Legend of Zelda 1. Sting

Burn of Ice

Chapter 1; Sting

"_My sweet little bird, I have such grand plans for you…" _

A sharp glare of light had seeped through the lids of tightly closed eyes as sun light peered through branches of the trees that covered Faron Woods. The sun was mockery to the boy it was shining on, pouring light that was incredible, upon a boy who felt as though he was nothing. His green clothing was forever stained with blood of the fallen, but he wore this tunic with upmost pride. But as all material things went, the green fabric had been torn a multitude of times even the chainmail beneath the forest green clothing had weathered a bit.

"Master, you must restore your health at the nearest opportunity." That sentence was getting old. Just as much, if not more was the fact he needed to be told this. Link groaned out, forcing his eyes open through the crust that had somewhat pinned them close, when they were open he was immediately blinded by the harsh sun light that had partly rose over the trees. He shifted an arm up to cover them, only to have pain shoot up it as he tried. That's right, he had broken his arm in a fall, or had it been something else he could remember. His half light blinded eyes fixed on a new dark red spot that went from his shoulder blade to who-know-where. Picking up his other hand to lay it across the slash of blood, he felt welting skin that was raggedly cut.

"Yes Fi…" Link's bitter reply sounded harsh in his own ears as he directed his still adjusting eyes to the floating figure of the one named 'Fi'. Her, if he could even call Fi a her, form drifted back into the sword after delivering a small bow. His eyes slowly made their way back up to the sky, the sun almost over the trees at this point, as if the day said 'Get up, your time is leaving you.'. He prepared to get up, shifting his weight onto his good arm and wincing through the pain of sore muscles and a few broken bones. He would have to live and push through it, people were counting on him. But first he needed to get up, and move on.

"Master…" A voice emitted from his sword as Link braced himself to sit up after pulling his broken arm over his chest. His deep blue eyes glinted with forming tears as the bone was jostled again. He was already feeling weak again. "I sense a strong aura near, it would be best if you were on alert."

Finally, Link had sat up. His form slouched a bit as he attempted to put his broken arm back to place so it would feel like someone was driving hot nails through the bone and muscles. Cold sweat had already made tracks down his spine, a cold spider web of fear. He was not in any terms to fight something at the moment if something were to happen upon him in his weaken form. As his head throbbed brutally, as if a deku shrub was firing its seeds at the wall of his skull. Taking the Goddess Sword of, sheath and all as, he drove the tip into the moist ground, shifting his weight Up to the sword, letting it brace his broken form.

Links eye sight was blurring in the corners as he scanned the area for a safe..No, not safe, nothing was safe any longer. But he had to make it to a spot where he wouldn't be immediately noticed by whatever was coming or near enough to sense him. He stumbled up using the sword as a crutch as he made his way to thicker forestry. He foot slipped on wet grass that covered the muddy ground and he stumbled face down, covering his already soiled tunic with dirt and a mouthful of grime. Spitting out grass his world began to fade around the edges as wounds reopened, but he could barely feel it as his body went numb again. As Link slipped back into unconsciousness again he heard the monotonous voice of Fi. It always initiated a bit of sadness for the fact she had no emotions, or if Fi did, she didn't show them. "Master, it would be wise to-"

* * *

Zelda was awoken by the burn of sweat as it entered the gash at the back of her head; the swollen flesh around it had an almost unbearable itch. She moved her hand to the gash, pressing fully with the palm of her hand trying to stop the urge to claw at the skin. The hair around the cut was stiff it blood that cracked the dry once wet substance. The grainy feel of it left a sick feeling in her stomach as she realized that she shouldn't have had a gash on her head and the fact it was too warm to be Skyloft or even the forest she had just left. He cobalt eyes snapped open before blinking back at the harsh orange light that seemed to singe her cornea.

When the dots escaped her vision her eyes had mildly gotten used to the harsh light that invaded them, even though they watered as the humidity burned them along with the thin ash that polluted the air. Zelda's eyes widened to saucers as she scanned the surroundings of what seemed to be a cave on the inside of a volcano. Panic set into line of thought and emotion as her gaze rest on red monsters that carried large clubs or cleaver blades as their black beady eyes glinted above fat stubby noses that snorted with every breath. Her breath quickened considerably so as she viewed the stains on the loin-clothes some still marred the unclean blade they held along with the bludgeoning clubs the others held.

Zelda stood gingerly to escape the noise that may alert the red monsters that were preoccupied with unknown business. She scanned the area for a way out, glancing at every possible way out, choosing a broad passage that slopped upward at a ridiculous angle. What she failed to notice was the shackle that bore her thin wrist as she made a run for the ledge.

Falling back screaming as Zelda felt her wrist snap with the awkward angle the shackle was connected. Due to not sensing the metal wrapped around her wrist she had broke into a run. She kneeled over the twisted appendage letting out continued screams escaped her cracked lips. Blood from the torn skin, chafed by the edges on the manacle, dripped to the pale stone dying it a dark red brown color. The red monsters had been alerted by the attempted escape and their sharp cackling laughter rung out in an insane drone that resounded around the rock walls. They were directly mocking her, laughing at her pain like the sadists they were.

The blood was terrifying to Zelda; blood had always freaked her out, the color, the feel, and the fact it was a person's life force. Spilling it to her was draining life out. She wrapped her hand around the torn skin ignoring the burn of her sweaty hand coming in contacted with the flesh as she tried to stop the bleeding. She was becoming hysterical with continued screams and the fear of blood that was clouding her mind. The monsters on the side lines were laughing harder, one of them gave a push to another as they were pointing out the pain she was feeling landing the one who was push into the lava in which skin melted off muscle and muscle melted off bone. But they continued their laughter, some even laughing at the luck of the unfortunate monster that fell into the lava.

Lavender-blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears as Zelda watched the sanguine ooze through her fingers staining the white sleeves of her gown. She pinned both hands to her chest with the one hand still clamped around her wrist, this action dyed a red splotch over her heart. Her own screams had deafened her as she would not realize the defined steps leading up to her, or how the red things backed away with their beady eyes shining with fear. Some even backed into the lava with their sights only on one point as they backed away. She only realized when a gloved hand wrapped over her mouth as she took another shuddering breath.

"That sound you are making, it is quite insufferable." Cold lips were pressed to the shell of Zelda's ear as baritone vocals flowed in. She sat rigidly as her head was pressed into a hard surface behind her trapping her in place. A white clothed hand _slithered _down her front and to where she held her hands to her heart. The hand pried the hand holding the broken wrist and skin together, twisting the broken one further in the cuff. Zelda bucked her body back against the thing behind her, hoping to dislodge it from touching her.

"Your futile struggling is not appreciated." A small chuckle resounded in her ear before the hand struck forward, ripping her snapped wrist from the grasp of her other hand. Zelda let a muffled shriek out into the hand as tears poured over leaving clean streaks on her cheeks. The 'thing' behind her sifted her wrist around to seemingly examine the torn skin and limpness of her hand. There was a deep chuckle then something that may scar her for the rest of her day as a long thin tongue made its way to her wrist. The slimy appendage wrapped itself over torn skin, tasting the copper fluid that dripped from it. The saliva was the worst part, cold and hot at the same time. Seemingly burning her, yet leaving her with frost bite.

"My dear little Hylia…" The tongue pulled back sharply before the voice slicked its way out of the captor's mouth in a sickly sweet voice. The hand that was holding her wrist let go and shifted to her throat where two fingers pressed against her pulse as Zelda fought to get away, clawing with her unmarred hand and kicking out with her forgotten legs. The 'thing' behind her grunted with irritation as it continued to hold her pulse, and with that her eyesight was fading back. Zelda's struggles became less and less as her pulse was being forcibly slowed to render her in a sleep like state. "It would be best if you let in…"

* * *

Ghirahim chuckled quietly at first, before the mirth increased to an insane laughter as he held the passed out girl in his arm. Humans were so stupid to him; they fought futile battles, talked as if they knew, and made rash decisions that would cost their lives. This little one, the one who was the vessel reincarnate for the soul of the Goddess Hylia, was no exception. He found it so incredibly funny that she had even _noticed _the shackle around her thin wrist, the crack of it breaking had been so…pleasing to the ears.

"My sweet little bird, I have such grand plans for you…" Ghirahim whispered as he stroked through Zelda's goldenrod hair, catching his fingers on the gash that stained his white gloves. He grunted in disgust as he examines the red blotch that would surely be permanently adorning this article of clothing. Taking his black eyes off his ruined clothing and directed his gaze to the girl laying limply in his grasp. She was in dire need of a bath, dirt smudged her face, she was covered in sweat that soaks through and bared creamy skin. Oh how he wished to cut the skin, drag a knife over it and watch her expression.

Ghirahim lifted the broken appendage inquiring the metal wrapped around it, clicking his tongue as he broke it off with a flick of his hand. The sacrifice would be immediately done once he got her to submit to him. To be able to render the soul to bring back Demise, she would need to submit herself to him; any bit of resistance could make a large dent in plans, on in which he would not overcome. But she, as far as he could tell, was incredibly weak. This would be incredibly easy…

Gingerly picking the girl that would bring back his master, Ghirahim flung her over his shoulder holding her leg to keep her up. It would be quite fun on his part, making one bow to his will was entertaining giving him pleasure like no other action. His face split in a lopsided grin, showing off pointed teeth that were once hidden behind white lips. Fun indeed.

