Navi fluttered about the camp two days later. The Kokiri Forest was within a few hours travel, and the small faerie was finding difficulty in containing her excitement. The forest called to her in a way she never realised, a way she only now knew of from months being absent from it. Her whole world revolved around this forest.
The only thing keeping the faerie's spirits in check was the night sky. As long as the sun slept, there would be no travelling, and that thought sobered the small girl. But, she thought, as soon as the sun rises, we can travel again. And once inside the Kokiri Village, Saria will help heal Link-kun, Zelda Hime-sama will be able to regain her magic, and then she can travel back to the castle and be safe. Then Link-kun can find out from Saria who this other him is, and go win. Then everything will be fine again!
Smiling brightly, Navi nodded to herself. Of course Link would win against this darker version of himself. But... There was something about the young adult that didn't sit right with Navi. She needed to actually see him. Just hearing of him from Link and Eon wasn't enough-the faerie needed to see this danger to her beloved Link.
Sighing, she settled herself on the tall grass of Hyrule Field, scratching at it with her nails. Small bolts of energy flowed through the plant and into her fingers, and she allowed herself to smile. The magic of the forest was stronger tonight. Looking up, she noticed the stars shining extra bright, and her face lit up. That was definitely a good sign! Before she could stop herself, Navi started giggling, drawing the attention of Zelda and Impa, who sat a short ways away by the fire. Eon and Volvagia slept near Link, the red-haired boy using a rock as a pillow, and Volvagia in turn using Eon as a bed. Link was wrapped up tightly in a blanket, sleeping peacefully.
"Navi...?" The princess' soft voice stopped Navi, but her smile stayed plastered to her face.
"Yes, Zelda Hime-sama?"
The princess sighed. "Please, just call me Zelda. We don't need titles between any of us."
Navi nodded, but didn't reply. Instead, she stood, her bare feet gripping the blade of grass tightly. Within seconds, the magic within her joined that of the ground, and the faerie closed her eyes and titled her head back. Interested, Zelda crept a bit closer.
"What are you doing? Why were you giggling earlier?"
Now Navi did reply, her eyes still closed and face pointed at the sky. "Because of the stars."
Zelda blinked, then looked up. Seeing nothing drastic, the princess turned once more to the faerie. "The stars...?"
"Yes," Navi nodded her head with the reply. "The stars are brighter tonight, and that's always a good sign. When the stars shine brightly, magic works stronger. And in this case, the magic is directed at Link-kun."
"How can you tell that?" Impa knelt down beside the princess, her usually reserved face containing a hint of curiosity.
"I can feel it."
"And how do you feel it, Navi?" Zelda's voice was gentle, but Navi could hear the slight disbelief in it.
"Through the grass. Zelda, you have strong magic, can't you feel it?"
The girl shook her head. "No, I can't. But you still haven't told me what you're doing."
Navi nodded. "I'm helping to channel magic." She received blank stares and sighed, opening her eyes and facing the two Hylians. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" Two head shakes. "Alright, then, I'll explain.
"The world has many, many paths that magic flows along. Some are small, while others are huge and span great areas. These paths are called Magic Lines, and they are all connected. Where they connect is called a Nexus, and it's in those places where you find the most powerful magic. Great Faerie Fountains, the Great Deku Tree, Temples...all these places are where Magic Lines connect. Within the Lost Woods there lies a strong Magic Line, and the flows can be felt out here. The other closest one goes below LonLon Ranch."
"But Navi," Zelda interrupted, "this still doesn't explain how you're channelling magic...."
"I was getting to that. But you needed to know some background, first." She said that as though it was the simplest thing in the world to comprehend. "Anyway, faeries all have the ability to manipulate Magic Lines to some extent. By merging our magic, we can concentrate it and direct the magic towards a certain goal. That's why, when I felt the magic through the grass, I knew it was being directed towards Link-kun." Navi beamed.
"And this deals with stars how?" Impa's gruff voice broke into the conversation.
"Oh, well," Navi shrugged, "stars are faeries."
Zelda blinked in surprise. "Stars are faeries?"
Navi gave the girl a long-suffering look. "Well, yeah, of course. Where do you think faeries come from?"
"I...I never thought of that..."
"Obviously." Impa glared at the faerie, and Navi smiled sheepishly. "Er, where was I? Oh yeah. Faeries are all born from the Faerie Tree, which is...that, "she pointed to the east, at a grouping of five stars, "constellation, right there. I told Link-kun this story when he was younger, so I'll tell you, too.
"The Faerie Tree is made of five stars. The two vertical stars are the trunk, and the three stars spread above those are the goddess stars. Every hundred years, the three goddess stars shine brightly, filling the sky with light, and then fade away. From them, faeries fall to the earth. The last time this happened was...eighteen years ago. That was when I was born."
"You're only eighteen years old? I thought you'd be older." Zelda smiled as she brushed a finger over Navi's wings, making the faerie giggle.
"Only young faeries are allowed to be Kokiri guardians. Older faeries reside in Faerie Fountains, or with the Great Faeries, and help tend to Magic Lines."
"So, what if there aren't enough Kokiri for the new-born faeries?"
Navi blinked. This conversation was quickly taking a different route than when it started, but she didn't mind. "Um...there are never more faeries born than Kokiri who need them. Well...usually..." She trailed off. While she didn't mind explaining some faerie lore, she wasn't sure this was something the princess needed to know.
"Usually...?" Zelda's voice broke Navi's thoughts, and the faerie nodded.
"Yeah..."
Zelda smiled, sensing something was wrong. "It's ok, you don't have to tell us. We kind of left our original conversation behind, anyway..."
"No, it's ok!" Navi interrupted. "It's just... No one ever asks about things like this, so I have to think of how to answer. Usually..." she paused, collecting her thoughts. How to explain? "Usually, faeries are born about a year or so before the Kokiri. This enables a faerie to learn certain things that will allow her to help her charge grow. Sometimes, though, that doesn't happen. Like with Saria..."
"Saria? That's Link's friend, right?" Zelda's voice rose slightly, and Eon stirred, unnoticed. Cracking open an eye, the boy listened closely, interested.
"Yes... She's the eldest Kokiri. Well...now." Navi suddenly stopped, looking around her cautiously. "Don't tell her I told you this, ok? She's kinda...protective...of her age..." Zelda, Impa, and even Eon, nodded. "Well, Saria was born with the last group of faeries-not my group, the one before. Which is strange, because she was born at the same time as her faerie."
"So that would make her one-hundred eighteen years old?" Impa asked.
"Shhh, not so loud! But yes, that would. Everyone thought it was strange, that a new Kokiri was born so early, and with such intelligence. Saria was always a quick learner, and she knew more at her young age than most of the older Kokiri. A few years after she was born, though, the elder Kokiri died. He was really old, and didn't mind, but Saria was really sad. He was her big brother, after all... Eventually, all Kokiri die, just like their father."
"I thought the Kokiri were immortal..."
Navi shook her head. "No. People think that because Kokiri live through many generations. The last elder before Saria was...eight-hundred some-odd years old. But that's beside the point. About fifty years after Saria was born, Mido and the Know-it-All brothers were born, which was also strange. If a Kokiri is going to be born, they are born within a few years of their faerie. That was a sure sign that something big was going to happen later. By then, Saria was nearly all by herself, as the previous Kokiri were dead or had left the village."
