Chapter 1 - At First Sight

  From Link's balcony, he could watch the sun rise. The balcony faced the north, so the sun first showed face to his right, right where the Deku Tree's meadow was. It started low in the sky and rose very slowly, sending rays of pink and yellow shooting across the sky to mix in with the pre-morning darkness and light up the sky like a thousand firelies.

  Not many 14 year olds liked to watch sunrises. Well, of course not many 14 years olds had at one time been 17 and had saved the world, now had they? And most of them didn't live in a treehouse in the forest with a bunch of permenant 10 year olds.

  Link went back inside and laid down in his bed. He sighed heavily. He had enjoyed saving the world, he had to admit, but it did have its drawbacks. Like the fact that his best friend, Sworn Brother, "fiancee", and the most beautiful girl he had ever met were locked away forever in some "sacred realm". Just because they were sages. Yeah, well what makes them so special? Link thought. Now his only friend was Malon over at Lon Lon Ranch, halfway across Hyrule.

  He liked her well enough, he guessed. But she was so- immature wasn't the right word- carefree in a way. She was never serious like Link was.

  "Malon," he had asked her once, "do you ever think about the future?"

  "The future? Well I guess not. I mean its so far away and all. No point in fretting over it now," she had replied. "Come on, let's go pester some chickens." She had gotten up and ran, calling over her shoulder for Link to catch up. He had mumbled something under his breath and trudged over to her. Chasing chickens was OK when he was 10 or 11, but now it seemed so pointless. When was his life going to amount to something? When was he going to feel important? Technically he wouldn't save the world for 3 more years yet.

  Link got out of bed and climbed down the ladder of his treehouse. Across the way he saw Mido, the Kokiri "bully", trying to make some kid pick up rocks in front of his house. Link sighed. Did this really have to happen every day? Being the nice person he was, he offered to lend the boy a hand.

  "Hey thanks Link," the boy said. "By the way, did you hear? The Deku Tree wants to talk to you."

  "Are you sure?" Link asked.

  "Yep. If you don't believe me, ask Navi."

  "Navi? Why she's-"

  "Right here Link!" a high pitched voice called.

  Link ran towards his fairy friend. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around in ages."

  "Well, I, um..." Navi stammered. "Umm, I've been.. busy is all. Come on Link the Deku Tree really does want to see you." Puzzled, Link followed the fairy toward the Meadow.

  The new Deku Tree had not yet earned the title "Great", but he was a magnificent creation of the goddesses. His tall branches towered over Link's head and cast a shadow on everything in the meadow. His trunk was already almost double as wide as the Great Deku Tree's had been, and he had a joyous demeanor that one doesn't usually find in a tree.

  "Hello there, Link," the Tree bellowed. "How are you on this fine day, my boy?"

  "I am doing marvelously, Deku Tree!" Link called, and began a recount of his life since he had last seen the Tree. There had been the cat he recused from a tree in Kakariko Village, he had made several deliveries of precious stones from Goron City to the Castle, and then there was the whole Skulltulla infestation over at the ranch.

  "Well well," the Deku Tree laughed. "I am glad our resident hero has kept himself busy lately." Link smiled. "However, there is something more important that I wish to speak to you of now."

  Link sat down on the soft grass and Navi fluttered over his shoulder for a bit before sitting down next to him. "As you know, Link, every so often the goddesses bless us with several new Kokiri, correct?" Link nodded. The Deku Tree continued, "Link you are not a Kokiri, this you remember?" Link nodded. It was the thorn in his side always, that he was different, but the forest was his home now.

  "Link, do you remember, when you were younger, how the others used to tease you constantly because you had no fairy?" Ouch, Link wished the Deku Tree hadn't brought that up. It had been awful, the teasing he'd endured.

  "Link, there are 6 Kokiri sent to us by the goddesses to keep safe from harm here in the forest. However, for some reason there has been a fairy, shortage, I guess you would say. I know the pain you suffered as a child becasue you had no fairy. There is one new Kokiri, the youngest, and, well, I am very sorry to have to do this Link, but I- no, we, the new Kokiri and I, need to, well, borrow your fairy so that no this boy wil never have to endure the pain that you did. You wouldn't mind if Navi became another Kokiri's fairy would you?"

  Smiling to himself, Link stood up. What a silly thing for them to worry about. "Of course I don't mind at all. After all I am not even a Kokiri, so I do not even rightly deserve a fairy. If it is OK with Navi, I would be happy for her to guide another." Link looked over to Navi for her approval. She nodded.

  "Excellent, that is just great," the Deku Tree said. "However there is something else. Even for a Kokiri, this boy is very small. I fear his safety out there."

  "In the forest? What could possibly-"

  "From the other children, Link. Mido can be awfully mean when he so chooses."

  "True," Link agreed.

  "That is why I am asking you to be the boy's, well, bodygaurd of sorts. Makes sure he stays out of trouble, hmm?"

  Link thought for a moment. Well, he wasn't sure he would want a little kid tagging around all the time, but it could be fun to have an adoring fan.

  "Sure, why not?" Link replied.

  "Good, good," the Deku Tree smiled (although it is quite hard for a tree to smile). "Now this only means you will have to help him in areas where Navi is of little help, such as introducing him to others, showing him around, or defending him from bullies. None of the Kokiri will stand up to you, I believe."

  Link nodded.

  "Wonderful!" said the Deku Tree. "All the new children will be formally introduced at the naming ceremony tomorrow, but I think you should meet the one who is Navi's new charge. Link, meet your new fellow Kokiri!"

  From behind the Deku Tree stepped a small boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, who probably measured over a head shorter than Link. He was dressed all in green, and wore small leather gloves with the fingers cut off on his hands. He kept his head down as he walked timidly across the meadow. He stopped in front of the Deku Tree, as if he was scared to move any farther away from the Tree, his forest father. The boy clearly wasn't moving, so Link took the first step. He walked slowly so as not to scare the boy.

  Link crouched down on one knee in fornt of the boy, who still had his head down. "Hello there," Link said, smiling. The boy slowly looked up until his eyes met Link's for the first time...

  And he promptly started to cry.

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