Chapter 1

The Slingshot Accident

Link rolled over onto his side, away from the window to avoid the sun's rays that slipped through the interlacing covers of the canopy over his house. Soon the warmth of the sun permeated in the back of his neck, further adding to his annoyance. He pulled his blanket over his golden head to ease the irritation, and found himself lulled to sleep once again.

The sounds of birds singing lilted through the air, making their daily calls once again on this Saturday morning. No doubt they knew what they were going to do for the rest of their little lives.

Then there was a knock on his door, followed by a "Link!"

Link pinched his blanket and pulled it off his eyes to find a familiar site standing at the door, bracing the curtain against the doorframe as she did so. Her name was Saria.

Before he asked why she was annoying him earlier than usual, he suddenly remembered what his schedule was for today. Link's eyes widened and clumsily rolled out of bed and groped for his boots under the mattress.

Saria laughed. "You woolhead, you forgot we were playing ultimate slingshot today!" her voice was always chirpy and joyful, as if she expected good tomorrows and good games to play right now.

Link shook his head at her, trying to dismiss the accusation while he slipped on his tunic. Like every other kid in the village, it was one of three that he owned; one to wear, two to keep ready in case the previous one had to be cleaned.

"Yes, you did…" she teased. "Alright you log, if you didn't forget, what made you sleep in so hard?"

He said nothing as he fitted into his boots. Then he realized that he forgot to put his shorts on,for Saria suddenly looked away bashfully. Link swiftly slipped his feet out again and discovered his shorts hiding under his bedsheets. He put them on while covering himself with the blanket, Saria politely looking away until he finished and put a boot on.

She looked at him studiously, and then shrugged her shoulders in resignation. "Well, Fado and the others already began. Last I saw, Rorin laid a smacker on Mido's face hard."

Link chuckled lightly as he finished tying the other boot.

Saria sheepishly smiled in response, although his silence worried her. She could sense that he was uneasy this morning.

Link looked up from his boot to find her sitting next to him on the bed. She looked at him assuredly. "Are things good?" She always asked this when she sensed that Link was somewhere else in his head.

Link's uncommonly azure blue eyes gazed deep into her deep hazel ones. He could have told her so many things that were going on in his head. He could have brought up the same things that always disturbed him about living in the village. He could have told her that he was incredibly lonely and didn't want to live in his treehouse alone. He could have told her that his dreams were getting worse. He could have repeated the millions of times he told her how much he didn't fit in, and how much he felt he never would.

She always looked out for him, but the best she could do was be beside him.

Instead, he told her 'no.' He said a deku scrub was bugging him all morning, trying to sell him a piece of bark from a deku tree. Saria raised her eyebrow, finding the matter incredibly odd. Link told her that the deku scrub promised that it would 'fend against anything—well, mostly—in the forest'. Saria laughed.

"But really, Link, I'm concerned," she said. "Are you... having the same thoughts, again?"

He told her that he always felt them, regardless.

"Hmm," she said. "But they don't always leave you in a dark mood. You're not able to be... well, fun, right now. I want you good for the game today!"

Link nodded, making a smile, and jumped onto his feet, kicking his heels together and nestling into his boots, and told her that he was ready to bust a few nuts.

Saria hooray'd, and they both ran out the door and onto the patio.

The first thing to hit him was the scent of the forest, invading his very body with its freshness permeating throughout the entire woodland realm, all over the village with that lovely smell that only comes from dew on the trimmed grass; that, or the wind carrying the smell of trees and plants in the morning. Then he gazed upon the village from his patio, which was more of a landing considering his house was built in the top of the tree and accessible by a ladder. From his house, the path went up a small incline and led towards the center of the village, with the shop resting on the bank of the pond. Far behind the shop the path would lead onto the edge of the village and into the woods. Over the canopy, Link could see the Great Deku Tree's own treetop, which reigned like a tower above everything else over there.

"Come on!" said Saria, hurriedly, already scaling down the ladder with Link jumping into pursuit.

