Ghosts of the Past

by tir-synni

 

 

 

Chapter III: Don't Talk of Love

 

"Oh don't talk of love" the shadows purr

Murmuring me away from you

"Don't talk of worlds that never were

The end is all that's ever true

There's nothing you can ever say

Nothing you can ever do... "

 

      "Link!  Oh, Link!  Where are you?" Princess Ruto called desperately, diving through the waters of Lake Hylia.  "Love, love!  Where are you?"

      Called by a frantic summons from the Seventh Sage and Shadow Sage's son, the six other Sages learned of Zelda's and Sheik's prophesies.  Rauru had immediately called everyone to order.  Each Sage had been told to search their territories, in the hope that Link had fled to one of the Temples, or in Saria's case, his old home.  Sheik had warped to his home, in case that Link had ran there.  Zelda had stayed around Hyrule Castle, while Rauru kept near the Temple of Time, a known place of solace for Link.  After thoroughly searching her home, she had slipped through the tunnel to the lake.

      Link!  Her poor Link.  Though they were no longer affianced, she still adored the blond, blue-eyed hero.  She had been under the impression all this time that Sheik had been taking good care of him.  Ruto huffed under water, bubbles fluttering around her.  Sheik should have figured out what was wrong with him!  Though that damned boy was good at keeping secrets....She would have to credit Sheik with that.

      "Link!" she shouted, rising to the surface again.  "Li--"

      A panicked neighed silenced her.  Ruto recognized that sound.  Epona!

      Ruto treaded water, looking around wildly.  There!  The island in the middle of the lake, above the Water Temple.  There was that...horse...so where was....

      "Link!" Ruto shrieked, diving back into the water.  She darted under the surface.  Behind her eyes, the image burned: Link, slumped by the water, the cool waves lapping at his golden hair.  One hand dangled completely under the water's surface.  She arose again beside the small island.  "Link!  Link!  Wake up!"

      The Zoran princess dragged herself hurriedly from the water.  Epona screamed and reared, backing up on her hind legs.  Ruto stared at the wild mare with stunned eyes, but only for a moment.  Then she turned back to the unconscious Hero.

      Rauru! Ruto shouted, slipping her cold hands under Link's arms.  Quickly, the young man's tunic was soaked.  Get the others and come to Lake Hylia!  Hurry!

      We're on our way.

      "Come on, Link," Ruto murmured, dragging Link farther from the water's edge.  "You're going to be fine.  You're the Hero, remember?  Just wake up, please."

      Link simply lulled brokenly in her grip.  His lithe form appeared slight and light, but as Ruto pulled him closer to the tree in the island's middle, she discovered looks were deceiving.

      In many cases, the princess thought grimly.

      "LINK!" a familiar voice screamed behind her.  She turned around in time to see Sheik's frantic form dart past her.  Saria, Sage of the Forest, Darunia, Sage of Fire, Nabooru, Sage of Spirit, and Rauru, Sage of Light stepped off the warp platform.  Darunia's eyes widened at the sight of Link's crumpled form, and Saria cried out in alarm.  The other two simply tensed, not expecting anything good anyway.

      "Link...."  Sheik's soft whisper turned Ruto back around, and the young Sheikah gently pulled his lover from her lax arms.  She watched silently as he cradled Link against him.  "Love, what happened to you?"

      Gently, the shadow elf pulled Link up so his head was resting on Sheik's shoulder.  Link moaned and rolled his head against him.  With terrible tenderness, Sheik stroked Link's damp, white face.

      "Link...."

      Ruto didn't realize Rauru was so close until the other Sage rested a hand on her arm.  "Zelda is preparing the castle for our arrival," he murmured above her, too low for the distraught Sheikah to hear.  "Impa is at the Shadow Temple.  Something disturbs it.  She will meet with us later."

      At Ruto's nod, Rauru turned to Sheik.  "Pick him up," he called.  "We must get him to the castle."

      Despairing crimson eyes met Rauru's gaze, before Sheik turned back to Link.  He scooped his right hand under Link's knees and stood up.  Link moaned again, but his long lashes didn't flutter.  Sheik held Link close.

      "The castle?" he whispered.  Ruto had never seen the calm Sheikah warrior so shaken before.

