Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction ❯ Back In Her Hands ❯ Attack of the 60-Foot Kokiri ( Chapter 15 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Grey Fox 
Hell hath no fury like a giant Kokiri girl's jealous rampage. Just ask Link.
Anime/Manga: Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.08.2005 | Updated On: 06.12.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 527 | Status: Completed
Hell hath no fury like a giant Kokiri girl's jealous rampage. Just ask Link.
Anime/Manga: Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.08.2005 | Updated On: 06.12.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 527 | Status: Completed
Back In Her Hands
a Legend of Zelda romance fic
Chapter 15: Attack of the 60-Foot Kokiri
6-8-2005
by Grey
Disclaimer: I don't own the Zelda series or any of its characters; Nintendo and the series' creator Shigeru Miyamoto do. So don't sue me or anything.
This fic is dedicated to CubedCinder128, for what I hope are obvious reasons.
******
Princess Zelda leaned back against the walls of the mansion, rubbing her aching hand. It still hurt from punching a hole through the stone walls. In addition, the burn on her back from Twinrova's heat blast was still stinging as well. She reached back and felt where the blast had burned through her dress. It still stung when she touched it, eliciting a loud hiss from her.
*Oh, get over it,* she thought scoldingly. *Link's suffered a lot worse and he never complains.*
Sighing, Zelda stared up into the night sky. Some of the thick clouds had finally blown away, giving the princess a clear view of the stars and the half-moon. For a while, the beauty of the heavens was able to distract her. It was a good thing too; it had been over half an hour since she had last spoken with Link, and she had no idea how far he had gotten since then.
But all of a sudden, Zelda received a progress report in the most unexpected of ways. The bond between her and Saria.... somehow, it was working again, and the princess could feel faint traces of the Kokiri girl's emotions.
Zelda gasped from the shock of the bond being reestablished, but then forced herself to focus. Here was an opportunity to find some answers. As she focused her mind, Saria's emotions came through much clearer. Clearly, she was feeling some powerful emotions at the moment....
But as Zelda concentrated harder, she found Saria was feeling something much different from before. These weren't flashes of paralyzing fear, like before. Now, the princess was receiving flashes of intense hatred and all-consuming jealousy.
"What?!" Zelda blurted out, confused by what she was sensing. "What's with all the anger? Why is she...."
Then Zelda caught a glimpse of what Saria was SEEING. She was looking down at the ground, and there was.... a tiny man? Upon closer inspection, Zelda recognized who Saria was looking down at: it was Link!
*What the.... did Link shrink?* Zelda thought nervously. Then the vision of what Saria was seeing came through even clearer, and the princess could make out their surroundings. Wherever the two of them were, it was some sort of huge colosseum, probably buried deep underground. *No, Saria must have grown giant-sized....*
And then, Zelda picked up those feelings of venomous hatred and envy once more. And this time, she was able to find out who Saria's anger was directed at.... LINK!
"OH NO!!" Zelda cried out as she stood up, realizing what was going on. Somehow, the power of THIS sanctuary's Giant's Mask had infused itself with Saria. And now, for some reason, Saria's heart was filled with rage.... and she was going to kill Link!!!
"No, I've got to stop her! I've got to save Link!!" she cried out desperately. She concentrated, trying to pinpoint Saria's location. Once the princess was confident she had located the colosseum she was in, she summoned up her magic and used Farore's Wind....
And almost immediately, she was hit with some sort of energy backlash. It felt as if her body had been struck by lightning.... and not even a giantess could withstand that. Zelda fell backward and her giant body slammed onto the marshy ground, creating a loud earthquake.
******
Link continued to stare up dumbly at the colossal Kokiri girl, still not believing what he was seeing. A giant Zelda had been bizarre enough to begin with, but now a giant SARIA?!! And he had never seen Saria look so enraged and hateful before. How could the kindly, gentle girl he grew up with now be so full of hatred and jealousy?
Saria took a broad step forward, and the whole colosseum trembled from her the force of her footstep. She was now only a few meters in front of Link, and then she lifted her foot high up into the air. "Good-bye, Link," Saria muttered cruelly.
Realizing what was coming, Link rolled forward just as Saria brought her foot down. Saria's gigantic boot missed him by mere inches, but the shockwave created by her stomp was so powerful, it propelled him into the air a few feet. Link landed painfully on his back, and since he was now looking straight up, he could see he was directly underneath Saria.... and that she was bringing up her other foot.
Link sprang back up and rolled away again, barely avoiding becoming a greasy stain on the sole of Saria's boot. But once again, the shockwave knocked him up into the air and he landed flat on his face. Link quickly scrambled back onto his feet and pulled out his Bunny Hood; it was obvious he needed the extra speed to evade Saria's crushing feet.
With the enhanced speed granted by the Bunny Hood, Link ran out from underneath Saria and back to the colosseum entrance. *I'd better get out of here for now,* he thought panickingly. *I'll have to come up with a plan and come back....*
But as he neared the exit, Link saw that an iron portcullis had been lowered in front of it. Even as a Goron he would have no luck in removing the obstacle.
"THERE'S NO ESCAPE, LINK!!!" Saria's voice boomed, and Link could tell she was only a couple dozen feet behind him. Link turned around and looked up, seeing Saria glaring down at him, her features betraying a sense of vindictive delight. "Your Ocarina won't let you get away, either. It's just you and me down here, and sooner or later, I'LL CRUSH YOU!!!"
To emphasize her point, she leaned forward and tried to stomp on Link again. But thanks to the Bunny Hood, Link was able to evade her. *This is nuts!* he thought hopelessly. *How am I supposed to fight my best friend?! I can't hurt her!!*
Link looked up and saw her other foot coming down fast. He dived out of the way just as Saria's boot slammed into the colosseum floor. *Then again, I should be more worried about making sure she doesn't KILL me!!*
It was then that Link noticed another opening in the stone walls surrounding the arena. Link doubted it led out of the colosseum, but it would probably let him hide for a few minutes and catch his breath, and it most likely led to the upper levels. If so, then he would have time to come up with a plan and perhaps get at Saria some other way. At the very least, he'd be out of reach of her feet.
Deciding it was his best chance, Link dashed toward the opening. Almost immediately he heard Saria give chase, her deafening footfalls almost knocking him off his feet. But thankfully, he reached the passageway a split second before Saria would've been on top of him.
The passageway led to a dimly-lit, winding tunnel, where the walls had vines and moss growing all over. *If this place is like Goron City,* Link thought, *I should be able to find some way up to the top levels, and then maybe....*
"You can't hide from me that way, Link!" Saria bellowed, her voice echoing through the tunnels. "I've got eyes everywhere!"
Link briefly wondered what she meant by that, but didn't have long to ponder. As he dashed through the tunnel, a Deku Baba suddenly burst out of the ground right in front of him, and a second emerged from the left wall, just behind the first one. Link deftly dispatched the plant monsters with his sword, but their appearance unnerved him. *Oh no, is Saria able to control all the plants in here?* he thought nervously.
Link then came to a left-right junction. Deciding it was best to keep moving, Link quickly picked the right path, and was rewarded by a flight of stairs stretched out in front of him. His intuition had proven correct: there was a way to the upper levels.
After climbing the stairs, the tunnel stretched onward toward the left. Link continued to run, hoping to find a way back out into the main colosseum. *Then again, what use is it?* he thought glumly. *What chance do I have? What good are my weapons against her?*
As Link was trying to think of a plan of attack, he turned right at another fork. What awaited around the bend was a giant hand, ready to grab hold of him. It was as if Saria knew exactly where he'd show up.
