The Kokiri were breaking for lunch and were having it on the other side of the village when Bato, Link and Saria exited the meadow. The Deku Tree suggested that they go to Link's house to talk about what happened during the year. Link said nothing as he was leading Saria and Bato towards it.

"I'm still guessing he doesn't fully forgive the Kokiri for snubbing him."

Saria closed her eyes, nodding. "Yes. Being rejected outright can be an experience. It's difficult to forgive. But they've been trying, though."

"I can talk to him. See if he could give them a chance."

She looked at him. "I think there's a lot more to talk about than just that."

"Just what's been happening over the last year." As they approached the treehouse, Bato's anxiety cranked up. Did things end up okay without him? Or did something monumentally go wrong, and he lost something or someone. Approaching the house now, Bato could see it was like a log cabin. The trunk that previously made his house was destroyed when the moblins rampaged through Kokiri Forest. It was simple; held up by ropes and wooden nails. Entering, the inside was just as simple. A table, four chairs, a bed, and a bench. There were a few pots mixed in.

The trio entered the cabin silently. As Link closed the door, Bato noticed Link's lack of energy. He looked very tired. "Link, are you okay?"

Link smiled weakly. "I'm fine, Bato. Honest."

"No, you're not." Bato immediately went over and knelt before him. "You look terrible."

"Just, some sleepless nights. It happens."

"I think you need to go to bed."

Link shouted aloud. "No! I have to tell you what's been happening!"

"Which you will when you have a nice rest. Your body is telling you. I'm telling you and," Bato looked at Saria's concerned face, "I'm pretty sure Saria said plenty of times, too. Rest and recover." He still looked fearful. "I give you, my word. I won't go anywhere." After a tense minute, he took off his hat, headed over towards the bed and climbed in.

Bato and Saria sat at the table, looking over him. "It's been more than some sleepless nights. Over the year, he was restless. He tried going to sleep and, on some days, he was able to get a few nights in."

"Other times?"

She shook her head. "I comforted him as best I could. Every so often, I found him crying, trying to hold back the tears in front of me. During the day, we were either in Castle Town or the woods. When the king heard of your 'predicament' he ordered the army to keep an eye out on your property; to make sure nothing was stolen."

"That was kind of him. You two didn't live in the house alone, did you?"

"Well, we did try. I couldn't use any of the strange things in your house, so we had to resort to forging and hunting. Even that took a lot of energy to do. Impa to come down and talk to Link about living in the castle. He didn't want to leave, but I somehow managed to talk him into doing so."

"So, you two were in the castle for the year?"

"Yes. They were very gracious. The room and food they provided fitted their status nicely. But there were some conditions."

"Of course, you don't get a free meal."

"Free meal? What does that mean?"

"It means nobody does anything purely selflessly. It's a give and take."

Saria shifted in her chair for a moment. "The King wanted me to start talks between the Kokiri and the kingdom. It was for trade and resources, he said."

"Was something set up?"

"We're still talking. The important part for us is that they don't harm the forest. Their way of harvesting resources is very upsetting." No surprise. The kingdom would cut down and trample the forest to get to the resources. Possibility, in a few years, they would have cut one third of the forest to support the kingdom. "For Link, the king wanted him to get a few years of knights training into him."

"He was trying to make him a knight for the kingdom."

"Link did express interest in joining the knights before. It helped keep his mind preoccupied. He didn't join as an official recruit, mind you. It was mostly patrolling the Castle Town with Commander Cobn or some other officer and running drills. I heard that he even helped take out some shady people there."

"I know that he can take care of himself. He knows how to fight and can be crafty when in combat. But the idea of him fighting others is…disconcerting."

Saria tilted her head. "What?"

"I don't like it." Nevertheless, it would be good practice for him to fight against evils that were not monsters.

"If you're afraid of him killing anyone, he didn't. He just beat them up. A lot, from what I hear. It was mostly thieves and bandits bothering other people."

"Oh, good." At least he wasn't killing anyone. "Who set this up?"

"Everything was arranged by Lady Impa and Lord Cobn."

"Really?" Bato looked uncertain. "How did Impa take the news?"

"Not too well, I'm afraid. She punched a wall so hard it left a hole. I think she was cross for a few weeks."

