The Hero and the Try hard (Twilight Edition): Chapter 4 - Forest Temple(Part 1)

Contains spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Faron Woods was unusually quiet despite reports of strange occurences. Sunlight dimly scattered from the trees and birds chirped softly. Lara and Link walked towards a pathway leading to a huge tree, where the Forest Temple awaited.

"Don't scare like that, okay?! I honestly thought you were gone for good!" Lara glanced at Link sideways, saying about what happened earlier about a golden wolf with a glowing red eye sitting on the path.

He just grinned and rubbed the back of his neck in embarassment.

She was still confused about what happened. How did the wolf vanish in thin air after it pounced on Link? And how did he wake up with no sign of injuries after being knocked out cold?

"About that thing lurking on your shadow..." Lara added. "She's cheeky...but she's helping. I don't know where she came from but that's a good thing I guess."

A faint giggled echoed from Link's shadow. He noticed a red eye looking at him before disappearing.

The two continued walking until they reached an entrance on the front of the large tree. "So this is the Forest Temple that bird nest-hair guy...I mean Coro was talking about!" Lara looked around and observed ancient patterns on the floor.

"Mm-hm." Link let out a small sound of agreement.

Cobwebs clung to the temple entrance as if this place has been around for long. Link grabbed the lantern he had refilled earlier and swiped it to keep them away. The pair headed inside as the light guided them into the darkness.

The first room looked a bit like how dungeons were illustrated in books Lara used to read as a child. It was donned by vines and moss, fitting for the Temple's namesake.

A loud shriek echoed through the room

A monkey thrashed inside a small wooden cage, desperately rattling the bars to be freed. A familiar feature was the red flower on the right side of its head.

"Hey! It's the same one who helped us cross the fog earlier with your lantern!" Lara exclaimed. "Why is she caged? Did something happen?"

She stepped forward to check but snarls cut through the room. Two Bokoblins had emerged from the shadows.

"Ugh, those pests!" Lara groaned. "They attacked me on my way to Ordon days ago!"

She readied her club as Link drew the Ordon sword in one smooth motion.

They charged through the creatures. Link dealt with the first Bokoblin with practiced slashes while Lara swung at the other with less grace. Both monsters dissolved into black smoke.

Link ran into the cage and prepared for a spin attack. The blade spun and the wooden bars shattered. The monkey ducked in time then squeaked excitedly and leapt free, climbing up to a vine-covered platform nearby, beckoning him to come forward.

As he was about to climb up, he noticed Lara holding something red and shiny as she jogged up to him. She excitedly held the object.

"Hey! I saw this on a chest at the corner of my eye while we were fighting." She handed him a red Rupee "I hope this would be of use just in case." She handed him a red rupee, which he nodded and tucked it into his wallet.

They followed the monkey by climbing through the vines. She ran to a nearby door, with a symbol similar to the mark on her arm. Link helped the animal slide it open, and she dashed ahead into a large chamber with platforms and four different pathways.

The monkey headed into the northern path but before it could climb the stairs, there was a loud thud. Something massive and legged dropped from the ceiling.

A skulltula.

She froze and shrieked, trembling in fear. Link rushed forward, slashing the monster a few times. But to no avail, the attacks did nothing.

"No! Don't be useless standing there, Lara" She muttered as her jaw clenched upon seeing him struggle. The girl desparately ran to the Skulltula's back and slammed it with her club, causing it to hiss in pain.

This gave Link a hint at its weak spot. He did not hesitate to give it a sword slash and then he leapt on to give it a finshing blow with a loud grunt. The monster then dissappeared.

"Impressive! How did you do it?" Lara asked. "Took me time." He made up an answer, as it would be impossible to convince her about the golden wolf actually being the spirit of an ancient swordsman who passed on skills.

The monkey relaxed and scampered ahead to the door. She beckoned the two to come over. Near the door, Lara noticed a chest bigger than the one that contained the red rupee.

Link opened it and then a map was on his hands. "Oh, that's so nifty!" Lara said, looking at it with him. "Looks like we are right there." She pointed at the yellow arrow drawn.

They opened the door ahead. There was a massive ravine before them, unusually windy. A long bridge stretched across the gap

"Woah! This place is way bigger than I expected!" Lara exclaimed. The monkey ran to the bridge with excitement.

