Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda.

Hello everyone! This is my first Zelda fic, so please be kind. I hope you enjoy it! Please review! --

This fic takes place during the Ocarina of Time period, but sort of with an alternate storyline. You'll see what I mean. And I tried to stay true to the characters, but I may have altered a little bit of their personalities, but oh well.

Time of War

Stage One:
Enticement

"An urgent announcement from the king of Hyrule:

As the king of Hyrule, I am asking for the help of courageous young men skilled in combat to join Hyrule's Defense Force. Your help is critically needed due to the hard and dangerous times that we will soon face. Ganon has revived perished troops from the desert and is advancing on the castle. If we have a strong army, we will sure be able to protect our beloved land. If interested, please report to the main gate of the castle on the morning after the first full moon of this month.

Please support Hyrule and join the army."

Link's left eyebrow raised as he read the flyer that was attached to the wall of the Kokiri general store. It intrigued him very much, since he had always pictured himself as a soldier for the Hylian army. For a Kokiri, he's abnormally tall and is without a guardian fairy, well he does have Navi, but she was given to him by the Deku Tree. So in reality, he is not your average Kokiri.

He did practice sword techniques everyday with the sword the blacksmith gave him. He'd go into the Sacred Forest Meadow, where he and Saria would battle and then she would teach him how to play the Ocarina. The meadow was the only place for him to practice sword and not be ridiculed by the Kokiri, since the exercise of any violent nature was looked down upon.

With every passing day, he'd grow stronger and become a better warrior. Although he still had a lot of training to do to become like the Hero of Time the Deku Tree once told him about, he believed he still had a chance to join the Defense Force.

He reached for the flyer and pulled it off the tack it was hanging by. He folded it and put it in his pocket. He bought a couple of things and then left for his tree house, which was getting smaller and smaller with every departing day, as he only got taller.

Looks from the Kokiri lingered as Link walked along the gravel path. Most of them thought of him as an outcast and that he didn't belong. He was too strong and courageous to be a Kokiri, they were traits that no one in the race obtained, except for him. He is the only one to have audacity and brawn. And those qualities only grew greater as he matured into a young adult. But even at the age of seventeen, Kokiri are still the size of a child, but Link, on the other hand, was a deformity. He was the size of a man, a Hylian.

"Hey, Giant" a male voice called out from behind him.

He stopped and quickly turned around. He instantly knew it was Mido, the leader of the Kokiri Tribe. From the first day they had met, he has despised Link. He is the main reason for Link's rude treatment from the others, since he spread rumors of him being a bastard of the Gerudo Thieves. The tribe didn't know that the Gerudo, the all female army of thieves, only gave birth to a male every hundred years, so Mido took control of that and told them that the army of thieves only got rid of him because giving birth to a male was a bad omen. So people have shunned away from Link in fear.

"What do you want, Mido?" Link asked, trying hard not to grab the sword from his sheath. "I don't have time for you right now."

Mido laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "No reason to be rude, Link. I just wanted to say hello to you so you don't accidentally step on me, you know?" he said. "So, how is Saria?"

"She's fine," he replied. He wondered why he would ask him that question, when he could ask her himself. "I haven't really seen her, though."

Mido looked amused by this. "Good, because if you don't mind, I'm going to ask her to the Harvest Moon festival that's taking place tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Link repeated. "It's tomorrow?"

He nodded.

That means the recruitment for the King's defense troop is in a day and a half. How will I ever be ready in time for that? Link thought, sinking into a state of bewilderment. He was a skilled warrior, the best in the whole village, but he wasn't sure about the whole land of Hyrule. He would have to compete against the Zorans, Gorons, and more importantly, the Hylians. He didn't have to worry about the Gerudo, since women were not aloud to fight in battle, which he was a little relieved about. Still, being as skilled as he was, he still hasn't mastered everything.

Mido snapped his finger, bringing Link back from his daze. "Hey!" he said loudly. "Is it all right for me to ask Saria to the festival?"

He wanted to leave as soon as possible. He has more important things to do rather than listening to him bicker. "I don't care what you do, Mido," he said, and walked away.

Link finally made his way to his to his tree house and climbed the ladder that led to the door. He was met with a very angry Saria. He knew why she was mad, but he pretended not to notice her heated face and went over to the bed to take off his boots.

Saria rolled her eyes. "You're late. I waited here for an hour," she said, and sighed in frustration. She turned around, looking him over. "Ignoring me won't help, Link."

She pulled out her green ocarina from her pocket. She looked at is for a few seconds and then shot a glance at Link. "Why don't you want to learn how to play it?" Playing the ocarina meant a lot to her. While she plays it, she's taken to another world. A world of magic and solitude that no one could ever steal her away from. It was her special place, like it was a part of her… A part she wanted to share with Link, her best friend.

He looked up at her. "Saria, it's not that I don't want to learn it. It's just…"

He didn't want to tell her that he had to start training to be a soldier. He knew that she wouldn't want him to fight in battle. She doesn't want him to get hurt.

Somehow, Saria picked up his mixed emotions radiating off his body. "Link, what's wrong?" she asked, moving closer to him. "Don't tell me there's nothing wrong, either. I've know you for a long time, so I know when something is troubling you."

Link stood up, he's knees feeling weak all of the sudden. "Saria, I won't be able to have anymore ocarina lessons for a while."

She put her head down and stared at her feet. "What do you mean?" She couldn't look him in the eyes. She didn't want to see if he was lying to her or not. She wouldn't be able to bear the thought of him lying to her about taking the lessons. It would hurt her too much.

He didn't want to tell her, but he had to. It's the only way she'd understand. "Today I saw this flyer posted on the wall of Kokiri's General Store." He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He reluctantly handed it to her, his hand shaking.

She began to unfold it in her hands, wondering what information the paper held. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it said, but the temptation to read it only made her open it faster.

She flattened out the paper and skimmed it over. Reading it to herself, she made sounds at words like "dangerous" and "combat." She didn't know if she should be angry or sad. This was Link, the closest thing she has to a family, or maybe relationship. She doesn't want to lose that; not for anything in the world. But going into battle is what he always dreamt about. She doesn't want to take his dreams away from him, that would be like taking out his heart and tearing it to pieces right in front of his face. She could never do that. So she took in a deep breath and let is out slowly. She knew what she has to do, but it isn't what she truly wants to do.

"So?" Link said, raising his eyebrows. "What do you think?"

Saria looked at him and put on her best I'm-smiling-on-the-outside-but-crying-on-the-inside smile. "I'm happy for you," she said, handing over the threatening letter. "Honest."

After hearing that, he put on the happiest look and hugged her. "I'm glad you're happy, Saria," he said happily. "It means a lot."

She looked at the mirror that was across the room. The door of them hugging is a sight she'll burn to the back of her skull. She never wants to forget that moment, since it's the only one she has of them together. And maybe, their last…

--

I know it may suck now, but I promise it will get better, especially when I bring Malon in. ^^

As always please review and tell me if I should continue or not!