Note: Hello! I shall update another long-going fanfiction soon! I just want to get the Great Deku Tree dungeon done so we can move on! While I believe in taking time to write, I don't want things to drag, something I've struggled with.
Please let me know if I'm succeeding in that or at least improving. If not, let me know that too.
Also, let me know if I'm characterizing Link decently. He is the main character, after all.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
The Lower Depths
His screams continued as he fell, Navi flying after him as fast as she could, even if she knew she was powerless to do anything. And as she passed downward, the fairy's blood ran cold when she heard the boy stop screaming. When she had flown down the hole, however, she saw that, while Link had taken quite a fall, he was perfectly fine. A large body of clean water rested deeper within the Great Deku Tree, deep enough to keep the young swordsman from hitting the hardened ground. Seeing no current danger, Navi flew toward Link, who had just risen from the water, taking in a large breath of air.
"Are you ok?" the fairy questioned Link, the young blonde nodding before he swam to the edge of the pool, pulling his soaked form out and onto the mossy floor. The boy groaned that every inch of him was wet, but Navi thought he should've been more appreciative. "Hey, if it wasn't for this here," she said, flying over the water's surface. "You'd be in a worse position than just being wet."
That still didn't change the fact that he was wet, Link thought. It also didn't change the fact that he was a little cold. The boy drained the water out of his boots and wrung out his clothes (especially his cap), but it did little to ease the chill now assaulting his skin. He shivered, hugging himself before he sneezed, the sound reverberating off the walls of the watery chamber. Navi flew over to him, drawing close to his chest, even if she thought he was being a bit dramatic.
"Relax," the fairy told Link, her body beginning to produce an even stronger light. "This will warm you up."
Link's eyes weren't prepared for the sudden burst of light, so he shielded his eyes. Yet as he did so, he found that the cold consumed him was not as intense as before. Instead, the boy's form felt a sudden wave of warmth course through, negating the chilled dampness of his clothes and allowing his temperature to rise. Not to where he was running a fever, but as if the coldness of the evaporating water, which now didn't affect him much at all. After a few moments, Navi's light died down, shrinking to the regular soft glow.
"Better?" she questioned the boy, who was now putting his boots, socks, and cap back on.
"Y-Yeah. I…guess," Link said, his speech somewhat choppy but understandable. "Th-Thanks."
Navi wasn't entirely prepared to hear that from Link. In fact, given how much she had been on him (for his good, of course), she suspected that he wasn't too fond of her. But she brushed it aside, not giving it further thought, as more critical things were going on. "All right," she said, flying ahead to see another sealed hole on a raised section of earth. "The source of the curse is down here," she told Link, who was about to try and climb up. Only to find that he couldn't reach high enough. So Navi flew down to him. "Looks like we're going to have to find another way for you to get up there," she then surveyed the area, spotting another darkened hollow. "That looks like the only path available," She motioned toward the entrance. "Well? Shall we?"
Link nodded and was about to step forward, but when he looked back at the chamber section he couldn't reach, he found a question coming to his mind.
"No," Navi answered as if reading his mind. "I'm NOT flying you up there," she said. "You're much too heavy."
Link huffed, believing that she didn't even want to attempt it. But it could work. Nevertheless, he continued, going through the hollow and entering a grassy room with a familiar-looking bush in the center, clearly another Deku Scrub. But what surrounded the bush both puzzled and intrigued Link, the boy inspecting one of the specimens closer.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Navy hissed, baffled by the child's lack of caution. "Don't just go up to something when you don't know what it is!"
Link looked up at the fairy with a raised brow as if to question what she had just asked him. Duh! Of course, he wasn't going to go ahead and touch one of them! Not with his hands, anyway. Link poked the object of interest using his sword with the blade's tip.
The object of interest was one of the same blue buds Link had seen outside the Great Deku Tree's Meadow, only now there were more. He looked at Navi, curious as to whether or not she could tell him anything. "Oh, so NOW you want to know what I have to say?" she asked. She was utterly unaware Link continued to poke at the strange bud with his sword. "Well, all I've got to say is that as long as you don't disturb it, we should be able to sneak past them-"
STAB!
"...easily."
Link shook his head furiously, bringing his sword out of the blue bud. He didn't mean to stab it! He waited a few moments, only to see that it wasn't moving. The wound he accidentally dealt to the bud bled a clear fluid, seeping out from the plant. Perhaps this one just wasn't fully grown yet?
He hoped he didn't kill it, as it hadn't shown him any aggression.
"Well, once again, you got lucky," Navi told Link. Only the boy saw one of the buds behind her move. It stirred, then began to rise, a long, vine-like stem extending until it reached around Link's height. "But you STILL need to be more careful!" the bud, or rather, the head of the plant, split horizontally, revealing rows of sharpened, uneven teeth. "You have to not only watch out for what's in front of you but also for what's behind-"
"W-Watch…!" Link stammered, eyes wide with fear as the plant reared back to strike forward.
