.

This is a sentence. - Narration. No character speaking or thinking.

"This is a sentence." - Character speaking out loud.

'This is a sentence.' - Character speaking in his/her head.

This is a sentence. - Emphasis placed on the italic word in the normal course of the narration or the character speaking or thinking.

This IS a sentence. - Same as with the single italic, just a variation of expressing the emphasis.

This is a sentence. - All italics means either the event is happening in a dream or flashback (of which I would give a quick note prior saying a dream or flashback is occurring) or is being narrated by a character in the story.

This is a sentence. - During a dream, flashback, or character narration, emphasis placed in the normal text word in the normal course of the narration or the character speaking or thinking.

.

I do not own The Legend of Zelda.

Chapter 2 – Getting Equipped

Link went back to Saria and, as expected, was not happy upon hearing the news. "What?! Mido won't let you go to see the Great Deku Tree? Ohh…That bum!" She stated, putting her hands on her hips and frowning. She had hoped Mido would be more accepting now that Link had a fairy companion, but he appeared to still be stubborn and unaccepting. "I don't know why he's always so mean to everyone!" she fumed a little bit, before calming down. "What he said is true, though."

This caused Link to turn at her with confusion and a little surprise when she said that. Mido saying something true? That was unusual. Which part of what he said was true? "The forest…strange things have been happening lately…" Now that, Link didn't disagree with. One time a Deku Baba suddenly sprang to life by the training grounds where Kokiri commonly practice with wooden swords and shields. Link happened to be nearby and dove at another Kokiri girl to prevent her from being harmed by the Deku Baba's bite. Mido had a wooden sword on him and sliced the plant in two…and then tried to take credit for saving the girl Link had saved. In addition, it almost sounded as if the Wolfos's howls could be heard closer and closer as the weeks went by.

"You need to be ready for anything," Saria continues. "You'd better find a weapon! You can buy a shield at the shop, but there is only one metal sword hidden somewhere in the forest...and only Mido knows where it is," she added dejectedly. She then went into a thinking pose, trying to come up with something before an idea came to her. "Hmm…maybe Forenz at the training grounds knows? He's seen Mido with it once before."

That sounded like a good idea. With a nod, Link headed over to the training grounds in question. He saw one Kokiri practicing his backflips and another practicing his thrusts with a wooden sword. This he recognized as Forenz. "Hey, Forenz!" his fairy called to him.

Forenz turned to see who was calling him before seeing Link. "Hey, Link," he greeted politely. "Whoa, you have a fairy!? When did this happen!?" he asked upon noticing the fairy.

"Just this morning. I'm Navi! Pleased to meet you!" Navi stated.

"Hello, Navi. Nice to meet you." He then turned back to Link. "So, did I hear right? You were summoned to see the Great Deku Tree?" which Link nodded in reply.

"Yep," Navi replied, "but Mido won't let us through. Saying Link wasn't 'fully equipped yet' as he put it. He says we need to bring a sword and shield. But not just any sword…a sword made of metal, and there's only one sword like that in the forest, but we don't know where it is…only Mido knows and he won't tell. Saria said you saw him with it once. Do you know where it is?"

Forenz listened to Navi's explanation and wasn't surprised by Mido's actions. He always did try to make it harder for Link, and everyone else for that matter, but especially Link. "That's not surprising, him stating that. Just today he had told Saria he would pick the bushes in front of her house and then had another Kokiri pick it for him shortly afterwards," he replied. Link and Navi shared a look at each other at that. Yep, that sounded like Mido, alright. It's a wonder how he hasn't been ganged up by everyone and then "overthrow" his supposed leadership, if you could call it that. "As to the sword…hmm. Yeah, I have actually seen him with it once…but…"

Alright, a lead, Link thought. "But…what?" Navi asked.

"But…he said for me to keep it a secret…in a not-so-friendly way, like he usually does." Link frowned at that. That sounded like Mido as well. "Buuu-uut, I think I can let it slip this one time," he added, making Link perk up at him again. Maybe this will teach Mido to not be so mean, Forenz thought to himself. "Just make sure not to tell Mido or anyone else about it. Ok?"

