There are some references to the prequel in this chapter - a MidLink make out session and Pipit's concussion. These chapters will be available to read once I rewrite them.

Other than that, just enjoy the chapter! ^_^

Chapter 3

Silent Requiem

Link had been so preoccupied with feeling more abased than he ever had in his life that he missed some of the grandest sights in the demon realm. As he clenched his eyes shut against the discomfort around his neck, he failed to see the baronial splendor of the chateau - which to him had acted as a prison - as it receded in the distance. It hung behind the silhouettes of several more stone structures dotting the vast, arid landscape.

As he tried to pry the metal away from his throat, he missed the gracing of the deep yellow sky. As he coughed and wheezed, the mountain range along the horizon went unnoticed.

An eerie glow fell as Link followed the demon. A listless wind brushed his face. The smell of the forest - the scent of freedom - toyed with his nose.

He might've missed the otherworldly scenery, but the trees were impossible to ignore. They reached down to him, bending and furling like fingers. Like the demon, the trees were difficult not to watch. They looked as though they might lunge forward at a moment's notice, claw-like branches extended.

Lost in his own world, Link stumbled as the chain tightened around his neck like a choke collar.

"Step lively, hero," Ghirahim called, turning his head. "We have a long way to go before we reach what you would call my sparring hall."

Sparring hall? Link thought. What the demon had mentioned earlier about going head-to-head came to mind. "This isn't fair," he grumbled. "How can I fight like this? I hardly ate anything for days in the woods. I'm dehydrated, I'm sick -"

"Can I really be blamed for your poor choices?" Ghirahim asked, facing forward with a smile. "Whose fault is it that you have no commonsense? Come now. There's no possible way that it could be mine."

"You can't do this to someone," Link said, his mouth more parched than ever.

"I'm not concerned with pedantries, nor do I have a scrap of interest in being a shining example of how to live by your silly Knight's Code. When an unparalleled opportunity is laid before me, I seize it through whatever means necessary. Your honor and gallantry can take a blissful hike, sky child."

Link quietly stared at his feet.

"You know, sky child, your buoyant nature, while endlessly annoying, is the only thing in your possession that can be credited for your remaining in your right mind today."

"Buoyant nature..." Link rasped. "Doesn't that mean...unbreakable?"

"I'm not finished, " Ghirahim scolded. "What I'm saying is this: you may be resilient, but don't think for one minute that you are unbreakable. Everyone's spirit, in one way or another, can be shattered. The trick is to find the correct avenue." He glanced back. "Your strength of will will eventually fail you. That is certain. It is not a question of if, but of when."

Link's eyes sank to the ground. He didn't know whether to be hurt, depressed or furious. He kicked up dirt as he stepped, observing it as it floated in the air; it was so much more free than him.

What was this? How did he end up on a dusty road in the demon realm, chained like a dog?

Should he really be worrying about himself when Zelda could be in trouble? Was he really as selfish as the demon had said?

Link shook his head. Why was he even thinking like that? Was anything that the demon had to say really all that substantive? If Link was in trouble, then he couldn't help Zelda. That was what mattered.

Hungry for answers about his best friend, Link threw his caution to the lifeless wind. "Why do you call Zelda a spirit maiden?" he asked.

Without bothering to look back, Ghirahim gave a scoffing laugh, twirling the Goddess Sword in circles. "Oh, my. What sort of cruelty has consumed the Goddess to cause her to send such an ignorant, quixotic snipe to do her will? What bosh! What prattle!"

Link gnawed his tongue.

"'Why is she called a spirit maiden, he asks? Oh, that is funny, sky child."

"Then...tell me," Link said, surprising himself. He knew saying anything was a bad idea. The demon said nothing. Link lifted his eyes, sure that he had overstepped a boundary.

"You will learn more about the spirit maiden's affairs in time," Ghirahim assured him.

Link looked down again, amazed that he hadn't been rewarded with a slap to the face. He was pushing his luck. "Why can't you...tell me now?"

"You ask too many questions, sky child."

"When there are questions to be asked...I do," Link quipped, not knowing why he was allowing such things to leave his mouth. He had just been tied down and terrorized, verbally scourged and beaten. What was stopping it from happening again?

The demon tilted his head, drawing Link's gaze. He thought he saw the demon smile. He wasn't sure.

"Your bravery coupled with your pitiful weakness is amusing to me." The demon turned away, giving the chain in his hand a jingle. Link waited for the not-so-gentle reminder to pick up the pace. "Darkness is falling. The Faron Woods after nightfall are a child's playground compared to the perilousness of the Acheron Woods. You're lucky I'm here to protect you."

