Here Lord Ghirahim of the Demon Lord's Army was, laying back atop a thick branch, surrounded by soft pink leaves that danced as they fell and flew in the breeze.
It had been three days now since he assaulted Bucha in search of information regarding that hideous girl. He swore his monster minions could hardly breathe through their snouts without instructions on how to flex their lungs. Why the hell Demise entrusted them to him he never knew, but they made good meat shields and intimidators. Few could fight these days, except those Rito, who weren't a problem here in a land not their own.
It made for quite the boring wait, however, though one he ensured to use smartly. For the day after almost catching her, he fidgeted with the girl's knife, embedding the scent of her into his mind. With enough time, he could track her wherever she went. At least, that's what he thought, until he noticed yet another Hylian traveling through the thick brush of the woods on the second day. The hero.
He could've sworn the brat died in the storm, though he smiled and shrugged in spite of it. A challenge was fun though no amount of blade lighting courtesy of a dead goddess could save someone who didn't know how to swing said blade. And on top of that, skill didn't matter. He was a demonic god amongst creatures of a long-dead era, who were clinging to their lifelines. Demise would rule and, as his first and truly assured reward, Ghirahim alongside him. Lords to the end of time.
"...that so, hero of the sky, prophesied by Her Grace herself?" the elder's voice rang up from below, catching Ghirahim's ears. The boy was here so soon, yet it still meant nothing but a small setback. He peered down from the Deku Tree's branch, eyes wide and ears raised.
It seemed to go cordial, as it should've. This boy would fetch and cry until he got what he needed, providing plenty of time to catch the girl. The scent in Ghirahim's mind wasn't as burned-in as he hoped, but it would do. He stood, jabbing the knife into his shoulder for safekeeping. The slight sting lasted only a moment as his skin resealed, his sturdy black arms soon covered by his small red cape. He flared the collar and began making his way to the girl's scent. Until…
"Well, you better do it soon; we're all on a timer, here!" the hero exclaimed, voice faint but proud in the wind. "I did not walk this far and long just to be told the trail is cold: You know something!"
His ears raised again, catching the sound of a robotic voice new to his memory. Though it was interrupted by the elder's proud and low tone.
"I do know how to find her," the elder said. "She jumped off of my belly and into that hole when demons from the underworld ambushed this simple forest. Before then, I told her about the path my children left, leading toward a dungeon she was fated to go to. You must go and follow the path as well. Get into the hole and watch for pink pedals."
"My, my," Ghirahim chuckled, the sound breathy and slow, a faint hiss escaping him as he licked his already wet lips. "The boy has spark. Good~"
With that, he set off, taking his sweet time crushing and killing whatever sat in his wake. Alongside that, he took control of anything and everything that could mame or kill. This sparky boy was naughty and needed punishment.
And it WOULD come to him.
"Gotcha, prick," Link jeered, having just slain another pod of red monsters outside of another, quite large, clearing in the woods. He flicked and sheathed his blade, the glint against the sky clean despite the dull lighting. Knowing that Zelda was within arm's reach had given him a kind of mental boost only a health potion could. His pace had been firm, his head up high — hell, he was smiling quite often.
And seeing the dungeon ahead was something that increased that a thousandfold. Though, by the sound in her voice, not for Fi.
"Strange. Master," she spoke, "I'm detecting heavy damage brought upon the dungeon exterior." She wasn't wrong, and even a half-second glance made that clear. Pillars crumbled, overgrowth torn, full on walls demolished, revealing dark caverns that appeared to twist and turn further down into the unknown. The front door, golden and fancy though torn apart, was burst wide open, revealing a set of stairs that looked just as sickly spiraling as the cavernss in the holes beside it.
He shrugged, answering, "This thing's been down here for at least a century or two, hasn't it? Would it really surprise you if some big fat monster guy was having a rough day?"
"Monsters that lack proper cognisance do not have a, as you casually present, rough day, Master. Nor do they assault buildings that present no obvious use or dopamine chasing," she chastised as he approached the place, only a hint of caution in his glide. "Additionally, damage such as this is impossible when considering weathering, which would not take down the vegetation nor open the door. Something has actively pursued destroying this dungeon exterior, and is potentially inside. I suggest caution."