"What the?!!!" Link yelped in surprise as Saria's hand loomed closer to snatch him up. He had no time to wonder how Saria figured out where he was - he had to act fast or else Saria would have him. He unsheathed his sword and plunged it up into the palm of her hand.
An ear-splitting scream of pain resounded throughout the colosseum and echoed into the tunnels. Saria withdrew her arm from the tunnel, leaving Link to stare at his sword. His sword had gone in up to the hilt, and was now coated in viscous, crimson blood.
At the beginning, Link had hoped that wasn't actually Saria he was facing, but the blood on his sword was proof it was a living being out there. This wasn't some machine like the Desert Colossus copy, or some sort of elaborate illusion. There was no doubt about it.... that was the REAL Saria out there!
*It's really her out there!* Link thought, unable to deny it any longer. *But how.... how did this happen to her? Maybe whatever brought her here.... something must be manipulating her.*
Link then saw Saria's hand coming for him again, and decided it was best to retreat. *I don't get it!* Link thought irritably. *How did she know where I was? What...*
And then, after once again noticing the moss and vines, it hit him. The plants. Through them, Saria could sense exactly where he was. If that was the case, there was no chance of eluding her. Unless....
Link took off his Bunny Hood, and then slapped on his Stone Mask. Then he continued his trek through the tunnels, praying the mask would let him elude Saria. He made it back to the fork and this time went down the left path. As soon as he did, he saw Deku Babas had sprouted along the hall, snapping wildly in every direction.
*It worked,* Link thought. *Saria can't sense me anymore, so she's trying to find me via the Deku Babas.* He then cautiously went forward, doing his best to sneak by the plant creatures without touching them. If he hoped to catch Saria off-guard somehow, he couldn't give her any clues of his whereabouts.
Eventually, he found some stairs, and then a path that led out onto the colloseum's third level. But this time, there was no giant, child-like hand trying to grab hold of him. Link cautiously crept out onto the third level and peered down below; Saria was hunched over about fifty feet away, looking at other exits along the second level. She obviously hoped to catch him whenever he emerged.
*Here's my chance,* Link thought as he took out his bow and powered up a light arrow. *If something evil's affected her, maybe some light arrows will dispel it.* He hoped his remaining magic energy was enough, since he had no green medicine to replenish it.
Link fired off a light arrow and it hit her on the side of the head. Saria immediately turned toward Link and stared fixedly at him. Apparently the Stone Mask couldn't hide him from Saria's own eyes. Saria stood up again and stomped toward Link, who hastily fired more light arrows at her. If the arrows had any affect, Saria did not show it.
"So much for that idea," Link spat dejectedly as he turned and ran across the third level. He realized it was foolish to believe that any of his weapons - even the light arrow - could do any damage to Saria. She was far too massive now.
Link didn't have much luck staying ahead of the titanic Kokiri; she had broke into a run and made it to the area in front of him. The third platform came up to her shoulders, but it was still low enough to let her attack Link. She formed a fist with her right hand and tried to bring it down onto Link. But Link turned and ran in the opposite direction just as her fist came down onto the platform with a thunderous crash. He then took off the Stone Mask and donned the Bunny Hood again, and just in time too. Saria had then tried to swat him with her outstretched hand, and she would have succeeded if Link had been any slower.
*There's GOT to be some way of stopping her!!* Link thought desperately as he continued running, racking his brains trying to figure out a way. He couldn't see how any of his old weapons or masks would help, but what about some of the new gear he had found? No, the magnetic gauntlet was useless too, since there was no metal in Saria's body to manipulate. And what could the seed shooter possibly do?
But the treasure found in a dungeon was almost always instrumental in defeating its guardian. Seeing no other choice, Link loaded a seed into the shooter, turned around, and fired it at Saria's face.
Link's sudden motion caught Saria off-guard, and she had no chance to block the incoming seed. It hit her on the tip of her nose, cracking open and releasing its noxious gas. The resulting cloud of gas encompassed Saria's entire face, and she accidently breathed it in. "Ugh!!" Saria muttered, then she slumped to the floor, gagging and coughing uncontrollably.
Link peered over the edge and saw Saria was on all fours, still coughing violently. *Of course, the gas in the seeds!* thought Link, slightly encouraged. *But it's only temporary. Soon she'll....*
Just as Link expected, Saria soon stopped coughing and was back on her feet. She turned back toward Link, both hands clenched tightly into fists, and she looked madder than ever. *ACK!! I knew it! What good are the seeds if they only stun....*
And then, out of the corner of his eye, Link saw something on the platform he had missed before: a Deku Flower.
This gave Link an idea. It was a longshot, but it was probably the only way of knocking Saria out.
Saria clamped her fists and tried to bring them down onto Link, but once again he managed to elude her. Good thing, too, because they made part of the platform crumble away. The impact almost knocked Link off his feet, but he forced himself to keep his balance as he reloaded his seed shooter and fired. This time, however, Saria saw it coming, and ducked her head.
*Oh great,* thought Link as he popped in another seed. But Saria didn't give him another chance to fire; she swept along the platform with her right hand, hoping to scoop Link up. Link managed to evade her by quickly backing up against the wall.
*Got to make another direct hit, or I'm cooked!* Link thought fearfully. But Saria would probably dodge another direct assault, so he had to find a way to get the seed to rebound and hit her. Fortunately, there was a support pillar to Link's right, and that gave him the opportunity he needed. As Saria reached for him again, Link turned and fired the seed at the pillar. It ricocheted and hit Saria's cheek, releasing its sallow gas. Once again, she slumped down to the colosseum floor while coughing non-stop.
*Gotta move FAST!!* Link thought with a sense of urgency as he jumped over the gap in the platform and ran up to the Deku Flower. He then slapped on his Deku Mask, transformed into a diminutive scrub, and burrowed himself into it. When he launched out of the flower, it propelled him almost a hundred feet into the air.
*YES!!!* Link thought as he maneuvered himself with the propeller flowers, trying to position himself above Saria. Once he was directly over Saria's head, he took off the Deku Mask. As he was reverting to his human form, he slapped on the Goron Mask and turned into Darmani. He had done all this in one swift motion, so by the time he was a Goron, he had only fallen about ten feet.
*Saria, please forgive me for this,* he thought somberly as he curled up his body and forced himself downward using his pound maneuver. His curled form plummeted straight down with incredible velocity, and his sharp spikes protruded as well....
And just as Saria was recovering from the seed's gas, he slammed directly onto the top of her head with a sickening smack. Link rolled off Saria's head and hit the ground hard. The impact was a little painful, but while curled up, it wasn't fatal. He then uncurled to see what had been accomplished.
Looking up, Link saw Saria covering the top of her head with both hands, her eyes screwed shut and her teeth clenched tightly. He could even see some blood trickling through her green hair down onto her forehead.
It had worked. He had finally found a way to hurt Saria. A few more impacts like that, and he could knock her unconscious. But Link couldn't help feeling guilty for inflicting such pain on Saria, and continued to stare up at her regretfully.
Eventually, Saria regained her senses and stood up again, and looked around until she spotted Link. "Good move, but not good enough!!" she bellowed as she moved in to stomp him.
This snapped Link to attention, and he curled up again and wheeled away from her. As he continued rolling, his spikes popped out and his magic kicked in, and he went even faster. Eventually, he made it back to the tunnel entrance on the first level, but he had depleted the last of his magic power.
