A/N: Yay…Link comes into play at last. I have so much fun getting him into character since RPG's leave so much to the imagination. Dumb blondes are just oh so kyoot. Saria's mucho fun to write, too, being a kid, while at the same time, very mature and minful. sigh...this has been saved on the H-drive for ages, this means I actually have to go and write chapter three. Cripes, that may take a while. Anyways, enjoy.
Chapter II In Dreams

In the morning when the blood red dawn consumed Kokiri Village, it looked more like evening. This was all the more reason for Link to get some extra shut-eye.

He still resided in the same tree hut, something far too humble for the world's savior to be accommodated in. Inside, his clothes were tossed carelessly in different directions (one boot was soaking in the sink), the pots on the stove had never been cleaned, and the candles on the table were down to their last inches of wax. He had outgrown his cot years ago, and now his bare feet hung over the edge of the frame. As lewd as it sounds, to Link, this was home, and he wished for no greater luxury.

Unbeknownst to him, a large cluster of about fifteen children waited at the trunk of his tree. Each of them had with them their own fairy. It was uncanny that Link wasn't awakened by the glow the fairies produced alone, but one would think with the light, and the voices of several young kids shouting his name would stir him.

"Hey!" bellowed one boy, "Get out of bed, you lout! Do you even know what day it is?" When there was no response, the child crossed his arms and pouted. Another boy tossed him aside and shouted, "C'mon Link!" but it was to no avail.

"Oh, give it a rest!" came a young girl's voice from behind the Kokiri.

The children immediately shut up. The girl obviously had some authority over the other kids of the village.

"What's with all the noise? I mean honestly?" The dark-haired girl began pushing through the crowd and proceeded to climb up the ladder to Link's doorstep.

But many of the other children were upset by her choice to do this. "You're going in there?" asked one little girl with worry.

"You better be careful, Saria, he's got a sword!"

She had to stop midway through her climbing to roll her eyes and shake her head at them. Her fairy, Leef, was also protesting. "Saria, don't you remember last time an intruder came into our village while he was sleeping?"

"I'm no intruder!" she stepped up onto the porch, performed a short curtsy and teasingly tugged on the deer-hide tapestry that Link had used for a crude front door. Short after, she lifted the hide over her head and disappeared into the house.

"Hey, Link," she poked, quietly. "Wake up, it's Receiving.

Link only rolled over under his blanket.

"Hey!" again there was no response. She proceeded to shake him, but making her way through all of the junk in the house was no easy task. She had to avoid milk bottles, silverware, and jewelry and stepped on the floor between such items. Ironically, it was the floor that brought her to her knees. Her boot had snagged on a loose floorboard near Link's bed and she fumbled to steady her fall by groping his blankets.

Such a rude awakening would not be tolerated. Link abruptly shot from his mattress, snarling, somehow with his sword unsheathed. He was poised to slit Saria's throat. He stood over her, intimidating with unrest in his blue eyes.

But the scowl quickly melted from his face and no sooner did he drop his weapon on the bed. Hastily, he knelt down to help the poor girl to her feet.

Saria's hair was erect as if she'd just been electrocuted. She had seen Link act in such a manner, but never when the defense was directed at her, a friend. Although she knew it was not his intention to attack her, she pushed away his hands when he offered to pick her up. Her knees were very shaky, however and she wobbled when she tried to stand.

Link gripped her small shoulders and gently shook her. "You're okay? I-I'm sorry. Oh, man, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Link," she said. The wonderful thing about Saria was her ability to keep calm. Even when she was so nervous, her thoughts were steady and her speech wasn't affected. "You of all people have a reason to be cautious," she brushed off her shoulders and shot him a disapproving glance. "I thought you agreed to put that thing away?"

He knew of what she referred to. His blade lay on the cot. He looked down at it in regret. "I know," was all that he could manage to say.

Saria bent down to poke at her raw knee, "What's the matter, Link?" She still spoke in an acidulous tone.

"The matter? There is no matter, really…it's not a big deal." He went cold and folded his arms. It became apparent that he was wearing only the bottom half of his tunic.

"No matter, eh? Is that why your sleeping with your sword and attacking visitors?"

"Okay, okay, spare me the guilt," he pleaded, flailing his arms. It was obvious that he was reluctant to continue talking. He kept glancing out the window. "It's these dreams I've been having."

The blood spouting from her leg suddenly became less interesting. "What? You're kidding?"

"No." He walked to the cabinet to fetch her some gauze. "You…remember the first time I left the village, right?"

"I do," she said. A look of concern spread across her face. It was seldom that Link ever left the forest. The first time he ever had seven years before, he'd returned with an explanation of the future.

Saria was a sage of the Forest. Someday, she would have to leave and fulfill her duty among the remaining six sages. Although it was a great honor, she had no wish to go. Her destination was unclear, but one thing was for sure: no place was better than Kokiri Village, with its lush grasses, bountiful trees, custodial canopy, and rushing creeks. Sacred or not, this Temple of Light, Saria did not want to go there. But, if for the good of her race, she would leave.

"Well," he continued, pulling a bandage from the cupboard. It was one of the few items he kept handy at all times. "While I was out there-in the world-I could never let my guard down. And in my dreams lately, I'm still a ten year-old kid. Those dreams have been reminding me so much of those dark times that I've gotten really jumpy. I don't really feel safe without my sword nearby, while I'm sleeping, especially."

There was a short pause. "I don't like this, Link," said Saria.

Link looked at the damp rag that he was dabbing at Saria's wound. "What, you want me to get you a warmer cloth?"

She snorted. Link was a very hard person to stay serious around. In contradiction to being quite clever, he was also at times the typical blonde. "No, your dreams."

"Ah…" he bit his lip in embarrassment.

"You remember the last time your dreams affected how you live. You wound up leaving home and…fighting."

Saria gave a small chirp as Link wrapped her knee in a bandage. It must have stung terribly. "Well, hey, you can't argue with destiny, can you?" he said.

There was another short silence. A voice from outside eventually broke it. It was none other than Mido inquiring about Saria. He was never satisfied unless she was in sight of him.

Saria hesitated and limped as she walked to the doorway. At this, Link realized that he had probably tied the bandage too tight, being so accustomed to the severe wounds of his own. "Down in a minute!" she pronounced to the children, then turned back to Link. "I'm sorry, you're right," she said in a dark voice. "But please don't bring that thing to the ceremony," she was pointed to the sword, lying innocently on the mattress.

He made his way over and sheathed the Goron's sword, then safely tucked it under a floorboard beneath his bed. "Wait…ceremony?" Link sounded alarmed. "Today?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten?" she was giggling now. Friendships so pure are hard to come by.

He was hopping around looking for the rest of his clothing. He struggled into one gauntlet, and wrestled his way into his undershirt, but he couldn't find that other boot…

"Hurry up, we can't very well leave without our guest of honor…our village elder…the hero of time…"

"Hey, cut that out. First of all, I've done nothing that the villagers know about of honor, second, I'm not even legal yet, and…" He was very modest, but he couldn't find a rebuttal to defend himself from the title "Hero of Time". He grinned

"There, see," Saria said, plucking the soggy boot out of the sink and shaking it off, "Now let's get out of here."