Link nodded, prompting Forenz to nod in return before walking towards part of the wall of earth, beckoning Link to follow. As Link approached, Forenz then shoved some bushes aside against the wall, revealing a small tunnel. "Here, beyond this tunnel lies the Kokiri Sword...somewhere, anyways. I know there are some obstacles to watch out for, so be careful back there."

Link smiled at Forenz and gave him his thanks before crawling through the narrow tunnel. It wasn't terribly long, maybe 15 feet or so, and wasn't full of like jagged rock or pebbles or anything that would hurt his knees. As he reached the end, Link could hear strange sounds coming from the area. Like…large rocks rolling? Seeing a path branching left and right, he cautiously turned the corner to his left...

"Watch out!"

Link barely had time to register the warning from his fairy before diving back where he came from at what he saw, letting out a yelp in the process. As soon as he dove back, a massive brown, spherical boulder three times his height rolled by him. 'That was close,' he thought. After picking himself up, he looked at the direction the boulder went…only to no longer see it there. All he saw was a wall about fifty feet down from where he was. Wouldn't it have just hit that wall and stopped? He stepped out again, wondering what happened to it.

"Link! Watch out! Behind you!"

"Huh? Ahh!" He looked back after hearing his fairy friend shout to him again…and quickly dove back again at seeing another boulder heading right for him. 'Ugh, glad Mido isn't here to see this. He would probably laughing hysterically at this by now.'

He turned back from his position to see yet another boulder roll by. Not long after, another boulder rolled by. Then another. And another…and another?

"Hey, listen," Navi said to Link. "I don't think it's a never-ending set of boulders. Look where they're coming from." Link slowly peered to the right, and to his surprise, a boulder not only came from around the corner, but made a 90 degree turn his direction! He watched it pass by him, and as soon as it reached the wall, it made another 90 degree turn and continued on!

"It looks like this area is designed to run these rocks in such a way so they are constantly moving. How they move on their own, though, I don't know," Navi stated.

Link analyzed the situation, wondering how to get past this and find the sword before getting an idea. He counted the seconds as to the time between each boulder passed by him. Then as soon as a boulder passed, he started running behind it, finding himself surprised the boulder was actually faster than him. That wasn't good. That meant the boulder behind him would eventually catch up. Fortunately, when he made a right turn following the boulder, he saw a clearing when the boulder turned again. Taking a chance, he ran to this area, and to his relief, the boulder behind him turned away, following the other boulder.

In the process, he found a blue rupee in the clearing. 'Alright!' Link knew the Deku Shield cost 40 rupees, and he had 25 rupees saved already that he had found here and there over time. Mainly around various grass and flower fields, occasionally in a bush, under a rock, or in the water. Just 10 more to go! That shouldn't be too difficult.

Catching his breath, he waited for the boulder to pass again and followed after it like before. It wasn't long before the boulder turned again, and this time Link headed in the opposite direction, finding another clearing. And stopped in his tracks at what he saw.

In front of him was a large treasure chest atop a tree stump in a much larger clearing. "This must be it!" Navi cried. Link nodded in agreement before stepping towards the chest, anticipation rising as he approached it. He found it quite large, exactly as tall as him and roughly five feet long and three feet wide. He also saw there was a lock on it. Uh oh. Does that mean he needed a key? 'Well, maybe it's unlocked…however unlikely that might be,' he thought to himself.

To his surprise, it was indeed unlocked, solving that problem. He pushed open the lid of the treasure chest, and when he looked inside, he saw it. A sword rested in the center inside a sheath. Link had to physically jump over the edge of the chest and lean over to reach it, but he did so and then pushed himself back out, allowing him to take a closer look at it.

