Chapter Fourteen
Link rode out to Hyrule Field. He had been victorious! He had already made a difference in this future. But now was not the time to boast or relax, as Navi kindly reminded him. "Link! Come on! To the forest!"
"I'm coming!" Link was laughing as he called back to Navi.
"What are you so happy about?"
"Nothing much! It's a beautiful day, that's all!"
"Oh really? Is that the only beauty that's made you so giddy?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't you?"
"You're noisy."
"How am I supposed to provide you with information if I don't stick my noise into other people's business?"
"I don't need you to inform me of my own feelin—"
"Ha! Knew it! Knew it, knew it, knew it, knew it!"
"What?"
"Oh, nothing!"
"Tell me!"
"It sure is a beautiful day isn't it?"
The two companions went back and forth this way all the way to Kokiri Forest. When they arrived at the entrance to their destination, Link dismounted Epona and told her to stay put. Link and Navi headed through the ominous tunnel. As they entered the forest, a monstrous Deku Baba attacked. With a quick slash of the Master Sword, Link was victorious. As Link and Navi made their way to the Sacred Grove, they noticed a lot more monsters than before. Link reached the hedge maze. Navi called out to Link, "Wait! We don't know what's ahead!"
"Come on, Navi, there's never been anything here but Deku Scrubs!" Link took one step into the maze only to be spotted by a giant bull-like guard. The monster took his spear and rushed at Link. "Deku Tree!" Link muttered as he ran from the creature. It seemed as if every corridor of the maze had one of these creatures waiting for him. It took a while, but he finally made it to the Sacred Grove. The stump that Saria had often sat on was still there, but Saria was not. Link remembered the last time he had seen his old friend, she had been entering the Forest Temple. But that was a good two stories above him. "How do I get up there?"
Navi fluttered up to the ledge that led to the sacred place. "Saria had to have had something to get her up here…Navi flew through the tunnel that led to the entrance of the temple and found a small gadget lying next to the door. "Hey! I found something!"
"Is it going to help me get up there?" Link called back.
"I think so!" Navi began to push the device that was twice her size through the tunnel and off the ledge. Picking the object up, Link inspected the device. There seemed to be a handle that was connected to levers. At the other end of the device rest a hook. "I've seen this thing before. You need to aim and fire at the ledge. It's sort of like a grapple!"
"If you say so." Link took the device by the handle and aimed it at the ledge. He clenched his fist which activated the device. Suddenly, the hook shot out and grabbed hold of the ledge. Link was quickly whisked up to the ledge. However, the ledge broke apart before he could reach it. Link fell to the ground. His grapple had retracted back to it's starting position. "Well, I guess that ledge isn't all to sturdy." Link looked around and glimpsed a tree branch extending over the ledge. "But…" Link took a few steps back and shot his grapple at the branch. The branch proved to be much sturdier as Link was shot up to the branch where he could step down onto the ledge. "Alright, let's go!"
Ganondorf sat in his lofty castle. His face was that of a serial killer who managed to murder every living being that fit his profile of victims. Feeling victorious, there should have been nothing to dampen his spirits. Except a small piece of his soul. You killed her. I had to, Dorf. I changed her name countless times, but you only referred to her as your precious "Artisa." You didn't have to kill her. She was a reminder of your past! Whatever. She was just a horse. She never did anything wrong. Oh? That didn't stop you from killing the peasant girl named "Zelda." That was different! I want no connection between Hyrule and the accursed "Royal Family." Well, I want no connection between you and your past! It's holding you back! Fine. Whatever. Besides, we found a nice replacement for her, no? Epona is a strong beast that will serve you well. Yes. Yes, she was very good. Trust me. Trust me, and everything will be fine. Yes, Master.
"What is it with all these puzzles?" Link asked as cleared yet another puzzle.
"They were created to keep evil from contaminating the temple." Navi replied.
"In case you haven't noticed, evil already contaminates it! The only thing it's preventing is me from finding Saria and this Forest Sage!" Link opened a door to find the final fire-snatching poe. "Finally!" Link took aim with his bow and killed the ghostly monster. The fire that the poe had stolen whisked back to it's torch. Link followed it back to the main room and saw an elevator rise from the ground. "I'm glad that that's over with."
