DISCLAIMER–Cheetah Goddess does NOT own any of the characters or settings below, but she DOES own the situations…Kinda. Yeah. And she does NOT have anyone locked up in her closet, only feed them rainbow cookies and adoring them like a shrine…of course not…yeah…Hey, you still reading this? GET OFF MY BACK!
She doesn't remember anything…What we did…Anything" He slumped to his knees staring at his hands, hand that seemed too small. Vaguely, he wondered why that was. He had spent much more time as child as he had in those few months as a teenager. A image over Zelda fading away into light filled his mind. "Goodbye" was the last thing she had said to him before he was back in the Temple of Time. "Goodbye". A statement of finality, of a conclusion, of the end. I guess it's really over… Staring at his hands, he clenched his small fists and began to sob, his world finally crashing down upon him. Everything was how it was supposed to be, how it had been. He felt relieved, yet he was overcome with terrible anguish. He was tired, he was frustrated, he was sick of it all.
The startled princess hovered over his weeping figure, uncertain of what to do for the boy. She reached out to comfort him, but a trio of guards came crashing into the courtyard, yanking Link upright and began hauling him off, with Link seemingly not even noticing their presence. Princess Zelda rushed up to the guards, begging for his freedom.
"But Princess," one guard began, "he's an intruder! He could hurt you!"
Princess Zelda frowned. "Does this boy look well enough to do harm to anyone at the moment? Besides, he saved my life earlier! You are indebted to this boy. Leave him at once!"
The guards stared at the young princess, speechless. Grudgingly, they lowered Link to the ground. Bowing respectfully, but a little flustered from being denounced, they left the courtyard slowly, warily eyeing the now silent Link.
The princess reached out to him again, then hesitated, withdrawing her hand. He looked pathetic, azure eyes blank and unseeing, tears still flowing down his cheeks in limitless rivers. She bit her lip, the sight of him bringing her to the brink of tears. Turning away, she walked up to the silently flowing pool of crystal blue water, kneeling next to it. She looked back at him, then back at the water. "You know…I have premonitory dreams…" The princess took quick glance to see if there was any response. He hadn't even blinked. She looked back at the water, determined. "I had a dream…That a boy from the forest would come…And save all of Hyrule one day." She risked another quick glance; if anything, his face had become hard, the tears ceasing to flow.
At a lost, Princess Zelda looked to the sky, the whole situation frustrating her to no end. She had to get this boy to smile…He had protected her from attack earlier, she had a duty to aid him in his time of need. But her mind was blank; it seemed like nothing was going to work. Suddenly, an idea struck her; she froze, a devious grin spreading across her face. She casually waltzed over to his side, trying to contain her mirth.
"You know…I haven't properly thanked you for defending me from those bandits earlier…" She waited for a reaction, and was pleasantly surprised when she got one. Link had blinked, the only movement he had made in minutes, his eyes becoming less like those of a corpse to those of someone who had yet to take the plunge. Encouraged by the progress, she leaned over and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Link."
Link blinked furiously, instantly breaking away from his stupor. "Oh, no! There's no reason to–You don't need to–I mean—!" He stammered, blushing furiously, waving his hands frantically in the air.
Princess Zelda giggled, dancing off to the other side of the courtyard. "See! You cheered up!" She looked back at the sky, rocking on her heals. "It makes me happy to see you happy, Link!"
Link's face was completely crimson now. He squirmed, even more flustered than before. "I-I'm glad that I can make you happy, Princess." He stared at the ground trying to blending in with the surroundings, much to Princess Zelda's delight.
