A/N: Hello all! I enjoy writing Phantom of the Opera fan fiction, but for now I'm taking a break from that deal. I've wanted to write a series called "Daughter of Hyrule", and I hope to eventually have written about all the female characters who figure prominently in Link's life in Ocarina of Time. Some will be harder than others just because not enough background has been given on them, but the first in the series is Saria, Link's childhood friend. I appreciate honest critiquing as well as praise, but flames are not appreciated at all. If you have some pointers for me, please state them in a grown-up fashion.

Please enjoy the story...

It is frightening to look Death in the face, is it not?

The Spirit of Ganon flies into my face and I send magic from my fingertips into His own face. If you can call His a face. All I can see is a black abyss, red lights for eyes…and my imminent death.

This Spirit is a blight on my beautiful woodland Temple, and He must be vanquished even if I lay down my life for it to take place. We all wait, the whole of Hyrule waits, for the Hero of All Time to awaken and purge our beautiful world of evil, but until then, sacrifices must be made. And Goddesses help me, I will be the first sacrifice if need be. I will do all I possibly can do!

The Spirit flings his long scepter with simple flicks of the wrist and throws magic my way once more. Once again, I summon my waning magic to my forearm and form a opalescent shield to buffet the ball of black magic back to him. He blocks the projectile and sends it back to me. This repeats until someone gets hurt. He is more experienced than I in the art of battle, and I'm the one who often absorbs the magic. Goddesses! How it shakes me to the core of my core and pains me more each time it hits me.

The evil Spirit sees that I've fallen down onto my hands and knees and takes advantage of my vulnerability. He once again slides His black magic my way and I desperately shield my face with an open hand, but I take in the shock and blink back tears of frustration, fury, and fear as I find myself flat on my face. I'm frustrated that I can't get any hits in; I furious that he continues to be a blemish on my world; and I'm fearful of my imminent death. The Kokiri never die except in extreme situations.

Such as this one.

No Kokiri child has ever died before. I'm aware I may be the first.

No. I know I will be the first. And if it does anything to help fight the war against the Incarnation of Evil, then I should not be afraid of death any longer.

I pull myself up from my facedown position and ready myself for a final attack, no matter how weak it might be. The Spirit laughs a laugh so evil that it hurts me more than any of his physical attacks. He sees the blood on my face and clothes, He sees that there is a gaping whole in the side of my head where he jabbed the end of his scepter. He sees that I'm weakening, that my magic powers are almost out. But what He doesn't see is that I have no fear in my eyes.

He does not see that the Hero of All Time came awake at the same time that I fell onto my face. I know that he is awake because I feel it in the very marrow of my bones. And the Spirit does not see that even if I do not defeat Him, then the Hero of All Time will.

"You…Will…. I scream in overwhelming joy to the Evil that swirls around my limp body. The Hero of All Time has awakened, and nothing shall be the same ever again!! All forms of the Incarnation of Evil will be destroyed by this great Hero, and evil will no longer be in existence for years to come.

And I rejoice that I'm the first to die in the name of freedom.

The Spirit notes that I'm no longer playing the martyr for the sake of my friends in the Kokiri Forest. Now he sees that I don't care if I die. Now he sees in my eyes that He will be defeated. If not by me, then by the Hero of All Time himself.

The Spirit's demeanor changes to one of freakish anger, and He hurls a ball of black magic toward me, but it's much larger than the other ones He's been throwing.

It hits me. And O, Goddesses above, it hurts.

The Spirit of Ganon has killed me. His bloody work done, he disappears into a wall.

But I am released from my physical body. I am released from the pain of this world, released from the cage that the Incarnation of Evil forced me into.

My soul is taken into the Great Soul of the Forest Temple, and there it will stay until the Hero of All Time comes and releases me into the white ocean that is for those who died fighting evil.

My part in this world is over.

Almost.

Here He comes.

The Hero of All Time.