Author's note: Yup... I'm just pounding these things out, aren't I? I just started formatting this with HTML, instead of just WYSIWYG, so if you catch any problems, lemme know, so I can fix 'em, okay? Sorry, this is a long one. :-
Chapter 17: The Forest for the Trees
Ah... The story of my life. I surfaced from the void to the sound of voices. Discussing me, of course. It was starting to get old.
"What are we going to do? We can not keep him. He is an adult, and you well know that we are forbidden to associate with the likes of him."
"The Great Deku Tree said..."
"I know what the Great Deku Tree said, Saria. All the same, I do not think we can trust this... man."
I was starting to feel a sense of deja vu. After all, wasn't this how I entered this travesty of reality in the first place? I was getting tired of being talked over, either way. "Where am I?" I managed, still trying to figure out why my head felt as though it would float away if given half the chance.
"He is awake! Oh, we are in for it now, Saria."
"You are in the Kokiri forest. I am Saria, and this is Mido."
"Saria? The Sage of the Forest?" I thought instantly of the fairy ocarina burning a hole in my backpack. If she knew Link had given it away... But it didn't seem to be something I needed to worry about, because, judging by the face she gave me, she wasn't really willing to discuss such things in Mido's presence. Not that I blamed her. If I remembered correctly, Mido was something of an ass. And, based on his reaction, he didn't remember ANY of the events of the previous ten years or so.
"Saria? What is he talking about?" But Saria just shook her head, and shot me a look that clearly told me to shut my trap, if I knew what was good for me. Fine. But I filed it away for future reference. Maybe SHE would have a clue what was going on around here.
"Never mind, Mido. Now, why don't you go get our guest something to eat?" She smiled at me compassionately, and I found myself having trouble believing that this... child... was really hundreds of years old. She seemed so innocent. Yet, at the same time, there was definitely something mature in here eyes. Very non-childlike. Too intelligent.
At first, I thought Mido would argue. He definitely seemed leery of leaving her alone with me, anyway. But, after a moment, he turned and stormed out without a word.
"Now... What to do with you?" She watched me intently, her strangely adult eyes holding mine. Too my shame, I looked away first. It was seriously unnerving.
"Hey! Listen!" A small, piping voice chimed in. It took me a second to realize that there was a fairy sitting on my bag. "Look what I found! The fairy ocarina!" The small ball of light danced back and forth, obviously proud of itself.
My cheeks burned, and I grabbed my bag and clutched it possessively. "He gave it to me. I didn't ask for it. It was his choice, not mine."
But Saria had other things on his mind. "You've seen Link? How is he? Has he gotten himself into trouble again? Is that why he sent you? Why the Other attacked your mind? Did he give you a message for me? TELL ME!" But her stream petered out when she saw my face. "Oh. You're one of THOSE, aren't you?" She patted my hand consolingly. "I know how you feel. I once thought he loved me, too. But such things are not for the Hero of Time. He must remain aloof, separate, if he is to keep the world safe from the likes of the Other." She nodded to the bag, still pressed against my chest. "Keep the ocarina. I'm glad he found a use for it. He doesn't need it, after all. He has the Ocarina of Time."
"Thank you..." I wasn't going to cry. I was NOT going to cry... I silently cursed myself as the tears began to trickle down my cheek. Saria was obviously nonplused, but she reached over and touched my shoulder, trying to console me. Except, as soon as her skin touched mine, she gasped, and leapt to her feet.
"So THAT'S why the Other wants you so much!" Her expression was almost impossible to read, but I could have sworn there was fear mixed in there, somewhere. "We cannot wait for Mido to return. You must see the Deku Tree immediately!" And she was pulling me by the arm with a strength that belied her small stature, pulling me towards the small clearing in the back of the forest where the Kokiri children made there home.
"Great Deku Tree! I have brought the boy, as you have commanded!" She shouted, as we rounded the final corner. Even knowing everything I knew, I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Though the Tree hadn't grown much in the three or four -How long HAD it been, anyway?- years since Ocarina of Time 'took place,' he was still three or four times my height. I had to crane my neck to look into his... its? eyes.
"Ah, at last, I meet thee face to face, Sir Colt of the Clan Scorpia." I winced at the title, but it was my own damn fault, I guess. Take it like a man. "We have much to discuss, and increasingly less time. Thou art well, I hope. I fear what news I possess doth not be good. As thou no doubt knowest, the Other hath begun to wreak havoc upon our land of Hyrule. Should the Hero of Time fail, all will be for naught."
