"This is it... " Link said. "Finally, after all those battles, I'm finally coming back home."
He shook his head. "Well, it has been a much longer time for Saria and the others... but the main point is that we're back, right?"
"Yeah," Ukyo sighed. "But... seeing the woods in such a state pains me... I mean, you have been living in the forest for a much longer time than me. But it's still my home."
"I just hope those monsters have'nt done anything to them... I mean, what's the whole point behind all of this? Whatever does Ganondorf want here? He has never been interested in us forest folk."
"Ask him when you meet him," Ukyo grumbled. "I just wanna make sure that the others are fine."
"Hey, I don't want to interrupt," Tatl suddenly interjected. "But aren't you worried about the other Kokiri's reaction when they find out that you have... well, grown up?"
"Tatl, I think we have much bigger problems now to discuss than mysterious, spontaneous puberty, okay?" Ukyo replied.
"Ukyo!" Link suddenly shouted. "Do you remember these tree carvings?"
"Of course!" Ukyo winced. "I could never forget how Mido made them... just to annoy us."
They all looked at the carved heart, with the two words 'Link' and 'Ukyo' within.
"I still have to kick his butt for this..." Ukyo grumbled.
"But that's not what I meant," Link said excitedly. "It means we're almost there. Come, we just have to go past through these bushes and..."
Navi, Tatl and Ukyo followed their friend as he hurried through the thicket.
Link was so happy to be home at last, that he did not consider any possible danger that might be waiting for them.
"Guys!" he shouted. "Saria! We're back! We're..."
He stopped right in his tracks when he stepped into the clearing where the village was located... and saw the bunch of red-leaved, Mad Dekus that was rampaging through the village.
And the Giant Deku Babas that were growing in front of the houses...
And the Skulltulas that were hanging from the trees...
And the Octoroks that were infesting the village pond...
"What...?" he muttered in disbelief as his gaze darted from one monster to another. "What happened here? How did all these... Where are our friends?"
"I don't know, sugar..." Ukyo grumbled and pulled out her battle spatula. "But I'm gonna find out. In the meantime, I won't let those bastards run around freely in our home. You with me?"
His fearful confusion turned into grim determination, as the Hero of Time drew his blade and took his shield from his back. "Time for a little extermination..." he growled.
"Go get 'em!" Tatl cheered.
Navi, who had grabbed a pair of dandelions, was doing a small dance in mid-air. "Link, Link, he's our man! He beats up monsters like no one can!"
And they beat up a few monsters.
And everyone was rejoicing...
Well, everyone except the monsters.
----
Later, Link was wiping some Deku Baba sap from his blade. He looked around the village and sighed. "Man, what a mess..."
"Hey, nothing a bit weeding couldn't solve, right?" Ukyo smirked.
"Yeah, you two sure showed them," Tatl smirked. "They will think twice before coming back..."
"Um... I don't think they can come back," Navi pointed out.
"Well, whatever..." Tatl grumbled. She didn't like it when the blue fairy started to act like a know-it-all...
"Um, excuse me?" a voice behind them suddenly spoke up.
Link turned around... and saw no one.
"Um... I'm down here, sir!"
Link looked down... and gasped when he recognized Fado, the blonde Kokiri girl living next to Saria.
'I can't believe it...' he thought. 'She seems so small now...'
Fado bowed shyly in front of the two heroic strangers. "Thank you so much for saving our village from the monsters. We don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up."
"Um, you're welcome..." Link said and exchanged a confused glance with Ukyo.
Ukyo shrugged and whispered to the fairies: "Hey, how come she doesn't recognize us? Our clothes aren't that different from back when we left."
"Well, I can't blame her," Navi whispered back. "According to what the Great Deku Tree taught us, no Kokiri will ever grow up... so she probably won't recognize you two, because you certainly don't look like you did seven years ago... while she and all the other Kokiri do."
"How would you know that the other Kokiri are all still like that?" Tatl asked. "If Link grew up after leaving the forest, maybe some of them did the same..."
Navi shrugged. "Well, take a look around..."
Tatl did. And saw all the Kokiri hesitantly coming out of their houses.
"What happened?"
"Are the monsters all dead?"
"Those two brave Hylians saved us all!"
"Hooray!"
"Wow, they sure are big..."
"I thought they could never enter the forest..."
"Hey, Miss! Your weapon looks just like the one a friend of mine was always using before she left the forest..."
"I don't believe it..." Ukyo muttered as she and Link were surrounded by their childhood friends, all of them much smaller as them. "No one recognizes us?"
"You have to accept our hospitality," Fado exclaimed. "Would you like some Kokiri stew?"
"Actually, we don't have much time..." Ukyo started.
That's when their tummies started rumbling. "Yes, we'll have some," Link replied with an embarrassed grin.
Later, they were all sitting in the house of the Know-it-all-Brothers, the biggest house in the village.
Navi looked down at the bowl she and Tatl were sharing. "Um, this isn't called Kokiri Stew because it's made of... well, you know..."
"Of course not!" One of the female Kokiri twins giggled. "It's called that because we Kokiri made it. It's ingredients are Deku Nuts, maple sirup, blackberries..."
"Oh. So it's just a vegetarian dish, right?" Navi asked with relief.
"...bee larvae and caterpillars..."
"UGH!" Navi gagged. "Too much information..."
While eating her stew, Ukyo looked around the hut. All of her old friends from the village were present, either cramped into the hut or looking in through the door and the windows. But she was missing a few faces...
But she couldn't ask them directly about their whereabouts.
"Say... who's your leader, by the way?" she asked Fado.
"Oh... you know, that's a good question. Um, for most of our lives, you could say it was the Deku Tree... But he died, unfortunately. That was about seven years ago..."
"Yeah," one of the Know-it-all-Brothers nodded. "We can remember it so clearly because that was the day when two of our friends left the forest..."
"You know, you two sorta look like them," the younger twin giggled. "Well, if you were Kokiris, that is."
"I suppose you could say that Mido is our leader," another Kokiri shrugged. "At least that's what he always calls himself."
"Oh, and where is this Mido?" Ukyo asked, trying not to make it sound as if she would already know him.
"Well, I saw him and Saria fleeing the village when the Mad Dekus attacked," Fado spoke up. "They were entering the Lost Woods... and strangely enough, their fairies weren't with them."
"When was that?" Link shouted in agitation.
"I think it was a few hours ago," Fado said.
Link stood up. "Ukyo, c'mon, we have to go now!"
"Wait up, Link! Just let me finish my... um... uh-oh!"
Every single Kokiri was staring at the two tall teenagers with disbelief.
"You two... are Link and Ukyo?" Fado muttered.
Ukyo winced. "Um, yes."
