-Introduction by Author-

Greetings! Salutations! Thank you for choosing to read my adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

I started this project back in May 2004. Back then, I wasn't aware of so I just wrote it as a novel for myself and my family. By word-of-mouth alone, I heard about the site, and decided to put it up. There were 14 chapters when I posted (of course, I wish I started with one so I'd get more reviews).

More about the work in question. Although this is an adaptation, everyone has their own interpretation, and/or ideas that would make the story more realistic or exciting. This story has many more twists, all new events that weren't featured in the game, and two original major characters. Your own preceptions will not change what is written here, but simply colour it. While reading it, keep in mind that there are other novelizations of this fantastic game, and I do reccomend reading those as well while you are waiting for me to update.

My earlier chapters are somewhat sub-par for my tastes, and they are currently under revision. Feel free to read them anyway; they're not that bad, and they will lead you to the much better-written later chapters.

I welcome ALL reviews. Not only is it a real treat for me to get a nice, lengthy review on the whole story, but it is even better if someone takes the time to revew every chapter, with probrably a sentence or two per review. If you would be couteous enough to do this if you are new to this story, PLEASE do this for me. The more specific each review on how good it is or where I need to improve, the more I can develop as a writer and the more modivation you will give me to sit down and write! If you really don't have the time (but for some odd reason you take the time to read my story) then one review will be fine. Thank you for your contribution!

Enjoy!

- Crimson Water

Prologue

Birth and Death

Swirls of darkness lingered about as he laid there, their unpredictable patterns seemingly mesmerizing him in their dance. Perhaps they were real. Perhaps they were only figments of his imagination as his senses began to fail him. Maybe they were the spirits of the dead, hovering over him, patiently waiting for him to die so they could take him to the other world, where he could remain bodiless until the end of time. Whatever they were, he did not care, for nothing mattered anymore. Everything he held precious was now irrelevant, and he felt no guilt for it.

He clutched the left side of his torso, trying to reduce the blood flow. The bright-red substance leaked through the spaces between his fingers, and dripped heavily down his hand and down the rest of his body. Every time he breathed, the wound grew and shrunk, making it painful to even exist. The spear had torn right through his kidney, and maybe something else. He was surely going to die here, leaning against this lone tree in a dark place, rain soaking the ground. The long grass surrounding him gently brushed against his weakening body, almost like it was trying to comfort him in his passing. At least the rain made soft noises as he lay there, beginning to struggle to breathe. Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion. He began to taste blood in his mouth. He mixed it up with his saliva and spat it out to his side with what little strength he had remaining.

He found strength when he looked to his left. His wife, leaning close to him with tear-filled eyes, one hand on his shoulder, her thumb caressing it gently. When he looked into her eyes, he knew that she was realizing as well that he wasn't going to last very long. In them, he saw emotions of hope, hope that he would recover, but at the same time he saw them fading swiftly. The hood of her cloak was over her head, but her jade eyes stood out, even though everything began to get blurry.

He had been escorting her away from the enemy, who moved north to strike Hyrule Castle in attempt to deliver a hammer blow to the Hylian forces. If he weren't a soldier, they would've been surely unaware of the enemy's movements, and would be stranded there when they stormed the streets. He had rounded up a few of his comrades to accompany them on their journey away from the city, just to be safe. Not too long after they left the city gates, they were ambushed by a stray patrol of Moblins and Gerudos. They sprung out of the bushes like assassins, and attempted to bring them down, including the woman who they were escorting. They managed to fend them off, but not without a price. They lost two men, and judging by how badly he was wounded, that number was soon to become three. They managed to get away from the area on horseback, but some had to share their steeds since some had wandered off during the attack. They had high hopes of meeting up with more of their fellow soldiers, but the possibility of running into anyone was growing slimmer by the hour. As his wound soon became mortal, he could not bear to travel on horseback anymore, so they stopped here.

They had been waiting here for an hour now, and things hadn't gotten any better. They received news from a letter-carrying pigeon that the enemy had struck the queen's entourage approximately six miles south. They had no confirmation on who survived the assault. They didn't even know if the queen was still alive. Endless seemed this war and endless seemed the attacks made on the soldiers trying to move from one place to another. He now wondered what the enemy's intentions really were, seeing as they were recklessly attacking the Hylians in different and almost unpredictable patterns. Perhaps they were getting desperate and wanted to break off the legs of the table before destroying the surface. Now that they ambushed the queen…what would happen now? The king would surely be devastated, but what about the military situation? The queen's possible death may affect it entirely. Well, it didn't matter to him anymore, because whether or not the queen was dead, he was a goner.

Suddenly, he thought he was hearing things. He heard what sounded like the hooves of a galloping horse approaching. His men, five of them, shrouded in the downpour of rain, seemingly blurred silhouettes to him now, now began to move and look off toward the south; the same direction in which the horse was coming from. They pointed and muttered amongst themselves, inaudible to him. He might've even saw one of them wave in that direction, as some sort of cry for help. Even his wife began to slowly avert her eyes and see what the commotion was all about. Now the soldiers were calling out to it, signalling it to come to them. Was it a lone soldier advancing? He was afraid that the rain's watery curtain had bent the dim light so out of proportion that his men were mistaking an enemy soldier as one of their own.

