Chapter 7! Sorry for the delay again. This time I wasn't too happy with the chapter so I've been rereading it over and over.

The Invisible Fan:Good point, I have been making him a bit weak. I'll work on making Link the capable hero he is meant to be!

Thanks to everyone who's given me suggestions, there's definitely flaws in the story that need fixing that it's obvious I haven't noticed myself. So keep them coming, if anyone has something they want to suggest, or if you've spotted a glaring plot hole that isn't just me being a bitch and keeping the details till the end, don't hesitate to point them out. Just cuz I've posted a chapter doesn't mean I can't edit it! (grins)

Chapter 7: Strength In Numbers

Quietly... Quietly...

Link held his breath as he peered around the pillar by the river. Ahead he could see Saria's old house, connected to the pillar he hid behind by a wooden rope bridge. Next to it he could see his house down the slope. Two Lizalfos stood in front of it. So close...

Silently he pulled his head back behind the pillar as the monsters began to look his way. They were keeping close tabs on his house, it seemed. He had managed to get that far after taking a wallet full of Deku Nuts from Mido in exchange for all his rupees. It was no loss to him, since he only had a few blue rupees and a red one in it, but Mido seemed happy about it. The Kokiri were always delighted when they got their hands on rupees, since the little gems were translucent and looked like they could be used as jewellery if they weren't so small. Now he clutched his large, drawstring wallet in one hand as he held one of the Deku Nuts in the other, ready to throw it should he be spotted.

Narrowing his eyes, Link looked back around the pillar, running through his options. He could either make a mad dash straight for the tree house and stun the Lizalfos in the hopes no others will jump out at him, or he could try and sneak around to Saria's house and then jump down the side right in front of his ladder. But then that'd practically be a mad dash as well, seeing as there was nothing between the house and the pillar. He could probably climb up the pillar and run across the ladder... He'd surely be spotted instantly, but it'd make it harder for them to reach him. As quickly, at least. That was probably the better option. If only Navi was awake, she could tell him where all the monsters were... Link had tucked her inside his hat where she usually hid or rested. He hadn't felt her stir once. Could fairies sustain head trauma? Link didn't even know what she looked like underneath the blue glow of hers. He's always figured she was either a tiny little person, or some freaky, bodiless head with tiny arms and a huge mouth. Definitely a huge mouth.

Link tried not to snicker as he stepped away from the pillar, turning around to face it. Taking the bridge to Saria's house would be smarter. The pillar will give him a clearer view of his surroundings. Being as quiet as he could, Link jumped up, grabbing the top with one hand and scraping at the sides with his feet, trying to get a foothold. He easily found one on the worn-down rock and pulled himself up with a muffled grunt, trying to stay low. With the new angle, he could see the two Lizalfos patrolling in front of his house. The Dinolfos and two Lizalfos that had attacked him earlier were still hanging around near Mido's house. Link prayed to the Goddesses that the Kokiri wouldn't do anything to grab their attention... So, there was a total of five monsters that he could see, though chances were there were still a few more he couldn't see. The two in front of his house were the biggest problem. The others would be too far away to bother him if he was fast.

Right. Link thought. Here goes.. In a second he was on his feet, tossing a Deku Nut at the two Lizalfos nearby, stunning them before they even noticed him. Their cries alerted the other two and the Dinolfos, but Link easily managed to throw a Deku Nut far enough to blind them as well before dashing across the wooden rope bridge towards Saria's House. By the time he reached the end of it he was practically right outside his house, and the monsters hadn't even recovered yet. Ignoring the knowledge that he'll hurt himself, Link jumped down, landing in front of his ladder as pain shot up his legs from the impact, Link swearing under his breath while he mentally shook it off. The Lizalfos, now behind him, screeched as they finally recovered and turned to face him. Link simply tossed another Deku Nut at them, blinding them again as he scrambled up the ladder. Luckily for him none of the monsters had actually tried to enter his house, the room empty.

