Zelda nervously pulled her cloak tighter around her figure and stared at the torches standing guard at the entrance to the Lost Woods.
"The torches are the key," Pipit had told her that morning. "At least, that's what Legend holds. But they don't guide the way through the whole of the Lost Woods. After they stop, you're on your own."
There was a stone archway that marked the doorway into the Lost Woods, and the twin torches stood solemnly at both sides. A long wooden hand torch leaned up against one of the posts, and Zelda hesitated before snatching it off the ground. She had her own torches, but using her own magic in such a place that felt like it was practically bursting with magic felt like a bad idea-not to mention that Zelda had no idea how her magic had been affected after the Triforce appeared on her hand. Carefully, Zelda stretched her fortified stick forward and held it in the flickering flame of the left standing torch, waiting as it whooshed into fire. Lifting the flaming torch over her head, she took a deep breath and walked through the gateway.
Almost immediately, the fog thickened, obscuring almost everything in the woods around her save for long, spindly, leafless branches of trees jutting out through the fog like desperate fingers reaching up through water. Zelda started to feel the pricklings of fear as she realized the forest was almost completely silent; there were no trilling of birds or snuffling of deer. The woods were still. Too still.
Thankfully, Zelda spotted another torch to her right and hurried toward it. The torch in her hand sputtered once as she grew nearer, and the neighboring torch seemed to flare up stronger in response. Zelda eyed the standing torch warily before squaring her shoulders
"Fire can't respond to itself," she whispered to herself, her voice shaky. The fire she held above her head shuddered once at her movement. "Snap out of it, Zelda."
Zelda looked further down the way and spotted another torch. The fire seemed to push the fog away like a shield, and Zelda wondered if her own Foraged fire could cut through the fog like the stationary torches could. She could feel the prickle of magic that pierced through the fog from time to time, and she kept herself wandering too far from the reliable fire trail. Idly, Zelda wondered if they ever went out.
The next torch was further into the wood, but it was still clearly visible. The leaves crunched under Zelda's boots as she hurried forward. As she reached the torch, it sputtered once before flickering out, and the fog suddenly swarmed in.
"What-" Zelda gasped, and all of a sudden she couldn't see the trees anymore through the dense fog. Desperately, she lowered the torch in her hand and tried to relight the stationary torch beside her, but nothing happened. In fact, her torch snuffed out as she moved, as if whatever had blown out the big torch had now blown out her little one as well. The misty dead air suddenly swarmed into Zelda's senses, and the fog wrapped itself around Zelda, hiding every part of the forest around her. Her heart clenched in fear, and she stumbled forward, looking for another torch that she knew had to be close by.
But Zelda met no resistance-until she tripped over a heavy tree root hidden in the mist and tumbled to the dirt. Crying out, she threw her palms out in front of her to break her fall, the lifeless torch falling from her grip. The forest floor was damp, and the ground felt dead yet still sparking with magic under Zelda's hands.
Her heart pounding, Zelda rolled over and jumped to her feet, spitting dirt and leaves out of her mouth. She lost her balance again as she tried to take a step back, and her back slammed into something rough and textured. Zelda let out a cry and flung a hand back to feel the dry bark of one of the dead trees.
Zelda felt a thread of magic wrap itself through her fingers at her touch, and a haunting melody of only a few notes drifted through the fog. Then Zelda heard a high-pitched giggle, and the hair on her arms stood on end as a stab of fear shot through her.
"Goddesses help me," she muttered, and she lifted one quivering hand in front of her, palm out, in a futile attempt to ward off whatever was coming.
A figure appeared in the fog, and Zelda's heart skipped a beat. She sank deeper into her cloak, her hand still raised in defense. She decided then that woods or no woods, she would use magic to fight this person if necessary. She'd deal with the consequences later.