However, the enemy wasn't known to ride their steeds so gracefully. The enemy didn't train their horses, making them slightly inferior. This horse's steps were perfectly balanced and in flawless rhythm. They seemed rushed, but not the kind of rush that one would perform in an attack. They were more hurried, showing somewhat of urgency. What, or who could it be? The soldiers seemed pretty confident it was an ally, but who? Would it be someone who could help them? He wanted nothing but the best for his companions, but he would accept no help from him, for he'd only hold them back and he was going to die anyway.

The pounding of the hooves grew louder still, and he could feel the ground vibrate in synchronicity. Soon, the blur of a rider-on-steed came into view. The rider was rather bulky, and was enrobed in a hood and cloak to protect himself from the rain. He couldn't see it clearly, but his robes appeared to be somewhat ripped and torn from what appeared to be swords or spears. Was he part of the queen's protection unit? The rider brought his horse to a halt just before the soldiers, who seemed quite gleeful to see him.

"Lieutenant Amentaris! Thank goodness you're here!" cried one of the soldiers. Was it really the famous Pious Amentaris? The general's favourite soldier had miraculously come to their aid at the time when they needed it most. Now, his soldiers had a good chance to making it to safety as long as Amentaris provided enough protection from stray enemies.

Amentaris slowly lifted his hood off his head, revealing his young visage. A deep cut was visible on him, going from the centre of his forehead to his right cheek. It looked like he was indeed attacked. His long, jet-black hair waved in front of it, like curtains waving in the wind that covered a hole in the wall.

"Are you boys alright?" Amentaris inquired. "You all look rather shook up."

"We were ambushed," another soldier took the liberty to say. "About eight miles north of here. A small group of Moblins and Gerudos…they came out of nowhere. We lost two men and three horses."

Amentaris eyed him, sitting there, bleeding on the ground.

"And…is this one of the casualties?" he asked.

The soldiers briefly glanced over him before turning back to Amentaris.

"No, he is but wounded," one of them said. "We have been aiding him since the ambush. He has suffered a deep spear wound to the left torso. It was upon his request for us to camp here. We have been escorting him and his wife away from the city for the past day or so."

Amentaris nodded, understanding. "Was it because of the fear of attack?"

The soldiers turned back to him. They stared at him intently, most likely searching for an answer. He summoned up some strength and nodded. His wife clung closer to him, possibly afraid that Amentaris would be infuriated by their desertion.

Amentaris did not seem mad, however. Instead, he actually looked indulgent.

"Well, Private…" he said. He turned to his wife. "…and Ma'am, you no longer have anything to fear. There will be no attack on the city gates. The war is over; the queen is dead."

The soldiers all jumped simultaneously. Was what Amentaris saying true? Was the war really over? It had lasted for almost a year now, and just in one sudden instant, the fire had been immediately extinguished. So, the queen had really been vanquished, and the war was over.

"Does this mean…" one of the soldiers began. "Does this mean that…all is lost?"

Amentaris raised an eyebrow. "Hm?" He suddenly then flinched and hastily shook his head. "Oh, no. No, all is not lost. The victory is in our favour."

The soldiers once again flinched. How was this possible? Now they were thinking thoughts of Amentaris possibly loosing his mind.

"How…" muttered a soldier. "We…we won?"

Amentaris grinned. "You did not mishear me, soldier. We have vanquished the enemy."

"How is it possible?" questioned another.

"Attacking us and the queen was a fatal mistake on the enemy's part," Amentaris explained. "The entire thing was a diversion."

"You sacrificed the queen's life just to get the enemy distracted?"

Amentaris shook his head. "It was all her idea. She was willing to put herself in harms way for the sake of Hyrule. She wanted to drive the enemy away from the castle, and further down south. The enemy took full advantage of the opportunity to strike, and changed their course, eventually intercepting us." Amentaris' eyes hardened. "I saw many men fall today, and I'm not certain if I'm the only survivor or not. I barely escaped the onslaught."

"Amentaris…sir…" mumbled one of the soldiers. "Are you saying…that you ran away from the battle? Are you a deserter?"

"He can't be!" cried another. "Amentaris would never back down from a fight if he hadn't a good reason!"

"Right you are," said Amentaris. "I'm not a coward, although I still can't help but feel guilt for abandoning my men. But, I had to. Sometimes there are more important things than fighting for many lives. Here, let me explain.

"The queen rallied many troops to be her escorts," Amentaris began. "She wanted to be a decoy, and was willing to forfeit her life, thus making it perplexing why she wanted so many. It was as if…she wanted something to be delayed." Amentaris' eyes began to wander. "Naturally, I began to get curious, so I took the liberty of asking her myself." He then turned back to the soldiers, now with a very serious look. "There was something else troubling her besides the savage beasts that roamed the fields."

"What was it?" the man's wife uttered. The soldiers, including Amentaris, looked at her for a second. She hadn't said anything this whole voyage, but now it seemed that Amentaris' story had intrigued even her. She looked at him with keen eyes, begging him to continue.

Amentaris nodded politely, and went on. "She had hand-picked every soldier in her entourage, including myself, for there was something she needed protected. Not her own life, but something else." He exhaled, as if thinking about it was getting him exhausted. "She told me what it was."

