Inspiration: "Scream," by Avenged Sevenfold, the tongue, the character Sheik from OoT, & "Tree of Life," album by Audiomachine for the 2020 reedit.
Original Shout Outs: SomeRandomGuy, Ramona, TNM, Good Job, Eclair Belmont, LadyZayriah, NewIzzyS2, Uhmm, Some Person, Shhimannja16, WTFWTF, Ai Da Beast, Pedro, Net2, KisaTracer, Reddog10, Zephycitrusdew, & Hendrewen.
Author Note: Surprise! The subject matter gets a little dark. This is just a warning. Reuploaded 9/15/2020.
Word Count: 12,185
Chapter 30
The aftermath, Twilight Palace, Link
I couldn't get Zelda's scream out of my head as that demon dragged her into that portal with him. Where had they gone? Where did that portal lead to? I was a wreck with worry. After Zelda's abduction, Elbourne and I put our differences aside and hurried back to the palace. Zelda's disappearance was way too important for us to continue our fight. Even so, I had every intention of finding out what happened between them when the time was appropriate for it. We got back to the palace within an hour. The first thing I did when we entered the palace halls was inform Hylia. She was waiting for us near the front gate. The goddess's reaction was tempered, but I could see the concern in her eyes. We all were, but this was her ancestral daughter that was now in the clutches of a sadistic monster. We had to act fast.
Upon our arrival to the main hall, the Twili people were shocked at Elbourne's and my appearance–blood on our faces and disheveled clothes. We looked a mess. However, the disapproval at our appearance was the least of my worries. I was trying to keep a leveled head. However, as the minutes ticked on, the notion of self-control was becoming increasingly more difficult. The next immediate course of action was to inform Midna. There was no way she could be out of the loop on this. Ghirahim may have attempted another abduction. And, the next time he may have tried to capture her. One queen in the capture of the demon lord was an inter-dimensional emergency. Two queens in that monster's capture would be an inter-dimensional catastrophe. World war would be an understatement of what that could lead to. That could lead to another cataclysm. Midna also needed to know that her realm was still not stable, something I did not understand. Why in the world didn't the Virtue Key reestablish the atmosphere? How the hell was Ghirahim able to create a portal and get through? I needed answers, but I wasn't sure I was going to get them in the conventional way. These seemed more like Hylia-type questions. I would ask the goddess later if possible.
After my initial fallout with Midna earlier, she would probably be surprised I was requesting to see her so soon. Twilo was a little off put by my insistence when I went to see him, but I did not care. I couldn't blurt what needed to be discussed out in the open, and this was an emergency. Elbourne asked if he could accompany me when I went to see Midna. I told him I expected him to, but informed him that Hylia, Midna, him, and myself were the only people who could know about what happened to Zelda for now. He was in agreement. The news would eventually get back to the Twili people, but informing them of what just happened would send the citizens into a panic. The guards who had seen Zelda leave earlier, were probably already wondering where she was. It would not be long before two and two were put together and the secret was out in the open. Hylia was with us too. I was grateful she was here. Her rational and calm demeanor was necessary for what may lie ahead for us. In addition, more than anyone, she knew about the secrets of the Twilight Realm. The game had changed. The goddess may have had to take a more hands on approach than hands off. I couldn't make that call, but she could.
With the three of us in agreement, we headed upstairs to Midna's chambers. The guard standing watch was surprised by the three of us coming up before an initial response was given by the queen. I understood etiquette, but this was no time for long delays. We needed to speak with Midna now. Whatever misgivings she had with us she was going to have to sort out later. The attendant saw the determination, but also the stress in my eyes. He knew something was amiss. I couldn't lose Zelda to that monster. I couldn't. If he killed her, I would probably go mad with rage. I couldn't promise what I would do. The attendant understood this was a more than usual serious matter and went to inform Midna again. I understood that Midna may have still been upset with me, but bygones needed to be bygones. A moment later, we were advised we could go in.
I was grateful.
Midna appeared stoic when we all approached, but her stoicism was negated when I got right to the point.
"I apologize for the hasty maneuvers, but something terrible as happened," I started.
Midna looked at me stunned, while giving the three of us subtle once overs. Admittedly, Elbourne and I did look unkempt.
"What happened?" she asked anyway.
I closed my eyes and prayed for self-control.
"Zelda was taken by Ghirahim," I revealed quietly.
Midna's shock never went away.
"What?" she demanded.
I nodded.
"Apparently, the Virtue Key did not stabilize the realm the way we thought it would. Somehow he was able to establish a portal and take her to his realm."
Midna was so stunned, she nearly collapsed. She then went to her chair and sat down.
"Dear goddesses, how in the world did he get through?" she whispered more to herself than to me.
Elbourne then spoke up.
"I have a theory I think we all should consider. It might sound grandiose, but hear me out. The locket you were initially given may have produced an energy that permeated all throughout the realm. When the Virtue Key unbound you from your sleep, we might have inadvertently destabilized the kingdom because the key ironically may have been what Ghirahim was looking for."
I stared at the dragon prince taken aback.
"Are you suggesting the locket was given to Midna just so it could be unlocked using the Virtue Key?" I inquired. "Are you saying the Virtue Key was the true destabilizer of the realm?"
Elbourne raised his brows.
"It's the only thing that makes sense to me."
Hylia then chimed in.
"It makes sense to me too. It would seem that even the best of us were fooled."
I assumed Hylia was talking about herself. Even so, something about this hypothesis didn't make sense.
"How would Ghirahim know about the guardians?" I asked. "They weren't even known to the Twili people."
Hylia gave a wayward shrug.
"Ghirahim is a thousand years old. He has been around since the birth of Hyrule. He is definitely aware of the twilight guardians."
That seemed to be all the confirmation needed. If the goddess was saying so, then Ghirahim knew. So it would seem the Virtue Key wasn't so virtuous after all, but I wasn't completely convinced.
"Even so," I went on, "wouldn't that mean the twilight guardians were complicit in the destabilization of the realm? That is the exact opposite of their existence. They are supposed to be protectors, not distractors."
Hylia had a counter.
"Not if they had no prior knowledge to the prodigy amulet Ghirahim set in motion. It's a very good chance he acted when the guardians were dormant."
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"When were the guardians dormant? I was under the impression they were always around, but could not, or did not, show themselves to the Twili people."
Hylia had a reply to that too.
"The twilight guardians are six hundred years old. It's quite possible that Ghirahim had that amulet way before they even existed. He was a warrior in the Great Cataclysm. It was possible he forged that amulet from long ago and kept it all this time. Also, remember the Virtue Key was meant to unbind any spell, reveal all truths, refute any lie–the greatest lie may have been our thinking the realm was being stabilized when her majesty was asleep, when in reality the prodigy amulet was casting a destabilizing spell on the realm."
