The crunching sound of steel breaking through bones echoed through the room, but you felt no pain. Trembling you stood there, eyes still clenched shut, frightened that the agony would only come once you opened your eyes and saw the wound... saw the blood.

Perhaps you were already dead? In that case, death had been surprisingly painless, despite the injury which must have followed to his attack.
But, if you were dead, then how could you feel the cold stone in your back and your heart racing in your chest? The stinging pain that came from the cuts which Ghirahim had inflicted to you and your sore arms from blocking his attacks for so long?

No... you weren't dead... But somehow this didn't comfort you at all, since it meant you were still trapped in a room that was much too small, with a sadistic Demon Lord. You didn't want to open your eyes. You really didn't want to.

"Look at me, girl."

Ghirahim's voice was quieter and much closer than before, which alone was reason enough for you wanting to open your eyes even less. Motionless you stood there, eyes remaining closed as you held your breath.

"Look. At. Me."

This time he sounded a lot less amused than just before, clearly displeased by your defiance. You still didn't feel like obeying him, yet keeping your eyes closed any longer would probably result in you getting stabbed again - or worse - and so, with slight hesitation, you slowly opened them.

The good news was, you hadn't been pierced by his blade, which explained your lack of pain. What you first had considered to be the sound of breaking bones had actually been the sound of his sword cutting through the solid stone, not even half an inch away from your head.

But, of course, there were also bad news; He had placed his left hand on the other side of your head, trapping you between his towering frame and the wall behind you. This was probably not the right time to worry about your lack of height, but goddesses he was huge! You had already noticed before, but now that he stood this close to you the difference was even more blatant.

When your eyes met his, pale lips curled into a smirk again, a deep chuckle rumbling in his chest. For a second you were tempted to try and shove him away, but even if it wouldn't have been for his inhuman strength, you wouldn't have managed; your arms felt like jelly - very bruised jelly - and so did your legs. The only reason why you were still standing, rather than having collapsed, was the fear of him. Your body refused to give up yet, still preparing to run, to live.

Ghirahim let go of his blade, which remained stuck in the wall next to your head, and instead moved his hand to your face, cupping your cheek. Usually you considered this a comforting and warm gesture, but the action coming from him only made you tremble. There was no warmth in his touch and his gentleness did not come from sympathy.
You wanted to say something, anything, but no words came to your mind and so you simply stared back at him, trying to ignore the bloody scenarios which your mind helpfully presented to you. The demon Lord kept silent as well, observing you closely with a smile stationary on his lips. His gaze seemed almost intrigued, as if you were a riddle he was looking forward to solve - or, more likely, a new toy which he was trying to decide on how to play with.

"Interesting."

Ghirahim's voice was quiet, his words not exactly directed at you. Interesting...? You never considered yourself a particularlyboring person, yet you truly could not imagine just what about you could be considered interesting by this man. And you wouldn't find the time to think some more about it either, as you were distracted when the demon moved his fingers from your cheek to your chin, gripping it tightly between index and thumb and forcing you to properly face him.

Your eyes widened in a mixture of disbelief and shock, when the lord leaned down, brushing his thin lips against yours experimentally. You had expected many, many things, but definitely not this...! Petrified you stood there, the gears working behind your forehead as your brain tried to make any sense of the situation - a task, which it utterly failed.

Pulling back, his lips formed into a sneer as his tongue slithered out to lick them. His dark, almost completely black eyes stared into yours, and everything you saw in them only confirmed that this man was a predator.

Apparently Ghirahim took your passive reaction as an invitation, as he closed in again, his second kiss a lot more dominant and possessive than the first one. Demandingly his tongue slid across your lips, expecting you to part them, but as conciousness slowly returned to you, you pressed them together into a thin line instead, showing your last remaining bit of defiance.

In a mixture of derision and annoyance the Lord increased the pressure on your jaws, giving proof of his insane strength once again as he forced your lips open, immediately sliding his tongue into your mouth. This time a muffled sound of protest escaped you, quickly followed by a whimper as the demon quite literally took your breath, tongue brushing against yours, anything but gentle.

Ignoring the burning pain and feeling of powerlessness, you pressed your palms against his chest, attempting to push the much taller male away as you struggled in his grip. Yet, no matter the fear which clawed at your heart, you were exhausted and soon you could feel your arms tremble again, the little bit of strength that you had gathered quickly leaving them.

His kiss seemed to last an eternity, not leaving you the slightest chance to breathe and instead, quite literally, suffocating you. Just when you were sure - and, quite honestly, even hopeful - that darkness would swallow you, he pulled away, and air once again could fill your lungs. Coughing and gasping for air, you had given up on trying to push him away, fingers instead feebly clutching to the silken fabric of his clothes. Every time you inhaled, the feeling was one of pure bliss, the oxygen allowing your mind to clear once more.

"W-what are you-"

"I must say, skychild, I am amazed."

