Part III: A Hero's Farewell

Saria stood at the bottom of Link's ladder for a moment before calling up to him.

"Link? Are you going to come down today? It's almost mid afternoon." She waited for a response, but none came. A worried look crossed her face as she slowly scaled the ladder to his room. "Link?" She pulled the curtain aside and saw him huddled to himself against the bed. "Oh, Link," She kneeled down and slowly crawled to him, "What's wrong?"

Link only blinked, not really acknowledging her presence. He seemed to be staring off into space as if he were dreaming while he was awake. She moved next to him and pulled her knees to her chest. Resting her head on her knees, she looked at him for a long moment. His stare worried her. A look of total shock she could see in his eyes now. What happened to you, Link? She wondered. Swallowing hard, she moved a little closer to him. As if they were magnets of opposites poles, he moved away, keeping the same distance between the two.

"Link.." She allowed his name to hang in the air, hoping that at some point he would respond to it. But still, only the same blank stare. "Fine," she said softly, "When you feel you are ready to talk, I'll be outside." She stood and walked to the door.

"Please don't go."

Saria looked around, as if the phrase was uttered out of pure emptiness. She looked down to Link, his eyes now fixed on her as a small tear streamed from his face. She bit her lip and moved back to him, kneeling in front of him.

"Link." She reached for his hand slowly. But as if his own words had brought him from the dead, Link leaped into her arms, a heavy stream of tears flowing from his eyes. Saria wrapped her arms around him and ran her fingers through his soft yellow hair. "I know. I know. Everything will be ok."

After a minute, Link wiped his tears away and looked her in the eyes, "No. no it won't. Everything will be hard, it's going to be so hard."

"What do you mean?" Saria pulled her head back, better to his full face.

Link slowly shook his head, giving his eyes another swipe with his sleeve. " There is so much to be done. So many people will die. This place, Hyrule and all of this world will be covered in darkness and ruled by evil."

Saria's face turned to worry, "What do you mean?"

"I just know. I've seen it before."

"Before?" she cocked her head to the side, not sure of how to take what he was telling her.

"I've." he thought a moment. No, she wouldn't believe him if he told her about what he had been through; the travel through time, the fights with Ganon, his meeting with Princess Zelda, and the awakening of the Sages. It was all too much for anyone to believe. He sighed gently. "I've just been having doubts about what the Deku Sprout had told me, told us. It's too much for me."

"If I could take it all away, Link I would, I really would." She combed out his hair slowly, trying to pick her words carefully as not to upset him. "But. but we both know that the wisdom of the Deku Sprout comes directly from the Great Deku Tree. All wisdom, knowing of things that are to happen, it can tell us these things now."

"Saria. do you know what happened to the Great Deku Tree?" He studied her for a moment as she lowered her head.

"Yes, Link. Well, I don't know what happened exactly, but." She looked him in the eye, "You killed Him."

Link's eyes widened. "What?!" He laughed loudly. "Mido told you that, didn't he?"

Hearing his laughter, she lowered her head, "I-I should have searched for the truth instead of listening to Mido. I know, it's my stupidity." She looked up to Link who looked like a totally different person. He had relaxed a leg and had both arms wrapped around one knee, but he was smiling. Yes, a smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile through her blush. "Well. what happened while you were there?"

Just as quickly as he had changed, he reverted to his distant self. " Well. The Great Deku Tree was already dying. A curse by.a very evil man searching for the Spiritual Stone, killed him. The Great Deku Tree wanted me to free Him of the creatures inside. I suppose a bout of peace before he passed on."

Saria looked to the ground, processing this new information. "But then you left the forest."

He looked up to her, so that part wasn't a dream; I had left. He shivered at this new realization. He only nodded in response. Link looked into Saria's eyes, wanting to ask when he had returned, how long he had been gone, when she stood up suddenly.

"You returned two days later. The owners of Lon Lon Ranch brought you to the Kokiri Gates. You were asleep, but we all throught you were dead. You slept for another day, and then it was like you had never left. well save for the times you spent alone." She looked out the window, leaning on her hands, "What happened Link?"

He gathered himself from the floor and sat on the bed. He proceeded to tell her his tale. The tale that he had so hoped was a dream. But as the words flowed from his mouth at his triumphs and near deaths, he began to gain confidence in himself again. At some points he jumped to the floor and acted out the fights. He watched Saria's expressions as he told her about the outside, all of the places that she would never see with her own eyes. The vast fields of Hyrule, the deep blue of Lake Hylia, the majesty of the Zora's lair, and the horrific details of Ganons' castle. She smiled through the story. Whether or not she believed any of what had happened to him, or thought that he was just a wonderful story teller, it didn't matter to him anymore. Through the course of the story, he found himself filled the same feelings that he had felt when he had encountered each danger he described.

Finally he fell backwards on his bed, breathing deeply after telling the tale, almost as if he had said it all in one word. He looked to Saria, who was now staring off into space. "Saria? Are you ok?" he tapped her hand gently.

She jumped with a small squeal looking to him. They both enjoyed a laugh at her timidity. They sat for a while after the laughter. The fireflies had once again come out to begin their nightly dance, which was orchestrated by the crickets. She sighed softly and looked to him. "I know what you have told me is true. The Deku Sprout told me a great deal of what you had been through after you left yesterday. And I just want you to know that I have faith in you, Link. I know you can do it. For the world, for Hyrule. for your friends. " She trailed off as she looked into his eyes. He began to chuckle.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He leaned back on his bed as she looked away, another deeper blush on her face.