"Me too!"
Link stepped into the elevator and descended into the pits of the Forest Temple. When the elevator reached it's bottom, Link stepped out into a large room. Stained glass windows decorated the room. Each window was identical as it's design was that of a road leading into a dark forest. Evil cackling could be heard from the windows. Suddenly, out from one of the window, Ganondorf rode his horse . The dark lord swooped from one end of the room to the other and retreated into another window. Link was nervous. Though he was a man in appearance, he was a boy in reality. Fear shook him, but his courage overcame his fear and allowed him to regain his composure. "This must be this temple's…what did you call it?"
"Boss."
"Yeah. Ganondorf."
"Actually, it's just an image of Ganondorf. He's a phantom."
"You mean…he's a ghost?"
"Basically."
"Well, we know how to take care of ghosts, don't we?" Link drew his bow and loaded an arrow into it.
"Yes we do!"
Evil laughter was heard once again. Link spied Ganondorf riding on the road that the stained glass window created. "There he is!"
Navi shouted from behind Link, "No! There he is!" Ganondorf was displayed in each window riding his horse down each respective road. "Which one is it?"
The Phantoms were getting closer. Link looked around and saw no discrepancy in the images. He would have to take a guess. He held his arrow up to one of the images and released his arrow just as all the images of the dark lord disappeared. All except the one Link had guessed was his opponent. The arrow struck Ganondorf and he fell over onto the floor. Navi cried out, "He's not dead yet!"
This is bad! This is bad! This is…bad…evil…evil's bane… Link drew the Master Sword and plunged it into the spirit of Ganondorf. No evil can touch the sacred blade, let alone wield it.
Ganondorf's image dispersed into nothingness. The evil laughter was gone. The sun was shining through the stained glass windows, and Link heard a voice call him. "Link?"
Suddenly, Link found himself in the Chamber of Sages again. However, this time, Rauru was not the one standing before him, but it was instead Saria. "Saria?"
"Link, you rescued me!"
Link ran up to his friend and hugged her. Saria returned the hug. "Saria, I'm so sorry I left! I'm so sorry I abandoned you, I—"
"Link! Calm down. What's done was necessary. You've awakened me! I'm a sage!"
"A sage?"
"I wish I could do more for you, Link. But I'm needed here. All I can do is give you the Forest Medallion. Take care of yourself, Link." Saria handed Link her medallion. As Link accepted the medallion, Link found himself fading from the Chamber. Saria's voice echoed off one last sentiment. "I will always be…your friend…"
Link found himself in front of the spot where the Great Deku Tree once stood. His eyes were full of tears. His lifelong friend was a sage, and odds were, he would never see her again. Link looked down and his eyes caught glimpse of a sprout stirring in the ground. Remembering that the only living plant life he had seen in Kokiri Forest recently were dangerous, he drew his Master Sword and prepared to strike. The sprout stirred faster and faster until it sprang up out of the ground, knocking Link over. Link screamed in shock as he tumbled over. When he got up, he saw that the plant was a small tree. This plant had a smiling face on it. "Hello, Link! I am the Great Deku Tree Sprout!"
"What?"
"I am the Great Deku Tree Sprout!"
"Um, okay… But what does that mean? Who are you and how do you know my name?"
The Sprout laughed at Link's question. "I see you find this all a bit confusing. Allow me to explain. It all started seventeen years ago…" The Great Deku Tree Sprout proceeded to tell Link everything he had not known.
