**Well, this is the last chapter. I just wanted to thank everyone who kept
up with this story. All of your reviews have been truly wonderful. You
all make me feel so good! Also, I wanted to let anyone who is interested
know that I am going to write a sequel to this to be called "The Dark
Triforce". I just couldn't leave this story! I love it so! Anyway, here
is the last chapter. I apologize for its shortness. I hope you have
enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it.**
Link woke up in his house, with the sunshine pouring in his room. He smiled and stretched, knowing that there was nothing he had to do today. He lay in bed, relishing in the fact that he could stay in bed and duty didn't call. He was about to resituate himself and close his eyes again when he spotted Saria's figure lying on the floor next to his bed. It was obvious that she had fallen asleep abruptly and hadn't had a chance to settle into a nice position. She was sprawled on the floor, her limbs going every direction. He got out of bed and gently picked her up and placed her where he had just been lying.
Link pulled the covers up to Saria's chin. He turned her head slightly so that her neck wouldn't be in an uncomfortable position and gently pushed a piece of green hair behind her ear. She looked so peaceful when she slept. Link was glad that when she woke up, her world would be full of peace, instead of full of evil.
Link needed to get out of the house now that he was awake. He needed to take advantage of the time and see Kokiri Forest under a sun that was shining on a land that was no longer plagued. He tried to be quiet as he slipped out of the room and out onto the balcony, but Saria stirred and called out his name. "What is it Saria?" he asked her.
"Where are you going?" she asked through a yawn.
"Don't worry, I'll be back. You need to rest." Saria had been up all night keeping watch over his bed. She had spoon fed him healing potion since he was too weak to do it himself, and then carefully washed all of his wounds. She had kept watch as long as she could until the sleep she had been fighting since she had brought Link home finally overcame her. Link knew that she had been up late and that she needed her rest. She must have known it too since she didn't protest.
Link walked through Kokiri Forest, taking in all of the sights that he had rushed past lately. It was very peaceful here, and he always felt safe here, as if nothing could touch it. That was ridiculous, since things had touched it, but still, it just gave him a secure feeling.
Kokiri children came out of their houses to greet Link as he passed. He was once again the great Hero who had saved them from an evil force. He knew that when he left the forest it would be the same way. He smiled, for once accepting his title as Hero of Time instead of wishing that he could be normal again.
Link understood now that he had never really been normal. He had never truly been a Kokiri, but always a Hylian. And now he knew that he was the descendant of Etain, the first good and the mother of Nayru, Din, and Farore, the creators of the Triforce. He had also come to terms with the fact that he would always be called to save Hyrule. He would never stop fighting for this land and its people. It was his destiny and gave himself up to it willingly.
After a brief trip through Kokiri Forest Link decided to head back to his house and see how Saria was doing. He knew that she wouldn't sleep long now that she had already woken up once. He climbed the ladder and checked in on her. Sure enough, she was sitting up in the bed. Link gave her a look, and she just smiled. "I couldn't sleep," she said. "Where did you go?"
"I just walked around the forest. I was just taking some time to think. Do you remember when you told me that I was the Hero of Time and that I had duties and responsibilities that are hard sometimes but that I wouldn't give it up for anything?" he asked her, recalling the moment when he had realized that he loved Saria, and she had rejected him.
"Yes I do," she replied, her cheeks coloring slightly at the memory of her behavior that day.
"You were absolutely right. I just only now realized it. This is who I am. All along I've been trying to deny it, trying to go back to past that I thought I had, but never really existed. For some reason that realization makes me feel so much lighter, as if a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It's kind of odd, because in a way, I'm allowing Hyrule's fate to lie in my hands, and that should be a huge weight on my shoulders, but I don't feel like it is. I want to protect Hyrule. It's a part of me," he told her.
Saria smiled. "That is exactly how I felt when I first realized that I was the Forest Sage. It just took you a little longer. I'm glad. You've finally grown into yourself, Link," replied Saria.
The pair sat in a contented silence for a few moments before Saria got up and walked over to Link's table. "I almost forgot," she said. "This came for you." She handed Link an envelope and sat down to watch him open it. Inside was an invitation to Malon and Teague's wedding.
"Malon and Teague want me to be present at their wedding. They asked me to come before, but I guess they wanted to send out formal invitations to everyone. I told them I wouldn't miss it for the world. Would you like to come with me?" he asked Saria.
"I'd love to. Weddings are such happy occasions. Everyone is just so full of joy and life. Malon is such a nice girl too. She deserves to be happy," said Saria.
"Great," said Link, "but that's the future. We should focus on right now. That's another thing I've some to realize. You should never waste the time you are given. Here we are, with an entire day to ourselves to do whatever we please, and we're sitting in my house and talking about a wedding that won't happen for months."
