Chapter 4 - Home is Where the Heart Is

The days slowly passed. It was hard for Link, usually so active, to wait idly in bed. But with both his oldest and newest friends beside him, he had little to complain of.
Except the past.
He saw it too often in the expressions of the Kokiri around him. Too many of them were younger than he was - too many did not remember him as a friend. Too many only remembered the Fierce Deity's destruction of their home, forcing them to take refuge in the Lost Woods. He had lost count of the number of times he'd heard a forest child, or their fairy partner, refer to him as Oni rather than Link - and it hurt every time. But eventually, he regained enough strength to leave the quiet confines of the Deku Tree's chambers. With Saria and Alena by his side, he made up his mind.

"I've got to see what has happened."
"Why?"
"I couldn't live with myself, knowing I couldn't face the past."

Slowly, he walked through the village - or where a village had once stood. Now, it was nothing but waste. He saw Deku Scrubs sticking their heads up, and Babas snapped at him as he wandered past. Dragonflies buzzed overhead. Once, he was convinced he saw a Wolfos darting through the undergrowth.

This was horrible.
It was worse than what Ganondorf had done.
Because he had done it himself.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. A tree lay across his path. He turned to walk around it - but something caught his eye. A figure engraved in the wood, under a covering of moss. He stooped down, to scrape the moss away - from the picture of a child fighting a dragon, that he had carved there himself.
This was his old home, his first home. He dropped to his knees, and closed his eyes.
How could I... how could I...
A breeze began to blow, but Link didn't notice a thing.

-there-

"What's up? What's the matter?"
Who was that? Link looked around - and at his own face. An exact mirror image. But this Link was in Kokiri green, not blue and silver, and Navi fluttered by his head.
"Who're you?" asked the surprised newcomer. Link opened his mouth, to reply to his duplicate, but suddenly realised that telling his real name would not be a smart move. He thought for a second - before working it out. He dared not say the other name that had stuck with him - but there was one he could use. He'd been using it in another way longer than he'd used the other - for all that he hadn't realised it.
"My name's Kaelon. Call me Kae."
"Well, Kae, I'm Link." I know. "You know, we don't get many adult visitors here. Where're you from?"
Same place you are. Wherever that is. He paused before replying. And again, the answer presented itself. It wasn't quite a lie... "You ever hear of a place called Termina?"
"Termina... Of course! I was there as a kid." Navi whispered something. "Yes, that's right. That one. The one with the moon." The Link in green looked down, and offered his hand. "Come on. I'll show you around."
It was then Link realised where he was once again, as he climbed to his feet. He was still in the forest - but a forest untouched by rage. This was the world he should have known, a seemingly peaceful parallel, not one where...
"I was worse than Ganondorf," he mumbled. "At least he only brought monsters. He didn't destroy everything."
The other Link looked round in surprise, catching the familiar name. "You say you're from Termina - but you knew about Ganondorf? Have you been here before?"
"You could say that."
Uncertainly, the two Links talked, although one hid behind anonymity. Slowly, it became clear. This was the timeline where Ganondorf had been vanquished. One where Link had spent seven years exploring far-distant lands - Termina was only the first, followed by an unfamiliar list of places. Where was "Koholint" anyway? Holodrum? Labrynna? After Majora had been defeated, he'd had a chance to reconsider his future - and realised that he couldn't stay. In this timeline, history had played out, the Hero of Time had slain the Evil King... and gone on to be remembered for his deeds.
So where does that leave me? Link wondered. Does that mean that the time where I live isn't real? Is it all just an illusion? What trick of the goddesses is this, that worlds can exist side-by-side, but completely unaware of each other?
A trick of the deities...

He stumbled.
"Kae - something's up, isn't it? Is it something I said?"
Link almost snapped back that that wasn't his name, but bit his tongue. He thought slowly. Where did our pasts divide? It must have been in Termina, but when, exactly?... He had to know.
"No - nothing's up." He paused. How to put this? "Um. When you visited Termina, did you pick up any masks? Ones with ...strange powers?"
"How did you know about that? I didn't tell anyone!"
"...A fairy once told me." That should be safe enough, he thought.
"Tatl tattled, did she? Okay. There were three of them. A Zora, a Goron, and a Deku Scrub."
"Just three? Are you sure?"
"Well, there was the Giant's Mask in that temple. Do you mean that one? Or the Bunny Hood? The Mask of Truth?"
"Ah. No." Again, an uneasy pause. He'd have to say the name. No way around it. "You never heard of ...something called the 'Fierce Deity's Mask', did you?"
"Rings a bell. I remember now, I heard something off a Gossip Stone... but I never saw the thing."
Link remained silent for a second. "Trust me. You didn't want to."
"Why, Kae?"
He closed his eyes. "I've told you a bit of a lie. Believe what I'm going to say if you want, or if it's easier just forget it. But my name's not Kaelon. It's Link. Same as you. I'm a version of you who found out what that mask did. And what it did was change you - me - into a warrior of darkness." He looked into his own features, almost afraid of the words that would come out of his mouth. But he knew the truth behind them, a truth he'd run from for two years but was having to face again... "I'm the Fierce Deity."
On that acknowledgement, a wind blew out of nowhere...

