II: As it Was
Link and his new found Navi rode along, trying to find a way out of the forest that kept Link there for years, protecting him from his enemies. Never letting him go. The birds still sang their song, and the sun's rays still hung in the air. They walked in peace, not even saying a word, not really wanting to. Old memories flooded Link's mind, and he wanted to share them with Navi, but the seriousness of the situation stopped him from saying a word. So instead, Link took out his old Ocarina of Time. He watched as it shined in the sun.
Navi looked to him, her humming and buzzing returning. "Why don't you play a song, Link?" She broke the silence. Link looked at her for a moment, then smiled. Epona shook her head and snorted, still trotting along. The air filled with a soothing lullaby music that one could listen to for hours. Navi twinkled along with the music, the happy mood returning.
"Hey, Link? Remember the time I first found you and you were snoring in bed?" Navi laughed and buzzed.
Link stopped the Ocarina and looked to Navi. "No. I was sleeping."
Navi stopped in mid-air. "Oh yeah." She laughed again, and this time Link joined in. Now that they had forgotten about the world's troubles for the time being, they could finally speak to one another about what had happened during their absences. Apparently, Link had saved the world, yet again, from a falling moon and had found some new friends along the way. Navi had returned to Hyrule and had helped there as best she could. But now, Hyrule needed its hero back.
Epona suddenly stopped and arched her back. Link looked out over Epona's head. "What is it, girl?"
Navi peeked in between Epona's ears. "I don't hear anything."
Link looked around him. "Neither do I..." An eerie silence filled the forest. "Where are the birds?" Their chirping had long since stopped, the only noise to be heard was Link's own unsettling breathing. Feeling quite uncomfortable in this situation, Link kicked Epona's sides, but she dared not move. "Comon' Epona!"
"Uh...Link?" Navi whispered, ducking in between Epona's ears. Link glanced at her, then behind him. Through the trees, large shadows could be seen. They seemed to be multiplying all around him, advancing.
"They're Wolfos." Link remembered. He quickly kicked Epona's sides, and commanded her to run for it. The Wolfos pack charged through the trees, howling and barking viciously. Epona neighed and galloped through the trees, knocking over small bushes and running through large patches of grass. The Wolfos followed their prey, close behind. Link drew his bow, aiming at the Wolfos pack. If needed be, he would shoot.
Epona glided through the forest of trees, dodging in and out of the way of the wooden giants, the Wolfos pack high on her heels. One howled in pain and rolled on its side as Link shot an arrow in its back. The pack simply trampled over the dying wolf-like creature, not caring for it, only caring for food. Link lead Epona through the trees, weaving between them. She reared a hard left which sent a gaining Wolfos crashing into a large tree, smashing it in two.
"Link! Watch out!" Navi warned. Link looked up to see a huge pile of rocks only meters in front of them. He kicked Epona's sides once more, and the horse flew over the wall of boulders. The Wolfos' advance stopped dead. None of the wolf-like creatures were able to jump the blockade. Link breathed a sigh of relief and sat back, closing his eyes.
"Uh...Link?" Navi rising a bit into the air.
Link slowly turned his head to observe the scene before him. "Oh my..." What met their eyes devastated them. It was Korkiri Forest. Though, not anymore. The only thing left was rubble - burnt down to the ground. The ashes blanketed the forest floor. Everything was dead and gone.
"No..." Link ran through the rubble, trying to find out what everything was. He kicked over branches and wooded walls. The stream that once ran through Korkiri Forest was depleted and full of soot. What was once green and bright was now black and broken.
"NO! This is my home!" Link shouted to no one in particular. Navi floated by Epona, the both of them not daring to move. They watched as Link frantically looked through the rubble. He suddenly stopped and stared at the ground. He knelt down and picked up a small burnt piece of wood. It said 'Link's House'. Link looked up at the broken pile of stone and wood that used to be his house. His old tree house was torn to the ground. He stood back up and walked over to the center of where his old home used to be. He could still make out what was what. His old bed, a broken pot, a small toy...
He suddenly looked to his left. "Saria." He said aloud. He hopped the small hill and landed in another pile of burnt wood and ash. "Saria!!!" he shouted as he threw away pieces of stone and wood. He frantically searched through the pile of rubble, small tears starting to form in his sky blue eyes. "No..." he whispered.
"Link...no one's there..." Navi's voice said behind him. Link stood up as he accepted the truth. He looked down to the ground, scanning over the grey earth. The look in his eyes quickly turned from sorrow to pure hate and anger. He clenched his fists. He turned to face Navi, but something behind her caught his eye. "What is it, Link?" Navi swirled around, looking for whatever Link had found.
Link suddenly bolted towards a large rise, near where the old waterfall used to be - now drained. He climbed the hill, unexpectedly stopping at a hollow log. The wooden sign that stood by this passageway was surprisingly still stationed there. It read: 'The Lost Woods'. Link glanced at Epona and whistled loudly. His horse hurdled herself up the rise and halted near her owner. He leaped up on her and charged into The Lost Woods. Navi followed close behind.
~~*~~
The quietness of the Woods rang through the dry air. The Lost Woods seemed to be unaffected by the fire that swept through Korkiri Forest. Everything was where it should of been. A cold caw of some crows was heard in the distance. "I wonder if I still know the way..." Link said aloud.
Navi knew what he was talking about. "I remember." She said determinedly. She lead the way, weaving and winding through log tunnels, turning and twisting through others. They passed the way to Goron City, but it was bombed in. Probably from within Goron City itself. "This is it, Link." Navi said suddenly. She looked behind her at her friend. Link nodded, drawing his sword - though it was not the Master Sword. They entered.
