Chapter 1: The Boy Without a Fairy
The rain poured without mercy, thunder boomed like cannon fire, and lightning streaked across the black sky illuminating it bright light for an instant before return to darkness. The front gate to a magnificent castle slowly lowered and thudded on the ground. The sounds of horse hooves races across the cobblestone ground of the castle then across the oak drawbridge before finally reaching the soft grass. The beautiful, white horse continued to race off with two passengers on her back, one a young, strong lady with ivory hair done in a ponytail and lightly clad in armor with a sword at her side. Her gaze never stopped looking forward, hard and fiery, unflinching even against the storm overhead. As she held onto the reins of the horse she hugged the second passenger, a young girl not even a teenager yet, dressing in a pink and white dress. On her head she wore a matching headdress that covered over her golden hair, but not her pointed ears. On the front of it there was a golden emblem of three triangles. Unlike the other rider, instead of looking forward she stared towards a young boy who had been standing near the drawbridge. There was a powerful fear in her eyes that didn't need words to tell the boy to run.
The boy, no older than the girl was clad in a green tunic with a matching cap and sturdy brown boots watched the horse ride off, not budging an inch. He also had pointed ears on his head which a fairy, a creature visible only as a glowing ball and no bigger than a marble with wings fluttered around.
"What is going on?" asked the boy as they horse and her passengers vanished into the dark of night. "Who are they? Where am I? How did I get here?"
Those thoughts only remained on his mind for an instant as the sounds of another horse emerged from the castle. It rode out across the bridge, but this one stopped by the boy. In contrast to the first horse, this one was covered in black hair and on his back was a man covered over in heavy black armor. His skin was dark and his hair was fiery orange. On his forehead was an embedded orange jewel. He looked down at the boy with a dark grin on his face and held out his hand. A glowing ball of energy crackled in his hand and he took aim at the boy who could do no more than tremble in fear. The man laughed villainously and shortly and then for the boy everything faded into darkness after that.
"Navi?" called the Great Deku Tree. "Navi, where art though? Come hither."
A fairy fluttered down from the branches of a huge tree deep within the Kokiri Forest and down to the trunk of the tree where the bark was shaped in such a way it resembled an elderly man's face with finely shaped mustache beneath his nose.
"I am here, Great Deku Tree," she answered to the tree. "Is there something you need of me?"
"Listen carefully to my words," the tree answered, its mouth unmoving, but the words clear and powerful, but gentle at the same time. "Dost thou sense it? There is a change in the air; evil has descended onto the realm. Malevolent forces are already at work preparing to lay siege to the land of Hyrule. For ages, I have protected the forest from such threats, but even my power is not enough."
"This cannot be true," cried Navi. "But if it is, just what can we do against such a threat?"
"I have known this day would come," he continued. "It is time for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey."
"A boy without a fairy?" repeated Navi. "Are you speaking of one of the Kokiri? But I thought all Kokiri were gifted with a fairy. I have never heard of one that lacked a fairy."
"Indeed such a child does exist in the village," stated the Great Deku Tree. "It is his destiny to lead Hyrule down a path o justice and truth and I require you to find him and guide him to me. Hurry, for I do not have much time left."
"What do you mean by that?" she asked. "What is happening? Please, tell me."
"I shall explain more once you have brought the boy here. Now fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world depends upon thee!"
"I will!" exclaimed Navi as she turned to travel down the path to Kokiri Village. "I will bring the boy as fast as I can!" With all her might she flapped her wings to speed down the tunnel connecting the Great Deku tree to the village. She was barely able to fly steady in her haste, but managed enough to keep from crashing against the walls. At the other end of the tunnel she already spotted a Kokiri at the entrance, but fluttering around him already was a fairy. "He's not the one." She continued flying with all her might, flying right between his legs.
"What in the world is that fairy doing?" asked the Kokiri as he bent over to look between his legs to watch the fairy only to end up rolling over and end up on his back. He moaned a bit as he sat back up. "She's probably just playing pranks."