"What does this have to do with ME?" I protested. I was REALLY getting tired of having choices explained as though I'd already made a decision. Saria nudged me with an elbow, and I grunted, but the Deku Tree continued on as if he hadn't noticed what she'd done.
"If thou wilt give me but a moment, Sir Colt, I shall make all things evident. The Other seeketh the Oracles. For what reason, I know not, but I can tell thee that should he find them, the Land of Hyrule shall be forfeit. Already thou hast thwarted him in finding the first two, but alas, as thou knowest, he did find the conduit to the Oracle of Courage, thus thwarting you in turn."
Wait wait wait... What? What had I done so far to 'thwart' anyone? All I'd done was manage to get the Princess kidnaped, and try my damnedest to get out of this psychotic fairytale. "I object!" Saria's elbow flew again, but I moved out of the way. I was pissed, and no ten year old brat was going to get in my way. "Look, I've done nothing but cause trouble! I've been beaten, abused, scorched, and attacked and had my heart stepped on, and now I want to go home. I'm tired of people talking as though I've done some great service to the world. I'm not Hylian. I'm Californian.
"Furthermore, I don't know about any 'Other' anything... I don't want to save the world, I just want to get the hell out of here! So, if you'll kindly show me to the last Oracle, I'll just be on my way." I paused in my tirade, when I realized that both Saria and the Tree were looking at me with eyes wide.
Saria was the first to recover. "You mean... All this time? All the things you've done... And you DON'T EVEN KNOW? How long has the scorpion on your arm been blue, 'Sir' Colt? How about the scar on your palm? The one that's shaped like the Triforce? Where did THAT come from?" I gaped, as I realized she was right. Somehow, along the line, the triangle of the Golden Power had been burned into my palm. "The music... All the Sages heard it, you know. It was the only reason the Princess was able to hold on as long as she did. Because of YOU. As for whether or not you are a Hylian... Hylian is just a name. A word. It's a race that's been long dead, and is more an IDEAL than a concept. You proved yourself a Hylian when you defeated the Dragon in Pyria Town? We knew about that, you know. We've known everything you've done since you got here."
"What? How?" But even as I said it, I knew. How could I have been so stupid? The ocarina; they watched me through the ocarina. "So, everything? The room at the inn, the duet, the way I feel about Link? A FUCKING FABRICATION? Why? To watch me? To keep an eye on the wild card? How dare you! I want NO part in any of this, anymore! This has nothing to do with me..." Tears were streaming down my face, and I collapsed to my knees. "I don't want any part of your games. I don't want any place in your wars. The Other... has nothing to do with me. Please..." I was begging now. "Let me go home. I miss my mother. I miss Amy... I miss everyone."
"You IDIOT! Do you not understand? This has EVERYTHING to do with you! The Other is..."
"SARIA!" The Deku Tree raged, shaking leaves down from its branches. "The boy wishes to go home. Very well, Sir Colt." The title embarrassed me, made me regret my outburst, but the Deku Tree was not mocking me. He looked down at me with something that bordered on regret. "I wish I could change thy mind, Sir Colt. But, alas, we did deal thee an unfair hand. I will show thee to the Oracle of Courage. Be forewarned, however, that the answer the Oracle giveth thee may not be the answer thou seekest. If it doth not show thee the way home, I do hope thou wilt take what I have told thee into consideration. These are dangerous times."
I nodded, and got to my feet. "If the Oracle doesn't give me the answer I need, I WILL find another way. But, I promise this. If, in my quest to find a way home, I can assist you with the 'Other', I will do everything in my power. This, I swear to you." I said it, and I didn't quite like how it felt as though I'd just sealed my own fate. But the Deku Tree looked satisfied, as did Saria.
"Very well, I will show thee to the Oracle." There was a rustling of branches, and a path I'd not seen before opened up before me. I started towards it, and saw Saria move as if to follow, but the Tree spoke up again. "Not thee, Saria. We have much to discuss. He shall be fine." She stopped, and watched me go. I was sad, now, that I had snapped at them. She wasn't such a bad person... She didn't deserve to have me go all Darth Rosenburg on her.
The path itself was dark, bordered by thick, thorny bramble on all sides. Several times, I brushed up against the sides of the corridor of foliage, and, though it was full of spines, found myself unharmed. Almost as if the vines moved to prevent me from snagging myself. I could almost pity anyone who tried to get in uninvited.
Eventually the path opened into a vast room, decorated with the same bramble that adorned the 'hallway'. And there, floating on a pedestal that would have been undistinguishable from the others I'd seen, was the Oracle. Nothing more than a green triangle with an inner section missing, it was identical to the conduits I'd seen. But this wasn't a conduit. It was the real thing. It made me wonder why they bothered with the conduits at all.
