Worlds Apart
Part II
By Miss Lydia

Chapter 21

"Blue hell," Lydia muttered, "this doesn't look any different than the Woods."

Link made a weird face and looked over at her. "Why do you say that?"

"You said the Sacred Meadow was a clearing. This looks more like a grassy maze to me."

"It's a lot less complicated than it seems, I promise."

The sorceress was correct, in a way. It wasn't a clear field like she had pictured at first, but rather, a small sea of high forest walls.

"Well," she huffed again, "at least we're not being chased by walking bushes with mouths."

"No, but don't worry. We'll run into stuff that's even worse later on," Link replied with a sly smirk.

"And that's supposed to be reassuring?" Lydia shot back.

"Not really, no."

Saria suddenly jumped between them. "Are we going?"

Gordon appeared behind the little girl. "Or are we gonna stand around all day?"

Link planted his hands firmly behind him and cracked his back loudly. "I suppose we've done enough standing around. Saria, do you still insist on going?"

The girl said nothing, but raised an eyebrow at him.

"I thought you would," he continued. "But if you must come, at least take these." He reached behind his shield, shuffled around a bit, then pulled out his fairy bow and his quiver of arrows.

Saria smiled. "Oh, the bow I gave you when you left Kokiri Forest....," she said quietly and reflectively. "I didn't think you still had it." She took them and hung the quiver over one shoulder and the shortbow over the other. "But I'll be fine, and you know that." Defiantly, she reached over and grabbed Gordon's hand again and pulled him forward. "Let's move along, Mr. Gordon."

Link watched them disappear around the corner, then actually started laughing. "She still has that spunk. She has the same defiant nature and personality of a certain someone I know."

Lydia pursed her lips sarcastically, then followed her brother and the Kokiri around the corner, pulling Link by his ear.

They caught up with the two others quickly, and the four moved through the narrow path as a whole group. The walls on two sides of them stood up at least ten feet high, then leveled off on top. It was very quiet, and small fireflies fluttered around them randomly, adding to the overall beauty of the forest scene.

"So." Lydia tilted her head toward Link's ear and spoke quietly, as if afraid that she'd somehow break the forest's beauty if she was too loud. "I take it you've been here before."

"Sure," Link replied, also being quiet for some unspoken reason. "Saria and I used to go to the Forest Temple often, before Ganondorf came around and messed it up. It was, in a way, our hideout."

"Then you know what kind of things live in this Meadow? More specifically, in this maze we're in?"

"Fairly harmless critters, few in number. Once in a while, a small type of Deku Scrub. Never a really big threat. This place is actually relatively peaceful."

"Then, you were joking about bigger monsters later on?"

"I love pulling your leg. You know that."

Lydia absorbed this information and smiled contently. "That's good to know. I've had my fill of big, nasty monsters."

The group neared a left turn in the path. Link suddenly got one of those weird feelings – his sixth sense was poking him in the back about something. Acting on impulse, he moved ahead and took the lead.

After traveling with him for weeks, Lydia had learned to detect the sudden changes in his mood. It was obvious when that little voice in his head was warning him about something. Less than four steps behind him, she thought about asking him about it, but decided against it.

She wasn't the only one. Gordon and Saria also noticed the sudden change in the Hylian's movements, and silenced their voices and steps completely. Better safe than sorry.

As the group, silent as possible, reached the edge of the wall, where the corner was, Link stopped suddenly and spread his arms so that no one could go past him. As silently as a cat, he pressed near the wall and crept a step forward. Gripping the edge of the wall with both hands, he slowly peered around the corner with one eye.

Almost instantly he jerked his head back and swung around. His right arm moved in a wide arc, catching his three companions with that arm and pressing their backs against the wall. He also pressed up to the wall and stopped moving completely, holding his breath.

Something big stalked into view just then. It looked like a dog-man, easily eight feet tall. In its hands balanced a huge silver spear.

Gordon bit his lower lip and concentrated on holding as still as a statue. He could feel Saria squeezing his hand in fear. If this thing sees us, we're in big trouble.

