"I have no interest in your desires, Nazgul! You must get her!" The Demon Lord Ghirahim shouted, pointing at the Nazgul for emphasis, his hand encompassed in a red aura: dark magic. The Demon Lord was clad in a white jumpsuit with diamond cutouts on his chest and stomach, revealing pale-gray skin and toned muscles. He wore white gloves, also with diamond cutouts, that ended at his elbows. He was swathed in a heavy crimson mantle.
He bared his teeth in a snarl. "The Ring is gone, destroyed! Sauron is dead! You are under my control, my rule!" He flicked his white hair out of his face with a toss of his head, but of course it just fell back again, covering half of his face.
The Nazgul kneeling at his feet dipped its head. "O-of course, my lord. I apologize for speaking out of line."
"As well you should," Ghirahim replied, lowering his hand, the aura dissipating. "I could dispose of you in an instant if I wished. But I will not concede," Ghirahim sighed. "I will give you another chance, Ringwraith of Sauron. Get me the girl by however means necessary. She has the information I need."
"Yes, my lord. I shall depart at once," the Nazgul said, rising to its feet.
"Do not fail me," Ghirahim said, voice borrowing the darkness around them.
The Nazgul paused, turned toward the door. He glanced back over his shoulder and quickly nodded, before heading through the door, into the never-ending sea of blackness.
The Witchking despised the way The Demon Lord insisted upon calling him the names of his now-forgotten kin, "Nazgul" and "Ringwraith". He was more than they were! He was the Witchking, the greatest of them all! Nothing would deter him from his goals! Except maybe death. He knew that he must follow his master's orders, lest he be killed. Ghirahim had killed all of the Nazgul when the Witchking had refused to submit to him. Ghirahim had recognized that the Witchking was the most powerful of them, and he wanted to have him under his power. The Witchking let his mind wander to that day, when it all fell apart.
"No!" The Witchking shouted as The Demon Lord drove his black rapier through the Nazgul's chest. The Demon Lord smiled as he withdrew the blade, causing the Nazgul's body to crumple to the floor. The Demon Lord's gaze went to the Witchking. The Witchking shuddered. There was bloodlust and malice in his eyes.
"Do you yield, Nazgul? Or do I have to take more forceful measures?" The Demon Lord asked.
The Witchking took a deep breath. "Yes," he said finally. "I yield."
The Demon Lord tipped his head slightly, black eyes glittering with laughter. "Aren't you forgetting something, Ringwraith?"
The Witchking swallowed hard, voice shaking. "I-I yield. Ma-m-" he swallowed again. "Master."
The Demon Lord nodded approvingly. "That's better."
All the Witchking heard was a snap of the fingers, and The Demon Lord appeared directly before him, a dangerous look on his face. "Do not think about disobeying me, Ringwraith, for if you do, there will be sharp retribution. No one can save you from your fate." He drew back, his face lighting up into a smile. "You will prove to be quite useful to me, Ringwraith. Quite useful indeed."
The Witchking shook off the memory. He had a job to do. He mounted his horse, appropriately named "Deathbringer", and took off into the night, black cloak billowing behind him. The plan was simple. Too simple. Nothing will go wrong. The Witchking thought, reassuring himself. She is weak. I can easily overpower her. And with that, he made his horse run with great haste; he wanted to be sure that he could get her tonight. He was glad that he didn't have to do any of the interrogation; it reminded him too much of the past. That would be saved for his master.
The Hero of Time's blue eyes widened as they took in the torchlight coming toward the house. She was dressed in a green tunic, the outline of chainmail visible through it. A long green hat which was even with her shoulders adorned her head.
"How did he find me this quickly?" she said incredulously. Quickly, she grabbed her sword, The Master Sword, and strapped it to her back. She whipped around as she heard an explosion, then footsteps. She cast about, looking for someplace to hide. She didn't make it far before an arm wrapped around her throat from behind, a dagger pressed to the side of her neck.
"Well if it isn't Zelda, the goddess's chosen Hero," a cold, smooth voice hissed in her ear. "Who would have thought that you would be this easy to capture?"
Zelda twisted out of the being's grasp and drew her sword. "Witchking! I knew you would come here! Though this doesn't seem like a one-man mission. I thought that you would have at least had the sense to bring comrades with you, but I guess I was mistaken."
