Kokiri were supposed to be timid folk, taking refuge within the natural haven of the Lost Woods. To catch even a glimpse of one was considered good luck, but to talk to one was unheard of. Memories swirled in Kari's head as he recalled old tales Sharlo used to tell him about the forest folk. The legends went on to say that the ancient spirit of the forest, the Great Deku Tree, created the Kokiri long ago and watched over them as his dear children. There they resided for centuries within the confines of the forest, oblivious to the outside world. None dared venture beyond the safety of their village, for fear they would die separated from their natural homeland.
Somehow, this one Kokiri managed to be the exception. He watched her carefully as she grinned widely at Link, swaying her small frame side to side with her gentle hands clasped behind her back. Not only was she sociable and friendly, but there wasn't a single hint of apprehension in her posture. Kari narrowed his eyes. There was something else significantly different about her: she possessed no fairy.
The Sheikah looked back to Link. The hero's baffled expression contrasted sharply with Tifa's expectant gaze.
"Tifa?" Link responded incredulously. He shook his head, clearly overwhelmed by his befuddlement. "Wait a minute, please back up. First, how do you know my name? And what's a little girl like you doing all the way out in the forest?"
The Kokiri girl giggled. "Is this another one of your games, Link? Well, you're no fun." She folded her arms in a mock pout. "I want to play too, but you never explained the rules."
Kari grunted in disgust. "This isn't a game, child. We don't have time for your antics." He shooed her away with his hand. "Now go back to your village. We have more important things we must focus on."
Tifa looked once again at Kari. "You're new here, aren't you, Mister? Are you one of Link's friends?" She beamed proudly and held out her hand. "Will you be my friend too?"
Kari scowled but didn't move.
"You don't look very happy, Mister. Will a song make you feel better? I can sing one for you if you'd like." She took a deep breath to prepare, but was interrupted by Link before she could begin.
"Don't worry about him, Tifa." The hero said quickly, much to the Sheikah's relief. "Kari's is always serious as a goat grazing on grass." Kari shot the Hylian a dirty look, to which he responded with a sheepish grin.
Tifa's eyes lit up. "What's a goat?"
Link let out a soft sigh as he brushed some leaves out of his hair. "Perhaps I'll tell you later. First, I need you to explain how you know my name, and what you're doing all the way out here in the forest."
Tifa shrugged her shoulders. "Are you sure we're not playing some new game?"
Link knelt down so that he was at eye level with Tifa. "I swear it."
The Kokiri girl giggled once again. "Okay. Well..." she shuffled her feet as she thought. "Well, I know your name because we're friends, silly. We both live in the forest, remember?"
"All the way out here?"
"I told you she's a Kokiri." Kari explained. His foot tapped repeatedly on the ground. "They're a tribe of children that live in the forest under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. Each has their own guardian fairy, and they rarely leave the woods."
"Oh no!" Tifa snapped her fingers. "In all the fun, I completely forgot about Tatl!"
"Tatl?" Kari and Link said in unison.
"My fairy, of course." Tifa said casually as she began calling out the fairy's name. She effortlessly climbed a few vines to the treetops above, but the fairy was nowhere to be found. After a minute of searching, she landed back in front of the two companions with hesitation, unable to resist one last glance in the immediate surroundings. "We got separated when that monster spotted us. I guess she must've returned to the village."
"Is your village close by?" Link asked, looking hopefully at Tifa.
"It won't take too long if we tree hop!" Tifa replied enthusiastically. "You want to come? Everyone will be so happy to see you again!" She grabbed Link's arm and jumped up and down in excitement, her light frame making no noise on the soft grass below.
Kari glared at Link. "You can't seriously be considering what I think you are."
A mischievous smirk appeared on the hero's face. "It's a very tempting offer."
The Sheikah crossed his arms. "Get the thought out of your head. You said yourself we don't have much time to spare."
Link sighed softly, thinking over the Sheikah's words. "I suppose you're right. If only there were more time-."
