Word of advice to my readers, never ever ever leave projects to the last minute, my stress has been so thick lately you could cut it with a knife. Anyway, bit of an announcement, I've revamped a few of the pervious chapters, just the usual drabble, fixed some errors, bettered the descriptions and fight scenes, stuff like that. And I want to apologize for the long wait, my internet provider went all funny, and I was without internet for a week, it was not fun.

Legal stuff: The Legend of Zelda and its characters belong to Nintendo, not to me. Self-made characters however, do belong to me, so no copying.

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  They finally reached the temple as a last few rays of the dying sun were spreading across the clouds.

  Landing on top of the clouds, both Link and Zyte stared in wonder. It was truly a sight to behold, the structure's many towers and turrets bathed deep red. A rope bridge anchored to the towering cloud puffs on either side spanned across a section of clouds that was too thin to walk on, leading to a stretch of clouds before the vaulted entrance. A circular path ran around the base, snaking around itself at several points below the main structure before ending on a large platform seemingly held in place only by the path. Most particular about it however, was what it was made of. Unlike the other cloud buildings of the Light Soarans the temple seemed to be constructed entirely of different colored opaque crystals, sanded down to prevent the sun from reflecting off their surfaces.

  The first to recover from their initial shock, Link started walking toward the bridge, Zyte quickly followed to fall in step behind him.

  "Geez, this place is giant, what in Hyrule was it used for, and then of course there's the question of why people who can fly would need a bridge." Already starting across the rickety bridge, Link kept walking but turned his head slightly to hear her answer.

  "Well the bridge is for the older Light Soarans who can't fly or have been injured, but this place use to be a place of solitude for Seers, they'd come here to escape the noise of the village and try to see the future. There're still probably rooms full of prediction filled parchments. Course then the dragons came."

  Link stopped in his tracks, nearly causing Zyte to run into him. He whirled around to face her, his eyes wide with shock. "Dragons? You mean to tell me there are dragons hanging around here?"

  "Yeah, turned into a dragon roost two hundred years ago, that's why people stopped coming, a large amount of the parchments were saved though, we're still trying to translate all of them, that's what my mother…" Zyte stopped mid-sentence, as if the memory of her mother pained her greatly.

  Reaching the end of the bridge, Zyte continued forward ahead of Link when she suddenly let out a yelp and started to fall forward. Her arms wheeling to balance herself, she fell back heavily onto the clouds, wrenching her foot from where it had sunk through.

  Link, trying not to laugh at Zyte's near fall, hurried over while watching his footing. "You okay?" he asked as he reached her.

  "Yeah, just stumbled into a soft spot," she stood up and stuck out her foot, feeling the surface of the clouds. She started walking several feet to the left, still testing the clouds. "Here's the edge," she mumbled, "but no end." She turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

  "Um, what are you doing?"

  "Feeling for the edge, to see if we can just walk around it, but this one seems pretty big." Shaking her head, she turned to face the entrance and spread her wings wide. Flapping them once, she carefully watched the surface of the clouds.

  "Look," she said, pointing to the clouds before them. "See how much the surface stirs in this one big area? That's the soft spot, looks like it'd be easier just to fly over it."

  Nodding his head, Link flapped his wings and glided over the spot, Zyte quickly followed.

  Reaching the other side, Zyte took a quick look around their surroundings. "Keep your guard up, we haven't seen them yet, but the dragons will probably show up sooner or later."

  "Oh, there aren't any dragons anymore."

  Both Link and Zyte whirled to face the voice, only to find Akkao leaning against the wall in the shadow of a pillar.

  "Oh yes, they seemed to think I would make a tasty snack, rather annoying really, but I dealt with them." He held up one of his hands to look at it, as if mildly interested by the blood drying on his claws.

  "Akkao, what have you done to yourself?" Zyte asked, shocked at his appearance.

  He looked up at her, his hand apparently forgotten. "Oh would you like to know?" he asked in mock sweetness. He straightened up and flexed his wings. "You see, a voice came to see me, isn't that odd? Just a voice, no body, no face." He turned so his back faced them and crossed his arms under his wings. "You know what he said to me? He asked me if I wanted power," he gave a small laugh, "what kind of silly question is that anyway? Do you want power? Of course I agreed, and I was turned into this splendid form." He flicked his tail once before settling it back to the ground. "Of course he wanted something in return, care to know what?" He turned his head slightly so that one of his crimson colored eyes fell on Zyte, a wicked smile on his face, Zyte visibly tensed. "You see Zyte, he wants you."