The Witchking did not react to Zelda's insult. At least not that she could see, his face being concealed by a metal helmet and complete and utter darkness. She had no desire to see what was beneath that darkness, if anything at all. "I can bring you to your knees, Zelda, despite what you may think," the Witchking said as he twirled his dagger in his hand. "Normally, I would offer you the choice to die by my hand quickly, but it is not my place to do so. I will, however, give you a different option: come with me now, no fighting or struggling, and I will stay my hand. If you refuse and do not comply, I will teach you to not challenge me again."
"I care not for your options, Witchking! You know that I won't go with you willingly!"
The Witchking chuckled, "I knew it was a possibility that you would say that, but there is no harm in asking."
"You will have to capture me by force, if you want me to go anywhere. If you can," Zelda said as she got into her ready stance.
The Witchking sighed and shook his head slowly. "You really are stupid to think that you can beat me single-handedly. I am second only to my master, The Demon Lord!"
"Then your master will follow you into the Void!" Zelda cried as she swung The Master Sword.
The Witchking parried, then countered, making a shallow cut on Zelda's side. The Witchking continued his assault, and lashed out with his dagger, missing Zelda's face by a few centimeters as she dodged. Zelda attacked in return, cutting open the Witchking's shoulder. He growled, backhanding Zelda across the face, creating a long cut on her cheek, due to the spiked gauntlets he wore. Zelda blinked, stunned. The Witchking attacked, a flurry of blows, decorating her with many wounds. She fell to the ground at one particular blow, a strike on the head, and began backing away, though her wounds hampered her. The Witchking walked forward slowly, darkness surrounding him.
"My master won't be too happy once he finds out how weak the Hero of Time really is. But I suppose that's a matter between you and him. Try not to disappoint him, will you?" The Witchking said as he put his metal-encased hand around her throat, cutting off her air. Zelda's vision slowly faded to black as the Witchking began chanting, creating a portal through which his master resided.
When Zelda awoke, she realized three things. One: she was chained to a wall, weapons and supplies gone, two: she hurt all over, and three: she was probably in the most danger she has ever been in in her life. And that was saying a lot, considering all the fighting she had done to keep the goddess reborn safe. She had no idea what this so-called "Demon Lord" wanted with her; she hadn't even met him before! As if on cue, the cell door opened with the sound of squeaky metal. Zelda glanced up, expecting to see the Witchking. She was surprised when she saw someone who didn't look like the Witchking at all.
He was tall, thin, but very toned. His pale-gray skin showed in places his tight, revealing white clothing did not: there were diamond cutouts on his abdomen and chest, his arms were bare except for white gloves (also with diamond cutouts) that ended at his elbows, and a golden bracelet on his right bicep. His silvery-white hair covered half of his face, though he was not old, appearing to be around twenty. His one shown ear was pointed, and a glimmering blue diamond earring hung from it, catching the light. The one visible black eye studied her intently, looking her up and down. Zelda felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She struggled, trying to loosen the chains a bit, but to no avail. The man smiled, a terrible smile, showing vampiric teeth. He laughed.
"Struggling is pointless, my dear, or should I say, Zelda." His voice was like silk, making her want to listen to him. Yet at the same time there was an underlying threat in every word, betraying great power.
Zelda glared at him. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?"
"You may call me Ghirahim. Though I very much prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim, but I'm not fussy. As for how I know your name, let's just say that we've met before, just in a different life."
He's referring to the cycle, and that I'm an incarnation of the first Hero, Link. Zelda thought. I suppose that he knows that I'm protecting Her Grace, Hylia. I don't care what he does; I'm not going to tell him where she is!
Ghirahim chuckled softly, as if remembering something he would not want to forget. "I suppose you know why I'm here. I need information, Zelda, and you seem to be the only one who has it." He reached out to take her chin in his hand. "I will give you one chance to tell me where the Spirit Maiden is. If you don't, I will have to be more...persuasive."
"You know I won't tell you."
"Well, at least you admit that you know where she is, and you don't try to play dumb, as people have before you." Ghirahim remarked before he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "That makes it all the more fun for me."
Zelda paled. Ghirahim smirked and drew back, letting go of her chin. He snapped his fingers, materializing his black rapier. "Where is she?"
Zelda remained silent.
"Very well then," Ghirahim said as he placed the tip of the blade below Zelda's collarbone. "Just remember that you have brought this upon yourself."
Ghirahim quickly jammed the blade through, making the tip come in contact with the stone wall. Zelda bit her lip, drawing blood. She was doing anything she could to not cry out, not give Ghirahim the satisfaction.
