The Legend of Zelda: The Hero's Twilight, a 'Legend of Zelda' fanfic by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 2: Rewind
As Twilight and Time stepped through the doorway, both couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. Both heroes had undertaken many adventures in this temple, and both looked at each other and grinned when they spotted the Master Sword through the Door of Time. Ilia looked around in wonder, marveling at the sight of the restored temple. She listened intently to the vocalizing of the same song that the Sacred Wolf was howling earlier, wondering vaguely where it was coming from. Then she remembered: She and Link had traveled back in time. A time when the world of Hyrule was filled with magic. Not just within certain people, but within the land itself. In her own time, healing fairies had all but disappeared from the world but for a handful of sacred springs- when they had returned from Hylia-knew-where*. But here they were abundant, sometimes even hiding in pots and tufts of grass.
[This is assuming that Twilight cleared the Cave of Ordeals and populated the four sacred springs with healing fairies and Great Fairies.]
Time looked meaningfully at his descendant, and Twilight understood the unspoken thought. He took the Rod of the Heavens out of its pouch and set it on the pedestal on the floor that bore the mark of the Triforce.* Then he followed his ancestor to the doorway, Ilia shyly trailing along beside him.
[Twilight had to leave the Dominion Rod in the temple or he would've just been transported through to his own time when he opened the doorway.]
Time opened the doors to the temple and felt a sense of homecoming as he listened to the birds singing outside. He jogged to the middle of the courtyard and looked up at Death Mountain, its peaceful peak encompassed by a ring of white clouds. Twilight and Ilia followed him out, awe and wonder shining in their eyes. From the few books he had read and thousands of legends he had heard growing up, he ascertained that this era was the one in which his ancestor had grown up. Hyrule's Golden Age.*
[Aka the OoT era, just after the Hyrulean Civil War.]
"We'll meet back here in about two hours. Feel free to explore my world, but don't lose track of time. There are just a few things I need to get. Lady Ilia, you know the songs of the temples. If Link plays one on his 'new' ocarina, the land's magic will transport you to the seal outside the temple. Just don't go to the Fire temple. It's too hot in there for a normal person to survive for more than a few minutes- at least, without magical protection. You could also visit the ranch. I'm sure Talon and Malon would love to meet you."
Twilight and Ilia nodded, but- just as Link was about to play a tune- Time stopped him by putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but there are monsters in this world too. Stay on your guard, and trust your instincts."
Link nodded, then played the Minuet of Forest on the small ocarina that Time had given to him. Emerald sparkles surrounded them, and the two travelers from the future disappeared to the Forest temple.
Two hours later, back in the temple of Time, Twilight was laughing as he unsuccessfully tried to dry his hair by ruffling it with his hand. Time had also returned from his errands and raised a questioning eyebrow at his descendant, wondering why he was all wet. Ilia giggled mischievously. "I pushed him into Lake Hylia."
Time shook his head and smiled, then checked himself over and adjusted some of the gear he was wearing.
As the two 'younger' teens studied their senior, they realized just how much Time had changed. For one thing, he wasn't wearing his old suit of armor anymore, but had replaced it with a forest-green tunic and matching long cap that hung down to his shoulders. He wore a white, long-sleeved turtleneck under his tunic, long white stockings that kept his legs warm, and brown boots made from soft leather that looked well-worn but also cared for lovingly. He also bore a standard Hylian shield and scabbard on his back, the belt for it buckled across his chest from his left shoulder to his right hip. A similar belt encircled his waist, though this one bore several small pouches that looked to be looped onto it. Twilight knew that these pouches- like his own- were enchanted to hold many items that were normally clearly too big to fit inside the tiny pockets. Not to mention heavy. On his hands, he wore a pair of expensive-looking gauntlets, a special kind of gold plating on one side to protect the wearer's wrists and forearms from attacks. It also looked like he'd cleaned up his face and hair too, as his blond bangs blew back and forth slightly in the gentle breeze.
"What happened to your armor?" Ilia asked Twilight's ancestor, and Time grinned again. "Took it to a Hylian blacksmith for repairs. Farore knows it needs a tune-up. Goron smiths are generally better craftsmen, but they tend to take a long time with their orders. And it gives me a good excuse to give you two a tour of Hyrule in its Golden Age. Whaddya think?" He asked with an excited gleam in his blue eyes.
