Legal disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, or any of its characters, nor do I have any intention of publishing this story for profit.

Chapter 1

The party in honor of Link's return lasted throughout most of the night. After much asking by some of the more curious Kokiri, Links spent most of that time telling the Kokiri his tale of his adventures at Termina and any other little adventures he had been in afterward as the others danced to ocarina played music and ate forest food that Link had missed during his time away. He left out the story of his encounter with the Queen Fairy, though, not wanting to sadden the others with what he had learned about what eventually happened to fairies. Through it all, Link noticed that Mido spent the entire time sitting outside his house, glaring at everyone, especially Link. Normally, Mido's sour personality didn't bother Link in the slightest. But now, Mido's glowering, coupled with his earlier feeling of awkwardness, was making him feel uneasy.

What was worse... he understood why.

I, the Great Mido, will never accept you as one of us!

Those words Mido had said at the beginning of his first adventure were coming back with unnerving clarity. And after what he had learned about himself when he broke the seal on the Forest Temple and awakened Saria as the Sage of the Forest, one thought nagged at him then as it was doing now. Maybe... Mido has the right not to accept me... because maybe, he always knew that I really am not one of them.

So after the party, he voiced his concerns to Saria.

It was the sensible thing to do, after all. All Link's life, he could always count on Saria to advise him whenever he felt uncertain. Of all the Kokiri, she was by far the wisest, that wisdom often belying her childlike appearance. Link had always wondered how old Saria really was in terms of chronological age, but that was the furthest thing from his mind as he sat in her house, listening to her.

"Well, how, or even if, he ever found out that you're really a Hylian, I have no idea," she said to him. "As far as I've known, the only one other than the Great Deku Tree who ever knew was me."

"And how did you find out?" Link asked.

Saria smiled. "Because the Deku Tree told me." Then her expression turned serious. "While the rest of the Kokiri were asleep one night, years ago, the Deku Tree called to me in the middle of the night. When I rushed to see him, I saw a woman lying on the ground in front of the Deku Tree with a baby in her arms. The poor woman was wounded beyond healing, unfortunately. The only thing she could say to me was, 'Please take care of my baby, Link.'" Her expression became somber. "And then she died."

Link just sat there listening intently, a lump forming in his throat. So Saria had actually met his mother. Link had to restrain himself from asking about her, thinking it prudent to let Saria finish first.

"As I picked you up, the Deku Tree gave me strict instructions to take good care of you... saying something about you being a 'child of destiny who is fated to do great things.'" Saria thought for a moment, then smiled. "And he must be right if even half of what you told us in your stories is true."

You have no idea, Link thought. He hadn't even mentioned to Saria what he did as the Hero of Time, as he was the only one who seemed to remember what had happened. Even when he visited Princess Zelda after he sealed the Door of Time, she seemed to have no memory of what had happened, or ever even meeting Link. Or maybe, deep down, she did. Because despite having to sneak into the palace again to see her, she was still pleased, albeit surprised, to see him. And they had become fast friends soon after.

Still, however, this revelation did present a problem. "I can't stay here much longer," Link said.

Saria was surprised to hear this. "Why?" she asked, confused.

Link stood up to his full height, which was now half a head taller than Saria. "You may be the only one who knows I'm not a Kokiri, but it's not going to take long for the others to figure it out."

"That doesn't matter, Link," Saria said sensibly. "You saw the way they welcomed you home. They like you, no matter what. Not even Mido can change their minds."

"Now they do," Link countered. "But what about later? As I get older, Mido's gonna complain more and more about 'the outsider living in our forest,' and call for me to leave. This will start causing arguments among the others about whether to let me stay because they like me, or to make me leave just to shut Mido up. And if I do stay, then Mido may take his frustration out on the others by bullying them even more than he already does."

"I've had no problem in handling Mido before," Saria reasoned. "And now that you're getting bigger, you won't, either."

Link was ready to counter that argument as well. "Mido isn't above lying to get his way. He'll chalk it up to me 'picking on someone smaller than himself,' and use that to further his reasons."

Saria sighed in exasperation, sensing that Link's mind was already set. He can be so stubborn at times, she thought. But that was one of the reasons why she liked him, and one of the reasons how he endured living here despite Mido's bullying.

After a short silence, she finally asked, "Where will you go?"

Link thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. Maybe I can find work at Lon Lon Ranch. Or maybe Princess Zelda can help me. I'll find somewhere I can really call 'home.'"

Saria was ready to start arguing again about the forest being his home, but then, she thought about it. Could Link really call this place his home? Link was growing up, while everyone else would stay children. And while his friends would still be playing outside long after this day had past, Link would be a mature adult, having long since put childish things away, living a life of duty and responsibility rather than games and innocence. In fact, he was already showing signs of his maturity by having thought this all out as much as he had.

Saria finally surrendered to Link's logic. "Well... Mido or no Mido, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like," she said sadly.

Link nodded, equally sadly. "I know."

"You do remember my song, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Promise me that you'll call to me every now and then?"

Link couldn't help but smile. "Every chance I get."

Saria walked up and hugged Link again. "I'm going to miss you," she said, close to tears.

"I'll miss you, too," Link said, the lump in his throat forming again.

Before he let her go, though, there was one more question he had to ask.

"You met my mother. What did she look like?"

Saria smiled again, as she disengaged from Link. "She was beautiful. She had your hair, only much longer." She reached up and brushed Link's own blond locks that peeked out from under his cap. "And your eyes." She looked into his deep blue eyes. "In fact, you look a lot like her. That's about all I can tell you."

"Thank you, Saria," Link said, as he tried to picture his mother from Saria's description, and finding it difficult, as his mind was growing tired. "I need to go to bed."

"I'll see you in the morning."

Link left Saria's house and walked next door to his own. Epona was standing next to it, having fallen asleep. Link looked at Epona and shook his head, wondering again how horses managed to sleep standing up like they did. He climbed up the ladder, noticing that he didn't have to step as high as he used to, and parted the curtain that served as the door.

The house had gotten a bit dusty after a year of disuse, but it would serve his purpose for the time being. He wondered who would live in this house after he left as he removed his boots, the sword and shield, and the pouch that contained his equipment looped onto the back of his belt, which was normally hidden by the shield.

The pouch was a mystical "bottomless pouch" as the vendor at Castle Town called it, since it had the power to contain anything and everything he put in it, no matter how large, as long as he could fit it through the opening. He had purchased it during his first quest to retrieve the Spiritual Stones, thinking that it would be useful. Indeed it had been, as his inventory of equipment and weapons grew as his quests progressed.

He then removed his tunic, leaving on only his shorts, and the fairy jewel pendant that contained Navi's remains. As he lay down to go to sleep, he noticed that the bed was smaller, too, as his feet were now dangling over the edge. He sighed. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.

As he lay there, he thought of what he had to do in the morning. He would have to visit Princess Zelda to return the Ocarina of Time to her, and then see about finding work. Maybe he could train as a knight? After all, he already knew how to fight. Most likely he would wind up as a squire for one of the knights, but at least it would give him a place to stay. Or he could work at the ranch like he suggested before, which would let Epona be close to Malon again. That would probably make both of them happy.

He continued to think about the possibilities until he fell asleep.

Meanwhile, at Hyrule Castle...

Princess Zelda, in her nightgown, walked out onto the balcony of her bedroom. She had been having this feeling ever since this afternoon. The source of this feeling was what Impa had called her "empathic link." Zelda had laughed at that, and Impa had soon followed suit when she realized the joke. Whatever it was called, it told Zelda the news she had been waiting a year for.

Her friend, Link, had finally come home.