A/N: And the third!

Chapter Thirty-Three - Sarah's Return

In the rumbling depths of Death Mountain, in the great Goron City, sat one of the hundreds of Goron that had recently relocated to their stronghold. He was an average Goron, almost unrecognizable. He rolled slowly by one of the many tunnels that led away from the City, stopping right before passing it. Deep in the path, echoes could be faintly heard, echoes that sounded like crying. Looking around, the Goron rolled down the tunnel to the source.

The Goron erupted out the other side. Looking around the trees, he headed along the recently disturbed undergrowth, arriving quickly at a small clearing. Before him sat a small child on a tree stump, crying. He walked up to the child, who looked up at him.

"What is wrong, goro?"

She sighed. "Nothing you would understand..."

"You'd be surprised, goro. I'm a pretty smart Goron, you know, goro. You can tell Goro, goro."

"I'm faced with a wish that I've wished that can't be granted by anyone here."

"I don't know about here, goro, but on the mountain there's a magic woman who grants wishes."

She seemed to perk up. "Really? Can you take me to her?"

"Sure, goro." The girl stood as the Goron started along the path back to the tunnel, which took them back to the City. He led her out and up the mountain, taking several secret shortcuts that only the Gorons knew of.

He led her to a small entrance next to the main area. Ducking inside, he watched as the sparkling room lit up. He nudged the girl forward, and she complied.

From the pool of water there was a shout and a woman burst from the water. She turned to the girl and smiled.

"Ah, Saria. Welcome to the Death Mountain Fairy Fountain. What can I help you with?"

"Can you change me back?"

"Back to what, my dear?"

"Back to who I was before the curse was broken."

The Great Fairy nodded. "I can. However, I am hesitant to do so. Do you understand what you'd be giving up? You'd lose your immortality; you would grow old just like the normal Hylians. The closeness with the forest that you have now would be gone. You would, in effect, be exactly like you were before the curse was removed. Nothing would be unchanged."

"I understand."

"And you are still willing?"

"Yes. If you can do it, do so. Please."

"Why do you wish this?"

She thought for a second, but only a second. "I want a second chance, one I could not have as a Kokiri."

"Very well." The Great Fairy nodded and spun her magic around Saria.

>>

Link stood next to a chair in his house in Kakariko. Epona was resting at the Ranch and Link had decided to take a break for a bit before starting off toward the castle. Suddenly, there was an unexpected knock on his door. Link shouted for whoever it was at the door to come on in. He sat down as the door swung open, causing Link to spring back up.

On his doorstep stood a woman that seemed to be about the same age as Link. She had long auburn hair that fell gracefully around her shoulders. She wore a plain white blouse and khaki pants. Her piercing emerald eyes scanned the room quickly before settling on Link. She slowly walked toward the stunned Link. Something was familiar about the way she walked, the way she looked, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

She took Link's hands in hers. "Link, it's been a long time..."

"Long time?"

The look in her eye instantly became one of sadness. "Don't you remember me?"

"Not that I can remember. I'm terribly sorry."

She sighed. "I'm not surprised. Every day that passes leaves me another day away. But still, I was your friend, your best friend, for so long..."

Something clicked inside Link as a wave of memories flooded him. "S-Sarah?"

She smiled, the sadness in her eyes vanishing. "Yes, Link, it's me."

Link stared in amazement. "But I thought... and you were... and... You know what? Rational thought has never been my strong suit."

She laughed, a laugh that echoed through Link, reminding him of the long days they had spent working, eating, swimming, doing nothing at all, all the while she talked and listened and made jokes and laughed. "There's no rational thought with it. I'm just back, one hundred percent."

Link let the realization sink in. Before him stood not Saria, the ageless ten year old, but Sarah, seventeen year old from before the curse was broken.

"How?"

"I don't know the technicalities. That wasn't what I worried about. Link, I'm back. I'm normal again."

"Why, though? I thought you enjoyed being a Kokiri."

