In the last chapter, Shadow let go a little more, and Rufus began to trust her – at least, until he discovered her little trick with the spell. However, things seemed to be going well, despite the Wolfos and having to go through the trees. But, Rufus has disappeared and our adventurers have been split up in this great, terrible forest. And there are things more ancient, and more horrifying than the Wolfos roaming these woods.
Extremely A/U.
Stuff in : single colons and italics : are thoughts, stuff in mere italics are visions or memories. If Dragmire comes into it, he will be in / slashes /.
Together: Forgotten changes
I watched Shadow as she descended out of sight, too grateful for her help so far to even bother being angry with her. We had managed to travel for a couple of hours inland before I discovered that the spell wasn't real after all… So, in all, she'd just helped us carry on. And, it had been interesting to move through the trees without always thinking about the drop down to the ground. :It was quite nice not being scared, for once: I thought, with a small smile. I would never have said it out loud, but the very fact that the Sheikah girl wasn't infallible made me a lot more comfortable. It was nice to know other people messed up as well, I suppose.
I sighed with apprehension as I finally lost sight of the indigo-clad girl, and wondered how long it would be before she got back. It was lonely up in the branches without her, and I closed my eyes as a wave of nausea overcame me. Without her to distract me, the full force of the vertigo was returning again. Groaning, I told myself that I was being stupid. :You managed to go through the trees for two hours without being scared. So why should you be scared now, stupid? Get over it and get a grip.: I knew I really should, but I just couldn't. My fear was just so…well…I suppose it was so irrational, that it couldn't really be rationalised – if that makes any sense?
Night was getting ready to descend. Looking up, I could see the red circle of the sun sinking out of sight beyond the horizon. My stomach rumbled, protesting that it was getting near to dinnertime. It'd been a long time since I'd had three meals in one day, and it'd probably be a long time before I did again. However, that didn't mean I wasn't hungry. Slowly, I managed to hoist myself into a sitting position, using the main trunk of the tree as a support to lean against. Then, I began to rummage through my backpack, and came out with a slightly squashed, stale piece of bread. Experimentally, I tapped the bread against the branch on which I sat – it let out a resounding tap, and I discarded it back into my bag, disgusted.
Next, I took out some of the fruit I had gathered earlier that day; a particularly juicy-looking red apple appealed to me. Gleefully, I rubbed it on the front of my (filthy) tunic, and bit into it. Chewing thoughtfully, I looked up, and nearly choked on my bite.
Right in front of me, balancing on one leg and grinning, was a young boy, who looked about the same age as Aryll. His hair was bright red, and he wore a tunic that looked a lot like my one did. I swallowed my half-chewed bite of apple, and opened my mouth to ask him a question. Before I could, he had put a finger to his lips, and winked mischievously. There was rustling in the branches above; looking up, I could see another three children, all sporting the same green tunics. There were two boys, and one girl – all three had the same bright red hair and friendly faces. The girl waved, giggling, and I waved back.
The three dropped down on the branch in front of me, and silently greeted the first boy. Curious, I put my half-eaten apple back in my bag, and leant forwards – my hat slipped off, but I ignored it for the moment. The four children turned as one to look at me, the first boy's smile so wide that his eyes had been reduced to mere slits. He held out his hand and beckoned me, starting towards the end of the branch – the other three were already on a branch across the way from us, waiting patiently. I looked at the boy, and shook my head, paralysed with silent fear.
His smile fell a little, but then returned full-force after he saw me glance fearfully downwards. He seemed to understand, and walked towards me. He reached out his small, dirt-stained hand, and nodded, saying that I should take it. The strange red-haired boy, though younger than me, gave me the impression that he was trustworthy and knew what he was doing. I took the hand he offered, and immediately, all my worries left my mind. Even without saying anything, the boy communicated that he would keep me safe, and not let me fall – I trusted him on that – more than I had Shadow, even.
Just before we left, I reached down and scooped up my bag, chucking it over my shoulder. For a split second, I felt that there was something I was forgetting…but the feeling passed. The boy tugged on my hand – I smiled at him, and then followed him to where the other children stood. We stepped down from my branch onto theirs, the natural growths making perfect stepping-stones through the canopy. The girl moved to walk on my other side, also holding my hand and grinning angelically. Joyfully, I hopped along with my new friends, carelessly moving through the trees, as though I had been doing it all my life.
As we went, more children joined the procession. All were clothed in the same tunics, though each child had done something to personalise each one. For example, the boy who'd first met me had a thick brown belt with a buckle shaped like a leaf wrapped around his middle. The girl holding my hand (the first boy was now leading us) had a daisy chain resting delicately on top of her fiery tresses. The rest had things like pins, ribbons and fancy buttons to make them stand out. Not all were redheaded either – there were a few with blond hair, and I even spied a couple of them who looked as though they had green hair to match their tunics!
I'm not quite sure how long we travelled for, but eventually, when night had fallen completely, I saw the flicker of firelight down below. Nothing had been said for the entire journey – the silence had been magical, tense and delightful in the air. But, after so much time not saying anything, I was just bursting to ask the hundreds of questions in my mind. Again, before I could say anything, the red-haired boy I'd first seen, turned around, the firelight dancing strangely in his big, brown eyes. Laughing a little, he pointed down to where I could just see the blazing fire.
"Here's our camp!" he announced proudly. "Now, we're going to go down, and have something to eat." My stomach jumped at the mention of food. "And then, we can tell stories around the fire – maybe we can find some marshmallows or fruit to roast over the fire as well!" His enthusiasm was infectious, and I laughed as we scrambled down the ivy that wrapped around all the trees in sight. As soon as our feet hit the ground, we all ran towards the glowing fire, which turned out to be in a small natural clearing of sorts. The other children pranced around – I saw that they were all much the same age, but there seemed to be a very definite social order to everything.
This thought was almost immediately proved when the first girl (who was still holding my hand), lifted up her free hand, and silence immediately fell. "Go and get some nice food for our new friend everyone – and bring out all your old stories as well!" Her voice was sweet and melodic, but with an underlying power that forbade anyone to disobey her. I wondered how someone so young could have such strength, but shrugged off the thought quite quickly. Nothing much seemed to want to stay in my head, and I smiled blissfully when another small girl (this one with white-blonde hair) took my free hand, and lead me over to the crackling fire.
