Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Zelda: Facade of the Living ❯ Forest of the Damned ( Chapter 6 )

-Secluded in the deepest of primeval forests, the Kokiri are perhaps the most mysterious of all the species living in Hyrule.

A race composed entirely of children, no one has ever seen them or heard their language in hundreds of years. It has come to the point where people dismiss stories about them as nothing but fairy tales.

In the minds of all the other peoples of Hyrule, the Kokiri have faded into legend.

That doesn't necessarily mean they don't still exist.

Uniquely in tune with the forest, Kokiri can tell when the trees are growing, and when they are dying…

They can also sense what is truly good, and what is truly evil…



Chapter Six: Forest of the Damned


The Lost Woods

Her Ladyship was extremely angry.

"My hair is wet!" she yelled. "Why the hell do we always have to go through the water?! Isn't there a better way?"

Princess Zelda coughed up an astonishing amount of water. Collapsing, she sat on the grassy soil and glared at Link for putting her through the same type of ordeal as before.

Travelling under the deep water that connected Kokiri Forest with the Zora River had taken its toll on everyone except Zeta. Jade, Link, and the two Knights all had serious pressure headaches, and Dreck was so wet that nothing could set his wooden body on fire now.

Link had to hold the little Deku down so he wouldn't float to the top.

By far, Gonga's experience would prove most difficult.

The Zoras had been kind enough to provide him with a length of rope and a special tunic that would let him breathe underwater. Unfortunately, it did nothing to reduce his weight.

He was standing quietly on the bottom of the pool, waiting to be fed the rope.

The Hero of Time dropped one end down to Gonga, then got at the other and started to pull.

But Link wasn't strong enough.

The Goron outweighed him by at least five hundred pounds.

"A little help here?!" yelled Link, gesturing to the loose end of the rope.

Grudgingly, the others stood and took hold of it. All at once they pulled, and the huge Goron began to slowly rise in the water. With all their might they tugged, quickly bringing on exhaustion. Raising their painfully heavy comrade to the surface felt like it might cost them the use of their arms.

Nevertheless, he reached the top, falling upon a very surprised Link. All that weight dropping so quickly impaled the hero into the ground.

"Ack! Get off of me!" he exclaimed, trying to remove the large mass from his body.

"Oh crap! My apologies Brother," said the Goron.

He stood and saw to his amazement that the young Hylian was firmly imbedded in the ground. With one hand, Gonga reached down and ripped him from the soil, holding him up now by the nape of his neck.

There was a clear indentation where he had once lain.

"I forgive you. Just put me down," said the hero.

"Of course Brother Link," Gonga replied, dropping him.

Sitting on the dirty forest floor, the young Hylian realized something. Having seven of eight travelers, himself included, adverse to water was a very bad thing.

It would have to be avoided in the future.


*****


Not a single one of them even fathomed venturing into the dark forest. They all felt absolutely exhausted, and it was a late hour. The very last rays of Din's Eye painted the cloudy sky many different shades of orange, bringing the promise of sleep to the weary travelers.

Unfortunately, none of them could rest until something was finished.

"It would be foolish to try to make it to Kokiri Village now," Link said, feeling the temperature drop. "We should camp out here and build a fire."

"Excellent idea," Jade added. "All we need is some firewood."

The Sheikah boy fought the urge to leer at the Deku Scrub only a few feet away.

Standing up, the Princess decided then and there who would be doing the manual labor.

"Jade, I want you to go into the forest and find some wood."

The boy was ready to follow the order from his sovereign, but Link was not. He simply stood there, his arms crossed and eyes icy and unfeeling. He had no intention of bowing to such a ludicrous request, especially from Zelda. All his life, Link had almost total freedom in matters of where he could to go and what he could do. For Zelda to start bossing him around now, when he was supposed to be the one in charge, was unacceptable.

"It's entirely too dangerous to do that with just one person," he stated. "Someone else needs to go with him."

Princess Zelda was surprised that he would countermand her order. She was still drenched, angry, and in no mood to argue.

"Are you insinuating that I should go in his place?" she asked, her words heated.

"No. On the contrary I don't think anyone should go anywhere right now," he replied. "There's plenty of dead wood lying around here that should suffice."

Zelda quickly put her hands on her hips.

"But I'm freezing cold!" she complained, "and we need a real blaze, not just a tiny little campfire!"

Link did not back down.

"Perhaps you don't understand. All of us are cold and wet, but if we wander into the forest at this hour there's a good chance we'll turn up dead!" said the hero, sounding a little aggravated. "The monsters come out around this time, and they won't stop to ask questions about firewood."

"Hmph! Well then what do you suggest we do?" Zelda replied.

For a moment, he had to think about that. Link was courageous, but he wasn't stupid. Traipsing about in the Lost Woods at this time of night was practically an invitation for disaster. Searching the area in the dim light, he noticed that the trees were unusually bent.

They were half-bare, and twisted into odd shapes, the branches like tendrils snaking their way into the heavens. Roots were everywhere, broken and decayed, so much so that it would have been difficult to walk straight.

Something evil had done this, warping the forest, Link's home.

"Clear out an area in the center of these roots," the hero finally said. "We'll need to all search for some rocks to build a fire pit, including you Zelda."

The Princess rolled her eyes in contempt, but went along with the plan.

"Very well, I suppose I could gather some sticks for the fire…" she sighed.

"See, I knew you could do it," Link said back, grinning at her.

Zelda would be sure to kick him in the shin for the embarrassment.


*****


About an hour and a half later, just about everything was ready. The forest was a living thing, and Link had given explicit instructions that none of the trees were to be harmed, much to the chagrin of the others.

