Hey guys! So here we are at another mostly romancy/angsty chapter, though this one is much more interesting than the last one in my opinion! Yay! So I'll keep it short this time. Thanks to shippingpowersactivate for following! Now for the reviews!
Zelink005-Yeah I was kinda drooling over Link as I was writing that bit myself... I can't help it! I have a major crush on all the adult Links! XD And yeah, I admit it that almost-kiss was kinda mean of me... But this chapter just might make up for that (spoilers!) ;D
ShadowNinja1011-Thanks! XD
Mekuda-Yeah I had to do a little ship teasing... I just couldn't resist! I guess they are a bit shy, but this chapter might change that... or not, I'm not really sure ;)
WolfRunner362-I suppose a little filler never killed anyone... After all, I am slowly but surely building up to a huge beginning of the plot... :D
Alrighty! So, with that out of the way, Let's get started! Enjoy!
Chapter 6: Night Flying
"A heart full of light!"
"A night bright as day!"
"And you must never go away!"
"This is a chain we'll never break."
"Do I dream?"
"I'm awake..."
"A heart full of love."
"A heart full of you."
"A single look and then I knew."
"I knew it too!"
"From today... everyday..."
-A Heart Full of Love, Les Miserables
As the sun started to set over Skyloft, the Lumpy Pumpkin lit up as the party there kicked off. The entire restaurant was festive and warm, the scent of fresh pumpkin soup filling the large dinning room. Several young couples filed in holding hands, Link and Zelda among them. The hero was clad in his knight's uniform, as all the young men at the party were and the girl wore a simple, yet pretty violet dress, her blonde hair tied up into a neat braid. They both smiled to each other as they entered together, hoping that they were both thinking the same thing. In both of their minds, this party was of the upmost importance. It was where they intended for their relationship to get its official start. They couldn't afford to think what could happen if anything went wrong.
The first half of the evening went by in a blur for both of them. A large part of it consisted of enjoying a pleasant dinner and conversing with friends. They had a good time, but all either of them could really focus on throughout it was their nervousness about the whole situation. Zelda was terrified that Link wouldn't even ask her and Link was worried that he'd have no idea how to even ask Zelda when the time came. But even so, the two of them muddled through the party, never leaving each other's sides, despite their apparent apprehension.
As the feast wore on, a few couples took the floor to dance to the music preformed by a small band of academy students. Zelda grinned as a slow song began to play, knowing that this could be their chance. "Let's dance," she said to Link, taking by the hand and dragging him out onto the floor before he could protest. "Come on!"
The hero simply followed after her, realizing her intent. He silently commanded himself to relax and act natural as the two of them held hands and drew close to each other, barely needing to move along to the gentle tune.
"You know..." Zelda said quietly with a warm smile. "I'm having a really nice time with you."
"Thanks," Link said, returning her smile. "I'm having a great time with you too."
The girl could feel her cheeks grow slightly red as she prepared her next statement. "Um... Link?"
"Yeah?"
"I... I think that this could be considered our second... date..."
"Second?"
"Well, yeah," Zelda glanced down bashfully. "Because our first date was the Wing Ceremony... Remember?"
"How could I forget?" the hero said with a fond smile, thinking back to when he and Zelda preformed the Wing Ceremony together months ago and then flew around Skyloft together to celebrate Link's victory in the race. And despite it actually being their first date, it had ended in tragedy, as it was then that a tornado threw Zelda down to the surface, prompting Link to set off on his search to find her and bring her home. "Actually Zel, there's something that I want to ask you..."
"Yes?" the girl said, looking at him with hope in her dark blue eyes.
Link took in a deep breath, running over the question in his mind one last time. It was now, or never. "Zelda," he began, looking into her beautiful eyes and receiving his final confirmation to go on ahead. "Do you-" Before the hero could say another word, a sharp ripple of deep pain ran through him, its epicenter being the supposedly sealed wound in his chest. He was unable to stop himself from cringing from the sudden sting as the pain seemed to intensify with each passing second. Zelda immediately noticed that something was wrong and she was filled with concern as she watched his eyes shut in agony.
