Author's note: I've had this story in mind for a long time now so I thought it was about time I put it up. Yep that's about all. Enjoy…I hope. Constructive feedback is always welcome.
Disclaimer: Yes I own The Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess has been delayed because I've been so busy writing this story. Not.
Link sighed deeply as he rode Epona across Hyrule Field. He had just been up to Hyrule Castle where Zelda had unexpectedly invited him to move into the castle, as much as the boy liked the princess, he wasn't ready to see her every single day. After that, she had insisted on throwing a huge party for his upcoming thirteenth birthday which he couldn't refuse, so in two days time he was expected to at least make an appearance in the castle where the celebration would take place. Of course, in reality no one actually knew when Link's birthday was, but he had concluded to go by the day he had arrived in the forest which seemed reasonable to everyone else. Before all of that, he had decided to go somewhere he hadn't been in over a year: Kokiri Forest. He had thought about going there many times but something always seemed to come up, if it wasn't troubles going on in other countries, it was Zelda asking him to carry out useless errands that she didn't even need help doing. The main reason Link was going to the Forest was to see his best friend Saria. The only contact they had been having was through the ocarinas and this had been getting less and less what with all the things Zelda wanted to do with him, so whenever he could Link would travel down to Lake Hylia and sit on the grassy banks to talk to Saria in peace. But no matter how much he did this, it was never as good as the real thing.
Link smiled as the Forest entrance came into view, the large hollow log looked exactly the same as it had done when he left. Dismounting Epona, he told her to head back to Lon Lon Ranch then made his way inside the log where his childhood home was waiting.
The sun was slowly setting casting a golden glow over the Kokiri village, fairies and forest spirits serenely danced in the air creating a magical atmosphere only known to the forest children. Link stepped through the trunk and looked around.
"Hmm looks just the same…" he mumbled as he began to walk around the village. Suddenly, a familiar sneering voice greeted him from behind.
"You know strangers aren't supposed to enter the Forest?" Link turned to see none other than the boy who had made most of his childhood years unbearable.
"Well Mido, it's lucky I'm not a stranger then isn't it?" Link turned around smirking when he saw that Mido's full height only reached up to his shoulders.
Mido quickly jumped back a little when he saw who he had been talking to.
"Link….is that you? I thought you were dead." the self proclaimed Kokiri leader whispered.
Link raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Dead? Sheesh, does Saria not talk to you anymore?"
"No not really, she spends most of her time up in the Lost Woods, she mentioned something about the temple then disappeared a few days ago." Mido replied recomposing himself trying to look as tall as Link which wasn't working very well.
Link turned to gaze in the direction of the Lost Woods, deciding there was nothing keeping him in the village, he headed towards the cliff leading into the woods.
"Hey wait!" Mido yelled running after Link. "How did you get so big?"
Link pulled himself up at the top of the vines and turned around. "I'll tell you all about it some time," he grinned then entered the Lost Woods.
As soon as he appeared in the woods, Link took out the Ocarina of Time that Zelda had entrusted to him before he had fallen into Termina. Placing the instrument to his lips, he began to play the warp song of the Forest Temple: The Minuet of the Forest.
In a flash of green light, Link vanished and reappeared in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Taking a step back, the boy marvelled at the beauty of the old building, patches of dark green moss clung to the grey stone walls, vines hung lazily from the rooftop while a single tree arched itself over the high entrance where the steps had crumbled away over time leaving no easy way to enter for the average person.
"No matter where I go this place is still one of the serenest spots that I've ever seen." Link said to himself as he took out his hookshot that he had found in Termina ready to scale the tree, but before he had a chance to aim, he noticed a long rope ladder tied to the tree. "Wow, I guess Saria's been busy," he mused putting the weapon away to climb the ladder.
Inside the temple, the light was dim creating an eerie atmosphere which kept most of the Kokiri children away from the mansion-like building. But there was one girl who had always been fascinated by the mysterious woods and especially the Forest Temple. She stood in one of the many dark rooms sorting through a pile of tattered dusty books.