"Oh, great." He knew he would have to confront Impa and the Royal Family regarding his disappearance.

"Zelda and the king were very understanding. You actually helped them again by reviving the Great Deku Tree. We were able to return the emerald."

"That's good. The emerald's protected now. The way to the Sacred Realm must be barred." He took a minute to look at Saria. "Do you know the true significance of that emerald, Saria?"

"Well, I had to. I am a sage, after all."

Bato's eyes grew wide. "You knew? When did you find out about being a sage? How did you feel?"

"To be honest, I don't feel any different than I do right now. It does explain why I'm able to 'feel' things in the forest. Link told me after we put you in the Deku Tree. But it was Impa who spoke to me about what a sage was. Her knowledge was based off what you told her."

"And my knowledge is based on what Link saw, among other things. Do you remember what she told you?"

"Each sage is represented by an element, a symbol, and a temple. There are no sages during times of peace. It is when the land is gripped in evil that the Sacred Realm calls on those who are destined to become Sages. This is their 'awakening.'"

"That's mostly it." Looking at her, Bato was glad there wasn't an awakening. Being a sage meant leaving everything behind. He couldn't shake the memory of Link telling Mido that Saria wouldn't be coming back. "But I rather be in a time of peace than in a time of war."

"Impa has been speaking with the other members who are destined to be Sages. I think they're meeting at the castle by the end of the month."

"Should be a fun time for you all." Bato remembered that a year ago, Impa charged him to travel to the desert to seek Nabooru. Now, he wondered what the political landscape of that part of Hyrule is now.

Then, a terrible thought entered Bato's head. "Saria, you've been out of this forest for an entire year?"

"Yes," she said, quietly. "I've seen many things on my travels, and some of those things are truly frightening. The death of people, the evil men would take to steal from others, blood spilling over trivial matters. Lady Impa was very supportive in coming to terms with the truth of the world. Unlike our forest, there's a limited number of resources and people who would steal for their own dark end. She told me this was a fact of life. That people sometimes spill blood for any reason. From the most noble. To the most deprived." She looked at Bato, earnestly. "The truth of life is harsh."

"Yes. It is."

But Saria shook her head. "I have to know the types of dangers out there to protect our people. That requires knowledge and if I need to experience more of these terrible things…for the sake of the forest, I will." Never had Bato seen her more resolved and motivated to push away fear and learn everything. He was happy that she was growing into her own.

Just then, they heard noises coming from the bed. Groaning and shuffling.

The water was drained. Link made his way into the Bottom of the Well. Big Skulltulas, Keese, Like Like, and, at one point, a wallmaster. The atmosphere was dark, and it sent shivers down Link's spine. He wasn't his adult self, but just a little kid. He felt the walls before him and some of them weren't even real. He almost fell into the dirty water. Getting up, there was a bubble headed his way. He dodged it in time.

Gibdos, and ReDeads dotted the place. Their presence made Link's heart jump out of him. The poison water offered yet another obstacle. Even in one of the rooms, a floormaster was poised to attack. Turning green, it headed towards him. Link slashed the creature a couple of times before it split into three smaller visions. All of them wanted his neck. With precision, he managed to get all of them.

But the danger was not over. Link approached a door and when he entered the room, it closed with bars. When Link looked into the light, it was there he saw. Skulls. Skulls, bones, and blood all over the entire room. It was made up of all that. White hands waving in the non-existent air as if to wait for a morsel to come and engage it. Link moved with fear towards one of the hands. Closer and closer until it grabbed him by the neck.

He couldn't breathe. The grip was forceful. He tried smacking the hand with his sword a couple of times. Just then, at the corner of his eye, a white zombie-like monster with a large jaw approached him. Bloodstains covered its body, its jaws opening wide to eat its victim. Seeing this, the boy struggled to get free. The Dead Hand lowered his head near Link and opened wide.

Saria frowned. "This is how it usually starts. In a minute, he'll shoot up from the linens." Silently, both moved to the side of the bed. A minute later, Link shot up with a cold sweat, eyes looking around; just as Saria said.

"Peace, Link. You're safe." Bato held his shoulder. He started to slow his breathing and stared at Bato, blankly. "Can you tell me what the nightmare was?"

