The bright rays of the sun warmed the priestess's face and disturbed by its light, Kagome awoke, her eyes fluttering open sleepily. As she sat up to inspect her surroundings, a green cloth fell from her chest, and looking down, Kagome realized she was entirely naked.
Dumbstruck and mortified someone would catch a glimpse of her, she quickly covered her chest with the article of clothing. A crimson blush brightened her cheeks, and she couldn't help but hide her face in the tunic she clutched. How embarrassing. Did they really do it, out in the woods like a bunch of animals? A little curious, Kagome pushed the length of the tunic aside to inspect the area between her legs. As she thought, almost dismally; there were traces of dried blood between her thighs and the area there felt a little sore.
"I wonder where Link wandered off to…"
Deciding not to put much thought into his disappearance, Kagome quickly gathered her school uniform and dressed herself. Because of the blood, Kagome decided against wearing her panties and instead, placed them into her skirt pocket and proceeded to follow a path of footprints leading into the forest, further away from where her friends were settled. These footprints were similar to Link's, and she knew he was somewhere close by.
Almost immediately as she searched the area, Link emerged from the trees and completely startled the priestess. With a quick intake of breath, she was greeted by his bare chest, and she clutched the material of his tunic against her tightly.
A bright red hue covered his cheeks and he offered a small smile which she returned. "Good morning," He replied, scratching the back of his head somewhat nervously.
Blushing, Kagome nodded. "Good morning Link," Realizing she still had his tunic, she handed to him, offering him a small thanks. As she watched him put it on, she couldn't help but stare at his chest for a moment before looking away embarrassed. "Where did you go?"
While fixing his belt, he looked at her and scratched his cheek. "I was searching for someplace we could bathe before returning to camp," He admitted. "There's a hot spring not far from here…"
Kagome turned at the mentioning of a hot springs. "Are you serious?" There was a hot spring nearby?
He nodded. "I figured since the air is a little cool today, you might prefer a warm bath instead," He replied. "This way."
As she followed him through the woods, the two fell into a comfortable silence, each enjoying the other's company. While they were both a little awkward from last night's happenings, they were otherwise alright.
When they came upon a large hole in the ground ahead of them, Link stopped and pointed towards it. "Here we are."
As he knelt before it, almost prepared to jump in, Kagome stopped him. "Wait," Her call caused him to look at her confused. "Is the hot springs down in this hole?" At Link's nod, she merely stared at him before accessing the darkness of its depths.
"I stumbled upon it while on my journey some time back. If I remembered sooner, I would have shown everyone else," He admitted. "This is not the first time we have jumped into one. As I recall, earlier on our adventures you and I stumbled across a Fairy Fountain."
Kagome gasped in remembrance. "That's right! It was around the time we found out that the magic in Termina was diminishing…" Her thoughts trailed to Link's deceased companion, Serena and all the other Fairies and Great Fairies in this world. Each had lost their strength in the struggle to survive the crisis. There hadn't been enough time to save her or everyone else.
"I'll go down first and I'll catch you at the bottom," He explained, but at Kagome's sudden nervousness, he only smiled. "Don't worry. The jump isn't far. I'd say around an eight foot drop at least."
While clutching the front and back of her skirt, she couldn't help but nod. She wasn't wearing her underwear, and she wasn't about to tell Link that. Kagome only hoped that when she jumped in, the darkness would conceal her.
Dropping down to the bottom of the hole, he stood up and stared up at the opening, holding his hands out for Kagome. As he waited, watching her nervously situate herself around the opening, sliding her legs over the edges, she finally dropped herself. He caught her effortlessly and smiled at her. "That wasn't too bad, right?"
She nodded.
As they walked hand in hand, the temperature became a lot warmer and the faint glow of a light ahead stirred the priestess from her silent musings. Sparkling white gems were imbedded into the dirt around them as they continued towards the hot spring and not long after they were greeted by a veil of warm mist. The room was quite spacious with enough room for at least ten others, and just as the rest of the walls and ceiling, the same gems were glistening in the slightly darkened room, casting a glow over the heated water. Surprisingly, there were patches of grass encompassing the water and vines with white flowers draped across the opposite walls.
