The night Ganondorf died, Zelda told Link and Midna that she would have been honored to have them as royal guests in Hyrule Castle, but unfortunately the castle's extreme state of disrepair made that impossible. Instead, she went to a fine inn in the center of Castle Town owned by a distant member of the Royal Family with whom Zelda was close.

"I'll be staying here until the castle is rebuilt," she explained. "I could go stay at the family manor in the countryside, but I need to be close to my people during this time of recovery from a disaster. You, as the heroes of Hyrule, are welcome to stay as my guests."

Of course, even though Zelda knew that Midna was just as responsible for defeating Ganondorf as Link was, the populous of Castle Town didn't have a clue. They didn't even know who Midna was, much less recognize her—even if some of them had seen her in one of her other forms, they wouldn't realize she was the same person. Midna, in her true form, the princess of the Twili and their leader, was a stranger to the very people she had helped to save. At first they stared at her, with her strange complexion and clothing, but after a while they simply assumed she was some exotic woman Link had picked up, someone from a distant place, a member of a race the Hylians had never seen. At midday on the second day of their stay, when the heroic trio had finally had a chance to rest, Zelda decided to reveal who Midna was.

"You deserve the honor of being known for who you are and what you have done for the Hylian people," Zelda insisted when Midna argued.

"Zelda, do you really think they will take kindly to me? These people still assume the Twili are their enemies."

"Well, then, they will have to learn better."

So after their midday meal, Zelda ordered the men working on the reconstruction of Hyrule Castle to pause in their work and gave a speech in front of the decrepit castle to the people of Castle Town and the nearby countryside. Her people were overjoyed to know, once and for all, that she was safe and willing to lead them again. She honored Link, who had defeated Ganondorf with the Master Sword, and the people gave a resounding cheer.

After this commotion had died down, Zelda spoke again. "People of Hyrule, we have one more hero to honor."

A murmur ran through the crowd.

"Please recognize Midna," Zelda announced. Midna reluctantly stepped forward. "Midna was our hero Link's traveling companion throughout his quest to save Hyrule, and without her the mission would have been impossible. It was she who broke down the barrier around Hyrule Castle and assisted Link in his beast form."

The murmur intensified. How could this exotic but fearsome-looking woman be the same as the tiny imp on the back of the wolf—or the giant monster breaking down the castle barrier?

"Furthermore, Midna deserves to be recognized as Hyrule's honored guest due to her station, which is equal to mine."

Now there were some angry and appalled mutters among the people. No one was equal to their princess! Who did this newcomer think she was?

"Please give your respect to Midna, the princess of the Twili people."

For two full seconds the crowd was silent. When they did react, it was a mix of responses. Some people began shouting and shaking their fists. Others clapped tentatively; many stopped quickly. Some simply walked out, and still more stood around uncertainly, not knowing what to do.

Zelda looked shocked, then crestfallen. Midna made a hasty retreat from the front of the makeshift stage. Link immediately ran to console her.

Later that night, in the private dining room of the inn, the three were mostly quiet as they enjoyed some after-supper drinks of wine and sweet water.

"Midna, I'm sorry."

Midna glanced in Zelda's direction, her face blank. After a moment, she slowly responded, "I know you had good intentions, Zelda. You meant the best. But I knew the people would react like this. Now they have lost respect for you on top of their hatred of me."

"I know." Zelda looked truly worried, and that was saying something, as she did not reveal her emotions often. "I have made a grave mistake. I can't afford to lose the trust of my people. They need to be united after this…after recent events."

Midna stood abruptly. "I think I need to—"

She was cut off as the door to the dining room opened. The innkeeper, Arya, stepped in with a fresh tray of drinks. She set a full glass of wine in front of Zelda. "Princess Zelda." She was not usually so formal with Zelda, who was a close friend of hers.

She turned to Midna, who immediately sat down again, looking very unsure of herself and failing to meet Arya's eyes.

"Princess Midna," Arya murmured, setting down another glass of wine. Her voice was obviously tightly controlled; her face was like a mask.

When the heroes had checked into the inn two nights ago, Arya had been very surprised that Link and Midna had requested separate rooms, obviously assuming Midna was Link's lover, and that she was of no rank. Some men did like to pick up low-ranking women and sleep with them for a while, but Link was not such a lecher and had had to restrain himself from expressing offense. At any rate, Arya had obviously lost any previous assumptions about Midna or the reason for her presence. Now she seemed to have a different set of concerns – and she did not seem happy about it.

