A/N: So, things are getting started! :3 I'll try to keep the first few chapters posted quickly, but otherwise I'll be doing biweekly. I idiotically started this fic around the time school starts so I'm really busy studying! Anyways, thanks for reading! It means a lot to me o/u/o If you just read and review, that'd be great! (like seriously, reviews are the best things ever can I please have one)
Light from the high moon shone through the windows, illuminating a small Ordonian home. It was unkempt and disheveled, like somebody hadn't been living there for months. To make matters worse, it reeked of mold and rodents. There was no noise in the house, though, and it seemed awfully empty. Then the front door slammed open, allowing the moonlight to create a shadow of a young man standing in the doorway. The man stepped into the home, closing the door behind him. He trudged across the main room to the bed, dragging his feet with every step he made. Small whimpers could be heard between each step he took.
He stood in front of the untidy bed and began to undress. First he unbuckled the belts holding this scabbard and sword then removed them from his shoulder. He placed them on a pile at the foot of his bed. Next, he removed the fern green cap from his head and began undoing his tunic. As he lifted the fabric over his head, he noticed all the damage it had received during the time he wore it. So many little stitches to close the tears he made. There was a fresh, giant tear across the backside of the tunic. There was dried blood around it, too. The man groaned - another injury to worry about. He shook his head and reached down to slip off his boots.
Once he was left in his undershirt and trousers, the man crawled into the musty bed. He just curled up into a fetal position and didn't make a word. Tears that rolled down his cheeks were illuminated by the reflecting light of the moon. It made his wet eyes and puffy, raw, bloodshot eyes obvious. Every time more tears began to stream, the boys grit his teeth harder and harder. Shortly enough, whimpers began to escape from deep within the boy's throat. "Why me? Why did I have to be the goddesses' chosen? Why couldn't they have chosen somebody else? Somebody who could handle this much grief…"
The boy just buried his face into his pillow and didn't make a peep the rest of the night. He just wanted a few moments to remember the last few months together with her. They had become such close friends; they sacrificed themselves for each other. The bond they shared was beautiful. It was their final moments that broke his heart. It was only then he realized his true feelings for her.
The beautiful twilit princess stood in the light of the shining mirror. She at both Princess Zelda and the boy she had grown to love over the past year and a half. She sighed deeply when their gazes broke, she didn't want to do what she had to. She was happy that she'd be able to go home, but she was leaving an important part of her behind. It felt like such a deficit. She felt a tear began to escape her left eye. She had to leave now before she created anymore emotional trauma on herself. The tear left her eyes and traveled down her face and down to the tips of her fingers. It then launched itself off her finger and toward the mirror.
The young boy just stood there smiling innocently at her. She presumed he thought they would be able to see each other again. He was far from being right though. An ache ran through her body, with it rooting at her heart strings. She felt bad for betraying him like such, but she had to. If she didn't do was she was about to, this whole mess could happen all over again.
"Link… I …," she paused momentarily. Making eye contact with the Link, who was cocking his head in confusion, she hurt even more. She broke the gaze and continued, "I… See you later." And it seemed not even seconds later the teardrop she released came in contact with the mirror. A giant crack formed where the tear hit, and it began to spread rapidly. She felt sick to her stomach as Link gaped at what was happening. She watched all color drain from his face as he desperately looked from her to the mirror and back. She wanted to sob right then and there, but she couldn't break his heart anymore. She was going home now and there was no turning back. This was it. And she was gone.
"Midna!" Link yelled after the princess as she seemed to disintegrate into thin air in his face. His stomach dropped and he felt nausea wave over him. He bit his lip and fell to his knees in front of the shattered mirror. "Tell me this is a dream and that didn't just happen." He looked frantically at Zelda with wide, horrified eyes. Zelda refused to make eye contact with him, she just stared at the foot of her gown. She was mourning, too. But, Link was to be expected to take it far worse.
She sighed deeply before gathering any last strands of courage. "I'm sorry Link," the words barely escaped her lips as she tried not to choke on her forming tears. "She's gone. There's no going back."
He didn't do a thing after that. He sat there in the dirt, staring blankly at the shattered pieces of mirror everywhere. Zelda noticed Link dry his eyes a few times. Eventually, after much time passed by, he gathered himself to stand and exit the chamber. He walked right past Zelda, without a word or eye contact. She heard the sound of his stirrups clack against the side of his saddle as he tacked up Epona. She then heard a whinny and the sound of galloping hooves echo in the distance, fading with each second passed. She looked out the exit of the chamber, and the only thing significant she saw was the cloud of dust coming from behind Epona's hind hooves. Zelda sighed at the sight. She could tell by the way he talked and stormed out of the chamber that this was going to be one long ride for Link.
