Chapter XI: The Deku Experience
Copyright: I do not own Zelda, Nintendo does. Story by Habuki productions.
"Goddess, why is she with him again!" Mido bellowed out, slamming his fist into the ground. That stupid little prick was with Saria again, no damnit, why? It didn't make no sense at all, why would she be with a pipsqueak like him when she could have a man like him, why love some under-experienced, under-aged Kokiiri. Gripping the Deku stick between his fingers, be began to draw upon the pavement that figures of them three, some stupid little triangle this was. How could she do this? How could she disappoint the leader of the Kokiiri?
Sitting upon the top of his house, he was peeking over the top when he had caught wind of the beautiful Saria and the brat (only five years old) headed towards their house. The kid was so young that no one else would take him, and he couldn't live on his own, that was for sure, but Mido thought he needed to be drowned like the dog he was. In stealthy steps, the leader trailed the two underlings for the few miles at the house, waiting until they came out, and followed them on their way past into the Lost Woods. Those woods were so confusing around this time year, especially near the spring with all those stupid scrubs coming out from their hibernation.
"Link…you coming." The goddess sang out to the younger kid.
"Yup!" Embracing the older child, a giggled escaped both of them before she lifted Link in her arms and continued through the maze, cold blood draining from Mido's face. Squeezing his hands shut, he needed some sort of plan to get back at Link for this, but what was there to do? If it was the winter he could dunk him in the snow, the fall in the leaves, the summer in the lake, but what about spring? Spring was more difficult for there were nothing around except Deku--which is it, pure genius!" his voice ringed out. Rubbing his hands about, the boy followed them until they reached the meadow, trailing a quick rock trail through the forest back to the village.
Re-arriving at the village in less time than before, his first stop was right to the Know-It-All Brothers who accepted the privilege within their own triplet voices, then he visited a few of his other friends until the ground had expended from the beginning Mido to seven strong. Lucky seven, that was the number they needed to do this need, not that the child was very big, but temper tantrums were in order. Folding infront of the group, he began to walk towards the Lost Woods trailing over his thoughts out loud to them. "How shall we do this? Anyone have any ideas?" Several of them raised their hands, but most were idiots, so he called on from the smartest of the Know-It-All Brothers, baffling the child that they couldn't speak in threes.
"I say we knock him out--first, and then do it."
"Too easy, stupid!" Hitting the child on the head, he cowered under Mido, giving out a small bow of sadness. "I want him to suffer for his deeds, I want him to suffer for taking her away from me!"
Lots of "hear, hears" rang out in the whistles, the group of boys banding together to take out their known enemy: Link. No girls were present because most of the girls still liked Link, he was such a cute little child, plus Mido doubted they could be as rough as the boys were going to be. Passing out weapons, each was armed with a Deku stick so resistance would be futile. Marching quietly through the spring sun, they searched the Lost Woods until they came upon the most ingenious spot, the hole was just right for him, the right size so he would slip in, but climbing out was impossible. The first task was to take out the little harem inside the tree, and that was when Mido went in alone with only a Deku stick at his disposable. "How brave" some of the boys cheered on, while others were trying to decide who would be the next Kokiiri leader?
Unknown to the rest of the children, Mido had possession of the legendary Kokiiri sword, something he had discovered a few months back without anyone else's knowledge. Holding only the sword inside his back, the child shivered when the small scuffling of steps was headed his way, while he fumbled around for something to fight with. A pair of orange eyes stared deep into his eyes, causing the boy to let out a silent scream, falling against the wall with disgust. As the Deku Scrub turned around to fire a bullet at it, a shaky hand shafted the blade inside of it.
Pure luck saved the boy from destruction; the snap of the sack had been done, so he had gotten a hold of the blade pretty quickly, dispatching the criminal. How ironic, he himself was a criminal invading ones homes, but sacrifices needed to be made for love. Black liquid poured down the blade, which he went throughout the room searching for more Deku scrubs (he wanted to scare him, not kill him; at least not yet.) No other scrubs were around the room, so after some quick rope-climbing Mido was back out of the room where a fresh change of clothes was made for him.
