"Are you OK, Link?" Marine questioned, stifling a giggle as she and Aqua watched me attempt to hobble along with everyone else while in deep pain.
Groaning, I waved her away. "Don't talk to me." My body ached from tripping in the dirt multiple times while trying to escape those stupid cuccos. They had started pecking and attacking me, and I had scrambled (pun intended) away, trying to escape those crazy birds' reach. Of course, I hadn't entirely escape unscathed. Everyone else had cracked up while watching me run around like a cucco without a head, not offering me any assistance. Even Sheik had been hiding a guffaw! – Somewhere.
"Beaten by some scrawny birds, Link?" Aqua teased good-naturedly.
I opened my mouth to respond but decided that a mere glare would suffice.
Darron punched my arm "lightly" and didn't even bother disguising his guffaw. "Your pride take a blow, eh, Link?"
"Don't talk to me," I responded, glaring daggers at everyone, causing them to burst into more fits of laughter; even Sheik and Impa cracked a smile.
My body, aching from my encounter with those cuccos, almost refused to go on as we approached a wooden bridge. Sheik slipped into my shadow as he was prone to do now; it had become a habit of his, and I stepped on the bridge first. It wobbled slightly, but I continued, keeping my eyes trained ahead. From the corner of my eye, I could see that others had begun stepping on the bridge as well, testing its sturdiness.
I made my way across the bridge and came to a small clearing. The twisting boughs of tall trees created a huge canopy that blocked out any and all light that tried to penetrate it. Shadows danced tauntingly, and I could no longer hear anyone else. Sheik squirmed in my shadow, and I turned back to where the bridge used to be.
Trees.
There were only trees where the bridge used to be. Eyes widening, I was struck by an awful epiphany. We were in the Lost Woods. I didn't have a fairy. As a child at the Fortress, we had always been taught that if we ever received the privilege of traveling outside of Gerudo territory, we would have to be diligent in avoiding the Lost Woods.
According to legend, should a child ever venture into the Lost Woods without a fairy, they would become a Skull Kid. The same would go for an adult as well, although they would turn into a Stalfos. Suddenly, this adventure of finding Saria became so much scarier – I didn't even know who Saria was.
"Link," Sheik snapped sternly, "Focus. I don't know what just happened, but we have to figure this out to get to Saria. Do you still have the hammer?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, I couldn't just get rid –" I paused, hearing something very odd.
Nothing.
Snapping to attention and holding the Megaton Hammer firmly with both hands, I heaved in a deep breath, "Did you hear that, Sheik?" I knew that if something had actually just occurred, Sheik would have heard it; because of his abilities as an honorary Sheikah, his senses were heightened, and I knew that I could depend on him to mention anything out of the ordinary.
I felt him shift uncomfortably as he nodded, not verbally responding.
"What do you think it was?" I questioned uncertainly.
A flute could be heard playing in the distance, and my brows furrowed. Why did this feel so familiar? I remained ready on my feet, scanning the area for anything that looked harmful – anything alive.
"I don't know for sure, but it might be –" Sheik was cut off at the sound of an eerie, high-pitched laugh.
"Sh – Sheik?" I asked shakily. Rustling could be heard in the distance, and I suddenly wished that everyone else was here with me. I had Sheik, of course, but this was extremely unnerving. Not knowing who – or what – that was drove me insane. The trees cast creepy shadows on the ground, and footsteps could be heard – approaching.
Uncertainly, I placed one foot in front of the other, wanting to investigate but not completely compliant with what my instincts were telling me to do.
I could feel Sheik wrap around my life core – my life support. He was no longer within my shadow. He only did this when impending danger was present. This was bad. "Link. I'm not sure – Be careful. I'm ready if you need any backup, but I think you'll be fine."
"Wait – Sheik! Can you help me?" I asked frantically as the flute playing echoed throughout the lonely woods.
Shadows. Footsteps. Flutes. Laughter.
This was messing with my head. I kept my eyes trained on the trees ahead of me as another laugh was heard. Cringing, I gulped nervously.
