Malon-A farm girl.

Talon-A farmer.

Termina-In the video game, it's another world. Here, it's another country.

Old Man-A sword smith, who's identity is revealed at the end of the chapter.

Vaati was back in Ezlo's mushroom house. He was fiddling threw Ezlo's library.

"Now that I have wished the Door open, I must choose between transformering into a human or teleporting. And I still need something to power up Ezlo's staff so I can make my size big and small!"

Vaati finally found a book on magic food.

'The Magic Big Minish Nut Tree can allow a Minish to become small or large and the first one stays in one's system for months."

Vaati snapped his fingers.

"Time to see a tree!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ezlo and Belari were discussing what to do next.

"I have a secret that no one else besides Link must know. I'm afraid I must tell someone else, though, in case I have to help him, though. Someone like. You,"

"What is it?" said Belari.

Ezlo got closer to Belari so no one could hear.

"Listen carefully,"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Now, Festari, it's nighttime, so we have to stick to the path. Well, it's dangerous in the morning, too, but as long as we stay on the path, we should be okay." Saria warned the Minish.

There was a break in the path and nowhere else to go.

"Oh, no!" Saria said.

"What do we do, now?" Festari asked.

"Is it okay with you if we go on?" Saria asked Festari. "We should get to the town as soon as possible!"

"I say, "yes"!" said the priest.

Esmeralda floated up and down in agreement.

All at once, skeletons with tattered clothes came up from the ground.

"Stalchildren!" Saria cried.

Saria started to run. Festari and Saria talked of what to do as they ran.

"What are they?!" Festari asked in fear.

"Skeletons! They may look like they're dead, but they're just like every other monster!"

"So, are they dangerous?!" Festari asked again.

"They're just scary! They're defending their territory which is off the patth! The path is magic! It keeps monsters from attacking!"

"So we don't have to fight?!" Festari asked, somewhat helpful.

"No! They'll keep chasing us until we safely drive them back underground with my gear."

Saria took out her shield and a Deku stick and got ready. Esmeralda got in front of her and in front of a Stalchild to help Saria target.

Saria hit several Stakchildren with the stick and they began to disappear underground. She blocked them with her shield as they hit her.

Then as she backed up into a bush, she found a Deku nut.

She threw them at the Stalchildren and the light from the fire-cracker- like objects and they disappeared for good.

"Nice shot, Saria!" Festari praised.

Esmeralda blinked on and off in happiness.

"Good! Now, let's continue our quest!" Saria said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mido was in deep sleep just before dawn. He he heard a sound which woke him from his slumber.

It was coming from the Lost Woods.

"This better be good," he mumbled to himself.

Mido got out of bed and walked towards the entrance.

He discovered a running Lado popping in and out of the woods.

"What are you doing?!" Mido demanded.

Lado stopped. "Oh, hi, Mido! Howya been?"

"I repeat: What are you doing?!" Mido said in anger.

"Don't worry! I won't tell you why or who told you to do this," Lado related.

Mido put a hand to his face. "And why wouldn't I WANT to know that?!"

"Um. Because you don't?" Ladoi suggested.

"Well, I do. So, tell me." Mido demanded.

"Well, Redo said-" but Lado was cut off as a hand around his face.

"Sodo told him to do it," Redo spoke for Lado. "He tricked him into thinking that the Zoras messed with the Lost Woods by changing how to travel threw it. He said that they had to take a wrong turn until he ended up in Zora Falls."

"But-But!" Lado stammered.

"Why would he do that?" Mido questioned.

"So he could guard the woods without stopping and be safer being away from the monsters," Redo lied.

"And why are YOU here?" Mido demanded.

This isn't good.' Redo panicked in his thoughts.

"Someone threw a rock in my direction and I followed it away from the entrance. Then I decided to check on Lado." Redo half-lied.

Aw, thank you, Redo!" Lado said with a smile.

"Don't thank me," Redo frowned. "I'm still mad at you."

"For what?" Lado said in confusion.

