CHAPTER 4 - I Come Alive (The Used)
Hello! It's been almost a year since I last posted anything, and for that I apologize. D: I've been busy with university work amongst other things, and I just haven't felt the motivation to write anything. Lots of drama left me feeling rather... lazy. But I figured I've made you all wait enough, it's time to get back into writing! As such, I'll attempt to post a new chapter every week. I want to see this finished. It's slow, but that's partly because I beta my own works. I'm sorry for making you all wait so long, please forgive me. ;-;
For the most part, Link had decided to keep his thoughts to himself. Just as Ghirahim hadn't said anything about what Zero had spoken to him about, Link wouldn't say anything about Icarus. Besides, first they had a war to win before they focussed on their own issues. When all of this was over, the once-hero would find a way to keep things from fragmenting.
Even if the surface wasn't his own world, he was part of it now. He doubted he would be allowed back to Skyloft for siding with the Demon Lord. But if it kept the world from being destroyed, he would accept that punishment. He missed his friends, especially Zelda. Even Groose, to some tiny degree.
As they began to walk again, the early morning sun resting against their backs, he wondered how his childhood friend was faring. Had she forgiven him? Probably not. After all, it was Ghirahim who had torn her from the sky and tried to use her soul to revive Demise. And now Link was close with him – very close indeed, judging from the bitemarks on his neck. Of course she wouldn't forgive him so easily.
Even without saying a word, Zelda had told him he was no longer welcome there. He had known her long enough that they could communicate without saying a word. So, her silent stare had told him everything she felt.
He almost felt like he betrayed her.
Maybe he had. Maybe she was right, and the Demon Lord was bad news. Maybe that was why the Goddess had forsaken him. But he couldn't deny that he felt... affection... towards the demon. It was strange. They had begun as enemies, doing whatever they could to sabotage each other. Now... perhaps they could even be called lovers. Although Link wasn't too sure if it was love they felt for each other or just a strange sort of companionship.
They were similar and they did care for each other, albeit in an odd way. The once-hero was starting to find himself truly happy around the demon. The constant threats and familiar taunts were still there, but they were more playful rather than serious.
Link shot a glance at the demon, walking beside him. He remembered the last time they had walked like this. Ghirahim had strode ahead of him, easily moving over twisted roots and small rocks. He never seemed to slip. The hero had almost had to run to keep up with him at times, and he was prone to slipping more than a little.
Now, they walked side by side, paces matched. Perhaps his time in the demon realm had changed him, even more than he knew. But if there was one thing he was glad for, it was that he could now walk proudly beside the Demon Lord.
After a while, the demon spoke up. "Skychild. It might be a good idea to part ways, for a while." he mused, pausing to lean against a tree and fold his arms over his chest. To say the least, Link was surprised to hear that.
"What do you mean?" he asked curiously, turning to look at him properly. The demon seemed rather calm, almost contemplative as he leaned his head back.
"You should go ahead to warn the rest of the Skyloftians. If we cannot contain this fight, they are going to need to be prepared. They will trust you more than they will trust me, and it would likely be best for myself to stay away from them." he explained, gesturing towards him with his gloved fingers. "It would be more efficient for you to warn them while I gather what allies I can. When you return, we will be able to fight without you worrying about the safety of your people."
Link had to admit that the Demon Lord had a point. Unfortunately, he was right. "But if we part ways, won't it be bad for you to be so far from the sword? And what if one of us gets into a fight? We'll be at a disadvantage without the other's help."
"Not at all. Being away from the sword won't do me any harm, nor will it weaken me. You were able to defeat my master by yourself. I hardly think that you would be at a disadvantage without my help." then he paused, raising a brow. "Unless you would miss my companionship so much, you'd rather not spend a second without me, skychild? My, my, you warm the cockles of my dead heart, you really do."
"Alright, fine. I'll go by myself."
"Then call that bird of yours. You'll move faster that way."
With a nod, he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled, calling the loftwing. There was a long moment of silence where he could feel the demon's eyes on him, studying him closely enough to make shivers run down his spine. Even after his time in the demon realm, he still wasn't immune to the other's attentions.
Finally, a responding screech reached him, the magnificent crimson bird dropping down beneath the canopy and landing on a raised tree root, wings flared and extended for balance. Ghirahim eyed the bird with thinly masked displeasure, but didn't comment on it.
The once-hero moved to the bird's side, lifting himself up and positioning himself on its back. With one last look at the Demon Lord, he bowed his head and tangled his fingers in the feathers on the loftwing's neck.
Another loud screech, and he was winging his way towards the Sealed Grounds.
By the time he reached the Sealed Grounds, the sun was already slipping below the horizon. He'd have to wait until morning to travel up to Skyloft, but he could warn the few Skyloftians who had chosen to stay on the surface. The crimson loftwing landed on one of the makeshift perches, allowing the blonde to slip down from its back.
Already, he could feel eyes on him.
"Why are you back?"
Of course. And now the questioning would begin. So, he turned to the redhead and began to talk, with Groose staring him down the entire time.
