Home
Where you are supposed to be
Link now began a new life. He grew up with the Kokiri, learning their language, wearing their clothes... he almost became one of them. Only one thing made him different to the others. Link had no guardian fairy... not yet.
During the escape with his mother, Link was too young to understand what was going on. But even so, he felt attracted to a certain tree in the Kokiri Forest... Some of the inhabitants were not always as friendly to Link as the others. Because he didn't have a fairy, he was the odd one out.
Saria was always there for him, a girl with the soul of a mother. She fed him, cleaned him, taught him everything... Although a child raised by a child could only grow so much, the motherly friendship never waned.
Saria awoke, morning sunlight beaming into her house. She swung the blanket over, a very little, very sleepy Link revealed. He yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"Yoohoo?" Saria tapped her fingernails on Link's shoulder. "Ready to wake up for another fun and exciting day?" He tiredly turned his head. "Nope, you slept enough."
Link's face hit the mattress.
A fairy flew up and down "Hey! Don't be lazy!"
Link snored.
"Oh, no you don't!" Saria sat up, tickling Link's ribs. He kicked, giggling.
Saria didn't stop. "Tickly! Tickly! Tickly!"
He laughed, face beaming, writhing from the onslaught of tickles, Saria sometimes targeting his soft little feet. Link wheezed. "Nnnno!"
"Wwoop!" Saria pulled Link outta bed, carrying him to the wash basin, his laughter ending.
"Nnnno..."
"Yyyesss..." She plopped him into the water, cleaning the grumpy boy.
Once patted dry, she clothed little Link in a Kokiri tunic, then slid his matching cap on and patted his head. "I did some needlework, made your old cap a bit bigger!"
Link snuggled his hat on better. Saria's fairy sat on the point—it fell over Link's face, fairy flying again.
Saria leaned, lifting the tip back up and grinning. "You there?"
Link eagerly nodded.
She gently gestured to two small boots. "C'mon, get those on while I make breakfast..." She opened a barrel, putting two eggs in her pocket.
Saria took the wash basin outside, dumping the water out and leaning the wash basin against her stump home. She lit a small campfire within a circle of stones. She placed a frying pan on the burning sticks, cracked two eggs, and mixed the yolks with berries and seeds.
"Felicia," Saria said, her fairy flying in, "could you watch the eggs for a bit?"
"Ya, sure!"
While food sizzled, Saria went inside, setting up the table.
Link gladly sat on the bed, legs swaying. Saria knelt, pulling his boots off then sliding them on the proper feet. She went out, bringing the pan in and putting food on the table.
"Smells good!" Link chirped, seating himself.
"Eat up everything this time, OK?" Felicia said.
Saria sat. "Oh, I think this time he will!"
Both kids ate like kids.
"Whhen we go outshhide," Saria said while munching eggs, "I show you shumfing."
After breakfast, Link held Saria's hand as she took him out. Various Kokiris played: A boy ran with exaggerated steps, chased by his fairy. Another boy did headstands, his brother on the ground, cheek on his palm, their fairies hovering.
Link looked around. "Where tree?"
Sadness crept upon Saria's face, but she shook it off with a smile. "Mido threatened to cut down that special tree. So, me and Fado did something clever..."
Some Kokiri boys, upon noticing Link, walked away. Link wondered why.
Felicia chimed, "Don't worry about them."
Saria gently tugged his hand. "This way, Link."
From around the corner of the lookout post, a girl happily leaned out, waving. She had blue eyes, long blonde hair set in a ponytail flaring widely below the shoulders. She wore a white T shirt under a green vest, her skirt green, boots tall. "Hee hee! Hi, Link! Hey, Saria!"
"Hey, Fado!"
The blondie scurried over. "We're gonna show him?"
Smiling sweetly, Saria nodded. "Oh yes, we are!"
"There's only one secret way to get there... C'mon!"
The girls took Link to a tall stump home with a porch, requiring a ladder to get up.
"We've been preparing this for you when you get a little bigger!" Saria said, Link staring in awe.
Fado started climbing. "Once you're a real man and you live on your own, you'll have Still needs a bit more work, though. The shopkeeper has more supplies so were saving up money."
Saria gestured Link to climb, which he did excitedly. Saria went up after him.
Fado pulled the curtain open. "Ta-daa!"
Link ran in, mouth agape, looking around. Inside was quite nice, albeit requiring a few more things and furniture.
"Isn't it pretty?" Saria asked, stepping in.
Felicia happily chimed. "I bet this is the best home in Kokiri Forest!"
Fado went across the floor, standing by a window, offering view of a few large, dead trees. The air over yonder even seemed...spooky. Fado crawled through the window. "Just grasp the vines growing behind the home! Hee hee!"
Saria was next, Link crawling through afterwards. He and the girls climbed down the vines then strolled across the forest floor, the large dead trees rather spooky.
After passing all the dead trees, a single tree came to view, growing by a pond surrounded with flowers and butterflies.
Eyes wide and bright, Link ran to the special tree. He smiled, staring up at... Her...
"We replanted the special tree here," Saria said.
"Mido will never find the tree here!" Felicia added.
"He'd sooner get lost!" Fado giggled.
Their two fairies flew around the tree, butterflies fluttering. "Look at all the leaves!" "The tree grows much better here!" "Would grow good even on the moon!"
Fado scratched her head. "What kind of tree is this, anyways?"
Saria checked the leaves. "Hmmm... Ah, water oak."
"Water oak? They grow very nice acorns to eat."
Link smiled.
"This is your special place, Link," Saria said. He looked at Saria and gave her a hug. "Aww..." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, resting her head on his. "Only show your special place to those you truly love, OK?"
The water oak's branches gently swayed in the fair wind, a sign of return.