[IC] Legends of Zelda... and Everyone Else

[Lady Seraphina]

"That is what the Song of the Forest does Master Link. It feeds your lust for adventure and your excitement causing rational thought to be expelled. As for Saria, she is a Kokiri that lives in the depths of these woods. She is the forest sage, second only to the Great Deku Tree. I cannot think how you could know her name but if I had to guess I would assume that the bond between the Triforce and yourself extends into the Sacred Realm where Saria's power dwells. It is possible that as you got closer to her physical form your divine power and hers became aware of each other, but as I say I do not know this to be true."

Navi glanced up at the sky, the brilliant blue was now tinged with the beginnings of Twilight. "Come we should be through this forest by night fall, the trees grow more wicked once the darkness falls." Navi looked back as Zant and Midna reformed, Midna completely and Zant as a smoky form. Navi had been meaning to ask the Twili by what means they were able to stay corporeal in the land of light but now was not the time. Navi prickled slightly. "I would thank the two of you to stay out of my shadow, I don't care where you want to hide yourselves but my shadow is mine, not yours for the taking."

She turned back to Link her face slightly softer and a sort of bright smile on her face. She took his hand. "Whatever you see Link, whatever you hear no matter what it is don't let go of my hand. The forest is dangerous and it's tricky. The trees will try anything to force you off the path. The Song was just the start. Whatever happens don't leave my side and try to follow me alright?" she asked him hoping that the temptations of the forest wouldn't lead Link astray. The trees could make him think he could hear his loved ones calling or see a guide telling him to go the wrong way. Navi could only imagine what the trees had shown her Link to make him stay long enough to turn him into the Hero's Shade. She shuddered at the thought. "It's time we did this right." she said nodding to Link before they set off into the dark trees.

[Apollosarcher]

Link gulped and nodded to the fairy. "Midna you use my shadow if you like I'm not sure about Zant but- Wait!" He whistled and Epona trotted in. "He use Epona's shadow, I shouldn't have left her behind... She gets scared when she's alone." He said petting the horse as Ciela lead on in to the forest. It was a maze yet each turn felt familiar to him. His heart had calmed however and his mind felt clear, the soft breathing of Epona, the hum of the forest. Even small girl clutching his hand tightly. He smiled as they went deeper in to these woods, he almost felt like this was his home, yet nearly everywhere but castle town felt homely to him now, perhaps it was all the kind people or the hard working folks that populated the realm, what ever it was it made him happy. He almost wished for an instrument to play to pass the time, he should get himself one, or maybe a journal at least, something for those nights when he couldn't sleep.

[Lugubrious]

Midna, a hand against her ethereal forehead, nodded in distracted agreement with Ciela. While Zant managed to still his spinning head enough to pipe up with, "Sharing is a virtue," it was plain that he felt the same. When Link called his horse in for Zant to use, Midna's eyes lit up. She called upon her power of trichomancy--hair magic. A cluster of her locks formed into the shape of a hand, roughly the size of her face and aglow with orange light, which reached out of its own accord and stroked Epona's flank. It wasn't hard to guess that the Twilis' incorporeal forms could only physically interact with the world of light when imbuing a part of their bodies with magic. "I think we'll be fine to float along for now, though you do have a lovely horse," the Twilight Princess crooned. She then added, "Plus, in spirit form it might be more difficult for the spirits of these woods to get inside our heads."

Soonafter the small group was on the move again. The Twili drifted along much like ghosts, but both were highly attentive to their surroundings. While Midna suffered no more mental influence, she could still have sworn that she saw shadows moving at the edge of her vision, and voices whispering in the wind through the leaves. This alarmed her mostly because under normal circumstances she would have been one of those shadows. As it was, Midna grew more sure that the party was no longer alone. Zant, in particular, kept up a sharp vigil, looking around almost as frequently as the steady beat of Epona's clopping hooves.

[Lady Seraphina]

Navi had never particularly cared for the Lost Woods. She didn't have anything against them but the light greens and pleasant aroma of the Kokiri Forest or the Sacred Meadow were much more appealing than the dark overcast trees. However that was long ago when the difference between them to her had been simply aesthetic. They'd bore her no ill will then and let her pass without incident, Navi was after all a denizen of the forest. A being that the trees were created to protect. Now it was different. Navi had the power to navigate these hostile paths but the trees were no longer content to let her pass.

It seemed after her banishment the Deku Tree had informed them that she was fair game. The air in the woods felt as though it had dropped ten degrees from outside and Navi could have sworn she saw things just at the edge of her vision but when she turned to look they were gone. She could hear the Ancient Melody of the Forest as well, calling her from different fallen logs and trees stumps. Daring her to take a risk, see what was beyond the darkness, just to take a quick little peak.

