Disclaimer: The Saria picture above was created by the amazing Death---note, not me. I cannot draw even half as well as that.

Intro to Heart of Hyrule

It was a simple autumn morning as I woke up: the sun was shining brightly through the branches overhead, the birds were chirping their farewells to summer, the squirrels were, err, squirrelly, and I was peacefully enjoying the Lost Woods. Ah, please excuse me; I had forgotten that you do not know who I am. I am Joshua Treehopper the Leaf Kokiri. I was not born of flesh, however, but of the leaves themselves. You see, I was created by the Lady of Life, Farore, in the beginning of the world, back when she used to roam these forests and the woods herself.

I have light brown hair and emerald green eyes, both quite contrary to the common Kokiri though still a natural possibility. I wore a soft green shirt and shorts, bark brown boots, the Kokiri Emerald around my neck, had highly pointed ears, was thirteen thousand, eight hundred and fifty years old though I appeared only ten, and wore a crimson belt around my waist with eight pouches.

On this particular day, I was supposedly wandering about the Lost Woods gathering Deku Sticks, Deku Nuts, herbs, mushrooms, healing roots, and several other things when I suddenly felt a disturbance in the flow of magic streams about me. Immediately after, dozens of voices rushed into my head using telepathy, as I had just begun to try to find the disturbance. Magic streams are, well, streams of magic that tie great places of magic, like the Temples and Great Spirits, to each other.

I woke up Jordan, my spring green guardian fairy, and we rushed off to the Leaf Kokiri Village to the southeast. We could easily hear them; they were calling several names: Joshua, Link, Makaran, Saria, Fado, Farore, and several others. I sensed the presence of Saria coming, but Fado was too far to have even hoped to come and help.

I knew something was horribly wrong... several things were horribly wrong. Nobody's supposed to know where the villages are at, Jordan, so...

Yeah, I was just thinking that myself... Could a Kokiri have-

For that person's sake, I hope not.

On the way, I dropped in on the Berry Kokiri Village, our sister village, which was along the borders of the Lost Woods, and dropped my supplies off there. I also picked up my Kokiri Sword, which I had left there for safe-keeping when I had gone into the Lost Woods, since they seemed to need it more when I had last seen them. The villages were occasionally attacked, and the Deku Tree hadn't grown enough to use magic against the monsters. At the very least, I could use magic to defend myself.

The Kokiri of the Berry Village knew that something was happening, but they did not know or understand what. They gave me their best wishes and I was off again, headed directly for my Leaf Village. The telepathic screams had yet to die down.

The Berry Village was also known as the “Kokiri Village of New Beginnings,” as it was where all new Kokiri went to live for the first twenty years of their lives. They were trained how to fight, for their sakes, and their fairies memorized numerous monster names and strategies on how to defeat them. The villagers also taught the young Kokiri how to forage for food and other various survival necessities.

The Leaf Village was also known as the “Kokiri Village of Leaves,” as it was where any Kokiri who wanted to learn Leaf, Wood, Berry, or Vine magic went to. We were the last Kokiri village of Magicians and Wizards left. Farost, the second to last, had been evidently destroyed, roughly fifty years earlier. That was a village that supported Leaf and Snow magic, and was where our dragon riders were trained. The dragon riders usually learned Fire Magic, but that was taught outside the village for its own sake. After all, a forest will burn pretty quick.

When I arrived, I immediately realized that I had arrived too late to help more than twenty survivors. Who was I to find but Shadow Link, the shadowy form of Link, leading the assault on my family? “Ik kokuk kikai koo, koo kaky’ek kakekik!!”

He did not understand me as I spoke in Ancient Kokirin, but Jordan did. “Josh, calm down, don't go murderously insane on us like in the Ancient days!!”

No, go even worse... let me out. Let me take vengeance and kill him.

“Kui! Kuku Kuky ikke iku’ik kuki’ki!”

“Josh...”

There were so many monsters that we should not have hoped to defeat all of them, not in our diminished states. Shadow Link raised his left hand; there was a gauntlet on it, a plain, grey gauntlet. He pointed at the villagers and commanded in a resounding voice, “Kill them all, and don’t let any escape! Such is the will of our master, Ganondorf!”

I rushed forward, slashing through three Bokoblins with a single Spin Attack. I then back flipped as a Dynalfos tried to cut me down, right on top of a Moblin. I shoved my sword down through its head, and side jumped onto the shoulders of two Bokoblins. I jumped down between them, quickly casting, “Kokiri Magic- Leaf Whirlwind!” My magic Spin Attack killed the two Bokoblins, as well as three others who were nearby.