*Won't be able to use that to avoid her anymore,* he thought as removed the Goron Mask. He then slapped the Stone Mask back on once he was human again, and starting retracing his steps through the tunnels to reach the Deku Flower on the third level, careful to avoid the probing Deku Babas.
As he climbed the stairs that led to the third floor, Link could hear Saria scream, "Oh, by the way, don't count on using that Deku Flower again!!"
*Huh?! How'd she figure it out?* Link thought confusedly as he made his way through the tunnels. Eventually, he made it back to outer platform, and turned to look where the Deku Flower was....
That part of the platform was gone. It looked as if Saria has ripped it clean off.
"Looking for this?" he heard Saria ask smugly. Link turned in the direction of her booming voice, and saw her standing a few dozen meters away, glaring at him and holding the platform piece in her hand. "You want it? Here!" she sneered as she reached back to toss it.
Link ran to the right just as Saria hurled the concrete slab. And slammed into the colosseum walls with tremendous force, missing Link by only a few feet. *Great, my once chance to beat her, gone! Now what.... wait a minute, there's got to be another flower somewhere else!* he reasoned.
After dodging another attempt by Saria to swat him, Link ran to the edge of the platform and glanced at the level below. Fortune was with him, for on the level beneath him was another Deku Flower.
Wasting no time, Link reloaded his seed shooter and leaped down to the second level. After coming out of a roll, he fired the seed at Saria's face, who didn't have enough time to move her head. The giant Kokiri girl collapsed yet again, her violent coughing echoing throughout the arena.
And so, Link repeated the process: launching himself from the flower, transforming from Deku scrub to Goron while in midair, and crashing down onto Saria's head while curled up.
This time, though, Saria was on her feet again almost immediately after Link was back on the ground. Instead of trying to squash him, however, she reached out and grabbed the part of the second level that had the Deku Flower, and promptly yanked it off.
Saria hurled it down at Link, but by now he was in human form again and wearing the Bunny Hood, so he easily dashed out of harm's way. Then he started running back to the passage on the ground level, but Saria moved in to try and stomp him. Link glanced upward to see the incoming foot, and also caught a glimpse of Saria's face. Even more blood was trickling down through her hair, and unsurprisingly, she looked even angrier than before.
Link easily dodged Saria's foot and dashed into the tunnel, then switched the Bunny Hood for the Stone Mask and began sneaking through the tunnels again. *The flowers on the second and third levels are gone,* Link thought. *But maybe there's one more on the top level.*
After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to find his way out onto the fourth level. He looked around nervously, anticipating an attack at any moment. But there was no sign of Saria, and then Link realized she wasn't tall enough to attack him on the fourth level. "Finally I catch a break," he muttered as he ran along the circular platform, looking for another Deku Flower.
But Link didn't run far before he heard a resonating rumbling noise from below. Wondering what Saria was up to, Link looked over the edge....
And Saria's head shot up and loomed over the platform. She had climbed up to reach the fourth level.
Saria's sudden appearance shocked Link so much that he staggered backwards, almost falling. Fortunately, he got over his surprise long enough to spot her left hand reaching for him. He quickly donned the Bunny Hood and darted to the left as fast as he could, and Saria went after him, edging along the colosseum.
Thankfully, Link soon found what he was looking for: the last Deku Flower. As soon as he was near enough, he loaded his seed shooter and whirled around. He had been just in time: Saria was now only about ten meters away, and she was ready to swat him with her right hand. Link promptly fired the seed at her face, and once again his swift actions caught her unawares and she accidently inhaled the gas.
The results were predictable. Saria lost all sense of balance, not to mention her grip and footholds on the colosseum platforms. She crashed down onto the arena floor, and the entire colosseum shook with the force of an erupting volcano. Link then transformed into a Deku scrub and launched himself out of the one remaining flower. As he looked down, he saw Saria was flat on her back, both hands clamped around her throat.
As Link positioned himself over her head, he silently prayed that this final impact would be enough to knock her unconscious. Not only would Saria undoubtedly remove the last Deku Flower if she recovered, but Link didn't feel as if he could cope with battling her anymore. It had tore him up inside every time he gassed her and slammed into her head as a Goron.
Eventually, Link was in the right position. He switched from his Deku form to his Goron one, and curled up and dropped down. He slammed into the middle of Saria's forehead, and this time he could feel her warm, sticky blood ooze out of the punctures his spikes made. Link almost felt like vomiting. He had drawn blood plenty of times before, but being forced to draw the blood of his best friend was too much to bear.
Link rolled off her forehead and down to the floor, took off his Goron Mask, and turned to look at Saria while backing away. Saria's eyes were shut, her arms were sprawled out, and except for the slow rising and falling of her chest, she wasn't moving at all. It looked as if he had triumphed, but for him, it didn't feel like a victory.
For a few minutes, Link just stood there, staring blankly at the knocked-out Kokiri. "What now?" he thought aloud with uncertainty. "Saria obviously has the mask's power now. Where is it though? To get it, do I have to.... kill her?!"
As that horrible thought raced through his mind, Link became aware of a wetness all along his back. He reached back and touched it, then looked at his hand. It was Saria's blood. It was still all over his backside.
Link continued to stare down at his blood-soaked hand, sickened by what he had done, and horrified by the notion that he'd have to slay her to get the second Giant's Mask. But a sudden shifting sound snapped him back to attention.
Looking up, Link saw that Saria had regained consciousness, and had shifted her head to glare hatefully at Link. If she was truly being manipulated by some sinister force, those blows to the head sure as hell hadn't freed her from it. And before Link could move away from the awakened giantess, Saria reached over with her right hand and grabbed hold of him. She had finally gotten him.
Saria slowly stood up, all the while glaring at Link as she held him tightly in her enclosed hand. Her grasp was unbearably tight, and Link struggled with all his might to free himself. But it was no use: Saria had more strength in one hand than he did in his entire body.
"You know, I was going to make your death quick and easy," Saria sneered as she rubbed her bloodied, aching forehead. "But now that you've REALLY pissed me off, I'm going to finish you nice and slow. Good-bye, old friend."
And with that, Saria began to steadily tighten her grip, slowly crushing Link to death. "Ack!! No!! Saria, please!! Don't do this!! Y-you can't... AAHHH!!!"
But Saria paid no attention to Link's pleas for mercy. She merely continued to stare at him icily as she tightened her hold on him even more. The pain was becoming too much, and Link knew that in another few seconds his body would snap in half. And now, everything was going black....
But suddenly, he was snapped back into consciousness by the sensation of being shaken about violently, and for some reason, Saria's grip was loosening. *Wha... what's going on?* Link thought, still in a painful daze. As his vision returned, he looked up at Saria.
And behind her, he saw Zelda. She had brought her left arm underneath Saria's armpit and slung it around her chest, pulling the Kokiri girl up against her. And Link saw that the princess's right arm was stretched out toward him.
"Let him go! LET HIM GO!!" Zelda shrieked in a deafening voice as she held onto the struggling Kokiri girl. Link looked around, and saw Zelda's fingers were wrapped around Saria's fist, trying to pry him loose from her grip.
In one swift action, Zelda shoved Saria forward so that her fist was positioned over the second level's outer platform. Then she pulled Saria's fist apart, finally freeing Link and letting him drop onto the platform.
"Link, hide!!" ordered the princess as he struggled to stand up. Then she turned around and threw Saria against the ground, and the tremor caused by the impact almost made Link trip and fall off the platform. But he kept his balance and ran behind a nearby support pillar.
