Note: 2nd to last part of the return to the Lost Woods arc.

So sorry if this dragged the story, and I indeed would have trimmed it down if I was rewriting those chapters, but the information shown and strange things that are happening will make sense later, but not until the second half of the story.

I honestly feel like this could've been executed so much better if given some reworking, but if I did that, I'd be stuck going back because I now wish I could've done something to link this portion of the story to the beginning.

But rewriting it would take too long, and, if I do that, I'm going to get stuck on something else that I think needs changing.

And we're not even to the halfway point yet because my writing takes forever and I'm one for details. In the case of this story, semi-accurate historical life and customs.

We're moving onto Kakariko next, but there will be a few hurdles along the way. Hope you enjoy this until then!

While this is a ZeLink fic, I'll admit I adore MaLink too. So I'll probably have to make another timeline where she and him get together. The main thing is that, while I like Malon, she doesn't have much of a role. Yes, she's a minor character, yet the characters she's based on (Marin) and those based on her (Ilia) have more of an impact than she does in any of her appearances. This isn't bad in a sense, but for such a popular character, I sort of find myself wanting her to do more.

That said, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Last, there's an awesome animation on Twitter that uses clips from the Inuyasha dub. Link provided the lines of the title character, and, honestly, I'm surprised how well it fits. Even if he might not be as brash as the half-demon, his battle cries and overall delivery is perfect.

Richard Ian Cox would be a fantastic older Link, and he's challenging my headcanon voice for him (currently Lucas Gilbertson.)

UPDATE: A slew of ideas came to mind regarding the history of the other races with the Hylians, many of which are sort of theories as to why some can look so different from game to game (Zora/Rito). True, it's due to graphical limitations/enhancements on each system, but theorizing and coming up with stuff is more interesting and fun.

Also, considering making a comic of this, only with some changes, I can make Link more non-verbal. I sort of just found a way to do that, and I'm kinda kicking myself for not thinking of it earlier.

UPDATE: It's official! There's going to be a movie!

Saria's Rescue

The Lost Woods was a place Link frequented almost every day or night when he could, outside of the Great Deku Tree's watch. Whenever he wished to explore a little, gather nuts or seeds for bullets to shoot at targets, or just to have a place to himself, away from anyone else, he could always count on it to be something of a retreat away from home. A backyard that was larger than your own house, but it was wild and untamed, dangerous even. Yet that made the woods all the more intriguing, not to mention tempting. The forest paths, untraveled by those that would take the journey through the winding trees, lay in wait to be tread upon, to be explored.

To become part of an adventure.

And while none of them were real, Link made more than his fair share of adventures. From his memorization of each of the Great Deku Tree's tales, he partook in and played the role of the characters from his parent's stories. Whether it was the Hero from the Sky leaving his home for the first time to go save his love, the Smith's grandson who had found a magical, talking hat (that was said to, strangely enough, resemble a bird), or the Warrior that had gained a sword that split himself into four, the boy in green acted out every trial and heroic deed those daring figures had faced and overcome.

From the moment his chores were done, Link dashed off into the Lost Woods, and, if he was not practicing with his slingshot, he was preparing for what scene he would try and reenact. True, there were some moments that he realized that perhaps one particular moment wasn't the best to try and replicate, the Sky Hero's first descent to the world below coming to mind as he tried to jump from a tree into a pile of hastily gathered leaves.

Needless to say, Link found out that he hadn't gathered enough to cushion the fall. That was the only time the Great Deku Tree had forbidden him from doing anything that was, in his eyes, "too dangerous for a boy like you."

And, thinking back on it, perhaps it wasn't a good idea to jump when you were several feet above the ground.

Still, that didn't stop him from bruising himself or scraping skin in various places acting out the great feats and adventures of the valiant figures spoken of in his guardian's stories. And, ultimately, the Lost Woods was the best place for that. Both to play and imagine himself as a warrior wielding a sword, but also, a retreat away from home.