Initiating a small stream of magic, Ghirahim and the soul vessel tight in his grasp, teleported away leaving behind a burst of diamonds with the discharge of left over magic marked as his own. He would bring them to his palace, his home where he would proceed to go to lengths to have 'his little bird' submit.

Ghirahim gazed upon the great structure with quiet admiration of the palace designed by him. He stepped up the marble walk way in carefully placed strides set on where to go. Stepping up and over to the large wooden door he lifted a hand, palm flat as he struck the door. The force sent it open completely, they ricocheted slightly off the walls as he stepped through the threshold and into his domain.

"Now, where shall I put you…?" Ghirahim questioned the unconscious girl in his grasp as he strode away from the self closing doors and deeper into the palace, the stone walls high above his head to the marble ceiling that was supported by tall beams. All was his, and any who entered was his as well.

Ghirahim came upon a door, decorated with an elegant floral. Opening it he entered to a sparsely decorated room that lacked in his normal furnishings but a bed, small wooden chair and a full length mirror adorned the room. He chuckled silently as he approached the bed, laying the maiden down upon the pain white bed dressings her golden hair splayed out like a fan. He placed a hand on her lightly bushed cheek, baring his fangs in a grim smile.

"Sleep, little bird struck from the sky…for tomorrow you will not feel the luxury…."

**Authors Note**

Hello all, I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter. I am suspecting this story to be very long due to what I have in store. Ghirahim in the story is a bit sadist in the story, so…have fun with that!

Please leave a review! Or a flame ~(0-0)~


	2. Quick as a Pin-Prick

Burn of Ice

Chapter 2; Quick as a Pinprick

_"Stop moving, you'll only make yourself worse off than now."_

Zelda's eyes snapped open as she sprung into a sitting position, looking about in panic when not being able to recognize her surroundings. She grasped the sheets as she looked around only to give a shout of pain when the broken wrist was moved in the skin covering. When the pain faded to a light throb she examined the room she was in. What she saw was a grayscale room with few furnishings, the only light provided was an eerie glow that pulsated about the room that just barely allowed her to see.

Memory of the previous events flooded Zelda's mind, making her grasp her temples with her good hand in pain and shock as she registered the danger she maybe in. She looked about the room in fear of someone else sharing it with her. With her head movements, sun colored hair spun about her face that stuck to her with the nervous sweat covering her brow. Her breath calmed down slightly as she concluded she was alone.

Zelda knew that she needed to find a way out as quickly as she could, or risk what she didn't want to think of. She flung her feet over the edge holding her scabbed over wrist protectively against her breast as she did so. She didn't want to have it bleed again, that terrible substance that stained everything that gross color. She knew she had a terrible fear of blood, but no matter how many times she used ethical ways to get over it, it came back as quick as a pinprick.

Tipping herself over Zelda's feet touched the cold floor of the room making her jerk with the temperature change. Ignoring the freezing texture that touched her bare skin she hurried to the wooden door to her left, subconsciously admiring the light floral pattern the twisted about the door. Stopping close to it she timidly put her unbroken hand over the edge of it.

Zelda held her breath as she pushed upon the wooden structure and to her happiness it didn't make a sound. The door swung ominously on dark hinges revealing the other side of the hallway just barely with the glow of the room behind her.

"Hello? Any...Anyone out there!?" Zelda's timid shout rung out to the darkness as she tipped her head past the threshold of the door, peering down to her left and right for any sign of a lead out. When she looked right, she could have sworn she saw a blue flash. It had gone as quickly as it came so she dismissed it as a trick of the eye.

Stepping fully out of the room, Zelda couldn't help the feeling of dread that used its frozen claws to use her vertebrae as a ladder to the back of her head, where it whispered to go back. She wouldn't go back, no, she would head on like the sturdy Skyloft girl she was. She wouldn't give in when she felt scared, and where ever she was, she wouldn't stay put in a place like this.

"Hello?" Zelda whispered out again as fear trickled over dread, making a terrible mixture that wanted to freeze her in place. She, nonetheless, gave a step forward into the darkness. She led her steps farther into the darkness that foreboded her. She felt as though menacing eyes were following her around as she moves further down the hall way. Before she got far she put her uninjured hand on the wall to keep herself straight.

Zelda froze when her hand drifted over something she knew was not the smooth wall that she had touched. As soon as she tried to feel what she had touched it flitted away, but whatever it was, it was alive and she wouldn't stay close to find out who or what it was. She turned on her heals to see the soft glow of the room she had recently left and made a mad dash to the glow.

Zelda almost made it to the edge; she was only a few feet from stepping into the light before something had wrapped around her shoulder. Before she could scream out the gloved hand from before wrapped around her mouth and brought her back into a mass. Squirming and kicking as she tried to break free of the unknown beings grasp.

"Sweat little bird, don't you know that the darkness holds things you don't want to encounter?" The familiar baritone voice sounded next to her ear, slipping into her brain as she froze plastered to the chest of her captor. He chuckled into her ear, a rolling sound that hit her ear drums with melodic thrums. "What shall I teach you about this little mishap?"

It bent its lips to Zelda's neck where the he-beast scrapped his teeth against her small neck. It was far from a romantic gesture, more of a threat to how easy it would be to end her. The icy burn she felt from its tongue was placed upon her neck, already uncomfortable in the grasp she jerked against him. "Submit, skychild, or life will slope from here on out."

* * *

Impa spun the piece of wood between nimble fingers as her gaze rested upon the boy in green, the chosen who went by the name of Link. A light sneer clouded her face when she looked at the blood seeping through the sturdy material. She didn't know the reason for the goddesses choice in hero, for this boy was no warrior, knight, or assassin. He would never make it with his teachings and how little muscle he had for use. _'This child can't even see to himself let alone Her Grace.'_

A moan woke the Sheikah from her thoughts as the young idiotic boy woke from his sleep muttering incoherent things about bokoblins before springing a bit in his waking moment. The boy Link breathing was loud in her ears as she watched him look around in panic before falling tired again. She held back a bitter laugh as the boy attempted to get up using a root to pull himself into a sitting position only to have the root snap and fling him back.

Impa upon finding him in the midst of the morning sun in a marsh spot of the forest, She had examined the green brats many, most likely stupidly gained, injuries. The most apparent was the large gash across his torso that stained his clothing red, and the awkward bend of his arm that was definitely shattered. She made a vow not to heal him unless there was no chance for him in other words, he must learn for himself.

"I wouldn't do that, boy. You are already injured enough, no need making yourself completely useless." Impa let the words slide from her mouth in an angered hiss, as if she were a snake giving a warning that past scaled lips were fangs of poison. In the corner of her eyes she saw him visibly jerk, trying to move his head in the direction of her voice. She knew he would only succeed in hurting himself further, or furthering his injuries to the point of no return.

Impa stood up with soundless grace and strode into the eyesight of the youth in green, slightly annoyed at the boy's needs. Her long front-braid waved in the movements of her body as she came up beside the brat hero. Frown marring her features as she examined Link's panicked eyes as they examined her own orbs seeking a threat.

"Who are you?" Impa saw the question coming, humans had become predictable over the years of examining them, and before they had moved to the sky they had been as such. But the child looked at her with glimmering blue eyes that scanned for a sign of danger. He looked so pitiful in her mind, soft even as he laid upon the ground with bones pointing odd angles and blood still seeping out of the chest wound.

"I am Impa, Servant to Her Grace." Impa barked out coldly as a sneer covered her face letting sharp teeth show through, an attribute to the Sheikah race. She didn't allow further words as she strode back to her previous spot next to the piece of half carved wood. Sitting down her eyes resumed looking at the 'hero' in cold appraisal as he yet again tried to get up.

* * *

Ghirahim stalked through his empty palace in the dead of night where he thought about his options for the young Goddess reincarnate. He couldn't kill her, obviously but at times with other specimens he went a bit too far in trying to bend them to his will and killing them in his own bloodlust. It all proved insufferable when he had to 'encourage' them to submit themselves, and their souls, to him before he could properly use them.

Ghirahim's thoughts traveled to Her Grace, or whomever the soul filled. His thoughts had traveled back too far for want when thinking about the Skyloft child down the hall from where he was standing at the beginning of the large foreroom. _'How troublesome..."_

Ghirahim spun on his heal to face the darkened withdrawing room where he strode over lavish carpentry and to one of the three davenports of the room where he draped himself over the expensive furnishing. He could feel a migraine coming on with memories he wanted to forget long ago. But memories always had a way of sneaking up on his mind.

"Hello? Any...Anyone out there!?" A stuttering voice sounded down the hallway and Ghirahim finally noticed the dim glow coming from the corridor leading to bed rooms. His ears made out the sound of a foot step afterwards along with light breathing and when he focused enough his ears picked out the light hummingbird heart beat of the soul vessel. He was bored, this could be a grand time for so excitement.

Ghirahim spun up into a standing position, balancing on his toes with upmost ease and grace of the Daemon Lord he was. A lopsided slit replaced his mouth as he gave a certain silent cackle before flitting off to the other side of the room, dancing across the rug in a bombastic sort of fashion till coming upon the other side of the hallway opening. He felt himself buzzing in excitement at terrorizing the young Goddess.