She jumped off the ladder about three feet above the ground and landed smoothly, and already bolted into a run. Link attempted a five foot jump and landed just as smoothly and bolted right after her.

She laughed. "Catch me!" she said playfully.

Link laughed as he ran after, certain that he would be able to without trouble.

He caught her within five strides, and then proceeded to grab her by the shoulder and tackle her to the ground. But before he could pin her, she smartly maneuvered and kicked him off of her and then continued running down the path towards the shop, passing by Kokiri doing their own things (either just walking around for a morning brisk or simply playing around).

He caught up to her just outside the shop, and they both had to take a break and gather some air. They chuckled amid breaths.

"Oy!" said a voice overhead. They looked up to see Cara sitting on the edge of the shop's roof, smiling down at them.

"You two going to the Slingshot game?" she asked.

"We're late, I know," said Saria between breaths.

"Well…" Cara got to her feet and gazed far over their heads. "You better get gone if you don't wanna miss the action!" she said gaily.

Saria laughed, and then punched Link in the shoulder just before darting off down the path towards the hill. Link grimaced at the pain, rubbed his shoulder, and then shook his head dismissively as he took steps to chase after.

"Hey, Link," Cara called him. He stopped and looked up at her. "Be careful. Mido's playing, I don't know if you know that…"

Link's face irked. He nodded.

"Well… be careful… Kick his butt if you can!"

"You will not!" piped a obnoxiously loud and squeakish voice. Cara's face turned to disdain as her fairy, Lotl, arrived from from behind her shoulder, carrying a lotus flower. Lotl, like every other fairy, looked like a will-o'-the-wisp, or a floating orb of light the size of Link's palm.

Link's face turned petulant.

"Link, you will NOT beat up your village chieftain- again. You both must come to peace with one another!"

"Lotl, don't talk nonsense, please?" Cara asked, humorously.

"Well, it's better than listening to it," said the bossy fairy. "Link, you will not have a quarrel with him. That's that."

Link simply nodded and turned to make chase after Saria, who had stopped in mid-flight to see why Link had stopped. But once he started running, she turned around and fled.

Along the way, they passed some treehouses. Link knew their owners: Golo's, Faber's, Nolin's, Dagee's, and such. As he passed by, he noticed Evan and his brother Jovan gardening outside their house. Link waved as he passed by, and they waved back in a rush; they were trying to weed a few deku babas from their vegetable garden with their hand shovels. Link swore he saw that one of their shovels had been clean bitten off.

He had to agree: deku babas were bad.

Saria had a five yard lead on him, but that gap grew smaller as he continued to chase her. The path led around a big hill. On the other side of the hill was a small field that had been irrigated so to set up a crop of vegetables and fruits. This was called Garden Field. Hamos and many others were in charge of feeding the village of vital nutrients and minerals. They immediately recognized Saria and Link, and waved at them as they ran past the field.

Soon, they got to Taro's treehouse. Taro's treehouse sat at the edge of an area of trees that sat within the village. Taro was reknown for holding games of hide and seek or tag—or in this case ultimate slingshot—at his place, since the 'gaming area' was so vast yet full of cover and concealment.

Taro's brother, Gato, was mending his hood with a thread and needle on the doorstep when the two friends arrived. They could hear shouts from behind the house.

Gato looked at Link glibly. "Well, you're here at last." Then he reached behind him to grab two bags and two slingshots, and he gave them to the two. "Remember the rules: no eyeshots, no low shots, the team with the most hits wins."

"I hope Fado's been making me proud?" Saria said as she tied her bag of deku nuts to her belt. Link did likewise, and was still put off by Gato's comment directed to him.

"Sounds like from here," said Gato. "So, uh, Link, sure you know how to use that thing?"

Link avoided looking at him, nodding and examining his slingshot instead.

Gato shrugged. "Well, then, you both know which teams you want: go get 'em, Cutters."

Saria grinned. "Gooooo Cutters!" she then tapped Link on the shoulder and they darted around the side of the house and into the backyard.

