Hey all! I'm back!! Sorry about the serious pause in updates. I was kind of busy and uninspired.
Also, I had several other fanfic ideas I wanted to work on. My bad. Due to popular opinion, I will
now be continuing with this story. You know, it's harder to make yourself write in the summer
when you have more free time. Strange, huh? Please be sure to drop me a review and tell me what
you think. Well now, on with the (long awaited) update!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda. But I will! Some day. It may be tomorrow.
The Legend of Zelda
The Golden Land
Chapter Eighteen
The Guardian of the Forest
LAST TIME:
"What ARE you doing?" the Fierce Deity demanded.
LinkT smirked as he finished the tune. "See you later."
With that, the group of heroes was caught up in a shimmer of green light. They all vanished
in a shower of green sparks. The Fierce Deity blinked in surprise. What the? They were gone!
Then he understood. They had gotten away. Again.
"CURSE YOU!!!!"
NOW:
In a shower of green sparkles, eight figures materialized upon a grey stone platform deep in
a dense forest. The disoriented figures stumbled for a moment before getting their bearings.
"Where are we?" asked the Wind Waker.
"This is the Sacred Forest Meadow," replied Saria. "It is the entrance to the Forest Temple."
She gestured towards an outcropping of stone above their heads that appeared to be manmade,
although rather weathered.
LinkT nodded. "Come on. We should go see the Deku Tree."
Makar looked up at him. "The Great Deku Tree? Are we near the Forest Haven?"
"If that's what they call the Kokiri Forest now, then yes." LinkT led the group out of the
meadow into the eerie, misty forest.
"This place reminds me of the Forbidden Woods," LinkW commented.
"Close," Saria replied. "This is the Lost Woods. I believe that what you call the 'Forbidden
Woods' is actually a part of the Lost Woods."
"Oh."
The group continued on in silence for a while longer. LinkT had relinquished the lead to
Saria, who knew the woods better than him. The Kokiri girl marched on, as if she owned the place.
"How do you know where you're going?" Tetra finally questioned the green haired girl as
she lead them through the hollowed trunk of a giant fallen tree.
Saria smiled. "I was raised here. I know this place like the back of my hand."
"Alright," LinkT replied smiling. "So what does the back of your hand look like?"
"Huh?" Saria asked in surprise. "Well . . . I . . . Shut up, Link! It's an expression!" The
Hero of Time chuckled at his flustered friend.
"How much longer until we get out of this forest?" Medli asked.
"Oh, about five seconds," Saria replied, pointing to another hollow log to walk through.
"We're there."
The group walked through the log to find themselves in the Forest Haven, formerly the
Kokiri Forest.
"I'm home!" Makar declared, running on ahead of the others.
Saria nudged LinkT. "Technically, so are we." The Hero of Time shrugged.
The group walked on, catching up to a now stunned Makar. Before them was The Great
Deku Tree. Before the Guardian Spirit of the Forest were assembled all of the Korok. But that
wasn't all. A group of children were assembled there as well. They all wore green cloths and had
fair hair. Fairies flittered around over their heads.
As the adventurers crept closer, they could overhear an argument between the Korok Linder,
and one of the children with red hair.
"Look, I don't care what you claim to be the 'big boss' of, I'm in charge here!"
"Pipe down, you walking stump! I've been in charge since the forest was first inhabited!"
"You disrespectful little brat! I'll have you know-!"
"I'm not listening to something as little as-!"
"Why you little-!"
"You're the little one, you-!"
"Excuse me," the Deku Tree said, interrupting the argument. "I believe that I am in charge
here. And if you two would quit bickering, we have guests."
Realizing that the Deku Tree knew they were there, LinkW was the first to step out in the
clear, along with Makar.
"What the? No-Fairy-Boy? What are you doing here?!" the red haired boy sputtered.
LinkW raised an eyebrow. "What? Who are you?"
"His name is Mido," answered LinkT, now stepping into the clear as well. "He can be a real
twit sometimes." Mido gaped at the Hero of Time, as Navi floated around his head. LinkW
couldn't be sure, but it seemed as if the Deku Tree was smirking.
