Hello again, Skychild (Fully Updated)

Chapter 16 - 'Round We Go

Round and round we go. Where we stop, no one knows.

I wake up laying on a field of grass. Memories escape me until I remember nothing but that phrase and a feeling I need to fulfill a promise as soon as I can. I stand up and look around. I am on the bank of a lake.

Hylia.

Lake Hylia. That's the name. I see a castle in the distance.

Hyrule.

Hyrule castle. Surrounded by castle town. Clever name. Say my sarcastic thoughts. I look at myself in the calm reflection. Green tunic and hat, under shirt, chainmail, pants, knee-high boots. I look around and see a sword and shield on the ground next to me. I look at the shield. It has an interesting design. And the sword... well, its a simple sword. No embellishments or anything. I put them on my back and jump feeling a sudden weight on my shoulder. I look and see a brown horse purse it's lips. I pet it and calm myself down.

Epona.

The horse's name is Epona. My horse. I eventually hop on her back and ride off to castle town.

I soon arrive in castle town and see many in the process of erecting buildings. Ah, yes. We just came from the sky. I look up and can barely see the outline of islands in the sky. I head for the palace to find some more clues and get tackled off of my horse as soon as I get through the front gate.

"Link! I told you to tell me where you're going! You've been gone since dawn!" A blonde haired girl shouts in my ear.

Zelda.

My childhood friend. Soon-to-be princess of the restored Hyrule.

"Sorry. Wanted to be alone." I mumble. I feel Zelda bolt up.

"You spoke!" She says, looking surprised. I shrug. She stares at me then it turns into a glare.

"Now you're just teasing me aren't you." She says. I smirk and shrug again. She puffs out her cheeks then stands and helps me up. Motioning for someone to put Epona in the stables.

Once in what Zelda tells me is my room I look around. Nothing seems familiar. I finally put my things away and decide to clean my rather messy room up while I am at it. After my cleaning spree I plop on my bed. Exhausted. I feel a bit uncomfortable and roll around a bit to find my pillow is the source of the problem. I lift up my pillow and see something rectangular is inside. I reach in the pillowcase and my hand closes a book. I pull it out and see it is well used with a bag of charcoal pencils on top. I lay the bag on my bed and reach to open the book but it dissolves into shadows.

~Sorry kid. You can't see that.~

I look around and catch a glimpse of something but dismiss it as imagination.

What was I looking at? I ask myself, not remembering the book. I decide to finally go to sleep. Sleep to clear my mind.

Until I wake at dawn with a sense of urgency.

Demon. A demon is near.

I bolt up and quickly get dressed. I quietly sneak out of the castle as to not draw attention to myself then hop on Epona and ride in the direction the presence is coming from.

He'll kill you. The shadowy voice says.

He'll save you. Another smaller voice says.

I shake my head and keep going. That urgent feeling still there. Further, further, further into the forest I go. A strange combination of emotions filling me as I ride. Fear, curiosity, peace, anger, sadness and others.

I arrive at a temple hidden in this forest and head inside. As I go down the halls, trying to find the source of the presence I feel so strongly, I encounter several monsters. I quickly cut them down as I continue. Finally I arrive at the door to large room and head in.

What is this feeling? ... Déjà vu? Can't be. Can It? I think. Images flash through my mind. Getting killed by someone. Is that what this represents? I feel a hand gently rest on my shoulder and I look around. I think I saw the outline of someone. But the feeling is gone. As is the presence. And I can't help but feel something is going to go horribly wrong.

Then it all fades to black. And I am outside the temple again. I retrace my steps exactly like last time and return to the throne room. Once again the presence fades and I am back outside the temple The time the same as when I first entered. The pattern repeats. Run through the temple, defeat monsters, the same every time, make it to the throne room only to feel the presence disappear, everything fades to black, and I am back outside. Over and over again. I consider staying outside but I feel like something bad will happen if I do. I make it to the throne room faster this time and see the faint outline of someone.

"Who are you?!" I shout. The outline approaches and places their hand on my shoulder and then it fades and the presence does as well. Then once again, all fades to black and I am back at the beginning. I run faster this time and make it in time to see that outline again. I ask again who they are but what happened last time repeats. So I run through yet again. This third time exactly like the last two.

Once again, I am outside the temple. Though, this time, when I open the door and am met with darkness.