In the Kokiri village, Mido was crestfallen. He knew that this was inevitable, but he had hoped for at least one more chance to win Saria's heart over to him. Saria's bonding with Link and not him was the only problem Mido had with Link, but it had been enough. He had tried every argument he could think of to turn her away from Link, without luck. He had reminded her in the past that Link had no fairy. She replied "No fairy to compete with for his affection and secrets, what's so bad about that?" When Link was joined with Navi, the Battle Fairy who had been just about everywhere EXCEPT the Kokiri Forest, she answered "That means that Link will fight that much harder to be the man that I love!" He reminded her of the fact that Link was born a Hylean, born to two very tall Hyleans who died in the wars when he was an infant. Even being raised on a Kokirish diet, he would tower over everyone like a mountain. She proclaimed "she would climb that man-mountain when she came to him."
He thought she was having second thoughts when they learned he was leaving for Hyrule Castle. She looked as if she were seeing him off for good when she left to see him on the bridge. She returned almost a different woman altogether. She stormed into his house, told him "Link and I will marry when he returns from the castle! If we had a real chieftain, Link wouldn't be the one travelling!" and left! Now, he knew that he could never have Saria, for she had never been his to have!
And something else was bothering him. He had remembered again a pledge he made at the pyre when his father was returned to the forest. He had pledged to take care of Link! He didn't remember why yet. But he knew it had been important. If he had not become spoiled, with all the trappings of being a chieftain without any of the responsibilities, he might have remembered. If he had not convinced himself that Saria was his, and resented her giving herself to Link before either of them knew what they were doing, he might have remembered anyway.
He would have to bless the marriage in the morning. He saw that Link did not drop off his war gear when he passed through the village. So whatever quest the Great Deku Tree and the Princess of the Hyleans had sent him on was just starting. He had probably stopped in the village just long enough to marry Saria, and possibly to couple with her. They would probably nap in the meadow by the Temple ruins, before Link left straight out for wherever the Princess bade him go. Knowing how reckless Saria was, they might both go!
Mido drifted off to sleep sitting at his table. He then had a nightmare, more fearful than any he could imagine! At first, he was again a child. He was playing in the Lost Woods, when he saw his father. Mido ran to him, shouting "Papa! Papa! You've come home!" Then he realized that it was the ghost of his father! And he was no longer a child, but an adult again!
The ghost said "Mido. You have disappointed me!"
"But Papa! You left me so young! I was not ready to fill your shoes! Yet the Kokiri have prospered anyway. I was not a great chieftain, but I have learned!"
Mido's father replied, "I speak not of the Forest People. You swore an oath to me, without my asking, that you would take care of the son of my Sworn Brother and Liege-Lord. Yet, soon after I died, you forgot your oath! You envied your brother his life-mate, and treated him with scorn!"
"Papa, please forgive me! They were only now married, and her father had promised her to me! I heard it with my own ears, as I listened at the Wizard's window whilst you and the Duke drank ale with him!"
Weldo answered, "Son, you remember that I was not happy that night. I tell you now why. Sarchan promised Saria to 'The Great Warlord.' My Sworn Brother promised his infant son to the Princess of Hyrule! Both were befuddled from the wine of the Hyleans, and did not realize what they had done. But I had. For I knew even then that you would be a great War Chieftain. But The Great Warlord would be the infant son of the Duke of Hyrule! Your Sworn Brother! I do not know how this will end, but it will hurt your Sworn Brother greatly, no matter what.
"And your Sworn Brother is in greater danger still! Ganondorf, the eternal enemy of our people is plotting to steal the Triforce! Should he take it, he will enslave the realm, and the entire world with barbarity and cruelty! Link is the only one who may be able to stop him. This is the quest that even now he has taken up! You have forsaken your brother in the past. I forgive this. If you forsake him ever again, there will be no pardon from anyone, nor any pardon for anyone. For their champion will be dead, at the hand of his brother!"
"Papa, what must I do? I don't know how I may help him."
Weldo continued. "You must be the brother to him that you never were. You must earn his trust. This will not be as hard as you think, but you must do this. You must remember that he is the Duke of Hyrule, and your Liege-Lord, as I was to his father. But you must never tell him this! He will learn of who he is in good time, but not from you. Keeping this secret from him protects his life! When he knows who he is, you will show him the proper respect! But you must not tell him!
"You will tell Saria, but not now! If you are truly the brother to Link you swore you would be, you shall know the right time to tell her!
"Finally, you will seek his help! For you are the Chieftain, and must never let him be distracted by that sacred duty not being attended to. You will need to borrow his courage to succeed at this. You will also need that courage so that when he is in need, you will be there!" There was a flash of light!