"Actually, most of the time," added Saria as she stepped into view.
"Saria?!"
"Well, of course!" she replied smiling. The rest of the adventurers trailed out after her. By
now, the children, the Kokiri, had all gathered around, surprised to see their friends again. chatter
spread among the group as everyone met up with old friends. The Kokiri were overjoyed to see
Link and Saria again. Well, Saria at least. Mido didn't seem to keen on seeing Link, let alone two
of him!
Eventually, the Great Deku Tree called for everyone's attention. "It is good to see both of
you again, Wind Waker and Hero of Time," he declared.
LinkT let out a low whistle. "Man, you've really grown," he said to the talking tree.
The Deku Tree chuckled. "Indeed, Link. Last time I saw you 'twas but a sapling."
LinkW raised an eyebrow. "You mean he was small once?"
The Deku Tree smiled. "Of course. Even trees must be young at some time." LinkW
shrugged.
"Now," the Guardian of the Forest continued. "Linder has relayed the information you gave
to him on your earlier encounter." At this, the little Korok puffed himself out, trying to look
important. "Now, I can sense that something has happened. The darkness upon the land is
increasing. Could you perhaps inform me of what has transpired sense your encounter with my
scout party?"
"Of course," LinkT replied. "But . . . could we maybe eat first? We're all starving." The
group all nodded in agreement. Fighting Ganon can really work up an appetite.
The Great Deku Tree chuckled. "But of course. Korok! Kokiri! Let us prepare a feast for
our guests!" A cheer went out through the group and everyone began to scramble around, preparing
the food.
* * * * * * *
That night, the heroes and the forest dwellers all broke apart to either talk or find a place to
sleep. LinkT and Zelda sat against the trunk of a large tree. They had been catching up on the
things each had missed. Currently, they both sat in a comfortable silence. The princess rested her
head on the Hero's shoulder. If it hadn't been so dark, she might have seen his cheeks turn red.
"Link, promise me you won't leave like that again," Zelda finally said.
"Er, well, I'll try not to," he replied.
"Link. Promise me."
"I promise that if at all possible I will not leave again. But you know I can't guarantee it,"
he said sternly.
Zelda frowned at him, but that soon turned to a soft smile. "Stupid self-sacrificing heroes."
Link turned back to her and cracked a small grin. The princess smiled. "Just remember, if you get
yourself killed, when I die I will make your afterlife miserable!"
The Hero chuckled. "Okay. It's a deal." Zelda smiled and put her head back on his
shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, before Link decided to ask a question. "Um, Zelda?"
". . . . . ."
"Zelda?"
". . . . . ."
"Uh, are you asleep?" No response. *Aw, great,* Link thought sarcastically. *She fell
asleep! Now I can't move without waking her up! And my leg's asleep!* He looked down at her.
*Well, I guess there are worse situations I could be in.* He wrapped an arm around the princess's
shoulders and rested his head on top of hers before going to sleep himself.
* * * * * * *
LinkW and Tetra both lay on a grassy clearing, their bodies positioned parallel but pointed
in opposite directions with their heads next to each other. They both gazed up at the nearly full
moon. Well, Tetra was gazing at the moon. Link was secretly gazing at her.
"It sure is beautiful," the pirate girl commented to her companion.
"Sure is," Link responded without shifting his gaze. Due to the lack of light, Link couldn't
see her cheeks go pink. Unbeknownst to him, Tetra knew where he was looking.
"So, what do you think were going to do now?" the piratess asked, trying not to let the Hero
know she was embarrassed.
This time Link did shift his gaze upwards. "I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see if
the Great Deku Tree comes up with anything." They had informed the Deku Tree of what had
transpired after supper. The Guardian of the Forest said that he would think on these things
overnight and see if he could come up with anything in the morning.
Tetra smiled softly. "Gee, who thought that our quest for a new homeland would have led to
all this?"
"Yeah, who knew." Link turned his head back towards Tetra. "Well, I'm sure we'll think
of something to pull this off."
