This short little fic is one that I never posted. It was written about 3 years ago and was from something that my best friend and I used to do called 'challenges". We would give each other a song lyric and then we would have to write a short story based off of the lyric. I posted all of my challenges, except this one. I think that I was afraid nobody would like this one, but now I'm not so afraid. Please enjoy and happy reading :)
He was the king of the woods. Or so he was in his own mind. A little, towheaded boy, no older than eight years of age, was running along the edge of an inviting forest. In his chubby hand he carried a trumpet, and his other hand was outstretched to catch the fairy that was mischievously flying just out of reach.
"Come on fairy, stop flying! You have to listen to me! I'm the king!" He grumbled in his high-pitched voice. The fairy, not obeying the pretend, child-king suddenly flew right and darted into the thick grove of woods.
His feet came to a screeching halt and the little boy peered into the woods where his disloyal subject had escaped.
The boy was panting, his young lungs trying to take in as much air as they could after his sprint for the fairy. When he had caught his breath, the boy raised his trumpet and blew a few sharp notes, letting the fairy know that the king was on his way. He was about to take his first step into the woods when a frantic voice called out to him.
"No! Don't go into the woods!"
Reluctantly, the boy stopped in his tracks, but he kept his eyes on the forest. He didn't even see his mother walking swiftly towards him from over the hill behind the forest.
The mother sighed with relief as she found her young son standing obediently in front of the Lost Woods. She slowed her pace as she got nearer to him.
The boy had a yearning in his eyes that frightened her. Children were always drawn to the Lost Woods, like bees to honey. Some came to its inviting borders, only to never return.
Her knees bent as she knelt beside her son and she wrapped him up in her arms. Little arms encircled her neck and a quiet voice asked her why he couldn't go into the woods.
"Because, dearest, that woods is dangerous to little children." She answered him gently. The boy pulled himself from his mother's embrace.
"Why, momma?" He asked with wide eyes, curiosity igniting in his green irises.
"Well, when girls or boys go into that woods, it turns them into little monsters! And if you're a monster, then you'll never be able to grow up and be married or be a daddy, or anything that grown ups get to do."
The mother stroked his blonde hair, wishing that she could hold on to this precious phase of his life forever. "You do want to grow up, don't you?"
The boy's smile grew and he put his trumpet to his mouth and began to play a song. He hopped up and down on his feet, joyfully immersed in his own world.
Then he suddenly stopped and looked at his mom again, his eyes twinkling as his mind ran wild with elaborate, imaginary thoughts that only a child could have.
"Oh no momma! I shall never grow up, make believe is much too fun!" He said with enthusiastic conviction. As the child quickly resumed his trumpeting and dancing, his mother laughed. No child wanted to grow up, to go from carefree days to the stresses of adulthood.
While she watched her son enjoy his fleeting youth, she knew that being an adult was just around the corner for him and it saddened her to the core.
This time he would catch that fairy! A full moon illuminated the edge of the Lost Woods and the naughty boy standing right before it. His mother thought that he was sleeping safely in bed, but he had tricked her and snuck out his window.
Something made him want to come back. He wanted to cross into the thick line of trees and explore forever. A tingling feeling went through his spine as he thought of all the adventures he could have, all the fairies he could be king over, and how much fun it would be!
Without a second thought, he ran as fast as he could into the woods.
It was unlike any other forest he had ever seen! It was winding and twisty, like a maze. The trees were greener than normal and everything seemed peaceful.
He giggled as he thought of his mother telling him that he would turn into a monster! She was only saying that to scare him! His trumpet went to his lips and he played a song for the fairies that he wanted to catch.
Suddenly, he began to feel sick and heavy, like somebody was sitting on his chest. The boy felt itchy all over and started scratching at his skin. His wandering feet took him to a small stream where he sat down. Maybe he needed a drink of water.
He leaned over the edge of the stream and brought his hands to the water, taking a few handfuls of the cool liquid until he felt better.
It took him a moment to realize that some strange looking thing wearing funny clothes was staring back at him from the water. The thing's face was perfectly round with two red-orange eyes. Pointy teeth peeped out of the monster's wide, grimacing mouth and its skin was pale blue.
He yelped and slapped the surface of the stream, hoping that it would scare whatever thing was looking back at him, hiding underwater. But as the water settled down, the thing didn't go away. The boy slapped again and again, but he still wasn't scaring the monster away!
Whimpering came from his mouth as he started to become frightened. Then the monster was whimpering too! Out of astonishment, the boy stopped his crying and the monster stopped crying too.