"But you have to come!" Tifa burst out. Her innocent brown eyes got big as her bottom lip began to quiver. She clasped her hands and pleaded with the two. "The Great Deku Tree wants to talk with you both." She paused for a moment. "Plus, I've really missed you, Link. You can't leave so soon."
"The Great Deku Tree?" Kari's voice trailed off.
The hero's already weak resolve quickly faded as he looked into Tifa's innocent face. He smiled warmly and ruffled her soft blonde hair. "We can stay for a little while. Besides, what's life without a little adventure?"
"A lot easier," Kari mumbled quietly. He looked back at the hero. "I'm afraid I haven't a choice, then. Wherever you go, I will follow."
"Great! It's settled then." Link said beaming. He looked towards Tifa. "So what exactly is tree hopping?"
Tree hopping, as Kari soon found out, was far from pleasant. As he watched the forest whiz by in a blur of brown and green, the Sheikah could feel his stomach fold in on itself. He was thankful he hadn't recently eaten anything; or else it wouldn't have stayed down.
One moment they had been standing within the remains of the Temple of Time. The next, they had grabbed hands and were whirling through the woods. As children of the forest, the Kokiri had the ability to pass through trees like ghosts to travel quickly around their domain. More than once, Kari closed his eyes as he anticipated the bark smacking against his face. However, they passed safely through each time, only to have another tree trunk looming in the distance. The Sheikah cast a quick glance at Link as conifers, spruce, and maple whizzed by them; the hero had a wide grin on his face, enjoying each second..
The journey finished as quickly as it had begun. Their feet hit solid ground as Link and Tifa landed safely on the forest floor. Kari, lost in his thoughts, was not as fortunate as he performed a face plant into a pile of moss. His body made a nice dent in the field that cushioned his fall.
"What happened, Kari? Branches weren't enough? You wanted to eat some moss as well?" Link teased as he walked over to the disillusioned Sheikah. Tifa fell to the ground dying of laughter.
The hero lent a hand to the Sheikah as he picked his head out of the moss. Clumps of the small green plant wedged themselves to Kari's eyebrows, cheeks, and hair line, much to his dismay. He waved off the hero's gesture and rose to his feet. A swipe of his hand brushed most of the plants off his clothes and face. When he was done, he looked at the hero, who was trying his best to restrain a growing smirk.
"I would have been fine if you had given me warning. Now I have this stupid moss all over me." He said defensively, doing his best to maintain some dignity.
Tifa stopped her giggling just in time to hear Kari's statement. "Stupid? What's stupid? Who's stupid?" She rose to her feet and looked at Kari with big brown eyes. "Mister, what's stupid?"
Kari couldn't hide a devious smirk. "Link."
Tifa giggled aloud and turned to the hero. "Hey Link, you're stupid!" She giggled as the word brought excitement to her ears. She continued repeating the word, accenting it at different tones and speeds. "Stupid! Stupid! Link is stupid!"
Her chanting fell on deaf ears. Link was so mesmerized by the village he had realized now stood before him that he couldn't hear anything save the rustling of leaves and the laughter of children. Kari soon walked beside him, equally in awe. Never in their lives had they seen anything so strange and yet wonderfully beautiful.
Before them, the Kokiri Village stood out in the forest like an island in a vast ocean. The forest trees stopped abruptly all around the village, forming a protective wall of bark, vines, and branches. The result was a clearing filled with several large wooden houses made in the shape of tree stumps. Some had red leaves that formed a sort of roof, while others had larger green leaves growing from the tops as a decorative element. Wooden fences and posts were placed sporadically throughout the village, seeming with no particular organization to their arrangement. A small brook of unknown origins flowed through the center; the bubbling of the water as it passed through complimented the loud laughter of the forest children as they frolicked. The air glowed with a strange enchantment as strange luminescent particles flew about at the wind's beckoning.
"It's as if time itself has no meaning here," Kari commented at last.
"Come on!" Tifa said. She grabbed Link's hand and pulled him in the direction of the village. He stumbled forward, nearly caught off balance by the energetic young forest girl. Kari quickly followed.