Kagome wiped away the sweat from her brow and cheeks. It was a lot warmer underground than it was above. "Is this somewhat like a Fairy's Fountain, Link?"
He nodded. "It's rarely been stumbled upon and judging from the interior, I would assume that perhaps it was an old creation from long ago. It's seems to have been abandoned since."
A smile lit her face as she crept closer to the edge of the spring. It would be great to wash away the dirt and blood from her body, but she felt a little timid undressing. Sure there was nothing to be embarrassed about, but this was fairly new to Kagome.
'Why are you so embarrassed? He's seen everything already. Just do it Kagome,' Her thoughts urged.
With a small breath, she lifted her blouse over her head and began removing the rest of her uniform before neatly folding them upon the grass. Without looking back, she slipped herself into the warmed water and sighed contentedly. It felt amazing.
While he undressed behind her, Kagome noticed small marks upon her breasts and couldn't help but blush. As she slid her fingers over her chest, she felt a heated rush overtake her lower abdomen and she blushed. Her body felt more sensitive than normal and she couldn't help but find her thoughts trailing to Link's touch.
As Link joined her, she shyly glanced over, watching as he submerged himself before dunking his head into the water to wash his hair. The sight of the droplets of water cascading down his lean and muscular form urged Kagome to shake her head and clear her thoughts.
Turning away slightly, she also began washing herself. Since she was without soap and shampoo, she guessed this would be enough to sustain her cleanliness. The quietness between them was a little awkward and deciding to fix that, Kagome swam over towards Link, whose back was still facing her.
At her approach, his ears twitched and giggling softly, Kagome wrapped her arms around his shoulders before kissing his back and neck softly. They were comfortable like this for a moment, each enjoying the other's company and warmth.
"I hope I did not bring you too much pain," Link found himself wondering aloud. "Does it still hurt?"
"I'm alright. The pain is gone now," She replied, tracing the outline of his ear. Her touch caused him to relax and she couldn't help but giggle to herself.
"What's so funny?"
A playfulness expressed itself upon her face suddenly and it caused Link to turned around in her embrace bemused. "You know … you really surprised me last night, in more ways than one," She began. "You were really overpowering. I've never seen that side of you before."
Link blushed at her comment. "I apologize. I … knew you were experiencing a lot of pain but I knew the only way to diminish your discomfort was to..."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blushing at his comment. "I'm curious. How do you know so much about women, including their first time?" Was it possible that he had more experience?
"This is a little embarrassing to admit, but during my travels in Hyrule, I was visiting a bar and well … I overheard some drunk men and women conversing loudly, and well I heard a little too much information," He nervously explained. Honestly it had been his first time visiting the bar and back then he was probably still a child.
This surprised her. Just how old was Link when he went to a bar? "Oh my gosh," She tried to hide her amusement when she saw his face redden further.
"Kagome … you're the first girl I've been intimate with."
At his confession, Kagome almost awed but stopped herself. So she really was his first? Unlike herself, he seemed rather experienced at what he was doing last night. Surely he didn't pick up some 'moves' from the bar, did he? "Really?"
He was embarrassed but nodded to her anyway. "Really."
As she pulled away from him, she took both his hands into hers and stared at him with a small smile on her face. "Back in my world, this is considered something special. The love and intimacy between two people, that is." Timid still, Kagome's hand slid down his chest, and for a moment they stared at each other, both somewhat breathless and excited.
Without a moment's pause, she leaned in to him and pressed her lips against his, her arms encircling his shoulders. Although this was a little forward of her, she knew it was something she needed to overcome, because after all, they were a couple; eventually such embarrassment would fade away in time.
Link drew her in closer by her waist, his tongue mingling with her own. Although he knew they should return quickly to the others, he honestly wanted to stay longer with Kagome. It was not mainly for their act of intimacy, but merely that he enjoyed her company and possibly their final moments together.
