"In the vast, deep forest of Hyrule... Long have I served as the guardian spirit... I am known as the Deku Tree...
"The children of the forest, the Kokiri, live here with me. Each Kokiri has his or her own guardian fairy. However, there is one boy who does not have a fairy...
"Navi... Navi, where art thou? Come hither... Oh, Navi the fairy... Listen to my words, the words of the Deku Tree... Dost thou sense it? The climate of evil descending upon this realm...
"Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule... For so long, the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world...
"But... before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing... It seems the time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey...
"The youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth... Navi...go now! Find our young friend and guide him to me... I do not have much time left. Fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!"
The fairy to which the Great Deku Tree was speaking to bobbed up and down in semblance of nodding, and turned around to fly into the forest.
The fairy, Navi, flew through the entrance of the house of the young boy without a fairy. She flew close to him, and gave her signature twinkling noise. The boy groggily stirred in his sleep.
"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Navi tried saying. The boy rolled suddenly in his bed, and woke up. He looked around the wooden house, to find a glowing blue ball in his face. He threw himself backwards in surprise.
"Relax, young boy. I am Navi, and I am to be your new guide. Pleased to meet you!" Navi said, leaning forwards as if she were expecting a handshake. The boy continued to stare blankly at the fairy. Navi shook herself. She realised, upon further inspection, that the boy was mute.
"The Great Deku Tree has requested your presence. We should get going!" Navi said. This galvanised the boy into action. He got out of his bed, and ran out the door.
The boy looked around the forest that was his home. Kokiri Forest was a place surrounded on all sides by trees. The clearing in which the peaceful villagers claimed as home was no different, except for the fact that its trees were instead stumps, fashioned into homes. The boy stepped forward, and he saw a young girl run up to him. He smiled, recognising his friend+.
"How have you been, Link?" she asked. Link nodded, and Navi appeared around his head.
"Wow! A fairy! So you finally got one, huh?" she asked. Link nodded again. It was always a sore point for him that he had no fairy, mainly because of all the teasing it netted him on top of being a mute.
"Wow, Mido and Fado are so going to have to eat their words about you now!" the girl said. Link beamed. The girl leaned forward, and cuddled him.
"Link! Is that your name? Whatever, you should stop canoodling with your friend and get going!" Navi said. Link let go of her, and stepped back.
"Hello, Link's fairy. My name is Saria. What's gotten you in such a rush?" Saria asked coolly.
"First of all, my name is Navi! And second of all, Link has an appointment with the Great Deku Tree!" Navi said.
"Calm down, Navi. Link's not going much of anywhere. Mido visited the Great Deku Tree this morning, to tend to its roots. He said that monsters attacked him in there, and he barely escaped with his life. Now he won't let anybody get past him without some way to defend themselves. When I asked him about it, he specifically suggested a sword and a shield," Saria said. Link looked down.
"Don't worry, Link! I can fashion you a shield. But there's only one half-decent sword here. I'm going to need you to go and collect it…" Saria said. Link nodded.
Link came back from the Kokiri's Training Ground, to see Saria carrying two Deku Shields, a quiver of Deku Sticks, and a wooden spear. Link raised an eyebrow, realising what Saria was suggesting.
"I want to help you, Link," Saria said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Link smiled, grateful for the suggestion, and hugged Saria again. Link didn't say a word, but his message was obvious: thank you, Saria! Saria beamed when she realised this, and gave Link one of the shields. She took the other on her arm, and they prepared to go visit the Deku Tree.
Passing Mido with no trouble, Link and Saria stepped forward, and arrived to see the Great Deku Tree.
"Oh… Navi… Thou hast returned…
"Link… Saria… Welcome… Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee…
"Thy slumbers these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares… As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it… Those with an important role to play in events to come…
"Verily, you hast felt it…
"Link… Saria… The time has come to test thy courage… I have been cursed… I need you to break the curse with thy wisdom and courage. Dost you have courage enough to undertake thy task?"
"Yes, Great Deku Tree. With my wisdom and Link's courage, the curse that lies within you will be broken…" Saria said, pulling out one of her Deku Sticks.
"Then enter, brave Link, wise Saria, and thou too… Navi…
"Navi the fairy… Thou must aid Link in days to come…
What could be said about the inside of the Great Deku Tree was that it was infested with Skulltulas. Both dangling Skulltulas and wall Skulltulas were in abundance, as well as the Deku Babas that normally grew peacefully, but were now attacking. All of this on top of the cobwebs that had started to ensnare the Deku Tree's insides.
