Non-Pokémon The Heart of a Hero

[windskull]

As darkness and evil seep their way into Hyrule, the people find themselves in desperate need of a hero. They never expected their savior would be something inhuman. As a young forest dweller steps into the open world, he finds himself struggling with an important question: what makes a monster, and what makes a hero?

~ 8o8 ~​

Hey guys, this is my completed Zelda fic that I worked on from 7/1/2018-7/1/2023. I am now working on doing one final edit of the story, posting it here as I go. So far, I have updated the prolog and the first three chapters.

While I am happy to accept any feedback as information for the future, as it may be useful as I go through through and edit upcoming chapters, please keep in mind that chapters already posted will not be getting another update. And while they are being edited, they may still have some quirks of my older writing. Regardless, I hope you enjoy.

Rated T

Spoiler: Content Warnings

Violence, blood, mild gore, character death.

The Heart of a Hero
An Ocarina of Time AU

~ 8o8 ~
Prologue
​

The darkness of night shrouded the rolling hills of Hyrule Field, the air dead in the sweltering summer heat. Thick clouds blotted out the stars, only allowing the palest sliver of moonlight to penetrate.

Not clouds. Smoke. Thick smoke that twisted high into the air and choked out all life.

Underneath the ashen sky, a boy and his mother ran.

The boy — no younger than ten, but not yet a teen — stumbled bleary-eyed in the darkness, tripping over rocks and stumbling over roots, completely lost, if not for the steely, white-knuckled grip of his mother’s hand around his wrist.

He stole a glance behind them, trying to catch a glimpse of the Castle Town walls and the silhouette of the castle it was named after against the smoky sky.

But all he could see was an orange glow on the horizon.

For a moment, his mother slowed to a stop, her breathing ragged and labored as she coughed.

Somewhere in the distance came the howl of a wolfos, then several replying barks.

He felt his mother tug on his arm again and stumbled forward. As the smoke above shifted, he caught a glimpse of his mother in the moonlight, her other hand wrapped firmly around her waist, her teeth grit together tightly.

As they reached the top of a hill, his mother slowed to a stop to look back, then to look this way and that. In the distance, he heard the howling of a wolfos again, the only sound cutting through the night beside their own ragged breathing. She stumbled forward again.

“Mom?”

She didn’t answer. He wanted to cry out and beg for her to tell them what was wrong, where Dad was, why the sky was full of ash. But instead, he devolved into a fit of coughing. His legs felt like jelly as he covered his mouth, dragged along. Through watering eyes, he could just make out the silver outline of treetops in the distance ahead.

The forest. “You must never venture near the forest alone,” his father had told him many times before. “It is not safe, filled with monsters, and besides that…” Where was his father now? He was a knight. Was he fighting the distant fire?

He was torn from his thoughts as his foot caught on something in the darkness. His mother didn’t stop, despite his pained cry as his ankle twisted unnaturally and he fell. His dead weight caused his mother’s grip to slip away, and the sudden loss of the weight caused her to lose balance and stumble forward, falling, unable to catch herself.

The boy coughed painfully as he pushed himself to his hands and knees. Pain shot up his leg as he tried to stand back up, so he remained as he was, his throat burning in the acrid smoke.

How had he gotten here again? The night was a blur. He remembered waking to his mom’s scream. There was a shout afterward, and then… he couldn’t remember, then they were running through the town, running through the fields, the crackle of fire and the barking of dogs chasing after them. Somehow, at some point, they must have lost them. He turned back to look at his mother.

She was still lying flat on the ground, her breathing ragged. For some time, she didn’t move. But distant howling managed to shake her out of her stupor. Her head shot up in alarm. Then weakly, she tried to push herself up, only to crumple.

The boy crawled over to her, letting out a whining sound. “Mom? Momma, what’s going on?” He asked.

Only then did she look at him, her eyes squinting as she tried to make out his face. “Listen to me very carefully,” she started in a cracked, hushed whisper, raising a hand towards him. “Li... Listen. You have to run without me.”

The boy’s gaze clouded in confusion. He leaned slightly back. His mother’s hand managed to find his shoulder.

“Run into the forest. Find the great spirit there. You must beg him to let you stay until it’s safe to return. Do you understand?”

He shook his head. “N-no, no I don’t understand. Momma, what’s going on? I don’t understand!”

His mother lowered her gaze. “Home is not safe anymore. Find the forest spirit, find the forest children. Live.”

“Bu-t mom, what-what about-” He was silenced by his mom’s finger at his lips.

His mother gasped for breath for a moment, then reached out her shaking hand to cup her child’s face one last time. “Be courageous, my son, and the goddesses will protect you. I know you can do it, my little hero.”

Howling sounded again, closer. His mother jerked away. “Now run, go!”

Link stared at her for a few, horrified seconds longer, then climbed to his feet despite his leg’s protest. Turning, he limped towards the treeline.

The goddess would protect him if he was strong, right?

Then in the forest, in the darkness, he had nothing to fear.

 

[windskull]

(note, some of these early chapters have artwork, but not all chapters will)

Chapter 1: The Boy in the Forest
8o8
​

Link was horribly lost.

A field of knee-high, waving grass stretched out around him. The sky was cloudless, a full moon shining down. And yet, an eerie, unnatural darkness swallowed everything all the way to the horizon. He began walking, looking for anything familiar in the darkness. But there was nothing but grass as far as he could see.

Until suddenly, as if blinking into existence, an unnatural stone wall stretched out in front of him, washed blue by moonlight and barely backlit by a distant orange glow. He could not say why, but something about it felt nostalgic, sad, like a distant memory buried deep within his mind.

He crept forward, low to the ground. But as he drew close, a wooden part of the wall fell forward, chains rattling as they controlled its fall. He sprang back in alarm. Something, a large, white animal raced out. Two figures clung to its back: a smaller one in purple and white, and an adult-sized one wearing a dark cloak. The child looked back, and for a moment, he locked eyes with her, her eyes wide with alarm and fear. Then they disappeared, fading into the darkness.

He turned back to the gate, confused, only to let out an alarmed gasp. A second, darker animal reared up in front of him. Atop this one sat a man. His armor was dark like the night, but his hair blazed like flame. Deep red eyes glared into the night, matching the color of the stains that spattered his clothing.

The man locked eyes with him. The animal reared up. The man gave him a cruel, wicked grin as it dropped back down, giving him no time to move.
Link screamed.

~ 8o8 ~​

Link startled awake, scrambling to a sitting position. In his panic, it took him a moment to recognize his surroundings. This wasn’t an eerie field with a creepy gate and a scary man. He was still safe in bed, hands tight around his scratchy hand-me-down blanket. Sunlight filtered through the cracks in his roof and his entryway, creating little spots of light in the dim room. He took a moment to calm down and steady himself.

It was all just a dream.

Still, it had felt so vivid, so real. And it wasn’t the first time he’d dreamed of it, either.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Nonsense. Dreams weren’t real. That was just silly, childish thinking! … Right?

But he was a child, and he’d always be a child, so there was nothing wrong with childish thoughts like that.

He stretched and threw the blanket off. Enough of all that bad stuff. It was another beautiful day, and he intended to have fun.

Raising quietly, he crept to the entranceway of his stump and pulled the leaf curtain away, glancing around at the clearing. Usually, his friend was already here before he woke, but they were nowhere to be found. Were they late? Or were they waiting to sneak up on him? He wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter.

And yet, the clearing seemed perfectly peaceful, filled with the sounds of birds chirping and other animals scampering about in the forest. He could even hear the scratch-scratching of insects burrowing if he really focused. But still, no sign of his friend. There wasn’t even a trace of vanishing magic in the air.

He crept out of his home and into the clearing. Wow, were they really going to be late? They were never late! Something terrible must have happened! He needed to go looking for them! Then he looked up.

There was a flash of orange and green and brown, and Link barely had time to brace himself as a weight slammed into him from above, sending him tumbling to the ground. He let out a yelp flailing and kicking until he finally scrambled free. As he sat up and his head cleared, he was greeted by a bright orange beak, the corners twisted in an attempt of a smile, and the glowing eyes and barky skin of his best friend crouched over him.

“Good morning Link!” The skull kid exclaimed.

“Aw, no fair Skully!” He exclaimed, pushing his friend’s face away and pushing himself into a sitting position. “Where were you? On top of my house?”

Skull Kid — or Skully, as Link had taken to nicknaming him (as the boy said he had no name that he could remember) just shook his body, rattling, and gave him an amused chuckle before backing off and letting him get up. “It’s all fair, silly. Next time be faster! You were still asleep when I got here, so I thought I’d have a little fun!”

Link climbed to his feet and watched as his friend sprang back to the top of his house. “Sorry, I was having a… um… a bad dream.”

Skull Kid paused for a minute, then crossed his arms with a pout. “Bad dream? Those are the worst. You should just punch those big bad dreams right in the face. Do you know how much it hurts to get hit by wood? One of the other skull kids said they punched an adult once, and the adult cried!”

Link wasn’t sure he believed that. All the skull kids were known to tell tall tales. Still, he took a moment to look down at his hand, flexing it experimentally as he watched the pieces of bark that formed around his wooden, shadowy joints shift and bend to allow for movement.

The passage of time was all relative to Link, but it seemed like so long ago that he had become a skull kid.

He couldn’t remember much about the change, or really anything about himself prior to his transformation. Not even why he was in the forest. He remembered his name. He remembered pain and fear. But when the world went dark, the fear and pain went away. Skully had told him before that the pain and fear was dying. He didn’t know for sure if his friend was being truthful but figured it didn’t matter. All that mattered was living as he was and having a little fun.

Although… He wouldn’t mind figuring out why it always felt like he was forgetting something.

Skull Kid’s voice shook him out of his thoughts.

“Hey, Link, are you paying attention?” The other boy waved a gloved hand in Link’s direction. “I said what do you want to do today?”

Link tilted his head slightly and flashed Skull Kid a grin of too-sharp teeth before briefly ducking inside to grab a small, old leather bag. He usually wasn’t much of a talker. He talked more to Skully than anyone else, but it was often short bursts in a quiet voice. Not that he knew or hung around many other people.

His friend took his motion as an invitation to decide himself. The boy tapped his foot for a moment. Then his face lit up; he hopped down and took hold of Link's hand before taking off at a sprint.

No two skull kids looked exactly the same, but he stuck out a bit compared to others he’d met. Just in comparison to Skully, his wood was darker and ashier in color. Most eyelights were amber or maroon, but his shone an uncommon, brilliant blue. Instead of the beak-like formation most of the skull kids used to appear friendlier to the other forest inhabitants, he allowed his face to take its more natural, featureless appearance. Only when he opened his mouth to speak would anyone see his razor-sharp teeth.

Even his clothes of choice were different! He chose to wear an old, worn Kokiri tunic he had found tossed away. Or maybe he stole it. He couldn’t actually remember where he got it anymore. Oh well, it didn’t matter now!

The two came to a stop in a small meadow. Link recognized it as the area where they often played or performed music together. It also happened to be the place they first met, many, many moons ago. He could only assume that Skull Kid’s idea was a lazy morning full of music and laughter. He opened his bag in search of the handmade flute his friend had given him. But just as he found it and pulled it out, his friend stopped him.

“Wait Link! Wait, wait, wait! I have something cool to show you first! It's over here.”

Link slipped the flute back into his bag and pattered behind his friend to the taller of two tree stumps. Skull Kid sifted among a pile of leaves at the base, then pulled something free.

“Check out what I snagged last night!” The boy held in his hands a small, child-sized sword. It was rather plain with only a blade and a brown hilt, a small red gem decorating the cross guard. But still, the shiny metal caught Link’s eye. He tentatively reached a hand out to pick up the blade and tested its weight. He gave it an experimental swing. For some reason, he felt like there was something nostalgic about it, despite never having held a sword as far as he could remember.

His friend watched and let out another giggle. “I thought you might like it. You’re always swinging sticks and stuff around, it seemed perfect for you. One of the Kokiri ran off without it. You know that orange-haired one that tries to act tough? Yeah, he left it behind.” He tilted his head slightly. “What do you think?”

“It’s so cool,” Link responded, letting it rest at his side. “Can I keep it?”

“Sure!”

Link nodded and made a mental note to find something to sheathe it in later. Maybe he could steal — he meant buy — a shield from the Kokiri to go with it, too. Sure, he didn’t need them, but it could be fun! Running around, cutting through undergrowth, and slicing down the deku babas that dared to nip at his heels. He could have his own little adventure here in the forest.

The other skull kid leaned back into the leaves and pulled out an old, busted-up basket, filled with fruit and nuts. “Are you in the mood to eat, by the way? I still have some leftovers from yesterday.”

Link considered it for a moment, then shook his head. They didn’t really need to eat, even if it felt good. But the nightmare, as much as he was trying to forget it, was still in the back of his mind and affecting his appetite.

“More for me then.” Skull Kid shrugged and tossed a berry up into the air, popping it into his beak with a snap. But afterward, he sat the food aside and sprang up to sit on the taller stump finally pulling out his own flute.

“Do you think Saria might come out here today? It’s been a while since she ventured out here hasn’t it?”

It was Link’s turn to shrug. Admittedly, he had not seen the Kokiri in a while. Not in the forest at least. Perhaps she was busy in the village. She seemed to be fairly popular there. Sometimes, he wondered what his life would be like if he had lived there instead. Maybe that was why he chose to make his home so close to Kokiri Forest, even if it was more isolated from the other skull kids. He still had Skully to hang around with.

“I’m sure she’ll show up soon enough,” Skull Kid said, his eyes going dim. “I hope she does. I hope she’s not mad at one of us or something. I haven’t put any bugs in any of the Kokiri houses lately. Although… That sounds pretty fun. I bet I can dig up some tektike larvae if I look around enough.”

The boy stuck out a shadowy tongue as he brought the flute up to his mouth. He paused, pressing his fingers against the holes as he took a moment to remember the song the fairy girl had taught the two of them. “I don’t know why they don’t think it’s funny. It’s not like those tiny little bugs are gonna eat them or anything. Their house, maybe. But they’ll be fine!”

With the thought out of his mouth, he took a deep breath and began to play. The first few notes came out slowly as he warmed up, then quickly picked up into the lively tune. Link joined in, standing on the shorter stump after setting his sword aside. After a few minutes of playing in unison, his friend hopped down and began to dance, throwing in a counter melody of his own creation. Link had to hold back giggles as his friend pranced around in a silly manner.

After a few rounds of Saria’s Song, the two began to play their own melodies, songs they had made up over time. They even played a few experimental notes to try and create something new. In what felt like no time at all, it seemed like the afternoon sun was filtering from directly overhead, and the two finally settled in for a break.

The two sat with their backs against the larger stump, relaxing almost shoulder to shoulder as they ate the fruit and nuts from before and gazed out into the forest.

It seemed like the silence lasted a while, but Skull Kid was the one to finally break it.

“Do you ever wonder what it’s like outside the forest?” he asked.

Link tilted his head, an invitation for his friend to continue.

“I mean, it must be so different out there, you know? Kokiri can’t leave the forest — at least, that’s what I’ve been told — and I’ve never heard of another skull kid who wanted to. Some of the Deku venture out for business and trading, sure. But they rarely come back, and even fewer will give us the time of day to tell us about the world out there.”

Link’s response was a shrug before using his teeth to cut into the thick skin of an orange. “I never really thought about it.”

Skull Kid looked like he was going to continue, but instead, he shook his head. “Aw well, it’s not really important anyways.” Unexpectedly, he pulled Link closer, putting him in a headlock long enough to give him a noogie. Link let out a startled cry that quickly turned to laughter “Why would I want to leave when my best friend is right here!”

After a moment he let go. Link flopped onto the ground and rolled onto his back, looking up at his friend with a toothy smile. Skull Kid was his best friend for a reason. He wanted to hang out with him always.

He genuinely hoped these happy days could last forever.

Again, there was a moment of silence. Then Skull Kid stood up and offered a hand out to Link, who gratefully accepted and climbed to his feet.

“So, what next? Do you want to play a game? Maybe play a prank on some of the Kokiri? I have a great idea for one that might just literally knock their socks off.”

The offer was enticing…
But before Link could answer, the two were interrupted by the tell-tale sound of someone approaching. The jingle of a fairy in flight, and in a hurry at that.

“Hey! Hello! Is anyone out there?”

 

[windskull]

Chapter 2: Adventure Calling
8o8
​

“Hey. Hello? Are you listening to me?”

Link wasn’t paying attention to the fairy’s words. Nor was Skull Kid, apparently. At the moment, he was only focusing on her appearance. She was a smaller fairy, of the variety that lived in the fountain near Saria’s favorite spot in the forest. But her body let off a pale blue-white glow, reminding Link of the Kokiri’s guardian fairies. Whichever group she belonged to, it was rare to find a single fairy by themselves here, this far from either the forest fountain or Kokiri Forest. What was she doing here?

The fairy didn’t seem happy about being ignored. She fluttered close on gossamer wings, flying erratically between his and Skull Kid’s faces, until the two were finally forced to acknowledge her. Skull Kid raised a hand to swat her away from his face.

“Okay, okay fine!” Skull Kid grumbled. “What is it?”

“You two are skull kids,” The fairy stated matter-of-factually. “I’m looking for a skull kid named Link. Do either of you know him?”

Skull Kid paused for a second, then slowly raised up a hand and pointed to his friend. “That’s Link.”

The fairy turned to look at Skull Kid, then to Link, blinking a couple times. “Oh, thank the goddesses. I thought it might take me hours to find you.” She flew a couple circles around Link’s head as he tilted it to the side before settling on his shoulder.

“The Great Deku Tree sent me to find you,” she explained. “I’m Navi, a fairy in his service. Listen, I’ve been asked to bring you to him. Right away. So please, follow me. It’s urgent.”

Navi tugged once on his sleeve and then, without waiting for a response, she zipped off to the edge of the clearing, before pausing there and turning back to look at Link expectantly.

Link looked over to his friend, then back to the glowing speck against the treeline, then back to Skull Kid. “Do you think I should go?”

Skull Kid shrugged and stretched before standing up, offering Link a hand. “I say check it out. It’s so rare that a fairy comes to give any of us skull kids attention, you don’t pass up that kind of opportunity. Besides, it could be fun. And I’ll come too!”

Only hesitating a second longer, Link nodded and accepted his friend’s hand, climbing to his feet. He paused for a moment to stash his flute back in his bag, dust himself off, and pick up the sword from before, then scurried after Navi and his friend.

The fairy zipped ahead of them through the woods, leading them through forest clearings and twists and turns at a rapid pace, the boys having to run to keep up. Fortunately, they had already been on the edge of the Lost Woods, so it was only a short jog to the Kokiri Forest.

Upon their arrival, the fairy made a beeline directly for the far end of the valley the Kokiri called home. As Link followed her, he heard some startled cries and gasps from behind him. It wasn’t the first time he’d entered the Kokiri Forest, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d come in broad daylight. And although there was no true ill will between Kokiri and skull kids, his kind tended to avoid wide open spaces with few places to hide. Claustrophobic walls of stone and dirt protected the Kokiri from danger both from the forest and the outside world but also provided few ways to escape, a fact Link did not like one bit. He couldn’t help but feel on guard here.

As they reached the end of the clearing, Link had to skid to a stop to avoid stumbling into a Kokiri standing in his way. Navi just darted past the child. Skull Kid, on the other hand, didn’t stop in time and slammed right into Link. The two tumbled to the ground in a heap, then looked up at the other child with sheepish grins. The Kokiri, in response, glowered at them, arms crossed and face twisted into a scowl. The fairy sitting on his cap shot them an apologetic glance.

Link stumbled back to his feet, offering a hand to Skully. As he looked himself over, the Kokiri cleared his throat and spoke with an impatient edge to his voice. “Why are you two here?” the boy asked, tapping his foot.

“Hey, what’s the holdup?” Navi asked, circling back to see what the holdup was. She caught sight of the mistrustful Kokiri and, putting two and two together, addressed him. “Mido, the Great Deku Tree asked for them to come, so please let them by.”

“Oh yeah?” Mido narrowed his eyes, unconvinced by the fairy’s words, and swept his gaze between the two skull kids. His fingers were practically digging into the skin of his arms. “Why would he ask for either of you instead of me, the great Mido? The leader of the Kokiri? I don’t care if you are Saria’s friends, I’m not letting you pass!”

Skull Kid gave the Kokiri a blank, silent, unnerving stare for a long moment. Then he leaned over to Link, and with one hand cupped to the side of his mouth whispered just loud enough for Mido to hear. “Hey. Are we supposed to know this guy?”

Link shrugged.

Mido faltered, his arms falling to his sides as he did another sweep-over of the duo. Then his gaze locked on to the blade at Link’s side. A familiar blade. “Hey! Isn't that my sword?”

Link turned his gaze to his friend, who giggled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, eye-lights darting back and forth. He “found” it, huh? Before he could question his friend, however, Skull Kid jabbed an arm out, pointing to a spot behind Mido. “Hey look, here comes Saria!”

“Huh, where?” Mido twisted to look in that direction. Immediately Link felt a push at his back; Skull Kid gave him a quick shove before taking off past Mido himself, cackling. Getting the idea, Link darted off after him, the sound of Mido angrily yelling after them quickly fading as they left him behind. Skull Kid’s cackles became full-on laughter, and even Link found himself fighting back a giggle.

“I can’t believe that worked!”

Navi zipped along behind the troublemakers, grumbling something under her breath as she took the lead. A moment later, the trio reached their destination. They found themselves in a great clearing, knee-high spreading as far as the eye could see. In the center was the great guardian spirit of the forest, a tree whose branches stretched far into the sky, covering the entire field in a canopy of leaves.

“Great Deku Tree, I’m back!” Navi exclaimed. “And I found the boy you asked for!”

The tree was quiet for a moment, then a voice cracked with age reverberated in the trio’s heads. “Oh… Navi… Thou hast returned…” There was another pause. “Link… Welcome… And you as well, other child of the forest… Thou must forgive me, for I know not thine name…”

Skully’s eyes flickered, then he laughed and placed his hands behind his head, tilting. “Aw, that’s okay, I don’t know my name either! You can just call me Skull Kid, or Skully, like Link here usually does.” The boy gave Link a quick pat on the back, then turned his attention to the Great Deku Tree as the spirit began to speak again.

“I See… Whatever thy name may be… as a child of the forest, thou art welcome here... All children of the forest are under my own protection.” With the pleasantries out of the way, the tree then focused his words on Link.

“Thank you for coming, Link. I am certain thou hast many questions. I will answer what I can so listen carefully to what I tell thee… Link, thy sleep these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares.”

Link gasped in surprise, his mind wandering back to the nightmare he’d had last night. To the cloudless sky and the man with the blazing hair. But before he could voice his confusion and surprise, the tree continued.

The Great Deku Tree chuckled. “Oh ho, thou must be wondering how I would know that… There will be a time for that later, I hope... For now, time is short… As servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it. Verily, thou hast felt it.”

Skull Kid tilted his head and reached a hand up to place it on Link’s shoulder. “...Link? Have you been having nightmares lately? Why didn’t you tell me?”

That was right, he’d never told Skull Kid. Link considered for a moment before nodding towards the tree. He followed it by turning to Skully and shrugging. “Didn’t want you to worry, I guess,” he said. Whatever reasons he may have had, they were unimportant for now. He turned his attention back to the tree.

“Link… the time has come to test thy courage…” When the boy only tilted his head in response, the tree continued. “There is trouble on the horizon for this forest. I have been cursed… I need thee to break the curse with thy wisdom and courage. Dost thou have the courage to undertake this task?”

