Link awoke the following morning rather begrudgingly. It was the sunlight streaming in through his window and hitting his face that had awoken him. Link tried to block the light by covering his head with his blanket, but it was no use. As much as he didn't want to do it, he finally relented and threw the covers from him. Slowly, Link sat up and rested at the edge of his bed. As he sat there he lowered his head down into his hands wishing that this day would just be over with already.
Link had had the nightmare again. This time it had been slightly different however. Instead of being shocked awake like usual when he witnessed Gerik being killed, Link watched as Gerik's limp form just slid off of Ganon's blade and collapsed onto the ground. Then, something happened that neither occurred that night or in any of his dreams before. Gerik's body, though dead and lifeless, began to talk to Link.
"It isn't over," Gerik's words rang in Link's head as he sat there. "What happened was only the beginning. Hyrule is in more trouble now than ever before. Lord Arcana accomplished exactly what he wanted."
Link didn't understand a word of it. He knew that it was his subconscious trying to tell him something, but he had no idea what it could be. Knowing that Zelda would start to worry if he was late, Link pushed the dream to the back of his mind and stood up. He walked over to his closet and pulled out a black tunic. He felt it only appropriate considering that today was also a day of mourning. Link then pulled on his boots and walked out of his room. He didn't have a black hat to match his tunic, so Link just let his blonde hair flow freely down his head.
There were almost no people roaming the castle halls. Link knew that they had all gone down to await the opening festivities of the festival. With a grim smirk Link made his way through the castle. He was just strolling along, not particularly in any sort of a hurry. He knew Zelda would most likely yell at him if she saw how he was taking his sweet time coming to meet her, but he was too concerned with other matters to be worried about that.
"Zelda's going to kill you if you make her wait any longer," said an unwavering female voice from behind Link. "She and Malon are waiting for you by the fountain."
Link quickly turned to see Impa standing there in the hallway. She was leaning up against the wall dressed in her usual battle-gear. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was looking down at Link with her usual monotonous expression. Link blinked at her in surprise wondering if she had used her Sage powers to teleport there, whether she had used a Sheikah trick to hide herself, or whether he was just so out of it that he walked right past her without noticing.
"Oh, hi Impa," Link replied rather glumly.
"Are you feeling okay?" Impa asked noting his glum expression.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Can I ask you something? When Ganon killed you and the other Sages, what was it like?"
"Well, if you mean what happened to me after I had passed on, I don't know. All I remember is dying, and then being brought back to life. It's like that part of my memory was wiped, if there was even anything to wipe. If you're asking how it was like to die, well then I can describe that all too well. Why are you asking this?"
"No reason in particular. It was just something that came to mind, probably because of what today is."
"You just wanted to know what happened to Gerik?"
"It would've been nice. Well, like you said Zelda's going to kill me if I make her wait any longer, so I better get going. See you later then."
Impa nodded in response and Link took off down the hallway at a slow run. He exited the castle and headed down the castle path towards Hyrule Market. A few wispy, white clouds dotted an otherwise clear sky, but all in all the weather seemed to be perfect for a festival. The temperature was warm, with occasional breezes blowing across the land. Just as Link was about to enter Hyrule Market, a pair of frolicking baby rabbits crossed his path, bringing a small smile to his face.
Once in the city Link headed straight for the fountain. As he neared it he could see two figures sitting on the edge of the fountain talking. The first one of them to come into full view was Malon. Malon wasn't wearing one of her usual dresses. On her legs she now wore a pair of white, tight fitting tights and on her torso was a suede yeoman's jerkin. A pair of soft boots adorned her feet, and on her hands she wore a pair of brown, half cut gloves. Usually flowing freely down her back, Malon's long red hair was now tied up in a bun. Next to her, leaning up against the fountain, was a bow and quiver of arrows.
Link then laid eyes upon Zelda, and his jaw nearly dropped in amazement. She was wearing a violet dress made of velvet. The dress hugged Zelda's figure nicely, but flared at the bottom to allow freedom of movement. The sleeves of the dress were georgette, and the neckline was trimmed in brocade. Embroidered all around the dress in one continual pattern was a floral design in gold. Zelda was wearing her hair down, allowing her smoothly brushed hair to flow behind her. The smile she wore as she was talking to Malon only accentuated her beauty.
