Ok, so, this may have taken a while, but that's only really because I'm home for Thanksgiving break and writer's block has been hitting me hard, so, if this chapter is a bit lame, don't blame me! Also, Super Smash Bros is another amazing drain of time that has also barred me from writing! ahahahaha... ;D Anyway, thanks to everyone who followed/favorited! Now onto the reviews!
Pikori78: There might be a little fluff here! Who knows?! ;D
Sigma73: Well, I figured that Impa just has both in case she needs them. And yeah, Ghoma is in this chapter and even I gotta admit he's a bit of a pushover... hahaha ;D
Nintendoman01: Yeah and ahahaha yeah
Zelink123: Thanks so much! :D
Itherael: Thanks!
explodingbunnies52: Thanks! I will!
Draconic: I don't know if Saria or Malon might appear, but maybe? I haven't gotten everything figured out so I might be able to find a place for them (since they are two of my favorite characters in OoT!) And yeah, there's going to be more era jumping than in the game among different characters, but I can't say too much about it now! ;D
Pikatwig: I love Lana too and I would love to see her in a regular Zelda game! And yeah, you pretty much pegged exactly how things are going to go down in the aftermath of Link catching the tree on fire. ;D
Legendoffun: Thanks! I have to make things a little original after all!
skyhopper: Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Ezakiel: I don't know if I'll put any more Deku Babas in here, since I like to incorporatenew stuff with each chapter. And yeah, you'd think that the Hylian army would have some archers in there... Something to think about... And yeah, I think it was a little shortsighted of Lana to give Link the fire rod in a FOREST of all places (and the game even suggests you use the fire rod as the preferred weapon for this stage believe it or not!) And Lana's character will show herself more and more as we go along. Don't worry though, I don't end on too many cliffhangers, just enough to leave you wanting more! ;D
RandomButLoved: Yeah, Wizzro was a total jerk here and I hate to say that I'm only gonna put Link through more junk in this chapter too. And I think we'll even get to see a glimpse of Cia at the end of this chapter... And if I can find it, I'll to totally check out that writing thing you're talking about. After all, there's always room for improvement!
gandalf42: Yeah, Link should have been more careful! And as for Cia, we're gonna get a little glimpse of her at the end of this chapter, so I hope you'll enjoy it! And I could totally see a catfight breaking out between Zelda and Cia over Link! It would be hilarious!
Flameshield: Thanks! I just thought it was a nice change and you're right! It is sorta set up for how Link acts later on! Glad you noticed! ;D
DarthPhoenixFire: Indeed we do! :D And yeah I don't get why people hate Lana! She's awesome!
Stylin80: hahaha thanks!
Book of untold stories: Thanks!
R-king 93: Don't worry. I never lay the angst on THAT thick (at least I don't think so!)
OkayDokay33: You totally got what Lana was supposed to be feeling just right! I'm glad it was clear but not too obvious, since that's what I was going for! And yeah, I don't like it when things (even weapons) just come out of nowhere. Everything has an origin, so why not tell it? I'm also glad you noticed all of the character dynamics. I like to give everyone the chance to shine equally, and besides, flawed characters are always more interesting!
ultimateCC: I see what you did there... ;D
Ok, well with that all done, let's get started, shall we?
Chapter 6: In the Greenwood
The flames filling the Deku tree were spreading at an alarming rate, filling the surrounding area with a thick cloud of smoke. Since a large majority of the Hylian troops had either been in or near the tree when the blaze began, they were in the midst of a panicked scramble now, most of them either trying to stay clear of the fire or trying to find a way to put it out. And yet, even despite all of the chaos raging around her, Impa remained as calm as she could as she shouted firm commands to her troops, though she really had no idea how to stop the inferno herself, as the nearest large water source was quite a ways away.
"Everyone stay clear of those flames!" the Sheikah guardian shouted, a cross expression on her face as she knew they had no time to deal with something like this. "I want a squadron on the hunt for that wizard immediately! The rest of us will stay here and figure out a way to quench this fire!"
Impa paused for a moment as the soldiers continued to run about, but as she noticed the hero run past her, her glare sharpened and she didn't hesitate to reprimand him for what he had just done. "Link!" she growled in fury, marching over to him as he tried to join with the group of soldiers that were heading for the stream. "What were you thinking?! You should know better than to use a dangerous weapon like that without the proper restraint!"
"Impa, I didn't mean to," Link protested in his own defense, even though he still felt incredibly guilty for what he had done. And yet, even despite his remorse, he had decided to resolve his mistake by working to fix it instead of simply moping about it. "I'm sorry. It was an accident."
"Accident or no, this is the second time that your haste and impulsiveness have put lives in danger," the Sheikah guardian said with a disappointed scowl. "You are a good fighter, Link. You're brave and strong. But you need to learn that in a battle you must not only attack, but also counter attack; wait and listen. It's not always all about the offensive, and you'd be wise to learn that."