Fado giggled. "WOW! I can't believe it! What a coincidence! You know, our two friends that left the forest have the same names as you."
Link, Ukyo and their fairies sweatdropped. They STILL didn't suspect anything?
Ukyo shook her head. "W-well, I think we should go now."
"Aw, you're leaving already?" the twins asked in unison.
"Well, we have to make sure that your friends Mido and Saria aren't in trouble, right?" Link said. "There are more dangerous monsters in the Lost Woods, so someone has to protect them."
"Ah, you're right!"
"Good luck then!"
"Go go Hylian Rangers!"
The other Kokiri gave Fado weird looks.
"Hylian Rangers?"
Fado shrugged. "Well, what else should we call them?"
----
Later, all of the remaining Kokiris were showing their two heroes the entrance to the Lost Woods.
Of course they already knew the entrance, but they didn't want to show their old friends that they did.
"You have to make sure not to get lost," the oldest of the Know-it-all-Brothers said. "Go right, left, right again, left again, then go straight ahead and after a while, left again. Then you'll reach the Sacred Meadow, Saria's favorite place. I'm pretty sure they are hiding there."
"Thank you!" Link said. "Um, are you going to be alright by yourselves?"
"Ah, don't worry about us!" Fado grinned. "When the monsters return, we just hide in our huts again. We're pretty good at that."
"Good to hear that," Ukyo chuckled. "So, wish us luck, then!"
"Good luck!" Fado said. "And oh, before you, go can you answer me one question?"
"Sure, go ahead!"
The blonde Kokiri looked kinda uncomfortable and tried not to stare at the two gleaming balls of light that were hovering near her savior's shoulders.
"Um... how did you get two fairy companions? I always thought only Kokiri could have one."
Navi and Tatl gulped. Now what were they supposed to tell them?
"Um..." Link scratched his head. "They... are import fairies! Exchange students from abroad... You know, in their home country, even Hylians can have a fairy companion."
Ukyo facefaulted. They would never believe that story...
"Ah, I see!"
"Now that's an interesting story!"
"Think I could go there some time?"
The Okonomiyaki chef turned heroine fell over. Yes, they would...
----
Sighing in relief, Saria looked up at the building in front of her.
Half overgrown with plant life, the Forest Temple seemed to be just another embodiment of the forest that surrounded it. Saria wondered how old that building really was, and who built it.
She turned around to see if really no one followed her. But she doubted it. Mido wouldn't let her down. While he could be tedious at times, he was a reliable guy when the situation was dire.
And on top of that, he was indeed the master of 'blocking the road'.
Looking back at the temple, Saria couldn't help but think of the Deku Tree. Would he have anticipated any of this, were he still alive?
She closed her eyes and folded her hands. "Great Deku Tree..." she whispered. "Wherever you are now, I know you are watching us. For all those years we had to live without your protection, I did my best to lead the Kokiri onto the right path. There have been hard times, and often I had wished more of my friends were around me, but I did my best. Today, more than ever, I wish you were here to guide me. I know you can't do that from where you are right now, so I ask of you: Bring me good luck so my pursuers won't spot me."
She then opened her eyes again and nodded. "Yes, I won't give up. As long as they haven't caught me yet... there's still hope. And within the temple, they won't find me."
Saria took a small pod out of her pouch, with several, colorful beans within.
She took one magic bean and planted it in a spot of soft soil. Almost instantly, a small leafy sprout came out of the earth. The Kokiri girl then took out her Ocarina... and wondered whatever happened to her first one, the one she gave Link as a present.
Putting the instrument to her mouth, she played a short tune. She heard this song from a travelling Hylian once, who had gotten lost in the woods. Fortunately, Konatsu had been able to guide him out of the forest.
Before the little Deku Ninja had appeared, the man had played a small tune with his flute... exactly the same song she was playing right now. She clearly remembered what happened that day: As if the skies themselves wanted to share the man's sorrow, it started raining when he played on his flute.
Saria, who had always been adept with the ocarina, quickly taught herself the musical tune and called it the 'Song of Storms'.
Right after Saria had finished playing the song, it started raining. She smirked as she imagined how Ganondorf's minions would get soaked by the rain.
At the moment the raindrops were falling on the small sprout, it grew into a bigger plant with broad leaves... big enough for a person to stand on.
Saria stepped on the Hover Plant and instantly, the magical plant started hovering, as its name indicated. When it reached the upper part of the broken stairs in front of the temple entrance, she jumped off.
She smiled. As long as her pursuers weren't able to fly, they wouldn't be able to catch up with her now.
Satisfied, she turned around and entered the Forest Temple.
It was dark inside, almost a bit gloomy. But Saria felt safe. Not a single soul had been around here for ages. In here, she could wait until Ganondorf's monsters grew tired of the search and left the woods. Afterwards, when it was safe to leave, she would return to her friends in the village.
After walking through a corridor whose walls were covered with moss and ivy, she came into a big hall. In its middle, she could see four torches.
"This must be the temple's main hall," she murmured to herself and looked around. She pondered. Maybe she should go and explore the temple...
She yelped in surprise when all of a sudden, a cold hand touched her backside. She spun around and nearly got a heart attack when she saw how a translucent figure was rising out of the floor... a floating figure with a black face and glowing eyes.
'A Poe,' she realized instantly. 'A cursed spirit of evil...'
The Poe was female, as she could see. Brown hair came spilling out of a straw cap sitting upon her head. She was also dressed in the tatters of a pink gown.
The ghost smiled. "Ooooh, a little new toy for me to play with! Come to little Azusa!"
----
Using her magical abilities, Veran levitated the magical crystal that contained Konatsu to the ceiling of the room.
"There you go! And pipe down!"
The Deku Ninja banged against the walls of his prison. "You evil witch... just you wait, the forest isn't as helpless as you think!"
"I beg to differ," the Sorceress of the Shadows smirked. "Against the powers of darkness, pretty much everyone and everything is helpless."
She turned around to face a dark shadow that was standing in a corner of the room. "Have you finished the trap already?"
"Just a few more minutes," the figure grumbled. "This is delicate magical work, you should know that it takes some time."
"I thought you were such a formidable master of the black arts," Veran mocked.
The figure angrily turned around... and Konatsu gasped when he recognized the face. He had never seen him before, but he heard how Business Scrubs from other parts of Hyrule have talked about him.
"Ganondorf..." he whispered.
The tall, armored man looked upwards. "Not quite, little Deku! I am merely an extension of my master's dark abilities. He's afraid he has no time for the likes of you little forest dweller, so he sent me to take care of everything."
Turning to Veran, he said: "And you should know that my powers diminish, the further I am apart from my master."