Ghirahim frowned slightly. "Now that just won't do," he said, half to himself as he withdrew the blade.
He struck again just as quickly, slicing her on various places on her body, before the blade bit deep into her side, breaking a few ribs. Ghirahim's white lips morphed into a grin as Zelda cried out. Her screams were abruptly cut off as blood entered her lungs. Slowly, Ghirahim placed his hand on her ribcage. Ghirahim looked her in the eye as he pressed down, hard, sending more blood to her lungs. Zelda struggled, and Ghirahim laughed sharply at her reaction. He pressed harder, causing her to cough, blood spilling out of her mouth and coating her chin. Ghirahim smiled a feral smile at the sight of the crimson liquid.
He finally stepped back and snapped his fingers again, and a whip replaced the bloody sword. Zelda glanced at it apprehensively, then at Ghirahim's still-smiling face.
"This is more fun than I imagined! Though I would prefer it if you scream more. It is so...pleasing to my ears."
He lashed her with the whip again and again, leaving behind bloody lacerations. Zelda's vision slowly faded to black, the last thing she heard being Ghirahim's laughter.
Ghirahim ceased with the lashing as he realized that the child was unconscious. He had been so caught up in causing the Hero pain that he had forgotten that everyone, even the Hero, had a limit as to how much their bodies could endure. Disappointed, he exited her cell, shutting the door behind him. He would come back later to see if she had changed her mind, and was ready to tell him where the Spirit Maiden was. The Spirit Maiden was the only one with the power to stand against him, and Ghirahim wanted to dispose of her. The only problem was that he didn't know where she was. But Zelda did. He would get that information from her eventually!
As Ghirahim walked into the throne room, he noticed another being was already in there. Upon closer inspection with his heightened senses, he confirmed that it was the Witchking. Perfect. Ghirahim knew that the Witchking hated him, ever since the lord had killed his comrades. Ghirahim had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill him once his usefulness had ceased, and now seemed to be it.
"Greetings, Ringwraith," Ghirahim said as he strolled over to him.
"My lord. I've been waiting for you. I have come to avenge my fallen kin."
"Ah. I thought you would. Though I originally thought that you would take your revenge earlier, I suppose I was mistaken. Though this will provide me with some entertainment," Ghirahim said as he materialized his black rapier. "Come. I wish to get this done and over with quickly. I have matters to attend to."
"You don't know who you're messing with," the Witchking said as he unsheathed his dagger.
"Oh, I do. I have more of an idea than you imagine."
"Enough of this!" The Witchking shouted as he rushed toward the demon, striking at his left side. Ghirahim parried and leapt back, creating a formidable distance between the two. Quickly, Ghirahim snapped his fingers, summoning black diamond daggers which levitated around the Witchking. The Witchking's eyes widened an instant before the daggers were sent home. The Witchking crumpled to the ground, a pool of crimson forming underneath him.
Ghirahim scoffed. That fool thought he could best me in a duel! The imbecile. Well, I'd best check on the "Hero..." Hopefully she isn't dead and has come to her senses... He thought as he made his way back to the cell.
Zelda was pulled back from unconsciousness as she felt a cool, gloved hand on her cheek.
Ghirahim laughed mockingly. "You truly are fearful of me, if I can revive you from oblivion with just a touch of my hand."
"The only thing I fear is if I let you win, Ghirahim. I don't fear you as you are now," Zelda retorted.
"And you're in the perfect position to be saying that," Ghirahim said dryly.
Zelda glared at him, which just made him smirk.
"Your defiance is truly remarkable," Ghirahim added, gesturing at the numerous wounds on Zelda's body. "I have never met anyone who was quite like you before."
Zelda struggled in her bonds. She wanted to get away from this demon who was bent on getting an answer out of her, at any and all cost. Ghirahim seized her chin roughly, causing her to stop at the sudden, intimate contact. Ghirahim smiled at the fear captured in her eyes.
"Are you sure that you only fear that one thing, Zelda?"
Zelda nodded, shaking. The smell of fear permeated the air, reaching Ghirahim's nostrils. Ghirahim chuckled as he whispered in her ear, "But everything else says otherwise." His breath on her skin caused her to shudder. "Tell me," he said, tipping her chin up, causing their eyes to meet. "What is it you are so afraid of?"
Silence.
"Is it, perhaps, that I will get closer?" Ghirahim asked. Zelda struggled to turn away, but Ghirahim's hold on her was too strong. "Ah-ah-ah. We can't have that!" He drew one finger down the side of her face, almost seductively, causing her to shudder in revulsion. "Let's explore the extent of this fear, shall we?"
