Summary: Suppose Hylia didn't send all her people into the skies? What if some remained behind? If Link didn't come from the sky never became friends with Zelda would he be so keen on saving her?

Pairings: LXP

Disclaimer: I will not, do not, will never (Unfortunately) have a hand in or own Zelda and all the wonderful things that go with.

A/N: This is my first Zelda fiction, although I have haunted the fandom for a while. It's just this idea struck me harder than a ton of bricks and I found that it was easy to write.

Note- I am not perfect, and I do not have a Beta reader so there is the possibility or error (more than possible). I take no offense in having grammatical or consistency errors pointed out, in fact I ask for people to please tell me as constructive criticism.

Chapter 1

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players

{1st person –Link}

I suppose my first memories of my family are those of the first snow of the year. I remember it being cold, impossibly cold. My mother held my hand as we walked through the icy whiteness. We were going to a festival, a festival that happened each year at midwinter. We would pray to the goddess Hylia for the Hero from the Sky, each year calling for a better fate then the one bestowed on us. For each year we felt the tremors increase near the Sacred Temple.

We all knew the Goddess' seal was not meant to hold forever, but each year it became more apparent that the seal was starting to crumble. More monsters appeared closer and closer to our settlement in the Faron woods. Fear became the emotion that all people held close, fear drove people to leave and find sanctuary with the Mogmas up north, or brave the dead dry winds of the west in Lanaryu.

But at midwinter every hid their fear and celebrated the Goddess, calling to our Hero and believing, even if only for one night, that we would have salvation.

That night my mother pulled me close as the dancing began, holding me in her arms as the dancers fell into the fire dance pattern. The flames burned higher and I remember her whispering to me "Everything will be alright. See how high the flames rise? They are telling us it won't be much longer now."

Her voice was so soft and gentle I don't think I'll ever be able to forget how beautiful it was. Later that night I sat with my father for the ceremony of the Hero, the last part of the night's celebration. Since I was still one of the younger children, being only four, I did not take place in the actual ritual but sat and observed for soon it would be my job to perform.

My father was the orator, and he began the ritual with the usually calling to the goddess. That night I watched the people of my village perform the last battle as they remember it, as it has been passed down.

Hylia, fearing for her people, chose to send them to the sky. Gathering those willing she sent a piece of land to the heavens and sent her chosen to live among the clouds and protect the Triforce. My village came from those people who chose to stay behind and die. They knew what staying with the goddess meant. Instead of basking in the sun we would have to survive in the darkened realm, cloud forever blocking us from the sky and cutting the sky off from us here on the surface. We fought and lost many, beating back the Goblins and their like with the help of the Mogmas , the strange little robot creatures from Lanaryu, Gorons of the caverns, and the Parella of the deep lakes. With the enemy driven to hibernation, our goddess spent one last night with her people in midwinter before giving up her body to protect us and the holy Triforce.

So every midwinter the final battle is replayed, and we give thanks for her sacrifice. We pray for our brothers and sisters in the sky and hope they have guarded the Triforce with as much diligence as we protect the surface. And one day we hope to reunite with them.

That was the first memory I have of my parents. It is also one of the last.

Two years after, when I had just turned six, Bokoblins over ran the outer part of our village and killed all that were within reach. I survived but my parents did not. So that is how I, Link Hylian, became an orphan of the surface.

After the attack we built stronger walls, and all the children no matter their age began to learn how to fight. Our smithy was overrun for a while, but we made do with sticks and other assorted items to train with. Our village was attacked again, but this time we were able to fight back.

It has been this way for ten years, children learning to defend while we older ones forage beyond the safety of the walls and attempt to keep the forest clear of enemies. It is hard, the Lady Faron helps when she can, but she has her realm of waters to protect and her job given to her by Hylia herself. Our safety does not take place over that.

So we fought, and all has remained thus until a day close to midwinter when a sign descended. A dim ray of light broke through the cloud barrier, changing the world of cloudy grey to something different. The ray did not stay, but eventually disappeared back behind the clouds but the sign was seen. We knew it was getting closer to the time the Hero would appear. All we have to do is hold out until then.

The sound of a Cucco crowing outside my window forced my heavy eyes open. The room was still black, as the fabled sun had not yet risen to change the world from black to grey, but it was still time to get up. Fumbling in the dark I pulled the covers off and shivered as my feet hit the floor. Midwinter was only three days away, and more attacks had happened closer to the village than normal.

