Chapter 2: The Laments of the Single

Link stopped, then turned around. Saria stood alone in the center of
the hallway. The Sage of Forest glowed with her usual green light. But
something was wrong. He could sense it. He walked over to her. "What's
wrong, Saria?" he asked. "Greetings, Hero of Time. Congratulations on
your ascendance to the throne." She said formally.

Link sighed, somewhat agitated. "Saria, my name is Link, okay?
No more of that prophetic 'Hero of Time' cr*p. The threat is gone, and
I'm back to being Link. Understand?" Link just noticed .the tears
flowing freely down Saria's cheeks. He immediately regretted speaking to
her so harshly.

"Oh, Link…" she wailed, burying her face into his chest the way a
frightened little child would to her dad. "I've spent so much time in
the Sacred Realm that I've almost forgotten how to be Kokiri! My past
life doesn't matter anymore, is that it? You know very well that I've
loved you from way back when we were just kids, right?" Link nodded.
"Well, Saria," he said, "we'll never stop being friends, as far as I'm
concerned. We Kokiri stick together, right?"

"That's just it!" she interrupted. "Neither of us is exactly
Kokiri. I'm the Sage of Forest and you're a twenty year old Hylian. It
wouldn't have worked out even if we had been together in the forest.
You would have grown up and left me in this childish body to wait
forever. But this is the way Destiny works, I guess." "Yeah." Link
agreed.

"Li-i-ink! Hurry up! The feast starts in less than an hour!"
Zelda called. "Coming, Zelda." Link shouted. He turned back to Saria.
"Well," he said, "I gotta go. My future awaits and stuff. See you at the
festivities?" and he was gone.

"Future is such an overused word," muttered the Sage of
Forest, turning her attention to a wilting plant.

* * *

Zelda led Link up the staircases of the castle, to her bedroom. In it
was a huge pile of clothing. Link looked at it in horror. It seemed he
would be spending all day in the room. He then remembered that Zelda had
told him that she had already picked out a dress. "Turn around and I'll
get dressed." she told him.

Link turned around. "Okay, I'm done. How do I look?" asked Zelda.
"The three goddesses in all their glory couldn't have looked more
beautiful." Link could have a way with words if he wanted to.

The dress was made of blue velvet, and on the shoulders were gold
embroidered Triforces.

She smiled, satisfied. Then, arm in arm, they made their way to
The Hall of Feasting where the coronation was to take place.