A hum escaped him in acknowledgement. "I'll do my best," he muttered, unsheathing his sword as he marched into the dark. His eyes adjusted slowly, the sights presented not all that different to what the exterior presented. Cobwebs, damage, and the odd smell of very fresh water. The monsters down here couldn't be so bad. After all, he was quite the fighter. He could handle these gross fat pig-monsters, no matter the brain cell count. As long as his damn cap stuck on his head.
When the stairs stopped descending and spiralling like a dying Loftwing mid-flight, he saw the interior in full. Or the first room, at least. A broken bridge that would've divided into five paths led both forward and into four adjacent rooms. A few of the paths survived the apparent onslaught, though the one that would've made his life easier (the one leading straight ahead) was broken, the door locked by a magic seal. A diamond, flickering black and red with smaller diamonds fitted perfectly into it. Considering the color alone, he felt a little bit on edge. Had these dimwitted monsters actually learned magic?
…Probably not.
Speaking of monsters, a few of the little fat pig-like ones awaited him, crowding the bridge. One was green, though it didn't make that much of a difference when its insides were still purple. He knocked them off the bridge, their remains falling into the shallow water below the bridge, muddying the color.
"So. I take it we can't just walk over air, these days?" Link remarked sarcastically, standing at the edge of the bridge and staring at the locked door. There was no jumping the gap, he knew that much.
"No. However, despite our lack of an ability to transcend the weight of air," — Fi beeped and booped a bit — "we could unlock the door with the power of a Skyward Strike, which would need a ray of sunlight. There is no sunlight within this dungeon. I suggest exploding the roof in order to catch sunlight. Do you have any materials that could do as such?
He gave her a baffled look, his eyebrow flying up his forehead. Sure, he had nothing against blowing this place to smithereens, but he didn't have the materials. Besides — too much potential for rubble to make it worse. "Why can't we just activate it outside, come back in here, and strike the lock?"
"Because it… it…" Fi stopped, causing a large smirk to appear on Link's face. "It is quite unorthodox, according to calculations, and has potential for failure. But it presents no long-term backfire potential, while the explosion may cause other disruptions to the environment."
"Then we're doing that," he replied, turning tail and walking back outside. Up the stairs and into the sunlight he went, raising his blade up high. Light joined with his blade and he jogged down the stairs, sending a slash of light toward the seal before the light vanished. The seal broke, opening up the door. He sheathed his sword and thought for a moment, asking aloud, "Now, how do we get there…?"
"I detect that the water source comes from above," Fi noted. "And, according to building plans in my databases, there should be valves that open the flow of water in the pipes. Opening these valves was intended to be a last-ditch effort to defend the spring, should monstrous forces find a way to enter. However, that was only intended if the security forces were still alive. To which, they are not."
"What's a valve?"
"It's a machine."
"What's that?"
"Master Link, if you really wish to know about advanced engineering of the people of the Surface, perhaps I could write it for you after we return to Skyloft; but for the time being, I insist you follow my instructions," she chastised, exiting the sword to look around the room. Her handless arm pointed at each path as she looked, her words eventually spilling out. "Two out of the three routes are accessible, one of which is the valve and the other the stabilizer. Assuming the valves work the same despite the lack of maintenance, we can access the door to the second valve when the water is raised."
Link turned to one of the remaining pathways Fi pointed out, getting a peek at the inside of the room thanks to the broken door. "Right," he said over his shoulder, hearing the jingle of Fi's return to his sword. "If we don't stabilize the flow, we're dead." He entered the room with the stabilizer, the bridge blocked by giant cobwebs. Rather than wade through them, he noticed vines beside the broken bridge that provided a way around that used immediately. He hit the stabilizer, which was a bright pink gem button, and backtracked outside to the valve. It was under another path Fi mentioned, which was also a gem button.
It was in the shallow water, though the "shallow" part didn't last all that long when he hit the button, opening a gate full of water that splashed all over him. Some swimming later, he got back on the bridge, finding a floating log and vines where the broken path to the final valve was. He hopped aboard, opened the door, hit the button, and set off for the bridge. Now, with the water as high as the bridge, he only had to swim through a small bit of water to get to the new, dryer, chamber.
