Lady-obsessed: *randomly twirling pen* Hmm...Gah! People! *sits up
straight* Yes, of course I'm working on chapter three. *shifty eyes* ^-^;
I am really. And now "Opposites Attract" is complete I have more time to
do this one so hopefully it'll be updated quicker than before. *crosses
fingers* Okay, on with chapter 3.
Chapter 3 – The Quest Begins
Mido did not look best pleased when he saw Link and O-chan approaching. He could not believe they had managed to get what he had asked for. Sure, he knew there were shields in the Kokiri shop but they were only new in stock. He had been hoping they wouldn't know about them. And even if they had, he had doubted they had the money for them. But the thing that annoyed him most was the fact that they had managed to find swords. Two of them! If anyone would have known there were swords in the Kokiri village, it would have been him! So how had they done it?!
But he could do nothing but fume angrily on the spot.
O-chan couldn't help grinning as they drew near to where Mido was standing. His face was so funny to look at. Being in 3D reality and seeing it made finding the swords and shields very rewarding. She glanced sideways at Link and saw he wore a similar expression to her own. Mido seemed utterly speechless, stunned by their success. They saw his hands go to his hips, his foot tapping irritably and his face set in a glower.
"Alright Mido, we got the shields and swords you wanted. Now let us past," Link said, having trouble keeping the delighted grin from his face.
Mido shot them a menacing glare but could do nothing.
"Very well," he said sullenly and moved reluctantly aside.
O-chan and Link hurried by him, into the passage. As they went, they could hear Mido grumbling:
"How did they get to be the favourites of both the Saria and the Great Deku Tree?!"
The two of them laughed.
"Haha! We showed him!" Link said.
"We sure did," O-chan nodded.
They continued down the path.
Odd, O-chan thought as she turned a corner. I was sure we would have been attacked by Deku Babas by now. I'm quite certain that's what happens in the game. And is this passage darker than it should be? It was quite hard to make out where they were going. Link was ahead, running his hand along the wall. O-chan knew where he was because of Navi.
They walked in silence for a few minutes and then O-chan heard Link speak.
"Hey! What's this thing? Don't reckon I've seen one of these before."
"What's it look like?" O-chan called back, though she was sure she already knew.
"It's a sort of plant thing. Very short with spiky leaves and a bluish bud and – AH!"
"Link!"
"It bit me! Ow! Why you –"
There was the sound of a sword thrumming through the air and then making contact with the Deku Baba's stalk. A strangled sort of cry rang out and then faded away. O-chan hurried over.
"Link? Are you okay?"
From the light provided by Iku and Navi, she could see Link rubbing his arm where the Deku Baba had attacked him.
"Blasted thing. That hurt!" he said irritably.
"But you killed it! So that's good," O-chan smiled.
"Yeah...yeah I guess I did, didn't I?"
O-chan watched as he beamed then asked him:
"Did you get anything?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Exactly that. Usually when you kill one of those things you receive a reward."
Link frowned and then searched the ground.
"Hey! You're right. There's something here!"
He picked it up and held it up to Navi's light so he could see what it was. He frowned again.
"It's a stick?!"
"Hey, cool! A Deku Stick!"
Link raised an eyebrow at her exclamation.
"What's so great about a stick?" he demanded.
"It's not any old stick. It's a Deku Stick. You can hit things with it, carry fire. All sorts," she explained.
"Really?"
She nodded. Link looked at the stick again and then strapped it to his back.
"Okay, let's keep going. We should be nearly there."
"Yeah. Though I'm sure we should have been there ages ago," O-chan muttered.
"What?"
"Never mind."
Link gave her another funny look but then shrugged and moved off ahead again, his hand running along the wall once again. O-chan followed once more, occasionally hearing the slash of his sword. By the time they reached the clearing, Link had quite a number of Deku Sticks strapped to his back behind his shield.
Both O-chan and Link gaped when they arrived. The clearing in which the Deku Tree rested was huge. It was at least twice as big as the Kokiri Village. Even O-chan was sure it had never been so vast, having seen it a thousand times before.
The Great Deku Tree stood in the centre of the clearing, towering above them, its thick branches shielding most of the sky from view. It was very impressive to see. O-chan was in awe although a little nervous at the same time. The face set into the trunk of the enormous tree made it very intimidating. It seemed to be watching everything she did. She shivered slightly.
"You okay?" Link whispered.
She nodded and smiled. He smiled back.
"I'm nervous too. Don't worry."
She nodded once more. She and Link stood there awkwardly as Navi and Iku flew over to the Deku Tree. The two orbs of light circled the thick trunk and then they said:
"Great Deku Tree, we're back."
Then they heard the Deku Tree speak. A deep rumbling voice yet it sounded weakened.
"Oh... Navi...Iku...Thou hast returned..." it said feebly. "Link...O- chan...Welcome...Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee..."
