Rekindling Their Bonds by ViperInferno

Chapter 4: Surprise Party

Rekindling Their Bonds
By Viper Inferno
Chapter 4: Surprise Party
 
After having gotten a ride through the air, courtesy of Kaepora Gaebora, Link and Navi had arrived back at Kokiri Forest with plenty of time before the sun would set. No one felt more thankful, and relieved, for Kaepora Gaebora’s generosity than Navi. It had been Navi’s job to keep Link away from Kokiri Forest as long as possible while Saria and the other Kokiri carried out their grand scheme. However, after deciding to take it slow and walk the long distance to the castle, they had taken much more time than Navi had realized. And because of that, she feared they wouldn’t make it back to Kokiri Forest on time... until the wise old owl came along and saved the day.
 
And now, that they were back, Link walked casually across the rope bridge, relieved to be back home and have plenty of time to spend with Saria and the others before nightfall. Navi, however, stayed behind Link, beaming and trying her hardest not to giggle at what Link was about to walk into. Unfortunately, Link’s keen pointed ears caught a few snickers coming from Navi. “What’s so funny?” he asked.
 
“Oh, nothing,” Navi asked, quickly finding an explanation to hide the truth, “I just found it funny that we were so worried about not making it back here before dark. And lo and behold, along came Kaepora Gaebora to the rescue.”
 
“Hey, I wasn’t worried. You were the one who was worried,” Link argued.
 
“Oh come now, Link, you were just as worried as I was,” said Navi, “You were the one sprinting through the marketplace like a tardy postman. You were the one in such a rush to call for Epona.”
 
“That was because you were the one in such a rush to get back before sundown,” Link argued again, “Now why were you the one so worried about getting back here so quickly?”
 
“Well...,” Navi began, trying to come up with another excuse, “I was just worried for your well-being, that’s all. After all, it is my job, being your guardian fairy and all.”
 
“I understand,” said Link as they approached the entrance to the village of Kokiri Forest, “But you know I can take care of myself very well, even at night.”
 
Soon, they emerged from the passageway and into Kokiri Forest. However, Link found the village to be eerily quiet. Not a single Kokiri could be seen anywhere in the village, when there was always at least a few either standing or running about. So Link slowly walked in the big field near the entrance, looking all around for signs of life. “Where is everybody?” Navi asked, doing her best to stay in character.
 
“Yeah, it sure seems to be awfully quiet for it still being in the afternoon,” said Link.
 
“Hey Link!” a girl’s voice called out, breaking the eerie silence.
 
Link and Navi turned toward the center of the village to find Fado running toward them, her blond pigtails bouncing as she ran. In no time at all, she stopped right in front of them, huffing and puffing as she tried to catch her breath. Fado’s actions perplexed Link. “Are you okay, Fado? What is it?” he asked, sensing something wrong.
 
Fado looked back up at Link with a half-terrified look on her face. Just as she did, Link felt his stomach drop, fearing the worst had happened. ‘What happened? Did something happen? To the Great Deku Sprout? To the others? To Saria?’ Link thought to himself as his heart began racing.
 
“Link, thank the goddesses you’re here,” she said, “The Great Deku Sprout... he needs to see you right away.”
 
“Oh no, the Great Deku Sprout,” Navi gasped. And immediately, she raced far ahead of Link and toward the Great Deku Sprout’s Meadow.
 
“Wait, Navi!” Link yelled as he ran after her, leaving Fado far behind. He quickly made it to the passage to the Great Deku Sprout’s Meadow, where a few angry Deku Babas greeted him. They lunged at him with their snapping jaws of teeth, impeded by their long stems. Link immediately drew his sword. “I have no time for you guys,” Link snapped as he quickly slashed at their stems, severing them with ease and thus easily dispatching them.
 
He sheathed his sword and took off running into the meadow, fueled by the adrenaline rush from his pounding heart. But when he emerged from the passageway, he found everybody in the village gathered by the Great Deku Sprout, looking right in his direction.
 
“Surprise!!!” they all cheered as a lot of them jumped up and down while others fired off party poppers.
 
Link only stood there with his mouth hanging open and his eyes popping wide open, “W-Wha...” he barely muttered. Sure he was relieved that all seemed well in Kokiri Forest, but this had completely taken his breath away.
 
“Welcome home, Link,” the twins said in unison as they ran up to the awestruck Link. They both placed hand-made leis of beautiful forest flowers around his neck, and then wrapped their arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.
 
“W-Wha...” was Link’s only response. After the twins let go of him and ran back toward the group, Link felt a hand gently lay on his right shoulder. Fado then appeared from behind him and looked into his blue eyes. This time, Link found not the terrified look from before in her cerulean blue eyes, but a much calmer and very happy one.
 
“Welcome home, Link,” said Fado, wrapping her arms carefully around his shoulders, in between his back and his Hylian Shield, and gave him a gentle hug, “It’s so great to finally have you back.”
 
“W-Wha... What is all this?” Link finally stuttered as Fado let go of him and ran off to join the other Kokiri.
 
“It’s a ‘welcome home’ party,” Saria replied as she emerged from the crowd.
 
Link looked all around the Great Deku Sprout’s Meadow. There were a large number of chairs and tables all about the meadow, many of them filled with all kinds of food under covered serving trays. Numerous green and yellow banners hung from the trees and many green and yellow balloons were tethered to the ground and tables. A large number of torches lined the boundaries of the party area, while decorative lanterns stood next to each of the tables.
 
