Don't worry, this ain't the last chapter! We have one epilogue! Enjoy!
-Jooostan
A Terminian and the Twilight of Danger
Chapter 27: For Wherever Love Takes Me
Four Days Later...
Link arose from bed, happy to be greeted by the morning sun. He smiled at the Hylian sun, and slowly withdrew from the covers and stood from his bed. He carefully placed his leg down and started to limp his way out of his room. It was a little difficult, but he didn't mind. Today was a very special day.
Link got down the stairs easily this time around. The first day dealing with his broken leg was the worst. Having to scoot his way up and down the stairs, needing to stay in bed, the usual. But today was the day he turned 17, and he was eager to spend it with his loved ones, even if he wasn't in Termina for it.
"Link! Sweetie, what are you doing out of bed so early?" Anju was by the stove, frying eggs and pork that was meant to be a surprise birthday breakfast for her son.
"I just wanted to help out." Link said, thinking he was alright. "Just because of my leg and my birthday, doesn't mean I'm not going to be helpful today."
Anju chuckled at Link's suggestion, but remained concerned. She frowned at the prospect of her son, still injured, working on his birthday. But she aimed to stay positive. After all, things were better now that everything had calmed down. It wasn't long before Romani woke up, as she usually did.
"Grasshopper! What are you doing out of bed?" Romani swung around the kitchen and sat herself right in front of Link, arms crossed. Her frown, always forced, just made the teenager smile.
"Just thought I'd hang out. My leg is feeling better." Link smirked and slowly stood from his seat, plopping himself right next to Romani on the table. The couple stared at each other lovingly.
"Hey! What did Kafei say about sitting on the table?" Anju's rare stern voice came out and the two teens blushed profusely. They looked down as they scooted off the table and back into their chairs.
"S-Sorry mom..." Link said, a little embarrassed with himself. Even though it was his birthday, it was no excuse to be inappropriate.
For all the while breakfast was being prepared, the two teens gazed at each other's eyes, thinking about what they may be able to do today. Now that everything had calmed down, a wave of freshness washed over the land.
"Romani, could you go and wake up Jim?" Anju asked the ranch girl, forcing her out of her daydream about her boyfriend.
"Alright!" Romani said happily, sliding off her chair and standing up, walking towards the stairs. She disappeared up the staircase and soon returned with another pair of feet behind her.
"Hey Link!" Jim dashed over to his friend, giving him a hug.
"Hey Jim." Link smiled as Jim sat down beside him and Romani sat back down in her seat. The three friends looked at one another with happiness, and soon, Anju plated their breakfast and served it to them, setting down her own plate and going upstairs to fetch her husband.
"So, what do you have planned, pal?" Jim stuffed his mouth with the fluffy eggs and spoke sloppily, making Link and Romani giggle at his lack of manners.
"Well, I'm not sure..." Link pondered for a moment, setting his fork down. All the things he could do would be fun, but a part of him just wanted to rest more. "Maybe relax, go into town and hang out."
Jim's smile weakened a bit, but he didn't want to complain. Link's leg was still healing, no matter how many potions he had. He was a little disappointed with his friend's overly casual attitude towards his special day, so he thought perhaps he could go out and get him something.
"Hey kiddo!" Kafei's voice came from the stairs before he was even down. Link lit up and an even bigger smile appeared on his face.
"Morning, dad!" Link said, turning to his father. The two hugged and Anju had to drag them apart just to get her husband to sit down to eat. The little family started to eat, enjoy each other's company.
"So, how does 17 feel?" Kafei asked Link.
"Um... We'll see." Link replied. He still hadn't gotten much of a taste of being older yet, all except for his first ever adventure in Hyrule. Where he was thrust into the body of a 17-year-old so abruptly.
"I do know that I need to visit the princess. Just for a little bit." Link started, making everyone a little confused. He didn't elaborate why and just continued to eat his food.
Soon, Tatl, Tael, and Navi joined them downstairs, all with their own plate to share.
"Happy birthday, Link!" Tael greeted the boy in green as he and his sister flew down the stairwell and into the kitchen. Link looked at them with his trademark smile and making them feel warm inside.
"So, how are you feeling today, Link? With the leg and all?" Navi asked. A common question which she asked every day, just with different wording. The boy in question didn't mind, as it just showed she cared.
"Yeah, we got to know if that leg is doing any better." Tatl asked.
