FicWad

The Switch of Fate

By: USA Tiger

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

Chapter 10

Link slowly and carefully entered the temple, looking around warily. The temple seemed to be seeped in evil and darkness.

"This doesn't much look like a temple," Link absently remarked as he opened the door.

"I remember the Forest Temple always being here, but I can't remember much about it," Navi said. Link was right, it didn't much remind her of a temple, it was a large stone building, the only thing that reminded her of the forest were the vines and moss that was growing on the walls. A Skulltula dropped down from the ceiling, hissing at Link and Navi. Link hit the giant spider so it would spin around and brought his blade down on its exposed soft underbelly.

"Those are a lot easier than they were before," He said happily, it always took two hits to kill the Skulltula before.

"Well you’re bigger and stronger than before," Navi remarked as Link opened the door to a large chamber room. In the middle of the room was a platform surrounded by four torches, each with a different colored flame. "That platform must lead downstairs," Navi said. As Link nodded and stepped closer to the elevator platform, four high pitch laughs echoed in the chamber as four different Poes appeared, each by a torch.

These Poes were different from the Poes Link saw in the graveyard; they reminded him of the two Poe brothers Flat and Sharp. Each Poe cackled loudly as with a swipe of their torches they each stole a flame from the torches surrounding the elevator platform. As the last flame was stolen, the platform rumbled as it descended until the top was level with the floor, leaving no way for Link and Navi to get to the chamber below.

"Stop them!" Navi yelled as she realized what the Poes had done. Link leapt down and headed for the nearest Poe but they only cackled again as they disappeared in a flash of flames. "We'll have to go after them."

"Right," Link said, figuring that out for himself. He didn't have a clue where the Poes had gone to and selected a random door to enter. The pair found themselves in an inner court yard with a pond and a well nearby. Link hedged around the giant Deku-baba that was clacking its beak and look hungrily at Link. "Wow... this sorta reminds me of the inner court yard at the castle."

"It does a bit," Navi agreed.

***

Link had climbed up vine covered walls and explored though hallways and rooms that surrounded the courtyards. The teen now found himself in what looked like a bedroom, a frame of a bed laid in the corner and a half destroyed wardrobe was along another wall. He looked around the room curious, seeing a cloth hanging on one of the walls he walked over and tugged it down.

Navi gasped softly, flying up.

"She looks like one of the Poes!" She said. It was a young Hylain woman sitting primly wearing a purple dress with a matching head piece with large red stones in the front. The woman in the painting hair was a white blond and eyes a dark blue, her hands clasped in her lap as she gave the painter a small smile. At the bottom of the painting was a small metal plaque that had the name 'Meg' written on it.

Under the painting was a desk which Link started to dig through. Inside he found a dairy which he opened to read. Most of the words were fading from the long years since it had been written but Link could still make out some passages.

'Today the manor construction has started. Father keeps going on and on about our soon to be new home. Father has always had a deep interest in the ancient temples of Hyrule but I cannot help but think this idea of his to build the manor over the ruins of the Forest Temple is madness.' A spidery handwriting graced the paper as Link read. 'I've heard stories about the woods that the temple is located; people have been known to become lost and never seen again.'

'Another builder has disappeared with in the forest but Father refuses to believe the stories, calling them nothing but silly superstitions. I am afraid for my sisters and I lives but Father refuses to listen to us. Even Mother is uneasy but like us sh....' The rest of the words were unreadable. Link put the dairy down and looked at Navi.

"Those poor girls," Navi said. "They must had died here and are Poes now." Link placed the dairy back into the desk, knocking some other papers aside.

"Hey look, a key," he said as he dug out the key found.

"Well take it; I'm sure we'll find a door that needs to be unlocked," Navi said, watching as Link tucked it into his pouch then headed for the balcony of the room to leave.

***

Link slowly walked through the hallways, he swore he was being watched but for the life of him he couldn't find the source.

"There is something evil here," Navi said softly. He opened one of the many doors in the temple/mansion into a hallway stairwell. "Hey look, it's another painting!" the fairy said as she flew toward a painting on the far wall. This was another young woman wearing a red dress and her reddish blond hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Like with Meg's painting, this one had a name as well - Joelle.

Link turned to the stairwell by the painting, looking up as he heard a laugh.

"There's another one," Navi said surprised at seeing the second painting hanging above the stairs. "It's the same as the other one, I wonder why... Link... I sense something from these paintings" Navi told her partner. Link walked down the rest of the stairs, seeing a door ahead. "Link, it's another one! This one is different!"

Link turned to see what she meant, seeing that this painting was of one of the Poes from before. But before their eyes, a cackling laugh came from the painting and changed to look like the other two. Navi flew back up the stairs, calling back down.

"The Poe sister is haunting the paintings! The one on the wall has changed," Navi quickly came flying back. "We have to find away to get her out of the painting so we can get that flame back." Link ran back up the stairs but as he neared the painting, a laugh came again as it changed from Poe to the young woman. Link turned to look the matching painting above the stairs; it now held the Poe but when teen came near it, it changed again as the laughing Poe sister jumped to another painting.

"It's no use, every time I get close she moves to another painting," Link said as he reached the bottom of the stairs again, looking at the painting on the wall.

"Well... we'll have to look for something that we can use then," Navi said. Link nodded and entered the door that lead out of the room.

