The Search for the Spiritual Stone of Fire
Link stared up at the immense height of the volcano.
Navi flew close to his ear. "Impa said that the Spiritual Stone of Fire is somewhere on Death Mountain."
Link nodded and began ascending Death Mountain Trail. He walked while staring up at the peak, the air above ringed with floating haze. "How will I get to the top of that?"
Clopping echoed.
"Hm?" Link looked back. The pony reappeared. Link's eyebrows raised. "Shouldn't you stay in the town where it's safe?"
The pony shook her head. She scooped Link up with her neck. "Whoaaaa, girl!"
"Looks like she's coming with us," Navi said.
A horseman once again, Link rode up the path. The mountainside path snaked by a drop-off, Link feeling his stomach clench. He kept a hand around the pony's neck for stabilization, looking around awe-struck, mouth open.
The lively pony's hooves clomped against the rocky pathway. Although wary, her eyes had curiosity, sharing the bravery of her rider.
Smoke billowed out Death Mountain.
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Debris and a huge boulder shook off the mountain, Link watching in shock, looking so tiny and helpless. The falling geology crashed into the side of the mountain then onto the pathway.
B
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BOOM
BOOM
Rocks small and large cracked and spark from impact. One huge boulder shook the pathway, rolling heavily and uncontrollably.
Eyes big, front left leg raised, the pony leaned away as the boulder rolled past, dust fluttering. Link's spine and skin tingled, body uncomfortably shifting towards the drop-off, where Navi hovered, safe with her wings.
Link regained balance, heart racing. "It's dangerous here."
Thank you, Mr. Perspective, Navi acknowledged in her head.
The pony nervously nickered.
Amid the occasional giant boulder rolling down the path, Link encountered four-legged but one-eyed red bugs his own size, who leapt towards him.
Navi flew over.
"Red Tektite
Lock on to it as it jumps with Z Targeting!"
"Yeah, I just did that," Link remarked. Tightening his legs against his steed's sides, he unsheathed the Kokiri Sword and slashed at a leaping creature. His steed lowered her head and snorted, startled by boulders, bugs and boys!
The Red Tektite dropkicked Link off his pony. He fell on his back, the pony rearing and swiping her front hooves at the creature. She spun around, rear legs smashing the oversized bug's face and sending it upside-down.
A few more Red Tektites hopped up and down, menacingly approaching—a big boulder squished them.
Eyes huge, the pony jumped backwards from fright, kicking off the boulder mid-air and landing against the rocky wall, hooves scraping down it.
"Oh-whoa!" Link rolled sideways as the boulder passed him, Red Tektites flattened and sticking against the hefty rock.
Link sat up, watching the boulder roll off the cliff... He stood, brushing himself off.
Soft, scratchy noises sounded. A second red bug leapt down the hillside, glaring, spiky legs sticking out.
Link winced. "Ahh!" he caught the creature's leg, spun around, and threw it off the cliff.
A dozen more Red Tektites slid downhill, a few boulders rolling between them! Link and the pony skipped sideways, evading the boulders, but the bugs jumped at them.
Link thrust his sword upwards, skewering a beast mid-air then kicking it off. He swung wildly around while his pony reared, drumming her front hooves into the creatures. Link unslung the Deku Shield, blocking the scratchy legs of his attackers. They sometimes jumped over Link, evading his slashes, so Link kept swinging.
A Red Tektite leapt; Link swung his shield, bashing the creature aside. Another jumped; Navi tackled into its eye, stunned! One more attacked; the pony headbutted the damn thing. The trio fought like this, beating back the red bugs despite getting a few cuts and scrapes from the bugs' spiky legs. The few remaining monsters kept jumping up and down, dodging their unwelcome guests.
A large shadow appeared, the pony lowering her head as her ears pricked.
"Watch out!" Navi cried.
Up above, several giant rocks fell.
Link leapt atop his pony and smacked her rump. "Heyya!" She darted forth, smashing through the whining Red Tektites, a trail of dust spewing out as immense boulders crashed.
Navi zigzagged amid shrapnel of cracking boulders. "I think it was a bad idea coming here!"
