Disclaimer: I love you, Shiggy, and so I will not take credit for your excellent imagination skills. Well, it's not just 'cause I love you, though. Also, I could get the pants sued off of me.

This is who I Was…

It was a place where he could be alone, that cool pond inside of the lost woods. They used to tell him one day he would get lost, and then, he would be turned into a Stalfos. That was the rumor. Lost. Stalfos. He laughed to himself as he floated on his back. That was unreal…so incredibly unreal… He tried not to think about it then. Thinking about it always made him laugh, and he didn't want anyone finding out about his little pond in the forest. Was that greedy? He couldn't decide as he stretched his limbs inside of the cool, relaxing water. Whether or not it was greedy, he thought, didn't matter to him. He needed a place to reflect. To think about when he would leave the forest…

Saria would understand. She knew about him. She had told him so herself. He was a Hylian. He did not belong here. But then again, he was not so sure he belonged anywhere anymore. His purpose was fulfilled, and yet, no soul would ever know about it. It all happened in the future, and that future had been erased. Saria would understand…she always seemed to understand. After all, Link did just recently have a huge growth spurt. It took almost forever to get new clothes made.

"No way in dark realm I'm ever wearing those white tights again," he declared in a whisper. "No matter how tall I get." Maybe he could get a baggier pair made that didn't hug his legs so much. That might work…

He floated around more; felt his cap drift from his head; felt his hair release into the pristine water. As the cool molecules ran fingers across his scalp, he closed his eyes. Maybe this was unreal. This peace he was feeling at the moment almost seemed to confirm the un-reality of it. If it were a dream, though, it was certainly a nice one. He hoped he wasn't knocked out on the way through the forest. Hoped no one was turning him into a Stalfos in his unconscious slumber. The thought was amusing, and he laughed.

"Link!" came an all-too-familiar, headache inducing voice. The youth sank and splashed in the water at the unwelcome, unexpected sound. "Get outta there! How did you find this place!" Link coughed as he regained control of his swimming and looked up at the ever-bossy Mido. "Move it! I, Mido, big boss of the Kokiri, demand it!"

"I'm leavin' already," Link nearly growled as he took up his cap and swam to the opposite side. He hated taking orders from that foot-stomping ………fool… As he pulled himself onto the land, Mido uncrossed his arms, pointing as he spoke.

"I've been looking all over the place for you. I can't believe Saria likes you so much! She should like me!" he crossed his arms again, stomping that obnoxious foot of his into the short green grass. Link hated agreeing with Mido, even half agreeing with him, but it was true in a sense. He rather did wish Saria didn't like him. However, he wasn't sure what Saria's liking him had to do with Mido seeking him out.

"What's she need?" Link asked, ringing out his sopping wet hat. The shorter of the two simply turned and walked off.

"I dunno what she would want with a stupid leviathan like you."

"Wow, how civilized," Link muttered sarcastically. He wrung out his tunic tail and watched the water drip. He must have taken a quarter of the pond out with him in the fibers of his tunic. Maybe he should get one a bit less…absorbent? He sighed.

"Still," he thought aloud as he walked slowly outside of the woods. "I wonder if Saria has something important to say." He hoped so. He really liked being in the clear pond, even if Mido now knew where it was. It wasn't as secret as it used to be, but he was sure that Mido using it every now and then wouldn't kill him. After all, the big boss of the Kokiri couldn't be absent from his duties too much. After a while of silence, Link played his ocarina, making sure to keep his eyes open as he did so –he didn't want to trip while he walked. F…A-B…F A-B…the notes played out Saria's song.

"Link…This is Saria. Can you hear me?" the little girl's voice echoed in his mind.

"Loud and clear," he answered promptly. "What's the big idea, sending Mido after me, eh?"

"You honestly don't remember?" Saria's voice questioned.

"Can't say that I do," he responded. He looked about as he walked, awaiting her answers and keeping his eyes peeled for the mischievous skull kids. Since his growth spurt, they considered him an 'adult' and didn't too much like him. The leaves fell softly in the green atmosphere as Saria's laughing became just loud enough for Link to notice. "What's so funny?" he asked, confused by the antics of the Kokiri girl.

"I bet this forgetfulness of yours is going to carry on through to all of your descendants." Link grew impatient.

"C'mon, Saria," he retorted softly. "What am I forgetting this time?"

"Your birthday, as usual," she replied. "Do you even know how old you are today?"

"Yes," Link said defensively. "I'm…" he paused to think about it as he exited the lost woods' entrance. The little green-haired girl stood to the left of it, hiding from his vision.

"You're fourteen!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing in Link's ears and mind in the same instant. He grabbed at his ears, closing the channel between them.

"Ah!" he whined. "Stop doing that when we're being telepathic!" The kokiri giggled.

"Sorry," she grinned. Link didn't think she was. He thought she did it on purpose to tease him. As always.

"You always apologize," he stated aloud, "but you always do it again!" The girl smiled up at him coyly. "What are you doing? Looking at me like that…You're up to something, aren't you?"

Author's Note: Yes, I know it's a short chapter. I'm just testing my wings right now. Please review if you like it so far, it's my first Zelda fic, so I'm really interested in what you guys think of it!

-Archangelina