Chapter 3; Anita's POV
He looked me up and down, taking a step forward, before moving back. "I… Anita…"
It seemed neither one of us knew what to say… an eternity of silence seemed to pass before one of us spoke…
I smiled, "How is Zelda?"
Link was happy with the topic, and relaxed easily at the mention of her. She was doing well, I was glad to hear about that… I wasn't surprised at all when he mentioned they had started dating. Good… I was happy for her… but I couldn't help but wonder; if I had stayed, if I hadn't meddled in the plans of the Goddesses, would things be different? Would it be me in Zelda's place? Well… why bother thinking about what might have been?
Now that the barrier between the Surface and the Sky was broken, the people of Skyloft could come and go as they wished. Link had continued his studies at the Knight Academy-not that it mattered much since he was at a much higher level than the other students thanks to his experiences over the course of his journey. "Groose still gives me a hard time now and then, but you know how it is…" he chuckled.
I rolled my eyes, laughing along with him. Same old Groose…
"Everyone misses you… a lot…"
I shrugged. It couldn't be helped…
"Anita…" There seemed to be a question lingering on Links mind as well. I finally persuaded him to ask; "So… what about… all this?"
Oh boy… "What about it?" I leaned against the headboard of the bed, wishing he hadn't asked… why couldn't we just stick to the lighter topics-like home.
…. His home…
Link glanced around apprehensively before turning his eyes back to me, frowning. "I still can't believe you're alive… after everything he told me…"
"He kind of needs me for… things…" I shrugged it off; tried to get him to speak more of Skyloft, but he wouldn't have it.
"He told me... about you and… him." There was an edge to his voice.
"About me and…"
"Ghirahim." He snapped.
I frowned, "Link… about… earlier…"
"Does he do it often?"
"…T-touch me? I…"
"Yes." he shocked me further with his next question; "So how often does he do it? Is it every night? Or does he just have you any time he wants it?" he seemed so… calm asking it…
I stayed silent. Master had said he'd told Link the truth… so shouldn't he know?
"Link… It isn't like that at all!" what had Master told him?
"Certainly sounded like it, the way your Father…err…" he paused at the look I gave him, "Master told me…"
"NO! Link… it's… complicated…" I sighed, trying to think of what to tell him… the truth? Yes… If this was to be the last time I'd ever see him again in this lifetime, I'd rather I tell him the truth… no lies … "I mean, yes, he's tried…"
"Tried?!" he gritted his teeth, jerking up to look at me.
"Well… I mean… he's suggested…"
"Suggested?!"
I sighed, turning away. Ok… maybe the truth wasn't the best thing right now…
"Anita! So, what? You're just their little-"
"Toy." I cut him off bitterly. That was the lowest point that I could describe myself as… I knew what Link saw when he looked at me;
Skin tight clothes, capacity, or more likely, complete utter willingness to do whatever my Master desired, whenever he desired… nothing but a little slut standing before him...
He averted his gaze, wincing. "I… I wasn't going to… say that…"
"I… well… look, he's done some things, yes, but… he doesn't…" Link remained silent. "Listen… things happen to me down here… but I can assure you: Ghirahim might do something to me now and then, but he's not that bad…"
"Not that bad?" he glared, standing up from the bed, rage suddenly overtaking him. Not that I could blame him from his next statement; "Anita, he tried to k- get rid of Zelda! Have you forgotten that?"
"Of course I haven't, Link… but… I…" how could I make him understand? "I mean… Master is always the one that…" I trailed off, suddenly unsure of where to begin, how to explain myself…
He looked at me then. For once it seemed, really looked at me, backing away, shaking his head. "Anita… what in the name of the Goddess have they done to you?"
"What do you-" I choked back a sob. I wasn't going to start crying… not now, not in front of him! "What do you mean?" I just wanted to leave… this hadn't gone at all like I'd expected… I didn't deserve to be here… not with him…
"I mean: what… is this?" he gestured towards my clothes, stepping forward just to get a closer look, touching a finger to my earring. He scowled, glancing down, before blushing, "Are… are you even wearing a bra?!"
