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Legend of Zelda: The Five Stones (Agnores x Candira)

Malon glanced back at Link as he spoke and let Epona drive for awhile. "Oh? The Kokiri are a tribe of people who seem to never age, according to my father and the merchants. Kokiri inhabit the outer forest and make a living trading items they craft from the great Deku tree. In order to get to the lost woods, you pass through their village. They're a peaceful sort from what I hear." The girl watched Link, listening as he explained about the Skull kids and said, "Ooooh. The Skull Kids inhabit the Lost woods--which is much thicker and denser than the forest we're in now. It's disorienting, and they like to play tricks on travelers. Sometimes, it's more than just a trick, though."

As Link explained about the Triforce, Malon was curious. "Oh? I didn't know that. Maybe we should ask the Kokiri, then. I'm sure they've got some kind of Lore about that. It might not be helpful, but it could be a good place to start."
 
"I guess so. I didn't know there was anything other than Skull Kids in these woods. Or even that Kokiri Forest was different from the Lost Woods. Makes sense now that I think about it though." Link chuckled, then watched as the trees went by. "So, whats this Great Deku Tree? Is it just a really big tree, or a cultural symbol, or what?" Link had heard the Knights talk about a deku tree, but he had assumed it had just been a type a tree that grew in the Lost Woods. It could be possible, now that Link thought about it, that they were referring to the same tree Malon was.

Link got the sudden feeling they were being watched, but as he looked about, he could see nothing. Maybe Malon was wrong...maybe there were Skull Kids in this part of the woods? Maybe she was wrong and this whole wood was still the Lost Woods, and they were about to be led astray to their deaths....
 
"You know...I'm not entirely sure what the Great Deku Tree is to the people of Kokiri. I know it's very important to their way of life, but I don't know much beyond that," she said, returning her gaze forward. She guided Epona over the rougher terrain with no problem. "It shouldn't be much further until we reach their village..." But Malon was getting the same feeling as Link. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but it did feel as though they were being watched. By whom or what, however, she wasn't sure. The forest was full of all sorts of creatures. Not all of them were friendly. Even Epona seemed a little unsteady.

In order to keep the horse calm, Malon began to hum her mother's song, soothing the horse's nerves as well as her own as they traveled forward. Not much longer now...
 
Link gazed around the trail, into the trees. Little balls of light seemed to flutter about between the trees, almost as if they were following the pair as they trotted down the trail. Link didn't think too much of it, discounting the balls of light as reflection of the light on the dust they were kicking up. "I hope we get there soon. This forest is giving me the creeps. You sure we haven't crossed into the Lost Woods all ready?" There was a snap of a twig, and Link snapped to attention, but too late.

"Navi!"

"Tatl!"

The first voice sounded like a male child's, and the second a female, but at their words two balls of light flashed from behind the trees and began to circle wildly around by Malon and Link; a yellow one bobbed around Malon while a blue-ish one floated around Link. Shortly after, two people no larger than children steped out from behind the trees, bows drawn and ready to fire. "Don't move," the male one said. "You're in our fairy's sights. We won't miss." The female beside him simply nodded. Link glanced to Malon, wondering idly if he should jump down and attack them. After all, they were no more than children, and Link was confident in his ability to dodge arrows.

"Who are you?" The female demanded.

"Stop pointing arrows at us and maybe we'll tell you," Link quickly shot back, a sudden pang of annoyance shooting up through him at being held up by children. It seemed surprising Link hadn't yet connected that these were Kokiri, considering his and Malon's conversation not even five minutes ago.
 
Malon was a bit surprised at the fairies' appearance, but she stayed calm, making sure that Epona wasn't frightened. She halted the horse and sat perfectly still while the balls of light surrounded both of them and people who seemed to be children demanded to have some kind of identification. The redhead looked back at Link as he called back at them to back off and found herself shaking her head a bit before she called out to the fairies. "It's alright. We mean you no harm. We come from Lon Lon Ranch. My name is Malon, and this is Link. We come bearing news and in need of your help." She bowed her head and waited for the fairy and the children to clear her.

"Link, these are the Kokiri. It would be wise to do as they ask for the time being."
 
Link grumbled at Malon's words, becoming increasingly indignant at the thought of being held captive by children, even if they were the owners of this forest. But he complied, nodding, the male of the two Kokiri glaring at him for his earlier comment. It was the female Kokiri who spoke next.

