Author's Note: I could have made this chapter a bit better. . . ~T-Lea
The Truth
When Link next woke, he was in his own, familiar bed again. Taters was hovering over him with a rag in his hand, and Saria, along with Mido and his group of friends, sat around a crackling fire in the middle of his house. Slowly, he pushed himself up into a sitting position.
"S-Saria?" he mumbled, bleary-eyed, as he stared at her. "Mido? What happened?"
Saria did not look at him, neither did Mido. It was almost as if they hadn't heard him.
"We were hoping you would be able to tell us that," Taters replied for them, watching Link's expression.
"But. . ." Link stared hard at Saria, noticing how her expression was hard and pensive. "Saria? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Link," she replied without even glancing at him, her voice slightly sharp, "but. . .you aren't."
"What? "
For the first time since he had been awake, he noticed that his tunic had been loosened around his chest. He glanced down quickly, and caught sight of a purple symbol etched in his skin. It was almost like a large, purple scar. It had bled freshly, and there was a green substance smothered on it.
"What— What happened?" he mumbled to himself, quickly covering his chest with a free hand. "What happened with you in the Sacred Meadow, Mido? And Taters—what about the Great Deku Tree?"
Taters shook his head. "There wasn't anything wrong, Link. The Great Deku Tree told us that everything was at peace in the forest, again."
"And Saria was fine, after all," Mido grumbled, slamming his arms over his chest as he kept his gaze averted.
"But—wait!" Link glanced at every face in the room. "But. . . The forest was starting to wither— "
"The Great Deku Tree told us once we arrived that the evil had been destroyed," Taters told Link, his face wrought with concern. "When we came back to the village, we had found that Saria and Mido had carried you back, unconscious. Link. . .what happened out there, buddy?"
Link swung his legs over the side of his bed and tightened his tunic over his chest away from their eyes. Then, he thought back to the events that had taken place earlier. Unfortunately, the only thing he could think of was the blinding light that emanated from his slingshot and delivered the finishing blow to the large creature.
"I. . . I'm not sure," he mumbled in response, slightly disgruntled with his memory loss. "I think. . .the Lost Woods got to me."
"That isn't possible, Link," Saria said, standing up from the stool she sat on, and then crossing over to where he sat. "The Lost Woods doesn't deceive us Kokiri that quickly. You should know that when we found you, a large baba plant had you in its jaws. And, Link," she added in a whisper that only he could hear, "there's something. . .wrong with you. . .and here."
He looked up into her face. Sweat glazed her cheeks, and her expression was strained with stress. Link pulled away from her, fearful of the look on her face. She withdrew from him with her eyes averted, and then placed herself down on the stool once more.
"Wha's with this atmosphere?" Mido called to the room. "What am I doin' here anyway? Come on, guys, let's scram!"
Mido stood up, and his group followed as they headed for the door. However, before he left the house, he called over his shoulder: "Don't forget what I said earlier, Link: You're mine! I don't care about your wounds. You'll fight me tomorrow soon enough." Then, he left the house with a wry wave.
Link glanced at Saria, and then to Taters. Then, he got to his feet.
"Link— "
"I'm going for a walk," he interrupted Taters. "My wound is fine"—he stole a glance at Saria's strained face—"Besides, Mido's right: The atmosphere is a little strange in here. Don't wait up for me."
With a last glance at Saria, he swept from the house. Once outside, he caught up with Mido before he could cross to the head of the village to his house.
"Yo, Mido!" he called out. Mido spun on his heel. "Saria, Taters—what is going on with you guys?"
"Whaddaya sayin'?" Mido pillowed his head with the flat of his palms. "How can you know my name? Yer not Link!"
"Wha— What are you talking about?!" Link demanded of him. "I am Link! Why would you say that?"
"'Cause Saria senses it too, tha's why."
Link suddenly moved his hand to his chest.
"Ah, so yer catchin' on," Mido complemented. "Good. This'll make things easier to understand."