Rubbing my neck to attempt to relieve some of the tension I shoved of the bed and readied for another day out in the forest. Dressing in the dark I glanced at the empty bottles hanging from the pouch at my hip I knew my first stop had to be the market. Shoving out of my room I traversed the dark halls that still held other sleepers enjoying a last few minutes before they had to rise and greet the grey.

Stepping outside I shuddered at the chill before taking off over the frozen ground to reach the market. All around the small area and leading to it was littered with low burning torches, the light helping those without good vision to the center of the village life. It was a slow morning, few vendors open while others blearily glared at the closed off spaces as if hoping it would open itself. Passing the frustrated people I headed for the back corner to find the old healer whose stall, even if it was not open, always had what you needed out and ready for purchase.

As I reached the set up the healer was already out and had a few items in hand. Her grey and white hair seemed to be almost a beacon in the dark air, and her muted robes blended into the torch light that surrounded the area. "Patrolling the forest again, Link?" She asked as she held out the items; two small cages holding fairies, and a larger bottle holding a red potion.

"It's almost midwinter. You know how the forest gets restless." I replied as I opened three of my bottles and set them on the table.

"Hn, be that as it may, be extra careful. I feel a snow coming in my bones. Those skies will open up and next thing you'll know you'll be standing in a white wasteland." She muttered, taking a small wooden funnel out from her robes. Picking up one of my bottles she set the funnel in the mouth and began to fill it to the top. "I just spoke to the fairy elder and she said that more fairies should have their powers back by tomorrow. It's just with the increased activity their powers are exhausted faster than they can restore."

"I know." Taking the bottle from her I shoved it in the pouch before turning to the two sprites. "I'm going out into the forest," I said to them "and it will probably be a day I will need you. Yu both have been out on patrols before haven't you?" Customary to ask I was relieved to see them nod. "Good. Then I'll leave off explaining and just let you in the bottle." Opening the cages I held the bottles near the sprites so they could climb in. Once they were comfortable I fitted the stopper in and turned back to the healer. "Thanks."

Turning back to the path I set out for the small tower station by the north doors to the village. As I approached I saw a few foresters already waiting to head out, just waiting for their patrol partner to appear. No one was allowed out of the gates without someone else to help watch the roads. Either you went in pairs, or you didn't go in the forest at all.

A few looked my way before resuming their conversations. "So, do you think today will be as bad?" I heard one ask. "You can never be sure, but since it's close to festival you can bet the Bokoblins will be agitated." Was the response.

Ignoring the chatter I scanned the crowd for my assigned partner, a quiet boy by the name of Fren. He was tall, at least compared to the rest of the men in out village, and had the darkest hair out of any of us. It was an odd look since we all have pale skin and the dark hair just made him look paler, but there was no helping that. Spotting the mentioned dark mop I made my way toward him through the small crowd.

"Here already I see."

He nodded at me before nodding toward the gates. "You ready?" At my nod he motioned to the gate watch to open the gates.

"Be back by darkfall!" They called out at our retreating backs. Waving a hand we continued deeper into the forest.

{3rd person-Surface}

It was dark in the forest, greylight just starting to peak out from the heavens and through the trees. Link held his torch out in front while Fren followed behind. They were and odd pair, one dark hair blending in with the dark surroundings and quiet as a mouse. The other had golden brown hair glowing with the light from the torch, and trying to get his companion to talk.

"So, you've been out here often? I haven't seen you as much." Link asked, eyes scanning the woods.

"A little." Was the quiet response.

"So what do you normally do?" Turning to cast torchlight in another direction Link stood waiting.

"Food gathering."

"Would you prefer me to shut up?" Looking back at his companion Link noted the faraway look in the elf's eyes. "You even paying attention?" He asked, noting how the brown eyes cleared.

"I was just… Thinking." Fren answered, pulling out his own torch.

"Well, try to stay focused. Its more dangerous right now than usual. You never know when something might decide we look like a wonderful meal." Link muttered, turning back to the path. "We're going close to Lady Faron's realm. We won't enter, of course since we do not have permission, but we need to be careful. Bokoblins sense the power she holds and always seem to think they can take her on. They always show up in thicker groups around the falls and close to the temple."