Giggling, she pranced back to his side, getting inches from his face, much to his distress. He looked up at the sky, trying not to hyperventilate. "So, do you feel better now?" He could only nod, still not looking directly at her. She smiled. "Good!" She stood, walking much more calmly to the cool pool once again. Link exhaled deeply, seeing as he had been holding his breath throughout the whole conversation. He watched as she dangled her delicate fingertips into the crystalline water, smiling despite himself. Even if he was just a boy, and she never remembered their time together…He couldn't help but…
She abruptly spun around, catching Link off guard. "Oh!" The young princess dashed to the window at the edge of the courtyard, peering through. "Just as I thought. Oh…father's going to be furious with me!" She rushed past Link, then about-faced, rushing back up to him, gripping his hands in hers. "Promise me you'll come back tomorrow, okay? Promise!" She scowled, squeezing his hands.
Link erupted in blushes again, staring wide-eyed into her face. "Pr-Promise!"
She flashed him another smile, causing him to forget how to breathe, and ran off, her last words echoing throughout the courtyard: "Remember!"
Link sat there for a moment, dumbfounded. Then he smiled, his head high in the clouds. He got to his feet and started on his way out of the castle, humming a cheerful tune as he did.
His happiness didn't last long. When he arrived back to his home in Kokiri Forest, he realized he had lost more than his precious time. He had lost a precious companion.
"Navi…"
Link racked his mind, trying to figure out why she would leave. "Did I say something…Do something wrong…I don't understand…Why?" He stared at his hands, clenching them into fists. His first instinct was to see if she had returned to the forest, but to no avail. He sped through the small wood like a tornado in his search, much to the distress of his neighbors, leaving them wondering if his leave of the forest had disturbed his mind.
He sat at the base of the Great Deku Tree. Even cold and lifeless, it had brought him some comfort just to sit under his protective leafy canopy. "Why…" His eyes were devoid of tears, but empty of anything else. He didn't think he could take much more of these "surprises" this darkness-free world could throw at him.
"…Hey…HEY!"
He was so surprised at the sudden voice, Link fell off the root of the Great Deku Tree he was resting on. Landing safely on all fours, he shot up, looking around frantically. "…Navi?"
"Hey! Oy! Over here!"
He peaked over the massive root, becoming both disappointed and pleasantly surprised.
In the middle of the clearing, a small tree had sprouted. Smiling, Link bounded over the root, running up to the miniature tree. "Deku Sprout! Nice to see you aga—" Link caught himself, a little subdued. "I mean, nice to meet you…"
The sprout smiled, grinning. "Nice to see you again, Link! I trust the saving of all Hyrule went according to plan, then?"
Once again, Link was knocked off his feet in shock. He crawled up to the Deku Sprout, eyes full of hope. "Then…You mean, you remember? The whole thing with Ganondorf? Everything?!"
The Deku Sprout looked peeved. "Well of course I remember! The man did kill me, after all…"
Link sat in front of the Deku Sprout, feeling truly like a kid again. "But…how? I mean, everyone else forgot everything! Even…" He looked down at his hands, balling them into fist to prevent the flood of remorse from taking over his body again. He was over the tears. He had to look toward the future, or his past would mean nothing.
"Well," the Deku Sprout began, "We trees, plants, rocks, rivers…We aren't affected by time as you are. We see everything that comes to pass, past, present, and future." Link stared at the Deku Sprout, dumfounded.
The Deku Sprout chuckled. "Well, I didn't expect you to understand. Maybe one day you will…But that's another story. So, what has you all upset, now?"
Link sighed, leaning back to stare at the sky, now growing dark with the coming twilight. "Well, besides the fact that no one remembers anything…Navi disappeared. I don't know why, but she's gone!"
It was the Deku Sprout's turn to sigh. "Well, Link…You're aware now of your true heritage, right?" Link nodded hesitantly. He knew he was Hylian, but not much else. "Then, you can't expect Navi to stay with you forever! The fairies in these woods find a Kokiri to stay with for life. They are one. You, being Hylian, can't be connected to Navi like the other fairies with their Kokiri. Eventually, one of you would have to leave, be it by death or by other means."
Link remained silent, milling over what the Deku Sprout had said. He stood, turning away from the sprout. "So…That's it…"
The Deku Tree looked concerned. "Link…?"
