Chapter 9

    Zelda awoke the next morning to see Link walking through the square. He stopped to talk to someone, who pointed him towards the graveyard. He ran there, faerie in tow, and Zelda exclaimed;

"Good, he's going to get the Hookshot."

"Yes, but he'll have to race Dampe's ghost." Impa said. Zelda stayed by the window until she saw Link and Navi emerge from the windmill, which was somehow connected to the tomb of the ancient gravedigger. The hookshot, dangling from his belt, glistened in the morning sun. The small blue faerie went up to his ear, saying something, maybe to go to the forest? Zelda saw Link nod, and race from the village.

"I've got to beat him to the Forest, Impa." Zelda said.

"Go..G'bye" Impa replied. Zelda gave her surrogate mother a hug, and set off towards Goron City, where the shortcut to the Forest lay.

***

    Zelda arrived at Goron City late that afternoon. Her trek up Death Mountain had not been pleasant. Large boulders tumbled down the trail, and volcanic ash spurted from the crater at certain times. As Zelda entered the dark, cool cavern the Gorons lived in, she found it empty, save for a small Goron rolling round and around and round and around. Zelda knew from study as a child that Gorons rolled to express joy or distress. In this case, distress. Zelda leapt down to the level the young Goron rolled on, and as he approached, he stopped, and looked at Zelda with big sad eyes.

"What's wrong, little one?" Zelda asked.

"T-the otherrrrrr G-gorons w-w-were tak-ken aw-way!" The Goron sobbed.

"Where?" Zelda asked.

"T-to the F-f-fire T-temple. G-ganondorf w-will feed themmm to V-volvagia!!!" Tears rolled down the child Goron's face; "A dragon!!"

"I know who can help. I'll guide him here." Zelda said, and Link's strong, handsome face popped into her head.

"Thank you lady ma'am person!" The little Goron smiled and resumed rolling. Zelda leapt down another level and searched the winding path until she heard the faint strains of a joyous melody. She ran towards the sound to find a tunnel with a faint light at the end. Zelda ran into it, and seconds later emerged to a wood filled with tunnels. She was here. The Lost Woods. She turned left, and found a little boy of about 10 blocking the next tunnel.

"Could you let me through please?" Zelda asked.

"Saria told me never to let anyone pass." The boy said.

"Let me through....I need to get to the Forest Temple." She said, a edge to her voice.

"And why?" The chubby boy asked.

"Look, let me through.. PLEASE!" Zelda was beyond annoyed.

"No." The boy put his hands on his hips, and put his little freckled nose in the air.

"Alright." Zelda crouched, and leapt over his head, rolling through the tunnel. She could hear the boy shouting, but he didn't give chase. Zelda darted through a few more passageways, and found herself in an enchanting place.

"The Sacred Forest Meadow...Almost there." Zelda said to her self. She crouched again, preparing to spring like a cat, and she leapt onto a stone wall, now able to walk above the maze, but narrowly missing a moblin's sharp spear. Zelda leapt from wall to wall finally reaching a set of stone steps. She crept up the steps to see a large Moblin at the top. Thankfully it was asleep. She tiptoed past it's snoozing form, and climbed a tree near the Temple. Snuggling in the branches, she waited.

***

    The moon rose and shone a milky light across the meadow. A floating light caught the attention of Zelda's bleary eyes, and she watched Link and his faerie approach the Temple. He stopped at a stump, and hung his head. Zelda wondered why, and closed her eyes for a second. She saw a green haired girl sitting on that stump, playing an ocarina. She opened her eyes again, and leapt from the tree. Link whirled around, and said;

"Hello, Sheik." He bowed, grinning.

"We meet again, Link." She nodded in reply to his bow. Stepping forward, she said; "The flow of Time is always cruel. It's speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it. A thing that doesn't change with Time is a memory of younger days..." She pulled out her lute. "In order to return here again, play the Minuet of Forest." She plucked the strings lovingly, sounding out a sassy waltz. Link followed along again with the Ocarina, as the song ended. Until we meet again, Link." She said

"Goodbye, Sheik." Link walked towards her. Quickly, she pulled out a Deku Nut, and threw it to the earth. *POOF!* She

re-appeared at the entrance to the steps, behind Link. She heard him say;

"Where'd she go? She's very pretty..." Link sighed. He shrugged, and pulled out his Hookshot. He aimed it at a tree, and launched himself up to the Temple. He ran inside.

"Good luck, Link." Zelda whispered.

He thought she was pretty!!!!!!!!!

She went back to the Lost Woods, and walked back to the stone steps from which she came. She entered the tunnel,

re-surfacing in Goron City again. She jumped to ground level, and walked to the Chief's chamber. Pulling back the stone statue, she discovered an entrance to Death Mountain Crater. She walked in, to be met by a blast of heat, The air quivered with the intense temperature. Looking around, Zelda found a perfect perch to wait for Link on; a broken bridge. She flipped gracefully onto a overhanging peice of wood above it.

Link thought she was pretty!!!!

Zelda nearly swooned off her perch.

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