The Boy Without A Fairy (The Legend of Zelda)

[LoneStar]

Prologue​

The young woman did everything she could to ignore the bleeding arrow wound in her side as she kept running. From behind her rose the cries of deranged and violent men, yelling for death and chaos. The glows of their torches rose above the subtle curves of Hyrule Field and lit up the violent night. The echoing screams of countless battles and victims of senseless slaughter rose up to the heavens themselves, pushing the woman to keep her legs moving. Just a bit farther. Just a few more minutes, and her destination would be reached.

In the woman's arms, the crying of a baby boy, not even half a year old, rang through the night sky. Swaddled in a sheet, the child was held close to his mother's chest as she ran, and his cry was what motivated her more than anything else. Doing everything she could to block the pain, the young woman finally saw the trees dead ahead. She couldn't help but let out a desperate cry of joy despite the situation.

Finally reaching her destination, the young mother ran past the forest edge without a hint of hesitation. It was a massive gamble at best, but there was nothing else she could do at the moment. She had to keep her baby boy safe, even if she became lost within the Lost Woods forever.

The cries from behind halted, the men pursuing their would-be pray deeming it not worth the danger of entering those cursed woods. They knew the rumors, everyone in Hyrule did. Whether it by Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, or even the rare Gerudo, no one entered those woods and came back out to tell the tale. With that, the glow of their torches receded back from where they came, the men looking for other ways to quench their bloodlust.

The halt of her pursuers did not stop the parent as she wove through the towering trees of the Lost Woods. A small mercy came when the baby stopped crying, as if sensing that the immediate danger had passed. The woman, at least, stopped running at full sprint. Still, she dared not stop her escape. Even if her human hunters had given up, there were still the creatures of the forest to worry about. Countless legends spoke of dark and hungry entities living within the forest, each tale more disturbing than the last.

So, the two of them kept going.

Daybreak eventually broke, the sunlight unable to fully penetrate the ever-present haze that lingered above the trees. It was if even the rays of the sun got turned around within the Lost Woods, not able to find their way to the ground. No matter which way one turned, the seemingly infinite trees went on forever. Creaking of wood, scuttling of animals, and what almost sounded like whispers filled the warm forest air.

The woman, her name and features lost to memory and time, hadn't stopped moving. The arrow wound was getting worse, and her body weaker. Still, she dared not halt for a moment or turn back. If she left these woods, both she and her precious son would surely die. Even if he alone survived, she would be happy. The mother's progress was slow now, barely above a limp, but pure determination kept her going. Her baby boy needed her, she was all he had left, and she would rather go back and give herself up to last night's pursuers than let him down. The young Hylian rested peacefully within his mother's arms, oblivious to the horrible tales surrounding the forest he was in.

There were times where the mother thought she saw someone. A fellow Hylian, perhaps. Yet she would blink, and the figure would be gone, replaced by the stump of a long-fallen tree. That was what the forest did, or at least that's how the legends went. It would play with your mind; make you see and hear things that weren't truly there. As this went on, the creatures that really did exist would bide their time before pouncing.

Yet, there was a happier legend.

Whispers spoke of a deity that existed within the Lost Woods, one that could help the injured mother and her son. An impossibly ancient tree, one said to be nearly as old as the Golden Goddesses themselves. A minor but benevolent god, one that cared for children, especially ones in need. If the young woman could somehow find this entity, her child could possibly survive. It was a great risk, one that hinged on unproven stories passed about Hyrule for hundreds of years. Still, it was her last hope.

Pain shooting through her wound, the woman let out a cry as she fell. In a quick maneuver, she twisted her body, so she fell on her back, protecting her son from harm. Despite this, the jolt shook him from his slumber, causing him to whine lightly. "Shhh…It's okay…" The young woman cooed, holding her baby close. "Momma's got you. It's alright…" She whispered sweet nothings to the baby as she managed to stand up using only one hand, the other arm carefully cradling her only remaining family.

Thankfully, the baby soon calmed down and was back asleep within seconds. The young woman smiled faintly as she kept going. If she just went on, surely she would find that deity soon. That benevolent tree. He had to exist, he just had to. Because…if he didn't, the two of them would die.

Time moved at a crawl as the young mother went on. Her face had grown pale, the bleeding of her arrow wound catching up with her. She so desperately wanted to keep moving, but even her determination wasn't enough anymore. Her energy was sapping away with every step, every breath she took, every time she turned her head to look at a sound with no visible source.

Her face almost white as a sheet, the woman leaned against a tree, looking down at her son. He stirred a few times as the hours passed, but never fully woke up. She had to keep moving. If only so he could survive. It didn't matter what happened to her, as long as he could go on! After a moment's rest, the mother kept going, now moving only at a limp. She knew she wouldn't last until sunset.

Sadly, the woman did not even make it until the hour's end before dropping to her knees, miraculously not stirring the baby enough for him to awaken. Her face was drenched in an exhausted sweat, her face devoid of color. All around were just more trees, all looking so identical to each other. She felt if she turned and looked back, she'd see the part of the forest's edge that she came from, no progress having been made in all this time. She thought she saw flickering lights high above in the trees. Fairies? Some other forest dweller? Or just figments of her imagination?

It was at this moment that a voice rang out. An ancient, deep, and echoing sound that seemed to come from every tree in the forest, from the ground itself, and even form within the mother's mind.

"Who art thou, Hylian woman?"

The voice did not sound angry or accusatory. It was a curious voice, with a touch of gentleness to it.

Was this…real? Was it another lie sprouting from the woman's imagination? If there was even the slightest chance that this was the deity, the mother had to take the chance. "Please, are you…the Great Deku Tree? The Father of the Forest?" She called out weakly, unable to even properly raise her voice.

The trees around the woman groaned and creaked, as if the forest itself was closing in on her. She swore she heard whispers in the air, but she saw no one about. Just the trees.

"I am he. Why art thou here? Dost thou not know the dangers of the wood?"

The voice rang so clearly around and within the mother that she started to truly believe that it was real. She could hardly believe it; her goal had been reached! The legends were true! "I am aware, mighty Deku Tree. Please, this was my only choice. I beg of you, please help us." She held out her child in front of her, as if expecting someone to walk over and take him. "If you cannot help me, I beg that you help my son!"

A rumbling noise echoed through the forest around the woman. It almost sounded like a giant humming to itself in thought.

"I am afraid I cannot heal thy wounds. Thou will die."

The mother knew this was coming. Many tales of forest children have been passed through the ages, but no stories of adults surviving in these woods ever spread. Her energy almost gone, the woman gently placed her son on the forest ground, lying down next to him. "If you can save my son, that is all that matters. Please, Great Deku Tree, spare him…"

The creaking and rumbling of the woods echoed louder than ever. It was as if something massive was approaching the woman and her child. The mother was too weak to look around anymore. She simply gazed into the sleeping face of her precious son.

"The Courage and selflessness thou hast shown moves me. I will grant thy wish, and I will grant thee a gift."

The woman felt something wrap around her body. She was barely able to glance down and see vines and roots growing from the earth and gently entrapping her. There was no panic, she had faith in the god she was speaking with. "Thank you, mighty Deku Tree. I must ask, what is this gift?"

"Those who die in this forest are doomed to wander it eternally, changing into spirits or monsters. I will spare thee such a fate. Close your eyes and let go, Courageous one. Rest peacefully."

"Please, I must say goodbye to my son…My precious Link…" The woman leaned forward, her child still sleeping soundly. "Link…Your Momma loves you. Please, live, and have a happy life." She knew that the boy would have no memories of these events or her words. Still, a part of her prayed that the words would somehow reside within his soul. The brave mother gave her beloved child a gentle kiss on the cheek, the last she would ever give.

"So, his name is Link…Please, woman, tell me thy name." There was a pause, the only sound being the roots and vines slowly cocooning the mother.

It was too late. She had passed.

There was a loud, creaking sound in the Lost Woods. The heavy, sad sigh of an ancient god. Soon, the plants completely encompassed the woman and slowly, gently, dragged her under the earth. Her body and spirit would rest in peace until time itself came to an end.

And, as everyone knew, Time was eternal.

All that left was the baby, the orphan named Link. The poor child had no idea what was happening around him, that his mother had died less than a foot from him. All he knew now was the nap he was in the middle of. It was time for the Great Deku Tree to fulfill his promise. A single, long root extended from somewhere off in the forest, gently wrapping around the boy. Slowly, and making sure not to harm the baby, the root started to drag Link along the forest.

The process was long, great effort being taken not to accidentally hurt the orphan or awaken him from his sleep. As the baby was transported, the situation caught the attention of the creatures within the forest. Animals such as foxes, rabbits, even Wolfos, watched as the young boy was carried off. Creatures such as fairies, Skull Kids, and other nameless spirits would watch as well. They all knew not to interfere. Even the dumb beasts and monsters instinctually knew not to interfere with the workings of the Great Deku Tree. Doing so would result in swift, unavoidable death.

It was in the afternoon that the child finally reached his destination. By this time, he had awoken, even cried out into the forest around him, desiring the embrace of his mother. As the root slowed down and stopped, the baby had ceased his wailing, having exhausted himself and realizing no warm embrace was coming. After the trip was over, Link looked up at the entity towering over him.

To simply call the Great Deku Tree a tree would be like saying the Golden Goddesses were magicians. The minor deity towered over all the trees within the Lost Woods, none reaching even half of his immense size. Healthy, thick brown bark coated the god, with lush and green leaves covering the uncountable branches that crowned him. The leaves stayed upon the Great Deku Tree throughout the entire year, even during the harshest of winters. Kind eyes under thick wooden eyebrows gazed upon the baby before him. With shiny, tiny blue eyes, the orphan looked back. Being in the presence of something like the Great Deku Tree instilled not fear, but a strange sense of serenity within Link.

There was something special about this child. Now that the Great Deku Tree got a closer look, he was able to see that. Yes, there was tremendous Courage within this boy, just like his mother. Right now, it was but a small ember, but it would one day grow into a raging flame. This was no mere baby, but a child of destiny who would one day do great things. The Great Deku Tree sent out several fairies to round up his children and bring them before him.

It was time they met the newest member of the tribe.

A calling for all the Kokiri was a rare event, so the entire village came faster than usual when summoned. Within just a few minutes, all twenty of them were present. While having the appearance of children, most of them were older than any living Hylian. All adorned with green clothes and gazing with shining blue eyes, the children of the forest approached their father. Lights of various colors buzzed about the crowd; the Guardian Fairies curious about what was going on as well. Most of the Kokiri were clamoring over each other verbally and wondering as to what was going on. They all looked up at the Great Deku Tree's face, so none even noticed the baby who looked around the area silently.

"Father, why have you called all of us? It's been decades since you've done such a thing." A Kokiri with green hair asked. "Is something wrong?"

A low rumble rang out in the small clearing, the chuckling of a god. "Quite the opposite. I implore thee to take a closer look of the area."

It took only moments for the Kokiri to notice the baby nestled before their father. Instantly, they ran over to see the child up close. The girls cooed at the bundle of joy while the boys smiled at the newest addition to the village. The fairies hovered above, silently adoring the child. "He's so cute, father! When did he emerge?" A female Kokiri with short red hair asked. A new Kokiri's emergence was a rare and exciting time for the children of the forest. It had been decades since it last occurred!

There was the smallest of pauses, one that none of the children noticed as they looked down at the baby, who looked right back up with eyes just as blue as theirs. The deity made a decision, one he hoped he would not come to regret. Even those as wise as he could make errors, as exceedingly rare as such times were. "Quite recently, Lydo." The god replied. "He had just arrived in the clearing minutes ago."

"Looks like you're not the youngest anymore, Fado." One of the male Kokiri said, looking over to a blonde girl.

Fado nodded, seeming pleased. "Good! I was tired of being the baby of the village!" She declared, having recently celebrated her 88th​ birthday.

The child looked around at the crowd of forest dwellers and strange balls of light surrounding him. His eyes were wide and curious as he looked around at all the strange new faces and shapes as his tiny limbs moved back and forth and to and fro. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he babbled on, not even close to forming real words yet.

As the Kokiri closed in more, getting louder as the Great Deku Tree watched on, the baby reached another breaking point. The poor orphan had quite the long day and the night before was hardly better. So much noise, erratic movement, strange faces and places…it was hard for someone so young! He was tired, hungry, and a little bit frightened despite the calming aura the deity nearby gave off. So, the child scrunched up his face and started to feebly cry out to those around him, demanding comfort and a full belly.

The mood dampened, if only a little, and a few children aww'd in sympathy. It was the Kokiri girl with green hair that acted first. Having done this many times before, she gracefully swooped down and picked up the crying baby. "There, there…No need for tears…" The girl said gently, cradling the newest member of the tribe. She had held and consoled all the other Kokiri at one point or another, being the very oldest among them. Even with some births being centuries apart, she never forgot how to care for a baby properly. Of all the ones she saw, this one had to be among the very cutest.

In almost no time at all, the baby calmed down, at least enough where he was no longer actively crying. Still, an upset look was splayed on his face, still requiring food. "You're always so good at that, Saria." One of the boys pointed out.

Saria smiled down at the small bundle in her arms. "I suppose I've had a lot of practice." She replied; her voice filled with a sincere air of modesty. The green haired girl looked up at the deity that acted as the guardian of their tribe. "Father, what's his name?"

It always warmed the old god's spirit when a new child joined the tribe, and this was no exception. He had a rare moment of self-doubt concerning his choice to keep the baby's status as a Hylian to himself. After all, it would only take a few weeks for the Kokiri to realize something was amiss. The deity only hoped that the boy would be accepted anyway, as he would have no second chances elsewhere for a number of years unknown even to the Great Deku Tree. Destiny may call for him within a decade, or it may even wait until he has fully grown into an adult. Only time would tell. For now, the forest's guardian would have to let things play out as fate demanded. Letting out another rumbling chuckle, the Great Deku Tree looked down at his children with happy eyes, all twenty-one of them.

"His name is Link."

 

[Immortal Lurker]

I've been wanting more Legend of Zelda lately. I will be watching this, seeing where it goes.

 

[InBound]

I've been wanting more Legend of Zelda lately. I will be watching this, seeing where it goes.

Click to shrink...

I agree, Zelda stories are sadly a rare sight on this sight. I'll be looking forward to more.

Poor Link is a newborn and his life already sucks.

 

[LoneStar]

Chapter 1 - The Boy Without a Fairy​

It didn't take very long for the Kokiri to realize that something was unusual with the newest member of their tribe.

The children of the forest may look just like Hylians, albeit paler due to the lack of direct sunlight, but the way they grow was far from like those outside the forest. Born, or emerged as they put it, from the very trees themselves, the Great Deku Tree provides them with nourishment until a Guardian Fairy is paired to the Kokiri. This usually only takes a few weeks, with the very latest bloomer taking three months to get one. It is then up to the Guardian Fairy to provide for their child's nourishment until they are fully grown within ten months.

The village the Kokiri lived in was relatively small, as it should be considering there were only twenty-one children living in it. Each member of the tribe had a house all to themselves, all these homes made from massive trees, with Link being the current exception due to his age. It was the Great Deku Tree who set these homes up, the Kokiri unable to perform such tasks even after they had knives to use. This along with the clothes on their backs and the furniture in their homes were the only material items the deity granted his children. Anything else such as food, once they gained their Guardian Fairies, tools, water, and anything else was theirs to take care of themselves.

The village was situated in a large clearing surrounded by the dense Lost Woods. It was exceedingly rare for any animals more harmful than a rabbit or a deer to wander into the area, their fear of the Great Deku Tree and his wrath keeping them at bay. The children had a life of peace along the lush green expanse they could wander without entering the twisting, haunting forest around them. A beautiful, clear, clean waterfall going into a river ran through the village, giving the Kokiri a place to gather water and bathe. It truly was a small slice of paradise within the normally dangerous forest. Even a Hylian, if one somehow managed to enter this area, would be safe from harm, granted they did not directly anger the guardian of the forest…

It had been three weeks since Link had been adopted into the village. While the Great Deku Tree provided him with nourishment, just as with his other children, he still spent a lot of time in the village. Though more forest spirits than true humans, the Kokiri needed social interaction and loving care, just like anyone else. That meant the other children got to spend a lot of time with Link, and at this point became aware something seemed off.

"Why isn't he growing?" The self-proclaimed leader of the Kokiri asked. Mido was standing with Fado as the two watched Saria sit by a tree, holding the new baby in her arms. He was more worried than anything. While normally a tad grouchy, Mido was on board with everyone else in caring a great deal for Link. It had been nearing a century since the last new member of the village, so everyone was still ecstatic over his arrival.

The children had all noticed that Link didn't seem to be growing at all. Or at least, not quickly enough. Every Kokiri was able to walk after roughly a month after their emergence, but Link still couldn't even crawl. He was also unable to form proper words of any kind either. "Maybe something's wrong with him…" Fado muttered, sounding worried. "What would we do?"

At the time, Mido didn't have an answer for that. Later on that day, the Kokiri's unofficial leader took the baby off of Saria's hands. The eldest Kokiri had clearly taken quite the liking to Link, more than the other children did. Once Mido got Link in his grasp, he went to go see the Great Deku Tree.

Normally, a Kokiri wouldn't approach the forest deity without being summoned, but this was an emergency! Throwing the rules aside, Mido soon found himself standing before the towering being that he and the other children called their Father. The god's wooden eyes looked down at Mido and Link as they approached, the boy's Guardian Fairy trying to get him to turn back to no avail. "I do not recall summoning thee to see me, Mido." The Great Deku Tree rumbled, his mighty voice lacking warmth.

While the Great Deku Tree loved his children dearly, he had limited patience. He expected all of them to follow his rules, one of which was not to enter his clearing without being summoned, save for emergencies. Mido cast his eyes down a bit, looking down at Link. The baby peered back up with his shining blue eyes, unaware of his new father's displeasure. The older boy looked back up at the mighty tree before him. "Father, I think something is wrong with Link."

With just those words, the deity's attitude changed in an instant. "What dost thou mean, Mido?" His powerful voice was now filled with a deep concern.

The troubled boy held Link in front of him, as if his father should be able to see his woes just at a glance. "He's still so…well, small!" Mido exclaimed. "He can't talk, can't even crawl, and it's been nearly a month! Is he sick?"

The guardian of the forest knew this was coming. The Kokiri grew so fast compared to Hylians, roughly growing with each month what took a Hylian a year to achieve until fully grown. "Link is not sick, Mido, though thy concern is moving." The warmth returned to the god's voice as Mido seemed to visibly relax. "While not sick, Link needs more time to grow than others. I ask thee to be patient and tell the others what I have said."

More time to grow? Why? Well, it was far from Mido's place to argue, even as the self-proclaimed Kokiri leader, he dared not push such limits. Still, this didn't explain why Link grew slower than everyone else. Mido would just have to ask at a later date. Nodding, the boy looked between Link and the deity before him. "Thank you, Father. I'll go and tell everyone right now."

With that, Mido turned and made his way back to the village. As he walked, he looked back down at Link. The baby currently had hold of a chubby fistful of Mido's shirt that he gnawed on with toothless gums. The Kokiri couldn't help but smile at the sight. He didn't care if Link took longer to reach full age than the others. The Great Deku Tree said he was fine, and that was enough for Mido at the moment. He knew Saria had worries too, and decided she was the first he'd tell…

The weeks turned into months, and what felt like the blink of an eye, the months formed an entire year.

When Mido told the rest of the village about Link's slower growth, everyone simply accepted that the youngest member of the tribe was simply a bit different. They didn't realize, however, just how slow things would be. It had been a week since Link's first birthday, and yet he was only now starting to learn how to walk and could only say the most basic of words. He was still so tiny as well! By this point, he should have been fully grown, but he still had the appearance and mannerisms of a month-old Kokiri. Mido went back to the forest deity to voice his concerns, only to be told once more that Link was fine, and that the Kokiri needed to simply be patient.

There was still one thing that worried the entire village.

"Why doesn't he have his fairy yet?" Ardo asked Saria. The Kokiri boy was watching as the eldest member of the tribe sat with Link on her lap, the baby babbling nonsense and gnawing on a leather strap. The green-haired girl held onto the end of the object, making sure Link didn't try to eat it.

Saria looked away from Link and into Ardo's bangs, which almost completely covered his blue eyes. She really wondered how that boy got around like that, yet he never seemed to trip over or walk into things, so she guessed it didn't really matter. "Well, he hasn't grown yet. Not enough, at least." Saria sounded calm, but she herself also worried about the child in her lap. A Kokiri not having a Guardian Fairy after three months was unheard of…

"He's so old, though, too old not to have a fairy." Ardo replied, as if reading Saria's mind. By this point, not only should Link have had a Guardian Fairy of his own, but he should have a role in the society. Whether it be a forager, a hunter, or a scavenger, every Kokiri had a part to play. The village wasn't used to raising a child for so long, especially since the Great Deku Tree really helped out during the first month or so. After the Guardian Fairy was paired with their child, it was no longer up to the other Kokiri to aid in that child's upbringing.

A few of the Kokiri actually started to distance themselves from Link a bit, but only two or three. In a village of twenty raising one child, that was nothing. Saria took over a lot of the care either way, seeming to really enjoy it. "Well, think of it this way…" The eldest said after a few moments of thought. "He may be older, but physically he hasn't aged that much. Maybe a Guardian Fairy is waiting until he develops a bit more." Saria meant her words, but still felt troubled on if she was right or not. A Kokiri needed a Guardian Fairy, it wasn't a negotiable part of their life. Who else would aid them in their lives once they fully grew? Even though they could live for centuries, the Kokiri were still children, after all. They would always need guidance.

"Hmmm…Well, that makes sense…" Ardo said, scratching the back of his head. "How long until he's old enough then?"

To that, Saria had no good answer. "We'll just have to see, I suppose. It's like Father said, we'll just have to be patient." With that, the girl removed the strap of leather from Link's mouth. "Come on, Link, let's get something to eat, alright?" She said cheerfully to the child.

"Sa! Sa!" Link replied, not able to say Saria's name yet. Standing up, Saria aided Link in walking by holding onto his hands as he tottered onward.

The Kokiri had no idea just how long they would have to be patient for. Before the village knew it, another year had passed. Link had been around for a full two years and still no sign of a Guardian Fairy. At the very least, he was able to walk on his own, even run, and speak short sentences. Some of the Kokiri were hopeful this meant a fairy would come for him soon, but others, including Ardo, were starting to become wary.

At this point, nearly half the Kokiri stopped taking care of Link. Though, as he grew older, his dependence on others lessened. Hopefully he would soon be able to even live in his own house, as he had been sleeping in the homes of the other children for the time being. Mido still seemed to have faith in Link, though others assumed it was due to the supposed Kokiri leader's closeness to Saria, who would always jump to Link's defense when needed. None of those who stopped raising Link ever mistreated the child of course, but it was clear they wanted to avoid him. Fado seemed to be Link's second biggest fan behind Saria, the blonde Kokiri helping her best friend with the young boy.

"Ow! Owowow! That's my hair, Link! Don't pull!" Fado said with a wince as the boy stood on her lap. She had been reading a book to him when the little tyke got distracted by her bright and shiny blonde hair, and decided it looked fun to pull. Books were a somewhat rare commodity within the village. They simply got added to the collection when one was found among the remains of dead Hylians, which didn't happen too often. It was the job of a Guardian Fairy to teach their child to read, so at the moment Link had no concept of the words on the page.

"Fa-Fa!" Link replied, spouting out his nickname for the girl. He let out an almost mischievous giggle as he gave her hair another yank.

"Hey! Hey! Link, that hurts!" Fado whined, lightly grabbing onto Link's arm and getting him to let go. She gave him a somewhat stern look. "That hurt me, Link. Don't do that, okay?" The girl scolded gently.

Link's giggling stopped and he looked a bit sad. "Hurt?"

Fado gave him a nod, letting Link go and rubbing her head. The girl had never had to deal with a baby before Link, so a lot of things took getting used to. Saria had told her than hair-pulling was normal behavior, but by the leaves of the Great Deku Tree it was painful! "Yes, it hurt. Say you're sorry, Link."

"'m s'rry…" He mumbled, looking back at Fado with unintentional puppy dog eyes.

Fado couldn't stay mad at a face like that. Who could? Giving Link a kiss on his cheek, she offered the boy a smile. "All is forgiven. Want me to keep reading the story to you?"

That got a wide smile from Link, who nodded and sat back down. "Yah! Fa-Fa!"

Fado looked over and saw two of her friends watching the pair, whispering at each other. They were two of the Kokiri that stopped raising Link, seeming to want to give him a wide birth. Well, let them do as they wanted! It wasn't going to stop Fado! "Now, where was I…?" She rhetorically asked, trying to find her spot on the page. She still had confidence a Guardian Fairy would come soon for Link. Any day now, one would fly from the trees and straight to Link, and the two would be inseparable! Then those two gossipers would feel silly!

Another year passed, and Fado was proven wrong.

At this point, most of the community had given up hope for Link getting a Guardian Fairy. Three years and no signs of him being paired up. Physically and mentally, he was at the age where the very latest blooming Kokiri got his partner. The entire village save for Saria, Fado, and Lydo had given up on directly helping raise Link. Even Mido got more hands-off, though he still treated Link nicely if they were together. No one actually mistreated Link, but most tried to avoid being with him if possible.