Gonga had managed not to eat any of the rocks he had found, and ten of them now formed a fire pit. A few small logs and some dry, old sticks were in the center, just waiting to be ignited.

Kneeling down beside the pit, Princess Zelda took off her gloves. She placed her dainty hands over the pieces of wood and recited a few magic words.

"Din's Fire!"she yelled at the end, quickly removing her arm.

There was a brilliant flash of red light and almost instantly the campfire was lit. Satisfied, Zelda sat down on one of the protruding roots to finish drying out her hair.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, Gonga unscrewed one of the faces of his hammer. Inside was a huge piece of concrete, which was presumably what gave the steel faces their striking power. It fit perfectly, and removed just as easily.

He got up, walked over to the pool, and dipped the open end in, filling it with water.

Gonga strolled back over and placed it in the fire.

Instead of a hammer, he was using it as a pot.









Quite a while later

The soup they had for dinner had been reasonably tasty. Wild mushrooms were the only edible things growing in this part of the forest and had made for a hearty stew. One by one, their stomachs full, the other members of Link's party drifted off to sleep until he was the last person left awake.

He decided to keep watch over the camp, and seated himself on a fallen log.

Only the warm light of the fire granted illumination to the darkened forest. The moon was new, and hundreds of beautiful shining stars were visible through a break in the forest canopy. Staring up at the sky, the hero pondered how many the Goddesses had placed in the heavens.

Link had tried to count them once as a little boy, but didn't get very far.

That was years before, and he hadn't done anything like that since.

Now, while gazing up at the night sky, Link heard some rustling in the bushes nearby.

Grabbing his sword, he whipped around and caught the Princess by surprise.

"Dear Goddesses!" Link whispered harshly. "Don't startle me like that!"

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your 'guarding of the camp'," Zelda said, the sarcasm evident. "I couldn't fall asleep. Can I sit down?"

"By all means," he replied, putting his weapon away.

Zelda took her place at his side, wrapping her arms around his torso and putting her head on his shoulder. This felt natural somehow, like this was the way things should be. Just the two of them, together on a warm summer evening, with no evil monsters or tasks to be completed.

Just Link and Zelda…

For a good, long while they simply held each other.

However, the Princess felt she needed to halt the romance.

"You know, I feel sad," she said, nuzzling against him for warmth.

"Why is that?" Link asked.

She sighed deeply before replying.

"Hyrule is…is tearing itself apart, and no one seems to be noticing," Zelda quietly said. "It's been happening for years now, but people have been going about their lives as if…as if nothing is going on. It really worries me to see that kind of ignorance. I've heard that many call this the "Golden Age". A lie if I've ever heard one…"

"How so?"

"Our hold on the provinces is…tenuous at best. A few years ago my father brought me along on a tour of the Empire. Twice I was kidnapped, and twice you had to save me."

"Ah, I see. You still owe me for that…"

Zelda's father had found it prudent that she should meet the subjects she would someday rule. The royal caravan snaked its way across the land, stopping in every village it came to, gracing the citizens there with its presence. Seeing the expansive landscape that was Termina had been interesting, but otherwise nothing of any real interest happened there.

Holodrum and Labrynna were different matters altogether.

Two times Zelda was abducted by evil forces and imprisoned. The evil Gerudo witch Twinrova had tried to sacrifice Zelda in a ghoulish attempt to break the Seal on the Evil Realm. If her attendant had not flagged down Link, who was passing by, the Princess might never have seen the light of day again.

But he had rescued her from the monsters, and they were together now.

That was all that really mattered.

"For the longest time I never thought anyone would ever want someone like me," Zelda admitted. "Not you, not the endless line of princes and nobles my father paraded in front of me."

"Zelda, why not?" Link replied. "You can tell me."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes, of course."

Again, Zelda sighed. She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Because I manipulated you for my own purposes," she confessed. "I really did think I could control the flow of time and the Goddesses along with it. And we both know what happened when I tried to do that."

"No, that was Ganondorf, not you," Link said in a comforting tone.

He stroked her hair in a loving manner, but she brushed away his hand. This was a serious conversation, and Zelda was baring the last of her secrets to him.

"That's not true either. I gave him the chance to do those things to Hyrule," said the Princess. "It led to seven extra years of memories for the both of us. I put you through that, something I shouldn't have done. Hyrule was destroyed because of me!"

Tenderly, Link brought the lovely princess up to meet his eyes.

"It was because of you that it was saved Zelda…"

Blushing deeply, the Princess turned away. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she was a little flustered. Link always knew just what to say to calm Zelda down when she went off on one of her many rants. On the day they met in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle, a powerful connection formed between them.

A bond stronger than life or death.

One that had shaped the flow of time.

"Link?" asked the Princess of Destiny.

"Yeah?" replied the Hero of Time.

Zelda paused for a moment, tripping over her own words. She regained her bearings and continued, even though her stomach was in knots.

"When we were joined…I could feel everything you ever felt and everything you ever thought," she whispered. "That's gone now, and I can't tell what you're thinking anymore. What I did see was how you thought of me for all those years away from the castle. Am I still…your everything?"

Flabbergasted, all Link could do was stare into her piercing blue eyes. Even in the dim light they sparkled like precious sapphires, and he was utterly lost in their gaze.

"Zelda, you'll always be my everything…always…"

In the blackness of the night, two souls were joined in true love's first kiss.

It was short, but very passionate, and filled with the naivete of youth.

But to these two lovers, the kiss seemed to last forever. As their lips mingled for those brief moments, it seemed time again had stopped to accommodate long suppressed romantic feelings.

As time held still the thoughts of the two lovers, their hearts were bonded and true feelings were exchanged through their lips.

