The Legend of Zelda

Secrets of the Lost Woods

Chapter 9: The Plot Thickens…

"Link, don't you dare turn around!"

Link did as he was told. From what he could guess, something was definitely up. Saria wouldn't be talking normal if she was still an avatar, so that probably meant that her guise had become shredded away with his attack. Perhaps his magic was a bit more powerful than he thought.

After hearing some leaves rustling behind him, Link assumed that Saria had her new body returned. Acting rather on anxiousness rather than common sense, he turned around.

Right then and there, feelings of dread and excitement, sheer fright and desire, all flowed through him at that one moment that he glanced at Saria. She seemed more beautiful than she had ever been before; her hair seemed greener, her eyes seemed to shine, and her skin…her beautiful skin, seemed to grow brighter and smoother to the eye than ever before. Of course, there was a lot more skin on her now that she was naked.

Saria had some of her covered up in a small, makeshift towel of leaves—some of her, anyway. It was mostly her lower body that she managed to get, but Link had managed to ungraciously turn right before she covered the top of her body, including her breasts. As such, her reaction was like any girl's reaction to a boy seeing her in such an immodest state…she screamed.

A sphere of green energy struck Link and sent him toppling head over heels to the edge of the pit. He stopped before reaching it, though he was much to close to his liking. He decided that from now on, if there was a chance that a girl was naked or de-clothed in any form, be sure to ask if she was decent first before turning around.

"What is the matter with you?!" Saria shouted as she pulled up the rest of the green 'blanket' over her body. By now, her whole body seemed to glow a light red in embarrassment. "Haven't you any sense of decency?!? I'd kill you now if we weren't in such a predicament as this!"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Link protested. He was trying to hide the fact that his face felt like he had dipped it into a pool of molten iron. He didn't know if Saria had realized it, but he personally had little experience with the female creature, let alone ever got a full friendship with one other than his sister, Aryll. Indeed, Saria was the first girl he had ever glimpsed even without so much as a dress or a tunic piece on, let alone completely naked.

Saria growled. "Sorry doesn't cut it," she said, "Here we are, in a place where almost anything can kill us, and you go off and act like a peeping tom the moment that a girl is in a situation of helplessness and has her clothes off! You…you…you pervert!"

"I said I was sorry!" Link protested, "I didn't mean to! I thought…I didn't think that…I…what are you looking at me like that for?"

Saria's mood had changed from that of a woman scorned to that of a frightened little girl. She pointed a finger over at Link's direction. However, from the look of her eyes, he could tell right away that she wasn't looking directly at him.

Link quickly jumped aside and turned to face the threat. What he saw was both terrifying…and rather revolting. The gigantic snake had survived its brush with the Chu-Chus, at least that's what it seemed. All that remained of it was a skeleton; the creature's huge, coiling backbone and skull; but it was covered in churning, gooey, sticky Chu-Chu jelly. Either the snake survived and took up a consciousness with the slimy creatures, or the creatures were bonding with the snake's remains that they could not digest to ensure their escape. Either way, the abomination that burst from the pit was not something pretty to look at.

The monster gazed between its killers. It let out a mighty hiss, which was garbled through the slime and juice that was the Chu-Chu jelly that covered its body. The creature's hiss was loud, frightening, and awe-inspiring. It was like having an alligator hiss at you while its throat was clogged with oil. The sound reverberated through the halls of the maze, echoing and shaking the vine-filled walls.

Link and Saria both took one look at the monster, and did the one thing that scared kids were known to do…they ran for their lives. The two of them didn't look back once as they ran through the maze, completely oblivious as to where they were going. They kept running until the sounds of the creature were far behind them, and by then they had probably gone through at least half of the maze.

Link and Saria leaned against the walls for a moment, catching their breath. It was right then and there that Link noticed that Saria wasn't becoming an Avatar anymore. She had been naked during the whole run, her modesty coming in the form of a blanket of vines that she had torn off of the wall and used to protect herself when Link had turned around and saw her the first time. She was using it now, holding it tightly against her skin and attempting to catch her breath. As she did, with her eyes closed, Link could not help but notice that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life.