Zelda's eyes widened. "No! Please! Don't-" she broke off as he laughed wickedly.
"'No! Please! Don't!'" Ghirahim mocked her. "Don't what?"
"Don't...do anything permanent," Zelda said stiffly.
At that, Ghirahim paused and looked at her, contemplative. Suddenly it dawned on him what she meant. He broke out into fits of laughter. "Did you honestly think," he said between breaths, "that I was going to do that? Sure I'm going to do something, but definitely not that," His laughter reduced to a chuckle. "Honestly Hero, where do you get these ridiculous thoughts?" He took a deep breath, calming himself. He waved a dismissive hand. "All naive ideas aside, I've already broken that rule. I will always be here; you can't kill me! Especially since you fell to the Witchking! Whom, I might add, I killed in about five seconds!" He lightly tapped Zelda's forehead. "I will always be in here, haunting your footsteps until that sweet, sweet day you die. And that day will be while you are here, in my possession."
"I'm not a thing you own! I am not your subject, and you are not my ruler!" Zelda cried, furious that he had blatantly called her a thing, a possession, of his.
"Says the one chained to the wall," was his reply.
Zelda attempted to burn holes through him with her eyes. Ghirahim scoffed. "You're hopeless, Hero! You truly are!" He laughed, breath condensing on her cheeks. "And seeing you hopeless, or should I say, helpless, really... entices me," he smiled, predatory. He was testing her, seeing how far he could push her. Zelda looked at him, fear plain in her eyes. He chuckled softly and placed his lips on hers (more a kiss of death than anything else).
Zelda's eyes widened and she thrashed around, trying to get away from him. That did nothing however, it only encouraged him. Ghirahim finally pulled away after a few, agonizing minutes. A smirk was on his face and mirth was in his eyes. Zelda shrank back, attempting to merge herself with the stone wall.
Ghirahim laughed. "I guess the Hero isn't as pure as they make you out to be. Or are you even worthy of that title: Hero?"
Zelda shut her eyes, as if pained.
"I'm sure I can imagine what's going through your head right now," Ghirahim said as he leaned back against the stone wall opposite her, arms crossed and one foot thrown over the other in an arrogant pose. He cocked his head to the side, looking at her through half-lidded eyes. "Are you thinking about telling me?"
"No!" Zelda cried. Ghirahim smirked. He could tell that she was thinking about it; in that slight tremor she held in her voice, in the way she turned away from him. Yes. He confirmed. She is definitely thinking about it. But she is the keeper of the Triforce of Courage; she will remain defiant. That's fine; she can be that way. It will only make things worse for her. But that would make it all the more pleasurable for me.
"If you tell me, I will make your end swift."
"So you admit it, then. You are going to kill me either way."
Ghirahim shook his head mournfully. "You misunderstand me. It is true that I am eventually going to kill you. But I will only do so after you tell me where the Spirit Maiden is, if only just. Though I may let you live a few seconds, maybe minutes more, to prolong your torture."
"You're sick! I can't believe you find this to your liking!"
"I am a demon, and a lord at that. It's logical if you think about it." He flashed a smile at her. "Fortunately for me, what I have done thus far is only a fraction of what I will ultimately do to you."
"I don't care what you do to me; I'm not going to tell you!"
"You will, sweet. You will on both accounts."
Zelda started at the title, paling as she took in his words.
"Zelda, sweet, Hero." He pressed, moving closer. Slowly, he cupped her chin in his hand. Zelda jerked, trying to get out of his grip, but to no avail. Ghirahim smiled. "You're pathetic, quite honestly. But I admire your resolve all the same. You're going to need it."
He snapped his fingers, materializing one of his black diamond daggers. He held the flat of the blade to her jawline, feeling her shudder under its touch. He idly traced her cheekbone, causing her to close her eyes tightly. Satisfied at her reaction, he cut a line in her cheek, all the way to the underside of her jaw. Zelda whimpered, much to Ghirahim's delight.
"There we go. I prefer screams more, but whimpering is fine as well. After all, it is one step closer to defeat!" He leaned in close, his eyes lighting upon the blood running down Zelda's face. "That's an awful lot of blood there, dearest! Should I...clean it up for you?" At that, Zelda's eyes snapped open, giving him a horrified look.
