Disclaimer: I Do not own and Legend of Zelda Characters or ideas

Ch 4 A Kokiri's Death

Saria woke to a most peculiar smell, she looked over to see Link cooking….something. "Morning Link, whatcha makin?" A tired Saria let out, as she stretched before walking over to Link.

"Morning, just some cucco eggs and sausage, nothing fancy." Link stated, but he now looked at Saria, whose eyes were gleaming at Link. "Oh right, you and the other Kokiri don't get stuff like this very often do you?" Being isolated in the forest, they never got any cuccos to lay any eggs, they could hunt the occasional deer for venison sausage, but that was few and far between.

Saria shook her head, "Not at all, you should know, you've only been away for a few months, and then a week after coming back for a couple weeks." Saria didn't take her eyes off the pans that entire time, she took a quick glance at Link "Don't act like you've forgotten us already" she teased sticking out her tongue, before looking right back at breakfast.

Right, only a couple months and a week for his journeys. Link often forgot how the others' perception of time was way off from his. To him his first journey took him a year and a half in the future alone, slowly chipping away at Ganondorf's armies bit by bit. Then the whole two years and change in Termina. No matter how much Link tried, he couldn't get that down. Link then let out a brief chuckle, "Right, who could forget you anyway." Link took the food out of the pans and on a couple deku tree bark plates he fashioned during his travels. "Here you are, the 'elusive' breakfast from the outside world." Link sarcastically stated, handing Saria her food.

"Why thank you, oh master chef. I shall truly remember this day as the day I tasted such 'rare' food." Saria smugly replied. Although she was actually a little excited, it was somewhat rare for a kokiri to have food like this. It was also the first time Link cooked for her, so she couldn't help but blush a little bit, although Link was too busy eating to notice.

As the two finished eating Claire awoke, and came floating down from her branch. "Oh, hey Claire, if you're hungry there's some more over there over the fire" Link pointed out to the fairy.

"Oh no, I'm fine for now, Link. But I can't help but ask, have you told the other kokiri you've returned yet? I'd be surprised if you did." Claire said knowing Link's answer.

"You know, you could have faith in me for once." Link replied

"So you did tell them?"

"No, of course not."

"Thought so, well go on then. Saria and I will clean up here."

"Way to volunteer me Claire" Saria interjected

"Oh hush, it's the least you could do after getting such a delicacy for the kokiri" Claire being a more sarcastic and a 'go with the flow' type of fairy, she still was serious at times.

"Alright, if you two really don't mind." Link said, exclusively looking at Saria.

"No, Claire's right, go on ahead, we'll catch up to you later."

"I usually am right" Claire mocked

"Oh hush you" Saria replied, narrowing her eyes, she then turned back at Link, "Good luck with Mido."

"You just had to remind me," Link replied, almost sighing, "Right then, see you two later." Link then ran back through the meadow to the Kokiri Forest.

"Ok Claire, what are you plotting this time? You don't volunteer to help unless you gain something." Saria stated, glaring at her green fairy.

"Hey, give me some faith. Sometimes I just want to help."

"Right" Saria rolled her eyes

"If you must know, I was thinking about what Link said last night, about the Fierce Deity Mask, how it boosted his strength, although it was a transformation mask, it has me curious. So I wanted to look in the library in the temple for something similar."

Saria then let out a deep sigh, "Always books with you, fine fine we can look. I can't say I'm not curious myself." Saria felt maybe she'd be able to help Link if she found something important, so the fairy and the kokiri quickly cleaned up Link's cooking station, and headed straight for the forest temple.

. .

Link entered the Kokiri Forest, and walked down the ramp connecting the small settlement and the Lost Woods, and all the kokiri were staring at him, when they realized who he was, the whole population of the forest swarmed towards him. "Link you're back!" stated one of the Know it all Brothers

"Where have you been?" asked Fado

"Yeah! Did your journey go well?" asked another Know it all brother.

"Of course it didn't go well" Mido interrupted the questioning, "Look at him, fairy-less yet again." Mido mocked the boy

"Better to be fairy-less than spine-less, right Mido?" Link fought back. He was rather tired of Mido and his ego.

"Pft, maybe for a Hylian." Mido scoffed and walked away, having nothing left to say.