"…and?" said the man's wife again, making everyone else as eager as she was.

Amentaris looked at her, and just her. It would appear that he wanted to say the next line to her, since she was the one who asked the question. He stared at her with his unusual grey eyes, with all of their furious intensity.

"She was pregnant."

The soldiers muttered amongst themselves. The queen was pregnant? How did they not know? Traditionally, there would be an announcement of the future heir to the throne, and a giant celebration following it. Why was it kept so secret, especially from the soldiers? Suddenly, a new thought arose from among them. If the queen was dead, and she was pregnant, then the child must've been dead as well. Who would take over the throne of Hyrule once the King had passed? The King was middle-aged, but was soon going to become elderly. A king marrying more than once was forbidden, and now that his spouse had been killed, who knew what he would do? Was this the end of the one and only monarchy that ruled Hyrule? Would a new family have to be selected as royalty? It seemed too radical of a solution, but with no family with royal blood, the order of the land would surely become unstable. It was the only way to fix things once the king was gone, and it was the last thing they wanted. They won the war, but not without a costly price. What good was defeating a savage enemy when your future hopes of salvation would be decimated in the first place?

Suddenly, their mumbling was hushed when a small sound came from underneath Lieutenant Amentaris' cloak. It was like a tiny squeak, muffled underneath the fabric. It was shortly followed by a few hiccup-like sounds, and then a few moans…like something was crying.

"Oh…" said Amentaris as his eyes widened. He began to look at the area where the noises were coming from. His arms could be seen fidgeting under his cloak, the sounds now pausing frequently as they moved. Soon, they got into a fixed position, and Amentaris slowly raised one half of his cloak, revealing what was hidden underneath.

Cradled in the Lieutenant's arms was a small infant, sobbing quietly as it uneasily woke from its slumber. It was wrapped in the lightest and finest of white silk, a sharp and angelic contrast to Amentaris' dark, dirty, thick wool cloak. A beautiful piece of jewellery was placed on its forehead, with a small emerald, ruby, and sapphire all surrounded with delicate gold as the three main focuses of attention, all about as small as a thumbnail. This would be something put on a girl shortly after her birth. Even with his blurred vision, he could see this child's eyes shine clearly, basking in their own cerulean radiance.

"Ah…she's awake…" Amentaris mumbled. He stared warmly at the baby girl as all of the soldiers began to crowd around, trying to get a good look. The child continued to sob as she looked at Amentaris, hopefully not wondering where her mother was. Amentaris smiled and playfully tickled the child's nose, causing the infant to suddenly laugh and grab the Lieutenant's finger with hands that weren't even half as wide. Amentaris chuckled as the child began to curiously look at the finger it had seized. Supposedly the child's interest in the world brought a smile to his face. As the child continued to hang onto his finger, Amentaris turned back to the soldiers.

"She was born two hours before the attack. You are looking at the new princess of Hyrule."

A huge sigh of relief swept across the soldiers. It was the kind of relief you felt after looking for a precious belonging for hours and finding it in the last place you could think of. So, it was truly a victory after all. The newborn princess barely escaped the ambush thanks to Amentaris carrying her out, and now they had an heir to the throne…a soon-to-be queen. It was quite fortunate that she was born just before the attack, letting her have at least a couple hours with her mother. The salvation of Hyrule…the continuance of justice and order lay within this only child, and she didn't even know it. A new question once again formed itself among the soldier's mumbling, but the only member of the fairer sex was the first to ask it to the Lieutenant.

"What is her name?" asked the fallen man's wife.

The soldiers once again hushed, awaiting an answer from Amentaris. He was looking at the child, almost like a father would. The princess was now exploring his entire hand. His eyes did not avert from hers as he slowly opened his mouth.

"Zelda. Her name is Zelda."

Zelda…a name fit for a princess…but as far as he could remember, no other member of royalty had been given that name. Many of the female names had been tedious and repetitive, but Zelda…it had an atmosphere to it not present in the other names of history. It was soft and sweet, yet it had a powerful demand for respect, almost intimidating in its nature. It reminded him of moonlight and silvery waters. Princess Zelda…it worked. He liked it.

Suddenly, a loud, barbaric roar was heard from the south. It echoed from the mountaintops, all over the field. The soldiers jumped and pointed their weapons in the same direction. The man's wife once again clung close to him in fear. He wouldn't be able to protect her, not in this state. He wished he could, but his days were numbered. Amentaris' eyes looked to the south, with an entirely new expression. It was of anger, hate, and somewhat alarm. He hurriedly covered up Princess Zelda with his robes, once again concealing her.

"We ride north," he said. "The enemy is once again steering themselves towards the city, and we'll be sitting ducks if we are to remain." He turned reassuringly towards the soldiers. "The counter-offensive has been launched from the gates and has been ordered to intercept them. This is what is going to win us this war."

"Wouldn't we be forced to fight?" one of the soldiers asked. "If we run into them, wouldn't they order us to come with them?"

"Not while carrying this precious cargo," Amentaris answered. "We will explain ourselves to them if they request us in battle. I am sure they will let us return to the king to present him his newborn daughter."

The soldiers nodded and began to head towards their remaining steeds. Some horses had two infantrymen on their backs due to the loss a few hours back. He watched the mount, knowing that he wasn't going with them. In a sense, they were abandoning him, but what was the harm, anyway? He would've welcomed a merciful blow to the head to put him out of his misery.

