Possession

The silver moon held itself high in the dark sky of Hyrule, accompanied by the countless numbers of twinkling stars. Emitting from those stars and that moon were beams of pure light that nearly touched the golden land with its grace. Only the gentle breeze of the cool night's air was able to graze the earth's surface, brushing the leaves of the forest against each other. With each gust of calmed wind, a soothing hush would quiet the forest once more, silencing whatever activity was taking place in the midst of the night. Other than the wind, the only other noise was the sound of light footsteps on the forest floor, crunching the grass beneath the feet of the wandering.

A young girl who took resemblance of an elf, familiarly called a Kokiri, dwelled among the forest that night, making her traditional route. As the sage of the green land, it was her duty to make her rounds and keep guard of her sanctuary. It was well known what sort of creatures roamed about the night; wolfos, stalfos, skulltulas. Without her, those foul enemies would intrude and destroy her precious home.

The Kokiri child lifted her dainty hand and brushed her short, olive colored hair behind her pointed ear. For a moment she thought she heard a disturbance in the distance, but all was calm at this time of night, just as it was every night. Perhaps she was startled out of boredom, her mind playing tricks on her. Often when the young girl felt distressed, she would sing a tune to calm her nerves. Fortunately she was thoughtful enough to carry her ocarina with her this time. The Kokiri reached into her bag and pulled out the beige, porcelain instrument and lifted the mouthpiece to her rosy lips. She took a light breath before breathing into the tube, emitting a soft note that spread throughout the whispering forest, then a higher note, and then a lower note, and many more soothing notes until the song rested her spirits.

A sudden dark chill crawled down the child's spine. She nearly dropped the ocarina as she spun around to the presence she suspected. Instantly she felt relieved at the sight and a warm smile crept across her face. "Link. I'm so happy it's you," she hummed, her eyes twinkling with trust. "Did you enjoy my music?" She gazed at her childhood friend who nowadays resembled a full grown man. The moon stood behind him, so the young girl could only see his silhouette standing several yards away. His long shadow stretched across the sleeping grass and almost touched her boots. For some odd reason, his shadow scared her.

"Saria," a faint whisper poured like fog from the man's lips when he hissed her name, this time giving Saria goose bumps. Link took a lazy step forward. The way he was currently positioned allowed Saria to see a difference in his coloring. Normally, his leather boots were brown, but here they were black. Now that she was more focused on him, she realized a few other mistakes as well, like that his once green tunic was black, and his hat too. His golden hair was always a summer shade, but now it was as pale as snow. And his eyes… his beautiful cerulean eyes were overcome with a deep shade of bloodied crimson.

"Link? Is there something wrong?" It was foolish to ask such a question. Something was obviously the matter. Link, who was the savior of Hyrule and the ultimate Hero of Time, had been sourly possessed by some strange and corrupted force that was somehow stronger than him. Link must have put up one large fight, because there was no possible way that he would have gone down so easily.

Link, if this truly was he, took another step forward, this one heavier than the last. "Stay out of my way," he aggressively growled. The monster barred his teeth that were pointed like knives, and he unexpectedly burst into a run in her direction.

It was now obvious to Saria that there was something wrong with Link, and this force that possessed him was in a frenzied search for something back in her village. As much as she didn't want to, she would have to prevent Link from going back there, and that meant fighting him. What could she possibly do to stop someone as strong as the Hero of Time? She was nothing more than a mere forest sage. Her power was nothing compared to that of the hero's. But she had to try.

Saria quickly put her ocarina away before she focused her energy on the soft soil and connected herself to the trees of the forest. They would have to be her weapon in this fight, although it greatly displeased her to know that they would be harmed in the process. Link quickly drew a sword from the sheath on his back and swung it at Saria's head, but she used roots from underground to build a wall in front of herself to block the attack. Thankfully Link wasn't equipped with the Master Sword, or else it could have sliced through the roots like butter. The frustrated Link began to rapidly swing his sword at the roots in front of him, marking deep indentions with every strike. A surge of panic rushed through Saria, realizing that she didn't have much root left to guard her. She used a small root to take hold of Link's ankle and swipe him off of his feet.

