Upon seeing the demon lord, Link fought viciously against the swords that held him steadfast to the wall; he bit back a yelp of pain as the deadly blades dug deeper into his flesh, offering nothing but further resistance. Ghirahim continued to stalk slowly towards the warrior, letting out a small chuckle as he regarded the captive hero's feeble attempts of escaping. "You should know by now that no amount of struggling will offer freedom, sky child." He spoke in a low and sinister tone, an evil smile etched onto his pale face.
Link let out a growl, but listened to the demon lord and ceased his efforts of escape. His piercing cerulean eyes narrowed into a hateful glare as they made contact with Ghirahim's fathomless black ones. He could feel his breath begin to come out in pants, his heart start to pound ferociously in his chest, as the demon lord closed the gap between them; he could feel himself growing lightheaded, but he wasn't sure if that was from Ghirahim's very presence, or the sharp pains that ached within his shoulders each time he inhaled. The warrior forced himself to concentrate on his enemy, trying to steer his mind away from the fact that he was in terrible pain and was losing a lot of precious blood; he could feel the warm crimson coat his arms, soaking through his tunic and filling his gloves. The demon lord stood a few feet away from the sky child, allowed his eyes to drop to the ground where the blood began to pool around Link's feet. He gave a mournful sigh, his face twisted in genuine sadness. "What a waste, seeing your delicious blood on the dirty floor like that."
Link grunted, trying to control his annoyance towards the demon in front of him. "Then why did you stab me?" He asked, his voice holding an edge of bitterness.
Ghirahim let out a light laugh. "Well, to begin with, I was sure that my pyroclastic rocktite would have baked you into a crisp, so I wasn't even expecting to see you here." He gave a devilish smile that made Link's stomach churn. "But the moment I saw you in your little green tunic, trudging around in this forsaken mine, why, my heart was filled with rainbows!" The demon lord placed a gloved hand to his chin, staring off into space. "And then I got to thinking. It occurred to me that you wouldn't be here for any reason at all, and that the spirit maiden must be close by. I figured that I should keep a close eye on you, so I've been following you for the past several hours." Ghirahim chuckled, his eyes landing on Link once more. "You are prone to getting lost quite easily, aren't you, boy? I lost count how many times you had to ask for help." He cleared his throat, realizing the slight tangent he was going on. "In any case, how else was I going to get your attention? If I didn't stop you so forcefully, you'd be out of this room and gallivanting elsewhere in hopes of finding your little spirit maiden friend." The demon lord shook his head, causing his white hair to swish around his face gently. "No, that wouldn't do at all, not when I need to find her first."
Link regarded the demon lord with watchful eyes, trying to offer no signs of emotion; his mind, however, was screaming with a fury. 'Does he not realize that Zelda is just outside this room? Why else would he be here? Surely he must know that we are near the holy temple…I can't let him get there first. He's not going to take Zelda from me!' Link kept his mouth shut and his face free of all emotion as Ghirahim peered at him closely, his face adorned with concern. "Are you hiding something from me, boy? Is there something you're not telling me?" Placing a hand on the door that Link was pinned to, he lowered himself so that he was merely inches from the warrior's blank face.
Link scoffed, ignoring the jolt of pain that accompanied his attempt at a shoulder shrug. "If I did possess information that you didn't have, do you really think I'd give it to you so willingly?" He tried to ignore the flutter in his chest as his enemy drew even closer, allowing his warm breath to land on Link's cheek.
The demon lord frowned and pulled away from the wall and gazed at Link's captive state. Clasping his hands behind his back, Ghirahim began to pace around the room, occasionally throwing deadly glares in the warrior's direction. "Are you implying that I may have to commence torture in order to receive the slightest amount of information from you? Well, as it stands, I don't see a problem with that; in fact, I welcome all situations that lead to one's blood and pain." Stopping at the centre of the room, he gave a slight smile and rotated his shoulder several times, his face showing the slightest sign of pain. "My shoulder still hurts, you know. It wasn't very nice of you to stab me the way you did." He rubbed his shoulder once more before letting his arm fall gracefully to his side. "I suppose I can count this situation as payback for what you did to me," the demon lord waved a hand in Link's direction, gesturing to his new stab wounds, "…but I very much like the idea of torture." He gave a small yet deadly smile. "Hmmm, yes…torture sounds like a better method of payback."
