A/N: I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these rough times.
Thank you to MinMinette (Thank you for your kind words. I am doing better.), Moon ninja Luna (His face would be funny to see indeed!), FallenwaterTheFa (Happy Birthday to you! I'm glad my chapter could serve as a gift.), Mokki Takashi (It makes me very happy to know you like it so much! Kya does derserve mother henning...and perhaps secrety likes it.), Branded Lunacy (They are, haha!), Othaeryn (I'm happy you liked it! I hope you like this one too.), cheesepotassium (Dun, dun, dun! We shall see!), Alter Ego Bob (Thank you. I hope you find the imagery in this chapter good too.), TasteOfPie (And thank you for taking the time to tell me you liked it! It makes my day.), and AnonaLee (Thank you. It is positive for me, so long as I don't have writer's block. ^_^') for reviewing last chapter.
Chapter 29
Water drips from the ceiling of the cavern, disturbing silence with its steady rhythm.
The Parella are long gone, scattered and frightened. What monsters remained have spirited away to locations unknown. Some stay close by. Others I imagine want to get as far from here as possible. I can't blame them. The water still runs red with the blood of their kin. It filters out through underground tunnels. Slowly blue is retaking its place as the dominate color.
And then there's Ghirahim, standing in the aftermath of it all.
I've had dreams of him like this. I've seen those white eyes, their glowing stare piercing into the center of me. That black skin, covered with white crossing stripes and rhombus shapes. I remember the small diamond fixed high on his forehead, in a face framed by two pointed ears. Whatever glitch made his left ear round like mine is fixed in this form.
"Darling, are you hurt?" His voice rings with a metallic echo.
I'm too stupefied to answer.
He moves towards me, and as he does so the dream flashes into my head. Black figure marching on a dark battlefield, where shadows hide all the mangled bodies and red soaked soil I don't want to see. Boom! Boom! comes the thunder, from both sky and the weapon in my hand. Sparks fly off that skin of his in showers and with not a blemish to show for it.
"N-no," I finally answer. "I…" I never thought I'd see that form of his so soon. He is larger and more menacing than I could have ever imagined. He is like a shadow stretching up to engulf the whole cavern.
Ghirahim approaches, the soles of his feet clanking against the stony ground.
I scramble backwards on all fours, the dagger I hold awkwardly in my right hand scraping across the stones.
He stops, a look of shock overcoming his features. "Kya? Whatever is the matter?"
"I—" I can't think of what to say. Adrenaline still courses through me, and I just saw this guy punch out a dragon. A frickin' dragon!
Reminded of her, I glance around for any sign of Faron. I find none. It's like she has disappeared altogether.
Her blood is still on my dagger. With quivering fingers, I slosh the blade in a nearby puddle to clean it and put it away. I don't want to see or smell that red substance anymore. But it permeates the air, reminds me of Faron's ferocity.
…And of the one who took that dragon out.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of me, now." Ghirahim laughs, the sound like echoing metal bells.
I'm silent. Then, "I'd be a fool not to be…"
His smile fades. He tilts his head, brows knitting in consternation. I can read his expressions with ease, though you'd think black diamond skin and white glowing eyes would inhibit my ability to do so. This is his true form, besides that of the sword, and it leaves him naked for all to see.
Speaking of which…
My eyes trail down his body, landing on a certain part of him.
"You…y-you…" I sputter, bringing a hand up to my mouth. "You have a—you have a—a…"
Ghirahim narrows his eyes. "Compose yourself. What's the matter?"
"A…you have a man's body," I finish lamely.
Ghirahim blinks. Blinks again. "What kind of imbecilic statement is that? Yes, darling, I have a full anatomy. Including fingers and toes. See?" He wiggles the aforementioned appendages at me, specifically his fingers.
I stare slack jawed at the 'forbidden zone,' continuously trying to tear my eyes away. It is dark like the rest of him, resting just below the white stripes that crisscross his abdomen.
His eyelids lower. "I know I'm marvelous, darling. In more ways than one. But do try to compose yourself."
"What the f—!" That does it. I block my line of sight with my forearm. "Y-you're the one prancing around naked like it's nothing!"
Understanding lights his features. "Oh, yes. That's right. I keep forgetting nudity disturbs you. Very well. How about this then?"