I was beginning to see what she and Elbourne were surmising.
"So... the powers we thought were from Midna were possibly from the prodigy amulet?" I asked anyway.
Hylia nodded.
"It makes the most sense, and when the Virtue Key was released it broke the spell."
Midna was not appreciative of our theorizing.
"You happen to both be wrong," she chimed in. "It is the birthright of my family to protect my people if anything happens to me. We have been practicing the technique of Twilight Sleep for hundreds of years. The locket was not what was protecting my people. I was."
I understood her offense to our hypothesis. However, Hylia didn't back down.
"The technique of your family is strong, true, but you cannot deny that there are other factors at work here your majesty. We all could be wrong, but nothing else makes as much sense as what we are deducing. How then do you explain the destabilization of your realm?"
Midna looked at her taken aback.
"Do you find it fitting to question a queen, Shiekah?" she demanded.
We didn't have time for this. I then interceded.
"What Sheik is trying to get you to understand is that we don't have a full proof answer, but the Virtue Key might have been used in a nefarious way without our having knowledge of it. It doesn't mean the Virtue Key in and of itself were evil. That's all."
I wasn't certain Midna was listening to me as she was still staring suspiciously at Hylia. The goddess merely stared back.
"How do you know so much about this?" she asked the goddess suddenly. "You are only a servant."
I wasn't sure if Midna realized how elitist she sounded, but her question was an honest one. Hylia was supposed to be posing as a Shiekah, and she was espousing knowledge like that of a Hylian scholar. If she didn't watch it, she was going to reveal herself.
"I read a great deal in my free time," Hylia rebutted. "Besides, this is nothing but brainstorming anyway."
Midna sat back, but she still kept a distrustful eye on Hylia.
"I see," was all the queen said.
There was a brief silence between us where I then looked over at Elbourne. He was quiet during most of the last exchange. I still had no idea what transpired before Zelda was abducted, but something had to happen between the two of them for them not to come back to the palace. There wasn't even a guarantee that the palace was a safe place, but it would have been better if we had all stayed together than got separated. We could have probably had a chance to fight Ghirahim off if he appeared in the palace. I decided now was the time to get a few answers to those questions. Elbourne was too quiet for my liking right now anyway. He spoke up initially but had nothing more to say. He looked lost in his own thoughts. Something was disquieting about his contemplation. It was time he did some sharing.
"I know this may be hard for you right now," I started, addressing the dragon prince, "but you need to tell us what happened before Ghirahim took Zelda."
Elbourne looked my way when he realized I was speaking to him.
"Are you talking to me?" he asked anyway.
I wasn't in the mood for this, so I ignored his inquiry.
"You were with her the longest before she disappeared. What happened?"
Elbourne was quiet for a moment, then looked between the three of us.
"I would rather not say. What happened between us had nothing to do with her disappearance."
That was where he was wrong.
"Correction, if Zelda hadn't gone after you then she would still be here," I redirected. "You owe me an explanation as to what happened to her."
He narrowed his eyes at me.
"I don't owe you anything, but she kept asking me to come back to the palace when I told her I wanted to be alone. I told her to leave!"
Now, I was getting heated. There was a brief silence between everyone after that. It sounded like he was hesitating, like he was leaving something out to not only protect himself, but Zelda as well. I realized then I might not ever truly know what happened between the two of them at the lagoon. It only stemmed to bring about bitter jealous feelings. However, I did need the dragon prince to be aware of something regarding Zelda. I needed him to be aware of how much the Hylian queen truly cared for him. She constantly stood up for him when I went to bring him down. She insisted he wasn't a charlatan, even when he acted otherwise. He needed to be reminded of that. He needed to be reminded of what was truly lost here. I spoke up to break the silence.
"The only reason she went after you was because she cared about your safety. She wanted you here with us, and now she's gone. You heard what that monster said! You heard what he threatened to do to her. How could you be so goddamn selfish?!"
Elbourne's eyes widened.
"You think I wanted this to happen?" he demanded. "You think I don't feel guilty for what happened to her? I wanted her to leave because I didn't want anything to happen to her! I love her as much as you do Link! More even! I want her back here too!"
Hylia then interceded.
"Look, I know tensions and emotions are high right now, but we all know how much Zelda cares for the both of you. That's what makes her such an extraordinary person, her loyalty. However, there is still something about all this that still doesn't make sense." She then shifted the conversation to keep everyone focused. "Why would Ghirahim take Zelda when it was clear he was after the dragon prince?"
Elbourne's eyes widened more as he stared in open frustration at the goddess. He was obviously offended by the inquiry.
"None of you know that!" he nearly shouted and took a step back. "Stop with these baseless accusations!"
Midna then looked at the dragon prince taken aback. She was completely out of the loop.
"What are you talking about?" she asked Hylia.
"Nothing!" the dragon prince answered vehemently. "Absolutely nothing!"
He was not helping his case, and I was not going to go back and forth on something he knew was true.
"Elbourne don't be blind," I said. "You know as well as I that Ghirahim was trying to pull you under and capture you. The only reason he wasn't successful was because Zelda pushed you out of harm's way. Don't be a fool. You know his focus is you."
The dragon prince cut his gaze back to me.
"I don't believe that to be the case. It was merely a coincidence."
I couldn't lie, that was pathetic no matter how empathetically I could see things. I don't think even he believed those words. Now he was just using wishful thinking.
"Your belief is irrelevant," I said. "The proof was there. Your denial doesn't refute it."
He narrowed his eyes at me just then.
"You would like that to be the case wouldn't you?" he demanded. "You would like for me to be the sole reason Ghirahim's after us?!"
Hylia then interjected.
"Will you two stop this? You're both being ridiculous." She then turned her attention to the dragon prince. "Elbourne, I know you don't want to believe this, but unfortunately the facts are the facts. You're going to have to come to grips with them. However, our focus right now is on what's important: Zelda's return."
Midna was reeling by all the revelations regarding the dragon prince, but chose not to focus on the topic for now. She decided to be diplomatic.
"Again, Sheik is right, our number one priority is Zelda's whereabouts. Quarreling will get us nowhere. There has to be a way to intercept our world with Ghirahim's to find her majesty. Our mission should be to concentrate on that."
Hylia nodded in agreement.
"There is, we just have to find it, but it must be at an exact fractal point within the Twilight Realm."
Again, Midna looked at Hylia puzzled.
"How do you know that?" she asked her. "You, in my opinion, have more surprises than anyone here."
I wasn't sure about that as I stared at Elbourne. Even so, Hylia needed to remember if she revealed too much she was going to blow her cover.
"There was some beautiful scenery that I took note of that seemed out of place," the goddess replied. "Your majesty, do you know where there are regular occurrences of distortions of twilight in your realm?"