O-chan and Link stepped closer. O-chan was still stunned by the greatness of the forest's guardian. She didn't feel worthy of being in his presence and she was sure Link felt the same. The Deku Tree continued.
"Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares...As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it...Verily, thou hast felt it...Link...O-chan...The time has come to test thy courage..."
Here it comes, O-chan thought. She knew what was coming. Beside her, Link gulped.
"I have been cursed..."
O-chan heard Link gasp.
"No..." he breathed.
Poor Link, O-chan thought. She felt really bad but she had known that this is what the Deku Tree was going to say. Link was looking at her, wondering why she seemed so calm. She pretended not to notice. Instead she stared intently at the Deku Tree so that Link would think she was listening to its words.
"I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?"
After exchanging a quick glance, they looked up at the Great Deku Tree and nodded slowly.
"Then enter, brave Link, brave O-chan and thou too, Navi...Iku..."
The two fairies stopped circling the Great Deku Tree and hovered before its 'face'. Link and O-chan watched as the 'mouth' of the thick trunk opened up, revealing the entrance to the Deku Tree's heart.
"Navi and Iku the fairies... Thou must aid Link and O-chan...And Link, O- chan...When Navi or Iku speaks, listen well to their words of wisdom..."
Iku and Navi flew back to O-chan and Link and the two Kokiris nodded again.
"We will," they said quietly.
With Navi and Iku leading the way, they moved forwards and disappeared into the tunnel.
They emerged from the black after only a few seconds. Glancing back, they could see the dim light of the clearing they had left behind. Link looked around again and shuddered.
"What's wrong?" O-chan asked.
"I don't like this. I mean, we've just entered inside the Great Deku Tree. Inside! Trees are not supposed to be hollow. It seems wrong. It's like the Great Deku Tree is nothing but a shell."
O-chan had never considered this before. Now she thought about, she knew Link was right. And it was true. It did seem wrong. The entire cavern in which they now stood had been carved out of the forest deity's trunk. It was almost like thinking of herself with no skeleton or organs. It was all very wrong.
The other thing that unnerved them was the fact that the vast room, if you could call it a room, was lit by an unknown source. It was not dark like the tunnel.
"Magic," Iku explained as the two wondered at this. "The Great Deku Tree is using some of his magic to guide you."
Link sniffed.
"He shouldn't. He shouldn't weaken himself further for our sake."
"But Link, we can probably help him faster if we can see what we're doing," O-chan said. "He'd probably lose more energy if we were stumbling around in the dark for ages and getting nowhere."
"I suppose."
He did not look happy. O-chan could not say she completely understood what he was going through because she had not known the Deku Tree so well; having only arrived in the forest yesterday. Yet it was still a very upsetting.
"Link..."
Link shook himself.
"Come on, let's go. We're just wasting time."
"Oh...okay."
Link strode off into the room. O-chan hesitated for a second. He was right. They had better do this quick. Although...if this was going to be true to the game, the Deku Tree would not survive, regardless of how quickly they dispelled of the curse. It was quite discouraging knowing that you would fail even when you succeed.
"O-chan?"
Link stood some feet away now, looking slightly annoyed.
"Are you coming?"
"...Yeah, sorry..."
She ambled over, still not thinking about what she was doing. She barely heard Link shout for her to look out before she felt a sudden pain in her leg.
"Aaah!"
Whatever had struck her attacked her again. She winced in pain and turned angrily to see what it was. The Deku Baba rose up once more, preparing for a third strike.
"Oh no you don't," she growled, pulling her shield from her back.
The Deku Baba lunged again but its toothed bud hit the thick bark of the shield. It squealed in pain and shook itself. Whilst it did so, O-chan drew her sword.
Okay, let's see if I can do this, she thought.
She swung the sword through the air. It connected with the Deku Baba and it squealed again. She had severed half of the stalk. The second swing caused the Deku Baba to give out one last cry before it crumbled to nothing.
"Wow! I did it!" O-chan cried delightedly.
"Well done you," Iku said.
"Did you get a Deku Stick?" Link enquired.
"Erm..."
O-chan looked around. No. No Deku Stick. However, something else appeared amongst the remains of the Deku Baba. O-chan picked it up.
"Well? What is it?" Link demanded.
O-chan turned round, grinning. In her hands he held a Deku Nut. Link frowned.
"Don't look much like a stick," he said.
Navi sighed and pushed him in the side of the head, tutting. O-chan laughed.
"Don't be stupid Link. Course it's not a stick. This is a Deku Nut. I think the way I killed the Deku Baba was slightly different to the way you did it."
"How so?"
"Well, when you hit it the first time, it went dead straight so that when you hit it the second time, it became a stick. I, on the other hand, had my shield up so that when I hit it, it just went for me again. It sort of crumbled when I killed it and became a nut instead."
Link cocked his head to one side as he took this in and then nodded.
"Okay, if you say so."
