In the meantime, Zelda was running in the darkness of night searching for a place to hide. She didn't know whether Ghirahim was coming after her or Link had been able to stop him, maybe even kill him. She hoped for the last option, but it was most unlikely, knowing he had no weapons to fight with.
It was hard to find a good hiding place. Every place seemed too easy to notice. The main problem was that Ghirahim knew his terrain all too well, way better than she knew it. She hadn't explored the whole Faron Woods yet and if the demon lord would send his troops to look for her, she didn't stand a chance to escape.
Was it better to leave the Faron Woods? Maybe return to Skyloft? No, that was the worst she could do. It was too logical that she would go to Skyloft if she didn't stay in the Faron Woods. And it would also endanger her friends there.
No, she had to do something completely different, something no one would expect her to do. She had to seek out the danger. She had to do something she never would have done, she had to go and look for Ghirahim.
The closer she would be to his place, the safer she would be. No one would expect her to be close to him.
But first she had to return to the Sealed Temple, to ask Link to help her. It was best if she'd first spend the night here somewhere, to make sure Ghirahim wouldn't be in the temple when she arrived.
She looked around and saw an opening between two rocks, the perfect hiding place for now. She remembered Link showing this place to her.
Still a bit unsure she entered the dark grotto. She walked deeper inside until she reached the end. It wasn't a large grotto, but at night is was nearly visible. And the next morning, she would be gone again, which made this one of the best hiding places. Zelda sat down and closed her eyes. Soon afterwards she fell asleep.
... ... ...
When Link woke up, he felt his arms were still tied together. With some difficulty he got up and opened his eyes, but it was all black. He looked around, but couldn't spot any lights in this area.
"Is anybody here?" he asked, trembling with fear. In the distance he heard the noises of bokoblins.
"Bokoblins, can you tell me where I am?" he asked. The only answer was the rattling of chains.
"Is your master here?" Link tried again.
"Your fault!" the bokoblin screamed, "It all your fault!"
Link didn't know what to answer.
"Master furious! Kill my friend, torture me! Never see master like that! It all your fault! You not fall asleep, my friend still alive and I not have pain!"
"But you made me 'fall asleep'! If you hadn't hit me with that machete, I wouldn't have fallen unconscious!" Link shouted, "And I am not the one who killed your friend and tortured you! Blame your master!"
"Master not like that!"
"You're too loyal! All bokoblins are! Your master only uses you as his toys to do the dirty work and whenever he feels like killing one of you, he just does it for no reason!"
At that moment, the door was opened and a loud bang followed when it was shut.
"Master!" the bokoblin said, "Human talk bad of you!"
"Shut up…" Ghirahim growled.
"But he say it your fault!"
"And I said you had to shut up!"
Link could hear a different tone in Ghirahim's voice, something … terrifying. Then he heard a sword being drawn, he heard Ghirahim stabbing and the bokoblin screaming.
Link wished he could shut his ears somehow. He could literally hear the bokoblin choking in his own blood.
"Now it's your turn", Ghirahim said while he pulled the sword out of the bokoblin's dead body and turned to Link. The sky-child tried to stand and run away.
"Oh, no no no, you won't get away! Not this time!" Ghirahim quickened his pace.
Link's stomach turned when the demon lord had almost reached him. He clenched his teeth and tried to imagine something good would happen. However, that was far from possible.
Ghirahim grabbed him by his hair and hauled him to his feet. Then he untied the blindfold that covered Link's eyes. Link opened his eyes and looked right into those of Ghirahim. He could feel the hate burning in the demon's eyes.
"Don't hurt me", Link whispered.
"No? You can't stop me this time. You've hurt me too much. Too much. And you're going to pay for that!"
Link closed his eyes.
"Look at me," Ghirahim growled. "Look at me!" He gave Link a good shaking.
"No." Link responded firmly, eyes still closed.
Ghirahim pushed him away and turned around. Link stumbled and fell flat on his back. He stared up at the ceiling. The original colour must have been a light shade of grey, but now there were several red spots, probably bloodstains, knowing Ghirahim. Maybe this was the torture chamber he had been talking about?
He sat up and looked around. The walls were even more discoloured, and so was the floor, that was plain red.
"Don't you ever clean this place?" he asked, though he knew what the answer would be, he even knew why.
Ghirahim turned his head to Link. He was holding something, but the sky-child couldn't quite see what it was. "Get up and come over here," the demon lord said.
Link rose and did as he was told. Ghirahim's first angry look turned into a smile,
"Good. Now look around and admire the place that will be burnt in your memory."
Link cautiously looked around. The first time, he only noticed the change of colours on the walls, but now he saw pairs of chains were bound to two of the four walls, the left and the right. The dead bokoblin was still chained to the wall. Link quickly looked away.
Strangely enough, there was no door leading out of this room. It was completely empty, except for one cupboard Ghirahim was looking at.
"What is this place?" Link asked.
"Hmm… which one would I choose…" Ghirahim mumbled, ignoring Link's question.
Link hesitated for a moment. Was this a chance to attack? Ghirahim didn't seem very watchful, but that could also be a trick, just like the last time, when he left him with that bokoblin.
"You just left me with that bokoblin, because you knew I would kill it, and then you had a reason to torture me!" he exclaimed.
"I don't need a reason to torture you," Ghirahim replied calmly. "Tell me Link, head or tail?"
"What?"
"Head or tail, just pick one."
"None!"
"None? You want them both then? That's alright by me, but I think you'll regret that."
"No, that's not what I meant! I wanted to say … head."
"Head? Alright…" Ghirahim took something out of the cupboard and then closed it. He turned to Link and showed him a whip. "Isn't she beautiful? The end reminds me of a snake head. These two pins are the teeth, do you see? It's one of my favourite whips. You've chosen quite well."
