A.N : I am starting to think that maybe Sundays aren't the best upload days, as I have missed half of them so far. Welp. We'll see if I'll change the upload day later down the line. For now, enjoy !

Chapter 6 : Mourning

The light of the teleporter faded away and Link opened his eyes to see that they had come back to the clearing of the Great Deku Tree. Nienna was standing by his side, a smile on her face, and both of their fairies were flying around them. Link felt his own lips stretch into a grin.

"Great Deku Tree ! We did it ! We killed the monster !"

"Well done, Link... All of you..."

The venerable Tree's voice was shaky still, sounding as though it could break any moment, but the warmth in it was the same as always and reminded Link of summer nights spent listening to fairy tales in this very clearing with all the other Kokiris. His grin only got bigger at the praise and happy memories.

"Thou hast verily demonstrated thy courage... I knew that thou wouldst be able to carry out my wishes... Now, I have yet more to tell ye, wouldst thou listen..."

"Of course !"

"Now... listen carefully... A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me..."

Link's vision went dark as the illusion settled in. Used to the sensation, Link sat down as he always did when the Great Deku Tree used his magic powers to cast illusions to accompany his stories and pulled on Nienna's sleeve so she would do the same.

Out of the darkness, flames emerged, soon accompanied by the same man on horseback that Link had seen in his dream the previous night. He suppressed a shiver and listened to the Great Deku Tree's words.

"This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule... For it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods..."

Nienna gasped audibly next to Link and grabbed his hand, seemingly out of reflex. Though he didn't understand why she reacted so strongly to the Great Deku Tree's words, he squeezed hers back in a show of support and reassurance.

The scenery changed, now showing a dark, lifeless sky only filled with fog and shooting stars.

"Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule..."

Three figures appeared in the distant sky, only a small, coloured spot at first, but quickly growing bigger as the figures got closer. Link soon noticed that each figure was surrounded by flames of a different colour : red, blue and green.

"Din, the goddess of power..."

The illusion focused on the figure surrounded by red flames, so Link assumed that this goddess was Din.

"Nayru, the goddess of wisdom..."

This time, it was the goddess surrounded by blue flames.

"Farore, the goddess of courage..."

Link was a bit startled at the name, as it was the name of the deity of nature that all Kokiris revered and prayed to daily. It made sense that she would have been a part of a story about the goddesses, but he was surprised nonetheless since he had never heard the name of the other two goddesses thus far.

As he was pondering, a blue light emanated from Din and soon attracted rocks of various sizes to each other until they formed a coherent mass.

"Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth."

Next, Nayru flew above the newly created ground and another light emanated from her as well, turning the sky the usual blue Link was accustomed to seeing during the day.

"Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world."

Finally, Farore flew around this new world, her light making plants grow and the earth cover itself in trees, grass and flowers, soon giving form to what Link recognised as the clearing of the Great Deku Tree.

"Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law."

The next vision was of the three goddesses once more flying through the sky, higher and higher, converging toward the same point. At the very second they collided, a bright light surged and forced Link to close his eyes.

"The three great goddesses, their labours completed, departed for the heavens."

Where the goddesses had collided now were three golden triangles, mounted together to form a bigger one, spinning in the emptiness.

"And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence. And, the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm."

The vision faded away and Link was again able to see the Great Deku Tree in front of him.

"Thou must never allow the desert man in black armour to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce... Thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend... That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power..."

Link felt his gust twist in dread. The way the Great Deku Tree spoke of the curse... Surely, it couldn't be that bad, right ? The curse had been dealt with and the Great Deku Tree was talking to him right now ! He would recover !

... Right ?

The Great Deku Tree's next words shattered his hope and his heart.

"Because of that curse, my end is nigh..."

"What ?! No ! That can't be ! We killed the monster, we killed ALL the monsters inside of you ! And you're alive ! You're talking ! You can't be dying !"

Though the Great Deku Tree couldn't shake his head or slump his shoulders, Link could feel his sadness in the knitting of his brow and hear it in his voice :

"Though your valiant efforts to break the curse were successful, I was doomed before you started..."

"No... That can't be true..."

Link felt a strange sensation ; it was like this was all happening to someone else, like his self was disconnected from the "Link" standing there, in the Great Deku Tree's clearing. Like this was a play, a dream, or at least someone else's story. He didn't know what his own story was, who he was if not Link, but, for a brief moment, he felt as though this was simply too big to be happening to him.

