A/N: I'm getting really tired of all this "meeting old friends" stuff. I mean, sure it's all good and important to the story and all that, but I really feel like I need to send Link into a dungeon soon. Everything I've got planned is building my anxiety so that it's hard to write the less-exciting stuff. But at least you know that it'll get more interesting very soon!
A Hero's PathChapter 24: A Memory of Younger Days
The sun was rising, though it hadn't crept high enough to be seen over the high boughs of the trees in the Lost Woods. Link and Navi were approaching the Kokiri Village. Navi was fluttering excitedly. "It's been seven years, Link," she said.
"Yeah," he said. "But it still seems like less than a week ago." He was sweating anxiously. His last encounter with the Kokiri hadn't been a good one. He was now an outcast among them. Mido was out for blood for sure, and Saria…
Saria had been so disappointed with him when he returned to the forest. She knew he was the Hero of Time, just like the Great Deku Tree, or Kaepora Gaebora, or Rauru, or Sheik knew that he was the Hero of Time. It seemed as though so many people knew who he was before he did, and so many people were more invested in his life than he wanted.
Now it had been seven years since Saria had yelled and cried, saying he was the hero who had to save Hyrule. Seven years since Ganondorf had taken everything outside of the forest. How mad would she be with Link now, and he hadn't even wanted to be gone all this time. In his head he had already started an argument that turned into a shouting match with Saria. In the end, he had won, but the aftertaste was terrible and he became very irritable because of it.
He had half a mind to turn around. If the Kokiri saw him now… would they recognize him? Would they still hate him? Would they fear him? Or would they be sorry they had cast him out so long ago? Link realized he could turn around and leave now and never know how they feel about him, but his inner battle would not cease until he knew.
They reached the bridge of the forest, and Link remembered when he had parted ways with Saria, and she had given him the ocarina as a memento. Now it was crushed, shattered, destroyed. Would she be upset with him for not taking good care of it? Would she think he didn't care?
He finally cast aside his selfish, low-esteemed thoughts and remembered something Rauru had said. Ganondorf had taken all of Hyrule, and the Temple of Light was all that he did not have. The Lost Woods were as much a part of Hyrule as anything else. Did he rule that as well?
Link rushed over the bridge and through the tree line into the village. As soon as he stepped through a sharp pain went through his right arm, and he couldn't move it. He turned to see what was holding him in place, and saw a huge plant, like a Deku Baba, gripping his arm in its mouth-like bud.
"That's one big Deku Baba!" Navi exclaimed.
In one motion, Link drew the Master Sword and beheaded the monster plant. The stem of the plant withered into the ground.
"It takes some strong, dark magic to grow such large Babas," Navi said. "Ganondorf's magic is here!"
Link looked around the village. All of the Kokiri's gardens were out of use and overgrown with Babas and scrubs. This place was no place for orphaned children.
He hurried to the nearest house. Unfortunately, it was Mido's house. The door was worn and scratched. Link opened the door and crouched through the doorway. Inside were two screaming boys. Link recognized them immediately. Vick and Bean.
Just great, Link thought sarcastically. He knew of all the reactions he could receive from the Kokiri, fear hurt the worst. The boys suddenly stopped screaming and just stared at Link. Several seconds passed as they just stared at him, like a weird beast in a zoo.
"Should I do a trick?" Link said, breaking the silence.
"Oh, sorry mister," Vick said. His voice seemed much less menacing and authoritative than it did when he guarded the bridge. "We… uh… thought you were one of the meanies!"
"Yeah!" Bean said. "Why… why is that fairy following you around? You… you're not one of us!"
Mister? Not one of us? They didn't even recognize him!
"Yes, he…" Navi started, but Link swatted to silence her. Perhaps it was best that they didn't remember. Navi glowed pink in anger, but slowly faded to her natural blue as she realized why Link had silenced her.
"I came to help, from outside."
"You didn't have any problems entering the forest, mister? Did the meanies out there bother you much?"
"Nah. They tried, but I gave 'em trouble," Link said cheerily.
"Before the Great Deku Tree died, you wouldn't see things like that around here," Vick said.
"And you won't see them much longer," Link said. "I promise."
He walked back out of the house and quickly sliced another Baba. The boys inside cheered as the door swung closed.
"So you don't want them to know…?" Navi started, but she quickly realized he was too focused to talk right now. Saria was all Link thought of now. Was she safe? He hurried to her house, striking down a Deku Scrub along the way as it prepared to spit a rock.
He ducked through the door and saw a Kokiri girl. He was expecting Saria, but instead found Bertrude.
"Oh! Hello mister!" she said in her nasally tone.
