Mido smiled. It had been six years forty-two days since the chain of events that had changed his life forever. He would never forget that day, or the ones that followed. Reaching into the little memory box that was resting in his lap, he pulled out the letter that had revived the memories that had been sealed through the power of the triforce and time travel. Mido smiled fondly at the little piece of paper that had stopped him from making the biggest mistake of his life. Namely: "Letting Link leave the forest without first saying something important". Mido closed his eyes and let the memories wash over him starting from the beginning.
Mido sighed as he walked the last flight of stairs to the clearing outside the forest temple. It had been five weeks since the man with the master sword had restored the forest, and still Link hadn't come back.
'He promised...' Mido thought. 'He promised he'd come back.'
As Mido reached the top of the stairs he bore witness to an amazing sight. Bright green orbs of light descended down to the stone platform in the centre of the clearing, then circled once to reveal... LINK?
Mido was certain it was Link. He had the same blue eyes, the same blonde hair, green clothes; he even had the Kikori Sword and Deku Shield. The only thing that prevented Mido from running up and decking the boy for not being around when the forest was in danger was the look on the boy's face and the sword and scabbard in his arms. Link's eyes didn't have the same sparkle of cheerful optimism that had been there the last time he saw him. They were sad and spoke of unseen scars on the boy's heart. But the sword is what shocked Mido the most. It was the sword that the hyrulian man had been carrying with him when he saved the forest.
"Saria!" Link shouted at the top of his lungs. "Saria, I need to talk to you!"
Mido felt his heart sink, realising that Link didn't know that Saria wasn't here anymore. Five weeks ago Saria had become the Sage of the Forest in order to protect it. Link didn't know he wasn't going to be able to see Saria again. Mido was about to call out to the kid when he spoke up again.
"Saria, I know you're there." Link called voice calm, but his grip tightening on the sword. "I need to talk to you, not only as my friend, but as the Sage of the Forest."
Mido's mouth hit the floor with shock. How did Link know? Then suddenly it clicked. The sword, the dead look on his face, knowing Saria was the Sage of the Forest. The mister that had saved the forest before was in trouble and had sent Link to ask Saria for help, giving him his sword as proof, maybe a dungeon, that would explain where Link had been until now as well. After all, evil overloads don't exactly allow their prisoners family visits.
"Link? What...?" Saria gasped as she saw Link. Mido didn't blame her, that look on Link's face would make anyone do a double take. "L-Link... What... How... what happened to you? Why are you a kid? Where's Navi?"
What was Saria going on about? All Kikori are kids, it wasn't like they got older, Mido himself was somewhere around three-hundred years old, and he didn't look like an old grandpa.
Link sighed. "That's what I'm here about." He looked down at the sword. "I don't know why, but this time when I pulled out the sword I didn't age seven years, and Navi wasn't around. I thought maybe I'd left her in the past and that if I went back and tried again everything would go back to normal. But when I did I change into my adult form and Navi still wasn't anywhere." Link looked at Saria fearfully. "Saria, what's wrong with me?"
It took Saria a full half hour to calm down the panic stricken boy. They were now sitting side by side on the tree stump in the clearing, the Master Sword resting against it, and Link's head in Saria's lap. Saria was trying to comfort the blonde like a mother would her child. Mido silently watch the whole séance with wide eyes. Link was the one that had the sword the whole time? He was the one that save the Forest? Mido wanted an explanation and he wanted it now!
"Feeling better?" Saria asked gently.
"A little..." Link murmured.
Saria softly stroked the blonde's hair as she spoke. "We'll find out what happened, Link. We'll fix it. But first we have to figure out what we're going to do until we figure it out. You can't go after the last Sage in this body. You could barely carry the Master Sword here, it'll be impossible for you to use it in a fight. And you can't leave it lying around; someone will be bound to find it, possibly one of Ganondorf's minions."
Link was half sitting in an instant. "But I have to find the last Sage Saria! Everyone counting on me! What if...?"
Saria grabbed the side of Link's head and forced it back into her lap. "Link, calm down! I know you're worried, but charging head long into a situation that is just going to end up getting you killed isn't going to help."
