Hello hello again again!

We're back with something I'm very excited about. Now, this is based off of Ocarina of Time (I know the title is the same as the independent film by Joel Musch and David Blane. Get over it. Lol.), but we're not going word for word or anything. The beginning is a little slow, but please bear with me.

More notes at the bottom. Please enjoy, my bunnies~!

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"Bring him to me, my child."

"Right away, Great Roman Tree."

.:.:.:.:.

Again, he was being haunted by that dream.

It was dark, and it was raining. Alfred could feel the sky drops saturate his tunic and sink into his skin in an unpleasant way. Goosebumps crawled up his arms like centipedes, and his body shivered from the cold and the damp and the ominous. Looming in front of him was a stone building he knows so well, but has never been to before. The boy was sure that it was bigger than his entire village. It may have been grand, but it was also gray and and dead and Alfred longed for his vibrant and alive forest.

Screeching from the drawbridge lowering drew him out of his musings. Once it was all the way down, two figures riding a pure white stallion at top speed came storming out. Lightening flashed, and time seemed to stop as the horse galloped past him. Alfred's clear blue eyes connected with the deep indigo belonging to a frail looking boy caged between the horse's neck and a silver haired man steering the steed. This boy was shouting something, but Alfred could hear nothing but the violent weather and the pounding of hoofs. Then they were gone.

Now even louder hoof stomps could be heard crossing the bridge. When Alfred turned around, an even larger horse was racing towards him. Atop the beast was a tall, dark man wearing equally dark, but obviously extravagant clothing with fancy golden embroidery and jewels. He was coming right at Alfred, and the small boy tried to jump out of the way, but his small frame failed him and he was nicked by the horse. Rearing on it's haunches, the beast let out a vicious whinny and slammed back down to the earth. The man turned his head to Alfred and stared at him with a cruel smirk. At least, the boy believed him to be staring, but it was difficult to see his eyes behind the strangely plain white mask perched on his cheek bones. Then the dark man with dark hair and dark clothing and dark everything rode away on his dark beast; it was the same direction that the other boy had been going.

Even though he has lived through this dream dozens of times, he is never prepared for the pure hatred and terror that rushes through his veins like raging rapids in the presence of that man.

"Alfred."

Hm? That's new. No one ever talks in his dreams.

"Alfred!"

That voice... He does not know who that voice belongs to, but at the same time it sounds so familiar.

"Alfred, wake up!"

Wake up? Oh! He needs to wake up!

Big, bright blue eyes slowly blinked open. He was laying in his bed. In his tree house. There was no darkness, or rain, or frightening man. A sigh of relief shuddered from his being, and Alfred immediately felt the tension roll off of him in waves. Relaxing, he focused on the feeling of his fur blanket fight the cold sweat that overtook him while he was sleeping.

"It's about time. You're an impossibly heavy sleeper."

Alfred shot up in his bed. Whipping his head back and forth, the Kokiri boy attempted to pinpoint the source of the voice, but failed to do so. It was early, and he was still in a half-asleep daze.

A bright green ball of light zoomed in front of and blinded him. "Hey now, calm down, lad. I didn't mean to startle you." Sitting back a little to get a better look at who, and what, was talking to him, Alfred squinted and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Well, obviously it was a fairy, but he had never seen one with such magnificent color. Yes he was green, but he was a green that the boy believed could never be replicated. Through the glow Alfred could make out more features. The fairy was slim, but looked as if he wasn't ignorant to manual labor. He wore only a pair of shorts weaved from soft tree bark. Above his shining green eyes (My gods, how can someone's eyes be such a color!) sat a pair of dark, thick eyebrows, and he believed the fairy's hair was blonde, but couldn't be positive from his tint.

"You're a fairy," Alfred stated, and only after the other scoffed did he realize how stupid that sounded.

"Oh good, I was afraid I'd have to explain my entire race to you."

"Uh, sorry. I was just thinking out loud..." Geez, a fairy finally takes time out if his day to talk to him, and he acts like some idiot.

Wait...

A fairy...

A fairy was talking to him!

Alfred shot to his feet, startling the poor winged creature to the ceiling. "Hey! Does that mean you're my partner?" he shouted excitedly.

Not expecting the fully-awake, excitable volume Alfred produced, the fairy cringed. He missed the docile sleepy boy already. "Well," he began, gazing down to the beaming blonde below him, and a warmth filled his cheeks, for Alfred was looking as if he were a miracle, "I honestly do not know." For unknown reasons, he felt immensely guilty as the boy deflated. "The Great Roman Tree sent me to collect you, and bring you to him."

