Drops hit the ground, wind howled through the trees, and thunder rumbled in the skies above. Cold bore through cloth, flesh and bone to freeze the soul. A frantic pounding across the ground, rippling the vast puddles over the forest floor.
Tears poured down a face, stifled howls of pain that couldn't be let out, and a relentless pursuer from the skies above.
Even in the dense forest of Faron the merciless rain shot down like hundreds of icy arrows on their skin. They fought not to slip while running up the flights of stairs that led to the deep woods, where their sanctuary resided. A snap of lighting barely missed them by a couple of feet-they could only thank the goddesses it hadn't.
The thunder grew louder and more deliberate, as if it were trying to form a coherent sentence. It sounded loathing and wrathful with a pained undertone, just like he who summoned it.
They found temporary solace in the cave that conjoined the two areas, getting in far enough before slumping against the walls in defeat. His hand grabbed hers as they closed their eyes in relief. They let out a collective sigh; they could finally stop running for a while. She collapsed into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder, before silently sobbing.
A reassuring kiss was planted on the top of her head as he held her close, giving a hateful look to the weather outside. Curse him. Ever since he had become king he made it his job to track them down and make their lives absolutely miserable.
He remembered when they had started with high hopes three years ago, all the plans to erect a village on the new and wonderful land below. He remembered the long nights of sitting around a table with the others, Zelda stressing over each minor detail, Eagus and Pippit planning out possible patrol routes, and Groose coming up with all sorts of wacky contraptions; anything from weapons to transportation or even lighting. Slowly but surely, the people made their way down to the surface. Gangs of monsters were fought off, houses were built and crops grown.
Another spark of lightning landing at the mouth of the cave brought him back to reality, reminding him of their mission. They had to get to Skyview. He gently nudged Zelda, reminding her of the task at hand. Slowly but surely she got up, clinging to him like a young child. Another crash. He felt her body stiffen at the harsh sound.
"Hey," he said softly, planting a kiss on her cheek, "we're halfway there."
She looked up at him, eyes red from crying and face stained with tears, and lightly nodded. They slowly began to walk, paying little heed to the thunder booming with rage. The wind gave loud, horrid cries, wailing through the trees horrible threats and curses. When they had gotten to the other side, they had found to their horror all the ropes had been snapped and the shortcut that Link had created during his quest was blocked by some trees that had been felled; it didn't take much thought as to who did it.
Thankfully, during the years of solitude, thick vines had grown over the cliff and trees. Link got out the Clawshots whilst Zelda clung onto him most fiercely, and they shot off. As soon as they landed on the other side they quickly scrambled off the ground. Any moment they were still gave their pursuer an opportunity to strike.
They quickly repeated the motion, going from cliff to cliff, narrowly escaping being hit by lighting on a few occasions. This reminded Link of the tactics their pursuer used in the battles against him.
At last they had arrived at Skyview, and they hurried to heave open the heavy metal doors that guarded the entrance. Once they were in, Link made an effort to shut the doors as much as he could while Zelda placed a barrier spell that would deter any evil.
They got out their meals, each of them a bottle filled with the yellow fruit that grew plentiful here and a slice of stale bread. They were both dripping wet and panting from exhaustion. They made their way into the bowels of the temple, where hopefully the demon king couldn't reach them with his sharp, white hands.
The temple was now long abandoned; they had cleared it out long ago during the hunts so nothing posed threat to them. At least they hoped so. They eventually reached the final room, the one most intact. They also met the one who would cause them the most grief and suffering imaginable.
They felt slightly unsettled as they entered the room, Link especially.
There was nothing wrong with the room itself, as it was brightly lit, and just beyond was the spring. And yet, it wasn't pleasant to have to take refuge here. Their packs were tossed carelessly onto the floor as they, for the second time that day, slumped up against a wall. The storm outside couldn't even be heard despite all its attempts to be. For the first time that day, they were completely safe.
