Still chuckling, link strode down the hall to Saria's room. As he
approached the door, however, he stopped chuckling and stopped moving.
"No turning back now." Ganondorf warned. "You'd better hold up your end of the deal."
Slowly, link reached out his hand to knock on the door.
No answer.
Hesitantly, he knocked again.
Still nothing.
"Where could she be?" link wondered.
One of the kokiri girls heard as she walked by.
"She's back in the game area."
Link groaned. "Again?"
She nodded. "Again."
Ganondorf steered him around and to the nearest game door. He trooped him through the forest entryway, (the cartridge game area was ringed with convenient little entrances) and followed atop the hedge as link meandered through the passages. He stopped before the end of the long hallway.
Link froze on the spot.
Ganondorf prodded him forward. He would wait here within earshot to verify he had done what was promised.
Link stepped into the open. Saria was sitting on the stump with her eyes closed, playing her ocarina. Even out of the game, this was her favorite spot. He let her song flow through his head, doing something to calm his nerves.
"S-Saria?"
"Hmm?"
"Uh, hi. I wanted; I wanted to talk to you... erm..."
Link stammered his way around what he was trying to say. He gave a pleading look back to Ganondorf, who was clearly enjoying this.
"I wanted to say... to say that... err, I mean... that...i..."
Such a serene look on her face. She was such a whimsical, good person.
Link was inspired to finish his statement.
"Saria, I'm crazy about you. You're amazing. Out of everyone here, you have the most brilliant dedication, the noblest soul, I understand if you don't care about me, I just want you to know, I'm in love with you."
Saria slowly opened her eyes. She looked a little confused.
"Link?" she asked.
"Yeah?" link replied shakily.
She looked around, then at her ocarina.
"Oh, foo." She muttered quietly.
Link stepped back. "I understand."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Understand what?"
"Your feelings. I'll go now."
"Feelings? What are you talking about?"
Link looked at her inquisitively. "I just told you..." he trailed off.
"Oh? Oh, I'm so sorry, link, I was asleep."
Link twitched.
"A-asleep? B-but you, you were playing..."
"Link, don't be silly! You know I can't tell one note from another, much less play music! It's a recording."
Link got a glazed-over expression.
"I... you...I..." link stuttered.
She got up and pulled his face down to her level, examining it.
"You looked flushed, link, perhaps you should go rest."
She smiled that cheery smile that just conquered him inside.
"I know the player makes you do all kinds of crazy things. I'll see about bringing you something to help keep up. Now go rest."
Link couldn't resist. Still stunned, he walked back down the hallway to Ganondorf, who had his turn to laugh now.
"She didn't hear it, I know," he whispered. "But that was so funny, it'll do."
link didn't respond. After all that courage he just pulled out of himself to say that, she didn't hear a word of it.
Saria watched in concern as he left. The poor guy, he always seemed so stressed. Sometimes, he did strange and ridiculous things because of it. Perhaps that's why she found him so cute.
"No turning back now." Ganondorf warned. "You'd better hold up your end of the deal."
Slowly, link reached out his hand to knock on the door.
No answer.
Hesitantly, he knocked again.
Still nothing.
"Where could she be?" link wondered.
One of the kokiri girls heard as she walked by.
"She's back in the game area."
Link groaned. "Again?"
She nodded. "Again."
Ganondorf steered him around and to the nearest game door. He trooped him through the forest entryway, (the cartridge game area was ringed with convenient little entrances) and followed atop the hedge as link meandered through the passages. He stopped before the end of the long hallway.
Link froze on the spot.
Ganondorf prodded him forward. He would wait here within earshot to verify he had done what was promised.
Link stepped into the open. Saria was sitting on the stump with her eyes closed, playing her ocarina. Even out of the game, this was her favorite spot. He let her song flow through his head, doing something to calm his nerves.
"S-Saria?"
"Hmm?"
"Uh, hi. I wanted; I wanted to talk to you... erm..."
Link stammered his way around what he was trying to say. He gave a pleading look back to Ganondorf, who was clearly enjoying this.
"I wanted to say... to say that... err, I mean... that...i..."
Such a serene look on her face. She was such a whimsical, good person.
Link was inspired to finish his statement.
"Saria, I'm crazy about you. You're amazing. Out of everyone here, you have the most brilliant dedication, the noblest soul, I understand if you don't care about me, I just want you to know, I'm in love with you."
Saria slowly opened her eyes. She looked a little confused.
"Link?" she asked.
"Yeah?" link replied shakily.
She looked around, then at her ocarina.
"Oh, foo." She muttered quietly.
Link stepped back. "I understand."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Understand what?"
"Your feelings. I'll go now."
"Feelings? What are you talking about?"
Link looked at her inquisitively. "I just told you..." he trailed off.
"Oh? Oh, I'm so sorry, link, I was asleep."
Link twitched.
"A-asleep? B-but you, you were playing..."
"Link, don't be silly! You know I can't tell one note from another, much less play music! It's a recording."
Link got a glazed-over expression.
"I... you...I..." link stuttered.
She got up and pulled his face down to her level, examining it.
"You looked flushed, link, perhaps you should go rest."
She smiled that cheery smile that just conquered him inside.
"I know the player makes you do all kinds of crazy things. I'll see about bringing you something to help keep up. Now go rest."
Link couldn't resist. Still stunned, he walked back down the hallway to Ganondorf, who had his turn to laugh now.
"She didn't hear it, I know," he whispered. "But that was so funny, it'll do."
link didn't respond. After all that courage he just pulled out of himself to say that, she didn't hear a word of it.
Saria watched in concern as he left. The poor guy, he always seemed so stressed. Sometimes, he did strange and ridiculous things because of it. Perhaps that's why she found him so cute.