Once everyone was mounted, Amentaris began to steer his horse towards the north. He looked at his accompanying party, not without looking at the fallen one with his wife.

"Aren't you going to come along? We can get you fixed up when we arrive at the city."

He shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be dead long before we'd even get there, believe me."

Amentaris' lips curled. It looked as if he was trying to reassure him, but hearing his response, it looked like it was impossible now. Perhaps even Amentaris knew that the man was going to die anyway.

"Don't worry about me," said the man. "Lieutenant, you'll make General for this. The king will surely promote you to top-rank for rescuing his daughter."

"Military ranks mean nothing to me," said Amentaris with a smile. "All I care about is the mission, and completing it successfully. Fame and fortune are not my goals here."

The man nodded understanding.

Amentaris bowed his head. "I wish you an easy passing."

"Thank you," the man replied, already beginning to feel weak.

"Would the young lady care for a ride back?" Amentaris asked the man's wife.

She clung close to him, not daring letting go. "No…" she muttered. "No, I won't leave him!"

Amentaris' eyes narrowed. "Are you sure, madam? You will certainly be overrun if you are to remain here."

"I don't care!" she cried. "If he dies, then I'm dying with him!" Her voice was quivering.

"Don't grieve for me," said the husband. "Go with the Lieutenant. Live your life. You don't need me to keep you from fulfilling your dreams."

"My dreams lie with you," she said back to him. "If you don't exist, then neither do they. I'd rather live in the House of the Dead than my own by myself." She turned back to Amentaris. "Go. Go back to the city. We're fine right where we are. Thank you for your offer."

Amentaris closed his eyes and exhaled glumly. "So be it. May both of your deaths be painless."

The lieutenant kicked off his horse, and the others shortly followed. They all quickly sped up into a gallop into the dark, watery chasm that was the horizon. Eventually the darkness engulfed them, and only the sound of their beating hooves remained.

They were alone…

1

The Summoning

Shadowy memories gathered menacingly. He passed through the mists of the past yet again to live through all of this once more. The lonely figure stood there frozenly, awaiting things to repeat themselves once more. Under deep black skies, unfriendly winds all around him, he yearned for the fulfillment of his dreams, like everyone. These thoughts supposedly guided him here. They nourished and warmed him, yet he felt hungry and cold.

Pit…pat…pit…pat…It wasn't raining hard, although it looked like it was about to, he thought. He didn't know where he was, and wasn't sure how he got here. He was just standing there, in front of a large structure made out of materials that he had never seen before. It filled him with wonder, and at the same time it was like he was familiar with the strange structure.

As he looked at the structure, he noticed a large, wooden part of the wall, which looked like it was able to move. When he looked below the structure, flowing water rolled by freely. So, it must've been some kind of bridge that could be built and removed in the blink of an eye. His eyes narrowed when he noticed it seemed that some sort of glow was coming out from behind the bridge resting up against the structure. He clenched his chest as his heart began to beat faster and faster.

The rain came from leaking, to a moderate pour of light rain, to a downpour. As he looked at himself, he was shocked to realize that although the rain plummeted to the earth in a seemingly endless pour, he felt warm and perfectly dry. Crashes of lightning screeched down from the sky, striking the many mountains surrounding with pure force and absolute power. He wasn't familiar with lighting; he only heard of it in stories, and every time they were mentioned it always meant something bad was going to happen.

The distance between him and the structure seemed to be stretching apart; an ominous warning of danger. He began to panic. He looked around franticly, searching for an obvious path to follow, maybe leading back home. All he could see were rolling hills and tall grass, half hidden by the veil of water that the rain created. He flinched; rusty clanking and grinding was heard from behind.

He turned around sharply to see what it could possibly be. The pockets of fire that burned furiously on either side of the wooden bridge seemed to blaze even brighter as the plank itself was slowly lowered to the ground by huge, rusty metal chains. The bridge slammed into the ground, throwing dust and other things skyward. At that point, everything went silent. The rain and thunder was drowned out by the pumping of his heart as he stood in awe of what he just witnessed.

What was revealed by the lowering of the bridge was a huge, dark abyss that even the sun itself probably could not penetrate. Sinful and dark fears rose and grew within him, as he stood in suspense at what could possibly be awaiting him through the black. Everything seemed to grow quieter as his heart pumped stronger and stronger. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a horses neigh, calling in a panic from the distance.

He snapped back into consciousness. He squinted into the threatening, dark void that used to be hiding behind the bridge. He looked further and further, until he saw some sort of light. It was like a tiny star in the night sky, poking through the clouds, making it the only visible one. Once it seemed to be growing, it came to his realization that it was coming at him, fast. Now he could hear distant galloping…a horse. He knew what horses were, but was only told about them in stories and books that were read to him when he was younger. This was the first time he had ever seen one. As it got closer, he grew nervous at the uncertainty of the animal's intentions. It seemed determined to continue its direction and speed. The way it moved was hypnotic to him, for its speed persisted to increase as it grunted and neighed due to what looked like fear. It was as if he could relate to the animal, because he had a funny feeling that his dread was mutual with the horse.