"News? What news?"

Link crossed his arms and looked away, his voice gruff. "The kingdom was taken over by a Knight named Ganon. Despite not being Gerudo, of Royal blood, or blessed by the Triforce, he can use magic." Link turned to glare at the two Kokiri. "We're seeking the Temples in order to get the Triforce's blessing so we can kill him, and we know one is here. Take us there."
 
Malon resisted the urge to slap Link upside the head, but just barely. She felt as though she should be commended for her willpower. She glared at the man behind her and sighed as she turned to face the Kokiri. "What he means to say, is that we have a chance of putting a stop to this man if we can obtain the stone. Legends indicate there is a stone in the Lost Woods, and we'd like your help, if you'd be so kind as to give it."

The Kokiri seemed to consider this for a moment before they lowered their weapons. "Show us your proof, girl."

Malon then pulled a Bowser brooch from her bag and showed it to the fairy circling her head. this seemed to confirm her status as a woman of Lon Lon Ranch, because the fairies stopped circling them and the Kokiri lowered their weapons. Then, the fairies returned to their owners who came out into the clearing to guide the two to the forest glade in which their village was settled.
 
Link coudn't believe it. They wouldn't listen to his PERFECTLY reasonable request, but Malon shows them some brooch and they just get all happy and guide them to their village? What was this crap? Link seethed, fighting the urge to yell at Malon. Instead, he just watched as the Kokiri led them on down the path. Eventually, the Kokiri led them off the path onto a very small trail that would have been invisible to Malon and Link. It was just wide enough for the horse, but it forced Malon and Link to dismount and carry the bags themselves, much to the chagrin of Link. By the time they actually broached the village itself, Link was thoroughly pissed.

The village was a quaint little place, with few buildings, most of which were built into the trees. A few were in the tree themselves, giving the Kokiri who lived in the tree-houses a more child-like feel. Each of the Kokiri had his or her own glowing fairy, each one a different color. The Kokiri people seemed to be a happy bunch; Link stuck out like a sore thumb on the merit of his grumpy expression alone.

"We'll take your horse," the male Kokiri said as stopped just outside of the village gates. "I sent Navi up ahead to tell Saria about your coming." It was then that his fairy returned, bobbing around the male Kokiri's head for a bit before disappearing under his hat. "Navi says Saria will meet you by the Great Deku Tree." The male Kokiri pointed across the village, where a path created through the trees could be seen leading out of the village. "Just head over there."

"Odd," they could hear the female Kokiri say as they led Epona away. "Usually Saria won't let any outsiders near the Great Deku Tree."

"Yeah...well, usually outsiders don't ask about the Temple..." The male Kokiri responded, before Link turned to Malon. "You okay with your horse getting taken like that?"
 
Link's rage was palpable, and somehow it amused Malon. It was hard to be upset with someone who was so clearly out of the loop. The image she had of someone who was more patient than the boy she met at the stables fluttered away like so many frightened cucoos. It seemed he was pretty much rude to everyone when he wanted something. Tact was apparently not high on the list of knight priorities. But that was a topic for an entirely different discussion. At present his rage was nipping at her heels while they carried their own supplies and led Epona down the hidden path.

The village was just as her father had described to her and she was charmed by the Kokiri and their way of life. They seemed happy to be living in the forest. Saria was a name that she was unfamiliar with, but Malon gathered that the woman was important. She would have to be to set these kinds of terms.

Epona was led away by the Kokiri and Malon smiled. "Epona will be fine. The Kokiri have a deep respect for plants and animals. They'll be good to her. And she can take care of herself pretty well," she said with a smile. "We should be a little more worried about meeting with Saria. I don't know about her at all."
 
Link looked across the village towards the path the Kokiri had pointed at, and sighed. "I know of Saria. The old Knights who came here often talked about her. Thought she was some old woman who liked to live in the trees. I'm gonna go on a limb and say she's a Kokiri, probably their leader." Link gave a shrug and started down the path through the village. "From what I remember of what the old Knights say, Saria is a kind and wise woman. So I'm betting she'll know where the Temple is, if it even exists." Link's arms were crossed as he walked, his irritation from the trip up here still not completely dissipated.

"Let's just hope this Saria person is more agreeable then those other two Kokiri."
 
