Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda it rightfully belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. I only claim ownership of the Lost Fairy Arkli, other characters tossed in, and the writing of the story.

Chapter 1 - A Fading Memory

Pale blue irises narrowed as they looked upon the grotesque form of the Evil Man from the Desert, the horns reflected in the moonlight, the sinewy strands of muscles piled on top of one another protruded from the shoulders, and those glowing yellow eyes pierced the male with blue eyes. Although the creature before him was as frightening as the worst nightmare conjured up, he was steadfast with his determination, a glowing triangle appeared on his left hand, and the male needn't look at it to know what it was or why it suddenly appeared. The male's pale golden strands were tugged by the gnawing wind, they barely obscured his view of his enemy, fingers tightened around the blue hilt of the sword, moonlight bounced off the blade, and the other hand gripped the shield. A ring of fire separated his charge from him, it was better that way, the woman was safe so he didn't need to worry about her, and he expertly flipped the sword in his hand; ready for the final battle regardless if it took his life.

The boar-like creature charged him, boots propelled him to the side, he ducked foward in a roll, then jumped up behind him, a quick vertical slash from the sword struck the weak point of the animal. Howling pain echoed around the top of the decrepit castle, the male clad in a green tunic was launched to the other side just as the creature tried to impale him. Once more the blade was flipped, blue eyes were locked onto his foe, the foe of his homeland, and the evil that desecrated the land he loved. No, this was no ordinary battle, it was to the death, and the male in green would give his life to see that the Desert Male before him never saw the light of day ever again.

"LINK! LOOK OUT!" cried a small feminine voice, the male didn't tear his eyes from the creature as it reared on its hind legs, he performed a graceful back flip to avoid the damaging blow, and he succeeded as the hooves slammed into the ground; causing it to crack. Balance was key in this fight, Link stood as the creature charged him once more, he performed a side jump then slashed the weak point once more, and howling pain emitted. He realized that the boar was gaining speed the more he slashed his enemy's weakness. The male in green lunged to the side but not before the horn grazed his chest, it slit the cloth open easily, as well as his undershirt. Skin was exposed to the biting wind, a red line formed but he ignored the pain, he took in a deep breath, and kept his stance just as the boar was going to charge one final time.

Summoning all of the strength he had, he put it into one final thrust, the slash stunned the evil creature, the body fell to the ground, it shook all around, and Link took this opportunity to give the crushing blow. He slashed as many times as he could, performed a graceful spinning slash, and finally thrust the sword into the forehead; right through the gem on its forehead. It roared to life, the sword was pulled free, and the creature thrashed around in agony before falling to the ground; still. He huffed, not knowing if it was finally over but a fleeting feeling of hope returned to him until the body of his enemy glowed to reveal the man once more.

He laughed at him, "Did you think that would kill me? Foolish child!" The ring of fire dissipated, Link's charge stood behind him, she used all of her power along with the help of the other sages to open the Void of Evil, it sucked the man inside. He hollered, "Curse you Sages. Curse you Zelda. Curse. You. LINK!" He was sucked into the void, the entrance disappeared, Link turned to Zelda, she smiled at him, and before he could do the same; the tower rumbled.

"We have to go! Hurry!" cried the small voice once more. The blue ball of light guided them from the rooftop down the various staircases, Zelda used her power to open the gates for them, and he stayed behind to fend of any lingering foes. The Lizard warriors were easy enough, the large Stalfos as well, but he was beginning to tire; he knew he wasn't invincible and the falling debris wasn't helping any. His shield was used to cover his head as a piece of rubble fell on top, it bounced off the shield, radiating pain through his right arm from the vibration. Link ground his teeth together and followed after Zelda, to protect her as she opened the gates for their escape.

