Here we are again, this story is up again lol, I updated it again and changed things again. It's darker now. Follow and favorite if you like it thank you.


Link sighed as he rode through the lost woods. He had no idea where he was going in the first place, yet he had a feeling the great fairies could help him. He didn't know why he didn't think of this before. Now if he could only find his way out. He had been trying to get out of here for weeks now, and so far, had no such luck. He checked his bag and found he was on his last rations of food. A few berries, that was it. He sighed and took them out, he was hungry, but Epona needed her strength. She ate the berries and nuzzled his hand. Somehow seeming to understand his small sacrifice.

Epona then started off again, she walked her guard down. She trusted Link to protect her, nothing scared her when he was around. Out of nowhere, Link got tackled by something. Before he could even take his sword out he got pinned to the ground, he found a skull child sat atop him. It smiled at him with childish innocence.

"Uh, hi? Link said."

"Hello young wanderer, you wear the Kokiri clothes, the last of you're people I see."

"Wait, what do you mean the last of my people, did something happen to the Kokiri forest?!"

The skull kid giggled at him, "oh so you don't know, well I'm afraid you're going to be in for quite the surprise when you return home, won't you?"

"What do you mean, what happened to my home?!"

"Oh, I feel you should just go see for yourself, he giggled again, I don't think you'll like what awaits you though."

"GET OFF ME!" Link pushed the skull kid and he leaped flipping and landing on a tree branch far above Link, giving him an impish grin that filled his entire face. It disturbed him honestly, he didn't know he could grin that big. "Can you help me get back to the Kokori forest?"

"Hm, I could…. But I don't think I want to, not after the way you've been treating me. I think I'll just let you find it yourself." He started to slowly fade away, Link glared at him silently. He stood to his feet and walked over to Epona, climbing on he tapped her side and she cantered on. Link and Epona walked around aimlessly for what seemed like an endless loop.

"You've passed this tree numerous times you know…." Link glanced up to see the eyes of the skull kid looking at him, Link glared at him and faced in front. "All you have to do is say sorry...and play with me a bit of course too, then I'll give you a map."

Link stopped Epona and looked up at the skull kid, "I'm sorry. Now, what game do you want to play exactly?"

"Oh so glad you asked that!" Skull kid exclaimed as he jumped down landing legs crossed smiling at Link, "so what do you wanna play? I've got cards!" He threw cards in the air, "I've got a flute, we could play music!" He played a few tunes before tossing it aside, "we could do riddles! Yes, let's do riddles first!"

Link sighed, "fine."

"Okay so, the first riddle, I am taller than anything in this forest but started out smaller than a rock. I hold a spirit inside of me but have no soul. I have roots but no bloodline. I bleed but not blood. Who am I?"

Link didn't need to think hard to know who this was. "You are the great Deku tree."

The skull kid clapped his hands together "Correct!"

Link put out his hand. "The map please."

"Not yet! I wanna play still!"

"We had a deal!" Link yelled reaching for his sword.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you kid, the skull kid said bluntly.

Link glared at him but didn't grab the sword. "We had a deal skull kid."

"We just started playing, if you want the map you'll need to play more than one little game, in fact, that little riddle was just a warm-up."

"So another riddle?"

"I suppose. I am a giant and unlike anything in this forest but live with it nonetheless, and well hidden. I am big enough to hold hundreds of souls yet abandoned. I am a sacred place yet forgotten by all of whom I have been created for. What am I?"

"You're the forest temple."

Skull kid cocked his head so much his face was upside down, he got in Link's face rubbing his chin. "Hmmm….. You're an odd one, aren't you?"

"You're one to talk, skull kid."

"How is it you know about the temple, kid?"

"I'm not who you think I am skull kid."

"Well, who exactly are you then?"

"I'm just a boy. A boy trying to get home."

"And you will be out of here if you play with me until I'm satisfied."

"And how much until you're satisfied?"

"I'll let you know, enough riddles, I want to have a duet now! Do you have any instruments?"

"No, I don't." Link said while giving him a dirty look.

Skull kid gave him a dirty look right back at him, "liar! Play with me or rot in my forest!"

"Urgh fine!" Link took out his Ocarina.

"AHAH! SO YOU WERE LYING TO ME!"

"I thought you knew that."

"Nope, I was just testing you."

Link stood up, "listen to me Skull kid, one song. One. Then please give me the map, I'll visit sometime and play with you more then."

"I'll tell you what, if you can keep up with me on this song I'll take your little deal if you promise to really come back and see me."

"Okay then, I promise to come back and see you."

Skull kid took out his flute and put it to his lips, "are you ready kid?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, you better keep up if you want this map." He then started playing the flute, Link knew the melody already and was able to keep up with ease. The two played at a fast pace all the way to the end of the song. Skull kid smiled, "it's you, that kid that passed through here looking for your little fairy or whatever. And Saria's best friend. I don't know your name but I know you've played with me before, a long time ago."