It was rounder than the last, almost half of it filled with a smaller circular chamber that connected straight to the ceiling. A faint glow escaped the cracks and holes in its walls, a sign of sunlight. As for the bigger chamber itself, it was also in a reck — boxes smashed, pillars broken, walls torn.
"Master Link. I detect a strong monster presence within the smaller chamber located in the middle of the room. I assume that it is the main cause of such destruction. Defeating it now will prevent any issue with it later."
He hummed. "And I'm betting it sealed the other door that leads ahead."
"Most likely. And, assuming we're on pace, we can catch up with Zelda."
Link clapped his hands, grinning brightly and making his way to the mini-chamber's door. "Great! An excuse to fight and get to Zelda. Let's make this quick, yeah?" He twirled his blade, being a little more flashy with the movements, even throwing it high and catching it in a clean move.
"An excuse is a bit blunt, but I suppose it still works. The monster's presence is just beyond the door."
Link pried it open, lifting it with surprising ease to find a simple skeleton. Well, simple was putting it lightly. It was armored, tall, and had extra arms attached to its ribs. In its eyes was the glint of a crimson diamond, flickering bright as it roared a raspy roar. It picked up four thick, heavy blades from the ground, approaching him with a loose jaw.
He smiled and shrugged, gesturing for the monster to bring on the fight.
Each sluggish slash it threw his way, telegraphed by seconds, was easy to avoid and counter. The bone was tough, but his blade tougher, eventually allowing him to cleanly cut through each joint. When he got it to the ground, he kicked its skull clean off, the sound of its empty head click clacking against the walls before snapping in half like a nut. The glint in its eye vanished after that.
"Hah! Gotcha!" he cheered, raising his sword up to catch a ray of light. It struck, giving him enough time to exit the mini-chamber, find the door to the third room and unseal it. "Alrighty: Zelda's just past this last room, right, Fi?" he asked, a smile in his voice. She was so close.
The fact he wasn't squealing and jumping wildly surprised him, but the joy of such an action was still there.
"Yes."
He leaped into the final chamber, all smiles and relaxation. This was it! The monster defeated, the journey almost completed, the reward in sight. Maybe he'd been a bit too harsh on the whole 'hero' thing. After all, Zelda was doing the heavy-lifting, and he was just there to ensure it went smoothly. Or, something like that, but what did it matter? He would stay if Zelda needed to stay; he would go if Zelda wanted to go. Because he loved her. And by Hylia, if he couldn't say that soon to her, he would start screaming it to the world.
"…break down this DAMN door, YOU HEAR ME?!"
A loud, horrific cry of anger kicked him out of his smiling state, replaced by a hole straight through his gut. A figure, donned in white with a shoulder-length red cape, stood with their back to him. They held a sleek black sword with a crimson diamond in its hilt, their ash-black hand pulsing with over-accentuated veins. At the sound of another step, they stopped, their blade fizzling out of existence.
This figure was the source of the magic.
"Well, well. You missed the show, hero of the Sky," the figure spat, turning to face him. The figure was very sleek and lean, though male, their skin pale and smooth to the touch. The face wasn't all that different, half of it covered by long white bangs from their short hair. The eye that remained was piercing. Devilish. "Though, I'm not surprised. Even when I take my time, I'm quite punctual with my arrivals." The switch from anger to calmness shook Link's soul.
"Who are you?" he asked, his shoulders tensing, goosebumps appearing up and down his arms. He crossed his arms and stepped closer, hiding the quiver in his step.
"I am Lord Ghirahim of the Demon Lord's army, of course!" he hissed, his fluid movements nigh-hypnotizing. "Though, for you, my sparky boy," — he blew a kiss, licking his lips — "it's just Ghirahim."
The act, while flirty, made Link cringe. This wasn't friendly flirting, the kind Zelda excelled at. It was manipulation, trying to bring a sick sense of delight into his head. It would've worked if he didn't walk in on Ghirahim's rage. "What are you doing here, exactly?" Link asked.
Fi's horrified whisper slipped into Link's ear, nearly shattering his composure at the sound of her, of all people, being afraid. "Master… this opponent can and will kill you."
