Chapter 10: Return, Towards What We Knew

The Holy Sanctuary in Castle Town.

The Temple of Light in the northern section of Hyrule Forest.

The Temple of Shadow hidden somewhere deep in the Lost Woods.

The Sacred Grove, also hidden in the Lost Woods, though who even knew if such a thing really existed.

The Temple of Time, beneath the sands of the Great Desert- though Master Ganondorf always referred to it as the Desert of Illusion. More than likely, this would not even be an option, seeing as the Temple of Time had fallen into an advanced state of decay as of late.

Agahnim finished off his list of holy places, not caring to wonder why his master had so suddenly demanded such a task of him. If the powerful Gerudo wanted to pray, then who was Agahnim to question it? The priest left the Sacred Zora Temple off of the list, because really, what kind of spiritual temple could it be with those filthy fish-men worshipping their lowly aquatic deity? He pressed a wax seal to his compiled list and passed it to the moblin that had come swiftly and covertly seeking him. Though 'covertly' was a foreign concept to these pigs. The damned fool all but stomped through the castle's main gate, only concealing himself in shadow when the shadows so happened to fall over him. Agahnim had nearly panicked. The foolish moblin had no idea how close it had come to destroying Agahnim's cover. If the master had sent such a clumsy messenger so swiftly, then the matter was likely urgent. Ganondorf would never risk revealing his best spy over a trivial concern. Agahnim wasted no time in creating the curious list and sending the monstrous idiot right back the way it had come.

With that little distraction out of his way, the false priest turned his attention back to the King. The royal leader had proven to be easier than ever to manipulate, and Agahnim was thoroughly enjoying the amount of power he had been able to usurp from the less than attentive monarch. Fixing a degree of concern on his face, the Hylian priest stepped from the remote corner of the castle where he had dragged his unwanted guest and back towards the small grouping of Royal Knights that were patiently awaiting orders.

All of them saluted, one of them spoke, "Is something the matter, High Priest Agahnim?"

"No, nothing at all." he waved the question away, quickly altering the subject to diffuse any suspicions, "We will continue searching our city for any and all survivors. Afterwards, you are all to disperse and head out. Find nearby villages and see what help can be offered." Scattering what little guard remained. That would leave the throne wide open for the master to take, just as soon as he had attained his second Triforce.

…...

"Is this gonna take long?" the impatient fairy hovered, casting an unseen look at the young Hylian.

Link grumbled back, reeling in his line to again cast it into the meager river, " …I'm hungry."

It hadn't been long at all before his rations of bread ran out, and hunting had been absolutely miserable, causing him to lose an arrow rather than gain a meal. So when he had come across the slim little slip of a stream, the fisherman settled down and went about doing what he so often occupied his days doing; fishing. And of course, in line with his usual streak of luck, he had been sitting by the riverside for a few hours now with no result.

Navi knew it would wind up this way. Which was why her attitude had immediately gone sour as soon as she realized that this might literally take all day, "C'mon, Link! At least…try! Or something! Catch a fish, for Farore's sake! How hard is it?"

He scowled. He would have loved to offer her the fishing pole, and see how well the miniscule fairy did. But he was so hungry, he just wanted to catch something and eat it.

The little orb of blue hovered out over the water, "Hey! Hey, you! You listen here, stupid fish! If you don't get out here right now, we're coming in!"

"Navi…" Link couldn't help but smirk a small bit. The shouting fairy looked silly, but her threat was…kind of tempting. He watched her float back and forth, suddenly appreciative of the company, when he felt the line pull. The young Hylian blinked, but did not hesitate to reel in his line.

"Huh?" Navi turned in midair, "No way! Did that actually work?"

Whether it was her threatening, or his luck finally hit a rare spot of fortune, there was now a large, healthy fish thrashing on the end of the fishing line. Laughing, Link reached into the water and retrieved his catch, his stomach already growling in anticipation. He smiled up at Navi as she floated closer.

A good meal was just what he needed. Afterwards, he would have no problems hurrying along to his next location, renewed and refreshed, ready to face whatever obstacles were waiting for him.

…...

