Cries of Fluttershy

Nails burn and disrupt my skin!
Spear touches my heart with its cold...
Applause rises suddenly,
Now it's time to die...!
The soil is soaked by my blood...
Lady Death gave me a kiss for goodnight...
No pain nor light anymore...
Dignity just died tonight!

-Vader, Come and See My Sacrifice

I had a dream...
I was traveling far among the stars,
Worlds behind the gate.
Where the night is a shield against the light.
I clad my wings.
I descended, with fire and death.
Bringing them fear and pain...
Turning their land into my domain...

-Vader, I had a Dream

The fire cackled a lullaby, letting its own music sooth her troubled soul. Her protector had since given her another bath, washing away the blood drawn forth by the removal of the accursed ring. For the first time in a time she had long since lost sense of, Fluttershy could rest her mind, body, and conscious. Her head throbbed with a powerful headache caused by her insomnia, she needed to rest so badly...

Her friend, however, would not sleep. He had lit the torches to keep the room warm for her, and with his sword in his hand, sat next to her. She used his lap as a bed, resting her head on his right leg in an effort to relieve the sore of her neck. His right hand rest on her shoulder, gently massaging the kinks in her muscles caused by the creature's treatment.

The door was locked tight, and barred with wooden barricades. The hair on Link's neck had stood again, warning him of impending danger. But for the longest time, nothing moved in the halls. The rodents didn't seem to feel any immediate danger, for they scurried about as if these halls were a paradise.

He scoffed mentally at them. How could those rats stand living down here? Did they not know what this pony barely dazing off in his lap had gone through?

He damned this morbid place. Everything down here was twisted to its core, like a tree that was warped about in the powerful winds of a hurricane. There were no beds about, at least not in this room. The work bench was full of splintering wood, so Fluttershy could not sleep on it without being hurt. She had enough of Hurt.

So for now he will play her bed. It didn't matter to him how much she slept, he was willing to sacrifice his own comfort for her recovery.

The lulling sounds of the torches and the dancing shadows upon the walls moving in graceful rhythms were tearing at his subconscious.

No, he had to remain awake. He must protect Fluttershy.

But he hadn't slept in days himself. Not since he was called here. His strength could only carry him so far before he would have to rest. No one was invincible, and his nemesis was a testament to that. The rats mocked him as he sat there, squeaking their taunts to his dwindling resolve to remain awake.

He uttered a low feral growl at them, glaring a tidal wave of knives at them. He hated rats with a passion...they were everywhere. No matter what you do, or how many you kill, they keep coming back.

An admirable trait, but one he still hated that they, of all creatures, had.

Fluttershy shifted with a split second moan, his warmth providing her a great amount of comfort from the bitter cold dark.

Link gave her a small smile, she was stronger than he was. His admiration for her could only grow more, for he knew in his heart that anyone...anypony else wouldn't of had the will to live after that experience. He couldn't live in her “hooves”.

For all he cared, she would of made a better ruler than he would. Of all that he had been through in a thousand years, it didn't even touch what she had been through in only what could have been a matter of days. She was a much better example to follow than he was, and he was proud of that.

He respected her so much for that.

He quietly laid his sword down and reached for the drinking bucket. As he took a sip, his mind wandered back to the forest beyond Canterlot. Was the Dark Shadow responsible for this all? Could it have been the creature commanding the villainous bastard spawns haunting these walls?

The lack of knowledge was eating at his patience. He should of spent more time with Twilight and her library. It was a chance to gather much needed information of Equestria history, mythology, legend, and fairy tells; but he passed it up. He felt like a fool now, his naively thinking that the princess's enemies would be beaten back quickly and he could return to the Dark World, erasing his presence from this beautiful world was foolish...he had no desire to taint it with his unholy existence, and now it cost not only him, but countless others and most importantly, Fluttershy.

But it seems that even a world as much affiliated with Light had its own Darkness. A revelation he feared, and regretted.

From the fire's musical dance, to the melodic sound of the dripping water, Link's mentality began to succumb around itself. Slowly and without knowing it, he drifted to sleep...

Link was standing in the middle of a beautiful field of green grass next to a gathering of trees, mountains stood tall and mighty in the distance, piercing the skies with their jagged tops. Cloudsdale hovered nearby, the city of the Pegasai. The only thing that did not belong with this scenery was him. It was so bright and colorful, warm and soothing.

