A/N: This chapter was originally supposed to be more than twice as long, but I figured it would be better to split it in two. If I'm lucky, I'll get the next chapter up within the next few hours, tomorrow if I'm not.
Update: 6/6/06: changed my mind again, keeping it in one-piece saves disk space.Update: 7/3/06: errors have been fixed and more writing has been added for sake of description, confirmation and understanding. Those who don't have a complete understanding of the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time should be able to comprehend most to all of the story now. The prologue's been updated, too, so check that out if you so desire.
Link awoke, thinking that this day would be no different than every other within the last three years. Aging past his peers certainly was annoying, but it could not be helped, they were Kokiri and he was Hylian, it had always been that way and always would. But the forest had engraved something into his heart, knowing that when they looked decades apart that they would always be friends.
Link was a fourteen-year-old human boy. He dressed in a traditional green tunic that fell just above his ankles and favorite pointed cap in matching hue that hung back towards the ground. Underneath, this cap covered his dirty blonde hair.
But perhaps the most attractive features of his person were his deep blue eyes. These were irises that served a far greater purpose than physical uniqueness, they told a story of a young man who had seen horrible things, many that would make a battle hardened warrior cringe in fear and disgust. And yet, Link was not a pessimistic person. He was an optimistic, responsible, moral and courageous young man, if a little dull-witted.
It was with the assistance, not reliance of this trait that made Link so incredibly popular. Although he sometimes complained and was a tad childish at times, he was one who helped without hesitation and asked for nothing in return. That which he was given was purely from gratitude, and which was accepted with many thanks.
Link especially knew that in the future, he would be a target for many young women, and a great friend for those who did not capture his attention in precisely that form.
Link had long ago been destined to save the world from the force of evil known as Ganondorf. At the age of ten, he had been told of his duty and had set out to acquire the three spiritual stones. These stones were the emerald of the Kokiri forest, the ruby of the Gorons of Death Mountain and the sapphire of the Zoras of Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain.
There were five general races within the land of Hyrule. The Kokiri were a race of children born from the earth and watched over by the spirit known as the Great Deku Tree. They lived within their forest home secluded from the rest of the world.
The Gorons were fierce fighters of the mountains, whose rock hard hides could be used as powerful weapons. Resistant to fire and devourers of rocks, they certainly were a tad eccentric, but they had hearts of gold underneath their callous exteriors.
The Zoras were a group of proud inhabitants of the water who could breathe both air and water and swim with the grace of birds in the sky. Truly magnificent on the outside, but a tad haughty underneath.
The Gerudos were a group of aggressive desert thieves with a high level of integrity, and an even higher level of arrogance. Taking advantage of their almost completely female groups and great abilities of seduction, many a traveler ended up within their dungeons. With ignorant men who were willing to join, there were no recruits, only prisoners.
And lastly, there were the Hylians, the most populous and general of the five. They possessed basic fighting techniques and a good deal of understanding of the system of magic, but they were known to be truly fiercest when fighting for something they had to protect.
Link had long ago been accepted as a Kokiri, although the blood that ran through his veins was that of a long line of Hylian knights. Hylians who enter the forest are always turned to plants, and likewise, Kokiri who leave the forest die the instant they step foot within the fields outside.
Link's mother had fled to the forest when Link had been a mere child. She had pleaded to the Great Deku Tree that he watch over her son. The Great Spirit, seeing much potential within the young boy, promised the woman. The woman, relieved, passed within the confines of the forest and became one of the most beautiful of plants.
Appearances between Kokiri and Hylians were strikingly similar. The one thing that set Link apart by the rest of the children was his lack of a fairy. Every Kokiri was granted a guardian fairy upon the day of their birth/creation. These fairies were the children's partners, siblings and friends. Because Link was not a Kokiri by blood, he had not been gifted a partner.
Years into his life, however, Link had been granted a female fairy partner by the name of Navi. Together, the duo fought to save the world.
After collecting the three spiritual stones, with the aid of Navi; The princess of Hyrule, Zelda; and the sacred Ocarina of Time, Link opened the door to the Sacred Realm that housed both the power of the gods known as the Triforce, and the Sacred Blade of Evil's Bane, known as the Master Sword.
However, when Link had withdrawn this power, Ganondorf had taken advantage of the opportunity and laid his hands upon the Triforce. Link, far too young to wield the power of the Master Sword, was locked away within the Sacred Realm for seven years until the day he would finally be ready. Within this period of time, Ganondorf took rule of the world and crushed the power of the Hylian monarchy, turning the bustling city of Hyrule into a barren land of death and chaos.
But after Link had defeated Ganondorf and sealed him away, he returned the blade to its pedestal and returned to his own time. Once he did, his friend Navi, proud of his accomplishments, set off.
It had seemed so long to Link since he had returned to Hyrule, his search for Navi to no avail. It was a depressing thought, but Link knew that someday, he would reunite with his long lost partner.
Accompanying his aging came growths; Link now stood well over five feet, towering over his friends. They had no choice but to crane back their necks at an angle high enough to blind yourself from the midmorning sun just to look him in the eye. To Link, this was both a gift and a disadvantage. His center of gravity was no longer low to the ground, running nimbly with ease was near impossible now, but he had become much stronger, literally pulling his weight around with mundane chores that required great amounts of strength.
