A veil of total darkness blanketed the entire kingdom of Hyrule. The only light that could be seen was coming from the top of Death Mountain, an area known as Spectacle Rock. It was encircled in a brilliant golden light, it's source being none other than the legendary Triforce. Among that golden light laid the battered and bruised body of Link, his body face-down in the dirt. His tunic was torn and tattered, and all over his body were various cuts, scrapes, and bruises. The very dirt underneath him had darkened from the blood pouring out of his numerous wounds.
Off in the distance Link could faintly hear the sounds of war. Though the distance from their source dampened the sounds considerably, Link knew those distinct sounds well. He could hear the metal upon metal of swords clashing, the shrill cries of pain and suffering, and the all too constant moans of death. These sounds were all too familiar to the Hylian hero, and no matter how hard he tried to drone them out and concentrate on his own predicament he found himself unable to. The sounds just pierced through the pitch black sky revealing to all of Hyrule that it was currently experiencing its fiercest and bloodiest conflict in history.
As Link laid there, willing his body to move with whatever strength he had left, a foot slammed into his side. It was followed by another, and another until Link had rolled over onto his back, immense pain shooting up from where Link suspected he had a few cracked ribs. Now on his back, Link could see his attacker fully. It was the dark and menacing figure of Ganon, and he wore a look of extreme delight as he reached down, grabbed Link by the throat, and lifted him up off the ground.
Link could feel Ganon's grip around his neck getting tighter and tighter, but he stopped just short of crushing Link's throat and killing him instantly, of which Ganon was perfectly capable of. Instead Ganon held him tightly watching as the life slowly drained from Link's face. Link could see Ganon's lips moving, but he couldn't hear what he was saying. Link had already crossed the threshold, and his eyes were losing focus. Just as his life was about to be extinguished, Ganon let go, a look of extreme pain in his face.
Slowly Link's lungs began to fill with air again. Link sputtered and coughed as he tried to recover. Wanting to know why Ganon had let go, Link tapped into already exhausted reservoirs of strength and looked up. The sight before him was a joyous, yet grim one. Standing behind Ganon was Gerik in such a battered and bloody mess that it made Link look like he was ready to attend a Ball. Link then watched as Ganon took his sword and drove it into Gerik's chest and straight out his back.
"Noooooooo!" screamed Link as he sat up in his bed, his hands tightly gripping his bed sheets.
Link was now sitting straight up in his bed, his eyes wide and his face pallid. Link's entire body was shaking uncontrollably as he sat there. His breathing was fast and heavy, and his heart was beating so fast that it felt like it would bust right through his chest. He was soaked from head to toe in sweat, occasional drops falling from his hair down onto his shirtless chest from his shaking. Link's knuckles had now turned white from gripping the sheets so hard.
Link turned his head from side to side trying to get his bearings. To his right he saw the gleaming light from the moon filtering in through his window. A cool breeze was wafting in through the window causing the curtains to dance in its wake. As the cool night air blew across Link's sweat soaked body, he began to calm down. His breathing and heartbeat slowly returned to their natural rhythm as he stared out his window at the clear starry backdrop beyond. With a pain now shooting up from his hands Link realized he was still gripping his bed sheets and released them.
Link now dropped his head into his hands. Breathing out a sigh he wiped the sweat from his face as he raised his head to look up at the ceiling. Lowering his head again, Link looked at the wall directly across from him. On the wall hung the Mirror Shield, and behind it hung the Master and Biggoron Swords crossing each other. Below that hanging vertically was his bow, and underneath that laying on top of a dresser was his quiver and bomb bag. Though once boasting a considerable collection of weapons and other useful items, Link's collection had fallen upon hard times with much of his stuff having either been lost or broken. A few trivial things such as his various boots and tunics still resided within his home in the Kokiri Forest, but other than that everything he had left currently hung from that wall.
