Ch. 1

The Great Deku Tree's Crisis

"...Long has the Forest been a barrier to outsiders and a source of balance to the world. But against this new evil, even I am not strong enough. I think it is high time the boy without a fairy to begin his journey..."

- The Great Deku Tree of Kokiri Forest

In a home carved out of a tall tree in Kokiri Forest - home to a race of childlike beings that never grow old - lives a boy named Link. He has golden hair - two locks hanging from his forehead and the rest short and slicked back - and deep blue eyes. He wore a green tunic with a hat to match and brown leather boots. He was lying upon a wooden bed carved from the trunk of the tree. He was asleep, for it was the middle of the night. He shivered and rolled over on his side, as he was having the same nightmare he had been having for quite some time now...

Link looked upon a great stone wall. The middle, however, was made of solid wood with metal plating in the form of riveted bars running diagonally across it. On either side of this portion of the wall was a flaming torch.

It began to rain, and the torches smoldered and doused. Thunder boomed across the land. A great field with his forest home off on the horizon. How he had reached this place alone he did not know. Lightning lit up the sky, accompanying the thunder.

Suddenly, the wooden portion of the wall lowered. A drawbridge. Galloping across it and past Link was a gleaming white horse carrying a small, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl and an older woman with white hair and gray eyes. The girl glanced back at Link for a moment with sorrowful eyes, and then stared forward again as they disappeared into the distance.

He then heard the sound of a halting horse behind him. He spun around. What he saw frightened him. Before him was a midnight black horse with the blackest eyes he had ever seen on a beast of the sort. It was majestic, yet a dark and vicious air encircled it.

Sitting atop the horse was a tall, pale-skinned evil man with slicked back, orange hair, cunning yellow eyes, and a wicked grin. A large, crimson jewel clung to the center of his forehead. Link also noticed a dagger sheathed on the side of his shin. Dark, armored clothing covered his body and a black cape hung loosely from his shoulders. He laughed wickedly. "Did you see a white horse pass by here?" he asked. Link remained silent, shaking in fear. "Which way did they go?" asked the fiend.

"I...I don't know!" answered Link.

"You lie!" spat the man. "Step aside, Boy, and let me pass!" Link remained frozen in his tracks. "Not going to move, eh? Then I shall do it for you!" He held out his open hand. A white orb of energy formed in it. A moment later, the orb shot at Link, erupting in a bright flash as it collided with him. Link cried out in pain as he fell to the ground. The man cackled malevolently as he galloped off into the distance.

Link awoke with a start, sitting up straight. His face was pale and he was breathing heavily. His hands were shaking violently and beads of cold sweat ran down his face. A few moments later, he lied back down, rolled over, and fell back asleep, shivering more.

Meanwhile, sometime later in the Deku Tree's Meadow, Navi the fairy - a bright, violet-colored orb of light with little wings - was meeting with the Great Deku Tree, watcher over the Kokiri people. "You called me, oh Great Deku Tree?" asked Navi.

"Navi the fairy...thy hast grown weak...cursed I have been... My end draws near..." said the Deku Tree. Navi was practically in tears, as the Deku Tree was her one and only friend. "A terrible evil threatens the land of Hyrule... I fear it could spell doom for Hyrule if tis not stopped... Navi the fairy...I believe tis time for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey..." The Deku Tree paused, then said, "Now go! Go to the boy and bring him to me,"

"I shall do my best!" said Navi. She then headed for the village.

Upon entering the village - Kokiri Village to be exact - she began her search. "Should be easy enough to find him, right?" she said to herself. "Oh, who am I kidding?! I haven't a clue as to where this boy lives!" She then spotted a Kokiri girl with stunning orange hair sitting on top of the Kokiri shop. "Hey you!" Navi called over to her.

"Hey, you're a lone fairy, aren't you?" she said with a sparkle in her eye. "You should pay Link a visit. He is in desperate need of a fairy!"

"Speaking of Link, I'm looking for him. Do you know where he is?"

"Sadly, no I do not," said the girl.

"Well, could you give me some sort of hint as to what he looks like so that I could find him?"

