Back in the Faron Woods, in the grove of the forest guardian who was now in the throes of madness, two brave Kokiri waited for the return of the fairy Navi who had gone for help. When she didn't return after a minute had passed, Saria spoke, "What do we do, Link? We can't just sit here and wait for Navi to come back. The Great Deku Tree, he could be... well, it could already be too late by the time she gets help." She gazed into Link's eyes, and he saw something desperate in them. He had never seen that in her before. Saria had always been so confident, so sure of things, so ready for whatever adventure came their way, and so seeing Saria looking so... vulnerable... it was wrong. He had to fix this, wipe away that fearful look, let her know that everything was going to be all right because he was going to make it all right. Only... he wasn't quite sure how.
We need to get close to the Deku Tree. Talk to him, he thought. That meant getting past his deadly thrashing roots, which might either squash him flat against the ground or knock his head clean off. Maybe if they could calm the roots...
Then he remembered how Saria had stopped the fairies. Her ocarina! Maybe if Saria played her ocarina, it might wake up the Great Deku Tree and then they'd be able to get through to him!
"Try playing that song," he commanded her. "You know, the one you used to slow down the fairies just barely."
Her eyes widened as she realized what he was thinking. "You really think it'll work?" she asked and without further delay, she put her ocarina to her lips and began to play. It was the same swirling music she had used to distract the fairies; notes that spun around each other in a dizzying dance, climbing up and then dropping to the bottom to climb up again. Link could feel his legs itching to dance to the wild tune, but he was focused on the Great Deku Tree's roots.
Nothing was happening. They thrashed just as wildly as before, drowning out the fluty notes with the groaning of wood and the sudden cracks of roots whipping the air. The Deku Tree himself screamed defiance at enemies that only he could see, still lost in his nightmare. Every now and again, he gave a sudden gasp, and all of his roots shrank into themselves-for that brief moment, they stopped thrashing-but they were moving again before long. Link glanced over at Saria. She must have realized the same thing he did, but she only turned away and played her tune faster and louder. Soon there was sweat trickling down her face.
Still not working, he thought. While many would have given up and waited for someone else to fix the problem, Link once again demonstrated just how different he really was-not just from the Kokiri, but many humans as well. Realizing that trying to use music to calm down the Great Deku Tree wasn't working, he looked around the grove to see if he could spot something else they could try. He spotted other Kokiri as well as all the fairies from earlier behind him and Saria, waiting to see what they were going to do. One of them had brought a wooden sword and shield, standing ready to do combat just like when the hero fought Gleeock the seven-headed dragon. He had dodged all their heads while they all tried to snap him up in their jaws, cutting them all one at a time.
Except that wouldn't work. For one thing, the hero had a real sword to cut off the heads with. That wooden sword wouldn't cut a Deku stalk. And the hero had been able to confuse the Gleeock by making its heads all follow him. The Great Deku Tree was already confused and probably wouldn't even know he was there if he tried to pull the same trick...
Hang on, maybe there was a way. If the Great Deku Tree thought he was being attacked from a certain direction, maybe his roots would attack in that same direction and leave an opening for Link to get through.
Excited about his plan, Link pulled out his slingshot. He could feel the other Kokiri and fairies watching him. Even Saria had stopped playing her music and fixed him with a questioning look that asked what he was planning. Ignoring them, he took aim at the Deku Tree's right side with his slingshot and fired.
They didn't see what happened to the bullet as it zipped through the air, but it seemed to have hit its mark, for the Great Deku Tree roared as he twisted his head and all of his roots flailed to the right.
Link pumped his fists into the air. "That's it!" He turned around and thrust out his finger. "Mido! I need you to take this slingshot and use it to distract the Great Deku Tree!"
Mido, who had quietly sidled up behind everyone, uncrossed his arms to point at himself in surprise. "Wait, you want me to shoot at the Great Deku Tree? Why?"
"Because you're the best shot in the village," Link answered. It was fortunate that no one tried to point out that it was him who was the best shot because he needed Mido to feel flattered not jealous. "I need you to distract him while I try to get close to him. Try aiming close to his left eye but don't hit his actual eye."
Mido shook his head. "Now, wait just a moment. You want me to shoot the Great Deku Tree? How do I know you're not just trying to get me in trouble? What if he wakes up and sees me with the slingshot?"
