The Kingdom of Hyrule was once a land that stretched all the way from the Eldin Mountains in the north to Lake Hylia in the south and the Faron Woods beyond, from the Lanayru Sea in the east to the Gerudo Desert far, far to the west, and the Hyrule Fields lay between them all. In the Fields was a smattering of villages, including one tucked within the folds of the Faron Woods, Ordon Village, which dealt largely in lumber and pumpkins-and milk, too, though none could compare to the fare of Lon Lon Ranch. At the heart of the Fields was the city of Hyrule Castle Town, the center of commerce for all of Hyrule and governed by the Royal Family who lived in the castle itself just north of the city. For years, the land of Hyrule had been at peace, though it wasn't always so and wouldn't be for very long. Hyrule, in fact, went through many cycles of war and peace-years of quiet trading between the colonies would be suddenly broken by marauders using violence to assert their will on the people, forcing them to fight back until the last invader had been routed, and then peace would follow again for a few more years until another group of invaders would disrupt the peace and so on. Almost all of these conflicts centered around one thing: control of the Triforce-a relic of immense power said to bestow upon any who touched it the powers of a god. Very few of these warmongers ever reached it and those that did...
There are legends among the people of Hyrule that tell of those who touched the Triforce and was corrupted by its power. They tell of a singular hero who rose up against this evil and brought it low again, thus ending its reign. They vary in the details of the wheres and hows of the battles these two fought, but almost all of them agree on these points: the hero was a youth garbed in the colors of the fields, weilding a blade of evil's bane; and his foe was a master of dark sorcery augmented by the power of the Triforce. One such tale distinguishes itself as the true account of their conflict, being that which was recorded by one of the Royal Family, the Princess herself...
This is the Legend of Zelda.
...
Our story begins in the southern lands of Hyrule, deep within the Faron Woods, far beyond the reaches of civilization. Very few dared to venture this far into the woods, for here prowled vicious and voracious beasts like the wolfoes, the forest octoroks, and the like-likes. For those who were lucky (or perhaps clever) enough to make it past these perils might eventually stumble into the hidden village known as Kokiri Forest. Here lived the forest imps known as the Kokiri, who at this time took the shape of young children. One imp of particular interest was named Fado, a girl with golden hair that curled about her face and a smattering of freckles across her broad nose, dressed in the customary garb of her kind, a tunic and floppy cap of deep green. It was she who was the catalyst for the events that followed, and the beginning of our story.
As with all Kokiri, she lived a carefree life doing whatever she pleased whenever it pleased her. There were no rules, no mandates, no laws, save for one: never leave the safety of Kokiri Forest. No Kokiri had ever broken this rule before-they had no desire to. Fado had never broken this rule either, but she did push it. She was well aware as much as the other Kokiri that to leave the forest meant certain death or, worse, to be transformed into a stalfo, but there was a spot that drew her, which just so happened to serve as the border between her home and the outside world: the Chasm of Demise. It was a deep and massive trench that encircled their home, providing a natural barrier against all who would try to breach it. Only one path across the ravine existed: a narrow bridge of wood planks and rope. No one knew who built it, but it provided Fado the perfect vantage to peer down into the endless depths of swirling gray mist. Low moans could often be heard coming from below, which deterred most would-be Kokiri adventurers from the "haunted" chasm, but not Fado. She actually delighted in calling down to it and listening for the echo to return two seconds later. She also liked to toss objects down into it like rocks, sticks, and spinning winged seeds to watch them fall until the mists swallowed them up like a hungry nest of ropes. What she liked most about the chasm, as she told her fairy, Tatum, "It makes me feel like I'm flying."
"Not me," Tatum replied, "It makes me feel dizzy and sick."
Which was why her fairy wasn't with her at this time. She had offered to hang back at the foot of the bridge while her Kokiri was busy imagining flying over the chasm's yawning mouth. Today, Fado had brought letters she had written to whoever might be waiting at the bottom of the canyon. She tossed them one at a time over the bridge and watched them tumble down until each one was swallowed by the mist. She was so engrossed in watching the letters fall and wondering about who would find them (if anyone did) that she didn't see him at first... the man standing on the other side of the bridge, just outside the boundary of Kokiri Forest. He was hard to spot even if she had been looking. He wore a mottled green cloak that allowed him to blend in with the vegetation behind him while he held perfectly still. The only reason she spotted him at all was because she happened to look up just as he shifted to get comfortable.