“What?” Navi drew in a sharp breath. “What do you mean, you’ve been cursed? When did it happen? How long has it been? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“Patience, dearest Navi. There will be a time to answer thine questions. But for now, thou must trust me.”

The fairy looked like she wanted to protest, but she didn’t. Instead, she turned to Link. “If this curse is bad enough for the Deku Tree to reach out for help… Please, you have to agree.”

Link looked away. “That’s a lot to take in,” he finally mumbled, letting one arm hang at his side and reaching up with the other to grip his elbow. On one hand, this was not his fight. Or at least, it should not be his fight. The Kokiri Forest was not his home.

But on the other hand, he’d always felt some sort of connection to it. And if something happened here that he could have prevented? Well, he’d feel pretty terrible. Besides, like the tree had said, even the skull kids out in the Lost Woods, like him, were offered some level of protection by the spirit. If something were to happen here, it would have an effect on the rest of the woods. So he let his hands rest at his side and nodded.

“I… I will.”

“Wait, really?” Skull Kid stood up straight, tilting his head. “Doesn’t sound very fun to me.”

Link nodded. “But it’s important. I’ll meet you back at the tree stumps later, okay?”

Skully turned his head away and didn’t respond.

Again, a silence hung in the air, and then there was a creaking. Slowly, a part of the front of the Great Deku Tree yawned open, leaving an entryway into the tree more than spacious enough for Link to be able to walk through.

“Then enter, brave Link… And thou too, Navi… Navi, you must aid Link… Link, listen well to Navi’s words of wisdom.”

“Of course, great Deku Tree. Anything in your service.”

Link looked to the fairy and nodded, and Navi bobbed up and down in response. As the two stepped forward though, Skull Kid spoke up.

“Hold on!” He exclaimed, prompting Link to turn his head. Skull Kid reached into his pockets and removed his flute. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but he knew how to use it like one. “Wait for me, I’m going with you.” He trotted to catch up to the two, and gave Link a light nudge “What, you think you could just leave me behind? I can help too!”

Link flashed his friend a toothy smile and gave him an enthusiastic nod. He’d much rather have Skully with him than go it alone. Or, rather, with just the unfamiliar fairy.

The three stood at the base of the tree for a moment, peering into the darkness. Then together, the two skull kids and Navi stepped inside.

 

[windskull]

Chapter 3: Queen Gohma
8o8
​

The inside of the Deku Tree was shockingly hollow. As the trio entered, moss softening their footsteps, Link took a moment to look around. The ceiling stretched far above him, disappearing into darkness. Thick tangles of vines grew along the wooden walls and hung down from spots above where the shape of the walls wavered, creating small shelves. A large hole in the ground yawned open in front of them, offering access to the Deku Tree's roots. Or it would, if it were not for the layer of a thick, web-like substance blocking access.

“So…” Skully began, eye-lights darting about to take in every detail, “what now?”

Navi darted over to the wall. “I think these vines should support your weight We—“ she cut off suddenly, darting away as a deku baba plant sprang out from under the moss and snapped at the place she’d just been.

Without thinking, Link lunged at the plant, slicing clean through its stem with a swipe of his sword. The bulb thrashed twice before going still. Skull Kid took the opportunity to grab it and wrench the bulb open, plucking a handful of seeds from inside.

Then he turned to Link, pointing above with his beak twisted into a smile. "See you up there!" Skull Kid said, pointing to the ledge above before jumping, vanishing in a flurry of leaves.

“Is that wild forest magic?” Navi asked Link. “Can you do that, too?”
Link shrugged before grabbing the vines. "Maybe someday," he voiced quietly, beginning to climb. “Haven’t figured it out yet.” Despite the magical abilities of his kind, he'd yet to manage to perform much magic, aside from making plants sprout just a little faster. But one day, he was certain he could be as good at magic as Skully!

As he reached the top and pulled himself up, he caught notice of his friend at the far end of the ledge, checking something on the ground out before sniffing the air. Navi flew ahead leaving Link to catch up.

"Do you smell that?" Skull Kid asked when he reached the two. He paused, sniffing. The air here was damp and earthy, but there was a hint of something something not quite right. He couldn't quite place what was wrong. His friend pointed up to the vines in front of them. "There's skulltulas up there," he reported.

Link glanced upward, catching notice of something skittering on the wall in the dim light. Navi fluttered a little higher to check it out, then returned to them to confirm it. "There's several crawling along the vines up there. If they spot you, they'll attack. You should find some way to take them out from down here."

"Oh, I can do that!" Skull Kid responded waving his flute in the air. He took a couple steps back, and when Navi flew up to point out one of the spider-like monsters, he blew a dart through with a "pftweet" sound. The skulltula screeched, and dropped from above, dead by the time it hit the ground.

"Alright, snacks! Hey, Link, wanna make a meal out of that? We never finished lunch."

"Wait, you eat bugs?" Navi asked.

"You don't?"

"Why would I? That's gross! Link, don't tell me you eat bugs too?"

Link stared for a moment, then just shrugged and gave a sheepish smile.

"Ew! Why?"

"I mean," Skull Kid interjected. "They can't eat us if we eat them first. A termite infestation is literally the worst thing that could happen to us skull kids. Do you have any idea how painful it is to have your wooden body eaten alive by those things? Do you know how hard it is to get rid of them once they burrow inside of you? It's pretty gross, the burrow tiny holes to get inside and squirm—"

"Alright alright, sorry I asked!" Navi shook her head vigorously and let out a little jingle. “Anyways, I wouldn’t recommend eating that. It’s tainted with a curse. Who knows what eating it would do to you.”

“Aww… really?” Skull Kid whined, kicking the corpse. “But I wanted to eat it!”

Then he bounced back to his usual cheerful demeanor. “Oh yeah, look what I found over here. I think we should keep it, we could totally pull some great pranks with this!

Link looked down to see a small, hand-carved slingshot lying on the ground. He leaned over to pick it up with his free hand. It looked like it had been there a while, wood dry with age. And yet, it was still in decent condition. He pulled back on the sling experimentally, then gave his friend an enthusiastic grin.

Skull Kid seemed satisfied with the answer. He reached into his pocket, digging around until he found a few of the deku seeds that he had picked up earlier. "Here, try using these, I bet you can hit that other skulltula up there!"

Link dropped his sword and pocketed most of the seeds, keeping one out as ammo. Pulling the sling back, he took careful aim, then released. With a satisfying thwack, the second skulltula fell to the ground, twitching.

He looked back to give his friend an enthusiastic smile and, after pocketing the slingshot for later use, reached down to pick up his sword and began to climb even higher. By the time he reached the next ledge, Skull Kid and Navi were already waiting for him.

"Took you long enough! Link when we're done saving this big old tree, we're working on your magic skills."

Instead of responding, Link took a look around. The ceiling of the room was just barely visible now. Far below, the ground was a green blur, light filtering in from the entrance. Most of this ledge was surrounded by the same thick, sticky web from before. But there were a few open spots visible around the path.

As the group approached one of the ledges, Navi flew up high. "Big skulltula up here," Navi announced, zipping around the bug.

"Let me guess. We can’t eat this one either," Skull Kid grumbled as they approached, waiting for it to drop. "Their legs make the best crunchy snacks."

Link gripped his sword tightly as the bug — a bug bigger than him — dropped down in front of him. It spun backward in an attempt to knock him off his feet, but he sprang back just in time, before leaping forward with a battle cry. With one neat slice down the center of its exposed abdomen, the bug fell to the ground, dead. As blood pooled around its bisected corpse, Link noted the blood didn’t look normal; the normally blue blood was almost purple. Was that an effect of the curse?

Putting it aside, Link stepped over the mess and looked over the edge. From his vantage point, he could make out the hole in the floor almost directly below him. Looking to his right, it seemed like there was nowhere else to go.

“Should we jump?” he asked.

"I think…" Navi started, taking her time to consider her idea carefully. "I think if you were to jump, you would have enough force to break through the webs. And the webs would break your fall, so you shouldn't get hurt by it."

Link considered for a moment. But before he could come to a conclusion on if it was a good idea or not, Skull Kid cackled and sprang past him, pulling his legs up into his chest to do a cannonball as he fell through the air. Not wanting to lose the material to break his fall or be outdone, Link sprang after him.

The webs had already started to sag under his friend's weight by the time Link landed on them, and he only lost the tiniest bit of momentum before falling again. Fortunately, a shallow pool of water below them broke the remainder of the fall sending up two large splashes as they made contact.

It took a moment for Link to orient himself, briefly stunned. Water was already seeping in through the gaps around his joints, soaking into his wooden body. As soon as he saw a raised ledge in the shallows, he swam over to it and then climbed up onto dry land, Skull Kid right behind him.

"Aw, water, really?" The child grumbled, shaking with a rattle. Water flung off his clothing in all directions. "I hate the feeling of getting soaked. It’s going to take forever to dry out!"

Link gave him a nod of agreement, reached down to wring some of the water out of his clothing, and then lifted his head to look around as a small puddle formed around him. They appeared to be in a cavern under the tree now, roots weaving between the rock and dirt. Across a small gap of water, he could see another room, blocked off by more webbing. To the side, there was a taller ledge across the water. Too tall to just climb up; the only way forward for the time being appeared to be beyond the webs.

Backing up a few steps first, Link steadied himself, then made a running leap to cross the gap to check out the blockade. Skull Kid followed a moment after and looked them over.

"Do you think you could cut these down?" He asked.

There was only one way to find out. Link tightened his grip on the sword and swung with all his might. The strike made barely a noticeable dent in the mess of web, and when he pulled the sword back, bits of web clung to the blade. He shook his head.

"What about fire?" Navi suggested.

"Fire is an absolutely terrible idea." Skull Kid responded. "Do you have any idea how deadly fire is? Besides, where would we even get fire in a place like this?"

"You guys didn't see the torch behind you when you jumped?"

Link turned back. Sure enough, the ledge they had just come from had a single torch lighting it up. It was amazing that they didn't notice one of the few sources of light, really.

"Who just puts a torch under a tree? Why would we notice something like that?" Skull Kid responded.

"Because it's so out of place?" Navi answered with a slightly frustrated edge to her voice as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "As for who put it here. Probably some of the more intelligent monsters lurking around down here. Why though, I have no clue."

Link chose to just shrug. All that mattered was that they found a way to get the fire to the web. He started to walk back towards the edge, but let out a cry when he suddenly felt something snap around his ankle and pull him off his feet.

He twisted around, just in time to see another deku baba plant retracting, preparing to strike again. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet. As it reared up to strike again, however, a sharp, pointy object — one of Skull Kid's darts 3 stabbed it in the head, stunning it. Link wasted no time in thrusting forward to cut it off at the base.

The mild danger now over, Link took a moment to assess the damage around his ankle. There were small punctures in his bark, but the plant had not bitten down hard enough to break through the outer layer. It might sting for a little bit like a scratch, but he would be fine.

Satisfied, he glanced back at the plant’s remains, an idea forming in his head as he reached for the thick, slightly springy stem.

Setting his sword aside for a moment, he stood and jumped back across to the first ledge with a running leap. "Stand back," he called out to his friend as he approached the torch. With a slightly unsteady hand, he reached out, keeping as much distance between his wooden body and the fire as he could. The stem smoldered for a second, then ignited. As soon as did, he spun around and leaped back across the gap, sprinting to the web-covered area.

As soon as the fire made contact with the webs, they burst into flame, quickly burning into nothing. Link immediately tossed the stem into the water and moved to pick up his sword again.

Skull Kid let out a relieved sigh. "Don't do that again." And with that, the three continued on into the formerly blocked-off chamber.

This area was almost entirely empty, save for a single bush in the middle. No, not a bush. When the boys drew close, the bush sprang up, revealing glowing orange eyes and a wooden body. But not the body of another skull kid. No, this one was one of the short, leafy Deku Scrub people.

The wooden creature eyed the boys warily, glancing up at the fairy flying behind them, and then to Link. "You," it began, addressing Skull Kid finally. "Why are you here?"

"Oh you know," Skull Kid responded nonchalantly, stepping out in front. "Playing hide and seek, causing mischief, normal skull kid things."

The scrub seemed to consider his words for a moment. "You should leave. It is not safe here. Unless… Perhaps, you're looking for a special kind of mischief?" The scrubs's eyes seemed to twinkle in the dim light.

The words caught Skull Kid's attention, and even Link perked up a little. "What kind of mischief are we talking about?" He asked.

"Oh, A very special type of mischief, I can promise you that. Queen Gohma can tell you all about what to do. But you'll have to get past my brothers first. If you speak to them in the correct order, they'll let you inside." The scrub stood up pointing in the direction of a passage behind him. "The order is two, three, one. Or twenty-three is number one if that helps you remember. Just follow the path, crawl through the little passageway, and then jump down the hole when you get back to the big room. You can't miss it."

And without another word, the scrub burrowed back into the ground.

The trio continued once again, Skull Kid leading the way with a spring in his step. "Wow, I was just joking about the mischief, but I bet we can do something really hilarious when we get to the bottom. Do you think there's some really cool pranking items? Do you think we can totally spook some of the Kokiri?"

Navi hung back a little for a moment until they entered the next room. "You… you're not really planning on listening to that monster, are you?"

The Skull Kid paused, then looked back. "Monster? He seemed like a nice enough guy. Deku Scrubs aren't that bad if you get to know them. They even have their own kingdoms! Sure they don't trust many people. But humans attack them too, so why would they?"

"Okay, sure, the Deku aren’t usually monsters," Navi responded, flying in front. She came to a stop in front of a ledge. Water stretched out in front of them, and another ledge was just barely visible on the other side of the room. A large, floating platform akin to a raft sat nearby, and Skull Kid hopped down onto it, Link following after. Using his sword, he pushed off to make them begin floating towards the other side.

"But I'm worried about this 'Queen Gohma,' and the type of mischief he was talking about." She lowered her voice as they reached the far side and climbed up onto solid ground. "I have a bad feeling this 'queen' of theirs is the cause of the Deku Tree's curse. We might have to fight her."

Neither skull kid replied right away. There was a small cliff up ahead. Link tossed his sword up to the top and then, with a running start, sprang forward in and tried to grab hold of the top, but came just short. Skull Kid chose to use his teleportation magic again, then sank down to his stomach to offer Link a hand to help pull him up.

"Well, wouldn't fighting her still be mischievous anyways?” Skully asked. “Either way it's a win-win for me!"

“But…” Navi trailed off with a sigh.

Lapsing into silence, they passed through another small chamber before the path curved back to the right, opening up to a large room that appeared to be a dead end.

"Do you think this is where that crawlspace is?" Skull Kid asked, beginning to move along the left side of the room in search of a hole.

“Maybe,” Link replied, searching the other side. After a moment, his wall curved out, and in the dim light Link could barely make out the shape of a small hole. More light seemed to pour from the other side.

"Found it!" he called.

"Link! Watch out!"

At the fairy's sudden cry, Link whipped around, sword in hand, just in time to swing blindly at the monster charging at him. It bounced back, letting out a shrill shriek.

He had no clue what he was looking at. It walked on two widespread legs, hobbling this way and that. A single, leaf-shaped object grew from the top of its round body. And in the center, it had a single emerald eye. As he caught his balance and readied himself for a fight, both its eye and the weird appendage turned red. Then it sprang. He responded with a thrust, sword driving into its eye with a disgusting squelch. It let out a garbled cry before falling back, dead.

But no sooner than he had defeated the one, he heard a crackling noise above. Glancing up, he let out a cry as he noticed another one of those strange creatures, half-hatched, dropping from above. Before he could move, the monster fell on top of him, knocking him off his feet.

The creature hopped away, and Link scrambled to his feet before it could strike again. Across the room, he could see Skull Kid engaging with a similar monster.

It gave the same tell-tale sign of attack as the previous had. This time he rolled to the side as it charged, already on his feet by the time it turned to face him again. It hobbled back as he charged. He swung wildly to the right, and then to the left, both blows connecting. While it was reeling, he charged forward, driving his sword deep into the monster's eye, killing it near-instantly.

Safe for now, he turned his attention back to Skull Kid, and the monster that he had been fighting. Fortunately, his friend seemed to be fine. In fact, he seemed more than fine, having made a game out of the fight. When the monster would charge, he would teleport away, leaving a few ethereal leaves behind. When he reappeared, it would turn, and he'd blow a dart into its eye. It seemed almost blind now, green liquid oozing down its body as it acted only on rage.

As it focused on Skull Kid, Link turned to finish the job. With a loud yell, he sprang forward and struck from behind, bringing his sword down and cutting a neat gash into its body.

One shrill cry, then silence.

Now safe, the adrenaline rush crashed. Link sank to the ground, steadying himself as he tried to recover.

Skull Kid rushed over to his friend's side, lowering his weapon. "Link? Are you okay?"

Navi, too, flew over to look the boy over.

Link nodded. He’d only suffered minor scrapes, no amber leaking out of his wood. His body ached where he’d been hit, but it was hardly worse than the normal aches of roughhousing with Skully.

"I'm fine… what were those?"

"Gohma larva, I think," Navi explained, hovering close to check the injury. "We should get moving. The queen can’t be far now. Are you okay to go?"

Link gave her a nod, and then the fairy landed on his shoulder. He took one last glance around the room for trouble before standing, leading back to the spot where he'd found the hole. He got back down on his hands and knees and began crawling through, Skull Kid following after.

"Hee hee, I see your butt," Skull Kid giggled childishly from behind him. Link, too, giggled in response.

Fortunately, the crawlspace wasn’t long, and Link soon found himself back in the room they had first fallen into. He stood up, brushed himself off, and turned back to offer his friend a hand. Now that they were up here, they could see the big hole the deku scrub had been talking about. Far below was another pool of water.

Skull Kid sighed at the sight of the water. "Well, here we go again." He jumped first, tucking his legs in as he had before. Link followed behind and landed with a splash beside him, kicking to the surface as soon as he’d recovered.

The duo swam for dry ground, dragging themselves out with Navi just behind. As they recovered, the sound of rustling leaves caught Link’s attention. He looked up, catching sight of three pairs of glowing amber eyes staring back at them. The trio of Dekus.

"We're not alone," he whispered.

With a giggle, Skull Kid shook off some water and approached first, running for the middle one, and gave it a light tap on the snout when it raised up. "Hi!" He turned to the one on the right and tapped it as well. "Hello!" Then finally he cartwheeled over to the one on the left and gave it a light tap. "Hey, did I do it right? We wanna see your queen."

The scrub blinked, seemingly shocked by Skully’s enthusiasm. "You… Are you one of us? I suppose you know the code but… He turned his gaze back to warily stare at the fairy resting on Link's shoulders. "Why does your friend come in Kokiri clothing? Why the fairy?"

"Oh he's just a little odd is all." Skull Kid responded quickly. "She's just here in case we need a little pick-me-up. Did you know humans sometimes catch fairies in bottles in hopes they'll heal them later? It's so weird!"

The scrub considered his words for a moment. If he could, Skull Kid would have been sweating.

"Let me speak with the queen. You wait right here."

"Hold on just a second!" Skull Kid responded quickly before the scrub could move. He reached his hand into the pocket. "Maybe this will convince you we mean no harm?" Suddenly, he whipped his hand out, smashing a deku nut on the ground. There was a sudden flash of bright light.

"RUN!" he called to Link. But Link was already running. While the three scrubs were still recovering, the two dashed past and down the winding hall.

The room was dark. So dark, that the only light was the faint glow of Navi and the two skull kid's eyes. And… something dim, on the ceiling. Link looked up, and then cried out in alarm.

A great beast dropped from above, landing in front of the trio. Although they could not make the features out well in the dark, it appeared to be similar in appearance to the smaller larval monsters they’d battled earlier. Only bigger. Much, much bigger.

This had to be Gohma.

The monster's eye glowed red as it charged it charged. The skull kids scattered, Link rolling to the side, and Skully teleporting a short distance away.

"Okay, this is starting to get a bit tiring," Skull Kid called out. "I may have overdone it a little! I'm not sure how much more magic I can do right now!"
Gohma turned its attention to the older skull kid, and for a moment, he froze in place. She charged again, swinging out one leg and sending him flying several feet with an "oomph." By the time he scrambled to his feet, she was already rushing at him again.

"Skull Kid!" Navi called out from the other side as Link ran across the room. "Shoot its eye when it turns red! Its eye!"

Skull Kid didn't have to be told twice. As it made another attempt at slamming on top of him, he sprang back and then shot a dart into the monster's eye. The monster screeched with rage. Then dropped to the ground as it swatted at its eye, trying to pull out the foreign object.

Link, having reached his friend, lunged forward, driving his sword deep into Gohma's eye. He pulled it back out with a twist. The monster screamed in agony, green blood gushing from the wound. Blindly, it swiped out to try and sweep him off his feet. Link jumped, but wasn't quite fast enough, tumbling to the ground. He barely had time to scramble out of the way as the monster came charging, rushing past him to climb up onto the wall and then ceiling.

Gohma turned back towards them, blood dripping down onto the floor. Link motioned to Skull Kid to prepare himself, and the other boy readied another dart. As soon as Gohma steadied itself for another attack, he shot it, and, caught off guard, the monster fell to the floor, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

Not wanting to waste another minute, Link rushed in, this time hacking and slashing at the surface of the eye covering it in bloody gashes. The monster tried to swing out at him again, but this time he was ready. And as soon as it finished it missed, he jumped, driving the sword as deep into its eye as he could with his momentum.

It screeched, and thrashed, and threw Link off, sword still buried deep. He rolled a couple times with an "oof," and got to his feet just in time to see the monster blindly crash into a pillar. It stumbled, once, twice, then let out a dying scream before falling to the ground.

There was a long, tense moment of silence, then a ring of light appeared in the center of the room an unfamiliar rune glowing at the center. Link limped over to pull his sword free. None of his injuries appeared to be serious, fortunately — just scrapes and possibly a few small cuts — but he would feel them for some time yet.

"We did it!" Skull Kid cheered before racing over to his friend to give him a hand. "That was so cool! Totally gross, but cool! Come on, let's get out of here and go celebrate!" Then he paused. “Wait, how do we get out?”

“There,” Navi said, gesturing to the ring of light. “The Deku Tree must have had a warp rune placed here at some point, in case anyone had to come down here.”

Skull kid squinted at the run, then shrugged. “Works for me. Sounds way easier than trying to climb out.”

And with those words, the trio stepped into the circle and relaxed as a gentle, warm light surrounded them.

 

[windskull]

Chapter 4: Cracks
​

Using a warp rune was a new experience for Link. It felt different from a skull kid's teleportation magic — or the closest approximation he knew. His attempts at trying to use the skill always felt cold and empty, like trying to push through a solid wall of nothingness. Skull Kid said that was normal, and he had no reason not to believe him.

The warp rune, however, felt warm and inviting, like being wrapped up in a cozy blanket. And it didn't require any energy or concentration to work!

As the feeling faded and he opened his eyes, he found himself standing back in front of the Great Deku Tree again, Skull Kid and Navi beside him.

"Well done Link… And you two as well, Navi, and young Skull Kid…" The Great Deku tree's words reverberated all around the trio as they turned towards him. "Thou hast verily demonstrated thy courage…"

Link grinned sheepishly at the praise, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't have done it without the help of Navi and Skull Kid, he was sure of that. How fortunate he was to have at least one friend in this world! Speaking of Skully, the other child sprang forward with lighthearted laughter and wrapped his arms around Link from behind in a big hug, throwing him off balance.

The jubilant atmosphere did not last for long, however, as the tree continued to speak in a low rumble.