"H-hi," Link replied.
"That tunic looks familiar… didn't I make it?"
"N-no," Link lied.
"Yes, I gave one like it to a boy named Link. It was a little big, and he left the forest. I really liked him. Hey, are you from outside?"
"Yeah," Link lied again.
"Have you traveled much, mister?"
"Yeah, a lot," he said. He noticed that he said it in a way similar to the tone Hylian grown-ups used with him when he was a kid.
"Have you ever met Link? He's about my age, and a Kokiri. He's really cute, and wears a tunic I didn't make for him. I think Saria probably did. She was always nice to him, and that tunic fit him better. Mido said that the Great Deku Tree withered because he did something wrong to him. Only Saria defended Link—until she left. Everyone else just kept quiet. Maybe we misunderstood…"
"Saria left?" he asked slowly, as though he found it hard to say.
"Yeah, she went into the woods and hasn't come back. The last people she talked to were the four Know-It-Alls. They live on the hill out that way." She pointed to the west wall of Saria's tree-home, but Link already knew the way.
He thanked her and ran out to the Know-It-All brothers' house on the hill.
"Did she 'four'?" Navi said. "Weren't there three?"
"Yes. You think Dill got instated as fourth brother?" He batted off a Baba's head with the broad angle of his blade.
"Dill?" she said as though she didn't remember him. "Oh right, the boy who didn't say everything with the others!"
They hurried up the hill and into the house. Sure enough, Dill and the three brothers were sitting inside.
"Hello!" they all said in perfect unison. Then they gasped in perfect unison and said, "A man, from outside!"
"I come in peace," Link said awkwardly. Navi giggled quietly.
"Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before, mister?" Dill said.
"How could you have, brother Dill?" Sama asked. "He is from outside the forest, and we have never left this sacred haven of rest!"
"Sacred haven, brother Sama?" Micah challenged. "Since the Great Deku Tree withered and brother Link left the forest more meanies have been appearing in the forest! This isn't a sacred haven! I'm scared!"
"We do not speak of the incident that caused us to part ways with honorary brother Link, brother Micah," Sama said. "Or have you forgotten?" Link couldn't help grinning when he heard he was an honorary brother. At least they still cared about him.
"Still," Jeran said, "the meanies have choked our gardens and infested our ponds! What kind of haven is it when we cannot even eat?"
Dill turned to Link. "Since it's dangerous outside, we always stay inside our house. But it's so boring in here!"
"It is not boring, brother Dill," Sama said. "We light incense and meditate…"
"See? Boring."
"Through the meditation we learned from sister Filari, we can learn many things about the forest," Sama said in defense. "An evil wind is blowing from the direction of the Forest Temple. Saria left, saying, 'I have to do something about it!'"
"Saria?" Link said. "Where's Saria?"
"Do you know Saria, mister?" Jeran said. "That's weird!"
"We cannot give away this information," Sama said in a finalizing way. "Mido has commanded it."
"And where has Mido gone during such an emergency?" Jeran said. "None have seen him in a day's time!"
"Maybe he got eaten!" Micah said.
"I'm scared!" Dill said.
"Let us calm down," Sama said. "He will return. Mido has truly grown in the past few years. Since the evil wind began blowing, he's been nothing but protective of the Kokiri! He's probably out fighting the monsters right now!"
Link winced at this. Even though he and Mido had some troubles in the past, he was still his brother, as child of the Deku Tree, and he was still his friend in a strange way. The thought of Mido getting truly hurt by these monsters was too painful to think about.
"Where are they?" Link said. "I need to know, if I'm going to save the forest!"
They all gasped in unison again. "You have come to save us!"
"The Forest Temple is located in the Sacred Forest Meadow," Sama said. "It is where the great Saria speaks with those long gone. I do not know the exact location, but that it is north, in the Lost Woods."
Link bowed slightly beyond the hunched position he was in to fit under the ceiling, then left.
He headed north, up the hills and back into the woods. Last time, he had Saria's music to lead him, but now, it was silent.
Then he heard the clanging of metal. Was it Mido with his sword? Then what was the metal he was clanging against? Link hurried through the dark forest to the sound. Navi hurried behind.
"What in the world could be making that sound?" Navi said, but Link had already convinced himself it was Mido fighting some unspeakable evil. As they hurried through the forest, they came upon the sound.
Sure enough, it was Mido. Link stood nearby, under cover of trees. Mido raised the dagger of mysterious origin he had wielded against Link all those years ago. But the thing he was fighting was way beyond anything he was capable of defeating.
The creature towered over even Link. It had a nasty snout and tusks protruding from its face. It looked oddly like some sort of boar, but stood on two legs and wore some light brass armor. It carried a spear, which it swung at Mido, who ducked just under the blow.