Link growled loudly, his body burning with anger. "What? Are you serious?" The warrior let out an incredulous laugh. "Are you forgetting the time that you stabbed me in the leg? It still aches with each step I take." He cocked his head to the side, showing Ghirahim the scarred diamonds on his face. "And these slave marks? They didn't even leave when I attempted to heal myself with a full heart container." His body began to shake with tremors of adrenaline that flowed through him rapidly. His annoyance was voiced through clenched teeth. "The two swords you just shoved into my arms make us more than even in terms of administering pain."
Link could feel blush creep along his neck and onto his face as he gazed back at the demon lord. Heart skipping a beat, Link spoke in a low whisper, his eyes not leaving Ghirahim's face. "In fact…I think you might be in my debt this time. That should not go unnoticed."
Ghirahim's eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise at the undertone of Link's dangerous statement, but he recovered quickly and grinned. "Oh really…." he spoke lightly, taking several steps towards Link once more. "And what, pray tell, would I need to do in order to make us even?" By the time he finished his question, the demon lord was standing enticingly close to the warrior once more; his hands rested gently on the two swords the remained embedded into Link's arms, causing the warrior to wince slightly. But he didn't break eye contact with his enemy, didn't show any signs of weakness or fear.
Link's body began shake once more as the demon lord continued to stare at him intently; he could feel his body react with cautious excitement to the closeness of his enemy, yet he remained hesitant towards the demon lord's advances. He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into; this was the first time that he purposely placed himself in a situation like this, the first time that he intentionally instigated something so forbidden. His heart thudded painfully against his ribcage as his mind battled against his actions, warning him of the mistake he was making. Link closed his eyes for a moment, trying to still the panic that his mind was creating. 'I can't always fight against what's wrong and what's right.' He slowly opened his eyes and peered up at the demon lord. 'I…I'm done fighting….'
They stood there for a moment, staring at each other silently, an incredibly tension flowing between them. With a crooked smile, Ghirahim leaned in slowly, licking his lips with his long tongue, his eyes remaining locked onto the sky child's watchful ones; he then stopped just as their lips were about to meet and let out a slight chuckle. Link widened his blue eyes in confusion, and saw the demon lord grinning down at him, waiting patiently. When it was obvious that the warrior was still in battle with his mind and would not accept any further advances, Ghirahim let out a small sigh and moved his mouth to Link's ear. His warm breath on Link's earlobe sent shivers down the sky child's spine, and he could feel the demon lord flick his tongue lightly against his exposed flesh. "Tell me what you want, Link." Ghirahim purred against the captive hero's ear, sending vibrations underneath his skin.
Link couldn't help but growl, clenching his teeth as he bit back a snide remark. "You know what I want. I'm not going to beg." He managed to finally spit out as his face flushed furiously against his will.
Ghirahim pulled back from Link's ear until they were face to face once more. A teasing smile rested lightly on his lips as his eyes searched the warrior's face with intensity. "I want you to show me just how much you want this, boy. Let your actions speak louder than words." He whispered with a hint of lust for the sky child.
The warrior bit his lip with hesitation as his subconscious raised several last warning signals in an attempt to stop his reckless behavior. Ghirahim remained still, staring at him with his piercing black eyes as he waited for Link's response. He could tell that the demon lord was hungry for him, for his taste, and Link could not deny the fact that his body was aching for his enemy's touch, his kiss, his passion. 'I'm done fighting….' The warrior repeated this single thought several more times in an effort to remove all fears and warnings that blared in his mind without relenting. Link let out another deep growl in response to his plaguing worries and, pushing against the swords that held him still, lifted his head so that the last of the distance was erased and his lips were resting gently on Ghirahim's.
