*Brief moment of silence*
I apologize if the last chapter made any of you upset. *coughDevycough*
And for those of you who aren't Japanese (like me), Kinage's name is
pronounced kee-nah-geh. Anyways.
************
He could hear wailing. He couldn't tell where it was coming from. He couldn't even see. There was a feeling in his stomach, a tension that kept tightening.
Her body was laid out in front of him again, back arched, upheld by the weapon that he killed her with. Blood cascaded down the sword to the cold hard ground below. Energy from the sword for a brief moment surged through her body, numbing her. It was Link's subconscious attempt to stop her pain though he couldn't stop himself.
After what seemed like hours, the wailing stopped and all vision returned. Link was aware of the transformed sword gleaming beside him on the ground, although he did not care to look at the stains on its surface. Tears ran down his face with every thought of Nagarishi and the time they had spent together. He must have lain there for days, he thought. His stomach was taught with hunger and pain.
Glimpses of the battle with Kinage presented themselves after some time. He recalled the wounds he received and the pain she had caused, although in his uncontrollable state during the battle he never showed it. He felt that pain now, intensified over time.
After some time he decided he should find out where he was and try to find the city. If he decided he wanted to go back... He left the sword where it was on the ground, disgusted at its presence.
After awhile he found a tree that bore fruit, and was overcome with hunger. He knew it had been days ago that he had a meal. Before he realized it, he had eaten several pieces and was reaching for another. He wandered again until he found a stream to quench his thirst. He washed his wounds after filling his belly with fruit and water. There were many wounds, and with every one he took care of, he remembered how he received them and began to weep. The image of Nagarishi's body came back to him again.
Before long it was night. He found shelter in a tree, and attempted to climb into it, his muscles sore and aching with every movement. He succeeded, and fell into a deep sleep.
*
It was dark, the room only lit with candles. Kanfo's face hovered over Kinage's, which was a blur to her. She attempted to move her arm, and found she couldn't. After a moment she got her finger to twitch, and feeling returned to her arm once again. Kanfo smiled as she tended to Kinage's wounds. "You're awake. We thought we'd lost you."
Kinage opened her mouth, but couldn't speak. Kanfo put a finger over her lips. "Shh. Don't try to speak. You're far too weak. Have some water."
Kanfo helped her to sit up a little, and lifted the bowl of water to her lips. Kinage swallowed hard. She couldn't do much without help. Breathing even felt painful; she wondered if Link had broken her sternum. Again, she tried to speak. "Wh... where..."
"We're back in the palace. You're fine now, but you have several injuries and need your rest. However... we couldn't find Link... We're not sure what happened to him. There's no trace of him anywhere. Not even the Foriyar's energy can be felt." Kanfo placed the bowl back on the table beside the bed and sighed. "Anyways... I suppose you should try to eat something and then go back to sleep. Before long you'll be back to your old self." Kanfo smiled sweetly, and began to feed Kinage, who didn't bother to try to speak again.
Before long she was asleep again, and sleeping so hard she didn't even stir when Kanfo redressed her wounds.
Kinage's dreams were pleasant, and she slept well. The next time she awoke, it would be the following evening.
*
Link awoke on the ground against the tree with something in his palm. He slowly moved his head and stared at the gleaming Foriyar in his hand. His lip twitched angrily and he threw the sword into the tree that was across from him. It stabbed straight through the tree and protruded from the other side. Link stood up and stared at it for several minutes. Then the thought came to him.
"The Foriyar..." He found himself whispering.
He thought about what Naga had said. The Foriyar could take you back through time, and you didn't have to use the Temple of Time. "But how am I supposed to use it?"
After awhile of thought, he walked over to the sword and pulled it from its wooden sheath. He looked over the sword as if expecting to find something. All he found was that the stains were gone and the sword was completely unharmed from its journey through the tree.
He thought some more, sitting down beneath the tree. He couldn't find any special switch on the blade or any sort of markings that would present a clue. The only thing he could think of was to go back to the Temple. But where was he? Where was the city? He looked around, and decided that at an elevated position he might be more likely to find something. So, he began walking up the nearest hill. His legs were stiff and sore, and it hurt even when he took a breath. Even so, he thought of how he could go back in time and save her. He thought of all the things they had done the day she died. He thought of how he held her in his arms, and it gave him strength. Soon the pain was gone, and his legs moved freely.