As they passed through the village, the forest children stopped their play and looked curiously at the newcomers. All appeared to be no older than ten years old. The boys had unkempt dirty blonde hair beneath similar green hats, green tunics, green shorts, and brown boots. The girls had mostly blonde hair with the occasional brunette; they wore their hair in one of two styles: flowing behind them and pulled back with a green headband, or curled up and flowing to the sides. They all wore standard green skirts with brown boots, although slight variations in decorations and stitches helped differentiate them.
They whispered excitedly when they saw Tifa, but their enthusiasm grew exponentially when they saw Link. Although he was much taller than them, there was no mistaking the attire he wore. However, their chirps of excitement softened to a murmur as Kari walked by. They stared at him cautiously; not daring to let their eyes linger for too long.
"Why are they staring at me like that?" Kari asked Tifa as they hopped over the stream via a few small platforms.
Tifa shrugged her shoulders. "Well, Mister, it's not too often we get visitors here. Besides, you're probably not as stupid as Link is."
"Hey!" Link shot back, suddenly snapping to reality. Up until this point, he had been captivated by the village and the forest children that inhabited it.
Tifa giggled. "It's okay, Link. No need to be humble. I know you're stupid and every bit proud of it."
A skeptical look came over the hero's face. "Tifa, what exactly do you mean by that?"
The Kokiri girl smiled to herself. "That's easy, Link. You're one with the forest. After all, your strange friend called the moss 'stupid.'"
Link shook his head and sighed to himself.
No one said anything else as the three walked through the village. Tifa hummed a mysterious song as she skipped along the path. Link and Kari could feel the stares of the curious forest children asthey followed close behind. Before long, they left the village and passed through a narrow corridor formed by small shrubs and young saplings.
As they emerged from it, they were greeted by a large grove filled with brilliant rays of light. A thin mist hung over the air; an embodiment of the enchanted nature of the forest. The laughter of children was replaced by the chirping of birds as they frolicked in the branches of a giant tree rooted in the middle of the clearing. Kari and Link stopped in reverence, taken aback by its sheer size. The trunk appeared worn with the ages as wrinkles covered the entire surface. The sturdy branches above housed tens of thousands of leaves that seemed to blot out the sun. Even Tifa showed restraint as she slowly stepped out into the clearing, being sure to keep her distance from the great tree.
That restraint didn't last long as an energetic yellow ball of light nearly tackled the small forest girl to the ground. Kari and Link were ready to draw their weapons, but they quickly realized the newcomer was no foe of theirs.
"Tatl! I'm so glad you're safe!" Tifa said, wrapping the fairy tightly in her arms and giggling.
The fairy rolled her eyes but stayed close to her companion. "Please. Like that monster could do anything to me? I merely went to get help." She spotted Link and Kari shortly thereafter and flew curiously over to them. She glanced at the Sheikah with disdain, but whirled around Link excitedly. "It can't be. Is it really you after all this time?" She paused as she scrutinized Link. Her eyes dropped as her hopes fell like waves against a rocky shore. "No, you only look the same." Link eyed the fairy curiously but said nothing.
Suddenly, the massive tree shook with life. Tatl flew casually back to Tifa's shoulder and perched there. What Kari and Link had mistaken for wrinkles in the bark were in fact the face of the tree spirit himself. From his closed eyes and wooden beard, The Great Deku Tree looked every bit the ancient spirit they had imagined. His voice roared with authority, yet had a strange fatherly gentleness to it.
"Tifa, thou hast once again strayed and gone beyond the village borders. Thou knoweth about the dangers that lay beyond."
Tifa's head hung low in shame as Tatl perched silently on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Great Deku Tree. It's just that I was so happy to see Link again."
The Great Deku tree's mouth softened to a wooden smile. "Peace, child. I understand. I merely say these things for thine own safety."The mighty forest spirit shifted his gaze to Kari and Link. Their muscles tensed as they felt themselves shrink beneath his intimidating stare. "And these must be the warriors who rescued you: Link and Kari."
Both were struck speechless.
"Say something!" Tatl hissed.