"I-" He coughed a few times before speaking again. "The monster. The white monster that was under the well." Saria got him a cup of water before sitting down again.

"Dead Hand? Oh, that guy."

Downing the cup, Link's eyes grew wide. "That thing has a name?" He put the cup down on the bed. "That's right, Navi told me about how to fight him. What is that thing, anyway?"

Bato looked at Saria, witnessing the exchange. "There's going to be a lot of blood and death involved in this explanation. If you want to wait-"

She shook her head. "No. I want to hear this." There was a sense of determination, but also uncertainty and most definitely fear.

"Very well." He turned back to Link. "There is no concrete evidence in identifying the Dead Hand's true origins, but there are guesses to what it might be. You notice that the Dead Hands you encountered could only be found in places of death like the Shadow Temple. It is said that the Dead Hand is the…amalgamation of restless souls that have died horrifically in one way or another."

"Amal-Amalga-ma-tion? What's that?"

"Uh. Amalgamation. When two or more things combines and create a new thing."

Link nodded at this simplistic understanding. "On your journey, you would see that the rooms you found the Dead Hands were filled to the brim with skulls and blood, right? This is where the unfortunate lives of those people came to an end. I don't think I have to explain how."

"N-No." Link looked down, gripping the sheets.

Bato turned to Saria who was white as a sheet. It looked like she was going to be sick. He gripped both of Link's shoulders. "Remember where we are, Link. This isn't a land of death, more like the opposite. This isn't the Bottom of the Well of Kakariko. Nor is it the Shadow Temple. You are safe here, okay?" Link looked at him for a few moments before burying his face in Bato's chest. This filled him up with a strange, but welcoming, warmth. "Oh, buddy. You're gonna make me cry." By the time Bato tucked Link back in, Saria was already gone.

Bato went outside after making sure that Link was okay. "I'm going to look for Saria," he said, reassuringly. Although he frowned, he nodded and went back to sleep. When he came out, it was already evening. He didn't have to look far; she was right beside Link's house. She was sitting, her knees drawn up to her chest. He sat right beside her.

"Tell me the truth, Bato," Saria asked, after a while. "Was the Dead Hand the worst thing Link faced on his journeys, or worse? The truth."

He thought about it for a minute, looking down. "There was worse. A lot worse."

She scoffed in frustration and looked at him. "What was he doing all this time?! Why did he insist on doing that to himself?!"

"He wants to help people. Save them. You, of all people, should know, he is who he is."

She stood up. "I could never comfort him like you do. I have no idea of the horrors he faced or the terror that plagues his mind. I should have!"

"What makes you say that?" Bato asked, sincerely.

"I'm supposed to be his friend! I couldn't be there for him when he needed help, just like I wasn't there when he was alone!"

"Saria. Stop." He looked at her, intensely. "You feeling sorry for yourself is not going to help him. But what you have been doing, being that soothing voice, helped in ways you can ever imagine. I bet he would have been in worse shape had he not had you. You're being too hard on yourself, just like him. He is truly blessed to have someone like you in his life."

"If anyone is blessed, it's Link. For the goddesses sent you in his life." She walked over to him with a sad smile. "You're able to speak to him in a way I couldn't. It comforts him more than I ever could. He's grown from his days in this forest. He's seen more of the world, and most of it are terrible things."

"But there are things that are good and beautiful in this world. The people, the culture, the places; they're all waiting out there for someone to discover and share with others. Don't let this one story be your only view. I'm sure he can tell you that there are many things that are worth saving. Worth protecting. No matter the cost."

She took something out of her pocket. It was a fairy ocarina. "I made this from the wood of the Great Deku Tree. I have an ocarina and Link has another. I want you to have this one."

"But, why?"

She smiled. "One of the things I treasure in this world is my bond with Link. This ocarina is the proof of that bond. After everything we've been through, I count you as a friend. It's not much, but it means a lot to me."

"Fairy Ocarina. Clean." Bato took the ocarina, gingerly. Looking at it, he was reminded about the Ocarina of Time. Link must have taken it back. After examining it, he started to play 'Saria's Song'. He played it a couple of times. All the while, Saria looked at him amazed. How did he know her song? The song carried itself throughout the forest, and it called the forest children to their location. Soon, a couple of faces popped out of the side of the house.