Suddenly Navi came flying through the window, dancing around the room. "Link! You're ok! I came by earlier in the morning and you looked like a vegetable or something. But you're alive!" She whirled around his head making high-pitched noises that sounded sort of like laughter. Suddenly she stopped, noticing that Saria was in the room. She slowly fluttered to her and bowed with a curious faerie curtsey. "Oh, hello, Saria. I didn't see you here." Navi cast another glance to Link who was smiling at this display, "But isn't it good that he's alive again!" Once more she continued her flying antics.

"Navi. please, please, calm down." Saria was trying to calm the faerie down. After a moment, Navi conceded, and came to silent flutter. "Thank you. We were discussing Links' adventure outside of the Forest. Do you remember it, Navi?"

A little nod by the faerie followed by a yes sound. "I remember every bit of it. I can't remember when I've had such an exciting time!"

"Remember what we talked about earlier, Navi." Link started with a low voice. "About how I didn't want to risk any lives doing what I have to do."

"I know, Link. But I am your faerie, and where ever you go. I go!" She stood in the air, her tiny hands planted firmly on her hips.

Saria let out a small giggle. "It seems you still have your traveling mate, Link."

Link smiled and puts a finger out for Navi to land on, which she did without a question. "At this point, I wouldn't have it any other way." The two companion exchanged glances for a moment. "The way I see it, the door of time should still be open. I've already gathered the Spiritual Stones. "He hung his head a moment, "but the moment I open the doors. Ganon will take control of the world."

Saria followed Link and also hung her head. "It seems that things won't change after all."

A long silence filled the room. All members present thinking, trying to find a way to stop the King of Thieves without causing harm to the rest of the world. Link fell back against the wall, looking to the ceiling.

"If I had grown in the Temple of Sages. then what's to say that I can't grow older without going there?"

Saria raised a brow. Wondering what he was thinking. "You mean leaving the forest for years until Ganon plans to make his siege?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Link looked to her. "It will take years of waiting, but this way he shouldn't have the power to destroy the lands of Hyrule as he did before. I would like to see the lands as they are years from now."

Saria sighed and closed her eyes. "Your mind is made up then? This is what you are to do?"

Link nodded to her, "It seems like the only thing to do without causing thousands of deaths. Plus. I'll still have the upper hand."

"But what about the Ocarina, Link?"

Link smiled and turned his attention to Navi, " We won't need it, Navi. We'll just grow old until the time comes to fight."

Navi lowered her wings, "Oh. I was looking forward to the nice rest and not worrying about anything. but they thing you're talking about will take years and years and years!" She began her fluttering around the room again.

Link stood and watched Navi a moment. "It'll be ok, Navi. It won't be too bad."

Saria placed her hands on her hips, "It's settled then. You will leave the Forest and wait. But Link. please know when you leave, it's for good. If you are trying to become an adult, you must never come back. Coming here will only keep you young."

Link nodded with a long frown. " I know. but it's the only way."

***** Moments later, the trio stood at the bridge that connects Kokiri to the rest of Hyrule. Link stared down the long tunnel, still dark from the night, but to his eyes it seemed that this tunnel would be his tomb. He shifted his sword into place on his belt and gripped his shield tightly in his hand. This was it. the dream would become reality once more. Every detail that he remembered. every encounter would be relived. He somehow felt older and wiser at this thought, although his body still resembled that of a child. He looked over his head to Saria who leaned against the ropes of the bridge, looking over the edge. Her eyes were glittering, almost ready to cry.

He started to walk to her, but consoling her would only delay things. He may see something in her eyes that would fill his heart with loss and force him to stay. He closed his eyes and snapped his head back to the tunnel. Taking a deep breath he took a step toward his destiny.

"Link, wait!" Saria called after him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, directly into her eyes. Tears had already begun to fall off of her skin. She ran to him and threw her arms around him. "Promise me that when it is all over you will come and see me. Please. come back.."

She hung to his neck tightly before throwing her head into his chest and sobbing softly. Gritting his teeth, he forced his arms up and around her, holding her tightly. "I promise, Saria. I promise."

With that he shoved her from his body and ran into the tunnel. A moment later he was swallowed by the darkness.

Saria sat on the bridge, tears still streaming down her face. She stared into the darkness, hoping that he would come back for a last goodbye. Hoping that he would shout from the other end of the tunnel a simple goodbye. Minutes passed and nothing. She sighed deeply and pulled herself from her knees and wiped her eyes dry. She would have to go on with her life for a long time without seeing her friend. With this thought laying heavy on her heart, she turned to enter the Forest.

"And what the hell was that all about!?" Mido was standing behind her. She screamed and jumped, his presence almost scaring her almost to death. He offered her wide grin. "Well? Where did the twerp run off to this time?"

She stared him in the eyes, tears now mixed with anger as she bolted past him. Mido stood and watched her run, a smug look on his face. "I've had it with him. she's always liked him. Well. with him gone, that will change." He smirked to himself and locked his hands behind his back and walked back into the forest, a deep chuckle building in his throat.