Link didn't know why, but something inside of him told him, deep down, that they needed to be together. It was more than the instinct and courtesy of helping her save the forest, but it was something that seemed timeless. He felt that he could not be apart from her for long, even if they did save the forest and Link could go home. He could not leave and be apart from her emerald green hair, her pale and soft skin, her beautiful eyes…

Link suddenly realized that Saria didn't have her eyes closed anymore. The two of them locked their gazes, and, surprisingly, neither one of them could move. Link could not help but stare deep, deep, deep into her blue eyes, which glistened and glowed in the pale light of the maze. It was mesmerizing to behold, like gazing into two, perfectly smoothed and polished jewels of such beauty that not even the ocean could give comparison to them. They were more beautiful than…

Images of a young girl with brown hair flashed before his mind's eye.

Link was the first to turn away. Saria gazed curiously at the boy as he awkwardly shuffled forward, turning his back towards his friend. She could tell right away that something was wrong. There was something going on, deep inside, that was tearing him apart. She didn't know why, but somehow it seemed to involve her…

"Link?" Saria asked, "Are you alri—?"

"I'm sorry," Link muttered. Saria stopped in her tracks as the boy spoke. "I'm sorry about…seeing you, earlier. It was uncalled for. I should have asked to see if you were…dressed. I didn't…I didn't know that you were…well…"

Saria finished the sentence for him. "Naked?"

Link nodded.

Saria couldn't help but smile. "I forgive you," she said, "It was kind of silly the way I reacted when you…saw me. It isn't every day that I happen to not have clothes on when there's a guy around. Can you forgive me, for calling you a pervert? I know you didn't mean it."

Link smiled slightly, feeling a bit of his lip curl at the corner of his mouth. "I forgive you," he said quietly.

Saria giggled. "Good," she said, "Now, you can help me out. I can't run around naked in this maze. I think I can get these vines into a good enough weave to act as clothes, but I can't put them on by myself. Do me a favor, and look straight ahead. Do not turn around this time until I say so."

Link obeyed. Keeping his gaze straight ahead, he did not move once as he heard the rustling of vines and leaves. Saria gave the occasional tiny squeal when a thorn or a sharp twig scratched her skin, but remained mostly silent as she fumbled with the vines. It was a full half an hour later that she had finally managed to get a suitable garment made out of the plants.

"Alright, I'm done for the moment," Saria said, "but I need help with getting this thing tied. When I tell you to, stand up and turn around so that you can tie this. Don't look down…please…understand?"

Link nodded, though he wasn't sure if Saria could see him or not. There was a moment of silence for a second or two before he heard the rustling of leaves as Saria stood up. He could hear her breathing rather fast and uncomfortably, and for some reason he could feel his heart pumping like crazy. She continued fumbling for a few minutes more, and then started taking a deep breath.

"Okay, you can turn now," she said.

Link did as he was told. Silently, he approached her back and began tying a few vines together in order to keep her garment from coming apart. Though she was covered in the stuff, Link could still tell that her whole backside was bare, and the vines alone couldn't keep her modesty intact for very long. Link did as he was told and didn't look down, though he knew full well that her butt was showing just out of reach of his eyesight.

Finally, he tied the last knot. "Done," he said.

Saria made a gesture for him to quickly look up. Link did so, as Saria turned about and faced him. Though her skin was still showing, the vines were indeed covering the parts that needed covered very well, and although she looked like she was in a revealing bathing suit she was still showing modesty. It wasn't until Link saw her hands glow that he realized that she wasn't finished with the garment.

Amazed, Link watched as Saria touched the vines, leaves, and, of all things, roots with her hands. Suddenly, the "clothing" transformed before their very eyes, spreading fibers and strings of plant like actual threads across one another. The threads continued to spread across each other until every last piece of clothing was covered in the stuff, sealing together until it formed a suitable tunic and pants. When it was over, Saria was in a brand new, albeit scruffy looking, Kokiri Tunic.

"Now all I need is a hat to complete the ensemble," she said with a smile.

Link noticed that his mouth was open. Closing it, he gazed up and down her body in amazement at what she had done.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"The Kokiri are masters at magic weave," Saria explained, "We make our tunics out of plant thread all the time. Though we usually hand weave it, my mother said that most Kokiri spellcasters can conjure a piece of Kokiri cloth using their magic powers. I've practiced on it for months now…though, as you can see, I still need to master it."

Link chuckled. "I don't know, I think you did a good enough job already. Your mother must have been proud to have a daughter like you."