For them the world seemed to drop away, leaving only two beings.

Just Link and Zelda…


*****


Although only a few seconds had passed, for the two young lovers it felt like an eternity. They came out of it a little dazed, and quite confused at all the new emotions swirling around inside of them. Love was telling them to go forward, but common sense held them back.

Link and Zelda didn't want to wake anybody up.

So very softly, the Princess settled back down with her hero.

"Are you positive that you want me Link?" she asked, her head resting on his chest.

"Right now?!" he exclaimed, starting to talk fast again. "I really think we should get married before we do that because that would be a little indecent especially with everyone else lying over there and they might hear us and…"

Zelda had to put her hands over his mouth to get him to finally shut up.

"I'm not talking about making love," she said matter-of-factly. "I meant do you really want to be with a girl like me? I'm not perfect, you know."

"Oh, stop it Zelda. Of course you are!" Link jokingly replied.

She felt like smacking him for that. The Princess had never thought of herself as an angel, despite everyone else pampering her and saying just that. Zelda was a living, breathing person, with her own unique set of flaws that she didn't exactly try to hide.

"I'm not going to lie, I can be a real bitch," she stated.

"Oh! Such language!" said the hero, toying with her. "Definitely not fit for a lady."

"Quit it! I'm serious! Everything that Ruto said is the truth. I can be obnoxious, self-centered, neurotic, and stuck up all at the same time."

Link did nothing but pat her on the head, something she found very annoying and condescending.

"Well, you're perfect in my mind," he told Zelda. "That will never change."

The Princess managed a weak smile, and wrapped her arms around him again for comfort.

"You'll get nothing except an empty title if we marry," she admitted.

"What does that mean?" Link inquired.

"It means…I am never to become Queen…"

This was something most people knew, but that Link apparently did not. Zelda had been an only child for fourteen years of her life. She would bounce on her father's knee all the time, at least up until her twelfth birthday. On that occasion, King Harkanian thought he should stop coddling his daughter and begin to mold her into the ruler she would one day become.

The King simply turned off his emotions.

Responsibilities were piled upon the young Princess, the tour of the Empire being the first. Zelda was tutored in every subject, from algebra to geology to advanced political theory until she was extremely well educated. When it was finished, she was ready to accept her aging father's throne and the burdens that came with it.

But all his life, Harkinian had still wanted a son to call his own.

The Goddesses finally granted him one when Zelda was sixteen years old.

"It has already been decreed that little Harkanian is to rule," said the Princess. "My mother and father want me to teach him everything I know. I am essentially my brother's keeper. All my own knowledge gone to waste because of a stupid tradition…"

"Oh, I see…" Link replied. "You must be disappointed."

"Yes, very. I can live with it though. Little Harkanian is a good boy, if a bit spoiled. When my father abdicates, I'll be sovereign for a few years, but there won't be any coronation. I will forever be Princess Zelda, the 'would-be Queen'. History will forget about me I'm sure…"

Once again, Link stroked her soft, golden hair. She seemed to finally drift off to sleep then, something she hadn't done in days. Zelda's breathing became shallow and her tired muscles relaxed, letting her love know that she was in the land of dreams.

Before closing his eyes, the hero muttered one last thing.

"I've got a feeling that no one will ever forget you, my everything…"










The sanctuary of the Desert Colossus

For a change, evening had brought with it a dying down of the winds. Usually the sandstorms got worse during the night, but today was something different.

Along with the good weather, there was just enough light for someone to find his way through the Haunted Wasteland.

Sure enough, someone was.

An unnecessary, heavy wool coat hanging off his shoulders and a large parcel in his hand, a man trudged slowly across the desert.

Darkness had arrived completely by the time he reached the Colossus.

He stood before the giant stone woman, marveling at its architecture.

It had taken a thousand Gerudo masons and sculptors a hundred years to bring the visage of one of their leaders from the sandstone. Time and the harshness of the desert had done their damage, but still the woman sat, commanding obedience from her sisters in arms.

Seeing enough of the statue for now, the man carefully entered the temple beneath it.

The spears of Gerudo guards quickly greeted him.

"What are you here for Hylian?!" one of them yelled. "This had better be good!"

"I have something for the King," he shot back. "Now stand aside wench!"

When she tried to stab him, the man dodged the thrust and expertly broke her arm. She fell to the ground, grasping her arm in horrible agony. The others backed off, in complete awe, as they had rarely seen such speed, even in their own elite ranks. Storming past the girl, who was now writhing in pain, the man walked over to where Gerudo king was meditating.

Gorkhan had been sitting in the same position for hours, as he did every night, trying to listen to the will of the Goddesses. Never had he been able to hear anything, but he still tried.

The King heard the footsteps of the man approaching from behind.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't injure my warriors like that," he said. "They're very expensive to train. Now what do you want?"

"Apologies my lord," said the man. "I have brought you the item you asked for."

Gorkhan was instantly on his feet at the end of that sentence.

"Hand it to me now!" the King bellowed.

Practically ripping it from the other man's hand, Gorkhan proceeded to tear open the package. When the parcel's contents were revealed, a sly grin spread across his face.

"Where did you find it Basse?" the King asked impatiently. "Tell me!"

Tendrils of dark energy writhed around the angry king, striking terror in the heart of his servant.

"A man in Hyrule City was selling it," the man replied, fearful of his sovereign's wrath. "He…he wanted thousands for it, but I just stole it when he wasn't looking. Look Highness…I…I have your money still…"

Grabbing the few hundred rupees, the King turned his attention back to his new toy. Though its many colors gave off an almost whimsical vibe, Gorkhan knew that this was really a powerful instrument of war. He sat back, content with himself, and thought of how expertly he would use this devastating new weapon.