“Wow, you really decorated, didn’t you?” Link observed, completely awestruck by his surroundings, “It looks like the festivals we have every year.”
 
Saria looked down sheepishly at her feet, drawing circles in the grass with her toe, “Well... I guess we went a little overboard with the decorations, huh?”
 
“Overboard? It’s brilliant,” Link praised.
 
“Then I guess we’re just gonna have to do better for this year’s festival, right?” Saria smirked.
 
“Right,” Link replied, and then took another look at all the decorations and then at everyone who had gathered, “All of you did all of this for me?”
 
“Well, yeah,” Saria replied, “We wanted to give you a proper ‘welcome home’.”
 
“Wow. I-I d-don’t know what to say,” Link stuttered.
 
Saria walked up to him and took his hand into hers, placed her other on his shoulder, and led him toward the group. “Just enjoy the party, ‘kay?” she replied, showing her warmest smile.
 
“Hey Link,” Mido called out from the crowd.
 
‘Whoa, he actually called me by my name,’ Link thought to himself as Mido emerged from the crowd of Kokiri, wearing his usual arrogant and haughty expression, and approached him and Saria.
 
Saria scowled at Mido, expecting him to try and steal the spotlight from Link by throwing his usual insults. Link, however, only looked confused, wondering what had gotten into Mido all of a sudden. Mido stopped before them and gazed at Link, ignoring Saria’s glare. “I just want to say...,” Mido started, and then hesitated as he noticed Saria lowering her eyebrows at him, piercing him with her glare, “I just wanted to say that I’m glad that you’re finally home.”
 
Mido extended his open right hand, much to both Link’s and Saria’s surprise. Both expected him to make some snide remark, but not this. Link took Mido’s hand as they shook like a pair of gentlemen. Mido then patted Link’s right shoulder with his free hand as they shook. “But, this doesn’t mean that we’re friends now. I’ll still tease ‘ya and pick on ‘ya.”
 
“Oh really?” Link said, smiling, “Do remember: I’m bigger than you now.”
 
“So? That doesn’t mean anything,” Mido responded.
 
“Mido!” Saria scolded, trying her best not to snicker at the silly boys.
 
“But, I’m really glad to have you back. It’s no fun not having you around to tease,” said Mido.
 
“Likewise. I’m sure it’ll be our way of having fun,” said Link as both snickered.
 
‘Will those two ever learn?’ Saria thought to herself as she finally burst out laughing.
 
When Mido walked back to the group, Link turned to Saria, “Wow, he’s actually being nice for once.”
 
“Well, we sorta kept him in the dark until today,” Saria explained, “Besides, you know Mido won’t turn down a good party.”
 
“Yeah, I guess so,” said Link, “But... why today? I’ve been home for a few days now.”
 
“Well, we had to get everyone together to plan it,” Saria replied, “It takes time to plan a party, especially one like this. Plus, I wanted it today because it’s a very special day.”
 
“Really? And what’s so special about today?” said Link, cocking an eyebrow.
 
“Oh my goddesses, silly, I can’t believe you don’t know,” said Saria, “Isn’t today your birthday?”            
 
A light bulb clicked on in link’s head at the mention of his birthday. “That’s right. It is my birthday, I totally forgot. I just haven’t thought of it much in the last two years. You really remembered my birthday?”
 
“Of course I did. You’re my best friend,” Saria replied, “Do you remember mine?”
 
Link thought about it for a second, “Umm... the seventh day of the second month of spring, right?”
 
“Right on,” Saria replied as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly, “Happy Birthday, Link.”
 
Link wrapped his arms around Saria’s waist and returned her hug, “Thank you, Saria.”
 
“You’re welcome, Link,” said Saria as they let go of each other, “Although we Kokiri often celebrate each other’s birthdays, yours is special because you’re growing up, unlike the rest of us Kokiri.”
 
“How old are you now, Link?” Kalo asked from the crowd.
 
“Umm... I’m 13 years old now,” Link replied after thinking about it.
 
Saria turned toward the crowd and motioned for someone to come to her. She then walked toward the crowd and away from Link as Kalo emerged. She then bent down to him where their heads were right next to each other. “Are there 13 of them?” she whispered in Kalo’s ear.
 
“Yep,” Kalo whispered back, “You’re good, Saria.”
 
“Thanks. I’ve only known him since he was still a baby,” Saria whispered before she stood back up straight, and then peeked over her shoulder at Link.
 
“Now what was all that about, Saria?” Link asked, with his hands at his hips and a smirk on his face.
 
“Oh, a little something we did for you,” Saria replied with a mischievous smile, “But we’ll have to show you later.”
 
“Oh, okay. So how did you get all this planning and setting up done without me knowing?” Link wondered.
 
“Ummm... ask Navi. She was the one in charge of keeping you busy,” Saria replied.
 
When Saria mentioned Navi’s name, Link began to look all around for her, remembering that Navi had raced ahead of him when they arrived. He then found the glowing blue aura of his guardian fairy as she finally emerged from the crowd of Kokiri and their fairies.  “Navi? You knew about all of this?” said Link, dumbfounded.
 
“Well, not everything,” Navi replied, “I didn’t know everything that everyone was planning. I just knew about a surprise party and made sure to keep you busy today while they set everything up.”
 
