Chapter 1: ɴɵт αℓℓ тніɴɡѕ ℓαѕт ғoʀєυєʀ

"What a surprise it is to find you here, Link."

A head of bright blonde hair swiveled to the direction of the teasing voice. The girl's body turned with the action and swung the small sword she grasped tightly with her hand. Sky blue eyes flashed with recognition as they met with the appearance of the young boy on the tree limb overlooking the small grove in the southern portion of Lost Woods.

"Sarian…" Link meekly responded with a slight embarrassed look on her face.

"That does happen to be my name," Sarian chuckled deeply. He slid off of the low hanging branch and landed gracefully on the ground. Dusting off his leafy green shorts, the Kokori boy made his way to Link. He looked down at her with that ever infuriating smile of his.

"What?" Link bashfully asked, averting her eyes from his emerald green ones. Her shoes had suddenly become more interesting. She was so embarrassed that he had caught her practicing with the sword she had found in a hidden area in the Kokori Village. Link was tired of the other children teasing her about her interest in swordsmanship. It was improper of girls, they would say. It didn't help the already numerous reasons the other Kokori made fun of her like not having a fairy. Who would want an annoying ball of light that bounced around and bossed you around? Not Link, that's for sure. They also commented on how tom boyish she was. Link would rather not be girly at all if meant gossiping around and not being able to play with swords. She didn't get why Mido and the others spent so much energy ragging on her. It wasn't so bad as she had someone who treated her much better than they did. That was her best friend, Sarian.

"Linkkkkkkk," Sarian playfully sang as he brushed her cheek with his hand. "That is so cute of you," he continued on. Link's face seemed as though it were smeared with the color red.

"Whaa-aa-t-t-t-t-t-," Link stuttered in response, smacking his offending hand away. "Don't tease me, Sarian!" She exclaimed, annoyance scrunching her facial expression. The green tunic clad girl sat down on a fallen tree with light turquoise lichen already covering parts of it.

"Sorry," He amended with a smile. Sarian took seat beside her and put his hands behind him so he could lean back.

"What's got you so interested in swords, anyways?" The Kokori boy asked. "Are you going to protect the village?" He followed up with a playful tone.

Link kept her gaze forward, seemingly staring into the void between the various trees of the Lost Woods. It was a peaceful silent. There were no sounds beside the omniscient tunes of song birds above. She stroked the sword's silver blade in her hand. If there was a way to describe the feeling of gripping this weapon, then it would be… Right. It felt absolutely right like it belonged there. A familiarity that wasn't familiar. From the moment she found in it a chest in a hidden grove, she knew that there would never be an instance when she wasn't without it.

"I just find it very interesting," Link quietly stated and continued, "I want to learn a lot of techniques and if could protect people, then that would be fantastic." She looked towards the mostly covered horizon that the sun slowly descended behind. Suddenly, Link made a face of disdain, "Except Mido, Deku Babas can eat her for all I care."

"That's very kind of you, Link," Sarian laughed softly as she tucked the sword in her belt.

"You know she deserves it." Link angrily mumbled, her head leaning on Sarian's shoulder for support. She felt so relaxed and comfortable with her friend near.

...

They sat there for long period of time in a comfortable silence of companions. The sunset scene had morphed into the start of night. Breathing in Sarian's earthy scent, she wished everyday were like this. Good morning wakeup calls, eating with friends, talking to the Deku tree, hanging out with Sarian, things should never change. She was in the midst of reminiscing things she had enjoyed this summer when Sarian took out his ocarina. It was wooden and had many symbols carved in it. Link recognized these as the Hylian language due to Sarian teaching it to her. Sarian had taught her a lot of concepts such as the world around them, reading, and the society of other cultures. It confused her how he knew these things, but she didn't want to pry. She was always told that the Kokori couldn't leave the forest or they would die.

Beautiful sounds gently emerged from the ocarina in Sarian's hands. The melody cascaded in a series of high notes and low notes. It had a wild energy to it, the sort that makes you want jump up and dance. The kind that brings you joy. It was Sarian's song. He had practiced every day on his ocarina and mastered it pretty quickly. The tune he was playing now had been something he came up on his own. Now, every time Link heard it, she was transported back when Sarian had first showed her it.

It ended softly when the cascading rhythm slowed and quietened. Link tilted her head against his shoulder to look up at his face that was shrouded by his light green hair. He was such a mystery, it felt like he was hiding something from her as of recent. As if he became more guarded and knew something she didn't. She saw it in his mannerisms when he looked away suddenly, when she said something, and looked worried. Link wanted to know what burdened him.

"What inspired you to create your song, Sarian?" The blonde girl asked. He looked down at her, his emerald green eyes meeting her sky blue eyes. Link became more aware of the crickets chirping in the awkward silence she found by being stared at.

"It was you…" He started softly. Link flushed and casted her gaze in a different direction. "…and me in the woods. Going on adventures that we imagined or just being together. Our friendship is probably what I hoped to capture in this song." Sarian finished with a slight smile that didn't linger for long.