"Well, it still should be enough to set up a few stupid paintings," the sorceress huffed.
Phantom Ganon took a step closer to her. "Be careful what you say, Veran! You might be one of my master's generals... but I am an extension of his will. In other words, know your place, witch!"
Veran grimaced at those words, but she kept her composure. She had no choice but to obey that wretched phantom for now.
"As you command..." she grumbled as she lowered her head.
She then looked around the room. "She must be here by now, I can feel her powers. Where are those accursed ghosts?"
As if on cue, a dark shape came floating through the walls of the chamber.
"We have captured her, my lady..." the female ghost said with a grimace. "Azusa is taking her to the prison chamber."
"Very good, servant!" Veran smiled. She smirked when she saw how the ghost was squirming under the humiliation it had to endure. "I'll be there in a minute. We will need her to be encased in a crystal as well, or else she might escape."
She looked up at the crystal in which Konatsu was encased. "No one can escape from a magical prison... not even a ninja."
She looked back at the white-haired Poe in front of her. "You and your sisters will return to the main hall and stay on guard... who knows who might come to save her."
Asuka, formerly known as the 'White Lily', lowered her head. "As you command..."
Veran wagged a finger. "Tut-tut... that wasn't quite accurate... Let's try it again, shall we?"
Asuka groaned. "As you command... my mistress."
"Very good, servant!" the former princess of Hyrule smirked.
Back in life, Asuka Saginomiya had been a member of aristocracy, the spoiled daughter of a rich merchant... and Princess Kodachi's rival for the affection of Captain Mikado.
She died in an unfortunate carriage accident near Gerudo Valley... and thanks to her feelings of hatred and jealousy of the younger princess of Hyrule, her spirit lived on. And when the witch elders of the Gerudo tribe found her, they forced her into the servitude under their lord Ganondorf.
And now, after she had been forced to corrupt the spirit of Princess Kodachi... a task she had performed with joy... she learned to her dismay that she had to serve under the command of the very same person whose mind she had twisted to serve the forces of evil.
Veran waved her former rival away, and Asuka had to complain. Damn those obedience curses the Gerudo witches had put on her. One day, she would find a way to escape their evil magic... and then she would have her complete revenge.
But for now, she had to work with three incompetent spirits that were forced upon her as 'team mates'.
After the purple-dressed Poe had floated through several chambers and corridors of the Forest Temple, she reached the prison chamber in which a certain-green haired girl was sitting behind bars.
A pink-clad Poe turned around in mid-air. "Asuka! Lookie what I found! A new friend for us to play with!"
"Yeah, whatever..." the White Lily grumbled. "Listen, Azusa... Mistress Veran will come down here very soon to take the Kokiri with her. She told us to guard the temple entrance afterwards. Have you checked the girl for any weapons?"
"She only had this with her," Azusa said and gestured towards a small pile of items lying on a nearby table.
Asuka looked through the stuff. "Magic Beans... Deku Nuts... a bottle... and a Fairy Ocarina... that's all?"
Azusa nodded. "Yup!"
"And where is her fairy? Those blasted Kokiri never leave their house with one of those accursed bugs."
"She was all alone," Azusa shrugged. "I was disappointed, really... I was hoping to find a playmate for little Jerome." And she gestured towards the bottle, which now contained an irritated, purple-glowing fairy.
"I'm not Jerome!" the male fairy shouted. "My name is Tael, how often do I have to repeat that? Get me out of here!"
"Tael!" Saria shouted in surprise. "They got you as well?"
"I guess I had the same idea as you..." Tatl's brother sighed and slumped down on the bottom of his bottle. "I wanted to hide in here to escape the Moblins... And then that ghost girl grabbed me!" He gestured at Asuka.
"Sorry, but everyone who interferes with our master's plan will have to be punished," the White Lily smiled. She might not agree with Ganondorf in all things, but his ways of dealing with meddlers were quite admirable.
"Now where are the other two?" she asked. "We are all supposed to be here when Mistress Veran comes down here." Again, she had to wince, as the obedience spell was forcing her to call Kodachi her mistress.
"Well, Mariko is busy looking at that painting of General Onox, upstairs... I don't know where our fourth sister is, though."
"We are NOT sisters!" the white-haired spirit snarled in annoyance.
"But this is the name elder Koume gave us," Azusa protested. "And I like to think of us as sisters, Asuka... Why, I already love the three of you as if you were my family."
"Whatever..." Asuka mumbled. She looked around the room. Several peaces of furniture were standing around. "Tsubasa, where are you?"
A pony-tailed head came popping out of a cupboard. Asuka had no idea how that weird Poe was able to disguise himself like that.
"You called, Asuka-sama?" Tsubasa asked in a sweet voice. The brown-haired spirit then came floating out of the cupboard.
Azusa shook her head as she looked at the pink, frilled dress Tsubasa was clad in. How could that boy look so much cuter than her with that dress?
Asuka gestured upwards with her finger. "Go up there and tell Mariko to come down here! The mistress wants us to guard the entrance room."
The cross-dressing Poe nodded with a smile. "Anything for you, Asuka-sama!"
"Don't call me that!" she shouted after him, as he vanished through the ceiling.
----
A blonde Poe, clad in a pale blue dress, was floating in the circular room, staring at the portrait that was hanging at the wall. It showed a face that could have been handsome, wouldn't it been hidden beneath an iron helmet.
"Oh, General Onox..." the female ghost sighed. "You are sooo dreamy... I wish we could see each other more often..."
At that moment, the treasure chest standing in the middle of the room sneezed loudly.
"Bless you!" Mariko said politely, then she blinked.
Since when was there a treasure chest standing in the room?
"Tsubasa?"
The cross-dressing spirit came floating out of his camouflage. "Mariko, Asuka-sama told us all to come. We have to be prepared in case someone comes into the temple."
"Oh, all right..." she whined. "But can't I take my sweet Noxie-Woxie with me? He's such a hunk, don't you think?"
"Um... how am I supposed to know? He always wears that helmet, remember?" Besides, Tsubasa already had someone else he was thinking of...
Mariko huffed. "You're, like, no fun! Oh, let's get this over with." She turned around to face the portrait one last time and blew a kiss. "See ya later, Noxie-Woxie!"
----
Far away, in Goron City, the General of Darkness felt a shiver crawling down his spine. He couldn't explain it, but he decided that he had more urgent business at hand.
"Bakusai Tenketsu!" Ryoga yelled, his rocky finger aiming for the general's thick armor.
Onox deflected his attack with his massive sword. "Whatever it is you wanted to achieve with that attack, I won't have any of it," Onox grumbled. "Why don't you two just give up and save us the trouble?"
