"Returning"
To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.
-Margaret Fairless Barber
Link woke up as early as he had the preceding morning, still perplexed on when he'd become such an early riser. He rose quickly from his bed, rather than spending a few minutes staring at his ceiling as he would've done a year ago, and made his way downstairs. The fire he'd made last night was barely alive, trying to fight its way through the ashes that coated the bottom of the fire pit. He grabbed the fork beside the fireplace, and began to prod the soot coated logs. After he'd turned them over, the fire rose a little more, licking the wood with some sort of yearning that Link did not understand. He turned away from the flames and saw the diary he'd started last night sitting shiftlessly on the table, along with his utensils that were laying in disarray all about the wooden surface. He chuckled, and silently scolded himself for being so unkempt before snatching all of it from the table, and placing it in the knapsack he decided to carry along before leaving his house. The sky was pinkish with the nearly rising sun, and the birds were chirping in the air. It was beautiful, Link thought. He inhaled the air, and noticed it smelled of the fresh dew that swathed the blades of green grass.
Epona was still asleep, Link noticed, but didn't do anything to rouse her. He was only going into the village today, to sit lazily and sketch more in his journal as he watched the sun rise. His footsteps were as silent as a whisper as he left his property and strolled through the heart of Ordon, admiring the peaceful quality of it. It was the same as it had always been to him. The wildflowers still grew about random places, and the chickens strolled around the town carelessly.
He found his way to the river that marked the center of the community, and stared at the earth made platforms that rose in the midst of them. Link, with no further thought, snatched the vines lacing the side of the structure, and began to climb upward. When he was atop it, he noted that the hawk grass he used to have such a great time playing still grew in the same spot it always had. He wanted desperately to hear its music again, but thought against it, knowing that he had no use for a hawk at the given moment, and that it would only wake the Ordonians.
Link opened his haversack, and carefully removed the book from its innermost pocket, and turned it to a fresh page. This time he sketched the fearful wall of twilight that once had bordered the Faron Woods, daring anyone to come near it. He also drew the hand of the shadow beast that had first grabbed him from the other side of the veil. The picture would be slightly frightening to anyone else that viewed it, but Link was not afraid of it. It was one of those things that you got over after watching the whole of Hyrule falling into the hands of evil.
There had been far worse things than the dark twilight-shrouded realms, worse things than the shadow beasts that haunted them even. Things Link had experienced for himself, such as the relentless dungeons and their fearsome bosses, or the times when those he loved were hurt or sick during the whole ordeal. Then there was Ganondorf, and even Zant, the overlords of the malevolence. He wasn't sure he'd ever been more afraid than when he'd fought them, but yet he prevailed. He knew he bore Farore's gift on the back of his hand, but he was puzzled on how he had obtained the mass amount of courage that it took to fight those battles. After all, bravery came from one's own heart, not from some insane blessing that you just happened to receive.
He guessed though, that it was just the way he was, because he knew if he should have to face it again, he would go about it the same way he had before. He'd enter the situation with sword in hand, and Hyrule in heart, and do what it took to make the latter safe for his loved ones once more. Link pushed the thought away, and began to write the caption, or story rather, that went with the picture he'd penciled.
Halfway through the tale, he heard a door close somewhere in the village. He looked at the partly-risen sun, and was confused on who would be up so early, besides himself, of course. He strained his eyes to see a small silhouette walking in his direction without looking up. He slowly closed the book, knowing he could finish his recollections later, and returned them to his weathered pouch. The person didn't seem to notice him, and Link wasn't sure yet whether he wanted them to or not. He guessed that it depended solely on who it was, for he didn't want anyone that truly cared for him to spot him just yet, knowing that there was a chance that they'd start a ruckus over his return this early in the morn, especially if it was one of the village children.
The person stopped a few feet beside the platform, and Link heard a small gasp. He knew he'd been seen. After a few moments of excessively staring at whoever it was, he discovered that the person was Ilia, the neighborhood girl that he'd once loved. He gave her a small smile, for it was all he could muster at the moment, and she stared at him with green eyes that marked her sheer disbelief, as if she didn't trust her eyes. The smile fell from his face, but his blue eyes were still pleasant as he watched her try and discern whether he was really there or not.
Ilia sat and stared at Link, who was perched on top of the structure. She wasn't sure if he was really there, or if it was some sort of cruel hallucination. In the silence, she opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. She closed her jaw tightly, and set her lips in a hard line before walking on.
"Ilia," Link's voice sounded from behind her. She halted, and spun on a heel just in time to see him leap down to the ground with a cat-like gracefulness that she was sure had not been there the last time she'd saw him perform the action. She looked into his eyes, and he began to walk toward her. She could do or say nothing for a long time.
"I'm home, Ilia," his voice resonated through the air and she raised her hand lightly to touch his face. The warmth under her palm let her know that it wasn't just a vision she was having, and that it was truly him standing there. A tear leaked from her eye, and she threw her arms around him, and began to sob softly.
"I thought-"her cries cut off her sentence. He hugged her back, and tried to comfort her. The difference was all he could feel. This hug, to him, was the hug of a friend, and nothing more. Sparks didn't flare up within him like he remembered, and Link guessed that the past year had affected him in more ways than he'd previously thought.
