Rekindling Their Bonds by ViperInferno

Chapter 5: My Hero

Rekindling Their Bonds
By Viper Inferno
Chapter 5: My Hero
 
“Hey Link, it’s time to wake up,” a girl’s voice called up to Link’s tree house.
 
Link, however, didn’t hear the girl’s summons and remained completely motionless in the world of slumber.
 
“Link, are you awake yet? Come on, it’s morning. Wake up, sleepyhead,” the girl called up again.
 
That time, Navi stirred in her miniature bed that sat on an end table next to the head of Link’s bed. And as she stirred, she opened her little eyes and her body began to glow the fairy’s usual light blue. “Now who could be calling up here to wake Link up?” she said to herself, feeling rather groggy from the reveille.
 
“Come on, Link, are you going to sleep all morning?” the girl called up again.
 
“Oh, it’s just Saria,” Navi said to herself as she sat up in her bed. She slowly rubbed the sleep out of her tiny eyes and then stretched her little arms up high. After finally waking up and shaking off the grogginess, she gave a couple good flaps of her wings and pushed herself out of bed. Once she began hovering, she looked over at Link to find him completely dead to the world.
 
“Oh Link, you’re such a heavy sleeper if Saria’s voice can’t even wake you up,” she said in a soft voice. She then floated over to the window by Link’s bed and took a peek outside. Although the sky looked very clear through the trees, it also looked to be a slightly darker shade of blue. Thus, dawn had just risen over Kokiri Forest. ‘Oh, the sun’s coming up. Time to wake link up,’ she thought to herself.
 
So she floated back down to Link’s bed and flew up to his face. “Hello, Link. Rise and shine. It’s time to get up,” she sounded.
 
With Saria’s summons having failed, Navi’s voice caused Link to stir a bit under his sheets. But before long, he once again fell motionless. He may have budged, but Navi’s reveille also failed to wake him.
 
Navi lowered her eyebrows and floated closer to Link’s face. “Link, the sun’s coming up and Saria was calling for you. Let’s get cracking already,” she said.
 
Link stirred even more as the sound of Navi’s voice pierced its way into whatever dream he was having. Once her voice had successfully invaded his slumber, he rolled over under his sheets, facing away from his fairy’s wakeup call.
 
By then, Navi started getting frustrated at Link’s absolute refusal to awaken. She huffed and floated back to the window where Link was facing and turned to face the sleeping boy. “Come on, Link, get up,” she barked.
 
“It’s too early,” Link moaned, “The cucco hasn’t even crowed yet.” And right as he verbally refused to wake up, Link drifted back to sleep.
 
Navi let out a discontented sigh at her failure to awaken the sleeping boy. ‘Yeah, I guess he’s right,’ she thought to herself, ‘The cucco sure is late waking up. But after such a long day yesterday, and after such a wonderful party, I guess I can let him sleep in a little longer.’
 
Her thoughts suddenly broke as the faint sound of somewhat heavy footsteps on Link’s ladder sounded through his tree house. Navi floated upward a bit and gazed toward Link’s door. When the footsteps stopped, a head of green hair held by a dark green headband poked through Link’s door curtain. Navi let out a sigh of relief when Saria showed her face inside.
 
“Link, are you awake?” Saria whispered. She glanced right over at Link’s bed, finding him fast asleep and looking away from her, with Navi looking right at her from over his bed. Just as Navi was about to speak up, Saria placed her pointer finger over her lips. “Shhh... watch this,” she whispered, wearing a mischievous grin.
 
‘Now I wonder what that girl’s up to,’ Navi thought to herself. But just as quickly as she had wondered, Saria slipped inside and hauled in a large burlap sack. ‘Oh, I wonder what she’s got in there,’ Navi asked herself, noting how full the sack appeared.
 
Once inside, Saria hefted the amazingly light sack over her shoulder, despite its size. Then, she slowly tip-toed over to Link’s bed, being ever so careful as to not make a single peep. She silently snickered to Navi, trying her hardest to remain silent. Once she stopped at Link’s bedside, she looked at Navi, who cautiously floated aside. “Oh Link?” she kindly greeted, hiding her ulterior motive well.
 
“No,” Link groaned, barely audible, “I wanna sleep some more.”
 
Saria then turned to Navi and gave a beaming Cheshire Cat grin. She then turned back to Link, grasped the bottom of the sack, and held it over head, dumping a ton of dead leaves on his head. “Wake up, Link,” she said, emptying the sack all over Link’s face and bed, effectively burying him.
 
“What the...” Link suddenly snapped as the edges of the leaves tickled his face, “What is this?!”
 
Saria giggled and stepped back as Link thrashed about in his bed, trying desperately to throw the leaves off of him. She even heard a few “patooies” as a few leaves brushed his lips. After a brief moment of ridiculous thrashing, Link sat up, throwing most of the leaves off of him. He turned his head to find Saria standing in the middle of his floor with a burlap sack in her hand an innocent-looking grin on her face. “Oh I’m gonna get you for that, you little brat,” Link scolded rather insincerely as he threw his sheets, and thus the rest of the leaves, off of him.
 
Saria, however, drooped her bottom eyelid and stuck her tongue out at him, letting out a taunting “meh”. She then spun around and took off for his door, giggling mischievously as she disappeared outside.
 
Link threw his legs over to the floor, jumped out of bed, and took off running for his door after her.
 
“Link, wait!” Navi shouted, stopping him dead in his tracks before he could even touch his door curtain. Link looked over his shoulder to see the blue aura of his guardian fairy hovering over his messy bed, wide-awake. “You’re not going outside liking like that, are you?” she said.
 
Link looked down and around at himself, finding himself wearing only a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pajama pants. “Yeah, you’re right. I need to change,” he said as he turned and quickly ran to his wardrobe.
 
He quickly grabbed his green pointed hat, green tunic, and white tights, and slammed his wardrobe shut. Then, he caught a glimpse of Navi staring at him with her mouth hanging open. “Do you mind, Navi?” said Link.
 
“Oh, sorry Link,” Navi replied as she politely turned around to let Link get dressed, “It’s just that I haven’t seen you move so fast this early in the morning.”
 
“Yeah, you can blame Saria for that,” said Link as he stripped his pajama pants off and pulled on his tights.
 
“Oh Link, where are you? Come and get me,” Saria taunted from outside.
 
Link sped up at the sound of her taunts as he grabbed his tunic and quickly threw it on. “Okay, you can look now,” said Link as he put his hat on.
 
“Come on, slowpoke, I’m waiting,” Saria taunted.
 
Link grabbed his belt, which had his fairy ocarina in its bag hanging from it, and quickly strapped it on. And then finally, he slid into his boots. “Come on, Navi,” Link commended as he bolted out his door.
 