Before long, he had reached the top of a high hill. While catching his breath, he surveyed the surrounding area. He could see nothing but hills. Hills upon hills upon more hills. It seemed endless. He plopped down on the cool earth, the sword still in his hand. He stared at it, remembering the blood dripping off the blade, and also reminded himself the thing that had killed her would be the thing to save her. The irony of this made him angry, and he stabbed the sword into the ground beside him. He put his arms on his knees; his legs spread slightly apart, and looked out upon the sea of rough uneven ground.
The gem on the "New" Foriyar gleamed red in the sunlight peeking through puffy clouds. Link was reminded of how the gem on the hilt of the Master Sword was a yellow or orange color, although the gem was in a different place on the hilt after the two swords had merged. The handle was also a different shape, but the same blue color of the Master Sword. The Foriyar's hilt was red and black, with a pointed butt and spiked guard. This was how the sword looked now, but blue with the red gem in the center of the guard, spikes on either side of it. The blade was longer, like the Foriyar, but the same shape as the Master Sword's. It was a magnificent weapon, one that had the power to take him through time whenever he wished. He stood, picked up the sword again, and glared at it.
He let his arm fall and looked around once again. The sun was going up on his left, he realized. When they had landed on the island continent, the sun had risen on his left as well. He had only to go forward and he would be able to find, hopefully, Kinaya.
The thought of what might be there made him hesitate in his step for a moment. He kept walking as he thought about Kinage. He couldn't clearly remember how badly he'd wounded her. What would he say if he saw her now?
It didn't matter, he decided. He was going back in time to fix all of this, anyways. That's all he needed to keep going, walking for many more hours before he found something familiar.
There was a stream splayed out in front of him, with a familiar grouping of trees and bushes. Link crossed the stream to the site, throwing the sword across first. He examined the spot Naga had laid, finding a long blonde hair on a bed of leaves. He coiled it up and tucked it away, unaware of a knowing that it would have a use later. He sighed and sat by the stream to rest. He was hungry again, his stomach reminded him. Although he couldn't find any food near him, he knew he wasn't far from the city now. He could feel it; he could sense it.
The Temple called out to him, its cry a humming and a buzzing. It was a melody and yet complete nonsense. It sent a shiver down his spine. He was so compelled to end this noise that he found himself walking in the direction of it. But as he drew closer to the city and night began to fall, he heard another noise. It seemed to be wailing, as if someone was in pain. There were also tears, sometimes screams. It was almost too much to bear. Link concentrated on the song of the evening birds in the trees about him, masking the horrible sounds. It was kept in the background, only emerging when Link's mind wandered too much. Again, he concentrated on the Temple's resonation. It would not be long before he reached the glowing white city.
*
Kinage awoke with a twinge of pain. Her dreams were all about battles and wars, death and destruction. There had only been one pleasant dream, about fields of flowers, raindrops, and peace among Kinayans. Link and Nagarishi were there too, enjoying the pleasures of everyday life. But even that ended in nightmare. A mass of black descended upon the city then, engulfing everyone in it with screams of pain and drops of blood. The city was washed in red, stained with red, pouring out red...
The dream ended abruptly with the scene if Nagarishi's limp and bleeding body washed away in the stream of crimson.
Kanfo saw her twitch as she awoke, and worried if something was wrong. Kinage slowly let her eyes taste of the world around her, and asked for water, which was given to her by Kanfo. The Supreme Sheikah was able to sit up slightly by herself to drink and eat. Her wounds were healing fairly fast, and she had regained some of her strength back. Still, she found herself unable to perform tasks she could at full strength, and this had greatly frustrated her. She was a helpless child again, needing assistance for the slightest things. She longed to go out and gaze at the stars again, to train with her weapons until dusk, to lead the peoples again. She wanted to know where Link was, and had search parties sent out in all directions of the city.
Kanfo opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when Kinage began her sentence. "Have the search parties found anything yet?"
"No, none have reported back yet. I don't expect them to give me any information until tomorrow morning." Kanfo replied, helping Kinage re- bandage a wound. "Umm... Kinage... What were you dreaming about?"
Kinage stood still for a moment and looked up at Kanfo. "It was just a bad dream. That's all. Don't worry about it..."
"I've noticed you've had a lot lately..." Kanfo stared at the bowl of water sitting on the stand beside her. "Kinage, we'll find Link soon, one way or another. We'll figure all this out. It'll all be fine, you'll see." She looked up at the tired eyes of Kinage and smiled. "Now go back to sleep. You're getting tired already."
