Okay, everyone-don't worry about who relates to whatever Zelda character. I've got it planned out already. Oh, and the Ruto thing. . . *rubs back of neck sheepishly* it was just some randomness that I thought would be funny. She's not going to play a major part . . . heck that scene was probably her last appearance. No offense, but I rather dislike Ruto. She scares me, really, she does.

I come to slowly, listening to a gentle voice murmur something above me. I open my eyes, but all I can make out are distant shapes. Something stops moving and then something else starts.

Sweet Nayru, am I confused.

The shapes come into focus, and I see a pair of deep blue eyes staring into my own.

So I do what any normal kid in this situation would do.

"AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!"

There's a girlish shriek and the eyes move away. I sit up quickly, but realize that was a mistake as my head starts pounding and I fall back down onto what feels like a really comfortable bed. I roll to one side, ignoring the wave of nausea that overwhelms me, and I see some sort of room. There's a girl with long blonde hair and . . . hold on. . . that's a pink dress. She's obviously a princess. Cheesy Halloween costumes. Anyway, she's shaking her head. She pauses, and I feel myself grinning sheepishly as I realize that I've startled her.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I didn't realize you were . . . human." Sounds like a bad thing to say, but after the vine-things, who knows anymore. Hang on . . . the vine-things.

Skye and Kenya! They're not safe!

I try to get up, but am pushed down by two pink-gloved hands.

"You're staying down until I'm sure you're all right," says a female voice. I look up into the same blue eyes as before, except this time I can see clearly and they're framed by blonde hair. I sit up carefully, and receive a slap to the face. "You had me worried, Link!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I say, looking the girl over. "What's going on? How do you know my name?" The girl smiles.

"Ah, yes, I should've known that you wouldn't remember," she says. "A spirit represses its memories every time it reincarnates." I take a moment to sort that sentence out. Then I realize I know what she's talking about. Spirits don't lose memories, they repress them so that they can live a new life without any regret of the past . . . you know, just stuff like that.

"So you mean you're someone I knew in my past life?" I look up at her. Now that I think about it, there weren't any costumes like the dress she has on at the stores, and she just looks so natural in it. . . .

"Yes and no," she says in reply to my question. "I am Zelda, or at least it's what I like to think." I tilt my head in interest, wanting her to continue. "Rather, I am the part of the spirit that contains the repressed memories of the current Zelda." Once again, I have to take a moment to work out what she said.

"So why aren't you with the current Zelda then?" I ask. "Why are you here-wherever we are-taking care of me?" I don't know if she was taking care of me, but it seemed like she was. She said she was worried about me, after all. I see Zelda's hands clench against the folds of her skirt.

"I don't know," she says. "Something must have happened to my current form, something enough to knock me out. If I were to merge with the rest of the spirit again, she might remember everything."

"Why would that be a bad thing?" I ask. "I always thought it would be cool if someone could remember things from their past life."

"There are many things that I regret," Zelda says. "Things that I could not have helped. It would just be better if she didn't know." She smiles at me. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Nope," I say.

"I keep forgetting you aren't the Link from long ago," she says. Now I'm interested. There was a Link way back whenever this Zelda is from? "Although . . . if there's something bad going on . . . then it wouldn't hurt you to regain the memories of the past. It's really up to you, though. Do you want to listen to what I have to tell you about your past life?" I open my mouth slightly. There's a chance that this could change my life forever . . . but that only happens in the movies, right?

I nod.


************* Somewhere else *************


"Master Ganon says that there should be nine." The voice came from the darkest corner of the room, where the outline of a female figure could just barely be seen sitting on a throne of some sort. "The six of the sage's have been scattered about Hyrule. Some have been discovered and put into jewelry shops, the others lay buried at the bottom of dangerous temples."

"What about the other three?" A creature with green, bubbling skin bowed to the figure in the corner, keeping its head down as it spoke. "Master Ganon's minions and I cannot find those."

"Don't be stupid, Jeak," the female figure snapped. "The last three are with those who hold the Triforce pieces." Jeak, the creature with the green, bubbling skin, looked up at her. Two fingers were intertwined in a delicate chain that supported a crystal stone with light blue veins running through it. "And as it so happens, we have a Triforce holder right here."


************ Now, back to Link (while the authoress feels like she's running a comedy act)


I sit, stunned, on the edge of the bed while Zelda paces. From what I gather, we're in the sacred realm of the sages.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I never should have offered that to you. I never should have told you."

But I can't hear her.

I was a hero?

The fabled Hero of Time?

That no one in my time has ever heard of?

"Of any of the stories that I've ever heard of old Hyrule," I say. I haven't heard many, but enough. "This one sounds the most absurd. The most unreal." Zelda stares at me with worry in her blue eyes while mumbling something about being sorry. "How do I know you're telling me the truth?" I turn to face her, my eyes blazing. "Hell, how do I even know this is real? This can't be real! This is some dream! I ate too much at the party!!"

"You're in denial," Zelda says calmly. I don't stop to wonder why she's suddenly changed the "I'm-so-sorry" mode, I just cover my ears with my hands and fall to the ground, tears in my eyes. "Something hurts." She kneels down next to me and wraps her arms around me."Tell me what hurts."

"My friends," I say, looking up at Zelda. "I think that Ganon guy you were talking about is coming back."

"Why?" Zelda whispers. "Why do you think that?"

"Because," I say. "My friends . . . Skye and Kenya. We were at a party when these vine-things attacked. I think they had something to do with Ganon, because I heard a voice. Something about, 'Who should Link save?'"

"Who did you save?"

"Neither," I say. "Something knocked me out while I was turning in circles. I don't know what happened to them." I feel Zelda put a hand under my chin. She's forcing me to look up at her. I see pity in her eyes.

"I'll help you," she says. "I can barely hold a form out of the sacred realm, because I'm just a spirit, but I'll help you find your friends." I look at her, my eyes wide with surprise.

"Why?" I ask. When she doesn't answer, I take a new route. "What can I do for you in return?" There's no answer again, just silence. "Zelda!" I get up and grab her by the shoulders, nearly shaking her in anger. "You can't just do something like this and not expect anything in return!"

"There is something you can do for me," she says. "Find the current Zelda, help me bond with her and help her regain her memories, and then help her defeat Ganon." I let go of Zelda's shoulders.

That's a lot to ask.

But yet I feel as if it's what I need to do.

"Deal," I tell Zelda, shaking her hand. "Now get us out of here. Even if this is a dream, we've got so much to do before I wake up." Zelda smiles and begins chanting. Our bodies glow with light and I see the sacred realm fading away, and my world fading in. Even as I look up to the sun that shines over Hyrule, I know.

This isn't a dream.

This is a shocking reality, and I need to keep up with it.

Because if I don't, it's gonna eat me alive.