In seconds, the horse had caught up to him, and didn't seem to be slowing down. If he didn't do anything, he would surely be trampled. By instinct, he bolted out of the way in a desperate attempt to get off of the path that the horse followed. He heard it gallop past, and begin to race into the distance. Gathering himself, he turned around watch it travel into the darkness behind him, possibly revealing the way home, parting the shadows hopefully. When he looked at the white steed, he noticed that it wasn't alone; two people were on its back, travelling with it.

There was a woman, who looked like she was controlling where the horse was going. Her eyes were fixed on the decaying horizon, determined to reach an unknown destination. While directing the horse, she seemed to be holding onto something, or someone. When he looked harder, he noticed that the woman was apparently protecting a young girl, who was mounted in front of her. She was beautiful; about his age, with sparkling, somewhat teary eyes. He was immediately entranced once this mysterious girl suddenly looked at him. She gave him a glance of shock, worry and despair all mixed into one expression, as if she knew him, and hadn't seen him in a very long time. As the horse began to gallop out of sight, he could only wonder if he had some sort of connection with that girl. As soon as he knew it, the horse, woman, and mysterious child were gone. He felt somewhat disappointed that he didn't get the chance to talk with that girl, but now it was too late. He felt somewhat distressed as he began to believe that he may never get that chance again.

Now he just heard the downpour of rain. It was back to where he started again, lost and confused, trapped in a watery cage. He couldn't help but continue to stare into the obscurity in a fading hope that the horse would turn around and save him. He slowly came back to reality; no help was coming.

He jumped; what about the void that the bridge revealed? Maybe if he went in there, he could find some answers. He felt a little more content as he began to turn around, but that was soon to change. When he turned towards the structure behind him, his face was rocked off. He stumbled and backed up a few steps, but could not look away; it was the most horrifying thing he had ever seen in his life.

Blurry things gradually became clear, and sounds that were once muffled were now distinctively audible. Everything was still black however, and she knew she could change that, but not now. She wanted to keep it this way just a little longer, just so she could feel comfortable for a few more minutes. She controlled the darkness that she saw, and could make it come back and go away whenever she pleased. It was a power that she loved to have, and liked to have the obscurity surrounding her whenever she lay down on the luscious earth. As the breeze passed over her, she then began to get the urge to once again see the light that guided her through her everyday life.

Suddenly, she felt something land on her nose, invisible to her veiled line of vision. It was light, like a leaf, but it sat there quite stably on the tip of her nose, making that possibility nonexistent. She wanted to see what it was, but didn't really want the light to come back just yet.

"Saria?" squeaked a tiny voice.

She exhaled hopelessly as she came to realize it was time to let the light return. She opened her eyes, letting the light surround her again. She blinked dazedly as she looked at what was on her nose. Saria couldn't help but giggle; it was her guardian fairy, Tamil.

"About time," said Tamil. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to get up."

"It was a long night," Saria yawned. "Give me a break. Where are we, anyway?"

Tamil looked around and behind her with a forced grin. She turned back to Saria matter-of-factly.

"Well, judging by the giant tree behind me…" Tamil began. "Can you say 'Great Deku Tree's Meadow'?"

Saria playfully flicked Tamil off her nose to get a good look at her surroundings; Tamil's pink glow was making it hard to see. She couldn't help but chuckle when she confirmed that she was indeed in the presence of the guardian spirit of the forest: The Great Deku Tree.

The Deku Tree was known to be the source of all life in the forest. His blessed power protected the forest from all forms of evil, and gave existence and energy to all of the things that lived there. He was by far the largest tree in the woods, making him somewhat intimidating to few. His canopy could be seen from all parts of the woodland, even through the overlapping leaves of the dense heart of the forest. Everything that lived in the forest was given birth to by him, for he chose what was to be brought into the woods and what was already plentiful enough. Basically speaking, he was the father of the woods. Feared by some, looked up to by all, the Deku Tree was a remarkable spirit. Very few even got to see him. It was considered a great honour to even glance upon his trunk.

Outside of the forbidden forest, legends had spoken of a mysterious village somewhere in the woods. Although many outsiders resent the story, little do they know that the legend is actually fact. A tiny little town lies in the heart of the forest. The houses are made out of hollowed out trunks of trees, and are placed neatly around the area in an organized fashion. Unlike the rest of the forest, the grass is neatly groomed here. The Deku Tree's canopy can easily be viewed, and what is said to be the most dangerous part of the forest: The Lost Woods, can be seen over the cliffs that surround this village. The strangest thing of all about this village, however, is who is actually living here: children. Many children who call themselves the Kokiri thrive in this village. Now don't get them wrong, they are quite efficient in maintaining a community. They provide food, shelter for new children, order, and many other things that keep them beaming with health. Only the Kokiri can live in this village and it is forbidden for anyone else to enter, hence the name: Kokiri Forest. The Great Deku Tree's Meadow, where the tree himself is located, is directly attached to the village.

"Saria…" mumbled the Deku Tree.

Saria flinched. She scrambled to her feet to try and look presentable to the guardian spirit.

"Yes, Great Deku Tree?"

"I trust thou dreamt of pleasant things?" the Deku Tree inquired.

Saria shrugged. "I either don't remember my dreams, or my nights have been dreamless these past few days."

