I took Epona away from Colin's hands and mounted her quickly, rushing after them. Making, with the warning I had, I could catch up to them before Talo got himself trapped in the woods.

I paused, twice, to speak with Beth and Malo and send both of them back home. That was really too much. Talo was completely out of sight, gone deep into the woods.

I drew in a breath, preparing to urge Epona into a sprint – then let the breath out, calming down. There was no need, was there? I knew for a fact Talo wouldn't actually be harmed. I wouldn't take my time, lounging through the woods, as I knew the boy would be terrified, but there was no need to be reckless either.

With Epona, we jumped the fence that separated the forest, along with logs and other miscellaneous items in our way.

The woods were beautiful, in an almost haunting way. Everything very ethereal and calm, despite the energy of the situation. The pond, the bridge, the tunnel, and everything we passed was elegant and romantic in feel. The mist of the approaching twilight, too, was beautiful.

Coro, strange-looking man, gave me the lantern when I approached him. I didn't stay to chat, only thanking him and moving on quickly.

There was a Deku Baba here. My first enemy, ever. It was a plant. Couldn't move towards me until I moved towards it. It wavered there, possibly the strangest thing I'd ever seen. It appeared slimy all over the head and moved in a very unnatural way. It was creepy, more than just weird, and the way that it seemed to stare at you, even without eyes.

My first enemy. I needed to destroy it. It was a monster.

I drew the wooden sword out of my sash. It might be made of wood, but it was still sharp. I could do damage with this thing.

Deku Babas were rarely ever a threat in-game. Just an annoyance. I wasn't frightened of it. When it lunged forward at me again, trying in vain to reach me, I jumped, swinging the fairly-lightweight wooden weapon over my head, bringing it down on the plant's top, shredding the fragile material. No hit points. It died instantly and lay there on the ground, unmoving.

So apparently, enemies here didn't disappear into dust when killed. Good to keep in mind.

Talo's play sword was on the ground just beyond it, at the mouth of a large cave.

It was getting dark. I didn't want to caught in the forest too late at night and I doubted Talo did either. This was early game. I knew the area like the back of my hand... though everything was much, much bigger than I remembered, it was still walled off as a valley, so I shouldn't really risk getting lost.

Rats the size of my fist were visible in the far reaches of the cave. Keese, too, but they neither of them had any interest in me. I was wary, but moved on.

The first large spider web deeply unnerved me. In the game, they were almost meaningless. I burned them, they were only a momentary obstacle.

But here, it meant something more.

It meant spiders.

Man-sized, man-eating spiders.

So this is where things got real.

I wasn't giving up. I swallowed, and using a stick, touched the web lightly. The stick was pretty firmly stuck. Scary. I needed to be extra careful to avoid falling into those. I was too frightened to push through it. Lighting it with the fire from my lantern was clearly the only way forward.

When I emerged from the cave, I could see a form wandering about in the distance. A bokoblin. It carried a large cleaver. Would I be fast enough to evade that? They were stupid, but still fighters. Monsters. I kept my distance, moving quietly, along the mist to hide me.

The next small cave, otherwise empty, did contain the gate key, over-sized chest and all. Who on earth had put it here? No time to waste on thoughts like that now.

I was going through a quick experiment.

Was there really magic here?

I lit the torches on either side of the chest. Another chest appeared, shining, out of the darkness. I opened it, holding my breath for finding out what was inside. There were no hearts when I cut through grass, or anywhere else for that matter.

Were heart-pieces at all a thing?

Yes, they were.

Not as I expected them, however.

This object was tiny. Smaller than my palm. It appeared to be made of glass and stone – I could pick it up, hold it in my hand. Nothing happened when I did so. It didn't disappear, certainly didn't contribute to my health. Just sat there. A rock.

If I found the other four and completed it, would it do something then? And what, exactly?

I wouldn't know until then. I slipped the piece of heart into my pocket and moved on.

There were bokoblins guarding the gate. I couldn't evade them forever. I'd known that, of course.