"He's wearing green,"

Navi looked around. "You're all wearing green!"

"He's the one without a fairy,"

"I know that!"

"He lives in a tree,"

Navi looked around. They all lived in trees. "Thanks for the...uh...advice. I gotta go now. I'm kind of in a hurry!" She then flew off to continue her search. "She is such an idiot!" she said to herself, chuckling.

She would've asked Mido, the self-proclaimed boss of the Kokiri, but he had a nasty reputation for being mean to fairies. Hell, even his own fairy is terrified of him. She didn't want any trouble, so she decided against it. She then noticed a Kokiri boy with shaggy, orange hair who was throwing rocks. "Hey," she called to him, "have you seen Link? I'm looking for him,"

"He sleeps in late these days," replied the boy. "He's probably at his house at the top of a big tree. You can't miss it!"

"Okay, thanks," said Navi. She quickly spotted Link's house and headed for it at full speed. She didn't see the fence, however, until it was too late.

CRASH!

She smashed into the hard wood fence with an, "Ow!" She backed up and shook herself to get herself together. She then slowly went through one of the gaps in the fence and entered Link's home.

Link was curled up on his wooden bed. "Hey, wake up! The Deku Tree has summoned you!" she called to Link. However, he did not wake. "Hey, wake up, Sleepyhead! Can Hyrule really depend on such a lazy boy?" she said as she started bouncing around, making all kinds of noise.

Link sat up and stretched. He then turned to Navi, who had stopped bouncing around. "Hi, my name's Link," he said, a smile forming on his face. "What's your name?"

"My name is Navi the fairy, and I have come to be your guide," she replied.

"Yahoo!! I finally have a fairy!!" Link shouted, tears of happiness streaming down his face. He stood up on his bed and began jumping for joy. "Ya~hoo~~!!!" he cried out.

"Calm down, Link, or you'll get in trouble!" Navi squeaked. At this, Link sat down on his bed and seized shouting. "Good boy. Now, the Great Deku Tree has summoned you, so let's go!!"

"Are you sure he has summoned me?" Link asked with a sigh. "I mean, I'm not that special..."

"Don't say that, Link! Of course you're special!" said Navi reassuringly. "Everyone is special in some way. In the Deku Tree's eyes, every being is special, living or not!!"

"Okay, let's go then!" said Link with a new air of confidence, jumping to his feet. Link headed for his "door," which was merely a white fabric sheet hanging in front of a hole carved into the tree in which he lived in. Link pushed through it. Then, he held it open so that Navi could pass through it.

"Thank you," said Navi

"Your welcome, Navi," said Link with a smile. They were now atop a small balcony erected on the side of the tree. It had a wooden ladder at the edge of it that acted as an easy access to the ground below. The tree rested at the bottom of a hill that led to the rest of the village.

A young Kokiri girl came running down the hill. She had curly, bright green hairy and stunning brown eyes. She waved to Link, shouting, "Hey Link!" Link waved back, a wide grin forming on his face.

Link went quickly down the ladder to greet her, Navi following behind him. "Hi, Saria," he said happily.

"So I see you finally got a fairy! That's awesome!!" she said, grinning.

"Yeah, her name's Navi," he said. "I also got summoned by the Great Deku Tree himself!! Can you believe it?!"

"The Deku Tree really summoned you?! That's really good to hear, Link!" said Saria. "You'd better go and see him. I'll wait here," Link simply nodded and headed off for the Great Deku Tree.

Link suddenly fell backwards, landing flat on his behind. "What the hell?!" he asked no one in particular. He looked up to find Mido, a mischievous-looking Kokiri with spiky, orange hair and brown eyes. Freckles covered his face. "Aurgh! Why do you have to be so goddamn mean, Mido?! You are such an asshole!!"

"Well, if it isn't Mr. No Fairy'!" Mido laughed. "No no fairies' beyond this point!"

"You aren't gonna let him talk to you like that, are you, Link?" asked Navi, giving Mido a dirty look.

"Oh! I see you have a fairy now! Well, Mr. New Fairy', I am still not gonna let you pass!" said Mido, sneering. "Besides, what business would you have with the Great Deku Tree anyways?!"