"Do you think we should take him back to Father?" Fado asked. She and Saria were in the eldest Kokiri's home as Lydo played with Link outside, the two sitting around the house's table. "I know we're supposed to be patient, but I'm really getting concerned…"

Nodding, Saria frowned. "I'm concerned too, and I just don't know if we should go back to Father or not. If something was really wrong, he would summon us." She glanced at the house's exit, looking out for Link's return. "He's been asking about the Guardian Fairies; I think he'll start to wonder why only he doesn't have one."

"What did you tell him when he asked what Guardian Fairies were?"

Saria seemed confused at that. "Well, I told him the truth. I just made it simpler due to his age. It didn't feel right to lie to him…"

Fado frowned at that. "And what do we do when he asks why he doesn't have one?"

There was a tense pause in the room. "…I don't know. I really don't. If I tell him he needs to get older, he'll probably ask how much older, and I won't know what to tell him. If I tell him that I just don't know why, he might think there's something wrong with him…" Saria had spent a number of nights wide awake in bed pondering this. She couldn't think of any answer to give that wouldn't lead to more questions or make Link feel like he doesn't belong!

"Well we have to tell him something when he asks." Fado pointed out, having stayed up a few nights herself in worry. She wasn't as close to Link as Saria, but she still cared for the child deeply.

Before Saria could reply, the two girls heard sniffling and sobbing coming from just outside the house. The girls turned to see Lydo leading Link into Saria's home, the young boy's face wet with tears and his left knee bloodied. By this point, the boy wore a small tunic and shorts like the other boys did, though he had yet to get a hat of his own. "He tripped and his knee scraped against a big rock." Lydo explained, pity present in her voice. "Do you have any bandages, Saria?"

"Of course! Sit him down, please." Saria said, rushing to a cabinet and getting out a roll of bandages and a cleaning cloth. The bandages didn't help the poor Hylian they were found with, but at least now they could be put to use. Within a few minutes, the wound was properly cleaned and wrapped up, Link having stopped his sobbing by that point. "There, all better…"

After a few moments and one last big sniffle, Link looked at Saria with grateful blue eyes. "Thank you, Sa-Sa…" He still sounded a bit upset at getting hurt, and immediately gave the Kokiri girl a big hug.

Saria held the boy back, wanting to be happy that he was feeling better, but she glanced over at Fado and Lydo as they watched the scene unfold. Thoughts of what the future might hold for the boy filled her mind and made her worry. For now, she simply had to pray that a Guardian Fairy would come soon.

Over four years had passed since Link arrived in the village, and still no Guardian Fairy.

At this point in time, only Fado and Saria went out of their way to help raise Link and spend time with him. Everyone else, even Lydo, simply watched from afar. No one mistreated him, some would even converse or play with him if he approached first. Still, none of them aside from Fado and Saria would go to him first or try to spend long periods of time with him. The silver lining was Link was too young to really be aware of the attitude change. All he knew is if he went up to the other kids, they would talk or play with him. Besides, he still had Saria, the person he felt the very closest to.

Link was lying on his stomach on some cool green grass, watching his closest friend as she played her Ocarina for him. Today, the Kokiri took him to her secret spot. Of course, it really wasn't much of a secret to the village as everyone knew of it. Still, she was about the only one to go there regularly, so she still liked to think of it as her secret place. Getting there required going through a strange maze, the origins of which none of the Kokiri knew. Then they went up a long set of stairs to the base of some odd, abandoned ruins. Bleached white stones jutting out of a stone wall, these ruins were another mystery to the tribe. There was no way into these ruins, as whatever type of staircase lead to the entrance crumbled away long ago. The only other option was a tree which even the most skilled climber couldn't scale due to a lack of footholds. For the time being, it was an unsolvable mystery. This was the only type of man-made structure any of the Kokiri knew about, fascinating them all. When it was discovered there was no way in, most decided to just stay away since the itching need to get into the yawning entrance would pick away at their minds.

Saria sat upon a stump below the unusual entrance, eyes closed and beautiful notes rising from her instrument. It was unanimously agreed among the community that the green-haired girl was the best Ocarina player in the village. With nearing a millennium of practice, it was no wonder. She was able to play any sort of song on the wooden instrument, whether it be sad and slow, fast and happy, serene and akin to a lullaby, she could perform each kind of music perfectly. She even knew a few special tricks, such as mimicking the calls of certain birds within the woods.

As the Kokiri finished her song, a slow and peaceful tune, she opened her eyes to see Link moving to sit on his knees as he gave her polite applause. Giving the boy a smile, Saria placed the instrument in her lap. "I take it you like the tune?"

Link nodded enthusiastically, the tail-end of the hat he now wore flopping about. "Yeah! You always play good!" By now Link could speak in proper sentences, though not always having a good grip on grammar.

"I'm happy to hear you think that." Saria replied, genuine modesty present in her voice.

The boy gave another nod but stayed quiet. His face scrunched up in thought for a few moments. "Can I play too?"

The girl's eyebrows raised up a bit. "You want to play too?" Link had listened to her play countless times over the years, yet this was the first time he asked.

Link gave off a third nod. "Yeah! I wanna be like you!" He loved Saria a lot, unaware that the girl was becoming somewhat of a mother figure for him. All he knew was she treated him really kindly and he never got tired of spending time with her.

"Like me?" Saria asked, keeping the worry out of her voice. She noted how Link's gaze rose up to her Guardian Fairy, who floated silently above the duo. The girl knew she had to get his attention back to the Ocarina! "Well, I don't see why not!" She said, sounding more chipper than she felt. "I can craft one for you."

"Teach me to play?" Link asked, his eyes now focused back to Saria's face.

Giving Link a reassuring smile, Saria nodded. "Of course I will. I know you'll be good at it with just a bit of practice."

Excitement filled Link's eyes as he stood up. "Really?!"

Saria couldn't help but give a good-natured laugh at Link's energy. "Of course, you'll be a natural, I just know it."

"I thought I'd find you two here." A friendly voice called out. Link and Saria looked to see Fado reaching the top of the steps. "What'd I miss?"

"Fado!" Link exclaimed, as if he hadn't seen his other friend earlier that day. He went over and gave the girl a big hug.

Smiling, the blonde girl patted Link on the top of the head. "Hey there, Link. I heard you yelling from the stairs, what are you so excited about?"

Letting go of Fado, Link pointed over to Sara. "Sa-Sa is gonna let me play Ocarina!" He announced, having dropped Fado's nickname months ago, but still had issues pronouncing Saria's name.

Fado gave Saria a look of faux annoyance. "Hey! You never offered to teach me how to play!"

Saria let out a good-natured laugh. "Well you never asked! Do you want to learn too?"

"Of course!" The blonde Kokiri replied, dropping her look of fake anger. "We'll be a trio of Ocarina players, right Link?"

Once more, Link gave an enthusiastic nod. "Right!" He turned to Saria. "Another song?"

Smiling at her two friends as they approached and sat on the grass, Saria gave a nod. "Of course. Any requests…?"

Another year passed, Link was five years old and no fairy had sought him out.

Those who had stopped raising Link in the village started to become even more distant from him. A lot of the children would actively avoid Link, making excuses if he wanted to play with them. Saria and Fado still treated him the same as they always had, though Fado had started to become somewhat wary of the boy she was beginning to see as odd. Late blooming was one thing, but Link was over five times as old as a Kokiri should be when fully grown, and yet he not only had no fairy, but was still roughly halfway to full growth. The blonde girl didn't always go out of her way to see Link anymore, but would still talk or play with him when he sought her out.

Saria was just as devoted to Link as always, if not more than usual. She had been tempted to go and see the Great Deku Tree soon after Link's fifth birthday, a party where only half the village had been present for, to inquire about the boy. Yet she stopped herself, remember how the Great Deku Tree told Mido to be patient, and that nothing was wrong with Link. The eldest Kokiri did not quite have a lot of faith in those words since they had been said so long ago, but didn't wish to bother the forest guardian, so chose to accept them.

It was a few months after Link turned five that Saria realized just how the situation was unfolding in Link's head. The two were practicing playing Ocarina, the boy only recently starting to play. For a boy his age he was fine, but he had a long way to go. Once more, the two found themselves in Saria's "secret spot" with the green-haired girl sitting on her stump and Link sitting on the grass before her.

The girl instantly knew something was wrong when Link stopped practicing and stared off at the trees to his left. Looking and seeing nothing was there, Saria turned back to her friend. "Link? Is something wrong?"

The young boy didn't say anything at first, as if nervous to speak his mind. After a few moments, he gazed up at Saria's Guardian Fairy. "Will I have one too?" He asked, pointing at the fairy.

Saria felt her blood run cold. She was worried this day would come but had hoped Link's Guardian Fairy would arrive before it ever had to happen. Thankfully, the Kokiri had gone over the situation in her head dozens of times and had planned out how she would reply. "Well…Yes. You will. We all get Guardian Fairies, Link."

A pause. "When? Everyone else has one…" Link wore a forlorn, longing expression on his face. He had noticed for a while he was the only Kokiri without a fairy, but no one had talked to him about it. It took a while, but the curiosity built so much that he just had to ask.

"That's hard to say. It's different for all of us. It's more up to the Guardian Fairy. Right, Rota?" She directed the question to her own Guardian Fairy, who knew exactly what Saria wanted her to say.

Clearing her throat and floating down towards Link, Rota nodded. A useless gesture, as the natural light that fairies gave off hid their features and such small motions. "Saria's right. There's not much you can do; you just have to wait." The Guardian Fairies of the village had grown wary of Link as well. The creatures of the forest felt that there was something…off about Link. Something none of them could quite put their finger on or put into words. It wasn't his slow aging, or even lack of a fairy. There was just something about the boy's essence that raised alarm bells in their heads, they just couldn't figure out what the problem was…

"Just wait? One will really come?" Link didn't sound so sure. "What if no fairy picks me? Am I bad? Is no fairy coming because I'm bad?" In just the few moments, Link went from melancholy, looking as though he would break out into tears at any moment.

Noticing this change, Saria sat down on the grass right in front of Link, gently putting her hands on his shoulders. "Link, you are not bad, okay? You're as good as anyone else in the village. A fairy will come for you, I promise!" Saria desperately wanted to believe her own words, but with each passing day, she found it increasingly difficult to keep her faith going.

"I want one too…" Link murmured. Despite Saria's attempts to soothe him, the child burst into tears, lunging forward and clinging to his friend desperately. He just wanted to be like the others. He just wanted a fairy too!

Startled at first, Saria quickly wrapped her arms around Link and rubbed his back. "Please don't cry, Link. It will be okay, I promise…" She gently said into his ear. "A fairy will come…" The Kokiri had no idea what to do. Link, her precious Link, was in pain and she couldn't help. She just wanted things to be okay. She just wanted Link to fit in with the other children…

Six years had passed since Link's arrival, and things only got worse.

By that time, even Fado started to not hang out with Link at all unless he went to her, and even then she sometimes made excuses to avoid him. No one else but Saria and, surprisingly, Mido would play with Link at all. The boy was starting to notice the way others were treating him and seeming to not want to be with him. No one said to his face why they acted this way, and he was unable to piece together the reasons himself. All he knew was the other children just didn't seem to want to play or talk. On the more positive side of things, the boy finally got his own house at this point; a treehouse that required a ladder to reach. He had to get used to sleeping all by himself at night, but Saria helped wean him off of it by slowly making him go off on his own to sleep.

As Link grew, he got more rambunctious and had abundant energy to boot. Being a growing young boy, he wanted to roughhouse more as time went on. Saria, unfortunately, was not a fan of such types of play and wouldn't participate. After trying to wrestle around with the others with no luck, Link's attention fell to Mido who actually agreed. The supposed leader of the Kokiri still felt wary of Link, going over six years without a Guardian Fairy. Still, the newest member of the tribe had been nothing but a good kid, not to mention Saria still liked him quite a lot.

"Alright Link, show me what you got!" Mido declared, the two of them in a flat, clear part of the village. With their hats lying on the grass, the two readied themselves. "You get the first move, come on!" Of course, Mido was going to go easy on Link, the child may be six, but he was still so small…

As the fighting started, the Kokiri boy was surprised to find that Link was…surprisingly strong?! Sure, Mido was putting the kid in half-hearted holds, but the six year-old escaped from them easily. The older boy even tried putting Link in a serious hold, but with little struggling, the kid escaped! Just what was going on here?!

Somehow, Mido ended up on his stomach, Link sitting on his back. The younger child held the Kokiri's arm behind his back, unintentionally doing so in a way that really hurt! Despite his struggling, Mido found himself unable to get out of the hold. It was like trying to push off a boulder! "Geroff me!" The Kokiri grumbled, face in the grass and voice obscured.

"Huh? What?" Link asked innocently, unable to make out Mido's words. From his perspective, Link was hardly putting in that much force. He was entirely unaware he was hurting his wrestling buddy.

"I said…get…get OFF!" Mido almost roared, using all his strength at once to toss Link off of him. The two instantly stood up, and the Kokiri proceeded to shove the younger boy away from him, making him fall onto his rear. "Get away from me!" Mido practically spat, looking at Link with a gaze of fury and fear.

It wasn't Mido's actions that hurt Link quite so much, it was his angry words and the look he gave off. Link had no idea what was going on or why he was in trouble. Tears forming in his eyes, he looked up at Mido. "What? Was I b-bad?"

"Yes! Very bad!" Mido snarled, going over and grabbing his hat. "Just stay away from me!" Before Link could reply, the Kokiri stalked off, his ego bruised as much as his arm was as purple marks appeared on his pale flesh. Not only was Mido injured, but he felt humiliated! Something inside the boy felt like Link somehow got the upper hand on him in more than just that play fighting. Not only that, but that kid was dangerous! If he was this strong now, what about when he was fully grown? He would just get bigger and stronger and what would happen if he got seriously angry at someone? What would he do to them? Mido had to warn people, and right away!

That night, all the children of the village save for Link and Saria met within the Lost Woods. It was at that point where Mido went over with the other children how unusual Link was, how he had grown so old but had no fairy to speak of. The others all felt the same way to some extent, even Fado. "What should we do with him, then?" Lydo asked.

"It's easy…" Mido replied. "We let him know he isn't welcome without a fairy. If we're lucky, he'll go off elsewhere to live his life. Something must be wrong with him, something wrong with his very essence if no Guardian Fairy has shown up!" The thing Mido didn't tell everyone was how strong Link was. He couldn't let them know how he lost a fight like that, even if it was just fun and games. "Father has told us to be patient, but isn't six years enough? A fairy wouldn't take this long to decide Link is a worthy partner. I don't know what it is that's wrong with Link, but he is not one of us!"

"What if a fairy does come though?" Fado asked, feeling hesitant about the situation, even if she did somewhat agree. "Should we accept him then?"

Mido nodded. "Of course! But until that happens, he should be treated as an outcast, because that's what he is!" A ripple of agreement went through the small crowd. Really, a lot of what Mido said was what a lot of the Kokiri had been thinking themselves. They had just been too nervous to bring it up to everyone else like this. "Starting tomorrow, we won't accept a Kokiri without a fairy into our fold, understand?"

"What about Saria, though?" Ardo piped up. "She'd never agree to this, not a chance."

The supposed Kokiri leader already knew that. Saria loved that kid to bits; she'd never turn her back on him. "Well, we can't change her mind, so there's sadly not much we can do about." Mido admitted. "We can just hope that over time, she'll come to our side…"

Another buzz of agreement, and the decision was made final.

Ignorant to the secret meeting, Link awoke the next morning feeling chipper. Going to his food storage, he had a small breakfast of an apple and some berries before going down his ladder and into the village proper. As he went into the village, he immediately spotted Ardo talking with Uldo, a boy with an oddly large chin, by the village's edge. Smiling brightly, Link ran over to ask them to play. Link stopped in his tracks when the duo glanced over his way and then ran into the Lost Woods. What? What was that about?

Maybe…They just wanted to play tag?

Sadly, Link was told not to go into the Lost Woods without company. Without a Guardian Fairy, it was dangerous for any Kokiri to venture outside the village. He'd just play with them later, that's all! Cheering himself up again, Link thought of what he should do next. Saria! Maybe she could teach him some Ocarina tricks. He had been wanting to learn how to play his like a bird!

Yet when Link looked into Saria's house, he found she was gone. Darn, she must have been in her so-called secret spot right now! Okay, he could wait. Looking about the village some more, he saw Lydo and another Kokiri girl with red hair named Saldo. Smiling again, Link ran over to them while waving. "Lydo! Saldo! Hey! Heeey!" He called excitedly. As he got closer, the smile diminished as the girls looked at him with guarded facial expressions.

"Keep away, No Fairy!" Saldo snapped, giving Link a nasty glare that he had never seen on her face before. "We don't want you talking to us!"

"That's right!" Lydo added in. "Just go away and play by yourself, you freak!" The two girls walked off, leaving a stunned Link behind.

No one had ever spoken to Link like that. Sure, he had gotten into a bit of trouble at times and been scolded, though generally he was a well-behaved. This was something completely different though. No one had ever just lashed out at him like that for no reason, calling him names and not wanting him to talk to them. At first he didn't know what to think, then the words sunk in. They didn't want him around because…he had no fairy? This was never a problem before…

As Link stood there, he tried to wrap his mind around the situation. His young mind had troubles processing what was going on. He…He needed help! From who, though? Fado? Managing to hold back tears, Link went over to the blonde Kokiri's house to find it empty. Saria and Fado were gone…but what about Mido? He was the leader, he could help!

Link's luck seemed to be on his side, as when he approached Mido's house, its owner was just stepping out. "M-Mido!" He called out, still feeling upset at the harsh words directed at him, not knowing how to cope with the situation. "Mido!"

As the younger boy approached, Mido turned to him and gave him a sneer. "Get away from me! I don't want to talk to you, No Fairy!"

Again, the words stung, and Link was confused at why Mido would…wait! Link remembered how he and Mido wrestled yesterday. He still wasn't aware he had actually hurt the older boy, but apparently he had been bad. That must be why Mido was mad at him! Maybe…that was why the others were mad at him, because he had been bad! "I'm sorry I was bad…" He said with sincerity, even though he wasn't quite sure what exactly he had done wrong.

"Didn't you hear what I said?!" Mido snapped, pointing off into the distance. "I said to get lost! Get away and don't talk to me until you have a fairy! Got it?!"

Once more, Link found himself confused. He thought apologizing made things better, so why was Mido still mad? Why was everyone talking about how he had no fairy? Was that what he did wrong? Having no fairy? Was that why he was bad? He didn't want to be bad! He wanted to be friends with everyone! Right now, however, he was too sad and too scared to argue back. All Link could do was let the tears well up in his eyes as he ran back to his home. He would just wait for Saria! Maybe she still liked him? He didn't know…he was so confused! Nearly slipping as he did so, Link soon climbed the ladder and went into his small home. There he nestled into his bed, lightly sobbing and wondering what he did that was so bad. When Saria went into the treehouse looking for him hours later, he hugged her tightly and kept apologizing for being a bad boy…

Another year had gone by, and Link's situation only got worse.

Saria had learned soon after Link's initial harassment what had happened and was mortified. Sadly, the other Kokiri were fixed on their stance against the youngest member of the tribe. Nothing she tried did anything. While she was angry at the rest for treating Link so poorly, she found herself unable to cut them off. Their actions were awful without a doubt, but these were people that Saria had spent decades or centuries knowing and growing attached to. As much as the other Kokiri were out of line, Saria couldn't bring herself to completely turn her back on them for Link. Still, she would stick by Link whenever possible, even if it meant the two of them would just be alone from the rest of the village for a while, which tended to happen. Parties and celebrations would exclude Link, which meant Saria would refuse to go as well. It was only when Link was napping or wanted to play alone that the eldest Kokiri got to spend time with the others. At first, she tried to convince them to stop mistreating Link, only for her words to fall upon deaf ears. Eventually, she saw it was pointless to try and change their minds and had to simply give up.

Link, meanwhile, had to have Saria explain the situation to him and felt miserable at what she told him. No one but her wanted anything to do with him since he still had no fairy. The boy concluded that he must have been a bad boy if no fairy wanted him, but he didn't know what to do to fix that. He tried being as nice as he could to the others, only to be met with scorn and ridicule. If being nice didn't work, what would? His young mind didn't grasp that just being nicer wouldn't fix the situation until Saria sat down and explained it to him. Link would still occasionally try and reach out to the others and mend his friendship with them, only to be told to go away. Eventually, Link just avoided everyone that wasn't Saria whenever he could. It didn't stop some of the Kokiri from following him and mocking him for being an outcast and a freak.

An entire year of ridicule and scorn left Link feeling increasingly miserable. He started to believe the words that the other Kokiri said to him; that he was a freak, an outcast, someone no fairy would ever want. The only times he ever really felt happiness was when he was with Saria. When he was feeling especially sad, he could always go to her and she would make time to console him and lift his spirits, which he was grateful for. With the extra time the two were spending with each other, Saria had offered to teach Link how to read, an offer that he turned down. It was a Guardian Fairy's job to teach Kokiri such things, and Link felt he would rather just not learn if it wasn't his own fairy doing the teaching. By the time his seventh birthday hit, Link had given up hope of ever getting a fairy.

It wasn't long after Link turned seven that things got even worse.

Saria had noticed Link hadn't gone to see her, despite it being well after lunch. By that point, he was either with her or curled up in his room and miserable. Not wanting to leave Link in the latter position, she made her way to his treehouse. "Link?" She called up when she was halfway up the ladder. "Link, are you up there?" No response. "Link…?" She called again as she got to the balcony. Peering into the single room of the boy's home, she let out a small gasp.

Link was lying on his bed, shivering and moaning in pain. Saria immediately approached and knelt down next to the boy. "Ss…Fa…Mmm…" Link had his eyes closed, trying to form words and failing. It seemed as if he was asleep, murmuring in his dreams.

"Link?! Link, wake up!" Looking closer, she saw Link was horribly flushed, and placing a hand on his forehead confirmed her worries; the poor boy had a very serious fever, his skin was burning hot! Frantically wanting the boy to open his eyes, Saria shook his gently. "Link, please wake up! Link!"

After a few seconds, Link's eyes creaked open. They were unfocused and dim, the boy seeming to look right through Saria. "Nnnng…Sar…" He half-mumbled, closing his eyes again.

Panicking, Saria scrambled her brain on what to do. "Okay, Link, I'll be right back!" Saria went down the ladder and sprinted towards the clearing where she first laid eyes on Link, right in front of the Great Deku Tree. It took only a few minutes for her to arrive, the entire trip there a blur. Panting, she gazed up at the guardian of the forest. "Father! Father, there's an emergency! It's Link!"

The Great Deku Tree was surprised at Saria's intrusion. Of all of his children, she and Link were the only two to never come before him without being summoned. Both his surprise that Saria of all people would do this, and her words kept the deity's anger at bay. "Link? What is wrong? Calm thyself and tell me, my child."

Catching her breath, she stared into her Father's ancient wooden eyes with her terrified blue ones. "Link! He's…He's got some sort of fever! He can barely talk, and he's burning up…I need medicine, Father!" Nearing a thousand years old, this wasn't the first time Saria had dealt with fevers, having had a number of them herself. However, none of the Kokiri had ever had one when they were so physically young before, which made her worry far more than usual.

A rumbling hum of understanding echoed through the area, Saria practically feeling it in her bones. "I see…Go back to him, Saria. Thou will find medicinal herbs at the foot of his home. Go now and tend to him!" The deity had always been quite hands-off when raising his children. As powerful as he was, he was not omniscient, not even when it came to the Lost Woods. What the Kokiri did in their private lives was unknown to him unless he directed attention away from protecting the forest against outside forces and growing evils. He simply could not dote on a sick child himself…

"Thank you, Father!" Saria said, wasting no more time as she sprinted back to Link's home. She was so frantic she nearly tripped over a root on the way there but paid the near-accident no heed as she approached Link's home. She didn't even notice how some of the other Kokiri saw her running, giving her curious looks at the sight of her worried face.

As the Great Deku Tree promised, a small gathering of medicinal herbs had sprouted near the base of Link's tree. Gathering a handful, Saria went back up to the boy's room. There Link was just as he was before; shivering and mumbling half-words to nobody. His eyes were shut, and he didn't react at all as Saria got things ready. Getting the medicine prepared, some food, and liquids were the important things right now along with a moist towel to help lower the heat a bit. As Saria got things ready, Link didn't respond to her presence at all. He barely moved and didn't even open his eyes. He simply shivered, groaned in pain, and sometimes mumbled nonsense under his breath.

The next several days were harrowing for Saria and Link. For Saria, try as she might, progress in Link's recovery were horribly slow. The first day she was barely able to get the boy to stay conscious enough to eat or drink anything, let alone take in any medicine. Even things like a cup of water or a couple of berries would make the poor child vomit not long after. He was barely even able to keep the medicine down. The lack of nutrients or medicinal help made the boy weaker as the illness ravished his body. Still, as time went on, he very slowly started to recover. For a day or two, Saria was starting to worry that Link would die as he kept regurgitating anything she fed him. Eventually, he managed to keep enough of the medicine down where recovery began.