Link snatched up his baldric, having it secured across his chest in seconds. He never thought he could miss his sword so much. Link couldn't stop mentally kicking himself for leaving it behind in the first place. The sound of his sword unsheathing was music to his ears. Without hesitating, Link ran back out onto the balcony. The other two Lizalfos and the Dinolfos had caught up now, and the first two had recovered again, totalling five angry lizards all crowding around the ladder, apparently too stupid to climb it. All the easier for him. Taking a few steps back, Link launched himself off the balcony, landing a few feet away from the monsters, who all turned simultaneously to attack him. Link turned to face them, adding that momentum to his swing as he focused on his sword, feeling the magic gifted to him by the Great Fairies coursing through the metal. They were all practically on top of him when he struck. The sharp blade ripped through all five of them, and they all collapsed, almost cut in half. A moment later they exploded into black smoke which then faded away. The only evidence that the monsters had ever been there dripped off his sword. That was probably the only good thing about the monsters being created by evil magic. He didn't have to worry about the children seeing the bodies. Except for Fado, she would probably enjoy it...

Now armed, all he had to do was get rid of the rest of the monsters that plagued the village. Link ran back up the slope once more, scanning the area for more lizards. There were none in sight, but that didn't mean the sneaky bastards wouldn't jump out at him at any moment. Link strained his ears, trying to listen for any signs of their whereabouts. Heavy footsteps, their often high-pitched cries...

Suddenly another monstrous roar filled the air, Link almost jumping out of his skin in surprise. So he didn't dream it! Link stared in the direction it sounded like it came from. The top of the Deku Tree was visible above all the other trees. It came from there?.! He gasped, alarmed. Was something attacking the Great Deku tree?.! Memories of the spider-like parasite Ghoma flashed into his mind. That thing had killed the last Deku Tree, and Link was unable to stop it. He couldn't let that happen again!

Link began to run towards the trees where the path to the Deku tree was. But he was forced to stop when he heard the familiar screeches of a Dinolfos behind him. He turned around to see not just a Dinolfos, but another handful of Lizalfos near Mido's house. Damnit! He thought. he couldn't leave them to prowl the village, but the Great Deku tree needed help, he was sure of it! The Kokiri needed to be protected... But he couldn't let the father of the forest die again...

He had no choice...

" Curse these beasts! " Link hissed through gritted teeth. He turned away from the Deku Tree, facing the monsters as he grabbed his shield. He couldn't abandon the Kokiri based on a theory. There might, a very likely might, be a monster threatening the Deku Tree. But there was a bunch of monsters threatening the Kokiri. May the Goddesses make these the last ones...

The Dinolfos charged at him, and Link charged at it. Let this end quickly! Before they collided, Link dodged to the side, rolling around the monster before jumping back up and slashing it's exposed back, catching it between it's armour. Without breaking his momentum, Link easily slashed through two more Lizalfos, the less-armoured lizards unable to deflect his blows. He ducked as one of them swung their sword, just missing the top of his head. A shadow fell over him and Link rolled out of the way as the Dinolfos landed where he had just knelt. Now there was a Lizalfos in front of him, a Lizalfos behind him, and the Dinolfos to his right, the two injured Lizalfos behind it. The Dinolfos lifted it's bent sword over it's head and tried to bring it down on him as the Lizalfos in front leaped forward, about to stab at him. Link had a split second to react. He dodged left, away from the Dinolfos as he slashed at the Lizalfos in front, knocking away it's sword. Then, in the same movement, Link smashed his shield into the Dinolfos's blade, which had just passed his head. The blade was knocked aside, but unknown to Link, the Lizalfos behind him had charged as well, apparently going for his neck. His shield and the Dinolfos's sword slammed into it, lodging the bent weapon in it's skull, the monster dropping instantly. Link took the opportunity to back flip away from the remaining monsters, giving him a few feet of leeway.

He hadn't realised the Lizalfos behind him had attacked. That was pretty damn lucky... Now he only had four monsters left, three of them injured. The Dinolfos retrieved it's weapon when the felled Lizalfos exploded into smoke. Link had no patience to dance their dance. He pulled another Deku Nut out of the wallet he had tied to his belt when he had grabbed his baldric, and tossed it into the ground, his shield blocking the blinding light from his eyes as the four lizards screeched in pain. With all of them impaired, Link cut right through them with his sword, the monsters falling to the ground, silenced. They exploded into black smoke a few seconds later. When it cleared Link could see Mido and Fado staring at him through the doorway a short distance away, both with broad grins on their faces.

