Disclaimer: I don't own.

AN: *bows* sorry. Link might be a bit out of character. He's younger than he is in the plot of OoT ….

Link landed on his back with a "foof'. Leaves, piled into cushions, had broken their fall.

He chanced a peek at their new surroundings. The barks of trees were darker… decomposing even.

"Saria?"

Link rolled and sat up. He was certain, where-ever they landed, looked like yet another layer of the Lost Woods…. Underneath his palms, the leaves felt dry and brittle. The air felt warmer, despite the lack of sunlight. Saira wasn't too far away at least.

"Saria? Are you ok?"

"I'm ok… Link, Where are we?"

"It's still the Lost Woods…"

He cut himself off again. He heard that same sound of a flute again

"Down here too?" He asked himself softly. He followed the sound of the flute, leaving Saria to follow him. They stumbled over the rocks and logs, with Link in the lead.

The Two Kokiri had to squint half the time, it was so dark.

It felt like hours but neither one could tell how much time they spent searching for the source of the noise. Saria tripped and Link caught her just before he saw…. someone standing in front of them. The small person wore faded green and brown and wore a brown straw hat He would have seemed friendly enough to talk to, were it not for his face…or lack of one.

"Skull kid? That's a skull kid right?" Link asked, not taking his eyes off the Skull kid's "face".

"Yes it is…. You really never went inside here before?"

The six-year-old Link shuffled his feet, embarrassed. "No. we're not supposed to. Why?"

"And you don't have a fairy…"

The skull kid rocked his head back and forth between the two Kokiri children.

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Link protested, defensively. He lowered his gaze to the ground. Only now, did he see a flute in the Skull-kid's hand

"Hey! You're the one playing the flute, aren't you?"

The skull kid rocked his head to the far right and ran away. Link charged after him, pleading him to wait, while Saria ran after Link, careful not to lose sight of him.

"Wait! Link! Slow down!"

He barely heard her. He wanted to catch this "Skull Kid". He wanted to prove that a Fairy meant nothing… that he was still a person worth respect.

"Al … most! ... There!!"

The Skull kid looked like it was screaming as Link tackled him to the forest floor. He smiled, excited with the small victory, but his feeling of triumph died. Confusion killed it.

The Skull Kid felt like there was nothing to him but bone. He let his prisoner go and the Skull kid just laid there, like a shattered doll.

"Hey… what's… wrong with you?" He asked, shaking him.

He pulled at the kid's arms, trying to rouse him. As he tried to help the Skull Kid, Saria had her chance to catch up

"Saria, He might be hurt! I didn't mean to-"

A rattling noise grabbed Link's attention. The Skull kid flopped into a sitting position, rocking back and forth, until he was back on his feet. Saria breathed a sigh of relief; the creature was fine. Link, however, sat there puzzled.

"How is he moving?"

The Skull Kid bowed and trotted off.

"Again? Where is he going?"

He started the chase once more before he felt a hand pull at his sleeve.

"Link…. I've never been in this part of the woods before. Please, we need to go back" Saria reasoned.

"But he's slowed the pace… and…and…oh no."

Link looked around. Every angle looked the same. It suddenly dawned on him, the game was over. Whatever light they had, left them, standing in an unfamiliar part of the woods, with no way of turning back.