Link fell hard on his back with a thud, and roots from the soil began to coil around his arms and legs to keep him from moving. He quickly rolled away before they could get a tight hold on him. The demon sprung to his feet once more and swung his sword right through the roots on the floor, making sure that they wouldn't attack him again. He turned his attention away from the dead roots and looked before him just in time to see a branch flying his way. He swiftly leaned back as far as he could to avoid the branch's hit, falling on his hands and almost on his back. When the branch came back around, he forced himself into a handstand and locked onto the swinging branch with his legs. Then he twisted his arms around, turning his body and breaking the branch apart with his solid thighs. He jumped onto his feet once more and held firmly onto his sword, having never let go of it.

A bead of sweat rolled down Saria's temple. She was nowhere near as advanced at fighting as Link was. The demon charged for her yet again with his sword held low for speed, dirt flying from beneath his feet, and for a second time Saria was forced to use the roots to protect her. The roots shot up from the ground like lightning, but she was a split second too slow. Link drew the blade towards her and ripped right through her sweater. The impact hit her just above her collar bone, marking a gash awfully close to her neck. A surge of pain sprouted throughout her body as if she were being electrocuted, and she couldn't help but weakly whimper. The thick, warm blood already began to spill from her wound and she had to use her hand to block it. A small tear rolled down her cheek, having never experienced pain like this, even if it were only minor. It would be difficult to fight Link in this state.

However to her surprise, Link ignored the bleeding child and ran right past her down the trail. Saria gasped, remembering that she wasn't the target, but whatever was in the village. She had to stop the blood pour quickly and bring Link to a halt once more. She summoned a leaf from the tree tops and had it stick to her wound. This would stop the bleeding, but it wouldn't stop the pain. The brave child turned to face Link running away. She lifted her arms and forced the trees to bend over in front of Link, blocking his path. Link sprinted to the left, but the trees followed the same formation, and this repeated once Link dove to the right.

Now he was furious, unable to move forward. He snapped his neck to face the fragile Kokiri girl, his nostrils flaring. If he wanted to reach his destination then he would have to dispose of this rodent. Link now turned to fully face her. He gripped onto the hilt of the sword so tightly that he could feel his knuckles going white. The demon burst into a run once more, his hair whipping against his face. Trees began to fall in his path in an attempt to slow him down, but he merely jumped over them, dove under them, jumped side to side, flipped, sliced branches, whatever it took to get past. He wasn't about to let Saria get in his way.

Saria's heart was racing at the speed that Link was approaching. It was becoming hard for her to keep up. Before she knew it, Link skid to a stop right in front of her. He lifted his leg and kicked her hard in the stomach with his foot, knocking her flat on the ground. The same foot came crashing on her stomach again, knocking the wind out of her. The young girl started to sweat and it became difficult for her to breathe and everything around her was nothing but a blur. The only thing she could scarcely make out was Link's silhouette. He was lifting his sword high into the air. A flash of silver on the blade reflecting from the moon struck her flickering eyes. If she didn't do anything soon, then she would surely die.

With no other plan, she forced vines from the trees to tackle Link. They wrapped tightly around his arms and wrists and legs and ankles and waist, lifting him high in the air and leaving him suspended. His sword slipped from his hands and stuck standing into the dirt, so he wouldn't be able to cut himself out. However, if he was strong enough to break out of sturdy tree roots, then he could easily free himself from vines.

Saria feebly sat up, propping herself with her elbows, and sputtered a few coughs. She gazed up at Link struggling in the air trying to free himself. The Kokiri child was overcome with rage that this demon had damaged her so much. Out of the blue, she couldn't comprehend that this was her friend possessed; all she saw was a wild and disgusting beast attempting to hurt her home. Saria's eyebrow twitched with fury as she forced herself to stand. A deep scowl crossed over her abnormally pale face. She was going to break his arms, break his legs, break him. She was going to make him suffer.