As soon as they entered the perimeter of the gaming area, Link and Saria took cover. And, with giving each other cues, they rushed from tree to tree until they arrived to the action scene, some yards deep into the tree orchard. Link caught one in the neck as soon as they arrived, and then sent a nut careening towards the other team's direction.

Link stayed with Saria as they ran throughout the woods to find Fado. They found him, and he told them that they were in danger of losing the lead. Mido had managed to cool off his temper after the last round and regained his dead-eye shot. "Mido's shooting is going halfsies; one minute he's getting us right in the chest or back, the other he almost blinds Taba and Nono. Our 'great chief' sure gots a killer aim."

"Hmph! The cheat," harrumphed Saria. "Well, now you've got two soldiers with ya! Me and Link are here!"

Fado gratefully patted Link on the shoulder, "Hey! Glad you could make it!"

Link smiled back.

Fado then looked to Saria. "Well, sis, ready to cut?"

A nut exploded on a branch over their heads, cascading them in purple dust.

Saria whined, "Aww, they got the purple ones!"

"No matter!" said Fado. "We'll cut in green!"

"Go Cutters!" yahooed Saria, raising a deku nut triumphantly.

A nut rebounded off a tree and smacked Fado in the face, but did not explode. He growled and shot a few nuts at the other team. They merely laughed and shouted back: "Boulders shmoulders, older colder; we will hoorah when it's over!"

Taba, who sat behind cover only a few feet away, caught one in the knee and yelled painfully.

Link had a nut ready to shoot, and he looked to where the other team shot from. He could see their hoods and heads bobbing amongst the trees, about fifty meters away. Among them, he could see Mido's red curly hair.

He sent the nut sailing through the air, hoping to nail Mido. Alas, it missed, and Mido peeked out from cover to meet eyes. His face changed from smug to disgusted.

Link grinned. The game was his.

Back and forth they sent volley after volley until members began losing ammunition. Link offered to go and collect nuts, but Tada went instead. While she went to for supplies, Mido and his team halted fire. They too were out.

But eventually both sides got their ammo, and the sounds of yells, challenging shouts, painful squeals, and teamwork echoed through the air.

The two teams went at it for two hours until the accident.

Link was determined to beat Mido at this game. Of all the Kokiri, he hated Mido the most. Ever since he could remember, Mido had picked on him. He tormented him. Teased him. Left him out of the best parties, the best games, and the most interesting talks (gossip around the forest).

Link was not going to let Mido beat him at anything. Not today!

He motioned to Saria that he was going to advance. Saria shook her head, but Link ignored her and ran forward as she called out for him to come back.

Mido's team now aimed solely for him. As he dove from cover to cover, ammunition exploded around him wherever he went, with the purple pollen smearing all over him. But he was persistent, and he didn't get hit.

He could hear Mido getting desperate, shouting orders: "Get him! Get him!"

He noticed some of his boys moving from cover to cover to outflank him. But Link was smarter than they were. They were slow, and he was fast. One moment, Gabo and Sofert thought he had vanished, until he began shooting them from abve on a treebranch.

"You stupids! Don't let him win!" Mido roared at the top of his shaky voice.

Link jumped from the tree branch and onto the pine-needle covered ground and darted for cover, Gabo and Sofert shooting but not hitting him. He lost them amongst the trees and waited as they searched for him. There was a silence as they tried to find him, and he smartly moved to closer cover. He slowly looked from around the tree trunk, and could see Mido's face. He was no farther than ten feet.

Link took the opportunity. He readied a nut, and jumped from cover—

Suddenly he was pelted from behind; searing pain climbed his backside and his pained grunt echoed in the air. Apparently, Nono had bad aim and hit Link instead of Yeda.

At once, Mido and everyone else on his team focused on Link. The poor, blond boy barely dodged from their fire as he ran for cover.

"Sorry!" yelled Nono, oddly.

Link grimaced. He wanted the shot at his bully so badly. He wanted to get Mido so good.

He was going to do it!

He stood up, and landed deku nuts on Sofert and Yeda. He raced and pushed Gabo to the side before he could fit a nut into his slingshot with his chubby fingers. Mido was already backing away into cover, fearing Link.