Snapped out of shock, Kari took the initiative. His right knee touched the ground and his head bowed in respect. "Honorable Deku Tree, I have heard legends that speak of you, but to stand before you, I find myself most unworthy."
"Young Sheikah, the humility thou has displayed is to be admired. Our meeting was destined long before by the will of the Three. Thou mayest not realize it, but thou was guided here by divine will."
Link nodded his head. As fascinated as he was with the things of the supernatural, he found much of it sailed over his head. Rusl and Uli had raised him with a healthy respect and devotion for the Three Goddesses, but they had never instructed him much in the ways of theology. Anything he knew now was only through vigorous experience. The role of destiny, however, was one concept he understood exceptionally well, as proven by the golden triangle on his left hand.
"So if we're supposed to be here, then for what reason were we brought?" Link ventured.
"Patience, hero, and all will be explained. Surely thou hath sensed a dark cloud of evil energy quickly blowing over Hyrule. Thou knoweth it is thine destiny to fight it."Link nodded. "And you, young Sheikah, hath agreed to help. Is this not so?"Kari also nodded as he rose to his feet once again. "Then listen carefully to thine words."
Kari and Link nodded. Tifa walked over to Link and sat down beside him. Tatl flew onto the hero's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "You may want to sit down as well. This could take a while." She then flew back to Tifa and stretched out on the forest girl's shoulder as she prepared for a nap. The hero decided it was a good idea and followed her suggestion. Kari remained standing.
The Great Deku Tree continued. "The place where thou now standeth is the Kokiri Forest. For centuries, it hath served as a haven for the Kokiri, my beloved children, from the outside world."
Link nodded his head. "I never even knew this place existed."
"For good reason," Tatl spat bitterly.
"Hush now, Tatl."The forest spirit reprimanded her. The yellow fairy shook a bit and pouted beneath her breath. Tifa gave her a comforting pat and listened on with the interest of a child. The Great Deku Tree turned his attention back to the two foreigners. "Please forgive her. The past hath greatly wronged her, as it has our whole forest."
Kari could understand the fairy's bitterness. "What happened?" he inquired.
"Patience, young one, and thou wilt learn. The beginning of this story takes place centuries ago, when the whole world was at war over the power of the goddesses, the Triforce. In those days, it was hidden somewhere in Hyrule, and even the Hylian Royal Family knew not its whereabouts."
Kari nodded his head solemnly in agreement. "Indeed. Our people were tasked with guarding that knowledge long ago, although we could not enter the Sacred Realm ourselves. The envy burned in their hearts and caused them to war with us for far too long." His eyes dropped. "Now, I understand why it was hidden away in the first place."
"If only more people thought that way, young one."The forest spirit paused and let out a groan that seemed to be a sigh. "The conflict erupted with the assassination of the six sages, one of the few known links to both the Goddesses and the Triforce. The resulting chaos fueled a great war between every tribe of Hyrule; one that sadly destroyed thine people, Kari."
Kari merely stared at the ground at a loss for words.
"Take heart, young Sheikah. Thine people fought with passion and bravery beside the Hylians. Were it not for their sacrifice, the King of Hyrule would nigh hath united all of Hyrule under one banner. But I get ahead of thine self."The Deku Tree directed his gaze towards Link. "While the flames of war still did bloweth, a young woman fled for thine life into the forest. Tucked protectively within her arms was a babe. With her last words, she did implore my predecessor to raise the babe as one of the forest children. Sensing it was a child of destiny, he did agree and raised it as a Kokiri without a fairy. For years the boy grew up with no knowledge of his true lineage: the blood of a Hylian. His name was Link."
Tifa elbowed Link playfully in the ribs. "Remember the way everyone picked on you? That was before Navi showed up. That really showed them a thing or two. Saria couldn't contain her joy."
"Navi?" Link whispered to himself, his mind working faster than a racehorse after carrots. Slowly, things were beginning to fit into place. The vision was still fresh in his mind: the fairy, the feelings, this other Link; they were all related somehow. "What happened to this Link?"
Tifa gave the hero a puzzled expression as the Great Deku Tree continued.