True, the Great Deku Tree had told him to be careful and, honestly, he would've preferred if the child didn't go into the forest at all. Yet, with time, in both due to life among those who were supposed to be like him, and those who were adamant about messing with him like Mido, the Guardian seemed to get the message that, while it was technically against the rules to wander out too far, the ancient tree couldn't deny that, at times, Link needed a place such as this.

Although, when he did come out here, from time to time, Link noticed some peculiar things seemingly up within the canopy.

In his earlier years, when he was just a young sproutling (even if all the Kokiri looked human), he hadn't been able to see them for himself, yet, as his body grew and his limbs increased in strength, he was able to spot the strange shapes that hid in the leaves. And, with that, came the realization that those shapes possessed eyes.

And, even more, they had voices.

Voices that were still better used than his own, yet they spoke like the Kokiri (and himself when he could manage to say something), and, even more, they sounded around the same age as he.

It was a light flicker, but, even still, he couldn't help it.

He knew nothing about them, but still, he wondered. If, somehow, he got the chance to, could they maybe get to know each other more?

Maybe even be…?

No, Link thought. If they wanted to talk to him, they would've come down already. Besides, even if they did try to meet him, it's not like he could say anything of value, much less anything at all.

Link knew that the strange figures were there, yet he could never reach them, for they were always either out of reach, or, if he did attempt to climb the trees to gain a closer look, they scattered from sight, vanishing as if they were never there. For years, the shapes in the trees both puzzled, intrigued, fascinated, and provided him with a sense of longing.

But never did the Kokiri child believe that he would not only come to face one of these figures and behold its true form, but realize just how different the shapes appeared in comparison to himself. But, also, how similar in just as many ways.

"Y-You…" Link stammered, the strange figure around his height and width blinking rapidly, quite shocked that he had been bested, let alone that the boy got a better look at him. "You…you're…a…?"

Then, the bizarrely dressed child with bark-like skin got to his feet and chuckled. "What? Bit of a slow talker there?" Link's shock quickly transformed into anger. "If you're asking if I'm one of you, no, I'm not. I don't belong to the Great Deku Tree," he said. "I belong to someone even cooler."

If Navi hadn't gotten in between them, Link would've seen fit to give this punk a piece of his mind. "Hey, watch your mouth, young man!" the fairy lectured. "The Great Deku Tree is not someone…er, some…tree, to be taken lightly! He rules this forest, so show some respect!"

"Not here, he doesn't!" the other child said. "Besides, what difference does it make? He's dead, isn't he? Something to do with…what did that big guy call it, a seed?" he then grinned. "A wishing seed?"

Link was seething, yet still, his fairy urged him to stay back.

"Wait, a big guy?" Navi questioned. "Do you mean Ganondorf?" she asked.

"Oh yeah! That's his name!" the other child remembered. "Of course, I should probably tell you who I am. Or, rather, what I am, as it's not what you are," he said. "My buddies and I are the Skull Kids, imps of the deepest parts of these woods, and children to the Great Baga Tree!"

The Baga Tree. Once again, he had heard that name. So, if these guys worked the Baga Tree, then they must've been the ones that took Saria! But then, Link realized. Navi did as well, yet she spoke for him before he could attempt to articulate it.

"Wait a minute, children?" the fairy questioned. "But…that's impossible! The Great Deku Tree is the only one with the ability to produce life in this forest! You couldn't have been born from another!"

"Oh, but we were," The Skull Kid answered. "We got lost here," he informed Link. "And we didn't know where to go," he continued. "The Baga Tree found us, and made it so we could live here."

"Wait, lost?" Navi asked Link, wondering the same. "But you said the Baga Tree birthed you! Where did you come from before?"

The Skull Kid gazed past Navi and her charge, in the distance at the sea of trees. "I don't remember it," he confessed. "None of us do. But…the fire outside drove everyone here."

Link's eyes widened. Fire?

"Hm?" The Skull Kid gazed curiously at the boy. "What do you know about it? You weren't here when that happened!" he exclaimed. "The fire burned everything! It burned away our homes! Our villages! Our moms and dads!"

