A Demon's Love

Chapter 44

The King stood where he was, motionless but seeming to be in full concentration. 'What is he up to?'' Link thought. Ghirahim might know, but he remained unconscious and showed no sign of reviving anytime soon. 'Without knowing what his next move is, how can I counterattack? This is getting really confusing...' Ostreiga's evil gaze never left Link's. No matter the time that passed, he stood his ground on the left side of the room, with Link and Ghirahim on the right. Slowly he closed his eyes. Beads of sweat formed on his neck and face. A dark aura slowly formed around him, growing more intense by the minute. Soon the air turned thick with the rising level of demonic energy. Ostreiga's red eyes shot open, staring through Link's eyes and into his soul. 

The pain was excruciating! Link felt as if a blade was thrust into his soul, twisting and tearing it to shreds. He tried to look away, but found he couldn't. As hard as he tried, his eyes refused to look away. 'What is this? My body is aching all over... And the pain in my chest is.... I don't think there's even a word to describe it!' The pain only worsened; as Link was left with no options on what to do next. His energy was being stolen from him, his one ally is unable to fight at the present time, and Ostreiga is just too powerful. The room slowly faded into darkness as Link fell to the floor. Could this be the end? The last thing Link saw was their pal Rucht rushing to their aid.

Link opened his eyes to the sound of a calm river. 'Where am I? Where's Ghirahim and Ostreiga?' All around him was tall, green grass littered with colorful flowers. To his left was a crystal clear river. Beyond the river grew a forest of cherry blossom trees. A breeze blew by, causing the pink petals to leave their branches and flutter through the air before coming to a stop on the ground. The beautiful meadow seemed to stretch on for miles.

The air was suddenly filled by the faint scent of wood burning. Link stood up and sniffed around, trying to pinpoint the source of the smell. His feet began moving on their own, taking him a random direction. The scent soon grew intense. Ahead of him, Link saw the edge of the meadow. 'A cliff?' Once Link reached the cliff, he stopped walking. Below him was a sight he wish he could forget.

 The island of Skyloft, his beloved home, was burning to ashes. The fires grew larger. The inhabitants of Skyloft tried to flee, but the loftwings had all flown away in fear. The earth crumbled, and the island fell apart. Link could only watch in horror at the destruction of his home. A figure appeared beside him. Link turned to see Ghirahim. The demon lord watched the remains of Skyloft burning away and falling beneath the clouds. "Ghirahim, where are we? What happened to Skyloft?!" Link asked as his eyes filled with tears. His partner's gaze met his before he spoke in a serious tone of voice. "Don't you see, Master? You're dead."