"Definitely a curse…" Saria said. Link stepped forward, looking around the room.
"Link, watch out! There's nothing-!" Saria started to cry out, before Link fell through the cobwebs in the centre of the room.
"-under your feet…" Saria concluded.
"This just got bad. We have to figure out how to help him!" Bel said. Saria nodded, and started to inspect the hole Link fell into. Bel took her time to see if anything above them might be able to help.
Link was lucky enough to land in the water, not falling fast enough to crash into the water at particularly high speeds.
"Chubby," Navi said condescendingly. Link chose to ignore this, instead favouring searching for a way back to Saria.
"Hey Link! Listen!" Navi told him. Link perked up his ears, and complied with Navi's suggestion. Looking around, he heard a steady *scritch-scritch* sound coming from even deeper within the tree. He looked at Navi, and nodded. He climbed over to another web, like the one he fell through, and used it to go even deeper into the tree.
"That kid's going to get himself killed with just that butter knife of his. I'll go tell Saria," Navi said. She turned, and flew from the lower area of the tree.
Bel and Saria had climbed up a few vines. Bel had found a conspicuous chest, and Saria felt confident that it may help Link in some fashion. She jumped across a platform to reach the chest, and opened it. Inside was a curious little three-pronged stick with a leather pouch. Beside it was a leather bag, containing hardened Deku Seeds.
"This is one of those Fairy Slingshots that the boy Kokiri use!" Bel said. She started to hover up and down excitedly.
"Yeah… and Link doesn't use one," Saria said. She stated it as fact, both proud of Link's relative maturity, and upset that his not using one could potentially be fatal. Before Saria could choose her emotions, Navi entered the room.
"Did Link get out of the hole?" Saria asked. Her experience was that fairies didn't wander from their partners unless they were confident their partner was safe.
"No! He's gone to find a giant scratchy noise!" Navi shouted. Bel very nearly scoffed.
"A scratchy noise? A scratchy noise? Honestly, what did Link do to deserve a fairy like you?" Bel asked. Saria was less than amused with the argument.
"Honestly! I'll need to get the Fairy Slingshot to Link! And he could also possibly use my help in other regards as well!"
Link had traversed into a foggy room with four pillars and a bland pattern. He looked around uncertainly, before looking up. There was a rather terrifying beast on the ceiling, with four legs, a scorpion's tail, and the body of a spider. It possessed one giant, orange eye.
Parasitic Armoured Arachnid: GOHMA
Gohma prowled forward, hissing and seething. Link pulled out his Kokiri Sword, and waited for his opening. The two circled each other. Gohma suddenly lunged forward, his eye turning red. Link jumped forward, but was knocked aside like a fly. Gohma turned to Link, to see him resuming his feet. Link turned around, and threw a Deku Nut. Nothing happened, except Gohma got angrier. She spat out a thread of silk, wrapping itself around Link's left arm. Link pulled at the silk, but it was unyielding. Gohma roared, his eye turning red once again…
Only to suddenly flash a plethora of colours, as Saria lowered the Fairy Slingshot. The silk broken, Link's sword arm was able to move. Link and Saria charged forward, and started beating the downed Gohma with their blade and spear. Gohma brushed them aside, and climbed onto the ceiling. She raised her tail, and shot out a group of eggs. They hatched into Gohma Larvae. Saria swung her Deku Spear around, and defeated some of the Larvae. Gohma screeched, and dropped from the ceiling. It grabbed Saria with its forelegs, and shot silk around her body, pinning her arms to her sides. Saria dropped the Fairy Slingshot, but the Deku Spear was pinned by the silk as well. Link charged, and reached for the Fairy Slingshot. Gohma brushed it aside easily. Gohma roared, and the Gohma Larvae surrounded Link and Saria from the front.
"Link! Help!" Saria cried out in terror. Link sliced at Gohma's arm. It didn't do any damage by a long shot, but it did sting Gohma. Gohma turned to Link, her eye furiously red. Her pincers opened wide, and silk formed in between them.
"Link!" Saria cried out. Link turned to her, a grim feeling in his eyes.
Gohma's eye turned into the plethora of colours again. Link seized his chance, and hacked away at Gohma's eye. Gohma roared, and dropped Saria. She writhed about, before decomposing into the tree. Navi and Bel lowered the Fairy Slingshot, and hurried to their companions. Link crawled over to Saria, who was still entangled in Gohma's silk. Saria smiled gratefully, and Link tried to cut the silk with the Kokiri Sword. Work was difficult both due to the quantity of the silk and how close it was to Saria's body. Eventually, Link got it free, and Saria threw her arms around Link. Link smiled, and pet Saria on the back.
