"So," Link murmured. "Kokiri Park. Not all that far. It's just on the edge of Castle Town."

"Yes," Senator Zelda said, "it is. I've given you all I know now. The rest is up to you. But remember, the more you delay yourself, the more powerful Ganondorf becomes, and the more real his minions become." She turned and walked briskly away, disappearing once more into the night.

Link sighed and trudged back inside, head reeling. He pulled his boots off once inside, tossing them aside, and plopped down heavily on the couch.

"Your smoke breaks don't usually go so long," came Aryll's voice from behind him.

He swore under his breath and turned his head to face her. "What, you're still up?"

"You know I don't like you smoking around Colin," she said. "It's not healthy for him."

"Which is exactly why I do it outside," he said. "Look, I told you, I'm trying to quit."

"And that's why you went through an entire pack just now?"

He couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. "It was a rough day, okay?" She shook her head and scoffed in disgust. "Besides," he added, "that's not near enough time for a full pack."

"Whatever," she spat. "I'm going to bed."

"Aryll, wait."

She turned and glared at him, clearly annoyed. "What."

He tried to smile. "You know I love you and Colin, right? You two mean the world to me. That's why I'm doing all this, and why I'm not telling you about any of it. If you guys love me, just trust me, okay?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm trying, Link. I'm really trying." She turned again, softly shutting her bedroom door behind her.

Link sat on the couch a few hours, closing his eyes and just thinking, slipping into a half-conscious state. It was nearing dawn when he woke. He sat on the couch just a few minutes more, getting his thoughts in order before grabbing the pen and pad off of the table and jotting down a quick note. He sighed, set the pad down, and headed over to the fridge to pull out his Red Mushroom Energy Drink six-pack. He headed to his room, grabbing just a few small personal things before heading to the garage. On the way he stopped in the hallway. Aryll and Colin's rooms were right across from each other, and he reached out his arms to touch either door. "I love you guys," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Then he opened the garage door, grabbing his sword from the hook by the door, donning his coat and hat, and started up the engine, slowly pulling out of the garage before roaring down the street.

Dear Aryll and Colin,

I'm so sorry about all of this, and even sorrier I can't explain. I'm most sorry that I didn't even say goodbye. But I have to do what I'm doing. I'm doing it for both of you.

Some things came up, and I have to leave for a while. Don't worry, I didn't do anything wrong. But that doesn't mean that I'm okay. I hope you'll be safe, but I have to warn you that people might be coming for you. There's a woman coming to take care of you, though. Her name is Impa. She's really good, so I think you're in good hands. You'll probably have to leave the house, so start getting things ready now.

Again, I'm so sorry about this. I wish it didn't have to be this way. I wish I could have said goodbye. But this is something I can't have you involved in.

With all my love,

Link.

Lon Lon Automotive Services was an old business, and the building was close to downright dilapidated by this time. However, it wouldn't have stayed in business as long as it had if the service wasn't reliable. If your vehicle got dinged up, there was no better place to take it. Link had a long journey ahead of him, and he needed his bike to be in the best shape possible.

A gruff-looking man peered out at him from under the hood of a car as he pulled in. The man's dark brown beard was tied into two separate knots, and his hair was pulled back in a bandana. He stepped back from the car, his beater exposing a buff physique rippling with muscles. "Link," the man said, offering a hand. "Long time no see. What brings you down to the Ranch?"

"Hey, Talon," he said, accepting the man's firm handshake. "I need my bike tuned up," he said. "It's gotta be in the best shape it's ever been."

Talon Lon looked over at the bike. "Looks like it's in pretty good shape to me."

"It is in good shape. But it needs to be even better. Faster. More durable."

Talon headed back over to the car he was working on. "Well," he said, chuckling, "repair's my specialty. You're talking more about customization. Ingo, wrench." He glanced over at the thin, mustachioed man in a greasy t-shirt a few yards off. "No, you'll want to talk to Malon for that. Malon! Get over here!"

A fiery red-head popped out from around the corner, her outfit consisting almost entirely of tight, black leather, emphasizing her voluptuous figure. She moved a pair of welding goggles from her eyes to her forehead. "What's up, pops?" she asked, starting to hum as soon as she finished.

"You remember Link, right? He needs some upgrades for his bike."

She turned to face him. "Oh, him? Yeah, no problem."

"And could you quit that damn humming all the time?" Ingo yelled to her. "Seriously, you're driving me crazy."

