Chapter 5: The Song of the Forest

The Zora was extremely upset that Poump was gone. "We can't just leave him down there!"

"There's nothing we can do right now. If we stay here, we don't know what that strange child will do to us. Let's go down that pathway now, since we've got each other and that cucco." The Sheikah was very adamant on leaving the forest. Even if it meant that they couldn't find Poump again.

"Oh alright." The Zora gave up and walked down the pathway with the Sheikah.

Meanwhile, under the ground, Poump awoke once again, only this time there was a warm fire illuminating the cave, and he was sitting right next to it. He saw that Link was sitting at the other side of the fire. "Ah yes, you're finally awake." Link said. "Here, have some meat that I cooked up."

Poump took the meat and ate it right up.

"Haha, you remind me of myself when I was younger. I'd always wolf food down like that. A lot of people looked at me funny but I didn't have a care in the world." Link then brought out his own Sheikah Slate and started flipping through some different screens.

Poump didn't like the fact that he was compared to Link. He preferred to be his own person, but right now, he was thankful for it. What would've happened if Link didn't find him down there? He thought to himself how crazy it was that he was sitting next to the Great Hero of Hyrule himself. He finished up his food. "Hey Link, what are you looking at?" Poump asked him.

Link turned his Sheikah Slate off. "It's nothing." He stood right up and took a torch to the fire. "I take it you're conscious enough to walk out of here with me. Follow me." Without delay, Poump followed Link through the cave, with the light of the torch's fire being their only guidance.

As for the Zora, the Sheikah, and the cucco, they continued walking down the path, until they found themselves at an area of the woods that the sun shone through the leaves. A large tree with what looked like a faintly distinct face on it overlooked most of the area. At the center of the area lay what looked like a stone with a small slit in it. As they observed the stone, they noticed a bunch of leaves swarming around them. The cucco started raising it's feathers at the strange phenomena.

"YA-HAA!" One of the leaves made this noise.

"YA-HAA!" And then another one.

"YA-HAA!" And another one.

"YA-HAA!" And again.

"YA-HAA!" And that was it.

"What the heck are these things?" The Zora said. Her and the Sheikah started to notice that there seemed to be a wooden doll-like build behind the leaves. The leaves went even closer to them, and then they noticed that they had very peculiar faces drawn on them.

"ENOUGH." A loud booming voice was heard from the direction of the tree. The Sheikah could've sworn he noticed the tree's mouth move. The leaf creatures started dispersing away and looked at the group from afar.

"Who said that?" The Sheikah said as he looked around the area.

The tree with what looked like a face started moving its mouth. "I apologize for the scare done by those little rascals. It appears that three travelers have decided to greet me, the Deku Tree. What could bring you three all the way through the Lost Woods, and alive, to see me?"

The Zora had no clue how to respond, but the Sheikah stepped up to the Deku Tree, willing to speak to it. "We are here because Link, a friend of ours, guided us here. We have come here to learn a song of the forest."

"Oh-ho-ho, you want to learn Saria's Song, a song passed down through the ages. It is a sacred song made to represent the youthfulness of the forest. If you would like to learn it, you may speak to Hestu. He is just over there." And then a light shone from above towards a strange tree looking creature that was holding maracas in its branches. "Before you ask Hestu for help, I recommend you wait for the right opportunity."

"Right opportunity for what?" The Sheikah asked.

"For your friend to come closer. I know you have one more person in your party that you are waiting for."

The Zora and the Sheikah (and the cucco) looked at each other. "Alright, we'll do whatever you say, ol' wise tree." The Sheikah replied. The three of them sat down on a tree stump and made themselves at home at the rather inviting atmosphere that the place gave off.

As for Poump and Link, the two of them were still surrounded by darkness. Link nonchalantly strolled forward with the torch in hand, and Poump followed behind.

"Hey Link, are you ever scared of anything?" Poump asked him.

"Scared? Of what?" Link replied, surprised by the sudden question.

"Oh you know, like, anything. Like how people are scared of heights, or the dark."

Link went silent for a bit, but continued walking. "Myself."

"Excuse me?"

"I am scared of myself."

"Why would you be scared of yourself?"