But suddenly, a boomeramg cut through the supports. The bridge collapsed and the monkey retreated just in time. On the other side, Lara noticed a baboon, with a strange thing on its head, holding the boomerang and gloating at them.

"Oh, come on!" Lara groaned. Midna's shadowy form emerged from Link's shadow, unimpressed. "Oh! What's going on?! Has there been a monkey fight?!" She drawled before disappearing into him.

They went back to the previous chamber. The monkey dashed towards the left path with platforms. She climbed up to a hanging rope and dangled upside down, urging the pair to hold on to her.

Link jumped first, holding on as the monkey swung him across as he landed safely afterwards. Lara went next, she leapt and almost lost grip when the animal swayed her. But she managed to land safely by luck.

Another door waited for them. They headed inside and went to the left pathway. As they continued on, a legged creature popped out from the ground: a Bombling.

Lara stroke it through instinct. The creature curled into a glowing ball with smoke seeping out, matching its namesake. This gave Link the idea to blow up a nearby boulder.

He signalled Lara to keep their distance. The bomb's glow pulsed faster as it hit near the boulder. The rock then shattered from the explosion, revealing a pathway and the front with a few pots sitting.

"Might be rupees." Link recalled with a nostalgic smile. He had a childhood habit of finding rupees in pots and kept it growing up, and on rare ocassions impulsively break them.

"Something's inside..." Lara noticed one of the pots shaking violently. Link threw it against the wall, causing it to shatter into pieces.

An otherwordly creature with the body of a bird and the face of a human, its eyes purple.

"What in Hyrule is that?!" Lara yelped in confusion. Link grimaced at its odd appearance.

"Phew! Out at last!" The creature sighed in relief. "Gracious...once I got in there, I couldn't squeeze back out! You were a big help...thanks!"

Lara and Link stared at each other, flabbergasted. "I am Ooccoo. I've been looking for something in here, you see. Gracious, yes!"

"You must need something here, too. Shall we try working together for a while, fellow traveller?" Ooccoo faced them with a pleading look. "Sure thing." Link was hesitant, but agreed.

"You may not think I look like much, but Ican be quite helpful. I can even warp you out of here if you want to leave! So don't think of me as a burden! Now let's get started!" She looked at them again.

"If she wants to help, well let's have her tag along." Lara said as she watched Ooccoo get inside Link's satchel. "Now there's five of us, things would be better. I'll do my best fighting with my club!"

The group continued their trail on the path and found an open room. The monkey beckoned them to go forward to a platfrom. Link put down a Skulltula ahead hanging on the ceiling with his slingshot.

They crossed the gap but after the monkey found the door, she realized it was locked with chains and a keyhole. She turned looking for another entrance. "So it needs a key...oh well, let's find another path." Lara pointed at another door drawn on the map.

It opened and they found themselves in the ravine from earlier. Ahead, Link noticed spinning platforms, powered by wind vanes.

"So there's another way we can cross! But...that's not where the monkey headed earlier right?" Lara thought. "Well then, let's make sure we will be able to get where is that key."

Another breeze ran and the platforms turned again, forming a bridge. Link seized the chance and ran as fast as he could, with Lara and the monkey following him.

Before Lara could make the final step, the wind blew. She heard the platfroms about to spin again, so she leaped desparately to catch up.

"That was close!" She panted. They proceeded to a door and pushed it open. It revealed another dungeon room with spinning platforms with wind vanes ahead.

"Hey! Another chest!" Lara noticed a large chest right next to them on the left side, similar to the one where they found the dungeon map. Link hurried to open it, finding the key inside.

"Thank goodness!" The young woman sighed in relief. They decided to get back on the room with the locked door by crossing the platforms controlled by the wind, again with Lara barely making it.

The two returned near the locked door. Link put the key on the hole, breaking the chains. He then slid it open, revealing a room with trees on the corners.

They heard a desperate cry.

Another monkey locked in a wooden cage. This time, it was on top of a tall wooden pillar with markings on it. The monkey who accompanied the two shrieked in recognition, running downwards through a bridge and some platforms.

"That one's probably her friend." Lara assumed. She joined Link as he followed the animal, dashing through. But after they crossed the bridge, its supports snapped and it collapsed.

Lara stopped and heard a crash. "Another close call! Oh well, let's find a way out after we free the monkey I guess." She muttered.

As they got on the ground, Lara watched as the monkey tried rolling to the pillar to free her friend. But to no avail, it only shook a little, causing her to wince in pain from the impact.

