*Hey everyone! Sorry for this chapter's delay, but before it starts, I just wanted to say that, despite the requests I've gotten, I am NOT planning on adding any new characters. This story has too many characters as it is (and in too many different places) and it's nearing the end as it is. *sob* Just wanted to get that out there. Any more characters I may add have been planned since the beginning. But I hope the ones I have now are good enough for now. ^^
Also, apologies if there are more typos than usual. Somehow Word was deleted off my laptop and I don't have spell check. ;_;*
The field was more beautiful than usual today, with the sun beating down and the wind blowing delicately through the grass. There wasn't a cloud in the perfect sky overhead. The air couldn't have been more refreshing. But…
"Um, Ghirahim?"
The Demon Lord cast his hardened gaze into the distance, answering Agitha with an impatient, "What?"
"Well… I thought you were going to teleport us right to the temple," she continued, innocently oblivious of his irritation. "But we're in the middle of a field."
Ghirahim simply grimaced in reply. That crafty bitch – err, witch likely cast a barrier around the temple to prevent anyone from instantly getting in through means such as teleportation. So when he tried to go straight to her, he was instead sent to the exact spot where the barrier ended, thus making him and Agitha walk the rest of the way.
"Let's just say she's forcing us to take the long way," the Demon Lord sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The extended amount of time it takes for us to reach her gives her an advantage since her magic is probably growing every second. But I imagine it's corrupting her soul as well. Why can't humans just stay away from things they can't control?" His annoyance was quickly replaced with confidence as he pushed his cape behind him. "No matter. A human can't defeat a Demon Lord. Especially a human woman!" This earned him a long stare from Agitha. "…Sorry," he apologized hesitantly.
"I suppose we should get on our way if it'll take us a while," Agitha decided. "Beetle doesn't deserve such treatment."
He doesn't deserve it from Cia, is what you mean, Ghirahim thought bitterly. But he digressed. And Agitha was right. The sooner they left, the sooner he'd get his slave back from that witch's grasp. He just hoped she hadn't completely broken Sky yet, mentally or physically.
"There it is!"
Wolf Link pointed up at a large stone temple beyond the rose garden he and Midna stood in. It certainly had taken them a while to get back, but it wasn't that bad all things considered. Then again, they did go the entire way without resting, but Wolf was used to that from his traveling days. Midna always was a slave driver.
She held a hand over her eye to shield it from the setting sun and gazed up at the building. "Pretty old fashioned for such a slutty dresser."
"Hey!"
"Sorry," she added unconvincingly. "Jeez, you really are protective of her, aren't you?"
"Damn straight," Wolf Link huffed. Midna could be so rude sometimes! "Whatever, it's okay. We should just get in there. And I'll ask Cia to restore your true form."
"Good." Midna smirked victoriously and hovered after the hero as he rushed up to the large doors. He knocked vigorously, not wanting to alarm Cia. It almost immediately swung open, Sky greeting him on the other side.
Wolf Link was a bit surprised at the instant answer he received, but brushed it off easily. "Hey, Sky! You're okay! Lana didn't come bother you guys while I was gone, did she?"
This time the response wasn't so quick. The Hero of Sky stared at his counterpart, his eyes devoid of life that previously filled them. But after a few unnerving seconds, a smile spread across his face.
"You're back!" he exclaimed. "I thought you were done in by Lana or something. Cia's been really worried about you. She's in the training room if you need her." He glanced at Midna and cocked his head. "Who's this?"
Wolf took a moment to answer, caught off guard at Sky's slightly odd behavior. "She traveled with me when I was saving Hyrule. Her name's Midna."
"Oh," was all Sky said. He stepped to the side and allowed the two to enter the temple. Wolf swiftly walked towards the training room, Midna and Sky struggling to keep up with him. He grinned as he reached the room and cracked open the door. Cia was vigorously launching spheres of energy from her staff at the wall.
"Cia?" he called.