There, we sat down in a circle, the warmth a welcome feeling in the chilly night air. There was hustle and bustle all around as the other children ran to and fro, fetching and carrying things. Looking around curiously, I could see that there were tree houses in some of the great trees all around us. Ladders and rope bridges linked them together easily, so that it would be possible to go from one end of the miniature village to the other without touching the ground once. It was from these houses that the children fetched all the food and drink, as well as some battered old books.
The circle around the fire already was fast growing, until everyone had returned. In total, there were about a couple of dozen or so children. They beamed, radiant in the firelight, and chattered excitedly as two, a boy and a girl who looked so similar that they just had to be twins, went around, handing out food. My stomach growled and I watched as they drew closer. The redheaded girl giggled when she heard this, and said, "I guess you must be really hungry, huh?"
"Yeah, I am," I admitted with a grin, running my hand through my hair and wondering where my hat had gotten to. I frowned, trying to remember something that seemed really important, but finding it just out of my grasp.
"What's wrong?" the girl asked, holding out a tantalising chunk of bread, soft and fluffy, a nice, bright white with thick crusts, "want some?"
"Oh, yes, thanks!" I said, accepting the food. She watched me eagerly, like a mother making sure that her child eats everything on his plate. I poked the food experimentally, and sniffed it – it smelled great. All warm and homey – just like Grandma's cooking…
A moment of clarity took hold, and I dropped the bread as though it had burnt me. "Shadow!" I gasped, jumping to my feet. The chatter stopped, and all of the gathered children stared at me, open-mouthed. "Sorry," I said, blushing slightly. "I didn't mean to startle you, but…" I had forgotten what I was going to say. "But…I…" I tried to remember what I'd been about to say, but the girl stood up and took my hand, and said,
"It's all right; you're probably just feeling strange because you're so hungry." She reached out and grabbed a new piece of bread, as delicious-looking as the first. This, she put into my other hand. "Here you go; eat up!" she urged, still smiling pleasantly. She let go of my hand and sat down. I looked at the bread, inhaling the scent. Again, I remembered poor-old Shadow, and wondered what she must think! :She doesn't know where I am. What if she's really worried: Looking around, my eyes fell on the first boy I'd met, who was holding an untouched apple in his hand; he looked away guiltily, as though he'd been staring only a moment before.
Casually, I swept my eyes over the whole gathering, and saw that none of them had yet started to eat. They were probably waiting for me, just to be polite. I tore off a small corner from my bread, and contemplated it. I lifted it up to my mouth, and watched the reaction of the boy – he was watching unashamedly now. I dropped my hand, and allowed the pieces of bread to tumble to the floor. Again, the redheaded girl jumped up, but her smile seemed forced now. "Really, now, you are terribly clumsy!" she breezed, laughing coolly. Once more, she tried to grab my hand, but I jerked it away.
This made the smile fall away completely. She scowled deeply, suddenly looking older and less enchanting than before. "Are you always this rude?" she asked, shoving another piece of bread towards me. "We don't have to give you anything to eat, but we're trying to be nice! So I don't see why you can't be nice and eat – you're so rude!" she stamped her foot to emphasize her point. Now, the whole circle of children had turned to watch the proceedings, and I felt threatened.
:They may all be smaller than I am, but there are a lot of them, and only one of me.: Realising that the only way to get out of this was to accept the food, I reached out for it. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," I assured the girl, and the smile crept back onto her face.
"That's all right," she assured me silkily. She turned and went back to the circle. I took my third piece of bread, and was about to take a huge bite of the tasty treat, when it was knocked from my hands.
"No, don't!" a voice that I'd heard somewhere before shrieked in my ear, and a blinding white light dazzled me.
"No! Stupid fairy, come back here!" the redheaded girl screamed, leaping up from her seat on the floor, and marching towards me. I didn't need the insistent tug on my ear to tell me to get moving. Clumsily, I turned away from the fire and the circle, and began to run blindly into the forest. A soft glow surrounded me, casting my shadow running across the ground, and showing up tree roots that I would otherwise had tripped over. Behind me, I could hear the children blundering after me, cursing as they fell over things they couldn't see in the dark beyond the fire's ring of light.
"Hurry, hurry!" the same bell-like voice came, urging me on. I gasped for air, and carried on running, dodging around huge tree trunks and leaping over smaller shrubs in my flight.
Shaken by my fall, I still had enough sense of mind to reach out and grab my facemask, in order to wrap it around my face once more. My breath came in short, sharp gasps, and I had to take a few moments to regain myself after my mad dash. Looking around, I could find no trace of my charge, or those that had taken him. :I don't know how I know, but I know he didn't go alone:. Straining all of my senses, I tried vainly to find him – or to find them. But, there was nothing but the thudding of my heart and the blood pounding in my ears.
Despondently, I clambered to my feet, wondering what I was supposed to do now. Absently, I plucked leaves from my hair, and tightened my facemask. Trying to put off telling Red, I decided to clamber back up to the branch where I'd last seen the Hylian. :Who knows? Perhaps I'll be able to find a clue that I missed in my haste.: It was a long shot…but, so was this whole ridiculous trip into the centre of the forest. We didn't even know if the Koroks would be there. It was all just a big guess! How could it be, that the fate of the Great Sea was hinged on us playing guessing games anyway!
Alighting on the branch, I grabbed the green felt hat, and exhaled slowly. The thoughts of undirected anger regarding disorganisation, turned around and pointed at me. :How could I be so stupid? I shouldn't have left him here alone – this place is full of dark magic! How could I think that leaving him alone would be safe: To be perfectly honest, I hadn't even been thinking… I'd just been feeling guilty for deceiving the poor lad. :And now I've let him down again – twice, in so many minutes: It was ridiculous…
The hat I rolled up, and put into my pack after taking out the green stone. Clenching it tightly in my right hand, I reached out, calling for Red. The gem warmed my palm, and I saw it glow slightly. "Red?" I ventured, taking care to keep the concerned note out of my voice. On the other end, I heard snoring, and despite the dire situation, an amused grin flashed across my face. "Red!" I tried again, louder this time. I could just imagine him starting up, as a startled yelp erupted from the stone.
"Huh – what?"
"It's Shadow," I explained to the King of Red Lions, who had obviously only just woken up. I felt sorry for him in advance, knowing my news was going to upset him. :I know I'm upset about it, anyway…: I sniffed as furious tears pressed at my eyelids.
"Shadow? Oh…yes… Well, what is it my dear?" he asked, still sounding rather dozy. I gulped. "Shadow?"
