A/N: This chapter was revised as of 8/31/2016 - Polished, minor errors and typos fixed, bits and pieces added.
This chapter was revised as of 6/5/2017 - Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.
This chapter was revised as of 2/27/2018 - Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.
This chapter was revised as of 5/17/2019 - Polished, bits re-worded.
When Heroes Fall
By: Selphie Kinneas 175
Chapter 3: A Spark
.:.
The sun never seemed quite as bleak as it did when it rose following Ilia's death.
The woods had never been as quiet. The water had never been as still. The air had never been as thin.
The animals seemed to notice; not a creature was out to play, all were tucked away in various hiding spots and dark places to escape the harsh sun that simply felt out of place. The trees seemed to notice; not a branch rustled nor did a leaf fall, all were frozen in time the moment their ancestral tree was reduced to dust and cinders. The very wind seemed to notice; there was no calming breeze to wipe away their pain, no gentle draft to blow away the soot and ash, no subtle gust to erase what had happened.
The people were lost. The people were silent. The people were angry.
The people were angry at deities that would allow such heartache and grief befall their people. Why would the golden goddesses permit such devastation? Children had lost mothers and fathers, wives had lost husbands, husbands had lost wives, and parents had lost children. Why should the sun be allowed to rise when one was no longer there to witness it? It didn't seem fair.
The people should have been used to the pain accompanied with loss, as it was an agony so often endured, but death was one thing that never got easier to cope with. Ordon Village had seen a mayor lose his wife, and his darling little girl lose her mother the same day. They had seen a hardworking farm boy grow up motherless, only to lose his father far too young. They had seen an orphaned boy stumble into their midst, only to grow older to discover he held a fate far heavier than any words could put into perspective. They had seen that same sweet, innocent boy turn into a man tormented by demons none could understand, and they saw him consumed by trauma to the point where he abandoned his loved ones without a word. They had seen the shop keeper's little girl fall head over heels in love, only to lose her husband in battle, thus leaving their little boy to grow up fatherless. They had seen an infant child come into the world without a father, only to have his mother die brutally before his eyes with so much life yet to live.
Another orphaned child. Another loved one lost. Another life taken too early.
Why was it… that the young were the ones to suffer and perish, while the old carried on?
The goddesses had a twisted web they weaved.
Ren had wept silently long into the following day. He hadn't realized when he started to lose consciousness, but Rusl had been anticipating it, and he caught the young boy's weak frame as soon as he started to topple over.
He made his way through the crowd of people still huddled together for love and support during this time of turmoil. Each either gave the older man a pat on the shoulder, a disheartened nod in his direction, or the ever forced, 'it will all be okay.' None of those things did anything for his state of being. In fact, they went mostly ignored. Not to be intentionally cruel, but because he was just so lost within himself. He had been the one in the midst of it all… He had been the one to see her mere seconds before her life was taken… If anything could have been done to save her, it would have been up to him, and, even though he knew in his right mind that he did the right thing, it was becoming more and more difficult to keep reminding himself of that.
His ears were still ringing, and the petrified look of his niece wouldn't leave his mind's eye. All he could see were her once bright, lively green eyes filled to the brim with an immeasurable fear. All he could hear whenever the constant ringing would let up was her screaming milliseconds before the initial blast…
Goddesses… It was enough to paralyze him.
He carried his grandson through the village, and much to his dismay, he encountered Bo.
The larger man's brow was tight, and despite his simple background, he wasn't a fool. He saw his mangled grandchild in front of a pillar of smoke, and he knew everything was far from okay.
"Rusl… Where's my little girl?"
He couldn't do this right now, he just couldn't. He could barely keep his own head on straight, let alone try to help his friend find his.
Luckily, he heard his wife approaching from behind him.
"Bo…" she began through stifled tears, "Let's sit down and talk… Please?"
The mayor stared at her for only a second. Rusl continued walking towards his home with Ren in tow and Bo became frantic.