As the person drew nearer, Zelda wondered if they were warding the fog away, for suddenly the trees and vines around her grew sharper. Zelda could see a bright red symbol of an eye shining through the fog, and she realized it was plastered to the person's chest. Just beneath the shape of the eye dripped a long, thick tear, and it appeared to quiver slightly, threatening to drop. A scarf was wrapped around the person's face so only their eyes were visible, and other wrappings dotted their figure. Sandy blonde hair slipped down into the person's face underneath a white cap, and Zelda could only see one icy blue eye peek through the curtain of hair.
Zelda didn't realize the figure was directly in front of her until he-Zelda could see now that yes, it was a man-held out a hand as if to take her hand. Zelda swallowed and pressed herself further into the tree, shaking her head mutely as she caught sight of the hilt of a blue sword peeking out over his shoulder. The haunting melody filled her ears once again, the notes ascending and descending seemingly at random. The energy around the man was alight with magic, as if there were some kind of shield keeping the fog at bay.
The single blue eye rolled upwards, and Zelda gaped at the man. Did he just roll his eyes at me? He thrust out a hand once again, his gaze persistent. Zelda stretched out her own trembling hand and grasped the stranger's hand. His grip was warm and firm, and Zelda caught her breath as a thick wave of magic washed over her.
Instantly, the forest around her faded, and Zelda found herself in an open-aired castle courtyard. The moon was high, yet the courtyard was almost pitch black. Bewildered, she drew her hands apart and tried to summon a flame in her palm, but nothing happened, and Zelda felt a slight twinge of pain at her temples. A feeling of dread settled in her heart, and she squinted around the courtyard, trying to pick out her surroundings. Then there was a flash of light, and Zelda cried out in surprise, shielding her eyes.
After a few moments, the light faded, and Zelda pulled her hands back down to her sides and hesitantly opened her eyes. This time, she found herself in an opulent yet masculine bedchamber. The torches were out, but the moonlight shone through the window, creating a ghostly, shimmering light on the floor. There was a large wooden desk shoved into the corner next to a small row of daggers. A bookshelf of dusty old books lined the walls next to the desk, and Zelda doubted if anyone had read any of them in several weeks. Across the room, Zelda picked out an old, torn tapestry of some sort, but it was too dark to make out any details.
Suddenly, Zelda heard a movement, and she gasped, whipping around and instinctively seeking to gather her magic to form a protective barrier around her. Once again, her magic failed her, and she felt another twinge of pain in her temples.
There was a person asleep in the bed in the opposite corner of the desk. Their breathing was heavy and slow, and Zelda relaxed. She caught sight of a sword leaning up against the bedside within easy reach of the sleeping person's left hand, and she shivered slightly. Something about the sword...
A shadow flitted across her vision, and Zelda's eyes were drawn to the movement, her heart pounding. She glanced at the window and noticed that while there was a full moon, the room was still shrouded in darkness. She shuddered.
Another shiver of movement caught her eye, and Zelda saw a shadow curling around the sword by the bed. She let out a cry and thrust a hand toward the shadow billowing out next to the bed, gathering a portion of light from the moon and firing it back at the shadow without thinking.
Except, again, nothing happened except for a slight pain in Zelda's head, and Zelda watched with a feeling of dread settling in her stomach as the shadow completely encircled the sword. The entire sword flared with blackness and darkness, and the blue hilt darkened to almost pitch black.
There was shuffling and rustle of blankets, and Zelda drew back a step as the person sleeping rolled agiley out of bed and withdrew a dagger from his right side.
"Who's there?" A male voice croaked out, swinging his knife in a circle around him.
Zelda raised a hand and opened her mouth to speak, but another bright light encircled her, and the room around her faded from sight. The last thing she saw was the man peering around the room, his icy blue eyes wide and fearful.
The room grew increasingly brighter until Zelda had to squeeze her eyes shut. Once again, the light faded after a few moments, and Zelda opened her eyes to find herself back in the woods, the fog clinging to her figure. She blinked in confusion and glanced around. The warrior that had grabbed her hand earlier was gone, but it was as if she hadn't even moved at all. The scaly, dead-looking trees around her seemed to leer into her face, and Zelda felt a cold grip of fear clench around her heart. Nervously, she picked three leaves out of her long braid and crumpled them in her hands, letting them flutter to the ground.