Link gave himself a minute to compose himself before heading over to them. He hid the smirk on his face as best he could as he approached them. It didn't take long for Malon and Zelda to notice him walking over. Malon smiled upon seeing him, but Zelda's face held a playful look of 'it's about time you showed up.' Seeing that, Link walked straight over to Malon, turning his back upon Zelda.
"Hello Malon, how are you today?" Link asked her while trying to keep a straight face.
"I'm fine," Malon giggled.
"Oh, so I guess there's no one else sitting here?" Zelda asked coyly and playfully.
"Sorry Zelda, I didn't see you there."
"Uh huh. So then why were you drooling like a dog when you saw me?"
"So you saw that? Oh well, all games must come to an end sometime."
"Well you certainly seem happy this morning," Malon said noticing his unusually chipper mood. "It sure is a change from the way you've been acting lately."
"Yeah, what's the deal?" asked Zelda with a speculative glance.
"I don't know," Link replied as he sat down between them and put his arms around both. "Maybe it's just the fact that I'm here with my girlfriend and best friend. We should probably be getting a move on now; the festival's about to start."
Link hopped up and started making his way toward Hyrule Field. Zelda and Malon meanwhile just sat there, dumbstruck. Slowly, they turned to look at each other with mouths opened wide. They didn't know what to make of Link's new mood.
"Um," began Malon nervously, "what the hell was that all about?"
"I'm not sure," Zelda said slowly, "but I'm scared."
"He's acting like he's possessed."
"Maybe he finally reverted back to his old self, just like you said he would. Either that or he's finally snapped. Why question it though? Happy Link sure is a lot better than depressed Link."
With those less than encouraging words, both Zelda and Malon stood up and headed after Link. Malon made sure to take her bow and quiver before walking off. Link, who by this time was already crossing the drawbridge, had dropped his phoney facade. Link knew that lately he had been putting a lot of undo stress upon Zelda with his nightmares and new bleak outlook on life. Since today was supposed to be a day of joy, Link decided that he would try to act as if nothing was bothering him for Zelda's sake.
When he saw Zelda and Malon catching up to him out of the corner of his eyes, Link put on a smile again. Link wrapped his arm around Zelda's shoulder as they crossed the drawbridge while Malon just walked beside them. Even though the current act he was putting on was a phoney one, just being around Zelda did make him feel better somewhat. In his eyes she was truly the only thing he had left of the past.
Above them from on top of the wall came the voice of Zelda's father, King Hyrule. He was making a speech to all those gathered in Hyrule Field. Hylians, Gerudos, Zoras, and Gorons all stood upon the field, their eyes and ears all focused upon the figure of King Hyrule standing atop the wall. Zelda and Link had already heard the speech hundreds of times already, so they knew it by heart. They could tell that he was just about finished and that the festival would begin momentarily.
As soon as the three of them walked out onto Hyrule Field, King Hyrule paused in his speech. Then in a loud, joyful voice he cried for the festivities to begin. King Hyrule's words were immediately followed by a dozen high pitched whistles. Link, Zelda, and Malon all looked up to see a dozen Goron made fireworks fly off the wall and into the sky above Hyrule Field leaving a trail of white smoke in their wake. When the fireworks were above the center of Hyrule Field they exploded into bright colors of yellow, green, red, blue, orange, and purple.
Commotion arose all around Hyrule Field as the festival formally began. The stalls were now open for business and the games were up and running. All over Hyrule Field Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, and Gerudos moved to and fro having the times of their lives. Though it was a day of remembrance and mourning, happiness and merriment filled the air.
"So what should we do first?" asked Malon as the three of them walked around. "I still have some time before the contest."
"I want to check out the stalls," said Zelda. "I want to see what exotic things are for sale."
"Well why don't the two of you go ahead then," said Link. "I'll catch up with you later. I need to get some food in my stomach."
"Alright, see you later then."
Zelda gave Link a kiss on the cheek before she and Malon ran off to look at all the stands. As they went off, Link started looking around for the commissary. He saw it on the small cliff overlooking Zora's River and headed that way. He got himself a mug of ale and some chicken, and then sat down to enjoy his meal. As he sat there, Link looked all around Hyrule Field.
Over by the cemetery, Link could see hundreds of mourners gathering by the graves of their loved ones. He could make out widows and children, parents and grandparents, entire families paying their respects to those who gallantly gave their lives. Many of them brought small bouquets of flowers and placed them down in front of the tombstones. Others brought flags, candles, and some even brought small wooden replicas of weapons to symbolize how and why they had given their lives. Though all the commotion and music coming from the festival made it impossible to hear, Link could see that many tears were being wept at the cemetery.