It was a thrill and a relief, setting foot once again in the Lost Woods.

The trip back through Hyrule had taken some time, but Link made doubly sure that Epona had plenty of rest along the way. Moblins were seemingly everywhere these days, causing him to stop and fight nearly every day or so. But the further south he traveled, he was comforted to find that their numbers thinned to nearly nothing. So Link rode, beyond where Ordon Village and his own home lie, further south across an expansive field that ended abruptly with the thick greenery of the mysterious Lost Woods. At the first sight of those intimidating trees, Link was smiling.

Epona was left behind; the woods were too dense to travel very far on horseback, and it gave her a good opportunity to rest. Navi hovered by his side as they went, buzzing playfully through the familiar forest. The fairy had a much easier time getting through the clutter of trees and low hanging branches, Link had to slowly crawl through whatever little space he could manage to fit his much larger body through.

With a soft laugh, he distinctly remembered it being much easier to traverse the woods when he was six years younger. And a great deal shorter.

It wasn't long before he had to force his sword from its sheath to help create a path through. He knew the way, he would always know the way. Even if the markers left for him had faded over the years, he still knew the way through. His destination was deep within the woods, a place that would always be kept hidden from outsiders. These were known as the Lost Woods of Faron for a reason- some manner of enchantment hung over the place, causing people to easily lose their sense of direction in the forest, and trapping them forever inside. Link, however, could not really be considered an outsider. He paused to look at his surroundings. A glance to his right showed a subtle change in the vegetation. He knew that continuing that way would eventually lead him to the murky swamp that bordered the western side of the forest. Which meant that he would have to head a bit more towards the east. It was close to sunset when he finally arrived at his intended location.

It wasn't much of a clearing. Branches hung low and weeds grew just as high as the unkempt grass. And he remembered it being much larger...though through the eyes of a child, it probably seemed that way. Small patches of sky were visible through the leaves from where he stood, but climbing up a little bit could have revealed much more. It was in this clearing, growing just off-center among the grass and wildflowers, that Link found just what he was looking for. An enormous, gnarled old tree that towered feet over the ones around it. Its branches were thick with shady leaves that blotted out the sun on a hot day. It had a protrusion that very much resembled a nose, and two large knotholes that sat as eyes. A section of its bark even resembled a beard, long and shaggy, and covered in soft moss. At its 'forehead' sat a delicate broach of three emeralds set in gold in the shape of an elaborate leaf. Link approached this ancient tree, a smile spreading clear across his face. As he moved through the long grass he felt hundreds of gazes upon him. He knew well enough that they were there, he could practically see them huddled together, fearful of who this stranger was and how he had come to be here.

He paused just before the large tree, and it was then that Navi zipped around in front of him and gave a loud huff, "Hey! We know you're there, so you can come on out!"

A few flickers of light peeked out from the leaves of the enormous tree- bright balls of light with visible, delicate wings just like Navi, though in varying colors.

"Eh-heh-heh! Don't you recognize us at all?" the little ball of blue sped to the other fairies as those hidden eyes came into view. Link's smile doubled.

They were no bigger than Aryll, each with a matching green tunic very similar to his, only a hand full wore other garments underneath. Some were barefoot, some had crude boots. Some had green hats that stood upright, others with hats more like the one on Link's head, and still others with nothing adorning their heads at all. Their hair varied from brown and gold, to more exotic colors such as green and blue. Each of them wearing the guise of a child, though he knew for a fact that the youngest among them was close to two hundred years old. These were the Kokiri Children, the Forest Children, or any of countless names that had sprung up for them by people who had likely never even encountered them. There were literally dozens of them, parting the grass in disbelief as they viewed the much, much taller Hylian, too fearful to actually come forward.

