Part Four

Link's mind raced with a thousand thoughts at once as he made his way to the castle. Somehow, he knew that Zelda didn't really hate him. But there were still the hundreds of what-if thoughts in the back of his mind that made him question that. He wondered if maybe Zelda really didn't like him, and that she had just been too afraid to say it. No, she wouldn't do that, thought Link. She loves me and I love her. I just made her mad. I know I did something wrong, and I just have to apologize. Link tightly held the vase that contained the dozen roses he had picked. He looked at his bandaged hand and winced. All those cuts didn't hurt when he got them, but he hadn't exactly been in a very happy state of mind. Now he regretted neglecting himself. He'd sustained so many life-threatening injuries, but it seemed like it was always the little ones that bothered him the most. But he didn't really mind going through pain; it was a mere annoyance. It was worth it; he had picked such beautiful flowers for Zelda. He hoped she would like them. Link knew that girls liked getting things like flowers. They made apologies so much easier. He never understood why they liked flowers so much, but he didn't argue with that fact of life.

Link took a deep breath as he walked through the threshold of the castle. He looked around and wondered if he should go find one of the servants to go get Zelda. After all, it wouldn't be right if he just went barging into to her room on his hands and knees, begging for forgiveness. Link breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Impa walking down the hallway. He ran towards her and Impa saw him coming. "Oh, hello Link," said Impa in a kind voice. She saw the flowers and the nervous look on his face. "Where did you get those roses? They're beautiful."

"I...I picked them myself," replied Link. "I thought Zelda might like them, and maybe it would make it easier for me to apologize to her."

"Honey, I need to talk to you about that. You don't need to apologize to Zelda for anything."

"But I made her mad," said Link. "I got into a fight and I made her mad, and I don't want her to hate me."

"Link, she doesn't hate you. She got mad because she's going through a lot of stress, and it had nothing to do with what you did. Believe me, she was just as upset as you after she said that. She wants to apologize more than you do."

"She does?" asked Link. He wondered why Zelda would have to apologize, Link didn't think that she had done anything wrong. "Then why did she get mad?"

"Zelda has been having...woman problems lately."

"Woman problems?" asked Link. "I don't understand."

"I'll explain it to you later. But all you need to know now is that she just had a little mood swing. Zelda doesn't hate you."

"Mood swing? Well, can I see her?" asked Link anxiously.

"Yes, I'll get her in just a minute. But I need to ask you something. Zelda said that you got into a fight because some street punks were making fun of her. What did they say?"

"I...I don't want to talk about it," said Link, trying not to think about it.

"I'm sure you don't want to bring it up, but I need to know. I know you're not the type of person who goes around picking fights. Those kids must've said something terrible for them to drive you to do that."

"It wasn't just what they said. I fought them because they started it. Two of them pulled knives and I had to defend myself. And I was afraid that they might try to hurt Zelda, I wasn't thinking of myself. Do you really want to know what they said about her?" asked Link. Impa nodded. "They called her...they said she...they said she was the biggest whore in Hyrule. And I wanted to kill them after they said that." Link felt his blood boiling again upon remembering what was said.

Impa felt like exploding when she heard Link's account. She couldn't imagine how Link must have felt. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was that bad. I certainly hope that that's not a rumor that's going around. Now I'm glad you taught those delinquents a lesson. You know, it is a serious crime to assault a Hylian Knight. They could get in a lot of trouble if we caught them."

"No, I don't want to do that. It's not worth the trouble. I don't care what other people think. I just want Zelda to like me. I don't want her to hate me."

"She doesn't hate you," Impa reassured. "And she'll love those flowers. You just wait here while I go get Zelda." Impa quickly ran off and went upstairs. Link waited patiently for Zelda to come downstairs. He felt relieved but slightly confused when Impa said that he hadn't done anything wrong. And what did she mean when she said Zelda had just had a mood swing? He certainly hoped that this wouldn't be a regular occurrence.

