One Way Ticket to Catastrophe
Chapter 2: Leaving Home
" Now?" Karina squeaked.
" Yeah. Let's get it over with," Link declared and pulled at her arm indignantly.
" No-! Link-! Wait-!" Karina whined. They stopped directly in front of the tree and stared at it. It was more immense than what they originally thought and from where they stood, they couldn't see the top. They didn't know what to wait for and became rather fidgety.
" What are we waiting for again?"
" I'm not sure," Link replied nervously.
Karina looked around expectantly. There was nothing waiting for them here and she wondered what they were supposed to do next. Then, a glint of gold caught her eye. " . . . huh?" She left Link's side and walked towards it. But then it was gone. " What?"
" Karina, what's wrong?"
" Just looking." She didn't want Link to think that she was going insane so she simply began walking away before the gold appeared. She looked back and saw nothing. She turned slowly and saw it once again. This time she jumped on it and held on tight.
" What are you doing?"
Karina didn't answer because she was struggling with something buried deep in exposed root of the Deku tree. The root liquefied into some watery substance and began pulling her arms in. " Link?!"
" Karina!" Link sprinted to where she was and helped her. In less than a minute, Karina's arms were nearly out of sight. The liquid clung to her arms like glue and wrapped itself upwards as if it had a life of its own. Karina cried out in fear and Link was already giving up.
" Pull when I say so!" Link commanded. " Pull!!!" They both mustered all their strength and gave it a last attempt. They were sent flying meters away from the tree as the liquid let them go.
" Ouch," Karina commented and instantly looked at what she had in her hands. " Hey, Link! Look what I got!"
" Huh? Was that the thing that you were holding?"
" Well, yeah." She gazed at it and smiled. " Isn't this pretty? I can't wait to show this to Saria. She'll love it!" What she had on her hand was more important than she would have ever imagined. The emerald was the Deku tree for certain but neither of them knew that. And neither of them knew what was going to happen next.
Karina and Link felt the earth shake and the sound that accompanied it. It was hardly noticeable but the silence enveloped them, it was loud and clear.
" Did you hear that?" asked Karina.
" Yeah," Link replied.
" I think it's time to go." They stared at each other and without warning, both of them dashed to the exit before the booming voice emitted around them. " Halt!!!"
They froze in half step.
" Why have you come?"
Link turned around slowly but he saw no one. " Where are you?" he called out.
" Why have you come?" It said again.
Karina hiccuped. She hid her treasure in her shirt before turning around. " Link, I think that's the Deku tree who's speaking," she whispered.
" Oh," he responded in the same level of voice. " We have come because you called upon us!" he now shouted.
" So the names Link and Karina belong to you two?"
" Yes!" shouted Karina. Every time he spoke, the earth rumbled and both of them squirm under his 'gaze'. His mouth didn't move nor any part of his body yet the voice rung through the air from nowhere.
" I cannot speak to you for long," he paused momentarily. " The land of Hyrule is in danger. Ganondorf poisoned me-" It began coughing, letting loose violent earthquakes and making Karina and Link fall to the ground. " Pardon me. There is an evil that exists in this forest and it is no longer safe from the outside world. I am weak and there lives a parasite inside of me. I'm surviving on the brink of sanity and I need to ask you of a favor."
" We're at your service, great Deku tree," Karina said.
" I need you to visit Princess Zelda. She'll explain everything to you. My time has run out."
" What do you mean?" Link called out desperately against the cavernous earthquakes. " Great Deku tree! What do you mean?! Who is she?!"
" Leave! ! !" he shouted and a gust of wind blew them off their feet. The shape of his mouth dropped open and ghostly figures were released, screaming into the ears of the children.
" I sense there is something very wrong about this!!!" yelled Karina before the ground gave a sudden continuos shudder and creatures they never before seen crawled from the Deku tree's mouth.
One of them, had the largest teeth imaginable and turned hungrily in Karina's direction. " Run!!" shouted Link and without a second glance behind them, they ran.
The Deku tree's natural brown bark was sucked out leaving only a dead gray. Dark creatures in the shape of spiders fell from the leaves as so did pink hearts you would see washing down the rivers and streams. They fell and disintegrated into nothingness and the evil spread more rapidly throughout the meadow and closer and closer to the Koriri village. It came in waves, spreading across the yellow green grass and consuming its natural color leaving nothing out. The fairy dust disappeared and the air was no longer blessed or lit by their wonderful enchantment.
Karina and Link couldn't see this, only hear the awful sounds of fear and anguish. They could tell that the fairy dust no longer filled the space and that they would be in serious trouble if they stopped now.
Karina and Link finally reached the vastness of the Koriri village. Everyone was doing their chores and tasks like any normal day before Karina and Link burst through the passageway and broke their peaceful scene. They didn't understand their panicking faces and why they ran because why would anyone run away in fear from the great Deku tree, protector of all who lives in the forest?
" Run!!!" Karina screamed. " We're in danger!"
" What are you talking about?" asked a girl with ponytails. " The great Deku tree always guard us from danger."
They stopped running, gasping for air. " He can't any further. He can't. You must leave! All of you!" begged Link.
One of them laughed. " You're just making up stories. Why would we believe you?" Link stared at the crowd surrounding them and found similar skeptical faces. They didn't believe them.
"But we aren't lying! We speak the truth!" declared Karina. She saw Saria's face from the crowd and grabbed her shoulders forcefully. "You believe me, don't you Saria?" Saria just cast her eyes down. She let her go, stunned by her best friend's disbelief.
The deafening sound finally reached the village. The sound was as if many voices were united in singing a song of death and fright at the same time sending shivers down everyone's spine. The darkness expanded into the very beginnings of the village and everyone panicked. Those who had not paid any heed to Karina and Link prior or those who had been working elsewhere from sight, now came out from what they did to observe the commotion. They saw and heard the shadow that came from the passageway and fled their homes and possessions. Link and Karina did the same, and as everyone else headed to the Lost Woods, both of them headed to one exit that wasn't used. The one that led to the field of Hyrule.
_________________________________________________________________________
next chapter: Learning to Say good-bye
Note- luv it? hate it? you be the judge. I'm just the writer. Hope you enjoyed it though! Until next time!
- stargazer takile10
