A/N: This came a bit quicker than I thought. I kept rewriting the second part to this; I re-read it so many times, I'm not still sure if it captures what I wanted it to.
Your reviews keep bending me to the will of the plot bunnies! Both praise and constructive criticism are very very welcome.
Chapter 3
If the dragon-god had noticed anything strange about that battle with Ghirahim, he certainly didn't let on.
Though the episode with the demon lord had rattled the teen and supplied him a with a great deal more questions than answers, Link had continued with the Challenge, intent on completing the heart container he had been only one piece from achieving.
Rather than using the bird statue to use the quicker route home, Link called his Loftwing down to the gorge, preferring to ponder the recent battle while flying the long way through the surface skies.
As his bird flapped on, the teen grew lost in thought, and he failed to notice the threatening gray cloud-cover on his flight back to his small cottage in the new village. Unfortunately for the boy, it was rather a long flight back, and it was a very cold and drenched Link that dragged himself off his Loftwing toward the warmth of his home.
Link sneezed as he crossed the threshold, and upon closing his door, realized he felt even worse than usual. His head was pounding, and a fatigue disproportionate to the energy he had spent in battle overtook his body.
Feverishly, he dragged himself to a cabinet, only to realize he had forgotten to restock on red potions. Glancing outside, he saw the unforgiving rain continuing to pound down into the earth, and Link dragged himself into bed, resolving to borrow a potion in the morning.
Exhausted with fever and the day's challenges, the Hero slept deeply for the first time in months. He dreamed...
The demon's voice sounded far away this time, further away than Link had ever heard it.
Come find me, Hero, his voice breathed again.
Link's breath quickened, feeling the sensation of two hands slowly, sensually grazing up his legs. They began at the inside of his knees, fingertips making delicious circular strokes on his sensitive skin. They lingered briefly, and the young man gasped in his sleep, feeling the sharp, somewhat painful sensation of fingernails dragging slowly, agonizingly upwards.
They stopped at his inner thighs, and the nails relaxed, a once again gentle touch beginning to knead the firm muscle of his inner thighs.
Our thread of fate still binds us...
"Mmph..." Link's breathing became ragged, and he struggled in deep sleep, writhing underneath the talented fingers massaging his stiff muscles.
Link shuddered in his sleep, his pulse quickening as the firm hands rubbed ever higher, in broad, delicious strokes. As they continued their ministrations, the young man began trembling, feeling the familiar ache of desire begin throbbing between his legs...
A shrill, unearthly shriek shattered the dream. The high-pitched wail tore at Link's eardrums, a cursed sound that seemed capable of paralyzing a fully grown man...
Link's eyes flew open, quickly darting around his room – only to realize he was not in his room. Nor, something told him, anyplace on the surface.
He stood astonished by his unfamiliar surroundings. He was standing in a dark cavern, the source of dim light indeterminable, as the ceiling reached higher than his eyes could see. He was wearing his tunic, he realized, and with some surprise, he noticed his latest sword in his grip: The blade of a Skyloft Knight, strengthened with one of the Goddess feathers he had found, and sharpened by Gondo with other materials he had found on the surface.
Turning around, Link's keen ears noticed the ground crunching strangely underneath his boots. Curiously, he cast his blue gaze downward to study the foundation.
A wave of sick gripped his stomach. Clapping a hand to his mouth in nausea, he realized he was standing on bones – layers and layers of decomposing bones, and the horrifying remains of long-rotted flesh.
Gasping, the blonde stumbled backwards, and the overwhelmed hero nearly let out a scream as a firm body interrupted his fall, two lean arms wrapping around his chest.
"Come now," the voice purred. "Surely the Chosen Knight of the Goddess can tolerate a little macabre scenery..."
No longer far away, the voice was coming from the surrounding figure. Uttering a small cry, Link threw Ghirahim's arms off him, and spun around with his blade drawn, intending to put a few feet's distance between the two.
But the pale demon lord was nowhere to be found. Link could hear his own harsh breathing echo in the silent cavern, and he whirled around in a panic, wondering if the spirit was perhaps lurking in the darker parts of the cavern to which his eyes could not adjust.
The spirit's voice rang through the stalactites, mocking him. "Oh, don't tell me you've lost some of that irritatingly persistent courage..." Link could practically hear the raised eyebrow, the teasing smirk. "That...frustrating, yet endearing character trait of yours that so plagued me during our all-too-brief time together."
Link swallowed, his breath appearing to wrench in and out of his lungs. "No..." the boy shook his head, his blonde locks seeming to catch the unholy light in the cavern.