"I've lost the Hylian I only left him for a little while and when I came back he was gone and I don't know where he is I'm so sorry Red I didn't mean to I just-" I gabbled.
"Hang on, hang on!" he cut across me. "I didn't get a word of that. Are you all right? You sound upset… Would you like to try that again, but slowly?" he prompted. I nodded, though he couldn't see the gesture, and repeated myself.
"Red, I…I'm sorry… I left Rufus for a minute at most to scout around, and when I went back to where I left him…he was gone…I…" the tears did come then, Sheikah posterity be damned. I didn't like this oppressive forest, full of Wolfos and Gods only knew what else, and I'd lost the lad – our new Hero. I just wanted to go home…
Red didn't answer for a long while…when he finally did, his words shocked me. "Oh, Shadow," he said, words full of pity, rather than the raging anger I'd expected. "Look, I can't pretend I'm not angry, but…look, there's no point my being angry with you. You're sorry, and you are forgiven."
"Th-thank you," I snuffled.
"All that matters now is finding the lad."
"Which is going to prove as easy as it was to find the Koroks," I surmised, managing to pull myself together again. "I've got his hat," I added.
"What?"
"His hat –I have his hat," I repeated.
"Well, in that case…look, where are you now?"
"I'm up in the trees at the moment."
"Good. I want you to set that hat on fire."
"What?" I asked, incredulous.
"Just do it!"
"But, someone will see-"
"That's the whole point," he said flatly. "If you light it, and then try and make the flames burn blue with your magic. It need only be for a few seconds. Again, it's a long shot, but if this works, you'll have some allies in that forest." Before I could further question his orders, he was gone. I looked at the pointed hat in my right hand (the left hand being used to dry my wet cheeks), and began to imagine it aflame. :Blue flames? What creatures respond to blue flames…: I couldn't remember ever reading anything to do with blue flames…
But, I did as he said, glaring at the flickering reds and oranges of my fire, and superimposing icy blues and purples over the top. The fire burned the hat quickly, so that in the end I had to flap it around in order to put it out. Some ashes remained clinging to my fingertips, and I brushed them over my bandages, leaving long grey streaks across my torso.
Looking around, nothing had changed. Above, the sun had completely disappeared below the skyline. In the west, stars were winking into existence, and the moon was beginning to glint in the purple/grey sky. The few clouds scudding the sky blazed pink. The breeze had died to a pitiful few gusts of air here and there, which whistled through the branches, rustling leaves.
Rustle, rustle. The breeze had died, but the rustling continued. Startled, I raked my eyes over the vegetation where the noise had come from, and my eyes widened in shock at what I saw.
:A… A fairy…one of the ancient fairies…: My mouth had dropped open, and in some distant, sensible corner of my mind, I was glad my facemask covered my mouth, so I didn't look like a complete idiot. I snapped my jaw shut, but continued to stare at the mystical creature of myth in front of me.
The fairy had the appearance of a young woman, and glowed a soft, comforting pale blue. She wore a swirling white dress that skimmed her feet, which were resting on a thin twig. Her light grey eyes were as wide as mine, and she looked as shocked to see me, as I was to see her. After a few moments of utter stillness, she tensed, her wings stiffening. I realised she meant to fly off, and called out before she could leave. "Wait!" I started to move forwards. She edged backwards, and I stopped, holding my hands up instead, to show that I meant her no harm. "Please, I don't mean to harm you. I was told that burning a blue flame would attract allies," I said, only realising afterwards that this probably made no sense.
Instead of flitting off muttering about how 'crazy' I no doubt was, the fairy relaxed. She launched into the air, and alighted on a twig closer to my eye-level. "Who told you that?"
"The King of Red Lions," I answered.
"Ah, Daphnes Harkonnen," she nodded. "He doesn't know us well, but he knows enough to signal us," she said, more to herself than to me. Then, she returned her attention to me. "What's your name? Mine's Luna."
"I'm Shadow…and I'm sorry, but…"
"He didn't tell you what would happen after you summoned one of us?" she guessed. I nodded dumbly. "No one other than the Kokiri was ever sure about us…" she admitted, sounding melancholy. "Well…would it be forward of me to ask what's wrong?"
"Huh?"
"Well," she circled one of her small feet on the twig she was stood on, looking guilty. "I was watching you burning the hat, and you looked upset. Was it because you liked the hat?" I managed a small laugh at this, and she smiled as well, showing pearly white teeth. "I'm guessing that's a no?"
"You'd be right – no. I don't think I'd ever be too upset over the loss of a hat like that," I smiled to her. Then, I became sombre again. "No, I'm upset because I've lost someone I was supposed to be looking after." Luna had winced at the word 'lost'. "What is it?"
"When people are lost in the forest, they are rarely found," she declared mournfully. "And if they are found, they are never found unchanged. Who is it that you have lost?" I could feel tears welling up again at this dire outlook,
"A Hylian boy I was meant to be looking out for…his name was…R-Rufus," I coughed to stop myself from letting my tears out again.
"Rufus?" she repeated, recognition evident. "Would he have blond hair and wear a green tunic by any chance?" My head snapped up at this, hope returning.
"Yes, that's right! Have you seen him?" She shook her head, and my mood plummeted.
"No, I haven't… But I have a very good idea of where he might be."
"Really? Where?" I demanded, drawing so close to her that I could see the stitching on her dress. She didn't recoil, instead reaching out to touch my forehead, between my eyebrows. Immediately, I calmed, and sat back again, surveying her with interest. "Where do you think he is then?" I asked again.
"He will be with the Kokiri," she answered simply, shuddering at the name.
"The Kokiri?" I choked. "But, surely…they're no more!"
"That's what they'd want everyone to believe. But no, there are still a few of them left…and they're not as they used to be. They've become twisted and changed over time. Now they're bitter and they resent all the things that they cannot have…like life itself…" I raised my eyebrow, and she noticed my curious expression. "But, no… I'm sorry, there isn't time to explain. I must go and retrieve him from them before it's too late!"
"I'll come with you!" I offered, already on my feet, sorrow forgotten with the new hope of finding the Hylian.
"No!" she barked. Then, she continued, softly, "No. It's far too dangerous. I'll call some of the others, and they'll take you somewhere safe. I'll go and get Rufus, and I'll bring him to you…though I can't promise he'll be the same Hylian boy who left you." I shuddered at the dark overtones of this statement. Even the appearance of several dozen more fairies didn't fill me with as much wonderment as it normally would have. When the small orbs of light, all colours of the rainbow, swirled around me, and picked me up as easily as though I weighed nothing, all I could think of was Rufus in danger somewhere in this big forest.
