Author's note: Sorry it took so long. I got caught up in my other fan fiction, "The Shadow" and I was just a little busy with the first week of school. But here's the next chapter of Age of Darkness! This chapter's more plot-driven than action-driven... but it's still good! Enjoy!

Chapter 10: A Vision Leads to Destiny

The seeds of dandelions flew up in the bloodstained air as the wind whispered almost so quietly, it seemed everything was dying. The clouds were faded, if seen at all, and the grass was dull and frail. A faint voice was heard in the air, so quiet it was almost a whisper.

"The darkness has now deepened. No sand remains in the hourglass of time."

Not many birds were spotted in the sky, and no life of any creature could be heard anywhere. The land was mute, and so silent it all came to a certain feeling of eeriness. A sinister evil seemed to plague the land with its dreadful hand as it shadowed the plains in chaos. The small voice was heard again, but only a little bit louder.

"The past scars the land as the world reaches its end... and the cries of war echo upon the still air."

Faint drums could be heard off in the distance and the pounding of stomps that rumbled the earth. The clinging of armor pierced the air and the spears and swords of war were ready to be used. They were the Hyrulian soldiers, under control of the evil Ganondorf while the other army rose at a lesser stature. A peasant rose up on the hill and pointed his sword toward the opposing army, with more soldiers behind him charging forward.

As they began to go forward, the earth began to shake, and the clouds darkened further and the sky swirled in a blazing motion of fire. Rains of fire poured down to the ground as the two armies were charging at each other and were about to collide in death and battle. The sun burned the grass, and the paleness of the moon pierced all. The wind carried the same thing... death. The image had gone dark before the voice was heard once again.

"It is now time for the hero to rise, as the ending of the world approaches."

Link shot up from his sleep, quickly sitting up from his deep slumber. He slept under a tree, shielding him from the dull moonlight. The deep night was as if it were a blanket, devouring any light that lay below it, and engulfing all in its everlasting embrace. His eyes shot from side to side, seeking anything that might have caused his "bad dream."

Slowly taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Link gracefully closed his eyes and placed his hand on his chest and felt it rising up and down slowly as he inhaled slowly. Once he opened his blue eyes once more, he searched the area once again before sitting back down and trying to go to sleep once again. He whispered to himself,

"What kind of nightmare was that?"

All of the sudden, Link heard a deep booming voice echoing throughout the wood. He jumped a little out of shock before he could comprehend it, and he slowly began to listen. Though it was strong and loud, it had somewhat of a gentle tone to it, and whispers were behind it, it seemed.

"'Twas not a nightmare, young Link... but a vision."

Link focused his gaze where the voice was emanating from, surprisingly, he turned his head upward and found an owl gracefully flying down to the ground in front of him. Link had indeed seen the owl before, but a year had passed, and his memory was hazy with the stress of surviving in the cruel, uncaring world. He stared at it for a while, eyes furrowed with confusion before he had spoken again, acting confident as if ready for a fight.

"Who are you?"

The owl did not answer, only an aura of a brownish light surrounded it and within its bright illusion, it had changed its form to the shape of a man. Link peeked on eye under his arm, which he was using to shield from the bright light heading his way. He saw a man there, cloaked with a garb covered in feathers and a hood over his head, nearly concealing his bird-like yellow eyes. Link lowered his arm and stared for a while before the aura around the being, which once took the form of an owl, had faded.

"I am Kaepora Gaebora..."

"I have met no one of the sort, why pay me a visit?" Link said with a rude tone.

"You have met me... a year ago, before Zelda was separated from you, she was awakened as a sage of the Golden Power. I was the owl that flew from below your feet."

Suddenly an image flashed in Link's memory. He suddenly remembered standing by Zelda as the ground below him was shaking, and an owl shooting up from the ground. However, the image pained him because it brought Zelda to his mind, and he did not want to believe she was dead. Just then a breeze blew Link's hair to the side, partly concealing his blue eyes. His eyebrows went from the furrowed state and returned to normal. Why had the owl come to him?

"Why come to me in a state of the world such as this?"

"Come, follow me, young Link and I will show you." Kaepora Gaebora said as he turned around and began to traipse under the towering trees.

Link was hesitant but reluctantly threw his foot forward and placed it on the ground, taking a step. He followed his previous action by continuing with his left, and repeated until he was at a regular walking pace. He tried his best to keep his gaze on Kaepora Gaebora so he would not carelessly stray. As he went through the forest he put aside any branches or leaves in his way, and pressed forward. Eventually, they had come to a hill which seemed to be leading toward the heavens. He had reached the top and it was then when he looked upon the scenery before him.

It was the navy blue ocean, dimmed from the absence of the moon. The gentle dying breeze blew against his face as he walked beside Kaepora Gaebora who stood on the edge of the cliff. At the base, the waves crashed against the rocky wall and brushed upward before falling backward and into the water again. Link looked upon the waters for a while before Kaepora Gaebora interrupted his deep observation of the scenery.

"Look upon the sky... do you hear the thunder roaring?"

Link did so and at last noticed the thunder. It had been deaf to his ears as of late, due to it becoming so frequent, it had become familiar to him to the point where he no longer cared. This was the first time in a while he had noticed it, and he listened more closely than before. It had become louder, and fiercer, and the sky's clouds had darkened even further. Link could sense the sinister evil growing stronger and stronger as the minutes passed.

"The world is dying... it hasn't much longer time... and now... now is the time for the hero to arise and defeat the one who has disturbed the Golden Power." Kaepora Gaebora said before turning toward Link, "It is your destiny, hero."