"I thought Kokiri couldn't leave the forest..." Zelda piped in.
"They can't. Well...they can, but if they do, they age. So they might as well die. But even Saria doesn't know why the others left, or where they went. I'm guessing they went farther into the forest, through the Lost Woods, but I was never told. By the time the twins and the rest of the Kokiri were born, only those five were in the village. That was seventeen years ago."
"And you were around, then." Impa, despite her reservations, was fully interested in the story.
"Yes. But there was something wrong. I was the extra faerie. While all the others were given Kokiri, I was left behind with the Great Deku Tree, and he raised me, teaching me things no other faerie learned. I was taught the names and weaknesses of all the creatures of the realm, as well as many, many languages-all dead, now-and the layout and history of Hyrule." She nodded at Zelda, stopping the princess before she could ask the question Navi already knew she would. "Yes, that's why I know of Saria and the Kokiri before her. But I never knew why I was separated, until Mikomi came into the forest."
"Is that when you first met Link?"
"Yes. I was there with Saria when Mikomi gave her Link. And then I knew why I was trained that way. Because I knew that Link-kun would be the Hero of Time, and he would need my help."
Impa scratched her cheek, then brought up a question that had been on her mind since Navi began talking of the history of the Kokiri and faeries. "So, if faeries are born every hundred years, and there are only a limited number of Kokiri... How does that work out?"
"Well, Kokiri aren't born every hundred years. They're only born when the older ones are ageing, or if many have died."
Impa's eyes hardened. "But you said young faeries all had Kokiri..."
"I don't remember saying 'all.' Not all faeries are born for the sake of Kokiri, you know. We help around everywhere. If a young faerie isn't born above the Great Deku Tree-which is how we know there'll be Kokiri, I sorta forgot to mention that-if they aren't born there, then they have a different purpose. But they don't join in keeping Magic Lines secure until they are older."
Zelda tilted her head to the side. "So...what do these other faeries do, then?"
Navi shrugged. "Tend crops, protect animals, things like that."
Zelda nodded. "Oh."
There was a silence after that, as everyone soaked in that information. Suddenly, though, Zelda began to giggle, and Navi frowned.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," the princess calmed herself down slowly, shaking her head at Navi's accusation. "It's just...I originally asked you why you were giggling, and the conversation completely turned from the original goal. And I don't know that any of us really noticed that."
Navi blinked, then giggled, too. "Yeah, you're right. Heh. It did sorta swerve around, didn't it? What was the original question?"
Impa was also smiling. "Something along the lines of why the stars shining was a good thing."
"Ahh, yeah." Navi sobered slightly, but she was still smiling. "I can feel it in the earth, that the stars are adding their magic to the Line in order to help heal Link-kun. Here, Zelda, give me your hand."
The princess did as she was instructed, and placed her hand to the ground. Navi placed her own above it, closing her eyes and concentrating. When the princess gasped in surprise, the faerie opened her eyes, smiling,
"You can feel it?"
Zelda nodded. "Yes. It tingles. But I can feel the flow of magic directing itself towards Link. But why is that?"
"Because everyone loves Link-kun. Within this forest, everything knows him, and knows what he's done for us. This is the only way they can think of to repay him."
They stayed there for a while, Zelda revelling in this new feeling, and Navi thinking of the magic she could feel. The Magic Line within the Lost Woods was powerful, there was no doubt about that. The fact that it could be felt outside the confines of the forest was proof. And the Deku Tree was the Nexus of that Line, and many others, as well. The power generated was immense.
The power of a Nexus...
Navi gasped suddenly, breaking the connection with Zelda and making both Impa and Eon go on alert. Volvagia, as well, was now looking all around, wondering what spooked the girl so.
"Navi, what's wrong?" Zelda's concerned voice was soft, even in the silence of the night.
"I...I just thought of something. I was thinking of the power of a Nexus, of the Great Deku Tree, and a thought suddenly hit me. Dark Link was using the Spiritual Stones, right?"
Zelda nodded, not sure where this was going. "Yes. And I think he also had the Master Sword..." Her eyes widened.
"Which means he could be using the Nexus at the Temple of Time! That's the most powerful one! Or...what if he was created by that?"
Impa shook her head, not understanding. "What do you mean?"
"What if Link-kun's travels through time-between the dark future and this past-what if those travels somehow did something to the Nexus? Travelling from a pure realm to a place where the Magic Lines were corrupt and twisted? Could that be what made this other Link-kun?"
"It's possible," Zelda said, biting her bottom lip and getting to her feet. She dusted off her tunic and breeches as she walked a bit away, thinking. "But... I never felt any malice or evil from Dark Link. Not unless Link was involved, and even then... There was no evil to it." She noticed the faerie's downcast eyes. "Oh, Navi! That doesn't mean you're wrong! You could be on the right track. I'm sure Saria will be able to tell us, as a Sage. And if not her, maybe we could find Rauru."
"Or maybe Sahasrahla will give us some insight," Impa stood as she spoke, her eyes hard. "That elder was holding back something, I'm sure of it."
"Either way, we won't know tonight. I think we should all get some sleep, and head out early tomorrow morning. Do you agree, Impa?"
The Sheikah nodded at her princess. "Yes. I'll take first watch. Eon!" The boy gulped, quickly closing his eyes and letting out a snore. Impa's eyes hardened. "Don't think I don't know you're awake! You can take second watch. ...Boy! Don't ignore me!"
Zelda and Navi both exchanged quiet giggles as the powerful female warrior vented. Volvagia sighed, a stream of smoke puffing from his nose, and fell back asleep.
The morning brought the smell of young plants and rain as Zelda opened her eyes. The sun had only just crested the horizon, painting the sky gold. Allowing her eyes to adjust, the princess sighed and rolled to a sitting position. Impa wasn't asleep, but was up and about, making breakfast. Eon sat, his naginata resting on his lap, half-awake. Guard duty was never one of his favorites. Yawning, the princess pushed herself to her feet, brushing the morning dew from her blanket and rubbing any stray dirt off her tunic and leggings.
"Impa, when are we going to set out?"
The tall woman looked to her charge from her place by the small fire. "In about an hour. The breakfast is almost done, so you should go wash up. There's a small stream over there." Pointing behind the princess, Impa went back to work, and Zelda did as she was told.
After washing her hands and face in the cool water, the young ruler went to wake Volvagia and Navi, both of who were using Link as a pillow. Navi slept in his hat, her wings curled around her, while Volvagia's snout rested on Link's chest. Holding back a giggle, Zelda quietly shook the two, holding a finger to her lips when Navi would have said something.
"Come on, time for breakfast. We'll be leaving here in about an hour, so help Impa and Eon get everything ready."
Navi nodded, stretching out her arms. Zelda was always surprised by the fact that the faerie's body was perfectly visible during dawn. She really did look like an eighteen-year-old girl. Volvagia yawned and stood, scratching behind his head.
When the two were gone, Zelda grabbed the flask of water and sat beside Link. His face was peaceful in the morning light, and she smiled. At least he wasn't in any pain. Remembering the feeling of the magic coursing through her from last night, Zelda silently thanked the forest for helping the boy.