Though the hero took her words to heart, he still couldn't help but feel belittled by them, knowing this was the second time she had scolded him for something that wasn't really his fault. After all, the only reason why the Deku Tree had caught fire was because he had been tricked by Wizzro, not because of his own shortcomings. And it seemed as though Lana agreed with him on this as she interjected into the conversation, taking a brief break from her attempts at putting the fire out.
"Impa, if you don't mind me saying so, this wasn't really Link's fault," the sorceress said with pity for the hero's plight and worry for the forest in general. "This happened because of Wizzro, which is why we have to stop him. But first, we need to find a way to douse this fire. We can't just let the Deku Tree burn! Now, what should we do…?"
"What we need is enough water to put it out all at once," Impa said, putting her aggravation with Link behind her for the moment to focus on the task at hand. "But finding that anywhere near here would take a miracle in and of itself…"
Both Link and Lana sighed as they realized the Sheikah guardian was right, which was only making this problem even more challenging. However, no more than a moment later, Proxi, having been struck with a sudden idea, flew down close to the hero, beating her tiny wings together in excitement. "Hey!" she exclaimed brightly. "I think I can feel the presence of a Great Fairy somewhere here in the woods! Maybe she can help us!"
Link nodded in agreement with this idea, remembering how the Great Fairy had greatly aided him and Zelda back in Hyrule Field several weeks ago, before relaying the fairy's words to the rest of the group. "We need to find a Great Fairy," he said as he made sure the fire rod was secured to his back as he took out his sword to utilize it instead, having learned his lesson about the potential dangers of the magical weapon. "There's one nearby and she might be able to help us if we ask her."
"Great idea, Link!" Lana said with renewed hope, a wide smile on her face. "You're right! If I remember correctly, there is a Fairy Fountain somewhere to the east of here! We need to hurry and talk to the Great Fairy, otherwise, we can kiss the Deku Tree goodbye!"
"Alright then," Impa said, her tone still serious and firm. "Let's move out!" The Sheikah guardian began to follow the sorceress as she began to lead the way to the eastern forest, but the hero lingered behind for a moment, taking a quick glance behind him at the Deku Tree as a sudden realization hit him.
"Wait!" Link called out to his two allies, who briefly stopped to face him, though neither of them realizing that they were forgetting something quite important. "Where's Sheik?"
Impa and Lana exchanged a brief glance, though the sorceress conveyed more worry for their missing ally than the Sheikah guardian did. "I haven't seen her since the fire started," Lana said with a concerned frown as she glanced towards the blazing tree.
"I saw her trying to get some soldiers out of the tree just a few minutes ago," Impa commented, the distaste and suspicion for the Sheikah warrior clear in her tone.
"She might still be in there then!" Proxi exclaimed to Link, who by now had turned to the Deku Tree fully.
"We have to go make sure she's ok," the hero said with resolve, hoping that Sheik was not in any danger and that no harm had come to her.
"There's no time!" the Sheikah guardian protested, knowing that going to look for her least favorite of their allies was the last priority she wanted to focus on at the moment. "If we don't put out the fire soon, the Deku Tree will burn to cinders!"
"We can't just leave her behind!" Link said, even though he knew he was in no place to stand up against Impa, especially after how he had let her down twice now. "What if she's hurt?"
"At a moment like this, the needs of the majority outweigh the needs of any one individual," Impa said coldly, sending him a sharp scarlet glare. "Now, come on. We need to get to that Fairy Fountain immediately."
Upon hearing this, the hero closed his eyes and clenched his fists at his sides, taking in a deep breath in anticipation of the reprimand he was about to receive after this. But all the same, he knew that he could not simply leave the Sheikah warrior, or anyone else for that matter, to die in the blazing inferno that he had unintentionally caused. "I'm sorry, Impa," he said with sincerity rather than defiance, since that was something he did not want to show to the respected Sheikah guardian, even if he did not agree with her command at the moment. Without another word, Link began to rush off towards the burning Deku Tree as Impa spun around and watched him in disbelief, sending him a harsh glare all the while.
"That boy's stubbornness is going to get him killed one day…" she muttered in aggravation, knowing that there was no time to chase after him as she turned to head towards the Fairy Fountain once more.
A small smile of admiration appeared on Lana's face as she watched the hero run off gallantly towards the dangerous flames, seeing his clear courage shine through his actions more than anything else. "It's not stubbornness," the sorceress said as she prepared to lead the way to the Great Fairy. "Its bravery. And it's the exact reason why he's destined to be the hero Hyrule needs…"
With each passing second, the inferno filling the Deku Tree got worse and worse. The smoke surrounding its immediate area was so thick that Link was barely even able to see the burning tree at all as he rushed towards it, taking out any bulbin that crossed his path with ease. Before entering into the cloud of toxic smoke, the hero quickly wrapped the end of his scarf around his mouth and nose so that he wouldn't have to breathe the dangerous fumes as he allowed Proxi to take refuge inside of his cap. And then, without another moment's hesitation, he entered into the Deku Tree's burning keep, knowing that Sheik had to be somewhere inside.
