Chapter 1: Visions
The world was chaos
An ocean of red hot lava stretched from horizon to horizon, bubbling and frothing and shooting geysers as high into the air as mountains. The sky that existed here was but a void - not a single star dotted the black canvas above this fiery world. The sound of molten rock grinding against each other and the explosions were deafening. The sharp smell of sulfur pervaded the air so thickly that it choked out life had any been present.
This was the world in the beginning - before Hyrule was created - a roiling mass of molten rock and fire hanging in a black expanse of nothingness.
It was then that three goddesses of great power descended upon the chaos.
In the great black expanse flashed a brilliant red light. It was a different red than the seething red of the lava. It was a vivid red - a color of vibrancy, life, power... It grew in the emptiness, becoming larger and more distinct in shape. It was a comet streaking toward the fiery mass, trailing ruby red fire. At the speed it was approaching, it would soon plunge straight into the lava.
But just before that happened, it veered away and shot across the ocean. It weaved above the surface as columns of lava shot into the air as though to catch this vivacious red comet, but it moved much too fast to be caught by something as sluggish as molten rock.
The rock would not give up so easily, however. It's churning increased with a deep rumbling sound. The lava began to spiral. Then from the center of the spiral, a column, much larger than the previous ones, shot into the air, reaching straight up for the comet that was heading right for it. The comet veered upwards, shooting out of its reach. Admitting defeat, the molten rock dropped back in on itself and grumbled.
It appeared the comet had won this contest but the victory was short-lived for its ascent was slowing. It reached the peak of its climb, tipped backwards, and then began heading back down toward the fiery ocean, picking up speed as it fell. Below, the lava rumbled and churned in anticipation as it realized it would have its prize after all.
Faster the comet fell toward the molten surface, which bubbled more and more furiously. Behind the comet flared long tongues of flame, unable to keep up with it as it fell faster and faster - too fast for it to be able to turn away now. It was going to hit.
It plunged into the red liquid. The liquid sank into itself as though swallowing the comet. Then thin columns of lava roared into the air in celebration of its triumph.
Its celebration didn't last long. From its molten body burst the ruby red comet. It shot into the air, shrieking not in pain but with laughter, slowing to a stop just above the surface of the fiery ocean, well within reach of its fiery arms. Yet no arms reared up to reclaim the vivacious comet. The lake of fire had been humbled that something so small had escaped its clutches unscathed.
Now that the comet was no longer moving, a distinct figure could be seen through the ruby flames: a woman of striking beauty and insuppressible spirit. A being of unbridled life, who relished every moment with all that she had - a spirit of fire.
Din, the goddess of power…
Her skin was the white of the hottest star - too bright to look at directly. Her hair was a comet's tail, red and burning, with gold sparks flying from it. Her eyes blazed gold then red then orange. Her nails were ten orange flames on ten white candles.
Her ruby red lips parted in a smile. She slowly descended toward the molten surface. The ocean bubbled again as she came closer but in anticipation of her desire. She threw back her head and laughed. What fun she would have!
It was she who forged the hills and the valleys of Hyrule…
She threw her arms wide, taking in all that she had been given to mold. Then she leaned forward and shot off across the ocean, the ruby fire streaming behind her. She plunged into the liquid fire and then reappeared, dragging up a sheet of lava in both hands. She tossed it up and then blew on it as though blowing out a candle but with the force of a gale. As the sheet of lava fell, it became sluggish and turned dark until it was bobbing in the fiery ocean like a cork. Din smiled with the joy of a little girl and she plunged back into the ocean and came up again with another sheet of lava that she cooled with a great gust of her breath.
Again and again she plunged under the surface and came up to toss the molten liquid around so much like sheets on a bed and blowing on them until they hardened. Gradually the land began to take shape; what started as misshapen rocks bobbing in the sea of fire became islands and then continents until at last all the ocean was hardened into a mass of red earth. She came to rest on a rise that allowed her to overlook her work. She crossed her arms, smiled, and nodded at the sight before her. Her work was complete.
But this new world was far from finished. The goddess of fire had shaped the hills, the valleys, the mountains and canyons, but it was all barren. All was dark rock, still steaming with heat, some that were cracked like an egg, red light glowing from within. The red air was thick with steam, hot and humid. It would not sustain life - not as it was now.
In the dark sky above, a sudden flash of blue attracted the goddess's attention. Her eyes glimmered merrily and her mouth twitched in a playful smile as she watched the blue light grow into a comet streaking for the earth. Just before striking it, it veered off and shot into the horizon. The fiery goddess watched it vanish and then turned in the other direction just as the blue comet appeared on the opposite side. As it approached the hills she stood on, it slowed until it drifted to a stop beside her. It was another woman, beautiful like the first but with a visage of gentleness and patience - of calm reflection and careful reason.