"Link. Link, you need to wake up for a minute. You need some water or you won't get better."
The boy shifted some, but his eyes stayed shut. Puffing her cheeks out in frustration like she did every time he did this, Zelda nudged his shoulder.
"Link, wake up." Still no movement, and her voice was steadily losing its sweetness. "Link, come on, wake up."
His eyelids fluttered slightly, and she smiled. Holding the canteen to his mouth with one hand, she used the other arm to lift his head slightly. His eyes cracked open to slits, and he slowly drank some of the water. After a few gulps, his eyes closed again and she set him back down. While Impa did say that constant rest was a body's way of healing, Zelda was beginning to have her doubts.
"Sometimes I think you just pretend to be asleep, you know that?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if he did. I mean, we are similar, and I do that all the time."
She turned at Eon's comment, slightly startled. The boy could be silent when he wanted to be.
Noticing her tense, Eon put a hand behind his head, laughing quietly. "Sorry there, Zelda, didn't mean to startle you. But I came to check on Brother here and to tell you food's ready. We'll be leaving once we're done eating, so if you wanna get there fast, eat quickly."
Nodding, Zelda stood, brushing dirt off her knees. "All right. Are you coming too?"
"Nah, I ate earlier. I'm not too keen on sitting with the giant woman over there."
Giant woman? Zelda shook her head. Eon had a new name for Impa every day, it seemed.
"So, uh...any improvements?" Eon sat on his heels, arms draped over his knees, looking at Zelda out of the corner of his eyes. The girl shook her head, handing the canteen over.
"Not really. He's the same as he's been since that time he woke up. I'm sure he'll be fine in a few days, though, especially with Saria and the Deku Tree's help."
"Yeah... Who is Saria, anyway?"
"I thought Link told you...?"
Eon's eyes were hard. "Refresh my memory."
Sighing, Zelda once again took a seat beside the two boys. "Saria is Link's best friend. She's the Kokiri who basically raised him, and she's also the Sage of the Forest. The way Link talks of her sometimes, I would think she was his sister."
"A sister, huh?"
Zelda nodded. "Yes. I'm sure you'll get along fine with her. From what I remember of her, she is kind to everyone."
"I'd like to meet her. And she raised Brother, you said?"
"Yes. She's the one that found Link and Mikomi, twelve years ago."
Eon was silent for a moment. Finally, he spoke up. "Then I'd definitely like to meet her. I wanna ask her some things about Mom." Zelda didn't press him any further, even though the look in his eyes made her want to desperately ask what he already knew.
"Anyway...I need to go get some food. We'll be leaving shortly, so please don't get too comfortable." Eon nodded, and the girl once again stood and dusted herself off. Sometimes the red-headed boy confused her more than the blond one.
Impa had the food prepared and waiting for Zelda when she arrived, and it took only a matter of minutes for Zelda to finish eating. Cleaning her dish with a small amount of water, Zelda packed all her things away, ready to leave within an hour. Gathering up Navi and Volvagia, she met Eon over near Link. The younger brother was still sitting the same way she left him, but he was talking quietly to Link.
"So, you're gonna get well, right? Cause I won't forgive you if you don't get well. And neither will Saria. ...I've only seen her, in my memories. Only one time... I really wanna ask her about that, but-" He cut off abruptly.
"I'm sorry, did I interrupt?" Zelda walked forward, bending at her waist and smiling at Eon, her braid falling over her shoulder. Eon blushed slightly and shook his head. "Well, let's go, shall we?" Eon nodded and stood, then picked up Link.
"Are you sure you can carry him? He's a bit bigger than you..."
Eon snorted. "Hasn't killed me yet."
Zelda only smiled.
The walk to Kokiri Forest took no more than a few hours, and by the time they were half an hour from the border, Navi was doing swirls in the air, unable to contain herself. Much to Eon's chagrin. The small faerie constantly danced around Eon's head, doing curly-cues and dips and dives right before his eyes. Eon's language was slowly degrading into words that made even Impa pale.
Finally, Eon couldn't stand it anymore, his face red and his eyes wide.
"Ok, little faerie, this is the last time I EVER go anywhere with you, you-"
"We're heeeeere!" Navi's cry cut the obscenity right out from under Eon, and he paused, shocked. The only thing he could see was a small path through rock, with two trees before it, and at the end, a huge log.
"...Navi, this isn't anything."
"Yes it is too! This is the entrance to the Kokiri Forest!"
Eon looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Navi... That's a log. Logs don't lead to anywhere."
"Well this one does! It leads to the Kokiri Forest!"
"...Why does that not surprise me, for some reason? Only you would speak like an idiot."
"It really is the entrance to the Kokiri Forest though, Eon. Navi isn't making anything up." Zelda came up from behind, placing a gentling hand on Eon's shoulder.
Navi beamed and stuck her tongue out at the slightly twitching Eon, then flew forward, waiting for them at the entrance to the tunnel.
When everyone was assembled, Navi flew before them, her glow the brightest she could make it in the early morning.
"And now, I present to you, mine and Link-kun's home: The Kokiri Forest!" Zelda giggled as the small girl flew in circles, and then into the dark entranceway. Following quickly behind, Zelda dashed past Eon and Impa, Volvagia on her shoulder. She'd never seen the Kokiri Forest; now was her chance to.
The tunnel opened out onto a bridge. Zelda slowed, taking in her first glance of the forest.
"This is a part of the Lost Woods, Zelda." Navi's voice startled the girl, and she turned to see Navi hovering to her right, about halfway across the bridge. "Over there is an entrance into the maze. Link-kun and Navi and Saria would play here a lot. She would play the ocarina, and Link-kun and Navi would make up silly dances. And here is where we left the Kokiri Forest, and all our friends." The faerie fluttered forward a bit, a few paces before the princess.
"Link-kun was standing here, and Saria appeared, there." She pointed to where she'd been standing. "That's when Link-kun got his Faerie Ocarina from Saria, and left his childhood behind."
"Navi..." By her use of her own name, Zelda knew this was a place full of emotion for the faerie. Whenever the faerie had a lot of built-up emotion, she would always revert to speaking in the third person.
The faerie turned to face the princess then, smiling. "But we met Zelda and all our other friends out here, so that makes Navi happy! And now we get to introduce them to our old friends. I hope you'll like it here."
Zelda nodded. "I'll love it here. Being cooped up in a castle your whole life makes you appreciate the finer things in life...like open spaces." Navi giggled as the others came through the entrance, their footsteps echoing on the bridge.
"So...this is Brother's forest? Not much to it, is there...?" Eon's eyes were darting every which way, as though he was afraid of the shadows. Zelda smiled, but turned around before he could see.
Navi "hmphed." "There's more once you actually enter the forest. It's much larger than Sahasrahla's forest will ever be."
Eon stuck his tongue out at Navi, but the faerie ignored him. Instead, she turned and flew to the other end of the bridge, looking back once and then disappearing from view. Stealing a glance at Eon, Zelda smiled slightly, shaking her head, and then ran after the faerie, her braid flying out behind her.
