Link ⤜Twilight Princess⤛

Cold water rushed around your body in violent currents, carrying broken branches, mud, and Twilight-tainted debris down the edge of the Lanayru riverbanks.

Every collision against stone sent sharp pain through muscles that no longer moved the way they once had, while the curse beneath your skin still burned with every uneven breath. Wet fur clung heavily to your body as the river dragged you farther downstream, the storm overhead rumbling low across the darkened sky.

Fragments of the battle returned only in flashes — Zant’s voice, the collapse of the front lines, the feeling of your own body twisting into something unrecognizable before darkness swallowed the rest.

By the time the current finally forced you against the rocky shoreline near Lake Hylia, exhaustion had already settled too deeply into your body to properly move. The Twilight lingering across parts of Lanayru stained the distant horizon in dim violet light while rain and river water blurred together against the stone beneath you.

For a while, the only sound was the river. Then came the quiet crunch of paws against wet ground.

A large wolf stepped carefully through the drifting fog between the trees, blue eyes reflecting faintly beneath the corrupted glow lingering across the region. Strange markings shimmered softly through dark fur as he paused several feet away, alert but not aggressive while studying your injured form with visible caution.

Something about the way he watched you felt unsettlingly human.

The wolf approached slowly after a moment, movements controlled and deliberate despite the strength obvious beneath every step. Resting across his back was a small imp-like figure with fiery hair and glowing orange eyes, her posture relaxed compared to the wolf’s quiet focus.

“Well...” Midna muttered while looking you over openly. “That’s definitely new. “First you become a wolf, now we’re collecting strays?”

The wolf ignored her entirely.

His attention remained fixed on you as he lowered carefully beside your injured body, ears flicking slightly while he inspected the deeper wounds along your side. The moment your claws scraped weakly against the stone beneath you, he immediately stilled, posture lowering further as if trying to calm a frightened animal.

Rainwater dripped steadily from silver-blue fur while the storm rolled heavily through the mountains surrounding Lake Hylia.

Then, quietly—

“…Easy.”

The voice startled you more than anything else. Low. Calm. Human.

Blue eyes met yours again while concern sharpened visibly beneath the wolf’s otherwise steady expression.

“You’re hurt.”

The roads through Lanayru Province had become difficult to cross after sunset.

What once connected Castle Town to Lake Hylia now sat half-abandoned beneath rain and Twilight, old stone paths disappearing beneath shallow floodwater while damaged watchposts stood empty along the cliffsides. Farther in the distance, the lights of Hyrule Castle flickered dimly through mist and storm clouds, barely visible beyond the broken bridge crossings stretching across the canyon below.

Travel had only become harder after the curse.

Your body still refused to feel entirely natural no matter how many days passed. Every movement carried some unfamiliar reminder of what Zant had turned you into — sharpened instincts that reacted before thought could catch up, senses far too aware of every distant sound, every shift in the wind, every living thing moving somewhere nearby.

Fragments of the battle still surfaced whenever your thoughts drifted for too long. The clash of steel against stone. Soldiers losing formation beneath Twilight magic. The spreading panic as the front lines collapsed faster than anyone could recover them. Worst of all was the memory of your own body changing beneath the curse while Zant watched with detached amusement, as though none of it had ever truly mattered to him.

Cold rain soaked steadily through your clothing as the old road curved downward toward one of the flooded paths leading closer to Lake Hylia.

That was when movement caught your attention ahead.

A large wolf stood near the remains of a collapsed archway further down the road, dark fur dampened by rain while faint glowing markings shimmered softly beneath the lingering traces of Twilight surrounding the area. Blue eyes settled on you the moment you stepped into view, calm and alert as he studied you from across the ruined path.

For a few seconds, neither of you moved.

The wolf remained still before eventually stepping slightly away from the center of the road, leaving enough space for you to continue if you wished. The gesture felt strangely deliberate, cautious in a way that suggested he was trying not to startle you despite his size.

Then a familiar shimmer of Twilight magic appeared beside him.

Midna materialized from his shadow with a quiet stretch, orange eyes narrowing curiously as she looked you over.

“Well...” She said after a moment. “You’re definitely having a worse week than we are.”

One ear on the wolf flicked back briefly at her comment while rainwater continued dripping steadily from the ruined stone overhead.

Far below the cliffs, distant monster cries echoed somewhere near the flooded routes leading toward the lake. The wolf’s posture shifted almost immediately at the sound, attention turning toward the darkness below before he instinctively moved to place himself between the noise and your position on the road.

Midna sighed dramatically.

“There he goes again...” She muttered. “One exhausted stranger and suddenly he remembers he’s Hyrule’s self-appointed rescue service.”

The wolf ignored her completely.

Even now, part of his attention remained on you, steady and quietly watchful beneath the rain as though trying to determine whether you were injured, dangerous, or simply tired enough to collapse where you stood.

Rain fell steadily across the abandoned campsite, tapping against cracked stone and the remnants of an old wooden shelter that had long since collapsed beneath years of weather and neglect. What remained of the structure barely kept the worst of the storm away from the small fire burning between the three of you, its warmth flickering weakly against the cold damp air rolling through the ruins.

Travel across Hyrule had grown more dangerous with every passing week since the Twilight spread.

Entire roads near Castle Town had become unsafe after dark, bridges remained under constant monster attacks, and many of the smaller outposts scattered throughout Lanayru and Eldin had simply been abandoned altogether. Even finding a place dry enough to rest for the night had become increasingly difficult.

Epona rested nearby beneath the partial cover of a leaning stone wall, occasionally flicking her ears at the sound of distant thunder rolling somewhere across the open plains beyond the ruins.

Midna lounged comfortably atop one of the broken pillars near the fire, seemingly unaffected by the rainwater occasionally drifting through her translucent hair. She looked thoroughly unimpressed with both the weather and the situation overall.

Link sat across from you near the fire itself, one arm resting loosely over his knee while the warm light flickered across clothing still marked by dirt, rainwater, and fading traces of earlier battles from the road. The Master Sword rested within reach nearby, though his attention remained focused mostly on the worn map spread open between all of you across the stone floor.

Every so often, his eyes lifted toward the storm outside whenever distant sounds carried through the rain.

Eventually, his gaze settled on you instead.

“You’re still awake.”

His voice remained quiet beneath the steady sound of rainfall, calm in the same way he approached most things. There was no pressure behind the observation, only simple awareness after hours spent traveling together through difficult territory.

Midna glanced between both of you before smirking faintly.

“You know...” she said lazily. “For someone who barely talks, he worries about people an impressive amount.”

Link exhaled softly through his nose at that, clearly used to the teasing by now, though the faintest hint of embarrassment crossed his expression before disappearing again.

Outside, the storm continued sweeping across the empty roads beyond the ruins while the fire crackled softly between all of you. For the first time in days, the tension of constant travel seemed to ease slightly beneath the shelter’s fading warmth.

After a brief silence, Link looked toward you again.

“You don’t have to explain everything yet.” He said quietly. “Not unless you want to.”

The offer was simple, straightforward, and entirely genuine.

There was No suspicion nor demands. Just quiet patience shared beside the fire while rain continued falling somewhere beyond the ruins.

(Create Your Own Scenario)