"Oh it's not all that bad!" he went on, "It's pleasurable! At least for me." Zelda had a split second to wonder what he meant before he began licking all the blood that coated one side of her face. Zelda froze, terrified. Ghirahim moaned softly before whispering, "Thank you for being considerate. I greatly appreciate it." Zelda grimaced. Ghirahim laughed before he continued depriving Zelda of her blood. Ghirahim finally pulled away from the wound, grudgingly, almost. "Your blood tastes divine, child," he smiled, showing blood-stained teeth. "And I will have the opportunity to spill more of it!" Zelda groaned and hung her head. Ghirahim regarded her current state without remorse, though he turned away swiftly, taking a few deep breaths, calming himself. He didn't want to get carried away and kill her by accident. That would be most unfortunate.
Zelda screamed as Ghirahim drove a dagger through her palm, sticking it fast to the wall. He twisted it viciously before pulling it out, the blade stained red. Something flickered in his eyes. Bloodlust. Zelda shuddered as he drew his tongue across the flat of the blade, wetting his taste buds with her life-fluid. Ghirahim was becoming frustrated. Each time he asked her where the Spirit Maiden was, she refused to answer. Now, he was nearly at the point where he would kill her. And, if she didn't tell him the next time he asked, he was going to do so, despite the "promise" he made.
Ghirahim breathed deeply of Zelda's blood, enjoying the coppery smell. He rested the tip of the dagger on her forearm, near her elbow joint. "Tell. Me. Where. She. Is," Ghirahim uttered dangerously, fighting to keep himself under control.
Zelda shook her head.
He snapped. With a cry of frustration, he stabbed the dagger into her forearm, dragging it down to the wound in her palm. Zelda screamed and writhed in agony. Furious that Zelda had not, and, he finally realized, will not tell him, he grabbed her around the throat and slammed her head into the wall. Stars wove their way into Zelda's field of vision. Ghirahim threw her to the ground, ripping the chains free from their place in the stone wall. Zelda landed on her stomach, coughing weakly. He kneeled down next to her and placed the dagger at her spine. "It's a pity you didn't tell me when I gave you the chance," he stated simply before he drove the dagger in, piercing her heart. Killing her. He watched coldly as the life faded from the Hero's eyes.
"Zelda," a voice said.
Zelda chose to ignore it.
"Zelda," it came again.
The Hero of Time opened her eyes confusedly and gaped at what she saw. She was lying in a field made of gold. A river made of crystals was to her right. To her left, she saw in the distance, mountains unparalleled in height, being so high as she could not see the tops of them. And in front of her was Farore, the goddess of courage. Zelda quickly stood up. "Please forgive me," she said, "I had no idea it was you!"
The goddess smiled. "No need to apologize, Hero. You have done enough as it is."
"What do you mean?"
"You have kept the Spirit Maiden safe. Now, other incarnations of the Hero will take up the mantle. Hopefully, though, no one will have to endure the horrors you did," the goddess said, gesturing at Zelda's arm. Zelda glanced down at it and shuddered.
"But Ghirahim is still out there! I didn't kill him! ...He killed me..."
"You did all you could. There is nothing more I would ask for. You did your best. Rest easy, Hero, and guide the other incarnations in the right direction."
"I will," Zelda replied. "Thank you."
"No, thank you," the goddess said as she disappeared.
In her place, a figure rose. Zelda recognized him immediately. "Link? The first Hero?"
Link smiled. "No, my lady, merely the next incarnation. The incarnation after you. I came here to say that I will try my best to follow in your footsteps, and to keep the Spirit Maiden safe."
"And I will always be watching over you. You, and all the future incarnations," Zelda replied.
Link dipped his head, still smiling, and faded.
"Always..." Zelda whispered.
Ghirahim stood and growled, realizing what he had just done. "That blasted cycle!" he yelled. "Always interfering with my plans!" He punched a hole in the stone wall, though it didn't seem to hurt him. "That blasted incarnation! I shouldn't have killed her like I did! I shouldn't have lost control! I shouldn't have- I shouldn't have..." he broke off, lost for words. He took a deep breath, calming himself. "Well," he said finally, "there's always the next incarnation," he smirked. "And not all the Heroes have the same attributes. I swear that I will break the next one, and not kill them in my own bloodlust and anger, as I did with Zelda," he laughed, sudden and sharp. "Heroes all have the same fear: losing the one they are protecting. Once I get the Spirit Maiden, I'll end the cycle, and I will be the leader of the Surface with no one to oppose me! And then I will watch the world of the humans burn!" he cackled. "All I need to do now, is wait."