He figured they might react this way; Kokiri Children were notably secretive, always shying away from things they were unfamiliar with, and always, always the first to run at the slightest indication of danger. Grinning, Link thrust his marred sword into the ground while he reached into the leather pouch at his back. A few startled gasps whispered across the clearing at the sudden motion, more than one of those curious Kokiri ducking back into the tall grass. Link produced the blue ocarina that he had retrieved from the Temple of Time, took in a deep breath, and the lifted the instrument to his lips. The tune he played was light, airy, jubilant, high pitched, one that he had learned from within the forest itself. The notes were sharp, staccato, the melody playful and carefree. Eye widened around him as the Kokiri recognized the old melody. Some stood to get a better view of the Hylian, muttering in disbelief. As he played, those who still hung back, weary of this older version of a boy they once knew, came forward to listen. When the ocarina whistled the last note of the song, those bright, sapphire blue eyes peeked back open and sent a smile around at the collected Kokiri.

"…Link?" only one approached him, accompanied by a light yellow orb of light. A small girl with brilliant green eyes and hair to match, who had a small sweater on under her tunic, and a green headband holding her hair in place. The one who had taught him that tune so long ago, "Is that really you?"

He smiled and nodded, then became aware of the fact that her gaze was fixated on the deformed blade still in front of him. He lifted the weapon and began the irritating ritual of fitting the crooked sword back into its perfectly straight sheath.

Once the dangerous weapon was out of sight, she beamed up at him, "Wow! Look at you! You're so…tall!"

His cheeks tinged a pink, "….Hi, Saria."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" her smile was so wide that her eyes pinched shut. Saria had been his closest friend throughout his childhood. She had been with him from his infancy to the day he left this concealed place, six years ago.

"Yeah…"

The pleasant reunion was cut short, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute here! That's Link! Like hell it is!"

Link's expression soured. He watched as another of the Kokiri came forward from the tall grass, flanked on either side by two friends and a collection of fairies hovering close by. Link knew this boy well, sandy-haired and freckled, tugging his upright hat perfectly into place as he approached. Though he did not dare get too close to the Hylian.

They exchanged a disappointed glare, "I ain't gonna believe that! No way Link could ever get that big! No way anyone could!"

"Mido…" Saria's tone was threatening.

Navi flew to Link's side in an instant, "Don't you start, you- you- you big bully!"

The Hylian grunted. He could have easily made a crack about Mido not being a big anything, but instead kept it to himself.

Mido eyed the ball of blue light for a second, his scowl increasing as he recognized her as a genuine guardian fairy, "…So, it is you. You're not just a fairy-less freak, you're a tall freak too."

Link bristled at the old insult.

"Mido!" like a poisoned knife, Saria's eyes pierced through the Kokiri boy, causing him and his associates in turn to cringe. Navi squared off with the orange ball that was Mido's personal fairy.

A gentle laughter then filled the area, soft yet booming, deep and rumbling, "My. So much like old times, it floods the memory with pleasantries. Though if I may say so, my child, it seems your weapon could use replacing. A dull blade achieves nothing. A blade such as yours, I imagine, would achieve even less."

The smile was back on Link's face in an instant. All eyes went up to the source of the voice, which was now grinning down at the entire clearing. It creaked as it swayed without the assistance of wind, leaning to peer down at the people collected below its branches. Link felt compelled to speak, though words, as usual, eluded him, "Great Deku Tree…"

Those wooden lips pulled into a wider smile, "Welcome home, my child."

Mido gave a disgusted grunt, but Saria's continued glare kept his mouth shut tight.

"Now. What is it that brings you so far into the forest, my child? It must be a pressing matter, for these woods are quite dangerous. Though you know this well. For one to get lost in the forest over night would doom them to an eternity of wandering." As the wizened old tree spoke, more of the Kokiri ventured from their hiding places. Link sat down so that he would not seem so large and intimidating by comparison. "Just the other day, I caught sight of a Skull Kid traipsing about. The result of another unfortunate soul that had become lost. I do wonder, thinking back, there had been a young lady that was wandering the forest several days prior. It very well could have been her soul entrapped."

They left The Great Deku Tree to his usual ramblings. He tended to speak for hours upon hours without ever seeming to arrive at a point. "So how have you been? You seem well, Link. Are you taking care of yourself?" Saria was glad that she could nearly level her eyes with his now that he was seated.

"Are you kidding? I still have to watch over him every hour of the day! He's a complete wreck! A klutz!" Navi huffed.