Alfred perked up at that. He loved to visit the Great Roman Tree. Their guardian was so kind, and his stories were the best treat a Kokiri could get. But, the others always got in the way whenever he tried to visit the Tree on his own. They would say that a boy without a fairy was not worthy to see their guardian, and was always sent home in a depressed state. It was all Ivan's fault, he knew. At least he had Toris, Katyusha, and sometimes Feliks. They were the only Kokiri that treated him as an equal.

"Why does he want to see me?" Palm up, he held out his hand, and the fairy fluttered down to roost on it.

"I am not sure. You know how he can be," he admitted, and Alfred nodded. His palm grew warm. "Though I believe it has something to do with why there are so many monsters terrorizing the forest lately."

Frowning, Alfred pondered this. They were having a monster problem, and the Kokiri were advised to stay in their homes during the night. Alfred wanted to help. "Okay!" he exclaimed, determination showing in his stature. Levitating from his hand, the fairy watched as Alfred quickly pulled on his worn boots and Kokiri hat. "Alrighty! Let's go-! Uh..." he floundered, "What's your name?"

As he stumbled, a faint pink swirled with the fairy's green. "Ah.. I'm terribly sorry!" He flew so he was hovering in front of Alfred's face again. "My name is Arthur, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Alfred," he introduced, holding his hand out.

Grinning, the boy held out his index finger, shaking after Arthur grabbed the tip. "The pleasure's all mine!" Flinching at the booming voice, the fairy smiled anyway. In his own way, Alfred was quite charming. "Now let's go! Don't wanna keep the old man waiting!" Turning, the blonde then dashed out of the house, leaving Arthur to follow.

Alfred was, again, glad that he had a railing around his porch. He was not able to count how many times it's saved him from falling right out of his tree. His was the only house in the forest that was built so high up. It was hard work, but he felt like he had to be as close to the sky as possible. It was like he had a special connection with it, but it was difficult to explain. The other's, except for Toris, only laugh at him whenever he speaks of the sky so fondly. It's like he knows what it feels like to soar through the clouds. They call him names and mock him, but he doesn't let it get to him. He simply smiles and walks away, knowing that they would never know what it's like to feel the wind whipping at your face, tousling your hair and trying to force you back as you move even faster forwards.

It also had an excellent view of the quaint village, and miles if humongous, lush trees spread before his eyes like a sea.

"Alfred!"

Looking down, the boy saw his best friend running down the path in front of his house with a gentle smile. Brunette locks bounced behind him, and calming green eyes scanned the ground for any rocks or roots that might trip him.

"Hi, Toris!" called Alfred, mounting the wooden ladder and sliding down its entire length. Arthur drifted down at his own pace, and landed on the blonde's shoulder.

Toris gaped. "Whoa! Do you have a fairy now? That's fantastic!" Since neither Alfred nor Arthur were sure of their relationship yet, they stayed quiet as the soft boy hugged his friend.

"Arthur told me that the Great Roman Tree wants to talk to me, so we were going there now," explained Alfred once he was released.

Smiling in awe, Toris clapped his hands together. "Oh wow! It is a real honor to be summoned by the Great Roman Tree! Okay, I'll wait here. You hurry and go to him." Pausing, the brunette looked slightly distraught. "But, I saw Ivan around the entrance earlier. Be careful, okay?"

Smiling and touched at his friend's concern, Alfred clasped his hand on his shoulder. "Will do! Thanks for the heads up!" In a heartbeat, he was off.

It was at least a fifteen minute walk from Alfred's house to the entrance to the Great Roman Tree's cove, but the duo made it there in less than ten. Arthur realized that not only was the boy filled to the brim with energy and stamina, but also knew every nook and cranny of the village like the back of his hand. They would skid around plants, dive through bushes, and hop across stones breaching through the stream that ran through the forest without tripping once. Even though Arthur barely ever used his legs, the small limbs ached from just thinking about what Alfred's were going through. Of course, there was one force that could stop him. Just as he was about to dash into the pathway leading to their guardian, a large hand grasped the neck of his tunic and flung him backwards. Another boy, this one taller than the rest of the Kokiri with powdered blonde hair and eerie violet eyes, placed himself in front of the entrance.

Splayed on his bum, Alfred rubbed his tailbone and glared at the new boy with venom Arthur was unaware he possessed. "Ivan," he spat.

"Alfred," grinned Ivan, leader of the Kokiri. It was not a happy tone.

"Hey, do me a favor and move you and your big nose out of the way. The Great Roman Tree wants to talk with me." Still leering at his rival, the boy stood.

Humming, Ivan condescendingly gave Alfred a once over. "No, I don't think that I will." A noise of protest left Alfred. "The Great Roman Tree would never want to speak with such an odd, fairyless boy such as yourself. Now, go home and rot away in your little bed," mocked the taller.

