Whither Must I Wander

by thelegendarytoothpaste

*Friendship noises*

The alien had proven himself to be mature beyond his years, which both impressed and concerned Fluttershy.

Here he lounged with his broken instrument. He was cleaning it as if it were a priceless treasure to him, and it was. Where a child might have tossed it aside like trash once it became obvious it was broken, or maybe would only cry until it was replaced or repaired, Hinka did nothing of the sort.

Instead he continued to take care of it as if nothing had changed, though he did attempt to play it a few times. When she asked where he got the instrument, he simply said "Friend."

She admired his maturity about the misfortune, but also felt concern. In her experience, the only children who acted as mature as Hinka did are the ones who had seen the worst the world had to offer; the ones who suffered terrible misfortune before and saw their childish innocence burned away. She considered such an occurance as a tragedy. It had been settled in her mind, then: Whether they found his family and returned him or she found him somepony who would take care of him, she would visit him often and do her best to teach him how to be a child again.

First, however, there was a glaring problem: The first time he laid eyes on her kind, he fainted. Granted, it was probably because Pinkie Pie did not understand the concept of personal space, but she felt it better to err on the side of caution anyway.

"Hinka?" she asked softly. He paused in his scrubbing of a particularly stubborn grass stain and looked up at her, though it did take him a few moments to realize she was talking to him. She found herself praying to Celestia that her point would get across.

Her prayer was not answered, however, as he simply stared at her blankly. She frowned. The language barrier was tougher than she thought.

She looked to the coffee table, where she had left some paper and charcoal for him to draw with. It had remained untouched. She smiled. Fluttershy never did consider herself much of an artist, but she knew the basics. With a smile, she set to work.

---

It never ceased to amaze Link.

From the first moment he saw the kindly pegasus use her hooves to actually hold something, he was fascinated. He had been taught by Saria that hands were one of the reasons his kind were considered the top of the food chain. He smiled a bit as he felt himself drift into his memories.

He, Saria, and her fairy companion, Ko, sat in her home sipping hot tea. Link had just turned six, and an especially cold winter meant a severe snowstorm that day. They stayed within her home and widdled the day away with lectures and tall tales.

"There are no animals quite like humans, Link. Whether it's the Kokiri, the Hylians, the Gerudo, the Gorons, or the Zoras, we are all human, and to us there is no comparison."
When he asked her about monkeys, she smiled.

"They are just as clever as some of us are, and they have hands just like you and I. However, there is one thing that both monkeys and Mido lack, Link. Do you know what that might be?"

He shook his head. He felt a smile tug at his face when Ko fluttered onto his shoulder. The fae whispered into his ear one word with her serene voice.

"Ingenuity."

Though he could not see her true form, he could feel her smiling at him. He looked to Saria.

"'Injuity."

Saria smiled. "Very good, Link. Animals like monkeys are very intelligent, just like you and me. They do, however, lack one thing: good old human ingenuity."

She looked to one of the many bows she kept on her walls. With a sigh, she held her favorite ocarina close to her chest.

"They make simple tools too, you know. They are very intelligent creatures. They do not understand, however, the complex tools you and I use often. Instead, they are concerned with life in the moment. They care to survive and keep their species from destruction. They are capable of some emotion, but things like business, money, and schedules mean nothing to them."

She smiled at Link as she held out the instrument.
"This is why we Kokiri strive to be like them. In the grand scheme of the world, tell me: does it matter in the long run if you fail to get to your job on time? Does it spell doom if you do not make your numbers as a salesperson?"

He shook his head. Saria grinned.

"No, it doesn't. The animals live simpler lives and lack the ingenuity you and I have, but what we have is a curse as much as it is a gift. As such, we admire the simplicity of the animals and desire to be as noble and free as them. Such is the way of the Kokiri."

She smiled down at the ocarina, as Link put a hand on it. She put one hand over his and looked at him.
"Link, I want you to take this ocarina. Play wonderful music with it. Keep it close to your heart. Love it just like you love me."

She looked away from him.

"One day, you're going to do big things. You're going to be a very important person and you will make not just the Kokiri proud, but all of humanity. When your destiny arrives, you may not be able to use this instrument as often as you'd like."

She looked to him again with an encouraging smile.

"That's okay, Link. I know we will be friends forever!"

A hoof waved before his face, and he gave his head a shake. To his side he heard a soft giggle from the pegasus. He blinked. She held a piece of paper out to him, and he was surprised when he saw a surprisingly well drawn pegasus on it. Next to it was an arrow pointing to Fluttershy. He nodded uncertainly.

Encouraged, she hoofed over another piece of paper, this one with a group of equines like her on it with a question mark next to them. Link didn't get it and he shrugged to show his lack of understanding. Fluttershy did not lose her patience with him, though. She simply smiled.

"Introduce you others please?"

Link thought for a few moments. If the other horses were as nice as Fluttershy was, he wouldn't have a problem. Though he knew well not everyone was the same. There was a chance she wished to introduce him to a surly horse of her kind.

Part of him felt more at ease with her. She wouldn't let them be mean to him. He had trusted her judgement this far, and he did not regret it yet. He gave her a nod, and she seemed to light up. She returned his nod, and looked to his bandaged leg.

A hoof pointed at it.
"First," she said. "Check wounds."
He cringed.
End of Chapter

Author's Note:

Exciting news everyone. I think you need to be sufficiently prepared for it, so below please find a list of things you must do before clearing the spoiler. It's important you do this, okay?
1. Fill a glass of cool water.
2. Add ice (optional).
3. Ensure the room temperature is not too high or low.
4. Have a seat in a reasonably comfortable chair.
5. Take a few deep breaths.
6. Gingerly sip the water.
7. Close your eyes, and continue sipping.

You are reasonably prepared now. Here is the news:
Today, the world's youngest person was born.

I hate me too.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Which continuity is this Link from?

[Nova Blaze]

8828872
Ocarina/Majora's Mask.

[thelegendarytoothpaste]

8828872
It's a secret.

[Arcadia Arcanum]

8829132
To everybody.