One Year Later

I remember that day. I remember being sucked into that game. But I don't remember exactly what happened after that.

I remember goodbyes and farewells, and waking up on my couch. But after that, everything's a blur. A blur of tears, confusion, anguish, and pain. All that heartbreak...

I remembered everything he told me to remember. Dancing in Castle Town Square, waking him up for breakfast, when I left for the Water Crystal, and the day he found me. Never did it leave my mind. Sometimes, if I think really hard, I can still feel his lips on mine.

But, I had to get over it. Like everything else, it came to an end. And like everything else, I had to move on. Even today, I still ask myself, was that a dream? A hallucination?

But then I always remember the necklace. I still have it, Link and I. It's my most precious possession, aside from my rose quartz bracelet. I told my parents I lost it, and they felt pretty sad about it. I did too, of course, but I still wasn't sure where it went.

On Link's wrist, or under the couch? I never did find it.

Many things have happened since that day. It's been a year, after all, so you'd expect something to happen. I've always been the youngest in my class, so even though I was 17, I graduated three months later.

I moved out, and am now on my own. I'm getting job interviews for accounting positions in financial companies, and requests. My math marks were always high, so I abandoned my drawings and possibility of being a graphic novelist. I get headaches too easy.

Most of you are probably wondering about that weird disc I found, that had a "severe defect". Severe, my ass. That thing warped me to another realm. Anyways, I never found the disc. It disappeared from my Wii console, and I never found it. Another question people would want to ask, is whether or not I played any more Legend of Zelda games.

Truth be told, I didn't. I haven't played Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, or any others again. But at the same time, I won't sell them or give them away. I can't get rid of them.

Sometimes, I'll even hope that I wake up under a wool blanket, with the smell of dew in my nostrils, and open my eyes to Midna chasing bugs, Fi informing me of everything happening, and Link's smile as he kisses me good morning.

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept the position you're offering me. I've already accepted another request, but I'll gladly contact you if I change my mind," I say into the phone with as much forced happiness as I could.

Oh yeah, my parents wanted to bring me to a therapist. I obviously couldn't tell them what happened, so I just stayed silent about it. But at the same time, I was more silent that I meant to be. After the incident, I've hardly smiled, rarely laughed, and God forbid that I've ever actually been happy.

Sometimes, I forget the feeling of happiness. The happiest I get is whenever I reminisce about Link's kisses, Midna's jokes, Fi's stupid facts, and Zelda's warm smiles.

My friends always tried to push me out of my limits, and I did it just to make them happy. I force my smiles, and fake my laughs, but I do it for my friends. They at least think I've improved. They've stopped pushing me to go to a shrink.

Every now and then, my friends introduce me to a guy that they think clicks with me. We've had similar interests and gone on dates, but I've sadly never had feelings for them. A select few of them even admitted to having feelings for me, and I had to tell them the truth.

I know what you're thinking. I'm a horrible person, through and through. And I agree with you.

I've been doing many different jobs for a fairly good income. For my weekend job, I mow lawns in the spring and summer, shovel snow off driveways in winter, and rake leaves off the grass during autumn. People pay me quite a bit for that. In my free time, I draw scenery, people, cartoon characters, celebrities and put then on eBay. They usually sell in about twenty minutes.

Some guy on eBay keeps contacting me about my drawings, wanting me to draw his book series. It's apparently a New York Time's Bestseller. I searched up, and he was telling the truth. Sadly, I just don't have the time to meet the deadlines even if I wanted to. I had to decline him, but we still remain acquaintances. We even go for coffee once a week.

And then comes my real job. I'm working as an accountant's trainee at a bank, which is really nice. Because my math marks are high, they requested me even though I never went to university.

So now, my few thousand dollars for university were never used, so it's now my emergency money. Actually, with all these pastimes and jobs, I'm making more money than I'm spending. Therefore, I can afford suits and business wear upwards of a few hundred dollars.

My iPhone starts ringing again, and I pick it up. I saved up money for an iPhone, and ditched my iPod when I came back from Hyrule. It's Rhiannon, one of my close friends.

"Hey, Rhiannon," I greet.

"Hey, Neri! How are you?" she asks, with her usual glee.

"Great. How about you?"

"Awesome! I ran this a guy, and he reminded me of you! I'm telling you, he's the one!" she says, rushing it out.

"Rhiannon, you know that I appreciate your efforts, but I'm fine on my own," I reply with a little less joy.