A snap and metallic chime rings out.
I still don't lower my arm. I don't trust it.
I hear the clank, clank of his footsteps again. He didn't change back. Ha! I knew he was trying to trick me!
He kneels in front of me, his knee hitting the stone with a soft click. I can feel his looming presence like it's a tangible energy. It sends shivers throughout my body.
"Kya, look at me." He takes my arms, pulls them down. His grip is cool and smooth.
My eyes shut tight in defiance, and I turn my head for good measure. Subtly, I start to shake.
"What's this? Fear?" His thumbs begin rubbing a soothing motion. "You needn't be afraid, my darling…"
Anger bubbles up in me. I open my eyes to glare at him. He is the same. Terrifying and beautiful. Except one thing is missing.
"Where did it go?" I ask, alarmed. Now he has the same PG look as he did in the game.
He laughs softly. "Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there. Come, stand up. We have a temple to find, did you forget?"
I allow him to pull me up with him, and…oh, wow. In his more human form, I came face-to-chest with him. In this form? I come face-to-stomach.
I crane my neck to look up at him. "Geez, man. You were already tall enough."
His smile is just as white, but now reveals fangs a wolf would be jealous of. "How is the weather down there, by the way?"
"I dunno," I snap back, "how's it up there?"
His laughter rumbles through his chest. He reaches out to me, places his hand atop my soppy wet head. The contact sends shivers through me and a wriggling feeling arises in my stomach. Quickly I squish the feeling down. Just as quickly I duck out from his hand, move around him, and start walking, jogging, running.
He calls for me, but I keep running, running out of the cavern with one destination in mind. To the waterfall we've been seeking. But deep down I know I run from him. Run from the way my heart thuds. Run from the feeling creeping pink up my neck and into my face. No. No, no, no! If I say it enough maybe it will repel the feeling.
The cavern's tunnel ends, sending me from watery shade to the glimmering sunshine bouncing off the immense waterfall before me. From the bottom of the alcove, I look up the span of the falling water, see the ancient carvings of stone blurred by the water's heavy curtain, feel the wind and mist flitter down, chilling my already damp skin and my wet and clinging dress.
I take a deep breath of the sweet misty air, glad to be out of the cavern.
Ghirahim is behind me in an instant. He wraps an arm around my waist and lifts me clear off my feet, bringing my ear close to his mouth. "You better learn to listen when your master calls! Don't go running off without me. I think we both know what trouble you can get yourself into."
I grit my teeth, trying not to mind the way his thick muscles move against me. "Take a look at what's in front of you, Master," I wheeze, for his grip at my waist constricts me.
He's silent then, and I know he's absorbing the sight of the great waterfall and ancient carvings—most covered by water's veil, others half swallowed by earth. The pool below is wide and deep, but caged by the sheer cliffs that surround.
Slowly and gently he sets me down, still rapt on the goal we've spent all morning searching for.
Soon as my feet touch ground, I break away, running past a moss-covered bird statue and down the length of a water-logged stone bridge leading to the falls. Reaching its broken end, I leap into the water, going from metal's embrace to the pool's.
"What do you think you're doing, little bird?" He narrows his eyes upon me, arms crossing over his broad chest. I hate to notice it. He had muscle and definition in his more human form, but this…this form expands on that. It shows strength through every movement, swells of sinews moving seamlessly under blackfire skin. I mean, holy crap. One of his thighs has got to be thicker around than my waist.
I let myself sink down to my chin, hating myself, hating the way my face heats again. I'm glad for the water's coolness. It puts out a fire I never wanted lit. "I'm getting behind the waterfall," I mumble, voice nearly drowned by rippling currents.
But somehow, he hears me. He chuckles darkly. "How, may I ask, do you plan to do that?"
"Swimming, of course."
Grinning, he gestures forward with his hand. "Try. I'll be surprised if you can get through it."
I understand his meaning the moment I try to approach the falls. This waterfall isn't like any of the others we've encountered. It beats down the cliff with incredible force, flushing outward at its base with a strong current that could probably stop even an elite Zora—if they yet existed in this time. No matter how hard I kick or how far I reach with my arms there's no breaching it. I try from the front, the sides, but no. The water's power fans all around it.