Was I going to do this?

Of course I was. I'd already decided so, hadn't I?

With the element of surprise on my side, I leaped forward from my hiding spot behind the trees and mist, holding in the urge to scream a battle cry.

The sword was indeed sharp. I swung through the throat of the bokoblin I'd aimed for, partially severing his head. Blood spewed from the wound and the creature made an agonized, pained sound as it fell. Blood spilt all over me, splashing over my tunic and too-rapid pooling around the twitching body.

For a moment, I was in shock. I'd been thinking of this as a video game. As Zelda, Twilight Princess. I really had not been ready for gore like what I was seeing. It was a close call to bring myself back to the moment and step out of the way of the swinging arc of a bokoblin cleaver. There were two more, both furious with me for the unprovoked murder of their friend. The second swung, but I was faster, stepping out of the way and slicing through his stomach with grace. The blade was sharp, but not impossibly so – meaning, it dragged through the creature and pulled it's very skin away. That move didn't kill it, but the injury, clearly, was severe enough to put it out of the fight. It howled in pain from the ground, writhing in agony.

I felt sick. So terribly sick.

But I moved on and killed his friend.

All there were defeated. My clothes, my hands were bloody, and I was breathing hard. As bright red blood, so human in color, continued to pool, I had to fall to my knees and vomit.

I wasn't ready for that. I hadn't expected it to be that way.

Calming myself properly took time, but I got there. I stepped over the bodies before me and walked onward, opening the gate with the key I had found.

I soon met Trill. The bird was somehow a relief – so comical and noisy. I was curious as to the nature of red potion here, but left it for now. I was very nearly at Talo's location.

Two more bokoblins. This time, there was no way to approach them in stealth.

They were evil, I assured myself. They had kidnapped this child, were planning to do who knows what with them. They would kill me if I allowed them to.

It was strange. Maybe even the strangest thing yet, how easy the fighting was for me. How did that violence come so naturally? These bokoblins, as far as I knew, were never anything but warriors. And I slaughtered them, all of them, mercilessly, not even injuring myself in the process.

Talo appeared horrified. Now that was something different from in the game.

The cage he and the monkey were trapped in wasn't exactly well constructed. What prevented escape had been the guards far more than the cage itself, and together, we dismantled it easily.

"Are you all right?" I asked him as I worked.

"Y-yes." He said. "The monkey... she tried to protect me, so we got captured together. We would have eaten, I think, if you hadn't come."

I didn't say anything to him anymore, just worked. The monkey sprang away at the first chance she got, disappearing into the woods.

Talo and I walked home together, my hand continuously on his shoulder. He seemed pretty deeply shaken. When we neared familiar areas, he ran off on his own. I was actually able to see Rusl on the path. He stopped Talo, spoke with him, and sent him home, then continued to walk to meet me.

"My son told me about Talo," Rusl said, "I came immediately, but it looks like you have brought him home already. I apologize. Such a task should not fall to you."

I shook my head, not speaking.

Rusl let out a sigh and leaved back onto the trunk of a tree.

"Tell me," He said, "Have you noticed how strange this wood seems lately? I feel... uneasy about what may lie in wait..."

I had a very bad feeling, too. I knew what was going to happen. I opened my mouth – I couldn't hide it, I had to tell him. To fail to do so would put the town in danger. Yet when I tried... no sound came out. My throat closed. It was like my body was unwilling.

Rusl shook his head. "Anyway, Link. Tomorrow is finally the day. You will be departing for Hyrule. I think it is a good thing I have given this task to you... so good luck! And return safely! If you are lucky, you may even get to meet Princess Zelda!"

He laughed and turned away, never looking at my face and seeing the struggle there.

What was going on? I couldn't speak.

I had gone to sleep, not knowing what else to do that night. When Fado came by for me the next morning, I tried to tell him too, but the same thing happened. He looked at me strangely and hit my back, thinking I must be choking.