He ended up explaining everything twice, once for Groose, another time for Zelda. Both times, he felt like he would rather be anywhere but there, with the looks they were giving him. He avoided talking too much about Ghirahim, only vaguely explaining the nature of their relationship when he was questioned about it.
After a while, the duo eventually admitted to believing him. He was once the Goddess' chosen hero, after all. He had no reason to lie to them. So with that, they began preparations for the coming battle.
The Sealed Grounds would be fortified and used as a place for a last stand, if the fighting got out of control. If worst came to worst, they would escape to the sky the moment they began to lose. While they didn't want to forsake the newly discovered surface, they would have no choice if things became too dangerous.
They still didn't trust him. He could tell. They way they looked at him when they thought he wouldn't notice, the looks they shared whenever he mentioned the Demon Lord. He wondered if they had noticed the change the demon realm had wrought upon him, or if he just seemed weary to them.
But they left him for the night once he had finished explaining. For once, he didn't like being alone. He'd never been particularly extroverted, often preferring his own company to the company of others. Now, however, he missed the demon. It was an odd feeling, really.
"Skychild... do you really miss me so much?"
The voice that echoed in his head startled him, almost falling over one of the small rocks that littered the Sealed Grounds. He'd been making his way back to his old, temporary home when the voice had startled him. For a long time, the voice was silent, leading him to wonder if he'd just imagined it. Then it spoke again.
"Or are you just going to ignore me? Really, I thought you were missing me."
That brought a smile to his lips as he slipped into his makeshift bed. Of course the demon would continue to harass him, even over such a distance. He wasn't even surprised any more: it was exactly what the demon would do. He gave the demon a brief update on what had occurred before he finally began to doze off, much to Ghirahim's annoyance.
The Demon Lord later found himself pacing back and forth at the base of Eldin Volcano, his eyes narrowed faintly as he scanned his surroundings for a trace of those strange creatures that burrowed under the ground. Mogmas, he believed they were called. Pesky things, but potentially useful. However, their preference for the underground left him stumped at how to reach them.
Thinking back to his last encounter with them, when his sky child had been caught in the chaos following the eruption of the volcano. His equipment had been lost and stolen by the Bokoblins in the area, and he had used the help of a Mogma to escape from the makeshift prison the Bokoblins had trapped him in.
Ghirahim hadn't involved himself that time though, finding himself enjoying the spectacle of the boy frantically trying to retrieve his gear, often backtracking and finding himself cornered. He had watched from a distance as his sky child had finally gathered all of his gear and moved on.
Feeling conflicted, he had been angry at the Bokoblins for being so easily dispatched, yet almost proud of the boy for succeeding despite the odds.
In the present, he brushed aside those memories, only focusing on one tidbit of information he'd gathered while watching the boy interact with the Mogmas; they had an endless love for shiny things, especially gems.
A disgusted noise escaped him, but he clicked his fingers anyway. The easiest way to get a Mogma to the surface would be a particularly large and priceless gem. That should lure out any Mogma nearby. There's no way one of those creatures could resist such a prize. It's not a real gem, but they don't need to know that.
Not long after he had planted the false gem in the dirt several yards away, the ground started to crack and a long snout and several claws began to poke through. A suspicious pair of blue-rimmed eyes gazed up at him, its claws closing around the gem.
"Yo! It's fake, but you must've wanted me for something." the Mogma pulled itself half out of the ground, tossing the fake gem towards him before folding its arms and leaning forward. "Wait... didn't I see you before? Following that weird looking guy."
Nevertheless, it did work. I almost forgot my dislike for these creatures. "I do want you for something." at the Mogma's look of displeasure, he frowned and held up a hand to stop it from continuing to talk. "This isn't just for my sake. It will benefit you too." That got a curious look from the Mogma. "Do you know the old ruins in the Deep Woods?"
That got an even more curious look. He had the creature's full attention now. "Things in the demon realm are stirring." he continued. "I want your kind to travel to the ruins, and create traps. It won't be enough to stop them completely, but with your tunnelling skills, it would prove a hindrance and slow them down immensely."
The Mogma looked at him suspiciously again, raising its snout. "That's awfully far away... Is it really such a big threat?" there was a hint of displeasure in its beady eyes, but it sounded mostly convinced. "Well, I'll talk to some friends and see what we can do." it huffed, then pointed at him. "You'll owe us though! But we'll make the best traps you've ever seen!"
Judging from the expression the Mogma wore, it was excited at the prospect of being a hindrance to a bunch of demons. "It's a ruin. Who knows what kinds of treasures lay within." he said simply, guessing that that small tidbit would be enough to fully convince the strange looking creature.
That got the response he was after. With an excited cry, the Mogma all but threw itself back underground, likely heading in the direction of others of its kind.
The Demon Lord nodded in satisfaction as he watched it disappear back into the earth. Mogmas are the best diggers, so if they create concealed trenches and pitfalls, the demons will be slowed down. It would be easier to just collapse the ruins, but I don't know if there's another way into the world of the light. Leaving it open gives us the advantage of knowing exactly where they will come through. Now, next the Gorons.
With a snap of his fingers and a flutter of his cloak, the demon vanished.