Saria paced back and forth by one of her small chairs. The night sky
twinkled with thousands of stars, but Saria did not look at them as she
always did every night; her mind was else where. Navi floated nearby
silently, lost in her own thoughts. Seven years had passed since Saria had
last seen Link; that had been after Ganon's defeat and the rewinding of
time. Link still had possession of the Master Sword since replacing it in
the pedestal would totally activate the time magic and Ganondorf would be
free because he was defeated in the future, not the past they all had been
returned to. After saying goodbye, Link left for lands unknown and seemed
he wouldn't come back. The funny thing, to Saria, was Link had stumbled
onto her doorstep, battle worn and half dead after seven years of absence.
Saria's mind traveled to the injuries she had seen on Link's body when she bandaged him up. He had several deep slashes on his chest that could surely kill him if they got infected; she had been quick about it and stitched them up. She knew fairy magic would help, but she couldn't leave Link unattended for too long. He had lost a lot of blood and had passed out in the short time it took her to get him some water. She was no doctor, but did everything she could think of to help him and hoped the forest's magic would help heal him as well. When she saw how many cuts, slashes, and bruises Link had all over his body, she began to wonder about what had happened to him.
Saria stopped pacing and sat down. Her life-long friend was at death's door and she could do nothing about it. For all she knew, he could die or could be dead at that moment. The powerful urge to run to the room and check on him was strong but something held her back; she didn't know what. For the first time, Saria realized how quiet the house was and Navi wasn't talking like she always did. Saria looked up at the fairy who gave a sigh and floated down a hall to the room Link was in. Saria leaned back in her chair. She'd check on Link in a few minutes, after she tried to determine what had happened to him. Someone knocked on the door and Saria stood to answer it. When her hand touched the handle she thought, Who would be up this late? She opened the door to see Mido standing there.
"Mido," She said with surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry to bother this late at night, but I have some questions that need answering," Mido stated.
"About what?"
"About yesterday."
Saria sighed and moved to the side so Mido could come in. She closed the door behind him and sat down with him in the kitchen.
"So what can I do for you, Mido," She asked.
"First, I want to know why he's back after leaving seven years ago," Mido said. "What does he want from us?"
"I don't know why he's back, now, but the reason he's here, that I know, is that he's injured," Saria answered, but then added, "and could die."
"He could die?"
"He's going as we speak," Saria replied flatly.
"Why don't we get a healing fairy to save him?" Mido suggested, his hands clenched in fists.
"There's no time," Saria said. "I would've a long time ago if I could."
"If I had known, I would've gotten one for you," Mido said putting his hands on Saria's shoulders.
"You'd turn into a skull kid, Mido," Saria replied with a forced, small smile. "You don't know your way around the Lost Woods as I do."
Mido took his hands off her shoulders.
"You're right there," He said with a similar smile.
Saria looked at the ground. "When I saw him after Navi told me, I was worried and relieved at the same time. He was covered in blood and couldn't stand very well. What happened to him is beyond my knowledge. If, and when, he wakes up, you can ask him," She explained.
A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away, but not before Mido noticed.
"I just don't know what to do anymore," She whispered. "I'm about to lose one of my closest friends and am powerless to stop it even though I'm a sage. Even if I had healing powers, I have no clue on how to use them." Saria stopped talking to prevent herself from breaking down any further.
Mido noticed how Saria acted when she spoke of Link, she liked him. No! It's more than that! Mido told himself. She loves him; she raised him and has a reason to love him. But this was a different kind of love that Mido had never seen before. All other questions Mido had, faded away since he saw how this topic effected Saria.
"He'll make it," He said, trying to make Saria feel better. "He will. You just wait and see."
Saria forced a smile. "You're a bad liar, Mido," She said.
"I know," He replied. "but Link's been through worse, hasn't he? He's been inside a whale, inside an active volcano, countless dungeons and temples, and saved us and the world from Ganondorf. Would a battle, now, really kill him?"
"I see where you're coming from, Mido," Saria whispered. "but he had deep slashes in his chest, too deep. If they get infected, his death is certain. That's why he's dying now."
Mido looked at his feet. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked you about this," He mumbled.
"No, it's okay," Saria said, causing Mido to look up. "Somebody should know about this."
Mido opened his mouth to ask why but was stopped when Navi floated back in.
"He's getting worse," The fairy said. "It took me forever to see him breathe and detect a pulse; it's so soft. I don't think he'll last the night. I'm sorry." With that, Navi drifted off slowly.
Saria was up in an instant and bolted out of the room. Mido only stared after her, not knowing what to do next.
Saria ran into the room and placed a hand on Link's forehead. She was a little relieved that he was still warm to the touch, but even that was fading. She clasped one of his bandaged hands and held it tightly.
"Please don't die," She whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "We still need you, I still need you."
Saria looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Mido standing behind her.
"I'm sorry but he's too far gone. It's not worth it to waste away beside him," He said, helping Saria to her feet. "You're still needed here."
Saria nodded and went with Mido out of the room. She looked back once and whispered, "Please, Link."