Heart courageous, the little horse charged up the winding path.
Up ahead, Red Tektites crawled up and over the drop-off ledge. They hopped up and down—the pony trampled them. She swerved amid rolling obstacles, sometimes jumping off the wall to evade the biggest boulders, Link barely holding on!
Eventually, after evading a few too many giant boulders, things settled down, no more Red Tektites visible for now. Link rubbed his forehead, his steed panting and slowing down.
Link smiled, looking back. "Well, that was fun!"
Navi took a breath. "A little too exciting."
The pony stopped to rest. Link hopped off, looking around, his steed watching him attentively.
"Do people really live here?" He put his hand across his forehead, climbing atop a boulder to get a better view. "It's so barren..."
FWIP
The boulder tilted up, Link fell backwards, landing on the back of his neck and shoulders.
"WHOA
! !"
The boulder turned around, looking at Link with a pair of circular, dark purple eyes. The boulder was, in fact, some sort of humanoid with a rocky back, torso and head large, mouth very wide, limbs small. He had no ears, not even a nose, just nostrils, and some facial hair beneath the lip. Each shoulder had a black tattoo of three triangles over a diamond shape.
The rocky humanoid spoke, "Hey, this is unusual. Goro. Oh, look! A visitor! Goro."
Link just lied there over his head and shoulders, staring back between his legs.
Navi facepalmed. "Link... You look like a complete fool..."
The pony neighed, as if laughing.
Link blinked once, twice.
Navi hovered by her child's face. "Link...your undies are showing. Please, just stand up already."
The boy awkwardly unraveled himself and stood. He innocently looked up at the rotund humanoid, reminding him of the manju Zelda shared back in Castle Town.
Seemingly staring forwards above Link's head, the humanoid bent his elbow and pointed over Link. "This is where the Gorons live. Goro. It's dangerous for children here. Goro."
Fist clenched, brow tightened, Link demanded, "Take me to your leader, Darunia!"
ROLL
ROLL
"I want the Spiritual Stone of F—"
ROLL ROLL
SMAK
A rolling Goron ran over Link, flattening him, the standing Goron just watching...blankly...beady eyes unflinching.
The pony watched the rolling Goron, well, rolling away.
Navi hovered over Link. "You OK?"
Seeing stars, tongue out, Link weakly gave a thumbs up.
The boy got up, regaining his senses. His big friend kept staring forwards, blankly.
"I think..." Link struggled to stand straight. "I'll walk rather than ride for a while..."
The path was soon flanked by cliffs, always slanted.
Navi sighed with relief. "Thank goodness we're past that lengthy drop-off. Looks like there aren't any rolling boulders here, either."
Link rubbed his head. "Yeah, that'll make things much easier." He ran over, defeating a lone Red Tektite at a corner of the pathway.
Farther up the path, two more Red Tektites hopped at him, soon defeated.
"Forgetting someone?" Navi asked.
"Hm?" Link looked around. "All the bugs are dead."
Navi sweatdropped. "Did you seriously forget about the pony?"
"Oh, right... I mean, not at all!"
"Well then, Mr. Perspective, where's your noble steed?"
"Um, uhh... She's probably safe."
"Probably?"
"If not, she'll come back sooner or later."
Navi sighed. Link reared, wondering if she'd beat him up again...
Anyways, the slanted path led to a huge boulder, cracked from top to middle.
A sign to the left read,
Dodongo's Cavern
Don't enter without permission!
To the right, a Goron lied with his face in the ground. His face lifted. "Hmm? Ohmm, mmmhmmm!" He raised his left knee first while picking himself up; awkward indeed. He stood while scratching the side of his belly.
"I am one of the Gorons, the stone-eating people who live on Death Mountain. Look at that huge boulder over there! It blocks the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern, which was once a very important place for us Gorons... But one day, many Dodongos suddenly appeared inside the cavern. It became a very dangerous place! On top of that, a Gerudo in black armor used his magic to seal the entrance with that boulder!"
Navi frowned. "Sounds like Ganondorf came here, too..."
