When I walked around the deep-night island, acompanied by Link, I was suprised by how much had happened. People where no longer the same. They had grown in my absence. They where growing up. These little things where changing. Like the glowing lighthouse, the missing presence of thankfullness, even MIA liked me suddenly. I mean, really, what was wrong with that cat from hell?
There was something I really had to remember. I could not touch anybody. The floor was okay, houses where okay, even the lighthouse. The animals were fine. But not people. They scorched my hands every time. I still had some nasty second degree burns all over my side from when I had been shoved against Link.
Something that had not changed however, was that my eyes betrayed me every now and then as we walked and talked about everything that had happened. The only thing I still left out was my intimacy with Ghirahim. No offense, but if he hadn't noticed on his own, it was simply none of his business. And that guy is so prudish I wouldn't put it past him...
Oh yeah, back on topic.
Sometimes the island would disappear before my eyes, but people where worse. They where like flickering lights before my eyes. Which is why the whole "no touchy" thing was kind of challenging. Good thing that Link knew, after I told him at least, and helped me get around.
"And that is when I saw you at the crate of the volcano?"
I nodded slightly and looked over at him: "Yes. I was in a trance I guess... Lanayru was calling me and I was too exhausted to think."
"You know... When we arrived here we all thought you where going to die." he admitted quietly, "Your body temperature plumaged, your heartbeat was slowing down rapidly... Not to mention you where terribly dehydrated and feverish. They asked me what happened... But I didn't know what to tell. In the end I just told them that you had gotten lost in the dessert."
"The heat did make things worse..." I admitted feebly, "Ghirahim was chasing me, I couldn't stop to drink once."
He looked at me, an essence of wonder in his eyes: "How, Medowlaria? How did you get involved in this mess?"
By sleeping with your enemy, idiot!
"I don't know." I glanced away, blinking until I could see the ground again, "I just want to know, what to do next... I told you, Ghira was training me. He was trying to turn me into his weapon against you. Ironically he taught me the stuff I used to save your life. Twice. Now that I have 'betrayed' him, he will continue to come after me."
His response was sudden and strong: "I will not let that happen! Listen, I just have to get the last melody to Levias. Then I will be able to get the Triforce and protect you and Zelda from that sick man."
"What will you do with the Triforce anyway?" I asked, trying to not blush.
"I will use it to destroy Demise for ever." he said immediately.
I glanced up at him, confused. He brought me to the bench in the plaza and sat down with me as he started to explain, what Demise was: "He is the negative counterpart to the goddess Hylia. The demon, who created demons, just as Hylia created us Skyloftians. Demise has been banned in the temple, down below where Groose is now living. Problem is, he sometimes escapes. When that happens, we have to force him back into his seal before he reaches the temple."
"Why?"
"Zelda is in there. If he reaches and destroys it, she will die. And with her, his seal will break." his voice trembled slightly, "I have fought him so often... He is always roaring in pain and fury, but I can only barely hear it."
I remembered my battle with Ghirahim.
"Well... you would use this thing, which can grant you any one wish, to destroy him then?" I asked, just to make sure.
He nodded again: "Correct. It should not be too difficult. My journey is almost over."
When he said that, I felt his entire body relax next to me. Pure relief sang from his muscles and bones as they sighed in hope. Even though I could barely see him, I sensed how hardly he had pushed his body for this task. A task, he had not chosen to complete, one, that had been forced onto him. I pitied him.
We sat there in silence, brooding over his words for a while. A lot had happened since I had last seen Link and Zelda right here, pointing out into the sky and dreaming about a future neither of them dared to talk about quite yet. Even more time had past since Zelda and I, two little girls with big dreams and simple pleasures, would sit here, talking about Loftwings, butterflies and our little-girl idea of how the world worked.
What I would give for one more afternoon of play time, pretending to be philosophers, instead of learning years later that I, a girl whom they called "demon", was friends with the reincarnated goddess.
Which reminded me...
I leaned forward a bit, my eyes staring at the thunderhead unfocused. I had learned a lot about my origin in the past weeks. But what did I actually know, other then that my whole childhood had been built on a lie? My father was not my father, but who really was? Who was that man, that... illusionist with the fire hair who kidnapped my mother all those years ago?
Some things I was becoming aware of. For one, he must have been some sort of demon. I was being called a demon by so many different people and creatures, it could not possibly be a coincidence. The fact that my ears where hurt by the languages of light also confirmed my fear, just as my ability to create black magic did. I was surrounded by weird and frightening incidents. Something was wrong about my heritage.
"I've always known that I'm different." I said slowly, trying to think, "Since childhood. But since I learned about who my father is... well, rather is not... I think I may have had a role to play in this madness since it began. It just took me a while to realize it."