"Several years later, when the boy was ten years of age, a dark thief by the name of Ganondorf came to Hyrule seeking the sacred triangles."
"Ganondorf." Link said bitterly. He suddenly felt his blood begin to boil. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes to repress his loathing for the man that had caused Hyrule so much pain only recently.
"Indeed, it would seem thou hast seen the man's limitless ambition and lust for power with thine own eyes. Thou could sense his dark presence even from here. Back then, that man of evil intentions took the life of my predecessor. Before dying, he charged Link with the task of stopping this man. With this charge, Link left the forest and went on to become what thou calleth the "Hero of Time." Although his deeds brought peace to Hyrule, he was sent back in time to relive his lost childhood, his great exploits no longer remembered by the people of Hyrule. Worse yet, Ganondorf still walked the earth. Armed with his knowledge of the future and with the aid of the noble Princess Zelda, they laid plain the plans of Ganondorf and brought him to justice."
Kari nodded to himself. "So there were other Zeldas besides the current queen? Then the legends were true about Her Grace…" His thoughts trailed off.
Tifa drew her knees to her chest. "You left so suddenly that day. We all thought you had just gone with Saria to the Sacred Forest Meadow. But when Saria came back with tears in her eyes, we knew something had happened. Something bad."
"I knew it!" Link blurted out, suddenly rising to his feet. His sudden outburst made Tifa jump, causing Tatl to fall from her shoulder and awake in a panic. Kari looked at his companion with mild interest. "It all makes sense now! The vision, the name, everything!"
"What are you rambling about now?" Kari asked.
"Yeah, Link, it's not nice to keep secrets." Tifa added.
The hero turned to the Kokiri girl, doing his best to return her gaze. He knelt down and placed two hands on her shoulders. "Tifa, I don't know how to tell you this. You really value me as a friend and have all these memories of me; memories I don't have. And now that I've just heard the Great Deku Tree." He paused. "What I'm trying to say, well, there's no easy way to say this."
"What's wrong, Link? You're acting really funny right now." Tifa inquired.
Kari shook his head. "He's saying he's not who you think he is. You have some naïve childish fantasy that he's your friend from years ago, but he's not. He's never even met you until now." The Sheikah was met with a dark glare from Link.
"You're not?" She asked, her voice climbing an octave.
Link couldn't meet her eyes anymore. "I'm sorry, Tifa, but I'm not. I wish I could say I was, but I'm simply not who you think I am."
An awkward silence pervaded the meadow. Tatl began to rise from her state of half-consciousness with a moan. Kari and Link looked from one another to the Great Deku Tree, but were still at a loss for what to say.
"Oh."
"Tifa."
She began to giggle to herself. "You may not be him, but you act just like him. Your hair has that same messy part. And you both have that smile that brightens up the entire forest."
Link gave the Kokiri girl an affirmative pat. "Will you be alright? I'm sorry for the confusion." He paused for a moment as the girl nodded innocently. The hero was amazed at the perseverance this forest girl had. Even after her dream had been shot down, she still maintained a joyful atmosphere. He looked self-consciously to the top of his head. "Do you really think my hair is messy?"
"Actually, I think the other Link had neater hair." Tatl chimed in, starting to join in on the jesting.
"His clothes were in better shape, too." Tifa added as the fairy and her companion giggled together. Link folded his arms in mock impatience.
"Can we get back to the task at hand?" Kari said firmly but politely. His fractious expression betrayed the cordiality of his voice. He looked to the forest spirit. "What became of Ganondorf and the Hero of Time?"
The Great Deku Tree's face folded as thought flowed through his wooden trunk. "The Hero, thy predecessor, Link, with his adventures forgotten by the people of Hyrule, went off to a distant land to search for his companion. There, he encountered experiences nigh even I know about. The Hero of Time returned later, tempered by his travels and burdened with a heavy load. As he grew older, he had knowledge that the forest was not for one such as him, and he left. As for the thief, Ganondorf, it twas thought he was executed by the Ancient Sages. His dark presence disappeared from Hyrule for a time, only to resurface much later.