She froze mid-throw and slowly turned her head, a wide grin forming on her face. "You're back! I almost thought Lana and Zelda finally got y-" Her expression turned sour at the sight of Midna. "What's she doing here?"
Wolf Link quickly grabbed Midna by the horn of her Fused Shadow. The Twilight Princess glared daggers at him as she was stopped from giving the witch a piece of her mind. "Midna helped me get back. I promised I'd ask you to break the curse you put on her."
"Oh, did you?" Cia asked sarcastically, folding her arms. "And why should I oblige?"
"Because you're too obsessed hiding behind your magic to fight me for real," Midna spat.
"That's rich coming from you." Cia smirked and pointed the end of her staff at her rival. "Your people have been hiding behind magic like cowards for generations."
Wolf Link quirked a brow and turned to Sky, who had followed them and stood patiently in the hall. He gestured to Cia and gave his counterpart a confused expression. The only reaction out of Sky was a simple shrug along with an apologetic smile. The hero quickly gave up on his attempt to find answers, but once he looked back to Midna, her furious glare took him off guard.
"Aw, did I hit a nerve?" Cia chuckled darkly.
"Cia, stop!" Wolf Link shouted. The sorceress flinched, shaken by his defiance. "Angering Midna won't help anything. If you won't help, just send her away or something. Starting a fight will only make things worse!"
Any other words were cut off by a tiny hand shoving against his arm. "Stay out of this, would you?" Midna spat. "This is my fight!"
Before the hero could react, her ponytail quickly morphed into fist. It instantly flew towards Cia, but she calmly snapped her fingers and triggered a barrier. Midna retracted her hair, knowing there was no way past it.
"Great," she groaned. Her glare softened a bit as she turned to Wolf Link. "Hey, are you just gonna stand there like a dumbass? Help me out! I don't care if you just try to talk sense into her. I'd prefer you knocked sense into her, but that doesn't seem to be working."
"Me?!" he asked incredulously. "You couldn't get to her with magical hair; you expect my sword to do anything?"
"You're the friggin' Hero of Hyrule!" Midna shouted furiously. "How could you not do anything?!" After her brief rage, she shook her head and sighed. "Whatever. Maybe you could ask your friend over there to help out."
Wolf Link could've sworn he saw Cia smirk out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored it. There were more important things to deal with apart from an irritating smile.
"Sky-"
He blinked stupidly when he turned to his counterpart…
Who was no longer there.
"Wondering where he went?" Cia asked mockingly. "Don't worry about it for now; I have a lot more friends to show you!" She placed her thumb and index finger in her mouth, sending a high-pitched whistle throughout the castle. Wolf Link's hands flew to his ears, his skull seeming to vibrate from the noise. He shut his eyes tight, but it only lasted for a moment; something blunt made contact with his head roughly, causing him to lose his footing and fall to the ground. The impact with the tile only disoriented further, his sight now starting to darken. But before his consciousness fully faded, he faintly heard Midna shouting at someone, along with the blurry sight of Sky smiling over him…
Young Link softly kicked the stump he was sitting on. He was supposed to be waiting for Saria to get bandages or something, but his mind was wandering to other places. He was mainly worried about what his poor grandson was doing right now. Was he forced to wander around outside, deprived of companionship? Loneliness must've been so hard on him. No one to talk to, no one to understand his pain…
"Sounds familiar, don't it?"
Goddammit...
The hero stared hately at his own shadow. It's sillouhette made an exaggerated laughing gesture, eyes faintly glowing crimson.
"Hello, Dark," Young Link greeted flatly. "What the hell do you want?"
Part of the shadow hollowed out in a crescent shape on it's face, clearly showing a wide smile. "You're just a ray of sunshine today, aren't you?" Dark cackled. "Not even reacting to my sudden appearence... How disappointing! I was expecting you to shriek and fall off your seat!"
"I don't think many things could surprise me at this point," the hero replied. "I'm more preoccupied with other things anyway..."
