~Flit was walking slowly through the forest, apparently deep in thought. He was pondering who his strange travelling companion really was. He seemed to be very powerful, but other than his name, Flit knew very little about him. At least I can trust him... I think. When he looked up, he stopped abruptly. They had arrived at the Thicket.~

~His eyes swept across the above canopy, and he started to move backwards, into the shadows of the trees. The thicket, he decided, was no longer a safe haven. He looked at Yukie questioningly. "What should we do? Walking in nonchalantly seem foolish. I think we should at least survey the area first." He knew that the other deku had some sort of superior sense. He seemed to be able to feel what was happening around him. Because of this he looked to the deku for an answer.~

Yukie meanders beside Flit, almost having to force himself now to keep the slow and steady pace that he had been utilizing for a while. It had felt so good to finally give some semblance of a workout to his muscles - muscles that had been holding back for years without end, or so it seemed - when he had slain that assassin, and now his entire body seemed to be crying out to do something more. Take off at a sprint so fast that he couldn't be seen by the unaided eye, start splitting apart the earth or the trees with a single punch, leap as high as the Deku Tree - or higher - with a single hop . . . but no. That wasn't in his character. And it certainly wouldn't help him out in the long run . . . not when one could never be sure when they were watching, just looking for the chance to strike . . .

With a visible shudder, Yukie reminds himself that if the Hakiems were watching him right now, he'd've sensed it with his Nature sense. In North Castle or Rauru Town, it might not have worked as well, but here in the forest . . . he has the advantage.

With this train of thought, it almost surprises him when Flit asks whether or not they should survey the area . . . almost giving off a subtle *hint-hint* to the older of the two. But, it is a smart idea - the kid's certainly thinking a lot more clearly than he had been when Yukie had first encountered him, running through the woods at such high speeds. With a nod, he replies, "Sure thing. Lemme git right onta that."

He closes his eyes, stretching out with his senses, trying to feel out whether or not anything - or anyone - is awaiting them, particularly those with malicious intentions.

~The deku would find more awaiting enemies then Flit would have thought. Four seperate teams surrounded the thicket. Each team was made up of a group of 6 elite assasin, waiting the ambush Flit if he approached the deku tree. They were all quite patient, but a little tired since they had been waiting for a long time: ever since Flit was first ambushed.~

~Something else was running through the forest. It on the other hand had no malevolent intentions. Actually, it was sent by the deku tree. A blue fairy suddenly burst through the foilage of the trees, and started to bounce around Flit, yelling at him. Flit was alarmed, and drew out his dagger, but upon seeing that the fairy wasn't trying to kill him, sheated his blade, and tried to calm the fairy down. Eventually, it calmed enough to speak. "The deku tree says don't go into the thicket. Assasins are everywhere. Its not safe. I was told I'm supposed to lead you to a sacred place deep in the forest." It suddenly stoped, and floated for a second. After a moment, a map materialized in front of it. "Here take this."~

~Flit took the map, and looked it over. It was a crude drawing, scrawled on a piece of paper. A small circle labeled deku tree was in one corner, and then a line lead north east through the forest. This was all that was written. He looked at it skeptically, and then handed the map to Yukie. "What do you make of this?"~

(((OOC: Rping OoT faires is hard....)))

Yukie's eyes may be closed, but his brows shoot upwards at the surprising number of people that he senses. "Wowsa," he finally comments. "I'm countin' at least twenty, maybe 25, a them. We sure ain't gettin' in that there thicket without a fight . . .

"No, wait . . . that twenty-fifth one's a comin this way . . . and it's a Fairy!" Yukie breathes a sigh of relief at this realization. The Fey were very loyal to the Great Deku Tree; it would take an absolute miracle for one of them to betray fellow creatures of the majestic forest. Letting the Fairy speak and give them the map, Yukie takes it from Flit's hands and glances over it for a few moments.

He scratches his head after a quick study, handing it back to his younger companion. "I say we let this here Fairy lead on like she's offerin' ta do." He gives Flit a solemn stare . . . his ally might not be so willing to trust someone - even a Fairy - after all that he's been through recently. "What do you wanna do?"

OOC: Sorry about not replying, Pabru. You understand, I'm sure . . .

Anywho, I'm trying to keep up with all my stuff, but I hope you understand that I still won't be around a lot until the TP fanatic within me dies down a bit. At this rate, I estimate that'll be in roughly . . . 9 or 10 lifetimes.