After all, with no more need for the Kokiri emerald, it had been locked away in a shrine built to honor the spirit of the late Great Deku Tree. He had been, in any case, a father to the children of the forest, if nothing more.
It had taken a little while longer than he would of liked, but Link had grown to accept the changes, knowing full well that in the future, it would be a vital asset to any dire perils he would need to take care of. He had, after all, saved the entire world from complete domination at the hands of the malevolent Ganondorf, and the parallel world of Termina from the horrors of Majora.
Looking out towards the entire village from the porch of his tree house brought Link an invaluable calm, knowing full well that he preferred peace to the horrors of the struggle for justice. He allowed himself a few more moments of silence. At least, he would have given himself the entire day, had not Mido pegged him in the ankle with a seed from his slingshot.
At first the pain was minimal. Link grabbed his ankle and hopped on one foot in order to take his mind off the discomfort. Mido laughed maliciously, but only until he fired another shot at Link's other ankle, causing him to lose his balance and hit the ground leg first with a sickening crack. Before anyone saw, Mido fled.
No amount of Lon Lon milk can suppress the damage from a twenty-foot fall that literally shoves the foreleg up into the knee socket.
Biting back a swear and the urge to cry out in pain, Link brought himself to his feet, only to stumble back over again. He laid there in agony for what felt like hours until he heard Saria shriek, run over and help him back to his feet.
"Link, are you all right?"
"Other than the immense amounts of pain I feel in my legs, I feel as peppy as a Deku sprout," he muttered.
"What happened?" asked Saria, possessing a concerned expression.
"That Deku Baba brained Mido hit me with his slingshot."
"He's been doing that to everybody lately, but it looks like he's been working up the courage to come after you."
"More like ignorance really." Link shook his head, knowing that Mido was known as more of a troublemaker than a hero as he claimed to be.
Saria grunted and dropped Link right to the grass, taking a moment to recapture her breath, "Boy, you're heavy…"
Link smiled, but did not laugh. Saria wondered if he even understood humor, rarely did he even chuckle. Maybe with the things he saw, there really was nothing to laugh about.
Saria and Link had been best friends for as long as Link could remember. Her caring, upbeat nature made Link feel comfortable among his peers. It had been difficult for him to fit in without a fairy of his own.
Saria, because she was eternally youthful, did not have a known age except to herself. It was this story with all Kokiri. She was, like the others, not very tall. And again like the others, she wore a green tunic and band for her hair that the other Kokiri girls adorned themselves with. Unlike the others, however, her hair color stood out. While most of the children had hair that ranged from blonde to brownish-red, her hair was a hue of emerald as green as the grass itself. One would certainly be shocked to see such a sight if one were not a Kokiri.
All of the youths, however, possessed the same color of blue eyes. This was a trait that none besides the Deku tree understood, but now, he had passed and the only one who knew now would be the Deku tree's descendent. But none bothered to question this. It was simply something overlooked.
"Do you have any milk on you?" asked Saria.
Link smiled yet again and held up a bottle, "Here, take it." Saria pulled a small pouch from her pocket, which Link noticed and shook his head in response.
"Nope, that milk's for you, finest helping she's given me all year," said Link, referring gratefully to the cow given to him by Malon only a year ago. He knew that he was supposed to win her in the future, but Link had actually begun riding horses at eleven. Malon always seemed to point out his skill and blush heavily when he returned with a compliment of his own.
Malon was a young woman the same age as Link. Between Hyrule castle and Kokiri forest, there was stationed a ranch in the middle of the wide field. Known well among those within the town as excellent providers of dairy products and fine steeds, the workers of Lon Lon ranch were considered the best, if only people in the business.
Malon, just thinking about her made Link full of joy. He imagined holding her slender figure within his grasp, feeling her flaming red hair that rivaled the beauty of the world itself. He envisioned staring deep into her eyes of sapphire gleam, pulling her in tightly for an embrace of passion and affection that he felt no other could comprehend.
"Not thinking about Malon now, are you?" Link's face turned ruby red and he turned his focus to avoid Saria's gaze. She laughed, figuring it was probably good for the both of them.
"Um…about the milk, think I'll pass…"
"Oh, don't worry about it. I completely cleaned out the bottle first. Used soap, too," he held up his right hand and slowly flexed his fingers, "although the scrubbing sure did make my fingers sore."
"Squander your time all you want, there really isn't anything else to do," retorted Saria, pulling the cork out of the bottle and taking a rather large gulp.
"Nice, here," said Link, handing her another bottle. Saria opened her pouch and withdrew several green and white herbs, dropped them into the milk, shook turbulently and handed the concoction back to Link, who downed the twenty-four ounce serving in one long swig.
Link coughed, "Ouch…" he took a moment to swallow before replying, "I don't know why, but my throat is completely sore."
"Why do you think I keep telling you to take it slow? Downing those leaves too quickly leaves nasty burns in there, you bottomless hole of a stomach."
