AN: There's a new poll up, so please vote when you get the chance! This chapter isn't funny though, and finally some more plot elements! We're getting close to the finale, guys….or are we? (cackles)

Results of last poll:

Who do you think is going to die, or who do you want to die in Awakening to Hyrule?

1. 'Smartass' (Hero of Time) - 6 votes (46)

2. Neither - 5 votes (38)

3. Doesn't matter - 1 vote (7)

4. Other (PM me...) to which, said person who voted 'other' didn't PM me. - 1 vote (7)

and the rest (Terra, 'Sane Link', All Three, and Don't Care) all had zippo. (zero)

Wow...either i'm missing something here, or you guys really hate 'Smartass' Trust me, and I'm giving a major hint here, he's not a useless character. He plays a rather...big role in the future.

This was going to take an extra week for me to post, but I knew that I would have felt bad...so here it is!

Chapter 25

Bad Omen

I shifted before feeling an intense pain run up the arm with that accursed Triforce. What was happening? I looked around, but that didn't help. All I saw was darkness, like I was in an endless void.

I heard two voices coming from somewhere in the distance. One sounded like a man's, angry and desperate, while the other voice sounded female, terrified and crying.

Unexpectantly, a tree materialized in front of my face, causing me to yelp and jump back in shock.

An eyebrow raised on its own accord when I noticed that I was in a dark foggy forest instead of the black void.

A woman's scream pierced the night air and ripped through it with ease. Without thinking, I dashed towards the source of the sound. Stumbling on only a few roots and rocks along the way, I reached the destination only to gasp out in horror.

A dark cloaked man stood over a young woman in a pink dress. A sword was protruding out of the young woman's chest, and as she took her last breath, her gaze turned to me. Something in the back of my memory clicked and nagged me about something, but I did not know what.

The act of the now-dead woman attracted the attention of the cloaked figure. He turned his wicked gaze onto me, and holding his left arm up, a Triangle shone brightly on the back of his hand.

"Heh, Heh. Foolish girl. You're next."

---

I screamed. I mean, wouldn't you?

The act of me screaming woke up the Hero of Time causing him to unsheathe his sword and instantly move into a battle ready stance. From the darkness, his muscles twitched in anticipation.

I stared at him. Just how does he do that so quickly?

The Hero of Time visually relaxed when no enemy was in sight, and instead turned his gaze to me with a simple phrase that came out of his mouth, "What happened?"

Shivering, I answered. "A bad dream. Really bad."

The simple action of me shivering concerned the Hero of Time, so therefore he asked, "What was it about?"

I turned my gaze to the floor of the room in the inn, intending on keeping silent about the matter.

After a moment of silence, a desperate voice tore its way through my stubborn front. "Terra, I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened."

A groggy voice came from the corner of the room at the exact moment, too. "What happened?"

The Hero of Time, seeing that I wasn't going to supply the answer again, answered for me. "Terra had a bad dream, and she's freaked."

Sane Link walked closer. I faintly noted that he was shirtless and that his muscles rippled as he stretched, but at the moment, I didn't give a damn. That…dream…

"Really? What was it about?"

"I don't know, she won't tell us." The Hero of Time turned to me, "Terra, it might be a prophetic dream of sorts, and it could be important?"

I blinked, trying to recall the dream. I'd better tell them before I forgot, because that would not be good.

A shaking breath rushed past my lips, before I began the retelling of the nightmare, "I was in a dark void of sorts. The next thing I knew, a forest appeared around me. I heard a blood curdling scream come from somewhere, and I ran towards the sound." A pause and then, "I witnessed the murder of a young woman by a black cloaked man. The man had a glowing Triforce piece, that we can only assume as the Triforce of Wisdom, too. He looked and me, and said that I was next."

A pause, and then Sane Link asked, "What was the woman wearing?"

As soon as the words, 'A pink dress' came out of my mouth, a collected gasp came from the two heroes.

"Guys? Are you going to fill me in, or are you going to keep me in the dark?" I muttered, after watching them stare at each other for a minute or two.

"She was…Princess Zelda. The Princess…is in…danger…" The Hero of Time muttered. He sounded partially mad, and partially sad about something.

A few moments of silence passed, the air frigid and giving off a feeling of dread, before the Hero of Time spoke again. "If he- Ganondorf – can show the Triforce like that…"

"…Then the Princess is already dead." Sane Link finished.

"And if he said that you're next-" The metallic ring of a sword exiting a sheath rang through the dark room, "-we need to move. Now." The Hero of Time practically pulled me to my feet and dragged me out of the door.

---

When we reached the door, Sane Link went to reach for the door handle, but I saw a whisp of smoke seep out from the crack under the door.

I gasped and grabbed his wrist, causing it to stop on the spot. I explained myself, "There must be a fire out there, because I saw some smoke…" I trailed off.

"Move, you two." Came the raspy voice of the Hero of Time.

We compiled. The Hero of Time charged at the door, like a raging bull would do to a person, pulled back at the last second, and kicked it open. It looked pretty impressive, but what was beyond that door was not.

Fire. Death. Destruction. Everywhere. Everything went in a blur after that, I couldn't remember much. I remember my name being frantically called, an intense pain go up my 'Triforce arm' before being dragged again by the Hero of Time while Sane Link fought off some monsters trying to get at us. I remember being shoved onto a chestnut coloured horse that looked similar to Epona. It's not like I passed out…I just couldn't…remember.

Oh. One detail was obvious than the others. There were lots of redeads, as if…as if…all the townpeople all got turned into them in one night by some cliche curse of something.

---

After we got a good distance away from the castle, I heard the panicked whinny of another horse beside us. Sane Link has been following us closely on Epona, all the while fighting off beasties. The Hero of Time didn't help – he just rode his poor horse as hard as he could.

Sane Link gasped from on top his mount, "I…I think...I think we...lost them."

Huh. I hoped we lost them.

---

After having the situation explained to me many times, I drew a final conclusion: That I was going to have to fight Ganondorf in exactly two days. Not even the cliché three days. No. Two days. Lucky me, eh?

As if knowing that my horrible death will be coming in two days, Ganondorf would be searching desperately for the last two Triforce pieces, which meant that Sane Link and I had to kept on our guard at all times. There is no time for games anymore.

The death of Princess Zelda bore down on all of us like a bad omen, particularly the Hero of Time, who had a haunted look on his features, once the adrenaline left our bodies.

One question, of all others floating around in my brain, made itself dominant: What would happen to Hyrule now…with no heir?

AN: Short chapter, yeah. I thought that was a good place to stop. Also, it builds suspense. Yeah. The last paragraph of two both have bad wording. So, sue me. :P

I'll try not to take a month next time to update, savvy? Just review, and I'll be happy. :D

Remember this simple equation: Reviews Me x chapter hits happy author. Therefore: Good. XD