Link noticed that Saria suddenly looked rather forlorn. Inwardly, he cursed himself. He of all people knew what it was like to re-open old wounds, and he knew exactly how it felt. Remembering what Aryll used to do with him whenever he had nightmares about his parents or home, he approached the girl and gently rubbed her shoulder.

"It's alright," he said, "The best we can do is let it go. We still have a forest to save, remember?"

Saria wiped her nose with her free hand and looked up into Link's eyes. "I…guess you're right. Come on…we still have to get the last piece of the sword."

Link had completely forgotten about the sword after their little fiasco with the snake. Looking at his belt, he spotted that he had put the hilt and the guard in his pouch. He had probably done it out of reaction just before they took off. After checking to make sure that both were okay, he put them back into his pouch and closed it tight.

"Where to next?" he asked.

Saria looked around, putting her fingers to her lips in thought. It was then that the two of them realized that they were quite lost. Since Saria wasn't an Avatar anymore, she couldn't ask the vines where to go, and for some reason they didn't want to take her back in. It was almost as if Link's magic had scared them off or something, because some of them even moved away as Saria attempted to touch the wall.

"No good," Saria said after the eleventh try, "They aren't responding. We're lost."

"There's got to be another way to find out where we are," Link said, "I mean, we can't be that turned around, can we?"

"I don't know," Saria said, "I'm…I'm not sure where we are anymore. Oh…oh why didn't I pay attention to where we were going? This…this is all my fault…I brought you into this, and now we are both lost…"

"Hey, hey," Link said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "We'll get through with this. Don't worry. It's not your fault."

The two of them stood there for a few more moments. Feeling rather awkward at the silence, Link finally managed to say something.

"Well, at least nothing's managed to attack us—"

RAAARRRSSSS!!

Link and Saria didn't need to turn around to know that the snake was right behind them. Without another word, they ran for their lives, with the slithering glob of goo following close behind…

The dark figure watched as the two of them ran…in the wrong direction! Instead of trying to go off and escape by dodging and weaving the beast, they were actually going straight on and heading straight for the last piece of the sword. The being seethed in rage as he watched the two of them rushed on, closer and closer to his potential doom.

I will not allow him to defeat me again!

The dark figure wordlessly began to cast his magic from his dark prison. As he did, at least three of the Phantom Guardians inside began to transform into his Feral Phantoms. Two huge Moldorms, their segments clicking as they dug through the earth, circled the Phantoms as they stood guardian the ledge where the final piece sat.

If they reach the treasure, all that I have worked for is doomed. I will not let that happen…they will die, and they will die slowly…

The figure silently chuckled to himself as he watched his two latest victims fall right into his trap…

Link and Saria ran for their lives. The monstrous Chu-Chu Snake, still hungry for more of a meal, was making its way towards them. A trail of slime and decay followed the creature as it attempted to run them down. It was catching up fast; already, the thing was within 20 feet of them both!

Link had a hold of Saria's hand as they ran. He was the faster runner, and she was almost dragging behind. The two of them could only hold out for so long before fatigue would consume their bodies…and then, there would be no hope of escape.

"Link, what do we do?!" Saria shouted.

I'm thinking, I'm thinking, Link wanted to shout. He had been trying to keep track of their surroundings ever since the chase started, but save for a tree or two there was absolutely nothing that stood out in the maze. The two of them could have been running in circles and not have even noticed it; indeed, they did manage to pass a slime trail or two while they tried to escape. By now, they may as well have been running blind.

"Link?"

Dammit, where's a way out of here?! Link continued running, not once letting go of Saria as they tried to escape the slithering mass of decaying juice and acidic insides. Wall after wall of vines passed them, continuing to add to the monotony that was the maze.

"LINK!"

Too late. He didn't see the large boot that stuck out from behind one of the walls. Before he could move, he tripped head over heels on the stone floor. His body rolled into a somersault, and he was completely tossed about by his sudden fall. When he finally did manage to stop, it was at the edge of yet another chasm, where two beasts were waiting on the other side.

The Feral Phantoms grinned evilly as they barred the path across the bridge to the other side. Behind them, a raised platform held the final piece to Link's weapon; the blade of the sword. The weapon was dull in color; barely reflecting any light at all in the gloom. However, it was sharp, and it would perfectly fit his style of fighting. Now, if he could just—

"Link, help me!"