Upon saying that, shouting it for everyone and everything within miles to hear, the entire forest went dead silent, the Skull Kid, and his fellow Skull Children, then began to mutter among themselves.

"Mom? Dad?"

"What's that?"

"No, I think it's WHO."

"Who?"

"A mom and dad?"

"They're a who?"

"Yeah."

"So, who are they?"

"Who?"

"Mom-dad."

"No! There's no mom-dad! There's mom AND dad! Separate!"

"So they're separate people?"

"Yeah!"

"Then where are they now?"

Everything grew quiet once again.

Then, just as soon as it began, it was broken by the sound of a familiar scream ringing through the air, Link recognized the voice instantly.

"Mido?" he peeped, this momentary distraction being all the Skull Kid needed.

Yet, just before dashing off, the strangely dressed figure spotted something on the ground, the sudden pause drawing out his escape. The Skull Mask. The mask the blonde boy had with him. The mask he wore during the play.

Before Link could protest, now seeing the other child going for the item as well, he found himself too late, the Skull Kid swiping the painted object of carved wood and jumping back up into the canopy.

"H-Hey! Wait!" The other Skull Children called out, unsure of whether to follow their fellow imp or continue dealing with LInk. Ultimately, to the surprise of both the boy and his fairy, they all decided to go after the one among them who had run away, leaving their original target behind.

The Lost Woods fell silent again.

"Just what are those things?!" Mido panicked, eyes wide and forehead slick with sweat as he continued to run, legs burning and blood pumping throughout his small form.

"Whatever they are, they're not friendly! So keep running!" The pink fairy panicked, holding onto her charge's green top for dear life as he continued to sprint through the dense, unfamiliar woodland, the sounds of snapping and snarling still heard gaining on them both.

Still, despite his current anxiety, Mido's head was abuzz with questions.

For one, there was a big person in the Lost Woods. True, while the entrance to the forest wasn't guarded, according to The Great Deku Tree, no one from the outside was foolish enough to step in, lest they truly discover why the sea of trees and winding paths got its name. So, either this person had never heard of this place, or they knew, but came here anyway.

Which then led to the question of why.

If she was simply ignorant, then that'd be explainable. It'd still make her stupid, yes, but Mido could explain it. If she had known beforehand, then that only led to two possibilities: either the big person was so dumb that they just decided they didn't care, or something outside of the forest was even worse than whatever they believed they would potentially have to face in here.

And, if it were the latter, then that led to even more questions. Several of which bordered and traveled into territory that the red-haired boy had never even fathomed before, let alone conjured up in his mind. A territory that lay outside of the realm of his Guardian, his Parent, his…Father?

Father…

…yes, The Great Deku Tree. He was Mido's Father.

His…and Saria's, and Flint's, and Elm's, Birch's, Cypress', Karya's, Phoebe's, Fado's, and…

And…

…

…

…Link?

…no. He…he was…different.

…he wasn't a…

"Hey! Look alive!"

The second his image flashed in the Kokiri's mind, Mido found himself meeting the aged, grizzled surface of an old tree, his freckled cheeks practically flattening against the bark before he fell back on his behind, bringing him back to reality.

"Oooh…" Mido moaned, shaking his head.

"Get up!" Recti urged him. "We can't keep lollygagging here forever!"

The boy didn't even register his fairy, holding his head as he tried to massage away the pain. "Stupid Link…"

"Huh? Link?" Recti asked. "He's not even here! Geez, even with all your talk of how you hated him, you can't get that kid out of your mind, can you?"

Mido's stupor didn't last long, blue eyes widening upon hearing the winged woman speak. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

The fairy was about to answer, but another howl cut her off. And then, looming shadows towered over her and her young charge, shadows taking the shapes of predatory creatures that were not native to the Kokiri Forest, let alone anywhere under the watch of The Great Deku Tree.

"It means that, frankly, you could probably use his help right now," Recti told Mido honestly.

"No way!" Mido protested, holding out his rival's slingshot. "I can take care of things just fine without him!"