She straightened quickly. "Who's there?"
A hand appeared-scarred by many cuts and burns-raised in a soothing gesture. "Do not be afraid, child. I will not hurt you." His voice was soft yet hoarse as though his throat had been damaged.
This wasn't enough to assuage her suspicions. She took a few steps back and then replied, "Tatum says it's dangerous to go outside Kokiri Forest. She says there's monsters and spirits that try to trick you."
"And she's right," said the cloaked man, which wasn't the answer Fado expected at all, so it gave her pause. "There are many dangerous creatures in our world... creatures that would snatch you up and eat you before you could even blink."
Fado had heard this before from the other Kokiri and they liked to lower their voices to make it seem scarier. But this stranger didn't do that or change it in any way. He sounded calm, unbothered, like that was just the way things were. Fado felt that this made him more... trustworthy than the others.
Then the stranger continued, "But there are also many wonderful and amazing things. Beautiful things. Interesting things. Things you wouldn't find in your little village..."
That was what did it. That was what stoked in her the fires of curiosity that would burn the Forest to ash. She had always had the embers there, embers that had been blown on from time to time by the stories told by Navi, who was rumored to be as knowledgeable as the Great Deku Tree, but not enough to satisfy. Never enough. Fado had once made the mistake of asking if Navi had ever seen these things for herself and she got a scolding for her trouble and that same refrain all fairies would give if their ward even so much as thought about leaving, "never leave the safety of Kokiri Forest." She never asked again. Instead, she tried to content herself with the gentle breaths that fell on the coals, but that yearning was still there. That need to see the world for herself threatened to blaze and destroy her from within. Which was why this stranger-a being filled with the wisdom and experience from the outside world she so desperately wished to see-was here... to fan that blaze.
"I have a gift for you," he said. From within the folds of his cloak, the man pulled out a bundle of cloth. Removing the cloth, he revealed a gleaming orb nestled inside. On the other side of the chasm, the leaves on the trees rustled as if in agitation. The hooded man glanced up at the trees then hastily pulled the cloth over the orb again, leaving only a sliver of it exposed. The rustling stopped.
Fado's eyes grew round. She stepped closer, eyeing the jewel with wonder. She reached out a hand as though to touch it but instead looked up at the hooded man and asked, "What is it?"
"It is a gift," the man repeated. "For you."
"For me?" She stared into the glossy surface, washes of pink and purple going across it with bright pink streaks like lightning cutting down it. She placed her palm on its smooth surface and rubbed it slowly. "It's so pretty."
"And it's yours," said the man, handing it gently to her as though it was a baby. "On one condition..."
She looked up at him warily.
"Tell no one you have this."
She cocked her head and frowned. "Why?"
"Because then they'll try to take it from you. And you don't want that, do you?"
He was right. This wouldn't be the first thing the other Kokiri took from her. They thought it was funny to hide her things. They also liked to play other pranks on her like dropping fish down her back, putting worms in her bed, and jumping out from behind trees to scare her. This was the true reason she liked to play on the bridge over the Chasm of Demise: no one dared to follow her here. She never expected it would also be where she would meet someone who understood what she wanted and gave her gifts. She didn't want this to be taken from her. She hugged the orb to her chest and shook her head. "No. I won't tell anyone."
"Good girl," said the man with a great deal of satisfaction. He continued, "When you take it home with you, be sure to keep it hidden. Keep that wrap around it so no one sees it."
"Thank you, mister," Fado whispered. She turned and with it clutched tightly to her chest ran across the bridge toward the village. The cloaked man straightened as he watched her disappear into the trees. Then he chuckled darkly, "Just as he said. Like gullible, little children these creatures are. Now all that remains is to wait and that Stone is as good as ours." Then with a twirl of his cloak, he vanished.
Poor Fado had no idea that she had become an instrument intended to bring about the dark designs of an evil will. Fortunately, fate had its own plans to counteract this attempt-its own instrument.
His name was Link.
...
The day began as it always did in Kokiri Forest when the first golden rays of the morning sun shimmered through the leaves of the trees, which rustled as though to shake off the sleep of the early morning. Birds trilled sweetly to one another within the boughs while little fish leaped for gnats that ventured too close to the stream which burbled its way around the massive trunks. Gradually the morning grew brighter and other signs of life began to emerge. Squirrels and rabbits scurried about in search of nuts and berries to nibble for their breakfast before taking the rest back to their dens to be eaten later. In the trees, a monkey pranced along the branch, followed by another that appeared suddenly from behind and pinched its rump, causing it to chitter in protest and then chase it through the trees until they both vanished from sight. Not long after, a drowsy bear ambled its way across the forest floor, swinging its head this way and that in search of berries. It took its time sniffing suspicious-looking bushes before turning away in disappointment. After checking several bushes like this, it turned and ambled along its way, shouldering through the dense brush with loud rustling of leaves and snapping of branches until it too was gone.
