#lozss | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thelegendoftelezia · 2 years

Text

The Mark of a Soulmate

Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword fan-fiction

Updates? It’s a surprise

Chapter Archive

Description: Asuriel has been raised on the Surface her entire life. Completely oblivious to the world above the clouds, she prepares to fulfill her duty of being an attendant to Hylia. What will happen when her world is changed forever?

Chapter twenty:

Word count: 6362

So, some of you might have noticed that it has been a few weeks since the last update. I have been dealing with a lot of writer's block, and afterwards I was saving up what I was writing for a special occasion. Specifically today, June 16th. Why, you may ask. Because it's my birthday! And what better way to celebrate than by uploading the longest chapter I have yet written? I thought it was a good idea. Anyway, you probably want to read what happens next, so prepare yourselves, I had a lot planned for this chapter. I would really appreciate reading what you think of this since so much changes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment the battle began, Asuriel could sense the mounting tension between the two. It was as if this fight was about more than the location of the Gate of Time. Similar to Link's first fight with the demon lord, Ghirahim approached him with his arm outstretched, however this time there were daggers floating beside him.

Aiming for the demon's right side, Link made a quick strike against him. The sword was caught and for a moment, Link struggled to pry it away from Ghirahim. His second attempt was more calculated, but it was again blocked. This time, the demon lord did not easily give up the sword and snapped his fingers, causing the whirring daggers to shoot towards Link and effectively forcing the boy to release to sword to dodge them.

Although the situation was different, Link's ability to adapt aided him to avoid injury. Even as Ghirahim prepared to launch the sword at Link, the hero anticipated the direction and dodged it.

It was obvious to Asuriel that Link had grown since the beginning of his adventure. When she met him, he was shy, naive, and unsure of himself. He had needed her help to get to his first temple, and she had continued to aid him the entire time. In fact, he probably would have perished if she had not intervened at his first encounter with Ghirahim.

Link must have grown a lot in the Eldin Region. Asuriel had traveled with Impa most of the way. Once they were reunited, she had again taken the lead, but the hero still had to navigate his way through much of the area, as well as fight the Scaldera without help. He continued his journey through the Lanayru desert without help, and Asuriel could only imagine what kind of monster he had battled deep in the old mines.

In one, smooth motion, Link knocked aside the floating daggers and managed to land a blow. The demon lord appeared to be uninjured, yet he continued by summoning four daggers instead of two.

In contrast to Link, Asuriel's first encounters with Ghirahim had been... interesting to say the least. Their first three interactions almost ended with the death of a friend, and waking up in a camp of undead Bokoblins wasn't exactly much better. But, something had changed significantly in the demon's behavior towards her. At the Gate of Time, he had threatened her, but not long after, he took it upon himself to see that she recovered from her injuries in the Ancient Cistern. Then, there was the incident on the Sandship.

The fight was becoming more serious. Ghirahim now wielded two swords as he approached Link with long, confident strides.

On her birthday, Link has brought Asuriel to Skyloft for the first time. He introduced her to a few of the denizens and gave her a tour of the island. Ghirahim's gift, although smaller, was more meaningful. He had compiled the spells that she had learned into a journal, much like his own. He also gave her an earring as a reminder of the first time they really enjoyed each other's company. They had almost kissed that day.

Link was not fairing as well now that the demon fought against him with swords. The chilling sound of steel against steel rang through the room as Link struck against his opponent with all his might, yet to no avail.

The night of her birthday, Asuriel had walked to the Spring and found Ghirahim there. Was it really chance that brought both of them to the same place? But, he had demanded that she leave everything behind and allow him to resurrect Demise, something she could never do. When she fled the spring, she ran into Link. He comforted her, he told her that everything would be alright. She could hear his voice clearly in her head.

"We'll get out of this mess, together."

Together.

Ghirahim made a quick slash across Link's left shoulder, causing him to stumble back.

Link didn't ask her to leave everything behind.

Another hit to the Hero's side had him clutching the wound with his free hand, partially bent over.

Link didn't attack or hurt her friends.

The hero dodged the next swing, but the sudden motion threw him off balance.