The temperature inside of the tree's hallow center was unbearable as Link stopped in the middle of it, trying his best to stay clear of the tongues of flame licking at him, singing pieces of hi clothes but thankfully not burning him just yet. He strained his eyes to see even a few inches in front of him through the smoke, since this was where it had gathered the thickest, however, he saw no signs of anyone, not even the Sheikah warrior. Fortunately, it seemed as though everyone had evacuated safely, but the hero didn't want to take any chances of leaving anyone behind.
"Sheik!" he called out as loudly and succinctly as he could, wanting to conserve as much air as possible. "Sheik, are you in here?!"
Though Link barely heard it, a response did come in the form of a small, frail-sounding voice. "Yes!" Sheik answered, her voice horse and weak. The hero glanced around hurriedly once more, even though the smoke was burning his eyes, before finally spotting a hint of blue amidst the mix of grey smoke and orange fire surrounding him. Immediately, he made his way over to the Sheikah warrior to find her in a poor state indeed. She was doubled over on her hands and knees, caught up in the midst of a terrible coughing fit from having inhaled so much smoke, even despite the cloth that covered her own face. She glanced up at Link as he approached her with a look of immense concern for her condition, while weariness and exhaustion reflected in her own crimson eyes. Sheik had lingered in the tree much longer than anyone else as she did everything she could to escort the injured soldiers out, as well as using the water-based magic that the Serenade of Water provided her with to try and put the flames out, but to no avail. Because of her brave attempts however, she had suffered quite a bit from both the burns she had been unfortunate enough to receive and the smoke that she had been breathing in for far too long. By now, she was so weak that she was no longer able to stand, unable to pick herself back up and get out on her own.
Link noticed this fact immediately as he knelt down beside her, placing a protective arm around her shoulders as he noticed that she was trembling from convulsions. "Can you get up?" he asked her quickly, the smoke starting to choke him up as well. The Sheikah warrior simply answered him with a shake of her head and a low groan as he blonde locks fell even more in front of her face while she kept her head down and out of the smoke.
The hero frowned under his scarf as he took another look around the burning tree, trying to spot the nearest exit and praying that Lana and Impa would make it to the Great Fairy soon. However, before he could say or do anything else, Sheik was quick to catch his attention with another groan before she spoke. "L-Link…" she began, her voice barely more than a feeble whisper as she tried to convey her message in as few words as possible. "North… a-and south are… b-blocked by fire… E-east has caved i-in…"
"You mean the exits?" Link asked in slight confusion as the Sheikah warrior gave him a small nod of confirmation. "Then I guess west is our only option…" he said with a sigh as he realized that the western threshold of the tree was the furthest away from their current position, making things all the more difficult. And yet, the hero was not about to give up. His heart was pounding with adrenaline and determination as he quickly yet gently took Sheik into his arms and lifted her up, noting how light and apparently fragile her frame seemed to be, which seemed strange for someone who fought like she did. But nonetheless, he made sure that she was secure and not as subjected to the fire and smoke as he was as he began to head to the western exit, struggling to see his way through the inferno and trying his best not to get disoriented.
Though it took some doing, Link eventually managed to locate the western exit by the thin stream of light from the outside that was burning in through the smoke somehow. However, by the time he found it, he too was succumbing to the nearby fire. Breathing was becoming an incredibly difficult feat in and of itself and he had already taken a few burns, though thankfully none of them were critical, though they hurt nonetheless. His steps had become noticeably slower as he began to become sick from the fumes all around him, but he did not stop, at least not until an ear-splitting creak sounded from above him.
Startled by the noise, the hero paused, still holding tightly onto the semi-conscious Sheikah warrior, and glanced up towards the high wooden ceiling of the keep, his jaw dropping in shock at what he saw. Somehow, a large piece of tree bark had broken off from the rest of the tree and was quickly plummeting down towards them, its entirety engulfed in flames as it came down. Link had almost no time to react to it, save for to use most of his remaining strength to leap out of its path as it came crashing to the ground a few feet away, knocking the hero to the ground and shoving Sheik out of his arms.
The hero was stunned for a moment or two as he lay on the ashy ground, chocking aggressively from the smoke that the burning bark had stirred up. However, when he looked towards the western exit once more, his heart sank as he saw that the piece of wood had completely blocked off their last way of escape.
"N-no!" he exclaimed in dismay, weakly rising to his feet, although he almost collapsed immediately back down. His breathing sharp and shallow, Link ran to the smoldering wall of bark, not even thinking about the fact that it was covered in embers as he desperately placed his hands against it in an attempt to shove it out of the way, before quickly retracting them and letting out a cry of pain at his burnt skin.