Twilight and Ilia looked at each other in excited wonder. What Rusl and Uli wouldn't give for an opportunity like this! To actually explore Hyrule at the peak of its prosperity, and meet all of its legends face-to-face! It would be a dream come true for Ordon's resident historians!
"Zubora told me it should take about a full day to repair all those things- and in some cases, reforge them- so I might as well kill some time with my favorite protégé and friend and show you around my old home. Where do you wanna go first?" Time smiled in excitement, but then frowned in sudden worry. "Probably shouldn't go in the castle, though. I don't wanna cause a paradox. Technically, I'm not really supposed to be here, in Hyrule. My 'other self' is in Termina right now, and I won't be back for a few months yet. I went back after my initial 'trials' to clear up things instead of just leaving everyone in a lurch. The families of my 'masks' in particular. Zelda knows that I left, and I don't wanna mess anything up with the time-stream. I've messed with it enough." He joked lightly with a slight blush dusting his cheekbones. Twilight and Ilia laughed, remembering all the legends they'd heard of Time's adventures through the past and future.
"How about the Gerudo Desert?" Ilia suggested. "Our friend Telma is the only one of Gerudo descent in our time. I kinda wanna see their culture in their 'heyday'." She smiled excitedly, and Time nodded. "Great idea. But first we should go to Lon Lon Ranch and see if we can borrow a few horses. It would take all day to just get there on foot." He chuckled, then just took off out of the temple without warning and signaling to his companions to follow him out of town to the one-time Hylian fortress during the Civil War.
The next day, sometime after noon, Twilight retrieved the Dominion Rod and waved it at the door. The portal glowed briefly, then opened of its own accord back to their own time. Time looked to his companions, and the three walked through the gateway back into the Sacred Grove.
"Um- Link?" Ilia muttered shyly, her eyes on both of the heroes. Both boys looked at her, and she corrected herself. "Oh, sorry! I- I meant the Hero of Time." At this, Twilight excused himself and entered the chamber of the Master Sword- both to reminisce and to give his ancestor and childhood friend some privacy. Time continued to pay attention to the young woman, and she continued.
"It's not that we're not- honored by your visit, but- how are we going to explain your presence to everyone? I mean, y-you look like you could b-be Link's twin brother." Ilia stammered, and Time smiled kindly. "The truth." was his simple answer, but then he continued. "We'll say that I'm a distant relative of his, visiting for a while. Which is the truth, if you think about it. Just not all of it." He smiled, a mischievous sparkle in his blue eyes. "Must be the wolf in me, but I'm willing to go along with the ruse if you are."
Ilia nodded and Twilight agreed too, as he had returned from the back chamber. Then the three left the Sacred Grove and traversed the Lost Woods back to Faron. At least, that was the plan. Just as they'd exited the ruins of the Temple of Time, a mischievous creature dropped from the treetops and landed before them with inhuman grace. Twilight drew his bow and stepped protectively in front of Ilia, nocking an arrow to fire at the prankster Skull Kid. Just as he raised his weapon though, Time put a gentle hand over the head of the arrow. "Stay your hand, Link. Let me handle this." Twilight frowned in confusion, but then nodded.
Time approached the imp open-handed, showing him that he was a friend. Then he reached into a pocket on his belt- a belt that, Twilight noted, looked exactly like his own- and drew out the blue Ocarina of Time. Putting it to his mouth, the Hero played a tune that matched the music of the enchanted woods- a tune Ilia recognized as 'Saria's Song'.
The imp cocked his head to one side in confusion, then slowly approached the green-clad teenager, stowing his strange flute behind his back. When he was only inches away, he leaned forward and sniffed loudly, trying to identify the scent of the Hylian before him.
"Hee-hee-hee! I remember you! The Fairy-boy from the forest with all those fun masks!" The imp giggled, and Time nodded- a fond smile blooming on his face. The Skull Kid still hadn't changed, even after all these decades. The imp then approached Twilight, who tensed and stood protectively in front of Ilia. The Skull Kid then sniffed him and giggled happily. "An' you're the Wolfie-boy who played hide-n'-seek tag with me! That was so much fun!" Ilia looked at her friend questioningly. "Wolfie-boy?" Twilight blushed and shrugged, and Time laughed. "Hey, it's better than 'Fairy-boy'!"
