A/n: After another ridiculous amount of time. We have another chapter. Sorry—one of the authors had to transfer colleges for her major so things got a little crazy for a long while. We hope you guys are still out there and aren't too angry about the obscene amounts of time between postings, but one day, this will be finished, and I will send it to Nintendo and demand they make it into an rpg game. Maybe not, but that would be cool :3
Thank you all so much for your reviews as well. They boost our spirits.
Chapter 40: Losing the Lost Woods
"Wow, I feel like I've been here before." Nit, the fairy of dark power, guided Devoren and his troop through the Lost Woods, just outside of the Kokiri Forest. "In fact, I know this place like the back of my wing!" Nit exclaimed. Skull kid laughed and Jabono, Aura's father, chuckled.
Devoren, Pravumerus, however, remained silent. His form was further changing. The bindings on him were weakening but still present enough to keep him human in appearance, but the magic within the forest recognized him for what he was. Farore's twinkling life-forms avoided him, and even the dark scrubs and other mischievous forest creatures hid whenever he neared.
Devoren halted Jabono and the skull kid.
"Aha! The Forest Temple!" Nit's celebratory exclamation ended their hike. The dark fairy circled about the entrance where Saria, the little forest sage, stood waiting.
"You are not welcome in the forest." The little green-haired Kokiri called out. The tall dark figure smiled sardonically.
"Who's going to stop me? Surely not you, little Kokiri."
Saria paused a moment in concentration. The glowing green power of the forest formed between her little hands.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, little sage." Devoren warned before his hand beckoned Jabono and skull kid into view. Both were shaking uncontrollably but had stepped forward under the power of his hand. Saria stopped.
"Skullkid… you betray your kind." She chastised and the prankster bowed his head. She then turned to Jabono. "And you are the father of the lost one."
"And you are patron to all lost ones… being keeper of the Lost Woods." Deveron mocked.
"Return the girl's father immediately." Saria demanded.
"What a good idea." Devoren agreed. "But one thing, first." His hand raised and the dark powers devoured the lights before surrounding Saria. She screamed and became still as stone. Her shocked statue held a picturesque position at the Forest Temple's entrance. A little pink fairy fled from behind her. Devoren hurled more dark magic at the fleeing witness, but she escaped him.
"Curses… oh well… no harm done. Fairies are hardly useful creatures anyway." He cast a scathing glance to Nit who had floated closer to the silenced forest sage. Devoren then continued his thought. "Well, Jabono. I do believe it is time you returned to your daughter. In fact, you should present her with a very special gift."
Devoren's hand orchestrated another dark feat—his powers lashed out and withdrew the four poe sisters that inhabited the Forest temple. "I believe you've been keeping something for me."
They twisted, turned and cackled before him, each holding a torch with flames of a different color: red, blue, green, and purple. The flames escaped their holsters and came to Devoren's hand, forming into a sparkling diamond blade with silver hilt.
"Ah, the Phantom Blade." Devoren turned it once and it disappeared in a continuous shine until its path stopped.
"It's beautiful." Jabono noted.
"It is for your little girl, but first, allow me to treat it so that it might stand a chance of killing the beast." Devoren said before running his hand along the crystal blade. His blood dripped across it, turning it from white to a deep red. The diamond absorbed the blood color, but it did not lose its alluring beauty.
"Thank you, she will love it." Jabono took it willingly.
"Give her the blade and remind her of her mission. Then tell her to meet you near the desert once she is finished, so that you may both travel home." Devoren instructed.
"It's been so long since we've been home."
"Good… Skullkid, Nit, go with him and make sure he returns to me safely." The three obliged their master's commands and exited the dark forest, and all three noticed a new silence—the music had become as still as its protector—Saria.
"Of course! Yes! We don't have to try and figure this out. We can just use bombs!" Aura proclaimed her friend's revelations. Arian seemed excited too while Naomi blushed modestly. The three of them were back outside in Lon Lon Ranch, working on the weapon from the ancient castle scrolls.
"Good idea, Naomi." Dune congratulated. He leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. Her eye was now fully healed, thanks to the Lon Lon Milk which really did have mild healing properties that Naomi was now investigating. Arian was oddly not threatened in the least by this display of affection and Naomi merely felt awkward.