Meekly I swim back to the stone bridge, clasp onto the edge to keep myself afloat and rest my weary limbs.
"Don't…say it," I grumble between gasps.
He grins. "I'm not saying anything."
"Well you're thinking it! Fine! You were right. I can't do it. Your turn. Any ideas?"
He lowers himself to one knee at the bridge's edge, wrinkling his nose in displeasure at the water as he does so, and grabs my wrist. "Just this," he says, snapping his fingers.
After a metal chime and a moment of distortion later, we are behind the curtain of the great waterfall.
I sit at Ghirahim's feet, feeling like an absolute fool. "I…cannot believe I didn't think of that. I actually forgot you could— Why didn't you stop me and just do that from the start? Why let me make an idiot out of myself?"
His laughter fills the damp space, echoing against the roar of the falls. "Oh, darling, your attempts were too adorable to interrupt."
I scowl. But soon anger gives way to amusement, and after a bit I'm laughing along with him, clutching at my stomach. "Yeah, okay. I admit it. I can be such a dumbass."
He gets quiet. "…I wouldn't go that far. And watch your mouth. I won't hear you saying such things, especially not of yourself." Swooping down he hoists me up and I wrap my legs around his waist out of instinct. He carries me with ease, like I'm nothing more than a child. "Now, let's see what this temple of Hylia's holds for us, hm?"
Down into the dark we go.
We entered the dark tunnel, descended the wettened steps. The musky smell of damp stone filled my nostrils. Water dripped from above, trickled down in rivulets along the walls of colorful stone. Carefully we went down, down in the dark until we couldn't see light. With a snap of his fingers, Ghirahim lit torches that had been attached to the walls in ages past. Their dim glow got us through until we could see light again. Light at the end of the tunnel.
And now here we are. The Ancient Cistern.
Ghirahim loosens his hold on me, allows me to slide from his hip until my toes touch ground. I take the opportunity to do a slow spin, taking in every detail of the place. The statue in the giant room's center is far more imposing in real life, the human figure of enlightenment reaching high into the immense vaulted ceiling. Sunlight streams down through cracks in the ceiling, creating natural skylights that circle the statue from above. Man-sized birds, decorated with elaborate feathers of red and yellow, fly high up there, weaving through mist and sunrays. They are far from us and the pool beneath them.
"You're absolutely soaked," Ghirahim says. "Tell me that isn't how you catch cold."
"It'll be okay," I say distractedly, tilting my head up and gawking at all that's around. Pointedly not looking at Ghirahim. Anywhere but him. Him and his great cords of muscle and his smooth dark skin and—
I need to stop. I need to stop those thoughts right now.
Geez! I might as well start singing Hellfire from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. All I need to a fireplace to sing to. Ugh.
Like he knows the discomfort his tall and dark form causes me, he reverts back. Black and white rhombus patterns explode from his feet and rise to engulf his figure. It's a fire of diamonds, and when it extinguishes, he's there in his more human form—white uniform and red cape and drape of white hair.
He slicks his hair back, only to have it fall back into his face. He shifts his cape and its red fang-like flaps into exactly the right place. Ha. He's reminding me of a Loftwing fussily grooming his feathers.
And then he turns that attention on me.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" I protest. He grabs my hair and wrings it out anyway, does the same for the water-bogged folds of my dress.
"I suppose that will have to do," he relents, shaking his hands free from moisture. "I want to move quickly through here—I'll be around. You'll be good now, won't you? I promised I'd let you explore and I shall, but do not get into anything you can't get out of. Kya?"
"Yes, Master?" I give him eye-contact.
"…If anything happens, scream. I will keep an ear out for you."
"Yes, Master," I respond demurely, his worry and care shaking something inside me. Please don't, it says. Please don't feel that way for me, because it makes me feel that way for you too. I hide the struggle inside me.
He looks at me for a long moment, and then, "Very well. I shall catch up to you later."
"Wait!"
He stops, his fingers poised to snap.
"What are those?" I ask, pointing up at the birds. I recognize them, but can't remember what they're called.
"Furnix," Ghirahim replies. "Nasty creatures if you get too close. They have an affinity with fire. Stay clear of them and they won't bother you. Remember what I said."
With that, he disappears in a rain of diamond fractals.
Only to pop right back into exitance.