Protect me? Link's eyes wanted to roll.

"The fell creatures that roam these woods are the stuff of nightmares. Fortunately for you, everything here that lives and breathes is fain to obey their lord."

With the exception of one, Link thought.

Ghirahim smiled. "Well, all things must come to an end, as will the insubordination of a tearaway such as yourself. And do you know what, sky child?"

Link gasped. How did he...?

Ghirahim stopped and Link did the same, narrowly avoiding running into him. "The more stubborn they are, the harder and more beautifully they fall to their knees when the time comes." He started walking again. Link staggered after him.

"But don't be consopited by a false sense of security, hero," Ghirahim warned. "Just because I can repel savage creatures and have saved you from a razing outside of my residence, it does not mean that you are safe from harm in my presence."

Link took a deep, forced breath, endeavoring to kill the itch in his throat. "Your residence?"

A town began to rise up in the distance. Trees reminiscent of corpses thickened on either side of them.

"Yes, sky child. Did I not ask you earlier who you thought you were talking to when you insisted on irreverence? It only makes sense for a mogul of society to live in luxury. You saw a mere scantling of the place that I call home. I believe that in time you will experience the true heighth and breadth of it."

Link's face soured. "I'm not going back there."

"Don't make me laugh, hero. Who holds the reins right now? You have no control. It could be argued, however, that you have the aptitude to influence my judgment over you. But it depends what you choose to do."

"And what are my options?" Link asked.

"What is the sense in presenting you with choices which you can't hope to understand right now? I repeat - patience."

"An important decision..." Link muttered. "You said I will have to make one."

"You do, indeed."

Modest stone buildings mixed with the grandeur of larger ones showed themselves over a hill. Link had never seen such a sight.

"Your time shall come," the demon said. "I have no obligation to explain every detail to you right now. One step at a time."

"If I'm as pitiful as you say..." Link questioned his words as he spoke them. "Why do you need me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, hero. I don't need you. The path to victory branches out in many directions. You are simply standing along my projected pathway." The demon gave a low chuckle. "You are a paper tiger, sky child - insignificant in nature yet harboring potential. My original focus was to simply enjoy some time with you in the event that my conquest was delayed. Now I have...changed my mind."

Link stared at the back of his head, wary of asking questions.

"In due time, sky child," Ghirahim said as if he knew what Link wanted to say. "Ah! The town of Acheron draws nigh! This will be the location of our encounter. Hopefully this evening will be to your liking."

Link felt his insides twist in fear. If the demon was as agile as he was strong, he would be in for a strenuous fight; an intimidating prospect for someone unwell.

Link needed a tactic, but what? Escape would be ideal, but Ghirahim had him under his thumb. Perhaps he should get him talking.

"So…why do you call Fi a witch?" Link asked quietly.

The demon took his time in responding. "Because that's exactly what she is, sky child." He paused. "Are you certain you can trust her?"

Link looked at him strangely. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Don't play stupid. I'm aware of your apprehension regarding the one who is your supposed guide. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe she isn't who she says she is?"

Link's feet faltered. He steadied himself. "Not who she says she is?"

"Yes," Ghirahim said. "How do you know she isn't working for me?"

"Right..." Link mumbled in disbelief.

"It's not as far-fetched as you might think," Ghirahim said. "Did she not leave you blind to your fate on purpose? When you asked her for advice as you scampered around those woods like a fool, she declined to share her knowledge with you. She knew that you were walking into a trap but refused to warn you ahead of time. How rude of her."

Link stared blankly for a few moments. What he was hearing did contain a hint of truth.

"She led you right to me, sky child."

"That can't be true..." Link said." She was telling me to go home for days. I got sick because I...didn't listen." He looked down. "What happened was my fault."

A gleeful laugh rose up. "She knew long before that you were too confident to heed her advice. Pushing you into my snare was an ace in the hole. Thank you, Fi." The demon winked into the newly cleaned blade. "Do you really think your companion is faultless? Incapable of acting against her commissioner? Tell me, sky child, why do you think your spirit guide is devoid of the ability to think and function beyond hard facts and analyses? To feel?" He eyed Link in the sword's reflection.

"I -"

"Do you think she's always been an emotional wasteland?" Link shrugged. "That's right. You have no idea, because you know nothing about her. You've known her for a week. I, on the other hand, know her more deeply than you could ever possibly hope to, human."

Goddesses, what is this? Link shook his head.

"Speaking of false friends, how about your brown-haired comrade?" Ghirahim asked. Link's chest suddenly felt like stone. "Not only has he not forgiven you for giving him a concussion, but I think he wants you in the worst way."