Navi shook her head doing her best to block out the sound. When it became too much she'd squeeze Link's hand just to remember that she wasn't alone in all of this. The trees seemed to be leering at her, whispering harsh things that she didn't quite understand. But no matter what they said, no matter what Navi heard she never led Link off the path, no matter what they had to get through these Woods intact.

Navi made a left turn leading Link and Epona onward when something in the road made her stop short. It was a girl with golden blonde hair done up in two ponytails with a green band keeping it out of her eyes. She wore brown leather boots and a green tunic. She was a few inches shorter than Navi and didn't look any older though knowing just who this was Navi was aware that looks of age were hardly accurate. "Fado?" she asked the girl. It had been eons since Navi had laid eyes on this particular Kokiri.

Fado had always been a little bit of a dreamer, spending more time in the Lost Woods than was healthy, she seemed to have a strange obsession with what happened to Hyleans that strayed into its bounds. Fado smiled wide, cocking her head to the side, sizing Navi up. Still with that unnerving smile on her face Fado began to speak. "That guy isn't here anymore but I suppose you found another one." The bottom dropped out of Navi's stomach, she knew who Fado was talking about. The Kokiri girl began to skip around there group singing the next thing she said like a nursery rhyme.

"Anybody who comes into the forest will be lost."

Her smile grew wider almost unreal.

"Everybody will become a Stalfos.
Everybody...
Stalfos..."

When Fado said the last word of her rhyme she snapped her fingers. The feeling in Navi's hand changed, she was no longer holding the flesh of a living being's hand but bone. She looked at Link only to scream in horror at seeing what he'd become. She tore her hand away from him looking at the skeleton knight that stood in his place. He wore vine covered armour with cracked rusted equipment, one of his eye sockets glowed red.

Navi's eyes widened. At some point Fado had gotten behind the fairy girl for she whispered in her ear. "So he’s not here anymore."

"NAVI!" shouted the skeletal knight, his voice twisted by a lack of vocal cords. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?!"

Tears as blue as Navi's wings and just as radiant began to fall down her face. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. You weren't supposed to get hurt, I thought it was over between us. You had done what you needed to do. I thought... I thought you didn't need me anymore. I thought you'd be better off without me, you didn't need a guide anymore."

"BUT I NEEDED MY FRIEND! I'VE BEEN LOST HERE FOR SO LONG NAVI, COME GUIDE ME AGAIN!" as he said this the skeletal knight drew a dilapidated gold blade from his back and pointed the blade at Navi's heart. "JOIN ME IN WHAT COMES AFTER!"

Navi looked at the Hero's Shade for one long moment, shame painted her face before she turned and ran in the opposite direction. Not sure if it was the right one. Only knowing in her heart that she could never do anything but run from her greatest failure. "Forgive me Link, I've failed you." she whispered to the trees. When Navi was a good distance away from the skeletal knight she curled up against a tree. There Fado appeared again at her side and whispered in her ear, laughing at Navi's plight. "Heh heh heh. Are you going to be lost... too? Heh heh!" The Kokiri girl's laughter echoed into the night.

[Apollosarcher]

Link had gasped at the Fairys outburst, he had rushed after her. Yet she seemed scared, so he made sure to follow her path yet stay a good distance away. "Midna, can you go talk her... I think our guide needs some comfort. She's scared of me right now it seemed. His mind however screamed in protest as he sat down against a tree, it was like someone locked in a cage screaming to be let out.

He hated this feeling, he couldn't help Ciela nor could he understand his own powers. Yes he was a hero but how? How could he understand his power. When he fought his body knew the moves, his mind almost seemed in protest. Perhaps he was not a true hero, more of failure. Of course he'd never been the best at anything, he was just the village orphan. Sent off to join the royal army when they asked for conscripts because everyone else had a family. Now here he was journeying in to the Lost woods looking for a Sage he could name yet had never met. He would ask Midna what she thought of him later, Ciela obviously thought well of him but he wanted to know the Twilight Princess's feelings. If he could really be a Hero like he was supposed to be.

[Lugubrious]

In reply to Ciela's sudden fit, the Twilight Princess blinked in confusion. Throughout her acquaintance with Ciela thus far, the fairy had always carried herself with both wrathful pride and austere dignity. Seeing her, the being who cowed Midna into submission with a sad story and a temper tantrum, reduced to a shivering wreck on the verge of tears stunned her. The urgent call from Link roused her from her shock and galvanized her into action. Midna hovered off the ground, suspended by her power, and speedily floated in the direction taken by Ciela with Zant on her figurative tail.