"Sort of. The immortality bit was fun, but I'm glad I did what I did. And as for why, I did it for you."

"F-for me?"

She nodded. "Yes. I don't want to be left behind again while you gallop off into the sunset."

>>

Zelda paced back and forth across the main hall of the castle. Link should be back by now. Even if Epona freaked out, it wouldn't take Link this long to calm her down. Maybe I should go look for him...

As if on cue, Link ran into the castle. She was extremely happy that he was okay, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the person he was pulling along behind him. No! I waited too long! He's gone and dug someone out of the Market! She braced herself for what would come next.

The woman stopped in front of Zelda. "Zelda, so good to see you."

Zelda, from her royal training, instantly recognized the situation as one she had gone to great lengths to avoid. Here stood someone she was supposed to know but didn't. "And you as well."

"So, how's everything running?"

"Eh, pretty good. It' a lot harder running a country than I thought."

"I'm sure. Never looked too easy to begin with. Hey, can I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Mind if I stay here for a while? Gotta relocate soon enough."

"Sure, no problem."

"Thanks a ton. I'll owe you one, that's for sure."

"Anything else?"

"No. that's about it. Link, mind showing the way?"

Link shrugged. "No prob."

Zelda watched as Link led her down the hall. When they had vanished around the corner, she collapsed back on one of the chairs. "You were right..."

Impa nodded. "It seems so, however much I feel there's something here that belies the truth."

"I was so close... If Epona hadn't decided to act up, everything would have been okay..."

Impa walked over to Zelda. "Sometimes the battle least wanted is the battle most won."

"What?"

"Um, I'm actually not fully clear on that one. My mother used to say it in times like these, so I assume it has something to do with it."

Zelda nodded. "Well, thanks for the support, anyway." She stood and looked at Impa sadly. "But I let Link fall through. Why..? Why, Impa..?" The tears flowed freely as Impa tried to console Zelda. "I let him go by..."

--

"She doesn't realize that it's me."

"Well, I hardly believed it was you."

"I can't wait to see the look on her face when she figures it out." Sarah laughed as she collapsed back on the large bed. "I never realized how big these beds really are."

Link nodded. "I know. I'm still working on how much she has in that treasury."

Sarah brought her legs together in front of her and kicked out, the momentum throwing her up off the bed and onto the ground. "Man, it's been forever since I could do that!"

Link, who had drawn his sword, watched her antics while practicing a few swings. Suddenly, from out of nowhere Link could see, Sarah produced a long and particularly hard stick that she brandished at Link.

"Avast, ye knave!" she shouted, attempting to poke Link.

"Um, 'avast' is a few centuries forward, you know. Besides, you must be the knave if you think you can beat me!" He sheathed his sword and pulled out an identical stick. "Face the wrath of the Deku Baba!" he exclaimed, lunging forward.

She spun her stick around, knocking Link's off its path. "It's a stick, not a sword. Learn to use it as such." She twirled the stick in the air then grabbed it and brought it down on Link's head.

He pulled back and grinned. "Perfect! A new weapon I can learn!"

"Oh joy. What fate has befallen this poor country now that he's discovered staffs?"

"Your fault. All your fault. Just like the massive invasion by the Killer Wafers from Outer Space!"

Sarah laughed. "Now that was your fault. You had them attack me, after all. Now, as to right now, if I beat you, you'll not lay waste to Hyrule?"

"You couldn't beat me if you tried." He fended off a few attacks and lunged. He saw her spin her stick around, trying to block his attack, but he shifted the lunge into a block and their sticks slammed into each other. Link laughed once more and brought his stick up, throwing Sarah off balance. He took the moment to poke her in the stomach twice with the end of the stick. She just stared at him and in response, he poked her a few more times.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Stabbing you mercilessly," he replied, gently poking her once more.

"Okay... Well, you know what I have to say about that?"

"What?"