The next plan of action was following the rocks, which happened pretty quickly, not a difficult task to deflect the monster's deku nuts to the stupider-looking scrubs, the one he killed was a long-nozzle, these the short weakened kinds that ran away when hurt. Only using the sword, not to give the sword's location away, they reached the Sacred Forest Meadow within fifteen minutes, to their luck with the boy all alone, no one was on the stump, but him holding her Ocarina in her palms, cradling it as if it was a child. Pulling his Deku stick forward, he nodded for them to march on his mark. Counting down silently, he cupped his empty palm together when they ran at him.
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"How do you know all these details?" Navi wondered out of her mouth, looking over at him. It was nice to be here, the time passing within an hour or so, the information given by Link mystified her. How could he get this information, he wasn't there at all, he was back somewhere else, unless someone else snickered? That was highly possible, since some of the Kokiiri boys were known to be jerks. Not jerks, more like snoops, but which ones would dare tattle upon their great leader, the man that Navi had come to hate after the few confrontations with him.
"I made one to squeal, and the sword is my guess, found the corpse later on."
"W-what did they do?"
"Well, hold your horses. Saria had told me to wait there while she went to do some stuff, water the gardens in the deeper part of the meadow, so far she didn't hear my cries as they dragged me away." Clenching his fist and gritting his teeth hard, he looked down to the ground with sigh of sadness stinging his eyes. No, not a sting just tears of pain that reflected the past memories. Shaking them away, trying to forget it and grow up, he knew that Navi was waiting for the story, so he went on with his recollections of the place. Giving in every detail, so no more stops would be given for the fairie, this was his story and he intended to finish it.
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"Get him! Get that punk!" They yelled over, tackling the young boy to the ground. That ocarina sprung from his hands, rolling over to the side of the ground, hovering like an unprotected animal in the grasp of a snake's mouth, dripping venom of fangs ready to pounce. Little Link struggled, yes he did struggle at all cost, but that futile because Mido was sitting on his chest, the three brothers out with their arms crossed, and some of the other grunts holding down his arms and legs with both put together. Shrieking out in pain, calling out the pain and grasping for the name of his foster-mother, the child was clasped with a hand over his mouth, Mido breathing down into his face.
"Don't you dare call her!" Backslapping him across the face, he burst out in a stream of chuckles, slapping him over and over again. The sadistic touches each time making more and more tears stream from his cheeks, all the way being muzzled by another hand when he took both hands and smashed them into the tender cheeks. Blood began to stream down from his mouth, where he hit him in the jaw with some punches; his eyes already blackened from the punches of only Mido, when he nodded for the others to join in. They threw him over to the side pummeling him with kicks to the ribs, curses, and chants overbearing his cries.
Not that Link could cry anymore, his sobs were silently when they started whispering before themselves, Link being lifted up by the shaggy-haired Kokirii, throwing him over his shoulder. Either the crushed or tender ribs ached out loud a moan when he was rustled from the meadow and over outside of the maze, being gagged with a Deku nut when his screams started back up again. By the time he reached the special hole Mido had awaiting him, Link was convinced she wasn't going to turn out pretty, especially when he was thrown to the ground, only to be picked up by a vicious Mido.
"This will teach you, little bitch, not to mess with my woman."
"W-who?" He cried out in a choking gasp.
"Saria, you dumb ass, my woman! You need to be punished." Before Link could say that Saria was raising him, he was shoved down a hole that led down into the deep darkness of the night. The tunnel slid on for what seemed like hours, wet water, and something else staining his smaller tunic at the time. Finally coming to a sloshing stop in the tunnel, he fell into a goop of goo, staring around in to darkness for some source of light, and since none was found, there he started to call up for help. Laughs were his only response to the eagerness in his voice, a creaking metal moving over the last place of light, shutting him off in complete darkness.
Wrapping his arms about his neck, all the boy's thoughts focused onto the once lighted place. Nothing was here; he was going to die here alone with something he was slipping in. Jumping out of the goop, he landed upon some solid ground, feeling down with his fingers that it was a grass-patch of some sort. Link still had no idea where he was, he had never laid eyes upon a Deku Scrub before, Saria always able to dodge them or take a higher path up across the ledges when they came to the Sacred meadow.
Saria…what would she think of me now, acting a wimp! Gritting his teeth together, gnashing the marrow back and forth across himself, he cupped his hands together, to echo it, and yelled out in a fierce voice that still matched his feminine one. "Let me out! Let me out, Mido! Let me out I am telling Saria!"