"No way!" Ranma shouted. "Not before I gave your armor a little dent... Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"
Onox winced as the endless blows of the pig-tailed warrior came hailing down on his armor like hundreds of hammer strikes. It couldn't penetrate the metal plates, but it still left a mark.
And it was also pretty annoying.
"You are starting to make me very, very angry..." Onox grumbled. "And you won't like me when I'm angry..."
He pulled up his sword and swung it around in a circle, so Ranma had to leap over it.
He landed right next to his rival and friend. "You still can fight, Ryoga?"
"Yeah, but... what was that technique you just used?"
Ranma grinned. "Oh, it's just a nifty Gerudo technique for those who prefer to fight unarmed. Shampoo showed me how to use it." He winked at his fiancee, who was standing in the back with Genma, guarding Ryoga's little protege.
"Fine," Onox snarled. "Saotome, you spawn of the Zora... and you, warrior of the hellish rock creatures... you will feel my wrath!"
Ryoga sweatdropped. "What is he talking about?"
Ranma shrugged. "Dunno. He's always like this."
"And when I'm finished with you, both of your races will be crushed under the might of our armies. And then, none of the evil races will ever infest Hyrule with their presence again. Volvagia will devour all of your kind, Goron... but I will take care of you myself. And when I am done with you, I will take care of the rest of the rebels... The Gerudo traitor... the bear-man... and the brat as well!"
Something in Ryoga snapped. "NO! YOU WON'T LAY A HAND ON YOIKO, YOU HEAR ME?"
Ranma stepped back in surprise. He could feel how Ryoga's battle aura was increasing dramatically.
Ryoga grimaced. He could feel the sorrow, the pain the dark general was causing to his heart.
He projected that sorrow outwards...
"Shi Shi Hokodan!"
A shining blast of ki came forth from the palms of his hands. Onox had no time to react when the massive blast hit him and blasted him clear across the room...and buried him under a pile of rubble that came raining down from the cavern's ceiling.
Ryoga breathed heavily as he lowered his arms. He really managed to do it... his sensei's training had paid off.
He and Ranma exchanged a quick glance.
"Um... so, wanna check if he's really finished?"
Ryoga nodded, and the two young men went over to the pile of rubble, carefully.
It didn't even move.
"Well, either he is knocked out from your attack... or he just wants to trick us."
"Step aside," Ryoga grumbled. "I'm the rock expert here, fishy boy..."
Ranma grimaced, but let Ryoga do his work.
Ryoga reached out with his finger. "Bakusai Tenketsu!"
In a big blast and a shower of pebbles, the rocks were blasted apart. Even with his armor, Onox must have felt this one, if he was still lying underneath that rubble.
But now that it was blasted away... the two fighters could see that no trace of the general was left behind.
"How... how did he just vanish like that?" Ranma wondered.
Ryoga grumbled. "Ranma, would it hurt just to use that head of yours for a moment? He's the General of Darkness, and in league with not only Ganondorf, but also the Gerudo witches. Who says they didn't give him some way he could save his hide in some magical way?"
"Good point," Ranma admitted. "Now... you still wanna punch the hell outta me or what?"
"I'd love to..." Ryoga grumbled. "But I have more important business to take care of..."
The Goron turned around to face his rival. "And I need your help, Ranma!"
Ranma blinked. Ryoga asked him for help? What's next, Ganondorf offering candy for orphaned Zora children?
----
"You know, these woods have always irritated me..." Link muttered. "I mean, I feel more at home here than inside a whale's tummy, that's for sure, but... I dunno... How is it that almost every path leads back to the village?"
"I don't know," Ukyo shrugged. "And I really don't care. I like it here. Many places to stroll around, many creepy beasts to bash up..."
She sighed. "I just wish Konatsu was here... then I could tell myself it would be just like in old times..."
"It's strange," Navi spoke up. "We haven't seen him or Tatl's brother in the village... and that Saria and Mido would leave without their fairies also makes me wonder..."
Tatl huffed. "Tael has always been a bit of a..." She almost said coward, but that wasn't nice, after all, he was her brother. "He has always been... the careful one. Maybe he just hides with Saria and Mido until everything is over."
"Might be," Ukyo nodded. "Still, we should make sure that... huh?" She stopped as they entered yet another clearing.
"What's up?" Link asked as he stood next to her.
Ukyo gestured ahead. "Look!"
Link followed the gesture... and gasped when he recognized the lone figure standing in the middle of the forest path.
Mido put his hands on his hips. "I don't know who you are, but you two Hylians can't fool me by wearing Kokiri clothes! I promised Saria I would let no one through here, and I mean to keep that promise. So, whoever you twerps are, you better turn around and go back where you came from!"
Link groaned. Somehow he had the feeling he has been in that kind of situation before...
"Oh, just let me smack him with my spatula," Ukyo grumbled. "Just this once!"
Link hushed her and carefully came closer to the now noticeably smaller Kokiri. "Look... we don't want to make any trouble, okay? You are... Mido, right?"
Somehow it felt strange asking a long-time friend and rival that question...
"So, you heard of me, eh? Yup, that's me! Mido, leader of the Kokiri! What's it to you? Wait a minute!" He tilted his head. "You are not in league with those Moblin brutes that have been chasing us through the woods, right?"
"What? No! We're just, um... We are friends of Saria!"
Mido raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Yes! You see, we have been wondering where she is, and, umm... the other Kokiri in the village told us you two were here."
"Listen, bozo! I may be smaller than you, but I'm not dumb. I know Saria has never left the forest before, so why should she befriend two Hylians like you?"
"Great job, Link..." Ukyo groaned. "Aw heck, I'm sick of this..." And she just walked past Mido.
Or she tried to.
Faster than the eye could see, the small Kokiri had stepped in her way. "Maybe you weren't listening: I WON'T let you pass!"
"Oh for the love of Nayru..." Ukyo seethed. "Get out of my way, you little..." She tried storming past him, but every time she took a step, Mido followed.
"Hey, he can't be at two places at the same time," Tatl suddenly realized. "Link, go!"
Link hesitated... but only for a moment,. Then he quickly tried running past Mido.
He almost fell over when Mido practically appeared in front of him. "Going somewhere?"
"Damn, how can anyone be that fast?" Ukyo groaned. She pulled out a Deku Nut. "I've had enough of this... Link, cover your eyes!"
Ukyo threw the Deku Nut to the ground, where it burst with a bright flash. Being certain that this would blind Mido for a moment, Ukyo started running.
Only to get blocked by the irritating Kokiri again. "Nice try! But I trained my eyes to be insensible against bright light. Many Kokiri tried that trick to get past me... Well, not anymore!"