Link didn't just care for her, he loved her.

The demon lord raised his sword to finally cut down the hero when an invisible force slammed into him, causing him to stumble. That one moment of hesitation was enough time for Link to raise his sword and slash it across Ghirahim's eye, knocking him back a few steps as one of his sword flew out of his hand. The demon covered his eye with his hand and Asuriel could feel his anger permeating through the room.

"... Enough of this foolishness... I am Ghirahim. Demon Lord! I doesn't matter how powerful your sword is... you are still nothing... Not just a human... A human child! And yet you prevail! You filthy Scamp! You have awakened a wrath that will burn for eons! I swear to you, whatever it takes, I will drag you into an eternity of torment!"

His demeanor changed almost immediately back to his flamboyant expression.

"And you, girl, I have given you every opportunity to willingly come to me in peace. I will grant you no such luxury the next time we meet."

The demon lord departed in his usual manner, leaving Link and Asuriel alone in the Fire Sanctuary.

"Link, are you alright? Those wounds look like they hurt, let me take care of them."

Now that the magical barriers were gone, the girl rushed to Link and moved to place a hand on his side to heal the cut when he caught her hand. Carefully holding her hand in his, he guided it to cup his cheek.

"I think I'll be okay for a little while longer."

He moved forward just enough so that their noses brushed against each other. Asuriel began to speak before Link cut her off.

"Are you sure, you might-"

"Hey."

He did his best to give her a pleading look.

"Please?"

In return, Asuriel sighed dramatically before softly whispering, "Alright."

The hero closed the distanced between them and Asuriel met his advances by reciprocating the kiss. She could feel his strong arms pull her closer to him, and there was no where else in the world that she would rather be at.

Fi was mentally shaking her head as they walked into the chamber that housed Din's Flame. Link had handed Asuriel's glove back to her and they were holding hands as they continued into the next room. The sword spirit hoped that he would see how much of a distraction he had allowed Asuriel to become. It was not Asuriel's fault that she liked Link, but Fi simply could not understand how she felt. The girl had been granted the capacity to love, a luxury not often bestowed to the servants of gods.

When they exited the sanctuary, it was late in the afternoon. Both Asuriel and Link agreed that they should return to Skyloft since the volcano was a very uncomfortable place to sleep and there was no reason to stay. To celebrate the final upgrade of the Master Sword, Link flew Asuriel to the Lumpy Pumpkin where they enjoyed a bowl of warm soup. Later, when it grew dark, the hero brought her to the top of the waterfall, where they laid down next to each other and looked up at the stars. Asuriel could feel herself drifting to sleep as Link put an arm around her and was also soon asleep. But, although he rested deeply, his dreams were troubled.

He was standing back in the Skyview Spring, facing the door. A bright light shone behind him, and when he turned around, he saw Zelda. She had her back to him and was looking down into the water in front of the seal.

"Link... Do you know what will happen if you do not let Asuriel go?"

"Let her go? I don't understand."

"I will tell you about her, and how Hylia chose her soulmate. When Hylia looked at a person, she was able to see farther than their appearance. She could learn things about their character; she could understand what that person was like. In choosing a partner for Asuriel, Hylia searched many souls until she found some that would suit Asuriel. There were two spirits, very different, yet both were good matches."

Even as Link walked up beside Zelda and peered over to see her face, she kept her eyes trained on the still water of the spring.

"In the end, Hylia left the final decision up to her."

Zelda was silent for a moment, as if trying to find the right words to say to her friend.

"Link... Asuriel's spirit chose Ghirahim. I don't understand how the threads of fate that connect the three of you could have been so easily tangled by circumstance, but it is imperative that things are set straight. That choice is a part of Asuriel, it became core piece of her being. Forsaking it would have disastrous consequences."

Link felt a tear slip down his cheek and fall into the spring, creating a ripple in the otherwise still water.

"Do you know what you have to do, Link?"

Asuriel woke before Link, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. The early morning light reflecting on the snow-white clouds tinted them with vibrant shades of pink and orange. Shifting slightly, Asuriel turned to lay against Link and rested one hand of his chest. She very much enjoyed mornings, and she was glad to spend one in peace with the person that she loved.