The shapes then began to move, shadows slowly shrinking, but only due to their hosts traveling closer to their targets, the distance growing smaller and smaller as the boy and his pink fairy were met with oversized, spherical pale orbs glowing with an unearthly light. Only, as Mido came to see, these orbs were no mere lights or harmless spores from fungi that lit up under the moon.

No, these were eyes.

Eyes that were attached to animals Mido had never seen, yet, just from one look, it was clear that they, in no way, meant him or his fairy any goodwill.

"Hurry!"

What did she think he was doing?!

Geez, such a nag.

"Wait!"

Link stopped, if not mainly because Navi herself got ahold of his green collar and tugged at it with surprising strength. The boy was about to question what had gotten the fairy so worked up but then saw that he wasn't alone, he quickly darted into a pair of nearby bushes, mere seconds before the source of Navi's fear revealed itself.

Yet, upon seeing it, the boy found himself not so much fearful himself, but confused.

Navi herself noticed this, and, frankly, as the boy's fairy, she saw fit to make a point about it. "Why am I so scared?" she questioned, Link nodded in response. "Why are you NOT?! Don't you-" she then shushed herself, ducking down (which also included pushing Link down with her) in the foliage to keep out of sight. "Don't you know what those…things are?"

Things?

Link looked ahead, the creatures she spoke of before them, but still, the blonde child didn't entirely understand just what the winged woman was so concerned by. The "things" in question appeared to be, while…oddly shaped and…bizarre looking compared to any living life form in the Great Deku Tree's realm, only animals.

Strange, twisted animals that, frankly, made him wonder just how they moved without a consistent series of aches or general discomfort (the way their backs hunched up and forced them to walk awkwardly didn't exactly look easy on the eyes), but still, they were just that, strange animals. And animals, whether they ate plantlife and what sprung from the ground or vine, or each other, had their place in the forest, as well as the rest of the world.

At least, that's what The Great Deku Tree always told him, even if it was perhaps to stop him from trying to go up to anything the massive Guardian deemed dangerous for a Kokiri his size.

"...Great Deku Tree…"

Navi paused, biting her lip. "Yes, I know. He said that animals are part of the forest, but those…those aren't…ordinary animals, they're monsters," the fairy explained. "They're like the Skulltulas or those gold spiders. Wolfos, I think they're called. They might look like regular creatures, but they're only a cheap imitation," she told him. "They're sick, twisted versions of what was once a fellow resident of The Great Deku Tree's Realm, allowed to roam for both its sake and the sake of the woods," while he couldn't see it, the small, winged woman narrowed her eyes. "And made into something dreadful and evil."

Evil?

He wasn't unsure as to what "evil" was. Oh no, Link had become very well aware of "evil" but a short time ago, his current situation was caused by a very act of evil. An act he ultimately participated in. He didn't even recognize the "evil" that was right in front of him, otherwise, he would've never let Ganondorf hand him that egg, let alone convince him to "plant" it.

Wish-granting flower, the boy recalled the Gerudo King telling him that night. No matter Navi's assurance, Link knew that nothing would change the fact that it was his hands that brought that accursed thing into the Kokiri's land, which, in turn, led to-

"Hey!" Navi hissed, getting her charge's attention. "Whatever's going on in your head can be addressed later! For now, focus on what's in front of you!"

Despite the abruptness of the fairy's sudden advice, Link ultimately acknowledged she was right. As grating as her lecturing and criticisms could get, he knew that, currently, he had to focus on getting out of there and finding a way back to Mido. And then, hopefully, Saria.

Still, the boy was somewhat curious as to what the fairy meant by "evil" in regard to the unusual animals. While Ganondorf's actions and ambitions, according to the Princess (or, more importantly, Gris), were indeed evil, animals themselves could not be, for they were just as much a part of the forest as the Kokiri were. Still, despite not entirely understanding, Link found that, whatever the case, evil or not, these animals did look, ultimately, dangerous.

