Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, but I do love it. :)
"Wake, Hero of Time"
Link opened his eyes and blinked at the bright lights that assaulted his vision. He wiped the sleep from them and took a second to adjust as he looked around the Chamber of Sages. The chamber hadn't changed since the last time he was there, before his final battle with Ganondorf. The water like marble was still as breathtaking as ever and the glistening stones of the medallions stirred a pain in his chest, loss. He looked at them and felt loss. Where were his friends now?"Why am I here, Rauru?"
"You must abandon your quest, young one. No good will come from this, you will only suffer." His words were solemn and Link could hear the genuine concern in his voice but he couldnt't help the way it made his shoulders stiffen or his hands ball into fists. He couldn't douse the white hot heat of anger in his stomach even if he wanted to. Though for the sake of his friend he pushed it away.
"What quest are you speaking of? I thought I already finished my quest, Hyrule is safe, the monsters slain, and Ganondorf is defeated." He feigned ignorance though both could see through it easily.
"What you seek will only cause you harm, the path you are setting on is a dangerous one, young one. Not all the monsters are slain, not all the nightmares are over. Let old friends lie, let time heal your wounds, do not seek those who do not wish to be found. This is the only warning I will give to you, because you are my hero, because you are my friend..."
Darkness crept in on his vision and his head was swimming but it was Rauru's words that truly shook him. When he opened his eyes again he was met with the sight of the stars shining brightly above Hyrule Field. He couldn't appreciate their beauty fully with his thoughts in such turmoil. Link understood the warning, to keep looking for her he would have to fight, to face danger, to get hurt. Funny how it's now that he's being warned, but to take a child and put him in the body of an adult only so that they could feel better about putting him in front of danger and telling him to kill the evil, save the world, that was fine.
He didn't regret it and he never would, Hyrule was his home and he would defend it again if asked, without hesitation. Though it would have been nice to have known what he was getting into from the very start. The first time he killed someone he was only ten years old, of course it was a monster and it was evil but the death took a toll on him none the less. He remembered curling up next to a tree shaking with tears that he tried his best to keep in. It was Navi who soothed him, Navi who told him he did the right thing and that no one would ever fault him for it. It was her that told him that his guilt was what kept him from being someone soulless like Ganondorf. He had made so many friends throughout his journey but she was his constant companion and his very best friend.
Link turned his head from the glowing stars and looked at the shield propped against the boulder he slept beside. The sight of the Kokiri design on his shield instead of the Hylian sent a pang of longing through him and a feeling close to vulnerability that he didn't want to dwell on. He told himself he could always save up and buy it when he was bigger and better suited to use it. He also reminded himself that this was the very shield that protected him all those times he went back to the past. He told himself these things daily and still he felt bare without the weight of it. His body felt too small and the shield he kept on his back too light. His eyes moved to the sword leaning next to it. He refused to think of the Master Sword, refused to think of how it looked covered in blood, how sometimes he didn't know if it was his or an enemies. Link didn't want to think about how the length of his small sword made him feel incomplete or how he no longer radiated with power when he held onto it. No, in fact he didn't want to think of any of it and yet that was all he ever did.
When Zelda had sent him back in time she thought she was doing him a favor, giving him his childhood back. The only problem was that instead of being a child trapped in an adult body he now felt like an adult trapped in a child's body. For the first few weeks he wondered which was worse, now he knew. This was worse, it would always be worse. Being the only one cursed with the memories of a time that will never be, with losses and deaths and wounds that would never happen was a curse. He was a product of a war that never came to be. To make matters worse the only other person who knew what it was like, the only one that could help him through this was gone. He had tried to visit his friends again and gain them back in his life but he found it hard to keep his timeliness right and most people shied away from him, thinking him half insane. The only one who didn't seem to mind was Malon and she was always busy.
Knowing sleep would elude him the rest of the night Link stood up and stretched, he felt phantom pains run through his body where scars should be from this battle and that. After fastening his sword and shield to himself he began the walk to Lon Lon Ranch, he had finally saved up enough money to buy Epona from the friendly ranchers. It would be nice to see a friendly face again when he woke up and he had missed his faithful companion dearly.
He took his time walking, knowing that he wouldn't run into a stalchild was a small mercy. Link let his mind wander to Rauru's warning. He didn't bother to question how the man knew what he intended, but he did wonder at the danger he hinted at. What could be so dangerous about looking for his lost friend? He had been doing it for months and nothing bad had happened as of yet. He had started by asking the Kokiri children if their fairies ever left them or died, they had told him that a fairy was a dedicated creature, they spent their lives on singular tasks and wouldn't leave before they were done. Since their tasks were to watch over the children stuck in time, they too were stuck in time and thus a fairy had never left a Kokiri before. Link had felt his stomach turn to stone when he heard that. Navi had a task, help Link on his journey, she had fulfilled it the moment Link put the Master Sword back in its pedestal. Did that truly mean that he would never see her again, or worse, did it mean she was dead? No, he wouldn't accept that, he would search until there was no more land to search, only then would he be satisfied.
Since the moment she so rudely woke him up in bed they had been inseparable. Yes, she was annoying at times and he wasn't so ashamed to admit that he had hit her once or twice with his slingshot to get her to stop demanding that he listen to every word she had to say. But she was always at his side, through every battle, every riddle, and every sleepless night. She was with him when he'd wash off the blood and sweat after completing a temple, she knew not to sooth him anymore, just her presence was enough and she held her tongue when he kept scrubbing long after the blood was off him. She stayed with him as the healing fairies saved his life time and time again, telling him how the new scar he'd have would impress the ladies. She even encouraged him to take breaks, go fishing, have races with Epona, be a kid for a while. She kept him sane but most importantly she reminded him of what he was fighting for. And he'd keep fighting for it, for his friends, for their happiness. Now he had to go find her and maybe give her a good scolding for leaving him for so long.
He watched the sunrise from the entrance of Lon Lon Ranch and looked towards Castle Town, it would be the last time he got the chance for a while. He had heard rumors of paths not yet explored in the Lost Woods and had no way of knowing how long he'd be gone. The one thing he did know was that whatever danger was waiting for him he would face it head on, he would chase the nightmares away and he would do his best to find his friend. He only hoped that Epona wouldn't get spooked in the woods, she was still a child after all.
Note: I'm not sure if im going to continue this story, I could go on and have him search for her during his adventures in Termina. It could be interesting to explore how being around another fairy would impact his emotions. For now im going to list it as complete, maybe i'll change my mind later.