It was morning. Cuckoos could be heard in the distance as the sun
poked its face over the hills. Link slid out of bed, replaced his tunic
over his body, and climbed down from his tree-top home. The forest air
felt fresh this morning; it almost revived the troubled sleeper. The other
Kokiri greeted Link warmly and welcomed him home. They didn't seem to mind
Link was growing up. Perhaps they just knew him as an old friend, perhaps
it was Saria's influence. Ahh, Saria. Link was glad she didn't have to be
sacrificed to save the forest. Because of the way time worked, she was
free to roam the forest without being confined to the temple. That is
where she was now; she did not know that Link was back home. Link had
little time to speak of homecomings anyway. He was frightened by the dream
and needed to speak with someone wiser.
Link exited the forest. There he found Epona, freshly awakened and munching on some grass for breakfast. He mounted the horse and rode quickly towards the castle. When Link arrived at the castle, he was allowed entrance without incident. Because of their connection with the Ganon incident, Zelda and he had remained friends. Link often came to visit the princess, more so than with anyone else. Each time the town buzzed with rumors that the green-clothed boy might be a suitor, but Link never put any thought into holding a romantic relationship with her. Sometimes he thought he caught a tone in her voice or a glance from her that alluded that she might not feel the same way. It wouldn't be surprising; he did save her life after all.
Link entered the courtyard. There he found Zelda, tending the flowers and enjoying the cool breeze, standing with her back to him. Link took a few steps forward, but Zelda sensed his approach before he had a chance to speak.
"So you felt it too, did you?" she said.
"Felt what?"
"You know. The dream last night."
"Did... you have it too?"
"Yes, although I doubt our dreams were identical. Explain yours to me."
Link recalled his dream and told her. She listened intently, as if trying to figure something out. After he finished, Zelda spoke.
"I see. I too saw the figure that looked like you...but I saw something else too. One that looked like me."
"What could all this mean?"
"Once before we had dreams like this on simultaneous nights. Do you remember, Link?"
"It was seven years ago, when we met, right?"
Zelda giggled. "I'm glad you remembered."
Link made a mental note. There was one of those moments. "I doubt I could forget that. But what does that have to do with anything?"
"Do you remember what happened in those dreams?"
"Let me think. Hmm.... oh yeah! You dreamt of Ganondorf taking over Hyrule and I dreamt of you fleeing the castle."
"And what happened after we met?"
"Um.... Ganondorf took over...I see what you're saying. Our dreams were omens."
"Exactly. I feel these characters will come into play very soon."
Link felt a rainbow of emotions. He didn't want the princess to be in any danger. He was excited that he would once again have a challenge. But most of all, his heart was heavy. He couldn't quite understand why, and his chest burned at the thought. Link clutched his tunic above his heart.
"Link? What's wrong?"
"Ugh. I have no idea. I suddenly don't feel very good. I think I should go."
"So soon? Why don't you stay a bit longer? I can brew up a drink that might help."
"Not today, I really should be going."
And with that, he left, leaving Zelda a bit upset. Passing through the town Link noticed something a little odd. The villagers almost seemed to cower away from him. He couldn't quite understand why, but his chest was throbbing now. He needed to get out.
He passed through the gates and neared his horse. As Link began to board the saddle, Epona whinnied and stepped back.
"Whoa girl, it's just me. What's wrong?"
Epona kicked at the ground and whinnied again, in a mix of fear and anger.
"What's gotten into you?"
Just then Link's mind reeled. He felt weak and like he was being torn apart. He noticed an unusual amount of cloud cover where clear skies rested just moments before right before his vision went black. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood. He felt as if he was struck by lightning and pushed his chest out. Link felt as if he had exploded, like a part of himself was leaving. It was.
His eyes opened long enough to see a twisting beam of light shoot out from his chest. At this, Epona bolted. The light spiraled in the air, finally touching a few feet in front of Link and began to take shape. The light zigzagged and melded, and Link noticed the shape of a person. The beam discontinued to erupt from Link's body as the remainder formed the figure's head. Details formed as Link began to recognize the figure: it was the one from the dream.
There it stood, a copy of Link himself. It was almost like looking in a mirror. The dream was correct: the face and body were exactly like Link's. The similarities about ended there. His hair was black as night and fell to the figure's shoulders. It wore a hat resembling Link's, but it also was jet black. The clothing was black as well, except for a golden triangle pointing down on the chest. The person wore a loose-fitting robe tied at the waist by a belt. The belt drew attention to itself; the buckle was a skull. Link noticed a matching skull on the tip of the handle on the figure's sword. Looking up the sword, it resembled the Master Sword, as if the sword had been perverted and disfigured into a tool of destruction. Replacing the wings on the Master Sword's hilt were two points, as if the hilt itself could be used for extra damage. The blade itself was black as well, except blacker than black. It almost absorbed the remaining light around it. The metal was sheen, smooth like onyx. The blade hummed as if it were forged by the tortured souls of thousands of monsters, finished and cooled in their blood.
