Chapter 16: Kaepora Gaebora

A/N: This chapter is a little rushed because I had writers block with it, so instead of getting super stuck, I sort of went with the "write what you need and move on" style of fighting off "the block". This chapter might be a bit meh compared to the others because of it.

Link stood alone at the entrance to the village he'd grown up in. Like when he first saw Zelda again, he was unsure of what to do, or how to approach anyone. The day was growing late, but he was sure there would still be people awake and out.

With a deep breath, he headed inside the gate and looked around.

Everything was the same, more or less. There was another building in the center of the village, but otherwise, it was unchanged. He looked over at the house. The door was boarded.

Link tried to keep every feeling inside as numb as possible. He didn't want to hear how his old neighbors were doing. He wasn't even sure if he wanted them to know who he was. All he needed was to know if his friends… his family was still alive.

Keeping his head down, he made his way into the back of the village where the old bar was. From what he remembered, it was the gossip hub, though he himself had never been allowed inside.

"Young man!" called a voice from behind before he could enter the old bar.

Link turned around to see another young man, a brunette with big green eyes and a bandana around his neck.

"Me?" Link asked, unsure what this guy wanted.

"Yes, you! Come here! I can see you have a sword and I'm having a sale on shields and sheathes! You won't want to miss it!"

"Another time," Link called back.

The young man was insistent. "Truly, you will want to see this! Come on down to Malo Mart!"

Link's ears pricked up at the name. He was the right age, and he had similar features.

"Yeah," the young man said with a confident nod. "That got your attention, didn't it, Link?"

Link's hand fell away from the handle of the door and he raced over to where the young man stood. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed the young man and clapped him on the back.

"Malo! You're alive!"

Malo returned the gesture and gestured to the new building in the center of town. "I can say the same about you. Come with me, we'll talk inside."

Inside was a storefront, as he'd promised. From his days as a rude kid, Link wasn't sure if it was all a joke or not. Malo led link into the back room and they sat at a table across from each other. A dark brown owl stared at Link from the corner, never moving its eyes away.

Link kept his own eyes away from the piercing stare. "Malo. Talk to me. What's happened?"

Malo grabbed a shield and a sheath from a large box and tossed them onto the table before sitting down. "Free of charge, for all the years we spent making your life miserable."

"I can't take that," Link said, barely even looking at the merchandise. "You can make up for it all in information."

"I'll only talk if you take these."

Rolling his eyes, Link clipped the sheathe around his back and slid the sword into it. Surprisingly, it was a perfect fit. He did the same to the shield.

Malo nodded and looked back at the owl before continuing on. "The village was attacked about a year after you left. It was hard for the villagers to talk about because some of them had such traumatic reactions. They all pretend nothing happened to make things easier. I wasn't here, but one of the survivors told me everything."

Link held up his hand. "Why weren't you here? Were the others?"

"I found out that I had two siblings living in Market Town that I never knew. Half-siblings. Their names are Talon and Ruth. I was visiting them. The others were all here.

"A man clad all in black showed up. He attacked, looking for your family, trying to find something he could use to break you. The villagers didn't give him anything, and he tortured them. Still, no one broke.

"Gaebora took everyone and ran to try to get them to safety. When he could tell that the man was following, he went to the Lost Woods, hoping the man wouldn't want to follow. They made it through to the Great Deku Tree and Gaebora asked for his help protecting all the kids. The Deku Tree said that there was a price to be paid for something that substantial, and Gaebora agreed, saying he'd do anything for the kids in his care. The Deku Tree protected them, giving them their own place to live at the base of the tree, and Gaebora paid for their protection with his own life."

Malo looked at the owl again. "He was cursed. The Great Deku Tree didn't want to curse him, but he needed to take something to give to the kids."

Link looked at Malo, completely confused, and then looked again at the owl. He slid his hand over his mouth to hide his revelation. "Gaebora?"

The owl flew over to Link and rested on his arm. It looked up at him and hooted once.

Malo pointed to the bird. "There's something else. I hope you're ready."

Link's eyes looked back at Gaebora, and the bird let out another sound. This time, it wasn't a typical owl sound.

"Link, I've missed you."

Link shot back off his chair and stumbled away as he stared at the talking owl. "What?"

"It's me, Gaebora. I have been watching your return. I watch many things now, including your friends."

"Are they alright?"

"They are. In exchange for my physical form, the Great Deku Tree offered them protection and eternal youth, as well as a life in the forest. For the past six years, none of them have aged. I warned Malo of your approach, but they may not as easily recognize you anymore. Still, I recommend you make haste. We will catch up another time."

"Like when you have your body back?"

The owl almost seemed to smile. "No. That will never happen. But I will be watching. Go again to the Great Deku Tree. You will find your friends there. The sight of them safe should bring you great comfort."

The flapping of wings echoed across the trees of the Lost Woods once again. After bidding Malo a farewell, Link immediately headed for the woods, despite the late hour. It was something he regretted.

The sounds and the music of the forest that he'd heard as a child had all but disappeared, and an eerie laughter followed his every step. Thick fog covered the grass, and he could almost feel the forest trying to drag him down, to take him into its weeds and never be heard from again.

Flapping wings. He looked up and saw an owl, one he could only assume was Gaebora. With only a hunch, he followed the owl's shadow on the grassy floors and let it guide him through the woods. When he emerged from a thicket, a bright ray of sunshine greeted him, along with the sounds of a happy village filled with children's laughter.

Trees had been carved into houses, and they laid around, playing games, or cutting grass, all throughout the area. Link recognized them all; they had barely aged since the last time he saw them.

Though he never spoke to some of them daily, he still could see the twins who's thirst for knowledge was even greater than Mido's ego. He could see Mila, laying on the grass taking a nap by the water.

As Link entered, all eyes were on him, though no one said a word. He didn't know what to say or do again. Figuring his best bet for answers was the Great Deku Tree, he made for the back of the forest.

A hand stuck out, and a small body blocked his way. "Hey!" it called. "Where do you think you're going, Mister? The Great Deku Tree is back there. Anyone who wants to go there has to go through me."

With red hair and an unmistakably sour look on his face, Link knew that this was Mido.

Link could tell that Mido didn't recognize him. "I'm… here to see the tree. I need to ask a question."

"No one does that anymore! Back off!"

With a flashback to his younger years, Link could just see Mido in his face again. Now, though he was several feet shorter, he was still in his face.

"Mido! Let me by!"

The boy's head shot up. "How did you know my name?"

"I'm Link! Link! I used to live with you and Gaebora! I can see that you don't remember me, but I need to see the Great Deku Tree."

He stepped off to the side, muttering Link's name to himself, giving Link the chance to get by. Running up to the Deku Tree, Link needed answers, and he needed them now. "Great Deku Tree!"

The Tree rumbled to life and creaked as its mouth opened. "Link! It is good to see that you're safe. Though I am surprised that Mido let you by. I had to wipe their memories as best I could so they would not long for the outside world."

Link's heart stopped. "All of them?"

"I'm sorry, Link. Fado and Saria can often be found in the Sacred Grove, just outside the Forest Temple. Gaebora will guide you."

"What happened to Purlo?"

The Tree sighed, deep in thought. "The Forest Sage? I sealed off the forest so Ganon's minions could not find us, but I did not think to hide the temple. It is my fault."

"It isn't," Link said with a heavy heart. "I just need to figure out how to awaken another Sage… and to be honest, I still want to see Fado and Saria."

The Tree began to fade away. "The answers you seek are at the Forest Temple."