"Rusl!" he yelled after his old friend, "My little girl! Where's my little girl!"
The scruffier man didn't turn around – couldn't turn around. He couldn't face the man he'd known his whole life and explain that he'd just witnessed his daughter's death before his eyes. He couldn't do it… He just couldn't.
When Rusl continued walking, Bo tried to chase after him, but Uli grabbed his arm.
"Bo… Please… Let's go to your house and talk in private, okay?"
He halted, not caring to fight her in the least. He openly bawled – he already knew what she was going to say.
None of the younger villagers had ever seen their mayor cry, and the older ones hadn't witnessed it since the loss of his wife. He was always such a big, strong man that he just never showed much emotion, but at this point in time he simply didn't care.
"No…" he sobbed, "My little girl… My little girl…"
The cries got softer as Rusl entered his house and shut the door behind him. He lay his grandson down on the sofa and found himself collapsing onto the nearest chair just the same, his face falling into his hands simultaneously. He rubbed his eyes hard, trying with all his might to scrub the images from his vision to no avail. Just as he was about to let out all of his own pent up emotions, he heard the front door to his home creak open.
He perked up at the sound in front of him, and at the fact that, for the brief moment while the door was ajar, Bo's despairing cries were audibly clear; it was just like a dagger in his heart.
It was Colin standing in the threshold, and he was quick to close the door behind him.
"Dad… are you okay?" he asked, making his way over to both his father and nephew.
"Okay as I can be, son," he replied solemnly, swiftly making himself busy so as to keep himself from breaking down.
He went to a cupboard in the kitchen, praying that they had enough spare bandaging to wrap up Ren's injured leg. They were all far from being actual healers, but he at least knew how to patch him up in order to keep him from bleeding out.
"Let me do that, dad. You're hurt, too," Colin tried, reaching for the things in his father's hands.
Much to Colin's surprise, his dad gave in without any quarrel. Rusl handed him what little cloth they had and returned to his seat without a word. Colin knew it was highly unlike him to give up without saying a thing, and that only further worried him for his state of being.
"I watched Mister Renado do this so many times I think I could do it in my sleep," the younger man chuckled, trying so desperately to just ever so slightly lighten the horrendously low mood.
Not to his surprise, it didn't work.
"Dad…" Colin began as he sat beside a very unconscious Ren and began wrapping up his leg, "None of this was even close to your fault, you know that."
He sighed heavily, "I do know that, my boy. Truly, I do. But I cannot convince my heart of it."
Colin was silent then, looking over his young nephew and seeing so much of his older brother that it made his heart physically ache.
"You know… I've seen Link lying here like this so many times you'd think this sort of thing wouldn't faze me anymore, but it always does."
Rusl glanced over at the two younger Ordonians. His son had grown up so much since the loss of his hero; he had stepped up and taken on so many responsibilities and had really come into his own. He still had times where he could be that same, timid little lad he remembered he had been growing up, but the change the older man had seen in his boy was nothing short of extraordinary. After Link was gone, Talo and Malo were quick to follow, and Colin had taken it upon himself to be the strong young man the village needed.
His grandson, on the other hand… Rusl always had a hard time with him. He was so much like his father that it pained him. He reminded Rusl so much of Link that each day it tore his heart in half. Now, here he was, covered head to toe in soot and ash and his leg was mangled past recognition – the similarities were far too great to handle and Rusl wouldn't be able to take it if another boy was lost to them as Link was.
The older man was eager to change the subject, "Where's your sister?"
"She's with mom talking to Mayor Bo," he answered after a bit of a pause, slightly taken aback at the sudden topic change.
"Oh gods…" he muttered, returning his face to the palms of his hands at the thought of how that conversation was going, "I can't even imagine…"
Colin frowned, visualizing how on Farore's green earth they were breaking the news to him. How does one even cope with losing a child?
