Written in Blood

I . Don't be a wuss

I never expected my day to derail to getting beat up by a crazy woman and a lizard man before getting dragged across a field against my will, but hey, I guess weird things happen to me.

I thought that'd stopped years ago though, the weird stuff. Guess not.

It was all because I'd pulled out that cursed ocarina...

———

Staring at its opaque surface, cool and almost slippery in my hands, the memories return as I rub my hand along the smooth instrument.

They fade in slowly, piling on top of each other like a light snowfall. Except they feel more like lashings. Ripping hairs out. Kicked in the shin. Something unpleasant. My long forgotten heroism, the terror caused by Ganondorf, my banishment from the future at her hands. And then afterwards. My favorite part of the story. A childhood in Termina.

I don't why the name of that place makes me react like I do, gripping the ocarina tighter and pressing my back and head so hard against the tree I wouldn't be surprised to have marks for weeks. My eyes squeeze shut, trying to shut out the flashes of my experience.

You're fine, you're past this, just forget it... for Din's sake, snap out of it! I snarl at myself in my head, trying to stop the squeezing and stabbing feeling in my chest, a monster unleashed.

The flashes of recollection morph into nightmarish visions, and I can't open my eyes, those eyes... they're going to stare back at me.

It's so intense, and I wait for the wave of terror to recede, my heart rate hikes up.

Why does this have to happen? From the memories that came back slowly of a time erased (by her... not me), I remember myself as a hero, courageous and a force to be reckoned with, at least I like to see it that way. He, that other Link, would never have been faced with my dilemma. He'd swat that pesky trauma away and probably be head of the guard or something. Good for him.

Meanwhile, I live a life of isolation in the woods. And guess what? It ain't too bad. It's nice, really. No more pesky princesses to use me, no more demon kings to fight. No one to bother me.

I live in the Lost Woods, deciding to not leave after I returned from Ter-, nah, I'll call it nightmare land. Anyway, getting back from the good ole' NL... I decided to set up camp here.

It's actually a really nice location, the green blends in with my tunic... which seriously need a wash... and I guess I do like watching the sunlight dapple the forest floor through the leaves and branches. And the game here isn't too bad.

Deep in the forest, no one ever comes to visit, which I don't mind, well... except for one person. Saria.

While we both know she was once the Sage of the Forest, none of the other Kokiri know. Sometimes she comes out to talk to me or play a little tune on her ocarina.

———

As the flashes from nightmare land finally subside, I open my eyes, the forest staring back at me. I take a deep breath, trying to ward off the icy feeling still in my chest. It's okay... I'm fine.

Still shaken, except I'd never admit it to anyone, I drop down through the branches, the ocarina still in my head, now slick with sweat.

At the base of the tree was where I left my gear, bundled in a pile. I might as well go now, while it's still relatively early. This'll be one of the few times I've left the forest since my return, I've preferred to stay in my own territory since. It's probably been a few years since leaving the woods last, although things never really change around here.