Off-Balance
By Mr. Crash

I can't see. I can't see.

Everything's hazy. It's fuzzy. Whatever was in that stuff that he blew in my face...that dust...it was crooked...why did he have to do that...?

I can't see.

I stumble around, trying to get my bearings, but it's tough to right yourself when your sense of balance is completely thrown. And of course, I couldn't see...whatever that stuff was, it was powerful. I'm blind, but it doesn't hurt at all. No sting in my eyes.

I feel my hand land on the trunk of a tree. I quickly throw my body at it. Something, anything I can hold onto to keep myself upright. I feel ready to collapse. My mind aches. I can't think straight...everything's distorted.

I feel my grip on the tree loosen. I tell my hands to hold on, but they don't respond. I tell my feet to step back, help me keep my balance, but they have their own agenda, apparently. I trip on a root, and land flat on my back. I stare up at what I assume is the sky, but with the way the world has gotten since I inhaled that dust, there's no reason any of my regular assumptions will be true.

My vision starts to clear...if 'clear' is the right word. I can see the sky, and some tree tops, but they are warped and discolored. The vast expanse of what should be the sky, normally clear blue, is a shimmering pink. I blink, again and again, to try to make it straighten up, but the pink color remains. It's wrong. I feel sick.

The trees are no better. They should have brown trunks...and green tops...but they don't. The trunks are a distorted orange, while the tops are red.

And it's not just the colors...all the lines in the forest, typically straight and consistent, are curved and flowing. The trees bend at strange angles, twisting around me.

I try to stand up. I can't breathe. It's so wrong, I feel sick, oh Goddesses, help me -

I collapse to my knees and vomit. I can't help it. This nausea is overpowering. I want out of here. It's just so hideous. I'm scared, help me, help me, HELP ME -

Calm down. I take a deep breath. You've handled worse than this. You'll be fine. Use your head. Why is it like this? Think. Think.

The dust. That's it. That dust the Skull Kid blew in my face. That's what is doing all this. That's why the world's turned on it's head. I mustn't forget this. That's why everything is like this. It won't be permanent.

I grapple with my fear; it's huge. This place is so strange and foreign, and I'll never be in a normal world, NO -

It's not permanent, I tell myself. It's just temporary. Why, I ask back. I can't remember, I concede. But it'll go away soon. You'll be fine.

I roll onto my stomach, then push myself onto my knees. The prospect of standing seems impossible. My body doesn't want to obey me, but I've had all of my fill with insubordination from my limbs. I concentrate all my will into raising myself onto one knee. Do it, Link. Do it. You can do it.

I raise up. Good, now the other one. It's okay. Take it slow. Be careful. Make it easy on yourself - use your hands, steady yourself. Good, you're up. Now, push yourself. Stand upright. Stand up straight -

Memories come flooding into my brain. I see myself, as a child, talking with Saria. She's telling me not to slouch. To stand up.

Stand up.

I'm upright. I don't know how I got here, but I'm upright. The world sways, but less violently now. My head feels a touch less clogged. What now? I ask of myself. Find someone. Who? Anyone. Someone who can help. Find a place to rest until your head clears. Where would somewhere safe be? As long as the world is distorted like this, nowhere will feel safe. But there is a place...the girl...what's her name...? You just thought of her.

Saria. That's someone who can help. Saria is a friend. Saira...?

I can't quite see her face. Her features are clouded in a fog. I try to remind myself what she looks like. She has green hair. She has green eyes. She has smooth, pale skin. She's beautiful. You grew up with her. You've known her all your life. Now remember what she looks like.

The fog doesn't lift. I can't see her face.

I start to shake. I feel like crying. All I want is a memory of a friend. Let me see her face. Let me see her. That's all I want.

You can see her, I remind myself. She lives near. In the forest. In the Woods. Why settle for a memory when you can see her in reality? Go find her. Go find her.

A goal now in my mind, I set out to find her.

Some time passes. I walk through the pathless woods aimlessly. To find my way about, I'd have to find get my bearings. Normally, I'd navigate by the sun, but in this haze - in this fog - I could barely focus on the sky, let alone determine my location and pick a direction. I just walked on, always in a straight line, hoping that I might find something that would indicate where I was. A sign, a path, some marking - anything. I fixated my mind on Saria. If I could find her, she'd help me. My odds of reaching her were terrible, as just the action of walking was incredibly taxing on my body, but I couldn't just give up. Giving up isn't who you are, I remind myself. Several times, during your travels as the Hero of Time, you felt like giving up, but you didn't quit then and you won't quit now.

The trees start to thin. More of the disturbing pink sunlight filters down through the treetops. It's brighter. I can't understand why; then I realize that I'm standing in the middle of a clearing.

Despite being unnaturally distorted, the scene is still quite beautiful. The grass is low to the ground and waves in a breeze I can't feel. I see flowers growing here and there. They are colored silver - not natural, of course, but still pleasant to look at.

I walk to the middle. I'm tired. I've only been walking for a short time, but I still feel as weary as I ever have. Just a short rest - just for a little while -

Hideous, shrieking laughter reaches my ears. My drooping eyelids snap open. I feel my tired muscles tense as adrenalin surges through my veins.

Having grown up in the heart of the Lost Woods, I know how lethal the forest can be. The environment here is utterly uncaring. If you work hard, you can cultivate it: grow crops, build houses, form a town - and if you get careless, it kills you. There are untold scores of poisonous plants and fauna to be found in the forest. Some of the most dangerous animals in all of Hyrule make their homes in the woods of Kokiri. To let your guard down for even an instant can spell death.

I reach for my sword. I have no idea what is making that laughter, but I have no intention of facing it unarmed.

