Author's Note: Please forgive the massive delay as I have been trying to make out a plan that will keep the classic story of Ocarina of Time, yet keep with those little changes. I'm going to move on now and hopefully people will be pleased with the results. I also plan to point out Link's obvious inexperience with new weapons such as the bow and a full length sword.
WEBSITE: Profiles and Equipment have been updated.
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Ocarina of Time: Rebirth
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Of Spirits and Traitors
Having armed himself with the bow and arrows that Saria had been carrying around Link stood to his feet clinching his fist feeling an unspeakable anger rise up within him, while he would have even expected himself to run he was more than willing to press on. Gannondorf was there along with that traitor Genis Mirkwood. He was not going to pass up a chance to take both of them down and the fact that they were holding Saria prisoner only served to enforce his inspiration to defeat them.
Navi flew up around his head as he forced himself up against the will of his body and he glared at her "Navi! You move on ahead and find that bastard Mirkwood. I'll take care of things along the way." he said. Navi wasn't about to argue and moved forward slipping through the small unused keyhole in the door knowing that she would be able to weave around the creatures that Gannondorf and Mirkwood had sent here. He breathed as he stepped towards the door reaching back for his sword when something else caught his attention.
There was a strange female cackled from beyond the door he narrowed his eyes as he knew that Mirkwood had decided to summon another one of those four ghouls to do his bidding, he narrowed his eyes before kicking the door open. He swept the room with his new weapon, but saw no sign of any activity within the small chamber which bore some stairs. He breathed as he stepped forward and started up the stairs. Suddenly that cackle sounded behind him and he turned to see nothing, nothing but a black canvass hanging on the wall. He narrowed his eyes and continued moving.
He then spied another one at the top of the stairs which showed the image of what appeared to be a poe, he narrowed his eyes having heard enough stories about what they could manipulate. An arrow left the bow with an unpolished aim and struck the painting on the edge of the image, and he was rewarded with a screech as the image faded. He felt a presence brush by him and narrowed his eyes before stepping up the stairs and taking aim on the other one that was on the far side, he took careful aim and fired. Hitting this one dead center, the image fadded again as the magic canvass was damaged.
Link then turned to moved down the stairs and drew out the Master Sword, as he expected the image appeared on the third canvass he had passed and he intended to nip this problem in the bud. The image's glowing eyes grew large before the sword pierced the painting which faded back to black, Link then looked to witness a silhouette and a colored flame appear in the bottom room. Readying another arrow he moved down the stairs and turned to fire it off sending it to pass through the torch due to his inexperienced aim. He breath as he drew his sword back out placing his bow on the hooks of the quiver. He had to defeat all four of them before they could open the inner sanctum for Gannondorf and Mirkwood.
The creature rushed towards him and swung the torch she carried which brushed the side of Link's head as he ducked, this drew a tiny trickle of blood across his hair. Link breathed wishing that he had a shield that he could use, but instead of drawing on his wishes he took action and swiped the holy sword up towards the creature's body. It cut through the Poe's body and it screeched before it backed off, a small plumb of smoke following it as it attempted to vanish into the nearest wall.
Link growled as he swiftly took out the bow and fired off after taking a general aim, his efforts were rewarded as the arrow made contact with the mid-section of the creature and its movements were halted. Link dropped the bow and rushed forward jumping up with his sword, the Poe's eyes became wide as Link brought down his blade cleaving the monster from shoulder to side. The Poe Sister then screeched before her body separated and vanished in embers of evil flame which fadded onto the floor.
The same colored flame that had been present on the torch then migrated to the golden torch near the door of the room, Link was beginning to understand the connection between these torches and those in the main hall. Sheathing his sword and picking up his bow and turned and moved back up the stairs knowing that Mirkwood would be somewhere on ahead attempting to break the seal. Bringing up the keys he had taken from the Stalfos he opened the next door and passed into the corner chamber which appeared to be just like the one they had passed through before encountering the first of the sisters.