When used, the Hero of Time would never know what hit him.









Early the next morning…

Jade was the one who found them in a rather compromising position. He knew that there were romantic feelings between the two from the start, and so paid it no mind. He picked up the closest stick and poked Link in the side with it.

The hero awakened with a startle, subsequently waking up the Princess.

Everyone else was still asleep, so no one but the Sheikah would know.


*****


Link and Zelda slowly woke up the other members of the group. All were quite groggy, as trying to sleep on the hard wood of fallen logs had been close to impossible. Nevertheless, the Renegades woke without actually complaining.

Gonga reassembled his warhammer, Zeta and Dreck grabbed their weapons, while the two Knights returned their swords to their sheaths. By the time everyone had gathered all his or her possessions, Link was ready to lead them through the forest.

Setting out into the maze of trees, they noticed how eerily silent some parts of the forest really were. While birds might have been chirping happily in one area, another might be completely devoid of their beautiful songs. Where tall, majestic oak trees once stood, rotted logs now lay, dirty brown grass surrounding them.

Indeed, parts of the forest seemed to be on the verge of death.

For another twenty minutes, Link retraced his steps. He had not been in the Lost Woods for several years and needed to create a mental picture of the forest.

Like always though, he remembered the way to the village. Just before he could take a step into the hollowed out entranceway, a darkened mass flew overhead.

Swooping low over the ground, it came to rest in the shadowy branches of a nearby tree.

Everyone was totally blown over when it actually spoke to them.

"Hooo hoot! Ah, so the boy has become a man," it said. "And he's returned to the forest. Hoot! Welcome back Link!"

The horror evident on his face, the young Hylian drew his weapon, ready to defend his comrades.

"Who are you?!" he demanded. "What do you want with us?!"

A few seconds before Link would have charged into battle, the creature emerged from the shadows.

Taking a few steps forward on its relatively skinny legs, it opened up a huge set of wings, showing their dark brown underside. It folded them, and to everyone's surprise, rotated its bulbous head almost a hundred and eighty degrees. A very dark brown all over, the creature was covered in feathers like a bird.

In fact, it was a bird.

A giant owl by the name of Kaepora.

"Come now, would you really hurt an old friend?" said the bird.

Link was dumbfounded. For a while, he just stood there, trying to find suitable words.

"W…why are you here?" were the only ones that came to him.

"To offer my assistance of course. Hoot!" the owl replied. "The forest has become a dangerous place as of late."

Putting his sword away, Link gestured to the Renegades that it was safe to come forward. Zelda and the rest followed in suit, all staring oddly at the humongous bird. If there was one thing Link could never have enough of, it was friends. The wise old owl had always looked after him, swooping in only when he felt his advice as needed.

From time to time, whenever the hero required help in his travels, Kaepora Gaebora never hesitated to lend a wing.

"What, you've never seen a talking owl before?" Kaepora asked of them.

They all responded in the negative.

"Hoot! Well you have now friends," the owl said back. "I've been watching Link for a long time now. Ever since he was a boy I knew there was something special about him…"

Kaepora Gaebora bent himself down and stuck his chubby face into Zelda's.

"I've been watching you too Princess," he said smugly.

"How do you know who I am?" she asked incredulously.

"Oh, I know a lot of things. Hoot-hoot!" the bird vaguely replied. "I also know that you all still have quite a ways to go before your journey has ended. Hoot!"

Jade sighed in disgust.

"Tell me something I don't know," said he boy sarcastically.

"Hoot-hoot! Oooo, so insolent," the bird shot back. "Did you know that the forest is practically overrun with Stalfos?"

"Uhhh, no…"

"Furthermore, do you even know what a Stalfos is?"

"Ummm, no…I don't."

The Sheikah had been humiliated once more. He'd lost count of how many times someone had done that to him. Every insult, every putdown made him feel smaller, like less of a person.

One day that would end.

For now he simply swallowed his pride.

"Isn't a Stalfos someone who died here?" Sir Jeison asked. "I've heard stories that if someone is unfortunate enough to wander into this forest, they're killed by other Stalfos. Then…they become one…"

"Ah, yes. Someone's paid attention to the old legends," said Kaepora, making the Knight's ego swell. "They do exist. Hoot! Don't believe they won't try to kill you all. Something's controlling them, and ever so often they attack the Kokiri!"

Link was absolutely horrified. He had been a Kokiri for ten years of his life, something he could never forget. So many memories were there with them, and if they were in trouble, he would give his friends assistance.

"Has anybody been hurt?" the hero asked, quite worried.

"No," the wise owl replied, "but they can't hold out much longer."

"We have to save them then!" Link yelled, ready to destroy as many skeleton creatures as possible.

As the Hylian drew his blade, Kaepora Gaebora took to the wing. Hovering over the adventurers, he gave the young hero some words of encouragement.

"Go now! Rescue your friends. If you ever need me in the future, just give a yell. Hoot! Good luck Hero of Time!"

The owl flew away then, leaving the rest of them to continue on their way.









Kokiri Village

Taking careful, deliberate steps, they entered the secret village. Few people had ever seen the beauty of the woods, and even fewer had discovered the Kokiri's hidden dwellings.

Link and his comrades stood on a ledge high above the little town.

Below was a row of quaint little houses, each carved from what once were oak trees. A few dirt paths converged to form a single road that ran the entire length of the town. Cutting the road off was a small creek fed by a waterfall, denying the village's inhabitants passage.

Luckily several large, flat stones had been placed across the brook, allowing safe passage to the other side. All around the area healthy, bright green grass was growing, testifying to the fertility of the soil. Only one thing could possibly dampen the beauty that nature had unfolded before them.