She always knew Link grew up in a forest, but what she saw still took her by surprise. Stretching out before her were giant trees, most with doors carved into their trunks, and about fifteen children, all about her age, staring at her, with faeries fluttering about their heads. The children stared at each other, the princess trying to think of something to say, the Kokiri trying to figure out what was going on. Both were effectively frozen in place.
Until, that is, Eon burst into the clearing, Impa close behind him.
"Gah! I hate tunnels! I hate them! And especially these tunnels, they're...weird..." He finally noticed the children staring at him, and he was about to put a hand behind his head and laugh when he realised Link was still in his arms. "Oh, right! Brother! Hey, you guys, can you come help him? He's kinda hurt..." He never had a chance to finish the sentence as all fifteen children rushed forward, crowding the two boys.
"Link!"
"Link's back!"
"Saria, where's Saria...?!"
Fifteen voices all cried out at once, filling the air with childish noise. The newcomers stood in stunned silence until a mean-looking, freckled blond boy stepped forward, and the rest of the children quieted.
"Saria's been worried sick for days about that idiot, and he comes back like this? What's the meaning of it?"
"Um, excuse me..." Zelda took a step forward, a delicate hand to her chest, "but we need to find Saria. We were thinking she could help Link..."
"Link this, Link that!" The boy shouted, startling the princess. "Well, this Mido is as good as Saria! I can tell if there's something wrong with him, too. Set him down!"
Zelda nodded curtly, then motioned behind her to Eon. So this was Mido, was it? The boy Link never got along with. Looking over his twelve-year-old appearance, Zelda thought that if Navi was right about his age, he sure didn't look it.
Deciding to be polite, Zelda tried to talk to him once again. "Um, Mido, was it?" A nod. "I'm sure you can help us too, but I also need to talk to Saria. Could you tell me where she is, please?"
Mido glared up at her, his freckles showing quite clearly on his pale face. Unlike Link, this boy didn't seem to spend as much time in the sun. Or, Zelda looked around then, noticing the paleness of the children, Link may have been so dark because he was Hylian.
"Saria's-"
"Here!" The mature voice broke through his sentence, causing Mido to look behind him, up near another tunnel on a high hill. A green-clad, green-haired girl stood on a fence, waving down at them, fear filling her expression. When she noticed them notice her, she jumped off the fence to the landing below, then ran to where she could climb down some vines. Her feet were still a good ways from the ground when she jumped, running as soon as her feet touched ground. She easily jumped the next small incline, skidding to a stop beside Link.
Mido looked dejected. "Saria, you didn't have to run all this way..."
The Sage girl turned her eyes on Mido, but surprisingly to Zelda, there was no anger there. From all the Mido stories she heard, Zelda thought everyone was always mad at the freckled "boss"... "You know better than that, Mido. Go and get the rest of the Kokiri. You're the boss, so you should do it. You," she turned to Eon, "please help me carry him to his house. It's right over there." She pointed to a treehouse, settled back from the main path a bit, and Eon nodded. Picking Link up again, the red-haired boy trotted behind Saria, Zelda and the others following.
The small treehouse was cramped with everyone inside, so, after making sure Link was safe on his bed, Impa and Volvagia left, taking stances at the entrance. Eon leaned against the far wall, near the door, his arms crossed over his chest, one eye closed, the other watching his brother. Zelda took a seat by the bed, next to Saria, who was checking over Link, feeling for a temperature and placing a cool cloth on his forehead.
"Is he ok? I mean, we never noticed a temperature before this..." Zelda fidgeted, unsure of herself next to the forest girl. Saria seemed much more mature than the eleven-year-old princess felt.
"Haha, of course he's ok." The smile and laugh caught Zelda off-guard. She wasn't expecting the eldest Kokiri to laugh like a little girl. "I'm just doing this for show, since I couldn't help him before. But Link would have been fine even if you didn't come here."
"That's good." Zelda breathed a sigh of relief before she realised what she was doing. Blushing slightly at the look Saria gave her, Zelda tried to straighten skirts that weren't there. "But, um..."
"That's not the real reason you came here, I know." Saria smiled again, making Zelda feel like she was six, and was talking with her mother. "You want to ask the Sage of the Forest and the Great Deku Tree some questions. Don't worry. We'll answer what we can, but first, let's let Link heal. So, everybody out!" She stood and shooed them all from the room, ruffling Eon's hair in the process.
"I'll call you all tomorrow when he wakes up."
"How do you know he'll wake up tomorrow, huh?!" Eon threatened from the doorway.
Saria smiled, tilting her head to the side. "I just know."
The noise of birdsong woke him up. Slowly, ever so slowly, the boy's eyes peeled open, and met the sunlight that filtered through the woven roof. Groaning slightly, mainly from hunger, the boy rolled onto his side, only to yelp and clutch the soft blankets he was folded in.
He'd nearly fallen off!
Grunting, he pulled himself back onto the flat surface, his heart racing. Looking around, his eyes adjusting to the shadows, the boy noticed that he was inside. And that the surface he was on was, as his near-fall had hinted at, a bed.
Not just any bed, either.
His bed.
Link blinked and sat up slowly, his muscles tight. He didn't know how he got here or how long it took, but right then he didn't care. The familiar sounds of the early morning; the calls of the young Kokiri, the rustling of the leaves of the giant Deku Tree, and the sounds of faerie wings; all of them made him smile. His records on the wall, and his assortment of weapons all greeted him as he looked around the room.
And he smiled like he hadn't smiled in months.
Because he was finally home.
LINK NO MIKO'S LITTLE CORNER OF TALKINGNESS
Ahh! I'm so sorry! This is soooo late, and it's not even worth the wait. I know, and I'm sorry. It is true that school (I'm DONE for the summer!) and social life interfered, but I'm not making excuses. I just kinda...ignored....this story. I worked on it, but not enough. So, I'm sorry for all those who were waiting. I really am! I just hope people will still read it, despite that. And, some of you were worried, but don't worry-I will NOT abandon this story. I WILL finish it, and that's a promise.
I'm also making a change, which you should be able to notice. I'm lowering the rating. I've been debating this for a while, now. But the story turned from the original dark fic idea a long time ago, and there are worse things in lower-rated fics. This doesn't bother me, but I felt like I was lying by keeping it R. So, if anyone read this only cause it was a high rating (do people do that?), don't worry, the actual story won't change. It's still gonna be the same.
Again, sorry about the wait! I'll do better in the future. The story is gonna pick up from here, I believe, with maybe one more "relax" chapter. Not sure. Remember when I said this would be more than five chapters, and I was thinking like seven? Hahah, I have NO clue how long it's gonna be, but I hope it's worth it.
Oh yeah, about the Kokiri. I have no idea how many there are, but fifteen seemed a good number to me. I also don't know their names, so... Sorry. And also, this should be the last of the "Link-kun is out-of-the-picture" chapters. I like characterising others, but... I want him to move!
Hmm...I was also wondering. Do you want me to title chapters? Instead of Chapter Nineteen and stuff like that? If you do, I'll go back and give each chapter a name. It doesn't bother me at all.
Thank you to all of you for reading this fic. I owe a lot to you all, really.
After the fact: I tried to upload this normally, with all my bigger breaks (you know, cause it's the next day or whatnot) and it won't let me make them. ...Stupid upload... Anywho, just so you know... There is a large break after Navi's discussion and the turn to Zelda's POV, and a break between Saria's last line and Link-kun's POV, and as always one between the end and my rant corner.