As luck would have it, I soon had my answer. I placed my hand on the smooth green surface, and screamed. Pain lanced up my arm, lodging itself into my brain, and the world shimmered. I vomited, once, twice, on hands and knees. And as quickly as it had come, it was gone. I stood, noticing with mixed feelings that I was once again in my birthday suit. I tried to remember if I'd been naked in the Oracle of Wisdom, and couldn't. The shock of seeing Riley again had driven all thought of that out of my mind.
Speaking of Riley, I turned, expecting to see someone standing there, waiting to answer my question. But there was no one. "Hello?"
And then, there he was. Definitely not who I expected. Bryant, the poor sap I'd come apart on back in California -had it really only been last week?- stood there, watching me intently. Noticing that I'd seen him, he stepped forward and spoke the now-familiar phrase. "I cannot stay long. I am here to answer your question. No more, no less. Ask."
I had a sinking feeling my answer would be just as unclear as the previous two, but what choice did I have? "How do I get home?"
A beat. And then "The way from this prison is not easy. Do not be afraid of what is to come. You must find the courage to face the unknown. You can face what needs to be done." And that was all. He turned from me, but before he vanished, he offered me one final phrase. "I want you, Colt. Be careful, please?" And he was gone.
I shook my head, bemused, and in a soft voice, spoke the words I found in my head aloud. "That's the way of the Path of Courage. One gains Courage through facing the uncertainties of one's Future." As I said it, the world twisted again. Fire coursed through my veins, ice raced down my spine, and a strange wind buffeted me from all sides.
And I was back. Standing before the Oracle... but no. The Oracle was gone. Not just defunct. Gone. What had happened? And WHY was I still in Hyrule? I sighed, and steeled myself. I was going to have to talk to the Deku Tree. Heart in my stomach, I walked down the path towards the clearing where I knew Saria and the Tree were waiting for me.
A/N: I love it when things work out perfectly. beams Past, Present, and Future... Wisdom, Power, and Courage. It just makes SENSE. Even in the context of the game. Link, wielder of the Triforce of Courage holds the Future of Hyrule in his hands. Ganandorf, wielder of the Triforce of Power, wishes to rework the Present of Hyrule in his own image. And Zelda, wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom, represents the Past of Hyrule. It just seems to make so much sense! Okay, enough patting myself on the back. REVIEW ME!
Chapter 17: The Forest for the Trees
Ah... The story of my life. I surfaced from the void to the sound of voices. Discussing me, of course. It was starting to get old.
"What are we going to do? We can not keep him. He is an adult, and you well know that we are forbidden to associate with the likes of him."
"The Great Deku Tree said..."
"I know what the Great Deku Tree said, Saria. All the same, I do not think we can trust this... man."
I was starting to feel a sense of deja vu. After all, wasn't this how I entered this travesty of reality in the first place? I was getting tired of being talked over, either way. "Where am I?" I managed, still trying to figure out why my head felt as though it would float away if given half the chance.
"He is awake! Oh, we are in for it now, Saria."
"You are in the Kokiri forest. I am Saria, and this is Mido."
"Saria? The Sage of the Forest?" I thought instantly of the fairy ocarina burning a hole in my backpack. If she knew Link had given it away... But it didn't seem to be something I needed to worry about, because, judging by the face she gave me, she wasn't really willing to discuss such things in Mido's presence. Not that I blamed her. If I remembered correctly, Mido was something of an ass. And, based on his reaction, he didn't remember ANY of the events of the previous ten years or so.
"Saria? What is he talking about?" But Saria just shook her head, and shot me a look that clearly told me to shut my trap, if I knew what was good for me. Fine. But I filed it away for future reference. Maybe SHE would have a clue what was going on around here.
"Never mind, Mido. Now, why don't you go get our guest something to eat?" She smiled at me compassionately, and I found myself having trouble believing that this... child... was really hundreds of years old. She seemed so innocent. Yet, at the same time, there was definitely something mature in here eyes. Very non-childlike. Too intelligent.
At first, I thought Mido would argue. He definitely seemed leery of leaving her alone with me, anyway. But, after a moment, he turned and stormed out without a word.
"Now... What to do with you?" She watched me intently, her strangely adult eyes holding mine. Too my shame, I looked away first. It was seriously unnerving.
"Hey! Listen!" A small, piping voice chimed in. It took me a second to realize that there was a fairy sitting on my bag. "Look what I found! The fairy ocarina!" The small ball of light danced back and forth, obviously proud of itself.