Mido's fighting style was similar to Link's when he was a child. Had he trained with the Know-It-Alls? Unfortunately, Mido lacked the natural skill with a sword Link discovered when he started using his left hand. The creature raised its spear high and prepared to slam it down on Mido.
Mido knew he couldn't deflect the attack. He lowered his weapon, preparing to dodge. As the creature dropped all its weight down on the attack, Link realized Mido could never move fast enough to avoid it, and the crushing blow would kill a child like Mido.
Link leapt in and blocked the attack with his shield. He pushed the stunned boy aside as he landed on his stomach. The monster raised its spear again and struck downward. Link drew his legendary blade and chopped the head off the spear as it came down upon him. The shaft of the spear splintered on Link's shield.
Link stood up and sliced up through the monster's chest. It fell backward into a pool of its own dark blood.
"What was that thing?" Link gasped.
"I believe that was a…" Navi started, but Mido interrupted.
"What are you?" the boss of the Kokiri said. "You wear Kokirish clothing, and you've got a fairy, but…"
"I'm here to help," Link said. "Isn't that enough?"
"You can't fool me! You're no Kokiri! I promised Saria I wouldn't let anybody or anything go through here to the Forest Temple!"
"I need to get to the Forest Temple!" Link said.
"Didn't I just say you can't?" Mido said.
Link knew how stubborn Mido was. He didn't care how tall Link was, or that he had just saved his life. Unless he could convince him that he was a friend in another way, he would never get through. Link brought the Ocarina of Time out from under his tunic and began to play Saria's song on it.
"That… that melody! Saria plays that song all the time! Do you know Saria?"
Link? Link is that you? Someone was talking to him, and the sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, but most of all, from the tune Link played. It sounded like Saria.
Saria? He replied. He didn't know how he did it; it just seemed to happen because he wanted it to.
It is you! Great! You're safe! I knew I would hear from you again!
Where are you?
"That song," Mido said. "Saria taught that song only to her friends."
I'm in the Forest Temple, Saria said. The forest spirits were calling for help, so I went to check it out.
"Okay," Mido said. "I trust you."
But it's full of monsters now! Help me, Link! Saria's voice echoed until it died away. Link stopped playing, and a determined look shot across his face.
"Go back to the village, Mido," Link said. "Now!"
Mido started to run, but before he disappeared into the forest, he turned back to Link. "Get that guy that's leading them!" he said. "That evil-looking guy on the big horse. He tricked me, and I took it out on somebody else. When I see you, I don't know why, but I remember… him…" Mido took off into the forest, back toward the village.
Link hurried on toward the Forest Temple. He could suddenly tell where it was, like a scent or a sound he had picked up. Something was crying out to him, making him see it, follow a trail straight to it. He remembered the stone structure behind the Sacred Forest Meadow, suddenly. Then he ran out into the meadow.
Standing there in the clearing were dozens of the boar-men that had attacked Mido.
"Navi, what did you say those guys were called?"
"Moblins. Big, strong, stupid. You know the type."
"Slow?"
"In many ways."
"Good." He wiped the tip of his blade in the wet, tall grass of the meadow as the Moblins grunted, snorted, and marched toward Link. He awaited their arrival anxiously.
Finally, they met him. The one in front struck at him with his spear. Link deflected the attack and stabbed it through a bare patch on its chest. He withdrew his weapon and sliced the next one across the throat. Another tried to punch him, but he dodged and stabbed upward into its stomach and behind the ribcage.
He pulled out his sword and rolled between another Moblin's legs, slicing the hamstring and knocking it to the ground with a loud wail. He climbed to his feet and ducked a powerful, horizontal slash. The Moblin who swung it decapitated another. Link stabbed him through, and turned to the next one. It jabbed forward and he blocked with his shield. The force of the attack, however, knocked him down.
The stout monster stood over Link's prone form. He prepared to jab down into Link's body, but Link slashed off both its massive hooves in a spray of blood and a screaming blast of painful anguish.
Link rolled to his feet and was caught with the shaft of a swinging spear. He fell face-first on the ground. Link rolled to one side and saw a spear plant itself right where his body had just been lying. He sprung up onto his feet and smashed his shield into the ugly face of the spear's owner. The Moblin cried out, and Link slashed across its throat in a spray of blood.
The dark blood of the Moblins kept flowing like a crimson fountain in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Finally, after several long minutes of fighting these ugly brutes, Link slashed the last to the ground. The Hero of Time stood victorious over his adversaries. They hadn't pierced his skin once. Seven years of training under a man who'd slain a god had paid off.
