Modern Day: Seven Years after the events of Twilight Princess
The bright clouds rolled lazily along the blue Ordon sky. A gentle breeze swept over the tall, green hills surrounding the rural farming village. The sun's warm rays shone down upon the villagers and their cattle, reflected beautifully by the sparkling stream that flowed through the center of the village. It was near the end of summer, almost time to harvest the scrumptious Ordonian pumpkins that were a yearly crop for the villagers. The goats basked lazily in the warm sun, grazing upon the fields of lush grass waving in the summer breeze. Every so often, one would let out a blissful cry. Ever since the dark days seven years ago, when all of Hyrule had been covered in twilight, the villagers had learned to appreciate such a wonderful blessing from the goddesses.
"Colin!" Fado ran though the village, looking frantically for the blonde young man. His blues eyes darted from house to house as he ran, looking for any sign of his assistant. Fado passed through the small village, glancing at the villagers as he went to see if Colin was with them. He wasn't to be found here, so there was only one other place to look: the village spring.
He continued running, stopping abruptly when he came to the path that passed by Link's house. His eyes clouded with melancholy as he looked at the neglected home. No one had lived there for years. Dust clogged the windows like a smog; the wood was rotting and beginning to weaken. The very house itself stood silent, disturbed only by the few birds and squirrels from Faron woods who found it a convenient shelter from the elements.
He shook his head and disbanded the memories of days long past. He continued down the path, emerging into the wooded area that led to the spring. Many of the trees hung over the path, growing healthily and hoping to soak up the precious sunlight that shined from above.
Fado rounded the turn and found, sure enough, Colin standing in the spring barefoot, brushing his beloved horse, Zephyr. He was tall and strong, his toned arms could be seen past the sleeveless Ordonian tunic he wore. Beneath his parted blonde hair were resolute blue eyes, equipped with a courage that he hadn't possessed seven years ago. To his back was strapped a plain wooden shield he had obtained at Malo Mart, and his trusty Ordon Sword, crafted by his father Rusl. His horse, Zephyr, was a sturdy animal coated with a tough, brown hide. Outlines of the horse's muscles rippled throughout its powerful body. The elegant black tail swayed side to side with every stroke of the brush. Its black mane flowed gracefully down its neck, resting tranquilly above its eyes as the horse whinnied in delight.
"I've finally found you, Colin?" Fado said, breathing heavily.
"What is it, Fado?" Colin eyed him worriedly. In the back of his mind, he already knew.
"It's those goats again. Those little scamps just don't seem to listen to a hair I say. Y'think you could round'em up for me today?" he pleaded.
Colin smiled and nodded quickly. "Um, sure Fado. I'll have those goats rounded in no time." He placed one foot on the stirrup, and hoisted himself onto Zephyr's saddle. With a quick kick to the sides, the two cantered through the village, leaving Fado behind at the spring.
Colin smiled slyly to himself. He was right. Ever since Link had left Hyrule with Epona, Fado had desperately tried to maintain the ranch on his own. Things quickly got out of hand as goats constantly escaped into the village. Bo, the village mayor, eventually grew impatient with him and asked his daughter Ilia to help out for a time. She reluctantly agreed to assist Fado, but only temporarily. In the meantime, the village scraped together some funds and bought a new horse, Zephyr, from Castle Town. Thanks to much patience, perseverance, and Ilia's careful instruction, Colin had successfully learned how to ride in only a year. He might not be as skilled a wrangler as Link, but it was enough to provide some much needed relief to Fado.
As Zephyr and Colin cantered up the hill leading to the ranch, Colin surveyed the field. From a brief scan, he estimated no more than ten goats grazing in the field today. He nodded and sighed in relief. The job wouldn't take him any more than a few minutes. As they passed through the gate, Colin kicked the horse into a gallop. "Let's go, Zephyr. If we hurry, we can join our friends for some milk later."
The duo chased after the goats, Colin hollering at the blue animals in hopes of causing them to move. He succeeded. The goats ran in all directions like spiders exposed in the sunlight. The pair chased them down, herding them back into the barn where they belonged. Used to the daily routine, the goats returned calmly to their stalls, awaiting the closing of their gates that signified the end of the day. This continued for several more minutes until Colin successfully herded every last animal.
Their task done, Colin and Zephyr passed through the gate that led back to the village. In the distance, they saw Fado approaching down the path.
"Thanks a bunch, Colin," he said when he finally reached them, placing a grateful hand on the horse's massive thigh. "I reckon it'd a been much more difficult without ya'll." He nodded at Colin, and then ran into the barn to lock the goats in for the night.
Colin smiled and kicked Zephyr into the sides, causing the horse to canter back to the village. He was eager to return to the village to meet his friends. It would be the first time in months that they were altogether again.
Later that evening, Colin, Ilia, Talo, and Beth were gathered at Talo's house, drinking Ordon milk and laughing around the table. Jaggle and Pergie were at Sera's house for the evening, allowing the group of old friends to have the house to themselves. They talked lively with one another, reminiscing over nostalgic days and catching up on each other's lives.
"And so, this thirty-five year old man comes up to me asking me if I'd like to buy a map," Beth began, rolling her green eyes.
She was seventeen, and now worked in Hyrule Castle Town along with Malo and her boyfriend Talo. Her desire to be like the city women pushed her out into the big city as soon as she was of age. She wore a long blue dress made of cotton and hand stitched with various other colors. She was skinny and slender, constantly concerning herself with the latest city fashions. She had grown slightly taller in the past seven years, now standing about the same height as her mother.