My cheeks burned, and I grabbed my bag and clutched it possessively. "He gave it to me. I didn't ask for it. It was his choice, not mine."
But Saria had other things on his mind. "You've seen Link? How is he? Has he gotten himself into trouble again? Is that why he sent you? Why the Other attacked your mind? Did he give you a message for me? TELL ME!" But her stream petered out when she saw my face. "Oh. You're one of THOSE, aren't you?" She patted my hand consolingly. "I know how you feel. I once thought he loved me, too. But such things are not for the Hero of Time. He must remain aloof, separate, if he is to keep the world safe from the likes of the Other." She nodded to the bag, still pressed against my chest. "Keep the ocarina. I'm glad he found a use for it. He doesn't need it, after all. He has the Ocarina of Time."
"Thank you..." I wasn't going to cry. I was NOT going to cry... I silently cursed myself as the tears began to trickle down my cheek. Saria was obviously nonplused, but she reached over and touched my shoulder, trying to console me. Except, as soon as her skin touched mine, she gasped, and leapt to her feet.
"So THAT'S why the Other wants you so much!" Her expression was almost impossible to read, but I could have sworn there was fear mixed in there, somewhere. "We cannot wait for Mido to return. You must see the Deku Tree immediately!" And she was pulling me by the arm with a strength that belied her small stature, pulling me towards the small clearing in the back of the forest where the Kokiri children made there home.
"Great Deku Tree! I have brought the boy, as you have commanded!" She shouted, as we rounded the final corner. Even knowing everything I knew, I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Though the Tree hadn't grown much in the three or four -How long HAD it been, anyway?- years since Ocarina of Time 'took place,' he was still three or four times my height. I had to crane my neck to look into his... its? eyes.
"Ah, at last, I meet thee face to face, Sir Colt of the Clan Scorpia." I winced at the title, but it was my own damn fault, I guess. Take it like a man. "We have much to discuss, and increasingly less time. Thou art well, I hope. I fear what news I possess doth not be good. As thou no doubt knowest, the Other hath begun to wreak havoc upon our land of Hyrule. Should the Hero of Time fail, all will be for naught."
"What does this have to do with ME?" I protested. I was REALLY getting tired of having choices explained as though I'd already made a decision. Saria nudged me with an elbow, and I grunted, but the Deku Tree continued on as if he hadn't noticed what she'd done.
"If thou wilt give me but a moment, Sir Colt, I shall make all things evident. The Other seeketh the Oracles. For what reason, I know not, but I can tell thee that should he find them, the Land of Hyrule shall be forfeit. Already thou hast thwarted him in finding the first two, but alas, as thou knowest, he did find the conduit to the Oracle of Courage, thus thwarting you in turn."
Wait wait wait... What? What had I done so far to 'thwart' anyone? All I'd done was manage to get the Princess kidnaped, and try my damnedest to get out of this psychotic fairytale. "I object!" Saria's elbow flew again, but I moved out of the way. I was pissed, and no ten year old brat was going to get in my way. "Look, I've done nothing but cause trouble! I've been beaten, abused, scorched, and attacked and had my heart stepped on, and now I want to go home. I'm tired of people talking as though I've done some great service to the world. I'm not Hylian. I'm Californian.
"Furthermore, I don't know about any 'Other' anything... I don't want to save the world, I just want to get the hell out of here! So, if you'll kindly show me to the last Oracle, I'll just be on my way." I paused in my tirade, when I realized that both Saria and the Tree were looking at me with eyes wide.
Saria was the first to recover. "You mean... All this time? All the things you've done... And you DON'T EVEN KNOW? How long has the scorpion on your arm been blue, 'Sir' Colt? How about the scar on your palm? The one that's shaped like the Triforce? Where did THAT come from?" I gaped, as I realized she was right. Somehow, along the line, the triangle of the Golden Power had been burned into my palm. "The music... All the Sages heard it, you know. It was the only reason the Princess was able to hold on as long as she did. Because of YOU. As for whether or not you are a Hylian... Hylian is just a name. A word. It's a race that's been long dead, and is more an IDEAL than a concept. You proved yourself a Hylian when you defeated the Dragon in Pyria Town? We knew about that, you know. We've known everything you've done since you got here."
"What? How?" But even as I said it, I knew. How could I have been so stupid? The ocarina; they watched me through the ocarina. "So, everything? The room at the inn, the duet, the way I feel about Link? A FUCKING FABRICATION? Why? To watch me? To keep an eye on the wild card? How dare you! I want NO part in any of this, anymore! This has nothing to do with me..." Tears were streaming down my face, and I collapsed to my knees. "I don't want any part of your games. I don't want any place in your wars. The Other... has nothing to do with me. Please..." I was begging now. "Let me go home. I miss my mother. I miss Amy... I miss everyone."
