Chapter10: Brave Enough To Leave Home

All Link's life, he thought he was alone, separated from the other children of the Great Tree. He was the only one who couldn't do magic, he was the only one no fairy bound themselves to. But now he realized just how many friends he had before.

"Hi Fado," he waved toward the girl as she came back with a basket full of mushrooms. "How was-"

The girl's startled expression made him stop. She gave him a forced smile, before she rushed off averting her eyes. Even her fairy didn't say anything. They all acted like Link was some brute best avoided and barely tolerated. If Link had known that the worst days of his life were the ones where Mido wasn't trying to annoy him, he wouldn't have believed it.

Ever since he returned home the other children avoided him. They had watched him, wordlessly, as he dragged his sword and emerald into his house, all covered in sap and muck. They all feared him. Perhaps it had been his fault, maybe if he had said something to them, explained what had happened they'd understand.

But he'd been so tired, he just trudged over to his tree dropped his sword and the emerald on the floor of his room and went to sleep. By the time he woke up, the other children had already learned of the death of their father. What details the fairies had given them about what happened he didn't know. They blamed him, he could feel it. No one -not even Mido- ever said it out loud. But they did.

Fado walked to the cooking pots to give Helvia and Lotho her mushrooms to add to the night's meal. Everyone gathered around the cooking fires as was customary before dinner. The days were for chores, but when the work was done the family got together to help prepare meals, play games and songs, and tell stories.

It had been Link's favorite part of the day, except for the times he could sneak off to go practice. But there was no joy in it anymore. Not when no one wanted to sit with you, when only one of his family even talked to him anymore.

Instead of joining the others, Link returned to his bedroom. It'd be better that way, they'd be happier without him anyway. When he entered his room the first things he saw where his sword. His birthright, the Great Deku Tree had called it. Still lying at the entrance, still filthy.

He sat in front of it. He had not bothered to wash it, or hold it. Most days he avoided looking at it, just leaving the weapon to lay in the front of his room. His birthright.

It wasn't so hard to figure what the Great Deku Tree meant: violence, death, and failure. That's all Link had to offer the world. All those fanciful dreams of becoming a wandering warrior entering out into the world, righting wrongs, and being a hero from a story seemed so stupid now. He couldn't even save his father from a bug.

The Great Deku Tree's last words came to him, unbidden and unwanted. 'I'm so proud.' There was nothing in Link to be proud about. The Great Deku Tree was wrong, about Link, about everything. He reached out and touched the grip of the sword for the first time since he returned.

Even after everything, it felt right in his hand. Perhaps he was just a brute.

"Link?" came a voice from behind him.

He spun around still brandishing the sword. Saria gave a little yelp and stepped back, near dropping the bowls in her hands.

"Saria!" Link put the blade back down on the ground. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I mean. Are you ok?"

"Put that away!" Junmi said, the fairy flying about Link's eyes before she hovered protectively in front of Saria.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'm sorry. It's just, scary, is all." Her eyes didn't leave the blade until Link kicked it under his bed. "I didn't think about that thing. I hadn't seen it since you came here holding it that morning. I didn't think you'd- I mean it was just there and it's dangerous. And I was- I'm sorry, I'm babbling now."

"It's fine, is something wrong Saria?"

"Of course there's something wrong," Saria said as she placed a bowl of steaming fish stew in front of Link. "My best friend barely eats, spends all his time alone, and every day looks sadder and sadder. That's about as wrong as things can get."

At first he wanted to deny it, he wasn't always alone or sad. But that wasn't true, and he wasn't going to lie to Saria. Then he thought maybe to explain what he was feeling, but Link didn't know how to say it. Every word that ran through his head sounded nothing but whiny, even the ones that were true. So he just nodded to her and took a spoonful of the soup. It was as delicious as Lotho's cooking always was.

Saria sat across from him and ate her meal too, with Junmi landing on top of her head. And though Link couldn't see her face through her light, he could tell the fairy was staring at him. Saria was looking at him too, not as directly, but she glanced up at him between spoonfuls. To make certain he was eating, or perhaps that she wanted him to say something. It was hard to know.