Link tried another tactic. He pulled out his hookshot and aimed for a big tree behind Mido.
"Let's see how you're planning to stop me like this," he smirked and pushed the button.
The hook and chain shot out of the handle, embedded themselves into the wood of the tree and Link got pulled behind.
And just when Link believed he made it this time, he suddenly felt two hands grabbing his feet. "What the...?"
He looked backwards and saw Mido, whose strong grip prevented him from going any further. "Interesting tool, but not good enough to outsmart me!"
He gave his former rival a firm yank, and the hook got pulled out of the tree. With a groan, Link fell down to the forest floor, and Mido stepped into his way again.
"They don't call me the 'Master of Pathblocking' for nothing," he smirked.
Ukyo gritted her teeth and pulled out a blue, round object. "That's it! I'm gonna..."
"NO!" Tatl, Navi and Link yelled at once. "NO, DON'T DO IT!"
"Aw, come on! Please let me blow that little creep up!"
Link took the bomb out of his friend's hands. "Violence is never a solution, Ukyo!"
Ukyo raised an eyebrow.
Link winced. "Okay, except when dealing with monster jellyfish, giant spiders and fire-breathing dinosaurs!"
He turned back around to face Mido. "Look, I'm sorry we tried that, but... Saria is really our friend, you can believe us! We are worried she might be in danger."
"She won't be in danger," Mido said. "Because I won't let anyone through here. And she's in the Forest Temple, no one could have followed her there."
Ukyo and Link exchanged a quick look. "That's where we wanted to go in the first place. Can't you please let us through?"
Mido tilted his head. "Well... can you prove that you are friends of Saria?"
"How should we prove that?" Ukyo shook her head in disbelief.
"Wait a minute..." Link murmured. Quickly, he pulled something out of his bag.
Mido looked closely. "Huh, that almost looks like... Saria's ocarina!" But he shook his head. "Well, you might just have one that just looks like hers..."
Link smirked. "Just listen..." And he raised the Fairy Ocarina to his mouth and started playing...
Saria's Song.
Mido listened in awe as the sweet tunes came out of the instrument. "That melody... Saria always played it. She only taught it to her closest friends. That means you... you really must be her friends."
He sighed. "Okay... okay, all right! Maybe I misjudged you. If you know her song, I believe you!"
Ukyo blinked. "That's all? We play that song and you let us go through?"
"That's what I just said, wasn't it? Now hurry up and go, before I change my mind..."
Link smiled at Mido as he pocketed the ocarina. "Thanks, Mido! You are a great guy, you know that?"
"Yeah, yeah, just don't tell anyone, okay?" the self-proclaimed leader of the Kokiri grumbled. "I have a reputation to keep, okay? Now go and see that Saria is fine."
"You can count on that," Ukyo nodded. "See you later then..."
They walked past him, but Mido called for them one last time: "Hey... hey you, wait a second!"
Ukyo sighed and turned around. "What now?"
"Um, I see you are strong fighters and all... and you must be quite the experienced travellers, right? Well then, I hope it's not too much to ask of you, but... If you should meet a young boy named Link on your journeys, or a girl named Ukyo... please... please tell them..."
Link listened intently. "Yes?"
Mido sighed. "Please tell them... I'm sorry! I... I didn't always treat them correctly, and I'm sorry for that. Saria and the Deku Tree have always said there was something special about them, and perhaps... perhaps I just didn't see it. Or I was just jealous. Either way, if you meet them, please tell them: I no longer believe that it was really them who caused the death of the Great Deku Tree... and that they always can come back, if they want to."
Link and Ukyo looked at each other in surprise, then Ukyo smiled down at Mido and nodded. "Don't worry! We'll make sure to tell them that."
Mido smiled back. "Good. Well then... good luck!"
And as the two green-clad warriors ventured deeper into the woods, he went back to his post as the guardian of the forest path.
"I always knew there was something good within him," Navi said.
"Yeah..." Link sighed. "Let's just hope Saria is really okay... and Konatsu and Tael, too."
Tatl huffed. "Aw, c'mon! If he's good at something, it's hiding. I mean, what kind of terror could possibly haunt my lil' brother?"
----
The pink-clad Poe giggled as she dropped a tiny bow into the bottle. "Here you are, Jerome! Now wear that bow like a good little pet, and Little Azusa will give you all the huggles you want!"
Tael hammered against the glass walls of his bottle prison as hardly as he could.
"LET ME OOOOUUUUUT OF HERE!!" he yelled.
----
"Are you sure you can't break your cage?" Saria asked as she struggled against her bonds.
Konatsu shook the bars from the cage he was imprisoned in, which was hanging from the ceiling, then he shook his head. "Sorry, I tried my best. The bars won't budge."
"Well, it was worth a try..." the green-haired Kokiri girl sighed. "I suppose the best chance we have is to hope that someone will come and rescue us..."
Konatsu stayed silent for a while, then he said: "You... are still thinking about Link, aren't you?"
"Well, of course I do!" Saria said. "I gave him my Fairy Ocarina... and he promised he would come back."
"See, I would be as happy as you if he and Ukyo were to return to the forest one day... but... it has been seven years. Do you actually think they would just choose this day to come back?"
Saria looked down. "Well, I suppose it's just my hope... I always hoped that Link would come back, and I would give everything if he would come back today."
"I... guess I know what you mean," the Deku Ninja nodded.
Just then, the door opened and a tall, armored figure entered the room.
Saria frowned. "We told you everything we know. Why don't you let us go yet?"
Phantom Ganon smirked. "It's always advantageous to have a hostage ready... but in your case, I have a special reason. There is a certain someone who has given my master so much trouble... and we need you to lure him into a little trap."
"Who are you talking about?" Saria asked in confusion. "I never left the forest... the only people I know are Kokiri, Fairies and Dekus."
The Phantom laughed. "I admit, I wouldn't have believed that this little troublemaker would come from a backwater village like this... and even one that's populated by Kokiri. Well, I have to admit, my master wouldn't have anticipated either that such a young little boy would be able to free that giant tree from his infestation (even if it was too late), free the whale guardian of the fish folk from my lovely mind-control parasite, and broke Lord Ganondorf's control over the ranch. We already hoped that he would be trapped within the Sacred Realm forever, but that last action was what informed us about his return."
Saria was starting to suspect who that 'little boy' Ganondorfs double was talking about could be.
"You couldn't possibly mean... Link?"
"A really pesky little brat, together with that fairy of his. And the other girl that's travelling with him... Bah, how shameful for the Dodongos that they were bested by a little girl with an oversized cooking utensil."
That proved it. He WAS talking about Link and Ukyo. "Wh-what do you mean, they came back? Where have they been for all those years? And how do you know I am their friend in the first place?"