A moan escaped the demon lord's mouth the moment their lips met in the hesitant kiss, and he immediately kissed back with fervor, pushing Link hard into the door with his body. Crushing their lips together, Link opened his mouth, allowing Ghirahim's tongue to explore and tease him. Without breaking the passionate kiss, the demon lord played with Link's tongue, taking it between his teeth and biting it gently. The warrior's body began to heat up with an intense hunger, and he could feel his body push against the swords that held him captive in order to get closer to the demon lord, to feel more of his touch. Link's mind went completely blank as a mixture of bliss and passion overrode his senses, overwhelming his body with feelings of immense pleasure.
With his hands still resting on the swords, Ghirahim began to twist the hilts slightly, causing the blade to twirl slowly while they were still in Link's arm. The warrior let out a gasp of both surprise and ecstasy from the spurs of pain that raced along his limbs, and he kissed Ghirahim with an intensified passion, craving more of the demon lord's taste. Link bit Ghirahim's bottom lip hard, relishing the ragged moan that left the demon lord's mouth as he immediately traced his tongue along the tender area. Ghirahim leaned his head back, allowing the warrior access to his vulnerable neck. The sky child immediately reciprocated and trailed his mouth down the demon lord's pale flesh, planting teasing nips that were following by sensual kisses. The demon lord let out a quick breath and grabbed at Link's neck and began to grind their bodies together, fast and hard. The feel of Ghirahim's aroused member brushing up against his own sent jolts of pleasure through Link's captive body, and he let out a deep moan as his body moved to match the demon lord's hunger-crazed rhythm. Ghirahim raised his leg and rested his knee on the door, allowing his lean body to melt into the sky child's; he continued to thrust his hips seductively into Link, eliciting several loud and unashamed moans from the aroused warrior.
The demon lord's hand remained tightly around the warrior's neck, depriving him of precious oxygen, causing Link to gasp lightly in an attempt to breathe. But his lips remained eagerly on Ghirahim's, showing no signs of relenting. His body was burning with desire, making his mind feverish with lust. He tried to reach up with his arms to grip Ghirahim's hips, but with the swords still wedged into his shoulders, Link's limbs were sapped of all strength and flopped uselessly to his side. The demon lord felt the sky child's weak attempt to move and pulled away, breaking the seemingly-endless kiss that the two shared and placing distance between their once fused bodies. Link narrowed his eyes, silently dismayed by Ghirahim's actions. But he remained silent as the demon lord placed his hands back onto the hilts of his occupied rapiers. Eyeing up the warrior's aroused and excited state, Ghirahim licked his lips and gave a crooked grin. "Shall we make this a little more…exciting?" Without allowing Link to respond, the demon lord yanked out the two swords with a grunt, his eyebrows furrowing from the slight exertion.
Link gritted his teeth and bit back the cry of pain that enveloped him as soon as the swords left his flesh; the pain that had died down during his sexual encounter with the demon lord now raged through his body with a dark vengeance. He tensed his arms and flicked his wrist several times, trying to rid himself of the feelings of numbness that seemed to accumulate in his nerves. His shoulders ached deeply as he rotated them both, his face failing to mask his discomfort as it contorted into a wince.
All the while, Ghirahim watched with interest; his eyes raked over Link's body, taking in the pain that the warrior was experiencing with intensifying hunger. He disintegrated the bloody blades into nothing more than black diamond fragments that materialized into smoke. The action of the disappearing swords caught Link's attention, and he momentarily forgot about his own misery as he took in the site of the demon lord's excited body. Ghirahim's tight suit showed off his still-present arousal, and seeing his enemy's enthusiastic state sent a thrilling jolt through Link's own body, causing him to bite his lip with nervous anticipation. The demon lord cocked his head to the side and continued to devour the warrior with his deep black eyes. "So, what will you do now, sky child? What will you do now that you are free from my snare, hmm?"
Link's breath came out in pants, his heart beating with such forbidden desire that it made him ache. Ghirahim's question caught him a little off guard though; Link wasn't even expecting the demon lord to take out the blades the held him steadfast. Now he was being given the option of making the next move, whether it was to leave or to continue having fun with his enemy. Link tried to think rationally, tried to sift through his hazy mind in order to collect his scattered subconscious. But he couldn't get past one thought, one thought that raged within his mind with such a fire that all other subconscious voices ebbed into a forgotten whisper: 'More…I want more….'