"Hello?" Ghirahim picked the small voice out as he stood out of sight, all of his fang like teeth showing in a terrible grin as he waited for her to breach his sight. Her steps continued on, breathing got shallower, and her heartbeat quickened, the sound of it pounding against his eardrums in a steady beat. If she was this scared of the dark, breaking her in would be of no real significance. It actually quite disappointed him if it was too easy, but he needed to revive Demise, not play with a girl till she snapped.

Ghirahim concluded she was following the wall, because soon after a small hand brushed across his rib cage. He felt the initial freezing of her body in reaction to his clothing. He watched her reaction from fear go to complete panic as she attempted to run back to the room he had laid her in. He would let her get a ways away before striking forward, grasping her around the mouth and below her breasts.

Still smiling, Ghirahim brought the blonde female to his chest with her fighting it as she was dragged away from the soft gray glow coming from her room. It must have been her body discharging the unused magic she was feeling with the environmental changes as stress, but he would have to keep a closer eye on her in case she 'explored' it.

"Sweat little bird, don't you know that the darkness holds things you don't want to encounter?" Ghirahim pressed his white lips to the Sky-child's ear. There were many things that scurried through the darkness, especially on the surface. His thoughts even rested on their floating island and its nightly inhabitance. Her illogical act was funny to him, even though it should have been grasped by the most foolish of people.

"What shall I teach you about this little mishap?" Ghirahim whispered before bending down to her throat, to him it was the most sensitive and needed part of the body, if something were to happen to the jugular they would be drained of blood. He didn't worry himself about the way other species used the neck for closeness. To him it was an easy way to seize control, and seize control he would.

Ghirahim opened his white lips, once smiling was now baring sharp teeth to the soft skin of the soul vessel of Her Grace. He scraped them across her pulse as a dominate gesture that verified him as higher than her and she would need to obey. He felt her jerk awkwardly in his grip, perhaps from the close proximity or the fact he was out to kill her, just taking delicate steps up to it.

"Submit, sky-child, or life will slope from here on out." Ghirahim warned her somewhat secretive to what would happen if she did not do what he required. If she didn't give her soul to him he would have no choice but to destroy her spirit partly. Life would be hard for his little Hylia, but that was the world they lived in.

* * *

Link struggled again to get up, pulling on the root that stuck up from the ground. He was still very timid about this 'Impa' person who sat out of his eyesight. It made him quite nervous to say the least that someone was near in his weakened state. But it would have been nice to spare him the worry and sit in view, no matter if she could kill him either way with her in his sights or out of his sights.

Re-bracing himself, Link lifted his body off the ground a bit to hold himself up with whatever muscles in his stomach could hold him and reached behind him for the Goddess Sword only to fall onto the half unsheathed weapon luckily not hurting himself further on the blade. He laid awkwardly a bit as he heard a muffles scoff behind him.

"Stop moving, you'll only make yourself worse off than now." Link chose to ignore the comment and struggled up to get the sword again. Blood newly coated him and he felt faint due to the blood he had lost. Sweat covered his brow has he shifted the sword further groaning as his chest sent throb's of pain. "Must I hold you down, boy?"

Link lay panting with the sword almost out of its sheath, but as he worked his way up again to pull it full out and use it as a crutch, long fingers pushed his shoulders down and he was met with the one called Impa. He had a moment of panic and attempted to punch her with his good hand, only to have it caught and forced down to the dirt. A hand was placed over his eyes once he was down and he felt whatever energy he had left drain away as he was pushed back into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Authors Note**

**Ok, next chapter will explain how Link got his ever present injuries. Ghirahim may introduce more pain to Zelda. And life will give a headache to Impa.**

**I don't own Legend of Zelda, only the plot of this story.**

**Reviews and flames are accepted.**

**Note; I have no Beta tester and plan not to get one due to reasons. But if any issues are found it would be greatly appreciated to point them out, I want this story to be as well written as possible.**

**How you enjoyed the second chapter! 3**

**Love~ DeadlyWolfQueen**


	3. Hide and Seek

Burn of Ice

Chapter 3; Hide and Seek

"_Surprise my dear little one, I found you." _

* * *

Zelda weakly fought against the arms holding her, she didn't like the tone in his voice or the mouth over her pulse that threatened to bite her. What made it worse is that her sight was almost zero, the soft glow from the room she once was in was still there but she herself was trapped in the darkness away from that haven of light. Now she would do anything to get back to where she could see.

Zelda tried to beg to leave but her voice was intangible past the hand clamped tightly around her closed mouth. She kicked her legs back wildly in hopes that when she landed a kick he would release her and reached back with her free uninjured hand that she had shortly forgot about and grasped for anything she could, only catching a few strands of hair which she pulled out instantaneously. Her legs finally made contact with what felt like stone rods and shortly after a deep growl resounded in her ear.

"That was incredibly disrespectful. I think punishment is in order, let see, oh yes I have the perfect thing! Oh this will be great fun! How do you feel about," The hand moved off her mouth and she tried to scream, but fear had overwhelmed her and it came out a strangled squeak. The gloved hand moved to the top of her head where it stroked her in a rhythmic fashion. "Hide and seek? If find it rather fun and I believe you will too."

When Zelda was released from the grip she spent no time thinking as she spun around to face darkness that continued to flood around them. She looked back at the open door welcoming the eerie glow as she edged her way toward it again. But in a flash the door slammed shut with a dispersal of yellow diamonds that made her lurch backward in fear.

Hands grasped Zelda's shoulders from the front and she felt little bursts of air brush past her face. She tried backing away from whatever was holding, her feet slipping over the hard surface of the floor only bringing her closer to the thing holding her. Tears slipped down her cheeks in fear of what may or may not happen.

"Now, I shall count and you will hide anywhere you see fit. If I catch you, I cannot guarantee your safety. We will be moving our little game outside to my garden, I am sure you will find it properly trimmed and in the perfect time of year for its full beauty to emerge." A snap of fingers were picked up by Zelda's buzzing ears while her thoughts went to survival mode. She wanted away from the psychopath. A bright light invaded her eyes and it felt as if air was rushing through her body.

Darkness. Darkness again. Or, perhaps she was blinded by the previous white flash. Zelda moved herself, feeling the hands still on her shoulders but they were not keeping her in place as she was free to move slightly away. Under her bare feel she felt the oily slick of grass and the rough dirt and rock beneath that pricked her soles lightly.

"Now. You will hide yourself. But remember, If I find you life will get a lot more interesting." The voice sounded inches from her face and she flinched back in surprise at the close proximity. The hands were off her shoulders and like that she could see again. A half moon glowed overheard illuminated the area she and whoever was keeping her hostage. Her eyes then went to him, he was tall with a semi-feminine build, light grey skin and sleek white hair with lips to match color. "Oh come now, I am not that fabulous to be gawked at by the Spirit Maiden herself."

"Wh-Who are you?" Zelda asked cautiously as she backed away from the man in tight revealing clothing. Who was this psychopath, and what was a 'Spirit Maiden'? Thoughts ran through her mind as she moved tangled blonde hair from her face, revealing her glaring blue eyes as tried to do the impossible and stare holes through him.

"Oh my, how completely rude of me! It seems I have made myself into a hypocrite! That will not do… My name is Ghirahim, though I flourish in being addressed fully as Daemon Lord Ghirahim. And, before it slips my mind, what is your title? Now, don't be shy. I just wish to address you correctly from here on out." 'Ghirahim's' baritone voice seemed richer in announcing his title, as if he were happy to carry the name 'daemon', saying it with as much pride as a newly made father. Zelda brought her other arm to her chest in a defensive manner, she didn't want this freak near her, especially with his threats and this 'game' they were about to play.

"My name is…" Zelda's voice cracked slightly as she tried to come up with a name she could give him. Her breath was still coming out in panicked gasps and her mind was racing forward giving her a pounding headache. She stumbled over thoughts and out of anxiety she mumbled out her own name. "Zelda."

"Hmmm, good girl. No lies now, I hate fake things, they always allude the real purpose of the original." His voice slicked out of his mouth like liquid, as his one shown eye looked her up and down. Zelda glared back with newly shown ferocity as she saw his nose wrinkle in disgust at her present appearance. She must have been a sight, dried blood forming a red flower on her front with tangled hair framing her dirt streaked face.

"Well then, let's start our little game. To your left you will see a line of tall shrubs," Zelda's eyes inched away from him and to the side of her where she indeed saw a tall line of thick bushes, it angered her a bit to not have noticed her surroundings earlier."Those are a part of an elaborate maze. You may hide wherever you please in there along with the option to make it to the center. But I warn you, I know this puzzle like the back of my hand."

"You're sick!" Zelda shouted at the lord in anger at her situation and the one who had caused it. Her head dipped slightly at realization of her outburst to someone who could, or would, kill her. But she wouldn't take it back; she wouldn't apologize to this freak who wanted to do Nayru knows what to her.

"Now now, no need to get rude. That is very unbecoming. Now, you better hurry in before I come for you. I will give you a five minute start, that should give you a bit of time and I will not use my magic to find you or go against you in anyway. I may not look so, but I will play fair under the right circumstances. If you make it to the center you may go back to your room without any consequences to the time being," Zelda turned toward the thick shrubbery not finding an immediate way in. She would have to crash through one of the barriers to get in and away. She scurried up to it as he spoke, pushing an arm in through the leafy bunch. "But if I catch you, you will receive full punishment for exiting your room without permission from yours truly."

