Chapter 4: Spirit of Courage
"Me?" Link asked, standing up so quickly that he nearly stumbled down the hill. "What makes you think it's me?"
The Great Deku Tree's leaves shook with a laugh again. "Young Master, your dreams and nightmares are more than that. They are visions of a past you never lived. You share a spirit with the courageous youths of the past, the greatest heroes themselves. Yes, some have not achieved their full potential, or were taken from the world too quickly, but many have done magnificent things. The first appointed knight stood guard over the Goddess' slumbering body until the day she woke years later. She had no memory of her unearthly self, and together, they built the land of Hyrule. The Great Hero of Men ended the first great war of the realm. The Hero of Winds, the Hero of Light, the Hero of the Essences; these are all your past lives. You are seeing them as you begin to awaken."
"I am only seeing their deaths! Not their lives…"
"Among the most powerful of emotions is fear. All are faced with it, and none more so than a dying man. You will likely begin to experience some moments of great joy and love. You will feel their hatred as your own, and their pain. You will learn to control it, to welcome the visions and to cast them away."
Link's heart raced as fear set in. Would his spiritual successor feel this fear, too? "The girl who is with me in most of these visions… is she the spirit of the Goddess?"
The Deku Tree rumbled an affirmative response. "You are all of the Goddess, but I know what you ask. She is. She holds the wisdom the Goddess left behind."
"She doesn't look like someone I know."
"It's unlikely you will recognize her. Though you share spirit with your successor, it is not always through blood."
Link sat, unsure how he was able to take all this in. It must be the spirit of my ancestors. They've heard this all before. He rubbed his head. "How do you know all of this?"
The Great Deku Tree sighed wistfully. "I am old. Very old, young one. I have lived countless generations, and you are not the first spiritual successor to seek my aid."
When Link went to respond, the Deku Tree cut in first. "It is late, Young Master. There is time enough to discover the answers to many questions yourself. Now, time moves differently in these woods. Whether you are lost in the woods, or lost in thought, you spend more time away from reality than you realize. Sleep tonight. Reflect on what they show you, but remember, they are not you. Their pain is not yours. In the morning, you will leave and find that the woods are more forgiving to those who are leaving. Should you need me again, you know where to find me."
"Where are you going?" Link asked, desperate to keep talking.
"Why, I am rooted here. I go nowhere. Now, sleep."
Link woke up the next morning at the crack of dawn. He felt well-rested, but it also seemed as if he'd only just fallen asleep.
When he turned to ask the Deku Tree what was happening, he gasped. Before him was nothing more than a large, faceless tree.
Had he dreamed the whole thing? Was it his imagination? Or was this magic, like the visions the tree claimed he had?
Unwilling to stay a moment longer, he grabbed his things and took off for the Lost Woods once again, not daring to glance behind him.
When he stepped into the woods, he tried to remember the direction he'd gone before. As hard as he strained his ears, there was no music, no laughter, no unusual rustling. All he could hear were the trees swaying in the wind. Picking up a long, fat stick, he set out into the woods and found himself at a bridge. It was the bridge he'd entered the forest from.
He spun around, frightened and unsure of what was happening. Quickly, he ran for the bridge, wanting to go home. He wanted nothing more than another dreamless sleep, and to know what was real.
The forest released him from its grasp and he all but ran to the road where he would meet Cremia again. He had to stop himself from falling asleep again as he waited several hours for Cremia's return, unsure what the time was anyway. He was anxious. He was nervous. He was curious. And he was excited.
Until he heard a loud scream pierce the air. Then he was nothing.
A/N: Short chapter, but I actually know where the story is going from here. I basically had to wing the beginning because the next chapter was my initial starting point. So, here's hoping they don't stay this short and choppy!