The vines rapidly tightened around Link's body, causing him to grimace and gasp in pain. They slammed him against one of the sturdier trees, hitting his head hard against the bark, then slammed him against a tree on the opposite side of the path. Blood started to pour from his skull, over his eyebrow, his eye, down his cheek, his chin, his neck and into his shirt. His head was pulsing with pain and his ears were ringing so loud that he couldn't hear a thing. The merciless vines threw him down to the forest floor and dragged him across the dirt, scratching him against the materials on the ground. Then he was again suspended in the air, unable to free himself to his will.

The stiff vines then began to warp him in the most uncomfortable of ways, twisting his wrist in a way that it shouldn't, and forcing his arm tightly behind his back, and turning his leg into a position that would make most screech in terror. Link swallowed hard and grit his teeth so tensely that his jaws were aching, and sweat was practically pouring off of his body like rain. He took quick paced audible gasps, trying to force himself to inhale even though he choked from the pain; besides, the vines were straining his chest from breathing properly. He suddenly began to feel his body being forced backwards, bending his back so far that he couldn't help but cry out from such an intensity; a cry so piercing that it woke the forest. It practically woke him from his possession.

And as if on cue, Saria snapped out of her blindness, the torturous scream echoing in her ears. She blinked several times and gazed up at Link in fear, her eyes flickering with distraught. This was her childhood friend that she was hurting. "I'm so sorry!" she whined, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" Saria loosened the grip on Link's body, allowing him to softly relax in the vines, and his body immediately fell limp. She wondered if it was safe to let him down yet. She wasn't sure if he would attack her once he was back on the surface. "Please say something to me. Anything!"

The silence only lasted for a few seconds. Link lifted his trembling head to look at her, his bangs covering one of his eyes and a deep shadow covering the other. "Keep going," he breathed deeply, barely forcing the words out. "You have to keep going."

Saria's eyes lit up with hope and a rush of butterflies hit her chest. "Link? Is that you?" However, she shook her head and took a step back. "Keep going? What do you mean? I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"Saria!" Link's voice was so loud this time that it startled the creatures of the forest; a few birds crowed and sped for the sky. The young girl lifted her tearful eyes to look at him again with her lip uncontrollably quivering, studying the blood on his face that she caused. She could now clearly see Link's cerulean eye glimmering in the moonlight. "You have to… You have to break my arms and legs so I can't keep moving! If my body is still working, then these dark spirits will use me to wreak havoc." His voice that was previously shivering with tire and fear abruptly grew strong and comforting like it had in the past, and Saria couldn't help but cry even more. "I'll be fine. I've experienced pain much worse than this, and you know it. You'll just have to nurse me back to health." He gave an encouraging wink just as a gush of blood escaped from his nose.

The young girl covered her mouth and began to sob loudly. It wasn't as if she was going to kill him. She just had to make sure he couldn't walk or fight. But she had no desire to do that, at all! She was already positive that she cracked at least one of his ribs. The thought only made her cry more, making her feel small and weak. How could she be certain that once he healed, he wouldn't be repossessed? And they would need to do this whole battle over again? If she wanted this to end for sure, she would have to kill him, or at least stop whatever curse was latched to him.

"Hurry," Link silently muttered, losing consciousness. The dark spirit was forcing its way into control again, and soon it would break free out of the vines and erupt in destruction once more.

Saria took a heavy breath. She would have to think of a plan later. For now, she had to stick with the original and simply break his arms and legs. The young girl tightly shut her eyes and covered her ears with her hands. By no means was she prepared to listen to Link's suffering. "I'm deeply sorry," she whispered, her voice shuddering with guilt. The forest sage focused her energy on the vines once more and let them take control. She couldn't see what was happening, or hardly hear anything for that matter, but she knew what was going on.

