I don't own the Legend of Zelda

For the next few days Link worked like a man possessed. He surrounded himself with ancient, leather bound books on dreams, ghosts, and a variety of other subjects. He read these religiously late into the night, until his candle became a little pool of melted wax and he collapsed from exhaustion. This recent behavioural change didn't go unnoticed by his fellow students, most of whom were convinced that he'd lost his mind. Zelda defended Link furiously, despite being the most concerned about his mental health.

"Link, are you sure you're ok?" She asked for the tenth time in a motherly hen sort of way as she sat on the end of his bed, which was the only available space in his now crowded room.

"I'm fine, honest." Link struggled to keep the irritation out of his voice as he reached for yet another book. His temper had gotten considerably shorter due to a lack of sleep and a loss of hope.

Zelda silently shook her head at her friend, she could tell by the dark rings around his eyes and the tone in his voice that he was anything but fine. She took a deep breath, as she tried to be patient with him. "Link, I'm worried. Everyone is. Why this sudden fixation on all this." She waved her hand at the desk and the floor, every square inch was covered in books. When he didn't respond she ploughed on. "Are you trying to make up for all the work you missed? You know my Father said that you don't need to worry about that. Or is it... is it something else? Something you're not telling me? Because you can tell me Link, I want to help." She looked him in the eye, concern written all over her face.

"Zelda, I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to. You just wouldn't understand." Even as the words left Link's mouth he knew that he'd made a mistake.

"Fine, I know when I'm not wanted." Zelda narrowed her eyes at him and turned to leave, her golden hair flying out behind her.

"Zelda, wait! I didn't mean it, I'm sorry." He grabbed her shoulder but she shook him off.

She paused at the door. "You know, I thought we were best friends. I thought we could tell each other anything. I guess I was wrong." She walked out without a backwards glance at Link, who stood by his desk, his hand still reached out towards her. He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. He decided to let her calm down a bit before he could run after her.

"Well done Link, you've managed to lose your best friend and you're still no closer to finding Ghirahim." He mumbled to himself bitterly as he sat at his desk again. He had hoped that by reading all these books he would find a paragraph, a sentence, anything about dreams that were somehow reality or people have who contacted others through their dreams. So far his search had proved fruitless but still he carried on. "It'll be in the next one." He told himself. "I'll find something in this next one." That thought was all that kept him going. "Where are you Ghirahim? I know you're out there somewhere." Link muttered to himself quietly as he drifted off to sleep.

The sky was blue and dotted with fluffy, white clouds, like cotton wool. The floor acted as a mirror, so you couldn't tell where the ground ended and the sky began. Link looked around carefully, he was alone. This place, despite it's innocent appearance, carried bad memories for him. This was where it had all happened, where he fought Demise, where he saw Ghirahim's blade shatter into a million pieces along with his heart. This was where it all ended.

"It's a tragedy, isn't it?" Link turned at the sound of the voice; Ghirahim was behind him.

Ghirahim walked around Link as he spoke. "For such a magnificent blade, such as myself, to come to such an unfortunate end. To die in such a way, if I am dead that is."

Link's heart skipped a beat and for a moment relief and hope flooded his very being and threatened to consume him. "And are you?" He asked, attempting to sound calm but still excitement crept into his voice.

"I don't know, am I?" Ghirahim asked with a smirk, obviously enjoying toying with Link.

"I think...no, I know you're not really dead, are you? You can't be a figment of my imagination. You just can't be, you're too real." Link replied, seeking reassurance as he touched the purpley-black mark on his neck from a few nights ago.

Ghirahim smiled and tossed his snow white hair out of his eye, only for it to fall back into place again. "Ah, I see you're referring to my little gift as proof of my existence." He snapped his fingers and was instantly in front of Link. Link's heart beat increased rapidly as Ghirahim inched his face closer to Link's before their lips almost met but he clicked his fingers again and was gone.

"You want me to find you, right? The real you?" Link asked the thin air and his voice was once again laced with excitement but also slight desperation.

Ghirahim returned, just behind Link and he grabbed him by the shoulders, his fingers digging in to Link's flesh.

"The real question is why do I want you to find me? Maybe I want the same as you, to be happy, together or perhaps." Ghirahim leaned in closer to Link's ear and dropped his voice to a sinister whisper. "Or perhaps I want revenge and I'm leading you, like a fly to a spider's web, to your death. Inching you ever closer." He licked Link's ear and laughed. His laugh echoed around the room, which was gradually getting darker and darker until it was completely black and suddenly Link was falling down, down. Ghirahim was gone now but his voice still rung in Link's ears. "Either way if you want to find me, you won't get much help from those books of yours. Such a waste of precious time."

With a jerk Link woke up, his face pressed against his book, his forehead covered in sweat. Feeling even more lost than before he picked himself up and went to find Zelda. Perhaps it was time to confide in her, he was getting no where on his own and as Ghirahim had said he had wasted his time so far.

He eventually found her on the surface, on top of the Goddess statue. She sat hugging her knees, her eyes shut tight as tears delicately dripped down her face. Link jumped off his loftwing and landed smoothly beside her, but she didn't seem to acknowledge his presence. He sat down next to her and after a minute of silence he spoke softly to her.

"Zelda, I'm sorry. I was wrong and I know you were just worried about me. I shouldn't have pushed you away. I was a bad friend." He bowed his head in shame.

Zelda wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "It's ok, I forgive you and I'm sorry too for pressing you. I do understand how you feel. It's been hard on you, with what you having to be the hero and the loss of Impa and Fi. Just don't forget that you're not the only one who's feeling this way. You don't have to do everything alone."

Link looked up as Zelda turns and smiled reassuringly at him. Link smiled back gratefully and decided that he can trust her. All of a sudden the words came tumbling out as he explained everything to her; how after Ghirahim's death it felt like the world had ended, about the dreams he had been having in the past 2 months since Demise's defeat and, most importantly, his firm belief that Ghirahim was still alive. When he had finished Link felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from him. He looked at Zelda, who had remained silent during his explanation, waiting for (and slightly fearful of) her reaction.

"Oh Link, why didn't you tell me about these dreams sooner?" She shook her head sadly as Link shrugged. Unexpectedly, Zelda clasped Link's hand with her own. "I don't know if... you should get your hopes up." She spoke delicately. "But if Ghirahim is alive then I'll help you find him."

"You will?" Link could hardly believe his ears, Zelda believed him and was willing to help, it was like a dream come true.

Zelda gently squeezed her best friend's hand. "Of course, that's what friends are for."