Bustles of laughter exploded from their mouths, yelling down some words Link didn't think too highly of. What's worse been that somehow it was getting hot in here. Leaning up against a wall, he began to sweat profusely thought his skin. Whimpering, he curled his knees up to his chest, shivering through the tunic at the coldness, and hot weather in here, like some sort of winder and summer in here, his mind reflected. That would calmed down, but the bristle of brushes through the woods caused him to stare over at the ground and look around…no, there was no one at all, I'm just being silly. Another bristle made him squeal and leap for the tunnel dragging himself up there with his hands gasping the muddy tunnel. The brushes were getting louder and louder as it tunneled up the pathway to him. Sometimes slipping a little, he made his best way to the top, the thing gaining.
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"What happened next?" Ruto piped up, looking over through the covers of her bed, the eyes glazed with sleepiness.
"Huh, well, that was when Mido got what he--Ruto!" Shaking his head, he looked over to the grinning fish-girl, she jumped up from her bed and landed on Link's looking him over before slipping under the covers at where he sunk, resting his head on the pillow next to Navi and her partner. The sleepiness in her eyes faded fast, maybe she hadn't been asleep this whole time, or maybe these people were fast sleepers, all they knew is that she was the one who had interrupted the story.
"How long have you been up?"
"Since I woke up…"
Rolling his eyes a little, he tried again. "How long since I started the story." Switching the position, he pushed Navi over so she was right next to their heads, so he could face both of them. Patting the energetic Ruto upon the head, she claimed that she had been awake before they entered the door, that the muck hole ride had awoken her. Now she liked the story so far, but wanted to know what happened next, since his voice was lowering under those covers she could no longer conceal her identity. Grinning up at him, she rested her head next to his, listening as he went on-
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"That was good, Mido. Oh, man, that was the best!" Slapping Mido upon the back, one of the grunts watched his reaction, sometimes the boss got mad, but this time got a slap back on his back and grinned back at the grunt. Yes, this was his own idea, he'd thought it up entirely, why should anyone else take credit for his creative genius. Sitting upon the hole was a huge boulder, so he wouldn't be out for a few days. He can always live off the Deku feces; this caused the boy to crack up in a burst of giggles, echoing throughout the entire forest.
Combined the throwing of Link's voices, the cackles of the antagonist, someone or something had to have noticed the trouble going on and warned someone to help. If it had been one of girls or remaining men (hussies), they would have reported it back to the Deku Tree without any report, but then again we weren't talking about normal women, now were we? No, because Saria was the one who caught the giggles from the boys, wondering how they had gotten out to the meadow without permission and why they were laughing. Laughter was quite contagious, so when she emerged from the bushes near Link, her grin turned down into a dreadful downcast.
Rushing through the trees around the area of the forest, she opened the path where they would usually sit and practice the Ocarina, only to find her beautiful tool up against a wall, and blood sprayed across the green grass. Not just any blood, from the scent of it, it was Link's blood. Folding her tool into her pockets, she ran throughout the forest yelling out Link's name, hoping it was just a mistake, hoping that he had run into a tree and wandered home, but her hope disappearing when she was through the entire minutes later. Coming back into the forest and hearing the laughter road on and on down the road.
Shall I check there? No, it couldn't hurt, couldn't hurt at all. Skidding into the bushes before Mido and his gooneys, she caught the conversation about how it was so good. Puzzled, she was about to go back to her spot when her name echoed through the ears of the eleven, that child looking up, peeking around until she was sure it was coming from the underground region. A squeak in the atmosphere made her start back at Mido, who was now sitting upon a Deku dung-hole with a rock upon it, then suddenly, it appeared upon Saria. Cracking her knuckles, she leapt from the bushes and upon Mido, slamming her fist down into his face.
To say that Mido was caught off-guard was to say the least, but soon as she had the upper hand upon him, the boy had snapped his fingers while the goons grabbed her arms and held her down for the time being. The evil laugh returned as he knocked upon the boulder and began to mock Link in a singsong voice on how much trouble he was in, being up a 'shit hole' without a paddle. Saria had ignored the comment, taking the time to break free as he explained his situation, grabbing hold of one of her captors, and slamming it into the other. They fell to the ground, the rest of the group staring around at what the girl had just done.