Navi continued into the village and searched all over, checking each Kokiri carefully for the one that the Great Deku Tree had requested, but each one she passed was accompanied by a fairy. "Where can that boy without a fairy be?" she asked. "I have to find him right away."
"You're looking for a Kokiri without a fairy?" asked a Kokiri girl.
"Yes," answered Navi flying over to her. "Do you know where he is?"
"Well, I have not seen him today, but if that is the case he is probably still in his home," she explained.
"And where is his home?" asked Navi.
"Right over there," she replied and pointed the way. "He lives in the one with the ladder."
"Thanks," said Navi as she flew off straight towards the house. She didn't slow down as she came upon a fence and aimed towards one of the gaps between the wooden boards. It was close, but she connected with the fence and bounced off it crashing to the ground moaning in a daze. "Perhaps I could be a tad less hasty." Fluttering her wings, she lifted up off the ground and carefully passed through the fence and over to the boy's tree home.
There was no door, just a curtain that allowed Navi to enter into the dwelling. The boy's home was quite small, a single room barely enough room for a single resident. The central table, bed, and shelves were all carved from the tree itself. In the bed, wrapped tight in a blanket, was a blond-haired Kokiri and no fairy in sight around him.
"This is the boy without a fairy that I have been searching for?" sighed Navi. "He's still asleep this late in the day and the Deku Tree wants to see him? Hey! Wake up!" Navi waited for a response, but the boy merely rolled around in bed and continued to sleep. Glowing red, Navi began flying wilding around him shouting and ramming into him. "Don't ignore me! Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?"
All of Navi's shouts finally forced the boy awake. Slowly he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I'm up," he yawned. "What is this about the fate of what now?"
"Finally, I got your attention," replied Navi in a calmer tone. "Now we don't have time for you to laze around."
"Sorry," he apologized. "I woke up in the middle of the night and it took me forever to get back to sleep."
"Was it a nightmare or something?" asked Navi curiously.
"I think so, but I can't really remember what it was about," he explained as he turned to look at Navi. As he did, his eyes widened and he slowly leaned closer to her only to lean too far out of bed and fall to the floor face first.
"Are you okay?" cried Navi fluttering down to the boy. "What was that about?"
"I remember," he answered. "In my nightmare, you were in it."
"I was, was I?" answered Navi not amused. "So, tell me, was it about me nagging in your ear constantly that the fate of the world was on your shoulders while you were goofing off?"
"What?" he asked. "No. You were there, but there was more I can't seem to recall. Strange, but to be honest, it feels like this was not the first time I had this dream."
"Well, for now that is going to have to wait," Navi told him. "You have been summoned to the Great Deku Tree. You should hurry and make yourself presentable before you go meet with him."
"A meeting with the Great Deku Tree," he repeated, her words no longer muffled from his sleepy state. He scrambled to his feet and hastily got to work, combing his hair and slipping on a fresh tunic, hat, and boots.
"So, we haven't yet had a chance to introduce ourselves," Navi commented as she waited for him. "My name is Navi. What is your name?"
"My name is Link," he answered as he fastened the belt on his tunic and stepped back towards Navi.
"You look much better now," Navi stated happily. "Now we must get going. We mustn't let the Deku Tree wait."
The two headed outside of Link's home. The sun glared down and Link shielded his eyes against the brightness. "Hiya!" called a Kokiri girl with green hair and blue eyes. "I saw a fairy fly into your home and thought that your partner fairy had finally come to you."
"Hi, Saria," replied Link as he climbed down his ladder to greet her. "Yeah, this is my fairy, Navi."
"What a cute name," commented Saria. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Navi."
"Nice to meet you too," she answered. "No. Wait a minute. I'm not Link's fairy. I was just ordered to bring him to the Great Deku Tree. I would not want to be partnered with a lazy boy who likes to sleep the day away."
"He is pretty lazy," chuckled Saria. "But I'm sure you'll break him of that habit."
"You know, I'm standing right here," sighed Link. "Can we get going to the Great Deku Tree now?"
