Chapter 26: Our Desires Form Our Cages

The sun rose and fell. Link didn't look at it, instead his head pressed against his knees with his arms wrapped around his legs. His breathing hoarse and rasping. A day of begging sobs had not opened the grass for him, a night would do no better. Yet still he sat on the mound above the fairies. Only leaving when the night brought the rain, and he could no longer stand the cold.

He stumbled down the hill, and hid shivering under a tree. But still he watched the mound, hoping, praying that Navi came to her senses. That the ground would open up and she'd come back to him. That she wouldn't leave him alone. He couldn't make it alone.

But the ground didn't open. The rain ended and the first rays of light appeared, but she never did.

"Fine," he said as he stood, turning his back on the rising sun. "I don't need you." He wiped his eyes clean. If Navi wished for him to leave, he'd leave. He hadn't asked her to come along in the first place. She'd forced him to let her come along. And what had she ever done on this journey but nag at him?

And he'd listened, hadn't he? To everything she said. What more had she wanted? He never meant to disappoint her.

But he had. Over and over. From the very beginning, before they even left Kokiri Village she chided him for being reckless. Not fearing the fog that he would never find his way through alone. And when he first found the horses. And when he tried to confront Ganondorf.

It was his fault. Wasn't it? He wanted her to heal Epona, even though he knew she was still weak. He kept throwing himself into danger. Of course, she wouldn't want to travel with him any more. Who would decide to live beside a boy like him, when she could heal and be happy.

She'd been so miserable, ever since they left the woods. She deserved to be someplace special. She deserved to be with her own people.

But did that mean she needed to send him away, too? Had he truly been so cruel?

Of course, he was, he must have been.

Why else would Navi leave?

"Stupid," Link said as made his way north. "Why am I always so stupid?" He wanted to go back to the ranch, or the Kokiri. But he could not trust one and the other stood locked away behind the fog. He'd never again enter the Lost Woods, or see any of his friends.

He wanted to talk to the Great Deku Tree. He would have known what to do, what to say. But he was gone too, even further than all the others. And all he had left of him was weird dreams.

But most of all he wanted to see Navi resting on his shoulder. And that just made him angrier. He glared at his feet as he walked away from the mound, the fairies, and Navi.

The single mountain peak still loomed over the horizon. He followed it, much as he had before the Lizalfos attack. Once the thought of making such a climb excited him. But now the thought made him no happier. Still he continued toward it, after all, where else could he go? What else was there for him to do? He gave the princess his word, and both Navi and the Great Deku Tree taught that one must always keep their word.

There's nothing else that matters.

After some time, he reached the top of a ridge overlooking the road, the remains of the cart still lay strewn about.

Thankful for something to focus on, Link slid down the ridge toward it. Something wrecked the wooden frame, and the bags once piled in the back were torn apart or missing. Only two broken wheels remained, the other pair taken as well. All that remained, splintered by axe and claw, covered in a layer of dirt and insects that crawled through the wood. Even the remains of the dead Lizalfos were gone.

How long did I sleep?

The claw marks drew his attention, as did a large bite torn from the side. The Lizalfos used weapons when they fought. None came at him with tooth and nail, nor had they attacked the Gorons as such. And the size of the markings. Whatever tore through the wagon must've been huge.

He put his hand along the teeth marks, measuring out how much of his arm such a creature could chomp in one bite. Most of it, as it turned out. Without wanting to, he heard Navi's voice in the back of his head urging him to leave the road. She'd been right, as she always was. The road had been dangerous before he met whatever creature did this.

Turning from the wagon, he started back up the ridge, but stopped halfway. Why should he still listen to Navi? She couldn't tell him what to do anymore. He could keep walking down the road anyway. Be there monsters or none. He'd make better time.

No, I'm being stupid again. This was precisely why she left him. He had barely survived fighting monsters before, what chance did he now have alone?

Scurrying back up the ridge, he headed down the other side. Making certain no one from the road could see him.

See Navi? I can learn. He half expected Navi to fly out of a bush and congratulate him for passing some test to prove he wasn't completely stupid.

But of course, that didn't happen.

Instead, he trod through the grass alone. As he should have done when he first left the Lost Woods. Perhaps if he refused her then he wouldn't feel so lost now?