Malon shook her head. "You know, at some point, we're going to need to have a talk about the way you make first impressions," she said with a sigh. Her hands stayed on the straps of her supply pack but she walked as though she wasn't bothered by the weight. She was used to this sort of work on the farm. It would take more than the weight of a supply pack to put her in a sour mood. Then, she supposed that the same couldn't necessarily be said for knights in training. Sure, they carried equipment--but not usually this kind of thing. She hoped that his rudeness would take a back seat in the presence of someone who was obviously an important ruler. Somehow, she doubted it.

"Saria...It sounds like a lovely name. It's familiar somehow...maybe I did hear of her once and just don't remember? In any case, I don't think it would hurt to address her as if she's a leader, even if she's not. She obviously holds sway here, and she has the information we need if we want to continue. And I think it's safe to say that we do," she said, turning toward him.
 
Link walked ahead of Malon as they slipped down the path leading out of the village, a veritable tunnel cut into the trees, winding its way around and down. The pack grew heavy on Link's shoulders as they walked, and he found himself constantly adjusting everything and grumbling about how much more he had to carry due to his weapons. As they walked down the path, the two began to hear a playful song echoing through the trees. It grew louder as they walked down the path.

Eventually the path opened up into a large clearing, at the center of which grew an extremely large tree with a face carved into it. The tree was massive and even Link felt little just by the sight of it; he almost didn't notice the Kokiri sitting on one of its roots. The green haired Kokiri was the source of the music; she was spiritedly playing an ocarina, but stopped as Link and Malon entered into the clearing. She lowered the ocarina to her lap.

"Hey, there. You must be the ones looking for the Temple," the Kokiri said, fixing them with a big smile that stretched up into her bright green eyes. "I am Saria, and this is the Great Deku Tree." She patted the root as she introduced the tree.

"Welcome," said the tree, though it was impossible to tell where the dull roar came from; Link took a step back and looked wildly to Malon.

"The tree can talk!?"
 
Malon found herself feeling more lively and light as they neared the source of the music. A girl with green hair was playing an ocarina and seemed to be charging the air itself with life. The Kokiri were a group of people who never aged past a certain point, but they could be quite old. She wondered how long this woman had been alive. Saria looked a little younger than the both of them, but more mature than the other Kokiri...why was that, she wondered.

The other immediately noticeable thing was the Deku tree on which she sat. It had a carved face...or so it seemed. What really surprised Malon, however, was that the tree could speak. She jumped at the low rumble, obviously shocked. At least she kept her composure a bit better than Link. Well, she couldn't fault him for it, though. Neither of them had really expected it. She doubted that Saria or the tree would hold it against them. "Apparently," she said, standing up straight once more.

"Thank you both for seeing us. You'll have to forgive us for not really knowing how to act--we don't know much about the Deku Tree, or this area. We are looking for the temple to put a stop to Gannon. We were hoping you could help."
 
Saria giggled at their reactions, then nodded to Malon. "It is quite all right. Most outsiders react that way to the Deku Tree." The girl lookd up towards the face carved into the tree and smiled.

After a few seconds, the tree spoke again. "I could feel a growing darkness in the north. Is this 'Ganon' the name of such darkness?"

Link finally regained his composure, a scowl setting upon his face as he nodded, though he remained unsure whether to nod at Saria or the tree. "Ganon is a Royal Knight who can somehow use magic and took over the kingdom. He killed my father, and I will be the one to kill him." Saria's hands rose to her mouth, a genuine sadness over the new Link shared showing in her eyes. The tree, however, had a different reaction.

"The dark magic I felt was of a Gerudo nature, yet the person you describe can only be a Hylian." The tree was silent for several seconds before it spoke again, this time directing its words at Link. "The Temple is here, but with the anger and hate burning in your heart, you will never pass the trial, young one. The death of your father is sad news indeed, but you can not let it consume you. You must --"

"SHUT UP!" Link yelled, stepping forward with a stomp and raising a fist towards the tree. "If the Temple is here take me to it and stop talking! I'll pass the trial, I don't have a choice!"
 
Malon knew his pain--she could feel the frustration emanating from his very soul. She wanted to help him, but the Deku Tree and this Saria had the final say. And they certainly knew better about what the trials entailed. She frowned and looked down for a moment feeling her mother's loss again and wondering what it might be like if she had lost her mother in such a violent way. Could she be so calm? Could she handle a mission like this? But he needed to push through it somehow, and if this trial in the temple was the key to doing so, then who was she to stand in his way? Seeing this through would be important regardless.

