Chapter 2: The Training Ground
A/N: Here's chapter two. It's a bit lighter than the first, but the next chapter will be dark enough. Enjoy!
Link's escape from the hedge maze was about as uneventful as being nearly squashed by a giant boulder can be. Upon return to the Kokiri Forest, he searched for Saria to show her his new sword, but she had mysteriously disappeared. Giving up, finally, Link ran over to the sword training ground that the know-it-all brothers had set up. When Link arrived, he found the brothers busily training with very flimsy-looking wooden swords. Each brother had a section to himself, and they each seemed to be practicing different techniques.
Link was already very agile. Growing up in the forest had given him plenty of training in that arena. He could climb trees, leap down from great heights, jump a decent distance, and even back-flip if he wanted to. He had even mastered the trick of doing a somersault roll right back into a standing position. He found he could get around more quickly this way, even if it was a tad more tiring. Link approached the oldest know-it-all brother, sword in hand. The elder brother grinned appreciatively.
"Mido really does underestimate you. None of the Kokiri can get around the way you do, and if anyone could have gotten past that trap, I would have bet it would've been you." The boy looked down at his boots. "Sorry about before… You know what a bully Mido can be…"
Link shrugged and gestured towards the elder brother's training area. "I want to learn how to use this."
The eldest know-it-all grinned once more. "Sure! Okay, now our training ground is split between four lessons. My lesson is on the jump strike. See, this is where our fairies come in handy. They give us a special ability of sorts, and it makes us able to pinpoint our enemies' weak points. We have a special link with our fairies, see? And they'll just know when you are ready to attack. All you have to do is focus on an enemy, and you'll instantly know the exact spot to strike. Of course, you must be within a certain range of the enemy for the magic to work, but still, pretty darn useful if you ask me! Go ahead and try it!"
At this, the fairy who had been following along in Link's wake with a resigned air gave a sudden start. "Don't you dare! I'm not your fairy! The Great Deku Tree only sent me to summon…"
"If the Great Deku Tree summoned you, and you were told to come to Link, then you are Link's fairy. Do you really think that the great one merely sent you after him as a messenger?"
"The great one would never saddle me with such a…"
"Well, Link, go ahead and show her. Focus on that target like you want to attack it. If she's not your fairy, she won't feel a thing. But if she is… well, you'll see." The elder brother gestured towards a wooden scarecrow opposite them.
Link gripped his sword tightly, focusing all his energy on attacking the wooden scarecrow. Suddenly, the fairy shone even more brightly and appeared above the target's head, illuminating it with a strange light. Link felt a warmth spread throughout his limbs. He raced forward and swung his sword as hard as he could. Every blow found its mark, and before long, the scarecrow was nothing more than kindling.
The oldest know-it-all smirked. "What did I tell you?" Link smiled.
Suddenly, from behind them came a great wailing moan. The two boys whirled around to see the fairy bouncing into the wooden fence posts as though trying to knock herself unconscious. "Noooooooooo!" The fairy cried. "He assigned me to HIM?!" She began to run repeatedly into the same fence post, screeching unintelligibly. The boys turned their backs on her.
"Yeah, so, to do the jump strike, just do the same thing, but this time take a running leap and bring your sword straight down upon your target. You can try it once she… um… calms down."
The fairy had graduated from running into the fence post to trying to drown herself in a nearby puddle.
"Um… she does know she's immortal, right?" The brother asked. Link shrugged.
Finally, the fairy picked up a splinter from the fallen scarecrow. To her, it must have been the size of a large spear. Weaving wildly before the two boys, she began to cry: "Just put it in my heart! Put it in my heart!"
Link took the splinter from her and flung it away. "Can you help me again? Please?" He asked.
"Oh, sure!" The fairy replied, sounding breathless. "I mean it's not like I have a greater purpose! This is what I'm meant for! Helping you attack wood!"
Link mastered the jump strike. He also learned a spin attack and advanced back-flipping (to avoid enemies) from the next two brothers in line. The youngest brother reminded him of his second task, however. His part of the training ground was devoted to shield techniques. Link learned what he could using an old piece of bark for practice. Now that he knew how to use a shield, it was time that he actually got one.
Finding a shield was more straightforward than getting the sword was. The shop sold them for 40 rupees. The typical way to find rupees was to search the nests, lairs, and corpses of monsters. They often collect souvenirs from their victims, and it was not uncommon to make a decent amount of cash simply by taking them out and then looting their corpses. Link did not have enemies to fight, however, unless Mido was thrown into the mix, and Link was much too peaceful a soul to harbor much ill will towards the self-proclaimed leader's blind prejudice.
The only other way to find rupees was to scavenge. Link dived into the ponds, brooks, and small lakes that littered the Kokiri forest. He searched through the tall grass and under rocks. Even after all of that work, however, he only managed to find 20 rupees. This was until he encountered a poor Kokiri boy who Mido had forced to clear the grass in front of his home. Link felt so sorry for the boy, that he cleared the grass with a single spin attack from his sword. The boy was so grateful that he handed over the remaining 20 rupees, allowing Link to buy his shield. Sword and shield in hand, Link headed for the entrance to the Great Deku Tree's clearing.