The next room was a round chamber with a large pit in the middle of the floor. Along the walls were old tables filled with papers, a couple of cabinets filled with stuff and different items hanging on the wall. Link walked to the middle of the room, looking down into a room he had been in before.

"Look out!" Navi yelled as the same time Link heard a deep evil laugh. He twisted and dodged out of the way in time to avoid a blow from a Stalfos. He had battled two of these skeletal monsters in the room below.

"Hey!" Link drew the Master Sword, paring another blow. He swung at the Stalfos's middle but was blocked by the monsters own shield. Link and the Stalfos traded blow after blow, the teen now have a few shallow cuts on his arms and at least one of his face from a glancing blow. But Link got his hits in as well and with another yell, Link drove the sword that was evil's bane through the middle of the Stalfos which collapsed to the ground in a pile of bones only to burn to ash in a flash of fire.

Link panted softly, reaching up to wipe the sweat and blood off his face. He heard a noise behind him, turning around in time to watch a platform lower from the ceiling and cover the pit in the middle of the floor. On top of the platform was two more Stalfoses. The two skeletal creatures jumped at Link who brought up his shield to block the blows. He grunted and buckled slightly under the weight from the double attack. The blond reached into his pouch to grab a Deku nut and threw it to the floor. The two Stalfoses were stunned long enough for Link to roll away.

Link traded blow after blow with both Stalfoses, dodging a swipe of one sword only to get hit by the other one. He finally knocked one Stalfos down only to be hit from behind, thrown into a display cabinet.

"Ahugg," Link groaned as he sat up. He had pieces of glass sticking out of his arm and he hissed as he pulled a large shard out.

"Look out!" Navi yelled in alarm, making Link look up then roll out of the way, a wickedly curved blade landing where he had been lying.

"Damn," Link hissed under his breath, he was in pain from the glass shard in his arm, the cuts littering his skin and his whole body bruised. "I need to end this quick." The Stalfos laughed evilly again and swung its sword, catching the Master Sword and knocking it from Link's pain weakened grip. Link cursed and looked around. On the wall was a bow, he ran toward it, taking it down and grabbing an arrow from the quiver hanging underneath where the bow had been. Link notched the arrow and drew the string back, pointing it at the Stalfos's head. The arrow flew true and landed deep in the monster's eye, knocking its skull clean from its neck. The rest of the Stalfos collapsed to the ground.

Link grabbed the Master Sword from where it had been landed when knocked from his hands and walked toward the skull that was still hopping around with the arrow sticking out of its eye socket. With a loud yell, Link brought his blade down on the skull, cleaving it in two. The skull and the rest of the body burned in yet another flash of fire as did the other Stalfos body.

"Damn... that hurt," Link said as he sat down against the wall, pulling out the shards of glass from his arm.

"Maybe you should have one of the healing fairies help you," Navi suggested a Link pulled shard after shard out of his arm.

Link sighed and nodded, he didn't want to waste the fairies but he had nothing to wrap his bloody arm up in, not to mention he hurt all over. The healing fairy was released from one of the bottles, the small pink fairy flying around Link as it healed his wounds before fading away once its magic was used up. Now healed, Link stood and placed the Master Sword and his shield on his back then picked up the bow he used. Navi gasped and flew closer to look at the bow.

"Link... that's the Fairy Bow!" She said, bobbing excitedly. "That bow was created by the Fairy Queen Venus, it's been missing for years." (1)

"Really?" Link asked as he held up the bow in front of him.

"We should take it with us," Navi said. "It will be useful." Link nodded, placing the bow in his magic pouch then taking the quiver off the wall, placing it so it was laying across the small of his back so he could draw an arrow in a hurry. "Hey... maybe we can use the arrows to hit those paintings from a far, force Joelle out of her paintings!"

As Link exited the chamber into the stairwell hallway that Joelle haunted, the blond noticed that the painting across from the door contained the Poe Joelle. He whipped out the Fairy Bow and shot an arrow into the painting. The Poe laughed as the painting disappeared in a flash of flames.

"Alright, it worked!" Navi said excitedly. "Now let’s go get the other two." Link walked up the stairs slowly, another arrow notched in the bow. When he reached half way up the stairs, he sat Joelle was haunting the painting at the top. The arrow flew true and destroyed the painting; with nowhere else to hide another arrow flew into the third and last painting. Joelle quickly flew to the bottom of the stairs where Link followed her.

"You're not going to get me that easily!" Joelle yelled, her voice high pitched and raspy. She came flying at Link, trying to hit the Hylain teen with the torch she held. The attack was blocked and Link swung the Master Sword around, cutting the Poe in half. Joelle made a death scream before flashing out of sight for good, her torch falling to the ground. The torch busted up when it hit the stone floor, the red flame escaping and floating over to a tall golden torch in the room. Also, a piece of paper floated through the air where Joelle had been. Link leaned over and picked it up, it was another diary page, this time written in a childish handwriting. And like Meg's dairy pages, part of the words were faded and unreadable.

'..day we moved into the big house that Daddy built in the woods. It's very pretty but at the same time I can't help but feel like we shouldn't be he... Daddy is very excited that he can start studying the legends around the old temple that use to be here. He wants to find and study the Kokiri, Kikwis and Deku tribes. Keeps going on and on about how one of them could be the `Forest sage`. My sis.......ving here, Meg thinks we should return to Hyrule Castle Town. Mom agrees with her but Daddy keeps saying that we'll be fine,' Link read, he wondered how long this manor house had been here, he never remembered anybody coming into the forest to 'study' any of the forest races nor had he heard anything like it from anyone.