(((OOC: good timing, i haven't been on myself. I am currently unable to get either a wii or tp )))

~The deku looked up at the fairy for a moment. He felt familiar suspicion start to build in him, but threw it all away with a shake of his head. He nodded. "Yes it would be best to follow the fairy." He had said this as much to himself as to Yukie, and was surprised when the fairy spoke. "Alright then, come this way." The fairy shot off into the trees, and was soon lost from the sight. A ghost of a smile crossed Flit's face. He began to walk off into the forest.~

~The deku walked for a long time. Often, the fairy would go far ahead, only to be found waiting impatiently, calling out to him. After the fourth or fifth time, Flit started to speed up into a kind of slow run. He was thinking, and was quite preoccupied. Why were the assasins so intent on killing him? Why did the Great Deku Tree want him to follow this crazy fairy? He pushed the thoughts away. He would only find the answers by trusting in the small, bobbing, blue light, so there was no since in worrying about it.~

~Then, suddenly the fairy stopped. Flit was surprised at the change, and tripped, falling to the ground ungracefully. He groaned and rose slowly, but then halted suddenly when he looked up. The surroundings had changed drastically. The growth had become much denser, hiding the light of the sun. There was a forbidding since about the dark trees. Each trunk seemed to hold a life, and the rustling of the leaves made it seem as if the trees were whispering something.

Deeper, and deeper into the dark woods, the trees came to a sudden stop. A tall stone wall that seemed to rise from the ground blocked their path. Flit cast a glance at Yukie, and then looked up at the fairy. "What is this place." He walked up to the stone wall, and placed his hand against the solid barrier. As he moved his hand over the smooth surface, the fairy rushed over, and hung above a certain spot in the wall. "Here. The key goes here." Flit looked up hesitantly. He drew the key off its chain, and held it front of him for a moment before turning to Yukie. "What should we do?"~

OOC: AH! Two months I've forgotten about this! Good nightmare!

IC:
Yukie follows along behind Flit and the fairy, always keeping his senses tuned to the surrounding environment. For all they know, there are more assassins in other parts of the forest, watching them even now. Why, for all they know for certain, this fairy is going to betray them - the elderly Deku doesn't think this will be the case, but years of fighting and warfare mean that he will always harbor a small amount of doubt towards anyone and everyone. Even Flit, he acknowledges, he cannot say he trusts fully - they've just met that day, so he cannot say for certain if his companion is completely trustworthy.

But that's never stopped him from being friendly before, he thinks with a grin.

Coming along at his own pace, and not bothering to worry about whether or not the fairy considers him slow, Yukie arrives a few moments after the fairy stops and Flit crashes to the ground. Struggling to contain the brief chuckle that comes upon him, the elder calls out, "Hey, ya alright?" But he did indeed seem fine, and so Yukie turned his gaze to where they had come, looking at the spot over which their guide floats.

Hearing Flit's question, Yukie just shrugs. "We've trusted this here fairy so far; might as well see where she's takin' us with this whole thing." In reality, Yukie wonders why Flit is constantly asking him for advice; the Deku seems smart enough to figure that much out on his own. They have nothing better to go on, so it only makes sense for the two of them to do as the fairy suggests.

~Flit looked skeptic for another moment, but didn't quite feel the need to voice his doubts. What if this were all a trap. What if the this fairy didn't come from the deku tree at all. The young deku pushed away his fears, and drew the key towards where the fairy was floating. When it touched the stone, Flit relized that he was holding his breath, and let it out slowly. Nothing happened at first, but then the key sunk into the stone, eventually dissapearing into the wall. Flit took a step back, and looked forward expectantly. Then the ground began to shake. As usual, the deku was thrown to his feet, and the stones from the wall seem to sink downwards into the ground.

Flit looked up dazed. The wall around where the key had entered the stone had dissapeared, and a rock tunnel lead into a forest. It wasn't very long, and he could see the forest on the other side, but it had a different feel to it. The air had an ancient taste to it. The deku rose, and began to walk into the tunnel. When he reached the other side, he emerged into a clearing. A few collapsed stone ruins mingled with the trees. Vines and mosses climbed over the stones, and the trees reached upwards towards the heavans. The wind through the leaves seem to create a strange music. It was not haunting like the forest outside, but invigorating. Flit noticed it, but as soon as he tried to focus on it, it faded from his hearing. Something seemed familiar about this place, but he couldn't put a finger on it. When he turned back, to inquire where he was, the fairy was gone. Then he noticed that the key had dissapeared as well. He let these things slide, and allowed his wonder and curiousity take control. The deku started to walk into the forest.~

Yukie quickly shields his form as the earth beneath their feet shakes uncontrollably and the slab before them sinks downward. Who knows what could happen next?! For all anyone knows - okay, maybe the Fairy knows - there could be some huge explosion that'll send them flying! 'Okay, that there may be a bit of overreactin'!' Yukie thinks with a grin as he moves his arms from blocking his vision.