The pirate girl turned to meet his gaze. "I guess you're right. Goodnight, Link."
"Goodnight, Tetra."
* * * * * * *
the next morning, the adventurers, the Korok, and the Kokiri all congregated around the base
of the Great Deku Tree to see what the wise Forest Spirit had come up with. Everyone was seated
on the grass around the great tree.
"Very well," the Deku Tree declared, getting everyone's attention. "After meditating all
night I may have come up with a possible course of action. However, I cannot guarantee results."
The adventurers exchanged nervous glances. "What is your idea?" LinkW finally asked.
The Deku Tree closed its wooden eyes for a moment before continuing. "In ancient legends
there is a tower spoken of. It is called the Advent of the Goddesses. It is said that this is the place
from which the goddesses oversee the mortal world. Legend has it that any mortal who can scale to
the top of the tower will be blessed personally by the goddesses and receive tremendous power.
Some legends say that one might even see the goddesses themselves. Regardless, this power from
the goddesses is the only thing I can think of that could possibly stand against the Fierce Deity and
the Triforce."
A murmur ran through the group as everyone discussed this amongst themselves. Finally,
LinkT asked, "So how do we find this tower?"
"To enter the tower," the Deku Tree explained, "One chosen by the goddesses must hold the
three keys to enter the tower, which resides in the Sacred Realm."
"Three keys?" asked LinkT.
"Chosen by the goddesses?" asked LinkW.
"Only the Legendary Hero, chosen by the goddesses, may enter the tower," the Deku Tree
explained. His wooden lips formed a grin. "Fortunately, we seem to have two of those." The Links
each scratched the back of their heads sheepishly.
"So what about the keys?" asked Zelda.
"The keys are the three pieces of an ancient talisman forged by angels."
"So, where do we find these pieces?" Tetra asked.
"Each piece is held by a powerful sorceress. The Sorceress of Fire resides within a mountain
close to Death Mountain. The Sorceress of Water resides at the bottom of what used to be the
domain of the Zoras, where Lord Jabun once lived. The Sorceress of Earth resides upon a bluff
north of Hyrule Castle."
LinkT nodded. "So we have to find these sorceresses and ask them for the parts of the
talisman? Or will we have to fight them?"
The Guardian of the Forest looked thoughtful. "I do not know, but I imagine that you will
have to prove your strength to them before they will give you the keys."
"Do we really have time to go running around to find these sorceresses?" Saria asked.
"I would imagine not," the Deku Tree replied. "That is why I suggest you split up. Only
the Links, Tetra, and Zelda would be able to enter the sorceresses' temples. I would advise that the
Hero of Time and the Hero of Winds each seek out one of the sorceresses, while both princesses seek
out one together."
Tetra seemed about to make a comment about not needing help, but LinkW put a hand on
her shoulder, silencing her. "Do you think that we will be able to make it through the temples alone
and face the sorceresses?" he asked.
"Yes," the Deku Tree replied. "Both you and the Hero of Time have proven yourselves able
to do this type of questing in the past. The princesses are not experienced at this, that is why they
should work together. I am sure you can all succeed."
LinkT turned to his companions. "So, what do you guys think? Split up and meet back here
after we each get our piece to the talisman?"
LinkW nodded. "It seems like the best plan we have."
"That's because we don't have any other plans," Tetra countered. "But, we might as well
give it a try."
"I agree," Zelda said. "But who should go to which temple?"
LinkT turned to his counterpart. "You have a pair of iron boots, right?" The Wind Waker
nodded. "But you don't have any hover boots, do you?"
"Whats?"
"I'll take that as a 'no'," the Hero of Time rummaged through a satchel that was hidden on
his back under his shield. "You should probably go after the Water Sorceress. I bet you'll need iron
boots, but probably not hover boots, which might be needed to reach the Fire Sorceress. Here, take
this." LinkT threw a blue colored tunic to his counterpart.
"What's this?" LinkW asked, examining the clothes.
"It's a Zora Tunic. It will allow you to breath underwater."
"What? Really? That's awesome!"