Link's eyes brightened when he saw Zelda come running down the hallway. Link held out the flowers and began to speak, his voice trembling, "Zelda, I'm sorry I..." Link's apology was interrupted by Zelda colliding with him and hugging him hard.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I yelled at you," said Zelda in a frantic voice as she planted kisses all over his face. "I didn't mean to yell at you; you didn't do anything wrong."

Although Link didn't mid the attention, he finally got Zelda to back down a little. "I came to say I was sorry," said Link. "I didn't mean to make you mad. I..." he handed Zelda the vase. "I picked you these flowers." Smiling, Zelda took the bouquet of flowers and gently inhaled their beautiful scent. The smell of the roses was so sweet and delicate. Zelda could feel Link's love in this small bouquet of flowers. Zelda leaned over and kissed him again.

"Oh I love these flowers," exclaimed Zelda. "I love roses so much, how did you know that? And look what happened to your hands, you poor thing. You went through all that trouble for me." Zelda set the vase down on one of the many decorative tables in the foyer. She noticed that they were alone and turned to Link with a serious look on her face. "Link, you don't have to apologize to me for what you did. I realize that you were simply defending me and my honor, and I'm glad you did. Besides, those boys were going to hurt you and I didn't want you hurt. The reason I blew up had nothing to do with you or what you did. I was...I wasn't myself. I guess it was just some mood swing, or so Impa tells me. I can't imagine how much it must have devastated you to hear me say that I hated you. But I didn't mean it at all. I love you more than anything in the whole world, and I would never hate you. I just let my emotions take control. You know that I love you, right? And I was worried that you would hate me after what I said."

Link looked into Zelda's eyes, which were now starting to glisten with the beginnings of tears. "Don't cry," said Link in his calm, soothing voice. "I love you too. You are the whole reason for my existence, you are the only person who makes me feel truly alive. I couldn't live without you. Somehow, after you blew up, I knew that you didn't really mean it. But I still cried about it, wondering if maybe you really meant it. But now I know that it was silly for me to doubt you like that. I would never stop loving you for anything, even if you didn't love me back."

"Well, I do love you back," said Zelda, smiling and putting her arm around Link's waist. "And I'm sorry for blowing up at you like that. Impa told me that it was part of...growing up."

"Was that the 'woman' problem she was talking about?"

"Well, yes," replied Zelda, nearly blushing. "But I don't think you need to know the details. I'll try to avoid any more mood swings in the future."

"Okay, you don't need to explain anything to me. There are some things that guys don't need to know, or don't want to know. I really don't care."

"Impa was right about another thing," said Zelda with a smirk on her face. Link had grown to know that it couldn't be good for him when she had that look. "She told me that if a woman yells at a man for something, no matter what it is, he will always think it's his fault...even if it was the woman's fault. And she said that the guy will always come crawling back, begging for forgiveness. That's just what you did." Zelda looked at the flowers and then grinned at Link.

"You know me all too well," said Link. He knew that Zelda and Impa were right. It was something built into the male consciousness that he had no control over. "But you're right, it's true. I came groveling back, but it was worth it. I would do anything for you." Link looked deep into Zelda's beautiful, cobalt eyes and smiled. It was the kind of smile that needed no words to explain it. Zelda gazed back, almost mesmerized by Link's face. She never realized how handsome he was. His face had such an air of innocence to it, an innocence that made him seem so perfect. Ever so slowly, their faces grew closer. Then, as if in slow motion, their lips met. Time seemed to stop, they were the only people who existed in this moment. Link and Zelda's lips touched, initiating a kiss that was different from anyone that had ever had before. This wasn't a simple peck on the cheek or a friendly gesture, it was so much more. It was something magical, as if their souls were mingling. Link felt the tender touch of Zelda's lips and lost himself in the moment. Zelda wondered if this was the romantic feeling Impa had told her about. She had always said that a real "first kiss" would be something to remember; she would definitely remember this. Zelda now realized what it was really like to kiss someone she loved. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, their lips released and their faces moved back. Time returned to normal, and their minds seemed to clear. It had only been a fraction of a second, but it felt like an eternity, an eternity they never wanted to end.

