A\N: GAH! I was going to post this last night, but wouldn't let me! Did anyone else have this problem? That when you went to go to your doc manager, it logged you out and said you had to log back in? And then you did, and it would just log you out again? Grr... I hate technology...
I hope you all enjoy this chapter! The tension is building a lot, and in the next one... IT'S ADVENTURE TIME AGAIN! Because my favorite boys can't stay stationary for very long.
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ENJOY!
"Master! Master, I have important news!" Shai ran through the halls, a stack of books in his hands as his thoughts raced frantically through his mind. The news he bore was both good and bad, and he had no idea how Ghirahim was going to take it. His master could very well reject the whole idea without a second thought, and that would be hours of research down the drain.
But it didn't matter. Shai had what he thought was a good idea, and he was going to share it, regardless of the consequences.
So he rounded the corner and threw the bedroom door open, stepping inside.
"Master, I—"
But there was no one there.
"I think your master went out for a walk," a demon girl said as she passed on her way to the kitchen.
"Oh, thank you!" Shai smiled and waved and then bounded down the hall towards the front gate. He ran through the courtyard, assuming Ghirahim would be in town. If not, he could always try the ice gardens or—
"Shai!"
Shai skidded to a stop at the sound of a pained woman's voice, turning in a slowly circle until he spotted something royal blue in the snow.
"General Shyra!"
Snapping his books away, he dashed over to the fallen demon in the snow, cradling her head in his lap as he surveyed the damage, heart pounding at the overwhelming scent of blood.
"What happened?"
"I was attacked from behind," she gasped out, clutching a wound in her side. "The coward never showed his face." She spat in the snow, blood woven through her saliva.
"General Shyra, let me help you. Here, stand up." Shai helped her to stand, and then he put her arm over his shoulders, helping her walk towards the door. "You know it was a he?"
"The blow definitely came from a male hand—the style was unique—and the noise he made when swinging the sword was that of male character." Shyra inhaled sharply, stopping for a moment as she doubled in pain, blood falling from her lips. "Stupid cheap shot… how could I fall for that?"
Shai quickly teleported them inside, catching her as she nearly fell. "Come on. You can stay in here and I'll call—a doctor?"
Shai stopped midsentence as he opened the door, revealing the small party that had formed inside. "Tovi? Coryai? Kanji? Master? What are you all doing here?"
"Shyra!" Ghirahim exclaimed, eyes widening at the vast amount of blood she had lost.
Straightening herself, she saluted, eyes focused dead ahead and void of emotion. "Lord Ghirahim, sir, I regret to inform you that I was ambushed while my guard was down, and—"
Ghirahim grabbed her and pushed her onto a nearby, makeshift bed the doctor had thrown together. "It's fine, just rest." He gave her a slight smile and turned to Shai. "Shai, what is going on? Everyone is turning up injured!"
Shai shook his head. "I don't know, Master. I've only found Shyra, but—"
The door flew open, and the young girl Shai had encountered earlier stood there with a bloody rag pressed to her forehead. "I am sorry, Lord Ghirahim, but I made a mess of the kitchen floor."
Ghirahim stared in disbelief while Shai led her to Shyra's bed and lay her down, trying to comfort the wounded child.
"Don't worry about the floor, okay?"
The younger servant shook her head, weakly objecting. "B-but—"
"Shai, sound the alarm. Now."
Shai turned to Ghirahim. "Which one?"
"Code red. I want everyone on alert."
Shai bowed, vaguely feeling like there was something he wanted to say to Ghirahim, and then he turned and ran down the hall to the bell tower stairwell.
Link groaned, hitting another dead end and marking it with the colored rock he found a couple hours ago. Turning around, he headed back the other way, a slight limp in his right leg. He had broken the chain fastened to it, but it came at the cost of a torn muscle and a twisted up joint.
Then again, that was a long time ago. That was seven demons ago, twenty-eight dead-ends ago, and two fainting spells ago. Link was tired. It was so exhausting to walk for hours in circles with no destination, never knowing if the corner he turned would hide a stray rupee, the exit, or another battle bringing him a few wounds closer to death.
