ShadowLyrics1:Be very, very scared for poor Link. ;)
Jasmina1001: Welcome aboard! Link…yeah I'm terrible to that poor boy.
So it might seem that I'm moving fast with this story but I'm trying to get it done by August 31 because that's when classes start up again. This chapter is about 2X longer than my other ones. Anyways enjoy!
Chapter 7
At the sound of Ghirahim's voice, Link turned around to face him; the pale man's hair was plastered to his face by the rain causing him to somehow look more deranged than usual. He swallowed and brought his fists up in a fighting stance.
The demon couldn't help but let out a burst of laughter at this show of bravery "Do you really think you can win this contest Skychild?" he clicked his fingers and grabbed the black saber that appeared.
The hero just barely managed to avoid a savage slice to his head by rolling. He kicked out from his roll at the white-clad legs only to have them disappear. Link looked behind him just in time to see the sword arcing towards him. He jumped back but took a light nick to his left shoulder. He twisted to avoid a line of daggers but still one grazed across his chest. He stared at the man who was now just standing and watching him; trying to prepare himself for whatever may come next. The blonde turned slightly to evade a lunge then grabbed the hilt and Ghirahim's hand with both of his. He yanked his arms down as he brought a knee up, effectively smashing the gloved hand. Swiftly he stole the blade and leapt away; watching the now scowling demon as he held the unfamiliar sword.
Ghirahim's angry expression turned into a leer when he saw how the Skychild held his blade with a certain unease "Isn't my saber far more remarkable than that other dingy piece of metal you used to carry? Oh, but I suppose the fact that it isn't double edged might be a problem for you." He snapped his fingers again and took hold of his longsword "This would probably be more suited to you but…" the demon slashed downward at the blonde's head; licking his lips as the hero threw the saber up only a moment before the other sword would have cut him. Mirth spread across the man's face as he directed slices towards both sides of the torso; blocked each time.
Snarling, Link attacked at the demon's left side; swords clanged together as the man guarded against it. The hero slid his blade across his enemy's and then swung it toward his rival's right side, forgetting his weapon wasn't double-bladed as unfortunate instinct kicked in. The flat surface smacked into Ghirahim's waiting palm, which then closed around the blade and tore it from the blonde's grasp.
The demon tossed both swords up in the air and caught them; efficiently switching the longsword to his left hand and returning his saber to the right "Much better, wouldn't you say Skychild?"
The hero swiftly bent backward as both swords flew towards his chest; however his foot slipped in the mud the downpour had produced and he plummeted towards the ground. He laid there, the breath knocked out of him; muck seeping into the wounds on his back. Something cold and sharp settled against his throat while a weight straddled his hips.
Chestnut eyes locked with blue ones "Don't you see, child? Even with a blade you are nothing. You couldn't defeat me at Skyview with THE Master Sword, and you've definitely proven that you don't stand a chance with an ordinary weapon…Not that my saber is ordinary by any means." He placed a gloved hand on the left side of the hero's face, taking care not to touch the marking "Your goddess has forsaken you. She must've finally figured out that you were too incompetent to be her chosen one. Why else would she mark you with such a symbol of desperation?" A smile flickered across the pale face as the azure eyes widened "Oh yes, Skychild, I can see the loathsome mark."
"No… its not an emblem of desperation, its so I never forget I'm loved." Link argued with the demon's words inside his head.
Ghirahim smirked at the flicker of hope that danced to life in the boy's eyes "So…hopeful and ignorant. Tell me, child, is there anyone coming for you, to save you?"
~I-I don't know if anyone can or will come rescue you~
"I thought not." the man hummed at seeing the boy's reaction "After all, why should Her Grace waste time on a failure like you?"
Link clenched his hand into a fist ready to strike the demon but the sword increased its pressure on his throat; the warning made perfectly clear.
The man affected a thoughtful expression "Then again, I suppose that if she loved you she would send someone after you, she has that power after all." Mock realization spread across his pale face "Oh, but you've already confirmed that no one is on their way to help you. Face it, Link, your sweet Spirit Maiden has tossed you aside like a broken toy. She is allowing you to stay here. She wants you to go through all this agony."
"No…I know her…she wouldn't…" The pain emanating from his back was clouding his thoughts making the demon's words sound reasonable. He would've shook his head to try and clear it but the sword on his throat prevented him from doing so. "She loves me…she said so herself"
~ If she loved you she would send someone after you~
~I-I don't know if anyone can or will come rescue you~
Ghirahim's grin deepened as he felt the turmoil roiling around the blonde's head; he flipped his sword around so the flat edge was on Link's throat and began pressing down. Leaning forwards as he choked his captive he whispered into the boy's ear "Zelda is the cause for all of this."