A serene voice reached his ears followed by giggling, a familiar shy and gentle voice. Link raised his head in search of it, his dark and borderline-evil armored figure, an eyesore for the environment. The Master Sword was not on him, but it didn't make a difference to the Dark Sovereign. All he was focused on was that angelic voice.

It sung a soul calming song, the birds even sang along to that rhythm.

'So soothing...'

Link turned around to see Fluttershy the way she was before he was taken, totally the opposite of how she was when he found her in the caverns. Her gorgeous ocean deep blue eyes, the cutest thing he ever saw, admired the scenery as she played with her bird friends, singing with them.

Link lost all consciousness. He stood there, mindlessly watching her play, carefree, as if what she had gone through never happened. Her eyes and her wings were there...

Is this a dream? If it is, he felt compelled to enjoy it while it lasted before reality reared that hideous head of its.

Fluttershy flew around, somersaulting in the air as she had fun with the winged animals. She was so pure, so untouched by negativity and virgin to sin. As she played, she noticed her friend watching her. He looked the same he always did, cold and hard outwardly.

But he felt quite the opposite inside.

He was on the verge of happy tears at the sight of her happiness. Only moments ago she was dressed in the black rags of his tunic and cape, sightless and flightless. And now, she was the way she should of always have been. Unscathed and untouched by evil and harm.

Fluttershy giggled at his seemingly stupefied expression. She hovered towards him, a graceful smile on her golden face. She must of smelt something she was allergic to, for she sneezed a cute sneeze.

'Ugh...my heart...I can't feel my heart...' Link mentally moaned as he resisted the urge to grasp the spot on his armor where his heart would be. Even a sneeze was not limited to her grace and overall adorableness.

She hovered in front of him, smiling broadly as the sun illuminated the morning dew-ridden fields. Link raised his hands before him as he always did when she approached. Fluttershy lightly landed into his arms, her extremely light weight not helping his internal damage.

'Why must she be so fluffy...?'

She continued to hum her song, watching in amusement as Link's long ears twitched to every note. He pulled her into a warm embrace, trying his hardest not to succumb to his increasing sorrow of what he would have to leave behind when he woke up. The longer he held her, and the more he felt her coat in his hands, the more his spirit cried in pain.

'...I think I'm...going to die...'

Fluttershy felt his turmoil, and confusion became her expression.

“Link? Are you okay?” The pony asked in her gently calm voice.

His legs gave out. That was it. He wasn't the black king of the Sheikah, he wasn't the great hero of time, he wasn't the slayer of evil or the wielder of the blade of Evils bane. He was just the child he had always been, Link. One sniff escaped him, he no longer had the emotional strength he had built over a thousand years. Fluttershy had conquered him, completely. He was now reduced to the boy who had left Kokiri forest so long ago to complete an impossible quest. The burden he felt that day was revived and came crashing down heavily upon his shoulders.

She did what no one else ever could of possible. She broke Link, the hero of time. Whether she intended or not, made little difference. The king was broken, his soul shattered by her kindness and happy nature. It was all just too much for the warrior, he couldn't hold his emotions any more. It had been so long since he felt something in him this strong, this bond that was forged by her friendship.

So; he began to pour his sorrow into her soft, pink mane. Like a river, the warrior let his tears flow for the second time for the same reason.

Fluttershy.

Link opened his eyes, his face felt slightly wet and his eyes were puffed. He brought his sword arm up to wipe himself, and much to his chagrin, he had bled his sorrow in his sleep. His white eyed gaze lowered to the bundle of hurt gold and pink in his lap. Fluttershy's stomach rose and fell gently, indicating she was sleeping peacefully.

His mind reverted to the dream, and his sorrow he mended to hatred. His ghostly eyes disappeared behind the lids, veiling his internal struggle. Madness was seeping through him like a knife through water, leaving no safe spot to retreat to.

Revenge was often a foolish thing to seek in his world, but he needed it so badly...for Fluttershy and himself. Her suffering had reached him in ways no one thought possible. Yet her strength held him back from going berserk. Oh, how he wanted so badly to unleash himself upon this world and make anything remotely responsible for the wrongful turn of events, pay a horrid price.