Taking a bite out of his chicken, Link now started looking around for some familiar faces. It didn't take him long to spot Ruto, Darunia, and Nabooru enjoying themselves. As the respective leaders of their peoples though, they were hanging around with King Hyrule, each with their own personal guards accompanying them. Link didn't see any of the other Sages, save for Zelda, but he was sure that Impa was sneaking around someplace. As much of a killjoy Impa was, Link knew that even she wouldn't be able to resist coming. Of course, Link knew that she would probably use the excuse that she was providing extra security for Zelda.
The all too familiar sound of metal upon metal now drifted to Link's ears, and he turned to see that the sword contest had already begun. There were two young men battling it out in a large circle near Lon Lon Ranch. They were dressed in just simple chain mail, but since you weren't supposed to kill your opponent the mail was fine. It was only there in case of accidents. Already a large crowd had gathered around the combatants, but Link knew that the real crowds wouldn't start showing up until the final rounds of the contest.
Having finished nearly all of his chicken, Link now started looking for Zelda and Malon. It didn't take him long to find Zelda zipping from stall to stall. His jaw nearly dropped in shock when he saw a servant trailing after her with packages piled so high that he looked like he was about to collapse under the weight of it all. Link just simply smacked his hand against his forehead and laughed. Zelda couldn't have been gone for more than fifteen minutes, yet it looked like she had already bought everything possible.
Malon was right behind her, but all she had was one small bag that she could easily carry around her shoulder. Knowing her Link guessed that Malon had bought some sort of jewelry or other trinket. Malon wasn't one to go for pretty dresses or other such clothing. She preferred the simpler things, probably because she was always engaging in activities that would ruin the clothes. Zelda did enjoy buying pretty clothing though, but as Link sat there and thought about it Zelda engaged in basically the same activities as Malon. A realization then popped into Link's head; every girl he has ever been friends with has been a tomboy.
Chuckling at the thought Link finished his meal, chugged what was left in his mug, and then headed over to Zelda and Malon. As Link headed down the hill he noticed that the crowds had gotten larger since they first arrived. He quickly lost sight of Zelda and Malon, but he knew exactly where to find them. Fighting his way through the throngs of people, Link soon found himself face to face with Zelda, who wore a big smile when she saw him. Malon, however, was no where in sight.
"It's about time you showed up," Zelda jested. "I need another pair of arms to carry all the stuff I'm buying."
"Don't you think you're going a little overboard?" Link asked with a smile.
"There's no such thing as going overboard."
"Of course there isn't. So, where did Malon run off to?"
"Oh, she headed over to the stables to get ready for the contest. The first round is about to start. You know, it was really nice of you to let her use Epona."
"Epona was hers originally, and if you want to get technical I did kind of steal her. It's the least I can do. Besides, she's going to need all the help she can get. Horseback archery is still new to her. Not only that, but there are a lot of Gerudo participating in that contest, and I've seen their skills first hand. They're no joke."
"What do you say we go wish her some luck then?"
"Sounds good to me."
Zelda instructed the servant to bring all the goods she had bought to the castle, and then she and Link made their way toward Lon Lon Ranch. It's stable was currently being used to house the horses for the competition as well as the horses of those who had traveled to the festival. At the entrance to the ranch and around the stable also were guards. Not that anyone was likely to do it, the guards were there nonetheless to make sure that none of the horses were drugged or otherwise sabotaged.
Link and Zelda walked into the ranch without any problems and headed straight for the stables. They were both amazed by the number of horses being kept there. Both of them just smirked as they thought of how much money Talon was making on this deal. It didn't take Link long to spot Epona, who upon seeing him let out a neigh of joy. Malon was no where in sight, so they figured that she was off getting Epona's saddle and everything ready. As Link and Zelda walked up to Epona, they both noticed a large black stallion that looked oddly familiar standing next to her.
"Hey Link," began Zelda as she stared at the horse, "is that . . ."
"Chiron?" Link asked more of the horse than to answering Zelda's question.
"Well it's certainly not Mr. Ed," came a familiar and welcome voice from behind them.