“So that’s why you wanted to take a more leisurely walk to the castle, huh?” Link inquired.
 
Navi nodded in reply.
 
“And also why you were in such a hurry to get back here,” Link added, “It’s because you thought we were late for the party, right?”
 
Navi smiled and nodded in reply.
 
“You guys were late,” said Fado, “Saria, the Great Deku Sprout, and I were all getting worried about you and Navi. So we sent Kaepora Gaebora out to look for you.”
 
“Ahhhh.... I see now,” Link commented, nodding as he added it all together and inwardly praised everyone for their ingenuity. They had succeeded in not only planning and setting up this party while keeping him in the dark, but also making sure that he made it to the party.
 
“So what should we do first, now that Kink is here?” a Kokiri girl in the crowd asked.
 
Saria thought about it for a minute. She and the others had planned so much for this party that they would end up making a miniature festival out of a welcome home/birthday party. She wanted to show off the cake that she and the others had worked so hard on, but she thought better of it and decided to save it and the feast for later. There was other stuff they could do before they’d partake in the big feast she had set up.
 
“Why not games?” suggested a Kokiri boy in the crowd.
 
“Yeah, games sound good,” Fado agreed, turning to Saria to await her decision.
 
“Okay, why not,” Saria replied as everyone had made such an easy decision for her.
 
“Yay, games!” most of the Kokiri whooped and hollered, throwing their arms up in celebration.
 
“Brilliant. What are we going to play?” Link wondered.
 
“Oh, we have the perfect game for you. It’s yours and Mido’s favorite,” Saria replied, winking at Link.
 
“We’re gonna whack a dummy with Deku sticks,” Fado added.
 
“Oh wow, I love that game,” said Link, “The fact that Deku sticks break very easy is what makes it so fun.”
 
“Me too,” Mido added as he ran forward to join Link, Saria, and Fado, “You better hope your stick doesn’t break if you’re gonna beat me.”
 
“As long as you don’t rig everyone’s sticks to break on one whack,” Link jabbed back.
 
“Oh, you don’t have to worry, boys,” Saria reassured, “The Great Deku Sprout kindly provided us with plenty of Deku sticks for this game, so all is fair.”
 
“Great, this will be fun,” Link said excitedly, then turned to Mido, “Right?”
 
“You know I’ll have fun beating you,” Mido replied with an arrogant smirk.
 
So Link, Mido, and all the other Kokiri gathered at a nearby tree. From one of the branches hung a sandbag the size of a small shrub, with a red and yellow bullseye painted on either side of it to mark where to hit it. A stick protruded from the bottom of it, coming nearly to the ground, with its tip painted red. And on the ground sat a circle, letting the Kokiri know just how far the sandbag should swing.
 
Saria and Fado then approached the group, carrying large bundles of Deku sticks in their arms. They gently set the sticks down off to the side and turned to the crowd. “Okay, boys and girls, listen up,” Saria announced.
 
When everyone turned to her and lent her their ears, she began explaining the game, “The object of the game is to take a Deku stick and hit the dummy as hard as you can. The tip of the dummy’s stick must go outside the circle. If not, you have to hit it again. If your Deku stick breaks, you’re out of the game. We keep going until only one kid is left standing, and that kid wins the game. Any questions?”
 
All the Kokiri looked around at each other, expecting one unlucky kid to raise their hand. However, they only remained silent and turned back to Saria.
 
“I have a question,” said Link, anxiously raising his left hand high in the air.
 
Mido facepalmed at Link’s delayed reaction, muttering to himself, “Idiot. You just had to be the one with questions, didn’t you?”
 
Saria rolled her eyes at Link delaying the start of the game, “Yes, Link?”
 
“What if there are two of us left and we both break our sticks?” he asked.
 
“Then you go again until one kid’s stick doesn’t break,” Saria replied, “So who’s first?”
 
“I’ll go first,” said Kalo, jumping up and down with his hand high in the air, anxious to get the game started.
 
“Okay, Kalo. Start us off,” said Saria.
 
So Kalo walked toward where Saria and Fado had placed the Deku sticks and took one from the pile. Then, he stepped up to the dummy and took a deep breath. He then gripped the stick tightly in his right hand and, remembering everything Link had taught him a couple days ago about balance, swung at the dummy with just enough force. The dummy swung on its rope under the force, with the tip of its stick making it barely outside the circle. Then, Kalo held his stick up high to show everyone that it was still in once piece.
 
“Alright, Kalo!” Saria praised, clapping her hands excitedly.
 
“Way to go, Kalo,” said Link.
 
Fado walked up to the swinging dummy and grabbed a hold of it. She held it tight to steady it as one of the Know-It-All Brothers stepped up and took a Deku stick. He then marched right up to the dummy and promptly gave it a good thrash, sending it swinging well outside the circle. His stick remained unscathed, so he pointed it to Fado, giving her the next turn.
 
She grabbed a Deku stick from the pile and walked up to the swinging dummy. After steadying it, she took a deep breath and smacked the sand-filled dummy. It successfully swung outside the circle, but Fado’s stick broke upon impact. “Oh no, it broke,” she moaned as she walked away.
 
Mido stepped up next, grabbing a Deku stick. He then marched up to the dummy after a Kokiri boy from his posse steadied it for him. He gripped the stick in his right hand and thrust it into the dummy, easily sending it outside the circle without breaking the stick.
 