The only thing keeping the faerie's spirits in check was the night sky. As long as the sun slept, there would be no travelling, and that thought sobered the small girl. But, she thought, as soon as the sun rises, we can travel again. And once inside the Kokiri Village, Saria will help heal Link-kun, Zelda Hime-sama will be able to regain her magic, and then she can travel back to the castle and be safe. Then Link-kun can find out from Saria who this other him is, and go win. Then everything will be fine again!
Smiling brightly, Navi nodded to herself. Of course Link would win against this darker version of himself. But... There was something about the young adult that didn't sit right with Navi. She needed to actually see him. Just hearing of him from Link and Eon wasn't enough-the faerie needed to see this danger to her beloved Link.
Sighing, she settled herself on the tall grass of Hyrule Field, scratching at it with her nails. Small bolts of energy flowed through the plant and into her fingers, and she allowed herself to smile. The magic of the forest was stronger tonight. Looking up, she noticed the stars shining extra bright, and her face lit up. That was definitely a good sign! Before she could stop herself, Navi started giggling, drawing the attention of Zelda and Impa, who sat a short ways away by the fire. Eon and Volvagia slept near Link, the red-haired boy using a rock as a pillow, and Volvagia in turn using Eon as a bed. Link was wrapped up tightly in a blanket, sleeping peacefully.
"Navi...?" The princess' soft voice stopped Navi, but her smile stayed plastered to her face.
"Yes, Zelda Hime-sama?"
The princess sighed. "Please, just call me Zelda. We don't need titles between any of us."
Navi nodded, but didn't reply. Instead, she stood, her bare feet gripping the blade of grass tightly. Within seconds, the magic within her joined that of the ground, and the faerie closed her eyes and titled her head back. Interested, Zelda crept a bit closer.
"What are you doing? Why were you giggling earlier?"
Now Navi did reply, her eyes still closed and face pointed at the sky. "Because of the stars."
Zelda blinked, then looked up. Seeing nothing drastic, the princess turned once more to the faerie. "The stars...?"
"Yes," Navi nodded her head with the reply. "The stars are brighter tonight, and that's always a good sign. When the stars shine brightly, magic works stronger. And in this case, the magic is directed at Link-kun."
"How can you tell that?" Impa knelt down beside the princess, her usually reserved face containing a hint of curiosity.
"I can feel it."
"And how do you feel it, Navi?" Zelda's voice was gentle, but Navi could hear the slight disbelief in it.
"Through the grass. Zelda, you have strong magic, can't you feel it?"
The girl shook her head. "No, I can't. But you still haven't told me what you're doing."
Navi nodded. "I'm helping to channel magic." She received blank stares and sighed, opening her eyes and facing the two Hylians. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" Two head shakes. "Alright, then, I'll explain.
"The world has many, many paths that magic flows along. Some are small, while others are huge and span great areas. These paths are called Magic Lines, and they are all connected. Where they connect is called a Nexus, and it's in those places where you find the most powerful magic. Great Faerie Fountains, the Great Deku Tree, Temples...all these places are where Magic Lines connect. Within the Lost Woods there lies a strong Magic Line, and the flows can be felt out here. The other closest one goes below LonLon Ranch."
"But Navi," Zelda interrupted, "this still doesn't explain how you're channelling magic...."
"I was getting to that. But you needed to know some background, first." She said that as though it was the simplest thing in the world to comprehend. "Anyway, faeries all have the ability to manipulate Magic Lines to some extent. By merging our magic, we can concentrate it and direct the magic towards a certain goal. That's why, when I felt the magic through the grass, I knew it was being directed towards Link-kun." Navi beamed.
"And this deals with stars how?" Impa's gruff voice broke into the conversation.
"Oh, well," Navi shrugged, "stars are faeries."
Zelda blinked in surprise. "Stars are faeries?"
Navi gave the girl a long-suffering look. "Well, yeah, of course. Where do you think faeries come from?"
"I...I never thought of that..."
"Obviously." Impa glared at the faerie, and Navi smiled sheepishly. "Er, where was I? Oh yeah. Faeries are all born from the Faerie Tree, which is...that, "she pointed to the east, at a grouping of five stars, "constellation, right there. I told Link-kun this story when he was younger, so I'll tell you, too.
"The Faerie Tree is made of five stars. The two vertical stars are the trunk, and the three stars spread above those are the goddess stars. Every hundred years, the three goddess stars shine brightly, filling the sky with light, and then fade away. From them, faeries fall to the earth. The last time this happened was...eighteen years ago. That was when I was born."
"You're only eighteen years old? I thought you'd be older." Zelda smiled as she brushed a finger over Navi's wings, making the faerie giggle.
"Only young faeries are allowed to be Kokiri guardians. Older faeries reside in Faerie Fountains, or with the Great Faeries, and help tend to Magic Lines."
"So, what if there aren't enough Kokiri for the new-born faeries?"
Navi blinked. This conversation was quickly taking a different route than when it started, but she didn't mind. "Um...there are never more faeries born than Kokiri who need them. Well...usually..." She trailed off. While she didn't mind explaining some faerie lore, she wasn't sure this was something the princess needed to know.
"Usually...?" Zelda's voice broke Navi's thoughts, and the faerie nodded.
"Yeah..."
Zelda smiled, sensing something was wrong. "It's ok, you don't have to tell us. We kind of left our original conversation behind, anyway..."
"No, it's ok!" Navi interrupted. "It's just... No one ever asks about things like this, so I have to think of how to answer. Usually..." she paused, collecting her thoughts. How to explain? "Usually, faeries are born about a year or so before the Kokiri. This enables a faerie to learn certain things that will allow her to help her charge grow. Sometimes, though, that doesn't happen. Like with Saria..."
"Saria? That's Link's friend, right?" Zelda's voice rose slightly, and Eon stirred, unnoticed. Cracking open an eye, the boy listened closely, interested.
"Yes... She's the eldest Kokiri. Well...now." Navi suddenly stopped, looking around her cautiously. "Don't tell her I told you this, ok? She's kinda...protective...of her age..." Zelda, Impa, and even Eon, nodded. "Well, Saria was born with the last group of faeries-not my group, the one before. Which is strange, because she was born at the same time as her faerie."
"So that would make her one-hundred eighteen years old?" Impa asked.
"Shhh, not so loud! But yes, that would. Everyone thought it was strange, that a new Kokiri was born so early, and with such intelligence. Saria was always a quick learner, and she knew more at her young age than most of the older Kokiri. A few years after she was born, though, the elder Kokiri died. He was really old, and didn't mind, but Saria was really sad. He was her big brother, after all... Eventually, all Kokiri die, just like their father."
"I thought the Kokiri were immortal..."
Navi shook her head. "No. People think that because Kokiri live through many generations. The last elder before Saria was...eight-hundred some-odd years old. But that's beside the point. About fifty years after Saria was born, Mido and the Know-it-All brothers were born, which was also strange. If a Kokiri is going to be born, they are born within a few years of their faerie. That was a sure sign that something big was going to happen later. By then, Saria was nearly all by herself, as the previous Kokiri were dead or had left the village."
