Ghosts of the Past

by tir-synni

                       

A/N: This is the song that inspired this fic.  It’s by the Pretenders, and I love the imagery that goes with it.  While it’s not among my favorite songs, it was due solely to this song that this fanfic was borne.  I’m not particularly happy with how this fanfic turned out, and maybe later I’ll rewrite it, but I still like the idea that this song gave birth to.

 

 

 

Chapter VII: I’ll Stand by You

 

Take me in, into your darkest hour

And I'll never desert you

I'll stand by you

And when...

When the night falls on you, baby

You're feeling all alone

You won't be on your own

I'll stand by you

I'll stand by you

Won't let nobody hurt you

I'll stand by you

 

 

            “Link!”  Ruto’s scream awoke Sheik, and he hastily shook his head.  He was back in the Temple of Time, and the Sages were staring at the figure beside him in unmasked horror.  The Fierce Deity stared at them with hollow eyes framed by crimson.  With a graceful turn of his white-maned head, It dismissed them as any potential threats.  Emotionlessly, the Fierce Deity started forward.

            “Link is dead!” Impa shouted, her sleek body shifting into a battle stance.  “We must regard this creature as a threat to Hyrule and deal with it as such.”

            Sheik’s eyes widened.  “No!” he shrieked, but no one in the room heard him.

            Nabooru whipped out her lethal rapiers and held them by her sides.  Rauru was desperately attempting to convince Zelda to leave, while Ruto and Saria struggled with their resisting power.  Darunia was bracing himself, preparing to use the awesome strength Sheik had witnessed so rarely in the past.  Sheik shuddered.  None of them stood a chance.  They had not seen Ganondorf, the King of Evil, slaughtered like a helpless infant.

            “Link!” Sheik screamed, “stop this!”

            Sheik had not seen her move, but suddenly, Impa was by his side.  “My son, you and the queen must go to the castle,” she commanded.  She grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.  “You will be killed if you stay here.”

            Pained crimson eyes turned to her.  “But–“

            ”No buts!” Impa snapped.  The Fierce Deity was already on the other side of the chamber, Its lethal figure-eight sword at the ready.  Nabooru, Ruto, Darunia, and Saria stood resolutely in Its way.  “You must go now!”

            Impa closed her eyes tightly in concentration.  Sheik could feel her struggling to call forth her power to teleport her son back to the castle.  The Fierce Deity’s awesome presence barred her.

            Sheik’s eyes narrowed before fastening on his lover.  It had paused momentarily when faced with the small group.  Sheik did not have to see It to know It was casually checking out the Sages, seeing if they were any threat to It.  Any challenge.  After seeing Ganondorf, Sheik knew they were not.

            “My love,” Sheik whispered.

            Darunia began the attack.  With a deep roar, he threw himself forward into a roll.  Energy radiated off his balled form, threatening to form the spikes that had toppled many a foe.  The Fierce Deity simply waved his massive sword.  The blade never touched the Fire Sage.  The sword stroke threw him backwards, taking out a concentrating Saria.  Ruto and Nabooru dived nimbly out of the way.

            “My turn,” Nabooru snarled, but that was all Sheik saw before everything vanished in flash of light.

            “Mother!” Sheik screamed in denial, but it was too late.  When he opened his eyes again, he was back at the castle.  The ornaments of the throne room greeted him.

            “Sheik!” Queen Zelda’s voice offered no comment, sharp with anger and fear.  The young queen ran to a stop before her friend, and for the first time, Sheik also noticed the presence of many guards.  Fear was visible on their faces, young and old.  “Rauru warped me here before I cold stop him.  What is happening in the temple?”

            Wearily, Sheik staggered to his feet.  Despondently, he again looked at the faces of the guards.  The terror on their faces told him all he needed to know.  They knew the Hero of Time had lost to something, and they were scared to face it.  They did not want to fight what had toppled the legendary Hero.

            “My mother warped me here before I could see too much,” he replied bitterly.  “But I can tell you this: the Sages do not stand a chance.  The Fierce Deity had annihilated Ganondorf to recapture Its mask.  If It feels that the Sages are impeding It like Ganondorf was, It will wipe them out.”

            Zelda’s face whitened.  Any other time, Sheik might have felt concerned.  Now he was simply heartsick.

            “We will defend you, my queen!” one guard spoke up bravely.  The tremor in his voice gave him away.  This...creature!...had defeated both the Hero of Time and Ganondorf.  What chance did they have?

