"Hear my cry and awaken, sage of the forest!"

Saria nearly flew from her current position, wheezing and coughing. She was met with surprise when not only was she dry, but she landed on hard ground. Her lungs no longer had any irritants, so she ceased coughing.

"Gah! What in Din's name? I thought I was drowning!"

"Perhaps you were, forest sage."

Spinning around to meet the person addressing her, Saria found a stately woman wearing a purple and white dress.

"Don't tell me, you're Princess Zelda?"

"I see memory serves you this time."

"So, are you the daughter of the Zelda I saw last, or perhaps granddaughter?"

"More time than that has passed, I'm afraid."

"I see... what do you require of me, my princess?"

"A status report. For your sake, you had better have made progress since our last contact."

There she was, threatening her again.

"We have come closer to our goal, though something is wrong with the Hero of Time. He harbors something in his heart. I've yet to figure out what."

"Your time runs thin, forest sage. The impending disaster lies just around the corner. We need progress, not excuses."

"I'm working day and night to bring Link towards peace! I have not assisted in whatever troubles him at this moment."

"Are you certain of that?"

Something in the princess's tone was oddly accusational. Saria twisted her head to the side and questioned further.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"The triforce of wisdom reveals many things."

"Well I have done him no wrong since we last established a connection, so it can't have revealed anything I did."

"Perhaps not directly. Come to me."

Nervously, Saria stepped up to Princess Zelda, and looked at her straight in the eyes. Without any warning, Zelda put her hand on Saria's head, and her senses were whisked away to a land vaguely familiar.


A damp cave, smelling somewhat of fish. Near a strange pond, there was a big commotion, filled with shouting and angry movement.

"Hey! Put me down you big bully!"

Two strange figures hoisted up a little girl, and hauled her off. The girl was a feisty one, she kicked and shoved at her captors. However, for every blow she dealt, they dealt back to her. Was this... herself? Saria?

"Well that couldn't have gone any worse. Quick, after them!"

Another pair of figures ran through the cave, a boy and a fairy. Saria's mind was reeling.

"Wait, what's going on?"

"Hush, you will see."

The two silvery figures tossed the girl straight onto the stone floor, and slammed the cell door.

"You're going to be sorry! Just wait until I get out of here!"

"Keep talking, girl. Heh heh heh. She's a real fighter, isn't she?"

"I think we need to have a word with Teedo and Giltar."

"Yeah, those oafs aren't doing a very good job. This must be the third scamp this month."

After the guards left the scene, the girl slumped down into a corner. A moment later, the boy and the fairy appeared.

"Hey! Psst, Saria. Over here!"

The girl's face instantly perked up, and she ran over to the bars.

"Yes! C'mon, quick! Bust me out!"

After trying with all his might to pry open the bars with his sword, the boy stepped back, sheathed his blade, and clenched his fists. He stomped off down the hallway, ignoring the words spoken by his friend.

"Hey, wait! Don't leave me here alone!"

The boy continued his current course, he was on a mission. Like a bloodhound, he followed a trail, but where was that trail taking him? As he rounded the corner, a Zora came into view.

"Hold on just a second, what am I watching?"

"I will answer you when I am done."

Without a sound, the boy drew a blade from behind himself.

"Wait... no... he didn't... he couldn't..."

He stepped closer to the idle figure, weapon ready to strike.

"No, don't do it... don't do it Link!"

The boy drove his blade straight through the body of the Zora, and he fell to the ground with nary a sound.

"NO! LINK!"


Zelda removed her hand from Saria's head, and her senses returned. While Saria was emotionally distraught, Zelda remained completely straight in face.

"Now do you see the effects of your childishness?"

"What was that... where did that come from?!"

"It was a vision from the triforce of wisdom."

"No... no, you're lying! Link wouldn't do something like that! You just put that in my head to scare me!"

"The triforce does not lie, forest sage. If you really want to know the truth, why don't you ask the Hero of Time yourself?"

"But... but... he couldn't have! Why would he do such a thing?"

"Because, you pushed him to."

"What?"

"Because of your carelessness, you were abducted. Those Zora were rather rough with you, and that was enough to make an already damaged person do something wrong."

"Wait, this is what was troubling him? He did this... because of me?"

"Yes. You have brought corruption to the Hero of Time."

"No... he's still good at heart, I can feel it."

"Then why did he kill that Zora in cold blood?"

"I don't know! Some sort of outer evil?"

"He was led by his feelings. You were mistreated. He wanted to bring wrath upon the one whom mistreated you. He killed an innocent being, because of you. If you don't set his mind in the opposite direction soon, darkness may consume him."

"Stop it! Just stop it! Why do you keep blaming everything on me?!"

"Simple, because you are at fault."

"But I'm not!"

With no waver in her stride, Zelda stepped up to Saria and pointed a knife to her throat. Had she lost her mind?

"Let me make myself very clear. If the Hero of Time is in any worse a state than he is now, next time one of my lineage calls upon you, they won't hesitate to get ugly. Was that clear enough for you?"

Saria nodded her head, with both eyes on the weapon. Retracting her blade, Zelda stepped away and went back into posture.

"Now then, are we done with all these childish excuses?"

"Yes, my princess..."

"Good. Perhaps saving you from death will boost his morale a bit. Return to your pitiful form in the realm of the Hero of Time, forest sage."