Link and Zelda both turned around with smiles on their faces to see Navi standing there behind them. Navi had changed somewhat in the past year though, and was almost at first not recognizable. Her long brown hair was now cut short, and her golden armor had been painted black. Link got over his initial shock and walked over and hugged Navi, who in turn returned the hug. Zelda just stood their dumbstruck as she stared at the black armor.
"It's so good to see you again," Link exclaimed with joy. "Wow, you sure have changed."
"Yeah well, the hair was becoming annoying to take care of, and it was also a hindrance in fights. I like it better this way," Navi replied to Link. Then, turning to Zelda she said, "Hey Zelda, it's good to see you again. So has Link been treating you well?"
"Ye . . . yeah, he has," Zelda replied slowly. "Wh . . . what happened to your armor?"
"Oh, this? I did it as a way of mourning Gerik; you know, the same way a widow would wear black. It's really handy at nighttime."
"Zelda, are you alright?" Link asked as he noticed her expression.
"Of . . . of course. I'm um . . . uh . . . going to go find Malon now. I'll catch up with you later."
Malon quickly walked right past the two of them leaving them standing there staring after her with questioning expressions on their faces. When she was finally out of sight, Link and Navi looked at each other and shrugged.
"What's up with her?" asked Navi.
"I don't know," Link replied, some concern showing in his voice. "That was very weird."
"So where is Malon anyway?"
"She's preparing for her competition. She's going to ride Epona in the horseback archery contest."
"Wow, her skills have improved that much in the past year?"
"Well, not really. Technically she's the underdog. If she had stuck with regular archery she would've won hands down. She wants a challenge though. Don't ask me."
"So how come Malon's going to be riding Epona instead of you?"
"I didn't sign up for any of the contests. I'm not exactly in the mood. Besides, half of them I would win with no problem, and where's the fun in that?"
"I guess you have a point. So what's been going on while I've been away? I want to hear everything."
Link begins to explain all the changes and goings-on that have been happening since Navi's been away as the two of them walk out of the ranch together. Once out upon Hyrule Field, Link is able to show rather than tell Navi about some of the changes. The crowds of people enjoying the festival had grown even more. As Link looks about him, he sees that the spectators of the sword contest had grown considerably, indicating that it was nearing completion. He also notices a new crowd of people gathered. The twang of bowstrings indicates that the regular archery contest had begun.
It is by the archery contest that Link sees Zelda. She is standing there with Malon, and it appears to Link that she is talking to Malon quite frantically. Link signals to Navi, who by this time had become fascinated by the festival, and the two of them make their way over to Zelda and Malon. As they approach Link notices Malon shaking her head. He then notices Zelda slyly point behind Malon, and Malon sighs as she turns around. Upon seeing Link and Navi walking over however, Malon's posture straightens and her eyes grow wide.
"Navi, it's so good to see you again," Malon says when they are within earshot, though she remains wide-eyed.
"Hey Malon," Navi called back, and then noticing her outfit said, "well don't you look like the professional archer. If I didn't know better I'd say you were part of the army."
"I'm not the only one with a new outfit apparently. What happened with your gold armor?"
"What's everyone's fascination with my armor? Can't a girl be in mourning for the man she loves?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that it's such a contrast to the gold. Hey, what's with all the commotion?"
A loud commotion of fear and worry had sprung up from those gathered at the center of the festival. Link, Zelda, Malon, and Navi all turned to see what was happening. The ground was covered in a black shadow that extended all the way back to the Kokiri Forest. The shadow was quickly moving forward, leaving everything in darkness. As the shadow reached them, they looked up into the sky.
The sun was slowly being covered, and as more and more of the sun was being blacked out more and more of Hyrule was falling into shadow. It didn't take long for the sun to be completely covered. With all of Hyrule now in shadow, fear and worry began gripping the hearts of everyone gathered. As they all looked around them trying to figure out what was happening, the sounds of neighing from behind them caught their attention.
Everyone turned around to the sight of twelve black stallions standing in a row behind Lon Lon Ranch. The stallions heads were covered in silver armor with a sharp point resembling a horn attached to the muzzle. Sitting atop the horses were men in full body armor. The sight of them brought fear into many because of their resemblance to the Darknuts. These warriors however, wore black armor, and were slightly smaller.
In front of these warriors was another horse. This horse was a skeleton draped in black cloth, it's hooves aflame. It's eyes were like black coals. Atop this horse sat a man covered in a black robe. Not one part of his body could be seen, and his face was hidden in the shadow of his hood.