"Make sure you are on your best behavior," instructed Saria as she gently adjusted his tunic a little and combed his hair with her nails. "It is a great honor to be summoned by the Great Deku Tree so be on your best behavior." She then licked her thumb to wipe a smudge off his cheek.
"Saria, that's embarrassing," Link replied while blushing.
"Well that should do," said Saria. "Good luck with the Great Deku Tree."
"Thanks," replied Link as he and Navi raced off.
Link ran through the village as fast as he could, Navi fluttering right behind him. As they came to the river flowing through the middle of the village Link leapt from rock to rock to cross the other side and reach the entrance to the tunnel to the Deku Tree's Domain.
"Not much further," Link stated only to suddenly be grabbed and pinned to the ground by a Kokiri boy that had been standing by the entrance to the tunnel.
"Hey!" shouted Navi. "What's the big idea? Let Link go."
"Nobody is allowed to see the Great Deku Tree without permission," he explained. "Least of all a no-fairy runt like Link."
"Hi, Mido," groaned Link. "As charming as ever I see."
"That's the Great Mido to you," he corrected as he let Link go.
"Listen you, Great Moron or whatever you name is," shouted Navi. "Link has permission. He was summoned by the Great Deku Tree himself and it would not be wise to hold us up. And he does have a fairy. Me! Well, for right now anyway."
"Hey, I recognize you," Mido commented. "You knocked me over earlier. I should have known you were friends with the runt."
"I did no such thing," argued Navi. "Now hurry and take it back. The Great Deku Tree must be growing impatient and so am I."
"Navi," whispered Link. "Mido's got a brain the size of a Deku Nut. We won't get anywhere trying to argue with him. Just apologize so he'll leave us alone."
"He doesn't deserve one, but if he's going to stand in our way otherwise then I don't have much of a choice," she admitted. Flying over to Mido she was quiet for a moment then spoke. "I'm sorry I knocked you down."
"Alright then," he replied. "I forgive you, but you still can't pass."
"Why not?!?" shouted Navi glowing red with frustration.
"I see Link made sure to dress his best, but if the Great Deku Tree wants to see you he obviously must have a task for you. I can't count the number of times he requested me with some important task like slay a wicked monster. I doubt he'd call you for something like that. Probably just needs a pruning or something, but whatever it is you cannot just go there dressed proper. You need the proper gear as well. If you don't have a sword and a shield then I won't let you through."
"I suppose that is true," commented Navi. "I was in such a rush I didn't even consider making sure you were prepared, Link."
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," said Link. "But where are we supposed to get a sword and shield?"
"As usual, the Great Mido knows all," he bragged. "The shop in town sells shields for forty Rupees. Do you even have that much money?"
"How much do you have?" asked Navi.
"I should have enough," answered Link sadly as he took out his wallet. "I didn't intend to use my savings on a shield, but if it's for the Great Deku Tree then what choice do I have." Carefully, Link counted each Rupee by value, green worth one, blue worth five, and red worth twenty. "And one more blue makes forty-four. I have just barely more than enough."
"Let me see that," shouted Mido as he snatched Link's money away to count for himself. His expression looked much less than amused when his count matched Link's. With a thwarted look on his face, he handed Link back his Rupees.
"Well, we have enough for the shield, but how much is a sword going to cost?" asked Navi.
"There aren't any swords in the store, but we have one in our hidden storage," explained Mido. "If you can get them both then I'll accept you are ready to see the Great Deku Tree."
"Come on, Link," said Navi. "Sounds like getting a sword and a shield won't be any trouble at all."
"Yeah," agreed Link with a nod. "The shop is just over there so let's get the shield first."
Mido watched as they ran off a smirk appearing on his face. "It might not be as easy as you think," he snickered as he looked at the blue Rupee he still had in his hand. "Not if I can help it. I won't let some runt see the Great Deku Tree. If he needs anything done then he should know the Great Mido is the one he should call for."