            Sheik turned away in disgust and clenched his fists tightly.  The Fierce Deity is only in search of a challenge.  It feels no emotion, no ambition.  It cannot be reasoned with.  It is totally primal, ice and strength incarnated for the sole purpose of battle.  Link was able to control it with Majora because they shared a common goal, and because it had not yet time to gain control itself.  How do you stop something like this?!

            Sheik heard Zelda beside him, barking out orders to the terrified guards.  She was not so foolish as to send them to their death.  Instead, she was ordering them to keep all civilians in their homes and send word to the other kingdoms concerning the Fierce Deity.  Above all, Zelda stressed for them to stay out of Its way.  If the Fierce Deity came across anything It construed as a challenge, It would wipe them out.

            His mother’s shouted declaration rang through his mind.  She considered Link dead.  So did the other Sages.  So did Zelda, already thinking of how to destroy the Fierce Deity and protect her kingdom.  Sheik closed his eyes tightly.  Link was not dead!  He would know it, he would feel it!  Link was in there, somewhere.  As Link had saved Hyrule countless times before, Sheik would save Link now.

            Sheik was on his feet and out the door before Zelda was even aware of it.

            “Sheik!” her scream echoed behind him.  “Don’t try it!  It will kill you!”

            Sheik ignored her.

            He would not attempt teleporting to the Fierce Deity’s location.  Not with Its magic aura.  Instead, he sprinted towards the Temple of Time like he had a pack of Wolfos on his heels.  Panting lightly, he darted towards the ancient temple.  By the blasted doors, he decided idly that the Fierce Deity had already left.  Still, he ran inside.

            Sheik did not waste a breath to call out names.  He found the Sages as he knew he would, tossed aside like so many ragdolls.  It had not seen them as threats, simply obstacles.  Apparently, it had been easier to simply knock them out of the way.

            Saria had been slammed into the wall that Darunia had originally knocked her into.  Sheik checked her over quickly.  With the Fierce Deity’s presence, her natural healing magic was already acting.  She would revive shortly.

            By Darunia’s placement in the wall on the otherside of the chamber, Sheik figured that he had hauled himself back up after the first hit.  Darunia’s harsh breathing echoed in the large room.  That was all Sheik needed to know before he moved onto the next person.

            Impa was sprawled over the pedestal of time itself, even now reviving herself.  As badly as Sheik wanted to run to her, to beg to know if she was truly all right, he did not dare.  He dared not walk too closely to her at all.  If she knew what he was about to do, she would stop him in a heartbeat.  Link was far too important.

            Nabooru’s rapiers were embedded in the walls.  Her slender form was collapsed on Rauru’s heaving one.  Apparently, she had thrown herself in front of the elder Sage in order to protect him.  It did not work well for either of them, but It had not considered them enough of a threat to finish off.  Sheik moved on.

            Ruto was the final one.  It took Sheik a moment to find her.  Sheik guessed she had been the final wall of defense to keep It from leaving the temple.  She was buried under the ruins of the temple’s doors.  After quickly unburying her, Sheik determined that her magic would be enough to heal her.

            The Sages were, while not conscious, alive.  That had been all Sheik had come for.

            “I love you, Mother,” Sheik breathed, his voice so soft he himself barely heard this.  “But I must still protect him.  Even if I die in the attempt.”