"This..." he continued looking around, thinking he could see bat-like creatures in dark corners, sense the aura of evil further within the cavernous depths. "This isn't real..." Link closed his eyes, willing himself to awaken. "You were destroyed. Trapped within the Master Sword-"
A loud, offended hiss interrupted him, and Link felt two hands shove him roughly from behind. Link fell forward, managing to catch himself on one knee before falling into the horrific sediment. He turned around, eyes darting around the cavern, still seeing nothing.
"No," the demon corrected him, sounding from a dark corner Link couldn't quite distinguish. "I abandoned Demise after his loss became apparent, searching through the weaknesses in his magic to find escape."
"But..." Link stood up, backing up towards the nearest wall, his sword hanging uselessly by his side. Uncertainty filled his still-innocent blue eyes. "Fi..." he blinked rapidly, struggling to remember what the blue sprite had said. "She said you couldn't leave until-"
Another hiss emanated throughout the cavern, and Link got the impression he had inadvertently insulted the arrogant spirit. His back hit solid rock, and for a wild moment, he thought he could feel a presence in front of him, the spirit's breath washing over his neck, two invisible hands running a slow path up his sides...
Link froze, briefly paralyzed under the seductive touch of the unseen entity, which made him recall those wonderful, torturous dreams... Then a sharp pain – he uttered a small cry as what felt like sharp nails dug into his skin.
Link threw his body to the side, away from the entity's sharp grip. Chills ran through the young man, and he felt blood oozing from the scratches the demon had left.
"Wrong again, you ignorant boy." Condescension filled the voice that now seemed to be behind the young hero. "The annoying blue sprite was characteristically correct in her analysis; but I'm afraid it was you, who know nothing of the complex thread that is magic, who couldn't leave the battleground until the Demon King's defeat."
The drip of water filled the temporary silence. Recalling the appearance of the sword spirit, Link suddenly had the irrational thought that the elegant figure would seem wildly out of place in the morbid surroundings.
As if to confirm his musings, Link felt a presence behind him. The young man turned, finally seeing a somewhat translucent image of the demon lord. He was sitting on an outcropping of rock, perched comfortably with his chin in his hand and a foot resting against the lower part of the boulder.
Ghirahim raked Link with his eyes, as though scrutinizing the boy for any changes that had taken place since their last meeting. He was without his crimson cape, though he still wore the diamond-crested white suit from their first two battles.
Finished with his examination, the demon lord gave a dramatic sigh, continuing in an annoyed drawl. "I, of course, succeeded in my escape...but unfortunately, your sword's rapid engulfment of every shred of dark energy left me little time to choose an ideal route."
He turned away from the boy, and cast a rather haughty look of disgust around the cavern. " As you can see, the environment doesn't quite live up to my discriminating taste in living spaces."
Link, having long sheathed his sword, rubbed his face in his hands, overwhelmed as took in the information. "I don't understand..." the boy bit his lip, willing to entertain acceptance of the spirit's words. "Why don't you just teleport out?"
Raising his eyes to meet Ghirahim's, Link blinked in shock. The figure, who had appeared nearly solid before, now seemed to be fading.
When he spoke, his voice sounded strained. "My magic was drained after I forced my way out of the battleground. This Realm is cursed, lifeless," he explained. "There is nothing here that can replenish my energy enough to allow for escape from its rather dreary, but strong boundaries."
The demon paused here. He met Link's eyes, an edge of seriousness to his gaze. The pale figure spoke slowly, significantly. "Truth be told, hero, I'm not certain how much longer my spirit can sustain itself in Shadow..." His voice trailed off.
His image seemed to be fading before his very eyes – Link realized this with a panic, and courage spurred him forward. He took rushed steps toward the figure, who only seemed to be fading faster as Link approached.
"Wait – but...you've been haunting me," he accused. The blonde's voice betrayed him, nearly hoarse as it carried the torments of the last few months. "You're in my dreams at night, I can see..." he swallowed, "I can see flashes of you during the day." The words left his throat as if in confession.
In the last few seconds he was visible, Link detected a slow, sly smile creeping over the pale demon's features.
"Tell me, skychild..." his silken voice purred, sending a jolt of...something...through Link's body.
He tossed his fading silvery bangs to the side. "These dreams you've been having..." he raised a see-through hand to his lips, licking the tip of a finger with slow exaggeration. "Have you been enjoying them...?"
Those purple eyes flashed; that taunting smile was the last thing Link saw as he stood, breathless, in the shadowy realm.
Come rescue me, Hero, Ghirahim's sardonic voice echoed in Link's mind, somehow managing to mock the young man in his request.
I'll be waiting in the depths of the Shadow Realm.
The steady metallic din of Gondo's hammer sounded throughout the Bazaar, punctuating the unnatural quiet of the tented area.