"Did you know that being the Great Hero of Hyrule creates a huge burden on your shoulders? Practically everyone around me expects me to be the most perfect Hylian alive. Yeah, I climbed up entire mountains and did some death defying gliding. Yeah, I defeated countless monsters and destroyed the Great Calamity. Yeah, I sailed across the mostly undiscovered ocean in order to find new land. Every single time I think I can get a moment to myself, I'm sent off to solve some problems. And the thing is, I enjoy it. Because that's who I am, a hero. Since so many people revere me, I just can't let them down. What if someday I get killed? And no one will be there to find my body?" Link stopped walking and turned around to Poump. "Poump, you know why I am scared of myself? I have created a huge reputation for myself. What if I become the very thing I was meant to destroy? Some nights, I have these dark thoughts. And in those nights, I can feel my insides hurt like as if a small knife was cutting them from inside. As the Hero of Hyrule, I am destined to do good, and only good. If I even consider doing an evil act, then I might just die on the spot. Or worse, my evil side would take over, and terrorize the people of Hyrule. Who was once their protector, will then become their reckoning. I have had dreams in which this has happened. And if I were to ever cross that line, then I'm as good as dead."

Poump stood there looking at Link. "Whoa. That's uh… a lot to take in."

"Now do you understand why I'm scared of myself?" Link asked.

"Yes. Yes I do." Poump replied.

"Now I want you to know Poump, that if I ever fell to the side of evil, you should run. Don't face me. You're a good kid, and I wouldn't want you dying by my hands."

"But what if there's nowhere to run?"

Link solemnly looked at Poump. "Then you'd be done for." The two of them became silent for a few seconds. "Well, let's keep going. Hopefully the walk through this cave will lead us somewhere."

Meanwhile with the Zora, the Sheikah, and the cucco, they were throwing sticks at the leaf-life creatures. The leaf-like creatures threw them back gleefully. "HA-HAA!" One of the leaf creatures proclaimed, as it snapped a stick in half. "You don't know what we are called!"

The Zora looked at the little leaf creature. "Why yes, we have no clue what you are."

"We are Koroks! We were slightly surprised to know that you can see us, but if you can see us, then that means that you are serving the Goddess Hylia!"

"Doesn't everyone serve the Goddess Hylia?"

"NUH-UH! Only a small tree of people can see us normally! You are special because you aren't even from that tree!"

The Zora was confused by the Koroks words, but decided to play along and act like she knew what it meant.

All of a sudden, the Deku Tree started speaking. "Travelers, you may now speak to Hestu. The others are nearby. When Hestu plays the music, it will draw them closer."

"I hope he's right." The Zora said to the Sheikah. They walked up to the small tree-like creature, which appeared to be a big Korok as signified by its leaf mask. It had a bag toted around its body, and two red maracas in its hands.

"SHALAKA!" The tree proclaimed as it raised it's arms into the air. "You wish to learn Saria's Song?"

"Yes." The Sheikah said. "And I will need to be able to play Saria's Song by using this Ocarina."

"Then you've come to the right Korok! Take a listen and try to mimic my rhythm!" Hestu started shaking his maracas around to a certain rhythm. It was an upbeat and joyous rhythm. The Sheikah started blowing into the Ocarina and played along with the rhythm of the maracas. It was a harmonious piece. All of the Koroks around the area started dancing along to the music.

As for Link and Poump, they continued walking through the cave. They eventually started hearing upbeat music coming from the passageway behind them.

"You hear that?" Link said. "Stay close and follow me." Poump decided to follow Link, but thought to himself that the music was way too suspicious to follow.

"What if it's a trap?" Poump replied.

"Dammit Poump, just follow me." and then Link forcefully grabbed Poump's arm and took him in the direction of the music. The music got louder and louder and eventually they saw daylight at the end of the cave.

The two of them walked out of the cave and found themselves ascending towards the Deku Tree. Link recognized the excited energy of a bunch of Koroks dancing around to the music. Poump, however, thought that this was still a trap.

"They're luring my friends into a false sense of security! They're gonna die!" Poump said as he brought his sword out.

"Hey, stop you fool!" Link then brought out his Sheikah Slate and pressed a button. Poump all of a sudden ceased all movement, as if he was in stasis.

The Sheikah and Hestu stopped playing the song, as The Sheikah was adequately able to perform the song on his own now. Poump broke out of the sudden trance and looked around at all of the Koroks and his friends, which were all looking at him.

"These are my friends, Poump. Introduce yourself to the Koroks!" Link said, motioning his hand around the area.

Poump fainted.

Poump woke up inside of what looked like the inside of a big tree. He noticed Link and the others were nearby, eating some food. "Where am I?" Poump asked.

"You're inside the Deku Tree." Link said. "Make yourself at home. The Koroks don't get many visitors around here often."

Poump sat down and looked at the Koroks running around joyfully. He instantly felt relaxed at the warm aura the inside of the tree gave. And the very festive Koroks posed no threat to him anymore. He ate away at some of the food that was being made.

"UGH, what is this?" Poump asked, after feeling disgusted with what he ate.

"You just ate a fried Octorok." Link blankly stated.

All of a sudden, Link's Sheikah Slate started making noise. He brought the screen up and saw that Zelda was calling. "LINK! We need you over here right now!"