Malon looked up at him and then sighed softly, turning to the tree. "If you can see what's in his heart, then please, tell us where the temple is. Nothing can be faced without the proper motivation--he cannot come to terms with his loss until he can do something about it. And he will not be alone." Malon nodded, staring into the carved face of the tree, hoping that he could see within her own heart as well. Perhaps she could help Link in more than one way.
 
Saria smiled warmly at Link despite his outburst, and that served only to anger him further. Then Malon spoke silly things about seeing hearts and needing proper motivation. In his head, they were all talking down to Link, treating him like an angry toddler who would soon learn the folly of his ways. His anger swirled inside of him, indignation rising; they knew the temples were real, and from the way the tree was talking, so were the Trials. That meant there was a way to fight Ganon. Ignoring his own personal stakes, at this very moment Link and Malon were the only ones who had the proof and the knowledge to gain the ability to fight Ganon. Add in the fact Link HAD to avenge his father, and the fact that this hunk of timber was standing in his way to that goal was almost too much for Link to control.

Link stepped forward again, his face contorting with rage. He looked like he was about to scream, but the tree spoke before Link could. "Saria will take you to the Temple. Now, if you wish. I see the potential buried under all the grief and hate." He paused for only a second, Link stunned, his face softening slowly from rage to a scowl. When the tree spoke again, it was aimed at Malon. "Girl, it seems you will face a Trial just as he will. You must keep this man from being consumed by the flames of his own hate and anger. I do not envy your task."
 
Malon stood a little straighter and turned to look at her travel companion who was justifiably angry at just about everyone in the clearing. Of course, he probably shouldn't have been quite so angry with her, but that was a moot point in any case. He was getting what he wanted. And that meant that her task was laid out for her as well. She needed to help him through all of this. "I will not fail him." Her eyes took on a steely resolve and then she turned back to Saria and smiled a little. "Thank you for leading the way. We'd better get going soon or we'll lose the light."

With that, she picked up her packs again as though they weighed nothing at all and waited for the Kokiri woman to lead them to the temple.
 
Saria stood and smiled. "Right this way, then."

Link crossed his arms and waited impatiently while the Kokiri woman walked from the tree and to the pair, eventually walking past them and leading them back into the village. As they left, the tree grumbled a final "Good luck," and disappeared behind a mass of smaller trees. Saria hummed a happy tune as she led the pair on. When in the village, the other Kokiri approached her constantly, much to the chagrin of Link. It seemed that she was important to this village, as each Kokiri came to her with a problem for her to solve. She always answered with patience and love, and each time someone approached her Link's grumbles got louder.

Eventually, she led them to another path cut through the trees, that led out from the village. She gave them careful instructions to keep close behind her, as it was easy to get lost here. And indeed it was. She took left and right turns seemingly at random, and not a single thing looked different to Link as they traveled. When she finally led him to the grotto outside of the temple, it had seemed to materialize out of of no where.

"Here we are," Saria said, taking a seat on a stump.
 
Malon put up with Link's attitude while they were walking, but that didn't mean she wasn't annoyed with him. Shaking her head, she sighed as Link's annoyance grew with the Kokiri. Did he not realize that other people had lives and responsibilities too? He must have--the problem was that he didn't care. He had no respect for anyone else's time right now because he was so close to his goal. The task was consuming him, and she was worried that she might have to slap him across the face to get the point across.

She'd try a few gentle reminders before they got too far into things, however. Before she could really start on that, however, they had reached the temple. Her mouth fell open just a bit as she stared at the huge complex. "Wow..." She'd never seen anything quite like it. It was covered in forestry, but the architecture was beautiful. The only problem was that portions of it were crumbled--it was as though it were in ruins. That would make this trip slightly more difficult. And if the forest had infiltrated the temple, then surely monsters had as well. It was best to be on guard here. That might be troublesome with Link acting like an idiot. She hoped that Saria would stay until they came back...

"What is waiting for us?" she asked.
 
"Nothing but a bit of a walk," Saria said, smiling warmly at Malon. "Most of the Temple has long since fell to ruin, but the central antechamber where the trial is held is still there, along with the doors to them. If you walk through the rubble in a straight line from here, you'l find big double doors leading to a stairwell that takes you underground. That's where the trial will be. I'll wait for you out here," Saria added, nodding.

