Part 9 - Skull Woods: Wherein Link discovers that not all carrots are tasty.
I wonder if this area might be significant, somehow…
Who bothered to put a landmine up here?
It’s worth the hazard, though, for a piece of heart!
Anyway, now to speak to this, uh… thing.
Thing: After wandering into this world, I turned into this shape…
Ye were just taking a stroll and stumbled into the dark world, or something?
Thing: I enjoyed playing the flute in the original world… … … … There was a small grove where many animals gathered. I want to see that place again… I buried my flute there with some flower seeds.
…Why did you do that?
Flute player: Will you try to find it for me?
And of course, I say yes, because I am good bun.
Flute player: Then I will lend you my shovel. Good luck!
It seems this passionate flute-player decided to give up the flute to become a Dark World ditch-digger. Or something.
You borrowed a shovel! You can dig in many places. You never know what you’ll find!
It sounds exciting! And you get to keep it for a whole couple of minutes or so!
I was quite happy when I learned I get to keep the shovel in Link’s Awakening.
I missed you, mysterious Hyrule Chocobo.
And grabbing the ocarina obese flute causes all the animals to scatter.
Even the Hyrule Chocobo. Aw…
And then, the flute-player is vaporized.
And so is the shovel.
…Um?
You alright, there?
Flute player: Thank you, Link. But it looks like I can’t play my flute any more. Please take it.
How convenient. For one of us.
Flute player: If by chance you go to the village I lived in, please give it to a tired old man you will find there. … … …
Oh. So, delivery service it is, apparently.
Flute player: Well, my mind is getting hazy… Please let me hear the sound of the flute one last time…
Well, I’ll try. Here goes…
Oh come on, I wasn’t that bad!
Seems like the right candidate to me!
Old man: …mumble mumble… Oh? This is my son’s flute…! Did you meet my son? Where is he? Is he alright?
Well, he’s alive. Technically.
Old man: Oh, I see… Well, I can tell what you want to say by the look in your eyes… Would you keep the flute?
Woo, free stuff!
…Whaaat, I’m totally a good, caring, and trustworthy bun!
Old man: And will you play its sweet melody for the bird in the village square? I beg you, please! My son would probably want it this way… …But still, I wish I could see him once more…
You might have a bit of trouble seeing any family resemblance.
Something tells me this thing might be a tough crowd to please.
Um… This raises so many questions, not the least being how this thing avoided asphyxiation, starvation, thirst, pigeon excrement…
Everyone’s a critic…
Though apparently if I play only a portion of the song, it will hear from anywhere and come to somehow lift up a full-grown anthropomorphic bunny to wherever he wants, because bunnies + birds > physics.
Anyway, first buying a potion, then boosting bomb capacity by five.
And now, time for a night on the other town!
Bird! Issa bird!
This tree isn’t quite as friendly.
Those who are without rupees will be cast out from the Village Of Outcasts. Somehow.
…Hey, don’t look at me like that! I, uh… I wiped my paws before entering! So there!
I imagine your choice of entrance may be why it’s a slow business day, sir.
A bit of a fixer-upper.
I think I just robbed Princess Pitch’s holiday home.
I should probably go now.
Actually, I think Princess Pitch would be a pretty good explanation for the state of this village.
…No thanks.
Well, okay, there is a chance to get a piece of heart from this game, but I didn’t know that until after I’d originally completed this LP.
Not going this way, apparently.
How did you get there, good sir?
This-a-way we go!
Apparently, a lot of big creatures once lived here.
Anyway, there’s something important here, but first time to get sidetracked!
Fashion is serious business.
Always nice.
Anyway, it was at this time that I stumbled upon some information that I could have upgraded my shield long ago. Time to fix my previous oversight!
Alas, blue shield.
Uhhh…
Is this a glitch? What is this design supposed to resemble?
Oh. Fair enough.
I think this carrot may be bad for his teeth, though.
Oh hey, this tree is… not cut down. Though it is a different color.
And with one tackle, I succeed where they failed.
And then I fall down a hole in the tree, because falling down holes ends well a lot more often than common sense would dictate.
Case in point.
The moral of the story is, heart pieces do not grow on trees. They grow under them.
It seems this shop uses the original, and thus incorrect, palette.
Appropriate name.
Seriously, Link? You’re gonna get eaten by another dungeon entrance?
Well, there’s also the back door.
Step 1: Pull lever.
Step 2: Explosions.
Does there need to be a step 3?
Ah yes, the nigh-indestructible-without-fire Mummies and the Wall Masters (I think that’s what they’re called, even though they don’t come out of the walls in this game), which take the player back to the beginning of the dungeon if they catch the player. More of an annoyance than a challenge, to me, really.
Since I was low on health, I decided to restock on health and get to the max possible bomb capacity, with my hard-stolen rupees.
Who decided to store a magical flamethrower in the depths of a forest?
…And try not to burn your tail!
I think the narrator does not have too much confidence in Link.
It also has the added bonus of suddenly ruining the floor upon receiving it.
Anyway, onward!
Kill it with fire!
There! Better.
Barely.
Ah yes, the sparkle cloud that removes Link’s clothing on contact.
Oh hey, I get to fight Mothra!
The Fire Rod makes quick work of it, but wow, I forgot how much the spikes flew around in this fight. I think I may be more rusty on danmaku than I thought…
Yes, I know the life count is the same, but that’s one blue potion later.
Maiden: Link, because of you, I can escape from the cluthces of the evil monsters. Thank you! …Do you know the prophecy of the Great Cataclysm? This is the way I heard it… If a person who has an evil heart gets the Triforce, a Hero is destined to appear…
Rather convenient.
Maiden: …and he alone must face the person who began the Great Cataclysm.
And any bottled bees he may bring into battle.
Maiden: If the evil one destroys the Hero, nothing can save the world from his wicked reign.
No pressure.
Maiden: Only a person of the Knights Of Hyrule, who protected the royalty of Hylia, can become the Hero… You are of their blood-line, aren’t you? Then no matter what body you have, you carry the hope of everyone with you!
So it truly is his blood that matters. His uncle was right!
Maiden: May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce.
And maybe an edible carrot, this time.