Prologue:

A blinding flash of light surrounded him. He opened his eyes and looked around in a mix of surprise and confusion. Somehow he found himself floating, surrounded in a sea of clouds, a beautiful mix of gold and green and gray illuminating the clouds in a swirl. He could not see anything past these clouds.

Where am I? he wondered. The last thing he remembered was the Light Dragon carrying him up higher and further into the clouds above after his victory over the Demon Dragon. Ganondorf. Did I defeat him? I thought I saw the Demon Dragon explode with that blinding light…am, am I dead too? No, I can't be…where is the Light Dragon?

He looked around, and as he glanced down, he saw her. The Light Dragon.

Zelda, he thought, she's here with me.

The Light Dragon was floating just below her sworn protector, her knight and the hero of Hyrule, Link. Her eyes were closed, as if in a peaceful slumber. Link gazed sadly upon the dragon, and the sorrow he felt when he learned of its true identity clawed at his heart once more.

My Zelda, he thought to himself again. He was with her, but he knew that she was no longer his Zelda.

Your sacrifice was the reason Ganondorf was defeated. You saved this land, as well as myself. Link despaired, if there was any chance to save her, even if it meant giving his own life, he would gladly do it.

Link noticed that his armor that he wore during his fight with Ganondorf was missing. He wore only his Hylian trousers and his boots, with nothing on his upper half. He looked at his right arm, now colored black, and served as a reminder of the day of his failure. The day Ganondorf's gloom lashed out and consumed his arm, and when he had failed to catch Zelda. He still remembered the searing pain as his flesh burned from the malice. It had been strong enough to break his sword, the Master Sword, and utterly destroy his arm. If it weren't for Rauru replacing Link's arm with his own, Link wasn't sure he would have been able to save anyone, let alone defeat the Demon King. A goldish brown bracing wrapped around each of his fingers like rings. It continued onto his hand and up his arm. When Link focused his power through his right arm, it would glow a greenish blue light. The power of the Zonai still fascinated him. He wasn't sure if every Zonai had this power, or if it was just Rauru himself who held it as his own. But it sure had helped him out throughout his quest to save Hyrule. For the second time he added.

Link was brought out of his thoughts when his arm began twitching. He audibly gasped as a bright light emanated from his hand and the twitching became a fierce shaking. He couldn't control it, it was as if someone had taken control of his arm and was building up power from it. Link's confusion rose and he saw his arm aim itself at the Light Dragon's head. The light grew and began to pour down on the dragon. It was a small stream of light particles. Link was watching his hand when he heard a faint chime. He turned and gasped again when he saw the source of the sound.

The spirits of the first king and queen of Hyrule, King Rauru and Queen Sonia, stood on either side of him.

When he glanced at their faces, they did not look at him, but at the dragon. Determination shone through their expressions, as if they knew what they needed to do. The light pouring from Link's hand grew into a river of light, which seemed to pool around the Light Dragon's head, causing her horns to glow with a soft blue light. Sonia placed her hand on Link's, followed by Rauru's. Link looked at them once more before he finally understood. They were trying to change the Dragon's form. This light would change the Light Dragon back into Zelda. He saw their determined faces, and looked back to Zelda wearing one of his own.

This has to work, he thought, I must not fail again. I need you Zelda.

The light then grew brighter and stronger, flowing into a mighty torrent of blinding white light. The light spread across over the Light Dragon's body, causing it to glow. The area surrounding them now lit up so brightly that nothing else could be seen. Link could feel Rauru and Sonia's power flowing through his body and out through his arm. He could also sense their love and protectiveness for Zelda welling up inside of him.

Yes, you have people who love you Zelda, people who need you back in Hyrule. I…I need you, and…

Link closed his eyes. He thought of the memories Zelda left behind. How much she had suffered in the past. How he had not caught her in time to prevent her from falling in the chasm. How she had to walk her path without him by her side. And how he wished to never leave her side again. A sudden realization hit him. Was this love? He certainly knew he would do anything for Zelda. They both had sacrificed so much for the other. Heck, he knew of other couples who claimed to love one another for far less of a price. He thought again of Zelda's beautiful green eyes, her golden blonde hair, her smile that could outshine the sun. Oh how I long to see her smile once more, Link thought. Yes, it's clear to me now.

I love you too.

Link would not live his life without Zelda in it. Within his mind, heart, and spirit, he imagined embracing Zelda, his Zelda, with all of the love and warmth that he could. How he would give anything to be able to wrap his arms around Zelda, to hold her with all the love she deserved. To finally be safe and enjoy their lives together in peace.

The world flashed white once more, and as it began to fade, Link opened his eyes. Light particles scattered around him and he was able to see the world of clouds surrounding them once more. As his eyes adjusted to the dimming light, he saw her. Zelda, his Zelda, floated just below them, her body still softly glowing with light. Relief flooded throughout his entire being as tears appeared in his eyes, thank the goddess she's back. It was enough. Through their combined power and love, Link, Sonia, and Rauru together had changed the Light Dragon back into Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule.

Link watched the light fade from his hand, which had been glowing a soft blue-green, return to its normal blackish color. The bracing that wrapped his hand and his arm in a pattern of lines also began to dim its light back into brownish gold. He could still feel the powers of the Zonai, as well as the power of the sages, his friends, within him. Link gave a small sigh. A small part of him believed that if Zelda could be changed back to the way she was, then maybe his arm would too.

Link turned to Rauru and Sonia. They smiled at him, proud of what he had accomplished. Maybe it was because they had just shared their power together, but he swore he could hear them say, "Thank you Link" within his heart. Rauru held out his hand, which Sonia covered with her own. Together they looked at Link once more. Their spirit called out to Link's mind, but it was Rauru's voice which he heard clearly,

Our power is yours. Please, protect all of Hyrule. We leave our kingdom in your hands.

Wait, Link thought, protect Hyrule from what? Did he mean that generally as they begin to rebuild the kingdom once more? Or was there something he knew that Link did not? Rauru and Sonia's spirits began to fade away, particles of their essence blowing from an invisible breeze that Link could not feel.

Rauru, Sonia! Link tried to shout within his mind. He had to let them know how grateful he was for everything they had done. From their sacrifices to protecting Zelda while she was in the past, he had seen it all through Zelda's memories. Thank you… thank you for everything!

He thought he saw them smile to him before their spirits disappeared completely.

The world around him began to shake. A rush of wind suddenly picked up around him. It roared loudly in his ears. With the wind, Link began to feel the events that had led up to this moment catch up with him. His body now felt heavy and so very tired. Exhaustion from his battle with Ganondorf crept back into his bones. The gloom might have disappeared from his body, with Ganondorf's death, but his energy had not yet returned. Link felt his wounds appear on his body again, as if mere moments had passed since they were afflicted. He winced in pain and his eyes began to close on their own. He tried to fight it; he couldn't sleep yet, not here, and not without knowing where Zelda was. After he had turned to face Rauru and Sonia, he no longer saw where she was.

However, his fight was in vain. Link's vision blurred, his eyes closed, and he felt himself fall.