"Oh, scared of what little Saria will think once she sees that bloody hole in your head?" Dark Link grabbed his sides and laughed manically. "I can't wait to see her traumatized face! It'll be priceless!" The laughter quickly died down as he became focused again. "Anyway, can I at least tell you why I'm here? Pretty please?" he asked in mock innocence.
Young Link rolled his good eye in irritation. "As long as it's important. And quick, for that matter."
"Yay, you want to hear what I have to say!" One death stare from the hero sharply decreased Dark's upbeatness. "Gee, someone's in a mood. Anywho, you know how Cia captured Sky and all that? Well, now she's got Wolfy too."
Young Link's eye widened and shook as he grasped the edge of his stump for balance. The one good thing about his grandson being missing was that he was safe! Was his first instinct just to go back running to that witch?!
"You must be really worried," Dark coaxed mocking. "Poor you! If only someone was connected to the Fierce Deity's Mask and could see everything that's going on... Oh, wait! There is!"
The hero quirked a brow as the air was filled with his shadow's sick cackling. "...What are you talking about?"
"You remember that time when you fell from Volga and got knocked out?" His question was answered with a puzzled stare. "Seriously? You still don't remember right? Whatever. You were doing recon with Volga and stuff. Not important. But what is important is that the Mask created a barrier around you and was forced to fill you with some power so the impact didn't kill you. It fucked you up, sure, and it lead to our wonderful meeting, but you lived. And since the darkness is now inside you, I have a power source. So now I can meet you outside! And I have a direct connection to the Mask! See? Aren't I useful?'
"Wait, hold it. You can see my grandson and Sky, right?" Young Link pressed desperately. "What are they doing? Tell me!"
"Hm, let's see... Aw, poor Wolfy looks like he got screwed up pretty bad. Bloodied, bruised, and barely conscious. And... Wait, what?"
Young Link gripped the edge of his seat tighter, his fingers turning white. "What?!"
Dark was silent for a few more long seconds, his thumb to his lips in deep thought. Finally, he replied, "It's weird. I thought Sky was a friend. I knew Cia was making him do strange things, but... I was sure he'd have enough will power to not hurt Wolfy."
The color drained from the hero's face. "What's Sky doing...?"
The shadow opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of crunching leaves. "Whoops, there's Saria. Let's continue this later, 'kay?"
Young Link was tempted to shout for Dark to come back as the crimson faded from his eyes, but the sight of Saria steadily approaching him held him back. A large roll of bandages and a bottle of water were cradled in her arms.
"I'm back!" she announced. Her smile disappared at her friend's obvious distress. "You okay, Link?"
"Huh? O-Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he answered unconvincingly. "My eye just hurts a little."
Saria remained suspicious, but she wisely decided not to press the subject. She knelt before him and pulled off a thick piece from the bandage roll. Setting it on the ground, she then popped the cork off the bottle and doused it in water.
"Okay, this may hurt, but it'll pass," she assured him. She held up the bandage and nodded to Young Link's hand. It didn't move from it's place. "Link, I've gotta fix your wound. It's just a scratch, right?"
"Yeah... Just a scratch," he sighed. Slowly and unsurely, he slid his palm away from his face. He shut his intact eye to avoid seeing Saria's reaction, but her horrified gasp reached him well enough.
"L-Link wha-"
"Don't bother asking, just fix it," he snapped. He regretted the bluntness of his words, but he felt Saria was more distracted by his gruesome state.
Saria didn't reply for a long time, and when Young Link became worried and opened his eye, she was still staring at him with the blood drained from her face.
"Are you going to do it or not?" he asked, blushing in embarrassment from her unblinking gaze. "If it's really that gross, it's fine."
His words seemed to snap her back to reality. She winced slightly and nodded, reaching up and patting the stained skin around the wound with the damp material. Her hand was shaking as she did so and she seemed to be on the verge of being sick, but eventually she finished. Understandably, she didn't dare to clean the actual wound. It all ended with her cleaning the bandage with more water and wrapping it around his forehead and the left side of his face.
