A/N G'day, readers! This is my first submission to and I've been thinking this styory over, and oer, so I just decided to post it! I am co-authoring this with a friend of mine, Lance Delgado, and we ope this to turn out a success. Enough with the raving, on with the story!
Lance: Neither David, or I, own any characters portraied in this story other than Sarah! Enjoy.
CHAPTER 1:Prologue to a prologue.
She was running. She didn't know why, but she knew she wasn't safe. She stopped under a large, old oak, to catch her breath. She had been running for weeks now, away from the capital. She had on filthy rags that were once a pale peach colored and frilly dress, now a shade of muddy green from the rough travel. On her feet were some boots she found in an abandoned shack, one that was still smoldering.
Her name was Sarah. She didn't even remember her own last name, but she knew her name was Sarah. She was around 16 now, five feet and eight inches tall, with a pale complexion, raven hair, and a slightly Latino look to her.
Sarah stood up, she knew she couldn't stay in one place for long. She looked up, looking for the North Star. She was heading north in hopes of escaping her pursuers.
She found it directly ahead of her and started jogging towards it, to a hill in front of her. She reached the top and gasped at what she saw. There, laid out right in front of her, was a literal ocean of trees, most of them huge. "The great forest. I've found it!" She exclaimed as she looked at it. One in particular stood out, reaching high above the others.
It was insanely huge, dwarfing the highest rivaling tree by a good hundred feet. Eyeing it, she started forward, she wasn't going to get captured this close to her destination, not after the hell she went through to get there. As she drew closer, she heard the bark of hounds far behind her. They were close, closer than last night.
With this as new motivation, she sprinted to the cover of the nearest tree. When she reached it, she could smell a faint scent of a dank musk, al most like an ancient cellar. Well, this place certainly seems inviting… With the barking getting more and more hushed with every step, a sense of relief swept over her. She did it! She escaped those horrid hunters, and made it to the forest. Now, She thought, what do I do? Looking around, a sense of unease flooded her. What now? Where to?
With a cautious step forward, she tried to think. She should probably keep on going, but where to? This forest is huge! How will I get anywhere? Then a thought hit her. That big tree… It somehow made sense to her. It was decided. She was going to that large old tree. But now, thought Sarah, I'll rest.
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The next day, Sarah woke up early. She stared around her, trying to piece together what had happened. She was on a high, broad branch, in an old tree. As she stared around she noted she was in a forest. A really pretty one, too. The light played on the ground in scattered groups, jostling along with the merrily swaying leaves. Wildlife was busily hopping, flying, sauntering, or sliding around, not paying any attention to the girl watching them.
She climbed down gingerly, landing with a soft plop on the ground. She walked forward, remembering the path to the huge tree from her perch on the branch. She picked fruit along the way, negotiating with her stomach that she would eat, but keep moving. At around noon, Sarah sat down on a convenient log to rest. She was close, she was sure of that. She would get there by nightfall.
A few hours later, she stepped out of the line of trees into a breath taking meadow. The grass was a brilliant emerald, the few streams a sparkling blue, and the sun shining down completed the picture. "This is kind of nice," Then she noticed that some of the trees that were standing there had holes in them, almost like doors. This gave the impression of an eerie abandoned village. These tree houses were in good condition, though, and the distinct aroma of cooking apples was fanning across the tree village. She saw the canopy of the huge tree she was headed for a few hundred yards away, so she ignored the "houses", and went towards the tree. She didn't notice the eyes watching her from the windows of several of the huts.
She stepped into an even larger meadow to come face to face with the colossal trunk of the tree she was searching for. It was huge. It looked as though it was miles into the sky. Once done with the observations, she approached it. "Whoa…" It had what looked like a face etched into its trunk, with a moustache.
"You don't see that everyday. Usually…" she murmured to no one in particular. "I'd suppose not, child." She jumped and turned around. No one was anywhere in sight.