Inuyasha paced in a repeated manner, frustrated about the entire situation. It was already nearing noon as the sun blazed down upon he and his friends, and yet there was still no sign of Kagome and Link. His frustration and annoyance was mainly directed at the slayer, who was quietly standing on the far side of the camp with Miroku beside her.
How could this happen? Why did it have to happen right now? Inuyasha couldn't help but send a scornful glare in Sango's direction. Last night she acted strangely, admitting something had taken control of her thoughts and actions, but Inuyasha wasn't sure what to believe. Then again, Miroku had no recollection of their meeting with the Happy Mask Salesman. It didn't make sense. Was someone toying with them?
"Damn it!" He cursed. Finally ceasing his constant pace, he turned and sauntered over towards the duo across the campfire, while Shippo looked on bemused and worried. When he stood in front of the pair, they turned to him clearly uncertain. "So let me get this straight. Miroku you don't remember ever encountering that peddler?"
As Inuyasha towered before the monk, Miroku only shook his head, his countenance clouded obvious confusion. "I'm being honest, Inuyasha. The last I remember encountering him was back in Clock Town."
None of this made sense. Turning his glare at the slayer, Inuyasha noticed her downcast expression; she hadn't moved from there since last night, and judging by the worry in her eyes, she was obviously feeling terrible. Unlike Miroku, she still retained her memories. "Sango, you said someone was manipulating you, right?"
Sango nodded, attempting to swallow her anxiety. "I think so. I'm not sure," She admitted. "It felt like it wasn't me, but it was." Her brown eyes found Inuyasha's, and he saw the truth reflecting through her gaze. "Inuyasha I want Kagome to be happy. I would never hurt her."
Disgruntled by all this, Inuyasha scratched his head roughly before crossing his arms over his chest. They weren't lying. Their scent spoke nothing but honesty. Whoever did this to them no doubt wanted to put a wedge between him and his friends. Was Armaros behind this? Then again, Armaros didn't seem like the type to waste his time pulling pranks, so that left only one person. Dark Link.
"Well it wouldn't surprise me if Dark Link was behind this," Inuyasha seethed. Where the hell was that dark entity hiding?
At the mentioning of Dark Link, Shippo bounded over to the three from his place next to Kagome's backpack. "So it wasn't Sango who slapped Kagome but it was Dark Link?"
Sango blinked and looked between the child and Inuyasha, searching for any sign of confirmation. Had he done this to her and her dear friend? "I did sense the presence of something sinister, a strange and numbing pain when it happened."
"It had to have been him," Inuyasha replied. Otherwise it didn't make sense. That bastard was stalking them and he didn't appreciate it. What was his game? What was he trying to do?
As Shippo stared at his friends, he couldn't help but ponder to himself. It seemed whatever this secret of Link's was looked very upsetting to all of them. What was it?
Displeased by the entire situation, Inuyasha turned and looked back in the direction the priestess and young swordsman took off in last night. There was a small sense of unease settling around his thoughts, but he knew Link enough to trust him. Since it was already nearing late afternoon, he was sure they would return soon. With that thought, Inuyasha turned to Sango and without a moment's hesitation, he swiftly grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet easily.
At the sudden action, Miroku moved to stand, but Inuyasha did not release Sango's arm.
"We need to discuss what happened in detail Sango," Inuyasha replied, sternly glaring at Miroku's displeased countenance.
As Sango was led by her arm away from camp, Shippo bounded after them with Miroku following quickly behind. "Wait! Where are you going?" Shippo cried out.
Stopping, Inuyasha glanced back at his two friends. They were worried about Sango, that much was certain, but it wasn't their business to follow. "You guys stay here in case Kagome and Link return. I don't want any funny business," He warned. His gaze drifted to the small feline, casually sitting upon the grass scratching her ear, her attention shifted elsewhere. "Kirara," He called, and when he captured her attention, one leg paused in the air and her head tilted to the side befuddled, Inuyasha continued. "You're in charge. Make sure they don't follow."