Midna gave Hylia another distrusting look and sat back. Both the question and the shift in conversation were noteworthy. The twilight queen was contemplating. I could see it in her eyes. She knew she was in the dark about something, she just didn't know what yet. If she allowed her pride to cloud her judgment, then we would have trouble. Even so, the queen decided to do the right thing. She placed her pride to the side and considered the inquiry. I saw the relevance in Hylia's question, but I wasn't certain Midna did due to being out of the loop for so long.
"I'm afraid I can't say for certain," she said honestly, finally. "As far as I knew, and know, the realm has been fortified."
Surprisingly, Elbourne spoke up again and provided some needed insight.
"Well... there are those regular strange occurrences deep in the forest," he said suddenly.
Everyone's eyes shifted back to him.
"What? What occurrences in the forest?" I asked.
He took in a deep sigh and paused for a moment before speaking again.
"There's this area in the forest that would be considered the equivalent of the Sacred Forest Meadow," he divulged. "It's called the Sacrosanct Paddock. There are distortions of twilight there. They happen all the time, even before the effects of the Virtue Key."
I gave him an offhanded look. His specificity was telling.
"How do you know of this place?"
Elboourne gave me an obvious look.
"The same way I know about every place in this realm, I've traveled there before."
There was a brief silence where everyone was staring at Elbourne, even Midna. Her misgivings may have been the most startling, as she had no idea that Ghirahim had an interest in Elbourne. In fact, it was the first thing she brought up when she spoke again.
"You have made yourself quite invaluable Elbourne, but I'm starting to wonder if your motives are as you once said they were."
Elbourne shook his head.
"My motives have never changed. I have no ill will against you or your realm your majesty."
Midna raised a brow.
"Then what is this that I am hearing about you and Ghirahim?" she countered.
The dragon prince's frustration mounted.
"It's nonsense!" he exclaimed. His raised voice was predictable with his aggravation. "I have nothing, and know nothing, of Ghirahim! This is all posturing from the hero and his colleague!"
Midna was not convinced, but she did not push the matter further, nor did I. Hylia, however, was studying the prince closely, and it looked to me that she had realized something that the rest of us were still unaware of. She did not utter what it was, but I could tell by her expression that she figured something out that she may have been contemplating for some time. Perhaps, she already knew. Perhaps, this was the confirmation she needed. I hoped she would tell me in secret when the time came for it. For now, I desired to get past this because nothing was coming of it. This circular dialogue was taking precious minutes away from finding Zelda. Admittedly, Elbourne had been an invaluable escort in the past. There was no reason to deny him that signature now. I knew he wanted to find Zelda as much as I did. I needed to appeal to that.
"This arguing will get us nowhere," I redirected. "Let's forget this issue for now and focus on Zelda. Truce?"
Elbourne did not reply right away, as he was still dealing with the frustration of our accusations. Now, Midna was in the fray. Maybe I should have been more considerate. Finally, he nodded.
"Truce," he replied.
It was time to move on.
"Now, are you certain of what you just spoke of?" I asked. "Is this Sacrosanct Paddock truly distorted?"
Elbourne gave a wayward shrug.
"I'm not exactly sure, it's just a hunch I have. I remember noticing a weird phenomenon of sorts when I went traveling through there alone a couple years ago."
That was telling.
A couple years ago? It's no wonder he knows the landscape so well.
"Do you think it's possible that it's still happening?" I inquired.
Elbourne shrugged with uncertainty.
"I can't say for sure, all I know is what I saw at the time."
The divulgence left everyone silent. I glanced over at Hylia, who at the time was looking over at me. It couldn't be ignored that some things that were outsider knowledge shouldn't have been. How in the world did Elbourne of Dragon Roost know the resting place of the Master Sword? Even if the Twilight Realm is Hyrule's shadowed sister, that still didn't account for the dragon prince being spot on in his summation. The only persons I thought were privy to such knowledge were me, Zelda, Hylia, and Midna. How in the world did the dragon prince find out about The Sacred Forest Meadow, and more importantly, for how long? I understood study and scholarship was his past time, but The Sacred Forest Meadow was a gateway through time. If the word got out of its location, adventurers from all over would come looking for it. Elbourne was keeping far more secrets than he was letting on, and I did not like it. I noticed Hylia shake her head subtly at my expression when my suspicions deepened. Elbourne's knowledge may have not been sitting well with me, but I couldn't allow my suspicions to cloud my better judgment either. I knew the goddess's glance was because of that. I had to let it go for now.
"That's exactly where the Master Sword rests in the world of light," I stated, trying to say it without cynicism.
The prince nodded.
"I know," he replied.
I raised a brow and Hylia immediately interceded.
"When you think about it," the goddess said, "it makes sense, even if it is rather ironic, Ghirahim's connection to this world is connected to the light world where he could never break through because of the barrier enforced by the Master Sword. He being the Master Sword of darkness, it only makes sense that he would want to replicate the organization of the light."
I nodded at her conjecture, but was still not comfortable with that fact.
"So, to put it plainly he's nothing more than a copycat."
Hylia shrugged.
"That's one way of putting it," she replied.
Midna gave Hylia another suspicious look. The goddess was faltering again.
"Are you sure you're just a Sheikah?" she asked. "You seem to be more knowledgeable than even I remember the Sheikah being."
The goddess grinned.
"It's as I've said before, I read a great deal of books," she reassured.
Even so, that statement was none too reassuring for Midna, but the twilight queen said nothing in rebuttal and instead turned her attention to me.
"What do you make of all this Link?" she asked.
I pondered her question for a moment.
"I think following Elbourne's suggestion is worth a shot. Even so, it makes you wonder why Ghirahim would even create such an access point besides the irony you stated Sheik."
Hylia crossed her arms over her chest.
"True."
I tried to keep my tone neutral, but the undercurrent of my misgivings unfortunately rang through. Elbourne took note of my tone and narrowed his eyes at me. He probably thought I was making a statement blanketed towards him. However, he said nothing in return.
"If Elbourne does turn out being right, how are we supposed to get through to Ghirahim's world?" I asked, changing the subject. "How are we to gain access to a place we know nothing of, and better yet, how are we supposed to return from such a place?"
Hylia raised her hand to stop me.
"We have to take one obstacle at a time. The first thing is finding the access point. There must be a separation in the multiverse somewhere in the Sacrosanct Paddock. It makes sense, considering Azimuth was able to reside in its dimension without disturbing the overall peace of the Serendipitous Sanctuary. The dynamic energies that shift and sway to keep everything in balance must be concentrated in a different form to access the Demon Lord's Lair, which in turn would mean the individual going through the access point would have to be in a different form as well. It would have to be something very apparent... very feral."
She then stared straight at me and gave me a long once over. I returned her stare slightly taken aback.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Hylia raised a covered brow.