It rained again the following night. He hid under one of the few trees with branches full enough to cover him. The next day proved better, for the most part. At least as far as the weather was concerned. Though it still rained when the sun rose, blocking the colors completely. Which for some reason made him cry again. Pointless and stupid of him, he knew. Always with terrible decisions and a tangled weight in his gut that made every step harder.

About midday he heard a strange rumbling behind him off a distance. Whatever made the noise didn't sound friendly. He made certain to stay ahead of it, fast and quiet until the noise stopped just before nightfall. It started again just after first light, sending him scurrying forward. With no time to waste watching the day begin.

By the second day, a cloud of dust rose behind him, off in the distance and the rumbling grew louder. Faint horns and the occasional shout pierced through the din. People. It must be a large group of people traveling down the road. How far behind him Link didn't know. But it was good that he was well out of their way. He had no wish to be trampled by such a crowd.

Still a ways to go to the mountain, though now it stood much higher than it had when he left her behind. He was making good progress. Even the dirt changed as he approached the mountain, turning a reddish-brown and the stones grew large and jagged. Patches of grass and trees still dotted the lands, but were far from the greenery he traveled through just the day before. The further ahead he looked, the clearer became the steady slope of the land. Rising higher and higher until it became an actual climb. Maybe reaching the early cliffs would take his mind from his troubles. It was hard to be sad when he was busy thinking where to put his hands and feet.

A click and a hiss creaked about him.

"Navi, what is-" Link whispered as he stopped. But of course, she did not answer. He dropped to the ground and scrambled behind the nearest rock. Steadying his breath, he listened for the noise.

Had he imagined it? Perhaps it was only an echo from the group behind him?

The hiss returned. He was certain of it this time. Peering around the rock, he squinted, as he looked across the stones up a nearby ridge. It took a moment to make sense of what he saw. The lizards stayed so still, and their scales mixed with their rocky surroundings.

A dozen Lizalfos, by the look of it. All of them facing the main road. The largest of them hissed and snapped its jaws at one of the others. Giving some order, perhaps? The other opened his mouth to retort, but the larger lizard snapped its jaws and sent the smaller scurrying away.

The one that fled was missing a hand. Its arm ended in a stump wrapped up in a torn red cloth. Link stayed low, his hand on his sword and his body tucked down. It was by luck they hadn't seen him thus far. But where did the one-armed lizard go? Link was too high and too far back to see the road, but he could see the cliff-face on the other side.

It took a moment, but the one-armed lizard scurried up the far cliff. Rasping and pressing its stump into the stones to steady itself. The Lizalfos reached the top and stopped. One of the stones of the cliff shifted to make room for it. Then another and another.

The entire cliff was covered in more Lizalfos. They were laying in wait, to ambush the group coming up the road!

Link's fingers grasped the hilt of his sword. He could rush forward and start attacking them. They didn't see him, he could get one or two of them before anyone noticed. Maybe more if he didn't shout like last time.

But then what? He'd be alone against dozens of Lizalfos. Even if this worked and it made it so they wouldn't be able to attack the riders on the road, what would he do? They would surround him and rip him to pieces. How could he ever deal with so many now? He needed to think. What would Navi want him to do?

No. He couldn't keep thinking about her. He needed to focus. If he could not deal with the monsters himself, he still couldn't let whoever was riding into it just go.

He crawled away as fast as he could. Once there was some of the rocky hills between him and the Lizalfos he stood up and ran, heading straight to the road. The drumming thump clearer now, the sound of a dozen horses and their riders. Hooves stomping over the dirt and stone roads.

A cloud of dust rose before him, and he could see the shapes of horse and rider moving within it. They were coming closer. Link waved his arms. "Wait! Wait! Don't go any further! Stop!"

From the cloud of dust several riders appeared. Four of them, all armored in bright colors with ribbons and jewelry hanging from their arms and necks.

"Stop!" Link shouted to them. "It's a trap! It's a trap!"

The leader of the riders shouted something in a language Link couldn't understand. The four leaders of the company halted a pace before him. "Trap?" the rider towered over him. "What trap?"

"Up ahead," Link turned and pointed toward the cliffs. "Lizalfos are setting up an ambush. They're hiding on both sides of a ravine. They've already attacked people on the road, and there are even more of them now."

One of the other riders turned to the first. "Are they supposed to be here?"