However. He knew she wouldn't want that. Fluttershy had always forgave and forgot, something he used to be able to do. Yet even after what she was put through, she showed no hate, just initial fear and of course, traumatized. She was already fearful of her own shadow, now who knows how much she would have to adjust to.

He never felt so strongly about leaving his home and permanently residing in a world he did not belong in. If this was not a nightmare for him to wake up from, he would renounce himself of all his responsibilities and become Fluttershy's caretaker.

The pony groaned tiredly, shifting a bit to try and wipe her face of the effects of sleep with the blunt sides of her hoof. She tapped on his leg, making sure she was still laying in his lap. Slowly, she sat up with more strength now than she had before her nap. Her long mane obscured the bandages around her eyes and head, her ears twitched to the sound of the wood burning nearby.

Link watched her as she lowered her head, still dreadfully tired.

“Can't sleep?” He asked quietly. She looked up to his head and nodded.

“I keep having nightmares...”

Link's already grim expression intensified at her words. This was to be expected though, but he had hoped that his presence would silence her fears. But his presence was not enough.

A loud growling was heard from the halls, Link viscously stabbed the Master Sword in the direction of the door, again snarling as it caught him off guard. Fluttershy squealed in terror, it was the same thing that had attacked the day before. She stumbled into Link's chest, hiding herself in his cape again. She fumbled to get behind him, doing all in her limited power to hide.

Link briefly glanced at her and pulled her close to show he wouldn't let it come near her. She shivered, her squealing coming out shaky. Link's heart beat quickened with the adrenaline pumping rapidly through him. All exhaustion was forgotten in both of them, now listening intently as they attempted to get an idea of the creature's proximity.

'It must have awakened...or the light disturbed it...'

The sounds of chained feet on the cold stone echoed as the creature wheezed. Link's grip on his sword tightened until his knuckles were white, his face twisted in a lethal combination of hatred, rage, and lust for blood.

“Is that him?” Link's low, angry voice asked to his frightened friend clutching his chest in her hooves.

Surprisingly, Fluttershy shook her head. Link raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. He knew there were other creatures down here all out for their blood, but he had been counting on the creature that did this to Fluttershy to be hunting them.

“The one before, was that him?”

Again, Fluttershy shook her head. He doubted now if it was hunting them at all, for she wouldn't forget that particular creature. Not after all it put her through.

The rattling was getting closer.

Link began to think quickly, he had no desire to cross with the creatures below the surface unless it was the one he sought. If this one found him, with his luck it would escape and bring more with it. Odds the king didn't want to take a chance on with Fluttershy around. He quietly turned over the work bench, listening to the creature as it moaned and stumbled about nearby in the halls. Fluttershy was holding on to Link's right leg, whimpering at the sounds the devil was emitting.

Link reached down and picked the pony up below her shoulders like a puppy, giving her a quick word of encouragement and placing her behind the wooden structure. He picked up the cape she was encased with while sleeping and wrapped it around her, effectively making her harder to spot in the dark corner, where the light from the torches were not reaching.

“Stay put. If one comes in here, don't make a noise. I have to confront this one...” Link uttered low enough for Fluttershy to hear without letting the creature alert to their presence. She shook her head in disagreement, silently pleading not to go toe-to-toe with the monster lurking in the darkness.

Link ignored her whispers as he placed the Master Sword in its scabbard and picked up the man-sized sledge hammer. He eyed the head with it, letting himself picture what he could do with this kind of force behind a single swing.

The warrior doused the lantern and put out the torches as quietly as was possible. Inching himself closer to the door, he waited for the creature to pass by.

Another grunt as he listened and waited, holding the great hammer up, ready to charge out. His heartbeat was surprisingly steady, his breath weary, and his eyes sharp. A shadow passed by, it was huge, even for him. The figure was wide and muscular like, and seemed to possess two large horns.

'What devilry is this...?'

The beast searched for something. Moaning and grunting as if it was straining behind some invisible force. Link's eyes slew the darkness with their soft glow, he tried his hardest to scrutinize the beast before him, looking to gather any detail he could to make some form of strength and weaknesses.

