Chapter 3: Last Potential Link

Link's indecision is only growing... He knows what he wants, but as a hero who saved Hyrule, he's still worried about what others want.

Link and Epona were in the spirit spring, together they stood in calming waters, he in his Ordon clothes and he tried to wash away his aching memories. He wasn't sure what he was trying to be.

A boy farmer from Ordon, A mysterious, vicious wolf, a hero laid in green clothes or...

Himself.

As he stared at the sky, he felt some worries and stress trickle away, even if it wasn't for long. This spring could always do that.

"Just look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of Twilight beautiful today?"

...All in his head...

Melachonoly, he sat down and looked up again. What was Midna doing? That was one of the things that hurt the most to ask. Was she lost in her own thoughts, doing her duties, or...

He sighed.

Was she thinking of him?

Did she ever?

"If all in Hyrule are like you...then maybe you'll do all right." He closed his eyes, trying to rid her voice from his mind. But, as he did, his memory floated to another time. 

A large pig, a monster, crashed in the spring and changed everything. For better? Probably. For the land of Hyrule, at least. For him? He couldn't answer that. At least, not yet. But after that, he'd woken up to a new world. Nothing would ever be the same, and back then he'd despised King Bulbin for turning the world over... Now... he felt thankful? And after he rescued Midna too. Little fairies bobbed around his head, sparkling, nearly tickling him. 

Yet, the fairies looked different... the color, was not as pure white. Something was... different. Link reached out a finger, to feel it, but all the fairies zipped away, way more skittish than normal. He sighed. Midna would never leave his mind. Laying his hand back on his shirt, he felt his scar, from Ganondorf, and cringed a bit at the roughness of it, the pain of it at the time. He lifted his finger from there, to tenderly touch his mark that had branded there from when he was a beast.

But it didn't hurt nearly as much as Midna's absence.

'Last Potential link.' 

By Midna's words, the Mirror was the Last Potential Link... or maybe he was. 

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Link made his way down his ladder and grabbed his sword, with the intentions to spend the rest of the day with Ordon Village, as the sun fully cast across the lands of Hyrule. And came the stormy clouds that had been hanging overhead since Midna had left as if Hyrule was grieving for her too. But... it seemed more- never mind. He took Epona at a slow pace, for thanks for her work during Ganondorf's reign. 

He needed time, time to mentally prepare and spend the rest of the day. But... maybe he wanted to stay. He shook his head, sighing. He had decided to spend the day with them. Hopefully, that'd make up his mind, so he could stay there. It'd be so much easier, simpler. 

Everyone was up and seeing to their chores, and the kids appeared to be playing tag. Link let Epona stay by the bridge, and drink water and just relax.

He watched Fado upon his new horse with a large grin on his face, reaching over to give Beth a high five. Sera was pouring some milk into glasses, and her cat kept trying to drink out of them.

Hanch was attempting to get the beehive off of his home, by climbing up to it and punching. "C-c-come down, b-bees," he shivered some more.

This was home, wasn't it?

Link was about to head over the bridge, but knew Ilia would be over there, and didn't want a confrontation, just yet. And plus, he didn't even think Ilia was ready.

"See you later."

He shook his head. He wasn't going to let this bother him, and get sidetracked. It would taint his decision of staying. Because that's what he was trying to do. Convince himself to stay. That he was happy here.

Uli looked at him happily. "Hello, Link. We didn't think you'd come today," she said and guilt washed over him. He'd been so stuck in his thoughts, he hadn't bothered to really come out often. "We were planning a small village party tonight, A bonfire. And we were about to eat lunch!" The blonde woman smiled. "Care to join us?" 

His heart heavy, he remembered the days when he had been in on every single thing the village did, and he suddenly felt he didn't deserve to be there. He didn't expect this and so much commotion and warmth. The town was absolutely buzzing. Maybe more so than ever.  

It would be rude to intervene, he felt, even if he was basically family, but also say no. He hadn't eaten much of anything since he last visited Castle Town, and he'd forgotten what hunger pangs felt like.

He was about to say he had chores to do, and say no thank-you, but Colin spoke up. "Yeah, he wants to come! Please, Link, we've missed you!" 

Link couldn't say no to Colin, so he forced a smile, nodding. "You have to see my sister, too!" 

Link felt a wave of emotions wash over him. He'd forgotten. Of course, he had! He bent over to look at her. A baby girl, with pretty brownish- hazel eyes. "I STILL can't decide her name," the mother giggled. Rusl rolled his eyes, a smile appearing on his chiseled jaw. "Aw, yes. We still don't have a name for our three-month-old child." "Oh stop," Sera came over and snorted, waving a hand. 

"She's just waiting for the perfect name."

As Sera tickled the child, talking in a baby voice, Rusl amusedly shook his head. 