"Then…Why are our torches lit? Doesn't that make us a target?" Fren asked as he looked at his newly lit torch.

"Because, unlike them, we cannot see perfect in the dark. Besides, they have torch carriers in the forest as well. They are just clumsier at making fire. Takes them a few days to make a real large fire, and usually they just use that to lite anything else they need burning." Link explained before stopping to listen again. When he heard nothing unusual he resumed his way along the path. "We can see signs of large fires that are not ours, so we know when were close to a hoard." He continued, pushing away a small branch.

With that the duo fell into silence, Fren following Link the latter stopping at random intervals to listen before moving on. Finally Link called for a stop, settling down on a patch of soft grass and opening his pack to fish out his lunch.

Fren stayed standing for a moment before settling down opposite the blond. They sat in silence as they ate, always stopping to listen to the sounds of the forest for any warning. Link was close to packing the remains away before Fren quietly asked "Do you think the Hero will show up this festival?"

Halting a moment Link resumed his packing. "Well, it's always possible. Our need is…great I won't lie. There is more death than life here. But is it time?" Trailing off Link fixed his blue eyes on Fren. "That is something only the Goddess knows."

Shifting under the hard stare Fren stood and picked up him torch from the place he'd shoved it into the ground. "Let's just finish this."

Nodding Link stood and replaced his sword and shield then retrieved his torch. "Would you like to take lead?" He asked, shifting the belt holding his sword to his back until it sat correctly.

A moment of silence before, "I… Haven't ever taken lead."

Turning to look at his companion Link began to assess the elf behind him. "I see. Seems you haven't patrolled a lot. Well, no matter, I'll stay lead. Just, be careful watching the back." Facing front again Link frowned in thought. It was obvious now that Fren had not been on many excursions into the forest for anything other than food gathering. While that was dangerous, gatherers had guards. Right now, they were their own guards.

Glancing back at his companion Link's frown deepened as her resumed his path. Fren was looking more than a little terrified. Should he make them turn around? If Fren wasn't ready then he shouldn't even be out in the forest at a time like this. Forcing his mind to slow, Link turned over the possibilities. If they ran into anything Fren would probably not be of much help, but then when Link himself had started he was close to useless. Should he just let Fren learn as he had? Crash course?

A sound from his far left stopped Link from any further thought in that direction. If it were just a few, then it wouldn't be anything too difficult. But if it turned out to be more than two… Link knew he couldn't protect himself from all sides. And any sounds of fighting would bring more.

Coming to a decision Link pulled his sword from its sheath. "Fren?"

"Yeah?"

"We need to make for the Sacred Temple, alright?" Handing his torch to the frighten elf Link pulled his shield down from his back. Holding the two torches close, Link could see uncertainty and no small amount of fear swimming in the brown eyes of his companion. "Go ahead and put one of those torches out, just in case. Mine would probably be best." Moving to stand closer to the other elf Link shifted his grip on his blade until it felt ready in his palm. "We'll walk close, so pay attention to were my sword is. Just stay a little ahead so we can see. I'll watch the rear."

Link felt the fear in his companion spike before a small voice asked "There's something out there, isn't there?"

"I think so, that's why we'll head for the temple. No monster has even set foot in the place so we should be alright. Okay? It's just an hour or so walk from here. We'll rest there and head back out later when we're rested up." Mentally groaning at his fate Link nudged Fren forward and followed behind. There was no way he could get word to anyone else from the village unless he ran across another patrol. Staying at the temple would help, but he knew they would have to leave before too long or they would never make it back before darkfall. If he were with an experienced patroller, he'd say it wasn't a problem but since he wasn't… They may end up staying at the temple for the night, which would put the village in a panic.

Ignoring the thoughts for now, Link focused on the sounds of the forest listening for anything that seemed out of place. Bokoblins may have spent a long time haunting the woods but they still didn't seem to know how to move silently in them. A blessing really but with his nerves on edge he felt as if any noise could be a threat.

"So when we make it to the temple?" Fren asked, voice quavering.

"We'll just rest and wait."

{3rd Person-Skyloft}

Blue horizons stretched far beyond the end of sight, clouds hovering below the floating islands as if to define the endless space. Large birds, Loftwings, rode the air currents with ease allowing their riders to enjoy the warm wind and endless sun. One such rider was enjoying a perfect morning, stretching her bird's wings in the cooler morning air before the famed Wing Ceremony.