If he had to compare them to anything, Link would have to say a wolf, although he had only seen one once or twice in his entire life, and even then, they had only been short glances. Wolves, according to what The Great Deku Tree said, while, animals, and thus, natural creatures, were predators, those that consumed the flesh of other animals.

In a manner similar to how he had consumed dinner at Malon's house that night, Link realized. And there was that pork pie he split with Gris in Castle Town.

Pork.

Pig.

Animal.

Arnie.

"Hm?" Navi raised a brow, noticing her child looking somewhat ill.

Indeed, he felt a little sick upon reminiscing about the taste of pork, let alone how, to his disgust, he…sort of liked it.

While Link knew that the source of pork, pig (although he wished for there to have been another way to discover that it was once a living thing), was not native to the Kokiri Forest, let alone the Lost Woods, he, along with the other children, were told of how the swine were still hunted by those that did dwell here naturally, should they find themselves within the Guardian's domain. But those wolves, according to The Great Deku Tree, were free to hunt, as they did it to feed themselves and their families, so long as his children, the Kokiri, were untouched. There was no maliciousness in their actions, brutal as they could've been. For them, it was natural, and, if anything, perhaps they could've served as a means to remind the Kokiri of their good fortune in not having to rely on the flesh of others to survive.

Still…while he liked all that he had sampled before meeting Gris, let alone going to Castle Town, meat was…different than what grew from the ground.

But knowing where it came from, and what one had to do in order to get it turned Link off completely.

"Watch out!"

Link heard a fairy cry, yet, to his surprise, it was not the one fluttering next to him. "That's Recti!" Navi whispered, realizing that, despite the fairy's size, the volume of the shout indicated that neither she nor her charge, were too far away.

A fact the misshapen wolves appeared to register as well, dashing off in the direction of the voice at a startling speed.

"Hurry!" Navi urged Link. "Mido doesn't stand a chance against those things!"

No kidding, Link thought. Still, he knew that the red-headed boy had to be rescued, for while he was still far from a friend, being torn to pieces and devoured didn't exactly sound appealing in any sense in the young blonde's mind.

Still, personal reservations aside, whether he wanted to save Mido or not would probably depend on whether or not he could get to him quicker than the Wolfos could. A fact that, despite quickly taking off upon realizing this, he had to accept was beyond his control now.

All he could do was just run.

Run.

And hope that he would be fast enough.

Ok, he recited to himself. Pull back, aim, and then release!

"What are you waiting for?! Shoot!"

He could follow that order fine, it was just completing them in a speedy manner that was the problem.

He had managed to gain some distance between him and the monsters (of which Recti identified as Wolfos, creatures Mido himself had never heard of), but it certainly wasn't enough to compensate for his overall lack of experience.

The hostile predators approached the redhead, outnumbering him and closing in, ridding the boy of any potential escape routes. Then, to Mido and Recti's horror, one of the misshapen canines lowered itself, its back arching and lips parting to reveal crooked, but very sharpened, dagger-like teeth.

It was going to pounce. It was preparing to take the Kokiri down, and once that happened, then those teeth would be lodged into the flesh of his throat. The boy froze, eyes wide with terror as the Wolfos seemed to be observing him. Not as prey, as that of the normal wolves that dwelt in the Lost Woods, but almost as if he was something to play with. This creature was savoring his fear and mental torment, enlarged, glowing eyes, one in particular unnaturally round to where it looked as if it was barely held in its socket, gleaming with anticipation and excitement.

It was looking forward to tearing into the child.

"Mido, shoot!" Recti urged, growing steadily more worried and panicked.

Still, the boy didn't move.

"Mido, please! Hurry!"

The Wolfos readied itself to leap forward.

"MIDO!"

There was no more time. The predator leaped toward him, teeth ready to take a chunk out of his neck.

Yet the Wolfos never reached the redhead.

A form that, while he wasn't certain of what it was at first, a shape that was around his size blocked the Wolfos from making its kill just in time, the savage creature trying to scratch and bite at the wooden shield keeping it back.

No…it couldn't be…?