The leader spat off the side of her horse. "Not a chance, these are deserters and bandits. Send a messenger back to the main force. Tell them we have an ambush to deal with." Then the leader turned back to Link as one of the riders headed back into the dust past even more figures that appeared. "How many did you see?"

"I couldn't count them all. But dozens, maybe fifty or more."

"And you're the one who found them?"

"Yes," Link said. "What are you going to do? We can still avoid them if you want."

The leader snorted then shook her head. "There's only one thing you do with deserters, especially the ones that have turned to banditry. Even when they aren't monsters." She looked Link up and down and noticed his sword. "You a warrior there?"

"I've fought some of these Lizalfos before. There's one with only one arm, I think he might be important. I fought him before, when he was attacking some Goron."

"You drove them off by yourself?"

"Yes," he said. It wasn't true, but they didn't need to know about Navi.

"Brave little voe aren't you? What's your name?"

"Uh, Link. What's a voe?"

The woman laughed. "You are, voe. Where's your people?"

"My people? They're away. Uhh, I'm traveling alone."

"You don't have any people?"

"I guess not."

The woman turned to look to the warriors around her. "Thanks for the warning, voe. Mulli find a place for this kid at the back. See him fed and give him some clothes that don't look like they've been used for target practice."

"On it, Nabs," one of the women held her hand out to Link. He took it and she pulled him up, helping him onto her horse.

"Oh, thank you," Link said to the woman. "But I don't really need-"

"Hush," the one called Mulli said as she nudged her horse back down the road. More riders came out of the storm of dust. All of them women, most in armor. Some held banners, others rode on wagons of carts, with younger women some barely older than Link scurrying between them offering water and food. "It's safer with us, you don't want to stumble onto a Dodongo do you?"

"I suppose not. Is this an army?"

"Hah!" the woman said. "Yes, it is, though we're just the vanguard. The rest of the army is a day's ride behind us."

Behind them a horn sounded and the warriors they passed moved forward, readying spears and stringing arrows as they prepared for battle. It had been difficult to tell at first with all of them wearing armor, but now he was certain. All of them were women.

"Oh no," Link whispered.

"No need to worry," Mulli said. "You aren't going to be fighting today. You're safe. Now you're under the protection of King Ganondorf. Who knows? Maybe he'll want to thank the boy who warned us in person."

"I'll go of course, but please, how much longer do you think it will be?" Navi asked Telti.

"Not much," the other fairy said with a smile. "The Great Mother thinks probably tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Good." Navi nodded. That was progress. Faster than she dared to hope. "And how many have come to the meeting today?"

"The Great Mother called to all her brothers and sisters, all the Great Fairies that remain in Hyrule and without. And all have sent attendants to speak with you."

"That many? With me?" Navi said. "What? No. I'm-"

"You were the highest attendant of the Great Deku Tree were you not?" Telti held out her hand. Navi took it and together they flew up away from the pool and down the various entangled tunnels of the Great Fairy Shrine. "That's what you said to me."

"I was," Navi said. "But you have to understand, the Great Deku Tree cut his home off from the world. My predecessors might have been great important fairies, but I was little more than a glorified schoolteacher. I'm not someone you want to speak in front of representatives of all the Great Fairies."

"Perhaps," Telti said. "But the Great Mother demands you speak, and that is what you'll do. And who knows, maybe you'll surprise yourself." She gave Navi a sincere warm smile and led her through the tunnels.

As they flew, Navi had to silently thank the Goddesses for Telti. After their first meeting, the fairy had been nothing but accommodating to her. A sister in her duties as she seemed to be the right hand of the Great Fairy as she had been to the Great Tree. But more than that, Telti shared in her woes, listened to her stories about what she had been through, and after she healed and recovered her strength, kept her busy through the longs days waiting.

By the Goddesses it felt good to fly again. To truly soar! No aches, no sores that grew whether her wings moved or not. Her cracked wing was fixed and what's more she was no longer tired. All the countless small scratches and weariness that occurred from the months of travel were simply gone.

"Telti," Navi said as they flew. "How long did it take to heal me?"

"When you came to us, you slept for four days. It was the longest I'd ever seen it take the Great Mother to heal anyone. Well, except for that boy you brought."

"Right," Navi said. "Thank you, for looking after me."

