Chapter 7
The Great Threat
"Welcome to the forest of the Kokiri. Enter with caution. Seldom do non-Kokiri enter this forest." He said in a hushed tone.
His companions slowly nodded. There was total silence except for the occasional fall of a horse's foot. Something was amiss here. Link could feel it in his bones. He halted the travelers and slowly got off his horse. As he quietly landed on the ground with a soft thump of his leather boots, he quietly drew his sword. He reached out with the Force and almost immediately sensed a great disturbance coming out of the Sacred Forest Meadow. That was where the Forest Temple was! He immersed himself even further in the Force and reached out with his feelings. He sensed a great threat near the Great Deku Tree. It felt like Ganondorf, yet at the same time it felt quite different. He motioned for his companions to silently follow him. The travelers silently landed on the ground and drew their swords and axes and silently followed the young Hylian to the Great Deku Tree. As they reached the Deku Tree, Link spotted a tall man in a great black cloak with gleaming red eyes.
"Agahnim!" he breathed in shock.
Gandalf slowly walked up to a nearby bush and hid himself. He didn't want to be revealed to the evil wizard quite yet. He donned his hood and used the Force to hide his presence. Link nodded in acknowledgement with the wizard's plan. He walked up to the evil wizard with Aragorn trailing behind him. As he neared the wizard, he cleared his throat. Agahnim turned around in astonishment. He drew up to his full height and gave an evil grin, thus showing his decayed teeth. Aragorn wrinkled his nose in disgust. And, he thought the Mouth of Sauron had dental problems! Agahnim rubbed his hands together with an evil laugh.
"I have long foreseen this day, Link! You shall be utterly defeated at my hands and Lord Ganondorf shall rule Hyrule with me, Agahnim at his side!" he said as he laughed once more.
Link rolled his eyes. Same old Agahnim. He used a Jedi calming technique quickly and raised an eyebrow at the evil wizard.
"Now, why doesn't that surprise me? Oh, I know! You give me the same speech every time you intend to kill me, while I defeat you over and over again! This is getting really old, Agahnim, why don't you just give it up?" Link said as he leaned against a nearby tree casually.
Aragorn chuckled in merriment. This was hilarious!
"Who is this? Another of your rag tag friends?" Agahnim mocked evilly.
Aragorn straightened up and drew his sword. He removed his hood and cocked an eyebrow at Agahnim.
"I am Strider, your worst nightmare! You look upon the sword that was broken!" he proclaimed.
Agahnim cackled yet again. He raised his hands and sent waves of blue energy at the two. Unfortunately for him, he was up against two Jedi Masters. Link and Aragorn just held up their swords with a yawn and casually sent the energy straight back at him! Foiled again!
"Curse you Link! Curse all of Hyrule!" Agahnim cried.
Link just bent back his head and laughed. All of a sudden, through the Force, he felt Agahnim move towards him with evil intent. So, Agahnim had learned from his mistakes! He opened his eyes to find Agahnim walking towards him with a mighty sword in his hands! Link raised the Biggoron Sword in defense as Aragorn did the same with his sword. Just before the swords met, Agahnim gave a small imperceptible whistle that Link picked up on through the Force. His danger sense was on full alert now. He drove the wizard back with his sword and started hammering against the wizard's mighty sword with all his strength. All of a sudden a horde of Moblins dropped out of a dark portal that had appeared in the air. His eyebrows rose in surprise, yet he did not stop his relentless attack on Agahnim. He heard the Moblins issue their ferocious war call. Through the Force he sensed Gandalf still in hiding, Aragorn turn and charge towards the horde and Ilia, Malon, and Midna charge the horde as well. He gave the evil wizard a look of pure amusement.
"Is this the best you can do, Agahnim?" he scoffed with a cocked eyebrow.
Agahnim grew pale for a brief instant than a small smile appeared on his lips. With a mighty roar, he pushed the Hylian back towards the horde of Moblins. Link looked quite bewildered and alarmed when he suddenly realized he was stuck between two enemies.
"Use the Force, Link. Trust your feelings!" Anakin's voice echoed through the wind.
Link immersed himself once again in the Force and closed his eyes fully in the embrace of both the Unifying and Living Force. With his eyes still closed he ducked and weaved through the waves of Moblins and executed a mighty leap onto one of the Deku Tree's branches. With eyes still closed, he then attached his sword to his belt and leaped down into the middle of the horde. He landed with a soft thump on top of the Moblin leader and raised his right hand and sent the rest of the horde tumbling down the hill to end in an unmerciful heap at the bottom. He leapt off the leader's body and raised his right hand once again to send it crashing into its compatriots. He opened his eyes and turned back to Agahnim who was staring at the Hylian in utter horror and fascination. Link cocked his eyebrow, gave a triumphant smile, and crossed his arms.
"Well, you're not so tough now, Agahnim!" he teased.
