Black

All she could see when her eyes fluttered open was inky blackness.

She lashed out against the emptiness and found that she couldn't move more than a few inches in any direction.

Panic settled low in her stomach as a low growl pierced the veil around her. The earth shook in time with massive steps.

A low hissing growl shook her to the core and she froze.

Not daring to move even a fraction of the few inches she was allowed.

Something metallic clanged against stone floors nearby, her ears strained to catch which direction it had come from.

"Master," A voice like grating metal sent a shard of ice into her heart. "It has been so long,"

A low growl was the voice's only answer.

"I know that this form is less than… Ideal, but she is the next best to your chosen," A low chuckle left the unknown speaker. "Much more lovely to behold, though,"

Her fingers trembled as she began exploring whatever it was that she was contained in with her fingertips.

On either side of her was smooth ridged stone. She traced her finger along one of the ridges and gasped lightly as the tip of her finger was split open on the sharp point. Her fingers keep going, searching for the edge until they hit a wall. From there she followed the strange ridges up until she met another junction.

A coffin.

She was trapped in a coffin made of oily black scales.

Metal scraped along the black scales inches above her face and she flinched. "She is rather willful," She traced the sound of the metallic scraping with her eyes. "Perhaps an empty vessel will be the best choice,"

Willful…

She would show them willful…

She thrashed violently against the coffin, not caring that the jagged points of the scales ripped into the skin of her back and legs. The searing pain was far from her mind as she slammed her fists into the coffin's lid.

Blood sprayed against her face and ran down her arms in rivulets. That strange metallic voice cackled nearby.

"See how she fights," She cried out in rage as a weight settled on the lid keeping it from rattling against her blows. "Humans are strange little creatures aren't they?"

A low growl rang through, and the metallic voice laughed. "She is only human though, she'll tire of this soon enough," The voice sighed. "Her screams are so lovely though,"

She screamed.

Rage settled red hot in her chest.

Her arms were torn to shreds and blood dripped onto her face, she could taste the metallic tang on her tongue as it flooded her mouth every time she opened it to scream.

The metallic voice beyond the coffin cackled as her roar of defiance mixed with whatever creature was now bellowing.

She ignored the pain screaming against her skin and bones as she thrashed.

There would be nothing left of her soon.

She would make sure of that…

- - ┈┈∘┈༒┈∘┈┈ - -

Aeris bolted upright, panting and gripping her stomach tightly. She shuddered as she gazed down at her arms.

Pristine tanned skin looked back at her through the sheer purple of her night gown. She panted raggedly, each breath shuddered through her as she forced herself to breathe.

Breathe.

In.

Out.

She ignored the trembling of her lip as her daughter turned in her stomach. Almost as if the babe was trying to soothe her.

Aeris smiled through the fading terror. Her dreams had been strange recently, another side effect of the pregnancy she'd been reassured.

But they were only dreams.

When the feeling finally returned to her fingertips she turned and frowned as she found an empty bed beside her.

- - ┈┈∘┈༒┈∘┈┈ - -

Ganondorf watched the boy closely.

Something had woken him in the early hours and refused to let him return to rest, so he had kissed Aeris lightly and slipped from their bed into the halls toward the library, sure that there would be some form of work to focus his mind.

Until he had seen the young Hylian slip from Urora's home into the darkened halls.

He'd followed the boy.

First out of curiosity and then as the boy crept through the halls with an eerie knowledge of the guards rotations, concern.

He remembered the day that Aeris had bolted after this boy in Castle Town, remembered the panic on her face. An old friend she had called him, the boy was no older than ten at the time and barely a year had passed since that day.

The boy had been rounder then, still holding on to the layers of baby fat that Hylian children wore so proudly. Baby fat, replaced now with lean muscle and sharp features, odd for an eleven year old boy.

And the boy's face.

Ganondorf had seen the boy with a solemn faraway look, more often than not. The look of a soldier home from war still awaiting orders.