The ranch was an active place that afternoon. Damien was again running drills with the soldiers. His loud shouts and orders grated on Aura's nerves. He also, once again, was shirtless and drawing attention from several of the women who had arrived at the ranch recently to help cook and take care of other necessary tasks. Damien had quickly become a favorite among them, and their loud giggling at his arrogant humor drove Aura near the brink of insanity.
Amy was currently brushing Epona and Link played on his Ocarina nearby. Malon headed from the barn, giggling after one of the other girl's jokes. She carried a tray of sweets which she promptly presented to Naomi.
"Here, these are from the girls, for the girls." She said with a smile. Naomi returned the smile and graciously took a treat. "I'm glad to see that your eye has healed. How is your leg?" Malon inquired.
"It's doing great, thank you. The milk really did the trick." Naomi replied as Malon offered the treats to Aura. Arian put his arm around Naomi with a smile. Naomi looked between him and her treat.
"What? Oh! Here." She broke it in two and handed half of it to Arian.
"Oh, I was just giving you a hug, but this is great!" He took it gladly. Dune then sidled up next to Arian and put his arm around him.
"Thanks for the hug, Dune." Arian laughed. Dune continued to stare him straight in the eye. Arian sighed exaggeratedly. "Fine." He broke his half in two and handed the quarter to Dune.
"Good, you all tell me if you need anything else." Malon then moved on to Amy.
"I brought you a treat." She called her attention away from Epona. Amy turned with some surprise and the usual amount of awkwardness.
"Wow… thanks…" She held the cookie and smiled tentatively at the redhead.
"You know, I'm surprised that Epona has warmed up to you so quickly. I'm impressed." Malon mused with genuine awe. Amy looked back over to Epona, who snorted.
"Oh, well we had this weird bonding experience and all…" Amy trailed off, as Link walked over and grabbed her hand holding the cookie, promptly biting off half of the cookie without so much as a warning. He returned to his seat on the barrel. The two girls watched him in baffled silence for a moment.
"I—um. So, what was the bonding experience, then?" Malon queried, shaking off the awkwardness. Amy thought for a moment.
"Well, let's just say it involved a giant fur coat and traversing up an icy mountain."
Malon didn't know what to think about this, but she took a befuddled moment to try and figure it out anyway.
Meanwhile, a little pink fairy flew out from the rays of the setting sun.
"Oh look!" Malon was the first to notice. "It looks like the sunlight is coming towards us." She laughed. Link looked up analytically.
"No… that's a fairy." He was intrigued, but passive.
"What? I don't see it." Amy looked up as Epona stole the last bit of her cookie from her hand. "Hey!" She let out an exasperated moan. "I swear, you two are perfect for each other." Epona whinnied in agreement.
Navi had awoken upon hearing the incoming fairy.
"It's Kyra, Saria's fairy!"
"What? Saria's fairy?" Link stood, now very intrigued and a little worried. Kyra came to them and immediately spouted her knowledge.
"Pravumerus has reached the lost woods." She exclaimed in a surprisingly dignified manner that was uncharacteristic of the other two fairies. "He's captured Saria."
"What?!" Link exclaimed in panic. "Is she alright?" He begged the shaking fairy.
"Saria was… turned to stone. And the whole forest is… the life seems to have gone out. I'm worried about the Kokiri."
"Don't worry little one." Naomi said soothingly, vaguely describing Kyra for lack of knowing her name. "We can offer them refuge in Castletown."
"Kokiri can't leave the forest, Naomi." Link informed her as respectfully as he could.
"What? Why not?" Naomi turned back to Kyra for answers.
"Because the Kokiri draw their life force from the deku tree, who is currently planted within the forest." Kyra explained.
"And I suppose we can't just replant him elsewhere, can we?" Naomi sighed as she cupped her chin in her fingers, delving into thought.
"No, but maybe we can use him to protect the remaining Kokiri." Link said, his worry for Saria drove him to action. "I have to go!" Epona snorted to sound her support.
"I'll go with you. You shouldn't head out by yourself." Amy said.
"Really? You're going with him again?" Damien questioned. He had just taken a break and walked over to them along with their other friends after they all noticed the new fairy.
"Well… I can fly." Amy shrugged.
"Good, Amy can carry you, Link—a horse would be too conspicuous." Naomi suggested.
"Oh what, and a flying girl isn't conspicuous?" Aura asked with an arched brow.
"Well… it's less expected." Naomi defended her position. Navi was circling the pink fairy.
"Kyra and I are going too." Navi announced before taking her place above Link. Kyra swirled in the sunlight before choosing a place near Amy's long brown ponytail.