Excitement fluttered in her chest as she thought of the role she would be playing that day, the role of the Goddess Hylia. It was an honor that she, Zelda, had taken to heart. She had even crafted a sailcloth to match the stories that were told about Hylia and her chosen. Whoever managed to win the ceremony would be gift with the item and knighthood, as well as a ritual on the statue of the Goddess.

Glancing at the skies around her, she tried to imagine which person would win this year. There were only six people this year competing; Cawlin and Strich were a given, as well as Groose, Fledge, Karane, and Pipit. Most good fliers, although she didn't think that Cawlin or Strich would even win. Not unless Groose had already made knighthood and would allow his two friends to excel. Fledge, as sweet as he was, had about as little a chance of winning as the other two. So that only left Karane, Pipit, and Groose.

Of those three Zelda sincerely hoped it was either Karane or Pipit, both good friends and would take the ceremony serious as it should be. Groose would just see it as moment to attempt his version of flirting. Shuddering at the thought Zelda turned her Loftwing back towards the main island. It would not do for the acting Goddess to be late.

All six competitors stood close to the launch point eyes fixed on the instructor Horwell in charge of the event. It was a simple task; the first to get the idol from the golden bird would win the ceremony earning a place in the academy as a knight and taking part in the ceremony of the Goddess.

"Remember, knights will be watching for any foul play, so watch what you do." Instructor Horwell looked long at Groose. "Anything that looks like cheating can possibly disqualify you from the running." All the competitors nodded before moving to stand in a line.

Groose moved closer to the group and muttered "It's gonna be me this year. You guys just stay outta my way, alright?"

Pipit and Karane just glared while Fledge shrank down a little. "Fat chance, I'm not waiting for some other ceremony to make knighthood. This ceremony gives the most credit meaning less work to get our night flying license since we go in as seniors. I for one am not letting an idiot like you win." Karane growled, lowering her body to make a better start.

Pipit just smirked at the two, refraining from answering either and keeping his concentration on the launch ahead. If he could make knighthood it meant a better pay which would allow he and his mother to live better. It was worth more than knighthood to win this ceremony.

"Alright, every one set? Good. When I say, you may begin. And…" Eyeing the six lined up Horwell gave a small smile before, "Go!"

Six sets of feet raced toward the edge of the platform as each made ready to jump. As they disappeared over the edge the summoned birds answered the call and lifted their riders to the sky.

"The lineup this year is an interesting one, isn't it?" Horwell spoke as he watched the flier's race after the golden bird.

"Yeah." Zelda replied, eyes shifting from one rider to another. She then lingered between the two closer to the front, hoping it was Karane and Pipit.

"Three of your friends are trying out this year if I'm correct. Pipit, Karane, and Fledge?" He asked, squinting as the birds fly closer to the sun. At Zelda's nod he continued, "They're good candidates for knighthood. Pipit and Karane have excellent scores and excel at swordplay. I would not be surprised if either of them were the winner. Fledge… Well, he has a good heart."

"I hope one of them makes it."

Glancing down at Zelda the instructor smiled. "Your friends will be fine. The knights are out there if anything should go wrong. If anything I'd worry more about Fledge. I debated on letting him compete, but his heart would be broken if he could not fly with his friends." It was obvious who Fledge was, the birds having gotten close enough to see coloring. Fledges little grey bird was at the back, struggling to keep up the more experienced fliers. Two birds combated for being the closest to the golden bird, one Groose the other Pipit.

"He's such a sweet boy, just I don't know if he should be a knight. He always works so hard but ends up getting left behind…" Zelda trailed off and the duo of fliers got closer to their goal.

"Indeed, it seems so. But he may yet bloom into a great knight. It just takes time." Horwell noted the closing of the distance between to birds and fell silent. It seemed that a winner would be determined soon between the two fliers. A few minutes of jostling later and one of the competitors held the idol aloft. "Well, it seems we have a new knight to congratulate. From the looks of it it's your friend too. Pipit. That's good news."

Zelda nodded to the instructor then raced to the edge of the jump point. As the figures flew closer she saw that it was her friend Pipit who had won the challenge. Letting out a sigh of relief she began to wave at him. He gave a short wave back as he maneuvered his bird close enough to land. "You did great! That has to be close to a record." Zelda pronounce once he landed.