Link's jaw dropped. "...What?"

"And the spirit maiden," the demon continued. "She is why you are here. She has set you up for disaster."

Link looked at his hands, taken aback.

"We've already discussed your girlfriend, but why not expound? There is a lot to say about her. She is a bit on the odd side, is she not?"

"...Odd?"

"Don't be so blinkered!" Ghirahim shouted. Link flinched. "How narrow-minded are you, sky child? Haven't you found her behavior the least bit unsettling? Or are you truly that distracted by a pretty face, large breasts and a waist-to-hip ratio of '.6'?" Uncomfortable, Link fidgeted with his chain. "Oh, Goddess, how you did fall short by choosing a reckless, wayward child who is so prompted by caprice and distracted by his raging hormones that he fails to see a temptress for what she truly is."

Link turned red.

"The way she springs up out of nowhere; that she had to work to become lightfast. Her need to adjust to the sunlight should have raised a warning flag in that silly little brain of yours."

Link swallowed. "It's because of where she's from..."

"Twilight?" Ghirahim asked with a devious smile. "Well, that explains it all, doesn't it?" He flipped the sword around some more. "Don't be a dimwit. The sun may be weak in that area of your world, but that does not mean that the Twili's are vampires. Those people don't need to wear heavy cloaks to shield themselves from the sun like your girlfriend did. Do you know who really has to work to become lightfast?"

Link didn't notice that he'd been grinding his teeth until his mouth started to hurt.

Ghirahim halted once more. This time Link failed to stop in time, bouncing off of the demon's back. Ghirahim turned and looked down. Link returned his stare. The demon's face screamed exhilaration.

"Demons!" Ghirahim cried as he lifted his arms to the sky. "Demons, sky child! Demons have to adjust to the sunlight, because look!" Link observed the demon's vehement wave. "We have no sun here."

Link stepped back, his face suggesting that he found the demon to be crazy.

"I'm crazy about the truth, sky child," Ghirahim said with an excited grin. "Come now. It makes sense, no? Demons are crafty, and she was tricky enough to lure you into some rather licentious activities. On the day that you met her, no less! Just a little out of character for you, is it not?" Link looked away from Ghirahim's lustful glare. "She did a fabulous job, I must say. She had you..." He leaned down. "...Eating out of the palm of her hand." With a smirk he pumped his fist, laughing at Link's revolted, flushed face. "And you knew, sky child… You knew what you were getting into. Have you wondered why she was so bent on corrupting you? Stealing your purity?"

"That's not true," Link said obstinately. "Everything you're saying... It's slander."

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood. Or I'd rip this fetter off your neck and use you for whipping practice." He played with the chain. "Give it up, sky child. Acknowledge that I'm right. Admit that your girlfriend's peculiarity has left you dumbfounded."

Link's stare was intractable. "She's not perfect." And there's more to her than her body...and...needs. He looked to the trees. "She cares about me..."

"Demons are exceptional actors," Ghirahim stated, unimpressed.

So why am I listening to you? Link thought, his anger simmering.

"Because my words are irrefutably true, sky child." Ghirahim stepped closer. Link's breath caught in his throat as his neck was grabbed. Huge eyes closed in, making the hair on his arms stand up. The demon's hand went from grappling to caressing.

"Why do you think her touch sends bolts of electricity coursing through your every nerve, your every vein? Every seam of your body...?" The demon's eyes trailed down Link's neck with his finger. "When she embraces you?" Link froze. "It's unlike any feeling you've ever had. Even the spirit maiden can't compare. Your temptress's touch sends you to a place superlunary, beyond the moon. In fact, just the thought sends you aerial, am I right?"

"That's because I love her," Link said quickly. Not knowing what he just said, he didn't move.

"Demons are known for their sexual prowess; for their abilities to drive humans wild through thought alone. She has more power than you've had the opportunity to see or feel. But you know it's there. She's infected you with it." Link retracted from the demon's finger. "It's even in your textbooks. Do you realize that?

Textbooks? Link thought, perplexed. Then it came to him. "Mythology class…" His voice was inaudible.

"You even took a test on it," Ghirahim sang. Link couldn't get over how much the demon knew. "I told you I know more about you than you do, yourself."

"What...grade did I get?" Link asked, going off on a sudden hunch. His gaze came up, tentative but challenging.

Ghirahim raised a brow. "The human mind, while small..." He squeezed Link's neck again. "...Is infinitely complex."

"So you...don't know." Link's blue eyes brightened. "You don't know everything."

Ghirahim waited.