"Yes, exactly," Navi said matter-of-factly. "You need to watch out-"
"N-No!" Link shouted, finally regaining control over his speech. "Watch out!"
Navi realized too late what the boy was trying to tell her. Her entire world was black as the plant's maw closed in on her. Link immediately sprung into action, sword ready for use, and charged at the carnivorous flora. The plant snapped its jaws dangerously close to the boy's throat, missing it by mere inches, and Link stumbled back, landing on another bulb that grew taller and bore its teeth in his direction. Then another bud underwent the same transformation, and then another and another.
Soon, the entire chamber was full of them!
Link's eyes darted around, realizing, to his horror, that he had lost track of the one that had eaten Navi. Upon learning he couldn't find it, he cursed to himself, trying to remember just where he had been before he was sent back. But after realizing there was little chance he would find out, Link decided the next best thing was to slash through every one of them! So, holding the Kokiri Sword and his Deku Shield, Link held out the thickened wood as the nearest blue-headed plant lunged forward, aiming for the boy's side. Luckily, Link stepped out of the way just in time before slashing at the "head," the blade of the Kokiri Sword piercing through its surface. The plant released a high-pitched squeal before it ducked its head downward, shrinking into itself until it shriveled up into a tiny, twisted weed that dissolved into nothing.
"All right! Somebody who can get these Deku Babas!" Link heard a voice say. As suspected, he looked and saw that the "bush" was just a Deku Scrub in hiding. "Don't look at me!" He said. "Chop up those guys first if you wanna have a chat!"
He had a more important reason, but Link set forth to slay the carnivorous plants, or "Deku Babas," as the Scrub called them. Unfortunately, one of the blue-headed plants snapped its jaws in Link's direction, nearly catching the boy by the arm. They were much too small to be able to devour Link, but their teeth and numbing saliva were dangers to be wary of. But still, he had to find a way to free Navi! Assuming that she wasn't in the stomach of one of these monsters by now.
The Deku Baba that had lashed out moved for Link again, but this time, Link ducked to the side and slashed through the thickened, green stem of the plant. He had essentially sliced the Baba's head clean off. Another snapped its jaws at him and received the same treatment. As he watched the boy go through the plants, the Deku Scrub realized the sword was always aimed at the stem or "neck." "Can't tell whether or not you'll find that fairy, kid," the Scrub muttered to himself. "But as long as you chop these guys down, I'm happy."
Eventually, Link went through each Deku Baba until just one left. The boy and plant stared each other down despite the latter's lack of eyes, and Link could've sworn the blue-headed cretin was smiling at him. This motivated him further as he stepped forward to goad the Baba to strike. But the monster didn't move. Then, seeing that it wasn't going to make the first move, Link charged, fearful time was running out for his fairy companion. If it hadn't already.
Link slashed horizontally to remove its head, but the Deku Baba ducked and shot upward, clamping its teeth onto the green-clad boy's arm. The teeth of the plant bit through his skin, Link yowling in pain as he dropped his sword. He realized his error but couldn't do anything about it, his arm still locked in the plant's jaws. The saliva and other toxins in its mouth began to have a numbing effect on the caught limb. He pulled and pulled, but the plant didn't release him, and he felt his arm begin to lose more and more feeling.
"Your shield! Use your shield!"
That voice…?! Was it really…!?
"Don't just stand there! Use your shield!"
Link obeyed and thrust the wooden shield against the Deku Baba's mouth, using the means of defense to try and pry the plant's jaws open. But, alas, this did him little good; the Baba still clamped around his arm.
"You won't be able to cut its head off with that! You'll have to get it from somewhere else!"
Somewhere else? And where was what? Nevertheless, Link looked around for potential areas he could attack with his shield, all while the Deku Baba chewed on his arm. Then, wincing in pain, Link involuntarily brought his opposite arm up to punch at the plant, momentarily forgetting about his shield due to the continuous gnawing of the carnivorous flora. This, miraculously, seemed to work; the force of the shield underneath the Baba's jaws forced it to lessen the power of its bite. Seizing the opportunity, Link wrenched his arm from the plant's mouth, the limb covered in bite marks and numbing saliva.
"Oh no, you can't use your arm like that," Navi said, flying over to Link. The boy was about to ask how she was alive, but the fairy continued speaking. "Here, this is another reason the Great Deku Tree wanted me to guide you."
She then, at least from what Link could gather, seemed to produce dust of some kind from her rapidly fluttering wings. Finally, the fairy flew over the boy's arm, the glowing specks settling onto his flesh before fading away. Link was about to question what Navi had done, but he soon realized that he had regained feeling in his arm!