As Link got to the other side, he got pelted in the forehead. Mido had made a cheap shot.

That's when he lost his temper. The next thing he remembered, Link was being pulled off by Fado and Taba, and Sofert and Gabo were standing defensively at Mido's sides.

"Link! Stop it!" yelled Fado.

But Link couldn't. He wouldn't. He was so angry, so full of rage.

Mido himself was on a similar emotion, but not so much as Link, which left him more scared of him.

Everyone in the game had come to see the tussle before splitting the two of them. Saria stood by, helplessly, trying to talk to Link as he wrestled for freedom.

Mido cried, "I misfired! I didn't mean to hit him in the head!"

Link protested.

"And then he just starts beating me up! He's crazy!"

Fado gripped Link tightly, but it was difficult. Trying to restrain the boy was like restraining a waterfall, for Link kept getting loose and then retackled by Fado and Taba.

"Link! Stop! Stop before the fairies get here!" said Saria.

Link didn't' care.

Mido then laughed. "Why should he care? He don't care about no fairies. Although I think he deserves a whooping. He never did have a fairy to keep him in line, now, has he?"

That steamed him even more. Link broke free, rushed forward, managed to push away Gabo and Sofert and then landed a smart blow in Mido's face, sending him backwards to a tree.

This time, Saria took her slingshot and smacked Link on the head with it. He stopped at once, rubbing the spot where he got smacked and looked at her quizically. She fumedin anger but did not say a word.

"Oy! What's all this noise?" said a squeaky voice.

Everyone turned around to see a collective of lights hovering towards them. Their fairies had returned.

Fai, Mido's fairy, threw a fit when she saw what had happened to his face. Garu, Fado's fairy, along with the other fairies began discussing what to do. Fado and Saria argued with their fairies, but everyone else remained reticent except for Gabo, Sofert and Yeda.

Link thought to himself that at least he got to smack that smile off of Mido's face.

Link was to be punished. By Fai.

"Link, you assaulted your chieftain—and in fury! That's not good! Let alone it being you, it's unacceptable for ANY Kokiri to such bad things! BAD boy!"

Link stood before the raised platform upon which Mido stood, over whose shoulder Fai hovered angrilly over. He was either looking up at Fai or straight forward at Mido's dirty boots.

He remained silent, and he didn't hang his head. He wasn't ashamed. He was just perturbed that he got caught.

Fai could see it in his face. "I'm spreading the word to the other fairies. NO ONE is to play with you until next March— er, until I say so!"

Mido concealed a grin.

Link inclined his head. He asked when March was.

"Never you mind!" said the fairy.

Then he asked what March was.

"ENOUGH!" said Fai. "You are to remain by yourself, to ponder over what you have done, until I say so! AND! Slingshots are now banned throughout the entire village!"

Link asked what he was going to do for that whole time. Casually he brought his hand to the side, making sure his slingshot was well concealed under his shorts.

"Figure it out. You always do, especially on your own. You're smart, aren't you? Go be smart or something," chided Fai. She disliked Link, almost as much as Mido did, but only because he was hard to control.

Link shrugged his shoulders, and asked if he could at least talk to Saria. Fai said no. Link nodded miserably, turned around and headed for the door. On his way out, he overheard Mido asking what March was and Fai smacking him on the head in retort.

Outside, Saria waitied for him, leaning against the side of the house. As Link stepped out, she began questioning him. At first he did not answer, walking away instead, but after question five he caved and told her everything.

Saria pursed her lips. Mael, her fairy, said sadly, "Well, you kind of did lose your temper."

Link tried to defend himself, but Saria interrupted. "Link, you did jump him. I don't like that you're getting punished, but you did a bad thing.

Link grimaced and began walking away. He figured she wanted to call out to him, to come back, but that Mael had stopped her. It did not matter. Link needed to talk to someone who would understand.

He figured it would be the Great Deku Tree. He told them both he was going to see him, and they both wished him good will.

On his way to the Meadow, he noticed that the Kokiri were looking at him oddly. It seemed Fai had spread the word very quickly.

