Note: Hello, everyone! I don't know exactly when I'll get this particular out, yet while I'm in the swing since my last update, I thought I might as well write what I can during this brief spurt.

We finally get a peek at what's in the stable with Epona, and we also get some bonding between the little horse and Link, seeing that the two will need each other in the future. Of course, this leads to tragedy later, but once you see it, you'll know what I'm referring to. Once again, I'm borrowing from the manga.

Also, yes, prejudice exists in Hyrule, unfortunately. But, if anything, the depiction here is tame compared to what occurred in our reality where entire civilizations and cultures were wiped out. And yes, many Hylians don't have the best views regarding the Gerudo.

As for a review on that said this was post Breath of the Wild, I'm not entirely sure what you mean. Then again, that game's place in the timeline hasn't been decided yet, let alone Tears of the Kingdom. I'll admit that, if it is ever officially confirmed by Nintendo, I'll perhaps experiment with that angle, as history is often forgotten and relationships sour with time.

With that said, here is the final chapter before we go back into the Lost Woods, as well as find out who the shadowy figure is leading the imps seen in the last chapter.

I hope you enjoy it!

A Call from the Forest

"You practically gave him a heart attack!" Navi shouted, her little wings flapping rapidly as she scolded the stout, bearded man before her. "He doesn't know anything about killing animals, let alone eating them!"

"But Malon said he told her he had meat when he was in Castle Town!" Talon protested.

"He thought it came from animals as fruit comes from trees!" Navi argued back. The truth was, so did she, yet she couldn't let that slip, otherwise the larger Hylian wouldn't take her seriously. "He's got no common sense, and he's little more than a child going out into a world he doesn't even know! Of course, he's going to think of meat like that!"

It was somewhat ridiculous, having a spat with someone that he dwarfed immensely, yet the winged woman knew how to make her authority known. Ultimately, Talon could only hang his head in shame, as if he were being scolded by his mother. Ingo was watching from a short distance away, wincing somewhat for the other man. True, Talon was a lazy bum, but the thinner man could relate to being talked to so firmly.

"Now the poor thing's passed out and who knows what he's going to be like when he wakes up! Oh, by the Great Deku Tree, he's probably traumatized by now! I'm going to have to deal with that for the rest of this journey if my luck's any indication!"

As Navi continued to express her frustrations due to the ranch owner's involuntary actions that caused her young charge to faint, outside of the home, the fairy's boy rested in one of the stables and was now just beginning to stir. "Oh good, you're up," the boy in green heard Malon speak, the image of the redhead girl becoming clearer and clearer. Along with a strange, uncanny shape that sat atop her head. "Huh? What's up? Do I have something on my face?"

Link paled. He then pointed upward. "Y-Your...head...!"

"Hm?" it was then that she too realized the creature that had climbed up her back and hair, now sitting atop her crown. "Ah! You!" she then grabbed the creature by the back of its neck and brought it up to face her. "I thought I told you to keep out of sight until I can get you to Kakariko tomorrow!"

Link stared in awe at how the girl so effortlessly held the bizarre animal in her grasp, and, even more, how it seemed to shrink underneath her firm gaze. The creature was smaller than either Link, Malon, or Epona, yet it would've still been enormous compared to Navi. It wriggled a little in the redhead's grip, although it bore no fur to hold. Rather, it was covered in thick scales of red with an underbelly of pale yellow. It bore a pair of legs, yet it seemed to be more worm-shaped than that of a lizard, and its horns were dark and curved slightly back.

It gazed at Link with large, green eyes that curiously inspected the boy from the forest, opening its maw and giving off a light trill. The boy didn't need too long to figure out what this animal was, for he had heard much of them in the tales of the Great Deku Tree. "Is...is that a...?" he stammered, trying to finish his question.

Catching onto what he was trying to say, the redheaded girl nodded. "Yes, this is indeed a dragon," she told Link, turning the squirming creature so she too could get a look at him. "I didn't believe it myself when I first saw it, but I soon discovered that he was all too real."