"You're going to have to walk on the wild side for a while Master Link," she said cryptically. "That's the only way you'll get through, and you're going to have to go alone."
Elbourne looked between the both of us baffled.
"What? What are you talking about?"
I pursed my lips when I realized what I was going to have to do.
"She means I'm going to have to become a wolf once more," I disclosed.
Hylia nodded, while Elbourne looked at me stunned.
"A wolf?" he replied.
I nodded and sighed.
"Yes, a wolf," I repeated. "Seven years ago when I traversed the Twilight Realm my form changed to that of a wolf. I was told it represented my unbreakable spirit as the hero. However, for whatever reason, I haven't changed into the beast since I got here."
Midna provided some insight.
"Its quite possible because your will proved true and you no longer needed to transform to show it otherwise," she disclosed. "Or, perhaps you were reprieved of such service when you returned the Master Sword."
I glanced over at her.
"Zelda and I spoke about this a little while ago. She suggested the same thing, but even still, we weren't certain."
"Well, whatever the case, we're going to have to find a way to summon the will of your inner wolf," Hylia added. "That's the only way you'll be able to travel to the Demon Lord's Lair safely."
The dragon prince was still staring at me stunned. I glanced over at him.
"What?" I asked of his gaze.
He gave me a quick once over.
"So, those tales about your transformations were true," he said incredulously. "I used to think they were merely legends about the man who could transform into a wolf."
I was hardly expecting to hear those words from the dragon prince.
"Yes, they were true," I said, "but ever since I put the Master Sword away, I haven't been able to do it. So don't hold your breath just yet."
Hylia chimed in again.
"I wouldn't worry too much about whether you have the ability or not. I'm sure if you simply tried you would be able to do it."
I looked at the goddess surprised. She was essentially giving me the confirmation that I still had the ability. Again, Midna gave way to suspicion.
"One of these days you're going to take off those bandages and we're going to have a face to face discussion Sheik of the Sheikah," she said.
Hylia merely grinned.
"I look forward to it," she replied.
I didn't pay too much attention to their conversation. I hoped our next course of action was the right one.
"Well," I began, "we're going to have to take minimal provisions and move out. The longer we stall, the longer Zelda's life is in danger."
Everyone was in agreement. Midna then stood from her throne.
"I want to go as well, I think it's important I'm a part of this. Zelda would do it for me."
However, Hylia quickly objected.
"Your majesty," the goddess said, "this situation is already fragile as it is, and your people need you here for protection. Besides, someone has to keep eyes on King Xavier. He's a fugitive now and there's no telling where his mind is. If you were to get hurt, this whole incident would implode to catastrophic proportions."
Elbourne cut his eyes to the goddess and took a minor offense of her description of his father. However, I couldn't help but feel that her statement was ironic considering she was the Goddess of Hyrule. If anything happened to her it wouldn't be just an international incident, it would be a universal incident. Even still, I understood Hylia's reasoning. This situation was delicate, and another queen's capture would not suit our whims. I was surprised Midna offered to go.
"I have to agree with Sheik your majesty," I reasoned. "It would be better for you to stay here out of harm's way."
The twilight queen looked at me surprised.
"Link..." she trailed.
Elbourne chimed in as well.
"My father would feel more at ease knowing you were here with him," he added, trying to alleviate the brunt of Hylia's harsh words. "He would just worry about you being in the thicket of things."
Midna said nothing for a long while, before reluctantly nodding and sitting back down. She knew we were all right.
"I suppose what you're saying has merit," she said finally. "There would be no need to make the situation more dire than it already is."
I nodded, grateful the twilight queen wasn't being difficult about the matter. Hylia then directed her attention back to me.
"We better get going."
Elbourne agreed.
"Sheik is right. The Sacrosanct Paddock is a day's journey from here."
I realized the gravity of Zelda's plight in that moment. She was going to be in that madman's capture for at least another day. The thought of that was sobering. I channeled all the courage I had.
Just hold on Zelda... just please hold on.
~SSS~
The Demon Lord's Lair, Zelda
Darkness.
There was nothing but darkness from the moment I came to my senses. It took me a moment to even realize this because of the intense cluster headache centered at the back of my head. Even so, I knew my situation was dire the moment I opened my eyes.
There was no light.
There was no sound.
There was no evidence of life anywhere... just darkness. The room was pitch black. I couldn't see my hand in front of me if I wanted to. I involuntarily started trembling in fear. I hated the dark. I had been terrified of it since I was a child. Terrible things happened to people in the dark. I tried swallowing to calm myself down, but it was painful as my throat was parched and dry from a lack of water. How long had I been like this? My stomach was in knots. It was churning relentlessly from apprehension and hunger pains. I moaned softly from the pain at the back of my scalp, praying my headache would subside. However, I knew my prayer was wishful thinking. The blood oozing down the back of my neck was drying and creating an itchy uncomfortable scab there. How did that happen again? How did I injure myself?
Oh yes... I remember...
A memory:
When we first arrived here, we traveled through a long portal that led to a barren waste land from what I could see. We landed on some white and black earth, and Ghirahim pushed me away with a burst of strength at his footing. As a result, I hit the ground very hard below. I managed to break my fall with a bit of a stumble and I crawled away when he towered over me. All the monster did was stare at me with those soulless black eyes. Soon after, he growled and whispered for me to flee.
"Get up and get moving."
My eyes widened and I stared at him terrified.
"What?" I whispered back.
My question frustrated him.
"I said run, get up and run... I like to catch my prey before I kill it."
I crawled back more, then froze when I didn't know whether I should follow his command or stay put. Either way, I knew he was going to try and kill me. I stared at him and found it hard to move.
My reluctance aggravated him more.
"Get up!" he screamed finally. "Do you think I'm bluffing?! Run before I kill you right now for thinking I'm just toying with you! Run!"
My heart raced. He didn't need to say another word. Afterwards, I scrambled to my feet and hurried as fast as I could in the opposite direction. I had no idea where I was going. I just needed to get away from him. There was nothing but a large keep in the distance for miles around. It was like a barren wasteland. This realization was more terrifying than the keep ahead of me. Where was I to go? How was I supposed to get out of here? How would I contact the others? I had no time to ponder such questions.
When I looked over my shoulder to keep sight of the monster, I saw that all Ghirahim was doing was power walking towards me. I was running and he was walking. How was this possible? How was he keeping in step with me? I tried to run faster, but found myself now not going anywhere. I stopped progressing. My feet were moving, but I was creating no distance. I looked over my shoulder again and saw that Ghirahim had created an energy gradient that was pulling the gravity of this place in the opposite direction. My efforts were in vain. However, I kept at it, as there were no other choices for me. It was either run or die. Finally, the force was too much. I lost my footing and became airborne. I went flying backwards.