I'm so tired of this… I just want to be done… Can I just be done? Please?
It was as if Tovi and Coryai were still in the room, showering him in fear and doubt. Or some of the other demons he had fought. Indolence was the worst. Ever since that battle, Link just felt tired and weak and lazy all over.
Finally, he gave up, slumping against the wall and stabbing his blade into the dirt. Sighing, he hung his head down between his knees, eyes drifting shut.
"Master… there is something on the floor in front of you."
Link forced his eyes open, brow scrunching up. "A letter?" He reached out and picked it up, snapping the wax seal and reading the message inside.
Dear,
I can't apologize enough for this… unfortunate turn of events. But don't give up just yet! There is a way out of the labyrinth, and if you can get out, good things might happen for you.
Signed,
Link sighed heavily, tucking the letter into his pocket and letting his head fall back against the rocks.
"Master, I would suggest resting twenty-four paces to your right," Fi's voice chimed from the blade.
The hero grumbled. "Why?"
"There is a demon directly to your left, Master."
Link glanced up and met glowing, purple eyes behind the veil of night. "And who are you?" he droned, looking forward again.
"My name is Ryzka." He moved towards Link, but did not attack, his pointed ears dancing in all directions. "And yours?"
"Link."
Fi spoke up again. "Master, I would suggest moving immediately."
"Just chill. He's not doing anything, okay?" Link rubbed his aching temple. Sometimes, I swear…
"Are… are you with Lord Ghirahim? Or against him?"
Link gave him an odd look, a small part of him wondering why this creature was making small talk with him. "Against. Completely."
The demon approached him slightly, a smile lighting his face. "Really? Really, really?!"
The demon in question was coated from head to toe in purple, eyes like violets and lips painted red—from blood or make-up, Link didn't know. Flame tattoos adorned his body, namely on his face, neck, arms, and chest.
"Would… If I helped you to get out, would you take me with you?"
Link frowned, digging the Master's Sword out of the ground and sheathing it. "I thought everyone here was loyal to Ghirahim."
Ryzka shook his head crawling up to Link with a desperate plea in his eyes. "Will… will you help me?"
Link nodded, a warm but tired smile on his face. "Sure thing, kid."
"Thank you!" Ryzka hugged him tightly around the waist. "Go that way! The exit isn't too far, but it gets pretty dark. Do you have a torch?"
Link held his up and started down the path. "Got'cha covered."
They walked for a few moments in silence, and then Link turned slightly, trying to strike up a conversation. "So, how old are you?"
The torch suddenly flew from his hands and landed in a nearby puddle, fizzing out as the shadows ate up what little light graced his eyes. Link instinctively put his hand on the hilt of the Master's Sword, peering into the blackness in a futile attempt to see.
"Hello? Ryska? Hello?"
Link hit the ground, a blade driving into his back, blood splattering over the ceiling.
"Silly little human, don't you know? Ryska means deception. You should be more careful. Or have my fellow demons already numbed your senses?"
Link didn't reply. He lay there in a puddle of his own blood, wondering what the point was. Really, what was he trying to achieve? Ghirahim was never letting him out, he was never getting out, there was an endless supply of demons, and Link could only take so much damage before it was all over anyways. He shut his eyes and waited for the being to finish him off.
It's for the best anyways, and—
Zelda's face flashed through his mind, eyes alight with hope and complete trust in him and his abilities. Pipit slapping him on the shoulder with words of encouragement, and Karane's warm smile. Groose's obnoxious, yet endearing and somehow violent shaking of Link's shoulders. Impa's expression the day he had showed up on time, proving her assumption about him wrong.
Blue eyes snapped open, blazing with a passion and determination he had not felt since the battle where he defeated Ghirahim, encasing him in the holy blade. Grabbing the hilt of the sword in his back, he jerked it out, hissing in pain as he whirled around and thrust it forwards, knowing the location of the demon from his voice.