The sword was in a deep blue sheath with a brown tip at the end. He then slowly pulled the sword out of its sheath to look at the sword itself. The total length of the sword was roughly 20 inches from blade to hilt, about as long as his arm, with the blade being roughly 13-14 inches long and double-edged. The blade was within a brown hilt with two curved ends and contained a ruby embedded near the top of the hilt. All in all, it was a very beautifully designed sword. No wonder Mido didn't want anyone else to know where it was. Where the sword came from to begin with, though, was beyond him.

"Alright! You got the sword, Link!" Navi said to him. After admiring the blade, Link gently sheathed it and strapped the sword around him so he could draw it from behind his back. "Now you just need a Deku Shield! Do you have one by any chance already?" Navi asked, only for Link to shake his head no. "I see. Well, maybe cut down some bushes?" Navi suggested. "Often rupees can be found in bushes as well as thick patches of grass. Maybe look there?"

With that in mind, the two started to leave the vicinity. Link found that the area the sword was in wasn't quite as large as he thought and quickly found the tunnel he came in. "Hey, you found it?" Forenz asked upon seeing Link. He then saw the sword when Link pulled it out. "Awesome! Have to say, it looks very nice. Looks better on you than Mido, for sure," he commented with a smirk. Link smirked in return and gave it some practice swings, familiarizing himself with its weight. "Try slicing those logs."

Link looked to where he was pointing and saw three logs sticking out. He gave a horizontal swing, and it cut through it all the way, much to Link's surprise. 'Wow, this is a rather sharp blade,' he thought to himself. Trees in this forest have very thick wood. For them to be cut like that was nothing short of impressive, although Link almost didn't slice it through in one as the swing slowed down at the end. He then sliced another with an overhead strike. This time he only cut halfway from the top. Undeterred, Link swung again to completely slice it in two.

"Hey Link, try slicing the third one with a jumping strike. You might slice it in one go," Forenz advised. Link looked at before getting in position to do as suggested. He then took a running step and swung the sword down as hard as he could. The combination of the added force and harder swing completely sliced it in two. "What did I tell, ya," Forenz commented, crossing his arms as if a teacher pleased with his student.

Link then sheathed the blade and bid Forenz farewell as he went to his house to get his other rupees. However, before he left, he reached under his mattress and pulled out some folded scrolls. When Link was growing up, the Great Deku Tree had given them to him as a gift. He called them "Sheikah scrolls" and explained they can magically store objects in it with a spell and can be released by pressing said object with his finger. However, he said to not tell anyone else about it for the time being, saying it was a secret to everybody. It kind of made Link feel special, as he was the only one to receive such a gift. Not even Mido had one. Taking it with him, he headed back outside. As he climbed down the ladder, he got an idea where to find the remaining rupees.

Heading to Saria's house, he found the Kokiri Forenz had mentioned trying to pull the bushes in front of her house with no success. "That meanie, Mido, made me cut the grass at Saria's house. Mido told Saria he would do it so she would like him, but I'm the one doing all the work!" he yelled to himself.

"Here, let me help." He jumped a bit at that, unaware someone was listening nearby. He turned to whomever said that, at first worried it was Mido but then calmed down when he saw it was Link, who immediately had started slicing the bushes apart with a sword. Wait…a sword?

He then realized Link somehow had a metal sword on him, as opposed to a wooden one. 'Did he find the Kokiri Sword? I thought only Mido knew where that was? And does Link have a fairy now?' he thought upon seeing the fairy around Link. However, that thought quickly died as he saw Link make quick work of all nine bushes there, much to his relief. As long as that was done, he didn't care how Link got the sword. "Thanks a million, Link. At least I don't have to worry about that anymore. See you around. You can have those green rupees that were in the bushes as thanks. And congrats on the fairy, too. Take care!" he stated before walking off. Link smiled at the fairy comment and then saw the six green rupees that were left behind from the bushes, each worth one rupee. 'Ok, 36 down, 4 more to go,' he said to himself.

Link walked around, wondering where to find some more rupees and saw a Kokiri in front of Mido's house, struggling to pull some good-sized rocks. Thinking maybe he'll find some under the rocks, he rushed over to help. "Mean old Mido…making me pick up rocks in front of his house." He was about to say more to himself before hearing a voice from his left.

