Chapter 4
Both Link and Saria looked at Skull Kid with their eyebrows raised. Neither of them had ever heard of this beast, this foul smelling spider. Saria considered herself a pretty knowledgeable Kokiri, especially as the Sage of the Forest. She even has a bookcase filled with books about Kokiri Forest, Hyrule, and ancient lore in her home. Not one of them, though, mentions the ancient prophecy—or rather, omen, from the way it sounds—of Aracnatha. Why are her and Link just now finding out about this supposed creature?
The two kept silent, waiting for Skull Kid to elaborate. He looked back and forth at Link and Saria and nodded his head.
"Judging by the looks on your faces," he began, "I'd say neither of you have heard of this prophecy. I am not surprised. It has not been written down, only passed by word of mouth from generation to generation among the forest folk."
"That explains why I haven't seen it in any of my books at home," Saria said.
Skull Kid nodded in response. "It has not been written down because the image of the beast itself has been forgotten, lost in history. No one has seen this creature in a very long time, possibly since the origin of the story. Since no one knows what this creature looks like, it was deemed necessary to only be passed through the generations by legend. Some who know of the prophecy of Aracnatha doubt that the creature actually exists since it has not been seen. There are others among the forest folk who believe it is real. Whenever its name is mentioned it strikes fear into the hearts of everyone, even those who do not believe in it. Real or fake, it is powerful."
Link thought for a moment. There is one person who has seen creature—Mido. Seeing the spider caused the Kokiri to curl up in fear and withdraw himself from the present time environment. Powerful, for sure.
"What else can you tell us about Aracnatha?" Link asked. If he was to help the Kokiri and everyone else in the forest, he would have to know more about this legend.
Skull Kid looked up at the sky for a moment before answering. "According to legend, this beast first makes itself known by entering a realm that is only accessible during sleep. This would explain the nightmare that Mido had. By that time, Aracnatha would have already penetrated this veil, this plane of existence, and would have chosen that place to call its own. What the legend wasn't specific on, though, was why—why the creature makes itself known here. No one who has passed down the story has been able to say why it is here, but it has been mentioned that Aracnatha had help in getting into our world.
"The world it originated from is vastly different from ours, which may be why people smell something horrible coming from deep in the forest. Or it could be just the spider itself that gives off that scent."
"Well," Link mused, "since no one knows why it is here, I would venture to say that it is here to eat and clear out the forest of whatever it deems to be a nuisance. Spiders build webs and capture insects as food. They are nature's way of keeping a balance in the universe. The problem is, though, is that this spider thinks that the denizens of Kokiri Forest are food, and whatever or whoever sent the spider here thinks that we are insects. This spider seems to be a twisted part of nature, and I'd say that there could be something bigger going on that we don't know about yet."
Saria shivered at Link's words. "Dear Hylia, Link I hope you are wrong. Surely it just a spider that wondered in here by mistake. I just want the forest to be back to normal!"
Skull Kid looked at Saria with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I hate to rain on your parade, Saria, but I think Link is right. It makes sense that Aracnatha would see us as food if it is as big as the legend says it is."
"So what do we do, then?" The horror in her eyes was evident; it was clear to both Link and Skull Kid that the spider was already starting to affect her, even though she had not laid eyes on it.
"Why, we kill it, of course, Saria," Link said. "Kokiri Forest, The Lost Woods, The Sacred Forest Meadow and the Forest Temple are not Aracnatha's domain. It is yours. You need to take back what is yours. I'll help, worry not about that."
"But the smell, Link!"
"I would suggest finding a way to block your smell," Skull Kid chimed in, "if it's that bad, you will need protection."
There was silence. Saria shook her head, confused and lost. She had no idea how to make something like that happen. Never before in her life had she encountered any scenarios like this. She didn't know what to do.
Skull Kid stretched his arms. "Well, I'll leave that to the two of you. I need to eat and get some sleep. Good luck!"
The forest dweller scampered off without another word, and it was just Link and Saria standing by the tree stump. Saria looked at Link, pleading with her eyes. What do we do, Link?
Link had an idea. "I know what I can do. Zelda has always been somewhat of an apothecary. I'm sure she can brew up a plant mixture that will temporarily block our sense of smell. I'll go back to the castle and see if she can help us."
"That sounds great, Link! You do that, and I'll go back and stay by Mido's side until you return."
With that, Link and Saria left the Lost Woods, Saria heading to Mido's house and Link back to Hyrule Castle. As he mounted Epona and left the entrance to the forest, he wondered if there were such a concoction that could be made that could actually block one's sense of smell. It seemed outlandish, but it is the only possible thing that could be done to battle the beast and rid the forest of the scourge that plagued it. There had to be hope; without it, all would be lost.