He passed by Evan, who was wrapping his hands in aspas linen at his doorstep. The deku babas were gone, but his hand had been bitten repeatedly in the process. As he passed, Evan gave him a thumbs up and a wink. Link felt a little better. But he knew he couldn't talk to Evan; his fairy was right there, chatting up a dragonfly.

Link got to the shop, and Cara and left her perch. Outside the shop door, Poltus, the shopkeeper, was arguing with something. Link recognized it immediately as a deku scrub. The creature was about as tall as a Kokiri, but was in no way of the same race. Its body, which was composed of a hard shell layer, stood on two lanky wooden legs and expressed itself with two lank arms and small fingers. Most peculiar, plant with bulbous leaves grew on its head, and below that radiated its two eyes, consistent of sap and emanating like deep wells, and below them was a strange funnel, from which came its speech.

"Poltus!" it cheeped, sounding as if a bird was speaking through a flute. "I swear, my stock is good!"

Poltus, who was by far the shortest Kokiri in the village, kept trying to stand on his toes to meet the creature's height. "I've seen your products. They mean nuttin' to us 'cus we don't like to eat wooden pastries!"

"By Deku Tree Mightiest, I swear that you'll like my next line!"

"And you swear on what?"

"Uh… well… I swear on my 'favoritist' friends, and my… 'bestest' toys?" asked the deku scrub. Apparently it was alien to Kokiri modes of speech, even though it spoke the same language enough to get by.

"Pfft," chided Poltus' fairy. "You play with toys? Figurines made of wood?"

The deku scrub went silent for a moment. "…you do?"

Taken aback, Poltus suddenly noticed Link passing by. His eyes followed him, his disinterest in the conversation now causing the deku scrub to jump around in order to look.

Behind the shop, the path went on to the edge of the village for a few more yards. At the edge sat a wall of trees that surrounded the entire village, separating it from the Lost Woods. At the end of the path stood Noli, like a guard, with a fairy over his shoulder.

"Halt!" said Noli. "Who comes before the Great Deku Tree and His Meadow, Yea He who Fathered Us and Made Us His Children, Who—"

Link told him to 'cut it out,' and Noli sighed. "Whaddya need to talk to the Great One for?"

Link said that he needed to have a personal talk with the Great Deku Tree.

Noli shook his head. "Iunno, Link. Fai's orders were that you ain't supposed to talk to anyone."

Link corrected him by saying he couldn't talk to Saria. Noli looked at his fairy.

The fairy paused, and then: "Hey, the kid's got a point."

Noli shrugged, and then moved to the side. "Got a dagger?"

Link blinked. Then he shook his head confusedly.

Noli sighed, and took the dagger of his belt and handed it to him. "Deku babas have been growin everywhere on the path to the Meadow, lately. Be careful, and try not to take too long. The Great Deku Tree—" Noli's fairy smacked him on the head, forcing him to shut up.

Link tried to inquire, but the fairy told him to hurry up and talk to the Great One. Link took a look down the path, which was shadowed by the canopy of trees. With the thought of babas growing 'everywhere' on his mind, Link felt afraid.

But he really needed to talk to someone. So, Link gripped the dagger and tarried forth.

He had been down this path many times before, just like every other Kokiri. But he was cautious. As soon as he stepped onto the path, a deku baba the size of his head sprang forth from its bub and tried to bit him in the face. Its bulbous head, covered in what seemed to be veins, bobbed in the air menacingly, glaring at him without eyes and licking its teeth with a purple slab of a tongue.

Link encountered various other deku babas on the path, some not even trying to bite him directly but merely chomping at the air around it. Those he just avoided, but some had to be grabbed and weeded. To his knowledge, deku babas were the only plants that were somewhat 'carnivorous;' that was a word he learned from the Great Deku Tree, meaning 'meat eater.' Not that deku babas could eat a Kokiri, however, because none could ever grow that large. The best they could do was bit into an arm or a leg and suck the blood.