"Wait a minute Inuyasha!" Miroku refused to stop. He was worried about Sango, and he was worried Inuyasha would become slightly too aggressive towards her. Unfortunately, he didn't get very far. In an instant, he was tackled from behind, his face, as well as the rest of him pinned to the ground by Kiara's enormous form.
"Kirara now is not the time for this. Remove yourself at once!"
"Mew"
OOO
Once they were a good distance away from the others and confident Kirara had obeyed his instructions to keep the others from eavesdropping, Inuyasha released Sango's wrist and turned to her sternly. "Okay. Let's go through this one last time, Sango. What exactly did you say to Kagome? Tell me as much as you remember in detail."
Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Sango looked up at Inuyasha sorrowfully. "I … told her she was acting delusional, and even though I want her to be happy with Link, I told her it was impossible." Sango almost choked on her tears. "I called her selfish for only thinking about herself and not of the rest of us."
"You actually told her that?!" He angrily exclaimed.
Sango stiffened at his remark, but nodded. "I wasn't in control of my mouth, Inuyasha. I would never say that to Kagome. Of course I want her and Link to be together…"
Inuyasha pulled back and swallowed his anger. That was true. It was very unlikely Sango would say such things to her friend on purpose. So it must have been Dark Link behind all of this or at least some other malevolent force. "Okay. I believe you there Sango. But I need to know. Did you tell her Link's secret? Does Kagome know he's not like the rest of us?"
She mustered back a sob. "No I didn't." Unable to contain herself from her emotions, she threw herself into Inuyasha's chest, clutching onto his red Haori tightly, much to Inuyasha's surprise, but he didn't push her away. "I came so close to saying it. I almost told her that Link wasn't among the living and that we were in Purgatory, but I held myself back as much as I was able to. But I hit her, Inuyasha. I hit her and caused her pain. I didn't mean to. I don't want to lose her friendship. I'm afraid. What do I do Inuyasha?"
While her head was buried into his chest, his Haori wet from her tears, Inuyasha couldn't help but sigh. What a mess. Inuyasha knew Kagome could hold long grudges, and since she would have never expected her best friend to yell at her to the point of even slapping her, it was no doubt a shock for Kagome. The only thing Sango could do now was …
"Inuyasha what do I do?"
Sighing, he placed his hand onto her head, which caused her to look at him tearfully. "I'm sorry Sango, but there's nothing you can do. You can't apologize to her without exposing Link's secret. You'll just have to let her forgive you on her own."
Sango choked on her tears again. "Do you think she will forgive me after all I did? How can she forgive me after something like that?" Even she wouldn't forgive someone whom she once thought of as her close sister. Even if it wasn't her fault, she still had to pay the price at the end. It wasn't fair.
"We can't explain everything until we get back to our own world, Sango. I'm sure by then, the misunderstanding between you two will be cleared. In fact, I'm pretty damn sure it will be because I'll be right there with you Sango." He smiled at her, which in turned brought a small bit of hope to her.
While his words did comfort her slightly, there was another thing that bothered her. "But what if that makes matters worse?"
"What do you mean?"
As she pulled away from the half demon to wipe away her tears, her eyes shifted to the ground. "The fact that we've been keeping such a secret from her will only bring her more pain and resentment towards us. What if she misunderstands us for that? I don't want Kagome to turn her back on everyone else."
Inuyasha pondered for a moment. "It's a risk we'll just have to take. We've been through so much together Sango, and we've experienced many hardships along the way. Something like this shouldn't end our friendship. I know Kagome can hold long grudges and she can be quick to anger, but we know Kagome is a forgiving person. In time she will come to understand what happened. You know she's forgiven me too many times to count even when I didn't deserve it."
Sango sniffled. "That … is true…"
"You're the closest friend she has. So I'm pretty damn sure she will forgive you. In all honesty Sango, this is the first fight you and her have had. If you guys didn't fight, it wouldn't normal. Just saying."