LinkT nodded. "I'll take my Goron Tunic and go after the Fire Sorceress."
LinkW shrugged. "If you want to get burnt to a crisp, that's your problem."
"I guess that means we're going after the Earth Sorceress," Tetra said.
"Right," LinkT responded. "I'm not really sure what kind of equipment you girls will need
there. Do either of you have a hookshot?"
They both shook their heads. "I have a grappling hook," Zelda offered.
The Hero of Time rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That could help, but a hookshot would be
really useful."
"Hey Link!" Navi pipped up from above his head. "What about the old one you had before
the longshot?"
LinkT thought for a moment. After returning from Termina he had sort of raided some of
the temples for supplies, gathering the Longshot, the Megaton Hammer, and both pairs of special
boots. He already had the other equipment from his time in Termina. If he recalled, he still had the
old hookshot from the pirate's fortress. He began to rummage through his satchel again, before
producing the golden colored item.
"Here we go," he said, handing the hookshot over to Zelda. "This should be useful."
"Yes, but we need two of them," the princess replied.
LinkT nodded and thought for a second. "You two are going North of the castle, right? If
you make a stop by Kakariko Village on you're way, you should be able to find a second one."
"In Kakariko?" Zelda asked. "But there isn't much left of it. I've already been there."
"Find the grave of Dampe, the gravedigger. If you move the headstone, you should be able
to enter the crypt. If I'm not mistaken, Dampe's ghost will give you his hookshot if you beat him in
a race."
Tetra raised an eyebrow. "You must be kidding. Enter a crypt and race a ghost?"
"No joke," LinkT replied.
"That's just . . . wrong!" the piratess declared.
Zelda smiled slyly. "If you're to scared, I suppose I could race the ghost on my own."
Tetra bolted upright. "Scared? Scared?! Who said I was scared?!"
Zelda smiled. "Alright then. We will stop by Kakariko to get a second hookshot." Tetra
looked torn between arguing and keeping her pride. Finally she agreed.
"What else will they need?" LinkW pondered out loud.
"Bows wouldn't hurt," Saria interjected.
"I can have two fairy bows made by morning," the Deku Tree added.
LinkW nodded. "Alright, so they have bows. What else?"
"How about swords?"
"We already have daggers," Tetra pointed out.
"How much good will a dagger do against a Stalfos Knight?" LinkT countered.
"Good point."
"I believe that I can help with that," announced the Guardian of the Forest. The earth
trembled for a moment as one of the great tree's massive roots tore free of the soil and lifted in the
air. The adventurers crept up to the crevice created in the earth and peered inside. To everyone's
surprise, inside the crevice was a giant pile of various weapons. Swords, spears, shields, axes, and
various other weapons were all piled in there. "This is a collection of weapons from the war before
Hyrule was united," the Great Deku Tree explained. "The were pile up here after the war so that
they could not be used again. However, I believe that we have ample reason to wield them once
again."
Zelda, Tetra, and the Links all hopped down into the crevice. The girls shifted through the
pile looking for suitable weapons. Most were rusted and useless, but some of them had been forged
by great smiths and some had been infused with magic powers. These weapons were quite usable.
The two heroes helped their respective princesses sort through the piles looking for a good blade.
Finally, Zelda found a suitable weapon. She lifted out a sleek katana sword, a weapon of the
Sheikah tribe. The sword was decorated with the image of an eastern style dragon and had
engravings on the blade in a long dead language. The princess also found a belt of throwing knives
she thought might be useful.
Tetra eventually found an ornate, ruby encrusted sabre that had a keen edge. She also
selected a pronged dagger, which could be used to trap an opponents blade.
After everyone had crawled back out of the pit, the Deku Tree lowered it's root back down,
covering the weapons cache. The meeting was dispersed. Everyone had agreed to set off in the
morning. They would travel together to the entrance to Zora's Domain, where LinkW would
separate from the group. The others would continue to Kakariko, where LinkT would help the girls
find another hookshot. LinkT would then continue up Death Mountain to find a way to the next
mountain, while the girls headed north near Hyrule Castle.
