He steadied himself on his sword. Something confused him. Why were they here? The child, he had lured there, but the dog, she was alone. She clearly didn't underestimate his abilities.

So why was she alone?

She may have the upper hand in this situation, allied with the guardian tree and funnelling his forces through the small hole in the barrier, which was smaller and smaller by the moment. But she not unbeatable. If not for the choke point, she would have easily been an armless, legless thing at the mercy of his monsters. She had no way of knowing that the situation would turn out in such a way.

Why come alone? Why come at all?

The Swordsman tilted his head. The was a reason. Something that he didn't understand. A secret. One to everyone but the dog. Something hidden. Even the child wouldn't know. A reason that he had allowed to join her.

He looked over to where the dog was slaughtering his forces. Even behind so many moblins and bokoblins, he could see the spray of inhuman blood and hear the screams of monsters. The barrier was close to closing, and he knew if he tried to puncture it again, he would likely be too exhausted to move, think, perhaps even breath. His plan had failed.

He decided to cut his loses and abandon his escapade. There were factors that he hadn't been able to consider. He growled. He may have been unsuccessful, but he had learned something. The factors, though he didn't know the details, were known. That was enough.

He commanded a large amount of the monsters to break away and swarm around him. As he turned to leave, a hole was torn in his forces, and the dog locked eyes with him. She was bloodied and injured, but her eye's were like an inferno, burning. The Swordsman's eyes met her fire with ice cold fury.

"Do not forget what I said to you." His voice scraped. "For I will not."

This forces swarmed around him, moving quickly back through the path they had entered through. Realising their leader had abandoned them, the remaining monsters began to panic, abandoning their orders for self preservation. Roots began to erupt from the ground once more, coiling around them, engraining themselves in their flesh, punishment for trespassing in the forest.

With the remaining monsters being taken care of, Impa looked behind her. The breach in the barrier was now only large enough for a bokoblin to fit through if they cut off their arms. The Kokiri were safe. As soon as she realised that she had succeeded, a wave of pain washed over her. Her left arm hung limply at her side, various cuts causing her blood to flow down to her fingers, most of which were swollen, and there was a gash across her nose that felt like fire. Her pristine white hair was stained red and hanging off her shoulders, her hair having come undone, and her right breastplate was completely bent out of shape and hanging loosely to her undergarments, and she was sure that a couple of ribs were cracked. She looked down at her body and was revolted to see how she was completely soaked with the blood of those she had killed. She spat at the ground. "Goddesses above," Impa whispered. "please don't let this stain." She shuddered. She had no idea how many she had killed, but she doubted she could kill many more. She could have died.

She looked to where the Swordsman and his squadron had disappeared. She knew that it was unlikely that he would pose much more of a threat to her, but her mind drifted to Link. If his friend was in danger of monsters, than it was likely that they would be on the path the Swordsman was now moving along. She couldn't allow that.

His life is more valuable than mine.

Impa adjusted her grip on the spear and began moving forward. Her injuries shifted to the back of her mind, her focus overcoming the pain.

Link slowly eased Saria's back against a tree, letting her slide to the ground slowly. "There." He muttered. "Take a short break. I shouldn't push you too much."

Saria looked up to him and smiled. "Thank you. But you shouldn't worry to much."

He shook his head. "No, I'm always going to worry about you."

She laughed. "Things really have changed, huh Link?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. Though you never had to protect me from anything like this."

"But I still took care of you." Saria closed her eyes. "Remember the time when you climbed up a tree for the first time? In our meadow, when you went there without me for the first time?"

"A bit." He frowned. "How long ago was it?"

Saria placed a finger to her chin. "Not sure."

"Six years ago." Esco sighed, resting on Saria's head. "You were five years old and had never climbed a tree."

Link tilted his head. "I think I remember why. No one wanted to teach me because I didn't have a fairy."

"I don't remember that." Saria sighed. "But I remember hearing you calling out and crying. You were so scared." She glanced at him with a soft smile. "You had no idea how you got up there."

"Come on, I was five."

Saria giggled. "I had to climb up and guide you down."

Esco sighed. "It would have been easier to give him a piggyback and climb down with him."

"He had to get down himself." Saria poked her fairy then looked at Link. "Once you figured out how get down, you wanted to get back up so you could do it yourself."

Link made a face. "Really?"

Esco laughed. "Yep. You liked being up there, but, you know…"

"I couldn't get down." Link nodded. "I've always liked climbing things."

"It's what you would do whenever we played hide and seek." Saria shook her head. "That's why it's so easy for me to find you."

"Hey, would you rather I throw deku nuts and run of like Mido?"

Saria laughed. "No way! You're like a monkey!"

"Saria, you've never seen a monkey."

She pouted. "Yes I have."

"When, Saria?"

"Whenever you play hide and seek with me."

"Hey!" Link shook her in mock anger, laughing with her. He had missed her so much. "You ready to walk?"

Saria nodded. "Yes. Still a little shaky, so I don't think I can't go very fast."