I could speak. Could say 'yes' and 'hello' and form sentences. Just not tell anyone what was going to happen. Warn them.

What was the use of knowing if I couldn't do anything about it?

I was at a lost and started to just let things happen again, not thinking. I herded the goats away and started my way back into town.

The mayor and Ilia both met me as I walked.

I started to feel very ill again.

"Why the long face?" The Mayor chuckled. "Worried? Now don't be. You just get it there on time, you get me, lad?"

I nodded, feeling as if I was about to cry.

Ilia petted at Epona, speaking to her. Things wouldn't be the same, I thought suddenly, relieved. Epona had no injuries. I'd been careful, I'd been slow.

"Link?" Ilia said, cheerfully, looking at me, "Would you like me to wash Epona one more time, before you go? We want both of you looking wonderful, don't we, father?"

The mayor laughed again.

"No, it's fine," I said, panicking, "I'd rather stay with her, actually. Really." I said.

"Nonsense!" Mayor Bo said, "You've got to be getting ready for the trip yourself! Come on then, let me give you some cider, so you can pack it with you."

The mayor took his arms around my shoulders, dragged me inside. I could have said something, resisted, but I felt too overwhelmed.

Was this some kind of fate? Could I not escape it? Surely, I could do things differently, better, everyone would be happy and safe.

I hurried outside again first chance I got. Too late, Ilia was gone.

I ran to the spring, moving as fast as I could. The gate was shut! Why was the gate shut? There was no reason for it to be shut.

"Ilia!" I called out to her.

Ilia laughed at me, "Hold on, will you? I'm nearly done here, then you can have her back. I love your horse, give me some time with her." She laughed again.

God damn it. There wasn't time to think. I ran back, to the small hole I could sneak into the secluded spring through, moving without coherent thoughts.

I didn't even have a weapon.

I'd left the wooden sword in my home when I went away working this morning.

I couldn't help her. But it was too late already, wasn't it?

She turned and smiled at me.

"You know, I'm going to miss this girl while you're gone," She said, smiling at me, "You too. Just promise me, will you? No matter what happens on your journey, don't try to do anything... out of your league. Please."

The look in her eyes was so honest. Loving. "Just come home safely." She said.

The sounds of running boar hooves. A hunting horn.

Maybe there was still a chance. Maybe -

The mighty King Bulblin and his goons knocked through the gate.

"Ilia!" I screamed. Useless. Worse than useless, she turned to me, and that's how she was struck. I rushed to her, thoughtlessly. If I had been faster. If I hadn't been so dumb! We could have hid – I could have fixed this.

So stupidly, I moved into a position where I could be clubbed over the head.

I awoke in twilight.

My head, it ached terribly. I sat up groggily. It was familiar – I'd done this only recently. I remembered quickly. Ilia. Maybe – if I was fast enough this time - !

I sprinted, through the wood, across the bridge, right up to the great wall of Twilight. And I pounded on it with my fists.

To me, it was solid as stone. Did not move, never would. I fell to my knees, defeated. Why did it all feel so real? They weren't dead, they weren't dying... and yet.

I started to cry. Ilia was surely gone. My shoulders shivered, I sobbed, and then, without warning, a great giant hand pushed through the curtain, sending ripples out through it. I didn't have time to think – what would I have done, anyway? I was snatched up and pulled through.

It had grabbed me by my throat and was now holding me there tightly. So stupid – why wasn't I ready? I struggled against it, unable to breath. I kicked and clawed and choked, but couldn't free myself. Then a light – the triforce the back of my hand. Not mine, I knew – I was not courageous like Link was.

It frightened the creature, who threw me back, away from it. I tried to stand, then, to run away, but a different pain ripped through me. My throat was free, but I still couldn't breathe, and everything , everything was burning. My body wouldn't stand, didn't obey me anymore. I writhed back and forth, on my hands and knees on the ground, unable to do anything at all.

Then the pain ripped through me, pain I wasn't prepared for.

It was so intense I fainted.