The fleeting moment passed and Link was Link once more. With all the sadness and tragedy that entailed.

"Yes, I will pass away soon... But do not grieve for me..."

"How can you say that ?! Father !"

The Great Deku Tree stood firm in front of his wailing son. Link squeezed Nienna's hand -when had he taken it ? Or was it her that had taken his ?- and scrunched up his face to try and reign in the tears. The pain in his father's voice was tangible ; surely, he was trying to be strong for Link's sake... The Great Deku Tree had always been gentle with and for his children. Up to his last moments...

"I have been able to tell you of these important matters... This is Hyrule's final hope..."

Right... The man in black armour. He had done this to the Great Deku Tree ; no doubt he would do it again until he found what he was searching for.

Link grit his teeth. He would stop the man if it was the last thing he did.

"Link... Go now to Hyrule Castle... There, thou will surely meet the Princess of Destiny... Take this stone with you. The stone that man wanted so much, that he cast the curse on me..."

At these words, Link's head shot up. What that man wanted ? He couldn't possibly mean-

In a flash of blinding green light, an emerald circled with gold and looking much too alike to the Kokiri emblem to be a coincidence appeared in front of him. Entranced, Link slowly took it. It was surprisingly warm to the touch, and lighter than he would have thought. For a second, he feared he would drop and break it.

"Link, that's the Kokiri's Emerald !" Navi exclaimed. "It's the Spiritual Stone of the Forest !"

Link didn't have time to ask Navi more about this, for the Great Deku Tree spoke up once more :

"The future depends upon thee, Link... Thou art courageous... Navi the fairy... Help Link to carry out my will..."

"I will, Great Deku Tree."

"And Link can count on us as well, if he so desires," Nienna said while Zaïla flew up and down in her best imitation of a nod.

The Great Deku Tree tried to smile, but his strength was now obviously leaving him, and faster by the second.

"I entreat ye... Good...bye..."

With these final words, life left the Great Deku Tree : his leaves turned red and started falling, his bark darkened and dried up and soon, no more was left of the Great Deku Tree than a trunk of dead wood.

A blanket fell upon the world. Link couldn't hear anything ; no birds, no wind. Even Navi's movements had become silent.

But his sense of taste still worked, for he soon tasted salt on his tongue. After a second of confusion, he realised he was crying, and tears had slipped past his lips.

"Let's go to Hyrule Castle, Link !"

Navi's voice seemed far away, already. He could barely hear her. The grass was soft under his knees.

When had he fallen to the ground ? He couldn't tell.

Something warm rested on his shoulder. Nienna's hand. When had he let go of her ? This too, he couldn't tell.

"Link. Look at me."

He did. He looked into her eyes. He saw understanding.

And the floodgates opened.

He didn't know how long he spent crying, hidden in her arms, head buried in her shoulder. All he knew was that his tears only stopped when there were none left to shed, and his sobbing only quelled when his body got too heavy to shake.

Nienna let him rest against her a little longer, then helped him up.

"We should go, Link. Staying here will do you no good."

"I don't want to leave."

"I know. But he wanted you to."

She was right. The Great Deku Tree's last request still echoed in his mind. To stop the desert man... he needed to go to Hyrule Castle.

Once more, Link felt detached from his own body. He was exhausted, physically and mentally, his tears having taken all of his energy with them. Yet he walked by Nienna's side, his hand in hers once more, back to the village. He was sad, devastated even, but still followed his new friend toward the quest his father had given him. He felt heavier than he ever had, but his legs moved just fine.

At the entrance to the clearing, he turned back, one last time.

"Goodbye... Father..."

Then he left.

Mido was waiting for them at the other end of the path.

"Hey, Link ! What did you do ?!"

Link felt his heart clench and looked away. The anger and hatred in Mido's eyes... Did he already know about the Great Deku Tree's fate ? How ? The fairies ? Did he blame Link ? He had to.

Was he wrong ?

... Maybe not.

"Calm down, Mido," Nienna said while putting herself between them, shielding Link with her body. "What are you talking about ?"

"The fairies ! They're all agitated and saying- !"

Mido cut himself off, biting his lip. Then, in a smaller voice, he asked :

"The Great Deku Tree... did he... die ?"