He interrupted you mid-sentence, not seeming to care about what you wanted to say, as instead he observed you contemplatingly. Releasing your chin, he instead brought his hand up to your cheek, brushing his knuckles against your skin. A gesture which one might have mistaken for a caress - but, to you, it felt more like he was testing an item at a market, trying to evaluate its worth.

"I rarely find myself intrigued with anyone, and much less an individual as pitifully plain as you."

Ghirahim's words were harsh, dripping with arrogance and derision on every word that he spoke, even holding irritation to it as if your lack of visual extravagance bothered him personally. His fingertips continued to trace your cheek, drawing a line down to your jaws before roughly grabbing you once more, tearing a soft whine from your lips as you grimaced in discomfort.

"And yet, here I am, feeling undeniably drawn towards you..."

Where before his voice had been loud, clearly sounding through the hall, it now had diminished into a whisper once more, face close enough as though their lips would have touched if you moved even the slightest bit.

Then, slowly, his expression changed into a deriding smirk again, eyes lighting up with cruel amusement again as his gaze bore into yours.

"But alas... maybe I ought to find out what it is, that draws me in?"

As if by some god's cruel mockery, it was this very moment where your knees decided to finally give in below you, the only thing keeping you from sinking to the floor being the Demon Lord's grasp on you.

A soft chuckle, mocking in its nature, escaped the whitehaired's lips at the sight of your weakness, taking a moment to savour the moment as he held you against himself with ease, making you seem like little more than a doll in his grip.

Then, without warning, there was a sudden shift in gravity, your head and view spinning for a second before the next thing you knew was, that you were on the floor, your head throbbing with dull pain where it had hit the stone below. The demon was kneeling above you, with his hands placed down on either side of your body. Your chances of escaping were basically nonexistant, leaving you staring up at him wide-eyed. Never had you thought, that visiting the surface would end in such a situation... that this fight would end like this! Ah, but did you know how it was going to end...?

Through the sound of your own blood rushing in your ears, you could faintly hear Link still calling out for you and banging against the locked doors. How long had he been trying already? Since the beginning of this fight, you had completely lost track of time... maybe it had been hours, maybe only a few minutes. Oh, how you wished the door would finally give him, allowing the young man to come. Even though the rational part of you knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against Ghirahim either, you still were convinced that the soft-spoken hero would be able to save you.

The Lord, meanwhile, seemed hardly fazed by the everlasting noise, a simple, disdainful glance into the gate's general direction being his only reaction before returning his attention to his prey. There weren't any serious threats in Skyloft - no beasts or monsters. But you had read about them, never understanding how the mere presence of a creature could make one fear for their life. Yet, as you looked up at the monster above you, you understood every single situation described in your favourite stories.
His dark eyes scanned you from head to toe once more, the demon taking his sweet time to decide on his next actions. After all, why hurry? Both of you were aware that this was game over for you; you had no hopes to escape him, unless a miracle would happen.

At the sight of your clothes Ghirahim snarled, face becoming a grimace of disgust. Pinching the fabric between gloved fingers, he examined the roughly woven cloth of your tunic with disdain, seeming unwilling to even touch it.

"Revolting."

For a second, the expression of disgust remained on his face before, slowly, his pale lips pulled into a sneer once more, his cruelty evident in the look which he gave you as he raised his gaze to your face again.

"We should get rid of it, don't you agree, skychild?"

His voice was soft, its melody dangerously playful as he. Long fingers feathered along the hem of your tunic, the touch almost sweet - yet the threat in the Lord's voice caused your breath to hitch in your throat. He... he wouldn't. He couldn't! This wasn't... y-you never...

As your panic intensified to a new high, thinking in coherent sentences became increasingly more challenging, fear clouding your mind. Fighting him was already bad enough, but the thought of him stripping you, as well as the premonition of what horrors were to follow to such a thing filled you with terror.
Ghirahim caught on to your fear with ease, dark eyes never leaving your face as the sneer on his lips widened to the grotesque. Pity appeared to be a foreign concept to the whitehaired, your terrified state only seeming to add to his entertainment. Slowly, gleefully even, his cool fingers slipped below the cloth of your uniform, brushing against your skin as he moved up to your stomach.

Lowering his head onto you once more, chocked gasp escaped your lips at the sensation of cold breath against your neck, soon followed by sharp canines grazing against your skin.

"L-Link-"

You whispered the name without realising it first, fearful voice far too quiet as though the hero would be able to hear you. Your efforts didn't even bother the demon above you, Ghirahim only chuckling against your skin. Yet, with the name finally leaving your lips, something within you broke - something which had held you back until now, kept you from calling for help. And when you cried out this time, your voice resounded from the walls, filled with helpless desperation.

"LINK!"

For a second it was quiet, nobody moving or saying anything, the monster above you having frozen at your sudden shout. You already began to fear, that you had signed your own death sentence, when suddenly a loud crash filled the room, causing both you and Ghirahim to snap your heads towards the entrance.