"hmm... I vaguely remember that, but it was a long, long time ago," Navi said when asked. "There was a rumor going around that someone was wondering the woods looking for the Kokiri Forest but the Great Deku Tree kept it hidden. After awhile, I stop hearing about it." Link looked down at the page again then put it in his pouch.

**

Link had taken his new bow and used it to set off traps and eye targets he couldn't reach before, wondering why a manor house needed all these things. Soon, he made his way back down the hallway Joelle had haunted and entered the chamber where he found the bow.

"Do you think any of these have anything these Poe sisters father was working on?" Link asked as he picked up some of the scattered pages off the floor. A lot of them were water damaged and the few he could read, the writings made no sense.

"I don't know, but those don't look like they were written by a sane man," Navi pointed out as she read the papers over Link's shoulder. "I wonder about what happen to the family here, and why those girls are Poes. It must have been something terrible." Link put the paper back down on a table and left the chamber by the other door in the room. Across the room was yet another painting, this time a young woman wearing a blue dress and a blue hat on top of her head. At the bottom of the painting was the name 'Beth'.

"I bet it's just like before, let’s see if the other two paintings have a Poe instead of a girl," Navi said. Link walked up the stairs slowly and sure enough the painting at the top level contained the Poe. An arrow took out that painting and after moving to the top of the stairs, a second arrow took care of the next painting. Link ran back down the steps to the last painting which contained the Poe. A third arrow forced the Poe Sister Beth into the open.

"You! You killed my sister!" Beth rasped angrily. "I will kill you for this mortal!"

Like Joelle, Beth started to spin rapidly toward Link meaning to hit him with the torch she carried. Link dodged out of the way and waited for Beth to stop. Once she did, her back was to Link who jumped up and brought his blade down on her back. Beth's rage made her a little stronger than her sister and was able to just barely survive the attack. She spun around and started swinging her torch at Link who blocked each his with his shield.

"Die!" Beth yelled as she came in for one last hit. Link took the opening she gave him and slashed upward, ending Beth's undead life once and for all. The Poe disappeared in a flash, the torch falling to the ground and breaking into pieces. The blue fire that had been captured by Beth floated over to the tall torch by the door while another dairy page floated to the floor. Beth's handwriting has been a flowing, loopy cursive when she was alive.

'Father had been acting strange lately, every day he goes out into the woods claiming that he is searching for a fairy child or something of the like. Yesterday, he came home with a strange bow, he insists that a fairy queen gave it to him. Mother has been becoming paler as well, I think something does not agree with her in the forest but Father refuses to let Mother leave to see a healer. I am worried... what is happening to our father and what will become of mother if she does not seek help?'

"I wonder just how their Father managed to get the Fairy Bow from Queen Venus," Navi wondered as Link stored away the page with the first. "I can't imagine her just giving it to any moral human."

"Maybe she thought it could save his life," Link suggested as they made their way up the stairs to leave the hallway.

"Maybe..." Navi agreed softly, but she wondered if the Queen knew that one day the bow would be needed by a hero.

**

Link looked around as he opened the door; he had come across what looked like an old dining room. There was a long, dusty table in the middle of the room surrounded by chairs that were either broken or overturned. On the table were several plates and goblets, some were broken and a few others had bits of old bones lying on top of them. Any other food that was on the plates was long gone.

On the wall on the other side of the table was a large curtain that was closed. Link looked at it with curiosity.

"What do you think is behind that curtain?" He asked. Navi floated closer to the curtain, using to magic to feel it out.

"I don't know but I sense the same type of evil presence that I felt from Joelle and Beth," She said after a minute.

"So the next poe sister should be here then," Link guessed as he walked around the table to the curtain. He grasped the rope hanging to the side and tugged it, drawing the curtain open. Link stepped back to look at the painting, this was much bigger than all the others. And unlike the others, it wasn't just a painting of a young Hylain woman.

It was a landscape of a forest area, trees and bushes surrounding a young woman sitting on a tree stump. The girl in the painting was wearing a flowing green dress with a hood that was drawn up over her head. At the top of the hood, flowing locks of blond hair was pulled through a hole and she held a delicate looking flower between long fingers, appearing to take in the flower's scent with a mischievous smile. At the bottom of the painting was the name 'Amy'.

"How do we get the poe to come out?" Link asked.

"I guess try shooting the painting with an arrow, it worked with the other paintings," Navi suggested. Link shrugged, he didn't have any other better ideas, and withdrew an arrow from the quiver on his back. He drew back the string on his bow aiming for the painting version of Amy. The arrow landed with a thunk, the end swaying side to side. The Amy in the painting smile twisted into a sneer and Link turned as something landed on the table with a loud thumping noise, several of the old plates and goblets knocked over.

"You have a minute to solve my puzzle mortal, or you life is forfeit," A high pitch voice echoed throughout the room, ending with a loud pitch laugh. Link walked over to the table, on top of it was pieces of a puzzle much like the ones he use to play with back in the Kokiri village. He needed to put the pieces together to create a shape and he only had a moment to do so.