-here-

and left Link standing in the ruins of his homeland.
There. He'd said it.
I'm the Fierce Deity. This is all my doing.
I can't remain here. This is my home - but it can be my home no longer. Not after what I've done.

He slowly turned and headed back towards the Deku Tree. At least there was a sign of hope there - the tree had sprouted anew the day after he'd finished in the forest. Ironic, that. He'd returned to the forest at the same time in two different timelines.
Once for its recreation.
Once for its destruction.

-

The population of the forest stood in the meadow, under the great tree's shade, as a troubled Link poured his heart out in a speech of apology. He was aware of the gazes, the ones that said 'Sorry's not good enough. You can't undo what's happened with just words.' But sorry was all he could give them. He had not rehearsed what he was saying. It all came straight from his heart, the words that had lain unsaid for so long.
Eventually, the speech stopped. "I've said all I can. And now I think it is best that I leave this place. You don't need me here anymore." He looked down. "Thank you for listening - and for understanding. If you can ever forgive me, then you do more than I deserve."
For a second there was silence. Then, one of the Kokiri stood up and spoke. It was Mido. "It's okay. You'll always be our friend. And...look... well, I'm sorry for being such a jerk back then. Fair?"
Link smiled - a genuine smile. "Fair enough. You really don't need to apologise."
Saria spoke in turn. "I know you've got to go. So - I made this for you. It's a present. It's to replace the one you lost." She reached up and passed him a wooden ocarina, a near-duplicate of the first instrument he'd played except for the size. He looked back at her in gratitude. "Goodbye, Link. And remember - I'm always going to be here for you."
"As will I." Link turned in surprise. Alena had sneaked up behind him, shadow-stealthy. "Don't think you're alone because of what you did when you were someone else. You've always got friends...You've always got me. One thing strikes me, though - where are we going to go now, if we're not staying here?"
He noticed the 'we'. "I was hoping we could head for the ranch..." He paused. "I'm only hoping that Malon will see me as I see her... Family."
He looked thoughtfully at the instrument in his hand. It's been twelve years... will this still work? She could hear the song anywhere - but will she still respond to my call, if I try? A little uncertainly, he lifted it to his lips, and let the soft notes of Epona's Song flow out. Now all he had to do was hope and wait.

-

Malon brushed the tall mare's coat, in a daydream. Suddenly, she began to buck and rear. "Easy, Epona... really..." The horse whinnied and galloped away from the care, unsaddled and untidy. Even though Malon hadn't heard it, Epona had - the summons so long unplayed. She turned and galloped at top speed towards her master's melody.

-

The forest children and respective fairies scattered as the horse galloped towards them. Link happily patted the steed. "Good girl. You remembered." She snorted, as Link turned towards Alena. "You ever ridden before?"
"Not since we moved to Clock Town, and that was eight years ago, when Mum left... I'm a bit rusty, I'm afraid."
"Well, here's your chance to relearn. Come on. Just stand on my hands and I'll give you a leg-up." Alena scrambled onto Epona's back, with Link vaulting on after her. He turned around, and waved at the surprised Kokiri. "Goodbye!"
Everyone moved aside, as Epona plunged onwards and out of the forest.

-

-there-

"At last! I've found you..."
"Have I seen you before?"
"Oh. You have. And now, prepare to meet your fate, fierce one..."
Navi, an angry yellow, flew straight towards the cloaked intruder. Link backed away slightly, drawing the Master Sword and grabbing the shield from his back.. "Fierce? What do you mean by that?"
"Don't play dumb. Your name is Link, right? You were the Fierce Deity..."
"What? Oh... I get it. You've got me confused with someone else! There was a guy here just now saying he was a different version of me. He used the same words you did - but then he vanished."
"Impossible!" Furious, the intruder fired a volley of energy balls at the hero, who blocked them easily. As they rebounded, the cloaked figure vanished...
So the Guardian eludes my grasp?...

-here-