Chapter 52: Lost in the Dark
The impenetrable fog surrounded him, and to Link's eyes it grew darker with every passing breath. He leaned back onto a tree and tried to steady his pounding heart. All while countless warnings from fairies whispered in his ears. Do not wander into the fog, they had said. To enter was to be lost, doomed to never find your way and never return home.
But they had also told him the outside world was only death and evil and that had not been true. They swore that battle meant the doom of all, and yet he'd survived Death Mountain. He had been planning to enter the forest on his own anyway before Talon dissuaded him. This only returned him to his path.
Not the way he wished, but he could still leave and find the correct place to enter. He couldn't have gotten too deep into the woods. And if Ingo remained just beyond the trees? Well, he'd face him too. And this time he wouldn't use the ruined edge of his sword.
Now, which way had he come? Link looked around him, squinting into the dark. Every direction looked much the same. Pillars of bark surrounded him, each cast in lightless grays. Overgrown and lichen covered, with great drooping branches jutting with thick leaves that blocked what little view he had.
All I have to do was turn around. Everything looks gray anyway, don't trust your eyes. Just trust your feet.
He looked down at them and wiggled his toes. In his panic to leave he'd no time to find his shoes. It was a small miracle he hadn't trampled over thorns and torn up his feet on gravel. If Ingo is still there, he's going to pay. At least he had the sense to grab his bag. The ocarina and ruby weighed comfortably on his shoulder.
He planted his feet then deliberately twisted one leg around so that his foot pointed the exact opposite direction. That must be the way I came. Satisfied, he turned to face this new direction and marched forward. But it proved difficult to keep straight. Trees and bushes lay in his path, forcing him to walk around, but he made certain to orient himself the proper direction.
Something skittered up a tree. The hairs on the back of Link's neck stood on end as he pointed his sword toward the noise. He couldn't see what made the noise, but where his eyes failed him, his ears did not. All around him, he heard the forest. The croaking of frogs, chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves from something large passing.
"You won't find me easy prey. So don't even try it!"
There, that will definitely dissuade a wolf.
A sparrow chirped, he knew that sound well. But this wasn't the time of year for sparrows to be looking for a mate. Was it announcing its presence to the world, or warning about an approaching predator?
Was the rhythmic clopping a deer? Or something he had never seen before, hidden within the dark places?
He paused as he listened to that last noise. A deer, he was certain now. But why was the sound coming from right in front of him? Was it coming from outside the forest? Wouldn't Ingo's presence scare it off? He couldn't still be that far inside, could he?
His eyes grew heavy. He shook his head, why was he so tired? His heart still beat in excitement from his fight. This didn't feel right. As though his body wished to keep moving, while only his mind demanded he stop to rest.
Don't stop. Don't think about it. There should only be a few more trees ahead of me, then I'll be out of here.
With every breath he inhaled the dark fog of the forest, and each step his eyes grew more and more tired. But they stayed open. He wouldn't stop walking. Not until the gray mists parted and he could see the fields of Hyrule before him. Then he could get to sleep.
But not until he left the forest. Just keep moving, as he had over the long walk from the mountain. One foot then the other. Over and over. Through the fog. Never stopping.
Never thinking.
As long as it takes.
"Ahh." Pain shot through his foot. He lifted it and found a squashed pinecone. It must've hidden beneath what had looked a soft bed of fallen leaves. No cuts or scratches on the sole of his foot, thankfully. He wiped off some of the dirt and pointy remains of the pinecone that clung to him.
Beside him a frog croaked. While overhead a sparrow gave its chirping song. But did that mean it was looking for a mate or... He'd heard this before.
Before him, hooves of a deer clopped, before moving away.
Why was the deer still in front of him? His legs ached, he must've been walking for some time. Had the deer strayed before him again? How long had he been walking?
"I have to be close," he muttered. "My mind's playing tricks is all. Once I'm past these trees I'll see blue skies. I'll laugh about it." He grabbed the nearest branch and pulled himself forward, careful that his feet didn't get turned around.
"I'll be clear. Right. Now!"
He ducked under the low branch of a tree but found nothing beyond it but more fog. Had he ducked under a branch when he fled from Ingo? He couldn't remember.
How could he not remember? It had not been all that long before.
"Calm down. Calm down. No need to panic."
Something growled behind him. Link spun and pulled his sword free, swiping toward the noise. But his blade found nothing but air. Not even the branch he had ducked under a breath before. No, the tree behind him had limbs far higher. His cap would barely scrape the lowest of them if he jumped. "That doesn't make sense!"
The snarl once more came from behind. Was he surrounded? Or did whatever creature get around him? But when he looked he found nothing but trees. Were those the same trees he'd been walking toward? They didn't look the same, at least, as far as he could tell through the fog. But how could they change, he hadn't stepped anywhere.
Had he?
How'd he think he could navigate through the fog? There must be no bigger fool to ever live. He'd been a fool to leave the Kokiri, he'd been a fool to think he could return. Thank the Goddesses he had Navi and Talon to prevent his own stupidity. But even they couldn't keep him from rushing headfirst into calamity after calamity.