Nienna stayed silent for a second, then nodded. Mido's anger came back with a vengeance.

"How could you do a thing like that ?! It's all your fault !"

Then he ran away. Maybe he didn't want Link to see him crying ?

Nienna turned back to him.

"Link. He's wrong. You're not to blame."

"If I had been faster..."

"You couldn't have. The Great Deku said it himself : he was doomed before you even stepped foot inside. There was nothing you could have done to save him."

Link didn't say anything. He knew Nienna had a point, but the guilt inside him wouldn't be so easily assuaged.

They walked to the village entrance, tracing back their steps from earlier this morning. This time, however, the Kokiris who were outside of their houses didn't wave at Link with smiles on their faces, or look curiously at Nienna from behind a corner ; they were all busy whispering among themselves with worried and distressed looks on their faces. Those who did look their way pointed suspicious glares at Nienna. They walked faster.

Link took a look at his house from the corner of his eye as they passed it. Saria was nowhere to be seen. A part of him wanted to go talk to her, explain what happened ; another was scared of her reaction. Of seeing a disappointed look on her face. Of being asked to leave and never come back.

He couldn't stand the thought of that. So he kept walking.

The village's exit was unguarded. Link didn't know where the guard was and he was not going to look for him. The least people he saw as he left, the better it would be.

But the second he stepped on the wooden bridge connecting the village to the outside world, a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Oh, you're leaving..."

His heart clenched in his chest once more. He knew that voice.

It took him a second to turn around and face his oldest friend, but when he did, he saw no anger nor disappointment on her face. Just... sadness.

"I knew... that you would leave the forest... someday, Link... Because you are different from me and my friends..."

Those words hurt him more than a disappointed look would have. It felt like a punch in the guts and Link sincerely wondered how his legs still supported him.

"What... ? What do you mean, Saria... ?"

For years, she had been the only one in the village to reassure him that he was a true Kokiri, fairy or no fairy. The others were nice to him and relied on him for some things, but he always knew they looked at him differently than they looked at each other, that they saw him as an "outsider" of sorts. Only Saria hadn't done that. Only she looked at him like a true friend, like family. But now... "different" ? "From me and my friends" ? Had she actually seen him as an outsider for all this time ?

Saria spoke up before he could spiral any further.

"There was always something about you... A curiosity about the world outside the forest, a drive to try new things and explore new places that the other Kokiris simply lack... We are the creations of Farore, Goddess of courage, but also of nature. We are the children of the Great Deku Tree : firmly rooted in our forest and our ways, as slow to change as the trees are to grow. Yet, you... You are like wind : always looking for new places to explore, new things to do, new ways to live... So, obviously, one day, the Forest wouldn't be enough anymore."

Link swallowed his tears. Saria's words somehow both assuaged him and broke his heart in a new way.

"That's not it... I don't want to leave ! But I have to... The Great Deku Tree-"

He choked on his words and Saria smiled at him, kindness and sadness in equal parts present on her face and in her eyes.

"I know. It's not your fault, Link. But, you still have to go. That's ok, though, because we'll be friends forever... won't we ?"

A sparkle of hope and warmth had alighted in Saria's eyes and smile and, soon, it was warming up and lightening Link's heart. Because she was right : they would always be friends.

"Yes... Yes, we always will be."

Saria nodded, her smile more happy than sad now. Then she took something out of her pocket and presented it to Link.

"I want you to have this Ocarina... Please take good care of it."

It was Saria's Ocarina, a warm brown similar to the colour of a young tree's bark.

"Saria, are you sure ?"

"I am. That way, I'll always be with you. And the wind can carry its notes back to me..."

Link smiled at that. Wind, huh ?

"Thank you Saria."

"Don't thank me. I'm giving it to you for selfish reasons too. I hope that, when you play my Ocarina, you will think of me and come back to the forest to visit."

"I definitely will. I will come back as soon as I can."

Her smile broadened a bit.

"It's a promise, then. Don't keep me waiting."

"I won't."

But now it was time to leave. Link felt tears rise to his eyes once more. Not wanting to let Saria see him cry right before he left for who knows how long, he took a step back, trying to keep up his smile, then another, felt his lips start to quiver, then he turned around and ran off.

Out of the forest.

Into a whole new world.