"Hurry up Link," Navi hissed while Link looked over the pieces to see what fitted where.

"Ah ha!" Link said, he was always good at puzzles and he quickly fitting all the pieces together. When he was done, the pieces made the image of the Poe sister Amy. Link spun around as the laugh from before rung out in the room, the painting fading away and leaving Amy in its place.

"Very good mortal, you manage to solve the puzzle," Amy said, floating toward Link. "But your life is still mine!" She lunged at Link who dodged out of the way. This Poe acted smarter than her two previous sisters, she kept the table between her and Link the whole time so he could not hit her with the Master Sword. Link drew the Fairy Bow and show an arrow at Amy which she deflected with the torch she held.

"Try again Link!" Navi said. Another arrow was drawn from the quiver and shot at Amy who once again knocked the arrow away but missed the arrow that followed it. The Poe gave a cackling laugh as she faded from view, the torch the stolen green flame the only thing visible.

"You can't hit what you can't see," Amy taunted. Link cursed softly, Poes were invincible once it was invisible, and he couldn't hurt Amy until she showed herself again. The torch started to spin in the air toward Link as the green Poe sister started her attack. Link jumped out of the way and landing on top of the table in the process, knocking goblets and plates off the surface. The blond notched another arrow into his bow, aiming at the floating torch. Soon the air around the torch shimmered as Amy faded back into view, as soon as she was visible again Link shot the arrow into the Poe. A second then third arrow followed, Link did not want to give Amy the chance to turn invisible again.

Finally, a fourth arrow hit Amy who gave her final death scream as she flashed away, torch falling and breaking like the others. The green flame returned to the torch by the second door in the room while yet another diary page float down to the floor. Link picked it up to look at it, Amy's handwriting was a bit like Cucco scratch but he could still make out some of the words.

'Dear diary today was Mother's funeral. It was only me and my sisters there, our father didn't even attend. Maybe he is ashamed, it's his fault Mother was never able to leave this cursed home of ours to see a healer. Whatever it was that killed Mother, I'm afraid it is starting to affect the rest of us as well,' Amy had written '.... Beth is looking really pale today while Joelle is bed ridden. Even I am started to feel unwell, I can't even muster up the energy to play with my puzzles. Meg is trying to take care of all of us like Mother did, the few servants we had have either run away or the forest has taken them. .... We haven’t seen Father in two days now, has the forest finally taken his life as well?'

"Oh those poor girls," Navi said as she read over Link's shoulder.

"What was killing them?" Link asked as he tucked the page away.

"Something in the forest I guess," Navi said. "There are a lot of dangerous things in the Lost Woods and there have always been stories of outsiders not under the protection of the Great Deku Tree or the Light Spirit Faron who turned into monsters."

"Hmm," Link heard those stories as well, Saria use to tell them to him.

"Let’s go find that last Poe," Navi said, flying toward the door with Link following her.

****

"I don't get it, where is she?" Link asked, he and Navi had explored every room looking for the Poe Sister Meg. They even went back to her bedroom where her painting had been, thinking that it might be the same as the others. But Navi hadn't sense anything from the painting and even an arrow shot into the canvas had done nothing.

"She has to be somewhere," Navi said as they reentered the large chamber that contained the elevator platform. Link looked over at the area, three of the four torches were relit, and they just needed the purple flame to be able to continue. "Do you hear that?" Navi whispered. Link stopped and listened, he could ear crying. Stepping around so he could see, he and Navi found Meg 'sitting' in the middle of the floor, her hands over her eyes as she cried in grief. Link drew his sword as he came closer, one good swing should take care of the Poe.

"You killed them," Meg said between her sobbing. "Joelle.... Beth.... Amy.... my sisters... You killed them you heartless bastard!" The Poe shot up into the air in front of Link. "I will kill you for this!" Right before him, Meg split herself into four copies.

"Link, I can't tell which one is the real Meg!" Navi said. Link watched the Poes as they circled around him. He couldn't get close enough to hit any of them with his sword. Instead he withdrew the Fairy Bow and took aim. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the Megs act differently from the other three and turned, shooting the arrow into her. Meg yelped in pain and disappeared, only to reappear as four copies again. All four Megs swung their torches at Link, who dodged as best he could but still was hit by at least once torch. He watched, waiting for one of the Megs to act different and when she did, another arrow hit the real Meg.

This went on a few more times, Link gaining bruises and burns from the Meg copies and their torches but at last, the last arrow went flying into Meg who screamed as she was gone in a flash. The last flame floated to the last torch, the elevator platform rising with a loud rumble. And floating down was one last dairy page, written in Meg's spidery handwriting from the original book.

'My last sister was buried in the crypt today. I fear I will join them soon though who will bury me?' Meg had written. '....Father returned yesterday, his eyes had this crazed look in them. He had a large locking chain placed on the door to Mother's resting place, muttering things under his breath. Things that I cannot understand, I believe his time alone in the woods has driven him mad.'

'I am alone....' this was the last thing Meg ever written, no more words on sheet of paper.

***

Link looked around as the platform descended into the chamber below; it was roundish with 4 doorways branching off and a hallway on one end. The floor was made of marble and was alternation white, blue and red. Above each doorway were the names of the Poe sisters carved in stone: Joelle, Beth, Amy, and Meg.

