something distinctively man-made was also present. There was a slow but steady metal clank originating from the rider as the ornate hilt of his sword bumped against the frame of an equally well crafted shield as the horse took its slow steps. As the traveler passed through shafts of sunlight filtering down through the tree tops, a ray would occasionally glint off of the dull metal studs that were sparsely spaced at regular intervals on his muted green tunic or the short length of chain mail that protruded every so slightly from the bottom and shortened sleeves of the garment. The rider's arms were held slack just forward of the saddle's pommel, his leather gauntleted hands loosely gripping the reins of the mare. Despite the apparent lack of control over horse, the animal was still following every contour of the path, automatically making turns at intersections. A bystander might think that the traveler did not care what his destination was, but it was the furthest thing from the truth. The rider was well aware that his mare knew exactly where to go, it was a well traveled path for both the man and the beast. The traveler was grateful for the lack of required input though, it allowed him time to think. And the rider had much to think on.
It was difficult to accept that it was finally over. He'd spent the last few months of his life working to almost single handedly saved the realm as it were. A small snort of amusement escaped his lips. 'Saved the realm.' His accomplishments still seemed like a surreal camp fire story used to bewilder the village children. In retrospect, he was still amazed how he'd survived it all. Even with the help he had. A sense of disbelief translated into a shake of his head as he pondered the unorthodox traveling companion he'd had from the beginning of the whole ordeal. He'd remember that back before everyone started referring to him as 'the Hero of Hyrule', he was just 'Link'. A simple young man of 17 summers living in the small village of Ordon scraping out a living working as a ranch hand. He also had the additional responsibility, as did all men of age in the hamlet, of serving in the Ordon Militia. Though that in and of itself was a punch line all its own. The truth of the matter was that Link had been the only member of the militia that even bothered to train regularly, a fact that made him something of a local celebrity among the local children that watched him attack training dummies in complete awe. The rest of the village's population thought he was something of a novelty that simply didn't grow out of fairy tales of knights and dragons. Many thought he needed to slow down and enjoy life more, pointing out the amount of time he spent alone in the old watchtower that had been converted into a home. The chieftain though, Bo, simply chuckled away the rest of the villagers remarks, reminding them that it was simply in Link's blood.
It rang true enough though, considering his bloodline. His father, Marcus, had been the hamlet's constable for many years, keeping Ordon safe from predators and the occasional thief that would pass through the village. One day though, when link was 9 summers old, a small group of bandits tried to raid the village directly. Marcus stood his ground against the onslaught, felling all of the bandits before they could harm anyone and whose only damage was the torching the constable's own home. Unfortunately though, the last bandit was slain in what amounted to a battlefield suicide pact. Both his father and the last remaining bandit had been skilled swordsmen and Marcus decided to risk everything to keep the village from harm. He charged at the bandit without regard for his own safety, the two fighters running each other through. Link's head dipped slightly in melancholy reflection as he recalled watching the scene unfold from behind a fence post, cowering in the shadows with Irene, the mayor's wife. He remembered screaming out for his father when the sword pierced the man's chest. He'd quickly wormed his way out of Irene's grasp and darted to the side of his fallen father. He remembered his father's glazed eyes and the pink foam bubbling out of the corner of his mouth, the blood staining his teeth a tinge of bright red. Link threw his arms around his father neck and began to sob. He remembered his father never cried out though, instead he wrapped his arm around his son and weakly bade for the boy to look at him. Through the tears in his own eyes, Link saw the clarity in his father's eyes as he spoke his final words to his son. "It falls on you to protect them now my boy. I go to your mother and the Goddesses now. We will be watching. Make us proud and know that we will love you forever."