"Never better." Link said sweetly, looking at his family. An unfelt confidence layered his words, and everyone shared quick glances before continuing their food.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like many times before, Link walked down the dirt road towards Hyrule Castle. This time, he felt almost jovial. Ever since the end of the chaos just four days ago, an enormous weight that had been resting on his shoulders finally lifted. While his walk was still somewhat of a limp, it was less pronounced as it had been.
Link thought about why he was visiting the princess. It was for something that was long overdue. Even if she hadn't a clue why he would do it, he wanted to, just to let his conscience be at peace.
"Welcome back." One of the guards said as Link approached. He wore an amazingly gentle smile as the hero waited for the drawbridge to lower.
"Thank you. It... It won't be my last time back here." Link said after a moment, choosing his words carefully. The guard was shocked at the hero's statement, and his smile grew in intensity as the bridge paved the way for the boy to enter the castle.
As Link walked through the halls, he thought about everything that had happened. While a lot in just over a month, it was kind of fun to be back in the habit of carrying the sword around. It wasn't something he wanted to do for long, but the return felt nice.
"Link!" Zelda's voice echoed from across the corridor. Breaking out of his prolonged thought, he looked up and saw the princess.
"Zelda." Link greeted the heir of Hyrule with kindness. He held out his hand and it was eagerly shaken, a breath of wild, yet fresh air coming with it.
"It's a pleasure to see you after your... well, crusade in Gerudo Desert." Zelda chuckled, almost admiring how much Link risked just by going out to the Spirit Temple. While it was a hassle to deal with in terms of Gerudo relations, both parties eventually saw the whole event as necessary.
"Yes... I apologize for the problems. I heard it lead to some trouble." Link looked down meekly, rubbing his arm.
"A little, but it's mostly been resolved." Zelda said with assurance. She beckoned Link over to her side and the two began to leisurely stroll through the castle halls, talking about how life has been.
"Glad to see your leg is better." Zelda commented, pleased with the less pronounced limp in Link's stride. The boy grinned at the compliment, and after a second, it faded.
"Although there is the matter of what to do next..." Link began, stopping in front of a window that surveyed the outside of the Castle and the town. Zelda was puzzled and she walked closer with curiosity.
"I'll... be going back to Termina soon." Link said, thinking about home. It'd been over two weeks since he'd last seen Clock Town. He hadn't returned ever since Skull Kid was struck down. It pained him to think about it.
"Oh, I see." Zelda replied, hiding her disappointment masterfully.
"However..." Link was a little glad to be able to see the princess perk up at that word. "I'm willing to make a deal with you that might make you a little happier."
"What is it?" Zelda's interest was far more difficult for her to hide from the hero. Her voice became a little higher, her ears jolted upwards with excitement, and a smile slowly formed on her face.
"As long as I'm sent a letter describing what needs to be done, I'm willing to lend you my... services whenever possible." Link said professionally. He'd overheard enough conversations during his apprenticeship with Mutoh of the carpenters to know how to talk about making a deal.
"Really?" Zelda asked, her voice echoing again. Link held back the urge to giggle at how enthusiastic he could make such a regal woman and remained composed.
"Yes. I promise. I discovered that... while my life isn't bound to the sword and shield I wear... I shouldn't hide from the responsibility they hold." Link said valiantly. A stray thought entered his head and his smile vanished again. "It took a lot for me to realize that."
"Thank you, very much, Link." Zelda's face gleamed with joy. She did a curtsy and Link bowed.
"Actually, that's another thing I wanted to tell you." Link began again. He took a deep breath, showing some hesitation, before continuing. "Thank you."
"For what, Link?" Zelda asked.
As much as Link wanted to tell her of the decision she made, the sands of time had already slipped through his fingers long ago, taking the meaning with them. He just repeated his words, wearing a big smile. Zelda still didn't know why exactly he was thanking her, but she decided to take it with pride. With one last shake of the hands, Link departed from the castle, back to town.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh Grasshopper!" Romani waved Link down as soon as she saw the splash of vibrant green enter the crowd. Noticing her, the boy weaved his way through the ocean of people and to his girlfriend, who had been joined by his other closest friends.
"There you are, dork! We were just about to go bowling!" Tatl flew over and sat of Link's cap, crossing her arms.
"Bowling?" Link asked.