Link stood up, slowly approaching the dragon Malon held. "It's...kinda small." the boy said, somewhat disappointed. True, it was still a dragon, yet he didn't think that dragons could be this, well, small. Or cute.

"I think he's just a baby," Malon said, taking the dragon in her arms instead of holding him by the back of his neck. "It wasn't easy to figure out, but yes, he is a boy," she then began lightly massaging the creature's temple, careful to mind the orange crest atop his head. "And, so far, he's proven to be a bit of a handful." she then sat the dragon down next to Epona, the smaller reptile sensing the heat emitting from the mammal and drawing closer to the filly.

It was then that Link noticed Malon had some bread with her, the same bread she had baked for the meal previously eaten before Talon's rather graphic detailing of the origin of pork rendered Link unconscious. "What's that?" he questioned.

"Horse bread," Malon answered. "It's some bread I made a week ago when we were completely out of nearly everything, even acorns," she explained. She then tore off a piece of the aged bread and handed it to the little dragon, who greedily gobbled it up. "I know we can't exactly afford to be choosy, but I can't stomach horse bread," she then tore off another piece, noticing Link's curious look. "Thus, it's perfect for the animals," she fed another piece of bread to the dragon. "Even the more unconventional ones."

Link drew closer to the dragon. Despite the size, the boy still acknowledged that a mythical creature was before him. And even more, he was just a baby, so he'd surely get bigger! That'd be awesome! Still, there was one question he realized hadn't been answered. Just where did Malon even find a dragon?

Sensing this from the look he was giving her, Malon proceeded to answer. "I don't know where he originally came from, but I found him being sold in Castle Town while I was waiting for my dad," the red-haired girl told the boy. "It cost me my entire allowance," she then proceeded to pat the small dragon on the head after he had consumed the last of the bread. "But I couldn't just leave him there. He's just a baby, after all."

Link gazed at the little snake-like reptile, its large, green eyes staring into the boy's baby blues. "Malon?" the dragon chirped, catching the boy off guard and startling him somewhat.

"Oh yeah, he can talk. A little," Malon said, preparing the hollowed-out horn to feed Epona for the night. "That was one of the selling points for buying him, although, he mainly just repeats people's names."

"Malon!" the dragon repeated, wagging his tail as he stared up at Link.

"No, that's Link," Malon told the young drake. "I'm Malon."

"So," Link asked. "What's...his name?"

"I'm not sure, exactly," the ranch girl confessed. "I mean, I don't think he understands much, but I tried to see if I could get something out of him, but he didn't give me a name," she explained to Link. "So, I've decided to call him Sparky for now."

"Malon?" the dragon asked.

"No, I'M Malon. You're Sparky," the redhead answered. She then brought the horn full of milk to the red filly, ready to pour it down her throat. "Ok, out of the way, Epona needs to get in as much as she can."

"Malon!" the dragon cried out, although the girl knew the reptile was referring to the horse.

"No, that's Epona," Malon told Sparky. "Although seeing as you'll be heading off tomorrow, I guess it won't matter. You'll probably forget them anyway."

"Huh?" Link tilted his head, puzzled.

"We're going to Kakariko tomorrow, which is right next to Death Mountain," the ranch girl said. "That'll be a perfect place for Sparky to live. It's right by a volcano, it's dry, although, I'm not too sure what dragons eat," she then pondered for a moment. "I don't know if they can eat rocks like Gorons can...can they?" she then turned her attention back to Link, having finished feeding Epona. "Anyway, even if he's technically mine, I can't keep a dragon here. He nearly set the barn on fire a couple of times already!"

Sparky appeared to smile sheepishly at her. He couldn't help if his sneezes were powerful for something his size! Link found the dragon's expression humorous, a small giggle emitting from his lips.