I polished my crystal ball in silence, my beautifully large, otherworldly eyes still drained from the dark visions that had danced across them a few days past.
The other vendors were unusually quiet. None of us had seen much of the hero since Zelda's return, but the last couple of days had shown a sudden spike in business as Link arrived from the surface, stopping by several market areas.
He did not visit me that first day; others may scoff, but I will tell you, listeners, that I foresaw this. I will also tell you that I knew the nature of his imminent stop at my booth, and that for the first time in a long while...I feared for the young man.
I would be lying if I told you my piercing, all-seeing eyes did not linger on the Hero's business transactions that first day: A quiver upgrade at the Gear Shop...a colorful assortment of Stamina, Replenishing, and Heart++ potions from Luv and Bertie.
He even stopped at Item Storage, currently manned by the now-human Batreaux. (Peatrice had disappeared, eloping to the Surface with Fledge; dear listeners, even I, Skyloft's most celebrated Fortune Teller, did not see that one coming.)
He retrieved his heart medallion, I noticed – but it was when I saw the Hero exchange his Hylian Shield for the Goddess's that my divinative eyes began tingling.
Where was the hero going, I wondered, that he would exchange the Hylian for a shield less absurdly sturdy, yet blessed with the power to repel evil?
At that musing, my crystal ball had begun to shimmer, and in time, my glistening eyes saw All.
Link came the next day. He approached my booth, a look of set determination gracing his features. I smiled at the boy, still grateful to him for finding my crystal ball replacement.
"You came as I knew you would, dear boy." He gave me a small smile, and placed five rupees on my counter. I dropped my voice, as my lovely, observing round eyes noted the nosy vendors attempting to eavesdrop in on the fortune.
The crystal began shimmering, and I began: "Young man, my eyes foresee a hazardous, thorny road ahead of you... But this time, you tread in shadow, in a realm hidden from Hylia's holy light."
The boy's eyebrows rose slightly, and I saw eager anticipation enliven them.
"You already know the entrance to the realm you seek." Confusion rimmed his eyes now, bordering the courage that flared in them. I stared into my crystal ball, describing the visions it foretold, feeling the beginning of strain on my shimmering orbs.
"A beautiful ancient cistern, laying quiet guard over an unspeakable underworld..." I heard his sharp intake of breath, and I continued, my vision pulling me deeper.
"It contains passage into a shadowy temple, one that is simultaneously your destiny, and not, to conquer... A dark place, which will gather a bloody history of greed and hatred... It is there that you must board a dark ship, floating on unholy waters... It will carry you to the entrance into the Realm you seek."
I paused, feeling unusually drained by All that I saw. The boy digested his fortune.
"But you are currently unprepared."
Surprised emanated from the boy, who was not only puzzling over my (unusually) cryptic message, but thinking over the last few days he had done nothing but prepare himself.
A final image arose within my crystal ball, and I channeled the last of my concentration into bringing it into clearer focus.
"I see a weapon you must forge, a short blade, imbued with an evil energy... The one who calls you will guide you with it. But his energy is depleted...the blade will require a small mortal offering to summon his direction."
The crystal ball faded, and my glittering eyes drifted shut, exhausted from the dark visions.
"That's all I can see for the moment. My eyes...they grow weary. Come see me again if you should lose your way."
Link nodded, as though already considering the materials needed to forge the weapon. My heart went out to the courageous boy, whose fate even I could not read beyond the Shadow he so rapidly approached.
"Good luck, young man!"
A/N: A cookie to those who can identify the post-SS canon quote! Thank you so much for your reviews.
Bunnylali: I know! I don't know why, but this Zelda kind of annoyed me at first. She grew on me, but I don't feel too bad tormenting her..m'wha.
ButterflyBabyBlue: Long reviews are the *BEST*! I really appreciate the feedback. I'm really glad the dragons went over well! They each had such interesting personalities, I wanted to play with them for a bit.
Vembra Isles: Aww..*blush* Thank you.
MrMyshka: Really? *excitement* I'm glad I can pull someone's heartstrings! It's hard to tell how effective emotions are in text...
Roowbin: Ha, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with those two yet. Time will tell!
DDDDDDD: :D Thank you!
BanishedOne: I really appreciate the time you took to write that review! I wasn't sure how the different POVs would work out; I want you to know I took some encouragement from your review, and decided to go ahead and play around with the switches a bit more. Plus, it's so damn fun writing peripheral characters. :) Thank you for the comments on my Ghirahim. In SS, he has very flowery, eloquent dialog, but it's sometimes hard getting the flow just right. Also, having read your stories, *immensely flattered* by your thumbs up. *dances off*