In all truth I'm a bit displeased with this chapter. There's so much I wan to do with this story but getting the timing to flow just right is a difficult process. I promise the next one will be better....I hope
Saira
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--Short time, grown tall—
The next morning we were all ready to go. Zelda was actually returning to the castle as well. She still didn't tell Link about her royalty problem, but I knew I couldn't convince her. Malon saw us all out to the entrance before all of us were about to ride off. I saw the pleading body language of Dmitri showing he wanted to stay. But then the other half of him did want to see Vienne again. Even thought he would never admit it, Dmitri was a complete mama's boy.
Malon actually gave Dmitri a hand made hemp necklace as a last minute gift before we left. He waved for a good twenty minutes as we rode off and then was sure to complain about his arm hurting. We went part of the way with Zelda mainly because we couldn't get Link to get away. Finally Dmitri just grabbed his reins and pulled away.
Both of my boys moped on the way to Kokiri Forest. It was getting quite irritating.
"Link, how old are you?" I asked them suddenly.
"Nearly 15"
"And you Dmitri?"
"Saira, c'mon, I'm like 2 months older than you." Dmitri replied
"Meaning you're how old?"
"Almost 11"
"And yet here you both are, moping as if you lost the loves of your life" I said being extra dramatic to piss them off. "For Nayru's sake, you're both way too young to be in love"
"Do you not see her?" Link said dreamily leaning on his horse. "She's so beautiful"
"And Malon too. She's got attitude enough to outdo Mido" Dmitri added.
I rolled my eyes and kicked the horse to go faster. Dmitri instinctively held onto me tighter. We rode for the better part of the day stopped a few miles from Kokiri Forest too tired to go the extra mile. Had we been riding with the Gerudos we would have gone, but it was nice to get away from such discipline for awhile.
We set up one of our tents but none of us were tired enough to go to sleep so instead we lay out on the grass to look up at the stars. As usual Dmitri laid on me as if I were his own personal pillow.
"It'll be weird being back. I mean it's literally been almost a year." I said
"I know what you mean. I'm eager but kind of worried" Link said
"Worried?" I asked
"That everything will be too different. That I won't like it anymore"
"Nah, I don't think that could ever happen." Dmitri said
"Well I know for a fact that weird or not, the first thing I plan on doing is taking a long swim in the Kokiri Fountain. Hopefully I'll be able to get rid of the sand" I said
"It'll be a miracle if you can" link chuckled.
After a long time of talking, I got so tired that I curled up next to Dmitri and fell asleep. I don't know what they did but all I know is that they couldn't have done much because I woke up the next morning with Dmitri's arms wrapped around me and my legs overlapping his. It was kinda nice, but lacked something I want to wake up to. I don't know what it is, but something was always missing.
I slipped out of his arms and set to making breakfast for us. I think Link and Dmitri stayed up pretty late talking or something because both were extremely tired and didn't say much as we all ate. We rode the last bit into Kokiri Forest but for some reason our horses stopped at the tunnel entrance.
"What's up with the horses?" Dmitri asked grasping me tight when the horse made a noise.
"Who knows? Well we can tie them up here and just feed them everyday." I dismounted and then waited for Dmitri to get off so I could unsaddle the horse. Once I was done and Link too, we went through the tunnel. We reached the small bridge and stopped for a moment. We were all nervous about going back in. We'd all grown up more than we'd like to admit.
"Well let's go" Link said. Side by side we walked through and a rush of pine scent hit us when we emerged on the other side. Oh my god, everything looks so, so.....small.
"Whoa" Dmitri said. "Did we always live in a midget town?"
"Did we grow that much?" I asked
"Ha-ha, well I wonder if Mido will still try and bully us around." Dmitri said laughing a bit at the thought.
The Kokiri children were running around and stopped seeing the three of us walk in. Out of us, Link was the least shocked because he was already larger than everybody having waited until he was 14 to leave. I passed a few people I knew and was so much taller than them now. A lot of them seemed afraid to approach us.
"Let's see the tree house first" Link said.
Dmitri and I followed still in amazement. I could tell by the look on Dmitri's face he was planning something. When we reached the tree house, it looked untouched. I guess the Kokiri were more trustworthy than I thought.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Someone yelled behind us as we were climbing up. All three of us turned as if we were triplets and looked down at Mido.
"What do you mean what are we doing?" Dmitri asked
"We sorta live here" link said
"Not anymore. You all left. It's my house now"
All three of us looked at the others and then curst out in laughter.
"Your house?" I laughed. "I bet you couldn't even get inside could you?"
I pushed Link forcing him up on the balcony and then we all stood up there looking down at Mido proudly.
"I enchanted our tree house to keep you out" I said before I turned a heel and went inside. Yep, everything was just as I remembered it. Our beds were perfectly unmade, the shelves as usual were in shambles, and there was still a box in front of a hole in the wall because we'd been to lazy to repair it. Yep, home sweet, no sand, no heat, and no Nyssa, home.