Mido blinked, he'd never seen Saria act like this toward Link. It was like watching a mother scold her reckless child for thinking of doing something stupid. Link sighed obviously knowing that Saria was right, but it was clear from the look on his face that he still wasn't calm.
"I think it's time that you returned to Kikori village." Saria said thoughtfully.
Link shot upright instantly. "Saria, are you kidding me?! Did you completely miss the reason that I didn't tell them who I was in that first place?! As far their all concerned I'm an idiot that failed to save the Great Deku Tree and wasn't around when the forest was in trouble! And even if I did tell them that I was the Hero of Time, who would believe me?! The person they saw save the forest was an adult, I am a child, he was a mystery, they all know me! On top of that you are pretty much the only person that actually liked me! Mido was the most honest of them all; at least he openly showed that he despised me!"
Mido felt his gut drop. That was what Link had thought this whole time? That they all hated him? That they blamed him for what happened? He'd never realised that they, or rather he'd, hurt Link so much.
"Link, if you would calm down for five minutes and listened to my plan, maybe you would understand a little better." Saria sighed. Saria waited a minute before continuing. "First, I would like to say that I know what you're saying and why you're saying it, but I think you're giving the Kikori too little credit. However I was not planning on sending you there as you are. After all the hassle you've been giving the Dark King, doing so would be like putting up a big sign for him saying 'come get him, he's completely helpless'." She looked Link directly in the eyes. "I think it's time for you to stop the game."
Mido was confused. What game? Was Link hiding something?
"Please tell me you're not serious." Link said horrified.
"I am very serious Link. Now take off your hat and get ready to get changed."
Link spluttered. "You cannot be serious! Saria, are you hearing yourself right now?!"
"Link," Saria said in a deathly calm voice. "You are taking off your hat, you are changing and you are going down to Kikori village. Is that clear?"
Link sighed in utter defeat. And reached up to take his hat off. Mido gasped as the hat was removed, and long blond hair fell out all the way to link's waist. Link shot a mild glare at Saria.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
"Link," Saria sighed. "Is it really so bad being a girl that you have to keep up a pretence of being a boy 24/7?"
Today was just full of surprises for Mido. First was Link not actually being a Kikori (This he figured out after the half hour drama section), next was Link being the Hero of Time, then what Link really thought that the Kikori thought of the kid, and now Link was actually a girl?!
Saria reached out and made a rummaging motion in the air. Then seeming to find what she was looking for, pulled a pale blue dress out of thin air. This she handed to Link.
"Dare I ask where you go this?" Link said suspiciously.
Saria simply sent her to get changed behind the tree in the clearing. After a while Link came out again, dressed in the pale blue dress that reached her ankles, her hair reaching her waist and shining in the sun. Mido had to admit she looked pretty. Link fidgeted in her dress, obviously not used to wearing girl's clothes. Saria smiled at the girl obviously approving.
"Now, here's my plan." Saria began. "You're going to go down to the village and say that you're Hyrulian from Castle Town. You're going to tell them that the Hero of Time is in trouble and that he gave you his sword as proof of your message. You'll tell them that you've already reported this to the Sage of the Forest, i.e. me, and that she and the other sages are working on a solution; however you still need somewhere to hide the sword. Also tell them that you are under strict orders from the Hero not to leave the sword. Knowing Mido, he'll jump at the chance to help the one who saved the forest and not only offer a hiding place but also somewhere to stay while you're in the village. After all, he is a sucker for a damsel in distress."
Mido didn't wait around any longer than that. He took off down the path and back to the village. He had to be the first one to greet her when she arrived; if one of the others saw her with the sword they might attack her. When Mido got to the entrance of the Lost Woods he didn't have to wait long for Link. The moment she emerged he spoke.
"Who are you?"
Link wiped around and gripped the sword more tightly. "My name is Lina. I'm a serving girl form Hyrule Castle."
Mido noted the carful chose of words. 'Hyrule' Castle not 'Dark' Castle, this showed a lack of acceptance of Ganondorf as ruler and loyalty to the Hyrulian royal family. She was also a serving girl, someone who would know her way around and how to get a job done, however not someone that would be noticed to have gone missing. Mido looked at the sword as if just noticing it.