"It's not that hard to read a person's mind as the people believe," Phantom Ganon sneered. "My lord is a real master when it comes to explore a person's mind, so that even I, merely an extension of his will, with only a fragment of his true powers, am able to look at your thoughts." He laughed. "Then again, you Kokiri never had too complex things on your mind."
Saria again tried to free her hands from the bonds that bound her to the metal bars of the fence that surrounded the central platform of the room, but to no avail. "Why are you so certain that Link is coming here? He could easily be in a completely different corner of Hyrule."
"I seriously doubt that, girl," Phantom Ganon said. "Why, I wouldn't wonder if he's close to the temple gates, at this very moment..."
----
"MOBLIN NO BAKA!"
THWACK!
Link watched with satisfaction as the muscular monster flew high over the forest's treetops, vanishing in the distance.
"Not bad," he said approvingly. "But I guess Akane would have done it with a bit more topspin..."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Ukyo grinned.
----
"And that's why we need you as a decoy, so he would step right into the trap we have prepared for him," Phantom Ganon laughed.
"He won't fall for that," Saria said with faith. "Link's too smart to fall for your stupid traps."
"Yes, and Ukyo is with him. They will watch out for each other," Konatsu added from above.
Phantom Ganon threw the little ninja an annoyed glance, then he concentrated back on his green-haired hostage. "Well, if you must know, there's also another reason why Veran captured you in the forest."
"And what reason would that be?"
The phantom grinned. "Ever heard of the prophecy of the Sages? They say that when the Golden Power falls into the 'wrong hands', and the land Hyrule is overcome with darkness and chaos, the destined Sages will awaken in their respective temples and aid the chosen hero to bring back peace to Hyrule."
He laughed. "Well we can't let that happen, can we? If the Sages were to help that so-called 'Chosen', my master's glorious rule would surely end, so his servants and I make sure that every single one of them will die a slow, painful and horrible death."
Phantom Ganon now grinned like evil incarnate.
"And how does that concern me?" Saria asked. "I don't know any of those Sages you talked about."
"I beg to differ," Phantom Ganon intervened. "As far as I know, you could be the Sage of the Forest."
Saria stared at him in disbelief.
"Why, didn't you ever use some strange powers you couldn't explain otherwise? Didn't you use those powers to communicate with the forest? Didn't you let plants grow and weren't you able to summon rain?"
"That... that doesn't prove anything," Saria protested. "You... you can't actually believe I am..."
"What? Where else do you suppose your powers come from if not from your destiny as a Sage? Did you believe you would be Farore's favorite Kokiri or what?" He laughed long and loudly. "No, no, I'm quite sure of it: You are the Sage of the Forest, my dear!"
He knelt down in front of her, grabbed her chin with his powerful hand and stared right into her green eyes. "And because of that, you are one of my master's most threatening enemies... and as such must be eliminated!"
He chuckled. "But don't worry, I won't kill you... yet! We still need you to lure your friend into our trap, after all But after that..."
Saria struggled with all her might against the chains that were binding her to the metal fence. "You... you can't do this to me! Please, you MUST have the wrong one... I assure you I am not the Sage you are looking for!"
"Oh, please!" the Phantom mocked as he stood up. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"She is right!" a voice from above suddenly said. "She isn't the Sage of the Forest!"
Phantom Ganon narrowed his eyes as he looked up to Konatsu's cage. "Huh? And how can you be so sure of that, little Deku?"
Konatsu looked back at him fiercely. "I know that because... I am the Sage you are looking for!"
Phantom Ganon looked at the imprisoned ninja for a while in bewilderment, then he sneered. "Nice try, little Deku! But ti will take more to fool me or my evil master! My master can FEEL the energy running through the veins of the Sages... he KNOWS that this girl is the Forest Sage!" He gestured at Saria.
"Me... a Sage?" Saria muttered in confusion. Could it be? Either way, this would be an explanation why she had always felt drawn to the Sacred Meadow and the Forest Temple...
"Can you be certain?" Konatsu tried one last time. "No one is perfect, you know? You master might have made a mistake!"
"If Lord Ganondorf were a person to make such mistakes, do you believe he would be the ruler of Hyrule today?" The Phantom shook its head. "No, no, this girl is the Sage, and after I have used her to lure that brat and his friends in here, I will get rid of her personally!"
Saria gasped with fright.
"But if she is the Forest Sage, wouldn't she have used her powers to escape by now?" Konatsu asked.
Phantom Ganon laughed. "I'd like to see her try that!" He pulled a glowing sphere out of his pocket. "As long as this sphere is in my possession, she won't be able to break free of her bonds. Only when it breaks would the magical shackle break apart as well."
"Thanks!" the Deku Ninja smirked. "That's all I wanted to hear." He inhaled and suddenly spat a glob of Deku spit at the surprised creature's hand. It knocked the glowing sphere out of its grasp, and it fell down to the stone floor, where it shattered with a loud crack.
At the same time, Saria felt how her bounds dissolved into thin air.
"Run, Saria!" Konatsu shouted."Run for your life - and warn Link and the others!"
Saria didn't want to leave her friend behind, but she nodded, jumped to her feet and started to run.
"STOP!" Phantom Ganon shouted and raised his hand, firing a bolt of magical energy at the escaping Kokiri girl.
Saria winced as she heard the whizzing sound of the incoming projectile and braced herself for impact.
'Farore, help me...' she desperately thought, and suddenly, she got surrounded by a storm of green, flashing lights.
The room with Konatsu and Phantom Ganon disappeared around her, and instead, she found herself standing in one of the temple's overgrown corridors.
She stared down at her hands. "How did I...?" she murmured. It then began to dawn on her... those were her powers as a Sage. As long as she was inside her temple, she was under her goddess' protection, and Farore's Wind would bring her to every room of her domain she wanted.
She thought about it for a while, then she nodded to herself with determination. "I'm not going to let those invaders do whatever they want inside my goddess' temple... I will protect the sacred forest from whatever may harm it!"
She then looked towards the door in front of her, where she knew the Entrance Hall to be. "But first, I'll have to warn Link and Ukyo of that trap."
----
Princess Zelda sat on the branch of one of the old trees which surrounded the Sacred Meadow, in her disguise as the Sheikah Sheik.
"Am I a coward not to intervene directly?" she wondered. "Shouldn't I go and help the Kokiri and other forest creatures as well? Are Impa and her daughters right when they say that I have to think about my own safety first? Am I that important that I can't risk to be detected, not even if I want to help the inhabitants of my kingdom? What kind of princess am I, if I can't even protect those that can't fight back on their own?"
