Chapter 21: Harold The Yeti

Midna and Link finally bump into what has been following them. As always, things in Stormsky are a bit different than they thought.

They nearly fell backward as a giant white figure stood before them, grinning. The snow was serving its purpose, and Link and Midna were frozen. Their eyes were set, fixed on the creature up ahead. It stood tall, very tall. Most likely three of Link's height, as a human. It was decently lanky though, and its face was an icy blue, shape similar to an ape's. It was covered in off-white fur, and a long beard drooped to the mid-height of its chest. It bore icy blue claws, with yellow nails, and beady, almost shiny red eyes.

"Uh, I was looking for you! I saw you guys, but then you ran away!" The yeti said, voice booming, yet he sounded rather happy. Link backed up a bit, trying to get near and in front of Midna, but the creature kept talking. "You uh wolf, and imp, huh? I barely see people around here. They run."

Link transformed into a human, and Midna into a twilit. 

His talkative attitude froze for a moment when this happened. "Oh." He said. "That's cool." 

Link let his shock recede, reminding himself this monster was probably just as harmless as Yeto and Yeta had been. "Hmm, you were fast!" the yeti shouted as if he approved and was impressed. 

He swung his arms, clenching his bulky, blue fists. "I wanted to say hi, why'd you run?"

Link found an odd liking to him and opened his mouth. "Uh... we thought you were dangerous. Sorry."

The yeti's jaw dropped, and he looked utterly shocked. "Me? Dangerous?" He asked as if he could barely understand. "No, no, no, no!" He babbled shaking his head. "I wouldn't hurt you! I just want a friend."

He stuck out a giant hand. "I'm Harold."

Link stared, blue orbs darting to his hand then to his happy, eyes closed face. 

"Er... Link." The Hylian spoke. He stuck out his own hand and shook it. As he did, he immediately regretted it. Harold was literally able to shake poor Link up and down, and when he was finished, Link fell on his bum, discombobulated. "Uh... hehe," The hero laughed.

He stuck his hand out to Midna.

Midna stared at it, smiling awkwardly. She did the best thing she could- a high five. With a small slapping noise, the yeti withdrew his hand. "Ooh! A high-five! I like that," he exclaimed.

The two smiled awkwardly at him. He felt some sort of dad, full and ready to blast you to death with dad jokes. It was kind of amazing. 

"Um... so, we don't wanna bother you, so don't worry we'll get going-"

"BOTHER ME?" Harold exclaimed. "Ha! I don't think so. And, there's no way I'm letting you go out there all by yourself. The blizzard's really, really bad. And there's lots of room in here! Please stay!" 

He asked, hands clasped together, and that's when Link realized he was... begging. "There's no one else here, I promise! They won't bother you!" He begged, getting down on his furry white knees. 

Link's eyes widened, along with Midna's. He really wanted them to stay, didn't he? Poor thing... he must be lonely. Would they be safe staying... or would he eat them?

That's when Link also came to the conclusion that Harold had gone so little to the outside world, he didn't realize or know, how dangerous he seemed to him. Ah, what it would be like to live in a world without judgment, such as Harold's brain!

Then the thought cross Link's own mind... maybe that was possible. 

Shaking the thoughts off, and brought himself way back to reality. Should they be okay? He did seem rather innocent, trustworthy. And Link didn't have any bad vibes from the seemingly sad creature at all. And if he and Midna knew anything from yeti and such-like creatures at all, was that they weren't nearly at all as threatening as they seemed.

He glanced at Midna, the answer already prepared in his mind. But as Midna opened her mouth to speak- most likely to say no- but the words were coming out of Link's mouth came out much faster then his brain could stop it.

"Well, if you have room.. sure." Link smiled. He heard Midna grunt, but suddenly Harold did a strange- excited, Link assumed- spin on one foot. "Wahoo!" He cheered.

Fist pumping, he shouted. "I haven't had a friend hanging out with me... since forever!" He cried happily. 

"Fr-friend...?" Midna squeaked quietly, then glared at Link. Link smiled shyly. 

"Oh, yes, friend!" the Yeti yelled again and swooped the two up in his arms. He spun around, and Link's ears recognized Midna's voice screaming in fear... or anger. He wasn't quite sure. He dropped them, falling on his own bum also.

"Oh.. Oh, I'm so happy!"

Midna stared out at the white fluffy creature, who was grinning. He was... excited. Ecstatic. Over ecstatic, actually. Sighing, she tried to look for a place to start getting comfy. Honestly, she was exhausted, and the unneeded (needed?) fear of the child-like monster, the running... had merely exhausted the poor imp.