"Where did you get that sword?" He asked in a suspicious manner.
Link narrowed her eyes at him. "If you are going to be rude than I shall ask someone else to help me find the one I'm looking for."
Link turned as if to walk away, but Mido grabbed her arm. "As the Leader of the Kikori I cannot allow you to wonder on your own in the village."
Link looked back at him suspiciously. "Would your name happen to be Mido?"
"It is." Mido had to admit, Link was a good actress.
Link turned to him and held out the sword to him. Mido blinked and looked at Link. She had a determined yet hopeless look on her face that made Mido feel sorry for her.
"As a servant of the royal family of Hyrule, and by request of the Hero of Time, who saved my life, I have come under his guidance and that of the Sage of the Forest, to ask that you and your people, the Kikori, take this sword so as to hide it from Ganondorf while the Hero is unable to defend it himself."
Mido proceeded to listen to an explanation of how the 'Hero of Time' had been captured by Ganodorf whilst trying to defend her and how just before he had been taken he'd given her the sword and told her to take it to the Forest Sage and tell her the situation. Then the Forest Sage had told her to go to the Kikori and ask for help in guarding the sword. Most of that was actually true so Link didn't have to make much up.
"So, will you help me or not?" Link asked, obviously doubting it despite Saria's words.
Mido smiled. "I will." Link blinked. "If you had been working for Ganondorf you would have taken the sword to him, not come here to ask for protection."
Link smiled glad Mido had come through. Mido took the outstretched sword and held it in one arm while he took Link's hand with his free one. Link flushed a slight pink, not used to this kind of nice treatment from Mido. Mido led her down to the village with her nearly tripping on her dress a few times. Mido decided not to comment.
When they got down to the village Mido introduced Link to everyone as Lina. Mido made it clear to everyone that they were to respect her privacy. Mido then lead her to the tree house that had been Link's home for ten years. Link stared at the house for a few minutes, wondering why Mido had led her here.
"This is the only available house in the village." Mido said. "Seven years ago a boy used to live here."
"What happened?" Link asked, even though she already knew the answer, it seemed like the appropriate thing to say.
Mido sighed. "Seven years ago... The Great Deku Tree had a curse placed on him. He was the protector of the Kikori. The boy that lived here... he tried to save him. I went with him; I wanted to prove I was stronger. We didn't make it in time. Before he died, The Great Deku Tree asked him to take the Kikori Emerald to the Princess."
"To Princess Zelda? Really?"
"Yeah. He left, and hasn't been back since." Link got a sad expiration on her face. She knew this story but to hear the disappointment in Mido's voice made her heart sink. Mido smiled and continued briskly. "But I know he'll come back. He promised he would after all. And I've never known Link to break a promise."
Mido led Link into the house and showed her around.
It has been a few days since Link came to the forest as Lina. The long haired girl had become a familiar sight around the forest. One day, however, something happened that changed everything.
It had started as a normal day. Mido was on his way to see Link and see if everything was still alright. He was half way to the house when he heard a scream. Panicked, Mido ran toward the scream. When he got there he saw a terrifying sight. Somehow a wolfo had managed to find its way out of the forest and into the village and it was now trying to make a meal out of one of the sisters. Just as Mido was about to go to her aid, a blur of blue and yellow moved right past him and over the wolfo. As it went over the wolfo, Mido saw the flash of metal as the wolfo howled in pain. The blur came to a stop a few feet away from the wolfo and stood. It was Link, her blue dress tied up on one side with a knot so she didn't trip on it and her hair in a plat to keep it out of her eyes. That had become a common sight, however, her carrying the Kikori Sword and Deku Shield… that was new.
Link turned to the wolfo. "Come on, dog breath. Come get me."
The wolfo lunged at the small girl. But Link skilfully dodged with a back flip, than blocked the next attack with the Deku Shield. The wolfo swang again and Link jumped to the side, as the large dog stopped to gain its bearings Link sliced her sword across its side. The wolfo howled, and then spun around to snap at the girl with its teeth. She dodged a little too late and the teeth grazed her calf. Link hissed in pain but landed squarely on her feet. Then she did something that shock Mido and the girl watching, she turned her back of the wolfo and closed her eyes. The wolfo ran at her, at the last moment, Link back flipped over the wolfo landed and slashed her sword through the breast. The wolfo disappeared into smoke and ash as Link took a step back, breathing hard. Mido ran up to her to make sure she was okay. Link heard him coming and turned her head to direct a smile at him.
