Disclaimer: Yet another chapter, yet another thousand lawyers on my tail. That or it's the millions of fans my fanfics generate...nah, it's probably the lawyers. I don't own the rights to the Legend of Zelda series.
"Speech"
'Inner thoughts'
OOOOOOO- New separation marks (I get a kick out of making them...)
A/N- Sorry about taking so long for the update; I had a bit of writer's block and my schedule's been hell...sorry again.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Chapter IV: Homecoming
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Link was in a state of bliss. There was nothing quite like riding an enthusiastic pony throughout the beautiful fields of Hyrule. He gently coaxed the young pony towards the Kokiri Forest.
"Come one, Epona," said Link cheerfully, "It's time to head home."
Even as a pony Epona was one of the fastest horses around, and they managed to reach Kokiri Forest before the sun was even at its peak. Link gently persuaded the pony into the entrance of the forest, knowing full well how much the older Epona had hated all bastions of civilization. Luckily for Link, as a pony Epona was a bit more malleable, and she finally decided to enter the forest.
"I'm finally home," said Link quietly, inhaling the deep forest scent.
"Link!" yelled out young green-haired Kokiri girl as she tackled him off his horse. "I knew you'd be back!"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A few hours later, Link was sitting around the campfire with his fellow Kokiri. The Kokiri were oddly quiet as they ate their evening meal. Link absentmindedly shifted his food around his wooden plate; the silence was really disconcerting him.
"It's been this quiet since the Great Deku Tree..." whispered Saria, "...well, you know..."
"How long has it been?" questioned Link, also quiet.
"It's been two days," said Saria wistfully, "Only two all too long days."
"Tell me about it," murmured Link, 'So Zelda sent me back to the day it had all started...Hyrule may have been saved, but the Deku Tree..."
Link sighed and continued to eat his food. He aided the rest of the Kokiri with cleanup and was soon heading for his old tree house to sleep. As he lay in his simple bed, tossing and turning, the events from that first day flashed through his mind. Being woken up by his new partner, getting his first sword and shield, meeting the Deku Tree, the fight with Gohma, and then...
Link finally stopped stewing over the events in his mind and got out of bed to go for a walk. The blackness of midnight was complete around the forest, and Link slowly started walking around the village. His feet found the way to the entrance to the Deku Tree's grotto.
'It all really started here, didn't it,' thought Link wryly. 'From the moment I stepped on to this path, my destiny was assured...'
He put his thoughts into actions and slowly echoed the steps that he had taken seven years and two days ago. He made his way to the petrified monolith that was the Forest Guardian. He stopped there for a moment as his emotions overtook him. Once more a child, he began to release his emotions in the most childish fashion; he cried. He wept for the soul of a being who had died to help him, he wept for the all the pain and suffering of the seven years he had lost, he wept for all the lives that would now never be.
Slowly, his tears dried and he began to chuckle lightly. He laughed at the supreme irony: The Kokiri Emerald, the very thing the Deku Tree had died for was the very key to the death and destruction opening the Sacred Realm had caused. He slowly pulled out the Spiritual Stone, the fated gem that had almost caused the destruction of a world now lost in the stream of time.
As he held it in his hands, it began to grow warm. The emerald was softly emanating a healthy green light, and as Link's eyes beheld it, he began to feel the emotional torment ease. The glow slowly spread throughout the enclosure, and a small sprout emerged from the ground. With a popping sound, the sprout jumped out of the ground, opening its eyes for the first time.
"Well, hello, Link!" said the young Deku Sprout enthusiastically. "No need to dislocate your jaw, I'm the Deku Tree's descendant! Thanks for bringing back the stone by the way, it enabled me to grow a bit faster. I'll keep it safe from now on; you no longer need that burden."
Link finally managed to close his jaw and began to smile. 'Maybe the past isn't so bad...' mused the young hero. He suddenly began to feel very drowsy.
"I can see that you've been through a long adventure, one that took you far beyond what would seem possible. Please rest in the forest for a while, though I know that you will leave again someday," offered the Deku Sprout.
Somehow, Link found himself in his bed, but he was too lethargic to really care how. He quickly drifted off into a recuperating slumber.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A/N: Sorry for the incredible long time between updates, and for the really short chapter. I'll try to be more regular in the updates, it's just that I've had a rather busy summer, and what little writing time I have gets taken up all to quickly. A pathetic excuse I know, and I'm sorry to all that I've kept waiting. Enough with my babbling, but I promise I'll update quicker next time. Here are the reviewer comments: (next to your name are asterisks, one for each review you send after the first one)
Inspired-fire: Thank you very much! I love your fics and I've been keeping up with yours, I hope you'll still read mine.
H7: Thank you so much for the font advice; as soon as I upload this I'll try it, and also, thanks for reviewing all of my chapters!
Miss Cheex: Incredible! More than one person has reviewed my story all three times!
KrystalFox: Thank you! I'll try to follow your advice more often :-/.
Split Infinitive: There are plenty of well-written fanfics out there, and I don't really place my own fic as one of them. Check out my favorites list for some really good writing.
Nemesis, Avatar of the Unreal: I hoped you liked my dialogue! And also, I love your pen name ;).
TalonClawFange: Thank you for reading! I love all of your fanfics, and I wish I could update as fast as you do.