Everything around me disappeared. The many-coloured lights of the fairies melted together and surrounded me, a bubble of pulsating lights, whose colours changed constantly. Their magic was calming, wrapping warmly around me and stilling the thudding of my heart, slowing the rasping breaths in my throat. I relaxed, allowing all my muscles to un-tense, one by one. The bell-like voices of the fairies filled my ears, and they rocked me to sleep with the comfort of their magic.
Before I completely left the world of waking, Luna's words came back to me. 'I can't promise he'll be the same Hylian boy who left you.' :What does that even mean:
Finally, when I could run no longer and my legs had turned to jelly, the familiar bell-like voice told me, "It's OK, we lost them. You can stop now." I obeyed immediately, bending double, with my hands on my knees, and sucking in a lungful of air. The glow that had followed and surrounded me throughout my run became brighter, and a ball of bright light perched amongst the foliage of a small hawthorn bush next to me. "Hello Rufus."
"Luna!" her name suddenly clicked in my mind as I looked at the shining grey and white fairy. "I – thank you. Who were…they?" I asked, looking fearfully over my shoulder for the strange children.
"They're the Kokiri," she said, jogging something in my memory – but my mind was still a little hazy, so I dismissed the half-formed memory. "I must say, I'm impressed." She hopped up into the air and flew lazily around my head.
"You are…?" I said slowly, not sure what she was on about.
"Yes," she replied. "You're one of the first people who's been able to refuse their food…well, for a little while anyway," she added with a strained chuckle.
"The food?" I echoed dumbly. She just laughed again, the sound more natural this time.
"Yes, the food! It's enchanted – if you'd eaten it, you would have believed anything they told you, and done anything they wanted you to." I shivered at this idea. She saw, and alighted on my left shoulder. "They used the same sort of enchantment to get you to come with them, but you managed to break it just long enough to remember who you were…and a good thing too. As it was, I only just got to you in time!"
"Yeah – thank you for saving me from…" I looked over my shoulder again, feeling like I was being watched. "But why would they want to enchant me?" I asked, looking back at her with a frown when she tugged on a few strands of my hair.
"Oh, sorry," she apologised with a smile. She returned to her perch on the shrub, and peered owlishly up at me. "I would have thought it obvious why they'd want to enchant you." My quizzical expression told her that this was not so. "Oh…perhaps not… Well…look, we can't really talk here. There are spies all over this forest. If you come with me, I'll take you to somewhere safe." I made to follow the glittering orb as she flitted off, but then remembered someone rather important.
"Shadow! I can't forget about her again…sorry…she's someone I'm travelling with, and I should really-"
"We've already met her," Luna told me, waving her hand carelessly. "She'll probably already be there; though, I warn you, she might be sleeping." The fairy turned around fully at this, and said, "She looked a little tired, so I had the others place a simple charm on her so she'd slumber for a while."
"Oh…right," I nodded, again getting that feeling that I'd missed something important. The fairy turned around once more, and began to slowly drift through the murky air, giving me some respite after my flight. My legs were beginning to ache a little, and I was glad that she wasn't going too fast. :I hope Shadow isn't too worried about me: I thought guiltily. :I can't believe I managed to forget all about her like that… But Luna did say they'd enchanted me… I should have been able to fight it though. I mean…if I can't fight against a load of kids…what hope is there: These gloomy thoughts circled around in my head, taunting me. The crunching of leaves underfoot, and occasional cautious halts in our journey did little to distract me from my thoughts.
I'm not quite sure how long we travelled for. There was something about the forest that just made you forget time altogether. Even during the daytime, it had been gloomy underneath the thick lattice-work of leaves and branches; at night, I wouldn't have been able to so much as see my hand in front of my face, if it hadn't been for the glowing fairy lighting my way. It was as I was trudging doggedly after her up a steep bank, that I noticed the world around lighten. Curiously, I looked upwards, wondering whether it could be morning already. It didn't feel as though we could have been travelling that long…but I couldn't see any other reason for the darkness to be drawing away!
That was until we crested the top of the rise, of course. Then, looking down over a small valley devoid of the overbearing, gnarled trees that covered the rest of the island, I realised exactly where all that light was coming from. :Wow…: Luna hovered next to me, allowing me to take everything in. :Aryll would have loved this.: I thought.
The tiny hollow was filled with all sorts of wildflowers, their heady scent reaching my nostrils on the breeze. Blood red roses grew in a ring around the outside of the small meadow, all trailing from one great, towering rosebush in the centre. It was from this very plant that twinkling lights glowed, all colours of the rainbow. Beneath the thorny branches of the rosebush was an immobile figure; I took a step forwards, momentarily worried, but relaxed when Shadow stirred slightly. Her silvery hair had come loose again, and glowed against the dark leaves on the ground.
Luna had sped off to the other fairies, and I could hear frantic whispering as all of the twinkling creatures gathered around her. My Sheikah companion moved once more, sitting up and opening her eyes. She yawned widely, stretching her arms over her head, and then smiled slightly when she caught sight of the fairies above… :Wait a minute…her mask has come off: I looked away guiltily, guessing that she probably wouldn't want me staring; from the corner of my eye, I could see that she had noticed her lack of mask as well. She snapped the piece of material back up over her nose, and tied it securely at the back of her head.
Even through the gloom, I had registered something surprising… :She's…pretty…: I'd been wondering why she wore a mask since I first saw her. I don't know…for some reason, I thought there must be something wrong with her face or something… :So why does she wear it then: I knew I'd probably never dare to ask; plus, I was too busy trying to ignore the butterflies that had suddenly started flying around in my stomach. :This is stupid! She's much older than me, and a better fighter, and I didn't feel weird before I saw her face! Stop being dumb Rufus:
"Rufus!" Shadow called, having spotted me lingering on the edge of the enchanted little hollow. She rushed over to me at her phenomenal speed, and before I knew what was happening, had engulfed me in a rib-crushing hug! "Oh, thank the Gods you're all right!" she said, giving me a last squeeze before letting me go again. "Ahem…" she coughed self-consciously. "Uh, what I mean to say is…I'm glad you're all right." She slouched a little so that she was on my level. "When I got back and found nothing but your hat…" she trailed off and shrugged. "Well, no matter – you're all right…aren't you?"
