Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda, Nintendo, or any of that stuff, only this fanfic.

Author's Note: The Baku Tree, who appears in this chapter, wasn't a character on the games as far as I know. He was a character on the extra child chapter of the OOT manga.

Chapter 2: The Full-Moon Curse

Nothing was heard save chirping birds and the clops of a galloping horse as Link rode Epona along the southern border of Hyrule. In the previous chapter, Link had encountered an old foe, the wind demon known as Vaati. He had to find out what how Vaati managed to return to life so he now heads to his childhood home in the Kokiri Forest to ask the Great Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest.

After passing through the fencing around Jayca, the surroundings soon transformed into open grasslands and random trees here or there. The trees began to increase in abundance as Epona dashed into the outskirts of the forest. For a while, there was nothing but trees and a blanket of leaves blocked any sign of the sun but soon, a small light was seen ahead just as Epona halted in an area bathed in rich sunlight.

Doors and windows were carved into the trees and children were running around everywhere. These were the Kokiri, the human inhabitants of the forest, clad in green tunics. However, unlike other humans, they stayed young. One short, chubby Kokiri was woken from his sleep against the trunk of a nearby tree. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up and, to his surprise, saw Link.

"Link?" he said. "Hey look, everybody! It's Link!"

Except the Kokiri who had already noticed him, the rest of the children immediately turned their attention to Link, who was just climbing off of Epona. A pair of eyes peered down at Link from a branch above. A figure leapt out of the tree, sending leaves drifting from the branches.

"Hyaaah! I've got you this time, Link!"

In a flash of light, the sound of swords clanging together was heard. Before anyone knew what had happened, Link held the Kokiri Sword up high and a messy haired Kokiri stood below him, panting and also holding a sword.

"It's nice to see you too, Mido," Link looked down at the Kokiri and smiled.

The Kokiri replied with his own smile. "You're still pretty strong, Link." In Link's childhood, Mido, the self-proclaimed village leader and bully, was a fierce rival of his. Soon after Link had returned from the future in which he had defeated Ganondorf, however, they had finally become friends and sparing partners. Mido still held a grudge, though, and wanted to someday prove that he was stronger than the Hero of Time.

"That was great!" Link looked up to see an applauding Kokiri about the height of Mido. His hair was dark and messy but a bit better kept than Mido's and it spiked around his whole head. The fairy beside Link flew up to him. "Navi, where did you go?"

"Sorry, Chain," the fairy apologized. "I was sent by the Deku Tree to find Link."

Link walked up to the boy, sheathing his blade. "Is this your new partner, Navi?"

"Yes, this is Chain. Chain, this is Link."

"Hi, Link, nice to meet you," Chain said, extending an arm that Link accepted. "Navi has told me a lot about you. Someday, I want to be just like you. Navi's been training me."

"Yeah, that's right," Navi agreed and floated next to Link's ear to whisper. "He's got a long way to go."

Link choked back a laugh as he watched Chain perform a quick side cut with a fallen branch. Chain had a hard time keeping his balance and Link suggested whatever he could to show him how to properly stand and hold the "hilt" of the branch.

"Well, I'd better get going," Link said after about a half hour of helping Chain with his sword techniques. "I'm here to see the Great Deku Tree."

"I'll come with you!" Chain quickly said as he dropped the branch and he and Navi followed Link through the village to an area where the trees were slightly spread out more. A tree that was slightly taller than Link stood in the center. A knob in the bark and two groups of leaves spread apart made it look as if the tree had a face. It was the Great Deku Tree.

"Link, you've come," he said. "It's been a while."

"Yes," Link replied. "Great Deku Tree, I've come to ask you if you know anything about the reappearance of Vaati at Lake Hylia."

"That is rather startling indeed," the Deku Tree said. "I do not know anything about it, though, but I sense an evil presence in this very forest."

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to vibrate very violently. Chain quickly grabbed onto Link's leg. "Link, what's happening?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"I don't know," Link replied, trying to sound calm.

"Link, watch out!" the Deku Tree suddenly cried out. It was too late, however. A branch lashed out of the ground and grabbed Link with what appeared to be fingers. Link screamed in pain as the branch thrashed him around.

"Ha, ha, ha. Today is when I finally get my revenge on you, Link, you and the Deku Tree!"

Navi flew toward a tree where the bark was cracking in three crooked lines that formed into a wicked mouth and pair of eyes. "Link, it's…"

"The Baku Tree?" Link gasped in surprise. "But, the Great Deku Tree got rid of you years ago."