"We're in the crypt," Navi said, flying around slowly. She hovered by the door with Meg's name, looking at the stone coffin. "I guess her father buried her after she died." Link looked at each name, touching his pouch on his side briefly then started taking out the four dairy pages.

"What are you doing?" Navi asked as Link passed her to enter the small room where Meg's body had been put to rest.

"I don't feel right keeping these pages," Link said, placing a page on top of the coffin gently. Navi stayed quiet and watched as Link walked to each coffin and placed a page on top of it. When he was done, the blond stood in the middle of the chamber and gave a short pray to Farore, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Alright, let’s see about awaking the sage," Link said once he was done, heading for the hallway that had the symbol he saw outside the temple above it. At the end of the hall was a large door covered in chains and a large golden lock.

"What could possibility need a lock like this?" Link asked, touching the lock.

"The father put this lock on here remember? Meg wrote about it in her dairy," Navi said. "I... sense something behind this door..."

"Guess the only way to find out is to unlock it," Link look a large golden key with a ruby in the handle out of his pouch, it matched the design on the lock. The key was inserted and turned, making the chains clank and clang as the lock came off causing the chains to slacken. Link pushed on the door and entered the next room slowly.

***

Link walked up the raised platform that was surrounded by a gated looking wall. Along the walls stood many different paintings, at least four of them of the past human forms of the Poe sisters. Others were land scrapes and one was of a Hylain couple, a stern looking man wearing glasses and pressed shirt and jacket. In front of him was a blond woman wearing a white dress, the man's hand was resting on her shoulder and her hand was resting on top of his.

In the middle of the platform was a large stone coffin, Link walked around it but saw nothing of interest.

"There is nothing here," Navi said with a frown. "But I feel an air of evil here..."

"Maybe there is something under the platform," Link suggested, heading for the gap in the wall by the stairs that lead up the platform. As the blond neared the gap, a spiked gate popped up blocking his way. The teen spun around as something started to bang behind him, the lid of the coffin rattling violently. Finally, with unearthly scream, the whole stone coffin burst apart, Link blocking most of the flying pieces with his shield. As he peeked over the top of his shield, he gasped; floating in the air was a ghostly looking woman.

It was the woman from the painting, the mother of the Poe sisters. She was pale and hauntingly beautiful, her white dress and her hair floating around her as if caught in a wind. She stared down at Link before her face morphed into a gaunt monsterly form as she opened her fang filled mouth and gave an unearthly scream.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" Link grunted and cringed, the scream was like the ones that the ReDead made and froze him to the core.

"LINK!" Navi yelled over the screaming. "SHE'S A BANSHEE! YOU HAVE TO STOP HER SCREAMING!"

Link grunt softly as he reached into his pouch to grab the fairy bow and notch an arrow in it. He aimed at the Banshee and shot the arrow into her, cutting off her screams. Link's ears were still ringing as the sounds stopped, the Banshee's face twisted into an ugly sneer as she floated around the platform, Link turning to keep her in his sight at all time. The Banshee reared back her hand, a ball of energy gathering in her palm until it formed a glowing ball. With a scream she lobed it at Link who put the bow over his shoulders and whipped out the Master Sword in time to hit the ball of energy. To Link's surprise the ball of energy was knocked back at the Banshee who looked just as surprised as Link before it hit her.

Link ran at the stunned Banshee, jumping at her with a yell as he brought the Master Sword down on her, creating cuts in her skin. With a yell the Banshee seemed to regain herself as with a burst of power she knocked Link back and returned to the air. She opened her mouth to scream again, Link cutting her off with another arrow before she could utter a sound. Once again she gathered another ball of energy and threw it at the Elvin hero and when Link hit it back at her, she was ready this time and smacked the energy ball back at Link.

The energy ball traveled back and forth between the Banshee and Link, the ball traveling faster and faster as it was smacked until with a yell Link hit it a final time, sending it back at the Banshee. The Banshee was too slow and the ball slammed into her, sending the ghostly woman crashing to the ground with a scream. Link ran up to the Banshee, hacking and slashing at her form until with a final scream she started to dissolve and break apart.

"Well, well. You did quite well," A woman's voice said out of nowhere, Link looking around for the source. The voice sounded familiar and after a few seconds Link realized it was Zelda. "It looks like you might be gaining some slight skill. But do not think it will always be this easy."

The Banshee's body started to float up into the air as a portal appeared in the ceiling. As the Banshee neared it, she started to scream loudly and struggle as it drew her in.

"What a worthless creation that ghost was! I shall banish it to the gap between dimensions!" Zelda's voice declared loudly as the Banshee was drawn full into the portal, the portal and the ghost disappearing in a flash of light.

"Zelda created that thing?" Link asked softly, his voice echoing within the chamber.

"It makes sense," Navi said. "She's the one who filled the temples with evil; the monster is the center source of the evil. The temple feels clean now the Sage will be able to awaken. Still I'm confused a bit, Meg's dairy page said her father was the one who placed the lock on the door, I wonder why?"

"Who knows, by that time he was crazy right?" Link said placing his sword back into his scabbard as a glowing blue portal appeared on the floor.

"I guess," Navi said as she followed her charge over to the portal. "We'll never really know." As Link stepped into the portal with Navi hovering over his shoulder; he was surrounded by a blue crystal and teleported out of the room. As he disappeared, a faint outline of a woman floated out of the painting of the Poe sister's parents. A soft smile graced her face and she held out her hand. One by one Meg, Joelle, Beth and Amy joined their mother, no longer Poes but ghostly images of their forms from when they were alive. Their mother looked over where Link had been, her eyes twinkling.