"N…" he started to protest but lost himself to unconsciousness.
peterandhook
The sound of water brought Link back from the blackness which had claimed him. He realized that he was lying on his stomach on some sort of cot; his hands chained to each of the makeshift bed's legs. His hair and trousers still wet from the rain. He raised his head and surveyed the room around him; it was mostly bare and made completely of gray stone. In one corner was a sink and where the noise responsible for waking him up was emanating.
"Good morning, Skychild." Ghirahim said from where he was currently filling a bucket of water. His task completed he snapped his fingers and the bucket disappeared and then reappeared next to the hero. He walked nonchalantly over and knelt down, scrutinizing the injured back "Tsk, you should really be more careful when you play in mud; you've managed to get it all over you. I can't heal your wounds if they aren't clean; as wondrous as my healing power is it only knits flesh together. I don't think anyone would want half a garden inside their skin, so we get to do this the mundane way." Clicking his fingers so his gloves vanished, the demon grabbed a cloth and submerged it into the water.
Link grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, anticipating that the hand behind the wet cloth would be rough. Or maybe the rag would be slapped across his back. Or… it would be gentle? Blue eyes opened in confusion and he turned his head too look at his captor.
A humorous scoff escaped pale lips "What? Did you think I was going to drag it down your back? How amusing, no I'd rather use my nails for that…" a smile "…as you well know." Still smiling he returned his attention back to his task. His grin widened as a pained hiss came from the boy when he dabbed a little harder to remove some stubborn debris "Apologies, but consider it punishment for running out in the mud." After a few moments of silence the demon spoke again "Skychild, it would please me greatly if you would divulge some information to me."
Link stiffened, the gentle-ish way his back was being cleaned had lulled him into a sort of half-doze so the demon's abrupt query caught him off-guard.
Chuckling softly at his captive's reaction, Ghirahim dipped the rag back into the water and then wrung it out "Its nothing important, more of a curiosity question, really. Tell me, did anyone up on that floating rock ever treat your injuries? I'm assuming, of course, that you did sustain some damage from the surface before you and I…met." He assumed nothing of course, he had been watching Link off and on previous to their encounter; occasionally witnessing a bleeding hero stumble to an infernal goddess statue and then being whisked upwards.
"Why?" Link asked and then, when the hand moving the rag on his back paused, instantly remembered what had happened last time he asked a question. He froze, closing his eyes; waiting for some sort of chastisement to fall on him.
"As I said, a curiosity question." was the demon's reply.
Stunned, Link blinked "Did Ghirahim just answer a question?" he craned his neck to look back at the white-clad male, who ignored him. Should he answer? Did it matter? Zelda did tell him to answer the demon's questions…Zelda.
~ If she loved you she would send someone after you~
The blonde banished that thought from his mind, he sighed. What could it hurt? "The professors at the academy would help me."
"Really, and were they the ones who supplied you with that potion you used in our battle?" He caught the hero's gaze "Which is a most unethical thing to bring to a duel, by the way."
Link snarled "And teleporting around isn't cheating?"
Ghirahim bared his teeth and seized his captive's face "I was using my natural fighting abilities" his scowl turned into a smile and he chuckled "Can you imagine how much harder it would have been for you if I had brought my marvelous healing powers into play?" Releasing his grip he returned his attention to the boy's back "Ah, but that's neither here nor there. So, the potion, was it supplied by your teachers?"
Letting go a breath of anger and frustration, Link shook his head "I had to buy it."
"Hmmm, now isn't that surprising. I would have thought that your important mission would make it so such necessary items would be supplied freely." he stated his tone loaded with amusement. "Perhaps even the people of Skyloft could see the ineptitude lying beneath the surface."
"That has nothing to do with…!" Link snapped only to have his head shoved roughly down into the thin mattress.
"No? Tell me, if you were sending someone on a perilous journey and you expected them to succeed, would you not do anything to facilitate their travels?" a dark chortle "On the other hand, if a hopeless person were to take this same voyage, you would try to bar them from it any way you could. Perhaps, making them buy their own equipment?"
"SHUT UP!"
Ghirahim hummed at the outburst "Think about it, Skychild." Brown eyes flicked over the injury, checking for any lingering debris; seeing none he stood up, dumped and then refilled the bucket. He slowly spilled the water across the wound, enjoying the way the hero jumped when the cold water made contact with his broken flesh. The demon tossed the bucket aside and placed his palms on the back of the boy's shoulders "Sanabit".
Link screamed as the horrible diamonds knitted his flesh together, though it felt like they were tearing it apart. When it was done he lay there, sweating, shivering and exhausted.
A corner of Ghirahim's lips twitched upwards before he donned a slight frown "Hmmm, you didn't scream for me nearly as loud as you usually do." With that he left in his signature diamond shower.
Oh fighting scenes how I love to watch/read you but how I hate to write you. Let me know how much you liked it or any mistakes I probably made with a review. . Anyways, thanks (as always) for reading.