Tifa placed a finger on her lip. "Wow, how come I never knew any of this?"
Tatl placed a small hand on her partner's shoulder. "He kept a lot to himself, Tifa. I met him shortly after all that happened. Even when I traveled with him for a short time, he rarely said anything about his past."
Link and Kari looked at one another but said nothing. The Sheikah could only wonder what his companion was thinking. If only he knew.
The hero felt a small pain in his chest. He felt trapped in a memory, as if he was living the life of someone else. If destiny really did determine his future, then what was the point of trying to break free of it?
"There is more to the story."The Great Deku Tree continued. Kari and Link instantly snapped to attention, while Tifa and Tatl quieted down. "Shortly after the fall of Ganondorf, a group of foreigners from a faraway land attacked our forest. They burned down houses and attacked the village in search of the Hero of Time. The children were forced to take refuge amongst the trees. Unfortunately, not all survived. A few brave souls stood behind to ensure the safety of the others. Because of the actions of those strangers, thine children and thou were forced to retreat deep into the forest, removing all contact with the outside world. Perhaps thou hast noticed their fearful stares at thee during thy entrance, yes?"Kari nodded hesitantly.
"Poor Mido," Tifa whispered to herself as she recalled that dreadful day. For the first time, her smile disappeared entirely as screams and the crackling of fire rose in her ears. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she curled into a ball. "Why would anyone do that? We never hurt anybody." She began to sob.
Tatl pulled on the Kokiri girl's shoulder. "Here Tifa, I think we've heard enough. Let's go play with the other children until everyone's done talking." Unused to the pain of grief and loss, the Kokiri girl was too weak to resist. The fairy led her by the hand and escorted her back to the main village. Link, Kari, and the Great Deku Tree watched in silence as the pair left.
After the quiet had settled, the Great Deku Tree beckoned Link to come closer. The hero approached cautiously."Link, there is something thou must see."With a mighty lift of his roots, he moved several trees to the side, opening up a strange new path. "Down that path lies the grave of thine ancestor. Within it rests a precious item he held dear to his heart. It was his dying wish that thou save it for the day one of thine descendants needeth it."Link swallowed hard and readjusted the scabbard that held the Master Sword, the blade of his ancestor. As he set out for the newly opened path, he took one last look at Kari. Instinctively, the Sheikah took a step forward to follow, but his path was hindered by a gentle push of the forest spirit's branches. "Remain here. No harm will befall thy friend. This journey he must take alone."
Kari reluctantly obeyed and stood where he was.
As the hero walked through the densely packed path, he felt a warm sensation in his heart, like he was a lost son finally come home. The feeling only grew stronger as he passed large redwoods on either side. There was a strange glow at the end of the path before him, but it wasn't sunlight. The hairs of his skin stood on end and he could feel shivers going down his spine. Whatever enchantment rested on this place, it was heavy; it seemed as if time itself had frozen here. As he looked to the sky, even the clouds seemed to remain stationary above.
At long last, the hero reached the end of the path. He found himself in a small grove covered in a low mist that reached to his ankles. The soft grass beneath his boots felt like a fine carpet found in the Castle. Rising from the mist were two small mounds side by side. Beautiful flowers of turquoise, violet, marigold, and red adorned the top of each. As he approached them, he noticed the mound on the left had a small golden box resting on the surface.
Link picked up the box and examined it. It felt fairly light in his gloved hands, and it made no noise when he shook it. The sacred triangles of Hyrule were engraved on the cover, which he found gave way with little effort from his fingertips. As he slid the cover open, he found a small cerulean ocarina made of an exotic material he had never seen before. The sacred triangles were carved into the mouth piece of the beautiful instrument.
As the hero brought the instrument to his lips, he felt his legs beginning to give out from under him. The grove began to spin around him. Link knelt down and braced himself against the ground, the strange ocarina still in his hand.
"It's happening again," he grunted before being warped to another time altogether.
"You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?"
When Link awoke, he found himself outside Hyrule Castle, although one very different from the one he had become accustomed to. Before him stood an elegantly dressed young girl, presumably the Princess Zelda from legends. She had her back facing him as she spoke. Now, at least, Link believed he knew where he was: a dream or an actual memory of the Hero of Time!