"I'll help," Link replied, startling him a bit before seeing it was Link.

"Really?"

"Sure," he replied with a smile. One thing Link was taught growing up by Saria and even the Great Deku Tree was to be willing to help others when you see someone needing it. Even if they decline the help, one must at least offer to help anyway. Link found himself doing it a lot around the village. Mainly he hoped he would gain acceptance by others in doing so. This resulted in him helping Kokiri with various tasks and chores, even if he spent all day helping others. Many were appreciative of it, though Mido would always take advantage of it whenever he could, sometimes working him extremely hard just to see how long he could go at one time and belittle him if he did something wrong.

"Awesome! I really appreciate it, man."

"It helps when you lift with your knees rather than your back. Something I learned the hard way," Link stated in reply.

Despite being the same size as most Kokiri, Link was quite possibly the strongest Kokiri physically, mainly due to Mido also constantly having him remove those types of rocks as well. Sometimes he deliberately placed them back in front of his house just to get others to remove them again, usually Link. After a few years of doing this as well as other various physical labors, he was actually quite fit with the faintest touch of muscle on him, though one would not usually notice at first glance.

He lifted a rock without too much difficulty and threw them to the side almost casually, the rock breaking on impact. The other Kokiri was a bit in awe at how easily Link did that, ignoring the fact Link now had a fairy with him. That had to have weighed a Kokiri at least. Maybe two! Or three! And Link not only lifted it up but threw it over his head like a soccer ball with almost no effort! Somewhat emboldened by that display, he took to Link's advice and lifted a rock as hard as he could. He struggled a bit, but then finally succeeded in lifting it up to his chest…only for him to fall backwards from the sudden change in momentum, prompting a chuckle from Link. 'Good thing it didn't land on his head,' Link thought to himself as the rock rolled away from him.

After recovering, they continued removing the rest of the rocks. In the process, they did find rupees under some of them as Link had hoped. No one has ever been able to figure out where exactly rupees came from or why they suddenly just appeared like under rocks or in bushes. It was even more confusing when someone could find a rupee or two under a rock or in a set of bushes, only to find a rupee or two in that exact same spot a day later despite no one going near them in that time. So everyone just accepted they just randomly appeared on their own in various places.

Of the nine rocks, Link lifted six while the other lifted three (and also fell down three times lifting each rock). After the last one was removed, they found a total of five rupees that were buried underneath them, four by Link and one by his friend. However, he gave it to Link as thanks. 'Alright, now I have 41,' he said to himself, getting excited and being able to see the Great Deku Tree...and see the look on Mido's face upon seeing the sword and shield.

He then went to a store that rested in front of a small ravine to get his shield, bidding a quick hello to the girl sitting on top of the shop's roof, who was excited at seeing Link finally having a fairy. When he went inside, he could see the shopkeeper was constantly jumping up to see over the counter, stating Mido might have taken his footstool as a prank. Link looked around, hoping a shield was still available when he saw it.

The shield in question was made of a tough, durable wood about 18 inches long, 18 inches wide, and a little over an inch thick. The shield wasn't quite perpendicular— the bottom part bent down to a single point, but the top part of it was a little jagged as opposed to flat, a couple parts sticking out. On the front of it was the Kokiri symbol engraved in red. When turned at a 90 degree angle, the symbol sort of resembled a capital "G," almost a "6," with an extra line extending out the side from the bottom-left of the "G" to about halfway up the curve of the "G."

After paying, he strapped the shield on his back on top of his sword but left room so the hilt of the blade stuck out for an easy draw. After bidding farewell to the shopkeeper, (who gave another positive comment on his new fairy) he headed over back towards the Great Deku Tree…and Mido. 'Show time,' Link thought smugly to himself.