"Jeez, that one guy you told me about must have really done something bad to you, because you really don't try with the guys," Rhiannon says indignantly.

Actually, it's the other way around. It's because he did something fantastic that I won't date anyone else. "Alright, but he was ecstatic to meet you. You're really letting him down."

I sigh. "I'm really sorry. Please tell him I said that."

She stays silent. "Okay. I'll tell him. But please, Neri..." Rhiannon trails off.

"Yeah?"

"See a shrink or therapist or something. For me."

I massage between my eyes. "I'll think about it. See ya."

"Bye."

I hang up, and put my phone down. Maybe, I might go see someone. It may help. But what would I say?

"Yeah, I got warped to another dimension, and I was their long-lost Goddess. I had a talking sword, knew a person who lived in the shadows, literally, and was friends with the princess. And I fell in love with the hero."

Likely story.

I sigh again, and walk to my truck. Yeah, my truck. I don't have a a small minivan, convertible, or anything like other women. I've got a truck.

Anyways, I start unloading my groceries. I'm still wearing my business outfit with the trimmed sleeve jacket, over my dress shirt, which is tucked into my matching business skirt, ending at my knees. I've miraculously managed to put my short brown hair back into a bun, with some pieces falling in front. Even in my business outfit, I'm still wearing the necklace. I rarely take it off. Some of my colleagues say it looks unprofessional, but it's not like I'm waking up just to impress them.

I must look 25 at least instead of 18. My friends say that I'm growing up too fast. I don't really drink, I don't go to night clubs or concerts, and I have never gotten high, and I don't plan on it. Even before, I was never a person who enjoyed loud things. If I'm at a party, I'll gladly stay and get wild, but if I got to choose, I'd rather go read a book in the soft green grass of my backyard.

Anyways, this suit is making me hot. Hauling groceries is enough, but in this skin-tight dark colored business attire? Sheesh, this is hard work. And it's finally getting cooler, because it's the evening. Everything's orangey and reflecting just like the Twilight that I miss.

The whole neighborhood looks like Hyrule when it was taken over by the Twilight.

I wipe my brow, and grab the bags of dog food. "Luna!" I yell. My husky comes trotting down the front steps. She grabs the dog chow with her jaws, and trots back through the door, to the kitchen.

The only trick she knows is unloading groceries. Namely, dog food. Actually, I got her because she reminds me of a wolf. I mean, she is a husky, which basically is a wolf. It's probably obvious who she reminded me of.

I grab my cartons of milk and packages of strawberries, wiping my brow from this summer heat, and close the door with my hips. Walking back to the house, I struggle to shut the door behind me. "Luna, here girl!" I yell again, and she comes. She looks at the door, and then presses it with her paws, closing it. She's pretty smart, and a big softie.

"Good girl. Here's a treat," I reward her, and give her a little bone to gnaw on. I set the food down, and put my iPhone in my docking station, and hit play.

Bleeding Out by the Imagine Dragons starts to play. Having a docking station in my kitchen may not make sense, but I still love my music. Sue me.

I'm bleeding out,

So if the last thing that I do,

Is bring you down,

I bleed it out for you

So I bare my skin,

And I count my sins,

And I close my eyes and take it in

I'm bleeding out, bleeding out for you,

For you

I get a flashback of when Link saved me from bleeding out because of Ghirahim's sword. And when Ghirahim stabbed him. When he laid in my arms as he died, died for me...

Too many sad memories. I always tell myself to move on, that it happened in the past; or possibly never happened at all, and there's nothing I can do about it.

The song keeps playing, and I sway my hips as I put away my groceries.

When the hour is nigh

And the hopelessness is sinking in,

And the wolves all cry,

To fill the night with hollering

When your eyes are red,

And emptiness is all you know

With the darkness fed,

I will be your scarecrow

Whoa. Too much coincidences in that song. Red eyes? Crying wolves? Feeling hopeless? Freaky.

I've never been one to believe in omens, but I'd say that's awfully coincidental. Absentmindedly, I start twirling the wooden charm around my neck with my fingers.

As I put away my eggs, my phone starts ringing. Yay, more text messages. For someone who stopped being talkative, I sure am a popular person. I walk over, and grab it. But after I unlock my phone, I get really creeped out.

It didn't come from any number. There's no one I can text back, or reply or call. They're not in my contacts, either. The really scary thing is the text.

Wolves entwine the Hero's fate with a Goddess.

