New Gifts

Dreams disturbed Links sleep and he shivered in terror. In the midst of darkness he saw gleams of fire and crashing stone. The glint of sword striking on sword flashed before his sleeping eyes. Then there was always an explosion of light that burned into him. The dreams often haunted Link's sleep. The light usually faded into a cold penetrating darkness. This time, however, it stayed.

Link opened his eyes expecting to see the morning light, but shut them immediately upon seeing the bright white light that was defiantly not of the sun. He sat up and rubbed his face with his hands and then looked once more. Sitting upon his knee emanating a pure beautiful light from a pair of fluttering dragonfly wings, was a fairy.

The young boy stared at the small woman in wonder and excitement. He took in her milky white skin and the green leaf she had tied around herself. The leaf matched the foresty green of her eyes and was complemented by fiery drape of red hair which was tied up with a variety of grasses. When the wings stopped fluttering and their light died down, Link saw that they were a gorgeous crystal blue.

After staring at each other for several moments Link began to feel an energy radiating from the small winged woman. This energy seemed to merge into his own being giving the boy a warm static like feeling. With the energy Link began to feel words fill his mind, though he heard nothing.

Hello Link.

Not knowing what to make of the feeling, Link shook his head. The fairy tinkled a high pitched laugh, her green eyes filling with humor.

I was sent to you. Sent to help you on your journey.

"Journey?"

The small woman looked serious. Yes, you are to go on a long journey. I am to help you. I'm Navi. She smiled showing her small slightly pointed teeth.

"So you have come to be my fairy then?" A smile coming to his own lips.

The small wiled head moved back and forth. Well, not really, but I cannot explain. I will have to take you to the Great Deku. He will explain. He is very wise.

Link looked up startled. The Great Deku was the guardian of the entire forest. Of all forests. It was the Great Deku that fathered the Kokiri, bringing them forth from the mother trees that begot them. As forest spirits, the Kokiri did not have a true mother of father, they came from the trees themselves, wild and beautiful. The Great Deku would present an infant Kokiri to the Three Brothers, a trio of Kokiri who were old and wise. They would then entrust it to a member of the tribe. The infant would grow under their care until they came to an age resembling that of a seven year old child.

At seven the Kokiri would be entrusted with a fairy guardian. The child was then sent again to the Three Brothers who began the initiation rights. The child and fairy would become of one spirit living and growing together. A Kokiri lived for many years never growing older than a child of twelve years. When the Kokiri were old enough after hundreds of years, they were then embraced back into the arms of the forest where they lived as one with the earth and the trees.

The idea of approaching the Great Deku himself scared and excited link beyond description. He shivered in fear and expectation. Navi smiled again and patted his knee.

It may be good to see the Three Brothers first. She thought at him. To his surprise Link found himself thinking back at her.

You are probably right. He smiled fondly at Navi and the growing link between them. This is going to be an interesting day, he thought to himself as he stood and stretched. Navi hovered happily around him as he readied himself for what was probably the most important day in his life.

As he left his tree house, Link heard his name being called. He jumped down from his hand made ladder and looked around to see who it was. When he saw Saria running toward him, her leafy hair bouncing, he broke out into a large grin.

"Link, guess what—Oh! You have a fairy!" She stopped a great toothy smile spread over her face. Saria's own fairy was clinging to the twiggy shoots of vine that sprouted from her head. He was just as wild looking as Navi, and just as beautiful. People had always said that Saria's tree must have been a relation to a willow. Her wiled leafy hair left no question in anyone's mind that she was a forest child. There were many Kokiri that had such deep roots in the earth, their traits made it difficult for them to go unnoticed in the outside world. Saria, Links best friend, had not been allowed to go on the trip to the festival.

Navi flew forward and danced around Saria. Link laughed at the way she flaunted herself off. They are such flashy creatures, he thought. Out loud he said.

"I don't know, she says it's complicated." Navi came down and sat happily in his disheveled nut brown hair. "You had something you wanted to tell me?"

Saria took her eyes off Navi and took a deep breath. "I came to tell you that the Three Brothers wished to speak with you. I would imagine it would have something to do with her." She nodded in Navi's direction. Link nodded as well and felt the fairy wobble a bit on his head as he did so.

"Would you come with me?" The question made Saria laugh.

"I cannot enter the yew tree with you, you know that." She took his hand. "But I will walk you there." Link nodded. He felt his heart beating fast.

It won't be bad. A small hand patted Link lovingly on the head. Link began to walk toward the great tree the Three Brothers used as their home, hand in hand with Saria, who talked animatedly the whole time.

"It's so wonderful that a fairy has come to you. It has been years since you should have received one. I was almost six and a half when Jiji came to me. Of course they didn't know what to do about that because they don't usually accept a child into the tribe unless their seven, but there was plenty of records of younger children acquiring fairies. Did you know the youngest Kokiri to get a fairy was only three years old. He became one of the wise ones. I guess he returned to the forest only a few years before the Great Deku found me."

Link could not help but smile as his friend rambled on. It had always been like that between the two. Saria did all the talking; even when questions were directed at him, Saria was always there to answer for him. Link was quiet preferring to express himself with his music rather than talking.

"Being almost ten years old, its about time a fairy came to you, though I guess the oldest to achieve a fairy was let me see… eleven, so you haven't broken a record or anything."

