"Oh, Saria. Hi, going on one of your midnight strolls to the Lost Woods again?" Link asked the green haired, green eyed, kokiri female.

Saria nodded.

"It was the dream again, eh?"

"Yes. Been seven years since Zelda sent me back to my original time..."

Saria smiled her knowingly smile and sat on the foot of Link's bed.

Saria gasped and put her hands on her forehead and whimpered. Link jumped out of the bed an put his arms around his childhood friend.

"What is it, Saria?"

Between gasps Saria said, "I...can...sense...something..."

Links eyes widened.

"What? What do you see?"

Saria let out something between a scream and a gasp.

"Evil! I sense a great evil...!"

Then she fainted.

Link held Saria's small, child-like frame.

"Saria! Wake up! Please wake up!"

*********************************************************

He watched Princess Zelda as she combed her long, shimmering blond hair. It fell in soft waves at her waist.

His red eyes almost glazed over when she turned. She wore a pale violet, almost near sheer nightgown.

He smirked.

Although he was in the same room with her, Zelda couldn't see him, but Dark Link could see her.

Ever since Zelda turned 13, he stalked her. Always at this same time, watching her comb her hair before she went to bed. How he would love to watch her undress and see her full glory, but he decided against it.

"Better to be surprised when i finally make her mine." he thought.

Zelda slipped under the covers of her luxurious, pink and white, silk and satin bed. Her long blond hair spilled over the pillows.

Dark Link watched as she drifted away to sleep. So beautiful. So peaceful. She almost looked like a newborn in her sleep. Her eyes framed with long, lush eyelashes were completely closed in sleep.

Dark Link stroked her hair gently.

"Soon, Princess. You and Hyrule will be all mine. Now dream, dearest. Dream a sweet nightmare of Link and a sweet, loving dream of me."

Dark Link laughed a cold, evil laugh in anticipation of his plan and in knowing that no one will hear his laugh.

***********************************************************

"Zelda...Zelda, wake up."

Slowly Zelda opened her eyes and stood up.

"Where am I?"

She looked around and realized that she was in the garden of the castle courtyard.

"What? Did I fall asleep here?"

"Zelda..."

"What? Who's there?!"

"Zelda it's me..."

Zelda reached for her dagger at her belt.

"Show yourself!" she ordered.

"Lie down on your bed of roses and close your eyes 'til I tell you to open them."

With a sigh Zelda dropped back on the bed of roses and closed her eyes, still clutching her dagger.

"Your dagger, you don't need it."

Zelda let the dagger slip through her fingers. She felt footsteps coming closer and closer, felt someone standing over the top of her. She felt someone brush their lips on her cheek.

"Open your eyes."

Slowly Zelda opened her eyes and gasped.

"Link!"

She clasped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest and wept.

"Zelda, it's been too long."

"Yes it has. Oh, Link! I'm so sorry that i haven't been visiting you lately in the forest. It;s just that I've been so busy in the castle and..."

Link put a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Zelda, you don't need to explain. It's all right. We're here now."

Link swooped Zelda up in his arms and spun her around. They let out a loud, burst of laughter, then Link set her down on a hill of daisies.

He dropped to one knees, and slipped something sparkling on her finger. Zelda looked down at her finger. It was a golden band with 2 twin diamond hearts on it.

"Oh, Link!" Zelda gasped.

"Zelda, will you marry me?"

Zelda's whole face lit up.

"Oh, Link! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Zelda hugged h im and their lips met in a passionate kiss. Then Zelda looke up lovingly into Link's face.

Zelda gasped.

Something was not right. Link's face was pale, his eyes glazed over. He fell on both knees and was coughing uncontrollably.

"Link!"

As Link was coughing, Zelda noticed dark red drops coming out of his mouth.

Blood.

Link lost consciousness and fell into Zelda's arms.

"Somebody get a doctor!" Zelda cried out.



Zelda wept as she saw Link's lifeless body on the guest bedrooms bed. For hours she spent in the hallway facing back and forth as the doctor examined him. Then after the sixth hour the doctor came back out of the room and confirmed that her lover was dead.

The cause was unknown.

Zelda fell back on the foot of the bed, clasped her hands over her face and wept.

"Now, now. What are those tears for?"

Zelda looked up, Link was sitting up in the bed, alive and well!

"Link! Oh, Link! I was so afraid!"

Zelda threw herself on Link and hugged him, weeping.

"Yes, I am glad too," he laughed.

Zelda froze. That was not Link's laugh. It was a cold, cruel, evil laugh.

"I am not Link!" he said.

Zelda watched in horror as her beloved was formed into a frightening shadow with blood red eyes.

He laughed again.

"Now you and all of Hyrule are mine at last!" he said

He raised his arm and showed something shinning.

"Look familiar, Princess?"

He was holding the triforce! All the pieces have somehow gone together.

"No! No! That's impossible!"

He laughed and put his hands on her shoulders and shook her.

"No! No! No!"

"Wake up, child! You were having a nightmare."

Zelda woke up from her dream state and looked up at her "attacker".

"Impa!"