"Wake up my dear children," a soothing deep voice whispered gently. A boy stirred then opened his eyes. He blinked several times before he rubbed his eyes. He opened his eyes again and squinted from the bright sunlight.
He lay motionless, confused when he heard the soothing voice again. "That's right my children. Time to awaken." He looked over to see where the voice had come from and fixed his eyes on an enormous tree.
"What's going on?" he heard another, softer voice. He glanced to where the voice originated. The voice came from a young girl who wore a green dress and had short green hair. She inquired the question he begun to speculate himself. He slowly rose; his head instantly begun to whirl.
"Relax, children," the tree said. "I'm the Great Deku Tree. I have conceived you."
"Why are we here?" the same girl asked.
"I'm certain you have numerous questions. I will explain in due time. First, let me start by disclosing that I have conceived you children to eternally remain as young as you are. You will never age as long as you never leave this forest."
"What do you mean?" he spoke up, finding his voice. He gradually ascended to his feet, staggering slightly. Once he found his balance, he examined his surroundings more thoroughly. He noticed a wall surrounding them with countless trees behind the wall, but none of them as massive or magnificent as the Great Deku Tree. There was a path that led away from the clearing. He attempted to peek down the path, curious what was around the corner. He obtained a quick scan of the other children. He noticed everyone wore green clothing with brown or blonde hair, except for the one who had spoken earlier.
"I'm sure you noticed that we are in the middle of a forest. I have used my powers within this forest to preserve your youth as long as you remain within the boundaries of this forest. Once you step foot beyond this forest, you will mature, even if you return."
"What's on the other side of the forest?" he asked.
"One day I will tell you more, but now, I believe it's time that you are named. I will speak to each of you individually and hope to resolve some confusion. So, if you will be patient and converse amongst yourselves, I will eventually address each of you personally."
"If we don't have names, how will we know who you are speaking to?" the green haired girl asked.
"I shall start with you young one," answering her question. The others remained silent for a moment, but soon begun to talk amongst themselves.
He didn't pay any attention to the small talk around him as he drowned himself in his thoughts. "If you step foot outside this forest, you will grow old," the Great Deku Tree's words ran though his mind. 'If I never grow old, does that mean I live forever?' He scowled at the thought. 'I don't get it! What does this all mean?'
"Hey," another kid interrupted his thoughts and lightly nudged him. "You're next."He didn't know how long he had been lost in thought. He strode ahead and halted in front of the Great Deku Tree.
"Don't worry, my dear child," the Great Deku Tree told him calmly. "I will clarify everything in due time. Firstly, your name is Mido. I sense great things are to come in your future, which is why I want your support."
"What do you mean by support?" Mido asked.
"I require your assistance to lead the other children. Because I'm immobile, I cannot always assist everybody."
"But how can I lead them if I don't even know how?"
"No need to worry, Mido. I will guide you. I will initiate personal fairies for everyone. Each fairy will have my vast knowledge. You will have your own fairy that will follow you. They will guide you when I cannot. Do you have any questions?"
"I have many; I don't know where to begin."
"I will explain more in due time. You are dismissed." Mido strolled away, not uttering another word.
"Hi," the green haired girl said to him. "My name is Saria. What's yours?"
"Mido," he answered.
"Are you as lost and confused as I am?"
Mido glanced around him to observe everyone else's expressions.. Everyone looked exactly how he felt. "It appears that everyone feels the same. I suppose the only thing we can do is trust in Great Deku Tree and see what he has in store for us."
Saria smiled at him pleasantly. "I suppose you're right. The only thing we can do is wait patiently for Great Deku Tree to explain more, but there is something that he mentioned that I can't stop pondering."
"What's that?" Mido asked.
"He said we'll never age as long as we never stepped foot outside this forest, right? Does this mean we'll live forever?" Mido stepped back, surprised. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," he replied. "I'm just surprised that I'm not the only one with the exact same thoughts."
"Listen," the Great Deku Tree called out. "Just beyond the bend behind you, there is a clearing in which you'll live, but you will have to work together to build your own homes."
"How will we do that?" asked one of the Kokiri. "We don't know how to build anything."
"I will educate you. Until then, I have enough space inside myself to house all of you."
"When will you teach us?" asked the same child.
"First thing in the morning," replied the Great Deku Tree. The same child and a few others around him groaned.
"We desire to be taught at this moment," insisted the child beside him.
"Patients," the Great Deku Tree replied sternly. Mido gradually become aware that the sky wasn't as bright as it was previously.
"It appears the sun is setting," Mido spoke up. "We have a great deal to be taught in the morning and we should be well rested."
"I suppose," murmured the same few boys.
"Now, if you would, step inside and make yourself comfortable," the Great Deku Tree said as he opened a doorway. "All of you will have a big day tomorrow."
One by one, they strolled into the Great Deku Tree's interior. Mido lingered as the others proceeded inside.
"Are you coming?" Saria asked Mido. Mido hadn't realized he spaced out. He glanced around and noticed that he and Saria were the only ones that remained outside.
He quickly glanced back to Sarai's concerning glare. "Coming," he responded. Once inside, the doorway shut behind him. The others were already on the floor with half of them already asleep.
"Over here, Mido," Saria beckoned as softly as she could to not stir the others. He smiled at the thought she had saved him a spot. He stretched out on the floor next to Saria and instantly fell asleep.
5