Link turned around. The Feral Phantom that tripped him was standing between himself and Saria, who was still sprawled on the floor. Her ankle had been twisted, and she was lying down; completely immobilized by pain. The mighty snake had slowed its approach, gliding across the floor with its jelly-like body as it made its way closer, and closer to the kill.

"Saria!" Link looked around. In front of him, there was one of the monstrous phantoms. The creature was screeching like an eagle as it held tightly to a powerful axe in its hands. It stood between him and Saria, who could easily become Chu-Chu jelly really, really quickly.

Behind him, two smaller Phantoms, each wielding a sword and shield, stood guarding the blade. If he could rush and grab it, he could easily defeat the phantoms quickly, and not have to worry about them trying to kill him. However, he didn't know if he could make it to the blade in time.

The snake hissed, and struck.

"LINK!!!"

No…

"SARIAAAAAA!!!"

What happened next took place within a matter of seconds. Link rushed at the snake, his hand in his pouch and grabbing the empty blade hilt. The Feral Phantom swung its huge axe, swift and low, aiming towards Link's midsection so that he could carve him cleanly in half. Link leapt over the blade, completely flying over it as he kept running towards his target. Cleanly landing on his shoulder and tucking in his legs, he rolled about on the floor until his feet touched the floor. As the snake struck, he pushed hard, extended his legs, and jumped.

There was a flash of light. A burst of flame. A sudden cry of fright. A roar of fury. A hiss of death.

When the moment ended, Link was standing on the stone floor. Saria lay protected between his legs; her friend's upper body acting as a shield. Link held a fully completed sword in his left hand, which was composed of a hilt of dark wood and red leather, a crossguard of blue metal, and a polished, silvery-green blade. The blade was currently ablaze, with the flames of friendship and glory sprouting along its edges, representing the power within Link's veins.

The blade was currently buried up to the hilt inside of the snake's skull.

There was no cry of pain; no death throes or any attempts at proving that it would make a final act of defiance. Instead, the entire creature dissipated. Its huge body made a squelching sound as it came apart and was sucked into the stone. The skeleton was all that was left, and it too fell apart as the Chu-Chu jelly that kept it in place no longer remained. Link found himself holding his blade triumphantly into thin air, as if he had drawn his sword at nothing.

Though Link was awed at what happened, he wasn't dumbstruck enough to know that he and Saria were not in danger anymore. Saria cried out in fear as the axe swung again at Link's midsection. With all the agility of a cat, Link leapt up and landed on the axe head, using it as a springboard and jumping up at the Feral Phantom's helmet. Sword in hand, Link stabbed deep into the beast's armor, letting his magic flow through the powerful blade.

Flames erupted from every crack, seam, and opening inside of the armor. The Feral Phantom let out an eagle-like screech of pain and anguish as Link let his magic flow through his enemy. In a mighty flash of heat and light, the armor erupted into a hulking mass of fiery metal and burning flesh. Link leapt off of the creature as it fell, the armor scattering in all directions as it began to burn to a crisp.

Link did not stop with one phantom. Running across the stone floor and over the bridge, he rushed at the two other phantoms on the other side, who were charging at him with swords and shields raised. Link slashed three times with the sword and stabbed with all the might of a charging bull, cutting three openings into the armor of the first Phantom before completely impaling it. As the Phantom fell from the bridge, the second one rushed forward and struck.

CLANG!

Link's sword came up in time, blocking the blow that the much bigger warrior made. Not once did escape, fear, or thoughts of the unknown grace Link's mind. He was one with the blade, completely adamant and resolved to protect his friend. The blade hissed and sung as Link pushed, sending his weapon dangerously sliding along his enemy's blade. The two warriors were locked in an epic stalemate of magnificent proportions, as if they had just frozen there or were a part of some painting depicting their struggle.

Saria watched it all as Link crossed swords with the Phantom. She had managed to get away before things got out of hand with the first Phantom, and watched in terror as Link took on them all. Her heart cried out to her protector…her friend. She hoped that he would survive, and she prayed to the Goddesses that he would make it through. Every strike and counter-strike that Link made was filled with the prayers of a young Kokiri girl…

It was right about then that the Moldorms came.