The Dynalfos was running towards me, and two Moblins charged with their spears forward. I dashed forward, leaping atop the spears, ran down them and threw my sword right into the Moblin on my right, kicked the sword through, somersaulted over the pig monster’s head, catching my sword on the opposite end of the beast, and cleared the head off the other Moblin. I landed on the ground less than gracefully. The Dynalfos had its scimitar ready to pierce right through me, but a few Deku Nuts fired from a nearby Kokiri using a slingshot drew his attention off me long enough for a Deku to finish him with a Deku Spin followed by a magic blast.

I quickly rose to my feet, nodding my head in thanks to my rescuers, and dashed back into the mayhem of the battle. I cast, “Kokiri Magic- Leaf Rush!!” My spell sent me into a horizontal hurricane-like rampage as I tore through another eight Bokoblins, landing amidst four Kokiri and two Deku.

The four Kokiri were all slingshot users and the Deku were masters of the Deku Spin technique. Kokiri are immortals who remain at the physical appearance of a ten year old. Deku were about our height, but look like shrubs with short legs instead of roots and a cannon-shaped mouth that shot out Deku Nuts.

The people around me were some of the last to die, possibly because I had been protecting them from as many of the enemy attacks as my body would allow me to survive. I was infuriated beyond reason; I would only speak in Ancient Kokirin, and only Jordan could understand me. I was slowly consumed by the voice... the voice that was deep inside my mind. I knew who it was. I knew I shouldn't listen to it. But it made sense. So I did. I followed his instructions to the letter.

Saria arrived in a ball of green light, standing heroically on a stump, and not a second too soon.

She quickly leaped into action, and, to the villagers’ requests, helped two very young, female Kokiri escape the battleground. One of the girls had long, green hair, and the other had dirty blonde hair with green highlights that fell to her shoulders. The first girl's eyes were teary, but still looked like two pale moons. The second girl's eyes were very different: one was greenish, and the other was blueish. They were both in the common Kokiri garb for young girls, a green shirt and a green skirt, which was held up by a crimson belt with a gold buckle. They both wore jade hairbands. They were both from the Berry Village.

As soon as Saria had arrived, three of the villagers, all bleeding in at least three places, rushed over to her while carrying the two young girls. A Bokoblin came at them, and one of the Kokiri quickly leapt forward, running a sharpened stick into the Bokoblin, but suffering a fatal blow to the heart. The other two Kokiri quickly plead with the Forest Sage to take the two girls away to safety. Saria nodded, extending her arms and picking up the small girls. A Moblin came charging at her from behind. The two Kokiri, their young charges passed to the safety of Saria, armed their slingshots and fired off several bullets, distracting the swine long enough for Saria to escape in a green sphere of light.

As soon as Saria was gone, the couple were surrounded by enemies and killed ruthlessly.

With the valor of the Kokiri and our allies who fought alongside us, the village held out for a total of eleven hours before the last Kokiri was killed. So long as the enemies kept coming, we kept fighting.

We were not the only village being attacked, however. The Wolfos were being attacked by Queen Gohma, resurrected yet again, and her army of spiders. The Wolfos valiantly defended their newly established village, but were ultimately defeated and scattered.

My people and I fought for our lives until sundown. I had finally cornered Shadow Link into a one-on-one duel. We fought high above the ground, high in the treetops. I wanted to rip his heart out with my blood-stained hand. I wanted to let him take over and feast on his blood and flesh. I wanted to make Shadow Link suffer for bringing his monstrosities here. But I didn't. I needed him alive so I could find the traitor. So, I fought with myself while I fought with Shadow Link.

I later learned why Saria had abandoned her people; apparently, far away in Hyrule Field, a battle was taking place between a new Link and the old Ganondorf. I did not blame her after I learned, but I blamed all others who did not answer the call and could have. She, the Forest Sage, and the other eleven Sages of Light, Fire, Water, Shadow, Spirit, Earth, Air, Time, Unity, Mind, and Ice banded together and sealed Ganondorf away with the Twelve Sage Seal. This incredible seal should not break for several centuries.

But, by the time she had returned from sealing Ganondorf, the battle had ended. I was nearly dead and one of the two Kokiri Saria had saved had apparently become the prey of the redirected spiders under the command of Gohma, which had begun an assault on the Berry Kokiri Village, which was quickly laid to rest. The other Kokiri was nowhere to be found. Apparently, Link had not actually been fighting the only Ganondorf, because the desert King of Evil had somehow split himself into two beings.

The sky grew dark as Phantom Ganondorf, Ganondorf's other minion, rose up from the shadows to strike me. A dark-skinned, dark-clothed boy who looked exactly like I did sprang up out of my shadow and battled the Phantom. His mind was far clearer than mine was, and he stood a far better chance against the fresh, powerful Phantom.