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. We're here, by the way."

The tunnel opened into a new pool of water. Around the pool numerous fairies flew in a circle all of different colors. Some bore ribbons, others leaves, some had their glow shift into patterns that almost mirrored clothing. Fairies from around the world all silently turned to look at her.

Navi stopped moving forward. There were so many. Were there truly this many Great Fairies left? Did each of the dozens of fairies all come from their own individual colony, or were they in some groups that she didn't know?

All of them staring at her. Not children, or friends she'd known her entire life. But important fairies from around Greater Hyrule. She needed to say something. But try as she might, she couldn't think of what to say.

"My fellow fairies," Telti came to her rescue, flying to the center of the congregation. "I thank you all for arriving here so quickly. I know the news of the passing of our truest friend, the Lord of Leaf and Root, has devastated us all."

The crowd gave their mournful agreement. Some of them openly weeping. Which Navi found a little strange. Fairies were blessed with long lives, by Hylian standards. Though most looked no older than her, and she never saw any of them in the forest. Even before The Great Deku Tree closed his borders.

But perhaps they all heard of him in tales and legends. Maybe the Great Fairies spoke of him far more than he talked of the Great Fairies. He never went into any real details. Only that they existed out across the lands, much older and stronger than any other fairies.

"But we cannot mourn forever," Telti called for crowd to stifle their tears. "For there are many dangers and duties that need to be addressed. And for this, I have the tainted pleasure of introducing a very special fairy to you all. Pleasure, for my Great Mother has found her as intelligent and caring a fairy as any could hope to meet. But tainted, for the terrible news she has come to give us. Please Navi, tell us of the dangers we face."

She felt her body shake, but this needed to happen. She needed to act like Link in a way. Just keep your head up and do what needs to be done. Don't let anything get in your way. She took a deep breath and flew above Telti. If she thought there were many fairies before, seeing them now all arranged around her was almost too much.

Just think of them as Kokiri children. I'm not some ambassador for the Lost Woods, all I am is a teacher before some students. Admittedly, her lessons didn't determine the fate of the world.

"It is true," Navi began. Good start. She didn't sound anxious at least. "I did bring news of the Great Deku Tree's death. But I must also bring you news of the one who killed him. A man named Ganondorf Dragmire, the King of the Gerudo. I am certain that some of you know of them."

A few fairies nodded. "A violent people," said one fairy, who wore his hair so long he wrapped it around himself like a cloak. "All they do is fight and kill."

"Precisely, and that such a people have brought forth someone as dangerous as this Ganondorf should be a great worry to all of us. His mastery of magic allowed him to slay an Eternal Guardian. He could taint the very magic of the Great Deku- the Lord of Leaf and Root and we must act as though he can do the same with all of us and the Great Fairies you serve."

"So what are you saying?" said the fairy that wore blazing changing colors instead of usual clothing.

"I am saying that he has the power to corrupt and destroy whatever is in his sight. He is an existential threat to not just the Great Deku Tree, but all that he remotely considers in opposition to him. He killed the Great Deku Tree because he wanted a single stone."

That drew gasps and wasn't even untrue. Though she did understate the importance of the stone.

"Now, my Great Mother has gathered you all here today," Telti said, "because she wishes to make a stand against this threat."

Navi nodded, exactly as she had hoped. It had taken days of talking to her, convincing her over and over of the importance. And in truth she was a little surprised when the Great Fairy did eventually agree to take Ganondorf seriously as a threat. Talking to her, Navi always got the impression that she did not truly hear what others said to her. If she listened at all it was simply to confirm what she already thought.

But it clearly had been a mistake to think so little of her. After all, she organized this meeting.

"How can we stand against someone so powerful?" the fairy wearing his own hair asked.

"Thankfully, we have an expert on hand." Telti looked back at Navi.

"Expert might be an overstatement."

"Don't think so little of yourself, darling," said a new fairy, one so portly he looked as round as the glow of his light.

"Yes, please, tell us what you know," came another voice from behind Navi, and when she turned to look at them, she could not make out which fairy had spoken.

"Well, we have some luck, several Hylians have sworn to defeat him. We can rely on them to help us when it becomes time to face him."

"Use the Hylians as fodder! Brilliant." The fae all applauded and cheered for her.

