Chapter 36
Dark clouds still swirled in the sky.
"It's not over yet," the Great Deku Tree said.
Now that the mysterious wizard was gone, Link ventured, "Great Deku Tree? Why didn't you allow at least the children to stay? I know it was the king's command, but shouldn't you have disobeyed if his command was unjust? You said the parents were evil, but there was still hope for the kids, wasn't there?"
Before the Great Deku Tree could answer, the wizard reappeared.
"Aha!" he declared triumphantly. "Just like an innocent child to properly question authority!"
The stranger broke through Navi's barrier, lifted the Great Deku Tree's human form up off of the ground and disintegrated him.
Mido leaped up and stabbed the stranger's chest through. The man simply plucked the knife out and tossed it away.
Floating up out of the children's reach, the evil man offered one last time, "Tell me where the Spiritual Stone is, and I'll spare this tree, your father's true form!"
Link couldn't speak, couldn't think.
"We don't even know where it is!" Mido lied.
"Don't know?" the man repeated.
"Hmmm... Then perhaps only the tree knows... That would mean I've been threatening the wrong person."
The stranger snatched Mido into the air and held him by his wooden neck.
"Great Deku Tree!" the stranger shouted to the Great Deku Tree's true body. "Your boy here confessed to murdering his own siblings! Tell me where the Spiritual Stone is and I'll spare him!"
The giant tree spoke in a deep rumbling voice.
"I take Mido's guilt... upon myself."
The man scowled with irritation.
"If that's the way you want it: to stone with you!"
Dropping Mido, the sorcerer threw a mass of black energy at the tree's face. It impacted his nose with a wave of cold sharp energy, shivering every branch on the Great Deku Tree's head, causing a massive shower of deku nuts to flash all around.
As the Great Deku Tree's every inch of bark, every branch and leaf turned grey and stiff, he managed to speak, "Good...bye..."
Then he moved no more.
Navi fell to the ground. "Goodbye... Great Deku Tree."
The wizard spat, "Well that took longer than I thought! FINALLY!" He flew up into the lifeless branches and began searching for the Emerald.
Standing up, Mido stumbled backwards.
"The Great Deku Tree... Is he... dead?"
Mido snarled.
"Link! What did you do?!" he screamed. "You- You helped him to do it! You gave that jerk moral standing! How could you do a thing like that?! It's all your fault!"
Link stood motionless, wordless, and Mido ran past him out of sight.
Navi hovered next to the trembling boy, trying not to watch the wizard's plundering.
"Let's go, Link."
Link looked at her, deep guilt in his eyes. He barely nodded, turned, and ran of the Great Deku Tree's Meadow.
Navi stopped, turned and lingered a second longer, gazing upon the dry visage of her ancient friend.
Tiny tears fell.
"Goodbye."
Link and Navi were crossing the rope bridge that spanned the deep ravine. Once they reached the other side, they would be outside the forest.
Teeth gritting in frustration, Link kept running.
Navi didn't ask him to slow down, but simply kept pace.
They passed something on that long bridge. Neither Navi nor Link noticed until they were just beyond, and it spoke in a familiar voice, "Oh, you're leaving..."
Link halted. He slowly turned around.
It was Saria.
He hadn't recognized her. The bark-like skin, and the leafy hair and clothing really did camouflage her well. The Great Deku Tree's last gift to her had not been in vain.
Link walked back to her.
"Yes," he answered, eyes still red. "I'm leaving."
Saria gripped one of the rope supports with both hands. "I knew... that you would leave the forest... someday, Link..."
Link frowned deeply. "...How?"
Saria glanced into the ravine. "Because you are different from us."
"Yes," Link admitted cleanly. "I am different."
"But that's okay!" Saria amended. "Because we'll still be friends! We'll always be friends! ...won't we?"
Link softly nodded.
Coming to a decision, Saria held something out-
"I want you to have my ocarina."
Link was puzzled. "But I already have one."
Saria shook her head. "I want you to have mine. As a memento. Please take good care of it!"
Link quirked an eyebrow. "But then you won't have an ocarina. And I'd have two."
They chuckled delicately.
Link came to a decision.
He accepted Saria's ocarina... and placed his own ocarina into her hands.
Saria smiled sadly and held Link's instrument to her heart. "Thank you, Link."
Link smiled dimly. "Thank you, Saria. For- For everything."
He turned to leave.
Saria added, "When you play my ocarina, I hope you will think of me. ...and come back to visit the forest!"
Link stiffened at the suggestion. His heart began to pound.
"I- I don't... want to..." he uttered.
Saria's heart dropped. "Wh-wh-" she stumbled. "Why not?"
Link tried to keep his fists from clenching. "There's just... too much- too many-"
Link looked Saria in the eyes and said, "Saria, please... be safe."
He backed away one step, then another, then turned and ran out from the forest.
Saria stood staring at the point where he had left her sight for a long time afterwards.