Chapter 3
The catacombs in the Great Deku Tree's roots were a long maze, filled with booby traps. Long and dangerous halls, several Deku Scrubs and Deku Baba's, as well as minor rewards for solving hard puzzles. Whoever designed the inside of the god of the woods didn't make it all worthwhile to travel inside, so Link went straight to the issue by running through each obstacle, and making it to the ledge he couldn't reach before. Only problem was there is another thick spider web. However, after going through this dungeon, Link had learned that with each puzzle there is a clue nearby that helps solve it with ease. In this case, a torch nearby made it obvious to him that this web is meant to be burned. Taking the Deku Stick he carried with him earlier, he ignited the end of it with the torch and carried the flame onto the web. Standing back, he watched as the webbing burned away and a pathway to the 2nd Basement was clear.
"I've got a feeling..it's right down there." Carefully climbing down the vines on the walls so he doesn't need to freefall into the water below, Link made his way to the bottom, where a small room awaited him with a large door. Swallowing back fear, he cautiously opened the door with his sword in-hand, awaiting the worst. What he had gotten was a bad odor from the fog in the room beyond. The large room ahead was completely empty, devoid of life and containing nothing. As he stepped further inside and reached the center of the room, the door he went through to get inside locked itself. "Damn! I can't go back this way.." As Link pondered, a rustling filled the thick air. With sweat trickling down his neck, Link had better things to worry about now. Examining the ceiling as carefully as he can, Link backed into a wall with a fright.
"Whoever..whatever you are..show yourself! Come on out..!" He tried to sound authoritative with his voice, to try and strike intimidation into what was making the noise. Though, the fear more than likely tainted it. He couldn't hold it back, but he knew he shouldn't let it get to him. As he tried swallowing the fear back, he nearly choked when he had seen a large yellow eye, glowing brightly on the ceiling. Letting go of the ceiling, it fell to the ground in front of Link as a large shadowed mass with a glowing eye. "It's a giant parasite.." Link stared in awe, but he also knew he had to get out of there. He was backed into a corner, and the exit was sealed.
Thinking fast, he sprinted to the left to hopefully move out of its sight. It didn't move very fast, but its own reflexes when it's immobile seemed to have been very quick. Holding the Kokiri Sword tight in his hand, he charged at it from behind and tried stabbing into it. The outer body of the beast was too strong to be able to strike it internally, there was no way his sword could be able to break into it. "This is bad.." He backed away again, wondering what he could do this time. While Link was distracted, the beast spun around and swiped Link with one of its claws, hitting him in the right arm and causing blood to trickle down his arm and hand. His arm became numb, but it wasn't broken.
Filled with pain, Link got back onto his feet and thought strategically to not let the next attack be a killing strike. "His eye could be his weak point as well.." He picked up his sword again and charged at the beast head-on, moving past its claws. Ignoring the hostile possibilities of its counter-attack, Link swung the sword directly into the monsters eye, causing it to stagger back with blood flowing out of the wound in its eye. It appeared to have been the only weak point it had, so Link continued to slash at it until the blood flow seemed to have stopped, and the monster fell breathless.
The spilled blood on the floor seemed to have burned away along with the corpse into the thick fog laying above the ground, making the air seem thicker and smellier. Blood still flowed through Link's own open wound, he wondered if he was gonna make it at this rate, or if he was even poisoned. Wondering what to do next, Link examined his surroundings to find a mysterious red pendant on the ground. "It's shaped like a heart..I wonder what–" The pendant pulled itself from Link's hand and pushed itself into his chest, vanishing completely afterward. Link didn't realize what had happened until he had noticed the open wound has been sealed like the cut had never existed, and he felt stronger than ever.
In the beasts remains, a blue light had also arose from the fog. "Well done, Link.." The Great Deku Tree's voice echoed throughout the room as Link stepped into the light, feeling his whole body turn into light, and back into a physical being outside the Great Deku Tree. "Great Deku Tree..did I help?" As Link sheathed his sword, Saria rushed toward him at the sight of the dried blood on his arm. "You're bleeding!..But, where's the wound?" Link smirked lightly. "Never mind that..but are you ok, Great Deku Tree?.." The great spirit did not answer. The only sign of life shown was raspy breathing, and the roots seeming the curl up. "Yes, Link..but my death is still inevitable. This forest will still exist..and my heir will awaken soon as well once I pass on..but before I die, I must tell you your mission.."
Link and Saria couldn't help but feel incredibly tense from all of this being pushed on them, mostly Link. "Link, please accept this stone that I will give you, and leave the forest..head toward a Market in the north, and meet with a princess..she will tell you your destiny if you show her this stone.." The branches of the Deku Tree shook, and a small green stone fell to the ground in front of him. Picking it up, Link felt a cool aura emit from it like it gave him more energy. "That is the Kokiri Emerald..you now hold both of the Kokiri Forest's sacred items, use both respectively..Saria, keep guarding the Forest Temple, and Link..beware of the man known as Ganondorf, do not once let him deceive you..go now, fulfill your destiny young ones.." The Great Deku Tree inhaled the thin forest air once more, and quietly passed his breath along with his life. The great guardian spirit of the forest was dead.
Walking back to Link's house, their hearts felt heavy. Telling their friends what happened exactly would've caused nothing but trouble, so they simply kept their mouths closed so they didn't cause controversy, such as the thought of them killing the Great Deku Tree. As Link and Saria climbed the ladder into his house, Link encountered someone very interesting. "Oh, hello!" it spoke out. It seemed to be a fairy, about a foot tall with large butterfly-like wings, it shone in a golden light as it flickered in the sky. "I'm Navi, I was summoned here to watch over you throughout your travels! Please watch over me as well!" She giggled as she spun around Link's head. "So..you're a guardian fairy?" Link was as puzzled as can be by all this. "That's right, forever and ever!" Link slipped on his lucky green hat and glanced over to Saria, who simply giggled as well. "Talk about a pair that can save the world.."
The group stepped toward the exit of the forest, fear lingering within Link and Saria. Link felt hesitant, but still rushed knowing that now the world is in danger, and he of all people has to try and give order to it. As Link and Navi made their way out, Saria stopped them before they were out of reach. "Wait..take this ocarina with you. It'll be..a memento, of me and this forest..come back soon.." Saria and Link waved to each other as he stepped toward Hyrule Field, wishing that it wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other. Slipping the ocarina into his pouch, Link felt for the first time the suns rays directly on his skin as he exited the forest. "Hey, Link! I was wondering..um..how you're living when you left the forest?" Navi looked at him questioningly as he suddenly started panicking. "You're right!..God, did the Great Deku Tree want me to just die right away after my first step outside the forest!"
"Well..you seem ok to me. Let's just keep going, you walk too slow." Link glared at Navi for a second and continued onward. He already knew this would be one hell of an adventure.