Link gazed at the demon lord for a moment more with hard eyes before he lunged forward, grabbing Ghirahim's red cloak between his fingers with a tight grip. The sudden action caused his enemy to gasp in surprise, but he did not say a word as the warrior roughly turned on his heel, throwing the demon lord into the door behind them. Ghirahim landed against the rough stone with a hard thud, but hardly had time to react to Link's actions, as the sky child was on him, devouring his mouth with passionate kisses. Link's hands wandered from the demon lord's cloak to his hips, and he wrapped his arms around his enemy in a tight embrace. Ghirahim quickly reciprocated by pressing his body closer to the warrior, letting out a hungry moan as he clawed at Link's back, gripping and tearing at the green fabric. The hero let out a dominant growl and grabbed the demon lord's hands, pinning them above his head on the door. With his free hand, he made his way—so slowly that it was painful—down until it made contact with Ghirahim's aroused member. The demon lord's body shook with pleasure as Link multitasked, kissing with endless fervor and rubbing his hand along his enemy's hard package. Ghirahim bucked his hips into Link's hand, letting out sounds of bliss as the warrior sped up, working faster to please the demon lord.
Ghirahim's tongue danced within Link's mouth, longing for more of the sky child's taste. His hands pulled away from their captive state above his head and trailed down Link's body till they were grabbing at his hips. One of the demon lord's hand slithered around stealthily between his until it gripped onto Link's hard member. Link let out a lustful moan within his enemy's mouth as Ghirahim continued to apply pressure and rub his hand in circular motions against the warrior's arousal. The sky child could feel his knees shake with the promise of buckling, and he stopped pleasuring the demon lord in order to balance himself against the wall. With hands on either side of Ghirahim's head, Link broke the intense kiss with Ghirahim in order to catch his breath; he rested his forehead against the demon lord's pale one and closed his eyes, panting hard and savoring the feelings that his enemy was administering to him. He felt Ghirahim's tongue flicker lightly along his cheek, catching the tiny beads of sweat that fell along his slave scars.
Link opened his eyes slightly to see Ghirahim gazing at him with a coy smile and yearning black eyes. Wordlessly the demon lord dropped to the floor, working away at the warrior's belt buckle in an attempt to get it open. Link felt a jolt of both anticipation and excitement race through his veins as his heart sped up to an alarming pace. He gave a light shudder as Ghirahim came closer to ripping off his pants; his nimble fingers had taken off the belt with ease and were now working on the drawstring of the pants.
And that's when Zelda's voice entered Link's mind like a siren; her voice, however meek, rang through the warrior's mind, bringing him immediately back to his senses. "Link…Link where are you? I'm still here in the desert…I'm waiting for you. Why aren't you here? Are you not coming?"
Link gave his head a shake as the unmistakable presence of Zelda filled Link's mind. 'Zelda…you're still here. You're waiting for me, aren't you?' He thought to himself as feelings of both guilt and shame flooded his conflicted soul once more. Link couldn't believe the predicament he willfully placed himself in, and though he didn't want to end his lustful endeavors with Ghirahim, the warrior knew that he had to get himself back on track with his mission.
Ghirahim was still toying with the drawstring of his pants when Link exhaled sharply, his mind made up. "Ghirahim…Ghirahim, stop." He said in a clear and forceful tone, his face stern.
The demon lord ignored the hero and continued to work away at his pants. Link felt a growl form at the back of his throat. 'Do not ignore me….' The warrior thought with annoyance, and with a surge of energy he grabbed Ghirahim's cloak and hastily brought him to his feet.
The demon lord's face carried a look of surprise that quickly turned into pain as Link slammed him into the stone wall. "I said stop!" Link shouted into his face, only several inches of space between them.
Ghirahim's eyes widened at the warrior's odd behavior, and he gave a rueful grin. "Temper temper! There's no need to get violent, sky child."