"You fool!! You saved me the trouble of finding you!!" Link heard Saria scream, followed by the sound of loud footfalls coming closer. Link peered out from behind the pillar to see Saria rashly charging at Zelda.
But despite having become a giantess like Zelda, Saria had only acquired the same proportions the princess had. Thus, Zelda was about forty feet taller and had much more physical strength. She lashed out with both hands and effortlessly shoved Saria backwards, and she stumbled and fell yet again.
"Saria, I'm sorry about this," Zelda said in a regretful tone. "But it's for your own good." From his vantage point behind the pillar, Link saw her hands begin to glow brightly with magical energy. As Saria was standing up, Zelda lurched forward, and then the whole colosseum became illuminated with blazing magical light.
Link retreated back behind the pillar and tightly shut his eyes, praying that the princess knew what she was doing. He couldn't see what was going on, but he could hear the distinctive sounds of punches being thrown and the shocks of magical energy.
After about a minute, the flashes of light ceased, as did the sounds of battle. Then Link heard Zelda say, "Come on out, Link. It's over."
*Oh no, don't let that mean that.... that....* Link began to think fearfully as he came out from behind the pillar. He was greeted by the sight of Zelda's enormous face looming over the platform, worry and sorrow etched in her features.
"Link, are you OK?" Zelda asked shakily.
His entire body ached from Saria's attempt to crush him to death, and he was exhausted from the battle. "I'm.... alive," Link said at length. But he was more concerned about Saria. "What about Saria? Where... what happened to...."
Zelda hung her head shamefully, then brought up her outstretched hand for Link to see. In the palm of her hand lay Saria's still body, back to her normal size. Also in her hand was what looked like a wooden mask - a wooden mask shaped like his old Giant's Mask.
Link leaped up onto her hand and kneeled by Saria's unconscious body, feeling for her pulse. Once again, it was disturbingly faint. "She's herself again. I undid whatever power made her insane," Zelda said lugubriously as he examined his friend's body. "She was obviously brought here to serve as this dungeon's guardian. Some evil force toyed with her emotions, making her jealousy rage out of control. Then she was granted the mask's power, and...."
But Link wasn't really listening to Zelda's explanation; he was more preoccupied with the knocked-out Kokiri. "She loved me, and I never knew," he breathed sorrowfully. "All this time, and I never suspected. I-I never...."
He then scooped Saria up into his arms and hugged her tightly. "Oh Saria, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," he said apologetically, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cradled Saria while sitting in the palm of Zelda's hand.
******
Link walked into Saria's house, holding its tenant in his arms. He looked down at his friend again; she now had bandages wrapped around her head and left hand - the areas where Link had drawn blood during their battle. That knowledge still turned Link's stomach. Whatever force safeguarded that sanctuary must be truly sick if it chose Saria, his oldest friend, to be the giant-sized guardian of the mansion.
Shaking his head, Link walked over to Saria's bed and gently laid her down. Link stared at her unmoving body for a monent, then in a pleading voice he said, "Saria, I hope you can find it in heart to forgive me. I don't know if I can forgive myself.... for hurting you this way. I-I cant...."
An astonished yelp from the doorway cut Link off. He turned to see Mido standing there, a look of confusion on his face. "You? Wha-what are you doing here?!"
Link didn't say anything in response. He merely looked back down at Saria's battered body. Mido then saw what he was looking at and ran over to the bed. "Saria?! Her fairy said that something kidnapped her," Mido said as he looked her over.
"Those bandages.... what happened?" Mido asked accusingly. Then he whirled and eyed Link with a cold stare. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!!!"
Link merely hung his head, and said, "I broke her heart."
He then turned to leave, leaving Mido beside Saria's bed. "Mido, do me a favor," he called back. "When she wakes up, tell her.... I'm sorry. Tell her she has every right to be angry with me." And before Mido could say anything in response, Link took out the Ocarina of Time, played the Song of Soaring, and vanished in a swirl of white feathers.
******
Link reappeared by the overpass that led to the Snowhead Temple. It was now midnight, but now that the half-moon was unobscured by clouds, one could make out some of the environment. The snow that had blanketed the region had almost completely melted due to the arrival of spring. It was a good thing, too, since an abundance of snow would have proven troublesome for him and his companion.
Link leaned over the right side of the naturally-formed rock bridge, stuck his fingers in his mouth, and whistled loudly. His whistle echoed throughout the entire area; no doubt she would hear it.
And indeed she did. Seconds later, he could hear the sounds of someone down below climbing up the mountainous walls. Someone big.
Soon enough, Zelda's gigantic head came up to the right of the owl statue Link had appeared by. One look at her, and it was obvious that the events of the past day had weighed heavily on her. Her hair was a mess, and she looked as if she would pass out from exhaustion, much like he did. "Link, you're back already?" she asked him.
"Yeah, why?" Link asked, confused by her question.
Zelda shook her head. "No reason, really. I figured you'd stay with Saria for a while."
"She's still out cold," said Link. "And besides, it's too painful to be around her right now, after what happened."
Zelda could tell that Link still was feeling guilty about Saria, but she couldn't think of anything to say that would alleviate his grief. At length, she simply said, "Climb on," and Link obliging leaped onto her shoulder and grabbed some of her hair to secure himself.
Then began Zelda's climb downward into the valley below the Snowhead area. Link had brought her here, thinking its vastness made it an ideal place for her to sleep after a long day's trek across Termina.
Soon enough, Zelda had reached the bottom, and turned and slumped down against the mountainous wall. She then reached down and grabbed a nearby patch of large mushrooms - the same kind of mushrooms found within the cave she and Link had taken residence in. Zelda tore off a little piece of a mushroom and handed it to Link. "Here, eat up," she told him, then she ravenously stuffed the rest into her mouth.
"Still hungry?" Link asked her as he prodded the mushroom piece with his finger, not really feeling like eating.
"Yes. The last time I ate anything was this morning, remember?" Zelda replied. "Besides, you should be hungrier than me, considering all you had to go through today."
Link tossed his mushroom portion down into the valley below. "I can't eat," he said dejectedly. "I'm too angry at myself right now."
"Link...." Zelda breathed, knowing that he was still overcome with guilt about Saria, but not knowing what to say about it.
"I hadn't the faintest clue about how she felt about me, and I broke her heart!" Link said loathingly. "And now.... now I feel so guilty, knowing that I've found love, but she's left with nothing but shattered dreams."
Zelda still couldn't think of anything to say that would allay Link's anguish. After all, she felt a little bad about the situation herself: she was the one Link had chosen over Saria.
So Zelda chose to try and comfort Link throught different means. She reached up and plucked Link off her shoulder and placed him on her chest.
"WHAT THE?!" Link cried out in confusion once he figured out where the princess had put him. "Zelda, what are you...."
Link's voice trailed off as Zelda slung her forearm across her chest, pressing his tiny body closer to her and hugging him tightly. "Hush, Link. You shouldn't blame yourself," she said softly, bringing up her fingertip to pet his head gently. "Like you said, you had no idea."
Link tried to think of something to say, but the exhaustion from conquering two separate dungeons in one day was finally catching up to him. He slowly drifted off to sleep, sandwiched between her hard arm muscles and soft breasts, and enveloped in her comforting warmth.
******
Inspiration can come from the weirdest places. Remember Neversoft's excellent Spider-Man game on the PS1? In that game, there was a boss battle where Spidey fought a giant Mysterio robot. That's what inspired this chapter.