"No!" I screamed. "No! No please! Goddesses noooooo!"
My screams echoed in the empty space. There was nothing out there. Nothing. Just me and this monster. My arms flailed in the air until I landed right smack into the demon lord's chest, head first. But, for some strange reason his body felt like stone–hard polished stone. The back of my scalp lacerated on impact and blood began running down my neck. The laceration was substantial as I was becoming dizzy instantly. I was barely conscious when Ghirahim lifted me in his arms. He grinned while I struggled to keep my eyes opened. I feared the worst, but didn't utter anything. I just stared at him.
"Don't worry," he whispered, "you aren't the first Hylian woman I've entertained."
The implications sent a chill down my spine. How many women had he killed before me? What was he going to do before he killed me? I was staring at a creature who knew no concept of mercy. I realized as I lost more blood I was not going to be able to keep my eyes opened. Soon after, I passed out and lost all track of time.
Now...
Now I was here and I didn't know where 'here' was. Were we in that large building I saw in the distance when I was attempting to flee? Were we in that monster's keep? I blinked several times hoping to get a sense of something around me. However, I could sense nothing. There was nothing to focus on. When I tried to move I realized my plight was much worse than I initially surmised. I was chained by my arms and feet. My arms above my head. My feet below my body. I was laying sideways for now. The ground felt strange, as though there was something crawling about it. I was instantly frightened by the implication. However, I didn't stay prostrated for long. Suddenly, there was a cranking metallic noise. It sounded like a chain linked to a torque. I began to move. I wasn't sure what to make of this. Was I going to be pulled apart? Was the torture about to really begin? My first inquiry was answered when I went from a lying position to being suspended in midair. I was hanging from a hook connected to a metal rigging lodged somewhere in the rafters of the ceiling. The chain must have been the mechanism to activate it. I tried to reach my hands up in an effort to hoist my body above me and climb, but with the way the bonds were secured at my wrists, it made climbing practically impossible. Ghirahim must have known I would try something like that and preempted my venture. Unfortunately, I felt my wrists serrate and tear slightly from the movement. The blood began to congeal immediately at my wrists.
My fear was starting to heighten. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to scream in frustration. I had to keep a level head or I was going to go crazy. I suspected that was what the demon lord wanted from me. He wanted me to break. He wanted me to give in under the pressure so he could kill me with no regrets. However, that was where he was mistaken. I wasn't going to be an easy kill, not in that aspect at least. If he wanted me completely broken, he was going to have to work hard to do so. It was going to take more than hanging from a chain to break me. I am a Queen of Hyrule. The blood of the goddess and the hero flows through my veins. Though I was afraid, I was not going to lack courage to face this. It was then I collected myself and tried to remain calm. I knew now I needed to rely on my Triforce of Wisdom. I needed a clear mind.
How long was I unconscious? Where am I? What is this place?
What made the situation more unsettling, was I didn't know how high I was hanging, or if the ground were only two feet below me. It was too dark to tell. It was too dark, and… too quiet. Besides the metal, there was only a low hum of noise, but not much else. I couldn't hear a familiarized thing: not a drop of water, not a gust of wind, not a rustling of trees... nothing. It was so quiet. It was hard to determine which sensory deprivation was worse, the lack of sight, or the lack of sound. My dry throat induced another painful swallow as a cold sweat seeded my brow. I tried again in vain to look around the darkness for something recognizable, only to come up short. Wherever I was, I apparently had been here for at least a day or two. I remember reading somewhere that circadian rhythms were thrown off if there was a complete absence of light and sound for at least twenty-four hours... and my rhythms were definitely off. So, my first summation was, that I had been gone for at least a day. Now, where was I?
The obvious answer was Ghirahim's keep, but where in the world was that, and how would the others find me? It was one thing for me to break free and escape. It was another thing entirely to try and find an access point back to the Twilight Realm. I would just get recaptured if I had no forethought. I was going to need some insight when the time came for an attempted prison break. I had no desire to just sit and rot here. In the meantime, I was going to have to figure out a way of maintaining some kind of comfort level while hanging in midair from a chain. I knew it was an impossible premise, but I had to try. I couldn't give up, even if giving up seemed like the easy thing to do. That was what Ghirahim wanted. I was grateful my joints were in optimal condition as this hanging motion would have been much worse with a dislocated wrist or shoulder. Though, all this hanging was eventually going to lead to an injury. The weight of my body was already tugging at the muscles in my arms. I was tired of repositioning myself and it had only been a few minutes.
What an intimidating position to be in. I had no idea what was to come, or what to expect. I closed my eyes and took in a deep labored breath, wishing some of my perspiration would flow into my parched mouth. I was going to continue to dehydrate from the lack of water and the amount of sweat my body was giving off. Things were certainly looking more down than up. I coughed at the thick dank air and let my head fall back for a moment. I needed to do something to induce some sort of comfort. I then flexed my core muscles to try and reduce the tension from my upper body, and for a moment it worked.
"That's a little better," I whispered.
It's going to be okay Zelda, I told myself. It's going to be okay. I can't let Ghirahim win.
I then lifted my legs and rubbed my knees together, grateful I was still able to feel the cloth of my dress. I was glad that monster hadn't stripped me naked. However, I wished now I had worn something more modest. This dress promised to be a problem when Ghirahim reared his ugly head again. With that in mind, I tried to reach my feet down as far as I could to feel if the ground were close below me. Maybe I could get a sense of my spatial orientation if I knew where the floor was. However, I was careful not to be too diligent with the activity so as not to injure myself. My left leg extended as far as they could and my toes flexed in the darkness to nothing. I couldn't feel anything below me. I was trying to remain calm, but my frustrations were starting to get the better of me. I had to close my eyes again when I realized how terrible my predicament really was. For a moment, my fears began to resurface.
Who the hell is going to find me here? How in the hell am I going to get out of this?
Not expecting an answer of any kind, I was astonished when a reply was uttered.
"Those are good questions," said a booming deep male voice.
I froze.
How was that possible? What was going on?
"Wait a minute," I whispered to myself, "did he just reply to my... to my thoughts?"
My breathing increased, but I forced myself to shake my head of the notion. That was impossible. Only the goddess had that kind of power. I didn't give it a second thought and reasoned it as a coincidence. I decided to confront the voice.
"Who's there?" I demanded aloud.
I already knew the answer. His voice got quiet when I inquired. Then, suddenly he started laughing... broad, sonorous laughter. It sounded like it came from the bellows of his soul. It was so horrifying. It sounded like it surrounded me. I hated that it sent a chill down my spine. Even so, I remained resilient and put on a brave front.
"You know who's here my sweet, sweet queen," he whispered in reply. "You know who's here... watching you. I've been enjoying observing you try to get out of those bonds."
