A Familiar Tune [Any], Saria's Song

[Link]

"That's strange," he remarked, frowning. "I don't sense anything abnormal. Are you sure the forest feels off?" He really didn't sense any difference in the forest. The trees may have looked like they were dying a moment before, but everything was fine again.

What was going on?

[Saria]

Saria frowned. "I wasn't making it up, Link." She said, her tone a little testy. Did he really think she would do that?

"It was feeling really weird, but then when you came back, everything got better... I don't know, it's just weird..."

Why would he think I was lying...? He can't think I did this all just to bring him back here! Would he really think so lowly of me?

At her depressing thoughts, a few leaves started to fall again, and the air started to chill.

"See? It's really worrying... It's like the Forest's going though all of the seasons..."

[Link]

"That's never happened here before," he said, looking around at the dying trees with concern. He had lived in the forest for nine years before he left to stop Ganondorf. Never in any of those years had the trees been anything but green and healthy. What evil had come here, and why couldn't he feel it?

The air certainly felt a lot colder now, but evil had a different chill to it--the kind that fills you with dread, that makes you feel like there are countless unseen eyes watching your every movement. This was just a normal cold. Well, hardly normal. It shouldn't be happening there at all.

He gave Saria a caring look. She was so depressed. "Don't worry, Saria. We'll figure this out."

[Saria]

Saria smiled softly. "Of course we will."

She was happy that Link had included her in his declaration to get to the bottom of this...mystery? Yes, I guess we could call it that.

In fact, she felt almost warm. It took her a moment or two to realize the warmth she was feeling seemed to be external too, and she glanced around.

"It got warmer all of a sudden..."

[Link]

Link noticed it, too. Just as Saria smiled, the air warmed up considerably.

"Saria," he began, but he could not think of how to phrase it. "You. . ." He had to test his hunch.

"Imagine that you just got a new puppy," he said, deciding how to do this. "It's the most adorable thing in the world. Then, one day, it wanders off and you never find it again. What does that feel like?"

He hoped this would work.

[Saria]

Saria sent Link an odd look. "How would I feel...?"

She trailed off, imagining this. "I guess I'd feel...really sad." her eyes lowered, and she frowned.

And it was with these thoughts, the leaves began to fall and the temperature dropped. Saria looked up in alarm. "Oh! it..."

She trailed off, realizing she didn't have to say what. Shocked, her turned to Link. "Oh no...Don't tell me this is all because of me!"

The forest was just reacting to her...? So it was all her fault? Guilt began to set it, and the temperature dropped more, and snow began to fall a little.

[Link]

"Saria, please cheer up," Link said, beginning to shiver. "This isn't the warmest outfit in the world."

There had to be something that he could do to help Saria. Why were her emotions affecting the forest? This had never happened in the past. . .or had it? Did her emotions while she was trapped in the Forest Temple cause the strange feeling in the forest, or was that simply Ganondorf's influence?

Ganondorf! He had to be behind this! Even in the Sacred Realm, he might have some influence in this world. Was he causing Saria's powers to change? Was this happening to the other Sages as well?

His thoughts instantly went to the other Sages. What would happen to the rest of Hyrule if he was right? What effect would anger have?

As much as he hated using her as a guinea pig, he had no other choice. He had to know.

"Saria, think about this very VERY stongly: if Mido trashed your house, how would you feel?"

[Saria]

Saria forced herself to calm down, looking to Link curiously. She seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he, however, and simply waited until his next question.

That's ok... Someone has to be the one to test his theory out...

"Anger, of course." She replied, closing her eyes to think about it. Her mind didn't turn to Mido, however. Instead, she thought about Ganondorf. He who had trapped her for 7 years...

She grit her teeth at the memory. How dare he do that to he- Her internal rant was cut off as the forest began to shake.

"Wh-what!?" Her eyes snapped opened. An earthquake?

The sky darkened considerably, and lightening began to flash.

A stray bolt hit a nearby tree, and Saria screamed, ducking to avoid getting hit with debris.

"Oh! Oh no! I'm so sorry!" She squeaked out, forcing herself to think of happy things, like puppies, and flowers...and Link.

The dark clouds went away, and the temperature rose to a comfortable temperature again, the trees and flowers bursting into bloom. The destroyed tree remained the same however, charred and...destroyed.

"This is horrible..."

[Link]

"Yeah," Link agreed. He thought for a moment before saying, "Well, a temporary fix would be for you to keep your emotions in check. If you don't get sad or angry, then the forest is fine. That being said, you are a girl and therefore are prone to overreact to things and get emotional. . .We need to solve this. Permanently."

The problem was that he had no idea how to do that. Still, he needed to check on the other Sages and see if this same thing was happening to them. But to do that, he would need to leave the forest again. And Saria. How to break this to her?

"Uh, Saria. . ." he started. "I. . .I need to see if the other Sages are having the same problem. . .So I have to. . .well. . .go." Expecting Saria to argue, he quickly added, "Between all the Sages, I'm sure we can come up with some way to stop this."

[Saria]

Saria frowned. What did being a girl have to do with over-react- oh...Well, she supposed she was sort of doing it now.

She forced herself to calm down, listening to carefully to Link's words.

"So you're...leaving again?" She said softly; the temperature began to fall again.

"...It's ok. I understand." She forced a smile, clasping her hands behind her back. "Don't forget to...keep in touch, you know.." She gestured aimlessly to the ocarina on her belt, staring hard at the rope on the bridge.

"...Are you sure I can't go with you? I know I could help you..." Saria looked up at him hopefully.

[Link]

He couldn't even get mad at her for asking.

"I'm sorry, Saria," he said. "You're too connected to the forest right now. I don't know what would happen if you left it."

He smiled at her. "I'll be back before you know it. See?" He took out the glowing green crystal that was Farore's Wind. "I'll even use this to speed things along."

Though I'll be exhausted afterwards, he added mentally, a frown appearing on his face at the thought.

[Saria]

She gave a soft sigh- she should've known as much.

"Alright Link, I'll stay here... I'll wait for you." Saria looked up at the trees, apparently lost in thought. Oh, you're leaving... I knew that you would leave the forest someday, Link... Because you are different from me and my friends. But that's OK, because we'll be friends forever, won't we? I want you to have this Ocarina... Please take good care of it. When you play my Ocarina, I hope you will think of me and come back to the forest to visit.

She smiled faintly. She remembered that day all too well.

The Sage smiled softly and shook her head, looking to Link. "Be safe, and come back soon. If anyone can do this, I know you can!"

[Link]

Link gave her a reassuring smile before activating Farore's Wind with the destination of Hyrule Castle pictured clearly in his mind.

A gust of green wind swept by the pair and Link vanished, reappearing moments later in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle.

[Zelda]

Zelda leaned against the courtyard window showing the throne room of the castle. She occasionally glanced inside, but had little interest in doing so. Her father was meeting with several ambassadors discussing various political issues. The ambassadors were all as well-mannered as saints. She had no reason to be concerned.

She sighed in boredom before shivering a few moments later. It had gotten a bit cooler in the courtyard.

A gasp escaped her as a gust of green wind blew through the courtyard and Link appeared. "Link!" she cried, rushing forward to hug him.