Chapter 10: Mido

"Who is Mido?" Talim asked as Link paused yet again.

Link's face saddened as he thought again of his bully for as long as he could remember.

"Sorry," Talim apologized as she saw this, "I didn't mean to-"

"No," Link interrupted, "it's okay." He proceeded to recall his last run-in with Mido.

In the weeks following Link's last visit to the outside world, Link's life went back to the way it used to be. But even though that meant resuming his everyday life in the forest, it also meant he would have to deal with the self-proclaimed "leader" of the Kokiri, Mido. Mido often used his size advantage over all the other forest dwellers to intimidate them into submission. He got almost everything he wanted. Almost. For a long time, he had his eyes set just one other Kokiri; a Kokiri girl to be specific. Her name was Saria, who only seemed to pay attention to Link, who Mido felt wasn't a Kokiri at all. And so, jealousy sparked, with Mido treating Link worse than ever.

Link woke up even later in the day than usual. He lied there for a half hour before finally deciding to leave his house. As he up at the afternoon sky, he failed to notice the familiar green-haired girl running up to his ladder.

"Link!" Saria called.

Link looked down at the her and climbed down to join her. While everything else about Link's life was back to normal, some things weren't. When he was with Saria, for example, now greeted him with a hug every morning, and spent more time with him. Link didn't mind any of this at all, but the other Kokiri have; especially Mido.

Due to Link waking up so late, and missing breakfast, he was hungrier than he's ever been, and spent the next hour eating any edible nut or berry he got his hands on. He and Saria spent another hour talking and playing together. After this, they walked through the village looking for something else to do. Just then, Link stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong, Link?" Asked Saria, who turned to look at him.

Though Link heard his friend's query, he was trying to find the answer himself. Perhaps he was just seeing things. Without answering Saria's question, he continued walking.

But then it happened again.

He saw a vision; a vision that flashed in and out of view too fast to see it clearly. But then it stayed for a moment. He saw nothing but black. Then he saw a familiar blonde-haired girl.

It was Zelda.

Link, she called, help me. As she spoke, the three triangles from his dream from weeks ago, along with a shadowy figure behind it. As it threw its head back and howled in maniacal laughter, Link thought about who this was. He recognized the deep voice that rang out from the figure, who the light from the triangles were starting to reveal. But just before Link found ou t who this person was, the vision disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Link!" Saria almost shouted.

"Huh?"

"What happened there? You look like you zoned out for a second."

"I-" Link stopped himself, realizing that if he told her about the vision, Link would have to tell her about how he left the forest for the second time. "...Nothing." he lied.

Before Saria could question him any further, he heard a strained grunt as if somebody was lifting something heavy.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I don't know." Link responded, but it probably came from over there." Link pointed at a crowd of Kokiri, who seemed to be spectating. Curious, Link and Saria made their way toward the crowd, and through it, they saw what everyone was looking at.

In the center of the exposed circle stood the boy that bullied Link for years: Mido. He was lifting two rocks above his head. When he dropped them to the ground in front of him, he searched the group surrounding him as if he were looking for someone in particular. He somehow didn't see Link.

"Now watch me lift three!" Mido yelled as he stacked a third rock on top of the second one. As he struggled to lift them, Link turned toward Saria.

"I think we should go," he whispered.

Just then, he heard a loud thud. Link faced forward to see that Mido had already lifted the three rocks and dropped them in front of him.

"See!?" Mido boasted, "None of you can lift that many! Not you, not you, not..."

Link turned to escaped the crowd, but just as he did so, he felt himself being pulled in the opposite direction.

"There you are!" Mido exclaimed, pulling Link by the arm. Link tried desperately to break free, but thanks to Mido's superior strength, breaking free was virtually impossible.

"Let go!" Link yelled.

"Not a chance!" Mido retorted, "I need to prove a point!"

"Leave him alone!" Saria yelled.

Ignoring her, Mido pulled Link toward the rocks and faced the part of the crowd Saria was in, "Who here thinks he can lift three, no, two rocks?" Saria shook her head in disgust as Mido leaned in towards Link. "If you lift these," he whispered, "I'll let you go." As Mido finished, he kicked a rock of the stack of three.

Reluctantly, Link bent over to pick the rocks when he found he couldn't.

"HAHAHAH!" Mido cackled, "Pathetic!" You can't even lift two rocks!"