Sango laughed at this. Inuyasha was right. For now, she wouldn't let this bother her. "I suppose I should give her some space."
He nodded and tapped her shoulder as he sauntered past her. "It'll be okay. So don't worry too much about this."
Upon their return, the slayer and half demon noticed Kirara had not left her position from the ground and neither did Miroku. Shippo was silently lying beneath one of her paws, exhausted from attempting to escape, and Miroku simply refused to budge, his expression somewhat tired.
Pleased the saber tooth had kept them from eavesdropping, Inuyasha walked over and ruffled the feline's head. "Good work Kirara."
The feline mewed in response and transformed back into her small form, and as she jumped into the slayer's arms to nuzzle against her caretaker, both Miroku and Shippo stood up and confronted Inuyasha and Sango.
"Is everything okay now? You didn't yell at her, did you?" Shippo asked worriedly.
Sango shook her head. "I'm fine. We talked it out. So there's nothing to worry about."
Although she did not seem fine, Miroku decided against pressing the issue, and instead, he touched her shoulder affectionately before giving it a small squeeze. "Now that you and Inuyasha have sorted out your differences, what about Lady Kagome?"
Inuyasha and Sango shared a look.
She released a long sigh at his reply. "Miroku, I understand you do not remember the conversation we had before with Inuyasha or the peddler, and Shippo you were not here to begin with to overhear what happened. So for Kagome and Link's sake, please do not ask any questions. Kagome and I will settle our misunderstanding on our own."
While Sango went off with Kirara in her grasp, Miroku pondered to himself, his eyes watching Inuyasha. 'It seems I did not take kindly to the news regarding Link. However, since I no longer have any recollection of my memories, perhaps it's for the best.'
Hearing a rustling in the bushes and soft voices approaching the camp, Kirara mewed to her companions and they turned to look at Kagome and Link's return.
"Kagome!" Shippo excitedly exclaimed, darting towards the approaching priestess whose arms were held out to catch him. He leapt into her embrace, snuggling his face into the crook of her neck. The child was glad to have Kagome back and she was smiling again! "Are you—" He paused, suddenly remembering what Inuyasha and Sango had said a brief moment ago, and at her curious stare, he only nuzzled into her more. "I'm glad you're back." Looking over at Link beside her, he welcomed his friend back. "And you too Link!"
Thankful they had returned and with Kagome smiling no less, Inuyasha and the others approached the duo. "You two took your sweet old time getting back!" He remarked, but he wasn't angry.
Unable to stop the blush from appearing on her face, as well as Link's, Kagome couldn't help but smile to herself while looking down at Shippo, still ruffling his head softly. "Well we got pretty dirty last night from sleeping on the ground, so when we woke up, Link took me to a hot spring.
As Kagome sauntered past the half demon, bubbling enthusiastically about the amazing hot springs to Miroku, Inuyasha caught a whiff of a peculiar scent from her, though it was very subtle. Turning his amber gaze onto Link, who was, for some odd reason, refusing to retain eye contact with him, the half demon stepped closer to him, much to Link's dismay.
The priestess was a little too excited from her return with Link, and it piqued Inuyasha's curiosity. Something good must have happened to switch her mood from depressed to elation in one night, and he had a feeling it wasn't just about the hot spring. Just as Kagome, the same scent emanated off of the boy, whose complexion flushed under the half demon's stare.
Leaning into Link, enough to bring the boy sudden discomfort from the close proximity, Inuyasha sniffed him. Link's scent was mingled with the priestess's and there was a mixture of sweat and arousal. It dawned on Inuyasha immediately what this scent was; it was sex.
Noticing Inuyasha standing closely to Link from behind the priestess, Miroku called out to his friend. "Inuyasha, is something wrong?" He asked, which urged Kagome and Sango, as well as Shippo to turn back questionably.
Almost smirking, Inuyasha pulled away from Link with his hands behind his head. So that's what it was. "It's nothing."
The knowing smile on Inuyasha's face told Link everything; Inuyasha knew. Judging by Kagome's confused stare, it seemed she was not aware and Link decided to save her the embarrassment.