Even after finding the fairy, Midna wasn't sure what to do. No expert in the workings of the mind, even without magic involved, she could only watch with brows furrowed in concern as Ciela lay still. A chime caused her to look in Zant's direction for guidance, and she found his magic gem inserted into his breastplate once more, bestowing on him corporeal form. His scimitars flashed out of his sleeves, and for a moment Midna was terrified, absolutely convinced, that he meant to cut Ciela down. Whether this was her own instinct or a tinge of fear inflicted by the Lost Woods she could not say, but Zant lowered his swords and offered advice. “These trees conduct madness I say we give the fairy some free air and sunlight.”

Glad for a solution, Midna calmed her nerves and reattached the enchanted hair clasp that allowed her to maintain her own corporeal form in the world of light. She summoned a tri-pronged spear to her hands, and pointed it at the nearest tree. An arc of black light tainted with orange snaked out from the weapon and circled the tree. For a moment nothing happened, but then, the entire plant vaporized into black particles that shot skyward en masse. At the same time, Zant let loose a torrent of pink energy blasts that blasted another tree trunk enough to collapse it. Wood splintered and flew, and a great yawning sound filled the forest as the giant tree returned to earth with a massive slam. Finally, he lashed his scimitars across a third trunk, leaving wide scars, before leaping back. Midna jumped in to take his place and rammed her spear into the scar, overloading the bark with twilight energy that superheated the tree's resin. One burst of stopped-up magical energy later and the final obstacle toppled.

Through the hazy canopy drifted a few rays of sunlight. The still, stagnant air of the Lost Woods momentarily gave way to a gentle breeze. Only a few moments passed before a layer of fog plugged the hole, sending the scene into half-darkness once more. Midna knelt by Ciela, hoping that the breath of fresh air helped to clear her mind. “Be at peace.”

[Lady Seraphina]

After Navi's mistake cost the life of the Hero of Time the fairy girl became despondent and obsessive in her quest to discover what had happened to him. Despite being cut off from her homeland as well as the Kokiri Forest Navi searched for Link feverishly. She started with the Lost Woods speaking with those Kokiri that would still speak with her. In those days the trees haunted her, accused her, drove her to the brink of madness. Navi was kept sane by the knowledge that one day she would find him. She would tell him she was sorry for what she had done and she would beg his forgiveness though she did not deserve it.

Then one day Navi received news, the most wonderful and yet the most devastating news that could be. Another Hero had been called. Already devastated from the genocide caused by the invasion of Twilight and being cast away from the Deku Tree the moment it was dispelled this information caused something in Navi to break. A new hero could only be called if the previous one no longer drew breath.

Despite her personal suffering Navi knew that she needed to meet this new Link, this Hero of Twilight. There was one thing that all the heroes had in common and because of her link with the land of the divine Navi knew in her soul that the Master's Sword still rested deep within the Sacred Grove.

Deep in the forest Navi waited for the man in green to show himself once more. And eventually he did. He was almost exactly how she remembered him. His hair was different color and his face was slightly different but Navi could see her Link in the way he moved and the spark in his eye. However he was not alone. Accompanying this Link was an Imp from the Realm of Twilight, Midna was her name. Navi heard it clearly before she fled the grove and the forest.

Now once more in those woods Navi could see her again, that Imp. She smiled her teeth like fangs, her eyes as dark as night. "What are you really fairy girl? The goddesses could not have thought highly of you. Just look at who took your place. You were honored to be the companion of the Hero of Time but look at you, your nothing special neither was the position you held. If anything you were expendable. Think about the Hero's companions over the years Chaos Fairies and failed Minish Inventors. You were never important to this cause and you never will be. You're trying so hard to insinuate yourself in this quest, to be useful to the Hero again but you're nothing. Nothing but a pathetic fairy full of useless facts. Hey Listen, can't you hear me. You'll leave him again and again and again. It's in your nature. You're a coward. You're a..."

Just as this Imp was about to say more a ray of light burst through the forest canopy, real pure sunlight. It cut through the image of Midna showing a black shadow that only Navi could see. Behind the shadow stood the real Midna and Zant holding weapons with which they'd clearly just cut through the stifling tree branches.

Though her chest was still heaving and her tears flowed freely Navi smiled. "Thank you."

Navi waved her hand, her palm full of clear fairy light. "Begone demon." she whispered to the wind and the shadows that had invaded Navi's thoughts vanished just as quickly as they had come. In another moment the trees adjusted themselves so that the sunlight and fresh air was quashed but Navi's mind was clear.

The fairy girl pulled herself to her feet wiping the tears from her eyes. Were they fell on the ground small flowers pocked there heads up from the ground. "I thank you both truly but we must move quickly. The forest will not take kindly to being attacked. We are however not far from the exit. The Kokiri Forest it close."

Navi led the others back to the path before the continued on there journey. Somehow the trees looked even darker and older than they had before. Navi shivered. Though her body did not normally react to heat or cold because she could control her core temperature Navi could not deny the chill that had creeped into the air. This was not a place they wanted to spend much more time.