"No, that's not what I mean! We need to coordinate with them. As we are doing with each other right now. We cannot stand against Ganondorf with magic alone, and they cannot face him with only strength of arms. But together we have a chance."

"So," came another fairy who flew a bit closer to Navi, though not quite entering the center of the circle. "The Hylians will do the fighting, and we can use our spells to make certain they defeat Ganondorf?"

"Yes."

"That still sounds like fodder to me." Again, the fairies gave their agreements completely missing her point.

Navi sighed, just like teaching children. "Let me try to explain again."

The discussion lasted hours, leaving Navi exhausted by the end. But Telti could only sing her praises when they called the council finished for the night. The other fairies must have agreed, for they all gave great whooping cheers, and congratulated her bravery and cunning.

But Navi did not feel particularly cunning. Her only true success was informing the fairies on the spells she knew for certain Ganondorf could cast. Her efforts to create a true alliance of equals between fairy and Hylian seemed no closer than when she first broached the subject.

But they were going to help. She could find a way to smooth out the jagged edges of the alliance when they came up. For now, she let herself relax knowing that she had gained not just one of the Great Fairies, but all of them. Pride was an ugly thing when one let it control them, she had given that lesson to the Kokiri many times. But she let herself feel just a note of it for her accomplishments for the day.

Telti led her into the winding tunnels of the Fairy Shrine and Navi blinked. Before her she thought she saw only a stone wall, dark and empty. But when her eyes opened again, she was surrounded by the white tiles of the tunnels and had no idea where she was supposed to go.

"Telti, can you take me back?"

"Really?" the fairy shook her head. "Wouldn't you rather celebrate? Stretch our wings and fly through the night sky or dance along a blade of grass. Let's see the moon and stars, sit on night-flowers and let the morning dew pool around our feet."

"Thank you," Navi said. "That sounds, well, it sounds lovely. But I have been away for too long."

"Very well," Telti sighed, sounding deeply disappointed before she took Navi's hand. "But there is so much more you can do, so much more out here. You don't need to go back. You'll be happier when you join us."

"Maybe tomorrow," Navi said, though she knew the lie of it.

"Always tomorrow," Telti muttered. Which confused Navi a moment, but perhaps Telti had some other friend who refused her invitation in the same manner.

Together they flew through the tangled tunnels until they reached the central pool of the Great Fairy Shrine. Navi let go of Telti's hand and flew down to the water. Landing just beside the boy who lay in the pool, his eyes still closed, submerged with only the top of his face poking out.

Still unconscious, but he looked so much better than he had when they first arrived. That's what kept her going day after day. Link continued to improve. The magic of the Great Fairy was working. And maybe he looked a little better than he had this morning when she woke.

As she touched his still bruised face, she felt a calm wash over her. The unspoken fear that something dreadful would happen to him the moment she flew away dissolved. If she could, she'd never leave his side until he woke. But as this day proved, sometimes her attention was needed elsewhere. He'd understand, he was such a good boy. And so brave.

She fluttered closer to him and gave him a kiss on his forehead and placed a hand against his temple. "You're so close. The Great Mother thinks tomorrow you'll open your eyes. I'll tell you everything I've done to help. I hope you'll be as proud of me as I always am of you. We'll leave, together, we'll find that Ruby and Sapphire, and I'll fly at your side. With an army of fairies all over the world to aid us." She kissed him once more before she flew to the shore and rested there, as close to him as she could.

Tomorrow. He'd wake tomorrow.

She woke to the regular sound of fairies going about their business. The endless chatter and flutter of wings.

"Morning Navi," Telti said as she landed beside her, with a smile only betrayed by the tiredness in her eyes. Poor Telti, the Great Mother must keep her busy.

"Good morning."

"Important day today. The Great Mother has done as you asked. A council of fairies to discuss your news of this new danger."

"A council? I didn't ask - I mean, I can't. I have to stay-" She looked to Link still floating in the water. Still breathing, thank the Goddesses. She wanted to stay close to him. To make certain nothing went wrong. But a council of fairies? Link would want her to do whatever she could to stop Ganondorf, to save people. Even if it meant leaving him, for a little while, at least. "I'll go of course, but please, how much longer do you think it will be?" Navi asked Telti.

"Not much," the other fairy said with a smile. "The Great Mother thinks probably tomorrow."