The room felt empty. A demon lord took his captured one by the hand and led him inside, locking the door behind him. He commanded his captive:

"Strip completely." And he did.

"Get on the floor." And he obeyed.

With a snap of his fingers, the demon lord's own clothing dissapeared. He pushed his foot against Link's face. The child extended his tongue and lapped at his foot, staring innocently up at the man. He wondered what they were going to do. Why were they both naked?

Ghirahim knelt and commanded Link to lie on his back. He clutched both of Link's thighs and spread his legs open as far as they would go. "I want you to relax. Breathe deeply."

Link was confused. What was going on? He obeyed anyway, closing his eyes and taking in deep breaths through his nose and out through his mouth.

Ghirahim came forward, and Link didn't notice. He was still trying to relax himself. "You can stop now, but keep your eyes closed."

The demon lord took a small bottle off the counter, lazily poured a tiny amount of its contents onto his finger. Nowhere near enough to lube him, but enough to dull the pain for him and only him. He also grabbed a small cloth. He rubbed the lube on himself.

He sat between the child's legs. Leaned over him, braced his hands on either side of the fragile body. So fragile...

He hesitated for a moment before jerking his hips forward, and his right hand flew to Link's mouth and covered it with the cloth to muffle his deafening screams.

After the incident, Link was never the same. Ghirahim watched him every day. He would not eat, or drink. He would sit in the same corner of the room, hugging his legs to his chest, and rocking slightly as if the wind blew him. The only progress made was the fact that the the demon lord had finally found a way to clean the blood stains off the carpet.

But Ghirahim was angered. He was angry at himself for making such a foolish decision to break him. He only had hoped to scar him enough so that he would obey. But he ended up traumatizing him to the point where he thought his mental health was in danger. However, that wasn't the case.

Finally, he went over to the boy. He sat next to him, but not too close. It was silent for a long time. After a while, he broke the silence. "Link." He spoke. "You have to eat something soon. You'll die from malnourishment."

No answer.

Ghirahim sighed. "You're getting skinny. I can almost see your ribs." Link gently lifted his head, staring soul-less at his master.

"Why."

Ghirahim looked at him.

"Why did you hurt me?"

The demon lord looked at the floor. "I don't know, Link. I don't know." It was silent again, a long, hanging silence. The worst kind.

Then, there was a sniffle, and a few sobs.

Ghirahim turned, staring at the child, who by now had collapsed and was sobbing uncontrollably. But he whispered the same word over and over, through his gentle weeping.

"Why?"

The demon went closer, and attempted to take the child into his arms. Link jerked away, pressed against the wall.

"I won't hurt you again. I'm not going to hurt you. Come here." Link didn't budge. "Come over here. I won't touch you that way ever again, I promise. Link, look at me. Look at me. I promise. I swear." Silence. "GODDESSES BE DAMNED, CHILD! I SAID I WON'T HURT YOU!"

Ghirahim's booming voice was enough to force Link out of his corner. This was a new kind of fear. The fear of the consequences of disobeying.

He flew to Ghirahim's arms and the man pulled him in. They sat like that for a while, just the two of them. "I'm so sorry." Came the now gentle voice. "I'm sorry I yelled. I'm sorry I hurt you. I won't do it again." He laid his cheek on the young man's head, feeling the coolness of his silky blonde hair against his otherworldly skin. "I promise, Link. Do you believe me...?"

Link was still, except for a gentle nod.

He fell asleep like that in the man's arms.

Later, Ghirahim carried him to his bed and laid him down, tucking the comforters over his body.

Link slept until dinner time, when a presence nudged his shoulder. "Come on, sky child. You're not missing dinner again. You'll be sick if you don't eat something."

Ghirahim took a half-asleep Link by the hand and led him downstairs.