As he looked at his friends, Inuyasha noticed the silence and awkward tension surrounding the two girls within the group, but he otherwise ignored it and waved his hand to his friends. "Well now that you're both back, let's get a move on. We have until sunset to reach Ikana." The sooner they summoned the Goddesses, the better.
OOO
This was taking longer than expected. It was well past sunset, the darkening sky already hung over the canyons of this dreadful land of Ikana. Any minute now he was sure the gang would waltz right into the gorge below the constant waterfall, but there was no sign of their arrival.
How boring.
As he lazily hovered above the ravine, watching his shadow minions dig into the red earth, Dark Link found himself musing deeply. Tonight he would capture the priestess and hand her over to Armaros, but before that he was in charge of digging up Armaros's bones trapped beneath the soils of a dilapidated well. It was taking a lot longer than he anticipated, but there was plenty of time to spare.
"In order for Armaros to regain his mortality and his powers he needs that priestess," He said aloud. Well why hadn't he figured this out from the beginning? It would have made Dark Link's job a lot easier rather than attempt to stop them from gathering all the pendants. However, using this girl to accomplish his goal didn't set well with him; he had wanted to mess with Kagome some more and upset her, but his plans were ruined now.
What a pity.
Since there was still no sign of the group, Dark Link cursed to himself. He knew they were on their way here since they intended to summon the Goddesses, but they wouldn't get the opportunity. If they summoned the Goddesses, then Armaros's plans would become wasted, and Dark Link wasn't about to waste the promise he made with the sorcerer.
Flashback
After Link's unexpected descent into this cursed world, Dark Link, who remained within Link's shadow secretly for a time, was forcibly pulled away from the boy. In truth, he had never been defeated by Link, but remained close to him without his knowledge. There was no clear reason for Dark Link's disgust except the burning jealousy and desire to eradicate him from the world.
The separation into this new world urged Dark Link to distance himself from his counterpart and explore this mysterious land. He wasn't interested in vengeance just yet, because he knew from experience it was impossible. Even without the Master Sword, and even though he was capable of predicting his counterpart's movements, it proved too challenging to the entity, and along the way, he lost interest.
The people he encountered along his journey were strange. They were like lost souls filled with misery and regret. As much as he enjoyed the suffering of others, the constant grief within this world annoyed him, and as the days turned into months, Dark Link felt a strange inclination to return to the Hero of Time's side, however he refused the thought.
As the years passed, Dark had explored almost every inch of the land. He traveled across the oceans and mountains, trudging through marshes until he eventually stumbled upon a desolate and barren land.
Ikana. It was plagued by restless spirits and countless beasts, and he was surprised a child and her father lived right in the middle of it. Fascinated by its deathly state, Dark Link's curiosity urged him to explore the ancient ruins of the forgotten civilization.
A strange and dark energy which had been hovering around a decrepit and old well for many days urged Dark Link's further. The well was situated above a hill from a house encircled by the ReDead and their ear-shrieking screams. When he climbed down into its dark depths, he was confronted by numerous tunnels, parts of which the walls had collapsed; he assumed an earthquake was the cause. While continuing down a series of tunnels, he eventually found himself standing before many prison cells, many of which were empty. The dark energy had led him further down the room until he stood before a heavily fortified door.
"It's coming from inside, this dark energy." What was it? It had been a while since his interest was last piqued, and he was determined to get to the bottom of this little mystery. Since it was simply a door, Dark Link managed to easily slip through, and when he did, he was greeted by the bones of a skeletal man chained to the far wall; he was dressed in richly clothes, the fabric torn and faded from age.
So this was what it was?
Stepping closer, he scrutinized the corpse, his dark eyes wandering around the enclosed and dark room. Nothing of interest caught his eye, nothing except the strange power which had led him here. It was encompassing the entire room, and for a split second he was sure it stemmed from the chained corpse.
How peculiar. What secrets were buried in these ruins? What was this mysterious power buried beneath the soils? It was all too fascinating to ignore.