While Link was suffering the most in this situation, it wasn't easy for Saria either. It wasn't just the worry that her dear friend may die, but she had to help him all by herself. During times where there wasn't anything to do for Link, she went out and tried to get the other Kokiri to lend a helping hand…and none of them would comply. They would make excuses or simply outright refuse to give any assistance, mortifying Saria greatly. She had no time to ponder on such things at the time, as she was too busy devoting all her energy Link. She barely slept, only taking small naps, and would refuse to leave Link's side for more than twenty minutes or so at a time. Who knew when something may happen with him where he'd desperately need her? Thankfully, she felt better emotionally as Link got physically better. The big milestone that made her feel relieved was when Link realized Saria was there at all and would try to speak with her. Still, the young boy would mostly babble, asking about fairies and just saying Saria's name over and over again.

After what felt like a week, Link was all better. Though with the irregularities to Saria's sleep schedule and her general exhaustion, it was hard for her to discern just how long the process took. Despite her lack of rest, disturbance at the other Kokiri's behavior, and still feeling stressed from all her worry, Saria smiled as Link sat up in bed, gulping down some water. "You think you'll be able to leave your home today?" She was seated right next to him, eyes burning from not having a full night's sleep for days.

Slowly, Link nodded. "…I think so." He murmured. The boy hadn't spoken much, even when his head had cleared enough where he could make conversation. Saria had insisted he save his strength, paranoid his condition would worsen again. "Thank you for taking care of me, Saria." He offered the Kokiri girl a small smile.

Saria nodded, grateful that Link was going to be alright. "Of course, Link. I couldn't leave you like that, now could I? I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Link was able to tell that the experience wore down on Saria, who looked as if she was about to fall asleep. It was clear she had run herself ragged caring for him. "I'm sorry I got sick. You look so sleepy…"

Shaking her head, Saria reached over and grabbed onto Link's hand, giving it a squeeze. "You shouldn't be sorry for being sick, Link. It's not something you can help. I'm just glad you're better."

Link took Saria's words at face value, knowing she would never, ever lie to him. "What about the others? Did anyone visit me?"

The room grew quiet, a near-physical tension filling the air. Saria knew right away she couldn't lie to Link, as much as it would pain her to tell him the truth. If she lied, he would find out pretty quickly, and she couldn't do that to him. After taking a shuddering breath, the girl shook her head. "No, Link. No one visited you. No one helped me take care of you. I'm sorry…"

The seven year-old looked at Saria in mild disbelief, but felt he had to believe her. No one? No one visited him at all? Didn't anyone care? Saria had told him how sick he had been soon after he was able to process conversation again. Was he so bad that no one would even see him when he was that sick? An empty feeling filled Link, and he suddenly felt exhausted. "…Okay." He mumbled, lying back down. "I'm going to take another nap…"

Saria was surprised at the lack of a big reaction. She at least expected him to have a few questions for her. Still, she wouldn't push things. "…Do you want to be alone?"

Turning away from Saria, Link shook his head. "N-No." He sputtered out, tears forming in his eyes. "Please don't leave me." Not able to hold it back anymore, the boy broke into sobs, Saria doing everything she could to console him as he cried himself to sleep. It was this incident that cemented the idea in Link's mind that without a fairy, there was absolutely nothing he could do to regain the friendships he had lost.

Soon, Link was eight and had given up on getting a Guardian Fairy or having any friends in the world aside from Saria.

Not that Link minded being friends with Saria, of course! He loved her a lot, and at that point she was all he had. As time went on, however, he started to feel guilty about the relationship he and Saria shared. Link became increasingly aware that he ate up so much of Saria's time, the girl refusing to let him be by himself if the other Kokiri had a gathering of any kind. It seemed to the boy that Saria chose him above the others, and he couldn't grasp why. He was apparently so bad that no fairy wanted him, nor did the other kids. Why was Saria so different? Link was starting to see himself as an undesirable person, someone who didn't belong with others, yet Saria seemed to think differently.

Eventually, Link decided he didn't want to eat up so much of Saria's time, yet couldn't bring himself to turn down her company when it was offered. He concluded that if Saria thought he was happy; she wouldn't let him take up all of her time. To an eight year-old, it made perfect sense. It was at this point that Link constructed a mask for himself, though he had no concept of what masks were and did this subconsciously. All he felt he had to do was act like he was happy and make Saria believe it too. Then she could spend her time with other friends and not waste her energy on a bad child like him, one not suitable for a fairy.

It was easy at first. Link just had to smile and act cheerful, no matter how he felt. When Saria would ask him how he was feeling, he would only say good things, even if the stinging words from the other Kokiri made him want to cry. Sometimes it was almost physically painful to smile and nod at Saria, telling her that his day was going great and nothing was wrong. It caused the young child a great deal of stress, which he didn't know how to handle. All he could do was allow himself to drop the charade when alone, but the fact he had to pretend every day for weeks to be perfectly fine still wore on him. Really, it was no wonder the façade broke so quickly.

The morning was like any other since the mask formed. Link was gathering fruits, nuts, and berries for the storage building of the village. It was from this building that the members of the tribe were free to take as much food as they wanted, putting it in their own personal storage areas in their homes. Soon after he turned eight, the boy was assigned his role in the village, being a forager. He was actually glad he got this role rather than the position of a hunter. Killing bugs was one thing, but things like rabbits and birds…he just didn't think he could bring himself to do it. He had no problem eating meat, but actually doing the killing himself just didn't sit right with him. It helped that Saria was also a forager, as Link was unable to get around the Lost Woods like the other children were able to. If he wasn't such a freak and had a Guardian Fairy, it wouldn't be an issue…

The two children had gathered quite a number of healthy berries, and a basketful of apples to boot. As Saria gathered more food, she glanced over and saw Link smiling to himself as he worked, as if he didn't have a care in the world. It was unusual considering she overheard Ardo mocking him for not having his Guardian Fairy, telling the youngest member of the tribe how much of a freak he was. Yet here Link was, not seeming troubled. Saria would expect him to look at least a little morose. Not that she wanted him to feel bad, but it was strange to her how chipper he seemed.

"Link." The girl gently called. "How are you feeling?"

"Hm?" Link looked over to Saria, still filling his basket of berries. "I'm fine!" He said cheerfully.

Saria couldn't help but notice the way Link's eyes had changed over the years. Ever since he was six, the shining eyes of the youth had slowly started to dim. He could smile all he wanted, but the eyes told another story. "You're not feeling upset at all?"

Link shook his head, still looking over at Saria. "No, I'm not upset. Should I be?"

For a moment, Saria hesitated on if she should continue. Link hadn't known she heard what Ardo said, that she had been listening in. Still, she juts wanted to help and felt his was the best method. "I heard Ardo say some…unkind things to you earlier today."

For a moment, Link's smile faltered before returning back to normal. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Are you?" Saria asked, feeling she had to push to get any results. "If you're upset, you can tell me." She slowly walked towards him, simply wanting to help her friend.

The younger boy found himself backing away, still with a smile on his face. "I'm okay. I'm fine. I'm happy, Saria!" He kept his voice cheerful and enthusiastic, but inside he was starting to break.

Pressing forward, Saria caught up to Link, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Link, if you need to talk to me about anything, you can. I want to help you."

"I'm…I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm okay!" Link kept saying, his voice cracking with each word. All the stress from the past few weeks was building up, his mask chipping away and he felt unable to do anything about it. "I'm…f-f…I'm…" Suddenly, the boy broke out into tears, sobbing miserably as he looked down at the forest floor. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

This was what Saria expected. Link was holding in the pain he was feeling, hiding it away behind a fake smile. "It's okay, Link…I promise it will be okay." She felt bad for making a promise she wasn't sure she could keep, but the words just spilled out. The Kokiri held her friend close patting the top of his head when he hugged her tightly. "You've been so brave, Link…Just please don't do this again. Come to me when you need help, okay?"

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry I'm bad…" Link sputtered out, misery and guilt bristling inside him. He was just wasting Saria's time again, making her worry and upset. The boy didn't feel brave, he felt terrible and like he was a nuisance. He was an awful friend; he was a bad boy…

Time passed and soon Link was nine. He tried to wear his mask of happiness a few more times, but it kept shattering away faster and faster, and he quickly gave up on it altogether.

Later on, however, Link formed a new mask. Instead of pretending to be happy, he simply did his best not to convey any emotion. Smiling and acting glad was horribly painful, but not having to force emotions that weren't there actually felt easier for him. Saria caught onto things quickly, and the mask did shatter at times, but he worked hard to keep it intact. He would occasionally allow himself to show Saria his true self in the times he did feel genuine happiness, but even those moments became increasingly rare over time.

Before this second mask was formed, several days after Link turned nine, he learned just how cruel the other children could be. They had proved their nastiness before, but it took an entirely new level during this incident.

As Link slumbered, he felt something small thump against his head. "Hey…!" A small voice called. A female voice. More thumps. "Hey! Wake up!" The voice went off again. "Hey, come on!"

Cracking his eyes open, Link saw a pink fairy floating in front of his face. "Hng…?" He mumbled, still half-asleep. "What is it…?" He sat up, rubbing his eyes as he looked down on the fairy. "Does Father want to see me…?"

"Nope!" The fairy responded. "You're Link, right?" She asked, floating higher to stay at the boy's eye level.

Confused, Link nodded. "I'm Link, yeah…" If she wasn't there to summon him…then…could it be…? "Are you....a Guardian Fairy?" He asked, eyes widening. Normally he would dare not hope, but he just couldn't help himself.

"That's right! My name is Menda, pleased to meetcha!" The fairy said cheerfully. "From this day forward, I'll be your Guardian Fairy!"

At first, Link thought this was a dream. After all, it wouldn't be the first time he had one like this. Pinching his arm, the pain was clear and precise, so it must have been real! An overwhelming joy swelled in Link's chest as he stared at Menda, not sure what to say or do. So, he cupped his hands, wanting his new companion to land on them, which she did. "My…Guardian Fairy? Really?"

"Yeah! Now and forever, we're partners!" Menda exclaimed. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. You're…eight, right?"

"Nine." Link automatically corrected. "Uh, well, it's okay. The waiting, I mean." He felt so excited yet so flustered! What else should he do? What else should he say? "Um…I…have to know, why now? Did I do something to make me worthy?"

There was a pause, as if Menda had to think things over. "Well…I just…wanted to wait for you to grow a bit more. Seems it took you quite a long time to reach this stage."

"Oh…That…I'm sorry…I really couldn't help it."

"Hey, no worries!" Menda said, floating up into the air. "That's all in the past now, right?"

Link gave the Guardian Fairy a smile. "R…Right! So…um…what do we do first?"

"Well, why not introduce me to everyone? I bet the others will be excited for you!" Menda said, as she floated towards the room's exit.

Of course! Finally, Link could fit in with everyone else! "Yeah! Let's go!" Link quickly got himself dressed and climbed down the ladder, nearly tripping as he descended. As soon as he reached the ground, he ran into the village proper, yelling out as he went and Menda right on his tail. "Guys! Everyone! I have a Guardian Fairy! Look, everyone! Look!"

As Link yelled out excitedly, a few children looked up from what they were doing. At first, they gave him nasty looks, then saw he was telling the truth and rushed over while some went off to tell others. Before long, the entire village was gathered around Link, muttering eagerly at the sight. Mido watched on in silence, while Fado went over and gave Link a congratulations and a hug. Saria was the last to arrive, holding Link tightly as she smiled up at Menda. "Oh, Link, I'm so happy for you!" She exclaimed, letting the boy go. "I knew you would get a Guardian Fairy one day!"

Link just stood there and smiled, not knowing what to say and just letting the happiness flow through him and watched as Menda floated above the crowd as they gazed at her with bright smiles. Finally, he could fit in with everyone else and be friends again! He could learn to read, count, and all sorts of other things! "Um…Everyone!" He called out, the children going silent. "This is Menda, my…my Guardian Fairy!" Oh, how good it felt to finally say those words!

The Kokiri greeted Menda, who waved to the group, though her light masked the gesture. "Hello, everyone!" She called out to the children. "It's nice to meet you all! As you heard, Link said I'm his Guardian Fairy! Before anything else, there's something important I need to say!"

There was confused chatter among the village, though Mido continued to stay silent. "Menda? Is something wrong?" Link asked, his smile waning slightly.

"Nothing wrong at all." Menda said. "I just needed to clarify s-something." She stuttered at the last word, as if holding in laughter. "The thing is kids…I'm actually a Healing Fairy!" She announced cheerfully.

At first, no one made a sound, everyone simply stared at Menda as she started tittering cruelly. Link stared up at the fairy, smile wiped off his face. "Wh…What? Menda…but you said…"

Menda's laughter was joined in by Mido, who Menda flew over towards. "It's true! I found Menda in the Lost Woods the other day, and thought I'd play a little trick!" He let out a particularly cruel string of laughter as he looked over at Link. "Did you really think you'd ever get a companion, No Fairy?" He asked with a sneer before continuing to laugh at the cruel joke he played.

Link looked around as others joined in Mido's mockery. The child felt as if his heart had been crushed, a cold and miserable feeling flowing through him. A part of him felt angry and miserable for what just happened, but a stronger part felt he deserved what just happened. Why would any fairy ever pick him? No one but Saria would ever care about him. Aside from her, he was alone in the world. Link was so wrapped up in his own misery, he didn't even notice that not all the Kokiri children found this funny aside from Saria. Fado, in particular, looked concerned though at the same time didn't speak up.

Not even uttering a word, Link ran straight towards the Lost Woods, tears welling up in his eyes.

Saria was left behind, looking at the rest of the village with a mortified expression, which quickly formed into one of fury. Saria didn't get angry often, but this was just too much! "You…You're all horrible!" She yelled, quickly making everyone stop laughing. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, every last one of you!"

"Come on, Saria, it was funny!" Mido belted out before he could stop himself. He wouldn't admit it but seeing Saria so mad unnerved him slightly.

"I have nothing to say to you!" The eldest Kokiri snapped, those being the last words she'd speak to Mido for a straight month. Without waiting for further reply, she ran after Link. It didn't take long for her to find him, the boy had stopped only a few trees into the Lost Woods, even in his haste remembering how dangerous the forest was for him. He was curled up at the base of a tree, sobbing into his knees. "Link…" The girl gently called, kneeling down next to her dearest friend. It broke her heart to see Link, her precious Link, like this. He didn't deserve this. No one did.

The boy looked over at Saria, his eyes already red and puffy. "Saria…" Was all he could whimper out before embracing his best friend and crying into her shoulder. He felt so stupid for falling for this prank. He also felt like an idiot for thinking any fairy would actually want him of all people. The child didn't feel he deserved it. After all, he was just a freak and an outcast. It was not long after this that the second mask was formed; one that showed only a stoic appearance with a flat, muted voice to go with it…

Another year, and Link was ten and he believed that he simply didn't deserve a Guardian Fairy.

Not that he showed his misery or frustrations easily. Saria had begged and pleaded for him to stop hiding his emotions away over the last year, but he refused. The mask cracked and shattered a few times, but as time went on, Link found it easier to keep it intact. He even ever barely smiled at Saria when they were alone, even when he really did feel happiness. All Link wanted to do was hide away, hoping if he kept pressing down his emotions, they would go away. That, and Saria wouldn't feel the need to dote over him anymore. If anything, she increased the attention she gave him, worried about her friend and not knowing how to help.

Saria knew at this point that nothing short of getting a Guardian Fairy would make the situation any better. The ridicule of the children actually lightened up, with a few Kokiri stopping their mockery, but even those members of the tribe still avoided Link when possible. It was some sort of improvement at least, but she didn't think Link even realized. Saria had noticed that, aside from her, he tried not to interact with any Kokiri unless he really had to. The girl had found she loved Link in a way she couldn't explain. Unknown to her, Saria loved Link as a mother loved her child, but without the concept of a non-animal mother, she failed to grasp the situation. She knew Link loved her back, but also did not know he loved her as a son loved his mother. All the two realized was they never grew tired of being near each other, and just wanted the other to be happy.

Even after all the other kids, barring Saria, put him through, Link found it impossible to hate any of them. Not even Mido. Despite everything, he simply wanted to be friends with them, that's really all he wanted. A Guardian Fairy, and his old friends back. Was that such a selfish thing to want? Link almost thought so, starting to see himself as complete and utter scum; a waste and a horrible boy that didn't deserve anything good. After all, if he deserved a fairy or the friendship of the other villagers, wouldn't he have those things? All he truly had was Saria, and as guilty as he felt for taking up so much of her time, he felt grateful to her.

"You really have grown, you know." Saria commented one day. It had been a few weeks since Link turned ten, and the two of them were sitting in Saria's so-called secret spot in the early evening. The scene was quiet and serene; two friends on the grass as they gazed up at the hazy sky above them.

"I guess I have." Link replied, speaking in the flat and emotionless tone he had done everything he could to keep up for a while now. By this point, Link was the size of the other children. From everyone else's point of view, the boy was finally fully grown. It took him ten years what took all the others ten months.

"Do you feel…any different?" Saria asked, not really sure what she was going for. It tore her heart in two to hear Link speak in that tone of voice, but she had temporarily given up trying to change his ways. He was simply too stubborn to drop his façade.

The boy shook his head. "No, I don't. Should I?" He had barely even noticed he was the same size as everyone else now. Thinking of it, he realized he and Saria were now the same exact height.

"I don't know. I was just wondering is all." She glanced over at Link, frowning a bit as she did. The girl couldn't help but remember her little Link with his bright blue eyes as he played, rambled on about imaginary situations, asked her to read him a story, sang, danced, and called her Sa-Sa. Just a few short years later, and he was almost a shell of a person. His eyes had dimmed, he barely ever smiled, he didn't play or really do much of anything anymore. He even gave up his Ocarina, throwing it into the Lost Woods in a frenzied state last year. Saria had offered to make him another, but he refused. She just wanted the old Link back, more than anything else…

Link noticed Saria looking over at him, and her frown. "Are you okay? You seem upset."

"Just…thinking." Saria replied. There was a pause. "Maybe…a Guardian Fairy will come. Now that you're grown."

The ten year-old closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before opening them up again. This was the closest thing to frustration he had shown in a while. "Do you really think that?"

While his voice remained flat, Saria couldn't help but feel he was being accusatory. She couldn't even blame him; truth be told she didn't really think that at all. The girl simply wanted a spark of hope to remain in him, that was all. "I…I mean, maybe." There was a tense pause, it seeming that Link didn't want to respond to that. "Say, Link, do you remember when you were five? That time where-"

"I don't really remember a lot." Link interrupted, looking down at his ends as he clenched and unclenched them slowly. "Only the last couple of years…everything before that is a blur."

Saria was surprised to hear such a thing. She was just a few years shy of a thousand, and even then she could remember just about her entire life. In fact, all the Kokiri could. Maybe this was just a way Link was different, like how he grew so slowly. "Oh…Well, never mind then. It's not a big deal..."

There was another bout of silence as Link simply nodded in response. After a minute, he stood up. "Can we go back? I'd like to go to bed." The boy felt so tired all the time and had been going to bed earlier and earlier over the past few months. Despite this, dark circles had started to form under his eyes.

"Oh? Right. Sure, let's go." Saria said, standing up as well. Gently, she took his hand and the two made their way to the village in silence. Neither of them spoke until they reached Link's home. "Goodnight, Link. I'll see you tomorrow." She said, giving him a quick hug.

"Goodnight, Saria." He replied quietly, going up the ladder and out of sight. With that, he kicked off his boots, took off his hat, and got settled in bed. Saria, meanwhile, let out a small and sad sigh before returning to her own home for the night. Before going to sleep, Saria prayed that a Guardian Fairy would come for Link soon. Link, meanwhile, had given up hoping long ago. He simply closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

That night, the sound of thunder and rain would fill the boy's dreams…quickly turning into a nightmare…

 

[Ottriman]

For a moment I thought this was going to be an AU where Link actually had his mother around while growing up.

Edit: NInjad by chapter 1 showing up! Must read that one too.

 

[LoneStar]

For a moment I thought this was going to be an AU where Link actually had his mother around while growing up.

Edit: NInjad by chapter 1 showing up! Must read that one too.

Click to shrink...

Haha, that'd just be way too easy for him. Can't have that, can I?

 

[ShadowAngelBeta]

Ooph. Yeah, OoT is a tragedy from start to finish and its been my favorite ever since it was pointed out just how understated and subtle it all is.

I rec watching this every time I come across something Zelda related, but being OoT specifically on top of that?

 

[Ottriman]

Haha, that'd just be way too easy for him. Can't have that, can I?

Click to shrink...

Given what you put into chapter 1, no, no it can't.

 

[LoneStar]

Chapter 2 - A Fairy's Arrival​

The blue fairy flew through the trees of the Lost Woods, traveling as fast as her wings could carry her. The morning was warm and quiet in the forest, as they usually were. The fairy passed by a number of creatures, even a Skull Kid waved at her as she flew by, which she returned. Must have been one of the nicer ones, usually those imps try to shoot her out of the air. Just minutes before, a sensation went through her mind, a sensation that no fairy was allowed to ignore under any circumstances.

She had been summoned by the Great Deku Tree.

Thankfully, the fairy wouldn't have to keep the guardian of the forest waiting for long. She happened to be relatively nearby when his call came to her. Just a few more minutes, and she would be in his special clearing! The small forest creature had to wonder why she was being summoned, as it had never happened before. In a way, she was both nervous and excited. She knew she hadn't done anything to incur the deity's wrath, but he most likely wouldn't summon her unless something important was going on. Indeed, while the forest seemed at peace…there was something in the air that the fairy didn't like. Things didn't…feel right, and she felt as if she was being watched and there was almost a tainted sort of smell to the air. Letting loose a shudder, the tiny creature flew onward towards her destination.

Before long, the blue fairy arrived before the Great Deku Tree in his large clearing. His massive size intimidated the small creature, despite her knowing he meant her no harm. The wooden eyes of the mighty tree focused on the fairy. "Navi…" His voice rumbled. "Come hither…" The fairy, Navi, flew closer to the god. "Listen to my words, listen well. Dost thou sense it? The climate of evil descending upon this realm and malevolent forces are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule…"

Navi had indeed sensed that…something was off. She couldn't explain it, but the air had a strange taste of sorts to it like rotting fruit. Looking closer, something seemed off about the god of the forest himself. The leaves that adorned his seemingly infinite branches seemed closer to brown than green, and a few sections of his hardened bark seemed blackened. Was this evil harming him? "Great Deku Tree, I know what it is you mean! I do sense it! I have to ask, what can I do to help? I'm just a fairy!"

Another rumbling sound, almost like a chuckle. "Navi, thou are too humble." The deity picked Navi above all other fairies, as she had actually been outside the Lost Woods, unlike a majority of them. She had seen the land of Hyrule firsthand, and her knowledge was unmatched by any other fairy. "Thou must seek the boy without a fairy and bring him here. The youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth awaits thee."

A child of destiny? A boy without a fairy? Navi had been gone from the Lost Woods for a number of years, so she was unaware of Link's existence. "A Kokiri that has no fairy? Such a thing exists?"

"He may be my child, but he is no Kokiri, but a Hylian that has lived under my gaze that believes himself a forest spirit. Thou must go to him and act as his Guardian Fairy, despite the unnatural aspects of such a relationship." Even the forest guardian could not simply pair off a fairy with a Hylian like that, there were rules to such things, ones even he was not meant to break so easily. This, however, was a severe situation, so the rules would have to bend!

"A…Guardian Fairy? To a Hylian? Are you sure, Great Deku Tree?" The fairy didn't want to question the mighty being, but it was such an unusual order…

"I know it is strange, Navi, but the boy will need guidance, and I can think of no greater companion than thee. However, thou must keep these words between us. He must not be told of his true nature or that thee can never be his true Guardian Fairy. Now, go! Fly, Navi! Make haste, for my time draws near!" The deity rumbled, but there was a weariness to his voice, as though each word sapped more and more energy from his roots.

His time was drawing near? Did the Great Deku Tree really mean he was dying? If the deity himself had not said, Navi wouldn't be able to believe such words! On top of that, there was a Hylian child living amongst the Kokiri? Truly strange happenings were going on in the Lost Woods and Navi nearly regretted going off to see the rest of Hyrule! Not wanting to waste any time, Navi silently flew off, in search of the boy without a fairy…

As he was left alone, the Great Deku Tree watched on with ancient wooden eyes as he grew weaker and weaker with each moment…

Navi found the village hadn't changed much since she last saw it. Of course, with only one new resident since she last stopped by, that was to be expected. She had missed the place a bit, the children…the other fairies…While she was out and seeing the rest of Hyrule, she would think back to this place often and wonder what was going on. A Hylian entering the society, it would seem! Given the Great Deku Tree's words, she wagered no one at all in the village actually knew this secret.

As the blue fairy floated about the village, she spotted a boy with hair that completely covered his eyes. "Hey! You down there!" Navi called, flying down to the child.

A bit surprised, the boy looked up to Navi. "Yeah? What is it? Does Father want to see me?"

"No, no. I'm looking for someone. There's a boy without a fairy, right? Where does he live?" The fairy asked, looking around as if the boy she was looking for would just jump out from behind a bush and reveal himself.