"I love you," said Zelda, with more seriousness and sincerity than she had ever felt in her life.

"I love you too."

She is such a wonderful person, I feel so lucky to know her. I never thought I would have a friend as good as her. But it's not just being a friend that I like about her. In fact, I love everything about her. Her eyes are so deep and full of life. It makes feel so safe when I look into them. And her hair is so pretty, too. I don't know why it enchants me so much. Her beautiful auburn hair just burns in the sunlight, giving off such a beautiful glow. Her hair is so much prettier than mine, it makes mine seem all grungy and ugly. And she simply looks so beautiful. I've never met a person whose body had such graceful beauty. It's amazing how her delicate good looks seem to hide the true strength within her. She is so strong and powerful, but she looks so small. She could probably pick me up and carry me if she wanted to. But what I like the most about her is her personality. She is so warm and caring, and makes everyone around her feel better about themselves. I love simply talking to her, she has so many things to say, and she always listens. She is so kind and caring, and loves every person and animal in the world. Her voice is so soothing and calming. Her voice would make anybody's heart melt. And when she sings...I can't even describe it. It's like a whole chorus of angels singing just for me. There's only one thing I could possibly say that would sum this all up: I love her. I know I do, I've never been so sure of anything. But I could never tell her my feelings, I don't want to ruin our friendship. If I told her how I felt, she would shun me and tell me to go away; just like everyone else has in my life. I couldn't take that kind of rejection; I would die. It's just better if I keep my feelings inside, that way no one will get hurt.

Solo sat atop Epona, gazing at the magnificent twilight that remained after the sun had sunk below the horizon. The sky was already dark and the brightest stars were shining. Soon, the orange glow in the horizon would fade and the countryside would be cast into darkness, barely illuminated by the silver crescent moon. Solo dismounted the horse and led her into the corral for the night. Malon followed, enjoying the breeze and the scent of the crisp night air. "It's such a beautiful night," said Solo, gazing up at the stars. "It's a shame we have to go inside."

"No one said we had to go in for the night," responded Malon. "It's still fairly warm out. Who says we can't stay outside? I think I would be great to sleep under the stars, there so beautiful and breathtaking."

"You mean we can really stay outside for the night? That would be great! We could have a little camp-out."

"Ooh, that sound like fun," said Malon. "I have some big blankets in the house that we can use as sleeping bags. Come on, let's go get them." Malon quickly made her way back to the house with Solo following closely behind.

"We can have a campfire, too," suggested Solo as the entered the house.

"That's great," said Malon, digging through drawers and pulling out a few very large blankets. She handed a couple to Solo and kept two for herself. "We've got tons of firewood outside. And the kindling is right in this drawer." Malon opened a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a small box. Solo took it and followed Malon outside. Malon and Solo left the house and walked to a nice soft spot in the yard. They each laid down one of their blankets to sit on. "I'll go get some wood from over there, you just wait here." Solo watched Malon walk to the side of the barn where much of the firewood was kept. She saw Malon effortlessly pile logs into her arms and carry them back. Sometimes Malon amazed Solo. She could be so physically strong one moment and so gentle the next. Malon's diminutive size and average-looking physique gave no hint of her true strength.

Solo smiled as Malon returned and dumped the wood onto the ground before them. Solo smiled at Malon as she arranged the logs. "You looked so beautiful when you were carrying those logs," said Solo in a dreamy voice. "You look just like a normal girl on the outside, but you're really so strong. That just amazes me."

"Thank you," said Malon, thankful that the dark night didn't reveal her blushing face.

Solo's eyes widened and she felt shocked and embarrassed. She didn't realize that she had said that out loud. "I...I'm sorry...I was thinking aloud." Solo tried to hide her embarrassment, hoping that Malon didn't take it the wrong way.