Link nodded, "yes I did."

Skull kid pushed the map into Link's chest, "here. Be careful out there kid, the Kokiri forest isn't how you left it."

"What happened to it?"

"Let's just say…. Kokiri forest got dragged into Hyrule's problems…."

"What do you mean?"

Goodbye young hero! He then leaped up and out of sight.

Link tapped Epona's sides with his feet and she began walking again. Link opened the map and looked it over. He pointed to the directions Epona needed to take and she followed his directions. Soon they came through the last tunnel. According to the map at least. Immediately he knew something was off, the first thing that led him to this was the voices of men and a lot of them. He stopped Epona and got off, stay here, he whispered. He slowly crept through the tunnel as quiet as he could be, he came to the entrance and walked out since there was no one was guarding the tunnel. The place he stood looked nothing like Kokiri forest. Everything had been burned down, if not into ash then charred beyond recognition, the trees were dead, not a single leaf on any branch. All the grass had died too. Nothing remained, not even any monsters anywhere. He crawled to the edge to see six men sitting around a fire, he didn't notice any of the children though.

The men laughed as they drank sloshing the drinks about, "where were the Kokiri, and who were these men?"

Link watched the six men warily, he had a feeling these men had something to do with the way the forest looked.

"I hope we find that little girl, I just love little girls. Damn it I hope she ain' dead, they ain't as good that way."

Another man held his hand, it was wrapped in cloth and blood-soaked, "you best hope I don't find her first, cause if I do I'll break her neck before you have a chance to even kiss any of her, alive at least."

"Oh it don't matter if she be dead, it's just more fun when their alive is all!" He laughed.

"You're a disgusting bastard ya know that Nil?"

The man shrugged, "a woman is a woman, even if she's a child", he said with a disgusting smile on his face.

rage boiled in Link's veins, he didn't know what this man wanted to do to this girl, but he did understand that they had apparently slaughtered the Kokiri, leaving just one alive. He took out his bow standing he knocked an arrow to it and hesitated. He had never killed another human before, even, and even though they deserved it, this was different than killing a beast. He stared at one man facing his way, his name was Nil if he heard right. The man was laughing hysterically. That same disgusting smile on his face suddenly he looked up and locked eyes with Link, his smile faded to a serious expression and he raised his hand to point at him. Link released the arrow on instinct, the arrow flew towards him, the man didn't have time to move, The arrow went straight through his eye, he was knocked to the ground hitting his head on a rock he let out a shrill scream then went limp, probably knocked out.

The other five men yelled in surprise, "someone is here!" They looked up at where Link was but saw Link, he was frozen, he shook his head and knocked another arrow, but a couple of the men already had done so while he was in frozen. They fired their arrows, link jumped back dodged them all by mere hairs he ran to a nearby tree and climbed up and knocked another arrow, he shot an arrow into the chest of another man, he fell to the ground screaming. The other men jumped at this and looked up to see link glaring at them, he jumped down ready to fight.

"It's just a child!"

"What'd ya expec, ya doof?"

"Looks like we missed 'im, let's fix that why don't we", the man smirked maliciously towards Link. Link quickly took out his boomerang and flung it at the man, it hit him right between the eyes.

"Ah! Damn it, gut this brat!"

"With pleasure", the man raced towards Link swinging his sword at him, Link backflipped onto a tree and pushed off flying right towards the man. The man ran right into link's sword, it went into his stomach, the man fell to the ground holding his gut as blood gushed out, the other man had recovered, Link hit him in the face again with his boomerang.

"Gah! Damn it will you stop doing that?!" He shouted lividly. Link remembered a third man, he looked behind him and was thrust to the ground, the man held him down, his hand gripping his throat tightly, Link couldn't breathe, he thrust his sword toward him but he slammed his wrist into the dirt before it could pierce him.

The man grinned at him, thinking he'd won, "gotcha, ya little bastard!" He squeezed Links throat tighter making him gag and scratch at his hand he kicked and thrashed with everything he had but to no avail.

"GAH!"

The man looked up to see his comrade gone, a thud was heard and a foal came charging right at him. "What the hell is goin-" Epona head butt him making him let go of link, he gasped for air as he rolled to his knees holding his throat and coughed. He stumbled to his feet taking his sword he raced towards the man as he wrestled with Epona, his back was turned to him, Link didn't care. He forced the sword through his back and out his stomach. The man grunted looked down and then behind him, blood poured from his mouth as he fell to his knees, Epona continued her assault on him, stomping his head into the ground. Link turned and went off on his own, he had unfinished business with the man that fell. He looked down to see the man slowly getting up, Link quickly leaped off the side of the hill and landed on top of him.

"Oh me Gosh-" he yelled as he was slammed down again, link grabbed him by the hair pulling his face up and pressing the edge of his sword to his throat roughly, it was probably dangerously close to breaking the skin. Link got a better look at the man, he wasn't Hyrulian, most likely none of them were, it explained the odd accent at least.

