Opia: Finally I update this stupid thing... I really love this story though, so don't worry about me forgetting about it.

Cari: Opia owns nothing but her made up characters!

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The Legend of Zelda: The Orb of Bannon .........Ch. 4

Saria sat on the porch of Link's house, sadly watching as the other children played in the morning sun. One of the girls waved to her, "Come on Saria! We need one more player!"

"Thanks, but I don't feel like playing right now!" Saria called down.

"Waiting for Link again?" The girl giggled. "Do you know when he's coming back? It's been a while!"

A sad look came over the sage's face. "Not for a while… not for a while…"

The girl nodded and went back to her game. A quiet voice spoke behind Saria. "He's not coming back is he?"

She turned around to see Mido leaning against the doorframe. "Mido… I-I...."

He sat down beside her. "I know that as Kokiri we perceive time differently than outsiders… But I can tell… He's gone, isn't he?"

Saria looked down at her feet. "Yes, for a long time…" A single tear ran down her cheek.

Mido wiped it away. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"I-I know." She said quietly.

"I think you shouldn't dwell here… It gives you so many painful memories…."

"That's why I still come… I don't ever want to forget him…."

Mido placed a hand on her shoulder. "You won't. I don't think even I could ever forget that blockhead."

Saria giggled a little and pushed him. "Don't call him that!"

Mido smirked. "Just tellin' the truth!"

"Thanks Mido…" Saria laughed and hugged him tightly. "I needed a laugh…."

He patted her head. "It's okay… Oh! I have something for you!" Pulling away he took out something from his tunic and placed it in Saria's hands. "Take this… and remember the good times… no matter where you are…."

"What are you talking about?" She looked at what he had put in her hands. It was a necklace, the pendant looked like a leaf encased in amber. "It's beautiful! Thank you!"

Mido looked solemn for a moment, then smiled again. "I'm glad you like it… Well, see ya! I've got stuff to do." He jumped off the platform, landed gracefully, and sped off.

Saria put the medallion around her neck and climbed down the ladder. Her feet led her to the foot of the Great Deku Tree.

"Greetings young sage." The tree said.

"Greetings Great Deku Tree…."

"There is something wrong…."

"Yes." She looked up into the tree's large face. "I can't shake the feeling of some terrible evil right outside our borders."

"And you're wondering why this evil hasn't entered the forest."

"Yes." Saria sat down on the grass. "By my estimate it has been 600 years since I first sensed it… why? You've told me the legends, why hasn't a Link stopped it!"

"Ahhhh…" The Great Deku Tree sighed, "The evil has long since killed the Link of this day…"

"What?!" The girl's eyes grew wide, "T-that's terrible!! Who's going to stop it before it gets out of hand?!"

"It has already gotten out of hand… But do not despair, another one shall come forth someday…."

"I hope he will be able to fix the damage that has already been done…" Saria ran her finger over Mido's gift.

The Great Deku Tree rumbled. "I see Mido has given you the medallion…."

"Why, yes! How did you know—"

"I made that item for him. It will keep you alive outside the forest."

Saria looked at the medallion. "Wow, really? But… why would Mido give me something that could do that?"

"Hmmm…" The old tree rustled its leaves thoughtfully, "So he hasn't told you…"

She looked up. "Told me what?

"Have you ever noticed that Mido seems to know and understand things more than all the others?"

"Well… now that I think about it… yeah!"

"The boy has been blessed with the gift of premonition. He knows what will happen to this forest…."

"To the forest?" Saria shot up. "What will happen to the forest?!"

The great Deku tree groaned as it stretched its crooked branches. "For the past many long years I have spent my energy keeping those unwanted out of our forest, but that energy is waning. It has depleted so that I do not have the strength to sew my seed. And to save at least one of my children I collected the last bits of magical force I had inside me into one small leaf encased in amber. My ward is gone, evil forces will penetrate our borders… and I shall die."

Saria stood, aghast by the Deku Tree's words. "But… if you have no seed…."

"Once I am killed, the magic will die off, along with all those depended on it, plant or otherwise."