Just then, Link heard a soft humming, feminine and high-pitched. It was pleasant sounding, yet the boy didn't know where it was coming from. He then realized that the humming came from Malon, who was stroking a stationary Epona, the filly nuzzling her head into the girl's chest. The melody was composed of only a few notes, yet it was easy to listen to and follow. It was soothing, almost akin to a lullaby.

"Like it?" Malon questioned, noticing Link paying attention to her voice. "It's a song my mom used to sing to me," she said. "Although my mother was VERY much a Hylian, I'll have you know. She didn't come from the desert."

"Ok, ok," Link answered with a nod. Whatever she wanted. Still, he didn't understand just what was so bad about the Gerudo.

"But, yeah, my mom, before she died, she used to teach me how to use my voice," the red-haired girl continued. "I've never been that good with instruments, but she told me I could sing. She told me that's how she knew I could do anything."

Link and Sparky looked on in confusion. "H-How?" Link asked.

If I controlled what was in my throat, then I had power over myself," Malon said. She then ran her fingers through her red hair. "She said that it didn't matter how ugly someone was, if their voice was golden, they could get anywhere in life. So, you shouldn't get discouraged when things get tough," she continued to pet Epona's short, red fur. "Because you have something that can get you through anything."

There was probably more to that than Link understood, as much of it appeared to be quite personal to Malon. Still, upon hearing her, he then produced his instrument.

"Oh, hey! You've got an ocarina!" Malon observed. "You want to try playing the song I'm singing?" Link nodded. "Ok, it's not that hard, you should be able to play it on that," she said, gesturing to his woodwind. "It's like this," she then proceeded to recite the first few notes of the melody, her voice, despite her age, was quite a treat to listen to. "Try that."

"Ok," Link proceeded to blow into the instrument, only to rouse up the entire barn with the terrible noise that came from the gifted instrument. And then, after a few more agonizing moments, the horrible pain in everyone's ears finally stopped. "How's that?"

"Is everyone ok in here?" Talon asked, running in with Ingo, Navi following close behind. "It sounded like something was dying in here!"

"Any longer, I probably would've," Malon grimaced. "I'd hate to say it, but you need practice on that thing," she said, pointing to the ocarina Link held in his hand. "Otherwise, I feel that you're going to get far in whatever you're trying to do."

Sacred Meadow

"Come to think of it, I don't believe I've had Link play the ocarina before now," Saria muttered to herself, her mind still on the blonde boy and his supposed whereabouts. "Another reason that I should've made him stay at least one more day."

"Then you wouldn't have let him go at all," Compa told the green-haired girl sitting atop the stump. "He's a little dense, but he's a quick learner. He'll learn the ropes on how to do that stuff eventually."

"It might be too late when the time comes," Saria sighed. "Oh, I thought I'd be ready for this I did. I and the Great Deku Tree went over everything. We got him the means to carry a sword and shield, a place to carry his belongings, everything! We were ready to hand it over to him at any time!"

"You just didn't want it to be this soon, right?" Compa asked.

Saria shook her head. "I mean, it doesn't mean much to me, because my body doesn't change. It can't," she said. "But, for him, things will be different."

"I know, the world outside the forest seems like a scary place," Compa told her Kokiri charge. "But Link's got the blessing of the Great Deku Tree, so he won't die while he's out there. And, even more, Navi's with him! Even for us fairies, she's a bit of a stickler for rules, so she'll surely keep him in line."

Saria didn't answer.

"Saria?" the green fairy asked, raising a brow in concern. "Saria? Are you ok?"

The green-clad and blue-eyed girl lowered her head, still not answering her fairy. At least, not at first. "You...don't understand," she finally said. "No one does."

"Understand what?" Compa questioned. "I...I admit I don't exactly know what's going on."

"The Great Deku Tree said he understood, he knew that Link would have to leave the forest one day, but he didn't understand just what that meant." Saria relayed to her fairy.

"What that meant?" the green orb of light asked. "What's that?"