"I thought Kokiri couldn't leave the forest..." Zelda piped in.
"They can't. Well...they can, but if they do, they age. So they might as well die. But even Saria doesn't know why the others left, or where they went. I'm guessing they went farther into the forest, through the Lost Woods, but I was never told. By the time the twins and the rest of the Kokiri were born, only those five were in the village. That was seventeen years ago."
"And you were around, then." Impa, despite her reservations, was fully interested in the story.
"Yes. But there was something wrong. I was the extra faerie. While all the others were given Kokiri, I was left behind with the Great Deku Tree, and he raised me, teaching me things no other faerie learned. I was taught the names and weaknesses of all the creatures of the realm, as well as many, many languages-all dead, now-and the layout and history of Hyrule." She nodded at Zelda, stopping the princess before she could ask the question Navi already knew she would. "Yes, that's why I know of Saria and the Kokiri before her. But I never knew why I was separated, until Mikomi came into the forest."
"Is that when you first met Link?"
"Yes. I was there with Saria when Mikomi gave her Link. And then I knew why I was trained that way. Because I knew that Link-kun would be the Hero of Time, and he would need my help."
Impa scratched her cheek, then brought up a question that had been on her mind since Navi began talking of the history of the Kokiri and faeries. "So, if faeries are born every hundred years, and there are only a limited number of Kokiri... How does that work out?"
"Well, Kokiri aren't born every hundred years. They're only born when the older ones are ageing, or if many have died."
Impa's eyes hardened. "But you said young faeries all had Kokiri..."
"I don't remember saying 'all.' Not all faeries are born for the sake of Kokiri, you know. We help around everywhere. If a young faerie isn't born above the Great Deku Tree-which is how we know there'll be Kokiri, I sorta forgot to mention that-if they aren't born there, then they have a different purpose. But they don't join in keeping Magic Lines secure until they are older."
Zelda tilted her head to the side. "So...what do these other faeries do, then?"
Navi shrugged. "Tend crops, protect animals, things like that."
Zelda nodded. "Oh."
There was a silence after that, as everyone soaked in that information. Suddenly, though, Zelda began to giggle, and Navi frowned.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," the princess calmed herself down slowly, shaking her head at Navi's accusation. "It's just...I originally asked you why you were giggling, and the conversation completely turned from the original goal. And I don't know that any of us really noticed that."
Navi blinked, then giggled, too. "Yeah, you're right. Heh. It did sorta swerve around, didn't it? What was the original question?"
Impa was also smiling. "Something along the lines of why the stars shining was a good thing."
"Ahh, yeah." Navi sobered slightly, but she was still smiling. "I can feel it in the earth, that the stars are adding their magic to the Line in order to help heal Link-kun. Here, Zelda, give me your hand."
The princess did as she was instructed, and placed her hand to the ground. Navi placed her own above it, closing her eyes and concentrating. When the princess gasped in surprise, the faerie opened her eyes, smiling,
"You can feel it?"
Zelda nodded. "Yes. It tingles. But I can feel the flow of magic directing itself towards Link. But why is that?"
"Because everyone loves Link-kun. Within this forest, everything knows him, and knows what he's done for us. This is the only way they can think of to repay him."
They stayed there for a while, Zelda revelling in this new feeling, and Navi thinking of the magic she could feel. The Magic Line within the Lost Woods was powerful, there was no doubt about that. The fact that it could be felt outside the confines of the forest was proof. And the Deku Tree was the Nexus of that Line, and many others, as well. The power generated was immense.
The power of a Nexus...
Navi gasped suddenly, breaking the connection with Zelda and making both Impa and Eon go on alert. Volvagia, as well, was now looking all around, wondering what spooked the girl so.
"Navi, what's wrong?" Zelda's concerned voice was soft, even in the silence of the night.
"I...I just thought of something. I was thinking of the power of a Nexus, of the Great Deku Tree, and a thought suddenly hit me. Dark Link was using the Spiritual Stones, right?"
Zelda nodded, not sure where this was going. "Yes. And I think he also had the Master Sword..." Her eyes widened.
"Which means he could be using the Nexus at the Temple of Time! That's the most powerful one! Or...what if he was created by that?"
Impa shook her head, not understanding. "What do you mean?"
"What if Link-kun's travels through time-between the dark future and this past-what if those travels somehow did something to the Nexus? Travelling from a pure realm to a place where the Magic Lines were corrupt and twisted? Could that be what made this other Link-kun?"
"It's possible," Zelda said, biting her bottom lip and getting to her feet. She dusted off her tunic and breeches as she walked a bit away, thinking. "But... I never felt any malice or evil from Dark Link. Not unless Link was involved, and even then... There was no evil to it." She noticed the faerie's downcast eyes. "Oh, Navi! That doesn't mean you're wrong! You could be on the right track. I'm sure Saria will be able to tell us, as a Sage. And if not her, maybe we could find Rauru."
"Or maybe Sahasrahla will give us some insight," Impa stood as she spoke, her eyes hard. "That elder was holding back something, I'm sure of it."
"Either way, we won't know tonight. I think we should all get some sleep, and head out early tomorrow morning. Do you agree, Impa?"
The Sheikah nodded at her princess. "Yes. I'll take first watch. Eon!" The boy gulped, quickly closing his eyes and letting out a snore. Impa's eyes hardened. "Don't think I don't know you're awake! You can take second watch. ...Boy! Don't ignore me!"
Zelda and Navi both exchanged quiet giggles as the powerful female warrior vented. Volvagia sighed, a stream of smoke puffing from his nose, and fell back asleep.
The morning brought the smell of young plants and rain as Zelda opened her eyes. The sun had only just crested the horizon, painting the sky gold. Allowing her eyes to adjust, the princess sighed and rolled to a sitting position. Impa wasn't asleep, but was up and about, making breakfast. Eon sat, his naginata resting on his lap, half-awake. Guard duty was never one of his favorites. Yawning, the princess pushed herself to her feet, brushing the morning dew from her blanket and rubbing any stray dirt off her tunic and leggings.
"Impa, when are we going to set out?"
The tall woman looked to her charge from her place by the small fire. "In about an hour. The breakfast is almost done, so you should go wash up. There's a small stream over there." Pointing behind the princess, Impa went back to work, and Zelda did as she was told.
After washing her hands and face in the cool water, the young ruler went to wake Volvagia and Navi, both of who were using Link as a pillow. Navi slept in his hat, her wings curled around her, while Volvagia's snout rested on Link's chest. Holding back a giggle, Zelda quietly shook the two, holding a finger to her lips when Navi would have said something.
"Come on, time for breakfast. We'll be leaving here in about an hour, so help Impa and Eon get everything ready."
Navi nodded, stretching out her arms. Zelda was always surprised by the fact that the faerie's body was perfectly visible during dawn. She really did look like an eighteen-year-old girl. Volvagia yawned and stood, scratching behind his head.
When the two were gone, Zelda grabbed the flask of water and sat beside Link. His face was peaceful in the morning light, and she smiled. At least he wasn't in any pain. Remembering the feeling of the magic coursing through her from last night, Zelda silently thanked the forest for helping the boy.
"Link. Link, you need to wake up for a minute. You need some water or you won't get better."
