The Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ A Ruby Surrounded By Sapphires ❯ Kokiri Passions ( Chapter 11 )

A Ruby Surrounded By Sapphires

 

Warnings: Um...Angst, yaoi, angst, cute little girls, angst, inner monologues..Oh, did I mention angst?

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. No more places to hide bodies.

 

Chapter 11

Kokiri Passions

 

The next few days went by with little of my notice. I passed them with hours of staring into space and thinking, slowly regaining my strength. Nabooru brought me my clothing, cleansed of as much blood as possible.

Zelda was gone from me once more. Again, it was because of my inattention. My mistakes caused it all. I ignored my instincts at the castle, though they screamed as loudly as she herself. I forwent killing Star before trying to rescue my Queen.

Star. Another strike of agony to my soul. Her face was burned into my eyes, that terrible triumph dancing within hers. It tormented me, ripping and tearing until I could not remember what it felt like to be without it.

I was a shell, walking and existing as I always had, but I could not adapt to this. Every challenge I had ever known had been only a question of time and patience. But this…. This was far beyond what I could command. Star…. my beloved child. I loved her as I loved my Queen. Both were integral parts of my heart, neither more important than the other. One, a woman closer to me than a lover could ever be, and the other, a child whose happiness I had sworn to protect as she protected mine. I could not adapt to this. I was quickly spiraling into madness. Knowing that I would be of no use to either insane, I simply shut down and forgot how to feel.

She noticed the difference immediately. After all, Nabooru knew me best among the Gerudo troops. I noted the way she watched me, the concern burning within her. I almost pitied her, but how can one pity when one cannot feel the worry needed to?

A week passed and there was no news. As my body strengthened, I went along with the Gerudo warriors, training and keeping the fortress. They never questioned me, never wondered why I was there. They simply accepted it and went on with more important issues. There was a war brewing, as terrible as any had been. They could feel it in their bones, in the earth, and in the air itself. They felt it and they would be ready.

There was a commotion at the gates. I went there, a younger warrior trailing behind me. She was enthusiastic, but not yet skilled, and had been following me about for days. She watched me train and sparred with me occasionally, her determination plain to any. I did not understand why she chose me to study, but did not truly care.

At the gates, I made my way through the small crowd. There was a woman who had been denied access but was still determined to see Nabooru. One of the guards sent a warrior to find the leader herself. I looked the woman over, noting some details. Tall, taller than myself; strongly build; wise, old eyes; silvery hair.

"Impa," I murmured. She looked at me but did not smile, nor show any happiness at having met me once more.

"I suspected you would be here," she said. I turned from her to the guards.

"This is Impa, royal guard to the Queen. Let her pass."

They glanced at each other but did as I bade. Impa followed as I led her to Nabooru. There I left her and went on to my training. I had no need to listen to their conversation. If I were needed, Nabooru would come for me. She knew this as well as I.

She did not come for me. I did not see her the rest of that day nor the one after. It was later that I learned of her departure with Impa. It seemed I was not needed. This was fine. I would simply wait.

News came in from beyond the pass. Armies of both monsters and Sheikah were sweeping over Hyrule, pillaging, killing, and destroying whatever lay before them. People were living in fear and running to wherever they thought was safe. However, there were no safe places left in Hyrule, outside of the Desert. Zora's Domain was frozen over. If any of them escaped, they had not been seen. The Gorons had gone into hiding, probably deep within their mountain.

But this had no meaning to me. Nothing did.

I continued to exist day after day, going through what was becoming ritualistic. I awoke and went on to my training, only pausing for lunch because the instructors were not there. At night, I collapsed onto my bed to spend the night tormented by dreams. In the morning, it would begin again, day after day after day.

He watched me from afar. I always knew when it was him, eyes filled with something I refused to name. He was continually there, rounding a corner or passing in a hall. His eyes never left me until we were out of sight from one another. To the corners he hung, ever watching. It made the madness that I painstakingly kept at bay wish to leap out and cut him down, just so that I would not have to bare the weight of his gaze any longer. Many times, I restrained this urge just barely.

As days passed, the urge grew stronger still. I found myself watching him as often as he did me. Our eyes locked so many times that they outweighed the amount spent apart. My training slacked. I followed him, instead. I watched and learned his little details, noting them all, and remembering. I could now read every miniscule change in his expression or position. I noted each change in his voice and words. He had quickly become an obsession for me, a distraction I desperately needed.

He made me feel something.

At night, I dreamed of foul and horrible things. I dreamt of the dark clouds, of Star and the other, of death. I saw blood spill and heard voices cut away. Screaming and accusing eyes haunted me. I always woke in a layer of sweat and went to my window. There, I would stare at the moon until dawn came. One night, he found me like this, sitting in silence at my window.

"Sheik."

His calling was soft, hesitant. I turned to him and was amazed. Moonlight shined about him, casting ethereal shadows upon his form and lights into his vibrant eyes. His loose nightshirt hung widely on his shoulders, made for a much larger man, and his pants the same on his hips. I stared at him for a long while, taking in all that the moon did to him, and he stood there in silence, waiting.

