A/N: Unfortunately, this chapter doesn't have as much action as I'd like, but to move the plot along, I needed to explain a lot, but the next couple of chapters will have a lot more. I'd love any kind of feedback if you have time, but otherwise I'll try to update at least once a week with a chapter somewhere between 1500-3000 words long. I'd also love to respond to any questions you may have. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!
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My prey was in my sights. I moved silently, not daring to make a sound. I was so close. Just a bit closer and... "Aaahhh!" I yelled as I sprang from the bushes. I knew I was successful when I heard her small scream. I narrowly avoided the smack that followed.

"Hey Zelda," I said with a mischievous smile.

"Link, why do you insist on sneaking past the guards, when you know I've instructed them that you have an open invitation to come in and out of the castle as you please?" she asked when she had regained her composure.

"I like the challenge. And it's good team building for Navi and me since I have to rely on her to know where the guards are. Besides that, if I came through the normal entrance, I wouldn't get to scare you."

I ignored the unimpressed look she gave me as I sat next to her on the stone bench. We were in the gardens, her favorite place in the castle. Looking around, I could see why. Though there were still high, stone walls surrounding it, there was no roof or ceiling which it made it less stuffy than other areas. There were flowers of all different colors planted everywhere and a stream that flowed into a small pond. It was really peaceful, a good place to think.

"What brings you back here?" she asked, breaking the companionable silence.

"I've got some stuff to sell. Oh, and I met a Goron!"

"You went to Death Mountain?" Her sapphire eyes were full of concern.

"Only to the base. There was an old Goron who was having some trouble with tektites. I got rid of them for him, and he was so grateful that he gave me some Goron wares. They fetch a pretty good price here."

"Oh I see. How long will you be in town for?"

"Not very long. It'll probably take me a few days to find buyers for my all my stuff, but then I'll leave after I get supplies. Adventure calls! I think I'm gonna go south towards Lake Hylia this time. Maybe I'll even meet a Zora."

Silence fell once again as I started to think about what kind of monsters I'd find at the lake. Zelda played with something in her hands that I hadn't noticed before. "Hey, that's just like mine except yours is bigger," I said, pulling out my own ocarina.

"It's Impa's. She's teaching me how to play it, but I've only learned one song so far."

"Can you show me?"

She played a soft, simple song that was much slower than the one Saria taught me. It was really pretty though, and it seemed to bring a certain calmness to the already serene garden.

"Will you come and see me again before you go?" she asked after she finished.

"Of course," I replied. "Just like I always do."

"How did you get that?" I said through clenched teeth, carefully enunciating each word. My hands were balled up at my sides, and it was taking every ounce of self-control I had not to run over there and punch him in the jaw before snatching the instrument from his hands.

"Think of that information as an incentive. That and the ocarina are yours if you successfully complete your mission."

I couldn't contain myself anymore, and with a few quick, long strides, I was in front of him with the material hanging from his shoulders clenched in my hands, pinning him to a tree. "No, you'll tell me right now!" I basically screamed.

Any amusement he had on his face before quickly vanished, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "I will do not such thing. Now, if you don't take your hands off me and leave as you promised, I will disappear and take the information you so desperately want with me."

I remained as I was, debating furiously with myself about which course of action to take. Every new thing I learned about this stranger threw me more and more. I had absolutely no idea if he was even remotely trustworthy or if he even had any real news about Zelda. However, that was definitely her ocarina, and I had given him my word that I would do as he asked.

"Decide now," he said with an edge to his voice.

Reluctantly I let Landon and Trenton, who I just now noticed had been trying to pull me from Sheik, drag me away. "Fine, just give me my task, and I'll be on my way."

He made a big show of brushing himself off and then, without even looking up at me, said, "Go back to where you were raised. Near the edge of the forest, there's a small nuisance that needs to be dealt with. Take care of it, and I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Are we allowed to accompany Link?" Trenton asked.

Sheik looked surprised to hear him speak, as if he had forgotten my companions were still there. "As I told you once before, I couldn't care less about the two of you. Do what you want; it makes no difference to me."

Before any of us could ask him anymore questions, he pulled a deku nut from within a pouch on his body and threw it to the ground, creating a blinding flash of light. When my sight recovered, he had disappeared, nowhere to be seen.

"What just happened?" Landon asked, stunned.

His question snapped me from my shock, and I rushed to pack up Epona. He stopped me though and waited with an expectant look, refusing to move until I explained. "The object he was holding belonged to a... friend of mine who I haven't heard from since the takeover. To be honest, I'm not even sure if she's still alive. That's why I have to go now. The faster I complete this stupid mission, the sooner I learn what happened to her."

Trenton walked over to me and put his arm on my shoulder. "Is this the same friend who you were waiting for yesterday?" he asked gently.

I just nodded my head, a lump in my throat rendering me unable to vocalize anything more.