Arthur decided it was time to intervene. Even though Alfred looked as if he were about to cry, it was obvious that he would not back down. "Hey," he called, drawing Ivan's attention, "He is telling the truth. The Great Roman Tree sent me to summon him. You must let us pass."

Seeming to be genuinely surprised, Ivan sat silent for a moment. He was just as stubborn as Alfred, though, so the fairy knew he wouldn't like what he had to say as that unnerving smile graced his face once more. "Fine then, fairy, little Alfred may pass," his smile grew, "but first he must acquire a sword and a shield. There are monsters past this point, and I would be a terrible leader if I let one of my brothers go in there without protection." Though his tone was like a singsong, both Arthur and Alfred could clearly see the challenge in those words. Also, the fairy had to agree that it was dangerous further in the forest, but because he could fly above and around the beasts, he simply did not think that the other would be completely exposed.

"Fine!" shouted the smaller Kokiri, his mouth set in a straight line. "When I get a sword and shield, I'll be back!" About facing, he ran off. Giving Ivan a disapproving glare, Arthur was appeased that the boy had the decency to look ashamed. He then flew off after Alfred.

As the fairy fluttered up to his ward, he could hear him mumbling to himself. "Sword and shield... Well, they sell Roman Shields at the shop, but I've never seen a sword before..."

Landing on Alfred's shoulder, Arthur gave his input, "I have heard that there is a sword hidden somewhere in this village, but unfortunately I don't know where. "

Whipping his head to his companion, Alfred felt his mood lift. "Really? That's great!" A hop had been added to the boy's pace, and even though it jostled Arthur, he was glad. "Okay, so Roman Shields sell for 40 rupees. I know that I have 30 saved up at home, so let's go and get that first!" As Alfred began sprinting, Arthur was once again in awe at how quick he was. His foot then caught a rock, and green eyes rolled.

Groaning, the Kokiri sat up and rubbed the scrape on his already scarred knee. "Ow." Glancing at the rock, he saw something glimmer. "What's that?" he wondered aloud. Then he gasped. "It's a blue rupee! Wow! It's real dirty, so whoever dropped it must not be missing it anymore!"

Landing on the ground, Arthur picked up the jewel. It was roughly three-quarters his size. "Actually, this was more likely hidden by one of us." Confused blue eyes stared back at him, and he elaborated. "See, us fairies are attracted to objects that sparkle and shine. We like to take these objects and hide them. It's fun," he shrugged, "Who knows, if you searched thoroughly enough, you could make a fortune."

Wide eyed, Alfred stared at his companion, and Arthur was only a little entranced. With a smirk, he turned and huffed. "Stop looking at me like that, or I might pluck those baby blues right out and hide them in a tree."

Squeaking in terror, tan hands slapped over widened eyes. "Noooo! I'm sorry! Please don't do that!" Arthur was laughing, and slowly the boy came out of the ball he had scrunched himself into.

"I was joking," smiled the fairy.

After a moment of looking skeptical, Alfred beamed at his new friend. "Wow! you really got me!"

Chuckling, Arthur glided forward a few feet. "Come on, your house is close. We need to get to the Great Roman Tree as soon as possible."

"Right!" Alfred stood and began to run again, this time with twice as much vigor. Arriving at his house, the Kokiri scampered up the ladder. Once inside, he unceremoniously dove under his bed and pulled out a small chest.

"Alfred?" came a quiet voice.

Turning quickly, he found Toris sitting neatly on one of his stools. "Oh! Hey! Sorry, I forgot you were here." Scratching the back of his neck out of embarrassment, he laughed.

"That's okay. Is something the matter? You ran in here so quickly," he asked, brow furrowed with worry.

Alfred spoke while filling his wallet with his savings from the chest. "Yeah, well, Ivan said I couldn't see the Great Roman Tree without a sword and shield, so I needed to get my money to buy a shield."

"I see," sighed the brunette. "Ivan is a jerk. I thought he would bother you somehow. How do you plan on getting a sword?"

"Arthur says there's one hidden somewhere around here. I guess I'm just going to have to find it."

"You should try asking the Know-it-All-Trio. I'm sure one of them would know where to look."

Halting to stare at Toris, Alfred then smiled widely and embraced his best friend in a hug. "You're a genius!" he exclaimed, not noticing how the brunette was gasping for air.

Arthur smacked him on the ear. "You're suffocating the poor lad!"

The boy abruptly let go and gave a nervous laugh. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Toris breathed, "Just be careful with that strength of yours."

"Sorry..."

"I said it's fine." The brunette straightened himself out. "So, shields are expensive. How much do you have?"

Shaking his bag, the delicate jingling of rupees clinking against each other filled the small space. "Thirty-five. I just need five more."

Reaching to take a small sack much like Alfred's from his belt, Toris smiled. Untying the soft leather, he produced a blue rupee from the bag. "Here, you can have this," he said, holding the currency out to his friend.