  These words barely had time to register, as Akkao had whirled and come at them.

  Backhanding Link into the wall, he surged toward Zyte. Her hands instinctively went for her swords, but Akkao rammed into her. Stumbling backward Zyte was left completely open for an attack, which Akkao took full advantage of. Rushing forward Akkao's claws found Zyte's neck, he lifted her into the air, choking her as he did so. Zyte started to sputter, unable to draw breath, her hands clawed feebly at Akkao's hoping to make him loosen his grip.

  Akkao wasn't deterred, he grinned as he tightened his grip. "Why don't you just relax Zyte? Just stop struggling, I could knock you out the easy way."

  His only answer was increase of sputtering from Zyte, her wings started to flutter weakly, but it was obvious that she was losing the fight.

  Akkao smirked, "as you wish." It was then the light arrow hit him dead in the face.

  Screaming in pain, Akkao dropped Zyte and clutched at his face. Zyte quickly rolled away from him, drawing in deep breaths as she did so.

  Lowering his hands, Akkao turned to face Link, who was defiantly holding his bow with another one of the shining arrows drawn.

  "You will pay for that!" Akkao rushed toward him, his claws outstretched.

  Link quickly flapped his wings. Rising into the air he barely missed Akkao's enraged strike. Releasing the second arrow, it exploded on Akkao's shoulder.

  Screaming in pain once again, Akkao spread his wings at leaped of the cloud top after Link. Turning quickly to put some distance between them, Link suddenly felt Akkao's tail snake around his ankle. Whipping him back into the wall, Akkao smirked as Link slide down to the cloud, clearly stunned.

  Akkao then turned his attention back to Zyte, who was strangely nowhere to be seen.

  "Hiding are you? You won't be for long."

  As Link struggled to regain his composure, Akkao started to glide over the clouds, calling out Zyte's name as if they were playing some sort of game. Gliding over the soft spot, a yellow gem suddenly hurled itself out of the clouds and struck Akkao. He screamed in pain as lightning danced over his body.

  Zyte suddenly burst out of the clouds, both her swords drawn and a dangerous glint in her eyes. Crossing the swords before slashing outward, she left two long gashes of blood on Akkao's chest. Akkao struck out in retaliation, but Zyte blocked his attack with one sword while smashing his face with the side of the other.

  Slamming into the surface of the clouds, Akkao struggled to get back on his feet. As Zyte landed lightly on the surface he bared his claws once again. It was obvious that the two light arrows and chest wounds were getting to him, but he refused to back down.

  Turning to Akkao, Zyte slowly sheathed her swords. Closing her eyes, she turned her face skyward and spread her wings. Several bruises were rising lividly on Zyte's neck where Akkao had tried choke her, as well as tiny pinpricks of blood where his claws had bit into her skin. "I am sorry to have to do this to you Akkao, but you leave me no choice." Shadows started to encircle her, crisscrossing through the air and turning the clouds dark.

  Though momentarily stunned by the sudden appearance of shadows, Akkao quickly rushed forward. Jumping to strike Zyte with both his clawed hands, he was suddenly repelled by the wall the shadows now formed. Slammed backward, Akkao looked suddenly fearful.

  Zyte remained unfazed from Akkao's assault, protected by her barrier of shadows. Like before, the shadows closed in on her, enveloping her like a second skin. Her form grew only slightly, but other changes were soon apparent. From her back sprouted a long tail, which in turn grew a sickle-shaped blade. Her hands and feet became talon-like, each foot with one large claw topping them. Then her skull stretched and turned streamline, forming a large beak. Three horns appeared atop her head. The shadows melted away, leaving Zyte standing alone on the cloud top. Lowering her head, she opened her eyes and gazed at Akkao with an expressionless haunting gaze, her black eyes boring into him.

  The Dark Soaran Zyte had become opened its beak and let loose a bone chilling screech before rushing toward Akkao.