"I thought- you were- never- coming back," her voice broke several times in the sentence, and he held her tighter, hoping to cheer her up. She pulled away and looked into his eyes, and wiped a tear from her eye.
"Well, I am home," he reassured her with another one of his smiles. Once Ilia regained her composure, she noticed how changed Link was. His eyes were still as kind as she remembered, but in the midst of them, she also saw how feral and watchful they had become. His muscles were more refined, and his features were slightly worn. Link was different, more so than she had expected him to be.
"Where have you been, Link?" she asked him, more than mildly curious on what exactly he'd done for the countless days since she'd been taken. He looked up thoughtfully, and seemed to be mulling his answer over in his head before saying it aloud.
"Everywhere."
She didn't doubt the truthfulness of his words, for she could tell in his eyes that he had been, in fact, everywhere. However, she wanted to know more than just that, and she hoped he would confide in her.
"Link, who are you?"
He was struck dumb by the words she chose, and she saw his eyes widen a little before they settled down.
"I am Link."
She accepted that he didn't want to tell her everything at the moment, and she knew by the look in his eyes that he couldn't truly answer that question even if he wanted to. She nodded, and gave him another hug, this one smaller than the last. She chuckled into his shoulder, and decided not to look in his eyes when she said her next words.
"You've been through a lot, haven't you?"
"Ilia, you have no idea," he murmured, and she wasn't sure if he was talking to her or not, even though he addressed her. She nodded, letting him know that he was right in his assumptions, and that she didn't have the slightest clue what he'd been doing. She pulled away from him, and chanced another look in his eyes. She searched for any emotion in his eyes, anything that would show his feelings for her, but found nothing of the sort. She knew, in that moment, that her love was no longer returned. However, she wasn't as upset about it as she formerly presumed that she would be. It hurt a bit, but having him home was a blessing that allowed her to be happy, and despite everything else, Link was not yet lost to them. She knew that Ordon would be delighted that he was back, to say the least, and the people would become lively again. That in itself would suffice for everything that has changed about him.
"I never got to truly thank you for recovering my memory," Ilia finally spoke to him, "so thank you for that. I'm grateful for all that you did to help me."
He nodded curtly.
"I'm also grateful for every other things you did, though I don't know honestly know the details, I figure you helped a lot of people," she thanked him, and he lifted a hand and placed it on his friend's shoulder.
"I'll tell you everything one day, but I'd rather relive it as little as possible at the moment, seeing as I'm still trying to adjust back to daily life," he promised her, and his promise made her smile a little bit, "but you might not believe me."
She shook her head.
"I'll believe every word," she swore to him.
Ilia and Link didn't get to speak any more, because the morning rooster crowed, which meant the people had started to wake up. They both knew they wouldn't be able to carry on any kind of decent conversation when the other Ordonians noted his arrival. Ilia knew that the residents of the village would swarm him the minute they spotted him. He had saved the children, after all, and was loved by everyone. The village's golden boy was treasured, no doubt.
Link somewhat enjoyed his conversation with Ilia, but wasn't sure he was ready to face everyone again, though he did miss them. Ilia gave him a knowing look, and he knew that she understood that he was going to be smothered in mere moments, and if she didn't move, she would be stuck within the mob as well. With an apologetic glance, she began to walk back to her house, and he stood there mindlessly before deciding to take a walk around the village, and possibly the Ordon Ranch, depending on how long it took the people to come outside.
He only made it to Sera's Sundries before Uli stepped outside with her new child.
"Link?" she shouted in surprise.
He waved at her as if it was just an ordinary day, and he was just on a morning stroll. She grinned and gestured for Link to come over and see her. He sighed, wishing he could change his mind on telling everyone he was back, but knew it had to be done eventually. The mother gave Link the most enthusiastic one-arm hug he thought possible, after hoisting her child into her other arm.
"Colin will be so excited you've decided to come back," she still wore a tiny smile, "you're all he's talked about since he came back. He's been rather depressed without you here. In all honesty, this town was in turmoil without you," she disclosed. He sighed, and felt slightly guilty. In all truth, this was still yet to feel like home to Link. Uli stared at Link with a sort of questioning, and then asked him if he'd like to come inside. He accepted the offer, trying not to appear half-hearted. When he stepped into the house, it felt wrong. It was too peaceful, and Link minded it. She offered him a chair to sit in, and he took it without a word.
"Rusl is awake, and I know he's wanted to speak with you. Would you like me to go get him for you?" Uli inquired, and Link nodded.
She left the room, but Link didn't notice it. He was busy observing their home, it was all the same. Decorative pots lined the walls, and small candles were lit on a diminutive table centered in the middle of the room. He felt a slight urge to take a blade to the pots, mainly because he desired to watch them shatter. He sighed, and laid his head in his palms, deliberating many things over in his head.
"Are you ok, son?" he heard a deep voice.
Link looked up at him, but otherwise, didn't respond to the swordsman's question. Link was quite unsure if he was alright, there had been moments where he'd been happy, but otherwise, he mostly lingered over the adventure that no longer was. Rusl gave him a hard look, trying to decipher whatever it was Link was feeling.
