VISIONS.

Zelda followed her new husband down to the throne room, where he hopped into the throne that used to belong to her father. The once red throne with gold velvet seats were now black with purple velvet seats. Vaati hopped into the bigger throne and pointed for Zelda to sit in hers, which had also changed colors. The throne had been her mother's, but was given to her when the Queen passed away due to a fatal illness when Zelda was only five years old. She used to love sitting on her mother's throne next to her father and watch him do his kingly work. She used to willingly run up to the throne and fidget excitedly until she learned at age eight that it was no longer appropriate.

She hesitantly sat on the throne and almost immediately began to fidget, but not from excitement this time. She was fidgeting uncomfortably, not because of the throne but because she was afraid what would happen to her now. The castle was filled with evil like she'd only seen once before, when Ganondorf took over and she'd gone into hiding as a man named Sheik to escape his pursuit. The feeling of confidence she'd had earlier that night when she foolishly jumped off the roof to her near death had vanished, and it was replaced with hatred for Vaati, along with fear.

A vision of Link's coffin crossed her mind and she knew she had to go back. She felt like getting up and running there right now, but she didn't know what would happen to her if she did that. She felt Vaati look over at her and he seemed to read her mind.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Zelda," he said. "Unless you do what I forbid done or go where I forbid gone to."

"And… what and where are those things you forbid?" asked Zelda quietly.

"You may not change the appearance of the castle in any way," Vaati began. "Or whatever is inside the castle. You may not change any rules of the world without consulting me first. You may not communicate with anyone but me, and you may only communicate with me if you have anything you'd like to change, but make sure it is something worth my time, or if I speak to you first. You also may not rid any of the monsters patrolling the castle from the grounds. If they attack you, show them the ring on your finger. They will eventually get the picture and stop."

"And where I'm not allowed to go?" She was biting her nails in nervousness, hoping to the goddesses she would not be forbidden to visit the Royal Family's Tomb.

"You may not leave the castle grounds without my permission. You are not allowed to follow me to where I go unless I say otherwise. If I have given you permission to leave the castle grounds, you are not allowed to leave Hyrule or try to run away, because I will find you and hurt you. You are allowed to visit Kakariko Village's Graveyard, but not the Royal Family's Tomb." Zelda's heart sank. "And also… you are never, under any circumstances, to go to the Dark Dungeon, which is the one farthest underground. The dungeon is heavily guarded by my minions and if they see you try to enter, you will be taken to a cell in a higher level and will stay there until I have them release you."

Curiosity crept up her spine, but it took all her willpower to stay put and not start running to the Dark Dungeon. But she did ask, "Why am I not allowed? I went in there all the time as a child…"

"When it was filled with deadly things and people that would kill you with one look at you?" Vaati asked. "I don't think so. You are forbidden from going down there merely because I say so. It is none of your business whatsoever what is down there."

Zelda knew she had to get down there, as she was always a rule breaker and the most curious girl in Hyrule. She knew a secret passageway down there as the dungeons were guarded by the Royal Guards and would never allow her down there. But she was still afraid of what would happen.

"My minions will be guarding every place you are forbidden to go, therefore keeping you safe here with me." Vaati gave her a smile that she immediately knew was fake. "I'm sorry, dear Zelda, but I just want the best for you."

"But… then what can I do?" she questioned.

"Oh, I don't know…" He paused, then said, "You can stand around and look pretty."

Zelda's mouth dropped open. "That's all I can do? Just 'stand around and look pretty'!" She stood up and walked around the room. "What kind of idiot would spend their whole day standing around looking pretty! What do you take me for, some kind of " She stopped herself and stood still. She knew she'd blown it, and that she'd get sent to the dungeons for a month or two.

Vaati slipped off his throne and slowly walked up to her. His shadow loomed over her and he stopped walking when he was close enough for Zelda to feel his hot breath against her face. Beads of sweat trickled down her face as he said, "You know, Zelda… I don't particularly like people with smart mouths… I often send them to die…" She gulped in fear. "But you are my queen… so I shall spare you…" She breathed out a sigh of relief. "This time. Don't backtalk me again, or I might not be so generous to spare your life next time… Do you understand me?" She nodded fearfully, her blue eyes wide. "Good. Now… you must be very tired. I know I am." He called for Iskot, who came and bowed to Vaati. "Take her to her new room to sleep. I bid you goodnight."

"Well, thanks, Boss," Iskot said. "Goodnight to you, too."

Vaati sighed. "I was talking to Zelda."

"Oh." He turned slightly in embarrassment, but then it vanished. "Well, goodnight anyway." Vaati turned and left. "Come with me," said Iskot to Zelda. She nodded and followed him down a hallway and up a staircase. They walked down another hallway to a door that was guarded by a Stalfos. It saw Zelda and lifted it's sword, but Iskot muttered, "Show it the ring," to her and the Stalfos stopped just before it was about to strike her when she did. It growled but stepped aside, letting them pass through.

