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"Queen of Fairies"Queen of FairiesBy: CaptainRC
Through the vast expanse of forestry far past the Lost Woods of Hyrule, a lone rider on his horse was preparing to end another day of their long journey. Link dismounted off of Epona, who had grown a bit since their adventures in Termina, six months ago. So much so, in fact, that Link had to purchase a saddle for her at a village they had passed three months ago, just so that he could use the stirrups to mount her. Link himself was starting to show the beginnings of a growth spurt, even as he approached the tender age of eleven. From just looking at him, one would not guess that this boy was a hero of not one, but two lands. A lost Kokiri, maybe (assuming that anyone outside of Hyrule ever even heard of the Kokiri); or a squire in training with aspirations of becoming a knight someday, judging from the sword and shield he wore on his back. No. Nothing even suggested that this boy was the Hero of Time. Savior of Hyrule and Termina. A boy who had accomplished more in his short life than most knights could ever hope to accomplish, even if he had fought in a full scale war. What made it even less suggestive, was the fact that the boy hid it well. Link made no boasts, told no tales. Never, ever led on that he saved a kingdom from the grips of a power hungry madman, or a town from a falling moon under the influence of an evil, magical mask. Because as far as he was concerned, none of that mattered right now. None of it. All that did to him right now, was finding the one being he could share his tales with. The one friend who stuck with him through it all when Hyrule fell under evil's shadow. Navi. The thought of his fairy companion was one of the few things in the world that could bring him close to tears. When Link had first met her, he thought that he could finally take his place among the Kokiri, and that Mido could never again bully and berate him about his lack of a fairy. He never suspected that the fateful meeting would change his life forever. It plunged him into a conflict that no sane person would ever want to see, let alone participate in. At the behest of Princess Zelda, he waged battle after battle, fighting monsters that would make seasoned soldiers thrice his age cower. All to secure the sacred Triforce from the grasp of Ganondorf, the King of Thieves. And once he pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal, he thought he succeeded... ... only to wake up seven years later and find that he had failed. So he took up the Master Sword and started battling once again, awakening the Sages, reuniting with Princess Zelda, and finally fought and defeated the Evil King himself. And through all of it, ever faithful with him, there was Navi. Sure, she had been annoying at first. But after his awakening in the Sacred Realm, finding out that seven years had past, and then shouldering the responsibility of freeing Hyrule from Ganondorf's rule, Link came to welcome Navi's sage advice. It was a constant reminder that he was not alone in bearing this burden. After all, wasn't that Navi's purpose? For as long as the Kokiri could remember, fairies took a companionable, even parental role to them. And Navi did the same for him, even after they found out that Link was, in fact, not Kokiri, but Hylian. And when it was all over, and Zelda returned them to their original time... she left. Without explanation. Without even saying goodbye. So, here he was, almost a year later, searching for her. A search that had led him into an encounter with a Skull Kid wearing Majora's Mask. Throughout that adventure of repeating the same three days over and over again, a fairy named Tatl accompanied him. And for a while, it seemed like old times again. But in the end, Tatl was no replacement for Navi. As Link removed the saddle from Epona's back, and then pulled off the sleeping bag tied onto the back of it, he watched as the full moon rose into the sky. He sighed. After all this time, he had found no trace of Navi. And after all this time, he was starting to wonder if this search was fruitless. This train of thought led to him thinking of that funny looking man in Termina, Tingle. It almost made him laugh when he first met Tingle. Here was a man in his thirties thinking he was a fairy and was spending his life looking for fairies. Now, Link really did laugh. Maybe we're not so different, he thought. Because here I am now, doing the same. Will I become the same as Tingle? A hopeless eccentric wandering the big, wide world looking for a single fairy? He removed a carrot from one of his saddle bags and fed it to Epona. As she happily ate it, Link patted her possibility and wished her good night. Then he removed his sword and shield, unrolled his sleeping bag and settled into it. As tired as he was, it didn't take him long to go to sleep.