"But one more thing," he says. "You'll not go down below. Stay on this level."
"But you said I could go any—"
"Not below! I don't like the aura I'm picking up from there."
I remember the undead that lurk beneath, and decide he's right. "…Okay. Yes, Master. I won't go below."
He smiles. "That's my darling."
Then he teleports away for real.
And so, left to my own devices, I wander.
I look to the colossal statue, to the depths of the pool it sits in, and to the open area above its head. I contemplate all that can be explored. Taking to the water first feels like a slap to the care Ghirahim took with my wettened state, and I guess that's why I choose it. To wipe the gesture away. To wash off the feelings it inspires in me.
I jump in amongst waterlilies five times larger than dinner plates, diving down as far as my breath will let me. I pierce through sunbeams, delve into shadow, and then back again. Each time I resurface for air, I follow the sunbeams up, up, treating them like elevators of light.
Hopping along the large waterlilies is like something out of a dream, and I feel like a wonderous child skipping along the erratic trails they create.
Going higher, going anywhere I can, I grab onto stone and rope-like vines.
I search. For secrets. For the mysteries waiting around every turn and corner. For the joy and freedom exploration gives.
A screech comes from my right.
"Oh, shi—!" I jump from my current place of elevation, having gotten too close to one of those red birds. I cannonball with a great splash, welcoming the feeling of water and bubbles as they rush over me. After resurfacing, I take refuge on one of the waterlilies' padded leafy flesh.
My findings aren't much, but still they instill wonder in my mind. I find crevices large enough to pass through beneath the water that I never found in-game. I want to know where they go, and being underwater is the only thing that keeps me from finding out. Little fish dart in and out of them, and similar to the cracks in the ceiling above, the crevices act as gateways into and out of the temple.
Even with all my exploration, I know Ghirahim has done more, his magic allowing him in places I could never reach.
Guilt swells in me.
I know how desperate he is to find a way to free his master. And I know he'll find nothing of worth here. But what am I to do? I can't just… This is the way it has to be. I don't want the people of Skyloft to die. But…I don't want Ghirahim to die either, and if things continue as they should…
I sit there, stewing in my thoughts, wringing my dress out.
I don't know how long I've been here. The sunlight filtering in through the overhead cracks turns from afternoon's bright white to the faded gold of a dying day. It will be dark before long, and I hope Ghirahim will be done searching the temple soon.
A shadow blots out the light from one of the ceiling's cracks. It moves to another, and then another. I jolt into a standing position, legs wobbling on the lily pad's surface. What is that? Another of those red birds—the Furnix? I watch it warily. No, it can't be. It's too big.
Suddenly I catch a glimpse of color, and I know. My eyes flare wide. "Turk!"
He answers me, sticking his beak in and emitting a frustrated squawk. That's all he can fit of himself in. If he were a regular sized Loftwing—no, he'd have to be even smaller.
"It's okay, Turk," I call to him, trying to calm him. The crazy jackass is pecking at the stone, attempting to widen the crack. "Turk, stop! I'm coming out to see you."
I jump along the waterlilies until I reach the stone floor. Then I stop short, halt myself mid-stride to the entrance, because there stands Link.
His stare is fixated on me, his mouth set in a grim line.
We stare at each other, my mouth opening and closing soundlessly.
I break the silence. "Link, you're here. I mean, I knew you would be, but…"
He shrugs, his expression not improving. "I borrowed your Loftwing. Hope you don't mind. He's the only one that will come down to the surface. Makes traveling a lot easier."
"Uh, n-no, that's fine. That's just fine. I hope he's not giving you too much grief." I almost let myself laugh, but Link's stern face keeps me from doing so. "Link? You okay?"
"Are you?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? I mean—" I cut myself off, realizing how that sounded. Yeah, I'm perfectly fine in the arms of the enemy!
He just stares at me. "What are you doing, Kya? Do you know what I've heard? You're helping Ghirahim. You helped him hurt the Water Dragon—you hurt the Water Dragon."
"She deserved it." It slips from my lips before I can stop it. "I mean, seriously? She was eating everyone!"
Link's eyes widen. "So…you really did stab her. Like she said."
"Uh, and like I said, because she was eating everyone. And you'll be thanking me for stabbing her," I sputter on, fighting the shame creeping within me, "when she makes you gather those stupid tadtones!"
