#korkiri

He frowned. He felt like his world had fallen apart for a second time. So no. He wasn't better. But he nodded anyway.

He needed to get out of this forest. Every time he looked around he heard a faint giggle. He heard a lie of a promise. He saw ghosts of smiles and hugs and it was too much to handle. It wasn't fair. Happy moments all seemed to sour and turn sad. He just needed to get out of this forest of lies and memories.

"Where to next?" He asked hoarsely.

Navi stared at him for a moment, then nodded, giving her suggestion without protest.

-

Link blinked away the memories. That had been one of the last times he had been in the Korkiri Forest. Technically, it was several weeks ago.

He glanced at the entry to the Korkiri Forest again. It was different from being in the Lost Woods. The Lost Woods were his home even after he returned to the past. The Korkiri Forest...he couldn't bring himself to return. He... he never truly felt like he belonged in the first place. He was the boy without a fairy. He had failed to save the Deku Tree. He wasn't Korkiri. He wasn't the same child anymore. He grew up in 7 years. They didn't.

The very last time he'd been in the forest came to mind, unbidden. Searching endlessly for Navi, for a trace of blue light or a bell-like voice. The Korkiri giving him confused glances. Still keeping their distance- because for them the Great Deku Tree died what? Weeks? Days? Ago and they thought he was at fault. Now he'd lost Navi and they must think-

"Are you coming in or what?" Mido's voice demanded from beyond the tree tunnel.

Link startled. He swallowed thickly, taking in a shallow breath. He bent slightly to avoid scraping his head on the top of the old wood as he walked into the Forest, blinking away the light of it.

Mido looked the same. Even down to his folded arms and foot tapping. Of course he did, he was actually Korkiri, forever a child.

Link kept himself small, feeling strangely childish in a way. He didn't like the feeling at all. He looked down at the redhead.

"You look... different," Mido commented, brows pinched, "What happened? Why did you ditch the green?"

Link made an aborted gesture, fumbling for words and finding them missing.

"Oh, words not working?" He said, "Don't worry! I used to have a friend who couldn't talk sometimes, I get it."

Mido's fairy flew up to him, smiling kindly.

Link knew how this worked.

"I grew out of the tunic," the fairy said for him.

"Wh- already? How fast do you Hylians grow?!" Mido exclaimed, jumping circles around him as if to figure out exactly how much he grew.

Link let out an exasperated sigh, glancing at the fairy for mercy. He didn't know how to explain it. Or if he even should. His younger self was still running around. He didn't exactly trust Mido not to blab everything immediately.

"Not that fast, takes a few years," is what he settled on.

"Huh. Weird." Mido glanced up at him. "Why are you back? Did you see Saria again!?"

Link's expression fell. Mido caught it immediately.

"Oh..."

"I'm just visiting. Wanted to see how you guys were doing."

The Korkiri looked around, shrugging "It's been better but okay. Especially since you came and helped Saria in the Lost Woods."

Link nodded. Well, at least he was going to be remembered somehow. A stranger who helped Saria. An unusual Hylian who could traverse the Lost Woods safely.

"Are you... okay?" Mido asked, more carefully than Link expected. "You're crying."

He raised a hand to his cheek, confused. His fingers came away wet. Oh. It all came at him at once. Once he noticed the tears he noticed the constriction in his chest and throat. Once he noticed that he noticed he was shaking, barely holding himself up. Oh.

He could see Saria's house in the distance. He got the distinct flash of her helping him up after skinning his knee. Hugging him as he cried.

The world lurched and he was on the ground. He felt cold without her presence or comfort. He missed them. He missed her. Why did he have to grow up? Why did she have to leave?

Mido was just standing there dumbfounded. He slowly, awkwardly, patted his head.

Link choked a laugh at the gesture. Mido was never especially good at comfort. But hey, at least he tried. Mido looked somewhat affronted by the laugh and crossed his arms again.

"What's wrong with you? ...You're not hurt are you?"

Link shook his head, voice cracking as he forced words, "Miss home..." He felt drained and awful just from two words. Mido's fairy gently fluttered down to stand on his shoulder and he felt worse. Remembering she could have spoken for him.

Mido didn't have to crouch like Hylians did when Link required consoling. Instead, the Korkiri unfolded his arms and awkwardly placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning his head against Link's.

"I... Sorry. Where’s home?"

Link gestured vaguely at their surroundings.

"Huh?" Mido frowned, "Er. I don't know what's beyond the forest that direction."