"Link…" Sheik called out softly from the ground behind him, and the hero didn't hesitate to ignore his stinging hands and rush to her side as he got down to her level and giving her an apologetic look. "I-it… it's no use… We're t-trapped…"
The Sheikah warrior let out a small, shuddering breath as she shut her scarlet eye wearily as Link took her into his arms once more in an attempt to keep her conscious. "Sheik…" he said guiltily, his voice just as hoarse and weak as hers was. "I…. I'm sorry… This is all my fault…"
"N-no…" Sheik whispered softly, looking up at him once more. "It's not… This f-fire did not… happen b-because of you… D-don't even think that… for a s-second…"
Link frowned and shook his head, not believing her. Even though both Sheik and Lana tried to defend him and claim that Wizzro had been the cause of this fire, the hero knew that it was his recklessness and anger that had caused him to misfire the fire rod. Impa had been right in saying that he was too impulsive and careless. He always had been, and now he was paying the price for it. And yet, he wouldn't have felt so bad about it if Sheik hadn't been dragged into the disaster that he had created as well. He had put so many lives in danger and even though almost everyone had fortunately been saved, the only two people the hero was unable to save was himself and one of their best allies. And no matter what anyone told him, Link couldn't help but feel immensely guilty for that fact alone.
Keeping his head down so he wouldn't be as susceptible to the smoke, the hero was silent for a moment as he looked down into the Sheikah warrior's exhausted face. While he couldn't see much of it thanks to the cloth over her face and the hair over one eye, he could still see one of her ruby eyes as she stared up at him almost intensely, even despite the fact that she could barely breathe or move. Link averted her admittedly beautiful gaze out of remorse as he let out a small sigh, knowing that he was running low on air and energy as well.
"D-don't worry, Sheik…" the hero reassured her softly. "We'll g-get out of here… Impa a-and Lana are o-on their… way t-to the Great Fairy… S-she'll help us…"
Though comforted by this news, the Sheikah warrior could not help but frown under her face coverings as she looked up at the hero tenderly. "Link…" she muttered gently. "W-why did you… come back f-for me…? W-why risk your life… for someone you… b-barely know…?"
"Because," the hero said with absolute certainty in his weakened voice as Sheik's question brought back a fond memory of the missing princess. "S-someone once t-told me… that a g-good warrior… never l-leaves anyone behind… n-no matter who t-they are…"
Sheik took in a small breath upon hearing this, but she said nothing in regards to his statement, instead only giving him a small nod of gratitude. However, at the same time, she could feel the void of unconsciousness begin to tug at her, her vision growing blurry and distant. "Link," she said a bit louder, knowing that remaining conscious was integral to remaining alive at a moment like this, lest she fall into a coma or worse. "K-keep me awake… P-please…"
The hero nodded solemnly, even if he wasn't sure how he would do as she said. "What s-should I do…?" he asked, his voice soft and rough, but much stronger than the Sheikah warrior's was.
"A-anything…" Sheik said with a soft, fading breath. "At l-least until t-they…get help…"
Link frowned as Sheik let out another harsh cough, knowing that conversing with her was clearly out of the question, as she could barely even get a word out without choking on the unbreathable air all around them. He began to panic when he saw her eye begin to droop shut, understanding just as much as she did how dangerous it was to drift off into unconsciousness in an environment like this. And so, as the hero saw the flames surrounding them start to encroach upon them with each passing second, he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, before doing the only thing that could keep them both calm at a moment like this.
The Sheikah warrior took in a silent gasp the moment she heard the hero begin to sing, listening closely to him as she realized that, even though his voice was small and hoarse from the smoke, it still sounded quite pleasant. He sung softly and gently, his eyes shut and his cheeks showing the slightest hint of an embarrassed blush since he rarely ever sang to other people before. But all the same, Sheik focused on his smooth, easy to listen to, tenor voice, listening to the words of the solemn, almost mournful tune he was singing.
"L-leaves from the vine…" Link began, his voice shaking a bit out of both fear and exhaustion as he sang the old Hylian war ballad that his uncle had often sung to him as a child. "Falling s-so slow… Like fragile t-tiny shells… D-drifting in the f-foam…" Before the hero could go on, he broke down into a small bout of coughs, the smoke from the very close fire burning is throat as he breathed it in without much of a choice.
"L-Link…" Sheik muttered softly as she held up a shaking hand, telling him to stop singing so that he wouldn't have to breathe in the toxins for her sake. And yet, Link merely smiled down at her and shook his head, singing once more as soon as he stopped coughing.
"L-little soldier boy…" the hero continued, his voice even softer as he slowly laid the Sheikah warrior on the ground before coming to lie down beside her, knowing that he was about to black out as well. But nonetheless, he kept singing, as it was the only thing he could do now that they were both facing certain death. "Come m-marching home…" He shut his eyes once more so he wouldn't have to watch the flames overcome them both, regretting what he had done to start this fire now more than ever. "Brave s-soldier boy…" With another small sigh, Link reached out and took Sheik's nearby hand in his own, giving it a small, comforting squeeze so that she would not feel alone as he own eyes shut and her sensed began to drift off to the point that she barely even heard the final lyrics of the hero's song, but she clung onto them nonetheless. "C-comes marching h-home…"
As both Lana and Impa had expected, the route to the Fairy Fountain was littered with monsters, most likely placed there by Wizzro to impede their way. Using her tome, the young sorceress cut her way through the hordes with a variety of spells, including barriers and blasts of lightning. Meanwhile, the Sheikah guardian made use of her naginata and its fiery blade, burning through any bulbin in her way. As the two women hurried to the eastern fountain, they occasionally glanced back towards the plumes of smoke rising up from the Deku Tree, wondering when and if Link and Sheik were going to emerge from it. With each passing moment, Lana began to worry more and more for their wellbeing, fearing the worst for them as they failed to catch up with them.