Gerta sneered, "Oh, he's definitely trying to get you in trouble. It was hiiiim, oh, Great Deku Tree." Then she sniggered.
"I'll do it!" said Saria, stepping forward with her hand out to take it from Link.
Link shook his head. "Sorry, Saria, but Mido's better at shooting than you. He needs to hit the Great Deku Tree where he can actually feel the seeds; otherwise, I'll get pummeled by all those..." he glanced back and swallowed hard, "roots."
Saria's hand dropped and her mouth pressed into a thin line. "Fine. Then I'm coming with you."
"No, Saria! It's way too dangerous! But I am going to need your ocarina. It might be the only way to wake up the Great Deku Tree."
She scowled at him. "What, you think you're the only one who can handle himself? Who's the one who taught you everything she knows? Who taught you how to roll when jumping from up high? Who taught you how to dodge a punch? Who taught you how to backflip?"
"I know, I know, but if we tried to go at the same time we'd just get in each other's way. And I am better than you at dodging."
Saria's eyes flashed and she opened her mouth to speak but then thought better of it. After a moment, she said softly, "You can't play the ocarina as good as me."
"I think I can play it good enough," Link said. "I just need to get close enough to him that he can hear it. Please, Saria, you have to trust me. This is the only way."
Saria bit her lip. After a tense moment, she shoved the ocarina at him. "Fine. But you'd better get through this alive or I will kill you."
"That makes no sense," Link protested as he put the ocarina into a pouch at his hip.
"Oh, shut up! You know what I mean." She blinked furiously but failed to keep the tears from her eyes. "Just make sure you're good enough that you don't die."
"Don't worry, I won't," said Link with more confidence than he felt. He turned away from her so she couldn't see the panic in his eyes and asked Mido, "Are you ready?"
Mido had watched the exchange between the two of them with bemusement and so had to shake himself out of it. "Oh, uh, sure. I mean, fine! Give me that." He snatched the slingshot from Link and then prepared to shoot it. "Ready to run, twerp?"
Link turned and got into a running stance. He swallowed the lump in his throat and said, "Ready."
"Go!" Mido fired the slingshot.
The moment the pellet found its mark, Link was off. He scooted around to the left side of the roots as they all lashed right toward the invisible foe that had struck the Great Deku Tree. He was worried that the roots would snap back, but Mido managed to keep up a steady rate of fire that kept the roots twitching to the right, giving Link the openings he needed to get closer to the Tree.
"Go, Link!" one of the Kokiri cheered and the rest of them echoed their approval. Link unfortunately couldn't hear them over the creaks and cracks of the roots, but that may have been just as well, as he needed all of his focus to avoid getting cracked over the head by a heavy root. Twice he had to dive to the ground as a whip-like root lashed at the spot he had been moments before. Sweat poured from him in sheets and his heart pounded so hard he felt like he was on fire, but after what felt like a thousand tumbles and close shaves, he managed to reach the inner circle around the Great Deku Tree that was clear of his deadly roots.
"He did it!" Anai cried.
The other Kokiri cheered ecstatically, stomping their feet and throwing their caps into the air. Saria, who had been biting her knuckles the whole time, let out a shaky sob of relief.
Link took a moment to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his eyes. He had made it. All he had to do now was snap the Great Deku Tree out of his nightmare. He was on the Tree's far left side after all the skirting and dodging he had done, so he started around to his front at a jog. As he did, he could hear him shouting, "Away with thee! Away with thee and thy foul desires! Thou shalt destroy the world with thy ambitions! I shalt not allow thee to bring forth thy wicked machinations! Foul man and foul spirit thou harbors!"
Link came to a stop in front of the Great Deku Tree. He looked up at him with awe as he had never gotten a good look at him this close before. The Tree had the visage of a wise, old man with prominent moss eyebrows, a protuberant nose, and a magnificent beard made of a tangle of lichen, vines and flowers. Then he noticed something else: sections of the Tree's bark had fallen off, exposing the wood beneath which looked yellowish and spongey. His eyes too as they rolled around in his head were yellowish and rheumy. In sudden shock, he realized that it was much worse than they'd thought. The Great Deku Tree hadn't just gone crazy-he was sick!