"You look distressed, Link. Didn't you miss it here in Ordon?"
"I did."
Link turned his eyes away from Rusl, and clenched his fists so tightly that the color immediately drained from his knuckles.
"Uli said you wished to speak with me about something?" Link suggested a new conversation, but Rusl frowned, accentuating the lines on his face, and Link understood that he could not dodge the man's questions for whatever reason, for Rusl had been alive long enough to not be fooled by such insignificant remarks.
"Yes, but we will converse on those matters later, my utmost concern is for your well-being now that I see you, Link," Rusl evaded Link's futile attempt to distract him. Link did not remove his eyes from the ground, but chose to speak anyways.
"Do you not miss it?"
"Yes," Rusl understood what Link meant, "I do sometimes. To fight for one's country, even if it is doing something of irrelevance, is a war many men crave. You tend to feel useless after overcoming such hardships, whether you are or not. Are my words not true, Link?" Rusl lifted Link's chin in order to meet his gaze. Once Rusl was satisfied with Link's stare, he released the hero. Link did not dare look away from the man.
"Yes. They are true; I just need time to adapt…"
"Understood. While we are on this subject; however, what I needed to speak to you about was this: I was rather curious as to what you did while you were away?" Rusl eyes were twinkling a little bit as he spoke to Link, "I've heard from my son that you were a lot of help to him and others."
Link ducked his head humbly, knowing he wouldn't tell Rusl everything.
"I really didn't do much, Rusl, to be honest. I accomplished some minor tasks, but that is all. Saving the children was my top priority, and once that was accomplished, I traveled for a bit," Link lied to Rusl. The information on what had really happened was nothing that anyone needed to know, so he kept it to himself.
Rusl laughed, as if something were awfully funny.
"Ever so humble," he stared at Link with kindred brown eyes, and readjusted the sword that still hung in a sheath on his back. Link was confused by the man's sudden outburst, and suddenly yearned to leave, and go back to his own house. Nevertheless, Link continued to sit there, bewildered by the middle-aged man. After the moment had passed, the room grew as silent as Link had ever heard it. Rusl grabbed Link's left wrist slowly, and rubbed a calloused thumb over the back of Link's hand, causing his Triforce of Courage to flash once with supreme golden light. Link pulled his hand away.
"Did you think I didn't know, Hero of Time?" Rusl raised a dark eyebrow at Link, and the hero shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not knowing how the retired swordsman knew so much. He opened his mouth to question him, but Rusl answered it before he could ask.
"I'm not as dense as many would think, you know? When I was working in Telma's Bar, your name tended to show up everywhere, Link, and with it, some heroic deed that you'd completed, and I was a bit jealous, I'll admit, for I was bitter for a bit over how someone so many years my junior could do things beyond my wildest dreams, so I decided to research it. At first, I believed the legend I'd found to be nothing but hogwash. I kept thinking you were merely lucky. However, when I saw you standing in Hyrule Castle itself, holding out the alleged Master Sword, ready to fight the enemies that stood in your way… I didn't have a choice but to accept it. Especially when things seemed to fall back into order mere days afterwards…" Rusl explained, and Link had no response for what the swordsman had told him. Link was confused as to why he was envied, the whole expedition had been miserable at best, and he hated the things he'd been forced to endure. Yet, here, someone seemed to want to take his place.
"It's not as glorified as you would think," Link divulged, "I watched as people died. I had to kill! I heard how scared and helpless the victims to the twilight were when they became as mere spirits to the world, watching as the monsters scurried their homes, including your son. I watched as they waited in agony as if they were going to die at any given moment. I sat and had to let the Ordonians, including yourself, hurt me," Link felt like he was on the brink of tears, "I had to walk the world a grey wolf, and my own loved ones saw me as the disgusting enemy that I was having to fight, the one that kidnapped the children," Link slightly elevated his voice without meaning to, and Rusl stood there, his eyes slightly wider than he had been. Link was no mad at the man, but mainly felt spiteful that people would desire for the torment that had undoubtedly ruined who he was just for the glory that supposedly came with it, "but I did it anyways. Not for fame, or the grandeur of the title 'Hero of Time' but because it was effecting those I loved. I watched as Princess Zelda waited in capture up in her tower, and selflessly gave her ability to exist in the light in order to save my twilit companion, Midna, from burning in the sun. After all I'd done… I was rewarded by getting to watch as Midna shattered the mirror that connected our worlds, and with it, my only hope of ever getting to see her again," Link found that he was nearly in tears but still continued to speak, "and now I get to come home, and try and forget that any of that ever happened, knowing that I can never truly be the same as I was before it all happened," Link settled down enough to take a few breath, and cool his feverish face.
"I'm sorry, Link," Rusl was grave; "No one should ever have to endure the things that you did."
After a moment's consideration, the man spoke again.
"Not many would be as strong as you. I am ever grateful to you, Link," he acknowledged his thanks, and gave Link a smile, "you are the bravest man I know." Link met the swordsman's eyes, and was happy he was appreciated by someone.
"Thank you…"
"No… Thank you, Link."