Part Six
Link didn't speak much after that. He couldn't bring himself to.
The days passed monotonously. Impa still lead the way, and Navi still fought with the Sheik warrior, tooth and nail. At a different time, Link would have enjoyed the show he knew Navi was performing, but now, it just annoyed him. He didn't want to enjoy anything.
Especially since he was the cause of all the bad things that were happening.
He knew this had to be true. Why else would all these things be happening, or he be seeing them? His dreams had to be visions. Why else...why else would Zelda Hime be unconscious?
It was lousy logic, Link knew, but...he felt that someone needed to be blamed. And he felt he was the best candidate.
"Link-kun?"
Navi's high-pitched voice drifted through Link's foggy mind. "Eh?"
"Link-kun, you've barely said anything all day. Are you feeling well?"
Impa looked back at them, but said nothing. Right then, Link was glad of it. He didn't feel like talking with her just then, anyway.
"I'm just tired, Navi-chan. That's all."
Navi nodded, but was still worried. She knew Link was lying. He couldn't be tired, since it was only noon. But...why would he lie to her? She worried about him. Could his fever have come back?
Link, for his part, ignored her. He found her constant worry and cheerfulness annoying.
That thought nearly stopped him short.
Navi-chan is my friend. Why...why would I think that? She's only trying to cheer me up.
'You don't want to be cheered up, that's why.'
Link stumbled on a half-hidden rock, but recovered quickly. Hyrule Field stretched on before them, no end in sight, with the sun high overhead. Navi flew closer, but he shook his head, indicating he was all right.
"I tripped, that's all. The sun must have gotten in my eyes. Nothing to worry about."
Navi gulped and smiled. Link found he was beginning to hate that smile.
No, NO! She's my friend. What's wrong with me?
'Nothing is wrong with you, Link-san. You're just growing up.'
No! This isn't growing up. I'm becoming a monster.
'Only if that's how you view it. "Truth is in the eye of the beholder", remember.'
Link squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the voice go away. Only crazy people hear voices.
'I thought that's what you were, Link-san.'
I'm...I don't know what I am. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe, during all that time travel, I left my mind behind me. Heh. I don't know. I'm twelve, I shouldn't be worrying about things like this.
'You're different. Isn't that obvious by now?'
I'm a monster, not different.
'You are what you think you are, Link-san. But you'll join us sooner or later.'
Us? Who is this "us" you keep referring to?
But the voice wouldn't answer, and Link was left just as confused as before. And just as lonely.
That night, as they were eating supper, Impa came over and sat beside the distraught boy. She seemed haggard, her hair dishevelled and her eyes tired. But she smiled for him.
"Been having a hard day?"
Link nodded, but said nothing. He really didn't want to talk to her right now. Impa had lied to him. Had lied about Mikomi.
"The princess has yet to awaken. But, we're almost to Sahasrahla's. Maybe he can help. I pray he can. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise?" Link looked at his feet, his curiosity winning over his sudden dislike of the Sheik.
"Heh. I'll feel even more useless. It's very difficult to be a fighter and have no one to fight. Invisible enemies aren't my thing."
Link nodded, his eyes wandering. They hadn't found a proper place to hide from the elements, so the open sky of Hyrule Field sparkled above him, and the rich grasslands stretched before him. Normally, the beauty would have shocked him, but now, he just gave it a passing glance. Part of him cried out about this, but the other, stronger part ignored it.
Navi fluttered by him, her glow dim and her wings droopy. Her big eyes blinked at him in a hopeful manner, and she smiled shyly. Link wanly smiled back, and Navi grinned broadly and clasped her hands to her chest.
Everyone... Everyone is so worried about me. And I'm not doing anything to help. Link shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. I can't give up like this! This isn't me!
"Impa-san?"
Impa blinked at the sudden formality, but nodded for him to continue.
"Please..." Link couldn't think of anything to say. His tongue froze in his mouth, and he couldn't bring himself to look at her. Navi fluttered before the fire, staring at him intently while also trying to watch the sleeping princess. "Please..." he shook his head, not sure of how to continue. Impa laid a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly Link collapsed against her arm and clutched her shirt. "I'm sorry! I don't mean to be a burden! Please forgive me!"
Impa bit her bottom lip, then cautiously hugged him to her. The young boy shuddered and cried into her shoulder, and Impa just hugged him, letting him vent.
"It's all right, Link. You can't be strong all the time. Take it easy; you'll always make mistakes. Everyone does. You're too hard on yourself."
"But..." Link sniffed into her shoulder. "But...I'm the Hero of Time."
"So? You're also a twelve-year-old boy. A lonely twelve-year-old boy, I should add. You can't do everything yourself. That's why the Deku Tree gave you Navi."
Navi perked up at the mention of her name. "That's right, Link-kun!" She fluttered and danced in the air, her lithe form glowing brightly. "All Kokiri have faeries because the Deku Tree knows they can't live alone. Everyone needs help sometimes."
"B-but I'm not a Kokiri..." Link rubbed his nose with his arm, then clutched to Impa again.. It was strange, but all the hatred and anger he had felt before was draining away.
"Of course you're a Kokiri, Link-kun." Link started to shake his head, but Navi continued, her small voice assertive. "Who raised you, Link-kun?"
"The Kokiri."
"And who taught you everything you know now, and helped you and were-no, are-your friends?"
Link smiled wanly. "The Kokiri."
Navi nodded and put her hands on her hips. Sometimes, the boy was impossible. "Then, you're a Kokiri. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and come over near the fire before you catch a cold. You're barely over your fever from the fire."
Link nodded and let go of Impa, then crawled over to sit closer to the fire, with Navi sitting on his hat. She giggled and played with the edge, lifting it off Link's head and then dropping it down again. Link, for his part, would pretend to try and catch her, but she'd fly to the other side of his head, and continue over there. It was a game they had developed a long time ago, when they were on the journey up the mountain to see the Gorons.
Impa sat back a ways, trying not to interfere. The faerie may be annoying at times, but Impa had to admit, she knew how to cheer the boy up. He'd been through a lot, and none of them could tell exactly what that had done to him. Even Navi couldn't have been there all the time. I wonder if I had been travelling through dungeons and being chased by monsters when I was ten, would I be in as good a mind as him? Or should I say bad? No...all in all, he's handling it better than most would have. She sighed. It's not fair, Link. We always turn to the innocent ones to help, never realising the full extent of what we're really doing.
"Impa, come on! Aren't you hungry?" When she looked, Link was standing up, waving her over. Impa saw some kind of meat being spitted over the fire. When did they set that up?
"I'm coming, just give me a second."
Link smiled and nodded, then turned around and sat back down, turning the makeshift spit. Navi was saying something to him that made him smile, then stick his tongue out at her.
Standing herself, Impa brushed the dirt off, then went over a bit to her left, where the princess was resting. She should have put her closer to the fire, but Impa was beginning to get so used to carrying the princess that she would find reasons to have to do so.
Carrying Zelda Hime back, she laid her down beside Link, inched over slightly to give the girl more room. His eyes looked sad as he watched the unresponsive girl. Impa sat down on the other side of Zelda, making sure her princess was a goodly distance from the flames that she wouldn't be hurt, but also close enough to stay warm. The only covering the young girl had was a cloak Impa had been carrying with her when she was running through the flames in the castle. They had blankets, but Impa didn't want to rummage through her pack to pull them out.
"Here, Link. Let me see that. You're not cooking it right." Impa pushed Link's hand from the spit as he blinked, realising he'd stopped spinning it when she had come over. "What is this, rabbit?"
"Uh...yes. I caught it while you were sitting back there." Link made a vague motion behind him.
"How long was I there?"
"Well, about half an hour, actually. But you looked like you were thinking hard, so I didn't disturb you.
"I had no idea I was there that long..." Impa thought out loud.
Link laughed lightly. "It's ok. Besides, you've had a lot on your mind lately. It's no wonder you lost track of time. You should try taking it easy."
Having her own advice thrown back at her was not something Impa was used to, but she let the boy get the best of her this time. Ignoring him, she went back to turning the spit.
Link grinned at her. He was trying his best to keep a light mood. Ever since their talk, he'd been feeling better. Better than he had in a while, actually. The weight he had been feeling on his shoulders seemed lighter, if not gone, and he found it easier to enjoy things.
Impa had been right. He was being too serious. But, what she didn't understand, was that he'd always been serious. It was who he was. He had this overbearing sense of responsibility.
Letting Impa cook the rabbit, Link leaned backwards till he was lying on his back. He cradled his head on his arms and watched the sky. The night was clear, and the stars shone brightly. He could pick out different constellations, all taught to him by the Kokiri. Over to his left was the Hunter. He was said to be the bravest Kokiri ever; he'd fought monsters that had invaded the Kokiri village, and had even guided some of the faeries to the Deku Tree. The sword Link had used once belonged to him.
On his right was the Faerie Tree. Five stars made up the tree: two for the trunk, and three for each respective branch. The trunk was where the faeries came from, and the three branches were the Goddesses. That was what Navi had told him, at least. She said that all faeries were born from a tree, where every hundred years or so, the Goddesses combined their powers and caused the blossoms of the tree to bloom. Every blossom was a faerie.
--"Yep, Link-kun! I was created in a great tree! I used to be a beautiful flower, but the Goddesses decided I needed to do something important, so they made me wake up."
"Made you...wake up?" The small Link sat on the edge of his bed, listening to Navi's story. It was only a day after he had talked with the Deku Tree, and had had his suspicions confirmed. He was a Hylian, not a Kokiri like he had always thought. But Navi's story was lightening his mood-just as she had hoped it would.
"Uh huh. Didn't you know? When a flower blooms, that's when it wakes up. But on the Faerie Tree, when a flower wakes up, it becomes a faerie."
Link was genuinely happy for her. "That's great, Navi. And your important duty was...?"
"To help you, Link-kun! The Deku Tree sent for me, so I came. And I'm happy about it, too. I like travelling with you, Link-kun."
"Thank you, Navi-chan. And we'll always travel together, right?"
"Right!"--
Link smiled at the memory. Navi was rambunctious at times, and hard to deal with at others, but she was a good friend.
"Link-kun, what're you looking at?"
"The stars."
"Ah." Navi flew in front of his face. Link squinted, but she dimmed her light enough so it wouldn't hurt his eyes. "Well, you looked like you had fallen asleep. And besides, Impa says the food is ready."
Link's eyes widened in delight, and he sat up so fast he hit Navi.
"Ow!" They both yelled at the same time, as Navi flew backwards and Link held his nose.
Impa laughed at them. "Next time, Link, you have to learn to be more careful.
"I will."
The young Hero didn't let this small set-back bother him, though, being as that the food smell was taking up all his time. Impa had cooked the meat perfectly, Link could tell just by the smell of it. And he thought there might be a hint of spices, too.
"Hey, Impa? Where'd you get spices from?"
"Around. There are plenty of plants and such that can be used for such purposes. Didn't you notice them?"
Link blushed sheepishly. "Actually...no. Was I supposed to?"
Impa grinned as she ripped a piece of meat for him. "No, I just thought one of the Forest Children would keep an eye out for such things."
Link gratefully took the offered food and sat on his haunches, blowing on the piece to cool it enough to eat. Navi sat on his shoulder and fluttered her wings against his ear. Link laughed and shooed her away. "Stop it, Navi-chan. I'm trying to eat. Why don't you find something else to do?"
"Hmph. Well, if you're going to be like that..." Navi grinned at him and flew off his shoulder and landed on Impa's. She received around the same response she had received from Link, if only a bit more bluntly put.
"Off my shoulder, Sprite, or your wings come off."
Link knew Impa would never go through with the threat, but the look on Navi's face was priceless. He watched through her glow as her eyes widened in disbelief and she jumped off Impa's shoulder. Impa, for her part, kept her eyes closed and chewed on her food.
"Meany." Navi stuck out her tongue when she was a safely distance away, then glided over and landed on Zelda Hime's stomach, curled up, and fell asleep.
"Cute," was all Impa would say to that.