"Whoa, girl. Take it easy," Link soothed. "What's got you so uptight?" When Link look in the direction Epona was facing, he got his answer. Poking through the trees in the darkness, there was light. And from the looks of it, it seemed to be coming from several sources. Link patted Epona and told her to stay while he investigated. Link strapped on his sword and shield again and proceeded walking toward the light. After a few minutes, he reached a large clearing... ... and what he saw made his jaw drop. A lake about twice the size of Lake Hylia was there. In the middle of it was an island with a tree in the middle. And even from this distance, it was obvious that the tree was easily the size of the Great Deku Tree. Hanging on its branches was what looked like jewels. Jewels of every imaginable color. It looked as if the tree was literally growing rupees off of its branches. But even with all that, that was not the most impressive thing about this lake. Because flying over its waters were fairies. Hundreds... Thousands... It was taking Link several minutes to take all of this in. Right before him were fairies, radiating light of all the colors of the rainbow. Each one, like Navi and Tatl, glowing so bright, that they looked like little balls of light with wings. And yet, that light never seemed to hurt anyone's eyes, even when they looked directly at one. Such was that magical aura of a fairy. Link took in the possibilities as he watched them fly leisurely over the lake's water, making it look like the water itself was glowing. Maybe Navi is among them, he thought. Have I finally found her? Link couldn't contain his excitement any longer. He had to find out. So he called out "Hey!" On that single word, suddenly, every fairy jolted upwards in surprise and turned to face him. Link, for his part, became increasingly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of so many fairies. But he couldn't back off now. "Um, excuse me," Link said, being as polite as possible. "But do any of you know a fairy named Navi?" Then the fairies started flying quickly in every which way, as if a beehive had been disturbed. Link couldn't tell if he had upset them, or if they were searching amongst themselves for Navi. After a few minutes of this, Link decided that he must have upset them and was about to leave them alone. After all, if Navi had been among them, wouldn't she have announced herself by now? But as he was about to turn around to leave, he noticed something in the water. It was a glow in the water. And it wasn't a reflection of the fairies, either. It was under the water. And as soon as Link noticed it, it shot up out of the water, forming a column of light. Within that column, a figure appeared in it. And when it did, the column disappeared as abruptly as it came. It was a Great Fairy... but none like Link had ever seen. This Great Fairy looked nothing like the ones Link had met in Hyrule or Termina. She was easily twice the size of other Great Fairies, with wings like a butterfly. She wore a long flowing green dress and wore a crown of flowers giving her a regal look. Adding to that look was the fact that she didn't have that overly made up countenance, and didn't laugh that silly laugh, either. She was also looking right at Link... and didn't look too happy. She turned her attention from Link to the swarm of fairies, and raised her hand. At her unspoken command, the fairies stopped their haphazard flight and just hung there motionless, except for the beating of their wings. She returned her gaze to Link. In a voice so powerful, it could only add to her appearance of regalness, she asked, "WHO ARE YOU, LITTLE BOY, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Link stepped up timidly, not wanting to offend her. "M-my name is Link, ma'am. And I am looking for my friend. A fairy named Navi." His voice starting to take on a pleading tone. "Please tell me, do you know her? Is she here among you?" The Great Fairy's expression turned from annoyance to understanding. She even started to smile. "AH, SO YOU ARE LINK? THE HERO OF HYRULE?" So she knew him. In his excitement, Link ran up to the edge of the water. "Yes! Please tell me, have you seen her?" Link's excitement suddenly died as he saw the Great Fairy's face slowly switch from smiling to sad. "I AM SORRY TO TELL YOU THIS, LINK. BUT, NAVI IS NO LONGER AMONG US. SHE IS DEAD." Link couldn't have felt more surprised if someone had snatched his sword from his hand and then plunged it into his chest... and he felt as if someone had done just that. For the first time in his life, Link dropped to his knees and cried. The Great Fairy merely watched him in sympathy. Some of the fairies apparently felt the same, because a few started moving again and slowly circled around him, as if trying to heal his broken heart. Link finally looked back up at the Great Fairy and asked through choked sobs, "But... how? Why?" "BECAUSE... HER TASK WAS DONE," she said evenly. Link wiped away his tears as he managed to get back up and then sat himself on a stone. "What do you mean?" he asked. The Great Fairy smiled sadly as she began her explanation. "YOU HAVE REACHED THE GREAT FAIRY LAKE, LINK," she said, and then added in introduction, "AND I AM VENUS, QUEEN AND MOTHER OF ALL FAIRIES." Despite his sadness, this left Link in awe. He'd never met a Queen Fairy before... and suspected that no one else had, either. Venus raised her hand, and fairies started to fly around it playfully while she continued her explanation. "EACH FAIRY IS GIVEN A TASK, MOSTLY INVOLVING HELPING MORTALS. SOME ARE SIMPLE, SUCH AS HEALING WEARY TRAVELERS LIKE YOURSELF. MOST OF THOSE YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE FOUNTAINS YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED. OTHERS I HAVE SENT TO THE KOKIRI FOREST TO CARE FOR THE CHILDREN THERE. AFTER LIVING SO LONG, GIVEN THE KOKIRI'S ETERNAL YOUTH, THEY EVENTUALLY EVOLVE INTO GREAT FAIRIES. AFTER THAT, THE FAIRY IS USUALLY REPLACED WITH ANOTHER, WITH THE KOKIRI NONE THE WISER WHILE THE GREAT FAIRY LEAVES TO CREATE A FOUNTAIN OF HER OWN TO PERFORM HER TASK. THEY ALSO PRODUCE MORE OF THE REGULAR HEALING FAIRIES. YOU HAVE FOUND THESE AS WELL." Link could only nod as he listened to all this. Then Venus shook her head, sadly. "BUT AFTER A FAIRY'S TASK IS DONE, IT RETURNS HERE... TO DIE. THE GREAT FAIRIES ARE THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS. GREAT FAIRIES, AS YOU KNOW, HELP MORTALS FURTHER THAN JUST SIMPLE HEALING. THEY PROVIDE MAGIC AND OTHER POWERS TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM IN TIMES OF GREAT UPHEAVAL. Link couldn't help but ask, "Why do they have to die? How do they feel about that?" Venus simply replied, "THEY DO NOT QUESTION IT. THEY MERELY ACCEPT IT AS PART OF THEIR LIFE." Link thought for a moment. "What about Tatl and Tael? They don't act like they've been assigned a task." Venus nodded. "A FEW FAIRIES DO INDEED GO ROGUE, BEING MORE STRONG WILLED AND UNABLE TO ACCEPT THEIR FATE. THEY WILL LIVE ON, BUT WILL NEVER EVOLVE, EITHER. HOWEVER, SINCE THEIR INTERACTION WITH YOU AND THE SKULL KID, THEY MAY HAVE DISCOVERED A TASK FOR THEMSELVES, AS THEY NOW ACT AS COMPANIONS FOR THE SKULL KID." She smiled at that. "I GUESS I HAVE YOU TO THANK FOR TURNING TWO OF MY FAIRIES BACK AROUND LIKE THAT." Link was still feeling too sad to feel proud of that. He asked one more question. "But what about Navi? She wasn't a healing fairy or a rogue or..." He let it hang there, too choked up to finish the sentence. "NAVI WAS... SPECIAL," Venus replied. "LIKE YOUR GREAT DEKU TREE, I, TOO, FELT THE UPRISING OF EVIL IN YOUR LAND. WHEN I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING... REALIZED THE THREAT TO NOT ONLY YOUR LAND, BUT THE REST OF THE WORLD AS WELL, I ASSIGNED NAVI A VERY SPECIAL TASK: TO HELP THE ONE WHO WOULD RID THE WORLD OF THIS EVIL... THE HERO OF TIME." Link looked back up at Venus in surprise. She nodded. "YES, I SENT HER TO THE FOREST... SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU. This bit of news was threatening to send Link into another crying fit. Navi hadn't been just another fairy waiting to care for a Kokiri. She, too, had been chosen by fate. But unlike Link, she continued on, knowing full well that once it was over, she would lose her life. That explained why she didn't tell him, or even say goodbye. By appearing that she had abandoned him, she actually had tried to spare Link exactly what he was feeling now. It was her last act of caring for Link. In a way, Link thought, she was more courageous than me. After taking all of this in, he finally stood up from the stone. He wiped his tears away and finally said, "Thank you for your time. I'm sorry if I disturbed your fairies." He started to turn away. Venus looked at him sadly. "WAIT," she said. Link faced her once again. Venus then turned to a group of fairies and raised her hand in another unspoken command. The fairies then flew into the tree in the center of the lake. Venus turned back to Link, and kneeled down to face him more evenly. "NAVI LOVED YOU. SHE CARED FOR YOU AS MUCH AS ANY FOREST FAIRY CARED FOR HER KOKIRI," she said in a motherly tone. "SHE WAS PROUD OF ALL YOU HAD DONE FOR YOUR LAND AND YOUR PEOPLE... OF YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR SELFLESSNESS." As she finished the sentence, the fairies returned, carrying in between them a green jewel. Venus gently took it in her hand. "WITHIN THESE JEWELS ARE WHAT IS LEFT OF THE FAIRIES WHO COMPLETE THEIR TASKS." In her hand, a golden chain suddenly appeared, attached to the jewel like a necklace. She then handed the jewel, which was not much bigger than a rupee, to Link. "TAKE NAVI WITH YOU. I'M SURE THAT IS WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE WANTED. KEEP HER CLOSE TO YOUR HEART, AS SHE KEPT YOU TO HERS." Link looked at the jewel. Frozen inside, like an insect in amber, was what looked like a tiny girl with long hair and fairy wings, curled up in a fetal position. This was Navi. He had found her at last. It was a bittersweet reunion. Link's tears started to flow free again as he looked back up to Venus. "Thank you," he said. Venus smiled again as she stood up and started backing away. "YOU CAN THANK ME BY CONTINUING ON AS YOU ALWAYS HAVE. DO NAVI PROUD BY SHOWING THE SAME COURAGE YOU HAVE ALWAYS SHOWN." As she spoke, the column of light returned, and she was disappearing into it. "I will!" Link called out to her. And then, Venus, Queen of Fairies, was gone. And her children resumed their leisurely flight over the now still water of the lake. Link took another look at the jewel containing the remains of his friend, then placed the chain around his neck, and then walked back to camp.
Had it all been a dream? To answer his unspoken question, he felt at his chest. And underneath his tunic, he felt a small hard object. Link quickly pulled the necklace he was wearing out from under his shirt, and sure enough, there it was. The green jewel that Venus gave him that had Navi frozen inside of it. He tucked it back into his tunic, keeping her close to his heart... just like Venus said. After he packed up camp and saddling Epona, he mounted her and then said, "Let's go home, Epona." Epona, needing no urging from Link turned around and headed back the way they came. |