Zelda forced her way through the shrub at the last part, her hair got tangled in the branches and her gown was shrewdly torn away leaving it incredibly shorter than previously. Crashing through the other side she scrambled up and fled down the open path to a fork in the road. She chose right quickly as she tore through the passage. She had always had the best stamina in Skyloft and today she was incredibly grateful for this trait.

Zelda had torn through several passages and had turned several corners while only coming upon two dead ends. Her heart pounded fast in her chest and she finally gave in and slowed to a trot as she tried to get her bearings to run again.

"I am coming, my little dove. I truly hope you can last long enough to release some of my aggressive tension." The voice sounded loud enough to be close by and in her panic Zelda wasted no time resting as she ran back through the passages. She got lost quickly as she came upon even more turns and dead ends. But she would not give up; she would not give into that insane 'Daemon Lord' this quickly. Going down without a fight was not an option.

* * *

Links eyes opened slowly to meet smooth wet wood of a water logged tree. He was incredibly confused at the new surroundings, last time he checked he was right outside the Skyview Temple. A small amount of fear shot into the back of his mind as he realized he had been moved, more so on where Impa was and why she hadn't killed him when she had the chance.

"I wouldn't consider moving anytime soon, unless you want me to put you to sleep again." Link whipped his head to the side, free of his hat, toward the sound of the voice to where he saw the tan skinned female sitting by the source of water in the place. His eyes widened and he scanned the area so he wouldn't miss any more important details that could affect his survival.

"Where," Pain flowed down Links throat as he tried to speak and coughs shortly after wracked his body sending pain to his yet to be healed wounds. The daemon wasn't kidding when he said he would beat him within an inch of his life, he had come to realize on his short time on the surface that nothing was a joke. Once most of the pain subsided he continued, "Are we?"

"Inside the great tree." Came the curt response of the tan female sitting a ways away from him. Link looked away from the woman and examined his own wounds. He was missing his tunic, only sporting his tan pants at the moment, and revealing red and white bandages wrapping his chest and stomach. His eyes moved to his arm shortly after to find it splinted with wood and vines, along with the bindings it had seemed that the arm was moved back into place. "If you mess around with the bindings I will not help you again."

Link lowered himself back onto the soggy wood of 'The Great Tree' without looking back at Impa. He quietly wondered if to accept her as someone who would not kill him at the slightest aggravation, or so he hoped. But it was not as if he would take trust that quickly, he was just beaten to a pulp and his thoughts were boarding slightly on acting like a caged animal especially when he was in the enclosed space at the moment.

A few thoughts came to mind on how he could get out of the place until he realized his back was flat against bark. Flat. Where was Fi, where was his sword? He jerked his head over to Impa scanning the area for his only means of defense, hell, the shield he had had been broken into pieces by that flamboyant thing in the bowels of Skyveiw.

"Don't fret, boy. Your sword is over there with the rest of your items. Regrettably this brings me to another question," She turned her form to face him and he could do nothing but flinch back from the look of anger and disappointment that was aimed at him. Link turned his head up and away from the glaring eyes as he focused on the ceiling of the log cave. "What fool brings no medical supplements to an unknown world? I had expected the 'Chosen Hero' would be incredibly more intelligent than you . Perhaps her Grace has made a dire mistake in her decision."

Her words stung Link from the inside. What if he couldn't find Zelda and what would happen if she didn't have protection. He himself had gotten plumbed into the ground with the protection of chainmail and a sword. Last time he remembered Zelda was sucked from the sky by a tornado that, what was his name again? He couldn't quite recall his name, but what did it matter? It didn't.

"So, what little monster slapped you with a stick to get you in this bad of shape?" Impa's chuckle annoyed him a bit, but perhaps she was right. Maybe the daemon was nothing more than a rodent to her unless she was all talk. "Seriously boy."

Link sighed deeply as he tried to remember the details of the fight that had previously gotten him into such a down state. His eyes glimmered on recounting his failure, how he kneeled in pain before the daemon lord like he was his master. "I don't remember exactly…"

* * *

Zelda was at another dead end. Her psyche was being worn down at the panic. She couldn't crash through the bushes either; every time she tried it was as if the bush was completely solid with no wavering movements in the branches and no way through. She would have no choice but make it through herself.

Turning back to where she had came from, Zelda's eye caught a flash of white and a sparkle of jewelry she had earlier examined from the one named Ghirahim. She knew he had seen her, but she was not certain on why he has just disappeared without capturing her again. She tried putting her mind at ease, telling herself that it was just a trick of the mind. But while doing so, she became very self aware. Aware that it was too quiet.

No birds chirped, no leaves rustled, there was no wind. The silence flooded her ears with a cotton embrace that left her deaf while the darkness that she had forgotten about engaged with dread so the two together could weave their way into her thoughts. Shadows loomed everywhere and her own towered away from her, overshadowed by the bright half moon that shown behind her. But, there was something next to Zelda's shadow that made her heart drop to her stomach.

Remlit. It was known to all that remlits were incredibly aggressive at night. It came into question if they may have a multiple personality that changed with the times. A few people in Skyloft had received serious injuries from one of them when they went outside when they went to investigate the remlits' furious yowls in the night.

Turning her body Zelda expected her face to be clawed into ribbons only to find, well, nothing. She looked back to the shadow to find her lone shadow imprinted next to those of the bush. Her nerves were getting to her and she concluded that it would only get worse if she didn't find her way out.

She hurried forward mentally and physically forcing herself into the shadows whose dark eyes watched her every move. She forced her mind back on track and retraced her steps to the fork she had earlier come across. Narrowing her eyes to the other path, which was darker than the one she had just left, she tried to pick out any threat from the blackness. She could find none with her limited eye sight so she took a breath to calm herself and focus on the task ahead.

"I am not scared. I am the proud daughter of Gaepora, Head Master of the knight academy and will not be scared." Zelda mumbled to herself as she walked through the passage with a hopeful feeling to come out the other side. The tingle in her spine increased throughout her stepping into the void of black, but every time she fought the urge to run for any bit of light.

"Surprise my dear little one, I found you." Zelda froze for a second while a burst of adrenaline entered her system when the fight or flight mode took over and she bolted away. All of her calmness flooded out of her body like her urine almost did.

No, she would fight. Zelda stopped running and immediately turned around to come face to face with empty air. She was finally out of the passage way and in another cross-section like the others where the moon shown slightly into another path as it peeked over the thick shrubbery. She turned wildly looking for the source of the voice but still only finding empty space.

"Come on out!" Zelda shouted as she looked around again only seeing empty passages. Was he _playing _with her? It sure seemed that way, first with the flash of him, then the remlit, and now the talking. Perhaps it was a newfound discovery, that anything he threw at her was just an illusion.

No, that couldn't be it.

She could remember him saying 'if I found you', meaning that he was trying to catch her. So he knew where she was but why was he just playing with her instead of doing what he said he would. Was this 'Daemon Lord' just throwing empty threats, only to be too scared to go after her directly? Perhaps that was it.

Zelda turn toward the brighter path ignoring the still present adrenaline and the voice telling her to run. She was not going to run; she was not going to hide like she wanted to. Stepping forward through the passage she continued on her way through the maze.

She had turned two corners before realizing it was another dead end. Three walls of dark green plant material trapped her and she had only one way out…and it was closed off too by the very thing she was trying to overcome.

He stood tall in the passage way with a red and yellow cape wrapped around his shoulders that hid part of his face along with his white hair. His black eyes met with her lavender blue ones and she could see the sparkle of something nasty coming on. She stepped back automatically coming back to branch with the shrubbery. Her previous thoughts disappeared when he approached her further.

"I said, I found you." Ghirahim gripped her chin roughly and tilted her head around seemingly examining her features while using his other hand to grasp a fist full of tangled hair. She flinched back, trying to get out of the grasp of gloved hands, wincing as her hair was pulled with her movements. "Now, you knew the rules. You never made it to the middle. Now, I would not enjoy being labeled a liar now would I?"

Zelda was tugged to him when he removed his hand from her chin and to her shoulder. Her broken wrist bent awkwardly against his stomach sending shoots of pain up her arm and down her fingers making her clench her teeth against a gasp of pain. She used her free hand to punch weekly at Ghirahim's abdomen. "Now now, there is no need for violence. I had warned if you don't remember, or do human memories flee quicker? That would be a crying shame if you didn't remember what was going to happen if I caught you."

* * *

**Authors Note**

**I hate the game hide and seek.**

**Daemon is the Latin word for demon, sorry yall.**

**It terrifies me every gogdamn time. **

**Mazes are worse. **

**Well any who~ Warning for next chapter that violence will ensue. Both in Link's Flashback and Zelda's torture. I am also making Ghirahim quite the psychological prankster. Because the mind is a fragile thing. **

**Special thanks to HazelGamerKat.**

**Well my 15 year old mind is tired. Gots to get some sleeeeep...**

**Thank you greatly for all the reviews, they fill my heart with double rainbows.**


	4. Raw Skin

Burn of Ice

Chapter 4; Raw Skin

"_When the water cools I expect you to take a bath. If you do not we will have revisit harsher punishments." _

* * *

Ghirahim finished telling the Spirit Maiden, whom had just received the name Zelda, the details of his sick game. He always loved playing games that messed with the psyche, letting those lower than himself squirm in their fears. This 'Hide and Seek' that he watched young humanoids play was absolutely perfect. Especially in his maze.