Oh, and since this is the next-to-last chapter (I hope) , I wanna clear something up. After talking with a couple readers, I've realized that some people must think I'm a girl. I guess it's logical to assume that, since there's a lot of mushy, romantic moments. Well, believe it or not, I'm a guy. A guy who obviously has an unhealthy fondness for supersized ladies, but a guy nonetheless.
So long,
Grey
a Legend of Zelda romance fic
Chapter 15: Attack of the 60-Foot Kokiri
6-8-2005
by Grey
Disclaimer: I don't own the Zelda series or any of its characters; Nintendo and the series' creator Shigeru Miyamoto do. So don't sue me or anything.
This fic is dedicated to CubedCinder128, for what I hope are obvious reasons.
******
Princess Zelda leaned back against the walls of the mansion, rubbing her aching hand. It still hurt from punching a hole through the stone walls. In addition, the burn on her back from Twinrova's heat blast was still stinging as well. She reached back and felt where the blast had burned through her dress. It still stung when she touched it, eliciting a loud hiss from her.
*Oh, get over it,* she thought scoldingly. *Link's suffered a lot worse and he never complains.*
Sighing, Zelda stared up into the night sky. Some of the thick clouds had finally blown away, giving the princess a clear view of the stars and the half-moon. For a while, the beauty of the heavens was able to distract her. It was a good thing too; it had been over half an hour since she had last spoken with Link, and she had no idea how far he had gotten since then.
But all of a sudden, Zelda received a progress report in the most unexpected of ways. The bond between her and Saria.... somehow, it was working again, and the princess could feel faint traces of the Kokiri girl's emotions.
Zelda gasped from the shock of the bond being reestablished, but then forced herself to focus. Here was an opportunity to find some answers. As she focused her mind, Saria's emotions came through much clearer. Clearly, she was feeling some powerful emotions at the moment....
But as Zelda concentrated harder, she found Saria was feeling something much different from before. These weren't flashes of paralyzing fear, like before. Now, the princess was receiving flashes of intense hatred and all-consuming jealousy.
"What?!" Zelda blurted out, confused by what she was sensing. "What's with all the anger? Why is she...."
Then Zelda caught a glimpse of what Saria was SEEING. She was looking down at the ground, and there was.... a tiny man? Upon closer inspection, Zelda recognized who Saria was looking down at: it was Link!
*What the.... did Link shrink?* Zelda thought nervously. Then the vision of what Saria was seeing came through even clearer, and the princess could make out their surroundings. Wherever the two of them were, it was some sort of huge colosseum, probably buried deep underground. *No, Saria must have grown giant-sized....*
And then, Zelda picked up those feelings of venomous hatred and envy once more. And this time, she was able to find out who Saria's anger was directed at.... LINK!
"OH NO!!" Zelda cried out as she stood up, realizing what was going on. Somehow, the power of THIS sanctuary's Giant's Mask had infused itself with Saria. And now, for some reason, Saria's heart was filled with rage.... and she was going to kill Link!!!
"No, I've got to stop her! I've got to save Link!!" she cried out desperately. She concentrated, trying to pinpoint Saria's location. Once the princess was confident she had located the colosseum she was in, she summoned up her magic and used Farore's Wind....
And almost immediately, she was hit with some sort of energy backlash. It felt as if her body had been struck by lightning.... and not even a giantess could withstand that. Zelda fell backward and her giant body slammed onto the marshy ground, creating a loud earthquake.
******
Link continued to stare up dumbly at the colossal Kokiri girl, still not believing what he was seeing. A giant Zelda had been bizarre enough to begin with, but now a giant SARIA?!! And he had never seen Saria look so enraged and hateful before. How could the kindly, gentle girl he grew up with now be so full of hatred and jealousy?
Saria took a broad step forward, and the whole colosseum trembled from her the force of her footstep. She was now only a few meters in front of Link, and then she lifted her foot high up into the air. "Good-bye, Link," Saria muttered cruelly.
Realizing what was coming, Link rolled forward just as Saria brought her foot down. Saria's gigantic boot missed him by mere inches, but the shockwave created by her stomp was so powerful, it propelled him into the air a few feet. Link landed painfully on his back, and since he was now looking straight up, he could see he was directly underneath Saria.... and that she was bringing up her other foot.
Link sprang back up and rolled away again, barely avoiding becoming a greasy stain on the sole of Saria's boot. But once again, the shockwave knocked him up into the air and he landed flat on his face. Link quickly scrambled back onto his feet and pulled out his Bunny Hood; it was obvious he needed the extra speed to evade Saria's crushing feet.
With the enhanced speed granted by the Bunny Hood, Link ran out from underneath Saria and back to the colosseum entrance. *I'd better get out of here for now,* he thought panickingly. *I'll have to come up with a plan and come back....*
But as he neared the exit, Link saw that an iron portcullis had been lowered in front of it. Even as a Goron he would have no luck in removing the obstacle.
"THERE'S NO ESCAPE, LINK!!!" Saria's voice boomed, and Link could tell she was only a couple dozen feet behind him. Link turned around and looked up, seeing Saria glaring down at him, her features betraying a sense of vindictive delight. "Your Ocarina won't let you get away, either. It's just you and me down here, and sooner or later, I'LL CRUSH YOU!!!"
To emphasize her point, she leaned forward and tried to stomp on Link again. But thanks to the Bunny Hood, Link was able to evade her. *This is nuts!* he thought hopelessly. *How am I supposed to fight my best friend?! I can't hurt her!!*
Link looked up and saw her other foot coming down fast. He dived out of the way just as Saria's boot slammed into the colosseum floor. *Then again, I should be more worried about making sure she doesn't KILL me!!*
It was then that Link noticed another opening in the stone walls surrounding the arena. Link doubted it led out of the colosseum, but it would probably let him hide for a few minutes and catch his breath, and it most likely led to the upper levels. If so, then he would have time to come up with a plan and perhaps get at Saria some other way. At the very least, he'd be out of reach of her feet.
Deciding it was his best chance, Link dashed toward the opening. Almost immediately he heard Saria give chase, her deafening footfalls almost knocking him off his feet. But thankfully, he reached the passageway a split second before Saria would've been on top of him.
The passageway led to a dimly-lit, winding tunnel, where the walls had vines and moss growing all over. *If this place is like Goron City,* Link thought, *I should be able to find some way up to the top levels, and then maybe....*
"You can't hide from me that way, Link!" Saria bellowed, her voice echoing through the tunnels. "I've got eyes everywhere!"
Link briefly wondered what she meant by that, but didn't have long to ponder. As he dashed through the tunnel, a Deku Baba suddenly burst out of the ground right in front of him, and a second emerged from the left wall, just behind the first one. Link deftly dispatched the plant monsters with his sword, but their appearance unnerved him. *Oh no, is Saria able to control all the plants in here?* he thought nervously.
Link then came to a left-right junction. Deciding it was best to keep moving, Link quickly picked the right path, and was rewarded by a flight of stairs stretched out in front of him. His intuition had proven correct: there was a way to the upper levels.
After climbing the stairs, the tunnel stretched onward toward the left. Link continued to run, hoping to find a way back out into the main colosseum. *Then again, what use is it?* he thought glumly. *What chance do I have? What good are my weapons against her?*
As Link was trying to think of a plan of attack, he turned right at another fork. What awaited around the bend was a giant hand, ready to grab hold of him. It was as if Saria knew exactly where he'd show up.
"What the?!!!" Link yelped in surprise as Saria's hand loomed closer to snatch him up. He had no time to wonder how Saria figured out where he was - he had to act fast or else Saria would have him. He unsheathed his sword and plunged it up into the palm of her hand.