"Don't thank me yet!" Navi answered before Link could do just that. "Take care of this guy first!"
Link nodded and turned back to the Deku Baba, eyeing his sword in close range of the plant. Link and the Baba dove for the blade, but Link held up his Deku Shield when the plant tried to bite him, allowing him to grab the Kokiri Sword. Then, with a loud cry, the blonde youth spun around with the weapon, cutting off the plant's head and sending it flying in the Deku Scrub's direction. The Scrub squeaked when the severed head landed right next to him, the Baba's king tongue lolling out of its mouth before it burst into flames, burning away to nothing.
"Ew…." The Scrub grimaced, suddenly aware that the blonde boy was standing above him, sword and shield in hand. "Eep! H-Hey! Let's talk this out!"
Link was confused but then realized the sight of his sword and shield probably panicked the Scrub, so he was about to put them away. "Wait! Don't!" Navi warned him, looking down at the Deku Scrub. "The last guy up and ditched you, so don't be so quick to trust."
"I won't try anything! Honest!" The Scrub pleaded.
"One of your friends said the same thing," Navi said. "And he's fortunate that this young one here is so inexperienced. Otherwise, he'd surely be dead." She referred to Link, of course.
Wow, thanks, Link thought. So here he saved her life, and that was what she had to say?
"What?" The fairy questioned the boy scowling at her. "Oh, don't give me that. You know it's true," she then noticed the Scrub trying to sneak away. "Stop right there! We're not done here!"
"Look, I'll go peacefully!" The bush-headed living plant squeaked. "After seeing this guy slaughter all those Babas, I'm not stupid enough to take my chances with him!"
"Then, if you aren't a threat, maybe you wouldn't mind answering a few questions," Navi told the wooden creature. "First, who put this curse on the Great Deku Tree?"
"I can't tell you that! He'd kill me!" The Scrub answered.
"Who?" Navi questioned.
"The Boss!"
"Who's that?" Navi pried.
"Can't tell you!"
"Is he the one that cursed the Great Deku Tree?" Navi asked.
"Well…yes and no." The Scrub answered.
Link was puzzled and presented his confusion to Navi. Regardless, if this Deku Scrub knew something about the curse, he would have to get that information somehow.
"What do you mean?" Navi asked. "How can it be yes and no?"
"I…." The Deku Scrub paused. "I can't say! But, look, I want to get out of here!"
"Answer, and you can go," Navi told the Scrub, holding control over the conversation. "Just what do you mean? Who is this Boss, and did he curse the Great Deku Tree?" The Scrub was silent, unsure of what to say. "You've seen him use this thing on those unsavory creatures," the fairy told him, flying to Link's sword. "Do you really want to try it? He may be inexperienced, but he's capable of being quite wild and unhinged."
Ok, now she was making him sound like a crazy person, Link thought. Nevertheless, this seemed to work, and the Scrub became much more talkative.
"Ok, ok! Yes, the Boss is…kinda sorta responsible for this happening," the Scrub admitted. "But he didn't put the curse on this guy," the talking plant gestured to the bark walls around them all, reminding them again they were inside a tree. "That was someone else."
"Who?" Navi questioned. Finally, they were getting somewhere.
"I don't know," The Deku Scrub said. Unfortunately, this answer didn't appease the fairy grilling him for information. "Seriously, I don't!" He insisted. "He was somebody from the outside!"
Link tilted his head, not entirely understanding.
"Outside?" Navi asked. "That's impossible. No one outside the Lost Woods could hope to find the Great Deku Tree."
"It's true! He came and asked for a way to the Kokiri Forest!" The Deku Scrub answered. "He came with gifts! He gave us all shinies!"
Shinies? What was that? Well, whatever, Link thought. He wasn't interested in just what this guy gave the Scrub; he wanted to know if he was the one who cursed the Great Deku Tree!
"Who was this person? Or individual? Or whatever?!" Navi questioned, growing frustrated by the Scrub dancing around her inquiries.
"He's from outside the forest! He went to the Boss, who told him how to get here!" The Scrub answered.
"And why would he have to curse the Great Deku Tree?" The fairy asked.
"I don't entirely know, I don't," the bushy plant answered. "There was something about a green rock or stone, and a door, and something about a "triangle-force" or something like that."
Triangle-force…yeah, even thinking it in his head sounded dumb, Link concluded. Still, it struck him as familiar. Triangle-force, no, that wasn't it. But it did involve triangles of some kind. Three triangles, three pieces, three crests. The Power of Gold.
"Link?" Navi questioned the boy. "You all right there?"
