Link walked Epona through Kokiri Forest and smiled at all the old sights. It seemed like forever since he had been there. He could remember the smell of the trees, the sounds of the animals and various creatures, but most of all he remembered…

"Saria!" He smiled and ran to her with Epona in toe.

She was sitting at the base of his house and looked up when he called her. She smiled and met him half way.

"Link! You're back!"

Link nodded and leaned in to her. "You do remember…right?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes," She whispered and glanced around at the others. "But no one else does. We can't let them know."

Link nodded.

Saria giggled and raised her voice again. "Great horse Link! Where'd you get it?"

Link smiled at his old friend and explained about Lon Lon Ranch, Talon, Ingo and excruciating detail about Malon. When he was finished she was smirking at him.

"What?" He asked.

"I think she likes you." She said and turned on her heels walking back to his house.

"What?" Link chased her. "No, that's dumb."

Saria turned to him. "You know it's true. I can see it in your eyes."

Link sighed. "Well…maybe she does. But I don't like her!" He added with vigor.

"Of course not!" She smiled and lowered her voice again. "You're too busy with Princess Zelda to notice a lowly old farm girl."

Link blushed furiously. He knew she was right, why was he so embarrassed. By the goddesses, he hated being a kid.

"Yeah well…" He said and began tying Epona's reigns to the ladder leading to his front door.

Saria laughed and patted his back. "It's okay Link. There's nothing wrong with that." She leaned into him again and whispered in his ear. "You and I still have the mind sets of older people. Everyone else here doesn't. They wouldn't understand."

Link smiled at her and nodded. "Don't I know it." He finished tying Epona to the ladder and turned to Saria.

"So, you wanna do something?"

She smiled. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

He thought about it for a minute. "I…I don't know. What did we used to do?"

She laughed. "You mean you don't remember?"

He shrugged. "It feels like so long ago. So much has happened since then."

She nodded. "I know what you mean. Well, we could-"

"Saria, Saria!" Saria and Link turned to see Airell and Aislin, the two blond girls from the House of Twins, running towards them.

"Saria!" Airell smiled. "We have to show you something!"

"Yes, yes, hurry!" Aislin said.

Saria smiled apologetically at Link and ran off behind them. Link sighed and watched them run off. He could remember a time when that would have upset him, and made him feel lonely; but now he felt indifferent. He knew that he and Saria had a bond that none of the others could possibly have and that thought comforted him. He smiled to himself and began the short climb to his house.

He entered the front door and looked around. It was the same little hut he had left so long ago. He sighed and walked around, looking at the little knick-knacks he had collected over the years. Little rocks from within the Lost Woods, a few crystals he had found in the water, and even the small friendship necklace Saria had made him out of rope and rocks. He smiled at it and picked it up. Those were the good old days. He blinked and set it down.

"These are the good old days…" He said aloud. He shook his head. That was going to take getting used to.

He walked over to his bed and sat down on it. The familiarity of it warmed him from the inside out. He threw himself back on it and shouted as something hard and pointy stabbed him in the back.

"Ow!" He jumped up and rubbed his back. Frustrated, he ripped his shield off and threw it into the corner and lay down again. "Ow!" He checked again. This time he pulled out three medium sized stones: The Zora Sapphire, The Goron Ruby, and The Kokiri Emerald.

"The Spiritual Stones…" He whispered as he fingered them in his palm. He thought back to the adventures these stones had brought him on. He chuckled at the memories. All of the interesting people he had met because of it. He sighed and laid back with the stones in his hands. He bit his lip in thought.

"I should return these…" He sat up and looked at them. Now that Hyrule was no longer threatened, they were no longer needed. "They'll be safer back where they came from." He stood up and walked over to his shield. Picking up and securing it on his back again, he slid the stones into his pocket and climbed back down his ladder. When he reached the ground, a thought struck him. Who would take care of the Kokiri Emerald? The Great Deku Tree was dead.

Or is he…Link patted Epona's nose and ran down the path to the Great Deku Tree. No one was guarding it at the moment so he skillfully jumped across the small pond and ran down the path, avoiding the Deku Baba's as he went. He turned the corner and looked up at the mighty tree that remained. There, at the base, was the small Deku Sprout. Link laughed out loud and ran to it.

"Link!" It called when Link approached. "Wonderful, you're upharmed!"

Link nodded and knelt in front of the Sprout.

"Wonderful. Truly wonderful." It smiled.

"I…I just thought this should go back to you." He said and pulled out the Kokiri Emerald from his pocket.

The Sprout looked at it for a moment and then back to Link.

"Link, there is only one person I can think to care for the Spiritual Stone of the Forest."

Link blinked momentarily. "Who?"

"Why, the one person who has vowed to protect the forest. The Sage of the Forest."

Link smiled in understanding. "Of course…Saria!"

"Yes, Link." The Sprout said. "Give the stone to her. She will care for it until such time that it is needed again."

Link stood up and bowed to the tree. "Yes, Great Deku Sprout. I'll take t right too her." He said and ran out of the clearing.

I have to find Saria!