Mido stood in front of the entrance with his arms folded, a smug smile on his face as he saw Link approaching. This smile faded to a look of outrage when he saw the sword and shield in Link's hands.
"How did you… Well you still can't… Ugh!" Mido cried. His mind was reeling. He knew that he could not go against the Great Deku Tree's wishes. If Link had been summoned, then he could not stand in the way, despite the fact that he had already tried to do so in an indirect way, feigning concern for Link's safety. Finally, he stepped out of Link's path. "Fine. Get yourself killed. One less reject." He said under his breath as he stalked away.
Link stood and watched him until he disappeared. He never understood Mido's animosity towards him. However, he didn't have time to dwell on that now. Tightening his grip on the sword, Link ran along the path that led to the Great Deku Tree's clearing.
"What do you think you're doing? You can't just rush…" The fairy began.
At that moment, Link was suddenly thrown backwards and a fierce growl filled the air. Link looked up to see a giant plant with a massive head thrashing in the air above him. Its head balanced from a stalk that must have been eight feet tall. The mouth dripped foul-smelling purple saliva that Link suspected was poisonous, and from the snapping sounds the monster was making, he suspected its jaws could probably crush bones. Link rolled out of the way as the plant lunged for a second attack. He tried a jump attack and was thrown backwards as the monster's head batted him aside as though he were a gnat. Link ran forward for a second attack and was thrown back once more. His arm began to throb and Link glanced down to find that it was bleeding. His back felt as though it would shatter at any moment. He was out of breath and exhausted. The monster was rearing back for another lunge at him.
"Idiot boy! Get out of its range!" The fairy screeched as the plant's jaws nearly decapitated Link. Link ran backwards and saw that the monster's stalk could only reach out so far. "Of all the foolish… That is a deku baba! Their heads are incredibly powerful, a good reason for anyone with COMMON SENSE to avoid them. The stalk on the other hand, is rather weak and limits the plant's mobility. Let the plant lunge at you, then dodge it and slash at its stalk!"
Link backed away from the plant, watching as it lunged at him, thrashing its massive head menacingly and spraying venomous spittle everywhere. Link focused on attacking the deku baba's stalk and felt the warmth spreading through him. The fairy was bouncing over the deku baba's stalk, inviting him to strike. As the plant reared once more, Link dashed into its range. The deku baba lunged forward happily, but just as it was about to catch Link in it's mighty jaws, he did a quick sideways jump into a roll and found himself right next to the plant's stalk. Without thinking, he began hacking and slashing at the stalk, continuing to swing his sword even though the plant was little more than mulch.
"Yes, the plant is dead now. Can we go?" The fairy asked, dryly.
Link took a few more swipes before noticing some rupees gleaming at the plant's base. He ran over and scooped them up.
"Oh, sure. Ignore the wise fairy. Shiny objects are much more interesting." The fairy muttered.
As Link continued down the path to the Great Deku Tree's clearing, the fairy viciously pointed out every patch of ground that contained a deku baba. Link, who would have appreciated a kinder method of doing this than having her screech "get away from that dirt, dumbo," was nonetheless grateful considering the fact that he was already injured and very sore from his previous battle. Link looked up at the sky and saw that it was beginning to cloud over. A shiver went through him. Link was usually able to predict the next day's weather by examining the moon each night, and he had not expected rain today. These clouds did not seem like a good omen. Up ahead, the path began to widen. The clearing was just a dozen yards away. Link began to dash forward.
"STOP!" the fairy screeched.
Link tried to stop in his tracks but only succeeded in tripping and falling on his face. He looked up at the fairy.
The fairy shuddered at the sight of his dirt-covered face. "You are going to present yourself to the Great Deku Tree in that fashion? You're covered in grime and plant goo! Your hair is a mess! If you insist on keeping it long, take care of it! It looks like a rat's nest! If I really am your fairy guardian…and I'm NOT saying I am, then you're not going to show up looking as though you fell into an outhouse pit! Oh how the other fairies will laugh when they see where I've ended up… Surely I couldn't have angered the Great Deku Tree?"
Link wiped his face with his hands, which were also covered in grime, and succeeded only in smearing the plant waste on his face into swirly patterns. The fairy let out a shriek of horror.
"No no no NO!" She cried, bouncing in the air furiously. "Ugh! Just… I know. Tie back your hair. It'll look neater…"
Link removed the belt he wore around the middle of his tunic and used it to tie his hair back into a ponytail. The result was that his tunic was no longer cinched in at the waist, giving it the appearance of being a green dress. The swirly grime marks looked like some form of elaborate make-up pattern, and the ponytail completed the look. Link grabbed an end of his tunic with each hand and pulled it apart, sinking into a sort of curtsy as he attempted to look at himself. The sight made the fairy go into another fit of shrieking. Link looked like a polite, but greasy little girl. Mido would have had a field day.
"Fix it! Fix it! FIX IT!" the fairy screeched.
When Link finally entered the sacred clearing, his hair and tunic were back to normal. The fairy had admitted defeat when she was forced to admit that without any water nearby, there was little washing up that Link could do without spitting on himself. Dirty though he was, Link had arrived in one piece. The Great Deku Tree loomed before him, apparently in slumber.