The only thing that she missed was the sound of birds sweetly singing in the branches of the trees, but Link's steady, rhythmic breathing brought her the same comfort. Behind her, the flowing of the waterfall could be heard as the water cascaded from the small pool above to the lake below.

Asuriel's attention was brought back to Link when suddenly jerked and woke up.

"Is everything alright, Link?"

"Um, yeah. There's just something I have to talk to you about."

"What's the matter?"

They both sat up and Link rose, helping Asuriel up afterwards.

"I can't tell you here. Can we go to the Faron Woods?"

"Sure. Are you... okay? You look a pale, are you unwell?"

"No, can we just go, and then I promise I'll tell you."

"Very well."

Link flew faster than his usual leisurely pace, clearly wanting to get to the woods as soon as possible. They landed on the viewing platform in the middle of the woods.

"What's going on, Link. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can get through it, together."

"That's just the thing, we can't."

"What do you mean? Of course we can."

"No, this was a mistake. We shouldn't be together."

"I don't understand. Why are you saying this now?"

"I didn't realize it before. Your soulmate is Ghirahim. Not matter how much we want to be together, no matter how much I love you, it's not meant to be. When you were created, your spirit chose Ghirahim. It's only because of these circumstances that you like me."

"But-"

"No, Asuriel. I'm sorry, but there is no alternative!"

Link didn't mean to shout at her, but the words slipped out before he could stop them. The corners of the girl's eyes pricked with tears as she stepped back, going down a few stairs.

"Well, I guess I should, um... I should go."

Her voice faltered at the last syllable as she turned and ran into the Deep Woods. Her legs carried her to the Skyview Spring where she collapsed on her knees in front of the seal, sobbing uncontrollably. The tears she shed blended with the waters of the spring as the morning slowly faded into afternoon, followed by evening, then nightfall. How could she have been so foolish to believe that she could ignore her fate. She had tried to take a different path, but that only ended in misery. An overwhelming feeling of loneliness swept over her. Link no longer could keep her company and she hadn't any idea where Ghirahim was. He was probably angry, and he should be; Asuriel realized that she had been absolutely terrible to him. He gave her beautiful presents, he provided her with meals, and he went out of his way to entertain her. Had she thanked him, even once? Asuriel was ashamed of the answer.

If only there was some way to rewind and meet the demon lord again.

Eventually, Asuriel got to her feet, knowing that she could not stay at the spring and cry forever. After all , she wasn't completely alone. She determined to travel to the Halls of Faron and stay with the dragon until she could figure out what to do about Ghirahim. Maybe there was a chance she could fix this; she could at least try.

As usual, Faron's subjects welcomed Asuriel warmly and some came up to speak with her as she made her way to see the dragon. The parella were overjoyed to hear that she might be staying for an extended period of time and were already preparing her room by the time she reached her destination.

"Greetings, Asuriel. What brings you to my halls this night?"

"I... need your help. I'm afraid that I have made a grave mistake and I seek guidance, and a place to stay if you will have me."

"Dear child, of course you may stay. Tell me what has you so worried."

"Well," Asuriel removed her glove and held up her hand for the dragon to see, "you might want to sit down for this one."

When Asuriel finished telling Faron everything that had happened between her, Link, and Ghirahim, the dragon assured her that she would not be forsaken for her mark or her actions.

"It may have come as a shock to me considering all I heard about you and Link, but I do not think any less of you. And you know that Link did the right thing, even if it caused much grief for both of you. Considering these circumstances, I do not know if you will be able to find love in your heart for Ghirahim."

"What?"

"However, that doesn't mean that we can't fix that. The two of you met under vastly different circumstances than was anticipated by Hylia. As much as dislike that demon, I know that forsaking your bond with him will eventually end in your destruction, due to the nature of the bond. I am willing to help you two, but only because I care about you."

"Then what can be done?"

"In order to help restore your bond, I will temporarily erase your memories of the past events since Hylia descended from the sky. I will not remove them, but I will conceal them deep within your mind until you are ready to remember them. This will allow you to meet Ghirahim again and establish the relationship you were supposed to."