Link ignored her and slowly stood up straight, the pain in his leg no longer existent. Saria smiled, "Well then, that makes how many times now?"
"I think this is the third time this month," said Link, hopping on the once broken limb.
"Really, you need to cut back on the muscle thing, you know. Those herbs are hard to find."
"Hey it's only testosterone, which I'm surprised you understand, given that you've lived your entire life as a child."
"Hey, it's happening to my best friend…"
The two stood in silence for a few moments before Saria perked up, "Oh, right. The Great Deku Sprout said that he had something for you, Link."
"Ok, anything I need to bring?" he asked.
Saria drew another pouch from her pocket and handed it to him, "These are edible, just chew on them and it'll have the same effect. Don't waste them though, those are really rare!"
Link opened the bag and peeked inside, "Reeaaallly?" he asked with a long drawn out tone, smiling but not laughing, "they look like things that you could grow out of your head."
Saria absolutely hated when people referred to her hair as a plant, and teasing her like that was like poking a sleeping wolfos with a stick. Link, realizing this, ran for his life towards the edge of the forest before Saria could inflict massive amounts of physical torture on his body. Getting beaten to a pulp was not something Link was fond of.
But we all have to deal with things we wouldn't prefer in life. That's just the way it is.
…
As Link approached the entrance to the Great Deku Sanctuary, he noticed that Mido wasn't there. Thinking that Mido probably knew that the Great Deku Sprout had summoned him, he wanted to be as far from his punishment as physically possible. Link was, for one of the several occasions in his life, wrong.
As he approached the tiny sapling that was his symbolical father's heir, he slowed to a walk and knelt down on knee in front of the mystical deity.
"You called, Great Deku Spirit?"
A small leaf wriggled out of the ground to show a miniscule stalk with a smiling face. This, to Link, obviously came as no surprise because he lived in a world where magic governed the future, the dead walked and played flutes and where plants would kill you if you sniffed them the wrong way.
The spirit cleared its voice and spoke softly, "Ah, I see you two have arrived."
"Two?" Link looked over his shoulder to see Mido sneering down upon him. Mido had always been jealous of Link. Although he did not have a fairy, the other children had taken a liking to him rather quickly, leaving Mido out of the spotlight. Infuriated that they would accept Link over himself, Mido spent all of his energy picking upon the fairy-less boy. This led to many confrontations between the two, with Mido generally being held under the role of the bad intentioned troublemaker, even if this was usually the case.
Link withheld his rage and turned back to the sprite.
"What's he doing here?"
The Great Deku Sprout spoke, "Sit, and listen." The two did as they were told; scooting away from each other once they hit the dirt.
"I have slept for many moons now, and I feel the return of a truly powerful presence, it seems Ganondorf has returned."
Link ground his teeth together. Mido began sweating furiously.
"I need to send one of you two out to investigate the issue."
"One of us? I thought that Mido wasn't allowed to leave the forest."
"G-Great Deku Spirit, what's going on?"
"Mido…" the small spirit sighed.
"…"
"You are, and always have been a Kokiri. But before my father passed, he told me of a magnificent story, instructing me to tell you when the time was right." Mido gulped.
"You Mido, were always destined to a be a hero. When you were born, my father broke the bind you have on this forest. You, Mido, are the only true Kokiri with the ability to leave the forest."
Mido looked puzzled, his face pale, "…But what about Link? He left the forest and came back just fine."
"Link…is not a Kokiri, Mido. You see-" before the Great Deku Spirit could continue, Mido lunged at Link's throat and began to strangle him.
"You're a warlock, aren't you? I knew that you killed the Great Deku Tree, I knew it!" Mido shouted, refusing to withhold his rage.
"Get off me you skulltuta head! I did nothing of the sort!"
"Liar!" Mido punched Link in the nose.
Link finally let all of his rage go and allowed his knuckles to connect with Mido's jaw for a few seconds, permitting himself to find enjoyment from the sickening crack resulting from the split in Mido's jaw. Whatever color had remained in Mido's face was gone.
"That is enough!' exclaimed the Great Deku Sprout. "You two need to sit down and listen!" When the Great Deku Spirit speaks, everyone listens. Link and Mido stopped and sat, blood running down both of their noses. Link withdrew the pouch of herbs from his pocket and began chewing, reluctantly handing one to Mido, too. Mido hesitated, then snatched it from his hand.
"Mido, Link is not a Kokiri by blood, he was adopted by my father as a child of this land. It does not matter that he was born of foreign methods, what matters is that he is a member of the Kokiri spirit."
"But the reason I've called you two here is such. Link, you have heard this story once before, but do you wish to hear it again?" Link hesitated, then nodded, blood no longer running down his face.
"Very well…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 labors 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."
"The three goddesses hid the Triforce containing the power of the gods somewhere in Hyrule. The power to grant the wish of the one who holds the Triforce in his hands. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity…If someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil…That is what has been told…So, the ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce from evil ones."
"Ganondorf has spent his life searching for a way to open the Sacred Realm and find the power of the Triforce, at least until he was imprisoned within it for three long years."