Mido was in a large clearing in the Lost Woods. He was older, and in the midst of many Kokiri warriors! They were battling a horde of stalfos, who outnumbered his band two to one! They were winning the battle, but barely. They had lost several of their number, and several more were wounded, and needed the protection of their brothers! He was fighting two, and was winning! He defeated the first, and had turned his attention to the second. But a third came as if from nowhere. It struck him full on his shield, and knocked him to the ground, stunned. The one he had been fighting was about to drive its sword through his chest, when it was felled with one swing. Link had just saved his life!
But it was not Link. This was a boy, not even seven, but almost fully grown by the sizes of the Kokiri! The boy did have Link's face and eyes, but he had Saria's hair, and ears! The boy looked Mido in the eyes and said, "Help my father. That is all I ask!" There was another flash of light!
Mido saw into a large Temple, but was not there. Link had entered, and opened a large stone door. Link thought he was alone, but he was not. Saria had followed quietly behind him, and she had a sword and shield! Mido was puzzled. But he came to a horrible realization--Saria was protecting Link… alone! If there was danger, there should have been more warriors, nay, every man of the Forest who could carry a sword!
Link walked up to a sword set in a large stone in the floor of the Temple. He drew the sword out of the stone. As he did so, Ganondorf appeared! The sword was obviously too big for Link, yet he took it in two hands, and faced Ganondorf! Link then saw Saria. His courage was shaken, out of fear for her. But he charged Ganondorf with even greater ferocity, greater than Mido thought any living being could have for another! Ganondorf struck at both Link and Saria. Mido saw Link vanish, and then…
He was in a large field. It was night, and fog hung low against the ground. Link walked up to him from out of the mist and greeted him. "Great War Chieftain! The Beast threatens our Forest! Stand here, and fight his smaller minions! I will attack his greater minions, and kill the Beast myself! You cannot help me with these large monsters! But slay the smaller ones, and guard my back!" With that, Link walked away.
Mido tried to touch Link's shoulder to get his attention. But as he did, Link slew a large spider. Mido drew blood from Link! He was horrified. But Link turned around and said, "Be careful, Brother! Your touch is stronger than you realize!"
Link turned back to his work, and slew a flightless dragon, and a monster of the sea. He then vanished! Mido looked around. He looked up, and saw Saria! She was falling from the sky! Mido knew that if he did not catch her, she would be killed! He ran to her, and held out his arms to catch her. He caught her, but they were both being driven into the ground. He held her up with all his might, but he was failing! Just as he thought all was lost, Link appeared again. He touched Saria, and both stood before Mido, alive and well! Link told Mido "Thank you, Brother! I told you your touch was strong!"
Link and Saria then handed him an infant boy! He held the child. It grew rapidly in his arms. As it grew, Link and Saria both disappeared! Then, the stalfos came. He stood the child behind him, bidding him "Nephew, please hide behind me. I must fight these monsters, and protect you."
The child did as he was told, at first. But the child grew rapidly, to the size of a Kokiri adult. The child found sword and shield, and started to fight at Mido's side! He asked the child "Nephew, must you fight at my side?"
The child answered, "You must not suffer harm! As you protect me, I protect you!" Mido would have argued, but there was no time! The stalfos were back!
Each of them tried to fight with more ferocity than the other! Mido tried to send the child to safety a couple of times. But each time, both found themselves hurt, and resumed at each other's sides. Suddenly, the stalfos were gone!
In front of them stood a Hylean nobleman. The limbs of a Deku tree were strangling the nobleman. Both Mido and the child went to the Hylean's aid. Each drew swords, and severed the limbs of the tree. Then, they pried the limbs from around the Hylean's throat. The tree then kneeled down to the two Kokiri and the Hylean, and rendered homage! Mido looked at the Hylean, and it was Link again!
Except this time, it was Link as he would look when his Hylean body had grown to full size. He was not as large as the old duke, but he still towered over Mido. Yet, he was as much Kokiri as Mido, if not more! He looked down and told Mido "You have done well again, my brother! I must slay four more monsters, and the Beast itself! Then, we will celebrate our deliverance! With the boy at his side, Mido watched Link walk off again.
Link slew a dragon, a sea monster, a giant spider with human hands, and a pair of witches. Link then attacked the beast itself! He slew it twice! He then started to walk back towards Mido. But then, the child disappeared. Link was no longer walking, nor large. He was Kokiri sized, and being carried on his Hylean shield by two Hylean men. They brought Link to Mido at a full run! Link looked up at Mido and said "Help me brother, I am dying!"
