Link's Story
Chapter I
Author's note: I needed a break from my current project, and all I could think to do was summarize the plot for Ocarina of Time. Not very original, but a good twenty minute breather none-the-less. I hope the format is a little easier on the eyes than that of "Prophecy". Enjoy! I appreciate all your comments. (Complements and constructive criticism alike.)
I'm not really sure how any of it really started. Things had always been so normal. Every morning I would wake up, get dressed, go outside, play all day, and when I was done, I would go back to bed. Then I'd wake up the next morning and do it again. Life was normal... To say I was an outcast was an understatement. In fact, no one liked me. Hated me, really. It's amazing how others can find so many ways in which to torture you. More amazing is how it can seem, well, normal. In fact, for some reason, I wasn't aware of just how much every one hated me until I left. It was a horrible thing, to suddenly know that no one had ever truly loved me... But then there was Saria. She was the only person who treated me kindly. She was like a mother to me. And a best friend, and so much more. That's another story though.
Like I was saying, life was normal. I didn't know anything outside of the forest. It was my whole world. Anything past the trees was shrouded in mystery and darkness. The world beyond the trees was frightening, and it was the last place I ever wanted to go. That all changed on one fateful day. I was having a nightmare. There was a girl in funny clothes with hair like mine. She screamed as she was taken away into the night on a white horse. She threw something at me. I watched it fall, glistening in the pounding rain. A man appeared. He was dressed in black from head to foot, and the look on his face sent pangs of fear through my very soul. I knew I would see that man again someday. He drew his sword to stab me. I drew mine as well. I didn't remember ever having a sword before, and wondered where it had come from. As I grew lost in my thoughts, which seemed to echo through the winds, the man slashed at me.
I awoke screaming. Something hovered above me. It was a faerie. She was yelling at me to wake up. She called me a lazy child and set to scolding me about being "sloth-like," whatever that was. Her name was Navi, and she proved to be one of the most nagging creatures I've ever known. But she was my faerie, and all I could concentrate on was how overjoyed I felt to finally have one. I now wish I had never met her.
She led me to the Deku tree, a being who was absent of love or joy. He served as a perfect guardian for all of the forest dwellers, who loved to torture me so. It was he who started me on this blasted quest, and made all of my nights the most restless. I was forced to defeat the evil that dwelled inside of his limbs. Sometimes I wonder if it was not the endless spiders in him that were evil, but the tree himself. After I did as I was told, the cold forest guardian died. I felt no remorse for my actions. What was done was done. Rather than sadness over his death, I felt fear over what the others would say about what I had just done. No doubt they would blame me for the whole mess.
Sadly, I was right in my assumptions. The night after the Deku tree passed, I was in my bed sleeping. I awoke to the sound of whispers and footsteps. When I opened my eyes, the glow of a candle and three faces greeted me. It was Mido and two of the Know-it-all Brothers. They held large deku sticks. I opened my mouth to say something, but I was grabbed by the collar and slapped across the cheek. I felt the sting, yet I did not cry. I had grown used to such things. My lips remained still as they set forth to wordlessly beat me with their sticks and fists. Then, as I lie on my own floor, dazed and numb, they started to kick me. Any where they could. Not a scream escaped my lips, not a tears dropped from my eyes. I was too used to the bruises they inflicted. After about twenty minutes or so, they left me. I fell asleep on the floor. It was just too painful to get up.
The next morning, I woke in my bed. Saria's sweet face greeted me. She smiled wryly upon seeing that I had woken up. "How are you?" she asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came forth. Saria began to cry. I no longer had a voice. I swallowed. I was responsible for her tears. Seeing my only and dearest friend made me want to cry too. With much throe, I forced myself to sit up. I put my arms around her and hugged her. "Why? Why did they do this to you, Link?" she cried, "you never did anything to harm them!" I didn't say a word in reply. It was as if a strong hand was clutching my vocal cords, and would not let go. From that day forward, I have been mute. Saria assumed it was from a hard blow to the throat.
Fearing for my life, she told me I should leave. I was heartbroken, but I knew she was right. That day, I took what few things I had and left. Now, the Deku tree had always said that leaving the woods meant death for a forest child, but no one had ever tested his words. Saria figured that I had a better chance in that vast, forbidding world than I had in the forest, with its horrible dwellers. I left to the cheers of the other Kokiri, and the stabbing sound of Saria's wails. It was the saddest and happiest day of my life.