"Master, there is a 100% chance you should run into the wall to your right and see what happens."
Considering it was Fi and she was never wrong, he did just that. His hands made contact with hard stones, but the rocks gave way, and soon he was lying in a dark staircase leading up to an opening with blinding white light streaming down.
Scrambling to his feet, he ran up the stairs, Ryska right on his tail.
"Thanks, Fi!"
"Anytime, Master."
"Sorry I didn't listen earlier."
He could hear the smile in her voice. "I forgive you, Master."
Link broke through to the surface and broke into a dead run, feet pounding into the snow and ice as he made his way to the large, steel gate behind the massive Axialain castle. His heart thumped wildly in his chest, breaths coming in ragged, broken pieces.
I have to figure out where I am. The nearest Bird Statue is almost at the crest of the range, and there's no way I can run all the way there in this condition.
Link glanced over his shoulder and saw he was running alone. Ryska either went to tell Ghirahim he'd escaped, or he had returned to the labyrinth.
Ryska means deception.
Link kept his eyes wide and his mind focused, not willing to believe he was safe until he was back in Skyloft. Or at least out of demon territory. He ran on and on, but still there was no sign of Ryska, and soon, he was standing outside the castle gate, walking towards the forest before him.
He entered the wooded area and slowed almost instantly. The air smelled strongly of copper, and though there was a fair amount of blood on his sword from the battles he'd fought, it was far too little to be what he smelled.
Sniffing the air, he took a step to the right and maneuvered around a nearby tree, sliding between the branches and entering a small clearing.
Wide, crystal blue eyes focused on a battered corpse lying in the midst of crimson snow. Swallowing hard, he approached the body, and let out a soft gasp as he realized it was Ryska.
"But… But I was just…"
He looked over his shoulder towards the castle. Hadn't Ryska been chasing him from behind not moments ago?
Ryska means deception, eh? Maybe he's faking…
Link slowly approached the fallen demon, poking him with his sword, but the boy never responded. Link got close enough to look at his eyes, which were wide and terrified, and at just once glance, he knew Ryska was dead. But why? Who had killed him?
An explosion of diamonds interrupted his thoughts, and Link readied his sword, expecting an attack. The sparkles cleared, and Ghirahim gave him an odd look, smirking at the sight of the blade.
"Odd. I thought I smelled death, and instead I find—"
It was then that the demon lord spied Ryska, and he jolted to a stop midsentence. There was long silence as Ghirahim stared at the body, and then his gaze slowly traveled to Link's blade, and after that, his face.
Link stared back, and then recognized the look in Ghirahim's eyes.
"W-wait, you don't think—"
"Yes, I do think."
Link shook his head. "I was running from him, and he disappeared! I found him like this, I didn't—"
"Why is there blood on your sword?"
Link frowned at Ghirahim's tone of voice, which was cold and questioning, not sounding at all like the answer was relevant to the final verdict. "From all the battles. It's not his—I mean, it is his, but not like I killed him."
"Then how did he die?"
"I don't know!" Link exclaimed, clenching his fists at the piercing gaze he was feeling. It was uncomfortable, dangit! "I didn't do anything, okay? I was running away. I just wanted to get back to Skyloft. I don't know what happened!"
"I find that very hard to believe, skychild." Ghirahim crossed his arms over his chest, head tilting slightly to the side. "I sense death, so I teleport to the location from whence it came, and I find you with a bloodied sword standing over a dead demon who was not moments ago your rival in a life and death battle. What am I supposed to do with that information, hmm?"
Link shifted, Ghirahim's unwavering gaze sending chills down his spine. "I don't… I didn't…" He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to grasp some sort of sentence that could declare his innocence.
"Well? You don't what?"
Link shook his head, mouth still open, and then he managed to say a quiet, "I didn't do it…"
Ghirahim sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, and he snapped his fingers, the body dissipating in Ghirahim's classic shroud. Approaching the young hero, he grasped the hilt of the sword, eyes like knives boring into him. "Inside, skychild. Now."