"Are you sure I will be able to remember everything when you decide I'm ready?"

"Yes, you have nothing to fear."

"Then I agree to this. I trust you, Faron, and I thank you for your aid."

"I can't believe I'm going to help you get together with that obnoxious demon, but I will not go against the will of Hylia. Are you ready to get started?"

"Yes, I believe I am."

-------------------------------------------------------------

It had been three days since Asuriel began her stay with Faron. She helped the dragon much like how she used to work with Impa. The girl stayed in her usual room close to the southern entrance, waking just before dawn to begin her day of work. In the mornings, Asuriel would train in the art of magic with Faron. Together, they worked in strengthening her shield and quickening her reflexes. In the afternoon, the girl would help with smaller tasks such as gathering some of the native flora for food or even collecting plants from the forest for food or medicine.

However, that day Asuriel had a different job. Due to the increasing numbers of monsters that had been mysteriously gathering in the forest, Faron concluded that it would be best to flood the woods to get rid of the infestation. It was Asuriel's job to warn the kikwi's and see them safely into the Great Tree with provisions for a few days before the flood that would occur that afternoon.

She was very glad to spend time with her childhood friends, Oolo, Loopsa, Machi, Erla. It had been a while since she had an actual conversation with them, and it brought her peace to see them again.

"So, do you have any idea who it is?" Oolo, gestured to the black diamond pattern on the back of Asuriel's hand.

"No, unfortunately not. Faron says that I knew him, but something happened and she had to erase that part of my memory."

"Whoa, it must have been pretty terrible. But don't worry, I'm sure that you'll find him again."

"Indeed."

She set down the basket of berries she had been carrying up the tree.

"This should be the last of the food. If you find there is a shortage, I will be able to go and enough to last you through this flood."

The girl and the kikwi looked out on the woods.

"Remember when we used to play her when we were younger, Oolo?"

"How could I forget?"

---------------------------------

"Found you!"

A five year old Asuriel smiled brightly and pointed at the baby kikwi that was disguised as a blade of grass. Looking around at the exclamation, she got up and waddled over to Asuriel.

"Kwee, you found me again. You are good at this game."

"Thank you, Oolo. If you count to thirty, I'll go hide now."

With that, she scampered off to find a place to hide, tripping a little over the long skirt of her dress as she went. Going from the entrance of the woods by the temple to the patch of grass in front of the Viewing Platform was not a short run for a child, but Asuriel managed to make it there just as the kikwi got to thirty. The girl just made it onto one of the lower platforms on the great tree before Oolo came into the clearing.

Asuriel laid flat on her stomach and watched over the edge as the kikwi poked around the forest floor for signs of her playmate. Of course, she found none. The young girl giggled quietly to herself at her success as Oolo left to look in another part of the forest. Asuriel waited a few minutes, but with nothing to do, she quickly became bored and got up to follow the kikwi. When she turned around, she discovered that she was not alone. Behind her, arms crossed and eyes stern, Impa towered above her.

"There you are. It's time for your lessons today, she should have been back at the temple by now."

"I'm sorry, Impa. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

The Sheika's expression softened and she knelt down to the girl's level.

"Are you ready to go now?"

"Okay."

Impa straightened and took Asuriel's hand in her own.

"Impa... next time, could you play hide and seek with us?"

"Of course, Asuriel."

The five-year-old smiled up at her and walked with her back to the temple after explaining to Oolo that she was late for her lessons. When Asuriel's younger guardian pushed open the doors to the temple, she was greeted by the smiling face of her mentor and teacher.

"Good afternoon, Lothsiriel. Did you have fun playing with Oolo?"

"Yes, I did. I won four games of hide and seek!"

The girl held up four fingers to emphasize her number of wins.

"Tomorrow, Oolo is going to ask Machi to play, and Impa already agreed."

The old woman laughed softly.

"Oh, did she? Well, she'll have a hard enough time finding you."

"Indeed. I'll leave her to you now."

The younger Impa left, and Asuriel walked over to stand next to her older counterpart.

"Today, I am going to teach you a new bit of magic. Remember how we have been working on faire lights. Now that you have managed to keep your lit for extended periods of time, we will work on moving them around."

