Chapter 4: Awakened

**12:00 at night and all was quiet**

Ganon's minions were scattered across the cold stone floor in a drunken sleep. Their worst enemy had been killed and soon their dark heaven would sweep the prosperous land of Hyrule to the ground. They couldn't help but celebrate the new "holiday." Then, through the thin stale air, the presence of a strong spirit could be felt. A tiny star winged its way around the hideous creatures and into Ganon's garden bed of death. From the little star erupted a blazing white light. The outline of the spirit-being showed it was a young woman. The hair flowed like gentle river ripples and the face, although no clear features showed, was absolutely beautiful.

"Link...Link," she called, her voice was soft and gentle...and simply luring to the ears of lost souls. "Wake up, Link." Another spirit arose from a newly buried grave. He appeared to be sleeping against the dusty soil.

"Link," the voice, again, urged him to awaken. "Are you sleeping?" Hearing this, the spirit awakened.

"Well, Zel, let me think. No, I wasn't sleeping. I was just closing my eyes pretending to be asleep while having a nightmare," replied Link sarcastically while rubbing his tired eyes. He soon opened them with shocked. The figure of light rose before him and he looked at his foul surroundings.

"Uh...where am I?" He asked. His curiosity deepened but his courage hadn't yet begun to wither. "And who are you?"

"I am Ira, your guardian. I've come to aid you in your passage through the Celestian Fields. Don't worry. The journey is not that long." Link looked at his guardian in confusion. He stood up and dust himself.

"Is that not a resting place for the dead? Why would I have to go there unless...I'm...dead?" the young man choked. All of a sudden, memories of his last battle filled his already clouded mind. The cliff, the force pulling him down, the suffer, and Ganon. It all came rushing back to him so fast, too fast and it tormented him with insidious thoughts. *Ganon!! He's changed into me! That filthy devil! He's after Zelda...Zelda...* Visions of his beloved friend screaming and crying for her life seeped through his head and it tore his heart in pieces. Soon, he could bear the vision any longer.

"No!! Please tell me this is a dream. I thought it was my own nightmare. Tell me this is not real," he pleaded with the spirit.

Ira shook her head, "I'm sorry, Link. It is not a dream."

"I need to feel pain!" cried Link

"What?!"

"How will I figure out I'm not in some dream world of mine. I need to feel pain to find out if this is real." Link, frantically tried to grab a dead torny stem. However, his hand passed through like it was water and he stood there with the same bewilderment he had when Ganon had morphed into a mirror image of him.

"What did you expect, Link? That idea of bleeding to know your alive? Hmph! It's kinda hard to do when you're already dead."

"I-uh..." He began to stutter, unable to speak. His body trembled and his breath became raspy.

"Come. It is your time."

"I-I can't go. I have to save her!!" Link, suddenly broke out. Fear. How uncommon it was when he felt it. And when he felt it, he always seemed so lost. His courage was always the light that guided his way and saved him through the harsh times. Now, he didn't know what to do but simply argue against going to the Celestian Fields.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Tonight, you must come. The goddesses, they call you and if I do not bring you, it is punishable."

"But Zelda's life is at stake. The fate of Hyrule is at stake! If I don't help them, what will become of our country, our world? Please, don't take me..."

"Link , you're nothing but an apparition...a ghost! You will not be able to warn your friends if you tried."

"That is not true! Ghost from the past have contacted the living. Have they not?"

"They have, but these times are different. No more arguments! Your coming with me." The white figure cast a spell opening a bright warp hole.

"Forget it!! I will do anything to help my friends." He turned in the opposite direction.

"For one who is loyal to his country and her royal highness, you are awfully defiant towards the goddesses who created your world."

"What would they do to me?"

"They could do a lot of things--"

"to me that would be terribly unjust," interrupted Link with unusual contempt . "Oh, I could see it now, I, the hero of time who committed no wrong doings, sent to live in the depths of a fiery hell. Great! It'll just be like home with this continuous war with evil. But then again, the Celestian Fields would be same thing. Your paradise may beautiful, heavenly but it sure would feel like hell knowing Zelda is probably destined to die and I couldn't do anything about it to change that." Tears flowed from his once playful eyes. How could everything go so wrong?