Link looked up at Mido angrily. True, he was unable to lift two rocks high above his head like Mido, but neither could most of the other Kokiri.

"You got a problem with me!?" Mido asked menacingly before pushing Link to the ground. "It'll be a sad day in history if I let some bum with no fairy look a me like that!"

As Link rose to a standing position as his very breath shook with anger.

"What's wrong?" Mido asked mockingly, "Did I strike a nerve, Mr. No Fairy?"

Link couldn't stand it any more. "Mr. No Fairy" was a nickname Mido called Link for as long as he could remember. He knew how much it hurt Link to be reminded that he had no fairy like the rest of the Kokiri did. But still, he-

SMACK!

Before he knew what happened, Link found that he had made a fist, and it punched Mido on the cheek. Everyone, especially Mido, were beyond shocked. Soon, the shock transformed into blind rage. Mido charged at Link and swung his own fist at him. Link, moving on instinct, ducked and punched Mido again. Mido continued to crazily swing his fists at Link to no avail, while Link continued to strike Mido. One punch Link threw, connected with his mouth. Mido stumbled back, and Link pursued, still enraged at Mido. But then, Mido, refusing to loose a fight against someone he felt was inferior to him, sneakily picked up a rock. Then, as Link approached, Mido swung and hit Link one the forehead with the rock. The force sent Link to the ground on his back, his forehead beginning to bleed. Mido mounted Link, and mercilessly punched away at his face.

"Mido! STOP!" Saria screamed.

By the time Mido was finished, the blood from Link's forehead was now running down his face and onto the grass beside him. Link thought Mido was finished, but if he had the energy to raise his head, he'd see that Mido had actually went to pick up a rock, intending to throw it at him. Link's eyes grew wide when he saw Mido with the big rock lifted above his head. Just then, Saria jumped out on front of him, blocking his view of Mido. However, just as Saria began to speak, Link faded from consciousness.

As Link awoken, he found he was in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Saria, who for some reason was watching him as he opened his eyes, smiled widely seeing that Link had awoken.

"Thank goodness." she sighed as Link sat up, "I was just treating your wounds."

Wounds? Link thought, surveying his body.

"Surprisingly, you really didn't have very many. But you have a bad one on your forehead."

Link, remembering he had been bleeding put his hand over his forehead to see that it was no longer bleeding. "...Why are we in the Forest Meadow?" Link asked.

"We're rhe only two who know about this place. Mido won't bother us here." Saria looked at Link, who himself, eyed his boots. "Link," she started, "I'm so proud of you. Nobody else would've had the courage to do what you've done."

Link sighed and looked into the sky. It was nighttime. Mido had literally knocked him out and he had been out for this long. The shamed burned Link like a brand. But during low times such as this, Link was glad to have Saria with him to cheer him up.

"Saria."

"Hm?"

"...Thank you."

Though she didn't know what Link was referring to, she accepted his thanks nonetheless, "You're welcome."

I actuality, Link was thanking her for both saving him from Mido, and for her constant support for him.

Now, they both looked up at the night sky. After a while, Saria sighed.

"What's wrong?" asked Link.

"Link," she began, looking at the mysterious structure in front of them, "I have the feeling something's is about to happen. And then..." Saria paused, "...And then we might not see each other for a while... But that's okay... because we'll still be under the same sky. We can both still look up at it when we need comfort. And as long as we have that... we'll be okay."

Link had no idea what Saria was talking about, but he did find comfort in the words she spoke. They spent the next few hours in silence. Saria, who had been resting her head on Link's shoulder, suggested they leave since it was getting late. As they approached Link's house, Saria leaned over and kissed Link on the cheek.

"Goodnight." she said.

"Goodnight." he told her back.

The Hylian Massacre would occur the next day.

When Link finished his story, his voice faded into silence. Then, Talim turned to Link, "...I can't imagine what would be like to loose all that."

The children sat in silence until Link spoke up. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes." Talim responded.

"What happened to your parents?"

Talim was silent at first. Usually, she wouldn't speak to anyone about her parents, but Link pretty much told her his life story. So it was only fair. With a sigh, she began to tell her story.

On the next chapter of The Legend of Zelda

In the ruins of an obliterated village, a girl had awoken under the rubble of a devastated house. Her head was throbbing painfully, and she bled from her forehead for some reason. She looked around at her surroundings, trying to remember exactly what happened. But she found she couldn't remember anything.

Chapter 11: The Last of Her Kind