He suddenly felt queasy. In risking his life... had it been for nothing? Whatever was afflicting their patron, could they stop it? Could he be cured and their life returned to normal? Somewhere inside him, he knew that this was just the beginning of their troubles. But rather than let that thought overwhelm him with despair, he shoved it down and focused on the task that had brought him here in the first place. He needed to play Saria's song and see if he could snap the Tree out of his frenzy.
He pulled out the ocarina his friend had given him. The instrument had been lovingly carved from Deku wood by Saria herself and polished to a fine luster through repeated use. She had made one for him too though he was ashamed to admit he hadn't used it much and instead kept it in a trunk under his bed. He was too embarrassed to practice with it after Mido had commented on the quacking noises coming from his house. Now he had to play music in order to break through the Great Deku Tree's madness. He wished he had spent time mastering the instrument, for when he tried to replicate Saria's fast-paced song, he found his fingers tripping over each other and the notes came out as wheezes and shrieks in turn. He was only glad that the creaks and groans of the thrashing roots and the mad roaring of the Great Deku Tree himself drowned out his poor attempts at music... at least, he hoped they did; except if his notes were being drowned out, that means he wasn't reaching the Great Deku Tree either.
I have to keep trying, he told himself fiercely. I have to get through!
He decided to focus on figuring out the notes first. Saria had taught him the different pitches that were produced depending on which holes he covered and how much pressure he applied behind his breath. It's not like hitting a monster with all your might, she had explained once. You have to go at it at a certain speed with a certain amount of air. Make a tiny, fast tunnel for high notes and a bigger, heavier tunnel for low notes. Right. So, to start, he would need a big heavy tunnel... hm, no, that didn't sound right. Fingers on these holes... closer, but still not right. A big, heavy tunnel with these holes... nope, he was way off now...
He experimented with different configurations while the Great Deku Tree continued to roar angrily, and his roots cracked and chopped the air. Gradually and bit by bit, Link began to hit the proper notes. He battled against the urgency to stop the great tree's mad tirade and took his time to find those notes and put them together. As his confidence grew the further into the song he progressed, he began to put the notes to a tempo, and while he did make some mistakes-a shrill toot here and a raspy wheeze there-the song that emerged was recognizable as the song that Saria had played to calm the fairies. He had done it! He had learned to play Saria's Song! The only question was would it work?
At first, it appeared that the Great Deku Tree couldn't hear the music as he still screamed defiance. But then, his head twitched, and he stopped screaming. He slowly turned his head back and forth as though searching for the source of the music. His roots gradually stopped thrashing though they continued to sway, feeling the ground the way a blind man might feel the walls to reach his bed.
Then he spoke, "Saria, my child, is that thy instrument I hear?"
Link dropped the ocarina in his haste to answer. "Um, it's me, Great Deku Tree. My name is Link."
The yellowed eyes swiveled to him. The boy noticed that they didn't completely focus on him, tending instead to drift left then right of him. "Ah, Link. I bid thee a warm welcome. I had anticipated thy coming, in point of fact. Thou hast done well to rouse me from my waking nightmare, though I am afraid thy trials are far from over."
Link was a little shaken with awe that the Great Deku Tree knew him on a personal level, but he did his best to keep his head. "You mean your sickness?"
"Ah. Thou hast seen the signs then? Very astute of thee. That will serve thee well in the days ahead. Alas, it is true. I have been stricken with malaise though it is no mere disease. Nay, my sickness is the result of a curse-an insidious parasite that ravages me from within. Were it merely my burden, I would happily bear it to keep my children safe, but alas my strength is failing me, and it will soon seek to spread its malice. If it is not stopped, it will endanger not only the woods but the world beyond. Though it pains me so, that is why I must ask thee to take up arms and slay this monster."
Link's blood ran cold. A monster was making the Great Deku Tree sick? A monster like the ones told in the stories? And the Great Deku Tree wanted him to stop it? But he wasn't a hero, not like the ones from long, long ago. He was only ten years old! How was he supposed to kill a monster?
Before he could present this question to the wise, old tree, Saria came panting up behind him. "Are you okay?" she gasped. "Did you cure him?" Her fairy came up behind her, looking mortified. She turned to the Great Tree and said breathlessly with a bow, "I'm sorry, Great Deku Tree. I tried to stop her, but..."
"I tried to stop her!" Mido protested, coming up behind them all. Gerta snickered.