The wall is gone now, and Yukie quickly spots Flit heading inside. 'Curiosity killed da Deku . . .' he thinks with a sigh, but knows he can't leave the younger Deku alone. He quickly dashes in after Flit, wondering at where the heck this new area is. "Where do ya think we are?" he asks quietly, more to himself than to Flit, though he doubts the other Deku will miss the comment. Unless he's really distracted. Which he seems to be.

"I have a feeling that the where doesn't matter, but why are were here, and what are we supposed to do."

~To the north east of the clearing were a small set of ancient stairs leading into a denser part of this forgotten forest. Flit started to walk towards it, for it seemed that there was little else of interest, besides the forest itself. As he reached the stairs, and began to climb, heard a shuffling of leaves behind him. He turned quickly to see what could cause such a disturbance, and found a man standing behind him. The man had green armor plates that covered his shoulders, arms, legs, chest and back. They were seperated from each other by a small space, and held together with leather straps.

The mysterious man had very dark skin, and wore a white mask over his face. The mask was round, and had a green diamond engraved on the left cheek. He had a long sword in a sheath at his waist, but did not have it drawn. The man was short, but not stocky. It seemed strange that with such a small frame he could carry all that armor. His arms were crossed over his chest. He said nothing, but stood there, as if waiting.

Flit took a few cautious steps backwards, going up the stairs, before the man spoke. "Go no further up the stairs." A short silence hung in the air after the words left his mouth. Then Flit turned, and started to run away from the man. The man dissapeared, and in a small gust of leaves, blocked the path up the staircase. He didn't say anything, and didn't need to. Flit didn't make another attempt up the stairs.

Flit took a moment to catch his breath before inquiring, "Why do you hinder us from going forward." The man replyed slowly, "I protect this forest and what is in it. What business do you have here." The deku was at a loss for words, before the answer became obvious. "The Great Deku Tree sent us here with a fairy. I had found a silver key, and used it to enter this forest." As he spoke the last words, he rose his hand, indicating the forest with a short gesture. The man didn't reply, but seemed to stand in silence. It was hard to tell what he was doing, or thinking because of the mask that obscured his features. After what seemed an enternity, the man nodded slowly, and lept into the foliage above. No trace of his passing was left behind. Flit looked at Yukie skeptically. Why would the gaurdian accept his words as true? Well he chose to continue forward so far, why stop now. As he thought these words, the deku began to walk up the stairs once again.~

Yukie quickly falls in beside Flit as the younger one turns and begins making his way towards the stairs. This is no place like the elderly Deku has ever been - indeed, there is something in the air, a change in the atmosphere that is almost tangible to one with senses as finely tuned as his. Focusing on attempting to determine what this difference is, he does not sense the being behind them until his auditory functions pick up the presence.

Allowing Flit to do all the talking, Yukie merely takes a stance of seriousness and tries to determine if there is anything unusual about this man, other than his appearance - and indeed, his ability to warp from place to place qualifies him as unusual. As he disappeared after the younger Deku's explanation, and Flit turned to him, Yukie could only shrug. "Don't be askin' me why guardians do what they do . . ." he says softly, as he once again falls into step next to Flit and they continue to the top.

~As Flit started walking again, he found himself commenting casualy, "I don't think he was human." The deku stopped suddenly, looking forward. "I don't how I knew that..." He shook his head. It was probably just an inference he was making because the gaurdian could warp from place to place, or wore the white mask to obscure his features. He continued to walk, and found that his feet carried him forward, even though he had no idea where he was going. He closed his eyes, and reached out with his awareness. While in this state, he felt the tiniest pressure against his mind. Flit reached out with his mind to grasp it, but it flew away, and the deku opened his eyes, surprised. His right hand was lifted up in the air, as if he was trying to grab something. Again he shook his head. The forest was effecting him, and a small tendril of dread creeped into his thoughts. He pushed his fear aside, like he had so many times that day, and restarted his walk.