"Hee hee!" the laugh was heard again. "Silly Hylian! You don't have a fairy!" a creature with a straw hat and an odd costume jumped down in front of me. He prodded me with a big stick, and I stepped back. "Hee hee! This is a fun game!" He continued to jab and poke me with the stick, and frankly, I was not in the mood to deal with a child with a stupid stick – Wait – Was he a Skull Kid?
It appeared that Sheik had the same idea. "He's a Skull Kid," he stated confidently.
"What do you want, Skull Kid?" I questioned, holding out my hammer confidently.
Apparently, that wasn't the right thing to say because suddenly, four other Skull Kids joined us in the clearing. "Aw, boo! What did you just call me?!" the first Skull Kid asked jeeringly, lifting his flute to his lips. I thought that he was going to continue to play that haunting song he was playing earlier, but this time, he used the instrument to spit a projectile at me.
"Tread carefully, Link," Sheik instructed. "Befriend them. They may be of help to us."
"Easy for you to say," I grumbled. "You're not the one dealing with five cackling Skull Kids!" Nevertheless, I paid heed to Sheik's advice, deciding to get on the Skull Kids' good sides, if it wasn't already too late. Somehow, an instinct kicked in and commanded me to take out my Ocarina. Not knowing what else to do, I obeyed and took out the instrument. The Skull Kids watched me with curiosity as I lifted the Ocarina to my lips. The cheerful melody that I had just learned came from the instrument, rich and full.
"Hee hee! What are you doing?" one of the Skull Kids asked, swaying to the music. The rest of the Skull Kids joined in while the first mimicked the tune on his flute.
"Smart move, Hero," Sheik praised.
Not allowing myself to swell with pride, I continued to play the melody, incorporating Zelda's Lullaby and Sheik's Theme in some parts.
The first Skull Kid, the leader, applauded feverishly, and the rest of them followed suit. "Hee hee! I like that! Are you looking for Saria?"
I nodded my head quickly. "Do you know her?" I pocketed my Ocarina now that the Skull Kids appeared to be in a better mood.
"Hee hee!" the first Skull Kid cackled. That was definitely starting to weird me out. "We know where Saria is! Hee hee!"
"Where is she?" I questioned. I wasn't sure whether or not I was in the Lost Woods or the Kokiri Forest, but I did know that I desperately wanted to find Saria – Better yet, I wanted to just go somewhere safe where I wasn't being hunted like a dog. I wanted to be with Zelda. Zelda! What happened to her? Nabs? Aziz? Nabila? My heart clenched within my chest, and I repeated my question with more determination and conviction. "Where's Saria?"
The Skull Kid flipped his flute in the air then caught it again with ease. "Well… Hee hee… We could help you… But it'll come with a cost…"
I smashed my fist into a nearby tree, fighting back the feeling of pain that came with it. "What's your cost?" I held back my rage, becoming impatient.
"Link," Sheik stated warningly. "Calm down. We don't want to lose their help."
I remained silent as the Skull Kid pondered my question excruciatingly slowly. He was doing it on purpose, I knew. Finally, he let out a cringe-worthy laugh. "Hee hee! We'll do it for another song!" He began clapping his hands, and the other Skull Kids followed suit.
"I agree," I responded quickly, patting the pouch that held my Ocarina.
"Hee hee!" the lead exclaimed. "Follow us, Mr. Adult!"
Trying to distinguish among the different Skull Kids was proving to be quite difficult, and the only difference I could find among all of them was the color of their "jackets". The lead Skull Kid wore orange; another wore blue, and so on. Still, if they had names, I preferred to use those. "What's your name?" I asked as the Skull Kid pack began to run off.
The Skull Kids all stopped abruptly – in unison. Were all Skull Kids forced to live a life of conformity? A life of "sameness"? The lead laughed – hollowly. "Hee – hee." It sounded forced and meaningless. "No – we don't have names."
Although they were merely Skull Kids, my heart broke for them. Forced to live a life of sameness and conformity had to be awful. Resolved, I cleared my throat. "Would you like names?" I asked, keeping my voice kind.
"You would do that for us?" the lead Skull Kid questioned skeptically.