He stopped playing, noticing the audience. "Whoops, didn't know that the song carried everywhere. I didn't mean to disturb you."

One of the Kokiri children approached. "You think you can play us a song?"

The children took Bato to the front of Link's house. They started to gather everyone there. While waiting, Saria took this opportunity to ask, "how did you know that song?"

"Which one?"

"The one you just played."

"Ah." The Kokiri were slowly gathering in front of the house. There were some notables members in the small group like Fado, the Know-It-All Brothers, the shopkeeper and Mido. "Link played it a while back. It was very catchy." Not only that. It was a song that signified Link and Saria's relationship as BFFs. It made an impact with its mysterious and light melody. Whatever else she wanted to ask, it would have to wait. Mido walked over to the two.

"Saria. Mr. Bato, sir," Mido greeted. He looked around. "Where's Link?"

"In his house. He's resting."

"Oh, I see. I was hoping he could join us."

"Well, maybe later. Can't rule out that possibility."

"I didn't know you can play the ocarina, Mr. Bato. Will you play us something?"

"I can play you a couple of somethings." He herded the group of children away from the house, so not to disturb Link. Sitting down on the forest floor, Bato stood in front of them. He started to play a few songs like 'Epona's Song', 'Zelda's Lullaby, and of course, 'Saria's Song.' He had to do a lot of freestyling to make the song last longer. That meant playing different variations. The children listened to every song with fascination. Apart from 'Saria's Song', every other song that he played was new to them. Even Saria couldn't help but stare.

He was thinking what kind of song to play for them when he got an idea. "This song comes from the land of Termina."

"Your homeland?" Saria asked.

"Yes…of course." He couldn't tell her. She and the other Kokiri didn't know that he was from another world and even if he told him, would they even believe him? Little did he know, Saria already knew and she smiled to herself. "The song stems from the Terminan Deku Royal Family."

"Deku? You mean the angry plant monsters that shoot nuts at people?"

"In Termina, they've created something similar to the Royal Family. They rule the swamp area known as Woodfall."

"Swamp?" the blonde-haired Fado asked. Every other Kokiri looked confused as well.

"Swamps are a mix of land and water. You can say that they have the best of both the forest ground and lakes. Plants and animals reside there that are entirely different from the ones you're used to seeing in the forest."

"You think there's a swamp somewhere in the forest?"

"Could be. The forest is vast, so it might hold a swamp. Of course, you would have to search every inch to find one." He took the fairy ocarina. "Now, normally, you're supposed to use a magical instrument known as 'Deku Pipes'. With these pipes, the music comes out very loud. But, today, you'll have to make do with the soft tune of the ocarina." He began to play the 'Sonata of Awakening'. Like all the other tunes, this one carried itself around the forest. Everyone felt wide awake as Bato continued with different variations of the song.

The song ended and the Kokiri clapped for a great performance. Suddenly, the cheers were turned into hushed whispers. Sensing something, Bato and Saria turned around to see the door to Link's house open. Link himself came out slowly and carefully. He peered over towards the crowd in front of him and just froze.

Bato turned to Mido. "Mido. What you said before about Link joining us. Do you truly meant that?"

Mido looked around the group of children, making faces varying from concern, confusion, to guilt. He nodded, "I do."

Nodding back, Bato gestured towards Link to come over towards the group. He was still frozen, but when he saw Bato's smile, he slowly walked over. Bato got up and met him halfway. "Sorry Link. I thought we were far enough away, so the song wouldn't affect you."

"Are you kidding? The song always wakes everyone within a mile." He peered again towards the group. "I just wanted to see what you guys were doing. I'll go back inside now."

"No, Link, come on." Bato held on to his hand before he had a chance to move. "Stay with us. Everyone was looking for you."

"I-I can't," he mumbled to himself and looked at Bato's eyes. "I don't want to."

"Link. Look over there," he gestured towards the crowd again. "Look over there and tell me if you see a single, angry face on anyone."

The boy looked, then shook his head.

"I get it. You still have feelings about what happened. I'm not going to tell you to get over it. What will I ask is if you are willing to give them a chance to make right by you?"

"How? How can I face them?"

Bato thought for a moment. "I think I have an idea."