Link grinned and continued eating.
Later, when the fire had died down a bit, Link sat before it, poking the dying embers with a scraggly excuse for a stick. Impa was a bit behind him, tending to the princess. The nights were cold on Hylian Field, and Impa was making sure the princess wouldn't come down with any form of sickness, so she was using as many blankets as she could get without putting her or Link in danger.
It had been a long journey so far, even if they hadn't gone very far yet. So many things had happened that Link had no idea how to deal with. It reminded him of when he had first awoken from his seven years slumber: everything seemed so different, and he was so disoriented.
Thinking back to that time, it was strange. Not many people had the honor of looking back into their memories and seeing themselves as adults. It was actually rather unnerving. But Link tried not to dwell on that fact too much-it gave him a headache. And, many other things had happened then that he didn't want nor need to remember.
Link closed his eyes as he sighed, and a flash of memory flew through his mind. The princess and him, stuck in the courtyard and about to fight Ganon. But...then that black nothingness. Opening his eyes with a snap, Link gasped for air and held his chest. That was no memory, but a dream. A dream that had been haunting him for quite some time, now.
But...it didn't happen that way. I know it didn't...So why did I see that? "Argh! I'm so sick of this."
Impa looked up from where she was sitting beside the princess, her head resting on her knees. She had been falling asleep, until Link's sudden announcement.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh...nothing. Um...I was just going to go for a walk. Is that all right?" Impa nodded, but before Link was too far away, she called out.
"Just don't be too long, please. There's no reason for you to get lost or sick again."
Link nodded and walked away. Sick again, huh? I keep forgetting how sick I was earlier...it seems like it never happened. So much has been going on lately.
A cricket chirped somewhere nearby, and Link smiled. He hadn't been on a walk in a long time. He missed the nighttime air and the sounds of nature. Impa had been right. Being a Forest Child, he should've noticed those plants. He wasn't paying enough attention to his surroundings.
The air smelled clear and damp, as though a storm was on the way. Link hoped not-they had a ways to go before they made it Sahasrahla's, and a storm would not make it easier. Even just a rain shower wouldn't. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Link knew he was still a little bit sick. His fever was gone, true, but he didn't feel well most of the time. However, he would never tell Impa that. She had enough to worry about.
Though, walking through the grass, with the stars above him, Link felt happy. It felt as though all the troubles were gone; he was just a child having fun, like most children his age did.
Like Saria and the others
Link sighed. He didn't want to think of them. Not because he didn't care, but because he missed them. If he thought about his home in the Kokiri Woods... No, there was no need to burden his thoughts with any more sad thoughts. Right now, he had to finish this new mission.
The air didn't feel as nice anymore, and a stronger wind was picking up. Link hugged his arms, trying to keep warm in the sudden cold. Deciding he'd been gone long enough, he turned back towards the camp. Impa would start worrying anyway, now that it had become colder.
Link didn't know what to think of the Sheik warrior. She was a powerful fighter, and he knew he didn't want to be on her opposite side, but...she was acting all motherly. Well...what Link thought of as motherly. It was rather frightening, actually. The woman he was most scared of, and she was treating him like a child. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was babying him.
"Huh, maybe it's not so bad. I mean, I've never had a mother. Maybe this is natural."
Making his way back to camp, Link kicked up dew and thought about this new idea. Either Impa was overly protective, or she had no idea how to deal with children. Maybe that's why she seemed overly protective?
Link was still pondering this when he made it into camp. Impa was still where she had been, however...
Link smiled and walked over, picking up his extra blanket in the process. Impa seemed to think he needed an extra blanket, what with him being sick and all. Laying the blanket on the sleeping Sheik's shoulders, Link sat down on Zelda Hime's other side and hugged his knees to his chest. It really was rather cold out, wasn't it?
Standing from his rather comfortable position, Link walked back over to the other side of the fire, and grabbed up his last blanket. Wrapping it around himself as he trudged back to his sleeping companions, Link rubbed his eyes and yawned. He hadn't realised he was so tired.
Sitting back down in the same spot, Link stretched out his arms and legs, then curled up beside the sleeping princess. Navi was still sleeping on Zelda's stomach, but she rolled over and curled up again. Link smiled. Even when she didn't know it, Navi always could make him smile.
A yawn suddenly overcame the young hero, and he nearly popped his jaw with it. Shaking his head to clear the little light-spots he was seeing, Link snuggled into his blanket and curled up, trying to keep himself as warm as possible.
As he was just about to fall asleep, Link thought he heard someone walk up behind him and pull the blanket up more around his shoulders. The last thing he remembered were gentle hands pushing his bangs out of his face and a voice telling him "Goodnight."
Mikomi sat down as soon as she knew Link was asleep. She knew it was wrong to be there, but she was finding it difficult not to spend time with him. Even though it was forbidden.
"I've wanted to do that for a while now. I remember I used to think of what he'd be like when he grew up, and how I'd always treat him like a little boy. I guess I do, now don't I?"
She leaned back, supporting her weight on her arms. Looking up at the sky, she smiled sadly.
"Aylen, are you up there? Waiting for me?" No answer came, however. Mikomi sighed and sat up. The wind was chilly, this night.
Rubbing her hands together, the young woman blinked. They felt real, and when she reached out and grabbed a strand of grass, she could feel texture. The wind made her skin prick. Yet...she wasn't real.
I feel real...it's hard to believe I'm not really here. I'm only some apparition, some form of strange entity. In a very true sense of the word, I'm only a make-believe person. Like an imaginary friend.
The wind clawed at her, sending chills down her spine. Her red hair flew in the wind, and she squinted her eyes against it. This was nothing natural.
Standing up suddenly, a sense of extreme fear gripping her heart, Mikomi stood before her son.
"Who are you? Come out! Show yourself!"
A child's laugh came through the howl of the wind. Looking to find the source, Mikomi noticed that neither her son nor the others were affected at all by this wind. In fact, they were obliviously sleeping while she was in a panic of fear.
"What...?"
The child's laugh became louder, forcing Mikomi to look straight ahead. Her eyes widened in shock and she nearly fell backwards.
Link stood before her, his tunic whipping around in the wind, his bangs in disarray. He smiled innocently, and then laughed. That same laugh she had been hearing in the wind.
"Who...who are you?"
The young boy-she refused to believe, or even think of it, as Link-smiled again, then walked closer to her. Mikomi wanted to back away, but forced herself to stand where she was. The creature just giggled at her and walked even closer.
Mikomi stood her ground as the child-creature-reached her. It reached out a hand and touched her skirt, but Mikomi ripped the fabric from its grasp. For some reason, the creature looked hurt.
"What are you?!" Mikomi continued to question the thing before her, but just as before, it only grinned and ignored her questions. It peered around her, and noticed the three sleeping Hylians. Grinning like a fool, it rushed around Mikomi before she could stop it, and ran up to the sleeping Link.
Kneeling down, the copy ran a hand along Link's cheek, then looked up to Mikomi. It pointed at her son, then at itself. "Me."
Mikomi wanted to smack the creature. How dare it say such a thing! However...when she looked at it, that thought left her mind. The copy Link was staring at the true Link, its eyes wide and full of wonder. Mikomi almost smiled, until the double pulled out a knife.
"Not me." It pointed at Link, and Mikomi lunged for it just as the knife came down.
The copy Link stared in wonder as the knife fell to the ground, deflected by Mikomi's swift hand. She then turned the momentum from that swing into a backhanded slap, and the creature went sprawling across the ground. As it hit, it's eyes opened extremely wide, then its back arched, as though in pain, and the creature disappeared before Mikomi could move.
Gasping from her shot nerves, Mikomi just stood where she was and stared at the space that had once been occupied by that creature.
"What...what was that thing?"
Shaking and more than a little upset, Mikomi sat down beside her sleeping son. Not once, throughout the whole ordeal, had Link or any of the others moved. Not even Navi, who had a sixth sense to supernatural beings, had noticed.
As the wind calmed down and the air warmed up, Mikomi sat there, staring up at the sky, wondering what exactly it was that she had been sent back for.
"Oh, Aylen. I'm so confused. And I'm so tired...I just want to sleep..."
But sleep didn't come for her, and a few hours before dawn, she crept away from the camp, trusting the Goddesses to watch over the sleeping children she was leaving behind.
Impa woke shortly after dawn. It was strange, she couldn't remember falling asleep. Nor could she remember Link returning to camp. Suddenly overcome with fear that the boy may not have made it back, Impa stood and surveyed all around her. Looking to where the boy's blankets had been before, she found nothing. Refusing to believe she was panicking, Impa took a step forward and nearly tripped.
Looking down, she noticed a blanket wrapped around her legs. It must have fallen off as I woke up...wait a minute. Picking up the offending cloth, she noticed it was one of the one's she had "assigned" to the boy. "Then where is he?"
The sound of high-pitched screeching made her turn around. Navi was awake. And she was yelling at a sleeping Link. Impa sighed in relief, then blinked. She seemed to be acting weirdly, but she shrugged it off as being tired. Since when did she worry so about any child, other than the princess, that is.
"What's your problem, Sprite?"
Navi ignored her and continued her yelling. Annoyed by all the noise so early in the morning, Impa went over closer to investigate, then burst out laughing.
Navi finally noticed her, then flew up into the laughing Sheik's face, her cheeks puffed up in anger. "What's so funny?" Impa pointed at Link. Navi's eyes narrowed and she made a sound in her throat. "That's not funny! Help me!"
"There's nothing wrong. You're overreacting."
Navi's eyes widened in horror at the suggestion, but when she went to fly down and fix whatever was the problem, Impa grabbed her and wouldn't let go.
Apparently, the problem Navi was having was how Link was sleeping. He was curled up on his left side, facing the princess. In fact, his face was dangerously close to hers (from Navi's point of view), and his right hand was laying gently on Zelda's arm. When Impa had woken up, Navi had been in the process of trying to dislodge Link's hand from that offending place.
"They're only children, Sprite. It's not like anything is wrong." However, Impa was beginning to get second thoughts on that way of thinking. She had no idea how to deal with children, and wasn't Link approaching that age...? "On second thought, Sprite, wake him up." The slight smile on Link's face had her worried.
Navi made the noise in her throat again, then flew down and landed on Link's arm. Grabbing one of Link's fingers in her hands, she began to (try to) pull his hand up. However, she was getting as far as before, which is to say nowhere. Extremely angry at this point in time, Navi decided the best thing she could do was rant. Crawling up to Link's ear, she took a big breath and screeched.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Link slept on, oblivious to her anger.
"Woah," Impa said from the fire, where she was trying to stoke up the dying embers, "he's a good sleeper."
Navi had tears in her eyes, she was so angry. Her Link-kun shouldn't be sleeping so close to a girl-any girl. It was immoral! Even if he hadn't meant it! She puffed up her cheeks and took an even bigger breath, her tiny voice reaching nearly inaudible notes.
"AHH!!! LINK-KUN WAKE UP!!"
Said boy's eyes flew open as pain shot through his ears. Rolling over onto his back and clasping his hands over his ears so fast Navi barely had time to move out of the way, Link yelled out in pain.
"AHH!! That hurt, you know!"
"It was supposed to!"
"What'd I do?!?"
Link and Navi sat there, staring at each other; Navi's cheeks puffed out in anger, and Link's face in a snarl. Impa sighed and turned her face towards them. She had begun boiling some water in a makeshift pot made of stone, and had some herbs in her hands.
"Are you two always this loud, or is today just special?"
Both combatants blushed a bright red, and muttered hasty apologies. Glad that was over with, Impa returned to her fledgling fire, which was beginning to die beneath the stone pot..
Link gave Navi a dirty look, and she stuck her tongue out at him in return. Hmph-ing loudly, Link stretched out his arms, nearly smacking Navi on purpose. He then stood, brushed himself off, and stretched out his legs. They were cramped due to the fact that he had slept in a curled position the entire night.
Yawning again, Link rubbed the dust from his eyes and grabbed his blanket. Scrubbing his face as clean as he could get it, the boy shivered a little. The air was cool, but luckily the grass was rather dry. For some reason, though, the cool air made him think of the night before.
