Part 4! Thank you all for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated! Such support fills my heart with rainbows! :D

ANNNYWAAAYS...There will be more to come...I'm kind of going by the seat of my pants with this story, so bear with me :P.

Feedback and reviews appreciated! :D

Ghirahim was right: by the time Link raced up the steps the led into the Skyview Spring, the only inhabitants that currently dwelled around the fountain were colorful birds and fish of various sizes. Link gritted his teeth to prevent the growl that threatened to come out. She was gone; he had failed to save her yet again. All of his hard work that led up to this moment seemed to drift away in the gentle wind that swirled around him playfully. With an angry sigh, Link leaped from stone to stone—careful to not lose his balance and land in the water he was currently trying to avoid—until he stood on the cobblestone platform before the goddess statue. Though she resembled peace and protection, Link couldn't help but feel resentful towards the mythical guardian. Why would she let such a thing happen to Zelda, as well as to him? Did she have a plan that he was not yet aware of? Would his constant battle with evil come to an end eventually, or would he have to experience further sleepless nights just to create the peace that she promised? The growl that Link had been holding back finally slithered out of his throat in an irritated tone. 'Why would you force anyone to do this? Why would you make Zelda and I struggle through this alone? This is your job, not ours!' Link thought bitterly to himself as he clenched his fists in anger. The emotions that he had tried in vain to keep down began to bubble to the surface, causing Link's eyes to blur with the promise of tears.

But before Link's heart could fall into any further despair, his spirit guardian appeared in a blue hue from the hilt of his sword, explaining in her melodic voice that Zelda had been at the spring only moments earlier, and was on her way to purify the second spring that was located deep within the fiery belly of Eldin, the scorched earth of the surface. Link listened carefully, watching Fi as she danced gracefully around the fountain, twirling nimbly on her toes and leaping with poise. With a final leap, the spirit guardian hovered elegantly in front of Link's stationary body, her solid blue eyes watching him carefully has he digested her words. The update on Zelda's whereabouts filled Link with both feelings of frustration and joy; though she was safe, if he had been just a bit quicker, he could have saved her. Fi waited for Link to respond for a moment longer before speaking up again in a gentle yet informatory manner. "Master, if we leave now, there is an 85% chance that we will be able to successfully congregate with the spirit maiden. I suggest that we hurry."

Link nodded once, his face furrowed with concentration. Yes, if he left now, stopping only momentarily at Skyloft to replenish his supplies, Link would be able to meet up with Zelda finally at the next spring. Link tried to not think about the exhaustion that was creeping into his body and settling into his bones; his body ached from the accumulation of sleepless nights and continuous battles that left him feeling tense and restless. Link closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the silence of the fountain and allowing the calm aura that the spring provided to wash over him. He breathed in deeply, taking in the light scent of the ripe fruit that hung from the swaying trees.

"Master…." The spirit guardian's voice rose among the silence, breaking Link's temporary tranquility and reminding him of the task at hand.
"Yes, I know, I'm leaving." Link mumbled, eventually opening his hard blue eyes and taking in his surroundings.

Turning around slowly, Link began to step towards the floating stones when something caught his eye. Intrigued, Link hopped back onto the platform and neared the edge, gazing down at the water. Rustling among the subtle waves that beat against the stone platform was a thin ribbon. Shaded in a light fuchsia color, the ribbon floated lazily on the surface of the water among the reeds that clustered near Link's location. Getting onto his hands and knees, Link reached down till his fingers grazed the water's cold surface. The ribbon danced elusively around his fingers, preventing him from successfully grabbing it. Stretching his fingers out just a bit more, Link was finally able to grasp onto the wet ribbon. He regained his footing and hopped along the separated stones until his feet made contact with solid earth. Wiping his hand on his tunic to rid himself of the remaining water droplets that clung to him stubbornly, Link held his breath and unclenched his fist slowly. The ribbon, squeezed dry from any excess water, lay crumpled in the palm of his hand. Link trailed a finger softly along the ribbon, pulling it straight. He took extra care as he inspected it; this wasn't any ordinary ribbon. It was a ribbon that Zelda used to tie up her hair. 'Did she leave it for me to find?' Link pondered as he wrapped the colorful strip of cloth around his finger. He could feel a smile adorn his face. 'Thank you Zelda. Thank you for, in your own way, letting me know that you are here with me.' He gazed up into the sky and watched the clouds sail across the fathomless blue atmosphere; if he looked hard enough he could see the tiny spec of floating land that was Skyloft. Link tied the ribbon around his wrists and knotted it. He gave a determined smile. 'But don't worry…we'll be together soon enough. I'll find you soon enough, Zelda.'