I don't know how to get out of this one.
"Ugh!" his rage boiled inside him. He took another step only for the same foot that still stung from the pinecone to get caught on a root. He managed to avoid falling, but he glared down at the lump of bark rising from the ground. "Start! Making! Sense!" He kicked at the root. "Gah!" He pulled his foot back and shook it. Blood dripped onto the leaves beneath him.
"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"
He tried to calm down, managing to sheath his sword despite his shaking limbs. The last thing he wanted to do was damage the good edge, especially when he'd just lashed out at another tree. At least he heard no more growling from the dark. Maybe that meant he was safe, for now. He had time to think.
What would Navi do?
She wouldn't get herself into this situation in the first place. She probably would still be in Lon Lon Ranch.
He shook his head, hoping the bad thoughts would tumble out of his ears and splatter against the ground. If she was here, she would come up with a plan. She would tell him he needed to find some help. That he couldn't do everything by himself. But who would ever help him here?
"Wait! I'm back home!" Link fumbled through his bag until his fingers found the comforting hollowed out wood of his ocarina. "This should work." He put the instrument to his lips and played as fast as he could the song that brought him the most joy in all the world.
The old magic of the forest and the Great Deku Tree came alive. Faint green streams swirled into the dark, and where they passed Link saw the color of leaves and grass, the silvery streams of glistening spider webs, and even a squirrel that stared, unblinking at the light before it scampered away. The light twisted back in the wind, curling up before Link and solidified into his oldest friend.
"Sar–OOONK!" The sound blared out the ocarina as Link tried to talk with it still in his mouth.
His friend disappeared before the embarrassment ever reached him.
"What?"
He tried again, and once more the threads of magic swirled about him. Saria appeared, not entirely solid, more a shimmering reflection on a pool. But he could see her, and she saw him.
"Link?" She smiled wide and jumped in the air, clapping. "It-"
Once more, as he stopped playing and she disappeared.
"Ugh!"
He tried again, playing as loud as he could.
"Link! Keep playing!" She said as she returned.
"I. Figured-" Link said, trying to speak between the notes of the song. But as soon as he broke the tempo she disappeared, "that out myself," he muttered.
"Link!" Saria appeared in front of him. "You're close, but still too far away. Are you in the forest? No! Don't tell me. But before you stop playing, I miss you. I can't wait to see you again. I wish my spell worked better." Then the glimmering image of Saria walked toward him, arms outstretched.
He closed his eyes, and almost felt the warmth of her embrace. But when he opened them again, he was still alone, and the ocarina hung at his side.
"Maybe, it'll work better if I get closer." If only he knew which way that meant. Well, he had been heading out. The Kokiri lived in the heart of the woods, didn't they? So, the opposite of out would be just walking in. Maybe that would work?
Of course, he didn't know if he had been heading toward the forest's end. Nor did he understand how the magic of the Woods worked at all. But he had to do something and moving felt good. He picked a direction and walked. Telling himself he'd go a mile, maybe a bit more and try again. If Saria's spell was stronger, he'd know he was going the right way.
With each step his eyelids grew heavy again.
Why was he tired again so sudden? He was going to see his best friend, he was going home! Yet every pace exhausted him further. Not tired, not really. He'd walked further and faster for weeks on end. This stroll through the woods was nothing. But it seemed he could barely hold on to one thought at a time.
I don't have to. Just step one foot in front of the other. Keep moving. Don't stop.
The air tasted like morning dew, empty yet so chilly and even a little sweet. With every breath he felt his mind drift further away. Why was he even walking now? It had been vitally important, of that he was certain. And yet, he could take a moments breather, couldn't he? His foot stung for some reason, why shouldn't he sit down and try to soothe it. As if the forest heard his thoughts and wanted to provide, Link found a gnarled stump.
While he rested his aching legs, the gray pulled away from him. The leaves grew bright autumnal colors, and the ground swelled with life. Green moss and brown branches, with red and yellow bushes scattered about. Two lights drifted toward him. He'd seen lights in the air before. Where these the same? Fairies. That's what he called them. They looked bright.
No, these ones were far too big. They were people. Beautiful people, a man, and a woman he'd never seen before. She had his same sandy blond hair, though she didn't cover it with a cap or anything. It flowed around her as elegant as a crown. She wore a white gown that glowed so bright the mist ran away from it, as if the dark had never existed in the first place.
And the man stood in the armor of a knight. As radiant as the woman, his steel blazed like the morning sun, and the pommel of the sword he wore at his side gleamed red and gold. He smiled beneath a bushy brown mustache and looked upon Link with pride. With the same blue eyes that Link saw in his reflection.
He couldn't believe his luck. Here Link thought he'd been lost and of course who would come to rescue him, but his parents? His mother and father would never let anything happen to him.
They stopped a foot before Link. His mother knelt and took his hand. It felt as warm and comforting as being wrapped in a blanket. Smoother than any of the fancy fabrics the Gerudo had him wash in the camps.
"I was so lost," Link said. "I didn't know if I could ever get out. I missed you. Where have you been? I thought you were dead."