A look Ganondorf was all too familiar with.

The look of the impossible weight of responsibility on too young shoulders.

So he crept silently behind Link, sticking to shadows that the boy didn't even know existed and watched.

This boy and Aeris shared something he would never understand, and he would never ask to.

He froze as Link paused, staring up at the moon. He stared, not in the way most people did, with awe at the celestial body.

No, he stared with barely contained terror.

His too old blue eyes were wide as his breath quickened, fighting an internal battle against an unseen enemy.

Ganondorf almost stepped forward then, almost spoke up with words that would have done little to calm the child. But, the boy sighed and lifted his chin as he powered through whatever it was he saw on the pale surface of the moon.

And so they continued.

He followed Link through the Fortress until the boy finally came to a halt on the empty training grounds. Ganondorf knew the boy had been watching the daily training sessions, bouncing between Aeris and himself, silently observing, but never participating.

Now though, the boy reached for one of the swords stacked carefully along the racks. He gave the blade a few experimental swings, with a practiced ease that made Ganondorf smile.

There was more to this boy than he thought.

He watched as Link took up one of the small round shields and tested its weight. Seemingly content, he stepped into the ring drawn on the ground and began.

His movements were a tad clumsy, his steps off beat and obviously self taught, but he moved with the practiced precision of someone who had trained with a blade for years.

Ganondorf watched as the boy's face hardened after a misstep. A step that would have ended the boy's life if a real enemy stood before him instead of open air.

Link whirled, bringing his blade down on some unseen foe, his stance sturdier, lighter, something Aeris had shown her trainees the day before.

Link lost himself in his exercises, lost himself in the rhythm of his movements, until sweat poured down his brow and made his clothes stick to his back.

Only then did Ganondorf step forward, Link spun, sword and shield raised ready for an attack.

His weapons were ready, but his face, he was staring at Ganondorf like every one of his worst nightmares had come to life. His blue eyes were locked on the wicked trident clasped loosely in Ganondorf's hand.

The boy raised his shield higher and tightened his grip on his blade.

"Perhaps," Ganondorf spun his weapon and placed the tines against the earth. "I should have announced my approach,"

Grabbing the trident had been an afterthought, a tool he used when training the older for skilled girls.

Link lowered his shield ever so slightly, moving his gaze to Ganondorf's face. The lazy grin he found there did little to ease his tension.

"You've been practicing," Ganondorf nodded as the boy simply stared at him. He'd only heard Link speak a few words since his arrival and all of them had either been to Aeris or Nabooru.

"Though," He began to circle the boy. Link remained frozen, sword raised and ready. "You still have a long way to go,"

Link rolled before Ganondorf made his move, not an attack, but a direction, and the boy's response spoke volumes.

"Very good," Ganondorf swung the trident idly as Link settled into a more defensive stance.

He watched as Link studied his approach, but didn't move. "Spread your feet and angle your shield slightly," He moved Link's feet with the but of his trident. "Like this," He repositioned Link's shield next, angling it slightly to the left. "And this,"

Link followed with his eyes as Ganondorf stood before him. "A shield isn't a wall, it's a tool, use it to deflect your enemies weapon in any direction you wish, create an opening for an attack,"

Link nodded and Ganondorf smiled. "Like so,"

Link's eyes widened as Ganondorf surged forward, trident raised, but just as the man had said his blade jerked to the left upon contact with the shield leaving Ganondorf's right side exposed.

Link spun with the momentum and brought the flat of his blade down against Ganondorf's ribs. The man laughed as he spun away from Link. "Exactly like that!"

Link nodded, a small tight smile on his lips. He shuffled, finding the right placement for his feet again and raised his shield. "Again,"

Ganondorf grinned, Link's voice was small and raspy, but firm. "As you wish,"

When they clashed again, Link's shield was stouter, his blade faster.

They continued like this until the moon was replaced with the sun. Neither of them taking notice of Aeris leaning against the nearest wall, idly munching on an apple and smiling softly.