The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time - Part Two: The Quest

Chapter Nineteen: A Narrow Escape

     Link awoke with a start in his darkened room, bolting upright with eyes wide. He involuntarily shivered as the cool air brushed up against him, and he realized he had a cold sweat. It must have been very early still, as he heard nothing in the house stir, and the only sound he heard outside was the wind against the window. At some point, the rain that had returned last night had ceased, which would be welcome for travel.

     Not that travelling was on his mind. Instead, it was the dream he had just woken from, though honestly, nightmare was probably the more appropriate term. Admittedly, there was nothing particularly startling or even frightening about the images of the dream itself, but in that dream, a fear had gripped him so strongly that it had rendered him feeling powerless and pathetic. He had seen darkness and shadows, with feelings of intense malice and vile cruelty, and he had watched it descend upon Hyrule like a blanket, covering all with its indiscriminate hatred. It was the strength of those dark intents that had frightened him, and now that he was awake, he was frightened of what it meant.

     Knowing he would most certainly not sleep again, he rose quietly, dressed, and stepped out of the room to head outside, leaving the door open a crack for Navi.

     The serenity that greeted him outside helped to ease his troubled mood some, but not entirely. Something felt wrong, and he didn't like it one bit. Hoping to take his mind off it some more, he decided to expend of his pent up nervous energy by jogging around the track. After the third lap he ceased, not wanting to wear himself out before the day was even started. He sat by the same tree as yesterday to catch his breath, and began to gather his thoughts. While the energy he had had was now gone, his unease remained, and so perhaps meditation would provide him some comfort.

     His ominous vision had given him a renewed sense of urgency concerning his quest. His aura was augmented by this, which, on top of his already new strength, made him feel very powerful indeed. While he rather enjoyed having such power, he took advantage of it to practice further control, forcefully diminishing his aura until it was only a trace on him. It took a surprising amount of effort, and his concentration allowed him to put his unease to the back of his mind.

     Sounds from inside the house a while later told him his practice was over, so he stood and stretched before making his way back inside. Navi was probably awake, and she would likely want to hear of his dream.

     Ten minutes later, he finished his explanation. He sat on the edge of the bed, while Navi had taken a seat on the bedside table nearby the candle that was currently the only other source of light, other than herself. She was worried, that was obvious by her expression as she mulled over her own thoughts. She too had felt the darkness growing rapidly, but such a dark omen so suddenly was very troubling.

     "We should leave as soon as possible," Navi stated, rising. "I don't want to admit it, but we might be already too late, but if we aren't, or if we can stop it, then we should hurry."

     "I can agree to that," Link responded, already properly outfitting himself with his gear. "I hope we do make it in time. I don't want to think that we failed just because of my decision to come here," he added, downcast. Navi shook her head.

     "If it makes you feel any better, I think it was good of you to come here. You made some improvement with your aura, and if you don't mind me saying so, I think the two of you are good for each other." She smiled at the last bit, taking off into the air to land beside him. "I mean that seriously, too, no teasing, I promise."

     "But if we are too late, does that matter?" he asked. He was pleased Navi thought as she did, and it did actually ease his guilt a little. But that was hardly what was prevalent in his thoughts; the threat of failure in his task was. Failure meant the beginning of the end, as far as he was concerned. If he failed to stop Ganondorf here, what could he hope to do? If Ganondorf could kill Father, what chance did he possess?