Was it that lady? Mikomi? I'm sure I heard something. Link squeezed his eyes shut. It hurt, a little, that he thought of the lady only as Mikomi. Especially considering who she really was. No...I don't know that for sure. Until I know...that's all she is.
Link sighed. Zelda was sleeping peacefully, as usual. "I hope we get to Sahasrahla's soon." He smiled slightly at the sleeping girl. She was so pretty.
That thought made the Kokiri child frown. He was still at the age where girls were somewhat of a taboo to him, but also at the age where they started to intrigue him. Blinking quickly so he wouldn't be caught staring, Link coughed lightly into his fist, then turned away from the girl.
As he turned, a memory surfaced from deep in his mind, where he thought he had buried it. He saw himself, leering over an unconscious Zelda, her blouse ripped open, and his hands...
No! I don't want to remember this! The dream had haunted him for a while, now, but always, always, he had blocked it. Had tried to forget. He feared sleep, now, afraid that he would have dreams-have visions-of even worse things. What could be worse than that...?
He shook his head, trying to clear it of the awful vision. He hadn't lied when he told Impa that he would never do anything like that. So...why would something like that happen? Even if it was only in a dream?
Of course, what followed that horrific scene scared him even more, and he prayed he would never have to see that happen. Zelda's eyes still haunted him; those dull, lifeless eyes that had seemed to accuse him.
Squeezing his eyes shut to banish the visions, Link walked away from the princess and sat beside Impa.
"Impa, do you think Sahasrahla can help us? Can help Zelda Hime?"
Impa arched an eyebrow at his lax in formality. Link noticed, but said nothing. "Well, as far as I know..."
"We don't know." Link leaned back and sighed. He had been doing that a lot lately: sighing. He wasn't so sure if it was a good thing or not. "Hey, Impa? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go for it." Impa wasn't really paying attention, her mind more focused on cooking the breakfast than anything.
"What are dreams?"
Impa blinked and paused. When she didn't answer right away, but went back to cooking, Link figured she wasn't going to answer him. She surprised him, however. "I'm not sure. What do you mean?"
"Um...are they just make-believe images, or something else? Like...if you're worried about something a lot, and then you dream about it. Is that because you were thinking of it? But then...sometimes you dream of things you've never thought of or known."
Impa nodded. "And...?"
Link felt foolish, talking about this with Impa, but he continued. "Well...do you think that those dreams are a message? Like...someone is trying to tell you something?"
The Sheik kept cooking, but Link could tell she was mulling his question over in her head. Finally, she answered. "I think they are what you want them to be." She noticed his blank expression out of the corner of her eye. "Let me explain. If you think of something and dream of it, maybe you're telling yourself that you need to stop thinking about it. Or...maybe there's something about it that you can't see, but your subconscious can. And it's trying to tell you. Do you understand?"
Link shook his head. "Not really. I didn't understand everything, but I will think about it." He paused. "But...what about the other kinds of dreams?"
"Those may be visions. Or fears."
"Fears?" Link remembered the voice-Mikomi's voice-in his dream, telling him all it was was an unspoken fear.
"Yes. Maybe, deep down, you're afraid of something. Even you might not know of it, but it's there. So...when you dream, that fear is let loose, and manifests itself in any form it can find, by taking images from memory."
"And...if you've never seen the place or person?"
Impa thought about this. "Maybe you'd heard of it before, or maybe you're right, and someone is trying to tell you something. I'm sorry, Link, but I just don't know." She smiled as the smell wafting from the food reached her nose. "Now, go and get that faerie of yours. Breakfast is ready."
Link nodded his head in an abrupt gesture, and stood. He wobbled a bit, but smiled shyly when he caught his balance. Impa shook her head. Boys.
Link felt a bit better as he walked over to where Navi was, probably still angry about their fight. He smiled as he walked up though, and then knelt down beside her. She refused to look at him.
"Navi-chan, Impa says the food is ready. Aren't you hungry?"
She still refused to look at him. "No."
Link sat down, and curled his legs, then leaned his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his palms. "Well, then, I'll sit here with you until you are."
Navi whipped her head around, her eyes wide, and stared into the face of the smiling Link. His eyes were shut and he had a grin on his face. He was a very cute child. She was happy he was her charge: she decided then that she'd take Saria's place as the big sister, instead of just watch over him.
"Well, Link-kun, I'm sure I could eat something. You should eat some more, anyways." She flew up but poked him in the belly first, making his eyes pop open. Giggling, she left him behind and flew over to Impa.
Grunting as he stood (Navi had more power than she knew) Link rubbed his empty tummy and followed his friend.
Before he had the chance to sit, the women shooed him away, saying they had other things to talk about that he didn't need to be there for. However, before he was completely kicked away, Impa handed him a bowl of the soup stuff she had made, and told him to feed Zelda.
"It's not that hard. Don't worry. Just put the bowl to her lips, I'm sure she'll take it from there."
Link didn't know about that, but listened to Impa anyway. She knew more than he did, in any case.
Sitting down beside the princess, Link set the bowl beside him and made himself comfortable. Picking up his own bowl, he was about to drink/eat first, but then thought better of it. Saria would be mad if I ate first. She always told me I needed better manners...
Setting his bowl down, Link picked up the princess', then inched closer to her. He had seen Impa feed the inert girl before, so he had some idea of what to do.
Lifting Zelda Hime's head and cradling her neck, Link leaned in closer to her, so he could half hold her with his body, so his arm wouldn't become tired fast. Blushing slightly, he placed the bowl to her pale lips with his other hand.
"Here, Zelda Hime, you have to drink this." Slowly, so as not to drown her, he tipped the bowl and let the warm liquid touch her lips. They parted slightly, and Link blinked in surprise as the princess drank of her own accord.
Every few seconds he would pull the bowl away, letting her swallow. His left arm was beginning to throb, but he ignored it. His wound was healing well, so he didn't think anything of it.
Letting his thoughts wander, Link thought back to how he had gotten the wound in the first place. The room had been silent for the second before he'd passed out, but had it been? He tried to think back to then. Obviously, someone had set the castle on fire after both him and the princess had passed out. Maybe the magic that had felled him was also the same that had begun the flames?
Zelda coughed and brought him back. Making a scared noise in his throat, Link pulled the bowl away as Zelda coughed and spluttered, having difficulty breathing. Setting aside the bowl, Link lifted her up higher, and tilted her head away from them, so she could cough up the excess soup. The boy squeezed his eyes shut, berating himself for not paying enough attention. He only hoped Impa hadn't noticed...
When Zelda was done coughing and seemed to be better, Link scooted back some so he could lie her down again. He didn't trust himself to feed her anymore.
The Kokiri-boy was about to get up and summon Impa, but Zelda had somehow managed to wrap her fists around the bottom of his tunic, and wouldn't let go. Puzzled, Link sat back down and picked her up again.
"You want me to stay, Zelda Hime?" There was no response but Link hadn't been expecting one. Smiling slightly, the boy nodded. "All right then. But I'm going to eat now, is that all right with you?"
Link reached for his bowl, trying not to move the princess. He managed to grab the edge, and was lucky when he only spilled a little while trying to drag it back towards him. When he found a good hold, he picked the bowl up and drank some. It had already cooled considerably, but that didn't bother him. The herbs Impa had mixed in made it taste sweet, and Link liked it.
Taking his time in drinking it, Link sat, with Zelda leaning against him. He was constantly blushing, but didn't want to move the princess, either. He didn't know he had an audience, though.
Navi clenched her fists and was bright red, her cheeks puffed out. Impa was holding her wings. They had been watching the boy the entire time.
"How can you stand here and watch this?!" Navi tried to bite the Sheik's hand in her rage.
"I see nothing wrong, Faerie. Besides, it's rather cute."
"It is not!"
Impa shrugged. "Nothing's going to happen, why are you so worried? He's twelve."
"SO?"
"Twelve-year-old boys are not a danger to eleven-year-old girls!"
Navi hmphed and folded her arms across her chest. "Well, MY Link-kun has good manners. So I guess I could trust him THIS one time."
Impa rolled her eyes.
Link yawned a little as he finished his soup. "I wonder what Navi-chan and Impa are talking about? I hope they're not fighting..." He rubbed his eyes as he set the bowl down beside him. He was rather tired, even though he had slept well last night. However, he wasn't going to let a little tiredness get in his way, but at the same time he also realised that he didn't feel like moving. So he sat there, with his legs under him and Zelda leaning against him, and stared out at Hyrule Field.
"See? Nothing to worry about," Impa said as she started to walk towards the children. Navi ignored her comment and flew ahead.
"Link-kun!" She flew onto his hat and tugged his bangs, making Link's eyes fly open. Impa arrived at the same time and picked up the princess, cradling her in her arms.
"It's time to go, Link. We still have a ways to go yet."
Link nodded and stood, brushing the dirt off his bottom as he did. Navi stayed put in his hair.
"Hey, Impa. Do you know where Sahasrahla lives?"
"Not a clue."
Navi narrowed her eyes. "Then how do you know we still have a ways to go?"
Impa ignored the faerie and started walking. Navi's face turned red, but Link reached up and grabbed her.
"It's ok, Navi-chan. I'm sure she knows what she's doing. You have to trust people sometimes." Navi stared at him, but her wings gradually began to slow their rapid beating, and her face cooled.
"I will. But only because you do."
Link smiled shyly. "You can form your own opinions, Navi-chan."
"And I do. But you have a good judge of character, so if you trust someone, I think it's a good bet to trust them too."
Link blushed, but Navi didn't say anything else. Replacing herself on his head, Navi settled down and fell asleep while Link followed closely behind the larger Hylian.
They travelled all day, only stopping for food and the occasional rest break. Link took turns at carrying Zelda Hime, and was surprised by how light she was.
"She's lost weight. I'm worried about her," was all Impa would input when he asked if the princess had always been so weightless.
Even so, Link enjoyed helping take care of the princess. He had never had to take care of another person before. Even the Kokiri had never gotten sick. Although, there was that one time when he was eight and had been stung by a deku scrub, and had become feverish. But that had been all the Kokiri watching over him, not the other way around. So, Link was enjoying helping someone else in a way that didn't involve fighting.
In fact, he really didn't enjoy fighting all that much. Even if he was the Hero of Time, he'd rather be home and playing with his friends than destroying monsters.
"Hey, Impa, I'm getting kinda tired..." Link had been carrying the princess since mid afternoon, and it was a good three hours later. Even if he did hate to fight, he had to admit that it helped make him a lot stronger.
The tall Sheik stopped and walked back to where he was. Navi was perched on her shoulder, where they had been conversing for the last hour. Link had a feeling it had been about him, since they had gone so far ahead.
Gently picking the princess from his tired arms, Impa cradled the girl to her chest and started walking forward again. Link trudged along behind, extremely tired but refusing to admit it.
All day long it had been like this. Link would carry the princess for a few hours, then get tired, and Impa would carry her for what seemed half the day. The only reason Impa let him help carry her was because Link hadn't stopped begging to help since they left that morning. So, once his arms felt better (especially his left arm) Link would carry the small princess again, until he couldn't hold her anymore.
So they walked, until the sun was ready to set, and Impa made them stop to camp. Setting the frail princess down, Impa sat herself, and began rummaging through the packs, trying to find something to eat in their rapidly diminishing supplies. Link started up a fire, with Navi helping to haul some twigs and extra wood they had found over to the fire.
"Thanks, Navi-chan. You can go and rest now. I can finish this."
The pixie nodded and fluttered up to sleep on Link's hat, curling up in a fetal position and wrapping her wings around her. She never even said goodnight; just passed out then and there. Link smiled warmly.
"She's very carefree, you realise this?" Impa asked from her place beside the princess, cutting up the end of a loaf of bread. Their supplies were short, and Link feared they would run out before they ever found this Sahasrahla they were supposed to find. "That's why she's good for you."
"Huh?"