She simply rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on, Link, let's get your bike inside."

Link pulled it in, getting an immediate reaction. "You've got a nice bike," she whistled. "Epona model. Good choice. You know, my mother favored this model. My first bike, was an Epona too. It's real nice being able to work on one again." She reached over to the radio, clicking it on. "I hope you don't mind," she said as she started humming softly with the melody. "It helps me concentrate on my work." She looked at the bike again in amazement as Link gestured for her to go ahead. "Wow. She's got a real nice body." She turned and winked. "Not unlike yourself."

"I'm flattered," he replied, deadpan.

She pouted. "You need to loosen up. Relax a little bit. So, what exactly do you need done? She's in pretty good shape as is."

"She is," he agreed. "But not quite good enough. I need you to make her faster and more durable. She's gonna be real busy soon." He thought, then added, "and if you, you know, want to throw on weapons of some sort, that'd be great."

She raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't exactly sound legal," she said.

"So that's a no."

"Did I ever say that?" she asked, already grabbing her tools. "I think I could rig some spears on the front or something, yeah." She strutted over, her boots thudding quietly on the floor, and leaned in until her face was only inches from his. "You sure that bike's the only thing that needs servicing?"

"Positive," he said, gently pushing her back. "I'm on a deadline."

She shrugged defensively. "Okay, whatever you say. But hey, if you ever need to…get your engine running, well…you know where to find me."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, brushing past her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going for a walk in the park."

She shook her head and scoffed as she watched him leave. "Stiff," she muttered.

Kokiri Park wasn't even half a mile away, but it seemed like even less, due to the giant tree in the center of the park, dwarfing everything nearby. The tree truly was massive—on clear days, Link could see it from his house. When the weather was especially nice, he, Aryll, and Colin would go there for a picnic….

No. He couldn't think about them anymore. It would just slow them down.

As he got closer to the park, he notices a group of young people sitting in a circle around the tree, hands joined. They were all dressed in simple green clothes—tunics, if Link wasn't mistaken, with simple belts around their waists. A green-haired girl, probably not much older than Aryll, turned when he was still a distance off and stood, causing the circle to slowly come apart as the others stood to watch. She smiled, a look of peace and contentment on her face as he approached.

"So, you've arrived," she said. "We've been expecting you, Link."

He looked at her hesitantly. "I'm sorry, have…have we met?"

She took a deep breath, as if drawing energy from the air itself. "No, not until now. But the Great Deku Tree told us of you."

"The…." He trailed off, looking at the giant tree above him. "The tree told you. Really."

"You doubt us?" She smiled, looking around at the others, who started to chuckle. "Then how exactly did we know your name? How do we know that you're the legendary hero reincarnate?"

"Who are you?" he asked, bewildered. Only Zelda knew who he was, and she certainly wasn't about to tell anyone.

"Who I am depends on what you mean," the girl said, spreading her arms wide. "I am but one drop in the pool of spiritual energy that is Hyrule. I am one of the Children of Kokiri. I am a herald of love and peace, and a guardian of this park. I am one with the earth." She let her arms drop. "But as for my name…well, that's Saria."

"Are you my guide?" he asked.

"No," she said, "that role belongs to another. But do not worry; your guide will find you."

"Then why am I here?"

"We shouldn't trust him, Saria," said a boy close behind her. "He carries a sword. He brings death and destruction. He stands for everything we are against."

"Mido, hush," she snapped at him. "No, he is not a Child of Kokiri like we are. However, if all who are called were called to peace, who would arise in times of war? We can do great things, Mido, but we cannot do everything. Just as the Great Deku Tree calls us, the Goddesses have called him." She turned back to Link. "And now they both call us to help him."

"Excuse me, but I'd sort of like to know what all this is about," Link said, arms folded.

"Ah. Yes. You, Link, are here to learn about magic."

"Magic?" He said, puzzled. "I thought that magic had left Hyrule generations ago." "Not quite," Saria told him. "Fado," she said, turning to a smiling blonde boy, "lead the rest of the meditation for me, would you?" She stepped towards Link, her bare feet padding softly on the grass. Every movement she made was fluid and graceful, as if walking itself was a form of dance. "Come, Link. Walk with me."