My own face reddened, and I averted my gaze. "I… M-Master won't allow me to… he…" I growled angrily. This certainly wasn't the sort of reunion I'd had in mind… "M-Master told me… that he told you about everything… so you should know…"
"Yeah…" he glared, and again, his eyes searched over my body. "He told me… a lot…" he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Anita, I just…"
I shrugged, waiting for him to continue. He wanted to say something… why don't you just get it over with?
"Slave… he… he said slave… among… other things…"
I shrugged again. "I have it far better than any of the other slaves…"
"How can you say that? When he does… you know… those… things… at night…" it was difficult for him to talk to me about it, I could tell, but I'd simply accepted it myself by now. I could see he was shocked that I wasn't breaking down in tears, or trying to change the subject like most girls I'd assume would… like I said: I'd accepted it.
"I get good food, at least some respect, a room, a bed…"
"For Ghirahim to have you in…"
I stood up, making my way towards the door, "That's enough! Ghirahim doesn't use me like that… he never would!"
"Just because he hasn't yet…"
"And he never will if I don't want it! Link, he cares for me! He loves me!" there, I said it. I watched as a frown crossed Link's face, and he blinked a few times, registering my words.
"You really believe that?"
"Yes." I didn't hesitate.
It took another while before anything was said between us. He sighed, looking around, as if at a loss for what to say. His tone came out harsh when he finally spoke again. "Anita… you're so… stupid! I…"
"Stupid?"
"Yes! Stupid! He can't love you, he's only playing games with you and…" he punched the wall, suddenly asking; "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?" but I knew what he was talking about.
"You know what!" he took a step towards me, "I could have finished Demise, and ended all of it! But you… like always, you have to get in the way!"
"I…" I remembered that day all too well… the day Zelda was swept suddenly to the Surface, the day Link went to look for her.
I followed.
I wanted to be there with him, help him, protect him in any way that I could… sure, I wasn't the one with the fate of an entire world on my shoulders soon afterward… but it felt good to fight back… finally fight back against everything my Father had done to me before I escaped to Skyloft, before he had become The Imprisoned… this hadn't been the first time my Father had taken control of me, of my life… yet… at the final battle… something stopped me…. I wouldn't let Link deliver the final blow-I couldn't…
It was then that I offered my own soul in exchange for Zelda's. It would be enough-just enough-to keep my Father alive, and he would still achieve part, if not all, of his intended goal… "I… I was only trying to help you…" it was really my only excuse, lame as it was…
"I never asked for your help! You should have just let me deal with it! It was stupid, all of it! Why put yourself through all this, why-"
I couldn't take it anymore, I turned away from him, tearing the shirt from my back. I winced at the pain that greeted me at the action, biting my lip. Ok, so I'd confirmed his suspicions… there was no covering underneath, but I didn't really care about that right now. I heard him gasp behind me, taking a few steps forward. I kept my gaze steady on the wall. If I turned towards him, I'd only break down…
"I do it for you! All of it… for you! My Master would have had his way with you one way or another, he would have made certain of it, I can promise you that… even if you had gotten the chance to kill him it would have never ended, Link." My Master had many resources…. I took a deep breathe, trying to keep myself together, "if putting up with all this for your sake is stupidity, then I must be the stupidest girl alive… and I probably am, come to think of it… but…" my voice began to shake, "it… doesn't… matter… if it means that you're safe from it all… then all of it, every scar, every humiliation, every second of my life down here… is worth it… I wouldn't have done it if I had any other choice…"
"Anita…" another pause…
"My choice… it was my choice, and like it or not, a bargain is a bargain…" perhaps the stupidest decision of my life… Link was right, maybe this had all been a mistake… I sighed, putting on a brave face, pulling up my shirt again before turning to face the door.
"He doesn't love you… he can't…"
Link…
Too many thoughts ran through my mind:
Why did you do it? It was stupid, all of it! Anita… you're so… stupid! He doesn't love you… he can't…Oh, sweet-heart, you know it's far more than just that…I know he desires you…I touched you… did things to you… without your consent! I enjoyed it… M-Maybe this was a mistake…
Yes… all of it was just a simple little misunderstanding… all of it… but… Ghirahim…
He doesn't love you… he can't…
He doesn't love you! He can't!
He doesn't love you!
He doesn't love you!
He doesn't love you!
