A/N: A short one-shot that I imagined last night as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep. Kinda scary and inspired by Smash King24's fiction 'The Mansion Incident'. Also a Halloween tribute to my second favorite pairing in Soul Calibur. Hope you enjoy, be sure to review!
Disclaimer: Funny, last I checked, I did not Zelda or Soul Calibur...Dang it.
Nightmares
Link was running through the dark, an endless void of shadows and whispers. He ran as fast as he could possible. He could feel her pain, hear her crying voice in the dark.
'I have to reach her! Taki needs me now!' he thought desperately.
The two had been married for two years now. About four years ago, they grouped up with others in the hunt for Soul Edge, and through all their hardships, they began to grow feelings for each other. It was an unusual expeience for both of them, Taki being emotionless and stoic, and Link being child-like and innocent.
They tried to ignore their feelings, especially Taki, but it persisted. And with the help of the others, they finally embraced the fact they were in love. They began to spend more time with each other as a means of starting things off. Eventually, Link got Taki to open up her heart to him more often than ever, a sign they were truly meant for each other.
Their relationship continued to blossom like the flowers in Spring during the first two years. Only it never withered. They got more closer as time went on, with Raphael and Seong Mi-Na playing 'love doctor', they finally had their first kiss. In the Temple of Hephaestus, under the god of forge's statue, with the winter cold forcing the two to huddle for warmth, Link found the courage to place his lips gently on hers.
To his surprise, she pulled him in tighter and returned it with heavy passion.
Soon after Nightmare's death and Soul Edge's destruction, the two were wedded at a reluctant Ivy's home. Two years and a month after their wedding, Taki wondered what it would be like to live in Hyrule. Link however reluctant to take her there, promised he would, if only to see her smile that rare, happy smile of hers and not that cold smirk she flashed often.
Link finally reached a room where she was being tended to. He had arrived with her in hyrule not too long ago, and soon after she was ambushed by ReDead. She had been in Hyrule Castle's healing rooms for a day now, the potion surplus had yet to arrive, and the surgeons feared the worst. ReDead venom was passing through her veins now, she had become dangerously pale in the skin, and colder than ice.
Link barged through the door and the sight that greeted him made him feel light-headed. Blood covered the walls, Taki lay sprawled on the floor, her muscles were tensed and she was shaking violently.
"TAKI!" Link screamed in terror at the sight of his wife's form.
Link dropped to his knees next to her and held her tightly to him. She started to speak to him.
"L-Link...I'm sorry...I...Love...Y...You..." was all she spoke before her body became limp in his grasp. Her eyes closed slowly and she lost all feeling.
Tears of sorrow poured from Link's eyes as she died in his hands. He lowered his head and weeped softly in her memory. Slowly, he set her down and walked to the door, shutting it, he turned around to see her rise up off the floor. Her eyes held a lifeless look in them, her mouth was ajar slightly as she stared at him.
"T-Taki...?" Link called out to her, surprised that she was standing. She just died a moment ago! In his hands!
'Taki' emitted a moan, and began to slowly walk towards him. Fear gripped Link's heart, fear of what has become of his beloved, not fear for himself.
Her breathing was shallow, yet he could hear it. He heard no other sound except the noise of her feet on the stone as she approached her husband. Realization dawned on Link. More tears spilled from his eyes.
"No...No...Not you...please Nayru...Spare her..." he whispered holding himself, his silent sobs going unnoticed as Taki's form still approached. A horrendous scream errupted from her as Link suddenly fealt himself freeze. He realized one thing.
Taki was upon him.
She stumbled up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, her legs around his storso and tilted his neck to the side. She opened her jaws as far as they would go and took a deep bite. Link winced but he could not scream. Blood flowed freely like a water fall from his neck. Taki took in what she could of the crimson fluid, her teeth still locked on his neck.
As the undead Taki tightened her grip on Link's now dieing form, he was at a loss. He failed her, and now he would soon join her spirit in the netherworld. He managed to look into his former wife's eyes, they held a mad lust for blood look in them. Those once shining, bright brown eyes were now dull and dead.
