Chapter 8: Sid the Skull Kid
Ruto woke up with a severe ache in her neck. She thought grumpily. She turned and looked at Link, finding peace in the innocence of his sleeping face. She laughed inwardly, remembering when they first met inside the belly of Jabu-Jabu. She told him off, and he was a bit taken aback at first. Finally, Ruto had relented. But Link had to carry her the rest of the way. She could still remember the look on his face as he struggled to pick her up. And when they finally got out, she took him by surprise and scared him off a log into the water. She giggled, but soon felt quite alone. she thought. She bent over him and gently shook him. His eyes flew open and he jumped up like he had sat on a Bombchu. " What, huh, uh, where, where is the fire?" He yelled, dazed. Ruto broke down laughing at the lost look on his face. Once Link realized where he was. He calmed down and grinned sheepishly. Ruto stood up slowly, using the boulder for support. Only now did she realize how weak she had become from the poison, and sank back to the ground. " Ruto!" Link cried out in alarm, running to her side. Her breathing was heavy, and to Link's horror, Ruto's fins went limp for a moment, a sign of fading energy. " We better hurry." He said. He put her arm over his shoulders, and stood her up. " Can you walk?" He asked worriedly. " Naw, you think?" Ruto said, in a bad mood. Link slowly set her back down. "What are you doing Link?" Link didn't answer, but pulled a faded blue ocarina out of his pocket, and slowly started to play a smooth melody that rolled over the grassy land. As each note rolled with the hills, Ruto felt like she was back at Lon Lon Ranch. But the music didn't improve her mood. " What are you doing? Music isn't going to get us anywhere." Link stopped playing and waited. Ruto also waited, curious as to what Link was looking for. Slowly the sound of steady hoof beats could be heard in the distance. As the sound grew ever louder, a cloud of dust became visible on the horizon. As it drew nearer, a flowing white main could be seen, at which point Ruto yelled, " It's Epona!" As Link's faithful horse drew even nearer, a new development occurred. Over the hoof beats, an impish voice could be heard. " Woah, horsey! Woah!" As Epona came to a halt in front of Link, a small puppet-like boy fell over the horse's head and landed in Link's arms. Though Ruto had never seen this small child before, Link greeted him like an old friend. " Hello! It's good to see you again! Did you deliver the message to King Zora?" The boy jumped from Link's arms to the ground and dusted off his clothes, which seemed to be made of fallen leaves. " Sure, Link! Though it took me a while to remember the song to get into that place. It was so wet and moist, I was afraid I would mold!" Link laughed heartily, then noticed the blank look on Ruto's face. " Ruto, I'm sure you must remember this fellow. I told you much about him. This is one of the skull kids of the Lost Woods, but he is also one of my personal friends. Though he doesn't like to be introduced this way, I would like you to meet the imp who nearly destroyed Termina. Skull kid, this is Ruto, a good friend of mine and the princess of Zora's Domain." Ruto gasped, but all the skull kid did was whisper, " She looks a lot like Lulu from Termina." Ruto pointed in disbelief, a shocked look on her face. " You mean you were the skull kid who tried to crash the moon into Termina and destroy the world?" Skull Kid frowned. " Your rude." And he continued as he turned to Link. " Your right, I don't like being introduced that way. Makes people think I'm bad. From now on, I'm Sid. Sid the Skull Kid. Remember that."
"So Sid, how did you get Epona?" Link asked curiously. "Well, I was heading back to the woods, since the message had been delivered. Suddenly this thing," Sid said motioning towards Epona. " came flying out of nowhere and knocks me to the ground. When she reached the log leading into the woods, she shied away, like she just realized she hated dark entrances. Well, I knew that she was raised at Lon Lon Ranch, so I got on and started to lead her in that direction. Suddenly I hear a strange noise that made me think of Cucco coops, and she went tearing off in that direction with me still on her. When she finally stopped, I was looking up in your face." Link rubbed the back of his head, an embarrassed grin on his face. " Sorry about that. I had played Epona's Song. It's a melody I learned when I got Epona that makes everyone who hears it think of the farm. Because Epona simply loves the farm, she goes running wherever the song came from. I use it to call her from long distances." Ruto's eyes went wide. " So that's why you played that song! You knew we wouldn't make it in time on foot." " You got it." Link said, grinning. Sid spoke up. " Too late for what?" Link had a strange look on his face. Like he wanted to tell, but he felt like he shouldn't. Finally he made a decision, and he explained the whole story, from the poisoning to having to go back for jellyfish gel. As each detail was revealed, the look on Sid's face grew grimmer and darker, "Sounds serious." He said. " Of course it's serious!" Ruto practically yelled. " If we don't hurry, I'll end up dead!" Sid grimaced. " Man, you are seriously rude!" he said. Link broke up the impending fistfight. " We gotta go. It's already after noon." "I'll come with!" Sid said excitedly. " Why should you?" Ruto said haughtily. " Because I want to, and you can't stop me!" Ruto made an exasperated sound, but gave up the argument. Once they all mounted Epona, with Sid riding on Link's shield strap, they continue the journey.