...

...

Though the first portion of his journey into the scorched earth wasn't all that bad, the Earth Temple was much harder than Link had imagined possible. Upon his arrival into Eldin, Link ran into mole-like creatures known as the Mogma. While they were often very suspicious—and they had every right to be, since their land was recently invaded by enemy attackers—the Mogmas were relatively pleasant and would even help Link if it meant benefiting themselves as well. And while the traveling warrior encountered new enemies, he found himself growing stronger in the art of combat; he was able to predict his opponent's movements before they struck out, and was therefore able to act accordingly in order to defeat his enemy. Link discovered that he wasn't as quick to tire after multiple fights in a row as well, which meant that he didn't have to solely rely on his stamina potion to keep him on guard and prepared.

But after collecting the broken pieces of the ancient key that prevented him from entering the temple made of fire, things quickly took a turn for the worse. The moment he stepped into the deadly inferno, he immediately caught on fire and developed painful burns all over his body; no matter how hard he tried to keep himself damp with the water in his canteen, his tunic welcomed the heat that licked at the cloth continuously. Whatever water Link poured on himself simply evaporated amidst the waves of heat that pounded him without yielding. Link's clothes soon became saturated with sweat, making them stick to his body uncomfortably, limiting his movement considerably. The smoke that wafted throughout the dungeon chambers made Link's eyes burn painfully, and the very air that Link breathed in seemed to coat his lungs in burning ash, making him cough and choke. The stone cavern that encircled him radiated scorching heat that entrapped his boots with every step. And while Link was mindful to not touch anything unless he absolutely had to, there was a time or two when he would absentmindedly place his hand on the wall for a moment, only to be painfully reminded that everything that was within the Earth Temple was on fire and deadly.

While the Skyview Temple held him captive for no more than 5 days, Link had begun to lose track of time while he trudged wearily through the fiery dungeon; without the sun to give him guidance, days intertwined with each other until Link was certain that the temple would claim his life. The only times that Link received temporary relief was when he had the opportunity to return to his home, albeit for only a moment. Several times Link had to return to Skyloft to stock up on supplies; while the red potion helped to heal his wounds, the Earth Temple was too dangerous for Link to be able to properly ration it out. And while the stamina potion allowed Link to travel further distances without being overcome with dehydration and heat exhaustion, it always seemed to run out right when he was in between a crucial fight or moment of discovery. He was smart enough to immediately upgrade his shield into an iron one so that his weaponry wasn't completely destroyed, but the simple act of wielding his weapons proved to be dangerous; while Fi's very presence within the master sword helped keep it cool to the touch, sadly the rest of his equipment was not so accommodating and left scald marks and blisters on his already wounded hands.

But upon his adventure into the barren land known as Eldin, Link could feel the presence of Zelda once more, giving him hope to continue and strength to keep fighting. With each step he took towards the Eldin spring, Link could feel his heart grow with the anticipation of seeing his dear friend once more. The thought of ending this nightmare that became his life was exhilarating, and that single thought was all Link needed to focus on in order to keep putting one foot in front of the other. After what seemed like an eternity, Link finally found himself standing before an ancient looking door with intricately detailed markings that were wrapped in gold. Similar to the large door at Skyview Temple, this door had a complicated lock that would only yield to the golden key that he held in his hand. After several attempts of trying to position the key correctly into the lock, Link finally heard the satisfying click of the door disengaging for him. He smirked slightly with approval as he began to push against the door, ignoring the light burn that accompanied his hands as they made contact with gold and metal. The groan of the large door as it gave way for Link resounded within the fiery dungeon before being swallowed by the river of lava that flowed within the temple. Once the door was fully open, the hero quickly removed his hands from the metal and slipped his way into the next room.