"As to be expected," the Deku Tree muttered glumly. "It seems as though the evil has already penetrated the sanctity of the Forbidden Forest, causing dreamless nights and nightmares to those sensitive to it…"

Saria looked uneasily at the Deku Tree. What was he talking about? What was this "evil" he referred to?

"Hm…Navi…Navi, where art thou?" the Deku Tree called.

Saria saw a dart of bright blue light shoot out of the woods, flying at high speeds through the breezeless air. It zigzagged through the Deku Tree's thick canopy, and fired out of the bottom, eventually slowing down to a halt in front of his trunk. When it wasn't flying so fast, Saria could easily tell that it was simply another fairy that did not yet have another Kokiri to look after. The poor thing…it must've waited for so long for a child of the forest to claim it as its guardian fairy, for they must linger in the fairies' haven in the heart of the Lost Woods until the Deku Tree summons them for assignment.

"Oh, Navi the fairy..." the Deku Tree breathed, as if he was in some kind of relief.

"What have you summoned me for, Great Deku Tree?" Navi inquired.

"Listen to my words, the words of the Deku Tree..." he mumbled on, almost like there was some kind of time limit for him to explain whatever it was he wanted to say. "Dost thou sense it?"

Navi hovered there silently. "Um…I'm not sure what you are referring to."

"The climate of evil descending upon this realm..." the Deku Tree went on. "Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule..."

"Malevolent forces?" both Navi and Saria repeated simultaneously.

"Why would they want to attack us?" Saria asked.

"What are these forces?" asked Navi.

The Deku Tree mumbled and groaned. It seemed as if it was painful for him to even mention these things. "For so long, the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world..."

Saria jumped. "The barrier…" she mumbled. "Of course! Great Deku Tree, aren't you able to protect us from whatever you are referring to? Haven't you done that in the past?"

The Deku Tree moaned. "Thou is correct, Saria. I have managed to turn back evil forces determined to invade our home. However...before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing..."

Saria's heart sunk into the bottom of her chest. She knew of no power greater than that of the Deku Tree, but then again even the Great Deku Tree knew when energies exceeded his magic. She longed to know of what the evil forces were, but the guardian spirit was apparently pretty secretive of such information. Perhaps he didn't want to start too much of a panic.

When she looked up at Navi, judging by the way she was flying, it looked like she was slightly nervous as well.

"Your power…nothing?" she stuttered. "But…but…what will we do?"

The Deku Tree let out a long, gloomy sigh. "It seems the time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey..."

Saria perked up. The boy without a fairy? If it were anyone she knew, it could only be him.

"The boy without a fairy? Are you talking about Link?"

"He is the youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth..." the Deku Tree replied. "The wicked forces do not know of his potential, and would shrug any mention of it off lightly."

Navi swallowed. "Great Deku Tree, what do you wish of me?"

"Navi...go now!" the Deku Tree said strongly. "Find our young friend and guide him to me..."

Navi slowly began to hover away from the Deku Tree, looking somewhat unsure what to do. She might have even been scared.

"I do not have much time left..." the Deku Tree added sombrely. "Fly, Navi, fly!" he urged the sprite on. "The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!"

With a small squeak, Navi immediately took off and darted past Saria towards the pass that led towards the village. Saria watched her flutter out of sight around the corner and bit her lip as she turned towards her own fairy.

"I think we should go see Link as well," said Saria.

"Right now?" Tamil asked.

Saria nodded. "He's been acting a little weird lately. Perhaps it has something to do with the sinister forces that the Deku Tree is talking about; maybe we could find some answers."

Tamil giggled. "Alright. I wonder how Navi is going to feel about being Link's guardian fairy from now on."

Saria's eyes widened. "You…you mean to say that's what the Deku Tree wanted?"

Tamil shrugged. "Of course. I would be confused if he were to call upon a fairy to guide Link to him. If he didn't want Link to finally have his own fairy, then he would've probably asked you to go fetch him, you know what I mean?"

Saria averted her eyes. "Yes, that's probably true. Well, we've got to hurry if we're going to meet up with him before he sets off."

"Alright," Tamil replied. "Let's go."

Saria turned around and began to run along the same path that Navi followed. Before she was too far away, she turned around to look at the Great Deku Tree. As she looked at him, she began to ponder his words.

…what did he mean by he "didn't have much time left"?

Link woke up in his bed in a huge jolt of energy. He sat up and screamed in utter terror and frustration. His fingers curled as he began to lose his breath, but he kept on screaming. Eventually he ran out of air, and the shattering scream was quickly reduced to a small whimper. Sweat was dripping all over his body, down his face and off the ends of his bangs. His heart was pumping like a jackhammer, ramming his ribs with brute force. He sat there for a while, trying to gather his thoughts. He rubbed his forehead, wiping some of the sweat off as he began to catch his breath. He then plopped right back down onto the bed with one last exhale through his nose.

He had been having these nightmares for weeks now, and the same one happened every night. Over the past few days he had been wondering if they meant something; if they were trying to communicate to him. However, prophecies were only myth, and Link was not about to be sucked into psychological nonsense. He just reassured himself that they would pass over time…hopefully. His eyes began to become heavy, and the usual symptoms of sleepiness overcame him. He yawned, and was about to go back to sleep, he was awoken suddenly by something else.