"THAT'S IT?!" He kicked a nearby rock, sending it sailing into the air. Startled voices could be heard in the distance.
"That's the only reason she left? We couldn't be together forever? We weren't connected? That's utterly ridiculous!" He sank to the ground. "…Ridiculous…" He remained silent for a long moment, much to the Deku Sprout's concern.
"…Link? Are you okay—" Before the Deku Sprout could finish, Link stood up. He began to laugh, his face screwed in a mixture of desolation, and manic amusement. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, still smiling. "Navi…You never cease to amaze me…I'm going to have to give you a stern talking to next time I see you!"
Warily, the Deku Sprout spoke up again, afraid that the stress had finally caused Link to snap. "…Link? How can you talk to Navi? She's gone."
Link turned to the Deku Sprout, a genuine smile on his face. "How? I'm going to find her, that's how!"
"Find her?" The Deku Sprout was amazed, not only about Link's drastic change in attitude, but also of his outrageous idea. "How do you expect to find her? Hyrule's a big place; the world is a big place! She could be anywhere!"
Link began to walk away, heading back into the forest. "Well, you never know until you try!"
In his excitement, Link almost completely forgot his promise with Princess Zelda for the next time. He sat on his small bed with a sigh, setting his half-packed bag on the next to him. He desperately wanted to find Navi; every second he didn't start his hunt, she floated farther out of reach. But the thought of leaving Princess Zelda for who knows how long hit him like a ton of bricks to the stomach; he felt lightheaded just thinking about it. And yet…His body itched for adventure, yearned for something to do. He felt trapped when he wasn't free to roam; he didn't want to be chained down. He had to do something.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice drifting to his ears from outside. Standing, he walked out to his balcony, peering into the darkness below. He gasped, immediately jumping down to greet the figure.
"Saria! I'm so glad to see you!"
The girl giggled, giving Link a warm embrace. "Link! I heard you were back in the forest! Why haven't you visited me?" She looked around him curiously. "Where's Navi?"
Link looked down, gritting his teeth. He couldn't get used to the fact that she was gone. Every time he felt like he could accept it, someone burst his bubble again.
Noticing his distress, Saria grabbed his hand, dragging him toward her house. "Come on! I have something to show you!"
Link gasped, looking around in wonderment. Everyone in the village had crammed themselves in Saria's house, greeting him warmly:
"Welcome home, Link!"
Even Mido had come, if a bit grudgingly. He was sporting a nice purple bruise on he head. He walked up to Link, never looking exactly at him. "..Yeah…Welcome back…"
Link was ecstatic, feeling as if he finally belonged. He looked a Mido curiously, trying, and failing, to hid his amusement. "…Mido? What happened to your head?"
Mido rubbed his bruise, wincing. "A rock flew out of nowhere and beamed me right on the head!"
Link looked away, biting his lip. "Wow…That's strange…I wonder how that happened…"
Saria grabbed Link once more, leading him to a table full of food. "Well, come on! Let's celebrate! You must have some stories to tell!"
Link smiled, feeling so much happiness, he thought would burst. "Yeah…I've got a few." He decided he was fine with the way things were right know, pushing plans for the future to the back of his mind. The future can wait…I need to enjoy the good times to the fullest!
Another chapter, WOO! –dies of exhaustion-
Man...I stayed up till one writing this...I was doing all this Zelda related stuff, and though, "Why not work on my fanfiction?" So, I did! Woo! And it's actually kinda as long as I wanted it! Woo!
Link's being all emo crazy...But you would be emo crazy if you went through what he did too! I promise, he won't be so emo crazy soon...Hopefully. That is, if I get off my lazy butt and write it!
Yeah, I ramble! Anyways, if I get some positive reinforcement, I MIGHT get another chapter done...Maybe. I am a lazy ass...That's why I never proofread! WOO!