She hastily moved on. "Master Link." Link took his wine directly from her, giving her a concerned look. As Arya turned to leave, Link opened his mouth as if to say something, but decided not to.

Just before reaching the door, Arya turned around. "I'm sorry, I nearly forgot. Master Link, a letter arrived for you about fifteen minutes ago." She handed Link a brown parchment envelope and left, shutting the door softly behind her.

The letter was from Renado: "The children are preparing to return to Ordon Village tomorrow. We're leaving in the morning and should arrive after midday. They have been asking about you. All are doing well; Ilia's memory is continuing to come back to her, and the others are in completely full health. With regards, Renado."

Link's heart leapt. He passed the letter to Midna, who was also delighted at the news about Ilia. While Zelda read the letter, Link turned to Midna. "Would you like to come to my village with me?"

Midna frowned. "I've been there before."

"Yes, but that was when it was under the Twilight."
"You went back there a couple of times after that."

"I didn't realize you were paying any attention then," Link joked. While he was in human form, Midna had taken to hiding in Link's shadow to avoid notice. She was too weak at the time to appear fully in her imp form in full light anyway, and she hadn't wanted to draw attention to herself or scare anyone. "Come on, Midna. I think the people of my village would like to meet you—like, actually meet you. And I think it would do you some good, after what happened…" He trailed off, glancing at Zelda. "Ah…sorry…"

"There is no need to apologize," Zelda murmured. "I made a mistake. I hope I can redeem myself, and Midna, in the eyes of my people."

Link turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You will, Princess."

Zelda smiled at him. "You know there is no need to call me Princess, Link. I consider you my friend."

"I know," Link responded, taking up his fresh glass of wine. "I just wanted to remind you who you are, and that I still respect you. I have confidence that you can regain the trust of Hyrule's people. I believe in you."

The next morning, Link woke early and dressed. Now that he had completed his fated task as the legendary hero of Hyrule, he no longer wore the green hero's tunic and cap except on special occasions. The morning before he had put on his old work clothes and shopped in Castle Town for something he could present himself in when not working on the ranch. He dressed in a gray tunic of fine weave over black leggings with his boots, which he had cleaned. Under the tunic was a dark blue silk shirt, and over it Link fastened a brown belt with a silver buckle in the shape of a Triforce. The buckle was a gift from Castle Town's talented silversmith. Link's hair had grown in the past two months, and he decided he liked it that way, letting it hand loose about his shoulders with no cap.

When he was finished packing his things, he went to Midna's room. The sun was just rising over Castle Town's rooftops.

Midna answered his knock by cracking the door, rubbing her eyes from sleep. "It's early, Link."

"Yeah, but we need to leave for Ordon now to make it by midday. I want to be there by the time the children and Ilia arrive."

"Link, I really don't know about this. You saw how the people of Castle Town reacted to me…"

"Midna." Link reached to place his hand on her shoulder, but she recoiled, narrowing the crack in the door.

"I'm not dressed, dumbass!"

"Sorry!" Link felt his cheeks color and did his best to ignore it. "Listen. The people of Castle Town and Hyrule Field—they'll come to trust you eventually. There's not time now to talk to all of them about it. The people of Ordon, though, they know me and trust me, and they'll trust you, even if it takes a little bit of time. They're open-minded and they'll be able to understand that things aren't always what they seem. Besides, the hatred of the Twili is not as deeply entrenched in the villages as it is here in the center of the country."

"Link…"

"For me, Midna? Please come?"

Midna was quiet for a moment, then sighed in concession. "I trust you, Link. Besides, I would like to spend more time in your village. It's a pretty place."

An hour later, after a quick breakfast, Link and Midna saddled up Epona in the stable near the edge of town, bade farewell to Zelda, and walked across the drawbridge to Hyrule Field. The field was an open and beautiful place of sweeping grasses, rolling hills, and streams and ponds. Much of the land was cultivated with grass crops such as wheat; farmers and ranchers lived in homes spread throughout the countryside. Those nearest Castle Town were among those who had attended Zelda's speech the day before.

Link mounted Epona at the end of the drawbridge, adjusting his magical storage pouch at his side and his scabbard-strap over his back. After a moment, he glanced down at Midna.

"Well? Aren't you going to ride?"

"I don't have a horse," she replied with an arched eyebrow. "Would you like me to go and buy one? Do you have six or seven hundred rupees to spare?"

Link frowned. "I suppose you can walk if it makes you more comfortable, Midna, but it will really go much faster if we both ride. Epona's a strong horse. She can take the weight."