"It's okay, you don't need to apologize for anything," said Malon as she tried to get the fire going. She gave a proud smile when she had finally ignited the kindling and set it underneath the logs. Malon sat down next to Solo and smiled at her. "No one has ever said that to me before—called me beautiful. I mean, my dad has, but that's different. No one has ever given me such a compliment. I was always just the strange little farm girl who delivered the milk. No one ever wanted to be friends with me. Maybe it's 'cause I talk to the animals. But they understand me, they just can't talk back."

"I don't think you're weird. There's nothing wrong with talking to the animals. I think it's cute. And I meant what I said, too."

"Thank you," said Malon. "It just felt good hearing the compliment come from you. I always thought I would be the weird loner who never had a friend. I always knew that I was a rather...unusual person. I just hoped that I would have a friend someday that would understand me. I remember when I first met your brother in the market. I was waiting for Dad to get back from his milk delivery to the castle. It figures that he had fallen asleep. But I talked to Link and asked to go find my dad for me. But I was just rambling on endlessly, and he must've thought I was a total nut-case."

"He told me about that," said Solo. "He didn't think you were weird at all. Believe me, he's my brother and I can testify that he's the one who's a nut-case." Malon giggled, she always thought that Link was a little strange. "You wouldn't believe the stuff he does, like he refuses to where clothes that have been put in his dresser."

"Are you serious?" asked Malon.

"Yeah. He was always a slob and kept all his clothes in a pile on the floor. But I really don't mind that because I'm the same way. But unlike me, he flat out refuses to wear clothes put in his dresser. You see, Saria is a neat-freak and is always on his case about cleaning up his house. Sometimes when we're not home she'll sneak in and clean up the whole house. And she folds up his clothes and puts them in the drawers."

"That doesn't sound so bad. Why would that bother him so much?"

"Because he's really superstitious about some things. On two separate occasions when Saria cleaned his house, he sprained his ankle really bad on the same day. So now he thinks it's bad luck to put his clothes in the drawer. And he might be right; he hasn't sprained his ankle again. Personally, I think his system works fine. Well, I wouldn't really call it a 'system,' it's more like and organized mess."

"How does he know which clothes are clean and which ones are dirty if they're all laying on the floor?" asked Malon.

"He smells them," replied Solo nonchalantly.

"Eeww," remarked Malon, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

"Yeah, it can be gross. Especially when we get our clothes mixed up. Because we both wear just about the same thing, sometimes our piles get mixed together. And when I go check my clothes to see which ones are clean, sometimes I end up with one of his stinky, sweaty tunics that he exercised in everyday for a week without washing it. And believe me, that is not a pleasant smell."

Malon chuckled upon imagining that awkward situation. "That sounds so nasty. Boys always smell bad. They should be the ones who wear perfume, not girls. I know Link is a sweet, kind boy, but I don't understand why Zelda would want to be so close to him, especially when he's all sweaty and smelly."

"I guess people lose their sense of smell when they fall in love," laughed Solo. "But boys aren't all that bad. Can I ask you something personal?" Malon nodded and Solo moved a little closer to her. "Is there anybody that you...you know, have a crush on? I just thought it might be fun to talk about."

"Well, as a matter of fact, there is somebody I have a crush on. Actually, I think I'm in love with the person," replied Malon.

"That's so sweet. It's not Link, is it? 'Cause he already has the hots for Zelda, and you'd have no chance with him."

Malon smiled and giggled slightly. "No, it's not Link. I mean, fairy-boy is nice and everything, but I don't think I would fall in love with him." Malon wondered if she should stop this conversation now, or continue it and see what would happen.

"Well, who is it? Is it somebody I know?" asked Solo excitedly. She knew that Malon would never give her the answer she really wanted to hear, but it was nice to know who Malon really liked.