"He believed that Link could just complete his task and come back," Saria answered. "The Great Deku Tree believed that he could keep him here until it was time to let him go. He wanted Link to stay here and grow with the rest of us. Even if we would never grow as he would."

"Grow?"

"Yes. But, not in the way a flower or plant does," Saria clarified. "He'll grow in a way where he'll be different forever. Where everything will change forever. And, even now, it's changing. He is changing."

Compa shook her head, hating to see her child so distressed. But she couldn't alleviate the problem if she didn't understand what it was.

"Whether he's as he is now, or as he will be in time, the result will be the same," Saria said. "No one can change the outcome. Not even the Great Deku Tree himself. Even though he tried to keep Link for as long as he could. He never let the boy reach the treetops when he was alive, he never let Link become too disoriented in the Lost Woods, and he kept a watch over Link at all times," she then gave a light chuckle. "It's somewhat ironic, considering that he was forced to ask Link to do the very thing he wanted to avoid happening."

"And what was that?" Compa asked, feeling herself growing cold.

Saria looked up at the darkening sky, knowing well that she would need to return to the others soon. "He wanted Link to never pick up a sword for as long as possible."

Lon Lon Ranch

"Ok, so, how are the arrangements going to work?" Navi asked, she and Link staring down at a pile of blankets and a single pillow. "Is this ours?"

"What? Oh, goodness no!" Malon answered the fairy. "This is where I'm sleeping tonight. You're sleeping over there." she then pointed to the small, twin-sized bed in the northeastern corner of the room.

"In your bed?" Navi questioned.

"But..." Link began to speak as well, but Malon shushed both of them.

"No, the decision has been made," she said. "You're the guest, so you're going to rest comfortably. Besides, it's not the first time I've slept on the floor," Malon then began making down the blankets into a makeshift resting place. "After Epona's mom died, I had to spend the first few days of her life sleeping in the barn to make sure she didn't get too cold during the night."

"She was that weak, huh?" Navi asked. Link too felt pity for the young equine.

"Without a mother, no one can survive long," Malon answered. "Unless they have another parent with them, then they're all alone. And they usually don't make it," she then turned to Link. "I'm sorry if this is a little too personal, but just how was it having a tree for a parent?"

"Parent?" Link questioned.

"Yeah, like a mother or a father," the redheaded girl told the blonde boy. "You Kokiri have at least one of those, right?"

Link pondered this. True, the Great Deku Tree was their guardian, as well as the one who watched over the whole forest, so he supposed that counted. "Then...he's my...mother?" Link questioned.

"Uh, no," Malon said, giggling. "A mother is a woman. A father is a man," she explained. "So, I guess that makes the Great Deku Tree your dad, assuming they were a guy." Last Link knew, while he wasn't a man, the Great Deku Tree was male. "So, where is he now?" she asked. "Is he waiting for you back in the woods?"

Link grew silent, turning his head away to shield his face from view. Malon immediately sensed something was wrong. It didn't take her long to figure out what. "He's...gone, isn't he?" Link hesitated for a moment, but nodded in response. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It...it's ok," Link replied. "But...yeah. I think he was a...dad."

"Was he a good dad?" Malon questioned. "I mean, you're a little weird, but you seemed to have turned out all right."

Link thought about the girl's question for a moment. "Y-Yeah. I-I think so."

"Hm, still," Malon then circled the boy, observing and surveying his features. "For a fairy boy, you look a lot like a Hylian."

"Well, I suppose you could say that," Navi said, realizing Link was growing uncomfortable under Malon's prying eyes. "But all Kokiri look like that."

"If you say so," the ranch girl answered the fairy. "Still, it seems a little odd that someone from the forest would look so much like,"

"Like?" Link questioned, curious as to why Malon had paused.

"Well," she said. "Like us," the room fell silent for a few moments before Malon began speaking again, changing the subject. "Anyway, it's getting late, so we should probably turn in for the night."