The chamber was vast, spanning farther than Link's eyes could reach. Amidst the stone walls were statues of ancient idols and Eldin gods; many held large clay pots filled with jewels, while others spewed lava from their gaping mouths. The room was illuminated solely on the lava that coursed along the sides of the platform that Link stood on. The platform was attached to a long ramp that inclined gradually, and with the edges railed off by the armored scales of deceased fire dragons, Link didn't have to worry about falling to his death in the lava river below. Link strained his eyes towards the end of the ramp, his heart fluttering in his chest. At the top of the ramp was a large golden door with the mark of the Triforce, the entranceway to the Earth Spring. Forgetting about his exhaustion and dehydration, Link increased his pace from a walk to a run, beyond eager to rescue his stolen friend.

He shouldn't have been surprised when the door behind him bolted shut with large iron bars; the impact of the metal slamming into the floor shook the room, and the sound of metal grating upon metal rang in Link's ears. Link halted his process up the ramp and looked back towards the now sealed door, his stomach doing uncomfortable flips. 'Oh…oh please no….' Link thought to himself as he whirled to face the golden door that was so enticingly close. He let out a low growl and watched helplessly as iron bars slid slowly…so slowly, down until they reached the ground, effectively keeping Link away from his destination. He shook his head, unbelieving that there was no way out. Running up the rest of the ramp, Link slammed his shoulder into the iron bars, hoping that it would move, disappear, do anything that would allow him to continue on his way. He gritted his teeth and continued to push; the heat of the metal bit into his skin painfully, causing even more blisters, but still he persisted.

It was the sound of blood-chilling laughter that made Link stop in his tracks; it started off as a mild giggle, but slowly erupted until it boomed within the chamber, bouncing off the walls around him. Link widened his eyes and glanced around the room in an attempt to find the source of the laughter. His heart thundered rapidly against his ribcage as silence crept into the room once more. He was no fool; he knew who that laughter belonged to. Finally, an amused voice spoke into the quiet. "Oh, it's you!"

Link took a couple steps down the ramp and looked towards the ceiling; the voice was coming from above somewhere. Finally, after making it half-way down the ramp, Link was able to pinpoint the location of the voice. Perched upon a statue of a dragon head, was the demon lord. He had his hands on his hips, his black eyes regarding Link. A taunting smile adorned his mouth the moment their eyes met. Link clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes towards Ghirahim, making no effort to disguise his annoyance. The demon lord didn't appear to be intimidated by Link's angered appearance; instead, he looked thoughtful as he rested his gloved hand onto his chin and cocked his head to the side. "Now, let me see…hmm, no that's not it, is it?" He gave a chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "This is so very embarrassing! I seem to be at a loss for your name, boy."

Link calmed his tense nerves, his eyes never leaving Ghirahim's face. He knew that the demon lord was trying to taunt him, trying to get under his skin. 'You'll have to do a lot better than that.' Link thought with determination as he watched Ghirahim sit down on the statue's nose, his legs dangling casually in the air.

The demon lord crossed his legs and supported his chin with his hand, giving a melodramatic sigh. "Not that your name matters, really. To tell you the truth, sky child, I'm feeling a bit…frustrated, and right now I just need someone to vent to." He raised an eyebrow in Link's direction. "Care to listen?"
Link didn't have time to give consent; the demon lord waved his free hand in the air and flicked his hair in annoyance as he began to complain to the warrior below him. "You see, I had received word from the wind that my underlings had finally captured the spirit maiden. Naturally, I rushed over here. What can I say? I was so excited…flustered, even…." Ghirahim's voice trailed off as he gazed forward; even as he became silent, Link could detect the faintest tone of annoyance in the demon lord's voice.

Ghirahim's eyes darted downwards to find Link once more, his mouth set in a hard smile. "Would you like to guess what I found when I arrived here?"
The demon lord's growing irritation made Link smirk with satisfaction. 'So, I'm not the only one who is having a hard time finding you, am I, Zelda? You're a clever one.' Link thought to himself as he kept a watchful eye on Ghirahim.

Ghirahim had risen gracefully to his feet and had his hands clenched firmly behind his back. He turned his back to Link and took a deep breath. "That…that agent of the goddess…she had, once again…." He cast a glance back towards Link and gave an incredulous chuckle, his voice becoming a deadly whisper. "You see, what I'm trying to say is…."

Link could sense the demon lord's anger rising rapidly to the surface and unsheathed his sword in preparation; he didn't know what to expect, since he had never truly seen Ghirahim angry yet. In truth, in the one time he had encountered the demon lord, he was in a more intimately sadistic mood that Link couldn't quite understand. Being angry was something Link understood and could relate to, and it was an emotion that he would rather see than anything else, especially from such an odd opponent like Ghirahim. He narrowed his eyes and stepped into his fighting position. 'Just be ready for anything, Link…just be ready.' He repeated to himself as he gripped his sword a little bit tighter.