Aragorn looked impressed. He had never seen a Jedi in balance with the Force before. Link, truly was the essence of a Jedi. He gave Link a small smile. Agahnim raised his hands and sent a huge fire ball straight at the Hylian. Link just raised his right hand and grabbed the fireball and started casually juggling it in the air for his own amusement. Agahnim, now furious, sent several small balls of energy at him. Link, still juggling the fireball, raised his right hand yet again and started juggling them as well. Aragorn chuckled. Agahnim snarled in frustration. He summoned all his power into several mighty waves of lightning at the young hero. Link, unfazed and still juggling, sent the huge fireball at Agahnim, causing the wizard's cloak to catch fire. Aragorn burst into laughter. This was too funny! Agahnim was running around the forest flailing his arms in panic and outrage. Link dissipated the other balls of energy into his hands and dashed after the wizard.
"You won't escape this Hero!" he yelled as he ran.
Malon and Ilia were on the ground with hysterical laughs. Agahnim ran by Aragorn but failed to get past him due to the unexpected leg he ran into and fell over. Now, Agahnim was on the ground, face first, slowly burning. Link raised his right hand and sent a blast of cold air out of his hand to dissipate the flames. The fire soon disappeared and Agahnim slowly got up. He stared at Link with fury. His eyes were glaring deep red and he was foaming at the mouth. His whole body was shaking with rage.
"You'll pay for this! Ganondorf will track you down and destroy you!" Agahnim spat.
Link cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, you can't destroy me?" he said with a smile.
Agahnim howled with rage and stormed out of the forest. It was then, that the Deku Tree opened his eyes and let out a loud and long yawn. He spotted the Hero and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Link, what ever are you doing here? It has been ages since your last visit!" the tree said.
Link nodded solemnly. He knelt down on one knee in front of the mighty tree and bowed his head in respect.
"Oh, Great Deku Tree, I seek your aid in finding the three spiritual stones once again. Ganondorf has returned. Twilight is spreading over the land of Hyrule and is rapidly approaching Hyrule Castle." He said.
Aragorn was on one knee as well, when there was a rustling in the nearby bushes.
"Who dares hide from me!" the Deku Tree roared with rage and suspicion.
Out stepped Gandalf in his gray cloak. He knelt on one knee as well and bowed his head.
"Link, it is one of Ganondorf's minions! Kill him! Destroy him! He seeks to destroy me! Run for your lives Kokiri!" the ancient tree roared in panic.
Gandalf chuckled quietly to himself.
"With all due respect, Great Deku Tree, I am a friend and faithful companion to your young Hero, Link. I come from the not too distant land of Middle Earth. I am here to help restore peace to Hyrule. I believe that you would be intrigued to know that I am a friend of all trees. As a matter of fact, I am friends with the Ents, shepherds of the trees." Gandalf explained with his head still bowed.
The Great Deku Tree looked at Link for confirmation. He didn't want to be tricked again, like the last time with Ganondorf! He shivered at the memory. Link nodded his head as he got up.
"It is true, Great Deku Tree, he is indeed my friend and compatriot. All three of us are Jedi Masters now. You have nothing to fear of this wizard and his ranger friend. They seek only peace for all of us. For, war is looming even in their land. You must help us on our quest!" Link explained as he once again knelt down on one knee.
"What was all that commotion that I sensed in my deep sleep a while ago? Was Ganondorf and his minions here?" the tree asked in suspicion eying Gandalf and Aragorn.
Link gave the two an apologetic look. He then turned back to the ancient tree.
"It was Ganondorf's loyal minion, the wizard, Agahnim, Oh, Great Deku Tree. We succeeded in driving him out of the forest. Gandalf, here, was hiding because he did not want to reveal himself quite yet. We have many a big surprise for Ganondorf. Will you help us with our quest?" Link asked once again.
The Great Deku Tree thought for a moment. He sensed no evil from the Hero of Hyrule's companions. He rustled his leaves in approval.
"Yes, Link, I will indeed help you with your quest. As you undoubtedly know, a great evil has surrounded the Sacred Forest Meadow and the nearby Forest Temple. You will find the first spiritual stone, the spiritual stone of the Forest, in fact, in the temple. Go with all speed! Oh, I almost forgot I sent Saria on a quest a month ago and have heard naught of her! Have you come across her recently?" he asked in deep concern.
Link chuckled.
"She is more than alright. I have hidden her with my sister in a remote and secret location far from Ganondorf's gaze." He explained.
The ancient tree smiled. He could always rely on the Hero of Hyrule!
Link and his fellow companions got up and said their farewells as they mounted their horses. Malon smiled as Link hopped on Epona.
"You will always be my hero, Link!" she said as they shared a long kiss.
Gandalf was already leading the way back to Kokiri Village with Aragorn and Ilia trailing behind him. Link was startled as he noticed he had been left behind. Malon gave him a sly smile. Link chuckled. He galloped after them with all speed. Malon had her hands held tight around his waist. Link soon reached his friends a minute later.
"Why did you leave without me? You don't have a clue where you're going!" he said in concern.
Gandalf and Aragorn murmured their apologies. Link just waved his hand in the air for them to stop. He led them up a steep hill to the entrance to the Lost Woods.