Far away in the background, the rotted husk of the Great Deku Tree gave a sad reminder as to what had happened years before.

Once, under the watchful eye of the Deku Tree, the Kokiri Forest flourished with the essence of life. Amid the concealing trees of the vast forest lived the peaceful Kokiri, a race of youths who never grow old. They had known little of war then, and didn't understand why people would ever fight with each other.

In blissful ignorance they would play for hours on end with their fairy partners. Those days had since ended, replaced by hard times and constant attacks from Stalfos. For even though Link had saved the Deku Tree from an immediate threat, the damage had been permanent. It imparted upon the young hero the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, before passing on into the next plane of reality.

Though the forest continued to live, the Tree was dead.

No longer could it protect the Kokiri like it once had.

Link was blamed for the tree's demise, and he rarely returned to the forest after that day.

Beginning his descent from the ledge, the Hylian once more looked over the tiny village.

"Hmm, I thought it would have changed some," said Link, perusing the majestic landscape.

"I've never seen it, so I wouldn't know," Jade sarcastically replied.

The hero glared at the boy as he rudely shoved past the others and began walking down the path. Scarcely had Jade taken a few steps before a moving object darted in front of him. It was green, brown, and red all at the same time, appearing to be quite ferocious.

It was a little boy holding a wooden shield and a spear.

It was one of the Kokiri.

"Llie n'vanima ar' lle atara?!" screamed the boy, brandishing the spear menacingly.

Surprised, Jade jumped back and struck a defensive pose.

"Llie n'vanima ar' bochra nilt'o?!" the Kokiri boy yelled. "Ditriecht Stalf'iat no makinai!"

True, the child was fierce in his sayings, but he certainly wasn't a threat. No matter how much the boy's eye burned with anger under his shock of red hair, and no matter how much he tried to skewer the Sheikah on the end of his pike there was nothing he could do. Everyone huddled together to discuss what they should do about it, while Jade quickly grew impatient.

Seconds before Jade was about to injure the child, Link pulled him back into the center of the group.

"What are you doing?!" the Sheikah angrily whispered.

"Stopping you. He's just a kid," Link replied.

"Well what are you gonna do? He's hell bent on trying to kill all of us!"

"I'm gonna go talk to him, that's what…"

Unlatching his shield from his back, and removing the Master Sword from its sheath, he placed both weapons on the ground. Completely unarmed, he walked out from the center of the huddle and went right up to the boy. The very instant he saw Link and his bright green tunic the kid's eyes grew extra wide.

Link knelt down in front of the frightened Kokiri.

"Ti'och seilt nyetpol Mido?" the hero said in the language of the forest children. "Rogna deil servitne Zelda Perin'sat ochnel ti Hyliaot. Nishi vum'pa shku't cha klunkai Angl-ish?"

The boy's mouth dropped wide open and he staggered back a few steps. Screaming like an idiot, he ran away, dropping all his weapons.

Link could do nothing but watch the kid run off into the distance. He could faintly hear his name being yelled, but couldn't quite be sure. Footsteps could be heard behind him, and Link turned around.

"What did you say?" Sir Yozefu asked. "The kid ran like you threatened to kill him."

"I simply asked him if he knew how to speak Common. It's the human language, Angl-ish or Engl-ish I think they call it," Link replied.

"Guess he doesn't understand you," the Knight proposed, furrowing his brow.

Standing up, the hero shook his head. He knew why the boy had run away.

"No, it's not that. I think…I think he just realized who I am…"









Minutes later: A little round house made of wood

Ever so carefully, Link pulled back the curtain that blocked the entrance. Not knowing what to expect, he slowly stepped inside the house. It was warm and comfortable inside, even though some might consider it small. The house was made up only of a single room, which had beautiful silk sheets adorning the walls and a carpet intricately woven from straw.

The carpet was so plush that it felt like he might sink into it.

Memories of this house, his best friend's house, came flooding back to him.

This was Saria's house.

"I wonder where she could be?"thought the young Hylian.

Link and his friends had climbed down some vines on the side of the ledge and were now in the village. The Kokiri hid in terror when they spotted the weary travelers, and had to be coaxed out from their little dwellings. Link explained to them, in perfect Kokiri, that they meant no harm and needed to find the person in charge.

One of them directed Link here.

He stood inside now, admiring the furnishings, which were quaint but rather sparse. Interior decorating was kept to a minimum usually, and by Hylian standards, Saria's house was woefully spartan.

Link spotted a chair, and went to sit down to wait for his friend to return. Before he could have a seat, the light coming in through the doorway was being blocked by a shadow.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?!" the voice of a little girl shouted.

Whipping around, Link beheld the visage of the friend he had left behind so long ago. She wore now an olive shirt and pants, with a blue sweater underneath, just as she'd always had. A dark blue headband that matched her boots held her perfectly cropped emerald hair in place.

Glaring at Link with piercing eyes, she clenched her little hands into fists and placed them on her hips.

"Always in my house Link, always in my house…" Saria grumbled, wrinkling her nose at him.

"Well I'm very sorry," he replied. "I put a door on mine and I locked it. I've lost the key, so there."

He crossed his arms and turned away from her, but Saria knew he was only joking.

"You're still the same silly boy you've always been," she said. "Only a lot taller this time around."

"Yeah, that's true. How'd you recognize me and since when do you speak Common?" Link answered.

Saria giggled to herself before answering.

"I heard that jerk Mido yelling like a fool about you, and I've known how to speak it for a long time," she replied. "The Great Deku Tree taught us how, remember? You were there when we all learned it!"