His brother spoke up again, though this time his voice was a bit softer. "I'm really sorry Link, but I don't think going back to Castletown is a good idea. I've heard stories of creatures there, abominations really, that can freeze you in place and shatter your soul with just a look. I know I told you I was with you, but I won't follow you there. I refuse"

I couldn't help but laugh a little at how serious he had gotten which earned me a glare. "Thank the goddesses that that's not where Sheik is trying to send me. I told the two of you before that my past is complicated." They nodded, remembering my answer to their question when we first met. "Well," I continued, "I didn't live in Castletown until I was ten. Before that, there was a little confusion as to my origin. It's kind of a long story, but I'll tell you guys the whole thing if you don't mind riding while we talk."

"Of course," Trenton said, "but to what town are we headed?"

I smiled, already anticipating their shocked reaction. "We're going south, but not to a traditional town. We're going to the Kokiri Forest.

"So basically you were left by your mother in the care of a sentient tree that is somehow responsible for raising the Kokiri who are immortal, but don't physically age beyond their adolescence. You were then raised in ignorance, thinking you were one of the Kokiri until said tree enlightened you, but only after you defeated a monster that was living inside of him with a slingshot. Then you left, after finally getting your own fairy even though not having one is why you felt like you didn't belong, leaving your best friend Saria and the protection of the forest to deliberately fight more monsters when you were only ten years old. Did I get everything right?" Trenton asked, taking only an impressive two breaths during that whole recap.

"More or less," I said as I jumped off my horse. With all of their questions, it had taken the rest of the day to explain what he had just summed up in about thirty seconds. We still had another couple of days ride before we'll get to the forest, but it was getting dark, so we started to set up camp for the night. Luckily this part of Hyrule doesn't have too many monsters roaming about, but we'll still take turns on lookout duty just like we always do when we can't make it to a town before nightfall.

It was Landon's turn to make the evening meal, and we ate in companionable silence until he spoke up. "So who is the girl who owned that weird instrument?"

"Nobody," I said, most certainly not in the mood to go over that right now.

"Oh come on, she must be way more than a nobody. You looked like you were about to tear out that guy's throat when you saw what he was holding. Did you fancy her or something?"

I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of the idea. "No, we were friends. Listen, I don't really like talking about myself, and I spent half the day doing just that, so I would appreciate it, if you just dropped this subject. All you need to know about her is that I failed her a long time ago, and I am willing to do anything in my power to make it right." I gave him a look that said the discussion was over, and he swallowed the question I could see forming on his tongue.

Fearing that Trenton would try to tactfully wheedle more information from me, I cleared my plate and told them I would take first watch as I made my way to the perimeter of our campsite. Sleep was probably a good idea, but after a day like today, it was pretty much out of the question.

The rest of the journey didn't go too badly. I was able to kill most of the low-grade monsters we came across with my bow, not even needing to get off Epona. The twins kept a steady stream of conversation going between the two of them, so I didn't have to worry about that either. I loved traveling through the tall grass of Hyrule Field when the sun was out in a blue sky. If you tilted your head in certain directions, you couldn't even see the ugly black barrier that has surrounded Hyrule since Ganondorf's ascent to power.

"What do we need to do to enter?" Trenton asked with a slightly shaky voice as we reached the tunnel that led to the Kokiri Forest.

I understood his timidness: there were a lot of terrifying rumors about what happens to an unwelcome visitor in the forest. "We don't have to do anything but ride forward. Anyone can enter, but the Kokiri are protected here. As long as you don't intend to do any of them harm, you'll be fine."

"What happens if someone tries to hurt one of them?"

I considered Landon's question for a moment. "Well, the accounts vary, but they pretty much all end in death. Don't worry about it too much though, because I don't plan to visit the people here. If we keep to the edges of the town, we'll make it to the Lost Woods with minimal interruptions."

"Don't you want to greet your old friends? From what you told us, it has been almost a decade since you last saw them."

"No," I stated emphatically. "Saria's the only one I was really close to, and I don't really want her to see me like I am. They wouldn't recognize me anyways. If anyone else even thinks I'm alive, they're still picturing a ten-year-old version of myself. I never told anyone but Saria that I am really Hylian instead of a Kokiri."

With that, I urged Epona forward onto the bride and into the tunnel. I emerged into the emerald paradise where I had grown up. Man, I forgot how pretty this place is. Everywhere in Hyrule has its beautiful places, but none of them can compare to this one with all its beautiful trees and plants.

Apparently my companions noticed as well. "Wow, everything here is so green," Landon said. "We finally found a place where you don't stick out so much, Link."

"Before that comment, I think you guys went five whole days without making fun of my clothes. I'm pretty sure that's a new record," I joked. The truth was I intentionally only wore tunics that were the color of my childhood. I needed at least one tie to everything I left behind all those years ago, and that was enough.

We were lucky enough not to run into anyone before we made it to our destination. There was small chance of running into anyone after that because the Lost Woods didn't have the same protection as the rest of the forest. I was extremely surprised then, when I saw a small green-clad figure sitting on a stump in the clearing before the woods began.

"Saria?"