The boy shifted some, but his eyes stayed shut. Puffing her cheeks out in frustration like she did every time he did this, Zelda nudged his shoulder.
"Link, wake up." Still no movement, and her voice was steadily losing its sweetness. "Link, come on, wake up."
His eyelids fluttered slightly, and she smiled. Holding the canteen to his mouth with one hand, she used the other arm to lift his head slightly. His eyes cracked open to slits, and he slowly drank some of the water. After a few gulps, his eyes closed again and she set him back down. While Impa did say that constant rest was a body's way of healing, Zelda was beginning to have her doubts.
"Sometimes I think you just pretend to be asleep, you know that?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if he did. I mean, we are similar, and I do that all the time."
She turned at Eon's comment, slightly startled. The boy could be silent when he wanted to be.
Noticing her tense, Eon put a hand behind his head, laughing quietly. "Sorry there, Zelda, didn't mean to startle you. But I came to check on Brother here and to tell you food's ready. We'll be leaving once we're done eating, so if you wanna get there fast, eat quickly."
Nodding, Zelda stood, brushing dirt off her knees. "All right. Are you coming too?"
"Nah, I ate earlier. I'm not too keen on sitting with the giant woman over there."
Giant woman? Zelda shook her head. Eon had a new name for Impa every day, it seemed.
"So, uh...any improvements?" Eon sat on his heels, arms draped over his knees, looking at Zelda out of the corner of his eyes. The girl shook her head, handing the canteen over.
"Not really. He's the same as he's been since that time he woke up. I'm sure he'll be fine in a few days, though, especially with Saria and the Deku Tree's help."
"Yeah... Who is Saria, anyway?"
"I thought Link told you...?"
Eon's eyes were hard. "Refresh my memory."
Sighing, Zelda once again took a seat beside the two boys. "Saria is Link's best friend. She's the Kokiri who basically raised him, and she's also the Sage of the Forest. The way Link talks of her sometimes, I would think she was his sister."
"A sister, huh?"
Zelda nodded. "Yes. I'm sure you'll get along fine with her. From what I remember of her, she is kind to everyone."
"I'd like to meet her. And she raised Brother, you said?"
"Yes. She's the one that found Link and Mikomi, twelve years ago."
Eon was silent for a moment. Finally, he spoke up. "Then I'd definitely like to meet her. I wanna ask her some things about Mom." Zelda didn't press him any further, even though the look in his eyes made her want to desperately ask what he already knew.
"Anyway...I need to go get some food. We'll be leaving shortly, so please don't get too comfortable." Eon nodded, and the girl once again stood and dusted herself off. Sometimes the red-headed boy confused her more than the blond one.
Impa had the food prepared and waiting for Zelda when she arrived, and it took only a matter of minutes for Zelda to finish eating. Cleaning her dish with a small amount of water, Zelda packed all her things away, ready to leave within an hour. Gathering up Navi and Volvagia, she met Eon over near Link. The younger brother was still sitting the same way she left him, but he was talking quietly to Link.
"So, you're gonna get well, right? Cause I won't forgive you if you don't get well. And neither will Saria. ...I've only seen her, in my memories. Only one time... I really wanna ask her about that, but-" He cut off abruptly.
"I'm sorry, did I interrupt?" Zelda walked forward, bending at her waist and smiling at Eon, her braid falling over her shoulder. Eon blushed slightly and shook his head. "Well, let's go, shall we?" Eon nodded and stood, then picked up Link.
"Are you sure you can carry him? He's a bit bigger than you..."
Eon snorted. "Hasn't killed me yet."
Zelda only smiled.
The walk to Kokiri Forest took no more than a few hours, and by the time they were half an hour from the border, Navi was doing swirls in the air, unable to contain herself. Much to Eon's chagrin. The small faerie constantly danced around Eon's head, doing curly-cues and dips and dives right before his eyes. Eon's language was slowly degrading into words that made even Impa pale.
Finally, Eon couldn't stand it anymore, his face red and his eyes wide.
"Ok, little faerie, this is the last time I EVER go anywhere with you, you-"
"We're heeeeere!" Navi's cry cut the obscenity right out from under Eon, and he paused, shocked. The only thing he could see was a small path through rock, with two trees before it, and at the end, a huge log.
"...Navi, this isn't anything."
"Yes it is too! This is the entrance to the Kokiri Forest!"
Eon looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Navi... That's a log. Logs don't lead to anywhere."
"Well this one does! It leads to the Kokiri Forest!"
"...Why does that not surprise me, for some reason? Only you would speak like an idiot."
"It really is the entrance to the Kokiri Forest though, Eon. Navi isn't making anything up." Zelda came up from behind, placing a gentling hand on Eon's shoulder.
Navi beamed and stuck her tongue out at the slightly twitching Eon, then flew forward, waiting for them at the entrance to the tunnel.
When everyone was assembled, Navi flew before them, her glow the brightest she could make it in the early morning.
"And now, I present to you, mine and Link-kun's home: The Kokiri Forest!" Zelda giggled as the small girl flew in circles, and then into the dark entranceway. Following quickly behind, Zelda dashed past Eon and Impa, Volvagia on her shoulder. She'd never seen the Kokiri Forest; now was her chance to.
The tunnel opened out onto a bridge. Zelda slowed, taking in her first glance of the forest.
"This is a part of the Lost Woods, Zelda." Navi's voice startled the girl, and she turned to see Navi hovering to her right, about halfway across the bridge. "Over there is an entrance into the maze. Link-kun and Navi and Saria would play here a lot. She would play the ocarina, and Link-kun and Navi would make up silly dances. And here is where we left the Kokiri Forest, and all our friends." The faerie fluttered forward a bit, a few paces before the princess.
"Link-kun was standing here, and Saria appeared, there." She pointed to where she'd been standing. "That's when Link-kun got his Faerie Ocarina from Saria, and left his childhood behind."
"Navi..." By her use of her own name, Zelda knew this was a place full of emotion for the faerie. Whenever the faerie had a lot of built-up emotion, she would always revert to speaking in the third person.
The faerie turned to face the princess then, smiling. "But we met Zelda and all our other friends out here, so that makes Navi happy! And now we get to introduce them to our old friends. I hope you'll like it here."
Zelda nodded. "I'll love it here. Being cooped up in a castle your whole life makes you appreciate the finer things in life...like open spaces." Navi giggled as the others came through the entrance, their footsteps echoing on the bridge.
"So...this is Brother's forest? Not much to it, is there...?" Eon's eyes were darting every which way, as though he was afraid of the shadows. Zelda smiled, but turned around before he could see.
Navi "hmphed." "There's more once you actually enter the forest. It's much larger than Sahasrahla's forest will ever be."
Eon stuck his tongue out at Navi, but the faerie ignored him. Instead, she turned and flew to the other end of the bridge, looking back once and then disappearing from view. Stealing a glance at Eon, Zelda smiled slightly, shaking her head, and then ran after the faerie, her braid flying out behind her.
She always knew Link grew up in a forest, but what she saw still took her by surprise. Stretching out before her were giant trees, most with doors carved into their trunks, and about fifteen children, all about her age, staring at her, with faeries fluttering about their heads. The children stared at each other, the princess trying to think of something to say, the Kokiri trying to figure out what was going on. Both were effectively frozen in place.