With her free hand, his mother lifted her arm and showed him a red spot at her ribs. As he stared at it, the red grew and grew, until it drenched down her side. Father did the same, lifting his chin to show a great notch in the armor, as if something sliced clean threw it and took his father's chest in the blow.
"Oh." Link nodded. "Oh, I understand. But we're together now."
Mother grasped Link's hand in both of hers and father took his other. Just as warm, just as comforting, but hard with callouses that felt like well-loved leather. Link held onto them with all the joy in the world. His parents pulled him to his feet and together they set out into the woods. And where they went their light shone the beauty of the woods.
"Can we slow down?" Link asked. "My foot, see?" He tried to lift his bleeding foot, but they did not stop. "Just for a moment, please?"
They did not slow, perhaps they didn't hear him. He hopped after them, his wounded foot stung every time he lost balance and was forced to place it on the ground. "Can you-" He tried to pull his hand free from his mother. "Just give me a moment."
She whirled around, her eyes wide with anger. She latched on to his hand.
"Slow down. Please." He tried to wiggle his hand free. But his mother screamed, pressing her fingers into his palm. "You're hurting me! Stop!"
All the gray in the world returned. The hands that held him were not elegant, nor calloused, nor comforting. They were sickly and fetid yellow. More bone than flesh, more claws than fingers.
Dead hands, attached to dead arms, with dead faces leering above them. Link wanted to scream, maybe he was, he couldn't tell anymore. All he could do was twist and thrash, trying to get his arms free from the monsters. The more he moved, the tighter they gripped him.
"You're not my parents!" Link at least heard himself say that one. "Help!"
He managed to slip his arm away from his father's fingers. But another pair of hands grabbed around his arm. And another reached for his leg.
How many were there?
All around him sprung decayed faces and limbs with missing fingers and flesh that dripped off the bone. He squirmed and kicked. His foot struck something, and it felt as if he snapped a bone. But if he had wounded any of them, they did not show it. There were so many.
"Mother! Father! Please!" He screamed, but of course they would do nothing for him.
"Saria!"
Something struck him in the stomach. Nails scratched at his arms.
"Great Deku Tree!"
The dead pressed so close that they blocked even the gray. He could see nothing at all. Yet even now he fought. There was no winning. But what else could he do? His head pounded, his eyes still felt heavy as the monsters tore at him.
"Navi!"
A light shone through the dead. Then another. One a bright yellow, the other a deep purple.
The dead turned away from him to look at the dim lights. That was his chance. Link clenched his hand together and slammed them both down as hard as he could. This time he knew he snapped bones as skeletal limbs cracked into pieces. Link's back struck the ground. He kicked and twisted until he broke free from the last of them. He scrambled away on all fours, kicking away the last hand that lingered on his leg, and ran headfirst into the brush.
He stayed there, trying to catch his breath. His bag still hung over his shoulder, thank the Goddesses. He peered through the leaves and watched as two fairies flew above the dead ones. They fluttered just out of reach, low enough to distract but far enough away that no decrepit finger could touch them.
What fairies did he know were yellow and dark purple? Yulyu was kind of a dark blue. But Link didn't think it was Yulyu, it didn't move like him at all.
"Hey!" A voice came from above. "Hey, idiot, you can't stay there. They can still get you."
Link looked around to find the voice, but only got a twig in his cheek for his trouble. "Where do I go?"
"How slow can you be? Can't you climb?"
Something rustled the top of the bush. Fingertips of a gloved hand poked through and wiggled. "Come on, take my hand. So Tatl and Tael can drive them off."
Link took hold. It was a small hand, but strong enough to yank Link to his feet. Though Link needed to jump to grab the lowest branch of a tree and drag himself the rest of the way up.
"Thanks."
His savior looked more like a bag of dirty rags than a person. His clothes were patches of oranges and browns and greens. Most of it frayed from use. He wore a wide brimmed hat that covered his face in shadows. "Come on!" He said, as he scampered higher up the tree.
Link followed him, grunting as his toes pressed into the rough bark. Once they were well above the ground the little figure stopped, spun around, and sat. "Those idiots don't climb well at all. See?"
Glancing down, Link watched some of the dead things grab at the lower branches. But they lacked coordination and stumbled more than jumped. If they had been people, their failure would've been funny.
The boy definitely found them amusing. "Hehehe haha!" he tittered about shaking on the branch. "Hey, look at this!"
He tore off a stick from the branch and threw it at the dead. It bounced off one of their heads, which caused it to fumble around trying to find what struck him. Only to trip on a root and tumble over, disappearing into the fog.
"They're so so stupid," his savior laughed again. "But then, they're not the ones who decided to play music and draw every nasty thing straight to them. Hah! What were you thinking?"
"I thought it was-" Link stopped. The little figure adjusted his hat, and Link glimpsed what was beneath it. Twisted desiccated flesh, much like the corpses stumbling beneath them. Only, the dead skin mixed with lines of bark that could have grown from a tree. Whether skin or bark, the whole face was dark as night, with two glowing orange eyes.