An ear-splitting scream of pain resounded throughout the colosseum and echoed into the tunnels. Saria withdrew her arm from the tunnel, leaving Link to stare at his sword. His sword had gone in up to the hilt, and was now coated in viscous, crimson blood.
At the beginning, Link had hoped that wasn't actually Saria he was facing, but the blood on his sword was proof it was a living being out there. This wasn't some machine like the Desert Colossus copy, or some sort of elaborate illusion. There was no doubt about it.... that was the REAL Saria out there!
*It's really her out there!* Link thought, unable to deny it any longer. *But how.... how did this happen to her? Maybe whatever brought her here.... something must be manipulating her.*
Link then saw Saria's hand coming for him again, and decided it was best to retreat. *I don't get it!* Link thought irritably. *How did she know where I was? What...*
And then, after once again noticing the moss and vines, it hit him. The plants. Through them, Saria could sense exactly where he was. If that was the case, there was no chance of eluding her. Unless....
Link took off his Bunny Hood, and then slapped on his Stone Mask. Then he continued his trek through the tunnels, praying the mask would let him elude Saria. He made it back to the fork and this time went down the left path. As soon as he did, he saw Deku Babas had sprouted along the hall, snapping wildly in every direction.
*It worked,* Link thought. *Saria can't sense me anymore, so she's trying to find me via the Deku Babas.* He then cautiously went forward, doing his best to sneak by the plant creatures without touching them. If he hoped to catch Saria off-guard somehow, he couldn't give her any clues of his whereabouts.
Eventually, he found some stairs, and then a path that led out onto the colloseum's third level. But this time, there was no giant, child-like hand trying to grab hold of him. Link cautiously crept out onto the third level and peered down below; Saria was hunched over about fifty feet away, looking at other exits along the second level. She obviously hoped to catch him whenever he emerged.
*Here's my chance,* Link thought as he took out his bow and powered up a light arrow. *If something evil's affected her, maybe some light arrows will dispel it.* He hoped his remaining magic energy was enough, since he had no green medicine to replenish it.
Link fired off a light arrow and it hit her on the side of the head. Saria immediately turned toward Link and stared fixedly at him. Apparently the Stone Mask couldn't hide him from Saria's own eyes. Saria stood up again and stomped toward Link, who hastily fired more light arrows at her. If the arrows had any affect, Saria did not show it.
"So much for that idea," Link spat dejectedly as he turned and ran across the third level. He realized it was foolish to believe that any of his weapons - even the light arrow - could do any damage to Saria. She was far too massive now.
Link didn't have much luck staying ahead of the titanic Kokiri; she had broke into a run and made it to the area in front of him. The third platform came up to her shoulders, but it was still low enough to let her attack Link. She formed a fist with her right hand and tried to bring it down onto Link. But Link turned and ran in the opposite direction just as her fist came down onto the platform with a thunderous crash. He then took off the Stone Mask and donned the Bunny Hood again, and just in time too. Saria had then tried to swat him with her outstretched hand, and she would have succeeded if Link had been any slower.
*There's GOT to be some way of stopping her!!* Link thought desperately as he continued running, racking his brains trying to figure out a way. He couldn't see how any of his old weapons or masks would help, but what about some of the new gear he had found? No, the magnetic gauntlet was useless too, since there was no metal in Saria's body to manipulate. And what could the seed shooter possibly do?
But the treasure found in a dungeon was almost always instrumental in defeating its guardian. Seeing no other choice, Link loaded a seed into the shooter, turned around, and fired it at Saria's face.
Link's sudden motion caught Saria off-guard, and she had no chance to block the incoming seed. It hit her on the tip of her nose, cracking open and releasing its noxious gas. The resulting cloud of gas encompassed Saria's entire face, and she accidently breathed it in. "Ugh!!" Saria muttered, then she slumped to the floor, gagging and coughing uncontrollably.
Link peered over the edge and saw Saria was on all fours, still coughing violently. *Of course, the gas in the seeds!* thought Link, slightly encouraged. *But it's only temporary. Soon she'll....*
Just as Link expected, Saria soon stopped coughing and was back on her feet. She turned back toward Link, both hands clenched tightly into fists, and she looked madder than ever. *ACK!! I knew it! What good are the seeds if they only stun....*
And then, out of the corner of his eye, Link saw something on the platform he had missed before: a Deku Flower.
This gave Link an idea. It was a longshot, but it was probably the only way of knocking Saria out.
Saria clamped her fists and tried to bring them down onto Link, but once again he managed to elude her. Good thing, too, because they made part of the platform crumble away. The impact almost knocked Link off his feet, but he forced himself to keep his balance as he reloaded his seed shooter and fired. This time, however, Saria saw it coming, and ducked her head.
*Oh great,* thought Link as he popped in another seed. But Saria didn't give him another chance to fire; she swept along the platform with her right hand, hoping to scoop Link up. Link managed to evade her by quickly backing up against the wall.
*Got to make another direct hit, or I'm cooked!* Link thought fearfully. But Saria would probably dodge another direct assault, so he had to find a way to get the seed to rebound and hit her. Fortunately, there was a support pillar to Link's right, and that gave him the opportunity he needed. As Saria reached for him again, Link turned and fired the seed at the pillar. It ricocheted and hit Saria's cheek, releasing its sallow gas. Once again, she slumped down to the colosseum floor while coughing non-stop.
*Gotta move FAST!!* Link thought with a sense of urgency as he jumped over the gap in the platform and ran up to the Deku Flower. He then slapped on his Deku Mask, transformed into a diminutive scrub, and burrowed himself into it. When he launched out of the flower, it propelled him almost a hundred feet into the air.
*YES!!!* Link thought as he maneuvered himself with the propeller flowers, trying to position himself above Saria. Once he was directly over Saria's head, he took off the Deku Mask. As he was reverting to his human form, he slapped on the Goron Mask and turned into Darmani. He had done all this in one swift motion, so by the time he was a Goron, he had only fallen about ten feet.
*Saria, please forgive me for this,* he thought somberly as he curled up his body and forced himself downward using his pound maneuver. His curled form plummeted straight down with incredible velocity, and his sharp spikes protruded as well....
And just as Saria was recovering from the seed's gas, he slammed directly onto the top of her head with a sickening smack. Link rolled off Saria's head and hit the ground hard. The impact was a little painful, but while curled up, it wasn't fatal. He then uncurled to see what had been accomplished.
Looking up, Link saw Saria covering the top of her head with both hands, her eyes screwed shut and her teeth clenched tightly. He could even see some blood trickling through her green hair down onto her forehead.
It had worked. He had finally found a way to hurt Saria. A few more impacts like that, and he could knock her unconscious. But Link couldn't help feeling guilty for inflicting such pain on Saria, and continued to stare up at her regretfully.
Eventually, Saria regained her senses and stood up again, and looked around until she spotted Link. "Good move, but not good enough!!" she bellowed as she moved in to stomp him.
This snapped Link to attention, and he curled up again and wheeled away from her. As he continued rolling, his spikes popped out and his magic kicked in, and he went even faster. Eventually, he made it back to the tunnel entrance on the first level, but he had depleted the last of his magic power.
*Won't be able to use that to avoid her anymore,* he thought as removed the Goron Mask. He then slapped the Stone Mask back on once he was human again, and starting retracing his steps through the tunnels to reach the Deku Flower on the third level, careful to avoid the probing Deku Babas.