The two returned and Bato addressed the crowd. "I was able to convince Link to play one song. It's a special one, so I hope you all will be paying attention." Link took out his ocarina; the blue hue reflecting off the setting sun. Looking at Bato who nodded at him, he began to play the 'Song of Healing.' The soft melody pierced everyone's hearts, and no one dared stir. "Play the 'Song of Healing' three times. I'll do some 'accompaniments'." Even though he didn't know what 'accompaniment' meant, he aimed to play the song three times. The first time, Bato played the same tune as he did. The second time, Bato's notes were hitting different tones but sounded harmoniously. The third time, the song waned between Link and Bato's playing. Flipping on some notes and striking the same on the others.

Tears were shed. Some children tried to hold it in, but by the end of it they were crying loudly. Saria shed some tears of her own. When they finally finished, there wasn't any clapping or cheering. Rather, it was a symphony of sadness. Suddenly, Mido walked over to Link and sat down in front of him. "I'm sorry, Link, for everything. We messed up. I messed up, badly."

Link stared at Mido for a moment and hesitated. He didn't know what to do. Finally, after a tense few minutes, he walked silently back to his house with Saria trailing behind him. No one said anything. The impromptu concert came to a somber end. Everyone left either crying or in silence, or both. When it turned dark, Saria came out to Bato waiting outside.

She sighed deeply. "He cried himself to sleep. That was the second time Mido ever apologized for bullying him. I'm sure everyone felt the same way." Looking at the man, she asked, "why did you make him play that song?"

Bato looked at her. "The 'Song of Healing' is about regret and sadness. But eventually, it brings what he needs: relief. Let me ask you now. When Link played that song, could you hear his lament?"

"I-" She just stared at him, unsure of what to say.

"Songs are sometimes more than a nice tune. They tell stories, convey feelings and open someone to another standpoint." He started to walk off. "Mido said that they would make an empty house available for me, so I'm going to bed. I hope you'll be joining us on our journey back to the farm. We'll be glad of your company."

Walking away, he left Saria under the night sky. Lanterns were lit, and the fireflies came out.

Link couldn't sleep. Not only because of what happened, but because he slept for the majority of the day. He felt anxious and depressed about everything. He didn't know if the Kokiri, his family, were being genuinely repentant of how they treated him. Slowly getting up, he made sure to not wake up the sleeping Saria that was nearby on a sofa. He saw the moon shining through the window. He didn't know what time it was, but he felt that a walk would do him some good.

The forest was pitch black apart from the torches that lit up the forest floor. He walked through the forest like a ghost. The houses that replaced the treetops felt weird to him. He missed going on top of the trees. He saw the waterfall beside the 'Know-It-All' brothers secret place. He remembered getting the Kokiri Sword from the Forest Training Center and how accomplished he felt.

He came upon a house and heard Bato's snoring away. Even after a year of sleeping, he still was able to sleep like a log. He went towards the open window and peeked inside. There was Bato, on the floor, with linens wrapped around him. The bed was too small for him to sleep on. He wanted to talk to him. Let him know about everything that happened to him. How he felt confused, angry and alone.

"Hey Link! What did you do!?"

Link's heart dropped as a furious Mido confronted him. That momentary anger quickly subsided into fear. "The Great Deku Tree…did he…die?" The boy didn't say anything to the Kokiri leader. Mido shook and curled up a fist in front of him. "How could you do that?" he whispered, baleful venom coming from his mouth. "It's all your fault!" But rather than attacking him, he stepped over to the side and said nothing further.

"Oh, you're leaving?" After receiving a few tongue lashings from the other Kokiri, with the majority of them ignoring his existence and some of them even accusing him of killing the Deku Tree personally, Link quickly made his way out of the forest. Crossing the bridge, he met Saria waiting for him. "I knew…that you would leave the forest…someday Link…"

Link stepped closer, not saying a word.

"Because you are different from me and my friends…But that's OK because we'll be friends forever, won't we?"

"Liar," link mumbled to himself. His head started to hurt, and he quickly stepped away from Bato's window. "You're all liars!" The moon shone its light on him as he paced away from the house. He sat down, closed his eyes, clutched his head and moaned softly. His heart beating fast and his face full of tears. He tried to calm himself down by breathing slowly, a trick he learned from the innkeeper's mother in Clock Town. That did little to stem the racing thoughts of injustice he suffered from his 'family'.