"LINK?!"

Recti had spoken for her charge, she too watching in stunned awe. Indeed, to both her and Mido's surprise, the usually quiet, rarely vocal boy had strength that far surpassed the other Kokiri. However, unlike before, that trait the redhead had viewed with contempt was now something his life depended on.

Still, as serviceable as Link was at the moment, actually managing to force the Wolfos back with a solid push of his shield, the blonde was just one kid. And there were several of these furry guys. Strong as he was, he couldn't handle this on his own.

Still…what could Mido do, he wondered. He didn't have a sword, just this slingshot that he didn't even know how to use properly.

"Link! Watch out!"

Yet it looked like he was going to have to learn and learn soon, because another one of the twisted creatures lunged, knocking the blonde, green-dressed boy to the ground, his small body sliding a few feet due to the force of the impact. Then, the monstrous mockery of what was once a fearsome but respected creature leaped forward, teeth aimed at whatever its jaws could snag first.

It was considering ripping off his leg first.

Yet it never got the chance, for, when its mouth opened as far as it was allowed, a fast but small object flew into the Wolfos' open maw, the sudden action causing the monster to stumble back, sharpened, misshapen paws (hands?) clutching and grabbing at its throat, hacking and seemingly choking on whatever had shot into its mouth.

Wait…shot? No, Link thought. I couldn't be…but…there was no one else that could've…?!

He whipped his head around to see that, indeed, to his shock and bewilderment, Mido stood a short distance away, slingshot in one hand and a hardened seed ready to be fired at the ready.

"No…" Navi began, surprised to hear Link himself finish for her.

"...way."

The Wolfos continued to hack and cough until, finally, it managed to spit out the seed lodged in its windpipe. Then, it turned its eyes toward the redhead, its bloodlust and fury now directed at him.

Despite his sudden burst of courage, Mido froze up again, realizing that he had probably not thought this through. Yet, as soon as the Wolfos charged in his direction, a blur of green was spotted in the corner of its vision, its enlarged eye managing to catch sight of the other child running alongside them.

What met the creature next was a searing, agonizing pain that quite literally slashed across the oversized optic, the Wolfos' vision now a sea of green fluid in one large spot in its vision. The Wolfos howled in pain, its sharpened claws clutching at its damaged eye, all the while green fluid continued to seep down through its paws, running down its maw and dropping to the ground.

Mido winced in disgust, yet, upon further examination, he noticed some peculiar details regarding the monster's…blood? Was that right? Truthfully, the redhead wasn't sure.

Yet, perhaps it didn't matter, as this momentary reprieve allowed the two boys to slip away, running as quickly as their legs would take them.

"Wh-What's up with this place?!" Mido

"Not sure," his fairy said. "But, still, The Lost Woods is much different than it was before."

Link said nothing, yet Navi spoke for him, echoing his sentiments. "It's almost as if the forest is having its very foundation altered before us!"

Both children could agree with that, but what mattered more was getting away from the monsters. Thus, they ran.

And ran.

And ran.

And ran…until one of them tripped.

Mido fell face-first into the dirt, a mouthful of soil and other small bits and pieces he didn't know of were spit out, the redhead noticing Link standing above him. "Hmph, what? I already saw how awesome you were with that sword, I don't think I need you to tell me I'm…huh?"

Instead of doing as the other boy predicted, Link extended an open hand to the red-haired Kokiri. Mido stared at it, unsure of what to do, or what this meant. Finally, after a few minutes, both his and Link's fairies groaned together, their charges completely clueless.

"He's asking you to take his hand, dummy," Recti told her boy. "So, what are you waiting for?"

Wait…really? Link was trying to help him?

After a few hesitant moments, ultimately, the red-haired Kokiri swallowed his pride (albeit it was still a lump held deep in his throat) and took the other boy's hand, the blonde hoisting him up to a standing position back on his feet. Normally, Mido would be irritated at the reminder of Link's superior strength. Yet now, even if he himself didn't entirely know why, his perception of such an attribute wasn't the same as before.