"If you want to hear more Goron gossip, head up to our city! Goron City is just a little way up the trail. It won't take much longer to get there, even on foot." The Goron sat back down and slammed his face into the ground.
Link just stared at him. Is everyone outside Kokiri Forest so weird?
The path continued oppositely of the boulder, going uphill above the lower section along the mountainside. Up ahead was a large pole with a red flag, to the left an open area leading to a cliff side with a tiered path obstructed by cut-outs and large boulders.
Another Goron was here, who stood when Link approached. "They say that a beautiful fairy lives on top of Death Mountain! Don't you want to see her?"
Link looked at Navi. "Do you know her?"
She shrugged.
To the right was a sign, reading,
Death Mountain Trail
Link approached the cliff side, another sign reading,
Mountain Summit
Danger Ahead - Keep Out
Since this pathway up the cliff was blocked by boulders, Link had no choice but to walk farther up the main path by the drop-off.
Navi turned green by the immense red flag. Nearby was yet another sign,
Follow the trail along the edge of
the cliff and you will reach
Goron City, home of the Gorons.
Link smiled. Seems easy enough. He walked along.
Rumbling...
Link looked ahead—a rolling Goron knocked him down.
He sat up, shaking his head. "Second time today... At least he was smaller than the last one..." He turned around, watching the Goron roll past the previous one Link spoke with. The rolling Goron exploded?!
"Oh, my!" Navi cried. "Is he OK?!"
Link ran over to check, the previous Goron he met remaining curled up as if nothing happened.
The Goron who exploded raised his head and got up. "I wish I could roll down the mountain like a rock, with a Bomb Flower and...
BOOOOOOM!
If I could do that with a Bomb Flower, I could become a real man."
The Goron just stood there, staring blankly.
Navi just...stared blankly.
Link just...blankly stared, too.
A Red Tektite scuttled to the scene and just...blankly stared as well.
Link just...walked away. "People outside the forest just keep getting weirder and weirder..."
Link went up the path, soon reaching an open chamber where the path slanted downwards. A slight raised section with a circle of rocks stood before the log gate, fully open. Several simple banners hung above the entranceway, bearing ruddy symbols like the tattoos of the Gorons.
To the right was yet another a sign.
Land of the Gorons
Goron City
In they went.
Inside Goron City, the Land of the Gorons, was...rather unlike a city and not quite like most land. It was a vast underground chamber of tiered circles set inside the mountain. Rumbling echoed up the walls, which sometimes had holes.
A Goron rolled counter-clockwise, passing Link and leaving dust around him.
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At the other side of the top tier, two Gorons chatted by a pathway, too faraway to overhear.
Link approached the drop-off, overlooking the lower tiers, which had some incomplete fencing along the ledges. One Goron ran along the lower tier, arms back, his movement rather goofy.
A Goron was sitting on a log protruding from the drop-off, having taut rope connecting to a small, suspended platform in the center of the city. Additional ropes, tightened diagonally, connected to the platform. The only way to reach the suspended platform would be walking across the rope, which Link found a bit startling.
At the bottom floor was a giant jar, shaped like a Goron posed to dance, set atop a carpet flanked by two lit torches. Daubed along the lowest walls was imagery of dancing Gorons.
The uppermost pathway to the left was blocked by several boulders.
Navi flew to the right.
A Goron lifted his head. "Mmhm? Hmm, mmmmm!" He stood, scratching his side. "Oh...I'm so hungry... Everyone feels faint from hunger because of the food shortage in this town. We are in danger of extinction!"
Navi's wings wilted.
"It's all because we can't enter our quarry, the Dodongo's Cavern. We Gorons live on a diet of rocks... And the most delicious and nutritious rocks around are found in the Dodongo's Cavern! But that seems like ancient history now... We've become such gourmets that we can't stand to eat rocks from anywhere else.
Sigh... I want to eat the top sirloin rocks from the Dodongo's Cavern!"
The idea of long-term starvation was unusual to Link, especially thinking about all the food he devoured while in Castle Town. Even in his home, the forest always had plenty of nuts, berries, fruits, mushrooms, and much hunting. Yet, here was a city, whose folk starved because of their picky appetite.