Link offered his hand to Saria, helping her stand. Saria steadied herself and nodded to Link, who lead the way back towards the village.

The Swordsman was furious. The dog was biting at his heels, following them as they escaped. While he doubted they could kill all of his monsters, he knew that her target was him, and in such a weakened state he would struggle to fight back, even against an injured dog. He ordered two moblins to break away and charge at the dog, to slow her down, but she simply darted past them, leaving them behind to be consumed by the forest. The Swordsman hissed his frustrations, cursing. He couldn't allow the escaped to fail.

Why? Why is that bitch so intent on following us?!

He immediately found his answer. Just off the path, he saw him. The child in green. The world went silent around him, and his mind was consumed by that child. The child looked up. The child saw him. He saw the child's fear, their horror, and something more. The Swordsman pulled a knife from his belt and pulled back, the child seeing this action, moving, and the Swordsman threw.

"It shouldn't be too far now." Link reassured Saria. They had been traveled for a while now, and Saria was looking a lot better. A lot calmer, happier, like the every memory Link had of her. Except for when she was a sage. Her smile was sad then. Link looked at her, wondering if she would ever have to take up such a role again. He knew it was likely pointless, but he gave a silent prayer to the goddesses that something like that would never happen to her.

She noticed his looks. "Are you ok Link?"

He blinked, torn from his thoughts, and gave a convincing smile. "Of course. Just thankful you're all right."

Saria nodded, then looked into Links eyes. "Link, I don't know if I want to know this, but…" She trailed off, struggling to find the words.

"What is it?" Link frowned, concerned.

She took a deep breath. "The village…"

Link's face went blank. "Oh."

"Is everyone… is everyone alright?"

Link couldn't meet her eyes, his guilt like a weight. He thought of lying, but she already knew from his reaction. "No. They took the Great Deku Tree by surprise."

Saria swallowed. "Then they're-"

"Don't." He interrupted. "Just don't, Saria." She didn't need this, especially not while still fragile. "Let's just get to safety."

His ears twitched. He jerked his head around. "Did you hear that?"

"What?"

He tilted his head, listening. "Something's coming." He whispered. "Off the path, now!"

Link grabbed Saria's hand and moved towards the tree line, trying to get her to move quickly, but she stumbled and fell to her knees. Link knelt to help her up when he saw him. The Swordsman, surrounded by monsters. He froze. All he could think about was the Swordsman. He felt panic build in his chest, the urge to freeze up, but he felt something else. Anger, hate, burning at the fear. Even when he locked eyes with the Swordsman, those eyes of rust, he refused to freeze. And when the Swordsman pulled back a knife, Link reacted. He darted to the side, the knife slicing through the air where he had just stood. He gripped his sword, adrenalin coursing through his body. He expected the Swordsman to charge right at him, but they didn't. He simply continued down the path as fast as he could, running away from Link.

The Swordsman noticed something. A pair of moblins moving down the track towards him. The stragglers whose companions had been killed by the child in green. Cowards, that deserved death. But, no, he had a use for them.

"You." He jabbed his fingers at them as he passed. "If you value the relationship between your skulls and spines, you will kill them." He gestured towards Link and Saria, giving them one last baleful glare, then continuing through the forest.

The moblins looked at each other, than at the children. They brandished their weapons.

"Get up." Link breathed. "Now!"

Link jerked Saria up and threw a deku nut at the charging moblins. They flinched, their vision hazy.

"You can't run. Get on my back." Saria nodded, climbing onto Link and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Here." Link said, handing her a few deku nuts. "Don't be afraid to use them." He hooked his arms under her legs and ran, ran as fast as he could. He heard the moblins crashing through the forest behind him, no doubt getting closer, and Saria's breath in his ears. His legs were on fire, but they didn't give in. If they did, it would mean death, so he endured. Saria threw a deku nut behind them, and he heard a moblin cry out in frustration. It would be almost impossible to do much more than blur their vision like this, but they needed every advantage that they could get. He could the fire that was in his legs burning in his chest as well, and his breathing was becoming laboured. He couldn't keep it up. He wasn't strong enough, old enough, to save Saria.

He didn't stop running.

He heard something else, something soft. Footsteps. Fast footsteps. Human footsteps. One of the moblins slowed down to face this new character, leaving only one chasing after them. The one that broke away saw a bloodied, injured woman with defective armour and a spear sprinting at it, and the moblin was amused.

Then Impa closed the distance faster than the moblin though she could, driving the spear into its forearm and slamming into it, driving it back a few feet. Surprised but not beaten, the moblin took its weapon and swung at Impa, who struggled to deflect it. She was badly weakened, and a single wrong move would kill her. Without a word, she prepared to attack.

Link was becoming tired. He was struggling badly now, his whole body burning. He could feel that the other moblin was close, as if it was breathing down his neck. Saria looked behind them to see that the moblin was less than three meters away, with it's spear in reverse grip, preparing to stab down. With a squeak, she threw another deku not, this time right into the moblins eye. The deku nut exploded, and the moblin howled in rage.