I nodded, feeling as though I'd slipped into some odd new world, and allowed her to shepherd me down towards where the fairies were waiting for us. Soft grass brushed against my legs, and I managed to pluck a few daisies as we went past a patch of them. I toyed with the idea of presenting them to Shadow, but instead satisfied myself with stuffing one through the buttonhole at the top of my collar. "Fetching," Shadow murmured, looking sidelong at me, and then glancing away before I could catch her eye. Luckily, Luna drifted over and spared me the trial of trying to understand the Sheikah's odd personality.
"Hello again," the grey fairy greeted Shadow – she in turn gave a small wave. "I trust that you enjoyed your sleep?"
"Yes, thank you," Shadow nodded politely.
"She did after we managed to fight her into staying here anyway," one of the other fairies muttered, sunny yellow surrounding his small frame.
"Oh, hush Phoebus," Luna said, containing a laugh. Shadow shuffled uncomfortably and I nudged her in the side,
"Why were you so keen to leave?" I asked.
"Wanted to make sure you were OK," she whispered back, the tips of her ears turning bright red. "Stupid, I know…but…well… Red would have killed me if I lost you!" she ended, stumbling over her words slightly. I laughed slightly at this statement, and then said,
"Well, thanks anyway. Nice to know you care."
"Of course I do," she agreed, nodding slightly. I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach. Any and all doubts I'd had about her were obliterated by this shaky confession. (The bone-crushing embrace she'd caught me in earlier only seemed to confirm her sincerity on this matter.) I managed a proper smile, and returned my attention to Luna and the other fairy…:Urm…'Fee-bud'? Bah, I'll get it in a minute…: The both of them had been waiting patiently for Shadow and me to finish our talk.
"Well…now that we're here, we have a few hours before the sun rises once more. I'd suggest that you both stay here for the night – the Kokiri will probably have alerted the Lord of your presence by now." Shadow and I exchanged glances that plainly said 'what?' Luna noticed, and sighed softly, "Ah, of course…you don't know of him, do you?" I shook my head. "I suppose there'll be time before you go to sleep to tell you everything you need to know."
"Sleep?" Shadow echoed.
"Yes, sleep m'lady – considering you've only had a couple of hours, and the boy even less," the yellow fairy interjected; this earned him a warning look from Luna. He shrank back a little, and folded his arms sulkily over his chest.
"Sorry about him," the grey fairy intoned, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at him. He stuck his tongue out, and it was a struggle not to laugh. "Anyway, yes, you should both get as much sleep as you can before you begin again tomorrow." She held her hand up, realising that I was about to protest, "No, that's my final word. You helped me once, and I'm going to do the same!" she looked so fierce that I didn't dare contradict her. "This small part of the forest is safe from any attack; everything within the roses cannot be touched by any we don't want in." I nodded, to show that I understood – Shadow surveyed the edge of the hollow doubtfully.
"I don't mean to be rude," she began tentatively.
"Yes?" Luna prompted.
"But, if there are important things we need to know, shouldn't you really begin to tell us of them?" The small grey fairy started, and the yellow fairy :Phoebus, that's it: could barely contain himself at this blunt question.
"Oh my, sorry – I was rabbiting on, wasn't I?" Luna conceded immediately. "We rarely get to see anyone new to speak to, so…yes…well… Please, feel free to sit down. I'll just go and get a few things to help tell the story."
"Story?" I echoed, but both fairies had sped off. I sank down onto the ground next to Shadow, and looked at her with admiration. "Well done," I said.
"What for?" she asked, confused.
"For getting her to hurry up and tell us what's going on, of course!" the blonde girl just shrugged.
"I just wanted to know what we're up against…I don't like being left in the dark." I relaxed into the steady banter, feeling once more comfortable in the Sheikah girl's presence.
The scent of roses tickled my nose, and I inhaled the sweet smell deeply. For some reason, they reminded me of something…it seemed important, yet I couldn't quite grasp why. Shuffling slightly, I realised that I was lying down; soft leaves tickled my face. Curiously, I opened my eyes in order to squint at the world around me. Directly in front of my face was a bright red blossom, vibrant in the bright moonlight. Soft lights faded in and out at the corners of my vision, voices rising and falling without any words. The wind seemed to sing in the air – a melody with no beginning or end.
With a sudden rush of realisation, I knew the name of the flower staring me in the face. :A rose:. And, with another flash of remembrance, I sat bolt upright. Feverishly, I whipped my head around, searching for a band of string players; for purple and white roses to accompany the red ones; for a man I loathed more than I could possibly express. Finding none of these things, my muscles relaxed…though only slightly. I looked down at my hands, fearing for a moment that I would see a silver ring on my left hand. However, there was nothing; on my right hand, fierce cuts made up the Tri-Force symbol.
"NO! This is not real! It's a bloody vision! You told me yourself you could customise them, so why don't you stop this right now?"
I shook my head to get rid of the vision Dragmire had tried to fool me with days ago. This drew the attention of one of the glowing lights that had been drifting around me. The fairy (which was a comforting sunny yellow amongst the gloomy trees) came to rest on the very rose blossom that I had woken to. When the glow had died away slightly, I saw that it was a man – I remembered him as one of the fairies who had whisked me away from the branch, where…:Rufus…: "I have to find him," I mumbled to myself, ignoring the quizzical look of the yellow fairy.
"Pardon?" he tilted his head to one side, a small smile playing on his face. "Are you quite all right? You look a little shaken."
"I – I'm fine," I answered distractedly, getting my feet. The sight that met my eyes was lovely – wildflowers carpeted the basin of a small valley, stretching up its sides until they met a ring of red roses that ran all the way around the outside of the hollow. More of the glowing fairies flew lazily amongst the flowers, bell-like voices tinkling pleasantly. It was very reminiscent of the clearing in which the Great Deku Tree himself stood…yet…:those roses…Dragmire…: I swallowed, not noticing that the fairy-man had flown up to be on my eye-level.
"Not meaning to offend, but you don't look as if you are," he observed. "You should probably try and get back to sleep."
"Sleep?" I echoed, focusing my eyes on the orb of golden light. "No…I can't. I have to find…" I trailed off, lifting my eyes to survey the ring of roses again. Beyond it, the world dissolved into menacing shadows, ready to reach out and engulf any who came too near. :And that's where I'm going: I decided certainly, striding away from the rose bush under which I had slept, intent on finding Rufus, if it was the last thing I did! The yellow fairy trailed me, others starting to follow in his wake.
