Dark Memories Resurface

Zelda's eyes glazed over, her mind slipping into a dark and foreboding place. She was reliving a memory, one that she had desperately tried to keep buried deep within her mind. The last time she had lost Link, it had been 20 times worse. The pain, the anguish, the overwhelming sense of loss had been crushing her. She had been powerless to stop it, forced to watch as Link was torn from her side, his life slipping away with every passing moment. The lobby around her melted away, replaced by the dark and stormy landscape of her memories. She was back in the Sacred Grove, the trees twisted and gnarled, their branches creaking ominously in the wind. The air was thick with the stench of death and decay, and Zelda's heart was racing with fear. She saw herself, younger and more naive, standing helplessly by as Ganondorf's dark magic consumed Link. She remembered the feeling of her own power coursing through her veins, but it was too little, too late. She couldn't save him, couldn't protect him from the clutches of the dark lord. The memory played out before her eyes like a nightmare, the sounds and smells and sensations all too real. She felt the weight of her failure bearing down on her, the crushing sense of responsibility for Link's fate. She had been too weak, too slow, and now he was gone. Zelda's sobs grew louder, her body shaking with the force of her emotions. Peach tried to comfort her, but she pushed her away, unable to bear the touch. She was lost in her memories, reliving the horror of that day. Samus watched with a mixture of concern and understanding. She had seen her share of battles, had faced her own share of losses. She knew what it was like to carry the weight of responsibility for the people you cared about. As the memory reached its crescendo, Zelda's eyes snapped back into focus. She was gasping for breath, her face pale and drawn. The lobby came back into sharp relief, and she saw the worried faces of her friends. "Zelda, it's okay," Samus said softly, her voice a gentle counterpoint to Zelda's anguish. "We're here for you. We'll do everything we can to help Link." But Zelda just shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears once more. "I'm so scared," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I don't know if I can do this again."