"Thanks you Hero," A faint voice said as all five faded away, passing on to the next plain of life.

**

Link and Navi reappeared in the Chamber of the Sages. The blond looked around, the Light Sage Rauru didn't seem to be there nor did anyone else. As he turned toward the area that contained the symbol of the Forest Sage, it started to glow with a green light as a familiar child like figure rose up.

"Saria..." Link said softly.

"Link, thank you," Saria said in her sweet voice. "Because of you, I could awaken as a Sage. I am Saria, the Sage of the Forest Temple."

"Oh Saria... somehow I knew you would be the sage," Link said softly, kneeling down so he was eye level with his oldest and best friend.

"I always believed you would come, because I know you," Saria said with a sad smile. Link opened his mouth to explain, Saria holding up her hand to stop him. "No, you don't have to explain it to me, because it is destiny that you and I can't live in the same world."

"What do you mean?" Link asked with a frown.

"I will stay here as the Forest Sage and help you," Saria explained. "As an awakened Sage, I am needed here now. Now please... take this Medallion." She held out her hands which glowed and a small green medallion with the forest sage symbol on one side and the Triforce on the other appeared. She pressed it into Link's hands then threw her arms around him. "I will always be your friend," Saria whispered in his ear then stepped back. Link had a few tears in his eyes as he stood back up, clutching the medallion close to his chest. Saria gave him one last smile as he was teleported away from the chamber.

"Goodbye Link," Saria said as he disappeared.

"You two will always be connected Saria," Fado said as he appeared in a flash of light green light. "And perhaps when there is peace in Hyrule again, we will be able to return to our beloved forest."

"I know," Saria said as she turned to her fellow Kokiri sage. "It's hard leaving everyone behind. I even had to leave behind Dits and I helped raised Link since his mother brought him into the forest."

"It's hard," Fado agreed. "I have to leave Oak behind as well every time I leave for my temple. But Link has the spirit of the Hero; he will defeat Zelda and bring peace to Hyrule. Already our forest is returning to normal Saria, thanks to your magic as a sage. A new Deku Tree can grow now."

"Thanks to Link as well," Saria said with a smile. "And thank you Fado, I guess I needed that pep-talk. I wonder if I can restore the Forest Temple back to what it once was."

"You never know," Fado said with a chuckle. Saria smiled again and with a flash of green and light green both Kokiris disappeared back to the Forest and Wind Temples.

***

While Link was in the Forest Temple, Sheik hopped from tree limb to limb as he looked for the Kokiri boy. A flash of red out of the corner of his eye caught his attention; Mido was slowly walking back in the direction of the Kokiri Forest. The Kokiri's arms were crossed over his chest and he was looking down at his feet as he walked, deep in thought. Sheik started to follow him, wanting to make sure the eternal child made it back to his village safely.

"Grunt.... Oink...." Sheik looked around, he was sure he just heard something.... "Bwwweee!" A large piggish Moblin leapt out of a bush, glaive banished high above his head ready strike. Mido who had not been paying attention to his surroundings gave a loud frightened yell as he stumbled back in surprise. The red headed Kokiri boy tripped over a tree root, crashing to the ground. The Moblin roared as he swung his weapon down toward Mido, Sheik having to act fast as he jumped to the ground in front of Mido and throwing a group of throwing needles into the Moblin's face.

The Moblin gave a pained cry, holding his hands over his face where the needles were sticking out. Sheik quickly got his whip out from the holder on the small of his back and cracked it at the monster, the end wrapping around the shaft of its weapon and with a yank it flew out of the Moblin's grip into Sheik's. The shadow elf was a bit unfamiliar with this type of weapon but he was still able to bring it around and thrust it into the Moblin's neck. Mido watched with wide eyes as Sheik dispatched the Moblin and it disappeared in a flash of fire.

"What... who..." Mido asked, still freaked out a bit by his near death experience. Sheik tossed away the ex-Moblin's weapon away and re-coiled his whip as he turned to the Kokiri behind him.

"You need to pay attention, traveling in these woods is dangerous," Sheik said as he placed his whip back into its holder and reached down to help Mido up. "You need to return to your village, you will be safer there."

"That's where I'm trying to go," Mido said as he brushed dirt and grass off of his backside. Sheik reached down and grabbed Mido who yelled as he leapt up into the tress to head for the Kokiri village. "Hey! Put me down! I can walk!"

Sheik smirked behind his face mask, he remembered the stories that Link told him when they were kids and how this red headed boy was bully to him. So it felt good to get back at the boy for his friend while also keeping the Kokiri safe. Soon Sheik and Mido were back at the village, Sheik using his whip and needles to kill off Deku-babas as he landed before finally letting the complaining Mido down.

"I could have made it back myself," Mido said with a huff.

"Maybe, but Moblins like to travel in packs. It was safer just to bring you back here myself," Sheik said. Mido looked up at Sheik for a moment before nodding and quickly heading for his home. Sheik watched him then jumped back into the trees to wait for Link to return. He was joined by Kain and a couple of other young Sheikah trainees a few hours later, the younger shadow elves there to clean out the village of monsters. As the four Sheikah talked softly and kept watch over the Kokiri Village, they all felt and saw a wave of green energy as it spread out over the village, coming from direction of the temple.