"I'm sorry, Link," Saria said once they were halfway finished with the stew. "I should have come up here days ago. I just thought you needed some space, like how you used to go on walks to-" her eyes went wide. She must be remembering what happened the last time she followed him during one of his 'walks.'

"Don't worry about it," Link said. "I liked being alone," he lied. "Not that I'm saying you should leave, you can stay if you want."

"Of course I will," Saria smiled at him, and for the first time in days it seemed like a genuine grin of someone happy to see him.

Link tried to do the same to her, but it didn't feel right. He wasn't in the mood for smiles, and ended up looking back down to his food and continuing to eat.

"Just give the others time," Saria said. "They'll realize that you're just the same you, you've always been. They're all just scared."

"I'm not. The same me, I mean," Link mumbled.

"What?"

"The Great Deku Tree told me something," Link started.

"What did he tell you?" Saria looked concerned. "Whatever it is, I don't think it'll be so bad."

How could he tell her that he was not Kokiri? It wasn't just a strange quirk of his that he liked weapons and didn't have a fairy. He was a Hylian, one of the monsters they had been told about all their lives.

"Saria," he ended up saying. "I've been thinking about this a lot recently, and I think I'm going to leave."

"What?" she dropped her spoon in the bowl.

"Leave where?" Junmi asked.

"I don't know," Link said. "Away, I never fit in here anyway. And after what happened with the Great Deku Tree… I just, I can't stay here."

"Don't be silly," Saria said. "You can stay here for the rest of our lives. I told you, just give the others some time. In a week we'll laugh about you wanting to leave."

"No. Saria, I don't belong here."

"Yes, you do! You're my friend."

"Saria, when father- when the Great Deku Tree passed, he gave me a duty." He stood up and went to the Emerald, picking it up from the ground he rubbed away some of the gray residue that still clung to it. "This was what the outsiders were after, this is why they killed him. I'm supposed to protect it, to make certain that the man never gets his hands on it."

"Then we can hide it. If all of us use our magic together-"

"No, they have a way to turn magic against us. That's why Navi brought me, and not the rest of you. If we use magic to hide the stone he'll find it. I have to take it away, before he returns."

Saria stood up as well, and went to the stone. "Then why don't we just bury it? We won't use magic to hide it."

"He'll find it. Saria, I need to do this." And I need to go home. I need to go someplace where the people are like me.

Saria took the emerald, frowning. Then looked into Link's eyes. "There's nothing I can say is there?"

"I've thought about this a long time, Saria. This is what I want."

For a moment, Saria looked as though she was going to cry. Of course she did, he'd just told his best friend he didn't want to be around her anymore. That he was going to leave and likely never return. If Saria told that to him? He didn't want to think of how that would hurt him. "When are you planning on going?"

"There's no point waiting. Tonight, I guess. After everyone else falls asleep." He didn't want to see all of them when he left. What if they all cheered for him to go? Or worse, what if they tried to make him stop?

Saria seemed to make up her mind about something, and nodded. "Would you follow me? Please? I need to show you something, before you go."

"Of course."

Saria put down the Emerald and headed out the treehouse. Link followed her, together they moved on the outskirts of the village, not getting close enough to the other children to hear what they were saying.

"This way," Saria said as she walked into the mist of the trees. Link looked about the trees, then squinted into the mist. "Stay close," Saria's voice came from the mist. "Junmi?"

From the swirling gray a green light shone, revealing Saria's outline. Link moved toward her. The girl held out her hand and Link took it. Together they walked through the uneven ground of the woods. Link couldn't see anything but Junmi's green light and the feint outline of Saria.

"How far?"

"We're almost there. We just need to reach- here we are." Saria stepped out of the fog, and Link followed her a step behind. "Well," Saria said as she let go of Link's hand. "This is my special spot in the forest."

"It's beautiful," Link said. The fog that whirled around them left a small meadow clear. A small creek passed through the land, and around it green thick grass sprouted. Around the meadow trees grew tall, with vibrant green leaves that reminded Link of the joys of mid-spring when his father stood at his grandest and healthiest.

Behind the trees the mist returned, but it seemed a bit thin to Link's eye. Vines prodded out of the fog as if they were hanging from a tree near as wide as the Great Deku Tree himself. But that was impossible, there were no other trees like him. Link stepped toward the vines, and reached toward one of them.

