As I flew I saw a stone tower standing below the clouds. It was surrounded by large, green plains and a jade forest. Was this where Link is to be born again? Shall I too be born here?

I decided to go to the tower and see if I could find someone to guide me. The owl had told me nothing about how exactly I was to awaken the fairies. Where were they? Who was this Evil Man I had to stop?

As I flew I saw that the tower was part of a large castle. There were guards all around, with spears and shield, standing in position. And beautiful fountains, whose water reflected the vivid sunlight. At the centre was a garden teeming with an array of gorgeous flowers. They had every colour and shape. A yellow, tulip-like one. Hundreds of tiny daisies. An enormous lavender-like plant with over a dozen petals. How I wanted to sing here! I could enchant all of Hyrule.

I flew down and saw a woman; an amazing, royal-looking one. She was wearing a violet overcoat, on which were gold brooches brighter than anything we had on Koholint. I felt that her soul was pure, and desired to sing for her. As she stood, admiring the vibrant garden, I perched on a hedge behind her and sang the Ballad of the Wind Fish.

I'm not sure how I sounded, if it was any good. I wanted to be a seagull so I could fly and sing to everyone, but I had no idea what a seagull singing is actually like. Maybe I should have instead wished to be a nightingale or a robin!

The woman turned and saw me. She smiled, and I kept on singing. She took something out of her coat. It was an ocarina, like what Link had back on the island. She started playing, and together our music lifted me to the beyond. Our song, I would say, awakened me. To understand it, close your eyes and feel the deepest love you have inside of you. The love which has been there always. See it in front of you, like a white and yellow gold light filling everywhere. With peace. With freedom. With a knowledge that you'll never finally die.

Then, I do not know how, my seagull body dissolved, and I was Marin again. I had on me the blue dress I wore back in the village. My height returned. Although I'm small, I'm surely bigger than a seagull!

The woman then spoke to me. Her voice was one of those very proper voices, not like how we used to talk back on the island. She was somebody important, but I could also tell that she cared for me.

"Greetings from the people of Hyrule. I am Princess Zelda, only daughter of the King. Your singing is delightful."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Was it Your Highness? Your Majesty? Princess? I tried to sound polite and say the right thing, but we had no royals in the village so I never learned the correct words. "I am glad Your Highness is pleased. I came away from my home to sing to people, and all I want is to bring them happiness."

"You are doing very well. My dear father would like it I am sure, even though the musical gifts in the family seem to have skipped his generation. What is your name?"

"Marin, Your Highness. I… I come from an island called Koholint. Yesterday it vanished, and I am the only one who didn't vanish with it. Well, actually, I think maybe there's a boy who made it out as well."

"Tell me, Marin. Did this boy wear a green tunic, and was he carrying a sword and shield?"

"YES! Have you seen him? I am desperate to meet him again."

"We have a long, long history together. Throughout time we are both born to protect the world. He is the Hero and I am the ruler."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Not anymore. He freed this land of Hyrule from the Evil Man then left for a sea voyage. That is the last we know."

"He was shipwrecked on Koholint island. I found him and took care of him. Then he destroyed the monsters which controlled us, and the island disappeared. I haven't seen him since."

"I believe he has gone to other lands to seek new adventures. But I expected you. I have dreams which tell of the future. And in my dream there was a dungeon. In this dungeon a thousand beautiful butterflies were imprisoned. A huge pig covered the dungeon, growling at anyone who wanted to enter. He had horns to frighten off those who tried to pass. But then a bird came, singing a song which caused the pig to sleep. The dungeon opened, and all the butterflies left. When you came now, you sang the same song which the bird sang in my dream."

"It is called the Ballad of the Wind Fish. I have sang it my whole life, as I can remember."

"That song has a great power, Marin. Songs in this world possess magic. The right notes can awaken, bind, loose, and heal. It is something very precious, your singing. Use it well."

"Tell me how. All I want is to find Link again."

"There is a dark underworld to Hyrule. There, I am sure, must lie the evil I saw in my dream, but also the light that is trapped beneath. You must go to the catacombs beneath this castle. There you shall find everything I dreamed of."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Before you go, I will teach you a song. This is called the Hyrulean Anthem of Protection. We call upon it when we need to be safe from danger. Listen."

The Princess played on her ocarina, and I copied with my voice. Its melody was so lively that it stirred me to sing loudly; with a fast tempo that made all my body involve itself in music. I felt guarded. To my mind Link was present: his shield was before me and as I sang his sword was fighting ahead of me.

It was a long while before we stopped, but eventually the Princess put down her ocarina. "I've run out of breath, out of energy," she said.

"I love that song. We need to sing it again!"

"We shall, by the grace of Farore. Now, I must lead you to the catacombs. There lie, sleeping, those who wait for you."

The Princess took me through the castle. How much better was this than my house in the village! The walls were huge, chalk-white stone. The windows were covered with stained-glass pictures of kings, princesses, goddesses and fairies. We walked on a comfortable, smooth carpet. It was red, and looked royal. Back home we had just the bare wooden floor.

There were steps to the catacombs. A small stairway with no carpet. Down we went and got to a wooden door with no keyhole or handle.

"This door is sealed by the power of Hylia," said the Princess. "We invoke her in our spells to open and fasten the way to the underworld. If you are meant to undertake this quest, Hylia has already granted you the method to enter."

I sang the Ballad of the Wind Fish. It is my song, what brought me from the island, what flew me here. It is what will, I pray, bring me to Link.

The door opened forwards. As far as I could see there was darkness. "Be safe, Marin" the Princess told me. "All the blessings of the Goddesses are upon you. Come back and sing with me again."

"I will, Your Highness."

Then she hugged me. I'm an only child, but this was the embrace of a dear sister. I didn't want to cry in front of royalty, but I'm sure I was teary when I said "Goodbye Your Highness. I love you and promise to come back to you."

Then I turned to the catacombs and stepped through the door. It closed as I walked in. There was no light anywhere. What's there to see in all this blackness? I tried to find a wall to hold fast to. But nothing. Only the door behind me was solid. What's here? The dark.