Chapter One

What? You didn't HONESTLY think that was the end of it, did you? *grins *

Belial groaned, gripping Shadow's hair tightly as his back arched off the bed. Shadow swallowed, sucking lightly to drain every drop before he pulled away. Chuckling, he slid up Belial's body to steal a kiss.

Belial slapped him.

"What was that for?!" Shadow whined, rubbing his face.

"Being an idiot!" Belial hissed, fixing his pants and moving towards the edge of the bed. Shadow tried to pull him back; he still wanted his release, after all. Patience snapping, Belial twisted and slapped him again, sending him tumbling over the side of the bed.

"Come on, Belial! What did I do?" Shadow stood, tugging his tunic down awkwardly over his erection. He noticed where Belial was headed and gasped, rushing to stop him. "Belial, wait!"

Belial ignored him, stalking across the room to the shadow-prison. He batted the illusion away with a wave of his glowing hand. Vio hung in an unnatural way in his chains, like a broken marionette.

"Belial? . . Oh come on, Belial! He deserved it!" Shadow said, grabbing Belial's arm. The Shadow Caster knocked it away, his light sparking across Shadow's skin.

"I don't like to be used, Shadow." Belial replied tersely, his tone acerbic. He pointedly turned his back on Shadow, returning his attention to Vio.

Iblis, the Lord God of the Dead and Patron of the Sheikah tribe, knelt beside the dying Hero. 'Save him, Shadow Caster,' his eyes pleaded. 'His time has not yet come.'

"Who says I was using you?! I sucked YOU off!" Shadow shouted, nursing the place where Belial's magic had burned him.

Belial placed two fingers against the limp Hero's neck, hoping. . . Yes! His pulse was weak and thready, but there. He wasn't dead yet, though he would be soon if Belial didn't get him help. He'd already lost consciousness, and was barely breathing.

"HEY!" Shadow shouted, grabbing Belial's hand to pull him away, "don't fucking touch him! Do you have ANY IDEA what that little shit did to me?! He needs to be punished! He-"

"He is DYING, Shadow!" Belial snarled, eyes blazing as he yanked his hand free of Shadow's grasp. His touch burned through the shadow-bonds that kept Vio upright, and Belial caught the Hero as he fell forward. Belial winced; he could see and feel how many bones had broken, and there wasn't a patch of visible skin that wasn't torn or bloodied.

Speechless, Shadow didn't try to stop Belial when he lifted Vio into his arms and ran from the room, yelling for Ubel. Using a portal would doubtless be faster, but he wasn't certain that Vio's battered body could withstand the strain.

A Hinox lumbered up to the open door, regarding it in confusion for a moment before silently offering the note it held to Shadow.

Snapping himself from his daze, Shadow took it. Almost immediately he wished he hadn't.

My Dear Shadowed Sky Child,

I must admit that I am severely disappointed in you. Weeks ago I sent you a missive summoning you to my castle, and you have seen fit to IGNORE me! I do not like to be ignored, Shadow Sky Child. It makes me very disagreeable. You may have earned your power, but only because I allowed it, and I will not tolerate your disrespect! I can take all you hold away from you, if I deem it necessary for you to remember your place.

Consider this a notice of inspection; I will arrive tomorrow, and if all aspects of your domain do not meet my expectations there will be Consequences.

Your Master,

Demon Lord Ghirahim

Fuck.

Clenching the note in his fist, Shadow felt his way through his domain to locate Heine. Finding Heine in the courtyard with another of the Innocents, a younger Hunter boy named Kesi, he hurried through the shadows to get to them.

"Heine!" He called. Heine must have heard the note of panic in his voice, for he ended his mock-fight with Kesi swiftly, ("Hey! Heine, no fair!") and loped over to Shadow, jumping on him for a hug. Heine pulled a face that Shadow couldn't see, scenting blood and sex on his skin. Behind him, Kesi rubbed at his nose; he was close enough to smell it, but not quite experienced enough to understand it.

Shadow pulled back, stroking Heine's hair and sighing softly. "Heine. . . Listen, Heine, there's something I need you to do for me. I need you to gather up the others and take them somewhere safe, all right? Gather everyone up and be out in an hour. Get supplies from the kitchen; don't return until I send for you, understand?"