Saria glared at Mido, “Mido! You have to whack it, not stab it.”
 
“Aww, do I have to?” Mido moaned.
 
“Yes you do,” Saria replied, and then shook her finger at him, “No cheating, Mido.”
 
So Mido whacked the dummy as his eyes never strayed from Saria’s piercing glare. The dummy swung outside the circle with ease, with Mido’s stick still in once piece.
 
Another one of the Know-It-All Brothers grabbed a Deku stick and marched right up to the dummy.
 
“Here, Mido. Step aside and let me show you how it’s done,” he boasted. He gripped the Deku stick in his hand and swung it at the dummy, meeting it with a loud crack. The dummy barely even moved despite the powerful swing, and everyone laughed at him as his stick had snapped in two like a twig.
 
“Oh yea, just like that,” Mido teased.
 
The Know-It-All Brother hung his head down in shame and walked away from the dummy.
 
“Hey, let Saria go next,” suggested one of the twins.
 
“Yeah Saria, go for it,” the other twin encouraged.
 
“Alright, I’ll go next,” said Saria.
 
All the Kokiri cheered on as Saria took a Deku stick and calmly walked up to the dummy. She grasped the Deku stick with both hands, her left over her right, and gave the dummy a good whack to the side. Saria’s stick remained intact as the dummy swung easily outside the circle.
 
“Alright, Saria!” Fado cheered.
 
Saria smiled and waved to everyone as they celebrated her triumph. Then, she spoke up, effectively quieting everyone down. “Hey, how about we let the birthday boy go next?” she suggested.
 
“Yeah, we wanna see Link give the dummy a good whack,” said Kalo, with all the other Kokiri cheering him on.
 
Link anxiously ran to the pile of sticks and quickly grabbed one. Then, he walked up to the dummy as Fado steadied it for him. Link closed his eyes and focused his energy within. He then gripped the stick tightly in his left hand, braced his right foot, and swung at the dummy with just enough force to send it swinging barely outside the circle. Link raised his stick up, showing everyone that it was still whole, to which everyone cheered.
 
“Way to go, Link,” the twins whooped as Link tossed the stick away like a piece of rubbish and rejoined the group.
 
After five rounds of everyone beating the sand-filled dummy with their Deku sticks, only 3 were still in the game. Link, Kalo, and Saria all stood together as everyone else watched. “So, who goes first?” Link asked.
 
“How about we do a little game of rock-paper-scissors?” suggested Kalo.
 
“Okay,” Saria eagerly as she placed her left fist in her right palm. After a quick Kokiri chant, Saria’s rock beat both boys’ scissor, “I’ll go first.”
 
So Saria picked up a Deku stick and walked up to the dummy. She gripped the stick tightly in both hands and smacked the dummy hard, sending it swinging outside the circle. But, she also broke her stick in the process, sending her out of the game.
 
“It’s okay, Saria,” Fado reassured, gently patting Saria on the shoulder, “You did great.”
 
“I know. It’s the farthest I’ve ever gone in this game,” said Saria as she joined the crowd of spectators.
 
“That left Link and Kalo standing. “Okay, Kalo, you or me?” Link asked.
 
“Well, it’s your birthday, so you go first,” Kalo replied.
 
“Sounds good to me,” said Link as he and Kalo each grabbed a Deku stick. They walked up to the dummy together like true warriors. Then, Link stepped up and closed his eyes, performing the same pre-strike focus routine as he did in previous rounds. He then braced and swung at the dummy, hitting it with just enough force to send its bottom outside the circle. But, it was also enough force to snap the stick in two.
 
“Oh no, Link’s out,” Fado gasped with her palms on her cheeks in utter disbelief.
 
Link turned to Kalo after his defeat, “Okay, Kalo, it’s your turn. If your stick doesn’t break, you win. You can do it... just like I taught ‘ya.”
 
“Alright,” Kalo eagerly replied as he stepped up to the dummy. He too closed his eyes and focused his inner chi as both of the twins steadied the dummy. Kalo then opened his eyes and swung at the dummy, striking it perfectly and sending it swinging outside the circle without breaking his stick. And when he held his stick up high, all the Kokiri, including Mido, cheered and celebrated his victory.
 
“That was brilliant, Kalo,” Saria praised.
 
“I’m so proud of you,” Link added.
 
“Alright! Go Kalo!” the twins both cheered as they ran up to Kalo and hugged him.
 
After the victory celebration, they all participated in other long-time favorite birthday party games. One game Link found himself to be quite adept at was taking a Deku stick and hitting a piñata. Being the last one up when everyone else had failed to hit the Mad Scrub shaped object, Link split the piñata in half and spilled lots of tasty fruits, berries, fudge, nuts, and other Kokiri treats.
 
Other games included tossing small bags of sand at empty bottles, pinning tails on a picture of a Wolfos, and bobbing for forest fruits. After everyone had their fun with all the games that the party had to offer, and with the sun finally beginning to set, they all decided to take the tables and join them all together end-to-end to form one long table.
 
Then, they pulled up some chairs and sat on either side of the long table. Link sat at the middle of the table, with the twins sitting on either side of him. Saria sat directly across from him where she could always look upon his beaming face. Kalo sat to her left, while Fado sat to her right. Mido, however, took a much larger chair with a higher and more ornate back and sat at the head of the long table.
 
“He just had to appoint himself as ‘Head of the Table’, huh?” Link commented as he facepalmed.
 