“Eek!” Saria playfully shrieked as Link emerged from his tree house. She quickly turned around and dashed off toward the hill leading to the Lost Woods.
 
Link swiftly slid down his ladder and gave chase, running as fast as he could after the mischievous green-haired girl. Navi stayed right behind him, with her powerful wings working hard to keep up.
 
Saria disappeared into the Lost Woods just as Link climbed the vines up the hill’s cliff to continue the chase. “Link, she just ran into the List Woods,” Navi warned, “Are you sure you want to follow her in there? You didn’t even bring your sword.”
 
“Hey, if Saria’s not afraid to go in there unarmed, then neither am I,” Link replied as he continued running toward the Lost Woods, “Besides, Saria’s been doing it for years. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
 
“I sure hope so,” said Navi as they entered the Lost Woods. However, they saw no sign of Saria inside.
 
“Great! Now where did she go?” Link wondered.
 
“I don’t know, but she got you pretty good, sneaking into your room and dumping a bag of leaves all over you,” said Navi, “I thought it was pretty funny.”
 
Link glared over his shoulder at his guardian fairy, “You didn’t have anything to do with this, did you?”
 
“Uh-uh, not a thing, honest,” Navi replied.
 
“Whatever. Either way, I’m starting to think she had me chase her out here on purpose,” said Link as he ventured deeper into the woods to search for Saria.
 
“I wonder what for?” said Navi.
 
“Well, it’ll be hard to find her, and there are many ways here that she could’ve gone. I think she might be playing a little hide-and-seek,” said Link.
 
“Well, we better find her and quickly,” said Navi.
 
“Right,” Link replied as he ran through the Lost Woods, “She couldn’t have gone very far. We just got here and she wasn’t that far ahead of us. So we’ll find her.
 
So Link continued running through the Lost Woods, taking many twists and turns around trees and through the passageways. However, as much of the woods as he had covered in such a short amount of time, he found no sign of Saria anywhere.
 
“Link, look,” said Navi, getting his attention. He turned toward the direction of Navi’s voice and found her hovering very close to the ground. “Look down here,” she said, pointing to a spot right beneath her.
 
Link walked over to Navi and kneeled down to examine the spot where she was pointing. There, he found a depression in the grass matching that of a Kokiri boot. “Hey, a footprint,” he observed.
 
“And fresh too,” Navi added.
 
“Are you sure it’s not mine and I was walking around in circles?” said Link.
 
“Well, stand next to it and find out, silly,” said Navi. So Link stood up and placed his left foot next to the footprint. Just as he did, Navi explained, “Your foot used to be that small, but now you’ve grown. So that footprint is too small to be yours. That footprint is Saria’s.”
 
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Link, “Let’s see if she left any more footprints and follow them.”
 
“That’s the way to think on your own,” Navi praised as she flew along the ground, following the direction of Saria’s footprint as Link followed close behind. “Here, another one,” said Navi as she followed it and found more, “And here, and here.”
 
“Great, let’s follow her,” said Link as they raced ahead, following Saria’s tracks all through the forest labyrinth.
 
Soon, Link spied something through the trees in the distance. “Navi, stop,” he commanded, “Look at that bush straight ahead.”
 
Navi floated upward and glanced straight ahead. There, she found green hair barely peeking over the top of a large bush. “There she is. Good eye, Link,” she praised. But when she turned back to Link, she found him to be walking through some trees in a completely different direction. “Wait, where are you going?” she asked, then pointed in Saria’s direction, “Saria’s over there.”
 
“I know,” Link replied in a low voice, just loud enough for Navi to hear him, “I’m gonna sneak up on her.”
 
“Oh, do you have to be so dramatic with catching her?” said Navi as she floated over to Link.
 
“You betcha,” Link replied with a wink. So he quietly crept around the bushes and trees, keeping his eyes on the green hair as it looked around. Then, Saria’s face peeked over the bush. Link quickly hid behind a tree as Saria scanned the woods all around her. When she hid again, Link emerged from his hiding place and continued to circle around Saria’s hiding place, keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn’t see him.
 
Soon, he arrived at a bush that sat very close to Saria. He hid behind it and peeked right through the leaves and branches, finding Saria kneeling down next to the bush with her back to him. Seeing his opportunity, he emerged from behind the bush and silently tip-toed up to her. When he closed the distance to no more than ten steps, he announced his presence, “Found you!”
 
Saria let out a quick shriek as she jumped back up to her feet and took off. Bu Link was way too close to her as he took off after her like a cheetah chasing its prey. And in no time at all, he pounced on her, tackling her to the ground.
 
Saria turned over on her back and tried to wiggle away. But, her attempt at escape proved futile as Link pinned her down under his larger masculine frame. Then, Link began to tickle Saria mercilessly, prompting a few loud shrieks and giggles from her.
 
“Stop, Link. That tickles,” Saria shrieked, laughing and squirming uncontrollably as Link continued his relentless assault on her sensitive sides and belly. “Okay, okay, I give. Let me up,” she surrendered.
 
Link stopped and held an open hand out to Saria, to which she gladly took a hold of. Link let himself off of Saria and helped her to her feet. When she stood up, she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly, “Alright, you got me pretty good.”
 
“Uh-huh, that was for throwing those leaves on me,” Link replied as he hugged his best friend back.
 
“Well, I just wanted to tease you a bit,” Saria explained, “I called up to you, but you were still asleep. So I thought I’d say ‘Good Morning’ in a really interesting sort of way.”
 
“Yeah, I have to admit you got me pretty good,” Link commended, “But I got you back. So we’re even now.”
 
Saria let go of Link and looked into his blue eyes, and then smiled at him, “Well, not quite even. We’re not done yet.”
 
“Oh? What do you mean?” Link wondered, looking into the smiling girl’s beautiful blue eyes.
 
Saria giggled, “Silly. This is hide-and-seek, and it’s my turn now. I’m gonna count to twenty, and then come looking for you.”
 
“Alright, good luck,” said Link as he and Navi turned around and ran off. Saria walked back over to the bush where she was hiding. Then, she kneeled down, covered her eyes with her hands, and started counting.
 
As Saria counted, Link sprinted as fast as could with Navi following close behind. As he ran through the woods, he searched for a suitable hiding place amongst all the trees, shrubs, tall grass, and hollow logs. After a minute of running as far from Saria as possible, Navi spoke up, “Hey Link, I think it’s time to hide now. I’m sure that Saria finished counting a while ago and is looking for you right now.”
 
“Okay,” Link replied as he stopped and look all around him, “So, where to hide.” He looked at the few shrubs that sat next to a passageway and some of the trees. He pondered the tall grass that had grown around another passageway. He even thought about the nearby rabbit hole leading to a grotto. But then when he looked up in the trees, the solution struck him like lightning. “Yes, this tree is perfect. And it looks easy enough to climb without my Longshot,” Link explained.
 