After a grueling three minutes of travel, they emerged from the castle, they ran some distance before turning around to stare as the castle of their home collapsed before their very eyes. Zelda sighed but Link was breathing heavily, pain in his chest, his right arm, and his left hand was gripped tightly around the sword; once he realized this, it was put into the sheath on his back along with the shield. Silence engulfed them as they stared at the empty space where the castle once stood, her voice was quiet in the night, "We must return the Master Sword to its resting place. It's no longer needed." Link simply nodded and followed her to the Temple on the other side of the market, blue eyes gazed up at the unchanged temple, he balked on his feet the moment that they reached the entrance. Something felt wrong, his intuition told him to not do this, to run as far away from the temple as he could, it was wrong, and his intuition served him well in his journey. The long blond haired, delicate featured woman turned to look at him with her piercing blue eyes and small pointed ears. "Come Link. It's time to put all this behind us." He gave a nod, she moved forward, and it took all of his willpower to push his body over the cobble stone threshold and towards the temple.

Inside the stone building, he gazed around, the walls of stone were familiar and foreign all at once, it wasn't a feeling that he liked, and he followed her into the chamber beyond the altar. The glowing red, blue, and green stones reminded him of lost friends and newfound courage but there was still that fleeting notion that something terrible was going to occur; something so irreversible that he would be unable to do anything about. The temple was safe, he knew this but that intuition was raging at him to turn around and run away but the woman before him commanded him to return the sword. "Put it back." He unsheathed the sword, took one long final look at his lifelong friend, and slid it into its place in the stone. "Hand me your ocarina." Half-gloved fingers reached into a pouch around his waist, he retrieved the ornate blue instrument, he handed it to the blond woman, and she smiled at him. "It's time to return you to your time. To give you back the childhood that you lost." The instrument was put to her lips, she played a song that he had become accustomed to but her words sank in, and he took a step towards the feminine figure, to stop her. But he was too late, he glanced around as the walls of the temple faded to clouds, a beam of light engulfed his form, and drew him into it. His heart ached to not be sent back through the river of time, regardless of his lost childhood or not; he knew it to be wrong. Things would not change no matter what they did, reversing the flow of time would only do something worse, he could feel it, and he could feel the Master Sword radiating power; wanting to be with him but he could no longer see the sword. The light blinded him, he squeezed his eyes shut against the light, and felt that familiar, comforting warmth spread around him but also a tinge of cold fear.

The next thing he knew, he was much smaller than before, the Master Sword standing there in a ray of light, in its regal form. The small blue ball of light floated off to the nearest window, his voice was meek in the temple, "Navi?" The fairy ignored him as she floated through the window, his mind tried to recall what he was doing, why he was there, and he couldn't come up with anything. As he turned away from the sword in the stone, he felt a sharp memory come to the forefront, it was getting blurry but he remembered meeting a young princess in a garden as she stared into the throne room. Staring at a man with evil eyes but that image soon faded quickly, he shook his head, and felt the weight of the shield on his back; again he didn't know where the weapon had come from or what it meant. "A Hylian shield?" he asked no one in particular. He was alone in the temple beyond the altar, his small boots moved forward, and he paused to look at the altar. There were no stones and he watched as the walls hiding the Master Sword sealed shut once more.

His child-like mind tried to recall any event that would let him remember obtaining such a fine piece of craftsmanship but he came up with nothing and then he remembered that if he ventured outside of the forest then he would surely perish because he was a Kokiri. Once more he glanced around, realizing that this stone house was nowhere near the forest that he called home, and he gulped; suddenly aware that something was very wrong. Fear crept into his veins but it was soon squashed out, that fear he felt suddenly vanished, and a small glowing caught his attention. Link looked down at his left hand to see the outline of three triangles, the bottom most one was shining bright but the center of the three was darker, as if there was a lingering presence he didn't understand. He blinked a few times, the mark faded, and he trudged forward through the temple; the moment he exited, the noise assaulted him.

