Chapter 7: You Don't Raise Heroes, You Raise Sons

The hardest part was figuring out how to get the fire to catch onto the wood. The Great Deku Tree was still alive and his wood was moist. It made Link's task difficult, but he took some small comfort in it. He was not too late.

He tried using the clumps of dried rot that remained and found they burned easy and bright. Too bright, and too quick to use them as Link wanted. A flash of light was no good, he needed the light from his makeshift torches to last long and low. Enough light for Link to see, while keeping the room as dark as possible. And give him enough time to get close to the monster.

He managed to strike the right balance by mixing them. Rubbing the fast burning rot on the tips of staves. The sparks would catch the rot and burn just long enough for the wood to light. He made four of the torch-staves before he heading back down the tunnel.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Navi hissed.

"It's a good plan," Link whispered back. "It will work."

"It's a terrible plan. And if I had the strength to fly out of here dragging you behind me, I'd do it."

"Hush," Link said as he reached the end of the tunnel.

"Don't hush-!" she started to say, before the fairy stopped herself. Perhaps realizing that the time for an argument was well passed.

Link took a deep breath and poked his head out the tunnel. He could not see anything in the pitch blackness, but he could hear. The clicking came from the ceiling. The monster must have returned to whatever it was doing up there.

The four lengths of wood that Link carved and dipped in the dried sludge clattered together. He stopped and glanced up, he couldn't see anything, but the sounds did not change. He shoved one into the ground and took out his sword and one of the small stones he kept in the pouch in his shirt.

"Hey, careful!" Navi said.

He scraped the stone along the edge of his sword until a spark landed on the wood. The staff flared, then dimmed into a more reasonable light. Link looked up toward the ceiling. The creature's body squirmed above him, its shadows writhing as it worked. But it didn't come down, it must not have noticed him yet. He quickly lit the other three poles and stuck them into the ground at a bit of a distance from each other.

It didn't brighten the entire room, but it would have to do.

"Ready?" Link said, half to himself and half to Navi.

"If I have to be."

Link took his slingshot and aimed up at the insect. "Hey monster!" He called as released the first stone. "Stop hurting him!" The projectile slammed into the monster's back. Link sent a large nut and another stone at the creature before it detached itself from the ceiling and plummeted to the ground.

"Oh no," Link whispered as the light glistened off the beast.

"Oh no?" Navi said. "What's oh no?"

As the creature lifted itself to its full height there was no denying it. It had grown in the hours Link took to get ready.

"Nothing! The plan will work!"

"Link? You can't just leave me with that!"

The creature roared and rushed toward Link. He dropped his slingshot into the muck and drew his sword and shield.

A pincer shot toward him, large enough to squash his entire body between its claws. Link stepped away from it. One of the monster's legs came for him next. This he met head on. It scraped along the front of his shield, but did not pierce through. Link ducked under the leg and slashed up with his sword.

The insect screeched and clicked, as it maneuvered itself around Link. Another leg slammed down toward Link's head. He raised his shield and slid on his knees as close as he could get. Letting the thick spike land in the ground behind him. It was just like he'd practiced all those hours. Imagining swords and spears thrown at him, he blocked one of the legs, and ducked beneath a claw that surged toward him.

Each step closer, with his blade slicing through whatever he could reach. This is working! I'm doing it!

The beast spun back away from him, it's legs thrust out wildly sending Link jumping from it. He managed to land on his feet, and tried to chase after the beast. As it moved, one of the torches cracked and fell into the slime. It burst into a puff of fire before the liquid smothered it.

"Shoot," Link said. As the creature disappeared into the dark.

"What's going on?" Navi said. "Link you have to tell me what's happening."

The monster was nowhere to be seen. It's limbs rubbing against itself, clicking and snapping together as it scurried around the room out of sight.

Link tried to hold his sword out pointed in the direction that the monster was moving. But the sound reverberated around the cavern. Every new crackle from the carapace sent his blade pointing into a new direction in the dark.

His sword rattled in his grip. It could attack him from anywhere. What if it got him now? Who would save the Great Deku Tree then?

A massive shape dived from the dark. But it wasn't aimed at Link. Beneath it's body another of the torches snapped and its fire died. Link ran toward the beast howling and waving his sword. But the monster splashed the corrupted sludge at Link then retreated back into the dark.

"That's not fair!" Link called into the dark. "Coward!"