Saria and Link stopped playing as the first rays of the sun broke over the horizon. The light barely illuminated the tree-ringed meadow, but they both knew it was time.
Saria said, "Before you leave again, there's someone we need to see, beloved."
"Who would that be?"
"The Skull Kids have two pieces of life-force container. They may give them to you, for my sake, if not yours."
Link never got along well with the Skull Kid. The Skull Kid had a crush on Saria, and was jealous of Link. But Saria was friends with anyone and anything that belonged in the forest, even the Skull Kids. Link didn't even know that there was more than one! He answered "If they will help us, fine. But if I had just lost the woman of my dreams to another man, I wouldn't want to see that man!"
Saria replied, "He knew he would never have me! But he is my friend still. He, and his two brothers."
The two lovers walked almost to the Kokiri Village, but went straight where they would have turned right. They passed through a clearing with two tree stumps. They walked to their left, and walked into another clearing, overlooking a deep ravine. Over the ravine was suspended a bridge. They stood next to a ladder, which ran down into the ravine. Saria climbed down the ladder, and Link followed.
They walked the length of the ravine, passing under the Lost Woods Bridge. Saria said, "Strange. I've always found him under the bridge before." As she said that, a deku scrub sprouted out of the ground and spit a deku nut at them! Link drew his shield and bounced the nut back at the scrub, stunning it! The scrub moaned piteously, "Spare me master, and I'll make your quest easier by allowing you to carry more deku sticks. But it will cost you forty rupees!"
Saria was stunned, having only seen mad scrubs before. She was even more stunned when Link handed the scrub forty rupees, and said, "Ok. Fair enough." The scrub took the forty rupees. Then, it touched Link's t-frame with a bolt of magic! The t-frame now held twenty deku sticks! The deku scrub quickly vanished, dropping three rupees as it left.
Link picked up the coins and put them in his moneybag. He looked up and said, "I've never seen the underside of the bridge before. It never meant anything to me, either… until a few days ago." Saria kissed him.
She said, "It means much more to me, too. But we need to find the Skull Kid."
They climbed the ladder, and walked back into the clearing with the two stumps. This time, on the taller of the two, the Skull Kid danced and played his straight flute. The Skull Kid stopped playing, and looked at the two Kokiri.
He said, "I hear you just became life-mates, Saria! But I don't believe your make-believe Kokiri boyfriend is your life-mate. The music your life-mate played couldn't have come from a Hylean!" Link was furious! He had wanted to spare the feelings of the Skull Kid. Having almost lost Saria less than a week ago, he was especially sensitive to the heart of another who had been betrayed by love, or even infatuation. But the Skull Kid's arrogance almost enraged him! He took his ocarina and played the song of his wedding. He played it gloatingly, as if to say "I won her heart, and you didn't! Too bad, ha ha!"
The Skull Kid was crushed! He fell off of his perch, and started to cry inconsolably. This touched Link's heart again. For Link was not a vengeful person. He regretted hurting the Skull Kid's feelings, even though the Skull Kid had hurt his. Link himself didn't understand how he had become Kokiri when he hadn't been born one! He changed his playing, as if to say "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, brother. I don't know how I deserved her love, where you did not. Rest assured that I will take at least as good care with her as would have. Please forgive me."
The Skull Kid stood up, wiped his eyes, and remounted his stump. He said, "So you've become Kokiri that you would win her love! You are now of her, as she is of you! We are now friends forever, Kokiri! Please take this as a remembrance of our friendship!" The Skull Kid cast a piece of life-force container high into the air. Link stopped playing, and caught the piece, absorbing it instantly.
Link said, "Thank you, brother! I'll be forever grateful. What is your name, that I may call you by it?"
The Skull Kid answered "As your life-mate will tell you, my brothers and I have no names.
"I sense that you are travelling. I feel that you have the Kokiri Emerald with you. Why?"
Saria answered "Nameless Friend, my life-mate has been chosen to save the realm from the evil King of the Gerudo. I would have spared your feelings, but Link will need all the help I can give him to return safe to me. Even your help."
The Skull Kid answered, "Saria, I've given the best help a plain-faced haunter of the woods can give. My two scary-faced brothers will help too, but only if Link wins their trial! But his heart beats as a Kokiri. He is at one with the forest, his ocarina, and you! Their ordeal will be as nothing. Because he is of you, he isn't even in peril of his life if he fails!"