When the beast stepped closer to the light, but not directly into the glare of the torches, Link could faintly see what looked like pickaxes with single heads embedded in the seemingly overly muscular shape of the monster. One in each shoulder blade, and chains wrapped around the heads with the tail end dragging across the floor.

Link carefully undid the barricades, moving the wood to create a dozen barriers in Fluttershy's direction. The chain would prove the most difficult to remove, as it was long and thickly. Carefully, he placed the hammer down, keeping his eyes on the creature as it searched about in one of the rooms. Link slowly pulled the chain inch by inch from the steel bars making the door.

Despite the warmth of the camp fire behind him, he was sweating. Anxiety of the coming conflict was clouding his concentration. His hands shook slightly, allot was riding on the coming moments. If he made one mistake, he could be defeated and Fluttershy might be found.

He wasn't about to let that happen again.

The chain slid free of the door, hanging limply in his grasp. Link wrapped it around his right fist, and lifted the massive hammer with his left. He carefully pried the creaking door open, slow enough to not prompt any noise from the rusty and dry hinges.

Link put one boot out side the cell, inching out as silently as a cat. He should strike the beast from behind, and the blow had to be a crushing kill blow. His dead serious face watched the creature as it moaned and stumbled about on some empty storage boxes in the room two doors past his. Link pressed his back against the dark wall, concealing himself in shadow.

He moved forwards, stealthily closing the distance between himself and his target.

The creature began to turn and almost spotted him. Link almost threw himself into the door next to him, trying not to be spotted. He hugged the wall on the inside as the creature made a noise that sounded like it was startled by Link's swift moving feet. He peeked around the corner, a pair of glowing red eyes scanned the halls. A puffing snort escaped the nostrils of the beast as it watched for further movement.

It began to walk back in the direction it came from, Link's direction.

This was it. Link held the great hammer up, ready to bring the crushing blow right into the middle of the beast's face, hopefully crushing the skull upon impact.

The heavy steps sounding like stomps of the monster grew louder as it approached. Link's heart rate increased in anticipation. He waited for the right time to strike, letting the creature come closer to the door he hid within.

And then a giant hand quickly reached around the corner of the door and gripped Link's neck tightly.

The warrior king gasped in shock as the strength of the beast was pressing the air from his lungs quickly. Link felt himself lifted up off his feet, his armored boots swaying to and fro, frantically reaching for the ground. Link's right hand reached up to grab the beast's large paw, prying at the fingers.

The beast pulled Link from behind the door and held him up before it. The creature appeared to be a minotaur, explaining its abundance of muscle, the devilish horns, and the snout snorting in his face, bellowing the hair that covered his eyes. Link struggled to breathe, its grip tightened and he was beginning to go numb. The great hammer Link held hung limply in his left hand, barely able to keep his grip on it with the loss of oxygen.

The creature roared at him. Its glaring red eyes twisted with senseless hate for the living, it seemed agitated further that he had intruded upon its territory. Blood drew forth from Link's mouth, indicating his throat was taking more pressure than it was meant to. Link tried to roar back in defiance to the devil before him, but his voice was concealed with in his vocal cords.

“Leave him alone!!!”

A sudden shrill and angry scream came from Link's left, he managed to look up in time to see Fluttershy come crashing into the minotaur's midsection, catching the beast off guard. As both the injured pony and the stunned minotaur went down, Link fell to the stone floor. He gasped for air, sucking in all he could and spitting blood out.

Anger swelled with him, his rage returned full force as his white gaze began to see nothing but red. Slowly as he breathed heavily, he looked towards the minotaur which was standing back up. Fluttershy was already stumbling clear of the two, her purpose having been fulfilled.

Link grabbed the long grip of the sledge hammer and used it to help lift him to his feet. His face now twisted into purest malice, he took the sledge hammer with both hands and approached the minotaur, still on its fours trying to breath itself. Link stole a glance at Fluttershy who was now shaking, her sudden rush of bravery now gone and replaced with self shock. She seemed dazed herself, dizzy from her head and shoulder striking the beast's rock-hard chest.

Link reached the foe, he took the handle and brought it under the neck line and pulled up, gripping the minotaur in his own lethal choke hold.