Letting out a sigh of frustration Link tossed aside his covers and stood up. He grabbed the robe that was hanging on the wall beside his bed and threw it over himself. Link then walked out of his room and into the castle halls. Links' eyesight had to readjust slightly as he walked into the candle illuminated halls of Hyrule Castle. As Link walked down the castle's exquisitely decorated halls, he couldn't help but wonder the same thing he always did when traveling through the castle's labyrinth of halls, and that was how the castle had been one of the few things to survive the War of the Triforce nearly a year ago during which all of Hyrule was nearly obliterated.
Despite having survived the war, Link noticed significant changes within Hyrule Castle. Royal Guards could now be found guarding and patrolling every hallway of the castle at all hours of the day and night. Even the castle grounds and the castle path leading to Hyrule Market were now guarded around the clock by Royal Guards instead of just regular knights like they used to be. Despite the losses the Royal Guards had suffered during the war, their numbers had swelled since then mainly with the incorporation of respected and veteran knights from the regular army right after the war and with even more in the months following.
The Royal Guards weren't the only ones to become revamped in the aftermath of the War of the Triforce. Hyrule's standing army, which had consisted of a measly 300 knights before the war, was now made up of well over 500 fully trained knights. In addition, Hyrule now had a reserve force of 300 soldiers who could be expected to defend Hyrule at a moments notice. The reserve force had been created so that there wouldn't be a repeat of what happened during the War of the Triforce, where ordinary civilians were drafted into the army, given only a few days training, and then sent to fight a fully trained army. Much of the Hylian casualties had been from among those drafted, but whether it was because of their lack of training, the fact that they outnumbered both the regular army and Royal Guards combined, or a combination of both none could be sure.
Link finally made his way into the castle's extravagant and beautifully decorated foyer. He didn't stay to admire the view though, instead walking out of the castle and over the drawbridge. The cool night air comforted Link as he walked across the bridge. As he walked Link turned his attention down toward the moat below him. The moat, which was now once again crystal clear and beautiful, reflected the stars and nearly full moon up above lavishly. Below the surface of the water Link watched as colorful fish swam by playfully among the reflections of the stars.
Having walked the entire length of the bridge Link looked ahead of him at the field before him. Though having suffered severe damage during the war, to look upon it now no one would be the wiser. The grass had all grown back and was once again a bright healthy shade of green. Colorful flowers had been planted in intricate patterns to try and restore the beauty that had been lost. Among the flowers stood tall shrubs that had been sculpted into images of the various races of Hyrule as well as in the images of several heroes from the War of the Triforce. Link snuck a peak at the shrub representing his old friend Gerik, of which he noticed needed a slight trim around the head area, gave a slight nod, and then headed off down the castle path.
It wasn't long before Link came upon the newly rebuilt gate that guarded the path to the castle. The support and roof of the gate had been rebuilt using pure white marble, and the gate itself had been forged by Biggoron himself using the same materials he uses to make his famous swords. Currently the gate was open, but there were six guards keeping watch. Two of them stood on top of the gate with bows in their hands while the other four stood down on the path itself, two each facing either direction and on either side of the gate. Link gave the guards a small salute as he passed by, and they in turn nodded in response as Link walked the last few legs toward Hyrule Market.
Hyrule Market, which had most assuredly seen better times, was slowly returning to its former glory despite the fact that it had been completely burned to the ground and reduced to nothing more than ashes nearly a year before. As Link walked into the developing metropolis, he couldn't help but stare at the halfway constructed buildings all around him. In total only a quarter of the city had been rebuilt, but another quarter of the city was nearing completion. The Temple of Time, which had been reduced to rubble, was among those buildings nearing completion. As of yet no one had returned to live in Hyrule Market, but that was because most of the completed buildings had been businesses to try and recoup Hyrule's economic losses.
As Link walked along he could see that the ground was still scorched in many places from the firestorm that had engulfed the city and knew that no matter what Hyrule Market would always bear the scars from that horrible night. He also knew that Hyrule Market would always bear scars of another sort, but these scars were unseen. Hyrule Market would always bear the memories of lost possessions, of loved ones cut down defending their homes. Though the blood of those slain was long gone, it would remain forever in another form. Link knew that it would still be quite some years before Hyrule Market was as prosperous and bustling as it had been before the war.