"You -" Link felt a nervous stutter on the tip of his tongue. He took a breath. He just had to speak his mind. "You talk a lot about what's wrong with me. Well, you're not perfect." Link stood up straighter. "Maybe I do have a guilt complex..." His eyes hardened a bit. "But it's not gonna be my downfall." He pulled away from Ghirahim's grasp. The demon gave him a curious look. "And I might have made some mistakes with my friends, but what does it matter if they're double agents and demons?" He didn't know why he uttered it. "I think you took Zelda. Or that you tried to, which means only one thing."

Overtaken by a boldness he couldn't comprehend, Link squared his shoulders. "You're not as powerful as you claim."

"I am this realm's most powerful patrician," the demon said.

But Link wasn't finished.

"I think that you sent that tornado that took Zelda." Link fixed his eyes on Ghirahim's. "I never caught up with her because I got sick. But you, with all of your...power…" He thought for a moment. "…If you were there to catch her as she fell, and you missed her…" His volume increased. "…Then you failed a lot more than I did."

The moment that Link's lips stopped moving, the weight of his own words hit him. He looked away. The only sound was the rustle of a stale breeze, tinged by a distant clamor.

Link's fingers jittered. His heart thumped. He was afraid to lift his eyes, but he made himself.

As soon as he saw the demon's face, he was sorry he ever opened his mouth.

Fury. Wrath. Seething ire. Link couldn't quite place what was forming in front of him. He glanced into the woods.

He knew it was coming.

Sensing that Ghirahim was about to come for him, he turned and ran. He heard the chain snap out of the demon's hand. Gasping, he flew into the brush with total abandon.

The interior of the forest was even more terrifying than its outskirts. It was as dark as an underwater cave. The brittle trees bent and hung, reaching their sharp branches out. Twigs sliced through his sleeves, happily drawing the blood of a human; something rarely seen in this menacing place.

Sprinting, he weaved through trees, pushing further into the darkness. It was like a nightmare.

A loud, guttural growl pulled his head to the right. A high-pitched shriek to his left made him reel the other way. He crashed into a tree.

Link plunged to the dirt and rolled over. Panting and groaning, he ran his hands in the dirt to find the loose chain. Strung out, he shot forward, his eyes streaming with pained tears.

A silent requiem blasted all around him.

The long chain slipped from his hand as he ran. He took another step, then another, and another…

His head lurched back and his feet shot out from under him, sending him to the ground once more.

His breath was knocked from him. His vision was going white. He tried to spot the demon. Surely this was his doing.

Link slowly sat up. He was positive that Ghirahim would be standing there, ready to rip him to shreds. Holding his tightening chest, he squinted, seeing nothing but emptiness.

"Sky child..." Link's head swung every which way, but he saw no one.

"Sky child, if you're trying to get away from me, you'll have to run the other way…"

Link stared ahead into nothingness as adrenaline flooded him. The demon's voice wasn't in front of him, or behind him, to the sides or above. It seemed to be coming from everywhere.

Link got up and started running from where he'd come. Or perhaps it was the opposite direction. He didn't know. Every path seemed to lead to the same place.

"You're not going to escape me, my pet."

Link scurried, dodging trees and skipping over roots. A thorn swiped at his face, missing his eye but drawing blood from his temple. He barely noticed.

Out of nowhere a shadow appeared. Unable to stop, Link collided with it. Knocked back, he hit the ground even harder than before. Bright colors flashed before him.

Before he could even think, a hand took his wrist and hauled him to his feet. He gaped, suddenly face-to-face with Ghirahim. The demon's eyes were a burning red in the dark. Frantic, Link tried to break free.

The demon released him, but followed. Link backed up, hunching further down as he went until a tree stopped him. His stumble to the ground was broken by the demon's grip on his hair. He grabbed his captor's arm.

"You're at death's door, sky child," Ghirahim said, his voice modulated. "The question is, will you walk through it the doughty hero that you believe yourself to be, or will you crawl through as the harrowed bauble of the Goddess that I am about to reduce you to?"

With fingers digging into his scalp, Link scraped at the demon's hand, trying not to shake. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Straining against the agony, Link felt the demon pushing him down. He tried his hardest to counter.

When the lock of his knees was finally broken, he fell with shout. As his knees hit the dirt, the demon stood calmly, only slightly jarred by Link's struggling. He grinned.

Ghirahim drew the Goddess Sword out of thin air, illuminating the woods around them. He admired the weapon's sharpness. He tossed it into the air before catching it by its blade. He studied the leather-wrapped grip. Ghirahim's smile broadened to its limit.

"I'm going to enjoy this," the demon lord said with a chuckle.