The Revival of Shadow Link

17:

After a conversation with Erune, I shambled to the room.

A lot of my irritation had faded, because I was just...so tired.

I slowly, quietly opened the door and saw Vio sitting up on the bed, staring at me with concerned eyes. "Where were you? I woke up and you weren't here, is everything alright?"

I didn't answer, just face planted on the bed.

With a sigh, he laid back down.

I felt his arm pull me closer to him...

...and I pushed him away.

I heard him sigh and it tugged at my heartstrings. I didn't want to upset him, I just didn't want him to upset me.

I was fighting the urge to not toss and turn the entire night, because I didn't want to make too much noise. I bit back a sigh; I couldn't sleep—it was going to be a long night.

I think Green was the first person up when I opened my eyes, not sure when they managed to actually close. I saw him frown, probably realizing that he had been cuddling Blue. I laughed at him.

"Don't know what you're laughing at, look at you!" He whispered.

Me and Vio were spooning.

He had an arm around my waist and we both were on our side. I didn't realize how close we were at night but now, I was aware, very much aware that Vio's head was on my shoulder and...

Did he have a...?

Oh. My. Goddesses.

I felt my face heat up at an impossible temperature. Eventually, Briar stirred and saw me. With my head on Vio's chest, face red. As if things couldn't get worse, Vio nuzzled my neck in his sleep.

She smirked and I think that was what made me get up.

Because I loved him and I loved the way he fit in my arms, the way it felt to be pressed against his body, the way it felt to be next to him. But it wouldn't work, it just wouldn't and I had to understand that.

I pulled away from him and tossed the blankets to cover him. I tried to not admire him, and just moved away.

"Nope," I said. "I'm sleeping with Red."

Well, that sounded horrible.

"I am so frigging gay," I muttered, flopping into the mattress.

Red barely stirred.

The sun had barely risen so I thought I could get more sleep, but apparently that's not how it works.

Blue got up, looking irritated, and eventually Vio who stared at me as he sat up—

My heart was pounding, and although this wasn't the best time to notice, my foot was throbbing with a smarting, aching pain. I hadn't expected Green to step in it, but Goddesses, he crushed it.

I remembered that one quote in my book, saying that mirrors tend to show the truth. This mirror was showing Shadow the truth—that Green was still very much alive, and that I couldn't kill him.

But there was one more truth he had yet to see, the mirror yet to show, and he couldn't know.

"How is he still alive?!"

Maybe he didn't expect me to answer, but being silent could easily make him suspicious. "I-I don't know, I could have sworn I...killed...him..." I trailed off. There hadn't been much of a point in continuing.

Because in the surface of the mirror, I was standing with a hammer over my head, ready to smash the Dark Mirror. The image faded and I could see Shadow's reflection.

He seemed so betrayed—I had betrayed him! He must have hated me!—and sad, and angry, I had predicted rage. I had predicted instantaneous death, to be honest: I probably deserved worse, I felt like the scum of the earth.

"EXECUTE THIS TRAITOR!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, his face scarlet with rage.

I knew I had hurt him, and I deserved to be hurt, I can't deny that, but I KNEW I had to do this, and I KNEW that getting aught would not end well.

Not like not getting caught would have ended well for either of us though.

I felt the world spin when my head collided with the hard floor, it was darkening, I couldn't stand...

It occurred to me the chances of me actually waking up were...low. Really, really low.

Maybe that was for the best.

I just stared back at him, feeling rage and horror and pain all at once. He blinked and hen quickly left the room.

Red stirred when the door closed, and Mystery Chick—I mean Opia, sat up like she was wide awake.

Considering the fact that she had shot a light arrow at me, I didn't like her very much.