Nayru, the goddess of wisdom…
Her hair flowed down her back in gentle curls of silver clouds. Her sapphire blue eyes swept over the landscape that her sister had created before turning to her and giving her a satisfied nod. The fiery goddess's lips parted to show perfect, white teeth in what was almost a laugh.
Nayru spread out her arms and began to rise. Din crossed her own flaming arms and watched with anticipation. When the goddess of wisdom had risen high enough, she turned herself over and then shot off again towards the horizon.
It was she who gave it law to govern the chaos…
Blue light streamed from her outstretched arms as she flew, spreading out like a blanket to fill up the black expanse and become the blue sky. From her head, threads of silver broke away and began piling against each other against this blue blanket, billowing, stretching, and drifting - forming into thick and puffy clouds, the first on this new world.
These new clouds began to rain. Water fell from their bellies in great torrents that washed over the mountains, racing into crevices, merging with other crevices and becoming rivers that flowed into valleys where they collected in the deep depressions in the earth, creating lakes. The rain moistened the soft earth, turning it dark and rich. It beat upon the rocky lands, breaking them into grains of sand.
Satisfied with her work, Nayru streaked through the sky until she came to land gently next to Din. Din laughed gaily as she realized that the new world was nearly finished. She had created a solid earth. Nayru had created a sky, clouds and water.
But it was still unfinished. There was something else that needed to be done.
In the brilliant blue sky that Nayru had created, there was a flash of emerald green as another comet descended toward this world until it touched the ground next to the two goddesses. This one was just as beautiful as her two sisters, with a carriage of confidence and purpose - a woman who would persist to the end no matter how daunting the task.
Farore, the goddess of courage…
Hair as lush as grass swept down her back. Blooms of every color, shape and size adorned it. Eyes of richest green roamed over this newly developed world, their gaze clear and steady, taking in the task she was set with. She turned to Nayru, who met her eyes with her own brilliant blue ones and nodded solemnly. Then Farore turned to Din, whose eyes sparkled mischievously as she nodded. The green goddess gave a nod to both of them and then turned back to the world awaiting her to complete it.
She stretched out her arms and began to rise into the air. She closed her eyes and brought her hands together in front of her. She leaned forward and then launched across the skies, trailing a blaze of green light.
It was she who nurtured the life that would cultivate the richness of the new world…
Her hair fanned out as she flew, a carpet of blossoms in the wind. From the blossoms, numerous seeds fell, scattering over the bare earth made soft by the recent rain. Within moments, tiny shoots appeared, turning the red earth to green. It spread slowly across the land in a great wave. As it spread toward the hill where the two goddesses stood, Din crossed her arms and smiled in amusement at the cheek the plants had in approaching her while Nayru smiled tenderly and lowered herself to her knees with her arms spread as though to embrace a favorite child.
Across the world, Farore spread the seeds of life - seeds that sank deep into the earth and began to grow, courageously pushing through the hard soil to weather roaring winds and bear the heavy rains in order to bring life to this world. They would face many hardship as they continued to grow, but they had the spirit of Farore in them. They would face these hardship with determination and relentlessness. Though in some places, few of them would endure to the end. Upon the rocky mountains, many seeds died save but the hardiest of brush and some dark fruit.
Farore flew on, heading to the far south. She circled about the area here, spreading copious seeds as she did. Then she came to a stop and slowly descended to the ground. She kneeled and then reached up and plucked a round seed unlike any she had sown before from a green lock that fell over her eyes. She scooped out a hole in the ground. She gave the seed a kiss and then tenderly placed it within the hole and brushed the dirt back in. She closed her eyes and allowed a tear to fall to the ground directly over the spot where she had planted the special seed.
For a moment the spot glowed green. Then it faded. Moments later, a tiny green shoot poked its head out of the grass.
Farore smiled tenderly at it, cradling the frail sprout gently in the cup of her hand. Then she stood, raised her head and shook it, sending out a shower of light. The lights flickered as they floated slowly to the ground, then shapes coalesced within them. They took on the shapes of fairies, who blinked confusedly for a moment and then gazed in wonder at the world around them. Then, with shrieks of laughter, they scattered to explore their new home.
Farore smiled at their delight, pleased with her work. Yet there was more to do. Once again, she shook her head and more motes of light flew from her hair, scattering into the air. As they flew, their lights shifted colors, shimmering and solidifying; and their shapes became distorted, stretching and growing, taking on strange and unique shapes - becoming creatures of different kinds as they were carried on the breath of the wind.
The goddess of the wind was pleased. She rose into the air and then flew off again toward the hill where her sisters stood. They watched the lights floating on the wind, stretching and contracting. Din reached out and touched one of them. Nayru grabbed her wrist to stop her, but it was too late for the light had turned red and was pulsing. It flew on, flashing red and growing. The two goddesses watched it, Din with the smile of a child who had done something she wasn't supposed to and Nayru with the look of a mother admonishing the child.