Kinage let herself sink into the pillow, her exhaustion overtaking her in a wave of unconsciousness.
*
Link stopped to rest for a moment alongside a tree. He needed a drink, for he had been walking for quite some time without stopping. The shining white city of Kinaya lay out before him, glimmering in the light of sunset. He had only to descend the hill to enter the outskirts of the city.
It wasn't long before he came to the square; the strange Temple lay out in front of him. Some people he passed by recognized him from before, and either cowered in fear or ran to give word to the palace. Link wasn't concerned with them. He knew he would have to face what he had done, but he felt now wasn't the time.
He stared up at the structure from the bottom of the "wall." The Temple's height seemed tremendous from this angle. Taking a deep breath, Link touched sword to stone and found that the blade passed through the surface, creating ripples all around it as if the solid had turned to water, but kept its form.
Link waited for the whole Temple to start moving as it did before, but nothing stirred. Growing a bit impatient, he looked around. He looked up and watched a familiar snake-like head fall down upon him and seem to eat him. He found himself on a cliff. The sky was purple and red, like a sunset, but there was no sun and the light seemed to come from above with no source. Link stared down at the black abyss below him. He looked behind and could see nothing but a cliff stretching for what seemed like forever behind him. To his left was the Foriyar in his hand, and to his right was nothing but darkness below and strange sky above. A wind blew from out of nowhere, and a familiar long blonde hair floated out and landed gently beside him on the ground. Just as Link was about to lean down to retrieve it, he blinked, and his eyes opened to see Nagarishi standing before him.
She was staring straight ahead, and began to speak. "The sky... it's so beautiful now..."
Link stared in disbelief. This couldn't be real, he thought. But suddenly he didn't care, and stepped forward to embrace her. He stopped as she turned to look at him, an unusual expression coloring her face. "You want to come with me to see it, don't you?"
"Yes." He felt compelled to answer.
"As I have given myself up for you, you must give yourself up for me." She smiled, her eyes deeply searching his. A hand graced his cheek, and he closed his eyes, leaning into the caress. After a moment, he opened them, and she was gone. Frantically, he searched around for her. The hair was gone too, shining in the light from nowhere as it danced over the black chasm. "Come back!" He cried to nothingness. "...come back..." Link fell to his knees, his arm outstretched to the unreal sky. His eyes stung with tears. All he could think about was how much he missed her. All he could think about was how much he wanted to be with her, even in the afterlife. His one hope was to be with her in death. And so, he took up the Foriyar, his hands shaking. The tip was pointed at his chest. He sadly stared at it for awhile, unsure if he could do it. He felt raindrops and saw that it was storming now, lightning reflecting off the weapon's blade. With a great cry that echoed the thunder, he plunged the sword into himself. He felt nothing now. His eyes were closed. There was no movement in his body, just a thought in his mind. "Nagarishi..."
*
Link opened his eyes slowly. Was this the afterlife? People surrounded him, who were all staring at something ahead. Link looked himself over. He was wearing the same clothes as earlier, with the same wounds. The Foriyar was now in his hand instead of his chest. Link pushed through the crowd, and saw something familiar.
A dark and emotionless Link stopped as he saw her there. His eyes seemed to be clouded over, his mouth a straight unmoving line. He never said a word, and seemed to look through Kinage, who stood in his way, as if she wasn't even there. The sword's energy brightened for a moment, then dimmed again as the dark Link kept walking. Kinage didn't move, anticipating Link to throw her to the side. "I'm not going to let you do this again, Link. Not this time..." She readied herself for something, just as the sword began to point tip-first at her.
Link stepped forward. "You're right Kinage, it won't be this time."
Dark Link stared at Link with a snarl and took back the Foriyar from the air. Kinage looked at him in shock. Blue energy surged through Dark Link's arm. In a low voice he demanded, "What are YOU doing here?"
"I'm here to stop myself." Link gripped the Foriyar tightly.
Kinage could barely utter her words. "Link... but." she looked over at the possessed Link. "He's Link! How did you...?"
Link didn't stop looking at his dark self. "I used the Foriyar, Kinage. Now that I know how..."
Kinage looked very confused, and had right to be. She felt as if she was hallucinating, seeing two Links before her. But her thoughts and confusion were broken as Nagarishi pushed through the crowd.