"We have to hurry!" the sorceress called out to the Sheikah guardian fretfully as she used her magic to take down a gibdo that was guarding the stairway that led to the fountain. "I think they might be trapped in there!"
"If they are, then there's a good chance that they're already dead," Impa said with blunt honesty, under far too much stress to show much concern for the hero, whom she did admittedly worry for, and the Sheikah warrior, whom she really did not care whether she lived or died. "But all the same, we can't let the Deku Tree burn to the ground. Let's get in there."
Lana frowned nervously, taking one last anxious glance towards the smoldering tree before she followed the Sheikah guardian into the peace of the empty Fairy Fountain. "Oh, noble Great Fairy!" the sorceress called out respectfully as her and Impa approached the magic circle. "We need your strength to quell the burning Deku Tree! Please, don't leave us to this fire!"
With her telltale laugh, the Great Fairy rose up out of the waters of the fountain with a quick spin, floating in midair as she smiled down at the sorceress and the Sheikah leader. "Well, of course, young white sorceress!" she said cheerfully. "After all, I wouldn't dream of letting that precious tree burn to the ground on my watch! I'll send my little ones out to take care of it immediately!"
"Thank you, Great Fairy…" Lana said with a sigh of relief, watching as the Great Fairy held out her hands, a stream of small pink fairies flew forth from them and pouring out of the fountain in a large group.
Curious to see what they would do, Lana and Impa ran out after them, watching with wide eyes as the tiny creatures flew up high into the sky above the canopy of trees above them. Once the fairies were high enough in the air, they scattered and flew into the white clouds in the atmosphere, joining with them and commanding the condensed water within them to follow their movements. The various groups of fairies began to carry their cloud clusters with them to a point high above the burning Deku Tree, joining them together until there was enough of them to form a thick, gray raincloud. Thunder rumbled in the heavens above before the downpour finally began, thick sheets of rain pouring from the magical clouds and dousing the blazing tree within seconds. A soft aura of gold surrounded the tree as the rain put out the fire, magically healing the damage done to it and clearing the toxic some out entirely.
Upon seeing that their base was no longer on fire, the Hylian troops all let out a triumphant cheer, their morale raising as they leaped back into the battle in full force. "Phew! That was a close one!" Lana exclaimed with a bright smile, glancing back towards the Fairy Fountain to show her gratitude to the Great Fairy once more. "We thank you, Great Fairy!"
The Great Fairy let out a warm laugh in response as she vanished back into the fountain once more, leaving Lana and Impa to head back to the Deku Tree once more. "Come on!" the sorceress said to the Sheikah guardian with renewed energy in her tone, even though there was a slight hint of worry in it as well. "We have to go see if Link and Sheik are ok!"
Impa only nodded in response as the two of them rushed for the healed Deku Tree. They were the first to arrive there amidst the rest of the soldiers who were returning to their now-safe base. However, as the Sheikah guardian and the sorceress crossed through the tree's now-clear threshold, they both stopped in their tracks when they saw the two unconscious figures lying together in the center of the keep.
Link and Sheik had only blacked out mere moments before the fire was put out, but even so, it was clear that they had suffered from the inferno quite a bit. They were both covered in a great deal of ash and their clothes were torn and singed, revealing that they had both been burned in several places. But what caught the young sorceress's eye the most was just how close the hero and the Sheikah warrior were lying to each other, their hands tightly intertwined and their faces inches apart. Something about seeing the two of them in such a way made Lana frown as she came to a realization about the Sheikah warrior and her connection to the hero, the young sorceress forced herself to glance away from them for a moment before she rushed over to them with the hopes of healing them both from their injuries.
Though she wanted to help them both equally, Lana could tell that Sheik was much worse off than Link, and so it was the Sheikah warrior who she started with. Summoning up some of her warm blue healing magic, the sorceress placed a gentle hand on Sheik's covered throat, opening up her damaged airways once more so she could breathe before taking care of the particularly bad burns on her leg and shoulder. After making sure that the Sheikah warrior had passed through the worst of it and entered into a much-needed rest, Lana moved onto the hero, taking him into her arms once more and removing the scarf that was still covering his face before taking a moment to simply stare at him while she healed his throat. Her heart wavered slightly at the sight of him as she tried to suppress the hidden admiration she had for him, admiration that she had harbored before she had even ever encountered him face-to-face. And yet, after seeing him so close to the Sheikah warrior, the sorceress knew that she couldn't breathe a word about it to him, not that she had ever intended to anyway after what had started because of such feelings.
Once the immediate healing process was finished, Lana let out a small sigh as she gave herself a moment to recharge her magical energy, watching with relief as both Link and Sheik began to stir. With a small cough to clear his throat, the hero opened his eyes and slowly eased himself up into a sitting position as he took in a much-needed breath of fresh air, the Sheikah warrior following after not that much later.