So he ran up to a rougher-looking tree covered in old and hard moss and grabbed a hold of it. Then, he pulled himself off the ground and began climbing it as if the tree itself was a ladder. And in no time at all, Link reached the large lower branch and pulled himself up onto it. He leaned back against the trunk and relaxed, gazing about the woods. “Hey Navi, the view from up here is great,” he said.
 
Navi floated up to the branch where Link sat and took a look about for herself. From about 20 meters up, she had a near-perfect view of the forest below, and even into the lower branches of some of the other trees. “Yeah, it’s really nice up here. You should climb some of these trees more often,” she commented, “But, you really can’t see very far into the forest. The Lost Woods is still a pretty thick forest, after all.”
 
“Yeah, you’re right,” Link agreed, “So now we sit and wait for Saria.” Navi sat on Link’s shoulder and enjoyed the unique view of the forest with him.
 
Just as they relaxed on the branch, the faint sound of a rooster’s crow echoed about the Lost Woods. “Sounds like the cucco finally woke up,” said Link.
 
“Yeah, he sure was late this morning,” Navi commented. “I would’ve let you sleep in a little more because you had such a long day yesterday, but Saria wanted to play her little prank on you.”
 
“Thanks, Navi. It was really sweet of you, even though you did let her dump all those leaves on me,” said Link with a smirk.
 
After about a half-hour of sitting, sharing a little small talk, and enjoying the view, Link and Navi neither saw nor heard any signs of Saria. “Saria sure is taking a long time to find me,” said Link.
 
“Well, you would’ve taken a while to find her too if I hadn’t spotted her tracks,” said Navi, “And she waited a bit for us too.”
 
“True, but not this long,” said Link.
 
Navi opened her mouth to respond, but then hesitated, knowing that Link was right, “You got a point there. I guess you hid pretty well from her, huh?”
 
“Yeah,” Link agreed, feeling a little reluctant, “Perhaps I hid a little too well. I’m just glad I decided not to hide in that grotto down there, or else she never would’ve found me. I think I’d better help her out a little.” So he pulled out his fairy ocarina and placed it to his lips.
 
“You’re going to lead her right to you if you play that ocarina,” said Navi, trying to dissuade him from playing.
 
“I know. That’s sort of the idea,” Link replied, “I’ve waited long enough for her.” Then, he closed his eyes, placed the ocarina to his lips, and began playing “Saria’s Song”.
 
 
 
Meanwhile, Saria slowly walked through the Lost Woods. As she did, she glanced all around her, looking for any signs of Link’s green tunic and hat, whit undershirt, or white tights. She even stopped a number of times and listened for any sounds of movement, in case Link had seen her and tried to move around or away from her. But every time she listened, she only heard the spirits of the forest singing, and they weren’t going to tell her where Link was hiding.
 
Suddenly, a whole new song filled the woods all around her. She stopped and listened to the new song, and then closed her eyes as its melody resonated in her mind. After only a couple measures, she recognized it as none other than her own song. And as she listened, a sense of warmth filled her body and soul. “Mmm... I’ve always loved how warm this song makes me feel, whether I’m playing it or someone else is,” he softly commented.
 
“Saria, that’s a fairy ocarina,” said Spryte, “Link must be playing that song.”
 
Saria listened for a few more measures, focusing solely on the sound of the notes rather than the song itself, “You’re right, that is an ocarina,” she said as her eyes sparked wide open.
 
“He’s leading us to him, the silly boy. Let’s follow him,” suggested Spryte.
 
“Right,” Saria replied as she hiked through the thick brush and into the passageway, letting the song of the ocarina guide her. Having explored the Lost Woods on many occasions over the past couple years, Saria felt much more comfortable navigating parts of the Lost Woods outside the path to the Sacred Forest Meadow, more so than even Link.
 
As she navigated the forest labyrinth, she heard the ocarina music slowly getting louder and louder. She knew she was on the right track, so she picked up the pace. ‘I can’t believe I’m taking so long to find Link,’ she thought to herself as she began jogging, ‘I know these woods best, yet I still needed Link’s help with finding him. He must’ve ran very far and picked a good spot to hide if I couldn’t find him.’
 
As Saria emerged from another passageway, a completely different sound suddenly caught her attention. “What was that?” she said to Spryte, barely above a whisper, as they stopped and listened for the strange sound.
 
“I don’t hear anything except the spirits and Link’s ocarina,” said Spryte.
 
“No, I heard something else, like some kind of low growl or something like that,” Saria explained. So she and Spryte stayed motionless and silent as they continued to listen for the strange sound.
 
After a moment of listening, and hearing nothing but Link’s ocarina and the usual forest sounds, Saria slowly and cautiously continued her way through the woods and on the path toward Link. But just as she had passed by a few trees, the strange sound returned, and much louder this time.
 
“There it is again,” said Saria as she abruptly stopped.
 
“I hear it too,” said Spryte, “What is that?”
 
Suddenly, the low-pitched growl grew louder and louder. Saria began to feel a chill creep up her spine as the goose bumps tingled up and down her arms and legs. “Something doesn’t feel right. Let’s get out of here,” she said as her heart began to race.
 
But just as she turned to go around the perceived threat, Spryte suddenly shrieked, “Saria, watch out!!!”
 
Saria quickly turned around, finding herself staring straight into the bright yellow eyes of a large Wolfos standing next to a nearby shrub. As her eyes locked onto those of the wolf-like creature’s, it growled at her and bared its fangs. Then, it let out a quick howl.
 
Saria let out a deafening scream as she turned as she turned around and took off, with her pounding heart fueling a massive adrenaline rush. She ran as fast as she could, twisting and turning around every tree and shrub as she tried to put as many obstacles between her and the Wolfos as possible.
 
She found another passageway and ran straight for it. But just as she entered the Wolfos jumped down from a ledge at the other end, cutting her off. Saria’s eyes sparked wide open as she screeched to a halt. She then let out another terrified scream as she turned around and took off the other way, “Link, heeeelp!”
 
 
 
Meanwhile, Link still sat on the high-up lower branch of the moss-covered tree. There, he continued playing “Saria’s Song” on his fairy ocarina, expecting his best friend to show up at any moment. Suddenly, the sound of an awful scream grabbed his attention like a clap of thunder. He stopped playing and swiftly sat up, with Navi jumping off of his shoulder as they listened.
 
“Link, heeeelp!” the sound of a girl’s screams echoed through the woods.
 
“It’s Saria,” said Link as he quickly put his ocarina away.
 
“And it sounds like she’s in trouble,” Navi added.
 
So Link grabbed onto the rough bark and moss of the tree and climbed down as quickly as he could. Once at a safe enough height, he dropped to the ground and took off running in the direction of Saria’s screams. Navi followed close behind, guiding Link through the woods as she listened for Saria.
 