I nodded. "I will – if you want me to."
"Please?" the Skull Kids echoed simultaneously.
"Jamu," I pointed at the leader. "Aman; Rilus; Ko; and Lazis," I continued to gesture at each Skull Kid, christening them.
"I'm Jamu!" the leader exclaimed, pointing to himself proudly. "I'm Jamu the leader of the East Woods Skull Kids!" He took out his flute and began playing the tune that Sheik had taught me earlier. "We'll take you to Saria – You must be her friend because you know her song – Saria's Song. Hee hee. Follow me – Jamu, Leader of the East Woods Skull Kids!" Cackling, he bounded off, the other Skull Kids following behind him.
Aman and Lazis were stationed behind me as a rearguard, and Rilus and Ko came behind Jamu who was busily playing his flute. Sheik relaxed around my life core, slipping back into my shadow wordlessly.
Everything about this seemed so weird and odd – a bit unnerving even. I wasn't sure what to make of the "East Woods Skull Kids" or their practices. They all seemed to have this creepy, cringe-worthy cackle, and I winced every time they did so. "Sheik – Are you coming out of my shadow now?" I questioned.
"I'd rather not; if you need extra help, I'm here, but I think it would be best if our little friends over here don't know that I'm here," Sheik responded. He shifted, and I felt him place something into my mind. An image of Zelda popped into my head, and my eyes widened in shock – I hadn't been expecting that. "Do you miss her?" he asked.
How'd he guess? The memory he had shared with me was one of Zelda standing on a balcony at the Castle. The wind was playing with her blonde tresses, and just the thought of her silvery laughter brought a smile to my face. Subconsciously humming Zelda's Lullaby to myself, I nodded, even though Sheik was unable to see the action – at least I didn't think he could. "A lot. I can't wait until I see her again."
"Aw, boo!" Jamu exclaimed. He was certainly quite loud. "What're you waiting for, Mr. Adult?!" he scampered back to where I was standing, swinging his wooden flute on a well-worn cord that was supposed to be around his neck. Flashing a rather creepy smile, he gestured at the path, annoyed.
"Sorry," I apologized quickly. I continued to hum the familiar melody of Zelda's Lullaby as I went, and Jamu whipped around once more, eyes wide.
He clapped his hands excitedly. "A new song!" he exclaimed. "Teach me!"
"Don't, Link," Sheik squirmed.
Heeding Sheik's warning, I stopped humming the tune, hoping the Skull Kids would forget about the song. "OK, Sheik," I answered. Aloud, I protested at our abrupt stop. "Why'd we stop? What're you waiting for, Jamu?"
Rilus and Ko took my arms at Jamu's command, dragging me behind them as we continued down the winding, twisting dirt path. Thick bushes and underbrush created a woodsier feel, and the tall trees reached up to the heavens, their branches creating a canopy, effectively blocking out the sun. Slivers of sunlight were, however, able to peek through the thick blockade, helping to put me more at ease, although not by a lot.
The Skull Kids had, at least from my knowledge, forgotten about Zelda's Lullaby, thankfully, and we walked through the woods. I had no clue where we were going and had absolutely no knowledge of the Lost Woods whatsoever. Sheik and I were completely at the mercy of the East Woods Skull Kids.
With the cackle of the Skull Kids, my ears were ringing, yet I could pick up a soft melody of – something. Straining a bit, trying to hear, I focused my hearing on that one sound to the left of the path we were currently traversing. I had noticed from the time we had been traveling that the Skull Kids chose to stick to this one path – But what about the sound I kept hearing? Was it all just a mind trick to get me to stray off the path in order to turn me into a Stalfos? Or was there something out there – calling for me…
"Do you hear that, Sheik?" I questioned quickly. What was that? I could only pick up a little bit of the sound, and I was desperate to hear more.
Sheik paused for a moment, becoming surreally still within my shadow. "I know; I'm not sure what it is, though."
"Hey, Jamu," I called to the Skull Kid leader. I was still being dragged by Rilus and Ko, but I had to get Jamu's attention. Wrenching free from the two Skull Kids' grasp, I caught up to Jamu who was gleefully skipping down the path. "Don't you feel like we've been wandering around in circles for a while now?"