Link glanced around him, knowing it was possible to escape. He could overpower Ghirahim in combat and then run in practically any direction and taste freedom. Fi knew where the bird statues were, and she could direct him where he needed to go. A few moblins perhaps, but other than that, it was smooth sailing to Skyloft.
Lowering his blade, he nodded, allowing Ghirahim to take his wrist. Ghirahim plucked the sword from his grasp, and Link jerked his head up.
"Hey, what are—"
His vision exploded in white, and he stumbled back, hitting a wall. He opened his eyes and looked around, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head.
I'm in a cell…
Sitting down, he growled to himself, wondering why he didn't just fight and run. Now he was trapped without his blade, and Ghirahim was furious with him.
But I didn't do anything!
And while knowing that was all well and good, the big problem was convincing the taskmaster of that fact.
Now what? He accused me of what I didn't do, and I punished him for it, but now I'm accusing him. Of course, I have evidence while he didn't, which gives me credibility, but still…
Ghirahim sighed, entering his bedroom and sitting down on the couch to think. Laying back against the pillows, he rang the little bell on the coffee table.
The door opened, and Shai poked his head in. "Yes, Master?"
"Come here a second. I need you."
Shai walked over and sat down opposite his master, hands folded on his lap. "Yes, Master, what do you need?"
"Ryska is dead, and it is extremely probable Link is the culprit, however… I do not wish to accuse him wrongly as he did to me. I cannot stand hypocrisy. My question to you is… what do you think I should do? I am looking for variation of opinion here."
Shai frowned, lowering his gaze to the floor, obviously upset about a fellow demon's death but doing his best to support his master. "I don't know. I would say innocent until proven guilty."
Ghirahim sighed, rubbing his face. "Pity… I was so looking forward to whipping him for this…"
Shai cleared his throat after that sentence, and Ghirahim glanced over at him from beneath his hands. "Yes?"
"Master… I need to talk to you about that, too. In all the chaos with the attacks, I forgot about it, but…"
Ghirahim sat up, focusing all of his attention on the young boy. "Alright, I'm listening."
"First off, I need to know if you want to get rid of these sadistic wants you have."
Ghirahim stopped for moment, scratching his chin as he glanced at the ceiling. "It would be nice… It's difficult to rely on torture to make it from one day to another. I suppose it's something I'll always enjoy because I'm a sadism demon, but yes… to no longer be enslaved to it…" He nodded. "I would enjoy that, yes. Why do you ask?"
Shai took a deep breath and snapped his fingers, and array of books materializing on the coffee table. "Master, these are books I've been researching for the past day and a half. I've discovered something very interesting about your specific kind of demon, and if you're willing… I think we can lessen those feelings."
Ghirahim raised his eyebrows and leaned forwards, resting his head in his hands as he gazed down at the well-loved tomes.
"Explain."
"Well, Master, as you know, every demon has his own evil in which he specializes. Sin, in other words. And when a demon receives a master, if they have the same properties, the property in question is intensified to a point of addiction to it."
Ghirahim nodded. "So in my case, Demise. What is your point, Shai? How do I fix it?"
Shai hesitated, his face twisting up into an expression that displayed both worry and fear. "W-well… in order to release yourself… you would have to…"
"What, Shai?" Ghirahim blew his bangs out of his eyes, growing impatient with the situation. "Would you just spit it out?"
Shai straightened up, setting his eyes and grabbing Ghirahim's gaze with a seriousness the boy did not often hold. "Master, in order to rid yourself of these thoughts and feelings… you have to reject the one who gave them to you."
Ghirahim shook his head, slowly entering a form of shock as the meaning sank in. "What?"
"To free yourself, your only option is to betray Demise."
A\N: And THIS is why I needed Link torture. XD Well... not the ENTIRE reason... but that's chapter nine. We're not there yet.
So, I hope y'all enjoyed! Please review! *holds up cookies*