Heine peered up at Shadow's face in concern. He knew that something wasn't right, and he shouldn't leave Shadow alone. He flung his arms around Shadow's waist. "Stay with you!"

"No, Heine. It's not safe for the others here, and they won't be safe anywhere else unless you're there to protect them." Shadow held him close, pleading, "please Heine, for me?"

Heine didn't like it, but he nodded slowly. "For you." He hugged Shadow tightly again, then ran off, gesturing for Kesi to follow him.

Shadow sighed in relief, knowing his Innocents were in good hands.

Now to deal with Vio.

Shadow clenched his fists, teeth bared at the thought of the traitor. Perhaps he SHOULD hand him over to Lord Ghirahim; his Master would surely be pleased if he did. Lord Ghirahim had waited for so long to take his revenge on the hated Sky Child; Vio would BEG in the most delightful ways for Shadow's kindness by the time Lord Ghirahim finished with him. He would take any whipping or acquiesce to any demand Shadow placed on him with tears of gratitude.

If he survived what Lord Ghirahim did to him.

If he survived. . .

He should do it! He wanted to do it! He wanted to watch his Master force Vio to the cold floor, pin him there and- and-

The thought made him sick.

Vio may have lied to him, may have acted like a slut when Shadow ever-so-kindly gave him a little freedom, (he wouldn't make THAT mistake again!) but that was all the more reason to keep him alive! If Lord Ghirahim killed him, then he could not be sufficiently punished for his transgressions by Shadow's own hand.

Shadow nodded, reaffirming his decision. Lord Ghirahim would not discover that his vassal kept a Hero for a pet.

"I don't know why I even waste my breath giving advice that will not be followed," Belial said dryly. He watched with disinterest as Ubel and Vaati darted here and there around the medical ward, doing their best to stabilize Vio's condition.

"Now is not the time, Belial!" They'd had to suction a tremendous amount of blood from his lungs, and Ubel ordered Vaati to recite every spell he knew to stop bleeding to try to keep Vio's blood pressure from dropping any lower.

Ubel attempted to get Vio to swallow a potion, but try as he might, the unconscious Hero wouldn't take it. No amount of coaxing could make him swallow, and instead he began to choke. Desperate, Ubel worked a flexible tube down Vio's throat, pouring the contents of a blue potion into a connected funnel. He hoped that Vio's digestive system hadn't deteriorated so far that his body wouldn't be able to absorb it.

Iblis remained a specter at Vio's bedside, watching the proceedings with a melancholy expression. Rather than fading, he seemed to become more solid as time passed; once he became fully visible (at least to Belial's eyes), Vio would die.

Hearing footsteps, Ubel's eyes flicked towards the ward door, then back to his patient. His tone was icy calm, but beneath lay the threat of danger. "If Lord Shadow dares to step one foot in here, I will kill him."

Belial did not doubt him. He moved swiftly out the door, shutting it firmly and standing in front of it to block Shadow's way. Standing with his arms crossed, Belial fully intended to tell Shadow off and maybe slap him again for his idiocy, but the deer-in-the-lantern look that greeted Belial caught him off-guard.

Though he tried to hide it, Shadow's form shook. He swallowed several times, trying to regain control of his voice. "Belial, I- I need you to do something for me." He bowed his head, letting his dark hair fall across his face. He took a breath to speak, but stopped again, biting his lip. Belial waited, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

After too long a pause, Shadow spoke again. "I- You have to take Vio away. Take him somewhere I wouldn't think to look for him."

Belial regarded him in silence for a moment, every instinct he had screaming wrong, wrong, wrong! "Why?"

"I can't tell you," Shadow whispered, avoiding Belial's gaze.

Fine. He'd find out on his own. ". . . All right. I don't like it, but I won't push you." Belial conceded, though he was already plotting.

"Thank you." Shadow pulled Belial close, pressing a kiss to his lips. Belial allowed it, embracing him briefly before stepping away. Shadow let him go, giving him one more look before vanishing into the shadows.

Belial sighed. He WOULD find out what had spooked Shadow so badly. But for now, he had to take care of Vio. Sighing, he re-entered Ubel's medical ward. "Ubel, get him ready. He's being transferred."

Ubel looked up from his work, holding a curious hand-pumped device he used to suction fluid from Vio's lungs. "To where?"

"Hyrule."