He heard himself speak, or rather his ancestor. "I am. I have to go. I can't remain here."
Princess Zelda turned to face him. The hero had to admit; she was cute for such a young age. Her pink and white headdress really accented her golden hair and blue eyes. Her hands clasped something protectively in front of her royal dress. "Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever. I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule. And I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again. Until that day comes, please… take this."She opened her hands to reveal the ocarina he had just found.
"The Ocarina of Time? Zelda, are you sure?" The words came out naturally as if they were his. In stark contrast to his last dream, Link felt much more comfortable in the role he was playing. It was as if he himself was a part of that world. As he stared into the blue eyes of this legendary figure, it raised warm feelings inside him for his own time's Princess Zelda, even though they were mere acquaintances. As he looked at her, the resoluteness in her eyes gave him the answer he needed. "Thank you."
Zelda smiled. "I am praying… I am praying that your journey be a safe one. If something should happen to you, remember this song. This song reminds me of us."She brought the ocarina to her lips and began playing a soothing melody. The song looped and echoed as Link felt himself being pulled back to reality once again. When she had finished, she gave him the ocarina, their hands lingering together on the instrument for one last precious moment.
As Link began to ride away, he heard her call out after him. "The Goddess of Time is protecting you. If you play the Song of Time, she will aid you."
The tickling of the grass on his nose jolted Link awake as he found himself sprawled out on the ground. The ocarina was still in his left hand. As the hero lifted himself to a sitting position, he brought the ocarina in front of him once more to admire it. A golden light caught his eye; his Triforce of Courage was resonating as he touched the instrument.
"So this is the Ocarina of Time? It feels otherworldly." He kept the mystical instrument close to his heart and rose to his feet. As he looked around, his eyes caught sight of the second mound. He walked over to gain a closer look, but found nothing out of the ordinary besides the flowers placed upon it. "The Deku Tree said my ancestor was buried here. I wonder why there's a second grave. Who does it belong to?"
Link took one last look at the grove before finally heading back the way he had entered.
When he returned to the meadow of the Great Deku Tree, the path quickly closed behind him. Startled, the hero looked back to find nothing but an impassable wall of thickets and branches hindering his passage. He turned back around and was surprised to find that Tifa and Tatl had returned.
"Tifa, are you feeling better?" Link asked.
The Kokiri girl flashed him a big smile. He noticed that her eyes and cheeks were still red, but she seemed overall in better spirits.
"I haven't had a good cry in a while." Tifa giggled. "It feels refreshing."
Link nodded and grinned warmly. "I'm glad to hear you're doing better."
"I am glad to see thou hath found the sacred instrument."The Great Deku Tree said, his voice filling the entire meadow. "Take good care of it. Thou now holdeth the legacy of the Hero of Time."
Link looked over the instrument one last time as it sparkled in the moonlight. "Great Deku Tree, when I touched the instrument, I had a dream. I was standing before a princess, and she taught me something called the Song of Time. Why would she do that?"
The forest spirit groaned in thought. "Hrmmm, very interesting. Perhaps He is involved in this."The hero looked at the Deku Tree curiously as the spirit snapped out of his meandering thoughts. "The Song of Time is an ancient melody once used to enter the Sacred Realm. It is said to allow its wielder to travel through time."The forest spirit's face twisted in thought. "Perhaps there is still magic left in thy instrument. Play that song wisely, young hero. Thou may find a time when playing it will carry the difference between life and death."
The hero gazed at the instrument with awe. "This also isn't the first time I've had these dreams. Another time, I was in the Temple of Time talking to someone named Navi. Is there any reason why I'm seeing such visions?"
Tifa's ears perked up. "You dreamt about Navi? Where is she?" She began bouncing up and down in excitement.
Both ignored the energetic forest girl. "Young hero, dreams are often a way of telling us things. Thou art indeed reliving the life of thy ancestor through these visions. I knoweth not why, but perhaps they wish to tell thee something important."
