The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Overworld Chapter 35 - Meeting the Order

...but he wouldn't find it. Not peaceful sleep at least. Link hadn't this slept poorly since he had started his quest, since the night before Yore had found him. Granted, he hadn't slept much at all with how much they'd been moving, but his sleep had been somewhat restful as of late. But he found no refuge tonight.

Something was chasing him. He tried to stand and fight it, but the creature took no shape. His weapons gone, Link was left standing there in the vast expanse of growing darkness. He stood upon an island of grass, and slowly, it was sinking into the darkness.

Finally, a form loomed out of the void. The shadows shattered as flames cast themselves through the core. Shapes danced in the firelight, casting more terrifying scenes than the darkness alone in the contrast. And from the flames, only more and more of the shadows came, shrieking and crying in shrill and heinous voices as something within the figure fought to get out.

But within in the flame the true evil lay. Its eyes peered out of the inferno raging around it. Link put his hand up to his face, trying to shield them from the blazing light. The figure began to stand. It was a massive figure, with a body made of darkness and a mane made of fire. A white fissure broke the void that was the figure as it broke free from a smaller, though still gargantuan form, but beneath the looming shadow of it, Link could hardly make it out.

A smile, somewhere in the pit, looked down at Link and laughed. The voice boomed, sounding throughout the dream world. It shattered the island Link was standing on, and as the pieces fell into the void, Link began to fall.

"Link!"

Link jerked awake. He was trembling and sweating, deep tremors still taking him. Mirum and Endeavor were leaning over him, worried. Mirum put her hand on his head as Endeavor demanded, "What happened?"

Shaking his head, Link replied, "It—it was just a nightmare."

Endeavor's face paled, turning to Mirum. "He cannot have nightmares. I warded them off. The Dark Lord cannot get into his head."

"He can now," Mirum answered, some magic brimming as the cyan marks on her skin lit up. "He's found a way in, and I have no idea how to stop it."

He was still breathing heavily. "What? What's going on?"

"The night I came to you in your dreams, Link, I cause a spell on you that would dispel the Dark Lord from your mind," Endeavor explained. "He would not be able to find you or haunt you any longer. That was the purpose of those night terrors. They were to drain your energy so you could not focus and you could not fight."

Mirum was panicking. "I don't know what to do. Please tell me you know something about this!"

"Why are you freaking out about this?" Link asked, his breath slowing down.

Endeavor exchanged a glance at Mirum, before going on, "Link, the nightmares were intended to stop you from leaving Eveningale, to stop you from fighting. Now that you have chosen to fight him, and stand up to those, then tormenting your sleep will not be enough. He will begin on your waking moments as well. You will not rest unless we expel him again."

Mirum grabbed Link beneath his shoulders. "Hey!" Link shouted as she tried to lift him.

"Get up!" Mirum retorted, not taking no for an answer here. "We don't have much time. I'm all for shadows and twilight, but not like this. We've got to get him out again. Now move!"

Link pulled himself to his feet with Mirum's help. He was still in the clothes Mirum had lent him, but his green tunic was dried by now. He said, "I'm going to change."