Coupled with the loss of his mother in bearing him, Link was left orphaned after his father's death. He had been taken in by Bo and Irene afterwards, raising him alongside their daughter Ilia for three years until Irene began to fall ill. Link confessed to Bo and Irene that he felt he was a burden and planned to leave. Bo would hear nothing of the sort though, asking what the village would do without its 'little constable'. The boy kept at the issue though, and in the end Bo agreed to have the men covert the unused watch tower into a house for the boy. Much to everyone's surprise though, instead of asking for assistance he began asking for work and quickly became self-sufficient. By day he did whatever job someone would pay him for and by night, he spent hours honing his craft with a blade. After Irene died, Ilia sought out further companionship from Link, the two becoming very close over the years. It was even through Ilia that he was eventually given steady work at ranch that Bo owned and 'frequently loaned' the mare he now rode on. A smile came to his face as his mind turned from the morose past and focused instead on how Ilia constantly reminded him that Epona was her horse, she was simply letting Link borrow the animal.
But of course his uneventful, and indeed the whole village's, life took a turn for the worse a few months ago when the village was attacked. Ilia and the other children of the village were kidnapped by foul creatures Link gave chase hoping to rescue them and instead wound up being whisked away on an insane journey to save the entire kingdom. The whole quest was still overwhelming to thing about, the sheer fact that half of the time he was trapped in the form of a wolf fuddled his mind every time he started to make sense of it all. If transformation wasn't enough of an oddity, he was paired most of the time with an impish shadow creature named Midna. The creature had started out unbearable and more than once Link wanted nothing more to do than to take advantage of his canine form and maul the snide, bratty goblin. Though as time and events put their partnership to the test, she slowly became less abrasive and he in turn began dropping his guard. The two formed a bond that can only come in risking one's lives together and they slowly became more cordial with one another. Then Midna risked her life to save his. The scene reminded Link far too much of his own father's death and he was determined to not lose someone else on his behalf. He'd rushed her to aid, and when she was healed, he counted her among friends from that point forward. Though Link's heart nearly broke once more when she was killed by Ganondorf. At least she appeared to have been killed. The sight sent Link into a rage, the fury pushing him over the edge and allowing him to gain the upper hand and best the evil mastermind that had engineered all the horrors that had befallen Hyrule in the past months. As the last of Ganondorf's life escaped him though, something happened. Link couldn't explain it but somehow, Midna rose from her seemingly mortal wounds, not only uninjured by in her true form, a humanoid woman not much different from Link in anything other than skin color.
After the battle, Link and the Hyrulian Princess, Zelda, had accompanied Midna to the far flung Gerudo desert. They'd traveled there in order to escort Midna, who was also a princess in her kingdom of Twili, a strange world that existed on the other side of the Mirror of Twilight, to the mirror that would take her back to her own realm. Much of the journey was in silence, though when pressed Midna stated that she had to hurry back to ensure that the curse was also lifted from her known people. Link had asked if she would return or if he could cross in her realm from time to time, not wanting to lose a good friend after all they'd been through. The twilight princess just gave a smile and assured Link that they would still see each other on a regular basis, any time either of them wished it to be so. He didn't press the issue at the time but he remembered thinking that her red eyes had a hint of sadness behind them as she smiled. When they reached the mirror, he and Princess Zelda had said their goodbyes, Midna offer them both an embrace as she said her goodbyes. The embrace among himself and Midna lasted somewhat longer, both he and the Twilight Princess seemingly afraid to let go. When she reluctantly withdrew her arms, she kissed him on the cheek, her warm lips pressing against the stubble on his face for much longer than a simple peck. Link was stunned by the action and left too dumbfounded to embrace the woman again or do much of anything else. She withdrew after a handful of long seconds, tears starting to pool up in the lower portions of her eyes. She quickly turned from his sight and threw her black hood over her long, lustrous red hair. She started to weakly mumble out something but stopped herself. Instead she opted to simply offer a curt 'See you later' before striding purposefully through the mirror. The distorting of the glass into a water-like surface was enough to break Link from his stupor and he quickly rushed towards it, calling out to Midna. As he reached the mirror though, it solidified half a heartbeat before it shattered into a million pieces not much bigger than a grain of sand. Even before some of the dust settled, a gust of window tore through the open air mirror chamber and blew the glinting remains of the mirror out over the desert sands.