They ate their meals in silence, Link wrapping an arm around Zelda as they began to grow sleepy. He lazily threw off his cloak and Zelda followed suit, setting them on the ground along with anything else they had as a soft surface for them to sleep on.
"Do you think he'll capture us," she whispered, "again?"
Link's eyes were already closed, and he wanted to sleep.
"I dunno... I hope not..."
She snuggled up to him, running her hands through his hair. A sleepy smile had adorned Link's scarred face. Nothing, not even all the pain, torture, or mutilation could ever take away Link's beauty. Nothing could ever stop him from being gorgeous in every single way.
She rested her hand on the area where his left ear had been. A scar that had been made to match the assailant's own, and for that- among many other things- she despised him. She gently pressed her soft lips against her hero's rough, chapped ones.
"Goodnight-" she murmered
"...sleepy head." he finished.
Link woke up to Zelda neatly folding all their things and putting them in a corner. He also noticed she'd put anything that was small enough in the pots that were scattered around the room. "Were" being the key word; they were now neatly aligned up against the wall with their other stuff.
"Why good morning, my sleepy head!" she chimed, smile wide across her face and a glint in her eyes.
He noticed her hair and skin were washed and that she'd put on some new clothes. This prompted him to take a towel to the face.
"You look like a mess," she said, letting out a small giggle
"Alright, alright, princess, I'll go wash up"
He made his way through the golden door and up the steps to the spring. Had the storm passed? All it took was a look up at the sky to notice little ripples in the dome-shaped barrier. The springs had to be absolutely secluded; the goddess couldn't have dirty water from bird droppings, or have intruders come in from the sky and ruin the place.
She'd thought of everything, that Hylia. She'd ensured nothing would disturb the springs or Skyloft- or at least that's what they'd thought for a long time.
The capture of her incarnation said enough. In the end, nowhere was truly safe.
He had gotten out of his dirty clothes and into the crystalline waters. They managed to be cool yet warm at the same time; a relaxing prospect.
Link lay his head back, closing his eyes as he released a long, heavy sigh. He opened his eyes and looked into the water, grimacing at the scars that tore his face. He slowly raised a hand to his left ear. What right did that demon think he had to do that to them? To him. To Zelda. To everyone.
He remembered the day that blight came; no one was expecting it. By that time everyone had assumed he perished along with his master.
The sound of voices singing filled the air, mixed with the occasional ripple of laughter. The smiles on everyone's faces.
Of all the days to crash in and ruin his entire life, it had to be his wedding day. Then again, the demon king was one for theartrics, and what better a day to take everything away than the day it was to be given?
Link ran his hands through his hair, wringing out all the filth that it had absorbed.
All the filth that he had accumulated over the weeks just fell away effortlessly. There really was something special about the spring. Well, aside from the healing properties of the water, the fact it had held a message from the goddess, and that it had a barrier around it.
It was now time to get out and dry himself off. He hadn't eaten yet. He climbed out of the spring and dried himself off, and once inside he hastily put on his clothes and got out a hunk of dried meat. He gnawed voraciously until nothing was left but the bone. It had been quite a while since they were able to eat meat, and his body craved it.
He noticed Zelda wasn't in the room, probably scouting the area just in case. She was an expert with a bow, a few monsters wouldn't bring much harm. He picked up his sword, the sword that Gondo had crafted for him, before the demon came...
Now was not the time to be thinking of such things, he had to go join Zelda. It didn't take long to find her. She was in the centre room, shooting down few crates that hung from the ceiling.
"Ah, finally done with your bath I see?" she said, playfully cocking her head.
"Yeah." He laid his eyes on the planks of smashed wood all over the ground. "Found anything useful?"
"Not really..." She let out a sigh. "This means we'll have to return to the surface, sooner or later."
He let out a dismayed grunt. He had hoped they wouldn't have to return for quite some time. Their supplies were still decent, a little bit more on the low side, but maybe they could make it few more days...