As expected, Mido held a hand out in front in a halting motion when Link approached. "I told you, if you want to pass through here, you should at least equip a sword and shield! Sheesh!…Eh, what's that?!" Mido stated in surprise, causing Link to smirk slightly. He had expected to again halt Link's path but then actually saw what Link was now carrying. "Oh, you have a Deku Shield…And what's THAT?!" Link's smirk widened even more at Mido's reaction to what he saw. "Is that the Kokiri Sword?!"

How the heck did Link find that? Only HE knew where it was, plus there were the automatic boulders blocking one's path to it. And Link got through it!? "GOOD GRIEF!" he shouted in frustration, tapping his foot again. Link somehow got exactly what Mido said he had to get before he could pass, and now he had to let Link through. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Well, even with all that stuff, a wimp is still a wimp, huh?" Link's smirk turned into a frown at that. Even after getting a fairy and all this equipment, Mido still didn't respect him. "I, the great Mido, will never accept you as one of us!" That comment really stung at Link, who now had a sad look on his face. He just wanted to be accepted as a Kokiri, and after all this, hoped Mido would finally do so. Now he just flat out stated he never will, no matter what. Before he could say anything, Mido ranted even further. "Shoot! How did you get to be the favorite of Saria and the Great Deku Tree? Huh?!"

Link blinked in confusion at that last part. Favorite of Saria? And the Great Deku Tree? What did that mean? Sure he may have visited the Great Deku Tree a few times more than any other Kokiri, but did that make him his "favorite?" Link thought everyone was equal…even if sometimes he wasn't always treated as such, but he took it all in stride. And sure, Saria hung out with him more than any other Kokiri, but did that make him her, "favorite?" Link was all sorts of confused, but Mido just walked off grumbling. He watched Mido walk off a bit before deciding to ignore it and continued toward the Great Deku Tree's domain.

As he advanced through the narrow path, Link turned to his fairy. "Hey Navi, I've been meaning to ask. Do you know what the Great Deku Tree wanted to see me for? Is it another Wolfos in the area?" Link's sword skills were superior amongst the Kokiri, even Mido, who was actually pretty good in his own right (though he would say he was better than Link) and so Link was sometimes called to help handle it.

"Not exactly, but I do know it's something really important. He'll be able to explain better once you see him…Watch out!" All of a sudden, three Deku Babas popped up in front of the two, teeth chomping rapidly at them. Most plantlife didn't have a mouth or eyes, but these did and ate anything that came near them. They consisted of a long, flexible stem over 5 feet long and a large blue head vaguely resembling a bulb but with two sets of teeth that opened along the center of the bulb. It also had a pair of eyes somewhat pink in color, allowing it to actually see everything around it. However, though they can move their stem on their own, they were constricted to where their roots grew and so could not walk or chase anyone in any way.

Link instinctively drew his sword and shield when they appeared, staying just out of their range. Link was not unfamiliar with these creatures, having faced some every now and then in parts of the Lost Woods with Saria and other Kokiri. They were not known for their intelligence, and simply struck at anything that got close. Link lured the closest one to attack him with his shield in front of him. The Deku Baba made a "thunk" sound as it impacted against Link's shield. Right after it made contact, Link thrust his sword at its mouth, causing it to shriek and stand upright from the pain. Link then moved forward and slashed the stem, destroying it. He then repeated the process with the other two, and in the process, collected the Deku Sticks they left behind.

Deku Sticks were relatively durable and some Kokiri practiced swinging with them as opposed to a sword. However, they broke over time, forcing them to find new ones. Link then took out the Sheikah Scroll, much to Navi's confusion. He then pressed his finger on an empty square, muttered an incantation, and the Deku Sticks suddenly disappeared in a flash while the square on the Sheikah Scroll now showed an image of the Deku Sticks with a "x3" by it.

"Hey, how did you do that?" Link froze, forgetting that he had a fairy with him. "And what was that piece of paper?" Navi asked.