"The Deku Tree has asked for my presence, so let us through, you stupid asshole!" Link shouted angrily.

"That's right, Mido, so let us through right now!" said Navi.

"Is that so?! Well, you at least need to equip yourself with a sword and shield," said Mido, "and to make things more...interesting, I'm gonna take it upon myself to hold onto your fairy for you til you get back!" Mido grinned and grabbed hold of Navi by her wings. "Plus, if you don't return soon, I'll crush your fairy! You got that?!"

"Dammit, Mido! I don't have time for your stupid games! I really need to see the Great Deku Tree!!" shouted Link.

"Then get your ass moving!!"

"But -"

"I'll have to agree with Mido on this one. I think you'll need a sword and shield for this," said Navi. "Now hurry!"

"I thought I was just gonna be speaking with the Great Deku Tree,"

"He said something about a journey of some sort,"

"Okay, then I'll get a sword, and a shield, too!" With that, Link headed off.

"I hope he makes it," said Navi quietly to herself.

Link had no idea where to get a sword or a shield. So, he returned to Saria for help. "Hey Saria!" he said when he got to her.

"Huh?" she said, spinning around. "Oh! Hey Link! What did the Deku Tree have to say?"

"Oh, I haven't been to see him yet, but Mido took Navi, my fairy, hostage! If I don't get a sword and a shield, he's gonna crush her!!" Link explained. "But I don't know where to get a sword or a shield though! I thought you might know,"

"Mido, that ass! He is so mean!!" growled Saria. "Anyways, I know where to get a shield, but not a sword. You should talk to the Know-it-all brothers about getting a sword. You can buy a shield at the shop though. You should head there!"

"Okay, I'll get right on it!" said Link. Link then turned in the direction of the Kokiri shop and, waving to Saria, headed straight for it.

Once Link got to the shop, he noticed a Kokiri girl with spiky, orange hair and blue eyes on top of the roof of the shop. It was Mindy, whom Link has secretly liked for awhile now. "Hey, Link!" she called down to him. "I can't get down! Think you could lend me a hand?"

"Sure! Jump down and I'll catch you," said Link, smiling.

"You mean it this time?" she asked.

"Yes, that I do," Link lied.

"Okay, here I go," She jumped, and with a crash, she landed on top of Link.

"Ow, my back!" Link wined, barely audible.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Link!" she said, getting off of him.

"It-it's okay," he said, getting to his feet and brushing himself off.

"So, why have you come to the shop?" she asked curiously.

"I've come to get a shield!" said Link.

"Why do you need a shield?" she asked. "Besides, they're really expensive!"

"I know, but the Great Deku Tree has summoned me, and Mido said if I don't get a sword and shield, then I can't pass!"

"You've been summoned by the Great Deku Tree?! Why?!"

"I dunno yet, but I bet it's important,"

"You'd better get a move on then!"

"Yeah, you're right!" Link then headed into the shop.

"What do ya need today, Link? Deku Stick? Some Deku Nuts perhaps?" asked Finwe, the shop owner.

"None of those; I need a shield, and a sword if you've got one," said Link.

"We don't carry swords, but I do have a Deku Shield. The last one in stock. I'll sell it to ya fer forty rupees,"

"I'll take it!" said Link as he took out his wallet. Sadly, there was not a single rupee in it. "Oh, sorry. I seem to have spent the last of my rupees," Link continued on to say to no one in particular, "Now how am I gonna get back to Mido with a sword and shield?!"

"Hang on! Did Mido send ya?" asked Finwe.

"Yeah,"

"Come closer, me boy!" said Finwe softly. Link did as he was told. "Okay, I can give ya a shield...if ya are on an errand fer Mido," Finwe whispered.

"I am," responded Link.

"Okay, here's yer shield," said Finwe as he handed Link the shield and made it appear as if Link were paying him. "Now go!"

"Okay, thanks for the shield," Link said as he left the shop.

"Come again!" called Finwe.

Link returned home. Setting the Deku Shield on his table, he said to himself, "Alright! I've got a shield! Now for a sword," He left his home and set off for the hill on which the Know-it-all brothers lived.

