Saria's Revelations

Link woke again to the brisk sound of a curious melody. He wasn’t sure whether he was still dreaming or not, but the fact that he wasn’t seeing any terrorizing monsters or falling off of another cliff was a good sign. Still, the music didn’t help matters, and neither did the forest. There was a strange, warm sensation that enveloped him as he tried to get to his feet. He felt sleepy and lively at the same time. This place—whatever it was, was very magical. Though many fireflies drifted lazily about the air, there was no need for them. Gone were the mists and the shadows—the trees parted ways to such an extent that Link almost began to feel he wasn’t in a forest at all. The entire expanse of the sky was unveiled to him, and he couldn’t help but let his jaw hang as he allowed the sun’s warm light to envelop his body. Exotic flowers that he had never seen blanketed the short, green grass around him, and a gentle wind swayed the branches of the trees around him, scattering dozens of moss green leaves in every direction.
Link was just pondering what to do, when he noticed a squirrel and a rabbit skittering along a forest trail, each travelling the same direction without taking notice of the other. As he watched the pair disappear around a bush, he noticed a bird flap in the same direction, and then a mouse. It was only when Link got up to follow them that he realized they were following the sound of the music he had been hearing—a melody that seemed to embody the spirit of the forest itself. Link lumbered along, following the gathering collection of sprightly critters. It wasn’t an easy task—Link would often lose sight of the animals as he tried to crawl his way through a thick shrub or wade through a thick, murky pond. Fortunately, the enthusiastic animals never seemed to stop coming, and just as he lost sight of one, another would soon coming crawling out in the same direction, making it very difficult for him to entirely lose his way. Eventually, he arrived at another small clearing—a narrow path, where the trees parted evenly so as to cast the illusion of a long hallway. The music was becoming clearer and clearer, and Link now began to realize that its source seemed to be coming from a small instrument. A pipe, or a flute perhaps. Neither sounded right, and Link began to sprint ahead of the animals, eager to discover what was creating this mysterious sound.
At last, Link arrived at the end of the narrow path, and found himself in yet another clearing—this one much larger, and much more secluded than the rest. The trees covered more sky than before, but the sunlight beamed down through the branches in steady, vivid streams. There was a strange stonework architecture ahead, partially shrouded behind moss and leaves, and just beside that, surrounded by a large gathering of animals—Saria!
Saria seemed not to take noticed of Link as he sprinted up to her, and continued to play a hypnotic tune on a small stone instrument. Wind and leaves swirled the stump upon which she sat, and the entire forest seemed to congregate around her to listen to her enchanting composition. Unfortunately, the wood did not seem so delighted with Link’s presence, and scattered as he approached, leaving the forest still again. Saria continued playing for a moment longer, and lowered her device, which Link could now see to be an Ocarina.
“Link, you woke up—about time sleepyhead!”
Link scratched his head and tried to avoid eye contact with Saria’s beaming expression. With a giggle, she ascended from her stump and took Link’s hand.
“No matter. You’re awake now, and that’s all that matters.”
“What happened to me? Am I dreaming?”
Saria grinned, and gestured for Link to take a seat next to her atop her oaken stump.
“I think you mean “was I dreaming?”
“What was that pool?”
Saria’s smile faded. Her expression turned somber, and she glanced away from Link.
“I’m sorry Link. I should’ve known better than to take you there—it’s a dangerous place. The first time I took someone there—”
“Someone went there with you before?”
Saria looked startled for a moment, and then regathered herself, stroking her mossy green hair.
“Well…yes—once. But something terrible happened. The Great Deku Tree told me never to go near that pool again. I didn’t listen, of course. There’s something very mystical about it. I can’t help but be near it—I hoped that you would understand.”
“Understand what? What are you talking about?”
“The outside world. The bridge to Hyrule.”
Link stopped breathing, and looked Saria directly in the eye.
“Saria, what’s going on here? Why did you bring me to…what is this place?”
“The Sacred Forest Meadow.”
“The…what?”
“Long ago, before the Kokiri came to dwell in these woods, there was a temple built by the spirits of the forest to act as a barrier to the outside world. It’s a centerpoint of powerful magic, guarded by the Great Deku Tree. It’s said that when the goddesses created this world, the Kokiri Forest was the first place that lived—that was given breath. Thus, the power of life itself resonates within this forest. If its power were to ever diminish—bad things could happen.”
“Okay…but that still doesn’t explain why you brought me here.”
Saria lowered her head, and turned her face away from Link’s.
“Link, you’re different from the other Kokiri. You’re kind, understanding, and brave. I can see that. Even Mido can.”