"I couldn't take your money." Alfred said that, but he looked upon the rupee with uncertain eyes. He may be loud and outgoing, but he still did not feel right taking things free of charge from people close to him. If the situation suited it, he could be humble and courteous.

"I insist," goaded Toris, leaning towards Alfred even more.

As the blonde was still seeming very unsure, Arthur swooped down and took it. "Thank you very much. We really do appreciate it," he said.

"It's no problem at all," answered the boy. "Now, you really should go and see the Know-it-All-Trio. Alfred knows where they live."

"Of course. We're leaving now." Flying to the doorway, he looked pointedly at Alfred.

Glancing at Toris thankfully, Alfred then scampered after the fairy. "Thanks for this!" he called, snatching the rupee from Arthur and sliding down the ladder.

First he went to the village shop. It was small and did not sell much of anything except for the nuts and sticks you could find easily enough on the forest floor. A few Kokiri were mingling off to the side. Behind the counter was a very short Kokiri boy with wild red hair beneath his traditional hat. Blue eyes and green paint running across his cheek could be seen as he hopped up and down behind the too tall counter. Oliver was his name, and from what Alfred knew, the kid had a big ego and a spoilt nature, but was not too bad to spend time with.

"Welcome!" he huffed, as he was out of breath from jumping so much.

"Hiya!" greeted Alfred with a white smile. The redhead stopped to stare with that look in his eyes before his arms gave out and he had to return to hopping. "You know, it would be a lot easier if you got a stool to stand on back there," he then suggested, following the other up and down with his eyes.

Oliver stilled, and a whine came from behind the counter. "Why didn't I think of that?"

A laugh. "At least you know now!"

"I guess," sighed the shopkeep. The hopping then resumed. "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh! Yeah, can I buy a Roman Shield?" Alfred pulled his wallet from his belt.

Looking at him funnily, the other pushed a shield onto the surface of his counter. "40 rupees."

With a dimmer smile and a grumbled, "Stupid Ivan," the blonde paid for his item. After a simple farewell, he and Arthur left the shop. Oliver's voice trailed its own goodbye behind them. Slinging the shield around his body, the boy had to admit that the slight extra weight was oddly comforting. "Okay, one shield down, and one sword to go! come on, Arthur! Let's go and ask about that hiding place!"

"I'm right here, there's no need to yell," complained the fairy from atop the blonde's head.

A laugh Arthur was quickly becoming familiar with sounded. "Sorry, I'm just excited is all. I mean, it feels like I'm getting ready for some big adventure or something!"

Rolling his eyes, Arthur said nothing. On their way to the Know-it-All-Trio's house, Alfred talked about whatever came to mind. More and more about the boy was learnt by Arthur, and a warm happiness bubbled inside of him. Alfred talked about how he loves the sky. About the scuffle he and Ivan got in to last week, and how they settled it by racing through the Lost Woods to the Sacred Forest Meadow. He had a large bruise on his butt from a Roman Scrub, and he asked Arthur if he wanted to see it. The fairy emitted a large amount of pink and yelled at him for even suggesting such a thing while Alfred only laughed until he could not breathe anymore. After they both calmed, the Kokiri's mouth was off again, this time telling his friend of a traveling merchant that the tribe bought cow meat from, and since then he's been dying to eat that meal again. It was all honestly little stuff that should not have intrigued Arthur at all, but still he found himself drawn into the conversation.

First the fairy told Alfred about his home in a great rose bush that he had raised from seedlings. He fondly reminisced about his travels from all over Hyrule, and how he had learnt so much about all of it's people and cultures. A particularly passionate side of himself reared it's head when he began to explain about a drink called tea. How after watching Hylians brew it in their taverns, he had tested different leaves from all around the forest and found a few that were very delicious. Alfred thought that this tea sounded kind of boring and gross, but liked Arthur's soothing voice, and how he was so excited at the moment instead of calm and controlled. Since the duo were so absorbed in their conversation, they had no idea that they had made it to their destination and wandered in without knocking.

"Excuse me?"

Silence. Only then did they notice their surroundings. "Sorry guys," apologized Alfred. Scratching his neck he took a seat, making himself comfortable. While also apologizing for their rudeness, Arthur landed on his companion's shoulder.

"Do you need something?" asked the same voice from before. It belonged to a dark blue eyed boy with a blonde bowl cut. Eduard was his name, and he could often be found tinkering with metals and glass he found in the forest, especially during thunderstorms. Two others were in the house. One, a smaller boy called Raivis, had light curly brown hair and nervous blue eyes. He would always speak his mind, which was not exactly a good thing since a lot of times he'll say something either offensive or ignorant without knowing. A violent tremble would overtake him whenever Ivan was in the proximity. Katyusha was the last member. She was a very kind girl with pale blonde locks and watery blue eyes. Most of the Kokiri knew her as the Big Sister of the tribe, and the whole village had come together to make her a pretty yellow headband a few years ago.