The impish Skull Kid giggled again, then cartwheeled behind the boys and stopped in front of Ilia- who took a step back in fear. He looked at her with his red eyes and giggled happily, "Hee-hee-hee! An' you would dance with me in the forest before you got bigger!" Then he cartwheeled off again.
Now it was Ilia's turn to go red. Time chuckled. "That's his way of saying you grew up. He's immortal, and doesn't know what it means to age. People are born, they get bigger, then they leave, and new people come to take their places. He doesn't know what it means to die, because it's never happened to him. His old friends just leave and don't come back. Save one."
Ilia and Twilight looked at him quizzically. "Me." He answered, and their confusion grew. "I befriended him as a child when I grew up in the forest, then three years later in Termina in the incident with Majora's Mask- and now again, as your 'distant relative'." He winked at Twilight, who smiled and nodded in comprehension. "I was also the one who asked him to 'test' the next Hero who would claim the Master Sword." He grinned somewhat sheepishly. "Sorry if he was a little- um, 'overzealous'." He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. Twilight merely smiled and nodded, understanding what his old master had meant. Not just anyone would be able to free the legendary blade from its shrine. They had to be special. If anyone who was not of pure heart so much as even touched the hilt of the sword, they would be turned to dust on the spot. Such was its power, even sealed in stone.
"Come back an' play sometime!" The imp called, hanging from a high tree branch by his legs and swinging back and forth. The three smiled at him fondly, then resumed their hike through the Lost Woods. Just as the trio approached the exit, the imp added, "Fairy-boy! Say 'hi' to Saria for me, 'kay?"
Time froze in his tracks at these words, and a single tear fell from his eyes to the ground as he remembered his childhood friend. The one who had given him the rose-colored ocarina. Twilight put a hand on Time's shoulder and the teenager shivered, though not from cold. "See what I mean? He knows nothing of death. The Sage of Forest- my friend- is long gone." Another tear followed the path of the first, but this one did not drop to the ground. Time wiped it away with the back of his hand, then sighed. "This is not the time for tears. I have been brought to this age for a reason. It is now my task to find out why." Looking straight ahead- his face a mask of stone- he led the way out of the forest, Ilia and Twilight following at a distance.
As the trio approached the Forest temple, a small form darted out of the entrance, nearly bowling over Twilight in its haste and actually jumping on Time, freezing when it noticed whom it had knocked over. Now that he could see it, Twilight recognized it as the female monkey who had helped him clear the Forest temple. She still had her pink flower behind her ear and the symbol of the Kokiri's Emerald tattooed on her shoulder.
"?" She squeaked when she looked at the Hylian under her feet, then jumped off him and started hopping in place- as if excited to see an old, dear friend. Time looked at her quizzically, then got to his feet. Without so much as a warning to his companions, he assumed the form of the Golden Wolf, then used his senses to 'see' what the other two could not. Twilight and Ilia jumped back a little in surprise when Time transformed, but the shock wore off fairly quickly. They knew that their friend wouldn't harm them.
As for Time- when he used his wolf senses to 'see' the monkey- he received a little shock of his own and yelped in surprise. He returned to his Hylian form with a 'POP' and breathed, "Saria?!"
The monkey squeaked again in confusion, but then a strange ball of light appeared in her place and formed itself into that of a young girl with short green hair held back by a headband. She was garbed all in green, and her blue eyes were wide with shock.
"Link?!" She gasped. "Link!" She cried as she tackled Time and sent them both crashing to the ground again, though this time they were both laughing. "Saria!" was all the Hero could say, embracing his childhood friend in a hug so heartfelt that Ilia and Twilight had to smile.