Link couldn't help but feel regretful for his actions; he was angry at himself, for letting his foolish heart get in the way of his mission, and yet he was taking his anger out on others. He let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes temporarily in an attempt to suppress the anger that wished to come out. He looked at Ghirahim with hard eyes before letting go of his crumpled cloak and turning around. "I have to go," was all that the warrior said to his confused enemy.
Ghirahim let out a light chuckle, but even with his back turned, Link could tell that the demon lord was taking severe offence to his cold demeanor. "So…you're just going to leave then? What is so important that you must leave this second?"
Link stopped walking towards the door, contemplating whether he should take a risk and fill the demon lord in on the Temple of Time. 'No…I can't risk it…if he finds out Zelda's whereabouts, I'll lose her.' He thought with an ache in his heart.
The warrior looked over his shoulder to the upset demon lord with conflicted blue eyes. "I've lingered here when I wasn't meant to. I need to leave now." Without looking back, Link made his way to the golden door that had the Triforce etched into it, trying to ignore the unpleasant feeling in his heart.
From behind him, the sky child heard a deep growl. "My offer on your being able to leave has long expired." The demon lord seethed, barely audible.
Link heard the sound of snapping fingers, and before he could take another step forward, Ghirahim materialized in his pathway in a burst of colorful diamond shards. An angry snarl adorned his white lips, his eyes blazing with unmasked fury. With strong arms, the demon lord pushed Link back viciously, further away from the golden door. "You will leave when I say you can leave!"
Link took a couple steps back in order to regain his footing, feeling a little stunned by the sudden violence. He recovered quickly and stared at Ghirahim with a dark glare. "Move, Ghirahim." The warrior said in a low and threatening tone.
Ghirahim bared his teeth at the sky child, snapping an onyx dagger into existence. He twirled it casually between his fingers, his eyes never leaving the warrior's face. The sight of the deadly dagger sent a shock of pain through Link's face as he briefly recalled that weapon being used on his face not too long ago. His hand subconsciously went to his scarred cheek, hiding the mark that burned in his skin. Ghirahim gave a cold smile to the sky child. "Oh, but Link, we were just beginning to have fun. Why spoil it all now by leaving?" He raised his eyebrows in a challenge. "Is she really all that important?" He smiled cruelly, knowing his simple question would strike a nerve within the hero.
Link clenched his fists at the demon lord's verbal attack, his jaw clenching back hateful words that he'd regret. With nothing but a growl escaping his lips, the warrior took two long strides in Ghirahim's direction; before his enemy had the opportunity to wield his dagger, Link's arm shot out, connecting to the demon lord's chin with such an incredible force that Ghirahim fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. Link stood over him for a moment, breathing hard and trying to control the raging emotions that coursed through his body. Ghirahim did not attempt to get up from his position on the ground, but the look in his eyes as they burned into Link made it clear that he was beyond furious; his pride and dignity, damaged, his confidence and self-worth, destroyed. Blood trickled from the corner of his lip and formed a thin trail along his face. A bruise where the sky child's fist connected with flesh was already beginning to form in splashes of black and purple. Link bit his lip, fighting with the conflicting ideas of helping the demon lord back up, or leaving him on the ground and continuing on his mission. He let out a quick breath, glancing up at the door before looking down at Ghirahim once more. "I'm…I have to go…." He muttered finally, feeling completely conflicted and unsure of himself and his desires.
Without looking back, Link walked to the door once more, trying in vain to remain strong in his decision. But as the door opened up another pathway for him, the warrior fought against his conscience and peeked over his shoulder. But the demon lord was gone, and Link was alone.
...
The moment Link rushed up the stairs that led to the entranceway of the holy temple, the sound of Zelda's sweet voice met his ears. All previous anger and guilt towards Ghirahim fleeted away as he gazed at his missing friend from across the stone courtyard. All that separated the two friends was a great bridge made of rock and cement, but the warrior hesitated for a moment on the other side, hoping to not distract the girl clad in white from her singing mantra. The rays of the sun beat down on Link's neck and face, covering him instantly in sweat, but he kept his eyes trained on the girl as she continued to strum gentle notes on her lyre, oblivious to his presence.