"Welcome to the Kokiri Ship," the shopkeeper greeted as Link approached the counter. The shopkeeper was a Kokiri like all the others, but by far the shortest. He had to continually hop to see Link standing on the other side of the counter. "What can I get for you today? In need of any Deku Nuts? I got a fresh supply earlier today."
"Maybe next time," answered Link. "But today I need to purchase a shield."
"Well, you are in luck," he told Link. "I just happened to have one left in stock. It is easily one of the highest quality Deku Shields I have ever come into possession. This one should go for no less than eighty Rupees."
"Eighty!" cried Navi. "We were told it was only forty."
"Well normally yes," he explained. "But this is the only one I have and it isn't like shields grow on trees."
"Uh, Deku Shields are made of bark so yes they do," Link pointed out.
"I really got to learn to not say that while haggling," the shopkeeper sighed. "Ok, regular price, forty Rupees."
"Here you go," said Link as he emptied his wallet and watched the shopkeeper count.
"Wait a minute," the shopkeeper stated as he quickly recounted. "You only have thirty-nine Rupees here. You are one short."
"Impossible," Link replied as he began counting. "I even had Rupees to spare." As he finished counting he discovered he was short on money. "I'm missing a blue Rupee. Did I drop it somewhere?" Frantically, Link began to search his wallet and the floor around him, but he couldn't find it. "I need to get another Rupee real fast so don't sell that shield in the meantime."
"It's against my policy to hold items," he explained. "If someone comes in wanting it I can't refuse to sell it, but I wouldn't worry. Nobody else has looked interested in buying it."
"Oh, you have a shield for sale," said Mido from the entrance of the shop. "I need one and I just happen to have forty Rupees with me."
"Mido, why are you here?" asked Link.
"I just said I was buying a shield didn't I?" he answered.
"But you were the one who told me to get a shield in here so I could see the Great Deku Tree. You can't buy it or I won't be able to go see him."
"Guess you are just out of luck then runt," he chuckled. "A shame you don't have enough to buy it."
"How did you know that?" asked Navi.
"It's obvious by the look on Link's face," he pointed out.
"You know as well as we did that Link had plenty of money earlier, but now he strangely short," Navi explained. "That is not simply random misfortune."
"Then what are you implying?" asked Mido.
"That you stole Link's money when you were counting it," declared Navi.
"Oh, really now?" replied Mido. "So I'm a thief. Does anyone else here believe that? How about you Link? Do you think I stole from you? If you think I did then why not fight me for it?"
As Mido stood over him, Link shyly looked away and remained silent. "Link, don't let him push you around," cried Navi. "You have to stand up to him."
"Link is runt," laughed Mido. "He's too much of a coward to stand up to the Great Mido, but if he can find the courage to strike me I'll apologize for all the mean things I've ever done to him and give him the supposed money I stole. Come on now, right here." Mido leaned over so the side of his face was within striking range of Link, but Link still didn't respond.
"Link, why aren't you doing anything?" asked Navi.
"He doesn't have any courage is why," answered Mido. "He's been afraid of me for as long as I can remember."
"Because you were always such a horrible bully to him and Link is kind," said someone from behind Mido. "He doesn't want to fight you over something as dumb as a few Rupees."
"And who said you could butt into our business," Mido questioned as he turned to see who it was, but froze when he saw it was Saria. He turned bright red and quickly lost his swagger. "Hi, Saria. This isn't what it looks like."
"Then I can assume you were here to give Link the Rupee he dropped on his way here," stated Saria glaring down at Mido like an angry God ready to smite him.
"Yeah," stuttered Mido as he handed Link a blue Rupee and hurried away. Once he was out of sight he grumbled under his breath. "Oh, why is he Saria's favorite, that runt? Well, even if he gets that shield I'll never let he get the sword." He stormed his way to the hidden storage.
"Thank you, Saria," said Link as he paid and got the shield. He admired the engraved insignia on it before placing it on his back. "I should have stood up to Mido, but he's right. I don't have any courage. How can I see the Great Deku Tree when I'm such a coward?"