O-chan put the Deku Nut in her pouch.
"Right," said Link, "now which way? There aren't any doors."
O-chan scanned her memory. If this was like the first dungeon on the game then there ought to be vines on one of the walls. Yes, there they were. She tugged on Link's sleeve.
"We go up," she said, pointing.
Link looked the vines up and down and then at O-chan.
"You sure?"
She nodded and he shrugged.
"Alright then."
He took hold of the vines and pulled on them apprehensively to make sure they were secure. They were. Satisfied, he hoisted himself up and found a place for his feet. O-chan watched as he scaled the wall in a matter of seconds and pulled himself up onto the ledge. He looked back round at her.
"Come on!"
O-chan smiled nervously and then looked at the vines. Climbing a ladder was one thing but vines?! She took hold of the green ropes and placed her feet on the rock. She frowned in concentration and hauled herself off the ground. Slowly but surely, she began to climb the wall of vines. If this had been the game, it would have taken her only a short time, just as Link had done, but in reality it was a few minutes before she was able to reach the edge with her hand. Even then she struggled to get onto the ledge.
"Here."
O-chan looked up to see Link offering her a hand. She took it gratefully and he heaved her up beside him. She bent over to catch her breath.
"Thanks," she smiled.
Link didn't respond and instead turned and jumped the small gap to the ledge on the other side. O-chan followed him. She looked about her. This was so weird. She didn't really pay attention as she looked and almost walked into Link who had stopped.
"Hey!"
Link blinked at her and then returned to studying the wall.
"More vines," he said.
"Yeah?"
"Well, I reckon we should climb them."
He didn't even wait for her to reply before lifting himself up. He began to climb. O-chan frowned. This wasn't right. Surely they were supposed to go somewhere else first. There was something that stopped you going up those vines.
Then she heard the familiar scratching sound. She shuddered. She knew that sound. Slowly, she raised her gaze, allowing it to rest on the skullwalltulas crawling amongst the vines. Iku followed her gaze and flitted up beside one of the skullwalltula. She glowed brightly but the skullwalltula ignored her.
"This is a skullwalltula," she explained. "Don't touch it!"
"Don't tell me! Tell Link!" O-chan cried.
The fairy glimmered and then flew back down.
"That's Navi's job, not mine."
"Urg! Then I'll do it! LINK!!! Get down from there!"
"Why? What's wrong?"
Link looked round, still clinging to the vines. As he did so, one of the skullwalltulas turned and saw him. It began to glow a poisonous purple. O- chan's eyes widened.
"LINK!! MOVE!!"
Without thinking, she clambered onto the chest beneath Link and yanked his leg.
"Woah!"
Link lost his grip and came crashing down on top of her just as the skullwalltula charged. O-chan fell from the chest and Link tumbled after her, both landing on the ledge once more.
"Ow..." O-chan groaned. "Link, can you get off me please?"
The Kokiri boy got up.
"What the heck did you do that for?" he demanded, dusting off his tunic.
O-chan glowered, angry that he didn't even seem grateful.
"Because!" she yelled, pointing, "Because that skullwalltula was about to attack you! You can't go up the vines! Not until we've got the means of killing them."
She scrambled to her feet and huffed, heading off towards the door at the far end of the ledge. Link remained where he was for a few seconds and looked at the skullwalltula. Navi flew over and circled it.
"This is a skullwalltula," she said in a tinkling voice. "Don't touch it."
"Now you tell me," Link grumbled and followed O-chan.
She had reached the door and was tapping her foot impatiently. Link grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry," he said.
"Whatever. Come on."
They went through the door into the room. It was rather bare except for the tuft of grass in the middle of it.
"Why did we come in here?" Link asked.
As he spoke, the grass rustled and a Deku Scrub popped out of the ground. It looked around and then squealed when it saw them.
"What is it?" Link asked.
"A Deku Scrub," Navi explained.
The Deku Scrub rustled in the grass a little and then spat a nut at Link, who dodged.
"What the –"
He drew his sword and charged at it, meaning to slash it but it disappeared into the ground again. Link attempted to hit it anyway but missed.
"Navi?"
"It will hide in the grass if you get too close to it," the blue fairy explained.
"So what am I supposed to do? OW!"
Another Deku Nut had been fired and this time it had managed to hit Link. Link raised his shield for defence.
"NAVI?"
"Well..." began the fairy, watching the Deku Scrub. It spat yet another nut at Link.
However, this time it bounced off the shield and back at the Deku Scrub. It squealed in pain and leapt from its hiding place.
"...you have to reflect the nut that it fires at you back," Navi finished.
Link groaned.
"Why do you always tell me these things after I've figured them out?"
O-chan laughed and watched the Deku Scrub dancing about the room.
"Catch it then."
"Huh?" she looked around at Iku.
"Catch it before it goes back in the hole!"
"Oh yeah!"
