CHAPTER NINE

Green. I simply saw a sea of green everywhere around me. My ears picked up a familiar sound-Chu Chus!

I reached for my sword and pulled it out. I decided to get fancy in taking them out by using a whirling spin attack.

WHOOSH!! Heh, heh. Simple, but effective.

I approached a small door completely enveloped in vines. I slashed them with my sword, but as soon as they fell to the ground, twice as many sprouted back to replace them.

I muttered some things under my breath that Grandma wouldn't have been so fond of before I went into a mad frenzy of slashing the door, but to no avail.

And then, whoop, an...eye popped out from the center of the door. I jumped back from the startle.

"Hello?" I asked, "is anybody there?"

The deep blue eye shut and opened again.

It was a while before I realized that that eye wasn't real at all. I slashed it with my sword the next time it opened, but to no avail.

Finally, I solved the puzzle by chucking a huge, nearby nut right into the opened eye. The vines all fell to the ground and the door opened.

I jumped up and down. "Yes!"

As I continued into the lush forest, I felt something sharp prick me in the back.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, wiping the spot with the back of my hand.

Prick.

"Oww!"

Prick, pri...prick, prick... pri...pick, PRICK!

"OWW!!" I yelped, feeling it to be much harder to walk.

Then I finally realized what was going on. A bunch these little spiny creatures called Morths were attaching themselves to me.

The stupid things were so heavy that I struggled just to walk. I finally got the idea to do a sword spin. The move flung the Morths off me with ease.

The journey through the Forbidden Woods was getting really treacherous, and I could find no sign of Makar.

I sighed. I can't give up! I told myself. I gotta keep going!

The dazing dance of fireflies and bits of magic floating around me began to make me sleepy. I...shut my...eyes and...went to...to sleep...

* * *

I awoke solely from the sense that someone, or something, was nearby. My eyes slowly opened .

Buzzzzz...

What was that? A giant wasp? The buzzing began to get louder and louder as it got closer and closer. I opened my eyes completely.

I leaped up in shock at the sight of two large Mothulas, flying creatures that looked like monstrous moth bugs.

The first Mothula dove toward me from behind. I wasn't quick enough to dodge out of its way, so it smashed me into the ground with incredible force.

I groaned as I stood up from the attack, only to be smacked from behind by the second one.

"UUHHH!" I exclaimed, having been pelted into the nearest wall.

I couldn't see straight, and barely got onto my feet, moaning from the pain of the attacks. I could hear another one coming my way, and, despite my weakness, I reached for my sword. I pulled it out just in time as the first Mothula flew right into the sharp sword, impaling itself. I spun around the the second attacking Mothula and held out my shield. I banged its head hard on the sturdy defense tool. Dazed the monster was as I used my sword to slash it until it was no more. The two Mothulas disappeared in the purple cloud.

The second the smoke dissipated, a light poured into the middle of the forest, revealing a treasure chest. I cautiously approached the chest. My curiosity won my inner battle and so I opened it.

I leaned into the chest and pulled out-a boomerang!

The yellow weapon was simple and small. I ran my palm across one of the bladed edges. Sharp.

The next puzzle was: how do I get out of this room? I decided to get a better look by climbing to the top of a platform in the middle of the room.

I took out the lone Chu Chu at the top of the platform and scanned across the room. Five interestingly placed crystals lined the outer rim of the room, each emitting a light that joined together to form a shield at the exit. If only I could break the crystals I could... Hey! My boomerang!

I'd had plenty of aiming practice with my Grappling Hook, I had a feeling I could aim my boomerang, so that I could destroy all five crystals at one. What the heck? I thought, what could it hurt?

It only took a couple tries, well maybe along the lines of twenty or so, but I finally released my boomerang at just the right position.

V,V,V,V,V.

Each crystal broke, releasing the shield on the door. I whipped out my Deku Leaf and glided across the forest room into the new door.