That seemed to really surprised the Kokiri boy. "What? Really? You're looking for Link?" He asked as if he was expecting to be told this was just a joke. After a pause, he shrugged. "I…guess in his house? What's going on anyway?"

"Never mind that! This is important! Where's his house?" Navi urged.

"Sorry, sorry." The boy said, pointing in the direction Link's house was in. "It's over that way, the only treehouse in the village."

Navi looked over to where the boy was pointing. "Only treehouse. Got it! Thank you!" The fairy called before zipping away. In just a minute, she saw the treehouse the Kokiri had described, and made a beeline towards it. Inside, the boy without a fairy slumbered…

Rolling thunder boomed across the sky, the heavens themselves cracking apart and the rain spilled down from the broken seams.

Link found himself looking on at a massive field sprawled out before him. So large, in fact, he couldn't see the end of it. Though that was due in part to the darkness around him. Sometimes a flash of lightning would illuminate the area, and Link swore he saw shapes moving in the darkness. They appeared so briefly, however; he really couldn't be sure. His main concern was that he wasn't in the forest. He had been taught to never, EVER leave the forest, or else he would die. Any child of the village would.

The boy was about to try and find his bearings and make his way back to the Lost Woods when a strange noise rang out from behind him. A bizarre clanging sound echoed through the massive field. Turning around, Link saw an odd sight; what seemed to be a large slab of wood lowering itself down, with massive white walls one either side. The walls seemed to be made of stone, and Link couldn't help but be reminded of the structure at Saria's special spot. On the walls sat two large orange flames, dancing erratically in the weather and somehow staying lit despite the downpour.

When the slab of wood was flat on the ground, a strange creature came out from the darkness the wood had covered. It was pure white, running on four legs like a deer, but it had no antlers. It had not one, not two, but THREE heads! A strange fleshy and colorful mass was on the creatures back, where the other two heads were present. As the monster got closer, Link realized the mass wasn't part of the creature, but in fact two people riding ON the animal!

The first was a girl that seemed to be like a Kokiri; about Link's size with brilliant blue eyes. She wore an odd outfit that covered almost her entire body save for her face and hands, billowing clothes colored white and purple. Sitting behind this girl was…a giant! Yes, it must have been! The person behind the girl was massive, several feet taller than Link or the girl were. She too wore odd clothes, and had terrifying, intense red eyes.

As quickly as the strange trio emerged from the darkness, they flew by Link and plunged off into the field and out of sight. As Link looked on, he heard heavy footsteps behind him. Once more, he turned to see another one of those strange not-deer creatures, this one was as black as the darkness of the field. If it wasn't contrasted by the white stone wall, Link may have never seen it.

Riding the creature was another one of those strange giants. This one was far more menacing than the first, with odd green skin and flaming red hair. It wore odd black clothing, matching the animal it rode on. Without hesitation, it raised a hand in the air, palm facing Link. A strange orb of energy formed in the being's hand, something about it making Link's hair stand on end.

The boy found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move or run as the orb shot at him, aimed directly towards his chest, and when it grew closer, it-

Thump.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Hey! Wake up, come on!" Navi begged as she looked down at the sleeping boy. She had tried calling to him, but he just wouldn't get up! At this point, she resorted to bumping into his head as he slumbered, which didn't seem to work either. "Can Hyrule really depend on a lazy kid like this?" She muttered to herself.

Letting out a light groan, Link's eyes creaked open. What an awful nightmare he just had. The thunder and the rain and the…and…what else was there? Within moments, the dream was a blur to the boy, the only things he can remember being the storm. Recalling any other details was as easy as grabbing a handful of fog. All he could recall was a vague sense of unpleasantness, realizing the dream was a nightmare. It seemed he had a number of nightmares recently, the exact details always a blur…

Remembering that someone was calling him, Link glanced up to see a blue fairy hovering above his bed. With a yawn, the child sat up and stretched his arms before rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes as best as he could. He then took another look at the fairy and put on his usual mask. "Good morning. Does Father want to see me?" It had been a while since Link had been summoned by the Great Deku Tree and had to wonder what it was he wanted.

The thought that this was anything more than a summons didn't even enter Link's mind.

"That's right! My name's Navi! Nice to meet you!" The fairy chirped, feeling bad for calling the boy lazy. Just from a glance she could tell he needed more sleep. The dark circles under his eyes were concerning, and his eyes were duller than what was normal for a child his age. Not to mention he spoke in such a flat tone of voice. Ignoring those aspects for now, she continued on. "You're Link, right?"

The boy nodded. "That's right. Thank you for the message." So, the Great Deku Tree wanted to see him? What about? Looking on the floor, Link found his hat and put it on. To his mild surprise, he looked up to see Navi was still there. Odd. When the other fairies told Link he had been summoned, they left as soon as he gave confirmation. "Was there something else?"

Navi actually felt a bit nervous; she never thought she was ever going to be partnered up with a child. It certainly didn't help that her partner wasn't even a Kokiri. "Well…That's not the only thing, no. From today onward…I'm your Guardian Fairy!" She put on an enthusiastic voice, but still felt awkward. After all, she was lying to the kid's face, making him feel like a Kokiri when he wasn't one. To Navi's surprise, there was a general lack of a reaction from the boy. For a few moments, he simply stared up at her.

"Is this a trick?" He asked bluntly, remembering what happened just a year ago. Would Mido really pull the same prank twice? Thinking it over, Link found it risky that part of the prank would involve a summons to the Great Deku Tree. That would land Mido in pretty hot water. Not to mention he wasn't too happy when Saria stopped speaking to him for a while after last time. Still, Link couldn't bring himself to get his hopes up.

The question flabbergasted Navi, who stared back at Link for a moment. What was he talking about? A trick? That was when the fairy made an obvious realization. If she had to guess, Link was about ten years old and still had no fairy. Poor child had probably given up by this point. Yet, in a way, it was a trick. He was a Hylian, and no one could ever truly be his Guardian Fairy. Still, the Great Deku Tree himself essentially ordered her to lie. As much as she didn't want to, she had to follow instructions. "I assure you; it isn't a trick! I really am your Guardian Fairy! That, and the Great Deku Tree really wants to see you, we should go now!"

There was a moment's pause as Link thought the situation over. Navi seemed insistent on seeing the Great Deku Tree and she would have to be incredibly stupid to do such a thing if this was just some prank. Could it really be…? After all this time, was Navi really the Guardian Fairy he had been waiting for? "…Do you swear?" He asked, voice still leveled and flat. The boy opened up his hands for Navi to land on, just as he did with that terrible fairy Menda.

Navi landed on the boy's hands, walking about his palms. After a moment, she looked him dead in the eye. "I swear that I'm telling the truth. I'm your Guardian Fairy, Link." A part of her felt bad for lying, the other part wished the boy would accept the lie so that the two of them could go. The Great Deku Tree was in some kind of trouble!

Link stared down at the fairy, continuing to think. She seemed…very sincere, and she even swore on it. To the boy, that actually meant something. Finally, he started to feel hope swelling within him. Could this be real? Not a dream? Not a trick? "A real…Guardian Fairy. My Guardian Fairy…" He murmured the words, feeling that hope start to course through his body. This was matched by the warmth flowing into his palms, as fairies gave off a notable and natural heat.

At this point, Navi realized something else. This was a child of destiny, emphasis on child. He was just a kid finally getting something he clearly wanted for years. She knew now she needed to be more patient. Surely the Great Deku Tree would have this in mind when he sent her, right? Besides, she couldn't bear to ruin the boy's moment. "That's right. I'm sure we'll be great partners, Link."

Partners. The boy rolled the word in his head and it sounded amazing. If he fit in, he could make friends with all the Kokiri. If he made friends with everyone, he could smile and be happy. If he smiled and was happy, he wouldn't need Saria to dote over him. Finally, he could stop hiding his emotions away! For the first time in what seemed like weeks, Link broke out into a warm, genuine smile. "It's really great to meet you, Navi." He said, voice emotive and filled with a warm sincerity.

Ah, a smile! Navi couldn't help but grin back, even if her natural light made it impossible for Link to even see it. "Likewise, Link." Despite the guilt that came with it, she was happy to see Link accepting her as his Guardian Fairy. She only hoped he could forgive her when…well, no need to think so far ahead. Who knew what it was the Great Deku Tree needed exactly? The two could potentially be partners for a long while.

There was a pause, Link looking almost nervous. "Um…I don't…really know what to do now. Is there something special we're supposed to do?" It actually felt better not having to restrain himself anymore. It was like removing a large weight that had been strapped to his body. It felt better with the knowledge that would probably be permanent. He never enjoyed hiding away his feelings, but he simply felt he had to…

Navi couldn't help but let out a good-natured laugh at that. "Well…it's not like there's some kind of ritual, if that's what you were thinking." The fairy gently teased.

Nodding, Link wracked his brain. As he was thinking, he felt and heard his stomach growling lightly. "Uh…Food? How about breakfast?" He stood up, still holding Navi in his hands. "I mean…if you're hungry…"

Well, Link probably would need energy for whatever the Great Deku Tree needed of him. With that logic in mind, Navi nodded. "That sounds good! Do you have any berries?"

Cracking another smile, Link nodded. "Y…Yeah! I do!" Feeling excitement in accommodating for his Guardian Fairy, the boy let her go so she could flutter about the room as he got some food out. Two apples for him, and a handful of berries for her. "Are these alright?" He glanced at the dark green berries he set out before his new partner.

"Yeah, I love these! Don't worry, Link, you're doing fine.." Navi said, feeling the boy's nervousness as she sat down and started to eat her breakfast, pondering over the situation. Or rather, she was specifically thinking about Link. He seemed like a nice kid, and Navi was good at reading people. The poor boy clearly had given up on ever getting a Guardian Fairy, given his initial reaction. The fairy determined she liked the boy, able to tell he had a good heart. Of course he would, he was a child of destiny after all.

Things were somewhat awkward as the two ate, not sure of what to do or say. As this went on, Navi took a closer look around the home she found herself in. She was so focused on getting Link to wake up, she didn't even examine her surroundings. Like all other houses in the village, this one was a single room with basic accommodations. A bed, just the perfect size for a boy Link's age sat under a closed window. The only light came in from the curtain that Navi moved out of the way as she came inside, illuminating the house properly.

There was a small wooden table in the room's center, with three pieces of circular wood that acted as chairs surrounding it. There was a lack of real decoration to the place, Navi noted. There were some containers, clearly for food and clothes, but there didn't seem to be many luxurious possessions. Granted, Kokiri children didn't tend to have a lot of these items anyway, but Link barely had any! At a glance, all she could see were a few books, unaware that those weren't for him to read. The only other thing of note was what appeared to be an empty little cage made out of sturdy sticks and pieces of string. Perhaps he liked to keep bugs as pets?

As Navi made mental notes about the room, Link broke the silence. "…Navi, can I ask you something?" He seemed hesitant as he spoke, as if he didn't even want to ask the question in mind.

"Of course, go ahead." The fairy replied, speaking gently to try and ease the boy's nervousness as she turned back to him. There was a pause after that, Link seeming to ponder things over. For a bit, Navi was wondering if he had changed his mind on asking his question. After a few more moments, however, he spoke up again.

"Why…now? Why did you choose to come now?" He asked quietly, not seeming able to look directly at Navi. He was, of course, the happiest he had been in a long time with this turn of events. Yet there was still a small, irrational part of Link that felt anger towards Navi. Why did she take so long? Where was she when the other children called him names, berated him, excluded him and made him an outcast? He knew it wasn't fair, as Navi would have no way of knowing…but that small part of him still felt bitter, which brought on a bit of guilt.

Navi wasn't expecting a question like that and found herself stuck for a moment. How should she answer? "Well…It's hard to explain." She said, stalling time for another few seconds. Thankfully, she managed to come up with something. "Fairies just get this…feeling, this sensation when our child is ready for us. That just didn't happen until today." From the way Link asked the question, she wondered if he got harassed for having no fairy. Even if he didn't, being the only child without one would assuredly make him feel like an outsider…

The answer didn't really satisfy Link, but he chose not to voice that. What caused this sensation that Navi felt today? Did he do something to become worthy? Was he no longer a bad boy, and that's why his fairy came? While still a bit mad, he repeated to himself that it didn't matter now. He and Navi would have centuries worth of time to make up for it, along with the rest of the village. Wanting to give some kind of response, the boy nodded to himself. "Okay, I guess that makes sense."

After that, the rest of the meal was quickly finished in silence. Letting out a content sigh, Navi took to the air again. "That was good, but we should be going to see the Great Deku Tree, don't you think?"

Link gave off a nod and started to put on his boots. As he did this, he glanced curiously up at Navi. "What does Father want, exactly? Did he tell you?"

"…Not exactly." Navi replied, technically telling the truth. The Great Deku Tree never actually said what Link would be doing once he answered the summons, though the fairy had a pretty good idea. A child of destiny…perhaps the forest deity would put the task of wiping the evil within the Lost Woods on Link's shoulders?

Not seeming too bothered, Link shrugged it off. "Alright. I guess I'll see when I get there." He smiled to himself, basking in the fact he had a Guardian Fairy now. Wait until Saria saw! Oh, Saria! "Um…" He hummed as he got his footwear on and stood up. "…Can I just show you to someone first? She'd be very happy to see you…" The boy sounded bashful and was unaware he was talking about Navi almost as if she were a fancy item to show off to people.

"The Great Deku Tree first!" Navi declared, being a bit more forceful than before. She really didn't want to be bossy, but the summons should be the boy's first priority here!

Link was about to argue but stopped himself. What was he doing? This was his Guardian Fairy! She was a being meant to guide him along in his life, and he was about to doubt her. It wasn't like Saria was going anywhere, she could wait until after Link spoke with the Great Deku Tree. Sheepishly, Link nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies!" Navi assured, hovering towards the home's exit. "Let's get going!"

Link nodded again, but more enthusiastically. "Right! Let's go!" With that, Link bounded towards the exit and stepped out onto the balcony, taking a deep breath. As he did this, Link noticed something unusual. There was something off about the air. Not a smell, not exactly. Yet there was something…somehow rotten about it, like a moldy, forgotten fruit. Shaking it off, Link looked onward to the village.

As chance would have it, Saria happened to be passing by. Immediately, she noticed Link and gave him a wave. "Link! Good morning!" She called, a grin on her face as she approached. To her surprise, Link returned the wave enthusiastically with a large smile on his face before descending his ladder. It had been such a long time since he did anything like that! And was that a fairy with him…? Needing to investigate, Saria made her way to the base of Link's treehouse, just as he got off the ladder. "Link, you're in such a good mood!" She pointed out, feeling silly for stating the obvious.

Giving the girl a toothy grin, Link gestured to his Guardian Fairy. "Saria, I want you to meet Navi. Navi, this is Saria, my best friend!"

The fairy had to withhold a sigh. She had wanted to avoid this! Still, she couldn't bring herself to just dismiss Saria or ruin the situation. "It's nice to meet you, Saria." Navi greeted politely.

"Likewise." Saria returned. Link seemed so happy, and now there was this fairy here too. Could it be…? "Link…is this your Guardian Fairy?"

Emotions running high, Link could only nod at first as he trapped his best friend in a tight hug. After a few moments, he managed to speak. "It finally happened…Finally happened…"

It took a couple seconds for the situation to sink in with Saria. When it did, she returned the hug, letting out a small laugh. "Oh, Link, I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!" Finally, she would be able to see her friend smile and be cheerful again! The other Kokiri were sure to accept him as well! She had been praying for his moment for so long!

After a bit, the two separated, smiling warmly at each other. After a moment, Link remembered! "Oh! Um…Sorry, but I have to go." He sounded disappointed, wanting to spend more time with Saria. "Father has summoned me, and I've kept him waiting long enough."

The girl nodded. "Then you should go. We can catch up later!" She felt so relieved, knowing everyone can start to get along again, just like when Link was just a baby. "I can tell the others the good news while you're gone! Oh…um…well, you would want to do that yourself, huh?" She felt a bit embarrassed, having gotten caught up in the moment.

For a moment, Link was going to agree with Saria, but then he stopped to think. The thought of actually going up to any of the other Kokiri, even with Navi…well…it made him nervous. They had mistreated him for so long, he almost felt scared of the other children. "Um…Well…if you told a few people, I wouldn't be upset…" Link replied, feeling embarrassed to request something like this.

She didn't really grasp the situation here, but Saria decided it didn't matter. If Link gave her the okay, that's all that mattered. "Okay, you go and speak to Father, and I'll talk to the others!" There was a pause, and the girl's face became more serious. "Just…be careful on the way, Link."

Be careful? The walk to the Great Deku Tree from the village outskirts was only about five minutes. With Navi especially, he could easily get there alone. "Careful of what?"

The Kokiri hesitated, as if she was about to speak of something completely taboo. Still, she went on. "The air has felt…different lately, haven't you noticed? Some of the others have talked about feeling like they were being watched or seeing odd things in the Lost Woods…" She offered a somewhat nervous smile. The girl had noticed this change about two weeks ago, but Link didn't seem to be aware, so she kept quiet. After all, he couldn't go into the woods without her anyway up until this morning, so she'd keep him safe and steer him away from any areas that seemed…darker than usual. Besides, surely this wasn't too much to worry about. If it was, surely the Great Deku Tree would have summoned the village and explained things!

Link recalled the strange sensation in the air when he stepped outside his home. It was the first time he noticed such a thing. Then again, this was the first day he had a Guardian Fairy. Maybe that's why he never noticed before, as only now was he a true Kokiri. He should be able to find his way through the Lost Woods easily, among other things, so maybe that was why he only now noticed the strange sensation. At any rate, Saria didn't seem too worried, so he took that as a sign that he would be okay. "I'll be careful, don't worry. I have Navi with me now." He glanced up at the blue fairy with a small grin.

Saria hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should divulge in whatever she planned to say next. After a few seconds, she relented. "There have been…rumors, Link." The boy looked back to her, confused. "The fairies of the forest have talked about a stranger entering it." Link didn't seem to be surprised at this, waiting for Saria to keep going. "A stranger that never got lost; you see. He entered and then left the woods intact."

The young boy had always heard from Saria that those who enter the woods never, ever make it out alive. The idea of it seemed ridiculous to Link, so it really didn't worry him. "That doesn't sound right…Maybe it's just a rumor? Or maybe some Skull Kids are up to some mischief?"

Saria as sure as Link but didn't want to risk making him scared. "That's probably it, yes. You'll be okay I'm sure, just keep your eyes peeled." Saria gave her friend a last, quick hug before going off. "Talk to you two soon!" She called as she left, feeling that Link would be okay. Navi seemed more than capable to her and able to protect her partner.

Wordlessly, Link waved to Saria as she went out of sight, then turned to Navi. "Sorry about that. We can go now." With that, he started to make his way towards the Great Deku Tree.

Navi followed close behind, looking off in the direction Saria went off towards. "You two really care about each other, don't you?" She hid her worries that the Kokiri were also noticing the changes within the Lost Woods. While the children prided themselves in being in-tune with nature, and the forest especially, the fairies had them beat in that category. If the Kokiri were noticing the shift in things, it must be getting bad…

As Link walked, he gave a nod. "Yeah. She's been my only friend for years…She's done a lot for me…" And now he could work on paying her back, with her not needing to waste so much time on him, trying to help someone who didn't deserve it. With Navi's arrival, Link could only theorize that meant he was now worthy of friendship, that he was worth…anything at all.

The fairy felt a tug of pity in her heart at that. Only one friend? It seemed like Saria was a very loving friend indeed, but a growing Hylian child needed more than just one friend! The fairy decided to stay silent, however, as she and Link approached the clearing where the Great Deku Tree was waiting.

As the duo drew near, closing in on the group of trees separating the Kokiri from their Father, a figure came out from behind one of the towering pillars of bark. It was Mido, looking at Link in an accusatory way. "What are you doing, No Fairy? Did Father summon you?" He asked, as if the younger boy was doing something dastardly.

Link seized up a bit, his old insecurities flaring up within him. A part of him wanted to just turn back and go back to his house, but he knew he couldn't do that. He had been summoned, and he would be in big trouble if he just gave up like this! "H…He did, yes…" The boy answered, too nervous to speak properly. As he looked at Mido, Link just thought back to the horrible prank he had pulled last year. Rather than feeling anger or resentment, the child simply felt sick to his stomach.

Navi was surprised both at how cruel this child was being, and Link's reaction to it. Link was clearly a nice boy, but he was also a child of destiny! How could he be cowering below a bully like this? Once more, Navi let Link's title distract her, or at least she pondered on the wrong part of it. Again, she recalled he was a child of destiny. At the moment, he was just another kid, and nothing more. If this Kokiri boy had tormented Link over his lack of a fairy, of course Link wouldn't respond well to him!

Without further hesitation, Navi flew between the two boys, facing down Mido. "Hey! Don't call him No Fairy! He has me now, alright?!"

Mido jerked his head back a bit in surprise. "What the?!" He blurted out, clearly not having noticed Navi's presence. "What do you mean he has you? You're not his Guardian Fairy…are you?"

"I am! Now let us through, we have to go see the Great Deku Tree! He's summoned Link!" Navi wasn't normally so hostile, but something about this kid just got under her skin…

The bully's eyes widened at that. Link actually had a fairy? He vividly recalled his words in accepting the youngest member of the tribe if a Guardian Fairy partnered up with Link. However, since then, Mido had outgrown his bruised ego and genuine fear of Link. Sadly, what those grew into was a petty jealousy and an almost hatred for the child. All this time with no Guardian Fairy made Mido sincerely think of Link as something lesser than a Kokiri, something that deserved to be an outcast. His envy formed as Saria, who Mido cared for above all other tribe members, would always side with Link. What was it about Link that was so special that he warranted such attention?!

Rather than voicing any of this, Mido kept himself composed. "Right. So, you got a fairy, and need to see Father."

Link, who had been too nervous to speak up since Navi came to his rescue, nodded. No one but Saria had ever done something like that for him before, and it made his heart feel warm. It also made him feel a bit more confident. "That's…That's right, Mido." He responded, trying to keep his voice calm. "Navi is my Guardian Fairy now, and Father wishes to see me."

Nodding, Mido gave off a grin. A mischievous smile that neither Link nor Navi liked. "Alright, fine. Thing is, the forest has been dangerous lately. You'll need to be ready for danger."

"What?! It's a five minute walk! Besides, he has me, so he'll be fine!" Navi argued, already deciding she'd never like this boy.

"I know you're new here, so I'll tell you now I'm the leader of the Kokiri." Mido said, not phased by Navi's anger. "So, he has to do what I say." He turned to Link, giving him a sneer. "If you can get a sword, a shield, and a slingshot…then I'll let you pass." He didn't actually expect Link to be able to obtain these three items, he simply wanted to keep Link from seeing Father. Petty, but it was all Mido could think to do at the moment. In an odd way, seeing Link finally getting his Guardian Fairy made the Kokiri angry. He almost felt as though Link was getting something he didn't deserve and should be punished in some way for it.

The blue fairy wanted to argue further, but then realized that this brat was almost right in a way. If Link was expected by the Great Deku Tree in regards to this evil and was a child of destiny, he may have to fight. "…Maybe he's right, Link." Navi said, hating having to agree with such a nasty boy.

Mido was temporarily surprised by that, but quickly got over it. "Glad you see reason! We have a deal, Link?"

Link was also caught off guard a bit at Navi's agreeance. He also found himself glad the fighting was over. Especially since it meant he could get away from Mido. Being around the self-proclaimed Kokiri leader made him feel increasingly sick to his stomach. "Um, right. A deal…" The boy simply agreed with his Guardian Fairy, feeling too stressed to argue. Besides, she probably knew what was best, right?

"Good! And don't try sneaking by me!" Mido warned. "I'll be watching this area closely! Now go on, get going!" Without waiting for a reply, the Kokiri boy walked back into the trees, leaving Link and Navi alone.

There was a pause at first before the fairy turned to her companion. "Link, are you okay? You seemed kind of…off back there." The poor kid seemed almost scared of that awful Kokiri. She had her theories, but didn't want to actually voice assumptions out loud.

Link turned away and started walking back towards the village. "I'm…I'm okay. I'm fine." He lied, feeling awful for doing so. He didn't want Navi to know just how stressed simply talking with Mido had made him. Inwardly scolding himself, Link recalled how he spoke so meekly during that conversation, making his true feelings obvious. He just didn't want to show how weak he was…

The fairy didn't fall for Link's fibs for even a second. There was something deeper going on here. "Link…" Navi started, following the boy and flying next to his face. "…remember, I'm your Guardian Fairy. You can talk to me about these things." The words felt almost sour in her mouth and feelings of guilt poked and prodded at her heart. Despite this, Navi truly just wanted to help. It was simply in her nature to aid others, especially a child in need.

The boy thought Navi's words over for a minute as he stopped his walking, staring off at the trees ahead. While he was still happy to finally have his Guardian Fairy, long-rooted feelings of doubt and self-loathing lingered in his brain. Navi's presence, as joyous as Link was to have it, couldn't just instantly erase these sorts of thoughts. Was her being paired up with him a mistake? How did he of all people deserve a fairy? Was such an error possible to have happen? He still felt nervous about opening up his true feelings to someone, especially about something negative, it made him think of himself as a burden.