"Uh…I'm sorry…but Luna said you should really stay here…"
"I'll be quite all right. Thank you." I said back in clipped tones. When I felt a small weight on my shoulder, I stopped and looked down. He smiled up at me, looking apologetic.
"Heh; I've got to do what she tells me. I dread to think what she'd do if I just let you go wandering off."
"I'm quite capable of looking after myself. Don't worry yourself."
"Ah, that I don't doubt," he said, launching back into the air. "But, my orders are to keep you here, so…" The others fairies had surrounded me without my notice; the circle of lights was closing in. I looked at the yellow one murderously.
"What are you doing?" I hissed, though most of the anger was lost as a wave of drowsiness caught up with me. "No…stop it…I…Rufus…" Weakly, I swiped at the yellow fairy – he dodged me easily.
"So sorry. Just go back to sleep – he'll be OK." Now feeling as weak as a kitten, I sank to my knees, all the many-coloured flowers blurring into one as I fought to keep my eyes open. :This isn't…fair… Using magic when I…so tired…: I yawned, and submitted to my body's demands to lie down. :Just for a minute or two…and then I'll go and get…:
…
When I next awoke, it was obvious that I'd been out for more than a few minutes. Feeling a little better after my sleep, I sat up, smiling at the fairies that surrounded me. All my dreams had been warm, bright – full of the small magical creatures. Without it being said, I knew that they meant well, and forgave them for their…less than fair methods of keeping me there. I yawned, stretching my arms above my head and managing to click my back in the process. The floor, covered in so many dead leaves and the soft grass had made my sleep rather more comfortable than I could have guessed, and I momentarily wished I hadn't woken up.
When I felt the soft touch of the breeze against my cheek, I realised that my mask had fallen down as I slept. Self-consciously, I pulled it back over my nose, hoping that the fairies didn't think I was too odd for doing so… When I had made sure it wasn't going to slip off again, I ran a hand through my hair, tucking it behind my ears to keep it out of the way. A flash of green that seemed out of sorts with the black trees caught my eye. Looking up, I saw Rufus standing awkwardly outside the ring of roses, tunic a little ruffled and blond hair looking even more like a crow's nest than it usually did, but none the worse for wear.
Unable to contain myself, I sprang up, and rushed over in order to catch him in a strong hug. "Rufus! Oh, thank the Gods you're all right!" I couldn't believe that I had gotten off so easily with leaving him alone – things could have been much worse. Plus…well, it was impossible not to feel something for the lad; he was courageous for one thing, and surprisingly talented for a Hylian… Realising that I was still hugging him, I released my hold, feeling embarrassed at the look of abject shock on his face. I coughed quietly, and said, "Uh…what I mean to say is… I'm glad you're all right," I amended. He nodded slightly, the corners of his lips tugging a smile onto his face. "When I got back and found nothing but your hat…" I shrugged. "Well, no matter," I added, attempting to be jovial, "you're all right – aren't you?" He nodded again, and I sighed internally with relief.
:Phew… OK, panic over. He's all right. You messed up, but just forget it, because he's all right.: I led him towards the rose bush at the centre of the small valley; he plucked a few daisies as we went past a patch of them. It reminded me of the time when Delia and I had forced Firen to wear a chain of daisies on his head during Delia's birthday celebrations one year… Without really thinking about it, I murmured, "Fetching," with a small smile, when I saw that Rufus had stuffed one of the blossoms through the buttonhole on his tunic. His brows furrowed slightly at this, and he made to catch my eye – panicking a little, I looked away, eyes falling once again on those red roses.
:Dragmire will take advantage of this if you're not careful: I warned myself. Yet… Rufus was just…like a little brother of sorts, really… I wanted to ensure his safety; not just on Red's orders, but on my own as well. That was why it had worried me so much to find him gone… The idea of him being hurt or wounded was abhorrent! And, well, if feeling that way would help me do what I was supposed to do, then I'd just have to risk Dragmire's ministrations, wouldn't I? :Yet, if you do that, you could end up being the one to hurt the Hylian…:
"Hello again. I trust you enjoyed your sleep?" the grey fairy called Luna greeted me.
"Yes, thank you," I nodded, noticing the yellow fairy hovering nearby. He looked pointedly at me, and then muttered,
"She did after we managed to fight her into staying here anyway…" The grey fairy looked surprised, and then laughed slightly,
"Oh, hush Phoebus!" I felt foolish for my earlier actions, and wished that the yellow fairy had not pointed them out…especially not in front of Rufus! As if he'd heard my thoughts, the Hylian nudged me gently in the side, and whispered,
"Why were you so keen to leave?" Feeling a hot flush creeping up over my cheeks, I decided to be truthful, and murmured back,
"Wanted to make sure you were OK… Stupid I know but…well…Red would have killed me if I lost you!" I ended, knowing immediately that the lad would see right through my attempt at humour. He laughed a little at my admission, before sombrely saying,
"Well, thanks anyway…" he hesitated a little, and then said, "Nice to know you care." There was a slight edge of bitterness in his voice, which I guessed he hadn't meant to allow to show through. However, it prompted me to assure him that I did, indeed, care.
"Of course I do." This made him smile properly; I returned his smile, and then we both looked to the two fairies (Luna and Phoebus), who had been waiting patiently whilst we spoke. I gave a minute nod to Luna to say that she could speak.
"Well, now that we're here, we have a few hours before the sun rises once more. I'd suggest that you both stay here for the night – the Kokiri will probably have alerted the Lord of your presence by now." I felt a little shiver at the base of my spine at the mention of this 'Lord'. I exchanged a look with Rufus, who was just as perplexed as I was. "Ah, of course…you don't know of him, do you?" Rufus shook his head, and I was about press her further on the matter, when she carried on, "I suppose there'll be time before you go to sleep to tell you everything you need to know."
"Sleep?" I'd only just woken up for Gods sakes!
"Yes, sleep m'lady," Phoebus said, "considering you've only had a couple of hours, and the boy even less." Luna gave him a warning look – he pouted and crossed his arms out his chest petulantly. I once again ignored the yellow fairy, annoyed at what he'd done to me earlier.