“Well, he is the self-appointed ‘Boss of the Kokiri’, and he loves to show it,” said Saria, “It’s Mido, after all. Would you expect any less from him?”
 
Words weren’t needed to answer that question as Link remained silent. With everyone seated, Saria motioned to Mido, who then stood from his chair. “Alright everyone, chow time!” he cheered.
 
When he did, everyone took a serving platter and removed the covers, revealing many different kinds of food. Along with the usual Kokiri courses of breads, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and the occasional rabbit stood many foods exotic to the Kokiri. Different kinds of meats stood in their meat platters, as well as a couple of large pasta dishes and a number of different servings of vegetables, soups, stews, and casseroles. The Kokiri sat motionless, mesmerized by the many different foods that none of them had ever seen before.
 
Link looked equally amazed, despite having seen many of these foods before during his travels. “Wha... wha...” he stuttered.
 
Saria finally snapped out of her stupor after hearing Link’s reaction. “Does this all look familiar?” she asked him with a smirk.
 
“Well... yeah, but...” Link replied, “... I’m just... amazed... how did you get all this food? You don’t find stuff like this in Kokiri Forest.”
 
“Yeah, Saria, how did you find all this neat stuff?” Mido added, “They look really delicious.”
 
“Well... I sent some letters out all over Hyrule while you were out visiting the ranch yesterday,” Saria explained, “And everything came in this morning and this afternoon while you were out.”
 
“Brilliant,” Link commented.
 
“A chef from a place called Kakariko Village sent us a few dishes. One of Princess Zelda’s personal chefs came over and prepared many of the main courses. Princess Ruto sent us different kinds of fish for us to eat. Oh, and she wants you to go visit her as soon as possible since you’re home now. She left you a letter too. The Gorons, however, only sent us a bunch of stupid rocks,” Saria continued, clinching her fists at her last sentence, “I can’t believe it. I ask them for a few of their recipes and they just had to be funny and send us a bunch of rocks.”
 
Link burst out laughing at Saria’s misfortune and her comments. But Saria only glared at him, “And what’s so funny, mister?”
 
“Oh, they weren’t being funny, Saria. The Gorons actually eat different kinds of rocks,” Link explained, “They really don’t have much of a menu.”
 
“Oh,” said Saria, looking sheepish as she realized her fault, “I see now. I’m sorry.”
 
“You really sent letters all over Hyrule to get all this food?” said Link, amazed ad what Saria had accomplished.
 
“Uh-huh,” Saria replied, “Since you’ve traveled all around Hyrule and even beyond for so long, I thought I’d bring some of those foods to this party.”
 
“I... I don’t know what to say,” Link stammered.
 
Saria smiled at Link’s loss for words. “Nothing, silly. Just eat up,” she replied, and then turned to everyone, “Eat up, everyone.”
 
And no sooner than she had sad so did all the other Kokiri grab a platter and start filling their plates. They all spent the next ten minutes filling their plates with all the different kinds of familiar and exotic foods and passing the platters down. Once each Kokiri had what they wanted, they dove into their meals.
 
Link, Saria, Mido, and all the Kokiri sampled the many exotic foods from all over Hyrule. The various meats, fruits, and vegetables appealed greatly to them all, and they ate up like each dish was candy.
 
“This stewed rabbit is really good,” Fado commented, “I never knew you could stew a rabbit quite like this.”
 
“You’d be surprised what kinds of soups and stews that you can make with meats,” said Link.
 
“And this fish is just delicious,” said Saria, “I don’t think that even the ponds and lakes in the lost Woods have fish this great.”
 
“If you think that fish is good, the fish found in the great big ocean is to die for,” Link commented, “But, even that fish gets to be ordinary after a while, a little routine. So you get to crave the food back home again.”
 
“So despite all the great food you’ve had over the years, you still love Hyrule’s great food? And even our great food here in Kokiri Forest?” Saria wondered.
 
“Of course,” Link replied, “Even the breads, nuts, fruits, berries, and occasional meats of Kokiri Forest always hit the spot. It always reminds you that you truly are home.”
 
Saria smiled at Link, “Well, I figured that you’d want all this great food from Hyrule once again. That’s why I sent for so many different kinds of food. Plus, everyone else can enjoy some of what you’ve seen and eaten too.”
 
“You really are something, you know?” Link commended.
 
“Hey, it’s your birthday. We had to do something special for you,” said Saria.
 
“You can call it special for us too, Saria,” Fado added, “We all love all this delicious food.”
 
“Yeah!” the rest of the Kokiri agreed.
 
With dusk falling upon the Great Deku Sprout’s Meadow, the light from the decorative lanterns on the table began to give a very warm glow, enhancing the already relaxing mood of the party. After everyone had finished eating, Saria stood up from her chair, “Hey Kalo, Fado, can you two come with me?”
 
Fado and Kalo both stood from their chairs. “Sure, Saria. Is it what I think it is?” Fado eagerly asked.
 
“You betcha,” Saria replied with a smirk.
 
“Wait, where are you going?” Link wondered.
 
“It’s a surprise,” Saria replied, giving him a wink.
 
“Hey, tonight’s been full of surprised. Tell me,” Link begged and pleaded.
 
“Uh-uh. You’ll just have to wait and see,” said Saria, wagging her index finger side to side with each word as emphasis, before winking at him again.
 