"Why do the monsters stop attacking when I show them the ring?" Zelda couldn't help asking as she looked over her shoulder at the Stalfos glaring at her as it moved back to guard the door.

"Because the ring is King Vaati's," Iskot grumbled. "He showed it to them all and put it on his finger. The monsters were not fully devoted to King Vaati at the time, as they'd been just taken out of Ganondorf's hand once the seven Sages sealed him away, thanks to you and that pathetic idiot in green." Zelda felt a sudden rush of anger and it took all her strength to keep herself from strangling Iskot. She was so offended by his comment about Link that she felt like grabbing a sword from the closest Stalfos and stabbing him to death. "Anyway," he continued, "Vaati took all the monsters that the kid hadn't destroyed right after Ganondorf was sealed away, and then he took them to his hiding place. He forced them to work for him instead in many ways, often actually carrying out the threats he used on them. Eventually he used the ring and when they attacked him even if he showed it, he'd kill them. They respond to that every time they see it. So long as you wear it, you can't be touched by any of them."

Zelda looked down at the ring on her finger. Something about it seemed to absorb her mind and it took extremely great effort to look away. She stuffed the hand with the ring in her pocket and tried not to look at it again as they kept walking.

Finally they reached the door to Zelda's room. It too was guarded by a monster, this time a white Iron Knuckle. It took it's ax and started to swing it but Zelda showed it the ring. It dropped the ax and stepped aside. She followed Iskot into the room and gasped. It was the original room she'd had all her life, only it was now dark colored and filled with evil. Iskot muttered something and left.

Zelda sat on her bed. It was one of those big beds in a semi-circle, with the flat side against the wall, where her head would go, and a large see-through canopy that surrounded the bed and came down from the ceiling very high up, but also had a thicker canopy with it like a 'curtain' for privacy. The bed had once been colorful with light purples and pinks and quite a bit of white. The bedpost in the back by the wall had once had three golden triangles on it to resemble the Triforce. The bed was now gray and black and dark, dark violet, and the Triforce on the bedpost was black.

The once bright and colorful room was now dark and dead. Zelda pulled the thick canopy curtain over the thin one and crawled under the blankets. She rested her head on the pillow, closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Eventually she fell asleep after an hour of tossing and turning, but sleep was not pleasurable either. Her sleep was filled with nightmares and dark visions of what would become if she didn't do something about Vaati's reign…

She was walking down a dark corridor, when she found the dungeon door guarded by a Stalfos. She walked around and felt against the wall, till she found her secret loose stone. She looked around, saw the coast was clear, and pushed it in. A small doorway opened. She hurried in and closed it. As soon as the door closed, she took a torch and walked down the stairs. The farther into the dungeons she went, the closer she got to breaking down and running out. She heard faint voices and hurried toward it, but something hit her and she dropped down to the ground. The torch fell out of her hands and monstrous hands reached down to her. Vaati walked through the door and shook his head and then everything went dark…

Zelda sat up straight, sweating feverishly, trying hard not to scream. Panting, she looked over at the window. It was still dark out. She took in a few deep breaths and lied back down. She stared at the top of the canopy and tried to remember the dream, but the more she tried to remember it the more it slipped away. Finally she fell asleep again.

"Zelda… Zelda, you have to stop him, you have to stop Vaati…" said a voice.

"Who's there? Who are you?" she asked.

"Don't you recognize my voice?"

"No! Who are you? Where are you hiding!"

"Never mind, that's not important now. You'll find out eventually. Listen to me, Zelda. You have to conquer Vaati and take over before it's too late! If you don't succeed in this task by the next full moon, Vaati will be unstoppable! That gives you a month. But the sooner you do this, the better!"

"What's he planning to do?"

"I can't say that here. You need to meet me in the Dark Dungeon as soon as possible. I'll explain everything there."

"The Dark Dungeon! There's no way I'm going down there!"

"You have to, Zelda. It's the only way. You're going to wake up soon, but before I forget, let me add this very quickly: he's not gone!"

"Who's not gone? Vaati? I know that!" The voice didn't respond. "Wait, where'd you go! Can I at least have a name!" But everything faded away. Zelda called out again but still got no reply.

The princess awoke again. After a while, she opened the canopy slightly, only to be swallowed by bright sunlight. She closed it again and the light faded. Surrounded in the darkness of her bed, she thought over the dream, which in moments, she couldn't remember, just like the first dream. But the voice of the person echoed through her head, saying her name. She tried to think about who it belonged to, but it vanished as soon as she began trying.

She finally gave up. She stood up and got dressed into clean attire. Then she sat on her windowsill and waited. She didn't know what or who for, or why, and she didn't particularly care, yet it mattered completely. She just sat and waited for the answer to come.