"Being the future Forest Sage if we're needed again I guess I should try and tidy this place up a little," Saria didn't actually remember the future where Link had defeated Ganondorf since she hadn't been the one travelling through time, but Link had filled her in on everything that had happened. Being told she was the Sage of the Forest was quite overwhelming, although not surprising since she had always felt a deep connection to her home.
You've done an excellent job so far," a small blue ball of light chirped from its resting place on one of the cupboards. Looking closer, one could see the ball was actually a male fairy. Nori, Saria's faithful guardian fairy was a generally quiet soul until he got talking, then it was a task to shut him up. Nonetheless, he cared deeply for Saria, finding it a great honour to watch over the Forest Sage.
Putting a final book into a small box, Saria lifted it to carry out the door. Before she had a chance to move, footsteps faintly echoed through the rooms getting closer every second. The door slowly creaked open, Saria narrowed her eyes.
"Mido I already told you I don't ne-" she stopped mid sentence when the door fully opened
"Hey, I'm twice as good looking as him!" Link stood smiling in the door. Saria dropped the box and ran over to him pulling her best friend into a hug. Nori inwardly growled to himself, it wasn't that he didn't like Link, it was more to do with the pain he'd caused his charge by leaving her those few years ago. He sometimes wished Saria had never gotten involved with Link.
"Link I missed you so much," Saria whispered into his shoulder.
"I missed you too," Link replied returning the hug slightly lifting her from the floor due to the now noticeable height difference. The two remained that way for a moment then broke apart. "So what were you doing in here?" he asked taking a look around.
Saria picked up the box again walking over to him. "Nothing much just making things look a bit cleaner, I've been collecting all the books together to make a library for the temple."
"You really are taking this Sage thing seriously aren't you?" Link joked leaning on the same cupboard Nori was sitting on. The fairy shifted quickly away from the boy, Link wondered why he was acting so oddly.
"It's not that, you know I've always been interested in this place and someone has to look after it, who better than me?"
"Good point, need some help?" Link asked moving away from the cupboard to stand up straight.
"That would be nice," Saria beamed. As she looked at him, there was something different, the height was an obvious thing but there was something more, new confidence maybe? "You've grown so much…" she absentmindedly said out loud.
Link put his hand behind his head and grinned sheepishly. "Yeah I suppose I have, but it doesn't mean I'm too old to do this!" he ran behind her, grabbed her hair band and swiftly made for the door taunting her with it by shaking it in the air.
"Link! Give that back!" Saria yelled swinging around to chase after him chucking the box aside.
"You'll have to catch me first!" he shouted back now entering the main temple area. Four brightly lit candles were placed in the centre of the room along with a wooden elevator. Running down the stairs from the previous room, Link made a dash for the elevator closely followed by an annoyed Saria who just made it onto the thing before it started moving down.
"Hmm looks like it still works," Link said while Saria looked amazed and scared at the same time. "Don't tell me you never knew what this was?" he started to laugh lightly when he got a better look at her face.
"I-I just never got round to examining it yet!" Saria countered snatching her hair band back as the elevator came to a halt in the basement.
"Sure," Link chuckled as he moved past her into the circular chamber. "Now, if my memory serves me right, all we need to do is move this outer wall in a certain direction and we'll have the hidden room," he mumbled walking towards one of the walls pointing out. Using all of his strength, the young hero pushed at the wall but nothing happened.
"Ugh my muscles aren't what they used to be in the future," he wheezed still trying to move the unwilling wall.
"Here, let me help," Saria offered coming to his side. He blushed, one of Link's weaknesses was asking for help, it was either shoved in his face or he got none at all. Together the two managed to slowly but surely get it to turn revealing a small empty hole.
"Ok one more time should do it," Link instructed giving the wall another shove to expose the hidden door. Saria was the first to reach it running a hand over the door to feel the smooth dark wood.