Impa created a light and Asuriel followed suite. Asuriel's appeared silver while Impa's shone a bright blue.

"Now focus on your light and imagine that it is in your hands. Very gently, push it."

Asuriel closed her eyes to concentrate and imagined her light in her hands. The image was shaky, but she could just make it. If only she could envision pushing it. Using mental commands to create magical outcomes was difficult, and before she could gather her thoughts into a coherent idea, her light dimmed and faded away.

"Don't worry, little one. This is a hard thing to learn. Try again."

Asuriel worked on moving her faire lights or the next hour. Progress seemed to come slowly, but she was still developing skills at an incredible rate. When Impa returned with some wild berries for Asuriel, the young girl proudly showed off her new skill.

After they had eaten, Impa led Asuriel to her room and let her change before tucking her into bed.

"Impa, can you tell me a story about the chosen hero of Hylia?"

"Of course, Lothsiriel.

This is but one of the legends of which the people speak...

Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace.

But one day, a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself. With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom. But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand...

...a young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light.

This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time. The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend... But then, a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs.

The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them... But the hero did not appear. Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods. In their last hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their future in the hands of fate.

What became of that kingdom? None remain who know.

The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind's breath. On a certain island, it became customary to garb boys in green when they came of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspired to find heroic blades and cast down evil. The elders wished only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asuriel returned to Faron at noon to finish preparations for their stay in the Great Tree. The halls would be sealed off so they would not flood and the parella would not have to worry about things drifting into their homes, but the dragon did not want to leave the woods unsupervised in the more dangerous conditions. She and Asuriel would be staying high in the Great Tree until the woods were cleansed and everyone could return to their usual places. All the girl had to do was collect a few small items from her room that she would need before they continued. When she returned, Faron flew both of them to their places in the tree and proceeded to cause water to flow freely from the base of the tree, rapidly submerging the woods.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A report, Master. An unusual phenomenon is taking place in the Faron woods, making impossible to directly descend into them at the moment."

Link landed in the Seal Grounds and sighed with frustration as he felt the familiar shaking of the ground as the Imprisoned again began to break free. If he had a rupee for every time it inconveniently interrupted his mission, he would have three rupees. The past three days had been hard enough for him as it was. Watching Asuriel run into the woods as he had to stand and watch nearly broke him. Even though Zelda assured him he did the right thing, he wished they could have parted in a better manner. The pumpkin soup for Levias took a long time to prepare due to the large amount that was needed, but the information about the Song of the Hero was well worth it.

But, visiting Faron would have to wait until he could seal away the Imprisoned again. When the beast reared its head again, Link was ready to take it down! And, smash its toes. Groose even came up with quite a fitting name for it: Big Ugly.

The Groosenator turned out to be useful for both launching bombs at the Imprisoned and catapulting Link into the Faron woods. He landed with a loud splash in the water.

Wait, water?

Since when were the woods flooded. Link swam towards the Great Tree and decided to see if he could find out what happened. As he drew closer, he could faintly hear the sound of someone singing. Not just anyone, but Asuriel. Her voice carried through the hollows of the Great Tree, clearer than the crystal water that covered the expanse of the forest.

After speaking with the Kikwi Elder, Link swam to the base of the tree and followed the passages up until he came into a large room at its heart. The water there was deep, but a walkway ran through it, connecting two exits to the outside. In the very middle stood Asuriel. She was clothed in a long, blue gossamer dress. Her hair was braided around her head like a crown and held in place by a gold hairpin with a singular sapphire encrusted in it, bearing the symbol of the triforce of courage. Most importantly, she no longer wore the single white glove. As he approached, she stopped singing and looking over at him curiously. Before he could advance any further, there was a large splash as Faron leapt over the walkway and then emerged from the water again.

"Who dares to dip even a toe in my waters without my leave? Oh, I remember you. You're the young human who helped me recover from my injuries some time ago. Ah... Link, was it? Let's have a look at you... Yes, you seen a good deal stronger than the last time we met. And look at the sword. It's clear you have the spirit of the hero of the goddess. Let me guess... You swam all the way up here to try to get me to teach you the part of the Song of the Hero that the goddess entrusted to me? That's all well and good, but I can't go around giving away something that precious to every hero who flounder into my waters. No, I think that a final test is in order to ensure that you are in fact the one meant to hear this melody of mine."