CRASH! One of his pots has just exploded, and what was left was a glowing cerulean light that appeared to have wings, stumbling around blearily: a fairy!

Fairies were the individual guides of every Kokiri in the forest. They gave them advice, and also labelled them as true Kokiri. The Kokiri cherished their fairies, and usually became very good friends with them. The origin of the forest fairies was unknown to the Kokiri, but rumour had it that the Deku Tree was the only one he knew. Legends told that the fairy race was just as old as he was, making exaggerations that the Deku Tree was created when an ancient fairy merged himself with a regular tree, which blessed him with a tree's long life, thus making his power grow into what the Deku Tree wielded now. The fairies had many theories amongst themselves as well, but no one really knew for sure, for the Deku Tree remained silent when asked about how things came to being in the forest.

Link, however, had not yet received a fairy, therefore making him different from the rest of the children. He really wanted one, because he felt like an outsider and it was also very hard to make friends. He was expressed much sympathy all of the Kokiri, which Link was thankful for, except for one particular boy.

Mido, who claimed to be the "Big Boss of the Kokiri", was less forgiving about Link not having a fairy. He would bully Link to show off to the other children how strong he said he was, even though he was the scrawniest Kokiri of them all. The Kokiri didn't approve of him taunting Link, but didn't disapprove of it either. Link usually didn't fight back, because he is not the type of person who fights all the time, thus making him an easy target for Mido to pick on. Saria, Link's best friend, protected him from Mido; she would always break up the fights successfully because Mido had a slight crush on her. Saria didn't like him that much though, so Mido's hopes of winning her heart were quite slim.

Mido himself had quite an influence on the Kokiri tribe, although Link could see through to his intentions. Link was pretty much the only reason Mido was looked up to by them; he made him look tougher and stronger. Since the Kokiri usually witnessed the quarrels between the two, they would notice that Mido always win the fights if Saria was not there to end it, therefore giving them the impression that Mido deserved respect if he were to give the others their peace. Mido noticed how the Kokiri reacted to his actions, and took advantage of them by crowning himself their leader. Link didn't blame himself for Mido's slight rise to power; he knew that Mido couldn't control the Kokiri's freewill entirely.

The fairy groaned as she staggered around, tripping occasionally on the remnants of the pot. Link immediately collected himself and sat up in his bed. He wasn't sure if this fairy was hurt, so he had to make sure. After all, she was pretty much a guest in his house.

"Are you okay?" Link asked the small sprite hesitantly.

The fairy slowly stabled herself, trying to look at Link steadily. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she said. She looked over the shards of the pot she smashed. "Erm…sorry about the pot."

"No, that's okay…" said Link, trying to keep the fairy feeling welcome.

The fairy struggled to take off and began flying around the room, exploring the many things Link had stored in there.

"Excuse me, but I don't think we've met," Link said, trying to grab the fairy's attention.

"Oh! No, we haven't…I'm sorry," the fairy apologized as she cleared her throat. "I am Navi the fairy. I've been sent here by the Great Deku Tree to be your partner from now on."

"I'm Link."

"Nice to meet you Link! Now, I'd love to get to know you, but we have some business to attend," said Navi seriously. She flew over and hovered close to his head.

"Business?" Link inquired.

"You have been summoned by the Deku Tree. I've come here to guide you to him."

Link flinched. He was summoned? That was even better than getting his own fairy! "Me? Summoned? I'm sorry, but there must be some kind of mistake. Why would he want to see…me?"

"Don't ask me," replied Navi impatiently. "But we have to get going, we can't keep him waiting. If there is a mistake I'm sure he will let us know. So let's get going! Right now!"

Link leapt off the bed and quickly ran towards his clothes that were hung just beside his bed. He jumped into his emerald green tunic, fixing his belt in an instant. He reached for his matching long cap, and quickly slapped it on his head. He then ran to the other side of the room and jumped into his boots. Wasting no time, he rushed towards the door, being careful not to step on some of the shards of the pot that were scattered on the floor. He threw back the curtains that acted as his door and felt the breeze of the forest air flow through his hair. He immediately ran to the other side of the high balcony that met his front door and leaned over the edge to see the ground below as Navi came out of the door.

"What are you doing?" Navi yelled. "We can't dela-"

"Saria!" Link called out into the open. He waved a little bit, trying to catch someone's attention.

"Hey Link!" called a voice from the distance.

Saria was running towards Link's house, waving and smiling in delight.

Saria was always a pleasing sight. She brought hope and happiness to Link whenever he laid eyes upon her. She was a pretty girl, kind, sweet and about his age. She had neat, medium length hair in which she tended to wear a headband. The odd thing about her hair was that it was somewhat of a florescent green, to which Saria claimed was the natural colour. She always wore her favourite outfit: a dark green turtle neck with a light green sleeveless shirt on top, green shorts with a belt, and big, evergreen boots. The only things that weren't green on her were her big, sparkling blue eyes.

Link slid down the ladder that connected the forest floor with his balcony and ran towards his best friend. She opened her arms, and Link accepted the embracement. Saria gave Link a bit of a squeeze, and he squeezed her back. They let go, as Navi slowly caught up from behind. Saria's face lit up once she noticed that Navi stopped by Link's head and hovered impatiently.