Link huffed in frustration and curled further into himself. This was a bad idea. This was always a bad idea, he never should've come back.

"No... here," The Fairy said, "I think he means the Korkiri Forest."

"But he's Hylian?"

"Well I don't know," the Fairy said, huffing, "He's not exactly thinking clearly enough for me to understand."

Link whined and covered his head. He wished they'd leave him alone. He'd dealt with worse on his own. They didn't understand, they wouldn't. Childishly, selfishly, he wished Navi was there to explain it all.

Mido huffed. He was quiet for a moment. Then Link felt his bag get yanked from his person. Link yelped and Mido's fairy gasped.

"What are you doing?" The fairy demanded.

"He's got to have something in here that explains things."

Link grasped at the bag and glared at Mido as the boy kept his grip.

"Oh come on just let me look!"

"You're supposed to ask, Mido," the Fairy said, folding her arms (not unlike Mido's own habit)

Link glared harder. Mido pulled back with all his weight. A tearing sound. The clack of Link's things falling to the ground.

He gasped and scrambled to check the breakable items. The Fairy Ocarina! He picked it up and checked it for damage. Sighing in relief when it seemed fine. He scrambled to grab the rest of his things.

"What was your name again?" Mido asked, slowly.

Link looked up. Mido was holding a green cap that was too small for Link to wear now. Too small to be the cap Mido remembered the Hylian Stranger to be wearing.

"Link." The fairy said, staring at him. He didn't ask her to say that. He froze.

Mido frowned, looking confused. He lurched forward, and dropped the hat over Link's head, and smashed his hands on Link's cheeks. Mido is and always was the most reliable provider of Sensory Hell. Link jerked back out of Mido's grip. The cap fell to the ground. Link rubbed his cheeks, glaring.

"HA!" Mido cheered, "I should've recognized you by the glare!"

Link glared harder. Maybe he would manifest some special unknown Hylian magic that allowed glares to burn holes into Mido's smug face.

"Call me a Deku Nut and throw me, that's how you knew Saria's Song." Mido laughed and glanced back to Link. His amusement at the discovery faded. "You were gone so long we thought- ....But you....grew up? ...You're a Hylian?"

Link stared at him. He nodded.

Mido moved forward again and Link frowned, pushing him to arm’s length.

He frowned at the distance and pointed at his face, "You got all pointy. Does growing up do that to all Hylians?"

Link gave him a flat look.

"What? It's an honest question.... I guess you were a little pointy in the first place but really. You could cut somebody with your face now."

Link looked at the fairy and she laughed before saying "I hate you," for him.

"Rude!" Mido folded his arms with a pout.

They glared at each other for a moment before Mido took a step back. Link dropped his arms. He picked his bag up to inspect the damage. He'd hate to juggle all his items back out of the Forest without it. He could probably mend it, but he’d ran out of thread a few days ago. Link watched Mido out of the corner of his eye.

Mido picked the cap back off the ground, and then the rest of the old Korkiri tunic.

It was stained with blood in a few spots Link had never managed to wash out. Patched up in several more places. Old wobbly stitches from a child learning how to mend on his own. Miss matched greens of adding new fabric where the tears were too large.

"Where... did you go?" Mido asked slowly. He ran a hand down the largest patch, a long slash that ran across the chest of the tunic.

Link glanced over towards Mido and sighed.

"Termina. Fought an evil mask on the moon."

Mido blinked.

"Before that, I fought the man who killed the Deku Tree and took the Triforce of Power."

"I... why?"

Link shrugged, "I was one of the only ones who could use a magic sword. The only one with a magic ocarina.” He sighed, “It was fine... I knew how to fight... I didn't have family to worry about. ...No one would miss me."

"But-" Mido frowned, "We... Saria? Weren't your family?"

Link looked down. "I was just... the boy without a fairy. Nobody recognized me the first time I came back as an adult..."

"...Oh." It was quiet for a beat. Mido huffed and crossed his arms, "You're wrong, though. We did miss you. All of us."

Link glanced up. He sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. His head hurt and his chest was still constricted and uncomfortable. He should've never come back into this forest.

Mido grabbed his arm. "Come on."

"Huh?"

"We should get your bag fixed. And I need to tell everyone you're back."

"I'm not staying."

"...I know. But they should get to know what happened to you. Can you at least stay the night? Your house is still here! You can still sleep there."

Link sighed and collected his things, holding them in an awkward bundle. He got up, feeling exhausted already. "Fine."