Link felt something pierce his back, metal driving inches into his back, his blood being forced out as violently as the action that drew it. He let out a breathless scream. The force of the stab took him off his feet and tumbling to the ground several feet ahed of him, throwing Saria off. The sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath. He rolled onto his side to look at the moblin, failing around, still half blind. He brought his hands to the wound, trying to slow the flow of blood, his hands quickly becoming soaked. He took in several shaky breaths. He was breathing fine, he tasted no blood, and he didn't have the urge to throw up. The injury hadn't hit anything vital. He was simply in shock. Panicked. He tried to get up, but the smallest of movements sent daggers of pain through his body, making him yelps. He focused on the monster, letting the pain become secondary. It was struggling to see, clawing at it's face with both hands with childish futility. Link frowned. It's hands were empty.

It had a spear, I know that much. Link's thoughts drifted to the wound in his back, then chuckled slightly. Wow. Not the time for bad jokes.

He flicked his eyes around, looking for the weapon. The monster couldn't get it. He couldn't allow that. His eye's settled on a shaft of wood, standing at a strange angle in relation to the ground. Link followed the shaft downwards. The blood drained from his face, and his body became ice, the hole in his back secondary to the horror and panic he now felt.

The moblin hadn't stabbed him. In it's blind fury, it had thrown its weapon at him, and while it's aim was completely compromised, it had the strength to tear through his body. But it hadn't. No, that strength had been absorbed.

Saria lay face to the ground, her eyes wide yet glazed, her entire body shivering, her limbs twitching, her right arm reaching out to Link, fingers clawing at the dirt, trying feebly to get to him, with a spear, shaft speckled with red, sticking out of her back and piercing through her stomach, a pool of her blood forming around her.

Link screamed.

The sky had darkened over the Castle Town, and the air was filled with the shrieks of dying monsters and humans. Several squads of monsters had managed to breach the walls, running rampant through the streets, attacking civilians. There had been multiple deaths, and the Captain had ordered all civilians to take refuge until the siege was over.

Dex Epnable was patrolling a street of the main square, under orders of Lieutenant Fabe, not that he was complaining. This was his first real conflict that involved mitral danger. He was glad to be making sure others were safe, along with himself. He wasn't ready for a conflict like this, and Fabe knew it. Dex vowed to thank him after.

He turned a street to find a pair in cloaks, hurling against the wall in fear.

"Excuse me!" He called out, and the strangers jumped at his voice. "I don't mean to alarm you, but all civilians are currently required to take shelter until alerted otherwise. We are under siege."

"Y-yes sir, Mr knight, sir." The first stranger croaked. They were old, and their voice was laced with fear. "We... we-we know, we are simply t-travelers- passing though, you see?"

"In-indeed." The second stranger nodded sharply. "I- My sister and I never- never found somewhere to- to- to stay."

The first one looked to the second. "We're so afraid, aren't we, sister?"

"Yes. Yes we are sister."

"I see." Dex nodded. "Do you have any friends or family in Castle Town?"

"Well..." The second strange brought a decrepit finger to her chin, hidden behind the cloak. "There is... our son."

"Why, yes!" The first stranger clapped her hands. "It would be rude not to see him."

"There we go." Dex smiled. "When about is he, then? If it's on my patrol path, I could take you."

"Oh, you know," The first stranger chuckled. "over there." She pointed.

Dex turned and followed her finger. He frowned. She was pointing at Hyrule Castle. "The Castle? I don't think you get in there." He turned back to them. "What exactly does-" The hag leapt forward with impossible speed and pressed her fingers against Dex's face. He jerked his head back, trying to shout, but his voice was lost, as dark magic travelled down the hags fingers and into his skin. He spasmed for a moment, trying foolishly to fight against it, but even strong minds struggled against centuries of experience. His pupils shrunk and his body became still. He straightened up and smiled at the hag. "I think I can take you to your son. Please, follow me."

"Oh, you're so kind." The hag cackled.

Dex walked through the streets, leading the crone and the hag to the castle with a stupid grin. He always did like helping people. He hoped that he could reunite these lovely old women with their dear son. A family reunion. His grin grew wider.

We are drawing near to the end of part 1 of this fanfic. Yes, there are multiple parts of this. Mainly, I will be using the seperate parts to seperate specific times. Once this part is finished, I will likely take a small break to plan out what happens next. I've planned out the actions of the villains, but not quite with the heroes. I hope you enjoy these parts. I'm trying to show the evolution of Link, with seperate parts of his life.

And, don't doubt, the events of this chapter certainly will matter. But you'll have to wait and see how.

Thing's only get worse.

Please feel free to tell me what you think of this chapter or the story as a whole. I'm a novice and this is the main way I practice writing, so any criticism is welcome. I know I'm not perfect yet. YET. But I need to know what I'm doing right and what I'm really not. Anyway, thanks. Exams soon, so don't expect much from me.

Also, I didn't mention this last time, but FUCK the song "Subhuman." It is by far the worst piece of music in the DMC series. Also might be, like, the only bad song. Link, there's no others.