  Stumbling backward, Akkao had little choice but to try and block the attacks as they came. After Zyte had slashed with both her claws, Akkao took the opportunity to try and get a slash in at her neck. Twisting slightly to avoid the blow, Zyte retaliated by driving her horns into Akkao's arm. Screaming in pain, Akkao's crimson eyes took on the look of a person who knew they were going die. Taking advantage of Akkao's lapse of concentration, Zyte leaned back on her tail and struck out with her clawed feet. Striking Akkao square in the stomach, he was hurled backward. Though Link was expecting to see a large wound from the last attack, Akkao boasted no new one, it appeared that Zyte had kicked him with her claws curled inward. Dropping back to her feet, Zyte watched as Akkao struggled to return to his. Managing to get to his feet, Akkao gave one last look at Zyte before collapsing to the clouds.

  Zyte exhaled, her shoulders and head drooping, clearly exhausted. She looked up at Link, though her face didn't show it, he could clearly feel her sorrow. "I didn't want to, I really didn't." Her sincere tones were strangely distorted by the Dark Soaran's voice.

  "I'm sure you didn't," Link consoled, "but he didn't exactly give you much of a choice." Link turned his head to look at Akkao before looking back to Zyte. "Before the fight, didn't he say that someone wanted you?"

  Zyte nodded, "yeah, he did, what could have done that to him though?"

  Unbeknownst to them, Akkao was currently conversing with the very person inside his head.

  "So you couldn't even handle the capture of one person, I was wrong to place my trust in you, perhaps I should take away my gift."

  "No! Give me another chance, I can prove myself!"

  "I don't see how, you've already shown me how weak you really are."

  "Don't you dare take my power away from me. I will hunt you down and kill you if you do."

  The voice snickered, "if you couldn't defeat that weakling Shadow Twister of a girl you wouldn't have a chance with me."

  "Shadow Twister? She's a Shadow Twister?"

  "Yes my dear boy, did you not figure that out when she transformed into one of my Dark Soarans? Pitiful, say goodbye to your pathetic power."

  "No!"

  Link and Zyte twisted at Akkao's shout. Akkao was on his knees, staring at his hands. He had changed back to his normal self, and looked absolutely infuriated by it.

  Zyte started forward, "Akkao what were you-"

  "Get away from me freak."

  Zyte stopped in her tracks, the Dark Soaran's normally expressionless face lined with shock.

  Akkao stood up shakily, though his wounds were gone he was still clearly exhausted. "I always knew there was something weird about you, and now I know. A Shadow Twister, never would have guessed, you won't be able to show your face as soon as this gets out." With that he spread his wings and took off, his flying shaky.

  Snarling, Link spread his wings to go after him, but Zyte held out her arm, stopping him. Looking at her questionably, Zyte shook her head.

  "Let him go, there's not much point in trying to stop him. Even if we did catch him, we'd have to kill him to stop him. I don't want to do that." She turned and started for the arched doorway, her head lowered and giving off an aura of immense sorrow. "You never know, I could get use to living in solitude."

  Link hurried to plant himself in front of Zyte. She looked up at him, startled by his odd behavior. "Don't you dare talk like that, I won't allow it. You can't let yourself be pushed around by the likes of Akkao."

  "You don't understand Link, basically every Light Soaran is going to be out for my blood now. It doesn't matter that I haven't done anything wrong, they'll simply hate me for what I am."

  Link sighed, lowering his head before springing it back up. "I know! Why don't you live below the clouds? I'm sure lots of people would love to meet you. There's the Zora, the Goron, the Kokiri, and of course Malon would love to see you as often as you could manage it."

  A light smile alighted on the Dark Soaran's face. "You know, I think that's the first smart idea I've heard from you."

  "Hey," Link took on a look of fake hurt, "that was cruel." He stuck out his hand, "promise when this is over you'll come live down there."

  Zyte eyed his hand before gripping it with her own clawed one and giving it a firm shake.

  "Promise."

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Quick question, should the rating on this go up? I think it's starting to get a little bloody for the current rating, but I'd like other opinions on it.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Criticisms?

Post them in a review or an e-mail to me and I'll see what I can do.