“Curse you, Zelda! Curse you, Sages! Curse you, Link!” Ganon screamed as he disappeared into beams of lights in the colors of green, red, blue, purple, orange, and white.

He was gone.

Banished away into the Evil Realm forever…

Link wiped the blood from his sword and looked up. He was no longer standing on the ruins of Ganon’s castle…he was standing on clouds…clouds?

“What the…?”

He panicked. He envisioned himself of falling to his death.

“How ironic,” he thought. “After everything I’ve been through. After saving the world from peril. I am going to fall to my death!”

“No you won’t.” Zelda’s voice told him. “These clouds will hold. Don’t be afraid.”

Link looked up into the beautiful face of Princess Zelda, The Princess of Destiny, The Sage of Wisdom. Link had a good look at her. She was a cute little girl when he first met her…seven years ago…but she is absolutely beautiful!

Her long blond hair was the color of honeydew, her eyes of a bright blue sea in the morning light; her lips were the delicate color of rose buds. She wore her royal purple and white gown.

She smiled, her eyes shining.
“Thank you Link…thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm!”

Link blushed. A girl never looked at him, nor smiled at him like that…never.
Zelda stepped closer to Link and smiled at his shyness.

“Thus peace will once again reign in this world, for a time. All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing…” Zelda bowed her head in shame.

“No, Zelda…” Link started but Zelda continued.

“I was so young…I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm.” Zelda said with her head still bowed.

Oh how Link wanted her to smile at him again. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair. Hold her. Kiss her passionately, but something stopped him from doing that.

Why?

“Now is not the time.” he thought.

“Zelda, you’re too hard on yourself. This was Ganondorf’s doing, not yours. Zelda…”

Zelda held a hand to silence him.

“Please Link, let me finish.”

Link nodded.

Zelda lifted up her head looking into Link’s eyes.

“I dragged you into it, too. Now it is time for me to make up for my past mistakes…”

“Zelda, what are you saying?”

“What is she getting at?” he wondered.

“You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time…”

“Yeah? And? Get to the point already!” Link wanted to shout.

“However, by doing this, the road between times will be closed…”

“What do you mean?” Link asked.

“You need to return to your childhood.”

“But why?” Link didn’t want to leave her. Not now. Not when he…

“Link, give the Ocarina of Time to me.”

Zelda held out her hand.

“Zelda please! I don’t want to go!”

“Link, give me the Ocarina of Time. Please.” Zelda said in an almost ordering tone.

“Zelda, no! Please, you can’t. I can’t leave you now! Don’t you understand? I almost lost you seven years ago. I can’t lose you now! I love you Zelda!”

“Link, please! Don’t make this any harder than it is. Give me the Ocarina of Time.” Zelda pleaded.

Link hesitated.

“Please understand. This is something we must do. We’ll meet again, eventually. I promise. I can feel it.”

Very hesitantly, Link held out the Ocarina of Time to Zelda. Zelda clasped her hands over Link’s.

“As a Sage, I can return you to your original time with it.”

Link let the ocarina slip from his fingers into Zelda’s delicate hands. Her hands…so soft…he wondered if her lips were just as soft. Link looked into Zelda’s eyes, he saw a single tear trickle down her cheek.

“When peace returns to Hyrule…It will be time for us to say goodbye…now go home, Link.”

“I love you, Zelda!”

Another tear slid down her cheek. Zelda smiled a sad smile.

“Regain your lost time! Home…where you are supposed to be…the way you are supposed to be…”

“I am supposed to be here with you! I’m supposed to stay and tell you how much I love you. I’m supposed to hold you and kiss you and never leave your side!” Link’s mind screamed.

Zelda raised the ocarina to her lips and played the familiar melody that started Link’s adventure.

The most beautiful melody on this earth, in Link’s mind.

Zelda’s Lullaby.

“Zelda…”

Link reached out to touch her, but he was engulfed in blue light, pulling him away from his beloved princess.

“Thank you…Link…Goodbye…I…”

“Zelda? Zelda…? Zelda!”

“ZELDA!” Link screamed as he bolted upward from his bed.

Link put his hand on his forehead and shook his head.

“Oh, that dream again, eh?” a small, young sounding female voice said.