After some thought, Link decided to relent. He felt like he was almost doing something wrong, but he wanted to vent. After all, this was his Guardian Fairy, this was part of their job. That's what Saria had told him, at least. "Well…" Link started, trying to find the right words. "…Mido has been really hard on me for as long as I can remember. Last year, he had a Healing Fairy pretend to be my Guardian Fairy, and they had the rest of the village laughing at me." The memory made the boy's heart ache, but he kept himself composed as he explained it.

"Oh…That's so awful!" Navi exclaimed, revolted at how nasty Mido had been. It suddenly made sense to her why Link had asked if her introduction as a Guardian Fairy had been a trick. "I'm so sorry to hear that…"

The boy have Navi a small smile. "It's fine. I just feel a bit nervous around him, that's all. Once we're friends, that will change. Now that I have you, everyone else and I can be friends. Right?"

The fairy was surprised at the lack of any malice whatsoever to someone who deserved it. Not even a little bit of anger or resentment at all? The boy was too nice for his own good, but Navi wasn't about to try and wring that out of him. "I'm sure everyone can work things out."

As the two spoke, they didn't realize they were being approached from behind until a voice rang out. "Uh, Link? You have a minute?"

Startled a bit, Link turned to see Fado standing there, her own Guardian Fairy hovering about her head. The girl wore a somewhat meek expression, as if she was nervous about something. Link found himself feeling a bit nervous as well, though not to the extent as with Mido. There had always been something about Fado Link found strange. His memories got very blurry and hard to recall before he started getting ridiculed by the other children. He couldn't recall the good times the two shared, yet there had been this lingering feeling about the girl. Link felt sadder about her mistreatment towards him than anyone else and he didn't understand why. It was like he had lost a close friend he couldn't remember.

After a moment to collect himself, Link spoke up. "Y…Yeah, I do. Is something wrong, Fado?" He inwardly scolded himself for that annoying pause.

There was a moment's hesitation, but Fado seemed to gain confidence and continued. "Saria and I had a talk just a minute ago. About…her." She nodded up to Navi. "I…I just wanted to congratulate you on finally getting a Guardian Fairy…" She continued to sound uneasy, as if expecting Link to lash out at her in some way. The girl's own Guardian Fairy stayed silent. As the years went by, a Kokiri's companion would talk less and less unless provoked to by their child. It was simply a part of the duo acting as one, as Saria had explained to Link. Guardian Fairies were practically an extension of a Kokiri's being.

Link was stunned at that. He had hoped that the other children would accept him now, but for one of them to come up and congratulate him? It just caught him off guard. Fantasizing about the others treating him kindly was one thing, but having it actually happen was another. "I…um…well, thank you…" He responded; not entirely sure what else he should say.

Turning her attention to Navi, Fado offered the fairy a somewhat awkward smile. "And what's your name? Saria forgot to tell me."

Already, Navi was liking this Fado girl better than Mido. This was even if, the fairy presumed at least, she had been among those that had laughed at Link last year over such a cruel joke. "My name is Navi." The fairy responded. "Nice to meet you." A small part of her wanted to chew the girl out, but clearly she was trying to be nice. Besides, they had no time for fighting!

"Likewise…" Was all Fado said in response before going silent. For a few moments, no one seemed to know what to say. Link was tempted to simply go about on his way when Fado spoke up again. "Link, I want…I want to apologize. I haven't treated you well, not at all and I'm sorry. I know that doesn't make up for how I've been, but I'm hoping you can manage to forgive me." She opened up her arms, offering a hug.

Once more, Link was stunned, far more than before. Just a straight-up apology? A hug? This was more kindness than he had expected so soon. It was almost surreal, like a dream. A small part of him, a nagging voice in his mind, told him to berate the girl in front of him. It told him to ask why she was so cruel when all he wanted was friendship. The boy ignored that part of him, and gave her a small smile, trying not to tear up. "I…I forgive you, Fado…" Somewhat nervous in doing so, Link accepted the hug.

"I'm glad to hear that, Link. I'll make it up to you, okay?" Fado promised, letting out a content sigh as the two embraced. It seemed Link really didn't remember the times the two shared together as he grew up. It was something Saria mentioned that morning, that Link could only remember the last few years of his life. She was tempted to explain how she had helped raise him and was of the last Kokiri to keep doing so. Then she would have to explain how she grew weary of a boy that didn't deserve it and shunned him. Would he even believe that at one point she cared for him dearly? At a later date, she would have to see. After another few moments, the hug was broken. "How about you and I go do something? Talk, play, just sit around…anything you want."

Link's smile grew, feeling so joyous that he could finally have an interaction like this. A Kokiri aside from Saria was asking him to go do something. The tragic thing was he had to refuse. "I want to, I really do, but Father has summoned me."

Frowning slightly, Fado nodded in understanding. "I see…But…you're going the wrong way, Link. Father is in the other direction."

"Mido stopped me." Link explained. "He said I'd need a sword, a shield, and a slingshot to pass by." A pause. "Would you know how I could get one of those?"

Why would Mido do that? That's a very specific errand to put Link on! Well, nothing Fado could do but try and help. "Hmmm…Uldo probably has at least a shield and slingshot somewhere. He likes to collect stuff like that." The girl said after some thought. "As for the sword…well…" She glanced about, looking to see if anyone was nearby. "I know exactly where you can find one."

Link's eyes widened. "Really? I didn't know there were any in the village." He had certainly never seen one before outside of the books Saria read to him…

"Technically, it's not in the village." Fado replied. "Just follow me, I'll show you what I mean!" She gently grabbed Link's hand and hurried him along to the village outskirts, no one saying anything as the quartet went along. The fairies hovered over their respective partner's head as they arrived at their destination. Fado had taken Link to a large rock-wall formation far from any of the village houses but not quite breaching the surrounding forest. "See this hole?" The girl asked, pointing out an opening at the base of the wall. It was just big enough for Link to get through if he crawled.

Link nodded, looking at the wall. He had obviously noticed it before, but it didn't seem interesting, so he never wandered over to check it out. "There's a sword in there?" He had never heard of such a thing…

"That's right. It's a secret to everybody. At least, it's supposed to be." Fado responded. "Mido found a sword in great condition a few decades ago. I dunno why, but he keeps it hidden away past this hole. No one is supposed to know…but…well…everyone does."

Well, Link sure didn't. Not even Saria mentioned it to him. Then again, he didn't particularly care for swords or other weapons, so it didn't bother him too much. "And it's just on the other side there?"

"Yeah, it's in a wooden crate. If Mido asks…you didn't hear it from me, okay?" The girl looked about, eyeing a Kokiri boy walk about in the distance. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice Fado or Link. "Go on, before someone sees!"

Smiling, Link gave Fado a quick hug. "Thanks, you've really helped a lot!" The boy hoped he and Fado would grow to become as close as he and Saria were in the future. There was just something about the girl that made her seem like she'd make an especially good friend.

Fado returned the smile, one that was smaller and weighed down by guilt. "It's the least I could do. Good luck, Link." With that, the girl went off back to the main part of the village.

"She sure was a lot better than that Mido kid." Navi commented as the Kokiri girl and her fairy went out of earshot. "Looks like she really felt bad for how she treated you…"

Link didn't respond to Navi's words, his brain still trying to figure out just what made Fado so unique. He had never had this sense of familiarity and special dismay in response to any of the other Kokiri. Why her? Well, he could figure it out later. "Let's go get that sword…"

Navi went into the hole first, lighting the way as Link crawled in after her. The small pathway wasn't long, taking only about a minute to get through. Still, Link didn't really like the enclosed space. He was just glad when he came out on the other side. Ahead of him and Navi was a small clearing surrounded by stone walls in every direction. A strange area as it was, both their gazes instantly fell upon a dusty wooden box in the middle of the area and in front of it a wooden sign had been posted. "That must be it." Navi noted, hovering towards the box.

"What does that sign say?" Link asked as he approached the piece of wood. For him, it might as well have just been random slashes and nicks for all he could understand it.

"You can't read?" Navi asked, sounding surprised. She had only met him this morning, but Navi didn't take Link for a stupid kid. The fairy thought he'd at least be able to read considering he had those books...

Link shook his head. "I never learned. Guardian Fairies teach Kokiri how to read…so I was waiting until I had mine before I'd take lessons."

Navi could almost feel a hand squeezing at her tiny heart. She really should have been able to figure that out on her own. "Well…Don't worry, I'll teach you later on. Okay?"

The boy looked up at Navi with excitement, eyes shining. Being able to read was one of the things he had looked forward to the most when he still believed he would get a Guardian Fairy. Now that small dream of his got to resurface. "Thanks, Navi!" He almost chirped, approaching the box. The boy couldn't help but look about as he pried the box's lid off, as if someone would pop out of the ground and catch him. Pushing the lid aside and onto the grass, Link and Navi looked inside the container.

On the box's floor was a small sword, one that was the perfect size for someone Link's age. It was held within a simple blue sheath which was attached to a fine leather strap. Carefully, Link reached in and took the holstered weapon out of the box. He lifted it slowly and gently, as if he could somehow break it or hurt himself if he wasn't careful. It felt heavier than it had any right to be, and even in that moment Link realized it was all in his imagination. Taking the sword out of the box, the boy looked over the sheath and leather strap closely, as if looking for some hidden secret. It was odd for him to hold a weapon like this given it was his first time. Yet…something also felt right about it. Or rather…comfortable. As if he had held such a weapon dozens of times in the past. Slowly, Link gripped the handle of the sword properly and took it out of the sheath. The blade was short, yet sharp and the metal glistened in the sun, like a beacon to the rest of the world not to come close, lest someone get cut.

"Don't hurt yourself with that…It's dangerous." Navi pointed out, feeling slightly silly for doing so. She knew Link was smart enough to figure that out on his own. "How does it feel to hold one?"

Link didn't answer at first, carefully looking at the object from all directions. The sword itself was unremarkable, not at all like the larger, fancier swords in the artwork of the various books Saria showed off to him. The only real notable feature were two red stones embedded in the hilt. Still, Link didn't care about such things. If it was good enough for Mido, that was all that mattered. "It feels…weird." He murmured, putting it back in its sheath. After a pause, he looked back up at Navi, lightly pleading eyes gazing towards her. "How…do I put it on?"

Navi let out a good-natured laugh. "Don't worry, I've seen people put these things on a bunch of times. Here, first you just have to…"

Within a few minutes, Link had the equipment properly put on. He took off and put the strap and sheath back on a few times to get the hang of it. After that, he tried reaching back with his left hand and removing and putting away the weapon a few times. He didn't really know, nor hoped, that he would have to use it, but better safe than sorry. "Thanks for helping me with this, Navi." The boy said, flashing her a grin. "How'd you know how to do all this?"

"Oh, I've seen a bunch of people do this about Hyrule. I actually just got done my travels from there, I had been away for years." Navi explained.

The boy's eyes widened. "You've been out of the forest? Really? What's it like out there?" Link had been told by Saria that the world outside the woods was known as Hyrule, but outside of what he found out from the books read to him, he had no way of knowing what it was like. He had no intentions of leaving the Lost Woods, not even if doing so wouldn't result in his death. Link was content where he was and wanted to stay there forever. Hearing about it, on the other hand, he was up for.

"Well, it's a very large, I can say that much." Navi started after some thought. "A lot of different types of places to see like fields, mountains, even a desert. But…I'll tell you more of the details later. We have to keep moving."

Link cupped his hands, inviting Navi to stand upon them, which she did. "You'll tell me lots of stories? I really love stories…" Some of his fondest memories consisted of Saria helping him calm down by telling him some kind of story. Whether it was straight from a book, some Kokiri folklore, or something she made up herself, Link enjoyed them all.

Navi hesitated. She knew at some point she'd have to tell Link they couldn't be true partners, even if he wasn't told at that time he was truly a Hylian. The fairy hoped; however, he would find it in himself to forgive her, and that the two could still be friends. For now, she smiled and nodded. "Of course, Link. I'll tell you lots of stories later on."

The young boy gave his fairy a warm smile. "Thank you, Navi. I'm so glad I finally have you now."

If Navi hadn't known any better, she'd swear Link knew exactly what was going on and just wanted to rub it in. Pangs of guilt echoed through the fairy's tiny body as she gazed up at the Hylian. "…And I'm glad to be with you." She replied, feeling like scum for raising the boy's hopes. The fairy did genuinely like Link, but every positive comment just made the inevitable drama worse.

Not noticing anything awry, Link put his hands down to get Navi flying again and the two went back to the main village. The return trip wasn't quite as bad, but Link still didn't like the confined space. "Now we just need to see Uldo about the shield and slingshot…" Link murmured, looking over to the house of the Kokiri in question. "Hopefully he'll be home." With that, the two made their way to the boy's abode. While Link hadn't actually entered anyone's home aside from his and Saria's for the last few years, he still had the entire village memorized.

For when his Guardian Fairy came, of course.

As the duo went along, a few Kokiri children noticed them from afar as they whispered to each other. Link with a fairy? And with a sword? Saria hadn't gotten to these villagers yet, as she was currently talking to Lydo within her house. These kids simply had to wonder just what was going on…

When Link and Navi entered Uldo's home, they walked right into what could only be described as an organized mess. A number of boxes varying in size littered the floor. Odds and ends, bits of leather, torn pages from books, pieces of seemingly random wood and metal and other items with no clear use poked from each container. The one, large, table of the home held more items like this, including the hilt of a dagger, a book that was only the cover and back and was missing all its pages, some sort of rusty object, a number of empty bags and pouches, and a single boot too large for anyone in the village to wear. Hanging on the wall across from the entrance was a wooden shield, marked with a red spiral. Despite all the mess in the home, the floor itself was clean without a single piece of junk or trash marking it.

Uldo was the most proficient scavenger in the village, seeming to have almost an obsession with the job. Scavenging off of dead Hylians was seen as perfectly normal within the village. After all, they were already gone and going back into the earth itself, so what was wrong with collecting their things? Even Link, though he of course never took part in such activities, thought it as natural. A lot of the items these corpses held onto were junk, but every so often something of use could be found. The most common of these would be books as well as small tools like carving knives.

Link and Navi lingered by the doorway for a few moments and took in the scene. Uldo was rooting around in one of his many boxes and seeming to be looking for something as his fairy seemed to be nesting under his hat, being nowhere in sight. "Uh…excuse us!" Navi politely called out.

Jumping a bit, Uldo stopped his searching and looked over at his guests. First he was surprised, then irritated, then he studied what he was looking at before shock spread across his face. "Link? Is that…a Guardian Fairy?" He asked, almost in awe as he took a step towards the boy and his fairy.

That nervousness creeping back into the boy, Link nodded. "Uh…Yes. She is." He replied anxiously. "Her name is Navi."

"Pleased to meet you." The fairy greeted politely, eyeing the shield intently. Would something so basic count for Mido? Hopefully so, as the fairy doubted a better shield was anywhere in the village. "Listen, we need your help. We need a shield and a slingshot. I can see you have at least the former in here…"

Uldo seemed to instantly shift gears away from Link and his news of gaining of a Guardian Fairy to the companion herself. "What?!" He exclaimed, seeming almost terrified of the idea. "Why do you need my things?!"

Link was stunned at how quickly Uldo dismissed him. No congratulations? He wasn't even going to say he was sorry for the years of treating the youngest child of the village as an outcast? The boy didn't expect Uldo to do anything drastic…but the fact that a shield and slingshot seemed more important really stung deep down. Still, lingering on it would get him nowhere. "It's Mido." Link piped up. "Father summoned me, and Mido won't let me pass without a sword, shield, and slingshot."

It was only then that Uldo noticed the weapon Link had, his eyes widening. He seemed to have gotten over it quickly, his mind focused too much on his own personal possessions. "So, you just want a shield and a slingshot? I only have one of both…"

"Come on, can't you just lend it to us?" Navi asked, withholding her annoyance. Couldn't this boy just let Link borrow some things for a while? Granted, the fairy had no idea how long Link would need these items. "We'll give them back!" She frowned as Uldo contemplated though he didn't seem too excited about helping. "Hey, think of it as a congratulatory present for Link!" Normally, underhanded tactics like that were beneath Navi, but this was an emergency. She and Link had to get to the Great Deku Tree as soon as possible! Besides, it was just borrowing some stuff. No big deal, right?

Deciding to follow Navi's lead, Link nodded. "Y…Yeah. We'll get them back soon, right after I speak with Father…Please, Uldo?"

With a sigh, the Kokiri boy raised a finger, telling the two to wait. He went over and started digging through one of his boxes and muttering quietly to himself. His two guests couldn't fathom how he could find anything, especially something as small as a slingshot, in a place like this. And yet, within a minute, Uldo pulled a small wooden object and a corresponding bag from the crate.

Link had seen slingshots before, wielded by the other Kokiri as they went into the forest for whatever reason. Things like bows and arrows were absent from the village, so the children had to work with what they had. Thankfully, creatures such as Wolfos tended to avoid the Kokiri, too afraid to facing the Great Deku Tree's wrath to attack one of his children. While Link had never held a slingshot before, he recalled having a minor interest in shooting some fruits from trees or other harmless targets.

After getting the small wooden weapon and the bag for holding rocks and other projectiles, Uldo got the shield off of the wall. It wasn't very large, barely able to give adequate protection to someone of Link's size. With chipped and broken wood, it seemed more likely to break apart than stop any kind of serious attack. The red paint on it looked fairly new, clearly added on by Uldo himself.

"Alright, just to make things clear…you'll have these back in just a few hours?" The Kokiri boy asked, holding onto his possessions almost desperately.

"Yes, yes, we will return your things as soon as the Great Deku Tree lets us go." Navi was doing everything she could not to yell at this kid. She tried not to judge others too harshly, Mido being a rare exception, but this Uldo boy was starting to get on her last nerve.

Link nodded along, looking at the boy with pleading eyes. "I promise, Uldo. We really have to get moving…"

"Alright, alright!" Uldo responded, as if Link and Navi were being unreasonable. Handing the shield and slingshot over to Link, the boy let out a huff. "Just keep your promise, alright?"

Navi had to hold back a groan. How many times was this boy going to ask things like this? "We promise. Come on, Link, let's go!" The fairy wanted to just get out of there. She almost felt bad for her attitude, but the lengths she had to go through to walk Link five minutes to a summon was starting to get to her. As she and her companion walked out, ignoring Uldo reminding them yet again to bring his possessions back, Navi let out a sigh of relief.

Link barely had the time to grasp his items before his Guardian Fairy rushed him out the door. He walked a ways from Uldo's home before stopping and laying the objects carefully on the ground. The shield he had looked over, but not the slingshot. It was an old toy, just like the shield. The band seemed to be in good shape, though.

Looking up to his fairy, Link offered her a small smile. "Thanks for helping me in there, Navi. I don't think I could have handled that alone…" Speaking to the other Kokiri children was harder than the boy thought. Uldo's reluctance to give up anything of his probably would have made Link retreat if he had been by himself.

Navi felt better now that she was outside and hearing Link's kind words. She offered a smile back and landed on his shoulder. "I'm sure you could have worked things out. Still, I'm just glad we have everything we need. Say, turn the shield over for me." Link did as told, the two of them seeing the straps on it. "Okay, good. You'll be able to attach this to your back, now to do that…"

Minutes later, Link was all geared up and ready to go. His sword and shield were secured neatly on his back, with his slingshot and the ammo bag attached to his belt. He tried a few times to draw his sword and shield to get the feel of it. Link still didn't feel he'd need these things and didn't ever fantasize of being a warrior, but a part of him felt childish glee at getting ready for an imaginary battle. He beamed up at Navi as she floated overhead. "Thanks, Navi. I don't think I'd be able to figure this all out on my own…"

"It looks good on you!" The fairy said, getting an earnest smile from her companion. "Now come on, we should get going to the Great Deku Tree!"

Link wordlessly nodded and the two headed back towards their initial destination. A few Kokiri caught sight of Link as he went, and one girl even seemed as if she wanted to go talk to him but stopped herself. There were no more obstructions until the two reached the edge of the village once more.

As if on cue, Mido stepped out from one of the trees, nearly glaring at Link as he and Navi got closer. His eyes widened when they stopped in front him, his gaze narrowing on the sword's hilt. "Hey! How did you find that sword?!" He demanded. "That's supposed to be off-limits!"

The younger boy flinched a bit at that, looking guilty as if he did some horrible crime. "Well…I'm sorry, but I don't know how else I would get through…"

"You never specified we couldn't use this sword." Navi pointed out, feeling if she got turned away again, she'd just go straight to the Great Deku Tree and tattle on the brat. The only reason she didn't before was she was sure Link would need the tools he was forced to gather anyway.

Mido glared both at Link and Navi as the gears in his head turned. After sending Link on his errand, he started to realize how stupid it all was. If Link just never went to see Father, it was Mido who would get in trouble. He wasn't thinking straight before, just wanting to punish Link in some way and did the first thing to come to mind. In any case, Link did do as asked, and Mido wasn't sure that fairy of his would tolerate any more shenanigans.

With a heavy sigh, Mido nodded while scowling. "Alright, fine. Go on and go see Father." He didn't even wait for Link to give a reply before skulking off into the trees once more.

Link stood there staring at where Mido departed, frowning a bit. "Navi…Did I do something wrong? Is that why Mido is being like this?" Was it because he took a sword he wasn't supposed to? What else could he have done? There were no other swords!

"No, no. You didn't do anything wrong." Navi replied soothingly. "He's just…Well, I don't know, but he seems like a bit of a jerk to me!"

The boy wasn't sure how to respond to that. Mido had done some mean things, but maybe Link had deserved stuff like that? He just wanted to be Mido's friend! Still, he didn't want to argue, so he just kind of shrugged. "…Right…Let's go see what Father wants…"

Navi frowned slightly as Link went off in front of her. Maybe she could bring this up later on. It seemed that her companion really had self-doubt issues. Even though she wasn't truly his Guardian Fairy, Navi couldn't help but want to help him out as best as she could. "…Right." She echoed back, following the Hylian closely.

Despite Mido's warnings of potential danger, the walk to the Great Deku Tree was uneventful. There was a sort of heavy feeling to the air, as if an invisible weight was being placed on both Link and Navi as they went forward. There was also the feeling that something sinister was watching them just out of sight. Yet…nothing happened. No monsters appeared, nothing out of the ordinary happened outside of the strange and foreboding feeling. The only thing of note that occurred was Link would sometimes stop and pick up some small rocks, adding them to his ammo pouch. He was hoping to shoot some targets of some sort before returning that slingshot…

Within just a few minutes, the Great Deku Tree's clearing was reached. The young boy and his Guardian Fairy entered the sacred area, the unusual and oppressive feelings seeming to melt away instantly. Right away, Link noticed the condition the forest deity was in. The browned leaves, the darkened bark, and even a vague sense that the god was weakened somehow. But…what was going on?

Giant wooden eyes narrowed on the duo, a low rumbling filling. "Ah, thou hast arrived. Link, welcome. Listen carefully to what I am about to tell thee…" His voice was lower and quieter than the boy remembered…

Nodding, Link looked up into the great eyes of the deity before him. "Yes, Father." Link only ever referred to the Great Deku Tree as such when speaking out loud to others as it was expected of him. In his mind, he never thought of the deity as such. It wasn't that the boy disliked the immense tree, but he felt no real connection to him. He knew that parents were supposed to nurture and attend to their young such as the mama birds that fed their chicks or the powerful stags that guarded their families. The Great Deku Tree never really interacted with Link and it was always Saria who provided his care. Who helped him walk? Who helped him talk? Who read him stories, comforted him when he was sad, assured him of getting a Guardian Fairy, and told him each day that he was loved?

Not the Great Deku Tree, that was for sure.

Link was aware he protected the forest, but he still wished the deity would just…talk to him. Treat him the way Saria did. Just once.

As the boy pondered and Navi stayed silent, the Great Deku Tree continued on. "Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares. The forest itself has been tainted, as I am sure thou has noticed…"

Eyes widening, Link wondered just how the Great Deku Tree knew of his vague nightmares. Had he always been peering into Link's head as he slumbered…? "I have, Father…" He squeezed out, feeling nervous. Why was only he being told these things? Wasn't this something all the Kokiri should hear? Why was he here alone? He glanced at Navi, hoping for guidance, but the fairy remained silent.

"The time has come to test thy Courage." The deity rumbled, making an unusual sound that almost seemed like a cough. "I have been cursed…I need you to break this curse with your Courage and strength. Dost thou accept this task, Link?"

A heavy silence filled the clearing. At first, Link thought that perhaps he hadn't heard correctly. For one thing, the Great Deku Tree was cursed? How could that even happen? The boy had been hold that the forest guardian was the strongest being amongst the trees. What could be powerful enough to do this? And yet, Link knew it had to be true given the physical state of the god. Did that mean that…the Great Deku Tree was dying? Was something like that even possible? Could he truly die? Link had been told by Saria that the deity was countless in years and would live until time came to an end.

And, as everyone knew, Time was eternal.

On top of that, why Link? Why was he called to do this? If Courage and strength were needed, didn't that mean he had to fight some evil monster? Why else would he need those things? He felt his breathing quicken and his chest tighten. Why him? Why not someone bigger and stronger? Why him? Why was this his responsibility? Why him?!