"What was that?!" Kain asked. Sheik smiled, turning to his brother.

"Don't you feel it, little brother?" He said. "Link did it, he reawakened the Forest Sage, and the temple is clean now." Kain and the other two Sheikah youths whispered excitedly, already there was a blow against the evil dark queen Zelda.

****

Link and Navi were teleported to the Great Deku Tree Grove. Link felt his chest tighten as he looked up at husk of the only father figure he and Kokiri had ever known. Brown leaves were still falling from the crown of the top of the tree, Link could see 'bald' spots where all of the leaves had fallen off, and the trunk of the Deku Tree was a gray color. Somehow the 'mouth' of the Deku Tree had closed, Link remembered that it had been open when he left the tree seven years ago.

"What's that?" Navi asked as she noticed something odd at the base of the Great Deku Tree in a patch of sunlight. Link noticed as well, walking over and kneeling in front of the spot. It was a little tree sap, its tiny green leaves twitching every now and then. Curious, Link reached out to touch the tiny sapping.

As his fingers brushed one of the leaves, the sapping shook for second before a whole little tree popped out of the ground sending dirt, grass and Link flying.

"AHH!" Link yelled as he knocked back, quickly sitting up to look at the tree sprout with surprise.

"Howdy! I'm the Deku Tree Sprout!" The tiny Deku Tree said with a slight country accent. (2)

"Deku Tree Sprout?" Link repeated as he stood and walked back over to the tree.

"Yep, because you and Saria broke the curse on the Forest Temple, I can finally grow and flourish! Thanks a lot!" The Deku sprout said happily.

"Oh... um... you're welcome," Link said while Navi bounced in the air excitedly. A new Deku Tree! The forest was finally healing!

"Hey, have you seen your old friends?" The Deku tree asked. Link nodded his head; he had visited a few of the Kokiri before heading for the temple. "None of them recognized you with your grown-up body, did they?"

"No," Link said with a sigh and a sad shake of his head.

"That's because the Kokiri never grow up! Even after seven years, they're still kids!" The Deku tree explained. "You must be wondering why only you have grown up!"

"Part of me does, but I think I know the answer. I pieced it together since I left the forest 7 years ago," Link said. "I'm not a Kokiri."

"That's correct, you are actually a Hylain!" The tree agreed.

".... How did I come to live with the Kokiri if I'm a Hylain?" Link asked softly. "I know outsiders don't usually find this forest."

"Well, let me explain," The Deku sprout said. "Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce was in our world. All of the outsider’s fought in this war while us forest dwellers and the Minish stayed out of it. One day, to escape the fires of the war, a young Hylain mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. My predecessor allowed the mother and her child into the forest."

"Why?" Link asked curious.

"The mother was gravely injured," The Deku tree admitted. "She was dying. Her only choice was to entrust the child to the pervious Deku Tree, one of the guardians of the forest. He could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world. So he took the child, you Link, into the forest. Not long after, your mother passed away from her wounds and you were raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come! You are a Hylain and were always bound to leave this forest."

"What happens after I free all of the temples?" Link asked. "And Zelda is defeated."

"You are always welcome into the forest Link, though you are a Hylain you are still a child of the forest," The Deku Tree sprout assured the teen. "You're a little big to live with the Kokiris but you can still make your home within all parts of Faron's woods. Now, go break the curses on all the temples!"

Link nodded and turned to leave the grove. The tiny Deku tree watched him and Navi as they left, the boy had grown into a fine young man.

****

Mido was leaning up against the wall outside of the pathway that led to the Deku Tree Grove. He was watching his fellow villagers who were all extremely happy to finally be able to go outside safely. All of the monsters in their home were gone. Even all of the animals in the village were out, enjoying their time in the sun. The couple of cows and the goat were currently munching on the tall grasses that had grown outside of the tree houses the Kokiri lived in. The timid Kikwis who had come to hide in the village were walking around as well, their bulbs on their backs slightly open to soak in the rays of the sun.

Everyone in the village had felt the wave from the temple in the forest and when they looked outside, saw that they were safe. All the Kokiri had felt not too long ago their connection with the Deku Tree renewed, everyone's spirits were up... except for Mido's... He was happy that the forest was safe again and that they had a new Deku Tree... but he missed Saria... and the man from the forest who had known Saria's special song... he was sure that was Link.

Mido turned as he heard footsteps behind him; it was the man he thought was Link. The red headed Kokiri moved so he was blocking Link's path.

"Where is Saria?" He asked.

"She's in the temple as its sage," Link said. Mido closed his eyes and nodded his head after a second.

"Oh... I see... Saria won't ever come back," Mido said as his green eyes reopened and look up at Link. He was sure this was the fairy-less boy he bullied long ago, he even had the same blue fairy with him. "But, I made a promise to Saria... if Link came back, I would be sure to tell him that she had been waiting for him, because Saria really liked..." Mido could not bring himself to say it, nor could be bring himself to tell the larger boy that he knew who Link was. "Hey... if you see him somewhere, please let him know." Mido turned and started to walk away. He stopped and turned his head slightly to speak over his shoulder. "And also... I'm sorry for being mean to him... tell him that, too," Mido offered as an apology before heading to his home.

