The Fragile Flower

"Princess Zelda..."

She knew the voice immediately. Something in the scent of brimstone and the wild terror stirring in her chest made her sure that she must be back at the castle, on that day of the last battle. She vaguely knew she was dreaming, and that it was the same dream she'd had for the past few weeks, but in the haze reason abandoned her.

"You think you can run?" The menacing voice taunted, and she could feel her enemy's sneer. "Idiot. Just because you've got a new future doesn't mean you can escape your old past." She whirled, already knowing what she would see.

"Ganondorf!" She glared again at her old nemesis, and just like every night, strange words formed on her tongue.

The fragile flower opens in the snow,
You shall bow to the power you yet cannot name,
Words spoken in anger become a prophecy,
And the faith of a child shall put you to shame!

A strange look came over his face, full of terror and rage, but hiding something deeper. It was that look that always terrified her. Always, at that last moment, he looked so human...

"Princess Zelda..." he called again. She backed away, then turned and tried to run, but no matter where she turned he was in front of her, a kaleidoscope of leering golden eyes. Suddenly he convulsed, screaming in mortal agony, and faded into oblivion. And for an instant she pitied him.

His voice echoed in the darkness. "Princess..."

"Miss Zelda?"

The princess stirred, crying out in her sleep.

"Milady, wake up!" The handmaiden shook her violently. Zelda sat up with a startled gasp.

"We were quite worried, my lady!" one of the women said. "You were talking in your sleep..."

"Ah, it was nothing. Don't let it trouble you," Zelda reassured her. That dream again? If I didn't know better, I'd think... impossible! She shook her head, trying not to think about it. "But... Fragile flower? What does it mean?"

"I'd say it means bundle up, 'cause winter's coming," a sassy voice drawled, and Zelda realized she had spoken out loud.

"Ah, Ramina." Zelda smiled at her newly-hired waiting girl. The truth was that she didn't need another servant, but Ramina had come to her drenched and shivering on the coldest night of the year, in need of food and shelter, yet determined to earn her keep. That was Ramina... But pity aside, the girl's funny kind of wisdom intrigued Zelda.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, mostly to take her mind off of the dream.

"A flower's pretty, but I wouldn't be one for all the chickens in Kakariko," Ramina explained. "It's cause they've got to put everything out there in front of the world, all bright and pretty and vulnerable. Sure, it looks quite nice to a leaf, the life of a flower, but flowers are fragile, that's the reason they wither come winter. Only a real special sort of flower can open in the snow!"

"And I'm that flower?" Zelda asked dubiously as she fumbled in the dark for her clothes.

"You tell me."

Far away in the night, deep within a lush green forest, a young man's sleep was also troubled. Down, down he descended into the darkness, chasing forever the golden light that hovered ahead of him like a dancing firefly. At the quivering edge between waking and sleep, a voice called out to him.

From the world beyond skies

From the place at the heart of the world

From the heart where life begins you will find the Seed.

Link sat up suddenly, his blue eyes wild. The same vision again! Last time he'd had recurring dreams... Link shook his head. He thought it was all over after Termina! Couldn't a man get some peace?

"I'll greet my destiny in the morning," he muttered, turning over. Suddenly a brilliant crack of lightning split the skies, and angry thunder shook all of Kokiri Forest. "All right, all right! I'm going!" Link yelled at the sky. The storm quieted a bit. "Just when I think things are settling down! I was thinking I'd get a nice house out in the country, maybe get a few cows or cuccos, grow some beans, eat corn fritters for breakfast..." He continued muttering under his breath as he climbed down the ladder of his treehouse.

"Do you even know what fritters are, Aniki?" a boy's voice teased. Link blinked in surprise, and looked down... and down. He'd gotten so much taller than his friends over the years. Mido grinned up at him, apparently it made no difference to the Kokiri boy.

"Mido! What are you doing out at this hour of the night!"

"Bad dreams." The boy's eyes met his, and in a moment all was understood. Mido had grown up too, after all.

"Mido?" Link reached under his sheild.

"Yeah?"

"Here." Link lightly tossed the freckled boy the mystic treasure that he had kept so carefully guarded all these years. The blade gleamed in the silver moonlight as Mido turned it back and forth.

"The Kokiri Sword? Link, aren't you gonna need--"

"No. There's a certain sword I'm after." Determination sparked in Link's eyes; as much as he had enjoyed his peace he had always been an adventurer at heart.

"You're going, aren't you?" the boy realized.

"Yeah." Link paused, then said quietly, "Mido?"

"What?" Mido looked up at him, full of wonder but also visibly frightened.

"Take care of Saria for me."

AN:

"Aniki" is what Mido calls adult Link in the manga version of Zelda. It means something like "mister" or "big brother."