Both Links became suddenly aware of her presence and both turned to look at her. She saw them both, and knew what had happened, and which had come from the future. The Dark Link did not move, but stood staring blankly at her. Link, however, nearly crying, rushed to her and embraced her. Nagarishi read all his thoughts and feelings and was overcome with tears herself. She could not hold on long, for she felt Dark Link's thoughts and knew he would attack soon. "Link," she whispered to him. "You're about to attacked." She pushed him back towards Dark Link with a physical and mental nudge. **Please, don't worry about me. I will guide you from the sidelines. Be careful Link...**
Kinage decided to step out of the way and let Link do what he came to do. She walked over to Nagarishi, attempting to protect her if need be. She looked around her at the gawking crowd, and commanded, "Everyone flee! Your lives are in danger!"
The gathered people, knowing Kinage's voice and her rank, obeyed and began to do just as she said, feet pounding against the ground like a herd of cattle. Dark Link was still staring at Nagarishi, but intimately aware of where his other self was.
Both Links were reminded of fighting their shadow self in the Water Temple in Lake Hylia. Except this time they were both real and both exactly the same person. Well, not exactly...
Dark Link's energy flared, the blue wisps from the Foriyar wrapping around his arm and past his shoulder. Link didn't notice, but the New Foriyar, the Master Foriyar, was emanating red wisps of its own. Naga clenched her fist, knowing that they were exactly equal, balancing each other out. Where ones sword was stronger, ones will was stronger. While one had no control over himself, the other did. While one was fueled with an obsession, the other was not. At least, not anymore. This battle would be a tough one. With all the recent emotional instabilities Link had concerning the death of herself, Naga was slightly worried about how he would handle it all. But, she thought, he had just seen her again, and it had given him strength.
Kinage glared at the two, wondering the outcome of the battle as well. She pondered strategies for each to win and concluded that is was too close to call. She also wondered why the future Link had come back. "Naga... why did he come back?"
Nagarishi stared ahead, looking slightly angry. "I died." She projected the images to Kinage, who found she could no longer breathe.
Everything had been given to her at once to take in. The battle, the Temple, the swords, and what Link went through in the forest. All his dreams and tribulations, all the screaming and torture were taken in in one large mental gulp. The image of Naga's dead body and the visions of Link's tortured mind all but tore Kinage apart.
Without even looking at her, Nagarishi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Remember to breathe." With that, she began walking towards Link. She knew neither of them would hurt her, so she had no fear in coming between them.
"Naga... what are you doing?" Link asked.
She just stood there and stared at him, then smiled and walked towards Dark Link.
His eyes followed her to him. He wanted to reach out and hold her, but he couldn't make his body move. Naga reached down and held his hand. "You know why you came back, don't you?" She tilted her head towards the future Link. She heard his mental confusion. "You killed me. The Foriyar killed me." He continued to stare at her, his expression unchanging. The Foriyar screamed at her in his mind, angry she knew what was going on. "Yes, you damn sword... I can read your movements and your feelings."
Inside Dark Link, seeming to watch from afar was himself, trying to cry out to Nagarishi to get away before the Foriyar hurt her.
Naga looked up, surprised. "Link... I can hear you..." She smiled sadly. "You're still there... thank the Goddesses."
**Link, I know you can hear me. Fight it Link! Fight the Foriyar! You have to regain control... it's the only way to stop this battle.**
Dark Link smiled. "You wench. I'M in control now. This shell is merely a tool to use until I find a better one." He quickly reached up and clenched her jaw in his hand. "Yours, perhaps?" He asked with a snarling smile.
Nagarishi didn't move. The other Link brought his sword up, ready to attack at any moment. Naga raised a hand in his direction, telling him not to move. She knew she couldn't harm him physically, or want to. She didn't want to hurt him, but it seemed she would have to if she wanted to survive and have a hopes of getting him back to normal. So, she relayed some of the images of her death and of Link's suffering to his mind. He quickly dropped her, looking surprisingly stunned.
Her long blonde bangs covered her eyes from Link. "I didn't want to... don't make me do it again." She walked away, beginning to cry as she realized it all. Though there were two of him, she didn't want either to die. But to win this battle, she knew one of them had to. She would lose him tonight.
**********
That took longer than I thought for school reasons. And I'm just forgetful. Anyways, this is going out to all my avid readers and fans. (Like I have that many... XD) Stayed tuned for chappy 8 - The Battle.