"No, I guess I don't. It's been so long…"

To make him feel better, Saria bolted over to him and gave him a big hug. It had been a few years since they'd last seen each other, and Link did nothing but hug back.

"I'm tired of you coming and going all the time Link," said the little girl. "You come back only when your adventures are over to dump all your treasure here. You don't even spend any time with me! The longest you've ever stayed was a week!"

Link did feel bad for neglecting his old friends. Saving kingdoms and rescuing maidens had taken up most of his time. He thought about the Kokiri whenever he had a spare moment, but was always too far away to reach them.

"I used the song you taught me at least," he countered. "We talk all the time."

"Yeah, but you're never here with us!" Saria replied. "At least get rid of the junk in your house! There's so much stuff in there it's unbelievable!"









< u>Link's house

On the balcony of a home carved from an old tree, Jade and Princess Zelda stood.

In front of them was a large wooden door that denied entrance. Chains, iron bars, and locks covered it, ensuring that no one would be able to get inside.

"Jade, pick the locks," Zelda said plainly. "I need to get something from inside."

The Sheikah look at his princess as if she were crazy.

"Shouldn't we, like…wait for Link," he said. "I don't think he'd like it if we broke into his house, ya know?!"

"It's not my problem," the Princess replied. "He shouldn't have told us to wait around here. Now pick the locks."

"But Princess…"

"NO buts! Pick the locks now boy!!"

Grudgingly, Jade did as he was told. It sickened him to have to breach Link's trust like this, but Zelda didn't seem to be bothered at all. The Sheikah took out his dagger and began expertly picking each one of the heavy iron locks.

Three clicking noises came from the three big locks, signifying that they'd been opened.

Zelda pulled the bars off when the locks clattered to the floor. The heavy wooden door creaked on its hinges when she pushed it open. Stepping inside, the Princess was totally amazed at what she found.

Masks, dozens of them, hanging on the walls.

Swords and shields displayed with utmost precision.

The floor practically covered with old knick-knacks.

Even Link's tiny bed had old treasures thrown on it.

"Blech! Smells moldy," the Princess said, commenting on the odor of rotten wood.

A faint layer of dust was visible on everything, and Zelda was forced to cover her mouth so she would not inhale any of it. Trying not to step on anything valuable, she moved to each one of the masks and examined them. Zelda knew each one had a story behind it, perhaps an epic that she would have to ask Link about one day.

Eventually, she stopped at a wooden chest with a steel lock on it.

"Highness, are you looking for something?" Jade asked of his princess.

"Yes I am, believe it or not," she replied. "I think it's in here, so I'm going to need that dagger of yours one more time."

Again, Jade was distressed at her commands.

"Don't you think we should wait for Link to come back?" the boy offered.

"Don't you think you should stop telling me what to do?!" Zelda hollered back.

Jade was horrified. Her Majesty had been calm and collected only a few minutes before, but now she appeared as if she might end up striking him. As Princess Zelda glared at him, he could see a strange fire burning in her eyes. It seemed like it was influencing her thoughts and actions, forcing her to watch as her hands did things she had no control over.

"Princess, I…I don't think I can help you," the normally cocky Sheikah stammered.

"Then give me your dagger now! I'll open it myself!" Zelda snapped.

Wanting nothing more to do with this, he simply handed her his dagger and backed away.

"Hold on! Where are you going?!" the Princess demanded. "You'll stay here…as a witness…"

Zelda's words chilled him to his bones. He watched helplessly as the Princess rammed the end of his dagger into the lock. She wrenched it back and forth until the piece of metal could no longer take the strain.

Disgusted, Zelda handed Jade back his dagger, now bent into a worthless hunk of steel.

"Piece of shit!" Zelda swore. "I'll have you yet, damn it!"

Gripping the mangled steel lock, she took the end of her Omega Rod and smashed it. She was greatly satisfied when it shattered after only a few hits. Discarding the metal clamp, the enraged princess flung open the chest revealing the priceless artifacts inside.

An evil grin crept across her face when she beheld the contents.

One was a small harp, made of colorful painted wood.

The other was a golden rod with four symbols attached to the end.

"What…what are those?" Jade asked fearfully.

"The Harp of Ages and the Rod of Seasons," she plainly replied. "Powerful but trivial things compared to what I'm looking for."

Discarding the other two items, Her Ladyship continued to rummage through Link's chest. There were still hundreds upon hundreds of rupees inside, but Zelda was searching for something else entirely.

After slicing her hands up from the sharp points of the rupees, she finally found the object of desire.

Zelda pulled out was appeared to be a mask. On it was the visage of a Hylian man, his eyes and hair a stark white. Its cheeks and forehead were painted the deepest crimson, almost like it was covered in blood. The eyes stared out at the young princess in an odd way, almost as if they were telling her to put the mask on.

She began to finger the beautiful mask as if it were a precious gem. Zelda could tell its worth just by looking at it, but now that she was holding it in her hands the maiden could feel the raw power surging through it.

The mark of the Triforce of Wisdom on the back of Zelda's right hand suddenly began to glow. It had always given her serenity and clarity of the mind, but the mask's energy was clouding her judgement. Whenever she brought the mask close to her face, the light coming from the Triforce dimmed and almost went out.

Moments before she would have put it on, someone burst through the open doorway.

"Your Highness, are you in here?" Sir Jeison asked while stepping inside.

He very quickly noticed the Princess kneeling on the floor. Zelda had a disbelieving look on her face, as if she couldn't comprehend why he had interrupted her. Jeison stuck his head back outside to yell to his compatriots.

"They're in here!" the Knight bellowed. "And hurry, the Princess has found something!"

