Zelda

Mark of Courage

Chapter 4

She felt lost within a dream-like state. A World without light, without warmth. It was a cold and dark World. Why was she here? What was she doing before? She could not remember. She tried to think hard, but the memories would not come to her. Why couldn't she remember? It was like a painful thing to try to recall. But what was it?

"Sync..."

A voice echoed through the darkness. A voice that seemed familiar.

"Sync..."

Who was it?

"You need to go find the Princess."

The princess? What was the voice talking about?

"You must close the seals."

Seals? What seals?

"You must do what you were meant to."

What she was meant to do? What did that mean? Was there something she was meant to be doing?

"Wake up... Sync... the lands are in need of your strength."

Strength? She had none. Why ask her?

"Wake up... Sync... Wake up."

But she did not want to wake up. It was painful to wake up. It was frightening. She did not want to leave. No, she wanted to stay here. Within this place, she would not get hurt, she would not be forced face anything painful. She would be... untouched.

"You do not belong here... Wake up Sync... you must wake up."

She opened her eyes, looking at the sky that were slightly covered by the cover of trees. Where was she now? She struggled to sit up and found that she was in a forest of some sorts. Wait, she remembered, she was in the Lost Woods. At that moment the memories all came flooding back to her. The village. the skeletal creatures. Her brother. Link. Blood. Death.

"Link..."

Tears ran down her cheeks as the realisation dawned upon her. Her brother was gone. She tried to look around but could not find the corpse that was there before. Even the blood stains were gone. Was it all a dream? No, it wasn't. She was sure that what she saw was no dream.

"Hmm? Oh, you're finally awake. Took you long enough. You sure are lazy."

A voice pipped, making Sync turn. Flying up to her eye level, the soft glow of the fairy Ide confirmed everything that happened was no dream.

"My... my brother... what... what happened to..."

Sync could not find the words to continue.

"The body? The Great Sage came and made it all disappear. Said that you are not ready to face it. To be honest, I believe you are not ready for anything."

Ide explained and Sync let it all sink in. Not ready. She was never ready to face something like that. She would never consider herself to be ready for anything without the help or guidance of her brother. Only when Link was gone did she realise just how much she depended on him.

"... He's gone..."

Sync whimpered, her emotions starting to get tossed about once more. But Ide would not let that happen. Using one good charge, the fairy slammed herself into Sync's head, knocking the Hylian back.

"Ow! What was that for?"

Sync cried, clutching onto her forehead in pain. Ide was not too happy about being a battering ram either but she had a job to do, and having Sync all depressed would not help one bit.

"Look here, you have been sleeping for one entire day and time is already running out! Get off your butt and move! We have to go to the Castle and warn the Princess!"

Ide cried out angrily. Sync remembered something, from her dream, a voice that told her to find the 'princess'. Was this the same princess that Ide was referring to? There aren't a whole lost of royal 'princesses' about but that did not mean only one existed. She was sure that the Zora people had a 'princess', though she had no idea just who that 'princess' is. But the more important thing was-

"Warn her about what?"

Sync asked, which made Ide about to say something but the fairy paused.

"... I am not too sure."

This adventure is going really well thus far.

"The Great Sage only told me that a long forgotten 'darkness' is approaching, and that the 'princess' will know more."

Ide confessed though her tone showed her indifference to what it all meant. It seemed to Sync that the fairy only cared about doing what is told and not bothering about the details behind anything.

"... I have a bossy, narcissistic and lazy fairy with a foul mouth for a partner who is afraid of asking too many questions about her orders."

Or in a business term, 'Manager'.

"Hey! I heard that! Anyway, we need to leave the forest if we want to reach the Castle by noon!"

And Ide did not even bother to try to defend herself from all of those insults, mainly due to the fact that they are true. Sync considered what the fairy said. They needed to warn the 'princess' and most likely Ide was referring to the Royal Princess of Hyrule. But why her? Why not the King? Was there something special about the Princess that the King did not have? Not only the fairy, but that 'voice' that called out to her within the darkness told her of the same thing. Why? In the first place, why her? She looked down to her right hand where the dark mark was. It seemed to pulsate with a sort of beat that was akin to a heart. Something told her that this was not normal. She had no other options. She had to go find this 'princess'.

"... All right."

Sync got to her feet, checking to see if her sword was still there, which it was, and turned to Ide.

"It seems that I can only go forward... for now."

The fairy seemed happy at Sync's decision, albeit the decision being forced.

"That's the way! Let's go! You walk too slowly."

Sync followed Ide through the thick forest for a while before they finally reached the edge of the forest and out onto the open wide plain that was Hyrule field. Shield her eyes from the glare of the Sun, Sync tried to pin point her exact location but realised that she saw no visible landmarks nearby. She could not even see Kashira village, or whatever would remain of it at least. This must mean that she had come out at some other part of the forest from the point she entered. But if that is the case, how would she know which way to go? Kashira village had a road that led directly to the Castle city, but Sync's current position had none.

"... We're lost."

Sync sighed in dismay.

"Now now, don't give up so easily! I'm sure if you just walk straight you'll eventually reach somewhere."