Karane landed behind him and joined her friends, face red from the winds. "I underestimated you, you royal pain. Guess I am going to have to wait." She sighed, slinging an arm over Pipits shoulder.

"Thanks." Face flushed from excitement Pipit held the idol in a tight grip, as if afraid to let it go. He had been worried as Groose closed in beside him, for a moment wondering if indeed he would lose to the oddly styled hulk. He could feel the red heads angry eye set on his back, but it didn't matter know. He held the idol and everyone had seen that.

"Well done Pipit, you have officially become a knight. Now you can begin the Ceremony at the Goddess Statue." Instructor Horwell motioned for the two to make their way to the statue. "When you've finished come to my classroom and well finish up everything else."

"Alright." Grabbing her friends hand Zelda began to tug Pipit toward the statue, "We have a ceremony to start."

{1st person-Pipit}

Standing next to Zelda as she sang and played the harp seemed almost too surreal. Only this morning I had awoke to butterflies and nerves and now I was completing the Wing Ceremony a knight. Zelda's voice began to fade as she lowered her harp. "Well, now you know what happens right?" She asked, eyeing me with a smile.

"I…" Trailing off I forced my mind to remember that little bit of information it seemed to have forgotten. What was I supposed to do? Looking away I felt my face turn red as I waited for the answer to appear.

"Well?' She asked, standing in front of me in her Goddess garb looking expectantly.

"I don't remember." I finally muttered feeling my face flame even redder. It just seemed that today would be one of those days I couldn't get a grip on…

Slowly Zelda walked up to me with a small smile. "Well, first I present you with this." Pulling off the shawl that had been resting on her shoulders she held it out to me. "I made this as the gift I was to give as the Goddess. It's a sailcloth, like the one in the stories the Goddess gave her hero."

Taking the cloth from her hands I noted the heaviness of the material, and the symbol carefully stitched into the fabric. The symbol of the Goddess. "You must have worked hard on this." I remarked, unfolding the cloth completely. It was beautiful, no thread loose or a stitch off.

"I wanted it to be perfect." She answered, moving closer to me. "I'm glad you won today. I was hoping it would be either you or Karane. Not that I would have minded Fledge, but…" She trailed off.

"I understand." I did. Everyone knew that while Fledge was a great friend he was not ready to be a knight.

"I figured you would. Anyway, time to complete this ceremony." Coming to stand right in front of me she gave me a little smile that made me nervous. "You have a good hold on that sailcloth?"

Frowning I tightened my grip on the fabric. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, because the next part of the ceremony… "She trailed off before grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around "Is you jump off here and land in the center of that circle right down there." Pointing to the ground below I felt a sudden sense of thrill run up my spine. "I've heard only the bravest knights open the cloth right before they land." She added, pushing me to the edge. "So… off you go!" With a final shove I was falling from the edge of the statue, ground coming up fast. Forcing my body to twist in the air I aimed for the ever growing circle before I finally let the sailcloth open.

Drifting down the last few feet I felt my heart thud hard in my chest as I finally touched down. Closing my eyes I stopped to regain my breath, the air seeming to have become breathable again. Strange how you never notice that you're not breathing until you start again.

Turning around to look up I watched as Zelda dove off the edge and called for her Loftwing. "That was perfect!" She called, jumping from her birds back. "Now you're a knight!" Walking up to me she laughed. "How does it feel?"

"Good. Very good. I finally made knighthood. Suits me, don't you think?" I asked as I tucked away the sailcloth.

"Yup, indeed Mr. Knight. Come on, we got to get going. You know Karane is going to want to see you and you have to go talk to Instructor Horwell." Zelda pushed me along the path and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You're not acting very much like a Goddess right now you know." I snickered, digging my heels in to make her push harder.

"Oh hush, I'm finished with my part. You still have things to do, so get moving." Giving a final shove she suddenly moved out from behind me.

Flailing a moment I caught my balance and glared. "That wasn't lady like."

"Well, I'm not being a lady right now." She answered.

I smirked and began to follow her in silence. The sky shimmered an awesome blue and the warmth seeped deep into the bones. It was a perfect day that nothing could ruin. Holding the sailcloth close I wondered if this is how the hero felt after receiving his gift from the goddess. At that thought I stopped.

"Zelda?"

Turning to face me she brushed her golden hair from her face. "Yeah?"