"It's okay, Zelda," she muttered to herself, steeling her emotions and taking a step forward. "All you have to do is find the Deku Tree."
"The Deku Tree?" The voice of a young girl floated through the trees behind her, and Zelda felt her heart nearly stopped in her chest. Quickly, she swung around, just managing to stop herself from Gathering and hurling a fireball at whatever had spoken.
"I can help you find the Deku Tree, Zelda." There was a filmy figure of a little girl with light green hair shimmering in the trees in front of Zelda, her hand stretched out toward the depths of the forest in front of her.
"O-okay," Zelda stammered, gazing down at the girl suspiciously. "You know where it is?"
The ghostly girl nodded, smiling. "My name is Saria. I was once the Sage of the Forest. We should go, though. This part of the forest is particularly troublesome..." She glanced at the trees behind Zelda with eyes that shone like blue fire. "Follow me."
The young girl beckoned with one hand before turning and moving through the trees once more. Bewildered, Zelda followed. The girl flitted in and out of sight, the dense fog and the trees around her obscuring her location from Zelda's view. Worried she'd lose her guide, Zelda quickened her pace.
"How did you know I was here?" She called out. Saria laughed pleasantly as she turned to speak over her shoulder.
"Now, I think you know the answer to that, Hero." Then she held a small finger to her lips. "Best not to talk just now. I don't have a lot of time here, and talking makes it go faster. I will get you to the Deku Tree safely, however."
Zelda clamped her teeth together and followed the shimmering child in front of her as they wove through the trees.
Finally, just as Zelda was starting to shiver from the heavy fog, there was a huge log that appeared before them, jutting out through the fog and the trees surrounding them like a tunnel.
"There." Saria stopped, and Zelda slipped around another tree to stand beside her as the filmy child pointed at the tunnel-like log. "Just through there." Her form flickered slightly, and Zelda turned toward her in dismay.
"It has been an honor to assist you, great Hero." Saria murmured, her voice fading. "Thank you for calling on me. May the goddesses guide the way of the Hero of the Triforce."
"Wait! I called on you? How?" Zelda called, but Saria was already gone.
Zelda took a shuddering breath, her thoughts racing. Then she ducked her head and moved into the tunnel. The mist and fog thinned as she progressed through the tunnel, and there was sunlight peeping through the cracks in the wood above her. When the tunnel ended, Zelda stepped out into a glade of trees with bright green, shimmering leaves, and sunlighting filtering down through the branches. The mist and fog that had obscured nearly everything in the forest had departed, and Zelda picked out flowers and vines nestled in between the tight circle of trees surrounding her. A warm, fresh scent drifted through the air, granting Zelda a reprieve from the mucky, stale air of the fog that covered the other half of the was a huge tree that towered over the other saplings and trunks in the glade, its bark a deep brown. Knarls and hollows were symmetrically spread across the immense trunk, almost looking like a face. As Zelda turned in a circle, trying to notice everything that she could, she caught little flashes of movement from the grass and rocks. Flashes of green that almost seemed to blend into the forest seemed to flicker every time she moved, almost as if little creatures were darting into hiding as she saw them.
"Zelda." A deep voice boomed through the grove, and Zelda's heart gave a lurch. She spun, trying to see who had spoken; she was sure she had been alone a moment ago.
"Zelda, child. Look up."
Zelda's chin jerked up, and she scanned the glade once again for movement.
The huge tree in front of her suddenly shifted, and the gnarls and hollows rearranged themselves to form...a face. There were two hollows that flattened somewhat beneath bushy branches that stretched across the tree and a giant knoll that jutted out slightly at the base and traced its way up between the hollows. A large ledge in the trunk turned upwards slightly, and Zelda realized with a shock that the tree was smiling.
"There we are. Welcome to the Sacred Forest, Zelda."