Malon rolled her eyes and tried to think. "Yes, it is somebody you know. But I won't tell you who it is." Malon gave a look of stern determination. As much as she yearned to tell Solo the truth, she could never bring herself to do it. That would only lead to pain and rejection.

"Oh, can you at least describe him?" begged Solo. She desperately wanted to at least know what her object of affection was like. "What's he like?"

Malon's cheeks burned bright red, but luckily the darkness of night obscured them. "Well, this person is very nice. They're so sweet and kind, and they always make me feel better when I'm down. This person always listens to what I have to say, and never judges me about anything. But they don't know how I feel, and I'm afraid to tell them. This person is so wonderful, but I'm so afraid of rejection. What if this person doesn't like me back? I wouldn't be able to live with that." It felt so good for Malon to let her feelings out. Although she had not been totally honest with Solo, that was the best she could do. She couldn't really reveal everything, that would be too traumatic. The object of her affection could never love her back, it wasn't meant to be. Malon knew it wasn't natural to feel this way, but she never cared about what was natural. She knew it was right.

"That sounds so sweet," said Solo, deep in thought and touched by Malon's revelation. Although she was happy that there was someone Malon loved, she was also disappointed. But she couldn't dwell on that, Solo knew it wasn't meant to be. "But it's kinda sad that you can't tell him you love him. You shouldn't be afraid of rejection, you should do what your feelings tell you. Don't put it off, because someday it might be too late. If you love someone, you have to tell them." Solo was amazed at how insightful she had just been. Sadly, she wished she could take her own advice.

"I know I should tell them," replied Malon. "But you don't understand the problem I'm having. This person would probably hate me if I told them how I felt. I'm having a really... unusual problem. The person I love would probably think I was sick or perverted, and I don't want that. Besides, it would ruin our friendship. I'm just glad you cared to listen to me. Most people wouldn't want to bother listening to me ramble."

"I like listening to you talk," admitted Solo. "You can always tell me anything you want." Both girls sat silently, both mulling over their feelings. They both wanted to admit their feelings, but they both also feared rejection. Solo looked over and noticed that the campfire had gone out. Now only the glowing red coals remained. They must've have been talking for longer than they thought. It was now pitch black outside and all the stars shone brightly. The only light around came from the hot coals and the tiny, silver crescent moon. "The fire's gone out," said Solo in a sleepy voice.

Malon looked over at the snuffed-out campfire and sighed. "We must've been talking for quite a while. I always lose track of time on nights like this. It must be past midnight by now." Malon pulled the blanket over herself and lay flat on her back, Solo doing the same thing. They both stared at the beautiful night sky. It was so crisp and clear, and at times they both felt like they were soaring through space. There were so many stars, each one twinkling in its own special way.

"The stars are so beautiful," said Solo in an awestruck voice. It felt like her mind was being lost in the sky's vast expanse. "And there are so many of them. I wonder if anyone has ever tried to count them all?"

"That would be impossible," replied Malon. "There's too many. But you're right, they are beautiful. Sometimes I come out here at night and look at the stars. I'd just lay on my back and stare at them all night. Did you ever really look at the stars? They're amazing sometimes. It seems like every single one has its own special characteristics. They all have different colors and sizes. Some are blue, or white, or even red. And every now and then you see a shooting star. They say that if you make a wish on a shooting star, it will come true. And there's a lot of shooting stars this time of year, we might be lucky enough to see a few." Solo laid back and listened to what Malon had to say. She just loved listening to her talk and listening to her voice. She felt like she was in heaven. Then, as if her prayers were being answered, she saw a bright orange flame streak across the sky. Both of them took their chances and made a wish. I wish she would feel the same way as me, thought both of them in unison. Each wished for the same thing, not know that the other felt the same way. "Did you make a wish?" asked Malon.

"Yes," replied Solo. "I hope it comes true. If I can only have one thing in my life, I want this wish to come true."

