(A/N: I know the last chapter was short. My apologies. This one is longer. We're nearing the end here, folks. Two more chapters after this, if I calculate correctly. At most, three, but mostly likely no more. Thanks to Pirates-Princess and her sister for supporting me and convincing me to speed up here. Love to Karlminion for his quirky and uplifting reviews.)
"Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me here…."
Boom, the doors opened and Link returned. Boom… boom… boom….
"Hey! Move away from the door!" The guard roared, pounding fiercely. Sakina jerked up, a string of drool following her face away from the pillow. The moon still shone brightly into the tiny window up above and made Sakina dizzy. Sakina pulled the bed slowly away from the door. Her body didn't want to move. The door flung open, nearly hitting her. She fell back in self-defense. There were three guards standing over her, all looking crazed. Faces seemed to be spinning in the air. Their hands were placed cautiously over their swords. Sakina's sleep-impeded mind seemed to be moving like molasses.
"You drugged me," she slurred. "You bastards," the effects were wearing off slowly. The guards laughed, but there was some wariness in the way they watched her crab-walking away from them. Her muscles felt as though they had been deflated and all she wanted to do was collapse, but her common-sense spoke adamantly against such an idea.
"Majesty, shall we give you a hand up?" The biggest asked.
"You can kiss my ass," she spoke fiercely, though as she tried to stand, the world danced before her. Tumbling backwards, her arms flew like a windmill and she tried to stop her fall, but one of the guards chose to catch her. "Thank you," she tried to pull away stubbornly, but the guard held fast. It took one, revolting, whiskery kiss to set her off in a rage. She kicked each of the guards and pounded them furiously before running right by them through the door. Nausea overtook her and she vomited in the stone corridor. Her stomach heaved and she tried so hard to ignore it. Tendrils of hair clung to her sweaty face and her eyes were watery with sleep. It seemed as though her legs were wont to collapse at any moment. The guards would soon be up behind her. Even as she was, she knew she had to run.
There was a long hallway that she recognized vaguely, even as it swam in and out of focus. Bumbling forward, Sakina ran along the path by iron bars and bloodstains, heaps of bones and manacles. Her right foot seemed to find every crack there was and catch it. Sounds echoed down the way. Suddenly, Sakina was confronted with a fork in the hall. Which way to take? She heaved again and her watery stomach contents landed with a splat on the beginning of the left entrance, so she took the right. Through the hall she sped, hardly pausing to breathe. She was delirious with confusion. On the wall seemed to be fifty triangles lined up, rather than three….
"The Triforce," she whispered, coming to a sudden halt. Her fingers brushed the symbol, caressing it lovingly. She was having trouble focusing on them. Closing her eyes, Sakina hummed the Royal Song as softly as she could. "Hm hum hm, hm hum hm, hm hum hmm hum hm huh-huh-hm." A faint creaking sound gave her a flooding sense of relief. Her eyes opened and she saw a narrow staircase, which she took gratefully, not even wondering where it might lead. Up and up she plodded, steadily becoming more exhausted. There was only darkness save for the strangely glowing dots on the wall. Sakina collapsed, breathing hard. Sweat dripped down her back and chest. Trembling on the ground, Sakina curled into fetal position until the effects of the drug had worn off somewhat. Maybe an hour passed, maybe more, but Sakina's body, though wracked with lethargy, was no longer under the influence of drugs. She stumbled the rest of the way up, finding herself in a cathedral-like room with high-arched ceilings and an echo that bounced back and forth for awhile. It seemed to be a random bedroom. It had a bed against a far wall, a fireplace on another with sofas. There was a pipe-organ that seemed almost out of place. Wavering where she stood, she looked around her new sanctuary.
"Link?" Sakina gasped. There stood Link against the wall, staring dully at the wall ahead of him. "Oh my sweet Nayru! How did you… Link?" He wasn't responding. Sakina started forward, but a voice stopped her in her steps.
"He does look like him, doesn't he?"
Sakina turned slowly around, feeling herself weakening even more. Bile would have risen in her throat if not for the hollow of her stomach. Ganondorf was here. Naturally. He was smiling playfully at her. Sakina had never seen him sleeveless before and noted jagged scars down his arms. He was certainly stronger than her. Just like Link. Except Link would probably never try to kill her. But there was Link! Right behind her, not moving at all!
"I've nearly finished. He's another gift for Link in the Spirit Temple, if he makes it." Ganondorf said, pacing around a hunched-shouldered Sakina. "I just needed to give him a few more powers, you see. It's a lot of work, making one of these things effective." Ganondorf poked Link in the arm. Link continued staring blankly ahead. "He'll only move once he sees his counterpart. I like to call him, Dark Link. What do you think?"
Sakina couldn't answer. A heart that had been so high up a moment ago had suddenly sunk down to the pit of her stomach. All was lost, yet again. She felt her knees weaken and she knew she would collapse and probably burst into immature tears. Her breaking point had come sooner than usual, thanks to the after-effects of the drugs. Just as she was about to fall, Ganondorf caught her and picked her up.