Midna looked startled for an instant, then blushed. She stepped towards Epona and put her foot in her stirrup. Link reached down with a strong arm and helped her climb on, then waited for her to be settled behind him in the saddle. Fortunately, Midna had put on loose rusty-orange breeches for travel, tucked into a pair of shiny black short boots which hung down behind the stirrups. She was wearing a light white cotton blouse accented with blue, green and white stone bracelets. Link had never seen anyone so beautiful.

Having Midna sitting so close to him, with her stomach resting against his back, reminded him of that beauty with a sudden backflip of his heart, and he felt a blush creep up his neck to match Midna's. He hadn't thought of this when he planned for them both to ride Epona. Suddenly he was embarrassed. Maybe he should have asked Zelda to buy Midna a horse—she would have done it, to be sure. Link honestly wasn't how Midna felt about the situation, and he felt bad for not thinking about it that way before.

"Midna," Link started, and heard his voice crack. Clearing his throat, he continued: "If you would prefer to have your own horse, I'm sure Zelda would be glad to help us out…"

"Didn't you say you wanted to be in Ordon by midday? It will take at least an hour to buy a horse and all the tack. But if you're so uncomfortable that you would rather take the time…"

"No, I just…ah, we better get going." Feeling even more embarrassed, Link kicked Epona into a trot.

Midna immediately put her arms around his waist. "You know, I've never ridden a horse before," she mused. "I didn't realize it would be this bouncy."

Link tried to focus on the road.

It was a perfect day for a ride, and after a while Link felt himself relax, though he didn't forget the warm feel of Midna's hands on his stomach and the rhythm of her breathing against his back. White clouds studded a bright blue sky, and the late-summer wildflowers were in bloom among the wild grasses, making for a picturesque view of Hyrule Field. Farmhouses dotted the countryside, with a lazy windmill turning in the light breeze here, and a dog wagging his tail on a front porch over there, watching the passers-by with curiosity. Link fell into the calm rhythm of riding and the first two and a half hours of their journey passed peacefully. Around midmorning, Link pulled Epona to a stop near a pond which served as his landmark for the halfway point between Castle Town and Faron Woods.

Link slid from the saddle and turned to help Midna down to give Epona a rest. She walked up to the stream and drank, while Link took an apple out of his bag and took a bite, sitting down on the grass.

Midna sat beside him with a thoughtful look on her face. Link offered her an apple, which she declined. After a moment, she spoke:

"Link, I'm very happy to be going to your village today."

Link glanced at her. "Me, too," he responded through a mouthful of apple.

"You should know, though, that I can't stay very long."

Link's heart sank. He had known this was coming, but had tried not to think about it.

"I think tomorrow I'm going to need to leave. I've already sent a message before me, as you know, and they're expecting me back at home. I have a responsibility to my people, Link, and I need to go back to them and lead them again."

Link took Midna's hand and squeezed it. "I know."

They were silent for a few minutes, as Link finished his apple. He stood up and brushed himself off. Epona, who had wandered off to graze, came galloping up. Grateful for the distraction, Link reached out his hand and Epona stretched out her neck so he could stroke it, snorting softly.

Link looked for a moment into Epona's eyes. The mare had been his ever since she was born four years ago and Rusl had bought her for him for his birthday. Since then they had developed a bond unlike any other Link had ever experienced. The love of a man for his animal and the trust a horse had for her owner and rider flowed between them. Link affectionately kissed Epona between the eyes.

Suddenly, a memory from two months ago came back to him.

"She's injured, Link!" Ilia exclaimed, giving him a reproachful look. "You work her too hard!"

Link watched as Ilia led Epona off to the spring to treat her wound. He did feel bad for not taking better care of her. He resolved never to overwork her again.

Of course, at the time Link had had no idea of the adventure that was to unfold, and he had relied on the mare time and time again to take him quickly where he needed to go. She deserved a rest now. Absentmindedly Link reached for the horsegrass-shaped charm around his neck and whispered, "Thank you, Ilia."

Link felt a warm hand on his shoulder just a few minutes later as he was brushing Epona's coat. "Midna," he said, turning to his friend, "You ride. I'll go on foot."

Midna frowned. "I thought you wanted to be there by midday?"

"I can move fast," Link responded. "Do you still have the solid curse?"

"Solid curse" was the name Link and Midna had adapted for the object of magic that Midna had held since they had broken the Zant's curse on Link. Zant had wanted to trap Link in his wolf form indefinitely, but once the curse was broken, Midna was able to use its magic to their advantage.

Startled, Midna blinked, then slowly nodded. "I do. But I thought you took on the wolf form only when it was needed."