Diving for the rock, she was caught by Mido, who tried to hole her down, but ended up looking stupid when she slammed him down into the ground, while the others ran away like the chickens they were. Now alone with Mido, Saria preceded to beat the living life out of him, asking over and over where Link was, each time deserved with that he would die down there. Saria really knew where he was, just playing the boy on for the time being, giving him his punishment for the punch. The only thing that stopped her seemed to he the rustle of bushes underground, which she cried out in surprise, jumping upon the rock and beginning to yank upon it.
"Don't just sit there, you idiot, help me! What are you--" Slapping herself mentally. Of course, the others had just ran away, and looking back at the Kokiiri boss he was out of commission for the time being. That wasn't what got her moving, it was a terrible shriek of pain that came from the underground: Link's cry. Shaking with the fear of losing him, her feet spread out, pushing up against the rock with all her might, but it just wouldn't budge an inch. No, no… I am not losing him! Spinning around, she desperately searched for some sort of device, something to help her in her pursuit. Deku sticks were spilt all over the ground, but they wouldn't work, if only she had some sort of-- a gleam in the corner of her eye made her turn around to the source.
Oh my…Sucking in her breath, the bag that Mido had had was now on the ground with the contents spread for her own enjoyment, the glint having been caused by the lone sword. Leaping at her chance, she grabbed the hilt of the sword and spun around in a circle, landing back to her old spot. Sticking the blade under the rock, she used herself as a catapult to jump upon the sword as hard as she could. No good…I-it wasn't working, this is not working. How am I going to get him out! Letting out an Amazonian cry of frustration, she was responded with some slightly giggles, lightly pounding footsteps, and a cry of surprise.
"Miss Saria, what's going on?" Sati rushed up to her side, her other half on Saria's right side, staring at the rock with fascination. "What happened to Mido?" She placed a hand on Saria to pull her back from the rock, but Saria slashed out and began to slam on the blade harder and harder, building the steel piece into a harder metal, which was why now today the blade was made stronger. The force of the rocks had caused it to give in to its soft beauty, since the sword had never been used before, showing off the appeal of a war-veteran, one that had been through so many battles in her entire life.
"It's Link! He's trapped here, help me!" Several more gasps of surprise cried out. Cocking her head back, she saw that most of the girls from the village were with Sati and her sister, maybe just searching for some berries and heard Saria's cries of help. Well, this was to her and the child's advantage, for the girls didn't mind the younger boy. Sati jumped up on the sword too, her sister placing the final spot on the sword, the rock beginning to rise just a bit. Others joined in by a group of them slipping under and helping lift the rock--although not much--off the ground. Only a few inches were open this way, so the rest of the group grabbed Deku sticks and stuck them, trying to do the same technique Saria had, but not sitting upon them. Those sticks were just too weak to stand the torture of that, but being used as a way of moving something--they were made for that--harder than most trees around.
"Damn! It's only open a few inches! Sati! Something is attacking him, get him out!" Kicking the sword repetitively with each jump, she slammed her fist into the rock, crying out in fury. Yet another scream poured out, all the female forest kids perking in fear--Saria wasn't lying. A girl by the name of Jiu, the skinniest of them all, grabbed one of the smaller Deku nuts from her pockets and slipped her skinny arm down there--he would be paralyzed, but so would the monster. Dropping the nut downward, it exploded in seconds, causing all the noise to disappear, only the slight whimpering from Link. Returning to pushing, all that went on for the hours to be, but since none of the victims of the nuts were being attacked it could go on for hours at a time.
Adrenaline perused the young girl, his foster mother, and she jumped upon the rock, slamming herself on top of it by jumping. The first time it budged in the direct a few times, the second time coming up and sliding several feet to the left, the sword shimmying off to the left. Falling inside the hole, her body slammed into the young Link, whose body automatically became undone with the paralysis activities. Taking him into her arms, she handed him back up to the other Kokiiri (who began to kiss and smother him under his wounds, like an infant.) The light poured in and down she saw that a beast, a Deku Scrub was staring up at her with appeasing eyes, just asking her to touch it. So, that thing hurt him, Eh?
"Throw down the sword, Hati!" Sati's twin sister, the shyer of the bunch, silently handed the sword to Saria. She wasn't touching the thing, since her legs were spread across the narrow tunnel--letting her stand without actually touching it. Giving out a glance of hatred, like that of a lioness whose cub had been hurt, she put all her weight in the stab that did more damage to the creature than Mido had done to its counterpart. Sliding deep within the wound, black liquids slid down of its body, a scream bellowing through the smashed nozzle. Leaping for the edge, she pulled herself out, and spread out, throwing the sword like an Olympic discus player. As it sailed through the forest, they pushed the rock back into the ground, sealing the tomb, and proceeded to kick the living hell out Mido.