"Let me go," Sakina said with little ferocity. She couldn't muster anything but a slight furor. Ah! Pathetic! Sweat again broke out on her brow. Pushing against his chest weakly, she didn't manage a stinking thing. Hatred for herself and everyone else began to flood her being again, but even that seemed to be dying. Here she was in the arms of her enemy and she wasn't even putting up a fight. Ganondorf didn't mock her outwardly. Instead, he lay her down on the bed and sat next to her, stroking her brow. "Why are you doing this?" Sakina began to cry. No! He wasn't supposed to be nice. Her stomach was empty, she felt hollow and limp like mud.
"Go to sleep," he said in a soft, persuasive voice. Her eyes began to droop. Can't I catch my second wind? Lids fought a battle against themselves. His hand on her face reminded her vaguely of Kynthia soothing her during a fever. Her heart slowed and she did begin to fall asleep. Swimming in and out of dreams, Sakina was hazily aware of where she was, that Ganondorf was speaking in tongues to Dark Link, of a flash of light that took the room, that Ganondorf had left for awhile and of the comfort of the bed upon which she lay.
It seemed as though years carried on this way when it was all really seven hours. It was morning when she next awoke and was finally well. She couldn't be sure of what had happened. Sitting up, she squished her eyes with the heels of her hands. When the black dots disappeared, Sakina looked around and realized, with a sense of dread, where she was. Yet, nobody was there. Sakina got out of the bed and looked cautiously around before slipping out and running to the other side of the room. The staircase that had been there earlier was now gone.
"Damn," she cursed under her breath. She had a new cell, and she wasn't sure she liked it any better. Pacing back and forth, Sakina fumed inwardly at her foul luck. Where was Link right now? Was he okay? Had he forgotten about her or something? "Don't be stupid," she said aloud to herself. "You're not nine-years-old, for Din's sake." "Sake" echoed through the room. One thing Sakina realized was that during the night she had become surprisingly clean. It wasn't logical, considering she hadn't stepped into a bathtub since two nights ago. Furthermore, her clothes were clean too. It was a few minutes of looking desperately around the room before Sakina's stomach cried for food. She slid down the wall, crumpled in a corner, forehead on her knees. She tossed her head against the wall a few times in helplessness. Sunshine shown cruelly into the room, making in cheerily bright.
"Hungry, my dear?" Ganondorf had appeared in the room with a flash of green light and it seemed as though gray clouds had followed him, taking over the sky. His eyes shone with a mixture of glee and disappointment. Sakina nodded slowly, trying not to look too desperate. "Here," in his hand materialized a plate of toast and eggs. It drifted to the floor in front of her. With it were a fork and a napkin. Sakina knelt by her plate and greedily ate her food. She almost cried out with pleasure.
Ganondorf summoned a chair from across the room and eased into it, watching Sakina eat wolfishly. When she finished all that was there, she closed her eyes contentedly for a moment and looked up at Ganondorf, feeling awkward. She wanted to kill him, but at the same time it was almost as though he weren't her tormentor but her… savior. She felt ill again.
"Thank you," she finally muttered.
Ganondorf waved a hand halfheartedly.
"Why…?"
"Link's still alive," Ganondorf cut her off, "defeated yet another temple." Sakina couldn't repress a smile. "But I did install the Dark Link on the last temple. He'll have to get through the Gerudos if he even wants to get there." He grinned dreamily.
"They'll let him in," Sakina said confidently, "I've told them all about him. All he'll have to do is say he knows me."
Ganondorf laughed. "Heltzaku was a good friend of yours?"
Sakina blushed.
"She'll hold that against him, just you see." Ganondorf shook his head. "I know all about your experiences there, Sakina. Defeating the mighty Heltzaku at the sword. She's my sister, you know. Power-hungry, just like me."
Sakina stared in amazement at this announcement.
"Clearly she respected the tribe. To take you in is the true banner of her allegiance to her tribe and their choices, however foolish they were." Ganondorf shook his head.
"Why did you let me live?" Sakina felt her anger bubbling elsewhere and chose to be civil. "You could have killed me so long ago."
Ganondorf shrugged. "Amusement? Something against Link and Zelda? They have the other parts of the Triforce and for some reason they seem to like you quite well. Though, I can see why Link is so enamored of you."
Sakina bit her lip and glared up at him.
"If Link dies," Sakina started, beginning to get to her feet. "Then I'll-."
Ganondorf stood abruptly and towered over her. "Then you'll what?"
"I'll kill you," Sakina spoke fiercely, teetering back.
"That tongue of yours hasn't dulled over the years, I see," Ganondorf looked at her warily. "Glad to see you still bear my mark." He touched her neck, soon after receiving a stinging slap on his hand.
"Don't touch me," she growled.
"You rather remind me of a Gerudo, actually. Nabooru. You never met her, did you?" It was more of a statement than an inquiry. "Very stubborn like yourself. Vicious too. I would have made her my wife had she not betrayed me."