The monster's shriek sounded almost like a laugh as it echoed around the room. Only two lights left. Then he'd be completely at the insect's mercy. He placed himself between the remaining torches. His eyes and sword searched through the darkness trying to find some movement, some sign of where the monster was going to come from next. His heart pounded louder than the crackling noises from the monster.

It was going to be ok. He still had two lights. That was all he needed. He'd kill the thing with-

Just out of sight something loud smashed against the ground. The monster slipped! Link raced toward the sound, shouting and swinging his blade.

Something small and green rolled into the light, what parts weren't covered in much gleamed. The stone in the ceiling must have fallen.

Behind him the monster screeched.

Link's feet slipped in the sludge as he turned himself about. He only had time to see a claw reach out and snap another of his torches, before it pulled back into the darkness.

"No, no, no, no." Link almost lost grip of his sword as he struggled to right himself.

"Link, I'm serious what's happening?"

"Just get ready, Navi." He made his way to the last of his torches. If he lost this it'd be the end. The monster would be able to see him and he could do nothing about it. Unless he used Navi now. But that would be the end of their plan.

"Link, you're still moving. I think it's time we fall back. Our plan won't work."

"I'm not going to let him die." Link said, putting his back to the torch. No way the monster could reach it without going through him first.

"Do you think I want that either? But he told me I have to protect you. Please, don't let his last memories be of sending you to your death. That would be worse to him than anything else."

"I can handle this," Link said, though his voice squeaked. Where was the monster? It had to be doing something. He squinted at the dark, there had to be some sign of where it was. Some shift in the walls, the clicking would get louder when it was closer. He just needed to focus.

But he could see no shapes along the darkness of the walls, and the clicking was soft. Softer than it had been the entire fight. It hadn't been this quiet since he first entered the room.

Link's eyes went wide, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He looked up.

The great insect crawled over his head. It's massive eye wide and peering directly overtop him. The monster roared and released itself.

Link dived out of the way, landing hard on his hip. The creature smashed beside him.

"Link! What's happening?"

Thick spider-legs enclosed around him. The last torchlight flickered, Link couldn't tell if it still stood upright. He rolled to his feet and brought his shield up as the beast drew close. It's fangs just over his head. This was as close as he was going to get.

"Navi! Now!"

The fairy burst from the pouch in his tunic. Her wounded wings flapping harder and faster than Link had ever seen. She flew toward the insect's massive eye and screamed.

Navi's light erupted around her.

Link clenched his eyes shut, but could still see the glow through them for a brief moment. The creature howled and the world went dark. Link opened his eyes and charged. His sword aimed with perfection honed from hours of practice.

The blade plunged into the creature's eye. It screamed and thrashed. But Link held on, pushing deeper, until the eye burst around his hands. He ground his feet into the filth and pressed as hard as he could until a foul smelling liquid spread up his arm. Until his hand went past the eye and into the head beneath it.

The monster cried and screamed. It's legs fell out form under it, but they still moved about trying to find their footing. They slid on the muck around them, splashing the filth everywhere. But Link grit his teeth and pressed on. Until the monster's legs curled up beneath it, and it finally lay still.

Link pulled the sword free. He stumbled back and landed in the sludge, which splashed up into his hair and around his head. But he couldn't find it in him to care. He gave a gasping laugh. He'd done it. He'd killed the monster. He'd done it!

"Navi?" his laugh cut off as he sat back up. "Navi?"

"I'm here," the fairy said and flew to Link's shoulder. "It missed me, barely."

"Good. We did it."

"Yes, you did."

Link laughed again, until his sides hurt. "I think we'll need to start clearing all this." He tried to rise, but the strength had left his limbs and he fell back onto the ground with a wet slurp.

"Possibly, but I think we need to deal with the emerald first."

"The green thing, the monster was looking for?" Link tried to look over to where it had fallen. He could barely make out the little rock from Navi's dim light. "Alright," he said and took several deep breaths to steady himself. His heart raced faster than it had the entire fight. "Alright, I have this." He groaned as he got back to his feet, staggered over to the emerald and picked it up.

The stone was big as his head, but felt surprisingly light. He wiped away the grime on it. The green stone had gold wrapped around it. Shaped like one of the Great Deku Tree's branches holding it close. "What is it?"

"Something powerful, and dangerous. We need to bring it to the Great Deku Tree and have him tell us what to do next."

"Ok," Link stopped only a moment to pluck his slingshot from the ground and tuck it back into the pouch now empty of the fairy. "Navi?"

