Chapter 28: Hookshot
"Hehehe, young man..." the ghost of Dampé said as Link caught up to him
".... Dampé...!" Link gasped in between breaths as he bent over to catch his breath, ".... I... finally caught... up to... you. Are we... done?"
"You were very quick to be able to keep up with me! Hehehe! As a reward, I'm going to give you my treasure."
"What is it?"
"It's called the Hookshot!"
"And that means...?"
"It's spring-loaded chain will pull you to any spot where its hook sticks. Doesn't that sound cool? I'm sure it will help you!"
"Yeah, that's what... Sheik said we need."
"I live here now, so come back again sometime. I'll give you something cool! One more thing!"
"What?"
"Be careful on your way back! Heheheh...."
Out of nowhere, a large chest materialized in front of Link; he opened it and took out the Hookshot. "This'll come in handy..." he remarked and ran out of the chamber
He stopped when he ran right into a large blue stone pillar, he fell onto his back and glanced up to the pillar. It had the same markings that the Door of Time had, the emblem of a sun with multiple rays emerging from it.
He took the Ocarina of Time from his side pack and played the Song of Time. The pillar was enveloped by a light blue pillar of light and vanished, revealing a ledge with stairs beyond it. He ran, jumped, and grabbed onto the ledge; he pulled himself up and ran to the top of the stairs. As soon as he reached the top, a lighthearted tone filled his ears. He didn't notice the ledge that was at the end of staircase; he fell, was hit by the top of the windmill support and fell onto his back on a rotating platform.
"Link!" he heard Navi cry his name, "Are you alright?"
"How do you think I feel??" he replied, "I just fell off of a high ledge, was hit by something and fell onto my back... how do think I should feel....?"
"Oh... my mistake! Sorry."
He got up, stepped off of the platform when it reached the door way, and left the windmill.
* * *
"Ganondorf... The Forest Sage is under control." Maiku said as he stood at the doorway of Ganondorf's Chamber, "I have a question though..."
"What?" Ganondorf replied.
"Well, I have a feeling that the Phantom in the Temple will not be strong enough to trouble Link very much."
"What are you saying?"
"What I am saying is that you should increase the strength of the Phantom."
"... I'll consider it..."
"Time is running out...! Link is getting closer to the Temple by the minute, and I know those damn Kokiri will not be any trouble to him."
"And why is that?"
".... I have increased the monster population in the forest. The Kokiri Children are too afraid of the monsters to do even so much as leave their homes." He began to leave, "I will observe the Phantom's performance... if you wish it, that is...."
"Yes..."
"Yes Ganondorf."
* * *
"The Kokiri Forest..." Link said as he stepped through the hollowed out log tunnel into the clearing, ".... I never thought I'd have to come back here...." He glanced around and noticed that all of his childhood friends were gone, "Where is everybody...?"
"Link." Navi said, "I don't like this... it's too quiet..."
"Yeah..."
As he explored what was his home, he began to feel more uneasy every passing minute; everyone was gone...
"Maybe... they're just in the Lost Woods somewhere... or maybe their homes!"
"Maybe..."
"I think we should check the houses first!"
"Yes."
"Link..." he heard a quiet voice say, "Where are you...?"
"Huh?"
"Link.... I'm waiting...."
"Saria?"
"Please come and save me Link..."
Link closed his eyes and concentrated, seeing a faint vision of Saria with her head down in the center of a room with a painted Triforce symbol on the floor, "I'm here, Saria."
She looked up, "Great! You're safe!"
"It's been a long seven years but I'm safe."
"I knew I would hear from you again!"
"Where are you?"
"I'm in the Forest Temple!"
"The Forest Temple? Why there?"
"The forest spirits were calling for help, so I went to check it out... But it's full of evil monsters ! Help me, Link !"
He broke his concentration when he felt a slight nudge on his leg, he glanced down expecting a Kokiri to be there but instead he saw the leaf of a huge Deku Baba wrapped around his lower leg. He jerked his leg back, broke out of the grip of the Baba and ran towards the Lost Woods. The Baba population seemed to have tripled as he ran towards the Lost Woods entrance; they sprouted out of the ground on both sides, snapping at his arms and legs as he ran like a madman. He finally arrived at the tunnel and dashed into the depths of the Lost Woods.