-Misora-chan
************
He could hear wailing. He couldn't tell where it was coming from. He couldn't even see. There was a feeling in his stomach, a tension that kept tightening.
Her body was laid out in front of him again, back arched, upheld by the weapon that he killed her with. Blood cascaded down the sword to the cold hard ground below. Energy from the sword for a brief moment surged through her body, numbing her. It was Link's subconscious attempt to stop her pain though he couldn't stop himself.
After what seemed like hours, the wailing stopped and all vision returned. Link was aware of the transformed sword gleaming beside him on the ground, although he did not care to look at the stains on its surface. Tears ran down his face with every thought of Nagarishi and the time they had spent together. He must have lain there for days, he thought. His stomach was taught with hunger and pain.
Glimpses of the battle with Kinage presented themselves after some time. He recalled the wounds he received and the pain she had caused, although in his uncontrollable state during the battle he never showed it. He felt that pain now, intensified over time.
After some time he decided he should find out where he was and try to find the city. If he decided he wanted to go back... He left the sword where it was on the ground, disgusted at its presence.
After awhile he found a tree that bore fruit, and was overcome with hunger. He knew it had been days ago that he had a meal. Before he realized it, he had eaten several pieces and was reaching for another. He wandered again until he found a stream to quench his thirst. He washed his wounds after filling his belly with fruit and water. There were many wounds, and with every one he took care of, he remembered how he received them and began to weep. The image of Nagarishi's body came back to him again.
Before long it was night. He found shelter in a tree, and attempted to climb into it, his muscles sore and aching with every movement. He succeeded, and fell into a deep sleep.
*
It was dark, the room only lit with candles. Kanfo's face hovered over Kinage's, which was a blur to her. She attempted to move her arm, and found she couldn't. After a moment she got her finger to twitch, and feeling returned to her arm once again. Kanfo smiled as she tended to Kinage's wounds. "You're awake. We thought we'd lost you."
Kinage opened her mouth, but couldn't speak. Kanfo put a finger over her lips. "Shh. Don't try to speak. You're far too weak. Have some water."
Kanfo helped her to sit up a little, and lifted the bowl of water to her lips. Kinage swallowed hard. She couldn't do much without help. Breathing even felt painful; she wondered if Link had broken her sternum. Again, she tried to speak. "Wh... where..."
"We're back in the palace. You're fine now, but you have several injuries and need your rest. However... we couldn't find Link... We're not sure what happened to him. There's no trace of him anywhere. Not even the Foriyar's energy can be felt." Kanfo placed the bowl back on the table beside the bed and sighed. "Anyways... I suppose you should try to eat something and then go back to sleep. Before long you'll be back to your old self." Kanfo smiled sweetly, and began to feed Kinage, who didn't bother to try to speak again.
Before long she was asleep again, and sleeping so hard she didn't even stir when Kanfo redressed her wounds.
Kinage's dreams were pleasant, and she slept well. The next time she awoke, it would be the following evening.
*
Link awoke on the ground against the tree with something in his palm. He slowly moved his head and stared at the gleaming Foriyar in his hand. His lip twitched angrily and he threw the sword into the tree that was across from him. It stabbed straight through the tree and protruded from the other side. Link stood up and stared at it for several minutes. Then the thought came to him.
"The Foriyar..." He found himself whispering.
He thought about what Naga had said. The Foriyar could take you back through time, and you didn't have to use the Temple of Time. "But how am I supposed to use it?"
After awhile of thought, he walked over to the sword and pulled it from its wooden sheath. He looked over the sword as if expecting to find something. All he found was that the stains were gone and the sword was completely unharmed from its journey through the tree.
He thought some more, sitting down beneath the tree. He couldn't find any special switch on the blade or any sort of markings that would present a clue. The only thing he could think of was to go back to the Temple. But where was he? Where was the city? He looked around, and decided that at an elevated position he might be more likely to find something. So, he began walking up the nearest hill. His legs were stiff and sore, and it hurt even when he took a breath. Even so, he thought of how he could go back in time and save her. He thought of all the things they had done the day she died. He thought of how he held her in his arms, and it gave him strength. Soon the pain was gone, and his legs moved freely.