Lydia watched the creature moving into the corner. The forest's silent beauty and security was gone at the sight of this huge thing looming over them. The only security the sorceress felt was the touch of Link's arm as he unconsciously used it to keep her against the wall.

The dog-man pounded forward on its huge feet until it had moved completely into the corner. It stopped, facing the wall opposite of the group. The thing turned its head slightly, then backed up a step. At this point, if the thing turned to the right to go back to where it came from, its beady eyes would land right on the small group that was trying to be invisible to it.

To everyone's silent relief, the monster swung to the left instead, never taking its eyes off of the wall, and started walking back the way it came. A few seconds more, and it was out of sight, back down the path.

Once sure the monster was a safe distance away, Link quietly let out the breath he had been holding the whole time. He lowered his arm and waved his hand, signaling to the others to go back the way they came.

Almost too afraid to move, the other three detached themselves from the wall and crept as quietly and quickly as possible back down the path. After a quick turn, they were back at the beginning of the maze. They all stumbled out, and Link brought up the rear.

Lydia leered her eyes at Link and quietly, but harshly, whispered, "I thought you said only Deku Scrubs lived in there."

Saria spoke up immediately. "I've never seen one of those! They've never been in the Meadow before!"

"What was it?"

Link rubbed his neck. "I'm not sure, but it looked like a giant Moblin."

Gordon's legs gave out and he sat on the soft grass. "That was really close. I'm surprised that thing didn't see us. Someone up there must like us."

Lydia took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I assume a solid spell or two can take care of them?"

Her brother shrugged. "We can assume, yes."

"We need to make sure," Link said, quietly again, "that we don't let them sneak up on us, and there shouldn't be a lot of trouble." He looked down at Saria, who was clinging to the bottom hem of Gordon's shirt. "Stay close to us, okay?"

Instead of arguing about her independence, the Kokiri nodded at him.

Completely silent, the group turned around and crept back into the forest maze and retraced the path back to that left turn. At one point, Link turned around and whispered almost too quietly to hear. "If you must use spells, stick to the small stuff. There's no point in making huge explosions. If there are more than one of those Moblins in here, we'll just be letting them know where we are."

Once the group reached the left turn again, they could hear the Moblin stomping toward the corner on its set march again. Link motioned Gordon to the front, and held back with the two girls, who were crouched on the ground a short distance back. Gordon knelt down on one knee and prepared a Ly Briem frost spell. He pointed his finger into the corner like a gun and waited, holding perfectly still.

Stomp-stomp-stomp came the giant Moblin with its huge spear. It came into view again, as forbidding as ever. It moved its huge body into the corner and stopped, just like it had the first time. This time around, when it turned to go back, it swung to the right, and instantly spotted a group of intruders.

That was the last thing it saw.

Link and the girls stood up again, and the four of them squeezed past the frozen Moblin statue and around the corner, down the next path. The Hylian took the immediate lead as they neared another left-turn corner. He stopped, pressed up against the wall, and peered around the corner with one eye. He jerked his head back again, signaled to Gordon, and moved away. Gordon knelt down and prepared another Ly Briem.

Another giant Moblin just like the first stalked into view. It was an ice statue before it even saw them hiding.

The adventurers pressed on down the narrow path and closed in on a right turn. Near the turn, there were two small alcoves in the wall – one on the right, one on the left. They didn't seem to have any purpose. They were just there. So, the group concentrated on the right turn in front of them. The same thing happened once again. Link spotted the next Moblin, and Gordon ambushed it.

Only, this time, there was a twist.

Once the Moblin was a block of ice, the group heard a deep grunt behind them. They all whirled around to see another Moblin charging down the path at them. Always the quick thinker, Link remembered the two alcoves in the wall. He shoved the two girls into the right alcove, then piled himself and Gordon into the other. The Moblin rocketed between them, and its spear jammed itself into the wall of the right turn.

"Where'd that one come from??" Gordon shouted in disbelief as he stepped back into the path.