“Humph. Alright,” Link pouted as the three walked off. He and the others all sat silently and patiently, awaiting whatever surprise Saria had for Link. Moments later, the twins turned to Link.
 
“You’re going to like what we did for you, Link,” said one twin.
 
“Yeah, we worked hard on it all day,” said the other twin.
 
Link tried, but the twins talking about their hard work pushed him to the brink and he couldn’t take the suspense anymore. “Oh, I’m just dying to know what it is. Please tell me,” he begged.
 
Both twins turned their noses up, crossed their arms, and shook their heads in response.
 
“Come on,” Link pleaded.
 
“Uh-uh. You heard Saria,” said one twin.
 
“It’s a surprise,” said the other twin.
 
“Humph. You’re no fun,” Link complained as he rested his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands.
 
Soon, Saria, Fado, and Kalo returned, carrying a large white cake. It was a large, round, two-tiered angel food cake with white icing, well decorated with blue, green, and yellow icing designs. On the top tier sat 13 green and yellow candles. And the words “Happy Birthday Link” and “And Welcome Home” were scripted in red icing and in Hylian on the bottom tier.
 
“Wow, that has got to be the biggest cake I’ve ever seen,” Link observed, completely amazed at not only the size of the cake, but also the fact that his friends at Kokiri Forest made it. And why wouldn’t he be amazed? It took those 3 kids to carry that big cake safely to the table. After they placed the big and heavy cake on the table, the twins turned to Link and both asked him, “Well, what do you think?”
 
Link sat there breathless, admiring the cake that was so well-made and well-decorated, that it looked like it was made by Princess Zelda’s best bakers. After a moment of silent awe, Link finally stammered, “I-I-It’s a-amazing... just... amazing. You all really made this cake?”
 
“Yes we did,” one twin proudly replied.
 
“Well, not all of us. Some of the others still had to set up for the party,” the other twin added.
 
“Saria was working so hard on this cake,” said Fado.
 
“And she had us working really hard on it too,” a Kokiri girl added.
 
“She wanted this cake to be perfect, just like in the pictures,” Kalo added.
 
“Hey, I wanted it to be perfect too,” said Fado, sticking her tongue out at Kalo.
 
“Me too,” both twins agreed in unison.
 
“And we weren’t going to let the Princess’s chef help us with this cake,” said Kalo, ignoring Fado’s raspberries.
 
Saria took out her fairy ocarina and tooted a few notes on it to get everyone’s attention. “Well, everyone, the candles are all lit. Let’s sing,” said Saria as she began to play a couple measures to a familiar Kokiri birthday song. After those couple measures, all the Kokiri sang their song to Link as Saria played it on her fairy ocarina. After finishing the song, they sang it to him again, this time with Saria joining in.
 
After the song was over, Saria spoke up, “Now Link, close your eyes, make a wish, and blow out those candles.”
 
Link closed his eyes and thought hard about his wish. After seeing a lot of amazing things, going to so many places, and meeting so many people on his recent adventures, making a wish proved difficult for him.
 
“It can be any wish you want,” Saria said in a more soothing voice, “It can be big, it can be small.”
 
“But don’t tell us, or your wish won’t come true,” said Fado.
 
Link thought long and hard. And after finally finding his wish, he blew out all 13 candles, and all the Kokiri applauded.
 
“So who gets the first slice?” Kalo asked.
 
“Well... I think Saria should get the first slice,” Link replied, “She’s my best friend in all of Hyrule, no... the world. And she must’ve worked so hard with everybody to make this party happen. So, Saria gets the first slice.”
 
“It’s a very wise choice, Link,” said the Great Deku Sprout, “Thou really treasure thy friendship with all thy friends, especially the one who hast known thee the longest. And thou always find a way to express it, no matter how big or how small. It is but one reason the children of Kokiri Forest miss thee, even Mido.”
 
“Now stop, Great Deku Sprout. You’re embarrassing me,” said Mido, trying to hide his bashfulness.
 
“Thank you, Link,” said Saria as Fado cut the first slice of cake and handed it to her.
 
“You’re welcome, Saria,” said Link as he smiled at the green-haired girl, “You deserve it.”
 
Then, Fado continued cutting the cake and passing the slices down both sides of the table. Once everyone had a slice of cake, they all dug in.
 
Spryte sat on Saria’s right shoulder, right next to her ear, as she ate. “I think he knows that this party was your idea,” she whispered, “I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you and when he smiles.”
 
“It’s okay. I was sure he’d find out sooner or later,” Saria whispered back, “That is, if he really knows. I just wanted to show him how much everyone in the forest missed him, and this party was perfect.”
 
“You never cease to amaze me, my dear, even after all these years,” Spryte whispered.
 
After everyone had finished their cake, Saria stood up. “So Link, now that we’ve played games, had a big feast, and ate a wonderful cake, there’s one thing left to do,” said Saria as she took her fairy ocarina out, “I assume you brought your fairy ocarina.”
 
“You bet I did,” Link replied as he took out his own fairy ocarina, his cherished gift from Saria, “What songs are we gonna dance to?”
 
“Oh, I don’t know,” Saria replied as she thought about it, “How about some oldies but goldies... and maybe a few more of those new songs you learned on your adventures.”
 
“That sounds great,” Link replied as he stood up from his chair.
 