A long string of silence passed, with the children only staring at the ground. Young Link was the first to speak up.
"Um... Saria, I have to tell you something." She looked up expectantly. "I think I'm on a bit of a timelimit. Two people very important to me might be in a lot of danger and I have to leave really soon. So... If I don't find any leads on Mido soon I'll have to start focusing on a way back to where I came from."
Saria sagged her shoulders and nodded. "I get it. It's fine, really. Mido's been missing for a long time anyway. By now he's probably..." She didn't dare finish her statement. "But can't you rest for at least a little bit? You've been gone for so long..."
"It hasn't been that long," Young Link smiled, allowing himself a small laugh. "You all live forever as kids, a few years can't mean that much to you."
The girl quirked a brow and gave him an expression halfway between horrified and confused. "Link, you haven't been gone 'a few years,'" she said incrediously.
Young Link tilted his head to one side, wondering what she meant. "Really? It couldn't have been that long. Maybe you've just lost count."
She shook her head vigoursly. "We have, but for a different reason. You been missing for a hundred years!"
"...What?" The hero narrowed his gaze at her. "I couldn't have been gone an entire century. If I had, I'd be dead by now."
The meaning of his words flew over Saria's head, but she coninued nontheless. "We even started tallying the years! We lost count of the days somehow after eighty, but... We're sure it's at least been a hundred years!"
Not understanding, Young Link subtly glanced at his shadow, for once looking to Dark for assistance. And lo and behold, he receieved the answer he sought.
"Confused, little guy?" Dark's voice echoed in his head. "Well, the answer is pretty simple. I mean, you've traveled through time before, so I'm surprised you haven't made the connection."
Young Link turned to Dark slightly, a look of realization beginning to show on his face.
"That's right, kid!" Dark said bombastically. "Welcome to the Era of Twilight!"
"Hey, Mr. No Fairy!"
Link cracked open an eye, that irritating, nasily voice waking him from his midday nap. He was tempted to roll over and bury his face under the covers, but ignoring that stupid kid wasn't an option. Until Link, the most violent boy in all of Kokiri Forest, bashed this kid's head in, nothing would help. Well, if it's a fight he wanted...
"Are you deaf, asshole?!" the boy shouted, using an entry from his book of cursewords. "If you're a real Kokiri then you'll get down here and-"
An apple flying from the window of Link's treehouse shut him up, hitting him square in the forehead and knocking him down. His three lackies, the Know-It-All Brothers, as Link called them, couldn't help but laugh themselves. Link himself leapt down from his platform, completely ignoring the ladder, and sauntered over to the boy rubbing his head.
"What's the matter, Mido?" he grinned arrogantly, picking up the apple and taking bite out of it. "You still think you can beat me?"
Mido ran a hand through his fiery red hair, feeling for any bumbs. He then sat up, grabbed his green hat from the ground, and furiously sat it back on his head. "Of course I can," he spat. "I'm a Kokiri, and you're just a human."
The children within earshot gasped at his insult and whispered their thoughts amongst themselves while Link gripped his apple harder, his fingernails digging into the skin.
"That's low, Mido..." one of the twins said regretfully.
"But he is!" Mido insisted, hopping to his feet. "He doesn't have a fairy, he gets taller every day... He even just looks different from the rest of us! He sticks out like a sore thumb!"
Link wasn't quite sure what he meant. The only things that really set him apart were his blond hair and blue eyes, but he shared that trait with a Kokiri girl named Fado, who was very loyal to Mido. And Saria was the only kid with green hair, so shouldn't she be the one standing out? Either way, all the Kokiri reluctantly nodded in agreement with their so-called "boss," Fado included.
Mido glanced around at all the children beginning to glare a Link. He turned back to his rival with a haughty smile, but Link's fist colliding with his face sent him to the ground once more. Link threw himself on top of Mido, and they back in one of their daily fights.
