"One has returned!" A voice yelled from the crowd. Zelda sprang up with a big smile, but that smile quickly vanished. Little foot steps waddled up the stone steps toward the stage, whom of which carried a leaf, mushroom and a sword strapped to his back. It was Mido. Mido proudly strode toward Princess Zelda and placed the items before her. He knelt, grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"For you my Princess." He whispered with sincerity. Zelda could feel the goose-bumps crawl from her arm to her neck. She withdrew her hand back to her side and nodded, attempting a smile.
"T-thank you" She said, trying not gag. "Uhm, could someone please come place our…winners, items upon the pedestal?" Zelda spat, talking to no one in particular. One of the knights rushed to their side, gathered Mido's offerings, then scurried off. A little while later, her mother gave another long-winded speech of nothing but periodic blabber, while Zelda looked about the crowd, seeing if Link had returned yet. A little while after Xena had finished, she spotted him. He rushed in through the castle gate, smiling. Then, much as hers did earlier, it quickly faded at the sight of Mido.
'Link…why couldn't it have been you?'
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Unable to comprehend the truth before his eyes, Link stood paralyzed. Mido was up on the stage with a big grin. Zelda was up there too, but she didn't look so happy… Link slowly made his way to there crowd and looked up at his opposer, he couldn't believe it. Mido looked down at Link with a spiteful smirk.
"This is payback." Mido whispered. Though their surroundings were very loud, Link seemed to know what Mido had said, and that he truly meant it.
Apparently Link had shown up late, for they had already announce the news of Mido's victory. His items were placed on a large stone pedestal in the opposite end of the courtyard. Link walked over to the pedestal and glanced up at them. The Kokiri sword, A leaf from the great Deku Tree, and a mushroom.
'A mushroom? They really couldn't have thought of anything harder to find? Pathetic.' Link thought enviously.
He grunted and left. On his way home memories filled his mind of his childhood. Him and his father would go pick the fresh mushrooms every fall and make a special Kokiri soup. His mouth watered just thinking about that yearly treat. Then he remembered something. It was the beginning of summer… and those mushrooms didn't grow until fall…
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The crowd began to disperse as the sun sunk back down towards the horizon and the evening sky filled between the clouds. Beautiful colors of red, orange and yellow swirled together like sherbet, and pink and purple seemed to paint themselves upon the clouds. Mido waited around for a while, being given instruction of his new job for tomorrow. Zelda sighed aloud and sulked off, making her way back inside the castle. She pulled out a folded paper from within her white-laced gloves and carefully opened it. It was a drawing, depicting a young boy and girl flying on giant, elegant bird-like creatures. Zelda held it tightly and began to fight back tears.
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'Could you just imagine? Humongous birds swooping down from the sky! We could fly them, and they'd take us any where we'd wanna go!' The blonde boy said with great exaggeration and excitement.
The little girl smiled and turned to the boy. 'Do you really think something that could exist?'
'Of course it could…' He answered back, now staring into the sky. 'Ya know what Zelda? I'm going to find you one of the birds one day, even if I have to travel all of Hyrule.' Link touched her hand, and looked into her ice-crystal eyes then whispered,
'I promise.'
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Link now was sprinting back to the castle and deliver the news, Mido had cheated! Flying past the guards, he had caught Zelda right before she had entered the castle. She turned to him delighted.
"Z-Zelda. I…" He trailed off as his eyes wandered towards the item in hand. "What's that?"
She felt her face grow pink. "Oh, this? Uhm, it was just, uh… Well, I drew it for you." Zelda held out the drawing to her friend and he gently took it from her. His eyes scanned the page, and he couldn't help but grin shyly. Link let out a small, but very happy laugh.
"It's a loftwing…"
Zelda turned away embarrassed and began chuckling. "Haha, you remembered." She smiled sweetly. "And there's you and me." She glanced up at him.
'He's so grown up now…It seems time have flown away with the loftwings.'
Link nodded and glanced up at her. "I like it. I-it's really good." He wished he could just stay locked in that moment forever, just staring at her beautiful face. Not wanting to ruin the moment, he decided not to bring up the runt who ruined his job. Within one of the next few days he'd find a time where it would be perfect and he'd be able to expose Mido for the little swindler he was, but not now.
"So do you still promise me you're going to find one?"
"Heh, we'll see." Link scratched the back of his head awkwardly, feeling too mature for such a conversation.
After that, they stood in the silence awkwardly. Zelda rocked back a forth, looking towards the ground. He wanted to just kiss her. Hold her and tell her she meant everything to him, but he held his restraint. He feared that if the truth was spilt, she would not return his feelings and their friendship would be shattered.
"So, I guess I should probably be heading home now...but uh, thanks for the drawing." He stated subtly. Zelda's emotions sank.
"…Oh yeah,…okay. Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Disappointment cast a shadow over her, yet she managed to hide it and just look happy. Zelda began to lift her arms out slightly for a friendly hug, but Link took a small step back, turned around and walked off. They were both fully aware that he acknowledged her gesture, yet he had rejected it. She frowned as he walked away.
'He didn't even want to hug me…'
'She was just moving her arms, probably stretching. Why would she ever hug me? I can't even imagine how idiotic I would have felt if I had reached out to hug her.'
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Xena caught Zelda on her way back in from the courtyard.
"Have you seen Groose?"