Was the monster playing a game with him? Putting aside his fear, the boy raised his hand, and the monster did the same! He pulled out his trumpet, but to his surprise, the monster pulled out a trumpet too. The boy started to play a song, and the monster played the same song.
But as the boy was playing, he looked at his hand that was holding the trumpet.
His hand was the same blue color that the monster's was, and he was wearing the thing's clothes.
The monster wasn't living in the water and copying what he was doing; he had been looking at his own reflection.
A shrill scream of terror rent the tranquil air of the Lost Woods as the boy realized that the story his mother told him was true.
Skull Kid. That was what he was called now. It took him a while, but he had learnt the name of the monsters that were once children.
Skull kid even met many of his kind as he played in the woods, but mostly they kept to themselves. Every once in a while, they would play tricks on the Kokiri or befriend a fairy.
The boy who was now a Skull Kid wandered through the Lost Woods, playing his trumpet and spending his days having grand adventures and pretending.
One time, he saw a Hylian boy in a green tunic running through the woods with a noisy fairy trailing behind him. That was the same Hylian that lived with the Kokiri!
He carried a small shield and sword and had a look of serious concentration on his face. Skull Kid thought it would be amusing to trip him while he was running, but then decided that it wouldn't be that funny. The Hylian boy was always quiet and not fun to play pranks on.
Years passed, and the woods changed, but Skull Kid remained the same. He forgot his name, forgot his parents, and never grew up. Skull Kid wandered all around the different forests of Hyrule, but always felt at home in the woods where he had been transformed.
But then he stayed away from the woods for many years. When he returned, the forest was not the same. He couldn't find the Kokiri or other Skull kids anywhere! The little monster was alone.
However, he wasn't too sad. He would have the whole place to himself! It would be his kingdom, and he would be king.
Skull Kid hopped his way through the grove, finding a big rock with three triangles on it, a waterfall, and even some ruins.
The ruins would be his grand castle where he would rule over the woods. As he explored the ruins, he came to a big door, guarded by two stone statues.
His curiosity peaked and he easily glided over the ruined wall and into the round, open room below. In the middle of the ruined room, a sword was sticking out of some stone.
"Oh! Finder's keepers!" chimed Skull Kid, the words heard by only his ears. "This is mine!"
Happily, Skull Kid hopped over to the sword and attempted to pull it out, but his weak arms had no chance against the strong stone that held the blade in place.
"Oh well! I didn't want it anyways…" he grumbled to himself. He pretended that the sword was evil and only evil kings could use it, and he was no evil king so he would leave it alone.
The Sacred Grove, the ethereal woods over which Skull Kid was king, was being invaded by a wolf with a creature riding his back.
With what little power his race possessed, Skull Kid blew his trumpet and resurrected an army of wooden puppets. His puppets would defend his rightful kingdom against this canine invader!
But the wolf was stronger than the puppets, and pretty soon, Skull Kid was locked in a battle with the animal.
The wolf and his companion defeated the Skull Kid in his game of chase, and the monster stomped his feet in a temper-tantrum! The wolf was messing up his pretend war! Then he called up as many of the wooden puppets as he could and gave one last attempt at victory.
But it was to no avail. The wolf won.
Skull Kid disappeared into the woods. Despite being beat at his own game, it was kind of fun beating up the wolf and making him play chase.
He sat up in the treetops and watched the wolf cross over into the room with the sword.
Skull Kid's eyes followed the animal as he walked over to the sword. A wild wind blew through the room and suddenly a boy clad in green was standing on the stone slab, holding the sword in his hands.
Maybe the sword wasn't for evil kings, but had the magic to turn animals into boys!
But that boy looked just like the one who used to live in Kokiri, the boring one who was a Hylian.
Before Skull Kid could think of a good prank, the Kokiri boy turned and left the Sacred Grove, with the strange creature melding into his shadow.
Not too much time passed before the boy was back, and Skull Kid was ready for him. This time, the maze through the woods was more twisted, and if the boy found Skull Kid, then there would be a prize!
The Kokiri boy was also prepared for the little game and followed the kid diligently, but Skull Kid had a fun time hitting him with the puppets and getting the boy lost in the grove.
But like before, the boy caught up to him and beat his game.
When it was all finished, Skull Kid let him have his prize. He jumped in the air, evaporating and reappearing in a tree where the boy wouldn't see him.
"Hee hee hee, that was fun! I'll tell you what, I'll let you into a secret place!"
Skull kid opened a way for the Kokiri boy to get into the secret place.
The boy looked around for Skull Kid, but gave up and ran into the secret place.
Skull Kid giggled playfully and started to play his trumpets.
He was glad that he didn't have to grow up, because his make believe life was much too fun.