"Ghirahim!" I screamed jolting up.
I looked around to see I was in the temple of the Sealed Grounds with the elderly Impa coming to my side in a hurry. She held my hand and rubbed my back to help soothe me from the memories I just had to endure.
"There, there, dearie."
"Where's Link?" I ask looking around for him wanting nothing but to feel his warm embrace.
"He went back to Skyloft to uncover the clues of finding the flames. I'm sure you could catch him if you hurry." I went to stand up and hurry back to the land in the sky, but the old lady stopped me.
"I sense there's something on your mind."
"I, ugh... I just saw something." I said as my hand instinctually went to my chest.
"What did you see this time?"
"I saw Ghirahim killing me." I shuddered.
"Oh dearie," Impa's eyes saddened. "I know that memory hurt. Don't fret, you're safe now."
I nodded, although in the back of my mind, all I thought about was binding my soul to Ghirahim. I had declared myself his for all eternity. I wanted to tell Impa, I trusted her, yet I knew I couldn't trust her with this.
A voice deep down told me that. After all, I never told anyone originally while I was still a goddess.
There was only one person I could talk about it with.
But I couldn't do it. I threw caution to the wind as I asked her the question.
"What can you tell me about an Invisible String bond?" My voice was a little shaky as I asked.
My heart sank when Impa's eyes widened in terror. It was in that moment that she knew exactly why I asked. There was no other explanation. I had just told her how I saw Ghirahim killing me then I asked about a ritual so sacred that I only trusted Eldin with the truth.
Impa swallowed and tried to regain her composure.
"Well, it's a forbidden ritual that two will perform to bind their souls. This bond will transcend all space and time."
"How come I've never heard of it before?" I press.
"The Gods forbad this bond form ever being created. So, once Hylia had passed from this world, the history of this bond died with her."
I felt a little tug deep inside of me followed by this weird sensation. I was then flooded by an array of emotions; anger, calculating, focus.
It was Ghirahim. I was feeling his emotions. I could feel his presence.
He was in the Skyview Temple.
I shook off the feelings and turned all my attention to Impa.
"Why? What would it take to perform this ritual?"
"Dearie," Impa's gaze shook me to my very being. "Did you bind your soul eternally to Ghirahim?"
I thought of what to say. I couldn't lie to her now. I was too far to go back now. I had to tell her the truth. Besides, I think it would have been impossible if I lied seeing as I could now feel Ghirahim's tug on the string.
"...Yes." I hung my head.
"Oh no, it is as I feared."
"What's going to happen to us?" I ask frantically hearing Ghirahim's laughter in my mind.
"Back in the olden days, everyone had a soulmate. The Gods created an equal partner to each living thing. Your soulmate was made specifically for you in each life. However, the Invisible String bond was created for those who believed they found the love of their lives or wanted to block their soulmate bond. Based on everything I've seen from you; I was afraid you'd performed the ritual with Ghirahim."
"How do I cut it?"
"You can't. Soulmate bonds are easier and less complicated. They cut immediately once one dies then in that person's next life, it reappears the first time they touch. Some people find their soulmate again and some don't. But since you bonded your soul to Ghirahim, nothing, not even death can interfere with your lives."
"Does this mean..." I trailed off.
"That if we vanquish Demise, Ghirahim and you will forever be following one another? Yes."
"What did I do?"
The horror of it all began to sink in. I was trapped with him for all eternity but a part of me felt like it wasn't very bad. Goddesses, love was torture. The longer I sat with it the more I started to remember how these forbidden acts worked.
Then I had a though in the back of my mind. What about my soulmate? Had I condemned him because I bound my soul to another?
I knew in that moment that I had to see Ghirahim.
Trying to shove down the idea of seeking out the demon lord himself, I told Impa that I should be going if I wanted to catch Link.
She gave me some new clothes.
Originally, I didn't want to change. I didn't think I'd have the time, but she insisted. She told me since my powers were slowly being unlocked, I should try to connect to my old self as much as possible including wearing her clothes.
I put on the golden leaf crown that was a perfect fit on my head. The array of small yellow leaves on it made me feel like a true ancient goddess. Then I dawned the cream-colored toga that barely reached my knees. It had a golden belt and a golden trim lacing the ends of the garment along with its pink gradient. The bottom of the dress was this darker purple and as it traveled up the dress it faded into a pink into a light yellow until it was a cream color like the top, and instead of being strapless, it was a halter neckline.
It was very flowy despite its short length.
I then put on the golden bracelets.
Impa was right, it felt like I was myself.
I didn't hav enough time to admire it though, I rushed off to Skyloft hoping to find Link before he went off to the Isle of Songs.
I flew out of the cloud barrier with my loftwing determined to do anything to keep my mind off Ghirahim and my newly recovered memories. Although, as I flew to Skyloft, the thoughts began to spink uncontrollable in my head.
Did I betray Ghirahim? Should have I joned him and my brother all that time ago?
Of course, my brother hated me. I was Hylia's golden child and despite witnessing everything she ever put us through I still sided with her. Was I wrong for that? She committed many heinous acts. She deserved the divine punishment that Demise would surely have given her if I hadn't chosen her side.
But he wanted to destroy the world. I couldn't let thousands of innocent people die just so Demise could get his revenge on the person who abused him. In his rage, he turned into our abuser. I couldn't just sit back and excuse his actions.
The abuse he suffered was an explanation not an excuse. Right?
Darkness corrupted his heart, and any semblance of my brother was eradicated by the malice of the demon king. He wasn't my brother anymore.
Maybe I joined Hylia to give some justice to Erebus's memory? Maybe I did everything I did because I needed closure?
I don't think I would ever know the answer. I didn't even know the answer of why I took Hylia's side. She was just using me. She kept pressuring me to kill Ghirahim and Demise, but when I failed, she took things into her own hands. She sent the first hylians up to the sky and erased any known history about Soleil or Erebus.
She erased me and my brother completely from the lives of our subjects. Had I not been on this journey, I wouldn't even know who Soleil was.
Why did all of this have to be so complicated?
I knew one thing, and that was I had to finish my journey to save my precious hylians. They were all innocent in all of this. They didn't deserve the evilt hat would be unleashed on them because of Hylia.
Then my mind switched to Ghirahim.
I couldn't stop thinking about him. Within the time that I woke up, my memories of him were starting to piece themselves together. I had been given fragments for the longest time. I'd only see us at our strongest and when we were so in love.
But now, I've seen our fights and rough moments.
We had fought back and forth more times than I could ever count in the time leading up to my death. It was always the same song and dance.
We both tried too hard to get each other to hear one another out. I pulled him in tighter every single time he pulled away from me. I tried pulling him back into the light, but not even I could while he did the exact same for me.
We were so on and off with each other. We'd not be on speaking terms while other times we couldn't keep our hands off each other. It was exhausting looking back.
How many times could you have the same exact fight with the one you loved?
I held out for him. I tried so hard and for so long, but Hylia crucified me for that. I was lucky she didn't kill me herself. She always told me that he was holding me back, and I know I would always be remembered as the goddess who let love to cloud her judgement.
To be fair, anyone who thought that would be right.
After he poisoned me, taking away mine and my brother's godliness, I still went back to him. I went back to him after every fight. But how could I not? I was out of my mind in love. What was I supposed to do?