There was silence for quite some time as the blond-haired young man wrapped up Ren's battered leg. He was slow and careful, knowing that even the skilled shaman that was Renado took his time with matters such as this, and Colin was anything but a skilled shaman.
After several moments in bitter quiet, Colin spoke up, "How do you think Link will take this?"
Rusl lifted his head to look at his boy, and for a few seconds he was unable to locate a reply.
"How do I think Link will take this?"
Perplexed by his response, Colin looked up from his work to meet his father's stare with a tense brow.
"How will Link take any of it? For Din's sake… He doesn't even know he has a child, Colin, let alone that his child almost died alongside Ilia all within his own burning home."
There was silence again. Colin didn't know what to say to that, and Rusl took a moment to calm himself back down with a heavy exhale.
"In all honesty… Link learning these things might not even be of any concern."
"Don't say that, dad," Colin stated plainly, knowing exactly where he was going.
"You know I hate it, but it's the truth, son. No one's seen or even heard from him in, what, fifteen years? Who knows what's happened to him."
Colin was then visibly angry, "When did you stop having faith in him, dad? He's the hero! But more important than that, he's Link! He wouldn't just go off and die."
He glared at his father for several heartbeats, but when he had nothing to say in return, Colin hastily tied off the bandaging cloth on Ren's leg, stood up, and finished, "Us giving up on him is going to be our downfall. I know he's still alive."
And with that, he stormed out of the house, leaving Rusl alone to his thoughts.
It didn't take long for the sounds of the village to die down into a deafening quiet. The townsfolk were all in their respective homes, each likely mourning in the way they found would bring them the most comfort. Bo was inconsolable, and he didn't leave his house for anything. When his wife was dying all those years ago, he had promised her that he would protect their little girl with his life… he had failed, and he didn't know if he could live with the guilt.
Ren didn't stay asleep for long, but he wished he had. His leg was thoroughly destroyed, but he really didn't care. He could only think about the fact that his mother's death was his fault. He had been playing around; he was careless, he was clumsy… he was stupid. His mother died because he tripped while fooling around, inadvertently setting his father's home ablaze. It was so ignorant, so naïve and childish. He couldn't believe that her life was thrown away in such a careless manner. When he first awoke, he thought it had just been some terrible nightmare, laughing momentarily in his hypnopompic state that he would imagine he would do something so completely foolish. But the sharp throbbing in his leg alerted him to the fact that this was all too real – his mother was truly gone, and it was because of him.
Rusl was genuinely livid with the goddesses. He felt so powerless, and it was all too ironic that the situation was so eerily similar to when Link had first come into their lives. He had lain on this same sofa, with that same look of pure anguish on his all-too-young face, for the same exact reason – finding himself suddenly parentless. It was a sickening fate that Link's younger grief and despair he should unintentionally inflict upon his own son.
Ren fell into a depression that devastated all those closest to him. Rusl and Uli knew all too well that there was simply no consoling this kind of pain, and that time truly was the only thing that could make it any easier, but it didn't stop them from trying. All their attempts were futile, as were Calie's and Colin's. Ren always loved the little kids that were considered his cousins – Beth's son and Talo's daughters – but even the chipper voice of little Evan couldn't lighten his spirits, and Kina and Orielle were just far enough away to avoid such times of sorrow.
There came a day, however, that Colin got an idea.
There was a traveling merchant that often came to Ordon to deliver goods such as food, clothing, and other necessities. He rode in a wagon carried by a single, strong steed, but he towed two younger horses behind him, proclaiming loudly for many months that they were for sale. Colin found it odd that no one had bought them yet, but he simply took it as a sign that he was meant to do this.
He had been saving up his every rupee long before the tragic incident with Ilia, planning, originally, to purchase himself a horse with his money. Now, though, he had a much better use for it.
When that same traveling merchant returned not too much later, Colin rushed to meet him just at the outskirts of Ordon, hoping to keep it all a surprise.
