Link waved goodbye to King Zora and his subjects before jumping back across the gap and landing on the platform that signified the start of the long river. He glanced over to the portal he had used to escape Mido. He could go back to the forest now. Maybe he'd find Saria. He shook his head. No, it was better to give Mido a little more time to cool off. He began walking down the path along side the river then he stopped.

"Epona…" He had left her tied up in the forest. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't call her. She was stuck. He glanced back at the portal again and sighed. He couldn't leave her there. What if Mido decided to get even and tried to do something to her? Link ran back to the water hole and jumped in. He dove to the bottom and entered the portal. Reemerging into the forest, he shook himself dry as best he could and, instead of heading towards the Sacred Forest Meadow, he turned and ran back to Kokiri Forest. When he got there he peered over the ledge to make sure Epona was safe. She was happily grazing on the over grown weeds that surrounded Links house. He sighed and smiled.

He stood to jump down when somebody grabbed him from behind. Before he knew what to think, he was whirled around and punched hard in the face. He recoiled and lost his balance, falling from the cliff and landing in front of his house. Epona jerked her head up and tried to move next to him, but her reigns held her back.

Link groaned as a sharp pain traveled from his back to his legs. He was sure that something was broken because he couldn't even move without an excruciating pain shooting through his body. He looked bleary-eyed up at the top of the cliff and saw Mido laughing manicly. The older boy jumped down from the cliff and stood over Link.

"That'll teach you something." He sneered.

Link gathered all his strength and pushed himself away from the sneering face. Mido glared and shouted.

"I didn't say you could go!" He pulled his foot back and let it loose into Link's side.

Link gasped as the air was kicked out of him. He coughed and moaned as he tried to get away.

"Come back here!" Mido shouted and continued to kick him in the side and the head.

Link curled up in a ball trying to avoid any serious damage as tears poured from his eyes. This battle wasn't like the ones he had been in before. Those people were his enemy and he felt no remorse over their deaths. This was one of his peers. He couldn't kill him. The Great Deku Tree wouldn't want him too. The only thing he could do was sit there and take it.

"You like that, don't you!" Mido shouted as he sent kick after kick to Link's broken body.

"Saria…Epona…" Link moaned. He wanted desperately for someone to hear him and help him. Where were the other Kokiri's? Why wasn't someone doing something?

Link felt another kick make contact with his back and an ear splitting crack echoed through the forest. Link yelled in pain as his tears clouded his vision. He watched Mido pull his leg back again and he shut his eyes to avoid seeing the pleasure on his face, but the blow never came. Instead, he heard Mido shout and heard a loud bump! Link opened his eyes and, through his tear stained face, saw Mido sitting on the ground trying desperately to catch his breath. Confused, Link turned around and saw Epona standing protectively over Link's shattered body.

"Epona…" Link moaned. She had chewed through her reigns and kicked Mido hard in the stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.

She nuzzled Link's face and then, with his fragile help, lifted him onto her back. She ran as fast as she dare without knocking him off, to the log that led out of the forest. Link wasn't sure where she was going, and to be honest, he didn't care. He was just grateful to be out of Mido's reach. Link closed his eyes and rested his head against Epona's soft mane as they rode for what felt like an eternity. When they finally stopped, Link felt himself being lowered to the ground.

It wasn't until he felt Epona digging in his pack that he opened his eyes. He felt far too weak to speak, so he just watched as Epona dug her snout into his pack. Link looked up and realized they were standing just to the left of Hyrule Castle Town. Turning back to Epona, he watched her in fascination as she dug through his items. Moments later, she pulled out one of his bombs and Link gasped when he realized it had lit itself. He was trying with all of his strength to throw the bomb away but Epona fought him off and walked with the bomb a little ways away. Link followed her with his eyes and realized she was placing the bomb near a boulder.

What is she doing? Link thought.

He watched as Epona stood next to him and waited for the bomb to go off. Once it did, it revealed a hole and Link realized that it was the entrance to the fairy fountain he had come across in his travels. He smiled and looked up at her.

"Th-Thank you…Epona…" He moaned.

She snorted and gently pushed him to the hole. Since she was too big to fit, she had no choice but to let him take it from here. Link rolled sloppily into the hole and the magic from the fountain helped him to fall gently. Once inside, he looked up and watched the fairies fly in the distance. Gathering all his strength, he pulled himself slowly over to the fountain. Every nerve in his body screamed in pain with every inch. He wasn't sure how, but he finally made it to the water and he collapsed, rolling into the center. The fairies all gasped and surrounded him, darting all around his wounded body.

Link could feel his bones mending and his cuts healing. Slowly, he sat up and watched the fairies finish their work. He stood and bent his arms and legs experimentally. He laughed out loud when he realized he was one hundred percent again.

"Thank you, Fairies!" He called to them all as they danced around him.

"Anything for you, Link." One said.

"Yeah, you saved Hyrule." Said another.

"We'll always help you!"

Link smiled at them all. "I can't thank you enough." He walked out of the water and turned back around. Glancing into the water again he realized that it was stained with his blood. He frowned and looked at the fairies. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay!" They said and, flying in circles around the bloody water they changed it back to clear.

Link smiled. "Wow…" He looked back at them and nodded. "Thanks again!" He waved and ran back to the hole to comfort his worried friend.