The Forest Princess [✓]

Slowly Fading

"S-Saria? What are you doing here? Why aren't you with the rest of us?"
My voice seems to have scared her as she whips her head around and pushes herself backwards. Once she sees me, she calms down, but the sight of her is dreadful. Her once peachy face, that was full of life, is now tear stained. Her gleaming eyes are cold and empty.
When she sits up, she swiftly moves her hands behind her back and looks away. I stare at her, confused.

"Stop looking at me like that..." she whimpers, sounding as if she's on the verge of tears. The sound of her breaking voice makes me urgently dive towards her and hug her tightly. Saria doesn't hug me back, but she keeps her head on my shoulder. After a while, I back away.

"What's wrong?" I ask quietly. She looks at me and slowly brings her hands on to her lap. The tips of her fingers are grey and shriveled. I gasp as I take her hands in mine.
"W-what's... happening... to you...?" I ask. I almost couldn't get the words out of my mouth.

"There has been a lot of damage to the forest... my physical body is now feeling the impact. My life source is slowly fading."

"Physical body? Life source? What do you mean?!" I ask, repeating the main parts of what she said. She's talking as if she's not human.

"I'm DYING, Amanda!" Saria shouts. I stare at her in disbelief. Saria doesn't shout, but more importantly... she's dying. She continues. "I'm dying. You should've just... handed me over to your father. I'm very close to death anyway, so it wouldn't have mattered if-"

"If what?! He killed you?!" I shout, getting angry, too. "It would've mattered because you are one of the only good things that have happened in my life!"
My anger quickly fades to sadness as I lay my head on her chest. Suddenly, Saria wraps her arms around my head, hugging me. I feel her kiss the top of my head then sniffle.

"Sorry..."