"We were so worried about you, you idiot!" Navi cried out.
"Don't be so mean! Link, you were really brave, facing that spider like that," Bel said. Saria broke away from Link, blushing furiously.
"Bel's right. Thank you for saving my life, and that of the Deku Tree," Saria said. Link smiled, and took the Fairy Slingshot from the fairies' hands. He pocketed it just in case.
Link and Saria exited the Deku Tree, and stood at the Deku Tree's roots.
Well done, Link, Saria…
You hast verily demonstrated thy courage… I knew that you wouldst be able to carry out my wishes… Now I have yet more to tell thee, wouldst thou listen…?
Link sat down expectantly. He waved his hand in the universal signal for 'carry on'. Saria shrugged, and joined him.
Now… listen carefully… A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me…
This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule… For it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods…
Before time began, before spirits and life existed… Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule…
Din, the goddess of power…
Nayru, the goddess of wisdom…
Farore, the goddess of courage…
Din… With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth.
Nayru… Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world.
Farore… With her rich soul, produced all life-forms who would uphold the law.
The three great goddesses, their labours completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence. And the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm.
You must never allow the desert man in black armour to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce… You must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend… That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power… Because of that curse, my end is nigh…
Yea… Though your valiant efforts to break the curse were successful, I was doomed before you started… Yea, I will pass away soon… but do not grieve for me…
I have been able to tell to you of these important matters…
This is Hyrule's final hope…
Link and Saria stood up, Saria shivering.
Link… Go now to Hyrule Castle… There though wilt surely meet the Princess of Destiny…
Take this stone with thee, the stone that man wanted so much so that he cast the curse upon me…
A green orb shone above Link's head. It descended down in front of Link, and he held his hands out. The orb took on golden markings, and became the Kokiri's Emerald, the Spiritual Stone of the Forest. Link grinned gratefully, and stowed it into his pockets.
Thy future depends upon thee… Link… Thou art… courageous…
Navi the fairy… Help Link… to carry out my will…
. . . . . . . . . b y e . . . . . . .
The green foliage that the Deku Tree bore shook, and turned a dark brown. One by one, the leaves began to fall, withering before they landed. The trunk of the Deku Tree turned even darker still, and peeled away in places. The Deku Tree's face combined with the pockmarked wood made a sickening sight. Link and Saria looked between each other, and left.
"What happened to the Great Deku Tree?" Mido asked. He had blocked off the Great Deku Tree until Link and Saria returned. Saria still bore the scars of Gohma's attack, and her eyes were fresh with tears. Link scratched behind his head, wondering what the best words, or lack of, were suitable.
"The tree… he's dead…" Navi said simply.
"What? No! Impossible!" Fado cried out from a corner.
"Calm down, Fado. Those monsters must have done a number on him. But what are we to do? We are without a guardian spirit…" Mido responded. Saria choked back her tears.
"I will be the Kokiri Forest's Guardian. My spear is whittled from the bark of the Great Deku Tree himself. I should be able to defend the forest for now, and possibly for ever," she said proudly. Link beamed from ear to ear. He hugged Saria, and the message was as plain as day.
"Now, Kokiri, I must go and talk to Link in private. Do not disturb me until I return," Saria said. She took Link's arm, and rushed him through to the exit of the Kokiri Forest.
"Link… you'll have to go…" Saria said tearfully. Link nodded. The Great Deku Tree had mentioned the Princess of Destiny, and to avenge the Tree and uphold its wishes, Link would have to leave the Kokiri Forest.
"Do you think you'll last out there?" Bel asked. Link nodded. It might have just been the confidence talking, but Link felt as if he could take on more than the average Kokiri.
"Before you go, I want you to take this… this is the Fairy Ocarina. It was my first one, and… I want you to have it," Saria said. Link took the Ocarina in his hands, and nodded thankfully. Saria pulled out another Ocarina, similar but more suited to hands her size, and put it to her lips.
"What now?" Navi asked.
"Saria is going to teach you a very special song. Should Link play this tune, he will be able to hear Saria's voice anytime," Bel said. Navi nodded, and Link listened intently. Saria played a short sequence of notes, which Link repeated.
"Well done, Link!" Saria said. "But it's time for you to head off on your long and epic journey." Link nodded, and turned on his heel. He began his long trek to Hyrule Castle.
"…Goodbye, Link," Saria added, more to herself than to the retreating boy.