Then she felt another lump of light brush against her and she wheeled around in surprise. The light turned blue and rippled. The goddess of wisdom reached out to catch it but it flew out of her reach, tumbling along the air currents. She turned to Farore as though to apologize, but her sister only smiled as she watched the lights transforming and growing. She waved her hand and the lights were carried away. She turned back to the two of them and nodded. They returned the nod.
Then Din leaped into the air. After a moment's hesitation, Farore and Nayru leaped after her, becoming green and blue comets chasing after the red comet. The goddess of fire looked down at them, flashed them a mischievous grin, and then shot higher still - a race for home.
And when they had completed this task, they returned to the heavens from whence they came…
As the three comets climbed higher, their tails grew brighter: fiery red, sapphire blue, and rich green. The three colors grew brighter until they eclipsed each other to become a single color - gold. Higher they climbed while this new gold tail grew brighter, spreading across the skies, gilding the clouds that hung there. And still it grew brighter, becoming almost blinding to look at…
And then they vanished in a bright flash and thunderous boom that rippled over the new world. Over and over again the light rippled across the skies, too bright to look at directly, passing like a warm, golden wind.
Eventually the light faded. The green of the trees and the grass became visible again. The deep blue of the sky appeared. The fiery red of the volcanoes burned fiercely again. The golden light was gone.
Except at the hill where the goddesses had departed. There a light shone brightly, washing away the green of the grass and coloring it gold instead. Inside the light something coalesced, becoming solid, while a crystalline note began humming, growing in volume. It rotated and began slowly descending until it hovered just above the top of the hill, supported by the immense power that radiated from it. This was the final craft of the goddesses.
…leaving one final gift… the remnants of their own power in the form of three golden triangles, which remains even now as Hyrule's source of prosperity…
Where the golden light touched the grass, it grew taller, darker and stronger. Where its musical thrum echoed, the brooks babbled louder. Where its gaze turned, life flourished. A golden fountain of fertility, wherever its power flowed, it transformed into paradise.
And the spot where these triangles came to rest is the land which is known as the Sacred Realm… a land of providence where all who dwelled within it knew only happiness…
…
Death was everywhere. The air reeked of it. Littered across the hills were hundreds of bodies of slain men, the soil darkened with their blood. A lonely wind carried a wavering note of pain and despair as it passed between the tattered remains of what was once proud banners bearing the coat of arms of each of the seven kingdoms - now fallen.
In the midst of the slaughter there stood six women of unnatural stature, garbed in battle armor speckled red. They stood in a circle around a seventh woman who was on her knees and bound by a gold, glowing chain.
One of the women standing over her spoke, her tone harsh, "Veran, guardian of the kingdom Kasuto, look about you and tell us what you see."
The chained woman raised her head and sneered, "I see the remains of the weak and foolish who dared to rise against me and my kingdom."
"And what of your kingdom? What of those who fought in your name?"
Veran laughed, her tone dismissive, "Expendable. Sacrifices for a greater cause."
"Greater than innocent lives? You brought this war upon the people to rule them yet how many are left to rule? You have nearly brought the humans to extinction in your quest for power and we cannot allow this crime to go unpunished."
"You will kill me then, Venus?" Veran looked up at the other women, her eyes burning with fury. "You would betray your sister - the eldest among you? Fools! My power is greater than yours combined!" She let out a bloodcurdling roar as her eyes became washed in darkness and dark flames erupted on her body.
"Hold fast, sisters!" cried the woman. She reached into the flames and clenched Veran's shoulder. The others joined their hands with hers, gritting their teeth in pain.
The dark sorceress screamed, "I will destroy you fools! Release me and feel my wrath!" The flames rose higher, crackling and rasping, the sound of death.
"Your strength, sisters. She must be destroyed!"
The six women began to glow, their light attempting to drive back the voracious darkness radiating from the sorceress's flames. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, their faces tight with concentration. Their leader, however, was the one most focused, her arm shaking with effort while the light surrounding her grew brighter. And Veran burned within, becoming a twisted shadow beneath the black flames. She laughed, her voice high and savage.
Through her clenched teeth, Venus hissed, "No! You will not escape justice!" and with a cry of effort, she pushed all her power into the dark sorceress. Veran's deranged laughter rose abruptly into shrieks of pain and anger. The shadow that was her body lit up with white light before bursting into a shower of dark flames that curled and twisted in the air like serpents. Upon hitting the ground, they immediately began to flee.
"You cannot escape justice!" Venus took up the golden chain that had fallen to the ground when Veran had burst and flung it into the air like a whip. The chains burst free of each other in a flash of gold and pounced upon the serpentine flames, absorbing them, bubbling and writhing, and finally dropping to the ground. They had shaped themselves into gold skulls and within the eyes red flames burned.
The leader gazed around at all the gold skulls scattered around them. She turned to her sisters and spoke, "We must scatter these. We cannot allow them to rejoin, for if they do, Veran will resurrect and terrible destruction is sure to follow. Hide them deep in the earth and beneath the seas. Seal them away. Seal them away for all eternity."