Impa shifted her sitting position and reached out, handing Link a piece of the bread. "Eat this, and then get some sleep. And if your arm hurts, let me know. We don't want infection." Link took the offered food, and settled down with the blanket Impa tossed at him. "Like I said, you need her outlook with you," the Sheik picked up her previous conversation. "You're too serious, and too melancholy. You need to cheer up; to live a little more. It's hard, I know, but you have to keep going." She smiled at him, and watched as he finished his bread. When the last crumb was gone, she stood and walked over to him, only to kneel once there and tuck him in. Link blinked. "You're still only a boy, and you must remember that."
Link nodded and closed his eyes, only to instantly fall into a deep sleep.
The next morning dawned bright and clear, and the birds sang of love and warm winds. Link yawned as he stretched out his arms, only to flinch when the muscles around his left elbow pulled tight. The wound had nearly healed over, but the skin was still tender, and the muscles more so. He would need to take care of himself, if he was ever to keep his vow to help the princess and Hyrule.
The travel this day was easier than before, though. Either Link was stronger, or there was something happening that made the day seem to pass easier. He was actually happy, for a change. He even began whistling as he kicked a rock out from under him.
Around midmorning the terrain began to change. Fields of wheat gave way to gardens of rock, and the travel became slower. Wind howled and screeched at them, and a headache had developed behind Link's right eye. They took shelter in a crevice to wait out the howl of the wind and to take a long needed rest.
Setting the princess down, Link rubbed his forehead, his skin hot to the touch.
"Is something wrong, Link?"
The boy shook his head. "No, Impa, it's nothing. The wind just gave me a headache, is all. Don't worry, it'll go away shortly. I'm fine, really." The females looked at him, skeptical. Link held his hands out before him, his face flushed. "Really! I'm fine! You two worry too much!"
Navi shook her head. "Only because you strain yourself too much, Link-kun. We have every right to worry about you."
Link blushed a little and laughed. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide as a screech reverberated through his mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the pain without holding his head. He didn't want them to worry about him!
Navi blinked at his sudden silence. "Link-kun?"
He managed a weak smile. "It's nothing, Navi-chan. The headache just kind of...crescendoed, or something. It's ok now. I'm fine, I promise." He noticed her lack of faith. "I mean it, I'm fine! You can please stop worrying about me!" He turned his back to her and sank to his knees, then to his stomach, resting his head on his arms. Lying there beside the princess, her tried to ignore the noise in his skull, and the eyes he knew were watching him in worry.
The storm didn't let up for hours, so finally Impa decided that they would stay there. She hated to, since they only had a days rations left, but with barely any light and high winds, it would be sure death to traverse the hills now.
Link slept fitfully, if at all. His dreams were tormented with shadowed figures and red eyes, and strangely, of Mikomi, as well.
'She is our enemy, Link-san. Remember this.'
Link turned to face the familiar voice. The voice he hadn't heard in over a week, now.
"What do you want with me now?"
Mikomi appeared before him, filling the dark void in his mind. Although he couldn't see it, Link knew the voice was beside her.
'This woman, Link-san. She wishes to impede our progress. She wishes to make us weak, and, most of all, she wishes for our death.'
"No! She can't!" The voice laughed mockingly, and Link looked away, his eyes downcast. "How can she...when she's my mother?"
'She is a demon, Link-san. She wants your soul; to feed upon it, to destroy that which makes you you.'
"No! I don't believe you!" Link turned from the vision before him, only to confront it behind himself as well. "Leave me alone! I don't believe you!"
'Link-san, surely-'
"You're the demon! You're the one who lies! Mikomi...Mikomi saved me! She isn't a demon!" His eyes blazed brightly with his anger. "LEAVE US ALONE!"
The vision shattered as a white light enveloped Link, and Zelda appeared before him, floating. Her long hair moved around her like water, and her dress floated in the light breeze that surrounded her. She smiled at him, her eyes filled with warmth and tenderness.
"I'm so sorry, Link, to burden you with this."
Link shook his head vehemently. "No! You haven't burdened me with anything! It's no burden to watch over you..." His voice trailed off into silence, and sadness crept into the princess' eyes.
"You're hurt, because of this. I can see it...can feel it in your very spirit." She floated closer, and Link noticed tears in her eyes as she cupped his face in her hands. "Don't worry, Link. It's almost over now. Soon, the pain, everything...soon it will be over." Link reached out to touch her face, but she evaporated before he could lift his hands. She appeared father away, her face sad and in pain.
"Zelda Hime!"
She smiled painfully. "So, some of your formality is gone now. That's nice to know." She gasped, and clutched at her stomach. Link moved to help, but she raised a hand before her, warding him off. "I'll be fine. But you need to wake up, Link. I can't stay here forever. I'm...I'm so tired, Link." Tears ran freely down her cheeks now. "Please, Link, hurry! Hurry! I can't stay much longer...I'm so tired, so weak...please, hurry to Sahasrahla's! Before I..."
Her voice trailed off as she faded from his view, and Link rushed toward her, only to wake shivering, covered in a cold sweat. Beside him, Zelda Hime was sweating as well, her face contorted in pain. Link reached out a hand and touched her cheek; it was clammy and cold to the touch. His eyes widened.
"Impa! Impa! Wake up, it's the princess!" Impa was beside him in a moment. She felt the girl's face, then her pulse. Link watched on, helpless, his eyes wide and scared. Navi sat beside him, digging her hands into the dirt, biting her lower lip.
Finally, after what seemed forever, Impa sat back, closing her eyes in relief. "She's alright. Thank the Goddesses, she's all right."
"What did you do to help her, Impa?" Navi's quiet voice pierced the silence like a knife, startling the two larger beings.
Impa shook her head. "Nothing. I have no herbs, and if I did, I wouldn't know which ones to use. She just...healed."
Link closed his eyes in relief. The guilt that had plagued him was slowly dispersing. If she hadn't used so much energy just to talk to him...
A whisper sounded in his ear.
"Huh?"
Navi and Impa looked over to him. "Is something wrong, Link?"
Link shook his head. "No. Did one of you say something to me?"
"No, Link-kun." Navi bit her tongue before she finished with "you must be hearing things."
"Oh..." Link turned away, but again the whisper sounded in his ear. It was loud enough for him to hear it, but not loud enough for him to make out the words. He was suddenly very angry. Turning, he snapped at them both. "Now, I know one of you said something!"
"We didn't say anything, Link-kun!"
"Then who did?!"
Impa placed her hands lightly on his shoulders. Link tensed, but did nothing to move her hands. "Link, I think you need to sleep. Here," she pushed him down so he was lying down, then covered him in a blanket, "just sleep until morning. You're tired and you're injured; don't make it worse on yourself, please."
Link frowned, but said nothing. He already knew what they were thinking.
"I'm not hearing things..." He said under his breath.
"Did you say something, Link-kun?"
"No," he replied a bit curtly, and flinched. Moderating his tone, he shook his head. "No, Navi-chan. I didn't say anything at all."
She said nothing, so Link tried to sleep instead of continuing the discussion. And still the voice whispered on.
The next day was filled with noise for Link. By noon, they had nearly reached the bottom of the rocky slope. Link carried Zelda in his arms, confused and disoriented, but refusing to show the fact. Impa was ahead, searching for safe passage. Link barely noticed her there. All he could concentrate on was the noise in his head.
The night before, all it had been was a whisper. Now, he could clearly hear the words, no matter how hard he tried to block them from his mind.
'Link-san, where are you going? You should be here, with us...'
Shut up! I don't care about you! You're my enemy! You have to be...
'You don't sound so sure, Link-san.'
...
The voice barked a laugh, and went silent. However, Link could still hear a buzzing in his ears that told him it was still there.
Suddenly, Impa released a whoop of exultation. Motioning for Link to hurry towards her, Impa waited for the boy. When he finally reached her, Impa pointed towards a small hut, secluded in a valley. No one else inhabited the land.
"Impa...where...?"
Impa beamed down at him, then lightly traced her fingers along Zelda's cheek, moving some loose strands of hair back into place. "We're finally here, Hime. Finally here..."
Link sagged, his weariness from the long journey finally catching up to him. "Sahasrahla...finally, we made it... It took so long, but..."
Impa nodded, then hardened her gaze. "Link, I want you to wait here. I want to find the safest path. Please watch the princess, and wait for my return."
She started down the incline before he could open his mouth to respond. He didn't want to wait for her. He didn't want to be alone, not with the princess.
'Link-san, is something the matter?'
"Shut up." He realised too late that he spoke out loud, and Navi gave him a strange look, but said nothing. Link blushed. I'm not listening to you, not anymore.
'Then why do you find it difficult to sit here, beside this princess you promised to protect with your life? Is something wrong?' Images of his dreams flashed in Link's mind, and that dry, emotionless voice only cooed. 'Are you sure everything is alright?'
Link ignored the voice, but shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't stop remembering all those dreams that had plagued him since the journey had begun. No, he corrected himself, since before this journey. Since I returned home...home...do I even have one anymore?
He shook his head again to shake the doubts and melancholy. He wouldn't succumb to any dark thoughts, not now. He couldn't afford self-pity.
"Ne ne! Link-kun! Impa is at the bottom! I think it's ok to follow after her now. Let's go!"
Link nodded, and silently thanked his faerie spirit for not mentioning his lapse, and talking out loud. He hated worrying her.
The trek down the slope went well, until Link was nearly to the bottom. His vision blurred and went white, and he tripped, rolling the rest of the way down the rocky incline. He thought he heard Navi scream his name, but the noise of falling rocks and wind blurred her out.
He landed with a sharp thud, and Zelda flew from his arms, to lie motionless beside him. Link groaned and tried to sit, but his head felt heavy, and his skin felt as though it was on fire. Falling back, he nearly hit his head on a large rock. Nearby, someone was laughing. Even with his sight impaired and his hearing dulled, he recognised that voice.
'Are you sure you're ok, Link-san? Are you sure you don't need any help?'
Link blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to disperse the white light he saw, and bring back proper vision. Rolling over onto his side, he was facing Zelda Hime and the small hut Impa had been hurrying to. He could dimly make out two figures hurrying towards him.
'Ah, Link-san. Are you sure you should move? Will you accept our help now?'
Link swatted at the invisible creature, shaking his head no. He would accept no help from such a creature. Crawling slowly, every muscle bruised and his left arm ripped through with pain, Link made his way to the princess, and forced himself onto his knees. Swaying slightly, vision blurry and head ringing, the young Hero reached out and steadied himself with a hand on the ground. Slowly, oh so slowly, he forced his legs to move, bending his knees to stand, and reached for the princess when he was balanced between standing and kneeling. Lifting Zelda up within his arms as he raised himself, Link took a shaky step forward, and then another.
I...I will make sure she's safe. Zelda...I'll make sure you're safe. As those thoughts streaked through his mind, Link painfully, slowly made his way towards the two dim figures rushing towards him. He thought he recognised Impa as one of them...but who was that other one? A man? Sahasrahla? he thought.
"Link!"
He blinked when he heard his name. He hadn't realised how close Impa really was to him. Smiling slightly, he swayed and held his princess closer.
"I said I'd protect her, Impa. I meant it. Zelda...I won't let anything else hurt her...not anymore..."
Finally, strained beyond his endurance, Impa watched as the child Hero fell to the ground, oblivious to everything around him.
LINK NO MIKO'S LITTLE CORNER OF TALKINGNESS
Well now...long chapter, ne? But I like long chapters, and I've been meaning to have a long chapter for a while now. Anywho, I'll make this short, just cause the length of this was so...um, long, I guess. (I'm so articulate...)
This chapter has been in the makings since...a very long time ago. Fixing the format, I commented to myself many a time "Wow, I wrote that a long time ago...". Anywho, chapter seven will more than likely be a while, sorry. *sigh* I wish I didn't get writer's block every five minutes, I really do. But, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and hope I didn't lose anyone along the way.
So, how many of you are confused yet? ^-^x And I got a new email addy, should anyone wish to comment or something. Just write to white_winged_sorrow@hotmail.com, and I shall talketh to you. More of my love of X showing...