"Link." A muffled voice was heard. He opened his eyes and, in the torchlight, was Mido with a look of surprise and concern on his face. "What…what are you doing here at this hour?" He was holding a lantern. Most likely, he heard noises coming from his savior's house and wanted to check in.

"Not him." He got up and tried to run, but it seemed Mido knew what he was going to do because he tackled him down on the ground, face first. "Let go of me!" He tossed right side up and struggled while Mido held him back. Their hands were gripping each other.

Likewise, Mido was struggling to keep Link down. "Not until I get answers! What are you doing here?!"

"What's it to you, huh? Get off!" The boy kicked Mido in the gut, sending him writhing on the ground. Both boys panted with exhaustion, though the entire fight lasted four minutes.

Suddenly, Mido laughed a little. "Bet that felt good."

Shocked, Link stepped back from him. "N-No! It didn't!"

Mido was still holding his stomach, contempt in his eyes. "You always wanted to do that. I can tell by the way you kicked me just now." He walked closer to him.

"What are you —"

"Trying to get your true feelings out there. It's not healthy to keep everything in. I admitted that I was jealous of you. I said and did all of those horrible things because I wanted to make you hurt. I never knew how bad it was until you played your song." He was getting closer.

"Back off!" He didn't know why. Why did Link, a boy who faced down demons and gods, was afraid of this Kokiri boy?

"Sadness. Anger. Fear. Shame. Loneliness. This is what you've been feeling all these years, and we continued to hurt you. The girls knew, but we never listened to them. Even after the Great Deku Tree told us to stop messing with you, we thought that it was all in good fun!" He wiped some tears from his face. "I'm supposed to be a leader! I knew it was wrong, but something about how special you were made my blood boil!" He was right in front of him. Link couldn't move; he was paralyzed with fear.

Mido opened his arms wide, "so let me have it! I know it won't make up for all the years we messed with you, but at least you have some measure of peace!"

"Peace?!" Link spat out. "You don't know anything about peace! You think beating you up is gonna make me feel any better? It doesn't change the fact that all of these things happened! I'm not like the others! Even though you and others hated me, I had nowhere else to go! I didn't have any choice! The Kokiri of this forest were the only family and home I had!"

Mido eyes opened wide, with the torchlight revealing, on his face, the realization of this horrid reality. He had no place to go. It wasn't like he chose to be born in the forest. The Kokiri were his only family. The forest was his only home. These things existed for Link just as much as it did for the Kokiri.

Link was convinced that they hated him.

"I said that you could never become one of us because I knew it would hurt you. I wanted to hurt you. Even though you didn't have a fairy or acted the same way we did, deep down, I never hated you."

"Liar!" Link yelled out. "You lie!"

"It's true! What do you want me to say, Link?! I can't apologize enough for what I've done! Neither can the others! I knew. We all knew that you felt this way. It was wrong, and we still did it!" The tears were dripping on his face now. "I won't lie about this. I can't." He knelt down on the ground, crying silently.

Stunned, Link could only stare at his once bully leader. He never saw Mido so emotional before. Perhaps underneath all that bravado and self-importance, there was something else there. If Mido could have got over his jealousy and spoken to Link like this, perhaps they could have been friends. What's stopping him? He remembered the Great Deku Tree's words: "Think, little children. Ere the blood and blades. Ere the anger and hate take thee. Think upon changing thy minds."

He had fought for peace in both Hyrule and Termina. Solved grievances between other people and renewed friendships. He thought that he was just doing a hero's job. Little did he know that this was all leading up to this moment where he would decide whether to reconcile himself with his past pain and move on. Or continue to live in the past. Link walked up to Mido, knelt with him. "Leaving the forest was the most difficult thing I've ever done. Especially, when the place you called home for all your life doesn't want you anymore. But what hurt most of all was the people I called family turned their backs on me. I could never feel like myself in this forest, no matter how hard I tried." He got up and headed towards his house. "I'll be leaving the forest tomorrow. I have to think about all this, I don't know. But, for what it's worth… I appreciate your attempts to try."

Link left Mido in the darkness, who continued to silently weep.