The girl was, yet again, accompanied by the mysterious Sheikah, and the two were staring at a large and intricately designed clock. At the center of the clock head, amidst the delicate designs, was the mark of the Triforce, blazing a bright blue hue. As Zelda continued to sing, the clock came to life, glowing brightly with each word that passed her lips, turning to match the rhythm of her song. Link's heart skipped a beat as recognition filled his mind. 'That's…that's the coveted Gate of Time from the holy temple! Zelda found it!' He thought to himself with a mixture of surprise, gladness, and confusion. 'But…why would she need to find it, really? She's coming home with me now…I made it on time….'
As Link tried to sort out his own thoughts, he heard a light laughter come from the other end of the bridge. "Link! Link you came!" Zelda's happy voice called out to him, bringing him back to reality.
The warrior couldn't help but give a grin back to his friend; seeing her alive and well was such a relief, and he couldn't hold back the excitement and anticipation that dwelled within him.
He was only able to take a couple steps forward in Zelda's direction when a large explosion erupted behind him. Link was knocked completely off his feet and landed on the ground roughly, stunned into a stupor by the sudden turn of events. The warrior looked behind him to see the wall that separated the temple from the desert completely obliterated; pieces of rubble from the once-strong wall painted the ground in various areas, and Link took a moment to appreciate that he was not hit with one of them. He slowly got to his feet, trying to regain the balance that was stolen from him. His knees shook slightly but, with caution, he was standing up and alert once more. His ears buzzed from the loud noise that took place, but he could see Zelda and the Sheikah standing stationary, nervous and confused.
And he could hear laughter. A bone chilling laughter that he had come to know so well.
Amidst the rubble and smoke that arose from the dying fires from the explosion, Ghirahim appeared with a swift leap. His cloak fluttered in the wind as he landed gracefully on the bridge with ease. Link couldn't help but gasp as the demon lord looked directly at him, giving him an evil smile. Though any traces of blood were erased from their previous fight, the bruise was still apparent on Ghirahim's face; the demon lord rested a hand on it gently, but didn't attempt to heal it. With his free hand, Ghirahim sliced his deadly black sword in the air, sending a wave of magic in Link's direction.
The warrior readied his shield and prepared for the blast of evil energy to strike him. But rather than crush him, the wave of energy merely blocked him off by creating a towering wall of burning diamond fragments; heat poured from the flaming diamonds, preventing Link from getting anywhere near Ghirahim. Link let out another gasp. "Zelda…." He whispered in horror. The warrior looked at Ghirahim with panic-stricken eyes. "Ghirahim, please! Fight me, not her!" He pleaded over the flames in hopes of catching his enemy's attention.
The demon lord cocked his head to the side and scoffed. And though Link couldn't hear the demon speak, he could read the words emitted from his mouth: "Foolish boy…."
Ghirahim looked at Link's scared friend and the Sheikah once more, crouching low in preparation for his next violent stunt. He broke off running, sword held high in the promise of striking flesh. "Ghirahim!" Link shouted in agony.
"Impa!" Zelda's scared voice echoed among the arena, and Link noticed that the Sheikah had also taken off running in the direction of Ghirahim.
Just when it looked like she was going to attack him with her bare hands, a large transparent force field appeared from her palms, enveloping both her and Zelda. Link breathed a sigh of relief, only to be struck with fear again seconds later. No matter how strong her barrier was, with Ghirahim's powerful sword, it was only a matter of time before he broke through and killed them both; the demon lord struck and beat away at the blue force field with all his might, and with each attack a thin sliver of weakness appeared among the blockade.
The Sheikah, Impa, turned to Zelda, her face contorted with concentration. It was apparent that she was getting tired; the strength of her force field was diminishing quickly. "Your Grace, quickly! Go to the gate!" She yelled with an authoritative voice.
Zelda hesitated for a moment, clutching the golden lyre in her tiny hands. Finally she gave a quick nod, agreeing with her mentor. But instead of running to the gate, the sky child ran past it and called out to the warrior from the end of the bridge. "Link…Link! Here, you'll need this where you're going!"
