Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Zelda or its characters

Ch 3 A Heartfelt Reunion

"Link?" Saria's voice snapped Link back to the present, his best friend was right in front of him, eyes full of tears, and with a look of shock across her face.

"H-Hey Saria, I'm back." Link blatantly stated as he rubbed the back of his neck, he felt awkward, coming back to her only a week after their dramatic farewell, and without Navi no less. He felt like such an idiot, but to him he was gone for over a year, he missed Saria too much to simply pick up his search where he left off. Malon and Talon were pretty surprised themselves when Link returned Epona, luckily for him they'll let him use Epona when he's ready to continue his quest at no extra cost. "Listen, Saria, I know I'm back a bit early, but I have a lot I want to talk to you abo-" Link was cut off as Saria jumped on him just like she did the night he left.

"I missed you so much Link, you couldn't come home early enough." she let go of her friend "Although you're not wrong, I was expecting you to be gone for at minimum a few months, did you forget something?" The kokiri had a puzzled look on her face, clearly thinking of any reason why Link would come back so early, he clearly wouldn't just give up only a week in.

"Well, isn't it obvious? He clearly couldn't bear to be away from you any longer." Claire, Saria's fairy companion, teased as she floated down from the trees to Saria's shoulder. "He is a boy after all."

"Oh please, like I'd come back just for that." Link rebutted

"Oh? So, you're saying you didn't miss me?" Saria teased back with a mischievous grin forming on her face.

"I-I didn't say that.." Link's face began to turn red "Anyway let me explain, you might want to sit down, this is going to take awhile." As Link went on about the Skull Kid and Termina, both Saria and Claire sat listening intently. They were mesmerized when Link brought up the transformation masks, and they chuckled trying to imagine Link as a deku. But as he went on to the Ikana Canyon they felt shivers run down their spines, they couldn't imagine such a place. He went into great detail about everyone he helped, especially at the Romani Ranch, and with Anju and Kafei. But after Link talked about how Kafei got turned into a child, Saria started to think how she's the same way. She was stuck in a child's body while Link would continue to grow, and age. She would be left behind eventually no matter how hard she tried. She knew she had to find a way to get out of her eternal youth, she wanted to stay with Link and grow older with him. But of course, he had no idea about this, Link would not agree to it anyway, so she had to find a way on her own, and surprise Link when the time came.

"A mask that multiplied your power? How does that work? Didn't you say it was a transformation mask?" Claire's question brought Saria out of her thoughts.

"Yes it is, when I put it on I felt my body go through the transformation process, felt it morph into a different shape. But when I saw my reflection it almost looked exactly like me, apart from the eyes, hair, and a little of what seemed to be makeup. It was almost a replica of my adult body, hell even my voice sounded the same."

"And you said it morphed your weapon into a double helix sword? Strange, I wouldn't expect a transformation spell to affect your items as well. There has to be something more to this mask, I doubt it's just a transformation mask like the others you have. Perhaps there's some text about it in the Forest Temple?" Claire glanced over at Saria expecting her to have an answer. Saria replied with a dumbfounded look. "Some Forest Sage can't even answer a simple question." Claire snickered.

"Hey, just because I'm a sage doesn't mean I can read every book in this temple, let alone remember it. Besides you know I'm looking for a way to-" Saria cut herself off, almost telling Link everything.

"Looking for a way to what?" Link asked curiously

"O-Oh uhh just looking for a way toooo-" Saria stammered, trying her best to come up with something quick.

"Looking for a way to awaken more of her sage abilities" Claire covered, Saria looked at her fairy with relief and thanks in her eyes, the fairy winked at her and continued. "She has knowledge of some magic, but as of now only trivial ones that don't help much, such as a light breeze, or making leaves fall."

"Right, I'm studying a few spell tomes now, but I haven't gotten it down yet." Saria started looking at the sky, it was a full moon tonight, a perfect night to sleep under the stars. "Hey, Link. Remember when we would sneak here at night and play our ocarinas until we fell asleep?"

"How could I forget, everytime you woke up before me you'd dump leaves on my face." Link smirked

"Only because you threw deku seeds at the ground to wake me up! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Saria became flustered at Link but was soon in a ball of laughter, she had missed the shenanigans she and Link had before he left the forest. Link smiled at her and reached into his Kokiri bag, and what he pulled out lit up Saria's face. "Is that the fairy ocarina I gave you? You still have it?" Saria face in a huge smile.

"Yeah of course, it was a gift from you Saria, it's very precious to me." Link gave a sincere smile to Saria, who was now red in the face. Link then brought the ocarina to his mouth and began to play a song Saria had not yet heard. She soon became lost in the song, each note resonating within her, she felt completely at peace. Then the song came to an end.

"What was that? It was beautiful." Saria was left in awe over the song.

"It's the Minuet of Forest. I learned it here when I was an adult. It also acts as a warp song should I wish to travel here."

"How many other songs have you learned Link?" Saria was excited, she always loved hearing and learning new songs. She was actually in the middle of making another one but she'd wait to present it to Link until it was finished. "Can you teach them to me?"

"Of course, this next one is the Bolero of Fire." Link started playing every long he learned on both of his adventures, and eventually, after learning the notes, Saria joined in. The two played their ocarinas for hours, until their fatigue finally caught up to them. They both decided to camp out tonight and layed down together under the tree outside the temple. As they laid staring up at the stars, Claire flew up to the lowest branch of the tree and kicked back. She typically slept close to Saria, but she thought the two should have one night together. She knew Saria needed it. The three fell asleep, peacefully in the meadow.

Link shot up, it was dark, and cold. Saria was nowhere to be found. "Saria? Where'd you go?" Link questioned, then his heart sank, as he heard a scream from within the temple "Saria!" Link dashed into the temple, and he couldn't believe his eyes. All four poe sisters were in the main room, but it was different from last time, they were all charging him, rather than splitting up. He pulled out his gilded sword and slashed at the poes, cutting down the first three. Then it was just Meg. 'This feels familiar' Link mocked in his head. As the sister spun toward the boy Link jumped into the air and sank his blade into the poe, killing it instantly. As the elevator activated Link heard another scream from below, as Link was getting an all too familiar bad feeling. He went to the lower levels, and was eventually led into the same room he had fought Phantom Ganon. As he crept up the stairs there he saw Saria laying on the floor, and Phantom Ganon above her, his sword coated in blood. Link was sent into a rage, his blue eyes burning with fire hotter than Din herself. "You bastard!" Link pulled out the great fairy sword and gilded sword at the same time, and went spiraling towards the phantom, but as soon as he made contact he vanished. Not wasting anytime he checked on Saria, but her body was limp, she wasn't breathing. "No! I-I couldn't save you this time either" Link sobbed "Damnit, Im worthless!" Link was then taken over by a searing pain, he looked down and saw a massive black sword sticking through his chest, he was lifted off the ground and was left face to face with…..Ganondorf! But how? He was in the twilight realm, how could he be here? But before he could get any questions out the gerudo pulled him close and muttered "You're wasting time, boy"

Link was left in a cold sweat, he was back outside the temple, with Saria next to him, and Claire in the tree. 'Was it a nightmare? It felt so real. Too real' Link thought, he remembered the last time he had a dream like this, when he dreamt of Ganondorf and Zelda before he started his quest to save Hyrule, this could not be a good sign. Link was left wide awake in the dark, keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword. He was not going to let his dream come to fruition, he will protect Saria, no matter the cost.