"Thought what?" the creature said, then it leaned close. "Oh!" He fiddled about with some strings resting on the side of his face and pulled a beaked mask over his mouth. "Better? I look like a falcon!" The boy stood up straight and cawed loud and long.
"What… who are you?"
"Don't you know of me, foolish Hylian?" The creature dropped his voice low. Still balancing on the branch, he raised his arms high, wanting to tower over Link. Yet, no matter how big he tried to look, he didn't seem particularly frightening. "I am the nightmare that stalks the woods! The thief in the night who travels wherever he pleases! I am the Skull Kid! BOO!" He jumped toward Link managing to land perfect on the branch, sending it rocking. Link clutched tight to avoid falling off, but the Skull Kid stood steady.
Link nodded. "Nice to meet you."
Skull Kid huffed. "You're supposed to be scared."
"Sorry. You don't seem that scary. You saved me."
"I thought all you Hylians told stories about the imp of the woods. Luring unwary travelers off the road, so he can steal their treasures and eat their bodies. Skull Kid. See? Anything?"
"Sorry. Never heard of you."
"Well, that's disappointing." Skull Kid folded his arms and slipped from the branch, only to plop down on his tailbone. Once more sending the branch waving about and near knocking Link off.
The two fairies floated toward them, the dead things seemed to have dispersed from the path. At least, Link no longer saw them milling about in the dark.
"Tatl! Tael!" the imp said. "He doesn't know who we are!"
"Well, I hope you introduced yourself then," the purple fairy said.
"But doesn't that mean they're forgetting me out there? What if we go out and steal something? Like a sheep!"
"What would you do with a sheep?" the yellow fairy asked.
"I don't know, I'll come up with something. The important part is taking it."
"I don't think that would be a good idea," the purple fairy flew to Link. "Hello, I'm Tael this is my sister Tatl, and you've already met Skull Kid. If you don't mind me asking, who are you? And what are you doing out here?"
"Other than trying to get yourself killed," the yellow fairy muttered.
"My name's Link. I didn't mean to enter the woods, but I was chased here. By a... a bad man. Thank you for saving me. All three of you. I didn't know there were other fairies out here, except those in the village."
"Are you a Kokiri?" The Skull Kid snaked his way over the branch to look him up and down. "I thought all of them had a fairy of their own."
"I'm not Kokiri. Well not really."
"How can you 'not really' be a Kokiri? You either are or you aren't."
"It's complicated. I guess, I don't really fit anywhere."
"Good!" Skull Kid said. "Why would anyone want to fit somewhere? You place someone where they fit, and you know what happens? They get stuck. Better to stay free and do whatever you want. That's what I say."
"You might not be Kokiri," the yellow fairy said. "But I still feel the Tree's magic on you, somewhere. Did he curse you or something?"
"Nobody cursed me. But I'm carrying some important things, and they have magic. Maybe you're sensing one of them?"
"Is it this?" Skull Kid pulled back away from Link, holding out the ocarina.
"Give that back!" Link snatched at the instrument, and nearly lost his balance as the imp weaved out of his reach. "That's important!"
"Then you better come get it!" The kid laughed and leaped from the tree. The boy struck the ground, crumpling under his own weight, looking for all the world like a pile of tattered clothes. Then he sprung back to his feet and called. "Come on! Bet you can't catch me!"
"Give it back!" Link jumped after the boy. He landed relaxed, tumbled into a roll, and landed back on his feet. Far smoother than the creature had, he noted with some small pride. "Gahh," he muttered as he stepped forward onto something sharp. "Come on. Ow." He limped after the boy.
Skull Kid bobbed and weaved about the trees, tossing the ocarina into the air and catching it. Always staying a few steps ahead of Link.
"Just give it back. It's a gift. Please."
The creature stopped and looked at Link. "Oh, is it?" He held the ocarina out.
"Yes," Link hobbled over, reaching for the instrument.
"Too bad!" Skull Kid turned and dived into a bush.
"Now where are you going to go?" Link approached the bush. "Just come out. I have you."
"No, you don't!" Skull Kid's voice didn't come from the bush.
Link looked about but could not see where the boy had gone. He couldn't see much of anything through the dark. The only light came from the two fairies who trailed behind them, neither seemed worried at the chase.
"That's important to me! Please, just give it- ow!" Something landed on Link's head. He looked up just in time for the next thing to smack him in the face. "I swear if you-" Link looked down at what dropped on him and saw two mismatched shoes. Neither looked as if they'd fit him, both a little too large. But they would at least protect his feet.
The imp swung on the tree, latching his legs onto a lower branch, and hung upside down. "Come on, hurry and put those on. The game's not done yet!"
"Where did you get these?"
"Where do you think? I wouldn't smell them, if I were you."
Link's stomach fell and he grimaced as he shoved his feet into the shoes. "I'm sorry," he whispered to those still lost in these woods. "But I need them."
"Come on, come on. You're holding up the game."
"This isn't a game! You took something that was mine, and I'm going to get it back!" Link called up as he finished tying the laces.
"Exactly! That's the game, stupid."