"Hey, Tamil, you were right! Navi is Link's new guardian fairy!" she put her hands on her cheeks. "Wow! You finally have a fairy! That's great Link! Now you're a true Kokiri!"

Link was too overwhelmed with pride to say anything. Saria was filled with so much bliss it looked like she was about to cry.

"Well, well, well," Tamil giggled, emerging from behind Saria's head. "It looks like Navi, the fairy who vowed not to be a guardian of any Kokiri, has just been forced to be one!" She began to laugh.

"Shut up Tamil!" snapped Navi. "It's not like I could do anything about it! It's not like you've been asked to do anything for the Great Deku Tree, has it?"

Tamil ignored Navi as she continued to laugh, not seeing Link's guardian fairy glowing brighter and brighter in anger, which is what fairies tend to when their mad or frustrated. Link, never enjoying watching fights, tried to change the subject.

"Saria, I've been summoned by the Deku Tree!" he said confidently.

"I know!" Saria replied with a smile. "I'm sure you know it's quite an honour to see him, but I'm sure you could care less," she giggled. "Do you know where to go?"

Link blushed and scratched his head.

"Well…I've never really been there, honestly. I've never really been curious about it."

"Oh…" said Saria, looking a little disappointed. "I thought such things interested you."

Link shrugged. "Maybe it's just the fact that I can always see his canopy from my house."

Saria pointed towards a path on the other side of the small stream that flowed through the village. The stream was naturally the source of the Kokiri's water supply, but it was also a spot for games or relaxing swims.

"Just go through that path; it should lead right to the Deku Tree's Meadow. I'll wait for you here. You and Navi should get going; it wouldn't be that wise to keep the Deku Tree waiting."

"Sure thing. I'll see you in a bit."

Link and Navi proceeded towards the path that Saria pointed out.

"Good luck!" Saria called out as they sped away. Link ran across the dirt path, every so often checking if Navi was still close behind. She didn't seem to have any trouble keeping close to him, so Link figured he didn't have to worry. As he ran, Link noticed some of the other Kokiri whispering to each other. A lot of them he knew, but wasn't really friends with. He saw them all looking at him as they mumbled amongst themselves. They were probably noticing Link's new fairy. Perhaps Navi would help Link become a little more popular among the tribe. Link reached the stream, and hopped over some of the stones poking out of the water. He was slightly cautious, because he'd look rather silly if he was all wet when he talked to the Deku Tree. A few more carefully performed hops, and he was on the other end of the stream, and was just about to reach the passage when he stopped dead in his tracks. A familiar figure was leaning against the wall and was staring at him. His fairy hovering close by him, also fixing a gaze of its own. Mido got up from the wall and stood in the middle of the passage. He folded his arms as a malevolent smirk swept across his face.

Mido had somewhat long, blonde hair, and an unusually huge mouth. His clothes were ripped and tattered, but Link knew he made those tears on purpose just to make himself look tough. Even so, those freckles didn't make him that intimidating anyway.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. No-Fairy?" said Mido smugly.

Link rolled his eyes. "Please Mido, not now-"

Mido ignored him. "Eh? Whatzat? Is that…"

"Yes, Mido. It's a fairy, if you haven't realized," said Link, now realizing that he is now just as much of a Kokiri as Mido was.

"What! That can't be yours!" Mido growled. "There's no way you could've gotten a fairy! You're not a true Kokiri like the Great Mido!"

Link chuckled. The Great Mido? Is this what he was calling himself now? "It is, oh Great and Powerful Mido, believe it or not."

"I don't believe it…this isn't funny!" Mido snarled. He put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot impatiently.

Link shook his head. "I'm going to see the Great Deku Tree; I have been summoned. Maybe if you'd look where you're standing you can realize that you are in the way."

"You! See the Deku Tree! HA!" Mido snorted. "That's pretty good! I got to write that one down…you're funny Link!" He put his hands over his head, imitating a tree, most likely the Deku Tree. "Oh, ho ho! I am the Great Deku Tree!" Mido said with a deep voice. "I am going to summon Link, the stupid kid with no fairy to come to my aid! Why would I do such a thing? Because Link is special. Why would I summon him and not the Great Mido? Well, I'm just not going to tell!"

"Hey, he's not joking!" yelled Navi as she darted close Mido's face, which didn't budge.

"So what if he's serious? Why should we care?" growled Rotu, Mido's fairy as he aggressively shoved Navi away.

"Come on Mido…be reasonable," Link begged.

Mido thought for a minute, and then whispered to Rotu. They both chuckled and glared deviously at Link. He could only wonder what they were planning. Mido crossed his arms again.

"All right Mr. No-Fairy, I'll make you a deal," said Mido. Link was surprised he still called him Mr. No Fairy. "If you equip yourself with a sword and shield, I might just let you in!"

"What! That's ridiculous! Who do you think you are?" screamed Navi.

"Where am I supposed to find those?" asked Link, just as dumbfounded as Navi.

"I dunno! That's your problem Mr. No Fairy!" Mido yelled as he began to lift his head back in hysterics. Both Mido and Rotu were laughing their heads off. Link spun around and ran, while Navi followed close behind. He wanted to see Saria, and tell her everything that just happened.