"What are you talking about?" Link demanded, glaring deep into his eyes. "I don't get it!"
"Hmm, ya don't?" Mido began examining his fingernails with excessive care. "Well, that's such a shame. . .Chosen One."
Link's eyes widened in realization, and without any warning he snatched up a snapped tree branch at his feet.
"What did you do with Mido?!"
"Hmph. You think you can take me on in your current condition? Think again, boy!" The short figure that was Mido suddenly imploded on itself, dissolving into a dark, black hole. Then, the figure of Link's older, clone-self emerged from the small figure and stood before him. "Don't take me lightly, squirt."
"So, Saria was right," Link mumbled to himself as he readied himself for the attack. "There is something wrong here."
"Saria?
That girl?" The dark creature erupted into a blood-chilling
laughter. "Of course! But why should I care about her? Anyway,
I'm just glad I don't have to talk like that freak-boy anymore."
"Where is Mido?!" Link shouted at it. "What did you do to him?"
"Don't worry so much about that pathetic excuse of a leader," it called back in response. "That filthy Kokiri child is out of the way, and that is all that matters right now. The main problem is you, squirt. What am I going to do with you being the 'Chosen One' and bearing the power of the Dark Sage?"
"'The Dark Sage'," Link repeated in a small voice. "What the hell is that?"
"Ack! You're dense!" it groaned in frustration. "Did I not explain all of this back in the Lost Woods? Children these days. . ."
"Aside from that—what are you doing here in a place like this?" Link interrupted it. "We're just a village of forest kids. What could you possibly want with us?"
"I don't want anything with the other children, squirt," it replied, almost taken aback from this sudden question. "I just came because I am the messenger of the Dark Sage, and it chose you as its new Master. So, I just came to check up on the region you live in, and so far, it looks pretty pathetic. I mean, not only did it choose a squirt for its Master, but a squirt that lives in a forest full of squirts! I swear, kids these days just get. . .smaller."
Link rubbed the back of his head in confusion. "Wait, aren't you here to destroy us?"
"Destroy you," the creature repeated. "Well, that's a little harsh, but it does stroke me a little. 'Destroy you. . .' No, unfortunately, that's not my job at the moment. Like I said before, squirt, I'm a messenger. I go places; I deliver things; job's done. I just wanted to see where you live, is all. And that's the only exception I've ever made."
Link dropped his guard with a defeated sigh. "Are you kidding me? As soon as I see the Great Deku Tree things wind up like this, and then I find out I have this 'Dark Sage' inside of me? Aw, cut me some slack! I don't have the patience to absorb all of this information."
The dark creature groaned in exasperation before slamming the heel of its hand into its forehead.
"Damn, that thing's stupid! A kid? Of all the capable idiots in this world to bear something that powerful—it chooses a kid?! Aw, damn this age is absurd! I can't believe this!"
"What are you mumbling about now?" Link called to it in bewilderment. "If you're not here to destroy this village, then get outta here before the Skull Kids find you. They hate adults, you should know."
"The Skull Kids?" The creature suddenly laughed with scorn in its voice. "Those pathetic things? You must be kidding! Those pathetic fools were once children that wandered into the Lost Woods, and then lost their faces in the darkness as they wandered aimlessly for the exit. They, too, are no match for me. If one were to fight me, it would be dead before it hit the ground. Besides, I'm not an adult. . .yet."
Link shivered involuntarily, but then regained himself.
"But, then. . ."
"No more questions, squirt," the creature interjected. "I've trespassed long enough on this pathetic village. I'm actually starting to feel as if I'm growing shorter." It chuckled shortly at these words. "No, for now I'll leave this place in peace. I guess we'll meet again down the road. Until then, take care of yourself."
Link watched as it disappeared into the shadows of the dark night.
"Oh, hey—but kid! You should head over to see your guardian spirit! I hear he has good things to tell you about your past. . .and soon your future."
The creature then left Link to stand in the darkness. Curious, and yet confused, Link headed towards the forest with determination in his heart.
