Forest Haven (F6) - A

Once inside the Forest Haven, head right and follow the stream up the giant tree in the center of the room.

Hmmm...interesting. That tree looks like it has a— It’s alive!! And it’s covered in Red and Green ChuChus! The poor tree seems like it’s in pain. Help it out by rolling into its base to shake all the ChuChus off.

Enemy: Green ChuChu Green ChuChus are pretty much identical to Red ChuChus, except they take more hits to defeat than their crimson counterparts. They are also more prone to turning into their goo form to avoid attacks. Still, the methods for defeating them are the same: hit them while they’re in their solid form and avoid their jump attacks.

These persistent jellies will climb back onto the tree after only a minute or two. When that happens, you have to roll into the tree’s base again to shake them off. Repeat this process until you defeat all of the ChuChus.

The giant tree will begin to speak to Link in a language that seems all too familiar—didn’t Valoo speak in this manner as well? It doesn’t take long for the old oak to realize that Link hasn’t a clue what he’s saying. He promptly switches to a language Link knows and then introduces himself as the Deku Tree. Parroting what Red has feared all this time, the Deku Tree suspects Ganon for the ill-mannered creatures that have been popping up in his domain.

The Deku Tree calls down the spirits of the forest—the Koroks, tiny creatures that wear leaf masks and have the bodies of trees. Link is just in time for the Forest Haven’s annual ritual to promote the health of the forest, but before the ceremony can commence, a Korok named Linder, who is known for his tardiness, shares some grave news with the Deku Tree. Apparently Linder’s partner in the battle against punctuality, Makar, has fallen into the ominous-looking Forbidden Woods, meaning the ceremony cannot be completed. This does not bode well for the Deku Tree and his forest.

Link, Get Your Wings!

Getting to the Forbidden Woods is not an easy task for a tiny person such as Link. There is no way to enter that horrible place by boat, leaving travel by air as the only option. The Koroks can fly, but sadly Link cannot. Worry not: the Deku Tree has the means to get Link airborne—one of his magical leaves!

After speaking with the Deku Tree, head to the purple flower buds on the ancient acacia’s right side (your left). These flower buds are known as Baba Buds; use them to launch yourself into the air to reach heights unknown—or in this case, the Deku Leaf on top of one of the Deku Tree’s branches.

Hop into the Baba Bud and line yourself up with the thin plant ahead (if you need some perspective, let the Baba Bud launch you straight into the air to see where the next Baba Bud is). Land in the Baba Bud on top of the thin plant and then line yourself up with the next thin plant.

Repeat this until you reach the fourth Baba Bud—there is no Baba Bud accessible from the fourth Bud. Instead you’ll have to land on top of a leaf canopy at the top of the thicker tree in front of you.

From here, use your Grappling Hook to hook onto the branch directly above and in front of the Baba Bud ahead. Note: you’ll have to reposition yourself on the rope with the before swinging into the Bud.

Continue going from Bud to Bud until you see another leaf canopy on your right. Launch onto the canopy and grab the glowing Deku Leaf.

Deku Leaves and You

The Deku Leaf gives you the power to glide if you use it while in the air. If used on the ground, the Deku Leaf will send out a blast of wind that can be used in a variety of ways.

When outside, your Deku Leaf will glide with the wind. If the wind is set against you, you’ll glide at a crawl, so always use the Wind Waker to set the wind in the direction you’re looking to glide.

Getting the Deku Leaf also gives you a Magic Bar, which is located underneath your health. Gliding with the Deku Leaf costs Magic, so you can only glide until your Magic Bar hits empty. It should be noted that shooting blasts of wind with the Deku Leaf has no Magic cost.

You can refill your Magic Bar by picking up Magic Jars that will often appear after cutting tufts of grass.

One final note: if you happen to have the Deku Leaf equipped when you fall from a great height, you can activate it just before hitting the ground to keep yourself from taking damage.

After grabbing the Deku Leaf, equip it and then turn around and jump off the canopy toward the opening on the wall (the opening is lower than the canopy you are currently on). While in the air, use the Deku Leaf and glide toward the opening (the grass-arrow will help point the way). Land on the grass-arrow ledge and go through the door.

Directly ahead, with its menacing appearance and promise of danger, is the Forbidden Woods. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately in this case), the Woods are a good distance away from the Forest Haven with nothing but the sea in between. Luckily you have the Deku Leaf now, so we might just be able to make it over there.

To your left is a small island with a wind vortex circling it. That’s your destination, so set the wind blowing to the southwest and use your Deku Leaf to glide over there. This next part is very tricky. You must glide into the wind vortex circling the island to glide to the Forbidden Woods. Timing is incredibly important here, and you need to be ready to dodge the flying spike monsters, known as Peahats, that are stationed in front of the Woods’ entrance.

Set the wind northwest and position yourself so that the Forbidden Woods are directly ahead of you. When the wind vortex enters the screen on your right, jump and glide. If your timing is solid, you’ll hit the vortex and get a boost into the air, giving you plenty of height to reach the Forbidden Woods. (Note: use the picture above to get a good idea of gauging when to jump.) If you’re a little off, do whatever you can to get into the vortex, even if it means turning into it.

Enemy: Peahat Peahats are the spiky monsters that use bladelike petals on their heads as propellers to fly around. Their only method of attack is to ram Link, but defeating them is a different story. Their petals also work as a shield, deflecting Link’s sword attacks. Projectile attacks are the only way to bring them down. Blow a gust of wind at them to stop their propellers from spinning. This will drop them to the ground and allow for attacks with Link’s sword. Also, if you use the Grappling Hook on a Peahat that still has its propeller attached, you’ll net yourself a Golden Feather, which will come in handy later.

Once you’ve hit the vortex, head straight toward the Forbidden Woods. A platform is extending out of the entrance that is perfect for a landing. Avoid the Peahats and you’re good as gold. Don’t worry if it takes a few tries: If you fall in the water, you’ll be taken back to the small island with the vortex circling it. Just cut the grass to get your Magic Bar back to full and try again.