Ja.
Link didn't speak much after that. He couldn't bring himself to.
The days passed monotonously. Impa still lead the way, and Navi still fought with the Sheik warrior, tooth and nail. At a different time, Link would have enjoyed the show he knew Navi was performing, but now, it just annoyed him. He didn't want to enjoy anything.
Especially since he was the cause of all the bad things that were happening.
He knew this had to be true. Why else would all these things be happening, or he be seeing them? His dreams had to be visions. Why else...why else would Zelda Hime be unconscious?
It was lousy logic, Link knew, but...he felt that someone needed to be blamed. And he felt he was the best candidate.
"Link-kun?"
Navi's high-pitched voice drifted through Link's foggy mind. "Eh?"
"Link-kun, you've barely said anything all day. Are you feeling well?"
Impa looked back at them, but said nothing. Right then, Link was glad of it. He didn't feel like talking with her just then, anyway.
"I'm just tired, Navi-chan. That's all."
Navi nodded, but was still worried. She knew Link was lying. He couldn't be tired, since it was only noon. But...why would he lie to her? She worried about him. Could his fever have come back?
Link, for his part, ignored her. He found her constant worry and cheerfulness annoying.
That thought nearly stopped him short.
Navi-chan is my friend. Why...why would I think that? She's only trying to cheer me up.
'You don't want to be cheered up, that's why.'
Link stumbled on a half-hidden rock, but recovered quickly. Hyrule Field stretched on before them, no end in sight, with the sun high overhead. Navi flew closer, but he shook his head, indicating he was all right.
"I tripped, that's all. The sun must have gotten in my eyes. Nothing to worry about."
Navi gulped and smiled. Link found he was beginning to hate that smile.
No, NO! She's my friend. What's wrong with me?
'Nothing is wrong with you, Link-san. You're just growing up.'
No! This isn't growing up. I'm becoming a monster.
'Only if that's how you view it. "Truth is in the eye of the beholder", remember.'
Link squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the voice go away. Only crazy people hear voices.
'I thought that's what you were, Link-san.'
I'm...I don't know what I am. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe, during all that time travel, I left my mind behind me. Heh. I don't know. I'm twelve, I shouldn't be worrying about things like this.
'You're different. Isn't that obvious by now?'
I'm a monster, not different.
'You are what you think you are, Link-san. But you'll join us sooner or later.'
Us? Who is this "us" you keep referring to?
But the voice wouldn't answer, and Link was left just as confused as before. And just as lonely.
That night, as they were eating supper, Impa came over and sat beside the distraught boy. She seemed haggard, her hair dishevelled and her eyes tired. But she smiled for him.
"Been having a hard day?"
Link nodded, but said nothing. He really didn't want to talk to her right now. Impa had lied to him. Had lied about Mikomi.
"The princess has yet to awaken. But, we're almost to Sahasrahla's. Maybe he can help. I pray he can. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise?" Link looked at his feet, his curiosity winning over his sudden dislike of the Sheik.
"Heh. I'll feel even more useless. It's very difficult to be a fighter and have no one to fight. Invisible enemies aren't my thing."
Link nodded, his eyes wandering. They hadn't found a proper place to hide from the elements, so the open sky of Hyrule Field sparkled above him, and the rich grasslands stretched before him. Normally, the beauty would have shocked him, but now, he just gave it a passing glance. Part of him cried out about this, but the other, stronger part ignored it.
Navi fluttered by him, her glow dim and her wings droopy. Her big eyes blinked at him in a hopeful manner, and she smiled shyly. Link wanly smiled back, and Navi grinned broadly and clasped her hands to her chest.
Everyone... Everyone is so worried about me. And I'm not doing anything to help. Link shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. I can't give up like this! This isn't me!
"Impa-san?"
Impa blinked at the sudden formality, but nodded for him to continue.
"Please..." Link couldn't think of anything to say. His tongue froze in his mouth, and he couldn't bring himself to look at her. Navi fluttered before the fire, staring at him intently while also trying to watch the sleeping princess. "Please..." he shook his head, not sure of how to continue. Impa laid a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly Link collapsed against her arm and clutched her shirt. "I'm sorry! I don't mean to be a burden! Please forgive me!"
Impa bit her bottom lip, then cautiously hugged him to her. The young boy shuddered and cried into her shoulder, and Impa just hugged him, letting him vent.
"It's all right, Link. You can't be strong all the time. Take it easy; you'll always make mistakes. Everyone does. You're too hard on yourself."
"But..." Link sniffed into her shoulder. "But...I'm the Hero of Time."
"So? You're also a twelve-year-old boy. A lonely twelve-year-old boy, I should add. You can't do everything yourself. That's why the Deku Tree gave you Navi."
Navi perked up at the mention of her name. "That's right, Link-kun!" She fluttered and danced in the air, her lithe form glowing brightly. "All Kokiri have faeries because the Deku Tree knows they can't live alone. Everyone needs help sometimes."
"B-but I'm not a Kokiri..." Link rubbed his nose with his arm, then clutched to Impa again.. It was strange, but all the hatred and anger he had felt before was draining away.
"Of course you're a Kokiri, Link-kun." Link started to shake his head, but Navi continued, her small voice assertive. "Who raised you, Link-kun?"
"The Kokiri."
"And who taught you everything you know now, and helped you and were-no, are-your friends?"
Link smiled wanly. "The Kokiri."
Navi nodded and put her hands on her hips. Sometimes, the boy was impossible. "Then, you're a Kokiri. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and come over near the fire before you catch a cold. You're barely over your fever from the fire."
Link nodded and let go of Impa, then crawled over to sit closer to the fire, with Navi sitting on his hat. She giggled and played with the edge, lifting it off Link's head and then dropping it down again. Link, for his part, would pretend to try and catch her, but she'd fly to the other side of his head, and continue over there. It was a game they had developed a long time ago, when they were on the journey up the mountain to see the Gorons.
Impa sat back a ways, trying not to interfere. The faerie may be annoying at times, but Impa had to admit, she knew how to cheer the boy up. He'd been through a lot, and none of them could tell exactly what that had done to him. Even Navi couldn't have been there all the time. I wonder if I had been travelling through dungeons and being chased by monsters when I was ten, would I be in as good a mind as him? Or should I say bad? No...all in all, he's handling it better than most would have. She sighed. It's not fair, Link. We always turn to the innocent ones to help, never realising the full extent of what we're really doing.
"Impa, come on! Aren't you hungry?" When she looked, Link was standing up, waving her over. Impa saw some kind of meat being spitted over the fire. When did they set that up?
"I'm coming, just give me a second."
Link smiled and nodded, then turned around and sat back down, turning the makeshift spit. Navi was saying something to him that made him smile, then stick his tongue out at her.
Standing herself, Impa brushed the dirt off, then went over a bit to her left, where the princess was resting. She should have put her closer to the fire, but Impa was beginning to get so used to carrying the princess that she would find reasons to have to do so.
Carrying Zelda Hime back, she laid her down beside Link, inched over slightly to give the girl more room. His eyes looked sad as he watched the unresponsive girl. Impa sat down on the other side of Zelda, making sure her princess was a goodly distance from the flames that she wouldn't be hurt, but also close enough to stay warm. The only covering the young girl had was a cloak Impa had been carrying with her when she was running through the flames in the castle. They had blankets, but Impa didn't want to rummage through her pack to pull them out.
"Here, Link. Let me see that. You're not cooking it right." Impa pushed Link's hand from the spit as he blinked, realising he'd stopped spinning it when she had come over. "What is this, rabbit?"
"Uh...yes. I caught it while you were sitting back there." Link made a vague motion behind him.
"How long was I there?"
"Well, about half an hour, actually. But you looked like you were thinking hard, so I didn't disturb you.
"I had no idea I was there that long..." Impa thought out loud.
Link laughed lightly. "It's ok. Besides, you've had a lot on your mind lately. It's no wonder you lost track of time. You should try taking it easy."
Having her own advice thrown back at her was not something Impa was used to, but she let the boy get the best of her this time. Ignoring him, she went back to turning the spit.
Link grinned at her. He was trying his best to keep a light mood. Ever since their talk, he'd been feeling better. Better than he had in a while, actually. The weight he had been feeling on his shoulders seemed lighter, if not gone, and he found it easier to enjoy things.
Impa had been right. He was being too serious. But, what she didn't understand, was that he'd always been serious. It was who he was. He had this overbearing sense of responsibility.
Letting Impa cook the rabbit, Link leaned backwards till he was lying on his back. He cradled his head on his arms and watched the sky. The night was clear, and the stars shone brightly. He could pick out different constellations, all taught to him by the Kokiri. Over to his left was the Hunter. He was said to be the bravest Kokiri ever; he'd fought monsters that had invaded the Kokiri village, and had even guided some of the faeries to the Deku Tree. The sword Link had used once belonged to him.
On his right was the Faerie Tree. Five stars made up the tree: two for the trunk, and three for each respective branch. The trunk was where the faeries came from, and the three branches were the Goddesses. That was what Navi had told him, at least. She said that all faeries were born from a tree, where every hundred years or so, the Goddesses combined their powers and caused the blossoms of the tree to bloom. Every blossom was a faerie.
--"Yep, Link-kun! I was created in a great tree! I used to be a beautiful flower, but the Goddesses decided I needed to do something important, so they made me wake up."
"Made you...wake up?" The small Link sat on the edge of his bed, listening to Navi's story. It was only a day after he had talked with the Deku Tree, and had had his suspicions confirmed. He was a Hylian, not a Kokiri like he had always thought. But Navi's story was lightening his mood-just as she had hoped it would.
"Uh huh. Didn't you know? When a flower blooms, that's when it wakes up. But on the Faerie Tree, when a flower wakes up, it becomes a faerie."
Link was genuinely happy for her. "That's great, Navi. And your important duty was...?"
"To help you, Link-kun! The Deku Tree sent for me, so I came. And I'm happy about it, too. I like travelling with you, Link-kun."
"Thank you, Navi-chan. And we'll always travel together, right?"
"Right!"--
Link smiled at the memory. Navi was rambunctious at times, and hard to deal with at others, but she was a good friend.
"Link-kun, what're you looking at?"
"The stars."
"Ah." Navi flew in front of his face. Link squinted, but she dimmed her light enough so it wouldn't hurt his eyes. "Well, you looked like you had fallen asleep. And besides, Impa says the food is ready."
Link's eyes widened in delight, and he sat up so fast he hit Navi.
"Ow!" They both yelled at the same time, as Navi flew backwards and Link held his nose.
Impa laughed at them. "Next time, Link, you have to learn to be more careful.
"I will."
The young Hero didn't let this small set-back bother him, though, being as that the food smell was taking up all his time. Impa had cooked the meat perfectly, Link could tell just by the smell of it. And he thought there might be a hint of spices, too.
"Hey, Impa? Where'd you get spices from?"
"Around. There are plenty of plants and such that can be used for such purposes. Didn't you notice them?"
Link blushed sheepishly. "Actually...no. Was I supposed to?"
Impa grinned as she ripped a piece of meat for him. "No, I just thought one of the Forest Children would keep an eye out for such things."
Link gratefully took the offered food and sat on his haunches, blowing on the piece to cool it enough to eat. Navi sat on his shoulder and fluttered her wings against his ear. Link laughed and shooed her away. "Stop it, Navi-chan. I'm trying to eat. Why don't you find something else to do?"
"Hmph. Well, if you're going to be like that..." Navi grinned at him and flew off his shoulder and landed on Impa's. She received around the same response she had received from Link, if only a bit more bluntly put.
"Off my shoulder, Sprite, or your wings come off."
Link knew Impa would never go through with the threat, but the look on Navi's face was priceless. He watched through her glow as her eyes widened in disbelief and she jumped off Impa's shoulder. Impa, for her part, kept her eyes closed and chewed on her food.
"Meany." Navi stuck out her tongue when she was a safely distance away, then glided over and landed on Zelda Hime's stomach, curled up, and fell asleep.
"Cute," was all Impa would say to that.
Link grinned and continued eating.