Link now made his way into what used to be the center of Hyrule Market and laid eyes upon one of his most cherished childhood memories, the fountain. Just like the rest of Hyrule Market however, the fountain had been utterly destroyed. The fountain had been rebuilt differently though, as a tribute to the heroes of the War of the Triforce. The fountain's basin kept the same simple yet elegant design of the original, but the center piece was different. In the center of the basin now rested a stone platform, on which stood four statues each pointing in a different direction. The statues were sculpted into the figures of a Hylian, Goron, Zora, and Gerudo to commemorate not only their alliance both during and after the war, but also to remember all those who had given their lives. Instead of shooting up out of the center, the water now shot up out of the basin in little jets that arched toward the center platform.
Link stood by the edge of the fountain for a few minutes watching the jets of water dance in the moonlight. The night was so quiet that the only sounds Link could hear was the trickling of the water in the fountain. He liked how they had remade the fountain, but to him it just didn't compare to the original. The original fountain had been something straight out of his past, and now it was gone forever. In a way Link was glad that they hadn't rebuilt the fountain exactly as the original for to him it would've just been a cheap imitation. At least this way the fountain honored all those who gave their lives to protect Hyrule.
After splashing some of the water from the fountain on his face, Link started walking again. He was now heading out of Hyrule Market and toward the recently completed outer wall. Even in the dead of night Link could see it's gleaming white surface, not a spot of imperfection to be found. The wall was made out of the same marble slabs that made up the gate guarding the path to Hyrule Castle. It remained the same height as the original, but it was now twice as thick. Along the top of the wall and facing out toward Hyrule Field hung colorful banners of yellow, green, red, blue, purple, and orange. Above where the drawbridge rested was the Triforce carved directly into the wall and painted gold.
The drawbridge itself was now a wonder to look at as well. The drawbridge was now constructed out of sturdy red oak planks, and holding those planks together were golden brackets. The chains that raised and lowered the bridge gleamed with a silverish light. Behind the drawbridge and resting up within the wall was the new portcullis, which just like the gate had been created by Biggoron. The drawbridge was down as usual during these peaceful times, but there were two knights keeping watch on either side of it.
Link could have passed by unhindered had he wanted to, but Hyrule Field wasn't his destination. Instead, Link turned just before the wall and started ascending the stairs that would take him to the top of the wall. All along the top of the wall stood knights keeping watch at regular intervals across the entire length of the wall. They stood there like shadows, ever vigilant and ready to defend Hyrule with their last breath. Link walked right past them as he reached the top and headed straight for the edge of the wall.
Link peered out over the edge and out toward Hyrule Field. Though it was nearly impossible to tell in the dead of the night, Hyrule Field still bore scars from that terrible night. In many places the ground was still barren and scorched, never again to yield life in it's blackened soil. Every once and awhile people would still turn up swords, shields, and even broken arrows that had been buried in the mud. The rest of Hyrule Field had regained its bright verdant color and wildflowers were beginning to blossom returning Hyrule Field's lost beauty somewhat.
Even though he couldn't see it in the darkness of the night, he couldn't bear to look South, at the place that he had called home as a child. He knew the sight that awaited him. He knew that all he would see would be the charred remains of what had once been the Lost Woods. Without the Deku Tree not a single plant had grown back in the now desolate area. It was no longer a natural utopia, but now just a wasteland full of death. Link hadn't had the heart to return there ever since the end of the war, and he probably never would.
Instead, Link turned his attention toward the East and his gaze immediately fell upon Death Mountain. Death Mountain just stood there dark and ominous upon Hyrule's landscape, smoke billowing out of its summit as usual. Link loathed that mountain. It pained Link dearly to look upon it, but at the same time it offered him a certain comfort that he couldn't describe. He knew exactly why it pained him so to look upon Death Mountain, but as to why it also offered him comfort he was oblivious. Link pondered why it comforted him so every time he laid eyes on the mountain, but every time it remained unanswered.