"Link, now that thy task is complete, I have yet more to tell ye, wouldst thou listen…"

Link turned his attention back to the tree, tilting his head up and blinking a couple times before taking a seat in the grass. Skull Kid, curious, sat down as well.

Once they settled, the speech resumed. "Now...listen carefully...A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me…"

8o8​

When the Great Deku Tree's story concluded, it left an uneasy feeling in the air. He'd spoken of great power, great goddesses, and great evil. Of danger approaching. Of a man seeking power to destroy everything. Although Skull Kid did not seem too concerned with the implications of the story, Link couldn't help but feel like a burden had sunk into his heart.

Yet as heavy as the story already was, the spirit still had more to say. "Thou must never allow the desert man in black armor to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce… Thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend… That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power… Because of that curse, my end is nigh…"

There was a quiet jingling noise as Navi hopped to alertness and flew up into the air. "Wait, what? Great Deku Tree, you must be joking. You can't… you can't be—" She cut off with a choked cry.

"It is so… Though your valiant efforts to break the curse were successful, I was doomed before you started… Yes, I will pass away soon… But do not grieve for me… I have been able to tell you of these important matters… This is Hyrule's final hope…"

Now Link had climbed to his feet, and even Skull Kid seemed to be paying close attention. He felt something brush his arm. Looking up, he could see a few leaves — dried to greys and browns — falling from the tree's branches. A sickly shade of grey was creeping up from the tree's roots. Link clenched his fists. He… He had a feeling he understood what the tree was trying to tell him.

"What… What do you want me to do?"

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

A soft glowing light appeared in front of them, similar to the magic of the warp they'd used before. When it faded, an ornamental stone dropped to the ground. Link stooped to pick it up.

He ran a thumb along the gem's surface. It was large, big enough that he had to use both hands to hold it. The brilliant green gemstone was cut into a circular shape, sparkling in the late afternoon sun. It was nestled within a golden piece that curved around the side, and then around to the front.

Too large for his pockets, Link chose to stuff it into his bag.

"The future depends upon thee, Link… Thou art courageous…" The Deku Tree finally stated before turning his speech to address the fairy beside Link. "Navi the fairy… Help Link to carry out my will…"

"B-but— Great Deku Tree, what will we do without you?" Navi stuttered. "How will we—"

The Deku Tree cut her off, voice growing weak. "I entreat ye... Navi… Good...bye…"

There was a deep, creaking noise as the tree let out his final words. The grey rot overtook him. Then… Nothing, save for the wind rustling the ancient spirit's leaves.

The Great Deku Tree was dead.

Link, Skull Kid, and Navi stood in silence for a long moment, unable to find their words. It was Navi who finally broke the silence, her voice cracking as she swayed in the air.

"Goodbye… Great Deku Tree…"

She remained like that for a moment longer before forcibly perking up and giving Link a little nudge against his cheek. "You heard him. Let's go to Hyrule Castle, Link."

Link hesitated for a moment, giving the husk one last sorrowful look. Then he stooped down to pick up the sword and turned to walk away.

Skull Kid finally snapped out of his stupor. He ran a few paces to catch up to Link. "Wait, you can't be serious, can you? You're not really leaving, are you?"

Link paused and slowly turned back to look at his friend. Skull Kid placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you know how dangerous it is outside the forest? You've never been out there — well, as far as you can remember. I know everything sounded bad, but wouldn't it be better to just… stay here and wait things out? It might not even happen! That guy the tree was talking about needs all three of these rock things, right? And if he doesn't know where you are, how is he going to find it?"

Link considered his words for a moment staring before letting his gaze fall to the ground. Skull Kid had a point. The idea of leaving the forest that had shaped every memory that he could remember was, quite honestly, terrifying. He didn't want to go. But…

"I have to try," he finally responded quietly.

He felt Skull Kid's hand lift from his shoulder. When he looked back, the boy had taken several steps back, expression spooked. "Link, the people out there… They don't view people like us as… as people. To them, we're monsters. What if something happens? What if they don't listen? What if… What if something happens to you?"

Link's gaze fell again. Navi floated down beside him. "I understand what you're saying but… I need to do this. The Deku Tree asked me to. He wouldn't do that if he thought I couldn't do it. And… it only feels right."

"She'd probably just have you killed!" Skull Kid's voice raised in shrill panic. Link had never seen him like this.

"Nonsense," Navi chimed in. Skully snapped his gaze to her, glaring, but she refused to back down. "What's gotten into you? Don't you understand how important this is? Besides, I'll be with him. That should be proof enough that he's trustworthy."

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT!" Skull Kid screeched with such fury that Link finched. Silence seemed to stretch out forever before he brought his hands up to his chest and spoke in a quiet, faltering voice.

"You… why do you want to leave so bad all of a sudden? D-did did I do something wrong?" Skull kids could not cry, but the sniffle and the shaky, cracked voice, gave away Skully's feelings. His hands dropped to his side, head hung low. His body shook, giving off the slightest rattle.

Link reached out to give his friend a comforting pat. But before he could, Skull Kid clenched one hand into a fist and smacked Link's hand away with the other.

"Fine! Just leave! Go away and don't come back!" His voice dropped and became mournful, tinged with years of bitterness. "Everybody always leaves…"

Before Link had a chance to protest, Skull Kid shoved past, the wind rushing around them as he tried to warp away. But his magic was expelled, and he only made it a few feet before falling flat on his face. In an instant, though, he was back on his feet, racing away.

Link's arms dropped to his sides, chest aching with emotion. His friend… His best friend… He had never seen him more upset than acting mildly inconvenienced or annoyed. This was new. And that scared him.

"Link… You should go find him." Navi's voice cut into his thoughts. "He seems like the type of kid to act really rashly when he's upset. But… I bet if you two just talked about it, he'd feel better. Maybe you can leave on a better note."

Link had his doubts but… He nodded. He couldn't leave like this. Not when his friend was hurting.

He gave one last look back to the corpse of the deceased spirit, then, tightening the grip on his sword, he headed back towards Kokiri Forest.

8o8​

"What did you do?"

Link failed to make it very far without interruption.

As he'd reentered the forest, the fairy boy from before, Mido, stood in his path, blocking his way back to the lost woods.

"The Great Deku Tree… did he… die?"

"Mido," Navi answered. "It's not what it looks like. There was—"

"No, don't defend him." Mido interrupted. "I think it's exactly what it looks like. What happened? This is all your fault" The boy stomped to the side, fists clenched, then stabbed a finger towards the entrance of the Lost Woods. "Get out! And don't come back!"

Link took off without looking back, eyes trained on the path back to the Lost Woods.

"And if you see Saria," the boy yelled after him, "don't you dare lay a finger on her! You hear me?!"

8o8​

Skull Kid was not in their favorite clearing. Nor was he in any of their other usual spots. Checking his tree stump home, as well as Skull Kid's, proved fruitless as well. The typical clutter of trinkets in Skull Kid's home looked untouched; Link doubted he'd come back here at all.

With a sigh, Link turned and pushed back through the tangle of vines that hid the entrance. Moonlight filtered through the trees, bathing him in pale light. Night had fallen some time ago now, and Link couldn't justify waiting too much longer. If he didn't find his friend soon, he'd have to leave without saying goodbye. Crestfallen, he took a seat on a rock outside. Navi hesitated before perching on his shoulder.

For a moment, the duo sat in silence. Navi was the one to break it. "Has he ever reacted to something like this before?"

Link simply shook his head and pulled his knees up to his chest. He stared out into the shadowy forest and barely reacted when Navi gave him a comforting nudge.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can find him." She said encouragingly before hesitating. "…I hope. We can't keep searching forever. The Great Deku Tree put his trust in us. Is there anywhere else you two hang out?"

Cheered slightly, Link thought back to their most common places to play. There was the valley that most of the other skull kids lived in, but he doubted his friend would go there when he was so upset; though they had much in common, the two of them were not nearly as close to the rest of their kind as they were each other, or Saria even. Then there was the pond where they liked to fish… but he doubted his friend would want to be anywhere around water after their little adventure. That left—

His thoughts were interrupted when the distant mournful sound of a flute caught his ears, carried on the wind.

Saria.

The Sacred Grove.

Without a word, he sprang to his feet and dashed off, Navi desperately clinging to his sleeve.

"What is it, Link?"

He raced through the forest, expertly dodging over stumps and around boulders. The woods may twist and turn to throw off people. But the Lost Woods were just as much his playground as his home. And he could not be thrown off by its magic.

The flute grew louder and louder until he reached an overgrown clearing, scrambling across gullies left by ancient streams.

Rock walls sloped up on either side of him, heralding him into the meadow. He paused and sniffed the air. Skull Kid was here. And so was someone else. They too, smelled of the forest. Of fallen leaves and forest dew but with a hint of wildflowers and dirt beneath it all. Even though it had been weeks since he'd last seen her, he could recognize that scent anywhere.

The flute music came to an end, growing quieter until it stopped completely. Link stayed back and hid as a quiet clapping responded.

"That was lovely, Skull Kid," Saria's voice wafted from the side. "Did you make it up yourself?"

"No." Skull Kid still sounded as dejected as he had when he ran off. "I learned from some f— from some people a long time ago…"

Link heard Saria hum the tune for a moment. "Well, it really is beautiful, if sad. Does it have a name?"

"I… I don't know, actually."

"Maybe you can teach it to me sometime?"

"Maybe…"

Crickets chirped. In the distance, a wolfos howled. For a while, it was quiet. Then Link could make out a quiet sniffling. Then sniffles turned to sobs. When Saria spoke again, her voice was quiet, concerned.

"Are you okay? I've never seen you like this…"

"I'm fine…"

Saria did not sound convinced. "I heard Mido say that you and Link went to see the Great Deku Tree earlier. Did something happen?"

Link crept a little closer.

"It's not important…"

"Skull Kid, I've never seen you apart from Link since you two met. Especially not like this. It's clearly very important."

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Because I consider you my friend, Skull Kid. And I worry about my friends when they're upset."

Skull Kid was quiet for a long, long moment. Link started creeping forward to take a peek at his two friends, but shot back down when he heard the other child blurt out "He's leaving me!"

Navi began floating towards them, but Link grabbed her and pulled her back down, bringing a finger up to his face in a shushing gesture.

Skull Kid's voice cracked as he continued. "H-e-he he s-aid he was gonna-na leave, be-be-because—" he cut off and took a long deep breath in an attempt to steady his speech. "Because the tree told him to."

Link finally peeked from his hiding place. Both Skull Kid and Saria were sitting on the ground face-to-face. But Skull Kid refused to look at the Kokiri.

"I-I don't understand. He… I thought he cared about me, a-and he's just gonna leave me behind because a tree told him to! A-am I not important? I-I thought we were… were best friends…" The boy dropped his head into his hands. "I thought Link thought I was special? He barely even knows the Deku Tree. Were we ever even friends to begin with after all?"

The child sniffled. Saria slowly lifted a hand, then gave him a gentle pat on the back, and he sobbed.

His head tilted skywards as if crying out to the goddesses themselves. "What's wrong with me? WHY DOES EVERYBODY ALWAYS LEAVE!?"

Total silence. Even the bugs had ceased their noise. Saria said nothing. But she slowly scooted around so that she was sitting beside Skully and reached out to wrap an arm around him. Skull Kid, surprisingly, accepted the gesture, leaning into her side.

"Every friend I ever had— thought I had. Everyone always leaves…"

"Oh, Skull Kid," Saria said quietly. "That's not true, you know I would never leave you, right?"

"That's what everyone says…"

Navi could not stay quiet any longer.

"That's not true!"

Skull Kid sprang to his feet, spinning around. Saria whipped her head around but stood slowly. Link, cover blown, slowly emerged from his hiding spot. Skull Kid squeezed his hands into fists before lowering his head and averting his gaze.

"H-how long have you been there?" The boy mumbled.

"Since you quit playing your music," Navi responded, fluttering around Link for a moment before flying over to the other two. "We've been looking for you all evening Skull Kid, Link's been worried sick!"

Skull Kid tilted his head up to look at the other skull kid. Link's eyes seemed to waver in the dark. "You… have?"

"Of course we have! Why wouldn't he be worried when his friend runs off all upset?"

"Then… did you decide to stay?"

Link averted his gaze. "Well…"

"Oh."

An awkward silence stretched out. But, surprisingly, it was Link who broke it.

"I… didn't mean to hurt you when I said I was leaving. It's just… You know better than anyone I've always felt… connected to the Kokiri Forest. Like there's something I'm forgetting that I had to do there before… you know… And… maybe this was it."

"But," Skull Kid countered, "you don't even know the Great Deku Tree. You've known me for a long time, and you're going to choose some tree over me?"

"... I did meet him, once. That's how he knew my name."

Skull Kid's beak fell open. He said nothing.

"It was… a little bit after we first met, I think. I was sneaking around the Kokiri Forest at night and got my directions mixed up. I ended up in front of the tree and it started to rain, and he offered me shelter."

"I remember that," Saria piped up. "It was when we first met, too. You fell asleep among the Great Deku Tree's roots. I woke you and sent you on your way before anyone else could find you there."

Link nodded. "So when his last request—"

"Last?" Saria interjected.

"He…" Navi brought a hand to her mouth. "You don't know yet? I… I'm sorry, The Great Deku Tree is dead," When Saria opened her mouth to let out a gasp and took a step back, she added, "Saria, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. We were trying to save him but… it was too late." She hesitated before adding, "I know it's a lot to take in... But there will be time for mourning later. Let us finish the story."

Saria turned her head, covering her face with her sleeve. Her voice threatened to break with emotion when she said, "I see…"

"He asked Link to take something to the princess of Hyrule. And that's what led to now."

Saria looked like her legs might give out. She slumped unceremoniously to the ground.

"Someone really evil hurt the Great Deku Tree. That's why Link is leaving to warn the princess. Because if the bad guy wins, we could all be in danger."

Saria knit her brows together and took a deep breath. "It's… a lot to take in all at once. I guess I'm not all that surprised. About you leaving, I mean. You've always been a little different, certainly different from myself and the Kokiri, but different from the other skull kids too. But, even when we're apart, we can still be friends, right?"

Link considered her words, then gave a nod, his mouth parting to show the smallest of smiles.

Then he turned his attention to Skull Kid, who had turned away.

"Skull Kid… I'm sorry. I didn't know how much my leaving would hurt you. But, I won't be gone forever. Once I deliver the stone, I should be able to come right back home. And then we can go back to playing again. No matter what, I swear I'm going to come back."

Skull Kid finally looked back up. "Do you… do you promise? You have to promise that you'll come back." He held out his hand, extending a pinky.

Without hesitation, Link reached out and linked his pinky with Skull Kid's, then pulled his friend in for a big hug. They embraced for several minutes before Saria cut in.

"Sorry to bother you two, but… If you really do mean to leave, I have something for you, Link." She reached into her pockets and fished something out. It was an instrument, made of wood and similar to a potato in shape.

Link pulled away and accepted the instrument in his hands. It was suspended on a string, allowing him to place it around his neck.

"This is a Fairy Ocarina. It's carved from the wood of the Great Deku Tree. It has magical properties because of that. If you play my song, you can talk to me at any time. And if Skull Kid is with me, you can talk to him too."

Link's face lit up, and he leaned forward to give Saria a hug too. "Thank you so, so much Saria. I'll take good care of it."

Saria smiled sadly. "Why don't we get you set for your trip then, so you can leave first thing in the morning. You need a scabbard for that sword of yours. And you could really use a shield too. I can get you one from the Kokiri Shop. But then I need to start… preparing funeral arrangements I guess… It's weird. Death isn't usually something we Kokiri have to deal with."

Skull Kid sniffed, then wiped the bottom of his beak with his glove. "I think Mido has a scabbard that he isn't using. I could get it for you."

"I thought you didn't know who Mido was," Link pointed out.

"Did I say that?" Skull Kid responded, looking away in faux innocence. If he was still upset, he sure was doing a good job of hiding it.

Link laughed. He was really, really going to miss these guys.

8o8​

Dawn came far too soon. When the group parted ways, Link headed straight home to rest up. But he'd first spent time getting his belongings stashed away. Skull Kid would watch his things, but he couldn't risk some other skull kid or a wild animal stealing all his stuff or worse: moving in.

His friends were already waiting for him when he reached the bridge outside Kokiri forest, pale light leaking through the tree branches. Saria held a small, wooden shield at her side, while Skull Kid hid a scabbard behind his back, grinning sheepishly. From a distance, Link couldn't catch Saria's words, but she certainly looked like she was giving one heck of a lecture. He only managed to catch the last few words.

"So, as I was saying, please stay out of Mido's hair. He's a good guy once you get to know him, really."

"I'm a pretty good guy too, but you don't see me bragging."

Saria shook her head with a sigh. Then, noticing Link, put on a smile. "There you are! We've been waiting for you!"

Link smiled, and Navi popped out from under his cap. He approached Saria first, giving her a hug before accepting the shield, strapping it onto his back.

She gave him a wistful smile. "Stay safe, okay?"

He nodded, then turned his attention to Skull Kid. He took the scabbard first, adjusting it so that he could sling it over his shoulder before sheathing the sword, then quickly wrapped his friend in a big snug hug.

"Ack! Link! Too tight!"

Link released his friend with a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

Skull Kid gave a satisfied nod, then leaned in to give Link a looser hug. "Remember, you promised."

Link returned the embrace, gaze flickering to the ground. "You know you could come with me if you wanted to."

For a moment, Skull Kid's eyes lit up. But he quickly pulled away and shook his head. "Thanks, I'd love to go on a big adventure with you, but… I don't think they could handle the two of us. Besides, who would watch all your stuff then?" He giggled, then grew more serious. "But you better call Saria every day. I'll be waiting to hear from you!"

Link nodded slightly. "Don't worry, I will. I'll be back before you know it."

Skull Kid nodded and finally let go, taking a step back, and tapping his hands together nervously.

For a second, Link closed his eyes. He could just stay here. He wanted to stay here with his friends. But fate had other plans. So, with one final wave to his friends, he took off, dashing through the tunnel leading out of the forest.

The forest path continued for some time, long enough that the sun rose and filtered through the leaves. But finally, the trees began to thin. To either side, the ground inclined steeply until, finally, the trees came to an end.

Link raced to the top of the hill. In front of him stretched of waving, knee-high grass. Like one of the meadows that dotted the Lost Woods, but larger. Much larger. A few trees dotted the landscape here and there, but otherwise, it was grass as far as the eye could see.

As he slowly made his way out to the open, he heard a heavy flutter of wings behind him. Curious, he glanced back, only to yelp and reach for his sword as he stared at a humongous brown owl perched in the tree above him. He'd never seen a bird that big; it was larger than him!

"Hoo hoo, there's no need for weapons my boy, I mean you no harm."

Link looked unconvinced, but slowly let his grip on the sword loosen when the bird made no movement to swoop down on him.

The bird went silent, studying Link. It flipped its head upside down — or was it right-side up? The pattern of feathers created the illusion of a fake face.

"So, you are Link," the owl began. "Well, well, it looks like the time has finally come for you to start your adventure! I must admit, you're not at all like I was expecting" Before Link had a chance to question how the bird would know anything about his quest, let alone why he would know something like his name, the bird continued with more cryptic statements.

"The goddesses have chosen you for a special task. If your fate plays out the way I believe it will, you will encounter many hardships ahead... That is your fate. Don't feel discouraged, even during the toughest times!"

"I… I don't understand," Link stammered. But the bird ignored his confusion.

"Go straight this way and you will see Hyrule Castle. You will meet a princess there… As long as you keep straight ahead, you can't miss it."

"But what if we do?" Navi asked, emerging from Link's cap to speak for him.

"You can't. Castle town is the only walled city nearby. You should reach it by nightfall. Did you get all that?"

Link nodded his head slowly, before opening his mouth to question the bird. But he didn't get the chance. With a mighty heave, the owl took to the air.

"Wait!" Navi called out. "At least give us your name!"

"You may call me Kaepora Gaebora, small one!" The owl called out behind him as he climbed higher. "We will meet again later, so do take care!" And without another word, the owl vanished over the trees, leaving Navi and Link with more questions than answers.

For a moment, Link stood in stunned silence. But Navi was quick to shake him out of it.

"Come on, Link, we should hurry if we want to make it to the castle by nightfall!"

The thought of being left exposed in the dark was enough to get the skull kid moving. With a quick nod, he took off in the direction the owl suggested.

Next stop, Hyrule Castle.

 

[windskull]

Chapter 5: Humans and Monsters
​

"Wait!"

But the drawbridge did not wait. Link skidded to a stop, teetering dangerously and threatening to topple over into the moat below.

Navi bumped against his chest, giving him the slightest of pushes back towards stable ground. He fell back with a thump, and the drawbridge rumbled to a stop in front of him.

Link sighed, glancing back to the setting sun. It dipped below the horizon, painting the sky a blazing orange. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the sound of a wolfos. Involuntarily, he shivered; it wasn't safe here.

He climbed back to his feet and, keeping low to the ground, crept around the edge of the town walls, hoping in vain he'd find some other way in. Not even teleportation magic could help him here — even if he was skilled enough to use it, he needed to know the area he was warping to.

By the time he'd given up, stars twinkled in the sky. He turned away from the wall and back towards a nearby tree. It wasn't the sturdiest, a dwarf in comparison to the behemoths of the Lost Woods. But it was large enough that he could climb up and rest comfortably in it for a while. He took off towards it at a trot, continuing to stay low to the ground.

As soon as he was close, he sprang up, grabbed hold of the lowest sturdy branch, and swung higher to a thicker branch that he could sit on. It would do for now.

Link sat with his back to the trunk watching the rising moon. It took only a day of travel to get here, but it already felt like he'd been gone from the forest forever. Already, he missed playing music with Skull Kid in the moonlight or playing tag with other skull kids in the deep woods. He even missed sneaking into the Kokiri Forest in search of abandoned rupees and knick-knacks (and sometimes not-so-abandoned treasures, if he was honest with himself. But hey, he could say with pride that he never attacked someone to take their valuables, so that was something!)

I don't like it here, he thought, reaching a hand up to brush his bark along Saria's ocarina. Hyrule Field, Navi had called it. It wasn't like the forest, with hiding places everywhere. Instead, he felt open and exposed, only able to crouch in the grass to hide from passersby. Not that he had encountered much, save for the occasional deer or other wildlife.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sounds of dirt shuffling below him, rattling coming from within. A rattling not unlike his own. Curious, he glanced down. A skeletal hand broke the surface, dirt cascading down as the rest of the arm emerged. A head poked out of the ground; a skull, more specifically. Then the rest of the unfamiliar creature. It was humanoid, but the creature's face jutted out more than a human skull would, giving a more canine appearance. More creatures emerged from the ground further out, shaking the dirt from their bony limbs.

"Navi, what is that?" Link whispered to the fairy peeking out from under his cap.

"They're stallchildren," Navi explained in a hushed voice. "They're a species related to stalfos."

"Where do they come from?"

"Stalfos usually come from two places — adults lost in the woods, or people who died in battle. Stallchildren are… well… I don't know for sure. The Deku tree never told me."

"That's it? But—" Link's voice caught in his throat. Below, one of the stallchildren was staring right at him.

He blinked, his glowing blue eye-lights flickering out for just a split second, and the creature's red-orange lights blinked back. Slowly, it raised a hand in greeting. He slowly waved back.

"I think it's friendly," Link whispered to his fairy.

"They're not known to be friendly to the living," she countered. Then she hesitated. "But you're not really alive either, are you?"