They wandered around the temple a bit, not finding much at all. It seemed like the raids really did their job. He could hardly believe that at some point there'd been a bunch of knights running around the place, exploring every room and every passage, and that they considered doing some renovation on this temple in few years time. Well here he was; a few years later and nothing had been done.
They stood right at the entrance, peeping through the crack. It was even worse than before. Link could have sworn he'd seen water pooling up at the bottom of those chasms. Then, they heard a sound.
"Kwee!"
They looked down at the numerous Kikwis on the porch. To be honest, Link was a bit startled at the sudden appearance of the little bush-people.
"May we please, koo, come in?"
"Yes, yes, please do!" Zelda said without hesitation.
They gently pushed open the doors, letting the group in. Within a few seconds the floor was pooling with water. Link began to slowly close the doors. He noticed the Elder wasn't with them.
"Hey, why isn't Bucha with you?" he inquired, knitting his once-thick brows together.
"He's gone to talk with the water dragon. He thinks it may have something to do with her," Machi answered.
"What?"
That couldn't be further from the truth. It was a reasonable argument, considering Faron's temper, but seeing as there were no monsters and Faron wouldn't waste her power on nothing, it was still a wrong one.
"I can assure you Faron has nothing to do with it," Zelda piped.
"But then why is it so rainy?" Oolo inquired.
The Kikwis, while cautious, were sheltered. The attack happened on the sacred grounds, the raids on less wooded areas where the Kikwis were wary of. Faron, while harsh, still cared about the inhabitants of her woods, and did her best to protect them. So of course they wouldn't know.
"We'll explain later, right now you need to be dried off."
She hurried them down into the temple, but stopped when she noticed Link wasn't coming.
"Link?"
He turned his head to her, flashing a smile.
"I'll be here just in case Bucha or anyone else turns up, okay?"
Zelda, while a little hesitant, nodded. He could handle himself.
He wondered if the Hermit would be fine. The tree wouldn't get flooded for being so high, but Yerbal had a sleeping habit somehow even worse than his own. He wondered if any of the survivors were doing well.
Once again Link had fallen into a trance, reflecting on past memories. He wondered how long the temple would hold before the demon king found a crack, just like he did when he dragged Zelda down to this land.
He recalled looking up at the new king's face for the first time. He was somewhere around Demise' height, or at least what Link presumed the latter's height would be- Demise had appeared differently to everyone. He wondered if Ghirahim could do the same.
Ghirahim.
He hadn't dared to think about that name for a long time now.
It was so much easier to give the demon king no identity than that belonging to this violent, sadistic beast. He remembered the long white hair before it grew red. Not a fire, scorched red like Demise', for his hair was coal-black. No; Ghirahim's slowly dripped red from the roots like a blood-stained cloth, reflecting his violent nature. It would drip red onto the floor, his hair heavy like it were wet with all the blood he had shed, even though it held no moisture.
He remembered black eyes boring into his soul, that long tongue that would flicker out every now and then. His voice had gotten incredibly low and raspy, but still kept that elegant air about it. His skin was no longer an ashen grey; now it was porcelain white. He remembered those long, deep crimson claws that had tore through his flesh again and again, and again...
Link recoiled. Those memories were still too fresh for his liking, even though it had already been three months since their escape.
How long had he been sitting there, watching the rain hit the surface and pool up in puddles on the ground, he didn't know. The occasional flash of lighting struck, that may or may not be directed at some poor soul. The wind was screaming, screeching and wailing; he tried not to pay attention to what it said but his ears still picked up the words.
This is your fault.
I will drag you both into an eternity of torment for all you've done.
You killed him.
How about I kill her?
Link's eyes shot open. He turned his face away from the crack and stared off into the passageway. Most likely this was just another threat meant to scare him, but Link wasn't taking any chances.
He hurried down the stairway and squeezed through the little hole that led directly to the main passage.
