The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

V The Life of the Forest

Deep in the night, there was a small carved out of a great stump of a deku tree. And while it wasn't large enough for an adult to fit into comfortably, it was quite convenient for the accommodations of someone the size of a child.

For indeed it housed a child, or so the Hylians and Men of the world would call her. But of truth she wasn't exactly a child as she was indeed old, the oldest of her standing kind alive today, for she was a Kokiri. Of the Kokiri the outside world had very little understanding. Only the Hylians knew of them, and even then they were few to have heard of them whereas what brief knowledge was recorded was kept in store of the Hyrule Castle's in archive. But even then their knowledge was quite limited of Kokiri nature and they simply understood them to be but mere children of eternal youth whereby the records take to call them 'eternal children' While it is true that they maintain a child's spirit in nature, there are a few who have been known to grow in great maturity to exceed the very wise and be more adult in heart than the noblest Hylian. But no matter how mature one could be, a Kokiri would ever have the merry cheerfulness to frolick in its child like nature. Yet the girl was one of such as she was living at five hundred years.

Deeply asleep she was in her small cozy bed as her hair splayed out in emerald green, and a green orbed fairy slept nestled amidst her locks thereof. But then to her irritation many lights of divers colors illumined her home, and she woke to find many fairies carrying a great bundle.

"What?" She started in marvel, but she was interupted.

"Hold it gently!" They commanded in small and quiet voices. Then the fairies laid the bundle upon her lap as then her hands took to hold of it as it had been carefully wrapped.

As most of the orbs had then departed, one remained. "I am Navi, the Fairy of the Deku Tree's highest bough. Open the bundle easily, Saria."

And as Saria opened it, she gazed with befuddled awe and her emerald eyes dazzled as not knowing whether to be cheerful or to be overwhelmed. For the bundle wrapped a baby with slender blond hair and his small cute smile, and she reflected his smile with her own. But she was quickly confused as her consciousness stirred with questions and she looked up to the fairy as then her own fairy stirred to fly and hover by her side.

But the fairy of blue answered Saria's questioned face. "It is not a Kokiri babe as he is Hylian. ... The Great Deku Tree desires that you take care of him as he grows until the child can handle himself to live among the other Kokiri." Navi paused before she approached Saria with a final question. "This is quite a responsibility that the Deku Tree entrusts with you Saria, but he does not require it of you as the choice is yours..." Saria looked solemnly then upon the fairy as it continued, "Will you care for the child?"

Then Saria took a deep breath as she thought for a moment, and when the babe grasped her finger she knew the resolution of her heart. "I will, gladly."

"Then your guardian fairy, Falith, will guide you in your care for him, and if there be any issue that she cannot answer, then do not hesitate to seek counsel from the Great Deku Tree."

"I will guide her." Falith acknowledged soberly.

And Saria nodded, "Alright." But then she asked with a cocked head, "What is his name?"

"Link." Navi replied before leaving.

To which Saria looked upon the child in her arms as her smile deepened with joyful eyes. "Link" she whispered to herself.

Upon the following days, Saria tended to as she prepared a temporary small bed in her little home, feeding him milk from the local foothill goats. She was amazed at how fast he grew over the days and few years, and he was known by all in the village to be the youngest Kokiri; whereas, none save herself knew that the woman who was buried was his mother.