Asuriel had completed so much work, and nothing needed to be done. Faron would have to create a task since there was no other way that she could possibly tell if he was the hero. The glowing triforce on the back of his hand could be a tattoo for all she knew. But first, more monologuing.

"This may be news to you, but some very irksome monsters have been overrunning my woods of late. Well, I decided that I had enough! The easiest way to deal with the awful things was to flood the whole woods. As it happens, almost every inch of greenery in the area is submerged. So it's here, in this flooded land, that I will test you. If you're up to completing the task I ask of you, I see no reason why I shouldn't reward you with the melody you seek."

The dragon nodded to Asuriel, who began to form a sparkling sphere of light that Faron sent up through the tree and split into eighteen parts, scattering them around the flooded woods. Link ran outside to the the arts fall lightly into the water around the tree.

"As you just saw, I have split the melody you seek among my many Tadtones and I have hidden them around the forest. If you haven't already guessed, Link, here's your task: take this score and collect all my little musical friends out there. You can use that score to figure out how many Tadtones are in each group. Find them, collect them, and bring them back to me. If you can do that, well, then I'll just have to see you as someone worthy of learning the Song of the Hero."

Link glanced back at Asuriel for a moment before beginning his search. It had only been three days since they last saw each other, yet she was so composed. The sight of her had almost made him cry, yet she was unfazed. It was as if she had forgotten everything that happened between them.

"Who was that, Faron?"

"That young boy is Link, you knew him before."

"Really? He probably thinks I don't care about him now. Could you explain why I don't remember him, Faron?"

"Of course, Lothsiriel. I'll introduce you when he returns."

"Thank you."

"In the meantime, I would like you to continue practicing your singing."

It was late in the evening when Link returned with all the Tadtones. He was soaked to the bone and had a nasty bruise on his forehead. Faron sang the melody as she promised and offered the boy a place to stay in the tree to rest before he left for the Lanayru Desert.

"Excuse me, Faron?"

"What is it, Link?"

"Why is Asuriel so... calm? Last time I saw her, she ran away crying."

"I know. She came to my halls in search of council and we agreed that she would stay with me for a time. However, in order to help restore her bond with Ghirahim, I needed to temporarily erase all of her memories pertaining to both you and him."

"So she doesn't recognize me at all?"

"No. I will restore those memories when she is able to handle them, but not now. And especially not when she will be in Lanayru."

"What do you mean? Why are you sending her there?"

"Because that's where you will be. Asuriel told me that, at the Gate of Time, Hylia ordered her to stay with you and help you. She cannot do that by remaining with me here in the forest."

"I remember that, but will she be alright?"

"She will be fine, but there is something that you need to be mindful of. You must ensure that there is not a repeat of what happened last time. You cannot let Asuriel fall for you a second time. Try to create opportunities for them to meet and see each other. I am aware that neither of us like him in the slightest, but we both care for Asuriel. The best way we can take care of her is by allowing this to happen."

"I understand..."

"Link, I know this will be difficult for you, but I trust that you will continue to do the right thing."

The hero remained in the Great Tree for two more days before announcing that he would be leaving. When he went to go tell Asuriel, he found her easily. She was sitting on the edge of one of the platforms, letting her legs dangle over the edge while humming an ancient tune. A couple of Faron's Tadtones were floating around her, happily bobbing and spinning to the melody in each of their turns. He came up behind her and coughed quietly to alert her of his presence.

"I will be leaving for Lanayru in an hour."

"Alright, where should I meet you to leave?"

"By the bird statue."

"Very well, then."

The girl rose and turned to leave.

"Asuriel... what were you doing?"

"Oh," she turned back around and motioned to the Tadtones that were following her, "I am teaching this group of Tadtones a new song. Why?"

"I was just curious. I'll see you in a hour."