Link tilted his head inquisitively, shrugging.

"Never mind, we'll talk about it some other time."

His curiosity getting the better of him, Link slid down from the tree, clinging to the branch until he was hanging. He landed with a soft thump, face-to-face with the undead.

A couple more of the stallchildren took notice of him and hobbled over, curious. As he tilted his head at the stallchild in front of him, it mirrored his movements. Then it turned to talk to the other two in hushed whispers.

"What is it? What is it?"

"Is… it is not human?"

"Is not like us? What is it?"

One of them — the largest one — hesitantly reached a bony hand out. Link took a step back. But that only made it lunge. It took hold of his arm, ignoring his cry of surprise, and looked it over.

"Is wood, like tree!"

"Is tree?"

"Is a tree!"

"I'm not a tree!" Link countered, and when he spoke, the one gripping his arm recoiled suddenly.

"It spoke!"

"It speaks!"

"What is it, then?"

Navi, building up her courage, popped out from beneath Link's hat and fluttered in front of him defensively. "He is not a tree. He is a skull kid, from the Lost Woods!"

"Not tree!"

"A fairy!"

"Skull kid!"

The first one spoke up, addressing him directly. "You are skull kid from the forest… and… have fairy. Is a skull kid friendly?"

He considered the question for a moment, then nodded. "If you are friendly, I am. My name is Link."

"Link!"

"You are similar to a tree, but also similar to stallchild. Why?"

"Because he is similar to a stallchild," Navi explained. "He was lost in the forest when he was young, he became a skull kid, like you became a stallchild when you died."

"Me? I don't remember being not a stallchild!" The leader argued. The other two nodded in agreement, rattling.

"I don't remember not being a skull kid either," Link admitted. He was surprised how easy it was to slip into conversation with the stallchildren, almost as easy as talking to Skully. "All I remember is my name. And pain, and then being a skull kid. Everyone says I was not a skull kid before, but they don't know who I was."

The stallchildren seemed to think it over, then the leader nodded in acceptance. "Well, tonight, you are Friend!" It threw its hands up in the air, rattling its bones.

The other two threw their hands up in the air and said in unison, "Friend!" Before Link could say anything else, the three started walking in a circle around him, doing a funny little rattling dance.

Until the first one suddenly stopped and turned to address Link again. "If friend is from the forest, why is friend so far from forest?" It asked.

Link pointed to the walls beyond the moat. "I'm trying to get inside to go see the princess."

The leader let out a tiny surprised noise, while the other two looked at each other and with whispers of "princess?"

Then the leader laughed. "Friend is funny! Humans not let monsters into town, unless monsters bring wares and good tidings for sale!"

"I'm not a monster!" Link argued.

"Humans not see it that way."

Link clenched his fists. He wanted to argue, but… with his wooden body and glowing eyes and pointy teeth, and the dark spirit energy that allowed his body to move, maybe humans wouldn't see it that way.

On the topic of merchant monsters, Link could only guess that they meant the Deku Scrubs he occasionally saw peddling goods from their flowers. Sometimes, they would tell stories of great human towns if they were bored, for a few rupees of course.

"They won't let anyone in till morning," the leader continued, with agreeing echoes of "morning" coming from the other two.

Link sighed. He expected as much, but he'd hoped he wouldn't have to wait until morning. The night had just fallen and that was so far away! He wouldn't even be able to pass the time with a nap, with all the stallchildren about.

"Would Friend like to play while he waits?"

"Friend play?"

"Can play with friend?"

Play?

Link considered the invitation. On one hand, he didn't want to tire himself out. But at the same time, he would likely not have another chance to relax until he returned home. Maybe it wouldn't hurt?

So finally, the skull kid nodded, earning cheers from the trio in front of him.

"Yay!"

"Come this way, this way!"

The stall children hobbled off, Link chasing after to dance and play and make music as the stars twirled by overhead. Until, at dawn's light, the stallchildren said their goodbyes and burrowed back into the earth, leaving Link and Navi alone.

8o8​

Castle Town was nothing like the Lost Woods or even Kokiri Forest. Stone buildings rose up every way he looked separated only by wide cobblestone paths. Already, even though it was only the crack of dawn, many people milled about, chatting by the fountain or standing behind counters trying to catch the attention of passersby. A couple of children laughed, screaming as a small dog chased them through the streets. A woman hung clothing outside of a window.

After his time talking with the stallchildren, Link couldn't help but be nervous. How would they react to him? Deciding not to take a risk, Link kept to the shadows, taking care not to let anyone lock gazes with him. Images of his nightmare swirled in his head, mixing with his imagination to create images of humans with fire chasing after him.

He was almost all the way across the center square when his attention drifted. In the distance, he spotted the castle spires peeking over the buildings. He glanced back towards the square to make sure he was not being followed. His eyes locked with someone.

She was a young girl, short, only about as tall as he was. Her skin was tanned like she was in the sun a lot. Like many of the humans around here, her clothes were, wearing work boots and a white dress that was only decorated by the blue trim at the bottom and along the sleeves. The only other clothing of note was a bright yellow handkerchief tied around her neck. The pale clothing stood in contrast to her hair, blazing orange like fire.

And she was staring right at him. He froze, but she made no motion towards him. Nor any motion to call for help or point him out.

"Don't just stand there, Link," Navi hissed. "Move."

Carefully, he crept along the side of the building, keeping his eyes on the girl. Still no movement. When he reached a side road, he made a break for it diving out of sight. Hopefully, that would be the end of his problems.

Soon, the buildings became more spread out, then gave way to grassy fields. Two dirt and stone walls heralded him forward as the distant castle grew closer and closer. Every so often, he glanced back to see if someone had spotted else had spotted him. But the path was always empty.

Eventually, the dirt path opened up into a hilly clearing. Beyond it, the castle stood starkly against the morning sky. As he stalked into the open area, he heard heavy wingbeats. Turning to the right, he spotted a tree with a single bird in it. The owl from before was back. Though this time, he said nothing, instead just watching Link with an unreadable expression.

Link adjusted the strap of his scabbard nervously. Why was he here, watching him? He tried to put the thought out of mind, focusing on the path ahead.

As he crested the nearest hill he came to his first obstacle. Ahead, the road was blocked by a massive stone arch, metal bars crossing the path. Two bored guards stood in front of it, staring ahead.

He dropped to the ground, peeking through the grass. They hadn't seemed to notice him yet. But walking forward would certainly end in being turned away. At best.

"What to do…" he mumbled.

Navi poked out from under his hat and began to flutter about, reminding him of her presence. "Wait here for a second." Then she disappeared over the hill, leaving him alone in silence for some time.

"Link, over here!"

Link glanced up and over in the direction of the fairy's voice. She had stopped in front of a spot on the wall, hovering in place. As Link approached to get a better look, he noticed thick vines coating one side, leading all the way to the top. He could climb from here.

He took a moment to adjust his equipment, then, taking a hand hold of the vines, began to scale the plants. Just like in the Deku Tree. Just like at home. It was almost second nature, finding hand-holds and sturdy footing.

As he pulled himself over the top, he could get a better look at the path ahead. As he suspected, past the gate the path continued, another field and a bridge separating him from the castle.

He slowly crept towards the gate, but as he drew close, he noticed another guard. He would continue further, but the cliff he was on came to an abrupt end where the bridge met. Perhaps he would have a better chance if he waited until night. But… that was so far away. No, he had to press onwards, even if he did stick out in daylight like a sore thumb.

He came to a stop at the edge of the bridge. If the guard had noticed him yet, he did not react. Link glanced down the side of the path and saw, disheartened, that several more guards lined the cliff, looking down into the path below. What was he supposed to do in this situation? He didn't have the skill to warp past him.

Maybe his best option was to try just walking up to them and hoping for the best.

Slowly, tentatively, he approached the adult, keeping himself low to the ground and hoping he appeared non-threatening. The man finally seemed to take notice of him as he crept closer and took an aggressive stance, holding his weapon — a long spear — out in front of him.

"Halt, monster! What do you think you're doing here?"

Link froze, the stallchildren's words coming back to him

"I— I was just—" He stammered, taking a step back as the guard stepped forward. "From… from the forest, to see the princess?"

The guard jabbed his spear. Link yelped and dove out of the way, scrambling back on his hands and knees.

"You're not welcome here. Begone or I will end you!"

"But I—"

"Link, go." Navi hissed from behind him.

He scrambled back to his feet. And then, not wanting to be pushed off the bridge or worse, just turned and jumped himself, falling off the side and landing with a roll. Springing back to his feet, he scampered around the corner and out of sight.

Once out of view, he leaned back against the stone and dirt wall and sank to the ground, hands over his knees. "That went well," he mumbled.

"Do you think they might move when it gets dark? Or at least later in the day?" Navi asked. "I hate to wait for so long, but maybe when they change shifts, it would give us a chance to sneak by?"

Link gave the fairy a nod and sighed, closing his eyes. Looks like they were waiting after all. Waiting could be so boring though, and it was only just barely morning!

He dug into one of his pouches, pulling out a berry snack and a handful of gemstones. Rupees, if he remembered correctly. Maybe he could pass a little time in town. If he didn't get chased out.

With something to do for the time being, he stood and began the walk back to the town square.

Link was quiet as they made the trek back to town, head turned down slightly. Navi fluttered along behind silently, for a time. But eventually, she broke the silence, concern tinting her voice.

"Link… are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he murmured, shaking his head.

"Is this about the guard?" She asked.

No answer.

"I'll take that as a yes."

He slowed to a stop. Navi landed on his shoulder. "I know it's awful and awfully mean, but you do have to remember that the forest-dwelling races don't leave very often, the only exception being the Deku Scrubs. They can't really be blamed for not knowing what you are."

"I guess…"

"Besides," she continued. "He's a guard. It's his job to turn people away." She paused for a moment, then nuzzled up against Link's cheek. "Now come on, let's find you some food. In fact, going into town may not be a bad idea. I'm sure there will be some people there at least that are more open-minded. Hylians aren't the only race in Hyrule, after all."

Link lifted his head, slightly cheered. With just a bit more pep in his step, he continued on back towards the town.

8o8​

The town square was even busier by the time they returned. Some of the merchant stalls now had large crowds gathering around them, making it impossible for Link to get close. More still stood about in groups of two or three, gossiping.

It was too much for Link. Too crowded. Too noisy. Even in its busiest times, the Kokiri Forest paled in comparison. He drifted about in a daze, looking over the stalls as best he could while keeping to the shadows, hoping to find something interesting. But each one just seemed busier than the last.

Someone much bigger bumped into him. He stumbled, while the adult just kept on walking like they hadn't noticed. Before he caught his footing, another almost trampled him; he only just managed to scamper out of the way.

With an anxious cry, he retreated to the edges of the square, choosing to stay out of the madness. Hoping it would be emptier later, he turned his attention to the buildings along the edges of the square.

One particularly gaudy place caught his eye, walls painted green with red and gold fabric draped along the sides. A huge, equally gaudy sign adorned the building above the entrance.

"Happy… mask… shop…" Navi read slowly, as if in disbelief. "Sounds… silly."

Link crept towards the entrance, Navi only noticing a moment later. She let out a distressed jingle."

"What are you doing?"

Link shrugged. "I wanna check it out." Then, before Navi could say anything else, he opened the door and stepped inside, forcing her to give chase.

The inside was even more extravagant than the outside. An ornate carpet greeted Link's dirt-covered boots. Above him hung stained glass orbs, torchlight shining from inside. More fabric draped the walls.

But the real stars were the masks.

Shelves, filled with dozens of masks, lined the walls. One was a green monster with a blue band painted along the eyes. Another, a horrifying human face. Then there was one shaped like a rock, and one that looked like a fox. All of them amazing in their own right.

"May I help you?"

Link yelped, nearly jumping out of his bark. He turned his attention to the counter at the far end of the room. There stood a man, still as a statue, adorned in robes of royal purple and gold and with a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear.

The boy slowly approached the counter, tilting his head.

"Hiyee!" the man started in an overly cheerful tone, clasping his hands together. "Welcome to the Happy Mask Shop! We deal in masks that bring happiness to everyone!"

"Everyone?" Link asked, awed.

"Everyone?" Navi echoed skeptically.

"That's right!" The man replied. "Everyone! How would you like to be a happiness salesman?"

"Uh…"

"Allow me to explain." Before Link could react, the Man leaned forward, close enough that he could smell his breath. "I'll lend you a mask. You sell the mask and bring the money back here. If you want to read the fine print, take a look at the sign right over there." He gestured stood upright again, gesturing to a huge sign on his right. "After you've sold all the masks, you will become happy yourself! Simple really, you see?"

"I mean—"

The man leaned in again. "Your masks will be filled with happiness, you just need to have faith… believe… believe…"

Link took a step back, feeling like tektites crawled under his bark. He did not like this man.

Before he could decide what to do, something caught the corner of his eye. With a deep breath, he stepped forward again, hands on the counter.

"What if… What if I just wanted to get that one?" He pointed to the side of the man's head to a white mask, carved into the shape of a horned skull.

"Link, we shouldn't waste money," Navi hissed.

"But I wanna get it for Skully," Link protested. "He loves masks! I know he'd just love that one."

"Ahem." The salesman glared at Link but still held that wide smile. "I'm afraid I cannot sell you the mask. You see, these are for the business arrangement I mentioned. No, I cannot sell, it but I can lend it."

Link considered for a moment. "Okay. Lend it to me."

"I can't do that either. First, you have to sell this mask."

The man reached up to grab the mask that looked like a fox. He pressed the mask into Link's hands.

Link looked down to the mask in his hands, then to the salesman. Then to the skull mask. Back to the salesman. His grip on the mask tightened, eye-lights flickering and narrow.

"Link…"

Suddenly, he chucked the mask at the man's head with all the force he could muster. The man stumbled and fell back, dazed.

Immediately, Link vaulted over the counter, jumping to reach the skull mask.

"Link NO!" Navi called out.

He paused, looked at the fairy, then fished a couple of rupees — a blue and a green — from his bag and dropped them in the man's lap before vaulting back over and dashing out with a cackle.

"See, I paid for it, technically not stealing!"

Navi let out a frustrated huff and mumbled a quick "sorry" before chasing after the skull kid.

Once he was outside, Link took a moment to turn the mask over in his hands, admiring the handiwork.

Only for Navi to bonk him on the cheek, getting up in his face. "Link," she started slowly, stressing her words out. "That was a horrible idea. You could have gotten yourself in serious trouble! Do not. Do. That. Again. Understand?"

Link stared for a moment, then smiled and laughed, nodding. Okay, maybe he took things a bit too far. But everything turned out okay.

With a sigh, she turned her attention to the market stalls around them. "Let's just take settle down. I could use something to eat, even if you don't need it. And…"

But Link had stopped paying attention. The scent of baked fruit wafted on the breeze, leading him away and to a stall with pastries sitting on the countertop. Many had already been bought in the morning rush, but there were still several left.

It was so tempting to just grab one and run — the woman wasn't paying any attention. But Navi had just gotten onto him. He knew better.

Speaking of the fairy…

A light weight bopped the back of his head. "Hey! Don't just run off like that! Please!"

Link turned to look at her, staring for a moment before raising an arm to point at the stand. "I want some of that."

Navi followed his gaze and let out a sigh. "...Okay. Pick one. I'll have a little of whatever you get."

"I want them all," he replied.

"Two. No more. You need money for other things too."

"Fiiiiine." Navi was no fun.

Navi approached the counter first, Link following close behind. The woman running the stand had her back turned, wrapping more pastries while she hummed.

"Excuse me," Navi said, loud enough to catch the woman's attention.

"Yes," the woman started, turning. "How may I help yooouUUUUOH MY GODDESSES!"

Link's eyes flickered. Was… was she okay?

"My… goodness," she started, still clutching at her chest. "Aren't you a… unique little one? I've never seen someone like you around here."

Navi flew into the woman's line of sight before landing on Link's head. "It's okay. He's with me. He saw your display and just had to get something."

"Oh…" She started, eyes on the fairy. "Of… of course! What would you like, um, little one?"

Link took a step forward, looking over his choices. He was vaguely aware of the tension in the woman's arms as she watched him.

"Remember," Navi said. "Two."

After some deliberation, Link pointed first to a rectangular pastry, then to one with fruit folded into it. "These two… Please?"

"Of course!" The woman responded, reaching for a paper to wrap them in. "That will be… seven rupees, please."

Link reached into his money pouch, looking at the rupees inside quizzically. "... Navi, how much is seven?"

"You can give her a blue and two green ones, Link."

"Isn't that three?"

"The blue one is worth five."

Well, if Navi said so. With a nod, he fished for the change, placing the three rupees on the counter. The woman slowly and carefully handed him his pastries in return, eyes on his rough wooden hands.

The boy flashed a toothy grin, then scurried away again, Navi fluttering behind. "Thank you!" she called out to the woman before turning her attention to Link.

"Let's find someplace quiet to eat. Okay?"

8o8​

Even after all the time he spent in the village square, it was barely sun high when the skull kid wandered back towards the castle.

As it turned out, there wasn't much to do if he just kept to the shadows and avoided people, and he soon found himself bored. And boredom meant trouble. For someone else.

Or it would, if not for Navi there to whisper in his ear and remind him that he couldn't take that risk. Thus, his return to the castle.

But he still had the rest of the day to pass. Poking at a line of ants weaving through the grass with a stick. He took a seat down beside the vines he'd climbed before. During their exploration of the town, he and Navi had agreed the best time to go was when the guards changed, jumping off the bridge and taking the waterway in.

Growing bored of the ants, he reached into his bag for the last of his berry pastry. As he munched on it, Navi settled on his knee. "I'm going to go scout ahead," she announced, "So I can find the best route into the castle and watch for when the guards change. Is that okay? Will you be alright for a little while?"

Will you behave yourself for a little while?

The words were left unspoken, but Link could hear the firmness in her voice. He nodded, wordlessly holding out the pastry for Navi.

Satisfied, she ripped off a tiny portion, then took to the air.

"Stay here, okay?" When he nodded again, she fluttered off, the quiet jingle of flight fading as she left.

Once Link finished his food, he started to doze off for a while, but even that didn't last long, and he was back to being bored.

Wait. Music! He could play music. That could pass some time, at least. He sat up and reached into his pocket for his flute, then instead grabbed the ocarina from Saria. He slowly turned it over, getting a proper look at it for the first time, and realized that though he knew quite a bit about music in general, he had no idea how to play the ocarina.

He brought the instrument up to his mouth, clawed wooden fingers to cover the holes, trying to mimic the way he had seen Saria hold hers. Hee blew softly into the instrument, playing a single, out-of-tune note.

Well, it was a start.

Blowing into the Ocarina was different from his flute. He had to position his mouth differently and make sure he was properly covering each of the holes. Adjusting, he blew again, much more satisfied with the note that came out this time. He raised a single finger, comparing the sound. It was higher. Fewer fingers mostly meant higher.

He could not say for sure how long he spent picking notes at the ocarina, but finally, he had figured out enough to replay Saria's song. He played the song, picking out the notes slowly, then faster as he memorized each note and finger placement, until finally, he could play the whole thing up to speed.

As he brought the instrument away from his mouth, he heard soft clapping to his side.

At once he was on his feet, stashing the ocarina away and reaching defensively for his sword. His audience gasped as he stood frozen.

A moment later, he recognized her. It was the girl from the marketplace, the one who locked eyes with him earlier in the morning.

The girl was equally petrified. But when she made no move to harm him, he relaxed, and she, in response, relaxed too. She smiled, clasping her hands together.

"Wow, you're really good at music. Did you write that song?"

Link blinked once, his blue orbs flickering out and then back. "Oh, no, one of my friends made it up," he replied shyly, staring at the ground.

The girl giggled. Whether due to his reaction or something else, he was unsure. But he couldn't help but smile sheepishly back.

"Hee, hee, I've never seen anything like you before. What are you?"

His smile faltered. Not who, what. Being referred to as a thing hadn't bothered him as much when the stallchildren had done so; surely, they had little interaction with others. But the Kokiri always referred to him as a person. And he'd assumed that humans would too. In fact, the marketplace adults had referred to him as a person, had they not?

But she was a child like him, he reminded himself. Perhaps she did not know. Perhaps it had just been the slip of her tongue. Still, his mind drifted back to the way the guard from before had referred to him, as a monster.

Forcing the thought out of his mind, he finally responded, "I'm a skull kid, from the forest."

She giggled again, repeating the words a couple times to get a feel for them. "Skullkid… Skull kid... Hee hee, that's a silly word. Do you have a name, skull kid?"

"Link."

The girl tilted her head from side to side, then clasped her hands together. "Link is a funny name, but it fits you! My name is Malon! Do you know any other songs?"

Link wasn't sure if he should be flattered or insulted, but he chose to take it as a compliment. It was better to have friends than enemies, right? His hand reached back to grab the fairy ocarina, but instead, he pulled out his more familiar flute.

He took a second to adjust and then began to play, fingers expertly flying up and down, playing a merry tune. He swayed from side to side in time with the song.

Malon clapped along to the beat, occasionally letting out a laugh or a little cheer. For a moment, he forgot where he was, eyes flickering out as he imagined himself back on the tree stumps in the Lost Woods, playing along with his best friend. It had only been two and a half days now since they'd last played. But it already felt so, so far away.

When his tune came to an end and vision returned, he was not in the noisy green forest clearing, but the quiet road on the way to the castle. Disappointment roiled in his chest, but he pushed it away.

Malon clapped. "That was so cool, Link! Do you know any more songs?"

Link nodded, but before he could even raise the flute, Navi flew down from above, urgency in her voice.

"The guards are about to change, Link. We need to go now, or it may be a while before we get another chance!"

Link looked to the side to Malon. He was having fun… but this was more important. He nodded to Navi, stuffing his flute back into his pockets, and turned to climb the vines like he had before.

"Wait!" Malon cried out, reaching an arm out to grab his shoulder.

Link paused, looking back to the red-headed girl. She pulled her arm away, then hesitated.

"Are you… going to the castle?" When Link nodded in confirmation, she continued. "In that case… could you… do me a favor and look for my dad? He went to the castle this morning for a delivery, but he hasn't come back yet, and I'm getting worried… His name is Talon. He's wearing a red shirt and blue overalls — do you know what those are? Anyways, he's reaaaallllly big." She stretched her arms out wide.

Well… he was going to the castle anyway. It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out. He nodded to the girl again. She started to say something, but Navi's voice cut in. "Come on Link, we have to go now."

With no time to spare, Link waved a final goodbye before he turned his focus back to the climb, scrambling up just as he had earlier.

 

[windskull]

Chapter 6: Castle Crawl​

This time, Link was careful to edge along the cliff side, keeping out of the guard's line of sight as they approached the overpass. It was difficult out in the open. But once they were on the other side, it would be easy to keep to the shadows. As he neared, he noticed another guard approaching

The new guard swung the gate open and tapped the other on the shoulder. He relaxed, turning to give the new arrival a greeting. The bridge was unwatched. This was his chance.

Light as a leaf, link dashed forward diving under the bridge. He pressed himself into the shadows and let his eyes flicker out, waiting to see if any alarm was raised.

Silence.

He slid along the rock wall for some time, following the path as Navi instructed him until she abruptly told him to stop. Ahead, he could see another guard blocking the path.

Navi zipped around to face Link. "Stay still and watch for an opening," she murmured. "I'll cause a distraction." Then she zipped ahead. More silence followed, long enough for Link to get antsy. What was taking her so long? Then, finally, he picked up her voice ahead. He poked his head around the corner, watching.