Jamu cackled. "Hee hee! We're not lost! We're fine – Jamu knows everything about the Lost Woods!" he boasted.
"Do you hear that, then?" I questioned, raising a brow as I struggled to keep up with the nimble Skull Kid. Note to self – I had to work out with Sheik after this.
Jamu paused, as did the rest of the Skull Kids. "What is that?" he exclaimed excitedly. He bounded off in search of the noise, and I followed him in his pursuit. As we neared closer to the sound's cause, I was able to tell what it was – It was music.
Honing in on his excellent sense of hearing, Sheik became excited; I could feel him quivering slightly. "That's Saria's Song! She's here – or at least somewhere around here…"
"Do you know what that song is, Jamu?" I questioned, keeping up with the Skull Kid leader.
Jamu nodded feverishly. "Yes! YES! I know this song!" He became extremely excited, echoing the song on his flute. The song was echoed back once more and became louder each time Jamu played it.
Taking the hint, I raised my Ocarina and joined in.
"We have to find Saria!" Jamu exclaimed.
"We have to find Saria!" the other Skull Kids repeated.
Wasn't that what we were trying to do the whole time?! Sighing, I continued to play the tune – Saria's Song, as I now knew it was called. I saw a blurring golden light – light. I had to get to the light. Regardless of what the Skull Kids were planning on doing, I made my way to the light, not paying any attention to my instincts that all told me to go back – to return. I had to find everyone else, though, and the only way to do that, it seemed, was to find Saria.
Bravely moving forward, I continued on my adventure, the Skull Kids trailing behind. A huge structure came into view, overcome with vines and plants crawling up the sides. Tender tendrils of certain plants snaked their way toward the sky, and I could see light. Light. Glorious light. Being in the dark was kind of getting to me, and I knew that I had to get inside that structure – whatever it was. Moss covered the large stone walls that made up the structure, and the overall building was huge.
Curious, I walked up to it, stepping up to the large entrance. The melody grew louder and louder, and I couldn't resist – I stepped into the hidden sanctuary of the Lost Woods. Blinded by the light, my pupils adjusted to my new environment, allowing less light to enter my eyes. I was awed by the dome-shaped edifice. It was beautiful.
I followed the sounds, figuring that if I had followed the light and music, resulting in me finding this building, I ought to continue to follow the music. The Skull Kids followed a small distance behind me; they had become abnormally quiet – Not that I was complaining. Even Jamu seemed decently subdued, and I was quite relieved.
The Skull Kids watched in both shock and fright as Sheik exited my shadow, sighing and stretching his tense muscles. "Hello, Jamu, Aman, Lazis, Rilus, and Ko," the honorary Sheikah stated, having memorized the Skull Kids' new names.
"You had an adult in your pocket, Mr. Adult?!" Aman exclaimed, horrified. Two adult sightings in one day? This was too much for those poor Skull Kids to handle.
"I was in his shadow," Sheik responded easily. He took out his lyre, plucking out the melody to Sheik's Song.
The Skull Kids all began applauding, enjoying Sheik's performance.
"Hello there, Sheik," a light, airy voice stated. A young girl with green hair and deep blue eyes stood at the top of a staircase nearby. She bounded down quickly and threw her arms around the tall man. In truth, Sheik was only just a tad bit shorter than me. I had more of a sturdy build while his was more slender, allowing more agility; I could definitely see how he had been able to become an honorary Sheikah.
"Hey, Saria," Sheik laughed, picking the little girl up, ruffling her hair affectionately. I had only seen him do that to Zelda once, whereas he did that to Nabila quite frequently during our time with the gang from the Fortress.
Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was becoming homesick. I had wanted to travel the world and see Hyrule, but now, I found myself longing for the Desert – for the sand. I craved Zelda's company now that we were apart, as well as the companionship of both Nabs and Aziz, my sister and brother-in-law. When was I ever going to see them again?