"I wouldn't do that," Saria said as she went to a tree stump and sat down, before flipping onto her stomach and looking for something behind it.

"Why not?"

"The sisters live there, they don't like being disturbed."

"The sisters?"

"Here it is!" Saria grabbed something from behind the stump. Link reached her as soon as she righted herself and smiled at Link. "I was making this for you."

In her hand was a meticulously carved round instrument. An ocarina, Link knew. It was one of the instruments the fairies sometimes brought out for them to play with some nights. Link always enjoyed playing with it, even if he didn't think he was any good.

"Here try it!" Saria forced the ocarina into his hands.

Link brought the instrument to his lips, took a deep breath and blew. The first note he made was nothing beautiful, but it held strong. He worked his fingers on the holes on ocarina's side, until he got a feeling for it. As he played he felt warmth spread about him. As if he was being embraced by someone that wasn't quite there.

Saria smiled and clapped. "It worked, I hadn't tried it yet."

"Saria, this is wonderful. It must have taken you a long time to hollow out the wood the right way and get everything positioned right."

"It did take a bit, but it wasn't as hard as you might think." She stepped up to Link and wrapped her fingers around Link's and the ocarina. "A few months ago, when Mido was being particularly mean to you I went to the Great Deku Tree and asked him how I can help you. He took one of his branches and gave it to me, and told me how to build the ocarina, and how to put a little bit of my magic in it. And working with it was easy, I never needed to start over, I never seemed to make a mistake. It was like working with a piece of wood that wanted me to shape it. May I show you something?"

"Of course," Link let her take it.

Saria closed her eyes and nodded her head as if listening to music only she could hear. Then she played, the song wasn't particularly complex but it was fast and happy. It reminded Link most of when Saria danced while every else either sang or played with their instruments, smiling and happy during older better days. Where the Great Deku Tree still watched over them and the only thing Link had to worry about was waking up on time.

When she finished, she took the ocarina from her mouth and looked to Link, tentatively waiting to see if he approved.

"You're really good!" Link said. "What was that?"

"Father told me for the spell to work I needed to make my own song, and well that's it. Do you like it?"

"I do, it definitely fit you. But, what spell?"

"Good, umm," she looked to the ground. "I know you said you didn't want any help, but I thought you might accept this. When you play my song, you'll call me to you."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, I thought that if you ever got stuck and needed some magic to do your job, you could just play on the ocarina and I could come help you. And no one would have to know that you needed my help at all. Because I know you hate that. Don't be mad." She shoved the ocarina back into his hands as if worried hearing that would make him refuse her gift.

Link looked to his hands, and rubbed the smooth wood, a gift from Saria and his father. When he looked back to his best friend, he felt his eyes water. "You were willing to do all that for me?"

"Of course."

Link stepped forward and embraced Saria. "I could never get mad at you Saria. You're the kindest person I know."

When they broke the embrace, Link could see that Saria was crying too. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes and nose. "I don't know how well it will work when you leave the forest. It's the Great Deku Tree's magic, and he always said he and his magic were rooted here. But if you want, you can try to play my song out there. And if it works, I'll be able to see you, at least for a little bit."

Link brought the ocarina up and played, it took four tries to get the fingering correct. But once he had it, he played Saria's song. She laughed and danced and clapped along as he played, and for a moment he thought if it would really be so bad to stay in Kokiri.

But when the song ended, and Saria fell back on her tree stump still laughing, he knew he still needed to leave. He could not let the evil man return to the village for the stone. And would he really want to grow old while all his friends remain children of the woods? Every year growing more different from everyone, from Saria.

Would they even still be friends?

But for now he sat down beside Saria on her stump, and talked about happier days until well into the night. When Saria could no longer keep her eyes open.


The Emerald glowed in Link's hand, even with all the muck still clinging to it. If he was going to leave tonight he would need to wash it. Along with his sword. Perhaps the dim light could help him get through the fog.

He went to the pool near the center of the village. With the bucket they kept on the side of the pool. He took out the water and poured it over the stone and sword, making certain that the corruption did not run into their waters.