"Stop calling me that." Link took a few wobbling steps. The shoes flopped about, the soles didn't match, making each step awkward. And the left one clung too tight on the side. But at least it no longer hurt to step down. Link took another step away from the tree.
The imp groaned in boredom as he slouched on the lowest branch. "Are you ready ye-ahh!"
Link turned and rushed at the tree, jumping up and grabbed at the boy.
Skull Kid swung out of the way, Link's fingers grazing the beak mask. "Almost had me. Hehe!"
Link pulled himself up after the imp. He had always thought himself an exceptional climber, the best in the village. And he didn't need to use magical gusts of wind to steady himself. And outside the woods he met no one his match. But this Skull Kid moved like a monkey, darting about, and giggling as he went.
Despite himself, Link smiled. All thoughts of Ingo, of Ganondorf, of the Stones, and failed promises melted away. The entire world was him, this tree, and the weird child that had his ocarina. He followed his prey to the top of the tree, where the branches could barely hold both their weight.
"This time I have you," Link said as he pulled himself onto the branch just below Skull Kid. "Nowhere for you to go."
"Hehehe hah! You're pretty good at this. But!" He held the ocarina behind his back. "Do you want to know why falcons are the best?"
"Why?"
"They can FLY!" The child leaped off the tree.
"No!" Link shouted and tried to pull him to safety. He'd shatter to pieces if he hit the ground. But the imp didn't reach the ground. He only fell a couple feet, before he disappeared within the leaves of the next tree over.
"Come on, Link. It's fun."
"I can't see where you landed."
"Neither did I until I got here. Don't be a baby!"
It would be stupid to jump. Link knew that well enough. He'd find another way. Maybe if he climbed down a bit to a lower branch? Or just reach the ground and climb up the other tree. Hopefully the imp wouldn't get too far away from him.
"What was that song you were playing? You kept doing the same tune. I think it went like..." an excruciating cacophony came from the tree, a mix of off-played notes and a non-existent tempo that was almost completely unlike Saria Song, before he ended by making a farting noise with his mouth. "That was it. Terrible song."
Without another thought Link charged off the branch and leaped as far as he could. Leaves and twigs scratched at his face and arms. He screamed something, or was he laughing? He couldn't tell for one beautiful moment; the rush of the unknown took him completely.
Then a thick branch struck him in the arm. Then another, as he bounced along the side of the tree, grabbing and twisting trying to catch hold of something. Anything.
His arms wrapped around a sturdy branch. He landed hard on his chest; the air knocked out of his lungs. But he managed to hold on. Barely.
"Hold tight!" Skull Kid said as he scampered to Link's branch and helped him get on top of it. "Told you, it would be fun."
"Uh-huh," Link said, trying to fill his lungs again. "But now… I have you!" He grabbed the Skull Kid across the waist.
"Hey, no fair!" he giggled, as he tried to twist around in Link's arms. It felt less like holding onto a person and more a bag full of twigs and leaves. But Link kept his grip until the creature stopped thrashing about. "You win. You win!" He handed the ocarina back over to Link.
Link quickly tucked it back inside his bag and made certain it was secured this time.
"That was quite a chase," the purple fairy, Tael, said as the two fae flew beside them.
"Looks like you found someone as crazy as you," the yellow fair said as she landed on the Skull Kid's head. "I didn't think you'd make that jump."
"Aww, I knew he'd make it," Skull Kid said and nudged Link's still sore ribs. "I knew once I saw him climbing, he's going to be fun."
"That wasn't fun," Link said as he closed his bag. "You stole from me."
"I gave it back. And admit it, I heard you laughing!"
"We made a lot of noise." Link looked down toward the bottom of the tree, though it was obscured by the thick tree branches and the ever-pervasive mists. "We should be careful, we might've attracted more of those dead things, or... anything else."
"Not if you stick with me!"
"With us," Tatl said. "Tael and I have been at this awhile; we know how to turn away whatever beasts are out there away."
"How?"
"Because we helped cast the spells that closed off these Woods," Tael said.
"But…" Link tried to look between them. "You helped the Great Deku Tree seclude us from the outside world?"
Tatl snorted, "So you do know the Great Lumber Jerk, eh?"
"The Great Deku Tree?"
"Arrogant old fool, more like," Tatl muttered. "Here's a lesson for you, kid, anyone who calls themselves 'The Great' isn't. Guardian of the Brave, my eye. Cranky old coward afraid of the world, is what he is."
"He wasn't!" Link said. "The Great Deku Tree was good. He took me in, he raised me. He was the kindest, wisest. He was… he was better than any of you!"
The three of them stared at Link.
"So, he did let a Hylian back in after all," Tatl said, floating over to Link. "I wonder what made you so special?"
"Pardon me, sister," Tael said. "He was?"
"He died." Months ago, and it still hurt to say it. Link remembered the fall of dying leaves and his last painful words. "An evil man came and killed him. And- and I promised him I would keep the things the man wanted and send them far away, so he wouldn't hurt anyone else."
"Oh," Tatl muttered.
"That is a loss," Tael landed on Link's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Link. My sister and I had our differences with him. But he shaped these woods and did much good before the war."