"Excuse me, Great Deku Spirit?" spoke Link.
"Yes child, speak your mind. It is a fool that does not listen to the concerns of others."
"I defeated Ganondorf in the future, how did he escape now?" he asked, completely confused.
"Defeated him in the future? What the Stalfos are you talking about, Link?" questioned Mido, exasperated.
"Calm yourself, child. Link speaks the truth, Ganondorf was locked away to drift within the Evil Realm for eternity, but it seems that he has escaped, this time aided by a far greater evil." Even with the power of the Triforce of courage fused with his spirit, Link began to shiver violently purely out of fear.
"You're saying that there's somebody who's actually stronger than Ganon?"
"That is correct. And it seems that yet another evil has awoken that you had successfully defeated before, Majora, I believe it was." The lump in Link's throat felt as if it had plummeted straight into his stomach.
Link shook his head, refusing to believe it, "How can that be, Great Deku Spirit? This evil that we're fighting is stronger than those two combined?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, Ganondorf now has the power of Majora." Sweat ran down Link's face like a waterfall.
"But don't be afraid, child. Know that-"
"Know what? Do you have any idea how hard it was to defeat the two of them by themselves? We're literally staring the apocalypse in the face!"
"Calm yourself, Link. You actually know them better than anyone else. He may have a few new tricks up his sleeve, but I have complete faith in you."
"…"
"If he can do this on his own, why do I have to do anything?" Mido uttered.
"Because, Mido, you were originally destined to save the world before Link was found. It is your destiny to aid the in the world's survival. Link may be able to do this on his own, but even he would appreciate assistance."
"…from him?" asked Link. Along with his growth came a good deal of sarcasm.
"What's that supposed to mean? Huh?" Mido stood up, sticking his face where it didn't belong. Link shot him a glare that could freeze a Re-Dead zombie. Mido backed off in an instant.
"I know that you two don't like each other, but in order to have the greatest chances for success, you need to learn to work as a team."
The two looked at each other disapprovingly, but agreed.
"Good. Now, the first thing that you two need to do is to retrieve the Kokiri Emerald."
"But that's all the way at the bottom of the shrine."
"Exactly, this will be a test of your strength."
Mido grunted, "Fine."
Link stood, brushed off his clothes and walked straight for the shrine, Mido jogging to catch up.
"Hey, Link."
"What?" he responded, sounding as neutral as possible.
"Let's say we make this a race? First one to get the Kokiri Emerald wins."
"You sure you want to do that? I know that I'll win." Link was not being arrogant, he simply knew that Mido would stand no chance.
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
"Well then, how about we make a little wager? Whoever gets it first gets all of the loser's treasures."
"Fine."
The two started off into a sprint towards the shrine. Because of his low center of gravity, Mido took the lead early on. Link was not too far behind, but he wasn't about to let Mido get the jump on him.
"Link!" Link turned to see Saria running after him. Not even taking a moment to think about what she might want, Link went into a mad dash for the entrance, choosing not to contemplate the horrible consequences if she caught up. Mido, astounded by Link's burst of speed, gritted his teeth, certain that he was trying to show off.
"Link, wait!" Saria called. Link ignored her, diving straight into the chasm inside the first chamber of the temple.
The slide down was a very long one indeed, taking at least five minutes to hit the bottom. Stopping and taking a moment to catch his breath, he figured that Saria wasn't crazy enough to follow him down here.
"Link!" astounded that Saria would actually chase him into such a dangerous place, Saria dropped out from the slide and staggered over, panting. Reluctant for what she might do to him, it took Link a few seconds to realize that if she had actually pursue him down here, that it must be important.
Helping her stand straight again, he asked, "What?"
"…Link…you need…this…" she somehow managed to breath out, handing Link a small dagger fashioned from a Deku stick.
"What's this?" he asked, holding it in his hands and examining it from several angles.
Saria smiled, "I made it for you."
Link nodded, "Thanks."
Saria smiled yet again. Link turned around to peer straight into the darkness. This, he thought, his courage could handle.
He turned to tell Saria that she should leave. By the time he turned around, however, she was gone.
Figuring that Mido had taken an alternate route, Link ran straight towards the unknown, knowing full well that even though he had helped build this shrine, it contained many dangerous secrets to keep out intruders.
Link knew hardly any of them, however. Finding his way through this headache of a maze was going to take some work.
…
In front of Link stood a rather large chasm that spiraled downwards, Link's vision stopping about three floors down. He couldn't actually see the floors below him, however. The room was shaped like a dome, but the walkways were all equally wide, making it impossible to see the ground below you unless you knelt over the edge and looked behind you. If it was the constructors' idea to make any bold adventurer oblivious to what was below, they had done an exceptional job.
Three steps forward, and Link was surrounded by Deku Babas, each clicking its jaw in unison. Realizing that this might be a trap, Link lunged towards the one directly in front of him, only to fall backwards as the creature screeched a high pitched wail that forced Link to cover his ears. These slim-necked, bud headed monsters were rarely much of a threat, even in a group. But the ones that Link faced seemed a tad more aggressive than Link was used to.