Belial clutched Vio to his chest as he passed through his light portal, taking him directly to the one person he knew could preserve Vio's life. "Zelda! Wake up!"

Zelda woke abruptly, momentarily disoriented by the brightness of her room despite the late hour. She'd just fallen asleep, surely?

"PRINCESS ZELDA!" Belial moved forward, laying Vio on Zelda's bed and unwrapping the bloodstained blanket that covered him from all but his most private areas.

"Is that- VIO?! Oh, Goddesses!" She gasped in horror, examining him by Belial's natural light. Vio looked starved, bloody, and bruised. Someone had attempted to heal him; much of the blood had been wiped away, his limbs set with splints, and a tingle of magic remained on his skin.

But-

As she watched, he stopped breathing.

"VIO!" She pressed an ear to his chest, unable to hear the beating of his heart. Carefully placing her hands on his head, Zelda willed her magic into Vio's body. The spark of life within him was fading fast, and he wasn't fighting it. The damage was too extensive, would take too long to heal. His heart didn't have the strength to beat, nor his lungs the will to breathe.

She didn't have a choice. "I'm sorry, Vio."

Zelda held up her arms and bright light flashed around them. Zelda's power flared and lifted Vio's still form from the bed, coalescing around him in a swirl of golden magic and violet-tinted light. When it faded, Vio floated above the bed, suspended in a clear purple crystal.

Sheik appeared at Zelda's side, having felt the rise of magic in her room. His uncovered face stared at the crystal in horror. He took a slow step forwards, head bowed as he gazed at Vio's oddly peaceful expression. "Oh Vio, I'm so sorry. . ."

Sheik's hands clenched into fists and he turned on his heel, stalking towards the door. Belial headed him off, grabbing his shoulders to stop him. "Let me GO, Belial!" Sheik snarled, furious. The murderous look in his eyes promised that Shadow would be in a world of pain when he caught him, no matter whose domain it was.

"No. Sheik, Sheik listen to me!" Belial hissed, attempting to hold him back.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Sheik screamed in rage, swinging at Belial, who dodged it just in time. Sheik swung again and Belial blocked, catching his fist. Sheik brought his knee up, but Belial caught his leg and flipped him. Sheik grabbed Belial's arm to pull him down and roll them, attempting to pin him down. Belial kicked him off and Sheik tackled him again, this time managing to land a blow to the side of Belial's face. He snaked his arms around Belial's neck before he could recover, catching him in a choke hold-

"BOYS!" Impa hauled Sheik off, holding him up and glaring at him like she'd caught him spying on Green in the bath (again). "What is the meaning of this?! One of the Heroes needs medical help, you woke the princess from her sleep to tend to him, and now you're fighting like children! You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

Both Sheik and Belial had the grace to look ashamed, bowing their heads and mumbling apologies. Her expression stern, Impa dropped Sheik back onto his feet, looking past them towards the crystal containing Vio. She too could see the form of Iblis hovering nearby, and she bowed her head to murmur a prayer to him for the injured hero. "Princess, what would you have us do?"

Zelda cleared her throat, looking as regal as one could in a nightdress and with bed hair. "Sheik, I'm going to need you to fetch the other Links; they will want to know that Vio has returned. Belial, help me transport Vio to the medical ward so the healers can tend to him. Impa, please go ahead to the medical ward and let the healers know we are coming."

"Yes, princess." The three chorused. Impa vanished and Belial moved to stand by Vio's head, Zelda at his feet. Between them, their shining magic wrapped around the crystal and lifted it, floating it out of Zelda's room towards the medical ward two floors below.

Sheik watched them leave before taking a shuddering breath and heading towards the room he shared with Green; guilt ate at him, accusing whispers in his mind that he should have done more, should have never kept silent. He hesitated outside their door, squeezing his eyes shut and exhaling slowly. "Goddesses above and God below, please guide me."

Green lay curled up in the middle of their bed clutching a pillow, exactly where Sheik had left him. "Green? Green, wake up." Sheik pressed his lips to his lover's, nudging him awake. Green groaned, tired blue eyes blinking up at him. His look changed to one of alarm, however, when he saw the heartache in Sheik's eyes.

"What is it, Sheik? What's happened?" Green asked, scrambling for his clothing and weapons. "Are Blue and Red all right? And Zelda?"