"Thanks, Lana," Link said to the sorceress with a grateful smile, already knowing that she had been the one to heal them both. Lana returned his grin as she helped him rise to his feet before aiding Sheik in standing as well. Indeed, both the hero and the Sheikah warrior felt much better, even though they hadn't gotten all of their energy back yet and they were still having some difficulty breathing. However, the hero's smile quickly faded upon seeing the cold look that Impa was giving him from across the keep, no doubt because of how he had blatantly disregarded her command earlier.
"Impa…" he began with a sigh as he walked over to her, but before he could go on, the Sheikah guardian simply put up a hand to stop him.
"You don't need to say anything in your defense," she said with firm seriousness in her tone, even though the smallest hint of a smile was playing on her lips. "Just promise me that you'll never do something so reckless and out of order again, alright?"
Link grinned once more upon hearing this, glad that the stoic general of the army was forgiving enough to overlook his often defiant manner, something that he was determined to fix in the future. "I'll do my best," he said with resolve, knowing that he could not let her down a third time.
Impa finally smiled fully upon hearing this, nodding in satisfaction that he would. "Very good," she said, before she turned to lead the way out of the Deku Tree. "Now, I think we have a wizard to deal with and a forest to save, don't we?"
Link, Sheik and Lana all nodded in agreement as they left the inside of the tree, only to find that monsters were rushing towards it from all over the forest as Wizzro's voice shouted out angrily throughout the trees. "Gah! Who let them talk to the Great Fairy!?" he demanded crossly, infuriated that the fire had been put out and that no one had lost their lives in the process. "That plan was PERFECT!"
"I think that Wizzro's base is to the northwest," Lana told the rest of the group as they began to cut through the bulbins coming their way.
"I have a feeling that wizard knows more than he's letting on…" Sheik mused, referring to the enemy that Hyrule was facing as a whole, but upon hearing this, Impa interpreted it the wrong way.
"I hate to say it, but I agree with you," the Sheikah guardian said with a scowl as she burned through a line of monsters. "He said he didn't know where the princess is back in the caves, but I think it was all a front. Well, if he knows where Zelda is, then I'll just have to beat the information out of him!"
Link glanced over at Impa upon hearing this proclamation, frowning at her worriedly as he noticed just how fiercely and brutally she was carving through the monsters. "Impa? Are you ok?" he asked with concern. "You seem kinda stressed out…"
"Well, of course I'm stressed out!" the Sheikah guardian snapped in aggravation. "We've come all this way and Princess Zelda is still nowhere to be found! And not only that, but we keep running into that grievance of a wizard everywhere we go!"
"We'll take care of him and find Zelda," the hero reassured her, knowing that she needed to take the advice she had given him earlier about keeping a level head. "You told me that I shouldn't push myself so hard; maybe you should do the same."
Impa only glared at him for a moment, knowing that Link, of all people, was in no position to tell her to pace herself after all of the mistakes he had made thus far. However, though she was tempted to tell him that, she merely turned away from him and continued fighting, knowing that endurance was what pulled the strongest through in times such as these. "I won't rest until Princess Zelda is safe…" she muttered harshly as she plunged the tip of her naginata into yet another monster.
The rest of the group exchanged a brief, worried glance for the general, but they knew that there was no arguing with her when she was like this, and so they merely continued to push on, breaking through the hordes and running towards the northwest, which was indeed the source of the monsters flooding the woods. However, as the group of four burst into the enemy base at long last, they only spotted Wizzro for a second as he turned towards them and gave them a sinister grin before vanishing out of sight and out of reach entirely.
"No!" Impa shouted in fury at their elusive foe. "He got away! He's too fast!"
"Not again!" Lana said with a sigh of dismay. "We were so close, too!"
As the group searched the surrounding area for any signs of the enemy, they were unaware of his presence looming high above their heads. Wizzro chuckled to himself as he watched them scatter, a plan formulating in his mind that caused him to grin even deeper. "Oh, what if I had IT kill them?" he said to himself, clasping his bony hands together in twisted delight. "That's so naughty! I love it!" With another cackling laugh, the wizard retreated from the battlefield entirely, but not before summoning another beast to take care of his foes once and for all.
As the group of four were searching over the enemy keep, they all barely managed to catch sight of the growing shadow above their heads. And, once they all glanced up and saw the huge shape that was about to drop down upon them, they all cleared out of the keep immediately as the monster crashed down to the ground.
This monster, much like King Dodongo, was huge, towering over all of the Hylian troops as they stood outside the keep, preparing to fight it off. It was a spider-like creature with six, claw-like legs, three on each side, and a large, single red eye, though it had a retractable solid shield to protect it, giving everyone the idea that its eye was most likely its weak point amidst its otherwise sturdy body. It let out a wild screech as it began to make its way towards the Hylian forces, slashing away at their numbers with its hard, barbed legs.
"That's no regular enemy!" Impa called out to the nearby soldiers as she poised her naginata to attack. "Everyone, be on your guard!"