Gritting his teeth to take his mind of the ringing in his brain, Link withdrew his trusty boomerang and threw it. The Deku Baba, however, caught it in its mouth. Link smiled as the Baba realized that the projectile was simply a decoy as a Deku seed pierced straight through its skull. The others clicked in rage as Link unleashed his trademark spin attack.
Sheathing the faithful Kokiri Sword, now more of a dagger, Link brushed off his tunic and reached for his prizes. Knowing that Deku sticks had their uses, he gathered five and left three where he stood, then headed right.
A door to his right opened as he faced it. As soon as he entered, however, bars sealed off his exit to reveal four Mad Deku Scrubs; each shook its tiny leaf covered body wildly. Dealing with these guys before, Link figured it would be an easy battle, raising his Deku shield. Each of the four fired off three Deku Nuts. Knowing that the first two would deflect each other and the third would strike its target, he held himself on guard until he heard twelve solid thunks. Aiming his slingshot, he figured would be his best bet, since the little guys liked to run away.
All four scrubs charged him and began pouncing on his back, much to his surprise. Struggling to his feet resulted in a Deku nut to the head. The more he wiggled, the harder they struck. Link dropped his weapon as he coughed up blood, feeling his strength escaping him. He was about ready to give up when he saw a large skulltula drop down from overhead and crush all of the Deku scrubs into pure ooze.
Link didn't know whether to feel relieved or disgusted, but he looked up to see his savior, who just happened to be the second-to-last person he wanted to see.
"Having some trouble, are we?"
"Knock it off, Mido." The spider-like creature skittered away and crawled onto Mido's back.
"What is that thing?"
"I ain't telling you anything. But I sure feel like having two of these things!" He taunted Link, leaping over his limp body and sprinting down the hall.
If Mido could have a Skulltula that could crush opponents by his bidding, Link certainly wasn't about to let himself go home empty handed.
Link took off in a sprint, pulling an herb from his pouch and chewing on it again. He noticed that he began to feel lighter on his feet, but he shook the thought aside, knowing that the only thing he needed to focus on now was finding the treasure.
Thanking the spirits of the Goddesses that he had slowed down in order to catch his breath, Link now stood on the edge of a pit with a bottom shrouded in darkness, vines stretching from wall to wall. Looking ahead, he saw Mido leap from one vine to another, each giving him an excellent boost into the air. Emulating this example, Link leapt from his standpoint onto a vine in front of him, felt his weight drop, then spring into the air. He looked forward and saw Mido trip and grab onto a vine. The important thing he noticed was a treasure chest hanging from the ceiling by skulltula webs.
Sighing, he leapt forward. Figuring that Mido was trying to trick him, he headed in his direction anyway, realizing that Mido probably wasn't smart enough to pull something over his head. He then saw Mido pull himself up, so he continued forward.
Several Deku scrubs bounced up across the other ledge, aiming more Deku nuts at the two than the amount of rupees it takes to buy a red tunic.
Link raised his shield and kept going, passing Mido and blocking the shots for both of them. Thinking quickly, Link stuck a bombchu to the ceiling and watched the moving mouse-shaped explosive trace a path, stop and detonate right in front of the chest.
Like roasted bomb flowers, Link thought.
The chest, miraculously, was fine. Landing on the hard wooden floor and rolling to prevent any broken legs bones again, Link jumped for the chest and punched it open, covering his eyes and wondering why big treasure chests always glowed with a brilliant sheen. Pulling his treasure from the chest, he saw a black Skulltula staring back at him. This Skulltula, however, was anything but repugnant: its skull shimmered with a brilliant jet colored luster in perfect symmetry, it's eyes glowing like the Goron Ruby. It put up no struggle however, but simply jumped from his hand and crawled onto his back.
Link waited.
And waited.
At least, until he remembered that he had no loyal friend to explain the trophy he had just discovered, or to help him figure out what to do next.
He remembered the first day he met her, trekking through the Great Deku Tree, Dodongo's cavern, Jabu Jabu's Belly, and always having a companion at his side.
The memories of walking through the sticky entrails of a monstrous Zora snapped him from his daydream. This was no time for fantasizing.
Making certain that Mido hadn't done anything stupid, he turned around to help Mido. He saw no one, then saw Mido drop from the ceiling, knock him over and make his way through the door.
Furious that he hadn't seen it coming and grateful that he now knew at least one the things that his new tool could do, he proceeded to the next chamber. He saw Mido standing in front of him, throwing down the black Skulltula and standing on it like a frozen octorok in water. It walked straight off the edge, clinging to the walls as it made it's way downward.
Link mimicked what he saw, and soon he caught up with Mido.
"I'm getting there before you do!" Mido bragged.
Mido turned around just quickly enough to catch a glimpse of a rotating iron bar, which smacked him in the face hard enough that he dangled off the black skulltula, unconscious. Link, beckoned his own creature speed up, only to watch Mido's grab his legs and continue its descent.
Making sure that he wasn't caught off guard, Link jumped, the Skulltula with him. Link had done something similar before, using his shield as a board and sliding down slopes in a race against the other Kokiri.