"This is the finest Deku wood you can find, pretty impressive. It was smart of you to find this area Link," she turned to see Link hurrying up behind her smiling. He was rarely ever called smart, usually it was 'the hero' or the 'brave one' but never smart, that sort of comment was saved for people like Zelda. Nori too, was impressed at Link's discovery. Landing neatly on Sara's head, he stopped for a breather.
"Heh, I just had to do a lot of exploring through these temples, at least there's no giant lock chained to it this time," he gave the door a shove and walked inside.
The room was soaked in a dim green hue, the walls were covered with dirt and mould closing the room into a circular shape. Copies of the same aged looking painting lined some parts of the wall, a dull crooked house stared out from the pictures watching all those that entered. The centre floor had a large Triforce design engraved onto it, more than likely ancient Sage handy work. However, unlike the last time Link had been here, the room was now not an empty one. Carefully arranged on rotting tables was an assortment of odd looking ornaments and worn old books. Blowing the dust off the top most book, Saria read the title. 'Fond Memories' It said in faded scribbled hand writing. Below it was something else, barely noticeable but there all the same. 'Property of Amy, Joelle, Beth and Meg'.
"The Poe Sisters," Link explained before Saria could even ask. "They haunted this temple during the reign of Ganondorf, they…..tried to hurt you," he hesitantly finished clenching a fist in anger. Saria could feel the hate radiating from him as she watched Link drowning in his own memories, gently placing a hand on his arm she brought him out of his thoughts.
"It's ok now, everything worked out right in the end didn't it? What you went through must have been awful though, I can't even begin to imagine it."
Link nodded silently in agreement, it had been hard but she was right, it was over. Turning back to the book, Saria opened it to the first page which seemed to be a picture.
"It's a pictograph," Link informed pointing at the picture. "Looks like it was taken right here in this temple a long time ago in the main room."
The pictograph itself as Link had guessed, was indeed one of the main area of the temple but it looked so different. The whole thing was lit brightly with large magically powered chandeliers hanging from various parts of the high ceiling. Elegant candles were dotted around the room creating an added glow to the place, a dark green carpet covered the cold stone floor matching the forest theme perfectly. On one side of the room was a large banquet table lined with Deku nuts, seeds, Deku Scrub Pie, Wolfos meat and many other delicious treats, Link's stomach growled from just looking at them. The main attraction though, were four beautiful young women standing smiling in the centre of it all. Any person could see that they must have been some kind of nobles, even royalty. Each wore a long silk ball gown covered in neatly sown sequins that sparkled in the candle light.
"Each woman has a dress the same colour as one of the candles upstairs," Saria commented staring at the scene in wonder.
Suddenly, there was a loud haunting shriek from the upper area of the temple, Saria dropped the book in shock causing Nori to tumble onto her shoulder.
"I don't like the sound of that," Link whispered grabbing Saria by the arm, "let's get out of here." he added dragging her towards the elevator which shot up the same way it had before.
Back in the main room, the pair stepped off the elevator and made to leave. As they neared the entrance, Link caught a glimpse of a moving figure in the corner of his eye, deciding he didn't want to risk getting Saria in any danger, he would come back later that night.
In Hyrule Castle, preparations were being made for Link's big party. Zelda was sat with her attendant Impa in a large sitting room centred in the castle. Holding a long scroll of paper, Zelda read aloud from it.
"On the day of Link's birthday I told him to meet me at the castle. At first I was thinking whether or not to hold it in the market itself, but I think that would get a little hectic, so I asked my father and he agreed it would be best to hold it here," Zelda paused for a moment to see what Impa thought so far.
"Well you certainly have it all planned out don't you?" Impa smiled looking down the list, "you must really care about him."
"It's just that he's done so much for Hyrule and me, I watch him sometimes sitting in the courtyard, he looks so lost and alone, he deserves some happiness for once," she looked down at the floor, "do you think that's silly?"
Impa put the paper down on the table near them then placed a hand on Zelda's. "That's not silly at all, it's a lovely thought and I'm sure he will appreciate it. Now, who will you be inviting?"
"I'm not sure, I thought I'd make it an open for all event but you know that some people still doubt that Link is actually the Hero of Time since they've never seen him do much with their own eyes and I don't want any trouble."