-

“I KNEW IT” one of the know-it-all-brothers shouted. Link winced at the volume.

Another one of the twins punched his brother in the shoulder, “You did not, liar.”

Link felt very.... big. The table was too short, so he was kneeling on the floor as he watched the shopkeeper, Misko, inspect his bag. Fado was staring at him, which... did not ease his mind. Two of the girls were whispering to each other while the know-it-all-brothers yelled about who did and did not know what about Link’s situation.

Mido and one of the girls, Loili, carried out plates of mushrooms and vegetables, handing them out to the group. Mido slid a plate in front of Link. Unlike the rest of the plates, it sported apple slices and lacked the mushrooms they’d found he was allergic to a long time ago. (although, considering they now knew he was Hylian, some of it was probably just poisonous, not an allergy.) Mido had... remembered that?

“I’m just saying it was obvious!” one of the brothers said in protest to something another had said. 7 years ago, Link could tell which one was which. He couldn’t tell now. He frowned and stacked his apple slices into a spiral.

“Ya know, Link, I could sell you a whole new bag!” Misko said with a smile.

“What do you have?” Link asked, looking up, “I’ve never seen you keep any packs in your stock.”

“I don’t have one right now, but I can get one in....uh... what, three days?” he glanced at Oriu. She sighed heavily and nodded.

“I should probably get going in the morning, actually. I can fix it myself, I just need thread.”

“Why do you have to go so soon?” Fado asked. Accusatory, as if he was doing it to spite her specifically. 

“Yeah! You’ve been gone so long! Oriu wrote tons of new songs you’ve never heard!” one of the brothers said.

“And Dula made up this fun new game-” another said.

“And I have a new pet! You must meet Mr. Wiggles!” Loili added.

“For the last time a worm you keep in a bottle is not a pet!”

“He's not a worm! He’s a caterpillar!”

Link looked around the table eyes wide.

“Hey!” Mido called to the group, gesturing with a carrot, “Give him at least a second to get a word in!”

Everyone’s gaze shifted to look at him. Expectant. He took in a heaved breath.

“I can’t-” He stood up, abandoning the table to go outside. The table erupted into complaints. He hit his head on the door (he was too tall, everything was made for children in mind, how could he have forgotten?) Ducking back under the door frame, he ran.

-

“Link?” Fado walked up the spiraling roof above Saria’s house, tilting her head at him.

He didn’t look at her. 

“Can you tell everyone I found him?” Fado asked her fairy. The fairy flitted away quietly. Link sighed, tumbling the Fairy Ocarina over and over in his hands. “What happened?” She asked him.

He shrugged.

“They were all worried when you left. ...I thought you might have gone back out to Hyrule Field again.”

“I should’ve.”

“They’re just excited you’re back, they didn’t mean to overwhelm you.”

He nodded.

“I- I don’t blame you for leaving.” She said softly, “We accused you of killing the Great Deku Tree, and it wasn’t- Mido told us what actually happened when we assumed you-... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”

“It’s ok. It’s my fault anyway.” He whispered. “I failed the Great Deku Tree... I- Ganondorf would’ve never gotten into the Sacred Realm if I had just-” He shook his head, “I.. It’s not because of you guys.”

Fado frowned and sat down next to him.

“This forest- It just reminds me of when I had Saria and I had to find Navi and she wasn’t here and I just- I knew you guys would- I thought you would forget me.”

“Why would we forget you? You’re our little brother.”

“I grew up. You didn’t recognize me.”

“Oh... Right. I was kinda rude to you a few days ago too, huh?”

“Er- Years. From my perspective. Don’t be surprised if I come back wearing green and remembering none of this... Although I usually went back in time when I went back home- so that might’ve been the last time I’ll come in as an adult... Until now, I guess.”

The Korkiri tilted her head, frowning.

“Time travel.” Link muttered. “It’s weird.”

Fado muttered a soft "huh" and they sat in silence for a long moment. Link could hear the various reactions to discovering he had been found in the distance. The shouts and laughs. It was good they felt comfortable being outside again, at least.

"Is Saria going to come back? Too?" Fado said quietly.

Link frowned, glancing in the direction of the Lost Woods. "I... don't know, actually. She's a sage. I... the last time I saw her was still in the Sacred Realm I think."

"So she might come back! She's ok!"

He gave her a side glance and nodded, "Yeah. She's okay."

Fado grinned to herself, "Just so you know, I'm glad you're back. Even if you're tall now, you'll always be our little brother."