Link’s heart raced as they navigated through the woods, fearing for his best friend’s safety. And as they dashed through the Lost Woods, they heard Saria scream again, letting them know not only where she was, but also how much closer they were getting. However, they also heard a howling sound coming from the same direction.
 
“Link, that sounds like a Wolfos,” said Navi.
 
“Oh no, Saria,” Link said as his heart skipped a beat, with the thoughts of a Wolfos hurting Saria racing through his mind. He quickly reached behind him for his sword, only to grab nothing but air. “Oh no, I don’t have my sword,” Link lamented, “And I didn’t even bring my item bag neither.”
 
“I warned you about coming to the Lost Woods without your sword,” said Navi.
 
“I know, I know. Let’s just save Saria,” said Link as he continued running in Saria’s direction. As he approached a passageway, he spied something in the tall brush nearby. So he and Navi quickly investigated. “Great, a Deku stick,” said Link as he reached down and snatched the makeshift weapon in his left hand.
 
“And Deku nuts too,” Navi added as she floated up to Link and dropped a couple of Deku nuts in his right hand.
 
“Great, let’s go,” said Link as they took off again.
 
 
 
Having been cut off at another passageway, Saria continued running for her life through the forest as the Wolfos gave chase, snarling and snapping. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and her body burning from the sheer terror. And as she ran, she found herself right back where she started right where she found the Wolfos in the first place. “Oh no, he’s chasing us in circles,” Spryte commented, “How are we going to get away from him? He’s just too fast?”
 
“Please... Link... help...,” she gasped between heavy breaths as she had slowly lost the energy to scream. Suddenly, she tripped over an exposed tree root, sending her tumbling to the ground.
 
“Saria!” Spryte screamed as the young girl fell to the ground.
 
Saria turned over on her back and pushed herself up to a sitting position. Then, her eyes sprung wide open and her heart skipped a beat. No more than a few meters away stood the ferocious Wolfos, with the gaze from its bright yellow eyes piercing right through hers and into her very soul. Saria quickly pushed back from it with her hands and feet as quickly as she could. But, her attempt at escape proved futile as she backed herself right into a tree. With nowhere to run, Saria could only look on in terror as the large wolf-like creature slowly inched closer to her like a predator cornering its prey. As it got closer, Saria began trembling as she felt its heavy breath on the skin of her face.
 
“Hey! You leave my dear Saria alone,” Spryte snapped as she flew in between Saria and the drooling beast. She hovered right in front of its face and threw her arms out to her sides. But, her attempt at shielding Saria and persuading the Wolfos failed as it took its powerful front paw and batted her away with one swift swipe.
 
“Oh no, Spryte,” Saria gasped as her guardian fairy hit the ground, putting the little fairy into a daze. She then turned back to the Wolfos, who only inched closer and closer. Saria buried her face in her hands and cowered, trembling in pure terror as the Wolfos growled and hunched down for the final pounce.
 
“Oh goddesses,” she whimpered, “I don’t wanna die, not before I tell Link...”
 
And suddenly, a Deku nut struck the Wolfos in the face setting off a bright flash and cutting Saria off from her plea for her life. Saria glanced up from her hands to find the Wolfos staggering, apparently dizzy from the blast it had taken.
 
And just as the Wolfos quickly shook it off, a loud cry from a boy caught both its and Saria’s attention, followed immediately by a sharp smack to the Wolfos’ face from a Deku stick. Saria turned to find none other than the very boy she’d hoped would save her. “Link... you’re here... thank the goddesses,” she gasped as Link dueled with the angry Wolfos.
 
The Wolfos recovered from the combined Deku nut and Deku stick attack and lunged at Link. Link quickly jumped aside, letting the Wolfos fly right by him. When it landed, it turned around, hunched down, and dug its rear paws into the grass. But as just before it could lunge forward, Link leaped into the air and swung the Deku stick down, striking dead on the top of its head. However, he also struck it with enough force to snap the long stick in two. “Damn, it broke,” Link cursed.
 
The Wolfos shook the stink from the Deku stick off and lunged at Link, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground. Saria screamed as the Wolfos jumped on top of him and went for his neck with his sharp fangs.
 
Link, however, thought fast and threw the broken Deku stick in front of his face like a shield just as the Wolfos plunged its open jaws toward him. Its jaws clamped onto the stick, and Link grabbed onto the other end with his right hand and pushed against it as hard as he could. Just as the Wolfos loosened its grip to grab a better hold, Link jammed the stick all the way to the back of its jaw, locking its mouth open.
 
But the Wolfos only pushed back, trying desperately to overcome Link. And just as it pushed its drooling jaws closer to Link’s face, he summoned his strength with a loud “Hyaa” and shoved the Wolfos up from him. He quickly grabbed his other Deku nut, shielded his eyes, and threw it at the Wolfos’ face, stunning it with a blinding flash.
 
“Link, the other broken Deku stick,” Navi commanded.
 
Link pushed the stunned Wolfos off of him and jumped up. The Wolfos quickly shook off the dazed sensation as Link bolted for the other broken Deku stick. It hunched down, raised its rear end, dug its rear paws into the grass, and took off after Link.
 
Link quickly reached the broken Deku stick and snatched it from the ground. He swiftly turned around, only to find the Wolfos already airborne as it flew toward him claws first and jaw still locked open. Link reacted quickly and ducked to let the Wolfos fly over him. But as it did, Link found an opening between its outstretched front legs. He took the Deku stick and thrust the sharp broken end up at the Wolfos, impaling it deep in its throat.
 
Link let go as the Wolfos crashed and rolled on the ground. When Link stood back up, he found the Wolfos completely motionless, with the broken stick stuck deep in its throat and into its head. Without a doubt, the Wolfos was dead. Then, he turned to Saria, who was still curled up next to the tree, “Saria, are you all right?”
 
Right as Link had asked, Saria felt a jolt of energy rush through her. She jumped back up and ran to Link. She then threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder. “Link! Thank the goddesses you’re here. I was so scared,” she whimpered.
 
Link wrapped his arms around her shoulders in return and tightened their embrace. “Yeah, I was scared too. I thought I was going to lose you,” he said in a low voice, “I’m just glad you’re all right.” And they held each other tightly for what seemed like hours, until Navi spoke up, “I’m glad you’re okay too, Saria.”
 
“Thanks, Navi,” said Saria, her voice muffled as her face remained buried in Link’s shoulder. And seconds later, the fact that it was Navi’s voice and not Spryte’s hit her. She suddenly remembered that Spryte had taken a hard slap from the Wolfos. So she quickly pushed her face off of Link’s shoulder and quickly looked about, “Spryte? Where’s Spryte? Is she okay?”
 