He felt her teeth sink deeper into his neck, her saliva pouring down his neckside. The venom of the ReDead flowed from her to him. If she didn't kill him, he would dance with her in death.
"Taki...Forgive me...I Love you..." Link spoke as the venom reached his heart, forcing it to stop.
Darkness clouded his vision, the intense pain of the merciless teeth in his neck and the constriction of the limbs wrapped strongly around him faded. His eyes slowly closed as the last of his blood left him.
Link died. His body will continue to live on, but his spirit was forced to leave. His being destroyed by the curse of the ReDead.
Link bolted upright in bed, unsheathing his sword and covered in a cold sweat. He screaming as he stopped. He was too stunned to feel the surprised stir at his side under the sheets.
"Link...? What's wrong?" a soft, gentle, yet strong voice asked sounding tired and groggy.
Link was still panting and trying to calm himself when Taki reached out and placed her palm on his cheek. A worried expression on her face.
"Link? Link!" she called out, louder.
He finally snapped out of his strance, the blade he held, the Master Sword, glowed idily in the dark of the room. Reacting to it's master's emotion. The light it emitted was calming and assuring.
"Wha? What? What?" he said, looking from side to side. His eyes fell on her and he gasped. Falling out of bed from his side on the right, he scrambled to grab his sword.
"Gah! Stay back! Your not her! Stay back!" he yelled, sounding frightened.
He really didn't have the heart to kill her, even if she was one of them. That was a task Link would never be able to handle, as long as he loved her, he would not raise a finger against Taki.
"Link, what's going on? Calm down! It's me!" she said confused beyond belief.
The frightened look in his eyes scared her. Link was never scared, no matter what. She got out of bed and walked up to him, keeping a wary eye on his sword. He dropped it after a moment of her hesitance and looked away.
"I-I can't...I just can't do it...get it over with..." he whispered.
Taki stared at him, she reached down and cupped his cheeks in her hands and made him look at her. He was sobbing slightly, another new thing for her to see. They stared into each other's eyes for a long while. Link looked for what he feared would not be there. That light he fell in love with was there, shining brightly in the dark room.
"T...Taki...?" he whispered, sounding as if he wasn't trusting of something that could be just a cruel prank.
"It's me..." she whispered back soothingly. He released a breath, a shaky breath as she pulled him close to her. She held him tightly, he reached up and returned the embrace as hard as he could.
"Now tell me, what frightened you so badly that you thought I was someone else?" she asked after a while and Link had calmed down.
"Taki, it was horrible! I...I had brought you to Hyrule, but we were attacked by creatures of the dead, and you were bitten! We couldnt save you in time, you became one of them, and you...you...died in my hands...Gods..." Link explained, still traumatized by the experience.
'He had a nightmare...of course! That's why he was so reluctant to agree to me! He's afraid I'll be killed in Hyrule! He dreamed what could happen if he takes me there.' she realized.
"What happened afterwards? Tell me everything." she asked him gently. Link sniffed before he continued.
"You came back, but you weren't you...you became a ReDead...a creature of death that feast on flesh. If your bitten, you only have a short time to live before the venom transforms you into one...If your not cured in time...You attacked me...and...Killed me..." Link explained. His breath was shaky and his eyes closed.
To say that Taki was now stunned would be an understatement, in fact, she was mortified by this. Now she understood why Link just couldn't go back, but he didn't want to either. He must have faced unimaginable things in his world. It justified why he was so brave and fearless in the face of death. But the only thing he feared, was loosing her.
"Link, if it makes you feel any better, than I think we should stay here. As long as you love me, and I love you, I don't need anything else. One world is as good as any." she stated before placing her lips on his gently, yet filled with passionate love.
"Come. Lets go back to bed." she said, pulling him up and leading him to the bed. They climbed in, Link holding on tightly to his beautiful wife, and Taki doing the same to him.
'As long as you are in my arms, I won't let any nightmare come to you Link. Goodnight.' she thought.
"I love you, Taki..." Link whispered.
"I love you too, Link..." she whispered back as sleep took them both back to the realms of the night.
A/N: O_o Okay, hopefully that was nice and scary at the dream part. do leave Reviews and tell me you like this pairing as much as I do! :) Happy Halloween!