The Great Deku Tree shook his head. "There is no need to apologize, Anai, Mido. All are welcome to come before me. Indeed, I would have been concerned had she not come for Link." He chuckled though he quickly stopped to wince in pain. A section of bark sloughed off his face and shattered at their feet. "But alas, I do not have much time. Please, Link, for the good of all of Hyrule, I must ask thee to summon thy courage and destroy the foul creature inside me for good and all."
"The creature inside you?" cried Saria. "Link, what's he talking about?"
Link ignored her. He shook his head at the Great Deku Tree and said, "But I don't have a sword."
The Tree gave a groan of disappointment. Just then they all heard a voice cry, "There!" and then a massive brown bird swooped in and dropped something at their feet.
"Ah, Kaepora," said the Tree happily. "Thou hast excellent timing."
"Were it so, oh wise one, your affliction would not have come this far," answered the bird-a giant owl-with a bow.
"Alas, even one who is as learned as thee cannot account for all things. But fear not, we have a champion to take up the cause." He nodded to Link.
Link was looking at the object that Kaepora had dropped. It was a white sword with a gold inlaid pearl hilt and it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He was startled when the giant owl spoke, "It is a gift from Lady Faron, one we hope will serve you well. Take it, oh chosen one, and fulfill your destiny."
Link recoiled from the sword as though it had stung him. He looked up at all the faces staring expectantly at him-the owl, the Great Deku Tree, Saria, Mido and even the three fairies, and he protested, "Now, wait a minute. What do you mean, 'chosen one'? Chosen by who? I'm not a hero. I'm just a Kokiri, and not even a real one. I don't have a fairy. Besides, I've never fought a monster before. I can't even stand up to Mido!" He looked over to the bigger boy who smiled in grim satisfaction.
"Surely, there must be another more qualified for the task!" Navi suddenly burst out, her emotions getting the better of her. "Think of what you are saying! You are asking a child-a mere child-to stand against something which even you cannot handle!" She was aware that she had just committed a sin questioning the wisdom and power of those charged with protecting them and the forest in which they lived, but she could no longer stand by and simply accept these decisions as though they were at all based in reason. This was the Great Deku Tree's life at stake here! The Great Deku Tree-her most trusted confidant and friend-could in all liklihood end up dead! And they were trusting a boy who had likely never seen anything more dangerous than a grasshopper with slaying the monster? She couldn't accept that! She would never accept that!
"Cast your doubts aside, Navi," rumbled the Great Deku Tree with a sternness she hadn't heard from him before. "The blood of heroes runs through his veins. He has the strength and the wisdom of those who came before him. I have faith he will complete the challenges before him and fulfill his destiny." He winced again and another section of bark fell from his face. "He must."
Link shuffled his feet with indecision. Then Saria grabbed his arm, pulled him aside, and said in a low voice, "Listen, Link. You have to do this. If the Great Deku Tree dies..."
Anai gasped, "The Great Deku Tree is dying?!" Mido and Gerta looked over sharply.
"Link's not going to let that happen!" Saria declared stoutly. "Are you, Link? You said it yourself: you're the strongest, fastest, best fighter in the entire village. You can do this. You HAVE to do this because... because... well, you just can't fail!"
Link shook his head and raised his arms helplessly, "But..."
She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Please, Link! You can't let him die! You just can't!" Her eyes shone with tears. "You just have to trust me on this. If he dies then things won't ever be the same, and I can't... I can't bear that thought!" With that, she fell on top of him, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Link panicked. "All right, all right! I'll do it! Please, just stop crying, Saria! I'll save him! I'll kill the monster inside him. Just stop crying." He pushed her away and looked into her eyes.
She sniffed and wiped them dry. "Sorry. Got a little carried away. Just... don't fail, okay? And don't die."
"Trust me," Link replied, picking up the sword. "I don't plan to."
He started toward the Tree. Then Mido called out, "Wait!" He turned and waited to see what the bigger Kokiri had to say. Mido was playing with his slingshot, pulling back the crook and allowing it to spring back. Finally, he said, "You made this yourself? Yeah, looks like something you made. The wood is a bit stiff on one side; makes it hard to aim properly." He handed it to Link. "But it's almost better than nothing... almost."