The Goron sat and slammed his face into the ground, curling up.
The boy lifted his chin. "Hmm... Well, that little island over there looks cool..."
"Link," Navi said, "that tied-off platform is really, really high off the ground..."
Link ran across the rope anyways.
Navi gasped, Link's little feet...surprisingly well-suited to narrow paths.
The child reached the platform. Turns out the platform had a Goron by a pedestal of sorts, a Goron symbol carved in its front.
The Goron stood up. "Hey! It's dangerous for a little kid like you to come out here. You might fall down! If I'm not mistaken, you came out here to eat the red stone! Well, too bad! It's not here!"
Link's eyebrows went crooked. "I didn't come here to eat a red stone."
"What? That's not why you're here?"
"I'm looking for a Spiritual Stone."
"You're looking for a "Spiritual Stone"? You must mean that delicious-looking res stone that was once displayed here! I was so hungry that I thought it would be OK just to give it one tiny little lick...so I snuck out here. But, it was already gone! I think Big Brother took it away. He always says everyone is after that red stone!
Big Brother has shut himself up in his room saying,
"I will wait in here for the Royal Family's messenger!" "
Link looked at the pedestal.
It looks like something used to be set in this stand...
He then looked over the ledge.
"Quite a long fall," Navi remarked.
"Yeah..."
Link meandered over the rope. As he neared the end, his foot slipped off. "Oh-whoa!" He landed on the next tier below; Navi whizzed down to him. He smiled at her.
"You be careful, mister."
"Oh, I will!" He looked around, wondering where to go. He took the nearest stairs, ending up, well, back up. "Hm, not this way..."
Link soon walked down stairs arranged in descending angles. Link stepped onto the mid level—a huge Goron rolled over him.
As the dust settled, Link was just pancaked on the ground, tongue out. "Third time today..."
Navi helped peel Link off the floor. "You OK, Link?"
He sighed, fixing his hat. "Not sure if the Gorons want my help or not..." Listening carefully to the huge Goron's rolling fade, Link walked along the roundabout, soon reaching a caved section. To the left was a sign.
If you can stop my wild rolling, you might get something great.
—Hot Rodder Goron
Link scratched his head. But how do you stop such a big Goron?
The boy soon found another log protruding from the ledge. Hopping down, he walked onward until his ears twitched...
That music...
Near the mouth of a pathway was a Goron, who stood when Link neared. "I'm so hungry that I can't think about anything but food!"
Link interrupted, "What about the Spiritual Stone?"
" "Spiritual Stone?" That red stone that was lighting up our city? Big Brother Darunia took it away. Then, he shut himself up in this room and won't come out. Since then, it feels like all the lights in the city have gone out... Everyone seems so...depressed... I want you to bring fire from Big Brother's room back here."
Link walked down the pathway, though it was blocked by boulders. Four large, bulbous plants grew near the boulders. Echoing from beyond the boulders was music Link's ears recognized.
The boy smiled. "This path must lead back..."
Navi hovered closer. "Home..."
Link sighed, melancholy drifting into him.
Link meandered deeper into the city, seeing more Gorons painted along the walls. He soon found a Goron halfway down the stairway.
The Goron got up and scratched his side. "Oh? We don't get many visitors way up here. Where are you from?"
"The forest."
"The forest? What's a "forest"?"
Navi hovered in. "You know, that place that's literally one floor above you..."
Link explained, "It's where a lot of trees and plants grow. They come from seeds and nuts."
The Goron looked confused. "Eh? It's where a lot of "trees" and "plants" grow? Now I'm even more confused! Nothing grows around here besides the Bomb Flowers... We don't have "seeds" or "nuts" around here either. Even Deku Sticks are very scarce around here!"
Navi crossed her arms. "So you know what Bomb Flowers and Deku Sticks are, but you never figured out they are plants?"
"I know a trick to conserve sticks! If you light a stick on fire, it will burn to ashed. Put it away before it completely burns! By the way, I hid a stick somewhere...
Hehehee..."
Link looked down the pathway. Must be in one of the pots.