"What are you talking about?" Link starts his approach, slowly, carefully, like he's nearing a crazed Loftwing that will bolt at any sudden movement. "Hey, it's…" His voice gets stronger. "It's Ghirahim, isn't it? He's somehow forcing you—"
"I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking. When was the last time I saw you? Oh right, you almost killed me."
He flinches as if I slapped him. "That—that was an accident. I prayed to the goddess it wasn't as bad as it looked. Fi said you'd be okay."
"Pssh, what percentage did she give you?" I stand straighter, feeling like I'm getting the upper hand in this shame game.
Link shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're okay. But…you need to come with me. I can't let you stay here."
I tilt my head. "Uh, I'm fine where I am. Actually, you're the one that should go. Ghirahim's around, and I don't want him finding you. We should be done here soon. Come back, say…tomorrow morning? We'll be well out of here by then."
"He has you under some sort of spell. He has to."
I sigh. "It's called Stockholm syndrome and I'm well aware of its effects."
Alarm and confusion intermingle in the blues of his eyes. "Can it be broken?"
"It's not a spell, dingus—it's a mind screw. Just—tch, just listen, okay? I have it under control. As long as I keep my fear, I'm fine."
That does nothing to dissuade him. If anything, the word 'fear' sets his expression to harden. "No. This isn't good for you. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but it isn't worth it. I'm taking you home."
"I am home." The whisper expels before I even know what I'm saying.
"What?"
I stand there. Open my mouth. Close it. I hadn't meant to say that and it's a moment before I recollect myself to answer. "No. I said no. I'm not going with you. I'm fine where I am."
Link sets his jaw. "I'm sorry, Kya. It's not a request. You're coming with me."
I scoff. "What are you going to do? Drag me outta here?"
"If I have to."
I stare at him slack jawed.
"I'm hoping I won't," he amends, maybe trying to be less antagonizing.
But it's too late. The she-wolf in me bristles at the idea of being caged on that pen in the sky.
"How about"—I move my hand to rest on the hilt of my dagger—"you do what I say, and head out of here before Ghirahim finds out you're here."
Unintimidated, Link marches up to me, and I have to stop myself from taking a step backwards, lest I fall into the pool.
"Kya," he says, "this is for your own damn good."
His fist collides with my head.
I stumble to the side, clutching the side of my head. "What the fuck! How was that for my own damn good?!"
Surprisingly, he appears sheepish. "Uh, sorry. That was supposed to knock you out." Determination sets his jaw again. "Here, let me try again."
"Let you try—?! Are you kidding me!" I circle around him, gaining more space, removing myself from the trap of the water's edge. "Get the hell away from me!"
I take out my dagger, and I swear the air gets colder.
So does Link's expression. He pulls his shield from his back, but leaves the sword in its sheath. "…Don't do this."
"No, Link, you don't do this," I spit back.
"Don't make this hard. Just come with me. I'm your friend. Let me take you home. Everyone misses you."
"Hah!" I say. "Hah! Hah! I bet they do. I bet the miss the crazy hellion that didn't care if she made their lives difficult—if she made them as miserable as she was!"
Link is silent. His answer is to put up his shield and steadily advance.
Rage simmers in my gut, tightens it. "Stay away from me," I hiss through my teeth.
"You're coming home. One way or another."
"Am I?" I laugh darkly. "I haven't been home in years. I haven't been home—I haven't been home—" Suddenly my voice breaks, goes high and soft, like the keen of a wounded animal. "—I haven't been home in a lifetime."
Amid the aching of my head, a dam breaks somewhere inside me. Images of my past life flash in my mind. Of my mother. Of my father. My little brother. My friends. Even the faces of strangers walking along the sidewalks in my home city.
Gone.
All gone in one shutting of my eyes.
Anger and sorrow boil in my heart, hot and cold at the same time. My heart beats a heavy drum at the onslaught, twists and turns behind my ribcage, like it's trying to escape the pain.
Link pauses, brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"My entire world is gone," I utter. Tears sting my eyes, cut streaks down my face.
"Skyloft is still there," Link says, misunderstanding completely. "I know the surface seems like—"
"No!" I scream the word. "No! You don't know anything! You know nothing about me, who I am—who I was! You don't know what it's like to go to sleep in one world and wake up in another!"
