Lost Though Unafraid [OPEN]

Perseus had felt he had overstayed his welcome in Castle Town and had decided that it would be best to journey on home. Riding on horseback, Percy thought about the conversations which he had with Zelda about the death of her father. Everything was changing, and though she had assumed that he would think she was crazy for her visions of an evil coming, Percy couldn't help but worry as well. If something was coming, Hyrule wasn't the only place to be effected. Percy would have to figure out some way to warn his father... if his father would listen.

Riding in the wooded areas of Hyrule... Percy didn't really realize where exactly he was going. Sure, he had been in the lost woods before, but that was with a plan and navigation. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't even realize that he had just walked right into it without knowing which way to go. As he had lifted his head to look up at the path, Percy narrowed his eyes in silence. "...Dear lord," he murmured as he rolled his eyes. "You've really gotten yourself into a mess this time, Perc."

Turning his horse around, he tried to find a clear path as to where he was going. Thank god he was pretty good at scouting things out. Maybe if he just followed the tracks, he'd be able to navigate his way out safely without wasting too much time.

"Here we are, Saria..." a pink fairy whispered in the treetops above, looking to the girl who sat upon a branch next to it. The girl looked down at the man traveling upon horseback with curiosity.

"Thank you...You can go now." she whispered to the pink ball of light, as it began to fly off. She continued to follow the stranger, silently climbing amongst the branches, as another fairy...A green one..flew from her pocket.

"What do you think, Saria?"she whispered, as she looked down as well. "Think he looks trustworthy?" Saria looked down at the man with a hardened gaze. "I think so, Gate..." she whispered back. "In fact...I feel like we've met him before...Somehow..." much to the fairy's confusion. Before she could voice this, however, Saria then made her move.

"Hey! You seem a bit distraught...Did you wander here by mistake?" she called down, making her presence known as she swung her legs dangling on the branch. Her eyes were filled with a genuine want to know who this man was. As the Forest's Fog began to lift a bit allowing her to be seen. There was something about the stranger...A sense of familiarity...But how? That was a different story. A story she wished to see the ending of.

Perseus continued to tread forward carefully, but his horse had come to an abrupt stop as though it was spooked by something. "What's wrong, girl?" he frowned, patting his horse on the head gently as he looked around once more. The horse then started to back away, rocking its head side to side as it then neighed, lifting up onto its hind legs as it screeched. "Whoa-whoa!!" Perseus yelped as he lost his grip on the reign, falling into his back, right into the ground.

Rubbing his head as he looked around carefully, he heard a voice call out to him as he blinked a few times, looking up into the trees, seeing a small girl peering down at him. "Huh..?" he slowly got up, now rubbing his side. That was a bit painful. Looking around, he sighed. Yes, he was lost. He had been through here before as a child, but he seemed to so naturally find his way around... this time was different. He just wasn't paying attention at all. All this worrying about Zelda really distracted him.

"Uh... yeah, I was just heading out of the Castle and I must have gotten distracted a bit too long... I'm supposed to be heading to Labrynna, which... is in a totally different direction," he sighed. "You look a bit young to be wandering here by yourself though..." he frowned. His eyes perked wide open suddenly though as he let out a breath in realization. It was a Kokiri; and though they were only legend, this young girl met all the characteristics of one. "Oh dear... I'm sorry, I didn't realize... you're a watcher of the forest!"

The forest girl gasped as the horse raised up in alarm at her presence, bucking the man off of her back. She clasped her hands to her mouth in fear for the man's safety. She was about to speak and jump down to his aid, when he began to get himself up. It was then he saw her peering down to him.

As he explained himself, her curiosity only grew more. In fact, he pointed out exactly why this was... "Labrynna? My, you really are lost." she couldn't help but giggle, swinging her legs slightly. Why did he seem so familiar? She remembered so long ago having visitors from that land...for a precise reason...She had to wonder...Was there a connection? No, of course not. He was just a traveler from there.

She paused as he pointed out her her apparent age, however. Did he not realize where he was? Beside her, she heard Gate snicker a little bit,  to which she gave the fairy a hard glare.

But then the man realized. Her frown instantly became a smile as she gave him a nod. She leaped down from the tree to meet him face-to-face...Even though she only came up to his chest. "I suppose you could say that...Though Kokiri will suffice." she laughed as she extended a hand out for a shake. "My name is Saria. Might I ask your name, kind sir?"

