Fate, Questioned
Verdant horizons so lush and vivid with a somber wind that bellows. Guidance from the leaves; an allure of a soft humming bass. The familiar sight of dancing greenery was a grand relief. To return to primordial freedom and desired loneliness, his heartbeat grew calmer. He could breathe easy. He is cautiously submitting to the sublime emerald of the woods.
He sleeps amongst the wild brush underneath a slightly misshapen tree. O how long it has been since he dreamt this deeply. The divine toils of a bound fate wear heavily on his youth. The moon watches him as it sits above the forest. His partner this silent evening, Epona, rests nearby as she too, surrenders her burden. A simple midnight fantasy becomes the conclusion to a grand ordeal. As they say, tomorrow is another day.
Misdirection and confusion are the forest's specialty. Finding the way back to Hyrule may prove more difficult than he once realized. Blind wandering has consequences in these woods. He has been warned: the woods will drive him mad. Alas, this was the solitary exit of Termina. This place has led him to an unwarranted mission and no closer to his original search. Perhaps he should have stayed in Hyrule. Perhaps he should have stayed in Termina. Was this to be his final resting place? Would he become one with this accursed place? He, who confronted the hastened finale of both Hyrule and Termina, shall not meet his end amongst the trees. He must continue on, for his destiny must not stop here. With his head level, he continued forward on his journey back home. The sun seemed to dance ever hastily in his prolonged hunt for the exit. Time teased him and walked ever slower. His mind wandered as did his feet. Never has he had the time to freely fantasize without the harsh influence of a pressuring destiny. The Hero can now find refuge in the woods of a future madman.
The Lost Woods, such an apt name. Aimless footsteps find a home here. Those unfortunate enough to fall victim to these woods walk with the eminent threat of a savage transformation. Each step can bring one closer to a despairing end, or the salvation of escape. The once alluring notes of the trees turned to a dissonant reminder of one's helplessness. To become a hideous monster; to be entranced by the will of the trees, the dance of the wind. Harmonizing with the hidden music, shedding that which formally expressed civility. Finally becoming unified with the inner beast, a physical prison in the decayed body of what was. All that had been stripped, all that was established, was now a cold ivory form. Passionless in only thought and mindless in only rage, sentenced to wander as a Stalfos.
The curse of the Lost Woods.
Though not all nefarious, the curtains of vines and winding pathways veil many more misplaced destinies from those not suited for them. Unfortunately for him, the woods did not save him from his own inescapable, reluctant courage.
Heroism and fortitude come at a cost of one's future. No day leaves untouched by the reminders of his hardships. The silence of the leaves encourages him to touch that which he has avoided. Though still young, he has traveled across time and space. He has seen the disaster of the future, the ignorance of the past, and the despair of the present. He has been faced with decimation at the hands of raw malice. No thought has restriction, no fantasy off limits. He begins to wonder if he wants to resign his divine burden. His Goddess-given fatal heroism has led him to these forsaken woods, in search of a way back to an utterly doomed land. In the face of a twisted desire, his courage manifests itself loyally. However, in the face of a questionable holy truth, his courage is accompanied by heresy. Do the Goddesses understand his broken salvation? An honor to be directed by such an exalted role; a displeasure to become subservient to an ideal that only brings exertion. Is it heretical to loathe his strength? He was disturbed by the pathway of his thoughts. When will he find the desired distraction of Hyrule? Epona gave a familiar glance in response to his thoughts. Maybe she too, is questioning. Throughout all those heavy and tired amblings, he may have found what he searched for. A mossy, weathered sign read:
Hyrule
A long awaited haven from such abysmal thinking seemed to, at last be, within reach. He has never smiled at the thought of returning to a ruined, eroded land. Amidst his rare jubilation, he came across the battered stone arch designating the end of the woods, and the beginning of Hyrule.