"Great, now let's move." Link ordered urgently.
"Okay!" Amy yelled with her eyes of glowing fire. The dragon wings emerged from behind her shoulders, shimmering red in the sunlight as they stretched to her full wingspan. Amy lifted Link up and immediately headed out. Their shadow passed over their group of friends and they flew into the sun peaking up over the wall.
"Amy, wait!" Link shouted.
"I thought you said to move?" Amy shouted back.
"The other way! Kokiri forest is the other way!"
"Oh!"
Their great shadow passed over their friends again, this time heading in the proper direction. Naomi sighed.
"This is bad… Devoren has already taken the forest and the Zora's have yet to make a decision." She noted.
"Hey now. This is no time to start being pessimistic." Arian scolded. "We'll be alright, we just have to keep working."
"Actually this works out perfectly." Aura said, capturing their attention with her oddly worded optimism. "I get my own room now."
"What?" Naomi was the first to verbalize the obvious question.
"Well, Link is gone now, and he had his own room, which I am totally taking." Aura announced. "That means you get your own room too, Naomi." Naomi sighed again. She never slept well in her own room. It reminded her too much of a prison when she wasn't accompanied by another, but Aura wasn't accustomed to sharing such close quarters, whereas Naomi was accustomed to one bedchamber filled with one hundred Pirates or more—that or her isolated holding cell. However, she didn't feel like arguing any point about sleeping arrangements while their situation remained tumultuous.
"Okay… If Link and Amy don't send word by tomorrow morning, we're going after them with whatever amount of force we can spare." Naomi announced to the group, looking each one in the eye to verify their agreement.
"I will round up my finest soldiers tonight, my lady." Damien bowed to her in mockery of her demanding nature, but he did support her plan. Naomi crossed her arms with a snide grin.
"The king ought to know what's going on." Naomi said with another sigh.
"Know what?" The elderly, but now healthy voice of Leon spoke from behind them. He had just arrived from the Castle, his beige gelding still saddled beside him. The horse had sweat marks running down its legs and nostrils flared for breath—he had galloped there.
"We have reason to believe Devoren has taken Kokiri forest." Naomi jumped right to business, despite the fact they were all very surprised to see Leon there, but glad all the same.
"That certainly is pressing news." Leon rubbed his gray stubble.
"Link and Amy just went to investigate, but what brings you here, Leon?" Arian asked as he held out an arm to embrace his mentor in welcome. Leon returned this welcome and patted him on the shoulder before relinquishing his reigns to Malon who took the gelding for water in the stables.
"I am here to impart relatively good news, actually." He told them. "The Zoras have sent a representative of their courts to Hyrule Castle, as have the Gorons, and Nabooru arrived safely last night with a troop of dissenting Gerudos. All of the races of Hyrule are now represented and ready to unite against Devoren's army." He told them. "Of course, the best news of all is that Lord Kremel has been removed from his position as royal advisor, and I have stepped in."
"Excellent!" Aura exclaimed. "I always hated that fat little turd."
"Congratulations, Lord Leon." Naomi said with a wide smile. "It's nice to hear some good news for once."
"Yes, well now it's time for me to become the bearer of bad news. I suppose after I finish my message, and maybe grab a drink, I will head straight back to the castle and tell him of Kokiri forest."
"So you have more news?" Damien asked with crossed arms.
"Only that the Gorons and Draconians are going to move some troops here, to the ranch… which means you might want to start dragon-proofing the area."
"So we'll need a barn big enough to house them." Arian immediately noted. "I'll get those brothers on it right away." A family builder group had reported from Kakariko to help renovate Lon Lon Ranch, and for some reason they thought Arian was their contractor or something and would periodically report to him. Arian had not bothered to correct them.
"I'd wait until you have a Draconian representative to help you with the design. One should come before the others arrive and he will help you build." Leon suggested before sighing and looking at the sun's position in the sky. "I just wish I had more time to rest. There's no way I can make it back to the castle before dark unless I leave now… but this message must be delivered."
Leon's urgent statement stirred something in a peculiar bystander. He was a middle aged man, sitting in front of a wooden crate, who was fairly average in appearance, save for the bunny ears flopping from the age-worn hat on his head. This man jumped to his feet and shyly cleared his throat, catching the groups' reserved attention.
"I can take your message there in no time. I'm the fastest man in all of Hyrule, not even your green hero could outrun me."