Later, when the fire had died down a bit, Link sat before it, poking the dying embers with a scraggly excuse for a stick. Impa was a bit behind him, tending to the princess. The nights were cold on Hylian Field, and Impa was making sure the princess wouldn't come down with any form of sickness, so she was using as many blankets as she could get without putting her or Link in danger.
It had been a long journey so far, even if they hadn't gone very far yet. So many things had happened that Link had no idea how to deal with. It reminded him of when he had first awoken from his seven years slumber: everything seemed so different, and he was so disoriented.
Thinking back to that time, it was strange. Not many people had the honor of looking back into their memories and seeing themselves as adults. It was actually rather unnerving. But Link tried not to dwell on that fact too much-it gave him a headache. And, many other things had happened then that he didn't want nor need to remember.
Link closed his eyes as he sighed, and a flash of memory flew through his mind. The princess and him, stuck in the courtyard and about to fight Ganon. But...then that black nothingness. Opening his eyes with a snap, Link gasped for air and held his chest. That was no memory, but a dream. A dream that had been haunting him for quite some time, now.
But...it didn't happen that way. I know it didn't...So why did I see that? "Argh! I'm so sick of this."
Impa looked up from where she was sitting beside the princess, her head resting on her knees. She had been falling asleep, until Link's sudden announcement.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh...nothing. Um...I was just going to go for a walk. Is that all right?" Impa nodded, but before Link was too far away, she called out.
"Just don't be too long, please. There's no reason for you to get lost or sick again."
Link nodded and walked away. Sick again, huh? I keep forgetting how sick I was earlier...it seems like it never happened. So much has been going on lately.
A cricket chirped somewhere nearby, and Link smiled. He hadn't been on a walk in a long time. He missed the nighttime air and the sounds of nature. Impa had been right. Being a Forest Child, he should've noticed those plants. He wasn't paying enough attention to his surroundings.
The air smelled clear and damp, as though a storm was on the way. Link hoped not-they had a ways to go before they made it Sahasrahla's, and a storm would not make it easier. Even just a rain shower wouldn't. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Link knew he was still a little bit sick. His fever was gone, true, but he didn't feel well most of the time. However, he would never tell Impa that. She had enough to worry about.
Though, walking through the grass, with the stars above him, Link felt happy. It felt as though all the troubles were gone; he was just a child having fun, like most children his age did.
Like Saria and the others
Link sighed. He didn't want to think of them. Not because he didn't care, but because he missed them. If he thought about his home in the Kokiri Woods... No, there was no need to burden his thoughts with any more sad thoughts. Right now, he had to finish this new mission.
The air didn't feel as nice anymore, and a stronger wind was picking up. Link hugged his arms, trying to keep warm in the sudden cold. Deciding he'd been gone long enough, he turned back towards the camp. Impa would start worrying anyway, now that it had become colder.
Link didn't know what to think of the Sheik warrior. She was a powerful fighter, and he knew he didn't want to be on her opposite side, but...she was acting all motherly. Well...what Link thought of as motherly. It was rather frightening, actually. The woman he was most scared of, and she was treating him like a child. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was babying him.
"Huh, maybe it's not so bad. I mean, I've never had a mother. Maybe this is natural."
Making his way back to camp, Link kicked up dew and thought about this new idea. Either Impa was overly protective, or she had no idea how to deal with children. Maybe that's why she seemed overly protective?
Link was still pondering this when he made it into camp. Impa was still where she had been, however...
Link smiled and walked over, picking up his extra blanket in the process. Impa seemed to think he needed an extra blanket, what with him being sick and all. Laying the blanket on the sleeping Sheik's shoulders, Link sat down on Zelda Hime's other side and hugged his knees to his chest. It really was rather cold out, wasn't it?
Standing from his rather comfortable position, Link walked back over to the other side of the fire, and grabbed up his last blanket. Wrapping it around himself as he trudged back to his sleeping companions, Link rubbed his eyes and yawned. He hadn't realised he was so tired.
Sitting back down in the same spot, Link stretched out his arms and legs, then curled up beside the sleeping princess. Navi was still sleeping on Zelda's stomach, but she rolled over and curled up again. Link smiled. Even when she didn't know it, Navi always could make him smile.
A yawn suddenly overcame the young hero, and he nearly popped his jaw with it. Shaking his head to clear the little light-spots he was seeing, Link snuggled into his blanket and curled up, trying to keep himself as warm as possible.
As he was just about to fall asleep, Link thought he heard someone walk up behind him and pull the blanket up more around his shoulders. The last thing he remembered were gentle hands pushing his bangs out of his face and a voice telling him "Goodnight."
Mikomi sat down as soon as she knew Link was asleep. She knew it was wrong to be there, but she was finding it difficult not to spend time with him. Even though it was forbidden.
"I've wanted to do that for a while now. I remember I used to think of what he'd be like when he grew up, and how I'd always treat him like a little boy. I guess I do, now don't I?"
She leaned back, supporting her weight on her arms. Looking up at the sky, she smiled sadly.
"Aylen, are you up there? Waiting for me?" No answer came, however. Mikomi sighed and sat up. The wind was chilly, this night.
Rubbing her hands together, the young woman blinked. They felt real, and when she reached out and grabbed a strand of grass, she could feel texture. The wind made her skin prick. Yet...she wasn't real.
I feel real...it's hard to believe I'm not really here. I'm only some apparition, some form of strange entity. In a very true sense of the word, I'm only a make-believe person. Like an imaginary friend.
The wind clawed at her, sending chills down her spine. Her red hair flew in the wind, and she squinted her eyes against it. This was nothing natural.
Standing up suddenly, a sense of extreme fear gripping her heart, Mikomi stood before her son.
"Who are you? Come out! Show yourself!"
A child's laugh came through the howl of the wind. Looking to find the source, Mikomi noticed that neither her son nor the others were affected at all by this wind. In fact, they were obliviously sleeping while she was in a panic of fear.
"What...?"
The child's laugh became louder, forcing Mikomi to look straight ahead. Her eyes widened in shock and she nearly fell backwards.
Link stood before her, his tunic whipping around in the wind, his bangs in disarray. He smiled innocently, and then laughed. That same laugh she had been hearing in the wind.
"Who...who are you?"
The young boy-she refused to believe, or even think of it, as Link-smiled again, then walked closer to her. Mikomi wanted to back away, but forced herself to stand where she was. The creature just giggled at her and walked even closer.
Mikomi stood her ground as the child-creature-reached her. It reached out a hand and touched her skirt, but Mikomi ripped the fabric from its grasp. For some reason, the creature looked hurt.
"What are you?!" Mikomi continued to question the thing before her, but just as before, it only grinned and ignored her questions. It peered around her, and noticed the three sleeping Hylians. Grinning like a fool, it rushed around Mikomi before she could stop it, and ran up to the sleeping Link.
Kneeling down, the copy ran a hand along Link's cheek, then looked up to Mikomi. It pointed at her son, then at itself. "Me."
Mikomi wanted to smack the creature. How dare it say such a thing! However...when she looked at it, that thought left her mind. The copy Link was staring at the true Link, its eyes wide and full of wonder. Mikomi almost smiled, until the double pulled out a knife.
"Not me." It pointed at Link, and Mikomi lunged for it just as the knife came down.
The copy Link stared in wonder as the knife fell to the ground, deflected by Mikomi's swift hand. She then turned the momentum from that swing into a backhanded slap, and the creature went sprawling across the ground. As it hit, it's eyes opened extremely wide, then its back arched, as though in pain, and the creature disappeared before Mikomi could move.
Gasping from her shot nerves, Mikomi just stood where she was and stared at the space that had once been occupied by that creature.
"What...what was that thing?"
Shaking and more than a little upset, Mikomi sat down beside her sleeping son. Not once, throughout the whole ordeal, had Link or any of the others moved. Not even Navi, who had a sixth sense to supernatural beings, had noticed.
As the wind calmed down and the air warmed up, Mikomi sat there, staring up at the sky, wondering what exactly it was that she had been sent back for.
"Oh, Aylen. I'm so confused. And I'm so tired...I just want to sleep..."
But sleep didn't come for her, and a few hours before dawn, she crept away from the camp, trusting the Goddesses to watch over the sleeping children she was leaving behind.
Impa woke shortly after dawn. It was strange, she couldn't remember falling asleep. Nor could she remember Link returning to camp. Suddenly overcome with fear that the boy may not have made it back, Impa stood and surveyed all around her. Looking to where the boy's blankets had been before, she found nothing. Refusing to believe she was panicking, Impa took a step forward and nearly tripped.
Looking down, she noticed a blanket wrapped around her legs. It must have fallen off as I woke up...wait a minute. Picking up the offending cloth, she noticed it was one of the one's she had "assigned" to the boy. "Then where is he?"
The sound of high-pitched screeching made her turn around. Navi was awake. And she was yelling at a sleeping Link. Impa sighed in relief, then blinked. She seemed to be acting weirdly, but she shrugged it off as being tired. Since when did she worry so about any child, other than the princess, that is.
"What's your problem, Sprite?"
Navi ignored her and continued her yelling. Annoyed by all the noise so early in the morning, Impa went over closer to investigate, then burst out laughing.
Navi finally noticed her, then flew up into the laughing Sheik's face, her cheeks puffed up in anger. "What's so funny?" Impa pointed at Link. Navi's eyes narrowed and she made a sound in her throat. "That's not funny! Help me!"
"There's nothing wrong. You're overreacting."
Navi's eyes widened in horror at the suggestion, but when she went to fly down and fix whatever was the problem, Impa grabbed her and wouldn't let go.
Apparently, the problem Navi was having was how Link was sleeping. He was curled up on his left side, facing the princess. In fact, his face was dangerously close to hers (from Navi's point of view), and his right hand was laying gently on Zelda's arm. When Impa had woken up, Navi had been in the process of trying to dislodge Link's hand from that offending place.
"They're only children, Sprite. It's not like anything is wrong." However, Impa was beginning to get second thoughts on that way of thinking. She had no idea how to deal with children, and wasn't Link approaching that age...? "On second thought, Sprite, wake him up." The slight smile on Link's face had her worried.
Navi made the noise in her throat again, then flew down and landed on Link's arm. Grabbing one of Link's fingers in her hands, she began to (try to) pull his hand up. However, she was getting as far as before, which is to say nowhere. Extremely angry at this point in time, Navi decided the best thing she could do was rant. Crawling up to Link's ear, she took a big breath and screeched.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Link slept on, oblivious to her anger.
"Woah," Impa said from the fire, where she was trying to stoke up the dying embers, "he's a good sleeper."
Navi had tears in her eyes, she was so angry. Her Link-kun shouldn't be sleeping so close to a girl-any girl. It was immoral! Even if he hadn't meant it! She puffed up her cheeks and took an even bigger breath, her tiny voice reaching nearly inaudible notes.
"AHH!!! LINK-KUN WAKE UP!!"
Said boy's eyes flew open as pain shot through his ears. Rolling over onto his back and clasping his hands over his ears so fast Navi barely had time to move out of the way, Link yelled out in pain.
"AHH!! That hurt, you know!"
"It was supposed to!"
"What'd I do?!?"
Link and Navi sat there, staring at each other; Navi's cheeks puffed out in anger, and Link's face in a snarl. Impa sighed and turned her face towards them. She had begun boiling some water in a makeshift pot made of stone, and had some herbs in her hands.
"Are you two always this loud, or is today just special?"
Both combatants blushed a bright red, and muttered hasty apologies. Glad that was over with, Impa returned to her fledgling fire, which was beginning to die beneath the stone pot..
Link gave Navi a dirty look, and she stuck her tongue out at him in return. Hmph-ing loudly, Link stretched out his arms, nearly smacking Navi on purpose. He then stood, brushed himself off, and stretched out his legs. They were cramped due to the fact that he had slept in a curled position the entire night.
Yawning again, Link rubbed the dust from his eyes and grabbed his blanket. Scrubbing his face as clean as he could get it, the boy shivered a little. The air was cool, but luckily the grass was rather dry. For some reason, though, the cool air made him think of the night before.