He actually found it rather useful.

"Well, that's all well, and good," Navi interjected. "But still, we need to find Saria."

Yeah, Link thought, but how? For all he and Mido knew, they were miles away from where they had gotten separated, and only now were able to find each other. Who knew where Saria could be in this place? Not to mention that, even if she literally just around the corner, without her song leading them, he doubted if they'd find her before…?

"Hey," Mido suddenly spoke up, lightly jabbing Link in the side. "You hear that?"

Link was about to ask what, yet Navi flew over before he could even speak. "Shh! Listen!" she instructed him, he in turn giving her an unamused look.

Wow, Mido thought. Even if Recti had her flaws, Link's fairy was just an outright nag! Oh well, in this case, better for him to get stuck with her than me.

Still, as time passed, both boys and their smaller, glowing charges could hear a faint noise emitting from one of the tree hollows nearby. No, not noise, a melody. A song.

Neither wasted any time practically diving into the darkness, following the notes as they grew louder and louder, moonlight shining at the end of the tunnel, almost as if to indicate that, yes, they had finally reached their destination.

They had found her.

Practically leaping out into the open, Link and Mido searched around, finding, to their shock, no one in sight, the song had come to a halt, leaving nothing but the ambiance of the Lost Woods to remain dominant over everything. There was no sign of the green-haired girl, no trace of her anywhere at all.

"Who's there?"

A familiar voice spoke softly, Link and Mido looked upward to see a dangling cage composed of twisted branches and vines, the deep blue eyes of a young girl peeking through the bars. Both boys were taken aback by who they had just discovered, yet that soon was replaced by relieved elation. And, from the looks of it, the Kokiri girl was still completely intact.

"Mido?" Saria questioned, gazing down to see the redhead first. Then, her gaze turned toward his companion, her reaction far more animated than before. "Link!" she shouted, unable to stop the smile that came to her lips. "Link, you're ok!" she sighed. "I was worried…" then, she turned to Mido. "But what are you doing out here? You know the Great Deku Tree said that the deeper parts of The Lost Woods are dangerous."

"Yeah! That's why I came!" Mido answered back.

This response appeared to surprise Saria, the young girl puzzled and shocked, yet, at the same time, somewhat in awe. "B-But how?" she questioned.

"Link here was so gracious to offer me his slingshot," Mido answered with a confident grin, all the while the blonde boy scowled.

Yeah right, he thought. He only gave Mido the slingshot because he had no other choice.

"Wait, really?" Saria inquired.

"Yeah, and that's not all," the redhead continued, confidence growing. "I've even learned how to shoot too!" he then looked up and aimed, pulling back with his eye on the thin vine keeping Saria's cage above out of their reach.

Then, he fired. And it did NOT go the way he had intended.

The seed, instead of hitting the vine right away, the projectile bounced off of the thing stem and hit the surrounding trees, its velocity allowing it to tear through the forest like mad, all the while Mido and Link had to duck to avoid it. The blonde boy presented his companion with a sour look, along with an expression that asked just what part of this plan was a good idea.

"Oh yeah, like you'd think of anything better!" the redhead retorted.

Link was about to reply with a declaration of how he would, yet Navi spoke for him. Again.

"No, actually, he wouldn't," the fairy addressed Mido. "In fact, it'd probably be even more reckless and even less thought out," Link gaped, clearly offended. "What? If I'm your guardian, I have to be honest."

Link scowled, but then, a loud snapping sound was heard from above, the seed, after having gone and torn the bark of nearly every tree in the nearest radius, finally made its mark. The vine holding the cage was broken, and Saria's prison sent down several feet, gaining speed the further it fell.

"Saria!" Mido shouted, rushing ahead of Link. "Don't worry! I'll catch-?!"

The wooden cage fell atop of the boy, along with the girl it held. After the dust settled, Saria stumbled to her feet, all the while Mido lay on the ground in a daze. "Ow…" the green-haired girl moaned, rubbing her rear to massage away the pain from the impact. Then, her eyes set themselves on a boy she hadn't seen in what felt like forever. "Link!" she ran over and flung her arms around the blonde, nearly knocking him over. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry…I didn't want to ask you to come here," she told him. "But…I couldn't think of anyone else."