Link was struck with an emotion that almost seemed like fondness for the bigger boy. The resulting retort was, "Thanks, Mido."
"Psh. Whatever."
The Great Deku Tree smiled with satisfaction as Link strode before him with the sword in his hand. "I trust thou hast come to a decision then?"
Link looked up into the Tree's rheumy eyes and gave a firm nod. "Yes. I'll go in and defeat the monster inside you."
The Great Deku Tree gave a creaky nod. "Very good. Truly the goddesses chose their champion well. Good luck, Link." Then he stopped the boy as he moved forward. "Ah, but wait. I see thy right hand is bare. A sword shall serve thee in cutting down thy foes but what of those who seek to cut thee? A shield thou shalt need to fend off such attacks." He glanced over and they all turned to look. Among the segments of bark that had fallen from him, a root the size of a rope popped out of the ground. It took one of the bark segments and fastened itself to it like a strap.
"Thy sword, Link, if thou wouldst be so kind."
A little uncertainly, Link took his sword and chopped the base of the root. The bark segment now a makeshift shield fell to the ground. Link picked it up as the Great Deku Tree rumbled, "May that serve to guard thee against attacks."
Link bowed. "Thank you, Great Tree. I'll use it with care."
"I have no doubt of that. Now come, the monster awaits and the more time we waste, the greater its threat becomes." He opened his mouth wide. Link stepped forward and peered uncertainly inside. It was dark, the light barely extending past the Tree's mouth.
Behind him, Kaepora hooted quietly to the fairy beside him, "Remember the charge given to you by Lady Faron."
"What?" Navi blinked in surprise. Then she did remember. "Oh, yes, of course. It... must have slipped my mind." Indeed, it had as she had been wrestling with her emotions regarding the ludicrousness of this situation: the venerable Deku Tree being bested by a monster of some sort, the Great Fairy's decision to trust a child with the task of saving him, and the fact that they all expected her to bite her tongue and simply trust that it would all work out. It was taking every ounce of self-control she had to not scream in frustration and curse them as fools. And now she was to act as the boy's mother. Was this all a ploy to break her sanity?
It was only rubbing salt in the wound to know that she could not openly defy these orders when they had been given by Lady Faron herself. All she could do was steel her resolve against the tumult of rage and frustration until her face became a mask of quiet deference. Once she had her emotions under control, she moved forward to join the boy.
Link craned his neck into the Tree's mouth, wondering if he was missing something in regards to the Great Deku Tree's request. It was pitch black inside and he had no means of lighting his way. Was he meant to grope in the dark to find and defeat the monster? He didn't dare ask, so instead he took a tentative step inside, scanning the dark interior furtively in case it was hiding close by. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the mouth became awash in blue light and he nearly slashed the fairy behind him before he stopped himself.
"Whew! Sorry, I thought you were a monster."
Navi bit down the tirade that threatened to burst from her. To distract herself, she smoothed down her dress and picked at lint. At last, she regained her composure and replied calmly, "That's all right. It was clearly my fault. I should have warned you." She avoided looking at his eyes though she could feel him watching her. What was he waiting for? For her to deliver a message?
Ah. Of course. That was her role, after all. She cleared her throat again. "Right. It seems as if... I've been given the charge of guiding you through this task. So, um..." She adjusted her sleeves and dusted off her shoulders in a clear show of stalling for time while she thought of what to say next.
"So you're saying... you're my fairy now?"
She paused in the adjustment of her sleeves, her eyes growing wide as the full implication of her charge hit her. She said slowly, "Yes... I suppose you could look at it like that. Though I must warn you, this arrangement is likely only temporary." At least, she hoped it was.
The boy slipped his sword into his belt. "Well, I'm just glad I'm not doing this alone. And besides..." he peered into the tunnel that was the Great Deku Tree's throat, "it's much, much easier having your light to see by in here."
Bemused by this boy's unexpectedly mature reasoning, Navi could only murmur, "I see." Being surprised was not a pleasant experience for her; she preferred to be in control of herself at all times. For this reason, she shook herself out of her daze and declared firmly, "Very well then. If this is what we must do then there is no reason to delay." She drifted into the mouth, shedding much-needed light into its dark corners. She turned and commanded, "Come, boy, the sooner we defeat this monster, the sooner things can go back to normal."
"I sure hope so," the boy replied as he hurried after her.