They burst from the chasm and struck. The bridge was knocked aside and threatened to come crashing down through the chasm. Link and the Phantom almost lost their balance as one of the Moldorms came up and circled the bridge with its huge, insectoid coils; its jaws opening and snapping shut in a dangerous fashion. As one of the beasts attempted to push the bridge off, the other rose like a snake atop the structure and attempted to attack the boy.

"Link, NOOOO!!!"

Link's cries echoed throughout the maze. The bridge broke in half and toppled into the chasm, taking its three occupants with it. Link's sword was halfway inside of the Phantom when it happened, and he was unable to do anything as the bridge collapsed. With a Moldorm's jaws clamped tightly around his middle and with his sword stuck inside of the Phantom, he seemed doomed to die this day.

Tears fell from Saria's face as Link disappeared into the chasm. She fell on her knees, her heart overcome with anguish, sorrow, and fright. She had just witnessed the death of her only friend in years…her only real, true friend. She could not help but feel the icy sting of despair grip her heart, and she did not attempt to dispel the tears.

"Link…" Saria whispered, burying her face in her hands, "Please come back…"

Unfortunately for her, something answered.

Saria's crying stopped and her anguish was replaced with ice-cold terror as the insect-like hissing of the second Moldorm reached her ears. Opening her eyes, she looked in horror as the monstrous creature approached her, its twin jaws snapping like the mouth of a tremendously deformed alligator. The beast raised its head like some gigantic snake of Hell, rearing its body until its exoskeleton almost reached the dark ceiling above.

As the beast struck, the only thing that Saria could do was scream.

SHLUKT!!!!

Saria had her eyes closed. She winced as she felt hot blood splatter on her face. She thought that the beast had managed to get her in the stomach, and it had hit so hard that her insides had spread out all over her body. As she trembled in fear and disgust, she suddenly discovered that there was something very odd…she wasn't in pain.

The Kokiri girl slowly opened her eyes, and gasped. The Moldorm's compound eyes were clouded over in death, its limbs twitching slightly in minor death throes. Though it was in mid-strike, its body had come to a complete stop; just inches from striking her in the neck; and its jaws were twitching in an attempt to close upon her flesh. The source of the blood came from the center of the beast's twitching segments, where a silvery-green blade had pierced straight through the monster's exoskeleton and out the other side.

"L-L…Link?"

The boy groaned as he put his foot up against the beast and pushed hard. Saria didn't move once as the Moldorm's body fell in a heap beside her. As Link twirled his sword once in victory, he stood proudly over the corpse at his feet, looking it over before turning his gaze upon Saria.

Saria could not help but feel awed at her friend. Light shining behind Link upon the platform where the sword's blade originally stood made Link appear as if he was some angel from above. Saria could not help but feel somewhat giddy and humbled by his presence, but above all she felt joy. Even if the boy was covered in the orange, sticky blood of the Moldorm, which stained his green tunic, Saria still felt these strong feelings about him. She couldn't explain it…indeed, the Kokiri could never truly understand these feelings, being forever children. However, she did know this much…she knew she could not live a moment without him.

Link didn't even have time to sheath his sword as Saria rushed towards him and enveloped him in a very tight hug. Her face was buried in his shoulder, and it didn't take much for Link to realize that Saria was crying. Link didn't really know what to do, but decided to let gut instinct take over. Dropping his sword with a clang, Link gently returned the hug, letting Saria bury her face even further and letting her cry her heart out.

"Link…" Saria said between tears, "I thought…I thought you were dead. I…I-I saw you f-f-f-fall…I saw you d-d-d-die…Link…"

"Shhh-shh-shh-shh," Link said, rubbing the Kokiri's back gently. He was lucky that he remembered how Aryll used to take care of him; otherwise, he'd probably be frozen in uncertainty. "It's okay. It's alright…I'm here. It's alright."

Saria sniffed, wiping her eyes on Link's shoulder. "I thought…I thought that I was going to be alone again. Link…don't ever…don't ever leave me, okay? I can't stand the thought of being alone…please, promise me you'll never leave me."

Link felt a gentle smile creep upon his face. "I promise."

The two of them stood there for a while, embracing each other in the gloom. All else was ignored; the unsettling darkness of the place, the dead Moldorm in the pool of its own blood, the chasm. Everything was completely void in the minds of the two teenagers. Their whole world seemed focused upon this moment…this strange, emotional moment. The feelings between the two was indescribable, though anyone who was old enough to understand could recognize instantly the feelings being shared.