"You know a lot about the Goddess and her hero, right?" Fiddling with the edge of the cloth I looked away from her and searched the sky for anything to keep my eyes busy.

"Not everything but I know a bit, yeah."

"Then… Do you know what happened to the Hero after he received the sailcloth?" Finding nothing in the skies I looked back at Zelda. She frowned a moment before answering.

"Well, I know that it was before the great divide. Before we were sent to live in the sky. He fought on the surface or so they say." She said slowly, as if trying to remember the entire story.

"What happened? He fought on the surface but that can't be the last thing written about him." I ventured, unsure of why this really matter but knew that somehow it did.

"He died in the battle against the great darkness. He was one of the last casualties in the war, or so it's believed. I'm not sure if that's true though." Shrugging Zelda continued "It's thought that his death is what caused the battle to turn because the Goddess' anger was great. She was able to seal the darkness away, but it cost her life. If she hadn't been as reckless as she had, she may have lived and not been injured so. But she felt as if her time was not as important maybe." Stopping she cocked her head to the side and finished, "It's all speculation though. We may never know what she was thinking. Why?"

"I'm not sure." I answered, pulling the sailcloth from my belt. "It just seemed important to ask." Looking the fabric over again I felt a sense of vertigo as I imagined the same cloth being held by an elf many years in the past. Did he know he was going to die fighting? Did he know he was a hero? Heaving a sigh I folded the cloth back in my belt.

"Stop worrying you'll be fine. It's not as if you have to go save the entire world or something." Zelda laughed.

"What?" Confused I stared at her as she continued to laugh.

"Your face. It looks so serious. Your thinking that you have to somehow live up to being like the Hero. Don't worry about it!" Taking my hand she began to pull me to the bridge and away from the Isle of the Goddess. "You're thinking about it too much! It's just a symbol of your accomplishments. And think, you can now dive from your Loftwing and not worry about a rough landing."

"Yeah." Somehow it just felt wrong, as if the cloth should rest not in my belt, but someone else's.

{3rd Person-Surface}

The trek to the Sacred Temple was nothing short of nerve wracking for Link. Every sound he expected to be a monster, and anytime Fren faltered he was sure that he would look to see a grinning Bokoblin ready for the attack. As soon as he saw the temple from between the trees he sighed in relief.

"Almost there." He said quietly, urging his companion to move a little faster. It seemed Fren needed no urging as he picked up the pace and headed straight for the doors. "We'll be safe once we get inside."

Reaching the temple Link and Fren pushed against the stone doors blocking the sanctuary of the inside. The doors creaked a little before giving way to the pressure and opened enough for the two elves to slip in and shut the doors behind them. It was dark inside the stone walls, the only light filtering in from the hole in the roof at the other end of the building.

Somewhere within the temple Link knew that the Guardian was sitting and waiting as she had for years, waiting for the arrival of the Hero. Link had never personally met her as she stayed away from the elves still living on the surface but occasionally someone would say they saw her watching their midwinter celebration. He wasn't sure if he should believe such tales of her visits, but he had no doubt of her existence. The Hero needed a guide after all.

"What do we do know?" Fren asked, pulling Link back to the present.

"Well first thing is finding a place to rest. Then we can decide what to do." Taking the torch from trembling fingers Link walked further into the temple until he found a nice cove to the left. Stepping between the columns he found a dry place and drove the torch into the ground before dropping his pack and weapons to the floor.

"I...I'm sorry."

"What?" Turning to look at his companion Link frowned as he plopped next to his gear.

"If you had another partner, you wouldn't be in this mess."

Shrugging Link leaned back and rolled his neck. "That may be, but it's not something we can change now. What I'm more interested in is why you signed up to do this in the first place."

Flushing Fren set his gear down before sitting on the soft ground. "My cousin… he'd been talking about how the village needed more patrols, which we couldn't hope to keep everyone protected with the small force we had. I just thought that since I'd been in the forest before that I might be of help. I knew it was foolish but I thought that because everyone else came back I'd be able to too."

