Across the fields of Hyrule, the young man rode on his noble steed. His golden hair blew in the wind as he moved towards Kokiri Forest. Link may have become the greatest hero that Hyrule had ever seen, but he was not above making a visit to the small wooded village and its cheery inhabitants. He was especially eager to see one particular Kokiri; an emerald-haired damsel who had been his best friend all his life. Link smiled as he thought of her, and hit his horse, Epona, saying "Hurry up, Epona! I want to get home before nightfall!"

Luckily, Link and Epona reached the entrance to Kokiri Forest by early afternoon, much to Link's delight. He dismounted Epona and tied her reins to a nearby tree branch. Link's fairy, Navi, fluttered around his ear with great impatience. "Hurry up, Link! I want to go see Saria!" she exclaimed indignantly. Link chuckled. "All right, all right!" Still laughing a little, Link stepped through the entranceway to Kokiri.

The second that he stepped into the forest, Link took a deep breath of fresh Kokiri air. A feeling of comfort and contentment passed over Link. He was just so happy to be back in the place that was dearest to him, more so than anywhere else.

"Hello! Hello!" the Kokiri children said cheerfully to Link as he passed by them. He smiled and returned the greetings as he moved closer and closer to Mido's house. He looked around quickly to make sure that the irascible "boss of Kokiri" was not around before he crept up to the ledge and climbed the vines that led up to the Lost Woods. He could have reached it by playing the Minuet of the Forest, but he liked to do it the old-fashioned way sometimes. He had a bit of trouble with the Lost Woods Maze, but he somehow found his way to the Sacred Forest Meadow.

Link quietly entered the Meadow and saw Saria, sitting on her tree stump, meditating. He smiled as he approached her, quiet as can be. He noticed that she looked somewhat different from the last time he had seen her. Her hair was still as vividly green as ever, and she was still incredibly petite, but her eyes had a sort of wisdom in them that wasn't there before. Link crept up behind his friend and grabbed her shoulders "Boo!" he shouted. "Aaahhh!" Saria shrieked as she jumped up into the air. She quickly turned around, and smiled when she saw who was behind her. "Oh Link! I'm so happy to see you!!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around Link. He returned the embrace, saying "I'm happy to see you too, Sar!"

Saria laughed and said "Link, thank you so much for defeating Ganondorf and bringing peace to Hyrule. Now I can leave the Sacred Realm and go back home again!" "Oh Saria, I'm so glad to hear that," Link said.

"Well, since you've finally come to visit, how about we go to all our old spots and spend the day remembering what fun times we used to have?" Saria suggested. "Okay!" Link said, happily. This was just what he wanted to hear.

Link and Saria spent the day visiting all of their old playspots and reminiscing about days gone by. Link had forgotten how much he had enjoyed his friend's company, and he had more fun that day than he'd had for seven years. That evening, Link and Saria were lying down on the roots of the Deku Tree, talking. Saria had a melancholy look on her face that disturbed Link greatly. "What's wrong, Saria?" Link asked in a concerned tone.

"Oh.....well....its just...never mind" Saria answered. Link looked at her gravely. "Saria, I'm your best friend! You can tell me anything!" Link exclaimed.

"All right, I'll tell you," Saria said. "Well, its silly, really, but I can't help noticing how mature you look now....and how Princess Zelda has grown into such a lovely young woman...and even little Malon has grown up....and I'm the same age as all of you, and I'm still a child!"

Link was very surprised by this. It had never occured to him that the eternal youth of a Kokiri had bothered Saria, but now she was telling him that it did. He wished so much that he could help her....he tried to think of a way..... then suddenly, it occured to him. "Saria, I have an idea!" Link began. "You'll have to come with me to the Temple of Time, though."

Saria's face lit up. "The Temple of Time! Why didn't I think of that?" she exclaimed. "C'mon, let's go!"

"But Sar, you're a Kokiri...won't you die if you leave the Forest?"

"No, because, as a Sage, I can leave Kokiri."

"Great! Let's go!"

After a long farewell to the Kokiris, Link and Saria left the forest. They mounted Epona and rode to the Castle. Link stopped Epona in front of Hyrule Castle and helped Saria down. "Are you sure that you'll be all right?" he asked her.

"Of course I will," Saria answered. "Don't worry about it."

Link and Saria walked up to the Temple of Time and entered the ancient cathedral. The voices of the monks singing the Song of Time filled the air.

"Okay, Saria, so what are you going to do?" Link asked.

"Trust me," she said. Saria took the Ocarina of Time out of Link's pocket and held it up to her lips. She played the Song of Time, and then said an incantation in some language unfamiliar to Link.

Suddenly, a green light rose up through the Triforce symbol and enveloped Saria. Link watched in awe as the small figure grew taller...and taller...and taller. The light grew brighter, and Link had to close his eyes to protect them from the glare.

When he opened his eyes, Link's jaw dropped. There before him stood Saria.....as a woman. She was about the size of an average 17 year old. Her hair was still green, and her eyes were still twinkling, but she had evidently changed from girl to woman. Saria laughed at Link's dumbstruck expression, until she looked down. "Whoa! I'm so...high up!" she exclaimed.

As he looked at this lovely maid in front of him, Link began to feel something for Saria that he hadn't felt before. He had always loved her dearly, but in a truly platonic sense. But now.....he began to feel something more.

Since she had laid eyes on him in the Sacred Forest Meadow earlier that day, Saria had realized that she wanted Link as more than just a friend. He was someone who she could picture spending the rest of her life with...but could he feel the same about her?

"C'mon Link, lets go home." Saria said. She played the Minuet of the Forest and they were both spirited away to the Sacred Forest Meadow. When they got there, Saria sat on her stump, and Link stood beside her, still amazed by how beautiful she was now. Saria was such a wonderful person; so wise, kind, thoughtful, funny.........he realized now what the feeling that he had in the Temple of Time was. It was love! He was in love with Saria! The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had always been in love with Saria, but had never known it. Link knew then that Saria was the only woman that he could ever truly love.

"Saria....." he began.

"Yes, Link..."

Link took a small object out of his pocket; a ring with a small emerald in the center.

"Saria....this isn't easy to say...but.....I...think...I....love you." Link said slowly

"I....think...I....love...you...too..." Saria said in response.

Link's heart leapt as he knelt down before her. He held out the ring and said quietly, "Saria, will you marry me?"

Saria didn't answer. Instead, she took his face between her hands and kissed Link on the mouth. He returned the kiss, and they sat there together as the sun set above Hyrule, oblivious to anything but each other.