"Link?" she asked, slowly guiding them both away from the middle of the dance floor so they wouldn't draw unnecessary attention. "What's wrong?" She received no reply as he groaned in misery. Zelda bit her lip as she held onto his hands tightly, confused and frightened. She had no idea what could be wrong with him, though she knew it was something serious. After all, he was completely fine just a moment ago.
At the same time, Link tried as hard as he could to cope with the pain, as not to arouse Zelda's suspicions. As a feeling of bitter cold mixed with a searing burn filled him, he realized exactly what was going on. It was the same thing that had happened after he was wounded by the Fierce Deity and thanks to Terminus's explanation, he knew what it meant. The demon was attempting to corrupt him once more and the hero knew that he had to try to fight it as hard as he could. However, it seemed that the more he resisted, the stronger the corruption came over him. Still languishing in pain, his mind fell into a distant fog as he lost control of his movements altogether, unbeknownst to Zelda, who was still in a worried frenzy over him.
"Link?" she tried breaking through to him again. "Link! Snap out of it!" Her eyes grew wide in distress as she noticed that his eyes had grown distant and unfocused, just like they were after he defeated the Deity. In desperation, she placed both of her hands on his shoulders, noticing how cold he was despite the fact that he was visibly sweating. "Come on! Please! Say something!"
Zelda continued to try to rouse him, growing more and more distraught with each passing second. Just as she was about to call out for help however, Link suddenly grasped both of her wrists tightly, his movements quick and unnatural. The girl stared into his blank and emotionless face with surprise, her mind filled with countless questions that she knew she wasn't going to get answers to. But as she stood in there in wonder, she gasped in pain as the hero's grip on her wrists tightened until his strong grasp brought her pain. He continued to restrict his hold, until Zelda like her wrists were going to snap in half.
"Link!" she cried quietly, trying as hard as she could to pull her arms out of his strong reach but failing. "Stop it! You're hurting me!"
The moment Zelda said this, Link immediately released his grip on her wrists altogether. His eyes grew wide as they regained their former focus and he found control of his thoughts and movements once again. His chest still stung with pain, but at the very least, he had broken through another spell of corruption. His breathing was heavy as he glanced at Zelda, who was watching him with her jaw dropped in curiosity and fear while she gingerly rubbed her hurt wrists, which were marked red due to his tight grasp. Neither of them said anything as they stared at each other, both of their minds racing with thought.
While Zelda was still extremely confused about what had just happened, she was glad that Link at least seemed to be normal once again. She could tell from the look of grief mixed with guilt as he looked at her injured wrists that he knew full well what had just happened. But she knew that whatever it was, he wouldn't tell her. He was hiding something from her, something that appeared to be very serious. And, she didn't care how well he intended on protecting his little secret, she was going to do whatever it would take to get to the bottom of this.
At the same time, Link couldn't take his eyes away from the sight of Zelda's hurt wrists. Though he couldn't really remember it, he knew that he had hurt her, something that he had vowed to himself that he would never do. And though it was only a minor injury, something that would fade away within a few hours, he was overwhelmed with guilt. He had been weak, too weak to overcome the corruption when he should have been much more vigilant. And what was worse was the fact that it had set in at the worst possible time: at the very moment that he had started to tell Zelda how he felt about her. Not only was the moment ruined now, but, he could tell by the look of distrust on the girl's face, that asking if they could become a couple now would be nearly impossible. How could they possibly start a relationship after an incident like that? The hero felt ashamed upon simply meeting her suspicious gaze, knowing that he was also lying to her and that he still had to keep her in the dark about everything, no matter how much she pressured him for the truth. And, as she continued to stare at him, he simply couldn't take it anymore. Without a word, Link turned away from her burning gaze and started to hurry away from her, not wanting to hear any of her questions that he wouldn't be able to answer and not wanting to be reminded of the fact that he had failed miserably in what he had set out to do. Zelda gasped quietly as he escaped from her, worry mingled with pity starting to fill her.