One of the gathered women stepped forward and bowed. "We shall do as you say."
"And when you are finished," said Venus, "we shall speak of what must be done to rebuild what we have destroyed and… what must be done to prevent such a terrible tragedy from recurring."
In turn, the five women nodded in understanding. Then they all turned and waved their arms, summoning the gold skulls to their hands. Then they leaped into the skies, taking the skulls with them to be scattered across the world in the deepest of holes and the most remote areas. And Venus stood amidst the carnage, her head bowed in sorrow, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
…
Blade clashed against blade, red sparks pouring to the ground, wielded by adversaries who were both exact opposites of each other. The white blade, whose edges were straight and shone with a holy light, was in the grip of an unnaturally tall woman in silver armor; while the dark blade, which was crooked and barbed with lethal spines, was gripped by a demon who appeared as a man but with black scales and red flames for hair. They danced around each other, slashing their swords only to be parried and forced to adopt a new stance to gain the advantage. Meanwhile, above them a great mass of land slowly rose into the air, dirt showering from its underside. A snake-like dragon, whose body was as thick as a tree's, weaved around it, blasting it with jets of fire. On top of the rising landmass, arrows and spears soared toward the dragon in an attempt to drive it away.
The demon leaped away from the woman and slashed the air in frustration. "Foolish, Hylia. You are only delaying the inevitable. I will claim that Triforce for my own and subjugate this pathetic world. Your precious humans will fall before me."
Hylia hissed through clenched teeth, "So long as my heart beats within my breast, I will not allow it!"
The demon threw back his head and laughed, his voice hoarse and contemptuous. "Why do you fight? Your cause is a lost one! Your humans are as frail as newborns and your sisters have hidden themselves away. You have no allies to aid you."
"She has one," said a quiet voice behind him. It came from a young woman in black with white hair and crimson eyes. In the cradle of her hand, a curious artifact hovered within a sphere of soft light - a three-sided spike etched with glowing arcane symbols.
"You, child?" the demon said and then threw back his head and laughed.
A fatal mistake. Hylia rushed forward and thrust her sword through his chest. His laugh became a growl of anguish. He reached down for the blade with the intent of pulling it out, but the woman thrust it deeper and pushed all her power into the blade, causing it to glow to a bright white. The demon gave one last roar of fury before he burst into dark wisps of smoke, his blade dropping to the ground.
The young woman lifted the artifact. The runes glowed and with a rush of air the wisps of darkness were sucked into the spike. As they poured in, the spike grew rapidly until it was almost as large as the young woman. When the last of the darkness had been sucked in, the runes dimmed and the spike dropped.
The woman breathed heavily as though exhausted. She gasped, "It is sealed."
Hylia placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well done, Impa. Your name will live on in history for the victory you have won us today."
Her chest still heaving, Impa gestured to the spike. "The seal will not hold forever. Eventually it will break and he will be free to threaten our world once more."
"Then we will need to find a way to destroy him completely. In the meantime, we can strengthen the seal with the residual energies of the Triforce that has seeped into the earth here." Hylia gestured where they stood. They were in an enormous pit where the walls rose like mountains around them. The earth that had once filled it was now rising above them into the sky.
Looking up at her mistress, Impa gave her a nod. Then she glanced up and said, "What of the dragon? We must stop it before it destroys all the humans you have attempted to save."
Hylia nodded. Then she leaped into the air, raising her shining blade with a ringing sound that drew the dragon's attention to her. It roared a challenge and then twisted its way toward her, fire burning within its gaping maw.
…
It was the largest gathering the world had ever seen. People of all kinds had arrived to partake in this event: the rock-eating Gorons, the aquatic Zoras, the waif-like Kokiri, the noble Hylians, the industrious Humans - all had gathered outside the gates of Hyrule Castle to witness the ceremony. They formed two large bodies, an aisle separating them and leading up to the gates where the King of Hyrule and his family stood. Marching up the aisle were three people: a large Goron with a lustrous gray beard that stretched to his stomach, a female Zora bedecked in pearls and jewelry fashioned from coral, and a Kokiri boy grinning from ear to ear and twirling a piccolo. They marched up to the Royal Family and then bowed formally. The Kokiri boy snickered mischievously.
The king returned their bow. He then announced in a booming voice that echoed to the crowd, "Noble leaders of the tribes of Hyrule. We are gathered today in ceremony to unite our people, to foster trust between us, that we may never claim supremacy over each other but share responsibility equally between us. I present to you, Chief Drakmi of the Gorons, Queen Laruna of the Zoras, and Miro of the Kokiri, the keys to the Doors of Time that safeguards the power of the goddesses, the Triforce." He turned to the his queen who held the silver case in which the three keys - the Spiritual Stones - rested. He took them out one at a time and presented them each to the couriers.
"The Ruby of Din, red as the flames of her arms with which she shaped our fair land.