O-chan chased after the Deku Scrub but wasn't quick enough. Link, on the other hand, having caught on to what she was trying to do, decided to help and succeeded in seizing the Scrub by its tufty 'hair'.
"Oh please don't hurt me," the Scrub squealed. "If you let me go, I'll tell you a secret."
"What?"
"The order in which to beat my brothers. They guard the entrance to the Queen Gohma's room."
"Tell us then."
"It's 2, 3, 1!"
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" the Kokiri demanded.
"He is Link, let him go," O-chan muttered.
He turned to look at her.
"But how are you so sure?"
"I just am. Come on."
She turned towards the door at the other end of the room. Link reluctantly let the Scrub go and it disappeared into the ground.
The room through the door was almost as plain as the one before but this time it was split in two with a large gap between the ledges. Between the gap was a large square stone. The four of them watched it.
This is really weird, O-chan thought. It's very clever to see a rock suspended in mid-air by absolutely nothing.
"Hey look! What's that?" Link cried, pointing to the wooden object on the opposite side of the room.
"Treasure," said Navi.
"Well, let's get it then." Link leapt onto the stone. "Come on O-chan!"
O-chan gulped and watched as Link jumped neatly across the stone and landed safely on the other side. As soon as he had done so, the rock crumbled to dust.
"Ah."
Now the two of them were on opposite sides of the room. Link looked worriedly around.
"Oh no! How do I get back?"
"You'll be fine. Just open the chest!" O-chan called.
The Kokiri still appeared worried but nevertheless he turned and lifted the lid of the large wooden chest. His head disappeared for a minute but he then resurfaced, clutching his prize.
"Wow!" he called. "I got a slingshot!"
"A fairy slingshot to be precise," Navi quipped.
Link grinned and then frowned.
"Okay, I got it but I still can't get back."
O-chan considered for a second. She knew you needed the slingshot but what did you do? She looked around. Hmm...
"Iku?"
The golden fairy had left her side and flitted upwards. Her aura began green as she swirled around the ladder above O-chan.
Now she remembered!
"Thanks Iku!" she called to the fairy. Then she shouted to Link, "Link! Can you see the ladder up there?!"
Link looked up.
"Yeah!"
"Well use your slingshot to bring it down!"
"You sure?"
"Yes!"
"Alright then."
Link took aim with the slingshot and loaded one of the seeds he had found in the chest also into it. He pulled it back.
"Steady...steady..."
He released the seed and it flew through the air and hit its target. The ladder slid down and propped itself against the wall.
"YAY!! I did it!" Link cheered, jumping down into the gap and climbing up the ladder. "Quite good this slingshot!"
"And it has other uses too," O-chan grinned, pulling him up. "Let's go!"
O-chan pulled Link all the way back to the vines. Before doing anything else, she opened the chest she had stood on before and retrieved the map. It would be handy.
"Okay Link, we've gotta go up here next."
"But how? Those skullwalltulas will attack us again."
O-chan glanced up at the scratching arachnids and shuddered. She didn't like spiders much.
"Yeah, well that's where your new slingshot comes in."
"Oh! I see."
Link loaded his slingshot and fired three seeds, one at each of the skullwalltulas. His aim was perfect and they fell and died one by one. The vines were now clear. Link scrambled onto the vines and then held a hand out to help O-chan up. Together, they scaled the wall. Link had to stop every so often to help O-chan but they eventually made it to the top.
"Creepy," Link grimaced as he looked about. "What is this stuff?"
He touched the sticky white string that was woven all around them. He quivered.
"Disgusting!"
O-chan trembled nervously.
"It's web, Link. We've got to be very careful around here."
"Yuck!" Link withdrew his hand quickly. "Let's get moving then."
The two of them and their fairies began to make their way around the wooden path, keeping away from the webbing. O-chan stayed close to Link, her eyes scanning the ceiling for enemies. She could here the scratching of the giant skulltulas but couldn't see them.
"Hey! Watch out!" Link suddenly shouted.
The giant skulltula had appeared from nowhere and as they were so close to it, it spun angrily, throwing them apart. Link was sent into the wall. O- chan stumbled awkwardly, trying to get out the way but wasn't fast enough. A second attack caught her in the stomach and she was flung in the opposite direction, between the gap in the webbing and over the edge. She had no time to grab the side of the path before she plunged downwards. She could hear Link yell her name but it was too late.
She crashed into the sticky white strings below and they ripped apart under her weight. She lost sight of the room completely as she fell down into the darkness of the world beneath the Deku Trees roots.
Lady obsessed: Ta da! Chapter 3 complete and you are lucky I finished it when I did or it would've been a month before you got it because I'm going to Italy this half-term. Skiing! Face down in the snow for a week! What fun!
Anyway, before I go, I wanna say thank you to everyone who reviewed my story. So thank you to: Winged Knight, Commando64, LunaticChaos, Flamestrike, kawaii-tora87, Blueflamerose and Reader. I really appreciate all of them.