"Just admit it, No Fairy!" Mido grinned victoriously. "Maybe someday when you get big you'll come back and kill us."
Link didn't even have the patience to yell at him. And without a reaction, Mido had given up on insults and focused on where to land punches. Eventually all the Kokiri children huddled around them and cheered them on. However, with all the chaos, no one bothered to notice a certain girl with green hair making her way to the center. The only time Link noticed her was when she grabbed him by the back of his collar and lifted him off Mido.
"S-Saria," he gulped nervously. "I thought you were in your secret spot..."
"I was until I heard yelling," she huffed. Mido was next to be lifted to his feet. Both boys had blood running from their noses and a bruise or two, but nothing too bad. "Honestly, I don't get what it is with you boys and fighting!"
"He started it!" The two boys both pointed at each other childishly. Saria slapped a hand to her forehead.
"I don't care who started it," she said. "Go back home and cool down for a while."
The rivals sent each other one last death stare and marched back to their houses, not daring to defy Saria. She was usually the nicest girl in the forest, but she sure could be scary...
Whatever the case, Link found the opprotunity to cuddle back under his covers and catch up on his sleep. He couldn't imagine what Mido had against him, but if Link ever did leave the forest, he hoped he'd never see Mido again.
"Link, this way!"
The hero rushed after his fairy companion as she zipped through the hollow logs of the Lost Woods.
"Wait, Navi!" he called to her. The moment he did, his hand flew to his throat in shock. No matter how much he heard the deeper voice coming from his mouth, he could never get used to it and tried to refrain from speaking at all. Plus, it only served to remind him of what he was now: an adult.
A human.
Whatever, if this was his fate, there was nothing to be done. But even so, being an adult was so scary. The ground was so far away, he sounded so different... And the first time he looked in a mirror, he didn't recognize the person staring back! He was just glued to his reflection for the longest time, both horrified an mesmorized by his new body, unable to believe it was him. And the feeling of it was even worse. Every time he spoke to adults he wasn't sure what they were talking about. Despite the aged body, his mind was still very much a child.
And even worse were the girls. Why was he so nervous around them now? Why did he feel so...weird around them? Why were they all of a sudden so scary?! Even now, those questions went unanswered. But they did have one unexplained benefit: he was a lot more determined to save Zelda.
"Hey, Link, over here!" Navi shouted. He dashed towards the voice and skidded to a halt before the next turn. Blocking his path was a familiar little boy, who was now little more than half Link's size.
"Mido...?" he said unsurely.
The redhead flinched at the sound of his name. "H-How do you know my name?! Don't try to fool me, you wear a Kokiri's clothes and have a fairy, but you're nothing more than an evil human!"
Link's breath caught in his throat. He'd heard that insult before, but now it had a whole new meaning. "Mido, don't you recognize me?" No response. "At all?"
The Kokiri took a cautious step back from his former rival. "I-If you dont turn back, I-I'll..." His voice trailed off as he struggled to think of a threat. "I have to protect Saria, s-so-"
"Saria?!" Link grabbed Mido by the shoulders and lifted him to eye level. "You know where she is?"
Mido opened and closed his mouth in a deserate attempt to say something, but he was unable to find his voice. Sadly finding he was frightening the boy, Link set him down.
"You don't believe me, do you...?" he asked slowly. Mido shook his head nervously, every amount of courage he had drained.
"P-Please don't kill me!" the boy begged. "I'm just a kid, I can't fight. And if I die the other Kokiri won't have a boss, and..."
Link sunk to Mido's level as tears began to stream down the Kokiri's face. He balanced himself on his toes and patted Mido's head. The gesture was expected to be awkward, but one innocent and vulnourable expression from the boy made it heartwarming.
"You really don't recognize me, huh?" the hero asked with sad smile. The only answer he received as a teary, puzzled gaze from Mido. "Oh, I know! Hold on..." He grabbed the Ocarina of Time from his belt and brought it to his lips, playing a short set of uplifting notes.
