The Revival of Shadow Link

9:

"It worked!" I heard an excited voice chirp.

"He's here?" Another, similar one, questioned.

"Great," said another, gruffer, one.

"I...think it did work," I heard him whisper, excitement evident. Footsteps.

I knew I was somewhere different because I was laying down in something that wasn't stone, and I wasn't leaned against something. I had yet to open my eyes.

"I can't thank you enough," Vio, my Vio, said.

"It was my pleasure," I heard Briar say. "Anything for the five heroes who saved us all. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to say so."

"We appreciate it," a calm voice said. That was Green, it had to be Green.

"He's here," Vio whispered. "He's actually here, and he's alive and everything."

I cracked my eyes open, squinting in the room that had clearly been dimmed but was also brighter than I was used to.

"He's awake!" Shouted someone—Red, definitely Red, who else was that cheerful.

I blinked rapidly and tried to find where Vio was, of course he was my main worry.

"V-Vi...o..."

Immediately, someone was by my side.

"We'll rain outside, shout if you need us!" I think Green grabbed Red and Blue and dragged them out if the room.

Vio sighed and as my vision cleared, I saw him standing above me, looking down.

"Shadow...I..." he trailed off.

I tried to move.

"No! Wait, you'll rip your stitches!"

I stilled as his hand hovered over mine. He finally intertwined them, stooping down to kiss my forehead. "I missed you so much," He whispered.

If he hadn't already told me not to move, I would have grabbed him by the hair and kissed him, I would have started begging for his forgiveness, because everything I have pretty much ever done in my existence was wrong, and he was the only thing that made me want to keep breathing.

He was my first and best friend and my one and only love.

"I'm sorry, you must really hate me," he said.

I wanted to scream, "no, Vio, no, I'd never hate you."

But I remembered the way my rage boiled my blood and how all I wanted was to be away from him, how I didn't want to see his face and how every time I went to check in the Dark Mirror, I couldn't stop myself from checking on him, seeing him unconscious, tied up. My precious Vio, who before had promised me everything I desired, comfort, a friend, kindness, and in a way, he supplied me with forgiveness for everything I had done before I saved any one's life.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I kinda almost killed you. A lot. And the others. I tried to kill them too. I'm sure they aren't idiots; I'm sure they're lovely people, I can see why you chose them over me." I was speaking without thinking, but weren't these the words I've been thinking about over and over and over again. All the words I wanted to tell him.

"I...Oh, Shadow, I..." he clenched a fist. "Tell me, are you in pain? Getting you here was...rougher, than we thought it would be."

"I feel like someone dismembered me with a rusty circular saw and then stitched me back together," I said flatly. I had liked our conversation and where it was going, I wanted to continue.

"Yeah, I'm sure eleven weeks of whatever hell you've been dragged through will do that to you."

A part of me wanted to tell him every single thought that had run through my mind, another wanted to grab his ass and do him on the bed I was laying down on, and another smaller part said I should take a nap.

"Vio..."

He looked at me.

I immediately recalled every nightmare ever. And now I couldn't see the sockets in his eyes, his hair was matted with blood, flesh was coming off of his skeleton and his purple tunic was bloodied and burning, barely clinging to his rotting skin.

I let out an undignified squeak of terror and tried to get away from him.

"Shadow, what's wr—"

He had tried to touch me and I instantly panicked, because everyone who had been trying to touch me for most of those eleven weeks had every intention of harming me.

"No! Don't touch me!" I shouted at a volume I forgot I could shout at. "Stop, stop, stop..."

The world started spinning and darkening and...

I heard the door open as people started to come into the room while Vio just stared at me, not knowing what the hell was going on.