Note: No character rights are mine. All are licensed by Nintendo.

Ch 2 The Gerudo's End and a Kokiri's Promise

Link hadn't seen Saria since he left for Termina one week ago, but to him he hasn't seen her for what felt like years, being in a near never ending three day loop. He lost count how many times he played the Song of Time, how many times he restarted, but he was finally home. Yet all he could think about was how he left, how much pain it caused her.

'Two weeks ago'

Link had been back in Kokiri Forest for three months since returning the Master Sword to its pedestal. After he informed Zelda and King Farhaam of Ganondorf's plot, him being the Hero of Time and bearer of the Triforce of Courage, and the identities of all the sages, the king rallied all his soldiers and charged Ganondorf with treason, sentencing him to death. Of course being the cunning coward he is, Ganondorf escaped to Gerudo Desert and sat in hiding, where no one could find him, until today. Link was summoned to Hyrule Castle to oversee his execution first hand. As he sat next to Zelda and the king in their royal booth, Zelda's hand crept over on top of Links. "Don't worry Link, my father spared no expense on security. Ganondorf will not escape this time. The evil wizard's reign of terror ends today."

"It's not the security I'm worried about, princess." Link bluntly stated "When I killed him in the future it HAD to be the master sword to deal the final blow, nothing else worked. I'm afraid the same thing will happen here, and being too young to truly wield the master sword I will simply be sent in the future should I try to wield it again. This has to work." Link having finished his speech, letting go of Zelda's hand, stood and leaned over the balcony staring into the colosseum, right at Ganondorf in the center, bound in enough ball and chains to keep even Biggoron on his knees.

Then the king entered the booth with Link and Zelda, and went to the balcony ignoring both of them, and started his speech to the people. After a long recap of Ganondorf's crimes King Faraam gave the signal for the wizards of hyrule to unleash their magic upon the gerudo. In a brilliant flash of white light, the whole colosseum lit up, however Ganondorf was unfazed, grinning mischievously. "Damn it!" Link let out being outraged "I knew this would happen."

"Easy boy, don't think I, the King of Hyrule, only have the one option. If we can't kill him, then we will banish him to the depths of the Twilight Realm." stated a proud king. As the audience feared the gerudo's perfect health after such a display of power the king began to speak, "Fear not my citizens for I, King Faraam Roalus Hyrule, have just the spell I prepared in case the first failed. In but a few moments, Ganondorf will be banished from our realm of reality, never to return." King Faraam then began chanting in ancient hylian speech with his court wizards in unison. As they finished a streak of black and yellow lightning coming from each chanter met in the middle of the colosseum, straight into Ganondorf. The gerudo was pulled into the ground, and was gone, banished to the twilight.

"See Link, I told you not to wor-" Zelda cut herself off, noticing Link was no longer there. Giving a slight frown she starred at where he had just been, "Always on the move"

Link was now back at Kokiri Forest, being greeted by his best friend, Saria. "Hey Link! So how did everything go? Is that monster finally gone?" Saria questioned, after Link having told all the sages about the future and about their other selves, she was both frightened and curious about the future and the gerudo. So after being informed about being the Sage of the Forest she'd frequently enter the Forest Temple and read all sorts of spell books and manuscripts, though she could never find what she was looking for.

"Not quite, but it all worked out in the end." Link replied

"Meaning?"

"He isn't dead, but he might as well be. He got sent to the Twilight Realm, and he isn't coming back."

"I see, I've read about the twilight a few times in my studies. It's a dark, dreary place, fitting for such an evil man." Saria then began to stare at Link, her eyes lost in his. She jumped on him in a heartfelt hug "At least he's gone, and you can stay here with me now. We can finally go back to the way things were." Saria let out a smile so full of emotion that it melted Link's resolve. Causing his face to turn as red as his goron tunic. He slipped out of Saria's grasp, and grabbed her headband.

"Right. But you have to catch me first!" Link laughed as he ran into the Lost Woods

"Link! Give that back!" Saria let out, giving chase to her best friend. It was nice to have him back. After months of him being gone on his adventure to collect spiritual stones. He was finally here to stay, or so she thought.

Saria went to Link's house one morning to see Link packing, and she felt her heart drop to the floor. "Link?" she let out, tears in her eyes. Link being startled jumped at the sound of her voice, feeling the tension in the air. Nothing could prepare him for what was coming next, no matter how much he tried.

"I'm sorry, Saria, but I can't stay, I need to find Navi. Other than you, she's my best friend, she was with me through everything. I can't just accept her leaving me without a word."

Saria, though fully understanding Link's reasoning, couldn't help falling to her knees, crying. Why does she feel this way? She knew Link had to go, and she never felt this bad when some of the other Kokiri got lost in the woods, as bad as that sounds, but it was true. Why was Link so special? He was her best friend sure, but that couldn't be it could it? Or was it something more? Just then Link got up and started out the door, but was caught in Saria's embrace. "Come back safe Link, and bring her home," Saria let out between sobs. "Promise me you will come back to the forest, back to me."

"I promise" Link then walked out of Saria's embrace, and jumped off his house. Running out of the woods. But Saria was still slumped on Link's floor, her heart broken for the second time. She cried to herself on his floor until she eventually passed out, constantly worrying about her best friend.

As Link called Epona on his ocarina, all he could think about was his promise, 'back to the forest, back to me.' But what did she mean back to me? Why specifically her? She was his best friend for his entire life, calling her on his ocarina on a regular basis after learning her song when he was hunting the spiritual stones. But best friends don't make promises like that do they? But it felt so right to promise to her, but if it was to Navi, Zelda, Ruto, or literally any of his friends it felt weird. Why was Saria so special? But then he was snapped out of his thoughts when Epona came up and nuzzled Link on his chin. He had already paid Malon and Talon a visit a couple days ago, and paid them a hefty sum to borrow Epona on his search. "Alright girl," Link then climbed into the horse's saddle. "Let's go find Navi." Link then set out to the south of the Lost Woods, he couldn't explain why, but it felt like something was calling him there. Though little did he know it would start his second adventure, and adventure in another world, against a new manifestation of power. A battle between courage and power across time.