Before long, he had reached the top of a high hill. While catching his breath, he surveyed the surrounding area. He could see nothing but hills. Hills upon hills upon more hills. It seemed endless. He plopped down on the cool earth, the sword still in his hand. He stared at it, remembering the blood dripping off the blade, and also reminded himself the thing that had killed her would be the thing to save her. The irony of this made him angry, and he stabbed the sword into the ground beside him. He put his arms on his knees; his legs spread slightly apart, and looked out upon the sea of rough uneven ground.
The gem on the "New" Foriyar gleamed red in the sunlight peeking through puffy clouds. Link was reminded of how the gem on the hilt of the Master Sword was a yellow or orange color, although the gem was in a different place on the hilt after the two swords had merged. The handle was also a different shape, but the same blue color of the Master Sword. The Foriyar's hilt was red and black, with a pointed butt and spiked guard. This was how the sword looked now, but blue with the red gem in the center of the guard, spikes on either side of it. The blade was longer, like the Foriyar, but the same shape as the Master Sword's. It was a magnificent weapon, one that had the power to take him through time whenever he wished. He stood, picked up the sword again, and glared at it.
He let his arm fall and looked around once again. The sun was going up on his left, he realized. When they had landed on the island continent, the sun had risen on his left as well. He had only to go forward and he would be able to find, hopefully, Kinaya.
The thought of what might be there made him hesitate in his step for a moment. He kept walking as he thought about Kinage. He couldn't clearly remember how badly he'd wounded her. What would he say if he saw her now?
It didn't matter, he decided. He was going back in time to fix all of this, anyways. That's all he needed to keep going, walking for many more hours before he found something familiar.
There was a stream splayed out in front of him, with a familiar grouping of trees and bushes. Link crossed the stream to the site, throwing the sword across first. He examined the spot Naga had laid, finding a long blonde hair on a bed of leaves. He coiled it up and tucked it away, unaware of a knowing that it would have a use later. He sighed and sat by the stream to rest. He was hungry again, his stomach reminded him. Although he couldn't find any food near him, he knew he wasn't far from the city now. He could feel it; he could sense it.
The Temple called out to him, its cry a humming and a buzzing. It was a melody and yet complete nonsense. It sent a shiver down his spine. He was so compelled to end this noise that he found himself walking in the direction of it. But as he drew closer to the city and night began to fall, he heard another noise. It seemed to be wailing, as if someone was in pain. There were also tears, sometimes screams. It was almost too much to bear. Link concentrated on the song of the evening birds in the trees about him, masking the horrible sounds. It was kept in the background, only emerging when Link's mind wandered too much. Again, he concentrated on the Temple's resonation. It would not be long before he reached the glowing white city.
*
Kinage awoke with a twinge of pain. Her dreams were all about battles and wars, death and destruction. There had only been one pleasant dream, about fields of flowers, raindrops, and peace among Kinayans. Link and Nagarishi were there too, enjoying the pleasures of everyday life. But even that ended in nightmare. A mass of black descended upon the city then, engulfing everyone in it with screams of pain and drops of blood. The city was washed in red, stained with red, pouring out red...
The dream ended abruptly with the scene if Nagarishi's limp and bleeding body washed away in the stream of crimson.
Kanfo saw her twitch as she awoke, and worried if something was wrong. Kinage slowly let her eyes taste of the world around her, and asked for water, which was given to her by Kanfo. The Supreme Sheikah was able to sit up slightly by herself to drink and eat. Her wounds were healing fairly fast, and she had regained some of her strength back. Still, she found herself unable to perform tasks she could at full strength, and this had greatly frustrated her. She was a helpless child again, needing assistance for the slightest things. She longed to go out and gaze at the stars again, to train with her weapons until dusk, to lead the peoples again. She wanted to know where Link was, and had search parties sent out in all directions of the city.
Kanfo opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when Kinage began her sentence. "Have the search parties found anything yet?"
"No, none have reported back yet. I don't expect them to give me any information until tomorrow morning." Kanfo replied, helping Kinage re- bandage a wound. "Umm... Kinage... What were you dreaming about?"
Kinage stood still for a moment and looked up at Kanfo. "It was just a bad dream. That's all. Don't worry about it..."
"I've noticed you've had a lot lately..." Kanfo stared at the bowl of water sitting on the stand beside her. "Kinage, we'll find Link soon, one way or another. We'll figure all this out. It'll all be fine, you'll see." She looked up at the tired eyes of Kinage and smiled. "Now go back to sleep. You're getting tired already."
