Thanks for the positive feedback! Truth is I didn't even expect to finish it...it was kinda a side project and I didn't expect anyone to like it. But I'm glad you do! And here's the next chapter!

Sorry for all the jumping around from day to day, it'll flow smoother when stuff gets started.

"Over here!" Tanej yelled, flitting around the young Sheikah's head. Link smiled happily to see Koi playing with the other Kokiri of the forest. Two days of bed rest and he had been healthy enough to venture outside although no amount of healing could ever fix his damaged throat: Koi would never speak again.

Saria was gone again; no note or anything to clue the hero in but that wasn't unusual. He had just hoped to see her once more, he would miss her so much; more then she could ever know.

"Link..." Navi whispered in his ear. "The Great Deku Tree wants to speak with you."

"All right, watch Koi for me?" He asked, smiling broadly.

"Sure!" Navi was so happy for her warrior friend. Finally she was seeing some of his old self shine through after all they had gone through together. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

"You wanted to see me, Great Deku Tree?" The young tree grinned.

"Thou is happy again Hero, I wondered when it would be thus. The boy hath done this?" He paused but Link had no answer. "Your happiness will be short lived, Hero of Time, for great evil parches this fair land once again. Look thus." A fairy orb drifted lazily through the air towards Link but as he took the fragile thing in his hands he noticed it didn't give off its usual glow.

"What...?" He muttered in confusion. "What is...how? Great Deku Tree?" Inside his calloused fingers lay a pale fairy, no bigger then the palm of his hand. But her delicate body was still and no warmth emanated from it; the fragile thing was dead, the beautiful, gossamer wings unmoving, the light fading. Link held her closer, carefully; feeling tears spring to his eyes at the sight of something so wonderful silenced forever.

"The evil, Hero, it kills them..."

"How can I stop this?" He whispered, head still bowed against his hands.

"You must rid this land of evil. Dost thou have the valor to undertake this task?" As the Hero of Time lifted his hands and gave the fairy back to the tree courage flowed through his limbs and made the Triforce on the back of his hand glow faintly. Now he understood what was happening to Navi and knew what would happen to the Kokiri children if he failed.

"Yes."

"Koi?" The little one, always so eager to please ran up to Link, his silver eyes expressing what his broken voice could not. "We have to leave tomorrow...I need you to help me with some things." He took the master sword from the sheath and handed it to the shadow child. Needless to say he struggled under the weight. "On our trip I will teach you how to wield something like this." It had only been a few days but Link felt that his young charge would become important somehow and he loved him like a son.

"Wow..." Tanej breathed. The warrior still wasn't sure where this particular fairy came from and Navi couldn't get anything out of her. Koi was practically beaming, trying to hold up the glorious blade like he had seen his savior do in practice.

"Would you like to learn?" A wider grin if possible, spread across the pale face and his head nodded vigorously. "Then it's settled, we'll leave in the morning. In the mean time, have some fun with your friends before we go." He watched the child run off to play. "You may not see them again for some time..."

"Where are we going Link?"

"We have to see Zelda tomorrow. Both the Deku Tree and I feel something very bad coming our way. We have to be there to stop it."

"Did he...did he show you?" Link's breath caught in his throat.

"The fairy?"

"...Yes...she was...Will that happen to me?"

"I won't let it happen!" Navi darted nimbly into his collar.

"I'm glad..." she sighed.

"Up you get..." Link muttered as he hoisted Koi up onto Epona's strong back. "We are going back to visit the Princess today. She saved your life." The Sheikah boy looked up through messy bangs into Link's blue eyes. He pointed one finely boned finger at himself and another at Link. He smiled and pointed to his eyes, repeating the process over again until Link understood. "You saw me...save you?" The child nodded once and cradled his arms pointing at the hero again. "I carried you..." Koi pointed back to the forest and pulled at his hair while pointing at Link's green tunic. "To the forest..." Koi pointed at the green fabric and at his hair again. "Saria? The one with green hair?" The child clapped his hands once and then threw his arms around Link burying his face in the soft material.

"You got it!" Tanej squealed.

"I did?" The pale boy nodded again and pointed forward, petting Epona on her broad back. The mare looked back and Koi leaned forward, almost falling until Link grabbed a hold of his shirt collar. He looked into her big blue eyes and she into his silver ones. After what seemed like an eternity to Link she snorted, ruffling the white blond hair and making Koi giggle. "Do you except him as one of us Epona?" The trusty steed whinnied and tossed her flowing mane surging forward like liquid from a ruined dam.