As the morning waxed brighter, so the Forest grew livelier, its occupents going about their business with vigor though never hurried, never frantic, for there was no danger here. Every creature lived peacefully with one another here and offered no threat to anyone. This made it the perfect place for all to live, especially for the creatures from whom the grove derived its name: the Kokiri. These child-like imps lived in contentment here, free from worry or responsibility. From dawn to dusk (and sometimes long afterward) many of them romped about their little grove, engaged in games of chase and wrestling though there were others who preferred to sit quietly and paint, sing, play instruments or simply daydream.
One other thing of note about the Kokiri: each of them was paired with a tiny humanoid creature with dragonfly's wings, cocooned in a sky-blue nimbus-a fairy. These fairies weren't just faithful companions, they were central to Kokiri life. They were their eyes and ears, their guiding light, and their conscience, for while the Kokiri were free to do as they pleased, it was the fairies' job to enforce the one law of the Forest: never leave the safety of Kokiri Forest. These tiny beings were among the first to have been born here long, long ago. When the first of the Kokiri had arrived here in search of shelter from the dangers that threatened in the Faron Woods, it was the fairies who had taken them under their charge, and this arrangement had remained ever since. It didn't happen often but when a new Kokiri arrived, he was immediately initiated through a grand ceremony that ended with him paired with a lifelong companion.
There was only one exception: Link. He had no fairy. There had been no ceremony to give him one. Why that would be the case no one knew except that there was something different about him... something unKokiri-ish. Not just that he didn't have a fairy. Something else set him apart from the rest of them. If you looked into his eyes, you saw wisdom and experience there-the weight of many lives that extended beyond the ten years of a mere child. It was an unnerving, almost dizzying experience for most, like teetering at the edge of an endless abyss, thus most Kokiri preferred to avoid Link than to face the truth that there might be more out there beyond the safety of Kokiri Forest.
But Link did want to fit in with them. He tried so hard to fit in. Whenever they gathered together to hold contests, Link was there to show them what he could do. In tree-climbing contests, he was like a green monkey. In breath-holding contests, only a fish could compare to his amazing lung capacity. And when it came to running contests, the rest may as well have been turtles for all the competition they gave him. He was also good at shooting, sword-fighting, wrestling, rock-throwing and just about every skill you could think of. He did all this in the hopes of impressing them and making them accept him, but it didn't. If anything, it only made them warier of him than ever. And what was worse, it created an enemy-a Kokiri named Mido, who fancied himself the strongest, fastest, and smartest in the entire village. He was a bully who forced those smaller and weaker than him to do tasks for him like fetching his practice sword or hunting rupees (mysterious gems that tended to crop up in unexpected places), and he took Link's audacious display of his skills personally, so he did everything he could to make him feel as unwelcome as possible.
"You're not one of us!" he would often say, "and you will never be!"
That hurt Link. It hurt him because it felt like he was right. He was different in some way, which was why none of the other Kokiri were willing to stand up for him. He didn't even have his own fairy, which might have taken some of the edge off of that truth if he had had one. The only person who seemed to accept him was Saria though all she really said when he complained to her about it was, "Oh, don't listen to him. He's just mad because you keep beating him in all the contests."
Which prompted her fairy, Anai, to speak up, "I thought for sure he had him that one time though. Remember the burping contest? Who knew this kid could burp so loud? He's usually so quiet."
"No kidding," Saria giggled.
Watching those two together just made Link's ache for a fairy of his own all the more painful. More and more his melancholy drove him to his personal corner of the woods where he would practice his skills if for no other reason than to distract himself from his lonliness. He was here now, using his slingshot that he had constructed himself to fire stones at a target he had painted on a tree stump.
Zzzt-thunk! The stone hit its mark. Normally he would find satisfaction in seeing his practicing paying off but today he was trying to distract himself from more than just his lonliness. A dark memory of a dream he had had lurked in the corners of his mind, like a black cloud creeping across the sky.
Zzzt-thunk! Zzzt-thunk!