Link leaned uncomfortably to the side. "I see." His eyes dropped to the ground.
Kari cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention. "I hate to interrupt, Link, but the Great Deku Tree and I were talking while you were gone, and I'm afraid there's some bad news."
The hero swallowed hard. "What is it?"
The forest spirit hesitated before responding. "A dark cloud is heading for Hyrule even now. Thousands of monsters are going, armed with the intent to kill all in their path. Thou doth not have much time."
Every muscle in the hero's body tensed as adrenaline rushed through his system. "Zant." he muttered. He looked back at the forest spirit. "How much time do we have?"
The forest spirit closed his eyes in regret. "They are marching even now. A few hours at best before the attack begins."
The hero's fist clenched tightly enough to crack a nut in half. "Farore, how are we going to make it back in time? It took us nearly a day just to get here."
Tifa jumped up and down. "Oooh! I can take you! I can tree hop you to the edge of the forest. I'll get you there in no time!"
Kari looked at his stomach and groaned. He looked crossly at the forest girl and folded his arms. "The battlefield is no place for a child like you. Besides, won't you die if you venture outside the village?"
Tifa looked expectantly at the deity she considered to be her father. "Can I?"
The grove was quiet as everyone awaited the wise spirit's answer. He mumbled to himself as he thought. After a few seconds of contemplation, he opened his eyes and looked at the forest girl. "Tifa, I cannot stop thee if thou decideth to go. Should thou leaveth the forest, then know this: thou wilt not physically die. However, should thy stay outside the village exceed a certain time period, thou will cease to be a Kokiri. The blessing of the forest will no longer be with thee. Thou will age as any normal child; exposed to the harsh realities of the outside world. Does thou still wish to go?"
The Kokiri girl's enthusiasm showed no hesitation. With a smile, she jumped on Link's back and pointed off in the distance. "Of course. It'll be an adventure!" Tatl flew around her, feigning disinterest but secretly filled with the thrill of a new adventure. She had grown bored of staying in the village. This boredom caused the pair to ventureout into unexplored parts of the woods often. This is how they stumbled on Link and Kari.
Kari shook his head and mumbled under his breath. "Foolish child doesn't understand what she's getting into." He turned to his companions. "We have no time to waste. Let's get moving."
Link steadied the Kokiri girl on his shoulders and took a deep breath. A calm face and composed demeanor masked the adrenaline and fury hidden deep beneath. The wolf inside him craved for battle, and it would soon be satisfied. "Let's do it. I won't let Zant hurt another soul. For Rusl's sake."
A/N- Well, it took me forever to finish this chapter, but I finally got it posted. Hope you guys all enjoy it! I must say, I got really nostalgic writing this chapter; I even listened to some old OOT music while I wrote this. I apologize this took so long to update. I actually wanted to have it up two weeks ago, but school got really busy. Now I have something to say about the next update. It is going to take a while to update, but that's because it's a special chapter, or rather three special chapters. That's right! Next time I update, I'll have three chapters ready to go, posted very close together so that you, my wonderful readers, won't be left in suspense. I can't say too much more, but I will say that nothing will be the same again! Once again, I want to thank you faithful readers so much for following my story! You are all awesome! To those who review, you guys are even more amazing!
We have another wonderful illustration of Kari, this time in color. Here's the link:animenuthead /art/The-face-of-a-Sheikah-140222814. (This is at deviantart.) Thanks again to The-world-needs-peace.
For my final order of business before I sign off, I wanted to acknowledge some of the great stories that served to inspire this one. The first one is Eloze, by DarkLink. If you haven't read it, then go read it; I recommend it that much! If you like this story, then you'll love hers. You can find it over on The Grand Adventures website. You should also check out The Immortal's Heart, an excellent story by Silverwolf05 here on fanfiction. I got the idea for Tifa's tree jumping from him. One final recommendation I have is The Hero of Wolves, by The Wolfess, also on fanfiction. It is an addicting story that you should definitely check out. Of course there are others that I can't name right now, but perhaps another time. 'Til then, Vopi out!