Link stayed quiet as Fren explained, not sure how to react to the news his companion knew nothing about how to survive in the forest. If he'd thought that his actions were over the top, an overreaction, he knew now that they certainly weren't. First timers started in midsummer, when the Bokoblin encounters were less often and their groups were smaller. They also went with a group of two other veterans, not one and definitely not close to midwinter.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you except that what you did may not have been the most intelligent. This season is the worst for dangerous encounters, and with it being just me who can fight you'll be a hindrance. But we can't stay here until someone finds us. That can cause loses that we don't need so we'll have to leave sometime." Rummaging around in his pack Link pulled out a crinkled map. "As I see it we'll run out of supplies if we stay longer than a day and our torches will burn down to stubs of we keep using them."

Spreading the map out Link glanced over it for a few minutes before speaking again. "So I say we find a quick easy route from this temple back to the village. Does that sound good to you?" Facing his companion Link bit down a sigh. Fren was looking at him with wide eyes, hands clenched on the pack in front of him as if it were a life line to the world around him. How did he not see this before?

"Don't worry; I've been out here quite a few times. I know where to go and how to get us home." Standing Link grabbed the torch and looked back at his companion. "I'm going to go look around for any supplies that might have been left here. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind."

"But-!"

Link interrupted before he could start. "Just light the other torch and wait here. You'll be safe." Walking away before Fren could voice any more objections Link set out to the store rooms that were on the other side of the building. He knew it wouldn't take long as the building wasn't that big, but there were sections that were not as sturdy as they had once been and traversing them could lead to injury.

Picking his path carefully he wove through ceiling debris and shin length grass before finding the store rooms he was looking for. Peaking inside he moved slow, wary of any lose stones or pits that would trip him up. Seeing no such obstructions he moved into the room and began to scan the shelves. There was plenty of wood for the fire, and a few bottles of wine and mead, but little else was stored. Shifting things around he finally found a few torches and selected two that looked to be the least used.

"You are early." A quiet voice sounded behind him, causing him to drop the torches and reach from his missing sword. Cursing his stupidity Link picked up a torch and held it in front of him as he searched for the owner of the voice.

"I'm out here." The voice sounded again. This time Link could tell it was outside the store room. Gathering up the torches he walked slowly out of the store room, torch held in defense. "Oh you don't need to do that." The voice wheezed causing Link to lower his torch.

Eyes widening in realization Link stared at the form in front of him, a small woman garbed in red and black. "The Guardian of the temple."

"Hn, yes I suppose that could be one of my names."

Disbelief coursed through Link; how could this be? The guardian had never sought out any other elf that he knew of and yet, here she was speaking to him.

"Do not look so disturbed, I'm not a ghost." She sighed sounding weary. "I just came to tell you it is not yet time for you to be here. The time is soon though, so I would watch for the first sign." With that she turned and began to walk away.

"Wait! You're just going to leave?" Link moved to follow her but stopped as she raised a hand.

"I only can to give you a message. Nothing more. I must return to my post."

Faltering Link moved back a few paces and bowed low. "I… I'm sorry. I-uh, thank you. I'll just leave now then. Should I-tell anyone this message?" Stumbling Link tried hard to understand what was happening.

"No, I think that you knowing will be enough." And with that she disappeared into the darkness of the temple.

Standing in the torchlight Link didn't move until a spark landed on his hand. Hissing in pain he moved away from the spot and began his trek back to Fren, his mind turned and twisting so much he barely saw the path in front of him. What had she meant by it was not time? And that only he needed to know? So many questions…

"You're back." Startled Link looked around finding he'd arrived at the rest point.

"…Yeah. I uh- found some torches. They look to be unused for the most part so they should help us on our way home." Link frowned at the sudden feeling he had in his gut. It was as if he didn't want to tell Fren about his encounter with the Guardian. Maybe that's what she meant by not needing other to know…

"Great. I was starting to worry you'd gotten lost." Fren smiled weakly. "Oh, but I managed to get everything arranged to leave. I Figured I'd carry most of the stuff in my pack. You know, because I can't really fight. I thought it might help…" Blushing Fren looked away.

Smirking at the self-conscious nature of his companion Link let his meeting fall to the back of his mind. Working on getting back to the village alive would be his number one priority, and when he made it back then he could ponder the cryptic message. "That's probably for the best."

Smile becoming bigger, Fren began asking about how they would get back, eager to be of some help. It was interesting to see this talkative side of his companion, but Link figured it probably had something to do with the somewhat dire situation the two had found themselves in. Well, if the kid wanted to help he might as well let him.

"We're leaving soon, right? Fren asked as he pulled at strands of grass. "I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."

