Destined to Fight (GhiraLink)

Blood of the Goddess

"No...it isn't. Zelda, Groose, and Tirai are gone. I haven't said anything to anyone...but I think they're dead, Link. I can't sense their aura. Tirai may be alive since I can still somewhat sense her, but even then she may be gravely injured. And I can sense Loria in the woods, so she probably had something to do with all of this."

Ghirahim could literally watch the color leave Link's face. He watched as he became stiff, leaving his hands to tremble violently as they gripped the grass under him. He watched the tears build up in his eyes, and he watched them fall down his cheek.

"T-tell me they might be alive...there has to be a chance," Link said, the crack in his voice as clear as the contrast between night and day. He didn't even try to hide it--there was no possible way he could.

Ghirahim looked away. There really was no hope; if there was, he would have sensed two, if not three, of the same person. But no, all he sensed was one Loria. One Tirai. One Ni...which, he had to note, had become slightly more prominent sometime in the night. One of everything. "I...don't think there's a chance."

Link buried his face in his hands, his entire body shaking now. They didn't deserve to die. Zelda hadn't meant to use him, hadn't meant to hurt him ever; that was Hylia, not her. She'd never try to use him like that. He'd always thought that. And Groose was supposed to have had no part in this--he was only trying to contribute to the effort like anyone else would.

There was another part to the bad news, but Ghirahim held it off for the moment. "Loria would want this to break you," Ghirahim said, trying to speed up the process. "She's pissed. Very fucking pissed because you killed Demise. She would want to see you like this. She only wants you to suffer and die."

"Well, she's got one part done," Link said as he looked up at Ghirahim. "And the Elements are exhausted. We can't kill her."

There was a moment of silence in which Ghirahim fumed. This didn't sound like Link. 

"Really? That's it? You just decide to give up?"

"Well, what else can we do? Sit there and attack her until we tire out and she kills us?"

"So you're gonna give up. You're gonna let her kill every living thing still in existence." Ghirahim scowled. This was not the Link he'd come to know and love.

"What else can we do?" Link replied, but the way his eyes avoided Ghirahim's told him the comment rattled him.

"That thing said I have some of the power of the Elements. We should be able to do something."

"Thing?" Link looked up at him.

"You know...the purple lady thing!! You can ask her, maybe!"

Link glanced around, falling silent. 

"We only have a matter of time before the barrier falls--Hylia was maintaining it. If we're gonna do something, we have to be quick."

There was another moment of silence in which everything was still, then Link got to his feet. Already Ghirahim sensed a change in mood--he could feel a hint of anger. If he was given anymore hope, Ghirahim could be sure it would be a situation similar to the last time they fought.

If it was, it would be almost guaranteed that Loria would die.

Painfully.

"C'mon," he said, grabbing the sword from where it sat against a tree. "We're talking with Fukira." His tone left no room for questions. Still, Ghirahim made room.

"But what about your uniform? It provides some protection, at least."

"We don't have the time," Link said. "I left them somewhere and I can't look for them. Now come on."