“I’m right here, my dear,” Spryte replied as she floated up to Saria, “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.
 
Saria let out a sigh of relief, “It’s okay. Link made it here just in time. I’m glad you’re okay too.”
 
Then, Saria and Link both turned to the dead Wolfos lying in the middle of the forest floor and clutched each other tightly. “But what’s a Wolfos doing here?” Link wondered, “I thought the forest was supposed to protect us from monsters since Ganondorf is gone.”
 
“I don’t know,” Saria gasped, “I’ve never been this close to one.”
 
“This doesn’t look good,” Link commented as he tightened his hold on Saria, “Every Wolfos that Navi and I have seen here was not only cunning like this one, but also evil.”
 
“And they were smaller than this one too,” Navi added, “That’s the biggest Wolfos I’ve ever seen.”
 
“Me too,” Link said, “I’ve not seen one that big either, not in Hyrule, not in Holodrum, not in Labrynna, and not even in Termina.
 
“Oh no, I hope nothing evil is trying to get into the forest,” said Saria.
 
“Maybe the Great Deku Sprout will know something,” said Link, “Maybe we should ask him.”
 
Suddenly, Saria heard a soft rustling in the bushes behind her. She quickly looked over her shoulder, clutching Link tightly for protection. “What was that?” she asked.
 
Link’s pointed ears perked up, and he clutched his best friend protectively as he too heard the rustling, “I don’t know. I just hope it’s not another Wolfos.”
 
They both suddenly jumped as the bushes sounded another light rustle. “Link, let’s get out of here,” Saria gasped, not wanting to stick around for another Wolfos to show up.
 
“Wait, I hear something else,” said Navi as she slowly floated toward the bushes, “It sounds very different. I’ll go take a look.” So she flew over to the bushes and hovered around them as he examined them. And when she glanced underneath, she gasped at what she saw. “Link, Saria, come over here,” she said, “Don’t worry, it’s very much safe.”
 
Link and Saria looked at each other and nodded with a silent understanding. They let go of each other and jogged over to the bushes Where Navi awaited them.
 
“In the bushes, look,” Navi whispered, pointing at where to look. So Link and Saria kneeled down and peeked into the bushes. And when they did, Saria gasped at what they had found. They found more Wolfos, alright. Their wolf-like forms were unmistakable. However, the two they had found her much smaller and much more innocent-looking than the one Link had slain.
 
“Are those baby Wolfos?” Link asked, amazed at the sight before him. Sure, he had seen many Wolfos on his last adventures, but he had never seen babies before.
 
“They sure look like it,” Saria replied.
 
“Then... that Wolfos I just killed...,” Link said as he stood up and glanced once again at the dead Wolfos.
 
“Was their mother?” Saria finished as she stood up with Link, also gazing at the dead beast.”
 
“I... killed a mother beast,” Link said to no one in particular. His heart sank and a burning sensation rushed through his body as he felt shameful for what he had just done.
 
Navi noticed Link’s distraught expression and floated up to him, perching on his shoulder. “Link, don’t be so hard on yourself,” she said, “You were just responding to Saria’s cried for help and did what you had to do in order to save her. It was either the Wolfos or Saria.”
 
“Yeah, Link,” Saria agreed, laying her hand on Link’s shoulder, “You didn’t know it was a mother Wolfos. Besides, you saved me. So don’t be sad, ‘kay?”
 
Link turned his head to face his best friend, his eyes gazing into hers, and smiled. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, and then turned back to the dead Wolfos, “But, we still need to take her to the Great Deku Sprout and see what he knows.”
 
“It could’ve been just another creature and not an evil monster,” said Saria.
 
“Saria’s right. It would explain how it got into our protected forest,” said Spryte.
 
“That may be true, but what if it was cursed by something evil just like the creatures here were when Ganondorf cursed and killed the Great Deku Tree?” said Link.
 
Saria glanced at the ground in defeat, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
 
“Can you help me carry it back to the village?” Link asked as he scooted around the bush and walked toward the dead Wolfos.
 
“Link, what about the babies?” Saria asked, stopping Link in his tracks. Then, he turned to Saria. “We can’t just leave them here without their mother,” she pleaded.
 
Link stood there, thinking about the situation. He really wanted Saria’s help with carrying the rather large Wolfos, but that also meant he’d have to leave the babies all alone. And Navi and Spryte weren’t going to be able to carry them. When he glanced at Saria, the sincere plea showing in her face made the decision for him, “Yeah, you’re right. You take the babies. I’ll try and drag the mother back to the Great Deku Sprout.”
 
“Right,” Saria replied. She kneeled down at the base of the bushes and took a gentle hold of the Wolfos cubs. Then, she gently pulled them both out and cradled them in her arms.
 
Meanwhile, Link grabbed a hold of the front legs of the dead Wolfos mother and lifted them off the ground. He then kneeled down, turned around, and pulled the front legs over his shoulders, resting the weight of its head and chest on its shoulders. Then, he pushed up with his legs and lugged the Wolfos through the woods.
 
“Are you gonna be okay with carrying that Wolfos around?” Saria asked as she witnessed Link lifting the dead Wolfos.
 
“Yes, I can manage,” Link replied as he pushed up a few times with his calves, “Actually, she isn’t all that heavy. I think I can make it all the way back to the Great Deku Sprout. Let’s go.”
 
“I know the way back. Follow me,” said Saria as she walked ahead of Link with the cubs resting comfortably in her arms.
 
Later, Kokiri Forest...
 
After nearly a half-hour of carrying a dead mother Wolfos and her twin cubs, Link and Saria made it back to Kokiri Forest. Once they emerged from the Lost Woods, Fado and another Kokiri boy and girl ran up the hill to greet them.
 
“Link, Saria, you’re back...,” Fado greeted, and then froze when she noticed the big Wolfos resting on Link’s back. She let out a loud scream at the sight of such a large, ugly, and horrifying beast.
 
“W-what is th-th-that?” the Kokiri girl asked, trembling in fear.
 
“I-It’s a m-monster,” Fado stuttered in response.
 
“Relax, girls. It’s dead. It won’t hurt you,” Link reassured.
 
“But... it’s big and ugly. And it looks really mean,” said Fado.
 
“Did you really kill it?” the Kokiri girl asked as she saw the stick impaling its throat, “And all without your sword?”
 
“Yeah, I had to,” Link replied, sparing the children the danger that Saria had faced.
 
“Cool, I never seen anything like that before,” said the Kokiri boy as he slowly stepped up to Link to get a closer look at the strange creature.
 
“Look what Saria brought in,” said Link, directing their attention over to Saria. All three Kokiri quickly obliged, eager to find out what Saria was carrying. When they saw the faces of the two little baby Wolfos, their hearts melted.
 