He bolted into the main room.
It was all fine. Zelda was still here, and giving the kikwis a tour of the place. The little bush people seemed astounded at the fine architecture- even though it was now in ruins.
Zelda turned around, and smiled at him.
"Hey sleepyhead, decided to join us?"
Link hummed in agreement.
Even if it wasn't much, he felt like he should tell Zelda, once they were alone.
Eventually, they had reached the end. They let the kikwis out into the spring, who were astonished to see no storm here. Zelda explained the barrier that surrounded the place, and the kikwis listened, filled with awe. Their kind never knew much in the ways of magic, so anything relating to it was taken with much interest.
Link loved the kikwis, they were so nice and welcoming and had a strong bond with each other. It reminded him of Skyloft's community, all caring and supportive of each other.
Link missed that.
Eventually he and Zelda left the kikwis to enjoy the sunshine and the water. As soon as they were out of earshot and a good way down the stairway, Link tapped her shoulder.
"Zel, I have to tell you something," he bit his lip. "I know it probably isn't anything, but it's making me uncomfortable."
They sat down, and Zelda had a hand on his shoulder. She knitted her brows together.
"Has it got something to do with Ghirahim-have you spotted him?"
"Well, I haven't spotted him, but I could hear his voice in the wind. He was saying how he'd..." Link gnawed at his lip even more.
He used to not think all too much of Ghirahim's threats before, seeing as he always managed to best him, but after... that...
Zelda had her arm wrapped around him, pulling him close. She planted a kiss on his cheek.
"It's okay, you don't have to-"
"he said he'd, he'd"-how did he know the barrier was effective? Ghirahim had sent a tornado above the very barrier that had kept humanity safe for millennia-"kill you. And I know he's just saying this to get under my skin, but I lost you once, and I was lucky I got you back."
"Link, what brought me back wasn't luck; it was your skill and dedication. You killed the very being that Hylia-I, myself-couldn't!" she looked him in his deep blue eyes. "It doesn't matter what that self-important buffoon says, he'd have to get me in your sleep, and you always have an eye open."
"That self-important buffoon burned our town to the ground, killed your father and dozens of people, and kept us captive for goddess knows how long. He made you watch, knowing very well that the ritual had taken away-"
She put a soft, warm hand on his cheek. He gazed into those soft, sky-blue eyes, lost in her gaze. There was always something special about her, and yet she was always so down to earth.
"Link, for now, we're fine. We found a place to hide. I know it may not last forever, but please, just relax. You've already experienced enough stress. Just relax. For now, he can't do anything."
She gently pressed her lips against his, running her hands through his hair. Slim, nimble fingers twirling around the brass-coloured strands. In that moment, all of Link's worries melted away. He pulled her in close; he could feel her heartbeat, slow and steady. Her warmth reminding him of the times they snuggled up under the stars.
They parted, making some space between them.
"Just, take care of yourself."
"Linky, I will."
For the next few days nothing much happened. They took their time just eating, sleeping and bathing themselves in the glorious water and sunshine. But their supplies were starting to dwindle, and down here there was no reliable food source.
Link tried to reason against it, but alas: they had to return to the surface. And goddess knows if an army was waiting for them up there. They made their way to the mouth of the temple, praying nothing was waiting for them. What about the storm; was it still going? It made them both feel uneasy.
But they needed food, and badly.
Link peeked through the sliver of an opening. It wasn't raining, there were no monsters-no nothing. It seemed a little too . . . convenient, but they couldn't be picky.
They made their way to where the path was, and started to move the various logs and rubble out the way. By the time they had finished, they had a decent opening.
Having cleared the path, the couple made their way to the cave that lead to the main woods. Maybe there somebody would be waiting for them.
Even when they entered there was still no one there. In fact, there wasn't a single living thing in sight. The birds weren't singing, there were no walltulas clambering up and down the vines.
It felt . . . dead.