"Ha, ha, ha, that weakling?" the Baku Tree replied. "Sure, I guess he did. But now I'm back, and better than ever. Although, I did have some help."

Link struggled frantically in the grasp of the Baku Tree's branches. After successfully breaking his arm free, Link swiftly drew the Kokiri Sword and slashed some of the "fingers" off and dropped to the ground and flashed a fierce stare at the Baku Tree.

"Vaati said the same thing," he said. "Who brought you two back to life?"

"I, myself, do not know," the Baku Tree answered. "He was hidden in shadow. A light exploded from his hand. It was only for a split second after the light disappeared that I saw a stone in his hand."

"If that's all you know," Link said, brandishing his sword. "I can get rid of you now." He dashed forward and struck through the tree that the Baku Tree's face was on. A large gnash was left in it.

To Link's surprise, he heard the Baku Tree's voice again. "That didn't hurt one bit. Is that all you've got?" Link quickly turned around and saw that another tree now embedded the Baku Tree's face. "Ha, ha, ha, I control every tree in this gorge, no, this entire forest!"

Link saw a branch dropping from one of the nearby trees with a "hand" like the one that held Link, and Chain was standing right below. "Chain, get out of here!" Link cried.

Chain, after looking up in shock to see the branch, ran toward the village. "I won't let you get away!" The Baku Tree's face disappeared from the tree it was currently on and reappeared in a tree right in front of Chain. Another handed branch dropped from the tree's leaves toward Chain.

Link leapt into the air and slashed through the branch with his sword, snapping it in two. "Leave him alone," he said. "Your opponent is me."

"Very well," the Baku Tree sneered. "It's your death wish." It lashed another branch out of the ground toward Link, which he easily jumped out of the way of and cut it in two. But he suddenly felt something squeeze his body.

"What the?" he gasped and looked down. "There was another one behind me?"

"I told you, Link," the Baku Tree said. "I control the forest. I am the forest. You cannot escape me! DIE!"

The branches around Link's body tightened and shrieked in pain. The Deku Tree watched on helplessly. "This isn't good," he sighed. "As long as the Baku Tree has control of the trees around us, I can't do a thing. Link's going to die and the Baku Tree is sapping my power."

Suddenly, the tightening ceased and Link was dropped to the ground, branches falling behind him. He looked behind him to see Mido, sword in hand. "You aren't going to die before I get a piece of you, are you? I'd never forgive you if you did."

"Thanks, Mido," Link replied.

"Humph. Let's just get rid of the trash."

Link nodded and the two of them leapt forward in opposite directions as branches lashed out at them. The sound of swords clanging on wood filled the sky as the sun began to set. Link and Mido were back to back and encased by branches.

"What now?" Mido asked.

"I don't know," Link replied, his attention on something on the ground. "Wait. What is that?"

As the sun sunk from view, the black dot on the ground started rising from the ground to form a black, slim body with long fingers. Its head looked like a birds and the only visible feature was red eyes.

"A monster?" Mido said, shocked.

"I guess now it is dark enough for you to see me," the creature said. "I am Slade of the shadow people, who can only be seen at night. Now, Baku Tree, if this child is too much for you, I'll finish him off."

The cage transformed into a hand and net. The arm grabbed onto Mido and held him aside and the net held Link down onto the ground. Slade approached him and touched a finger to his forehead.

"Now, suffer the Full-Moon Curse," he laughed.

An unbelievable searing pain escaped Slade's fingers and entered Link's head. Mido had a shocked expression on his face as he looked at Link. Link felt… well he didn't know how he felt, but he couldn't control his actions. He started running away from the scene and didn't look back as he passed through trees into the open Hyrule Field. With great agility, he crossed it and soon saw a peaked roof rising ahead, Hyrule Castle.

Why he was here, he didn't know. He was soon running through the Market and attacking any passerby that entered his sight. Soldiers surrounded him and cracked whips at him. They grabbed at his legs. The whips were enough to knock him out.

The next thing he knew was the sound of exploding bombs that roused him from his sleep. He looked around and discovered that he was in a room of stone walls and his right leg was encased by a shackle and chain. No, it wasn't his leg… or was it? He looked at as much of his "body" as he could. It was full of dark grey fur and he had white paws and a tail.

Suddenly, the wall before him burst open at the sound of another bomb. As the smoke cleared, he saw the figure of a short creature with pointy ears and bright yellow eyes, although one of them was covered by a stone with what looked to be an eye carved into it and what looked to be a crown of similar rock sat on its head.

"So," the creature spoke in a low, enchanting voice. "What do you say we get out of here?"