Turning back around, Sir Jeison saw that Jade was standing next to him.

"The Princess has lost her marbles!" he exclaimed. "I've never seen her act like this before!"

Ever so carefully, the Knight walked over to the Princess. He did not touch her, but merely sat down across from her on a small table. Zelda only stared at him blankly when he offered her a gloved hand.

"Princess, why don't you give the mask to me?" he softly said. "Maybe you need to get some air."

Zelda simply shook her head no.

"But I like it. It's really pretty…" she said in a monotone voice.

Then, out of nowhere, Zelda pressed the colorful mask to her face.

Immediately after that, she was screaming for her life.









Seconds later

Charging in, Link found the love of his life on her knees in pain.

Ethereal blue light surrounded her as she shrieked with all the air in her lungs. Zelda tried to pull off the mask with all her might, but it was to no avail. To her it felt like a thousand needles were repeatedly driving themselves into her skull. It was a pain more intense than anything she'd ever felt, so debilitating, in fact, that she curled up in a ball, still trying to remove it from her face.

The hero rushed to her side, but could not reach her in any way. A force field of enormous magical strength seemed to be holding him back, denying him the right to help someone in need.

Link could do nothing but watch.

He watched in awe as the Princess was transformed into something more powerful than anything he had ever imagined.

Something that could control nature and time together.

Something that could wield the Goddesses' divine magic with no trouble at all.

Something with the power to summon all the demons and ancient monsters that were waiting to be commanded.

The Princess became something that was uniquely in tune with the will of the Goddesses.

She also became something that wasn't necessarily too pure and virtuous.

She became Fierce Deity Zelda.


*****


As the light and crackling energy subsided, Link tentatively approached the Princess.

Zelda's once sky blue eyes now had no color in them whatsoever. They were white and completely devoid of expression.

Instead of her resplendent dress, she wore a short, dark purple skirt, which was covered in armor. Her midriff was bare, and the breast plate and shoulder armor was very revealing. Not that she needed much protection anyway, now that she was as close to invincible as one could ever hope to be.

Her golden blonde locks were replaced by long, violet hair that swept down her back, reaching down past her knees.

The Omega Rod she had been holding had morphed into something terrible, a painful looking sword. Two blades intertwined, creating a broadsword shaped like a double helix. Link could clearly see the Omega Ruby embedded in the hilt.

Zelda appeared as an ancient Hylian warrior, seething with unrestrained violence and malevolence.

Everyone who had witnessed her transformation was speechless.

Everyone except for Link, that is.

"Umm…Zelda, are you all right?" he inquired of her.

"I suppose," the Princess answered, her tone of voice no different than before.

"How do you feel?"

"Well, I don't know really."

"Do you feel any different?"

"Yes. In a way."

"What do you mean?"

"I…I want to destroy something…"









Th e balcony

Shoving Link out of the way, she walked out of the tiny house and onto the balcony. Zelda pointed her helix blade out at the landscape, ready to either freeze or burn the lush forest. Before she could decide which one, the Princess noticed something.

The Renegades and the hero's friend Saria were standing below her, gazing up at her new form.

"Did you know she could do that?" Gonga asked.

"I don't even know what that is," Dreck said back. "It's supposed to be Zelda right?"

"If it is, why the hell is she all strange lookin'?" said Zeta.

The Princess had heard them perfectly, and in reply, pointed her rod at them. From the helix sword came a blast of magic energy that struck out towards the three travelers. Gonga grabbed Saria and they all jumped out of the way just as the beam hit the ground, instantaneously freezing it.

"Damn it Zelda, what are you doing?!" Link yelled at the Princess.

"I told you, destroying things," she replied matter-of-factly. "I'm out of practice you see."

Again, they were horrified. Link had used the Fierce Deity's Mask once before and slowly learned to control its awesome power. Zelda, on the other hand, was drawn to the power of the mask like a bee to honey. It was already corrupting her sense of self, and needed to be removed in any way possible.

Zelda cackled in the most unearthly voice, evil thoughts brewing in her mind.

The Fierce Deity's Mask was eating away at her individuality, so Link quickly hatched a plan to retrieve it.

He glimpsed Saria climbing the ladder to the balcony to get a better look. When she got to the top, he grabbed her.

"Ack! What are you doing?!! Put me down!" she yelled, now several feet off the floor.

"Shh!" he whispered. "Remember when we were kids? How we used to play in the tall grass?"

"Yeah."

"Why don't you play with Princess Zelda?"

"Oh, sure thing."

Saria dropped to the landing and dashed towards the deranged Princess. Too busy being full of herself, Zelda didn't notice her until the last second.

"Wa ha ha! Tag, you're 'it'!" the Kokiri girl yelled, slapping Zelda on the backside.

Laughing like mad, Saria grabbed hold of the ladder and slid down it. The instant her feet touched the forest floor, she took off running towards her house.

"Ugh! You little green urchin!" Zelda exclaimed, royally pissed.

"Tee hee hee! You-can't-catch-me! You-can't-catch-me!" Saria yelled back, sticking out her tongue.

Enraged beyond all belief, Fierce Deity Zelda began to glow red with anger. She spun around to aim her staff at Saria's tree house, ready to turn it into a smoldering pile of cinders.

Turning her back on the Hero of Time was her biggest mistake.

Although Zelda gave up desperate struggle, Link had an iron grip on her. Holding her close with his right hand, he reached up and grabbed hold of her face. Link knew it would hurt badly, but he had to pull off the mask.

With one mighty tug, he ripped it off of the Princess's face.

She instantly returned to normal and instantly passed out.









The Deku Tree's Meadow

Songbirds happily chirped in the early afternoon sunlight.