Noise that he wasn't used to, the market was nearby, and he took a seat on the stone pathway to collect himself. A stray cat rubbed its whiskers on him, he looked at it, it purred, and a smile so impercitible that it could barely be noticed, curled his lips. A small hand stroked the fur of the cat, it purred once more, and rubbed against his hand before darting off into the alley. Large blue eyes stared down at his left hand that had pet the cat and, still, he could not come up with why he was out here in Hyrule Market, so far away from the forest. Link shook his head, got up, and pressed onward, he would need to return to the forest; he noticed, for the first time, that he held the Kokiri Dagger on his back. Some memories returned to him, how he obtained the dagger, and how he bought a Kokiri Shield but how he got the Hylian Shield still eluded him. He shrugged, sauntered through the market, and exited across the wooden planks of the drawbridge. The small child crested the hill, he turned to look at the market, and his eyes set upon the castle. "Hyrule Castle." Again that blurry, fading memory came to the forefront but he had no name for the princess he had met nor the Evil Man she had spoken to him about, yet the Evil Man faded away from his mind, and soon that memory faded as well. He sighed heavily, the shield making it difficult for him to travel, but it would be a nice souvenir to show that you could survive outside the forest.

Unbeknowst to the small child that walked through the field of Hyrule, a large owl perched on a nearby tree, watching with those blue eyes before twisting his head upside down, and watching with black eyes. "Ho ho ho! The child wanders away, unknowing that his fate is forever writ in stone." The owl gazed at the castle, "Silly child princess. You cannot alter the Flow of Time without altering history!" Its head turned to watch the child in green trudge along the dirt path towards his forest home, "Watch him closely I shall. To see how he grows up in a world that will change him in ways he would never think possible."

-::::::-

There was a celebration when he returned, the Kokiri were ecstatic, except for Mido, but he knew why; Mido had a crush on Saria but Saria was closer friends with Link which made the blond boy a target for bullying. He gave that imperciptible smile towards Saria, the green-haired Kokiri teased him about his adventure outside the forest. She kept asking him about it but he wouldn't speak, for some reason he didn't want to talk about his escapade outside, and Mido took advantage of this.

"I bet he never went outside! He's just lying! You stole that shield from someone!" Link kept quiet, there was no reason to argue with him because Midoe wouldn't stop, he would only come up with more things to throw at him. "Aren't you going to defend yourself?" The child with pale blond hair only shrugged and headed towards his treehouse, the others watched as he climbed it, and disappeared inside. "Guess I was right!" He stalked off, followed by others who wanted to hear how much he was right about the outside world, while Saria longingly gazed at his treehouse.

Inside, he pulled off the shield, it was set against his chest of clothes, he took a seat on his bed, and curled up. Navi was nowhere to be seen, he was worried about her, and yet he was unsure of what he would find should he venture to speak with the Deku Tree. He gave a sigh, rolled over so that he faced the entrance of his home, as if to watch for intruders, and he felt his eyelids slide closed. Devoid of any dreams or nightmares, Link was finally able to sleep peacefully but it wasn't as peaceful as he would have thought. Images flashed in his mind, strange incoherent images that weren't connected, they flashed abruptly before changing to something entirely different, but the constant was an owl. A strange brown owl that could twist his head and speak from two different mouths, a strange creature indeed!

Hours passed, Link sat up, more groggy than before, he poked his head out of the treehouse, the Kokiri Lights were floating around, night had fallen on the Children of the Forest. "Now is a good time." Link slid down his ladder, boots made a soft thunk on the grass, and he quietly crept through the sleeping village, his left hand on the hilt of the Kokiri Dagger that he never unstrapped from his back; it gave him a sense of peace with it so near. Traveling through the valley that would take him to their guardian, he noticed that it was quiet, no strange grass appeared anywhere, and the lights bobbed to and fro on invisible strings; he didn't understand why he was so cautious. Blue eyes stared at the tree, the mouth was closed, the large moustache looming in the shadow light, and yet he paused.

The rumbling voice emitted from the tree, "Come forward child." Link stepped forward, he removed his hand from the hilt, and approached the guardian tree. "Sit Link." The small boy took a seat on the hill that crested the Deku Tree, the guardian took in a deep breath, "Thou hast come to see me in such a wee hour." He only nodded, "What troubles thou?" Blue eyes glanced away, "Take your time." He gave a small nod while he tried to find a way to voice what he felt, a way to voice the insecurity he felt.