"It's needed now. I want to give Epona a break."

"I don't know how to ride."

"Climb on."

Link put Midna's feet in the stirrups and the reins in her hand. "Epona's a good horse, and she trusts you because I trust you. Yell to me if you have any trouble, but it shouldn't be a problem." He went over the basic commands of riding, then walked off a few feet and nodded to Midna.

Midna reached into her small magic pouch and pulled out the strange-looking orange object that was the solid curse; it floated over her hand and cast a soft light on her face. Link felt his body give a familiar shudder and suddenly he was on all fours again. It was different not to have Midna's weight on his back, but he figured he could go faster without it. He set off at an easy lope, and after a moment heard Epona's hoof beats behind him.

Link was panting by the time they reached the entrance to Faron province. He sat back on his haunches to rest for a minute, then turned to Midna and gave a short bark. Midna smiled and pulled the solid curse out of her pouch to turn her companion back into a man. Link reached out his hand to help her down from Epona's back before they stepped onto the long, swaying wooden bridge that connected Faron to Hyrule Field. A hundred feet below the Zora River raged by over rocks, swelling with white water.

Midna faced the bridge and gave Link's had a squeeze.

Link looked at her face. "Does the bridge make you nervous? Would you like to ride again?"

Midna gave her head a quick shake. "I'll be fine." She didn't let go of Link's hand as she stepped on the bridge, though.

As they walked, Link leading Epona behind them, Link realized Midna had never actually walked on the bridge. She's passed over it only on Link's back or in his shadow, or at the very most, floating in her imp form. After a few steps, though, her grip on Link's hand loosened and he felt her relax. Just like with riding, Midna was always able to adapt to new experiences with little effort.

Link held onto her hand as they walked through Faron Woods, the path dappled with midday sunlight and the trees sighing in the light breeze. It was as beautiful and peaceful as ever, as if it had never been touched by the Curtain of Twilight. A few Faron monkeys peeked out from behind tree branches, and the ones that knew Link scampered out onto the path to greet him. Link affectionately patted their heads and picked them up one by one, carrying them partway through the forest before they jumped down to climb back to their homes. Soon they had crossed the forest and found themselves in front of Link's house.

Link took Epona's saddlebags, which contained his and Midna's changes of clothing and some gifts he had received from Hyrule's people and royal family, and stashed them inside the house. Then he climbed back into Epona's saddle and, before she had a moment to protest, hoisted Midna up behind him.

"Are you ready?"

Midna took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"I'm right here, Midna. Don't worry about a thing." With that, Link spurred Epona through the short stretch of woody path between his house and the entrance to Ordon Village.

The first one to see them was Rusl. He gave a whoop of joy when he saw the horse and her owner, and at first he didn't even notice Midna as he ran off to tell the rest of the villagers. Soon they were surrounded by everyone. Sera came out of her shop to greet him; Uli emerged from the house she shared with Rusl, carrying a beautiful baby girl on her hip; Bo slapped Link on the back after he slid down from the saddle, and greetings and congratulations were spread all around.

"To think that Hyrule's chosen hero is from our own village!" declared Bo. He was in an exceedingly good mood, with Link's unannounced arrival and the pending return of his own daughter, who he hadn't seen for two months. Link hugged Rusl, shook Bo's hand, and congratulated Uli on the new addition to her and Rusl's family. The baby's name was Anni. She had been born just a week ago; the last time Link had seen Uli she'd been round and ready to burst. He looked forward to seeing Colin's face as he beheld his younger sister. The young boy would make a fantastic big brother.

When Link turned to help Midna down from the saddle, a hush fell, and all eyes were on her. The people of Ordon Village had never seen anyone like her before. Rusl, who was known for being clever, made the connection. His eyes widened as he remembered the great gray wolf that had come to his house the night after the children disappeared. He remembered his fear as the beast approached Uli and their unborn child, and his puzzlement later when he realized the animal had done nothing but steal the handcrafted Ordon sword from his living room couch and leave as suddenly as it had come, harming no one in the village. And he remembered the strange imp-like creature that had ridden on the wolf's back. Recognition dawned as he looked into Minda's face, and he stepped forward.

"You've been here before."

Midna's surprise mirrored Rusl's as she looked back. "You recognize me?"

"You're a lot bigger now," he said – Link chuckled –"but you look quite a lot like the creature I saw on the back of that strange blue-eyed wolf two months ago, right after the children were taken."

Murmurs of puzzlement ran through the small crowd of Ordonians. One ventured: "If that was the imp…then who, or what, was the wolf? Why did it take our sword and shield?"