"Me too. I've always wished on shooting stars before, but they've never come true. But I'm with you, I hope this wish comes true. There's so many things I want in life, but I know I can't have them. I remember when I was real little, and my mom got sick. I wished and I prayed that she would get better, but she didn't. She just died. And ever since then, I've never tried wishing for anything. I've been let down so many times that I only wish for what I can achieve by myself. But there are so many things I can't achieve on my own. I remember when I was a little girl, my dad always told me stories about mythical knights who slew dragons and rescued princesses. I always wanted a knight in shining armor to come to me. But I knew that would never happen. I realize that I don't want a knight in shining armor anymore. There's only one person I want, and I don't know if they feel the same way. It really tears me up inside. There are so many things I've accomplished in my life, but this one easy task seems so difficult."

"I know how you feel," said Solo sleepily. "I've tried to do a lot of things in my life. And it always seems that the easy things are the hardest." Solo got comfortable and snuggled up in her blanket; it was so warm and soft. Solo yawned, the peace of sleep was dragging at her eyelids. "I'm really tired now."

"Me too," said Malon, yawning. "It was nice talking to you, and I'm glad you listened. Good night."

"Good night, Malon." Solo rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, letting the calming embrace of sleep claim her. Malon still lay flat on her back, listening to Solo's slow, rhythmic breathing. She sounded so peaceful, Malon was happy to be with her and to be her friend. Malon stared at the starry sky, becoming lost. She didn't feel like sleeping, her mind was too rife with thoughts to relax. She stared for what must've been hours, watching the moon and the stars move slowly across the sky. Malon turned to her he side to see Solo sleeping with her back towards her. There was something beautiful about her when she slept. She looked so peaceful and graceful. Watching the movement of the blanket caused by Solo's rhythmic breathing was almost mesmerizing. "Are you awake?" whispered Malon. There was no response, Solo's breathing remained the same. Malon laid back and stared at the sky again. "I wish I could tell you how I felt," whispered Malon, barely audible. "But you would never feel like I do. It's not supposed to be. I know it's not natural and it's not right, but I can't deny my feelings. I hope my wish comes true. Maybe you'll just wake up and return my feelings. But who am I kidding? You would never feel like that." Malon prayed that her wish would come true, that was the only thing she ever wanted. She wished she could sleep. She was so tired, but her emotions wouldn't let her relax. Malon looked over once again at Solo; she was sound asleep. She tried not to think of her problems. She wanted to sleep so badly. Sometimes things that seemed so easy were the most difficult. Malon closed her eyes and tried to relax. She thought of calming things, her ranch, her favorite animals, and her mother. No matter how stressed-out she was, thoughts of her mother always had a calming effect. Malon was so young when she died, but still remembered her well. Malon remembered how she would sing her lullabies to make her fall asleep at night. Malon pictured her mother, and her fears and apprehensions seemed to melt away. Finally, her mind was at peace. She no longer worried about her troubles, she could deal with those in the morning. Malon drifted off into the quiet embrace of sleep.

Link was walking through the forest, not paying much attention to the beautiful foliage or the musical chatter of chirping birds. He was too busy wondering what Saria wanted. When he had gotten up early this morning, he found a note pinned to his doorframe. It was from Saria, telling him to meet her in their special place in the forest. As he walked through the familiar maze of the Lost Woods, he was reminded of the encounter they'd had just yesterday. He was worried that Saria was upset about something else, so he hurried along at a faster than normal pace.

When he reached the meadow, he was relieved to see Saria sitting on a tree stump swinging her legs happily. As he approached, he saw that Saria looked like she was deep in thought, not even noticing Link's approach. He walked up to her and sat down next to her on the large stump. He gave Saria a confused look; her face registered an expression that was almost sad, but mostly thoughtful. "You left a note on my door," said Link. Saria didn't seem to notice his comment. "What did you want to see me about?" Saria turned to look at Link, her face seeming to tell him that there was something she wanted to say but couldn't. "Are you upset about something again? 'Cause you can always talk to me."