He entered the room and breathed as he heard footsteps going down the nearby hall and raised his bow prepared to put a arrow in Mirkwood's back, but he was halted as he felt that same cold presence just behind him as he remained still. He knew that it would come just as it had before after Saria and he was prepared this time, he knew that it would have to make itself appear. A light suddenly came from behind him in a yellow hue and he narrowed his eyes as the light was then raised to a higher level. He then twisted and brought down his sword as hard as he could.
The Master Sword's tip touched the stone floor as it passed through a yellow clad member of the four sisters who gasped and then evaporated into those dark blue flames of darkness, and as predicted the yellow colored flame appeared on an adjacent torch. He breathed as he sheathed his sword and then moved to open the next door where he encountered what appeared to be a hallway that twisted. But that wasn't the only thing...oh that wasn't the only thing...
The door was brought to a swift close as Link turned his back to his squeezing his eyes closed as just about every possible fear or failing outcome had just been sent directly into his mind by the winding hallway. Everything that could have happened to everybody he had ever known if he were to fail. If he were to continue to press on against such adversity. If he were to not turn back and go home at once. He remember Saria's warning and now he had nobody to take him by the hand and lead him through the little slice of torment. She was being held prisoner and was counting on him to do something about it, wether or not she would ever admit it.
Suddenly a thought came to Link's mind as he contemplated closing his eyes and stepping down the hall attempting to drown out the illusions, but there was no telling what might be waiting for him. He decided to suck it up and take whatever this horrible hallway had to throw at him, he narrowed his eyes as he yanked the door open and then stepped forward. Illusions formed before him of familiar places burning. Familiar people around him suffering. Several of them blaming him for what happened.
Specific people he knew and cared for being tortured at the hands of Gannondorf and his minions. Some of it was not about bringing pain to the body, but bringing pain to the soul which could be seen as several illusions involved sickening scenes of forcing a poor souls to watch loved ones be tortured or ravaged. People being systematically lined up and then killed one by the officers of Gannondorf's dreaded army. The illusions went deep as it all concentrated on him, but he pressed forward down the hall unflinching and screamed out in his pent up rage as he kicked out his leg at the door...
Mirkwood had been looking over the last of the scrolls for the process it would take to remove Saria from her place as the one being called to the Forest Seal, and place himself within the reach of that power. He had felt that things were going according to plan and now all he needed was for the Four Sisters to unlock the lift that would take him to the Inner Sanctum, as well as unlock the power of the seal. What he thought would be a complicated process turned out to be a simple one, so simple even Gannondorf would have been able to figure it out. All that was needed was for the life force of the called sage to vanished and for their apprentice to deliver their remains to the seal. Essentially the seal would then transfer the power to him. It was all going to perfect.
However there was suddenly an enraged scream as the heavy wooden door on the side of the room was suddenly kicked from its hinges and sent about six feet into the room before that Hylian from before stepped inside breathing heavily. Genis Mirkwood couldn't believe his eyes as the man looked back at the winding hallway which was known to drive mortals insane, it was the only reason that Gannondorf had entrusted him with this task. He had watched the moblins who attempted to take a peek at his work be driven to suicide within ten seconds of entering the chamber and yet this scum was looking back at the hallway with contempt.
Mirkwood glared at the one who had been following Saria "What the hell are you still doing here? And how could you pass through the winding hallway without ending your own miserable life!" he shouted out at him drawing out the knife that hung at his belt. The Hylian looked back at the hallway and narrowed his eyes as he could now see the sources of the illusions, the flaming skull spirits that plagued the darkest corner of Hyrule. He didn't respond, but rather just watched the confused spirits that the Kokiri could always see "Answer me slime!" he shouted.
Link looked glanced at him and took in a breath as he looked back at the pathetic spirits that floated there, apparently they themselves were suffering off the simple fact that he was not afraid and that he did not care. The approached him slowly "It is simple. All they can do is show you your greatest fears and terrors, show the worst possible scenario to how your life could effect others in the worse. They try to make your existence seem like a threat to other people, and in my case they showed me the suffering of Hyrule. However they couldn't have known a single, but very important detail..." he said.