Link and his new found Navi rode along, trying to find a way out of the forest that kept Link there for years, protecting him from his enemies. Never letting him go. The birds still sang their song, and the sun's rays still hung in the air. They walked in peace, not even saying a word, not really wanting to. Old memories flooded Link's mind, and he wanted to share them with Navi, but the seriousness of the situation stopped him from saying a word. So instead, Link took out his old Ocarina of Time. He watched as it shined in the sun.
Navi looked to him, her humming and buzzing returning. "Why don't you play a song, Link?" She broke the silence. Link looked at her for a moment, then smiled. Epona shook her head and snorted, still trotting along. The air filled with a soothing lullaby music that one could listen to for hours. Navi twinkled along with the music, the happy mood returning.
"Hey, Link? Remember the time I first found you and you were snoring in bed?" Navi laughed and buzzed.
Link stopped the Ocarina and looked to Navi. "No. I was sleeping."
Navi stopped in mid-air. "Oh yeah." She laughed again, and this time Link joined in. Now that they had forgotten about the world's troubles for the time being, they could finally speak to one another about what had happened during their absences. Apparently, Link had saved the world, yet again, from a falling moon and had found some new friends along the way. Navi had returned to Hyrule and had helped there as best she could. But now, Hyrule needed its hero back.
Epona suddenly stopped and arched her back. Link looked out over Epona's head. "What is it, girl?"
Navi peeked in between Epona's ears. "I don't hear anything."
Link looked around him. "Neither do I..." An eerie silence filled the forest. "Where are the birds?" Their chirping had long since stopped, the only noise to be heard was Link's own unsettling breathing. Feeling quite uncomfortable in this situation, Link kicked Epona's sides, but she dared not move. "Comon' Epona!"
"Uh...Link?" Navi whispered, ducking in between Epona's ears. Link glanced at her, then behind him. Through the trees, large shadows could be seen. They seemed to be multiplying all around him, advancing.
"They're Wolfos." Link remembered. He quickly kicked Epona's sides, and commanded her to run for it. The Wolfos pack charged through the trees, howling and barking viciously. Epona neighed and galloped through the trees, knocking over small bushes and running through large patches of grass. The Wolfos followed their prey, close behind. Link drew his bow, aiming at the Wolfos pack. If needed be, he would shoot.
Epona glided through the forest of trees, dodging in and out of the way of the wooden giants, the Wolfos pack high on her heels. One howled in pain and rolled on its side as Link shot an arrow in its back. The pack simply trampled over the dying wolf-like creature, not caring for it, only caring for food. Link lead Epona through the trees, weaving between them. She reared a hard left which sent a gaining Wolfos crashing into a large tree, smashing it in two.
"Link! Watch out!" Navi warned. Link looked up to see a huge pile of rocks only meters in front of them. He kicked Epona's sides once more, and the horse flew over the wall of boulders. The Wolfos' advance stopped dead. None of the wolf-like creatures were able to jump the blockade. Link breathed a sigh of relief and sat back, closing his eyes.
"Uh...Link?" Navi rising a bit into the air.
Link slowly turned his head to observe the scene before him. "Oh my..." What met their eyes devastated them. It was Korkiri Forest. Though, not anymore. The only thing left was rubble - burnt down to the ground. The ashes blanketed the forest floor. Everything was dead and gone.
"No..." Link ran through the rubble, trying to find out what everything was. He kicked over branches and wooded walls. The stream that once ran through Korkiri Forest was depleted and full of soot. What was once green and bright was now black and broken.
"NO! This is my home!" Link shouted to no one in particular. Navi floated by Epona, the both of them not daring to move. They watched as Link frantically looked through the rubble. He suddenly stopped and stared at the ground. He knelt down and picked up a small burnt piece of wood. It said 'Link's House'. Link looked up at the broken pile of stone and wood that used to be his house. His old tree house was torn to the ground. He stood back up and walked over to the center of where his old home used to be. He could still make out what was what. His old bed, a broken pot, a small toy...
He suddenly looked to his left. "Saria." He said aloud. He hopped the small hill and landed in another pile of burnt wood and ash. "Saria!!!" he shouted as he threw away pieces of stone and wood. He frantically searched through the pile of rubble, small tears starting to form in his sky blue eyes. "No..." he whispered.
"Link...no one's there..." Navi's voice said behind him. Link stood up as he accepted the truth. He looked down to the ground, scanning over the grey earth. The look in his eyes quickly turned from sorrow to pure hate and anger. He clenched his fists. He turned to face Navi, but something behind her caught his eye. "What is it, Link?" Navi swirled around, looking for whatever Link had found.
Link suddenly bolted towards a large rise, near where the old waterfall used to be - now drained. He climbed the hill, unexpectedly stopping at a hollow log. The wooden sign that stood by this passageway was surprisingly still stationed there. It read: 'The Lost Woods'. Link glanced at Epona and whistled loudly. His horse hurdled herself up the rise and halted near her owner. He leaped up on her and charged into The Lost Woods. Navi followed close behind.
~~*~~
The quietness of the Woods rang through the dry air. The Lost Woods seemed to be unaffected by the fire that swept through Korkiri Forest. Everything was where it should of been. A cold caw of some crows was heard in the distance. "I wonder if I still know the way..." Link said aloud.
Navi knew what he was talking about. "I remember." She said determinedly. She lead the way, weaving and winding through log tunnels, turning and twisting through others. They passed the way to Goron City, but it was bombed in. Probably from within Goron City itself. "This is it, Link." Navi said suddenly. She looked behind her at her friend. Link nodded, drawing his sword - though it was not the Master Sword. They entered.