Showing mean strength, the Moblin yanked out it spear, along with several large chunks of the wall. It threw its head back and bellowed into the air. It was a strange sound – half roar, half scream. Either way, it was some kind of call.

From somewhere farther into the maze, an identical roar sounded. From another part, another roar. And another. And another. And another.

"Bamu Rod!" Lydia quickly created a whip of fire, and the Moblin that had sounded the alarm was quickly reduced to a smoking pile of dust after a few quick swipes.

She whirled around to face her companions. The fire whip remained in her fist, extending down the length of her leg and curling at her feet. She frantically shouted at them. "Screw the secrecy! They know where we are!"

"Let's move!" Link yelled.

The party rocketed down the next path. The Moblin calls grew louder and closer with each step. They came on another right turn, complete with another Moblin. Lydia swung the whip and took its head off, and they continued on.

Saria fought to keep up as all the taller people with longer legs ran out in front of her. She clutched Link's fairy bow to her chest as she ran, holding an arrow in the other hand.

At one point, the pathway widened quite a bit, enough to fit three Moblins shoulder-to-shoulder. That's exactly what was charging toward the group now. Saria fell behind as Link and the two sorcerers ran alongside each other. Link held the Master Sword, Lydia still had her fire whip, and Gordon created a Rah-Tilt sword. The three Moblins lowered their spears and roared angrily, but each of their targets jumped up out of range and plowed right through them. Saria had to jump over the three piles of dust as she ran to catch up.

After more turns in the maze and more Moblin dust, the roaring silenced completely and the stomping faded. Link recognized the final turn that marked the end of the maze and the entrance to the Forest Temple. He slowed the group down, and they all fought to catch their breath.

"I think that's the last of them," Link heaved, exhausted.

"That was nuts!" said Lydia.

Saria stood with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. Keeping up with Link and his friends was hard. But at least they made it. The Forest Temple was just ahead.

The Kokiri girl turned around to look back where they had come from, and saw something that made her breath catch in her throat.

The other three, still facing the other way, heard a faint noise. They straightened up and turned around. A huge Moblin loomed over them. Its spear was already raised. It roared with anger and brought the spear down. There was no time for even Link to react.

Something struck the Moblin in the neck before the spear could connect. The monster grunted and fell onto its back, then fell apart into dust. A single arrow protruded from the pile.

Saria's arm was extended above her head, still holding the fairy bow.

"All right, Saria!" Lydia shouted, throwing a fist in the air, and hooking her arm around Link's in her excitement. "You're the best!"

Gordon couldn't help but be impressed. But it didn't last long – right away, a Moblin call sounded from some part of the maze they had already been through. "They're regenerating!" Gordon shouted. "Keep moving!" He grabbed hold of Saria and dragged her along as the group pressed on down the path and out of the maze.

A straight path opened up in front of them. Stairs were at the end. At the top of those stairs was a huge opening. From where they were, the adventurers could see the top of a huge structure – the Forest Temple. However, blocking the stairs was an enormous Moblin, three times the size of the others, and it had a huge club that was the size of a wrecking ball.

The group skidded to a stop and stared at it. That's the only thing they could do – this thing was huge! Lydia's mouth gaped open. "Wow...that guy's been eating his Wheaties."

Link blinked once, made a face, and looked at her. "His...what?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. A joke from home. I'll explain it later." She looked at the huge Moblin up ahead. It was taunting them with its club, daring them to come closer.

"Ganondorf must have set him there to guard the temple," Gordon guessed. "Seems he expects us to come to him."

Lydia reached up and massaged her sore shoulders. "You wanna take care of him?"

"Sure." The sorcerer moved closer, just out of the Moblin's range, unless it moved. He placed his hands together, held them for a second, then spread them suddenly. "Blast Ash!" A dark void appeared around the Moblin's enormous feet. It looked down just in time to watch its legs burn to ash, followed shortly by the rest of it. The huge club clunked dully on the grass and lay still.

Certain that he'd regenerate, too, the group pressed on. Link paused by the pile of dust and stared at it.

"Did you see the size of that thing?" he asked Lydia as she passed him.