"Ah. The light of your sword; is that what it does when that silly robot talks to you?" Ghirahim doted, a dubious smirk lying flat on his face. "Oh yes, I know. I know your plans, I know her plans, I know the plans. You cannot escape me."
Link, in an act of automatic self defense, tore his sword from its sheath and held onto it. His other, more conscious half, caressed the blue rupee by his neck. 'Her plans' were Zelda's plans: and NOBODY would even get the chance to hurt her. "I don't think so," he grumbled, trying to stay tense and strong.
Fi disapproved. "Master, you must understand," she pleaded, "this demon is the Demon King's Right Hand — you currently lack the skill power to even stand a chance against such an opponent! You have to retreat or escape into the final chamber for even a 5% chance of surviva—"
"Pipe down," he hissed, his heart begging for release from his ribcage. Every muscle turned on and off faster than he could think, every thought swirling into a funnel directed at one question that made his insides implode.
'What am I going to do…?'
"Being a rebellious robot, I see. Naughty boys make naughty allies, hehe~!" Ghirahim swept his hair up, briefly revealing a dark-veined eye, bulging and pulsing with a rapid beat, its slit pupil darting around wildly. "Oh, I would teach you a simple lesson with a simple slap if that was the only thing you did to offend me. But no, dear hero. You have done worse." He paced back and forth, each step a dance in its own right. "Well, perhaps not you; you've been pretty lazy and inactive, as far as I know. But if not you, then…
"Ah. The girl and that old bat."
'Zelda and that old lady?'
"Quite a nuisance they were. In FFFACT!" he shrieked, spit flying across the ground around his feet. He wiped it off his mouth, continuing manically with his point. "The girl… she fucking hit me! HAH! WILD, ISN'T IT?!" The echoes hurt all but Ghirahim's ears. "Not to mention the brat's escape. Her scent on" — he plucked a small knife from his shoulder, barely wincing — "this is quite faint. I have yet to really catch it. But she is just beyond this door, I know that." Ghirahim stopped to caress the door. "I feel her, you know. I know she is here. And how she has locked this door, I have yet to know." He turned his head back around, his neck so flexible it was almost a perfect turnaround. A sharp-toothed grin was on his face. "So, if it hasn't gotten through your thick skull quite yet, hero, I will spell it out: I'm a bit bloodthirsty."
Ghirahim walked closer. Link jumped back a full five steps, holding his sword and the rupee tigher.
"Oh, but," he continued, stopping his movements, "you don't deserve to die. Not yet. No, I feel you, naughty boy, deserve a shot."
SNAP!
In a flash of sickly yellow light, surrounded by an aura of red, Ghirahim disappeared.
Link froze, his mind speeding up a thousandfold but his body not moving.
'Move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move move move move move move MOVE MOVE!'
A gentle head set itself on Link's shoulder.
"No," Ghirahim whispered, his tone low and seductive. "I feel like you, pup, only deserve to be beaten within an inch of death." He licked Link's face nice and slow, sending the coldest of shivers down Link's spine.
Link jumped away in desperation, a light whimper escaping him, his cap nearly falling from his head. He scurried to his feet, now looking at Ghirahim's slim figure without the cape. "St-stay back!" he shouted. He hated how his smell of fear was so clear.
"So! Enough being boys. Let's see what you've got. PUPPY!"
"MASTER RUN!"
"I—"
No sooner than the words left Ghirahim's lips did Link find himself careening into a wall, his nose shattered and bleeding madly. He moved a single muscle before he felt a sharp hand jabbed straight into his throat, making him gag and collapse again. Blood was leaking, and whether it was from his nose or his throat, he knew it was his.
"Must I remind you: I'm faster, I'm stronger, and I—"
"RRAAAGH!" Link shouted and threw his sword arm toward Ghirahim, feeling a mild impact as panicked tears slipped past his closed eyelids. He opened them, only to discover Ghirahim casually holding the tip of the sword's blade between two fingers.
"And I'm better," he finished plainly, throwing the sword aside. "Here: Let me show you."
SNAP! CRACK! THUD!