I trembled more. How could he see me in all this darkness? I didn't bother to ask.
"You would," I said defiantly.
There was a brief silence, but it was definitely brief.
"I don't want you to be uncomfortable. All you have to do now is say... my... name."
I didn't believe that for a second. I pursed my lips together to keep them from trembling. I had to remain focused.
"Are you going to unshackle me if I do?" I asked calmly.
I felt as though I were speaking to no one.
He got quiet again at my inquiry.
"I might," he replied.
I didn't reply to that, knowing it was just a bluff. However, he wasn't partial to my silence.
"What's my name, O lovely one?" he whispered. "For I love hearing you speak. You have such a soothing voice."
My throat tightened at his tone. I could only imagine what he was doing out there to himself, while he was staring at me.
"Ghirahim," I whispered.
There was a long pause after my utterance, followed by an extended moan.
"Yeeeeesssssss," he said finally after he took in a few deep breaths. I heard something splatter to the floor while he moaned again in satisfaction. "Awww..."
It took everything in me not to vomit. He was masturbating. I was hanging from a chain and he was masturbating. There was a long silence that followed his repugnant sounds. It made me wonder how long he had been sitting there in the darkness watching me. Hours? Days? Even so, it still beckoned a question.
How could he watch me with everything being so pitch black? It's so dark in here.
I tried to keep my nerves in check, but my once isolated brow sweat was now a full on body sweat. I couldn't help it, I was nervous and frightened. I had no idea how volatile this creature would be as the time ticked on. It didn't help that I hated the dark and I was claustrophobic.
"Think good thoughts," I whispered to myself. "Think good thoughts."
The silence prolonged from the few spoken words before. All I could hear was the sound of my breathing. It stayed this way for several minutes. But then suddenly, a very unusual sound filled the air. A sound that didn't seem appropriate for the surroundings. It was beautiful and quaint. It was the melody of a harp. A lovely, familiar melody. My eyes widened at the sound. Instead of the music being soothing as it was intended to be, it had the opposite effect. The sound terrified me to no end. This monster was going to play this kind of game with me. It wasn't simply about physical harm with this creature. He wanted so much more. He wanted me to be his angel in his hell, or the devil in his paradise.
I recognized the melody immediately.
Sheik's Song... The melody my grandmother wrote to alert the hero of old of her whereabouts... the theme of wisdom and courage.
There was no denying that that was the melody playing. Sheik's Song was a melody of the uniting aspects of the Triforce of wisdom and courage and power. The woof and whiff. The ebb and the flow. It was a beautiful song meant to reassure the listener that better days were coming–that the end of suffering was nigh. In this dark dungeon, Ghirahim was attempting to take that hope away from me. However, I had to somehow make him see that his ploy would not work.
It was then I spoke up.
"You play beautifully," I whispered into the darkness. "You must have been practicing."
After my utterance, the music abruptly stopped. A silence followed, but then it was broken.
"Do I?" he asked suddenly.
I nodded. I focused straight ahead.
"You do. It's a lovely song. It's one of my favorites."
He grunted.
"Well, I hope that song gives you comfort your majesty. It too, is one of my favorites. I have spent many years being forced to listen to it. If you permit me, I have a few more I would like to play for you. It isn't often I have such a distinguished guest."
I didn't reply to him right away.
This bastard is insane.
I wasn't going to utter that. I had to play the game.
"You know more Hylian melodies?"
There was a brief pause.
"Yes," he replied, "would you like for me to continue?"
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. My heart was starting to beat faster. I had no idea when he was going to snap.
"I would love for you to continue," I whispered calmly.
Ghirahim was quiet for a moment before he strummed his instrument again.
"Thank you, and perhaps you'll feel better after hearing this forward," he said. "The flow of time is cruel. Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it. A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days… now listen to the Minuet of the Forest."
My blood ran cold.
How does he know the songs and words of the Sheikah? How could he possibly know this?
I would not get an answer in the interim. Soon, the music filled the air, and it was every bit as beautiful as my grandmother used to play it. The Minuet of Forest was a song of friendship. It was very dear to my grandfather's heart. He hummed it often as he stared out the window to the forests of the south. I still recall the sadness in my grandfather's eyes. I still remember the lessons of my grandmother's words. The Minuet of the Forest was a simple song with a rich legacy. A sage. A hero. A love lost. It was so much deeper than anyone could truly surmise. However, the irony now was that it left me disturbed. The song was meant to celebrate the beauty and innocence of youth. Ghirahim was making a mockery of that by playing it in a moment of isolation and maleficence. At his conclusion, there was another silence. A moment later, I heard the rapid tapping of something in the darkness before Ghirahim spoke again.
What was that?
I wasn't going to get an answer conventionally. Even so, I said nothing when the melody ended. I kept silent, and it seemed the monster took a minor offense.
"No words from my lady?" he asked finally.
He wanted accolades? Preposterous. I scoffed quietly and cast my eyes to the floor, or where the floor would be if I could see it. I still had nothing to say.
"Not spirited enough for you?" he went on. "Very well, I shall try again."
This was becoming cumbersome. I knew sooner or later he was going to cease this ruse and show his true colors. He was toying with me because he wanted to lull me into a sense of complacency. My breath steamed like a cloud of mist in front of me. Even so, the monster went on.
"It is something that grows over time," he continued. "A true friendship… a feeling in the heart that grows stronger over time. The passion of friendship will soon blossom into righteous power and through it you will know which way to go. This song is dedicated to the heart. Now, listen to the Bolero of Fire."
It seemed he was going to be sequential. The Serenade of Water would be next no doubt, followed by: the Nocturn of Shadow, and The Requiem of the Spirit. Ghirahim was definitely a steward of Hylian history. He wasn't a brainless creature. He also wouldn't be satisfied until he broke a person's spirit. It was obvious he had done this before. Even so, the wicked demon lord played the lively triple meter like an expert. The Bolero of Fire was a song that venerated the depth of true friendship. My grandfather talked about the might of the Goron people, and how his reliance on them saved his life. My grandfather never took an alliance for granted… at least, not intentionally. Ghirahim went to thwart that idea by mocking it. Once he completed his set, he became quiet. Truthfully, he deserved a proper ovation because it was exquisitely played. However, I would not give him such pleasure. I chose to remain silent. He heard nothing from me. The monster probably considered my behavior brazen.
"Did you like the song?" he asked finally when the silence prolonged. "Did I do it justice?"
I still didn't answer. All he wanted was goading.
The silence prolonged.
"Hmph…" he grunted, "very well, I shall try again."
Admittedly, my hanging was becoming an issue. I couldn't find a way to make my wrists not hurt. I turned my face into my shoulder to wipe some of the perspiration from my eyes. My nerves were increasingly on edge. Even so, the harp strummed once more and Ghirahim spoke again.