"Oh yeah," she replied. "I'm certain that all of us did, Linkie."

The Hylian shook his head. "I have got to get myself some of those Wheaties."

Lydia laughed and pulled him along up the stairs. "Right. You'd be a lean, mean, and oversized killing machine, I'm sure. Let's hurry. Gordon and Saria are already way ahead."

Actually, the other two were right at the top of the stairs, waiting for them. Spread out in front of them was the massive Forest Temple. It was a concrete structure embedded in the far wall, overrun with vines and leaves. Out in its "front yard" was an elevated Triforce platform, identical to the ones at the Fire and Water Temples.

Lydia glanced around to make sure there weren't any more Moblins or Deku Scrubs or any other screwballs to mess up. It was clear. The sorceress knelt down in front of Saria and poked her playfully in the stomach. "You were great back there!"

Saria tilted her head. "Huh?"

The sorceress smiled and pointed to the fairy bow the Kokiri still clutched in her hand.

Link smiled and knelt down next to her. "I guess you really can take care of yourself, Saria. I underestimated you."

The Kokiri playfully slugged his jaw. "Like always, blondie."

Link laughed, as he always did when she called him that. He took hold of Saria and lifted her up onto his shoulders.

"Wow!" Saria shouted as Link stood up. She gripped both of his ears to make sure she didn't fall. "I remember the last time you tried this! Your back was sore for a week!"

Link smiled up at Saria. "I guess there are a few advantages to growing up." He started moving forward, keeping a good grip on Saria's ankles. The girl giggled with glee, enjoying the ride. The two sorcerers followed close behind. After a moment, Lydia slowed down and gripped Gordon's shirt so he'd stop, too. Link and Saria moved on without them.

The sorceress leaned over to her brother's ear. "Y'know, I've made a little observation."

"What's that?" Gordon asked.

"I think little Saria likes you." Lydia straightened up and chuckled quietly.

"Don't be an idiot."

"Not this time, I'm afraid. I think Saria likes you – haven't you noticed??"

"Again, don't be an idiot. She's so much younger than I am."

Lydia looked at her brother like he was insane. "Kokiri don't grow up, remember? I'm willing to bet that Saria's older than me."

Gordon shook his head and began walking away. "I'm telling you, you're an idiot."

"Maybe I am, but you're just in denial."

The sorcerer waved his hand, a signal to his sister to just drop the matter. Unbelievably, she actually decided to drop it.

Up ahead, Link stood at the foot of the temple. The entrance was elevated on the second story, with a platform at the door. A little off to the side was a bent-over tree. It stood up above the entrance, where it bent over, so that its branches lay just above the platform. Neither Link nor Saria had ever actually been in the temple because of the layout of the entrance. Now, it seemed that getting in would be the easy part.

Link reached behind his shield and pulled out the Hookshot. Saria tightened her grip on his ears as he let the chain go. The tip hit the branches with a clunk and stuck there. Link retracted the chain, pulling himself and the Kokiri girl up to the second story platform. A moment later, the two sorcerers followed with simple levitation spells. Together, the adventurers entered the dark passageway into the Forest Temple.

The first thing was a very tall room, also overrun with vines. Two more bent-over trees stood on either side. Vines that snaked up the walls were so thick that one could actually climb them. The point of note in the room was the door at the other end at the top of a few stairs. One look at the door revealed a snag in the immediate plan.

It was locked tight, chains and all.

Lydia glanced at Link with narrowed eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but his own voice cut her off. "Don't tell me," he said, half smiling. "I know already. 'Link, can I please just blast the door open this time?'."

The sorceress laughed so loudly that it echoed off of the walls. "You've been around me WAY too long – that's exactly what I was gonna say, word for word."

"Too long is right. And, no, you will not blast the door, because we don't know what's right behind it."

She heaved a sigh and tapped her toes on the stone floor. "I guess you're right. So...what do you suppose we should do?"

Gordon rubbed his chin and glanced around. "Well, the most obvious thing is to look this room over completely. There must be something in here."