" That was awesome! " Mido cheered. " you're teaching me how you did that! No take-backs! "

" Later! " Link huffed. " Get back inside before you're spotted! "

" Are you going to fight the rest as well? " Fado asked. Link's heart sank. So there was still more of them? He was about to respond when he saw Fado beckon towards the village entrance. There was another Lizalfos coming out of the cloak of the Lost Woods, crouching and sniffing the air in an animalistic manner before it set it's sights on him. Another delay... Link sighed inwardly, turning to face it. The horrible, displaced feeling he felt grew stronger. He was sure he needed to get to the Deku Tree now. How he wished he hadn't given his bow to Navi, he could take that thing out in seconds!

Grumbling under his breath, Link took a step towards the Lizalfos by the village border. But that was as far as he got before he stopped. Another Lizalfos jumped out of the darkness, landing next to the first. And then another. And another. In a matter of seconds, there was at least ten of them, and still they came, spreading out further and further as they advanced. He could see a few Dinolfos mixed in, Link only managing to stare at the small army in confusion. Even in Ganondorf's rule, he had only ever seen two of these monsters together at a time. And that was just the Lizalfos!

Why where there so many? And why now? Link's memory flashed back to the first two he had encountered yesterday. The Deku Tree had mentioned they had been there for a while...

Waiting for him.

One of them had run off. Link realised now that it they had been scouts. They were not there to attack him. They were there to confirm he would be there! This whole attack... This was all because of him. They were all after him!

" Stay away from the door. " Link ordered again, continuing his advance.

" You're going to fight them all?.! " Mido gasped. " You could be killed, you jerk! T-then.. " The small boy stammered, his voice trailing off. Link knew Mido enough to know the boy to be too stubborn to admit any kind of attachment to him. " ..Then you can't pay me back! " He finally finished. " If you die before you pay me back I'll- I'll trash your stuff! "

" Don't worry, Short-stuff. " Link replied, playfully jabbing at Mido's pride as he shot a reassuring grin. " They're just lizards. "

With that, he walked off towards the monsters in an effort to put some distance between him and the children for the battle. But the further he stepped away from the Great Deku Tree, the worse that jumpy, naggy feeling got. He had to hurry... But he couldn't see these things letting up. Link knew they'll just keep coming, wave after wave, and in greater numbers. He may be a great warrior, but even he had his limits. Limits that have been strangely pushed over the last day or so. He had barely managed to get through almost all the battles he'd been in, which was saying something.

Link tightened his grip on his sword as the monsters finally began to charge at him. Link stopped walking, now confident he was far enough away from the Kokiri. Each of the beasts roared a battle cry, the sound deafening if not intimidating. Bring it on, Link thought, narrowing his eyes as he raised his shield. He couldn't let this battle eat up his time- time he couldn't help but feel was already running out.

Link crouched on the ground, which shook from the pounding feet of the lizards as they advanced. They were so close now. He held his sword straight out behind him, concentrating on it with all his energy. The Lizalfos were practically trampling and shoving each other to be the first to get their scaly claws on him... Wait for it... Link thought, struggling to keep himself calm and focused as adrenaline pumped through his veins. Wait... They were right in front of him. The Lizalfos directly in front screeched again, leaping at him with it's sword over it's head.

Now!

Link rose to his feet, bringing his sword around with his own shout, putting all his strength and momentum into his swing. The next few moments were but a blur filled with a blazing, orange light and the screams of Lizalfos. Link's spin attack sliced right through all that were nearby, the magical charge he had built up into his blade, a gift from the Great Fairy of Power, reached much, much further than his weapon alone ever could, the powerful magic shredding everything and all caught in it.

Link spun in a circle several times before having to stop, dizzy. He managed to keep his balance as he crouched again on the ground, his feet spread apart and his sword held out in front of him where it had come to a stop. He had put more into that spin attack than he normally did, but thankfully it didn't take long for his vision to correct itself, and Link finally properly observed the scene before him.

In their rush, the Lizalfos had bunched up close together. His long-range attack had successfully torn right through the middle, only the Lizalfos on the far edges having survived. They screeched at him as they stood back, now wary. In front of him, panning his field of vision, lay the torn bodies of those unfortunate to be in the way. A second later the bodies exploded into black smoke. Caught in it, Link jumped backwards, trying to escape the awful smell. It and the smoke quickly faded. Just in time to see a Lizalfos coming straight at him, launching itself through the air just as the Dinolfos from earlier had done when he had been unarmed.