"Tell you later," Redo told. "We can go home, now, right?"

"Nope! You're both in deep trouble. And more than before."

Then the gang heard someone else coming towards them.

"Sodo?" Mido asked. "Glad you're here. Take these two to my house. Have them remove the rocks there. But wait. Why are YOU doing here?!"

"I hate to be sneaky, but I came to check on my brothers. I heard the little rock throwing and the I saw him leave. Then I heard everything you just said.. I never asked Lado to do those things." Sodo told.

"Then who did?" Mido demanded.

Everyone looked at Lado.

"Do I have to tell?" Lado lamented.

"It's for the best," Sodo assured.

"OK. It was Redo," Lado admitted.

Everyone looked at Redo. "It wasn't me! He's lying! It was Sodo!"

"I believe your brothers," Mido decided. "You are a big, fat liar, after all. Now, both you and Lado will pick up rocks."

"Why Lado?" asked Sodo. "And I get why Redo, but I don't agree with the punishment."

"Lado is being punished for being gullible. And I swear kids keep putting more rocks on my lawn while I'm not looking!"

"You're like what Link says is an old man!" Lado kidded. "'You kids get off my lawn!'"

"Lado!" Sodo chastised. "Apologize."

"Sorry," spoke Ladp.

"And for the woods," Sodo bid.

"Sorry," Lado said, again.

"Redo'-" but Sodo was cut off.

"I don't except any of your apologies! Now get a move on! I have to find Saria. I made her something yesterday." Mido admitted.

"You mean your girlfriend?" Redo couldn't help but tease.

"Enough! You will now come with me. You will de-weed Saria's yard, instead."

"Uh-oh. I'm in trouble.' Redo thought nervously.

"But Mi-"Sodo stammered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mido dragged Redo along by the arm as he came to Saria's home.

"Stay out here and de-weed like a good person. I'll deliver the gift,"

Mido went inside and saw no one there.

"Huh. Maybe she's at her favorite spot in the Lost Woods?"

Mido came out and grabbed Redo.

Once they were at Saria's favorite spot, passed the maze, and on her tree stump, they saw she wasn't there, either.

"Where is she?" Mido asked Redo.

"Um. Maybe she left the woods when Lado was guarding it?" Redo tried to lie.

"She left, didn't she?" Mido's arms fell at his sides and he stated into space. "Why did she leave?"

He grabbed Redo, again.

"Why?! Where?!" Mido screamed.

"She went to Hyrule Castle Town! She's going to help the Minish! She took him to Link!" Redo exclaimed in fear.

Mido dropped him."LINK?!"

Mido grabbed him once more.

"You're coming with me!" Mido s said.

"Like I have a choice," said Redo.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mido and Redo arrived at Mido's house.

pRedo noticed four unopened chests. Mido got out s sword from one.

The Kokiri Blade!" Redo said in surprise. "How is it you have THIS?

"When Link became an adult, he gave me some of his weapons he had trouble using." Mido explained.

Mido got out a slingshot from one of the chests and threw it t Redo. Redo fumbled a bit, but managed to catch it.

"What's in the final chest?" he asked.

"Nothing," explained Mido. "Link only bothered to get us three."

Mido saw a note on his bed.

'"I didn't see this before!" Mido said.

He read the note aloud.

"Dear Mido,

pI've gone to see Link. The Minish need our help and the only one who can truly help is Link, so I'm going to see him. Do not follow me, I can take care of myself. I have a shield and a few Deku sticks and I'm sure I'll find some Deku nuts along the way. Just promise me you won't punish anyone for letting me out. Thank you.

-Saria"

"Well. I guess I can't punish you, " Mido conceded. "Because you're coming with me."

"What? Why?!" Redo demanded to know.

"We're going after Saria!" Mido declared.p

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dawn had already broken as Saria and Festari were halfway across Hyrule Field. It was a bit chilly, but the little Minish was safe and warm in the sage's pocket. Saria was a bit worse off.