Just barely clearing the obstruction, Link looked forward/downwards, only to see more obstacles.
Spending the next few minutes ducking, jumping over and leaning around similar impediments, Link finally reached the bottom to see Mido waking from his spell.
Forcing into his mind a somewhat positive attitude that Mido would be fine, Link retracted his device and ran for the northern corridor after finding a compass in a chest nearby.
The next room had no floor, no vines and no visible walls to the side. All Link saw was a large net above him. Unsure of what to do, Link jumped for the ceiling, figuring that the only way across was to climb the net. As his hands touched the growth, the skulltula reached out, supporting Link with four legs and crawling across with the other four, Link now had both arms free. As he made his way forward, he saw a few stalfos and several skulltula making their ways towards him. Link unsheathed the Kokiri sword, ready for a fight. One of the stalfos, however, threw its sword at him. Acting quickly, Link raised his Hylian shield and let it fall into the darkness below.
As soon as they got within ten feet of his person, several of the skulltula stopped, paralyzed, two of them plummeting into the unknown.
Is there anything this thing can't do?
Link withdrew his slingshot and knocked off the remaining spiders with relative ease. The stalfos, however, turned out to be a little bit more of a problem. Even with two hands against one, stalfos had once been magnificent warriors, cursed to walk Hyrule for all eternity as undead skeletons. Link cut off one's hand, along with its weapon. In retaliation, it made a ditch effort by swinging forward and grabbing onto Link's leg.
Wielding his boomerang, he threw it downwards, cutting the creature's remaining arm in two.
The last of them were quite ferocious, the last one catching Link off guard and leaving a severe cut in his backside.
Link turned to face it, thrusting the Kokiri dagger straight through the abomination's skull. It continued to thrash Link. The skulltula turned and shot a good deal of webbing around the creature's arms and legs, ceasing its movements. Link pulled the weapon from the bones and kicked it downwards, watching the last of his troubles fall, at least for this room. The skulltula turned and continued its way to the other side. Just as Link saw the edge, he looked upwards to see his skulltula slowing its movements.
Before he had time to act, the skulltula lost its grip and Link fell. Miraculously, a hand caught him just in time, but not from whom he expected.
"Mido? Why didn't you just let me fall?"
"Can't exactly have dead competition, you know."
Mido hoisted Link up, then threw him over to the other ledge
"You nut head! These things can only stay on a ceiling for a few minutes, they can't support our weight forever!"
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, thanks for the tip," said Link, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah, whatever."
The two made their way through the doorway into the next room, several blocks stacked on one another forming a big puzzle.
"Now what?"
"Now we push these blocks and make ourselves an opening."
"…" Mido stared at Link.
"What?" he asked, still chewing on one of Saria's herbs.
"What happened to your voice?"
"What?" Link asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Your voice, it got higher. And now that I think about it…" Mido made a flattened hand motion that people do to compare height, "You seem to have gotten shorter."
"That's impossible," Link snorted.
"How else would you explain it? I can't get any taller!"
Link pulled his skulltula off his back to see his reflection in the brilliant shine. There was no mistaking it, Link looked like he was when he was eleven.
"This can't be. I'm taller than you."
"Maybe it's this shrine. Maybe there's a spell here that makes you shorter or something," Mido suggested while observing his surroundings.
"That's stupid. It would affect you too."
"Maybe it only applies to people who aren't Kokiri."
"That is possible…"
"Then I guess we had better get a move on." Link did not answer, he simply spit out the herb and wiped off his mouth. He felt a sudden jolt in his legs, looked down and saw Mido staring back up at him.
"…awkward…"
"Maybe those herbs have something in them that make you younger. Your voice is back to normal, too."
"I've had two already, maybe I grow one year younger for each one I have."
"Don't experiment with that yet, we still need to move these blocks."
The two went to work, pushing, pulling, stacking and removing blocks in order to clear a passage. Mido was forced to push one at a time with all of his weight, but Link could push two adjacent ones at once, making their job much easier.
"Maybe we can use our skulltula to help us move these things," Mido suggested.
"Good idea." The two dropped their items and watched them lift blocks onto their heads and toss them to the side.
Link saw two blocks right next to each other and decided to push them both. As he pushed forward, he realized that these blocks were heavier than the others he had been moving already.
Seeing if there was anything obstructing his path, Link noticed a black switch.
"Hey Mido! I see a switch, so I'm going to press it."
Link didn't wait for a response, he simply hit it. The blocks underneath his feet seemed to give way, then the floor completely collapsed.
He heard Mido scream as the two fell in free fall.
Link felt his fall slow after a while, then he bounced back up and landed on his back. Ignoring the discomfort, Link got to his feet to see the other blocks scattered about. he saw no walls, only darkness. He looked downwards to see that all the slabs as well as his own stepping stone stuck to a thick, white web.
He thought he heard Mido gulp.
Link looked up, not seeing anything, but hearing a distant disturbance.
As seconds passed, the sound grew louder, closer. He could now make out a dull white glow.
The twitching stopped.
Link saw the creature up close.
Ganon looked like a magic bean compared to this thing.