He watched her scramble through the branches as he started to count back the time till he went after her, in which he knew he would find her. Perhaps he should have put an entrance, but he never got around to it and most likely never would. He would be done with her before it came to this again, and ultimately the maze was for his humor and nothing else.

"I am coming, my little dove. I truly hope you can last long enough to release some of my aggressive tension." Ghirahim called out to the girl. He could hear her running through the maze with as little elegance as a bokoblin as she crashed into several walls of shrubbery. He let out a sigh as he realized that she would be caught in the first hour if she continued the way she was.

He stepped forward lightly before giving a snap of his fingers to teleport himself to the place where she entered, along with donning his red and yellow cape, not bothering to sprint forward to the spot he knew she was residing in to take a breather. No, he would have his fun with her, especially if he were to be able to use a fear from her little home in the sky. There wasn't much they were scared of, just mostly the night and what it brought.

He could hear the Sky-child running amuck through his twisted puzzle, smashing into the branches of hedges that made up the maze. But they were of a new breed of plant that could only be cut with razor-sharp diamonds, and he doubted a mentally set-back girl could cut what only he could obtain.

It had been around thirty minutes into the night before he had it with the game that he had initiated. He had always gotten bored quickly with these things; it was more probable to hold his attention with the bokoblins rambling unsophisticated gurgles or watching a "Loftwing" eat one of the pesky smaller birds that flew about the sky.

He strode between the walls of greenery, continuing on his way to the young Goddess, quietly forming a plan to have one last laugh at her expense. He would take the route of using something close to home and something he knew that she would fear enough to react violently to. One thing came to mind when he thought about her home and it was a rodent-like feline with an estranged personality during the evening hours till morning.

Ghirahim had mentally visited Skyloft a multitude of times, and this little rodent thing that they called 'Remlits' were very interesting. He had thought about taking one as a pet at one point in time, but it did have the possibility of shredding one of his hand-weaved rugs. He couldn't allow that to happen to something in his possession unless he was the one causing the destruction, even if it got messy at times. But, they were one of the things he observed that they were most scared of; loving during the day and during the night, hatred burned in the little creatures' eyes. It was the improbability that most likely got a hold of them, like it did some many other human kinds.

A grin split his face in psychotic mirth as he thought of all he could do to the little Sky-child, but it quickly faded due to him not able to completely break her, but just enough for her to submit herself to him. Until then he would have to make a moderate hell for the little Sky-child, one that he had done before under orders of Demise, which included a slow decent into worse and more gruesome-like 'punishments', the first one being a common one to correct slaves when the place was filled with them.

Ghirahim was so caught up in memories and the sadistic child-like joy he felt when the thoughts of inflicting pain clouded his thoughts, that he didn't realize that he was almost about the soul vessel till the sound of her heart beat vibrated through his ears. He cursed under his breath as quickly as he spun to the side, knowing that she had caught a glimpse of him but most likely not enough to be certain of his actual present being.

He almost let a giggle of joy escape his lips when he saw her calming herself, making it quite aware to him that she had passed his minor lapse of concentration on her own faltering mind. It had been quite apparent that humans never stuck with one way to perceive things. When they saw things they waved them off, but when they heard something they always had a push to investigate.

Ghirahim watched as the Sky-child examined the surroundings further, eyes catching the small bobs in her pointed ears as she tried to catch the sound that wasn't there. He made sure that any sound-producing fauna didn't reside the garden; he preferred deafening silence over their constant chatter.

He wanted to get this over with and perhaps have a bit of fun with her before he brought the game to a complete halt, and before reprimanding her. He summoned his magic from the large reserve kept within his being and fragmented together a silhouette of the Sky-rat behind the unknowing girl in a ray of moonlight, in which a shadow cast beside her.

His eye twitched in anger when he had to quickly dispel the magic, only feeling a tiny bit of satisfaction when he saw her face pale when she turned around to face what she thought was there. He wanted to bang his fists against her skull when that was the reaction she gave him.

"I am not scared. I am the proud daughter of Gaepora, Head Master of the Knight Academy and will not be scared." Her voice sounded with a bang in his highly receptive ears, the sound also being a stark difference to the previously quiet surroundings.

"Damn girl." He whispered to quietly to himself, so there was no danger in her hearing him with that sentence. His game was coming to an end anyway, so it hardly mattered if she heard him or not; he was going to announce his presence in a few moments anyway.

Ghirahim resumed watching the young Goddess scamper away through a darkened pathway. Too bad that anywhere she went, that way would be a dead end. It would be just a while until she reached them, which would most likely give her false hope. He decided upon attempting to end it sooner, but letting her spin before he regained her and punished her in the same way he had so many unruly slaves back a thousand years when Demise still ruled.

When he saw that she was fully enveloped in the shadows of the path way, he stepped forward and focused on her wavering movements forward. Scared was she? Well, she should have been. He came up only a foot behind her, feeling a small amount of spastic joy when she didn't realize he was close enough to snap her neck.

"Surprise my dear little one, I found you." He spoke out finally, watching as she immediately froze and the smell of fear clouded the air. He took a deep breath of the sultry smell, enjoying the tangy taste. Then the smell of adrenaline that had a slightly harsher flavor, but still enjoyable, entered his senses. But the sounds of her footsteps slightly irked him. He, being the daemon lord and obviously higher in prospect, did not expect her to move away, but to stop and kneel to his unspoken command.

"Come on out!" He would not respond to her command. But he reasoned between the two things he could do: teleport himself behind her and take her by surprise, or wait until she was cut off by one of the misleading pathways presented to her.

He decided against just teleporting his way behind her and ending her strife, but let her look around in panic for his hidden form, which of course she didn't pick up on. He almost burst out in the uncontrollable laughter that lurked in his chest as she again placed his being as just a slip of the mind.

His one bared eye traced her as she turned and ran into one of the lighter paths, if only she knew that nowhere was safe from him and the end of the line was coming toward her with ever step. He followed her down the path with light footsteps, he knew even though she had outright heard him that she was denying his presence.

When he came to a stop behind her, she finally realized the path ended with a dark green member of his flora. When she turned he could see the initial shock cross over her face before paling to the shade of freshly fallen snow or to the shade of his ivory hair. He saw her purple-blue eyes sparkle with terror and most likely unshed tears at her failure as she backed away and into the hedge that blocked her way out.

Ghirahim strode over to her current place of cowering and roughly grabbed her chin; inward disgust rolled through him as some of the dirt and who knows what else came off on his nice white gloves. He begun pivoting her head side to side before grabbing a fistful of her hair with his unused hand to discourage any fighting back. But of course the Sky-child would go against his wishes by struggling against his grip, and he felt as hair was torn from its roots with her jerking movements.

"Now, you knew the rules. You never made it to the middle. I would not enjoy being labeled a liar now, would I?" he absent mindedly told her as he looked across her dirt streaked face and tangled band that fell into dread locks. He would have to get her a bath after her reprimanding most definitely.

He inwardly gagged when he removed his own hand to place it squarely on her shoulder and pulled her to him in a hold. He felt her hold in a gasp of pain when her broken wrist twisted awkwardly against his own abdomen, most likely spreading blood across his white clothing. He also felt her other hand touch him weakly, only allowing him to perceive that she was actually trying to hurt him. It was a piss poor attempt on her part and would get her out of nothing.

"Now now, there is no need for violence. I had warned if you don't remember, or do human memories flee quicker? That would be a crying shame if you didn't remember what was going to happen if I caught you."

* * *

Zelda's eyes watered with unshed tears as she realized that there was nothing she could do to get away from the daemon's grip, and escaping would be improbable on her part. She cursed herself mentally for her weakness, using words against herself that no one would have guessed she had known.

She felt a sharp tug on her tangled rat nest of hair, causing her to stop her struggles in fear that she would lose more than just her hair by the way he was holding her. She felt him shift his body to a taller and straighter stance before removing the hand from her hair, only to tighten the one on her shoulder to an almost painful grip. A snap of fingers sounded close to her ears and before she could clamp her eyes shut, the same bright light invaded her optics, leaving her with white blindness.

She became very aware of heat, with not being able to see anything. It wasn't just the heat of the room that made it unconformable, it was also the humidity that made her dress stick to her skin, most likely making the white fabric somewhat see-through. But she had to be grateful for the clothing that was given to her by the old lady at the 'Sealed Grounds', after her previous dress had been torn by debris in the twister that knocked her from the sky.

When her eyesight returned to normal she was met the grayish fabric of the Daemon Lord, along with the diamond shaped openings that revealed a lighter shade of grey, which was his skin. She felt herself almost fall back when his hand released her shoulder, which put her a bit away from him and allowed her to get a somewhat view of where they were.

It was a square room with white tile that glimmered from an unknown light source, brighter than the room she had been laid to rest in before. A dark marbled basin that was filled with bubbling water was clearly the source of heat. Her eyes traveled back up to the daemon lord, immediately flinching back from his stoic black gaze that pierced her own.

Zelda stood frozen as he stepped his way toward her until he was front and center to her slightly crouched and quivering form. She glared up at him, forcing all of her quick-to-find hate to shine through her eyes, hoping to glare holes through him.