After busting open a jar, Link indeed found a stick.
Soon, Link reached the bottom floor, two unlit torches at either side of the opening. The giant Goron jar was waiting for him, the carpet once beneath it and the two extinguished torches now moved over to a section of flat wall with a ruddy Goron symbol etched in. Two Bomb Flowers were also on the wall past the giant jar.
Navi turned green, flying above the carpet.
Nearby was a Goron, who stood. "Big Brother has shut himself up in his room saying,
"I will wait in here for the Royal Family's messenger!" "
Link stood upon the carpet, staring at the Goron symbols patterned along the weaves.
Navi said, "You're standing on a soft carpet for guests... It feels so plush under your feet!"
Uhh, I guess so...
Link was a little stuck, unsure of what to do next. He looked back at the nearby Goron, who just scratched his side, staring blankly with beady eyes.
Maybe I gotta play that song? I am kind of a messenger of the Royal Family...
Ocarina in hand, Link gently swayed as he played a soothing song. A purple aura swirled around Link, magical notes drifting in the air.
The section of flat wall creaked, rising into the rock above.
Link walked into the dark passageway, a short stairway leading to a torched room with a large carpet. An imposing, grumpy Goron with large, spiky hair and spiky beard stood atop a carpet set in front of a Goron statue embedded in the wall, the walls also carved with large Goron symbols.
Two rows of small banners hung from the ceiling, each bearing a ruddy image of the Triforce. To the right, two small tables with pots were slid against the wall, a wide angular carving spanning most of both side walls.
Link approached the tall, grumpy Goron. Link just noticed a spear was protruding from the side of the Goron statue.
The tall Goron did not seem amused. "What the heck! Who are you?! When I heard the song of the Royal Family, I expected their messenger had arrived, but...
you're just a little kid!
Has Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons, really lost so much status to be treated like this by his Sworn Brother, the King? Now I'm REALLY angry!
Get out of my face, now!"
Link just stood there, calm and collected. "Why are you so angry?"
"Are you asking me why I'm in such a bad mood right now? Ancient creatures have infested the Dodongo's Cavern! We've had a poor harvest of our special crop, Bomb Flowers! Starvation and hunger because of the rock shortage!
But... This is a Goron problem!
We don't need any help from
strangers!"
Link did not expect such a reply. The imposing Goron just stood there, frowning.
But what could he do? Admitting defeat, Link left the room.
The Goron by the room's entranceway stood up. "I'm so hungry that I can't think about anything but food! Ask Big Brother about complicated things. If he's in a bad mood, he'll probably get mad at you...it can be pretty scary. But... I know his SECRET. He may not look like the type, but Big Brother loves to dance! If he gets in a rhythm, he'll surely..." The Goron swayed his head. "I remember Big Brother used to always listen to the music that comes from the forest... Ah, yes, the good old days... That music makes me feel nostalgic, too... When all the torches on this floor are lit, Goron City is really lively!"
Heavyhearted, Link thought about...home...
Navi hovered closely. "Then why doesn't Big Brother just come over her and have a listen?"
Link shrugged. "Maybe he's too proud to reveal himself coming over for some music?"
"Ughh, why are men like this... Oh, well. Looks like we gotta play Darunia some music to cheer him up, then."
Link and Navi re-entered the chief's room.
Unamused, Darunia grumbled, "This is a Goron problem. We don't need any help from strangers."
Link got his ocarina ready. He played the only song he knew, the lullaby, a purple aura forming around him...
Navi flew up and down, trying to amplify the song.
After a few seconds, Darunia began lifting and dropping his arms, raising one leg after the other. His groove slowed down. He put his arms behind his sides, one foot patting the floor, big head tilted and turning side to side. He seemed to be in a better mood. "Well, that's not quite what I was looking for...
I wanted to hear...a tune...
something...um...from outside the mountains...something...
something...green...natural...
That's the kind of music I want to hear..."
Another Goron entered the room, standing to the left. Though he had nothing to say, perhaps he overheard Zelda's Lullaby and stopped by for a visit?