"Thank you," Link said. The four of them looked at each other. Link did not know what else to say. What could they possibly dislike about the Great Deku Tree? Why were these fairies living alone with this... little boy... thing?
"Well," Skull Kid broke the silence, "this is boring. Hey! Do you want to go spook an owl?"
Link's mouth opened, but all that came out was a half blubbered "Wu-huh?" Before Link could think of what that could possibly mean, Skull Kid bounded off, circling around the tree, and jumping to another.
"You'll love this! It's great!"
The two fairies followed him, though the yellow one, Tatl, stopped for a moment. "Well? You coming? Or do you want to stay here and see firsthand the workings of 'the kindest and wisest tree,' again."
Link glared at her. But, what else could he do? As the light of the fairies drifted away, he could feel the weight of the fog press around him. "I'm coming, wait."
Link had always enjoyed running and jumping and climbing, and he'd always been good at them. But Skull Kid must've been a squirrel or monkey or something. Whatever he was, it didn't seem human. Several times Link had to stop and try and figure how he managed to traverse over rough terrain or through dense trees. And even when he discovered the path, he struggled to keep up with the trio.
The imp stopped at one tree seemingly like any other, turned and put a finger in front of his mask. "Shush, this needs to be delicate." Skull Kid took hold of a thick spiderweb and lifted it off the side of the tree. "Now, watch this," he whispered. Worming his way up, he stopped before a hollow and draped the web over the hole.
He slithered back down beside Link, shaking with a barely contained giggle. Then he pushed his mask aside and made a strange crackling noise. Almost like the twitching limbs of the great spider Link fought.
A great horned owl burst from the hollow. It pecked at the webs, hooting, and flapping its wings.
Skull Kid almost fell out of the tree, he was laughing so hard. The owl looked down at the two of them, with webs still draped from its beak. It looked ridiculous, like Talon when he had too much to drink and stared at things all confused. Link couldn't help but laugh beside the imp.
"Hehehe haha!" the creature clutched at his sides. "I do this every couple days, it never learns!" His voice went low. "I'm a big scary owl. I need to sleep. Hoo hoo hoo. Oh no! Spiders!" And then he laughed again. He put his mask back on and took Link's hand. "Come on, there's so much more to see!"
The little boy pulled him to follow as he headed up. Link climbed as high as he could, until his arms ached from the climb. Just the kind of soreness Link enjoyed. The kind that meant he was working and getting better. The kind that meant he was alive.
"Bet I get to the top first!" Skull Kid said. Not a fair bet at all, the imp was already a few branches over Link.
"Not a chance," Link called, he dug his heels in and leaped up. Grabbing one branch and pulling himself onto another.
The little boy whistled, "Not bad Link, but I'm the best climber ever!"
By the time they reached the highest branches of the trees, Link had a grin that spread from ear to ear. Even when he saw the green boot in front of him escape above the treeline, he felt like laughing alongside the boy's giggle.
"Fine," Link pulled himself up, "you win this time."
The sun hit his face.
He paused, and basked in the warmth that embraced him. It had been night when he first went into the Woods. And it had been so dark down there. Had there always been only a few branches between him and sunlight?
As he lifted his head above the fog, he felt a pressure fall from him. He could see, he could tell what direction he was going. It didn't all feel jumbled anymore. Like waking up after having a headache the night before and finding everything felt right.
"Make yourself at home," the imp said as he laid down forming a nest of branches and leaves. He stretched and leaned back, getting comfortable. "I come up here to let Tatl and Tael have a break. They get cranky when they get tired from using their magic to make it safe for me down there."
"That's… beautiful," Link said as he righted himself.
"Careful where you step. I come up here a lot, I know where to put my weight, so I don't fall through. Though…" he giggled again. "You falling would be kinda funny."
"Not to me."
"You'd go 'Auugh-wahaha-bang boing ker-plow," as he smashed his hands together.
"The magic doesn't affect us up here?" Link said. It was so obvious, how had he not thought of this before? "We can get back to the village! I can see my friends again."
"No, you can't," Tael sighed as the two fairies flew up from the trees. "The magic that surrounds the village is more secure than that. The Great Deku Tree made certain that there was only one way in and one way out. There are no ways to get around it."
"But you helped him set it up. So, you can help me get there, can't you?'
"Again, no," Tatl spoke this time. "The Great Deku Tree didn't like us leaving, we may have said some things to anger him."
"No, you said some things to anger him," Tael said. "I tried to be polite."
"Lot of good that did you. You're still exiled, aren't you?"
"Wait," Link tried to cut off the argument before it got started. "There's no way to get back?"
"Only if you know a specific path. And we sure don't."
That was it. Without Navi he had no way back inside. No way to get home.
Forever.
Link turned away from his new companions and wiped his eyes. So long he wanted to get back here. It had always been the smallest chance he could get back. But now, there really was no hope.
"Ughh," the imp wrapped one arm around Link's shoulder. "Why would you want to anyway? You could be free to have fun all you want. No one bossing you around. No one telling you what to do. You don't need to obey some dumb Tree anymore. All you need to do is rest a bit so we can go back to having some fun."