Slowly I got to my feet and made my way to him. I had to touch him, to feel his skin under my fingers. He wasn't startled when my hands went to his face, running ever so lightly over his cheeks, his eyelids, his lips. He simply stood there, letting me do as I wished. I craved this attention of his, more than I had ever before. On it's own accord, my body pressed to his, reveling in the warmth of him. I almost jumped when his arms came about me; one hand resting at the small of my back while the other came to cup my head. His lips pressed to mine, gentle and slow, almost testing. I let him take charge, simply glad to have him touch me at all.

"Sheik," he murmured gently when he pulled from me, his eyes seeking mine. That strange glint was alive in them, but I couldn't bare to name it still. "Let me stay until dawn?"

I did, uncaring of any consequences. We spent the last hours of darkness in each other's arms, giving and taking pleasure that seemed eternal. I reveled in his touches, the feel of him as he moved above me. His taste intoxicated me. I could never have enough of him, no matter what happened. When he collapsed onto me, I felt complete for the first time in my life.

I awoke in warmth unlike any I had felt before. As soon as my eyes opened, I saw him lying next to me, his sleep undisturbed. Tresses of blonde tumbled over the pillow. It was getting long, nearly to his shoulders. I reached out and let my fingers run through the silky strands. They felt like spider silk, as soft and fragile as any web. His eyelashes fluttered. I pulled my hand away only to have it grabbed. Sapphire orbs were unveiled as his lids lifted, casting a stare upon my face. Slowly, he let go of my hand and laid his own down. I let mine fall to the mattress.

"Did you sleep well?" he murmured softly. I suddenly felt that if my voice raised anymore than a whisper, this warmth would be shattered. I nodded and moved to rest against him, my head under his chin. He slipped his arms around me, rubbing gentle circles on my back.

We laid in each other's arms for hours, simply taking comfort from one another. The warmth was only shattered when our bodies begged for nourishment. I knew he would not be back to my bed that night. Indeed, after we had eaten, we parted ways. We had both neglected duties that day. I began to spend my days working myself into exhaustion again, falling to my bed to sleep immediately. My hold on that warmth I had felt disappeared completely, as if it had never been there. Again, I felt my emotions slip away, the numb blankness taking me over. I let it.

That is, until the 'chase' began.

Small, fleeting touches as we passed each other suddenly happened more often. Hands laid on shoulders a little too long and eyes kept locked a little too often. We played the game well, acting as if these things meant nothing when each knew that the opposite was far more true. Slight touches became full caresses in empty hallways. It became a challenge. How far could we take it before getting caught? Caresses quickly became much more in the dark.

Hands shot from the shadows, pulling me against a hard chest as they roamed my body. I let my head fall against his shoulder as his lips made a path down my neck. I needed his touch, craved it more than air. One of his hands found it's way under my black shirt and trailed across my chest. I bit back a soft moan, wishing not to cut short this interlude by alerting someone. Still, we had hardly begun before footsteps pulled us apart.

We didn't go back to my bed. No, our games never led to that. Neither of us had the patience. Wherever we happened to be, the closest private spot was ours for the these acts. Mostly, there was too little time to do anything but set each other's hearts racing and make the ache burn brightly within our bellies. These came far too often and we spent the days in a constant state of arousal. Other, more blessed times, were spent in fierce cuddling. It was nothing like that first night; no the gentle slowness nor ease. It was about lust and gratification, nothing else.

Despite finally having the intimacy with Link that I had so long wanted, the emptiness of my heart only grew deeper. I think he sensed it, for he stepped up his loving me. He returned to my bed. There, he made love to me gently without hurry. He brought me to the brink of ecstasy over and over, but didn't let me fall for hours. When he finally did, my world went completely white as I floated in the peak of pleasure, my mind blown by it as my voice sobbed release.

He held me when it was done, though he was as exhausted as me. I could barely move, just enough to get as close to him as I could manage. He stroked my cheek ever so gently, his eyes filled with moonlight as they stared into mine. We laid in silence, slipping in and out of sleep over hours. His warmth hardly touched me this time.

"You're dead," he whispered suddenly. I simply looked back at him, not denying. His hand paused before cupping my cheek as a more flustered look came to his face. I watched the subtle changes in his _expression, how frustration and desperation were shifting it about. He moved over me, using one arm to anchor himself as the other left my cheek and hovered over my face.

"Why is it all gone?!" he cried. I blinked in slight surprise at the outburst, though I was expecting it. There was fear in his gaze. A sudden jolt of pain knocked my head to the side. He had…. slapped me? "Snap out of it!"

SLAP! My head flew the other direction. My face stung, but still I did nothing.

"Please!" he shouted, his voice choked. I turned my gaze to his face, watching wet trails form down his cheeks. Slowly, I leaned myself upward and gently kissed him. He shuttered, but didn't pull away. My arms wrapped around him and he lowered himself back onto me.