Even with Shadow Josh’s help, we stood little chance against both of them, so I had called on one of the only two beings I knew who had ever come when I asked it of either, “Oromis!!” The other was Jordan. Oromis, a gold-furred wolf, came down, riding a moonlit cloud, snarling at the fiends. His right eye was scarred by a past battle wound, which had taken place many millennia ago.

I rode atop Oromis like a Hylian or Gerudo rode a horse. We battled fiercely, but in the end, Shadow Link and Phantom Ganondorf simply had more Power than we did.

Kaepora Gaebora, the great owl, appeared from out of the darkened sky, with Saria on his back, and picked Oromis, Shadow Josh, and I up from our battle, just as our enemies were about to finish us off, “Noooo!” I screamed in rage, “Send me back, I have to… finish… it…” Then, everything went black.

Kaepora, instead of following my request, brought me to the Deku Tree who comforted me for six days before he deemed it necessary to repopulate the forest with his own children, and thus he called forth the Kokair.

The Kokair wore green and brown clothes, had bright red or fire orange or bark brown or spring green hair, had blue or green or blue-green eyes, and the oldest-looking among them seemed to be thirteen years old; Kokiri stopped physically aging at about ten years of age. The Kokair also worked to maintain the forest, raising small sections that they liked, but neglecting the sections that seemed too much work to “heal.”

For five years, I lived in seclusion with the monkeys of the Faron Woods Forest Temple. While there, I crafted powerful wooden staves for them, helped them defend their temple, and rested my very weary heart. You try surviving the utter annihilation of your people and see how you do.

Then, a short, lost Kokair with blonde hair and green highlights stumbled upon the temple’s eastern outskirts, which were bordered by the Lost Woods. Cilia Kytail was only eight years old. Why is Mido so mean, Marth?

It’s just how the world is, I’m afraid… There are good people, and bad people…

Cilia was lost just along the borders to the Lost Woods, but at least Mido was not there. He was always bullying her and bossing her around, just because he was taller than her. Cilia had had it with Mido and the few other jerks among the Kokair. Twice in five years, she had actually wished she had the courage to just run away, to run away with no regard for her friends. He went too far this time, Marth… Mido had just used a violent bullying method, and when I later learned that, I threw Mido almost four hundred feet into the stone wall around their village, and then kicked him through it another forty feet into his treehome, which caused a loose branch to fall on top of Mido.

Mido was in the hospital for about a week.

I boomed in a loud, though still childish, voice from a treetop, “Leave now, or fight me!” She looks a lot like the girl Saria saved five years ago, and she’s pretty cute. I don’t think I could fight her.

She responded in a less than noble voice, “Is there a third option, like being friends?” I burst out laughing and fell out of the tree I was in. I rolled about, laughing my head to pieces while she gazed at me in pure shock and amazement. After a brief moment, her royal blue guardian fairy demanded in rage, “What’s so funny?!”

I gave her fairy a grin and responded, “Your charge has courage!” Plus she’s a very cute and kind person; I can see that much very clearly.

She asked uncertainly, “And that’s funny?” Who is this boy? Why does he seem familiar?

I chuckled for a moment, and then replied cheerily, “No, but it is cause for celebration, particularly when I think of our other brothers and sisters.”

“Our? So, you’re a Kokair as well?” In her defense, she was half right.

“No, I am a Kokiri. Has the Great Deku Tree taught you nothing of your ancestors?”

“He never said we had any,” her fairy replied.

“Did you ever bother to even ask?” Jordan, my fairy, inquired. I think you’re right; she just might be that girl, or a reincarnation. We know the Deku Tree made reincarnations of several Kokiri.

“Well, no,” she admitted.

“But, why would we have?” her blue fairy demanded.

“I dunno,” I picked myself up, “Ah, but where are my manners? I am Joshua Treehopper the Leaf Kokiri.”

“And I am Jordan, his fairy.”

“Glad to meet you both; I am Cilia Kytail the Forest Kokair and he is Marth, my guardian fairy.”

“Glad to meet you, as well. Do you wish to learn of your ancestors?”

“Perhaps another time, Cilia should probably be returning to the village.” Her fairy was very protective, and did not trust Jordan and me, not for a very long time.

“Ah, well, when you want to hear it, come back, okay?” Completely unfair!! I wanted to spend more time with you.

“Okay, g’bye.”

“G’bye,” I watched her as she left the Faron Woods, and actually followed her, leaping from branch to branch stealthily high in the treetops, blending in with the leaves every time she looked. When Cilia had unknowingly led me to the village, I was about to leap out and start pummeling the Kokair. They had inhabited the redwood trees that climbed nearly high as the clouds and had made a large clearing adjacent to the village for lumber to make bridges linking the trees together along where the holes in the trees were! They had also set their entrances high into the treetops, and had to make wooden ramps back down to the stone wall they'd erected.

“Jordan, how could we have been so numb to the plight of the forest?”