For a moment he observed the skeletal figure of a man who was dressed in a tunic much like his own, its color a deep purple, torn and faded from time. A jeweled crown encircled his skull, and Dark Link reached out to touch the sparkling gems imbedded in it. When he did, a faint but harsh whisper ceased his movements, and he stepped back in surprise.
A voice? Was this place haunted? Well haunted or not, it had no power over him. After all, he was a mere shadow, a creature of darkness and death that dwelled among the living.
The bones of the skeletal prisoner emitted a red glow. "So even in death you cannot find rest," He found himself voicing, his brow arched as he looked upon it.
"Young one … with a heart as dark as mine once was … come forward,"
Dark Link only chuckled at this. So it was giving him orders now was it? Interesting. "And if I refuse?"
"I see you are not of the living and yet you are not of the dead either…"
"How observant of you," Dark Link mocked, before kneeling beside the prisoner. How was it possible for it to speak to him beyond the dead? Perhaps this land was cursed just as the locals forewarned. "So who are you and how'd you get stuck down here?" He didn't care if his question was never answered but he was curious of this power.
Despite Dark Link's quick ignorance, the voice continued speaking to him, as if he were an old friend. "I was a great sorcerer long ago. My power was known across the land, and I belonged to a secret clan that sought vengeance against our King. As you can see, I failed in the mission and was sentenced to death by one of my own with my powers sealed away. The world turned upside down and our kingdom collapsed in one night."
Dark Link took all of this in. That explained where the mystery power originated then. He knew all about sorcerers, and how their powers derived from ancient Great Fairies; Dark Link's knowledge stemmed from the time spent in the shadow of Link and Ganondorf. "So that's why you can't rest peacefully. You want vengeance. Don't we all?"
A moment of silence pressed between them before the voice began again. "You hold within you a deep resentment and an urge to eliminate one person, but you lack the power to do so."
Dark Link scowled. It was reading its thoughts now? "That's none of your damn business."
"It's been far too long since I've been shackled here. I sense he is still alive, the person responsible for my death. Help me and I will help you in return."
"You'll help me if I help you?" Dark Link asked, chuckling at the skeletal corpse before turning his back to it. That was funny. "How can a dead person help me?"
"Resurrection is not impossible, Dark Link."
This caused the dark entity to stop and look back. He knew his name? No one but two people knew of his existence. Dark Link had met with many ghosts during his travels, many stupid and crazed ones, but this particular ghost was not in any sense emitting an evil aura. Although not evil, the power resonating from its skeletal remains was intimidating and he'd only felt such power similar to Ganondorf back in Hyrule.
'I haven't got anything better to do with my time now that I'm stuck in this shitty world,' Dark Link mused to himself. "I assume you want resurrected, correct?" He asked.
"Anything to escape this hellish prison and smite the person responsible for my death."
"And what makes you think that person is still alive? How old are you by chance?" Dark Link couldn't help but ask.
"Thousands of years older than yourself," He replied and as the entity gave him a confused and irritated look, the ghost chuckled. "His power is much like mine. I have sensed his presence for years while trapped down here."
Dark Link scowled at this. "Who's to say you won't just turn your back on me once I help you? After all, those of the dead cannot be trusted. I know this more than anyone."
His masculine laugh resonated within the small space. "You are wise not trusting the words spoken from the dead, but rest assured, my words speak truth. The curse spread throughout this land has not afflicted me."
A moment passed between the two, and the ghost couldn't help but notice Dark Link's reluctance. "Why the hesitation? Surely a dark shadow such as yourself has nothing to fear? Or am I wrong?"
Trust him? Although he was not capable of defeating the Hero of Time, perhaps with assistance, it was possible. Then again, should he really trust this corpse? For all Dark Link knew, it was probably lying to him in order to wreak havoc on this world. Then again, Dark Link didn't care if it did or not. What did he have to lose in all this?