"Yeah!" Alfred exclaimed, smiling his wide, charming smile. "Word is there's a sword hidden somewhere, and I really need it!"

And uncertain look was shared between the trio. Though Alfred was a good soul, his record with mischief had to heavily be considered. Knowing what was going on within the unspoken conversation, Arthur came to the rescue once again. "We honestly need this sword. The Great Roman Tree has summoned Alfred, but Ivan won't let us pass without it. Please, help us."

As they stared at the green fairy in wonder, their own partners tittered, and they gave in. "Alright," sighed Eduard, already weary from interacting with Alfred, "We'll tell you."

"Yay!" hurrahed the blonde, jumping from his seat and crushing the other three in an affectionate hug.

"Alfred, off," commanded Arthur, and the boy obeyed sheepishly. He sat back down and waited for the others with poor patience.

Once the trio gathered themselves, Raivis stepped forward. "Well, from what I know, I-Ivan locked a sword called the Kokiri Sword somewhere in the village, but at the same time not in the village at all."

Confused, Alfred settled for simply grumbling about how Ivan was a stupid ogre.

Politely, Katyusha cleared her throat. "I know that the entrance to this area is somewhere along the southern border."

Eduard took a drink from the carved wooden cup on the table. "And I know that there's danger beyond the entrance."

Alfred was up in less than a second. "Wow! You guys are great! Thanks a bunch!" Beaming at them once more, he left and took off towards the south.

After regaining his balance in the air, Arthur shot an annoyed glare at the empty doorway. This boy was beginning to make him feel his age. Turning to the remaining three Kokiri with a kind smile, he bowed his head. "Thank you for your help. I really do appreciate it."

"It's our pleasure," answered Katyusha. Raivis nodded in agreement.

"Good luck to you," added Eduard, jerking his head at their door, "and your future with that."

Arthur rolled his eyes and chuckled, though he took those words seriously. He flew out of the hollowed tree, and Alfred was nowhere to be found. Unworried, the fairy turned southwards and began to scan for the boy from higher up. It was too easy to find Alfred. He was scurrying along, almost touching the southernmost rocky wall that protected the village. A new tear was visible in one of his sleeves, and his hands were pink from running over the rough surface. Arthur sighed once again and glided over.

Landing on Alfred's head, he took hold of one clump of hair that bounced upwards no matter what, and pulled. Yelping in pain, the blonde stopped. "Calm down! If someone is going to hide something, it's obviously going to be standing out somehow. You don't have to wind yourself up into a tizzy! Search for a spot that is out in the open, but could be hiding something behind or under or within it." It was hard to talk over Alfred's labored breathing, but luckily the fairy was right by his ear.

Pink cheeks and a sweat sheened face greeted Arthur. "Ha ha ha! Gee, I like having you around. Toris always tells me I don't think before I do something."

"Obviously." Arthur patted the boy's head, and Alfred made a noise of mock appallment and shook wildly. Even though he should have been angry, after straightening himself in the air, the fairy's shoulders slumped in defeat at the playful expression on Alfred's face. Again lowering to the small shoulder, he did not neglect to give the blonde's ear a pinch.

Bushes, flower patches, and clusters of trees and vines were inspected for a while. Soon they passed Alfred's house, and came to a stack of rock ledges. Alfred climbed the ledges, and Arthur was surprised at his upper body strength. They made it to the top plateau with good time. A fence lined it so no one could fall and hurt themselves. There were a few Kokiri scattered around the area, but the duo's attention was attached to the south wall. Three large rocks were stacked in a crude triangle.

"I think we've found it," stated Arthur, and Alfred ran up to the stones. Climbing on one of the bottom rocks, he flattened his palms on the top and pushed. It fell with a loud thud. Hopping down, he then rolled the other two to reveal a small crawlspace. Whooping, the boy kneeled down. Darkness greeted him, the only light being the small amount that got through the entrance, and a tiny speck he identified as the end of the tunnel. He was nervous.

Seeming to realize Alfred's fear of dark places, Arthur dropped down to stand in front of him. Stepping inside caused the area to illuminate green. "I'll lead the way, yeah?" Alfred nodded vigorously, and once Arthur was a ways in, he followed.

Obviously it had been a while since anybody had used the hole, and the fairy was getting absolutely covered in spiderwebs and dust. He tried to clear as much as he could for Alfred, so he squared his jaw and carried on. He could just dive in the stream after this. The tunnel was not extremely long, but such a tight space and slow progress definitely made it difficult to travel through. Once the duo made it out, they took a much needed moment to stretch and regain their breath. Arthur patted as much filth from his skin and wings as he could, and Alfred sneezed while stretching out his limbs. Another minute was spent inhaling the fresh air before they took in their surroundings.