Not feeling up to the challenge of figuring it out tonight, Link broke his gaze and turned toward his right. His eyes immediately caught sight of Zelda as she stood there leaning against the edge of the wall staring up mindlessly at the night sky. She was wearing a purple silk nightgown on which was embroidered in gold the Triforce and other such emblems of the Royal Family. Her long blonde hair was blowing in the wind, and even when her hair blew into her face it did little to break her trance. Zelda had obviously not noticed Link up on the wall, so he made his way over to her. She was so transfixed on the stars above though that she didn't even notice him approaching. It wasn't until Link wrapped his arms around her from behind that she snapped back to reality.
"So what's a gorgeous gal like you doing out so late at night?" Link asked in a soft voice as he held her.
"Oh, just waiting for some dashing rogue to come and take me away," Zelda replied jokingly as she tried containing her laughter. "I was just staring up at the night sky. Isn't it such a beautiful night out?"
"The only beautiful thing I see around here is you."
"Well, when did you become such a sweet talker? You know, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come out and stare at the stars with me, but you had already gone to bed. What are you doing out here anyway?"
"I just needed a little fresh air so I decided to take a little walk."
"It was the dream again, wasn't it?" Zelda asked as she turned around to face Link, her tone no longer playful but serious.
"No, of course not," Link replied without looking at Zelda. "I just decided to take a little walk, that's all. What, is that now a crime?"
Zelda didn't respond, but rather crossed her arms and stared at Link with a stern face. Link began to grow worried when she didn't say anything, but still he didn't look at her. Instead he lowered his head so that he was looking straight down at his feet. When still she made no response Link shot a glance up at her without raising his head and saw the serious look on her face. He instantly knew that she wasn't buying his story, so he raised his head back up with an apologetic look on his face.
"Fine, you win," Link said defeated. "Yeah, I had the dream again. Are you happy now?"
"No, I'm not," Zelda replied her voice becoming soft and full of care, "I'm worried about you. You've been having that dream more and more frequently recently, and with the anniversary of the War of the Triforce just two days away you're now having it every night."
"See, that's why I didn't want to tell you. I don't want you worrying on my behalf. I'm going to be perfectly fine. If I can take down the strongest man in the world, then I think I'll be able to handle a little nightmare."
"Say what you will, but this isn't healthy for you. The dream is running you ragged. You have to let what happened to Gerik go. It wasn't your fault."
"Who said this had anything to do with Gerik?"
"Come on Link, who do you think you're fooling? Your dream centers around his death rather than any of the other horrors you witnessed. Deny it all you want, but deep down you still consider yourself responsible."
"I'm not going to get into this argument with you again. Let's just drop it. The dream is over; it's done with. Let's just sit back and stare up at the stars."
Zelda didn't push the issue any farther. Instead she just snuggled up close to Link and wrapped her arm around his waist. Link smiled down at her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. The two of them then turned their attentions upward toward the starry backdrop up above. It was times such as these that Zelda enjoyed being with Link the most. When they were together like this under such a beautiful background, all the troubles of the world, both past and present, seemed to fade away.
Even though the nightmare was still gnawing away at the back of both their minds, neither of them said another word about it. They just continued to hold each other and stare up at the infinite expanse above them. Starting to feel a little drowsy, Zelda rubbed herself up closer to Link resting her head upon his chest. Link looked down at her and then rested his head lightly upon hers. Zelda's hair was silky to the touch and smelled delightfully of the sweet scent of wild berries.
"Well," said Link after a bit, "I think I'll go and try to get some sleep before the sun comes up. You coming?"
"In a little bit," Zelda replied with a smile.
Link kissed Zelda on her cheek before releasing her from their embrace and then headed over to the stairs. Zelda watched him as he descended the stairs, and once he was out of sight leaned up against the edge of the wall and looked out upon Hyrule Field. The sky above no longer offered her any interest. All of her thoughts just kept drifting to Link. As several tears began to roll down her cheeks Zelda slammed her fists against the edge of the wall.
"Damn you Link!" she cried. "Why won't you open up to me? I know that there's something bothering you, but you won't tell me what it is. What are you trying to protect me from? Don't you realize that no matter what it is I'll still love you? Just tell me what it is so I can help you. Please Link, how much longer can you live with it before it erupts?"