"How are you? What brings you to my humble home?" the girl asked with child-like simplicity. She was Saria? I had expected someone way older than her. I mean, how old was she? Seven?
"Well – You know how it is – Running from my dad, becoming a fugitive, finishing up my training as a Sheikah," Sheik shrugged.
Saria's smile lit up her entire face as she giggled. "I'm so excited that you're here!"
"Me too, Sar – But unfortunately, we won't be able to stay for long. We need to go to LLR after this," Sheik answered. "I only visited to say a quick hi and to introduce you to someone that will be involved in deciding Hyrule's future."
"Who?" Saria asked. Her blue eyes fell on me and widened. "Him?"
"Yes, Sar," Sheik nodded, setting her back on the floor. He knelt down to be eye-level with her. "This is Link."
"Link," she repeated. "You know my song."
"Sheik taught me," I gestured to the man of shadows.
Saria beamed. "I knew that teaching you would come in handy somehow." She took out an ocarina of her own and played her song.
Sheik joined in on his lyre, and I played on my own Ocarina. Jamu played his flute, and I had sort of forgotten that he was here. The rest of the Skull Kids cheered at the fact that music was being made. They were odd creatures, I had to admit.
After some time, Sheik decided that it was time to go. "Saria, I'm sorry. We have to go. We only came for a short visit, and now we have to find out where everyone else is."
"I get it," Saria nodded, a bit downcast. "I understand – But you will be coming back with Zelda and everyone else soon, right?" she brightened.
Sheik cracked a rare smile. "I promise – Can you tell us how to get back to the Kokiri Forest? I always get lost here."
"Duh! It's called the Lost Woods!" one of the Skull Kids exclaimed.
"Be quiet…" Saria's voice trailed off.
"Rilus!" the Skull Kid filled in.
Saria was incredulous. "You have names?"
"Courtesy of Link," Sheik nodded.
"Anyways – I'll show you; follow me," Saria motioned. "C'mon, Piela." A sparkly ball of light trailed behind her, and I supposed that it was her fairy.
We made our way back to the Kokiri Forest, saying farewell to those mischievous Skull Kids. Arriving at the Kokiri Forest, I heaved a sigh of relief. Back among the normals.
"LINK! SHEIK!" multiple people exclaimed, shrieked, yelled, you name it. Darron locked both of us into a bone-crushing hug, along with Saria. Marine screeched or something like that, and Impa maintained her stern face. Zilla and Kron were practically oblivious to the world around them while Cove tried to keep up with Marine. Everyone was here, and there were Kokiri everywhere around us in our reunion.
"Saria?" a particular Kokiri asked. He had freckles and red hair and was gazing at Saria in wonder. He latched onto her immediately, hugging her fiercely.
Saria wiggled in the embrace to see who it was. "Mido?" she squealed, returning the hug heartily.
It was happy reunions all around, yet I was alone. I turned away from all the festivity and gazed at my new surroundings. There were houses built within the trees, and wooden ladders were the means to reach the abodes. Lanterns hung on jutting tree limbs, and the forest looked way more comforting and welcoming than when we were in the Lost Woods.
Taking out my Ocarina, I began to play the Song of Healing – Hoping – Hurting – And healing.
Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait – Combine me with chocolate, a laptop, and YouTube, you get a nice serving of procrastination. YAY! – not… Sorry… :( But – I'm here now! That oughtta count for something, right? :) Um… I hope you enjoyed this chapter and all that.
Song Obsession: Gusty Gardens Galaxy (soundtrack), Waltz of the Boos (soundtrack), and Song of Storms (Ephixa, Trap Nation, and dj-Jo versions)
Hmm… Is Sheik secretly a Zelinker? I hope he is, otherwise, he'll be having mini-heart-attacks soon enough. xD (I promise, fellow Zelinkers.) But, thanks to anyone that has reviewed, favorited, and followed this piece of work! I love you guys, and you have my gratitude! [I'm still working on re-writing the Volvagia fight scene, and it's taking me FOREVER! I will finish it, though! ;)] Anyways… *smiles* and LOVE!
~Elsie
Total Word Count (excluding Author's Notes):
3,803