Chapter 35

Saria informed the Great Deku Tree, "We're all here, as you requested, Father."

Every kokiri stood before the man. He took notice of the worry and sadness they couldn't help but express at this somber time.

He announced, "Dearest children, as you may already know, the curse on me has verily been broken, but my death is only delayed. Ganondorf shall return with his minions, and it is likely they shall threaten your lives in hopes of forcing me to surrender the Spiritual Stone of Courage. They may threaten to burn the forest, your home trees included, and as you are, you wouldn't survive. I have summoned you here to avoid such a catastrophe. I shall change things so your child bodies shall be your true bodies, and you tree bodies shall be as nothing. Be wary: this means if your child body dies even once it will mean true death, like all other living things. Once the switch has been made, you must hide yourselves in the depths of the Lost Woods and never reveal yourselves until the True Hero appears and makes our forest safe again. Are you ready?"

Mido crossed his arms. "No. I'm not ready."

Soldo explained, "If you'll allow, sir, Mido and I would prefer to defend you with as many lives as are left in us."

"Same here," Misol spoke for the Know-It-All Brothers.

The Great Deku Tree simply shook his head. "You do not understand. Queen Gohma was a high-level commander. With her defeat, it is likely Ganondorf himself shall return to properly ensure my defeat. You must not be here if that happens. I will never allow it!"

"I'll kill Ganondorf myself!" Mido declared. "I refuse to abandon you, whether I have many lives or one!"

A cold wind drove shadows of clouds across the meadow. The Great Deku Tree's branches shivered as it passed through.

"A dwindling length of time remains," the Great Deku Tree warned. "Something dark and powerful is coming at this very moment. You all must be transformed. I shall make you in the likeness of plants so surviving in the woods will be easier."

The Great Deku Tree laid a hand on Saria's forehead. Her skin changed to become like smooth bark, and her already green hair came alive and thickened like onion sprigs or long fine moss. Her clothing changed from something apart to being a fabric of leaves growing out of her very person. Her breathing suddenly became very noticeable to her and she felt her pulse.

One kokiri after another received the same treatment. Even the Know-It-All Brothers reluctantly submitted.

Only Link, Mido, and Soldo remained.

The Great Deku Tree passed Link by.

Link asked, "Aren't you going to change me?"

The man simply said, "No. The image of a Hylian shall serve you well where you are to go. You still have the Emerald, yes?"

Link tilted his head in an oblivious manner. "What's an emerald?"

The Great Deku Tree chuckled. "If I couldn't sense it on you..."

Dark clouds swept across the sky, blocking out the sun's warm light.

The Great Deku Tree stood before Mido and Soldo. The two boys backed away defiantly.

"Boys... My sons... This may truly be my final request," the Great Deku Tree stated. "Will you obey it?"

The two boys dropped their hands glumly and lowered their heads. The Great Deku Tree transformed them. Soldo picked at some bark and winced. Mido wept openly.

Stepping back, the Great Deku Tree gazed upon all his children one last time.

"I love you all deeply... but now you must leave me," he commanded. "Hide, and survive!"

Remi stepped forward, hugged her father, and left.

The other kokiri followed suit.

Only Soldo, Mido, Navi, and Link remained.

The Great Deku Tree considered Soldo.

"Soldo," he said. "Up to this day, your task was to protect me, and you have done so with great dedication and honor. Now I give you a new task. Soldo: protect your sisters and your brothers. This is the final command of the Great Deku Tree."

Soldo shook, wiped tears from his face, bowed with deepest respect, and left to find his siblings.

Mido fought back tears furiously, though many had already been shed. "Don't send me away!" he demanded. "I won't go!"

The man gazed up into the darkened sky.

"Then you shall witness my end."

A violent wind tore through the meadow, sending leaves hurrying across the ground.

From above, a man's voice said, "So you are the Protector of the Forest, Guardian of the Spiritual Stone of Courage, the Great Deku Tree! How wonderful that we finally meet!"

All looked upon the owner of the voice.

A tall thin man descended from the sky, black robes flailing about him as the wind carried him. A red eye shone beneath his hood.

"His aura is familiar," Navi whispered. "Could he be the Tree of Evil reborn?"

Mido was stiff, his mouth clamped shut.

"The Tree of Evil?" the stranger himself repeated, studying the rings on his fingers. "No, I am not that creature. My name is one long forgotten, and I don't mind the lack of attention. Attention always brought me trouble."

The stranger pulled back his hood. His skin was extremely pale, and his long straight white hair was parted to cover his right eye. His left eye was a sharp red.

The wizard casually explained, "When a demon queen came whimpering into my castle to lick her wounds, she complained of a fairy and a few infants who managed to beat her away from her prey. After further... coaxing, she informed me that this prey was a proclaimed protector of the forest, and he guarded no ordinary artifact. I was intrigued, so I came to see this Spiritual Stone for myself. Where is it? Is it here? May I have it?"

Mido finally spat, "You're out of your mind if you think we'll give it to you!"

The stranger laughed. "I must've forgotten that I'm not at my castle anymore! There, everyone knows better than to deny me anything I ask! But since I'm here..."

All too serious now, the stranger raised a hand towards the Great Deku Tree's true body. "Give me the Spiritual Stone, or I will kill the Great Deku Tree."

Navi created a spiritual barrier, saying, "You do not have the authority to murder the Great Deku Tree!"

"Don't I?" the man challenged. "You'll find that I did not come unprepared for a fight!"

Not lowering his extended hand, the wizard made eye contact with the Great Deku Tree's human form. "You tormented your own children, didn't you? You ordered them to kill each other, scarring more than one of their young minds!"

"He did not!" Mido declared. "That was- That- was-!"

The wizard's red eye bored into his soul.

Mido worked his mouth as though it wouldn't obey. Finally, he managed, "It was my decision!" Tears streamed anew. "My choice! Not his! And he never approved of it, either! Never!"

Mido prepared himself to be struck down.

The man simply shrugged. "Well then. I guess I had that bit wrong."

Navi accused, "Just like Queen Gohma and the Tree of Evil, you have no real interest in justice, do you?! Get out of here! Leave and don't come back! By the authority given to me by the Great Fairy of the Forest!"

The stranger just laughed. "Even if I don't care about justice, that doesn't keep me from wielding the full weight of it! Now what did that demon tell me about the Great Deku Tree's past with the Gerudo people...?"

Snapping his fingers, he remembered, "Oh, yes. You left them in the desert to die, didn't you? Every last one of them!"

The Great Deku Tree bit his lip, his eyes low and defensive.

Link defended him, saying, "Only because the Gerudo people are evil! They're thieves and murderers! Leaving them in the desert was probably just punishment, and you can't punish someone for justly punishing someone else!"

The wizard smirked again. "But was it really oh so just? He didn't even offer to accept their children! What sin had the children committed?"

The Great Deku Tree reasoned, "The children hold well the evil teachings of their parents. And besides: their parents would never have accepted such an offer."

The man persisted, "But you didn't even offer, did you?"

The Great Deku Tree groaned. "No, I did not. But even so, the choice was not mine to make. The edict was given by the King of Hyrule, and he holds greater authority than I. I could not have gone behind his back and placed the country in jeopardy. And I could not allow my own children to live alongside such villainous people."

The stranger pouted, "I see you've prepared yourself well. Perhaps this was a waste of time."

The man leaped into the air and and the wind carried him away.