(The Dreams of a Kokiri Girl)
We can't leave the forest. If we do, we die.
Someone had told her that once. It was Likorro, the boy at the gate. She would go there and just stare down the dark passageway, dreaming of the world outside. And every time she did, she and Likorro would talk about how they were bound to the forest. They didn't know why, it was just the way things were. Once, she had asked her fairy, Ocin, why they couldn't leave Kokiri Forest.
Some things have no answer.
That's what Ocin had said.
Other days, she would lie out in the grass and stare at the sky. The same old boring sky she saw everyday.
No matter where you are, the sky is the same.
Those were the words of Seraeah, her best friend. But Seraeah, she just didn't understand. They sky was different, so different in every place.
Sometimes, she would wander in the Lost Woods. But it got old after a while, just like everything else. The same land, the same smells and sounds, the same voices and faces. It got boring.
There were never any visitors. Kokiri Forest was some small forgotten land that no one ever heard about. The Great Deku Tree said that it was better that way. But she couldn't see how.
Have you ever thought of what it's like outside the forest?
She had asked Seraeah that one-day. Seraeah looked at her with wide eyes, blinking a couple times.
Outside Kokiri Forest? No, I haven't. I don't think we're suppose to.
But…don't you ever want to leave? See the world outside?
Don't be silly Kiaika. If we leave we'd die.
She often wondered if she were the only Kokiri that longed to see the outside world. Everyone else acted like it was something forbidden. Not even Ocin would tell her about it or talk about it.
Why would they die if they left the forest? Why did they have such fate? No one had answers. The Deku Tree would probably be able to tell her. But she was too afraid to go and ask. And he probably wouldn't tell her anyway.
Don't think about it anymore, Kiaika. The more you think about it, the more you will suffer.
Ocin was the one who told her that. But what he was really trying to say was that she would actually leave someday, if she kept thinking about it.
And he was right. She would.
She had to see a different sky; she had to see the world outside. Even if she would die.
However, she would not get to leave with Likorro at the gate. According to their history, no one ever dreamed or attempted at leaving Kokiri Forest. Yet still, the Great Deku Tree had given Likorro the duty of guarding the gate. How would she get past?
And Ocin, her guardian fairy, certainly would not let her leave. And he would never leave her side, as all fairies do. So what could she do?
She could wait 'till nightfall. Everyone was asleep then, even Ocin and Likorro. Yes, she would wait 'till nightfall.
* * *
Kiaika drew in a shaky breath as she pulled her cloak tight around her. Her heart was pounding with excitement and fear. She continually glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Ocin had not awakened and was not following her. She was grateful for her light shoes, which made no sound against the soft grass.
She spotted Likorro sleeping peacefully by the gate. She walked with caution, not wanting to wake him. Stopping in front of the gate, she turned back for one last look at her home. She expected that Seraeah would miss her, and Ocin and Likorro too. And she would miss them back, for the limited time she had left. She had left a note for Seraeah, so that she and everyone else would know what had happened to her.
Truth was, Kiaika was not afraid of death. She did not see this as walking right into the end of her life, a thing to dread and tremble about. Instead, she only thought of it as going on a journey – and for this she was smiling. She would face death when it comes, without a fight. It was the price she had to pay for seeing the outside world.
She whispered good-bye to Kokiri Forest and all her friends. And with a smile on her face, she stepped through the dark tunnel.
* * *
Kiaika's breath was stolen away by the site before her. Lush, green land with trees and plants she had never before seen stretched out in front of her. She had never seen a thing so amazing – it was so vast! And there were running rivers, large flowing waters!
Shaking with joy, she reached out and touched a tree. Its bark was new to the touch. She turned away from the tree and began to walk. But she was too overfilled with joy, so she ran. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, laughing with such pure happiness. She loved the feel of the wind as she ran; she loved the distance she could go – without having to worry about running into someone or something. She loved all the open space!
She let herself fall and tumble down a hill, all the while laughing. And when she landed on her back and her laughing subsided, she looked up at the sky. So many stars! Never had see seen so many! And the sky here was as vast as the land – so large and beautiful. Oh, if only she could share this with her friends! Seraeah and Ocin and Likorro – if only they could see this!
Still smiling brightly she once again got to her feet and began to walk. Off in the distance she saw a large dark shape against the horizon. And as she got closer, she could see that it was a large house made of stone. Was this the thing called a castle that she had heard the Great Deku Tree talk about? She smiled wider. A castle!
Again she ran, wanting to see this mythical thing up close. But she felt…tired, so very tired. Before she was even at a jog, she had slowed down and stopped. She struggled to keep her eyes open and keep standing. Her breath became heavy and it was hard to breathe. And it was so cold suddenly!
Before she could try to fight it she collapsed. There was a scratchy feeling in her throat and a pain in her chest. She could no longer feel her arms and legs, but her fingers and toes were icy cold. And no matter how hard she would try, she could not move.
So this was death, come so soon. She did not fear it, she would not fight it. She would let it take her. She only wished that she could have seen more of this beautiful land, where she could have lived in true happiness. She wished that she could have shared that life with Seraeah and Ocin and Likorro. She had spent everyday of her life with them, but in this last moment she missed them dearly. And being out in this large open world would have been the best time in her life, had her friends been with her.
With her last breath, she opened her eyes to see the sky one last time. And the beautiful bright stars began to darken, one by one. And soon all was dark, and death took her away.
-The End
Okay, so I know that a Kokiri child probably wouldn't die that fast, but hey, it's just a story! So anyways, if you didn't like it that's okay, I told you it wasn't all that good. But please leave me a review non-the less! Thanks for reading! ^_^
