I'm steadily working things out with but I can't say we get one especially well. Either way, here is another chapter for everyone to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who's left a review. It's great to know people are reading and, much more importantly, enjoying.

I have had to take down a bunch of chapters and replace them with updated versions, I don't know how much that's going to much things up. Nonetheless, you will find that Ganondorf now has golden eyes up to this point, as he shall hopefully continue to do. I'd written them as red all the way through and then playing through OoT again recently saw my error.

I'll stop talking and get on with the story now.

"Every great journey begins with a choice. Alas! If only it were always the traveller allowed to make that choice!" ~Arthur Hawker

"There's moments in your life that make you, set the course of who you're going to be. Sometimes they're little, subtle moments. Sometimes they're not. Even if you see them coming, you're never ready for the big moments. So what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. Nobody asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. The big moments will come, no one can stop that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are – who you will be."

~Whistler (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5

Leaving Home

Getting out of the gohma's burrow proved more of a struggle than getting in had been. The skulltulas continued to ignore him as he made his way back past them, but climbing back up the narrow shaft was harder than the earlier descent had been. It had been easy to get a firm enough grip to lower himself, but pulling himself back up through the loose soil was difficult, and got harder the higher he went. Moreover, his whole body ached and his muscles were burning with the exertion of heaving himself ever upwards. He began to feel a rising panic that his weight would cause the walls of the shaft to collapse, burying him alive. He could already taste soil in his mouth, clogging his throat and choking him.

Eventually, though, he pushed his head through the little hole nestled at the foot of the Great Deku Tree. It seemed a lot of time had passed; it was evening, and the sky above was shot with red and orange. Clambering from the opening, he turned and looked at the forest deity.

"We did it, Great Deku Tree," said Navi. Link felt an overwhelming surge of pride from the little fey, and he grinned.

"Well done, Navi. And well done Link. I knew you had the strength within you to overcome this dark task." Link beamed at the Tree's words. He became aware of something more somber in the sentience that filled the glade, though. "There is now much that I must tell you. You have succeeded in destroying the curse, but the darkness that steals over this land is far from dissipated. If you will seek to undo it entirely, you must listen to all that I have to say. Will you hear my words?"

As he had done in his previous interview with the Tree, Link hesitated and looked to Navi. Again her sense of constant certainty reassured him. Looking back to the Tree, he nodded solemnly.

"Your courage is indeed commendable," continued the Tree. "Then listen well to my words.

"Long ago, before life began, before the world had form, three golden goddesses traversed the heavens in search of a demesne where their gifts might be revealed. They came upon our shapeless realm and descended on the land of Hyrule. Our realm was molded and formed reflecting their image. Din, with her flaming arms, cultivated the land and the red earth. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore's courageous soul produced all life forms who would uphold the law.

"Their labours complete, the goddesses departed for the heavens. At the point where they left the world, they left a sacred relic, three golden triangles, containing the essence of the goddesses. Since that time, the Triforce has become the basis of providence in our world, enriching and enhancing all life.

"It is the Triforce that sustains our forest, protecting my children from those who might seek to harm them and maintaining the spirit of innocence in the world. Now, though, that providence is threatened. There is one who would lay hands on the Triforce, who is even now seeking it with all his might. It was he who placed the curse upon me, the curse that this very hour, with your courage and determination, you have defeated.

"Though your valiant efforts were successful, I am afraid it was too late before you began. My time in this world is ended. My spirit will soon leave this place. I am dying."

Link had listened to the legend of the goddesses with reverence and this final revelation caught him off guard. He felt Navi's constancy at his side waver. It was a shock to her, too.

"Because of this, I must impart all that I know to you. In this forest, long have I served as the guardian spirit, but now my power wanes. It is time for you to begin your journey, Link. It is your destiny to shape the future of this land; I have always known this. I have always known that you would one day leave this forest."

Link's bewilderment grew. Everyone knew it was impossible for a kokiri to leave the forest. Anyone passing the borders of the woods would die. He remained silent, though, waiting for the Deku Tree to finish.