As the Sheikah guardian said this, the monster somehow let out a thin beam of electric light from its eye, cutting through the soldiers and taking several within its immediate range down. "That monster is called Ghoma!" Lana exclaimed, putting her vast knowledge of monsters to use. "It's very powerful… But that doesn't matter! We have to kill it somehow!"
"Right!" Link said in agreement as he drew his sword while Sheik stood at his side, poising her harp to attack. However, upon seeing this, the sorceress frowned at both of them, knowing that they needed their rest after the ordeal they had just been through.
"Actually, I think you two should fall back…" Lana said, biting her lip sheepishly.
"What?" the hero asked, glancing over at her in disbelief. "Why?"
"My healing magic can only do so much," the sorceress explained. "You're both still recovering and neither of you are up to your full strength yet. We can handle Ghoma. You need to retreat back to the Deku Tree for now and rest up."
"But I want to fight!" Link exclaimed rather stubbornly, believing that he felt well enough to keep going, but Sheik was quick to stop him before he could rush blindly towards the monster by grabbing him by the arm.
"Lana is right, Link," the Sheikah warrior said wisely. "We have been through much. The last thing we need is to fall yet again today. There will be other battles to fight in, and this one is not ours."
The hero hesitate for a moment as he looked towards the raging Ghoma once more, wishing that he was strong enough to join the battle against it, but knowing that Sheik and Lana were both right. As much as he was willing to fight, he knew that he needed to recuperate and heal before rushing back into battle once more. And so, with a compliant sigh, he simply nodded and went along with the Sheikah warrior towards the refuge of the Deku Tree, leaving the sorceress and the Sheikah guardian to fend off Ghoma with their troops.
"Its eye is its weak spot!" Lana called out to everyone nearby so that they would know where to focus their attacks.
"But how can we attack it if it just keeps covering it up?" Impa asked as she attempted to run its eye through with her naginata, but it stopped her just in time by covering it with its thick shield.
The sorceress bit her lip in thought as she watched the troops continue to attempt to strike the eye directly, only to have all of their attacks repelled easily. She knew that they were doing very little damage at all as it continued to attack them by slashing at them and firing their beams at them. However, as she watched them bust their spears against the shield, a sudden idea came to her as she realized that all of their attacks were too slow and limited in range. With a small smile, Lana took out the bow that was still strapped to her back from earlier and aimed an arrow for Ghoma's exposed eye, quickly letting it lose before it could cover it with the shield once more. Much to her fortune, it was a direct hit, causing the monster to recoil and fall to the ground stunned as the troops began to strike its eye mercilessly. Impa stabbed at it with her flaming naginata as Lana attacked it with several bursts of electricity, however, Ghoma was strong and resilient, and though they attacks did quite a bit of damage, it managed to regain its bearings once more a few moments later. After this bout of attacks, the monster was more enraged than ever as it let out another screech and, before any more damage could be done to it, it leapt high up into the trees, before crashing down to the ground in another part of the forest, one that both Lana and Impa immediately recognized.
"Oh, gosh!" the sorceress exclaimed worriedly. "That monster's in the Deku Tree!"
"We can't let that tree fall again," Impa said with resolve, already running towards the allied base. "Everyone, hurry! We need to defend it as soon as possible!"
Without another moment's hesitation, the entirety of the Hylian troops began to head for the Deku Tree, clearing a path through the bulbins blocking the way. However, upon arriving there, Lana and Impa were surprised to see that Link and Sheik were battling Ghoma all on their own, even though they had been instructed to rest. And yet, neither the sorceress nor the Sheikah guardians scolded the two of them for it; after all, the Deku Tree had to be protected at all costs.
"Every monster has a weakness!" Sheik called out to Link as they tried to land a hit upon the arachnid to no avail, neither of them having noticed that the rest of their allies had arrived to aid them. "We just have to find this one's!"
"Allow me," Lana interjected with a sly grin as she headed towards them, drawing her bow and striking Ghoma in its eye once more before it could fire a beam at the hero and the Sheikah warrior. As the monster collapsed to the ground once more, the entirety of the Hylian army converged upon it, every single soldier attacking its eye with as much force as they could muster. And, in the end, that was thankfully enough this time. With another wild cry, Ghoma's bleeding eye shut for the last time as it fell to the ground before disappearing into a puff of smoke, just as King Dodongo had in Hyrule Field.
With Ghoma's defeat, the rest of the bulbin and gibdo forces instantly vanished from the woods as well, allowing the Hylian troops to take a much needed rest in the aftermath of their hard-earned victory. Indeed, this battle had been arduous and dangerous, but they had survived nonetheless; they would live to fight another day.
"Amazing!" Proxi chimed cheerfully as she flew around Link in celebration. "We took down that huge… THING!"
"At least the forest is finally safe…" the hero said with a sigh of relief, glad that the troops could finally be at ease after such a difficult fight.
"Great job, everyone!" Lana congratulated her troops with a large bubbly grin. "That's a solid win for us! The residents of these woods won't have to worry about monsters anymore thanks to us!"