Impa nodded in agreement. "Then we'll only invite his friends and a few others who know him from around the place."
Zelda stood up and began to pace the room. "Ok let's see, there's Malon and her dad from Lon Lon Ranch, all of the future Sages of course and maybe some of their people, some of the shop owners from the market seem to get on well with him so they can come too if they wish and a few people from Kakariko. I'd say that's about it."
Impa carefully wrote all of the names down on the bottom of the list so she could get invites sent out the next day. "It's a shame the Kokiri can't leave the Forest isn't it? Isn't his closest friend from there? Saria was it?" Impa asked looking up at the princess who was still pacing the room.
"Yeah…" Zelda sighed, "he likes to talk about her a lot, do you think if she could leave he'd forget about me?"
Impa stopped writing and stood with Zelda. "Oh I doubt that, he doesn't seem the kind of person who would forget any of his friends. Now I must be going to get these invites moving, if you need anything give me a shout."
Zelda watched Impa leave the room then flopped down in a large scarlet armchair. "The problem is that having Sage blood, Saria can leave her home whenever she chooses, she just hasn't worked it out yet," Zelda mumbled to herself hugging a pillow close to her.
The Lost Woods was silent apart from the quiet conversation going on between two friends. After leaving the temple, Link and Saria had sat talking about various things for the rest of the evening.
"So where are you off to next?" Saria asked.
"Probably back to the castle," Link mumbled. "I'll have to leave tomorrow evening at the latest to make it there in time for my birthday celebrations."
"Oh…" Saria stared down at the grass covered ground, taking a few blades between her fingers she twisted them tightly.
"Is something wrong?" Link looked at her obliviously wondering what she was thinking.
"I was hoping I'd get to see you on your birthday this year but it's alright as long as you're happy," she managed to say holding back a few tears as she realised after each birthday he had, Link would grow further and further away from her until coming to this forest wouldn't phase him anymore.
Link noticed what she was doing, he knew her well enough to know when she was hiding her true feelings. "Hey it's ok," he said putting an arm around her, "I'll never forget you, how could I? You're the best friend I've ever had and you always will be. Even when I'm old and grey I'll make sure to come visit, I promise."
Saria rubbed her eyes then smiled. "Thanks, that means a lot." Link returned the smile yawning shortly after.
"Hmm it's getting late, we should call it a night," he stood stretching his arms above his head.
"I guess I'll see you in the morning then," Saria waved as she walked back to the village, Link had said he'd be along soon. Turning to the temple, he climbed up the ladder for the second time that day.
The temple was dark, a light wind whistled through the rooms as Link slowly made his way to the centre of the building. He let out a gasp when he entered the main chamber, all of the candles had been blown out and the elevator had disappeared. Link cautiously moved forward taking out his sword from its sheath; something else was in the room with him.
"At last you have come, we have been waiting for the one who holds the Triforce of Courage to arrive and now that you have the journey can begin!" a loud voice echoed around the room followed by four different coloured poes flickering into sight. Link tightened his grip on his sword wondering what they were talking about.
"What journey are you on about?" he asked keeping a close eye on each one as they settled in a circle around him.
"Do not fear us, we won't harm you," a purple poe moved closer to him, "My name is Meg, I am the eldest of my sisters and I, we were hoping you would help us."
Link loosened his grip but wasn't comfortable enough to put the sword away yet. "Help you with what?"
"You see, we know Ganondorf has been sealed away in the future now, but before he left this time he placed a terrible curse on the four of us and made us do his evil bidding. He said if we did not co-operate he would destroy our bodies that he took and hid in other lands. Without the hope that one day we would regain our natural forms we had nothing."
"So you want me to go on a quest to find a bunch of corpses?" Link raised a brow scratching his forehead.
"They are not dead, the bodies would have been magically preserved to prevent the ageing process. Each body will have an ancient spell pendant that represents it, every time you open a pendant one of us will join you."