"This will come as a shock, but you must do so. You must never allow that man who cast the death curse upon me to gain the Triforce of legend." Suddenly, unbidden in Link's mind, appeared the man from his dream, the man with the black armour.

"I charge you now, Link, to leave the protection of the woods, and go north. You must go to Hyrule Castle Town, where you will surely meet the Princess of Destiny. She must be your guide now my role in this tale is ended. I entreat you, Link. Do not let the Triforce fall into that man's hands. You must go now, this very day.

"Finally, at our parting, I have something to aid you in this task." As the Deku Tree fell silent, Link heard a rustling in the trees, as if a sudden breeze made all the leaves sway together. The sound grew to a high pitched hum, and suddenly the hollow was filled with bright light. Link gasped and threw up his hands to shield his eyes. Through his closed lids, he saw the light fade. When he opened his eyes, a brilliant green haze seemed to have been cast over the glade. A green jewel hung in the air before him. It was an emerald, with a frame of worked gold intricately wrapped around it.

"This jewel is the Kokiri's Emerald. It is the Sacred Stone of the Forest, and it is one of the Keys that protect the Triforce. Our enemy sought this stone, desiring it so greatly that he placed the death curse upon me when I refused him. I give it, instead, to you. Take it respectfully."

His eyes wide and his mind full to bursting with all he had heard, Link stepped forward and took the Emerald.

"Now, Link, and my old friend Navi. I bid you farewell. I have told you all that you need to know and my spirit fades. Thank you for your courage, both of you. It will be your greatest strength. Goodbye."

Again a rustling filled the glade, but where before it had been anticipatory, now it was somber, even forlorn. The old Tree seemed to creak, its boughs withering almost visibly. The sensation of sentience that emanated from its bark faded, and disappeared. Its spirit was gone. The Great Deku Tree was dead.

The strain of the last few hours suddenly overwhelmed Link: the fight, the overload of information and this sudden loss caused him to fall to his knees. The tears came uncontrollably and his small body was wracked with sobs. On his hands and knees, he wept bitterly.

The strength of his own grief was so overpowering that for quite a while he was aware of nothing else. Then a deeper grief crept into his tears. He had cried for his loss, but now he cried for Navi. The fairy had alighted on a low branch of the dead Tree and there she poured her bereavement into the ancient wood. Link could feel the depth of her pain and sorrow through their bond.

Link found himself looking up, deep tracks down his face where the tears were still running. Evening had now crept over the forest in full. As the last of the light faded in the sky above, Link saw little points of light between the close trees. As they grew, he saw that they were all fairies. The fairies of the forest were all bound to the Deku Tree as closely as they were to their charges, and they had felt his passing from wherever they were in all the Lost Woods. From the village of the kokiri and from all the deep places of the forest, they came.

Navi left her perch and flew to the edge of the glade. There, she joined her comrades, and they began to circle the hollow. The little balls of light weaved in and out amongst each other, and Link heard a beautiful, deep music. The dance of the fairies surrounded the Deku Tree's Hollow. They created a great ring, a fence, and their grief was contained within their dance. Link found his own pain dissipating, drawn up in the dance and the melody of their song. It was beautiful, solemn, moving and dreadful.

The music grew with every moment, a crescendo of tears turned into song. Then, a new theme sprang up. Link turned to look at the Goddesses Hill and saw all the kokiri coming out into the hollow. In the lead walked Saria. She was playing the ocarina, its gentle, lilting melody adding to and complementing the fairies' song.

She came and stood beside Link, closing her eyes and channeling her own grief into the melody she played. The other kokiri wordlessly took up positions around the hollow and simply listened. At the edges of the glade, Link could see that all the good folk of the forest had come to pay their respects. They did not come beyond the trees but he could see the skull kids, Deku scrubs and Hyrulian wombats under the eaves.

The song reached towards its climax now. The intricate dance of the fairies wound itself all around the evening bathed glade, and the music reached higher and higher, turning into a single wail of pain and loss, yet still maintaining its beauty and veneration.