As he walked further down the path, cautiously weeding or avoiding babas, he realized something: lately, deku babas had been springing everywhere, lately. And the fairies had been going in droves to talk with the Great Deku Tree. Something was going on.

Eventually, he came to the edge of the path, and the atmosphere around him changed. The air was sweet and clean, and it gave him the urge to go running forever. The number of deku babas mitigated until none were found as he drew closer to the end of the path. The trees and plants conveyed a healthy green unlike anywhere else in the forest, with flowers blossoming in bright colors. However, he noticed some had begun to die. He even saw a tree had fallen somewhere on the side of the path. Looking at it again from afar, Link noticed that it had broken from its trunk, as if something knocked it down from its base.

No matter. Link came to the end of the path, and the canopy overhead rose high. The trees around the Meadow grew large.

Then he stepped out from the enclosure of the path and into the Meadow itself. Its expanse was great and wide, and everywhere flowered a beautiful plant or small sapling of a tree. The forest sprites were abundant everywhere, hovering wherever they would and doing their natural businesses.

Then his eyes fell upon the centerpiece of the entire meadow, the very thing which was the epicenter of the entire Kokiri community and of life in the forest as Link knew it.

The Great One was a mighty tree, towering as if a castle, with his head reaching high enough for his canopy to overlap the perimeter of the meadow, with a host of branches that would take the entire village to populate. His roots extended far and wide and at many angles, turning and appearing out of the ground at epidemic points in the earth.

The trunk itself was the marvel, for out of it protruded the ancient being's face. At present, the Great One was asleep. His eyes, made of bark, were closed. A sap bubble hung from his wooden lips, dangling as he breathed in and out. He also had an interesting nose, which was round and pressed against his face.

Link felt uneasy. Should he awake the Great One? He walked over to the grassy knoll that inclined so as to hold up someone to speak with the Great Deku Tree, with the decline leading to the trunk where all the festival were held. In past festivals, the Kokiri had left graffiti upon his trunk, depicting dragons, horses and fairies.

Link watched as the Deku Tree slumbered. Well, should he wake him up?

Then he dropped his dagger. Bending down to retrieve it, his eyes noticed something odd about the grass. It had been pressed heavily as if a really, really big deku scrub with big, clompy feet had trodden all over the place. The indents were fairly deep.

Suddenly, the Deku Tree's canopy shook. Painfully. His sap bubble splattered to the ground, exploding upon impact. The Deku Tree's eyes pressed hard, letting out the sound of grinding wood permeate the air.

Link approached, and opened his mouth to speak. As he did, the Great Deku Tree's eyes softened, and then drowsily opened, revealing deep green eyes that seemed to behold the very essence of nature, like pools of water. They narrowed in on Link, and upon recognizing him had opened fully.

"Oh," he said, speaking with a deep voice that boomed like the depths of the realm and echoed like the wind. "'tis you, Link. I apologize, I was asleep. I dreamt of my days in the old times. Many memories they are, yes, they are… but o! what bringst thou here, my child?"

Link told him what had happened, from the slingshot accident to Fai's decree, and he pleaded that such a punishment be lifted. The Deku Tree, however, seemed to have lost interest, for his eyes drifted away along with his thoughts.

Link asked the Great Tree if he was alright.

The Deku Tree, taken aback, looked back at Link. "O, forgive me, young one. My mind resteth on other matters at present. I am sorry, O Link. Fai may hold dislike to thee, for she carrieth the temper that Mido doth behold, and hold grudge against thee for having the courage and stand up to him, but she doth speak truth upon thine actions. It was wrong to hurt Mido. No matter his transgression, thou needst learn two things, good child."

Link asked what they were.

The Great Deku Tree's eyes seemed to gaze deep into Link, and he felt comforted. "Forgiveness. Mido hath much… growing up to do. He hath been, like thee, lonely due to his heated temper and hasty judgment, and hath only his fury to force friendship. He liveth in thine shadow, didst thou not know? Thou hast a kind heart that others find admirable, and they treat you courteously because of it. Yet, still, others keep thee askance because… thou hast no companion to call your own."