Screams and messy pleas for mercy escaped Link, masked by the sick, sinister laughter of Ghirahim as the horrific beating went on. Kicks, slams, punches, pokes — everything was being thrown. Blood flew, aches poisoned every inch of his body. Nothing in his mind or body could work. He threw his arm forward in some pathetic punch, his wrist soon grabbed by Ghirahim.
"Cute. Puppy."
Ghirahim threw Link down to the floor, pinning him to it with his own damn sword. Link shrieked as it pierced his leg. Laughter. Pain. Burning. Adrenaline. Fear.
"Does the puppy want to say anything to master~?"
"Pl—" He coughed blood, landing on his neck and his face, some of it returning to his mouth. "Please, please, please please stop, please…" He sniffled hard, the sweat of his body filling the scent.
"Awh, had enough? Too bad, pup."
Ghirahim kicked the sword out of Link's leg, a jet of blood shooting into his satisfied grin. He knelt on Link's body, raising his hands high to begin another beating.
Bruises. Pain. Begging. Tears. Snot. Mocking. Laughter. Desperation. Blood. Death.
Was he… really…
Dying?
A stranglehold. Can't breathe. No more begging. Mocking, faint.
"Oh, what is that, pup… can't… enough…?" Ghirahim's words. Bits and pieces.
Link tried to reach for his throat, his hand only catching the rupee around his neck. Untouched. Still his. Still Zelda's. A reason to fight. Fight. Fight. 'FIGHT!'
He jammed his thumbs into Ghirahim's eyes, punching him off and making a mad dash for his sword. He grabbed it, but soon as he did, Ghirahim grabbed him.
"I've had enough of this."
Ghirahim clutched Link's cap, turning tail with a firm, furious march. "All this fight, for what? A girl? Destiny? PATHETIC! You are as unworthy as a bird eating a worm in the morning! You have no meaning! No use! Why don't you just go and DIE!" He threw his hand forward, expecting to see Link careening headfirst into the wall.
But all that he saw was a loose cap, floating softly in the light breeze.
"RAAAA-AA-AAAAGH!" Link charged Ghirahim, jamming his blade into Ghirahim's stomach, ensuring that the whole damn thing nearly went straight through. He could hardly see through the tears, hardly think through the pain, but he knew Ghirahim felt it. Ghirahim's pupils turned into small dots on a canvas, purple blood spilling from his ajar mouth.
Ghirahim lifted his arms, quivering, and pressed his tense hands to Link's head. He began squeezing as hard as he could, mustering a dying smile.
'Pressure. Building. Eyes. Bulging.'
'Turn the blade. Dig it deeper. Watch the smile fade.'
'Bones. Crushing. Eyes. Out of skull.'
'Turn it again. Deeper. Deeper. Kill. Kill.'
'Brain. Aching.'
'Turn it again.
Thud, thud thud thud thump.
Silence.
Ghirahim fell to the floor, his body twitching a few times before death consumed him. Link's head was mostly in one piece. The adrenaline began fading. In defiance, he lumbered toward the door Ghirahim once struck. It opened, revealing glorious sunlight, peaceful streams, and empty ruins. Though his mind was still a jumble, Link knew one thing that almost killed him then and there.
Zelda was gone.
"Master Link," Fi appeared and floated ahead of him. "Zelda is not present at this location. I suggest we locate where the hidden texts are detailing her next—"
Thump.
Link collapsed on the ground, barely caught in Fi's lap as she fell to his level.
A single word, filled with faint tears and sobs, left him.
"Home…"
A/N
Do y'all know how long I've waited to write this fight scene? Ever since... some time ago. Look, man, I don't know either. But what I do know is that it was simultaneously my biggest motivator and biggest de-motivator. On one hand, I told myself to keep fighting to write this scene (back when I was actively writing to get to this scene, LOL). On the other, I was shouting at myself for not being at the scene. Or, something like that.
Point is, I wrote what I really wanted to write, and now I will take 10 years off.
...Kidding, of course. I can't promise common uploads, but I can promise breaks that don't last 5 months from here on out. At most, 4 months.
I hope you all enjoy this part of the story, because dang it I wrote this whole thing in 2 days. For context, my typical goal is at least 1000 words a day.