"All they could do is show me what will happen if I fail, show me how Gannondorf will punish the world and those in it. Show me how those connected to me might be punished if the Tyrant was to bring this world into his image, but then I realized that it really wouldn't matter in the end. It is better to try for the better and fail, that to allow things to run their course and become worse, and thus I am not afraid." with this said the spirits groaned out and then vanished, ceasing to exist and the hall became just another corridor in the Forest Temple.
Mirkwood growled before he glared at Link "Why are you still here? What in the hell could this one little forest possibly mean to a member of the resistence? How does anything here involve you?" he questioned angrily.
Link closed his eyes reflected back on so much of his younger years before he grabbed hold of the Master Sword, he then looked up at Mirkwood "Because this is my home too." he said before he drew out and arrow and aimed it at Mirkwood not giving the Dark Sage any real time to react to this announcement "Now surrender yourself and return Saria to me, or there will be some serious problems between the two of us." he threatened with a glare. Mirkwood slowly closed his eyes before he shook his head, he decided to give his plea.
"The people of this forest have always been hidden and never wanted anything to do with the outside world. They remain here and remain weak, I simply wish to make my home stronger and raise it back from the brink of helplessness. As an ally of Gannondorf and with my place as the Sage of the Forest I will have the same control over the forest as the Great Deku Tree..." he suddenly moved his hand to his belt and drew out his knife which was lined with a good few runes "Who I will now avenge, Link Masters." he said with acid in his voice before he rushed at his opponent.
Link growled as he took aim and fired, but once again his inexperiance with the weapon took away from any lethal force as it passed over Mirkwood's shoulder. He came up and flipped the knife in his hand before swinging it in a slashing motion which Link was barely able to back away from, sure he might have been smaller but he was a great deal faster that Link was. Link breathed as he stepped back and examined a thin cut in his tunic over his chest and sucked in a breath as Mirkwood took stance with his knife which appeared to be a special weapon.
Mirkwood paced lightly flipping the knife up and caught it by the handle before repeating the process all while starring down Link "In killing the Deku Tree you have done more damage than you can possibly imagine. It is because of you that so much has happened in the forest and it will be upon your death that it is fixed." he said before rushing forward. Link drew his sword and waited before swiping up his blade in the attempt to cleave off Mirkwood's hand, however there was one problem. The knife could be shifted much more easily.
There was a movement before Link felt a cold blade sweep across his abdomen, breaking through the time worn mythril lace that he wore under his tunic. The weight of the Master Sword a different kind from what he had experianced with the Kokiri Sword, there was nothing he could do to stop the Dark Sage from acting. Mirkwood however straightened up and allowed Link to stumble back. Mirkwood then smirked and brought up a foot to kick him in the cut which had broken the skin, the mythril had at least weakened the blade's ability. Link was very lucky.
Link growled before looking at Mirkwood, though it was more towards himself. Going into battle without first familiarizing himself with the new full length weapon that he was wielding, it was a stupid mistake that could have costed him his life several times by now. He didn't need Garen's fancy training to know what he had done wrong and that it was not a mistake he could afford to make again. What was worse was that he decided to use it against somebody using a much more variable weapon. Mirkwood however showed no reason for backing off.
Mirkwood chuckled at Link as he looked at the Master Sword before he put it away, slamming it hard into the sheath strapped on his back. He then released the heavy sword and placed it on the ground before kicking it over to the wall, next came the utility belt he had been using since just after all of this started. He then reached to the reverse of his waist and brought out the two foot stick and applied pressure which resulted in it expanding to six feet revealing itself as one of the Staves of the Trinity. Mirkwood raised an eyebrow at this having been told about this weapon as one of those having been used by those three pests seven years ago.
"And who did you have to con to get your hands on that thing, Link?" he questioned as he held up his knife figuring that he was still at the advantage, however the forest raised Hylian wanted to buy as much time as he could and looked towards the Master Sword "Gannondorf tells you about the staff of the trinity, and gives you all of this other information, but he never told you what that sword is? I suppose he never told you that he is responcible for the Great Deku Tree!" he shouted calling Mirkwood out.