"Good afternoon to you, sir!" he said with a smile as he handed the older man a small pouch containing all the funds he had saved.
The gray-haired man took it with a huff, emptied the contents into his wrinkled hands, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and replied gruffly, "This's only 'nough to buy the younger pony."
Colin looked at the small filly that the man was referring to, then over at the slightly older colt that he had had his eyes on for himself for nearly a year now. The male horse was a deep shade of brown, with a black mane and tail, and he whinnied happily every time he and Colin met. He smiled sadly and gave the young stallion a gentle pat on the snout as he realized he would be passing him up yet again, but it was for a good cause.
"I'll take her," Colin said at last with a slightly apprehensive nod.
The elderly man handed him the reins to the young girl, and she instantly starting rearing and bucking.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Colin shouted, trying to calm her.
The man laughed, "That's why she's the cheaper one, boy! Yer gonna hav'ta train that one somethin' fierce."
Colin frowned – what a jerk.
He pulled the filly's reins in the direction of Rusl and Uli's home, but she was resisting the entire way. She neighed and whinnied unhappily the whole way there, and the unusual sounds caught the attention of many of the villagers seeing as there hadn't been a horse in Ordon since Link left.
Inside where Ren lay, Calie and Uli were awaiting those very sounds. Colin had let them in on the plan, and it was their job to get Ren outside to meet his new friend.
"Ren, did you hear that?" Calie asked enticingly.
Ren blinked a few times slowly before he fully awoke, "A horse?"
"Yeah! Let's go check it out!" his sister exclaimed, tugging on his arm.
"It's probably just someone passing through, Calie," he moaned, not wanting to get up.
"Nah, come on! You've gotta get up at some point! It might be something exciting!" she squealed, "Let's go! Let's go!"
"Ugh," he sighed, sitting up on the couch, "Fine."
"Be careful, Ren. Your leg is going to be difficult to walk on," Uli advised, offering her support on the side opposite Calie.
He stood up with a wince, "I'll be fine."
Uli giggled mostly to herself, "Just like your stubborn father."
With Calie holding tightly to his arm to help him stand, he hobbled over to the front door and stepped over the threshold. The sun was blinding and it was relatively warm outside. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw Colin standing before him frantically trying to calm a clearly disturbed horse.
Calie cleared her throat to let her brother know they were there.
Colin spun around, reins still clutched tight, attempting to appear like he wasn't in a flurry, "Ren! You're up! I, uh… I got you a surprise."
Ren's eyes narrowed as he watched his uncle urgently try to soothe the panicked young mare. Her coat was a beautiful cream color, her mane and tail were brilliant white, but her light blue eyes showed that she was terrified. Ren could see that she felt lost and afraid, and, without even thinking, he stepped toward her.
"Ren! Be careful!" Calie shouted worriedly as he freed himself of her steady grip.
He paid her no mind. He walked up beside the flustered filly as she reared back, desperate to escape Colin's clutches that she found to be absolutely frightening. Ren never took his eyes off of her as he grabbed the reins from his uncle's sweaty hands and dropped them to the ground.
"Ren! Wha-" Colin tried.
He removed her restricting bridle, subconsciously moved Colin aside, and he stood directly in front of her. She stopped rearing up and bucking, but she was still stamping and shaking her head agitatedly.
"Shh…" Ren hushed as he ran his hands through her mane and down her neck, "Shh…"
Everyone watched on in complete and utter wonderment. The horse was suddenly still and silent from his touch.
"That's it… Shh… Good girl…" he whispered through the brightest smile he had shown since the loss of his mother.
"It seems Ren possesses his mother's love and understanding of horses," Rusl suddenly said as he approached them from the entrance to the village with another surprise in tow.
"Dad! Wh-What… is that…?" Colin stuttered excitedly, noticing that his father was bringing up the colt that he had so dreadfully wanted for himself.