It was surely a long and painful ride home for him. The large wound he acquired on his back only made matters worse. He just wanted to forget it all. He wasn't bothered that he seemed to be acting childish, he truly felt like one. He wanted to hide away in his home and not talk to anybody. He didn't want to see Zelda again, just the thought of her made him flood with memories of Midna. Link sighed, closed his eyes, tightened the position he was in, and buried his face into his pillow. Eventually, his breathed slowed and he drifted off into slumber.
Heavy hands pounded at Link's front door. He groaned and uncovered himself from his blankets and looked out one of his windows. The sun was up and shining, the green summer leaves shook in the wind, and the birds of Faron flew in the sky. He just sighed through his nose and then pushed himself up from the bed. He yawned and stretched upward before making his way to the front door. His mind was still groggy from sleep when he was awoken by even more pounding. Link mumbled a few words of annoyance under his breath before reaching for the handle of the door. Slowly, he twisted the knob and opened the door. He found Fado pacing himself around on the small deck of Link's.
"What do you want?" Link moaned, rubbing his tired eyes. Fado was startled and jumped; he had been too caught up in himself to notice Link open the door. A small amount of pink flushed his cheeks, and a warm smile appeared on his lips. He rushed up to the shorter and embraced him in a tight hug, lifting him off his feet.
"Ah, Link! So glad to have you back!" Fado spun around, taking Link with him. "Rusl told us everything you had to do when he got back with the children yesterday. Everybody was so thankful for keeping the kids in one piece! And we're all happy you arrived safe as well! Man, I'm just so glad you're back – it was so hard working down at the ranch all by my lonesome."
Link tried to push himself out of Fado's grip, but his arms were pinned down, too. "F-fado," he choked. "C-c-can't br-breathe." Fado's grip loosened, placing Link back on his feet. Link just stood there and panted, trying to regain his breath.
Fado took his hand to the nape of his neck while his cheeks turned a deep crimson. His grin was wide and cheesy, and his eyes were closed. Probably to avoid eye contact with his friend that he almost suffocated. "Ah… heh heh… sorry about that, we're all just so glad you're back."
Once Link regained his composure, he just shrugged. "I presumed so." He glanced back at his gaping door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to tidy myself up a bit so I can come into town." He began to make his way to the open doorway.
Fado nodded his head quickly. "Y-yes, sorry. I hadn't realized you would still be sleeping when I came, because it is around noon." He chuckled to himself for a second. Then he stepped down to the ladder. "I'll be up at the ranch if you want to come. If you don't feel up to it yet, it's fine. I heard about everything you went though, so I assume you feel kind of shitty, right?"
Link smirked the slightest bit. "Yeah, I kind of don't feel the best." He shrugged and looked over his shoulder. "I'll probably just come up and hang out, I don't really feel like doing too much yet. I'm really sore anyways." He gestured to his back.
Fado giggled for a second. "Okay then, I'll see you later, partner!" He waved and continued going down the ladder. Link just continued to enter his home and close the door behind him. He sighed and the smirk left his face. He washed his face before reaching for the tunic and cap lying on the flood. He hesitated. Did he really need to wear that anymore? He wasn't acting as the hero anymore, so he assumed he didn't need to. He sighed, picking up the pile of clothes and weaponry he used on his journey. They reeked of blood, sweat, and her. He winced. Although she always sat on his shoulder, he didn't realize she did it enough to leave her smell.
Links shook his head and regained control of his sense. He began to head towards his basement ladder. He looked down at the hole he called his basement. It was cold and dark. With his arms full, he had no room to carry a lantern down there with him. He sighed and began to make his footing on the steps of the ladder. All was going well until he was halfway down. He reached his foot down for the next step but there was nothing. He stretched it out as far as he could, but he still felt nothing to rest his foot onto. He groaned and stood there on the one step for a minute until he heard a creak from under his foot. His suspicions were confirmed. In the many months he was away, the goddesses damned termites got into his home again. He sighed, and began to pull his hanging foot back up. But when all his weight shifted onto the foot, the creaking step underneath it broke in half.