They decided to spend the remainder of the day in the forest preparing to set out.
Also, I had several other fanfic ideas I wanted to work on. My bad. Due to popular opinion, I will
now be continuing with this story. You know, it's harder to make yourself write in the summer
when you have more free time. Strange, huh? Please be sure to drop me a review and tell me what
you think. Well now, on with the (long awaited) update!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Legend of Zelda. But I will! Some day. It may be tomorrow.
The Legend of Zelda
The Golden Land
Chapter Eighteen
The Guardian of the Forest
LAST TIME:
"What ARE you doing?" the Fierce Deity demanded.
LinkT smirked as he finished the tune. "See you later."
With that, the group of heroes was caught up in a shimmer of green light. They all vanished
in a shower of green sparks. The Fierce Deity blinked in surprise. What the? They were gone!
Then he understood. They had gotten away. Again.
"CURSE YOU!!!!"
NOW:
In a shower of green sparkles, eight figures materialized upon a grey stone platform deep in
a dense forest. The disoriented figures stumbled for a moment before getting their bearings.
"Where are we?" asked the Wind Waker.
"This is the Sacred Forest Meadow," replied Saria. "It is the entrance to the Forest Temple."
She gestured towards an outcropping of stone above their heads that appeared to be manmade,
although rather weathered.
LinkT nodded. "Come on. We should go see the Deku Tree."
Makar looked up at him. "The Great Deku Tree? Are we near the Forest Haven?"
"If that's what they call the Kokiri Forest now, then yes." LinkT led the group out of the
meadow into the eerie, misty forest.
"This place reminds me of the Forbidden Woods," LinkW commented.
"Close," Saria replied. "This is the Lost Woods. I believe that what you call the 'Forbidden
Woods' is actually a part of the Lost Woods."
"Oh."
The group continued on in silence for a while longer. LinkT had relinquished the lead to
Saria, who knew the woods better than him. The Kokiri girl marched on, as if she owned the place.
"How do you know where you're going?" Tetra finally questioned the green haired girl as
she lead them through the hollowed trunk of a giant fallen tree.
Saria smiled. "I was raised here. I know this place like the back of my hand."
"Alright," LinkT replied smiling. "So what does the back of your hand look like?"
"Huh?" Saria asked in surprise. "Well . . . I . . . Shut up, Link! It's an expression!" The
Hero of Time chuckled at his flustered friend.
"How much longer until we get out of this forest?" Medli asked.
"Oh, about five seconds," Saria replied, pointing to another hollow log to walk through.
"We're there."
The group walked through the log to find themselves in the Forest Haven, formerly the
Kokiri Forest.
"I'm home!" Makar declared, running on ahead of the others.
Saria nudged LinkT. "Technically, so are we." The Hero of Time shrugged.
The group walked on, catching up to a now stunned Makar. Before them was The Great
Deku Tree. Before the Guardian Spirit of the Forest were assembled all of the Korok. But that
wasn't all. A group of children were assembled there as well. They all wore green cloths and had
fair hair. Fairies flittered around over their heads.
As the adventurers crept closer, they could overhear an argument between the Korok Linder,
and one of the children with red hair.
"Look, I don't care what you claim to be the 'big boss' of, I'm in charge here!"
"Pipe down, you walking stump! I've been in charge since the forest was first inhabited!"
"You disrespectful little brat! I'll have you know-!"
"I'm not listening to something as little as-!"
"Why you little-!"
"You're the little one, you-!"
"Excuse me," the Deku Tree said, interrupting the argument. "I believe that I am in charge
here. And if you two would quit bickering, we have guests."
Realizing that the Deku Tree knew they were there, LinkW was the first to step out in the
clear, along with Makar.
"What the? No-Fairy-Boy? What are you doing here?!" the red haired boy sputtered.
LinkW raised an eyebrow. "What? Who are you?"
"His name is Mido," answered LinkT, now stepping into the clear as well. "He can be a real
twit sometimes." Mido gaped at the Hero of Time, as Navi floated around his head. LinkW
couldn't be sure, but it seemed as if the Deku Tree was smirking.