After what felt like an eternity, Link managed to sputter out a few words: "I…I can't!"

Another silence fell. This one was shorter and broken by the Great Deku Tree. "Thou can't?" He asked, not sounding angry or even upset. If anything, he seemed more curious.

Link took a step back, struggling to continue speaking. "I…I can't, Father!" He exclaimed, starting to feel his legs grow weaker. "I can't fight! I've never done anything like this before! I can't h-help! I can't do s-something like this!" Despite the overwhelming fear building within Link, he felt ashamed for breaking out into a stutter like that.

"Oh, Link…" The Great Deku Tree rumbled, sounding saddened. "Thou art more than capable for such a task. Thou must have faith. Would I have called for thee if I did not have the upmost confidence?"

He supposed the deity had a point…but…he still felt so scared! Why would the Great Deku Tree have so much faith in someone like him?! "Father, please, why me…?"

"Link." Navi gently called before the Great Deku Tree could answer. She floated down so she was right in front of the boy's worried face. "You were called because you're more capable than you realize. If the Great Deku Tree didn't think you could do this, he would have called someone else. You can do this. The two of us both have faith in you…" It didn't seem as though that fully convinced Link, as he said nothing. "I'll be with you every step of the way. You won't be alone."

That got a response out of Link, whose eyes widened a bit. Navi would join him? That…actually got Link to feel a lot better. Alone, he felt he had no chance. If Navi was there, however, and she and the Great Deku Tree truly felt so confident…maybe he could actually do it? His breathing started to slow down, and his legs stopped shaking. Together, he and Navi could do this! Then afterword, everything could just go back to normal…Right?

Giving the deity a nod, Link stepped forward. "I…I'll do it!" He forced himself to yell out.

A rumbling, soft laughter, echoed through the air. "Very well. I am proud of thee, Link. Then enter, brave Link, and work together with Navi to succeed..." After these words were spoken, the great maw of a god opened wide. A massive, yawning void opened on the being's bark. It was as if all light was swallowed by the darkness, as Link couldn't see a thing within his adoptive father's mouth.

Not daunted as much as Link, Navi flew forward, doing so backwards so she could still look at her companion. "Come on, Link. We can do this! We'll be in and out, and then you can tell everyone the whole story!" She was surprised at the specifics of the task Link was given, but it was not remotely her place to argue with the Father of the Forest. In addition, she had confidence in the great deity. And if the Great Deku Tree had faith in Link, so did Navi!

Silently, Link found himself able to follow Navi as they approached the dark portal. When they got close, the smell of the tainted forest wafted out. Here, however, it was far more potent and intense. That wouldn't stop them, however. Taking a few deep breaths, Link plucked up his Courage as he and Navi entered the Great Deku Tree.

 

[Ottriman]

Good thing you made Navi likeable (and avoided all references to the "Hey, listen!" meme).

 

[ShadowAngelBeta]

He had been taught to never, EVER leave the forest, or else he would die.

Click to shrink...

So is it actually they straight up fall over dead here because they need the forest on a spiritual level or is it that they stop being immortal and lose the protections of the forest so they can't go back either?

Deciding to follow Navi's lead, Link nodded. "Y…Yeah. We'll get them back soon, right after I speak with Father…Please, Uldo?"

Click to shrink...

"Alright, alright!" Uldo responded, as if Link and Navi were being unreasonable. Handing the shield and slingshot over to Link, the boy let out a huff. "Just keep your promise, alright?"

Click to shrink...

Man, Link's going to feel horrible when that shield burns to ash in the volcano isn't he?

She replied, feeling like scum for raising the boy's hopes. The fairy did genuinely like Link, but every positive comment just made the inevitable drama worse.

Click to shrink...

I wonder actually. By the time she up and leaves he might be expecting it, he had literally everything else ripped away to become a sacrifice and living seal by the end.

Then again it might come to light before that too, hmm... when would be a good time to have his Childhood ripped away from him? Maximum trauma points to when he goes back to the forest for the Sage/Saria which is just Ooph on its own.

... Its sad that his happiest ending that we've seen is becoming an eternally-wandering, golden, warrior stalfos in the forest his mother's spirit is scattered across due to being the Sage of it.

Granted that's the only one we've seen, but I can't think of much better either considering he had every piece of his childhood and adulthood carved out of him, before he even really had them in the latter cases.

 

[Immortal Lurker]

This has the feel of "small adventure which goes drastically wrong and sets up the larger adventure". Which should be interesting. Link doesn't normally do a lot of failing, and when he does his silence makes it hard to know what he is feeling.

 

[LoneStar]

Good thing you made Navi likeable (and avoided all references to the "Hey, listen!" meme).

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I'm glad you find her likeable. And don't think I haven't been tempted so make reference to that. So far I've been able to resist...but who knows for how long?

So is it actually they straight up fall over dead here because they need the forest on a spiritual level or is it that they stop being immortal and lose the protections of the forest so they can't go back either?

Man, Link's going to feel horrible when that shield burns to ash in the volcano isn't he?

I wonder actually. By the time she up and leaves he might be expecting it, he had literally everything else ripped away to become a sacrifice and living seal by the end.

Then again it might come to light before that too, hmm... when would be a good time to have his Childhood ripped away from him? Maximum trauma points to when he goes back to the forest for the Sage/Saria which is just Ooph on its own.

... Its sad that his happiest ending that we've seen is becoming an eternally-wandering, golden, warrior stalfos in the forest his mother's spirit is scattered across due to being the Sage of it.

Granted that's the only one we've seen, but I can't think of much better either considering he had every piece of his childhood and adulthood carved out of him, before he even really had them in the latter cases.

Click to shrink...

I don't think it's even explicitly said in the game. For the sake of the story, it's basically they can't survive outside the Lost Woods for long and would be dead within a few minutes.

No idea what you mean. Surely he can keep a dried hunk of wood safe from fire. Surely.

When indeed is the best time? During a life-threatening adventure, or when it's all over? This won't be the first time Navi thinks about when she'll have to confess the truth, believe you me.

Also, at least it's confirmed that Twilight Princess Link is a direct bloodline descendant of the Hero of Time, so at least he gets married at one point. Won't fix all the shit he's gone through, but at least it's something.

This has the feel of "small adventure which goes drastically wrong and sets up the larger adventure". Which should be interesting. Link doesn't normally do a lot of failing, and when he does his silence makes it hard to know what he is feeling.

Click to shrink...

I dunno what you mean. I'm sure things will go by smoothly for everyone involved.

 

[ShadowAngelBeta]

so at least he gets married at one point. Won't fix all the shit he's gone through, but at least it's something.

Click to shrink...

Mmm... I suppose? Married might actually be a bit much. He's been spiritually carved apart by the time the game is over and he dies in the Lost Woods, which means he either ran out of other places to search or just gave up and decided to at least end it where it all began. He might have come to terms with what he sacrificed at some point, but the point of what he sacrificed is that he lost everything one gains as both a Child and Adult.

Or... more literally he sacrificed the people representing those things, but that was symbolism for what he himself was losing or had lost already.

Also probably Malon. She was the only one he kind of knew that didn't end up sacrificed and she gave him Epona. She and Zelda would be the only remaining links he would have to the world at large and even Zelda was sacrificed in a sense to send him back in time. Also she kind of missed the point of what had happened to him as punctuated by Navi leaving immediately after and the adult timeline turning into WW's backstory.

I do wonder about Majora's Mask fitting in though. Both how he would get back and the idea that its basically a spirit journey of Link coming to terms with his own death... although that might not be a physical death on second thought. MM might fit as viewed through the lens of it being him coming to terms with everything? Maybe.

 

[LoneStar]

Chapter 3: Departure​

The curse within the Great Deku Tree was an almost tangible thing. This was the first thought that ran through Link's mind as he entered the mighty deity that had watched over the forest for an incomprehensible amount of time. The air felt like a storm was coming, sticky and hot but with the added smell of something rotting and evil assaulting the boy's nose. It was a stench that the boy could taste, making him grimace a bit in disgust. On top of that, he could feel an unusual pressure on his shoulders, an invisible weight that draped over him like a heavy blanket.

With the inky darkness all around, all of Link's senses were assaulted within moments of entering the great tree that was relying on him. As the boy took a few steps further in, he blinked a few times and realized there actually was a light source within the tree, allowing him to see the area around him. The light was hazy and orange in color, showing that Link was within what appeared to be a massive wooden hallway. The light, however, was at a level that he could only see about ten or fifteen feet in front of him.

Link looked up to Navi, floating right above her companion's head. "Navi, what's that light?" He asked, trying to keep himself composed. Despite having just taken a few steps into the threshold, he felt a heavy unease coursing through him. He felt as though something could rush out of the darkness at any second and attack.

Navi was feeling the same things Link was, but it was far sharper with her due to her being a fairy. She was far more in-tune with nature and could sense these things far better. Still, she had to remain strong both for her and her companion. He needed her to get through this, and she wasn't about to let him down! "I'm really not sure. It's pretty convenient though." It seemed like some natural part of the Great Deku Tree, but why was it there? "We should get moving. Get your sword and shield ready."

Nodding, Link did as instructed, getting his weapon and protection out and ready. After a few seconds to build up his Courage, the boy slowly started to move forward with his Guardian Fairy following closely behind.

As the two went on, nothing happened at first. That being said, neither knew what to expect. What happened within a cursed god's body? Every minute or so, the two would hear some sort of scurrying sound, yet when they stopped to study their surroundings, there was nothing there. No monsters or specters came out to attack the duo as they went along. Aside from the subtle turn of the massive wooden vein of the Great Deku Tree, nothing at all changed. The two of them tried to ignore when they went far enough that they should have reached the other end of the forest guardian, only to be met with more hallway to traverse.

"Navi…?" Link called out again, leaning against the wall and panting lightly. He wasn't sure how long the two of them had been going without rest, but he would guess maybe twenty minutes. "What…are we looking for exactly?" He asked between breaths. "What am I supposed to do to help?" At this point, his fear had started to ebb away. All this time and, aside from some odd noises, nothing happening made him less wary.

"I wish I knew." Navi replied, resting on Link's shoulder. "There must be a source to the curse. A monster, maybe a parasite, that you have to slay. That's my guess, at least." The fairy couldn't imagine what else there was to be done. She also had to wonder just where this curse came from. Who or what could be powerful enough to curse a god?

Nodding, Link pushed off the wall and kept going, Navi fluttering just behind him. "Alright…" He wasn't sure what else to say. How could he kill something powerful enough to do this to the Great Deku Tree? To taint him and the forest around with this unnerving presence? The forest guardian looked sickly and his voice had grown noticeably weaker since Link last heard him speak. If the Great Deku Tree couldn't fight off this evil, how was Link supposed to? Especially since he had never really killed anything bigger than a bug before.

The most fearsome creature Link had ever taken down was a large spider in Saria's house that the girl demanded he squish. Despite the situation, he found himself smiling at the memory. Saria, the girl who had raised him and seemed so composed so often, had cowered behind the boy and pointed out the arachnid, urging Link to take care of it. He had never seen her freak out so badly and he remembered teasing her a bit when it was all over.

The boy's thoughts were interrupted when a whooshing sound came from overhead. Before Link could even register what was going on, he was flung back as a stinging and intense pain shot up in his face, left arm, and torso. The wind had been knocked out of him, so he couldn't even let out a scream as he fell onto his back. His eyes stung, and he had to blink back tears of pain.

"Link!" Navi yelled out, hovering above her companion's head as he looked up at the ceiling in a daze. "Are you alright?!"

It took the boy a few moments to get his breath back and sit up to see what had attacked him. His blood froze when he laid eyes on the creature responsible. It was a massive Skulltula. A huge, skull-like face leered back at Link, with a mouth decorated with red dots and eight massive legs sprouting from the horrible visage. At the moment, the thing simply glared back at the boy it had just assaulted, not moving to get a second attack in. Link had heard of these creatures but had never seen one before. Yet he knew exactly what he was looking at given the descriptions Saria gave him. A giant spider with a skull-like pattern was what she had warned him about, telling him to never go out in the woods at night, for these creatures only hunted when it got dark.

Link, of course, heeded the warnings and rarely even left his house once the sun went down. A part of him wondered if such horrifying and grotesque creatures could even exist, yet the proof was right there in front of him. Realizing he was still in danger; Link shot to his feet and took a few steps back. Yet the monster did nothing else to attack. It took Link an extra second to realize it was dangling on a thick stand of webbing. It hovered there, physically unable to actually harm Link any further.

"Hey! Answer me, Link! Are you okay?!" Navi called out again, floating down so she was next to the boy's face, her voice full of worry.

Not answering yet, Link did an assessment of what hurt on him. As the initial shock wore off, he realized left arm, torso, and face stung horribly. Looking down at his injured limb, he saw a nasty red streak running from the edge of his sleeve to his wrist. Wincing, Link looked back up towards Navi. "Wh…What happened? What did…it do to me?" He was partly in shock still. Nothing quite like this had ever happened to him before; a sprained ankle being the worst injury he had ever endured, which wasn't as painful as the spider's attack.

The fairy let out a slight sigh of relief. Link seemed alright, clearly the Skulltula hadn't bitten him or else he'd be a lot worse off! It happened so fast that Navi only saw a blur but realized what had gone on. "That's how Skulltulas attack normally." She explained as the large creature seemed to glower at the duo. "It dropped from above and span around quickly and with a lot of strength." Flying over to get a closer look at Link's arm, she let out a sympathy wince while also glancing up at the matching mark on the boy's face. "This was from its legs, I'm just glad it didn't get your eyes!"

As Link's thoughts cleared up, he realized how Navi was close to casual about this. She wasn't giving him instructions on what to do or urging him to back away. "Is…I mean…will it attack again?"

"That's the thing with these Skulltulas…they love their sneak attacks. With the way it's dangling, it really can't attack you unless you approach it again. They're kind of cowardly, so it won't come down from its web unless its initial attack incapacitates you." The fairy helpfully explained, looking back towards the creature for a brief moment. It still hung there, taking up a great deal of the hallway and making going around it risky. "The problem is it also won't go away on its own…"

Link looked at the monstrous arachnid, feeling horribly small compared to it. At a glance, he could tell it was at least a foot taller than he was. How was he supposed to deal with this?! Saria never told him how to kill Skulltulas, just that he should avoid even encountering one at all! "What…do I do?" He asked his Guardian Fairy.

Thankfully, Skulltulas weren't as bad as they first seemed. "Don't worry, it's really simple!" Navi declared, flying up and landing on Link's shoulder. "You see those red dots?" The boy nodded. "Those are the real eyes of the Skulltula. If you stare into them, it will reveal its soft underbelly to you. That's when you strike!" She had the utmost faith in her companion, giving him a miniscule pat on the cheek as she floated off of him and hovered above his head.

That really did sound simple! Link let out a small sigh of relief, trying to ignore the throbbing pain from the areas where he was struck. Nodding again, the boy followed Navi's instructions. As anxious as it made him feel, he stared deep into the handful of glowing red eyes in front of him. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, out of nowhere, the creature quivered and then turned around on the spot. Just as Navi said, a soft, brown underbelly was exposed! Link gripped his sword and…

He did nothing.

After a few moments, the monster shook again and turned back around. Link could swear he saw anger in the beady red eyes that gazed at him. "…I…I can't…"

"Link?" Navi asked, sounding worried as she landed back on his shoulder. "What's wrong? Why didn't you attack?"

"…" Link didn't answer at first. Instead, he gazed down at the clean and shining sword gripped tightly in his left hand. Stabbing something, even an evil monster…it just didn't feel right. It wasn't something Link felt he could just up and do at a moment's notice! "…I can't just…stab it like that…"

The fairy let out a small sigh. Of course Link wouldn't be able to just slay monsters right away so easily. She understood that. A part of her had hoped that the adrenaline rush would take care of any hesitation he had. "Link, I'm sorry, but you have to. It won't go away on its own…and the hallway is too narrow. If you try to squeeze by it, it will probably attack again. It might even break free from its web…"

The mental image of the massive spider digging its hungry mandibles into his neck caused the boy to shiver. "So…I really have to kill it?" He asked, glancing between Navi and the monster that blocked their path.

"Well…You don't necessarily have to." Navi said after a moment's thought. "If you wound it, it will probably retreat, and then we can move past!" Hopefully this slightly less-violent solution would be enough to get Link going. The Great Deku Tree was probably getting closer to death with each and every moment!

Thinking Navi's words over, Link realized he had no choice but to attack. He may not want to, but what else was there? It wasn't as if he could just turn around and go home. The Great Deku Tree was counting on him, as misguided as that trust was in Link's mind. Composing himself and getting ready, he went and stared down at those ruby eyes once again. Just as before, the Skulltula soon quaked in place and turned around, showing Link its weak point.

There was no hesitation this time. Link realized if he stopped to think, he would fail to attack once more. He just let his body move on its own, his hand gripping his blade tightly as he ran forward and drove it into the beast's underbelly. Immediately, it let out a shrieking sound as pale blue blood leaked out of the sword wound. It wasn't fatal, or even deep, but it startled the arachnid and Link just barely had time to pull his sword back before the Skulltula retreated up towards the ceiling and out of sight.

For a few moments, Link simply stood there and stared upwards, too shocked to move. "Hey! Keep going! It might come back!" Navi urged flying in front of Link's face to get his attention.

That got Link out of his trance, the boy quickly sprinting ahead about twenty feet as his fairy followed. Stopping to catch his breath, he turned to look behind him, almost expecting to see that Skulltula on the floor and chasing him. Of course, nothing actually appeared. He gazed down at his sword, shining even in the somewhat dim light of the Great Deku Tree with the giant spider's blood. It made him feel sick to his stomach, so he looked up towards his partner instead. "Navi…Thank you. I never would've known what to do without you…"

Landing on the boy's shoulder, she patted his cheek with a tiny hand. "I'm sure you could have worked it out on your own. Don't sell yourself short, okay?"

Even though he could just barely feel it, Navi's pats made Link a bit calmer. "Well…Maybe." He wasn't too sure on that, but there wasn't time for such a conversation. "Let's just keep moving."

Silently, the two went on.

Another ten minutes passed, and no further obstacles got in the duo's way. At the same time, it seemed as if this hallway was going to go on forever. That was, until, they reached the hole. The passage abruptly stopped, leading straight to a large empty space in the floor. Carefully, the two peeked over the edge and saw nothing but inky blackness below. On the walls of the hole were brown vines that extended as far as the two could see.

"…I think we have to climb down there." Navi said, not liking the look of those vines. Would they be able to hold Link…? She would rather look for an alternate route, but there were no turns or other passages within that hallway, so what else could they do? "You'll have to go slowly and carefully, alright?"

Link really wasn't sure of that plan, looking up at Navi with doubt. "Will I really be okay?" He too noticed how unsafe those vines seemed…

"There's just…no other way, Link." Navi admitted bluntly. "Give the vines a good tug before you try, see how they are."

Nodding, Link reached into the hole and grabbed hold of one of the vines and gave it a hearty tug. To his and Navi's surprise, the vine was sturdy! Try as he might, Link couldn't even loosen the oddly strong plant. "Maybe this won't be so bad!" Link exclaimed, his mood improving greatly. He peered down into the hole again, nothing the darkness once more. "You'll…light my way, right?"

"Of course, don't be silly!" Navi replied as she started to hover into the hole. "Come on, I'll lead the way!" Giving a small smile despite the dangerous situation, Link slowly eased himself onto the vines and the two started their descent.

A few quiet minutes passed by, and Link was feeling the stress in his arms and legs. Sure, he climbed the ladder to his home every day, but this was something completely different. The constant strain on his limbs was starting to get to him as he climbed downward. All around him was suffocating darkness in every direction, save for the guiding light of Navi. The fairy patiently floated down alongside him; her glow as bright as she could make it as he carefully made his way down.

Wanting to take his mind off how his arms and legs seemed to be getting increasingly heavy, Link broke the silence. "I didn't like stabbing that creature." He just kind of blurted it out as he climbed ever downward.

"Really? I don't think you killed it." Navi pointed out as she wondered how much farther it was until the bottom. "It was aggressive too."

"I know…" Link murmured, the marks left from the creature's legs still present and sore. "But I just don't like hurting things like that. A small bug is one thing but…I could it screaming in pain…" He realized that animals and Kokiri had to kill in order to survive, such as hunting for meat. Still, with the rare occasion of a pesky bug, Link himself hated having to harm things and especially dreaded the idea of killing. It simply wasn't in his nature.

Navi wondered why fate chose such a peace-loving child for something like this. This was just the first part of his journey, and while she didn't know what he'd have to do in order to save Hyrule, there was little doubt it would require a lot of fighting. It was cruel, but there was no choice but to go along with what fate had planned out, lest Hyrule fall to evil forces.

"Well…I'm sorry, but you'll have to at least kill whatever it is causing this curse. You don't have to enjoy it, in fact it's best you don't, but you'll have to prepare for it." She didn't have the heart to tell him this was only the start of his adventure. The fairy imagined it would be long and difficult, but she could at least hope that wasn't the case.

Link chose not to respond to that, focusing on climbing down into the abyss below.

After a few more minutes, the bottom was finally reached. The two found themselves in a large room, with that familiar orange glow from the hallway above now back, but even dimmer than before. Scuttling sounds could be heard in the darkness, but nothing could be seen. As Link sat at the vined-covered wall and panted, he cough and gagged. "What…is that?! It's so awful, Navi!" The air was worse than up above, the stench of rot and darkness nearly choking the poor boy and making him not want to breathe at all!

It was of course far worse for Navi, who actually felt dizzy at first. She smacked her cheeks with both hands a few times to wake herself up and clear her head. "It's the evil, Link. We must be getting closer to the source of the curse!" She looked down and saw that Link seemed nearly ill, and was panting heavily, clearly exhausted. "How about we…rest for a bit, huh?"

Silently, Link nodded as he sat in a dark corner within the ancient tree and Navi landed on top of his head to rest herself. A part of him wondered just why he was so exhausted. Yes, it was a long climb down, and the boy had been walking for a while before then, but usually he had so much more energy. Maybe…it was part of this curse? This horrible, evil atmosphere? Could it be somehow affecting him like it did the Great Deku Tree? The logic made sense to him, but it also made him worried that the curse might kill him if he wasn't able to complete his task fast enough. He shook his head, not wanting to ponder on such thoughts.

Instead, Link thought about what would come after. If he succeeded, he would be sort of a hero! Surely then even Mido couldn't stay mad at him! No way any of the Kokiri wouldn't accept him! He could finally fit in, and live the rest of his days in peace…

After resting for a few minutes more, Link stood up and dusted himself off. "Are you ready to go, Navi?"

The fairy floated off of Link's hat, having gotten her breath back as well. "I'm ready. This dark feeling is so intense…surely we're getting close…"

"Hopefully…" Link murmured, getting his sword and shield ready. With Navi acting as a second source of light, he walked further into the dark room he and the fairy found themselves in. There was nothing of note except that the ground beneath them was soil, rather than wood. Did that mean they reached the very bottom of the Great Deku Tree? As they walked onward, they eventually got away from any walls, pure blackness surrounding them. It made Link feel like something could rush out and attack him from any direction. He found himself constantly looking over his shoulder or to the sides, unable to see anything in the inky blackness that enveloped the duo.

Before long, a strange item appeared on the floor. A large blue growth of some kind coming from the soil. Curious, Link approached it, shield at the ready as he took small steps towards the object. A plant of some kind clearly, but what kind of plant…?

Navi grew nervous as Link got closer, alarms going off in her head. "Link, maybe you shouldn't-"

The fairy's warning was cut short as the growth sprang from the ground, cracking open to reveal a mouth with a wriggling tongue and many small, sharp teeth. Startled, Link wasn't able to do anything as the creature sank the tiny white needles into his left shoulder.

Letting out an anguished scream, Link didn't know what to do as the monster started to shake its head about, breaking into his flesh as it clamped down. The attacking creature was a plant of sorts, simply a flexible stalk with a hungry mouth at the end. With his sword-arm paralyzed, Link wasn't sure what to do except yell out in agony as tears ran down his face. Never in his life had he ever experienced pain like this. A sharp, pulsating wave of suffering that sprouted form his shoulder and snaked its way to the top of his head and the tip of his toes.

"Oh, Link!" Navi screamed out, panicking a bit herself. It had been so dark; she wasn't able to tell at first the growth had been a Deku Baba! What should she do?! What could she do?! She wasn't big enough to harm something like that! It was clear that Link wasn't able to properly attack it with his left arm, so that left only one option. "Link! Punch it with your other hand! There's no other way!"

The words got through Link's screams as the pain intensified; the Deku Baba sinking its teeth further in. Dropping his shield, Link reeled his arm back and sent his fist into the side of the plant's head. When it didn't let go, he repeated the process over and over desperately as he kept crying out. Eventually, the creature let out a noise of pain and released the poor boy.

Stumbling back, Link fell onto his rear and out of the plant's range as he continued to scream in a mixture of agony and fear as he gripped his injured left shoulder. "Link! Watch out!" Navi cried out. Rising from behind the injured boy was another Deku Baba. Thankfully, with adrenaline pumping, Link got up and ran from it and back to his shield which he scooped up. Rather than fight, Link ran off in a random direction as Navi followed.