"If you refuse my offer, so be it. I cannot stop you as I am now," The voice replied, neither pleased nor displeased. "But if its vengeance you seek, then we share the same mind."
"I'll help you, but you must keep your word, old man."
End Flashback
Dark Link made his promise a few months ago and this was where he was now, floating in Ikana above the old well, watching his dark minions dig up the soils inside. Before it had been easy to enter into the well, but after all the earthquakes, the ground had crumbled inside. How irritating.
After promising to help Armaros, Dark Link was immediately sent on an errand to fetch an ancient potion which was crafted long ago. According to him, if Dark Link drank the bottle, it would merge Armaros's spirit to Dark Link for a time, only until the sorcerer found a way to reclaim his lost body and dormant powers. If this was all it would take for Dark Link to exact vengeance on the Hero of Time, then he was all for it; he had nothing better to do with his spare time anyway.
According to Armaros, the potion was situated down beneath the water fall, in a cave just around the winding path near the cliff's edge. That place used to belong to an ancient tribe in which Armaros was part of long ago, but when the dark entity went out to search for the cave, he was confronted by a thief by the name Sakon.
The thief couldn't put up more than a fight and was easily pushed aside by Dark Link. He searched the place from top to bottom, until he eventually found a secret room which had remained untouched for centuries. He found the potion among an assortment of jewels and tomes with weaponry hung across the cavern walls.
Dark Link sighed, his gaze traveling up to stare at the darkening sky, its light source long since gone, and he found himself temporarily distracted by his thoughts.
Then, after some time waiting, familiar old bones were pulled out of the old well, and Dark Link smirked. Finally, one out of two things was accomplished, and with a snap of his fingers, the bones vanished from sight and his shadow minions right along with it.
A dozen black birds flew up from the gorge below and soared overhead the dark entity, and as Dark Link flew over the waterfall to search for the reason, his smirk widened. They arrived right on cue.
Just like that, the group of foreigners sauntered into the valley, their eyes turning each way, searching for any danger along the way. Little did they know it hovered above them, cloaked by the darkness.
As Kagome stuck close beside Link, her bow and arrow prepared and ready for any unsuspected attack, she felt Shippo nudge his head against her cheek and it somewhat calmed her thoughts. This place was nothing but a nightmare to her.
"It looks like we finally made it guys," Inuyasha exclaimed with a released sigh. Just overtop this waterfall they would arrive upon the old ruins of Ikana and then eventually the tower Emmett had told them about. From there they would finally summon the Goddesses and their wish would be granted.
Remembering the wish, Inuyasha glanced back at Link, noticing how the raven haired girl leaned her body weight against him, their hands entwined. They were immersed in their own thoughts, and Inuyasha fisted his hands, his own emotions beginning to take hold of him. 'That's right. The wish for Link to return with us…' From what he remembered, only one wish could be granted, but how would he go about it?
It seemed almost too good to be true. "I'm still surprised we aren't confronting Armaros…" Miroku voiced suddenly, hefting himself onto Kirara with Sango in front of him. "After all, he has the Sacred Jewel."
Inuyasha nodded at this. "I have a feeling that bastard will show up right before we get to the tower. So keep your eyes p—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw a flash of light from above him, and unable to protect his friends, several small bombs fell around them. The detonation happened right after another, and as the bright lights and smoke engulfed them, they became disoriented.
Kagome shrieked, trying to find coverage from the unexpected attack, only to fall clumsily upon one of her teammates. It wasn't difficult to figure out who she had fallen on top of; it was Miroku, that much she was able to gather from her temporary blindness through the smoke. Her hands rested upon his robes where she felt a sticky substance and in an instant she realized he was wounded, but she was unable to ascertain how badly it was. "Miroku! Stay with us!"
A small explosion happened very close to her, and the priestess, who was attempting to pull Miroku out of harm's reach, lost consciousness. After several minutes of the frightful attack, silence suddenly filled the gorge. The dust settled and all that was seen was the unconscious forms of the group. Even Inuyasha had been knocked out, everyone except Kirara, who was nudging its companions.