A crack of lightning split the sky and illuminated the spot where he stood. A giant door loomed over him-a dizzying sensation that made it feel as though it was about to fall on him and smash him flat.
He shook his head and focused more intently on the target. Zzzt-thunk! Zzzt-thunk! Zzzzzt... A breeze came by and rustled the leaves with some vigor...
It was the sound of heavy rain pattering against grass, stone, and water. He stood on the bank of a river that ran between him and the giant door, lapping hungrily at the base of a stone wall that curved to either side.
He pulled back on the sling a little too forcefully. The handle slipped out of his grasp, swung up and smacked him in the mouth. He cried out in pain and cupped it. When he pulled his hands away, a string of blood-filled saliva came away with it. The shock of the pain caused his vision to dim...
Torches flickered on either side of the door. The rain caused them to hiss and spit in defiance of its efforts to put them out. Link felt he could use some of that defiance for there was something about that door that made him uneasy. He couldn't say why, but only that he was certain if that door were to open...
Chains clanked. Link's unease became a sharp pain of alarm when he saw the door falling toward him. Moments later, he realized the giant door was actually a drawbridge, thick chains tethered to both sides controlling its descent. Gradually, it settled onto his side of the river with a heavy thump. For a moment then, there was silence.
It didn't last long. From the dark opening left by the drawbridge, something white came into focus. It came with a clatter of heavy feet, a shrill animal scream, the chuffing of great lungs drawing and expelling air. He shielded his head as it bore down on him and then leaped over him, landing in a splash of water and mud, and hurried on. He turned quickly to see what it was before before the night swallowed it whole.
It was a white horse. Atop it straddled a tall, angular woman in dark leather with somber red eyes set into a face that looked as though it had been chiseled into a permanent grimace, and gray hair pulled into a tight bun. She held the reins in a tight grip and her gaze was firmly fixed ahead, looking neither right nor left. She may not have even seen him as they'd passed. Curled beneath her like a chick under its mother's wing was a girl about his age. She locked gazes with him, her eyes a startling blue. From beneath a cap and train he glimpsed strands of hair that glittered like gold when it passed briefly beneath the narrow circle of torchlight. She reached out to him and called something, but he couldn't hear her over the deafening rain. He knew it was urgent, but what did she want from him? Was it a plea? A warning?
The horse gradually faded as the night closed over it. Link stood there in confusion, unsure what to do. He felt an urge in his chest like a dam about to burst. What was this feeling? Should he have done something to help the girl? Was she being kidnapped? Or was it something else like a warning of an approaching danger?
Then he felt it. An icy finger tracing his spine, a fist clenching around his heart, sending it beating in fits, and another around his throat, choking him. There was something... something behind him! His body shifted unbidden, turning him slowly, inexorably... He was afraid of what he would find behind him, dreaded what awaited him, yet he couldn't fight the will that compelled him to turn. Gradually he turned full circle and found himself gazing into the dark entrance beyond the drawbridge.
He gave a silent cry. Two pairs of eyes gleamed from the blackness: one that blazed like red fire with bestial hate, and the other, yellow like a predator's, which was cold as frost and very intelligent. These eyes belonged to something altogether more dangerous.
A hand extended from the blackness, its fingers curled as though to grasp something. A spark of light burst to life in the palm, lighting up the silhouettes of the two which stared so hatefully at him: a coal-black horse and a man astride it, both garbed in armor. The spark fizzed and crackled with furious energy.
With sudden clarity, Link remembered what was coming. He tried vainly to break free of this vision, but his eyelids felt heavy. He tried to raise his arms, lift his feet, move himself, but it was like he was wearing a tin suit. And all the while, the spark in the palm grew bigger, its crackling strands becoming more vicious as it grew.
Very faintly he could feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun on his skin. He tried to focus on these sensations of the real world to draw him out from this nightmare but the panic that churned in his stomach was an anchor that kept him firmly tethered. What he needed was a shock, a sharp jolt to yank him out... and then it hit him. He had to pinch himself.
The crackling spark in the hooked palm had grown to its full size and now it jumped forward. Strands of electricity lashed at the air as the ball hurtled toward him. He swung his arm through air that felt as thick as mud to reach the exposed skin on his other arm. His heart drummed against his chest. He had to pinch himself before the spark reached him!