Link gazed at the bed, then at the sheets that Malon had spread out to resemble a resting place. "Are...you sure?" he questioned.

"Yes," Malon responded. "So get on in, we'll be heading for Kakariko tomorrow bright and early, so we need our rest."

Well, ok, Link thought. If she said so. He went over to the bed and slipped off his shoes, socks, and hat. But before he could get in, he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind. "Here," Malon said, handing Link a pair of small items that felt somewhat warm but held shape and definition to them. "They're wax earplugs," the girl explained. "I've got a pair of my own, so don't worry about me."

"Worry about what?" Navi questioned, Link was also puzzled by the girl's words.

"Oh, trust me," she groaned. "When dad gets in here, you're going to need them."

Lost Woods

"Faster!" a voice, giddy and childlike called out, yet there was a sinister tone to its inflection. "We've got to get the girl for the Master!"

The mass of darkened shapes ran through the trees, covering the grassy ground underneath in shadows as they passed. Their forms were hidden in the branches and leaves of the monumental trees of the Lost Woods, concealing them from view as they traveled through the forest. Their singular mission was to find the one the Master wished to find, the one that the Great Deku Tree had appointed to watch over the forest. The orders were clear: they were not to stop until she was found and captured. And after that, well, then, according to the Master, things would fall into place.

One among the group pondered just who this person could be, for he had never seen anyone different from each other in the tribe of the Kokiri. They all possessed different attire and hair color, but they all resembled children. Even the one that didn't have a fairy he would see on occasion. Yet, last he knew, that boy had left. To his surprise, as well as the rest of the others, the Master had alerted them all that the boy was not dead. He was still very much alive.

And that would have to change.

Their destination was the Sacred Meadow, or, at least the entrance. True, they were unsure of where it was, for even the Master had areas where his spies weren't allowed to trespass, but wherever their target was, they would find it. Still, he wondered if this would bring the boy without a fairy back. And, if so, just why did the Master want him taken care of? Regardless, they all had a task to complete, and they couldn't return without the one the Master wanted.

"Be sure to look down below," their Master's voice rang through the minds of the small shapes in the trees, remembering his instructions. "She will be with her fairy. Make sure she is alone, and that no one else is around."

They would need to be stealthy in their mission, for it was crucial. If their Master was to lay claim to the rest of the forest, even the domain of the Kokiri, any potential threats had to be taken care of.

The boy that had left would have to be terminated.

Lon Lon Ranch

"I should've asked for a pair myself." Navi lamented, her ears ringing as another loud snore echoed throughout the room.

Malon had warned the fairy about her father, yet the winged creature didn't listen, insisting that, if she could handle Link, she could handle him. Oh, how mistaken she was. Her charge was a mellow hum compared to the repetitive, harsh breathing of the bearded man, which was beginning to drive the fairy insane.

"I've got to get out for a bit!" Navi scrambled to the window and desperately opened the shutters, the process was long and hard, but once enough space had been created, she slipped out from the bedroom and into the outside of the ranch. "Ah, much better," she sighed, the cold, night air feeling refreshing on her wings. "Still, I probably need to stay close by in case Link needs me." Spotting the barn, she flew through one of the open windows and saw the stable containing Epona and Sparky. Fluttering toward the filly and baby dragon, Navi sat herself down in the hay. "Hey, guys," she greeted. "You mind if I crash with you tonight?"

The young foal merely flicked her ears and blinked while the dragon tilted his head curiously. "Malon?" he chirped, the fairy realizing that the dragon was addressing her.

"Uh, no," Navi shook her head. "I'm Navi. Malon's the girl that bought you at the market, remember?"

"Mar...ket?" the small, snake-like reptile questioned.

"Yeah, the market," the fairy nodded. "Hm, so, it seems you can repeat things other than people's names."

"Malon!" Sparky repeated.

"No, Navi," the fairy corrected. "Na-vi, get it?"

"Epona?"