Sheik wrapped his arms around Green, embracing him. "They're fine, Green, but. . ." He buried his face in Green's neck, taking a shuddering breath. "Vio."

"Vio? He's home?" Green breathed, hardly daring to believe it.

Sheik felt his heart break. "He is, but. . ." Sheik closed his eyes with a pained keen. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Please tell me he's not dead, Sheik please!" Green begged him.

"He isn't far from it. Let's get the others and I'll take you to him." Sheik said. He kept a grasp on Green's hand while they woke Blue and Red, even Blue keeping his mouth shut at the somber expressions on their faces. Green held onto Sheik while Red and Blue threw their tunics on without a word. Red took Green's other hand while keeping hold of Blue's as the four of them traipsed through the halls to the medical ward.

The area in the back had been curtained off, but they could see the shadows of healers casting their spells behind it. Other patients lay sleeping in the ward beds, the murmured spells quiet enough not to disturb them. Blue shifted impatiently and Red made him sit in a nearby chair, climbing into his lap and sniffling sadly. Green laid his head against Sheik's chest, never taking his eyes off the curtain. All dreaded what they would see when they finally laid eyes upon Vio again.

They waited until the sun peaked over the horizon, and the healers finally emerged from behind the curtain. Others patients had begun to stir, and the healers set about tending to them while Zelda made her way to the four. She looked tired, her face drawn.

"Vio will live. The healers and I have come to the consensus that he should remain in the crystal until he wakes on his own." Zelda told them, keeping her voice low. "This way, his body will have time to heal. We cannot fix every injury, but we're doing our best."

"How long will he sleep, Zelda?" Green asked quietly, never loosening his grip on Sheik's hand.

Zelda sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, there's no telling. It's up to him. If he does not wish to wake, then perhaps he never will. He may choose to sleep forever, sealed within his own dreams.

Red choked on a sob and buried his face into Blue's neck. Blue's expression was stony, but he kept staring towards the curtain, as though willing Vio to poke his head out and call them all stupid for falling for his prank. Green squeezed Sheik's hand, his head bowed to let his hair hide his face.

"Can we see him?" Red asked, his voice tiny and afraid.

Zelda hesitated, but finally she nodded. "Come with me." Silent, the four followed her to the back of the ward, stepping around the curtain.

Green retched and Red's hand flew to his mouth as he gasped, staring in wide-eyed horror at Vio's current state. He floated suspended within the crystal, the magic contained inside of it helping his heart to beat and his lungs to function. His body glowed wherever there was healing internal damage; most of his body shone too brightly to look upon. Past the light it was difficult to see him, but he looked so scrawny it appeared he hadn't eaten since he'd vanished those many months ago. How long had it been? Too long.

Blue clenched his fists, his entire body shaking and eyes blazing. "Who did this to him? Who?! I'll kill them! I'll fucking kill them!"

"You will do no such thing, blue knight." Blue's head whipped to the side, where what seemed to be a glowing, colder version of Sheik leaned nonchalantly against the wall.

Red gasped. "It's the one who dances when the lyre plays!"

"Tell me who it was!" Blue demanded, taking a threatening step forward.

Belial remained unmoved, his luminous green eyes shifting to meet Sheik's sorrowful red. "It is no one's place to say but Vio himself. Isn't that right, mon obscurité?"

Sheik glared at him, but before he could retort he caught sight of Green, staring at him in abject horror. "Green?" Sheik asked, reaching for him in concern, "are you-?"

"You knew, didn't you?" Green whispered, stepping away from him. "You knew where he was!"

Sheik looked away; he could not deny it. Green bowed his head, his bangs falling across his eyes. Sheik placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, but Green shook him off. "Green, I-"

"Get out."

"Green, please-"

"GET OUT!" Green shouted, his voice ringing through the ward, on the verge of cracking. His entire body trembled as he cried, feeling hurt and betrayed.

Sheik appraised him in silence, his expression heartbroken. He wanted so much to pull Green into his arms and comfort him, to try to excuse himself though he knew no excuse could be found. No, there was nothing more he could say. Sheik lifted his cowl to cover the lower half of his face and turned, dragging his feet as he left the medical ward. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his hand on the door, but he knew that sorry would never be enough.

Thank you to all those who reviewed Traitor! I really can't predict you guys; I thought I would make everyone rage, but most of you just cried or begged for a sequel.