"Do not give me looks, Spirit Maiden. Feel lucky that you are in a lavish chamber instead of where I would put you otherwise, which would be you being strung up to the ceiling over a vat and dipped in. Here all you have to do is cooperate and hold still. Unless," His voice was giving her a headache along with the harsh heat, which she would never be used to, that further flooded her senses. "You give me your soul."

The world froze as she tried to register his words through her brain. Give her soul to him?

"What?!" Her voice came out rough and sore, springing a tinge of pain throughout her vocals that had still been a bit raw from the soot that roamed the air of the Earth Temple. She was having a hard time grasping what was going on even more now. What did her soul have to do with anything that had happened?

"Submit yourself and give me rights to your soul." Ghirahim, or at least that's what she remembered, waved his hand dramatically about to further his unknown point.

"Why!?" Her one-word questions were probably getting on his nerves by now, but she couldn't do anything else but mutter them to the lord, due to her mind not comprehending on what was wrong with the man, no, daemon in front of her trying to tell her to give him her soul for Goddess knows what.

"I grow tired of this conversation." When he spoke this she backed away automatically, only to have him rush forward and around her in what she perceived with her sleep-deprived mind as much faster than anything she had ever seen. She felt his hands grasp her roughly around her ribs and around her mouth to bring her up against his form tightly. "Do not attempt struggle, my dear girl, unless you want to be dropped."

They moved forward quickly, and she had no problem with accepting his words when they came up to the basin full of boiling water. She strained her legs away from the heated water with wide eyes as she realized what he may be doing. But before she could blink the hand around her mouth disappeared and reappeared over her thigh in which pressed the leg down with ease.

He dipped her quickly, something that she was actually happy about so she didn't think about the pain before it happened, which would only increase it. She screamed out when feeling the hot water soak her foot, broiling the skin and flesh, leaving the limb red and pealing.

She was grateful when he lifted her foot from the water, although her eyes stung with tears. Squinting from the pain in both her foot and newly bleeding throat, she could see a grin paste itself over Ghirahim's face. She knew he was enjoying her pain quite a bit when she felt his body jerk with chuckles, but her ears were ringing with her own screams so she couldn't be completely sure about the laugh or not.

Her horror increased when he replaced the arm around her ribs with the one previously used to hold her leg to the boiling water, and used the now free hand to grasp her other thigh, which he then forced it back into the water. Zelda's whole body jerked wildly against the daemon as she tried to get herself away from the water and out of the grip of the daemon.

She was kept in the water longer than the last time; the feeling of her skin and flesh cooking was agonizing. But when she was taken out of the water she was immediately dropped onto the tile flooring in a heaving heap. She immediately twisted herself into a fettle position in a sorry attempt to protect herself from the daemon lord.

"When the water cools I expect you to take a bath. If you do not, we will have to revisit harsher punishments. You have one hour before I come to retrieve you and take you back to the room." Out of half-closed eyes she watched as his feat moved toward the earlier unseen door, in which he exited and left her to her own pain. After he left she promptly released her urine around her in her own fear and pain; she knew it was a natural function but could not stop the shame from flooding her brain.

Zelda uncurled herself slowly, her muscles screamed at the movements as she tried to get a good look on the damage to her legs and feet. The right foot looked a bit better than the left one due to it having a shorter time in the boiling water. Both had red and peeling skin that were already starting to blister her once soft and unmarred skin. She couldn't help but cry at her luck, why had this happened to her? What did she do to tempt fate into giving her this?

She used her uninjured hand to push against the tile flooring and through her urine to the marble in-floor-bath. Though she usually would be hard-headed against someone ordering her to do anything, she didn't want to take her chances further with Ghirahim.

Through her tear-swollen eyes she glared at the rapidly cooling bath that had already stopped bubbling with heat, but still produced the steam. The water in the air had already rendered her soaked and dripping, but on second thought it could be her own sweat with it.

Zelda shakily put her hand over the water, hoping that the heat had gone down enough so if the daemon lied, she would already be in the bath before he came back. She dipped the tips of her fingers in timidly, waiting for her good hand to get injured as well, but only felt lukewarm water touch the pads of her fingers. She silently wondered on how the water had cooled so quickly, or if she had a momentary lapse of time.

She rocked herself into the tub with immense effort till her clothed form fell into the deeper-than-expected water, completely submerging her in the liquid. Pain re-shot through her feat and open wounds on her wrist as they came in contact with the water, making her open her mouth in a scream in which only allowed her submerged form inhale the liquid.

She fought her way back to the surface, despite the blinding pain she felt, and then hooked her arm over the edge and laid her head on the limb in exhaustion. The edges of her vision were getting blurry and darker as the moments went on. In her last few moments of consciousness she tried to get back onto the white tile in fear that if she passed out she would drown. But she couldn't decide which was worse: dying or deal with whatever else the daemon wanted with her.

* * *

**Authors Note**

**I flucking hate burns. They are the epitome of all evil in the word. **

**Well, hope a caught Ghirahim's terrible sadistic side today~~ **

**Oh and anyone who says the boiling water is not a way of torture look up the Elizabethan age torture and you will find it.**

**ANOTHER SPECIAL THANKS TO HazelGamerKat for catching the evil typos that want to invade everything, **

**Reviews are super appreciated and thank you to all who have lft your awesome comments on this story. I am however thinking already of revising some parts, even in this chapter.**

**Ps; haven't slept in a while so this chapter might be terrible. **


	5. Amnesia

Burn of Ice

Chapter 5; Amnesia

"_What do you mean you don't remember?"_

Ghirahim strode away from the door leading to the bathing room door, all the while admiring his handy work with honing the irrigation pipes with his own magic, letting him have complete control of the water temperature and level. Today the skill was even more pleasing and useful as he heard the Sky-child's screams when he boiled her limbs. But alas, he knew that later he would have to check her over and heal her due to the increased chance of infection, especially on how filthy she was and probably still would be even with his command to get cleaned up.

He went throughout the intricate hallways that would be a maze in themselves if one didn't know where to go. He came back to the main room where he had caught the little Goddess wandering out of the room, which he had rightfully named the Luminescence Room, where he had placed her in before she had broken the unspoken demand to stay put.

Thinking back, in the beginning he knew he was going to inflict some type of torture on the girl. It had been a given due to Hylia having a strong nature in will, and it was only natural for her incarnate to receive that trait as well. But in his undesired defense he had given her a choice; either get reprimanded, or give her soul to him. He would have much rather ripped her to pieces for her earlier form whom sealed his master away.

Once he got to the daybed he had rested upon before the girl had amused him with her curiosity, he took it upon himself to rejoice further in the mistake of her leaving the designated chambers. He strewed himself across the lavish furnishing, dramatically bringing a hand to his head to signify his distress at the young Sky-child's refusal. If only she had just given him what he wanted, he could be ruling alongside his dear master.

Although she hadn't this time, it didn't mean that next time would be so different. He had many ways of getting what he wanted, and he wouldn't stop till his master was revived with the Spirit Maiden's soul. Torture was something he was well equipped with.

Ghirahim closed his black eyes as he reconnected himself to the girl as a safety mechanism that he had cut when he had heard of her location in the Earth Temple. The magic put into it was not much, but he wanted to be certain that if he ran into that goddess-serving dog, his mystic reserve wouldn't be an issue for him when got there. Not to mention he had gotten done with an invigorating fight – if he could call beating the boy within an inch of his life a fight – with the Spirit Maiden's assumed partner. He still could smell the blood...the boy's blood, along with the Spirit Maiden's.

His mouth curled slightly in an appease grin as he reestablished the connection and along with it he could sense her erratic aura, it was sparking with panic, pain, and confusion. He sighed in bliss at remembering the stench of her fear. It had been absolutely delicious, and it had been even more appealing when he was the one instilling the fear.

He lay still for a bit as he waited for the moment when he would retrieve the scared girl from the room again, whether she was clean or covered in the urine he could now smell with his heightened senses. He wrinkled his nose in disgust for the incarnated Goddess's derogatory actions, but it would have been expected due to the pain of cooked flesh and slipping skin.

After a short while, his eyes snapped open and he uncharacteristically swore out when her aura started to fade. He had kept the water level too high. He had it high to begin with so he could easily proceed with the girl's torture, and he was so incredibly caught up in the joy of pain that he hadn't lowered it. He didn't even expect her to follow his orders to get cleaned up, leaving him scowling for leaving her momentarily.

He snapped his fingers to discharge magic that would teleport himself to the bathing room, silently marveling over how weak humans were when it came to these things.

Once he arrived in the room, the smell of her urine invaded his senses immediately, making him bare his teeth in utter disgust at what he already knew was there. He would have to have one of the daemon hordes to clean up the place. They were quite below even the human kind in intelligence, but they had their uses at times. Especially with the work he could not lower himself to do.

He quickly made his way the edge of the inground bath, promptly avoiding the bodily fluid, and looked into the water. He saw her lying on the bottom of the black marble, water-filled indent.

He was tempted to leave her there instead of reaching in and pulling her out of the slightly dirtied water, and he wouldn't just drain the water because of the grime that it had successfully washed away. He almost let out a growl as he dipped himself to the water's edge and reached his covered arm into the water, grasping the Spirit Maiden tightly on her injured arm, and pulling her up and onto the floor beside him before standing up fully.