Koi clung to her fur, eyes wide with surprise, until he got used to the motion of the horse while the early mists of dawn, writhing like snakes around Epona's white socks, were burned away by a golden sun as it crested the hills beyond the castle. The gates would just be opening welcoming in the trade for the day as they arrived. Just in time to catch Zelda in the castle courtyard, thought Link as he dismounted and lifted Koi off. He patted the brown muzzle.

"I'll call when I have need again, thank you." With a flick of her flaxen tail she was off, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. "Coming?"

Koi seemed unimpressed with the sights and sounds of the market place and Link supposed he had been there before. The Sheikah child, either having lost his memory or refusing to tell, had nothing to "say" to anyone unless Link acknowledged them first. He stuck close and Tanej hid in his hat whenever they passed by a group of people and Link was at a loss on how to explain it. He felt a tug on his hem. Koi's eyes were wide and frightened. He pointed urgently to himself and drew a line across the scar over his neck.

"What is it Link?" Navi wondered.

"You saw the person who...?" Koi nodded, tugging again and again, pointing to a dark-headed man in the crowd. "Wait right here with Navi, I'll be back." Deftly Link ran through the sudden crowd of people that seemed to appear out of no where keeping an eye on the middle-aged man he was tailing. Abruptly the man turned, spotting the warrior, and began to run. In minutes Link had lost him, there were simply too many people. He slowly made his way back to where he had left the others. "He got away...but don't worry, we're going to the castle and then far away from here to train you." Link smiled broadly as they continued on their way. "I was trained by Impa; personal guard of the Princess Zelda, by the time I'm through with you no one will even stand a chance." This seemed to cheer up the downcast boy.

"Link! What a nice surprise!" Zelda exclaimed. "The guard at the gate told me you were coming." Her good mood faltered when her eyes drifted over Koi. "And you are Koi..."

"Is there something wrong Princess?" Asked Link looking between the two. Koi was very shy and hid behind Link's knees while Zelda leaned in closer, studying his every move.

"Link, may I...speak to you...in the other room please?" When Koi started to follow she held out her hand. "No!" The child started; tears filling his stunning eyes as he looked from Link to Zelda, pointing at the warrior. "No, you stay here with the fairies."

"Is that all right?" Link inquired. He was unsure of leaving him alone for too long butt then supposed that the castle would be safe enough. He knelt awkwardly and drew Koi into a hug. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll wait here with you!" Cried Navi brushing by Koi's cheek to wipe away a falling tear. The small boy nodded slowly and sat down in front of the door to wait.

"Princess, what was wrong?" Zelda threw her head back.

"I don't trust him Link..."

"He's only a child..."

"My prophecies have never been wrong." Her steely gaze made Link balk. Zelda had never looked at him that way before.

"What did they show you this time?"

"He will kill you."

"What...?" She draped her thin hands over Link's shoulders.

"When he is older..."

"But...I..." Zelda smiled, trying to understand.

"I know it is hard..."

"No...I mean, I had dreams..." he said slowly, feeling out the words. He'd never told Zelda about them before. "...My job was to teach him...he would be the one to save this land! I am sure of it!" He never knew it was so difficult.

"But Link..."

"No! Stay you speech! I know what I must do..." He turned his gaze away, staring at the floor. "Good bye..." He bowed, looking one last time at the beautiful princess in front of him and burst through the heavy doors. "Come on Koi; let's go train okay!" The falsified happiness in his voice fooled the small Sheikah and Zelda was left alone in the room, crystal tears streaming down her face.

"He truly is still a child..."

"We're going to walk for a while, until we get to Gerudo valley. It will take a few days but that will give us time to get you used to the feel of your sword." Link smiled down at the tiny thing walking by his side. Laying a big hand on his shoulder made him stop and look up, confused. "Koi, I give this to you. It is the Kokiri sword, take it respectfully."

"Wow..." Tanej said in awe. "Take it Koi!" Small hands reached out and gingerly removed the blade from the tiny sheath.

"Do you like it?" The warrior asked hopefully. His answer was a pair of arms wrapping around his knees and making him fall over in surprise. The boy jumped back and stood at a clumsy guard as he had seen Link do before. "Good! But we'll make you the best!" Link secured the sheath at Koi's back and showed him how to properly store the sacred thing so that he didn't slice himself accidentally. "You'll be the best...You'll have to be." His words went unnoticed by the ecstatic child busily slicing at his imaginary foes. "You will save us all..."

Okay! The next chapter will be a jump ten years ahead. In case some of you were wondering Koi is seven now so that will make him *counts on fingers* seventeen when the real story begins to move! Thank you for reading!