"Oh ignore him, Link'' Fado stated, "now tell us everything that happened, I'm sure you already told Saira." she smirked

"Oh alright, but it's a long story," Link then told the group everything that happened in Termina, including everyone he helped.

. .

Saria and Claire were looking though the expansive library the forest temple had to offer, turning up nothing. "Aghhhhh, damnit, my head is going to explode!" Saria exclaimed to her fairy.

"Easy child, this is for Link after all" Claire replied

"At this point, I don't care if the fate of the world is at stake. I can't deal with any more books."Saria stated, defeated.

"Just one more book hun," Claire pointed towards another book. "It is the last one of the section you're in after all."

"Fine" Saria sighed. She then began to flip though the book, after roughly thirty minutes she became engrossed in the writing, then sat up enthusiastically. "I found it! I finally found it!" Saria shrieked

"Easy Saria, found what?"

"I found how I can be with Link!'

Claire fluttered over to Saria, reading the page she was pointing to, "Only wolfos blood, deku baba venom, and a lock of hair?" Claire then read further down, letting out a slight gasp, "Saria my dear, are you sure you're okay with that? Are you really ready for that commitment?"

"Without a doubt" Saria confirmed

. .

"Then I left Termina and came straight here, after dropping off Epona." Link finally finished his story of Termina and the wrath of Majora.

"Wow, who knew there were other worlds out there." Fado was awestruck by the realization.

"I can't even imagine this one let alone others, this makes my head hurt." one of the Know it All brothers complained.

"All right guys, I think Link would appreciate some time alone now, you've been hoarding around him for hours." Claire stated, fluttering to Link from the entrance to the Lost Woods, and landing on his shoulder. "Keep this up and Saria might start getting jealous" she let out a wicked smirk towards Link.

Claire then proceeded to pull out a few strands of Link's hair, causing the hylian to wince and swipe the air around the fairy. "What was that for? Damn that hurt." he let out, slightly annoyed.

"Oh don't be a baby Link, they were just bugging me is all. Also, Saria said she is going to be late, she has some chores she needs to do in the temple."

"Oh, alright. I guess I could go for some training anyway, and I think my blades could go for some sharpening." Link then thought of all the tedious chores he needed to do. Tedious but very important to protect Saira.

"Alright, well good luck with that." Claire then flew back into the Lost Woods, and back to Saria.

. .

Saria was in front of a small cauldron, pouring in a jar of Wolfos blood, and three vials of deku baba venom. As she stirred the foul concoction her fairy came fluttering up to her. "Alright, here you are, Link's hair." Saria reached out to grab the clump, but Claire pulled her hand back.

"Claire? Is something wrong?" Saria asked, concerned for her companion.

The fairy's eyes started to waver, on the verge of tears, "Saria. I have to ask one last time. Are you positive you want this? You could die, or worse-" she broke off, knowing it was better left unsaid.

Saria let out a weak smile to her fairy, "Yes, I am." She then looked up towards the sky, "I could die yes, and there's plenty of worse things that could happen. But continuing my life stuck in this forest is the worst of them all. I love the forest, I do but….I love Link more. Seeing him grow as I stay stuck like this kills me a little every day." Saria was now crying, as she continued, "If he were to grow old, and have a family, leaving me behind, well, I wouldn't want to live anymore anyway." Saria then slowly took the hair from Claire's outstretched hand, throwing them into the cauldron. "And Claire, thank you for always being there for me. When Link first left the forest, I broke down completely, I didn't even want to play with the other Kokiri anymore. I just wanted Link, so I was just wasting away in my house. But you snapped me out of it, and reminded me that Link was fighting with everything he had, and he needed me to be strong, so I could welcome him back with open then he came back for a couple days, to learn my song." Saria began to blush at the thought, "To think the gorons heard my song and were in love with it that much. Knowing that my song helped Link in even the slightest amount made me happier than ever. And we could even start speaking to each other telepathically through the song. I had no idea my song was so powerful."

"You are a powerful sage after all." Claire teased, "I think it's normal for the forest sage to have powerful spells."

"Good point, although I'm not powerful yet," Saria corrected. She then poured her mixture into a bottle, wincing at the texture. "Well, here I go." Saria began chugging the foul liquid, almost choking it up on multiple occasions. After she finished, she started turning her head around in a daze, "Why is the forest spinning?" Saria then collapsed on the ground, limp.