And so all the Kokiri stood from their chairs and walked out to the open area away from the tables. It was an area that Saria and the others had designated as their dance floor. With twilight falling upon all of Kokiri Forest, the many torches lining the outer boundaries of both the meadow and the dance floor provided a very warm illumination.
 
As Link and Saria made their way to the dance floor, the others took off and ran to the dance floor, easily beating Link and Saria there. Once everyone had assembled on the dance floor, waiting anxiously, the two ocarina players placed their instruments to their lips.
 
Saria started first by playing the first few measures to “Saria’s Song”, a song familiar to all in Kokiri Forest. And as she played, everyone began to dance an energetic jig to Saria’s hot beat. After a few measures, Link stood next to his best friend and joined her on his own ocarina, creating a festively vibrant duet.
 
After “Saria’s Song”, Link began to play the upbeat song from Clock Town. Soon, Saria joined in as the other Kokiri clapped and danced to the rhythm of the song. And throughout the twilit evening, they all danced to all the old and new tunes as they celebrated the return of their friend.
 
That night...
 
After playing many songs, both old and new, at the party, Link laid back in the grass in front of his house, resting his hands behind his head. There, he gazed up through the trees at the stars. Although he loved the unobstructed view of the sky from the soft grassy knoll in the large open field near the village entrance, something about the broken light of the sun or moon always mesmerized him. And after spending much of the day traversing Hyrule Field and visiting Princess Zelda at the castle, and after coming home to a wonderful surprise birthday/welcome home party, Link found the view of the trees and sky both warming and relaxing. And it was there that he reflected on the wonderful party.
 
“Hi Link,” Saria’s cheerful voice greeted.
 
“Hi Saria,” Link replied as he pulled his hands from behind his head and pushed himself up to a sitting position. When he did, Saria sat down right next to him and gazed up at the sky through the trees with him. “Great party, huh Link?” she said.
 
“Yep,” Link replied, his eyes not drifting from the sky,” It was really a brilliant party, like a mini-festival of sorts.”
 
“Well, it was a very special day for you,” Saria explained, “You’re growing up. So you’re only going to have so many birthdays.”
 
“That’s true,” said Link as he looked back down from the sky, glancing at the grass in front of him, “But, even you are growing up now. So you too are only going to have so many birthdays.”
 
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Saria, “But, not only was it your birthday, you also came home after being away for so long. So he had to make it a big party.”
 
Link hunched over a little, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his palms. There, he once again reflected on about the party and the effort that must’ve gone into it. He thought about all the wonderful foods and even the great cake that he had never seen before, not even outside of Kokiri Forest. Link let out a contented sigh at those thoughts, “You know, Saria? You really are something.”
 
“Huh?” said Saria as she did a double take, with Link’s comment taking her by complete surprise.
 
Link looked back up and turned his head to Saria, meeting her beautiful blue eyes with his own. “This party was your idea, wasn’t it?” said Link, smiling at her.
 
“See? I told you he knew,” Spryte commented.
 
“You really think so, huh?” said Saria, smirking at Link as she stood up and slowly walked around behind him in a more carefree manner.
 
“Yeah, I know so. Only you would’ve known about all the foods of Hyrule with all those books you read,” Link explained, “Only you have ever sent any letters outside the forest as far as I know. And most of all, you seemed to be the one in charge of all the festivities.
 
“He’s got you there, my dear,” said Spryte.
 
Saria spun around on her heels and sat down on her knees behind Link. Then, she rested her hands and forearms on his back and laid her cheek on the back of his shoulders. “Well... that’s because you’re my very special friend,” she said, “I wanted to show you just how much everyone missed you and how much you mean to everyone in the forest. But, it also couldn’t have happened without everyone’s help. It may have been my idea at first, but everyone wanted to give you the best party.”
 
“Even Mido?” Link asked.
 
Saria giggled, “Yes... even Mido.”
 
Link let out another sigh, “You really are a very special friend, Saria. You and everyone must’ve gone through so much to make it happen. You even had Navi keep me away so that everyone could set it up... that was pretty cunning of you, not to mention very sweet of you.”
 
“Oh stop, Link,” Saria bashfully said as her cheeks became flushed.
 
“No, really. No one’s ever done anything like this for me before. It was really sweet and selfless of you,” Link emphasized.
 
“Well...” Saria began as she let her hands trail slowly down Link’s back, and then gently back up, “You really deserve it.”
 
Link closed his eyes as Saria slowly rubbed her hands up and down his back. She then pressed slightly with the heels of her palms, meeting a lot of resistance as she did so. “Link, you’re back’s pretty tense,” she commented.
 
“Yeah, it sure feels that way,” Link agreed, “After two years of traveling distant lands and fighting all kinds of evil, and then going out yesterday and today, I’m sure it’s pretty tense.”
 
“You must’ve put your body through all kinds of abuse,” said Saria as she began to press her palms and fingers into Link’s back. She slowly and gently rubbed and massaged up and down his back, doing her best to work out all the knots and kinks.
 
“Mmhmm,” Link replied, letting Saria work her magic, “Fighting evil sure puts a lot of strain on the body. Recovery hearts, red and blue potions, and even fairies can only do so much to heal the body.”
 
“Hey, I resent that remark,” Navi scolded.
 
Saria giggled at Navi as she continued to slowly massage the tense knots out of Link’s back with her palms and fingers.
 