"You IDIOT! Do you not understand? This has EVERYTHING to do with you! The Other is..."
"SARIA!" The Deku Tree raged, shaking leaves down from its branches. "The boy wishes to go home. Very well, Sir Colt." The title embarrassed me, made me regret my outburst, but the Deku Tree was not mocking me. He looked down at me with something that bordered on regret. "I wish I could change thy mind, Sir Colt. But, alas, we did deal thee an unfair hand. I will show thee to the Oracle of Courage. Be forewarned, however, that the answer the Oracle giveth thee may not be the answer thou seekest. If it doth not show thee the way home, I do hope thou wilt take what I have told thee into consideration. These are dangerous times."
I nodded, and got to my feet. "If the Oracle doesn't give me the answer I need, I WILL find another way. But, I promise this. If, in my quest to find a way home, I can assist you with the 'Other', I will do everything in my power. This, I swear to you." I said it, and I didn't quite like how it felt as though I'd just sealed my own fate. But the Deku Tree looked satisfied, as did Saria.
"Very well, I will show thee to the Oracle." There was a rustling of branches, and a path I'd not seen before opened up before me. I started towards it, and saw Saria move as if to follow, but the Tree spoke up again. "Not thee, Saria. We have much to discuss. He shall be fine." She stopped, and watched me go. I was sad, now, that I had snapped at them. She wasn't such a bad person... She didn't deserve to have me go all Darth Rosenburg on her.
The path itself was dark, bordered by thick, thorny bramble on all sides. Several times, I brushed up against the sides of the corridor of foliage, and, though it was full of spines, found myself unharmed. Almost as if the vines moved to prevent me from snagging myself. I could almost pity anyone who tried to get in uninvited.
Eventually the path opened into a vast room, decorated with the same bramble that adorned the 'hallway'. And there, floating on a pedestal that would have been undistinguishable from the others I'd seen, was the Oracle. Nothing more than a green triangle with an inner section missing, it was identical to the conduits I'd seen. But this wasn't a conduit. It was the real thing. It made me wonder why they bothered with the conduits at all.
As luck would have it, I soon had my answer. I placed my hand on the smooth green surface, and screamed. Pain lanced up my arm, lodging itself into my brain, and the world shimmered. I vomited, once, twice, on hands and knees. And as quickly as it had come, it was gone. I stood, noticing with mixed feelings that I was once again in my birthday suit. I tried to remember if I'd been naked in the Oracle of Wisdom, and couldn't. The shock of seeing Riley again had driven all thought of that out of my mind.
Speaking of Riley, I turned, expecting to see someone standing there, waiting to answer my question. But there was no one. "Hello?"
And then, there he was. Definitely not who I expected. Bryant, the poor sap I'd come apart on back in California -had it really only been last week?- stood there, watching me intently. Noticing that I'd seen him, he stepped forward and spoke the now-familiar phrase. "I cannot stay long. I am here to answer your question. No more, no less. Ask."
I had a sinking feeling my answer would be just as unclear as the previous two, but what choice did I have? "How do I get home?"
A beat. And then "The way from this prison is not easy. Do not be afraid of what is to come. You must find the courage to face the unknown. You can face what needs to be done." And that was all. He turned from me, but before he vanished, he offered me one final phrase. "I want you, Colt. Be careful, please?" And he was gone.
I shook my head, bemused, and in a soft voice, spoke the words I found in my head aloud. "That's the way of the Path of Courage. One gains Courage through facing the uncertainties of one's Future." As I said it, the world twisted again. Fire coursed through my veins, ice raced down my spine, and a strange wind buffeted me from all sides.
And I was back. Standing before the Oracle... but no. The Oracle was gone. Not just defunct. Gone. What had happened? And WHY was I still in Hyrule? I sighed, and steeled myself. I was going to have to talk to the Deku Tree. Heart in my stomach, I walked down the path towards the clearing where I knew Saria and the Tree were waiting for me.
A/N: I love it when things work out perfectly. beams Past, Present, and Future... Wisdom, Power, and Courage. It just makes SENSE. Even in the context of the game. Link, wielder of the Triforce of Courage holds the Future of Hyrule in his hands. Ganandorf, wielder of the Triforce of Power, wishes to rework the Present of Hyrule in his own image. And Zelda, wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom, represents the Past of Hyrule. It just seems to make so much sense! Okay, enough patting myself on the back. REVIEW ME!