"I've played it quite frequently recently because I've been a bit scared lately," he confessed while fiddling with the ocarina. Link looked up, confused that he was scared, little alone that he actually admitted it to her. She always saw Sarian as the fearless one, helping her overcome her fears like the skull kids or spiders.

"I'm afraid that one day, you're going to forget me. There will be so many things you'll experience and so many people you will meet. I already know I'll pale in comparison." Sarian said. None of what he said made sense. Meet new people? Why was he acting like she would leave? She couldn't, she was Kokori! She gazed at him in bewilderment. His eyes looked darker and his mouth turned into a frown. Again, those eyes showed a glimpse that he knew something.

"Why do you think that? I can't meet other people when we can't leave-," She began angrily but was cut off by Sarian, "If you haven't noticed already, you aren't like the other Kokoris, Link."

Sharp pain grasped Link's chest and made it hard for her to breath. She knew. Now, he knew. For the longest time, she thought she was a freak. No fairy came to her. Every day she waited for a winged friend, but the effort was fruitless. The Deku tree never said anything to her about it and Sarian encouraged her that it would come. Mido reminded her every time they saw each other. Mido also reminded Link about her weird body that continued growing. She was taller than a lot of the girls now with a waist that cinched in right above the hip. An hourglass shape she would observe about herself. It didn't help that she was developing slightly big chest either. Everyone never changed with their physical features remaining constant. She knew that there was something drastically different but she never wanted to acknowledge it.

"I pretended, too, that you were just like us." Sarian turned to Link and grasped her hand. "A Hylian can only be Kokori for so long." He told her truthfully, looking at her. Realizations spontaneously appeared in her head. She would age while none of them did. Aging, which was happening to her now?

"How-how do you know I'm Hylian?" Link asked fearfully. Sarian raised his hand to the side of her face brushed back the blonde strands revealing ears that ended in a point.

"I know because of these and the fact that you look like a fifteen year old Hylian, albeit much more petite." He answered. "You continue changing and looking prettier every day, Link."

Link smiled, her blue eyes brightened with happiness. "Even if I'm Hylian, Sarian, there's not a chance I would ever forget about you. You're my first priority!" She declared to him. "Really?" Sarian asked. "Really really." Link confirmed and validated with a pinky promise. They giggled together in the ominously growing dark.

A twinkling noise came upon them and there was a pink orb of light fluttering with wings. "Sarian, Link! It's time to go back for supper," Sarian's fairy urged, "you shouldn't be out in the Lost Woods after sun down." The fairy ringed frantically.

Sarian looked at the fairy and his face changed to understanding as he took in his surroundings. "I forgot…" The green haired boy mumbled. He leapt to his feet, sending Link crashing into his chest. The blonde girl took a step back, rubbing her nose profusely after her crash landing. She looked up again into Sarian's frantic eyes, met with that familiar look of something beyond her understanding.

"We really have to get out here!" Sarian whispered, pulling Link along with him. They took off at a reckless pace. Link cringed as thorny brush and limbs scraped against her skin. Something was very wrong, Sarian never acted this afraid. Now, she felt fear ooze its way into her. It didn't help that now she could hear a series of trampling footsteps behind her and Sarian. The clack of bones echoed throughout the woods they were trying so hard to get out of. Link instantly made the mistake of looking back.

Following them was a group of upright skeletons dressed in scraps of bloody clothes and armor.

A crimson glow emanated from the dark recesses of their eye sockets. Link almost crawled out of her skin in terror. Stalmasters and Stalchildren, the inhabitants of the Lost Woods, chased after them like hungry beasts. She had never seen one in her life since they lived in the much deeper neck of the woods. They were making demonic voices that sounded like a chant.

"Sarian, Sarian, Sarian, Sarian, Sarian, Sarian, Sarian, Sarian…" The twisted creatures shouted continuously. The hairs on Link's neck instantly raised in terror at making out what they said. Her legs took off at a faster pace, dragging Sarian behind her. The voices slowly died down and Link could not see them anymore behind them. Entering the village through the entrance of Lost Woods, the two were happy to see many torches ablaze in the middle of all the homes and the Kokori laughing and eating.

She looked over at him while he caught his breath. He got up and his face was adequately covered in his normal happy Sarian mask. "Shall we go?" Sarian asked, not minding the slight breeze tossing his shagging green hair.

Link had a feeling that he wouldn't ever address their plight through the woods again. He was going to pretend that everything was normal and okay. Link now knew otherwise, but she decided to play along with him. "Yes." She said with a small smile, and followed him to the center of the village.

Questions brimmed in her mind. How did Sarian know about them without Link noticing? Why were they chasing them? And the most disturbing question: Why did they know his name?

Author's Note

Thanks for reading, I hoped you enjoyed my first entry into the Legend of Zelda category. This story is going to be completely genderbent for the most part. Basically, if you don't know, the genders of the characters will be reversed. I really think it will bring a nice change of perspective for the plot. Also, the plot is going to have some touches of Ocarina of Time. Despite this, it's pretty much going to be set in a different time of the Zelda universe and have it's unique plot. I'm pretty excited about this, guys!

-Alex

Next Chapter: Ivan the Terrible