It was legend among the Kokiri that the Skull Kids would capture unsuspecting Kokiri who had wandered too far from the main paths and challenge them to an ordeal playing their ocarinas. If they passed, they would be given strength to live longer. If they failed, they would be killed and eaten! But Saria had never feared the Skull Kids, nor had she wanted their help before today.
She told her nameless friend "This is kind of all of you! I will always be grateful."
The Skull Kid answered, "We can do no less, friend! But please leave now, with my best wishes! Though I knew I could never have you, your loss eats at my heart almost as much as the plainness of my face! Go with fortune." The Skull Kid started to cry again.
Link answered "And you, brother. If I can, I will help you with your face." The two Kokiri quickly left the clearing.
Saria said, "How can you help him?"
Link answered, "You know of the legends of magic masks. Perhaps if I find one on my travels, it will help him. If I find one, we owe him no less."
They had entered a clearing that was mostly occupied with a deep pit. Saria went ahead of him, and went down a ladder Link hadn't noticed before. Link followed her. They stood in a sunken clearing. At the far end of the clearing was a tree stump, and a tall tree stump with a branch sticking out of one side. This taller stump formed two platforms.
Saria said "Stand on the smaller tree stump and listen to me." Link stood on the tree stump and the other two Skull Kids appeared.
One of them said, "Our plain-faced older brother tells us that it is your wedding day, Kokiri. You have become life-mates with our friend. She stands behind you to help in your trial! We wouldn't take your life if you lost, for her sake. And with her help, even a Hylean could win our trial! We will play on our straight flutes. Play along with your ocarina. If you play to our satisfaction, we will present you with gifts! If you fail, you will have our congratulations, alone! Play!"
The first Skull kid played a short melody, then his brother played the same one. Link played the melody back to them.
The one said, "That was good. Take this as a reward." The Skull Kid tossed a ten-rupee coin to Link, who caught it and put it in his pocket.
The Skull Kid said, "Ok, play again!" The first Skull Kid played a complicated melody, and his brother played the melody again. Link played it back to them, embellishing it just a little. The first Skull Kid said, "That was great! Have this as a reward!" The second Skull Kid tossed a twenty-rupee coin to Link, who caught it and put it in his pocket.
The first Skull Kid said, "Ok, This is the great test. Play!" The Skull Kid played a long, melancholy song of the forest, one that Link had never heard before! It seemed to hint at the mysterious origin of the Skull Kids themselves! The second one played to Link, playing the second half of the song!
After over forty-five minutes of very complicated music, Link was finally able to play the song back to the Skull Kids. He added his own uncertainty, fears, and doubt. He also added his hope, optimism, and joy! He played the melodies back perfectly, and in order!
The second Skull Kid exclaimed "Awesome! Your playing goes beyond that of even a Kokiri, much less a Hylean!" The first Skull Kid said, "You have won your trial, Kokiri!" He tossed the piece of life-force container to Link, who caught and absorbed it immediately.
The first Skull Kid continued "Our plain faced brother is content to haunt the forest forever! If you find a way to make his face scary, he will be truly happy! But my brother and I have grown tired of haunting the forest! If on your travels you find the power or spell, please free us, that we may grow up and live as ordinary Kokiri."
Link answered, "I'm not sure I'll ever find the power to do that! If I can, though, I'll try. But why are you and your brothers here, anyway?"
They answered, "As we remember, many centuries ago, we were ordinary Kokiri children. We were disrespectful to the great Wizard of that time. The wizard rebuked us, which made our father angry. Our father drew sword against the Wizard and killed him! The Wizard's son, in his grief, cursed us to our fate! He regretted doing this, but even he couldn't undo the spell! We have wandered the forest ever since. Our brother has grown to like this way of life, but we never did.
Link said, "I'll do what I can."
The first Skull Kid replied, "My brother tells me you are called to save the forest! That must come first! But if you can free us too, we will be grateful. If we can help you in any way, whether you free us or not, let us know, and we'll do it!"
Saria answered "Thank you, nameless friends! Link and I must be going."
The Skull Kids said, "Go with fortune, friends!"
Saria answered "And you, nameless friends!" The two Skull Kids disappeared! Link and Saria climbed the ladder out of the ravine, Link going first.
As Link helped Saria up from the ladder, he noticed a large gong on the opposite side of the sunken clearing. It hung from the lone branch of a tall, dead tree trunk, and was level with the two Kokiri who looked wonderingly at it.
He asked, "Have you noticed that gong before?"
"No. I wonder where it came from."
"I'll ring it, and find out."
Link drew his fairy slingshot and shot the gong three times dead centre, ringing it loudly enough to wake the dead! A deku scrub stood sprouted up from the top of the dead tree trunk. It said loudly, perhaps from deafness, "That was wonderful shooting! I must reward you for your skill!" The deku scrub spit a large seed bag out at Link and disappeared, taking the gong with him!