"I promised Zelda, Guardian Ira, to protect her from that beast and to rid the world of Ganon if he came back. I can't anymore if my freedom is taken from me." He, then, closed his moisten eyes and dropped to his knees. He thought quietly to himself, "Hope. I running low on it." Ira watched him in pity at his desperation. Oh, how he loved to fight. He had so much courage and he does not realize it, now. Courage...it was the root of her admiration for him and she knew he would not easily give up. Somehow, it was right to take his side.

"The consequences are high for me, not you. I was selfish." Ira said. "It could possibly cost me my life. I'm not immortal, you know. At least not yet." She giggled but her emotions eventually succumbed to overwhelming sadness. "I'm sorry. I do care for you and will give you the sacred number of days to do what you must do here. That would be three days. After that, no more protest. You will come to the Celestian Fields no matter the outcome. Remember, Link, three days." The lighted figure, then, minimized to the same little star she was in the beginning and flew out into midnight air.

"Three days...only?" Linked he repeated worriedly. " Hopefully, that'll be enough." He was dead and questions raced through his mind. Could people see him? Could they hear him? If not, how would he reach them? Already, his first question was answered when a walking zombie pass through him. Link shivered at the chilling sensation of the redead going through his body.

"So cold. Brrr..." His teeth chattered. The sensation was different from anything he ever felt. Not only did his body feel icy, it also felt evil.

"I really must be going." Link walked over the door and brought out his fingers to touch it. Like before, his hand passed through, then his arm, and then his whole body. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the barrier surrounding the walls of the dead garden.

"Please," he prayed, "let me pass through." And so he did also through the fortress walls. Although, the barrier was strong and could keep the living from passing, it was not powerful enough to prevent spirits from passing through.

Link, then, walked into an unfamiliar world of darkness. "Where am I?" he thought. Wasn't he just inside Ganon's stronghold? He looked behind, to find the castle gone. All there was, was darkness, cold darkness. His heart raced and he panicked.

"Why did she live me here to find no way out!?!" Link half-screamed. He ran forward and back. He ran left and right. Nothing. It was just the same pure darkness everywhere. He began to think he was in hell. He fell forward on his knees with his hands in front of him.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Link wondered. Was he already being punished for being defiant towards the goddesses? "It's not fair..."he whispered. His eyes swelled with more tears. Never had he weep so hard. Never had he felt such heavy pain in heart. Never was he so desperate and helpless. He felt so cowardly. Link closed his eyes. Same darkness as when his eyes were open. He would just simply forget, forget everything and everyone he knew. Maybe it wouldn't be as painful. He would just be absorbed by the total blackness and forget he ever lived. But as he was trying to clear his mind of everything he knew and stood for, vivid pictures of his homeland, his friends, and the face of the one he loved sprung in him with a light that was ever so bright with warmth and fervor. How could he forget the smiles, the laughs, and the compassion of the people in his homeland?

Then something glowed. He opened his eyes to see the triforce on his hand blazing with brilliance almost blinding him. Everywhere around him he could hear the voices chanting, "Seek the path...the invisible path. Seek with your heart." Then darkness returned. Link picked himself up. He closed his eyes trying to sense the path. To one side, he would feel a deep coldness, the path of evil. The other side, he could feel the warmth of sunlight, the path of righteousness. He continued to follow this path of radiance until it ended. He opened his eyes to find a cut in the black air. Could this be the gate to his world? With no hesitation, he went through.

"Home..." Link whispered. The same familiar night sky hovered over his head. The same spring grass sat beneath his feet. And just a few yards away was the tree he had died by a day ago. Not a pleasant memory. Link noticed that he was going to have to journey his way to Hyrule castle by foot.

"No bother," he said with renewed hope, "I'll make it there by dawn!" He began running as fast as his feet could take him.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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