And yet, even despite the success that the army had just claimed, not everyone was satisfied. Impa stood within one of the thresholds of the Deku Tree, gazing out over the now-peaceful forest with disappointment, something that did not go unnoticed by Link as he headed over to her remembering how stressed she had been acting earlier.
"What's the matter?" he asked her as he came to stand next to her, seeing the worry in her expression.
The Sheikah guardian let out a sigh, deciding to be honest with him this time. "I had hoped so much that Princess Zelda would be here…" she said with a bitter frown, glancing down at her feet as she wondered if the princess was safe wherever she might be. "Apparently that hope was all in vain…"
As Lana was working on healing up a few of her injured soldiers, she happened to overhear this, as did Sheik, who merely stepped back into the shadows aloofly. The sorceress, however, turned to face the hero and the Sheikah guardian, rising to her feet as she kept her eyes on Link intently.
"Like I said," Link said with a small smile, even though he joined Impa in having his hopes of finding Zelda shattered. "We'll find her, wherever she is."
The Sheikah guardian merely shook her head, hating the uncertainty that had gathered around the situation as a whole. "All the same, I still can't help but wonder…" she began, her voice uncharacteristically soft and concerned, showing just how much she cared for the princess's wellbeing. "Where could she be? Is she safe? Is she hurt? May the goddesses protect her…"
The hero said nothing more as he simply glanced down, his mind filling with the same worries for the missing princess, who had saved his life and had shown him such kindness that he simply could not forget it. If she was hurt, then he would make sure that whatever force had dared to touch her would pay dearly, and even if she was safe, then he would do everything it took to bring her back home.
Lana could practically see both Link's devotion and determination in his morose expression and she couldn't help but let out a sad sigh, grief and guilt filling her all at once. Her grief came from the fact that her feelings for him would never be returned because of the mandates of destiny, and her guilt came from even having those feelings in the first place, for it had been those feelings that had brought about this disaster in the first place. But those are Cia's feelings, not yours… the sorceress reminded herself in an attempt to make herself feel better. And yet, even despite that thought, Lana knew that there was not much of a difference. After all, it was her own weakness and lack of control that had brought forth their wrath of the instigator of this war. And tried as she might to hide the truth from her new allies, the sorceress knew that she could not keep her biggest secret from them forever.
Deep in the Forbidden Forest…
The Forbidden Forest was located in a completely different region of Hyrule than Faron Woods, its position more to the west of Hyrule Castle than the north. Most had never dared to enter inside of its inky depths out of fear of what may be lurking inside of them, and so very few knew of the grand temple that laid within its depths, the Temple of Souls to be exact.
The Temple of Souls was said to be a mystical place, one that apparently reflected the mental state of its owner. Though once a place of purity and light, darkness and perverse desire now loomed within its halls, a desire that was reflected in every statue and portrait that lined the corridors and rose garden surrounding it.
This desire belonged solely to the mistress of the temple, the very instigator of the great war itself. She was a young woman of rare and incredible beauty, beauty that she didn't hesitate to show off in her revealing outfit, even though she kept the upper half of her face concealed with a mask. A dark smile filled her crimson lips as she glanced into her crystal ball, running her fingers gracefully along its smooth surface as she watched the battle in Faron Woods rage on with great interest, not even bothering to be upset about how Wizzro had failed her twice now. After all, the ring-turned-wizard had already broken her command by trying to kill the hero, something that she had ordered both him and Volga to make sure they did not do. After all, he would be no use to her dead; she would much rather have him alive and all to herself.
"He will be coming to you next…" the encroaching head inside of her voice said to her in a subtle whisper, its words only making her grin deepen.
"Yes…" she said smoothly, gazing at the hero longingly as he fought even through exhaustion and pain. "I know… And I can hardly wait…"
"You know what you must do when he shows up, yes?" the voice asked with eager, hidden greed.
"Of course…" she said with confidence. "Everything is already in place. The dragon knight and the dark wizard are already waiting in the Valley of Seers for them. I just thought I would watch from here a little while longer… After all, I can hardly take my eyes off of him…"
"Do not lose sight of your mission, sorceress," the voice admonished in aggravation. "The Triforce is first, then you may have your beloved hero."
"Indeed…" the black sorceress said, moving in close to the crystal ball as the object of her perverse affections filled it entirely, uncontrollable lust running through her heart and soul at the very sight of him. "I shall obtain the Triforce… And then, at long last… The hero shall finally be mine…"
Oooo foreshadowing... I love it! And indeed, next chapter, we'll get a little more of everyone's favorite crazy, Link-obsessed sorceress! Yay! Also, before I forget that song that Link sang to Sheik does NOT belong to me. Rather, it is called "Leaves from the Vine" and it is from one of my favorite shows of all time: Avatar: The Last Airbender. Go look it up on YouTube and give it a listen if you want! Anyway, hopefully the next chapter will be out sometime next week, but for now I'd like to say happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers! So, for now, don't forget to REVIEW as always. Until next time! :D