A tinkling giggle game from atop links head. Navi flew down, darting around the two of them. She sure does talk a lot doesn't she? She doesn't seem to understand either. I'm not exactly your fairy.

Link found it odd that that information did not bother him. He had wanted a fairy to come to him ever since Saria had obtained hers, however, after the trip to Hyrule City, Link knew he was not going to live a normal Kokiri life. Listening to Saria talk helped him remember that he had never intended to. The two of them used to pretend they would fight monsters and discover great hidden treasures. He smiled to himself remembering when Saria had painted a picture of Link battling a great monster at the base of his tree house. He had laughed and painted in a fairy beside him. He wondered what the future really held for him.

Suddenly Link found himself looking at the great yew tree which housed the Three Brothers. He could hardly remember walking he had been so deep in thought. Navi flew toward the cloth covered opening.

"Well I guess I should let you go then." Saria patted her friend on the shoulder drawing her ocarina out of her pocket. "I'll be waiting for you." She wandered off to a large rock where she sat down to play her beautiful lilting tune. That tune always brought a smile to his face. Saria's bright eyes continued to linger on him. They glistened with happiness and she swayed to her own forest beat Jiji dancing around her head. Link waved and entered the tree behind Navi.

After the bright sunny forest medow, the inside of the yew tree was very dark. Link blinked a few times, try ing to rid his eyes of the residual glair.

"Welcome Link,"Came a youthful voice from the darkness.

When his eyes adjusted, to the dark room, Link looked around. The three brothers sat on wooden counters and tabletops. Their dark eyes, obscured slightly by the long strands of fair hair that fell into their faces, drilled into his own. Navi flew back into his hair and patted his head. Her energy sent warm comfortable waves into his body. He began to relax.

"Do you know why you have come?" Said the triplet closest to him on his right.

"He has sensed this day would come." The one furthest away from him regarded him with a deeper stare.

"But does he know the gravity of the situation?" The voice startled Link by coming directly from his right. He had not seen the third brother move.

Link felt as though there was no need for him to speak. He stood as the three brothers surveyed him with their sharp eyes. Navi continued to pat him gently on the head, sinding her comforting thoughts through him.

"The fairy has told him he is to see the Gaurdian."

"He knows he is to leave us."

"He has been anticipating this."

Link began to have a hard time deciphering who was doing the speaking. All three brothers had the same slightly drawling young voice. None of them seemed to be older then himself, yet they held a presence that radiated with age and knowledge. Even with Navi's continued comforting Link found the three of them quite unnerving.

"He will go to see the Great One." Suddenly all three were standing directly in front of him holding out among them a long wooden box. Their faces where grave yet their eyes shown with delight. The center brother brought his hand forward and unlatched a clasp in the front opening the lid. Links looked into the box, curiosity written all over his face.

By the light of four pairs of flickering fairy wings Link saw the child sized sword that lay within. The sword was decorated with spiral markings and was carved with beautiful precision. The folded metal radiated with a magical glow of its own, even in the fairy light. Link looked up into the eyes of the brother directly in front of him.

"The forest is full of many dangers--"

"Though it is not only forest that awaits you."

"Take this sword as a defense against the dark."

A thrill of excitement burst inside Link's chest. A hesitant hand reached into the box and gripped the wooden hilt.

The sword was amazingly light. As wonderful as it felt in his hand, Link still felt a disconnection with the sword. As much as it felt like a simple extension of the arm, it felt as if the arm did not quite belong to him, that he was using another's arm in place of his own.

"The Kokiri blade is sacred to the Kokiri tribe."

"It must one day be returned to us."

"The sword will not perform true unless in the hands of a Kokiri. Someday you must acquire a true sword. One that was meant for you."

Link blinked at the Three Brothers who looked steadily back at him. He only nodded, choosing not to voice the many questions he had. He attached the scabbard belt around his green woven tunic.

"Thank you." He said with great appreciation. The Three brothers nodded their heads, each with a glowing fairy clinging to their fair hair. Link stood awkwardly for a moment then turned toward the door and exited.

"Good luck boy." The Three chorused as he left.

Link's eyes had trouble adjusting again to the bright forest light. He squinted painfully into the trees. He felt like he was seeing them for the first time. This place that had once been his home, he now felt like he had never belonged. Who was he if not Link the Kokiri? Why was he here?

Do not worry Link,, all will be explained. Navi darted around his head making soft chattering noises.

"Link!" Saria ran toward him. "What did they say?" Catching sight of the Kokiri blade at his side she gave a sudden gasp. "The Kokiri blade! What an honor!"

"I am to go to the Great Deku." Link said gravely. "This sword was a gift, though, I'm not sure I know how to use it."

Saria smiled. She knew that her friend would not be with her for long. The sword at his side showed his destiny lay away from the forest. For as long as there was one stayed in the Kokiri village, there was no need for a sword. "We play with sticks all the time. I am sure it's the same thing."

Link pulled the sword from the sheath and flourished it about. "I feel quite confidant oddly enough."

"Will you leave now?"

Navi nodded pointedly. We must go. He is waiting.

"Yes."

"I'll be waiting for you." Saria smiled again though it was painful. Navi was pulling on Links hair, directing him toward the darker regions of the forest.

"I will be back soon." Link had no real assurance that this was true. He just felt he needed to say something to keep Saria from looking so downtrodden. "I'll be back." He smiled, then turned to follow Navi into the trees.