The silence was almost deafening on the ride back to the castle, both himself and the Princess too shocked and confused over what had just transpired. When they reached the castle, Zelda extended her courtesies to Link. She offer him a warm bed, daily feasts, a servant to see to his every desire, any thing that could convince him to remain at the palace her right-hand man-at-arms. The much vaunted position of 'Guardian of Hyrule' was a unique position only during and following times of great unrest. It was appointed for life and was so uncommon, it wasn't unusual to have centuries pass between guardians being present in the royal court. Link thanked the Princess for her gracious offer but stated that he couldn't answer at the moment. It his head was still racing and the only thing we wanted was to take some time to reflect and relax. The princess understood his motivations and told him that the offer would always stand, and even if he declined, he would always be welcome at the castle. They said their goodbyes, the Princess likewise giving him an embrace and a peck on his cheek, though both seemed to be nearly expressions of thanks. Not the same unspoken subtext he'd felt from Midna performing the same gesture. Link rode off, Zelda still waving goodbyes as he left for Ordon, putting Epona into an easy trot.
Link snorted out a sound bore of amusement and disgust. He'd taken a long route back towards Ordon at a slow pace to give himself time to think and attempt to figure out a few things. But even as he finished crossing the sturdy rope and plank bridge that lead to the village, he realized that he'd just raised more questions.
He could make out the spire of his home above the underbrush in the distance, hear the rush of water coming off the short waterfall that ran along the side of the pond , and begun to smell the faint odor of families beginning preparations for their evening meals. A slight smile rose at the corners of his mouth as he let his sense take in the signs of home. He hadn't left the village much prior to that fateful day months ago but he had been coming and going much in the past few months and the familiar sights, sounds, and smells had become a point of comfort for him. It had become a symbol of what he had been fighting for. As he neared the clearing beside his home, he saw a few diminutive figures in animated motions around the clearing. The smile that had been tugging at the corners of his mouth now broke out in a full blown grin as he watched the village children playing at the base of his home. One young boy ran breathlessly to the opening of the path and happened to shoot a glance down the artificial canyon cleared out of the surrounding vegetation.
"Link!" The boy shouted out in joy as he eyes brightened further at the sight of the hero approaching down the path. The youth broke out into a full run towards the rider, another boy hot on his heels. Link brought Epona to an easy stop before swinging his leg over the front of the saddle and sliding off of the mare's back. He knelt down and made sure to brace himself for the collision that he knew was coming. He threw his arms wide but made sure to leave his joints loose and tightened his muscles.
"Kids!" Link shouted in a hearty return, one arm catching the fair-haired Colin, the other catching the dark haired Talo. With how fast they'd run into his arms, he was certain he would've been knocked on his rear had he not been prepared for the impact. Before he could say a word, the two boys of 12 summers began assaulting him with questions.
"Where'd you get to go this time?!" Colin asked as he withdrew from Link's arm and shot a starry eyed gaze up at him.
"What'd you get to kill there?!" Talo questioned, reaching to the hilt of the sword on Link's back and tugging on the weapon to indicate it.
"Come on! Tell us everything!" Colin pleaded, putting his hands together in a mime of a prayer.
"He'll tell us everything when he gets the chance!" A girl's voice called out a split second before a pair of hands appeared behind the two boys and grabbed one of each of their ears before twisting slightly. The two boys had sharp inhales as the pain hit them, the hands guiding them up and away from Link. As the youths were cleared from his view, he saw the slightly taller figure of Beth, the girl of fourteen summers trying to give the hero some breathing room.
"So," She started, locking her soft blue eyes on Link's. "What happened this time out."
"You can't have had much left based on what I've seen and heard about." A came younger but more firm and authoritarian voice. The hero glanced over and saw the small form of Malo standing a few feet back from the crowd along the shrub border of the trail. A slight chuckle escaped Link's lips. He didn't think he could ever get used to the boy of 10 summers that was wise and mature far beyond his years.