She sighed. "Would Impa be here, I know what her response would be: 'You are the Princess of Hyrule! If Ganondorf catches you, everything would have been in vain! You are helping by giving Link and Ukyo clues what they have to do... You have to trust into their abilities as the heroes of time...' Well, of course I want to help them, but... can't I at least tell them who I really am?"
But inside her heart, the princess knew that she couldn't risk that. Ganondorf had his eyes and ears everywhere, and would he even catch a glimpse of her true face, he would be able to catch her... And if he did that, it would be as disastrous as if he had his hands on one of the Sages... it was bad enough that he already managed to get his hands on the young Kokiri girl...
Hopefully her friends would be able to save her in time...
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the footsteps of two persons entering the meadow...
'Well, here we go again...' she mentally sighed. 'Okay, remember what Impa told you: Calm, imposing and mysterious, calm, imposing and mysterious...'
----
Link looked down at the old tree stump that was situated in front of the Forest Temple.
"This... this was Saria's favorite place..." he said in a small voice. "She would sit on this stump, playing her favorite melody on her ocarina, and it always seemed as if all of the forest animals would listen only to her music..."
Ukyo and the fairies noticed how sad he was.
Navi flittered onto her friend's shoulder gently. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm pretty sure she is all right. We will find her in time!"
"Yeah!" Ukyo nodded and grabbed the handle of her spatula. "And anyone who wants to lay his hands on her will have to deal with me!"
"Thank you, guys..." Link said. "I know I shouldn't worry too much... I know she is a strong girl, but... I can't help but think that something might already have happened to her. What if they caught her...?"
Ukyo just wanted to answer, when all of a sudden, someone jumped down in front of them.
"Sheik?" Ukyo wondered as she recognized the young warrior's garments.
The Sheikah looked at Link.
"The flow of time is always cruel...
Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it.
A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days..."
Link seemed to understand what Sheik wanted to tell him, as he nodded.
Tatl, on the other hand...
"Does he have to recite bad poetry every time we run into him?" she muttered and crossed her arms. "That guy needs a hobby..."
----
"So, there they finally are..." Veran snickered. The Sorceress of Shadows came floating out of the darkness, looking at the backsides of the two green-clothed heroes that were just entering the temple.
"Phantom Ganon's plan to trap them inside the temple might just work... but if I take care of them right now, my master will be pleased as well... and he'll maybe reward me."
She lifted her hands to hurl a destructive spell at the unsuspecting forms of Link and Ukyo, just before they were entering the temple.
But in the last instant, a shape came dropping down from above. "Attacking someone from behind? I don't think so!"
Vean narrowed her eyes. "Who are you? How dare you interfere with the Sorceress of Shadows?"
"I am merely a wanderer... but I strike down evil where it stands."
Veran smirked. "How interesting! Very well then... amuse me!" Her eyes wandered to the crest visible on Sheik's clothes. "A Sheikah? Huh, and here I thought they all were extinct, after my master's assault on Hyrule Castle..."
"It is not easy to spot a Sheikah that doesn't want to be seen," Sheik quoted a sentence she had heard often from a certain, middle-aged Sheikah warrior.
Veran shrugged. "Well, what else can be expected from filth like you? You are a race of servants and bootlickers, always hiding cowardly in under the protective eye of your king... I truly despise the likes of you!"
These words made Sheik angry. Veran might not know who she was underneath her disguise, but as her best friends were members from the very same race, she got furious.
"Be still and fight!" she grumbled, pulling out a thin chain that almost looked like a whip.
Hopefully Impa's fighting lessons haven't been in vain...
"Die, you scum!" Veran screamed as she gathered her power in her hands...
----
As they were walking through the temple's entrance hall, marveling at the vine-covered walls and impressive architecture, Ukyo turned around her head.
"Did you guys hear something?" she asked.
Tatl shook her head. "Nope, only your voices!"
Ukyo furrowed her brow. "That's strange, I could have sworn..."
A sudden growl made her turn around in surprise. When she realized what was approaching them, she pulled out her spatula.
"You better focus on the problems at hand," Link grimaced as he drew his blade. He glared at the two feral Wolfos that were slowly approaching them. "Come on, you beasts!"
"Hey, listen!" Navi shouted. "Don't attack them at once! Wait until the right time and then strike..."
"We got it!" Link and Ukyo yelled in unison.
----
Sheik stumbled back, her hand clasping the flesh wound on her left shoulder. Damn, this evil witch was more powerful than she thought.
But Veran was breathing hardly as well. 'Curses!' she thought. 'This pesky Sheikah is trained well... Maybe I have to use a different tactic...'
She wished she would already be able to use her possessing powers, but from what her master has told her, those would take some time to manifest themselves...
"I seriously don't understand why you are helping those fools," she huffed. "Ganondorf will be the ruler of the world, and all who resist him will be destroyed! If you surrender now, he might just spare your life. Think about it, it would be a waste to execute someone with your talent... We could always use an assassin with your skills!"
Sheik frowned underneath her cowl. "Are you suggesting that I should become a tool of evil? Never, you witch!"
'If she only knew who I really am...' she thought to herself.
"Fool..." Veran snarled. "You just sealed your own fate... BEGONE!"
And she jutted out her fingers, shooting dark lightning out of their tips.
But Sheik quickly jumped aside, whipped out her chain and wrapped it around a thick tree branch, using her momentum to swing around, and hit the surprised Veran with her outstretched foot... right in the middle of her stomach.
The dark sorceress had to concentrate hardly so the force of the Sheikah's attack wouldn't knock her floating form down to the ground. She coughed and wheezed as she clutched her midsection.
"You... just you wait, this isn't the last you have seen of me! One of these days, I'm gonna have my revenge, little Sheikah... and besides, your little act of courtesy didn't do anything: Your friends have doomed themselves as soon as they entered that temple. Nothing is going to save them now! OHOHOHOHOHOHOH..."
And with mad laughter, the Sorceress of Shadows vanished in a plume of darkness.
Sheik groaned as she slumped down on the ground. That battle had been tiresome...
But after she heard the evil woman's laughter, she couldn't help but wonder.
"I know that voice..." she murmured. "And that laugh... where have I heard it before...?"
----
Konatsu was still sitting within his cage. He was very worried. Right after he allowed Saria to escape, Phantom Ganon had shocked him with some magic lightning, to 'let off some steam', as he put it. Afterwards, he left the room in a hurry to catch the supposedly Sage of the Forest.
Konatsu winced when he remembered being hit with that blast. Luckily, his wooden body made him somewhat resistant against lightning-based attacks.
It still hurt like hell, though.
"Well, at least I didn't fall unconscious this time," the ninja murmured, recalling the last time when Veran blasted him with a similar spell.
Now how to get out of this place?