When the leader was faced with the question of why he did the task, he said because that he loved Saria and she was paying more attention to Link than he was. Most of the girls (and some guys) all cheered them, congratulating them on the new couple--that was except Saria, she simply spit down on him and crossed her arms about his chest. Smothering him in a dung-hole, leaving him there with a hungry Deku Scrub, and attacking her were simply not reason enough to hurt him, that was no reason to do that. Dismissing his love for her as bland stupidity, she to this day would rarely visit him unless it was at the town meetings, the annual Festival of the Stars, or if he bugged her. Those were the only reasons he would see the beautiful girl.
Also, she and the girls put up the gates, so that no one except the female of the Kokiiri, and Link could enter the forbidden zone. When questioned as if to why that was to be, they simply responded that he was better than the rest of the males, deserved more credit, and would be rewarded with that. Try as they might, the place was usually guarded by a Deku scrub who sided with the women, yes, they were capable of speech, at least the halfway decent of the race. Eventually a Wolvo killed the scrub and no one ever visited the place, except Saria and Link, who somehow could avoid the dangers and get past with Saria's song that soothed the beast. Other events between Mido and Link happened in those years they stayed together, but nothing that was savage as this one.
Sure he had wounds, the wounds that had no reason to be there, yet they healed, just as wounds always did. Nothing to savage was done to him--a few tender ribs, one of them broken, and the bruises all over his body. Aside that, that was it, he smelt strange for the next month and a half, also had a mark upon his ankle. It was in the same place where the Tailpasaran had bitten, this the place where the scrub had chewed. With some healing herbs and a month of rest his rise to fame was all right, tightness came around it during the winter, but besides that, it always remained all right, not a limp or anything.
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"There are other reasons I hate Mido. His arrogance, him thinking he is the leader, how he treated me for not having a fairie, and some of those things." Chuckling a little, he looked over to the two girls, eating off of his very words for the past few hours. Speaking of hours, his mind was getting a little tired, so without warning he simply slid the covered over his body and slumbered off peacefully. The faces of his two comrades broke out in fury, but the simple fact was the story was over, wasn't it? Yea, it was over, the story had been finished, there were other stories in the forest, but this one had been so hard on the boy, they (or Navi) hadn't had the heart to awaken him.
"Aw, man! How dare he go to sleep on me, I really enjoyed that." Frowning, she placed her hands upon his shoulders, trying to jut him awake, when Navi tapped her silently upon the shoulder.
"Ruto, let's just go to sleep, it's late--and we need our rest, I have the feeling we are close to your jewel, so if we get out sleep we can be out of her by the morning. Look a Link, he's pooped--we need him at full power tomorrow. You tired?"
"You're no fun!" Grabbing a pillow, she hit the fairie.
"H-hey, aren't you lis--"
"Nah, nah, nah!" Placing her hands over her small ears, she began to hum a little tune to herself. Navi, infuriated, moved over to Link and on the pillow, sleeping right beside his face. Soon she was asleep, and the little princess was bored, wandering about the room for something, trying to open the doors, and going through his satchels. His extensive expertise of weapons was remarkable; each one different in its own ways, the only one she didn't trust were the bombs, and they just looked too dangerous. There she played with his weapons for a few seconds, before the room darkened, signaling Jabu was falling asleep. Stomping her foot hardly, she called out for him to open up the lights, only to be received with a long sigh of ignorance.
"Jabu Jabu…" Whining, soon the experience of sleep overtook her, but her own bed was so long away. Crawling up on Link's bed, she slid under the covers with him, wrapping her arms about his waist, sliding her head on his shoulder with a sweet sigh. So nice… she thought, sliding down into unconsciousness. Unfortunately for the two heroes, they did have silent nightmares that night, the elixir of the dreams had disappeared sometimes during the day, so throughout the night each of them awoke once (different times), looking over to Ruto with content and slipped back to sleep. Dreams only making up the happy thoughts of the land, each night they suffered with them, but only one or two, tonight being very lucky to live them out in peace. Ruto's dreams were always nice and innocent, like herself, the im-purifying thoughts of evil never penetrating her.