Until, that is, Eon burst into the clearing, Impa close behind him.
"Gah! I hate tunnels! I hate them! And especially these tunnels, they're...weird..." He finally noticed the children staring at him, and he was about to put a hand behind his head and laugh when he realised Link was still in his arms. "Oh, right! Brother! Hey, you guys, can you come help him? He's kinda hurt..." He never had a chance to finish the sentence as all fifteen children rushed forward, crowding the two boys.
"Link!"
"Link's back!"
"Saria, where's Saria...?!"
Fifteen voices all cried out at once, filling the air with childish noise. The newcomers stood in stunned silence until a mean-looking, freckled blond boy stepped forward, and the rest of the children quieted.
"Saria's been worried sick for days about that idiot, and he comes back like this? What's the meaning of it?"
"Um, excuse me..." Zelda took a step forward, a delicate hand to her chest, "but we need to find Saria. We were thinking she could help Link..."
"Link this, Link that!" The boy shouted, startling the princess. "Well, this Mido is as good as Saria! I can tell if there's something wrong with him, too. Set him down!"
Zelda nodded curtly, then motioned behind her to Eon. So this was Mido, was it? The boy Link never got along with. Looking over his twelve-year-old appearance, Zelda thought that if Navi was right about his age, he sure didn't look it.
Deciding to be polite, Zelda tried to talk to him once again. "Um, Mido, was it?" A nod. "I'm sure you can help us too, but I also need to talk to Saria. Could you tell me where she is, please?"
Mido glared up at her, his freckles showing quite clearly on his pale face. Unlike Link, this boy didn't seem to spend as much time in the sun. Or, Zelda looked around then, noticing the paleness of the children, Link may have been so dark because he was Hylian.
"Saria's-"
"Here!" The mature voice broke through his sentence, causing Mido to look behind him, up near another tunnel on a high hill. A green-clad, green-haired girl stood on a fence, waving down at them, fear filling her expression. When she noticed them notice her, she jumped off the fence to the landing below, then ran to where she could climb down some vines. Her feet were still a good ways from the ground when she jumped, running as soon as her feet touched ground. She easily jumped the next small incline, skidding to a stop beside Link.
Mido looked dejected. "Saria, you didn't have to run all this way..."
The Sage girl turned her eyes on Mido, but surprisingly to Zelda, there was no anger there. From all the Mido stories she heard, Zelda thought everyone was always mad at the freckled "boss"... "You know better than that, Mido. Go and get the rest of the Kokiri. You're the boss, so you should do it. You," she turned to Eon, "please help me carry him to his house. It's right over there." She pointed to a treehouse, settled back from the main path a bit, and Eon nodded. Picking Link up again, the red-haired boy trotted behind Saria, Zelda and the others following.
The small treehouse was cramped with everyone inside, so, after making sure Link was safe on his bed, Impa and Volvagia left, taking stances at the entrance. Eon leaned against the far wall, near the door, his arms crossed over his chest, one eye closed, the other watching his brother. Zelda took a seat by the bed, next to Saria, who was checking over Link, feeling for a temperature and placing a cool cloth on his forehead.
"Is he ok? I mean, we never noticed a temperature before this..." Zelda fidgeted, unsure of herself next to the forest girl. Saria seemed much more mature than the eleven-year-old princess felt.
"Haha, of course he's ok." The smile and laugh caught Zelda off-guard. She wasn't expecting the eldest Kokiri to laugh like a little girl. "I'm just doing this for show, since I couldn't help him before. But Link would have been fine even if you didn't come here."
"That's good." Zelda breathed a sigh of relief before she realised what she was doing. Blushing slightly at the look Saria gave her, Zelda tried to straighten skirts that weren't there. "But, um..."
"That's not the real reason you came here, I know." Saria smiled again, making Zelda feel like she was six, and was talking with her mother. "You want to ask the Sage of the Forest and the Great Deku Tree some questions. Don't worry. We'll answer what we can, but first, let's let Link heal. So, everybody out!" She stood and shooed them all from the room, ruffling Eon's hair in the process.
"I'll call you all tomorrow when he wakes up."
"How do you know he'll wake up tomorrow, huh?!" Eon threatened from the doorway.
Saria smiled, tilting her head to the side. "I just know."
The noise of birdsong woke him up. Slowly, ever so slowly, the boy's eyes peeled open, and met the sunlight that filtered through the woven roof. Groaning slightly, mainly from hunger, the boy rolled onto his side, only to yelp and clutch the soft blankets he was folded in.
He'd nearly fallen off!
Grunting, he pulled himself back onto the flat surface, his heart racing. Looking around, his eyes adjusting to the shadows, the boy noticed that he was inside. And that the surface he was on was, as his near-fall had hinted at, a bed.
Not just any bed, either.
His bed.
Link blinked and sat up slowly, his muscles tight. He didn't know how he got here or how long it took, but right then he didn't care. The familiar sounds of the early morning; the calls of the young Kokiri, the rustling of the leaves of the giant Deku Tree, and the sounds of faerie wings; all of them made him smile. His records on the wall, and his assortment of weapons all greeted him as he looked around the room.
And he smiled like he hadn't smiled in months.
Because he was finally home.
LINK NO MIKO'S LITTLE CORNER OF TALKINGNESS
Ahh! I'm so sorry! This is soooo late, and it's not even worth the wait. I know, and I'm sorry. It is true that school (I'm DONE for the summer!) and social life interfered, but I'm not making excuses. I just kinda...ignored....this story. I worked on it, but not enough. So, I'm sorry for all those who were waiting. I really am! I just hope people will still read it, despite that. And, some of you were worried, but don't worry-I will NOT abandon this story. I WILL finish it, and that's a promise.
I'm also making a change, which you should be able to notice. I'm lowering the rating. I've been debating this for a while, now. But the story turned from the original dark fic idea a long time ago, and there are worse things in lower-rated fics. This doesn't bother me, but I felt like I was lying by keeping it R. So, if anyone read this only cause it was a high rating (do people do that?), don't worry, the actual story won't change. It's still gonna be the same.
Again, sorry about the wait! I'll do better in the future. The story is gonna pick up from here, I believe, with maybe one more "relax" chapter. Not sure. Remember when I said this would be more than five chapters, and I was thinking like seven? Hahah, I have NO clue how long it's gonna be, but I hope it's worth it.
Oh yeah, about the Kokiri. I have no idea how many there are, but fifteen seemed a good number to me. I also don't know their names, so... Sorry. And also, this should be the last of the "Link-kun is out-of-the-picture" chapters. I like characterising others, but... I want him to move!
Hmm...I was also wondering. Do you want me to title chapters? Instead of Chapter Nineteen and stuff like that? If you do, I'll go back and give each chapter a name. It doesn't bother me at all.
Thank you to all of you for reading this fic. I owe a lot to you all, really.
After the fact: I tried to upload this normally, with all my bigger breaks (you know, cause it's the next day or whatnot) and it won't let me make them. ...Stupid upload... Anywho, just so you know... There is a large break after Navi's discussion and the turn to Zelda's POV, and a break between Saria's last line and Link-kun's POV, and as always one between the end and my rant corner.