As he climbed the stairs that led to the third floor, Link could hear Saria scream, "Oh, by the way, don't count on using that Deku Flower again!!"
*Huh?! How'd she figure it out?* Link thought confusedly as he made his way through the tunnels. Eventually, he made it back to outer platform, and turned to look where the Deku Flower was....
That part of the platform was gone. It looked as if Saria has ripped it clean off.
"Looking for this?" he heard Saria ask smugly. Link turned in the direction of her booming voice, and saw her standing a few dozen meters away, glaring at him and holding the platform piece in her hand. "You want it? Here!" she sneered as she reached back to toss it.
Link ran to the right just as Saria hurled the concrete slab. And slammed into the colosseum walls with tremendous force, missing Link by only a few feet. *Great, my once chance to beat her, gone! Now what.... wait a minute, there's got to be another flower somewhere else!* he reasoned.
After dodging another attempt by Saria to swat him, Link ran to the edge of the platform and glanced at the level below. Fortune was with him, for on the level beneath him was another Deku Flower.
Wasting no time, Link reloaded his seed shooter and leaped down to the second level. After coming out of a roll, he fired the seed at Saria's face, who didn't have enough time to move her head. The giant Kokiri girl collapsed yet again, her violent coughing echoing throughout the arena.
And so, Link repeated the process: launching himself from the flower, transforming from Deku scrub to Goron while in midair, and crashing down onto Saria's head while curled up.
This time, though, Saria was on her feet again almost immediately after Link was back on the ground. Instead of trying to squash him, however, she reached out and grabbed the part of the second level that had the Deku Flower, and promptly yanked it off.
Saria hurled it down at Link, but by now he was in human form again and wearing the Bunny Hood, so he easily dashed out of harm's way. Then he started running back to the passage on the ground level, but Saria moved in to try and stomp him. Link glanced upward to see the incoming foot, and also caught a glimpse of Saria's face. Even more blood was trickling down through her hair, and unsurprisingly, she looked even angrier than before.
Link easily dodged Saria's foot and dashed into the tunnel, then switched the Bunny Hood for the Stone Mask and began sneaking through the tunnels again. *The flowers on the second and third levels are gone,* Link thought. *But maybe there's one more on the top level.*
After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to find his way out onto the fourth level. He looked around nervously, anticipating an attack at any moment. But there was no sign of Saria, and then Link realized she wasn't tall enough to attack him on the fourth level. "Finally I catch a break," he muttered as he ran along the circular platform, looking for another Deku Flower.
But Link didn't run far before he heard a resonating rumbling noise from below. Wondering what Saria was up to, Link looked over the edge....
And Saria's head shot up and loomed over the platform. She had climbed up to reach the fourth level.
Saria's sudden appearance shocked Link so much that he staggered backwards, almost falling. Fortunately, he got over his surprise long enough to spot her left hand reaching for him. He quickly donned the Bunny Hood and darted to the left as fast as he could, and Saria went after him, edging along the colosseum.
Thankfully, Link soon found what he was looking for: the last Deku Flower. As soon as he was near enough, he loaded his seed shooter and whirled around. He had been just in time: Saria was now only about ten meters away, and she was ready to swat him with her right hand. Link promptly fired the seed at her face, and once again his swift actions caught her unawares and she accidently inhaled the gas.
The results were predictable. Saria lost all sense of balance, not to mention her grip and footholds on the colosseum platforms. She crashed down onto the arena floor, and the entire colosseum shook with the force of an erupting volcano. Link then transformed into a Deku scrub and launched himself out of the one remaining flower. As he looked down, he saw Saria was flat on her back, both hands clamped around her throat.
As Link positioned himself over her head, he silently prayed that this final impact would be enough to knock her unconscious. Not only would Saria undoubtedly remove the last Deku Flower if she recovered, but Link didn't feel as if he could cope with battling her anymore. It had tore him up inside every time he gassed her and slammed into her head as a Goron.
Eventually, Link was in the right position. He switched from his Deku form to his Goron one, and curled up and dropped down. He slammed into the middle of Saria's forehead, and this time he could feel her warm, sticky blood ooze out of the punctures his spikes made. Link almost felt like vomiting. He had drawn blood plenty of times before, but being forced to draw the blood of his best friend was too much to bear.
Link rolled off her forehead and down to the floor, took off his Goron Mask, and turned to look at Saria while backing away. Saria's eyes were shut, her arms were sprawled out, and except for the slow rising and falling of her chest, she wasn't moving at all. It looked as if he had triumphed, but for him, it didn't feel like a victory.
For a few minutes, Link just stood there, staring blankly at the knocked-out Kokiri. "What now?" he thought aloud with uncertainty. "Saria obviously has the mask's power now. Where is it though? To get it, do I have to.... kill her?!"
As that horrible thought raced through his mind, Link became aware of a wetness all along his back. He reached back and touched it, then looked at his hand. It was Saria's blood. It was still all over his backside.
Link continued to stare down at his blood-soaked hand, sickened by what he had done, and horrified by the notion that he'd have to slay her to get the second Giant's Mask. But a sudden shifting sound snapped him back to attention.
Looking up, Link saw that Saria had regained consciousness, and had shifted her head to glare hatefully at Link. If she was truly being manipulated by some sinister force, those blows to the head sure as hell hadn't freed her from it. And before Link could move away from the awakened giantess, Saria reached over with her right hand and grabbed hold of him. She had finally gotten him.
Saria slowly stood up, all the while glaring at Link as she held him tightly in her enclosed hand. Her grasp was unbearably tight, and Link struggled with all his might to free himself. But it was no use: Saria had more strength in one hand than he did in his entire body.
"You know, I was going to make your death quick and easy," Saria sneered as she rubbed her bloodied, aching forehead. "But now that you've REALLY pissed me off, I'm going to finish you nice and slow. Good-bye, old friend."
And with that, Saria began to steadily tighten her grip, slowly crushing Link to death. "Ack!! No!! Saria, please!! Don't do this!! Y-you can't... AAHHH!!!"
But Saria paid no attention to Link's pleas for mercy. She merely continued to stare at him icily as she tightened her hold on him even more. The pain was becoming too much, and Link knew that in another few seconds his body would snap in half. And now, everything was going black....
But suddenly, he was snapped back into consciousness by the sensation of being shaken about violently, and for some reason, Saria's grip was loosening. *Wha... what's going on?* Link thought, still in a painful daze. As his vision returned, he looked up at Saria.
And behind her, he saw Zelda. She had brought her left arm underneath Saria's armpit and slung it around her chest, pulling the Kokiri girl up against her. And Link saw that the princess's right arm was stretched out toward him.
"Let him go! LET HIM GO!!" Zelda shrieked in a deafening voice as she held onto the struggling Kokiri girl. Link looked around, and saw Zelda's fingers were wrapped around Saria's fist, trying to pry him loose from her grip.
In one swift action, Zelda shoved Saria forward so that her fist was positioned over the second level's outer platform. Then she pulled Saria's fist apart, finally freeing Link and letting him drop onto the platform.
"Link, hide!!" ordered the princess as he struggled to stand up. Then she turned around and threw Saria against the ground, and the tremor caused by the impact almost made Link trip and fall off the platform. But he kept his balance and ran behind a nearby support pillar.
"You fool!! You saved me the trouble of finding you!!" Link heard Saria scream, followed by the sound of loud footfalls coming closer. Link peered out from behind the pillar to see Saria rashly charging at Zelda.