Huh? Oh, yeah, sure, Link communicated, but with a single nod. Still, he knew he had heard, and perhaps seen, something similar to what the Scrub was talking about.
Navi wasn't too convinced her charge was fine, but she carried on her interrogation regardless. "So he came bearing gifts?"
"I guess you could say that," the Scrub said. "I know I'm going to treasure my shiny."
"Well then, why did your Boss give this mysterious figure a path to the Great Deku Tree? Who are they?"
Then, the Deku Scrub shot forth a Deku Nut, but instead of aiming for either Navi or Link, it hit the ground and exploded with a bright flash. "Can't say! Bye!" He called out. By the time Link and Navi recovered from the nut's spontaneous reaction, the Deku Scrub was gone.
"Aw, he got away," Navi lamented. Also, Link was disappointed that they couldn't get more out of the wooden creature. "Well, we'll have to discuss what we heard with the Great Deku Tree later," Navi said. "For now, let's focus on breaking the curse," She saw another hollow nearby. "There's a strange energy from within there," she told Link. "It's somehow connected to the curse, so be careful." She told Link.
Link nodded and began making his way into the next small space within the mighty tree. He then turned to Navi, a few questions on his mind.
"If you're wondering, it turned out that Deku Baba couldn't fit me down its throat, so it was struggling to swallow," she explained. "Luckily, seeing as it is a monster, the rest of it faded away, so I wouldn't have to worry about me remaining in its stomach," she then changed the subject. "As for your arm? Don't you know that fairies have healing dust in their wings?"
Oh yeah, that's right, Link remembered now! That was the only reason Mido's injury wasn't treated as overly serious, as it had been healed by his own fairy. Today, he was totally fine. At least the boy would remember punching that redheaded jerk in his mind for a long time. And after Link had broken the curse, he would hold this over Mido's head forever!
"Hey!" Navi shouted, interrupting Link's thoughts. "If you're finished daydreaming, we need to continue!"
Right! Link walked along but stopped when he felt a tiny hand rest on his shoulder.
"Still…thank you," the fairy told Link. "I wasn't in any true danger, but it's the thought that counts."
While Link was thankful, he was disappointed that he hadn't indeed rescued Navi if what she claimed was genuine. He didn't wish for her to be put in danger (keep her quiet for a while, maybe), but he also felt he hadn't performed any act of bravery. Yes, he technically protected that Deku Scrub, but he was also probably going to try something if Link hadn't slain all those Babas. So far, he hadn't done anything to solidify himself as a "hero."
The two entered the next chamber, a curious site meeting them. Three peculiar shadows rested on the ground. And when they looked above, both boy and fairy saw three strange, round objects attached to the ceiling, mostly still, but there was some movement. As if something inside was alive and stirring. Neither one dared to move closer, as the sight of the unusual spheres both unnerved and disgusted them.
"What the…?" Navi trailed off, gazing up at the bizarre, circular things. Link looked at her for some answers as to what they were looking at. "Whatever this is, it's related to the curse," she told Link. "But how that is, I'm not sure. Because these things don't look like the result of some sort of magic," the fairy observed. "They just look like a creature's eggs."
Wait, eggs? As in, the kind insects laid? Link grimaced at the thought. "Please…" he muttered to himself. "Don't let there be any more giant bugs."
Link traveled along the walls, avoiding the three circular shadows on the floor as if they were the trigger for some trap. But as he looked up and studied them more closely, the green-clad boy noticed they bore a striking similarity to the seed given to him the night prior. And where he had planted the seed had a sizable web the next day. These realizations made Link freeze, and Navi was puzzled by the boy's sudden lack of motion.
"What is it?" The fairy asked. "What's wrong?"
Link didn't respond, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as if he had discovered something terrible. What the Deku Scrub said a short time ago echoed in his mind, along with the scene of the cloaked man handing him the "seed" playing repeatedly. No, he told himself. It was just a coincidence! That's all! He didn't bring anything dangerous into the Kokiri Forest! He couldn't have!
Right?
"Link?"
The youth jumped a little, embarrassment soon following when he realized it was only Navi.
"Are you all right?" The fairy questioned, the boy nodding in response. "Are you sure?" Again, he nodded. "Well, fine. If you say so," she then gazed upward at the spheres hanging from the ceiling. "I think it'd be best if we got rid of those things first," she told him, tapping her chin. "But how?"
Indeed, Link thought. He also wanted to get rid of them because looking at them made him ponder a terrible possibility. But then, he noticed several small objects on the ground. Pebbles? No, they were seeds, Link realized. The green-clad boy began stuffing the newfound ammunition in his pocket, then he took out his slingshot and aimed.
"Careful with that," Navi advised. "One wrong move, and you could take your eye out."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Link muttered, rolling his eyes. Nearly getting eaten didn't seem to make her any less chatty or overbearing.