Rusl grinned from ear to ear at his boy's delight as he handed him the reins, "I saw you use the last of your rupees that you had been saving up to buy this horse for yourself to instead buy one for Ren, and it touched my heart. There was no way I was going to let that merchant leave without making sure you got the one you'd been wanting for such a selfless act, son."
Colin beamed as he took his father in for a hug, "Thanks, dad."
"Of course, my boy," he said with a clap to his shoulder before releasing, "And what about you, Ren? Are you happy with your surprise?"
He stared into his newfound friend's eyes and smiled, "Yes… Thank you so much, Uncle Colin."
"You're welcome. Your dad always had such an amazing connection with Epona – the two have always been inseparable – so, I thought you could use a friend like that, too," Colin replied sincerely with a smile of his own, genuinely beyond happy just to see that he could bring Ren some form of comfort.
"What will you name her?" Calie inquired.
Ren focused on her sky blue irises one more time, but the question really didn't require much thought.
"Mila…" he said as he rubbed his sweet horse's gentle face, "My mom told me stories of a foal she had when she was a little girl named Mila. She was a tiny, sickly horse and she didn't last long, but… I want to make her name mean something."
Everyone was listening intently, the emotional ones tearing up while the older ones remembered the story he spoke of fondly, yet grimly.
"Your mom loved that horse," Bo suddenly made his presence known, everyone turning upon hearing his voice.
He was visibly upset and had clearly not stopped crying for many days, but he smiled through the obvious distress on his worn-down features at his grandson, "She would'a been so happy to see this."
Ren hung his head then, because if he had kept it up everyone would have noticed him break down, and he didn't want to bring further attention to himself. He picked up Mila's bridle and reins from the ground, held them firmly in his right hand as his left leaned up against his new friend for support, and he turned away from everyone.
"Ren, where are you going?" Calie asked worriedly.
"I just need to be alone," he muttered, limping up the hill toward the ranch with Mila beside him keeping him from losing his balance.
The others watched on in sadness, knowing that it would take a long time for him to feel like himself again. At least now he had someone he would feel comfortable talking to and confiding in. They each could remember vividly how much Link's connection with Epona had saved his aching soul time and time again – they had high hopes for Ren finding the same solace in his new companion.
Ren dropped what he was holding just at the entrance to the open field, at the base of one of the tall pillars that began the wide, circular fence. The cream colored filly followed him to the middle of the little hill where he finally allowed himself to sit. He plopped down with an exasperated huff; walking had become a literal chore. He couldn't put much, if any, pressure on his left leg without a shooting pain racing up its entirety. He sighed as he glanced down at his bandaged calf; was he never going to regain full strength in his leg again? It wouldn't surprise him, to be honest – there had been almost nothing of it left after the explosion save for bone.
He hung his head yet again as he found himself just wanting to keep crying.
When he so much as let out a sniffle, Mila neighed and nuzzled her warm snout into her new master's chest.
He laughed as she caused him to topple over, "Okay, okay, I'll try not to be sad. Okay?"
She threw her head back and whinnied, seemingly agreeing with that statement.
He smiled as he let himself fall back to lay down, and she followed suit, sitting on her legs beside him. He rubbed her neck affectionately; he already felt like she had saved him and he'd only just met her. How could he ever thank Colin for this…
In a strange way, she helped him to feel closer to both his mother and his father respectively. Ilia's love of horses was never a secret. Everyone knew from when she was just a child that she had a deeper connection with the gentle giants, and she had always been able to reach the troubled ones and calm them down, as well as bring out the playful spirits in the more reserved. And Link… well… He didn't know personally, but everyone had such grand stories of the hero and his mount, a beautiful chestnut mare that even those that cared not for the equine would find majestic. The pair were legendary, and Ren's grandparents had told him before just how much his father's connection with his horse had saved him. To be honest, Ren had never truthfully understood that until now.