Even now the grass was still dewy fresh, like it had been in the morning time.

The mild scent of rare flowers that grew only in the forest was in the air.

It was to all this and more that Princess Zelda awoke.

Moving her head ever so slightly, she caught a glimpse of a dark brown object. Rather tall, and with many branches and leaves, it was quite obviously a tree. However, there was something that set this one apart from every other tree in the forest.

This one had two beady eyes. It even had a mouth, which spoke to her in a deep, masculine voice.

"Hmm, I see that our lovely Princess hath awakened," it said.

This was the Deku Tree Sprout that had grown when the old Tree died. In the alternate timeline where Ganondorf had ruled the land, the Sprout erupted from the ground as a stunted, shrub-like plant. This tree however, was perfectly straight and very leafy and green.

One day, it would encompass the entire meadow, absorbing the hollow, rotted husk of the dead Great Deku Tree behind it.

"Worry not child, thy troubles have passed," the Tree said in a comforting tone.

Zelda sat up to find herself sprawled out on a grassy plain. Standing next to her was Link, who wore a very displeased look. His Kokiri friend Saria was there too along with Jade and the two Hylian Knights.

All were quite angry.

"Wh…where am I?" said the Princess. "What happened to me?"

"You're in the Deku's Tree's meadow," Saria answered plainly. "You did something really stupid…"

Princess Zelda had not the foggiest clue as to what she was talking about.

"Huh? W-what do you mean?" she inquired, sounding puzzled.

Looking at their irritated expressions, Zelda was left alone to piece together what had happened. The very last thing she remembered was Link telling her to explore the village. Everything after that was hazy and indeterminate.

She turned to the wise Tree for answers, of which it had many.

"Ah, Her Ladyship doth not understand the ramifications of her own actions," the Deku Tree stated. "It is of no matter, for she was not in her right frame of mind at the time."

Saria did not seem very happy with that explanation.

"What a way to rationalize it all," she said, her voice filled with contempt. "Should we celebrate this or something? Zelda could have destroyed the forest! All that wisdom and yet no common sense!"

"Temper temper young lady," the Tree retorted. "'Twas the mask that controlled her, not the other way around. Keep it away from her for now, lest it take over her body once more. In time she shall recall what hath occurred and will learn how much greed and power corrupt. We shall speak of it no more until that day."

Watching the exchange between the Kokiri girl and her mentor, Zelda suddenly became distressed. She didn't like when people kept referring to her when she was standing right next to them.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here and tell me what's going on!" exclaimed the Princess.

"Listen carefully," Saria began. "See that mask? Never ever ever ever touch that mask ever again! EVER!"

Link held up the Fierce Deity's Mask and pointed to it, driving the idea firmly into Zelda's brain. He reached inside his tunic and fumbled around in one of the pockets. Producing a small pouch, Link put the mask over the open end.

Magically, the mask shrunk to an infinitesimal size, and Link dropped it inside.

"And that was?" Zelda asked, dumbfounded.

"The magic pouch I gave him when he was a kid," Saria replied. "It makes everything really small so he can carry lots of things. It was a birthday present!"

She had gathered the components form the forest herself and sewed them too. Saria had the Great Deku Tree enchant it for here so she could present it to Link for his tenth birthday.

With the magic pouch, Link would never have to be burdened with carrying heavy equipment everywhere he went.

It was perhaps the one item that had aided him the most in his travels, next to the Master Sword of course.

"Wow! That's really convenient," Jade said

"It sure is!" the Kokiri girl happily replied.

"But why is his house such a mess?"

"That's pretty simple. Link's just really messy."









A little while later

After Zelda vowed never to use the Fierce Deity's Mask ever again, they were ready to head back into the forest to fight the Stalfos.

"Thou must be cautious Link, for I sense a great deal of dark magic in the Temple of the Forest," said the Deku Tree.

"The Forest Temple?!" Link exclaimed.

"Correct. It is the source of the evil creatures that have brought plague upon the Kokiri as of late."

Furrowing his brow, the Hero of Time tried to think of what could be hurting the forest so much. The only two people he could think of that had that kind of power were Gorkhan and Trebla'. Still, there was something in the back of his mind that told him that was impossible.

With the new Deku Tree protecting the village, serious threats to the health of the forest should have been nonexistent. Yet they were quite real, as many Kokiri had the cuts and bruises to prove it.

"So where do we have to go?" Jade asked the Tree.

"To the Sacred Forest Meadow," it replied. "Thou shalt confront Evil's minions there."

Those dread filled words resounded in their minds. Even then, the Deku Tree's serene, comforting tone of voice put new courage in them.

"Most gracious Deku Tree, thank you. I will never forget this," Link said with determination. "Okay, we'll go now. Zelda, Jade, Yozefu and Jeison will come with me. I want the others to stay here and guard the Kokiri."

"What?! You're leaving again?!" Saria complained, making a face.

Link gave her a hug to reassure her, and she sighed quietly.

"I promise I'll come back, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Can you tell my other friends that we went to the Meadow?"

"Yeah, I guess so…"

"Thank you Saria."

He patted her on the head lightly, and she skipped off to inform the Renegades of where Link was headed.

As the four people with him gathered around, he went into his pockets and located the Ocarina of Time. Placing his fingers over the correct holes, Link brought the little blue instrument to his lips.

From the Ocarina came a beautiful melody.

It carried on the wind and echoed off the rock walls of the secluded meadow.

It was a song that told of the resilience of life and gave testament to the will of the Goddesses.

From the Ocarina came the Minuet of Forest.

In a brilliant flash of green light, they all vanished into thin air.

End Chapter Six



Proceed to Chapter Seven...