Was it that lady? Mikomi? I'm sure I heard something. Link squeezed his eyes shut. It hurt, a little, that he thought of the lady only as Mikomi. Especially considering who she really was. No...I don't know that for sure. Until I know...that's all she is.
Link sighed. Zelda was sleeping peacefully, as usual. "I hope we get to Sahasrahla's soon." He smiled slightly at the sleeping girl. She was so pretty.
That thought made the Kokiri child frown. He was still at the age where girls were somewhat of a taboo to him, but also at the age where they started to intrigue him. Blinking quickly so he wouldn't be caught staring, Link coughed lightly into his fist, then turned away from the girl.
As he turned, a memory surfaced from deep in his mind, where he thought he had buried it. He saw himself, leering over an unconscious Zelda, her blouse ripped open, and his hands...
No! I don't want to remember this! The dream had haunted him for a while, now, but always, always, he had blocked it. Had tried to forget. He feared sleep, now, afraid that he would have dreams-have visions-of even worse things. What could be worse than that...?
He shook his head, trying to clear it of the awful vision. He hadn't lied when he told Impa that he would never do anything like that. So...why would something like that happen? Even if it was only in a dream?
Of course, what followed that horrific scene scared him even more, and he prayed he would never have to see that happen. Zelda's eyes still haunted him; those dull, lifeless eyes that had seemed to accuse him.
Squeezing his eyes shut to banish the visions, Link walked away from the princess and sat beside Impa.
"Impa, do you think Sahasrahla can help us? Can help Zelda Hime?"
Impa arched an eyebrow at his lax in formality. Link noticed, but said nothing. "Well, as far as I know..."
"We don't know." Link leaned back and sighed. He had been doing that a lot lately: sighing. He wasn't so sure if it was a good thing or not. "Hey, Impa? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go for it." Impa wasn't really paying attention, her mind more focused on cooking the breakfast than anything.
"What are dreams?"
Impa blinked and paused. When she didn't answer right away, but went back to cooking, Link figured she wasn't going to answer him. She surprised him, however. "I'm not sure. What do you mean?"
"Um...are they just make-believe images, or something else? Like...if you're worried about something a lot, and then you dream about it. Is that because you were thinking of it? But then...sometimes you dream of things you've never thought of or known."
Impa nodded. "And...?"
Link felt foolish, talking about this with Impa, but he continued. "Well...do you think that those dreams are a message? Like...someone is trying to tell you something?"
The Sheik kept cooking, but Link could tell she was mulling his question over in her head. Finally, she answered. "I think they are what you want them to be." She noticed his blank expression out of the corner of her eye. "Let me explain. If you think of something and dream of it, maybe you're telling yourself that you need to stop thinking about it. Or...maybe there's something about it that you can't see, but your subconscious can. And it's trying to tell you. Do you understand?"
Link shook his head. "Not really. I didn't understand everything, but I will think about it." He paused. "But...what about the other kinds of dreams?"
"Those may be visions. Or fears."
"Fears?" Link remembered the voice-Mikomi's voice-in his dream, telling him all it was was an unspoken fear.
"Yes. Maybe, deep down, you're afraid of something. Even you might not know of it, but it's there. So...when you dream, that fear is let loose, and manifests itself in any form it can find, by taking images from memory."
"And...if you've never seen the place or person?"
Impa thought about this. "Maybe you'd heard of it before, or maybe you're right, and someone is trying to tell you something. I'm sorry, Link, but I just don't know." She smiled as the smell wafting from the food reached her nose. "Now, go and get that faerie of yours. Breakfast is ready."
Link nodded his head in an abrupt gesture, and stood. He wobbled a bit, but smiled shyly when he caught his balance. Impa shook her head. Boys.
Link felt a bit better as he walked over to where Navi was, probably still angry about their fight. He smiled as he walked up though, and then knelt down beside her. She refused to look at him.
"Navi-chan, Impa says the food is ready. Aren't you hungry?"
She still refused to look at him. "No."
Link sat down, and curled his legs, then leaned his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his palms. "Well, then, I'll sit here with you until you are."
Navi whipped her head around, her eyes wide, and stared into the face of the smiling Link. His eyes were shut and he had a grin on his face. He was a very cute child. She was happy he was her charge: she decided then that she'd take Saria's place as the big sister, instead of just watch over him.
"Well, Link-kun, I'm sure I could eat something. You should eat some more, anyways." She flew up but poked him in the belly first, making his eyes pop open. Giggling, she left him behind and flew over to Impa.
Grunting as he stood (Navi had more power than she knew) Link rubbed his empty tummy and followed his friend.
Before he had the chance to sit, the women shooed him away, saying they had other things to talk about that he didn't need to be there for. However, before he was completely kicked away, Impa handed him a bowl of the soup stuff she had made, and told him to feed Zelda.
"It's not that hard. Don't worry. Just put the bowl to her lips, I'm sure she'll take it from there."
Link didn't know about that, but listened to Impa anyway. She knew more than he did, in any case.
Sitting down beside the princess, Link set the bowl beside him and made himself comfortable. Picking up his own bowl, he was about to drink/eat first, but then thought better of it. Saria would be mad if I ate first. She always told me I needed better manners...
Setting his bowl down, Link picked up the princess', then inched closer to her. He had seen Impa feed the inert girl before, so he had some idea of what to do.
Lifting Zelda Hime's head and cradling her neck, Link leaned in closer to her, so he could half hold her with his body, so his arm wouldn't become tired fast. Blushing slightly, he placed the bowl to her pale lips with his other hand.
"Here, Zelda Hime, you have to drink this." Slowly, so as not to drown her, he tipped the bowl and let the warm liquid touch her lips. They parted slightly, and Link blinked in surprise as the princess drank of her own accord.
Every few seconds he would pull the bowl away, letting her swallow. His left arm was beginning to throb, but he ignored it. His wound was healing well, so he didn't think anything of it.
Letting his thoughts wander, Link thought back to how he had gotten the wound in the first place. The room had been silent for the second before he'd passed out, but had it been? He tried to think back to then. Obviously, someone had set the castle on fire after both him and the princess had passed out. Maybe the magic that had felled him was also the same that had begun the flames?
Zelda coughed and brought him back. Making a scared noise in his throat, Link pulled the bowl away as Zelda coughed and spluttered, having difficulty breathing. Setting aside the bowl, Link lifted her up higher, and tilted her head away from them, so she could cough up the excess soup. The boy squeezed his eyes shut, berating himself for not paying enough attention. He only hoped Impa hadn't noticed...
When Zelda was done coughing and seemed to be better, Link scooted back some so he could lie her down again. He didn't trust himself to feed her anymore.
The Kokiri-boy was about to get up and summon Impa, but Zelda had somehow managed to wrap her fists around the bottom of his tunic, and wouldn't let go. Puzzled, Link sat back down and picked her up again.
"You want me to stay, Zelda Hime?" There was no response but Link hadn't been expecting one. Smiling slightly, the boy nodded. "All right then. But I'm going to eat now, is that all right with you?"
Link reached for his bowl, trying not to move the princess. He managed to grab the edge, and was lucky when he only spilled a little while trying to drag it back towards him. When he found a good hold, he picked the bowl up and drank some. It had already cooled considerably, but that didn't bother him. The herbs Impa had mixed in made it taste sweet, and Link liked it.
Taking his time in drinking it, Link sat, with Zelda leaning against him. He was constantly blushing, but didn't want to move the princess, either. He didn't know he had an audience, though.
Navi clenched her fists and was bright red, her cheeks puffed out. Impa was holding her wings. They had been watching the boy the entire time.
"How can you stand here and watch this?!" Navi tried to bite the Sheik's hand in her rage.
"I see nothing wrong, Faerie. Besides, it's rather cute."
"It is not!"
Impa shrugged. "Nothing's going to happen, why are you so worried? He's twelve."
"SO?"
"Twelve-year-old boys are not a danger to eleven-year-old girls!"
Navi hmphed and folded her arms across her chest. "Well, MY Link-kun has good manners. So I guess I could trust him THIS one time."
Impa rolled her eyes.
Link yawned a little as he finished his soup. "I wonder what Navi-chan and Impa are talking about? I hope they're not fighting..." He rubbed his eyes as he set the bowl down beside him. He was rather tired, even though he had slept well last night. However, he wasn't going to let a little tiredness get in his way, but at the same time he also realised that he didn't feel like moving. So he sat there, with his legs under him and Zelda leaning against him, and stared out at Hyrule Field.
"See? Nothing to worry about," Impa said as she started to walk towards the children. Navi ignored her comment and flew ahead.
"Link-kun!" She flew onto his hat and tugged his bangs, making Link's eyes fly open. Impa arrived at the same time and picked up the princess, cradling her in her arms.
"It's time to go, Link. We still have a ways to go yet."
Link nodded and stood, brushing the dirt off his bottom as he did. Navi stayed put in his hair.
"Hey, Impa. Do you know where Sahasrahla lives?"
"Not a clue."
Navi narrowed her eyes. "Then how do you know we still have a ways to go?"
Impa ignored the faerie and started walking. Navi's face turned red, but Link reached up and grabbed her.
"It's ok, Navi-chan. I'm sure she knows what she's doing. You have to trust people sometimes." Navi stared at him, but her wings gradually began to slow their rapid beating, and her face cooled.
"I will. But only because you do."
Link smiled shyly. "You can form your own opinions, Navi-chan."
"And I do. But you have a good judge of character, so if you trust someone, I think it's a good bet to trust them too."
Link blushed, but Navi didn't say anything else. Replacing herself on his head, Navi settled down and fell asleep while Link followed closely behind the larger Hylian.
They travelled all day, only stopping for food and the occasional rest break. Link took turns at carrying Zelda Hime, and was surprised by how light she was.
"She's lost weight. I'm worried about her," was all Impa would input when he asked if the princess had always been so weightless.
Even so, Link enjoyed helping take care of the princess. He had never had to take care of another person before. Even the Kokiri had never gotten sick. Although, there was that one time when he was eight and had been stung by a deku scrub, and had become feverish. But that had been all the Kokiri watching over him, not the other way around. So, Link was enjoying helping someone else in a way that didn't involve fighting.
In fact, he really didn't enjoy fighting all that much. Even if he was the Hero of Time, he'd rather be home and playing with his friends than destroying monsters.
"Hey, Impa, I'm getting kinda tired..." Link had been carrying the princess since mid afternoon, and it was a good three hours later. Even if he did hate to fight, he had to admit that it helped make him a lot stronger.
The tall Sheik stopped and walked back to where he was. Navi was perched on her shoulder, where they had been conversing for the last hour. Link had a feeling it had been about him, since they had gone so far ahead.
Gently picking the princess from his tired arms, Impa cradled the girl to her chest and started walking forward again. Link trudged along behind, extremely tired but refusing to admit it.
All day long it had been like this. Link would carry the princess for a few hours, then get tired, and Impa would carry her for what seemed half the day. The only reason Impa let him help carry her was because Link hadn't stopped begging to help since they left that morning. So, once his arms felt better (especially his left arm) Link would carry the small princess again, until he couldn't hold her anymore.
So they walked, until the sun was ready to set, and Impa made them stop to camp. Setting the frail princess down, Impa sat herself, and began rummaging through the packs, trying to find something to eat in their rapidly diminishing supplies. Link started up a fire, with Navi helping to haul some twigs and extra wood they had found over to the fire.
"Thanks, Navi-chan. You can go and rest now. I can finish this."
The pixie nodded and fluttered up to sleep on Link's hat, curling up in a fetal position and wrapping her wings around her. She never even said goodnight; just passed out then and there. Link smiled warmly.
"She's very carefree, you realise this?" Impa asked from her place beside the princess, cutting up the end of a loaf of bread. Their supplies were short, and Link feared they would run out before they ever found this Sahasrahla they were supposed to find. "That's why she's good for you."
"Huh?"
