1 Prologue
He knew it was a dream. And why he was here. Because this was the place where he had always been, where he will once again meet him. Here by the misty pond; the rising fog clouded his vision as he walked through the dreamy field. It was here, and as expected the other was here too.
Link walked slowly up to a young boy. He could only see his back as he crouched over the shore of the pond, head buried in his arms as he sobbed quietly. He was dressed in a black tunic; a black cap was tattered and lay by his side as he cried without a sound. A mist rose and surrounded him; breathing and spiraling around his small body before it rose and flew past Link's face.
He closed his eyes in content; the breeze soothing an anxiety he felt and knew was to come. The boy stopped crying and was still. He knew Link was there from the beginning, and with inward understanding both of them knew what would follow.
His voice was sullen and stern, far unlike the voice of a child or man. "Will you help me?" he asked. "I will," Link replied the monotone answer. The child stood up but did not turn away from the pond.
"I'm scared. The darkness…there's shadows in them," he whispered. There was a breath of silence. Link saw the boy stare at the center of the pond, where the waters turned darker in an inky cloud. "Will you help me?" he repeated. Link nodded curtly. "I will try the best that I can." The child made a dark, mirthless chuckle. He bent down and fetched his cap from the ground and placed it on his head, all the while not turning away from the pond.
"You can't help me," he said and seemed to gaze far into the pond, further than it appeared to be. The darkness of the pond grew and its waters began to churn and touched the shore. "What do you want from me then?" Link asked aggravated.
"You can't help me. They hate me. I don't want to go. Don't let them…the shadows hate you as well. I will too," the child whispered slowly as he stared quietly at the water, which began lapping further onshore. It drifted in and out like the waves of the ocean and reached the child's feet.
The boy stared down at his feet; and slowly turned to him. Link could not see his face; it was shrouded by the shadows from his cap. Two dots on his face began to flare red and orange flames. The flames spread and engulfed the boy, burning in scorching flesh and clothing.
"No one can help me now."
He knew it was a dream. And why he was here. Because this was the place where he had always been, where he will once again meet him. Here by the misty pond; the rising fog clouded his vision as he walked through the dreamy field. It was here, and as expected the other was here too.
Link walked slowly up to a young boy. He could only see his back as he crouched over the shore of the pond, head buried in his arms as he sobbed quietly. He was dressed in a black tunic; a black cap was tattered and lay by his side as he cried without a sound. A mist rose and surrounded him; breathing and spiraling around his small body before it rose and flew past Link's face.
He closed his eyes in content; the breeze soothing an anxiety he felt and knew was to come. The boy stopped crying and was still. He knew Link was there from the beginning, and with inward understanding both of them knew what would follow.
His voice was sullen and stern, far unlike the voice of a child or man. "Will you help me?" he asked. "I will," Link replied the monotone answer. The child stood up but did not turn away from the pond.
"I'm scared. The darkness…there's shadows in them," he whispered. There was a breath of silence. Link saw the boy stare at the center of the pond, where the waters turned darker in an inky cloud. "Will you help me?" he repeated. Link nodded curtly. "I will try the best that I can." The child made a dark, mirthless chuckle. He bent down and fetched his cap from the ground and placed it on his head, all the while not turning away from the pond.
"You can't help me," he said and seemed to gaze far into the pond, further than it appeared to be. The darkness of the pond grew and its waters began to churn and touched the shore. "What do you want from me then?" Link asked aggravated.
"You can't help me. They hate me. I don't want to go. Don't let them…the shadows hate you as well. I will too," the child whispered slowly as he stared quietly at the water, which began lapping further onshore. It drifted in and out like the waves of the ocean and reached the child's feet.
The boy stared down at his feet; and slowly turned to him. Link could not see his face; it was shrouded by the shadows from his cap. Two dots on his face began to flare red and orange flames. The flames spread and engulfed the boy, burning in scorching flesh and clothing.
"No one can help me now."