            Taking a deep, steadying breath, Sheik left the Temple of Time once more.

~~~~~

            With strong, determined steps, the Fierce Deity had easily cleared the ground of Hyrule Town and was walking through the field.  In the distance, Sheik spied several guards hastily scurrying away from the intimidating figure.  Sheik could not suppress a shudder as he realized what he was about to do.  But still, he did not stop.

            “Link!” he shouted.  “Link!”

            The figure did not slow.

            With a burst of speed, the young Sheikah threw himself in the warrior’s path.  He could not suppress a horrified shudder as he become the focus of those soulless eyes, but still, he did not move.

            “Link,” Sheik whispered.  “It’s me.  Can you hear me?”

            No recognition passed the painted face.  Instead, only a vague calculating look distorted those painfully familiar features.  Sheik closed his eyes as a wave of pain tore through him.

            “Link, please....” he whispered hoarsely.  “Don’t give up.”

            He opened his eyes again to see the Fierce Deity’s face fall back into Its normal placid tones.  He clenched his jaw as the Fierce Deity simply moved to circle him.  Again, he was no threat in Its eyes.

            Sheik was determined to change that.

            In one swift motion, Sheik again barred the creature’s path.  His crimson eyes shone hard and determined as he glared at It.

            “Link!” he snapped.  “I won’t let you go!  I won’t let this demon take you from me!”

            Blank white eyes bore into his, but he no longer saw them.  Instead, he recalled Link’s eyes.  In the right light, they tinged more violet than blue, darkening to near-black with strong emotion.  When he was happy, they lightened to a crystalline blue/violet.  In those soulless white eyes, he imagined he could see his lover’s sunset eyes.

            “I won’t let you go, you hear me!” he snarled.  “I won’t let some thrice-damned mask destroy us!”

            To Sheik’s dark satisfaction, the Fierce Deity finally began looking upon him as a threat.  Its painted features faintly contorted, his upper lip curling slightly, his red-encircled eyes narrowing.  It stepped purposely towards Sheik.  The young Sheikah held his ground.

            “You told me once that we were destined to be together,” Sheik continued.  “That time itself had blessed our union.  You told me that you had found me once, in the time that Ganondorf reign supreme.  We found each other again in this time, and we stayed together.  We are bound!  Even time refused to be a barrier between us!  Come on, Link!  I know you can hear my call now.”

            The Fierce Deity stopped.  Its features twisted into a dark scowl, white eyes luminescent in the fading sun.  Sheik refused to back away, even when Its hand reached back and pulled out Its figure-eight blade.

            “I’m getting through to you, Link!” Sheik breathed.  “Come back to me!  I know you can hear me!  You’re stronger than It!  You’re the Hero of Time, remember?  Follow my voice!  Come home.”

            The sword caught the brilliant sunset in its twisted blade.  The Fierce Deity stepped forward ominously.  No sign of compassion or hesitation lit Its cold features.  Sheik refused to allow himself to feel fear.

            “I believe in you, I believe in us!  Come home to me, love. Come home.”

            The Deity’s lips pulled back to reveal white teeth, and then he swung his blade.  Sheik couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.  Time itself seemed to slow and stop as the figure-eight sword sliced through the air–

            And ripped through the ground beside him.

            Sheik gasped and stared at the Fierce Deity’s face.  The white eyes darkened before closing, pale lids shielding them.  Vapor poured from Its skin and armor, coalescing above Its muscular form. The blade beside Sheik shivered into fog, and then Link was collapsing into Sheik’s arms.

            “My love, my love,” Sheik breathed, dropping to his knees.  Tenderly, he kissed Link’s unresponsive lips, touching his white face and blonde hair.  Above him, the dark fog swirled violently, but he couldn’t bring himself to notice.  All he cared about was Link’s even breath on his cheek and the weight of him in his arms.  “My love, my heart.”

            “Sheik!  Link!” Impa’s voice arose, and Sheik reluctantly looked up from his lover to see his mother’s frantic face.  Vaguely, he knew he should be alarmed at such visible emotion, but he found he could not care.  “Watch out!”

            The warning awoke Sheik.  Sharply looking behind him, Sheik froze.  The fog was gathering together to form the Fierce Deity once more.

            “No,” Sheik whispered, holding Link close.  “Go away.”

            Soulless white eyes glared at Sheik from the shadows, then abruptly faded.  Nabooru and Impa stood before the pair, hands out protectively.

            “You took away his teeth, kiddo,” Nabooru declared smugly.  “Now he’s ours.”

            “Without a body, It is locked away in the realm of spirit and shadow,” Impa clarified, her dark eyes narrowed dangerously.  “Soon, It will not even have that.”

            Gold and purple swirled around the creature’s translucent form, trapping It securely.  No alarm showed on Its painted features.  Its eight-figure sword smashed against the dancing wall, but it did not break through.  Again and again, the sword clashed with Impa and Nabooru’s magic, but like Nabooru and Impa had said, without a form, it had no power, Their magic wall pushed forward until all that was left was a colored cylinder.

            From behind Sheik, flashes of light blasted the gold and purple form.  The light tore into the cylinder, until there was nothing left.  A hand rested on Sheik’s shoulder, and he looked up to meet Zelda’s eyes.

            “It is not destroyed,” Rauru’s voice boomed.  Sheik didn’t care enough to look back at him.  “But we have demolished Its chance to show Itself in this realm for a while.”

            Sheik ignored him, as well as the other Sages when they approached.  He focused on Link’s pale features, utterly limp in his arms.

            “Link, you can wake up now,” he whispered.  Tears burned his eyes as Link didn’t respond.  “Link?  Link....”

            Like something dead, Link laid in Sheik’s grasp.  He didn’t open his eyes.

 

 

well, did anyone like?  One part more to go.  Poor, poor Link.  He’s a little out of it, at the moment.  (pokes Link.  Link just lays there) Spoilsport.