He fired at one of the strange objects, which appeared to crack open, bursting into flames and out of existence. "So, they're monsters," Navi observed. "Yes, I see now. The Great Deku Tree has been infested with foul creatures because of this curse," she continued. "If we don't stop this, then the whole Kokiri Forest will be crawling with things like those Skulltula or whatever this creature is…?" Link then saw her fly up to one of the two remaining spheres, inspecting it closely. "Yes, there's something alive in here," she muttered. "But just what is it…?"
She registered a form of life, yet it wasn't developed enough to where she could tell just what sort of creature it was. But it doubled in size; she saw a shifting form inside the sphere. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought this was a…oh no.
"Link!" She shouted, "Shoot them!" She urged the boy. "Shoot them now!"
Link was surprised at the fairy's sudden urgency, but he nonetheless obeyed, firing another seed at the object, cracking and bursting into flames as the other had.
"Hey!" Navi chastised. "Not when I'm in range! Wait until I get out of the way!"
She was the one who wanted him to shoot! Regardless, Link aimed at the last sphere, but before releasing his shot, the object dropped to the ground, landing with a wet plop. Now it was right before him; he couldn't look away. Link had to swallow the terrible truth as much as he hated it. The "seed" the outsider had given him was no seed.
It was an egg.
CRACK!
An egg that had just hatched.
A bipedal creature burst forth from the confines of the pink shell and jumped toward Link, allowing the boy to get a good look at it. Its legs were small and spindly, but its knees were bulky, allowing it to jump great distances. It bore a single, golden eye with an oval-shaped green Iris and white pupil, and its "skin" appeared to be some sort of softened exoskeleton. Atop its head was a long, bright green crest, but it wasn't made of feathers. Instead, it had a wet, slick surface in contrast to the rest of its body, which had dried off the yolk and other fluids inside its egg.
"That's a Gohma!" Navi cried out in shock. "Link, be careful! This creature's incredibly dangerous!" As if to prove her point, the strange insect-like monster leaped for Link again, its well-developed knees allowing it to reach him in just one bound. Link brought up his shield just in time, but the force of the creature's jump sent Link stumbling back a bit. "Get its eye! Stan it in the eye!"
The eye? That sounded like it could get a little messy. Regardless, when the Gohma came at him again, Link stabbed his sword in the monster's direction, only for the creature to dodge his move entirely.
"Hurry! You got to get rid of that thing, now!"
Yeah, but how?! Link wondered this when the Gohma managed to overpower the boy and send him to the ground. The bipedal bug leaped onto the shield, trying to bite at the blonde with sizable mandibles, especially for a creature around its size. But then, Link's opportunity came! With as much strength as he could muster, Link pushed his shield against the Gohma, the boy's force sending the bug stumbling back a few feet, giving Link enough time to act!
Running up, he slashed his blade downward, striking the Gohma whom Navi instructed him to attack. The creature squealed in agony, its eye turning green from the pain. Link then performed a horizontal slash, taking the Gohma's head off with the Kokiri Sword. And just as the other foul things faced inside the Great Deku Tree, the Gohma burnt away into nothingness. And upon seeing no more danger, Link put away his sword.
"This is bad," Navi said gravely. "Deku Scrubs and Skulltulas are one thing, but Gohmas? This curse is worse than I could've imagined."
If the curse brought all these creatures here, then the entire forest, both his home and the Lost Woods, would be in trouble if this continued much further, Link suspected. However, one question was on his mind. Just what was a Gohma?
"In case you're wondering, that thing you just fought was a Gohma larva," Navi said. "Gohmas have varying appearances, but they seem to stick more to have more arachnid or crab-like bodies."
Crab? That was a creature from the sea. Right? He had never seen one (nor the ocean) but heard something about a crab in one of the Great Deku Tree's stories. Link was about to speak, but Navi cut him off.
"You got lucky because this was just a little guy," the fairy continued. "But that likely means the one who laid these eggs is still here," she said. "I think that's what I'm sensing down below."
Perhaps, Link thought. Still, the thought that what he had brought into the forest was no seed but a container for one of those monsters haunted his mind. Everything around him, all of it, this was all his…
"Link?"
Navi's voice brought him out of his reflection. "Are you ok? You're acting weird."
Link nodded, trying to erase any evidence of discomfort in his features. He would fix this, he thought to himself. He would make this right and cure the Great Deku Tree. That would be the only way he could make up for this. With a newfound resolve, the boy went into another nearby hollow, Navi following closely behind him.
At least, he hoped he could fix this.