"Sorry about him," the grey fairy said, gesturing to Pheobus, who just stuck out his tongue childishly. "Anyway, yes, you should both get as much sleep as you can before you begin again tomorrow." She had taken on a very motherly tone, and stopped Rufus before he could say anything, "No, that's my final word!" Eyes softening, she looked to Rufus directly, "You helped me once." Then, she glared, "I'm going to do the same!" The Hylian looked as though he didn't dare to answer her back; I listened, hoping (vainly it seemed), that Luna would get on to telling who this 'Lord' was, and why his name instilled fear in me, even though I'd never heard of him before in my life! "This small part of the forest is safe from any attack…everything within the roses cannot be touched by any we don't want in." I looked again at the ring of red roses; they merely served to remind me of Dragmire, and I doubted that anything which could do that could be good.
Realising that the grey fairy could (and probably would) be able to talk nonsense for hours without getting to the point, I decided to give her a gentle nudge in the right direction. As diplomatically as I could, I began, "I don't mean to be rude…" :But I'm going to be anyway.:
"Yes?" Luna said.
"But…if there are important things we need to know, shouldn't you really begin to tell us of them?" I concluded; the yellow fairy clamped both hands over his mouth to contain laughter, and the grey fairy looked shocked. However, she graciously managed to regain herself, and nodded humbly,
"Oh my…sorry; I was rabbiting on, wasn't I? We rarely get to see anyone new to speak to," she explained. "So, yes…well… Please, feel free to sit down. I'll just go and get a few things to help tell the story." I smiled in triumph, watching the small grey ball of light flit off into the mass of twisting branches at the centre of the rose bush.
"Story?" Rufus repeated, raising an eyebrow. I sat down on the ground and crossed my legs, reaching up a hand in order to 'casually' check that my mask was still all right. It had been quite a shock to wake up and find it gone… "Well done," Rufus said suddenly, having taken up a seat next to me on the soft grass.
"What for?"
"For getting her to hurry up and tell us what's going on, of course!" he said. I just shrugged, feeling glad that he agreed with my sentiments.
"I just wanted to know what we're up again…I don't like being left in the dark," I said. I saw Rufus visibly relax when I said this; he fiddled with the daisy in his buttonhole, and looked over at the rosebush, still glittering with dozens of fairy lights. Not knowing how long it would take Luna to find what it was she was looking for, I reached out and pulled up a few daisies that were nestled in the jade grass beneath me. These I placed on my knee; I picked up one, and used my thumbnail in order to pierce a hole in the stem. Then, I drove another daisy through this hole, beginning to create a daisy chain as we waited.
Rufus watched with interested, and asked softly, "How do you do that? I've always wondered…my sister's great at making daisy-chains, but I never really got it." There was a ghost of sorrow on his face at the mention of his sister, but it went away quite quickly. Deciding that he could probably do with something to take his mind off her, I shuffled over, and showed him what I had already done. Then, I lifted up another daisy, discarding the two-flower chain I had started, and beginning again.
"Well, you just take a whole bunch of daisies," I indicated those still lying on my leg, "And then you get the first one… Just use your nail and pierce through the stem at the bottom to make a hole. See?" I bent the stalk of the daisy I held so that the hole gaped wide.
"Yeah, I see," he nodded.
"Want to try?" I proffered one of my collection of daisies. He took it, and tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, he bought it up close to his face, and drove his nail through the green stalk. However, he did so with a bit too much gusto, meaning that he just sliced off the end of the stem instead.
"Oh…bother!" he said, frowning and trying again. This time, he managed it, and grinned triumphantly. "What now?" I handed him another daisy, picking up another myself as well.
"Now, you just poke a second daisy through the hole you've made, and then pull it through – like this," I demonstrated. He copied me, and then looked at me expectantly for the next instruction. "Well, now, you just make a hole in the second daisy, and carry on until the chain's long enough."
"Right," he nodded, concentrating fiercely as he added another daisy to his chain. He then began to get his own supply of the small, cheerful flowers, stringing them together with increasing proficiency. When he had about six in a line, he stopped, a sudden thought seeming to strike him.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Oh…just… Well, just realising how girly an occupation making daisy chains is," he said nonchalantly, obviously struggling to keep a straight face. I snorted; the sudden laugh made me move so much that I managed to dislodge one of my daggers. It clattered to the floor, making the both of us jump nervously. I picked it up, and raised my eyebrow at him,
"Well…just think how 'boyish' I must be, with all this fighting equipment," I chuckled, slipping the dagger back through my belt. He grinned, and we continued to make our daisy chains in companionable silence. A few more minutes of calm passed, and then the grey fairy Luna was back, clutching an ancient and miniscule tome under one arm, and hanging onto the end of a scrap of green material that looked suspiciously like…
"My hat!" Rufus exclaimed as the green felt fell to the ground in front of him. Daisy chain forgotten for the moment, he grabbed it and forced it onto his head, hiding the mess of wheat-coloured strands atop his head.
"Well, not quite…but I found this one and thought it looked about right for you," Luna smiled at the big grin on the Hylian's face as he tugged at the rim of the hat so that it settled comfortably on his head.
"Thanks."
"No problem." I wondered if I'd need to prompt the fairy once more to get to the point. However, I didn't need to worry. She crossed her legs Indian-style in the air, and rested the old book on her lap, opening it to marked page. Running her finger over the miniscule text (I tried to read it, but was unable to decipher it), she found the place she was looking for, and looked up at us once again. I guiltily looked away, feeling that she probably wouldn't have wanted me to try and read over shoulder. Rufus stopped playing with his new hat, and nervously picked up his half-formed daisy chain, hands working of their own accord. I did the same thing, finding that having something to do made me calm down a little bit.
Luna took a deep breath, and looked down at the book again. "OK, before I start, I just need to know if you already know how the Koroks came to be, and-"
"Yes, we do," Rufus nodded, his voice eager. "We know all about how the Kokiri moved the Great Deku Tree onto a mountain before the flood, and then they took the shapes that the Koroks have today, and all that."
"Right," the grey fairy nodded. "Good…I mean…well…at least I don't have to go over that as well." It sounded as though her throat was slightly constricted, and when I looked more closely, I could see the telltale shimmer of tears in her eyes. She noticed my gaze, and carelessly brushed the back of her hand over her eyes, obliterating the moisture waiting to spill out. "Anyway," she breathed, "It's good that you already know about that… The next part of the tale is much less savoury, I warn you of that now."
"Luna," Rufus whispered, sensing that the small fairy was a little fragile. "Please…I can tell that this must be hard for you, but…we can only help if we know everything." Luna nodded, sniffing in a dignified way.
"Of course, of course," she agreed breezily. "Now…the tale begins just as the other one leaves off…"
I fiddled absent-mindedly with the daisy chain in my lap, not even much caring when I ended up snapping it in two. Luna's words invaded my mind, drawing pictures so vivid that they were almost like memories.