Finally, Saria relaxed her hold on Link. It was then that she noticed that some of the blood on him wasn't from the Moldorm. Looking down, she could see that there were cuts in his tunic from where the first Moldorm had attacked him, which swelled slightly from the insect's saliva.

"Link, you're hurt!" she gasped, "Hold still…I need to see to these cuts. You could get infected…"

As Link silently let Saria lay him down on the floor, he noticed right then and there how tired he was. He relaxed as Saria addressed to the cuts, ignoring the pain as she began to clean them of blood and stray saliva. Indeed, he ignored the pain altogether as his thoughts dwelled upon the girl at his side.

What are these feelings? Link asked himself. I recognize them, but I can't tell what they are. Gosh, this girl gets me confused a lot. I can't get by for one day without having something amazing happen around her that leaves me speechless or mumbling aloud like an idiot. What kind of spell does she put on me?

Finally, the pain stopped. Saria helped Link up as she brushed the last of the blood away from his wounds. Releasing him, she allowed Link to gaze upon his features. The cuts were gone, but the swelling remained slightly, and his skin had scars from the bite. However, the pain had receded, and as long as he could walk and fight, it didn't matter to him.

He looked over at the chasm. "Now what?" he asked.

"Well, you've got your sword," Saria said, "And it is a beautiful thing at that. What do you think its name is?"

Link cocked an eyebrow. "Name?"

"Yeah, silly," Saria giggled, "All the greatest of swords have to have a name. Otherwise…they'd be boring to have around."

Link picked up the blade from where he dropped it on the floor. He looked down at the weapon. It didn't occur to him before, but, somehow, Saria was right. The thing seemed pointless and empty without a name. It was too bad that they didn't know what to call it.

"Well, we could always name it ourselves," Link said.

Saria smiled. "That's a great idea! What do you want to call it? Moldorm's Bane? Phantom Slayer? Bug Sword?"

Link winced when he heard that last one. He decided that it would probably be best of he came up with the name instead of his friend. "How about…hmm…"

"There's got to be something that we can name it," Saria said with a frown, "Nothing should be without a name…that's a lesson that the Great Deku Tree always taught us when we were young, before he…"

It was then that Link remembered the giant tree. The gentle eyes, though paled by dormancy, seemed to stare down at him in his memory. It almost seemed as if the tree were granting him some kind of vision. He didn't know why, but he felt a strange urge to call the sword the—

"Oak Sword."

Saria stopped talking and cocked an eyebrow. "Oak sword? Where did that come from?"

Link shrugged. "No idea. It just…kind of…popped into my head. It kind of suits it though…I mean, look at the blade. It's green, isn't it?"

Saria looked at the sword and smiled in mild disgust. "It looks kind of orange to me."

Link looked down at the blade and groaned. It was still covered in Moldorm blood. He had forgotten to clean it off! Quickly reaching into his pouch, he pulled out a grubby rag and began wiping the sticky blood off of the blade.

"Dammit! It's gotten too dry," he said, "I'm going to have to dip this in water or something if I'm ever going to get this off. Maybe wine would do good for this."

Saria gave Link a rather odd look. "Wine? What's that?"

"It's a kind of drink that…well, never mind. Let's just say that it makes you feel good and leave it at that."

Saria gazed at Link in confusion. "Why would you use a drink on a sword?"

"Because wine has alcohol, and alcohol does wonders for cleaning things. It would help make sure that there isn't a stain on this sword when I'm done. Since I don't have any, though, I'll have to make do with whatever I can find. Now…where to next?"

The two friends looked around. There were openings on either side behind them that could lead to virtually anywhere inside of the maze. There was also the chasm in front of them, which opened up along a very large stretch of ground and kept going on both sides of the strange place. The platform on the other side seemed to glow as if light was coming through an opening behind it, indicating yet another way out.

"I think it's best that we try to get over that chasm," Saria said, "Otherwise…we may as well be getting lost again."

"How do you figure we can get across?" Link asked, "Last I checked, the only bridge over broke in half."

Saria smiled mischievously at the boy in green. "Never doubt the powers of a Kokiri spellcaster," she said.

She approached the edge of the chasm. Closing her eyes, she raised her hands and began to wave her fingers. Her hands quickly became twin spheres of green light as they glowed brightly with her magic. Letting the energy flow through her, she began chanting from some ancient language, letting her magical sphere of power touch the vines and plants all around in the maze.