That's it for this time, but if I get a lot of reviews, I just might update soon!
"Speech"
'Inner thoughts'
OOOOOOO- New separation marks (I get a kick out of making them...)
A/N- Sorry about taking so long for the update; I had a bit of writer's block and my schedule's been hell...sorry again.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Chapter IV: Homecoming
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Link was in a state of bliss. There was nothing quite like riding an enthusiastic pony throughout the beautiful fields of Hyrule. He gently coaxed the young pony towards the Kokiri Forest.
"Come one, Epona," said Link cheerfully, "It's time to head home."
Even as a pony Epona was one of the fastest horses around, and they managed to reach Kokiri Forest before the sun was even at its peak. Link gently persuaded the pony into the entrance of the forest, knowing full well how much the older Epona had hated all bastions of civilization. Luckily for Link, as a pony Epona was a bit more malleable, and she finally decided to enter the forest.
"I'm finally home," said Link quietly, inhaling the deep forest scent.
"Link!" yelled out young green-haired Kokiri girl as she tackled him off his horse. "I knew you'd be back!"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A few hours later, Link was sitting around the campfire with his fellow Kokiri. The Kokiri were oddly quiet as they ate their evening meal. Link absentmindedly shifted his food around his wooden plate; the silence was really disconcerting him.
"It's been this quiet since the Great Deku Tree..." whispered Saria, "...well, you know..."
"How long has it been?" questioned Link, also quiet.
"It's been two days," said Saria wistfully, "Only two all too long days."
"Tell me about it," murmured Link, 'So Zelda sent me back to the day it had all started...Hyrule may have been saved, but the Deku Tree..."
Link sighed and continued to eat his food. He aided the rest of the Kokiri with cleanup and was soon heading for his old tree house to sleep. As he lay in his simple bed, tossing and turning, the events from that first day flashed through his mind. Being woken up by his new partner, getting his first sword and shield, meeting the Deku Tree, the fight with Gohma, and then...
Link finally stopped stewing over the events in his mind and got out of bed to go for a walk. The blackness of midnight was complete around the forest, and Link slowly started walking around the village. His feet found the way to the entrance to the Deku Tree's grotto.
'It all really started here, didn't it,' thought Link wryly. 'From the moment I stepped on to this path, my destiny was assured...'
He put his thoughts into actions and slowly echoed the steps that he had taken seven years and two days ago. He made his way to the petrified monolith that was the Forest Guardian. He stopped there for a moment as his emotions overtook him. Once more a child, he began to release his emotions in the most childish fashion; he cried. He wept for the soul of a being who had died to help him, he wept for the all the pain and suffering of the seven years he had lost, he wept for all the lives that would now never be.
Slowly, his tears dried and he began to chuckle lightly. He laughed at the supreme irony: The Kokiri Emerald, the very thing the Deku Tree had died for was the very key to the death and destruction opening the Sacred Realm had caused. He slowly pulled out the Spiritual Stone, the fated gem that had almost caused the destruction of a world now lost in the stream of time.
As he held it in his hands, it began to grow warm. The emerald was softly emanating a healthy green light, and as Link's eyes beheld it, he began to feel the emotional torment ease. The glow slowly spread throughout the enclosure, and a small sprout emerged from the ground. With a popping sound, the sprout jumped out of the ground, opening its eyes for the first time.
"Well, hello, Link!" said the young Deku Sprout enthusiastically. "No need to dislocate your jaw, I'm the Deku Tree's descendant! Thanks for bringing back the stone by the way, it enabled me to grow a bit faster. I'll keep it safe from now on; you no longer need that burden."
Link finally managed to close his jaw and began to smile. 'Maybe the past isn't so bad...' mused the young hero. He suddenly began to feel very drowsy.
"I can see that you've been through a long adventure, one that took you far beyond what would seem possible. Please rest in the forest for a while, though I know that you will leave again someday," offered the Deku Sprout.
Somehow, Link found himself in his bed, but he was too lethargic to really care how. He quickly drifted off into a recuperating slumber.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A/N: Sorry for the incredible long time between updates, and for the really short chapter. I'll try to be more regular in the updates, it's just that I've had a rather busy summer, and what little writing time I have gets taken up all to quickly. A pathetic excuse I know, and I'm sorry to all that I've kept waiting. Enough with my babbling, but I promise I'll update quicker next time. Here are the reviewer comments: (next to your name are asterisks, one for each review you send after the first one)
Inspired-fire: Thank you very much! I love your fics and I've been keeping up with yours, I hope you'll still read mine.
H7: Thank you so much for the font advice; as soon as I upload this I'll try it, and also, thanks for reviewing all of my chapters!
Miss Cheex: Incredible! More than one person has reviewed my story all three times!
KrystalFox: Thank you! I'll try to follow your advice more often :-/.
Split Infinitive: There are plenty of well-written fanfics out there, and I don't really place my own fic as one of them. Check out my favorites list for some really good writing.
Nemesis, Avatar of the Unreal: I hoped you liked my dialogue! And also, I love your pen name ;).
TalonClawFange: Thank you for reading! I love all of your fanfics, and I wish I could update as fast as you do.
That's it for this time, but if I get a lot of reviews, I just might update soon!