We were just children then. But I believe that we had stronger emotions at that time that some adults have.

I didn't see him again for many years.

I hurt every day that I did not see him. But I hope that I did not hurt out of my selfishness, rather, that I hurt to see him just to tell him that someone loved him.

Instead I had to settle for communicating through my song when he played it on the ocarina. All I offered was encouragement and the occasional bit of advice, but other than that, our conversations were rare and very brief if they happened at all.

Then one day, the communication just stopped.

I knew something terrible had happened to Hyrule Castle. My fairy, Deidre had told me through Navi that Zelda had fled with her attendant with Gannondorf close on their heels. How I had hoped that Link hadn't been caught between them. All I wanted was for Link to be safe, even if I never spoke to him again.

One day, as I strolled through the Kokiri village simply breathing the night air, I noted a metallic tang on my tongue from the air. An increasing amount of monsters had infested the village since the Great Deku Tree's death and Link's departure. The number of children that took to their houses and did not come out rose significantly.

But these monsters did not touch me. More than once, I had cut down a monster with a blade that I had found in the Lost Woods. There wasn't anything more I could do though. The monsters kept coming back.

On that day, I heard the Forest spirits calling my name again, but their cries were distressed and frightened. I strapped my sword to my hip and headed for the Sacred Meadow. I was shocked at the many monsters I had to cut through on my way there. A normal Deku Scrub did little if any harm, but these Scrubs' seeds could do some real damage. I had to run away from a wolf that screamed a battle cry that shook me to my marrow.

When I arrived at the Sacred Meadow, the cries of the Forest spirits grew more distraught. Saria, Saria! Bring the Hero of All Time, and save us! Call the Hero of All Time…

I looked at the source of their cries. The mouth of the building that I had always wondered at. The Forest Temple.

Determined, I climbed the dead tree and swung myself over to the top of the broken stairs, walked to the entrance and was consumed by blackness.

There were more monsters in here. They seemed to be much stronger than usual. I unsheathed my blade, aware that the presence of Evil was stronger than I had ever felt in my life before. I must be prepared…

I was startled out of my wits as a great man in black armor materialized out of nowhere and began floating around my head. A long scepter with the crown in the shape of a trident was in his hand. His helmet was solid black, and red eyes peered out at me with malevolence.

He was the Spirit of Ganondorf. That evil man that had infected Link's dreams was sending his Spirit to destroy me.

I pointed my blade at his head, and I was temporarily pleased to see that there was no trembling in my arm. I might have been afraid of death, but I certainly wasn't going to go down without a hefty fight on my part.

I lost.

I lost the hearing in my ears.

I lost the sight in my eyes.

I lost the feeling in my whole body.

I lost scents of the Forest from my lungs.

I lost my blade.

I lost my physical strength.

I lost…everything.

But I gained something through all that I lost. I was no longer afraid. I would never be frightened again. I was taken into the very innards of the Forest Temple and I became a spirit among the spirits that had called my name to the Sacred Meadow and the Temple.

The ghost of Ganondorf evaporated as I watched. I had not defeated him, but someone was coming who would. The Hero of All Time.

My eyes which were no longer physical watched for this great man. I waited for eons and eons, but it was only a matter of days later.

Here he comes.

Here comes the Hero of All Time.

And it is…none other than my old friend Link.

Who would've guessed it?

My heart cried out with joy. He was here! My friend Link was the Hero of All Time! I wept with euphoria indescribable.

I noted how handsome he had grown. He was always a beautiful child, but now his demeanor was quite manly. Link's legs had grown quite long, I couldn't help but noticing. He must have been about ten and seven years old. Ah, he already looked the role of the Hero of Time.

It was not long that Link came to confront the Spirit of Ganondorf. I held my breath as I watched Link swing that gorgeous sword to throw aside whatever black magic projectiles the Spirit threw his way. It had to be the Master Sword. No other blade had the power that it utilized.

As I watched, the Spirit made a fatal mistake. He had fallen and left himself wide open to attack. Link stabbed through his evil helmet without hesitation, and our trial, mine and Link's, was over.

The Forest was safe again. Evil had been purged from this part of Hyrule. I was released and I was made the Sage of the Forest. Me! A little Kokiri girl who's favorite game was mud fights! It seems to me that destiny doesn't often pick the greatest, the best, and the strongest, but rather the most lowly and downtrodden to raise the world up out of it's shadows.

Saria, Saria! Come forth! Come forth as the Sage of the Forest!

I met Link's eyes in the room that he had defeated the Spirit in. Recognition glowed in his eyes, and he knelt in reverence.

"Please, my friend! Rise. I would not be the Sage of the Forest had it not been for your courage and your blade!"

He rose. "Saria, it has been so long…I've missed you so."

"Goddesses know I've missed you! But you don't have to explain where you have been. I know that if you had been given the option of coming to see me, you would have."

"Yes…" He blushed. It was so much like when he was a child. Link continued to have an abashed aura around me. I knew what he was thinking.

"Do you remember our kisses? How the spirits made fun of us?"

"How could I forget?" Link answered, with a wry smile on his face. Goddesses! I may be a Sage of the Forest, but his smile will forever melt my heart!

"Saria, however much I desire to, I cannot tarry long. This Forest Temple is only the first of five temples I must go to so that I can gather the power of the Sages to defeat Ganondorf once and for all."

"I know. He laid hold of the Triforce?" Link nodded.

"Did the Triforce split?" Again, Link nodded.

"I would imagine that he now holds the Triforce of Power, but that is just my guess. He seems to value Power above all."

"Please, don't allow me to keep you any longer. Take this…as a sign of our friendship and the love that we shared." I said.

"That we still share." He corrected.

"Yes," I breathed. "That we will always share."

I slipped my Medallion into his warm hands, reveling in their feel.

"Link, may the Goddesses bless you on your journey. We will meet again. I promise."

"Thank you." He answered.

It was in this way that we parted company. We will only meet one more time. And that will be the end.

But before Link left the Forest, I arranged for him to meet the little Sprout that was growing to fulfill his duties as the new Great Deku Tree. I can only imagine what transpired during their conversation.

I hear his voice in my head as he leave the Forest for the final time. He has played an ocarina, but it is not mine. It is the Ocarina of Time that opens the portal between us. He speaks…

…I love you, Saria.

…I love you too, Link.