Link shook his head. The fairy was greatly over-exaggerating.

Saria just giggled, "I see." Her eyes fell to the little blue ocarina gripped lightly in Link's hand, "Hmm? Where did you get that one? That's not the one I gave you when you left." Saria's face lit up in a grin at the old memory- though Mido growled.

An embarrassed frown touched over the Hylian's face, long ears drooping downward. He didn't have the heart to tell Saria that he had managed to lose her precious ocarina years ago. She had played that thing for as long as Link could remember, had always supplied the forest with music and played wonderful songs for all of the Kokiri. When he left the Lost Woods, she had handed it to him as a dear memento. And he, like an idiot, had dropped it only days later. Link's eyes dropped to the blue ocarina now in his hands, fumbling with it, pointedly avoiding Saria's emerald green gaze.

Arms folded across his tiny chest, Mido snapped at the young Hylian, "Never mind that. So what the heck do you want here, fairy-less?"

Link tried to make it seem like the insult didn't affect him; but internally, he was seething. He wondered just how fast Mido would run away if he went for his sword. Or maybe the pushy little Kokiri would wet his pants at the sight of the blade. All very tempting.

Saria trained a hard look on the other Kokiri again.

"What?" he answered her with a wounded pout, "The Great Deku Tree asked first, I was only sayin'."

Link looked up at his fairy companion to see if she would volunteer to speak. Navi was distracted, intent on fighting with Mido's fairy. Ocarina still in hand, Link stood to address the massive tree, "…I'm…looking for something."

"Oh?" The tree's hollow eyes blinked slowly, "Speak up then, my child. What is it that you are seeking? A replacement for your sword, perhaps? Because I know of a suitable one within these very woods. Though the path to finding it is unsure, and undoubtedly dangerous."

The young Hylian laid the ocarina back into his pouch, swapping it out for a golden shard of the Triforce. He held the fragment up for The Great Deku Tree to see. The tree, along with several of the child-like Kokiri, were taken aback. They recognized it instantly. "…this." Link spoke simply, "Someone's in danger. I need to find all of these to find her…"

The smile gradually returned to the enormous tree, "The wind has whispered it to me. This current situation that plagues Hyrule. I have known of it for as long as it has been occurring. You seek the Princess Zelda."

Link nodded, gaze trained upwards at the Great Deku Tree, unaware of the frightened look of concern that Saria now gave him.

"A tall order, if I may so comment. This quest you have taken is fraught with peril, young Link. But." the towering tree grinned, though at his words, the green-haired Kokiri only looked more frightened, "Fortune would smile upon you this day, my child. Fortune in your eyes, yes, though to many this would seem far more like a burden or a curse." The Great Deku Tree paused, seemingly amused at the look of confusion that had touched over the Hylian's face, "It so happens that we have come into possession of one of these precious shards that you seek. Unless I miss my guess, fragments of a Triforce, hm? Mido."

At the sound of his name, the sandy-haired Kokiri- who had recoiled upon sight of the fragment- flinched further. He grumbled something, then pulled the hat from his head and rummaged through it until he produced a similar golden shard. Replacing his hat with a wide grimace, Mido marched up to the much taller boy and offered over the shard, "More trouble than its worth, you know! But, seeing as I'm the leader and all around here-" Eyes rolled. It was a self-proclaimed title, and everyone knew it. "I had to keep it safe. Yep. I'm a pretty brave guy, y'know." He turned to smile at Saria, but she only turned her head away. She was in no mood to be nice, considering the greeting he had offered Link.

Even if it was Mido handing it to him, Link couldn't help but plaster a grateful smile across his face as he accepted his fourth fragment of the Triforce of Wisdom, "…thank you."

Mido turned to Saria again, as if to say See? We're being nice? But she still showed no interest.

Link held the new piece in his hands for a while, delighted at how easily it had come into his possession. Navi even gave a happy whoop overhead.

The good news just continued. "And as well, Young Link." The Great Deku Tree's voice resounded over the clearing again, "I am almost certain I know of the location of another piece. Hidden here within this very forest."