Um... I'm taken back to when I was in Hyrule. After a year, why now? What the hell does this text mean? And I can't even respond to them, because there's no number.

I mean, seriously, what the hell? And why wolves, anyway? Luna? No, not Luna. Definitely not Luna.

My necklace? It's the only thing I can think of. But even then, what do I do with it? What did that mean?

I fiddle with it, and actually take it off my neck. I dangle it midair, and stare at the rotating wolves.

If I think about it hard enough, sometimes I can still feel the wafting breezing of the fields, and the fresh smell of dew in the morning. And I still hope that when I open my eyes, it will be there.

So, I hope, that maybe just this once, I might try something just for the sake of trying. I clutch the necklace, and hold it to my heart. I close my eyes, and put my head down.

Goddesses, please Goddesses, let this necklace serve as a connection to my kingdom, to Hyrule. Let me return, so that I can see my people again, and become the guardian the people need. Please, let me return.

...Well, I don't feel any different. Another wasted try. It's sad how I'm still believing in such childish things even though I'm an adult. Like something would ACTUALLY happen. Opening my eyes, I see that I'm completely, utterly, wrong.

The tall grass tickles my legs, and I feel the stray bits of hair falling out of my bun fly in front of my face. My hands fall, and I just stare with wide eyes at what lies in front of me.

A huge lake. With huge falls, and I'm standing on a huge cliff. I remember this cliff.

Once I regain my train of thought, I start to walk down the cliff carefully in my heels, with the dense mossy forest to my left. My walk soon turns to jog, and soon I rip off my heels and sprint bare foot down the incline. I look down near the water's edge of Lake Floria, and my breath quickens.

A man is standing by the edge of the water, looking down at the crystalline surface. My pace quickens, and I start to run faster. No way... It's impossible...

I discard my heels, and start sprinting. The sides of my skin-tight skirt start to rip, and my strides come faster. All my running that I love starts to come back, and I pump my arms. I'm almost there.

I start to slow down, and the man still hasn't noticed. My bare feet slow to a stop, and I stand a foot away from his back.

He sees my reflection in the water, and he slowly turns around. His bright blue eyes meet mine, and they widen. "Neri...?" he asks.

"Yeah?" I whisper, and I try not to cry so my mascara doesn't run.

"Is that... Is that you?" he asks, in astonishment.

"Yeah, it's me," I smile.

He lunges forward, and his arms wrap around me. He picks me up and spins me, and my mascara starts to run. "Link!" I scream, and I start to cry. Crying tears of...happiness. He laughs, and after a minute, he sets me down. Link puts his hands on my shoulders, and then moves them up to my neck. Finally, they cup my cheeks, and he pulls me forward.

I smile against his lips, and loop my arms around his neck. Just being near him makes my knees feel weak. my stomach does flip-flops, and I feel an electric current flow through my veins. After a minute, we both let go when we need air.

Link still holds me close, our bodies pressed together and our foreheads touching.

"You... You came back..." he whispers. "But why now? It's been a year."

"I... I don't know. I got a message, and it gave me a hint," I reply.

"Well, that doesn't matter, because..." He takes a breath, "You're back!" Link yells, and holds me up again. I giggle, and look down at him. He smiles, and then puts me down. "How did you even get here?" Link asks.

"I told you, I got a message! It said that the necklace you gave me 'connected' us or something. And the same probably goes for the bracelet I gave you."

He smiles sadly, and puts his arm over his shoulder towards his sheath. Grabbing the hilt, he unsheathes the grand sword and holds it in front of me. It's different than the last. It has a gold hilt, and a garnet embedded in the center. And wrapped around the hilt, is my rose quartz bracelet.

"I kept it. I wear it when I'm at home in Ordon Village, and whenever I'm called to battle I wrap it around my sword for good luck," Link says.

"Battle?" I ask.

"Yeah, Zelda appointed me as the Head Knight. I'm the commander for the whole unit! That's almost a thousand men!" he exclaims ecstatically. "Oh yeah, and Zelda went through her coronation several months ago. She's the Queen now!"

I laugh. "You've changed, Link!" I say. His build has gotten sturdier, and he wears a red tunic and hat with golden armor and plates. He hasn't gotten much taller, thank the Goddesses.

"Me? I should be saying that to you!" He gestures to my suit, with the trimmed jacket, dress shirt and skirt that ends above my knees. Before I started working, I never wore skirts or dresses.