"I made a promise."
"So what? You can just break promises. I do it all the time. Hey, Tael, I promise I won't do that thing you hate!" Barely holding his laughter, Skull Kid pulled aside his mask, stuck his tongue out between his lips and blew, making one of the wettest, grossest fart noises that Link had ever heard. It was almost impressive. "See? Nothing happened."
"It's not about if nothing happens. It's about… something more." Even to Link that didn't sound very convincing. But it felt true. He couldn't explain it. But you had to keep your word if it was important. "If I can't get to the village, I'll need to get back to Hyrule."
"That's even worse!" Skull Kid protested. "Everyone is so angry, and bossy, and annoying out there. They always try to tell you where to go, or what to do. And none of them can take a joke. Just stay with me, trust me. I've lived out there and in here, and it's way more fun here."
"I can't. I want to. It's been nothing but trouble out there. But I can't."
"Yes, you can." The imp stood up. "Here's an idea. Tomorrow, me, and you, we're going to have fun. Real fun. For the entire day. You'll love it. And if you still want to be bored out there, then we'll take you. Promise."
Link sighed, were there any other options? "Fine. One day."
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when the Skull Kid woke him up.
"Come on, Link!" he said as he shook him. "There's so much we can do today. Ooh! We should play Touch the Toad!"
Link yawned, "How do you play Touch the Toad?"
"Oh, it's great fun. There's this really big frog in the Woods," he waved his arms wide. "Like, three maybe four times bigger than me. And he's all gold, which Tatl told me meant you shouldn't lick them when they're all bright like that. Not that I would lick a frog. That'd be gross."
"Wait, is it a frog or a toad?"
"What's the difference? Anyway, when he wakes up, he gets so angry. He'll chase you around and try to eat you. But the fun part is to see how close you can get to the toad before he wakes up. If you manage to touch him then you win! Provided he doesn't eat you. It's great."
It did sound like silly fun. The kind of things he and the other Kokiri would've done when they'd finished their chores. They'd sneak away from the fairies to play games and run around. Mido would try to beat every challenge that Link could, and Saria used her magic to make sure no one got anything worse than a bruise. Of course, their games didn't involve a frog trying to eat them. But Skull Kid was joking about that, surely. "Lead the way."
"This way! Let's go!" He rolled off the branches and squirreled down the tree, Link only a few paces behind him.
Even with the fairies, Link did not enjoy returning to the gray. That tiring pressure fell back upon him as soon as his head went below the canopy. But, with Tael perched on his shoulder it wasn't too terrible.
"Here he is," Skull Kid stopped after some time prancing through the forest. He ducked low and waved for Link to squat beside him. "See him?"
If he squinted, Link could almost see a rotund shape ahead of them. Maybe it was golden? He couldn't quite tell with all the color leached away. "I think so."
The imp nudged Link forward. "You go first."
Link stumbled forward, landing hands first into the mud. "That's not funny." The slick mud was half water, it must be a pond or something.
"Shhhh," Skull Kid whispered. "You got this, Link."
Link pushed himself to his feet and wiped his muddy hands on his tunic. From this distance he could see something of the yellowish shape. That must be the toad. He crept forward, Skull Kid quietly urging him on. It wasn't that big. Sure, it was bigger than a normal toad, obviously. But the way Skull Kid described it, he thought it would be monstrous.
His foot splashed into the pond. The yellow shape moved. Link froze.
Nothing happened. No giant frog was trying to eat him.
He took another step, this time making certain not to disrupt the water. He reached out.
The toad was slick and slimy to his touch.
"Link, no!"
"What?" He turned away from the toad, only to feel something massive moving around him. Something rose out of the water, attached to the yellow lump. No, the other way around. Link had grabbed one of the frog's legs.
"Get out of there!"
The monster croaked, a sound so deep and rumbling Link felt it in his chest. He ran. With a splash, the beast raced after him.
"Come on, this way!" Skull Kid grabbed Link's arm and yanked him to the side. They trampled over bushes and around trees. Maneuvering through tight gaps that the creature was too large to follow. Behind him, Link could hear trees bursting apart as the monster leaped and crashed on top of them.
Something shot past Link's cheek. A massive drooling tongue struck a tree and punched a hole clean through it.
"Don't let that hit you!"
"You think?"
The beast croaked again, followed by the creaking of a collapsing tree as its branches snapped on the way down. Link dived to the side. The tree slammed to the ground. Link spun to his back, the creature wasn't looking at him. Scrambling, Link crawled beneath the fallen tree, and shielded himself from the monster's gaze with leaves.
Through a small gap, he watched the lumbering beast. What little he could see through the fog swayed. Turning about. A limb lifted, weight pressed down on the tree. Branches dug into Link's side, until the loud crack of splitting wood relieved the pressure. Link held in a gasp as the monster passed over him.
The two fairies flew around the beast's head. It let out another loud croak before it wandered after them, heading back toward the pond.
Link stayed beneath the tree, taking deep breaths. That was crazy. He felt a gasping laugh force its way through his lips. Crazy.