Navi was flying at the guard's eye level nearby, circling back every few seconds. "Oh… Oh dear…" Several tense minutes passed before the guard finally acknowledged her.

"Are you looking for the Fairy Fountain? I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to access it right now. Part of the cliff collapsed over the entrance last week, It will be some time before the guard can clear the debris."

Navi flew closer, shaking her head. "No, I've been separated from my traveling companion. Have you seen any children around here recently?"

The guard turned his head to follow her movement. That was probably the most Link could hope for. He scrambled forward and up a steep hill. At the top, an open field with a winding road led to the castle. Other than a couple guards near the gates, it looked uninhabited.

"This area is restricted to people on official business only, you would do better to search back towards the town." The guard's voice made Link glance back down the hill. Navi said something that he couldn't hear, then zipped away back towards town. Then, a moment later, she popped up from over the ridge, out of sight of the guard.

Link made his way towards a nearby tree, meeting Navi at its base. She landed on his shoulder, speaking in a hushed whisper. "There's another vine wall you can climb over to the left. That will get you past the gates, at least, but the drawbridge is up. I didn't have time to search for another way in."

Link nodded. It was a start. He glanced around one more time to make sure there were no more nearby guards, then made a mad dash across the field, scrambling up the vines like his life depended on it.

He flopped over the top, tense, waiting for the sound of angry guards. But all he heard was the rustling of foliage in the wind. Finally, after what felt like forever, he crawled to the far edge of the ledge. On the other side was a narrow walkway. Beyond it, a moat. No immediately obvious guards.

He slid down the steep ledge and onto the cobblestone path. As his feet skidded, dislodged rocks clattered ahead of him. He landed heavier than he expected.

"Is someone there?"

Link froze before pressing against the wall He heard footsteps and the clanking of armor, letting his eye lights flicker out. Footsteps came closer. Closer…

"Hey!"

At the one word, Link darted forward, shoving past the surprised guard. The man stumbled with a startled yell, lost his balance, and toppled into the moat. Link kept running.

By the time the guard had recovered, he had already passed the drawbridge. As soon as he had reached the end, he skidded, turning a sharp left. Behind him, he heard the guard calling for help, driving him to run faster.

Panic flared in his gut as he realized he'd run towards a dead end. Sheer walls blocked him in, alongside several boxes and… a sleeping man?

The man sprawled out on the stone walkway reminded him of the description Malon had given him. For just a second, indecision slowed him down. Should he say something?

Navi brought him back to attention with a jingle. "Link, Look! There's a hole in the castle wall where the water is running out! It's a bit of a gap, but if you take a running start, maybe you can make it!"

The skull kid nodded, watching as Navi darted to point the spot out. The sleeping man was almost directly in front of it. Shouts and footsteps grew closer... He only had one shot at this.

Deviating from his path, he dashed towards the man at an angle. Gathering every bit of strength he could muster, he leaped, one foot landing hard on the man's side, and sprang off of him.

His fingers dug into the wood lining the waterway. For a moment, he hung. His feet skidded on the slick stone walls. With a grunt, he pulled as hard as he could and dragged himself onto the lip, scrambling into the hole.

Claustrophobic walls closed in around him, his shoulders brushing nearly brushing the sides. He inched forward until he was out of sight, then paused. Behind him, he heard voices.

"What in tarnation is going on here?" One voice asked.

"Mister Talon? Why are you still here?" Another asked.

"That's not important," a third one said. "Have you seen a monster come through here? It was an ashy grey-brown and wearing dirty green clothes."

The first voice grumbled for a moment. "Can't say that I did, as far as I can remember. But I reckon something fell on me a moment ago. M' side's hurtin' something awful all of a sudden."

"The monster must have attacked him before running off. But where could it be?"

"Keep moving," Navi hissed. "Before they figure it out!" She gave Link a little nudge from behind, then darted under his hat.

She was right. The last thing he wanted was to be caught here. He pushed forward again as quietly as he could, the voices soon fading.

It felt like he crawled forever, water seeping through his joints and absorbing into his wood, his arms scraping against the stone. But finally, light appeared at the other end, growing brighter with every inch. Navi popped out and flew ahead as he crawled, coming back a moment later to give him the okay to rush ahead.

A small ledge and sunlight greeted him as he dragged himself out, emerging into a shallow pull. As soon as he was free, Link sprang to his feet. Standing, the water reached almost to his knees. To his right, a waterfall cascaded into the fountain, the water sourced from elsewhere.

Eager to get out of the water, he splashed over to the edge and stepped onto a patch of grass, pausing to squeeze water out of his wet tunic.

He was in a secluded corner of the castle, it seemed. Stone walls towered over the small courtyard, barren of anything except for the pool and a couple of barrels. To his right, an unassuming door led inside. He wanted nothing more than to open it and run shrieking through the halls. But he knew it would just get him in worse trouble.

Ahead, bushes grew in unnatural, even rows and in perfectly curated shapes, disappearing beyond a wall. Wedged between them and an ornate metal fence was a stone pathway. It seemed like the best place to begin his search for the princess.

The bushes were hedges, a word that popped into his mind, just as "fence" had. Perhaps they were vague concepts from before he became a skull kid. But after spending so long in the wild forest it felt… wrong.

Still, at least it provided cover.

Cover that he desperately needed. He could hear footsteps not far in front of him.

Carefully, he peeked around the corner. A guard was further down the path, back turned as he strolled along a second hedge. His pace slowed to a stop at the corner He looked left, right, and behind before turning around the corner.

With no other guards in sight, Link scampered forward, skidding to a stop in front of a third hedge. He looked around the corner again. This time, two guards patrolled around two large stone fountains. Link darted past these, too, keeping low so that the fountain hid him.

Ahead another guard strode around a large, wooden structure vines curling around and hanging from the beams, leaving nowhere to hide. Nowhere except up. He approached the nearest post, tightly wrapped his hands around it, and dragged. This was harder than scaling a tree; even the straightest tree usually had a rough texture he could cling to. This, on the other hand, was sanded and smooth. If only he had figured out how to use magic!

Finally reaching the top, Link grunted, clinging to the center beam. Then he hesitated. Did the guard hear all that? Below, the man inched along, tapping the butt of a spear along the ground and swearing something under his breath. Link stayed still until he'd passed, then inched along the beam, hoping he was quiet and that he blended in enough to slip by unnoticed.

The guard's footsteps stopped. "Is someone there?" the man asked, both hands gripping his weapon. Link froze, glancing back. Then looped around around to the backside where he had climbed up. Would he notice the crushed vines?

Afraid to find out, Link lowered himself to the ground as soon as the man's back was turned and dashed ahead.

There was no time left to sneak; He dashed around past a large statue, past the next hedge, and pushed himself into a tangle of bushes in the middle. The man came around the same way. Darkness overtook his vision as he flickered his eye lights out.

Please don't see me. Please don't see me.

The guard walked by once, twice, a third time, before finally giving up. "Dumb animals," he mumbled. "They got to do something about these damn squirrels."

Link waited a moment longer, then sighed in relief. Slowly, he pulled himself out of the bushes, then hurried along up the path.

After a moment of walking, the path opened into a small courtyard. Perfectly arranged bushes and flowers lined the path, a thin, trickling waterway wrapping around the sides. White stone walls towered over him on all sides, their monotony interrupted by a pattern of large arching windows and vibrant blue banners.

At the far end, a child stood with their back turned, dressed in a long, flowing dress of white and regal purple.

Link inched his way forward, crouching as he tried to think of what to say. How should he get her attention? Before he could reach her, however, the glimmer of sunlight on a window caught his attention.

He looked at the window, then at the handle of his slingshot sticking out of his pockets. At times like these, Link had to stop, dig down deep inside himself, and think.

What would Skull Kid do?

His hand reached down into his pocket, grabbing both the slingshot and a single deku seed. He placed the ammo and slowly lifted the small weapon.

Navi popped out from under Link's hat. "Why did we stop? Link what— Oh no, Link no, no, no, you're going to get caught!"

But Link wasn't listening. He pulled the slingshot back and released. The glass shattered, then came another shattering noise from beyond. Link let out a mischievous little cackle.

Navi sighed in defeat. Skull kids. Always getting into trouble.

The boy's mischievous laughter cut off when he heard a startled cry. Nervous, Link raised his head and jumped back in surprise when he saw the girl from before staring at him, his body rattling. His eyes darted to the slingshot in his hands, and he quickly hid the incriminating evidence behind his back.

A long moment of silence stretched between the two children as they stared in tense silence. But finally, the girl broke the spoke, bringing her hand up towards her chest and taking a step back.

"Who Are you?" The girl demanded. "How did you get past the guards?"

Link took a hesitant step forward, struggling for words. His attention instead caught on the girl's features: chubby cheeks, teal eyes, and bright blond hair pulled into a cap with a golden emblem.

Navi zipped out in front of Link with a jingle, speaking for him. "No, please wait before you call anyone, we can explain!"

As soon as the girl saw Navi, her eyes lit up in recognition. "Wait, is that… are you a fairy? I mean… of course you are, so that must mean… are you two from the forest?"

"I…" Navi trailed off, failing to come up with a response. Finally, she bobbed up and down in the air in confirmation.

The girl's mouth twisted into a smile, eyes lighting up as her stance relaxed. "Then… You wouldn't happen to have the Spiritual Stone of the forest, would you?"

Link hesitated for a moment, looking to Navi for guidance. The fairy looked back and nodded. With her go-ahead, he eagerly reached into his bag, fingers wrapping around the ornate emerald the Deku Tree had entrusted him, then carefully pulled it out to present to the girl.

Her smile broadened and she clasped her hands together in front of her face. "Just as I thought!" But then her smile faltered, her hands falling to her side. Link tilted his head. Did all humans change demeanor this quickly?

"But if you're here, then that means…" A pause. A deep breath.

"I had a dream…" she started. "In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule… But then, suddenly a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds, and lit up the ground… And then, the light turns into a figure holding a green shining stone – just like this one." She paused to gesture at the emerald in Link's hands. "And they're followed by a fairy."

She raised a hand up to her face and tilted her head, eyes staring at the sky. "I knew this had to be more than a dream. It had to be a prophecy that someone would come from the forest. So… when I saw your fairy, I thought you might be the one."

Link blinked, not quite following. He returned the Kokiri Emerald back to its place in his bag.

Suddenly, the girl gasped. "Oh! I got so carried away with my story, I didn't even properly introduce myself! I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. What is your name?"

Oh! This was the princess. The person he was looking for. He perked up but answered quietly. "Link."

"And I'm Navi," the fairy cut in. "We were sent by the Deku Tree to find you. There is… an evil man cursed the Deku Tree, the spirit of the forest, all for the stone. He… the Great Deku Tree, he passed on."

The princess's smile faltered. "I'm… I'm sorry to hear that." Her gaze shifted to the side before she jumped subjects again. "Can… can I tell you a secret? It's a secret of the royal family. So if I tell you, you can't tell anyone!" Zelda scrunched her face up and held up a fist in a very unprincess-like manner, leaving Link with nothing to do but quickly nod in agreement.

Zelda grinned, then took a seat on the stone path. She patted the ground beside her, an invitation that Link gratefully accepted.

"Okay, have you ever heard of the Triforce?"

Link shook his head.

"Legends say the three goddesses hid the Triforce, a manifestation containing the power of the gods, somewhere in Hyrule," Zelda began with a deep breath. "They say the Triforce has the power to grant the wish of anyone who touches it. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity..."

The girl turned, looking back at something unseen through the window behind her. "However, if someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil... So, the ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce from evil ones. Does that all make sense?"

Link stared blankly for a moment shrugging. " I don't really know anything outside of what I've seen in the forest. Until just a couple days ago, the only thing I was worried about was having fun with my best friend."

Zelda sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry, I don't really know much about the culture of the forest, so perhaps I am the one assuming too much." She tilted her head, tapping her chin with her index finger. "Maybe I can at least explain why that stone you have is important.

"The Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from our world. But the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time. It makes it sound pretty safe, but obviously, there has to be some way to open the door, right? And the way to do so, to open the door, it is said that you need to collect three Spiritual Stones. Like that one you brought. That's one of them." She gestured to his bag.

"There is one other thing that you would need... A treasure that the Royal Family keeps along with this legend. I have that part. Does that make a little more sense?"

Link nodded slowly with a blank expression. He understood the important parts. There was something very powerful out there, something that someone evil was trying to get their hands on. And in his satchel was one of the things that evil needed.

The princess perked up at his affirmation. "That's great! Now, about what you were saying earlier. Let me explain what I was doing before your… um… interruption. I was spying through this window." She gestured to the window behind her. "Do you remember the dream I was telling you about? The other element in my dreams, the dark clouds, I believe they symbolize that man in there."

Link tilted his head, then stood and approached the window on his tip-toes. Guards lined the far wall of the room beyond the glass. But the guards were not the point of interest. Another man knelt on the plush carpet, a stark contrast in appearance to the royal red and the pale grays. His skin was dark brown, his armor almost black. His hair was a brilliant, flaming orange, standing out against the blacks and browns and dark golds. A single ruby adorned his forehead, although other smaller gems decorated his armor.

"That is Ganondorf," Zelda whispered at Link's side. "He is the leader of the Gerudo. They hail from a desert far to the west of Hyrule. The Hylians and the Gerudo have been at war for a long time, but Ganondorf claims he wants to end it. He says he swears allegiance to my father, but I do not think he is sincere."

"What makes you so certain?" Link retorted quietly.

"… I don't know," Zelda admitted. "I really am sure that he represents the dark clouds in my dream, and the way he speaks, the way he is always prying for information, it makes me suspicious. But I cannot prove it."

Link gave a small nod, keeping a careful eye on the way the man walked and moved through squinted eye-lights. Suddenly, Ganondorf turned his head towards the window. Link froze, eyes locked with the mysterious man. It took him several seconds to rip his gaze away, but for some reason, he felt more vulnerable than he ever had before.

He clutched at his tunic and took several steps back, out of sight of the window. He'd been seen by that man. He had to leave he needed to get out before —

"What's wrong?" Zelda's words cut through his panicked thoughts. "Did he see you?"

It took Link everything he had to calm down and nod his head. Fortunately, Zelda had an answer. "Don't worry, he doesn't have any idea what we're planning… yet."

Link nodded at first, but when he stopped to consider Zelda's words, he startled, taking a step back and tilting his head. They were… planning something?

Zelda sensed his confusion and hesitance. "You will help me, right?" When Link did not immediately respond, she clasped her hands together, desperation in her voice. "When I told my dad about my dream, he didn't believe it was a prophecy. But… but I can sense that man's evil intentions!"

She lowered her gaze, voice softening. "What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm... He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it, to conquer Hyrule… No, to conquer the whole world!"

She turned her gaze back to Link. "That's why I need your help. I cannot leave to gather the Sacred Stones. But you could! And I can protect the royal treasure at the same time. Once you have all three, we could get the Triforce for ourselves and make a wish to defeat Ganondorf! You will help me, won't you?".

Link hesitated. When the Deku Tree had sent him on this journey, he had expected to deliver the stone and be done with it, returning home to go back to playing with Skull Kid and Saria like nothing happened. But now, he was thrust into a new, difficult choice. A choice that would send him who knows where.

"I will follow whatever choice you make, Link," Navi mumbled to the child, fluttering close before addressing Zelda. "Please, consider what you are asking of Link. Link is a skull kid, a type of forest spirit. His body is specialized for life in the woods, surrounded by wild magic. You're asking him to venture into a world unknown to him, around people and places hostile to forest spirits."

"I understand your hesitance," Zelda admitted, head low and hands to her side. "But… I have no one else to turn to. My own father does not believe me, and the guard will follow his order. I know that it's scary, but please consider. If that evil man is not stopped, then the whole world will be in peril. You even said before that he is responsible for the great forest spirit's death. If he isn't stopped, your home will be in danger!"

Link let out a quiet sigh, lowering his head. She had a point. He thought to Saria and Skull Kid, and the danger they would be in if the forest was invaded. Skull Kid could hold his own in a fight; he'd seen that firsthand. But the other skull kids, the Kokiri… If this was something that could happen, that could be prevented or at least stopped, and he did nothing to stop it… He'd never be able to forgive himself.

What choice did he have, really?

Link finally nodded. "I'm In."

Zelda smiled and clapped her hands together. "Excellent! We can get started right away. My attendant knows where the first stone is, I'll have her give you directions."

"Attendant? Where…" Link looked up and let out a gasp when he noticed the woman standing behind them, blocking the way he'd come. How long had she been there? His fingers itched to draw his sword, feeling far too vulnerable around an adult who could sneak as well as a forest spirit could.

The woman stood proud with arms crossed. Her clothing was black and dark blue, with bits of grey and silver, and her hair was silver with age. Her eyes glanced towards the window Link had broken, one brow raised, then back to Link. Link gave a toothy, sheepish grin.

"I, uh…"

The woman held up a hand to silence Link. "Do not worry about it for now, child. There are more important matters to discuss."

Link started to open his mouth again, but thought better of it, nodding and putting on the most serious look he could muster.

The woman's lips curled back into the beginning of a smile. "I am Impa of the Sheikahs," she began with a small bow. "I am responsible for protecting Princess Zelda. Everything is exactly as the Princess foretold. You are a courageous young spirit — venturing out of the forest only to head out on another big adventure."

Impa reached into a bag at her hip, drawing forth paper and ink. "Princess, I believe a letter to the gorons is in order."

Zelda nodded, scampering down the steps to accept the paper. She sat down on the stone, stooping over the paper as she wrote with neat, looping movements. Then she folded it and held it out for Link. "This is a letter from me, I'm sure it will be helpful to you — there are some areas that guards would not let you pass otherwise."

Link looked over the fancy paper and elegant handwriting. It was far better than anything he could do… In fact, he did not understand a word of it. As he stared at it, he felt tempted to eat the nice-smelling paper. But Navi clearing her throat snapped him back to reality. He quickly stuffed the letter away.

Satisfied, Impa gave the children a nod, then continued her speech to Link. "I, too, had a role in the Princess's dream: to teach a melody to the one who came from the forest." Link held a finger up to point at his chest. The woman nodded again. "Listen carefully, the song I am about to teach you is an ancient melody passed down by the Royal Family." She held a hand up to her chest. "I have played this song for Princess Zelda as a lullaby ever since she was a baby… There is mysterious power in these notes."

The woman held her fingers up to her mouth and began to whistle a simple, three-note melody. Link considered reaching for his flute, but instead went for the fairy ocarina. He gave it a couple experimental blows, picking out notes, then slowly repeated the three notes Impa had whistled, repeating it a few times until he had it down.

As soon as he appeared to have the first three down, the woman continued with a few more notes, completing the melody. For good measure, she repeated the entire song. Link fumbled with the holes, placing slender wooden fingers over them as he carefully picked out the remaining notes and played them over and over until satisfied.

When he finished, both Zelda and Impa clapped for him.

"Wow, you learned that so fast!" Zelda exclaimed, laughing. "You must be a natural musician."

Link sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "One of my friends taught me the flute. We play together a lot. Another recently gave me this ocarina. They play differently, but the concepts are the same."

Zelda looked ready to say more, but a commotion in the castle distracted her.

"You're sure you saw something in the courtyard?" one voice said

"Not completely… but there's definitely something suspicious going on." another responded.

"With that thing Charles saw outside, it's worth investigating. What if it got into the castle? The royal family could be in danger!"

"Hey, look over here, this window has been busted!"

Impa turned her attention to Link and offered out a hand. "If the castle soldiers find you, there will be trouble. Let me lead you out of the castle."

Link looked to the woman's hand skeptically, but accepted it. As untrustworthy as adults were, he was quickly realizing that he would have to make compromises on his journey.

The woman gave him a warm smile; Link blinked once and gave a wide, nervous, toothy grin in response. But before he could say anything, Impa's face once again became cold and stony, and he found himself being almost dragged as she took off and a brisk pace.

8o8​

They were somewhere beneath the castle.

Impa had led him at first back the way they had come but had pulled him through an inconspicuous door along the way, into an old, dank room with a trap door that led down. At the bottom of the stairwell, she'd lit a torch and, taking great care to keep it away from the skull kid, led him to a second door hidden in the walls of the cellar.

For some time, she led in silence, taking so many twists and turns that he was quite certain that he would never be able to find his way back through if he wanted. He had no clue how Impa could even make sense of where they were going. More than once, they had stopped at a branching path briefly, only for her to choose a direction with certainty.

Navi flew behind, offering little more in the way of light alongside the torch. She was the first to break the silence, dashing forward to fly beside Impa's head.

"So," She started. "You are Zelda's guardian, or caretaker of sorts?"

"You could call me a nanny," Impa responded simply. "But guardian or attendant would be more proper terms. It's my job to keep her safe and give her guidance. I suppose I could say the same of you?"

Navi jingled in the darkness. "I suppose. My duty is to help Link and see him through his journey safely."

The corner of the woman's mouth twitched. "I find it strange though. My reading and experiences suggest only Kokiri receive a guardian fairy. Yet here you are, guiding a skull kid."

"He's adopted."

Apparently, there was something funny about the response that Link did not understand because he could only tilt his head when Impa leaned her head back and let out a hearty laugh.

"Navi, was it? It is good to see you can have a sense of humor in these trying times."

"Thank you. Though to be honest, it's not entirely a joke. The Great Deku Tree's final request was to help Link."

The woman chuckled one more time, but when she spoke again, her voice had become sober. "And what of when the journey is finished? What will you do then?"

Navi was silent for a moment. "Well, I suppose we will return to the forest. Link has friends to return to. Right Link?

The two turned back, and Link, tuning back in once he heard his name, nodded enthusiastically.

The group went quiet again for a while until the path they were following came to an end. Impa paused at the edge feeling at the wall until one stone shifted. She pushed it in, then pushed against the wall with a shoulder.

With a loud scraping sound, the wall slowly gave way tosunlight seeping through. Link pushed ahead, excited to be out of the cramped stone tunnels, and found himself back in the field outside the castle. Impa put out the torch and followed behind. Navi came out last, fluttering over to Link and nestling in his cap.

Impa took hold of his hand once more, leading him back towards the town and back through back alleys, keeping a tight grip to make sure he did not cause any more mischief than he already had.

The sun was starting to set by the time they reached Castle Town's outer gates. Only once they were across the bridge did Impa let the boy's hand go.

Link could not say why exactly, but he had never felt so relieved to be out in the open. Almost a whole day, gone already. And yet it sounded like it would be the first of many exhausting days on the road.

"You are a brave lad," Impa spoke up, turning Link's attention away from the ground below. "We must protect this land. You, Navi, myself and Zelda."

She raised a hand and pointed it to her left. Link followed it, finding a huge mountain in that direction, the top stretching up into the clouds.

"Take a good look at that mountain. That is Death Mountain, home of the Gorons. They hold the Spiritual Stone of Fire."

Link couldn't help but gulp at the thought of a fiery spiritual stone. Fire and skull kids did not get along.

Impa pointed at a spot lower down. "At the foot of Death Mountain, you will find a village, Kakariko. That is where I was born and raised." A thin smile set on her lips. "You should talk to some of the villagers there before you go up Death Mountain. Although you are not human like them, Kakariko is known to be far more accepting than their Castle Town counterparts. You should have no trouble, so long as you behave."

Link nodded slowly. Though he doubted it would be as easy as she made it seem.

"Remember the song I taught you. It is a special song that only those with close ties to the royal family are allowed to learn. It will prove your connection to them."

She took a single step back. "You should be able to reach Kakariko Villiage by not long after nightfall. Remember, we are all counting on you."