I battled two more Wingless Mothulas with relative ease, before I continued into the next room where a boss awaited.

* * *

A large, beautiful flower lay spread out on the floor of the room. A little voice caught my attention. A cute, little creature that looked like one of those Koroks, stood in the middle of the flower.

"You must have been sent by the Great Deku Tree," said the Korok, "please- help me out of here!"

I walked toward the Korok, but all of a sudden, the beautiful flower began to move. And rumble. And quake. I fell down to the ground, having lost my balance. The Korok screamed as the flower rose and enveloped the tiny creature. It swallowed him!

Vines shot out from the sides of the plant and it used them to pull itself to the top. I'd seen this thing in a book somewhere! I think they called it- Kalle Demos. I knew it wasn't up to good. It was time for me to put it to rest.

I had to get into its core, I figured out. But how? Thoughts raced through my head, but before any more could, vines shot out of the ground, making me fall hard to the ground. I used my shield to fend off the vines and got an idea.

I got out my boomerang and used it multiple times to cut the vines holding up the plant to the ceiling.

The plant crashed down and its core opened up. I ran inside and slashed the little plantling in the core until I heard an ominous rumble. Oh no! The plant was closing up again! I tried to climb up its sides to escape, but my efforts proved futile as Kalle Demos closed itself. Then, SPPOOOOOWSH! It spat me back out.

I leaped up from the ground and reached for my boomerang. But, wait? Where was it?

I searched around like mad, trying to locate my lost weapon. And then, I saw it... on the other side of the room! How could I get to it?

I decided to run for it. I charged ahead at full speed, right under the wicked plant monster. I was just about to get to it before Kalle Demos released vines from under the ground. I was taken aback in surprise, but decided to take care of them with my sword.

SLASH! SLASH! WHISH!!!

My boomerang lay on the floor waiting for me to pick it up. I grabbed it and spun around, hitting all the vines of the monster to make it fall down.

The weak wines broke, and Kalle Demos fell to the floor with a thud. I ran in, angry, and made a running jump with my sword, stabbing the inanimate plantling in the core of the beast.

A strong gust of wind blew out from all sides. Kalle Demos began to shrivel, curl. It wasn't but ten seconds before I rejoiced over the fact that I had defeated it.

Silence.

And, then from who knows where came the little Korok.

It wasn't until that point that I finally put two and two together. It was Makar. I'd rescued him.

Makar waddled up to me. "Thank you so much for saving my life!"

I smiled. "You're welcome!"

"The others are probably so angry at me. It's hust about time to begin our festival of thanks to the forest and I'm not there to play," Makar said, with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"Well," I began, noticing the fiddle-like instrument behind his back, "you can play right now. At least you can say that you didn't completely blow it off."

"That's a great idea!"

I could feel the little Korok pour his heart into his playing. Every stroke, so carefully crafted. He knew what he was doing. That tune, it was so familiar...

I eventually became unsure as to whether Makar was playing twice as loud or if someone else had joined him.

My thoughts were confirmed as I spotted another Korok playing away on her instrument.

Then another.

And another.

The next thing I knew, all of the Koroks had joined Makar and me and were playing. I gasped. I saw the Deku Tree. How did it get over here...?

The sounds of the instruments combined beautifully, guiding the fireflies in their staggering promenade. I couldn't help but join in the orchestration with the Wind Waker. Conducting the familiar tune as we went along. What a sight we were to see.

Then I remembered-I needed Nayru's Pearl. I turned to the Deku Tree, but before I could say a word, he nodded with a reassuring grin spread across his face.

"Mahait bou to," mouthed the Great Deku Tree.

"You're welcome," I mouthed back.

The small pearl rolled to my feet and I snuck out a back exit, not wanting to disturb the Koroks' ceremony. I grasped Nayru's Pearl and held it close.

As I left, the melody of the Koroks drifted out behind me and was lost not far from my path.

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