An awkward feeling shot through Link's stomach. All of the sudden his shoulders felt so heavy, for such a burden to be placed upon them. The world's fate was to be decided by his decision, his courage, and his strength. Link was a bit in denial as he stared at the black sky with his eyes wide with shock. He turned his head slowly toward Kaepora Gaebora.

"What must I do?"

"Draw the Master Sword, the sword of evil's bane."

Link looked down toward his feet thinking, just pondering of his future and what he must do. All of the sudden, he no longer felt he was just another person in the world. He was to be a hero, a hero that would strike down evil, and save the world from its pure chaos.

"A boat lays anchored along the shore. Go there to sail to the bit of land to the east, there you will find the ruins of a temple and in them you will find the Master Sword."

"But am I strong enough?" Link replied, trying to find some way to get out.

Kaepora Gaebora paused for a while before softening the tone in his voice, "It is your destiny... from the day you were born into the world, you were doomed to this fate... your mother knew this would happen as well... that is why she wanted you to survive."

A flashback once again pierced Link's mind. It was long ago, long before all this madness and when the world was just entering the Age of Darkness. It was that painful, dark and dreary night, the night that brought him so much pain and resentment.

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Fires burned throughout the town as the houses fell to the ground. Fifteen year-old Link threw off a piece of debris before coughing gravely from the rising smoke. He was covered head to toe in ashes and his face was scathed from the bits and pieces of wood buried into his skin. He began to call out first in a hoarse voice, before it had strengthened to normal.

"Mother! Mother!"

He suddenly found her laying on the ground with her legs crushed by large wooden debris. Link stood up and stumbled over to her before falling to his knees once more. He was pained that second as he lifted the back of his mother's head. She opened her eyes and slightly smiled at him, trying to ease her parting.

"Link..." She said barely lifting the her hand and stroking the side of his cheek with the back of her hand.

Link looked at the rest of her body searching for any other wounds. A dizzy feeling went through his head when he saw a stake rising through her. He gasped before his mother shushed him.

"Shh..." she said, "Link... now's the time we must part..."

Tears began to fill Link's eyes as he held his dying mother in his arms. No words could leave his mouth as he shook his head and only mouthed, "no." A single tear fell to his mother's neck, before she lifted her hands once again and dried his tears.

"Link... you must stay alive. You're still only a child, Link and you haven't chosen your own way of life like I have... so please..." She said before she cringed from pain, "...until you are old enough to choose your own way of life you've got to... you've got to stay alive..."

She closed her eyes as the smile faded on her face. She fell cold in Link's hands as her weight pushed his hand downward. Tears blinded Link's eyes before he rubbed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her neck and did what he could not hold in. He cried. Link, a bold, strong boy, cried aloud over his fallen mother and took in sharp inhales. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, before he looked up toward the darkness of the starless sky as the heated wind blew against his face.

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Recalling that memory, only one tear fled from Link's eye before Kaepora Gaebora had interrupted his thoughts.

"You still have someone to fight for..."

Link turned toward him, his eyes still filled with tears. He thought for a while before once again recalling Zelda. Though she had lost all her memory, it was her smile that made him happy. Though all what she had done to him, he did not care, he knew it was not her doing in a way. He loved her.

"Zelda... I know in my heart she is still alive somewhere out there..."

"What is she to you?"

"She is someone I despised... yet... someone who I love like no other..."

"And fighting with her on the line... you will surely be triumphant." Kaepora Gaebora started, "Now depart unto the sea!"

So Link did. He had come to a boat along the shores of the sea. He departed, looking up to the sky and seeing Kaepora Gaebora, now an owl, flying over him. He looked forward to the broad ocean, and continued east. Link knew his destiny... and he knew his love.

Author's note: How was that? A little more exciting than expected? I tried my best to make this chapter as interesting as it could, knowing that it was a plot-driven chapter. The next chapter will be exciting, I guarantee it! I'm going to make the drawing of the Master Sword quick, because the ending is approaching, but it's not for a couple of chapters. Well... Review!

Special thanks:

Brownblade: Yay! Speedy-Brownblade's back! I'm glad you thought the chapter was good! Thanks for the review! (Have you started school yet?)

Sakurelle: Well, my five minutes was up a LONG time ago... it took over five days! I've been busy with school too, so I can't be updating like I'm inhuman anymore like I did during the summer. XD I'm glad you think this story is "delightful." Thanks for the review! (When did school start for you?)

LadyofDemons45: It's okay. Sometimes I get a little annoyed too when my mom tells me to do a lot of stuff and she won't let me do anything entertaining for a while, but I still care for her. Anyway, thanks for the review! I really appreciate that you think my work is wonderful!

pen-gurl: Yay! (Bows to clapping). I'm really glad you liked the last chapter! Hope you liked this one too! Thanks for the review!

kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: NOT MY LITTLE THINKER, LINKY-POO!!! (Grabs little action figure and hugs it tight.) (heh, heh... got a little carried away there...) I hope this was soon enough for the update, first week of high school's been really tiring for me, a wee freshmen. (The reason why I call the Link action figure "thinker" or "tinker" is because he helps me think when I'm stumped on writing stories... perhaps the Zelda action figure would help me think as well... hmmm...)

Crescent-Wish-Forever: The massive fluff... is beginning... it's just going through the preliminary stage, but once Link draws the Master Sword... just you wait... it'll be so cute, you'll be twitching with excitement like I do when I see something cute... It's okay if you reviewed late, I've been busy with school too.