I blush, and look down in embarrassment. Maybe he doesn't like my business look? He tilts my face up, and laughs. "You look beautiful."

I blush a million shades of crimson, fuchsia, and everything in between. "Hey, what happened to everyone else? And Midna?" I ask enthusiastically. It's like all my happiness I lost has returned.

But then I remember what happened in the game. Midna left, and destroyed the Mirror of Twilight. "Midna..." I murmur, and I feel my eyes start to water.

"Midna's fine, Neri."

"Yeah, I bet she is, wherever she may be."

Link looks at me weird. "What?"

"What? She destroyed the mirror, didn't she?"

Link smiles. "Uh...no. Did that happen in the game?"

"Well... Yeah..." I admit sheepishly.

"She's gotten her true form, and she didn't destroy the mirror. Her and I meet up once I month with Zelda."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. Actually, she gave me this," Link says, and pulls something out of his pocket. It's the twilight crystal.

"Whenever I hold it and think about her, it sends her a message and she knows that I want to see her. So, she comes here whenever she wants to or needs to," he explains.

"Really?! Can I call her?!"

"I don't see why not." Link hands me the crystal, and I think about Midna. I hear a small ring, and then everything goes quiet.

Link pats my shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll come as soon as she can. She's heard you, and probably knows it's you. She's probably really confused, but scrambling so that she can—"

"Neri!" I voice screams, and tackles Link from behind. He falls face first, and in his place I see a beautiful woman.

She's a little taller than me. The woman has cool blue skin, and wear a long black skirt slit up the side. Glowing electric blue designs are visible on her thigh through the slit, and she wears a headdress that extends into a long black cloak. Her red and yellow eyes are wide, and pieces of fiery hair are falling out of the tie she put them in.

"Midna?!" I gasp. She nods, and runs at me. We hug tightly, and I pull her back by her shoulders. "You're so beautiful!" I scream, and look at her. She has a beautiful figure, and eyes of a temptress.

"So are you!" she screams, and looks at my business suit.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?!" she screeches, and grabs my hands.

"I'll tell you later, but now I can come back any time I want! And you guys can even come to my world!" I scream, and point at the bracelet around the hilt of Link's new sword. Speaking of Link, I see him getting up and brushing dirt off his vermillion tunic.

"Hey Link, where's Fi?" I ask with a smile.

Link's look falters. "Fi..." he says, and his hands drop. He rubs the back of his head, and looks down. My happiness disappears. "Well, you see, after you left, Fi was pulled back into the sword. She didn't leave, she was forced to. And then the sword flew away, back to the cave where we found it. We haven't seen her since."

Fi is gone? I never even spent that much time with her, or anyone, for that matter. I pull my hands to cover my mouth, and feel my heart sink to my stomach. Fi is gone?

"Neri..." Midna says gravely, and her eyes are widening. She's looking up at the sky...behind me? Her finger moves, and she points above my head.

I turn around, and see a shooting star streaking through the orange evening sky. But it starts turning...and turning... Right towards us.

"Link?" I ask. We all stare at the star, and get ready to jump.

Link runs to me and pulls me into his chest. Midna runs in front of us, and creates a huge wall with her strength. The bright light blinds us. It crashes, and the ground rumbles. The light burns bright, and then dies down.

What was that? Midna dispels her barrier, and Link lets go of me. I turn around, and see blue flames licking the ground. I look between them, and my breath catches.

Lodged in the soil is the Goddess Sword. We stare at it in shock, until I run at it. The blue flames don't even hurt. They tickle. As I reach to touch the sword, and figure flies out and almost knocks me over. With blue hair, empty shiny eyes, and long draping cloaks down her shoulders of violet and azure. Long dark legs fall out of the purple dress with two golden stripes; covered in deep aqua fishnets.

Fi.

"Mistress, I have awaited your return destined by fate," she says.

"Fi!" I yell, and hug her.

She actually...smiles.

"Where did you go?" I ask incredulously, and let go.

"My Mistress was no longer in this world, so my powers were lost and I was pulled inside the dormant sword. I have been sleeping since then, waiting for your arrival," she says with her sing-song voice.

I gaze up at her. She looks the exact same as the day I left.

I turn, and face them.

My eyes wander to Link's red and gold tunic, and his sword and older build. Midna, who is taller than me, and looks like a true Twilight Princess. And Fi, smiling at me. In one year, they've changed so much. And so have I.

"You guys..." I murmur, and cover up my face, and my tears start to fall. "I think I'm finally home."