Kinage let herself sink into the pillow, her exhaustion overtaking her in a wave of unconsciousness.
*
Link stopped to rest for a moment alongside a tree. He needed a drink, for he had been walking for quite some time without stopping. The shining white city of Kinaya lay out before him, glimmering in the light of sunset. He had only to descend the hill to enter the outskirts of the city.
It wasn't long before he came to the square; the strange Temple lay out in front of him. Some people he passed by recognized him from before, and either cowered in fear or ran to give word to the palace. Link wasn't concerned with them. He knew he would have to face what he had done, but he felt now wasn't the time.
He stared up at the structure from the bottom of the "wall." The Temple's height seemed tremendous from this angle. Taking a deep breath, Link touched sword to stone and found that the blade passed through the surface, creating ripples all around it as if the solid had turned to water, but kept its form.
Link waited for the whole Temple to start moving as it did before, but nothing stirred. Growing a bit impatient, he looked around. He looked up and watched a familiar snake-like head fall down upon him and seem to eat him. He found himself on a cliff. The sky was purple and red, like a sunset, but there was no sun and the light seemed to come from above with no source. Link stared down at the black abyss below him. He looked behind and could see nothing but a cliff stretching for what seemed like forever behind him. To his left was the Foriyar in his hand, and to his right was nothing but darkness below and strange sky above. A wind blew from out of nowhere, and a familiar long blonde hair floated out and landed gently beside him on the ground. Just as Link was about to lean down to retrieve it, he blinked, and his eyes opened to see Nagarishi standing before him.
She was staring straight ahead, and began to speak. "The sky... it's so beautiful now..."
Link stared in disbelief. This couldn't be real, he thought. But suddenly he didn't care, and stepped forward to embrace her. He stopped as she turned to look at him, an unusual expression coloring her face. "You want to come with me to see it, don't you?"
"Yes." He felt compelled to answer.
"As I have given myself up for you, you must give yourself up for me." She smiled, her eyes deeply searching his. A hand graced his cheek, and he closed his eyes, leaning into the caress. After a moment, he opened them, and she was gone. Frantically, he searched around for her. The hair was gone too, shining in the light from nowhere as it danced over the black chasm. "Come back!" He cried to nothingness. "...come back..." Link fell to his knees, his arm outstretched to the unreal sky. His eyes stung with tears. All he could think about was how much he missed her. All he could think about was how much he wanted to be with her, even in the afterlife. His one hope was to be with her in death. And so, he took up the Foriyar, his hands shaking. The tip was pointed at his chest. He sadly stared at it for awhile, unsure if he could do it. He felt raindrops and saw that it was storming now, lightning reflecting off the weapon's blade. With a great cry that echoed the thunder, he plunged the sword into himself. He felt nothing now. His eyes were closed. There was no movement in his body, just a thought in his mind. "Nagarishi..."
*
Link opened his eyes slowly. Was this the afterlife? People surrounded him, who were all staring at something ahead. Link looked himself over. He was wearing the same clothes as earlier, with the same wounds. The Foriyar was now in his hand instead of his chest. Link pushed through the crowd, and saw something familiar.
A dark and emotionless Link stopped as he saw her there. His eyes seemed to be clouded over, his mouth a straight unmoving line. He never said a word, and seemed to look through Kinage, who stood in his way, as if she wasn't even there. The sword's energy brightened for a moment, then dimmed again as the dark Link kept walking. Kinage didn't move, anticipating Link to throw her to the side. "I'm not going to let you do this again, Link. Not this time..." She readied herself for something, just as the sword began to point tip-first at her.
Link stepped forward. "You're right Kinage, it won't be this time."
Dark Link stared at Link with a snarl and took back the Foriyar from the air. Kinage looked at him in shock. Blue energy surged through Dark Link's arm. In a low voice he demanded, "What are YOU doing here?"
"I'm here to stop myself." Link gripped the Foriyar tightly.
Kinage could barely utter her words. "Link... but." she looked over at the possessed Link. "He's Link! How did you...?"
Link didn't stop looking at his dark self. "I used the Foriyar, Kinage. Now that I know how..."
Kinage looked very confused, and had right to be. She felt as if she was hallucinating, seeing two Links before her. But her thoughts and confusion were broken as Nagarishi pushed through the crowd.