“Awww... they’re little babies,” Fado softly commented.
 
“How cute,” the Kokiri girl added.
 
“I know, aren’t they?” Saria agreed, “We need to take them to the Great Deku Sprout to find out how they got in the forest.”
 
“And to make sure they’re not evil,” Link added as he began to walk forward, “Now if you’ll excuse us, this thing’s starting to get a little heavy.”
 
So the three Kokiri children stepped aside and let Link and Saria walk by. They made their way down the hill. While Saria walked rather casually with the cubs resting comfortably in her arms, Link ran almost uncontrollably downhill under the weight of the dead Wolfos on his back.
 
Saria giggled at how silly Link look carrying the heavy monster downhill, “Hey Link, are you sure you’re okay with carrying her all the way to the Great Deku Sprout?”
 
“Yes, I can do it,” Link replied as he quickly pushed up with his legs, lifting the Wolfos higher on his back. He then turned around and grinned at Saria, “Trust me.”
 
And so Link and Saria continued their trek through Kokiri Forest and toward the Great Deku Sprout’s Meadow. When they reached halfway across the village, Mido suddenly burst out of his house with two boys from his posse joining him. “Alright, what’s going on here?” he demanded, “I heard a girl screaming, and it woke me up.”
 
“Ahh... late riser, aren’t you, Mido?” Link jabbed.
 
“Now look here, you big oaf,” Mido argued as he stepped forward, “After last night’s party, I felt like...” And suddenly, Mido noticed the dead Wolfos resting on Link’s back and froze mid-sentence. Immediately, the faces of his and his posse turned white as they quivered in fear. “It’s a m-m-m-monster,” Mido stuttered.
 
“I-I’m outta here,” said one boy from his posse as he turned and bolted for his house.
 
“Umm... you’re on your own, Brother Mido,” said the other boy from his posse as he spun on his heels and ran for the safety of the nearby shop.
 
“Wait, don’t leave me here alone, you bunch of pansies,” Mido scolded. Then, he turned back to Link, coming face to face with the dead Wolfos. And as he glanced upon the fearsome creature, he once again began to tremble as another wave of fear washed over him. “Waaaahh...,” Mido screamed as he turned around and ran as fast as he could toward his house.
 
Link stood there, puzzled by what he had just witnessed. Mido, the self-proclaimed Boss of the Kokiri, just ran away from a dead Wolfos like a scared kitten. It was a side of Mido that Link had never seen before, not in the many years that he had lived in Kokiri Forest. Then, it hit him like a well-thrown stone: The haughty and arrogant Mido was scared of a Wolfos. And with that conclusion, Link chuckled and turned to Saria with a mischievous grin.
 
Saria noticed the look on Link’s face, obviously a response to Mido running away scared. Then, she immediately gasped as she quickly knew what Link was thinking. “No, uh-uh,” she responded, shaking her head, “Don’t even think about it, Link.”
 
“What? I just thought it was funny, that’s all,” said Link, attempting to hide his mischievous motive.
 
“Uh-huh, right. I know what you were thinking,” said Saria, not buying it, “Let’s just take them to the Great Deku Sprout.”
 
“Oh alright,” Link pouted, “I just wanted to have some fun with him.”
 
“Oh come on, Link. You’re better than that,” said Saria as they continued on their way. Moments later, they found themselves in the passage to the Great Deku Sprouts Meadow, and found it to be surprisingly quiet.
 
“Strange, the Deku Baba plants are actually asleep,” Link commented as he carefully lugged the dead Wolfos by the ferocious plants’ rooting spots so as not to wake them.
 
“Yeah, they usually snap at anything that walks by,” said Saria, “But even if they were awake, we always find a way to get by them in order to go see the Great Deku Tree and Great Deku Sprout.”
 
“Yeah, everyone can get by them while Mido makes me take a sword and shield just to go see the Great Deku Sprout, even today,” Link complained, “It’s just not fair.”
 
“Well, perhaps not,” Saria agreed, “But most of the time we get by them, someone subdues the Deku Babas. It’s out best practice, you know. But, some of the boys like to tease them too.”
 
“It’s because they’re rooted in the ground and can only jump so far,” said Link.
 
Soon, they arrived at the Great Deku Sprout’s Meadow and approached the forest’s guardian deity. “Great Deku Sprout, look what we found in the Lost Woods,” said Saria as Link dropped the dead Wolfos off his back before the Great Deku Sprout.
 
“Yes, it must’ve been one healthy and aggressive Wolfos,” said the Great Deku Sprout before he noticed the broken Deku sticks jammed in its jaws and impaling its throat, “And I commend the, Link. Thou hast courageously defeated a Wolfos even without thy sword or bow.”
 
“Yeah, I sorta had to,” Link replied, impervious to the Great Deku Sprout’s praise, “It was after Saria. I had to find a way to save her from it.”
 
Saria then gently set the two Wolfos cubs down at her feet. “This Wolfos had a pair of babies too,” she said.
 
“Yes, that is certainly a rare sight, especially as of late,” said the Great Deku Sprout.
 
“I know. I’ve seen and killed many Wolfos in my travels, but I’ve never seen babies before,” said Link.
 
“We’re both wondering how a mother Wolfos and her babies entered our protected forest,” said Saria, “I haven’t seen or heard of one in the forest in years.”
 
“And the last one I saw here was when Ganondorf had cursed the forest,” Link added, “Could this one have been evil or cursed or something?”
 
“Yes, my children, I can understand why the sudden appearance of not only a Wolfos but also her offspring would trouble thee,” said the Great Deku Sprout, “But understand that many creatures like this Wolfos have come and went from our forest for as long as creatures hast roamed the land. Although such an occurrence is quite rare, even creatures as aggressive as this Wolfos roam about. But fear not, my children. Although thou hast found a Wolfos amongst the forest creatures, thy forest remains quite safe.”
 
“So this Wolfos wasn’t evil nor cursed?” Link asked.
 
“And was just a normal wild animal?” Saria added.
 
“Yes, my children. Rest assured that this Wolfos and her offspring are quite benign,” the Great Deku Sprout replied, “Despite the fearful nature of the forest’s labyrinth, the Lost Woods remain quite safe for thee to explore and play in.”
 
“Thank you so much, Great Deku Sprout,” said Link as he breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he and Saria still had their favorite place to play in and be together.
 
“Thou art welcome, Link,” the Great Deku Sprout replied, “I know how much the forest means to thee both, especially the Lost Woods and the Sacred Forest Meadow.”
 
“But what about the babies?” Saria asked, “Their mother is dead. We can’t just leave them alone. Can’t we help them?”
 
“I’m sorry, my dead Saria, but what is to be done about the offspring is a decision that I want thee to make on thy own,” the Great Deku Sprout replied.
 