"Link, wait!" she called out after him as he headed for the exit of the building. He didn't turn around to face her, or even say a word back to her as he rushed out, much to her despair. She knew that whatever he just went through couldn't have been easy for him. And that, coupled with the fact that he had unintentionally hurt her, no doubt brought him extreme amounts of guilt and shame. At the moment, Zelda didn't even care to find out the reason behind what had just happened. All she cared about was telling him that she wasn't mad at him and that she wanted to be with him more than anyone else.
By the time she burst through the back door of the restaurant into the early evening air, the hero was gone, already flying his crimson Loftwing towards the direction of Skyloft. The girl simply stood and watched as he flew further and further away from her, tears of sadness and loneliness spilling down her cheeks as the words that she had wanted him to say to her rang out in her mind louder than ever.
"Chosen hero..." a quiet voice called out to Link as he he stood in an unknown place, surrounded by thick darkness on all sides. The voice barely rose above a malicious whisper, and the hero was unable to determine its gender or source due to the blinding blackness all around him.
"Who's there?!" he shouted into the endless expanse, sensing an evil presence lurking nearby. "Who are you?"
The voice simply laughed tauntingly in its quiet tone. "You do not know, hero?" it asked cruelly. "Why, I am the one who has wrapped the reigns of corruption over your soul and spirit. The ancient demon who cast the hero of Termina down from glory and into my control and I shall do the same to you. I... am your master..."
"Majora..." Link growled, clenching his fists in anger as he recognized the wicked being that Terminus had warned about.
"You are correct, hero..." the unseen demon cooed sadistically. "You are wise to recognize my might, for very soon it will overtake you completely. You will fall, just as Terminus's hero did. How ironic it is that the noble hero of great courage who saved both the sky and surface of this realm will not be able to save himself in the end... For once you are under my full control, I shall use you to take this virgin land for myself!"
The demon continued to cackle hatefully as the hero's anger and determination grew. "Never," he said rigidly, reaching behind his back to find a sword strapped there, much to his good fortune. "I will never let you control me!"
Majora was silent for a moment, before replying triumphantly. "So defiant..." it said, its whisper starting to echo louder though its tone did not change. "Such disobedience must be punished... Do you not agree, hero?"
Link said nothing as he stood firm, unsheathing the sword in one swift movement. However, the moment he did so, Majora simply laughed even louder as the hero froze up unexplainably. Confused, he looked to the sword that he now bore and was shocked at its appearance. The blade was twisted into the shape of a double-helix, just as the Fierce Deity's had been.
"You are a fool, boy..." Majora said darkly. "Because you refuse to cooperate with the one who already holds you under their command and you try to deny me of what I desire, then I must deny you of something you desire..."
As soon as the demon said this, Zelda suddenly appeared against the darkness a few feet away from Link, a warm and trusting smile glowing on her beautiful face. "Hi Link!" she said melodiously, a slight playful laugh in her tone.
"Zelda!" the hero gasped, immediately realizing the demon's intentions. "Run!"
The girl seemed to not hear him as she simply laughed calmly, not sensing the grave danger that she was certainly in. "What is the matter, hero?" Majora taunted him. "Oh, I know... You want to keep your beloved goddess, the one you risked life and limb for and the one you love more than anyone else safe from me, do you not?"
Link looked away from Zelda for a split second as he glanced around into the darkness in confusion. "How do you know that?! he asked the demon, knowing that he had never told another soul, not even Zelda herself, how much he really loved about her.
"Because..." the demon said twistedly. "I can see into the deepest parts of your heart, mind and soul... I know all of your thoughts, your dreams, your desires... even your greatest fears... You think that you can protect the goddess Hylia from me? How amusing... How will you be able to do that when you won't even be able to protect yourself from my corruption? Already you are falling under my sway... Do you not feel it starting to consume you? Do not try to fight the impending! Darkness calls to you, hero... Resisting it will just delay the inevitable... Soon, you will be mine!"