* * *
"Great Deku Tree, I have to know!" Link called out to the dark Haven upon emerging. "There is something you have hidden from me, and I must know now!"
The face of the Great Deku Tree appeared in the center once more. Link approached with determination in each step. The tree knew something about him, and he wasn't going to leave this time without any answers.
"Tell me," he demanded the Forest Guardian, "tell me of my heritage and destiny!"
"Thou cometh with much anger in your heart," the tree replied. "Link, has something happened?"
Link stopped five feet from the giant tree, and then looked up at its wooden face. "Great Deku Tree, I am not like the other Kokiri children, am I? Is that why you summoned me yesterday—to see how I've grown?"
An eerie silence followed his words. Then, the tree spoke.
"Yes, Link. You are no ordinary Kokiri child," he replied in a grave tone of voice. "I assume you will not leave my presence until you learn the truth?" Link nodded once. "Then, I shall tell you of your parents and your destiny. However, I would like for you to first show me your reason for being hasty, and tell me of the story behind it."
Reluctantly, Link loosened his tunic around his chest and revealed the purple mark beneath to the tree. The forest guardian's face contorted in understanding.
"There was a shadow man in the forest," Link began hastily. "He gave me this mark on my chest earlier. I met him a few more times than just that once, and he called himself a messenger of the Dark Sage."
The earth shook as the Great Deku Tree's wooden eyes widened in shock. Link moved back a few paces to give the tree some room to breathe, for he understood that the Forest Guardian was just as sensitive to the dark magic sealed within Link as Saria had been. After some time, the tree managed to regain itself.
"Link, thou hath come to me for answers, correct?" Link nodded once again. "Then please, sit and listen well to the words that I am about to tell you."
Link tightened his tunic, and then dropped down on the earth where he drew in his knees. He then gave the guardian spirit his full attention.
"Long ago, there was a great war," the Great Deku Tree began in his deep voice. "It festered in the west, and then gradually swept across the land of Hyrule towards the kingdom. But before the war crossed the land, a boy was born into the world."
The Great Deku Tree paused to determine whether Link would interrupt or not, and then continued once he remained silent.
"Once this boy had been birthed, an ominous rumor spread throughout the land that this child would bring great misfortune to the world once he reached manhood. Heeding this rumor, many warriors from around the world began to gather in the desert just west of Hyrule field. When the day came when they were ready to strike, this army marched into Hyrule kingdom."
The Great Deku Tree paused again, and this time Link was beginning to understand.
"Did this kingdom hold a great castle, Great Deku Tree?" he asked it slowly. The tree did nothing but remain silent. "The woman. . . The men. . . The armored man. . ."
"Yes," the tree interjected. "A powerful war broke out, and the kingdom of Hyrule was invaded. Men, women, and even children were slaughtered on the battlefield while fleeing or fighting. But, the war wasn't for those people. It was for the small boy who was barely a year old."
Link jumped to his feet suddenly as his dream flashed before his mind. His heart was racing, and his conscience was screaming in guilt.
"Great Deku Tree. . . The woman. . .the boy," he stammered, his chest heaving up and down in the shock. "Was that. . . Was that boy. . .me?"
"Yes, Link, that child rumored to destroy the land was you," the tree replied in an exhausted voice.
"And the woman," he pressed in a whisper, "she was my mother, wasn't she?" The Great Deku Tree answered him with a small shake of the earth. "What happened to her, Great Deku Tree? What happened to my mother?"
"Be calm," the tree warned gently, "I will tell you the story, but you must calm yourself first, young one."
Link dropped down on the ground again, but rather roughly. He kept his eyes glued on the tree before him, and anger and contempt in his heart for himself began to grow.
"Your mother fled from the war into the forest with you in her arms. However safe and healthy you appeared, she was gravely wounded. I do not know how she suffered such a wound," the forest guardian quickly added at Link's almost-outburst, "but when she came to the forest, I could sense her life slipping, and her pulse fading.