"Never was much of a dog person." She joked.
Mido snorted. "If you can make jokes like that, than you're fine. But…" He eyed the sword. Now this was a story he had to hear. "Where did you get that sword and shield?"
Mido saw the quick flash of panic that flashed in Link's eyes. Clearly she hadn't thought up a story yet. Oh, this was going to be good. A small voice at the back of Mido's mind told him that he was enjoying this, a lot more than he usually did. Link put on a confused look.
"The Hero of Time lent them to me." She said. "He said he was too old to use them now, but they might be of use to me while I'm on this job."
Mido raised an eye brow at her. Now this was interesting. Last time he checked Link didn't want anyone knowing she was the Hero of Time. The fact that she was using this story meant that she couldn't think of anything else, Mido was backing her into a corner. This game was fun.
"The Hero of Time? Blond hair, blue eyes, green tunic and hat, brown shoes?" Mido said.
"Yeah that's him." Link said.
Mido looked at the Sword and Shield with false suspicion.
"What?" Link asked.
"That sword and shield… it's the same one that Link had when he left." Mido said.
Link looked shocked. Clearly she hadn't expected him to remember the sword and shield so well. Maybe she thought he was just surprised she had weapons at all. Mido let the matter drop and set to tending to Link's hurt leg. But even if the matter of the Kikori Sword and Deku Shield had been dropped, there was still undeniable tension between him and Link. They were walking back to Link's house later that day when Mido finally let the tension get to him.
"You did get that Sword and Shield from the Hero of Time right?" Mido said.
"Huh? Yeah, I did. Why would I lie about that?" Link said.
Mido looked her right in the eyes. "You've been quiet since I asked about them. I'm beginning to wonder if you were really telling the truth."
Link's eyes narrowed at Mido, her cheeks turned red and tears welled at her eyes. "I knew it. I knew you never trusted me." Mido's eye's widened. That was why she'd been silent this whole time? She thought he didn't trust her? "Well fine. If that's how you feel, I'll just…"
She moved to storm past him, but Mido grabbed her arm to pull her back. "I never said I don't trust you." He said gently. He pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. I never meant to make you feel that way." Link buried her face in his shoulder. "I trust you. More than anyone. I'd trust you with the fate of the Kikori Forest if I needed to." He grinned and leaned into her ear. "And I have before, am I right? Hero of Time?"
He felt Link stiffen in his arms. "Y-You…"
"Yeah… I knew." Mido said not loosening his grip. "I knew since you came back. I overheard you talking with Saria. I'm glad you kept your promise… Link."
The next day Saria had come saying that she and the Sages had found a way to get Link back to normal. Before she left Mido had given her a letter and asked her to deliver it to his past self when the thing with Ganondorf was over. Link had done what Mido had asked. Mido had opened the letter and as he read it the memories of a life that had never happened came back to him. After reading the last line Mido had taken off after Link and had just caught her at the bridge. With the help of the Triforce and Saria's power as the sage of the forest, they had managed to turn Mido into a Hyrulian.
Mido smiled fondly at the letter, in particular, the last part. 'Don't make the same mistake I did. I didn't know what I had, until I lost it. Treasure every moment with Link, She is the best thing that happen to us.'
"Mido?" Came a gentle voice from the door to the room. Mido looked over smiling to see, a young woman with long blond hair and a forest green dress. She smiled back. "What are you doing up here?"
Mido put the letter back in the box and set it down. Then he walked over to the woman and kissed her left hand. "Just remembering, Link. Just remembering." Link smiled up at her handsome man with fiery red hair, freckled face and kind eyes. Their fingers entwined and their matching gold rings touched. Then Link led Mido down stairs to diner. They left the box where it was. They didn't need a box to contain their memories. They had their hearts, and they had eachother. And that was all they'd ever need.