It took a great deal of effort like pushing a boulder. His arm shook and ached with exertion as his fingers drew nearer to his skin. The spark, meanwhile, was approaching with frightening speed, halving the distance between them in less than a second. At this rate, it would get him before he could escape the nightmare! But he had no time to despair. He pushed himself harder. The pain of exertion became almost unbearable but the panic drove him on.
His fingers touched skin. The spark was nearly upon him when he took a fold of skin and squeezed hard.
The nightmare broke with a sudden rush of sound and color. He was facedown in the grass, his heavy breathing bowing it low. He could feel cold sweat on his forehead, his heart still beating rapidly, and he could hear the echoes of his scream in his ear...
He raised his head. No, those weren't echoes. They were actual screams coming from the village. He leaped to his feet, snatching up his slingshot as he did, and hurried to see what all the commotion was about.
The screams came from fairies-hundreds of them who buzzed through the air like a swarm of blue bees. Link had never seen so many at once. None of the Kokiri had, for the fairies usually spent their time in the boughs of the Great Deku Tree. They chattered in high, keening voices that at this magnitude was like the sharp pain of a toothache and as such it was no use trying to figure out what they were saying. Many of the Kokiri had their hands over their ears while fairies buzzed around their heads, obviously distressed and trying to get them to listen.
Then the buzzing and keening began to die down rapidly. Rising in their place were fluty notes-a whirling sort of tune that took your breath away. Link recognized the notes, and he quickly spotted the player: a girl with green hair and an ocarina to her lips walking amidst the swarm of blue balls of light, Saria. Anai hovered above her shoulder, looking bemused. It wasn't long before every fairy had gone silent and turned their attention to her. She finished the song with a flurry of notes and then placed her hands on her hips. Link joined her side as she spoke, "All right now, tell me what it is you are all babbling about."
Hundreds of voices piped up at once but were quickly silenced when Saria's fist shot up and she glared at them all. "One at a time!" she commanded. "We can't understand you when you're all talking at once. You there!" She pointed to a fairy with long, yellow tresses. "Tell me what's going on."
"It's the Great Deku Tree!" the fairy cried at once. "He's gone crazy!"
The gathered Kokiri gasped. To speak of the Great Deku Tree was to be done with great care and reverence, and to say anything that demeaned their ancient guardian in any way was not done at all. The Great Deku Tree was nothing but kind and wise and it was blasphemy to say anything else of him. So it was that the Kokiri were shocked senseless by this, but Saria being one of the most level-headed in the village ignored the trespass and in fact asked, "What do you mean 'crazy'?"
Another fairy with a round face came forward, "He's become violent! Attacking anything that moves! Shouts curses at no one! He's... he's... terrifying!"
Saria, Anai, and Link exchanged glances. Anai said, "Wait a minute! Do you think this is what he meant when he said..."
"Be quiet!" Saria hissed. Seeing Link's curious expression, she said hastily "Uh, this sounds pretty serious. What do you think we should do, Link?"
He shrugged and answered, "We should probably go take a look for ourselves." That's right, they had to make sure that these fairies were telling the truth before everyone started panicking. It could be a prank or maybe even the fairies were misunderstanding the situation, and if that was the case, there wasn't anything to worry about.
Seemingly reassured by his stoic reply, Saria nodded. "All right. Good idea, Link. Let's... let's go see for ourselves."
Together, they started off. They were stopped short when a larger Kokiri unexpectedly scrambled in front of them. He drew himself up and thrust out his hand. "Hold it, you two! Where do you think you're going?"
"Out of the way, Mido," Saria said crossly.
He shook his head. "Now hold on a minute. You can't just... go visit the Great Deku Tree. That's not how it works. You have to do things the proper way... send your fairy to ask..." He glanced at his own fairy, Gerta, who sat on his shoulder with a bored expression on her pug-nosed face.
"Weren't you listening?" Saria snapped, "The Great Deku Tree is crazy-attacking anything that moves. You can't follow the 'proper way' with something like this. We need to take a look and see what we need to do."
"Okay, so why are you taking him?" said Mido, glaring at Link. Link glared back. "In fact, why go at all? Send him in. Let him go take a look and if the Great Deku Tree is crazy... not that I think he is, just saying, but just in case he is..."