"You are not a coward," stated Saria. "You are the most courageous person I know. Rather than sinking to Mido's level and fighting him you have the courage not to fight and that makes a hundred times stronger than Mido."
"Saria does have a point," agreed Navi. "Though it doesn't mean the Great Moron didn't deserve a good punch. Anyway, all we need now is a sword and then we'll be all set."
"I guess you are going to get the Kokiri Sword then," commented Saria. "You better be careful then. Mido never knows when to quit."
Link led Navi back across the river to the other end of the village, running up a hill and hopping some fences. "Are we almost there?" asked Navi. "I was hoping to be at the Great Deku Tree by now. I hope he isn't too upset."
"We're almost there," replied Link pushing some grass aside and revealing a small hole in the inside a cliff at the edge of the village. "It is just through here."
Getting onto the ground, Link began to crawl through the hole. Navi slipped into his cap as he made his way through. "I heard stories about the Kokiri sword, but I never thought it was hidden here."
"What is so special about this sword?" asked Navi.
"Well, the Kokiri normally live in peace with only Mido causing trouble. As such we don't really need to defend ourselves, but when there is trouble this sword is used to protect us from whatever monsters are threatening us. I'm not sure if I'll get to use it, but I've always wanted to see it."
Link began to head into the storage, but stopped abruptly as a boulder rolled over where he was almost about to step. As it passed another boulder soon rolled past. "Why do you have boulders rolling around over here?" cried Navi.
"It was an old security system we had," explained Link. "But I didn't think it was still in use."
"I took care of that," stated Mido standing at Link's blind spot. "After all, we wouldn't want thieves to steal any of our treasures."
"But then how do you expect Link to be able to get the sword?" asked Navi.
"A courageous person could easily get through this no problem," stated Mido.
"Guess you've got no choice Link," sighed Navi. "You're just going to have to get through it." Link didn't respond and when Navi turned to look he wasn't there. "Link? Where did you go?"
"Looks like I scared him off faster than I thought," said Mido.
"Why are trying to get in our way of meeting the Great Deku Tree?" snapped Navi.
"I have no reason to tell you," retorted Mido. "And if the Great Deku Tree had any tasks to be done he should have just asked for the Great Mido in the first place and not the runt and this proves it since he failed to get the sword and ran off scared."
"I got the sword," stated Link as he walked between the boulders until he was able to slip through back to where Mido and Navi were.
"But how?" cried Mido. "How did you get to it so easily?"
"The boulders weren't rolling that fast," commented Link. "I just had to patiently walk behind them." Drawing the sword, he gave it a few swings to show Navi. "What do you think, Navi?"
"Great job, Link," Navi answered. "Looks like we're all set to see the Great Deku Tree. But let's hurry before the Great Moron recovers from the shock and delays us any further."
"Good idea," snickered Link as he slipped back through the hole.
Shortly after, Mido crawled through the hole too in time to see Link dash off back to the Great Deku Tree's Domain. "I guess I should have thought that through a bit more," sighed Mido.
"Well I hope that convinced you that Link is strong enough to help the Great Deku Tree no matter what task he has for him," said Saria.
"You were watching all of that?" gulped Mido nervously.
"I know you always picked on Link, but I that wasn't the case this time, was it Mido?" questioned Saria.
"I don't know what you are talking about," he replied averting his eyes.
"You aren't a very good liar," she commented. "And we both saw that man dressed in back approach the Great Deku Tree a short while ago."
"I didn't know you saw him too," stated Mido, his body shaking nervously.
"Yes I did," she replied. "And just like you I think that the Great Deku Tree has called for Link because of that frightful man. And if that is the case, then Link might be in more danger than he realizes."
"And he's just a runt," cried Mido. "Doesn't the Great Deku Tree know that he isn't strong enough? He should have just asked me to help."
"I think this is something that only Link can do," Saria explained. "If the Great Deku Tree thinks that Link is the one who can help then you will just have to trust in the wisdom of the Great Deku Tree and believe in Link."