With a burst of golden energy that Link never knew she had, Zelda sent the music instrument flying through the air and into his readied hands. He looked at the lyre for a moment, unsure of how it would be of use to him. He shook his head, placing the instrument in his pouch for later inspection, and watched as Ghirahim continued to attack the force field. More cracks and slivers appeared before the barrier; it wouldn't be long until Impa's magic faded and the blockade was completely broken.
Out of the corner of his eye, the warrior realized that the fire-diamonds were all but diminished; he could step over the wall with ease now. 'He's not concentrating on the flames…he's concentrating on the blockade!' Link thought quickly as he unsheathed his sword and began running in the demon lord's direction, expression grim and dark.
Impa risked a look over her shoulder once more at Zelda. "Go, now!" She shouted, her voice laced desperation.
The Sheikah barely managed to finish her sentence before Ghirahim's sword jutted through the barrier from the effect of a powerful thrust; splinters of the blue force field whirled in the air, threatening to cut anyone who got too close. Impa let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground with a heavy thud, completely spent of all energy. The demon lord let out a howl of laughter, beside himself with delight. He swung his sword in the air once more, getting ready to strike the exhausted Sheikah. Link growled and picked up his paced, determined to not allow any more suffering to take place. He let out a loud battle cry, leaping in the air with sword held high.
The demon lord had only a moment to get out of the way before Link sliced his sword in the air where his enemy had once been. Ghirahim gave a magnificent back flip in the air, landing several feet from the smoky entranceway from which he had entered. He gazed at Link with a deadly glare, but the sky child ignored him as he rushed in front of Impa, guarding her from further danger.
"L…Link…." The Sheikah stuttered, surprised by his sudden actions.
Link chanced a glance behind his back at the surprised warrior. "I'm a late this time?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm.
Impa allowed a chuckled to escape her mouth. "No, not this time. You have my thanks, boy. I will leave him to you." Gathering herself up from the ground, the Sheikah took off running in Zelda's direction.
Link's eyes remained trained on Ghirahim's, but he listened carefully as Zelda called out for him before becoming completely enveloped into the Gate of Time. "Link! This isn't good-bye! We will see each other again…I promise!" Her voice sent a heavy ache in Link's heart, and he could only nod his head at her weak promise.
A deep rumble could be heard from behind him as the Gate of Time dissolved to pieces; the last of Impa's strength and magic was put into destroying the clock in an attempt to keep Ghirahim away for a little bit longer, buying them more time away from evil in order to pursue good. Smoke sifted into the air, cloaking the warrior and his enemy in a thick fog. Link allowed a small smile adorn his face as he heard the demon lord yell with rage at the Sheikah's actions. Ghirahim kept his distance from the armed sky child, but he pointed a finger at Link and narrowed his hard black eyes. "Now you've done it, Link." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to remain calm, but his voice was shaking with rage. "I should blame myself, really. I should have been more forceful with you the last time we met, but instead I was…soft."
Link shook his head. "Ghirahim…this must end. This game we play…it cannot go on like this!"
Ghirahim let out a dark laugh, resting his black rapier on his shoulder. "My dear sky child…who said anything about this being a game?"
Link's heart pounded as Ghirahim sprinted towards him; in a blurred motion, the demon lord was upon him, clutching his tunic between his gloved hands and breathing down his neck. "I don't appreciated having something dangling in front of me like a toy, Link." He whispered into the warrior's ear, his warm breath sending shivers up Link's spine. "You cannot play with my emotions and expect not to get punished."
Link looked at his enemy out of the corner of his eye. His heart ached from Ghirahim's closeness, and yet, he felt so incredibly far away from the demon lord, so detached. "I never meant to lead you on…I'm sorry that my actions hurt you."
Ghirahim snickered into the hero's ear and took a step back; Link could feel his body yearn for the demon lord's closeness once more, to feel their body's pressed up against each other, but he willed his face to remain free of emotion. Ghirahim raised an arm in the air as a salute in farewell. "Oh, don't apologize on my behalf, sky child. Just be prepared; the next time our paths cross…I won't be so reluctant to let you go. As for now, consider us…even."
In a flurry of diamond shards, the demon lord was gone once more, leaving Link alone in the battle field with his dangerously forbidden thoughts.
