Disclaimer: Ah, to own the Legend of Zelda…not on my life…

Chapter 2 'Happy Birthday'

Why couldn't it have rained today? Link thought that thought a lot recently. He liked the rain, it made him feel better. Sometimes the way the water hit his skin made him forget what it was to hurt. The new infatuation with water didn't go unnoticed. Even he thought it went too far. Maybe his intertwinement with Mikau was the culprit. He always favored that form in Termina. Being a Zora was a lot cooler than he thought it was.

That being said, rain would have been a great birthday present.

"Well," Saria asked giddily, she handed him a stone. "Go on, throw the stone and make a wish." The birthday ceremony was odd. You had to throw this rock at an oak tree's crown and if the acorns added up to a number close (five off) to your age, your wish would come true. He heard that in Hyrule castle town, they blew out candles and ate cake. It seemed a lot easier.

I wish it would rain, Link smiled, and threw the stone as hard as he could into the branches of the oak tree. The acorns fell…1, 2, 3…

Link smiled comically. There were only 7. The little girl laughed as well, still looking at the acorns on the ground.

"Oh well, maybe it will happen, anyway," she looked to him. "What did you wish for?" Link shook his head, still smiling.

"Rain," he answered. He knew that all it would require to rain was a few notes –middle D…middle F…high D… middle D…middle F…high D… to be exact –to make it rain, but he'd done that yesterday and he was sure the gods were getting annoyed with him, even if the rain only lasted a few minutes. Saria shrugged, still smiling as the blond twins, Terra and Teresa, came with a gift wrapped in banana leaves. Link heard that in Hyrule castle town, gifts were put in boxes and wrapped in colored paper. It seemed a lot more exciting. Non-the-less, this was exciting, too.

"Here you go," Terra grinned.

"We hope you like it," Teresa added.

"It's from everyone in the forest," Terra said, handing him the smooth package.

"Even Mido," Teresa concluded as Link laid his hands on the leaves. He was intrigued by that last statement. Something from Mido? He thought to himself. His eyes went wide as he pulled back the leaves and saw the smooth, leather hilt of the Kokiri sword that he'd returned years ago. It seemed like nothing but a dagger now, compared to his neglected gilded sword.

"I…" he tried. "I don't know what to say…" He looked at it a few more seconds and tied the belt around his waist. He'd wear it like a dagger since it looked so much like one. He examined it still as the ruby on the hilt seemed to wink at him. He looked up from it at last to everyone in the forest. (Except Mido, who was probably sulking somewhere to keep up his image.) They seemed to sneak up on him that way. He curled his toes into his replacement sandals as he tried to not look surprised.

"Hey everyone…" he said, voice cracking. He heard that in Hyrule castle town, they call what he was going through "puberty." Everyone seemed to laugh at it, though not in a cruel way. Link knew they weren't laughing at him and they weren't being mean, but he was still a bit embarrassed.

He scanned the crowd as they laughed at his changing voice, still a bit red in the face.

One group caught his attention almost immediately. The know-it-all brothers were walking forward with something carefully hidden between him. None of them were laughing, though the shortest seemed he was doing his best to stifle a chuckle. They reached him with a synchronized:

"How's it goin' Link?"

"We got a gift," said Micha.

"Get ready to be amazed," said Dannae.

"We know you'll like it," said Chris.

"We know everything," said Tobais. Do you know how to make it rain? Link thought to himself.

From behind them, the four produced two objects wrapped in banana leaves and tied with vines. Link took one and cut the vine with the Kokiri sword –it would probably be one of the few chances he had to use it. The banana leaves fell softly from the form of one perfectly sized, soft leather boot. Link reached for the second happily, quickly unbound it, and sat to try them on. Fwop…Fwop…They both slid on handsomely. The Know-It-All Brothers really did know it all…He hadn't doubted them for a second.

That night, there was a feast in the forest of berries, mushrooms, small game, and Kiri-melons, the best of the melons! They all sat around a glowing green fire and stuffed themselves silly on kiri-candy afterward, you might know these delightful, fluffy whites goodness-es as marshmallows. Link remembered seeing a girl with a bag full of kiri-candy -though in the market place it was labeled "fluff-puffs" -in Hyrule castle town. She told him they were good with chocolate and tart crusts. It was a great birthday as always.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Saria asked as the music began to start up. The other musicians beckoned Link to join them, but he held up a hand in response –a signal that he would join them shortly. "Go on," Saria insisted. "but I have the best gift of all for you when the celebration is over." She smiled, but Link took no comfort in it. It may have been a conceded thought, but he hoped to himself that she didn't plan on anything romantic, because, with the differences they shared, it was just too weird to envision.

Saria shooed him off a final time, breaking him from his daydreaming. Link decided then, as he got up and walked toward the forest orchestra, he'd just take his mind off it for now. The crowd cheered as the music began. Link played his own, unaccompanied part, carrying the tune through high and low notes, jumpy and joyful. The green clad giant among Kokiri danced about the stage with his ocarina, spinning and kicking and tapping his heels on the ground. As the music began to soften, so too did Link's part.

During the birthday celebration of a musician (as carried out in the Kokiri Forest) the individual whose birthday it was played the dominating part in the Kokiri orchestra. The music was to be joyful at first. The orchestra would play as loudly as the star at first and slowly decrease volume until finally they would stop, leaving the birthday boy (or girl) to play the "song of life." It was an original composition that told the story of their life so far.

Link's began with a score that announced war. The song was bright and daring, making everyone's hearts pound in their throats. Then, the music died down, became sad and solemn, he poured his heart into the notes and everyone would have liked to cry. These parts were symbolic of his mother's escaping war and dying inside the forest. The music became soothing then. Yes, soothing and happy; from soothing to desperate; from desperate to exciting; from exciting to horrific; from horrific to calm; from calm to sad, and then…the notes stopped into a three beat pause. He repeated the last of the notes, manipulating them, bringing them upward, toward the sky, toward joy and then…it was over.

The Kokiri were in a dead silence. Then suddenly, there was a cheer. Link beamed on stage, bowing as golden flowers landed at his feet. They circled him as he exited the stage and the rest of the orchestra began the last of the songs for the night.

When the music was over, the Kokiri set back to their homes, each lingering precious moments to wish Link a happy birthday. A few cried, but Link didn't know why. The last to greet him was Saria. She held out to him something not wrapped in a banana leaves, but a plain white envelope.

"The greatest gift of all," she said with a tear Link couldn't make out in the dark. He could hear it in her voice, though. He took the note and hugged her about her tiny shoulders.

"The greatest gift of all was having the privilege of growing up in this place with you," he corrected, squeezing her tightly. The green-haired girl shook her head.

"Good luck, Link," Saria smiled, but he didn't know what she meant.

When he made it back home, Link lightened a candle and opened the letter. The ink was wispy yet unprofessional:

Link,

Your presence in the main hall of Hyrule Castle is requested by Thursday, the seventeenth of Hilras, at 21 hours sharp. Please bring this note with you to the gates and you shall be escorted directly.

Do not fail to present yourself.

Princess Zelda

The seventeenth? But that was tomorrow!