"He doesn't love you!" Link's words rang endlessly in my ears…
"STOP IT!" I screamed, reaching for the door, but someone held me back… held me close, whispering soft words into my ears;
"Shhhh… Darling, it's alright… it's alright…"
When had I started crying? How had I gotten on the floor?
"It's alright… Shhhh… Shhhh…" Ghirahim? I felt soft kisses on my cheeks, wiping away the tears…
"Anita…" Now Link… he sounded upset… angry…
"Quiet, boy, you've done enough harm!"
"Get your hands off her!"
"I'm warning you, Skychild, take one more step and I'll…"
"Anita, stop listening to him! You really think he cares about…"
"How dare you!" His grip had tightened as he started lifting me from the floor.
"You really believe this creep loves you?"
"HOW DARE YOU!" I was suddenly against the wall, and I could hear his footsteps retreating.
"What, are you going to try to fight me?" was Link's comment.
"You're really asking for it, aren't you boy? I should have done this a long time ago!" something had been pushed against the wall, followed by a low grunt of pain…
"You think you scare me?" his voice was mocking, "I beat you, what? A total of three times? Yeah, like you really stand a chance!"
"THAT. IS. IT!" I heard the sound of a sword unsheathed… metal scraping against metal…
"GHIRAHIM NO!" I was jolted back to my senses, hurrying to step between them. The sword halted just above my own head, horizontal with Link's own neck…
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
"I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!"
"I can handle this, Anita…"
"No! … Please, Ghirahim…"
He glared, growling as he sheathed his blade, glancing up momentarily at Link. "You should be grateful for her…"
Link pushed me out of the way, "I don't need her to protect me, just come on and fight me already you freak!"
Ghirahim looked at me before sighing heavily, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "No."
Link looked from Ghirahim to me, shock in gaze. I was pretty shocked by it as well… Hasn't Ghirahim been waiting for a chance like this since they first met?! Sure, Master had forbid it (thanks to me) but still… "Did I just… hear that right?"
Ghirahim rolled his eyes, "Yes, boy, you heard me perfectly clear." He looked over at me, tossing his head lightly in the direction of the door, "Darling, I'm sorry to ruin such a lovely reunion-" he glared at Link- "but I think it's time we leave the boy alone to… collect his thoughts? Hmm?"
"I…" He gripped my arm before I could even think of a protest, dragging me from the room. I could still feel the tears falling from my eyes…
"ANITA!" Link grabbed my hand, pulling against him.
"I'll… see you later, Link…" I reluctantly took my hand from his, placing it at my side out of his reach.
"Not if I have anything to say about it…" Ghirahim grumbled, slamming the door behind us. I heard the lock click and slumped to the floor, the tears suddenly falling again. Ghirahim was pacing idly behind me, positively fuming with anger. "That insolent little brat! If I had my way with him… Anita… darling…" he must have seen my tears… I felt his arms wrap around me, holding me close. "Sweet heart… what did that boy do to you?"
"No-No-nothing… He… he just… we talked and…" and what? There was nothing else to it besides I was ashamed of myself… and I had been in the same room with him, the one person who I didn't even deserve to be with…
He remained silent, waiting for me either to continue, or to finally stop crying…
"Gh-Ghirahim… you… you do… love me… do-don't you?" I closed my eyes, awaiting his answer. He could either tell me the truth, or lie… either way that left me with two options hanging on the verge of everything that kept me sane down here; him.
I would either be happy living within a lie, or miserable upon hearing the terrible truth for the rest of my days… without Ghirahim, I was nothing… he was the only person keeping me sane through it all… mostly sane anyway…
I waited, and though it must have only been a few minutes, it seemed like an eternity before I felt myself pushed back against the wall, his lips against mine…
He would pause between each kiss, softly placing a word to my lips each time; "Anita… I love you… I love you with everything I have, to the very heart of my being, to the very core of my soul… I love you, Anita…" he leaned back, tilting my head up to look into my eyes, and I was shocked to see his own face streaked with tears. "Please…" he whispered, sounding almost to the point of desperation; "Don't ever doubt me…"
I sighed happily, wrapping my arms tightly around his shoulders. Yes… I was stupid… the stupidest girl alive… I gave no question to the fact that he might be lying when he spoke to me… and like the stupid girl that I was; I'd believed him…