"Have I?" Link asked unsure.
"Of course. I'd say tail is better to start with, because it's not as painful as this one, but it won't make any difference in the long run."
"So you're going to whip me…"
"What would I do with a whip if it wasn't to whip you? Of course I'm going to whip you. That's your punishment. Punishment for murder once was death, back in the time of my master, but I had to change it. Too many bokoblins died and they weren't afraid to be punished. My master did it too quickly , it didn't even hurt. I prefer it the long way. Long and excruciating torment, that's the way I like it."
"Mhm" Link nodded as if he completely understood, but he didn't understand it at all. How could you like hurting people? He would never understand Ghirahim's way of thinking.
"We've talked enough for now, time for some action. Turn around." Ghirahim said.
Link pretended he didn't hear it. "I imagined your torture room to be much bigger, and much more complex," he said.
"It is. This is just one department of the torture chamber. You'll see when we're done here. Now turn around." Link didn't react.
"Turn around", Ghirahim repeated, more irritated this time. Link stared at the demon lord as if he was speaking Chinese.
"Turn around or you'll get the whip in your face!" Ghirahim's words echoed through the room. Link slowly turned around.
One second later, he screamed in pain when the first whiplash hit his back.
"That's for beating me the first time in the Skyview Temple!" Ghirahim shouted while he slashed with the whip once more, "And this is for helping the spirit maiden escape at the Gate of Time!"
Another whiplash followed.
"For defeating my golden machine in the Ancient Cistern!"
Link tried not to scream as the whip once more ripped open the skin of his back.
"For beating me again in the Fire Sanctuary!"
The sky-child staggered as he tried to keep his balance.
Ghirahim laughed, "And how do you like it now, hmm?!"
Link fell to his knees, "Stop it!"
"I'm not even halfway yet! It's your own fault, you shouldn't have done all of this!"
Link tried to stand, but another slash of the whip made him fall again.
"For arriving too quick and interrupting my ritual!" Ghirahim continued, "For beating me a third time!"
Then he paused for a moment. Link waited for another whiplash to follow, but it didn't come. He looked behind him and saw Ghirahim was walking away.
"What…" he panted out, "are you doing?"
The demon lord didn't respond. He opened the cupboard and took another whip out. "Triple teeth," he said, "Worse than snake head."
"Worse?" Link asked in disbelief.
"This isn't even my worst whip. You should try the devil's horns. That's the real thing!" Ghirahim smiled.
Link tried to stand, he didn't want to look weak, especially not towards the demon lord. "Show me… what you're worth then.." he brought out with difficulty. The pain started overpowering him again, but he kept standing.
A smirk appeared on Ghirahim's face, "You're weak sky-child! Don't try to hide it, I can see it!"
Link turned his head to Ghirahim, "I am.. Not weak!" he shouted.
Ghirahim laughed, "You can barely keep standing! I doubt you'll still think so after one more whiplash!"
"This is… unfair!" Link gasped, "I … want to fight!"
"Fight? You? In this condition? Don't make me laugh!"
"You're afraid… aren't you? You don't… want to fight, because… you always lost the swordfight!"
Ghirahim grumbled and snapped his fingers. Two swords appeared. The threw one to Link, "Catch!"
Link didn't catch the sword and it clashed to the floor. "I want my … Master Sword …" he said, "I won't fight … with this."
"Then you don't fight!" Ghirahim said while he approached the sky-child, "I don't care whether you try to defend of not. I will fight anyway!"
Link grabbed the sword and aimed it at his enemy. The demon lord gave a slight tap with his sword against Link's. Link got out of balance.
Ghirahim sighed, "Weak, sky-child, weak." Link growled and gave a hard slash with the sword, but his attack was blocked. He slashed again, and again, and he kept slashing like a madman until he had driven the demon lord against the wall. Then he quickly stabbed.
Ghirahim tried to block the attack, but he could only avert the sword and he got hit in his side. He grumbled and jabbed at Link with his sword.
The sky-child had to recoil to dodge the attack and he almost lost his balance in the process. Ghirahim gave another slash and cut Link in his left arm. Link fell and dropped his sword. The demon lord sat down on his stomach and pressed the sword under his chin.
"You've lost, sky-child! You're worthless!" he smirked.
"Get off me!" Link tried to retrieve his sword, but it was out of reach.
Ghirahim started to make a cut in his chin. "Don't …" Link whispered and he turned his head to the side, but that only made it worse.
Ghirahim giggled, "You're caught like a rat in a trap, sky-child. How does it feel now, hmm?"
Link bit on the bullet. He hadn't lost yet, oh no! He felt his fingertips now touched the hilt of his sword. He tried to grab it. Ghirahim didn't seem to watch his actions, he was only staring hypnotized at the scar he was making in his face.
The pain grew stronger, especially in his back. Ghirahim's weight was just too much for his open wounds. But he had to endure this pain, for Zelda. The longer he kept the sword spirit occupied, the more time Zelda had to escape.
His sword was now within reach. The sky-child grabbed it and raised his arm. But apparently Ghirahim wasn't as hypnotized as he seemed, he grabbed Link's arm and pressed it to the floor again.
"You never give up, do you?" he sighed.
"Not as long as you're still alive!" Link growled.
These words angered the demon lord and he stabbed Link in the upper arm. Link screamed and lost grip on his sword. Ghirahim took the sword out his hand and pointed both the swords at the sky-child's eyes.
He slowly let the swords slide down his face, leaving two parallel scars beneath Link's eyes. Tears filled those eyes. Ghirahim smirked, "Sweet revenge I say! For killing my master!"