Impa shifted her sitting position and reached out, handing Link a piece of the bread. "Eat this, and then get some sleep. And if your arm hurts, let me know. We don't want infection." Link took the offered food, and settled down with the blanket Impa tossed at him. "Like I said, you need her outlook with you," the Sheik picked up her previous conversation. "You're too serious, and too melancholy. You need to cheer up; to live a little more. It's hard, I know, but you have to keep going." She smiled at him, and watched as he finished his bread. When the last crumb was gone, she stood and walked over to him, only to kneel once there and tuck him in. Link blinked. "You're still only a boy, and you must remember that."
Link nodded and closed his eyes, only to instantly fall into a deep sleep.
The next morning dawned bright and clear, and the birds sang of love and warm winds. Link yawned as he stretched out his arms, only to flinch when the muscles around his left elbow pulled tight. The wound had nearly healed over, but the skin was still tender, and the muscles more so. He would need to take care of himself, if he was ever to keep his vow to help the princess and Hyrule.
The travel this day was easier than before, though. Either Link was stronger, or there was something happening that made the day seem to pass easier. He was actually happy, for a change. He even began whistling as he kicked a rock out from under him.
Around midmorning the terrain began to change. Fields of wheat gave way to gardens of rock, and the travel became slower. Wind howled and screeched at them, and a headache had developed behind Link's right eye. They took shelter in a crevice to wait out the howl of the wind and to take a long needed rest.
Setting the princess down, Link rubbed his forehead, his skin hot to the touch.
"Is something wrong, Link?"
The boy shook his head. "No, Impa, it's nothing. The wind just gave me a headache, is all. Don't worry, it'll go away shortly. I'm fine, really." The females looked at him, skeptical. Link held his hands out before him, his face flushed. "Really! I'm fine! You two worry too much!"
Navi shook her head. "Only because you strain yourself too much, Link-kun. We have every right to worry about you."
Link blushed a little and laughed. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide as a screech reverberated through his mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the pain without holding his head. He didn't want them to worry about him!
Navi blinked at his sudden silence. "Link-kun?"
He managed a weak smile. "It's nothing, Navi-chan. The headache just kind of...crescendoed, or something. It's ok now. I'm fine, I promise." He noticed her lack of faith. "I mean it, I'm fine! You can please stop worrying about me!" He turned his back to her and sank to his knees, then to his stomach, resting his head on his arms. Lying there beside the princess, her tried to ignore the noise in his skull, and the eyes he knew were watching him in worry.
The storm didn't let up for hours, so finally Impa decided that they would stay there. She hated to, since they only had a days rations left, but with barely any light and high winds, it would be sure death to traverse the hills now.
Link slept fitfully, if at all. His dreams were tormented with shadowed figures and red eyes, and strangely, of Mikomi, as well.
'She is our enemy, Link-san. Remember this.'
Link turned to face the familiar voice. The voice he hadn't heard in over a week, now.
"What do you want with me now?"
Mikomi appeared before him, filling the dark void in his mind. Although he couldn't see it, Link knew the voice was beside her.
'This woman, Link-san. She wishes to impede our progress. She wishes to make us weak, and, most of all, she wishes for our death.'
"No! She can't!" The voice laughed mockingly, and Link looked away, his eyes downcast. "How can she...when she's my mother?"
'She is a demon, Link-san. She wants your soul; to feed upon it, to destroy that which makes you you.'
"No! I don't believe you!" Link turned from the vision before him, only to confront it behind himself as well. "Leave me alone! I don't believe you!"
'Link-san, surely-'
"You're the demon! You're the one who lies! Mikomi...Mikomi saved me! She isn't a demon!" His eyes blazed brightly with his anger. "LEAVE US ALONE!"
The vision shattered as a white light enveloped Link, and Zelda appeared before him, floating. Her long hair moved around her like water, and her dress floated in the light breeze that surrounded her. She smiled at him, her eyes filled with warmth and tenderness.
"I'm so sorry, Link, to burden you with this."
Link shook his head vehemently. "No! You haven't burdened me with anything! It's no burden to watch over you..." His voice trailed off into silence, and sadness crept into the princess' eyes.
"You're hurt, because of this. I can see it...can feel it in your very spirit." She floated closer, and Link noticed tears in her eyes as she cupped his face in her hands. "Don't worry, Link. It's almost over now. Soon, the pain, everything...soon it will be over." Link reached out to touch her face, but she evaporated before he could lift his hands. She appeared father away, her face sad and in pain.
"Zelda Hime!"
She smiled painfully. "So, some of your formality is gone now. That's nice to know." She gasped, and clutched at her stomach. Link moved to help, but she raised a hand before her, warding him off. "I'll be fine. But you need to wake up, Link. I can't stay here forever. I'm...I'm so tired, Link." Tears ran freely down her cheeks now. "Please, Link, hurry! Hurry! I can't stay much longer...I'm so tired, so weak...please, hurry to Sahasrahla's! Before I..."
Her voice trailed off as she faded from his view, and Link rushed toward her, only to wake shivering, covered in a cold sweat. Beside him, Zelda Hime was sweating as well, her face contorted in pain. Link reached out a hand and touched her cheek; it was clammy and cold to the touch. His eyes widened.
"Impa! Impa! Wake up, it's the princess!" Impa was beside him in a moment. She felt the girl's face, then her pulse. Link watched on, helpless, his eyes wide and scared. Navi sat beside him, digging her hands into the dirt, biting her lower lip.
Finally, after what seemed forever, Impa sat back, closing her eyes in relief. "She's alright. Thank the Goddesses, she's all right."
"What did you do to help her, Impa?" Navi's quiet voice pierced the silence like a knife, startling the two larger beings.
Impa shook her head. "Nothing. I have no herbs, and if I did, I wouldn't know which ones to use. She just...healed."
Link closed his eyes in relief. The guilt that had plagued him was slowly dispersing. If she hadn't used so much energy just to talk to him...
A whisper sounded in his ear.
"Huh?"
Navi and Impa looked over to him. "Is something wrong, Link?"
Link shook his head. "No. Did one of you say something to me?"
"No, Link-kun." Navi bit her tongue before she finished with "you must be hearing things."
"Oh..." Link turned away, but again the whisper sounded in his ear. It was loud enough for him to hear it, but not loud enough for him to make out the words. He was suddenly very angry. Turning, he snapped at them both. "Now, I know one of you said something!"
"We didn't say anything, Link-kun!"
"Then who did?!"
Impa placed her hands lightly on his shoulders. Link tensed, but did nothing to move her hands. "Link, I think you need to sleep. Here," she pushed him down so he was lying down, then covered him in a blanket, "just sleep until morning. You're tired and you're injured; don't make it worse on yourself, please."
Link frowned, but said nothing. He already knew what they were thinking.
"I'm not hearing things..." He said under his breath.
"Did you say something, Link-kun?"
"No," he replied a bit curtly, and flinched. Moderating his tone, he shook his head. "No, Navi-chan. I didn't say anything at all."
She said nothing, so Link tried to sleep instead of continuing the discussion. And still the voice whispered on.
The next day was filled with noise for Link. By noon, they had nearly reached the bottom of the rocky slope. Link carried Zelda in his arms, confused and disoriented, but refusing to show the fact. Impa was ahead, searching for safe passage. Link barely noticed her there. All he could concentrate on was the noise in his head.
The night before, all it had been was a whisper. Now, he could clearly hear the words, no matter how hard he tried to block them from his mind.
'Link-san, where are you going? You should be here, with us...'
Shut up! I don't care about you! You're my enemy! You have to be...
'You don't sound so sure, Link-san.'
...
The voice barked a laugh, and went silent. However, Link could still hear a buzzing in his ears that told him it was still there.
Suddenly, Impa released a whoop of exultation. Motioning for Link to hurry towards her, Impa waited for the boy. When he finally reached her, Impa pointed towards a small hut, secluded in a valley. No one else inhabited the land.
"Impa...where...?"
Impa beamed down at him, then lightly traced her fingers along Zelda's cheek, moving some loose strands of hair back into place. "We're finally here, Hime. Finally here..."
Link sagged, his weariness from the long journey finally catching up to him. "Sahasrahla...finally, we made it... It took so long, but..."
Impa nodded, then hardened her gaze. "Link, I want you to wait here. I want to find the safest path. Please watch the princess, and wait for my return."
She started down the incline before he could open his mouth to respond. He didn't want to wait for her. He didn't want to be alone, not with the princess.
'Link-san, is something the matter?'
"Shut up." He realised too late that he spoke out loud, and Navi gave him a strange look, but said nothing. Link blushed. I'm not listening to you, not anymore.
'Then why do you find it difficult to sit here, beside this princess you promised to protect with your life? Is something wrong?' Images of his dreams flashed in Link's mind, and that dry, emotionless voice only cooed. 'Are you sure everything is alright?'
Link ignored the voice, but shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't stop remembering all those dreams that had plagued him since the journey had begun. No, he corrected himself, since before this journey. Since I returned home...home...do I even have one anymore?
He shook his head again to shake the doubts and melancholy. He wouldn't succumb to any dark thoughts, not now. He couldn't afford self-pity.
"Ne ne! Link-kun! Impa is at the bottom! I think it's ok to follow after her now. Let's go!"
Link nodded, and silently thanked his faerie spirit for not mentioning his lapse, and talking out loud. He hated worrying her.
The trek down the slope went well, until Link was nearly to the bottom. His vision blurred and went white, and he tripped, rolling the rest of the way down the rocky incline. He thought he heard Navi scream his name, but the noise of falling rocks and wind blurred her out.
He landed with a sharp thud, and Zelda flew from his arms, to lie motionless beside him. Link groaned and tried to sit, but his head felt heavy, and his skin felt as though it was on fire. Falling back, he nearly hit his head on a large rock. Nearby, someone was laughing. Even with his sight impaired and his hearing dulled, he recognised that voice.
'Are you sure you're ok, Link-san? Are you sure you don't need any help?'
Link blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to disperse the white light he saw, and bring back proper vision. Rolling over onto his side, he was facing Zelda Hime and the small hut Impa had been hurrying to. He could dimly make out two figures hurrying towards him.
'Ah, Link-san. Are you sure you should move? Will you accept our help now?'
Link swatted at the invisible creature, shaking his head no. He would accept no help from such a creature. Crawling slowly, every muscle bruised and his left arm ripped through with pain, Link made his way to the princess, and forced himself onto his knees. Swaying slightly, vision blurry and head ringing, the young Hero reached out and steadied himself with a hand on the ground. Slowly, oh so slowly, he forced his legs to move, bending his knees to stand, and reached for the princess when he was balanced between standing and kneeling. Lifting Zelda up within his arms as he raised himself, Link took a shaky step forward, and then another.
I...I will make sure she's safe. Zelda...I'll make sure you're safe. As those thoughts streaked through his mind, Link painfully, slowly made his way towards the two dim figures rushing towards him. He thought he recognised Impa as one of them...but who was that other one? A man? Sahasrahla? he thought.
"Link!"
He blinked when he heard his name. He hadn't realised how close Impa really was to him. Smiling slightly, he swayed and held his princess closer.
"I said I'd protect her, Impa. I meant it. Zelda...I won't let anything else hurt her...not anymore..."
Finally, strained beyond his endurance, Impa watched as the child Hero fell to the ground, oblivious to everything around him.
LINK NO MIKO'S LITTLE CORNER OF TALKINGNESS
Well now...long chapter, ne? But I like long chapters, and I've been meaning to have a long chapter for a while now. Anywho, I'll make this short, just cause the length of this was so...um, long, I guess. (I'm so articulate...)
This chapter has been in the makings since...a very long time ago. Fixing the format, I commented to myself many a time "Wow, I wrote that a long time ago...". Anywho, chapter seven will more than likely be a while, sorry. *sigh* I wish I didn't get writer's block every five minutes, I really do. But, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and hope I didn't lose anyone along the way.
So, how many of you are confused yet? ^-^x And I got a new email addy, should anyone wish to comment or something. Just write to white_winged_sorrow@hotmail.com, and I shall talketh to you. More of my love of X showing...
Ja.