Majora started to laugh violently as pain filled every part of the hero. Still unable to move, he cried out in agony, knowing that he was loosing control of himself once more and this time, he was unable to resist it. "N-no!" he shouted amidst the great pain he was feeling. "Stop!"
"Never!" the demon roared viciously. "Did Terminus not make it clear to you? I will not stop at ANYTHING until you are mine, hero! Your stubbornness is quite irritating... But I know of a way to break you... The goddess Hylia... the one you call Zelda... I command you, my loyal slave, to kill her!" Majora's laugh rang out louder than ever as Link began to move forward against his will, unable to stop himself as he slowly headed towards Zelda with his deadly blade poised to strike her down.
"No!" the hero cried out in desperation, hoping that the girl could hear him and escape with her life. "Zelda!" he shouted to her, but she still did not respond. She remained still, giving him a warm smile as though nothing was wrong at all. Link knew that he had to stop this somehow before it was too late. Before he could even get close to killing her. If he were to do that, then he'd never be able to live with himself. In that moment, saving her life was all that mattered to him. He didn't even care if he fell into the demon's corruption any more as long as Zelda remained unharmed. But the only way to keep her safe was to fight the corruption with every fiber of his being. Though it brought him untold amounts of physical and mental pain, he forced himself to stop in his tracks, though the demon's influence still persisted strongly.
"What do you think you are doing?!" Majora asked, clearly not expecting him to put up a fight like this. "I commanded you to slay her! You are MY servant! You will do as I say!"
The hero cried out in great pain as he commanded himself to drop the double-helix blade. "N-no!" he shouted firmly, showing no signs of giving in. He was going to resist this at all costs. "I won't!" The moment he said this, Zelda's image disappeared and it instantly relieved Link. He felt himself regain control of his movements as the demon screamed in fury.
"You foolish hero!" Majora screeched as the blackness started to turn into pure light. "Do not think that this is over! You may have overcome my corruption this time, but you are not free yet and you never will be! I promise you that I will not rest until you are mine!" The demon's wicked laughter faded into nothingness as the healing light covered the hero, bringing him back into reality.
Link groaned quietly as he was gradually eased back into consciousness, realizing that his encounter with the demon had only been a dream. Or rather, an ominous nightmare, one that suggested that attempting to fight his corruption would be much more difficult than he originally had thought. Majora seemed unrelenting in its desire to overtake the hero's soul, but Link was still resolved to do everything he could to continue resisting it, no matter what it took. If he didn't then it could very well lead to Zelda's death by his own hands, an unthinkable outcome.
As the hero fully awakened, he sat up and glanced around, instantly confused about his surroundings. Though he remembered falling asleep in his dormitory room at the academy after returning from the party, he now sat within the hallway of its second floor. But what was even more unsettling was the fact that he was right in front of the closed door of Zelda's room. His eyes widened in shock as he realized that he hadn't just been dreaming. Majora had indeed commanded him to kill Zelda, and its influence had spread from the world of dreams into the waking world while Link slept. The demon had cast another spell of corruption over him when he had been the most vulnerable and if he hadn't broken out of it when he did, something terrible could have happened.
A grave worry began to fill the hero. What if the demon actually did succeed in corrupting him? What if he wasn't strong enough to overcome this? He couldn't risk the chances of hurting Zelda because of his own weakness. He had to find a way to put an end to this once an for all, before it was too late. But at the moment, he had no idea where to even start.
Unbeknownst to Link however, Zelda, who had been sleeping inside of her room, had been roused by the sound of his slight movements coming from right outside her door. The girl had always been a light sleeper and as she sat up in bed, she was curious as to who could be wandering the halls of the Knight Academy at such a late hour. After all, it had to have been after midnight. And so, moving as quietly as she could to the door of her room, she slowly unlocked the knob, a sound that Link heard the moment she did it as he realized that she was coming out. His mind began to race as he scrambled to his feet, watching as Zelda began to turn the knob from the other side of the door. If she were to see him right outside of her room in the middle of the night, then she'd never stop asking him questions about what was wrong with him. And aside from that, the two hadn't spoken a word to each other ever since the hero fled the party earlier that evening. After the nightmare that he had just had, he wouldn't be able to bear to see her beautiful, questioning eyes, searching him all the way to his soul with a desire to know a truth that he was unable to give. And so, before she could even open the door, he ran towards the nearest exit of the academy as fast as he could, bursting out into the quiet night air of Skyloft.