Ruto woke up with a severe ache in her neck. She thought grumpily. She turned and looked at Link, finding peace in the innocence of his sleeping face. She laughed inwardly, remembering when they first met inside the belly of Jabu-Jabu. She told him off, and he was a bit taken aback at first. Finally, Ruto had relented. But Link had to carry her the rest of the way. She could still remember the look on his face as he struggled to pick her up. And when they finally got out, she took him by surprise and scared him off a log into the water. She giggled, but soon felt quite alone. she thought. She bent over him and gently shook him. His eyes flew open and he jumped up like he had sat on a Bombchu. " What, huh, uh, where, where is the fire?" He yelled, dazed. Ruto broke down laughing at the lost look on his face. Once Link realized where he was. He calmed down and grinned sheepishly. Ruto stood up slowly, using the boulder for support. Only now did she realize how weak she had become from the poison, and sank back to the ground. " Ruto!" Link cried out in alarm, running to her side. Her breathing was heavy, and to Link's horror, Ruto's fins went limp for a moment, a sign of fading energy. " We better hurry." He said. He put her arm over his shoulders, and stood her up. " Can you walk?" He asked worriedly. " Naw, you think?" Ruto said, in a bad mood. Link slowly set her back down. "What are you doing Link?" Link didn't answer, but pulled a faded blue ocarina out of his pocket, and slowly started to play a smooth melody that rolled over the grassy land. As each note rolled with the hills, Ruto felt like she was back at Lon Lon Ranch. But the music didn't improve her mood. " What are you doing? Music isn't going to get us anywhere." Link stopped playing and waited. Ruto also waited, curious as to what Link was looking for. Slowly the sound of steady hoof beats could be heard in the distance. As the sound grew ever louder, a cloud of dust became visible on the horizon. As it drew nearer, a flowing white main could be seen, at which point Ruto yelled, " It's Epona!" As Link's faithful horse drew even nearer, a new development occurred. Over the hoof beats, an impish voice could be heard. " Woah, horsey! Woah!" As Epona came to a halt in front of Link, a small puppet-like boy fell over the horse's head and landed in Link's arms. Though Ruto had never seen this small child before, Link greeted him like an old friend. " Hello! It's good to see you again! Did you deliver the message to King Zora?" The boy jumped from Link's arms to the ground and dusted off his clothes, which seemed to be made of fallen leaves. " Sure, Link! Though it took me a while to remember the song to get into that place. It was so wet and moist, I was afraid I would mold!" Link laughed heartily, then noticed the blank look on Ruto's face. " Ruto, I'm sure you must remember this fellow. I told you much about him. This is one of the skull kids of the Lost Woods, but he is also one of my personal friends. Though he doesn't like to be introduced this way, I would like you to meet the imp who nearly destroyed Termina. Skull kid, this is Ruto, a good friend of mine and the princess of Zora's Domain." Ruto gasped, but all the skull kid did was whisper, " She looks a lot like Lulu from Termina." Ruto pointed in disbelief, a shocked look on her face. " You mean you were the skull kid who tried to crash the moon into Termina and destroy the world?" Skull Kid frowned. " Your rude." And he continued as he turned to Link. " Your right, I don't like being introduced that way. Makes people think I'm bad. From now on, I'm Sid. Sid the Skull Kid. Remember that."
"So Sid, how did you get Epona?" Link asked curiously. "Well, I was heading back to the woods, since the message had been delivered. Suddenly this thing," Sid said motioning towards Epona. " came flying out of nowhere and knocks me to the ground. When she reached the log leading into the woods, she shied away, like she just realized she hated dark entrances. Well, I knew that she was raised at Lon Lon Ranch, so I got on and started to lead her in that direction. Suddenly I hear a strange noise that made me think of Cucco coops, and she went tearing off in that direction with me still on her. When she finally stopped, I was looking up in your face." Link rubbed the back of his head, an embarrassed grin on his face. " Sorry about that. I had played Epona's Song. It's a melody I learned when I got Epona that makes everyone who hears it think of the farm. Because Epona simply loves the farm, she goes running wherever the song came from. I use it to call her from long distances." Ruto's eyes went wide. " So that's why you played that song! You knew we wouldn't make it in time on foot." " You got it." Link said, grinning. Sid spoke up. " Too late for what?" Link had a strange look on his face. Like he wanted to tell, but he felt like he shouldn't. Finally he made a decision, and he explained the whole story, from the poisoning to having to go back for jellyfish gel. As each detail was revealed, the look on Sid's face grew grimmer and darker, "Sounds serious." He said. " Of course it's serious!" Ruto practically yelled. " If we don't hurry, I'll end up dead!" Sid grimaced. " Man, you are seriously rude!" he said. Link broke up the impending fistfight. " We gotta go. It's already after noon." "I'll come with!" Sid said excitedly. " Why should you?" Ruto said haughtily. " Because I want to, and you can't stop me!" Ruto made an exasperated sound, but gave up the argument. Once they all mounted Epona, with Sid riding on Link's shield strap, they continue the journey.