Saria took a deep breath and pondered one last time if she should go through with this. She had been sitting in the meadow since the early hours of the morning, trying to think of what to say. She had gone over the whole imaginary exchange in her mind, assessing all the possible responses Link could give. She seriously wondered if their friendship would be ruined by what she was going to say, but realized that Link would never be that shallow. Link was too good a friend to abandon her over this. Saria looked at Link's caring face and decided that it was now or never. "There's something I want to tell you," said Saria, but she choked after the first sentence. She tried to calm down and think.

"What is it?" asked Link. "You don't have to keep secrets from me."

"Well, this is kind of a secret. I've been thinking about this for so long, it almost seems like there wasn't a time when I didn't think about it. This has been bothering me for so long, and it's almost driven me crazy. I don't know quite how to say it, though. I'm just worried that if I tell you, it might damage our friendship, and I don't want that. You've been my best friend all my life, and I don't want anything to happen to that. But this is too hard for me to keep bottled up inside me."

"Don't ever think that anything you could say would make me stop being friends with you," said Link in a reassuring voice. "If something is bothering you, tell me. Even if it's about me, I don't care. Was it something I did?"

"No, not really. You never did anything wrong. It's really been my fault. You went with your heart, and I should have too." Link wasn't quite sure what Saria was getting at, but he knew it had something to do with what she had been upset about yesterday. "I spent so long worrying about this, and it has only made my life more miserable. I can't keep it a secret anymore, I've been denying it to myself."

"Does this have anything to do with what you were upset about yesterday?" asked Link.

"Yes, it does," replied Saria. "What I told you yesterday was partly the reason I wanted to talk to you. Do you remember what I said? About the person I loved, but never told him?" Link nodded, he remembered being confused by that statement. "Well, it is somebody you know... it's...you. Link, I love you."

Upon hearing those words, Link gave a look of shock. He tried to speak, but he couldn't make any words come out. Saria loved him? He almost couldn't believe it. He wondered why she never told him this before. "You..." mumbled Link, "love...me?" His mind began racing with a thousand thoughts at once. He knew he loved Zelda, but now he found out that Saria loved him too. What was he going to do? Saria was his best friend, but he never loved her the same way he loved Zelda. Saria was like a sister to him, but apparently she felt differently.

Saria sighed and a tear ran down her cheek. "Please don't hate me for saying this. But I had to tell you. I've loved you for as long as I can remember. I always assumed that you felt the same way, but I guess I assumed wrong. Every day I would make a promise to myself that I would tell you, but I always ended up being too afraid to do it. I always thought there would be more time, that there would always be tomorrow. But when tomorrow came, it was too late. I waited so long, then you finally found Zelda and I knew it was too late for me. I love you so much, but I can accept the fact that you already have someone else. I don't want you to lose Zelda because of me. All I want is your happiness; that's all I care about. I just had to tell you this because we shouldn't keep secrets from each other. I know you and Zelda were meant to be together, and I want to see you two be happy."

Link was almost driven to tears after hearing Saria's confession. He had never guessed that Saria felt like this. He felt sad that he didn't return Saria's feelings, he saw her as a good friend, but nothing more. "I didn't know you felt like that," said Link solemnly. "I really don't know what to say...I always thought we were just friends. Now I feel like I've let you down, I'm sorry I never saw it. I guess I was just stupid and insensitive. It figures, I always ruin everything."

Saria's eyes welled with tears as Link gave such a display of self-pity. She leaned over and hugged Link tightly as he was about to fall into tears. "No, stop blaming yourself," begged Saria. "Don't ever think that that it was your fault. You went with your heart, like I should have. It was my fault for never admitting my feelings." Saria began to sob onto Link's shoulder, and all he could do was let her cry. He hated seeing this little girl who had always been such a good friend be so sad. He didn't want her to cry. Link patted her back and tried to comfort her.

