I clutched my chest and gasped. He had struck me with some sort of magic, yet, it didn't feel like magic. It hurt and raged like fire in my heart.

The cut on my face and shoulder were already beginning to burn.

I cried out as he struck me again, this time with his sword in my side. I felt my precious blood spilling out of my side, staining Hyrule field crimson.

I had to win. For her, I had to win so she and her country could be free. With a battle cry, I leaped up and swung my sword as hard as I could, striking the man in the stomach with the tip as it flashed by.

He grunted as his own blood began to drip down his black armor, but he didn't stumble, not even once.

I stood up and raised my sword, acutely aware of the odd pain in my chest. I ignored it; it wasn't causing any permanent damage at the moment.

He lunged at me with speed I hadn't expected from him. I only just managed to raise my sword in time.

With a metallic ring and sparks of light and darkness flying off of my sword, we battled for dominance.

Finally, with one final heave, I pushed his sword aside and plunged mine through his chest. He fell backwards onto the ground with a gurgling cry.

My head buzzed and throbbed, causing my hearing to phase out. I could see his lips moving, but only heard his muffled voice speaking through waves of blood pouring out of his mouth.

My eyesight went next, until all I could see was a dim light in front of me.

I heard one clear voice above it all. "Help me; I must get to the castle." I recognized that voice.

Her voice.

I stumbled my way over to my faithful horse, who was still carrying her on her back.

I jumped as gracefully as I could onto the saddle, which caused a lot more of my blood to be spilled onto the grass and the pain in my side and shoulder to be intensified.

I couldn't remember what happened after that. Epona knew where we needed to go, so she carried the both of us there.

I mumbled something incoherently, my speech fading now too. I know she's unconscious now, I can feel her full weight on my back as we head for Castle Town. My vision falters in and out of darkness, so I can't really tell where we are.

Epona suddenly bucks and jumps up, it's all I can do to hold her and myself in the saddle. I realize its because she's almost to the castle.

I can feel my blood from the cuts on my side and shoulder pulsing and running down my legs into Epona's ginger and brown fur.

I will clean that up later, I silently promise her.

Finally we stop in front of the castle, which has only just barely begun to be re- inhabited. A few timid guards and faithful servants cling to the walls.

I thank the goddesses for letting me keep my wolf form, which means I can keep the senses that come with it.

Using my heightened sense of smell and hearing, I direct Epona as best as I can towards the castle gates.

Whatever magic that he used on me begins to take effect. My heart starts to throb, and at first it takes my breath away.

Still, I lead Epona to the front gates of the castle. I couldn't remember anything after that. The last thing I remember doing was sliding off of the saddle and hitting the ground.

There was pain, even in my dreams, it hurt and stung. The dreams weren't dreams either, they were nightmares.

I dreamed over and over again that I had failed, that HE had won. This was my punishment for winning. I couldn't stand it.

I saw him attack me with the magic over again, and realized, that even though I had killed him, He still cursed me so.

I couldn't believe how blind I had been, to not be able to see that he had done this as a final insult to me and her.

I want to cry to myself, knowing that I did fail her, I wouldn't be around to protect her.

I promised. I promised that I would be there for her.

I don't care about the pain anymore, it's nothing compared to the yawning face of death. I can feel it breathing down my neck, attempting to lull me into a peaceful and permanent rest.

I fight it at first, but then I realize how comforting the dark looks.

It looks soft, warm, inviting.

One thing keeps me going, her. I see her face, smiling at me the way she did when she was happy. I love that smile.

Death couldn't give me her smile; it couldn't bring me her warmth, her light.

I fight again, crying out as I do so. Goddesses, it hurts! It feels like billions of flaming arrows piercing my skin all at once, each one angry and snarling, ripping at my flesh like savage dogs.

My body shakes and heaves, or at least I think that's my body, I can't tell if it's a nightmare or reality.

Then it happens. The light returns, its warmth enveloping my body and saving me from the darkness.

She's there. Her face, her hair, she's beautiful. Her face looks tired and sad, but she manages to smile as I whisper her name in an attempt to speak with her.

"Zelda…" My body screams out in pain with the small movement I made to let her know I was ok. I try moving, but it only ends in failure.

I begin to recite a spell, a healing spell that my ancestor used. I can't move my lips, so I say the words in my head. I wish I could speak them, they sound amazing when spoken.

As the spell begins to work, I remember that it also requires lots of sleep in order for it to take full effect. So I close my eyes and sigh, reveling in the fact that my body is beginning to feel lighter.

I open my eyes, not to, wherever I was in the castle, but to a beautiful garden, filled with flowers and a small pavilion in the center.