Just as Lanayru had hinted at.
"But what is your destiny? Are you my enemy or my ally?" he said bluntly, sounding exhausted. I guess he too had been thinking along similar lines.
"I want to be your ally."
"But are you?"
I did not know how to answer that.
-X-
We sat there for about an hour in the end. The words we exchanged where few and tactfully tiptoeing around subjects that made us feel uncomfortable. Named, my crush on him and my other crush on Ghirahim.
But then, we where interrupted in our silent brooding my Fledge.
He came running at us at the crack of dawn. I could hear his steps from afar so I looked up long before he had said a thing. Unfortunately, I had no idea what his expression looked like. If his breathing was any indication, he was mortified: "Medowlaria!"
I smiled blindly at him: "Fledge, I-"
"Medowlaria, your bird!" he interrupted. My grin was swiped from my lips in an instant. I stood up slowly.
"What about him?" Link asked, sounding alarmed. My heart clenched in terror. No, please, please no...
He swallowed heavily and whispered: "He's gone."
"What do you mean by that!" I insisted quickly.
"He has disappeared. I was tending to him under the statue. I just left for five minutes, but when I came back, he was gone."
I shrugged slightly, relaxing: "Well, that's alright. He must have flown away."
"You don't understand... He has an injured wing."
My heart almost stopped. How much more bad news could I take?
"But... But he'll be fine, he..." I stuttered, feeling numb.
"They are searching for him." He said weakly. Finally I could see his face. His expression made my heart bleed.
Paralyzed I stared at him. Link called my name gently, but I could not react. My friend and companion, dead? Everybody knew that once you had a bird, your bound was symbiotic. If you died, he died soon after. If he died, you died within days. It never failed.
I needed to know for sure!
"How... was he injured?"
"We don't know exactly. It happened weeks ago, about the time you disappeared. But then, a few days back, it got infected."
So that was, what he had been talking about while I lay in that coma...
Everything was falling into place.
Slowly I looked over at Link and said: "I need to see Levias. As fast as possible."
Link cast me one quick glance, then he said to Fledge: "Can we borrow your bird?"
-X-
Fledge's bird protested slightly, but he calmed down at some point and let me ride him into the thunderhead. Link brought me to the rainbow island and told me to wait there while he went and took care of his song-learning business. Fine by me, all I cared about was seeing Levias at last.
The deity took his sweet time to show up, even though I could feel his presence clearly and heard the flapping of his finns against the air.
"Levias? You don't have to be ashamed, you know." I looked towards where I sensed him, "Ghiras magic is too strong for even Link to fight perfectly. He cursed you. I am not angry at you."
"I could have killed you."
"Oh for the love of Hylia." I muttered and watched as he stooped out of his magical shield. He still was difficult for me to see and would occasionally become invisible.
Well, I had seen worse today, so that wouldn't kill me.
"You didn't. That's what counts for me." I took a deep breath, "Levias, I have to ask you something important. Where is my bird?"
He stayed silent for a moment, which made my heart sink.
"I do not know, Medowlaria." he admitted tiredly, "Ever since he was pierced by that forsaken blade of darkness I have not been able to feel his presence anywhere in the sky."
"Well that is unfortunate." I said sarcastically, "I kind of need to know if he's alive."
Before he could answer, the heavens broke into a deafening song. It was no longer even music. In my ears it was hell. Groaning I covered them and doubled over. My whole skull was being shaken by the music. When Levias, swimming right next to me, joined the chorus, I passed out instantly from the noise alone.
When I re-woke I found myself lying on the ground, blinking up at Links cerulean eyes. He dared not touch me, but he was waiting for me to receive consciousness.
"Sorry..." I mumbled, trying to get up. Man, that was embarrassing!
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah..." I did touch my ear though to check, if my eardrums where still intact, "Sorry for passing out... The song was too loud for me to handle."
"He smiled weekly and asked: "Are you good to go?"
I looked back into the sky, wishing for a faint moment, I could hear my bird call out to me: "Yeah... Guess so. Fledge will want his Loftwing back."
He grinned slightly, but when I looked at him, I noticed something weird. His smile was so completely fake that his cheeks looked strained.
"What's that look about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Link sighed an exasperated sigh: "Remember that first time you fell in a trance and followed me into the silent realm?"
"You mean the nightmare-realm?"
He almost laughed: "Yes that one."
I grimaced: "Well let's just say, when you said, you didn't have to go into one ever again, it was one of my happier moments in life."
His silence said it all. I did not even have to look at him.
"Oh hell no!"
-X-
Wow, I'm being productive o.o Stay tuned!