Sakina snorted and started to walk away. Ganondorf grabbed her shoulders and pushed her up against the wall, slamming back her like a rag doll.
"Don't walk away from me unless I've dismissed you."
"I'm not your servant," she spat, glaring at him. "I'm an unwilling prisoner. Link will come and destroy you, you pathetic, power-crazed jerk."
Ganondorf's face contorted with fury. His mouth opened and it looked as though he was about to say something when his face relaxed suddenly. "And you suppose Link and you will just… ride off after that?"
"I…" she hadn't really figured what would happen next. "Yes, that's what will happen. Hyrule will be restored and we'll… find somewhere to live." She realized then that she would not be living in Kokiri for the rest of her days, like she had fantasized at nine. Where in Hyrule could she and Link stay, though? Wouldn't they become bored in Kakariko or the market? What did that leave? The Gerudos wouldn't take them both.
"He always fancied Zelda, don't you think?" Ganondorf said lazily. "Besides, if he does defeat me, he'll be offered the crown for certain. That would involve Zelda's hand. The king told me before I had him locked away that any man who defeated me would become Zelda's husband."
Sakina blushed angrily.
"He would not!"
"Men are like that," Ganondorf ran his hand over her hair in a mock-loving way, "they'll take the girl with the most benefits. And if Zelda looks anything like you," Ganondorf shook his head. "Her being royalty will suit Link just fine."
"SHUT UP!" Sakina shouted. "He wouldn't! You're WRONG!" She jabbed him in the chest with a finger violently.
"Temper, temper," Ganondorf grabbed her hands in his own and laughed at her. Sakina, rather than struggle, looked away contemptuously and imagined the Megaton Hammer slamming down into Ganondorf's skull. "Well," Ganondorf yawned audibly. "I must get some rest. Goodbye now,"
"What-" Sakina suddenly felt herself being lifted from the ground. The room took on a very green tint. She pressed her palms against a crystal prison and watched as Ganondorf waved to her and went to sleep on the bed. Sakina sat at the bottom of her crystal, fuming inwardly. She stared at Ganondorf, hoping that her furious gaze would keep him awake and bothered. He slept peacefully, not stirring at all until moonrise. Darkness crept over the room and the moonlight crept daintily in past the clouds. Sakina felt her stomach growling and her bladder aching. There was a good chance that she would be soiling herself in the near future. Ganondorf stretched and pulled himself out of bed, shaking his head. He walked under her, looked up and snapped his fingers. Sakina fell to the floor in a heap.
Ow.
"You know, blue just isn't your color," Ganondorf spoke as though this was an issue of the moment. Again he snapped his fingers. Her clothing changed to green. "I like that." He started to leave. A door materialized at the wall where he was headed. "Oh, there's a chamber pot over in the corner, if you have need." Sakina glared at him as he walked through the entry and the rocks closed around behind him. Once she was sure he was gone, she crept over to the chamber pot and did her business.
"Link," she whispered, half-hoping he would materialize at the sound of his name. She strode around the room in a quick walk four times before changing direction. The ninth time that she passed the pipe organ, she stopped and stared at it in curiosity. Without giving it a second though, Sakina sat down in front of it. The black and white keys were arranged in what must have been a pattern, some code that only a musician could understand. The keys were smooth and cool to the touch. Sakina ran her fingers over them noiselessly before pressing one down.
HM!
"Ah!" She jumped, startled by the noise. It sounded like a bullfrog's deep croak, only slightly more musical. She looked behind her to make sure Ganondorf wasn't nearby. After she was positive that he wasn't, she played with a few more keys, noticing the higher pitches were further to the right and the lower were down to the left. She made up a few tunes as she went, becoming bolder the more she played. "If only it didn't hoot quite so loud," she spoke to no one. She remembered the song she had learned in the windmill and played it clumsily with her right hand, often retrying notes.
Sakina yawned and her fingers fell from the instrument. Rising slowly, she felt herself yearning for sleep. The moonlight shone into the large chamber. Sakina stared longingly up at it, wishing its rays would take her from her prison. Tears ran down her cheeks freely as she thought of Naoll, Nokomis, Kynthia, and Sabu, Misae, Neona and Zahmora. They were like her mothers and aunts and she missed them terribly. She wanted them to hold her in a hug and tell her that it would all turn out for the best, or to chide her for her silliness. Then her thoughts strayed to Link, his adorable smile and the way his hair sometimes hung in his face, his rough, yet gentle hands and his understanding eyes. His first kiss had been uncertain but had been followed by passionate and wonderful kisses that she would forever cherish. She wanted to hug him and kiss him and bury her face into his wonderful shoulder.
"Great Farore," she closed her eyes and opened her arms, "bring us back together. Let us be all right in the end." After she stood there praying hopefully for quite a few minutes, she went to Ganondorf's bed and curled up in a ball under the covers. At least if she was going to be stuck with him, she could use whatever he had. She smirked knowing that she had the bed.