He looked down upon the girl and waited for her breathing to restart. He knew about humans and their weak nature; that if you struck something sharp enough into them they died. He brought a hand to his forehead and let out a curse at his own stupidity as he bent to the level of the drenched human. He took the hand off of his forehead to place it on the girl's shoulder and shook her fully in attempt to wake her.

She wouldn't.

Ghirahim had seen many of his hordes drown in waters too deep to stand, but he never tried to retrieve them. But now it was vital. He wouldn't wait another millennia for the goddess to be reborn. He needed to revive his master, not fail over his stupidity and the Spirit Maiden's weakness. He had seen many die, but in ways of preventing he could only but lift a sword or send a wave of magic to release himself from the danger. But here he could do nothing for the internal problem residing in the soul vessel's lungs.

A sneer was placed across his face as he decided to experiment in getting the girl to breathe again. He hated experiments, usually sticking to things already known to him, but this had to be the exception. With this thought in mind he begrudgingly turned the girl on her stomach so she was face down in the rapidly spreading water that dripped from her body. He placed a hand firmly on her back where he could feel her slowing heart beat through her flesh.

"Child, you had best wake from this." There of course was no response, but non-the-less he had made an order, a last hurrah before stooping to the level in which people help each other. If he could even associate this with helping when all he was doing was containing an object in which helped him in his own mission for his master.

He brought his hand up a bit before bring it down upon her back, light enough not to break her back but heavy enough to make her still body jerk under his appendage. He was an impatient daemon. He growled as he bared his elongated canines at the unconscious Spirit Maiden when it did not work. He hated failure.

He repeated the action again, and like before received nothing but a small jerk and the feel of her rapidly decreasing heartbeat. He swore at himself, using profanity that made him curse more at his unsophisticated behavior before slamming his hand back down on her back once more, using more force than the other hits in his anger. He felt her jerk roughly before sounds of hacking and choking filled the room as the Sky-child, consciously or unconsciously, emptied her lungs.

The awful sound was melodic to him as he pushed himself off the ground to tower over the drenched and heaving child. He watched as her lavender-blue gaze flutter a bit before they closed again.

He pondered the idea of forcing her awake from her obvious unconsciousness, but quickly dispelled the idea. He did not want to deal with whatever struggles and words she may or may not produce if she were awake during him transporting her back to the room he had originally laid her in. He usually would indulge in screams and futile fights to get away, but today he was feeling a tinge annoyed with the incarnation for reasons unknown to him. This had been very similar things he had done with other captives. Perhaps it was because the child held the soul of the one who trapped his master all those thousands of years ago.

Ghirahim dipped down again to grasp the Sky-child's injured arm above the elbow before bringing both of them back up, finding that the girl was surprisingly light, even with his superior strength. He didn't dwell on it though; he had much more pressing matters than to flit over a soon-to-be dead Goddess incarnate, even if she was already in his grasp. Perhaps he would terminate the dog servant or the boy he had beaten for the joy of it.

He shifted the girl a bit in his hold, but didn't bring the body any closer to him, before he turned on his heel to the open door that led to the lounge room and from there to the Luminescence Chamber. He arrived at its floral engraved door quickly, wanting to rid himself of the child burden as quickly as he could. He had other matters to attend to on his own free will and nothing could be done to further progression when the Spirit Maiden was unconscious.

Ghirahim opened the door and walked in after arriving, and strode to the bed where he laid the Sky-child down on the light gray bed that sat in the middle of the glowing room. He couldn't quite remember where he had gotten the stone to make the room with, but he kept it fairly empty to let said stone glow nicely. He examined the room quietly, enjoying the spare but well placed furnishings that decorated the room, before he directed his gaze back to the child. He finally realized that he had forgotten her name in the events, but he could get it later with no issue. He could even pay a mocking visit to the servant and the 'chosen hero' for her name; it might provide him with some entertainment.

* * *

"What do you mean you don't remember?" Link flinched back slightly as Impa turned her head toward him. Her red eyes bored into his, practically showing the disgust. It was true though, he couldn't remember what had happened to him. Only small snippets that made no sense at all were popping up here and there. Perhaps if they waited long enough he could render a full picture of what had happened. But they didn't exactly have time to dwell, even if he was healing.

"I-I just don't…" He trailed off and looked away from the glaring Goddess Servant and back to the ceiling of the wooden cave. He could barley deal with the shame of failing Zelda, and now he was being patronized for his flaws that prevented him from succeeding.

He was weak.

Link had already known this about himself, that is why he and Zelda had been such good friends. He had always been the damsel in distress and Zelda would always get there in time to pull him out of whatever trouble he had gotten himself into. But now the tables had seemingly turned, and he would have to try and become the hero. But he had only been here for a few days and he had already become critically injured.

"Boy. Look at me. It is very unbecoming of the supposed Hero to look away in fear." Link opened his mouth at the comment to defend his wounded pride, but was cut off before he could utter a single sound. "Don't deny it. I can smell it from here."

He locked his jaw closed at the last part. She was right. He was fearful, fearful of almost everything at the moment. He was stuck in place in an unknown location on the surface. Everything about the situation screamed at him to run, hide and wait for his best friend to come to rescue him from this place.

"My….my name is not… My name is Link." He muttered as he redirected his gaze to that of Impa's. He tried not to shrink back from the narrowed red gaze that was boring holes in his own blue ones. He had to fight his own instinct to look away submissively, and almost gasped out in relief when she looked away from him and back to the water that flowed out in front of her.

"I will use your name, boy, when you give me a reason to respect you." He bit back the need to reply, which was half of the reason why he had gotten into trouble in Skyloft with other classmates back in his beloved home. He looked away from Impa's turned form and back to the ceiling and focused on the injuries he had received, but only found numbness in almost all of his body. "You have plenty of time to think about what happened. It doesn't seem like you will be moving about any time soon, but I will not allow you out until you tell me exactly what happened. Now, this will be quite easy for me due to my very large suspicion that someone somewhere made a mistake and the wrong person got the title 'Hero'."

Link bit back another response, only so when he realized that her words were bordering on what was true. Something had to be wrong. He was the exact opposite of a hero. But he could not give up. Not without a fight. He would go after Zelda, even if it killed him.

Remembering the terms on which would allow him out of the water-logged cave, he begun to think back, focusing from the moment he landed on the surface.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**I don't own Legend of Zelda. **

**Ok, it might be a while before I upload a new chapter. I need to make a cover for this piece of Shlit story. Yeah, Not on happy terms with this fanfiction after rereading the first chapter, meaning that I will revise them and fix my stupid errors and flucked up sentences. Meh. **

**My beta thingy awesomesauce- HazelGamerKat**

**Welp, thanks for the previous chapters reviews…. Even if I didn't quite understand some of dem. . .**

**Ps; Link is a wimp….he will change….**

**Romance may be coming up in a few chapters…maybe…. Still thinking on how I will incorporate it into the scheme of things…BUT IT SHALL COME! Even if I have to buff Link up to do it. **

**~Deadlywhatever**


	6. Brute

Burn of Ice

Chapter 6; Brute

"_Such behavior! Perhaps you should treat your higher ups with a more respectful way of speech."_

Zelda's eyes opened against the crusted tears that had glued them together, only to bring her uninjured hand up wipe away the substance that held them closed the rest of the way. Her body felt numbed at the moment, all except her throat which had begun to burn, stinging when she tried to swallow.

Her lavender-blue eyes blinked sharply as she stared at the room she was in. Last time she checked, she was at the bottom of a bathing tub drowning. But now she was in the luminescent room again, with its floral pattern door and its constant light.

Perhaps it had been just a dream, she told herself as she tried to sit up only to fall back again when dizziness flooded her head. She swallowed again, almost choking on the saliva when her throat constricted once again. Once the stinging faded again she moved to look at her surroundings, picking out the door, a mirror turned just so that she couldn't see herself in its reflective glass. Part of her was happy for that.

Zelda shut her eyes, blocking the room's light glow from her sight. A throb started over a temple and she yearned to move from the moisture slicked spot atop the mattress that, despite her current situation, she began to think about the differentials within the ones from Skyloft, which were stuffed with the fallen feathers of their avian rides, and the firmness of the one she was currently accumulated on. She knew is was downright stupid to even think about such a thing in her current situation, but it was about all she could think about with a continuous pound inside her skull.

After a bit of worthless thought, Zelda permitted herself to wipe away the perspiration that dotted her brow. She could feel herself slowly panicking now that she begun to taken in everything once more. Salty streams of tears poured out her widely opened eyes before she angrily wiped them off with her uninjured hand, mad at herself for the feeling of sudden hopelessness. But what was she against Ghirahim?

There were no books within Skyloft that held any information about daemons, the ones Zelda knew from her free time hours that she would spend reading and rereading every book she could get her hands on. Daemons were a thing of fantasy, told in tales to keep the young from flying out at night and to respect the ones whom did.

Zelda temporarily wondered if anyone was searching for her. If someone tried to follow the path of the twister that had sucked her into the unfamiliar territory of the Surface. She was sure someone was, she had to maintain any type of hope in this hostage situation. But she had never been in this situation, no one had for a very long time. But she did now, and she had to keep hope and stay strong, stay human.