Well, until Chapter 4, arivederchi! (hope that's spelt right ^-^; )
Chapter 3 – The Quest Begins
Mido did not look best pleased when he saw Link and O-chan approaching. He could not believe they had managed to get what he had asked for. Sure, he knew there were shields in the Kokiri shop but they were only new in stock. He had been hoping they wouldn't know about them. And even if they had, he had doubted they had the money for them. But the thing that annoyed him most was the fact that they had managed to find swords. Two of them! If anyone would have known there were swords in the Kokiri village, it would have been him! So how had they done it?!
But he could do nothing but fume angrily on the spot.
O-chan couldn't help grinning as they drew near to where Mido was standing. His face was so funny to look at. Being in 3D reality and seeing it made finding the swords and shields very rewarding. She glanced sideways at Link and saw he wore a similar expression to her own. Mido seemed utterly speechless, stunned by their success. They saw his hands go to his hips, his foot tapping irritably and his face set in a glower.
"Alright Mido, we got the shields and swords you wanted. Now let us past," Link said, having trouble keeping the delighted grin from his face.
Mido shot them a menacing glare but could do nothing.
"Very well," he said sullenly and moved reluctantly aside.
O-chan and Link hurried by him, into the passage. As they went, they could hear Mido grumbling:
"How did they get to be the favourites of both the Saria and the Great Deku Tree?!"
The two of them laughed.
"Haha! We showed him!" Link said.
"We sure did," O-chan nodded.
They continued down the path.
Odd, O-chan thought as she turned a corner. I was sure we would have been attacked by Deku Babas by now. I'm quite certain that's what happens in the game. And is this passage darker than it should be? It was quite hard to make out where they were going. Link was ahead, running his hand along the wall. O-chan knew where he was because of Navi.
They walked in silence for a few minutes and then O-chan heard Link speak.
"Hey! What's this thing? Don't reckon I've seen one of these before."
"What's it look like?" O-chan called back, though she was sure she already knew.
"It's a sort of plant thing. Very short with spiky leaves and a bluish bud and – AH!"
"Link!"
"It bit me! Ow! Why you –"
There was the sound of a sword thrumming through the air and then making contact with the Deku Baba's stalk. A strangled sort of cry rang out and then faded away. O-chan hurried over.
"Link? Are you okay?"
From the light provided by Iku and Navi, she could see Link rubbing his arm where the Deku Baba had attacked him.
"Blasted thing. That hurt!" he said irritably.
"But you killed it! So that's good," O-chan smiled.
"Yeah...yeah I guess I did, didn't I?"
O-chan watched as he beamed then asked him:
"Did you get anything?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Exactly that. Usually when you kill one of those things you receive a reward."
Link frowned and then searched the ground.
"Hey! You're right. There's something here!"
He picked it up and held it up to Navi's light so he could see what it was. He frowned again.
"It's a stick?!"
"Hey, cool! A Deku Stick!"
Link raised an eyebrow at her exclamation.
"What's so great about a stick?" he demanded.
"It's not any old stick. It's a Deku Stick. You can hit things with it, carry fire. All sorts," she explained.
"Really?"
She nodded. Link looked at the stick again and then strapped it to his back.
"Okay, let's keep going. We should be nearly there."
"Yeah. Though I'm sure we should have been there ages ago," O-chan muttered.
"What?"
"Never mind."
Link gave her another funny look but then shrugged and moved off ahead again, his hand running along the wall once again. O-chan followed once more, occasionally hearing the slash of his sword. By the time they reached the clearing, Link had quite a number of Deku Sticks strapped to his back behind his shield.
Both O-chan and Link gaped when they arrived. The clearing in which the Deku Tree rested was huge. It was at least twice as big as the Kokiri Village. Even O-chan was sure it had never been so vast, having seen it a thousand times before.
The Great Deku Tree stood in the centre of the clearing, towering above them, its thick branches shielding most of the sky from view. It was very impressive to see. O-chan was in awe although a little nervous at the same time. The face set into the trunk of the enormous tree made it very intimidating. It seemed to be watching everything she did. She shivered slightly.
"You okay?" Link whispered.
She nodded and smiled. He smiled back.
"I'm nervous too. Don't worry."
She nodded once more. She and Link stood there awkwardly as Navi and Iku flew over to the Deku Tree. The two orbs of light circled the thick trunk and then they said:
"Great Deku Tree, we're back."
Then they heard the Deku Tree speak. A deep rumbling voice yet it sounded weakened.
"Oh... Navi...Iku...Thou hast returned..." it said feebly. "Link...O- chan...Welcome...Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee..."
O-chan and Link stepped closer. O-chan was still stunned by the greatness of the forest's guardian. She didn't feel worthy of being in his presence and she was sure Link felt the same. The Deku Tree continued.
"Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares...As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it...Verily, thou hast felt it...Link...O-chan...The time has come to test thy courage..."
Here it comes, O-chan thought. She knew what was coming. Beside her, Link gulped.
"I have been cursed..."
O-chan heard Link gasp.
"No..." he breathed.
Poor Link, O-chan thought. She felt really bad but she had known that this is what the Deku Tree was going to say. Link was looking at her, wondering why she seemed so calm. She pretended not to notice. Instead she stared intently at the Deku Tree so that Link would think she was listening to its words.
"I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?"
After exchanging a quick glance, they looked up at the Great Deku Tree and nodded slowly.
"Then enter, brave Link, brave O-chan and thou too, Navi...Iku..."
The two fairies stopped circling the Great Deku Tree and hovered before its 'face'. Link and O-chan watched as the 'mouth' of the thick trunk opened up, revealing the entrance to the Deku Tree's heart.
"Navi and Iku the fairies... Thou must aid Link and O-chan...And Link, O- chan...When Navi or Iku speaks, listen well to their words of wisdom..."
Iku and Navi flew back to O-chan and Link and the two Kokiris nodded again.
"We will," they said quietly.
With Navi and Iku leading the way, they moved forwards and disappeared into the tunnel.
They emerged from the black after only a few seconds. Glancing back, they could see the dim light of the clearing they had left behind. Link looked around again and shuddered.
"What's wrong?" O-chan asked.
"I don't like this. I mean, we've just entered inside the Great Deku Tree. Inside! Trees are not supposed to be hollow. It seems wrong. It's like the Great Deku Tree is nothing but a shell."
O-chan had never considered this before. Now she thought about, she knew Link was right. And it was true. It did seem wrong. The entire cavern in which they now stood had been carved out of the forest deity's trunk. It was almost like thinking of herself with no skeleton or organs. It was all very wrong.
The other thing that unnerved them was the fact that the vast room, if you could call it a room, was lit by an unknown source. It was not dark like the tunnel.
"Magic," Iku explained as the two wondered at this. "The Great Deku Tree is using some of his magic to guide you."
Link sniffed.
"He shouldn't. He shouldn't weaken himself further for our sake."
"But Link, we can probably help him faster if we can see what we're doing," O-chan said. "He'd probably lose more energy if we were stumbling around in the dark for ages and getting nowhere."
"I suppose."
He did not look happy. O-chan could not say she completely understood what he was going through because she had not known the Deku Tree so well; having only arrived in the forest yesterday. Yet it was still a very upsetting.
"Link..."
Link shook himself.
"Come on, let's go. We're just wasting time."
"Oh...okay."
Link strode off into the room. O-chan hesitated for a second. He was right. They had better do this quick. Although...if this was going to be true to the game, the Deku Tree would not survive, regardless of how quickly they dispelled of the curse. It was quite discouraging knowing that you would fail even when you succeed.
"O-chan?"
Link stood some feet away now, looking slightly annoyed.
"Are you coming?"
"...Yeah, sorry..."
She ambled over, still not thinking about what she was doing. She barely heard Link shout for her to look out before she felt a sudden pain in her leg.
"Aaah!"
Whatever had struck her attacked her again. She winced in pain and turned angrily to see what it was. The Deku Baba rose up once more, preparing for a third strike.
"Oh no you don't," she growled, pulling her shield from her back.
The Deku Baba lunged again but its toothed bud hit the thick bark of the shield. It squealed in pain and shook itself. Whilst it did so, O-chan drew her sword.
Okay, let's see if I can do this, she thought.
She swung the sword through the air. It connected with the Deku Baba and it squealed again. She had severed half of the stalk. The second swing caused the Deku Baba to give out one last cry before it crumbled to nothing.
"Wow! I did it!" O-chan cried delightedly.
"Well done you," Iku said.
"Did you get a Deku Stick?" Link enquired.
"Erm..."
O-chan looked around. No. No Deku Stick. However, something else appeared amongst the remains of the Deku Baba. O-chan picked it up.
"Well? What is it?" Link demanded.
O-chan turned round, grinning. In her hands he held a Deku Nut. Link frowned.
"Don't look much like a stick," he said.
Navi sighed and pushed him in the side of the head, tutting. O-chan laughed.
"Don't be stupid Link. Course it's not a stick. This is a Deku Nut. I think the way I killed the Deku Baba was slightly different to the way you did it."
"How so?"
"Well, when you hit it the first time, it went dead straight so that when you hit it the second time, it became a stick. I, on the other hand, had my shield up so that when I hit it, it just went for me again. It sort of crumbled when I killed it and became a nut instead."
Link cocked his head to one side as he took this in and then nodded.
"Okay, if you say so."
O-chan put the Deku Nut in her pouch.
"Right," said Link, "now which way? There aren't any doors."