Ren remained on that little hill for quite some time. He had begun trying to train her, along with himself, but the walking around that any such task required was beyond agonizing. He was starting to lose hope that he would ever be able to walk normally again. That was when he got an idea.
He began spending each and every day teaching both himself and Mila how to ride. She was unsteady, near impossible to control, and he had never even ridden a horse to begin with, but he was determined to learn one way or another. She had unintentionally and fearfully bucked him off of her on several occasions, but her exasperated whinnies always told him that she was sorry, and they would go for it again.
He practiced through the scorching sun, the unforgiving rain, and the coldest of nights. Many had come to lure him back home, but he always refused. They brought him easy to eat foods like bread and apples, but that was all he cared to take. He had set his mind to this, and there was no swaying him – he would learn to ride, and he and Mila would become a force to be reckoned with, just like his father and Epona had been.
There were days that seemed bleak, days when his friend was having difficulties cooperating, and days when the discomfort in his leg crippled him. It was clear that she had always been a troubled steed – as was the reasoning for her cheaper price tag – but he didn't care. He loved her when she became overly frazzled and reared up only to send him toppling down from the saddle with a painful thud, just as much as when they would make a pleasant dozen laps around the field with no incidents. She was intelligent and sensitive, just a tad anxious and a bit timid. She could tell when he was hurting, and she was quick to elicit an uplifting neigh and nuzzle him as he lay on the ground until he was forced to roll over with an audibly joyous laugh. She made him feel better, as silly as it may have sounded to some people with her only being a horse, but it didn't matter to him.
He looked at it as they had both, in a way, rescued one another. It was obvious that she had pulled him out of a deep despair, giving him a new resolve and a new purpose, and he imagined that she felt the same. He didn't know what was in her past, but he assumed there was pain there judging by how skittish and easy to frighten she'd been since the beginning. He was slowly but surely awakening a courage and a comfort within her as the days whisked by, and he couldn't be happier with their meeting.
Thank the goddesses for Uncle Colin.
Months later, when the day finally came that the two could ride with little to no complications, Ren lay down in the grass beside his friend, simply staring up at the clouds rolling past as he ran his fingers through her mane.
"I wonder what my dad's doing right this minute," he thought aloud as he usually did with Mila, "Do you think he's fighting some big monster? Saving a kingdom? Rescuing a princess?"
She whinnied.
"Hmm…" he mumbled, gazing longingly at the puffy white shapes in the sky.
He could've sworn to Farore that he saw the form of a horse and a rider on the bright blue canvas that the goddesses had created.
"Do you think… Do you think he's maybe looking up at the same clouds?"
When Mila was silent, he was bitterly reminded that she couldn't speak in return, as much as he often wished she could.
He sighed, "I wish I could find him."
In that instant, it was as if a light had flicked on spontaneously in his mind. His eyes suddenly went wide as he sprang up into a seated position.
"I wish I could find him…" he repeated, as if to remind himself, "Mila, do you think we could find him?"
She stood up tall, stamped her feet and shook her head gleefully.
"We could find him!" he jumped to his feet excitedly, keeping his left off the ground just slightly to avoid the inevitable discomfort it would bring.
Just as quickly as the eagerness had set in, hopelessness took its place. As he thought on it, he began to realize how fruitless it would be.
He sighed, "I wouldn't even know where to look. How would I ever be able to find him?"
Mila stamped and whinnied again, nuzzling her snout aggressively into her master's chest and almost knocking him over.
"Hey," he chuckled, "What is it? You really think we could find him?"
She repeated herself, and he smiled brightly.
"You really think so, huh? Well… I can't argue with a girl."
He pat her neck and couldn't help but laugh when she neighed cheerfully again.
He hoisted himself up into the saddle and leaned down to whisper, "What do you say? Should we go searching?"
"What, without company?"
The sudden voice caught Ren's attention in a flash, and he looked up to see Colin standing near the barn.
"I didn't know you were there, Uncle Colin…" Ren murmured.