"The Sapphire of Nayru, rich as the knowledge she bestowed to enrich our experience
"The Emerald of Farore, vibrant as the life she nourished to enable our prosperity
"And the final key my people will keep to ensure the Golden Power's protection, the Sacred Ocarina, whose notes, pure as a child's innocence, can break the seal on the Doors." He turned to the young princess and accepted the instrument she proffered. He then raised it into the air.
The three leaders raised their keys in response, and the gathering cheered their approval. Now none of the tribes had to fear one another. None could access that omnipotent Golden Power without the cooperation of all the others. Surely this was a wise plan and they could expect peace to last in Hyrule for all eternity…
…
A solemn assembly filled the audience chamber. Many of them were dignitaries and servants of the castle, most of whom were engaged in whispered conversations. Two soldiers stood next to the doors with their pikes planted firmly on the ground. At the other end of the chamber, the young queen sat in the throne, with a small, cloaked woman standing at her right arm, her head bowed, hiding much of her face. The queen's own face was taut, her mouth pursed in a grim line. The only movement she made was the slow tap of her finger on the arm of the throne.
The doors opened and a soldier stepped through. He stood at attention, saluted the queen, and then announced, "We have the prisoners, Your Highness."
The queen drew in a breath, a tremor in it that only the cloaked woman noticed, and then spoke, "Bring them in."
With a gesture from the soldier, the prisoners were prodded into the room. The assembly grew still as the three prisoners - all women, two of whom were twins - were marched up to the queen. The twins stumbled fairly often and seemed a bit frazzled by this treatment, but the third woman, young and strikingly beautiful with her red hair, carried herself with the poise of royalty, a haughty smile on her face, even with the manacles on her wrists and ankles.
They paused before the queen. The twins gibbered nervously, glancing at all the solemn faces surrounding them. The young woman gazed at the queen evenly, still smiling.
The queen's eyes grew hard. Her voice reverberated throughout the room as she spoke, "Aleika, duchess of the eastern territories, and Mages Koume and Kotake, you have been charged with the crime of conspiring against the crown of Hyrule."
The twins' gibbering became more agitated. Aleika merely smiled, her expression mocking.
"You attempted to create civil unrest among the tribes. You attempted to steal the Spiritual Stones that they protect, and then…" the queen's voice rose, "you murdered King Manau and attempted to blame the Gorons for it. All of this to dethrone me and claim the crown for yourself - to take possession of the Triforce that we so carefully guard."
"We're only doing what we feel is best for Hyrule, dear," said Aleika sweetly. "It is quite obvious to everyone that you are ill-suited for the task of ruling a kingdom. You are weak and foolish. You stoop to fraternizing with the common folk and lesser beings, seeking their opinions and," she laughed, "wisdom. Why, you've even made this scum your advisor!" She gestured to the woman beside the queen. "If you are not mad then at the very least you are foolish."
The queen's eyes flashed but she managed to maintain her composure. She leaned forward, gripping the arms of the throne, turning her knuckles white. "It is clear that you have no remorse for your actions. You are a threat to our peace and that is something I and the people of Hyrule cannot tolerate. As such, it is my responsibility to find you a fitting punishment."
"Would it please Your Grace…" one of the twins murmured.
"And what will you do?" Aleika mocked, spreading her manacled hands. "Send us back home? Implore us to behave? Maybe you'll send your Sheikah lapdog to monitor us? We have some spells we'd like to try out." She laughed.
The queen got abruptly to her feet, her face livid. "I will not tolerate these offenses any longer! You, Aleika, and your aunts are hereby banished to the Gerudo Wastelands for all eternity!"
The twins gasped aloud in horror, wailing, "Oh, dear me, have mercy on us!" Aleika, however, let out a harsh laugh and cried, "Banishment? This is a bit extreme for you, Zelda dearest; you dare not raise a finger against the lowlifes that congest this land and yet you would sentence your own cousin to a fate worse than death? For once, I am impressed."
"And furthermore!" the queen roared, "a curse will I have placed upon you that you will have but one male born to you and your descendants every one hundred years, and he will have dominion over you as your king. You will know the agony under the rule of a tyrant! So I decree and so it shall be!"
The delegates in the chamber reacted in surprise, murmuring agitatedly. Even the queen's advisor seemed surprised by this. Aleika's face turned red and she shouted angrily. "You mean to call me a tyrant? It is your weakness that will see this kingdom fall! If I shall have a tyrant, you will have weak rulers! You and your descendants will find yourselves helpless against every peril that threatens. My family shall war with yours and dominate your kingdom, I promise you!"
Queen Zelda swept her hand angrily. "Take them away!"
The three prisoners were taken away, Aleika struggling against her chains and shouting threats while the twins begged for mercy. When they were gone, the audience began murmuring again. Queen Zelda collapsed into her throne, putting her hand wearily to her head.
"My Queen," her advisor spoke. "Are you all right?"
