Huzzah! I am almost back to point I was at before my files got erased. Anyway I hope you are all enjoying the story so far, but please whether you like it or not leave a review. It feels very nice to know my work is appreciated, and if it is not, then your reviews can help me make my writing better.
As for the story, this is where it officially begins. My version is based loosely on the game so some parts do not fit in exactly with the way it is played; however I was reading some other author's novelizations of Ocarina of Time and got the feeling I was reading the strategy guide not a novel, so I do stray slightly from direct interpretation. Please review and enjoy!
The guardian spirit of the forest, the Great Deku Tree watched over his children with utmost scrutiny, and in order to be with each child at all times every boy or girl was presented with their own guardian fairy. After that night ten years ago when young Saria lead the hylian mother into the forest depths, she accepted the orphaned boy and introduced him to her small wooded village known as Kokiri Forest. Little Link was brought up with no knowledge of his former life and over time became old enough to blend in with the other kokiri children. While he was alive, however, Link was also was regarded as an outcast of community because he had no guardian fairy. Even though he was healthy boy full of restless spirit and courage, Link grew up alone and became known as the Boy-Without-a-Fairy.
One day a small horde of kokiri gathered around the edge of the Lost Woods, an unfamiliar, eerie part of the forest and the only section the kokiri were forbidden from. It was a magical, desolate wood that was inhabited by monsters and nearly impossible to navigate.
"I can't believe he did that!" a small kokiri boy starred wide eyed at the forest barrier before him.
"He's must be really brave."
"He's nuts!"
"No," The tallest boy, Mido, injected coldly, "He's a desperate ninny, who will do anything to prove himself. Don't fall for it gents. He's just jealous he doesn't have a fairy!"
The sound of rustling leaves approaching the huddle alarmed the defenseless kokiri. A few held their breath, others closed their eyes and hoped whatever was coming wasn't something that would eat them. A few moments later, however, a short boy with a mop of think, sandy blonde hair stumbled from the brush and tripped over a root onto the mossy floor before the densely packed group.
"Well," the boy sighed as he pulled a twig from his hair, "I did it Mido."
"Let's see it then, Link."
From over his left shoulder, Link withdrew a long, streamlined sword; an elegant weapon with a ruby studded golden hilt and long, razor sharp edge. Mido glared maliciously at the sword and Link, trying desperately to hide his impression.
"Well a wimp is still a wimp. Without a fairy you're not even a real man, no matter what you do to prove yourself," Mido, scoffed. Jealousy sparked in his eyes as he looked down on the boy he saw as his inferior. "No matter what you do to try and fit in, Link, without a fairy you'll never be one of us!"
Link huffed in desperation. All his life he had been picked on for being fairy-less. He had no true friends in the forest, except Saria, because Mido would threaten anyone who would try. Link wasn't afraid of Mido as the others were and for that reason as well as the fact he was different, the kokiri boss felt impelled to make sure Link understood he was an outsider.
"Oh, he looks angry!" Mido taunted. "I guess I would be too if I was forgotten by the Great Deku Tree!"
The shiny hilt of the sword became slippery in Link's sweaty palms. He was loosing his patience with Mido and found it increasingly more difficult, the longer he was forced to endure the boss' taunts, to keep his temper in check. His cheeks flushed bright red as more anger built up inside him. Mido was a jerk, but he had his ways of manipulating Link into doing stupid stunts to prove himself. Even times, such as this, when Link did as he was told. Mido was able to use his power of influence over the other kokiri to turn the present audience against him.
"Shut your mouth Mido," said Link, pointing the tip of the blade at the boss' chest. A few girls screamed but Mido simply laughed nonchalantly.
"You're not even allowed to have that." Mido's eyes fixed on the sword. "Perhaps you should have thought about that before you ran into the Lost Woods to retrieve it. Now you have to go put it back."
"It was your idea, Mido," said Link taking a step forward, the tip of the sword still pointing at Mido's chest. "You told me to. You didn't give me a choice!"
"Oh so if I told you to jump off a bride you'd do that too?"
Link started to quaver in anger. He took another step closer to Mido forcing him up against a tree just as another figure darted into the clearing from the Lost Woods." Stop!" a girlish voice resonated through the trees! "Link, Mido! What do you think you are doing?" It was Saria. Instantly the two boys broke apart and Link stared guiltily at his leather boots. She was fuming.
"What is going on here, Link, and why on earth do you have the Kokiri Sword?"
"He," Link pointed at Mido standing before his small pack, "He told me to go get it!"