"I should've guessed you guys would stay close to the temple, but why monkeys?" Time asked, and Saria explained. "Mido's idea. With magic disappearing from the world, the idea of immortal children living in the woods would be too unbelievable for most people, and even scary for some of them. So we decided to take on different forms." She shrugged. "Hardly any true Hylians are around anymore either, and the Kokiri have pointed ears like Hylians. It was easier to become monkeys and stay in the forest than leave and try to blend in with humans." She added. Then she raised her palms and backpedaled. "Not that there's anything wrong with humans!" She gulped nervously, looking at Ilia guiltily. Ilia shook her head in a gesture that meant she wasn't offended.
"Where is Mido, anyway?" Time asked, looking around for the self-proclaimed 'boss' of the Kokiri.
"Right here!" growled the redheaded and freckled bully, walking up beside a giant white baboon with a big mouth and an even bigger, cherry-red backside. Twilight snorted as he tried to contain his laughter. He remembered this buffoon from when he got the Gale Boomerang.
"What're you laughing at-" Mido started to sneer, but then he recognized to whom he was talking. He gave a very appropriate shriek and jumped off into the trees, not eager for a repeat performance of their first encounter.
"What was all that about?" Time asked, and Saria giggled while Twilight just shook his head. "Let's just say that the latest Hero had a very- interesting way of bringing our boss back to his senses. I guess Mido has had enough spankings for one lifetime." At this, Twilight snorted again, barely containing his mirth as he remembered his 'battle' with the mini-boss of the Forest temple.*
[This is another nod to the OoT manga, as Mido helps Time in both the Great Deku Tree dungeon and the Forest temple. And the mini-boss helped Twilight with the boss in TP.]
"I see." Time answered, but the look in his eyes told a different story. Saria giggled as well, but then she grew serious again. "What is it?" Time asked. "What's wrong?"
Saria looked down sadly. "I'm sorry, Link. I- I've failed in my duties as a Sage. It was my responsibility to protect the forest, and-" She sniffed quietly, her blue eyes misty with tears. "And now the temple is overrun by creatures that cannot be defeated by might alone." Her head dropped to her hands and her shoulders shook with the weight of her sorrow. Time put a gentle hand around his friend's shoulders and he patted her back consolingly as she cried into his own shoulder.
"It's going to be all right, Saria." Time comforted, and Saria wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "You've got two heroes here after all, both of whom have been through this temple before. We'll handle this and free the rest of the Kokiri." Somehow Time could sense the plight of his other childhood friends, and he vowed that he would free them no matter what. Twilight noticed the determination on the timeless knight's face, and he felt the same. He would do whatever it took to free this land from the new threat. Granted, nothing had happened to his home village of Ordon- yet- but he wanted to keep it that way.
Time stood to his feet and nodded to his descendant, who returned the nod- both their faces a mask of determination. Then the two heroes entered the Forest temple without a word. Saria and Ilia looked at each other, then they folded their hands and knelt facing the temple- pleading with the goddess of Courage to keep the boys safe.
End of chapter 2
Next Chapter Teaser: Replant
I have always wondered about Lon Lon Ranch, why it looks the way it does. Why would a simple ranch be so well fortified, with a huge wall surrounding it like it does? It must have served a different purpose during the Civil War. Possibly as a fortress outside of the main Castle Town for Hyrule's cavalry? *shrug* ️ I dunno. That's just a theory. A GAME theory! Thanks for reading! XD
Oh, and that blacksmith to whom Time took his armor for repairs? He's in Majora's Mask, along with his giant of a partner, Gabora. They're the ones who make the Razor Sword and Gilded Sword for Link.
So, Time has a mischievous streak! Who knew? XD
Twilight still hasn't told any of his friends about the events of TP, the parts in which he participated. Or about his wolf form. That's why Ilia was confused when the Skull Kid called him 'Wolfie-boy'. lol Wolfie-boy. Sometimes I amuse even myself.
Speaking of amusing, Mido has to be my least favorite Kokiri in OoT. (Except for that Fado girl with the two pigtail buns. The one in the Biggoron Sword side-quest. She gives me the creeps!) Anyway, Mido's so mean to Time! So I got revenge by telling everyone that he's the baboon mini-boss of the TP Forest temple. HA! Take that, bully!
I've always wondered if there could be some connection between the Kokiri of OoT and the monkeys in TP, so I put them in here too. Just something for you to think about.
We enter our first temple of the new 'adventure' in the next chapter, and I'll meet you there! Sayonara!
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm