10Chapter 2: Welcome Back Hero of Time
It was either the morning or afternoon and it was very difficult to tell in the luminous forest.
But it didn't matter to Link, while the beams of sunlight were breaking through the dense forest and canopy of trees and branches that allowed small shafts of light through the mysterious Lost Woods.
All Link cared about was returning home to where he belonged. While riding on his trustworthy horse companion Epona, through these everlasting woods.
Riding along the dense field of grass that covered the forest for several months as they gradually find their way back to Hyrule.
Both of them found the return journey lazy and boring without any worry in their foggy minds.
As the weeks and months pass on while trying to enjoy the serene forest. When day turns to night Link makes a small campfire and drifts off into a deep sleep, sometimes he thinks about the happy moments with his friends.
His heart ached occasionally with memories of his friends who loved, protected, and cared for him in the past and present alike.
Link left Hyrule in search of Navi for several months. Now it took him several months to return back to his homeland at the age of ten years old.
(Link's age in OoT is confirmed to be 9 years old by the series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Also, the Majora's Mask player's guide manual states that the game begins "several months" after OoT, so he is definitely 10 years old during Majora's Mask. I'm using these specific sources so it will be less confusing and complicated when writing my fanfiction story.)
He still wore his, iconic green pointy hat that dangled to the back of his neck.
Matching colored short pants, and short sleeve Kokiri tunic over a brown leather strap with his gilded sword and mirror shield with a picture of an unhappy or screaming face upon it.
These weapons are attached to his back, for all to see. Including his leather belt over his waist and finally his brown Kokiri boots.
This type of clothing is natural for the eternally young children of the Kokiri Forest who all wore similar attire. Finally, Link reaches the edge of the Lost Wood. In under an hour, he will be back in Kokiri Village.
Where he spent his childhood with Saria and the others.
The "jerkface" Mido, who proclaims to be the leader of the Kokiri ever since their guardian and father the Great Deku Tree died.
Because of Ganondorf's dreadful curse monster called Parasitic Armoured Arachnid Gohma.
Link and Epona rushed through the canopy of trees turning left and right and rushing up the stone stairs until they both reached a Kokiri child sitting on a stump playing her fairly ocarina right behind the Forest Temple concealed in the overgrowth.
"Hey Saria it's me Link, It's been a while." Link said as he waved his hand from a far distance trying to get his childhood friend's attention.
"Link is that real you!? Welcome back home old friend." Saria replied as she ran forward to hug his dear friend that left on a perilous and long journey in search of his fairy companion.
She let go of Link and replied. "So did you find Navi or is she hiding under your hat trying to surprise me like she did last time?"
Cracking an honest smile; until she started thinking of Link's concern about losing a close friend like her.
Link enters into a deep thought of failing to find Navi and returning home empty hand only with an enlightened mindset.
"No I didn't find her, but I did find happiness and a new purpose in life as a hero while helping others. It's what Navi would've wanted me to do in this world." Link said with an honest and sad face.
"You're keeping her memory alive Link. Whether she is here with us or somewhere else in the land of Hyrule. She will always be with you okay."
"Thank you Saria; you know just what to say to make me feel better," Link said as he wiped away his little tears.
"Just promise me Link, you'll never leave like that again; I miss you."
"Don't worry Saria this time I'm here to stay," Link replied with a sincere voice. With a long sigh, she replies. "That's good to hear."
"So did anything happen in Kokiri forest while I was gone? Don't leave me hanging."
"Everyone else has been pretty much okay. Except for Mido who still continues to declare himself the leader of the Kokiri, ever since the Great Deku Tree died."
"I guess everything is the same as usual."
"Well, it just got a whole lot better now that you're here. We can even have a big welcome home party just for you Link; if you want?"
"That would be nice. But for now, me and Epona here are pretty hungry. We haven't eaten for hours, after our perilous journey. Isn't that right girl?" Link replied while petting Epona softly on her white mane on the top of her neck when she started to whine.
"Well, then will you be so willing to offer me a ride?'' She said with a teasing expression on her face. "It would be a privilege to help someone so fortune like you in their time of need."
Link reach out his hand and said. "Come on and hold on tight." As Saria climb on behind the leather saddle while Link was in front.
"Shall we be departure?"
"Yes, Link let's go home together."
"Let go Epona."
Link responded as they rode off through the lost woods as Epona's hooves started to trample on the dense twigs and fresh grass that inhabit the forest floor. While Saria wrapped her arms tenderly around Link's waist as she laid her head softly on Link's back.
It isn't another dream; my Link is back home safe and sound. Saria thought as she slowly started to drift off to sleep on Link's soft back for an hour and thirty minutes.
"Hey Saria wakes up, we're back home." Link said to Saria while shaking her shoulder. "Oh really," Saria replied, feeling a little disappointed as letting go of Link's waist and jump off the horse.
"The place hasn't changed one bit." As Link began to reminisce about the good times in Kokiri village. Gazing at the other tree houses and wildlife in the clearing.
Some of them are impressive stumps, hollowed out and filled with trinkets and furniture that are renowned by the Kokiri race.
But memory lane was over when the Kokiri children started to circle around Link, asking him crazy and personal questions.
"Link your back home!"
"Where did you go?"
"Did you find Navi in the lost woods?"
"How did you avoid becoming a skull kid in the lost woods?"
Afterwards, Saria stepped into the center of the clearing and replied. "Give him some space people, he is tired and hungry after his long adventure to find his friend."
"Well, it looks like he failed at that too. Just like how he let our Great Deku Tree die a year ago." Mido said, out aloud with a foul look on his face.
"That wasn't his fault Mido; he tries his best to save him and we all would've done the same as well. Please don't ruin the moment when Link finally returns back home."
Mido retorted back to Saria and said. "Whatever." Then he walked away angrily.
Mr. No Fairy should've died or turned into a skull kid in the lost wood if you ask me. He is not one of us and never will be.
Oh, great Farore if I say that out loud in front of everyone; Saria would kill me right where I stand, Mido thought.
"Come on Link, have dinner with me. There's plenty of food in my house. We can talk about all your exciting adventures." Saria said as she grabbed Link's hand leading the way.
"Sure Saria, just give me a minute. So I can take Epona near the pond, she is thirty and tired after carrying two children on horseback." Link said as he released his hand that was attached to Saria and rushed to help his horse. Then he eventually joins Saria inside her treehouse.
"So Link, where were you? You were gone for a whole year."
"It's a long story Saria."
A few hours after dusk, both Link and Saria had prepared a fresh plate of fried wild greens, wheat bread, and green tea for dinner.
While he talked about his adventure through the parallel world of Termina.
His encounter with the Skull kid/Majoras mask, reversing time in the three-day time cycle, obtaining magical masks, freeing the Four Giant Guardians, helping people, saving broken souls, and the last day in the carnival of time.
"Look Saria I even got pictures of Clocktown, Deku Palace of Woodfall, Goron Village of Snowhead, Great Bay, Gerudo Hideout, Zora Hall, Stone Tower, and the carnival of time."
"I even met ghosts, aliens, monsters, and huge giants that reach the Temina's sky."
"Don't get me started on fighting inside a frightening moon with the fierce deity mask and saving the inhabitants of Termina." Link said while retelling his adventure with a lot of enthusiasm.
"That's incredible Link; you must have seen all sorts of places in your travels. Whether it was peaceful and friendly Hyrule or the scary and disordered world of Termina. You never falter until the very end."
Saria replied with a smile on her face. I'm so proud of my little hero, Saria thought.
"Well, that is not all true Saria. There were times when I started to lose my humility, hope, and faith in the cursed land of Termina." Link responded as he begins to flashback on his whole adventure in the parallel world of Termina.
Link started to think about all the feelings of grief for the loss of his fairy companion Navi, being cursed into a Deku child, and then the moon creeping closer toward Termina's surface with every passing day.
The people still continue their everyday lives while they prepared for the Carnival of Time. But gradually the moon and Skull Kid prove to become too difficult to ignore.
As each day passes on; the citizen's sense of denial starts to wane and is then replaced by fear and desperation during the carnival of time; with only a handful of people who choose to remain.
Because some people wanted to prove their courage, bravery, and foolishness before they meet death. Seeing the anger and hate in people's hearts as they start to blame others for their misfortune.
Just like how the Deku's of Woodfall blamed and punished an innocent monkey for their princess's disappearance.
A crime he did not commit, no matter how much the monkey pleas for his innocence.
All the Deku tribe citizens really wanted, was to release their anger on someone for their own misfortune.
Sometimes he had to lie, bargain, and trade with many entities in order to complete unfinished tasks and obtain a specific item, for personal reasons, and for those who desperately needed his help.
For example, the former Goron champion Domain is unable to move on in the afterlife with his brothers and sisters; as he tries desperately to return to the mortal realm, bargaining for anything just to live once again.
Since that is not possible he instead bargains with Link to save his people in his stead.
Link even witnessed other people's depression and sadness within the three-day time cycle.
Thinking that any type of future actions are futile and witnessing the people devoid of life while others stay in isolation from everyone.
But he slowly realized that each interaction with someone was a hardship within a constant time cycle. He begins to learn and interact with the residents of Termina by discovering their personal lives and then helping them with their problems out of pity.
He starts to understand the inevitable future of the inhabitants of Termina and accepts his role and fate to tend to the emotional scars of Termina.
This was intended by the Goddess of Time to grant Link the ability to manipulate time and change the fate of everyone inside Termina while simultaneously helping Link to ease his own grief for Navi.
Even his spiritually guided and eternal friend Kaepora Gaepora revealed Termina's inevitable doom. But the fate of destiny could be changed by the courage and determination of an outsider.
Link through the use of music, masks, and other tools. He has brought peace to both the living and dead spirits, allowing them to move on with life by taking their responsibility and source of trouble. By helping others in Termina, Link found happiness and purpose in life.
He lost all sense of his purpose after Navi departed. His journey through Termina provided him meaning in life once again by being a hero. Link is honoring Navi's wish to help those in need, keeping her memory alive.
"But I learned many things during my stay in Termina Saria."
"Could you tell me one of them, before we go our separate ways for rest? Since it is getting late?" Saria said while giving a long yawn, emphasizing of tired she really is right now.
"I learned loved ones come and go in life, but they will always remain in your heart."
Link replied while showing his body language by putting his hand on his heart. As a sign of love and compassion.
"That's very touching Link," Saria said with starlight eyes.
Thank you Saria, anyway I think it's time for me to go Saria." Link said while yawning.
"Okay; just help me put away these dishes and you can take your leave." Replied Saria.
Saria returned the dirty plates and drank cups to the sink and then opened her front door and took his leave as he departed to his treehouse.
"Goodbye, Saria I'll see you tomorrow at the dawn of a new day." Link said while waving goodbye to Saria.
When he was walking back home, he saw Epona asleep next to a bucket of already eaten apples on the ground.
Link then climbs up the ladder of his treehouse and proceeded to his bed.
It took a lot of work to formulate the words in the chapter. by, myself, so I would really appreciate it if your fans would review and follow my fanfiction story thank you, and have a good night or dawn of a new day anywhere. Stay tuned for more of "The Legend of Shade".