"Liar!" Mirkwood shouted before rushing at Link who held up the staff shrinking it back to its two foot form. Mirkwood brought the knife upright and it was clear that he was going in for the kill this time, and there would be no more second chances. Link took stance as the staff retracted in his hands and swung it down as Mirkwood swung his small blade up. "Ack!" Mirkwood growled as the solid body of the staff made contact with his wrist and sent the blade off to the side. Mirkwood then growled and swipped back up again with a shrill cry.
Mirkwood growled again as his wrist made contact with the repositioned staff which was turning out to be more of a shield than an offensive weapon. Mirkwood shouted as he moved forward raising his knife as if to make a cut at Link's head, he jumped into the air and Link lashed out with a scream. The staff snapped back into its six foot form and he swung it upwards in a fashion that buried the edge of the spearhead into his abdomen. Mirkwood growled as he was cut deep and then send crashing to the floor by Link who back off holding the staff up erect in an intimidating and bold stance.
"He came here Genis. He came to the Kokiri Forest just the morning before I left and he cursed the Great Deku Tree who did not cave in to his threats. It was the Deku Tree's intention for me to destroy the parasite that had manifested within the roots, in doing this I gave him a peaceful death..." Mirkwood narrowed his eyes as he grasped his knife "Otherwise he would have suffered until he caved into your master's commands." Link then noticed something as Mirkwood trembled. A glowing rune of sorts had appeared on his forehead and it appeared he was in some sort of a mental battle. He then screamed and rushed at Link.
Link didn't know what was going on now and he really didn't care, it was going to end now. His staff came back up and Link watched as Mirkwood held his knife up in his right hand, it would be his opening to take him down. Mirkwood rushed up towards Link with every intention of carving out his windpipe when suddenly Link moved to his left where he couldn't reach out to. The staff moved in a swift motion and connected with his stomach like a battering ram and then flipped up and smashed into the backs of his ankles sending him to crash into his back.
The rune began rapidly flashing as Mirkwood attempted to retaliate, however when a booted foot came down onto his arm which sounded off in a painful snap, he knew it was all over. Mirkwood wreathed in pain as he held his broken right arm completely oblivious to the spearhead being held at his throat. Mirkwood was hyperventalating as the rune flashed and Link risked getting closer and then Mirkwood screamed "No! I am not your puppet, tyrant!" he shouted before he fell back and continue to scream.
Link suddenly heard a pinging noise from the side and looked up to see that it was the missing Navi who appeared to have been placed in a bottle by the now suffering Mirkwood. He opened the top and allowed her to fly out which earned him a flash of red and several shouted words "What the hell took you so long!" she shouted. Link didn't really feel like explaining that he had been dodging the edge of a knife while she was screaming for him and decided to just get to the point and get her attention on the rune. Navi flew up to Mirkwood who was now sweating heavily and begging for help from them.
Navi flew back to Link "It is a binding rune of a spell. Essentially it is used to prevent thoughts of disloyalty or betrayal, to a point where one cannot even have a second thought. Gannondorf probably placed it on him when he wasn't aware and your explanations triggered it." Mirkwood continued to roll on the floor, holding his head as it was obvious he would not be returning to the fight at this point. Navi spoke up "It isn't going to release him unless he continues fighting. Link, you have been blessed with the essence of the light sage You should be able to remove the spell by touching the Master Sword to his head and willing it." Link retrieved his sword and did as he was told.
"Mirkwood. I free you from the curse of the Evil King." he said attempting to sound like a voice calling him towards salvation. The lines of the rune thinned out and vanished as if being over taken by the flesh of Mirkwood's brow, the fallen Kokiri sucked in breath after breath before looking up at Link and trembling as if he was ready to break into tears. He then looked at Link and leaned forward facing the floor before he spoke up sobbing heavily "Please don't kill me! I don't know what I have been doing this whole time!" he said. He was sobbing and he was miserable, it was a pathetic sight.
Link knelt lightly able to see that the dark side that had been brought up by Gannondorf's black magic had completely subsided and he was back to normal. However because Genis Mirkwood had been chased out of the village when Link was the age of eight, he never really came to know the older Kokiri who had apparently been living in the Lost Woods. He spoke up "We arn't going to hurt you anymore. I understand that you were being manipulated, but what exactly happened in the first place?" he questioned the Kokiri lightly.