Link winced at this mockery of himself. He could feel evil energies emanating from the stranger. So many questions swirled through his mind. He had not the time to ask any of them. The figure stood over the crippled hero, laughing, boasting. At once, he stopped and smashed the side of his blade against Link's temple, sending him to the ground unconscious.
Link exited the forest. There he found Epona, freshly awakened and munching on some grass for breakfast. He mounted the horse and rode quickly towards the castle. When Link arrived at the castle, he was allowed entrance without incident. Because of their connection with the Ganon incident, Zelda and he had remained friends. Link often came to visit the princess, more so than with anyone else. Each time the town buzzed with rumors that the green-clothed boy might be a suitor, but Link never put any thought into holding a romantic relationship with her. Sometimes he thought he caught a tone in her voice or a glance from her that alluded that she might not feel the same way. It wouldn't be surprising; he did save her life after all.
Link entered the courtyard. There he found Zelda, tending the flowers and enjoying the cool breeze, standing with her back to him. Link took a few steps forward, but Zelda sensed his approach before he had a chance to speak.
"So you felt it too, did you?" she said.
"Felt what?"
"You know. The dream last night."
"Did... you have it too?"
"Yes, although I doubt our dreams were identical. Explain yours to me."
Link recalled his dream and told her. She listened intently, as if trying to figure something out. After he finished, Zelda spoke.
"I see. I too saw the figure that looked like you...but I saw something else too. One that looked like me."
"What could all this mean?"
"Once before we had dreams like this on simultaneous nights. Do you remember, Link?"
"It was seven years ago, when we met, right?"
Zelda giggled. "I'm glad you remembered."
Link made a mental note. There was one of those moments. "I doubt I could forget that. But what does that have to do with anything?"
"Do you remember what happened in those dreams?"
"Let me think. Hmm.... oh yeah! You dreamt of Ganondorf taking over Hyrule and I dreamt of you fleeing the castle."
"And what happened after we met?"
"Um.... Ganondorf took over...I see what you're saying. Our dreams were omens."
"Exactly. I feel these characters will come into play very soon."
Link felt a rainbow of emotions. He didn't want the princess to be in any danger. He was excited that he would once again have a challenge. But most of all, his heart was heavy. He couldn't quite understand why, and his chest burned at the thought. Link clutched his tunic above his heart.
"Link? What's wrong?"
"Ugh. I have no idea. I suddenly don't feel very good. I think I should go."
"So soon? Why don't you stay a bit longer? I can brew up a drink that might help."
"Not today, I really should be going."
And with that, he left, leaving Zelda a bit upset. Passing through the town Link noticed something a little odd. The villagers almost seemed to cower away from him. He couldn't quite understand why, but his chest was throbbing now. He needed to get out.
He passed through the gates and neared his horse. As Link began to board the saddle, Epona whinnied and stepped back.
"Whoa girl, it's just me. What's wrong?"
Epona kicked at the ground and whinnied again, in a mix of fear and anger.
"What's gotten into you?"
Just then Link's mind reeled. He felt weak and like he was being torn apart. He noticed an unusual amount of cloud cover where clear skies rested just moments before right before his vision went black. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood. He felt as if he was struck by lightning and pushed his chest out. Link felt as if he had exploded, like a part of himself was leaving. It was.
His eyes opened long enough to see a twisting beam of light shoot out from his chest. At this, Epona bolted. The light spiraled in the air, finally touching a few feet in front of Link and began to take shape. The light zigzagged and melded, and Link noticed the shape of a person. The beam discontinued to erupt from Link's body as the remainder formed the figure's head. Details formed as Link began to recognize the figure: it was the one from the dream.
There it stood, a copy of Link himself. It was almost like looking in a mirror. The dream was correct: the face and body were exactly like Link's. The similarities about ended there. His hair was black as night and fell to the figure's shoulders. It wore a hat resembling Link's, but it also was jet black. The clothing was black as well, except for a golden triangle pointing down on the chest. The person wore a loose-fitting robe tied at the waist by a belt. The belt drew attention to itself; the buckle was a skull. Link noticed a matching skull on the tip of the handle on the figure's sword. Looking up the sword, it resembled the Master Sword, as if the sword had been perverted and disfigured into a tool of destruction. Replacing the wings on the Master Sword's hilt were two points, as if the hilt itself could be used for extra damage. The blade itself was black as well, except blacker than black. It almost absorbed the remaining light around it. The metal was sheen, smooth like onyx. The blade hummed as if it were forged by the tortured souls of thousands of monsters, finished and cooled in their blood.
Link winced at this mockery of himself. He could feel evil energies emanating from the stranger. So many questions swirled through his mind. He had not the time to ask any of them. The figure stood over the crippled hero, laughing, boasting. At once, he stopped and smashed the side of his blade against Link's temple, sending him to the ground unconscious.