As the sorcerer spoke, Link suddenly tensed up. That was the signal that had become all to familiar. The two sorcerers were immediately on guard as their eyes scanned the room around them. Saria saw the sudden change in her friends and poked Link's cheek.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

Link knelt down on one knee and slid Saria off his shoulders to the ground. "Something's thinking about showing itself. Be careful."

The Kokiri girl twirled the fairy bow in her hands. She felt ready for anything.

Near the door, in a puff of smoke that rose from the ground, a grey Wolfos appeared and howled into the air. Off to the side, another Wolfos rose from the ground. And another, and another, and another, until the group was greatly outnumbered.

Gordon jumped out in front and scoffed. He jabbed his finger at the group of monsters in from of them. "Three....four.... Tch. Only seven? Child's play!"

Saria's mouth fell open at him. "Only seven?"

The sorcerer smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. Watch this." He placed his hands in front of him and separated his fingers so that each of the howling wolves had at least one finger pointed at it. "Zelas Brid!" Quick as lighting, a thin band of white light shot out of each of his fingers. Each Wolfos was pierced right through. The room echoes with agonized howls of the wolves as they fell to the ground and evaporated back into dust.

Gordon barely had time to turn around before Saria had her arms around his waist and was squeezing hard. "You are so cool! That was great!"

The sorcerer looked at the Kokiri, then up at his sister. She had her arms crossed and was giving him one of those I-Told-You-So looks.

Before Gordon could even roll his eyes at her, there was a quick flash of light near the ceiling, above one of the bent-over trees' branches. Link walked backward to get a good view.

"Hey," he said quietly, "there's something up there now."

Without waiting, he ran over to the wall and gripped the vines. After finding a good foothold, he began climbing. The other three remained spectators on the ground as he detatched from the wall, stepping onto the tree.

The tree Link was standing on was one of the two in the room. The thing that had appeared was on the branches of the other tree. It was a very small wooden treasure chest. To get there, Link would have to balance himself carefully and walk across the tree, then jump to the other and cross to the chest. Not to mention, this tree was really high. The height almost made him sick, but he sucked in a breath and started crossing the branch.

Lydia's mouth fell open and every muscle tensed. He was up there, really high, walking on a very narrow branch above them. And he was moving at a very quick pace! A normal person would have to be slow and hold their arms out for balance. But Link? He was practically running across this thing like he was taking a stroll down the street! She covered her eyes with her hands and waited. He was going to fall and she didn't want to see it. At one point, she heard Gordon whisper in awe.

"His agility never ceases to amaze me," he said.

After another moment, Lydia felt something poke her leg, and she dropped her hands. Saria was tugging on her pant leg, and was pointing up into the tree. The sorceress lifted her eyes. Amazingly, Link was already on the other side, playing with whatever had appeared up there. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted up to him. "What is it?"

Link held up the silver object he had just pulled out of the chest. "It's a key!"

Lydia laughed and looked at her brother. "That's beautiful. Absolutely priceless. Defeat the monsters, and the key to the next room falls straight out of the air. I swear, it's straight out of a video game."

Her brother rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot."

She smiled. How true this was. When she looked up near the ceiling again, she was horrified to see Link charging back across the branches again. Then he actually leapt onto the wall of vines, gripped the leaves, and made a quick descent. As soon as he was on the ground again, Lydia stomped over and smacked the back of his head.

"Ugh! Don't DO that! You scared me to death!"

Link laughed at her for some reason. "Sorry. Here, I'll make it up to you. If this key doesn't fit that lock over there, you can blast the door open."

All anger was instantly forgotten. "I get to blast something! Oh yeah!"

The adventurers moved over to the door. The chains were pretty solid. In the center, where they crossed, was a large lock. Link jammed the key in and turned it. Something clicked, and the chains went slack and fell off the door.

"Ooh, tough luck, crazy girl," Link said tauntingly as he turned the knob.

Lydia sneered playfully. "You slime."

"Thank you."

"...That wasn't a compliment."

The next room was quite massive, with a door near each corner. In the center of the room were four candle mounts with a different colored flame on each candle.