"You're sure you're okay, Saria?" asked Festari.

Saria hugged herself. Esmeralda drew closer.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." she assured both of them.

They came to a large wall right by a building with bigger, taller walls.

That's Lon Lon Ranch!" she yelled.

"I hope they're awake." Festari commented.

As they walked onto the land past the walls, they heard something.

Singing.

"'Malon'?" asked Saria.

"Oh! We don't get many visitors." said a lady with long, red hair, brown apron, pink and purple dress, blue eyes, brown boots, white top, and a yellow scarf. She also has a MONSTER-LOOKING pendant around her neck.

"Let me guess: You don't recognize me from the party you had a few years ago?" Saria inquired.

"Saria, right?" Malon guessed.

"How'd you know?" Saria asked in disbelief.

Malon smiled. "We don't get too many visitors around here. And you're a sage!"

"You're a sage?!" asked Festari in both realization and confusion.

"Yes, I am." Saria admitted.

"Did you say something to me?" asked Malon. "You're acting like you're talking to someone else."

"It's a long story." Saria said with an awkward smile.

"Come inside! I'll give you something to eat while we chat." Malon offered.

Malon led her inside a house. Saria could hear the noise from outside.

There were about a dozen cuccoos (chickens) clucking and flying low around a man in a red shirt, a blue shirt to cover it, big brown shoes, a brown tail n his hair, a brown beard, blue eyes, and a pendant that LOOKED LIKE a monster hanging from his neck.

That's my father." Malon explained. "He sleeps at this time of day. Well, pretty much any other time of day, too."

"Talon, right?" Saria remembered.

"Ah, I guess I'm not the only one with a good memory!" Malon said. "And in case you were wondering, my other family is in Termina right now.. Now please tell me why were you talking to yourself?"

So, Saria told Malon.

"That's a pretty crazy story." Malon said as soon as she heard.

"You don't believe me?" Saria said as her head fell.

"No! I do! Believe me, I've seen plenty of crazy things, myself. On my milk deliveries. W-Well, I wish I could see more. I only go out during TH-THOSE times. Guess I don't really mean what I say." Malon stammered.

"I don't get out much, either." Saria said. "Mido's the one who insists on going to sage meetings in my place. He makes sure to leave me behind and have the other BOYS guard the exits. I can't imagine how he's making us Kokiri look."

"Sounds like a jerk." said Malon.

"He can be, but he has a sweet side. And he's my friend. I'll figure out how to reason with him, one of these days." Saria told her.

"How'd you make it out of the forest, than?" Malon asked.

"One of the guards helped us. Redo. He's just as bad as Mido, but his brothers control him. He doesn't usually defy Mido, but Mido put him on guard duty. That's something Redo shouldn't be doing. He must've been mad enough to help us." Saria continued

"Well, now I'M helping you!" Malon offered.

"How can you?" asked Saria in confusion.

"We deliver milk to Castle Town once a week every week. You can sit in the back of the cart," Malon told.

"That's so nice of you, Malon!" Saria said.

"I'll wake my dad up! Let's go!" Malon declared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you insane?!" Redo quipped.

"You can have the slingshot, Lado can have the boomerang." Mido told.

"Wait. Lado's coming to?!" Redo freaked.

"I hate to admit it, but, I the Great Mido, needs some extra help this time. And this isn't normal help," Mido admitted. "By the way, your brother, Sodo's coming, also."

Mido walked out his house, Redo following him closely behind.

"Tell Lado to go to the store and buy four shields and then four Deku sticks," Mido said as he threw a bag of rupees at Redo. "Sodo won't need a special weapon."

"Then you'll gather everyone else and tell them to meet at my house. I'll wait here," Mido explained.

And so, Redo , he made the announcement first because he'd rather deal with that than his brothers.

He climbed on the flying leaf and called the other kids.

"EVERYONE MEET AT MIDO'S! EVERYONE MEET AT MIDO'S!"

People began to follow the sound of his voice and began to head for Mido's.