Obeying to her will, the plants suddenly began to reach out and form massive webs and tendrils of green towards the edges of the chasm. Like living spiders' webs, the vines went back and forth across the chasm, extending their reach until they formed a sturdy rope bridge. When it was finally done, Saria lowered her hands, and allowed the remaining energy to return back into her body or waste away into nothingness in the room.

It seemed unsurprising to Link that he was speechless again.

The two friends descended deep into the hallway. The light that had originally come from this place was long gone, replaced by darkness. The occasional light of green was all that kept the stone hallway from becoming pitch black, but even then it gave the whole place an eerie feeling. Link had heard stories of Hyrule Castle Town's old city sewers…this tunnel sure fit their description easily.

As the two of them continued, Link could not help but feel rather cold. Strangely, this cold felt unnatural. The room temperature seemed to barely be above body temperature, giving it a sort of warm feeling. This coldness that he felt came occasionally, as if some kind of wind were brushing past his body…or as if some spirit was touching him.

Link looked over at Saria. She was feeling it too. Beckoning her to come close, the two of them huddled together for warmth as they continued going deeper and deeper into the tunnel. There weren't any vines anymore; they passed them after leaving the maze. The only green came in the form of the strange, unnatural lighting on the ceiling above, which was barely a foot above Link's head. The smallness of the room gave a feeling of claustrophobia as they continued delving deeper and deeper into the darkness.

Finally, the tunnel came to an end. It opened up into a large chamber, which glowed slightly with tiny blue lights. As the two of them continued, they found a strange, circular, cone-like structure that rose up in steps in the center of the room. The two of them , still huddled together for warmth, climbed up the steps so that they could see the object at the top.

Halfway up, they stopped. Link was starting to hear voices…

You are a lucky one, boy…the Kokiri girl is blind to your deceiving nature.

She thinks you are her friend, and as such her magic protects you from us…

Be warned, boy…you will not last long when we show her the truth of your lies…just you wait and see…

Link looked over at Saria. The girl suddenly looked rather frightened and forlorn. Link realized that the voices were speaking to her as well. As they continued whispering something unintelligent and incomprehensible to Link's mind, the Kokiri girl gave Link a frightened glance.

Link didn't know why, but it broke his heart to see her gaze at him with such distrust. He could not live seeing her looking at him this way. Reaching down, he offered her his hand. The girl looked at it for a second or two, as if pondering whether to accept it or not. Link felt his heart pound and cry out in anguish as the seconds dragged by. He felt as if she wasn't going to take it…as if the voices convinced her that he wasn't her friend, even though he would never do anything to hurt her.

As he looked away, he felt skin slowly brush against his hand. He turned and looked into Saria's eyes. She smiled weakly as she slowly closed her hand around his. Link's heart leapt for joy when she did. Deep down, he knew that their friendship had been tested…and they both passed the test.

Interesting…the Kokiri trusts you beyond anything that deception can bring…

She is refusing to listen to our warnings…you must have a slick tongue, boy…

Know now that we will be watching you…if there is any chance that you will bring harm to this child of the forest and to its people, we will make sure that your fate will be far worse than any death that any man or Hylian can conjure in their dark imaginings…we have spoken…

Link felt as if a heavy weight just left his shoulders as the voices ceased. Breathing heavily, he looked over at Saria. She appeared to be free of the voices as well, and she appeared calmer; more comfortable. Grasping her hand tightly, Link led her up the steps, continuing up until they reached the top of the strange cone-like pyramid.

When they got to the top, there was a large, circular base made of stone in the center of the pyramid. A steady, purple-blue glow seemed to shine upon the stone and all that surrounded it. As the two of them approached, an object on the stone seemed to glow brightly. Link gazed at the strange treasure in awe…something deep inside of him told him that he could take it. Trusting his instincts, Link reached out with his free hand, and took the treasure.

It was an Ocarina. Not just any Ocarina, but one that was very, very special. The Ocarina was purple-blue, large enough to fit cleanly in his hands, and had many swirling markings and carvings on it that suggested an ancient origin. A silver band circled around the mouthpiece, and in the center of that band were three golden triangles.

"The Ocarina of Time," Link whispered.