Link used all his strength as he pulled up, trying to either cause internal bleeding or better yet, break the demon's neck quickly. He had to hurry, he felt that roar it gave him had alerted others lurking in the darkness.

The beast brought an elbow up and struck Link's chest, the impact stunning Link again, but leaving him unharmed due to the thickly armor he wore. It stood, growling as it met his height and exceeded it. Link raised the hammer to make quick work of the demon, but a crushing fist sent him crashing into the wall with a grunt.

More blood escaped him as he felt his nose break upon impact.

That did it for him. Link recovered quicker than the demon could reach him and launched his right fist still encased with the thick chains straight at the beast's snout. The blow caused the minotaur to stumble clumsily, giving the warrior enough time to draw his sword.

'It's weaker than a typical minotaur, I don't usually fare so well against them...' Link noted, glad for this all, for it was difficult for him to see the beast in these dark halls.

Using his right hand to wipe some of the blood that came close to his eyes from his mouth and nose while he lay, Link slashed at the beast. It dodged quickly, throwing a strike at his side. Link put one foot forward to stop himself from losing balance, turning the force into leverage for another strike. The blade came down on the creature's head, but it moved a second early allowing the sword to hit and slice off one of its horns.

Ir roared in pain, lashing out at Link in spite and a desperate retaliation. Link managed to avoid this strike, launching his right fist at the beast's chest while putting his right foot behind its to keep it from stumbling. The minotaur crashed back down to the stone, and Link brought the Master Sword down at its skull.

The beast launched its clawed foot that would of cut Link wide open and leave his intestines hanging had he not wore the armor. Link was pushed off his feet once again, rolling back until he found the sledge hammer. As the minotaur stood, Link sheathed the Master Sword and picked up the hammer.

With a rage-filled roar, Link swung the hammer and struck the beast in its right rib cage. The resounding cracks brought the dark king a sick satisfaction as it yelped in pain from the blow. He sent his left boot to meet the beast's right cheek, then Link maneuvered his heavy figure to bring his chained fist back into the cerebral of the minotaur, using all the force pushing his body as extra power.

The blow knocked it out cold, for it didn't move again after it collapsed to the floor and exhaled once.

Catching his breath and resting from his painful battle injuries, Link looked around. Fluttershy had been listening to the battle, pressing herself against the stand of a torch to stay clear of the two power houses locked in the struggle.

Looking at his bloody hands, Link grabbed the other horn of the beast and drug it into one of the rooms. He searched for a table, there was only one in this room, and it had straps. Link grinned darkly, his teeth red from bleeding. He heaved the minotaur up and laid it flat on the torture table. He moved the beast until its head hung off the table, then strapped its body down.

He left, looking for the sledge hammer. Before picking it up, he decided to return Fluttershy to her hiding spot, opting to play it safe.

“Fluttershy, I'm coming,” Link called, reaching the frightened and distraught pony and lifting her up as he did before.

With Fluttershy safely hidden away, Link picked up the sledge hammer and walked into the room where his unconscious opponent lay. His dark glare burned the unconscious monster's skull, just willing it to be set aflame.

He lifted the great hammer and brought it down on the beast's head, a sickening rip sound echoed in the halls, blood spewed from the neck, and the sound of a hammer striking the cobble stone floor resounded.

Link left the corpse in the room, its head in his hand and the hammer strapped to his back by some skin mesh he “acquired” from the beast's hide. Link stumbled forward, still very dizzy from the blows he took to his head from those grotesque fists of that minotaur.

He supported himself against the wall next to the door where Fluttershy hid herself, using his arm to keep him level. He spat more of his inner fluids that broke out during the battle. Judging by his performance, he comprised that he was getting rusty with his ability to fight. Either that, or just tired spiritually, a thousand years would do that.

“Link?”

“It's alright. It's dead...” Link answered.

Suddenly, the sound of rapidly approaching feet and apelike grunts sounded from the hall. In surprise, Link looked up to see a horde of creatures tackle him to the ground. Countless fists and claws punched and tore at his defenseless figure, with only his arms to cover his head, and his armor protecting his torso.

Blow after blow struck his figure, and he grunted in pain with each hit that missed his armor. Massive fists landed on his face, claws scratched at his flesh and costing him more blood. He could feel them dog pile on him, all their weight making it extremely difficult to breathe and refill his lungs with the air they so desperately desired.