      But then, Ruto thought sadly, as Sheik and Link vanished before her eyes, we've never seen Link vulnerable before.

~~~~

      Link, Link, Link, Link....

      The name ranted through Sheik's mind.  All he heard was that, all he felt was Link's cold, clammy body lying so still in his arms.

      Link, Link, Link, Link....

      Link's face shone behind Sheik's eyes.  White, slack, unnaturally frail.  He had never even imagined Link like that before.  He was the legendary Hero of Time.  He was always strong, always sure.  He was always the one to protect everyone else...

      ...except at night.  All the skills in the world couldn't protect Link from his dreams.

      All these thoughts flew through Sheik's mind in the seconds it took him to warp.  When he opened his eyes again, he saw the bedroom Zelda commonly loaned to them when they were stuck at the castle overnight.  Sheik hoped the good memories he had of that bed would be enough to erase the memory he was about to make.

      Sheik strode quickly to the bed and tucked his unconscious lover under the sheets.  Link moaned at the loss of contact, as always extremely tactile when placed in a bed.  Sheik would have smiled if he wasn't so upset. 

      The other blond moved to scoot under the covers with him, but before he could, the others from Lake Hylia arrived.  His mother remained missing still, Sheik noted sadly.

      "How is he?" Nabooru demanded, striding up to the bed.

      "Still unconscious," Sheik reported.  He glanced longingly at the bed.  "I don't know--"

      Link's wild scream silenced him.  One strong leg kicked the blankets off the bed.  He tossed back his blond hair and shrieked.  His hands flew up to his face, and he bowed into them.  His lean legs lashed out, like he was still struggling against the missing blankets.

      "Fuck!"  Nabooru stepped forward and grabbed Link's arms, only to receive a fist in the face.  Blood gushed from her broken nose.  Saria grabbed her around the waist and hurriedly dragged her back.

      "What's the matter with Brother?" Darunia demanded, stomping to Link's side.  Link's screams almost drowned out his question.

      Rauru opened his mouth to answer, but then his eyes widened in horror.  "Darunia, get back!"

      Link's frenzied screams shifted into an unearthly roar, and a fireball exploded from the air in front of him.  It caught the large Goron in the chest, throwing him off his feet.  He skidded over the lush carpet, Ruto wildly jumping out of his way.  Saria abandoned Nabooru, who was healing her nose with her magic, and kneeled beside him.  The Fire Sage never noticed.

      "Wow," Darunia commented admiringly.  "I never knew Brother had it in him."

      The Forest Sage gave him a strange look.  Darunia met her wary gaze.  "What?  What did I say?"

      Ruto hurried to Nabooru, while Sheik and Rauru rushed to Link's.  At the sound of his lover's familiar voice, cooing frantically to him, Link quieted.  His harsh wheezes and gasps contrasted painfully with his normally smooth voice.  With Sheik's help, Rauru maneuvered close enough to Link to cast a spell.  Instantly, as the calming blue light fell over him, Link's hands fell slack, and he collapsed back on the bed.  Sheik pulled him into his arms.

      "Rauru," Sheik whispered, holding Link protectively in his arms, "what happened to him?"

      Rauru could only shake his head.  "I--I am not sure."

      Zelda flashed beside the two.  "What's going on?" the young queen exclaimed.  "The palace guards were ready to charge in here, swords drawn and arrows cocked, at the commotion.  We could hear it from the throne room."  She noticed Nabooru's blood-covered face and how Darunia was sprawled on the floor.  She noticed the blanket covering the dresser on the other side of the room and everyone's stunned, strained face.  "All right, someone fill me in.  Now."

      "The kid went berserk," Nabooru grunted, still holding her nose.  "Kicking and screaming."

      "The old man had to cast a spell to quiet him," Ruto added helpfully.  She smiled sweetly in response to Rauru's glare.

      "Brother cast a spell, too," Darunia groaned.  He rubbed his blackened chest pointedly.  Sheik doubted the fire would hurt the Fire Sage, but he hated to imagine the force behind the fireball.

      Saria patted Darunia's shoulder before turning to Zelda.  "A form of Din's Fire," she explained.  "I've never seen it in such a concentrated form before, but Link was acting on instinct and Darunia's girth startled him.  He probably sensed Sheik nearby, and only wanted to hit Darunia."

      Sheik was stuck between flattered that Link recognized him and startled at the adult words coming from the child-like Sage.  Only Link was used to it, having been raised by the Forest Sage.

      Link....

      He turned back to the limp body in his arms and stroked Link's blond hair.  The long hair slipped through his fingers.

      Zelda's attention was back on Link, too.  "There's something strange about him," she murmured, focusing on the unconscious Hero like she never had before.  There had never been a reason to.

      "Something inhuman, a different power than Link's own," Rauru agreed.  He frowned.  "Why have we never sensed it before?  Is it just now emerging, or have we simply never looked?"

      Sheik looked up from Link's unconscious face.  "You make it sound like it's something old," he commented, proud at how steady his voice was.  "Why can't it be recent?"

      But Rauru shook his head.  "This magic is too incorporated into his body to be recent.  It's dark magic, but not like the Evil King's.  It's too primal, too...fierce."

      A nervous silence answered him.  With Saria's help, Nabooru's nose was finally healed, and Darunia was hauled back to his feet, but they looked worse now than they did during the attack.  Their stricken faces drained any remaining hope Sheik felt.

      Zelda noticed his expression and squeezed her long-time friend's shoulder.  "He's the Hero, remember," she said softly.  "He'll survive.  No amount of darkness can defeat his light."

      Sheik nodded solemnly before turning back to Link.  He kissed Link's forehead and laid his head on his love's head.