"Oh, be quiet!" screamed Saria, and every Kokiri and fairy drew a breath in shock. "I know exactly what you're thinking, Mido, and let me just tell you that just because you're the biggest doesn't mean you can just push people around! You want Link to do the dangerous work because you're too much of a coward! Yes, I said it," she added when Mido's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "You're a coward and a bully! If you were really the leader of this village like you keep telling us you are, you'd be doing this yourself! But we're going to do it because we're not afraid to do something. So get out of our way, Mido!" With this, she stormed past him, brushing aside the hand he tried to put on her shoulder. He turned to Link, who gave him a shrug and then stepped around him. The bigger boy made no attempt to stop Link as he broke into a jog to catch up to Saria. He then turned to the other Kokiri and the hundreds of fairies staring at him.
"What are you looking at!" he barked, and for some reason, Gerta snickered.
...
Anai and Link looked at each other as they hurried after Saria. Both were puzzled by her outburst with Mido because she didn't usually lose her temper. In fact, Link could only remember a handful of times where she had actually shouted. It was true that Mido was a bully, but she had always said he wasn't as scary as he pretended to be, and she just laughed whenever Mido ever threatened someone, usually Link. She told him once, "He's really a coward. If he says he's going to punch you then just dare him to do it. Then you'll see." Link had never tried though, not because he didn't believe her but because he figured Mido was easier to deal with when he thought he had the upper hand. He was wondering now if he really should have showed Mido who was boss. Is that why Saria was so upset?
He didn't know the real reason because Saria didn't want him to know. She had a secret that she had been keeping for eight years-a secret fear that she had never told anyone, not even her fairy though Anai probably suspected. It had come when the Great Deku Tree had called her two days after she had first met Link.
"There will come a day," he had rumbled solemnly, "when the boy must leave these woods."
"But Link's done nothing wrong!" Saria had protested.
"My dear child, it is not a question of what he has done, but what destiny will have for him to do. It will call for him, and when it does, thou must allow him to answer its call."
"How will we know?" Anai had asked.
"I know not with a certainty what the signs will be, but I suspect it will come when I am no longer able to defend these woods."
"When I am no longer able to defend these woods." The words echoed in Saria's head. She had not dared to think what they meant at the time and she was scared to contemplate their meaning now. It certainly wouldn't have been an easy thought to make in any case, for if he had spoken truly then it meant there would come a day when she would lose what was most precious to her; namely, the carefree days spent with her friends Anai and Link. She couldn't imagine what she would do without that, and so she had put it out of her mind. Now here it was threatening the wonderful dream she had spun for herself. The Great Deku Tree had gone crazy... was this... No. No it couldn't be. She, Anai, and Link were going to get to the bottom of this and fix everything, and then everything would be all right again. She had to believe that. She had to.
As they drew closer to the grove where the Great Deku Tree was rooted, they could hear what sounded like a distant windstorm tearing at the trees. Creaks and wooden groans drifted to them, warning them of what they would find. And yet, when they did arrive, they were wholly unprepared for what greeted them.
The grove was alive with what appeared to be great slimy ropes emerging from the ground-the Great Deku Tree's giant roots thrashing about, cracking the air like whips with the force of thunder. Link watched one root as big around as him swaying uncertainly for a minute before it came crashing down, sending up a spray of dirt that showered them in hard, little clods. In the center of this chaos, they could see the Tree himself. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head, and his great booming voice roared at some invisible enemy, "Thou shalt not have this Stone whilst I live, thou foul and abominable son of Ganon! Take it from me at thy peril! I shalt not suffer the world to fall to thy hubris! Get thee gone from this place! Gaaah!" He suddenly bent over, and his roots tensed as if he was in a throe of great pain.
"What's happened to him?" Anai cried.
"Do not get any closer!" cried a voice and a fairy appeared before them, holding up her palms. "He is not in his right mind at the moment. He'll tear you apart."
They all recognized Navi, a fairy who often acted as the liaison between the Great Deku Tree and the Kokiri when he needed to pass on a message to them or in more infrequent cases speak to them directly. Anai asked her, "What's happening to him?"
Navi frowned in concern. "I... I don't know. He just attacked without warning, scattering us all before we even realized what was happening. Most of us were able to escape without serious injury, thank goodness."
"Could he be possessed?" Anai insisted.
"I can't imagine a spirit powerful enough to do so," Navi answered. "Whatever the case, I was on my way to seek the Great Fair... uh, help. It was fortunate I was here to stop you all." She pursed her lips in thought and then said, "Ah. Perfect. You three," she waved her finger at the three of them, "you will stay here and guard the grove, make sure no one is foolish enough to enter." Without waiting for them to reply, she took off and was soon gone.
Saria gave Link a curious look. "Did she say 'Great Fairy'?"