"When she stumbled upon my Haven, she placed you beneath my tree and prayed over you for protection. Then, she named you Link for courage and strength, and then died beneath my tree."
Link jumped back to his feet directly after the tree finished speaking.
"Where is she now?" he asked the tree, staring up at its wooden face. "Please, tell me where my mother has been placed to rest so I may— "
"Say no more," the tree interrupted in a gentle tone of voice. "She rests behind me. Go to her, and pay your respects."
Link didn't need telling. Before the tree said anything, he was already hurrying towards the back. He clambered over a large tree root that stood in his way, and then slipped down onto the earth behind the Great Deku Tree. In the midst of the crisp grass, there was a small patch of dirt dominated by a few stray plants here and there. Link wandered over to this area—and the only reason he knew this was where his mother was buried was because of a worn stone the stuck up from the earth in this small area—bearing a few words of farewell.
"She was very brave to bring you through the forest to me," the Great Deku Tree told Link, as he knelt down to examine his mother's grave. "Even though many stories of horrific beasts passed through her ears that lurk in these woods, it was the only way she could save you from the war."
Sorrow gripped Link's heart. "But why me?" he grumbled, staring at the words written on the stone. "Why did she die for me—why did this happen to her? If things hadn't turned out this way, I never would have wound up here!"
Tears ran down his cheeks as he read the words inscribed on the tombstone:
'A Brave Mother and warrior; to us she brought her only son to be raised and loved. May the goddesses watch over her and grant her the power to watch her son grow.'
"Mido's words hold truth," the Great Deku Tree called back to Link. "When the Kokiri buried her, they had not a clue that you existed then. Mido wrote those words on her tombstone, and then swore to me he'd help raise you under the supervision of Saria and myself."
Link stood up, wiping his face with his forearm.
"So, Mido knows everything about me," Link grumbled out of anger. "I can't believe he didn't tell me anything." His face fell suddenly. "And Saria. . ."
"Let your anger towards Mido cease," the tree warned him. "He has done nothing but accepted you. With a mother as strong-willed as yours, he decided to raise you."
"I don't care," Link grumbled. "Mido has done nothing but act all high and mighty about everything. He's teased me and rejected me as one of the Kokiri. Even though he's right," he added under his breath.
"Link, do not let your heart and mind be consumed by hatred and anger," the tree scolded. "Mido is a fool, yes, and because of this, you inherited some of his disconcerting ways."
Link obeyed the tree's words, and agreed silently. As he turned to leave his mother's grave, something caught his attention. Resting just beneath a pile of dead, crisp and tangled vines, was a long, sharp object. Link spun on his heel with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. He crossed over to the tangled mess, and then knelt and busied himself in removing the vines from the strange object. Seconds later, a ruby-red hilt was exposed to his eyes, and he forced the object out of the ground to where he could see it.
"Ah, so you have discovered your heirloom."
Link's eyes widened in wonder and awe. It was a sword, a large sword at that. It had to have been at least four feet in length, and its blade was sleek and smooth and pure. It bore no traces of the harsh treatment it had endured for the twelve years it had been hidden beneath the vines, and its glint in the pale sunlight was magnificent and majestic. Link explored its golden hilt with interest and curiosity. A red ruby had been crafted neatly in the middle of the hilt.
"This was. . .my mother's?" he asked the tree, his breath lost at the radiance of the new object.
"Yes. She brought it with her through the forest," the tree replied simply. "I do believe that it has royal means."
"Royal," Link repeated blankly as he blinked at the sword's appearance. "Amazing."
"Yes, we all thought as much when she first brought it to the wood. Ah, and Link, I do believe that before she died, it was in her best wishes that you take up that sword when you came of age."
Link blinked blankly, weighing the heavy object in the flat of his palms as he drank in each elegant feature. "'Of age'. . ."
"Come, bring yourself to where my eyes can see you," the tree called to him. "We have much to discuss."
With one last glance at his mother's grave, Link lifted the sword, and made his way back to where the Great Deku Tree could see him.
