Prologue
You know those stories… about the highest tower always being the most ominous one?
Well, I know that those stories are true. I have been to this kind of tower yet. More than once.
And I think, that this is one of those again… yes, this certainly has to be it…
The highest tower.
But the highest tower of what?...Somehow I know that I won't get an answer to this question.
This laughter…
Him…
Ganondorf… Ganondorf, Ganondorf, Ganondorf…
Why?
He shouldn't be here… Wherever this is. He shouldn't be anywhere. He should be dead. Impaled by the blade, lost beneath the waves.
I know that I killed him.
But this is his cold laughter. And those are his cold eyes. I can see the same greed in them… and the same satisfaction as back then. Back then, when he took her…
…Who is this woman in the crystal?
"LINK!"
I am answering…?
"ZELDA!"
What is going on? This not my voice… This is the voice of a grown man… a strong man…
…I'm not that strong yet, am I?
And even if… Why? Why am I answering? Why am I calling her this name? This can't be her name… Because Zelda is… Zelda is the girl, who…
Can you be this woman? Can this really be you?
Why am I raising my arm? I want to ask her first…
Why am I attacking already? I want to know first… Is that you…?
…Zelda?
A forest…
A girl, dressed in green… like me…
Is this a fairy on her shoulder? What strange kind of flute is she playing on…?
I think I know this kind of flute… It starts with an "O"… O… Oca… an Ocarina?
Have I seen this somewhere before?
Have I seen… her somewhere before?... I think her name is there… somewhere…
…No… I never saw her before, did I? …Did I?
"Hey. Do you remember the song, Link?"
"I…"
This is my voice…no, wait. Something… something is not right.
But the word came out of my mouth, right?...
…I'm so confused…
Where is this? Who is she?... She's smiling…
"Shall we play it together? You have an instrument with you, right?"
…I do have something on me…
And if you want me to play a song… even though I don't know why… I will—
…Oh. She's gone, huh?
…I never…
…I never saw that much grass before… so much green… such wide fields…
…did I?
Why am I not amazed…? Why does this feel familiar…?
A fairy… huh? A blue one…
Is she… talking to me?
"Link… you've gotten so far… you've become so strong… Now, you truly are a hero. I… I'm really glad to be your partner!"
"Why are you saying that now, of all times, Navi?"
Again, this deep, adult voice… Why did I ask her that? Where do I even know her name from?
…I don't understand it…
Is she… hesitating to answer? She seems so nervous…
"Well… you see… after we… if could be, that I… I'll have to…"
"You'll have to do what?"
"Oh… it's… not that important! …Hee hee!"
I know that she's lying… I can tell when people's smiles are fake... At least like this…
…But what does this all have to do me with me anyway? I don't remember ever meeting her…
Or is my memory playing tricks on me?...
…Oh, gone again?
Is that the…
This can't impossibly be…
the moon...
It is coming down.
I hear screams… screeches…
And it is coming down.
…it will fall…
…it will fall…
…do I have to die now?
This blonde fairy… why is she looking at me like this…?
"Link! Do something! Tael! Please, we gotta help him! My brother!"
But I can't. I wish I could. But what can I do?
I'm not strong enough to stop this, am I?
Am I?
Do I have a way to help her?
"Tatl…"
…Is that her name?
"Please, do something, Link!"
Maybe I can try to…
…cast a miracle? Maybe I can do it…
Oh… I guess I hesitated too long…
Everything is fading…
…will I fade too…?
Is that you… Is that really you?
What are you wearing? Why are you moving so carefully and subtly? This is not like you… is it?
Why do you look so different today… what is that shine in your eyes?
…I only saw this shine once yet. Just one time…
"And you are sure, that you want to leave Hyrule? If you go, who is going protect it?"
Hyrule…
Hyrule is…
"I'm coming back, Zelda! It won't take me long!"
Hyrule is gone…
I can't go back there…
"Do you promise?"
I can't… I can't go back there.
Nobody can go back there…
"Zelda…"
It's gone, don't you remember?...
"Do you?"
It's gone…
…it's gone because I didn't act like I was supposed to act, right? I was too slow…
…Are you even listening to me?... Oh, you've left…?
…How typical…
…Or was it me who left? But wouldn't I have noticed…?
"Hey. Do you remember the song, Link?"
What song?
"I'm really glad to be your partner!"
Who are you?
"Please, do something, Link!"
But how?
"Do you promise?"
I could try to…
"LINK!"
I'm here.
"Where are you Link?"
I'm right here!
" Why aren't you coming back?"
Can't you hear me? I am here! I am right here!
My voice… What happened to my voice?
Why can't I answer?
Am I even there…?
Why can't I…
Link!
Link!
…answer?
LINK!
"Link! -
-Wake up, NOW!"
"OUCH!"
Link was ripped out of his dream rather unpleasantly. He spontaneously started rubbing his cheek. It took him a few seconds to realize that that was because someone had slapped him. Link turned to the left to face the culprit, whom he found to be dressed in her usual garb. A blue jacket, mauve shirt and a pair of grey pants. Not to forget the incredibly tight knot she wore her hair in.
Tetra, his friend and boss (given the look in her eyes, she was more of the later than of the former right now) had put her hands to her waist and was tapping her food to the ground in a rhythm which indicated impatience.
"Finally awake, sleeping beauty?" she asked, slightly annoyed.
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Link threw Tetra an angry look, but she just rolled her eyes.
"Outset Island just came into view. Wasn't it you, who wanted to get home by today so badly?"
"Ah! Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Link jumped out of his bed and put on his shoes. The, he ran onto deck. The moment he spotted the approaching island's silhouette on the horizon, he smiled.
Really, he could see it, Outset Island. His home, his childhood.
"Ah… finally back!"
"Oh, so now you're wide awake, or what?"
Tetra was standing behind him.
"Sometimes I just don't get how you work, Link!"
Link turned around. "You could have woke me up a little bit less, well, violently, Tetra!"
"You didn't hear yourself, Link!" answered Tetra "Shouting, like someone was trying to kill you… what were you dreaming of anyway?"
"Oh yeah… that dream…"
He suddenly remembered what he saw in it…
"Say, Tetra…"
"Hm?"
"If I told you that I dreamt of fairies and girls… what would you tell me?"
"That most guys dream of those things and that I think that this perfectly shows what pretty much all of their brain activity must be about!" claimed Tetra in an teasing manner.
"N-No, not like this! I mean… one of the girl's was Zelda!"
"Yeah, nice try, Casanova. You're still scrubbing the deck tomorrow."
"Not you! A different Zelda!"
"You don't know any different Zelda!"
"Yes, but I…"
Link sighed… It was pretty much pointless to talk to Tetra about something like that…
Still…
What kind of dream had this been?