The longer Flit walked, the more the forest changed. The faint music at the edges of his awareness swelled to the point where it was distracting, but everytime he focused on it, the sound stopped. The air had a heavier feel to it. It seemed as if everything was ancient beyond comprehension. No one had tread through these woods for a very long time. Finally, after a while of hiking, another stone wall rose up in front of them. A small tunnel lead through it into another part of the forest. Something told Flit that they were reaching there destination.~

Walking along, Yukie is slightly surprised by his companion's sudden insight. He really hadn't stopped to think about it, but now that he did do so, it did seem as if that guardian had not been Human, Hylian, or any other normal species. Well, useful information was always good to have - just because it wasn't useful yet did not mean that it would cease to ever be needed.

And that wasn't the only interesting thing Yukie was finding. This forest was certainly different from the rest of the Deku Woods . . . if this place was actually a part of the Deku Woods, and as Yukie continues walking he realizes that he is leaning towards the idea that it is not. The aura of this place is just so . . . magical, so much so that it reminds Yukie of the times he has had his senses extended while near the Great Deku Tree. For the entire forest to embody such a sense . . . it's quite incredible. And it only became more intense as the two kept going.

Coming before the stone slab with a path down the center, Yukie stops, allowing Flit to go first if he wishes to.

~When Flit emerged from the tunnel, he stood in a circular clearing. The magic in the air was almost tangible here, and filled every breath that the deku took in. In the middle of the clearing was a twisted root that rose from the ground. Perched on the top of the root was a green book. Leather engravings dipicting trees and plants decorated the cover.

Flit walked towards the great tome, when he felt the presence against his awareness once more. This time when he reached for it with his mind, he found himself incased in it. A voice boomed in his head. "Welcome to my grove." Although it didn't say anything else, the sentinent presence stayed with the deku. He walked forward in wonder, and reached out towards the book. When his hand was but an inch from the cover, he stopped. Something seemed wrong something in the air around him. When he looked up from the book, he saw the gaurdian standing on the otherside of the root pedastal. This time, he had his sword in hand, and looked much more threatening. He reached up to his face, and removed the mask. Red eyes glowed in their sockets. The gaurdian wasn't a man, but a skullkid. He threw the mask to the ground, and reached to his back with his empty hand, pulling off the back armor plate, and using it as a shield. The skullkids leering visage never left Flit's face.

As Flit reached towards his dagger, the gaurdian suddenly jumped forward, blade lashing through the air. The deku left to the side, coming up in a crouch. It looked like the creature wasn't going to let him touch the book without a fight.

Yukie's senses are nearly overwhelmed by the magical presence that comes upon him when they enter the area lying beyond the tunnel - so much so that he is forced to shut down his supernatural sense and simply rely on his normal sensing. After utilizing it for so long at this point, it's almost like loosing an eye or an ear. Oh well, nothing Yukie hasn't gone through before.

Flit abruptly moves forward, and Yukie remains at his side, even though he notices the light in the Deku's eyes subtly changing. 'He feels something I don't . . .' Yukie recognizes. Seeing the younger one's destination - that book, it appears - the elderly Deku simply backs off, allowing destiny to play its course without his interference.

. . . at least, until the Skull Kid guardian reappears, sword in hand. Grabbing both of his own blades from their sheathes, Yukie races forward in a defensive posture, not intending to attack unless it attacks again - for all they know, it only struck at Flit because he was about to touch the book. So he swiftly positions himself in between Flit and the Skull Kid, saying, "Why're you attackin us? What's this book yer guardin?"

~Flit watched as Yukie lept in front of him. He was glad to have such competent help. The deku whipped out both his daggers, when the presence pressed against his mind again. "This is your test. If you won't attack, then he will." Flit reached out at the fading voice, but it was like trying to grab sunlight. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, like where is he, and why is the skullkid attacking. His thoughts were broken when the Skullkid dissapeared. The deku knew where he would be next, and spun around hurling his dagger. The dagger soared through the air, and struck the trunk of a tree. There was nobody there.

The skullkid had appeared in the air above Flit, with his sword raised. He launched a powerful overhead chop that would cut right through the small deku. Flit wasn't that much of a fool though, and knew that the Skullkid must be attacking. He rolled forward, but was too late to dodge the blow completely. The blade cut into his leg, and the deku yelped in pain, but kept rolling, and retrieved his dagger off the ground. The skullkid was caught between Flit and Yukie, but he knew that with the gaurdians teleporting powers, and pincer attack would be rendered useless. The only way to hurt the skullkid would be to get in a counter attack after dodging an attack.~