Link looked at his shoulder uncomfortably, rubbing it to make it feel warm.

"Mmmmm," boomed the Great Deku Tree. "That leaveth the other matter to learn."

Link asked him what that was.

"Patience. In due time, my good lad, thou wilt find compensation. Thou shalt be awarded for your prudence. But thou hast to wait. If time were no matter, the world would have ended when it began. Thou must merely learn how to use the time that was gifted to you, and wisely, for time wasted is a sad crime to thineself. Dost thou understand, O Link?"

Link did. And he felt encouraged. He nodded, holding a smile. The Great One curved his thin lips into a smile, the sound of grinding wood following it. He let out a twitch of his face, as if a bug bit him.

"Now, go my child," he said. "I… I need my rest. These past few moons… hath been tiresome."

Link wanted to stay. He wanted to find out what was wrong with him, to see if he could, in a sense, repay him for being such a good deity. But, the law was, 'never disobey the Great Deku Tree,' and even he, Mr. No Fairy, had to listen. He bowed his head reverently and then turned to leave.

"Link," the Great Deku Tree said hastily, as if something came to mind. Link turned around expectantly.

He looked as if he wanted to say something. But he changed his mind. "Use thine time wisely, son."

Link nodded, thanked him, and proceeded back down the path. His mind was at ease, and his temper was now gone, replaced with good hopes and plans for 'using his time wisely.'

But another weight now fell upon him. He greatly worried about the Great Deku Tree. He had never seen such distress upon the deity's face. Seeing such pain in that face made Link wonder if the Gods could be hurt.

Once he made it back to the village, Link asked Noli and his fairy what was wrong with the Deku Tree. Noli had no idea. The fairy momentarily paused before admitting that the Deku Tree had caught a bug. "He's sick. We don't know how or why, but it has been paining him for months— well, a while."

He ignored inquiring about what a 'month' was. Instead he wished them both a good day and made his journey back to his house, his mind dwelling upon the Great Deku Tree.

Impa waited patiently as His Majesty reflected upon what she just said.

Above the steps, on the glorious Seat of Hyrule, sat the world's most politically powerful man: Lord Harkanion III, Ben-Ardalonion, the Mighty Kenhiron, High King of Hyrule, the Land of the Stars, garmented in luxurious golden robes, bearing the Golden Phoenix and the Gift of the Gods within the embroidery of his office, and upon his head sat a thin crown of jewels. His aged face, rigid yet wrinkled, rested in his ringed hand as he pondered in silence. His grey eyes stared at the floor which Impa stood upon, or at the tapestries garlanding the great hall.

Impa had seen this place many times, and bothered not to look upon it again. Between the columns stood the busts of his forefathers, the previous Kings of Hyrule, including the first Heroes.

Knights stood sentinel at every entrance, and his personal guard stood at the ready beside his throne. These were set apart from every other knight with their helmets, which were very busts of the Golden Phoenix itself, and capes that flowed down to the heels of their boots.

Harkanion's mind still dwelt upon her words after so many minutes. Impa wished that her words were convincing enough for him. She wished that he would listen to her, after all these years of her service to the Royal Family, to the princess, and to the nation.

He then threw a thoughtful looked at her. He did not trust her. He looked away to think some more.

Impa then knew what his mind had dwelt on for that moment, for him to cast such an unfavorable face. He remembered what happened long ago. She figured she did what was best for the family, but Harkanion still could not forgive her.

He finally stood up, taking his scepter from its place on his armrest, and walking to the window as he gripped it tightly.

"Does my daughter agree?" he said tersely.

"She was the one who proposed I talk to you."

He glowered down at her. "She couldn't talk to me herself, then, huh."

She did not react to such downplay. "It seems to Milady that you are too busy to speak to her at the dinner table, even when she is merely talking of a boy she met in the marketplace."

His eyes fumed with horror. "What? When did she ever go to the marketplace?"

"Last Friday, Milord."

"And you let her?" he fumed, stopping at the very top step. She could read his movements that he was tempted to go down the steps and glower in her face.

