The Legend Of Zelda: Timeless

Chapter 1

"I...I'll see you later."

   The princess silently looked down, eyes wide. The tear had shattered Mirror of Twilight, and shards now littered the ground around her. The infinitesimal fragments of glass glittered in the warm light of the sunset, serving as a constant reminder that the Twilight Princess, Midna, was truly gone. After months of living as one, it was a strange feeling to realize that her friend was no longer a part of her, or even in their realm. She kneeled down to pick up a shard, and it still radiated warmth. As the grains of sand shifted through her fingers, her eyes shifted over to the green-clad man standing beside her. His face was turned away from her, and his fists were balled. She was left without anything to say for what seemed like an eternity, too wrapped up in her own sadness. Eventually, she knew they couldn't linger at the mirror's location any longer, so she stood silently, clasping her hands together lightly,

    "I am sorry. I know she was a true friend to you." She said quietly after several moments, though it sounded much louder in the quiet of dusk. He nodded slightly, but didn't respond. She took a few steps toward him, desperate to break the seemingly endless silence between them. "I can not ever fully express my gratitude for all you have done for Hyrule. I will forever be in your debt, Hero of Twilight." She bowed her head, a hand on her chest. He finally turned to face her, the faint presence of a smile noticeable in his features, though it didn't quite meet his blue eyes. The same eyes that had faced her many times through the face of a wolf.

    "Call me Link." He said simply and without emotion, and she nodded as she straightened. A small sigh escaped his lips, "We should get going, your highness. Without her..." He hesitated, looking down for a moment before regaining his composure, "I can't port, and Epona can't get here. I'm not exactly sure how we'll get out of the desert." He said, looking in the direction of the sun descending over the horizon. Her eyes followed, though she wasn't worried,

    "Don't worry, I have learned a few things throughout my years of magic lessons." She said with a small smile. Though it had been a long time since she had used her magic, excluding the battle with Ganondorf, she felt confident in her ability to perform the task at hand easily. His brow furrowed in confusion,

    "What do you mean, your majesty?" She extended her hand and he took it without hesitation. Then, her eyes closed as she knelt down, focusing her mind on her home. She could see the cool stone of the castle walls that used to protect her. The feeling of the soft grass brushing her fingers shifted from imagery to reality.

    Then, she opened her eyes and stood in Hyrule Field, facing the bridge that led to Castle Town.

    What was left of it, that is.

    Zelda couldn't help the small gasp that followed, her hand covering her mouth in silent horror. During the battle that had ensued, she hadn't had the opportunity to fully grasp what would be affected from the the castle exploding, but without the fear for her life on her mind, she was left devastated. Black smoke was still darkening the sky, and the burnt smell of fire still fresh. She only remained where she was for a moment before picking up the end of her dress and running towards the broken gate, Link on her heels,

    "Wait!" He called from behind her, to no use. She ran toward the center of town, but was blocked by a pile of stone that once created her childhood home. As Link caught up, she spoke,

     "The town...they had no clue of what was about to happen, no time to escape." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him raise a hand to put on her shoulder, freeze, and lower it. He stepped forward instead,

     "There was nothing you could've done. It isn't your fault, princess." She didn't respond, but started to look for a way through,

    "There could be survivors." She said, finding a portion of the wall that was loose, and pointing it out to Link. He nodded and bent to move the rock, even though she could sense his nervousness. After several minutes, there was a hole large enough to squeeze through, and they did without hesitation. She started to walk forward, but a hand lightly brushed her arm, stopping her. Glancing back at Link, she saw his eyes were focused intensely on something. She followed his gaze, and saw a shadow moving through the rubble, "Is that..a dog?" she whispered, and he shook his head,

    "Fox." She looked over at him in confusion, but the animal looked up at them for a moment before bolting through the hole they had made. She watched it for a moment in confusion, before walking forward, calling out. Nothing but the crackling of fire and chirping of crickets answered. She tried again, but Link walked towards her,

    "Maybe we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves. It's getting darker, and the castle was the base of Ganondorf for months, so who knows what's still prowling around here. It's not safe for you here. We just have to hope that anyone who survived got out." He said softly. She nodded sadly, knowing he was right,

    "Where is safe?" She asked as she followed him out of the town. He pulled something out of his pocket and blew a tune through it, before facing her,

    "Kakariko. I have some friends there waiting for me. We can stay there for the night before moving on to Ordon. It's such a small and secluded village, so you'll be safe there." He replied as the faint sound of hoofbeats grew louder and his Clydesdale approached with a nicker. He reached out to pat her muzzle before turning to face Zelda again, holding out a hand, "May I?" She nodded, closing the distance between them. He put his hands on her waist, lifting her onto the saddle before mounting behind her. Her guards had done the same thing countless times, but for some reason this time left her with a blush. Thankfully, he couldn't see, and he flicked the reins, the mare underneath her easily shifting into a canter. As Hyrule Field rushed by around her, she was left with her thoughts. One of the most prominent ones that night was the relief that their enemy was finally vanquished and the hope that maybe, finally, she could start to have a normal life.

    Little did she know, the eyes watching her intently from the shadows had other plans.