With that, Link turned and walked back into the tree. He did not see the girl until he came out to where the bird statue was and found her waiting for him. She had changed into a shin length, dark blue dress that matched her hairpin, completed with a dark brown braided belt. His eyes flickered down to her ungloved hand before looking away. Every time her saw that mark on her hand, he felt like he was being stabbed. But, he knew what he was doing was for the best.

When they landed in the Lanayru Harbor, Link led Asuriel to the cave system where she and Ghirahim had first played their light games. After a few minutes of speaking to a Goron and looking around, he blew up a section of rock that was blocking the passage and proceeded through there. The skirt of Asuriel's dress blew to the side as they stepped into the open expanse of the Lanayru Gorge. The girl sat in the shade of a tall pile of rocks as Link searched the area for a key to a locked door that lay to their right.

He was about to tell Asuriel to follow him as he opened the door, but then he remembered what Faron had said about allowing for opportunities, so he asked her to wait there until he returned. He only hoped that the demon would be able to hold back his 'burning wrath' long enough to understand what had happened.

Asuriel sat with her back to the rocks as she watched the afternoon sun inch across the sky. She was thinking about using a little energy to create some Tadtones of her own when something caught her eye. A glimmer of red shone at the entrance to the caves. Asuriel got up and took a few steps towards it, but the light appeared to be no closer than before. She again moved forward, and this time, she could see the light move back. Suddenly, it disappeared, then reappeared further in the cave. Asuriel followed it until she was in a secluded section and the crimson light did not make a reappearance. There was a chiming sound that came from behind the girl that was quickly followed by a voice.

"Fancy meeting you here."

"Hello?"

Asuriel turned around to find a very strange person leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"Can I help you?"

"Funny that you ask me that now."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The figure seemed stunned, caught between an expression of complete bewilderment and an attempt to make a response. He laughed coldly and stood up straight.

"Come now, you can stop playing with me. Don't you remember what I told you?"

"I'm afraid that I don't. Actually, I can't recall anything that happened for the past few weeks. Faron told me that she had to erase part of my memory, did I know you before?"

If Ghirahim was at all confused, he hid it well.

"Since you don't remember me, allow my to introduce myself. I am Lord Ghirahim."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Ghirahim. Would it bother you if I introduced myself even if you already know my name?"

"Not at all."

"Well then, Lord Ghirahim, I am Asuriel."

"I am glad to make your acquaintance, Lady Asuriel"

Bowing a gesturing dramatically, he kissed her hand and smiled up at her before straightening.

"There is no need to call me 'lady'. Asuriel will do just fine."

"Then I insist that you call me Ghirahim."

"Fair enough."

"So, Ghirahim, what brings you to Lanayru?"

"Important business. And, may I ask what beautiful maiden, such as yourself, is doing here all alone?"

"I did not come here alone, my companion is simply exploring another section of the desert."

"Really, and what is his purpose in coming here?"

"Well, he's-"

She was cut off by the sound of Link calling her name.

"Asuriel!"

"Here, Link!"

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the cave for a moment until the young hero came into view.

"Greetings, Link."

Ghirahim smiled placidly as Link stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of them. The demon lord did not waste time in making moves. Somewhere in their conversation, Asuriel and Ghirahim had drawn closer together and were holding hands, which surprised them both as well as Link.

"Ghirahim."

Link acknowledged his presence, but it was all he could do to not grab Asuriel by the arm and drag her back to Skyloft.

"If you're ready, Asuriel, we will be continuing on, now."

"Of course, Link. Ghirahim, it was fun meeting you for a second time. I hope I'll be able to see you again soon."

"Of course, Asuriel."

Link took her free hand and began pulling her towards the exit. As Asuriel looked back at Ghirahim one last time, he blew a kiss towards her, which she pretended to catch and smiled as she held to her chest.

When she wasn't looking, Link turned his head and scowled and the demon lord, who smirked at him in return and playfully waved his hand in goodbye.

This was going to be fun.

#the legend of zelda #the mark of a soulmate #Ghirahim #Demon Lord Ghirahim #lord ghirahim #GhirahimxOFC #linkxofc #link #zelda #lozss #lovetriangle #loz #impa

9 notes · View notes