Sighing, she pulled out a blanket, as Harold chattered rather loudly to Link. 

Wrapping herself up in the blanket, she forced herself not to shiver and curled up. 

"Yeah, yeah," Link agreed, his mind obviously wandering far off somewhere, as Harold talked. 

Link's head turned to Midna. "Hey... you okay? he whispered, walking over, as Harold also turned away and hummed, moving around and perfecting his knick-knacks on icy shelves.

"I'm alright, Link... just tired." She responded, snuggling up even more so to her blue soft blanket, feeling as if it was protection against those warm feelings that wafted to Link. He nodded, and Midna knew he did, because of the silence.

"Can I light a fire, Harold?" Link asked, trying to sound as sweet as he can, because of how bad he really, truly felt for the large, lonely puffball. "Oh, oh, yes!" He cheered, whipping around. "Of course! Do whatever you want!" He smiled.

Link smiled back at him. He sat rather near Midna, and grab sticks, knowing he'd be able to start a fire rather fast with his experience. Rubbing them together, began to speak.

"So... what are you guys doing here?" He asked.

Link glanced back at Midna. He could tell she had seen him look, but ignored him, otherwise. Well, as long as she didn't deny Link to tell Harold, ahead he went.

"Well..." Link began. "We came here to find a weapon. A sword, because, Midna was here in the light world for a while, but left to the Twilight Realm and broke the Mirror- er, the Mirror- portal to the Twilight world. Another place."

He stared up at Harold's face to see if he was catching the gist, but so far, he looked intrigued and hooked in the story. Does every creature know of the Twilight Realm? "What happened next?" He asked, nodding his head for the Hylian to go on.

Encouraged, Link continued. "But, I and Midna had been on an adventure to save Hyrule before then. We didn't like each other at first, but then, we became- well, let's just say Midna's my best friend ever."

They glanced at her, and she pretended to ignore it like it didn't phase her, but her face was morphing into a brighter red then Link had ever seen. Smiling, he turned back to Harold. "So, I found a way to bring her back, when she left."

"Why'd you leave and break the Mirror?" Harold asked curiously like a young child. "Well... because she wanted to protect us because the bad guy who tried to destroy Hyrule came from the Twilight Realm."

"Well, not every person in there is bad, just because one was!" Harold frowned, looking almost frustrated."

Link nodded patiently. "I know. So does Midna, that there was no danger to come from there anymore-" "Then why did she really do that? Had she lied?"

The Hylian froze and stared at Harold, then his companion, who was glaring in a different direction. Of course, it was rude for Harold to speak as if she wasn't in the room, but he didn't know that. He didn't seem to have a normal grasp on manners.

Midna was so powerful and so thoughtful, did she truly think it was the right way to go about it? Midna wasn't an extremely paranoid person but was thoughtful. Even if she was somehow also impulsive.

Link kicked some dusty gray rocks around with his beaten up boot and frowned a bit. He didn't want to think about it for now. He was too tired, and couldn't figure it out right now, even if his exhausted brain tried. 

He continued with his story, shaking his head from the pull of thinking too much.

"So, I found a way to fix it... it's hard to explain, but the Gods, who watch over the world, don't like it... So we're figuring out a way to save us, and Hyrule, and here maybe..."

"Because you're very best friends."

Link stared at his mouth agape slightly. That... that was utterly true. They were very best friends. And Link realized as he looks over to Midna, her dark eyelashes closed her red orbs, he would die for her. It sounded dumb, but he'd never realized something so real. Of course, inwardly in his own mind, he'd realized it, but now it felt like he yelled it aloud to the world.

Midna was his very best friend.

Link continued staring and found peace overwhelm and wash over his body as he laid his blue eyes on her. Along with that peace came sleepiness. Breaking his gaze away, somehow, he found a spot to get comfy and sleep. "Well, Harold, if you don't mind, I'm gonna try to rest now."

Harold nodded, and Link got comfy. He was closing his eyes, ready to sleep, and as he did so, Harold fell on his belly, placing his humongous head in his hands. He began to chatter relentlessly to Link, but all he had to do was a nod and agree, as Harold went on yapping, even after Link fell into a deep comfortable sleep...

Author's Note

I love Harold so much. Ugh. So, anyone gets the Disneyland reference? It's related to my favorite ride, the Matterhorn! Yeah, I'm not a stickler for huge rollercoasters. All rights belong to Nintendo, besides my own characters! And... is Harold technically a Disney character? Er...