Zelda's jaw dropped, and she reached out with her senses to feel if there was any magic surrounding the huge talking tree. She frowned, not sensing any magic, other that was already present in the Lost Woods.
"I won't have that kind of magic, Zelda," the tree rumbled, the ledge stretching wider with its smile. "My magic is much more quiet than yours was."
"But..." Zelda stammered. "You're a tree. A talking tree."
The tree raised a huge branched eyebrow. "And you can create fire in your hand. Do not be so quick to dismiss magic in Hyrule you do not understand, young mage."
Zelda let out a deep breath and felt around in the forest for some familiar traces of plant energy and sunlight.
"Zelda," the tree broke into her thoughts, and Zelda halted in her habitual gathering. "You have awakened your true power. You need not gather magic any more."
"How did you-" Zelda started, but she broke off as the implications of the tree's words hit her. "My true power? You know about what's happening to me?"
"I am the Great Deku Tree," the giant tree replied. "I know all there is concerning Hyrule and the magic herein."
A faint breeze tugged at Zelda's hair, and the same tune of jumbled notes rang in Zelda's ear.
"So," Zelda said slowly. "I take it you know what's happened to me?"
The Great Deku Tree chuckled. "I do indeed, Hero."
Zelda hesitated, then she spoke quickly, her words jumbling over themselves in her haste."Pipit said that the goddesses gave me my power for a reason, and that I was destined to save Hyrule. What does that even mean? What am I supposed to do?"
The Deku Tree rumbled a deep, creaking laugh. "I believe you must discover that for yourself, hero. I will say this, however." The giant knoll nose wrinkled slightly, and Zelda found herself leaning forward in anticipation."You must go to Hyrule Castle. All will be revealed to you in time."
"The Castle?" Zelda's heart lurched. "But...I've never been outside the village, much less the castle and the royal court!"
The Deku Tree hmmed deeply, his leaves rustling as a gentle wind threaded through his branches. "You made it through the Lost Woods, did you not?"
"But I had help! Saria guided me here! And there was a warrior..." Zelda trailed off, her mind lighting upon the shadow and the darkness in the courtyard. "I saw some strange things in the woods, Great Deku Tree. Is...is that normal?"
The Deku Tree smiled broadly, his bark crackling merrily. "I should think so. The Goddesses and Spirits of the Forest have an agreement of sorts here. You felt the magic, I believe?"
Zelda nodded slowly, her mind still on the images she'd seen. If the Spirits were trying to tell her something...perhaps the things she'd seen were to take place at the castle? She closed her eyes, trying to picture the layout of the courtyard and the bedroom she'd been dropped into. Were there walls? Was it all stone? Were there any flags of the Hylian Crest?
"Hero," the tree rumbled gently, and Zelda's eyes shot back open.
"Y-yes, sorry," Zelda stammered, and she stared back up at the Deku Tree apologetically. The towering tree looked back at her steadily, and Zelda resisted the urge to look away.
"You must listen to the whisperings of the goddesses," the tree continued. "And the other great magics of Hyrule. There will be people that will help you to understand and temper your power, but you must be diligent in your training."
Zelda nodded quickly, remembering all the training she'd undergone as a youth under an experienced Forager Mage in Mabe Village. "Of course."
"Be wary, hero," the tree warned, his eyebrow-branches creaking as he knit them in concern. "You must protect the Prince and the Master Sword from the Malice. You are the only one who can protect him from its influence."
Zelda clenched her fists into her skirt, her heart thudding painfully against her chest. "But I don't even know what the malice is, Great Deku Tree." Dully, she lifted a hand and formed a sparkle of light, letting it race across her fingers like a trickle of water. "Not to mention that I don't even know the first thing about my new powers."
"Well," the Deku Tree rumbled, "Perhaps I can help you make your way to the castle. It is entirely within your capacity now to arrive there much faster than you could otherwise."
Zelda knit her brow. "What do you mean? Can you teach me?"
Ahaha I love the Lost Woods. So creepy, so fun to write.
Cheers! Thanks for reading!