There was a snap and a flash. Link yelped and tried to shield his face from the bright light. By the time he was able to see again, the shekiah was gone.

Link stood silently for a moment, processing the new information. After what felt like some time, though, he finally adjusted his belt and began walking down the path. His first journey may have ended, but now, a new, even more daunting task had begun.

He could only hope it wouldn't take as long as it sounded it would.

 

[windskull]

Chapter 7: Heartpounding Grave Tour​

The walk to Kakariko village was shorter than Link expected, but the sky was nearly black by the time he began the long trek up the mountain path.

Despite Navi's suggestions to keep quiet as they made their way up the winding road, lest they attract unwelcome attention, Link took to playing music along the way, cheerful little tunes on his flute. He'd hoped it would keep his spirits up. But as the stars appeared in the night sky, his mind wandered back to his conversation with the princess. Soon, his fingers faltered and his stride slowed to a stop.

"Link?" Navi popped out of his hat. "Is everything okay? Do you need to rest for a while? We can find someplace quiet once we get to the village."

Link shook his head. "No, I'm fine. It's just…" He turned his head away, his fingers wiggling over the flute holes.

"You're worried about what you've agreed to, aren't you?"

A moment of hesitation, then he nodded. Worry after worry tumbled out of his mouth. "I don't know anything about what might be ahead! Death Mountain sounds… deadly. I don't know what a goron is. What if they're not friendly? What if I get hurt? What if… What if I can't keep my promise to Skully? What did I get myself into?"

Navi sprang from his head, hovering in front of him. "You're right," she responded curtly. "It's not fair. Neither you nor Zelda should have to do this; it's an adult's responsibility. But… What choice do we have when the adults won't listen?"

The boy sighed and nodded again. "I made a promise to Zelda, too. I can't just quit and go home… I don't know what to do!" He threw his hands up in the air, letting out a cry of frustration before plopping down on the side of the road, arms crossed, and shoulders hunched.

Navi looked back the way they'd come, silent. Then, she landed on one of Link's hands.

"Hey," she suggested quietly. "What if… Why don't we contact Saria and talk to her? She might have some advice for you. Even if she doesn't, maybe it will make you feel better, at least?"

Link glanced up and considered the suggestion. On one hand, Saria always had good advice. On the other… talking to her might make him feel more homesick than he already was. He reached into his pocket to swap his flute for the Fairy Ocarina. Wooden fingers rubbed over the surface, admiring the smooth handiwork.

Curiosity and worry for his friends got the better of him. Link brought the ocarina up to his mouth and played the notes to Saria's song, getting them right after a couple attempts. He let his eyes flickered out and focused on the Kokiri girl, imagining that he was sitting beside her back in the Sacred Grove. He played the song once, twice, three times for good measure. Then he finally brought the instrument down from his mouth and said one hesitant word.

"Hello?"

For a moment, there was nothing. Then suddenly, a voice echoed in the back of his head.

"Link?"

"Saria?" He asked out loud. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," the familiar voice responded. There was a pause. "Yes, I'm talking to Link." Another pause. "Here, put your hand on the ocarina and keep it there."

Link opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when a third voice cut in.

"Like this?" Skull Kid's voice rang in his head. "I don't hear nothin'. Are you sure this works?"

"Skully!"

Link heard a yelp that was cut short, followed shortly by Saria's laughter. "It's okay Skull Kid, the magic works by speaking directly into your head."

More silence. Navi fluttered down to rest on the ocarina, curious. Skull Kid was the next to speak. "It's about time you checked in. How's it going. Did you find the princess yet?"

"Well, yeah—"

"Awesome! Then you'll be back soon?"

A worried pang spread through Link's chest. "About that…"

"Is everything okay? Did something go wrong?" Saria cut in.

"It's kind of a long story," Navi responded. "But the short version is that the princess asked Link to go get the other spiritual stones. So… it might be a while before we can come back."

"...Oh…" Skull Kid's voice came out in monotone.

"I had to agree," Link said, feeling sudden conviction. "Someone has to do it. I mean, yeah it shouldn't really be my job—"

"That's right, so you should just come home so we can hang out again," Skull Kid cut in again. "You shouldn't be held responsible for something that adults won't take care of!"

Link was silent for several minutes, only finally responding when Saria gave a worried "...Link? Are you still there?"

"I want to come back…" He started in an almost silent whisper. "But… I don't think I can. Not until I'm done. Because if I don't do this, we'll all be in danger, won't we?"

"I wish I had a better answer for you…" Saria responded. "But I don't really know much outside of the forest, other than things that I've been told by others. But… I think you need to follow your heart. If you think it is something you need to do, do it. What do you think, Skull Kid?"

Skull Kid was silent for a long time, long enough that Link was worried he might have stormed off again like before. But finally, he heard the boy sigh. "I guess you're right. Just… hurry back okay? You have no idea how boring it is hanging out with Saria all day waiting to hear from you. She wouldn't let me put spiders in Mido's soup, even though they are absolutely delicious!"

"Not everyone enjoys a spider sandwich, Skull Kid," Saria's voice responded. Link laughed in response.

"So where are you right now?" Skull Kid asked.

"We're on our way to this place Death Mountain to meet with the Gorons," Navi responded.

"Oh, they're very friendly most of the time," Skull Kid interjected before mumbling afterward, "Maybe a little too friendly…"

"Skully, you know something about gorons?" Link asked.

"Oh!" Skull Kid responded a little too quickly. "Oh, you know. More people than Hylians pass through the woods. I've seen a goron or two before."

Link nodded, accepting the explanation. "Okay."

"Link, it's getting late. We should keep walking, even if you talk while we go. We don't want to get locked outside again."

"Oh, that wasn't so bad," Link replied, though he still nodded and pushed himself back to his feet, keeping one hand on the ocarina. He began to walk once again.

"So, what was the castle like? And the town. You gotta tell us everything!"

Link laughed, surprised by his friend's interest. "Well, where do I begin…"

8o8​

By the time Link reached Kakariko Village, the bright, nearly full moon filtered behind oncoming storm clouds, casting moonbeams on a sleepy hill. Stone and brick houses dotted the hill, pale specks in the darkness. Light from inside some buildings poured out onto the grassy common areas, while others were completely dark. At this time of night, it seemed deserted.

Link had ended his conversation with Saria and Skull Kid some time ago, choosing to make the last of his trip in silence, with only the sound of wildlife, his footsteps, and the jingling of Navi to keep him company.

As the skull kid approached the gates, he noticed a single human figure, leaning against a tree. Link took refuge in the shadows, watching the stranger — a scrawny man with sunken eyes and visible ribs. If not for the occasional twitch of his hands, Link could have mistaken him for dead.

"Hey," Navi whispered. "I think we should ask for directions."

Link's gaze shifted to the fairy, then returned to the man. He shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Let's just… sneak by and find it ourselves. What if he doesn't like—" He cut off. He didn't want to use the word that had popped into his head. "…me?"

"Nonsense!" The fairy replied with a jingle, lifting from his shoulder. "It will be fine. Here, come on, I'll even ask for you!"

Without a second thought, the fairy took off, making a beeline for the man. Link reached out to grab her, but only grasped empty air. Internally, he debated whether to stay hidden before hesitantly creeping out of the shadows.

"Hey, excuse me?"

The man was slow to look up, not acknowledging Navi. When he didn't move, Link crept even closer, standing hunched and tense behind Navi

"Excuse me," she tried again. "We were hoping maybe you could give us directions?"

The man mumbled something.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, could you please speak louder?" Navi asked.

"I said to get out of my face. People are disgusting. Licking the boots of people in power, caring about no one but themselves. Even my own father and mother are disgusting."

"I'm…. sorry?"

He tilted his head up to glare at Link through baggy, narrowed eyes, then screamed at the top of his lungs, "I bet you're disgusting too!"

Link yelped and stumbled backward, tripping and falling.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to stare?" The man growled. "Go ahead. Laugh if you want. Laugh at the village freak."

Whether through anxiety or through courage, Link finally found the will to dart away, springing to his feet and taking off at a dash deeper into the village.

"What's wrong with you?!" Navi cried. She huffed, not waiting for a response before fluttering past to catch up with Link.

Link didn't stop running until he was deep in the village. Besides the creepy guy at the entrance, the town appeared deserted; all the other people were probably in their homes. He sat down along the side of one house and took a moment to calm down.

Navi reached him a moment later. She fluttered to a rest on Link's shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

Link gave the fairy a tiny nod. "I'll be fine."

Navi seemed unconvinced but chose not to press the matter. Instead, she gave him a reassuring pat. "Do you want to find someplace quiet to rest for a while?"

Link turned his head. "Not really."

A drop of water splattered onto the boy's forehead, then another hit his ear. Navi fluttered down to gently tap against the first wet spot. "Nonsense," She chided. "You may not be tired now, but you won't like it if you start climbing a mountain in the rain. And it's too dangerous to climb in the dark, anyway. Come on, let's look around a little. Even if you don't want to try asking anyone for help, I'm sure there's someplace safe you can shelter around here."

The skull kid lowered his head, giving Navi a "mmhm," of consent. He stood, taking another look around the village. Several of the houses around here were well-lit. Normally, he did not feel all that bad about sneaking into places. But adults were a much bigger wild card than Kokiri, who at worst might chase him around with a stick.

Lifting his head, he spotted a dark path out of the corner of his eye, leading away from the village under a stone wall. There. That seemed like the perfect place to go for some peace and quiet. Quietly, he rose to his feet and patterned towards the archway.

The field beyond the sloped upwards. Odd wedge-shaped stones lined a cobblestone path at regular intervals. A stone gateway and tall wooden fence heralded Link into to the enclosed area, a small, wooden shack to the right just beyond. A smaller, rickety wooden fence separated the shack and entrance from the stones.

Link carefully crept along the path, uncertain of what to expect. More drops of water splattered on his face. This was so… strange. He'd seen circles of stone made by the Kokiri in their games. But each stone was irregular and messy. These were all uniform, with a set design and set a specific distance away from each other.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he approached the nearest stone, running a hand over carved markings. Some of them made up an artistic design; three triangles joined at the corners to make a triangle, a bird, and other markings adorned the stone. But there was also text that Link could not decipher the meaning of.

"What does it say?" Link asked, pointing.

"These are gravestones," Navi explained. "They mark where people are buried after they die."

Die? People did that? Burried dead things? He stared at the fairy for a moment as his hand brushed over the stone again. Then something else caught his eye.

"Hey look, over there!" He dashed off to the far end of the graveyard, coming to a stop in front of another stone. This one was bigger than the others.

"This one seems special, what does it say?"

The fairy was silent for a moment, flying closer to illuminate the words. "... It says it's the tomb of the royal family."

"So dead royal people are buried here?"

"It seems like it." Navi turned from the stone, her brow knit. "We shouldn't be snooping around here, Link. Let's find someplace else to shelter."

Link started to agree, but a glimmer at his feet caught his eye in the moonlight. He took a step back, revealing a golden triangle mark at his feet, the same design as on the other gravestones. The more he thought about it, the more it reminded him of the stories that Zelda and the Deku Tree had told him.

"Hey," he started, an idea coming to his mind. "Do you think anything would happen if I were to play that song Impa taught me here?"

Navi turned back to Link, watching him fiddle around in the darkness for the ocarina. "I don't think it's a good idea Link…" But before the words were out of her mouth, the boy had already started to play the little song.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. Disappointed, Link began to turn away. But a distant rumbling, like thunder, stopped him in his tracks. Suddenly, the earth beneath his feet trembled. Another roll of thunder. Then it all seemed to stop. Link slowly crept back towards the gravestone, curious.

A flash of light. Before Link could react, there was an ear-splitting crack and explosion. He was knocked flying through the air, dust and rock raining around him. He hit the ground with a hard thud, dazed. He tried to get up, but his entire body felt dull and distant. His head swam.

The last thing he heard before slipping away to unconsciousness was Navi screaming his name.

8o8​

He felt tired and weak. His legs barely seemed to function, only allowing him forward with stumbling and staggering steps. He felt a pang in his stomach but did his best to ignore it. His vision swam at the edges. Only the sound of the wildlife and his own footsteps accompanied him, but even those seemed distant. He had to find… something. His brain was so fuzzy, he could not remember what, or how long he'd been looking for it.

He stumbled over an errant root, falling and failing to catch himself. Leaves tore at his dirty skin. He tried to push himself to his feet, arms shaking, but he couldn't find the strength. Maybe a rest was in order.

…

He had never felt so exhausted. He had never felt so alive.

He was cold and frightened. He felt brave and rejuvenated.

He was… Link? Yes. His name was Link. He was… He did not remember what he was doing. But he was Link! That much, he could be certain of.

He looked down at his hands. They were small, so small, made of shrunken, skeletal wood and bark with little wisps of darkness peeking out and swirling around his joints. His arms, too, were of the same ashy wood. He brought a hand up to his face. It had the same texture. He had a feeling that, if he were to look in a mirror, it too would have the same wooden look.

He pushed — no, he sprang to his feet with an excited hop.

He did not know what he was, or where he was, but he knew that he was Link, and he knew that he did not have to be scared of the forest. The forest would keep him safe.

He ran.

8o8​

Link startled awake with a gasp, scrambling to a sitting position. Immediately, his head swam and his vision blurred. Everything ached. Moments passed before he became alert enough to take in his surroundings.

He was in a small, dark room, resting under old, tattered, ratty-looking blankets on an equally old-looking bed. Sunlight filtered through a small, slatted window onto his face. His eye-lights flickered, adjusting to the light, and then turned his head, letting out a surprised cry when he realized that he was not alone.

Beside him was a small wooden desk, Navi sitting on top and staring at him with worry etched on her face. But it wasn't Navi that startled him.

To the side of the desk sat a man, staring at him intently. The human appeared old and lumpy, skin wrinkled and a sickly color. His chin jutted out, giving him a significant underbite. His clothes — an old sleeveless shirt and trousers — were caked with mud. The man's beady eyes peered from a balding head as he stared back at Link.

Despite his off-putting appearance, the man seemed non-threatening, a goofy smile on his face.

Navi was the first to break the silence. "Link?" She asked. "Are you okay? You've been out for so long. I was worried maybe some of the debris hit your head…"

Link tilted his head, trying to remember how he got here. That was right, he had played the royal song. And then lightning had struck nearby and…

"I'm fine," he finally responded, shaking his head. "Just… sore."

Navi broke out into a smile.

"Oh thank the goddesses. When you didn't get up I was worried you were terribly hurt. You're fortunate Dampe, the grave keeper here, helped us."

Link turned his attention to the bald man beside Navi.

Dampe laughed. "It's all good," he slurred in a friendly voice. "It's not often I get a visitor as unusual as yourself! Yer little friend here happened to see me leave my shack and came to me in a tizzy beggin' for help. 'Course I was happy to."

"Link," Navi started, "what do you say when people help you?"

"Oh, um, thank you," Link stuttered, bowing his head.

"Ha ha! No need to thank me, little fella! Just think of it as a favor."

Link nodded and opened his mouth to say something else, but then he noticed something important. His bag wasn't on him. He patted his sides. Where were his things?

"Your bag is over there by the door." The man gestured a meaty finger towards the exit. "I'd offer ya a bite t' eat, but I wouldn't know what a, uh… a skull… kid…?" He shot an aside glance to Navi, and when she nodded, he continued. "I wouldn't know what you would'a ate."

"It's okay," Link responded quietly before kicking the covers off and pushing himself to the side of the bed. "Don't really need it."

For a moment, he swayed unsteadily on his feet. But he quickly spread his arms out and caught his balance. He shuffled over to his bag, shuffling around to confirm everything was inside.

"Leaving so soon?" Dampe asked.

Link nodded. Navi stretched before lifting into the air, coming to a rest on Link's shoulder. "We have a long journey ahead of us," she responded for Link. "We have to head up the mountain at Princess Zelda's request to meet with the gorons."

The man chuckled. "Oh ho now, well, if yeh go back int' the village main, there's a path across the way with a guard stationed. That's your path up the mountain, can't miss it."

Link gave Dampe a grateful nod before taking hold of the handle of the door.

Dampe waved. "Come back and visit sometime! If yeh come at night, I might even give yeh a discounted rate to my grave tour service!"

The boy paused, halfway out the door? "Grave… tour?"

The man laughed, giving his knee a light slap. "Ol' Dampe's heart pounding gravedigging tour! Come back some evening and I'll tell ya all about it."

Link nodded slowly, still not really understanding what the man was talking about. "O...kay. Maybe I'll see you again sometime. Thank you, Dampe."

"Anytime kiddo. Don't be a stranger!"

Link closed the door behind him. The graveyard wasn't nearly as gloomy in daylight. The sun shone high overhead; it must have been close to midday now. Link fidgeted with his belt as he watched clouds scuttle overhead. The sooner he got up the mountain, the sooner he could get the stones to Zelda and go home.

He started down the path back towards the village, but a thought caught in his mind, and he instead found himself turning back towards the place where he had been knocked unconscious the night before.

Navi continued a bit of a ways down the path, but as soon as she realized Link had turned the other way, dashed after him to catch back up with the boy.

"Hey," she called. "We need to go this way!"

"I know, I know," Link responded, holding a hand up. "But I want to check something first." He followed the cobblestone path back up and around the side of the graveyard until he came to a stop at the marker he had stood in front of the night before.

Or at least, where it had been. Now, however, the stone was scattered in chunks around the area, leaving a gaping hole where it once was. Link inched forward to peer into the hole. With the sun directly overhead, he could just barely see the bottom. A ladder allowed access below. He could only assume that several people were buried down there.

He turned and began to scale down the ladder.

"Link, what do you think you're doing?" Navi hissed, keeping her voice low as she zipped around his head.

"I want to know what's down here."

"No, you don't, there are dead bodies down here, and that's it! It's rude to mess with people's graves!"

But Link did not listen to the fairy, continuing his descent until he could hop down the rest of the way. Navi let out a frustrated sigh and followed, not daring to leave the mischievous little child alone.

As Link's sight adjusted to the darkness, he could make out a pathway ahead of him. He inched his way forward, keeping one hand on the wall as guidance. Before long, the path opened to a small, stone room.

He let his hand fall to his side, then carefully crept forward. The light from the hole faded, leaving only the dim glow from his eyes and the brighter glow from Navi to guide him.

His leg kicked something, sending it clattering across the room. He paused, waiting to see if anything would happen. When nothing did, he crouched to feel for whatever he'd kicked. His hands clasped around something, and he picked it up to get a better look.

Bone.

Weird. He tossed the bone away nonchalantly, taking a better look around. He had adjusted to the dark enough to see several bones scattered around the room, skeletons that had fallen to pieces and been scattered over time.

"Probably the remains of grave robbers," Navi reported, flying closer to Link. "Are you satisfied? Can we go now?"

Link shook his head, slinking across to the far side of the room. In front of him was a ledge that reached just over his head. He reached up and dragged himself to the top. A second ledge followed this one and a third one after that. He scaled each of these too. When he reached the top, he found himself face-to-face with a door.

Slowly, he reached a hand forward and pushed. The door swung open with ease, so he scurried past.

An unnatural glow illuminated the walls ahead. From where he was, Link could see that the glow came to a pool of odd liquid.

Feeling brave after the previous room, Link rushed forward. But as he reached the pool's edge a high-pitched shriek filled the air. For one long, horrifying moment, Link was frozen in place, unable to move anything but his eyes. They darted to the side. A horrible, rotting, shrunken creature shambled towards him.

Navi zipped under his hood and shrieked, "Redeads? What kind of a tomb is this?! Link, we need to go!"

The urgency in her voice finally got his attention. As feeling returned, he backed up a couple of steps, then turned and bolted, running back until he was in the room with the bones. As he scrambled through he kicked something again. This time, it didn't give way like the bone had.

Link let out a startled cry and too late reached his arms out to catch himself. He hit the ground hard with an oomph, something clattering behind him.

After a second of recovery, he reached back to see just what tripped him. His fingers came in contact with metal, and as he sat up, he found himself looking down at an old battered shield, its surface a brilliant blue and silver even in the dim light.

"Navi!" He called out to the fairy as she looped back to check and make sure he had not hurt himself. "Navi, I like this. I'm taking it with me."

"Link," Navi began desperately, "taking something out of someone's grave is what we call grave robbing. It is very, very bad."

The boy tilted his head, staring without blinking. "Why? They're not using it!"

"It's disrespectful!"

"Oh… I'm taking it anyway."

"This is a losing battle isn't it?" she grumbled before crying. "Fine, whatever let's just get out of here!"

Link took a moment to latch the shield — which was as big as his torso — around his tiny arm. It was too big to use like this, but he could find a use for it later after he got out of this murky hole. With his new treasure in tow, he headed back to the ladder and scrambled out into the fresh, afternoon air.

He finally wandered back to the village, stretching as sunlight warmed his bark. There were actually people out and about now. The sound of villagers chatting, cuccos clucking, and hammers pounding away at wood filling the air. A few people stopped to give him curious, wary stares, but he was otherwise left alone as he made his way back towards the center.

"Over there."

Navi fluttered off to one side. Link turned his head and, spotting the barred, inclined path ahead, dashed off after her.

It was grassy in front of the gate, but beyond it, the vegetation became sparse, eventually giving way to red dirt and stone. A single guard stood beside the gate, leaning against the wall with a spear in hand. His foot tapped as he stared at the sky, seemingly unaware of Link's presence.

Remembering his experience back at the castle, Link approached with hesitance in his step. Navi, however, flew ahead until she was in the man's line of sight.

As soon as the man noticed them, he stood up straight, holding out a hand to stop Link. "Hold it," he started. "This area is not safe for children. Er…" He paused, looking Link over. His grip on his spear tightened. "Well… Even so, the road is closed except to official business only. Can't you read?"

Link's eyes flickered out for a second. "No." He paused, turning his head to Navi. "But… the princess sent us. That makes this official right?"

The guard stared them down quietly for a moment, then let out a snort, bringing a hand to his mouth. "O-oh, did she now?"

Navi narrowed her eyes. For a moment she was quiet, then she turned back towards Link, bobbing up and down. "Oh! the note, show him the note!

Link made a tiny noise of realization. He slid the shield off of his arm and reached into his bag, fishing around for the parchment Zelda had given him the day before. As soon as he felt the thin paper he pulled it out, all but shoving it into the guard's face.

The man blinked a couple times, then slowly leaned his spear to the side to take the parchment in both hands, turning it over once before opening it up to read the note. His straight face quickly gave way. By the time he finished, he was snickering.

"This is Link...He is under my orders to save Hyrule." The guard's tone wavered with barely withheld laughter. "W-well, I can verify this really is the princess's signature. What kind of funny game has she come up with now? I guess I have no choice." He took a deep breath, trying to regain composure. "Are you sure about this kid? I really do mean it is dangerous up there. Tektites are all over the path. Not to mention the dodongos that sometimes come up from the depths of the mountain."

Link nodded.

The man shrugged. "Alright, hold on." He turned and walked to the far side of the gate where an iron wheel was set into the stone. Taking the wheel in both hands, he pulled down. Slowly, the gate began to open, creaking and groaning as it swung.

Impatient, as soon as the gap was wide enough to slip through, Link picked up his oversized shield again and slipped between the bars, waving goodbye to the man as he took off up the path.

He'd wasted enough time here. The day was half over and he was only just beginning his ascent. If he wanted to save Hyrule, he needed to hurry up.

The next spiritual stone awaited him.

 

[windskull]

Chapter 8: The Gorons​

“Link, look out!”