“I really want to help them,” said Saria. Then, she turned to Link, “Don’t you, Link? I mean, we did kill their mother.”
 
Link replied with only a nod.
 
“I understand thy desire to help the offspring,” said the Great Deku Sprout, “But thy decision is one that must be made by all the children of Kokiri Forest, one that thou must make together. Wilt thou decide to keep and care for them together, or wilt thou leave them to chance?”
 
“You mean if the others don’t want to keep them, then we just leave them in toe forest to die?” said Saria, obviously distraught over the possibility, “That’s just not fair. We killed their mother. Shouldn’t we at least care for the babies in her place?”
 
“I’m sorry, my child, but mother creatures often times can perish whilst protecting their offspring, thus leaving the offspring to perish as well,” said the Great Deku Sprout, “Thy slaying of this Wolfos was necessary to protect thy own life and the life of thy friend. As difficult as it seems to accept, such struggles for life is nature’s way, and hast been so since the three Golden Goddesses blessed the world with everything living.”
 
“Yes, I understand,” Saria said softly as she frowned. She glanced down at the two Wolfos cubs and watched them as they crept along the ground.
 
Link walked over next to Saria and paid his hand on her right shoulder, giving it an affectionate and sympathetic squeeze. Saria brought her left arm across her chest, laid her hand on his, and held it gently, acknowledging Link’s friendly gesture. There, they gazed at the two Wolfos cubs and pondered their fate. “Hey Saria, let’s go ahead and ask the others what they think, okay?” suggested Link.
 
“Okay,” Saria softly replied, giving Link’s hand one last gentle squeeze before letting go. Then, she turned to the Great Deku Sprout, “Hey Great Deku Sprout, can you call the others and have them gather here?”
 
“Now that I can do for the, Saria, and that I shalt do for the,” the Great Deku Sprout gladly replied.
 
“Right,” Saria replied as the Great Deku Sprout summoned all the children of Kokiri Forest, “Let’s not tell them we killed her while saving me.”
 
“Right. I’ll hide the mother for now so no one else has to see a dead Wolfos,” said Link. He then picked up the front legs of the dead Wolfos and dragged it to some nearby tall grass, where none of the Kokiri would see her.
 
After everyone had gathered, Saria stood up while Link sat next to the twin Wolfos cubs. “Everyone, the Great Deku Sprout has called us here for a reason,” she announced, “We have a pair of visitors here from the Lost Woods that Link and I stumbled across while playing a little hide-and-seek.”
 
Then, she waved her hand to the Wolfos cubs, presenting them to everyone.
 
“Awww... are those babies?” a Kokiri girl asked.
 
“Yes they are,” Saria replied.
 
“They’re so tiny,” said one of the twins.
 
“And so adorable too,” said the other twin.
 
“Where’s their mama?” Kalo asked, “Did something happen to her in the forest?”
 
“Yeah. Their mother died... protecting her babies,” Link sadly replied as he frowned and lowered his eyes. And his response was very much true too.
 
“Oh no, poor babies,” another Kokiri girl gasped.
 
“Was she protecting them from the one you killed?” Fado asked.
 
Saria hesitated to answer. She glanced over at Link, who still looked distraught over what he had said. Then, she turned back to the others, “Yeah... something like that.”
 
“So what are we gonna do with the babies?” the Kokiri boy from earlier asked.
 
“Well, I think we should keep them here and raise them ourselves,” suggested Saria.
 
“Wow! Can we really raise these?” Fado eagerly asked.
 
“Sure we can. I know how much we Kokiri love the forest and all the creatures in it,” said Saria, smiling, “And it can be fun too, feeding and playing with the babies.”
 
“Alright!” Kalo whooped, jumping up with his fist in the air, “I want to keep them and feed them and play with them. How ‘bout you, Fado?”
 
“You bet I do. I love babies,” Fado replied.
 
“And we can find out what kind of meats and breast and stuff that we can feed them,” said one of the Know-It-All Brothers.
 
“Do we still have some of that Lon Lon Milk left over from the party?” Link asked.
 
“Sure do,” Saria replied, “Got them under the rocks in the pond, staying cool.”
 
“Right, let’s keep them,” said one twin.
 
“We’ll all take good care of them,” said the other twin.
 
“Absolutely not!” Mido snapped, silencing the entire group. They all turned to him, with surprised and distraught looks on their faces. “I don’t want those monsters living in Kokiri Forest,” he continued.
 
Saria looked down and frowned as her heart sank in her chest. ‘Oh no, I was afraid that Mido would be the one to say no,’ she thought to herself. Her eyes started to water at the thought of the two Wolfos cubs having to be left in the forest to die.
 
“Mido!” Fado scorned.
 
“Yeah, we all want to keep them and take care of them,” said Kalo.
 
“Come on, Mido, it’ll be fun to keep them around,” said one of the Know-It-All Brothers.
 
“No way, we’re not gonna keep them. I saw that one that Link dragged in,” Mido argued, “They’re big, ugly, and scary monsters that don’t belong in Kokiri Forest.”
 
“But they’re so little,” one twin pleaded.
 
“And they’re so adorable,” the other twin pleaded.
 
“They’re gonna get bigger,” Mido argued, “And when they get bigger, they turn into the big, mean, and really scary monsters that live in the Lost Woods. They eat kids like us.”
 
“Come on, Mido,” Fado pleaded, “They’ll see us everyday. We’ll feed them and play with them. They’ll think we’re all their brothers and sisters. They won’t try to scare us or eat us.”
 
“Look, I’m the boss here, and I say no,” Mido declared.
 
Link glanced over at Saria, whose face looked to be on the verge of tears, and frowned. Suddenly, an idea came to him like a letter from the speedy postman. He stood up and walked over to Mido. “Wait, Mido. You said they’ll grow up to be mean and scary monsters, right?” he said.
 
“Yeah I did, because they are,” Mido replied.
 
“And they’re big and fearless fighters, right?” Link added, “I know, I used to fight even scarier that were very evil.”
 
“Yeah, that’s right,” Mido replied, “What’s your point, growing boy?”
 
“Well, we could tame them,” said Link, “We raise them here. And when they get big enough, they can protect us from all the ‘big, mean, and scary monsters’ that come from the Lost Woods when I’m not around.”
 
The sound of raising a pair of guard dogs peaked Mido’s interest as he raised his eyebrow and his pointed ears perked up, “Really now?”
 
“Sure,” Link replied, “They can even be a part of your little posse too... scaring away all those bad monsters before they even come into Kokiri Forest.”
 
Saria, although applauding Link’s little sales pitch, held her breath as Mido thought about Link’s proposition. The Wolfos cubs’ very survival depended on Mido’s decision, and that fact scared her. Even the others looked up at Mido, anxiously awaiting his final decision.
 