Link's legs wobbled as the earth shook suddenly. He supported himself on a spear stuck in the ground. The earth shook mightily once more.
A figure stepped out of the trees and into the clearing. It was another of these Moblins, but larger. While most of the creatures Link had just slain were only about a foot taller than Link, this one was two or three feet taller still. He carried no spear, only a club that had to be half his own weight.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Link said.
The Moblin looked around at his fallen comrades and gave a loud, deep bellow of anger and sorrow. It charged at Link and swung its mighty cudgel. Link attempted to dodge, but couldn't figure out how. The pounding tremors at each of this towering monster's footsteps disoriented Link's footing.
He was hit heavily with the mighty, blunt weapon. He had the sense about him to raise his shield, but his shield was mashed into his chest and he went careening backward. His shield arm was greatly injured. He couldn't use it this fight, certainly. He dropped the shield on the ground.
He raised his sword arm and found that his numb fingers had betrayed him. His sword lay by the monster's feet.
"Navi, give me some info!"
"I don't know! He's a big, big Moblin with a whole tree in his hands!" She started fluttering around the creature, hurriedly looking for a weakness, but Link got an idea. Its club was made of wood, and he had one other weapon at his disposal.
The creature stood its ground, and nearly stepped on the Master Sword. Link pulled the hookshot from his belt and aimed carefully. He had always been a good shot with the slingshot. Would he do as well with the hookshot?
The creature set the club's heavy end on the ground and laughed. This was Link's chance. He pulled the trigger on the hookshot's handle, and a grapnel-like hook flew straight from its end on a chain. It set itself in the wood of the club and held tight.
The creature stared at the chain connecting his club and the man standing before him. He raised the club, wondering what was stuck to it. Link was dragged closer to the creature. He pressed the trigger again and was pulled all the way in as the creature slammed the club down again to try and free it of the rapidly shrinking chain.
Link grabbed his sword from the ground, and the Moblin raised his club again, raising Link to eye-level with the creature. Its terrible breath nearly knocked Link unconscious. He knew that now was his only shot at killing this creature before it decided to kill him. He jabbed his sword into its neck and it cried out hoarsely as it spat up blood onto Link. It began to fall down, and Link pressed the trigger of the hookshot one last time. It pulled the hook out of the club as Link pulled his blade out of the creature.
Link dropped to the ground at the monster's feet as it dropped to the ground, cudgel and all, with a loud crash.
Link returned his weaponry to their rightful positions on his body, and dropped to one knee in exhaustion. Navi was cheering for him now. He felt his right arm. It was tender in several places, but he decided it would be just fine with some rest. But he couldn't rest now. He had to get in the temple, and save Saria.
Silence filled the once-loud battlefield. A figure dropped down from a nearby tree, and Link turned to face it. It was Sheik. He was carrying a harp.
"The flow of time is always so cruel," the Sheikah said. "Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it."
Link didn't like how much Sheik hinted at knowing about him in that statement. "How do you know…?" Link said, but Sheik ignored him and continued speaking.
"A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days. You have been remembering your childhood being here, haven't you?"
"How do you know so much about me?" Link asked. "I don't know anything about you!"
"Your childhood friend has entered the temple, but she must awaken as a Sage. Only your awakening call can do this. In order to awaken the Sage of Forest, play this minuet." Sheik took an effeminate stance and began playing on his harp. Link decided not to comment on Sheik's strange playing stance and listened closely.
After a moment, Sheik motioned for Link to join in. Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time and began playing along. He matched it note for note, and committed it to memory. They played for several minutes, and even though Link was tired, he found it quite relaxing, and even a little rejuvenating, to play together with someone in this meadow again.
Finally, they stopped together, as if they both knew it was time to end their session.
"Link," Sheik said. "I'll see you again." He stepped back and dropped a small item on the ground. It made a snapping sound and a flash of light. When the light faded, Sheik was gone.
"He was definitely trained by Impa," Link said finally.
"Oh yeah," Navi said. "Impa did that too!"
Link stared up at the doorway into the temple. It was midway up the high stone wall, and the stairs that led to it were broken and crumbled. A thick branch hung over the platform leading into the temple. Link aimed carefully and shot his hookshot. The chain wrapped around the branch and the hook stuck. Link pressed the trigger again and felt himself pulled bodily up by the chain to the platform. He pressed the trigger one more time and the hook freed itself of the branch and retracted.
Link and Navi stared into the threshold of the Temple. Link remembered Saria saying that it was full of monsters, and Mido mentioned something about an evil horseman. That sounded too familiar. Link drew his sword and shield, and calmly walked through the doorway, as Navi floated behind.