"You alive, Link?"
"With no help from you," Link crawled out from under the tree.
The Skull Kid bounded toward him and wrapped him in a hug. "That was amazing!"
Link pushed the imp off him. "You told me to touch the toad!"
"That's just the name of the game! I said, get as close as you can to touching the toad without waking him up. I thought you'd turn cucco way before that. But what you did was so much better!" He took Link's hand. "You win that game, but there's so much more to do!"
They spent the day playing. Leaping from trees, running around tagging each other. Daring each other to perform increasingly dangerous stunts. The last time Link could remember laughing so much, had been spending time at the festival with Malon. And when they grew too tired to keep running, Skull Kid showed how to draw on large rocks and tree trunks with natural pigments. Link couldn't tell the colors well, but Skull Kid seemed to know which ones were appropriate.
"Now, you go over there and paint something. And I'll do the same on this side. And when we're done, we can show each other! Then we'll decide which one's best."
Link agreed, ready for one final competition before he called it the day. After testing his weird, goopy paints, Link decided to draw a castle. Like the ones he passed on his travels. Or at least he tried to paint them. In truth his work was more a splotchy wall with some lines sticking up that were supposed to be towers. No matter what he added, it just looked worse. Until he gave up and put his homemade brush down.
"Finished," Link said, walking over to his new friend. "What'd you draw?"
"Hey, no peeking! I'm not done!" Skull Kid tried to cover the stump, but quickly decided against it. "It's us! See?" He waved at the painting. "That's you, that's me. There's Tael and Tatl flying above us. And that's going to be the frog. I still need to work on him though."
"That's beautiful," Tael said.
Link could only agree. In the painting Link and Skull Kid held hands, while the yellow lump that would become the frog had a huge smile. "You win. Definitely."
"Hehe! Thanks. There's so much more I want to show you. Tomorrow, I can take you to the burrow. It's like a whole other world down there."
"Tomorrow?" Link stopped. "You said you'd take me out of the Woods tomorrow."
"Well, we can delay that another day. Trust me, you'll love it down there."
"No. You promised."
"Again, about promises? What is one more day? Or two? Or three? What does it matter if we change things around. You are having fun! Isn't that better than the world out there?"
"Of course it's more fun. But life isn't all just about having fun."
"Well, it should be! Now you're starting to sound like my parents! They were all 'Clean the house. Cut the vegetables. Watch your kid sister.' I ran away from all that. You can, too."
"I can't," Link sighed. "Others depend on me. I have people to warn. Promises to keep. Out there? They need me. I can't just abandon them. I want to stay and have more fun, but I can't."
"You are so dumb! Of course, they say they need you. But they don't. There's always going to be someone else. And they make up lies about things being important when they're not. Like promises and how you have to do things certain ways. It starts with them telling you to do simple things, like washing your hands or cleaning dishes. But it's never enough. They'll keep bossing you around until what? Until they have you doing only what they want. Until you fit in, and you're stuck. Because they tore away all the fun parts of you and forced you to become what they want."
Link swallowed. He wished he had Navi with him, someone who could say what he was thinking, but make it sound good. "I still have to go."
"Fine! We'll go if it's so important to you. I don't need you around here anyway!" The imp threw his brush down. It splattered against his own painting, leaving a great yellow splotch over the four figures. Then he stomped to the largest tree and climbed to the top, his fairies at his side. Link followed them.
The way out of the Woods was long, and often involved Skull Kid stopping, looking around the trees for some minute details Link didn't notice. Then he would lead them back down beneath the fog, then back up. Over and over, until night fell, and it was almost as dark above the treetops as below. The entire time, Skull Kid and Link did not speak a word to each other.
"There," he finally said, before ducking into the trees. They slid from one branch to another all the way to the ground. Then the imp led Link around three more trees and stopped. "That's it. Go through there and you'll be out."
"Thank you," Link didn't know what to say. It didn't feel right to leave the boy angry. "I really did have fun with you."
"Well, not enough. If you still think being out there is better than being with me."
"That's not the reason I need to go." Link pulled the child into a hug. He was still so small. Whatever happened to him, whatever turned him into this little creature, he was a child. And he was lonely.
The imp pulled away, its mask slipping off revealing the gaunt face beneath.
"You know, you can come with me," Link held out his hand. "I could really use your help."
"Out there?" The Skull Kid squinted, then shook his head. Adjusting his mask so it covered as much of his face as it could. "That'd be so boring," he said, though it sounded as if the words caught in his throat.
"Well, I'll come back and visit you. Once all this is done. I won't say I'll spend the rest of my life out here. But I'll come back. We'll play around again."
"You mean it?"
"I promise."
Skull Kid shook his head. "Promises don't mean anything."
"Mine do. You remember that song you heard me playing?"
"Yes."
"Next time you hear it, it'll mean I'm back. Then you'll know it's time we play again."
"I- I'd like that."
Link looked up to the two fairies flying about their heads. "Take care of my friend." He adjusted the strap of his bag, turned, and walked away. Until the trees parted, and he could breathe clear fresh air. When there was nothing over his head but stars.