"Saria... hmm, why does that sound so familiar?" Percy frowned for a moment as he gazed off just passed the nearby trees. Something about this forest had always attracted him, and he wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was the familiarity of this place and his own Kingdom since it was mostly of forests, but there had to be something more. There was something almost magical about this forest that was drawing him in with faint familiarity.

As he took a few steps back from her to get a better look, he scratched the back of his head rather awkwardly and smiled sheepishly as he sighed. "I'm Perseus... well, you can just call me Percy. I'm the prince of Labrynna, actually... though I don't really look like much right now, I suppose. It's best not to attract much attention when you're traveling alone," he pursed his lips.

Who was this girl? Usually the people he came across on his travels were unreasonably mundane, but this little girl - who must have lived a hundred lifetimes, seemed much more familiar to him than he could usually recall. "My apologies if I'm wrong, but I feel like I might have been here before and met you... or perhaps it was another kokiri and I don't remember..."

She watched him attentively as he spoke. He...recognized her name on some level? Well now THAT was peculiar...How would he? Perhaps a historical text? She didn't believe that there would be much on her, since in this timeline she had never truly helped save Hyrule...So that likely wasn't it, unless her brother or Zelda had written about her all those years ago...That was possible...Yes...Clearly he had simply read her name once in a historical text. That was logical.

But then he named his station. Her ears perked up at that, as she gave a small gasp, covering her mouth with her hand. "The...Prince of Labrynna?" she asked in disbelief. She looked to the ground for a moment, before a huge grin overtook her, as she gave a rather exaggerated bow, twirling her arms as if she were a royal dancer...of some kind...Not a particularly GOOD dancer.

As he stated that he felt they had met before, her suspicions had finally been confirmed...Which was good, or else her bowing would have been slightly more ridiculous.

"You're kidding...THIS is the brat? Someone grew up good!" Gate snickered, flying out of Saria's pocket, to which the Kokiri rolled her eyes, before saying "My apologies, your highness...Gate...does not have very good manners..."

After that, however, her cheery disposition returned. "Still! I knew this day would come! That I would meet you again, and see how much you have grown! You appear to have become a fine prince, indeed!" she beamed, before gesturing for him to follow. "Come! I want to hear of all your exploits as I help you find your way out...Or perhaps you would like to visit the village for a bit? YOU, kind sir are always a welcome guest...Perhaps I could make us some tea! You do like tea right?" she began to ramble, getting far too ahead of herself, not seeming to realize...She hadn't really quite explained just HOW she knew him, or why she seemed so happy to see him.

There seemed to be a bit of shock that came over Saria when he had revealed he was the Prince. That wasn't anything unusual though, he did have a bit of a tendency to interact with the general public without them knowing who he was. Maybe if father had actually let me out once in a while growing up, people would recognize me... he shook his head. He tried not to think about that too much, though.

The fairy then spoke, something about being a brat, to which he rose a brow in confusion and turned his head back to Saria when she had apologized for her. "It's fine, I'm not the kind of person who would punish someone for speaking their mind," he chuckled quietly. The last thing he wanted was to be like his father, who'd throw someone into a prison cell if they even got the smallest tone with him for a night.

"Meet me again..?" he then looked a bit more confused. She started to walk, and he followed after her, very confused. She was going on and on about wanting to know about his life or if he wanted to visit the fabled village of the kokiri... what was going on? "I'm sorry, I've met you before..? I'm just a bit confused..." he blinked a few times.

The girl paused as he voiced his confusion at her actions. She stopped suddenly, turning around smiling a bit sheepishly. "Ah, I got a bit ahead of myself didn't I?" she asked looking down a bit.

She really should have known better than that. After all, he had only been a baby at the time...Of course he was going to have no memory...But...Did his father not tell him of that event? Had it been made a secret? She shared a look with Gate for a moment, the two clearly on the same thinking track.

The Kokiri then guided him over to a nearby tree stump, taking a seat. "I suppose I should tell you a story then...A story connected to these Woods." she began a bit cryptically.

"About 20 years ago, these Woods had a Royal Visitor. A king from a land separate from Hyrule on a dark and rainy night...Accompanying him was a newborn baby of ill health. The king was desperate to save his child, going so far as to enter the Woods risking both of their lives of becoming lost forever, atempting to bargain with the Forest's spirits for his son's life." she closed her eyes, remembering it all so clearly. "And his pleas did not fall upon deaf ears. The Forest's Guardian Spirits heard, and urged the Forest's Sage to meet the two...And offer her blessing upon the child...So that it may live and fulfill its destiny, whatever it may be..." she opened her eyes, giving him a gesture. "You were that child, young prince." and then gesturing to herself "And I am the Forest's Sage. I had hoped I would one day meet you again...To see the results of my work." her smile only widened as she added "I sensed a good aura as I discovered you...It would appear that yours was a life worth saving."