"Dismiss them, please Impa," she answered with a wave of her hand.
"Yes, my Queen." She turned to the delegates and ordered them out. When they had all filed out of the chamber, she turned to the queen.
"I made a mistake, Impa," said Queen Zelda, her voice wavering. "I reacted hastily in anger. That curse…"
"You cannot revoke it," said Impa quickly. "The King's word is law. To go back on it will void all other laws, and if that happened, order would dissolve into chaos."
The Queen bit her fingers in anguish. At length, she spoke, "She was right then. I am a weak ruler."
"Compassion is not a weakness. Yet it must be tempered by authority. You gave her the chance to accept your authority, but it was her choice to challenge it. In other words, my Queen, you did what you had to."
"Yet I fear I've created an enemy that will plague our people for years to come," said the queen direly. A tear slid down her cheek.
…
The sky flickered orange and black, echoing with the roar of flames. A thick smog rolled across the land, smothering everything. Dark shapes sometimes appeared, wading through the smoke until they vanished again.
Then a larger shape emerged, moving quickly. It was a gray horse with two riders on its back, a woman in a baggy cloak and a small child that she had tucked close to her. They fled the destruction behind them, the woman keeping her head bowed. She pressed the hem of her cloak against the nose and mouth of her child so that he would breathe as little of the foul smoke as possible. With the smoke obscuring everything from sight, she was unable to see where they were fleeing. She could only trust that her faithful steed would take her to safety.
Eventually, the darkness of the smoky red sky became the soft shade of trees, and the choking smell of fire was replaced by the more pleasant smell of pine and earth. But for a while, the rider did not stop. Only when they had penetrated deeper into the forest did she allow the horse to come to a halt. She then carefully dismounted, helping her little child down. But as she did, she was overcome by a fit of violent coughs and she dropped him on the ground. He immediately began crying. She hastily scooped him into her arms and began rocking him, trying to pacify him while stifling her own coughing.
Suddenly her horse shrieked in terror, rearing up on its hind legs. The woman turned, using her body to shield her child from the horse's kicking legs. With another shriek, the horse reared again and then galloped away into the forest. Its clopping soon faded into the quiet of the forest, save for the wailing child.
The quiet didn't last long. There was soon growling that even the little child's crying couldn't mask. The woman turned her head to the sound. She saw first their yellow eyes, and then the rest of their mangy bodies emerged. Drool hung from their yellow teeth, and black claws slid out to their full length. The woman gasped fearfully and pressed her child to her heart, making him shriek all the louder. She backed away from the wolfos as they pressed close, growling menacingly. She backed into a tree, unable to move any farther while the mangy beasts surrounded her. She was trapped.
The wolfos closed in on the woman and her child, acting as one unit… except for an overeager pup who was getting too far ahead of the pack. The lead wolfo gave it a reprimanding bark to get back in formation. The rest of the pack watched curiously. With a snap of its jaws, the leader managed to whip them back under its authority. They turned back to their prey and continued forward, growling again.
Then there was another distraction. A distant sound behind them that caused them to turn away from the woman and child. They strained their ears, cocking them forward to catch the sound. A terrified whinny. The sound of prey much larger and tastier.
The pack looked at each other, communicating the question of whether they should go after this more promising meal instead. The lead wolfo hesitated, rotating its ears as it considered. It glanced into the hungry eyes of its fellow wolfos. Then at last it pulled its lips back and growled decidedly at them. They already had their prey cornered. They would take care of it first and then go after the larger meal.
Having made this decision, it spun back to the woman and her child, the rest of them following suit. Then they yipped in surprise and turned their heads in confusion. The leader pulled its lips over its fangs and growled angrily. The prey had vanished!
The flap of the woman's cloak disappearing behind a tree drew their attention. The leader barked and then charged after her. The rest of the pack gave chase behind him, baying excitedly The prey would not get far. It could not outrun them.
Yet she ran, still clutching her crying child tightly to her chest. Her breath came out in short, ragged bursts. Her cloak flapped behind her, tearing as it was snagged on outstretched branches. It didn't slow her down though. She was running desperately for her life and the life of her child.
The wolfos chased her deeper into the forest. The trees grew thicker and taller here, and she stumbled on large roots that thrust out from the ground. With all of these obstructing her path, the emaciated beasts were gaining quickly on her for they slipped easily between the trees and leaped lithely over the roots.
She came to a stop with a gasp for she had nearly run into a ravine that seemed to run right through the center of the forest. Gasping for breath, she glanced quickly right and left for a way around the ravine. Almost immediately she spotted a small bridge of weathered gray wood and rope. She ran for the bridge, stumbling and nearly falling in her eagerness to reach it before the wolfos caught her. Running onto the bridge, she collapsed with a gasp as it bounced under her, throwing her off balance. She risked one hand to grasp the rope, pulled herself to her feet, and quickly felt along it toward the other side.