* * * * * * *
* * * *
The cool night breeze blew in through the window, causing the curtains to sway with it. The room was dark except for the moon and stars that glittered in the black sky. Link laid perfectly still; too weak to move, too exhausted to breathe. With great effort and the last of his strength, he opened his eyes to see his surroundings, perhaps for the last time. What he saw was a woman sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him. She wore an emerald green dress that trailed to the ground, her eyes were the same clear emerald, along with her hair that seemed to sway in a nonexistent breeze. Her entire body seemed luminescent and the colors were soft. Link was too exhausted to care much and closed his eyes again. The woman reached out and placed her hand on Link's right cheek. Link could feel warmth run from where her hand touched his face, to every part of his body. Link reopened his eyes, surprised at how much easier is was. He looked at the woman and she smiled softly back. As quickly as she had appeared, she vanished into thin air. Link tried to comprehend what had just happened, but dropped the attempt. He felt so much better than he had only seconds before but was still tired. With that, he yawned, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
Saria's mind traveled to the injuries she had seen on Link's body when she bandaged him up. He had several deep slashes on his chest that could surely kill him if they got infected; she had been quick about it and stitched them up. She knew fairy magic would help, but she couldn't leave Link unattended for too long. He had lost a lot of blood and had passed out in the short time it took her to get him some water. She was no doctor, but did everything she could think of to help him and hoped the forest's magic would help heal him as well. When she saw how many cuts, slashes, and bruises Link had all over his body, she began to wonder about what had happened to him.
Saria stopped pacing and sat down. Her life-long friend was at death's door and she could do nothing about it. For all she knew, he could die or could be dead at that moment. The powerful urge to run to the room and check on him was strong but something held her back; she didn't know what. For the first time, Saria realized how quiet the house was and Navi wasn't talking like she always did. Saria looked up at the fairy who gave a sigh and floated down a hall to the room Link was in. Saria leaned back in her chair. She'd check on Link in a few minutes, after she tried to determine what had happened to him. Someone knocked on the door and Saria stood to answer it. When her hand touched the handle she thought, Who would be up this late? She opened the door to see Mido standing there.
"Mido," She said with surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry to bother this late at night, but I have some questions that need answering," Mido stated.
"About what?"
"About yesterday."
Saria sighed and moved to the side so Mido could come in. She closed the door behind him and sat down with him in the kitchen.
"So what can I do for you, Mido," She asked.
"First, I want to know why he's back after leaving seven years ago," Mido said. "What does he want from us?"
"I don't know why he's back, now, but the reason he's here, that I know, is that he's injured," Saria answered, but then added, "and could die."
"He could die?"
"He's going as we speak," Saria replied flatly.
"Why don't we get a healing fairy to save him?" Mido suggested, his hands clenched in fists.
"There's no time," Saria said. "I would've a long time ago if I could."
"If I had known, I would've gotten one for you," Mido said putting his hands on Saria's shoulders.
"You'd turn into a skull kid, Mido," Saria replied with a forced, small smile. "You don't know your way around the Lost Woods as I do."
Mido took his hands off her shoulders.
"You're right there," He said with a similar smile.
Saria looked at the ground. "When I saw him after Navi told me, I was worried and relieved at the same time. He was covered in blood and couldn't stand very well. What happened to him is beyond my knowledge. If, and when, he wakes up, you can ask him," She explained.
A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away, but not before Mido noticed.
"I just don't know what to do anymore," She whispered. "I'm about to lose one of my closest friends and am powerless to stop it even though I'm a sage. Even if I had healing powers, I have no clue on how to use them." Saria stopped talking to prevent herself from breaking down any further.
Mido noticed how Saria acted when she spoke of Link, she liked him. No! It's more than that! Mido told himself. She loves him; she raised him and has a reason to love him. But this was a different kind of love that Mido had never seen before. All other questions Mido had, faded away since he saw how this topic effected Saria.
"He'll make it," He said, trying to make Saria feel better. "He will. You just wait and see."
Saria forced a smile. "You're a bad liar, Mido," She said.
"I know," He replied. "but Link's been through worse, hasn't he? He's been inside a whale, inside an active volcano, countless dungeons and temples, and saved us and the world from Ganondorf. Would a battle, now, really kill him?"
"I see where you're coming from, Mido," Saria whispered. "but he had deep slashes in his chest, too deep. If they get infected, his death is certain. That's why he's dying now."
Mido looked at his feet. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked you about this," He mumbled.
"No, it's okay," Saria said, causing Mido to look up. "Somebody should know about this."
Mido opened his mouth to ask why but was stopped when Navi floated back in.
"He's getting worse," The fairy said. "It took me forever to see him breathe and detect a pulse; it's so soft. I don't think he'll last the night. I'm sorry." With that, Navi drifted off slowly.
Saria was up in an instant and bolted out of the room. Mido only stared after her, not knowing what to do next.
Saria ran into the room and placed a hand on Link's forehead. She was a little relieved that he was still warm to the touch, but even that was fading. She clasped one of his bandaged hands and held it tightly.
"Please don't die," She whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "We still need you, I still need you."
Saria looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Mido standing behind her.
"I'm sorry but he's too far gone. It's not worth it to waste away beside him," He said, helping Saria to her feet. "You're still needed here."
Saria nodded and went with Mido out of the room. She looked back once and whispered, "Please, Link."
* * * * * * *
* * * *
The cool night breeze blew in through the window, causing the curtains to sway with it. The room was dark except for the moon and stars that glittered in the black sky. Link laid perfectly still; too weak to move, too exhausted to breathe. With great effort and the last of his strength, he opened his eyes to see his surroundings, perhaps for the last time. What he saw was a woman sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him. She wore an emerald green dress that trailed to the ground, her eyes were the same clear emerald, along with her hair that seemed to sway in a nonexistent breeze. Her entire body seemed luminescent and the colors were soft. Link was too exhausted to care much and closed his eyes again. The woman reached out and placed her hand on Link's right cheek. Link could feel warmth run from where her hand touched his face, to every part of his body. Link reopened his eyes, surprised at how much easier is was. He looked at the woman and she smiled softly back. As quickly as she had appeared, she vanished into thin air. Link tried to comprehend what had just happened, but dropped the attempt. He felt so much better than he had only seconds before but was still tired. With that, he yawned, rolled over, and went back to sleep.