"She was of sound mind, Milord, and I felt it right that the people's word of mouth be quelled by her presence."

"Impa, we are at very stressful times and you allow this nation's heiress, whom the nation suspects of purjury, to walk amongst her people? She could have been harassed!"

"She was not."

"She could have been…"

"Are you so irrational, Milord? Hath the shades of the past clouded you?"

Harkanion's face tensed. He turned his face to the window instead of reply.

"Milord, you cannot trust that man no more."

"You base such a warning upon what facts, Impa?" he asked without looking to her, his voice rising in anger. "And you suggest such a warning upon my most trusted man!"

"He's very shady a man, Milord."

"He's earned his privacy."

"He's been vacant from your side."

"He's very busy!"

"He has been absent from the castle and from his duties as your advisor for a month and a half!"

"MINE IS NOT THE ONLY CARETAKING HE HAS TO MIND!" Harkanion bellowed with such a powerful voice that the knights beside him momentarily lost their stances. Impa herself felt the wind of his voice brush past her elfen ears.

"He has two sides to balance, Impa: North and West. Us and his people. He is trying to maintain the peace as we stand here, for his people are still belligerent towards us because of what my forefather did to them." Harkanion drew a breath, and then pointed a finger at the nursemaid. "He works to make still the wrath of his people! Remember his place, Impa. And yours, while you stand before me. You are NOT my political scout, nor my prophet. If you recall, Rauru died just weeks ago."

"I remember it every day, Milord, but he was not just a prophet. He was the last keeper of this family's secrets."

"Not everyone puts their eggs in a basket, Impa," he said under his breath. But Impa's supernatural hearing caught every word. And he soon realized it from the look she gave him. "I may have told him."

Impa, wishing not to expose emotion, remained silent. She could not believe such a stupid mistake had been committed by Harkanion, whom she remembered was wise as well as rational. One time, he was the pride of Hyrule, having pushed away the Moblin uprising almost single-handedly.

The fire changed him.

"If you will not listen, sire, then I shall speak no more of it. I prithee I have not offended ye, milord."

Harkanion's face remained placid, and then relaxed as he declined whatever thought he was holding onto. "I pardon ye, Impa. You and your kin have been my family's most beloved servants. Without you, my family would be… entirely gone. I can never…" he struggled to find appropriate words. That, or fight the urge to speak his mind. "…repay you and your folk. I apologize for my abuse."

"There is naught to forgive on your part, as I am but your servant, O Harkanion Ben-Ardalonion," she said, reverently bowing her head. Inside her head, she held back the urge to call him a damn, sad fool.

He nodded his head. "Is that all, Impa?"

She nodded in reply.

"Begone," he commanded.

Impa nodded, bowing once more before she turned to leave.

"I love my daughter, Impa," Harkanion said. She turned to see his face. He was deeply earnest and afraid. "I am sad that I cannot join her at the dinner table again tonight. I… am too busy. I will eat in my study again."

"I am sure she understands, Milord," Impa assured.

The King made a sheepish smile, but nothing more. Even he knew that the princess would not go to him in his study.

Impa turned back around and headed for the door, thinking how irrational Harkanion had become in his aging years. Surely, he could not have been so blind to the times, Impa thought.

Nearing the door, she pondered the next step. If the King would not believe them, then the princess would have to work in secret. Yes, Impa thought; she and I will have to work in the shadows.

She reached for the door handle, but it turned on its own. Stepping back, she allowed the door to open and let whomever it was in.

But it was him.

At once, her eyes glared up into his as a shadow came over her eyes, turning them into a pallid white, issuing a tacit threat to him. He merely looked as if he did not understand. He glared back, revealing the evils of his own people, as if challenging hers, before excusing himself with a smile, a bow of the head, and a dismissing walkabout towards the throne. Impa watched in disgust as the King smiled upon him favorable and then walked down the steps to grasp his hand in friendship.

Impa vanished as if a shadow, remembering a chant from the Umbralogues:

There's a devil within

To open without:

Eating its way

Eating him out.