“If Mido can see that, he hates me for it.”
“Link, don’t be too harsh on Mido. He’s not always been this way. He’s changed…a lot.”
Saria head sunk further as she said this, and Link caught a glimpse of a tear forming at her eye. Link’s anger rose at the mention of Mido, but seeing Saria in this vulnerable state softened Link.
“Fine. He’s changed. But he’s still a jerk. It’s like he wakes up every day just to make my life miserable. Why does he hate me so much? What did I do?”
“He doesn’t hate you Link. He’s just confused.”
“About what? And why does he treat me like this?”
Saria paused for a moment, and turned back to face Link.
“Link, how do you feel?”
“Saria, that’s not—”
“Just answer the question.”
“Fine. I feel…okay…I guess?”
“Just okay? No bruises or scrapes or black eyes? Just…okay?”
It was Link’s turn to pause. He hadn’t noticed it before, but his earlier bruises by Mido seemed to have completely disappeared from his skin. Even his head felt better, and that was saying something. It wasn’t just his head though—his whole body suddenly seemed to be full of energy, as if all the aches and pains he had suffered at Mido’s hands had completely washed away, and left him feeling strong. Link was speechless.
“That’s the power of the pool. It’s not like other pools—the water there is magical, and is connected to the energy of the fairies of this forest.”
“Then why did I…”
“Fall asleep?”
Link nodded.
“I don’t know the full power of the pool, but I do know that the fairies of this wood are not the only fairies in this world. Somehow, they seem to be connected to the fairies of other realms, and sometimes, a rift opens up in between. It allows you to look through the eyes of other fairies, and see placed beyond what we Kokiri are prevented from seeing in this forest.”
“…That’s…impossible…”
“I thought so too—until I saw what it could really do. Magic isn’t something to be trifled with Link. It has incredible power. Without understanding it, it can cause truly horrible things to happen…”
Link waited patiently. Saria’s expression once again became very sad, and she began to gently stroke her ocarina.
“Mido…did not understand this. He touched the water, trying to find out why it showed us those strange images. But no matter how far he reached, he couldn’t touch the bottom of the pool. Then, he leaned in too far, and…fell in.”
Link stifled a gasp.
“What happened!?”
“…I still don’t know for sure. Mido doesn’t like talking about—to anyone. I do know that the water in the pool is extremely potent, and contains many mysterious properties. One of its powers is the ability to heal. Another power it possesses is the ability to carry.”
“Carry?”
”Move. Transport. Take something away from their original location and deposit them somewhere else entirely.”
“You mean…”
“Mido was the very first Kokiri to leave the forest.”

Reverie

Link was surprised to find that the thicket Saria had led him into was very small—no more than three or four times larger than the room in his treehouse. That is, it appeared that way, because the trees around him were so tightly squeezed together that he couldn’t see more than ten feet beyond the first circle of trunks. It was as if the forest had caved in around him, creating an impenetrable barrier, and preventing anything from entering its small hideaway—or escaping it. Already, the tunnel Link had just emerged from seemed to be fading away amongst the infinite trees, as if it had never been there in the first place. Link shivered. Saria had better know what she was doing.
Link walked over to Saria. She was kneeling in front of a small, circular pool of water, about five to sixth feet in width. The outside of the pool was outlined in stone—a rim of smooth, glistening stone, as if it had been carved by a living creature, and not of the forest itself. The water itself looked puzzling. It must have been very deep, for Link could not see the bottom of it, and it seemed to flow slowly back and forth, like a gentle wave. Saria spoke to him without turning around.
“Link, look into this pool and tell me what you see.”
Link hesitantly obliged, and took a seat by the edge of the pool. At first, he didn’t see anything. There was just one small wave after another, disturbing the pool’s otherwise tranquil balance. Then, Link began to make out two figures. Fish, he decided, swimming around in frantic motions. As he looked closer, he discovered that the ‘fish’ he had seen were not fish at all, but strange, humanoid creatures. Their heads were pointed and long, and—in place of their hair—had strange, flimsy fish tails dangling elegantly from the backs of their heads. Smooth, silver scales lined their body, giving off a reflective blue sheen in the rippling waters. They glided throughout the water quickly and gracefully, making excellent use of the long, pointed fins adorning their arms, and their long, webbed feet, shaped like flippers.
“Zoras!”
Saria nodded with a smile.
“Yes, the river people. You’ve listened to the Know-It-All Brothers well. They are graceful in the waters, and more swift than any fish we’ve ever seen. When I look at them, they remind me of us—I mean, the Kokiri. We don’t get to see any outsiders here, but these look so…alive.”