Link simply let out an annoyed grunt as he raised his shield, bracing for the impact. The monster collided with him, and instantly Link let himself fall backwards, planting a boot on the inside of his shield as he fell. His back on the ground, Link used the Lizalfos' momentum to fling it right over the top of him before jumping swiftly back onto his feet, swivelling to face it as it scrabbled to get back up. He could hear more of the creatures coming out of the forest.

This couldn't continue.

Link easily sliced through the Lizalfos, as well as the others that had remained. What do I do..? He thought. More of them were joining the fight. This battle won't end... I'm sure of it. Down went another Dinolfos. I must find a way to stop these Lizalfos... but how? It was the Deku Tree's duty to protect the forest. If Link could find out why his protection had faded, and fix it, these Lizalfos won't be able to get back in, and the Kokiri will be safe. But to do that, he had to stop the Lizalfos. It was a wicked, endless circle. He couldn't just run away from the fight, either. These things would surely attack the Kokiri. But then again, a voice in his head reasoned, these things are after you, not the Kokiri.

But then again, he thought as he ripped through another group of the evil creatures, there's nothing stopping them, either. There are enough of them...

Link was torn from his thoughts as a Lizalfos' blade barely missed his head. Link jumped away, slashing through it's weak shoulder plate and killing it. Damnit, he cursed at himself, I can't fight and contemplate at the same time! I'm distracting myself! The Lizalfos and Dinolfos, Link observed, were all apparently trying to surround him. Attack him from all angles and directions. He found himself using both his shield and sword to defend as he struggled to keep an eye on both his front and his back. There was no time any more to unleash another spin attack, not even a quick, weak one. Way back, when he only fought two at a time, they still weren't smart enough to gang up on him, always fighting him one at a time. But now they were all working in synch, like he expected from the Gerudo.

Link dodged a Dinolfos' advances. He didn't understand it. They were in obscene numbers, they were working together, they had a battle strategy... but they were still too stupid to, say, climb a ladder or enter a building when the cloth was drawn shut. What was with that? They were clearly no smarter than they were before. But they were clearly being lead by something that could direct their movements...

Link mentally shook his head. This simply meant he had to be more wary. There was still the problem on how he was to get out of this battle without abandoning the Kokiri. But the answer to his problem remained just out of his grasp, even if his attention wasn't split thanks to his attackers. If he had his Long Shot he could pull himself up and away. If he had a free arm he could use a Deku Nut. If he had some personal space he could do a spin attack and kill the persistent bastards!

Suddenly, barely audible to him above the cries of battle, Link heard a muffled groan behind him, near his head. A few seconds later he felt something tugging on strands of his hair as it worked it's way up to the opening of his hat. Then he felt Navi squeeze out. Link took the chance to glance up, the little ball of blue light flying low, slow and wobbly. It took her a few seconds to come to her senses.

" HOLY FFF-FARORE! " She shrieked, zooming straight up in the air to avoid any high swipes from the Lizalfos, apparently still able to censor herself.

" Thank the goddesses you're awake! " Link replied as he twisted around to block another blow. He was pretty sure he was pretty heavily surrounded by now. " Think you're good to give me a hand? "

" A hand?.! " Navi chimed. " You need a Goron! " Even though he wasn't looking, Link was sure she was flying in rapid circles above him. " Din's Fire- no, Bomb- no! " She muttered rapidly.

" Hand me Nayru's Love! " Link ordered, interrupting her. Without pausing, Navi flew down, zooming past his face and digging down the neck of his tunic. After a few moments she returned, waiting until Link held his shield still long enough for her to zip over and drop something in his hand before returning to the space above his head, above the battle. Link tightened his grip on the small, blue crystal Navi had handed him. He hadn't the time to reach for it himself. Now he had to time his next action carefully. He continued to twist and turn, blocking blows with his shield and with his sword as he eyed the monsters warily for an opening. If he did this wrong, he'll be killed before he can complete it... Link dodged a Lizalfos that launched itself at him, the beast crashing into the ones behind him, making them stagger.

There!

As fast as he could, Link swung his shield back, slamming it into the monster behind him before bringing his arm up and then down, tossing the small, blue crystal into the trampled grass at his feet. He then swung his sword behind him as he guarded against Lizalfos in front of him with his shield. With a final cry of effort, Link crouched down, slamming his left hand into the ground where the crystal lay. Blue light shone from the ground in a flash, filling his vision.