Link had all ready started forward before she even had finished talking. He had forgotten about the Kokiri, about Malon, about Saria. All that was on his mind was the Trial, and how many different ways he would succeed. He must succeed. He slipped into the ruins and kept walking, ignoring the architecture, the broken statues, the shattered pieces of pottery. The mosaics painted on the shattered bits of walls held to interest to him until he came to the big double doors Saria mentioned to him, standing alone amongst all the rubble that surrounded it.
 
Malon was surprised that this temple was as peaceful as it was, but she supposed that she shouldn't be too surprising. The girl made apologies for Link and dashed after him, grabbing his arm as he stood before the double doors. "Hold it!" She stood before him, well aware that she was blocking his path and knowing full well that this would earn her a few rude comments and a healthy glare from Link. "Before you go in there you need to calm down! Your head needs to be clear before you can face what's on the other side of these doors." She frowned and watched him, worry on her face.

"You can't ignore all the warning signs, Link. You're going to get hurt if you're not careful," she said, hoping to impress upon him the danger he was going through. "So please, try to calm down."
 
She was right about the health glare; Link's glare would have sent even the most ferocious of monsters scampering away. "Get out of my way," Link growled, his voice low. The worry on her face wasn't registering to him, his mind was elsewhere. He was so close to the first step on his goal and this infuriating woman kept getting in his way. She told him not to ignore the warning signs, to calm down. Yet Link found it strange how she was doing the exact same things he was. She was ignoring all of the warning signs by getting in his way, and she was going to get hurt if she didn't get of his way.

That was the thought that struck a cord with Link. Was he really getting so angry that he was about to strike a girl for trying to keep him alive? Not only did that violate almost every Knight code imaginable, but Link's own moral standards rose up and red-flagged the thought. It wasn't enough to calm him down, but it was enough to have him reconsider his approach. "Move, Malon." Link growled. "I am as calm as I am going to get and getting in my way like this certainly won't make me any calmer."
 
She saw the pure rage directed at her, and if it weren't for the fact that she was a little angry at him, too, she probably would have gone weak in the knees. As it was, however, the rancher's daughter did not move an inch. Instead, she glared right back at him. "You're being really stupid about this, Link. You know walking in there as you are is a bad idea, and you're still acting like you can handle anything! Remember what happened last time you charged off on your own without thinking? You left without food or water or really anything that would help keep you alive! I am begging you to think before you go in there. Please just take a minute."
 
"I have thought about this!" Link bellowed, stepping closer, getting right in Malon's face. "I have thought about how my dad was the only other person in the world who knew the Legend of the Five Stones was true. I have thought about how his supposed friend killed him in cold-blood. I have thought about how I wish I had stayed to help my dad when he told me to run. I have thought about how this is the only reason I can justify not having been there when my dad died! And I have thougt that you need to GET OUT OF MY WAY!" With that, Link shoved at Malon, pushing her backwards into the door.

Link wasn't sure where most of that came from. He hadn't actually thought half of what he said. When he had started talking, he had intended to go on about how he had thought about it was only him who was capable of this journey, and how great of a knight his dad was and how he would have done the same thing in Link's shoes. The weight of his words and his actions slammed Link like a ton of bricks, his eyes finding the ground to the left of his left foot. He stared for a second, his face a mix of defeat and regret. "Just, move." Link said, quieter this time.
 
Despite Malon having stood her ground quite well, she wasn't terribly used to fighting, so when Link pushed her, he caught her off guard. She slammed into the wooden doors, the heavy pack she was wearing only adding to the pain in her back. She took a moment to get her bearings and then dropped her pack with a metallic clang and a rather loud thud. She stood up straight, took a step forward as he told her to move again and slapped him as hard as she could right across the face. "First of all, don't get mad at me for trying to keep your ass alive when you know damn well know that what you're about to do is stupid. There's no way you're going to be able to focus if you can't take a minute to just calm down. I understand that you're in pain and you need to do this. I'm not trying to stop you. I'm asking you to calm down before you charge into battle."

She glared at him and then picked up the pack she'd dropped. It had come open to reveal a few metal bowls and plates and cast-iron pans. She'd been lugging it all around without breaking a sweat. "But if the only thing that's going to get through to you is experiencing defeat first-hand, then you go right ahead, Link. Step right up and test your state of mind. See how far you get on this quest that you need to complete." The last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt or fail, but nothing she said or did would dissuade him from entering now, and she didn't think fondly of getting shoved again.
 
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