"Well, what do you propose we do?" asked Saria.
"I was hoping for a little of this," said Link, as he leaned in to kiss Saria. That was how their day began, and that is exactly how it would end.
Link woke up in his house, with the sunshine pouring in his room. He smiled and stretched, knowing that there was nothing he had to do today. He lay in bed, relishing in the fact that he could stay in bed and duty didn't call. He was about to resituate himself and close his eyes again when he spotted Saria's figure lying on the floor next to his bed. It was obvious that she had fallen asleep abruptly and hadn't had a chance to settle into a nice position. She was sprawled on the floor, her limbs going every direction. He got out of bed and gently picked her up and placed her where he had just been lying.
Link pulled the covers up to Saria's chin. He turned her head slightly so that her neck wouldn't be in an uncomfortable position and gently pushed a piece of green hair behind her ear. She looked so peaceful when she slept. Link was glad that when she woke up, her world would be full of peace, instead of full of evil.
Link needed to get out of the house now that he was awake. He needed to take advantage of the time and see Kokiri Forest under a sun that was shining on a land that was no longer plagued. He tried to be quiet as he slipped out of the room and out onto the balcony, but Saria stirred and called out his name. "What is it Saria?" he asked her.
"Where are you going?" she asked through a yawn.
"Don't worry, I'll be back. You need to rest." Saria had been up all night keeping watch over his bed. She had spoon fed him healing potion since he was too weak to do it himself, and then carefully washed all of his wounds. She had kept watch as long as she could until the sleep she had been fighting since she had brought Link home finally overcame her. Link knew that she had been up late and that she needed her rest. She must have known it too since she didn't protest.
Link walked through Kokiri Forest, taking in all of the sights that he had rushed past lately. It was very peaceful here, and he always felt safe here, as if nothing could touch it. That was ridiculous, since things had touched it, but still, it just gave him a secure feeling.
Kokiri children came out of their houses to greet Link as he passed. He was once again the great Hero who had saved them from an evil force. He knew that when he left the forest it would be the same way. He smiled, for once accepting his title as Hero of Time instead of wishing that he could be normal again.
Link understood now that he had never really been normal. He had never truly been a Kokiri, but always a Hylian. And now he knew that he was the descendant of Etain, the first good and the mother of Nayru, Din, and Farore, the creators of the Triforce. He had also come to terms with the fact that he would always be called to save Hyrule. He would never stop fighting for this land and its people. It was his destiny and gave himself up to it willingly.
After a brief trip through Kokiri Forest Link decided to head back to his house and see how Saria was doing. He knew that she wouldn't sleep long now that she had already woken up once. He climbed the ladder and checked in on her. Sure enough, she was sitting up in the bed. Link gave her a look, and she just smiled. "I couldn't sleep," she said. "Where did you go?"
"I just walked around the forest. I was just taking some time to think. Do you remember when you told me that I was the Hero of Time and that I had duties and responsibilities that are hard sometimes but that I wouldn't give it up for anything?" he asked her, recalling the moment when he had realized that he loved Saria, and she had rejected him.
"Yes I do," she replied, her cheeks coloring slightly at the memory of her behavior that day.
"You were absolutely right. I just only now realized it. This is who I am. All along I've been trying to deny it, trying to go back to past that I thought I had, but never really existed. For some reason that realization makes me feel so much lighter, as if a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It's kind of odd, because in a way, I'm allowing Hyrule's fate to lie in my hands, and that should be a huge weight on my shoulders, but I don't feel like it is. I want to protect Hyrule. It's a part of me," he told her.
Saria smiled. "That is exactly how I felt when I first realized that I was the Forest Sage. It just took you a little longer. I'm glad. You've finally grown into yourself, Link," replied Saria.
The pair sat in a contented silence for a few moments before Saria got up and walked over to Link's table. "I almost forgot," she said. "This came for you." She handed Link an envelope and sat down to watch him open it. Inside was an invitation to Malon and Teague's wedding.
"Malon and Teague want me to be present at their wedding. They asked me to come before, but I guess they wanted to send out formal invitations to everyone. I told them I wouldn't miss it for the world. Would you like to come with me?" he asked Saria.
"I'd love to. Weddings are such happy occasions. Everyone is just so full of joy and life. Malon is such a nice girl too. She deserves to be happy," said Saria.
"Great," said Link, "but that's the future. We should focus on right now. That's another thing I've some to realize. You should never waste the time you are given. Here we are, with an entire day to ourselves to do whatever we please, and we're sitting in my house and talking about a wedding that won't happen for months."
"Well, what do you propose we do?" asked Saria.
"I was hoping for a little of this," said Link, as he leaned in to kiss Saria. That was how their day began, and that is exactly how it would end.