"Hmm...," Lydia murmured. "Dark in here."

"Is it?" Link asked. "Seems all right to me."

"...Says the elf boy. Well, at least those weird candles are lit. That helps a little."

The group moved forward and down the set of stairs in front of them to the main floor. As they approached the lit candles, a gust of wind blew past them to the center of the room. Four clouds of mist appeared around each of the candles, and the flames went out. Now, spinning at the top of each candle mount was a ghost. Each one was carrying a candlestick, now carrying the strange-colored flames. The ghosts turned toward each of the four doors leading away from the room, floated off, and disappeared.

It was completely dark.

"Great." Lydia muttered. "Now I can't see at ALL! I hate the dark!"

"Relax," she heard Link say, somewhere off to the left. "I can still see a little bit."

"That doesn't help me! ...Ow!! Who stepped on my foot?!"

She heard Link's voice again, on her other side now. "Sorry."

Somewhere off to her left, Gordon spoke with a rather sarcastic tone. "Don't panic. We have spells to take care of this problem, remember?"

"Uh...oh yeah." She felt pretty stupid, but shrugged it off quickly. "Lighting." A ball of bright white light appeared between her hands, illuminating the entire floor. She tossed it up toward the ceiling, where it hung, then turned to her brother. "Stick one of yours with it so it's nice and bright in here."

"Lighting." Gordon also created an identical light and sent it up to the ceiling and merged with the first one, creating an orb that was twice as bright. The huge room was illuminated as if the ceiling had been taking off, letting the sun shine in full glory.

Saria could barely contain her excitement. Watching Link's friends work was so much fun!

Lydia deliberately cracked her knees and elbows, then glanced at Link. "What were those?"

"Poes," he replied. "Finding one, let alone four, is really bizarre in this part of Hyrule. Usually, they hang around in the graveyard. I've heard rumors that a few were spotted in the desert, but that's all. Ganondorf's dirty work, no doubt."

"Well, it follows the pattern. Everything has been Ganondorf's dirty work. I really hate that guy."

Gordon stared down one of the hallways that one of the ghosts had disappeared into. "Did you see how they took the candle flames away with them? There must be a reason for that."

Lydia glanced up at the ceiling. "We should probably go after them."

Link slowly turned in a full circle, studying the room. "Four doors, four Poes. We have no choice but to go after them. We'll have to split up."

"Oh man. We always have to split up! I hate splitting up! It makes me tense."

"You're always tense. Well, I'll take one, and you two can each take one." Link glanced down at Saria. "Who do you want to go with?"

Saria gripped the bow defiantly and met his gaze. "Nobody. I'll go on my own."

The other three stared at her like she was insane.

"Like you said," the girl continued. "Four doors, four Poes....and four people among us, unless I've forgotten how to count. Each one of us can take one ghost. It'll be faster that way. And I've already proven that I can take care of myself."

Link knelt on one knee and placed his big hand on her shoulder. "Saria, are you sure? Poes are a little dangerous."

Look of death.

"All right. You do have a point. If you want to go conquer the fourth ghost, that's what you'll do."

Saria smiled. Victory tasted good.

Gordon shook his head. This girl really was as stubborn as his sister. The sorcerer reached behind Saria and withdrew a single arrow from the quiver. Saria watched as he closed his eyes, and after a moment, the arrow was completely illuminated with white light. He handed it to the girl then.

"If you must go alone, take this with you. I've charged it with a powerful anti-undead spell. When you find the Poe, intruduce it to this arrow, and you should be fine."

Saria smiled and took the glowing arrow. It felt very warm. "Thank you." She slipped it among the others in the quiver.

The small group of four smiled at each other, then turned to face their respective corner doors. They parted ways and disappeared through the doors, leaving nothing in the large room except the large glowing orb of light at the ceiling.

In a corner of the room that was still draped in darkness, a single shadow detatched itself from the others and stood up straight, becoming a tall, slim figure. The figure pushed back its ponytail of long red hair and looked into the now empty room.

Nabooru laughed quietly, and in a whisper of magic, faded into thin air.