Link held up his hands. "There is a great deal you do not know, friends, and I would like to acquaint you with the whole story. First, I can show you who the wolf is. Please promise not to attack or flee. I mean you no harm. You must understand that things are not always what they seem."

Bo nodded. "We trust you, Link. We know you would never do anything to hurt Ordon Village." The other villagers nodded their assent. They trusted both Link and Bo, and were willing to follow their mayor's lead.

Link turned to Midna and nodded. Midna, with a face that said "Are you sure you want to do this?", hesitated only for a moment before taking the solid curse once again out of her pouch and holding it up.

After a moment of silence – the tension in the air was palpable – Bo slowly nodded. "I thought that might be it. Now that I look, you have many of the same features: the same blue eyes, the hoop earrings, and look," he turned to the villagers, "see that on his left forepaw? It's the same Triforce symbol as the one on Link's left hand."

The people nodded – they could see that he was right – but of course they wanted to know, "Why? How?"

"Link," Rusl said, with only a bit of nervousness, "why not change back so you can talk to us, and tell us the whole story?"

Link obliged and stood again on two feet. Some of the tension left the atmosphere, for which he was grateful. "One more thing," he said. He took Midna's hand and led her forward. "This is my companion and dear friend Midna. She is indeed the imp that used to ride on my back as a wolf, but the curse on her has now been lifted and she has been returned to her true form.

"I thank you for being able to accept me as a wolf, and I ask you once again to have an open mind and accept Midna for who she is. You are probably wondering about her strange complexion and markings. The answer is that Midna is of a different race from you and I, one that has adapted to a very different environment from our own." He paused and took a breath. "Midna is one of the Twili people."

There were gasps, but no one protested outright, so Link continued: "There is more." The people quieted and waited, and Link sensed no hostility, so he went on. "Midna is not only one of the Twili – she is their rightful leader. She fought hard to regain her power and banish the usurper who cursed her and then turned his power against the World of Light. That usurper is now dead, so you have nothing to fear. Midna is our friend and ally. Please give your respect to the Twilight Princess."

This time there was nothing but awed silence.

Then Bo stepped up to Midna and knelt down on one knee, bowing his head. "Princess. You are welcome and honored as a guest in Ordon Village." The other Ordonians immediately took their mayor's lead and knelt; not one person remained standing.

Link's hopes had been met and exceeded; he found that he was moved by the simple gesture from the humble village.

Midna's face showed surprise, relief, and joy at this reaction, and just like that she was no longer the nervous stranger but royalty itself. She stood straighter, carrying herself like the princess she was. In a graceful motion she reached out to Bo with her right hand and drew him back up to his feet. "I am honored, Mayor. There is no need to kneel. Any trusted friend of Link's is a friend of mine." With that she embraced him, and the rest of the Ordonians gave a cry of joy and surrounded her, greeting her as a friend. Link could barely contain his joy – and he hoped Ordon's example would eventually lead the rest of Hyrule to accept Minda for who she was, and accept the Twili as their allies.

Link explained the details of his capture, his rescue by Midna's hand, and the reason for taking the shield and sword as the entire village sat down for a picnic lunch on the banks of Bluegill Stream. They were almost ready to begin eating when they heard a call from the village entrance: "Hello, Ordon Village!" Renado was sitting in the seat of Telma's wagon, driving her chestnut gelding and his young dun stallion ahead of them as they wheeled into the village. When the wagon had rolled to a stop, Telma herself climbed out of the back, and Malo, Talo, Beth, and Colin scrambled down and ran to greet their parents, tears flowing freely from all. Last to emerge was Ilia, who flew into her father's arms and held him for a long moment before turning to embrace Link.

"Link," she whispered. "Thank you. For everything. I wish I knew what to say."

Link pulled back and looked into her face. "It's alright, Ilia. It's over now. I'm so glad you remember me."

Ilia's eyes glistened with tears as she looked around the village. "I remember everyone now. Everything has come back to me, from the moment in the spring…" she choked up suddenly and buried her face into Link's tunic, sobbing.

Link felt a little awkward, but kept his arms around his friend and patted her back. "It's alright, Ilia. You don't have to worry about that now." It would be a long road to recovery; she would need time to heal from everything she'd been through. Physically she was fine; emotionally Link knew she was covered in scars, so he held onto her and did his best to offer comfort. And the first part of the process was done: she was back. They were all back. Now they would have the time and space they needed to handle the events of the last two months; no one was in danger any more.

At long last, everyone was safe.