"I..don't know how I got a Hylian Shield or how I was in the Temple."

"Temple? What Temple does thou speak of?"

"It was in the market place at Hyrule Castle."

"Thou were inside the Temple of Time?" Link nodded meekly, "What did thou see?"

"A sword, a great big sword in stone." The tree was silent as he continued, his eyes downcast onto the grass that he sat on, "Navi left through a window. I called out to her but she didn't respond to me and then a memory."

"What kind of memory?"

He shook his head, "I don't know. It's faint, the more I think about it, the fainter it gets. A princess, I think, and an evil man." The guardian could tell that this made the young child distraught as he continued, "I don't know how I got behind the altar or why I have a Hylian Shield but I remember a song."

"Please sing it." Link hummed the Song of Time that seemed as faint as the memory, when he stopped, his blue eyes looked up at the tree; wondering if there was something wrong with him. "Thou is destined for greatness. I cannot say when, how, or why for I do not know." Link nodded, "Good that thou understands thou's journey. Many hardships await thou in the close future." At this the child tilted his head, curiosity overtaking his distraught emotion, "When thou comes of age, thou will know when it is time to leave the forest behind. Thou is stronger than others here, stronger than others out there, and thou will be the greatest to have ever lived."

"When do I know to leave?"

"Thou will know."

"Thank you o'great Deku Tree." The tree only hummed a response as Link got up, he gave a final wave to the tree, and headed back to his treehouse. Although the images in his mind were still obscured, he had a feeling that it would deal with his future that the Great Tree had ordained to him. Link disappeared into the valley, when he reached the entrance once more, he paused. A figure was leaning against the stone wall, waiting for him, her bright green eyes glittered at him, and her dark green hair was always styled perfectly. "Saria?"

"I was waiting for you."

"Why?"

"I was worried about you. You weren't yourself earlier today and I wanted to talk to you but I didn't want to bother you."

"You wouldn't have bothered me."

She gave a warm smile, she closed the distance between them, she grabbed his hand, and lead him away from the valley entrance; she took him towards the small river they had running through their main living area. They removed their boots, took a seat on the banks, and plunged their feet into the cool water. He wore a small smile while she grinned at him, "I'm curious to know what it was like on the outside." Link leaned forward so that his arms rested on his knees while his feet were in the water and he told her of the market. The bustling market, the people that hawked their wares, the people that bought those wares, the stray animals that all followed him around, and then he got to the field. How it was so large and open that you could see everything if you stood in the center of it all or if you climbed a high enough tree. He told her about the strange flower creatures that he saw resting in the field until the Mailman passed by, they awoke and began to chase him out of their territory. Saria chuckled at that, he told her about the farm he saw, the entrance that seemed to lead to some other place, the entrance to the village that was adjacent to the castle, and he mentioned the hidden secrets throughout but he couldn't explore them. "Sounds like a lot of fun out there." He nodded, "Why did you come back?" Link kept his gaze on the water, "If there's so much to do out there, why did you come back here?"

"This is home."

"True. How did you get that shield?" Link proceeded to tell her what he had told the Deku Tree, when he finished, she turned her green gaze onto the rippling water, "That is strange. Navi didn't even respond to you?"

"No. It was like she didn't hear me or couldn't hear me."

"That's so weird." The male child only nodded, "I'm sure everything will turn out alright." He nodded, "So any plans now? Are you going to wander around the Lost Woods? Bother Skullkid perhaps?" Link gave a small smirk while she grinned and turned her gaze onto him. "I missed you Link. I was worried about you."

"You don't have to worry about me."

"Yes I do. We're friends." She leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, his blue gaze watched her as she leaned back, a slight blush on her face. "Right? Friends?"

He smiled, "Always Saria."