But what happened next surprised them both. Instead of a chamber, a small crawl space was seen; Navi flew down to inspect its size and width. "It looks big enough to crawl inside," she said. She then passed into the hole, exiting it not long after. Link was going to ask her what she had seen, but she appeared unsure of what to say, as indicated by her initial silence. "I… don't know what's in there."
Link tilted his head; what did she mean by that?
"Perhaps it'd be better if you see for yourself," she said. "It might lead to a way to where we need to go, so it's worth investigating," Navi told him. "Although, there is this peculiar sound I heard in there."
Link knelt and listened in, unable to hear anything. Then, seeing as Navi confirmed he should fit, Link crawled his way into the small passage, traveling a short distance before he came into a small area almost wholly separated from the rest of the Great Deku Tree. It didn't appear to be anything special, but its presence there was odd. It was no more than a standard room fit for one, much like Link's own home. There was a large woven basket, but its size struck him as odd.
It was far too small for anyone, even a child. But it was oversized for Navi, leaving Link even more confused.
"This looks like a room for a baby," Navi observed, looking around. She could sense a presence of some kind nearby. It wasn't related to the curse, but it was foul energy all of its own.
Link looked up at her. Did she mean like a baby from someone outside of the forest? Because all the Kokiri sprouted from seeds dropped off by the Great Deku Tree.
"But why would the Great Deku Tree set up a place like this?" Navi wondered aloud.
Indeed, Link thought. Still, even if he couldn't entirely understand it, the small room had a strange sense of familiarity. He had no memory or recollection of its existence, so why was there this sense of attachment to this place, as if it were a place he should've known and recognized?
Navi whispered, "Hey, listen, do you hear that?"
Link listened for whatever she could've been hearing, and it wasn't long before he began hearing it. It sounded like scratching, consistently scraping against the ground by multiple tiny legs. Another giant spider? Link hoped not. But it still wasn't because he was scared of them! Both he and Navi surveyed the room, visually checking for every possible hiding place.
Then, after a few moments of silence, Navi whispered, "There!" She directed Link's focus to the basket. "Under there!"
Link went over and lifted the woven basket, finding a small patch of dirt underneath. At first, he thought Navi was mistaken, but the boy saw movement in the soil, then a flash of a shimmering skull with glowing red eyes. A skull attached to eight legs and a small head with multiple eyes. From the looks of it, the creature appeared to be a Skulltula, but much smaller than those faced on the higher levels of the Great Deku Tree. And its back appeared not to be as solid as the monster spiders from above, in that a weapon could pierce it.
Not to mention that the spider's skull abdomen looked like it was made of solid gold. So naturally, the account from the Know-it-All Brothers came to Link's mind as his blue eyes were immediately fascinated by the arachnid's precious metal.
"Quick!" Navi urged Link. "Get that thing!" She instructed. "It's a secondary evil attracted here by the curse! Fortunately, it's just one, so you must take it out now!"
Link drew out his sword and proceeded to stab at the "Golden" Skulltula, but the spider jumped up at the boy and landed right on his face. Link released a terrified yelp and fell backward, hitting his rear on the wooden floor.
"Didn't you say something about not being afraid of spiders?" Navi asked. Link only huffed in response, cheeks red with embarrassment.
The Golden Skulltula scuttled across the ground and walls; Link pulled out his slingshot to get a better shot at it. The first shot missed, the second shot cut the spider from going any further up the wall, and the third…POW! The seed hit the arachnid right in the center of its golden back. The spider fell to the floor, and Link promptly stabbed it, the Kokiri Blade traveling relatively quickly through its exoskeleton. Then, after a few more sharp movements, the spider's legs curled in, and it went still.
"The Kokiri Blade cuts through all things evil," Navi explained. "But it won't harm anything that doesn't carry any ill intent. But don't get cocky because while it has been able to destroy everything so far, there may be an enemy here that can't be pierced so easily."
Then, instead of burning away, the Golden Skulltula did something else. It burned, but the flames were bright gold and shaped into a sharp-toothed skull. Then, in just a moment, it was gone, along with any trace of the creature it came from. Link was completely unsure about what he had just seen, so he turned to Navi for answers.
"That evil source, whatever it was, is gone," she explained to him. "But there was something else, too," she said. "I sensed an…attachment of some sort."
Link gazed at her, puzzled. Just what did she mean by that?
"It's a little complicated," Navi said. "Look, let's focus on getting to the lower levels. The sooner we eliminate this curse, the sooner I can start giving you more answers."
Right, Link thought. And the sooner this curse was lifted, the sooner he could get to try to explain to the Great Deku Tree how all this happened. Along with giving the most extensive apology of his life.