"The Children of Kokiri have guarded the land that makes up this park for ages," she said as they broke from the group, "tending it to make sure that the magic does not die out. It was a difficult task, especially when the massive forest this place once was became merely a park. It is true that the magic that the land of Hyrule once had has faded, but 'faded' does not mean vanished.'" She reached out to a branch on a nearby wilted tree, slowly rubbing her hand along it. It flourished wherever she touched it, the brown, dry leaves becoming green again. By the time she reached the end of the branch, she had picked a fully grown apple. "As you can see, the magic is still very much here." She tossed him the red orb. "Hungry?"

"You said that you would teach me magic," he said, his mouth full of sweet, juicy fruit. "How do you teach something like that? I mean, wouldn't it take a while to learn?"

She shook her head. "It actually comes quite naturally once you realize that it's there. However, you will need a little help discovering it for the first time." She looked back at the dying tree, which had, by this time, been fully restored. "Makar, come on out."

There was a rustling, and something fell from the tree and landed of Saria's shoulder. Link looked closer to be sure he was seeing what he thought he was. It was a small creature, about the size of his hand, whose round body was made completely out of bark. A leaf covered most of its body, the holes in the leaf forming a face.

"This is Makar," Saria told him. "He's a Korok—a sprite created by the Great Deku Tree to aid the Children of the Kokiri. We all have an aide. Makar here is mine."

The face-hole shifted to a nervous smile, and the tiny thing's body shook.

"Makar is simply animated bark and leafs. He is a creature made almost entirely of magic. Here, Link, hold out your hand."

Link held out his hand, and the Korok jumped from Saria's shoulder, whipping out a leaf and gliding over into Link's hand with it. It jumped around a bit more in greeting, its bark making a rattling noise as it moved, and then it produced a few more leafs and twigs, furiously reshaping them.

Link looked up at Saria. "It's amazing," he said.

Saria nodded back at the sprite. "Watch."

The sprite worked with the leaf and bark in ways Link would not have thought possible. Solid wood became flexible, and grass solidified. When the Korok had finished, he held a small stringed instrument that resembled a cello.

Link was floored. "Wow, that's…that's incredible. I…wow."

Saria stepped closer and leaned on him, wrapping one arm around his shoulder, placing the index finger on her other hand on his lips. "Shh," she whispered, rotating the finger so it was pointing at Makar. "Listen."

The Korok started fiddling with a twig bow, weaving a song filled with energy and life. As he played, Link felt that same energy and life fill his body, filling him with power he had never experienced before. He had been living before, yes, but now he was alive. The song filled his entire being, lifting his consciousness out of this world and into a world beyond—a world of magic. He felt like he was floating. Like he could fly.

"Link," came Saria's slightly panicked voice, snapping him back into reality. He was lying on the ground. He couldn't remember when that had happened.

"What…what was that?" he asked, awed.

"Music is one of the strongest forms of magic," Saria said. "And coming from a magical being…I'm sorry, Link, that was probably too much."

"No! No, no, it…well, yes, it was too much, but it was too much in a good way," he said. He rolled over, holding his hand above the ground, focusing on a single blade of grass, directing energy into it until it grew into a small flower, which he picked and handed to Saria. "For the apple," he said. "And for what Makar did. I think I understand now."

She looked at the flower, which had already wilted in her hand. "Well, it's…that's actually still really good for a first try. I'm impressed. You will, naturally, gain more magical prowess as you journey. Of course, creation is harder than destruction or protection, which you'll need more of. Even so, you're still a beginner, so you'll probably need talismans of some sort to aid you."

He nodded. "Thank you. You've been a great help already. I can see why I was supposed to start here." He turned to go.

"Wait," she called. He turned, watching her shape a piece of bark with her own hands. "The world is a fierce place," she said, worried. "Especially with your quest. There will be all sorts of evil forces after you. It's dangerous to go alone." She extended her hands. In them was a small, wooden egg-shaped flute. "Take this. It's a Fairy Ocarina. There's magic in this wood. Learn the right songs, and perhaps you'll find it a great help. Oh, hey, here's one. Many people will be able to recognize you're a friend of the Great Deku Tree and the Children of Kokiri if they hear this." She snatched the ocarina back quickly, playing a jaunty, upbeat tune.

"That's…really catchy," Link mused.

"You try."

It was a simple song, and it only took Link about a minute to master it. "Thanks again," he said. "But I really have to go now. Goodbye, Saria, and thanks for all the help." He turned and walked off, ocarina in his pocket. He found himself humming the tune he had learned before he had left the park. "Oh, great," he grumbled to himself. "This song's gonna be stuck in my head forever now."