Link took it all in as he thought for a moment. "How do I know this isn't some kind of trap? What would anyone gain from you having your original bodies back?"
"Well ,you saw that pictograph in the basement didn't you? In our proper states we have incredible powers especially when harnessed together with the Forest Sage's, but of course, she has not awoken yet."
Link caught on to what they were saying, if he helped them they'd help tidy up the temple to make it look a lot better than it did right now. "Ok so where do I start?" he asked.
"That's the only thing we're unsure of, but we know one thing; you will need Saria."
"That's impossible! She's not allowed to leave the Forest and besides it's too dangerous."
"You may be the Hero of Time but you're not too smart are you boy?" Meg chuckled, "Sages can go wherever they please, even Kokiri ones. I assume there would be some consequence for her leaving though so you'll have to take that up with the Deku Sprout."
Link groaned, he was being sent on some random quest by a group of ghosts who had lost their bodies and to top it all off they wanted him to take Saria along as well, not that that part was a major problem since he got on with her like no other, he just didn't know if she'd actually be willing to go.
"When you retrieve each pendant one of us will join up with you to aid you in any way we can, then we will return here to help with the temple."
"Fine, I'll see what I can do, it may take some time though so be patient," with that, Link sheathed his sword ready to go home for the night.
Saria sat silently in her house. Rubbing her eyes once more she pulled a blanket tightly around herself. Nori sighed, he could see where this was going; the same thing had happened last time. If only there was something he could do to cheer her up.
The next morning, small sunbeams danced along the floor of Link's tree house home. Wiping the sleep from his eyes he stumbled out into the morning air.
"Feels weird to be waking up here," he said to himself sliding down the old wooden ladder from his house. Walking past Saria's house he noticed it was empty. "Wonder where she's gone?" deciding to go see the Deku Sprout, he headed to the meadow where it resided.
Link ran through the passage stopping just as he reached the final corner, someone was already talking to the sprout; someone whose voice he recognised straight away.
"It would be amazing to leave this place to see more of the world, don't get me wrong, I love it here but knowing there's so much more out there…" Saria sighed, "Link is so lucky to be able to go anywhere he wants."
"It has its ups and downs," Link interrupted sitting down next to her in front of the sprout who had been listening intently. "Why don't you join me? I kind of need your help."
Saria looked at him like he'd just grown an extra head. "Um did you forget that I can't go anywhere?"
"Saria my child…." the Deku Sprout spoke up, "actually you can leave this place. Link may I speak with Saria alone for a moment please?"
Link nodded getting up to leave.
"What do you mean by that?" Saria questioned giving the sprout her full attention.
"Being of the Sage bloodline you have powers strong enough to leave unlike most of the others who wouldn't survive for long out there. There is only one main consequence…"
"What's that?" Saria asked suspiciously.
"Once you set foot out of this forest, you will begin to age the same way Link has done. At first, it will be quite quickly so that you will catch up to the age you would be if you were Hylian which would be about twelve or thirteen I believe. After that you will grow normally like any other person out there."
Saria sat there looking stunned, in the space of five minutes she had learned that not only could she leave the Forest but she could also eventually become an adult.
"Now let me tell you what you can expect," the Deku Sprout carried on for the next hour filling the young girl in on most things she needed to know to begin with, the rest she would soon find out for herself.
After the long speech, Saria didn't know what to say. She finally had a chance to see the world, more importantly she had the chance to be with Link, to see him everyday, to grow with him, to- "Wait this is stupid, I can't-" she paused closing her eyes. The sprout could see she was thinking over her options.
Nori floated up to meet her eyes. "I'll always be with you no matter what path you choose," he smiled as she nodded in appreciation.
"I know what I have to do."
Link sat quietly by the little pond in the village waiting for Saria to be finished with the Deku Sprout. It felt like she would be in there forever when at last she emerged from the passageway looking very amused.
"Fancy a travelling buddy?" she asked coming up to Link who beamed at her giving his friend a massive hug. She filled him in on some parts of the Deku Sprout's long but interesting speech such as the growing parts.