"Yeah, just a few more minutes. We have three hours before darkfall and I want to use the most of it." Link responded as he stretched.

"So why didn't we leave earlier?" Twisting a blade of grass free Fren split the blade before putting it between his thumbs and blowing, making a weird whistling sound.

"The Bokoblins are active around midday; they seem to have more energy then. I wanted to wait until closer to nightfall because they are usually less observant and have less energy." Pulling his sword out Link tried a few swings in the air to test if his muscles had been warmed enough.

Fren sat staring at Link for a few moments before resuming his weird whistling. Soon the whistling became more of a blowing sound and Fren tossed the blade away. "You know a lot about the monsters around here." He observed as he picked at another blade. Link grunted but didn't speak. It was another few minutes silence before Fren spoke again. "How do you know so much?"

Stopping his sword exercise Link stared at the blade in his hand. "I've done this for a long time." He finally responded ask he watched the metal reflect his face.

"Oh." Silence before, "Why?"

Giving a humorless laugh Link made a face at his reflection before placing the blade back into its sheath. "I have few options really. I won't stand by and watch my home die. We may be the last village of Hylians left." Link paused before adding, "I also wanted revenge."

"For your family? Or just everyone?"

Placing a hand on his hip Link thought before he answered. "For my family at first, I think. But then I got to know the people on the patrols. Every time I lost a friend it hurt. I didn't want to lose any more friends so I guess I started fighting for them too."

Fren bit his lip and stared hard at the blade of grass in his hand. Silence stretched on between the two before Fren stood up. "You know," he said as he brushed the dirt from his trousers "that's very cliché. But somehow it just sounds right coming from you."

Raising a brow Link opened his mouth but paused. "…Thanks… I think."

"Well, enough of this. I'm tired of waiting. Let's go out and meet up with destiny if that's what is in store for us today. If not, then we should make it home." Fren smiled and moved toward the door.

"That sounds horribly ominous I hope you know." Link muttered before following.

"Maybe, but it's the truth."

Further notes:

On Lighting-

Everyone is probably wondering why the surface is so dark. Well, the plot hole in the game is why. How on earth could there be an extremely thick layer of clouds between the sky and the earth and yet the earth has bright sun shine? It's not possible, but I understand that Zelda is a game and playing in a dark world the entire game would be dull. So I invented a theory. The clouds began to dissipate when Link opened the sky portal to below, thus thinning the clouds and allowing more light. Granted it wouldn't be how bright it is in the game, but the part where Link had to retrieve his items on Eldin Volcano seemed more real to me so I made the world dark. Besides, as thick as the clouds are, a Loftwing could fly through them. I think maybe they don't want to so the refuse. Or maybe the Goddess made it so they wouldn't want to/couldn't. Either way, Loftwings won't go through the clouds.

On terms-

Darkfall- Nightfall is a general term everyone is expected to know, sure, but darkfall just helps illustrate point one on lighting. The world below is different so of course they call things differently.

Greylight- Again, with the cloud cover everything is darker so I couldn't image them calling it daylight since it's not truly day, hence the color the world turns, grey.

On POV-

Yes I am switching around, but I hope I have clearly marked the shifts in time. I felt that in order to tell the story the way I wanted I would need multiple ways to tell it.

On Characterization

This is a bit experimental for me seeing how this is my first. I know it won't be perfect, no matter how much I want it to be so, so I'm focusing on consistency and characterization. I want to find a way to keep in character but allow the characters to grow and change with the story, so if anyone wishes to point out inconsistencies with how a character is acting, e-mail me. Point out where and if you have ideas let me know how you think it could be better.

Link- As you all have noticed he is not a day dreamy as he is when starting the SS game. I felt that if he had been exposed to the violence of the world below he might not be as light hearted. I will attempt to keep close to the character though in subtle ways.

Zelda- She bothered me with how childish she seemed in SS. While I understand why, I wish she gained maturity as the game progressed. I enjoyed TP Zelda much more so I think I will be modeling her more from that version.

Pipit- he seems to be by far the hardest to pin down for me. He was not fully developed in the game, despite the obvious archetype of older brother role model, so he may seem more OOC. I like to think it's just because we all have different versions imagined. While that makes an interesting point as to why I would make a story like this I think that looking at the LinkXSheik pairing would answer that. You don't have to know much about a character to fall in love with them.