He could hear nothing but the blood rushing through his ears. His eyes were squeezed shut, the pain coursing through his body being almost too much to bear. He didn't understand how it ended up this way; one second he was fighting with all the strength of the hero he was, the next a weaponless, defenseless, crippled pile of flesh and bone on the floor of a dark dungeon where he was being held prisoner. After what seemed like an eternity, he could hear again, his breathing very shallow from the currents of electricity that were just running through his battered body.

"Give up yet?" That cold, evil voice said close to his ear. He opened his sapphire eyes only to be staring into the eyes of the Demon Lord he hated with every fiber of his being. The hero darkly laughed to himself, and spat back,

"Not even close, Ghirahim." The demon theatrically rolled his eyes and put his gloved palm to his forehead. He exhaled loudly, trying to keep his temper in check. He stood up, pacing back and fourth in front of his prisoner, who was chained to the wall on a leash.

"It may not happen today, Skychild, but soon...very soon, you will be bowing at my feet begging for mercy!" He grabbed Link by the collar of his ripped tunic, bringing him off the ground so their noses were touching. Link did the first thing that came into his head; he spat a large amount of saliva and blood right onto the cheek of the over-dramatic Demon Lord. His eyes shot fireballs as he grabbed Link by the cheeks, digging his long fingernails into the soft flesh, causing him to wince in pain. He threw Link against the wall, the reassuring CRACK of his head smashing into the wall sending shivers up Ghirahim's spine. He watched as link slowly sunk to the floor, a trail of crimson blood following behind him. Ghirahim walked over to Link, making sure his pet wasn't dead yet. There was a large gash in the back of his head that was pouring blood; Ghirahim ran his finger down it and licked the blood, savouring the flavor for a moment. He thought for a moment on what he should do.

"I can't let my pet die so quick..." He reluctantly produced a roll of cloth and wrapped it around his head, poking at the unconscious boy to see if he could rouse him from his sleep. When he saw that he could not, he decided to just leave it.

"See you soon, Hero." He maliciously laughed as he dissolved into a sea of diamonds.

2 Months Later

"I'm...so...sorry...Ghira..." Was all the crippled hero could stutter before having another laceration opened on his back by the magic whip, blood spraying the room around them. The Demon Lord laughed sadistically and leaned down into Link's face.

"Pardon me?" He mockingly said, getting inches away, their noses almost touching. Link swallowed his pride and whimpered out,

"L...lord Ghirahim." He looked down, ashamed to have broken. He held strong for so long...but this was it, Ghirahim found Zelda, resurrected Demise, and the world as he knew it was in shambles. All he could think was why he was being kept alive? Why didn't Ghirahim just kill him?

"I can't get rid of you...yet." He said, as if reading Link's mind. "I want you to help me, Link." The barley conscious boy slowly lifted his head, making eye contact with his captor. For the first time, Link was interested in what Ghirahim had to say. He mustered up all the energy he had to speak.

"With what?" Those two simple words filled Ghirahim with joy, and he sat down next to Link with a big grin on his white face. He began to speak, while picking the dried blood out from under his fingernails.

"Well, skychild, I need a right-hand man. As Master has me, I have been given permission to have my own as well." He looked over at link, his smile sending ice through Link's veins. "You have proven that you're durable, and have alot more going on than a normal human ever has...you have a warriors heart." He helped Link sit up, the blood pouring from his fresh wounds. Ghirahim positioned himself behind Link, his mouth touching his ear. "Think about it...immortality as a demon prince, ruling with us, you'd be on top, well, third from the top." Link shuddered, feeling the Demon Lord's warm breath on his ear. Link was silent for a moment, deep in thought, wondering what the right move would be. What if he was lying to him? Ghirahim was very persuasive, and the darkest lies sounded like the sweetest truths when brushing past his lips. After a moment of silence, he said more to himself than to Ghirahim,

"What do I have to do?" He could almost feel the smile of triumph on Ghirahim's face. His next words sent chills down Link's spine.

"Oh that's the fun part!" He said gleefully, laughing to himself. "All I have to do, is kill you!" Like almost regretted asking, he knew it was just more head games.

"Just kill me, alright? I've had enough of your little head games, and i'm just ready to go." The demon lord furrowed his brow and moved in front of the crippled teen. Taking his chin gently between his thumb and forefinger, he softly began speaking once again.

"No, I mean I have to kill your mortal self. Once your mortality is gone, I can inject you with my blood, which will infuse with your blood and turn you into a demon. You will be immortal Link. You'll no longer age, your wounds will heal faster, you will have more strength than you know what to do with. For once, you will be on top, and trust me, skychild, it's a wonderful view from the top." He moved back to give the boy room to breathe. "Fighting as hard as you have, only to stay at the bottom, its a pity." Link closed his eyes and began to think some more, drowning out the demons rambling.

What more do I have to lose? I've lost Zelda, I've lost my pride, I failed the goddess...maybe this is how I can redeem myself. Link could feel a lump growing in his throat. He tried to swallow it down, but his mouth and throat were like sand paper. A nauseous feeling overcame him, and he lurched forward, trying not to vomit. Ghirahim, growing impatient, stood up and looked down at Link.

"I'll let you think it over for the night. But remember skychild...either way, you are mine." He darkly laughed as he dissolved into a sea of diamonds. Link laid on the floor of his cell, bringing his knees to his chest. Tears began to stream down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry Zelda...Fi...everyone. I've failed...goddess...please forgive me..." His voice trailed off as his bitter tears hit the floor. The darkness surrounded him, and soon he fell into a dreamless sleep.