With wide eyes you watched, as the giant metal door shattered as though it was nothing but glass, revealing Link standing behind it. Never before had you ever seen the blonde with such a ferocious expression. And, upon seeing you, pinned down and assaulted by the enemy, it only grew even darker, pure fury radiating from the young hero.

A miracle. This couldn't be anything less than a miracle. By all means, you had seen the door. Shattering it like this was impossible, especially since the hero's only weapon was his sword. And yet, where once the iron gate had stood, there now was nothing more than rubble, scattered around your childhood friend. You didn't know why, but at the sight tears sprung to your eyes. Maybe out of relief, maybe out of something else.

Link charged, waking the whitehaired demon from his daze which he clearly had been in. In a flurry of diamonds he was gone, your saviour's sword harmlessly zipping through the air above you. Immediately the blond whipped around, sword raised as he stood protectively in front of you. For a moment you caught his gaze as he gave you a quick, worried look, before blue eyes returned to the form of Ghirahim reappearing at the other end of the hall.

The demon Lord clearly was unhappy by the interruption, his expression one of pure annoyance. His stance was predatory, slightly leaned forward and looking as though he was about to leap at the hero in front of you - before he huffed, muscles relaxing as he straightened.

"Your timing is quite unsatisfactory, Hero.", the Lord drawled out, the last word uttered like there was no worse insult. Bringing up one hand, he flicked his white hair aside before snapping his fingers elegantly, all blood draining from your face as his dark blade appeared in his hands once more. If he chose to fight, it would be the end of you both.

"I could kill you now, dear boy. And, truth be told, you having spoiled my entertainment left me in a rather wroth mood..."

He almost lazily assessed the sharp edge of his weapon, seeming to be treacherously calm, yet you could feel his anger, filling the room and being almost palpable.

"However... I've already wasted enough time here. The girl's presence... I can no longer feel her holy powers."

As he spoke, Ghirahim turned his head to look at the now shattered exit, expression darkening even more before a cold smile returned to thin lips and his gaze to you and Link.

"Consider yourself lucky just this once, skychildren. I will allow you to leave today. But, should our paths cross again..."

Eerie eyes now focussed their gaze on you, making you feel as though someone had just emptied a bucket of icewater above your head.

"... then I can promise you, I shall not be as lenient another time."

And with those final words, the Lord raised his blade above his head, giving a mock bow as he drew a circle in the air, vanishing with a whirring sound and another rain of diamonds.

For a few seconds, neither of you moved, the room quiet aside from your own ragged breathing. Then, as you both awoke from your trace, Link turned on his heels to face you, immediately dropping to his knees before you and laying down his sword. With a bright light, Fi flickered into existence, hovering behind her master as he put his hands onto your shoulders, expression frantic.

"[Y/N]! Are you hurt? Did he harm you?"

Your entire body was sore, your clothing badly torn and soaked with blood from the various cuts which the demon had left on your form, and yet you couldn't help but laugh weakly. Maybe it was the anxiety, maybe it was relief, but you couldn't stop yourself, the sound echoing from the walls. Link's worried expression only deepened, the hero leaning in ever so slightly as he tried to gaze into your eyes.

Calming down, you smiled warily at him, closing your eyes as you allowed your exhausted body to lean against him, taking note of how warm he was. How safe it felt. Despite the fact that you still were smiling, the tears which had threatened to spill this entire time now finally fell from your eyes, trailing down your cheeks and seeping into the green of his tunic.

"I'll be alright."

Your voice was cracked and hoarse, combining with your ragged appearance to make your statement seem like a blatant lie, yet the blond didn't comment on it. Instead, he only cradled you in his arms, fingers gently stroking your hair as you wept. Fi's calm, melodic voice sounded through the room.

"There is a 98% chance that she will be completely recovered in a few days."

Seeing how you couldn't hear Link replying, you assumed that he had simply nodded in response, not caring either way. He was here. Fi was here. You had somehow survived this horrifying encounter, not only alive but also having avoided whatever twisted intentions Ghirahim had had with you. That was all that mattered.
Now that you were out of danger, your body suddenly felt horribly heavy, exhaustion and stress taking their toll on you and making you terribly tired. You didn't want to fall asleep, yet your eyes refused to open again, body having gone limp in Link's embrace.

"You were amazing... shatterin' the door... like a real hero."

You mumbled the words into his shoulder, the words sluggish as it became increasingly more difficult to concentrate. The soft laugh Link gave you in response revibrated through his chest. Although you couldn't see his face, you knew that your words made him calm down in his worry at least the slightest bit, shoulders relaxing as the hero hoisted you up into his arms as, getting back onto his feet.

"You're the one having fought that thing, and still calling me the hero?"

His voice was soft and gentle, making you sniffle faintly as you sunk deeper into drowsiness, losing yourself in his warmth.

"Mmh... you are..."

The last of your sentence was lost as you finally slipped into the land of dreams, the last thing you knew being Link's scent and the certainty that you were safe.

Ahh there we go! This is so late - like always OTL - but I do hope you did enjoy it either way.
I know you were expecting smut. Don't worry.
It will come soon enough.