"What a blighter" Dmitri said. "Claiming our house just cause' we leave for a bit"
"Technically, Dmitri, this isn't your house either" link pointed out wiping dust off his bed.
"May as well have been. I spent more time over here than my own home"
"He's got a point" I said "so, how long do we want to stay?"
"Well, we do need to go back to Gerudo Fortress, and then we can head to Death Mountain after that" Link said. "I'm sure it'd be neat to see the Gorons"
"Yeah, I think they're the only race we haven't come across yet" I said
"'Cept the Sheikahs" Dmitri added
"Well we might have. They are usually guised"
"Speaking of Sheikah, Dmitri, do you really want to become one like Saira said?" Link asked
"I don't know. I hadn't given it much thought until Saira mentioned it, but now I think it'd be pretty cool. Imagine it though, if I get membership to the Gerudos, and then I become a Sheikah, he he, can you say irony?"
We all gave a small laugh. After that we took turns cleaning up in the small tree house bathroom. You would think that me being a girl I would take the longest but Link actually did. I've got longer hair than him so what could he possibly be doing.
"C'mon, let's get rid of them gem first thing. Then we'll go see Vienne and Stu. Tomorrow I want to visit people in the village before we go though" I said once we were all done. "Where's the gem, Dmitri?"
He pulled a small pouch from inside his shirt and twirled it around his finger. "What do ya think the Deku Tree'll do with it?"
"Probably protect it like he did with the Kokiri Emerald" link suggested.
"That or he'll ask us to destroy it" I put forth casually but both of them got real quiet. "What?"
"Nothing." They said together.
With that we headed toward the Deku Tree. As I knew he would be Mido was standing guard hoping to stop anyone he deemed unworthy from going by. We walked up towering over him but his face didn't change in the least. He's pretty fearless, I'll give him that.
"Move, Mido" I said before Link or Dmitri could.
"Nope, none of you can go by. He hasn't summoned you and you're not equipped enough to see him anyway." He retorted.
"Equipped? We've never needed to be equipped" Dmitri pointed out.
"Standards have gone up. You have to prove your worth by having a sword and shield"
I stood back and watched as Link pulled out a scimitar he'd borrowed from Kala, and then showed Mido the Deku shield I'd gotten him a few years back for Christmas. Dmitri threw down a few daggers he'd nicked from Gerudos but he didn't have a shield. I didn't have anything....well scratch that, I have magic, I could just make him believe he sees it. Nah, it'd be a waste.
Instead I'll just tie him up. I stared at the ground then put my arms up and then made twirls in the air and at the same time vines popped out of the ground wrapping around Mido's legs holding him in place. Instantly he tried to get free and we were able to walk around him no muss no fuss.
"You little –"
"—Ah ah, Mido, don't insult a lady" Dmitri said
"Puh, a lady?! Saira?! She'd have to marry a prince for me to believe that"
I immediately went after Mido, but Dmitri and Link grabbed my arms and dragged me away kicking. Rotten little punk!
"Saira, what vexes thee?" I stopped dead in my tracks recognizing the Deku Tree's deep voice. I turned once they let me go and smiled broadly. I tipped my head slightly in respect.
"Oh just your greatest little Kokiri who may as well deem himself king" I said "Hello, by the way"
Dmitri nodded nervously and Link gave a brief nod trying to stay cool. We all walked up closer to the Deku Tree and since I was quite comfortable with him, I plopped down on the grass while they stood confused as to whether it was proper. I grabbed Dmitri's shirt and pulled so that he fell down. Link got away to quick so I couldn't get him.
"So, what brings thee three back to this forest?"
"Dmitri, the floor is yours" I said waving my hand.
Dmitri pulled out the pouch and dumped the gem into his palm. I couldn't help but notice the trees barked face furrow.
"The aura of evil is horrible" I said hating the feeling I got from being near the gem.
"Alas, I can give thee no information about such an evil thing."
"Information is not what we want" link said thought I could hear a hint of worry in his voice. Not sure why. "Nabooru said we should give this to you"
"I will take it, but I cannot keep it forever. One day it must be destroyed"
What a great sentiment to leave us with. I was curious though, if that little comment tied into the destiny the Deku Tree said about Dmitri. After all, we discovered the room with the gem together. Perhaps this was just the beginning.
They left me to speak with the Deku tree alone. I think they're intimidated by him. Oh well, more conversation for me. Actually it turned out to be a few comments about them gem and then I needed to go meet up with Link and Dmitri.
"Okay, so one task down, one more to go" I said
"What's the other one?" Dmitri asked
I rolled my eyes. "Visit your mum and dad"
"Oh right" he replied airily.