Link, on the other hand, forced himself to stay as quiet as possible. He didn't want to startle Saria again and ruin the process. He had to take the pain like a warrior. However, every now and then he accidentally let a small cry slip from his lips. It felt as if someone were stabbing him over and over on his arms and legs. He almost wanted to look to see what was happening, but he chose to keep his eyes closed due to his own personal fear. Link could feel himself getting light headed. Perhaps it was the dark force overcoming him again or maybe it was the amount of pain. Whatever the reason, Link couldn't control himself. Soon everything fell dark and he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

A piercing snap echoed in the forest, loud enough that Saria heard it through her hands on her ears. She jumped at the sound of this, and a wave of panic fell over her. Another snap was heard, slightly quieter than the last but still loud. Then another snap, and then another snap so loud that Saria's eyes popped open and she tore her hands from her ears. Saria's eyes raced to look up at Link, who now wasn't bothering with the slightest struggle at all. The young girl held her breath, assuming that she had possibly broken his neck. The Kokiri child called off the vines and gently set Link on the grass. She raced to his side, but came to a stop before reaching his body. The sight of his mangled limbs gave her an uneasy feeling in her chest; his arm twisted around and his ankle positioned sideways from his leg. She grew sick and turned her body away from him, bending over and unexpectedly throwing up all over the dirt. The acid burned her throat, but her pain was probably nowhere near as intense as Link's.

Saria again turned to face her fallen friend and kneeled down by his side. Blood and dirt was washed on Link's face. The child moved her hand to his red forehead and gently brushed the knotted silver bangs from his face. Horror pulsed through her veins, curious as to whether or not she killed him. "Open your eyes," Saria silently whispered, leaning into his face. His neck or body didn't look broken; only his arms and legs. Hopefully he had merely fallen unconscious from the pain.

All of a sudden a deep gasp fell through Link's lips, and he erupted into a violent wave of heavy coughs, his chest jumping up and down.

Saria's eyes lit up with delight. "You're alright! I'm so glad you're okay! I was worried that I killed you!" However, the young girl jumped backwards once Link opened his eyes. Unfortunately, they were crimson again. Where her beloved Link had disappeared to was beyond her comprehension. Sorrow took over her again, but she was relieved that at least her forest would be safe.

Link turned his head to look at the weak child. His blood red eyes were filled not with pain, but with deep malevolence. He tensed up his muscles that electrified with the utmost pain and torture, but he was determined to reach his goal. The demon began to force himself up, his entire body trembling. He clenched his fists and grit his teeth, working himself into a sitting position. Saria gasped in fear and crawled backwards away from him, refusing to remove her eyes away from his body. Link's broken wrist snapped twice and jerked in the most unnatural way, backwards and forwards and side to side. The dark creature lifted his hand in the air, studying the newly healed bones. The same process was repeated with his opposite hand and his arms and legs and knees and ankles, and whatever other bones were possibly broken. All Saria could do was watch in horror as this monster proceeded to heal himself in such a violent way.

Now that Link was fully healed, he lifted himself into an unstable stand, but he managed to catch his balance. The monster then turned his cold and unforgiving eyes to look at Saria, who was cowering against one of the trees. Link began to stride towards her, pulling his sword from the ground as he passed it by.

Saria shook her head and lifted her arm to protect herself, as if that would do any good. "Please, don't! Link! Find yourself!" A heavy lump filled her throat, realizing that this would be the end. "Wake up! I know you're in there!" But her pleas would do nothing to stop him. Then a sudden thought occurred to her - the ocarina. It would surely have to wake up him.

Saria quickly pulled the instrument from her pocket and trembled as she brought the mouthpiece to her lips, closing her eyes as well. The sound of Link's footsteps stopped right in front of her. Saria took a deep breath and began to softly blow into the ocarina, emitting a peaceful tune. Although she was previously overwhelmed with fear, the song comforted her greatly, sending a warm wave over her body. She suddenly felt soothed, forgetting that she was even in the middle of a fierce battle. Memories flowed through her like air, recalling all of the adventures that she and Link shared, and she wondered if Link was remembering them too. The tranquil song slowly came to an end and she felt at peace, forcing her eyes open to look up at the hero. However, the last image she saw was the hilt of the sword coming down to her head.

The young girl fell limply to the dirt, becoming unconscious. The dark force tilted his head, his eyes flickering, and then he turned away and began towards his destination again, not even bothering to see whether she was alive or not.

The forest was again as silent as it was before, the sound of gentle winds stroking the leaves of the treetops and sweeping the tall grass below. The only witness to the events that night were the moon and its stars, but they wouldn't say a word about it. Instead, they would merely grace the land with a motherly light and fall so the sun could rise.

*Photo by joodlez