"No, I...oh, forget it," the fairy threw up her arms in defeat. "I'm too tired to argue anyway," she then found a small place atop a small pile of hay, the stiff fibers almost the same size as her, yet they served as decent bedding. "At least I don't have to deal with that man's noise anymore," Navi mused, exhaustion catching up to her. "Still...I wonder how the others at home are doing..."

Lost Woods

She wasn't alone, that much she knew. And she wasn't speaking of Compa, who flew beside her. Saria traveled through the Lost Woods, trying to keep to the pathway back to the Kokiri Forest. She had stayed out too long and she needed to get back, for, while she didn't possess his strength, the Great Deku Tree entrusted her with this task. She was to watch over his children, at least for a time. When that time would come, however, was unknown.

Had the Great Deku Tree known it himself, Saria was certain he would've done everything in his power to keep Link from leaving. And the only thing that could challenge his authority was that of the Gods.

And, from what she had seen, They had made the message clear. Her guardian's efforts were in vain, and her young friend was to travel out into the world outside the forest of trees. And perhaps, eventually, maybe return to it.

"Hey, do you hear something?" Compa suddenly asked, drawing Saria out of her thoughts.

"Hm? Like what?" She asked her fairy.

"Almost like rustling, but…higher up." As soon as the girl and fairy gazed upward at the collection of leaves and branches above, they came to realize several dozens of eyes were spying on them from within the darkness of the canopy.

Compa was about to instruct Saria to run, but a fast-moving object caught her off guard and slammed her to the ground. Someone had fired a Deku Seed at the glowing green orb, the projectile making quick work of the fairy. "Compa!" Saria cried out, running over to her injured companion, but was stopped in her tracks by shadows descending from the trees, surrounding her.

The green-haired girl realized that, despite her efforts, she hadn't been careful enough. She had fallen right into enemy hands.

Or, in this case, roots.

Lon Lon Ranch

Was he dreaming again?

It appeared so, but unlike his previous dreams, he resided in a location very familiar to him at the moment. Link was walking out into the pasture, yet it was empty of any animals. He was all alone out here. Not even Navi was to be seen. And yet, the boy still felt as if there was a presence nearby.

"So, this is where you are." a young voice he immediately recognized spoke, the boy turned around to see a figure he had been with but a day prior.

"Gris?" Link asked the girl he had met in Castle Town, who was now in his sights. Was that truly her?

"Hm? You remember my name?" The blonde girl asked, genuinely surprised. "And here, I thought you would've remembered the Princess's most." She muttered but was cut off by an embrace from the boy also in the empty pasture.

"Gris!" Link cried out. "You're here!" He was quite delighted by her appearance, the girl observed. But then, Link's enthusiasm died down. "But…why?" He asked. Even if he was happy to see her, the boy in green doubted the girl came just to visit him. And that was another thing, how was she in his dream?

"I guess you're a little confused, right?" Gris asked. Link nodded in response. "Well, there's a saying in Hyrule that, if two people dream at the same time, they could perhaps meet," the girl explained. "But, those are far and in between," she then put her hands behind her back. "I'm here on behalf of the Princess."

"The Princess?" Link asked. Even if he wasn't saying much, he found his occasional difficulty with speech was all but gone now.

"Yes," Gris answered. "She can't leave the Castle, so she sent me to help you out."

Link's expression faltered. "So…you're just here…on business?"

"That was the idea," Gris said. Then she noticed Link's dower face. "But, if it means anything, she's been curious as to how you've been since you left."

Oh really? Still, that wasn't what Link wanted to know. "Well, what about you?"

"Me? You mean…?" Gris asked, caught off guard. He wasn't as interested in what the Princess thought as much as she thought. The blonde girl appeared to be left speechless, Link being reminded of his impediment in the waking world. "Well, I'm…happy to see you too," she said. "I am. I'm just a little…shocked."

Link was puzzled. Shocked?

"I just…expected you to be more interested in what the Princess had to say. After all, she IS part of this new story."