“Link!”

Fluttershy's voice called, he could hear her leaving her spot. Luckily, it didn't feel as if any of the horde was breaking off to attack her.

Her voice gave him strength. Something snapped in his chest and his eyes dimmed to the red he tried so hard to control. The swallowing waves of the oceans of his anger came toppling down on him as hard as the horde was attacking.

Link's eyes shot open. He had enough.

The mental image of Din, goddess of fire, forced itself upon his conscious, her fierce glare commanding him to repel his oppressors. Fire lashed out, grasping his soul with strong arms and hurling his body down a flaming pit of Hell itself. Energy formed in his hands as he grew stronger, enforced by his need to protect his friend.

That mental image of Din nodded her head, now was the time to unleash himself.

The fire had left his mind, becoming physical and a resounding explosion burst from Link's armored form. Thick walls of flame and hatred spilled forth of his will, consuming and incinerating the creatures with a hiss and a scream from the pressure.

The monsters flew back, repelled by the king's will to survive for Fluttershy's sake. Where he once was curled into a ball to protect his unarmored head, Link stood tall and mightily. His hands were raised, afire from the ancient spell that won many of his battles for him. Link charged his dark energies into the flames and created a barrel of sorts over his head.

With eyes of crimson red rage, the king threw his balled fists forward and releasing the energy he charged. A funnel of the flames shot from his fist, piercing the darkness sharply and burning holes through the last of the horde still approaching.

He heard Fluttershy scream in surprise from the intense heat he was radiating. He himself was sweating harder then he was moments before. Luckily for him, he was protected by the goddess from the fires.

Link canceled the spell, seeing his foes defeated and gone, no longer hearing their roars, but smelling their burned flesh. Oh, how he waited for this moment, he needed to relieve this pent up rage.

However, it cost him allot, for he now felt too weak to move forward or repel another assault from a horde. And suddenly he sensed another danger, futilely he drew the Master Sword and his black Hylian shield, taking a defensive stance to ready himself for another onslaught.

But what attacked was not physical. A deep dark shadow consumed the halls and crashed head-on into the king's waiting shield. In reaction as it reached him, Link swung the evil-repelling sword, but to no avail.

He felt himself grabbed by a thousand crudely shaped hands and lifted from his feet. Pain began coursing him as if he was being bludgeoned while wearing no armor. He tried to scream his discomfort, but his voice had left him.

Something gripped his heart, the very center of his power was being prodded by cold...ghastly claws. Whatever it was, it took hold of his power, his ability to manipulate the darkness to suit his will...

And ripped it from his soul.

The dark shadow released him, leaving as fast as it came. Link fell to his feet, his body going numb as his jaw hang open. His now white eyes began to roll up to the back of his head, as the world around him began to blur from his sight. He faintly saw Fluttershy approaching his collapsing figure as he fell back.

His head struck the cobblestone hard, quickening his descent to unconsciousness.

Whimpering from the events unfolding around her, Fluttershy approached the trail of Link's smell. Looking around in other directions and smelling nothing but the burn of flesh and bone. Her hoof stepped on a corpse and it crumbled beneath her light weight. She let an eep go as she ran forward to her friend. She heard him fall down, the heavy thud and resounding clang of his armor pinpointing his location for her.

She felt his hand with her hoof, and received no reply in-turn.

“Link...? C-can you hear me?”

Her voice fell on deaf ears, for the king had lost his spirit and had slipped to a coma. The cloth wrapped around Fluttershy's eyes grew wet once more as her sorrow reached out to him. She laid next to him, resting her head on his chest which did not move.

She pressed the side of her head against his neck, hearing a faint pulse, but smelling plenty of blood that she was sure was his. A tiny hint of breath escaped his nostrils, indicating he was still faintly alive.

There was nothing she could do to revive him. She was blind and flightless, and he was heavy and hurt while she was still recovering and not strong enough to move him. All she could do, was wait. Wait for an absolution that may never come, wait for a miracle that may never release them of this Hell, or wait for a death that will only keep them reliving this pain.

She rested her head upon his chest, dropping her eyelids as she was still used to having them open. She never wanted this, she couldn't believe how it had come to this. It seemed hopeless now...