Lara stroke the pillar with her club but the same happened. What?! Am I being too lenitent? she thought.

Link noticed this and rolled to the pillar, toppling it. The cage fell and shattered into pieces, luckily not hurting the monkey. The animal jumped excitedly after being freed.

The monkey rushed to its friend, both jumping in joy. "Found this on a chest nearby. This dungeon's full of treasures." Lara slided a yellow rupee on her satchel. Link on the other hand cleared the dust off his trousers.

Then came familiar snarls.

Bokoblins jumped from above, charging towards them. "Again?!" Lara groaned, readying her club. Link drew the sword, preparing for an attack.

The two were able to defeat the monsters with strikes and slashes, causing them to be knocked out and vanish into black smoke. I've got a feeling they might be the reason why these monkeys are locked up... Lara thought, while looking at the broken bridge above.

Suddenly, the two monkey climbed up to the platforms and onto the bridge, hanging upside down from the rope abve it. "I gotta love these monkeys... " She smiled. They climbed up the platform and were able to cross it.

Lara and Link followed the monkeys as they left the room. The animals then headed to the large room near the start of the dungeon, and then dangled upside down from the ropes on the west side. "I guess they're looking for more of their friends..." The girl panted after catching up with them.

And so they did. Room after room, enemy after enemy including unfamiliar ones, and puzzle after puzzle, they found two more monkeys. Each locked in a chained door and freed afterwards.

The monkeys led Lara and Link to the same ravine where the bridge has been cut by the baboon earlier. The girl looked at the rope above, knowing what they will do. After they set their position, they encouraged the two to come over.

Link jumped first and held on, jumping carefully and gripping the monkey ahead. Lara on the other hand copied his movements, heart racing due to how deep the ravine is. She feared of comitting a mistake that will cost their lives.

Out of luck, they successfully crossed the bridge. "Thank goodness we are able go make it alive!" Lara exhaled. They dashed to the door ahead, with Link smashing the pots nearby to look for supplies like rupees or slingshot bullets.

As they opened the door and went inside, bars slid down behind them. "Hold on! It's locked!" Lara yelped in shock, desperately hitting the bars to destroy them but to no avail. Suddenly, Link tapped her shoulder, urging her to look at the wooden pillars in front of them.

"You!" Lara complained. The baboon screeched and let out a mischievous smile, holding the boomerang. It tossed the object at the ceiling, slicing through some familiar monsters they encountered earlier.

Baba Serpents. Creatures resembling Deku Babas but with orange heads and cannot die when their stems are cut. And this was obvious as they slithered towards the two.

"Link! Chase after him! I'll distract them!" Lara yelled. The young man obeyed her as he ran through the pillars, following the baboon who jumped on one by one. He dodged when it threw the boomerang at him.

On the other hand, Lara swung her club with her might at the Baba Serpents. They were not powerful but it was enough to knock them out cold. Link was busy finding for a chance to knock the baboon out as he ran throughout the room.

And then he found it. The animal got distracted as it threw the boomerang that he avoided, quickly giving him way to roll over the pillar where it stood. It fell from where it stood and was knocked out.

Link gave a few sword slashes to the baboon's rear, and it growled in pain. It jumped again on the pillar, taking the boomerang. It jumped around again, now more aggresive in throwing its weapon.

As he followed it, he felt something trap his foot. A Baba Serpent snarling at him. "Crap!" He muttered, slicing it with the sword, causing it to perish.

By his best shot, he rolled on the pillar where the baboon stood distracted, and after it fell, gave more sword slashes with determined grunts. The baboon then got knocked out, the thing on its head falling off.

Lara came closer and observed, looking at its tiny legs and hard shell. She realized it was a parasite. The bug then disappeared into black smoke, seemingly gone.

The baboon woke up and looked at Link, scared and leaving the room through the top. "It's a mind control parasite..." Lara assumed.

And then she felt a presence. She turned around, the boomerang suddenly floating on air...

⭐⭐⭐

Chapter notes:

• This one is an extended version as I realized the rest of the Forest Temple Arc might be too long for chapter 5. This is my first time writing about a TLOZ dungeon so it is not that good.

• Not all of the game's dynamics were put since my memory is blurry sorry.

• If you have any constructive criticism or questions, I am free to listen! I apologize for grammatical errors as English is not my first language.