“I… I wish I knew… Let’s just leave, okay?”

“Yeah, if we stay, I’ll likely begin to try and correct them.”

Jordan and I were about to leave, but I took an instant longer to listen in on what was happening to Cilia. I was enraged to see what I saw.

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As Cilia and Marth were entering the village, she was “greeted” by none other than Mido Mindura. “Where did you go, little girly?”

“I-I w-was out for a walk, B-Boss M-Mido.”

Mido loomed over the small Kokair. “Don’t lie to”-

Marth got right in front of Mido’s face and commanded, “Jump off a cliff, Mido!!”

Mido grabbed Marth by his wings and was about to throw him into a tree when Cilia grabbed Mido by his shirt collar and pulled him, tripping him with her left leg, face-first into the grass. Cilia released him in shock and took a step back. Mido immediately got back to his feet and throttled Cilia. He was strangling her by the neck. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

I could see everything all too clearly. “HEY!!!!” I immediately leapt into action from the top of the branch I’d been crouching on. I tackled Mido to the ground. I bit the arm that was strangling Cilia along the forearm, forcing Mido to release her and Marth. Mido’s fairy started to fly at me, but Jordan tackled the fairy into the grass, flew up, and tackled Mido’s head. My fairy then yanked on his eyebrows. I released at the same time as Jordan and we both pulled back about two inches. Then, I quickly grabbed Mido’s left leg and flung him into a bush twenty feet away. “Don’t ever let me so much as hear gossip that you hurt her!” My eyes were bulging with hatred. I had actually done a relatively similar throw to Mido of the Kokiri after his thirty-seventh teasing of Link. This Mido was no less of a pain than his ancestor.

By that time, roughly two dozen of the Kokair had taken notice of me. And in less than a minute of relative silence on the ground level, roughly fifty Kokair were watching me in awe. They whispered the tale of what had just happened to one another, and after each telling, they would always ask “Have you ever seen this one?” No Kokair ever had seen me before Cilia.

Jordan hovered over Cilia’s head. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’ll be fine…” was her startled response. She’d never seen anyone move so quickly, nor did she understand why I had stood up for her. And at the time, nor did I. She was rubbing the red bruise from where Mido had throttled her neck.

I turned from Mido, who was thrashing about in the bush, trying to get free, to Cilia, who was sitting in a daze. “You’re certain that you’re okay?”

She nodded. “B-but why did you help me?”

Normally, I cut people off, but I just could not do that to her. “You were in danger and in need of help that I could provide. So, I provided the help.”

Mido finally got up and out of the bush with his fairy hiding behind his head. Jordan was giving that red fairy a classic evil eye. Mido’s eyes clashed with mine in an unseen war. Suddenly, Saria Kokair ran in-between us and commanded, “Stop this before someone gets seriously hurt!”

She looks like Saria, but is more like the King of Red Lions’ wife… “Cilia, if you ever need me, just yell my name into a leaf; I’ll get the message.” I started to walk away. “I’ll see you later, Cilia.”

“Oh, umm, bye, Josh…” I walked all the way back to the Faron Forest Temple, arguing with Jordan on whether or not we should move into the Kokair Village. Almost every day for five years, Cilia visited me and the monkeys, learning more and more about the Kokiri.

Every time they came for a visit, I was always elated. I would tell her all about the Kokiri, how we were a tribe that always stood by nature as its guardians and children. I told them of the vicious wars we waged to protect our homes, our families, our friends. I told them of the grave sacrifices that had to be made. I told them of the good times, too, when the forest glistened in silvery moonlight, when the wood would glow with ladybugs, when we would play hide-and-seek in the dark, when the world seemed to be utterly perfect...

My last tale to them was of the Kokiri Massacre. And then, I more or less joined the Kokair.

We decided to move into a tree about mid-way between the village’s outskirts and the Great Deku Tree and the Lost Woods’ outskirts. I used the joint power of my Kokiri Emerald and Kokiri Sword to transform into the slightly more aged form of a Kokair to blend in with them.

Things were not peaceful, however, and most Kokair looked at me like a monster, because of how much stronger than Mido I was, and because of my pranks. They didn’t know who I was, or how long I’d been there. I once met a Deku archer, about thirty-five years later, and foolishly challenged him in a match of archery. What a Robin Hood, Blast is…

I would wander the Lost Woods for days at a time, returning after killing vast hordes of Bokoblins and bringing back much-needed supplies like Deku Sticks, Deku Nuts, herbs and curative roots, iron ore, and occasionally Magic Mushrooms.

The Kokair were an otherwise Kokiri-like race. They were a friendly and peaceful village of people that were generally accepting of anything the Deku Tree told them, including that I was from the “older” generation, the last one, actually. This was, at least in part, a lie.