"Nothing. But... I do have something to do about it." She dropped her stick, grabbed his, tossed it away and jumped on him. The sudden introduction of her to his body threw him off balance and crashing to the floor. Link rolled over, causing her to slide to his left. She growled and jumped back on top of him. "You can't beat me! I am invincible!"

"Oh yeah?" Link asked, pushing her off again. "You forget, I have thousands of tricks up my sleeve. Of course, about a third are dirty tricks only to be used in the most extreme cases and another third would cause some sort of injury, so..."

"So, you're left with only a third of your arsenal, left prey to the tricks up my sleeve."

"Your sleeves are pretty small, though," Link noted. "I can't think of anything devastating that you could pull out of one."

She chuckled. "That's because your mind cannot comprehend the full range of my abilities. You underestimate me, Link, and you know what happens when you underestimate me," she said, circling around him.

"Oh really? And what is that?"

She leaped forward onto him, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Link stumbled forward but managed to remain standing.

"Fear my ReDead Wrap!" she shouted, tightening her grip.

--

"And not only did he find her unnaturally fast, I recognize her! I have no idea from where, but I know her!"

"Maybe you saw her in the Market once."

"No, I know that's not it. I don't know. I'll just ask her."

"Sounds like a good course of action."

Zelda stood up. "Then I shall go do so." She marched down the hallway, waving goodbye to Impa. She quickly located the proper door.

Link growled as he tried to pry her legs apart. "You know, even a ReDead would have let go by now."

"Well, you see," she replied, refusing to let go, "I'm not a ReDead, now am I?"

"No, or else I would be free already!" An idea sprung to his mind. He waited a second until she loosened her grip for just a second and spun around, coming face to face with her as he wrapped his arms around her to steady her so he wouldn't fall. As he did so, the door opened and Zelda poked her head in. Seeing the two, she quickly removed her head and ran back down the hall. Link let go of Sarah.

"Hmm. Wonder what's up with her?"

"No idea. Now, let go of me already!"

--

Zelda burst back into the room where Impa was, causing Impa to jerk up from her chair.

"What happened?"

"I go in there and they're all wrapped up on each other like two gummi worms in the middle of summer!"

"I don't quite know what a 'gummi worm' is, but I think I get the analogy. Next time, it might be smart to knock first, though."

"That's not what's bothering me. Until then, there was always the possibility that she was just a friend he had that needed a place to stay. Now, though, I'd hate to know exactly how 'friendly' they are."

"Could it be a big misunderstanding? Those seem pretty popular when it comes to the Hero of Time."

"Well, it could be, but it's unlikely. I mean, well, you didn't see them! I'll never get that image out of my mind..."

"You do not know how much it pains me to see you like this. Already, I'm tempted to go in there and pound it into his skull for a bit."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll see what I can figure out."

--

Sarah stared at Link. "Well, now what are you going to do? You've got me in a pretty compromising position here, you know."

Link laughed. It was true. He hadn't considered what he would end up with when he twisted around. Her arms were around his neck; her legs were wrapped around his waist. "Your ReDead Wrap seems to have backfired."

"Oh? And why is that?"

He leaned forward a tiny bit. "Tell me, what would happen if I, say, happened to fall forward?"

"Then I would be crushed under your colossal weight."

"Hey! Take that back!"

"Never!"

"Alright, you asked for it..." He let himself start to fall to the ground but before they landed, she jerked around and he spun around, landing on his back. She unwrapped herself from him and propped herself up on him.

"You know, it's been a while since I stood a match against you."

"It's good to have you back, that's for sure."

"It's good to be back." She laughed. "You know, you're pretty comfy."

"Why thank you."

She rolled over off of Link, stopping beside him. "It's been too long since we last did something like that."

"I know. It's been a long while since we've done very much at all."

"Yeah. Well, I have returned, so we can hang out a lot more, like we used to."

"Yeah, like we used to..."


A/N: Enough of a plot twist for ya? Well, you'll have to wait for the next chapter, so... See ya then!