When the kokiri had taken a seat on the stump, Percy watched her quietly as he stood in silence, listening to the story she was ready to tell. For some reason, the entire story sounded so familiar to him, yet... at the same time he wasn't sure. She told a story of a child that was blessed by the forest sage, though the words she spoke next were... quite a surprise to him.

He was that baby? And she was the forest sage? Percy's eyes widened a bit as he took a step back, trying to recollect himself from what he had just learned. "Wait... why didn't I know any of this? A-are you sure? That doesn't sound like something my father would have done..." he looked down. Despite his father's overprotective demeanor, he was rather... uncaring for his true well being.

Why was he sick? Was he sick like his mother? Was he going to die from the very thing that killed his mother? He tried not to overthink it, but it seemed as though he were in perfect health now. "This just doesn't make sense, why would he keep such a thing from me...?"

She frowned as she watched Perseus battle with himself on the new revelation. Her joys at finally re-meeting with him beginning to fade as she saw...how much of a mess he was.

"You...don't feel that your father would risk his life for you?" she asked a bit hesitantly. Gate then piped up "I'm honestly not too surprised...Didn't you say you felt a muddled presence on that night, Saria? Not really evil but..." she trailed off as Saria gave a brief nod before then stating "Indeed...Not in the right state of mind..."

She then stood, taking a step forward. "I do feel I did what I did more for you than your father...As a baby, your aura was pure of course...But now..." she trailed off before smiling. "As I said, I feel I made the right call in helping you. I don't believe...whatever it was will affect you due to the time of when I cast the spell..." she tried to encourage him before then adding "You do seem quite troubled...Especially if you found your way here when trying to go back to Labrynna...Would you like to talk about it? I can't promise I'll be of much help...But I can try to offer my insight." she offered, crossing her arms and looking to him in genuine concern.

It was still a bit bewildering to Percy that his father had never even mentioned the aiding of the Forest Sage. He had known that he was ill as an infant, but he was never really given details as to how he had been cured. His father didn't enjoy speaking of the night of his birth very often, due to the fact that his mother had died in the process of his arrival. Birthdays were never very fun when it came to his father either, it was mostly those around him who were rather cheerful for him.

"I'm just... a bit surprised I suppose. I know my father does care about me, but I just feel like it's for the wrong reasons," he explained as he shook his head. "My father is a great leader, don't get me wrong, but he's nothing more than that. He was never truly a father, only a figure of power in my life. Everything he did for me was to protect me, but... he's such a coward," Percy sighed. "He's afraid that anything and everything will turn on him. He's a paranoid, greedy King and our people are either too ignorant to see that because of what he does to keep them quiet, or they just don't care because at the end of the day, they still have beds to sleep in," he shook his head.

Though that really wasn't what was bothering him. To be honest, he really wasn't sure what it was. Whether it was the news of Ganondorf or the fact that Zelda was in pain... he truly wasn't sure. Percy's frustrations with his father were normal and he had just learned to ignore it. "I'm sorry, I'm getting carried away. When I get onto the topic of my father, I tend to rant a bit," he sighed. "That isn't what's distracting me though. I'm just a bit worried for the Princess of Hyrule."

The Forest Sage listened intently as he poured out his story of his father. And her frown deepened as she learned more of the man. "I knew he was bad news..." Gate stated matter of factly, before Saria stated "I apologize....That's no way for one to grow up....One needs guidance....Someone to help them...Even we Kokiri have the Deku Tree and the others of the village until of age..." she trailed off before her attention was caught back at what he said about the princess.

"What's wrong with the princess?" she asked in concern. "Is she quite alright? As I said before, I haven't met her....Not this current Zelda....But I still worry for the health of the Royal Family..." she looked down, before waving her arm to urge him to follow her. "Come with me...I'll take you back to the village...And we can discuss matters within my home..." she offered hopeful. "I really do wish to know everything....With both the current politics, and the well being of both the princess, and you..." Every word she said was true. She had been away from the rest of the world for so long...And now? Here was the prince she had blessed with life all those years ago, swelling with concern on both his upbringing, and  the well-being of the princess of his neighbor-country....And she knew she had to help in some way. Even if she could only offer advice.