The blond young man chuckled, "What you mean is, you didn't want me to hear your plan?"
Ren scratched the back of his head hesitantly, "Maybe?"
"Listen," Colin said with a mischievous grin as he closed the gap between them, "I've been wanting to head off and find Link myself for years. Besides the companionship, it was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to get myself a horse. It seems so many people have lost faith in him after all this time…" he hung his head dejectedly, "But I believe he's still out there."
"I do, too."
"Well, then, what do you say?" Colin asked, arms raised in question, "How about a partner on your trip to find our long lost hero?"
Ren grinned then, and he hadn't even realized it. Truthfully, he had felt so alone for so long that the company was beyond welcome, especially from Colin. He had always looked up to his uncle, and his stories of Link were some of his favorites.
He nodded, seeming a bit unsure but enthusiastic all the same, and Colin smiled in return.
"Good, because I wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyway," he chuckled, "I decided a long time ago that I needed to be one of the first ones to see him again. I plan to give him a piece of my mind for the way he left all those years ago."
Ren laughed just the same, but it was more so because he felt more excited to do this than he had ever felt for something his entire life. He had never had something so exhilarating to look forward to before. Finally meeting his father? Goddesses… He couldn't describe it.
"My mom never would've let me leave like this," Ren morosely thought aloud.
Colin's eyes were downcast, looking for a suitable response, "Yeah, well… When we do find him, I think she'll be proud. Don't you?"
He smiled a sad smile as he nodded, "Yeah… I do."
After a few moments of silence, Colin brightened the subject, "Well, what are we waiting for? I know you've wanted to do this for, what? How old are you now? Twelve years?" he teased, knowing his real age but just wanting to poke a little fun.
"Fifteen, you old grandpa."
"Ouch," he recoiled in mock offense, holding a hand to his fake aching heart, "That hurts."
"Oh, shut up," he laughed whole-heartedly as they turned and made their way down the hill and back into the village.
Rusl, Uli, and Calie were overjoyed to see Ren in good spirits as he approached them on horseback with a beaming smile.
"What's got you all giddy, little brother?" Calie questioned as they made their way over to them.
Ren glanced over at Colin, unsure of how they were going to tell everyone of their plans. Colin noticed his apprehension and took the initiative.
"We're going to go search for Link."
"What?"
"Are you serious?"
"Son…"
Colin lifted his hands to silence everyone, "We're doing it, so please don't try to persuade us otherwise. I need this just as much as Ren does. Losing Link was just about the most devastating thing of my childhood – and I survived the twilight," he said with a nervous chuckle, "We need to find him not only for our sakes, but for his, too."
Most of the other villagers had been outside and heard the commotion as well, all of whom had since circled the group outside Rusl's and Uli's home.
"Colin… We haven't heard from him in years, how can you be so sure he's still able to be found?" Rusl asked seriously, not wanting to crush his son's and grandson's spirits but also wanting them to be realistic.
"I know he's out there, grandpa," Ren spoke up, "I just do. I know we can find him."
Seeing the determination in his young eyes – the same eyes that had been drowning in grief and heartache – gave the older man a hope that he hadn't felt in years. His bright sapphire irises that were so inescapably identical to his father's finally shone with an optimism, a hopefulness, a positivity, that he hadn't seen in him since he was just a small boy.
He couldn't argue with them… He couldn't take away this light that Ren had at last found within himself after so long lost in darkness.
Rusl sighed, knowing he had to give in, "Colin, I assume you know what this entails? It could very well be dangerous."
Colin gulped, never having been one for battles and wars, but he dismissed it, "Hyrule is in a time of peace. There shouldn't be many monsters, but if we run into any... we'll be careful."
"Ren is young still, my son… His life is in your hands. You know this," Rusl reiterated, stressing the weight that would be on his boy's shoulders.
"Well, dad, he's actually only two years younger than Link was when he left to become hero," Colin pointed out with a cheeky grin.