"I think the rebellion would be interested to know that as well." Link looked up bringing up his blade only to see Sheik standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and appearing ominous as usual. She stepped forward and knelt down to pick up the knife that Mirkwood had been using and kept hold of it for the sense of security. Sheik looked down at the pained Mirkwood and spoke "I represent the rebellion, I want you to answer his questions and then be prepared for a couple more." she said.
Mirkwood nodded before speaking "It was about a year or so back. I live on the edge of the lost woods overlooking Zora's River, pretty far north from here and all. On a spring morning I noticed a group of Gannondorf's lackies heading for the forests with torches ready so I head them off. They attempt to strong arm me, but I managed to defend myself pretty well. I mean I did take down a dozen of them. However, I'm not going to deny that I wanted to do what I had done at one point." Link urged him to just continue with his story.
"I had defended their home from what was obviously going to be a large scale burning and they called me a blood caked maniac. I wasn't proud of taking lives, but as you might know Gannondorf uses the shells of those his army kills to do such grunt works, so they would probably want it. They forced me from the forest itself and I was turned over to Gannondorf, when I was offered a chance to get back I couldn't resist. Those feelings got me that marking and the inability to refuse him." he said, ending out his story.
Link breathed as he stood to his feet and strapped his sword back onto its place followed by the utility belt which held his equipment "I don't care what happened. It isn't all your fault. Just tell me where Saria and that bastard Gerudo are and we can call it even." he said. Mirkwood took a breath before reaching down to his pocket removing a rather large golden key which was decorated with a large ruby. It didn't look like a key to anywhere that was particularly safe or comfortable. He had a bad feeling about this item.
Mirkwood breathed "That creature has taken Saria to the seal and has probably commissioned the last of the sisters to look after the elevator in the main hall. Defeat her and you will be taken to a basement, use this on the large door there. It will lead you to the inner sanctum where they are. That creature gives me an ominous feeling, but not nearly as poisonous as what you feel in the presence of the Evil King. You must defeat him to purify this temple and the forest itself." he said before removing the sheath from his left shoulder he then retrieved the knife from Sheik and held it out to Link.
Link looked at him as he smiled lightly "Take it with my blessings and use it to bring that dog to his knees. It is the best kind of knife that can be found. It was on the Hyrulian Captain that was lost here several years ago. Reinforced in both its steel and those runes on the blade, it will cut through anything of the flesh. Besides, with a broken arm I'm not exactly much good, so it is probably for the very best." he said as he leaned his head back. Navi hovered lightly over Mirkwood as he drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness, it was clear that he had been defeated and was no longer combat worthy.
Navi dared to look up at the mysterious Sheikah and question what was going to happen to the fallen Kokiri, he was part of Gannondorf's military one way or the other. Was he going to be punished? Sheik however looked up and spoke "My horse is waiting outside the temple, from here I will take him with my back to the village. If nothing else he will be safe from the wrath of both Gannondorf and the Kokiri. He can also give us any information he has on Dragmire's operations." it all seemed to make sense. Sheik was all professional and was all about the job to a tactical standpoint, something Link had little ability at.
Link took in a breath as he tightened the straps to the sheath around his tunic so it would be at the ready on his left shoulder "Fine. You should go ahead and take him out of here, it would also be nice if you would be so kind as to set off some sort of disturbance and get the moblins away from the main hall." he said. Sheik nodded saying that she already had things set up and then headed out after throwing Genis Mirkwood over her shoulder, Link took in a breath as he looked at the key he had been given and squeezed it "Saria. I'm coming for you." he murmured before continuing on.
Next Chapter: The Phantom's Edge
Link confronts the eldest sister of the Forest Temple Spirits and unlocks the final part of the seal opening the gate to the inner sanctum. There the reunited Link and Saria come face to face with the likes of Gannondorf and Endbringer(the horse) who challenge them into a fight which revolves on teamwork. However Gannondorf Dragmire isn't all that he seems.