Link caught the bag and examined it. The bag was larger than the one he had been carrying. It contained forty deku seeds. He handed his old seed bag to Saria, and put the larger one on his belt where the old one had been. He said, "I'll figure out how my slingshot is made, and make you one. It will be much easier to use for hunting than snares."
Among the Kokiri, men and women both hunted and gathered. Saria was good with a snare. But it hurt her feelings to have to kill the hare, squirrel, or bird close-up. She thanked him with a kiss, and they walked out of the Lost Woods into the Kokiri village.
Mido woke up almost in a panic! He grabbed his sword as he jumped out of his chair! He grabbed his shield, and ran out of his house at full speed! He ran into the morning sun, and straight into the backs of Link and Saria, who had just returned from the Lost Woods. He knocked them both to the ground!
Link and Saria both got back on their feet. Saria was furious. Mido was stunned for a moment by the force of the collision, as he had run full into Link's shield. Then, he recognized who he ran into! He panicked, and genuflected behind his sword, as he saw his father do to the old duke years ago. He then panicked more, because Link wasn't supposed to know yet! He froze in fear, cowering in mid-genuflect before the last two fellow Kokiri anyone would have ever expected him to fear!
Saria said in her mind to Link "Beloved, will you kick him, or should I? I've lost my patience with his jealous games! First he knocks us to the ground; then he mocks you, acting like you were the King of the Hyleans! And this, as you go on an errand he should have been doing!"
Link answered her in her mind "Beloved, I think he meant to apologize for being mean. If so, I will chide him a little for being so clumsy, and be done with it. We will have to live in this village with him for many years to come. You always told me you wanted nothing to do with being a Chieftain's life-mate. If we treat him too roughly, you will be bonded to a Chieftain, and Mido will be out of a job!
Link drew his sword, and started to tap Mido on the shoulder, continuing what he thought was Mido's joke. Then, he saw into Mido's heart, and wished he had looked first. He was not able to read all, and understood even less, but what he saw convinced him that Mido was neither joking, nor trying to humiliate.
Instead of making Mido 'Sir Loin of a Kokiri, The Knight of Passionate Coupling' he said this. "Brother Chieftain, you pay homage to me I've yet to earn! But your bravery in doing this, your concern for my well-being, and your faith in my skill impresses me. I declare you War Chieftain of the Kokiri, should I ever be able to do so. You will be my Strong Left Arm here, for I am left-handed. You will fight my battles for our Forest People here, while I am forced to fight our enemies in their own houses!" He taped Mido on the right shoulder, then the left, then the right again with the side of his sword, saying, "Arise, brave War Chieftain!"
Mido got up, embarrassed, and unsure of what to do. Link said, "Brother War-Chieftain, my life-mate and I were looking for you to bless our wedding, seeing the Great Deku Tree is no more, and his son has yet to sprout. I apologize for our not having sought you out before the wedding, but even we didn't know the time until it was upon us!"
Mido answered, "No apology is needed, brother! The two of you have already blessed each other far more than I ever could. But, I, Mido, Chieftain of the Kokiri bless your wedding in my name, and in the names of the Late Deku Tree and his sprout, when it sprouts. Be happy and fruitful!"
Link and Saria answered, "Thank you Mido!"
Link added, "Mido, I would like to talk with you before I continue my journey. I will need to take my leave of Saria first. Would this be ok?"
Mido answered "I would be honoured, Link! If I may, I'll join you for a few minutes of your journey. You have a long way to travel, and I wouldn't want to delay you."
Link responded "Great! I will meet you by the bridge."
Mido said "Thank you, Link!" and went to the bridge to wait.
Saria told her new life-mate, "Beloved, I know you must leave again. But I'm still sad at your leaving."
"As am I, Beloved! But leave I must. I will work that much harder to finish my quest quickly, that I may come home for good. I go next to the City of the Gorons, to find the Fire Ruby! If I can, I'll stop back before I go to the Zoras to retrieve their sapphire! We also have our song to bind our hearts together. We should be able to talk to one another, at least sometimes." They embraced, and kissed. They had been walking. They were by the ladder to Link's house.
Saria said, "I think I will stay here while you are gone. We haven't decided yet where we will live once you return. I'll feel closer to you in the house where you grew up."
"As will I to you, beloved!" Link answered.
Saria said, as she climbed the ladder, "Hurry back, and safely!"
Link answered, "I will." He then turned to the bridge, as Saria entered his house.