Saria gasped as she gazed upon the beautifully polished wood. Both of them could only look upon it in awe; completely humbled as they were by the treasure's beautiful presence. The instrument was as old as time itself, its age dating back to before even the Imprisoning War, which was at least over a thousand years ago. And yet, the instrument was so beautiful that it looked brand new…no, better than new. It seemed as if the instrument was timeless; appearing as beautiful as it did way back when the legendary Hero of Time first used the beautiful and magical source of music to open the Door of Time, so long ago.

Another voice whispered in Link's head. From the look on Saria's face, she could hear it too. However, instead of the voice being that of a vengeful spirit, it was calm and serene, like some beautiful enchantress or a guardian of ancient treasures.

Listen well, heirs of Hyrule…the two of you were chosen by destiny to come to this place. You are the descendants of three ancient lines that go back further than even the Ocarina of Time itself. A dark age has befallen the peoples of Hyrule as the ancient king of old has taken his command over the land once more. In his blind rage, he wishes to destroy all of the Hylian Race. In doing so, he wishes to obtain only one goal; to obtain the remaining two pieces of the Triforce. The lines to the original wielders of the Triforce were either broken or lost, and as such the source of the mystical object could lie in any of your kind. As such, the King of Evil wishes to exterminate your race, just to make sure that he can obtain that which he solely desires.

There is a chance for the survival of your race. Listen well, for the task that has been appointed to you, Link, and you, Saria, is important. You must find the three Sacred Stones and bring them together under the light of the Shadow Moon. The Sacred Stones can be found in three ancient temples; the first can be found in a Palace to the east. The second can be found in the mountain of fire. The last can be found in a fountain of ice. When you bring them together, the path to the Temple of Time will be shown to you, and more to your task will be revealed.

Heed my warning…a dark prophecy follows your peoples. Even now, two terrors strike from both sides. One comes in the form of the infamous King of Evil, who resides in the violated and damned castle of the Hylian People to the north. The other, however, is perhaps far more dark and devious than even he, even though it is of his creation. This dark beast watches you even now, though he cannot do a thing to you two in this sacred place. His powers are strong; perhaps just as strong as the King of Evil's. Do not underestimate his evil.

Suddenly, a glowing slab of rock rose from the base that held the Ocarina. A series of notes suddenly began to glow, indicating a strange song that could be played by the instrument. Link looked down at the Ocarina of Time, which seemed to beg for him to play it.

Play the Wind's Requiem to travel to the first stone. Let the Ocarina of Time guide you there, across time and space, and trust in your sword to guide you in battle. Find the three stones, and we will meet again…

"Saria, grab on to me," Link said.

The Kokiri girl did as she was told, hugging tightly to Link's body. Link brought the Ocarina to his lips and began to play.

Though the song's basic notes; C, F, and A; weren't much to look at, the rest of the song soon swiftly began to come together. Link felt his fingers move on their own accord as he played the sweet tune. As he did, he felt magic slowly begin to weave and twist around them in the form of a breeze, which swiftly began to turn into a mighty gale of magic.

Before they left, Link let out a final shout. "Wait! What was the prophecy? You didn't tell us what it is!!"

The room began to disappear, replaced by the roaring of the mighty gale that swept them off of their feet. As it carried them on, Link heard the voice make one final whisper. He regretted ever asking that question as the voice's final words echoed in his mind…

One of your races will die when this is over…

Kerian: Okay, so Link gets a new sword...and may have feelings for somebody. And thus the plot thickens as Link obtains the legendary Ocarina of Time...you know what, who doesn't love that instrument?

Well, anyway, on to regular news. This is the last update I'm making on all fanfics before I go off and make an embargo on everything save for my 20 chapter fanfics. Since I have so many, I'm going to take a stand and take a break. The less fics I have to update, the better. I'm thinking on shortening SotLW though, so that I can have a better chance at finishing it, though I'm probably not going to update this again in a while...but hey, when wasn't that old news? lol.

Darin: You know, when does Link never fall in love? So far, I think every one of your fanfics with him in it has some kind of romance involved. What's the big deal with love?!?

Kerian: You know what, I find myself asking that same question sometimes...*sigh* lol. Anyway, you can expect fanfics like The Fallen Star A Tale of Redwall and The Seige of Uldaman to be the next fics updated. Everything else is going to have to wait for a while. If you are interested in reading other stuff until then, check out my other works...but until next time, me out!

-Kerian and Darin