"Yes Link?"

"Thank you."

Link crawled back up the tunnel and made his way out of the tree. Navi sat on his shoulder and panted, occasionally wincing when he changed direction a bit too fast. Her wing now completely crooked from the strain. He tried to slow down for her sake, but he was too excited. He had done the impossible. He had become the hero like he always wished he could be when the fairies told him stories of the outside world.

But his delight died when he stepped outside. The ground was filled with leaves and the dust of bark. When he turned around to face the Great Deku Tree he found it shriveled and blackened. It's branches were completely barren, and twigs broke off and tumbled to the ground from the wind.

"Father!" Link called to the tree. "Father, I-" he wanted to tell him that he did it. That he saved him. But this did not look like the Great Deku Tree was getting better.

"Link?" the tree's voice sounded closer to soft breeze than the proud boom Link had heard his entire life. "Link, thou art alive. I feared the worst."

"Of course I'm alive. The curse, it was really a monster. And I beat it. You should be feeling better now. Don't you feel better?"

"Oh Link," the Great Deku Tree said. "I am so sorry. I fear I hast grown too weak."

"You'll get stronger. I can help you. If there's more inside you I can clean it up. I know how to do it now."

"My own brave son. There is nothing more thee canst do for me. My time cometh upon me."

"No!" Link stomped his foot. "No, I won. I saved you." But with a crack, one of the Great Deku Tree's branches fell and shattered upon the ground. He was still dying, and nothing Link did mattered. "You can't be dying. You're the Great Deku Tree. You've lived for a thousand years and you're going to live for a thousand more." Link's vision blurred, his eyelids flickered trying to clear away the tears. When that didn't work he rubbed them with the back of his hands.

"Link," Navi said. "It's going to be ok."

"No it's not! Don't say that! I failed!"

"Thou didst everything I could have asked and more. But I fear twas too late ere thee stepped foot within me. I cannot feel mine own roots, no longer dost the sweet taste of life come from the Farore's earth."

"But who's going to watch over me? Who's going to correct me when I'm making a mistake? Who's going to help me control myself? I still need you."

"My time as thy guide and guardian is ended. But my teachings will always be with you, and in them my spirit. But with what time I hast left, I must tell thee where thou hast come. Yond is mine last duty to thee my child."

"I already know. I know when I was made something went wrong, and that's why I can't use your magic or get a fairy. I know I came out wrong. I don't blame you."

"No, my son. That is not what happened. Thou was not born a child of the woods as Saria or Fado. My magic dost not run through thy veins. Thou art a scion of Hylia. Thy parents died upon the blades of war, but thy mother brought thee to me. And as she lay dying, she begged me to raise thee."

"Then, I'm not a Kokiri? I'm not your son?" Link felt sick. But it made sense. It was the only thing that made sense.

"No!" And for a brief moment, the Great Deku Trees voice sounded as strong and firm as it always had, but by the next words the strength was gone. "Thou art my son. Thou shalt always be my son. But thou hast always been more."

"I don't want to be more. I just want to stay with you."

"Sorrow has made thy words sweet. But in thine heart, thou knows it untrue. Age will make thee grow tall, thou shalt become a man. Thy spirit will grow with it, until this forest will not be enough to contain thee. I had hoped to be with thee when the hour of thine realization came. To watch thee when thou decidest what to make of thy life. But now I see that shall not come to be."

The tree fell silent, Link buried his head among the bark and let his tears flow. It wasn't fair. Why had someone been so vile as to take his father from him?

"Link," the Great Deku Tree said in a voice so quiet Link needed to strain to hear it, holding back his sobs unless he missed something. "I am so sorry, but there is one thing I must ask of thee. The Emerald the outsiders tried to take from me. Thou must not let him have it. The man of the desert is armored in black, prithee, swear to me thou shalt keep it safe."

"I will. I swear, on my life, on the Three."

"And Navi, my most faithful… keep him safe. Keep him…" The winds blew, cutting off the wise old tree's words. Where Link's cheek and tears touched, he felt the last of the vibrant magic that surrounded him his entire life seemed to disappear. The will of life gave out from the wood.

"I will, you know I will," Navi said.

"I hadst wished my final moments to be warm and merry, but for the first time in my many centuries I feel… cold. Farewell my son, I am… so proud…"

Link did not move for many hours. Not until a new day rose over the forest and he had no more tears to shed.


Author's Note: Just some edits to the conversation with the Great Deku Tree.