It all started seventeen years ago. There was a village that was known by few others than those who inhabited it. A young man left that village on a journey to sell his village's crops in Castle Town. On his way, he received a vision of a deity that promised him a great destiny as the hero of Hyrule. However, the being that appeared to him was no deity, but rather the ancient beast Ganon. Ganon managed to trick the young man into giving him access to the young man's soul. It only required a bit of tainting. The young man's pride did the rest. The young man received Ganon's power and with it, Ganon's evil. Ganon became just as much a part of the young man as the young man's skin. Taking the name of Ganondorf, the young man returned to his village and burned it to the ground. Ganondorf ruthlessly killed every man, woman and child in the village. However, one escaped. That woman who escaped rushed from the village and into the woods. She carried her newborn with her. She was injured by monsters along the way, and only just made it to the Great Deku Tree in time to tell her tale. The Great Deku Tree's foresight and kindness compelled him to accept the Hylian baby into the forest to be raised as a Kokiri.
The Deku Tree Sprout ceased his story telling and silence filled the air. Link finally spoke, "And…?"
"Link, don't you get it? You are the baby that was brought here seventeen years ago! You are Hylian! That's why you grew up and the Kokiri did not!"
"The Kokiri didn't grow up? Why didn't they grow up?"
"You—you don't know? Link, Kokiri never grow up! They remain as children their entire lives! Of course, as a Hylian, you do not remain as such."
"So…I'm not a Kokiri, I'm a Hylian. That's why Saria was still a child when I saw her in the Chamber of Sages and…everyone else is a child?"
"Yes, Link. I know you may have more questions, but they must be saved until later. Right now, you must awaken the other sages! Onward!"
Link waved good-bye as he walked out of the forest. As he entered the clearing where the Kokiri resided, he noticed that all the monsters were gone and the Kokiri had returned. Mido approached Link. "Excuse me, but what are you doing here, outsider?"
"I…I was looking for Saria…"
"Saria! Ha! Prove to me you know her."
"But I…"
"PROVE IT!"
"Fine." Link pulled out his blue ocarina and played Saria's Song. Mido was in shock that this stranger knew the song. Link was in shock when he suddenly heard Saria talking to him. Link? Link, can you hear me? "Saria?" Link, the ocarina you just played…is it blue with a Triforce on it? "Yeah…Why?" Link, if you play my song on that ocarina, I'll be able to communicate with you telepathically. That's our connection, Link. Please know that I didn't want to be a sage, because I knew it would lead to us being separated. However, it's what destiny ordered, and I'm willing to accept that. You need to get on with your quest. Feel free to call me anytime by playing my song.
Mido hadn't heard Saria's talking. Only Link heard the voice in his head. Mido asked Link, "That song…Saria only taught that song to her friends…You do know her, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Do you know where she is?"
"…She…she's a sage now. She won't be coming back…"
"…I see. But…I promised her that if he came back I would tell him… that she really liked… Excuse me, Mister?"
"Yes?"
"If you happen to see a blonde Kokiri boy named Link wearing a green hat and tunic, please tell him that Saria liked him… Also…tell him that…I'm so sorry for being mean to him. Yeah…Tell him that too."
Link couldn't help but smile. "I'll tell him."
"Thank you, Sir." Mido turned to walk to his house.
Link left the forest. As he did, he crossed the bridge where he had first said good-bye to Saria. She had given him the wooden ocarina that she had made right at this spot. Link could remember it like it was yesterday. Emotion welled up inside of him. Turning to the forest's exit, he slowly left the forest and returned to Hyrule Field. "Good-bye, Saria…" Link whispered.
A/N: So yeah, it was a bit of a sad ending. Link needed the shock of losing Saria to send him into hero mode. It's no longer a chore to wake these sages, it's imperative to him.
About the temple here, I decided that these deserved a bit more story. When Link went through the dungeons as a child, they were just to undo a hastily-placed curse of some sort. I basically just had him run into the boss and fight him there. These temples, however, were designed to be intricate and puzzling. Plus, Ganondorf had seven years to make them as dangerous as they are. I figured Link is going to have more trouble with the temples than the dungeons, so I might as well write a little more about how he accomplishes the temples without writing a walkthrough.
Please read and review!
Oh yeah, teaser time…
Will Link be able to wake all the sages? Will Hyrule be doomed to forever be ruled by Ganondorf? Will I stop writing questions you already know the answers to? Find out in the upcoming chapters of this amazing saga of epicness!