Link pocketed his ocarina. Feeling confident for putting Darunia in a better mood, Link raised his fist to his side. "I am Link. I want the Spiritual Stone of Fire!"
The veins in Darunia's muscled arms bulged, his mood slipping away. "What? The Spiritual Stone of Fire? Can't be done." He sat down on his carpet, right knee up, dismissively shooing Link away. "It holds the spirit of our people. You think we'd just give it to some little twerp?"
Link was shocked, mouth agape. "Wha...? You don't want Ganondorf to take over Hyrule, do you?"
The veins in Darunia's forehead bulged.
"PIPE
DOWN
! !"
Link's eyes got huge; Navi sweatdropped.
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Darunia's fist slammed into the wall. Barehanded, he literally ripped a chunk of wall out.
KRAK
A fistful of stone went into Darunia's mouth.
CHOMP
KRUNCH
MUNCH
Darunia turned his head, mouth opening from disgust, bits of chewed rock flicking out.
BLEH
"Accckkk! These taste horrible!"
Link stood like a little mouse and sweatdropped through his cap.
Darunia showed Link an opening that had three large boulders set against the wall. Link was certain he had never seen this section of cave before, yet here it was. Darunia stuck his thumb out, pointing to three Gorons, one sitting, three huge boulders against the wall behind them. On the floor was a large rock of some sort, resembling a curled up Goron.
Darunia said, "We Gorons are rock-eaters. But the dragon that lives in Dodongo's Cavern has been acting up...
...So we have to hunt for our favorite rocks.
That doesn't leave time to deal with twerps like you. Goro."
Link deflated. Even Navi was unsure of what to do now.
Link stared at a torch. "But there is one problem I can fix..." He lit his stick from a nearby torch. Darunia didn't seem to care. Link walked out with his burning stick, soon relighting the torches at the bottom floor of Goron City. Once he lit the last torch, Link looked back, body rotating for some reason.
The giant jar began steadily spinning elliptically, bottom grinding against the ground, echoing up the chamber.
Link Put Away the Deku Stick. I don't know what that did, but I like it. He ran over and attacked the jar, but it didn't break—one of the few jars Link cannot defeat.
He scurried upstairs. "Maybe I have to jump inside the jar?"
It didn't work.
After Link tried a few more times, Navi intervened. "Link, I don't think trying to jump inside giant jars is a good idea."
Link innocently nodded. He then meandered around, wondering what to do. As he checked various pathways, he found himself staring at a pool of...lava? Ahead of the drop-off was a large block, another large block at the other end of the lava pool. Another chamber awaited across the lava.
Link scratched his head. "That doesn't look safe for visitors..."
Navi remarked, "I guess this is how they heat up their home? Or maybe where lava drains? Death Mountain is an active volcano, after all."
Link walked around. He soon met the Goron by the cave again.
The Goron got up. "How was Big Brother?"
"Upset and angry," Navi replied.
"I see..." The Goron looked over his shoulder. "By the way, do you know the music from deep inside the tunnel of this cave? We all like this music!"
Link looked at Navi. "Oh, I didn't forget about Saria!" Her face appeared in Link's mind. Best of all, Navi wasn't beating him up.
Memories of the Kokiri came. The Great Deku Tree. Mido...
Link's stomach knotted. I don't want Mido to see me...
Navi examined the two unlit torches flanking the cave. "Link, maybe if you ignite a Deku Stick, you can then light the fuses of the Bomb Flowers down there? They should blast away those boulders."
Link's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Wow, good idea! I can't believe I never thought of that!"
The boy hurried down to the first floor, put a Deku Stick on fire, ran back, and lit up the two torches while his stick burned away. He withdrew another stick and ran down the cave, the music of the forest echoing. Flaming Deku Stick whirring through the air, the Bomb Flowers ignited, one falling from the wall, multiple fuses hissing.
"Hoh! Hah! Hyaah!" Link kept swinging until he hit a Bomb Flower—BEWWWFF!
Once the smoke and dust settled, Link was on his back, tongue out, seeing stars.
Navi flew over his face. "Link, I think you need to work on your...
...impulsivity."