Both Links became suddenly aware of her presence and both turned to look at her. She saw them both, and knew what had happened, and which had come from the future. The Dark Link did not move, but stood staring blankly at her. Link, however, nearly crying, rushed to her and embraced her. Nagarishi read all his thoughts and feelings and was overcome with tears herself. She could not hold on long, for she felt Dark Link's thoughts and knew he would attack soon. "Link," she whispered to him. "You're about to attacked." She pushed him back towards Dark Link with a physical and mental nudge. **Please, don't worry about me. I will guide you from the sidelines. Be careful Link...**
Kinage decided to step out of the way and let Link do what he came to do. She walked over to Nagarishi, attempting to protect her if need be. She looked around her at the gawking crowd, and commanded, "Everyone flee! Your lives are in danger!"
The gathered people, knowing Kinage's voice and her rank, obeyed and began to do just as she said, feet pounding against the ground like a herd of cattle. Dark Link was still staring at Nagarishi, but intimately aware of where his other self was.
Both Links were reminded of fighting their shadow self in the Water Temple in Lake Hylia. Except this time they were both real and both exactly the same person. Well, not exactly...
Dark Link's energy flared, the blue wisps from the Foriyar wrapping around his arm and past his shoulder. Link didn't notice, but the New Foriyar, the Master Foriyar, was emanating red wisps of its own. Naga clenched her fist, knowing that they were exactly equal, balancing each other out. Where ones sword was stronger, ones will was stronger. While one had no control over himself, the other did. While one was fueled with an obsession, the other was not. At least, not anymore. This battle would be a tough one. With all the recent emotional instabilities Link had concerning the death of herself, Naga was slightly worried about how he would handle it all. But, she thought, he had just seen her again, and it had given him strength.
Kinage glared at the two, wondering the outcome of the battle as well. She pondered strategies for each to win and concluded that is was too close to call. She also wondered why the future Link had come back. "Naga... why did he come back?"
Nagarishi stared ahead, looking slightly angry. "I died." She projected the images to Kinage, who found she could no longer breathe.
Everything had been given to her at once to take in. The battle, the Temple, the swords, and what Link went through in the forest. All his dreams and tribulations, all the screaming and torture were taken in in one large mental gulp. The image of Naga's dead body and the visions of Link's tortured mind all but tore Kinage apart.
Without even looking at her, Nagarishi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Remember to breathe." With that, she began walking towards Link. She knew neither of them would hurt her, so she had no fear in coming between them.
"Naga... what are you doing?" Link asked.
She just stood there and stared at him, then smiled and walked towards Dark Link.
His eyes followed her to him. He wanted to reach out and hold her, but he couldn't make his body move. Naga reached down and held his hand. "You know why you came back, don't you?" She tilted her head towards the future Link. She heard his mental confusion. "You killed me. The Foriyar killed me." He continued to stare at her, his expression unchanging. The Foriyar screamed at her in his mind, angry she knew what was going on. "Yes, you damn sword... I can read your movements and your feelings."
Inside Dark Link, seeming to watch from afar was himself, trying to cry out to Nagarishi to get away before the Foriyar hurt her.
Naga looked up, surprised. "Link... I can hear you..." She smiled sadly. "You're still there... thank the Goddesses."
**Link, I know you can hear me. Fight it Link! Fight the Foriyar! You have to regain control... it's the only way to stop this battle.**
Dark Link smiled. "You wench. I'M in control now. This shell is merely a tool to use until I find a better one." He quickly reached up and clenched her jaw in his hand. "Yours, perhaps?" He asked with a snarling smile.
Nagarishi didn't move. The other Link brought his sword up, ready to attack at any moment. Naga raised a hand in his direction, telling him not to move. She knew she couldn't harm him physically, or want to. She didn't want to hurt him, but it seemed she would have to if she wanted to survive and have a hopes of getting him back to normal. So, she relayed some of the images of her death and of Link's suffering to his mind. He quickly dropped her, looking surprisingly stunned.
Her long blonde bangs covered her eyes from Link. "I didn't want to... don't make me do it again." She walked away, beginning to cry as she realized it all. Though there were two of him, she didn't want either to die. But to win this battle, she knew one of them had to. She would lose him tonight.
**********
That took longer than I thought for school reasons. And I'm just forgetful. Anyways, this is going out to all my avid readers and fans. (Like I have that many... XD) Stayed tuned for chappy 8 - The Battle.
-Misora-chan