A woman sits in the pavilion, with a man. He's blonde and appears to be wearing a knight's armor. The woman is wearing what appears to be a pink and white dress, her blond hair draped over her cloaked shoulders, covered by a regal crown on her forehead.

I step closer, attempting to hear their conversation. Not wanting them to notice me, I creep behind a brightly colored flower bush.

"I'm worried...Ze…, He won't know how to deal with his curse." The man in armor looked tired and worried, but the woman just gave him a hug and held his hands.

"I know you're worried about him Li…, but he will have to learn the truth at some time. The goddesses would not have given us that vision if we could not help him. The goddesses aren't that cruel." She gently grasped his chin in her hands, making him look into her violet eyes.

She then pointedly turns in my direction and says loudly, "So why doesn't our guest come out and speak with us, instead of creeping around my flowers?" She smiles in my direction.

I gasp and realize that I wasn't quick enough. I strain for a moment to stand but soon, am walking towards them.

The man and woman both stand, both being substantially taller than I am. I look at them and feel, almost intimidated by their presence.

"Hero, how old are you?" The man in the knight's armor leans down a little to get a good look at my face.

"17. I'm 17." I say, not understanding why they were asking me this.

The woman gasps and looks away, covering her mouth. The man looks at her, and puts his hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"He's so young. You were at least 19 when you had your adventure, he should still be with his parents." She looked at the man with a deep sadness in her eyes.

"My parents are dead. They were killed by Ganondorf and his army long ago." I raise my chin to show them I don't need their pity.

Suddenly the woman rushes forward and hugs me, holding me as a mother would. I gasp at the sudden physical contact, something that is new to me.

"Oh Link; I'm so sorry that you had to grow up in such a way. I wish that I could've been there for you." The woman hugs me tighter.

"H-how do you know my name?" I stutter a little, confused as to why this random woman knows my name.

"Link, I am Zelda. Princess of Hyrule. I am the Princess you know now's ancestor. And this…" She motions to the man standing behind her. "This is Link, captain of the Royal Guard, and the Hero of Time." She smiles at me.

"Link, I am your ancestor. I lived thousands of years before you and also bore the Triforce of courage." Link smiled at me, and winked, making me realize something.

"Your…you're the Hero's Spirit? The one that taught me the seven sacred skills?" I stare at him, seeing the similarities in the armor with the golden wolf who taught me.

"Yes, I am the same person. Now there is something we must speak to you about." Link's face got very serious.

"Link, the Goddesses sent us a vision, of the future, your future. We saw the battle between you and Ganondorf. You couldn't have fought any braver and valiantly. But, the vision also showed us that your battle has not ended." Zelda looked back at Link, her face grim.

"Wait, what does that mean? I don't understand, I killed him!" I began to back away, but was stopped by the Other Link's firm hand on my shoulder.

"When the King of Evil struck you in the chest, he was simultaneously cursing you. With that spell, he intends to draw forth the darkness in your heart." She stared at me, hoping I would get the concept, which I did, all except one thing.

"Darkness? I thought that I didn't have any darkness in my heart. That's what lets me wield the Master Sword, right?" I pat my chest to emphasize the point.

"No one is without some degree of darkness in their hearts. It's what makes us Hylian." Link stepped forwards to put his two cents in.

"But the point is not that you have darkness in you, rather how you control it, or if you let it control you." Zelda touched my chest where my heart would be, making me look down.

I feel like a child again, being lectured by an adult, but I listen none the less.

"But what does the darkness in my heart have to do with my curse?" I looked up again and stared into Zelda's violet eyes.

"Ganondorf made it so the darkness is multiplied every hour or so. Too much darkness in any one person can be fatal. It will get to the point where it will kill you."

My hearts freezes at her words. I can feel my eyes grow large in shock, but I steady myself, and begin to think about what I can do to fix it. I thank my experience in dungeon exploration for my clear head.

"What do I have to do to fix it?" My voice shakes a little. I can feel fear pulsing through my whole body.

I have to fix this, for her. Everything I have done is for her, so this last thing will be for her too, and if I die trying, then the least I can do is put up a fight.

Finally! I am finished with this chapter of My Awakening. It took me literally forever, and I am so sorry for it, but I think it was worth waiting for, was it not? A lot of things have happened in the past couple of months, which conflicted with my ability to write, so getting this done is a huge accomplishment for me :3 Thank you everyone for sticking with me this far, and I hope that everyone loves this chapter as much as I did :3 I love you all and am so grateful for everything you guys do! Fave and Review please! Tell me what you guys want to see in the next chapter :3

~BlackclawKitty15