But despite having become a giantess like Zelda, Saria had only acquired the same proportions the princess had. Thus, Zelda was about forty feet taller and had much more physical strength. She lashed out with both hands and effortlessly shoved Saria backwards, and she stumbled and fell yet again.
"Saria, I'm sorry about this," Zelda said in a regretful tone. "But it's for your own good." From his vantage point behind the pillar, Link saw her hands begin to glow brightly with magical energy. As Saria was standing up, Zelda lurched forward, and then the whole colosseum became illuminated with blazing magical light.
Link retreated back behind the pillar and tightly shut his eyes, praying that the princess knew what she was doing. He couldn't see what was going on, but he could hear the distinctive sounds of punches being thrown and the shocks of magical energy.
After about a minute, the flashes of light ceased, as did the sounds of battle. Then Link heard Zelda say, "Come on out, Link. It's over."
*Oh no, don't let that mean that.... that....* Link began to think fearfully as he came out from behind the pillar. He was greeted by the sight of Zelda's enormous face looming over the platform, worry and sorrow etched in her features.
"Link, are you OK?" Zelda asked shakily.
His entire body ached from Saria's attempt to crush him to death, and he was exhausted from the battle. "I'm.... alive," Link said at length. But he was more concerned about Saria. "What about Saria? Where... what happened to...."
Zelda hung her head shamefully, then brought up her outstretched hand for Link to see. In the palm of her hand lay Saria's still body, back to her normal size. Also in her hand was what looked like a wooden mask - a wooden mask shaped like his old Giant's Mask.
Link leaped up onto her hand and kneeled by Saria's unconscious body, feeling for her pulse. Once again, it was disturbingly faint. "She's herself again. I undid whatever power made her insane," Zelda said lugubriously as he examined his friend's body. "She was obviously brought here to serve as this dungeon's guardian. Some evil force toyed with her emotions, making her jealousy rage out of control. Then she was granted the mask's power, and...."
But Link wasn't really listening to Zelda's explanation; he was more preoccupied with the knocked-out Kokiri. "She loved me, and I never knew," he breathed sorrowfully. "All this time, and I never suspected. I-I never...."
He then scooped Saria up into his arms and hugged her tightly. "Oh Saria, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," he said apologetically, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cradled Saria while sitting in the palm of Zelda's hand.
******
Link walked into Saria's house, holding its tenant in his arms. He looked down at his friend again; she now had bandages wrapped around her head and left hand - the areas where Link had drawn blood during their battle. That knowledge still turned Link's stomach. Whatever force safeguarded that sanctuary must be truly sick if it chose Saria, his oldest friend, to be the giant-sized guardian of the mansion.
Shaking his head, Link walked over to Saria's bed and gently laid her down. Link stared at her unmoving body for a monent, then in a pleading voice he said, "Saria, I hope you can find it in heart to forgive me. I don't know if I can forgive myself.... for hurting you this way. I-I cant...."
An astonished yelp from the doorway cut Link off. He turned to see Mido standing there, a look of confusion on his face. "You? Wha-what are you doing here?!"
Link didn't say anything in response. He merely looked back down at Saria's battered body. Mido then saw what he was looking at and ran over to the bed. "Saria?! Her fairy said that something kidnapped her," Mido said as he looked her over.
"Those bandages.... what happened?" Mido asked accusingly. Then he whirled and eyed Link with a cold stare. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!!!"
Link merely hung his head, and said, "I broke her heart."
He then turned to leave, leaving Mido beside Saria's bed. "Mido, do me a favor," he called back. "When she wakes up, tell her.... I'm sorry. Tell her she has every right to be angry with me." And before Mido could say anything in response, Link took out the Ocarina of Time, played the Song of Soaring, and vanished in a swirl of white feathers.
******
Link reappeared by the overpass that led to the Snowhead Temple. It was now midnight, but now that the half-moon was unobscured by clouds, one could make out some of the environment. The snow that had blanketed the region had almost completely melted due to the arrival of spring. It was a good thing, too, since an abundance of snow would have proven troublesome for him and his companion.
Link leaned over the right side of the naturally-formed rock bridge, stuck his fingers in his mouth, and whistled loudly. His whistle echoed throughout the entire area; no doubt she would hear it.
And indeed she did. Seconds later, he could hear the sounds of someone down below climbing up the mountainous walls. Someone big.
Soon enough, Zelda's gigantic head came up to the right of the owl statue Link had appeared by. One look at her, and it was obvious that the events of the past day had weighed heavily on her. Her hair was a mess, and she looked as if she would pass out from exhaustion, much like he did. "Link, you're back already?" she asked him.
"Yeah, why?" Link asked, confused by her question.
Zelda shook her head. "No reason, really. I figured you'd stay with Saria for a while."
"She's still out cold," said Link. "And besides, it's too painful to be around her right now, after what happened."
Zelda could tell that Link still was feeling guilty about Saria, but she couldn't think of anything to say that would alleviate his grief. At length, she simply said, "Climb on," and Link obliging leaped onto her shoulder and grabbed some of her hair to secure himself.
Then began Zelda's climb downward into the valley below the Snowhead area. Link had brought her here, thinking its vastness made it an ideal place for her to sleep after a long day's trek across Termina.
Soon enough, Zelda had reached the bottom, and turned and slumped down against the mountainous wall. She then reached down and grabbed a nearby patch of large mushrooms - the same kind of mushrooms found within the cave she and Link had taken residence in. Zelda tore off a little piece of a mushroom and handed it to Link. "Here, eat up," she told him, then she ravenously stuffed the rest into her mouth.
"Still hungry?" Link asked her as he prodded the mushroom piece with his finger, not really feeling like eating.
"Yes. The last time I ate anything was this morning, remember?" Zelda replied. "Besides, you should be hungrier than me, considering all you had to go through today."
Link tossed his mushroom portion down into the valley below. "I can't eat," he said dejectedly. "I'm too angry at myself right now."
"Link...." Zelda breathed, knowing that he was still overcome with guilt about Saria, but not knowing what to say about it.
"I hadn't the faintest clue about how she felt about me, and I broke her heart!" Link said loathingly. "And now.... now I feel so guilty, knowing that I've found love, but she's left with nothing but shattered dreams."
Zelda still couldn't think of anything to say that would allay Link's anguish. After all, she felt a little bad about the situation herself: she was the one Link had chosen over Saria.
So Zelda chose to try and comfort Link throught different means. She reached up and plucked Link off her shoulder and placed him on her chest.
"WHAT THE?!" Link cried out in confusion once he figured out where the princess had put him. "Zelda, what are you...."
Link's voice trailed off as Zelda slung her forearm across her chest, pressing his tiny body closer to her and hugging him tightly. "Hush, Link. You shouldn't blame yourself," she said softly, bringing up her fingertip to pet his head gently. "Like you said, you had no idea."
Link tried to think of something to say, but the exhaustion from conquering two separate dungeons in one day was finally catching up to him. He slowly drifted off to sleep, sandwiched between her hard arm muscles and soft breasts, and enveloped in her comforting warmth.
******
Inspiration can come from the weirdest places. Remember Neversoft's excellent Spider-Man game on the PS1? In that game, there was a boss battle where Spidey fought a giant Mysterio robot. That's what inspired this chapter.
Oh, and since this is the next-to-last chapter (I hope) , I wanna clear something up. After talking with a couple readers, I've realized that some people must think I'm a girl. I guess it's logical to assume that, since there's a lot of mushy, romantic moments. Well, believe it or not, I'm a guy. A guy who obviously has an unhealthy fondness for supersized ladies, but a guy nonetheless.
So long,
Grey