O-chan scanned her memory. If this was like the first dungeon on the game then there ought to be vines on one of the walls. Yes, there they were. She tugged on Link's sleeve.
"We go up," she said, pointing.
Link looked the vines up and down and then at O-chan.
"You sure?"
She nodded and he shrugged.
"Alright then."
He took hold of the vines and pulled on them apprehensively to make sure they were secure. They were. Satisfied, he hoisted himself up and found a place for his feet. O-chan watched as he scaled the wall in a matter of seconds and pulled himself up onto the ledge. He looked back round at her.
"Come on!"
O-chan smiled nervously and then looked at the vines. Climbing a ladder was one thing but vines?! She took hold of the green ropes and placed her feet on the rock. She frowned in concentration and hauled herself off the ground. Slowly but surely, she began to climb the wall of vines. If this had been the game, it would have taken her only a short time, just as Link had done, but in reality it was a few minutes before she was able to reach the edge with her hand. Even then she struggled to get onto the ledge.
"Here."
O-chan looked up to see Link offering her a hand. She took it gratefully and he heaved her up beside him. She bent over to catch her breath.
"Thanks," she smiled.
Link didn't respond and instead turned and jumped the small gap to the ledge on the other side. O-chan followed him. She looked about her. This was so weird. She didn't really pay attention as she looked and almost walked into Link who had stopped.
"Hey!"
Link blinked at her and then returned to studying the wall.
"More vines," he said.
"Yeah?"
"Well, I reckon we should climb them."
He didn't even wait for her to reply before lifting himself up. He began to climb. O-chan frowned. This wasn't right. Surely they were supposed to go somewhere else first. There was something that stopped you going up those vines.
Then she heard the familiar scratching sound. She shuddered. She knew that sound. Slowly, she raised her gaze, allowing it to rest on the skullwalltulas crawling amongst the vines. Iku followed her gaze and flitted up beside one of the skullwalltula. She glowed brightly but the skullwalltula ignored her.
"This is a skullwalltula," she explained. "Don't touch it!"
"Don't tell me! Tell Link!" O-chan cried.
The fairy glimmered and then flew back down.
"That's Navi's job, not mine."
"Urg! Then I'll do it! LINK!!! Get down from there!"
"Why? What's wrong?"
Link looked round, still clinging to the vines. As he did so, one of the skullwalltulas turned and saw him. It began to glow a poisonous purple. O- chan's eyes widened.
"LINK!! MOVE!!"
Without thinking, she clambered onto the chest beneath Link and yanked his leg.
"Woah!"
Link lost his grip and came crashing down on top of her just as the skullwalltula charged. O-chan fell from the chest and Link tumbled after her, both landing on the ledge once more.
"Ow..." O-chan groaned. "Link, can you get off me please?"
The Kokiri boy got up.
"What the heck did you do that for?" he demanded, dusting off his tunic.
O-chan glowered, angry that he didn't even seem grateful.
"Because!" she yelled, pointing, "Because that skullwalltula was about to attack you! You can't go up the vines! Not until we've got the means of killing them."
She scrambled to her feet and huffed, heading off towards the door at the far end of the ledge. Link remained where he was for a few seconds and looked at the skullwalltula. Navi flew over and circled it.
"This is a skullwalltula," she said in a tinkling voice. "Don't touch it."
"Now you tell me," Link grumbled and followed O-chan.
She had reached the door and was tapping her foot impatiently. Link grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry," he said.
"Whatever. Come on."
They went through the door into the room. It was rather bare except for the tuft of grass in the middle of it.
"Why did we come in here?" Link asked.
As he spoke, the grass rustled and a Deku Scrub popped out of the ground. It looked around and then squealed when it saw them.
"What is it?" Link asked.
"A Deku Scrub," Navi explained.
The Deku Scrub rustled in the grass a little and then spat a nut at Link, who dodged.
"What the –"
He drew his sword and charged at it, meaning to slash it but it disappeared into the ground again. Link attempted to hit it anyway but missed.
"Navi?"
"It will hide in the grass if you get too close to it," the blue fairy explained.
"So what am I supposed to do? OW!"
Another Deku Nut had been fired and this time it had managed to hit Link. Link raised his shield for defence.
"NAVI?"
"Well..." began the fairy, watching the Deku Scrub. It spat yet another nut at Link.
However, this time it bounced off the shield and back at the Deku Scrub. It squealed in pain and leapt from its hiding place.
"...you have to reflect the nut that it fires at you back," Navi finished.
Link groaned.
"Why do you always tell me these things after I've figured them out?"
O-chan laughed and watched the Deku Scrub dancing about the room.
"Catch it then."
"Huh?" she looked around at Iku.
"Catch it before it goes back in the hole!"
"Oh yeah!"
O-chan chased after the Deku Scrub but wasn't quick enough. Link, on the other hand, having caught on to what she was trying to do, decided to help and succeeded in seizing the Scrub by its tufty 'hair'.