-::::::-

The following morning, the boy was up earlier than the other Kokiri, he still had the Kokiri Dagger strapped onto his back, he felt safe with it there, as if an old friend was always guiding him. Link slid down the ladder of his treehouse, and instinctually he took a few steps towards the exit of the forest. He paused, stared at the bare entrance, and wondered briefly why he was so drawn to the outside world, perhaps this was the time that the Great Deku Tree meant. Link shook his head and turned towards the section of the forest that would lead him to the lost woods, he had wanted to walk with Saria through the Lost Woods.

So he traversed the vines on the wall, entered the alcove, and immediately listened to the music playing throughout the strange woods, where if a Kokiri were to get lost then they would change into a Skullkid. The Lost Woods were dangerous for their kind but he always relished the thought of an adventure through them, so he pressed forward, somehow knowing exactly which tunnel to take. Boots lead him to the main area of the Lost Woods, for a strange reason, his hand moved to the hilt of the dagger, and for a fleeting moment he felt that he should go back and get his shield but the notion passed as there was nothing around him. Link moved forward through the maze, taking each proper turn, avoiding the Deku Scrubs that tried to sell him something, when he refused, they spat seeds at him; which he dodged gracefully. The long stretch was finally reached, he peeked inside, no monsters lay here, so he pressed onward, following the sound of the ocarina that his friend always played.

He stared at her, rays of light shining down upon her, eyes closed, lashes dark against her fair skin, and a smile on her face. Delicate fingers moved deftly across the holes, birds perched around her, squirrels, rabbits, and all manner of other creatures that lived in the forest. They sat on the floor and listened to her play; he noticed a white Wolfos laying down, ears perked forward, listening to the happy tune.

The scene played out before him, a nostalgic feeling engulfed his entire being, and a hand gripped his chest; he felt as if something terrible would befall his friend but nothing did. The emotion passed, his face was wearing a smile, and he approached her as quietly as he could. When she paused to catch her breath, her green eyes looked up, startled at him. "LINK!" The creatures turned to look at him, the Wolfos opened one golden eye, and she smiled warmly at him. "I didn't even hear you! You're so quiet! Come, sit with me." He nodded, moved gently around the animals, and took a seat next to her, "You still have my Fairy Ocarina I gave you before you left?" He nodded, "Let's play together!"

The boy grinned, he reached into a pouch on the Kokiri Dagger, retrieved the Fairy Ocarina, put it to his lips, and she put her new one to hers as well. The two Kokiri children played the forest song together, although Saria noted that Link was a much better player, he moved his head with the beat, and she closed her eyes to listen to their duet that echoed throughout the forest in the early morning. Link relished their time together, it made him at ease when they played their ocarinas, and even the animals seemed to be relaxed; although there was that fleeting notion inside him that something was very wrong or something would become very wrong in a short time. They ended the song, the animals were still in awe of their playing, the Wolfos had taken to watching Link with his glowing golden eyes, the color reminded him of the triangle on his left hand, briefly he looked down at it, the one thing that he neglected to tell the Deku Tree and Saria. The mark wasn't there, perhaps he imagined it but he knew he didn't, it was clearly there along with that darker inverted triangle, and the canine watched him closely, as if he knew something about the Kokiri boy that he, himself, did not.

"What's wrong Link?" He looked at Saria, he didn't want to say anything but her happy smile infected him, "You still miss Navi?" The boy nodded, "It's alright, maybe she'll come back, and if she doesn't maybe you'll get another Fairy. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Maybe. I miss Navi."

"I know but there must have been a reason she left. Did you ask the Deku Tree?"

"I did. Even he was surprised."

"Well it must be Fate then. You'll get a new Fairy, I'm sure of it!"

"Yeah."

Saria continued to grin and her eyes looked towards the morning sky, "Isn't it beautiful here?" Link leaned his head in his hand, propped it up on his knee, and his left hand held the ocarina. His blue eyes watched her as the sun gilded her features, a small smile appeared on his face. "I love it here, especially in the mornings." The Kokiri girl glanced at him, he was watching her intently, she looked away, slightly flushed. "Don't you think so?"

"I think it's always beautiful as long as you're here."

She gasped at his outspoken words, she stared at him, "LINK!"