"Now…the tale begins just as the other leaves off… After the great floods, all the Kokiri were to be found on these two islands – back then, the forest was only young, bright and friendly. We set about building new homes as best we could with the materials we had – Kokiri and fairy partners together. Most of the Kokiri missed their old home, but the new forest provided a good home for us all. A few wolves had become trapped on this island, and so few of the Kokiri stayed here for all that long, preferring to move closer to the Great Deku Tree on the other island, and make their homes there.
"Of course, there were those who liked to think of themselves as brave adventurers, and so they stayed in the woods here. Some even managed to capture a few wolves and tame them as pets… Yet, even from the start, there was something at the centre of the forest; something dark that none of us dared to go near. The Great Deku Tree, sensing that there was something bad on this island, called the Kokiri that remained here to come back to him. Most did as they were told – but, again, there were those who wanted to stay. They knew that if they went, they would have to leave their pets behind…and the Kokiri have always been rather childish in their ways.
"Also, some of the Kokiri, having seen what their brethren had changed into, were scared of being forced to change as well. They liked their childlike forms, and thought that the Great Deku Tree would force them to change. He assured them that he wouldn't…yet, by this time, the dark presence in the forest had changed them. They were no longer the trusting, kind, shy creatures they'd once been…they had become…" Luna trailed off, and swept a hand over her eyes as tears leaked out. Shivering a little at the dark tone in her voice, I looked at Shadow, half expecting her to launch in and finish the story. Yet, for once, she didn't know any more than I did.
I dug around in my pocket, and managed to find a handkerchief balled up in one of them. After checking that it was clean, I held it out to Luna. The grey fairy smiled a watery smile, and took the very tip of the white material in order to wipe her face. "Better?" I asked.
"Much, thanks," she nodded. "Now…where was I?" she ran her finger down the page she was on, and then started up again. "With the help of the dark power in the forest, they had become the creatures that tried to steal you away tonight," she looked at me. "They no longer listened to the Great Deku Tree, because they had a new leader – he taught them how to fight, and fulfilled their wishes to be just like the great Hero of Time himself. He taught them how to fight…kill…hunt…do all the things that the Kokiri had never done!" she exclaimed angrily.
"They began to address the dark power as 'the Lord' – he didn't discourage this. In fact, I think he liked it. Slowly, over the years, he has fashioned them into his slaves, giving them just enough of what they want so that they will continue to follow him."
"But who is he?" I asked wondrously, unable to stop myself. Luna shuddered, and shook her head,
"I – I can't!" she slammed the book shut. "He…it's just too…" she spluttered, unable to find the words. With a final, desperate sob, she zoomed off, flicking her wrist behind her as she went. A string of silvery light flowed from her index finger, expanding into a odd sphere in the air. Another flash of light assaulted my eyes, and when the stars had died away from my vision, I was able to see that a picture had appeared within the floating ball.
"My Gods," Shadow said, horrified. I agreed with her completely. I stared at the picture, hardly able to believe my eyes, yet unable to tear myself away from what I saw. It just couldn't…shouldn't…be possible! Yet, there it was, as plain as day!
A huge Wolfos, with pure black fur, glowered at us from the confines of the floating sphere. His eyes were piercingly green, blazing with great intelligence. His teeth were long and sparkled white when he snarled at us, fur rising all along the back of his neck. He stood upright on two legs, just as a man does. It looked as though he had always walked that way – his front paws had turned into something that looked a lot more like hand, with opposable thumbs and all. A shimmering sabre of some beaten metal was slung across his furred back, held in place with a chain of small bones, linked together with metal links. But, the worst thing of all, was the line of glass bottles acting as a sort of belt around his waist. In each one was a fairy; their lights were weak and stuttering, some had gone out altogether. He patted the bottles, clawed fingers clinking against the glass, and cast an amused smirk at us, perhaps registering our horror.
Shadow suddenly reached forwards, and waved her hand through the picture, obliterating it. I exhaled, the spell of horrified wonder broken. I looked at her, and could see that she looked just as felt. "It…how is it…" I couldn't finish my sentence – she understood what I meant though.
"I don't know… I've never…never seen anything like it…" she trailed off hopelessly, looping her now finished daisy chain over her head and then promptly forgetting all about it. "Where do you suppose she went?"
"Back to her chambers below ground," Phoebus, the yellow fairy, answered for her. We both looked at him; instead of the cheeky grin I had seen earlier, his face was drawn and sombre. "She's lost many good friends to the Lord…we all have…"
"Oh, I see…I'm sorry," I said, only afterwards realising how futile a statement that had been. Phoebus just nodded gratefully, and then turned to Shadow, who was fiddling agitatedly with her weaponry.
"I know you'll want to go out and finish your mission as soon as possible, but…please… I'd advise you to wait until morning. He seems to lose some of his power when the sun is up." Shadow dropped her hands, and nodded to show that she understood.
"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sleep," I whispered, rubbing my arms as I felt suddenly chilly. Shadow smiled weakly,
"Me neither."
"Well, I can help you there," Phoebus managed half a smile, and looked a little more like his old self.
"Oh, not more of that magic of yours!" Shadow protested jokily, making the yellow fairy smile properly this time.
"I'm afraid so!"
"Oh, very well then…just let us get out something to rest our heads on first." Phoebus nodded, and withdrew a little. "I suppose we should sleep whilst we can," she said to me. It wasn't quite a question, but I felt I should answer anyway,
"Yeah, we probably should." Silently, we both preparing ourselves so that we could have a comfortable sleep. Shadow used her backpack as a pillow, lying on her side and curling up so that she was clutching her knees to her chest. I moved a little way off to give her some space, and lay down so that I was facing her, my head on my backpack. It was a little bit lumpy, but comfortable enough. Managing a small smile at her, I closed my eyes; Phoebus performed whatever magic it was he needed to, and I drifted off into a mercifully dreamless sleep.
Please ignore the incongruous wonder about fairies… I'm taking it that there are two types of fairies in this universe – those who can't speak and are used for healing, and those like Luna, who were once Kokiri partners, and can talk. Heh…I really should have made that clearer, so sorry! Plus, I have no idea what happened in that little meeting with the fairies in the hollow thing. That whole section just refused to be written for ages…sorry if it seems forced. However, I believe daisy chain making does, of course, make up for it all.
Soda