Zelda opened her door just in time to see the flash of green heading out of the nearby door. She immediately knew that it was Link, but the reason for him leaving the academy in the middle of the night was beyond her. She figured that it had something to do with how he had acted earlier at the party and she frowned, knowing that she needed to find out what it was. After all, maybe she could help him with it, whatever it was. So, returning to her room for a moment to put a pair of boots on and a wrap to protect her from the chilly night air, she hurried out after him, determined to get some answers.
The moon was full and bright as it hung over Skyloft, casting a pale light across the island in the sky. It was thanks to this silver light that Zelda was able to see Link as he hurried through the empty streets of the sleeping village. She was tempted to call out after him, but she had a feeling that he would give her no reply as she simply followed him, making sure to remain unseen by tucking away into the shadows when necessary. She eventually followed him to the other half of the island, to the area near the small windmill that rested on the eastern side of Skyloft. It was then, as she watched the hero take a seat on the bench near the windmill that faced to the wide open skies away from the town, that Zelda realized why he had come here. When the two of them were little, this used to be their special spot, where they would often come to simply relax and chat. The girl slowed her pace as she watched him sitting there alone, despondently staring off into the beautiful night skies. She sighed quietly, as all of her many questions that she had for him dissipated completely. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than for things to be simple once again. She wanted to be able to run up to him and hug him, telling him that she saw him not only as her best friend and her hero, but so much more than that as well.
But for the moment, she simply approached him in silence, not wanting to startle him. Without a sound, she slipped up to the bench and sat down on the other end of it beside him. He didn't glance over at her, though he knew she was there. He had expected her to follow him, even though he had hoped that she wouldn't. It wasn't that he wanted to be alone; in truth, he craved her presence as it was a comfort for him. But he knew that it wasn't safe for her. He had no idea when the demon would attempt to corrupt him once again and he wanted to be as far away from her as possible when it happened so he wouldn't be able to hurt her again.
For a long time, the two of them sat in a lonely silence, both of them feeling far away from the other dispite the fact that they were only a few feet apart. The stars overhead glistened brightly against the midnight blue backdrop, their radiance multiplied by the glow of the huge moon. The girl stared up into it, captivated by its loveliness as the hero was captivated by another sight altogether. As Link glanced over at Zelda, he was reminded once again that, despite his fear of hurting her due to his corruption, he still wanted to be with her more than anything else. Even though he had already failed to ask her before, he was determined to succeed no matter what. After all, this was something she needed to know before it was too late.
He was about to ask her at that very moment, until she broke in. "You know what I've always wanted to do?" she asked quietly, her face illuminated by the white glow of the moon. "I've always wanted to fly my Loftwing after curfew. Haven't you?"
"Yeah..." the hero said with a soft smile. "But its against the rules of the academy." At the Knight Academy, there was a long standing regulation that restricted students from flying their birds around the night skies after the curfew set in, for it was then that the light tower that illuminated the skies was turned off for the night. Loftwings had terrible night vision, therefore it was considered dangerous for students to fly them around in the dark. And yet, the risk and excitement of it was quite tantalizing, and pretty much everyone had thought of doing it at one point or another.
"So?" Zelda asked, glancing over at Link with a mischievous smile. "I think you and I have broken several of the academy's rules already. After all, we both live together on the surface without any 'adult supervision'." She let loose a small giggle. "I think its safe to say that we're not little kids any more, don't you agree?"
The hero returned her grin as he eased up, glad that she was willing to put the previous events of the evening behind her. "I do..." he said as the two of them began to unceremoniously edge closer together. "So... do you wanna try?"