"Oh please don't hurt me," the Scrub squealed. "If you let me go, I'll tell you a secret."
"What?"
"The order in which to beat my brothers. They guard the entrance to the Queen Gohma's room."
"Tell us then."
"It's 2, 3, 1!"
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" the Kokiri demanded.
"He is Link, let him go," O-chan muttered.
He turned to look at her.
"But how are you so sure?"
"I just am. Come on."
She turned towards the door at the other end of the room. Link reluctantly let the Scrub go and it disappeared into the ground.
The room through the door was almost as plain as the one before but this time it was split in two with a large gap between the ledges. Between the gap was a large square stone. The four of them watched it.
This is really weird, O-chan thought. It's very clever to see a rock suspended in mid-air by absolutely nothing.
"Hey look! What's that?" Link cried, pointing to the wooden object on the opposite side of the room.
"Treasure," said Navi.
"Well, let's get it then." Link leapt onto the stone. "Come on O-chan!"
O-chan gulped and watched as Link jumped neatly across the stone and landed safely on the other side. As soon as he had done so, the rock crumbled to dust.
"Ah."
Now the two of them were on opposite sides of the room. Link looked worriedly around.
"Oh no! How do I get back?"
"You'll be fine. Just open the chest!" O-chan called.
The Kokiri still appeared worried but nevertheless he turned and lifted the lid of the large wooden chest. His head disappeared for a minute but he then resurfaced, clutching his prize.
"Wow!" he called. "I got a slingshot!"
"A fairy slingshot to be precise," Navi quipped.
Link grinned and then frowned.
"Okay, I got it but I still can't get back."
O-chan considered for a second. She knew you needed the slingshot but what did you do? She looked around. Hmm...
"Iku?"
The golden fairy had left her side and flitted upwards. Her aura began green as she swirled around the ladder above O-chan.
Now she remembered!
"Thanks Iku!" she called to the fairy. Then she shouted to Link, "Link! Can you see the ladder up there?!"
Link looked up.
"Yeah!"
"Well use your slingshot to bring it down!"
"You sure?"
"Yes!"
"Alright then."
Link took aim with the slingshot and loaded one of the seeds he had found in the chest also into it. He pulled it back.
"Steady...steady..."
He released the seed and it flew through the air and hit its target. The ladder slid down and propped itself against the wall.
"YAY!! I did it!" Link cheered, jumping down into the gap and climbing up the ladder. "Quite good this slingshot!"
"And it has other uses too," O-chan grinned, pulling him up. "Let's go!"
O-chan pulled Link all the way back to the vines. Before doing anything else, she opened the chest she had stood on before and retrieved the map. It would be handy.
"Okay Link, we've gotta go up here next."
"But how? Those skullwalltulas will attack us again."
O-chan glanced up at the scratching arachnids and shuddered. She didn't like spiders much.
"Yeah, well that's where your new slingshot comes in."
"Oh! I see."
Link loaded his slingshot and fired three seeds, one at each of the skullwalltulas. His aim was perfect and they fell and died one by one. The vines were now clear. Link scrambled onto the vines and then held a hand out to help O-chan up. Together, they scaled the wall. Link had to stop every so often to help O-chan but they eventually made it to the top.
"Creepy," Link grimaced as he looked about. "What is this stuff?"
He touched the sticky white string that was woven all around them. He quivered.
"Disgusting!"
O-chan trembled nervously.
"It's web, Link. We've got to be very careful around here."
"Yuck!" Link withdrew his hand quickly. "Let's get moving then."
The two of them and their fairies began to make their way around the wooden path, keeping away from the webbing. O-chan stayed close to Link, her eyes scanning the ceiling for enemies. She could here the scratching of the giant skulltulas but couldn't see them.
"Hey! Watch out!" Link suddenly shouted.
The giant skulltula had appeared from nowhere and as they were so close to it, it spun angrily, throwing them apart. Link was sent into the wall. O- chan stumbled awkwardly, trying to get out the way but wasn't fast enough. A second attack caught her in the stomach and she was flung in the opposite direction, between the gap in the webbing and over the edge. She had no time to grab the side of the path before she plunged downwards. She could hear Link yell her name but it was too late.
She crashed into the sticky white strings below and they ripped apart under her weight. She lost sight of the room completely as she fell down into the darkness of the world beneath the Deku Trees roots.
Lady obsessed: Ta da! Chapter 3 complete and you are lucky I finished it when I did or it would've been a month before you got it because I'm going to Italy this half-term. Skiing! Face down in the snow for a week! What fun!
Anyway, before I go, I wanna say thank you to everyone who reviewed my story. So thank you to: Winged Knight, Commando64, LunaticChaos, Flamestrike, kawaii-tora87, Blueflamerose and Reader. I really appreciate all of them.
Well, until Chapter 4, arivederchi! (hope that's spelt right ^-^; )