The Kokiri Chronicles

[Tempest]

Chapter One: Saria "Link!" a voice called up from the ground. Link sleepily rubbed his eyes and looked around his small tree home. A mirror was on a nearby wall, with his reflection glumly staring back at him. "Link! Wake up already!" the voice called again. Groggily, the young hero swung his legs out of bed. He then stumbled into the bright green light that perpetually hung over Kokiri Forest. "There you are! Finally!" said a small human, the size of a child. "Why do you always do that Saria?" asked Link blearily. "I need my sleep! I got none at all during my last adventure!" "It was over a month ago that you returned!" "So? This is one Hero of Time that recovers slowly from ordeals of the sleepless kind." "Link, keep this up and I might tell everyone your story of time traveling, monster slaying, and forest leaving. Then they'd call you crazier than ever! Mido already wants you gone!" "Well excuuuse me, Saria. It isn't my fault that I enjoy sleep." "Whatever Link. Anyway, the Great Deku Tree wants to see you. He says he has an important message for you." "Okay,okay, I'm going." Link said. He jumped down from the tree and trotted off into the woods.Please give me feedback! This is set, by the way, after the ending of OoT in the CT.

[Emhave]

Looks pretty good. I'd love to see you continue on this story. =D

[Tempest]

Chapter Two: Exiled "Link..." the Great Deku Tree rumbled in his slow methodical voice. "Thou hast come at last. I have summoned thee today to tell of thy fate. There was once a great conflict in the land of Hyrule. A women who-" "I've already heard this story," interjected Link. "She took shelter here and was my mom." The Deku Tree drew breath as if to speak. "I know also that you sensed that I was a child of destiny. I did all that, beat Ganondorf, saved Hyrule, and got sent back here to relive what I lost." "This is an interesting tale Link," creaked the Deku Tree. "Why hast thou not spoken sooner?" "I...I was afraid you wouldn't believe me. The only one I truly trusted was Saria." admitted Link. Suddenly, there was a flash of movement behind Link. Mido was charging into the town, gleefully shouting that Link claimed to have saved the world, and that he, Mido, had always known there was a screw loose in him. The Great Deku Tree sighed. "Alas, tis always the same with the young." he said. "Go now, Link, and see if you can prove your story." Link nodded and ran to town, where everyone was already gathering. "No fairy!" someone shouted. "Crazy stories!" came another voice. "Not a true Kokiri!" yelled a third. "Link, I'm sorry! I can't help you stop them! They refuse to listen to reason!" Saria yelled over the racket. "There! The majority of us agree!" said Mido. "Link, unless you stop telling insane stories and get a fairy, we will not accept you in this forest! Do you stand by your claims?" "Of course I do," replied Link. "Then leave town. If you find a fairy, we might acknowledge you as one of us. Until then...get out of our sight." Link hung his head and ran into the Lost Woods, determined to find where Navi had gone. He called Epona and rode away.

[Tempest]

Chapter 3: The Ancient Woods Link rode for hours, his thoughts whirling around his head faster than the windmill after the Song of Storms was played. He'd been thrown out. Tossed aside as if he were some wandering vagrant who begged for shelter while stealing behind your back. Link's only comfort was that he knew himself to be sane. Epona had come, after all. He wasn't delerious. The trees around Link seemed to lean in on him. A squirell jumped from the path, away from the soft, downtrodden hoofbeats of Epona. Link sighed. When Zelda had sent him into the past,she hadn't thought anything like this would happen. A creak from a tree branch made Link look around him. Where was he? This part of the woods looked unfamiliar, even though Link knew every inch of them. At least, he did within the main woods. These trees seemed opressive, ancient, dominating. Nothing like the friendly trees of Kokiri Forest. A shadow began to form in front of Link. Epona let out a whinny of fear. The shadow rose up, dull eyes gleaming out from it. Its shape was hard to make out for Link, as the dappled forest light confused his vision. "Leave...intruder...I have no quarrel with you right now..." the thing groaned. Its voice could have been an oak trying to hold up ice in winter. "What are you?" Link asked, drawing his sword. "I am the sound of wind through the leaves at twilight," it said. "I am the fox hunting for food, the deer bounding for safety. I am the lost spirit slowly becoming a Stalfos. I am...who I am." Link brought Epona a step back. "Has a fairy named Navi been through here by any chance?" he asked the thing. Normally, he'd just launch himself at it, sword swinging, but some instint told him not to. "There have been...fairies here. Why should you care? You are intruding. The last intruder I met stole...something that should have never seen the light of day again. I vowed to kill the next one who came. Leave, and I might not." The shadowy creature began to melt, and soon there was nothing but some leaves in the air, blocking the sun. Link let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. What was that? He could go back but...it had mentioned a fairy. Link resolved to continue onwards. He urged Epona forwards. Instantly, a mass of tree roots shot out of the ground, trapping the hero and his horse. The shadow creature flowed onto Link, engulfing him. Link screamed in pain as it entered his mind, searching it, finding memories, stealing his strength. "Kokiri...hmm..." it muttered to itself. A glow lit up the forest. "Triforce!" the thing hissed. It purged all memory of itself from Link's mind, released him and his horse, and disappeared. Link's vision went white, to grey, to black...

[Tempest]

Chapter 4: The Secret Grove. Link was on the forest floor, lying down with his eyes shut. Epona nudged him, but he did not stir. The air was still. Not a breath of wind penetrated the woods around them. A branch snapped behind Epona. The horse bolted, fearing that the shadowy thing might return. "Link?" came a voice. A gasp was let out, then, "Link! What happened?!?" Saria ran towards the unconcious hero, noting the mud all over his body, and the scratches and bruises slowly turning purple. She then lifted him and, with the help of her fairy, brought Link to her special place; the Secret Grove. It took three hours of soaking Link in the healing springs at the heart of the forest to awaken him. When Link finally came out of the world of dreams, he found himself in a pool of water unlike any he'd seen before. It was a deep blue, and was nearly crystal clear. Fish swam in its center, which seemed to go down for thirty feet or more. Link sat up. "Where...?" he tried to say. Saria ran over to him. "Link! You're awake!" she exclaimed. "Where...?" Link tried again. "You're in the heart of the forest. This is the most magical spring in Hyrule. The Great Deku Tree had roots that lead to an underground river from it. Its water heals and strengthens those who need it." she explained Link sat up. "What happened to me?" he asked. Saria shrugged. "I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me." Link thought for a minute. "It's all a blank!" he said hopelessly. "How did you even find me?" Saria looked grim. "I came to tell you that the Deku Tree died. He sent a fairy to your house to ask for help, but you were gone. After that, he told the fairy to find the King of Hyrule. Appearently, he saw a dark Gerudo man who would overthrow the King. The guards are looking for him now." "Is that it?" asked Link. "No. Mido...he...he says..." Saria looked panicked. "Link, he says you poisoned the Deku Tree! He's gotten the Kokiri into a rage! They want to kill you!" Link stood, slowly shaking his head. "Well I just won't let them catch me. I'd better go, as should you, Saria. If they see you with me, they might attack you too." With that, Link played Epona's favorite tune and galloped into the forest in search of someone to advise him. Navi. The shadow creature watched him go. It could use this one, it thought. Who to pose as, though, to get its item returned. Ah! Yes, that would work. An eerie laughed echoed in the forest, and a brief flash of purple fabric slipped between the trees.