A moment later he felt something narrow slam into his back, a cold pain shooting through his shoulder before it numbed to a dull throb. The deafening cries of the Lizalfos suddenly sounded muffled, the only clear sound left being his heavy breathing. The blue light soon dimmed, signalling it's completion. Looking up, Link saw a blue, diamond-shaped barrier surrounding him. Link knew from experience that it was wide enough for him to reach straight out with his hand and just barely touch the edge. Outside the magical blue wall, all the Lizalfos struggled to pierce it, either smashing it with their swords or slamming it with their bodies, but to no avail. Weaklings like them would never pierce it, and even if they did, any injury he sustained while in the field would instantly heal.

Triumphant, Link adjusted his crouch for a spin attack, the barrier moving with him and pushing the lizards back further. Their weapons couldn't pierce the barrier, but Link's could. After a few moments to concentrate on his sword, he rose to his feet, swinging his sword in a spin, the orange magic flung from it slicing through all the monsters nearby once again. This time they had all definitely been crowded right around him, and this time every single one of them fell, exploding into black smoke that also failed to leak through the blessed magic of the Great Fairies.

Link didn't rejoice though. He knew more of them will come, any second now. He still needed to come up with a solution to the Lizalfos. Not only that, but the longer he held up the shield, the faster he'll run out of energy to fight. And... wait. Why did his shoulder still hurt? Confused, Link glanced down. Only now did he notice the Lizalfos sword sticking right out of his shoulder, the pointed end dripping in his blood under his nose.

" Ho..! " Link gasped in surprise. That should hurt way more than it did. Straining to look behind him, he could just see the hilt out of the corner of his eye. The very end of the hilt, while no where near the edge of the barrier, looked like it had been sliced off. He remembered feeling it strike him after he activated Nayru's Love. That was close! He sighed. With the palm of his gloved hand, Link pushed the sword back out the back of his shoulder. The magic of Nayru's Love prevented him from feeling the excruciating pain that would normally couple with such an action. With some difficulty he managed to grab the blade sticking out of his back and yank it the rest of the way out, probably widening the wound in the process. But it didn't matter. Once the sword was out, the wound closed instantly, and in seconds it was healed, the only evidence it was ever there being the torn tunic and the blood that had seeped into the edges of the rip. That was another fantastic perk of Nayru's Love- he bled a lot less. If only it also healed injuries he got before he activated it, he'd be invincible.

Reaching down, Link picked the blue crystal up off the ground, tightening his grip around it as he concentrated. A moment later the magical, blue barrier fell, and the crystal stopped glowing. Now that the blue tint was gone, he could see his surroundings clearly. Just as he thought, more Lizalfos were congregating at the edge of the village, Link sighing in frustration.

" There's no end! " Navi reached the same conclusion. " Link, we need to get to the Great Deku Tree! "

" I know! " Link snapped, frustrated. " I've been trying to, but I can't leave these things to the Kokiri! "

" Just go! " She urged. " They'll probably follow you! "

" Probably isn't good enough! " Link growled.

" It is for this situation! " She snapped back. " Think about it! Either you stay here and fight them all till you drop dead from exhaustion, and then they will eat the Kokiri, or you go to the Great Deku Tree and find out what's up, while they may eat the Kokiri. "

Link was about to retort that since they were after him they probably wouldn't eat the Kokiri once he's dead, but then that wasn't exactly an end result he desired, either. Odds were not in his favour, but the only other choice he had here was not really a choice at all.

They are still really, really stupid... He thought with a sigh. So stupid that they won't enter a house if the cloth is drawn shut...

" Fine. " He muttered after a moment, giving in. He had the feeling he was going to kick himself for his decision later, but for now it was all he had. Link returned his shield to his back and used his now-free hand to pull out another Deku Nut. With a heave, he tossed the nut as far as he could, easily reaching the edge of the village and blinding all the monsters there. With that, Link turned away from the battle and ran. He only stopped for a moment to tell Mido off for sticking his head out of his house again. The boy appeared annoyed at what looked like Link fleeing, but he had no time to stop and explain it. The lizards were going to recover and come after him any moment, and they were faster than him.

Link hopped over the stepping stones of the river and passed the shop, the Kokiri girl that sat atop it now gone. He was worried about the other Kokiri. It killed him not to check on the rest of his friends, but he couldn't waist time. The fact that these monsters got passed the Deku Tree in the first place was disturbing enough, but what if something had happened to him? What if the Deku Tree had been weak beforehand and had said nothing?

What if Link's too late again?