I will never forget the first time I stepped into that unfiltered and bright sun. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen. Everything was so big. For what seemed like forever, all I could see was grass. It was terribly hot out, and I remember I was sweating. I had never known such warmth before. I started to walk. Where I was headed, I didn't know. All I knew was that I was looking for a castle, whatever that was. It was nearly a day before I came upon a large structure made of stone. Navi started to blather about how big it was and how she had ever seen anything like it before. She wondered if there were any other faeries living inside. I ignored her, since she had been talking the entire time.
With a determined and none the less intimidated mind, I entered. All around there were people, tall people. At first, I was surprised, then I realized that all those who lived in the outside world must normally be of such proportions. I stopped a man who was running around, and motioned to him that I wanted to know where the castle was, and if I was in a castle already. "Speak up boy! I can't hear ya!" he boomed. I motioned what I needed again. "Look kid, I don't have all the time in the world. Why don't ya go find your mom?" He hurried away. Things were going to prove much harder than I had anticipated.
I asked several people for help before giving up. Deflated, I walked down a small dirt path. I stopped beyond the market walls and sat down on a rock. I picked up a stick and drew a picture in the sand. I was never going to find that castle. My moping was interrupted by giggling. I looked up to see a little girl smiling at me. "What'cha doin?" she asked. I shrugged. She giggled again. "Aw, don't be shy! What's your name?" Once again, I shrugged. She giggled for a third time, then pointed to herself.
"My name's Malon. My daddy's the owner of Lon Lon Ranch. We sell milk and raise horses." I nodded, not wanting to seem rude. Once again, she asked my name. Thankfully, Navi took the initiative. "His name is Link." she answered. "Oh! You have a faerie! You must be a forest child!" I nodded. "I wish I had a faerie." she said. "Sorry to interrupt, but we need to know where the castle is." Navi said. Malon smiled. "It's right over the hill, faerie boy. How silly, you couldn't see it before?"
"We didn't know what a castle looked like." said Navi. I stood and bowed to Malon. I started in the direction of the castle. "Watch out for the guards! If they catch you, they'll throw you out!" she called after us. I climbed a wall and ran toward tall, grey building that loomed ahead. I darted from bush to bush, avoiding the ever watchful eyes of the castle guards. I ran along side the moat, only to find a sleeping man blocking a small hole leading inside. I shook him awake, and he said something about how his daughter was going to be angry about him falling asleep and making her wait for so long. He hastily thanked me and ran off. I tried to comprehend what had just happened, but gave up after a minute, and set to sneaking into the castle.
Avoiding even more guards, I soon came to a large courtyard. A young girl stood with her back turned, peering through a window. I stepped on a dry leaf, and she whirled around in surprise. We stared at each other for a moment. She was the girl from my dreams. She clasped a hand to her chest. "You." she breathed. I opened my mouth to speak, but a quiet croak came out. My voice was still hiding. She motioned for me to come over to her.
"Look through here." I stood on my tiptoes and looked in. Before my very eyes was the frightening man from my nightmares. I stepped back and gasped. "You can sense it too." she said. I nodded. "You must be the one I have dreamed of. You are the one who will save our land from that evil man." I shook my head. She frowned. "Why?" I pointed at my throat. Navi spoke up. "He hasn't any voice." The girl nodded. "I'm sorry, please forgive me. Oh! I nearly forgot! I haven't introduced myself." the girl said. "My name is Zelda. I'm the princess of Hyrule." That was some introduction. Like being a princess was an every day thing.
"His name is Link." said Navi. "Nice to meet you Link." Zelda giggled. "They have no clue of what we're planning! My father has no idea how awful that man is, but we do. We'll stop him Link! Just you and me, together, we'll save Hyrule!" I couldn't believe what she was saying. Me? Save Hyrule?! Until that morning, I didn't even know that Hyrule existed! All I knew was the forest. In my panicked mind, all I wanted to do was go home. Home to the forest, home to the protective canopy of green trees, home to Saria, and Mido... and his gang... I had no home. I was different. That's all there was to it. The way I saw it, there was nothing else I could do, nowhere else I could go. I had no choice.
I looked at Navi. "Um, I think he says he wants to help." she said. Zelda grinned. "Then it's settled. You must go out to the rest of the land and help those in need. When you're through, come back here with their leaders, and together, we'll beat that evil man." She then introduced me to her nursemaid, Impa, who taught me a song on the ocarina Saria had given me. Impa then led me out of the castle, and into Hyrule Field, where she disappeared. I was left alone and dumbstruck. Where could I go next? Night was falling and I decided I wasn't going to spend it out in some strange field. I headed across a small bridge and went looked around. To my left were stone steps. Curious, I climbed them. At the top I found a small village. I decided to stay there for the night. Strangely, I didn't have nightmares as I slept.