The Legend of Zelda:
Twilight Princess
Love of Light and Shadow
By
James S Valentine
Chapter 1
The Man with no Memory
It all began at twilight…
A young man sat by the shore of a spring just outside
his village. This was one of the four spirit springs of Hyrule, each one
believed to be the homes of the guardian spirits of the four provinces of the
land. They were Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. This particular spring
belonged to the spirit Ordona, guardian of Ordona Province village of Ordon
The young man looked at his reflection in the calm
water. He was in his mid-to-late twenties and about six feet tall. He had a
pale complexion, his body adorned with turquoise tattoos that formed strange
patterns, and he had a rather muscular build from working as a farm hand in
Ordon. His hair was shoulder-length and light brown, and his eyes were a deep
green. His name was Lhikan, and he was just an ordinary guy. There was only one
thing odd about him. He had no memories beyond when he arrived in Ordon village
three months ago. But although he didn't know it, he would soon learn that
there is more to him than his memory tells, and that his destiny is greater
than he could ever imagine…
It was nearly sunset when Lhikan heard a shout
outside his window.
"Hey, Lhikan! You there?" someone called. Lhikan
approached the window, looking outside. Fado, the local ranch owner, was
standing outside Lhikan's house, waving his arms.
"What is it, Fado?" Lhikan asked.
"What, did you forget already? You promised to
help me herd the goats today. I told you that they won't listen to me
lately," Fado answered. Lhikan nodded, but quickly noticed that his horse
was not where he left her.
"Give me a few minutes, Fado.
I have to go get Rukura," Lhikan said, walking away from the window.
Climbing down the ladder, Lhikan opened his front door, and left his house. He
immediately turned, and headed for Ordona's spring where he was certain he'd
find his horse, Rukura. The gates to the spring were open, confirming his
assumption. Walking through the gates, Lhikan came across his white mare,
Rukura, and young Ilia, the daughter of Ordon's mayor.
"Oh, Lhikan. I washed Rukura for you. Remember
to take it easy on her, ok? She's a girl too, you know," Ilia said with a
giggle. Lhikan smiled, and took Rukura's reins, climbing onto her back.
"I never push Rukura past her limits. I care about
her too much," he replied. Gently kicking Rukura's sides, he guided his
horse back to the village. As they walked through the small village to the
ranch, Lhikan smiled as the gentle light
of twilight gave the village an atmosphere of peace, and utter tranquility. It is said that only during this hour, their
world intersects ours, he thought, his mind drifting to an ancient legend.
A legend that spoke of a world bathed in perpetual twilight. A realm whose
inhabitants could not exist in the world of light. Of course, that is just legend, he thought with a smile. But as he
looked to the sky as Rukura neared the ranch, he couldn't help but think that
even legends must have some measure of truth.
"About time, Lhikan. The sun's almost down, so
please, get to it," Fado said, standing in the center of the pasture. Lhikan
nodded, and gently kicked Rukura's sides. He rode her around the goat pasture,
shouting every so often to keep the goats' attention as he guided them back to
the barn. It didn't take him long to finish up, and when he did, Fado closed up
the barn.
"Job well done, bud. Ya wrapped things up just
in time today," he said, giving Lhikan a friendly smile.
"Not a problem, Fado. Always happy to help
out," Lhikan replied with a grin. Fado laughed and opened the pasture
gate.
"Head on home, bud. I should be able to handle
things here tomorrow, so I'll give you the day off, alright?" Fado said as
Lhikan and Rukura approached the gate.
"Thanks a ton, Fado. I know Rukura could use
the rest," Lhikan said, petting Rukura's flank. The white mare whinnied,
shaking her head.
"Alright, you two. Head home and rest,"
Fado laughed. Lhikan gently kicked Rukura's sides, and guided her back to
Ordona. As he rode through the center of the humble little village, he happened
to notice Rusl, the village's swordsmith, walking back home with his wife, Uli,
and son, Colin. He gently tugged on Rukura's reigns, guiding her to them.
"Rusl! How are you this evening?" Lhikan
asked, making Rukura come to a stop. Rusl smiled, and shook Lhikan's hand.
"Just fine, Lhikan. I'm actually glad you ran
into us before nightfall," he replied. Lhikan just smiled.
"Are you going to tell me you finally fixed my
sword?" he asked with a laugh. Rusl chuckled, nodding his head.
"I'll bring it by your house tomorrow
afternoon. Oh, that reminds me. Can you stop by the house tomorrow? Colin made
something for you," he said, looking at his son with a smile. Lhikan
smiled, and looked down at Colin, the young blonde-haired boy only about eight
years old or so. Colin looked up at Lhikan, a bright smile on his young face.
"Of course I'll stop by, but why not
tonight?" Lhikan asked.
"Because it's not finished yet, Lhikan. I need
to put the finishing touches on it before it's ready for you," Colin said,
holding his mother's hand. Lhikan leaned over, ruffling Colin's hair.
"Well, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait. Thank
you, Colin," Lhikan said, a gentle smile on his face. After bidding Rusl
and his family farewell, Lhikan turned Rukura back towards their home. After
tying Rukura to the post by his house, Lhikan kissed her nose.
"Goodnight, my sweet horse," he said
softly as Rukura nuzzled his shoulder with her face. He then climbed the ladder
leading to his door, and walked inside his cozy little home. Getting undressed,
he got into bed, and drew up the covers. As he closed his eyes, the sweet
embrace of slumber took him. And then the dream began...
Lhikan found himself in a land bathed in eternal
twilight. As he took in the golden skies, he took a deep breath. This dream again... he thought to
himself. Looking down at his hand, he noticed once again that his skin had
turned black and grey, adorned with many mysterious, glowing tattoos. Raising
his hand to his face, he brushed back a lock of his hair behind his pointed
ear. His hair had become a bright orange color, and the breeze made it look
like a gentle fire. Even the whites of his eyes had changed, becoming a bright
yellow, complimenting his deep red irises.
Lhikan looked around, taking in his surroundings. This place... A land of perpetual
twilight... And this body... It all feels... Familiar, somehow... he
thought, having had this dream every night for the past 3 months. Just as he
tried to think about what this recurring dream meant, he was distracted by the
sudden feeling of a pair of slender arms wrap around his waist. Then he heard
her voice...
"Lhikan... My beloved Lhikan... I will never
leave your side, my darling... My precious King..." said the woman who was
holding onto him. Her voice was soft and gentle, and her touch sent a pleasant
shiver through Lhikan's body. But more than pleasant, it felt somehow familiar.
But he did not know this woman. He had no memory of her at all beyond these
recurring dreams. Turning, Lhikan chose to look upon her. What he saw took his
breath away.
The woman was a bit shorter than him, coming up to
about his shoulders. She had the same two-toned skin of black and grey, but her
tattoos were in different patterns. Her long orange hair framed her delicate face,
and her red and yellow eyes shone like a pair of auburn sunsets in the glow of
the land's perpetual twilight. She's
beautiful... But there's something familiar about her. I feel like I've seen
her before, but I just can't remember... Lhikan thought as he placed his
hand upon the woman's cheek.
"Forgive me, maiden, but I do not know
you..." he said softly. The woman merely gave him a warm smile and kissed Lhikan's
cheek.
"Do not worry yourself, Lhikan. The time
has almost come for your return. And when that time comes, I will be there to
help you," she said, her voice fading as the dream slowly ended...
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