They sat in a small, blocked off space with only the sight of another wall horizontal to them about eight meters in front of them. Looking closer, they deducted that it traced another narrow path; this one bald in the center of the strip, like something was preventing the grass from growing. Alfred began to quickly make his way towards the path, but Arthur fluttered in front of his face and pushed against the tip of his nose. "Wait."

"What's wrong?"

"Something does not feel right about this place. Please, be careful and don't rush in to anything."

As Arthur was right in front of his eyes, he could clearly see that he was uneasy. You do not doubt fairies in situations like this. Alfred nodded, and Arthur looked a little more consoled. They continued forward at a much slower and much more cautious pace. Making it to the edge of the cove, Alfred first peered to the right only to find a dead end. Just then the ground began to rumble, and they jerked their heads to the left.

"Watch out!" yelled Arthur, grabbing the boy's tunic and yanking backwards. A second later a giant boulder rolled by, and they poked their heads back out to catch the boulder crash into the dead end and disintegrate into nothing. "So that's what I feel," mumbled the fairy, "Protective magic."

"Huh?"

"Someone cast a spell over this area to protect the sword. These boulders are never ending."

"Then how do we get past them?"

Glancing down the path again, Arthur saw another rock round the corner. then he spotted an alcove and pointed to it. "There."

Alfred peered to where he was pointing, and spotted the alcove. "Perfect! We just have to run fast enough to get there before another comes."

"We?" smirked the other.

Rolling his eyes skyward, he poked the fairy with his pinkie. "Shut up."

Two more boulders passed before Alfred was ready. Just as the second rolled by, he sprinted onto the pathway and focused on his destination. Arthur was under his hat, his head poking out of the front and hands gripping thick locks of hair. It was a decently long ways away, but Alfred knew he could make it. He heard Arthur shout something about the boulder rounding the corner, but he was so zoned onto his target that it was like he heard it in the back of his head instead of the front. Diving into the alcove, he lay still on the ground. Alfred could feel the ground shake below him a little over five seconds later, and let out a relieved sigh.

Arthur landed in front of the Kokiri's belly-down form, and placed a hand on his sweaty cheek. It was pleasantly warm, and Alfred immediately felt better. "You did wonderful," complimented the fairy, and the boy wished he had the strength to lift his head so he wasn't grinning dumbly into the grass. After a little while longer of resting, Alfred finally found the strength to stand up. Arthur followed, not liking how tall and thick the weeds were here.

Looking around, the duo found that the alcove was, in actuality, a path in itself. It cut across a ways and emptied into a parallel strip of the one they had just bested. A boulder went past, and they figured it was the rest of the course. As they made it to the edge, the duo could clearly spot a clearing not far away to the left. It was not as long of a dash as the first, but Alfred still had to time his movements correctly so they wouldn't get flattened. Once another boulder rushed by, the boy ran to the clearing with no hesitation.

It wasn't as big as they had expected, only being large enough to fit them and the treasure chest sitting in the center. The chest was big and fancy, made of high quality wood and etched with golden carvings. The support caging it was also gold, and unlike the dusty crawlspace and overgrown grass, this chest was polished and gleaming in the sun. Alfred exchanged an excited expression with Arthur, and skipped over. There was only a latch, and Alfred was glad that he did not need a key to open it.

"So cool," he whispered, innocent wide eyes gazing at the container.

Nudging his friend, Arthur prodded him on, "Go on. Open it."

Childish hands took the latch and clicked it open. Grasping the top, he pushed it up and heard it clank against the hinges. Light rose from the inside, and Arthur grumbled something about showoffs. The chest was a couple of inches too high for Alfred to see in to, so he heaved himself over the edge and was pleased that it didn't topple over. Arthur landed on the perpendicular side to him.

"Wow," gasped the blonde. Laying on a red velvet pedistol was the Kokiri Sword. Actually, it was quite simple and could be considered more of a dagger, but to Alfred it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Weapons were mostly unheard of in the forest, the closest things being slingshots and the spears they made from Roman Sticks to catch fish.

Suddenly the real world rushed back to him. A boulder rumbled by, and his stomach was hurting from the hard edge of the chest digging into it. Quickly, he snatched up the sword's hilt and sheath. Once he was on flat ground again, he twisted his wrist to study the gleaming, sharp blade. A thick weed was nestled in the corner, and Alfred swung at it, staring openly as the sword cut clean through the stalk.

"I believe we can call this a success." Absentmindedly, Alfred nodded at the fairy, since he was still gaping at the weapon he'd just aquired. "Shall we go back to Ivan?"