Link looked at Navi hesitantly, thinking how he should reply. Well, can't keep it a secret from her now. "Well…it's called a Sheikah Scroll. The Great Deku Tree gave it to me a few years ago when he summoned me then. I can basically store solid objects in it, up to a certain limit…he also said not to tell anyone, saying it's a secret to everybody. Not even Saria knows," Link explained.

"I see. That's pretty cool! I did not know such magic existed. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Fairy's promise!" Navi cheerfully responded.

Link gave a smile and nod before turning towards the direction of Great Deku Tree. They soon come into view of said guardian. Navi then flew forward a bit in front of Link as they approached. "Great Deku Tree…I'm back!"

Link was always amazed at how large the Great Deku Tree was every time he saw him. The domain was just barely large enough to contain the massive tree, its roots extending from one end to the other. The domain was over three hundred feet wide , and the Great Deku Tree covered almost the entire length of it. His height was also impressive, at least three hundred feet high with branches extending all over with the leaves making its "hair," blocking most of the sun in the process. A face was on the tree as well, depicting an old but wizened visage on it. Part of the bark resembled eyebrows and what looked to be closed eyes. Below that was a couple parts resembling that of a mustache, completing its wizened look.

"Oh…Navi…Thou hast returned..." the Great Deku Tree replied. For some reason, it didn't sound as confident and strong as Link remembered. It sounded somewhat…pained. Exhausted, even. "Link...Welcome..."

Link gave a bow in respect towards him. "How can I help you, Great Deku Tree?"

"Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee...Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares..." Link's eyes widened slightly at that. The Great Deku Tree knew he was having nightmares? He knew he was powerful and wise, but didn't think he was that wise. He didn't even tell Saria about his nightmares.

The Great Deku Tree continued. "As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it...Verily, thou hast felt it..." A look of understanding appeared on Link's face…sort of. So that means he was…sensitive to whatever was happening?

"Link..." he continued, getting Link's attention again. "The time has come to test thy courage...I have been cursed..." Link gasped in shock at hearing this. The Great Deku Tree…cursed? How? Is that why Deku Babas were suddenly appearing?

"I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. If this curse is not broken soon, it could spread across the forest…Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?" Link was silent for a bit as he processed what he had been told. The Great Deku Tree had been cursed, and he asked him. Link, to break it. Link turned his head to the side in contemplation. Whatever it was that cursed the guardian of the forest must be something big. But…if he can't break the curse himself, how can Link do what the Great Deku Tree cannot?

Still…Link has never been one to run away when someone was in trouble. Granted, this was no ordinary situation compared to Deku Babas or Wolfos. This was the Great Deku Tree. The most powerful being in the forest. Maybe the world. But, still…he was in trouble, and Link promised to himself that if there was anything he could do to help someone, he would do it…no matter what.

A determined look then adorned his face and nodded in reply. "Then enter, brave Link," as what appeared to be its mouth opened up, extending from the ground to his 'mustache,' "and thou too, Navi...Navi the fairy...Thou must aid Link...And Link, when Navi speaks, listen well to her words of wisdom..."

"I will," Link said as he and Navi shared a look and nodded to each other before proceeding forward. As Link got close to the Great Deku Tree, he cautiously peeked his head in, looking around a bit. Taking a deep breath, he slowly entered inside, his fairy right beside him.

A/N: And so another chapter done. I've been debating with myself on how much dialogue to give Link throughout this story. Should I have him talk normal just as anyone else would? Or have Navi do most of the talking for Link? What do you think sounds better?

Again, I tried to keep the dialogue the same as shown in the game with only minor adjustments at most.

I also hope the explanation for Link's strength was reasonable. Seriously, rocks that size are heavy in real life, and for Link to lift and throw them over his head with ease would require a lot of weightlifting of some kind, especially with the arms and upper body. Again, I try to keep my stories as close to real life physics when I can.

So now that Link is fully equipped, he learns the Great Deku Tree is cursed and has been tasked to break it for him. To do so requires entering the Great Deku Tree himself. What perils await Link and Navi inside?

Find out next time!

For now, this is Agent Ghost-Writer signing off.