"Actually, most of the time," added Saria as she stepped into view.
"Saria?!"
"Well, of course!" she replied smiling. The rest of the adventurers trailed out after her. By
now, the children, the Kokiri, had all gathered around, surprised to see their friends again. chatter
spread among the group as everyone met up with old friends. The Kokiri were overjoyed to see
Link and Saria again. Well, Saria at least. Mido didn't seem to keen on seeing Link, let alone two
of him!
Eventually, the Great Deku Tree called for everyone's attention. "It is good to see both of
you again, Wind Waker and Hero of Time," he declared.
LinkT let out a low whistle. "Man, you've really grown," he said to the talking tree.
The Deku Tree chuckled. "Indeed, Link. Last time I saw you 'twas but a sapling."
LinkW raised an eyebrow. "You mean he was small once?"
The Deku Tree smiled. "Of course. Even trees must be young at some time." LinkW
shrugged.
"Now," the Guardian of the Forest continued. "Linder has relayed the information you gave
to him on your earlier encounter." At this, the little Korok puffed himself out, trying to look
important. "Now, I can sense that something has happened. The darkness upon the land is
increasing. Could you perhaps inform me of what has transpired sense your encounter with my
scout party?"
"Of course," LinkT replied. "But . . . could we maybe eat first? We're all starving." The
group all nodded in agreement. Fighting Ganon can really work up an appetite.
The Great Deku Tree chuckled. "But of course. Korok! Kokiri! Let us prepare a feast for
our guests!" A cheer went out through the group and everyone began to scramble around, preparing
the food.
* * * * * * *
That night, the heroes and the forest dwellers all broke apart to either talk or find a place to
sleep. LinkT and Zelda sat against the trunk of a large tree. They had been catching up on the
things each had missed. Currently, they both sat in a comfortable silence. The princess rested her
head on the Hero's shoulder. If it hadn't been so dark, she might have seen his cheeks turn red.
"Link, promise me you won't leave like that again," Zelda finally said.
"Er, well, I'll try not to," he replied.
"Link. Promise me."
"I promise that if at all possible I will not leave again. But you know I can't guarantee it,"
he said sternly.
Zelda frowned at him, but that soon turned to a soft smile. "Stupid self-sacrificing heroes."
Link turned back to her and cracked a small grin. The princess smiled. "Just remember, if you get
yourself killed, when I die I will make your afterlife miserable!"
The Hero chuckled. "Okay. It's a deal." Zelda smiled and put her head back on his
shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, before Link decided to ask a question. "Um, Zelda?"
". . . . . ."
"Zelda?"
". . . . . ."
"Uh, are you asleep?" No response. *Aw, great,* Link thought sarcastically. *She fell
asleep! Now I can't move without waking her up! And my leg's asleep!* He looked down at her.
*Well, I guess there are worse situations I could be in.* He wrapped an arm around the princess's
shoulders and rested his head on top of hers before going to sleep himself.
* * * * * * *
LinkW and Tetra both lay on a grassy clearing, their bodies positioned parallel but pointed
in opposite directions with their heads next to each other. They both gazed up at the nearly full
moon. Well, Tetra was gazing at the moon. Link was secretly gazing at her.
"It sure is beautiful," the pirate girl commented to her companion.
"Sure is," Link responded without shifting his gaze. Due to the lack of light, Link couldn't
see her cheeks go pink. Unbeknownst to him, Tetra knew where he was looking.
"So, what do you think were going to do now?" the piratess asked, trying not to let the Hero
know she was embarrassed.
This time Link did shift his gaze upwards. "I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see if
the Great Deku Tree comes up with anything." They had informed the Deku Tree of what had
transpired after supper. The Guardian of the Forest said that he would think on these things
overnight and see if he could come up with anything in the morning.
Tetra smiled softly. "Gee, who thought that our quest for a new homeland would have led to
all this?"
"Yeah, who knew." Link turned his head back towards Tetra. "Well, I'm sure we'll think
of something to pull this off."
The pirate girl turned to meet his gaze. "I guess you're right. Goodnight, Link."