He couldn't run fast enough as he jumped over the river once more, now right in front of the opening. Another Dinolfos jumped out of the trees, in his way. Link didn't stop, slamming into the monster with his shield and knocking it over before he leaped, using his weight to bring down his sword and impaling it in the chest, killing it instantly. He yanked out his sword and kept running, the beast exploding behind him. Close, so close! He thought. Please be ok! Soon enough Link reached the Deku Tree, sliding to a stop at the top of the hill that overlooked the great forest deity. There, he froze, mouth agape in horror at the sight before him.

That definitely wasn't there before.

There rested the Deku Tree, looking perfectly normal, aside from the fact that there was a seriously huge Deku Baba growing right in front of it. This Deku Baba was massive. It's roots were exposed and dug not only into the ground around the front of the Deku tree, but seemed to web across his face as well, digging into the wood. At the base of it's stem grew two more, each stretching out either side of the Deku Baba. At the end of these two extra stems was what looked like a sun flower with no petals. The brown, fuzzy swirl looked far rougher than any sun flower he'd seen. The Deku Tree was silent, his leaves discoloured.

Was the Deku Tree...?

The Deku Baba noticed him. It reared up, as they did, and launched itself at him, stopping a meter before it would have smashed into him. It opened it's mouth and roared, the same sound Link had heard before. Link instinctively held up his shield in defence as it's cry hurt his ears. When it was finally silent it gave off a hiss before it reared back again, clacking it's mouth together as it watched him. This thing was clearly affecting the Deku Tree. If he wasn't already dead, he will be soon if Link didn't do something.

" Suggestions? " He asked Navi.

" It looks like a Deku Baba, " She uttered, " But it seems to be leeching off the Great Deku Tree like a parasite! "

" Should I cut it off him? " Link asked, leaning to the side to get a better view of the base of the stem, which was shrouded in long, sickly-looking leaves.

" Maybe you should blast it off? " She suggested.

" I'd also blow a chunk out of the Great Deku Tree. " Link shook his head. He'd already caused enough problems, and wasn't about to add maimed the Deku Tree to the list. there had to be another way... Maybe if he just cut off the main head, the rest will wilt and die. It didn't look like the strange sun flower stalks were of any importance, unless it was supposed to bludgeon things. " Lets see what happens when I cut off it's head. " he decided.

Eyeing the Deku Baba Parasite warily, Link slowly stepped forward. It saw this and instantly launched itself at him again, Link back flipping out of the way. The second he was back on his feet, he dashed around it's great head, leaping down to the bottom of the hill and heading towards the base of the stem where the roots began. He was half way there when he saw the Deku Baba rear up beside him, swivelling to look down at him. Surely he was too close for it to attack?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Deku Baba lift it's head up higher. Behind it was one of the sun flower stalks, bent and twisted to face him. A second later he saw a flurry of tiny needles fire at him. Link jumped and rolled out of the way, barely managing to dodge. That explained what those things were for. Not much of an attack.. He thought as he reached the Deku Tree. Leaping again, Link drove his sword into the thick stem, the sharp blade ripping through the green stalk with ease. But it was so thick he could barely reach mid way before he had to abandon the attack to dodge another wave of needles. If he stayed close to the Deku Tree then the main head can't attack him. All he has to do is dodge the attacks of the sun flower stalks and this fight is in the-

" Youch! " Link uttered, shaking his left hand. One of the needles had grazed it, leaving a small, red line in it's wake. For a tiny little scratch, the bloody thing sure did sting. Link returned his attention to the sun flower stalk that was attacking him. It had stopped firing needles again. Is that the best attack this thing has? he thought, bewildered. He was already half way through defeating it. One more cut with his sword should completely sever the head. If this thing was really a Deku Baba it'll shrivel and die in seconds. Triumphant, Link took a step towards the base of the stem...

...And fell to his knees.

" Link! " Navi gasped from above him. Link stared wide-eyed at the ground. It had suddenly become so difficult to move his arms and legs, like the Goddesses had decided to tie heavy rocks to his limbs as a sick prank. In fact... he couldn't move any part of him. ...The hell?.! He struggled to move, but any effort he put into it just seemed to make it worse. " The needles have a paralysing poison in them! " Navi finally informed him.

Link swore at the fairy in his mind.


Overconfidence is a bitch. And so's Navi. I promise the plot will move past Kokiri Forest next chapter.

'Till then!