Part 5: Cody Porter
Link made his way through the series of hollow log tunnels that led around the forest, careful not to make too much noise as he listened for the skull kids. Though the forest now lacked the guiding echo of Saria’s song, Link didn’t have too much trouble discerning the real tunnels from the false ones. Stepping out of one of the tunnels, Link found himself in the playground where he had first met the skull kids. The slingshot target was still hanging from the branch of an old, dead tree, and below, he could see the stage where he had played his ocarina with them.
“They wouldn’t hide here,” he thought, but he decided to take a closer look anyway. He climbed down the ladder and made his way across the clearing. Feeling a little self-conscious, he stepped onto the little stump, half expecting the children to appear and demand to jam with him. Nothing happened; the forest remained as quiet as ever. He laughed a little to himself. He knew they would not appear, because they were already playing a different game. He turned to leave, and was shocked to see one of the skull kids was standing right there in the middle of the grass. Recovering from his momentary surprise, Link stepped off the stump toward the kid. He realized as he did this that he shouldn’t have; skull kids tended to disappear at any sign of aggression. However, the one standing before him did not even flinch. Instead, it spoke.
“They’re not gonna play fair,” it said. Its tone was that of a child tattling on a misbehaving sibling. “They don’t like grownups.”
“But you do?” Link asked.
The kid looked at the ground, apparently ashamed. “I just wanna help. They want you to get lost here, like that merchant, but I know you won’t. You’ve been here before.”
“So, how can I find them?” Link asked. “Where are they?”
“I saw where they hid, but you won’t be able to see them!” The kid was speaking excitedly now, and looking straight into Link’s eyes. “I’ll come with you and trick them out! Okay?”
Link smiled, realizing he now had a valuable ally within the forest. “Thank you,” he said, “but, why are you helping me? Aren’t they your friends?”
“Well, yeah, but…” It looked away again. “You’re my friend, too. You helped me. Remember? That mask? It was a long time ago, but I still haven’t repayed you.”
Link searched his memory, but could not recall what the child was talking about. The only times he had encountered the skull kids before, they had played music with him. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The kid’s eyes widened and it stared fearfully at Link. “You- You don’t remember? But, you’re…” It took a few steps backward, then said something so quietly that Link could hardly hear it. “You’re not him. You’re just some grownup from outside the forest. You don’t even have an ocarina.” And as quickly as it had appeared, the skull kid was gone.
“Wait!” Link shouted. “Come back!” His calls went unanswered. What had the kid been talking about? A vague memory tugged at his mind, but he couldn’t recall it. Nonetheless, he would have to continue on. He climbed back to the top of the cliff and made his way into one of the tunnels when a familiar sound reached his ears. The sound of Saria’s ocarina echoed through the tunnel, playing the song she had played so many times before. She was calling to him. He ran forward, emerging from the tunnel and stopping to listen before heading into the next. He continued like this until he was deep into the woods, and then the music suddenly stopped. He stepped out of the last tunnel to find Saria’s ocarina laying at his feet, outside of the hedge maze that led to the Forest Temple. He picked it up and looked around, but there was no sign of its owner.
Link had no idea where Saria was, but he knew how he could find her. He raised the ocarina to his lips and began to play the song that had led him here. There was no response from the ocarina. Instead, the skull kid appeared again.
“It is you,” it said. “I knew you would remember that song.”
Link suddenly remembered. He had taught the skull kid that song, and given it the skull mask. “I remember now. The other two just played games, but you talked to me. We were friends.” Another, less happy memory returned to him as well, but he didn’t dwell on it.
“Why did you leave the forest?” asked the kid. “Why did you have to grow up?”
“It’s a long story.” Link put away the ocarina and began to walk back toward the tunnel. “For now, let’s find the other two. You’ll help me, right?”
“Right!” the skull kid said, following Link. “But, there’s just one thing.” They stopped and looked at each other. “Don’t tell them I helped you. They’ll be mad at me.”
“All right,” responded Link, and they set off into the Lost Woods again.