"Goodnight, Tetra."
* * * * * * *
the next morning, the adventurers, the Korok, and the Kokiri all congregated around the base
of the Great Deku Tree to see what the wise Forest Spirit had come up with. Everyone was seated
on the grass around the great tree.
"Very well," the Deku Tree declared, getting everyone's attention. "After meditating all
night I may have come up with a possible course of action. However, I cannot guarantee results."
The adventurers exchanged nervous glances. "What is your idea?" LinkW finally asked.
The Deku Tree closed its wooden eyes for a moment before continuing. "In ancient legends
there is a tower spoken of. It is called the Advent of the Goddesses. It is said that this is the place
from which the goddesses oversee the mortal world. Legend has it that any mortal who can scale to
the top of the tower will be blessed personally by the goddesses and receive tremendous power.
Some legends say that one might even see the goddesses themselves. Regardless, this power from
the goddesses is the only thing I can think of that could possibly stand against the Fierce Deity and
the Triforce."
A murmur ran through the group as everyone discussed this amongst themselves. Finally,
LinkT asked, "So how do we find this tower?"
"To enter the tower," the Deku Tree explained, "One chosen by the goddesses must hold the
three keys to enter the tower, which resides in the Sacred Realm."
"Three keys?" asked LinkT.
"Chosen by the goddesses?" asked LinkW.
"Only the Legendary Hero, chosen by the goddesses, may enter the tower," the Deku Tree
explained. His wooden lips formed a grin. "Fortunately, we seem to have two of those." The Links
each scratched the back of their heads sheepishly.
"So what about the keys?" asked Zelda.
"The keys are the three pieces of an ancient talisman forged by angels."
"So, where do we find these pieces?" Tetra asked.
"Each piece is held by a powerful sorceress. The Sorceress of Fire resides within a mountain
close to Death Mountain. The Sorceress of Water resides at the bottom of what used to be the
domain of the Zoras, where Lord Jabun once lived. The Sorceress of Earth resides upon a bluff
north of Hyrule Castle."
LinkT nodded. "So we have to find these sorceresses and ask them for the parts of the
talisman? Or will we have to fight them?"
The Guardian of the Forest looked thoughtful. "I do not know, but I imagine that you will
have to prove your strength to them before they will give you the keys."
"Do we really have time to go running around to find these sorceresses?" Saria asked.
"I would imagine not," the Deku Tree replied. "That is why I suggest you split up. Only
the Links, Tetra, and Zelda would be able to enter the sorceresses' temples. I would advise that the
Hero of Time and the Hero of Winds each seek out one of the sorceresses, while both princesses seek
out one together."
Tetra seemed about to make a comment about not needing help, but LinkW put a hand on
her shoulder, silencing her. "Do you think that we will be able to make it through the temples alone
and face the sorceresses?" he asked.
"Yes," the Deku Tree replied. "Both you and the Hero of Time have proven yourselves able
to do this type of questing in the past. The princesses are not experienced at this, that is why they
should work together. I am sure you can all succeed."
LinkT turned to his companions. "So, what do you guys think? Split up and meet back here
after we each get our piece to the talisman?"
LinkW nodded. "It seems like the best plan we have."
"That's because we don't have any other plans," Tetra countered. "But, we might as well
give it a try."
"I agree," Zelda said. "But who should go to which temple?"
LinkT turned to his counterpart. "You have a pair of iron boots, right?" The Wind Waker
nodded. "But you don't have any hover boots, do you?"
"Whats?"
"I'll take that as a 'no'," the Hero of Time rummaged through a satchel that was hidden on
his back under his shield. "You should probably go after the Water Sorceress. I bet you'll need iron
boots, but probably not hover boots, which might be needed to reach the Fire Sorceress. Here, take
this." LinkT threw a blue colored tunic to his counterpart.
"What's this?" LinkW asked, examining the clothes.
"It's a Zora Tunic. It will allow you to breath underwater."
"What? Really? That's awesome!"
LinkT nodded. "I'll take my Goron Tunic and go after the Fire Sorceress."