He chuckled, it was the first time since he returned that he chuckled, she smiled at him, "I'm glad to be around my friend. You make everything brighter, everything feels...good." She grinned at him, he smiled at her, and then she jumped off the tree stump. She grabbed his hand, he put his ocarina away quickly, and he got off the stump. "Where are we going?"

"I want to show you something!" Link only nodded as she lead him through the woods, into an area that he had seen before; slingshot target practice and neither of them heard the Wolfos follow them. The Deku Scrubs weren't there at the moment, she motioned for him to hide behind a nearby bush, he did so, and she whispered, "Wait for it." Blue eyes watched intently for what she wanted to show him, in a small flash, it was there. He squinted, that dark flash once more, as if the light was being sucked into something. "Do you see it?" He nodded and asked her what it was, "A Fairy of some sort. I've tried to get close to it but it disappears." They were silent, happy to watch the spectacle as the strange black Fairy that faded to crimson flitted about from shadow to shadow. "It never touches the light, always staying in the shadows. I wish I could see it at night but it's so dangerous here."

"What do you mean?"

"There are Stallkids in the Lost Woods at night. I've tried to come here but there are too many of them for me so I only come during the early morning hours to watch."

"Why?"

"This is a Fairy that I've never seen before, it moves as if this is the first time its ever been here. Like it has just been born." Link kept his blue eyes focused on the strange dark fairy. "I call it a Lost Fairy. Maybe it was a Kokiri that got lost in the woods then turned into a Skullkid and that Skullkid died or something so this Fairy is the lost soul of that Kokiri." Link thought about it but it seemed darker and more complicated than just a simple reason like that. "Or maybe it was a Kokiri who killed himself here. I don't know, I've asked the Great Deku Tree about it but he doesn't know anything about this Fairy. He said he can sense its presence but that's it, he doesn't know the intentions or where this one came from. I want to be its friend." Link nodded and the strange Fairy simply disappeared as the sun coasted higher across the sky. Saria turned her gaze onto him, "Can you come back at night? Can you befriend it?" Her green eyes pierced into his blue ones the moment that he locked eyes with her, without thinking, he nodded. She threw her arms around him, "Thank you so much Link! You're the best! I know that you'll be able to get this Fairy to come out of hiding!"

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you're stronger than the others, you're different, and you're my friend. I trust you." Link smiled warmly at her, she grinned, and they turned around to see the Wolfos laying there; watching them with those golden eyes. "Hey friend! You came to see if we're alright?" Saria approached him, she scratched the back of his ears but those golden eyes watched Link. For a brief moment he thought they glanced at his left hand but he told himself it was a trick of the light; it had to be. Soon the pair exited the forest, Link took one look behind him, and noticed the Wolfos stayed there. Saria noticed his glance and replied, "He always waits there for my return. He's a good boy, he knows he can't come in here without being attacked." Link gave a small nod but those glowing eyes were watching him intently, he turned away, and his blue eyes caught a glimpse of his left hand; there was nothing there.

A blond haired Kokiri girl was standing by, "Oh Saria! You're back...and with Link." At this point, the boy knew what was going to happen, and he didn't want any part of it. "You better hope Mido doesn't find out."

"I'm not worried about Mido, Fado," replied Saria.

"Suit yourself. If he does though, he'll want to challenge Link since Mido's our leader."

"I know. Thank you Fado."

She nodded, "I'm just letting you know since Mido was looking for you." Saria thanked her again but Fado looked at Link, something about him made her wonder, but the thought was soon forgotten as she walked off; nearly skipping with her Fairy in tow. The Fairy made him think of Navi, the sadness welled within, but he pushed it aside as he and Saria parted ways for the time being. Blue eye watched her go, they turned their piercing gaze towards the sky as the sun coasted across it, and he glanced over his shoulder at the entrance to the Lost Woods.