"Well that's believable actually—of course, I've seen the green hero run." Damien scoffed. "And judging by how those building brothers run, the rest of Hyrule isn't much to talk about either." The bunny-eared man wilted in the wake of Damien's mockery.
"Oh come now, we ought to give him a chance." Naomi beckoned the group under the pitying false pretense that there was something mentally wrong with the man—the bunny ears only further proved her opinion. One of the men from the builder group spoke up in an outrage.
"Come now! This fellow is very fast! Blindingly so! And all of Hyrule knows of his legendary victory against the Hero of Time!" His expression was indignant, and the man in question smiled with pride. Dune stood up as well, ready to defend the man.
"Dude! This guy beat the crap out of me when we raced to the fairy founta—I mean—Arrow… store! Yeah." There was a short pause. Then, other members of the group affirmed this fact, and soon Naomi was swayed.
"Alright… I think it would be good to get more Hylians involved in our plans anyway… Then they can feel like they have a true part in this war." She smiled helplessly while Damien rolled his eyes conspicuously. Leon stepped in.
"Right, then. Damien, write him the scroll. And Arian, I would very much like to catch up with you over maybe a drink?" He raised his gray eyebrows in question. Arian agreed enthusiastically while Damien stared at him incredulously.
"Really? You're going to get the guy who's over a thousand years old to write a manuscript in your new, confusing language?"
"What, you can't read or write in Hylian?" Aura asked in disbelief.
"No, I was just being sassy."
"As you always are." Leon said with a wry smile before turning to follow Arian, who was flanked by the builder brothers.
"Yep. Just like a fourteen-year-old girl." Aura added. She, too, walked away before Damien could reply. Naomi looked around nervously for a moment.
"I think I hear Malon calling me… bye!" She scurried off.
Damien looked to the man with the bunny ears, who was standing beside Dune meekly. The three of them were the only ones left.
"Well, let's go." He ordered grudgingly. He took one look back at Dune, who was currently telling the bunny-hat man a story involving a potato and a cucco. Shaking his head, he continued on, muttering to himself.
"Why do I always get stuck with the weirdos?"
A very conspicuous shadow zig-zagged across Kokiri forest. Amy carried an obviously discomforted Link.
"This tree?" Amy queried.
"No! The next one, to your right!"
"Over—."
"You missed it again!" Link shouted at her.
"Aaagh, whatever!" Amy yelled before crashing through the canopy.
"So much for subtlety." Navi noted before following them.
It wasn't much harder to find Link's tree house from that point, however, a wooden mesh gate built near the Kokiri training ground gave Amy some trouble. The trouble was getting Link over it, as she didn't see it in time to keep him from running straight into it. He fell to the ground a mere five feet from the safety of his tree house with a giant yell.
"Link! I'm so sorry!" Amy shouted and clumsily tried to swoop back to him. Another complication then arose. Childish shouts surrounded them and a net of vines and rocks covered Amy and brought her to the ground. Kokiri surrounded them, armed with wooden swords, shields, and slingshots. One rather stocky Kokiri boy stepped up to Amy—all of them ignored Link.
"So, you thought you could come in from the sky this time, did ya? Well, I'll have you know we saw you a mile away."
"I'm surprised it wasn't sooner." Link moaned as he stood up and brushed off his tunic.
"Link, um… help?" Amy called from under the net, looking mildly nervous, but mostly intrigued at the surrounding Kokiri.
"Let her go, Mido." Link told the stocky boy. "Surprisingly enough, she's on our side."
"Of course… you haven't changed at all, Link. You haven't spoken in nearly seven years and the first time you do, you once again, undermine my authority." Mido retorted with a sneer.
"Good to see you too." Link replied. Mido's sneer remained on his face, but something about his eyes showed a fondness for the green hero and that he too was glad to see Link. He quickly obeyed Link and released Amy.
"Well it's good to see that you are… uh… prepared? Have you guys already seen Devoren?" Amy asked as she was helped to her feet.
"I don't know who you're talking about, but there have been these strange women here recently. They've been catching us like bottled fairies." Mido replied.
"I resent that." Navi muttered.
"Well we are here now…" Amy comforted. "And we're going to get them back."
"I shall speak with the deku tree." Kyra excused herself and flew off.
"Mido, do you know where the others are being held?" Link asked. The stocky little Kokiri nodded his head and led them towards the Lost Woods with a small troop of armed children.