Link looked over at Mido, who had fainted purely out of fear. After all, it's not everyday that somebody gets to see a fifty foot deformed Skulltula.
The creature screeched loudly, it's cry deafening and irritating.
It jumped into the air as if to pounce.
Without thinking, Link made a dash for Mido, grabbed him by the collar of his tunic and jumped out of the way in just enough time to keep the two from being crushed by a giant spider.
If Mido had ever hated bugs before, he had picked a fine time for it.
Drawing his slingshot, Link fired five rounds into the sin against nature's back. Rather than take any damage, however, the skulltula simply stopped moving.
Taking this opportunity to catch his breath, Link knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against his opponent unless he could make his way around the platforms easily. Popping three herbs into his mouth, Link felt himself shrink, feeling much lighter and vigorous. Knowing that he couldn't handle this by himself, however, Link turned to the still unconscious Mido.
"Mido, wake up!" No response.
"Mido!" still nothing. Link slapped him across the face. He shook him violently, he took out a bottle of fresh water and poured it over his face. He screamed in his ear. Nothing seemed to work. He looked at Mido's fairy, which Link swore he saw shrug.
An idea popped into Link's head at once, "Thanks for the black skulltula, Mido. Finding the Kokiri Emerald should be easy now."
"Give me that!"
"Relax! I didn't take it." The spider, now free from its paralysis, turned to face the duo.
"Move!" The two managed to get out of the way again. Link fired several more rounds into the beast's underside, then made a mad dash forward, piercing it with the Kokiri dagger. The beast twitched violently, breaking Link's grip and sending him straight to the webbing below. Mido fired a few more rounds from his slingshot, buying the two some time.
The black skulltula on Link's back was used to walking on webs, bringing Link back to safety.
"Wow, these things are amazing," said Mido, mesmerized.
"We need to try something else, we're not doing any damage."
"Then what can we do? Our black skulltulas aren't strong enough to paralyze this thing!"
"I have an idea, I just need you to distract it for a minute or two."
"Okay!" Milo ran off, pelting the creature with an assault of slingshot seeds and Deku nuts.
Link withdrew his fairy ocarina, put his hands into the right position and played perhaps the most useful and catchiest of the tunes he knew: Saria's song.
This song was that which only Saria's closest friends knew. It was a powerful melody that enabled the musician to contact Saria from afar, although it was usually only Link who ever actually traveled a far enough distance in order for it to be necessary. Nevertheless, it blessed Saria's friends with spirit and energy, those who heard it once let it reside within their hearts for all eternity.
Time seemed to slow as he roughly heard Saria's soothing voice.
"Link? Link, can you hear me?"
"Saria, we need your help! Mido and I are stuck down here against a giant Skulltula. We've been attacking it with Deku seeds and Deku nuts, I even attacked its weak point with my sword, but it didn't seem to do anything!"
"Link, remember that dagger I made for you? Use it!"
"But it'll break."
"Just use it, you'll be okay." Link knew Saria his entire life. When she said something was okay, Link knew he would be fine.
Link put away his ocarina and withdrew the dagger Saria had fashioned for him. Figuring that it would be better to have twice the power, Link withdrew his Kokiri dagger as well. He made a dash for the creature while Mido sat back, panting.
"Link, I'm out of ammo!"
"Here, take this!" yelled Link, throwing his prized black skulltula across the room to Mido's hand. Mido somehow understood, withdrew his own weapon and threw the two into the air in unison.
Before the enormous arachnid could devour Mido whole, the two skulltula clung to the creature's face, making it completely oblivious to Link's presence.
The monster thrashed from side to side, seeking an escape from its current situation.
Link, fully intending to assist with just that, ran straight forward, thrusting both blades into the creature's weak side.
To his surprise, the Deku stick formed weapon did not snap, but actually made the creature squeal in pain. Relieved that he was actually doing some damage, Link jumped backwards to avoid the fiend's retaliation, then made a swift movement again. The creature kept attacking and missing. Link felt the difference.
But eventually, Link and Mido both realized that it wasn't enough.
Like throwing pebbles at a tumbling boulder.
"Link, we're still not making any progress!"
"Dang! Here, take these!" Link tossed Mido his remaining Deku seeds and nuts, then retreated to a corner to contact Saria again.
"…Link? Can you hear me?"
"Saria, it's not doing us any good! I've been hammering away at this thing for what feels like hours! Mido and I are both exhausted! We're almost out of supplies! We-"
"Link, do you trust me?"
"Saria, this isn't the time to-"
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes, but what does that have anything to do with-"
"If you trust me, then you should trust in your weapon!"
Finally it hit him, "…Thanks, Saria."
Saria did not respond, but somehow that silence made Link feel better.
Withdrawing the dagger yet again, Link held the dagger firmly underneath his ocarina and played Saria's song once more.
As soon as he struck the last note, Link saw a brilliant emerald glow from both his hand and his sheath.
Drawing both the Kokiri dagger and Saria's dagger, Link watched in amazement as the two grew to enormous proportions.
Link now wielded two weapons: Blade of the Kokiri and Saria's Sword.
In pure astonishment that he would even be able to hold two blades at once, Link stood, awestruck at the pure beauty of the two.