"Please don't cry," asked Link. "I don't want you to be upset. I don't know what to do. I never knew you felt like this, and I don't want to betray Zelda. She's such a wonderful person, and I don't want to lose her. She's everything to me. But you're just my friend. Not that that's not just as good. You were always there when I needed you. You were the only one who never laughed at me or humiliated me. When everyone else told me to go away, you took me in and made me part of your family. You were the only family I had for most of my life. That's why I couldn't love you like Zelda, because I see you as so much of a family member that it would be wrong for me to think of you that way. I hope you understand. I don't want to lose my only friend after so long." Link sniffled, but controlled himself. He needed to be strong for Saria.

"I do understand," said Saria, letting go of Link and sitting back down. "I still want to be your friend. Please don't let me lose that. I want you to know that all I want is for you to be happy. That's all that matters to me. The only thing that kept me sane for so long was seeing how happy you and Zelda were together. I guess I just lived through you and her. Seeing you and Zelda happy together made feel happy because I knew that I had a small part in it. I realized that if I had told you how I felt before, maybe you and Zelda wouldn't be together. And now I know that you two are supposed to be together, and I don't want to ruin it. I've accepted the fact that we can't be together. It's not meant to be because I'm a Kokiri and you're a Hylian, we could never be compatible anyways. I just want to continue being friends, if that's what you want."

"Of course that's what I want," said Link. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you as a friend. You're the best friend I ever had, and I want to keep it that way. Somehow, I always suspected that you felt that way; the way you acted around me, the way you talked to me. But I guess I always denied it, I thought I was crazy for thinking like that. Thank you for telling me, I don't want us to keep secrets."

"Thank you for being there for me," said Saria. She felt like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from her chest. She always knew that a relationship between her and Link would never work, but she had dwelled on it so long that she lied to herself telling herself that it was possible. Now that she had spoken to Link, she felt at ease with herself. She now accepted the fact that she and Link would never be together. Now that she stopped denying it to herself, she could finally breathe freely. For the first time in years, that shadow was no longer hanging over her head; she was at peace.

"That's what friends are for," said Link. "Come on, we should get back home." Saria and Link both stood up and began to leave the Sacred Meadow.

Saria had a thought, and grabbed at Link's clothes to stop him. He turned around to see what she wanted. He couldn't help but smile at the little-girl face she put on. "I was wondering if I could ask you something," said Saria in a sheepish voice. Her face turned to a slightly red hue and Link wondered what she was planning. "Well, when we were younger we were both about the same size and strength, you know, because we were little kids. But now you've grown a lot bigger, and you're much stronger now. And I've stayed the same size and weight."

"What are you getting at?" asked Link, becoming frustrated that Saria was beating around the bush.

"Okay, you can lift heavy things, right?" Link nodded. "Well, I'm not that heavy, and I've always wanted to do this. Will you...um...will you give me a piggy-back ride home?" Saria gave Link the cutest most pathetic look she could muster.

Link rolled his eyes and smiled. Sometimes he forgot that Saria still enjoyed being a child. "Okay, hop on," replied Link as he knelt down so Saria could reach him. She cheered with giddy, child-like anticipation. Saria held onto Link's shoulders as he grasped her legs and stood up. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes!" cheered Saria. Link then began to walk quickly through the woods. Saria cheered with delight as they weaved between the trees and shrubs. She now saw the world from Link's perspective, and was amazed by it. "So this is what the world looks like to you."

"What do you mean?" asked Link.

"You're twice as tall as me, I wondered what it would be like seeing everything from this high up. It's almost scary."

"I guess I never noticed."

Saria tugged at Link's hair causing him to yelp in pain. "Go faster!" exclaimed Saria. Link smiled to himself and began to hurry through the forest at an even quicker pace. Saria squealed with joy as they weaved through the trees. She couldn't remember having so much fun; she'd almost forgotten what it was like. Saria could finally be a child again and not worry about her problems.