"Um, Link," said a voice as Link walked towards the pumpkin patch, to help Jaggle. Link looked around, confused. "Down here."

The farmer looked down. Talo. He was holding up Link's old wooden sword he had given the boy before the world had changed. "Here you go. Sorry, I never gave it back." Link smiled at him, and laid his rough hands on the child's, and gently closed his fist, as he indicated for the young boy to keep it.

The sword had been broken in half, split, but Rusl had fixed for him.

Talo looked surprised and looked down at Link then back up. "Th-thank you!" He exclaimed, grinning and ran off to Beth and Malo, his usually mischievous face lit up and innocently began to shout loudly.

 Link felt his heart warm, and a grin grew on his recently solemn face as he began to hit Beth with it. Beth shouted for Sera, and Link turned towards the pumpkin patch. But as he caught a glimpse of Mayor Bo and Ilia talking, he felt his troubles return and began trying once again to make sense of the war raging inside his head, for, if Ilia didn't exist, maybe it wouldn't be so hard.

------

Rusl clapped a hand on Link's shoulder as the bonfire's embers flew into the clear night sky. The moon was out for the first time in weeks.

There was much laughter and talking and jokes shared around the fire that night. And as the night went on, though it was still young (around 8:00 p.m.) Link felt at home more then he had in a while, as some more clouds threatened to cover the moon.

He'd forgotten how it felt to laugh and he was having so much fun. At ease. He was home. As he smiled at Fado's joyful face as he exclaimed a story, he thought, maybe he'd made up his mind...

Colin talked about being a big brother, and a still sore Beth teased him, saying he thought he knew everything now. As Link listened nostalgia filled his mind, how life was, and the easiness and innocence of it all. The unity they had shared. There was no gossip like Castle Town, for everybody know everybody. The only gossip was something positive. He recalled some he'd heard way back when. Well, not all of it was positive.

Sera and Hanch getting a divorce, (never happened), Uli's pregnancy, Jaggle purposely throwing pumpkins (nobody knew the truth, still). And... the old one of him and Ilia...

He sighed and walked over to Epona.

"And Fado fell FLAT on his face," Pergie giggled. Link began to pet Epona's hair and faded out. His blue eyes stared off. A breeze passed by and his light brown hair ruffled. He quietly climbed on, and everyone turned to him, and all began to speak how pretty the horse's mane was.

Was this sorrow? He felt he was saying goodbye to everything, the rocks, the boulders, trees, dirt. People... everyone, EVERYTHING. But it wasn't fair! He had not decided yet. It wasn't allowed to feel like this, at least yet. He had thought earlier, that tending to his chores would help him miss it, ease his mind. Not that he had many chores now, as most of them all could do so much now. He had missed the goats, everyone the open air. After everything he'd done, everything he'd fought for after it all... he was home.

And so was everything else. Wasn't that all that mattered to him once?

But his heart was still shattered... like a mirror.

His mind couldn't help making the comparison and he winced. 

Though everyone watched on with smiles, both Link and Rusl's smiles slowly faded. When Link stared off at the group first and smiled gently at them, then frowned once again over at the houses and stars, he knew what memory had just been set off. He thought he could share memories old and new, and laugh and be drowned in nostalgia, feel bad and then stay forever.

Truth was, nostalgia wasn't enough to keep his life full.

He ran his fingers through his hair and finally figured it out. He thought he could stay, forget the past, marry Ilia, have children, settle down, but...

THIS was the past.

That's why the odds and ends would not stop raining upon him.

That's why the grief would never truly go away. 

Until he did something about it.

He had never loved Ilia, and he knew that.

Rusl's eyes were fixed on the boy, and he did not get to question what was the matter. It was not long after that, the family turned back around, and Link set off unnoticed. As the wind rode in his hair, both from his riding a steed and from the growing wind, he wondered if he should talk to Ilia, but... yet something told him not to. He sighed, wanting to forget those issues. Rusl watched his friend ride away on a horse, he realized what Link was going to do.

And as the hero rode, he felt a spark of joy, relief, and sadness, and regret in him.

'This isn't my home anymore.'  He thought. Maybe it had never been.

Earlier, Fado had herded all the goats, and Jaggle had gotten the beehive, all while Rusl began to teach Colin how to ride horses, and he even taught him a bit of swordplay, as reluctant as the boy was. Behind him, was all his memories. Before him was all of his dreams. Around him, was all who loved him still. Within him, was all he needed. His idea. What he needed to come to life. To come back.

Embers of sadness came into his smile, as he rode to break tradition, for a certain person.

Author's Note

My next chapter! By the way, I was very inspired to write this by many things, but one of them was the online novel adaption of the original game, by Stephonika W. Kaye. Check it out! It's great!