"This next one should be of great significance to you my queen," he said abruptly.
This was becoming predictable.
I knew it.
Ghirahim proceeded.
"Time passes, people move, and like a river's flow, it never ends. A childish mind will turn to noble ambition. Young love will become deep affection. The clear water's surface reflects growth. Now listen to the Serenade of Water."
Something in those words strung a pang of emotion within me. Ghirahim was making a mockery of my love for Link. Link… I had been so foolish with him lately. I had taken him for granted. I had gotten angry over a misunderstanding. I nearly pushed him away. I tried to barter my relationship over my pride. He protected me. He hunted for me. He cared for me when I was ill. He took me all over Hyrule. He bought me my favorite dress…. He did so much for me and I was on the cusp of losing him, of losing everything. Why didn't I say yes to him when I had the chance? Why didn't I reassure my love for him? I was such a fool. I was so prideful. Now I was alone in a cold dark place wishing he were here. Wishing I could take every wrong thing I ever said or did to him back. I realized I loved that man more than I loved my own life. Hearing the Serenade of Water made it all the more real to me. My eyes filled with tears. I didn't bother to try and control them. However, I knew it was dangerous for me to react this way. This was what Ghirahim wanted. When the beautiful song was over, the tears in my eyes spilled onto my cheeks. I couldn't help it. And, that was when I heard him laughing at me again. It surrounded me and terrified me like before. Nothing had changed. Once the laughter stopped, there was another long silence. Unfortunately, it was followed by more heavy moaning and another repugnant splatter onto the ground. He was masturbating again.
I shivered at his complete disregard for decency.
"Hylia give me strength," I whispered.
The demon lord groaned.
"That bitch couldn't give anyone strength," he retorted suddenly.
I closed my eyes and said nothing in reply. I had to remember to keep my resolve.
"Do you miss your doting hero great queen?" Ghirahim whispered.
I narrowed my eyes at the darkness, imagining he was standing right in front of me, but his voice was so far away.
He really is a deviant and a fiend.
I still didn't answer.
There was more brooding laughter, and finally he cut right to the chase.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" he demanded. "Is my company not stimulating enough for you?"
I still didn't reply.
That's what he wants. He wants to play off my fears.
There was another brief silence, before the inevitable happened.
"Of course it's what I want," he replied to my thoughts, "I love watching you squirm."
I froze and my eyes widened in complete disbelief. After reading it for the second time, I knew it wasn't a coincidence now. He was reading my mind. That was all the confirmation I needed.
Holy Hylia.
My breath was caught in my throat.
"How did you-" I tried anyway.
"You know damn well how I did it your majesty! Don't be a fool!" he shouted suddenly. "And to answer your first long overdue question, these are the songs from your grandmother, the scathing retch who escaped the company of my master the first time!"
My heart raced.
"What?" I whispered.
He went on.
"I am indeed a deviant and a fiend. I either win or I don't, it's never a 'let'. I am not a bastard, I'm misunderstood, but I am twisted, very very twisted. As for that noise, I don't want you to know what that is yet, and yes, I love seeing your fear."
I swallowed hard when I realized he was going back and answering all the inquiries of my mind.
"How is this possible?" I whispered, not sure if I was speaking to him or to myself. "How are you able to do this?"
He scoffed at my question.
"You're in my realm," he said finally. "Your thoughts can't be protected by the power of light. Every thought that comes into your head I am aware of."
It was worse than I feared. I was in the most vulnerable state possible. There was a long uncomfortable silence that followed. I wasn't stating that as a hyperbole either. It was decidedly long. There was no sound from that monster for ten minutes. The anxiety that came from that extended period of time was unnerving. There was nothing I could hide from him. I wasn't even safe inside of my head. Admittedly, my body began to tremble.
"What are you doing now?" I demanded finally. "Why the hell aren't you saying anything?"
My words apparently didn't sit well with him.
"If you're going to be rude," Ghirahim answered, "then I'll let you just hang there in the darkness."
I scoffed.
"Aren't you going to do that anyway? Aren't your words nothing more than empty threats Ghirahim?"
He was silent again, and I felt incredible frustration with myself for not having better control over my thought process, knowing now that he could read it. I was asking for trouble if I allowed myself to remain so unguarded and openly exposed to him.
"How in the world are you going to demand that I say something to you when you hardly uttered a few words to me in our last conversation?" he demanded of me, but his voice sounded as though it were surrounding me. It echoed everywhere. "You're a guest in my goddamn home and you treat my hospitality as if it were garbage!"
This is what I was anticipating. I knew it was only a matter of time before he acted on his demented nature.
I had to think fast.
"Hospitality?" I repeated. "You-"
"Shut up!" he snapped. "Shut your damn mouth up right now before I slit your goddamn throat!"
I immediately clamped my mouth shut and obeyed. Not because of his threat, but because I needed to regroup and get the upper hand on this situation. This was no time for me to be impulsive. I had to think and outwit him.
"You don't understand," I tried again, "I-"
"You only see fit to talk to me now to save your damn life," he interrupted in a very strange way, he was speaking to me like a jealous lover. "I could find something else better to do with that mouth of yours. Something more appealing and appeasing to my devices!"
My breathing increased. I hoped to circumvent his threat.
"What do you want?" I demanded. "Ask me anything, I am merely an open book. I can't hide anything from you."
The silence that followed was long and dreadful. It was in that moment I heard that sound again.
What in the world is that?
I was aware now wasn't the time to ponder over it, but I was certain whatever it was was going to be a problem in the future. I didn't have to be a Hylian scholar to guess that. However, my immediate threat was more imminent. I needed to keep this monster curtailed for a time.
"What do I want?" he repeated finally. "Hmmm…" he trailed, "I've always hated that question. Every time I answer it honestly the person who asks it regrets it. Well, it's no matter. What do I want?" he asked himself again. "What do I want? What… do… I… want…?" he repeated the question several times. "What I want is to fuck you until you scream in agony and pain."
My body stiffened almost involuntarily.
"What?" I whispered stunned, but not really… stunned, if that made sense.
He continued.
"I want to beat you within an inch of your life until you beg me to die, but I still won't let you die... I'll make sure you're alive so I can torture you more."
I began to tremble.
"You're insane," I whispered.
He had no qualms.
"Yes," he whispered back in agreement, "and then I want to rape you again, but not just in any fashion." His voice suddenly dropped. "I want to do it in front of your beloved hero to show you how helpless and useless he is."
Tears filled my eyes when he mentioned Link.
"Link..."
I sobbed softly. I couldn't help it.
"Yeeeessss…" Ghirahim trailed suddenly as if he were masturbating again, "cry…" he whispered as if he were having an orgasm, "cry and show me how terrified you really are."