That seemed to knock the Kokiri out of his trance, and he nodded with a smug face. "Oh yeah. I can't wait to rub this in his stupid big nose!" Albet fondly, Arthur shook his head. Again Alfred had to dash down the paths, and the tunnel was much more of a tight fit with the addition of his sword. But even though it was a tight fit, he strangely found the quiet clinking acceptable.

As they emerged, Arthur spotted a group of small trees and an idea sprung to his head. Alfred was not the only one finding queer comfort in the most random things. Like the boy's tunic and hat, or his smell, or his mannarisms. They were all so familiar, but Arthur was sure that he had never interacted with him before. For some reason the Great Roman Tree said that no fairy should come close to this particular boy, and even though they knew he was not a child of the forest, it broke their hearts whenever they stumbled upon one of his solitary moments where his mask broke and you could literally feel the rejection and lonliness radiating from his aura. Arthur was never in the forest for long, his travels were very important to him and his guardian, but he thinks if he ever had come close to Alfred even before he was sent to bring him to the Great Roman Tree, he would have become attached to him in an instant.

Storing those thoughts for later, he flew over to the trees. "Hey, come over here for a minute," he called, and Alfred did with a question in his eyes. "It's not enough to simply have a sword. You have to know how to use it, too."

"Uh, 'kay," Alfred tilted his head, not quite following.

"Draw your sword," instructed the fairy. Reaching his hand around his shoulder, Alfred took hold of the hilt and pulled up. It caught a couple of times, but once he had the right angle came out smoothly. "Now put it away." Rightfully, he was still confused, but listened to Arthur anyway. Sheathing was more difficult. Since he didn't want to accidentily cut himself it went slower than his reckless drawing. The hole was small and he needed to be precise, but that was also hard because he could not see behind his back. Finally he had it encased, but did not feel very good about how long it took, or how clumsy he was.

"Why don't you practice that for a little bit?" suggested Arthur, now sitting on a thin branch of one of the trees.

Fierce determination welled up inside of the blonde, and and he gripped the hilt again and attempted to pull the sword out smoothly this time. It caught again, but he shifted slightly and it slid out clean. For a while this went on. Alfred had more trouble sheathing than drawing, but Arthur was giving him tips he had overheard while observing the Royal Guards training sessions. Although he was not perfect, Alfred had still gotten better at an incredible rate that most people wouldn't have. Arthur knew that he would master his technique in due time, but they were already far behind the schedule he had set when he first left his guardian.

"You're doing a lot better," he spoke once the boy had drawn his sword again. Alfred's arm was very tired, but he ignored it. "Why don't we try using it now? You seemed to be a natural back there."

With flushed cheeks, Alfred smiled at the compliment. Excitement zapped through him when he heard that he could start swinging now. Bouncing up and down, he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Slipping from his branch, the fairy went to hover by him. "See the tree I was sitting on?" A nod. "Slash it horizontally." Nodding again, Alfred's body suddenly felt more confident, and some sort of surging adreneline began to course through his veins. He knows this. In a few steps he stood close enough to slash the thin tree. Emerald eyes watched in shocked admiration as the perfectly cut wood fell to the ground. "Whoa."

"Uh..." Alfred was just as surprised. Wielding a sword felt so right, and even though he's never even seen one before, he knew how to use it. It was, in all honesty, unnerving.

"Do a vertical strike." Instinctually, the Kokiri targeted another tree and sliced it all the way down to it's base. It was, again, perfectily halved. Arthur didn't know why, but he felt like he had seen this all before. He knew that he shouldn't be setting his expectations so high, but he felt like he would be disappointed if Alfred did any worse than excellent. "Let's try something."

"Try what?"

Glowing brighter, Arthur fluttered into the thicket and stopped by a tree. "You may encounter more than one monster at the same time. If you need me, I can stay by one so you don't get confused or overwhelmed. Focus on me and cut only this tree."

This time Alfred did not react right away. Worry filled his posture. "I don't want to hit you, Arthur."

Flashing a smirk, the fairy shot around the trunks and branches. It was a dramatic display filled with barrel rolls and flips. After circling Alfred's skull he zoomed back to the first tree. Even though the boy could only see a glowing ball of green, he somehow knew that Arthur was snickering. "I'll be fine."

Alfred relented, even though he was still anxious. "If you say so."

