Beginning of the End

I'm sure you know the tale of how my partner, Link, set off on his adventure to awaken the Sages and save all of Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf. But do you know about the events that lead to Link setting off on his quest? I do. I was there when it happened.

It was very dark that night. Only the light of the full moon that shone through the leaves of the Great Deku Tree lit up the meadow. The other faries and I were fast asleep until we felt the presence of a great evil. All of the faries hid within the foliage of the Deku Tree's branches. I perched myself onto a branch and watched the horrors that would fill the Kokiri Forest. A tall, dark man rode his horse into the meadow as if it were his own. He wore frightening armor and had a long, flowing black cape that reached his ankles. His flaming red hair made his greenish skin look even darker.

I watched him dismount from his horse. His boots made a soft crunch on the grass as he walked towards the Great Deku Tree. I couldn't see his expression, but I knew the Great Deku Tree had a defiant look on his face. I saw the evil man cross his arms as he grinned.

"So this is the Great Deku Tree I've heard so much about?" asked the man rhetorically. "The guardian spirit of the Kokiri and of the forests of Hyrule, and also the holder of the thing that I desire most." He reached his hand out towards the trunk of the forest guardian.

"Not another step, Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo," boomed the Great Deku Tree. The man named Ganondorf froze in place, a bit startled. I don't think he was expecting the tree to speak. Ganondorf took a step backwards and crossed his arms again, grinning once more.

"So you're able to speak, Tree," spat Ganondorf. "Very well then. I come here seeking the Spiritual Stone of Forest."

"I will not hand over the Kokiri's Emerald to a man whose heart is filled with darkness and whose intentions are impure," contested the Great Deku Tree. The man just laughed.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, Deku Tree," cackled Ganondorf. "You can either give it to me and live, or I can take it from you and let you die a slow and painful death."

"If you kill me, you risk destroying the forest and the Kokiri," noted the Great Deku Tree.

"That won't matter in the long run," explained Ganondorf. "Once the Triforce is mine, so will all of Hyrule. I will do with this land as I please."

"I might be powerless to stop you, but you will be stopped," threatened the Great Deku Tree. I could sense his eyes narrowing. "I see a dark future for you, and your first step here will be your first step towards your ill fate. You will not succeed." Ganondorf laughed once more, then held his hand out toward our guardian spirit. The evil man's hand began to glow an ominous purple hue. The Great Deku Tree began to glow with the same aura. I managed to move just in time, but the other faries in the meadow weren't so lucky. I could sense his pain, and I could sense an evil presence inside of him, eating away at him. Ganondorf stepped back, smiling satisfactorily at his work. He walked over to his steed and climbed up onto it. He took one last look at the dying Deku Tree.

"No one will be able to stop me, you old fool," spoke Ganondorf smoothly. "Once you pass on, I will take the Spiritual Stone of Forest from your lifeless body, and I'll be one step closer to accomplishing my goal!" Ganondorf's maniacal laughter echoed throughout the meadow as he galloped away.

I flew around shakily, afraid of the damage that had been caused. The faries in the meadow were no more, and the silence was deafening. I hadn't realized that the sun was already beginning to come out. In my fear, I had completely ignored the sunlight that was protruding from the foliage. A few more minutes passed and the meadow was filled with light. I knew the Kokiri children were up and moving about the village, unknowing of the horrors of the previous night. Before I could get lost in my thoughts, a noise snapped me back to attention: the sound of the Great Deku Tree sighing in pain.

"Navi…? Navi, where art thou…? Come hither…!"