"Greetings, Link. What brings you to our humble abode?" said Reginald, one of the three Know-it-all brothers.

"I was wondering if any of you knew where I could find a sword," said Link.

"Yes, that we do," said Steven, the oldest of the Know-it-alls. "We shall take you to the Kokiri Sword!"

"You really know the location of the Kokiri Sword?!" asked Link, shocked.

"Yes, we do," said Reginald.

"I'm getting tired of waiting! Let's go!!" growled Eugene, the youngest of the Know-it-all brothers.

"Yes, let's go," agreed his brothers. They led Link to the entrance to a cave behind their home that was normally sealed.

"The Great Deku Tree added this door to prevent Mido, amongst others, from stealing the Kokiri Sword," Reginald explained. As they entered the cave, Eugene sealed the entrance behind them. They stopped. "Allow us to reveal our true names, for you are worthy of obtaining the Kokiri's greatest treasure! My name is Caranthir!" he said.

"I am called Finrod!" said Steven.

"And I am Elrohir!" said Eugene.

"And we are...the Elensar brothers!" they all said at once.

"We are the oldest living Kokiri in the village," said Caranthir.

"And the last of the true Kokiri," finished Finrod.

"Let's keep going," said Elrohir. They led Link to the end of the path. At the end was a large, wooden chest. They pushed Link forward. "Go ahead, Link. Open it!"

"But it's locked!" protested Link.

"No, it's not. Try to open it!" said Finrod.

"But -"

"Open it!!" shouted Elrohir.

"Fine," Link surrendered. Despite what Link had previously thought, the chest opened. Quite easily, too. Inside was a small but sharp sword with a black, jewel-encrusted hilt. Next to it was a simple blue sheath.

"That is the Kokiri Sword!" said Finrod.

"Please return it when you have finished with it," said Caranthir.

"We would deeply appreciate it," said Elrohir.

"I will!" said Link as he sheathed the sword on his back. He then left the cave and headed for his home. Once he had his shield, he headed straight for Mido.

"Link!!!" Navi cried happily as he reached her and Mido.

Mido tugged her closer. "Well, I still see no -" he began. "Wait, what is that? Is that...Is that the Kokiri Sword?!"

"It sure is!" said Link proudly.

"And what the hell is that?!" he demanded. "It's a Deku shield, isn't it?!"

"Yep!!"

"Aurgh!!! You may have gotten yourself a sword and a shield, but you're still a weakling! I shall never accept you as one of us!!" Mido spat.

"Good riddance," Link mumbled as he ran past Mido. With Navi following, he started down the path to the Great Deku Tree's meadow. Soon he could see the Great Deku Tree. However, just before he reached the meadow, a tall, withering, spiked plant rose out of the ground. It was a Deku Baba, and an old one at that.

"Hurry up, Link! Kill it!!" Navi squeaked.

"Right!" said Link, drawing his sword. He didn't even bother bringing out his shield. He rolled to the side, dodging the spikes on its stem, and clumsily cut it down. He then stood up and sheathed his sword.

"Not the best I've seen, but still decent," Navi complemented with a chuckle.

"Thanks," said Link, smirking. They then continued into the meadow. Lightly colored grass dotted the landscape around the Great Deku Tree. The Great Deku Tree himself was a gigantic tree with brightly-colored leaves. What appeared to be a face with what seemed to be a large mustache was halfway up the trunk.

"I'm back!" called Navi.

"Welcome, Link, Navi," said the Deku Tree calmly. "I see thou hast brought a sword and a shield,"

"Yes, that I have," replied Link.

"Link, I have terrible news... I have been cursed by a man of the desert in black armor... My end is nigh," He paused for a moment, breathing deeply. "I believe tis time for you to test thy courage. Are you ready, Link?"

"Yes,"

"Then enter, Link, and rid this curse from me," said the Deku Tree as a mouth opened wide that was once the front of the trunk.

"I shall do my best, oh Great Deku Tree," Link ran confidently into the Great Deku Tree, his sword and shield at the ready.

To be continued...