The only sounds heard were their slow, somber footsteps and the occasional gust of wind blowing through the trees. Even though the storm had passed, large clouds covered the sky in a blanket of white.
They stepped off the viewing platform and onto the ground.
The mud stuck to their feet, like it wanted to pull them into the ground; each step felt like a marathon. Thankfully, a tree bearing fruit was close by.
Link clambered up the trunk, getting into it's canopy. He reached over to one of the fruits and tossed it down to Zelda. He repeated the process with the other two.
Just as Link was climbing down, an arrow had been shot near where Zelda was. The couple snapped their heads up. Up on one of the thick roots of the tree was a bokoblin archer. Zelda got out her bow and shot at it, but it had ducked down. Its cries calling the others to the sight were heard.
They left the fruit and ran. A horn was sounded, and was met by a another, and another. The couple ran as quickly through the mud as they could. It was no use fighting an uphill battle, as much as that instinct tempted Link to do so.
When they had gotten up to the viewing platform, just narrowly avoiding getting shot again, Zelda got out her bow to deal with the ones further off, while Link struck down any that got too close. He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, his pulse pounding in his ears as he struck them down one by one. Sure, it took longer than it would have with the Master Sword, but-
He felt alive. It had been so long since he had done any of this.
Just then, thunder could be heard from the skies above. A shower of rain came down in torrents, soaking Zelda's bow string and rendering it unusable. Zelda had fled into the cave, and Link followed her. He managed to narrowly avoid getting hit by a thunderbolt.
They ran through the cave. There was no way they could defeat an army of demons in such a confined space, even if they were safe from the storm. The sounds of the horde were getting louder and louder with each passing second. The couple ran outside and prepared to fight.
A blinding flash came from the direction of Skyview, and a deep rumble followed after. Link was gobsmacked. Without hesitation, Zelda dashed to the pathway.
"I'll go them get them out of there. You fend off the horde!" she yelled, trying to make herself heard above the storm.
"No, Zelda no! It's what he wa-", but before he could finish, she was already off.
She could fend for herself.
Hordes of monsters came gushing out of the cave, and Link cut them down one by one without fail. His eyes would always lead back to the temple, where Zelda was on the doorstep.
She had a spare bowstring.
His distraction was punished by a hard smack to the side from a bokoblin club. That area would bruise for days to come. He retaliated with a spin-attack, knocking all the monsters around him off their feet, before finishing off any that survived with a fatal blow.
She wasn't a helpless princess.
Moblins made their way into the clearing, tough wooden shields and long sharp spears. Link ran up the wooden surface and attacked from behind. He narrowly avoided getting skewered on the end of a spear. He cut into the shield time and time again. Bokoblin, moblin, even keese- didn't matter what they were, they were all on him. Gashes, bruises and scrapes; he bore them all with boldness.
But then, it all stopped. Just like that, the monsters turned heel, leaving him surrounded by the bodies of their comrades. It was always a grim moment, Link being surrounded by all his handiwork. When he fought, he cut them down without a thought, but when he stared into the dead eyes of the aftermath he couldn't help but feel... remorse?
The sky had started to clear, and he could even see specks of blue. He ran along the path to the temple. He had to get to her. Who knew what happened while he was fighting.
When he had gotten to the doorstep, he felt an aura that made him sick. It was twisted, almost rotting. It was noxious, and threatened to choke up his lungs. Resisting the urge to vomit, Link crept into the temple, fearful of what he might find.
The deeper he went, the stronger it got. He could almost smell it now. He knew this aura. He had felt it around dying monsters; Koloktos, and especially, especially Demise. He had pinned it down on dark magic, which was often related to demonic presence. He knew who he was going to see, but he didn't expect the image.
Kikwis cowering behind the various pillars in the room, a hole in the ceiling, and... There he was, Zelda gagged and bundled up in his arms. He was peacefully slumped against a wall, his eyes closed and legs sprawled out in front of him. His hair currently didn't bear that blood-soaked hue.
