A/N: This takes place immediately after the Ocarina of Time, with Link being sent back to relive his childhood. Also I’m trying as much as possible for the “silent protagonist” thing, as was Link in the game, although he will be given some short phrases, like in the game.

Disclaimer: If I owned Zelda I wouldn’t be writing this disclaimer.

Chapter 1: Aftershock

The young boy awoke with a start. Sweat had embedded his golden bangs to his forehead, his breathing had been quickened but was slowly steadying as he began focusing on his surroundings. Was it all a dream?

One moment he had been standing victorious after fighting the most grueling battle he had ever faced, the next he was sitting up in his bed. It all felt so real…yet here he was, safe and sound, as if nothing had happened.

The sun had just begun to rise, and as he sat there, he struggled to remember what this dream had been about. He vaguely remembered images of a huge man in black, a young girl, obviously of royal blood, the task she had presented him with. Task? He racked his brain even harder, trying to force his mind to relinquish the memories of this strangely vivid experience.

Of course, three spiritual stones… The thoughts haunted his mind, the death of the Great Deku Tree, the famished Gorons, and the ill-minded guardian of the Zoras, Jabu-Jabu. He had succeeded in obtaining the three stones, but what happened next seemed even more surreal. The imprisonment for seven years in the Sacred Realm, becoming an adult, being given the title of Hero of Time. He remembered it all, awakening the sages, gathering the medallions, defeating Gannondorf, Princess Zelda… The girl from his childhood, so she was the famed Princess Zelda.

The last moments with her after the fight came back to him like a lightning bolt. Everything around them was masked in a white shroud. It illuminated her beautiful features, her hair shining a brilliant shade of gold, her luminous sapphire eyes pierced into his very soul. They looked so relieved then, but also slightly…sad. She had congratulated him for his hard fought victory and praised him for saving Hyrule. She asked for the Ocarina of Time, she explained that she had to send him back to relive his old childhood, which he had lost because of his duty.

Now here he was, safely in his house in the Kokiri Forest. It hadn’t changed a bit, still a small round room with a tree stump-like table in the middle, his bed next to it and across from that, his curtained doorway. Maybe that’s all it was, a dream.

“Hey Link! Are you awake yet,” a childlike voice called from outside.

Link stood up, still a bit shaken from the dream. He walked over to the doorway, still clad in his green tunic from the previous day. He peered out and waved at a young girl, at least that’s what she appeared to be. She was, in fact, a Kokiri girl by the name of Saria, and strangely enough, the Kokiri never age past ten years old. She also happened to be his best and only friend.

“Mind if I come up, or are you not decent at the moment,” she said with a giggle.

Link motioned for her to come on up. She approached the ladder and began her ascent. When reaching the top, he couldn’t help but notice how pretty she looked. She was dressed in a green tunic with green shorts cut just above the knees. Her hair was a beautiful emerald green that came down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a nice shade of deep blue, which made them seem out of place with the rest of her features.

“Good morning sleepy-head,” she said.

Link replied with a nod, and then proceeded to sit on his bed. He couldn’t help but recall that she was in his dream as well.

Saria sat down next to him, and noticed the serious expression on his face. “Is anything wrong,” she asked with a worried expression.

“Well…” Link began. He told her of the very strange dream he had. She made for a good audience, she gasped at the right moments, like when he had almost been hurled into boiling lava in the fight with that huge dragon, Volvagia, she laughed when he had been thrown out of the castle for attempting to sneak in, and even stood awe-struck at the mention of Link being deemed the legendary Hero of Time, not to mention her being the Forest Sage.

“Wow, so do you think this really happened,” she asked.

“Maybe,” Link responded. He couldn’t help but feel as if something was out of place, but what?

“Well don’t look so down, I believe you. How about we go for a walk in the woods,” Saria suggested.

“Okay.”

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A/N: Please review, this is just an idea from the top of my head, but if someone out there likes where it's going, I'll keep updating. Thanks for your time.