The skull kid rolled to the side just as a tektite leaped from a higher cliff, hurling itself at Link. As he sprang back to his feet, he reached for his sword, swinging in a wide arc. Blood gushed where he sliced the beast open, spreading across the dusty ground. It shrieked, struggled, then stilled.

Link let out a long breath, running his blade along the rocky walls to wipe as much blood off as possible. This was the third time he’d been attacked since starting his climb, and he was already well sick of it.

He started walking again, this time keeping his sword at the ready. As he reached the top of a steep incline, he noticed a large boulder at the far end of a flat section. Beyond it, he could just make out cracks leading to a space beyond, too small for him to squeeze into.

Still, the sight struck him as strange. Something about the way cracks formed in the ground around the boulder seemed off. Cautiously, Link slunk up to the oddity. Small, fracturing cracks snaked up the rock, like it had fallen from a great height and become damaged. He ran a hand along its face, confused.

“If you’re looking for rock sirloin, I’m afraid you came at a bad time friend.”

The deep, yet quiet voice made Link freeze. He whipped around, his grip on his sword tightening.

In front of him was a huge, hulking, brown creature. Their hands were raised in front of them defensively, but they showed no signs of hostility.

“Woah there little guy!” The creature cried out, louder this time. “I ain’t gonna hurt you! I guess you haven’t ever met a goron before.”

Link’s head tilted to the side. So… this was a goron? He tilted his head, taking in their bean-shaped body, short, skinny legs, and great beefy arms. Small rock-like protrusions jutted from their head, shoulders, and back.

Finally, he shook his head.

“Thought so!” the goron responded with a chuckle, slapping his belly open-palmed. But then his stomach let out a low rumble and his gaze sobered. “I’d love to welcome ya, but I’m afraid you came at a bad time, friend. That great boulder there blocks the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern, our primary mining site…”

“Gorons eat rocks,” Navi chimed in. “I take it this is your food source?”

The goron nodded a confirmation. “It was. But one day, a bunch a’ dodongos appeared inside the cavern. It became too dangerous to harvest! And then, if that wasn’t bad enough, the Gerudo king used his magic to seal the entrance with that boulder!”

Link shared a sideways glance with Navi. Ganondorf had been here, too.

Navi fluttered closer to the goron, urgency giving her voice an edge. “Um, if you do not mind, we were actually trying to head to your city on royal business. Could you point us in the right direction?”

The goron’s face immediately lit up. “Are you messengers for the royal family? Have you come with aid? By all means, don’t let me keep you waiting! If you keep following this path up the mountain—” he cut off to turn and point towards another incline turning back, “—you’ll come right to Goron City’s entrance. If there’s something you can do, anything, please help!”

Link gave the goron a quick nod. “Thank you!” Then he turned, racing up the path with renewed vigor.

8o8​

Night fell before they could reach the Goron city, forcing Link to tread carefully in the darkness. He walked with one hand to a cliff rising high on his left, focusing on the path in front of him. To his right, the ground fell away sharply, though a metal fence blocked the drop-off.

Navi flew ahead, leading the way with her pale light. Link stayed just behind her, lest he slip and fall to his demise. Would the fall kill something undead like him? He didn’t want to find out.

His mind wandered and he considered contacting Saria and Skully but decided against it. He needed to focus.

Suddenly, Navi came to a stop. “I think we’re here,” the fairy whispered. “Look.” She fluttered forward, illuminating a raised platform in front of her. Rocks the size of Link’s head were arranged in an unnatural, near-perfect circle. Though he didn’t know why they were arranged, it still meant something to him: they’d reached civilization.

His gaze shifted beyond Navi. He spotted a distant warm orange glow beyond the platform, flickering on the walls of a tunnel. That was it, it had to be the entrance.

With renewed energy, he raced ahead. Soon, the firelight overtook Navi’s glow as they slipped inside the cavern entrance.

Link found himself in a vast, open cavern, lit by dozens upon dozens of torches The path wound around the edge, leading to lower levels. Ahead, on the far side of the cavern, he could see faded paintings depicting a scaly, fire-breathing beast decorating the walls. As he inched close to the edge of his walkway, he noticed a humongous sculpture of some sort at the very bottom.

Link backed away. While he could probably make the jump down to the next level without trouble, it seemed unwise. He had no idea how he would get back up. He began walking around the level, eventually spotting a tunnel to explore.

As he made his way down, though, something bothered him.

“Doesn’t it seem kind of Empty?” he asked Navi.

“It does,” she admitted. “But it is nighttime. And on top of that, if the Gorons are struggling to get enough food, they might not be getting out much.”

That was a fair enough point. Link nodded, lapsing back into silence. He walked for some time until finally reaching the bottom. From here, he could see that the “sculpture” was actually a giant clay pot. He stared for a moment, then shrugged and turned his attention elsewhere.

A closed door — the first door he’d seen here — with a woven mat caught Link’s attention. His gaze swept to the side, noting a goron to the right that seemed to be dozing off.

“Hey, Excuse me!” the fairy called out, fluttering up to the goron.

They startled awake, uncurling. The goron blinked a few times, then climbed to his feet, eying the skull kid and his fairy cautiously.

“Excuse me,” Navi began again, “we were looking for—”

“Say no more,” the goron said, holding up a hand. “I can see it written all over your face. You came out here to eat the red stone! Well, too bad! It's not here!”

Link’s eyes flickered, his jaw hanging.

“What? No!” Navi yelped indignantly. “No, we’re not here to eat any rocks! But we are looking for a spiritual stone, do you know where we might find it?”

The goron tilted his head. “Spiritual… stone? Do you mean the delicious-looking red stone that used to be displayed up there?” He pointed towards a wooden platform suspended far above their heads with thick rope.

Navi jingled. “Maybe? I guess we could take a look…”

“I’m afraid it’s not there anymore. See, I was so hungry that I thought it would be okay if I gave it one tiny little lick... so I snuck out here. But it was already gone! I think Big Brother took it away. He always says that everyone is after that red stone!”

“Big… Brother?”

The goron’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Big Brother Darunia, Chief of the Gorons?!”

Link shook his head. Navi, however, seemed at least somewhat familiar. “I believe I have heard the name mentioned before. You’ll have to excuse my friend’s cluelessness. This is Link’s first time out of the forest.”

His expression softened, giving Link a gentle smile. “Apologies then, my friend. It’s rare to have visitors that are unfamiliar with our customs. If you wish to see the spiritual stone, you’ll have to try speaking with Darunia.”

“That’s fine,” Navi confirmed. “Where is he?”

The gentle giant’s smile faltered. “That… might be a problem.” He gestured to the door beside him. “Big Brother has shut himself up in his room saying, ‘I will wait in here for the Royal Family's messenger!’ Unless you bring news from the castle, I’m afraid it may be some time before you’re able to get in. We Gorons are having something of a crisis at the moment, I’m afraid.”

“A food shortage, right?” Navi asked. When the goron nodded, she continued. “We heard. Actually… we were sent here by the royal family. The princess, more specifically.”

The goron’s eyes lit up. “Then you’re here to do something about the food crisis? Please, let me get the door for you!” He turned, then stopped.

“Actually…”

“What is it?”

“Darunia says the royal messengers always come with proof. Without it, I can’t let you in.”

Dismayed, Link turned his head to Navi. The guard back in Kakariko had kept the note From Zelda. What else did they have?

Navi pondered the question for a moment, then suddenly jingled.

“Link! The song! Play Zelda’s song!”

Link’s eyes lit up. Of course! If anything would work, that would. He reached into his pockets, fishing for the ocarina that was fast becoming familiar. His fingers brushed over the holes as he recited the song in his head. Only once he was certain he had the notes memorized did he play.

The notes of the lullaby rang in the air, clear and soothing. The boy’s eye-lights flickered out, his worries melting away with the melody. When his song drew to a close, the cavern was silent, save for the quiet breathing of the goron beside him and the soft crackle of torch flame.

Finally, a quiet, but firm voice sounded from beyond the sealed entrance.

“Let them in.”

The goron by the door snapped to attention at once before waddling over to the stone door and reaching down to give it a lift. The sound of stone grinding against stone screeched throughout the chamber. Slowly, the door receded into a hole within the cave wall, revealing a short hall.

Although the pathway was dim, Link could see a brightly lit room not far beyond. He gave the goron a wide smile and a fast, friendly wave, then stepped inside the room.

The chamber was sparsely decorated. And yet, it was far more extravagant than any other part of the city he had seen thus far. There were only two small tables as furniture, but beautiful handwoven carpets took up most of the floor. The walls were carved into intricate designs, the carvings themselves painted a darker color. Banners adorned with the triforce hung from the ceiling. And at the end, a carefully carved stone statue of a goron stood, watching over all the room’s inhabitants.

But it was the real goron that stood in front of the statue that caught Link’s eye. He was huge, far bigger and beefier than any of the other gorons Link had seen thus far, standing more than twice his own height. Stiff tufts of wiry hair grew around spiky stones, giving the appearance of a mane.

The goron stared Link down, his deep blue-violet eyes unreadable, crossing arms thicker than Link’s head. Not even against Gohma had Link felt so small.

Link slowed to a stop a few feet away.

“So…” the Goron started. “Who the heck are you?”

“I am Navi,” the fairy chimed in response. “And this is Link. We were—”

She was cut off as Darunia muttered to himself, ignoring her. “When I heard the song of the Royal Family, I expected their messenger had arrived, but… I mean, the weird kid knows it, which I suppose makes him the messenger but…”

He suddenly jabbed a finger at Link, raising his voice. “You’re just a kid! Tell me, has Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons, really lost so much status to be treated like this by his Sworn Brother, the King?”

Link took a startled step back, aghast. “I—”

Navi was the one who found her tongue first, answering for him. “What? No, of course not! We—”

But she was cut off again.

“Now, I'm REALLY angry!” Darunia roared. “Get out of my face, now!”

“WAIT!” Navi cried out in protest, fluttering dangerously close to the enraged goron’s face, her erratic flight causing her to let out jingles from frustration. “If you would just let us explain—”

Darunia cut her off tartly. “I don’t have time to entertain children. If you haven’t noticed, we Gorons have serious problems! Ancient creatures have infested the Dodongo's Cavern! Starvation and hunger because of the rock shortage! If that wasn’t enough, we've had a poor harvest of our specialty crop!” He let out a long huff, before finally calming just slightly, steadying his breathing.

“But… This is a Goron problem! We don't need any help from strangers! And certainly not from a royal family that couldn’t bother to send anyone other than a child to speak with us.”

He turned away from the duo, arms crossed. “Begone from my sight. You are free to stay the night, but I expect you to be gone by morning, understand? You come at a bad time, we have no room for hospitality.”

“But—”

“Navi.”

The fairy turned back to Look at Link. He had retreated to the edge of the room once Darunia had turned and now was staring straight at the fairy. He only shook his head and turned to walk away, shoulders slumped.

Navi hesitated, but followed him out, catching up just outside.

“Well, that went terribly. But… We can’t just give up. There has to be some way to get through to him, don’t you think?”

Link shrugged, looking back to Navi for a moment before continuing onward towards the path back up, ignoring a question from the goron beside the door.

Navi began to fly after Link, but stopped for a moment, turning back to speak to the goron briefly before catching up.

“Link, he said he overheard everything. They don’t have any traditional beds, but there’s a tunnel nearby that sometimes blows wind from the forest. He said it might be a nice place to relax.”

The boy considered his options for a moment, then shrugged, suddenly feeling weary. “Fine.”

Navi dashed forward to nuzzle up against the side of his jaw, a show of comfort. “Don’t worry,” she said quietly. “Sleep on it. Think about it. We’ll come up with something in the morning.”

8o8​

Link slept, though not soundly. His dreams were troubled by visions of the Deku Tree swirling in his mind, his trunk broken and contorted, cursed sap tinged purple leaking out into a wide, sticky pool. Caught in the curse’s grasp were Saria, Skully, and Zelda, their expressions blank and lifeless. All while wicked

When he finally woke, parts of the dream still lingered in his mind, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. The Deku Tree. Zelda. Saria. Skull Kid. Had he come so far, just to fail them all?

There had to be something he could do, right? Maybe he could steal the stone? No, he’d have to find it first, and maybe even fight Darunia. That sounded like a horrible idea. But asking clearly hadn’t worked…

Navi stirred, disturbed by his movement. Yawning, she fluttered to rest on his shoulder as he sat up. “Morning already…?”

Link stretched, raising his arms overhead. Without sunlight, he had no clue what time of day it was. For all he knew, it was still the middle of the night.

With a sigh, he distracted himself by tracing patterns in the ground. Fairies and leaves and clouds.

What was he supposed to do? Darunia demanded he leave. But he had to get that stone for the sake of everyone. His mind drifted to the angry goron the night before. In Darunia’s current state of mind, he had no hope of getting through to him. But there had to be some way…

Ugh, he was no good at this!

...But maybe Saria would have a better idea.

With a gasp, Link dug the fairy ocarina from his pockets and played the familiar tune. Several moments of silence followed, then Saria’s sweet, singsong voice answered.

“Link? Link can you hear me?”

“Yeah,” Link responded. “Yeah, I can.”

“That’s good. Where are you? We were worried when you didn't call. Skull Kid especially.”

“Skull Kid is there?”

“He's asleep,” she explained. “But yes, he’s here. He snuck into my house sometime last night. I'm pretty sure he got bored of watching me sleep all night and fell asleep himself. I’m… not sure how well he understands what personal space is.”

Link couldn’t help but giggle at Saria’s frustrated tone. That sounded like Skully.

“But enough about that, how—” Saria cut off mid-sentence.

“LINK!” Skull Kid’s voice rang in his head. “Linklinklinklinklink! There you are finally! I was waiting all night for you! Did you find the stone already? I bet you did because you're totally cool. Well?”

“Well… not really, actually. No.”

“Oh.”

Link let out a sigh. “I made it to the gorons but… they don't want to listen.”

“They’re having problems here too,” Navi chimed in after landing on the ocarina. “Likely caused by the same man that cursed the Deku Tree.” She paused. “How… are things there right now, anyways. Has anything… changed?”

“Nothing…” There was a moment of hesitation in Saria’s voice. “Nothing so far. But it’s been… four days now? The forest grew over hundreds of years. Thousands, even. It will likely take more time for the effects of our guardian’s death to show.”

“Aw chin up,” Skull Kid butted in cheekily. Link could only imagine that he was making some sort of silly face in an attempt to lighten the mood. “I’m sure everything will be fine. Besides. Us skull kids have survived for just as long without the Deku Tree’s help. You Kokiri could do it too!”

“It’s not that simple,” Saria responded, voice cracking.

“She’s right,” Navi added. “Even the Lost Woods were under some level of protection and control of the Deku Tree. Its mists helped keep the Kokiri safe from intruders, but the Deku Tree kept the mists from spreading too far. Once his power fades…” She trailed off.

“Why the long face? You don’t know anything bad will happen,” Skull Kid argued. “Why worry? It just makes you a bunch of sad, sobby people!”

“I can’t just not worry about it, Skull Kid!”

“Guys…” Link finally cut in quietly, before repeating it louder. “Guys! Could we worry about the stone first, please?” He waited for them to fall silent before adding, “I… never told you guys I think saw the man that cursed the Deku Tree, did I?”

Silence.

“I guess not.”

“No… What’s he like?” Saria finally asked.

“He’s really tall. Taller than most adults that I saw. And his hair is the color of a fire! He wore dark armor and… And his eyes were the scariest part— he looked like he could kill you just by looking at you!”

Neither Saria nor Skull Kid responded for a while. Skull Kid was the one to break the silence this time.

“So… are you gonna fight him?”

“What?” Navi cut in. “Of course not! We are not going to fight him. We’re going to stop him before he has the chance to hurt anyone. Then the adults can deal with it.”

“Adults can’t be trusted to deal with anything,” Skull Kid grumbled, but he quickly changed the subject. “So, you need to get the G=gorons to listen to you, so you can get the stone from them right?”

“Right.”

“Well, what about a gift? Or a trade?” Saria suggested.

“Do you have one in mind?” Link asked.

“I don’t know… what are you good at? Besides mischief. I don’t think they’d appreciate your childish antics.”

“Oh, I know! Put bomb powder in with their food! They eat rocks, right? No one would notice!”

“SKULL KID!” Navi shrieked. “That is the exact opposite of a good idea!”

Skull Kid cackled. “Kidding! Totally Kidding!” He probably wasn’t kidding.

“...Well…” Link started, considering his options. “I can swing a sword. And I can play music. And…. Actually, I think that’s it. If we’re not counting pranking as a skill.”

“Music sounds like a great idea,” Saria responded. “It could show goodwill. Now… What song should you play? Something cheerful maybe? Or maybe you could pick up some of their own music, as a show that you’re interested in their culture?”

Link opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes caught movement in the dim light. He turned his head towards the source. A goron stood at the end of the tunnel, staring and shifting on his feet.

“Uh, guys, I think I need to go. But I’ll keep the ideas in mind.”

“Come home soon! It’s so boring without you!” was the last thing Link heard from Skull Kid before pulling his hand away.

Link quickly stashed the ocarina back in his bag before scrambling to his feet. For several seconds, he and the goron stared at each other in silence. But surprisingly, it was Link that broke it.

“Um… how long have you been standing there?” Link asked, fiddling with the bottom of his tunic.

“A few minutes,” the goron responded. “I thought I heard music. Instead, I found you talking to yourself.”

“Oh, the music was me, too.” He considered explaining himself but decided against it. After all, who knew how much sense that would make to anyone else. A magical ocarina? That just sounded like crazy talk!

The goron brought a hand to his chin, considering. “Then… are you, by chance, from the forest?”

Link nodded in response.

Excited, the goron approached faster now, taking hold of Link’s tiny wooden hands. “I knew it! I knew I recognized that tune!”

He raised back up to full height, gesturing to the pile of rocks behind Link. “We used to be able to hear it drifting from the forest through here, until the tunnel collapsed. Everyone loved it.”

He stooped back down, once again taking Link’s hands. “Do you think you could come play it for everyone? We’re all so tired and hungry, but maybe it might lift everyone's spirits like it did mine!”

Link considered it, looking back to Navi. It could be a huge waste of time… or exactly what they needed to continue their quest.

Finally, eyes sparkling, he turned his attention back to the Goron. “Do you want to hear it on flute or ocarina?”

8o8​

Darunia was exhausted.

More than exhausted, really. Hunger gnawed at his stomach. He’d eaten hardly more than a morsel in the last three days and it had been more than a week since his last full meal. His portion of their quickly dwindling were passed on to the neediest of his people: the young and the elderly.

They were running out of time.

How long would it be before the weakest of his people perished at the claws of starvation? How long before he, too, succumbed to hunger’s cruel whims? His tribe’s pride would not allow him to just give in to the Gerudo’s demands. But would they swallow their pride to save themselves from death?

Would giving in to his demands even save his people?

More than once, he had considered leaving to solve the problem of Dodongo's cavern. But twice since the sealing, the Gerudo had come to demand he hand over the stone. Would he slaughter his people to take it by force if Darunia left them alone?

He could not risk it.

And then there was the matter of the strange monster child from the night before. He had been foolish to think the royal family would send help. His people had been a neutral party in the civil war, a matter that he suspected was seen as an insult by the royals. He had not expected much. But to send a child? How insulting!

Darunia was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of music outside his chamber. The tune was surprisingly familiar, bringing back memories of better times. Finally, curiosity got the better of the Goron chief. He slipped silently into the main chamber.

Several gorons were gathered on the lowest floor. Many were dancing, while others tapped their foot or clapped along with the beat.

But at the head of it all, standing high and proud on the ledge above, was the wooden child from the night before, fingers gliding along the surface of an ocarina.

One particularly excited goron appeared beside the boy, shaking a tambourine. Wind instrument melded with a traditional Goron sound, creating a lively fusion.

When was the last time Darunia had seen his people this jubilant? Certainly, it had to have been before their current misfortune had struck.

Darunia felt a smile creeping onto his face. For the first time in well over a month, watching his people dance and be joyful, he felt the weight of all the wrongs in their world lifting from his shoulders, even if only for the moment.

Temporarily forgetting his stress, Darunia joined in on the dance, hopping from foot to foot and swinging his arms wildly.

“Oh,” he cried out, “What a hot beat! Come on! Come on come on!”

He had no clue how long they danced. But by the time the song drew to a close, even with the hunger still gnawing at him, Darunia felt more at peace than he had in weeks.

“What a nice tune!” He called out, causing the entire cavern to grow quiet and turn to him. With everyone staring, he couldn’t help but think back to the night before, when he had so harshly turned the boy away. His people were depending on him. He needed to swallow his pride. If nothing else, it would not hurt him to listen to what the kid had to say.

“Hey, kid! Come on down here, I’d like to have a word with you!”

The child’s mouth hung open for a second. But he wasted no time, sliding down the cliff before bounding over to meet him. Together, they returned to Darunia’s chamber.

8o8​

Link once again found himself in Darunia’s room, nervously tugging at his tunic. Unlike last time, the great boulder of a goron seemed at ease as he stood with his back turned adjusting the position of a jug on one of his tables. Once he seemed satisfied, he turned back to the skull kid.

“I need to apologize to you, kid,” he began. “I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately, worried about everything going on here. But that music you played. Oh, it made me think back to better times. Something just came over me! I suddenly wanted to dance like crazy!

“Let me introduce myself properly. I am Darunia! I'm the big boss of the Gorons!” Darunia beat a fist against his chest. “Tell me, what exactly brought you here?”

Navi, after exchanging a glance with Link, said, “Well, you see sir, we’ve been asked by the princess to gather three Sacred Stones, in hopes of stopping an evil man from taking them, and from doing bad things. We’ve already got one. Link show him the emerald.” She paused long enough to allow Link time to brandish the gem and present it to Darunia before she continued. “So we came with the request of borrowing the Goron’s gem.”

Darunia’s gaze darkened slightly. He turned his head to the side, raising a finger to his chin. “So… you want the Spiritual Stone of Fire, too? I take it, then, that you weren’t even aware of the crisis.” He waited for Link to nod before continuing. “The Spiritual Stone of Fire, also known as the Goron's Ruby, is our race's hidden treasure....” For a moment he seemed like he was considering something, but he made no movement.

“As such, I can’t just hand it over. Especially not in a moment of crisis like we have now. But… I would be willing to part with it for the greater good if you are willing to do us a service in return.”

“What kind of service?” Navi asked.

“Our food source, Dodongo’s cavern, was cut off by a wicked man, possibly the same one you are trying to stop. Why don't you go destroy the monsters inside of the Dodongo's Cavern and prove you're a real man? That way, everybody will be happy again! More than that, it would be saving my people from starvation. If you do it, I will give you anything you want, even the Spiritual Stone! Is that fair to you?”

Link tilted his head considering.

“Now hold on,” Navi interjected. “I understand your reasoning, but there has to be—”

“I’ll do it.”

“Wait, Link!” Navi whipped around to face the boy, fluttering in his face. “Look, Link. You don’t understand. A monster-infested Dodongo’s cavern is dangerous enough for someone like a goron. But it’s a place of fire and lava. Your body is made of wood. One wrong step could kill you.”

For a second, Link froze, eyes wide. But then he shook his head. “I’ll just have to try.”

Darunia seemed to hesitate for a moment, too. But then he shook his head, frowning deeply. Turning his back, he approached one of the tables. “If you really do mean to try, I have something for you. I'm not really giving you this in return for anything, but take it anyway.”