In a blur of motion, the demon lord whirled around to face the warrior below him, completely overcome with rage. "That goddess-serving dog escaped with the girl!" He grabbed his stark white hair and pulled it hard, unable to contain himself. "I…I must have the spirit maiden in order to resurrect my master! I must have her!"

Link widened his eyes at Ghirahim's outburst but refused to say anything, knowing that any slip of the tongue could result in trouble. Instead, he watched as the demon lord attempted to regain his composure; Ghirahim smoothed out his hair and cleared his throat, looking at Link apologetically. "I suppose I got a little carried away there, didn't I? I don't deal well with…complications to plans I've laid out so carefully." He gave a small shrug and smiled mischievously. "It's a character flaw of mine."

Link couldn't help but let out a sharp laugh, unable to hold his tongue any longer. "I hope you're not implying that you only have one single character flaw. If that is what you believe, well, I'm afraid you've been sadly misinformed." He called out challengingly.

Ghirahim remained silent for a moment, as though he were contemplating Link's words. Finally, he gave a tight smile. "Hmmm, it appears that someone is lacking manners today. It is one thing to tell the truth in hopes of improving one's character. But to criticize someone, and on their vulnerable flaws no less?" Ghirahim clucked his tongue in a condescending way and placed a hand on his chest. "My heart aches, sky child."

Link rolled his eyes and shifted from side to side, growing restless and almost bored of Ghirahim's drama. He heard the sound of snapping fingers come from above him, but by the time his eyes darted towards the dragon statue once more, all he was able to see were the tiny fragments of diamonds that accompanied the demon lord's teleportation. His eyes widened at the sound of a sinister giggle coming from behind him, and whirled around to face the teleported demon lord. Link gave a gasp of surprise at Ghirahim's closeness; the skillful demon had silently placed himself right behind the surprised hero and was giving a sadistic grin. He took a step closer to Link, licking his lips. "You know, sky child, despite the spirit maiden slipping through my fingers, and even having you criticize my flaws, something good can still come from this day."

While Link's feet seemed to step back without his permission, his eyes remained defiant and strong as they pierced those of the demon lord's. He slowly made his way up the ramp towards the golden door with Ghirahim matching his pace, step for step. "I've had all of this bottled-up anger, smoldering inside of me, and now that you're here…I can release it." Wordlessly, Ghirahim's hand shot up and clutched Link's throat, squeezing out any air that he had just inhaled. With a grunt, the demon lord slammed Link's breathless body into the the barred door that was now only several feet from the two.

The impact of Link's body onto the hot metal caused him to groan in discomfort, but because Ghirahim's hand was effectively cutting off his air supply, the groan came out chocked and stifled. The sound of his pain caused the demon lord to smile with satisfaction; He let out a low chuckle and squeezed Link's throat a little tighter. "I must confess that the sounds of your pain give me such a pleasure that I cannot describe." Without removing his hand from the warrior's throat, Ghirahim bent down to nuzzle Link's cheek with his cold nose, earning another choked sound of unease. "It makes me want more…." He whispered as he stuck his tongue out and traced Link's clenched jaw line.

The demon lord softened his grip slightly on Link's throat, allowing him to take in a long, shuddering breath that was soon followed by haggard coughs. His throat was burning, and he felt dizzy from the oxygen that he had been deprived of. His heart pounded painfully loud from within his ribcage, and only sped up when Ghirahim placed a hand on his chest where his heart was. The demon lord stopped licking Link's cheek for a moment and spoke in a low tone, his voice filled with apparent hunger for Link. "I can smell your fear, boy…I can feel it pump through your body with every heart beat, filling your veins like a toxin." His hand lowered slightly till it rested on Link's belt, causing his breath to hitch in his throat. "What are you afraid of, hmm? Are you afraid of the pain I can easily create with the snap of my fingers?" The demon lord gazed up into Link's eyes, trying to read him. His eyes seem to sparkle with intrigue. "No…that's not what you're afraid of, is it?"