It was strange being back. I walked around and everything that had been perfect was now a size too small. I hadn't realized I'd grown so much, but I guess Hylians grew faster than others.
Dmitri I could tell was getting pretty anxious to see his parents. What a mama's boy. We went up to Vienne and Stu's home and knocked on the door.
"Coming" Vienne's sweet sounding voice yelled through the door. The footsteps grew closer and right before the door opened, Dmitri winked and hid behind a bush. Vienne opened the door and her face lit up like the sun over the horizon. She pulled Link and me into a tight hug already bawling her eyes out. While her eyes were closed Dmitri started coming up with the intent of scaring her. However as if he knew, Stu grabbed Dmitri by the back of the shirt when he appeared in the doorway.
"Don't even think about it. She's been scared enough every night without you doing it now."
Vienne cried out seeing Dmitri and threw her hysterical arms around Dmitri pulling him as close as she could get them.
"Oh my darling boy!"
Stu nodded his head sideways meaning for us to go inside. It was a good 10 minutes before Vienne and Dmitri followed. Her eyes were puffy from happiness and she couldn't stop sobbing but the fact that it was happiness and sadness made me feel okay.
"Man, have we got stories to tell you" Dmitri said.
"Oh yeah, we've been to quite a few places already." I said
"But haven't died yet so we're good." Link said meaning it at as a joke. "No, no Vienne, that doesn't mean we've come close."
"Well, Saira did" Dmitri said.
"What?!" Vienne said hysterically. "Oh Saira!" Vienne hugged me so close I thought I'd lose all my oxygen.
"Mum, Saira's fine!" he said prying her off. I fell back and landed in his lap but we decided just then that we were comfortable and stayed there.
"Vienne, if we're going to listen to their tales, you're going to have to stay calm" Stu said pulling Vienne over to a chair and sat her down. He pulled up his chair next to her but refused to let go of her hand so that she'd be okay. They were so perfect together.
After that we got so caught up in telling and embellishing our stories that the hours flew by and before we knew it, the moon was high up in the sky. I don't really remember what happened after awhile because I fell asleep on Dmitri but I was woken up later by the sound and smell of someone cooking, but on our travels that had always been my part so I was a bit confused.
"Saira?" I heard someone whisper as I tried to avoid opening my eyes. "Saira?"
"Five more minutes" I groaned. But against my will someone hoisted me over their shoulder and carried me. I immediately opened my eyes and, how sad is this, but I recognized who was holding me by the butt. I'd seen Dmitri shake and show it off one too many times. He had a bubble butt.
"Careful not to stare" he said "I know how hard it is, but do try"
Oh yeah this is Dmitri, no doubt. He carried me into the kitchen where Vienne had a breakfast buffet waiting for us. Link was already awake talking with Stu. They were arguing about choice of weapons.
"Morning everyone. Looky what I found. Mum, can I keep her?" Dmitri said
"Dmitri, you little—agh—stop that. You got me in the ribs" I said as he tossed me a bit to get a better grip.
"Oh I don't know. Stu what do you think?" Vienne said humoring her son.
"It's up to you, hon." He said just so he could get back to weapon talk with Link.
It was so nice being back. It really was. It was like we were all family. But I knew that despite this wonderful display, I think my real family only consisted of Link and Dmitri. Huh, most people hate having two older brothers, course I'm not really sure if I think of Dmitri as a brother.
Once we were all fed and awake, we all set to packing our things again. Vienne was trying with much difficulty to hide her dislike of the face we were going again so soon. They walked us to the entranceway. Link gave Vienne a hug and Stu a simple handshake. Dmitri hesitated on giving his own father a hug and ended up mimicking what link did. Vienne took her sweet time letting him go.
"You coming, Saira?" Link asked
"Yeah, I'll see you guys on the bridge." Link and Dmitri stepped through and I looked up and my practical foster parents. "Just thought I'd let you know that he misses you everyday. He was so happy when his birthday rolled around"
"I didn't even get to celebrate it properly" Vienne said stifling a sob.
"It's okay; we threw him a small party at Lon Lon Ranch. Anyway, we'll be back in August for my and Link's birthday."
"That's true. Well I better get some work done and keep my mind off this" Vienne walked off fighting more sobs. Stu knelt beside me and checked to make sure Vienne was out of earshot.
"Would you mind giving this to Dmitri for me? I'm sure he'll appreciate it" Stu said winking and then handing me a leather bag. Then he pushed me through the opening where Link and Dmitri were waiting.
"What'd they have to say?" Link asked.
"They asked me to give this to you. Well Stu anyway. I don't think your mum even knows" I said handing Dmitri the bag. He took it from me and un-wrapped it. His eyes got wide and excited and then he smiled slyly.
"Good ole' dad. Always knew just what to get me"
"So, what is it?" Link asked.
"I'll tell you later" He said putting the bag away. Now I really regret not looking at it.