Around the two, Deku Babas sprouted up from the floor; each one lunging out at Link, but each one was too slow to properly bite him. It was like running down a corridor of teeth and danger as the duo went on, farther and farther into the seemingly endless room. Eventually, they hit another wall, and around that time the plants stopped appearing.

Dropping his sword and shield to the floor, Link collapsed to the ground, starting up his screaming and crying once more as the pain continued to pulse through him. His hand went back to the wound, gripping it tight as if it would help. "Link!" Navi called out as she flew down to her companion. "Are you okay?! Let me see! Show me the wound!"

Sniffling, the poor boy sat against the wall and slowly removed his hand. "Is it…I-Is it o-okay, Navi?" He sputtered out. Link had been lucky in his life before today in terms of injury. Not a single broken bone, with the worst physical pain he had ever felt coming from sprained ankles or wasp stings. The bite from that monstrous plant was something unlike anything he had ever felt before. "Wh-What was that thing…?"

Looking closer, Navi had to stop herself from exclaiming in shock at the sight. The tunic full of tiny holes where the Deku Baba had chomped down on and blood had covered the boy's shoulder and started to run down his clothes. While the fairy wasn't a doctor or an expert, the wound didn't look life-threatening, in fact he should be able to still swing his sword. The blood, thankfully, was trickling out very slowly and in surprisingly small quantities. It would take some time for this to become deadly, if it ever reached that point at all. "That was a Deku Baba, Link." The fairy answered, keeping her voice level. Despite the wound not being fatal, it still made her worry about if he could fight through the pain. "It doesn't look too bad. Try moving your arm around a bit…"

Link complied, lifting his injured arm upward. Before too long an intense pain shot out through his limb, forcing a sharp gasp out of him. He looked down at his shoulder himself, his face going pale as he let out a strangled cry. "Navi?! Navi, it looks so bad! Wh-What do I do?! I don't…I'm not sure what I should do!" He rambled on, panic filling his body at the sight of his ugly wound.

"Calm down!" Navi said forcefully. She couldn't have him freaking out, not in a place like this! She understood his fear and pitied him and his situation, but she had to think about what would keep him safest. Losing his cool now couldn't lead to anything but trouble. "Link, I know it hurts, but there are Healing Fairies on the outside, remember? The Great Deku Tree can summon them, just like any other fairy." She rested on the boy's uninjured shoulder, patting his cheek in an attempt to calm him down. "You'll just have to push on a bit more and end this curse, then we can leave and get you healed up, okay?"

The words took a few moments to sink into Link as he sat there crying in the cursed darkness of his adoptive father. Before too long, his breathing started to normalize, and the tears stopped flowing. The pain, however, lingered on. Link realized that Navi was right; he had to push onward, and if he came out victorious, surely the Great Deku Tree would heal his wounds. "I'll be okay? I-I'll really be okay?"

Navi nodded, though Link wouldn't even be able to tell due to the light she gave off. "You'll be fine, Link. We just have to get through this…" The fairy felt guilt in her gut, knowing full well that after this excursion, the poor child would have to somehow save Hyrule next. Best he didn't know just now, of course…

Wiping away his lingering tears, Link put on a small, brave smile. He still felt terrified, but maybe if he tried to grin and bear it, he could get through his alive. "Thank you, Navi…" Shakily, the boy stood up and gathered his sword and shield. His left arm kept pulsating with pain, shooting through his chest and down to his gut. He just had to suffer through it, however. At this point, he finally realized another large problem. "…Where do we go from here?"

Navi floated off of her companion and looked about. Naturally, it was pure darkness everywhere she looked. "…That's a good question…" She paused, hovering in place as she thought the situation over. "Wait, of course! I'm more in-tuned to the feelings of this curse than you! I should be able to feel where the evil energy is getting stronger!"

"You can do that…?" Link asked, forgetting his pain for a few moments to look up at Navi in surprise.

"I mean…I should be able to!" Navi said, trying to sound confident. In theory, it made sense, but it wasn't like she had any experience doing this. "Just follow close behind me and keep your shield up!"

Doing as he was told, making sure his injured shoulder was protected, Link followed as Navi started to wander through the massive room the two found themselves in. Slowly and carefully, the duo wandered about as Navi got a feel for the curse that surrounding them like a dense and invisible fog. They could hear the snapping of Deku Babas in the darkness, doing all they could to avoid getting near them. As time went on, Navi seemed to really pick up on a trail, starting to go in a straight line for ten minutes straight.

"Is the curse this way?" Link asked as he looked about, almost expecting something large and horrifying to spring from the shadows. "Can you tell how close we are?"

"We're definitely on the right path." Navi said, starting to feel woozier as time went on. "As for how close…it's hard to tell. I would think we're getting close though…"

Silently, Link nodded. He wasn't quite as sensitive to the feeling of the curse as Navi, so to him there had been no change in atmosphere. His mind wandered a bit, trying to think of what kind of creature he would have to fight. Some sort of spirit or demon? Maybe it was just a giant-

Link's thought was interrupted as something large and wet hit the floor behind him.

The duo turned around to see a large, writing ball on the floor. It was about the size of Link if he curled up into a ball and seemed to be made out of flesh of some kind! Before anything could be done, a second orb fell from the ceiling, landing right next to the first one. "Is that the curse?! What are those?!" Link exclaimed, holding his shield out in front of him.

"They aren't the curse! We need to get out of-"

As Navi tried to get Link away, the two fleshy pods burst open. Emerging from the revolting cocoons were small but disgusting creatures. Covered in a brown carapace, each one was about the size of Link's head. They only had two legs, and a massive orange eye each which sat above a small, snapping mouth.

Almost instantly, the two creatures lunged at Link. The first barreled towards his shield, crashing right into it and knocking it away. The second one latched itself to the boy's chest, biting right through his tunic and biting right above where the boy's heart was, latching onto his skin with its few, tiny teeth. Screaming in pain and not even thinking, Link reached up with his injured arm and, ignoring the agony in his arm, stabbed at the monster that latched onto him. The small sword hit the creature, but though it was newly born, the monster's carapace was hard enough to prevent instant death. However, the blade still gave the creature a shallow stab-wound, eliciting a disturbing screeching noise from it as it pried itself from the boy and his weapon, taking a small chuck of flesh with it.

Yelling out in pain from the new wound, Link didn't notice that the second creature was sneaking up behind him. In an instant, it too dug its fangs into the boy's flesh, biting the back of his leg and eliciting another shout of agony from its victim.

"Link! I'll help, don't worry!" Navi shouted out, knowing Link would have a far more difficult time fighting something latched onto his leg like that. Not caring that she was putting herself at risk, the fairy flew up to the creature as it held onto her companion. Without hesitation, she flared her light up as much as she could right in the little monster's eye. Being a newborn monster made to dwell in the dark, Navi's light was more than enough to make it screech in pain as it let go of Link and retreated into the darkness. Thankfully, it didn't take any of the boy's flesh with it, though left behind a nasty bite-wound.

"Navi…" Link sputtered out as he looked at the creature that attacked his front; which was writhing on the ground, too wounded to move properly.

Looking back over her shoulder, Navi saw Link simply staring at the enemy before him and seeming almost entranced. "Link, you have to kill it! Hurry, before it recovers!" She looked back ahead of her, keeping an eye out for the second monster to recover and return.

The words were like a jolt of electricity flowing through Link's body. He knew she was right; these creatures were too dangerous to let live. Yet…stabbing something to death…he wasn't sure he could do it! Stomping a spider with a boot and having to kill something this large with a sword were hardly even comparable! Still, Link found his body moving on his own as he walked towards the twitching monster. Slowly, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Link raised the sword. He didn't want to do this…but he had to.

Closing his eyes, he plunged the sword into the creature's singular eyeball.

Trying to block out the ensuing screeches of pain and the desperate wriggling, Link kept his sword embedded in the monster as its cries softened and ceased. After this, it flinched a few times and ceased movement. It was only then that he allowed himself to open his eyes. Refusing to look at the dead monster, he removed the sword, trying to tune out the sickening squelching noises that ensued.

When his weapon was freed, Link looked back to Navi. "…Where's the other one?" He couldn't see it, but swore he heard pattering off in the darkness…

"I can't see it!" The fairy responded, shoving the thoughts of Link just now getting his first combat kill off to the side. She could talk things over with him when this second creature was dead. "I can hear it…it sounds close…"

Indeed, the scuttling of the odd bug-monster was getting steadily louder, and the echoes of the room made it sound like it could be anywhere around them. Things only got worse when the noises suddenly ceased. Neither part of the duo dared to move, keeping ears open and eyes scanning the area around them. What felt like hours passed by, but it couldn't have been more than a minute or two as the deafening silence closed in one them.

Then, without warning, a shrill shriek rang out from the darkness as the monster attacked Link from behind once more. It lunged at him, its mouth level with the back of his neck. Acting reflexively, Link turned around and thrust his sword towards the source of the noise. What could qualify as pure luck surfaced as the boy's sword pierced right through the monster's single eye, the beast skewered in midflight before it could even touch its target.

Realizing what just happened, Link panicked and thrust his sword into the ground, pinning the monster to the soil. To the boy's disgust and slight horror, the monster was still alive, screeching out into the darkness as what must have been unimaginable pain coursed through it. Desperate to just make that noise stop, Link pulled out his sword and stabbed the monster again, his body almost moving on its own. It still lived, so he did it again. Then again. And again. And again.

Even after the beast stopped moving, Link's body moved on autopilot. He wouldn't stop stabbing at the monster. Even after the crying out ceased, all he could think about how he wanted it to just shut up! He could still hear the miserable beast screeching in torturous agony, and only his sword could end its suffering, he just wanted it to shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT-

"Link, stop! It's dead! You can stop now!" Navi yelled out, cutting through Link's desperate thoughts. She had watched in horror as Link kept stabbing at the monster until it was completely unrecognizable…

Looking down in revolution at what he did, Link dropped his sword to the floor and fell to his knees. It was only then that he noticed the throbbing pain in his shoulder had gotten worse; no doubt from all those stabbings. He looked over to Navi, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, Navi…I just wanted it to stop screaming…"

Landing on the boy's uninjured shoulder, Navi tried to sooth the boy by caressing his cheek. It was times like this she wished she was bigger. At the moment, she wanted to be able to properly console her companion. Pity filled her tiny heart when the tears started to stream down the boy's face. She felt she would need to have a nice, long talk with him about this. Someone so young being forced to kill in combat…she didn't blame him in the slightest for that slight meltdown.

"It's okay, Link, it's over now. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?" She shushed him gently as his shoulders started to shake slightly from his sobbing. "I know that must have been scary, but the monster is dead, and you're going to be okay." She flew down, inspecting his leg wound. The bite was bleeding a bit, but it really wasn't too serious. "Like here, you should be able to walk without much issue…"

Link was only half-listening to Navi, too wrapped up in his own misery and fear to really focus on her words. All he got out of what she said was that he apparently didn't do anything wrong. If that was the case, why did he feel almost guilty? He knew the two creatures he had slain were monsters that didn't belong here and needed to be killed…but it still disturbed him how he lost control like that. What was going on? Why did he do that? He felt angry at himself, unable to find an excuse to absolve him from going into a fit of what seemed like madness as he sliced up the monster long after it died.

Still, he had a job to do.

Forcing his emotions down into himself, the boy shakily stood up. "Link? Are you going to be okay? Do…you want to talk about what happened?" Navi asked, flying back up so she was in Link's direct line of sight.

As he picked up his sword, shuddering a bit as he noticed the green blood on it, Link shook his head. "No…Not know, at least. I just…I just want to get this task done. I want to go back above ground…" Despite the relatively short time the two had been inside the Great Deku Tree, Link almost felt as if he had been wandering about for days…

Respecting Link's decision, Navi nodded. She was mainly relieved that he welcomed talking about it later. A part of her was worried he would refuse to ever discuss it. "Okay, I'll lead the way, then."

Ignoring the stinging in his leg and his new chest wound, Link walked behind Navi as the two of them ventured into the darkness once more.

It wasn't much longer after this, only about ten minutes, when the scenery around them changed. Even though they seemed to still be in the same room as far as they could tell, the ceiling dipped down so it was visible. On top of that, a shallow mist going only to Link's ankle stretched across the floor, which at this point was stone rather than soil. The orange light changed to an eerie blue glow, the source of which could only be attributed to the deity's eldritch body. It was at this point that Navi stopped.

"It's here. Whatever is causing this curse…it's right near us…" The fairy whispered, feeling as though she could vomit at any moment. The evil energy in the air was more intense than it had ever been!

Link felt the difference too, starting to feel a bit woozy. He was about to reply when a loud shuffling sound emanated from the ceiling…and it was nearly on top of them! The two looked upward to see a large shape clinging to the roof of the area, its features unable to be made out in the darkness. That was, except for the glowing orange eye, the same kind of eye belonging to the two monsters from earlier. Link and Navi subconsciously came to the same conclusion: Whatever this thing was…it spawned those two creatures. It could produce young.

The eye, which by itself was the size of Link's head, leered down at the duo. The shuffling stopped; the large shadow now entirely static. The boy and his fairy also stayed still, feeling paralyzed with fear at the creature above them. Link had his sword and shield at the ready, yet still felt unprepared.

Without warning, the shadow fell to the floor with a loud crash.

Link and Navi could only watch as the shadow rose up from the floor, its orange eye piercing into them. It was here that they got a better look at what they were dealing with. The creature was the largest living beast that Link had ever seen, easily bigger than a full-grown stag! Like its offspring, it was covered in a brown carapace, a massive insect of sorts, and had two large legs that ended in claws. Beneath its main body was a grotesque fleshy tube, its purpose unknown to Link. The most worrying part was of course its mouth, full of enamel daggers. It was from this mouth that a low, guttural roar rang out within the massive room, jolting the duo out of their stunned state.

Immediately, Link and Navi backed away with the boy readying his sword and shield. He tried to ignore the pain all throughout his body, especially in his leg and shoulder. As terror filled his body, he couldn't help but wonder if those two wounds in particular would keep him from winning this. Then again, could he kill this monster even if he was uninjured?

Navi was just as scared as Link was as she stared at the physical manifestation of a curse powerful enough to nearly kill a deity. She had no idea what this thing was; did it even exist in nature, or was it the only one of its kind barring the offspring Link killed? There's no way a natural being could affect the Great Deku Tree like this though, right? In any case, just being this close to the monster made the fairy feel as if she was going to be physically ill. On top of that, she wondered if Link really had what it took to kill something like this. She didn't think his sword could pierce it's carapace in any way, so the eye was the only way to win…but it was so high off the ground! He couldn't reach it!

The massive bug charged forward, surprisingly fast for its size, as Link backed away. With another roar, it swiped at the boy with one of its deadly claws. Despite his leg injury, Link managed to jump away from the attack as Navi stuck by his side. Not ceasing its attack, the shelled beast kept charging towards Link and swinging at the retreating child. As the assault continued, Link started to grow slower from exhaustion and his previous injuries. "Navi! I don't know what to do!" He yelled out, dodging yet another swipe from the monster.

Before Navi could answer, the armored enemy struck Link in the chest and stomach, knocking the wind right out of the poor child and sending him sprawling onto his back. Thankfully, the back of its claw was what hit the boy, saving him from getting cut or pierced. The fairy watched in horror as the monster readied another attack at Link, who managed to swing his sword at the appendage when it came careening towards him. Unfortunately, all that happened was the blade got knocked right out of the boy's hand and sent it flying into the darkness where it landed with a faded clanging noise.

Yelling out in alarm, Navi desperately flew at the monster and shone her light directly into its eye. Like its offspring, the creature let out a pained noise as its sensitive ocular burned from the heavy assault. It started to retreat, going backwards as it shut its large eye. "Link, come on, let's go find your sword while it's distracted!"

Shakily, the boy stood up as he watched the creature run away. "I need your light, Navi! It's too dark!"

The fairy nodded and zipped over to Link as the beast recovered from the dazzling display, letting out confused and pained roars as it kept its eye closed up tight. Navi showed Link about the darkness, lighting his way as he frantically searched for his sword. Thankfully, it didn't take more than thirty or so seconds to find the blade and reclaim it. As this happened, however, a loud thud echoed from behind the two. Looking back, they saw an orange light, the eye of the beast, on the ceiling and advancing at a rapid pace.

"Quick, shoot it down!" Navi exclaimed, formulating the idea quickly. "The slingshot! Shoot it in the eye!"

The slingshot! Link had completely forgotten he even had it! Realizing what Navi had in mind, the boy gave her a curt nod. If the monster jumped from the ceiling it was one thing, but if it got hurt and fell, maybe it would be stunned long enough for an attack! The only problem was Link had to put both his sword and shield away to properly use the slingshot…something he had never tried before. Still, if Navi was suggesting it, surely it was a good plan, right?

Putting the sword and shield onto his back, Link got the slingshot readied, using one of the rocks he picked up on the way to the Great Deku Tree. He couldn't help but notice how the small wooden object felt in his hand, the cracked wood still holding steady. The monster grew ever closer, and Link aimed while ignoring the pain in his shoulder. Unfortunately, the beast was approaching fast, so he panicked as he fired, missing the target completely. "No no no no!" He belted out, backing up as he got another rock ready, Navi following closely.

Despite moving away, the large bug was still slowly catching up as Link prepared another shot, that one missing as well. He got another two rocks and missed both those attempts as well. Panic started to well up in him as the monster was what seemed like seconds away from being right above him. Getting another stone ready, Link aimed carefully and let it fly.

By some miracle, it hit.

The rock struck the creature dead in the center of its eye, eliciting another roar of pain from the beast. Just as Navi planned, the sudden stab of pain and the shock made the large bug lose its grip on the ceiling. After another second, it fell to the floor with a mighty crash, writing in place from the impact. "Go Link! Stab it in the eye!" The fairy called.

Not stopping to think, Link put his slingshot away and got his sword and shield out. As he approached to stab the creature, however, he thought back to the offspring he had killed in just this manner. When Link went to attack, he quickly altered the motion, so he only slashed the monster across the eye, rather than stabbing it.

"What are you doing, Link?!" Navi exclaimed as Link backed away from the monster and back to her side. "Why didn't you finish it off?!"

Link looked on in horror as the blinded beast thrashed and roared on the floor, still not having gotten up. "I…I just…I thought back to those smaller monsters…How I killed them…" He let out a small shudder at the fresh memory.

"I know it's hard to kill for you, Link, I understand that!" Navi urged. "But you have to do this! If you kill this thing, the Great Deku Tree can get better and we can go back outside! Then we can rest, and we can talk all of this over, okay?"

Not okay. Not okay at all. Despite the evil nature of the monster, and Link knowing it had to die, he still didn't want to do this. Navi was right, though, he knew that much. If he could finish it off, he could get out of this place and his quest would be over…

The beast still stunned, Link gathered his Courage and ran towards it, letting out a cry as he plunged his sword into its damaged eye, burying the blade up to the hilt. At that point, the monster let out its loudest roar yet, almost seeming to shake the room around it and making the ears of the duo ring. After that, it reared back, forcing Link to let go of the sword. He quickly backed off in a state of panic, his shield at the ready.

Link and Navi could only watch as the cursed being before them continued its roar, aiming it towards the ceiling. Then, all of a sudden, it stopped. A moment passed. The monster fell forward onto its belly, no longer moving at all. To the shock and revulsion of the two, the beast seemed to rapidly decay, it's body breaking down into nothingness despite the lack of insects of other animals to eat it away. After less than a minute, the revolting bug was reduced to nothing, leaving only Link's sword behind.

Almost instantly after this happened, the room around the duo started to brighten and the fog on the floor vanishing. The orange light spread throughout the large space, growing in intensity until no darkness remained. The two could finally see the entire area from wall to wall, even the vines Link used to get down there. Another thing they noticed were the Deku Babas that had attacked earlier were shriveling up into lifeless husks. The two of them had a hunch the Skulltula in the hallway above, along with any other unwelcome guests within the tree, were sharing the same fate. The final thing to occur in that moment was the stench and oppressive atmosphere dissipated, leaving a fresh and clean smell to the room. Somehow it was like standing outside amongst the trees despite being underground.

Slowly and silently, Link went over to collect his weapon. Trying to ignore the green blood on it, he sheathed the blade and put his shield on his back…and then promptly collapsed onto the floor.

"Link!" Navi exclaimed, worried. The poor boy had landed on his stomach with his face turned to the side. The fairy landed before his eyes, which were almost entirely closed. "Link, are you okay?! Can you stand up?!" Did he really get hurt that bad? She knew he had gotten hit directly by that monster, but it hadn't seemed powerful enough to kill him! "Open you eyes! Please!"

"Navi…" The boy murmured back, barely keeping his eyes opened. "I'm so tired…" He wasn't dying…at least he didn't think he was. Of course, how would he be able to tell? All he knew was he felt so exhausted and pain seemed to course through every last inch of his body. The last time he had experienced suffering like this was that fever that nearly took his life three years ago; an event he just barely recalled. Maybe if he just closed his eyes and rested for a bit…

As these tired thoughts went through the boy's mind, the ceiling above him opened up as a large number of vines descended towards him. At that, Navi felt relief course through her. It was the Great Deku Tree! It just had to be! He was taking Link out of here! She landed on the back of Link's head and bent down to his ear. "Link, don't worry, you'll be outside soon. Just relax, alright?" The fairy said gently as the vines reached the boy and started to wrap around him.

"Outside…" The boy murmured as he was lifted into the air along with Navi. Despite being lifted up and not responsible for his own weight, Link felt so heavy. So tired. He was putting forth all his energy just to stay awake.

Soon, the two were lifted into the ceiling and were carried through a narrow and dark passage. Navi looked about as they went; glad that the Great Deku Tree was now able to do something like this. Frankly there was no way Link was going to make it back up that vined wall on his own. The only option at that point would have been to guide a Healing Fairy within the depths of the massive forest guardian.

As the fairy thought these things over, a sudden burst of sunlight filled the space and made her have to shield her eyes. The next thing Navi knew, she and Link were back in the clearing in front of the Great Deku Tree. Link was still lying on the ground, with the wooden deity looking down at the two. "Please, help Link!" The fairy yelled, taking to the air and approaching the massive tree. "There's something wrong, he shouldn't be in this rough shape, but he's barely conscious!" Her concern for the boy outweighed her need to be calm and polite to the forest guardian, or even acknowledge that his curse had been taken care of. All she wanted was for Link to be okay…

"Navi, calm thyself." The Great Deku Tree rumbled, voice still as weak as when Link and Navi entered his body. "I had concern Link would come out injured. Take a look…"

The fake Guardian Fairy turned back to Link to see a Healing Fairy floating circles about him. She could see the bite on his leg vanishing, along with the red streak on his face and arm. Another thing she noticed was that his clothes had been patched up as well, looking brand new! She then turned back to the deity. "I…I apologize, Great Deku Tree. I was just so worried…"

"I understand, Navi." The deity replied. "Thou was only thinking of Link's wellbeing. That is nothing to apologize for. I only wish I could have healed his wounds myself, alas that is not an ability I possess; all I could do was repair his clothing." As the Great Deku Tree spoke, the Healing Fairy finished her work and flew off into the woods, needing to take a long rest. "Link. Stand and speak with me. Thou hast done very well this day."

Link's eyes shot wide open as the Healing Fairy flew off. Not only were his wounds healed, but a great deal of energy had returned to the boy as well. Even then, it barely registered that he was back outside until the Great Deku Tree ordered him to stand. Slowly, he got onto his hands and knees and stood up, facing the deity. The sight of grass and hazed sunlight were more than welcome after spending so long in such horrible darkness! Not only that, but the foul taste the outside air had earlier that day was now entirely absent. At the moment, the boy wanted nothing more than to simply return home and sleep. Afterword, he would do everything in his power to forget the horrors he faced within the forest guardian. Though he would most likely have to turn to Navi or Saria for comfort…

Yet, he dared not refuse the mighty tree.

"What is it, Father?" Link was hoping all the Great Deku Tree would do was praise him a bit more, maybe even congratulate him on getting a Guardian Fairy. The boy was feeling so anxious he didn't even notice the discolored bark and leaves of the deity remained despite the curse's destruction.

Navi, however, did notice that the Great Deku Tree still seemed a bit sickly. She told herself that it would simply take time for the tree to recover from the curse. Surely in a few days, his bark would be the its normal color, and all of his leaves lush and green. A part of her was a bit angry at the deity. She knew he was going to tell Link more about the evil plaguing Hyrule, and how he had to save the land. It was all so much pressure for a ten year-old. Couldn't he rest, just for a day, after all he went through? The fairy did not dare to actually speak her mind, opting to land on Link's shoulder, sitting down as she looked up at the god before her.

"Thou must listen closely, Link. These words will shape thy future." The tree waited as Link paused and gave a nervous nod for him to continue. "The one who cast that dreadful curse upon me was a man in black armor who came from the desert…"

Link wanted to ask what a desert was or what armor was like on a human but felt that wasn't the time. Still…a man? Like a Hylian man? The boy had of course never seen one, but from what little he knew of them, they shouldn't be able to curse the Great Deku Tree that way! In the back of his mind, he recalled that stranger that didn't become lost that Saria had mentioned. Could that person and this wicked man be one in the same…?