"Where are you?!" she yelled farsightedly. "Thy need not fear, I am in front of thee." Sarah turned toward the voice, and looked straight at the tree. "Where are you? Behind the tree?" She could have sworn she heard a chuckle. "I am not behind the tree, I am the tree." She stared at it as if it were a… err, talking tree. "How can you be a tree?" she asked it, him if the voice was any indication. "The same way you are you, Sarah." She calmed slightly. She knew the tree wasn't gong to harm her, but she was still weary of him. "Fine. So, who are you?" "I am called The Great Deku tree by the children of the forest." This got her attention. "Children? In this forest?" "Yes, lass. You passed a village to get to this meadow, correct?" She nodded. "Did thee notice the houses there? Those are the lodgings for them. They are called Kokiri, and they have inhabited this forest since I shaped them." She had a blank look on her face. "You… Made them?" He chuckled yet again. "Yes, I did. Now If thee have no further questions for me," Sarah bit her lip. "Then I would like to know what brings you to the forbidden woods." She almost panicked at the word forbidden, but tried to stay calm. "I ran here to hide from hunters. I have been followed for weeks on end and seeked shelter. I stumbled upon this forest and entered." She summarized quickly. "Ah. I will send a fairy to my most trusted Kokiri. Please wait there." As he said this, a small pink light floated towards his face with help of wings attached to its back. They held a hushed conversation, while Sarah dozed of for a while. She woke as a pair of small hands shook her gently. As she looked up, she realized they were attached to a young girl of around ten with vibrant green hair. The younger girl smiled as Sarah opened her light brown eyes. The green haired girl said, "Hello, my name's Saria. What's yours?" Sarah stared for a bit then shook her head, standing up. "Sarah. It's Sarah. So, are you a, you know, Kokiri?" Saria broadened her smile. "Yes, I am!" She wore a green turtle necked sweater, with a matching pair of shorts, some green boots and a pine green hair clip. The only non-green part of her was her eyes, which were a deep blue, almost glowing green anyway. "Are there more of you? Kokiri, that is." Saria nodded. "Yes, there are. Want to go meet some?" Sarah thought for a moment. She had nowhere to go, she needed shelter, and Saria seemed to be a nice girl. "Sure, I'd love to!" Saria giggled happily, clapping her hands together. "Great. I guess we should go see Link first, since he just got back from his trip. I was on my way to him when I got summoned, anyway." Sarah nodded. This could get interesting. "Sounds good to me. Lets go!" Saria giggled again, and walked towards the clearing with the village, Sarah in tow. When the duo got there, Sarah noticed some other kids running around and playing with each other. They were headed to a house that was elevated, with a ladder and balcony. Saria started climbing. Sarah shrugged and followed her. Once she was at the top she saw that a large red cloth, almost like a curtain, blocked the doorway. Saria walked through without a glance behind her.
Sarah entered quietly, looking around. It was small but cozy, with a bed under a window and a table in the middle, random decorations here and there. On the bed was a blonde boy who looked a little older than Sarah herself. He had golden hair, deep blue eyes that out did Saria's, easily. He had on a green tunic, worn by age, a leather belt around it, some white undergarments of unknown material, Leather gauntlets, and brown boots, also worn by age. Strapped to his back were a sword and a shield, and he had a cap on his head. He looked at Sarah a while after she came in. In a smooth, yet somewhat deep voice, he asked, "So you're Sarah?" She nodded at his question. "Are you Link?" He grinned a coy, knowing grin at her "Oh, I'm that famous, am I?" She just stared at him blankly. "Um, Saria just mentioned you." Link seemed to deflate from that. She almost giggled at the sight of him.
"Yeah, I did." Saria chuckled as his ego shattered. "Well, I'll leave you two to get to know each other better, The Deku Tree isn't done with me." She walked out with that and left the two teenagers alone. Sarah looked at him. "Is she always like that?" Link chuckled to himself. "Not usually. So, how old are you?" "16. And you?" They got into a more relaxed position on the bed. "17. So, what's your favorite color…?" This went on for a while until it got dark. Sarah slept on the bed, while Link insisted to sleep in a chair. Morning came all too soon and Sarah woke to the sounds of movement in front of her. She cracked open an eye and observed Link cook breakfast. The smell of cooked meat and scrambled eggs permeated the air as the young man skillfully flipped the contents of a stone skillet over the fire of his, also stone, stovetop in the small kitchen. How did he get that stove into a tree house, that's suspended over the earth? She groaned as she sat up, stretching. Link called to her, "Awake yet?" "Not really…" He smirked. Sarcasm. His forte.