"Yeah! Bowling!" Jim interjected, holding up his bomb bag. He seemed quite energetic about the idea. "We thought it'd be a fun way to hang out for your birthday!"
"Alright!" Link decided to pump himself up for some fun. He deserved it, right? The group consisting of the ranch woman, the Bomber, the fairy trio, and the hero in green all went into the Bombchu Bowling Alley to compete.
"Hello!" Romani was the first to speak in front of the tired lady who stood at the front desk. She seemed to be dozing off every other minute, eternally bored with her choice of employment.
"Oh, hello there. Are you all together?" The lady examined the group.
"Yep! We'll need three sets of ten Bombchus, please!" Romani told the lady. Before long, the items were rung up to the counter and the three friends took them and walked over to the main bowling area. It was a rather large tunnel that barreled down towards a hole in the middle of the opposite wall, obstacles placed carefully all around the path.
"So which one of us should go first?" Link asked, narrowing his eyes and already trying to figure out the best way to place his set of Bombchus. If he remembered correctly, there were three rounds to the game, each more difficult than the last.
"Me! Me!" Jim said excitedly. Before the others could protest, he stepped up to the beginning of the tunnel and pulled out a Bombchu.
Closing his eyes and focusing hard, Jim made sure the first wall was down in no time. The second wall was a bit more difficult. He let loose three more Bombchus before it finally fell. With the third and final wall, the defending Cucco seemed to be out for Jim, as it constantly blocked his Bombchu's path.
"I swear this game is rigged!" Jim tried to rationalize his failure, but Romani stepped up to the line and held her set of Bombchus. She surveyed her playing area and took three steps back and looked with just one eye before the game began.
Link watched as Romani carefully set her first Bombchu loose. The explosion that followed also brought a ringing of completion, and the wall lowered for the next. The Bombchu Romani set off next was strategically placed so it darted right past the Cucco and straight into the goal hole.
"Woohoo! Second try!" Romani's arm shot into the air in celebration, and the others smirked at her achievement. Quickly turning back around, she readied herself for the final tunnel.
The sounds of explosions were heard four times before the biggest bell was set off. Romani was a little saddened by how many tries it took her for her to finally get the wall, but her prize was far greater. It was a quiver, lined with gold reinforcements and with a carrying capacity of fifty arrows.
Link, Jim, Tatl, Tael, and Navi clapped for Romani's success, and then they all looked at the boy in green with anticipation. His cheeks grew red, and he looked away from his friends.
"C-Come on, guys. I'm all rusty." A thinly veiled excuse. Romani strapped the new quiver along her back and with Jim's help, pushed Link over so that he stood before the line in front of the tunnel.
"Here you go, Grasshopper! Romani knows you'll do great!" Romani gave Link a quick peck on the cheek, her voice filled with encouragement. Jim just nudged the hero's shoulder and gave a thumb's up.
Link sighed and faced the tunnel. The blinking lights, music, and the sound of a Cucco clucking was slowly filtered from his head and he focused on the goal. He reached into his bomb bag and held his first Bombchu steady. He closed his eyes and visualized the tunnel, and purely on instinct, he released the first Bombchu.
It exploded, and the ringing signaled that it made it to the goal. The sliding of stone and more defined clucks of a Cucco told Link that he was facing the next course. He opened his eyes and scanned the course. Even though he had seen it twice already, it wouldn't hurt to check. It was different that the others. Possibly an attempt to not give away any more prizes, but hopefully he could win just to have fun.
When the next Bombchu was sent out, it hit the goal without problem. Link's friends cheered for him as the final course was revealed. Like Jim, Link took a deep breath and let the Bombchu loose. It dodged the two Cuccos but narrowly missed the goal, sliding right to the side and up onto the ceiling before going off.
Link didn't worry. He still had plenty of Bombchus to use. He wouldn't need them. His next try was the most shocking. The Bombchu weaved through the two Cuccos with ease and got to the goal, setting the victory bell off.
"Wa-hey! Congrats, Link!" Jim ran up to the hero and hugged him, proud of how easily Link conquered the challenge, with only one misstep!
"Grasshopper, that was amazing! Great job!" Romani was next to give Link her appraisal. She held both of his hands and smiled, and he quickly got lost in her eyes again.
"Ahem!" The girl at the counter got the teens' attention, and she handed Link his reward. It was a wrist cuff, lined with a sliver almost identical in color to the streak in Link's hair.
