Trigger Warning!: Descriptions of torture in this chapter, skip to the end if you don't want the graphic parts. There will also be a basic depiction of what happened in the author's note at the end, as it'll be important to know some things for future chapters.

Chapter 4

Link

Even though Link wanted to sleep, he had a difficult time doing so. His nightmare and the events of earlier weighed heavily on his mind. Eventually though, the calming familiarity of his his room and the soft sounds of nature from outside lulled him to sleep.

Unfortunately, his rest was interrupted by nightmares yet again: his encounter with the Yiga seven years ago.

_/|||\_

Link ran from where he had left Zelda. He had known the Sheikah researchers for a while now. He had stumbled inside the open door, overheard some of their conversation, and gave them information on what he had seen and heard of the person they were searching for (he didn't like his neighbor, Vaati, much anyway). They had told him that Vaati was a member of the Yiga Clan, terrible people who wished for evil and chaos to rule. After a few other encounters, he knew he could trust them. That's why he put Zelda with them.

He knew the layout of this neighborhood like the back of his hand. Link heard the men behind him, and went faster; he had to make sure that they didn't find her. Never-gonna-happen, and certainly not as close as the desert last time.

...Desert? Last time...?

The larger man suddenly picked up the thin one and threw him at Link. The man tackled him and they skidded a few feet. Link could feel the burn of the sidewalk through his clothing and on his arms.

Instead of grasping at Link's shirt this time, the Yiga tightened a fist around his throat, only barely not choking him. "Little brat... what should we do with him, Sooga?"

Sooga grumbled. "He may know the girl's whereabouts, Ghirahim, and it is imperative that we get her. We will take him back to the main hideout and interrogate him there."

The thinner man, Ghirahim, seemed to grin. "You hear that, boy? Oh, this will be fun..." He dragged a sharp blade down the left side of Link's face, leaving a stinging cut.

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The Yiga teleported to their base, bound Link and shoved him in a dark room. He could still feel blood dripping slightly from the slice to his face. He knew that was soon going to endure something awful, and yet... I would do ANYTHING to keep her safe. They left him there for a few hours before grabbing him roughly and chaining him to a hard metal table.

The thin man from earlier, Ghirahim, brought a sharp blade to his throat. "Okay, brat. Answer my questions, and you might just be able to go home. Now, where is your little friend?" Link refused to speak, instead glaring directly at the man.

"So we're doing this the hard way, huh?" Ghirahim undid the chains and pulled Link up. What is he doing? His question was answered soon enough. The man took chains, forced him to face the wall, and restrained him. The Yiga grabbed something Link couldn't see, and stalked over to him. The next thing he heard was a loud crack. What was that supposed t- "AAAAGH!" The shout rang from his mouth. The pain had suddenly arrived with the intensity of a fiery brand.

Ghirahim sneered. "Ready to talk now, brat?" Link glared at him again. I will tell you NOTHING, you traitor. The Yiga grinned. "So be it."

For what felt like ages, Ghirahim beat his body with the whip, only occasionally pausing to ask him of Zelda's whereabouts. But he would not speak. Any... anything for Zel...da. M-y Zel.

At some point, the thin man stopped whipping his back...and unchained his limp body, turning him around, his agonized back scraping against the rough, filthy wall. "You won't win. We'll break you eventually, and then we'll finally have her." Ghirahim traced a finger down Link's arm, then suddenly brought his face next to Link's. He breathed on the side of his face, and the boy squirmed, trying to get away. The Yiga grabbed Link's face and dragged a finger over the thin scab that had begun to form. "This... will be interesting..."

Ghirahim pushed Link's head to the side and drew his tongue over Link's neck. Link shivered and tried to move away again, but the man and chains held him fast. "Hmm, you're no fun. Now, tell me where that girl is, or there will be consequences."

Before Link could even think of what that could be, an indescribable pain shot through his shin. He screamed and his vision grew fuzzy for a few seconds. When he was able to see again, he looked to the source of that pain. Bile rose in his throat as he saw his shin split in half.

"Where is she?!"

He struggled for a moment before slamming his head against the Yiga's face. The man rubbed it, a bit of blood coming from his nose, then casually snapped Link's arm with a glare, bringing more of the searing pain and making his vision blacken.

He felt the wetness of the Yiga's tongue on his neck once more, and this time he couldn't bear it; he didn't like touch anyway. With a shriek, he kicked his chained, unhurt leg up and out, hitting Ghirahim in the most uncomfortable place possible. He yelped and backed off for a moment, before a sickening crack echoed and Link felt that all-consuming pain in the leg he had kicked with.