Link began to speak, but Saria put a finger to her lips, beckoning him to turn his gaze back to the pool. As he did so, the air around him seemed to chill, and he soon began to discover goosebumps forming across his skin. Sounds began to fill his ears—sounds he should not be hearing. There was a loud roar of a tremendous waterfall, the sound of a harsh wind, and a strange, echoing siren—seeming to come from the fish-people themselves. As Link watched them swim about, he noticed that they seemed to be looking for something. They swam in an organized fashion, traveling together in a school, and then scattering whenever they reached a dark, expansive area of water. Was this really happening? Zoras were supposed to be bigger than this…
Link had little time to ponder this before the temperature around him began to vastly change once again. Steam began to rise out of the pool, and the sun, despite being veiled behind the thick branches of the forest, seemed to be beating down on him like a fire. The image of the pool turned a liquid red—not like blood, but rather had the appearance of a thick, syrupy texture, with a very bright glow. The image expanded, and suddenly revealed to him several large, bronze-colored statues, made of rock. As he peered closer, the statues seemed to move slightly, and curl up into large balls. Without any warning, they suddenly began to roll off in one direction, heading for an eerie red light. As the image focused, Link noticed that it wasn’t a light at all, but the mouth of a great cave—a mountain. The pool suddenly dove straight into the light, and before Link knew what was happening, he was looking at…he wasn’t sure. White earth covered the ground in every direction, and the sun loomed over him more oppressively than ever. A strong wind blew the white earth across his face—it was hot and stung, and left him feeling very dry and thirsty. He was tired, and the scalding white earth brought him no respite. He stumbled to the ground, feeling deathly weak. Suddenly the earth began to swirl around him like a whirlpool. Before he could jump out of the way, he began to sink further and further into the earth, until he was entirely submerged.
Link awoke, realizing he must have been dreaming again. He silently cursed himself for acting so weird around Saria, when suddenly he began to wonder whether Saria was with him at all. For all he knew, she had been a dream as well, and his whole excursion with Mido and the Lost Woods was all a part of his relentless phantasm. Deciding this was the case, Link began to rise to his feet—for all the good that did. All around him was pitch-black darkness. He could see nothing around him, even his own hand. He stumbled forward, trying to figure out where he was. He couldn’t be back in his treehouse, could he? The air felt too thin around him, and his footsteps made strange pattering sounds, as if he was walking on very smooth stone. He wasn’t thirsty anymore, but he was still tired, and was nearly resolved simply to lay back down and finish his sleep. Unfortunately, just as he began to settle down, a flash of golden light nearly blinded his eyes. He had little time to shield himself with his hands before the golden light focused into a solid, glaring shape.
Link stepped backwards, and felt the sickening sensation of pure air beneath his heel. To avoid another fall, he dove forward, hitting hard against a now illuminated stone floor. It was of a white color, but not like the wilderness he had dreamed of only moments before. It was pure and smooth—whiter than a cloud, and much harder than the silky earth he had wandered though. The surface of the stone was so clear, that Link could almost see his reflection in it, and the golden glow that danced across its surface seemed all too familiar. Link crept towards the edge he had almost fallen over, and peered over. This was the same tower from his nightmares—the same arches and spires, the same buttresses and stones, and the same feeling of the world around him suddenly slowing to a crawl. Rain began to fall from the skies, and a mist unfurled before him, revealing the same town he had seen in his dreams—the town ravaged with war—now a wasteland. Houses were burned to cinders and the ground itself was scorched so fatally that not even the faintest sign of life could be seen anywhere.
There was a crack of thunder, and another shadow was revealed to be looming behind Link. Except—it wasn’t thunder this time, and the shadow was much larger, and far more monstrous in appearance. Link slowly turned around, and saw two very strange and terrible things.
The first was a golden triangle, emanating a radiant light that lit up the whole sky. Link felt powerful energy leak through the air in this strange triangle’s presence, and nearly fainted as he finally diverted his gaze from its beautiful golden aura. The second he did, he began to wish he hadn’t. A grotesque, demonic creature stood just behind the triangle, snarling and glaring at him. His eyes like torches of blood red fire, and two massive horns outlined his head. He had a snout like a boar’s, and a jaw like a wolf. His dark form towered over Link, such that even the light of the Triforce could not prevent his shadow from engulfing Link. With one talon-like hand, he suddenly raised a trident into the sky, and roared. He lurched forward on all fours, colliding with the triangle and allowing its essence to envelop his body. Before Link could scream, the beast was upon him, and his jaws snapped shut.