A group of Kokiri girls that were nearby heard Mido.

"Link... I wonder if he will come back," One girl said, everyone in the village barring Saria, Mido and Fado still thought Link was a Kokiri. The girls noticed Link as he walked pass, moving to surround him.

"You're such a big strong guy!" Another girl said. "I really want to be like you someday; even through I'll always be small."

"I still think you really look like somebody I've seen before, mister," The third girl said.

"I just have that face," Link said with a sad smile. The girls giggled then ran off to gossip some more.

Link listened to the Kokiri and Kikwis talk happily as he passed them. Some spoke about the temple and the new Deku tree and some spoke about him. A sad pained look crossed his face as he heard one said that he was sure Link would return to the forest someday not know Link was there with them now.

Link left the main entrance to the village, now that the mission to awake Saria as the sage was over, he was tried and could feel every ache, burn and cut he got from the monsters in the temple.

"You did a good job Hero," Sheik said from behind Link. The green clad youth turned toward the other teen, a weary smile on his face. "You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temple and awakened the sage."

"Yeah... it was Saria..." Link said softly. "She always felt a connection to that place when we were younger."

"As a Sage, she would," Sheik agreed. Link stumbled slightly as he took another step toward the exit, Sheik rushing over to wrap his arms around the other blond. "Whoa there Hero... I think you've had enough for today. I think you need your wounds tended to and some sleep." The shadow elf tossed a Deku nut, teleporting himself, Link and Navi to the hidden Sheikah village deep in the forest.

***

Meanwhile, in the highest room of the dark tower that loomed over the remains of Hyrule Castle Town, Zelda sat on a throne. She wore a blood red dress that had the Tri-force symbol on the front in black instead of gold. A gothic circlet cross sat on top of her head and delicate jewelry decorated her neck and arms.

Zelda was pondering what to do about the thorn in her side, the forest boy Link.

'I should have killed him when I had the chance,' she thought, tapping the fingers of one hand on the arm of the throne. Instead though, she had let the blond boy live after he opened the door to the Scared Realm. He had already awakened one of the Sages, her control over the forest was gone. When she was a child, after she took over Hyrule, she and the witch sisters Kotake and Koume killed for spirit forms of the pervious Sages. The Light Sage was the only one who escaped, hiding away in the Sage's chamber where she could not reach him at this time.

"Where would the boy go next?" Zelda asked herself softly as she stood and walked over to a high window that looked out over her country. In the distance she could see Death Mountain surrounded by a fiery looking cloud and Zora's domain. She had already punished the Zora for standing up against her, freezing them in their homes. The cold blond woman turned her attention back to the violent volcano, a smirk crossing her ruby red lips. Likely the so called 'hero' would head there next; she had to make sure he knew that was foolish to cross her.

"Go to Death Mountain and gather the Goron. Place them in cages within the Fire Temple, Mogmas as well if you come across them," Zelda commanded two of the armored soldiers standing at attention by the doorway. Unlike how her 'father' had them dressed, the processed guards know were covered in strong protective armor. (3) "They shall be made examples of."

The soldiers saluted then left the room to do her bidding. Once they were gone, Zelda used her magic to teleport herself into the heart of the fire temple. There, half buried in the ground, were the skeletal remains of a dragon that once lived on the volcano a long time ago. The dark queen began to use her magic, pouring it into the dragon remains. The bones started to glow brightly with a bright light as they started to float in the air. Flesh and blood started to form around the bones and with a flash, the revived dragon roared loudly.

"Volvagia!" Zelda called loudly. "I have given you life once again! You are mind to command." Volvagia roared again, coming to land in front of Zelda. The dragon nuzzled Zelda's hand as she laid it on the dragon's snout. The queen of evil teleported them to the center of the volcano where her soldiers were marching a group of Gorons toward the entrance of the temple. Some of the soldiers were holding a couple of struggling Mogmas who were fighting to get free. "Here me Gorons and Mogmas of Death Mountain! You're deaths shall be a warning to all that oppose me! You shall become dinner for the dragon Volvagia!"

Volvagia roared loudly in response, making the Goron's quake in fear as a long dead myth came to life. Stories passed down from father to son told about Volvagia who use to eat Gorons before a hero of the Gorons killed it. In the passageway to the Gorgon city, a young Goron boy shook in fear as his people was taken.

**

Author note: Ok so to explain, I always wondered about the back story of the Forest Temple. To me, the Forest Temple in the Ocarina of Time does not look like it's a temple for the forest. The forest temple in Twilight Princess is closer to what I think a forest temple should look like. Instead I think the TOOT temple looks like a manor or fortress. We're also are never given a back story for the Poe sisters so the idea is that a researcher found the remains of the original forest temple and build his home on top of it. Then he moved his family into the new temple who died one by one while he went insane.

I also gave a more realistic version on how Link got the Fairy Bow. And lastly I changed the boss of the temple, didn't want Zelda to just copy Ganon's phantom into some 'Zelda phantom' so I turned it into a Banshee that use to be the Poe sister's mother when they were alive.

(1) Venus was the name of the fairy queen in A Link to the Past.

(2) When I look at the Deku Tree Sprout, I always imagine him speaking with a thick country accent.

(3) think the soldiers in ALTP

Edit 7-27-14: Another chapter cleaned up.