The Yiga grabbed his face again, and ran a knife over the cut on his face, going deeper. He drew his tongue over the slice he had made, Link squirming pathetically. "Ah, so long since I've tasted blood... But I think that's enough for today, don't you think, boy?"

Link did not deign to answer him, instead glaring at the pale, angry face before him. Ghirahim sighed. "And now I have to punish you again." Link weakly pull himself away, trying to keep away from the splitting pain that was sure to be inflicted. The Yiga grabbed his right hand and snapped two of the fingers there, before looking at him in disgust. At least, he assumed it was. His vision had gone hazy, and there was so much pain, pain, pain...

"So soft, so pathetic. You will not keep her safe for long, boy." The words barely reached him; he was falling to darkness... unconsciousness, or death?

She'll be... safe. Tha's all... that... ma...matters... Link was left hanging there, with broken bones and swelling, infected welts.

_/|||\_

"What did you do? Ghirahim, we need him to talk! I told you to interrogate him, not torture him!"

"Same difference. Be more specific with the methods."

Link hardly heard the conversation, though it was happening inside the chamber he was in. He felt worse than the day before, vision black, head ringing, thoughts jumbled incoherently. With the... methods of the Yiga, he honestly wasn't sure if he really could keep Zelda safe. But if I te-ell... I'll have fail-ed her. I c-can't do that. I WON'T.

His jaw was grabbed suddenly, harshly, and a foul liquid was forced into his mouth. He gagged reflexively, trying to get it out. "Drink. I'm not about to use a Fairy on a prisoner." The deep voice reverberated through his head, shooting pain through his ears. Eventually, though he struggled against it, some of the concoction trickled down, making him cough and retch.

Instantly, the infection left and the worst wounds sealed up, the bones mending the smallest amount. "Hmph. Good enough. Ghirahim, keep him alive. Or it won't just be the goddess-child that he's after."

"Tch. I know what I'm doing, Sooga. I'm the most dedicated to the Master out of any of you fools, and it'll be me who gets him here."

The man snorted and left. Ghirahim, walked closer, clearly just as determined as Link. Sooga? One of the guys that captured me... why did he... never-mind. And goddess-child? What's that supposed to mean? Whatever trick they're using, I can't tell them anything. WON'T.

"Ready to tell me where she is, boy? If not, we can arrange more... persuasion." An evil grin darkened the man's face as he came closer. Link once again glared, just as defyingly fierce as before. "...All right then. Let's begin."

Ghirahim started with the breaking of the rest of Link's fingers, asking about Zelda every finger. Though the pain was intense, he knew that these people wanted nothing good from his friend, and he would not be the cause of her capture.

The man walked away for a second, muttering to himself. A minute later, he unchained Link from the wall and dragged him over to the metal table from yesterday, then binding him to it. He brought out a serrated black knife, and brought it to Link's throat again. Though the boy was afraid beyond anything that should be felt and in pain, he refused to break eye contact with his torturer.

"Why won't you just tell me where that stupid girl is?! You would be in much less pain, and you might have even been rewarded!" For the first time since his capture, Link spoke.

"I w-will never tell you tr-traitorous cow-ards where sh-she is. And d-don't lie! No rewa-reward from you is a good o-one." Despite his shaky, cracked voice, his tone was venomous and words determined. Ghirahim snarled with unrestrained, animalistic anger. The Yiga didn't say anything, gave no warning before lashing out with his knife. He cut into Link's skin, disregarding previous injuries. The lines were random, and over the whole front side of his body.

At one point, Ghirahim wrenched the chains off and flipped him onto his stomach. His back and legs and arms were cut again and again, bleeding profusely. Each time, he cried out in pain until his voice was too hoarse to make any noise. Once Ghirahim stopped, he slumped and began convulsing weakly. He was losing too much blood; he was going to die. The Yiga snarled in his ear: "That's what you get, you pathetic boy. We'll find the Hyrule girl without you."

Link tried to move, to stop him, but his injuries were too great, and Ghirahim too strong. Oh, Light. I'm g-going to die... Zel w-ll be safe... though... He felt Ghirahim's tongue pass over him again, before the man slammed Link's head into the table, and everything went blessedly dark.

The next thing he remembered was waking in the hospital with Zelda's hand on his, her safe - not a mark on her - and whispering comforting words to him as tears trickled down his cheeks.

A/N: Basically, Link was quickly, brutally tortured by a Yiga named Ghirahim, who was trying to get where Zelda was out of Link. Link didn't give up and went through a lot of pain, wanting to do anything for her. Eventually, he was rescued by a team organized by Impa, a strong Sheikah woman working as an agent of sorts, who aids in the capture of Yiga and protection of the members of the Alliance Council. He gets to the Central Hospital, where he slowly recovers, and Zelda is there for him while he does. Hope you guys like this story so far! :)