"He wore the most hideous outfit," she continued with laughter in her voice upon seeing her old friends again. "You'd think he jumped blind into a closet. And who wears underwear outside their pants, especially with a green full-body suit?" The company's faces grimaced at the image. "He kept babbling about how he was going to find fairies or something. He was a genuine creeper." Everyone laughed heartily, enjoying Beth and Talo's tales from the city.
"And he keeps coming back," Talo added, his long brown hair flipping in front of his eye. He brushed it back, and took another drink of his milk.
The young man was about eighteen years old, and wore a simple leather jerkin belted at the waist to red trousers. About the same height as Rusl, he was lean but strong from his work in the city. His voice was deeper, a sign of his maturity. He worked with his brother Talo and Beth, doing their best to maintain the rapidly growing chain of stores known as Malo Mart.
Talo's green eyes looked around the table at Ilia and Colin, both of whom had decided to stay within the warm comforts of Ordon Village. His eyes gazed warmly at his girlfriend Beth as the two stared at each other for a few seconds. He took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. Looking back at his friends, Talo continued. "We have to force him out. We never do that at Malo Mart, but we'll make an exception for him." He paused shortly. "As we push him out the door, he says some magic words and talks about his magic balloon." Talo sighed. "There are just some strange people out in the world."
They all shared another laugh, and said nothing for a few moments.
"So where is Malo, anyway?" Colin inquired, taking a sip from his Ordon milk.
"You know how he is," Beth replied, rolling her eyes out of habit. "His work is more important than his friends."
"Hate to say it, but you're right. You'll have to give him a mighty hello for us." Colin looked around the table as the break in the conversation became evident. He attempted to keep it going "It sounds like you're all doing well in Castle Town though." The youth's lips curled into a smile. "Not much goes on here in the village. It's still the same as when you left it. Fado still can't handle the goats, so I help him out. It's a good thing I get paid, or else I'd be the most charitable person in Hyrule."
Talo chuckled. "It's good to see that our precious Ordon Village is still the same. It's nice to have a place to call home." He looked over to Ilia, who listened quietly at the table, her mind thinking about other things entirely. "How about you, Ilia? You haven't said much all night."
"What?" she looked up, her train of thought broken. Roughly in her mid-twenties, Ilia was thin but toned from working around the ranch. Her straight blonde hair flowed down to her shoulders, tied back into a ponytail so as not to hamper her work. Her kind green eyes looked up hesitantly, unaware of where the conversation had left off. She wore a simple white sleeveless shirt and orange leather pants. A country girl at heart, she loved nothing more than to be surrounded by horses and the great outdoors. In her hands she held a horse charm, the same horse charm she had made and given Link all those years ago. Before he left Ordon Village for good, he gave it back to her so that she had something tangible to remember him by. It had, after all, helped her overcome her amnesia long ago. Now, she never let it leave her sight, longing for the day he would return.
"How have things been going with you, Ilia?" Talo repeated, realizing that Ilia had never been the same since Link left. They all shared a strong bond with him, but she was closest to him by far. The day he left, she had stood outside his house for hours without moving, skipping dinner and not saying a word to anyone for a week. She had recovered significantly in that time, but there was still a piece of her heart lost from that day.
"Oh, things have been pretty dull around here." She smiled politely, finally becoming involved in the conversation. She took a drink from her untouched glass of milk. "As I'm sure Colin said, things haven't changed much 'round these parts. I've just been helpin' Sera with her shop since Hanch isn't the most reliable of people." They all chuckled quietly. "Other then that, Colin's got the ranch, so I just help with the cuckoos and the harvest."
There was silence once again as everyone sighed at the same time. They looked at each other, and burst out laughing.
"The city is nice, but there's no place like home." Beth sighed contently, reclining in the wooden chair.
"Agreed," they all chimed in, clinking their milk glasses together and toasting.
They continued talking and laughing well into the night.
After a while, Ilia pushed her chair back from the table and stood. "Well, its gettin' late, and I've gotta help Sera in the mornin," she said. She took one last drink from her glass, sloshing around the last bit of milk in her mouth to prolong the taste. "We're going to pick up fish for her cat tomorrow, so we've got to rise with the sun." Ilia began walking towards the door. "G'night, everyone. It was great seeing ya'll again." She turned to Talo and Beth. "Will I see you two tomorrow?"
They nodded in unison. "Most likely. It's a long journey back to Hyrule Town, so we planned to stay at least a few more days," Talo replied, letting go of Beth's hand and glancing up at Ilia.
Ilia smiled. "I'm glad. Then I'll see ya'll tomorrow." She waved farewell, placing her hand on the wooden doorknob and stepping out into the warm summer night. As the door closed behind her, she listened to the laughter of her old friends through the wall. The warm summer air felt refreshing against her cheeks, filling her with a quiet joy.
She sighed, and walked down the path through the village, the joyful chatter of her friends fading with each step. Her sandal clad feet brushed against the dirt path until she reached Link's old house. She stopped momentarily, listening to the orchestra of frogs and crickets filling the night air with their wondrous compositions. She took out the horse charm and grasped it in her gentle fingers, lifting her melancholy eyes to the pale moon above.
"Come back soon, Link," her soft words carried into the warm night air.
She stayed there for a few more minutes, listening intently to the sounds of nature. Without a single word, she turned around and walked back down the path she had come, disappearing into the cozy summer evening.