"That white Wolfos...the Fairy..." He couldn't get those two out of his mind and he knew they were important, perhaps not yet but at some point they would be. He took a seat on the edge of the ledge, his feet dangled over, and he watched the other Kokiri run around. They were playing games of tag or hide-and-seek or other childish games. Link didn't feel inclined to be part of any of it, instead his mind turned back to the Fairy in the forest, something about it made him focus on it. "Perhaps it's a Lost Fairy. One that doesn't fit in anywhere. Kind of like me." The thought made him smile and, for the first time since returning to the forest, he was excited for nightfall because he would befriend the strange Fairy even if it took the rest of his life.

Faintly his name was called, blue irises turned to look at the others down below, they were calling for him to come down since Mido wanted to talk to him. He thought about it for a moment and decided that he should comply so as not to cause trouble for Saria. Link got up but one of the Know-It-All Brothers decided to challenge him. "If you can jump from there then I'll give you five rupees!" They jostled one another, saying that he'd never take it because he wasn't brave enough, and Fado interjected stating that he was a man becaue he met her on the pillars above. They laughed while she fumed, Link stood up, backed up in order to get some running distance, and took in a deep breath. There was a feeling of familiarity surrounding him but he pushed it aside and allowed his feet to charge forward. He jumped, they gasped, and they watched in awe as he fell towards the ground. At the last moment, he nudged his body forward, Link rolled on the ground, and stood up. He didn't even bother to dust himself off, the brother ran up to him, and handed over the rupee.

"You keep it."

"Huh? But a bet's a bet."

"I didn't bet." The brother laughed with the others and Fado smiled warmly at him until Mido interjected. He was standing there with his hands on his hips, demanding to know what was so funny. "They challenged me to jump from the ledge up there and I did. They were going to give me five rupees for it but I never bet on it so they can keep it."

"No betting! And I found out that you were with Saria in the Lost Woods! It's dangerous in there!"

"Not to us."

"Are you threatening my authority?!" Link shook his head, Mido fumed, and stamped his foot, "I challenge you to a sword fight!" There gasps, Link wore a concerned look on his face, he already knew that he was a better swordsman than Mido. "If you win then we'll all do what you want but if I win then you do what I have to say!" He nodded, the redhead produced a sword, it was just like the Kokiri Dagger, Link held back a clipped sigh, and Mido charged him. "YAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Mido charged Link, the boy had already unsheathed the dagger, and collided it with the sword held by his opponent. But he knew that if he defeated Mido then the man would be forever depressed since he would have been beaten by a Fairy-less Kokiri. Link knew that he couldn't have that so he feigned ignorance in swordsmanship, so much that he allowed Mido a few lucky cuts on his arms, and even one landed on his face. It was close to his right eye, it started at his cheek bone and curved away towards his jaw. Link dropped the dagger on the ground, he submitted to Mido who grinned, "I'M THE LEADER! I'M THE GREATEST!" Link kept his eyes downcast, "Your punishment is one night in the Lost Woods. Don't turn into a Skullkid." He cackled as he walked off, Link picked up his sword, cleaned it off, then sheathed it. Saria approached him with a cloth to help clean his wounds. He sat there and allowed the kind Kokiri girl to help him, Fado joined in with another cloth, and the two girls helped to clean him up. They even patched up his wounds because none of them had healing fairies but he only shrugged his shoulders when they mentioned it.

Both girls laughed and Fado said, "You're a man Link! Not even a few scratches will bother you!" He smiled at her while Saria put a patch on his face, "Except that might scar. Then again, all of these will scar."

"It's nothing." The girls were shocked that he wasn't bothered by the scars, still he shrugged, "One night in the Lost Woods is worth it."

"Worth it?" asked Fado. She eyed the two of them suspiciously, "Is there something in there?" Saria whispered to her about the Lost Fairy and she gasped. The blond's voice fell as she quietly said, "Maybe it'll be your Fairy Link!" He nodded, "I'm so excited for you! I know you'll go in without a Fairy but you'll come out with one!" Link gave her an appreciative smile but her eyes looked past him, "Oh dear, Mido's coming back."