All he does is stare.
"I died!" My voice is shrill, echoes up to the vaulted ceiling, bounces back. The anguish of it quiets Turk. "I died and I can never go back! Don't act like you know what it's like. You can go back to Skyloft and see your people. The surface isn't a new world—it's just a part of it you haven't seen. My home and my people—all of it—were ripped from me!"
Link's eyes widen, his mouth set in a straight line.
He looks at me like I'm crazy. And it sets me off.
"I knew it! I never said anything—how could I?! I knew you'd all look at me like that, like I'm insane. I've been alone in my head for so long…" My tone warbles, more tears come. It all pours out. "I died. My world is gone. I'm dead. I'm already dead, Link."
If his eyes could flare any wider, I'm sure they'd fall out of his head.
"You know I get visions, right? I get them from the Knowing Realm. A world completely separate from this one. You know why I get visions from there? Because that's where I was born—the first time around." My voice goes higher, chokes with tears. "I was born and lived a life that was too short and then—and then one night I closed my eyes and lost it all. Next I know I'm opening my eyes in this world, going through a second childhood and, and—!"
Link slowly reaches for his blade.
I'm stopped short by it. "Am I freaking you out that much?"
"Get behind me," he says, and I realize he's not looking at me, but over my shoulder.
I whirl around, and there, standing but ten feet away, is Ghirahim. His skin is back to that hellfire black, his eyes that piercing white glow. His powerful figure stands tall, his fists clenched at his sides.
"When did you get…?" My voice tapers off and I put a hand to my throat. Realization hits that I didn't control my temper or my volume.
Ghirahim's white eyes narrow to slits. "So nice to see you again, Link. It's been a while. Do you remember the last time we met? I made you a promise."
Link's sword unsheathes with a metallic hiss.
I start shaking. No. No, this isn't supposed to happen. Link isn't supposed to see that form, not until the final battle. The Goddess Sword is not ready.
Ghirahim could kill Link with a single blow in that form.
Why did he change back? Did he think the dragon returned? It's just Link. A human. Just a human.
Thoughts race aimlessly in my head. What do I do? What can I do?
Ghirahim walks forward, his metal soles clinking on the ground. "I promised I'd make you deafen yourself with the shrill sound of your own screams. And I will, boy. I will. For all the times you've pestered me, you loathsome gadfly. Most of all, let's not forget what you did to my most treasured servant. I'll beat you down through all the layers of hell for that!"
"Master, please, wait," I say, stepping more firmly between them.
But it does nothing. One moment Ghirahim is there. The next moment he is not.
I turn on my heel. "Link!"
Thankfully Link senses the attack. He leaps clear of the area he stood upon, just as Ghirahim comes down with a fist, smashing the stone floor to smithereens and leaving a small crater in his wake. Bits of stone blast outward, pinging off Link's shield and skittering at my feet.
If that hit had connected, it would have pulverized Link.
Link raises his sword. Ghirahim puts forth his hand, his fingertips glowing a deep purple.
My heart stops. If he catches that blade, he'll catch Link by extension. Then all he'll have to do is drag the hero towards him and one punch later Link will be dead.
I have to do something.
I rush around Ghirahim, and then I make my charge at Link. With his full attention on the demon, Link doesn't notice me until I've crashed into him. We both fall over, making a splash as we careen down into the water. I kick hard, taking us deeper.
The Water Dragon's Scale flashes at Link's neck.
It's then control is taken from me, and I'm the one being dragged along. The scale Link wears as a pendant gives him extraordinary agility and speed in the water. He keeps one arm around my waist, taking me along with him as he sails through the currents.
I wave my hand in front of his face to get his attention, then I point to the largest crevice I had found earlier, the one with fish swimming in and out of it.
Link understands, swiftly swimming us over to it.
As we float in front of it, I point within it, hoping my message of escape is clear.
It is. Link nods at my direction.
At that point I kick him, hard, in the chest and dive upward for the water's surface. It is both an 'screw you' for punching me in the head and a way to communicate my desire for him to leave immediately.
I am not going to see him die. Not today. Hopefully not any day.