"Hey, I'm an adult now, that's like, important and stuff to Hylians. I should be considered the big brother now."

She laughed, "What does an adult even do?"

"Absolutely no clue," he giggled, shaking his head, "I just... wander. Adults- real ones, older than me, have jobs, so. That, I guess."

"Do you like it? ...Being a Hylian Adult?"

He shrugged. "I've met some nice people. I like that part."

Fado smiled, "That's a good part."

"...Has Navi shown up around the forest anytime while I was gone?"

Fado shook her head, "I only saw her when th- well, you were here and went to help Saria."

Link sighed.

Mido's fairy zipped up to Link's face. "Are you coming down soon? Your food is getting cold."

Link looked down at Mido, who was staring up at them with his usual cross-armed, foot-tapping impatience.

"Yeah, okay, okay." Link muttered.

Fado looked over at him, "I can help keep everyone from talking over each other if it overwhelms you."

"It... I'll be fine."

Fado rolled her eyes like he was being silly and walked back down the spiral. Link glanced at the distance of the roof to the ground and opted to jump down instead, rolling to break his fall. Mido's shriek of surprise was more than worth it.

-

His old house was nearly untouched with the exception of a nest of birds that had moved in. It was quiet. Dusty. He sneezed. Ugh. He sighed, forcing away the melancholy through dusting it out. He always had a clearer head when he was moving. Doing something.

The bed was far too small, so he cleared out the floor and created a bed of extra blankets and pillows. He was used to being on the floor anyway.

He was working on fixing his bag when Dula came in with two of the other girls in tow.

"Link! Do you want to learn our new game?" Dula cheered.

He smiled softly, "Sure, why not." He put his sewing project away and listened to the girls stumble over each other to explain their game. The game was simple, a rhythm game that Link quickly got the hang of.

"Link!!" One of the Know-it-All-Brothers called, scrambling up to the doorway, "I need you to tell me how Hylians are made!"

"That's cheating!" Another exclaimed.

"Since when is asking a question cheating?"

Link blinked, looking up from the game, "Huh?"

"We all had different theories- but I can just ask you! You're a Hylian and you've lived with them now. Don't you know?"

"Uh. They..." Link scratched the back of his head. The question wasn't one he could answer. All he knew was they apparently had “birthdays” and that babies were very small and loud. The Korkiri didn't need to know that anyway. "They make little dolls and dip them in enchanted milk to make them come alive."

"Huh. Weird."

"What! That's not what I heard!"

"Makes sense to me."

The brothers sat down as Link and the girls continued their game. Another asked, "What do Hylians usually eat? I heard some of them eat rocks!"

Link laughed, "Rocks are more of a Goron thing."

Soon, Link was answering a seemingly endless string of questions about Hylians and the outside world that Link only knew maybe a fourth of the answers to. The girls soon joining in on the questioning.

Eventually, Fado wandered in with her blanket wrapped around her shoulders, only to silently sit next to him and watch as the questions turned into a game of truth or dare.

Misko and Ges came in after Oriu had started singing and convinced Link to join her on the Ocarina.

Time slipped away from him faster than it had in a long time. And for once, he didn't feel panic at realizing it had done so.

Mido was the last one who climbed up the ladder to Link's house. Grumbling, "Do you know how late it is? How come none of you are in your be-"

He stopped at the doorway, staring at the pile that was sleeping Korkiri huddled around their Hylian brother. He sighed softly, walking over to the group.

Link opened an eye. "Sorry" He whispered, "I didn't know you checked in on everyone's houses now? Didn't mean to worry you."

"I wasn't worried," Mido complained gruffly, folding his arms.

Link hummed, "It's okay. I get it. I get anxious when people aren't in their usual spots too."

Mido looked at the floor in lieu of responding.

He yawned, "You're a good Big Brother. Sometimes. You bully."

The redheads expression fluctuated between flustered and angry. He shook his head, "Well they're all accounted for and sleeping so I guess my job here is done."

Link shifted to hook his foot around Mido's leg, tripping him. He giggled. He closed his eyes as if he could feign sleep as an excuse.

Mido squawked and tackled Link, disturbing several Korkiri who groggily glared at them.

Link restrained a giggle and just wrapped his arms around Mido, effectively neutralizing him.

"Join the slumber party. Dork." Link muttered, ruffling Mido's hair.

"Yeah, and shuddup," Fado grumbled as she re-captured Link's arm to hug.

Mido made a very put upon sigh. But his smile and the way he relaxed and snuggled into Link's chest gave him away.