"Are you sure you want to give up being an eternal child?" he asked nervously hoping she wouldn't change her mind.
"I know it's a big decision to make but what's left for me here? I can still come back to visit whenever I need to so the temple can still be watched over."
Link nodded in understanding, then it was his turn to explain some things he had found the night before.
"So that's what all those noises were," Saria said after Link had told her everything. "They must have been waiting for you to turn up before properly introducing themselves."
"Yeah must've been," Link replied looking in the direction of the Lost Woods, "I'm still wondering if this is a trap or not, what if Ganondorf ordered them to carry out his plans if anything happened to him?"
"We'll never know sitting around here will we? If it is a trap we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it," Saria answered before going into her house to collect a few things. Link sat there shaking his head, it was usually her doing the worrying not him.
The excitement of leaving the Forest must have warped her mind, he thought to himself standing to go get the weapons he'd left in his house.
Later that morning, Link was summoned by the Deku Sprout. Taking a seat on the ground in front of the sprout he waited for it to speak.
"Ah, Link there you are!" it exclaimed, "I wanted to see you before you left. I'm not entirely happy about Saria leaving the Forest but I don't have the right to stop her either."
"What are you trying to say?" Link asked watching the tiny branches of the sprout slightly moving in the breeze.
"I'm saying that if anything happens to her, you will be sorry!"
Link swore he could hear thunder clapping as that sentence was said. The sprout began to laugh softly, Link rolled his eyes.
"It's times like these that I wish the Deku Tree was alive," he groaned.
"I am the Deku Tree!" the sprout yelled, "just smaller and better looking."
"You forgot the bad sense of humour part," Link added jumping up to leave before the sprout had anymore time to make an attempt at another joke.
"Farewell Link! Take care and come back to visit someday!"
"Gosh, how in all of Hyrule do you manage to carry so many things around with you?" Saria was struggling to decide what to take since she wasn't able to carry a lot.
"I was the same when I started out until I met Zelda, she saw I'd need to hold a lot of weapons so she used a spell on some of my clothes. Now whenever I put something in one of my pockets or on my belt it shrinks then regains its natural size when I take it out. I'll ask her to help you out too."
"That's pretty useful," Saria smiled chucking her stuff at Link, "you can carry everything for now then."
"Yes ma'am," he grinned, "we should get going soon if we want to get to the market by nightfall."
"Ok, I'll meet you on the bridge in a few minutes, just need to see someone." Saria exited her house making her way over to Mido's. The self proclaimed Kokiri leader was laying on the large round stage in the back of his house.
"I heard you were leaving, news travels fast around this village, you should know that," the Kokiri said without even looking up. Saria sat on the edge of the stage.
"I thought I'd come say goodbye, you've been a jerk in the past but you've become much more reasonable lately."
"He better look after you," Mido sat up to face her, "or he'll have me to deal with."
Saria smiled, "I'll be sure to let him know. There's no need to worry, I'll have Nori with me anyway," she leaned over to give him a hug which he gratefully returned. "I'll see you soon," Saria finished then left in silence.
"Bye Saria, I'll miss you….and that Hylian punk." Mido whispered so no one but him would hear.
Link stood on the bridge in the Lost Woods which connected the Forest to the outside world. Most of the Kokiri avoided that place since the darkness of the woods scared them away, that and sometimes you could see a few deku scrubs and skullkids sneaking around in the long grass playing tricks on anyone who entered. Footsteps echoed behind him as Saria walked through the large stump onto the bridge.
"Thought you'd changed your mind for a second," Link held out his hand.
"Nope, I just had to say goodbye to Mido," She replied taking his hand. "He has a message for you."
"Oh really? What would that be?"
"He said he'd rip your face off if you let anything happen to me."
Link stopped walking trying to hold in his laughter. "He didn't say that. Did he?"
"No but it's a funny image," the two burst out laughing until they reached the second hollow stump.
"Are you ready?" Link asked for the last time.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Saria took a deep breath. This was the beginning of her new life which would never be the same again.