Aeris bolted upright in bed choking back the scream that threatened to fall from her lips. She scanned the room desperately searching for something, unsure of where she was or what was happening, the dream that had woken her quickly fading from her mind left her dazed.

Her anxiety calmed as she spotted Ganondorf bent over his desk, he held a piece of paper in his hand and was furiously writing on another. He was mumbling to himself as he worked, his hair was thrown over his shoulder in a single thick ponytail. She sighed lightly as she realized she was at home safely tucked into their bed.

Aeris slipped out of the bed and padded across the room and wrapped her arms around Ganondorf's shoulders, letting his presence and the warmth of his body calm her. "What are you doing?"

Ganondorf sat his quill down and leaned back into her. "I couldn't sleep." Aeris kissed his temple lightly, "There's talk of the war ending soon. I want to have trade agreements ready for when it does."

"Trade routes can wait until morning, come back to bed," An overwhelming sense of deja vu washed over her as she gently pulled him from his chair and led him back to their shared bed.

He wrapped his arms around her as they laid back on the soft surface, the blankets enveloping them in warmth. Aeris tucked herself tightly against his chest her head rising and falling with his breathing. "Koume and Kotake need me to oversee something at the colossus tomorrow,"

Anxiety flooded her again and she gripped his robes in her fists. "Do you have to?" For some reason the thought of him being alone with the twins terrified her. "How many times have you gone this month? What do you even do out there?"

Ganondorf kissed the top of Aeris' head, "Nothing important,"

Aeris groaned, "Please don't go," She was shaking slightly as she pleaded with him. "Just this once,"

He shifted them so he could down at her. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know," She buried her face into his chest. "I had a strange dream," But something was screaming at her that it hadn't been a dream. She looked down at herself, she was young, barely eighteen but she felt so much older.

"If you wish for me to stay I will," He pulled her closer to him.

She rested comfortably against his side. "Thank you,"

They laid together in a comfortable silence until she felt his breathing slow, she smiled softly glad that he was getting some much needed rest. She let the rhythm of his breathing lul her into a sense of ease and eventually into a light slumber.

Something nudged her foot drawing her to the brink of consciousness. She grumbled lightly and kicked her foot sending whoever was trying to wake her away.

A low bleating sound filled her ears and her foot was nudged again. She groaned and opened her eyes, prepared to send the offending Gerudo away but froze as her vision was filled with hues of blue and green.

A gentle cool breeze danced through the branches of the tree above her as she sat up, running her fingers through the lush grass she had been laying on. A large furry form stood near her feet nibbling on the laces of her leather boots.

"Go-Go?" The goat looked up at her, blinked once and returned to her shoe laces. She reached out and softly ran her fingers over the goat's head and around his horns.

She tried to remember if goats were supposed to be this large. She looked at her hand against his horn, it was small, her fingers were shorter than she remembered and her palm barely covered the top of his head.

The goat bleated as she rose to her feet, his head came to just below her chest and he nudged her pockets looking for treats.

She was wearing a simple brown dress with a white apron tied around her waist. The amount of fabric covering her skin made her itch. She dug through the apron's pocket and pulled out a small oatcake just like the ones she fed the goats as a child.

"Oh my darling girl," She turned suddenly at the feminine voice behind her.

Tears began bubbling in her eyes as she came face to face with her mother. "Mama?"

Her mother opened her arms and Aeris crashed into them, soaking in the scent of lavender and freshly baked bread. "Oh how I've missed you," Ahia's voice was just as gentle as Aeris remembered it. "Let me look at you,"

Aeris pulled back from the crushing hug and no longer had to look up at her mother. Ahia tucked a strand of Aeris' hair behind her ear and smiled. "My beautiful girl is all grown up,"

She glanced down and saw the familiar red and white of her wedding attire. She struggled for words as she looked back into her mother's eyes.

In life Ahia had been a beautiful woman, but in death she was radiant. No longer plagued by her worldly worries, the lines on her face were gone and light sparkled behind her green eyes. "Mama I—"

Ahia shushed her daughter and smiled. "You don't have to say anything darling," She gripped Aeris face in both hands. "From the moment you asked about the Gerudo King's well being I knew in my heart you were destined for more than the life of a farm girl," A tear slipped from her eye. "I just didn't know that you would suffer so,"

Aeris wiped the tear from her mother's cheek. "But Mama, I haven't suffered. The Gerudo welcomed me with open arms, just as you said they would," She smiled softly. "Ganondorf made me his queen,"

"Oh but you have baby girl," Ahia sighed. "Think hard about your dream,"

Aeris stepped back. "My dream?"

Her mother nodded. "A dream it maybe be, for now, but if you allow it to do so it will become very real,"

Aeris trembled as she recalled the cruel smile on Ganondorf's face as he brought his blade down on the king of Hyrule's neck, her own soul crushing screams as she cried for a child she would never hold, the look of betrayal on a boy in green's face as she drove her dagger into his ribs.

"I'm so sorry my darling girl," Ahia pulled Aeris into a crushing embrace. "I wish I could take the pain away,"

"What do I do?" Aeris choked back a sob. " I already failed once,"

Ahia gripped Aeris' head to her chest. "Follow your heart it will not lead you astray and know that there is one close to you who understands, she will help guide you,"

"Nabooru?" An image of Nabooru dressed in white surrounded by citrine light filled her mind.

"I wish I could tell you more, but I'm running out of time," Aeris gripped her mother tighter. She wanted to kick and scream like she had as a child, begging her mother to stay. "Know that I love you and I am always with you," Ahia kissed the top of Aeris' head.

"I love you too, Mama," Her skirt was tugged lightly and she looked down at her childhood companion. "And I love you Go-Go," The goat bleated mournfully.

"Now go, be bold and be brave,"

A gentle ray of sunlight roused Aeris and she smiled against the familiar warmth wrapped around her.

Ganondorf was still beside her snoring softly. She slowly listed his arm and slipped out of his grasp careful not to disturb him.

Once she was free she padded across the room and opened her jewelry box. She lifted a small bundle of cloth from the bottom and unwrapped it letting the green pendant and silver chain fall into her open palm.

"I won't let you have him," She didn't know if the witches could hear her but she said it anyway before wrapping it tightly back into the fabric and slipping out of the room.

She stopped the first guard she came across and handed the wrapped necklace to her. "I want you to take this into the wastes and bury it as deeply in the sands as you can, or tie a rock to it and throw it into the deepest oasis pool you can find. I want it gone and never seen again," She paused before handing the bundle over. "Whatever you do, do not touch it with your bare hands,"

The guard bowed. "As you wish my Queen,"

"Go now, I will tell Sovak to have someone replace you for this rotation," She watched as the guard scurried off, thrilled to have a personal mission from the Queen.

A quick trip to the barracks and then she would head to the kitchens, he wouldn't question where she had been if she returned with breakfast.

As she moved through the halls of the awakening fortress she prayed to whatever deity would listen for guidance, hoping that one of them would tell her she was doing the right thing.

A/N: The first chapter of the Wind Wake sequel is up and can be found here: s/13470764/1/On-Cursed-Winds