I won't talk for long today guys. Enjoy!

Character- Link

Setting- Link is back in the Kokiri Forest it's been three days since his talk with Saria. She has told no one about who he is and has ever mentioned the conversation since. Link is beginning to realize that he needs to find somewhere else to settle.

1

Courage – Part 5

1

I wake up on the floor of my tree house.

I've fallen out of bed.

Again.

1

The memories of my nightmare still linger.

I try to push them out of my mind.

But… I'm getting used to them by now.

How could I not have nightmares after all I've seen… and done?

1

In the early morning confusion, I look around for Navi.

It hits me that she's not there.

It hurts.

But a lot less now.

I wonder if I'll eventually forget her.

1

This thought hurts me too.

Because part of me believes it to be true.

1

I get up off the floor.

I dust myself off.

I walk over to the door.

The sun shines in.

1

But it wasn't shining yesterday.

Yesterday was the storm.

Yesterday the Me left and was sealed away.

Now I'm the only me in this world.

And I suppose that's a good thing.

1

Suppose.

1

I climb down the ladder onto ground level.

Saria's not up yet.

But I can see that most of the others are.

1

I can't stay here much longer.

They think that I killed the Deku Tree.

And now that I'm back… they think I've killed Navi too.

1

No one else had noticed that I 'look different'.

I guess that was only Saria and Zelda.

1

I need to leave this place.

I don't belong here.

Hell… I don't even know if I belong anywhere in Hyrule anymore.

Probably not.

1

I won't be able to go anywhere and find peace.

Not here anyway.

I need to leave.

Leave Hyrule.

1

But where will I go?

1

Shit.

Where's Navi when you need her?

1

My frustration builds.

I need to leave… but I have nowhere to go.

1

"Goddesses, give me some ideas. You owe me that much." I whisper.

1

Nothing happens.

1

"So that's how it is, huh?" I say, getting louder, "You use me to do your dirty work and then just leave me here to rot? Is that how it is?"

1

The Kokiri around me are staring.

Oh well.

1

Nayru…

I think I'm slowly going crazy.

1

If they start thinking I'm crazy, so what?

I'm already a murderer to them.

1

Well… at least they got that part right.

1

I sigh and walk behind Saria's house.

I sit down against the wall.

1

I try to reflect on anything that I might have heard during my travels.

Anything on another place.

I sift through all that I can remember.

Then… one thing jumps out at me.

1

When I was in Kakariko.

The bar.

That man.

'Termina'

1

I remember him saying that it was another land.

Similar to this one.

To the west of Hyrule.

1

I think it'll do.

I can start over there.

No haunting memories will come of it.

1

That's all I want.

1

A feeling

1

With that,

I jump to my feet.

I run into Saria's house.

She asleep.

But that doesn't stop me.

1

I run over to her bed and shake her awake.

"Saria." I say gently.

She grunts a little bit.

But she sits up groggily.

1

"What is it?" She mumbles.

She looks around, dazed.

Then she sees me and her eyes snap open.

"So… you've thought of a place?" She asks.

1

I'm not at all taken aback that she guessed that.

I nod.

1

"I guess this means you're leaving now?"

1

"Yes."

1

"For good?" She asks.

1

"Until I feel like I should return."

1

She casts her eyes downward.

"I'll come with you to the edge of the Forest, then." She says softly.

1

She gets out of her bed.

She dusts herself off.

We walk out of her house.

1

The other Kokiri are watching as we walk down the path.

We don't say anything to them.

They say nothing in return.

1

Although I'm glad that I've taken the first step in leaving,

I have that same lump in my throat as when I left here the first time.

I know that I'm still going to miss this place.

But mostly just Saria.

1

We enter the tunnel to the bridge.

Now no one can see us anymore.

None of them tried to stop us going through.

I don't think they really care what happens to me.

1

Saria stops in the middle of the bridge.

She looks around.

She sighs.

1

"I was here only days ago, you know." She says, "I was saying goodbye to the… other you, I guess."

I can see tears in her eyes now.

"And now you're leaving here too. And I don't know if you're ever going to come back."

1

"I do come back. In seven years. It just won't be… me." I say.

Goddesses, this is confusing.

1

"Seven years is a long time." She says.

1

"And it will be a hard seven years." I put in.

1

Her mouth twitches into a smile.

1

"Saria? Try to clear my name here, would you? I didn't kill the Deku Tree. Try and make them see that much."

1

She nods.

"Of course."

1

"You'll get a new one, if that's anything to look forward to."

1

Saria simply smiles at me.

Her eyes shine.

"I'm going to miss you."

1

I smile back at her.

"I'll be back to save you. I promise."

1

"Thank you. For all you've already done for Hyrule." She says.

1

Saria hugs me tightly.

"Bye."

1

"Bye." I say back.

The lump in my throat has grown, but my voice doesn't break.

1

I turn to walk out of the woods.

I won't run this time.

I turn and wave to Saria as I exit to Hyrule field.

1

I enter the wide-open grassy field.

The sun is much brighter here.

I squint to see properly.

1

I hesitate for a moment.

1

What now?

1

How could I not have thought of this earlier?

I'm a bit stupid for running out here with no plan.

But then again…

When did I ever really have a plan?

I have a habit of performing on the fly.

1

Termina is to the west.

I know that much.

I'll have to cross the Gerudo desert wastelands to get there.

But…

There's no way for me to get there with the small body I have now.

I'm not strong enough.

1

If only I had the Ocarina back.

I could warp there.

1

I realize that it's pretty important for me to have that instrument back.

I think that Zelda was wrong about taking it away from me.

The only one who has it now is…

Me. In the Sacred Realm.

And a fat lot of good it's doing there.

1

All it's going to do for the next seven years is sit there.

Unless…

Unless I get it back somehow.

As long as I bring it back before the Me wakes up again… it won't even be missed.

1

Now… How do I go about getting it.

It is sealed away in another Realm.

1

I guess that the best place to start would be the Temple of Time.

1

Without another thought,

I head off in the direction of Hyrule Castle Town.

1

I believe that this is the second to last chapter now. I'll be posting the final chapter in a few days time. It won't be quite as long as the others… but, it is the finale piece. Hope you enjoyed.

Bye for now.