Author's note: I opened my inbox in my mail... BOOM... inbox 17... I opened it, almost all of them were reviews from all my stories combined... I immediately let out a "WOW!" I just wanted to let you guys know... YOU'RE ALL SOOO GREAT!!! Here's another chapter! (Definitely special thanks at the bottom.) By the way... it sounded like you guys were getting sick of the Japanese suffixes so I got rid of them...

The Hero that Holds my Hope: Suspicions

The night was cold to Link, who lay sleeping. The stars were blank and the moon was dead. Suspense was in the air, and the wind howled in fright. Then out of the shadows in the forest, came a cloaked man on a steed, which was a skeleton. His presence drew in all the energy around him, thus making it cold. He dismounted and drew a pike from underneath his cloak and approached Mido's house.

Link awoke all of the sudden to the cries of the wind. It sounded like little children crying to him. He sat up in his bed and got out cautiously, grabbing his sword beside the bed. He got out of his house slowly to find an eerie wind blowing that seemed to carry the breath of death. He heard a cry this time, a cry that was not imaginary, and it sounded like Mido. Link, jumping down from his house, ran to Mido's quarters. He found the evil shadow with a pike raised, and the sharp end facing Mido. The little Kokiri was so frightened, he was trembling and as he exhaled deeply, his breath could be seen. When the weapon was about to be thrust at Mido, Link came and knocked the pike out of the way, catching the creature off guard.

"Link!"

The creature fled from the house as Link held his sword in front of him. He turned his head toward Mido, "Hide, Mido!"

He rushed outside to find the creature standing there with the pike in hand. He lowered his hood and revealed his face. Link found his opponent very familiar. It was Phantom Ganon, a minion to Ganondorf. When he set his eyes upon Link, they glowed a fearsome red. He then spoke in a most eerie whisper, which gargled along with the wind.

"Link..."

He then charged with his pike raised. Link managed to block just in time. A violent fight broke out in the middle of that place meant for peace. The battle lasted for hours and hours. When both weapons would collide, there would be sparks coming from the collided blades. Sometimes, electrical surges would come from Phantom Ganon's pike. Link was electrocuted, and collapsed on the ground. With several surges running through him here and there, he slowly got back up, using his elbow to stand himself up he then used his sword to stand himself up.

He then charged at Phantom Ganon with his sword raised high. When Phantom Ganon swung his pike, it seemed Link had disappeared. When he looked for Link, he at last looked up and found he was falling with his sword aimed for his head. Phantom Ganon was then split in two and he dissolved in the wind as a mist, and dust. As he was blown away, there was a fell whisper in the air.

Link was breathing heavily and he was fatigued from the battle. He sheathed his sword and knelt on the grass. The Kokiri gathered around him to see if he was all right. They each grabbed his arm to help him up, including Mido.

"Link... are you all right?"

"Yes... but I am troubled... for why was that creature here?" He said in a hoarse voice.

Link's throat was so dry it hurt. One of the Kokiri came with a canteen of water and gave it to Link. He was so thirsty. The battle was so long and hard his arms felt like they would pop off, and the energy was drained from them. Once Link got his hands on the canteen, he immediately drank from it. His thirst was so high, he was shaking as he consumed the water. It began to roll down his chin and onto his chest. When he removed the tip of the canteen from his mouth, he exhaled deeply. He then closed his mouth and began to breathe through his nose once more.

"Go on now... we must get a night's rest..."

The next morning, Link would have to leave. However, before hand, he went deeper into Kokiri Forest where he saw a grave. This grave he would visit quite often when he was young and growing up, after his journey. It was a marble grave, the top shaped like a maiden, and the base a heavy block. Link stepped to it and brushed away the leaves covering the solitary grave.

It was the grave of his mother, one of the people he dreamed about in his resting eyes. He remembered what the Deku Tree Sprout said about her, when he discovered he was a Hylian. Memories flooded his mind at that moment as he wiped away the cold, wet leaves.

"She wanted to protect her child... from the flames and pain of war, and in doing so... gave up her life for you..." Link vaguely remembered the Deku Tree Sprout's words, "It was not coincidence, it was fate, it was fate for you to live on, and take up the cup of the roll of a hero."

After Link set a new bundle of flowers before the grave, he was on his way to set out. The Kokiri came and bid him a farewell however, their parting was not easy for the Kokiri, especially with the hearts of children in their small chests.

"Oh, do you have to go?" One of the Kokiri whined.

"Can't you play a little longer?" Another suggested, trying to get Link to stay.

However, Link shook his head slightly, "No, I must be on my way."

Link suddenly saw Saria come through the crowd and she hopped in front of Link, Mido came shortly behind. She had a look in her eye that was not so pleasing.

"You stubborn mule! I'm tired of seeing you leave with an empty heart." Saria said. (She calls everyone a stubborn mule.)

"Which leads us to one conclusion..." Mido added.

"We want to go with you!" They both said.

The Kokiri cheered as Link's face went pale. He understood that they were children and they were clue less about the outside world but... going with him? What if the journey took too long, and what if they perished because of it from staying outside of the forest for too long?

"Yes! You have to tell us what happened!"

"We won't sit in our homes worried sick about you without knowing what you're going through!"

Link sighed heavily. Maybe they could go with him, he remembered the time when Saria and he went into the Lost Woods and had a dangerous adventure, and then he remembered when Mido went in the Deku Tree with him to defeat Ghoma. Perhaps they did have what it took, to go on such a journey.

"You're not going anywhere without us."

Link slightly smiled, "Fine... but you better stay close and don't get into any trouble."

The Kokiri cheered once again, then bid the three of them farewell as they rode out on Epona. Saria and Mido barely fit in front of Link on the saddle. Through the fields of Hyrule they went, expecting anything that may befall them.

Author's note: YAYY!!! Now the journey can REALLY begin... Just to let you readers know, there will be fluff soon, I'll let you judge on how much it is when it comes... KEEP REVIEWING... and new readers... REVIEW...

Special thanks

Brownblade: Thanks for the review! The reason why I had the suffixes because... in the manga they addressed each other like that. (I guess I've been reading the LOZ Japanese mangas too much... sweat drop)

LadyofDemons45: I think it is funny when somebody comes in the middle of a story, but still reviews every chapter! HA, HA! (Wow, Berlin'sBrownEyes did that on a 26 chapter?!? BIG NUMBER...) Anyway, thanks for the review!

BluSakura: YAY, it's BluSakura! You don't have to tell me "update" I will no matter what... so all you have to do is wait. By the way... I don't think Mido is all THAT bad... he just has some personality problems at certain times, but really, I think he really is friends with Link...secretly...

zeldaisthebest: YAY! You're back! Thanks for the review and I solute you as well! (Keep reviewing... even if I get big numbers in my e-mail... I love reading everything!)