A wolfo suddenly pounced onto the bridge, throwing the woman onto it again. Fortunately she still had the rope in her hand and was able to pull herself back up. She had twisted in the fall though and was facing the wolfo who was crossing the bridge slowly towards her, its lips bared in a snarl. The bridge shuddered under their combined weight, causing the woman to stumble more than once, but she kept backing away.
Then she stumbled and fell when her foot backed onto solid ground and she lost her grip on the rope that guided her. The jar caused her child to act up again, crying loudly. The wolfo broke into a trot, which became a run and then a leap with its mouth wide open to catch her neck in its sharp yellow teeth. The woman kicked and writhed on the ground in a desperate effort to avoid the incoming monster but in vain. The wolfo had her!
But as it descended to sink its fangs into her flesh, a branch whipped seemingly from out of the air and caught the beast under its belly, sending it flying back with a yelp. It fell into the ravine, landing hard on the stony ground below where it cried in pain. Fortunately for the beast, the fall hadn't been far but now it had no way of getting back up.
Meanwhile, the other wolfos were crossing the bridge. They did not understand what had happened to their comrade; they only saw their prey lying helplessly on the ground, trying to soothe her crying boy. They loped forward in a line on the narrow bridge. The first in the line bounded forward with a snarl, dripping saliva in its excitement, but as it started to pounce, a vine tightened around its forepaw and whipped it into the air, back across the ravine. The beast howled as it flew until it smashed into a tree with a loud yip. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud where it whimpered weakly, unable to pick itself back up.
The rest of the wolfos turned to each other in puzzlement. But they quickly forgot about the wounded wolfo and turned back to the woman. They moved forward until the ground in front of them exploded, sending a shower of dirt and rocks at them. They scampered backwards in surprise and shook their fur to get rid of the dirt - a rather pointless action since their coats had been filthy to begin with.
But they had barely begun to finish their first shake when something thick, muddy and hard slammed against all three of them, not only knocking them senseless but also sending them bouncing into the ravine. Having done this, the snake-like root burrowed into the ground again, vanishing from sight.
A single wolfo stood on the other side of the bridge. It peered down the ravine at the pack crying up at it. It pulled its lip back into something like a sneer. Then it gave a disgusted snort and turned to the woman.
She was sitting upright and looking directly at the pack leader as though curious to see if it would be as foolish as its pack. Her fingers gently stroked the blond hair of her child, who was also watched the wolfo curiously, no longer crying.
The wolfo stared at her for a long time without blinking. Then it raised its gaze to the trees surrounding her. As though they sensed its gaze, the trees lowered their branches in challenge. The wolfo snorted again. It locked its eyes on the woman for one last time and then turned and slunk away, disappearing into the trees where it had come.
The woman heaved a sigh of relief, which became violent coughing that shook her entire body, startling her little boy into crying again. She was too weak to calm him down. She was only glad they were safe from the wolfos. She leaned back against the ground, breathing heavily and coughing, while her child cried - a lonely sound in the woods.
It was not very long before a curious forest child with green hair, attracted to the cries of the young boy, emerged from the trees, followed shortly by two fairies.
One of the fairies bobbed her head at the woman and child. "That them, do you think?"
"Who else might it be?" retorted the Kokiri girl, though it was good-naturedly. The three of them moved toward the mother though the fairies tended to hang behind the Kokiri as though nervous about approaching. The boy noticed them and he stopped crying, his round cheeks streaked with tears. He hiccupped.
"There, there, it's all right," the Kokiri cooed, crouching as she approached. The mother heard her and she sat up abruptly, shielding her child from this stranger. The Kokiri raised her hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. The Great Deku Tree told me to find you and bring you to him."
"The Great Deku Tree…" The woman's voice came out so softly there was almost no sound.
"Yeah. Don't worry, you'll like him. He won't bite… not hard, anyways." She gave a small laugh. She stretched out her arm for the woman to take. She hesitated, slowly reaching for the proffered hand.
"Come on. Don't be shy." The Kokiri smiled reassuringly.
After hesitating a moment longer, the woman finally took her hand. The Kokiri nodded and said, "See? It's not so bad. I'll take you to the Great Deku Tree now. Just follow me." She gently started to lead the woman and her boy into the trees.
"That's a cute little boy, you have there," she said conversationally. She glanced back at him. "What's his name?"
The woman looked down at her boy. He looked back up at her, his eyes wide with innocence. She whispered, "Link."
"Link, huh? That's an adorable name. My name's Saria."
"Mariah," said the woman.
"No, Sari… oh, that's your name, isn't it? Well, pleased to meet you, Mariah…"
Mariah suddenly dropped to her knees as she was overcome by a fit of coughing. Saria glanced back at her worriedly. "Hey, Mariah, are you okay?"
One of the fairies bobbed in front of her. "We'd better hurry to the Great Deku Tree. She doesn't look good."