The leader stood over Link, the Fairy-less boy looked up at him, "When the sun falls, you'll enter the Lost Woods for a whole night!" Link only nodded meekly, playing along because he was going to enter the area anyway, "And no weapons." Everyone gasped, they were going to argue with him but he stamped his foot, "I'm the leader! What I say goes!" Link only nodded once more, he didn't need any weapons in the forest because, for a strange reason, he knew he would be fine. So he was left alone once more, the girls wandered off, and he sat there; where he had fallen to look up at the sky, thinking about many things. Things that seemed to come frome another timeline, he blinked, and began to wonder what was wrong with him because none of the others had this issue but he wouldn't tell them; he wasn't going to tell anyone about this burden.

-::::::-

Night fell upon the forest, he was standing at the entrance of the Lost Woods, the children all held torches, and Mido had his hands on his hips once more. Link unbelted the dagger, he held it in his hands for a moment longer, and then leaned it against the wall next to the entrance. He glanced at Mido, the others thought it would be due to the fact that he was frightened but he did it for another reason altogether, he only wanted to stare into those eyes of his leader, to show that he was scared, and the redhead glared at him then shooed him in. Link took a deep breath and disappeared through the gaping maw of the forest. "Let's see how long he lasts before he comes running out like a scared cucco!"

It was different at night, he realized that the lights here were different, they weren't as animated as they were in the village; if anything, even they seemed afraid to move. He took one step and a Stallkid appeared from the ground, with no weapon to defend himself, he had no choice but to run. Link followed the path he had taken earlier but the moment he hit the third tunnel, a white visage was waiting for him. "You again." The large Wolfos had been waiting for him, so the canine jumped over him, large white teeth crushed the bones of the Stallkid until it burrowed back underground, and those golden eyes faced Link. The canine lead him down another tunnel, the path that would take him to the Lost Fairy. Sure enough, the shrubbery was there, the target practice, and the floating Lost Fairy; there was a pang of empathy for the strange Fairy that flitted about, searching for something. "Perhaps, someone." A nose nudged him forward, so Link patted the Wolfos and moved towards the Fairy, he took a seat on the edge of the ledge, and asked, "Are you lost?" Immediately the Fairy halted, it turned its black glow onto Link, the wings keeping it afloat, even the wings were a faded red color, and not white. "I'm Link."

The strange ball flew with such speed that Link had only blinked before it was floating before him, the boy wasn't startled, for some reason he felt calm with this strange fairy just millimeters from his face, and the Kokiri put his hand out. The Fairy moved from his visage to alight upon it so that it could take a brief rest, it moved slightly to look past Link, and see the white canine that had taken to laying on his stomach with his ears perked up; listening. It floated up to Link's face once more and gave a warbled reply, "Liiiiuuunnk." Link nodded, "Liiuunk." Again it tried, "Liunk." The boy was patient, "Link!"

"You can call me Lunk if you want." It giggled, it was clearly a male, the voice was a bit masculine, "I like your colors." It turned away, as if embarrassed, "I'm your friend." It hovered over his shoulder, to look at the canine, "I don't have a name for him yet but I thought I'd call him Rauru." The ears twitched in Link's direction, "I guess he likes it too." He sat there, swinging his legs while the Fairy floated around him, "I have to go back to Kokiri Forest in the morning." The orb froze, "You can come with me. That is, if you want to be my Fairy."

"Airy?"

"Every Kokiri gets a Fairy, I had one but she left without telling me why."

"Sad."

"I am but I met you." Immediately the orb perked up, he made a ringing sound of joy, and Link smiled warmly at it. "I have a feeling you and I are going to be the best of friends." It bobbed once more, "You're a Lost Fairy aren't you?" He bobbed to show his affirmation, "I'm lost too but in a different way. I feel as if something very bad is going to happen." They were silent for a little while before Link asked, "Do you have a name?" It floated near him, weighing his decision to tell him or not, and finally the male Fair took a chance. His voice changed, it warped to reveal what he truly was, the voice held a deep tone but something underlying as he gave his name to the Kokiri Child wearing green.

"I Arkli."