A final, piercing note filled the hollow, echoing in the enclosed space, ethereal and lingering, and then fading to nothing. The dance ended and the fairies drifted away, some rejoining their kokiri companions, the rest disappearing through the trees. The crowd of silent spectators also dispersed. The kokiri were left alone.

Saria, her ocarina still in hand, turned and stared at the Deku Tree for a moment, and then she departed as well, walking back into the passage through the Goddesses Hill. There was silence for a long time.

"What do we do now?" Fado's voice broke the silence. The tears glistened on her face as she looked around at the other kokiri, seeking guidance. For a moment no one answered her.

"How could you let this happen?" Mido's angry demand was not a response to Fado. He stood forwards, glaring at Link. "This is all your fault! You were here, what did you do?"

The recriminations stung Link; a hundred empty denials died on his lips. "I didn't-" he croaked, but couldn't seem to find any more words. "I didn't mean-"

"Didn't mean to what? To kill him? Well, you did! Even with a fairy, you're still not a real kokiri, and this just proves it! If a real kokiri had been here, maybe the Deku Tree wouldn't be dead!"

A murmur ran amongst those watching. Some clearly agreed with Mido. There was certainly no one willing to defend Link, the outsider.

New tears sprang up in his eyes. He couldn't defend himself against these accusations, not now, not when the Deku Tree had died only moments ago.

"Be quiet, Mido." Navi's voice was calm and authoritative, but taut with her pain and loss. "I warned you earlier, and I am telling you again. Leave Link alone. The Deku Tree would not want you to shout at him. It was not his fault." Again, though, just as he had done before, Mido ignored her. Link was tired, he was near complete exhaustion, physically and emotionally, and so he barely realized Mido was moving before the bully had punched him heavily in the face.

Stumbling backwards, Link fell to the ground. Mido came for him again but this time some other instinct took over the little boy. Without even thinking Link moved to intercept his tormentor. They grappled for a moment, but Link was stronger. He hurled Mido away from him. The older kokiri fell to the floor with a heavy thud, and Link did not wait for him to get up. He ran. The crowd of onlookers parted for him and he ran through the Goddesses Hill, heading for his house.

Once he was inside, he sat carefully on the edge of his bed. He tried to organize his thoughts, but it was impossible. Too many things were whirling around his mind. He would never be able to justify himself to the other kokiri. Perhaps he would always be remembered as the Great Deku Tree's killer. He had to leave the forest. Perhaps it was his fault the Deku Tree was dead. The Deku Tree had asked him to do something, something incredible. His thoughts refused to order themselves but followed one after another, fragmented and torturous.

Slowly he felt his weariness descending on him. He wanted sleep. Again, as his mind drifted from his own torment, as it had done before the dance of the fairies, he found himself attuned to Navi's grief. The depth of her loss seemed unbearable. It stunned him for a moment that such a small being could feel so much pain.

He looked at her and noticed for the first time since he had met her how beautiful she was. Her blue white light seemed to speak of loss and bereavement, seemed as if her very being was now defined by the Deku Tree's death. He also felt her deep determination, though.

When he had entered his house, she had alighted on the table and there allowed her grief to overcome her, just for a moment. Now she gathered herself and looked at him. "Link, we have to leave this place," she said. "There is nothing more that can be done here. We have to go to Hyrule Castle, as he asked us to. It was his last request that we leave the forest. He entrusted us with something, we have to make sure we fulfill that purpose."

He knew she was right. The thought scared him, the idea of leaving the protection of the Lost Woods seemed impossible. But then, only a few hours ago, the idea of the Deku Tree dying had seemed impossible, as well.

There was only one thing to be done. He had to leave the forest. The Deku Tree's last words had been compelling him to go, and that seemed the only thing he could do.

If he was going, it had to be immediately. There could be no waiting. He could not bear to see anyone or talk about it. Gripping his resolve tightly, he grabbed a sack he and Saria often used for gathering things in the Lost Woods and threw what he need into it: blankets, a few spare clothes and all the food he could. He had never worried about food before, since it was plentiful in the forest, but there was no telling what he would find once he left the woods.