She nodded, her smile growing as he took her hand. "Of course," she said as they stood up together, both of them placing any reservation or worry aside. In a casual, slow paced walk, they headed for the nearest wooden platform from which they could leap into the open air.
"Wait here," Link said to Zelda, who nodded with a huge smile, her eyes alight with excitement thanks to the bright moon. She watched as the hero ran and leapt off the edge of the platform, whistling for his rare crimson Loftwing, which came at his call immediately, though it had a little trouble finding him in the slight darkness. Link guided his bird in a quick circle before calling out to Zelda, who still stood on the platform above. "Come on!" he shouted, poising himself to catch her.
Taking in a deep breath, the girl backed up and then rushed forwards off the edge of the platform, plunging through the night air and landing squarely and securely in her hero's arms. The two of them shared a warm laugh as they began their forbidden flight through the night skies. Adrenaline filled both of them as they soared through the open, empty air, with no one awake to see them break the rules. Zelda held on tightly to Link as he had his bird preform a few death-defying moves, including several spins and dives as they both laughed playfully, enjoying every carefree minute of it. It was an exhilarating feeling of freedom, one that they cherished together. For about an hour, they glided high over the sleeping Skyloft, taking in the beauty of this perfect night.
"Where do you want to land?" Link called back to Zelda through the rushing winds with a clear smile on his face. As they flew he had gotten an idea, one that he needed just the right place to put into action.
The girl glanced around for a bit, sensing that he didn't intend to return to the main island just yet. She found the perfect spot in a little islet a few miles away from Skyloft, a secluded grassy place, dotted with flowers. "Oh!" she exclaimed excitedly. "There! Over there!"
The hero nodded as he followed her direction, leading his Loftwing towards the small isle floating amongst several others. They leaped off the back of the crimson bird together, floating down towards the islet using the sailcloth. Once they landed, they both looked up into the silver moon, taking in the glorious peace of the night, hands intertwined as they stood together.
"Zelda?" Link said, breaking through the quiet as he turned to her, summoning up the nerve to tell her what he needed to.
"Hm?" she responded, her smile blissful and beautiful.
"Earlier tonight I wanted to ask you if you wanted for us to be a couple," the hero admitted with a small smile. "But now I know that I have to tell you something much more important."
"Yes?" Zelda said, her eyes full of anxious hope.
"I want us to be so much more than just friends," he started boldly, his courage guiding him through. "I want us to be more than just a couple... Zelda... I... I love you..."
The moment he said this, the girl took in a gasp of sheer delight. "Oh Link!" she cried happily, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him tightly. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to tell me that! I love you too!" Small tears of joy started to fall down her cheeks as she burst into chimes of melodious laughter.
"Oh, don't cry, Zel!" the hero laughed warmly as he returned her strong embrace.
"I'm crying because I'm happy, silly!" she said radiantly. "This is the best day of my life! Or... well, night I guess." The couple shared a strong laugh as they drew closer together.
"I wanted to tell you a long time ago," Link said quietly, staring into her glowing blue eyes. "But... I..." He trailed off, not wanting thoughts of anything else to ruin this beautiful moment.
"Its ok..." Zelda whispered, placing her head against his chest as she took in his comfortable warmth. "The past doesn't matter now... All that matters is this moment. I don't want this to end..."
"Neither do I..." he whispered back sincerely. The moon continued to cast its heavenly glow upon the two of them, illuminating them in its pale and lofty light. Neither of them said anything else as it bore down on them and in that moment, they felt like they were the only two people in the entire world. The gentle night wind was soft and comforting as their faces moved closer and closer together, and this time, there was nothing that stopped them from touching their lips together, as they fell into a passionate and beautiful kiss. And, if it had been up to them, they would have let it last forever.
I gotta say it: AWWWWWW! I love a good bit of romance, don't you? And angst too and I can promise you that the next chapter is gonna be full of that! Plus... Is anyone else wondering how those crafty Sheikah from several chapters ago are going to play into all of this? Mayhaps its time to see what they're up to as well? hahahaha... Well as always REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks for all the support so far guys, you make me feel loved! Until Next Time!