"... That is not encouraging at all."

Sync pointed out to the fairy, who did not really care for the current predicament, somehow convinced that if they headed in one direction they will somehow miraculously reach their destination. Speaking of miracles, Sync's stomach was starting to growl from hunger. With nothing edible looking in the immediate vicinity, Sync had to wonder how she managed to move about without realising that she had not eaten for two days. She should had eaten more of her brother's food that night, rather than losing herself to her own stubbornness. What she would kill for another bowl of her brother's stew.

"Are you hungry?"

Ide suddenly asked and Sync looked to the fairy with a face that said 'are you seriously asking me that'.

"Well, good for you that I'm a very reliable partner!"

Ide proudly said, she has yet to show anything to prove that statement as true thus far.

"I managed to find some food while you were sleeping and put them in your pouch!"

Ide pointed to a small leather pouch that dangled from Sync's belt.

"... Since when did I get a bag?"

Sync wondered to herself but at the moment did not really care as she opened the bag and tried to grab whatever was inside. Her hand brushed against something and she instinctively grabbed onto it, pulling it out of the bag. With the light of day now making the object visible, Sync found that what she had in her hand was-

"... A crystal?"

Indeed, it was certainly a crystal that glowed a faint pink light. No larger than a finger, the crystal seemed to exude a warmth on its own.

"Yes! We fairies use magic crystals as a way to replenish our life and energy levels. I'm sure it will fill you up just right!"

Ide claimed excitedly.

"... I'm not a fairy."

Sync pointed out the obvious.

"Don't all living creatures use magic crystals?"

Ide asked innocently.

"NO!"

Sync snapped at the fairy and felt her energy levels drain really quickly because of her outburst. Just what was this fairy thinking? Was she even thinking in the first place? What sort of 'guide' fairy was she? She had no understanding of anything outside the forest! Dropping the crystal back into the pouch, Sync slumped her to knees, her hunger preventing her from doing anything else.

"This is too much..."

Sync muttered in defeat. Was she fated to die here? Death by starvation?

"Hmm... why not try cutting up some grass?"

Ide offered and Sync felt her hope just drain itself.

"... I do not think grass is all that edible... or filling."

Sync answered.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll find something in the tall grass that may suit your needs."

"And why do I need to cut it? Why not just look for it in the grass? Besides... the grass does not seem tall enough to hide anything edible."

Sync muttered, looking around her and noticing the grass only being as high as half way to her knees.

"I don't know, cutting it seems like a good idea."

Ide shrugged. Seriously, Sync wanted a change of fairies. This one is defective.

"Come on! Give it a go! It's just grass. Even a baby can cut grass."

Ide insisted but Sync did not share the fairy's enthusiasm. Drawing her long sword, Sync stared at the blade in her hand. Link's sword. She shook off the dark thoughts that tried to cloud her mind. Now she needed to focus on finding food, though following the instructions of this deranged fairy to cut grass in order to find food was... not in any shape or form of sanity. Sync readied her sword, using the last bits of her strength, and swung it with one strong strike, the force cutting through the grass like it was nothing. With the last ounce of strength drained, Sync dropped on all fours, sweat dripping from her brows as she tried to get her energy back. But being hungry, that was one tall order.

"Sync! Look!"

Ide pointed excitedly. Sync looked to where the fairy was point and sitting amongst the area of freshly cut grass, was... an apple.

"... This is seriously not making any sense."

But food was food. It did not matter where it came from, as long as it was edible. Sync sunk her teeth into the apple, having its succulent flesh and juice flow down her throat and tasting like the best tasting meal she had ever had, despite being only an apple. Hunger can do that a whole lot of people.

"Legend has it that it is due to the hidden tribe of Picori that hide such things in the grass that such things can be done."

Ide explained, resting on Sync's shoulder as the Hylian continued to eat. Besides the apple, Sync also found several rupees and small nuts that Ide called 'deku seeds'.

"Picori? I had thought them to be of legends and stories."

Sync admitted.

"In truth, I have not seen one either, but it is the knowledge passed down to all fairies, so I assume it must be true."

Ide shrugged. Seriously defective. Having renewed strength, Sync go up to her feet and looked around for more grass to cut.

"I would not suggest cutting too much."

Ide pipped.

"Why not?"

"Ever heard of 'balance'? What if you cut all the grass? Then the Picori would have no other place to hide or place such things. You Hyruleans are too stupid to understand such basic things."

To Sync, it sounded like an excuse to get her going and following their main objective, but she relented. She did not like the idea of spending all day cutting grass either. Sheathing her sword, Sync sighed, feeling at least some gratitude to having her stomach no longer crying out for food. Now she had to find some road or land mark to get her bearing.

"This way!"

Ide said, flying off in one direction, though most likely she was just guessing.

"... Why do you say that it is that way?"

Sync asked, just to clarify her suspicions.

"Just because I say so!"

And suspicions confirmed. But Sync had no better idea, and with great reluctance, followed the fairy in a direction which Sync prayed would get them to their destination, or somewhere close.