"Don't hesitate!" barked Arthur, "Strike! Now!" Without thinking, his body lunged forward and chopped down the tree. Not one of the others were nicked even though they were clustered together side by side. Pride swelled within the fairy, and he burst out of the foilige. He hugged Alfred's neck, loosening his grip when the blonde chocked a little. They may have been strangers this morning, but both could feel a strong, unbreakable bond between them. "Excellent. I think we can leave now. "

These instincts and knowledge were still concerning Alfred, but he decided to trust them for now and sheathed his sword. It snagged once. He climbed back down the cliffs, and the day was finally starting to wear on him. With shaking arms and dirty skin, he and Arthur went to see Ivan again. As they reached the entrance to the Great Roman Tree, the Kokiri leader was not standing guard in front if it, but tending to a patch of sunflowers a little ways off. If the boy were more stealthy instead of trampling like a herd of goats and shouting, "Hey! Big nose!", Arthur believed they could have snuck past with no trouble or delay. The large boy was entranced by the flowers, and only something truly distracting (Alfred) would be able to grab his attention.

Leisurely, Ivan stood and walked to his former post. Running up with a triumphant smirk, Alfred drew his sword and shield. "Looks like I met your requirements, oh leader of mine." Holding the equipment up even more, he grinned.

Pale eyebrows raised. "It looks to me like you stole the Kokiri Sword," he stated, smugness twitching at his lips.

"W-well... I'm a Kokiri too! So I'm allowed to use it!" stumbled the smaller, doing all he could to defend himself and stand his ground.

Violet irises rolled, and a creepy chuckle rose from Ivan's throat. "Whatever. I guess I have to let you pass since you did listen to me. For once," he added in exasperation. "One miracle at a time."

Cheering, Alfred spun and jumped around. Arthur had to dodge the flailing sword and rose higher so he would not be in danger anymore.

"But," cut in Ivan, this time wearing an expression of uncharacteristic seriousness that obtained the duo's immediate cooperation, "there really are ruthless monsters beyond this point." Arthur nodded. He knew. "Be careful." With that last, stunning statement, he left. Back to his house, if anyone were to guess.

Thoughtful wrinkles in the remaining Kokiri's face appeared, and Arthur found them both amusing and charming. Obviously the rivals had some sort of respect and care for each other. Of course, the fairy was sure that neither would ever admit such an outlandish fact. Becoming impatient with the lack of movement, he glided in front of the blonde and got his attention.

"Alfred, we really need to go."

Blinking his big blue eyes and focusing on the fairy, he agreed. "Right!" he said as his smile came back. Stepping forward, the two entered the passage to the Great Roman Tree.

It was the first step of an incredible adventure that both were completely ignorant to.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

As I said, a little slow, but once we get into the adventure, it will pick up lots. :)

Let's get the characters listed, 'kay? They should mostly be obvious, but we'll do this anyway. And remember, all of the characters I use, with the exception of the rest of the UK and Ireland, are canon.

Link- America

Navi- England

Zelda- Canada

Gannondorf- Turkey

Impa- Prussia

Saria- Lithuania

Fado- Poland

Mido- Russia

The Kokiri shopkeep- Ladonia

Know-it-all-Brothers (Know-it-all-Trio)- Estonia, Latvia, and Ukraine

Great Deku Tree (Great Roman Tree)- Roman Empire

For anyone who does not know, in Ocarina of Time, link is canonically 9 years old, so that's how old Alfred is for the time being. All of the other Kokiri are also in the form of children for this game, and I know that you all probably know that, but this is for the people who might have forgotten or have never played it before.

WARNING! THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM SKYWARD SWORD! I REPEAT! WARNING! SPOILERS FROM SKYWARD SWORD!

Last chance, scroll ahead if you don't want to read spoilers.

So, there is a LOT of subtle references to Skyward Sword in here. I actually thought it was perfect how America is known to love the sky, and how Hylians are speculated to be the decendents of the poeple of Skyloft. I'm honestly not sure if it's 100% correct yet, but I DO know that Skyward Sword is the oldest timeline to date, and I believe it features the very first Link, Zelda, and Gannondorf (Demise). And that also explains this bond Link and Navi (Alfred and Arthur) share, and Link's (Alfred's) immediate skill with weapons in all of these Zelda games. Like, you don't really think about it when you first pick up and play the game, but if you're writing a story or fanfiction then it would not make sense if the character picked up a sword for the first time and automatically knew how to use it. Therefore, I took the thing Demise said about how he will always be reincarnated, and Link will always be caught in this same destiny, and used it to explain how he knows how to use these weapons (In Skyward Sword he trained as a knight, so that also helps a lot with the whole mastering the way of the sword ordeal), and why he and Navi share such a close bond. (I'm not going to lie, I seriously cried at the end of Skyward Sword when I had to seal the Master Sword and Fi. D': ) I hope that clears up any confusion some of you may have.

END OF SPOILERS.

If anyone is confused about something, don't hesitate to ask. I'll answer your questions happily. :D

Alright, I hope I did this game and you fans proud! I'm very excited to be writing this~! But my gosh, this is going to be a really, really, really long fic. I hope you all stick with me through it~!

I love you all, and see you bunnies next time!