Earth 0
Time: 0:00
Location: Smash Mansion
Link was running, running, running. He was running as fast as he can, but he cannot escape…whatever it was that was chasing him. He did not know where he was, or where he was going, all he had to do was escape that thing. That force. He looked back only to see a shadow perusing him. He heard a laugh. An all too familiar laugh of Ganondorf. He looked down at his leg only feel his heart leap into his mouth as he saw the shadow had somehow infected him. Link ran faster, and faster. But no matter what the infection spread. He felt the laughs of Ganondorf get louder and louder until he realized that it was him that was laughing. He looked down just in time to see the shadow completely infect him and…
Link woke up. Hours ago, he felt as if he didn't have enough energy to even lift a piece of paper. But now he felt as if he had enough energy to run around the entire world ten times over and arrive just in time for tea.
He had had the dream again.
Giving up on sleeping, and thinking that he needs a cup of tea, Link pulled himself out of his bed and walked out of his room, trying not to wake his roommate, Cloud up.
Link walked down the fancy hallways that is the Smash Mansion that was made by Master Hand and Crazy Hand as a thank you present after the Subspace incident. However, most of the villains (for obvious reasons) had chosen not to live there, save for some of the minor ones like Wolf and Wario.
Finally reaching the kitchen, he was surprised to see Mario, Sonic, Fox and Samus sitting there having a midnight snack.
"Oh, a…hello Link. How are you doing?" Mario said in his usual jolly tone
Link said nothing as he opened up a cabinet to get a tea bag and a bag of sugar.
"Do you want to eat with us?" Fox asked, as Link filled up a tiny kettle. Link paused for a moment and then nodded. Not willing to talk unless if he had to.
"How are you feeling today Link?" Samus said as she offered Link some chips, which Link declined.
"Alright" Link mumbled. "Just a lot in my mind lately."
"Bad dreams?" Sonic said looking Link straight into his eye.
Link blinked rapidly as if trying to wipe that memory out of his face, but he knew that it could not be avoided.
"How did you know?" Link asked in a forced casual tone
"You're talking to someone who's friends with a jester who can enter people's dreams" Sonic said
"You shouldn't be ashamed to admit it Link" Samus said in a motherly tone, as she tried to pat Link on the back, which Link rejected. "I mean, the 4 of us have fears too. Like, I'm afraid of Ridley"
"And I'm a…afraid of Bowser" Mario said
"I'm afraid of drowning" Sonic said
"I'm afraid of loosing Krystal and my friends" Fox said
"We all are afraid of something Link," Mario said in a fatherly tone, "so there is no need for you to keep it under a mask"
Link said nothing during all of this, trying to suppress the image of the shadow devouring him up.
"Anyway. How was your week?" Fox said, trying to steer the topic into away from an uncomfortable situation.
"Fine." Mario said "Nothing much. Bowser isn't getting involved with Peach anymore and the most stressful thing I had to deal with is stopping a bank robbery."
"Samus, Falco and I did a minor space delivery service," Fox said "Nothing too serious, mainly just delivering cargo and doing a reconnaissance missions. Wolf did help us out with an incident with Ridley"
"Shadow, Silver, Tails, Knuckles, Blaze, Amy and I had to deal with Eggman trying to steal the chaos emeralds again." Sonic said "He said that he was going to 'explore the multiverse for help to defeat me' but we put an end to that"
Everyone then turned to Link expecting him to say something. However, Link just stared at his tea, not willing to say anything.
"Link, it's alright if you don't want to say anything." Samus said calmly "But if you want to talk, our doors are open."
Link again said nothing. He merely just shrugged.
"Anyway. There are many people here, who you can talk to if you have any problems." Fox said "and all of us had experience with many things so…"
"Sonic and Samus." Link said suddenly, without even realizing what he was saying
"Excuse me?" Sonic said confused.
"Those are the two I think, would know" Link said talking more to himself than 4 of his friends.
Mario and Fox both looked at one another and left the room, respecting Link's wishes. Sonic and Samus both stared at Link, expecting him to say something.
"Samus, Sonic…" Link said, now regretting saying anything "…you know your experience…with your…'evil self'?"
Samus and Sonic made a face as if they had eaten a stew made from something found in a sewer. "You mean Dark Samus and Scourge?" Sonic said in an overly restrained voice
Link nodded.
"Let me guess." Samus said "You dreamt that you were becoming Dark Link?"
Link both nodded and shook his head. "Well…I was becoming him…and Ganondorf."
Sonic and Samus looked at one another, then looked back at Link.
"Link. You have nothing to be afraid of." Samus said
"Anyway you are the bravest man I ever met" Sonic said "I promise you that you will never be like Dark Link or Ganondorf"
Link said nothing. Unwilling to continue on with the conversation.
He didn't know how soon his nightmares would become a reality.