"Link? You're acting weird again," Navi observed. "Are you sure you're ok?" Link nodded, turning to crawl out of the room. Navi went in before him. "Well, just in case, I'm keeping ahead of you," she told him when they both entered the previous room. "Now, let's get going," she then flew to another small space in the northern wall. She flew in, then back out. "We're in luck! This leads to where we need to go!"
Finally, here was some good news! Wasting no time, Link crawled through, he and Navi emerging on the other side. They were in the same chamber with the large body of water, but on the raised land area (or was it wood?). But as they approached another hole in the ground, they saw it was covered in webs.
"Great," Navi and Link sighed together. "Now what?"
Link put his hands on his hips, pondering the same question. Unfortunately, he couldn't cut through the web and only broke through the last one because of the height he had fallen from. So he had to think of something else. He then thought of something. Navi noticed a sudden hopefulness in his blue eyes.
"What? Do you have something we could try?"
Link readied himself, knowing he was going to have to communicate verbally. "Maybe…." He began. "Maybe we can…burn it?" He suggested.
Navi didn't entirely understand. "What do you mean?"
"Well…you heated me back there," the blonde boy pointed to the lower section of the chamber. "Maybe you could…?"
"I can warm you, yes, but I can't catch fire," Navi answered. "You'll have to find some wood for that."
"Like…over here!" Link then ran over to a nearby bark wall. He looked up at the wall, running his hand over its surface. He would make this right; he would have to. But to do that, he was going to need some wood. "Sorry about this." He muttered before drawing out his sword.
"Whoa, hey, what are you doing?!" Navi cried in horror as the boy was about to begin chopping a few small pieces of wood off of the wall. "There's no need for that! I found some Deku Sticks!" Deku Sticks? Navi guided him to where some plants grew, but they were not Deku Babas. They appeared to be long stalks of some kind, but their stem was wood, rising like leafless trees. They were a readily available crop in the Kokiri Forest, many of their structures held together by these rods of surprisingly strong wood, but Link didn't expect to find any here. "Still," Navi said. "You'll need to start a fire to try to burn anything away."
Navi was right, Link thought. While the Great Deku Tree considered fire a natural phenomenon and not something to be feared or reviled, he still warned his children to be cautious around it. As a result, Link had only started fires a few times in his life, all of which were under Saria's watch, so nothing bad would happen. That said, while he wasn't usually successful the first few times, he eventually succeeded. But now, he found that his already halfway decent fire-making skills were being put to the test.
"You need some help there?" Navi asked, flying over to Link. The boy scowled, believing she was mocking him. "No, I'm being serious," she assured him. "I can use my wings to spread the flames," Link was surprised. She thought this was a good idea, truly? "I wasn't totally on board with your plan at first," she said. "But it seems that there may be no other way."
Indeed, Link thought. If this did work, he didn't know what they would do. Still, he continued striking the Deku Sticks together, a few sparks flying, but that was all. Then, finally, it happened! It was small, but there was a tiny flame on the end of one of the Deku Sticks. Link held the other stick to the flame and waited until the fire began slowly eating and burning away the wood.
"Here," Navi offered, beating her wings to fan the flames. This worked, spreading the fire. "Ok, now, toss them!"
Link did just that, and the burning Deku Sticks were engulfed in flames, which soon engulfed the web. The thick, silky strands fell to the power of the fire, unable to withstand the heat and light. They burned and burned until, finally, they were all burned up. A gaping hole was unveiled, and Navi flew down to see what was on the other side. She didn't want to risk Link jumping in and there being nothing to stop his fall.
After a short period, the fairy came back. "Good news!" Navi said. "There's an even larger body of water down there! More than enough to stop your fall."
Link groaned. More water? But he had just gotten fully dry again.
"Come on, the fall's not as big as the one you took before," Navi told him, urging the boy to jump in. "The source of the curse is right below us. If we take care of it now, the sooner we can undo the damage already done!"
Hey, that's right, Link thought. With how things looked so far, he didn't want to imagine what it would look like if it were worse. He would make all this right; he'd fix things. Wet or not.
Taking a deep breath, the blonde boy jumped down the hole, finding that Navi was correct about the drop not being as far. He didn't even have time to scream before he hit the water. Quickly swimming up to the surface, Link took in a large breath, Navi soon fluttering by his head.
"Don't worry, I'll dry you up," she assured with a giggle. Then, she looked ahead. "Watch out!"
Link turned to see three Deku Scrubs standing over the water's edge, all peering down and ready to fire. Link dove down just before they could release their Deku Nuts, the Scrubs looking around for any signs of the boy in the depths. "Aw, whatever!" The one in the center said. "I'm tired of waiting!"