"You're right Malo." The hero confirmed. "It's over. Ganondorf is dead." The statement changed the entire air of the conversation. Gone was the excitement and playfulness. It was replaced with looks of bewilderments and mouths that hung open. There was a long silence before one of them finally spoke.
"Did you kill him?" Talo asked with a hard swallow.
"Yes. I did." Link responded in an even tone.
"Wicked." Talo replied in a bewildered tone that brought a shine to his green eyes.
"Are you okay?" Beth asked, her eyes searching him for wounds. "What about the Princess?"
"Who cares! " Talo interrupted. "He's here so he's okay. Question answered. So how'd you do it?!" The boy asked as the awe faded and was replaced by excitement once more. "Did you slash him like-" He started as he reached for the short sword at his hip. The blade was barely an inch out of the scabbard when the smaller but firm hand of his brother Malo clamped down on Talo's and jerked his sibling's hand down, sheathing the blade.
"Don't." The younger brother interjected. "You remember what Link said when he convinced the mayor that everyone including us should be armed."
"Talo," Link questioned in a scolding tone. "What's the first rule?"
"Do not draw steel until it is needed in the defense of yourself or others." Talo answered with his eyes locked to the ground at his feet, his tone becoming low with a hint of shame.
"Remember," The hero stated as he hooked a his forefinger under the boy's chin and brought his features into sight, locking his eyes onto the youth's. "You holding that blade is a promise to yourself and all those around you. It's not for play, or to intimidate, or to get what you want. It is a promise that you will defend and avenge until death."
"So," A new voice spoke in a soft tone. "Does that mean you're back for good now?" The children parted and Link's eyes saw the lithe form of Ilia standing in the middle of the path. A slight wind kicked up, ruffling the fabric of the white cotton shirt she wore and the short, dark blonde curls that framed her face and the warm smile that was spreading across it. Her soft emerald eyes were locked on his, a shine in them that told Link that he was her entire world at that moment. The hero rose up from the ground and began walking slowly over to the young woman of 16 summers.
"Looks that way." He answered as he closed the distance between them. "I will likely have to leave on occasion to assist the Princess but as far as a quest that drags me all over the realm and dodging death at every turn, I think that part's over with." He stopped mere inches Ilia and slipped his gauntleted hands into the gap between her slender arms and small waist, locking them behind her back and drawing her closer to him. "Is that acceptable to you?"
The young woman's response came back not with words but with actions as she brought her hands up to his neck, sliding them towards his spine then up into the short blonde locks on the back of his head. She brought his face closer to hers, the two feeling each other's warm breath as their lips met. Their eyes closed as their skin made contact, neither wanting to focus on anything other than the intimate moment they were sharing with each other. They held the kiss for along moment as they both forced their lips onto the other's, both longing to be as close as a person could be. Ilia slowly pulled her mouth away, tilting her forehead against Link's, neither bothering to open their eyes, and breathing deeply to catch the air that she denied herself in order to give a proper greeting to her friend, her hero, and her lover. "By the Goddesses I've missed you so much." She whimpered in a small voice, as she still drew her breath in deeply.
"I missed you too, more than you know." He agreed, content to live in the peaceful moment for as long as the two young lovers could manage. He barely noticed the voices and shuffling footsteps around him as he devoted his attention instead to all the details of his childhood love.
"Let's go." Malo ordered a firm voice, beginning to walk back towards the village. The two older boys were more than happy to agree, the questions they wanted to ask their larger than life hero now out of reach for would could easily turn into hours, if not days. Beth on the other hand, stood her ground, her starry eyed gaze locked on to intertwined forms of Link and Ilia. "That means you too, Beth." Malo called back over his shoulder.
"Fine." The older girl conceded. She looked back at the couple and a heavy sigh escaped her lips before she began to walk back to village as well.