“Oh, alright. We’ll keep them,” Mido decided, “It might be fun having them around. But don’t expect me to go into the Lost Woods with them. Just because they can protect us from monsters doesn’t mean we’ll start exploring the Lost Woods.”
 
And all the Kokiri celebrated as they now had new additions to their village. They whooped and hollered like they were having another big party. Saria, with her eyes still a little watery, ran over to Mido and hugged him tightly, “Thank you, Mido. Thank you so much.”
 
“You’re welcome, Saria,” Mido replied, inwardly grinning at Saria’s approval and gratitude. Then, Saria let go and rejoined the celebrating crowd.
 
“Thanks, Mido,” said Link, “It really means a lot to everyone here.”
 
“Hey, I’m not doing it for your sake,” said Mido as he and Link shook hands, “Nor the babies’.”
 
“As long as they grow up strong and healthy,” said Link, “I do feel bad for their mother, though. But at least with us, they stand a chance.”
 
“You really are strange,” said Mido, noting Link’s apparent concern for a bunch of monsters.
 
“I know,” Link replied. So both Link and Mido walked over to the Wolfos cubs and each picked one up. Then, they rejoined the celebrating crowd and slowly made their way back to the village to care for the babies.
 
That evening...
 
After everyone had settled down after a fun-filled day caring for the new additions to the village, Saria sat on the soft grassy knoll underneath the opening in the trees. There, she pondered the day’s events. A silly prank on her best friend turned into a game of hide-and-seek in the Lost Woods. Then, their game took a scary turn for the worst as a Wolfos chased her all around the woods. And just as her end seemed near, Link came to her rescue and killed the Wolfos. But come to find out, it was only a mother Wolfos as they found a pair of Wolfos cubs. So they took them home, and everyone decided to keep them as pets. ‘It was sure one fine day indeed,’ Saria thought to herself as sunset turned to dusk.
 
“Hey Saria,” Link greeted. Saria glanced up as he sat down next to her. “It was surely a fun and scary day, wasn’t it?” he said.
 
“Yep, it sure was,” Saria replied with a smile on her face, “And we got to keep a couple of babies too.”
 
“Where are they, by the way?” Link wondered.
 
“The twins are keeping them at their house tonight,” Saria replied, “All of us will get a chance to keep them in our houses overnight, even Mido.”
 
“That’s great,” Link replied, “I’m glad everyone decided to keep them.”
 
“Me too,” Saria gladly agreed.
 
They sat back and glanced up at the sky as it slowly darkened. Even a few stars began to peek out in the sky.
 
“Did you clean up all the leaves that I dumped all over your bed?” Saria asked.
 
“Yeah, I sure did,” Link replied, “I even surprised Navi by being so eager to get rid of them.”
 
“You got that right,” Navi agreed.
 
“That was pretty mischievous of you,” Link commented with a smirk, “That was a prank I would’ve expected Mido to pull.”
 
Saria giggled, “Oh Link, I thought it was funny.”
 
“Yes it was,” Link agreed, “You got me pretty good, I have to admit. You never cease to amaze me, ya know.”
 
And so they sat there and enjoyed the view, and each other’s company. Whether they said a lot to each other or not, just being together always made them happy. And as Saria thought about it, the memory of Link saving her from the Wolfos re-entered her mind, “Hey Link?”
 
“Yes, Saria?” Link replied.
 
“I want to thank you for saving me from that Wolfos,” she said, “It really means a whole lot to me.”
 
“You’re welcome,” Link replied, “I may have saved many different people from many different perils, but it feels completely different when it’s a friend who’s in trouble, especially my best friend. That’s when I’m the most afraid.”
 
Saria smiled and let out a very contented sigh. Then, she turned her head to face him, “Link?”
 
“Yes, Saria?” Link replied.
 
“Hold me,” she softly requested.
 
Link gladly obliged and held his arms open wide in invitation. Saria then leaned into them, wrapped her arms around his chest, hugged him tightly, and laid her cheek against his shoulder. Link then wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her very close to him. Saria let out a dreamy sigh, “I never got to properly thank you for saving me.”
 
“Well, I had to,” said Link, giving Saria an affectionate squeeze, “If something were to happen to you... I just don’t know what I’d do.”
 
“You would be very sad, wouldn’t you?” she said softly.
 
“Yes, I would,” Link replied matter-of-factly, “That’s why I was so scared.”
 
“I just... feel so thankful that we’re both still here together,” said Saria, “I’m so happy that you saved me from that Wolfos. It really makes me appreciate our friendship even more. Ya know?”
 
“Believe me, it made me appreciate all the time we spend together, all the times we play, and all the times we chat even more too,” said Link.
 
And so they sat there on the grassy knoll, snuggled like a pair of puppies keeping each other warm. After facing such peril, they both counted their blessings, thankful to still have each other. No matter what adventures Link had embarked on, no matter what dangers they faced at home and abroad, nothing was going to break the special bond that they shared.
 
“You know, Link,” said Saria, pausing as she smiled, “You really are a hero, going through such lengths to save a normal Kokiri girl like me.”
 
Link blushed and let out a bashful laugh at Saria’s compliment, “Awww shucks, Saria. You’re hardly a normal Kokiri girl. You’re an extraordinary Kokiri girl.”
 
“You really think so?” Saria asked.
 
“Yep,” Link replied, “You’re liked by everyone in Kokiri Forest, you’re sweet and kind, you’re pretty...”
 
Saria blushed at Link’s string of compliments and shook her head against his shoulder, “Now stop it, Link. You’re making be feel all giddy.”
 
“You’re the Forest Sage, you’re growing up when the others don’t, and most of all... you’re my best friend in the whole world,” Link continued, “And I’m very happy to have you as my best friend.”
 
Saria smiled, with her cheeks still flushed, “Well Link, you’re pretty extraordinary yourself. You’re the best ever with a sword, you save those in peril, you think of others... and you’re the Hero of Time.”
 
“Yeah, I’m not always proud to be the Hero of Time,” said Link, “Because of it, I’ve been dragged into many complicated and dangerous quests. Because of it, I had to leave Kokiri Forest behind. Because of it, I had to leave all my friends behind, especially my best friend.”
 
“But... you’re not just the Hero of Time,” said Saria as she gently and affectionately squeezed him, “You’re my hero too. And I am so blessed to have you as my best friend.”
 
“And we’ll always be best friends and always play together, right?” said Link, returning Saria’s friendly squeeze.
 
“Always,” Saria replied.
 
end of chapter 5
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Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda and its characters ain't mine, but belong to Nintendo and the various creators and directors of each of the games. So, please don't sue me. I'm just a lonely man who ain't got anything but his pride. Well, y'all enjoy this fanfic and review.

Have fun Zelda fans,
Viper Inferno
(Y2V)

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