Something rustled through the leaves. Footsteps walking along the edge of the village clearing. Link covered the emerald and ducked low. Was he too late? Did the evil man already arrive? He was so stupid! He should have left the day that the Great Deku Tree died. Now he'd doomed everything, he really was a failure.

"You should go to sleep," came a familiar voice. Dori the fairy flew into vision, from the trees. But he wasn't talking to Link. Mido marched along the edge of the forest, green magic working his way through his hands. "The Great Deku Tree's barriers are holding."

"And I'm going to make certain they stay strong,"

"But you checked them last night, and the night before."

Mido didn't answer that, he continued waving his hand over the trees until he nodded with satisfaction then marched to the next one.

"You're going to wear yourself out."

"If you don't want to help me, you can just stay back home."

"Of course I want to help you," the fairy sounded exasperated. "I'm trying to, you need your sleep to stay strong."

"I am strong," Mido said. "I'm as good with magic as Saria. Just because you and the Great Deku Tree couldn't see it-"

"He did see it!" Dori protested, "we all see how hard you work. How much effort you put in to maintaining the village. He relied so heavily upon you."

"Then why didn't he ask for my help?" Mido shouted, sending Dori flying back away from him. "I could have helped him. He could still be here."

"Mido," Dori flew back toward him, landing on top of his head. "You can't think that's true."

"Go home, Dori," Mido brushed at his head to force the fairy off him. "I'm going to make certain everyone is safe."

The fairy didn't leave, he just stayed behind Mido's shoulder as they kept walking around the village.

Link watched Mido's back, wondering if he should talk to him. He'd never liked Mido, not once. Mido was bossy and mean. And so self important it made talking to him annoying when he was trying to be pleasant. But he needed to restrain himself from walking over to him right now and telling him what had truly happened to the Great Deku Tree. How the creature had turned the Great Deku Tree's magic against him, how he truly could not have done anything even if their father called for him.

But he stayed low to the ground, until the light of fairy and magic was gone. He didn't want his last words in the village of his home to be spent arguing with Mido, or getting called No-Fairy or whatever other hurtful thing the boy would say.

When there was no sign of anyone, Link picked himself from the ground. Dried off his things as best he could and stepped to the trees. Even in the dark of night he could see the difference the enchanted fog made, where all light and shapes just suddenly ended. He took a deep breath. One more step and he'd be out of the village. One more step and he may never return home again.

"So," came a soft voice behind him. A dim blue light floated toward him and landed on his shoulder. "Where are we going?"

"Navi?"

"It's a bit hard to go to Navi. I'm already here."

"How did you- Navi where have you been?"

"I'm sorry, I should have been here sooner. But with the Great Deku Tree gone… I'm sorry there was so much I needed to do." she said, her voice tinged with sorrow. "And I knew him a long time, I needed some time to mourn him. Now!" She said and a bit of sunniness returning to her. "Where are we going?"

"I'm leaving the forest. I'm going to see the land of my parents, don't try to stop me."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"You're not? Oh. Good. Well, you can't come with me."

"Don't be silly, of course I'm going with you."

"You'll starve, won't you? I thought the fairies needed to be around magic, and I'm not touched by the Great Deku Tree's magic. You'll die."

"About that," Navi floated from his shoulder to land on the ocarina Saria had given him. "For some strange reason, I'm feeling quite refreshed right here. Now, are we going?"

Link's brow furrowed, would that even work? Would Saria's ocarina be enough for her. He didn't think so. "I can't take you away from everyone. The Woods are your home, everyone here is your family, and they need you, now more than ever."

"Link," Navi rose from her position on the ocarina right in front of his eyes. So near he could barely make out the figure that flew within the light. "The Great Deku Tree was not the only one who watched over you since you were a baby. Even if I had not give him my word, I'm coming with you. And that's final."

"But- you-" Link didn't know what to say, or even why he was protesting. He had not thought about it before, but he found he wanted Navi with him. They had already gone through so much together, having Navi with him felt right.

"Were you just going to march out into the fog with no idea where you're going?"

"I would have figured it out."

Navi sighed then dashed in front of him. "Typical, Link. Alright, follow me."

Link couldn't help but smile as he entered the fog, and Navi's light showed him the way.