"New story?" Link asked.

"Yes, a new story," Gris answered. "Each Princess of Hyrule is set to take part in her own story when her time comes. And, usually, when that time comes, the Hero also appears," she said. "That's why you need to get the Spiritual Stones so the Hero can get to the Sacred Realm. I don't," she then paused. "I mean, the Princess doesn't know when he'll show up, so we'll have to move as fast as possible," she then surveyed her surroundings. "You're currently at the ranch outside of town?"

Link nodded.

"I've always been curious about this place," Gris said. "I mean, the Princess has been."

"Have you been?" Link asked.

Again, he was more interested in her than the Princess of Hyrule. Was he for real? Nevertheless, Gris was unsure of how to feel about this. "Well, no," she answered. "The Princess doesn't get out much, and, being her friend, neither do I," she said. She then looked around the open field. "I heard the horses they breed here are beautiful."

Link could agree with that. The four-legged creatures were unusual, but majestic to look at.

"The Castle has some horses, but they're in the stables there," Gris told the boy. "There's one that was specially bred for the Royal Family. She's got a white coat and mane, but she's a little skittish."

"What's her name?" Link asked.

"The King named her Storm," Gris answered. "Well, the Princess," the girl paused, studying Link's reactions. "I mean...I named her Storm," she corrected. "The King wanted to name her Genevieve at first."

Link quirked a brow and wrinkled his nose. "Genevieve?"

"Yeah, I hated it too," the blonde girl agreed with Link's sentiment regarding the name. "Lon Lon Ranch sometimes breeds horses for the Gerudo too," she said. "But they're dark to resist the heat, and they travel the sand as if it were water underneath their hooves."

"What do they look like?" Link asked.

"I've only seen them a couple of times, but they look pretty," the girl answered. "For a horse coming from the desert, that is."

A question then came to Link's mind, having wondered about such a thing since the Princess first told him about it. "Hey," he said. "Can I...ask you something?" he questioned Gris, who nodded. "How long...has the Princess been having these...sorts of dreams?"

"As in, prophetic ones?" Link wasn't entirely sure of what that meant, but if it meant telling the future, then yes. "Not until recently," Gris told him. "In all honesty, it was only a few weeks before she met you that she began having those dreams."

"So have I," Link said, gaining Gris's attention.

"You have?" Link nodded. "Well, what are they about?"

Link bit his lip. "Sometimes...they're about bad things," he said. "They're...full of monsters," he told the girl. "Full of nasty, scary things," he continued. "But...some of them aren't all bad."

"Like what?" Gris asked.

Link tried to remember one among the onslaught of nightmarish scenarios when his memory was finally able to conjure up an answer. "It...it was a place I haven't seen before," he began. "Or...maybe I have. It sort of looked like the field outside of the ranch."

"You mean Hyrule Field?" Gris asked.

Link pondered this for a moment. Was the location in his dream the same as Hyrule Field? He was unsure, yet he wouldn't put the possibility past him. "Anyway, I'm in a field, and I see someone," he told the girl. "Someone that...I recognize, but I don't at the same time."

Gris's blood froze. "You too?"

Link nodded. "Maybe...maybe it's the Hero I saw," he said. "I don't know. But, there was someone in the field," he told Gris. "He was riding a horse, and he was dressed in green," he explained. "I was him, and yet I wasn't."

It was difficult to put into words, yet Link knew of no other way to describe it. He saw the man from a distance, and yet, he could also feel the wind of early morning brush up against his cheeks, the galloping of the horse's hooves hitting the earth as it sped along, the raw power behind its legs as it continued to run.

"Did you ask this man who he was?" Gris asked.

"I...didn't get to," Link confessed. "But, even if I've never seen him before, I felt like I knew him," he said. "Like...I was a part of him. And he was a part of me."

Gris was silent upon hearing these words, trying to process what the boy was saying. Just what could this mean? But, before she could speak, a piercing shriek echoed throughout the night, drawing the attention of the two children toward the source of the noise. Which appeared to be that of the dense forest of southern Hyrule.