Link slipped from the steps, wide eyed and gaping at the light of his main room. His grasp on the pile of clothing loosened when he fell. And he was falling faster than the pile. He landed on the dirt floor with a thud. He grit his teeth as pain shot up his spine. It was only temporary though, it was only going to be a massive bruise. Then the tunic, cap, scabbard and sword, and shield, all landed on his left ankle. Link shrieked and gritted his teeth. He felt his ankle shatter underneath the force of the landing of the scabbard and shield. He bended forward at his hips and shoved the heavy objects off his ankle. He cringed before pulling up the end of his trousers to see a slightly bloody, swollen, red, painful ankle. He also noticed the purplish green bruise coming to the surface of his skin.
Link rolled his eyes and frowned at the sight of his ankle. "Goddesses damn it," he gibed underneath his breath. He tried moving his ankle from side to side, but the pain coming up his leg made it impossible to do. Struggling with it only made it worse. He felt as if his whole leg was on fire. His eyes widened in pain the last time he tried. When the worst of it died down, Link glared at his now useless leg and then up at the ladder. It wasn't the fall itself that hurt. It was that damned master sword and shield that did it. He moaned and used his arms and good leg to scoot himself up against a wall. He laid his head back into the wall and cursed. He figured he wasn't going to get out of here for a while.
"Am I really going to be stuck here?" He stared at his now swollen ankle. He frowned slightly but reopened his mouth. "I guess so. All thanks to you." Link glared at the purplish bruise forming on the skin. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to sleep the time away. He hoped maybe Fado or Ilia would get worried and come to check on in. He wanted somebody to find him to get him out of here. He didn't want to be even lonelier than he already was.
Zelda paced herself around her bedroom. It had been several days since she met Impa for the first time. And although Impa said not to worry, she couldn't stop thinking of him. She felt bad for him, losing a friend is painful for a while. It wasn't even like she was really dead; she was just unable to be seen, ever again. She sighed and placed her head back into her hands – another headache. She rubbed her temples with greater pressure than normal. She was stressing herself over him. She wanted to go and check up on him already. Castle security wouldn't allow her leave just yet, they were still concerned for her safety, judging on what had just recently happened with Ganondorf and Zant.
She figured a two day ride to Ordon wasn't that bad. She would ride to Kakariko for the night, stay in the Inn, and then head out to Ordon the next day. It was a safe enough plan, she presumed. She removed her crown from her head, and undid the ribbons and ponytails holding her hair back. She just put it all into a braid that cascaded down her back and ended at the small of it. Zelda then took off her gown and replaced it with her riding trousers and top. She grabbed a jacket just in case it would get colder towards the evening.
Zelda grabbed her quiver and bow, just for precautions, and her tote. She quickly scurried down the spiraling staircase into the kitchen to grab a few apples to last her hunger until she reached Kakariko. She then headed for the stables. She found her white beauty of a horse in her stall, nibbling at hay. It whinnied at the sight of Zelda, who smiled at the happy sound. She tacked up the friendly beast and mounted. Grasping the reins in her hands, she kicked her friend into a slow canter, leaving the castle grounds.
Since the bridge to the east was still being worked on, she had to take the long route to Kakariko – the bridge to the west. As she neared, she still smelled the faint traces of the oil that had lit the bridge at once. Link had told her about that time, when he was trapped in the body of a beast. It sickened her to think of all Link had been put through over the past year and a half. Any normal person would have fallen apart by the end of it. She was worried that he would fall apart.
She squeezed her grip on her horse's barrel, and the beauty sped up its strides. She was nearing Kakariko and the sun was starting to set. She wanted to get there before dark. She was able to cross the Hyrule field mindlessly – she saw no threats in sight. And soon enough, Zelda was in Kakariko. She slowed her horse to a trot and headed towards the Inn. She halted her horsed near the stables and dismounted. She grabbed her horse by the reins and began to lead it back to the stables. As she entered, she noticed another horse was in a stall, but she didn't pay too much attention to it. She led her white beauty into a stall, removed her tack from her, and fed her some of the grain that was lying around. Zelda exited the stall and locked it up behind her.
She began to exit the stables; she paid more attention to the second horse. It looked familiar. Zelda began to approach it slowly, although it seemed calm, she didn't want to startle it. And then she recognized the horse. The mare's pale chestnut colored fur, blonde mane, and large build made it all too clear to her.
Zelda ran from the stables toward the Inn with a wide, cheesy grin on her face "Link!"