Saria: Chapter Two

Saria stood on the bridge staring out into the distant land Hyrule Field just visible as a spot of light further past the bridge.
“That’s where Link is going to go, isn’t it.” Saria said, knowing her friend was going to leave.
As if on cue, Saria heard footsteps behind her and Link stepped onto the bridge, with worried eyes and sorrow etched on his face.
“I knew you leave one day Link, “She began, “Because you are different than me and my friends. But that’s alright; we’ll still be friends, won’t we?”
She smiled and Link smiled back, both truly not seeing their leaving for good but for a short time.
“Here is something to remember me with.” Saria said fishing out an ocarina she made, “When you think of the forest or me, play the ocarina, then you won’t feel so alone.” Link took the ocarina and held it thoughtfully.
“I’ll see you when you get back.” Saria said then gave Link a hug, tears starting to sting her eyes. When they let go, the young boy took a step backward then hurried out of the forest onto the open plain of Hyrule.
“He’ll be back Saria.” Breena said, “Don’t worry.”
“I know.” Saria said, and then tear slipped down her face. She and Breena knew he probably wasn’t coming back for a while.
The silhouette of Link became smaller and smaller as he made his way to Hyrule Field. Saria picked her ocarina from her hip pocket and played a slow, sorrowful song that the trees echoed into the woods.
Breena sat down on Saria’s shoulder and listened as her friend played her song. Once the forest was saturated with her sad song, she lifted the tune to symbolize an old saying, ‘with every meeting there must be a good bye, but that parting need not last forever’.
When Saria was satisfied that she had given Link a proper farewell from the forest, she stopped playing, letting the last of the notes circle the forest.
“Come along Breena, time to tell the others.” Saria said solemnly. The two turned away from the bridge back toward the village, about to tell the others of Link.

“Link left?” A girl asked when Saria called to give the news, “But Kokiri can’t live outside the forest!”
“He left because he is a murderer!” Someone cried out.
The small group of Kokiri parted a bit to let Mido pass though. His eyes were red from crying, he had a sniffle in his voice, but he still strolled to the center with Saria.
“He murdered the Great Deku Tree! He killed him and ran!” Mido shouted.
Saria’s heart stopped for a moment then she processed what Mido had said, “The Deku Tree… is dead?”
Mido nodded and wiped at his eye for a moment, “Link’s the one that killed him too!”
“Link killed… the Deku Tree?” Saria was taken back for a moment, not believing it.
Breena raised her arm when she realized that Saria was about to run but it was too late, the girl had already bolted from the crowd and headed toward the Deku Tree’s council. She found that the Deku Tree was indeed, dead. His bark was now a lifeless grey color and his voice was silent. Saria cried out as the Kokiri children entered the area too.
“See! Link killed him! I knew it! He wasn’t a real Kokiri!” Mido shouted.
The air felt the heat from the angry Kokiri who believed Mido, and they began crying out that Link was forever banished.
“Link didn’t kill him…” Saria said in a whisper, “He couldn’t have…”
“He killed him Saria!” Mido said, “He wasn’t a true Kokiri so he took it out on him, and with the Kokiri sword!”
“Mido!” Saria yelled, “Link wouldn’t kill anyone, he is too kind, he loved the Deku Tree as we all do.”
Mido was startled by her outburst, but another Kokiri asked, “Then how did he die?”
“I don’t know…” Saria replied.
“I’m sure I can answer that.” A loud voice came from the Deku Tree itself.
“Deku Tree?” Saria asked hopeful that he was still alive. The voice instead belonged to a large owl, one who was perched on one of the Great Deku Tree’s many branches with its eyes closed and head upside down.
“Allow me to introduce myself; I am Kaepora Gaebora, a forest guardian spirit. I am here to the death of the Deku Tree, my oldest friend.”
“Link killed him!” Mido cried out, “He did it because he wasn’t a true Kokiri!”
The owl who’d a bit then flipped its head right side up, opening his eyes in the process.
“You would be the Kokiri Mido would you not? Who! Don’t be so quick to write Link as the murderer, especially since you were not present yourself at the time of death. The only ones who would know how this passing came to be would be Link and Navi themselves.
“The Great Deku Tree knew of his passing many weeks ago, when he sensed a dark power looming. He called Navi to Link to guide him on a great journey the young boy must embark on. My guess would be that something attacked the Deku Tree and Link almost saved him.”
Kaepora who’d again then continued, “Do not mourn the Deku Tree’s passing, he will be reborn again as the last forest guardian before him did. The Deku Tree isn’t gone; he still lives inside the forest; inside of each of you.”
The Kokiri looked at each other with a few anxious faces then back to the wise owl.
“Who!” The owl asked then stretched his neck forward, “Would you like to hear what I said again?”
After a moment of silence the owl pulled his head back to his body then began to fly. Saria watched the great owl fly into the air and vanish into the sky.

“I’m not convinced that Link is innocent.” Mido said later in the day, “That old owl didn’t know anything! Grumble…”
“Mido, relax. It’s not a good idea to call a guardian dumb.” A kokiri boy warned, but Mido ignored him and continued to rant about the owl’s ignorance.
Saria sat on a stone a bit away from the small group of children whom Mido would keep repeating his story about Link.
“Kaepora Gaebora is one of the wisest guardians the forest has!” Breena chimed, “Don’t let Mido annoy you too much; that idiot just won’t let things go.”
“It’s not that Breena.” Saria said, “Mido is the most heart-broken about the death of the Deku Tree. He doesn’t know how he died so he is going with Link as the murderer out of fear and pain.” Saria corrected, “But you’re right, he should trust the Great Owl and leave the issue alone.”
Saria felt smaller than ever before, in one day she lost her parent, her best friend, and all her other friends were doing nothing more than abuse Link’s name and the death of the Great Deku Tree. Saria shrunk away from the Kokiri, and retreated into her only safe haven: The Lost Woods. A forest so deep and dark that any who enter it usually become lost and forced out of the woods, either to a new place or back the way they came.
Sometimes though, when certain people become lost they become something else. When adults are lost, they become Stalfoes, losing their bodies to the magic in the forest. When children become lost they become Skull Children, forest beings who live mysteriously, but usually love music and mischief.
One Skull Kid watched Saria as she ran into the Lost Woods and became curious. He picked up his flute and began to follow the Kokiri girl, all the way to the Sacred Forest Meadow.
Saria had always felt safe in the Forest Meadow, she would race through the maze, playing her music and entertaining the Deku Scrubs that lived there. At the steps she would sprint to where her favorite place to play music; an old stump beneath a balcony.
She didn’t know what was in it but she always felt a connection to it. This time though, she ran through crying, causing alarm for the Deku Scrubs who were expecting sweet and fun songs, not an upset young girl.
Once to the stump Saria fell to her knees and cried over it. She cried for Link, for the Deku Tree, and for everyone to get along. She cried for things to go back to a few days ago, before she felt something strange in the air.
The Skull Kid hopped onto a tree branch and watched the sad girl and felt sad himself. He hadn’t been in the forest too long to know who the girl was but still he felt as if a tear would leak from his eye, for whatever was ailing this small girl…