Before Link could ask just what was going on, a familiar voice met his ears, frightened and seemingly fearing for her life.

"Somebody!"

"Saria?" Link asked.

"Saria?" Gris questioned, but continued to listen, realizing that the boy knew who was screaming.

"Link! Help me!"

With a jolt, Link sat up, breathing heavily as he was roused from his sleep by the high-pitched scream of his friend. "Saria?!" he got on his shoes, socks, and hat, as well as grabbed his equipment. He didn't even notice Navi was absent, running out of the room and outside. "Saria, Saria!"

"Hm, what?" From inside the barn, the palish-blue fairy nestled in the hay heard her charge calling out a name. She then saw him running by the wooden building, seemingly in a frenzy. "Whoa, hey! Link!" she flew out, gaining the attention of Sparky and Epona, but neither followed after her.

"Saria!" Link ran out into the center of the pasture, able to spot the Lost Woods from a distance.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Navi inquired, out of breath. She had finally managed to catch up with the boy.

"Something foul is stirring in the forest," a voice from above hooted, the owner flying down and landing on the ground with sizable, sharp talons. "And I fear your friend is in trouble."

Link stepped back. "K-Kapeo..." he began but found himself getting his tongue twisted. "K-Kapeo...Gaebo..." he tried to sound out, but ultimately gave up. "Mr. Owl!" he settled on calling the giant bird.

Mr. Owl? Well, Kaepora Gaebora thought, if it was all the boy could say, then it would have to do. At least he was able to call the bird something.

"Mr. Kaepora," Navi began. "Or, do you prefer Mr. Gaebora?"

"Either is fine," the owl answered. "Although, I'll admit that it can be a mouthful to say."

"Mr. Owl," Link began. "Is...is Saria...in trouble?"

The great winged animal nodded, cementing Link's fears. "Yes, and she requires someone to help her," he told the boy. "For the entire forest depends on her presence."

"Depends on her presence?" Navi inquired. "How so?"

"There is no time to explain!" he exclaimed. "The girl is in danger, and she must be kept from harm! The Kokiri Forest, no, the entire Kingdom of Hyrule depends on her contribution!"

Contribution? Link didn't understand.

"Look, for now, you must return to the forest," the owl informed Link. "You must go and retrieve Saria from enemy hands."

"Y-Yeah!" Link answered. Only, he then realized that he had no way to get there. At least, no way that didn't involve walking back.

"Fear not, dear boy," Kaepora Gaebora told the child in green. "My kind is one with the night winds. We can swoop in with total silence, so no one will detect your presence." He then rose somewhat, flapping his massive, brown feathered wings. He spread out his talons, Link realizing just what the owl wanted him to do. "I shan't grip you hard," the bird told Link. "You're not a mouse, so you're too big to go down my gullet."

Hesitantly at first, Link stepped forward and allowed the owl to gently grip his tunic with the sharpened instruments that easily tore through the flesh of smaller creatures for consumption. To his surprise, the owl's hold was firm but painless, as if he were just being grasped by very strong, very deadly, but very trustworthy hands. Despite the size of the bird's talons, the owl was quite gentle with the child in his possession.

"You may want to hang onto my feathers," Kaepora Gaebora instructed Navi. "You may have a hard time catching up."

"Catching up?" Navi questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Come! We must be off! Your friend is waiting for you!" then, to Link's surprise, he was lifted off the ground, the large owl carrying him in his talons. "Hoooo! We're off!" he then flapped and brought Link with him, carrying the boy across the field and to the forest.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Navi called out, regretting not taking the owl's advice when she had the chance.

Note: Next up, we start the quest to save Saria and learn her song! Also, that Skull Mask Link had with him will come in handy, as he'll meet a minor character that'll show up later as well!

Thank you for reading! Please give your input, and I hope to hear from you soon!