He aimed to fire; the speed of the nut would at least be fast enough to hit something underwater. But, unfortunately, he was about to feel the full force of his weapon. Rising from the water, the Deku Scrub fully expected the boy to come up, head first, ready to fire the second he showed up. But instead, his snout met his shield, and unfortunately, the Scrub couldn't stop himself and fired his stored Deku Nut. This action sent the Scrub and Link back, the wooden creature hurling backward until he met the Great Deku Tree's inner walls with a resounding thud while Link dove back into the water.
The other two Scrubs looked around, trying to pinpoint where the blonde-headed kid was. "If we don't stop him now, then the Boss will be super, SUPER mad!"
Navi didn't dive underwater with Link, but she kept near the water's surface, listening to what the Srubs were saying. Soon, Link rose, but she urged him to keep his head down. And, if he could, go under again, lest he be spotted.
"Even if that kid gets to face her, it probably won't matter," the other Deku Scrub said. "The Queen's grown huge, dining off the energy of this big guy," he continued, referring to the Great Deku Tree. "It won't be long before she breaks out of here and starts sucking away at everything else in this little section of forest."
"And what about us?" The other Scrub asked. "How can we guarantee the guy with the shinies will keep his word?"
"There's no reason he would go back on it. As he said, he's only interested in the stone this big lug's hiding."
Link rose at that moment, his pointed ears picking up the last of the Scrubs' conversation. A stone? What stone? He looked to Navi for answers, but the fairy shook her head.
"That'll have to wait," she said. "But if this is true, this is even MORE serious than I imagined."
"Hey, guys!" both Scrubs looked back, seeing their brother had recovered from his blow. "Aren't you forgetting something?!"
Huh? Just what were they forgetting- "YOW!"
One of the Scrubs was shot in the back of the head with a Deku Seed, the small projectile releasing a bright flash as it met the Scrub, sending him to the ground. When Link had to hide during the two's conversation, he had been retrieving the seeds he had dropped from his fall, now aiming his slingshot at the other Scrub. The Scrub was set to fire, but Link fired a seed right into the muzzle of the wooden creature, the small flash created inside causing a chain reaction that made the nut the Scrub was about to fire blow up! He was blown back as his brother had been, but only then did he notice that the rim of his snout had begun to catch fire. The bushy-headed creature squeaked in panic, rushed to the water source, and dunked its head to put the fire out.
The Scrub Link had taken out first was still disoriented and affected by the explosion from his nut, but soon became aware the boy was standing above him. He then looked around to see that the youth had subdued his brothers, realizing they were losing this battle.
"Oh...blast it!" the Scrub shouted with irritation. "Let's go, guys! This isn't worth it!"
The Scrub that had taken a shot to the face sat up, and the one that had dunked its head into the water rose. "Right, this kid's a psycho!" the former agreed.
"I'm not risking getting killed by some maniac!" the latter added, all three of them, to Link's surprise, hopping on the water's surface until they reached the vines that could take them out of here.
"Hey! Wait!" Link called out, running after them, but they were gone before Link had already reached the water's edge. He looked back at Navi, wondering what they meant by all they said. He had heard a "Boss" mentioned more than once and that he and someone else were responsible for cursing the Great Deku Tree. But now there was something about a stone. What did all of this mean?
"Again, this will all have to be explained later," Navi told him. "Our priority is to exterminate the source of this curse. Once we do that, all your questions can be answered."
Right, Link thought. And the sooner they did that, the sooner they could stop further damage from spreading. And the sooner he could make things right and correct this terrible mistake.
A gaping, darkened hole in the wall stood tall in front of the boy and fairy, unable to see what was on the other side. Yet, despite the darkness, Link's eyes were drawn to it, as if the shadows were beckoning him to come inside. And perhaps, illogical as it was to think that, it was doing it just that.
"Well..." Navi began. "Here we are," she said, both she and Link gazing into the darkened abyss. "The source of the curse is right in there," She turned to face the boy. "This is a task for you, yes, but..." she paused. "Don't think you're invincible. You can be hurt or killed just as easily as the other monsters you've slain here," she told him, then paused. "Just...be careful, ok?"
Link nodded. True, he was nervous, but there was no other way but forward. And ultimately, he had to do this. Even if the "hero" portion of his reason for being here wasn't considered, the boy had to correct this mistake. He had to make this right. Then, and only then, he would be a hero.
With a few moments of hesitation, the boy began to make his way towards the gaping hollow, stepping into the darkness with Navi following close by, the two figures disappearing in the blackness as they set off for territory unknown and most likely dangerous.
Note: The "Boss" frequently mentioned will have a small role later in this story. As for the story itself, I'm thinking of splitting the dungeons up into chapters based on what floor Link is on and giving the bosses their separate chapters.
I hope to make the next chapter (and the upcoming boss battle) worth the wait, and I hope to hear from you all!
Please alert me of any errors you see that I missed, and I hope to see you all later!