"Thank you! What... What is it?" Link gladly took the gift but realized he had no idea what it was.
"It's a bracelet. Crafted from the tip of a Zora spear. It's meant to enhance abilities in water, but I've never seen any changes..." The girl seemed disinterested in the object. Maybe it was a gift she herself got but found it to be useless. It was a little crummy to think that she might just be pawning off unwanted things as prizes, but Link accepted it regardless.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leaving the Bowling Alley, Link, Romani, Jim, and the fairies moseyed around town for a while, just talking about things. Their prizes, the possible rigging of the game, how their day had been so far, anything they wanted to. Soon, the sky became a light orange as the sun started to set.
Almost by chance, the group gravitated towards the drawbridge that led to Hyrule Field, and they decided to place themselves on the hill just adjacent to Lon Lon Ranch.
The six friends sat and enjoyed the sunset, content with how the day had gone. Especially Link, who thought it as an amazing birthday. And who knew what Anju and Kafei had planned when they returned to the house? However, there was still something on his mind.
"H-Hey guys?" Link asked, turning to his friends. They put their eyes on him, and he was slow to continue his thought.
"I just wanted to talk about... what we plan on doing next. You know, once we get home." Link stuttered, looking at the grass below him.
"Hmmm... Romani hasn't thought about much. I'm just glad all the craziness is over!" Romani stretched out and looked at her boots, turning them opposite directions and then back again so the tips of her footing met with the other.
"I know what I'm gonna do." Jim started, gazing up at the sky. He leaned further back and sprawled out on the grass. "I'm getting rest! Tons of rest!"
"It's going to be a little... hard... going back to the hut without him, though..." Tael said, feeling a little glum. Everyone went silent for a moment, including Navi.
"M-Maybe I could visit every so often... maybe try and fill in the void from time to time?" Navi suggested, wincing just in case she got a glare from Tatl or Tael.
"You just plan on visiting?!" Tatl was instead, shocked. She scooted up closer to the blue fairy. "I was hoping you'd stay with us!"
"T-Tatl!" Navi yelped, her face becoming a crimson color. She was left once again speechless, floored by how forward her girlfriend was being.
Link chuckled, but his mind wandered back to the original point he had in mind. "I was wondering about how we'd go on with this, thought..." He unsheathed his sword and held it. It just occurred to him that he'd been wearing it all day and hadn't even given them a second thought.
"Will we still be... a team?" Link asked.
"Of course we will! What kind of question is that, Grasshopper?" Romani was confused on Link's meaning. He could tell, and he struggled to find the words he wanted to.
"I just... I need you guys to know..." Link inched closer to his friends and held out his hand. Without hesitation, they held it, and he spoke in a soft yet scared voice.
"I'm not going to be able to leave this behind. This part of me. But I do know that whatever..." He sighed, his tone growing more uneasy. "Whatever is left of me... as a person... as a hero... I promise that I won't forget how much you all mean to me."
Romani, Jim, Tatl, Tael, and Navi had no words. Before they could say anything, Link continued. "I... I have a lot of regrets. A lot of mistakes. But I do not regret a single moment of my life that led me to all of you. Even if it's caused a lot of pain for me."
Everyone looked at the hero with loving eyes, and they all surrounded him with a hug. A friendly, compassionate hug, that served as their response to his speech. To Link, these people, alongside his parents, Link the Goron, the Gerudo, and Zelda, were all he had left. He started to cry.
"Hey, Link. It's alright. We aren't going anywhere." Tatl said, one of the few times her voice wasn't accompanied by a snarky tone.
"I-I'm sorry, I just didn't expect to let that much out..." Link chuckled lightly, wiping his eyes.
"Come on, pal. Put that armor back on!" Jim said encouragingly, standing up. Link and Romani followed, but the hero paused before smiling again.
"I... I have no more armor left. You guys got me out of it." Link told his friends, bringing them in for another hug.
"Well good! Armor is the worst! It's uncomfortable, musty, and keeps too much in!" Romani commented, knowing full well what she was saying. She wasn't talking about the armor she wore for her duties as a Clock Town guard.
Link laughed and put his sword back into its sheath. He wore a great big smile as he and his friends walked back to the house, ready for whatever Anju and Kafei had in store for the evening. The hero, along with his loved ones, went to bed that night happy, and only good dreams followed as the boy rested and waited to return home to Termina, eager for whatever was to come.