There was no coupling, no fierce union. He lay still against my chest, like a scared child begging to be reassured. My hand gently rubbed down his back as the other brushed through his hair. We were like that until late afternoon. Then, Nabooru and Impa returned. We heard the commotion and left the solstice of each other's arms, dressing before going out to meet them.

"Link! Sheik!" Nabooru called frantically, running to us. She took one arm each, her face serious. "Zelda's been spotted."

"Where?" I asked quickly, brows drawing.

"Lake Hylia. That old scientist met us in the Domain when we went there," she answered. I nodded.

"I'll be leaving within the hour."

She frowned at me but let me go. Link started to say something but she shushed him. I left them there, aware of a third gaze that rested on my shoulders. As quickly as I could, I entered the stables. Evalus was there, waiting for me. I opened his stall and led him out. A Gerudo came, one of the young girls who cared for the stable, and gave me an odd look.

"Where are you taking him?" she asked me with little trust. I stared back at her for a moment.

"I take him no where," I said. "He is my partner. We are leaving."

She frowned but went on into the stable. Evalus and I went on to the gate. I left him there to fetch water. Only a fool who wished for death went through the Field or Desert with no water, and my life was not my own. It belonged foremost to Zelda, secondly to Star. If I had to kill Star to save my Queen, so be it.

As I had said, Evalus and I left less than an hour after Nabooru and Impa arrived. They weren't there to see me off, nor was Link. I told myself that this did not matter to me, but I remembered vividly the look on his face hours before. It was an _expression I hoped never to see again.

We rode more for distance than speed. He set the pace and left me to my thoughts. Immediately, the past days were brought to the forefront. How long had it been since he first entered my sanctuary? Ten, eleven days? I knew not. Ghosts of his touch flitted over my skin, reminding me of him every moment. Was I losing my sanity after so long? Impa had told me once that warriors, especially Sheikah, often go insane, but usually it is when they have no more war to fight.

The sting of his slaps came again and I touched my cheeks with hesitation. What did he want from me? He had already taken my thoughts, my body! I was obsessed with him. What more could I give?!

I spotted the entrance to the lake ahead. and standing before it were two Sheikah. I dismounted Evalus and took off his reins. He butted his head against mine before going off. Bringing him would only put him in unnecessary danger, and he understood that. Tucking the reins into my pack, I plotted my way to the entrance, using each rock, each tree to keep from being seen. My magic wove greens and browns across me to camouflage my body. I was at the last leg when one of them stiffened. They had sensed the pull from the ethereal river. The warrior alerted his fellow and both fell into defensive stances. I knew I could avert them and use a transportation song, but I had no way of knowing what was within the walls of the lake.

Without a sound, I slipped two of my smallest daggers out of their sheaths, hidden within my clothing. A moment later, they were both imbedded in Sheikah throats. Both men fell, gagging on their own blood. I stepped out of my hiding place and walked on through the pass. Of course, I should have noticed the waver in the ethereal river as four Sheikah appeared from behind magic shielding spells. I fought, but they were ready for me and brought me down, taking my blades from my very hands. One bashed me upside the head and my world faded.

I awoke in darkness, my head pounding. The sun had gone to sleep and the moon was already high in the sky. My head felt like it was full of water, groggy and slow. I lifted it and tried to gauge where I was, but my vision kept slipping. I vaguely noted that I had a concussion before figuring out my position. I was on my knees, my legs tied together and arms behind my back. At each of my sides, a Sheikah warrior was holding me up. Someone wearing a ground length cloak stepped up to me and I wearily raised my eyes.

"Hello, Sheik," she murmured with a smirk. I could have cried. Those gray eyes dug at my heart.

"Star."

"I'm afraid not anymore," she said, chuckling as she set her little hand under my chin, forcing my head to raise higher. Her eyes were glittering unnaturally. "The child is a shell now, my dear Sheik; she is simply a vessel for me, as is the boy."

My gaze hardened as my mind began to find it's way though the haze of injury. "Ganondorf."

"My, you are quick!" she laughed, letting go. "I applaud you. However, I have little time to waste. It is time for your end."

After a swift motion of her hand, the two guards ripped me up from the ground and hauled me onto the bridge. I was suddenly aware of a weight pulling at my legs. I was barely able to move my head but caught sight of the large stone tied to me. My eyes widened in realization. He was going to drown me!

I had only moments before the two threw me over the side of the bridge. I captured a breath just before the water swallowed me. The stone did its job well and dragged me downward. I fought and struggled, desperate to free myself, but the ropes were tight and well knotted. My breath was slowly leaking from my mouth, small bubbles of precious air escaping upwards. My chest burned more with each seconds, but the bonds refused to cave. Finally, the last of my air leaked out of my mouth. My body instinctively tried to breathe anew, but water had no place within it. The world darkened at the edges and soon became nothing.