Link loosened up and sat up straight as Saria’s massaging became more gentle and sensual. And as she slowly brushed her fingertips down his back, Link began to fall into a trance, letting his mind melt into the feel of Saria’s hands and fingers rubbing and brushing his back. “Mmm... this feels good,” Link softly said.
 
“You’ve never gotten a backrub from anyone before, have you?” Saria softly asked.
 
Link looked back up from his trance as he explained, “Well, I have only once, in Holodrum. The town had an old lady who would give anyone a back rub to help them feel better. But...” Link hesitated as the rather pleasurable feeling of Saria rubbing his back grabbed a hold of him once again.
 
“But what?” Saria asked as she slowly slid her hands up his back and then slowly dragged her fingertips back down.
 
“It’s so relaxing... coming from you,” Link replied in a low voice, “Your hands feel so much better than that old lady’s.”
 
Saria giggled as she continued to slowly rub and caress Link’s back, “Well, it’s probably ‘cause you’re getting a backrub from a friend and not some strange old lady.”
 
“Mmhmm,” Link replied as he began to completely drift off under the spell of Saria’s gentle touch. His body completely relaxed itself as his best friend had massaged all the kinks out of his back. But it wasn’t just that, her gentle touch was putting him at so much ease and that he ended up letting fatigue catch up to him. “Stop it, Saria. You’re gonna make me fall asleep if you keep this up,” he teased as Saria brushed his back with her fingertips.
 
“You’re tired, aren’t you?” she softly asked, letting her hands continue to gently rub and caress his back, despite Link’s teasing.
 
“Mmhmm,” Link grunted.
 
“You’ve had such a long day, spending all day outside the forest and then coming home to this party,” said Saria. She then took her fingernails and started scratching Link’s back to break him from his trance.
 
Link began to squirm a little as the pleasurable feeling quickly became a more stimulating tingling feeling. Once broken from his trance, Link stood up, with Saria standing up immediately after.
 
“Does your back feel better now?” Saria asked.
 
“Oh yeah it does, much better now,” Link replied.
 
“Well then, you’d better go to bed if you’re tired,” suggested Saria.
 
“If you don’t want me waking you up because you like to sleep in,” Navi added.
 
“Oh stop it, Navi,” Link playfully scolded, “I’ve been good the last couple days.”
 
Saria giggled at the two, arguing more like a pair of siblings than anything else. Link then turned back to her, “That was the best party I’ve ever had, way better than any in the whole world.”
 
He then wrapped his arms around Saria’s waist and pulled her very close to him in a tight embrace. In return, Saria threw her arms around his shoulders and tightened their embrace even more.
 
“Thank you, Saria,” said Link, punctuating his gratitude by squeezing her affectionately, “Thank you so much for tonight. It’s the best night I’ve ever had. It feels so good to be back home again.”
 
“You’re very welcome, Link,” said Saria, barely above a whisper. And they held each other in that tight embrace for what seemed like hours, letting their minds melt into the feel of their bodies that close together. But it wasn’t just the warm feel of their embrace that kept them together, but also fatigue washing over them. It wasn’t until Navi spoke up when they finally let each other go.
 
“Alright, before you two get any more cozy, don’t you think we should be getting back inside?” said Navi.
 
“It’s late at night, Saria. We need to be getting back to your house and into bed,” said Spryte.
 
“Oh okay,” both children moaned together, showing their guardian fairies just how tired they were becoming. Then, they turned back to each other. “Good night, Link,” said Saria, showing her prettiest smile, “Happy Birthday.”
 
“Good night, Saria,” said Link, smiling back at her.
 
“Pleasant dreams,” she said as she turned and began to walk toward her house.
 
“You too, Saria,” said Link as he made his way toward his tree house to join the world in slumber.
 
“They really are growing up, aren’t they?” Navi commented as she watched Link climb up his ladder and disappear into his tree house.
 
“Yes they are, showing this much kindness toward each other,” said Spryte as she watched Saria walk toward her house, “I can tell they missed each other a lot, Saria especially.”
 
“And Link too,” Navi added.
 
“But, they are best friends, you know. They’re usually very kind to one another. And though kindness comes second-nature to Saria, she’s always been particularly kind to Link,” said Spryte.
 
“It’s because Link’s different from the other Kokiri,” said Navi, “She showed kindness to him when others like Mido showed only spite. And he too is very kind and extraordinarily thoughtful of others. He even spent two years away from his best friend, and painstakingly so, just to look for me. I can see how Link and Saria became the best of friends. They really do share a special bond.”
 
“And with Link back home after being away for so long, and they two of them growing up together, I’m sure they’ll rekindle their bonds in many more special ways,” said Spryte.
 
“I think they already are,” Navi commented.
 
“Yeah, perhaps,” Spryte agreed, “Our dears are still children, and in many ways are still so innocent. But, they are growing up now, and are both becoming mature beyond their apparent ages. One day, our dears... one day.”
 
“That day may be coming sooner than we think,” said Navi.
 
“Perhaps. We’ll see,” said Spryte, “Good night, Navi.”
 
“Good night, Spryte,” said Navi.
 
And the two fairies separated and rejoined their children as they both entered the dreaming world.
 
end of chapter 4
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Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda and its characters ain't mine, but belong to Nintendo and the various creators and directors of each of the games. So, please don't sue me. I'm just a lonely man who ain't got anything but his pride. Well, y'all enjoy this fanfic and review.

Have fun Zelda fans,
Viper Inferno
(Y2V)

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