"Who are you, and why did you kill the Kokiri?!" Link shouted in his ear, fear, and rage controlling him.

"Urgh, what kinda child are you?!" he shouted, Link, pressed the edge of his sword harder on his throat and moved it a bit breaking the skin. "Name, and what you did to my people. Now."

The man gasped at the breaking of skin, "alright, alright! My name is Julal, and the Kokiri are dead, me boys n I found em all dead!"

"Liar! I heard you talking to the others about a girl you missed, you killed them all and burnt the forest!"

"No, no I swear we din't burn the forest! An we did kill a few of em, but most of em been dead when we got here!"

Link wanted so badly to kill him there but he wasn't done, "where are you from, and why are you in my forest?"

"I'll tell ya where I ain't from, this damn place, Hyrule ain't me home neither."

Link didn't care where exactly he was from, "the girl, where is she?"

"I dunno! I swear I don't! Me boys n I lost her while killing the others, I swear!" Link was quiet. "Please, spare me life, I promise ta leave, I-I won't be- "

"Just leave…." Link said as he got off the man, Link hated the man but even after everything he had done he felt compassion on the man. The man got to his feet and stumbled away barely able to stay on his feet, most likely because of his head trauma. Link looked around, the other men were either dead or dying.

"L-Link?" He turned around to find a little ginger girl hiding within a large dead tree. She slowly left the tree and warily looked around. "A-are they all gone?"

"I think so, what happened here?!" He said grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her a bit. She quickly embraced him and cried on his shoulder.

Once she got herself together enough she pulled away and sat down on the ground, Link did the same. "So, what the heck happened to our home? He told me that he didn't do this, so who did?"

"An army of monsters… they stormed in and ravaged everything…." She started crying again and Link struggled to comfort her, he was a warrior, not a consoler. "The Great Deku tree… he's…"

Link stared at her horrified, he's what?

She put her hands to her face as she cried again, Link grabbed her shoulders trying to comfort her but growing impatient, "what, what happened to him?" He said trying to sound calm.

"He's…."

Link gripped her shoulder, "he's dead, isn't he?"

She nodded as tears streamed down her face. Link gave a shaky sigh, "show me."

She stood and took his hand and led him through the dead forest to the cavern with which he resided, Link's heart thumped within his chest as he was led through the cavern, he found the Great Deku Tree was reduced to a burnt stump, charred black, he gasped, "oh my Farror…."

The girl nodded. "I don't know if The Great Deku Tree can be revived after this much damage…. Without the Deku Tree, the forest will become just another part of the lost woods…. I'll become a Skull child…." She turned to Link, I'm the last of the Kokiri. "I'm… truly alone!" She fell to her knees crying again.

"No your not, I'm-"

"Link I know your not Kokiri, we all knew!" She shouted at him.

Link looked away, he sighed. "So what are you going to do?"

She stared at the ground and slowly looked up at him, "Link…. I need you to do something for me, I'm… I'm afraid to do it myself…."

"What is it," he asked as he got down on a knee and squeezed her hand tightly staring into her eyes, he felt terrible, she was like kin to him, he wished to share her fate. "Tell me what you need, I promise to do it."

She stared him right in the eyes as a sad smile came to her face. "Kill me."

Link stared at her a moment longer and stood, "no."

"Please!" She begged squeezing his hand and pulling at him trying to pull him down, she almost succeeded but Link pulled his hand out of her grip.

"Absolutely not." He said as he walked out of the sanctuary of the Deku Tree, the girl followed him.

"Please! Don't leave me here!" She grabbed his arm and pulled digging her feet into the dirt to stop him, she succeeded, Link was unable to go further with her holding on like this.

Link was getting angry, "let me go, I won't do- I won't do something like that, never ever!"

"I'm begging you, you coward!" She said pulling hard, it was beginning to hurt and Link was close to losing his temper, get off me right now before I hurt you.

She quickly lunged at him and sank her teeth into his arm trying to get him to lose it, Link had had enough he turned on her and punched her in the face, she grunted and fell to the ground hard, she held her face as she cried curling herself into a ball. Link sighed putting a hand to his face, he felt like a total asshole, he got to his knees and put a hand on her gently, "let me see."

She pulled away and cried harder, Link stared at her feeling horrible. "I'm...I'm sorry, but I can't... I won't… do that. But I won't leave you either." He sat on the ground close to her and put a hand to her head as he closed his eyes, he couldn't hold back the tears as he sat there next to the balling girl. Epona cantered up to Link and nuzzled him he leaned his head into her snout holding her close to him, his other hand still on the girls head.


Dark, right? I'm gonna have to really work through this to figure out where I'm going with this part but I have an idea of what I'll do. Thanks for reading, if you liked it you know what to do thanks bye!