Suddenly, pain and sorrow filled every crevice of the sage's body. "What's happening?!" She yelled, clutching her sides.

A small boy ran into the clearing. "Great Deku Tree! Great Deku Tree!! I heard strange noise outside the log and-and when I looked I saw people, big people! Oh, it was terrible! They're cutting down the trees!!!"

The tree closed its eyes sadly. "It has begun…" Then looking at the boy he said, "Call all my children to me!" The boy ran off.

Soon all the Kokiri children were running into the clearing. They were terrified, all except Mido, who just looked sad. "Great Deku Tree!" They yelled, "Strange people are coming into the village!!"

"Calm down my children…" The great Deku Tree answered. "Listen to me. The last thing I wish to ask all of you… is to be brave."

A foreign buzzing sound reached their ears. They clung to the tree's bark in fear. A few moments later the sickening snap of a falling tree sounded from a distance. Suddenly a tall, white woman with long black hair stepped around the corner. A large red jewel glittered at her throat. Her lips formed into a cruel smile. "I have found you."

Saria shivered, this was the evil she had been felling for so long. The Great Deku Tree straightened defiantly. "You will not win in the end Marinal!"

"On the contrary…" The woman snapped her fingers and a team of large men with strange tools came into view. "Cut the big one down."

"But ma'am, what about those kids?" One of them asked.

"Oh they're just children, push them out of the way. And they are more dangerous than they look, don't hesitate to shoot them if they attack." When they hesitated, Marinal shouted, "I don't pay you to stand like gawking morons, do your job!"

The men lurched forward, causing the Kokiri to scream and hide behind their beloved guardian. Mido didn't move.

"Move it!" Grunted one of the men.

Mido stood his ground. "You're not going to harm the Great Deku Tree!"

"Look kid," another said, "I don't care what fancy names you've given it, we've gotta chop it down. Now… get out of the way like a good little boy."

The stubborn Kokiri whipped out the Kokiri Sword. He mentally thanked Link for giving it to him. "I said you're not going to hurt it!"

"That kid's got a weapon!" A man near the front of the group took out some sort of shiny sick with a hole through it. Mido leapt at him.

"Mido!" Saria screamed, "Don't!"

A loud bang filled the air as fire spouted from the metal stick. Mido screamed and fell to the ground, his right shoulder bleeding heavily. The Kokiri scattered, terrified of these strangers with strange tools that shot fire. Their obstacles taken care of, the men surrounded the now abandoned Deku Tree and began to carve at it with their whirling, buzzing blades.

"Mido!!" Saria ran over to the fallen boy and cradled him, "Mido, speak to me!"

He opened his eyes and smiled at her weakly, "Hey…."

Tears poured down the girl's cheeks. "Mido… why didn't you tell me?"

"What? … Tell… you what?"

"You knew this was going to happen!"

Mido coughed. "Yeah… I did… I just couldn't… bring myself… to tell you…" The pain in his shoulder was strong, so much so he was struggling to speak.

The Kokiri screamed as they saw the Great Deku Tree waver.

Mido looked up at the sage. "You… know what will happen… when the Great Deku Tree's… gone…."

"Y-yes…" She sobbed.

"Then do me one favor…" Mido lifted his arm up to Saria's face and pulled her closer. Fighting the pain, he leaned up and kissed her softly on the lips. "Remember… Remember the good times…."

The Great Deku Tree snapped and fell, along with the wailing Kokiri. Their screams ended abruptly as the life force left their bodies.

"G-good bye… Saria…" Mido fell limp in her arms.

"M-Mido…" Saria sobbed. She pulled his body closer and hugged him tight. "No… no no… NO!" Saria screamed to the lifeless bodies around her, "DON'T LEAVE ME!!!"

Confused, and mildly disturbed, the men left the clearing. Leaving it littered with Kokiri bodies, dead trees, and one lone girl mourning the loss of everything she had ever known.

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Opia: I cried when I wrote this... But I must have just been emotional that night...

Cari: Does it really matter?

Opia: No.

Cari: Please read and review!