Mariah continued to cough as they all made their way forward. They soon entered a glade populated by giant tree stumps with round holes in it making doors and windows. Because it was dark, the other Kokiri were asleep and so they didn't see the human mother and child passing through their village to get to the Great Deku Tree. Mariah tried to stifle her coughing in consideration of the sleeping Kokiri but with little success. They soon left the village behind them as they traveled the path to the Great Deku Tree's glen… and Mariah's coughing grew worse.
"We're almost there," said Saria's fairy. The other fairy whimpered worriedly.
They eventually entered the enormous grove in the heart of the forest. In the center of the grove was the enormous Great Deku Tree. He watched them approach, his eyes falling on the woman whose body shook with coughs. His expression was grave.
"Here she is," said Saria, helping Mariah forward. "Can you help her?"
The Great Deku Tree didn't answer her. His eyes were fixed on the woman. When her coughing subsided, he spoke, "It has been long since we've had strangers in our wood. Why hast thou come here?"
Mariah took in a shuddering gasp before answering in a weak voice, "To escape… town invaded… protect Link…" She coughed, the force of it bringing her to her knees.
"Link," repeated the Great Deku Tree slowly as though the name was familiar. Then he addressed Mariah, "He is thy child?"
She was unable to speak due to her coughing but she managed a nod.
The Great Deku Tree looked up. "Saria. Take the child. Give him food and clothing. See that he is taken care of."
The woman looked up sharply at the great tree and instinctively drew Link to her. Saria asked, "What about Mariah?"
"We… I shall see what I can do for her," he assured her. He turned to the woman and said, "Fear not. Thy child will be well cared for. Thou art weakened and will need to be healed. Please, Saria, take the child."
She hesitated for a moment and then took the little boy's hand. He started to cry when he felt someone taking him away from his mother, but then he looked up into Saria's warm green eyes and all the fear melted from him.
"Don't worry, Link. I'll take good care of you," Saria promised.
…
"You called me, Great Deku Tree?" Saria asked as she entered the grove.
The Deku Tree sighed. "Yes. I am afraid I bear grave news. The child's mother…"
"Is she all right?"
He sighed again. "I could not save her. By the time she arrived, it was too late. Which means thou hast the responsibility of rearing the child she brought with her."
"You mean Link?"
The Great Deku Tree nodded. "Yes. It is thy duty now to care for him, to feed him, to clothe him, to ensure his protection."
Saria nodded solemnly. "Okay, but what about the other Kokiri? What do I tell them? They were pretty surprised when they found out he was here."
"Mido didn't seem too pleased about it," Saria's fairy added.
"Thou wilt tell them that he is now one of thee and to treat him as such. Where he comes from is of little importance. It was no mistake that he was brought here. Destiny played a hand in this, for he has a role to play in our future - all of Hyrule's future."
Saria shook her head. "What do you mean?"
The Great Deku Tree spoke in a grim voice, "There will come a time when the world will be threatened. That is when a hero will rise and turn back the calamity, returning peace to our world. Before that time comes, he will need to be prepared. That means in addition to caring for him, thou wilt need to train him, teach him how to defend, how to fight."
"But…" Saria struggled for words. "Why? Why him? Are you sure that he'll need to fight? That the world will be destroyed unless he stops it?"
"It is not a certainty," the Great Deku Tree admitted. "But the recent stirrings of war outside the forest does little to dismiss this portent. Thus I urge thee to prepare him for his destiny. He will almost certainly face it in due time and whether or not he triumphs will depend on how well thou prepares him."
"I-I'm sorry." Saria hung her head. "It's just… I can't imagine someone so… so young and innocent having to someday fight some great catastrophe. But if you say I should then I'll do it."
The Great Deku Tree nodded. "Good. My faith is in thee, Saria. But I must warn thee…" He fixed her with a firm stare. "Thou wilt be caring for him for a long time. In that time thou wilt come to love him as a parent loves her child. And as every parent knows, the most difficult part of loving their children is letting them go. I must have thy assurance that when the time comes, thou wilt allow Link to break away from thee so that he can fulfill his destiny. Dost thou promise this, Saria?"
"Yeah, sure. It's not like he has to do this in the next year or two, right?" She smiled hopefully at the Great Deku Tree.
He frowned at her. His words came out fiercely, "I need thee to understand the importance of this! In these coming years he will come to rely on thy strength and wisdom. Thou must make certain that he develops his own strength and wisdom for when destiny calls him. And when it does, thou must allow him to answer it! Dost thou promise to allow him to answer destiny's call?"
The force of the Great Deku Tree's rebuke shook Saria. She realized then how important it was that she made this promise. She already loved the little boy, his adorable smile, the innocence in his eyes, his instinctive trust in her… would it really get any harder to let him go?
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Her voice came out in almost a whisper, "I promise." To herself, she added, "But before then, I promise to protect you with everything I have, Link. I promise nothing will hurt you so long as I have you."
"I promise…"