Zelda pondered her next move. She didn't want it to be unprepared as the last one was. She wanted to be rational within her next few steps in anything she may do. Perhaps stay low and obedient enough for no further damage to come to her body or mind. But, stay strong enough so that her soul wouldn't be up for grabs by a flamboyant daemon lord.

* * *

Impa let out an annoyed breath when she recounted the events with the child. He was troubling, she concluded, with the fact he couldn't even remember the sword that contained the spirit whom could recount what had happened. But, she herself knew exactly who had done this. The boy stunk of the magic signature to the one whom serve Demise.

It took her a bit longer to tell whose magic it had been. She hadn't been in contact with the lord for many years. She still berated herself on not realizing it sooner. But she would keep it under wraps to the boy until he himself remembered, and with the damage she examined in his moments of unconsciousness, he wouldn't remember for quite awhile

Letting out another puff, Impa began her thin stride away from the small opening to the underground cave within the roots of the large tree centering Faron woods. Her mind became cluttered as she moved, most of the thoughts centering around the boy. The weak child with the boyish face, tasseled dirty blonde hair, and too large blue eyes that seemed to hold a deeper innocent then what she was ever used too. Even in her past, she had not encountered anyone like him.

Impa let out a small heave of laughter at the sheer thought of her past. Something she hated revisited in years, and something she wouldn't want to visit anytime soon. Her face hardened before she looked back at the hidden opening between the roots, and her eyes narrowed with a bit of determination. She would beat out that little boy innocents, and replace it with the Warrior he was supposed to be.

Turning back to the path ahead she continued her steps, her entire being alert for the daemon if he so happened to interrupt her stroll. She knew he was coming, though. It was easy to tell. Winds picked up, it got colder, the creatures about the area would flee into their homes and vegetation began to wilt and droop. Ghirahim was amongst the trees.

Lifting her wrapped arms up, Impa stood at the ready for the lord to make his appearance. She could feel it adding up, the hair on the nape of her neck began to stand upon their ends before she started pivoting on her feet. In her mind she was scolding herself for acting like a caged animal but she couldn't help her gut instinct to do so.

"Greetings, dog."

* * *

The Daemon Lord pushed himself through the timbers that branched highly into the air around him. He became faintly aware of the leaves that whipped alongside his form as he pushed faster between the green covered limbs. He began to absentmindedly compare it to his silvery hair that along with the detached vegetation.

It made him slightly unnerved. He thought himself a creature of beauty and perfection, and all but wind could uncover the curved ear that did not even come close with comparing to his nicely pointed, pierced right ear. It angered Ghirahim as well. It could never be healed back into its perfect point, nor would the torn lobe ever hold room for a matching diamond.

Nevertheless of his frustrations for that which could never be fix, Ghirahim continued to sprint towards the known destination. Well, now known anyway. His own magic reacted with the Sheikah violently within himself, igniting further malice within him, but with well trained façade he kept it under wraps whilst still maintaining his cold and regal outside appearance.

He was sure he saw the Sheikah first, watching as she slowly became unnerved merely by his presence. It was rather comical to him. Laughable really, that he could initiate such a reaction. The type of reaction to something such as himself that made such weak minds feel like nothing more than a cowering creature with the pulsating need to hide away.

Ghirahim stood on a thick branch of a lesser tree, one hand braced against the trunk while he glared down upon the being. His thin tongue flicked gently out of his mouth to lick up the side of his bleached upper lip in a show of morbid excitement before he stood at even.

"Greetings, dog." Ghirahim's voice held a metallic feel to it as a smirk graced his pale face as he glared down to the God-Serving Sheikah. His ebony eyes danced with malice before snapping his fingers, dispersing a small bit of his sorcery which allowed him to appear closer to the one known as Impa.

The woman made no fault in her movements as she brought up a hand to inflict her own magic as a barrier in a slightly paranoid defensive move. He let a stream of unexplained laughter exit his mouth, thinking her foolish to waste such a large amount of reserves upon blocking an attack not even made yet.

"My my, quick to act are we?" Ghirahim chuckled with a dark tinge inflicting upon his tone to perceive evil intentions brought on by merely his boredom.

"Brute," was the simple reply made by the servant before the Daemon Lord formed an even stride that bent around the orb of power. His steps were light and he held his form up with an almost condescending look pasted across his face, as he watched the Sheikah's jerky movements to continue facing him with a demeaning glare in her florid gaze.

A false expression of hurt pasted over the flamboyant lord's face as he brought a hand up to his chest. "Such behavior! Perhaps you should treat your higher ups with a more respectful way of speech."

With a small flick of his up-held wrist, a dark rapier formed within his grasp. The glare with held by the Sheikah increased and she bared her strangely sharp teeth at the Lord. Ghirahim gave a small laugh of minor amusement before bringing his weapon highly into the air and back down upon the glowing shield.

Ghirahim and the Sheikah watched as the power rippled within the field of magic. His eyes where directed back at the one within it as she herself shook to replace the power and keep him out. A defining smirk spread upon his face before he brought up his blade again, aiming it on the still weakened area. He wanted the pest out of the way, and no matter if there was something eluding her from his blade, he would end her existence.

The blade was just about to hit before the entire shield was dispersed, the momentum of the force Ghirahim used continued to carry him towards the ground where the rapier embedded itself into the soft earth. The smirk disappeared and was replaced with a scowl as he pulled the blade out of the terrain with ease before looking at the regally standing dog. His own mind wavered on inner rage as a small smile grace the lower being's lips.

With his ebony glare, he watched as she jumped to face him another way, moving across the terrain with grace and what would come of as an importance to stand at that point. This puzzled him for a moment; the Sheikah hadn't done it nearly fast enough to elude him of her current location. He would have thought her to be mocking him or out of energy, but the moves were precise as she stopped with her own form of grace, the moves were not teasing either. No extra movements were made, only the simple straight forward motion to the place she now resided.

Ghirahim resumed his tall standing position, straightening his back and putting his arms at ease beside him before alerting himself to what she maybe scheming. He lifted his blade up, as if to brace it against his chest before letting out a seemingly bored sigh, then lifting his free hand to push a few loose strands of silver from his face.

"The Spirit Maiden, she is quite the adventurous girl, though she may find it hard to move from this point on." It was a small spark that he handed the Sheikah. It was a lie though; he would need to heal the lavender-eyed girl as soon as he found it convenient. He could not afford to have a sick girl on his hand, let alone entrap her soul when she was suffering from human weaknesses. She was now merely used to exact rage into the other, in a way to tell the goddess-serving dog that he had something she wanted, that she was too slow to obtain something she needed, to tell her she outright failed.

But Ghirahim's little statement did its purpose and got a hold of the servant's attention. A low snarl filled the air as she was centered with rage, something that made him laugh internally at her fulfilling her own taunting nickname. That was what he wanted, something to waver the concentration of the dog. To anger her and make her move irrationally, and that she did.

Ghirahim scrutinized Impa's next movements as she sprinted the large gap between them, altering her own reserves into her fist which formed a small bluish glow. Unlike the Sheikah's harsh movements, his were precisely placed as he moved behind her. His blade lunged forward as to pierce her turned back, but even with the apparent rage a small shield of magic appeared as to stop the stab, only to shatter once she was out of distance.

He watched as she turned towards him, her movements fast but irregular as she stumbled toward him. It was almost laughable to the daemon, for his own superiority degenerated the servant's movements as if they were made by a Zol, slow, unsteady and very much predictable to his keen senses.

He pivoted back a step before positioning his weapon to hit the Sheikah with the blunt side first. He had a tendency to play with his victims before destroying them like the insects they were. His blow did land, and it sent the dog spiraling away only for her to crouch lowly upon the terrain.

The lord then crouched as well, bringing his sword up and he coiled in on himself, preparing to spring forward with inhuman force. He let out a small spring of laughter erupt from his throat before his muscles sprung from their coiled position and he was launched, blade ready at the crouched servant.

Ghirahim's eyes caught the defining glimpse of bright blue, the discharge of enchantment familiar to his senses as a wall of hard plasmic sorcery came to cut him off from his prey. Without any further thought of the subject he continued on, forcing himself to meet the field of power head on. Even if he would want to stop, the momentum that carried him would be impossible to turn on such a short notice.

As his sword came down upon the crystalline orb protecting the Sheikah, a harsh sound that was similar, but much louder, to glass breaking was heard. Ghirahim's body was soon thrown back against the immense dispersion of the servant's last means to diverge him from ending her pesky existence. It would have been easy too, the whole fight had been. But this one little thing, partly a flaw on his own circuitry that had brought him down to the level of the dog.

As the shock faded quickly from his body, Ghirahim became aware of an awful ringing penetrating his ears at a high frequency. His facial expression varied upon that of a snarl and a deranged smirk as he brought his gloved hand upon to his one pointed ear, removing it quickly to find an oddly-colored stain tinting the pale fabric.

His own never before-spilled blood.

Dripping out of his now deafened ears.

* * *

**Authors Note**

**Ghirahim is not invincible.**

**That we can see.**

**But anyway, some day I may do a revision on this due to…my terrible skillz in action.**

**Well, I should probably escape your grasps before someone Tries to put a bullet between my eyes. ;-; **

**Thanks to all my reviewers. You are what makes this story happen. **

**And another special thanks to HazelGamerCat**

**-Milluneum DeadlyWolfQueen**


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