"Thou knows of Hyrule, correct? The land outside the trees?" The deity only told his children about the world outside the Lost Woods when specifically asked. To the surprise of the forest guardian, Link never inquired about it to him. "Did one of the others tell thee about it?"

Despite the situation, Link felt what could almost be called resentment bubbling in his gut towards the deity. The Great Deku Tree never told Link of Hyrule…in fact, he never really told Link anything at all. Never even why a Guardian Fairy never came to him! It was Saria that treated him kindly all this time! From Link's point of view, the tree had done absolutely nothing for him, he simply sat here in this clearing while the boy cried himself to sleep at night or was taunted by his peers!

But…this wasn't the time for such thoughts.

Pushing his anger deep within himself, Link nodded again. "Saria. She told me about Hyrule, but just the name."

"I see. Hyrule is quite important, Link, as it is tied to the Sacred Realm. The wicked man that cursed me uses his dark magic to search for this place." The Great Deku Tree explained. His voice had gotten quieter as he spoke on, much to the confusion of Link and Navi. "This is where the legendary Triforce is hidden, a relic that is blessed with the power of the Golden Goddesses."

Goddesses? Link put on a face of visible confusion. He knew what a god was, but what was a goddess? "Female gods." Navi whispered, noticing the boy's expression.

That confused Link further. He had always been under the impression that the Great Deku Tree was the only god in the world. Now there are more? "Who are these Golden Goddesses, Father?"

"They were the trio that created Hyrule, along with the Lost Woods. Before even I came to be, this land was but an empty and chaotic void. The three Golden Goddesses saw fit to change that." The Great Deku Tree explained. "Din, the Goddess of Power, used her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, created the natural laws of the world and started the flow of the river of Time. Farore, the Goddess of Courage, created all life from the grass you stand on to the animals of the forest."

This was all quite a lot for Link to take in. In honesty, he had never been too curious where the world around him came from. He just accepted it was there, and that was the end of it. He thought it was amazing that the Great Deku Tree protected the forest all by himself, yet this trio of Goddesses created everything around him! He still didn't grasp the full concepts of what he was being told. While the deity before him was revered by the Kokiri, he was not worshipped and in fact the boy had no concept of such a relationship. Link did not understand what the presence of these Golden Goddesses and how those in Hyrule might see them.

"After the Goddesses finished their work, they ascended to the heavens. In doing so, three golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. This is the Triforce, which in its existence alone allows Hyrule to live and flourish. And for untold years, these triangles rested within the Sacred Realm." At this point, the deity stopped, looking down at Link, wanting to let him process the information.

"…I don't understand, Father…" Link spoke up after a few moments. It was quite an interesting story, but it left him unsure of things. "Why are you telling this to me?"

"Thou must not let that man in black armor to obtain the Triforce!" The great tree replied firmly, yet his voice grew even quieter. "He will stop at nothing to enter the Sacred Realm, and if he does, our land will surely perish! It is because I would not help him that he laid that curse upon me. It is because of him that I will soon die." He spoke those last words gravely, almost a whisper, which for him was still quite audible.

"What?!" Navi immediately exclaimed, taking to the air. "Die?! Great Deku Tree, that can't be true!" How could it? Link killed that monstrous bug! The fairy felt sick, never for a moment expecting something so dreadful!

The words hit Link just as hard, but he found himself unable to speak. After all he went through and none of it mattered…He failed in his quest. The Great Deku Tree, the Father of the Forest, the Forest Guardian…was going to die. While Link could never say he loved the deity, this news greatly saddened him on top the guilt he felt for his failure. What would happen to the forest? To the Kokiri? To him? Like Navi, Link felt sick to his stomach. Any second now he expected to throw up onto the grass before him, yet all he did was stand there in shock whilst staring at the Great Deku Tree. As these thoughts and more buzzed through Link's head, he didn't even process the implications that he must somehow prevent the man in black armor from fulfilling his plans.

"Thou did a valiant job, Link, one that took great Courage to achieve. Despite this, I was doomed from the start. Though I shall pass, do not grieve for me. I have told everything that I must. The rest is in thy hands, Link. Thou art Hyrule's final hope…"

Though Navi knew Link had to go and save Hyrule, she still found herself speechless at this moment. In a reversal of roles, the young boy found himself able to speak again. "…I don't…I don't understand, Father…How can I do anything…?" What was going on?! First he had to go fight a monster, then the Great Deku Tree was dying, and then all of Hyrule was depending on him?

A rumbling sound crashed through the clearing, the sickened coughing of a dying god. "Thou must travel to Hyrule Castle. There…the Princess of Destiny awaits…" The deity's voice was growing weaker with every word. "You must take this stone with you…The stone that the man in black armor so desperately wanted…"

Before Link could protest or ask what a princess or castle was, the ground before him opened up. A multitude of vines appeared, lifting a marvelous object on them. A ball of green, glittering beauty rested in a nest of a gorgeous yellow metal that Link was unfamiliar with. His body moving on autopilot, the boy picked the object up, feeling its almost non-existent weight in his hands as the vines vanished back into the ground. This all sounded like the beginning of some long and dangerous quest. He…didn't want this. He wanted to just remain in the forest peacefully!

It was only then something dawned on him.

"Father…I can't leave the Lost Woods…I'll die…" His voice was small and terrified, his face pale and his eyes wide. He had known for years that a Kokiri was unable to step foot outside the forest and survive. They were forest spirits, and without the forest around them, they would simply fall to the ground and die.

"Thou will live…I ensure thee…" The Great Deku Tree replied. "Take this, the Spiritual Stone known as the Kokiri's Emerald…Thou will need to protect it…Show it to the Princess of Destiny…"

Navi stared on in stunned silence. It seemed the Great Deku Tree was not going to tell Link about his true origins of a Hylian. Did that mean the task was up to her or was she meant to keep it a secret…?

"Father…I don't know if I can do this…I'm not capable of doing something like this!" Link half-begged, desperate to avoid something so horrifying. Why did this have to happen to him? He didn't like fighting and never craved for adventure! All he had ever wanted was to be friends with the other children of the village and be happy!

"Thou art a Child of Destiny…Thou can do great things…Thy Courage is strong, though it may not yet seem so…" The god paused, speaking slower like someone trying to stay awake. "Navi…Go with Link. Help him…He will rely on thee…" Another rumbling, another fit of coughs. "I entreat thee…Go…save…Hyr…ule…Fare…well…"

Before Link or Navi could reply, there was an unusual groaning noise. To the duo's horror, the bark of the Great Deku Tree started to turn grey with a stone texture. In mere moments, the wooden flesh of the deity had petrified. While this occurred, the countless leaves that adorned the tree's top started to wither and turn brown all at once. Within seconds, a number of them even started to slowly fall to the ground below. The groaning stopped as quickly as it started. The clearing was silent.

The Great Deku Tree was dead.

Navi instantly fell to the ground, looking up on her hands at knees at the massive corpse before her. She didn't speak, or even attempt to. She simply started to cry as the god of the forest, the place she called home, sat dead before her.

Link stood in shock, staring at his deceased guardian with disbelief. How could something like this even happen? He thought the Great Deku Tree was supposed to live forever! Tears started to silently stream down Link's face as he looked onward at the sight that should be impossible. He may not have ever loved the Great Deku Tree, but he still felt misery grip at his heart along with the guilt of the situation weighing down on him. What would happen to his home? The Lost Wood's guardian was gone…so what would protect the village? "Father…" Link murmured, not even meaning to do so. A part of him wished that, before he went, the Great Deku Tree had said…

No…it didn't matter…

"Father?!" A voice rang out from behind the duo, interrupting their grieving. They looked at the noise's source to see Mido. The Kokiri was peeking from the trees at the clearing's edge, his face pale and warped in terror. "What happened?!" He demanded, walking out from behind the trees and into the clearing. "What did you do?! Did you…kill Father?!" The bully had been curious when Link didn't came back after such a long visit to the forest guardian, and just had to investigate. By the time he got there, the god had already died…

Instantly, Navi forced herself to be composed as she took to the air again. "No! You don't understand! It isn't what you think!" She yelled out desperately, wiping her tears away frantically.

Link, on the other hand, stared at Mido with a terrified expression on his face. "Mido…I…I didn't…" He murmured, too quietly for anyone to hear him.

"You killed him! How could you do this?!" Mido demanded, face contorted into a mixture of fury and grief. This was the only conclusion that made sense to the Kokiri. He came by to see his Father dead along with that freakish newcomer to the village standing there perfectly fine. What else was he to think? "I…I'm going to tell everyone!"

As the bully turned and ran off, Link finally found his voice. "Mido! Wait! Please!" He shouted, but the Kokiri had already gone out of earshot. Stunned, the boy and fairy could only remain there in silence as they were left alone. The Kokiri's Emerald sparkled in the light, going unnoticed by the frantic boy.

"We…We have to go!" Navi exclaimed, flying in front of Link's face. "He's going to gather the whole village, I bet! We have to get prepared and leave right now!" She hated that it came to this, wanting at least a few days for the two of them to recover and mourn, but that was clearly not going to happen!

"But…I…" Link started, still too stunned to properly speak. After a moment, he shook his head and wiped away his tears. "I…What…What if we just explain…?" Surely everyone could be reasoned with…How could he have even killed the Great Deku Tree?

Navi shook her head. "I want to think that will work, but I don't think it will!" After all, this was the group of kids that spent years harassing this poor boy. Only one of them actually made amends, the others had no such experience to possibly quell their anger. "Come on, we have to go to your house and get your things, Link!"

Link wanted to argue further, but he once more remembered who he was dealing with; the one he believed to be his true Guardian Fairy. If she really felt this strongly…maybe she was right. "…Okay…Let's go." Clutching the Kokiri's Emerald tight, Link ran into the trees as Navi lead the way.

The duo pushed all thoughts out of their heads as they made their way through the trees. All they focused on was moving as fast as they could. Though his wounds were healed, and a lot of energy returned to him, Link was still tired from the events from earlier, and moved slower than usual. Eventually, they made it into the village which was surprisingly empty. Ignoring the lack of children, the two rushed to Link's house and up his ladder. "Just get essentials, okay Link?" Navi urged the boy. "We have to be out of here as fast as we can! The other children might form a mob or something, who knows what they might do if they get a hold of you!" She really didn't want to scare Link, but a large part of her felt that was a genuine concern.

Nodding silently, Link got to work gathering his things. The first item he got was a large bag that he stashed the Kokiri's Emerald in. The bag was made of leather and had a number of compartments and pockets, having been a birthday present from Saria last year. He hadn't gotten much use out of it before today, never really needing to carry many objects at once. Link frantically went about his small home, gathering things he thought he may need.

In the end, Link packed the following: the Kokiri's Emerald, some food in the form of fruits and berries, three bottles of water, a blanket, an extra tunic and pair of shorts, and a small knife he used for skinning rabbits. He really wasn't sure what else he would need, so that was all he decided to take with him.

As Link was about to go out of his home and onto the balcony, he froze, causing Navi to almost fly into the back of his head. "Saria…" He murmured.

"What? Saria? What about her?" Navi asked, flying back around in front of Link. "We have to keep moving!"

"I have to tell her what's going on!" Link argued, fidgeting in place. "She's not going to know where I am, and I don't want to just…leave her. She's…" He trailed off. She was his everything, at least before Navi came along. No one cared for him like she did. Link couldn't even imagine just leaving her behind in the woods without saying goodbye.

"We don't have time, Link, I'm sorry…" Navi said gently. "Remember, this isn't permanent. When we're done out there, we can come back and see her. Okay?" She wasn't even sure if that would truly be the case, but the fairy was growing increasingly worried about the Kokiri and what they may do to Link if he didn't leave right away!

Link wanted to argue, but he realized Navi was most likely right. He knew she was the wiser of the two of them, so while he may not want to, he knew he had to go with what she said. "…But you promise I'll see her again, right?"

"…I promise." The fairy replied softly.

Satisfied, Link went out onto the balcony and made his way down the ladder, Navi keeping an eye out for the Kokiri children. When they reached the ground, the fairy lead the boy along to the outskirts of the village, going to the quickest route from the Lost Woods to Hyrule.

As they went on, a piercing pain exploded from the side of Link's head, making him cry out in shock and pain as he fell to the ground. "Link?!" Navi exclaimed, flying down to the boy to look at his head. Already there was blood trickling down the side of his face as he groaned into the grass and dirt. "What just happened?!"

"There he is!" A voice yelled from behind the fairy. She turned and saw Mido glaring daggers at the duo. With him were about eight or nine other Kokiri children, all having expressions of fury on their young features. Guardian Fairies buzzed above the crowd, each one giving off an intense red light. The one who yelled was the leader of the mob, picking up another rock from the ground.

"Link! Get up, come on! We have to run!" Navi urged, looking back between Link and the approaching crowd. It wouldn't take them long to reach the two, and the children all had rocks or sticks in their hands. They weren't going to be persuaded…

Looking over to the crowd himself, Link felt his heart sink when he saw the hateful faces of the other children. He felt even worse when he saw Fado amongst the group, eyes filled with an unrelenting fury. Finally, he felt foolish in thinking he could reason with everyone. Hesitating no longer, he got to his feet and sprinted to the trees, Navi quickly catching up.

"After him!"

"He killed our Father!"

"Don't let him get away!"

Ignoring the shouts from behind, Link and Navi went through the trees as the group chased after them. Thanks to the head start and the fear mixed with adrenaline, Link was able to outrun the Kokiri as they all went farther and farther from the village. Eventually, the yelling stopped entirely, and the duo found themselves alone in the woods. Even then, they kept going for another five minutes, just to be safe.

When the two were absolutely sure their pursuers had gone, they stopped to breath. Link sat against a tree as the events of the day piled on inside his head. He got his Guardian Fairy and felt as though he would finally start being able to fit in with everyone else. Then he had to go and fight monsters within the Great Deku Tree. Just when he thought that it was all over, the only father figure he had ever known died, and now everyone hated him even more than before. That was of course on top of having to leave the forest and go on some journey he never wanted! With all the thoughts and emotions building up, Link finally broke and started to sob as he curled up into a ball. Eyes scrunched shut, his shoulders shook as he cried into his knees.

Navi instantly went over and landed on Link's shoulder as he let his sorrows out. First and foremost, she checked the wound on the side of his head, which he had already dismissed, his emotional pain far outweighing the physical. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad, the bleeding had long since stopped. Now there was just dried blood in his hair and down his face. After that, she tried to console him as best as her small body would allow. "Link, I promise it will be okay. You'll see. I know things are rough now, but they'll get better…" She wasn't even sure of her own words, but it broke her heart to see her companion so distraught. The fairy had known him for less than a day, yet she already felt herself quite attached to the boy. The poor thing just wanted to live a peaceful and happy life, but fate seemed to do everything it could to ruin it for him.

It took a few minutes for the boy to reply, focusing on crying his eyes out while Navi tried to console him. After calming down enough to properly talk, Link raised his head, glancing down at the fairy on his shoulder. "It won't be okay!" He exclaimed miserably. "The Great Deku Tree is dead! What will happen to the others? Are they going to be okay?!" Tears continued to stream down his face as he spoke, his voice strained and cracked as he tried not to break down again.

That actually surprised Navi quite a bit. A group of those horrible children chased after him, Mido even pelting him with a rock. Yet one of the first things he asked afterward was if they would be alright. He was almost too kind for his own good. "I…I don't really know. The Great Deku Tree was the guardian far longer than I was alive…but remember the forest itself also keeps outsiders away." At least, most of them. "The others should be safe, okay?" As she spoke, Navi realized how the atmosphere of the woods changed in the sort time the Father of the Forest passed away. Despite being right on Link's shoulder she still felt…alone, as if she was the only living being in the entire forest…

"…Will there be a new forest guardian?" Link asked, feeling slightly less concerned due to Navi's words. Being a fairy, she would know more about the forest than he would, after all…

"I can't answer that…I never imagined the Great Deku Tree would ever die. Maybe…a new guardian will grow. After all, when a tree dies, a new one eventually takes its place." The fairy was purely speculating at this point.

That…made sense to Link. A new Great Deku Tree, perhaps…Still, it didn't change that, in his eyes, the old one died. He may not have loved him, but the deity's death still hit the boy hard and would have even if he didn't blame himself. Despite the deity's words, Link thought it was entirely his fault that he met that horrible end. Maybe if the boy had just been five minutes faster, the Great Deku Tree could have pulled through! If he had been faster, or stronger, or had more Courage, the forest would still have a guardian. The Kokiri would still have a father. No one would hate him anymore…

"Navi…Did he love me? The Great Deku Tree?"

"What?" Navi was surprised at the suddenness of the question. "What do you mean?"

"He never told me that. Never. Saria told me a bunch of times that she loves me." Link explained, recalling pleasant memories of him and the Kokiri girl together.

"I'm sure he did, Link. He watched after you and the other children, didn't he? He must have loved you!"

Link looked doubtful. "Why didn't he ever say it, then? Even before he died, he didn't tell me he loved me!"

Navi really had no idea what to do here. She really had no experience with helping children with things like this. The fairy had helped a couple of kids in Hyrule cheer up after tripping to the ground or finding their parents after they got separated. Talking to a boy about if his adoptive father loved him was too far out of her league. "I…I can't really answer that, Link. Perhaps he assumed you knew…" She was pulling this out of thin air, not really what else to say. The fairy couldn't just shrug and say she didn't know.

The answer didn't satisfy Link, but he didn't want to argue further, so he just accepted it. "…I see…"

"We should probably get going. We have to get to the Princess…" Navi didn't want to rush Link, but who knew if those kids had actually given up their search?

Reminding himself to later ask what a princess was, Link shook his head. "I need…more time. Please, Navi…I'm so scared…"

Pity once more filled Navi as the poor boy started to sob again. "…Of course. You're right, I'm sorry, Link. Take your time, okay?"

The boy gave a small noise of thanks as he buried his face into his knees again. He really didn't want to leave, but he knew there wasn't much to say in the matter. The Great Deku Tree entrusted this task to him, and there was apparently no one else that could do it! Link had no confidence in himself, but if he didn't at least try to stop that wicked man in black armor, was there anyone else that could? He just didn't have the answer to any of these questions! Besides, he couldn't turn around and go back…who knew what the others would do to him?

Time passed, and while Link stopped crying after a couple of minutes, he remained in that same position for a while longer. Navi patiently sat on his shoulder, waiting for him to be ready. As he sat, his mind wandered to other subjects. The most prominent being his own self-worth. His self-esteem had gained a boost when Navi arrived to him but now…he felt more worthless than ever. A stupid, horrid child that couldn't even save someone when tasked to do so. What good was he? Why did Navi come to such an unworthy brat like him? He actually felt a bit sorry for her, forced to tag along with someone so awful. She even kept trying to help him, even though he didn't deserve it.

So, Link came to a decision. He was going to have to hide himself again.

Link thought that perhaps he would get to shed that act of stoicism when Navi arrived, but that dream was short-lived. Not only for the sake of Navi, but for his own, he would put that act back on again. For his own sake, he needed to at least pretend he was brave and force the emotions of fear down into himself as he went on this adventure. The boy didn't know how much it would help…but he felt it necessary.

And with that decision, Link finally stood back up, startling Navi a bit as she took to the air again. "I'm ready." He declared, his face a blank slate and his voice flat. The boy despised that he had to do this again, but he really thought it would be best for everyone.

The change came to a shock to Navi. After a moment, she recalled he was like this when she first spoke to him. She could ask him about it later. For now, the two of them had to go! "Alright, follow me. We're not too far from the end of the forest."

Silently, the two went on. While not as in-tune to nature as Navi, Link felt a change in the Lost Woods as well. It seemed far quieter to him, like all the animals of the forest had vanished. Yet he could see bugs flying through the air, and a bird or two perched on the branches. He hoped the area could return to how it used to be one day, or perhaps this odd, muted feeling would fade…

Just as Navi said, it wasn't very long before the trees stopped ahead of the duo. Link had never been this far away from the village before, never daring to get anywhere near the edge of the Lost Woods. He had never seen the trees just…stop like that before. Through the branches and the gaps in the barks, he could see a bright light peeking into the forest. Before he could ask Navi what that light was, a voice rang out from behind the two.

"I'm glad I caught up to you before it was too late…"

Startled, the two turned around to see Saria approaching them slowly. Her face was grim, her eyes a duller shade of blue than usual. Before Link could get a word in, Navi flew in front of him, as if shielding him from the girl. "Whatever you heard; it isn't true! Link didn't kill the Great Deku Tree!"

Saria gave a sad smile, still walking closer. "Of course he didn't. Don't worry, I wouldn't imagine for a second he'd do such a thing." She noticed Link's lack of reaction to her presence, wearing that horrible blank look once more. "I wanted to say goodbye before you left." She stopped her approached when she was mere feet in front of Link.

"How did you know I was leaving? About my quest?" Link asked, stepping in front of Navi. While he didn't show it, immense relief filled him. He really got to say his farewells to Saria after all…

The girl decided to take a few steps closer to Link, reaching over and gently grabbing his left hand. "I don't really know myself. I just had this…feeling. I wish I had gotten to you before the others hurt you." She gazed to the dried blood on his face. As if by instinct, she licked her thumb and made to wipe the red streaks away.

"I'll be okay. Just a rock." Link replied, allowing Saria to wipe away some of the blood as he spoke. Navi, meanwhile, watched in silence at their exchange.

Saria was silent for a few moments as she kept working on the dried substance, but sadly couldn't get it to completely go away. Giving up, she sighed as she gazed upon Link's blank visage. "I see you're hiding yourself away again. I was hoping that would stop after seeing you this morning."

Again? Navi hadn't even thought that this was some long ongoing thing. So, Link tried to hide himself away from other people? It honestly looked to the fairy he was trying to simply suppress all his emotions. While not an expert on the matter, the fairy knew that wasn't a healthy thing to do. She would have to talk with him about it later…

"I'm sorry. It's just better this way."

Saria didn't think that was even remotely true but didn't want their last encounter in who knew how long to be an argument. Letting go of Link's hand, she reached into a small pouch at her side and pulled out her Ocarina. An ancient, but still strong, instrument light brown in color. "I want you to have this. Take it with you, okay?"

Link looked down at the instrument, surprised at the gift. Saria had told him it was the first and only Ocarina she had ever owned…and she was just giving it to him? "I can't take this. It wouldn't be right."

Shaking her head, Saria extended her arms, offering the instrument to him once more. "Take it, Link. You can return it to me one day, when your journey is over." She offered a small smile to her precious boy.

"What if I can't come back? The others…" Link trailed off, his hands clenching into fists.

"I'll talk to them. Hopefully…I can convince them of your innocence." The girl replied; not even sure she could do it. "We can't let this be our final meeting. You're very precious to me, Link. Please, take this as a symbol of our friendship…"

With those words, Link would feel worse by not taking the Ocarina. Nodding, he took the instrument, placing it in a pouch attached to his belt. That was where he had held his old Ocarina before he threw it into the forest. "Thank you, Saria. I promise I'll bring it back when the quest is over."

"Thank you…" Saria said warmly. She paused before speaking again. "Even if I can't convince you to be rid of that horrible blank look for good…Can I please have a smile before you go? Just for a moment?"

"Why?" Saria had tried to get him to drop the act before, but he had always refused. This was the first time, however, she asked him to simply smile for her.

"I just want to remember you smiling before you go. It would mean so much to me, Link." She felt almost guilty for making this request, realizing it was a bit selfish…

After a few moments, Link decided it would be terrible of him to do something so small for Saria. Especially after she was the only one to still believe in him. Though it felt almost wrong to do so, Link gave his best friend a small smile. "I'm going to miss you, Saria."

Smiling back, Saria wrapped Link in a tight hug, which the boy immediately returned. "I'm going to miss you too, Link. Stay safe and come back here as soon as you can, alright?"

"…I'll do everything I can to come back." Link promised, keeping his voice level despite the emotions welling up inside of him. He wouldn't allow himself to cry, not now! "I love you, Saria."

"I love you too, Link." She whispered, tearing up a bit.

The two stood like that for a full minute, enjoying the warm embrace of the other. When they separated, Link had his blank look back and Saria wiped her tears away. Wordlessly, the two separated and Link turned to leave. The both of them had many more things they wanted to say to each other, but at the same time they realized it would be harder for Link to go if they kept talking. Navi quietly followed the young boy as he approached the edge of the forest…the only home he ever knew. Saria remained where Link left her, her eyes glued to his receding back.

Taking a deep breath, Link stepped out of the Lost Woods.

 

[Ottriman]

This chapter almost got me, I see your ingenious plan to shoot us readers in the heartstrings.

 

[Immortal Lurker]

I sincerely hope that Hylia, the goddesses, and Link's unnamed mother all give the Great Deku the mother of all put-downs when he makes it to the afterlife. Seriously, "I'm about to die, Link isn't to blame" would be all he needed to say. Also, not preparing him at all for the dangers of his quest, both physical and emotional.

I'm loving this violence averse Link. I really feel for him, and I hope he can find a way to kill and harm as little as possible on his quest.