LinkW shrugged. "If you want to get burnt to a crisp, that's your problem."
"I guess that means we're going after the Earth Sorceress," Tetra said.
"Right," LinkT responded. "I'm not really sure what kind of equipment you girls will need
there. Do either of you have a hookshot?"
They both shook their heads. "I have a grappling hook," Zelda offered.
The Hero of Time rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That could help, but a hookshot would be
really useful."
"Hey Link!" Navi pipped up from above his head. "What about the old one you had before
the longshot?"
LinkT thought for a moment. After returning from Termina he had sort of raided some of
the temples for supplies, gathering the Longshot, the Megaton Hammer, and both pairs of special
boots. He already had the other equipment from his time in Termina. If he recalled, he still had the
old hookshot from the pirate's fortress. He began to rummage through his satchel again, before
producing the golden colored item.
"Here we go," he said, handing the hookshot over to Zelda. "This should be useful."
"Yes, but we need two of them," the princess replied.
LinkT nodded and thought for a second. "You two are going North of the castle, right? If
you make a stop by Kakariko Village on you're way, you should be able to find a second one."
"In Kakariko?" Zelda asked. "But there isn't much left of it. I've already been there."
"Find the grave of Dampe, the gravedigger. If you move the headstone, you should be able
to enter the crypt. If I'm not mistaken, Dampe's ghost will give you his hookshot if you beat him in
a race."
Tetra raised an eyebrow. "You must be kidding. Enter a crypt and race a ghost?"
"No joke," LinkT replied.
"That's just . . . wrong!" the piratess declared.
Zelda smiled slyly. "If you're to scared, I suppose I could race the ghost on my own."
Tetra bolted upright. "Scared? Scared?! Who said I was scared?!"
Zelda smiled. "Alright then. We will stop by Kakariko to get a second hookshot." Tetra
looked torn between arguing and keeping her pride. Finally she agreed.
"What else will they need?" LinkW pondered out loud.
"Bows wouldn't hurt," Saria interjected.
"I can have two fairy bows made by morning," the Deku Tree added.
LinkW nodded. "Alright, so they have bows. What else?"
"How about swords?"
"We already have daggers," Tetra pointed out.
"How much good will a dagger do against a Stalfos Knight?" LinkT countered.
"Good point."
"I believe that I can help with that," announced the Guardian of the Forest. The earth
trembled for a moment as one of the great tree's massive roots tore free of the soil and lifted in the
air. The adventurers crept up to the crevice created in the earth and peered inside. To everyone's
surprise, inside the crevice was a giant pile of various weapons. Swords, spears, shields, axes, and
various other weapons were all piled in there. "This is a collection of weapons from the war before
Hyrule was united," the Great Deku Tree explained. "The were pile up here after the war so that
they could not be used again. However, I believe that we have ample reason to wield them once
again."
Zelda, Tetra, and the Links all hopped down into the crevice. The girls shifted through the
pile looking for suitable weapons. Most were rusted and useless, but some of them had been forged
by great smiths and some had been infused with magic powers. These weapons were quite usable.
The two heroes helped their respective princesses sort through the piles looking for a good blade.
Finally, Zelda found a suitable weapon. She lifted out a sleek katana sword, a weapon of the
Sheikah tribe. The sword was decorated with the image of an eastern style dragon and had
engravings on the blade in a long dead language. The princess also found a belt of throwing knives
she thought might be useful.
Tetra eventually found an ornate, ruby encrusted sabre that had a keen edge. She also
selected a pronged dagger, which could be used to trap an opponents blade.
After everyone had crawled back out of the pit, the Deku Tree lowered it's root back down,
covering the weapons cache. The meeting was dispersed. Everyone had agreed to set off in the
morning. They would travel together to the entrance to Zora's Domain, where LinkW would
separate from the group. The others would continue to Kakariko, where LinkT would help the girls
find another hookshot. LinkT would then continue up Death Mountain to find a way to the next
mountain, while the girls headed north near Hyrule Castle.
They decided to spend the remainder of the day in the forest preparing to set out.