He also grabbed the few trinkets and keepsakes he kept in the house. None of the kokiri owned anything of what would be considered real worth, having no use for money or goods as the forest provided for all their needs. Instead, he took the bark carving Saria had drawn for him, the rock from the bottom of their bathing pool that she said would protect him, and other similar items. He also took a small piece of cloth and carefully wrapped the Kokiri's Emerald in it, and put it in a pouch that hung at his waist.

He slung his pack over his back where the sword still hung and pulled his hood onto his head. He took a moment to look around the single room, before leaving his little home, intending never to return. He did not look back as, with tears in his eyes, he passed Mido's house and left the village of the kokiri.

He was heading east and north, making for the borders of the Lost Woods. He went first to the pool where he and Saria had swum so many times. Here he washed himself, cleansing himself of the blood, slime and dirt he had accumulated in his earlier adventure. As he dried and dressed himself, he thought for a moment of going to the Sacred Forest Meadow and searching for Saria, but he decided against it. He was not sure he could bear such a parting at the moment.

It was time to go. He filled an empty bottle with water from the pool, knowing how long its puissance could sustain him, and moved on. His feet drew him steadily closer to the edge of the forest, and he felt the enchantments wrapping round him, a silent warning not only telling intruders to stay out, but telling the forest's inhabitants to stay within the confines of the Lost Woods. As he approached the limits of the eldritch wards, they felt like an almost tangible barrier. The final border of the Lost Woods was marked by a little stream, and at this point there was a wooden bridge that crossed it.

"So, you're leaving." Link was half way across the bridge when she spoke. He turned quickly to see Saria, stood not far away. Consumed with his own thoughts about his departure, he had not noticed her, concealed by the foliage and the trees.

"I always knew you would leave, some day, because you are different to me and my friends." She was smiling, but it seemed sad. "We are the children of the forest, content to live here in happiness and innocence. You are marked out for some other destiny, Link." Her green hair seemed to shine dimly in the rays of the moon, Nayru's Love reaching through the tree branches. She moved forwards until she was stood on the bridge, too. "But that's okay, because we'll always be friends, won't we?"

Link choked. "Of course," he stammered. "You're my best friend." She smiled more warmly, and the serenity of her smile cut off all the excuses he had wanted to make. They were quiet for a moment. The water of the stream running over its stony bed and the distant scurryings and callings of the forest animals were the only sounds until she spoke again.

"Remember me, won't you? Don't forget me on your journey. I'll be thinking of you. And I want you to have something." She held out her hand, and Link saw that she was holding her ocarina.

She was still smiling, but her face was filled with sorrow. She looked so beautiful in that moment that Link felt walking away from her would be the hardest thing he could ever do, no matter how many life times he lived in the world.

"I can't. That's your ocarina." He knew how much she loved that instrument.

"Please, take it, so you'll always have a way to look back, and remember me."

Reverently, he reached out and took the ocarina. There was a look in her eyes of such incredible serenity. She clasped the ocarina in his hand with both of hers and they stood wordlessly for a moment, looking at each other.

He felt like he was betraying her as he pulled his hand from her grip and stepped backwards, unable to wrench his gaze from her emerald eyes. He took another step, and then another, and then finally turned and ran. The tears were once again flowing freely down his face, and he felt as if they would never end. He could never fully sound the depths of the sorrow of that day. The Deku Tree's death, his exile, and the terrible parting with Saria would make him weep for eternity.

She remained where she was and watched him go. "We'll meet again," she whispered to the night.

He kept running. The trees thinned and the clear night sky was easily visible above him. Nayru's Love reached down through the leaves to comfort him. Then he was beyond the tree line and running on thick grass. He stopped in shock. Plains, dimly lit in the moonlight stretched beyond him. The open land stunned him, he had lived all his life amongst the close trees of the forest, and here there were none. He began to run over the grasslands, eager to put as much distance between himself and his former home as he could while his strength lasted.

He had passed out of the Lost Woods. He had left the forest.