"Mido," Saria turned to face the boss and the other kokiri children, "You should be ashamed of yourself; first, for sending Link into the Lost Woods alone, and second for picking a fight with him. If you wish to call yourself the boss of the Kokiri than you might consider acting like it!"
"B-but Saria," Mido pleaded, directing a finger back at Link. "What about him. You saw him. He threatened me. He's the one who ran into the woods in the first place."
"Were you taunting him?"
"That doesn't mean he has to listen." Mido snapped. He had a point. Saria took this to heart and rounded on Link once more. "You know he's right. Why did you do it?"
Link hated being put on the spot, especially by someone he considered his friend. Saria knew very well why Link succumbed to pressure easily as there was nothing he wanted more than to be accepted by the other kokiri. Link knew inside this was why he had acted so rashly, but did not want to admit it to the others.
"Whatever," Link sighed. He slid the sword back into its case slung over his left shoulder and brushed the dirt off his tunic from where he fell. "I don't need your counseling Saria, and I don't need any of you." He said angrily to the small horde behind Mido before taking off down the trail to the village. He stormed down the hill, eager to put a sizeable distanced between himself and Mido, but after he walked alone for a few minutes Saria caught up to him.
"Link, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you in the spotlight."
Link continued to storm down the dirt path, ignoring Saria.
"All things considered," She continued knowing Link could hear her. "You shouldn't loose you temper, Link, especially not with Mido. You'll only make things worse for yourself."
"I know." Link threw his hands up defensively in the air. "I know, it's just he can be so infuriating some times! He was taunting me and I couldn't help it!"
"Don't be ridiculous Link. You can always help it. I think it would be more courageous if you just ignored him altogether rather than letting him goad you into acting rashly."
Link hung his head and kicked a small stone with the toe of his boot. He knew Saria was right. She always was, but also she didn't completely understand how he felt. She had Mido wrapped around her finger, and all the other children looked up to her. Saria never had to worry about fitting in.
"Why were you in the Lost Woods anyway?" Link asked. Saria noticed his attempt to change the subject, but went along with it anyway. "I had some business to take care of in the usual place," Saria said. She was an aid to the Great Deku Tree and spent a lot of time doing secret tasks for him, often in a place she simply referred to as her hideout. Saria was the eldest kokiri in the village, almost fifty to be exact. However, since the kokiri never grew up, she still looked like a hylian ten-year-old. Saria was the most wise and caring individual Link knew, and was the only force that kept him from feeling like a complete and total outcast.
"Saria," Link sighed as the lights of the village became visible, "You're my only friend, and something has been happening to me lately; something I can't explain. You are the most wise person I know, so maybe you can." Saria fixed Link with a concerned, omniscient gaze and urged him to continue.
"I've been having these dreams lately, well nightmares actually where I'm standing in the rain and this girl rides by on a white horse. She's distraught over something and being chased by a man, a man in black armor with red eyes. Just talking about him gives me chills."
"And then what happens?"
"Then I wake up." Link shrugged. "Every time. But the same thing keeps happening to me and I can't make the nightmares go away."
Link and Saria continued their walk through the forest as fireflies emerged, signaling nightfall. Eventually they rounded a sharp bend to Saria's house and she bid Link farewell. Just before he turned to leave, however, she grabbed Link by the shoulder and wheeled him to face her one more time.
"Link, I think you should tell the Great Deku Tree about your nightmares." She sounded concerned. "They could mean something."
"Mean something like a prophecy."
"Maybe, but it doesn't hurt to be sure."
"Saria, I highly doubt the Great Deku Tree would want me of all people, coming to him complaining about my dreams."
"Don't say that Link. The Great Deku Tree cares about you just as much as the next kokiri."
"You're a good friend, Saria," Link sighed, "You've taken care of me and stuck up for me, but come on. I've got to be the Boy-Without-a-Fairy for a reason."
"Link you put to much weight on your own shoulders. Just promise me if it continues to happen you'll at least consider it."
Link sighed and nodded.
"And don't let Mido get to your head. He's only jealous of you after all."
"Jealous, why jealous. That's about the last thing I was thinking."
"Being different Link, Mido tires to make that out to be something hideous like a disease, but it's not. Being different is a blessing in disguise and I think he knows that too. Someday you will move on to bigger and better things, maybe even get to leave the forest, but he'll still be here."
"I wish I new that was true." Link sighed. Her words were so beautiful and sounded so sincere, but he could not from his current status make himself believe anything about him being special.