"That's..." Reality hit Mido as the song sunk in. "That's Saria's song! How do you know it?!"
"I used to be her friend, remember?" Mido continued to stare, wondering what Link was talking about. "Seriously? You still don't get what I'm talking about. I'm even wearing the same freaking hat."
The redhead turned his gaze to Link's cap and stared hard at it. It took only a few moments for him to gasp as reality hit him like a ton of bricks. "Link!"
He surpressed the urge to roll his eyes, but whatever made Mido remember was fine with him. "You know all that stuff you said about me being a human a while back? Well, turned out it's all true... My mom died right after I was born and I was raised in the forest."
A painful beat of silence passed, tears once again beginning to well up in Mido's eyes. "You..."
Link's nostalgic smile faded as he felt Mido's fist collide with his chest.
"Dumbass!" the Kokiri shouted. "You were okay all this time and you never bothered to visit?!" He punched Link again, gritting his teeth as he wasn't setting a reaction. He likely knew just as well as Link this was a sign of his size: he was an adult now, and a child was nothing to him.
"I would've if I had the chance," Link explained as Mido's hits ceased. "Some really weird stuff happened and a princess was kidnapped... Before I knew what was happening, I ran for this powerful sword and pulled it out of it's pedistal, but I wasn't old enough to weild it. So I went to sleep for a long time and when I woke up..."
Mido stared at him blankly. "...What?"
"It's, um, a long story," Link laughed weakly. "Anyway, I have to get through so I can save Saria. Just wait out here for me, okay?" He stepped over the Kokiri to travel farther into the woods, but Mido grabbed the edge of his tunic and pulled.
"Wait a second!" the boy shouted. "What are you going to do after you're done? You aren't going to leave again, are you...?"
Link sighed and smiled sadly at Mido. "Once I'm done here I have to go save some more people and power up my sword. If I do, I'll be able to save the princess. And if I'm still alive after all that, I'll come back to visit."
"Whoa, if you're still alive?!" Mido's grip tightened on the fabric. "You don't mean you might...die, right?"
The hero offered one last smile and released Mido's hand from his tunic. WIth a final pat on the head, Link hurried away from the Kokiri, who refused to move from his spot. The gesture may have seemed heroic, but there was actually a different reason for it. Navi must've realized it, since she sat on Link's shoulder and patted him in her own small way to comfort him. It was sweet, but it didn't distract from what Link was thinking. The subject of dying... It didn't scare him, oddly enough. Perhaps the Goddesses made him so he wouldn't. Even so, dying would be an escape from his fate. But if he died, what would become of Zelda? He couldn't find himself caring about the other subjects of Hyrule: the strange Cucoo lady, Malon Talon, the little graveyard boy... The only one he truly cared about saving was Zelda, despite barely knowing her.
But somehow that didn't bother him. He liked the new, strange feeling he got when he thought of her, and that was enough. Whatever drew him to her was unimportant to him, but...
Why did it feel like he was forgetting something?
*You know, I wasn't even going to finish this chapter. I was about to drop this story. I thought it sucked. But then I looked at that page count...
200 PAGES!
You people have stuck with my crap for 200 pages! And once I pulled myself out of my depression of the month, I got to my cheap Dell laptop and I finished this chapter in one day. So let this be a testament! This story WILL finish!
Young Link: Oh, shit... She's never letting us go free! D:
Sky: But I haven't seen the outside in a year!
Wolf: And I haven't been allowed out of the attic in a week. ;_;
Young Link: I haven't gotten laid in six months... T_T
Oh, shut up! By the way, February is the birthday month of my friends MCFanfics and Moonlightravengrave. MC's was in the beginning of the month and Raven's is coming this Sunday, so happy birthday to both of you! ^^
TP Zelda: And you didn't get EITHER of them a present. Yay, friendship! :D
...;_; ANYWAY, I'm a little iffy on this chapter, but I really liked the ending with Link and Mido. Link is really different here, isn't he? _ Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway! :3
k bye.*