Hi to anybody that is reading this! It's been a SUPER long time since I've been on here to write. This story is a prequel to my other story I have published on here, Tension and Time, which I still haven't finished writing. To whoever hasn't read Tension and Time, you don't have look at it to understand what's going on in this particular story. The two are completely different.

It's been months since I've updated Tension and Time, and I'm sorry to the few people who have been following it. I'm currently going to put it on hiatus. I haven't had many good ideas as to where it will be going. It will be finished, I promise, but for now, I've decided to start up another project while I brainstorm of what I can do with my other story.

I am very excited about this one, however. It takes place about a year after the events of Twilight Princess. It's basically a murder mystery, so make sure to be on your toes. I'm also deciding to add Zelda's father in this story, because why not. I'll explain later in the story where he was during the Twilight Invasion. First few chapters will be a little dull, mostly because I had to introduce all the characters and the plot and all that fun stuff. It will get a lot more interesting as you keep reading.

Please enjoy. I am working EXTRA hard on this whole project. As always, make sure to leave a review. It would be greatly appreciated.

Much love to whoever stumbles upon this and have a wonderful day.


BEHIND THE BOOKSHELF

Prologue

Ilia,

I know I've neglected to inform you of this, but I've recently been recruited by His Majesty to join the Hyrulean militia. He gave me the offer through a letter, which I received about a fortnight ago. I first immediately rejected this offer, but as I put more thought into it, I realized that this is my calling.

I've already given His Majesty a response by accepting his offer. I am to leave tonight, with Epona, and travel all the way to the castle. It should be around a two day trip. Castle Town is more silent nowadays, so I don't believe I will get caught in the large crowds of citizens, which is quite preferable to the usual bustling streets.

I furthermore apologize for not letting you know. This decision was quite difficult for me to make, and when I finally decided to accept, I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I didn't have the heart to say it. There had been so many instances where I've tried, but I just couldn't physically get the words out. I'm just awful with words anyway, so this is a much preferable method to communicating, for me at least.

I will miss you so much, and everybody else. You've made such a positive impact on my life. I wish I wanted to stay, but this offer truly feels like my calling. Since the war, I've felt very out of place dwelling here in Ordon. I just need a change, a place where I can do something useful to furthermore benefit my future.

I hope there is a level of understanding here. This is not a goodbye, however. I will return in due time to visit. I could never forget about you.

I'll miss you. Please write to me if you are able.

Link

Taking a lengthy breath, Link slowly placed his quill to the side. He had little ink left, which left him to say fewer words than he would've liked. There was so much more to explain than the vague details he gave.

Ilia would likely visit his house in the morning, which was why he decided to leave the letter at his desk. Lately, she had come to visit him much more frequently during the morning, possibly because he wouldn't leave his house without her pestering. He found it incredibly irritating, but he knew she was just doing it because she was concerned.

Quite frankly, everybody had been concerned about him since he returned from the war. He didn't blame them for it. There was something clearly wrong, and he knew he was making it obvious. The random disappearances into the woods throughout the middle of the day, his lack of communication with the village, and even his obvious disinterest in the farm labor was a clear sign that something had changed.

However, there was a fragment of him that didn't want to leave it all behind. At a point in his life, Ordon was his future. He dreamed of getting married, having children, and living on a small farmhouse just outside the village. He loved the work he did—goat herding, farming, and even helping Mayor Bo on the occasion. It was the life he wanted to stick with forever, being by the people he cared for, in their tight-knit community he had grown up with.

But then the Twilight came. The war that destroyed everything in its path. And being the hero of that war changed possibly everything he had ever known.

Emotions swirled uncontrollably as he rose from his desk. This was clearly harder than he had anticipated it would be. Even with his bags fully packed, and Epona waiting outside his house, he still felt a hesitant.

Link took one more deep breath before gathering his bags. He knew he couldn't stay for much longer, or he would likely convince himself to change his mind. Throwing caution to the wind, he took one last look around his cozy home before stepping into the night.

The night wind practically slapped him in the face as soon as he stepped outside. It was cold, bitterly cold, and his dark cloak flapped quickly behind him. He fought the urge to shiver, or rather, the urge to head back inside, and kept on stepping against the wind. He felt as if the wind was screaming at him to stay, screaming that he was making a fatal mistake with every step he took.

But he pushed on. Shockingly enough, the wind grew tougher as he drew nearer to Epona, almost to the point where he felt that he would be knocked down. Chills dragged down his body, and as he rubbed his hands together, his skin already felt icy to the touch.

But he still continued to walk. Soon enough, he reached Epona, who was tied to a tree trunk. Link instantly felt warmer as he approached her. He was glad he had a friend to accompany him on his journey.

"You cold, old girl?" Link whispered soothingly. He ran a hand down the side of her neck, which earned him a soft snort in return. Even she looked sad, Link noticed. Her ears, which usually stood upright, were drooped significantly down the sides of her head.

"It's alright, old girl," Link reassured. He ran a hand gently through her thick mane of hair. "We'll be back here to visit. I swear it."

Epona didn't give any response, only dropping her head sadly. A twang of guilt flooded his body, but he quickly pushed it away as he untied the rope and climbed atop her saddle.

The wind was blowing even harsher than ever before, but it did nothing to stop him from leaving. He had endured much more cautious rides with Epona than a slight weather obstacle. Giving one last look at his house, he kicked Epona into motion, leaving nothing behind but his own vague letter of goodbye.