"Maybe someday you'll believe me," Saria winked and Link watched ad her green hair disappeared behind the curtain, leaving him alone again. He didn't have too far to go before he reached his own tall, hollowed home. Once inside he happily kicked off his boots and removed his green kokiri tunic, but was reluctant, however, to crawl into his bed. He was very tired from the day's events, but knew that with sleeping came dreams and for Link dreams became nightmares.
It was raining steadily. Water penetrated his cloths and soaked everything Link owned, he felt miserable. The only light in the scene was omitting from an odd luminescent ball floating daintily above his head. He was standing in front of a large, ironclad drawbridge, the only way through the endless, stone wall surrounding the castle on the other side. Suddenly, the bridge started to click open and the sound off hooves rattling on the cobblestone streets beyond the barrier peeked Link's interest. He inched closer to get a better look at the encroaching visitor.
As soon as the drawbridge had lowered completely a white mare dashed through opening, fleeing into the wide plains of Hyrule Field. Upon the steed was a strange looking woman unlike any Link had ever seen before. She had white hair and blue armor with mysterious markings over it. The woman was hunched over another figure. This one was a young girl of royalty, Link judged by the silken purple attire she adorned. She had panic stricken eyes and sadness was etched in every fiber of the helpless gaze she fixed Link with.
Why was she looking at him? Link wondered as she galloped away. What was she so upset about? It was at this moment a chilling sensation shivered down Link's spine and he too felt overshadowed by despair. Instinctively he wheeled around to face him, the man with red eyes and black armor that had been haunting Link's nightmares for weeks now. Out of nowhere he felt a throbbing pain in his lower abdomen but all he could see was the dark man's bloody, piercing gaze.
"Wake up, Link!" A dainty, feminine voice shouted from the distance. "C'mon! Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?"
Link bolted up and collided headfirst with something buzzing irritantly above his head. "Ouch," Link nursed his throbbing forehead. He slowly opened his eyes but didn't see anything. "Who's there?"
"You finally woke up!" The voice squeaked from above. Link's head shot up to face the ceiling where he noticed a strangely familiar ball of light bobbing above his head.
"I'm Navi the fairy, nice to meet you! The Great Deku Tree has summoned you! So let's get going right now!"
"Wait, if you're a fairy, are you my fairy. If you are you're a little late."
"Don't be silly, I'm not your fairy. I don't serve petty forest children such as yourself. I'm a servant to the Great Deku Tree, but he has asked me to be your partner for the time being."
"Partner?"
"I'm here to escort you directly to the Great Deku Tree himself. He's very anxious to meet you, Link."
"Meet me? You must be mistaken."
"No, no, I don't make mistakes. Alas, I have disclosed all I am bound to say, but hurry up. If you want to know more, we must not keep the guardian spirit waiting!"
Link hastily threw off his blankets, slipped on his boots, tunic, belt, grabbed the Kokiri Sword and his deku shield from his bedside table, and followed Navi outside onto his porch. The early morning sunlight was blinding and Link had a hard time clamoring down his latter to the forest floor.
"Hello, Link!" Someone ran up and yelled from behind. Link tired to turn, lost his footing, and fell from the last rung of the latter. He looked up and noticed Saria hunched over him.
"So I heard the rumors that a fairy finally a fairy came to you," she said. "That's great news, but I also heard that the Great Deku Tree has summoned you? Maybe he's learned of the dreams you've been having?" She asked hopefully.
Link stood and dusted himself off. "I'm not sure what he wants. Everything's such a blur right now I don't know what to think yet."
"Well just be sure,"
"Hey! Green Girl," Navi interrupted coldly. "We don't have time to chit chat. I'm on an important mission to deliver this kid to the Great Deku Tree and he doesn't need any distractions."
Saria pondered the fiery fairy curiously. "You're his fairy?"
"No I'm his partner by orders of the Great Deku Tree."
"I see." Saria meticulously examined the fairy once more before she turned to face Link again. "You'd better hurry, but be sure you come and tell me everything when you return alright?"
"Of course! Who else have I got to tell?"
Saria smiled and, to Link's surprise, wrapped him in a tight squeeze. "I think things are going to be a lot different for you from now on," She whispered in his ear. "You'd better go before your partner throws a fit."
Link snickered, although Navi wasn't too thrilled. She began to float irritably down the path, so Link quickly wiped the smile off his face and followed her without haste toward the mysterious meadow of the Great Deku Tree. The guardian spirit resided in a sacred grove few kokiri besides Saria ever visited, and this element of obscurity added more speculation to the already puzzling situation for young Link.
"Navi," Link asked the little fairy as he leapt from rock to rock across a rippling brook, "Do you know why exactly the Great Deku Tree has summoned me?"