Link gave a forgiving smile, silently assuring her all was well. Then, Mido finally rose to his feet, brushing off the broken sticks and twigs that still clung to his clothes. "You ok?" Recti asked, fluttering over to her charge.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Mido assured her. He looked back at Saria and Link, the girl practically radiating in the other boy's presence.

Once again, it seemed that Mr. No Fairy had beaten him again.

Suddenly, he felt something stirring in his pocket, a green, glowing orb with wings fluttering out. "Saria!" The fairy exclaimed, rushing over to her Kokiri, albeit she didn't get far, her wings giving out.

Luckily, the green-haired girl caught her in time, the fairy resting her exhausted form in the girl's small but warm hands. "Compa, you're safe," she sighed with relief. Saria directed her attention to Mido. "Thanks for keeping her safe."

The boy's face grew almost as red as his hair, yet he dared not make himself look like an idiot in front of Link. No more than he already had. "Y-Yeah, sure," nevertheless, he answered Saria. "No problem."

Then, Saria's mood turned dire, eyes alit with concern and worry. "We have to go," she then said. "We have to get back to the Kokiri Forest as soon as we can."

Mido was puzzled, frustration being replaced with growing fear. "Why?"

Saria then paused, and, to the red-haired boy's surprise, she too, expressed her thanks to him with a hug. "You freed me, so he already knows you're here," she told him. "We're already deep in his part of the woods, so everything here is under his command."

"Who's he?" Mido asked.

Indeed, Link wished to know as well.

"Who is he?"

Yet, before either of them could speak, or Saria could explain, everyone's ears registered a sudden voice that had just spoken. "Oh no…" she muttered.

"What?" Navi whispered.

"...it's him."

"You ask who I am?" the voice inquired, sounding male, yet aged and old. Not in the sense that time was kind to them, rather, it was bitter and held an almost unsettling amount of animosity. "Why, dear boy,"

Then the trees before them began to move. Not from their places in the ground, yet their branches twisted and stretched in various directions that were not natural for a tree. As the branches continued to move, the three children and two fairies realized that, to their amazement and growing dread, the texture of the bark began to almost liquefy, as if it had suddenly transitioned into water. And, as the moments passed, everyone witnessed a face being formed.

A face none of them were too sure they wanted to see.

Unfortunately, they didn't get the choice, a mishappen, unnatural, crooked expression that didn't belong to anything the Great Deku Tree created, let alone any natural creature that was allowed to dwell in his realm. If anything, this face, or whatever was behind it, felt just as wrong and out of place as the Wolfos. It was a natural thing of the forest turned into something terrible.

"He is me."

Saria just held onto Compa, shielding the fairy in her hands. Link looked on with shock and bewilderment, Mido in turn clearly panicked. The green-haired girl's heart sank, the eyes of her parent's old enemy now fixated on them.

"The Baga Tree."

Note: Sixteen pages according to Google Docs? Wow, that's actually more than I thought.

Hopefully, the extra length will be decent compensation for the long wait. Believe it or not, I went without a certain medication for a few months, and I only just recently got it refilled. Let's see if that clears up anything.

With that said, thank you all for reading!

A small warning: from here on in, Link's going to be seeing a lot of the uglier side of some of the people of Hyrule, which will include instances of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and mentions of near extinction (or, in a sentient race's case, genocide).

This ultimately plays into the themes of the story, why Link is the Hero specifically, and what his upbringing and rearing away from such things allows for him to do. But, again, I shall put warnings whenever these subjects are brought up. This is not related to any events current or ongoing, all races in Zelda are fictional and, while certain have influences from various cultures, are ultimately their own people and not reflective of the real world entirely.

With that said, I thank you so much for reading this, and I hope to hear from you in the future! Alert me of any errors I may have missed!