Rusl gave a nervous chuckle, the kind you'd hear when its intent was to mask a discomfort, "Perhaps that's what upsets me."
"If you really plan to leave… visiting Renado in Kakariko Village would be a wise place to start," Uli added a bit despondently.
Colin nodded, "That's where we'll head first, and then probably to Castle Town after that."
"Say hi to my stubborn brothers for me, would you?" Beth interjected, referring to the two boys that weren't technically her siblings but she had grown up with them and considered them as such for her whole life.
"Yes," Pergie, Malo and Talo's mother, added, "Let my boys know that we miss them, and that we want to see our grandchildren!"
"Yeah! I wanna see Kina again!" Evan shouted, "And I've never even met Ori… Ori…"
"Orielle," Beth offered.
"Yeah!"
Colin smiled, "I'll let them all know."
When he heard his mother sniffle, he turned to her to see her crying just ever so silently.
"Mom, we won't be gone long, really," he said as he pulled her in for a hug.
"I know, Colin, I do," she whimpered, "I've just had to say goodbye to my boys so many times… It never gets any easier."
"We'll be careful, and we'll be back soon, I promise," he replied with a smile as he released her.
Calie was quick to jump in, grabbing her mother in for a hug first, "You've still got me, mom!"
Uli laughed, "That I do, my girl. Thank you."
Calie then turned to her big brother and held him tight before quickly letting go and shoving a pointed finger in his face, "You're gonna be extra careful! You hear me? And you're gonna take extra good care of little brother! Got it?"
"Yes, yes, of course, darling sister," he kidded, shrugging her off.
The blonde-haired young girl then approached Ren as he was dismounting his mare, "You're really gonna go find your dad, huh?"
He nodded, "Hopefully, yeah."
She sighed, "Please be careful, okay? I don't think anyone here can take anymore heartache."
"I know… And I will."
She smiled through watery eyes as she pulled him in for a tight embrace.
"Your mom's proud of you up there, little brother," she whispered before they released.
He nodded a bit somberly, but that was all that was needed.
After then giving his grandmother and grandfather a parting hug as well, he turned and did the same with Beth before ruffling Evan's dark brown hair all the while Colin was saying his goodbyes just the same. Ren then returned to Mila and hoisted himself back up into the saddle.
Colin announced that he had named his young mount Ilari after his father's fearless stallion that he'd lost just after the war of the twilight era. That horse had served Rusl well for several long years, and the day he passed was a painful one. The older Ordonian was touched that his son thought to name his new companion after his late faithful steed. After the emotional exchange, Colin hopped onto Ilari's back and they were then prepared to leave.
They traveled to the borders of the village as a group, saying their final farewells and giving their last bits of advice and warnings as they went. Ren was sad that his Grandpa Bo was nowhere to be found, but he could understand that he was just still hurting. After all, underneath his excitable exterior, his heart still felt unwhole just the same.
When they finally reached the edge of the woods that marked the beginning of the Faron province, it was time to part at last.
Everyone waved their apprehensive - but also hopeful - goodbyes, and Colin and Ren reassured them that they wouldn't be gone long.
Before they could turn to leave, Rusl had one final thing to say.
"Boys… Bring our hero home."
Ren smiled, and they would.
If their lives depended on it… They would.
Even a raging wildfire starts as nothing more than a spark.
A/N: Here's a fun fact for you: The names of all the original characters in this story are names from elsewhere in the Legend of Zelda universe. I chose names that were more obscure (names of characters that have much smaller roles in the games) in order to avoid clouding your imagination with images of who that character was. I chose to include them for their "Zelda" feel and for the fun of recognizing them. Have you recognized any of the names yet? Let me know! The horses' names count, too!
A big thank you to the following for helping me get this chapter out there!
Melissa T., Lord Zant, Lee Glerum, Eve79, Gabby-J, Debora, Daniel Kirkerud
You guys are amazing!