"Kya!" Ghirahim calls to me soon as my head breaches air. He stands at the water's edge. "Get out of there! Get back here at once!"
I paddle my way to him. Unfortunately, I never make it.
I'm grabbed by the ankle, and all I have time for is a gasp before I'm dragged under and away.
Link's grip on me is unrelenting. I struggle at first, hoping to break free, but soon realize the endeavor is not only useless, but dangerous. We are too far along the crevice's tunnel. I can't swim back in time for air, so my only choice is to go lax in Link's hold, let him do the swimming. He is fast, the Water Dragon's Scale imbuing him with the swiftness of a fish.
My lungs squeeze painfully, and I in turn dig my nails into the arm Link has around my waist. I hope he gets the message. I can't hold on much longer.
He swims faster.
Mercifully we reach an end to the tunnel, and there is light streaming down from above. We reach air, and I gasp and choke for more, more. Link swims us to the edge where it is shallow. He lets me go and stands while I crawl along the bank of the stream we've emerged from.
"You dick," I rasp. "Why couldn't you just leave me."
Link's only response is to stick two of his fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle.
Turk's cry is heard from somewhere over the cliff that stretches beside the stream. It isn't long before he comes into sight, circling lower and lower, looking for a place to land amid trees and streams.
"I'm not going with you." I bite out each word.
Link glares. "You are. I don't care what world you're from, or why you get visions. To me you're Kya, my friend. I'm not leaving you down here with that monster."
"Oh, screw you and your heroics! I don't need saving. You certainly never saved me before. So, what? Now you're trying to make up for it? Please. I told you I'm fine. I'm handling it."
"By doing what Ghirahim bids? I don't call that handling it."
"I'm not doing his bidding! I'm—I'm…" I pause, at loss for words. "Look, I don't expect you to get it. But I'd rather be down here with him than be trapped in the sky!"
There are heartbeats of silence.
Now Link looks sad. "Do you hate us so much? Why? You've always been difficult and, no, you're right, I don't understand. I have no idea what it's like to go to sleep in one world and wake up an a whole other one, but… Kya, the people of Skyloft…we've only ever tried to help you. Why treat us like the enemy?"
Tears heat my eyes, and my throat tightens. I remember all the times I made life difficult for the Skyloftians. I remember rages, sour moods, flying fists, and cutting words. "I don't hate you," I warble softly, tears making speaking difficult, "I never hated any of you. It's just—I hated my situation. And I took it out on those around me. I'm sorry."
Turk lands near us with a thud. Wind from his landing stirs the grass, chills wet skin. He is a big silhouette against the pale light in the sky left by the departed sun. The dark of night encroaches fast.
And then I feel a sharp sting at my throat.
I nearly cry out, grip at the area. My hands find the golden choker with the red jewel that Ghirahim fastened at my throat should he ever have trouble finding me.
That's when I know I only have a certain amount of time.
Without another word I'm running like a bat out of hell. I burst past the undergrowth and small branches hanging from their trees, bolt under and over fallen logs and limbs. They whip at my face and arms, leaving stinging marks. It doesn't matter. All that matters is I get as far from Link as I can before Ghirahim pinpoints my location.
With lungs burning and legs feeling like jelly, I erupt from the woods into an area I've never seen before. Ruins. Pillars of vine covered stone and lichen ridden broken walls dot the area.
I pant, heart hammering, gaze zipping to and fro. I run into the center of the ruins, looking for a place to hide myself. Then I see it. A large statue of a man. The man is laden with moss, vines, and lichen, much like everything else in the ruins, and he sits with his arms resting on his knees, his back bent, and his head hanging forward.
I don't know why I choose it. Maybe for lack of anything better.
I hide there, in the crook of the stone man's bent arms and legs, push myself into the carved chest covered with hairline cracks, curl up there and try to get a handle on my gushing breaths.
It's okay, I tell myself. You're safe. You're hidden. And for some reason I feel it. I feel safe and hidden.
It is quiet. All I hear is the insects of night singing the day's lullaby.
My breathing quiets, my heart lowers its thundering ferocity.
I peek from around the statue.
Nothing. The woods are still. The sky is dark.
Safe.
But that was before Link came from the other side of the statue.
And the last thing I remember is that shield of his coming for my head.
A/N: I had trouble with this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Thank you for reading.