Redo spotted Lado as the leaf floated to the ground.

"Not you, Lado!" he said. "You're going to the store to buy us four shields and four Deku sticks."

"But why?" Lado asked in confusion.

"Don't bother asking! Mido'll probably make a speech out of it and I don't want to have to tell it again," Redo spat.

Sodo heard everything this time and began to worry.

"Please get down from there, Redo!"

"Don't worry so much!" Redo said as the leaf lowered to the ground.

He approached his brother. He explained everything.

"Just come with me," Redo motioned with his hand.

Mido was on top of his house roof, (which wasn't too high), and yelled his own speech.

"EVERYONE! I AND THE KNOW-IT-ALL BROTHERS ARE OFF TO SAVE SARIA WHO WENT OFF ON HER OWN TO SEE THE FAIRY-LESS LINK! IF YOU NEED ANYTHING WHILE WE'RE GONE, SEE DODO FROM THE STORE! HE OBVIOUSLY SOLD SARIA A SHIELD, SO HE MIST DEAL WITH IT!"

He went down from his house and the children parted to let them through. He met the three brothers at the back and they went on their way.

Sido watched Lado leave and a frown crossed her face.

"Be careful!" she whispered.

Tido came to her sister and put an arm around her.

"Don't worry, your boyfriend will be fine!"

"Tido!" Sido cried.

Then Fado came out of nowhere, as if she had already been there.

"One of US should be in charge," she said. "Like one of MY friends."

"W-Who are your friends?" Sido asked.

Tido pulled her aside.

"Don't listen to her," she said. "Well, not to the whole 'friends' part, but we DO need a leader. I wonder why Mido didn't pick someone more qualified?"

"It's probably something only like somone like me can understand, but Mido treats us girls like weaklings," Fado said with a frown.

"Oh, everyone knows that!" Tido said. "But I guess I just never realized how much that treatment really was."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was dawn and the four boys and their fairies were out in Hyrule Field.

"The Skullkids are out now, huh?" Redo spoke in a low voice.

"Yeah, but they stay in the forest," Sodo reminded.

It wasn't long before a whirling was heard above their heads.

A giant plant hovered above them.

It had red and blue leaves coming out the top of it, with six brown, jagged leaves coming out the bottom.

"PEAHAT!" Lado screamed.

The turning, spinning parts of the giant plant went towards them. All four of them ran and ducked out in time. They ran into the bushes for cover.

"How did you know what it was?!" Mido asked in a hush tone.

"Didn't Link tell you the last time he visited?" asked Sodo.

"Yeah, he always tells us stories about the outside world!" Lado added.

"I don't have time for that!" Mido retorted.

The peahat got so close, it nearly tore Mido's hat in two.

Mido's fairy bopped him gently on the head to get him to use her to target.

Mido got up, but the peahat was too far ahead in the sky.

Sido was having a similar problem with his own sticks and fairies.

From and Lado had less trouble, but were bad with aim.

Then the boys spotted a house nearby.

There was steps leading up to it. It had lots, bushes and an old tree outside. It has a chimney with smoke coming out of it and a roof made of hay.

"Run for it!" Mido called.

All four boys ran for the house. Mido slammed his fists on the door.

The door opened.

Mido's tiny fists hit an old man.

"Woah! Kid! KIDS!" said the man as he looked over the boys. He grabbed Mido's arms and Mido backed up s bit.

The man saw the peahat. "Come in! Come in quickly!"

They went inside.

The living room had two windows, a table with two chairs, a water pot, a book shelf, two crates and a cereal bowl.

The first look they got at the man was his green handkerchief, white eyebrows, white mustache and white beard. He also had a green shirt covered by brown shirt and dark eyes. He carried a hammer.

"Looks like you're-"

"Forest boys!" Lado blurted out.

"Lado!" Sodo chastised. "Why would you tell him that?"

"I thought that people would give us special treatment if they knew we were friends of Link!"