"Even if I knew I couldn't tell you. All I know is he has been watching you for a long time, keeping a close eye on you, making sure your green-haired friend kept you safe."
"He wanted Saria to watch me?"
"Look kid, you'll just have to wait until we, hey!" Another ball of light flew out of nowhere and collided belligerently with Navi who, once she realized what had happened, turned a bright, angry shade of red.
"Hey Mr. No Fairy! What's your business with the Great Deku Tree?" Mido rounded the corner, laughing. "Without a fairy you're not even a real man!"
"Shut your mouth Mido, it just so happens the Great Deku Tree has summoned me and I do have a fairy with me today." Link smiled, matter-of-factly, "Her name is Navi!"
"Wait, the Great Deku Tree has actually summoned you! Why would he summon you and not the Great Mido?"
"Does it really matter? I suggest if you don't want to anger out guardian spirit you move. Otherwise," Link patted the glistening Kokiri Sword on his back, "I'll just cut you down and be done with you."
Loathing flared in Mido's eyes. He wanted nothing more but to strangle Link; however, he knew that without a cluster of other children to back him up and the support of the Great Deku Tree behind Link, he was helpless. Mido for the first time had to settle with nothing but petty verbal abuse. "Yeah, well a wimp is still a wimp, huh? I, the great Mido will never accept you as one of us!" Slowly he slumped to the base of a large tree at the edge of the path leading to the Great Deku Tree Meadow. As Link passed he swore he heard Mido mutter under his breath, "Shoot, how did you get to be the favorite of Saria and the Great Deku Tree anyway?"
Link beamed with pride. Alone, Mido was nothing but a coward. Link had successfully and solely reduced the Kokiri Boss to what he truly was, a ruthless punk. His victory, however, was short lived and slowly transformed into apprehension the further he descended on the path to the Great Deku Tree. The further Link followed Navi into the forest, the darker and more densely packed the trees became. At one point Link had to remove his baggy, green hat to keep it from getting snagged by the many stray branches.
Finally, however, Link rounded a bend into a vast, mythical meadow that at first glance, looked like a patch of earth fallen straight from the heavens. Cherubic meadow grasses blew softly in the graceful breeze the brushed to golden landscape. Yellow wildflowers dotted the land like beautiful ornaments to the already divine scene and the pristine blue sky above cloaked the meadow like an angelic garb. The most prominent feature of the divine meadow however, was the Great Deku Tree itself, standing proudly in the center of the celestial hollow.
The Great Deku Tree was about as large as the ten biggest trees Link had ever seen combined. It's vast branches stretched over the hollow covering much of it in a shaded umbrella. The closer Link inched toward the Great Deku Tree the more he could make out the distinct lines of anatomical structures etched in its bark. Indeed the Great Deku tree had eyes, and prominent nose, mouth, and wooded mustache.
"Great Deku Tree, I'm back!"
"Oh, Navi, thou hast returned!" The Great Deku Tree said. His voice was low and rumbling. "Link, welcome to my meadow. Listen carefully to what I am about to tell thee. Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares. Have they not?"
Link's heart raced and he was stricken mute with awe. Taking an extra moment to gather the many thoughts racing through his mind, Link nodded slowly. "Do you know why I'm having these nightmares?"
"As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it."
"Sensitive to it? What does that mean?"
"It means you are no ordinary boy, Link, and the time has come to test thy courage. I have been cursed, and I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage."
"M-me? Why me, though? I'm the outcast, the nobody, the lonely Boy-Without-A-Fairy back in the village. I'm not special at all."
"Then perhaps you do not yet have the confidence in your abilities?"
"No, no that's not it at all. I'm just confused. You must understand, only yesterday I believed I was the forgotten kokiri, abandoned by everyone in the village and you as well. It's just, I guess things are not always what they seem."
The Great Deku Tree's mustache curled up with pride. "Indeed you are correct my boy, and in time I hope you will see how much of a somebody you truly are. Now that I think you understand, I will ask again. Wouldst thou use your courage, Link, to purge me of this terrible curse?"
Link nodded
"Then enter, brave Link, and thou too Navi, you must aid Link on his quest. I bid you both good luck."
Link stood frozen to his spot as the Great Deku Tree's mouth lowered like a drawbridge, slowly exposing a vast dark abyss beyond. Navi floated to the black entrance and urged Link to make haste. With one final breath, Link attempted to muster all the courage both the Great Deku Tree and Saria thought he had and along with Navi plunged, headfirst, across the threshold to adventure.