Link couldn't hide the blush that crept onto his face as Ghirahim's hand slid lower, dangerously close to his member. He made a choked sound of disgust in his throat and attempted to turn his head to the side, which proved difficult since Ghirahim's hand still held him by the throat. "I'm not afraid of you, if that's what you're trying to figure out." He growled menacingly, hoping to sound stronger than he felt.

The demon lord let out a soft laughter but remained at Link's side. "No, of course you are not afraid of monsters or evil or even pain. It is your job to defeat such things with an act of courage, an air of chivalry….No, you're not afraid of any of those things." Ghirahim licked his lips and allowed his tongue to venture out further to trace lightly against Link's dry and chapped ones, tasting the beads of sweat that seemed to accumulate there. Link shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut; the contrast between the stifling heat of the room and Ghirahim's cool tongue on his skin was pleasure-inducing, but he tried to not let on.

After several moments of silence, Ghirahim let out a sound of amusement, causing Link to open his eyes once more with weariness. The demon lord gazed at him deeply with his tremendous black eyes and gave a sinister smile. "Don't tell me…that you're afraid that you might like what I have to offer you?" As he spoke, Ghirahim lowered his hand till it rested completely on Link's member and applied a little pressure. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Link's face flushed even deeper than it had before, and he let out a dark growl. "Don't touch me!" He shouted into Ghirahim's face as he slid his sword sharply along the demon lord's leg, creating a clean cut that immediately began to ooze blood.

The demon lord let out a cry of both pain and shock and leapt back. His hair fell into his face as Ghirahim covered his wound with a gloved hand in an attempt to staunch the persistent flow of crimson. Link mentally kicked himself for not using his sword earlier, but didn't dwell on the thought for very long. He exhaled sharply and readied himself for an attack, his eyes darting from Ghirahim's face to his blood-soaked tights. The demon lord looked up at Link and bared his teeth angrily. He raised his hand in the air, and Link's heart lurched as he realized the predicament he had placed himself in. But before he could move away from the barred door, Ghirahim snapped his fingers, creating several chains of colorful diamonds that adorned both of Link's wrists and ankles. The chains held him effectively in place, and Link could only mentally kick himself once more. 'Maybe next time, don't act out in anger.' He griped to himself as he watched Ghirahim's dark energy flow from his fingertips and onto his wound, healing it completely with only the bloodstain as proof of its existence.

The demon lord sighed and ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it out. He gave Link a hard stare and raised his hand in the air once more, giving his fingers a snap. The chains around Link's wrists dug deeper into his skin, creating little slits that slowly began to seep blood. Link gritted his teeth and tried to not make a sound of pain as the chains continued to bite his skin, cutting off his circulation. His hands slowly went numb, and Link fought to maintain a grip on his sword. But, one by one, his fingers slipped from the hilt, until the sword was released from his grip and clattered noisily to the floor. Link looked down at his sword for a moment in annoyance before returning to look at Ghirahim with the intention to give the deadliest glare he could muster. He had enough time to raise his head back up before the demon lord was on him, crushing Link's lips with his own in an angry kiss.

Link let out a muffled cry of shock as Ghirahim's tongue barged into his mouth uninvitingly, nearly setting off his gag-reflux. The demon lord pressed his body firmly against Link's, clutching the iron bars on either side of Link's head in order to pull himself closer. Link's mind set off a blaring alarm in his head, trying to warn him of Ghirahim's potential double intention. He tried to pull his body away from the demon lord, but Ghirahim only responded by pressing his body even closer to Link's. He even attempted to seal his mouth shut by pursing his lips tightly, but that only made Ghirahim kiss him harder until he had no choice but to open his mouth again and allow his opponent's tongue to enter once more. The feeling of the demon lord's cool body against Link's sweaty one was enough to make Link begin to relax, even if the red flags in his mind screamed otherwise. Link fought against the moan that ached to come out as Ghirahim took control of both his body and his emotions; his eyelids began to grow heavy as he sank into a reluctant state of bliss. His body became warm as feelings of pleasure swept over him like a flood, increasing with every kiss the demon lord laid on his mouth, every time their body's gyrated against each other.

A sudden sharp pain jolted Link to his senses, and he cried out in agony as Ghirahim slammed a black dagger into Link's captive leg.

Ohhhhhh what's gonna happen? As someone told me, the next chapter sounds like it has the potential to have a lot of "kissy-kissy + stabby-stabby"...read on to find out it they were right! :D