Author's Note: Before you begin reading, I just want to let you all know that this is only the first part of the story. Once I finish posting the first part, I'm going to wait to give everyone a chance to read it. I won't continue unless I have at least five reviews, only because I don't want to waste time and energy in something people might not even like. And, also, I'd like to warn all of you that this is a novel. It's quite long, and I have a sequel developing already. Enjoy! ~T-Lea
The Dream of an Armored Man
Link lied on his bed, thrashing and writhing in pain as he dreamt. The image of a dark man garbed in heavy armor wove through his dreams. First, it was the usual dream of the war and the strange woman who carried him away from the castle, but then there was a slight pause in which the darkness had been removed from his eyes, and an armored man took him by his left leg. Unable to protect himself, the armored man placed the flat of his palm on his exposed torso, and a blinding light filled the sounds and scenes of the war. Then, darkness had left Link to fall along in an endless abyss.
Once Link's subconscious was able to form again, he found that he had a strange pain in his chest. Clutching at it in the darkness, he slowly clambered to his feet as something gentle brushed against his mind.
At first, he stood still in the darkness, straining his senses for another presence. But after feeling the something brush against his mind again, he called out into the silence.
"Who's there?" Silence. "This is a dream, so I should be able to see you!"
Almost immediately after he said these words, the image of a dark face flashed before his eyes before rushing right through his body. Link stumbled backward in the darkness as the pain in his chest increased to a white-hot burning sensation. Eyes burning with tears, he clutched at his chest again, and then fell backward down another long abyss of darkness.
Almost after a few solid minutes, he fell onto another flat, stable surface. After a few more minutes, the darkness began to thin, and a vague scene began to form.
The clouds were dark with rolling gray and furious black. Heavy rain thudded the earth while streaks of orange and blue lightning shot across the sky, illuminating the dark, fallen castle. The gates were drawn up to prevent any passage, and the moat surrounding the castle was alive with foul beasts.
Suddenly, the gate was being lowered on the command of two lightning strikes. Once lowered, a white steed came galloping from within the bowels of the kingdom. A young, fair girl lied unconscious while a strange woman with her face half hidden steering the horse away.
Watching, a sudden invisible hook began to pull on Link's chest as he stared at the girl.
They fled to the far west where the desert lied, and then disappeared from view. Then, another horse emerged from the castle. But this was no horse, but rather a black beast that carried an armored man. He was bound tightly by black armor that covered him from head to foot, and his face was a vile green that was flustered in anger. His red eyes gleamed with fire as he scanned the field. And then he spotted a small boy standing only inches away from him.
A pain began trickling into Link's chest, seizing his breath and pulsating with each beat of his heart. He clutched at his chest as tears streamed down his cheeks. In a matter of minutes, he was on his knees, kneeling before this strange armored man.
"You look. . .just like me, boy." The armored man stepped down from his horse with a chuckle of dark laughter. "Why is it that you look so much like me, boy? Those clothes. . . That hat. . . Your eyes. . ."
Only one thought came to Link's subconscious mind as he stared at this armored man: The Lost Hero of Time.
"You and I. . ." The man knelt before Link, taking his chin gently and lifting his face to where they met eye-to-eye.
"We're alike. . .fairy boy."
"No. . ." The pain in his chest began to tear through his very flesh, began to dominate his heart beat as he stared into the dark face of this very man. "No. . . I don't understand—we aren't the same! I could never. . ."
"Link, we are. . ."
"No!" Link shouted, wrenching himself away from this man. "No, we're not alike! I could never. . ."
"You and I, boy. . ." The man stood up again and slowly crossed to where Link lied on the ground, clutching his chest and grunting from the pain. "We are the same. . . The heroes. . . You are destined to repeat my quest, and then to be forgotten. . ."
"No," Link shook his head frantically, scooting away from the man. "You're wrong—I'm not destined to be forgotten! That girl just now," he threw his glance out to the western part of the field, "Who was she— Where— Where did she go?"
"What girl?"
"That girl," Link repeated, dazed, his surroundings fading from view. "Who is she—where'd she go? Why was she unconscious. . . Who was. . . Who was that woman with her?"
The armored man knelt and took Link by the front of his tunic.
"You saw the girl?" he hissed at him. "You saw the princess of Hyrule, your— "
"Link?!"
"No!" Link shouted, fighting to free himself. "Leave me alone—I don't know who you are!"
"Link!"
"Link. . . I once knew a Link. . ."
"No! Leave me alone!"
"The age is falling into darkness again, Link. . . Prepare for battle."
Link threw out his hands to protect himself, but it was a wasted effort. At that exact moment, something caught him around the middle, and he was thrown down on the ground.
"Link—get a hold of yourself, buddy!"
"Taters?"