The Blade of the Kokiri's handle had gone from brown to a luminous green, the blade extending outwards slightly towards the tip, leaves sprouting from the hilt.
Saria's Sword had gone from a dull brown to a sparkling bright green, the handle forming the shape of an ocarina and the blade curved perfectly symmetrical with an exceptionally sharp tip resembling an emerald.
The beauty of these pieces of arts was like holding both the sunset and sunrise in one's hands.
"Link, snap out of it and help me!"
Link awoke from his trance, ready to fight. Mido was gasping for air, cuts across his face and arms. Knowing full well that he wouldn't last much longer, Link charged forward, stabbing through the underside by shifting all of his weight behind the tips of the swords, like sticking a nail into a piece of wood and striking it with the megaton hammer.
Link ignored the repugnancy of the inside of a giant spider and began slashing away, satisfying sounds of major organs being split in two, knowing that this foul thing was going to go down. Dual-weapon spin attacks, jumping slashes and combos suited Link's fancy just fine.
Link struck a vital part.
Skulltula bits scattered like a Like Like that had just swallowed ten bombs at once.
Out of the mess of the blood and organs came the familiar bright green shine.
"Mine!" Mido made a dive for the Kokiri emerald, only to miss by a few inches as Link calmly grasped the Sacred Stone.
"Lucky grab…"
Link smiled, then looked down upon his weapons. No longer were they in their battle prepared conditions, they had returned to their original sizes and sharpness. Now knowing how to activate them, Link made a mental note to thank Saria…sooner or later.
Light surrounded the pair as the floor underneath them sank until it was no longer visible.
…
"…"
"Relax, Mido, I don't need another Black Skulltula." Mido let out the air he had been holding.
"Excellent job, you two!" They turned to the Great Deku Sprout.
"Link!" Saria ran up to the two of them, slowing to a halt.
"You made it out alive!"
"Ever doubt us for a second?" Link smirked.
"…"
"…What?"
"Link, did you shrink?" Saria raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, right." Link swallowed the plants he still held within his mouth. It took a few moments, but Link returned to normal size.
Saria smiled, bringing Link back to calm, "I think those herbs that I gave you return you to a certain age."
"Actually…" the three turned and listened to what the Great Deku Spirit had to say, "Link, you have become so attached to the Kokiri village that when you combine your spirit with that of the forest, you return to the age you see yourself most as when you think of the forest."
"But when I had two, I only went back two years."
"That may be true, but if you have any more than three, they will simply heal wounds and give you more energy, the lowest you can go, for you, apparently, is age ten."
"…wow."
"Link, let me see the Kokiri emerald." Link handed over the trinket to the Great Deku Sprout, who spoke into it so quickly and quietly that Link could not comprehend his words. Finally the Great Deku Sprout opened his eyes and gave the emerald back to Link.
"Link, I want you to take this stone with you to the royal castle and speak with Princess Zelda. Surely she has already sensed the return of Ganondorf by now, and she should have a plan of action."
"How come he gets the emerald?" Mido pouted.
"Mido, you have a much different task than Link, but no less important."
"Okay," Mido said, annoyed but accepting his word nonetheless.
"Link, I need you to depart as quickly as possible, take whatever you need and go within the next hour."
"I'll be gone in fifteen minutes."
The Great Deku Sprout smiled upon him as Link got up and ran for his house to get everything that he needed.
…
I suppose this is what I've been yearning for. After all, nothing like a little fighting to bring some excitement back to my life, Link told himself, as he drank down the last of the milk in the bottle and stuffed his pack to the brim with Deku seeds.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead one last time, Link turned and walked outside, down the ladder and stopped to take one last look at his home before leaving.
It had come so sudden, he thought. But evil waits for no one.
As Link crossed the bridge, a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Just going to leave without saying good-bye?" he turned around, expecting to see Saria smiling, but saw far from it.
"…I…was in a hurry…I figured…"
She smiled, bringing relief back to his spirit, "I knew you would forget, you thick-headed Deku scrub!"
She handed him another pouch. Inside was another set of herbs.
Link hesitated. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"About that sword…how did you do that?"
"We're friends, we do things for each other."
"…"
"And after all, I am a sage of time!"
Link smiled, but was taken aback when Saria tightly embraced him, taking him completely by surprise.
"Remember, be careful out there."
He withdrew from her, smiled once more, nodded, turned and ran towards the future.
Saria felt sad. She felt like a young girl whose father had gone off to war. A teenager whose best friend had left for battle. An adult woman whose husband had to leave to fight. A mother whose son had no choice but to defend humanity's future.
For truly the first time in her life, tears left Saria's weakened eyes. She knew that her lifelong companion had left for a truly great cause, selflessly sending himself out to fight while the rest of the world sat behind and watched.
But she knew Link, who was one who was willing to shoulder the burden, one willing to add to the load when others were too weak, tired or troubled to manage their own. And she thought, that it was this that brought Link true happiness, regardless of what others thought of him.
Smiling from true sincerity, Saria turned and headed for home as the fate of the universe blazed his own trail once again.
