Chapter 7: You Don't Raise Heroes, You Raise Sons
Living wood did not catch flame easily, and Link needed the light. Though as difficult as this made his task, Link took some small comfort in knowing he was not yet too late. He sat with one of the timbers he created cutting away the rot across his lap. His steel and flintstone in hand.
"This isn't working," he said after the hundredth spark failed to light the wood.
"More reason to leave," Navi said. She rested on the ground, tending to her wing.
"I can't do that!" He tossed the wood across the room, it landed in a pile of the dried-out growths.
Navi stepped to his arm, she felt warm as she touched his hand. "He'll understand. We tried."
Link pulled his hand away, sending Navi fluttering aside as he stomped off. How could she even suggest leaving? Didn't she care? He paced around the room with his hands behind his head. If the fires didn't work, he'd need a different plan. What could he do. Maybe if Saria was here, she could think of something.
He found himself standing over the stick now covered in the rotten pus and dried grime.
"It's not that I don't wish to help," Navi said to his back. "But we have to think what the Great Deku Tree would want."
As she prattled on about father's intentions, and safety, Link picked up the stick. The rot clung to it, anchoring the wood to the ground. As he pulled, the deep purple filth stretched out like clasping arms holding it down before it snapped, releasing a spurt of foul-smelling dust.
The rot was dead, wasn't it? The sludge stuck to his fingers, he rubbed at it with his thumb, but that only spread it about.
It couldn't hurt to try.
Link angled his flint over the stick close enough they almost touched. One strike, a spark.
The rot burst into flames.
"Link!"
The fire spread out from the wood and caught the ichor still clinging to his fingers. He shouted and waved his hand, but he could not shake the burning grime off. The flame did not die until it devoured the grease the fueled it, leaving Link's hand with deep red blisters.
A rush of wind and blue light. Navi landed on his flailing arm. "Hold still!" Her magic flooded into his arm. The pain died first, then the blisters grew before they spread out and pressed back into his skin. Leaving only a red welt around his hand.
"Can you move your fingers? Does it hurt?"
"I'm fine," he made a fist. "Thank you, that was-"
"That's it! We are leaving young man. No more arguing – why are you smiling?"
"Because," he looked to the flame still dancing on the stick even though the rot and grime had burned away, "it's going to work."
It took more time than Link wanted to find the right amount. A flash of light wouldn't do him any good, he needed the flame to spread to the wood where it would burn slower for longer. Creating rings of the sludge around the tip of the makeshift torches worked best. One ring would burst and light the next then the next until the wood itself took up the fire. Creating enough light for Link to see and giving him enough time to get close to the monster and win.
Hopefully.
If he won.
He'd win.
He had to win.
"I can't believe I agreed to this," Navi hissed.
"It's a good plan," Link whispered back, as he picked up the four staves he meant to burn and headed to the tunnel. "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."
They stopped talking as Link squeezed into the hole. No more time to argue. He moved slow angling the stakes carefully so the rot wouldn't rub off against the walls or spread to his clothes. Hard to do when he had to carry his slingshot in his hand with them. But he managed, only stopping once he reached the end of the tunnel.
Taking a deep breath, he poked his head out. He could see nothing 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.
Link shoved the sharpened ends of the wood into the damp ground. Stopping after each one to make certain the clittering from the ceiling did not change. When he placed the last of them, he took out his flint and struck it against his sword.
A spark landed on the wood. The staff flared, flashing with each of the rings 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 time 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. In his dreams he saw spears and swords thrust toward him. In the countless battles he envisioned he plotted how he'd move to avoid a hit. Now his body acted just as he always hoped. A step back and to the side saw the pincer miss him.
One of the monster's legs came for him next. He lifted his shield to meet the leg 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 its mandibles chattered. Another leg slammed down at 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. The monster squirmed above him trying to get its many legs above Link, striking with every one of them.
All while Link sliced whatever he could reach. This is working! I'm doing it!
The beast spun back away from him, its legs swung about, forcing Link to jump away. He managed to land on his feet and keep balance. But the monster scuttled away. As it moved, one of the torches cracked and fell into the muck. It burst into a puff of fire before the liquid smothered it.
"No," 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 creature's limbs rattled against themselves as it skittered through the darkness. Its jaws clicked and its pincers snapped.
Link tried to point his sword in the direction the sounds came from. But they reverberated around the cavern. Every new crackle from its carapace sent his blade pointed in a new direction.
It could attack him from anywhere. What if it got him now? Who would save father? His grip on his sword slipped from the sweat on his palms.
A massive shape dived from the dark. But it wasn't aimed at Link. Beneath its 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 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.
He still had two lights, no need to panic. 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 muck gleamed. The stone in the ceiling must have fallen.
Behind him the monster screeched.
Link's feet slipped in the sludge as he whirled 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. He rubbed his palm on his shirt, it didn't help.
"Link, I think it's time we fall back. You're so brave, but your 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.
"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. Its fangs just over his head. Just below its bulbous red eye.
"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. 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. Its legs fell out from 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 wasn't useless.
"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. He tried to rise, but the strength had left his limbs and he fell back onto the ground with a wet slurp. "Did we save him?"
"I hope so, but you need to get the Emerald."
"The green thing, the monster was looking for?" Link looked over to where it had fallen. He could barely make out the little rock from Navi's dim light. "Yes," he said and took several deep breaths to steady himself. His heart raced faster than it had the entire fight. "Yes, 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 with it."
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 panting, 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. His 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."
"My dear son. Thou art safe, that is enough." Still so slow, so weak.
"You do feel better, don't you?"
"Great Deku Tree," Navi whispered. "The creature was after the Emerald."
"No," Link said. "Don't ignore me. If you're not feeling better – if there's more inside you I can clean it up. I know how to do it."
"My own brave son. There is naught more thou canst do for me. My time hath cometh."
"No!" Link stomped his foot and clenched his hands. "No, I won. I saved you." But with a crack, one of the Great Deku Tree's branches fell and shattered upon the ground. "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. "Everything is going to be-"
"No, it's not! Don't say that! I failed!"
"Thou didst everything I could ask of thee and more. I erred, not thee. I fear I was too far gone ere thee stepped within me. I could not feel mine own roots, nor taste the sweet life coming from Farore's earth. I should never have placed false hope in thee. All these years and I am still a fool."
"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 thee, and in them my spirit. With what words remain to me, I must tell thee where thou hast come. My 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, that is not thy past. 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 stomach churned, and his chest felt tight. He was a Hylian? How could he be one of the monsters outside the forest?
"No!" And for a moment, the Great Deku Trees voice sounded as strong and firm as it always had, but by the next words that strength disappeared. "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 knowest 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 thy realization came. To watch thee when thou decidest what to make of thy life. But now I see that shall not come to pass."
The tree fell silent, Link buried his head among the bark and let his tears flow. It wasn't fair.
"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.