He closely inspected the padlock of his cage. "Doesn't look too remarkable," he said. "Ganondorf seems to save costs when providing his servants with equipment..."
On the other hand, he had to admit, Phantom Ganon and Veran were proficient magic users, so maybe they simply did not need too fancy equipment to get the job done. And any normal Deku would certainly have a hard time to break free from this cage.
But as we all know, Konatsu was no such Deku. He fell under the category of 'Deku Ninjas'.
Carefully extending one of his branch-like, thin fingers (which most Dekus normally kept retracted, to keep them from breaking) and slipped it into the small opening of the padlock.
"Let's see..." he murmured. "From the looks of this thing, unlocking it shouldn't take too much time... Hopefully enough to distract that Phantom and his men from Saria."
Finally, the padlock gave off a small 'click' and opened. Satisfied, Konatsu nodded and pulled his finger out of the padlock. He then opened the cage and jumped down to the floor.
As he ran out of the room, his shape became a blur that seemed to merge with the shadows and the vines that were covering the temple's walls.
"They took me by surprise once..." he grumbled. "They won't be able to do it again!"
----
Saria panted as she reached a strange, circular room. The color of the floor was alternating between red and blue. Strange wall-like protrusions were coming out of the room's wall itself, and there were several openings in the wall, several ons leading to small chambers, others just ending at a blank wall.
For a moment, she tried to understand the weird concept of this room, but she realized she had no time, Phantom Ganon already had to be on her trail.
She noticed a wooden structure in the middle of the room, looking almost like some sort of cabin.
Saria was no fool, unlike other Kokiri, she had always been interested to hear more about the world outside of the forest, and back when he had still been alive, the Deku Tree had told her much about the Hylians and their habit of constructing not only houses, but also weapons, tools and devices.
That's the reason why it didn't take long for her to figure out that this cabin had to be some sort of elevator... even if she could not see any ropes, wires or other contraptions that were supposed to make it work. But she could see a small shaft in the middle of the ceiling, of the exact same size as the cabin itself. Maybe it operated with magic?
"Only one way to find out," she muttered and was just going to step in.
But then, the door behind her flew open and a tall, armored figured entered the room. Phantom Ganon looked at her with a steely glaze.
"I suggest you surrender peacefully, so I don't have to harm you unnecessarily..."
"Is that supposed to be some sort of joke?" Saria frowned. "You are planning to kill me either way."
The Phantom smirked. "Good point! But believe me, there are many different ways to end a person's life. I can make your death quick and harmless, if you wish..."
He then narrowed his eyes. "But if you continue to anger me, you should know that I can also kill you in a slow, very painful way! It's your choice!"
"Thank you!" Saria said back. "But I don't plan to die today. Have a nice day!"
And she stepped towards the elevator.
----
One level above them, four shimmering, female figures were floating next to four torches with colorful flames.
"All right, girls, here they come!" Asuka sneered. "Remember what Lady Veran said: Take the flames and don't let them lay their hands on them!"
And when a surprised duo of green-clothed teenagers entered the room, followed by two small fairies, each Poe Sister snatched away the flame with a small, portable torch they were holding.
"I got it!" Mariko cheered as she took the blue flame. "Onox-sempai would be so proud of me!"
"What's going on here?" Ukyo asked in confusion. "What are you doing?"
Tsubasa grinned. "Watch closely, you dummies!" the undead cross-dresser said as he flew away with the green flame.
"You'll never make it down to the lower level... not until you catch us all!" Asuka laughed, taking the purple flame with her.
"Bye-bye!" Azusa waved and vanished through a wall... taking the pink flame with her.
"See that?" Navi gasped. "The elevator in the middle of the room won't work until we get those flames back to the torches!"
"Well, how are we supposed to do that?" Link asked in annoyance. "They just took off with them."
"Well, you heard what they said, right?" Tatl grinned. "Gotta catch 'em all!"
----
Saria nearly fell down on her face, when suddenly the elevator moved upwards. "Wh-what?"
Phantom Ganon laughed. "I see the Poes have done their job well! Now no one will be able to go up OR down that shaft. You're trapped, little girl!"
"B-but that means you are trapped in here as well!"
The Phantom laughed. "Oh, please! Don't you think I haven't thought of that? My master gave me the ability to create portals of darkness, taking me wherever I want to go."
That reminded Saria of something. "Only if you have been there before, right?"
"Maybe, but who cares? It's definitely enough to get out of these rooms... but I think I'll stay here for a while. The sacrifice of the sage still has to be done, and I also fear that those two heroes might be able to hunt down all of the Poe Sisters after all. Still, it buys me some time to complete me real trap for them!"
He reached out for her. "Now come here, you..."
"S-stay away from me..." Saria winced.
Suddenly, something hard hit Phantom Ganon at the back of his head. "Who dares...?"
He turned around, and to his surprise, he saw Konatsu clinging to the ceiling of the room.
"I won't let you lay your hands on my friends anymore!" the little ninja said with determination.
Phantom Ganon growled and raised his right hand. He gathered magical energy and created another ball of crackling electricity. "You still haven't had enough? I still have much more where that first blast came from!"
He threw his magical projectile at the Deku, but Konatsu used his agility to easily dodge it.
"Try hitting a moving ninja," he said. "I'm not trapped inside that cage anymore, you know?"
"Accursed little scrub..." the Phantom grumbled. "When I lay my hands on you..." He turned around and stretched out his hand. Using his magic, he closed the door, the only exit of the room. He then turned back to his two enemies and grinned. "Face it, you two are trapped in here like rats!"
"You think so?" Konatsu asked. He had seen Saria use her spell to escape the previous room, he hoped she could do it again. He looked down at her. "Hurry, I'll buy you some time!"
"B-but what about you?"
"Try to find Ukyo and Link! If they really are in here, you have to find them! Find a way to activate that elevator!"
"O-okay..." she stammered. "You can count on me!"
"Don't you dare!" Phantom Ganon shouted as he saw the green-haired girl lift her hands.
Saria looked at his face calmly. "I won't let you capture me again! Farore's Wind!"
Hearing the plea of her troubled Sage, Farore listened and gave Saria the power to escape the temple's basement.
When the green light that transported her away had faded, Phantom Ganon snarled angrily. "How did she do that? She has never used magic before in her life... How could she...?"
"You know what they say," Konatsu smirked. "The Temple is the Sage's second home... and her home is her castle! I figure you will have a hard time tracking her down in these walls."
"You insolent little Deku..." Phantom Ganon grumbled as he gathered more energy within his hands. "When I'm finished with you..."
"Try to hit me!" the ninja laughed and jumped away, just as the evil clone of Ganon threw his attack.