The aura had gotten so strong he was practically tasting it; he could feel it suck out the air from his lungs.
He looked unsuspecting, but the smile on his face said otherwise. Zelda's large blue eyes shot at Link. He could tell she wanted him to take the Kikwis and leave. She didn't want to bring him into this. She pleaded silently when he drew nearer.
It was then Ghirahim picked her up, slowly opening his eyes and looking directly into Link's. He brought her to his mouth, planting a kiss on the top of her head, tongue licking her hair.
Link was already feeling sick with the aura that hung about like a miasma, but the gesture made him gag. That was the last straw.
He drew his sword and ran in. Only to be caught up and his blade to be flung away. He punched, kicked and occasionally bit, but the demon king only lazily put Zelda down and summoned a piece of fabric to bind the hero. The battle against the horde had taken more from him than Link expected.
His gaze was disinterested, mouth barely pulling up into a smirk. He looked tired. He propped himself up and carelessly dropped Link onto his lap, doing the same with Zelda.
"Well," he began, voice deep and gravelly "I expected more from you, Hero." He smirked, raising his non-existent brows.
"As you can clearly tell, chasing you brats down has left me in quite a state." He began to lightly run his sharp claws down Link's back. "Fortunately for you, dear children, I am in a generous mood. I shan't harm you, but"⎯his voice drew to a whisper as he circled a claw around Link's severed ear⎯"if you run off like this again, and I find you... I shan't hesitate to, well, you get the point."
He raked his claws across Link's face, hair turning its blood-red hue..
Link winced as he remembered how Ghirahim had mutilated him, tearing him to shreds, and how he made Zelda watch it all.
"Understand?" Before Link could answer he tapped him on the temple. "Good.
"You know, it really is quite funny how my master, source of all evil, was defeated by a couple mere children." He tucked them in one arm, and slowly began to stand up. " And it's very comical that I got bested not once, not twice, but three times by you, dear hero." The last statement came out in a jeering tone.
Link peered over at the Kikwis, some of them looking from behind the pillars. He mouthed them to run, but none of them listened. He couldn't blame them.
It was then Link heard a loud gust of wind from the sky above. A blue figure was coming closer, and closer. It was then Faron, in all her glory, crashed in through the ceiling, quickly attempting to snatch the couple from the demon king's grasp.
Ghirahim, though surprised, held them firmly. He jabbed a kick at the water dragon, which she evaded with ease. He then summoned a blade they both knew all too well.
Ghirahim had no right to use him like this. Despite the room's vastness, Faron and her opponent kept scraping and destroying walls, thanks to the dragon's great size. Both of them had a good number of hits landed on them. But in his midst, Ghirahim had failed to realise he had loosened the grip on the humans, and greatly so. Link had managed to squirm out of the demon's arm and break free of the fabric that bound him. Ghirahim noticed but it was already too late; Faron had snatched up the little hero as soon as he dropped. This angered the demon king greatly, but suddenly he ceased fighting.
"I hope you'll enjoy living with this, child!" he growled.
And with a wave of his blade, he was gone. And he had taken Zelda with him.
It had taken a few moments for what just happened to resonate with Link. He stared at the wall in disbelief.
"He has the audacity to..." muttered Faron.
It was then it hit him, and when it did, it was hard. He began to sob, and then he began to whimper, which turned into a wail. Soon he was screaming his lungs out, tears flooding his face as the storm had earlier.
Faron usually wouldn't stand this, but she could understand his grief. He began screaming obscenities directed at the demon that was no longer present.
Eventually, after much comforting and being told it wasn't his fault and that Faron would do her best to get Zelda back, Link settled down, and, in time, fell asleep.
I would love to thank my spectacular beta-reader Mystic's Apprentice- they've been such a great help and have given me the option to expand the story more! I would also like to thank all of you who took the time to read this, and maybe let me know what you thought?