I didn't care about his taunts or that he was undermining my resolve. All I could think about in that moment was Link and how much I loved him.
"You'll get no such pleasure from me," I said in quiet defiance. "You can kill me if you like, but you'll get no such pleasure from me."
There was another long silence that followed my statement. But then suddenly, a light flashed above me and encircled all around me. It was surprising and blinding all at the same time.
What in the-?
The sudden change in the environment stunned my eyes, as they dilated and retracted quickly from the sensorial shock. I was seeing red and green flashing lights for a moment before anything legitimate came into focus. I blinked several times before I looked around. To my surprise, I could still see nothing beyond ten feet ahead of me. The light above me was fixated downward, so I could only see my personage and the limited surrounding space within that circumference. Even so, I was grateful for any light at all. Hanging in the darkness was jarring. However, that relief was short lived. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, out of nowhere, I felt a wet, spongy-like thing wrap around the bottom of my ankle. I gasped and closed my eyes, not wanting to imagine what it was that was touching me down there.
"Don't give in to your fears Zelda," I whispered to myself. "Don't give in."
It took me a moment, but I finally looked down. My eyes widened in horror when I realized the thing was a tongue, and not just a tongue, Ghirahim's tongue.
"Oh my goddess," I couldn't help but say.
I watched the long vestige wrap around my leg and slither up towards my inner thighs. My eyes widened more as I squeezed my legs together in an effort to protect myself from what he was attempting to do. However, soon after, the tongue stopped when it got to about my knee. I was horrified with the implications.
"Then what are those?" Ghirahim asked of the wells of water at the corners of my eyes.
He completely ignored my fear.
I didn't answer him, as I was too busy staring down at his spongy vestige.
What the hell is he going to do with that?
I didn't care if he read my mind. The tongue was stagnant for a moment, but then suddenly slithered off the side of my outer left thigh, to the outside of my skirt, and shot up straight towards my face. I jumped slightly at the quick movement. I edged back at the sight of it.
"Ahh!" I yelped in fear.
It was staring me right in the face.
"I asked you a question!" Ghirahim's voice boomed. "What the hell are those goddamn things in your eyes?" he demanded, raising his voice. "You told yourself not to give in to your fears! Why the hell are there tears in your eyes you weak bitch?"
This was the bipolar moment I was dreading, but even with all the nonexistent mollifies and high strung words, I didn't answer him. I couldn't answer him. I was too preoccupied by that thing hovering in front of my face. I was starting to hyperventilate as I stared at his deplorable long appendage.
Ghirahim got quiet in the background, still not making his whole self apparent in the light. The only evidence of his presence was his voice and his tongue.
"Fine," he said resolutely, "if you don't want to answer my questions, I told you before I can find another use for your mouth."
Ghirahim then pulled his tongue back and readied to force it in my mouth. It was then I made a hurried decision.
"Alright, I was scared!" I said quickly. "But only for a moment!"
I watched as the tongue stopped itself in midair and stared at me in a taunting manner. I couldn't take my eyes off it.
I heard Ghirahim breathing deeply in the background.
"That's better," he moaned sexually. "You should know better your majesty. When you are a guest in someone's home, it's polite to speak when you are spoken to."
His voice was razor-like in its sharpness. I realized whether I liked it or not, I was going to have to play his game in order to survive. If he wanted to talk, I needed to talk.
"Please excuse my presumptuousness," I said with a shaky voice, "I was a little… preoccupied."
At my saying that, Ghirahim's tongue drew back and relaxed a little.
"I see," he replied, "then please forgive my over zealous questioning then."
I looked out into the darkness beyond the tongue, completely disturbed by Ghirahim's varying displays of emotion. I knew he was doing it to try and break me mentally, but I wasn't going to let him win. I was not going to be broken. I bore the Triforce of Wisdom. There was no way I was going to lose a battle for my mind.
Just play his game Zelda.
There was another silence after my thoughts. It was clear to me he just read my mind again.
"So…" he trailed, "you think this is a game?"
I looked out into the darkness defiantly.
"Isn't it?" I countered.
Ghirahim laughed at my stance.
"You would be right. I'm just glad you finally see it that way."
It was getting hard for me to breathe with the way my head had to hang. Ghirahim moaned at me from the darkness.
"You know…" he groaned with a trail, "I've already climaxed several times just by watching you hang there."
I was repulsed by the revelation, but not surprised.
"That's unusual," I replied anyway, "I'm not even looking my best."
Ghirahim laughed at my answer, finding my comeback to his liking.
"Hmm," he groaned, "I suppose not, but that's alright. I make exceptions all the time."
I held my head up.
"I'm sure you do," I replied looking out to wherever he was defiantly.
Then, with an abruptness I never saw coming, Ghirahim's face and body suddenly appeared in front of me when he stepped into the encircling of light. All the time he was here, he was standing there. He was only about a foot away from my illuminated space. Now, he was standing within a few inches of my body. I could not believe it. I could not believe it. How was he able to throw his voice around? How was he able to sound so far away? He was standing right there the entire time? The entire time? My eyes widened in terror. I stared into his black malevolent gaze. I felt like I was staring at death, which I probably was. My bottom lip began to tremble.
"Peek-a-boo," he whispered, "I see you."
I had no words for him.
"Well… aren't you clever," I said, trying to still my racing heart.
Ghirahim didn't answer. Instead, he slithered his tongue from around my body back into his mouth. Having to watch him do it was disturbing, but I didn't look away. I knew he wanted to capitalize on his fear tactics.
"It's about time you showed your face," I said, conjuring up a little courage.
Ghirahim smiled at me and then gave me a long once over.
"You've got spirit," he whispered, "that's why you aren't dead yet."
The mention of death actually brought on a feeling of relief.
"Is that so?" I asked quietly.
Ghirahim nodded.
"Make no mistake your majesty, I will break your spirit before I kill you. If I have to torture you for days and days and days so be it. If I have to rape you… repeatedly so be it. If I have to remove a limb and watch you watch me drink your blood from it, so be it. My whole point is, your haughty disposition will be broken."
I merely stared back and pondered on all that he said. However, instead of trembling I managed to calm myself down. I managed to grin and subtly lick my parched lips in an act of rebelliousness. I was not going to be broken so easily.
"Do your worst," I taunted.
Ghirahim narrowed his eyes at me.
"You promise to be a lot of fun," he said, "and at your urging I shall give you your request, I will do my worst."
I didn't flinch.
"Let the games begin," I whispered.
I didn't let it show, but my throat tightened at the exchange.
Hylia I need your strength like I've never needed it before, please...
"Yes, my dear Ghirahim," I said once more in a lower huskier voice, "let the games begin."
Ghirahim smirked and with that the lights went out.
It was pitch black once more.
I was at the mercy of a madman.
The next chapter will be up soon.