The Master Sword feels as a leaden blade. It takes so much energy to draw it from the sheath that I nearly let go. I hoist the blade up and rest the flat of it on my shoulder. I typically fight with sword and shield, but it is taking all the strength in my two arms just to keep the Master Sword up - there's no way I'll be able to fight with a shield as well.

I turn in a circle. I feel rather exposed standing in the middle of the meadow, but I know that it benefits me; I fight more effectively in the open, as compared to the cramped quarters of the dense woodland.

The laughter reaches a terrible pitch, echoing in my ears - it's so intense that I suffer physical pain from the noise - where is it coming from? -

Then I see it. It is a small, dancing figure. I try to focus my eyes on it - but it's more difficult that I could've ever imagined; my eyes can't seem to stay sharp, and the leaping about the figure is doing doesn't help.

"What are you doing here?" asks the creature. It's voice is incredibly deep and vibrant - a disturbing contrast, considering the high-pitched, shrieking laughter I'd heard previous.

"I- I'm trying to find my way." I gasp. I'm sweating with exertion. My sword feels preposterously heavy.

"Aw, isn't that a shame. You're lost?" The creature's voice is still a deep bass.

I open my mouth to speak, cough, and clear my throat. "There was a figure...a Skull Kid...it blew this stuff into my face - "

The figure begins laughing. Its voice starts off deep, but slowly builds up in pitch and intensity, until the laughter is of the most ear-splitting nature possible. I cringe - and then shudder. I recognize what the creature is - it is a Skull Kid. It is the same Skull Kid that poisoned me.

The creature bounds for me, still screaming with laughter. I bring my sword forward, aim carefully, and thrust with all my might.

The Skull Kid contorts its body in mid-air and easily avoids my wild stab. It lands on the ground directly in front of me, leaps into the air. I see claws flash in the air, and tried to jerk back -

Something hard and sharp digs into my face and pulls. The skin of my cheeks and nose burns with pain as what feels like sharp spikes rip my face up. I tumble onto my back, but quickly roll onto my stomach and jump to my feet.

A dozen feet away, Skull Kid turns to fight me, grinning; I see pointed teeth fill his smile. I roll the sword with my wrist, grit my teeth, and prepare for his second attack.

He leaps from side to side, dodging and dancing about, before springing forward towards me. I through an overhead swing at the creature. It is a faster, more accurate attack then my first; the Skull Kid stops short, and springs high overhead. I chop backwards, hoping to catch him before he lands. He twists his body in mid-air, narrowly avoiding being cloven in half. Even so, I see fabric from his tunic float in the air, having been sheared off. The creature lands on his hands and back-flipped away.

I turn to face him again. Fire is in my lungs; I feel in a good mood to go berserk, so intense is the battle rage. The Skull Kid comes at me again. I chop downward.

The Skull Kid deftly avoids my attack, and I realize with a panic that he is inside my reach. Before my stroke touchs the ground, I feel claws dig into the skin of my inner forearm. I nearly screamwith pain as he rends the sensitive skin there. As a natural reflex, I drop the sword.

The monster spins away, screaming with laughter. My knees begin to buckle. I'm just too tired; the drug and the fight are overcoming me. I feel ready to blackout.

I roll my head over. The Skull Kid walks towards me now, very slowly. He takes his time, the bastard. I close my eyes and laugh at the terrible irony in the situation; I've saved the world from Ganondorf, and here I'm going to get killed by a damn Skull Kid.

Closer and closer the figure comes. I feel darkness closing in on my vision.

"Stand back, creature!" rings a clear, steady voice. Almost drained of energy, I loll my head to the other side. I see a figure approach, glimmering with light.

I pass out.

Some time later, I awoke with a start. I gripped the ground and nearly yelped in terror. Then I took a breath and observed my surroundings.

I was lying in a bed. The bed was inside of a small hut, which had wooden walls and a reed-thatched roof. The bed itself was a small cot, soft and warm. I was shirtless, with only my leggings on - my tunic and boots had been removed.

I sat up. I felt bandages on my right arm and on my face. I ran a hand over them. Who had put them there? I tried to remember -

"Link? Are you awake?"

I startled at the sound of the voice. Who could it be - ?

Saria walked in through the opening to the hut. "Saria!" I cried out, in relief and happiness. She rushed to me, and I wrapped her up in a hug. "I'm so glad to see you," I said sincerely. "What happened? How did I get here?"

She pulled back, her hands resting on my bare shoulders. "I heard your fight with the Skull Kid. When I saw what was happening, I drove the creature off." She smiled and let her arms fall to her sides. "After I got you back here, I realized that you were obviously drugged." Of this I had no doubt; Saria is and has always been a superb healer.

I grinned. "It must've been tough for you to drag me all the way back to here, to your home."

She appeared puzzled. "Not particularly. You weren't more than fifty yards from here when I found you."

I opened my mouth to speak, then stopped. I marveled at my tremendous luck; despite not being able to navigate through the woods, despite being completely disoriented, and despite having picked my direction completely at random, I had still managed to nearly reach Saria's house. Truly, I was blessed.

"Once you were back here, it didn't take me long to find out what drug had been used on you. In addition to your wounds-", and here she indicated the bandages on my forearm and face, "-you were in pretty bad shape. I dressed your injuries and gave you an antidote to the drug. After that, it was just a matter of time and bed rest until you were in top shape." She smiled her radiant smile. "Oh, Link, I'm so glad to see you're okay." She hugged me again, resting her head on my chest.

I placed my arms around her, resting a hand on her head. "It's good to see you again, Saria," I breathed softly.

I felt so utterly at peace with the world. After my ordeal in the woods, I could imagine no greater pleasure in life than staying with my dearest friend, secluded from the world, able to rest and recuperate.

I kissed the top of her head. "It's good to be home."