He turned back to Link, holding out a small, gold-colored bracelet that was spiky on one end. An inset red crest, similar to the design Link had seen painted on the walls, decorated it.

“This here will magically enhance your strength. If you wear this, even a little fella like you can pick a Bomb Flower — one of the special crops us Gorons raise. They work like a bomb, exploding shortly after you pick it. So, you have to be very careful. Still, you’ll need this just to get inside. Understand?”

Link accepted the item, slowly slipping it over his wrist. “I… think so.”

The Goron smiled. “Glad to hear it. Good luck little guy, I look forward to seeing you soon!”

After adjusting the bracelet on his hand, Link turned and scurried out of the room. Excitement, nervousness, and relief all danced in his head. He may have been set back, but he was back on track. And once he helped out here, he’d be one step closer to helping Zelda.

 

[windskull]

Chapter 9: Through Fire​

“Look out below!”

That was the only warning the goron guarding Dodongo’s cavern got before a bomb flower — tossed from a cliff above — landed on top of the boulder. He curled and rolled away just as the flower exploded, shaking the ground and throwing dust into the air. Chunks of rock smashed the ground around him.

He stayed curled until the dust settled. When he finally looked up, a child leaned over the cliff, staring at the boulder. A large chunk had broken off the top and new cracks ran through its entirety, allowing entrance from above. Then the child noticed him and waved sheepishly. Confused, he waved back.

“Did you see that Navi?” Link asked, turning to the fairy. “That was so cool!”

Navi flitted around him, casting nervous glances towards the boulder. “Sure, but be careful with those, Link! You could seriously injure someone with an explosion like that. Or yourself!”

Link laughed, waving his hand dismissively. “You worry too much. Come on, we should get moving! The sooner we take care of that cavern, the better!”

Navi finally landed on his shoulder. “Are you sure about this Link? The caverns are particularly dangerous for someone like you. It would be bad enough for… say, a Kokiri. But you’re made of wood. Highly flammable wood.”

Link let his hands fall to his side, his cheeky smile faltering. For a moment, he seriously considered the danger. But then he clenched his fists. “I have to do it. I said I would. Besides, we need that stone!” Without another word, he scrambled over the fence.

“What are you doing?!”

“I’m going to jump. It’s faster.”

“You’re going to break your legs is what you’re going to do!”

The skull kid laughed. Balancing precariously on top of the fence, he sprang, landing hard on top of the boulder.

“Ooof!”

Dazed, it took Link a moment to reorient himself. He sat up slowly, ignoring the mild soreness in his torso.

“See? Nothing to worry about!”

Navi landed on his shoulder, shaking. “Honestly, have you lost your mind? What if you had broken something, we’d be set back by weeks. Don’t ever do that again. Understand?”

Link’s eyes flickered, then he gave a hesitant nod. He didn’t see what the big deal was; he was fine. But he didn’t want to further stress the fairy.

As his vision adjusted in the dim light, the first thing Link noticed was the sweltering heat. Some summer days were so hot and humid that he would just lie down and do nothing. But this heat was dry and nearly unbearable.

The room he was in was small and dark, lit only by light filtering from the gap he’d squeezed through. He could make out the dim shapes of bomb flowers growing in the chamber. Another boulder blocked the way forward.

Link approached one of the bomb flowers, digging his feet into the ground as he pulled at the bud from the bottom. It came loose with a satisfying pop. At the sudden loss of resistance, he dropped the bud, the flower beginning to fizzle and smoke. He grabbed hold of it only for long enough to chuck it at the boulder blocking his path, then pressed his back against the far wall.

The flower continued to hiss and pop for a few seconds, until it finally exploded. Bits of rock flew across the room, one chunk just missing Link’s head.

As the dust settled, light and even more heat. Link crossed to the new opening, climbing over debris. The heat only grew worse, so much worse. His body felt dry and parched. And as he walked into the cavern beyond, he could see why.

He was on a ledge overlooking a huge room, a metal pier at the end. Below slow, nearly solidified lava oozed around the center of the room.

Link took a couple steps back, assessing the rest of the chamber. The only way to advance was by jumping to a precarious pillar of rock, surrounded by the lava below. Another larger platform stood beyond that. From there, he could travel by the same method to tunnels.

Glancing up, he could make out the form of bridges and more cliffs, too far for him to reach. At the far end of the room, a humongous animal skull was buried partway into the wall.

Link slowly made his way onto the pier, making sure to keep his balance on the spread-out slats. “This place is so weird…” he mumbled. “How would they do anything in here?”

“Well,” Navi began, considering. “For one thing, gorons can survive on hot coals and even in lava for a short time. But more importantly… it sounds to me like this place was cursed by Ganondorf, just like the Deku Tree. Depending on the strength of the curse, it could be anything from the destruction of paths to literal warping of the layout of the caves.

“Which is why,” she continued with emphasis, “I think we should try to speak with Darunia and find another way. This place would be dangerous enough for a Goron warrior who knows the ins and outs of this place. But you, someone who could be seriously injured — or worse — by the smallest misstep, have no business being here!”

“You worry too much,” Link responded with a dismissive wave of his hand before stretching. “Besides, we have to do this, right? To save the world.”

“It's my job to worry about you, Link. But besides that, I am as on board with this as you. But you can't save the world if you're dead.”

“I’m… pretty sure I’m already dead, technically.”

“Deader.”

Navi’s clarification fell on deaf ears. Link focused on the pillar of rocks between himself and the platform beyond. He backed up, wishing once again that he had mastered the ability to teleport already. But this was certainly not the place to practice. Despite his disagreement with Navi, he still had to admit that this place was dangerous.

Link steadied himself then dashed forward, springing off the pier at the last possible second.

He soared through the air, one leg outstretched. His eyes remained firmly glued to the platform in front of him. He landed with relative grace, taking a couple small steps at the end of his jump to slow down his momentum, coming to a stop only inches from the edge.

The stone column was not particularly small — giving him about enough space that he could take two long bounds — but it wasn’t enough space to give him a running start, either. And the next gap was just as wide.

Link stepped back until the heel of his boots were almost parallel with the edge. One moment to steady his nerves, then he dashed again, picking up as much speed as he could before springing off with arms outstretched.

His momentum wasn’t quite enough. He slammed into the side with a heavy “oomph,” arms and upper torso grabbing hold of safety, but legs scrambling against the rough, jagged stone in an attempt to find footing and push himself to safety. For one horribly long second, he felt himself slipping. Then finally one boot found purchase, then the other. With one last surge of strength, he pushed up off the foothold and heaved himself onto the platform, flopping onto his back once he was safe.

For a moment his eyes flickered, until his fear subsided. Too close. Too close to becoming a living torch.

“Um… Link?”

Navi brought him back to the present. He became aware of an odd whirring noise nearby as he pushed himself to his knees, eyes darting around.

In the center of the platform was a round, almost egg-shaped… thing. It sat on two legs a round orb rotating at the top. More disturbing, however, were the nose and mouth shapes jutting out of its ovular body. As the orb spun, a single eye came into view.

The eye stopped, staring directly at Link.

“Link MOVE!”

Link stumbled to the side, instinctively reaching for his sword and smaller shield. The monster shot a white-hot beam of energy from its eye, aimed where he stood just seconds before. It began to turn towards Link, the beam coming closer.

“Your sword and shield won’t do any good against this guy!” Navi called, flying ahead of Link towards another rock pillar. “Here, this way!”

Link sharply changed directions. He had only seconds to judge the distance before he made his jump, this time landing on his butt to keep him from toppling over the edge.

The sizzling behind him stopped.

“That was a beamos,” Navi explained as Link recovered. “They cannot see very far, but their beam will home in on you if you get too close. They must have been set up here to deter intruders. I’m sorry. I should have noticed it sooner.”

“‘S’okay,” Link rasped. After a moment, he took a canteen of water from his bag and took a swig of water. He chose to remain in place until his nerves returned to normal. Only then did he prepare himself for the next jump. This time, he made sure to look for footholds before he sprang, climbing to the other side with relative ease.

From there, he started down a dark tunnel brushing his right hand against the wall as a guide. Navi led the way, providing limited light. As they moved further and further away from the cavern, the air cooled slightly, though it was still just as dry as before.

Link took another large gulp of water as he walked and fanned himself in an attempt to cool off. It was still far too hot for comfort.

As he made his way through the tunnel in relative silence, he found branching paths that led to a single room, only for the path to bring him back to the main tunnel or lead to a dead end.

“Are you okay?” Navi asked as they returned from one such dead end.

“Just a little thirsty,” he responded, taking another sip of water. “I don’t know how gorons can stand the heat here.”

“Because they’ve adapted to survive the heat,” Navi responded. “They can survive in environments like this. If they went elsewhere, they wouldn’t do so well. Imagine a goron trying to live in a lake. Or even…” She paused, considering.

“Okay, so you know how you and other skull kids are really good at sneaking and hiding, especially in the forest. In dense woods, no one would ever be able to find you if you didn’t want them to, right? The same goes for Kokiri.”

“...Yeah?”

“Now, imagine a Goron trying to do the same. Imagine, for a moment, a goron trying to live in the forest. Sure, they could be safe from things like wolfos, but they wouldn’t be able to hide from bigger threats. And food? They’d be hard-pressed to find a steady supply.”

“Uh...huh?”

“Now, here you are doing the same. You’ve come into an area that gorons are built for — hot and filled with lava, things they’ve adapted themselves against. But you? You’re putting yourself in danger by being here.”

“...And?”

“And what I’m saying, Link, is that they never should have asked someone that’s not suited to this kind of environment, an environment that works directly against them, to come in and solve all their problems.”

“But they did,” Link responded with a shrug. “And I said I would do it so I’m going to do it.”

Navi let out an exasperated sigh. “Please Link,” she pleaded. “Please listen to me. You could get yourself hurt or killed! This is different from the Deku Tree. Yes, we need that stone. Yes, they said to do this, but there has to be another way. If we just went back and talked to Darunia—”

“I said I’m DOING THIS!”

Navi fell silent as the skull kid angrily whipped around to face her, hands clenched.

“Don’t treat me like a little kid—”

“Link,” she cut him off gently. “You are a little kid.”

“I can take care of myself!” He argued. “I’m not some helpless Kokiri— I got along just fine this long without a fairy. Watch me, I’m going to get through here, with or without your help.”

With a curt nod of his head, Link spun around and dashed down the path, forcing Navi to give chase. Even once she caught up, he remained quiet, stewing in silence.

The pair continued on in silence for some time, Link now leading the way despite his limited vision. But eventually, they came to the end of the tunnel. To his left, he could just barely make out the outline of a huge metal door.

“Huh,” he mumbled as he approached, climbing up iron steps to reach it. There was no way he could open it by himself. Was it even meant to be opened that way? As he looked it over, another object to the side of the door caught his attention: a large lever.

He approached, grabbed hold of the carved handle, and pulled with all his might, boots slipping and scraping on the dirt floor. It didn’t budge. He struggled and tugged until, suddenly, the lever snapped into the other position.

The door creaked, then swung open, leading through a small tunnel with another door at the end. As he approached, he felt another noticeable rise in temperature.

This door, too, opened by lever. As soon as the door swung open, he was hit with an intense blast of heat and the light of red-hot lava. For a moment, he honestly considered turning back. But his desire to complete what he started got the better of him, and he stepped into the room.

He stood on a large, rock platform. Perhaps six feet or so below flowed lava, mostly still hot and fresh. More poured down from a fall above; where it might be coming from, he did not know. A huge pillar of rock rose high above him, too high for him to see the top.

Link made his way around the room, avoiding the edges of the platform. It was separated from other platforms nearby, barely a jump away. Reaching the other side revealed another door. Upon reaching the final platform he paused, rubbing his face.

“Are you okay?” Navi asked.

“Little dizzy,” he responded with a nod.

“Link, I’m sorry, but I really think—”

The skull kid swatted at the fairy. “Look, we’re almost out of the room, see? we just got to—”

Before he could finish his thought, a loud cry sounded from above. He sprang out of the way in the nick of time. A monster — a lizard more than twice his size, donning limited armor, jumped from above, smashing its sword into the ground where Link had just stood.

A trap. Link scrambled back, watching the edge as best he could while keeping an eye on the lizard in front of him.

“A lizalfos!” Navi cried out. “Look out!”

Link sprang to the side as the lizalfos lunged. Its sword whizzed by mere inches from his ear. He spun around and swung at the lizard, managing to cut a shallow, thin slice into its side.

The lizalfos spun, facing Link, and sliced horizontally.

“Duck!” Navi cried out.

No time to think, Link reacted to Navi’s advice and crouched down. He felt a blow to his back and heard a metallic clang as the blade struck the oversized shield on his back. As he rose back up, he struck out, attempting to gut the angry lizard.

It sprang back at the last possible second, avoiding being skewered. This time, it rushed forward, charging sword first.

Link scrambled backward, then, as he felt his feet hitting the edge of the stone, he spun and leaped as far as he could onto the next one, whipping back around as quickly as he could, swinging his sword blindly.

A metallic clang rang out. Link turned his head in time to see the creature’s sword fly through the air, falling into the pool of lava below. The lizalfos let out a startled cry. A toothy smile crept onto his face. He had the upper hand, this was his chance! He braced himself to thrust forward. At the same time, the lizalfos sucked in air…

“GET BACK!” Navi screamed, zipping against Link’s alarm.

With little time to react to Navi’s sudden dire warning, Link took a step back, throwing up his wooden shield. Almost immediately, he was met with a burst of flame knocking against the shield. He winced, bracing as flames licked around the edges, cinders threatening to cling to his arm.

The flame attack died away… But unfortunately for the little hero, fire still remained. The shield! Crying out in alarm, he shook his arm until the shield came loose, flinging it across the room.

The lizard let out a delighted cry as it charged forward.

“LINK!”

He let out a startled cry, thrusting forward with both arms in a last-ditch effort to defend himself, flickering his vision away and waiting for claws to tear at his arms.

But they never came. Only a garbled cry came from the lizard.

Slowly, Link peeked an eye back. His attack had driven his sword deep into the lizalfos’ exposed stomach. Hesitantly, he brought a boot up to push the monster away, pulling his blade free. Blood poured from the wound as the lizard fell to the ground.

Link panted, watching for a moment as the lizard’s cries and movement became weaker. Then, unable to bear watching, he turned his back, continuing back to the door, sheathing his sword. Slowly he grabbed hold of the lever and began to pull again, tugging with all his might as he pulled it forward first to unlock, then to open. The door slid open, the cooler air beyond only barely a relief. But still a relief. Unwilling or unable to bear the heat any longer, he dashed through the door, turning to shut it behind him.

8o8​

“Darunia!”

The Goron chief glanced up from a map on his table, his attention caught by the goron that had entered his room.

“Gordo, my brother!” Darunia called out with a hearty wave. “How goes the excavation of the entrance?”

The two took a moment to share a hearty embrace. “We’ve cleared enough of the rocks and debris for goron to enter, big brother” Gordo replied as he stepped away. “Although we’re still stabilizing the entrance. Briggs stepped inside to check for damage. The entrance cavern is mostly clear of monsters but…”

“But?”

“But unfortunately, the bridge is out, and lava levels are up even in the main room by at least ten percent. We could probably at least get some workers over to the eastern mining sites if we set up some ramps up for jumping, but we have no clue what might be waiting beyond the entrance.”

Darunia gave the Goron a grim nod, considering his words carefully. “Still, it’s a start. I’ll take care of any infestation in the southern quarter myself, if I have to, as soon as I secure our sacred treasure. We need access to the mines back as soon as possible.” He paused. “... Any sign of that kid?”

“He definitely entered — Igne saw him — and there had been a second boulder just inside that was also destroyed. But he must have jumped across the ledges and continued on. We have no clue where he is.”

“Understood.” Darunia grew quiet for a moment as he turned back to the map on his table. A map of the caverns. He had been looking over the layout carefully, something weighing on his mind since he’d sent the skull kid off to Dodongo’s Cavern.

His fingers brushed over a particular room on the map, a room where lava poured freely from cracks in the cavern above. Gorons had no trouble in the lava. They could even safely walk in thin layers of it for a while. But there was a reason the mines were Goron territory. No other race could do that. Not zoras, not hylians, and certainly not…

...children made of wood.

His mind raced back to the Fairy’s protests. What was wrong with him?

Slowly, he turned to the Goron in the room, who stood at attention, waiting for their dismissal.

“...Gordo, brother, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Yes, Big Brother?”

“I need you to have the men set up some ramps, like you were talking about earlier.”

“Of course.”

“I also need you to send a couple men to guard my room. I’ll be out for a while. Oh, and… fetch me my war hammer, please.”

8o8​

The new room was dark, but also significantly cooler. Link, knees weak, sank to the ground, hot and exhausted. Reaching for his canteen, he took another swig of water.

“Um… Link?” Navi said, a nervous edge in her voice.

He turned to look at Navi and tilted his head.

“Link, oh my goddesses, your arm!”

The skull kid heard a pop, then a sharp pain shot up his right arm. He whipped his head to the side. The bark on the outside had blackened, singed by the fire. It sizzled as little bubbles of water boiled beneath the surface. But the worst was the still smoldering smoke, as if it could burst into flame at any second. He cried out and shook his arm around, pouring the last of his water out on the smoking spot. After a second the smoke went away.

Too close.

“Link, you need to leave,” Navi insisted again. “Your body isn’t suited for this kind of environment. If you had stayed in there much longer, you would have burst into flames!”

“But I can’t just go back,” Link argued, shaking his head.

“But you need to.”

“No, I mean, I have to keep going, because I can’t go back that way. What if I get locked in that lava room again? What if another lizard tries to ambush us?”

Navi considered it for a moment, then let out a sigh. “I suppose you’re right about that… but I don’t like it one bit. If we find a way out, you need to go leave, okay?”

Link said nothing in response, instead just standing up, stumbling slightly once he was on his feet.

“Link, are you okay?” Navi asked.

“...Just a little dizzy…” he responded, gaze down, before shaking his head to clear it and turning his attention to the fairy. “I’m fine. Let’s go. Maybe it will be cooler further down?”

Navi seemed unconvinced but had no choice but to follow.

These tunnels were less structured than the ones he had gone through before, more natural with no wooden or metal structure for support. From somewhere nearby echoed the slightest drip-drop of a trickle of water.

The duo carried on in near silence, Link's tired, heavy footsteps resounding in the dark cavern. One hand kept a tight grip on his blade. The other felt carefully along the wall as he trekked in the near-darkness.

The sound of something shuffling somewhere behind him made him freeze. He stood still, half expecting something to jump him. But when nothing happened, and noise eventually settled into nothing, he slowly began to walk again. His feet shuffled a few feet further before one caught on something in the darkness, sending Link tumbling to the ground with a startled yelp.

He laid still for a moment, considering stopping to rest. Before Navi’s cry of alarm made him scramble to his feet.

“Link! Get up! Run!”

He pushed himself back to his feet and whipped around, finding himself face to face with a huge lizard creature that stared the two of them down. It didn’t look happy with its unexpected awakening.

“What is that?” Link asked, beginning to reach for his sword.

“It’s a dodongo!” Navi cried back, zipping to thump against his chest to try and get him moving. “Don’t try to fight it, just go!”

“Why?”

Even as he asked, the creature took a deep breath. Recognizing the motion, he took a couple stumbling steps backward, then spun and stumbled off. The dodongo exhaled and the floor he’d been standing in just a second prior erupted into a stream of fire. Link let out an alarmed cry and sped up.

Navi zipped ahead of him, lighting the way. When he looked back, he could see the beady eyes of the dodongo following behind him. Fortunately, it was slow.

He sprang over the form of another sleeping dodongo. Navi slowed to a stop a few dozen feet further ahead before zipping to the side, highlighting the form of a lever to open a door. Link wasted no time closing the last gap and grabbing hold, using every bit of strength he had to open the door despite his injured arm’s protests. As soon as it was open enough to slip through, he crawled under the gap and ran, not waiting to see if he was pursued.

He didn’t stop running until the sound of the pursuing monsters faded. He let out a relieved sigh, only to look up in dismay as he realized he was right back where he had started early in the afternoon. With a groan, he sank to the ground. All that he’d done had been for nothing!

Navi flitted about as she looked around the room. “This… Well, that was a waste of time,” she sighed. “But… At least this will give us an opportunity to leave and go speak with Darunia again. Surely just opening the entrance up for them would be enough for him, right Link?”

“... Link?”

8o8​

The brisk mountain air was quiet as night fell. Eerily quiet. Darunia shifted uneasily from foot to foot as other gorons scurried about Dodongo Cavern’s entrance, working to move and stabilize the debris and secure a safe opening. Others scurried about just inside, working to move the extra debris for use as makeshift ramps.

He wanted to dash in now and make sure the child was alright. But if he caused a collapse, it could trap both of them inside. And then it could take hours to dig their way back out. And it would put his people in danger. No, he couldn’t risk his people’s survival to rush in like a hero. He needed to wait a little longer.

Still, he couldn’t help but worry about the child. A child who had been willing to throw himself into danger for people he barely knew, even if he did have his own motives behind it.

“Big Brother Darunia!” one of the gorons called out with a wave.

He Lumbered over to the worker. “Are we in the clear?”

The goron averted his gaze. “... Yes… and no. The entrance is clear and stable, but the ramps aren’t ready within the main hall. We’re still working on securing them.”

Daruina was quiet for a moment, shifting his weight as he considered his options. Then he hoisted his great hammer over his shoulder and started towards the entrance.

“Time is of the essence. You think it should hold up for one leap? I’ll just make sure I make it the first time.”

He stopped near the edge of the metal bridge, ignoring the uncomfortable heat of the ground underneath his feet. Certainly, it was no danger to him or his people. But he was positive it was hotter than normal inside.

Time was of the essence.

He stepped back from the edge and took a moment to take in his surroundings. Near the back, he could make out the form of… something. But it certainly did not look like Link.

A flicker of light caught the side of his eye. He followed it and noticed something glowing, darting towards him. The boy’s fairy friend, he realized with a sinking feeling. Alone.

He turned to face the tiny creature. She crashed to a stop against his chest.

“Daruina!” She gasped breathlessly. “Oh thank the goddesses. Please, you must help. Please.”

Darunia shifted his weight so that his hammer was in one hand, then offered a hand for her to rest on. “Slow down,” he instructed. “Tell me what happened.”

“It’s Link!” she started, ignoring the resting spot. “He- He got overwhelmed by the heat, I think. He collapsed and passed out and I— think he’s burned and I—I can’t do anything!”

Darunia frowned grimly. “Take me to him.”

Navi bobbed in agreement before zipping towards a ledge on the far side. Darunia paused, considering the best path of action. He could not leap across the gap to the ledge, and the bridge that would normally grant him passage was out. However, they had set up the beginnings of the make-shift ramp…

He took a few steps back, mentally considering his trajectory.

The fairy looped back around. “Hey, what are you doing! This is serious, you need to hurry!”

He led up a hand towards her. “Hush, little sister. I need to concentrate.” Fists clenched, he took a deep breath before curling up into a tight ball, making sure to keep his limbs tucked in. Then he began to rock and build up momentum. Another deep breath as he reached deep inside of himself, focusing on the earth magic that gorons could learn with time and dedication. He charged, speeding towards the makeshift ramp At the same time, he released the magic he had built up. Rocky spikes of pure magic burst from his body, propelling him forward. He blazed up the ram and soared across the gap, crashing into the wall.

Navi hovered anxiously nearby as the Goron sat up and took a moment to brush himself off. No injuries. Good.

“Alright, sis, just tell ol' Darunia where to go.”