"Well. You'd be wrong to assume I'd give you children special treatment, but I will help you nonetheless," said the old man. "There's a bedroom upstairs with two beds. I'll sleep on the floor in the living room with a sleeping bag. There's two more sleeping bags underneath the two beds for company. You four decide who gets to sleep where. Put your weapons in this bag."

The old man took out a sack.

"Why should we do that?" asked Mido.

"Because I am a sword smith. I can upgrade your weapons.," the old man said.

"Why should we sleep, now?" asked Sodo.

"Well, you look pretty tired," said the old man. "Like you've been up all night."

"Out of the way!" Mido cried as he ran upstairs.

But Sodo was much faster. He bumped him out of the way and was the first one there.

There were two crates, two windows, a table with two chairs and two beds. The sleeping bags, were of course, underneath the beds.

"First things first!" Sodo called. "Redo and Lado can sleep in the beds. WE'LL sleep in the bags."

"Alright!" Redo yelled.

"No way!" declared Mido.

"I want YOU to sleep in a bed!" Lado said, empathically.

"It's fine," said Sodo in a calming voice and a hand on Lado's shoulder. "The next time one of us is cozzier without the other, I'll take the bed or whatever we need. I promise."

"Okay," Lado agreed.

Sodo looked at Mido.

"I won the race," Sodo reminded.

Mido crossed his arms and sat on the floor.

"The Great Mido will not forget this!"

Mido grabbed his bag and promptly fell asleep.

"I don't want to take turns," Redo told Sodo. "But I guess I don't have a choice,"

Then he fell asleep.

Lado stayed up, unable to sleep.

"You think that we can really help Link?" he asked Sodo.

"I bet we can," Sodo answered. "After all. Link's saved the day as a kid, too, before."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was morning and Saria, her fairy and Festari were on the back of Malon and Talon's milk cart.

"This is better than traveling around on foot," Festari commented.

"I can't imagine how hard that must be for you," Saria pointed out.

"Well, it's almost over," Festari pointed. "Look!"

Saria looked in that direction.

"Hyrule Castle Town!" Saria said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The boys awoke with sunshine streaking through the windows.

Mido was up first. He and his fairy went downstairs into the living room.

There were more chairs there. The total was now five instead of two.

Breakfast was on the table. The old man walked in from another room. He carried on his back a sack. Mido wondered what was in it.

"Surprise!" said the old man. "I strengthened your weapons."

"What do you mean, 'strengthened'?" Mido repeated.

"Well, like all weapons in Hyrule, the weapons won't hurt anyone, just knock them on the ground. Your weapons can do that quicker and easier now."

"Cool!" Mido said as he reached for the bag.

The man snatched it away. "They're not just for you. They're for your friends, too."

Then Sodo came up the stairs with his fairy. "I smell something. Mind if I ask what it is?"

"Oatmeal," spoke the old man. "It's good for you."

"BREAKFAST!" Sodo called.

Lado got up immediately. He shook Redo awake who pulled the covers over himself. He finally gave up and followed his younger brother upstairs, their fairies fluttering close behind.

"Redo immediately saw the food and went straight for it.

"Our weapons are upgraded," said Mido.

"*Munch* *Munch* What? *Munch*" Redo said between chomps.

"Yes, what?" asked Sodo.

"What?" asked Lado.

The old man got out the bag and dumped it on the floor.

"My boomerang!" said Lado.

"My slingshot!" said Redo.

"My-" said Sodo.

"My-" said Mido.

"Sword?" they said at the same time.

There werre shiny new weapons for Lado and Redo, but indeed also a shiny new sword in the bag as well. With another sword which remained the same.

"What's the deal with the extra sword?" asked Mido.

"Your particular friend here only had sticks for weapons. As a sword Smith, I can not let a weapon-weilder go unprotected," the old man explained. "Especially friends of Link.""

How'd you know we're friends with Link, Sir?" asked Lado.

"Everyone knows that! Besides, I should know especially. I mean, I'm Link's grandfather!"