Chapter 21: Hourglass

Link stared at the creatures who were gathering all around them in a circle, jostling each other to be in front. He gazed at them in astonishment. Just when he thought nothing on the surface could surprise him anymore-

"These are LD-301's, Master," Fi said. "They are constructs of the Sheikah who harvest the timestones. I did not realize that these were from our time period." She faced one of the LD's.

"Can you explain what has happened here?" she asked. "Which of you is One?"

"That's me!" An LD-301 said, waving a hand in the air. When Fi turned to face him, he lowered his arm, which looked to Link to be made of lightning. "Please allow me to explain." He made a few beeping sounds, then said, "It's like this-we came here to hide, Lady Fi."

"Please clarify. Surely you are aware of the consequences of-"

"Yes. But—the depleted energy units from the simulation matrix are inconsequential."

Link tried to mentally decode the term simulation matrix.

"You say that the energetic dissonance of your activity here is small, but even the group I see here is large," Fi said to One, gesturing to the other LD-301's.

It seemed to Link that the conversation between Fi and One was in a different language entirely. He was going to have to ask Fi later what an 'energy dissonance' was. Perhaps a kind of magical sand? it sounded sandy. He wished he could find out what they were talking about now, but didn't want to interrupt them.

Link snapped out of his thoughts as he caught the last snippet of the LD's words. "-of much greater concern are the demons."

"You have seen demons in Lanayru?" Fi asked sharply.

"Oh yes," The LD-301 said, shuddering. "They have been our terror and our bane. The Protectors bade us to hide here until they could defeat them."

Link felt a shiver travel up his spine. There was real fear in the eyes of the creatures huddled around them.

Fi tilted her head. "Protectors?"

One's head bobbed up and down. "The LD-307's," he said. "I do not think you would have heard of them, Lady Fi. They are—new."

"I see." Fi looked around. "We will do what we can to help. We are here to meet with the Goddess reborn. For now we must ensure that she finds the last spring safely so that she may regain her memories. However, we will tell her of your plight when we meet her again, so that she might aid you in defeating the demons here. In the meantime, I suggest you wait here as your Protectors have suggested."

"Oh, thank you!" the creature said. He bowed. "This news gladdens us, Lady Fi." the creature turned to Link. "And thank you, too, Great Hero."

Link gave him a smile he didn't feel, his thoughts conflicted. He didn't feel like he had done anything worthy of being thanked for. He also didn't like the thought of 'defeating the demons'-not when he had vowed to help them. But what had the demons been doing here to frighten these people so much?

Ghirahim watched from his mount as they approached a tall, semicircular cliff of stone in the distance.

Absently, the Demon Lord fed Epona a carrot, which she immediately ate. He had had to discourage her from eating the cacti they had passed earlier, though. There had been a few disasters earlier with horses actually eating pieces of the prickly plants.

Ghirahim had brought a large amount of hay and grains for the horses to eat, though he wondered if they should be fed more than the few pounds of food they received for each meal-Erla hadn't known very much about horses, and the creatures seemed to be often hungry. Maybe he could take a Sheikah prisoner and question them about it.

However, the kikwi had known about the horse feed they had stolen from the Sheikahs. Though the hay was less than edible for them, some of the grains Erla had identified could also be prepared as food for the soldiers. Sometime Ghirahim wanted to find out how the food was harvested in the first place. He hadn't seen some of the plants in Faron at all, and presumed the Sheikahs must have farms somewhere where they grew all these plants. Much as we once must have had, when we lived on the surface before.

His thoughts wandered to the LD-307. He had learned a great deal from his game with Three about what to expect from the desert ahead. That was good, since they would have to travel a long route through that desert to get to the Temple of Time. So when they reached a high stone wall, Ghirahim stopped Epona and dismounted, looking her over and running a comb through her mane. Which even matches the color of my hair, he thought, admiring the glossy shine in it. The white was striking against the reddish-brown tone of her body. He gave her an apple, which she made short work of.

Ghirahim turned to the wall, considering it for several long moments. He placed a hand on the stone. Sandstone. Usually I would teleport around this, he thought. Instead, he reached out and used his power to crush a portion of the wall to rubble. Then he led Epona into the area, his soldiers and guards following behind him. "Another giant head," he noted. He began to walk forward but stopped suddenly when he picked up a familiar scent.

"Is something wrong, my lord?" Ferrik asked, giving Ghirahim a concerned look.

"What is it?" Orynx unsheathed his sword.

"I'm not sure," Ghirahim said, though he knew that scent from only one person. He walked slowly around the statue, but stopped when he saw the ladder. Climbing to the top, he saw the scuff marks in the thin layer of sand. His heart beat faster. Link.

At that moment, the sand swirled away and Nix and Trelan touched down on top of the building, there wings folding into their backs.

"What did you see?" Nix asked.

"Clues, which your downdraft seems to have blown away."

Nix frowned. "Apologies, my lord," she said.

Ghirahim waved a hand. "Do not trouble yourself over it. I know what I saw. The Sky Hero has been here."

Nix grimaced and Trelan looked around apprehensively. "Do you think he might still be around-" Trelan began.

"Hey!" Ferrik's voice came loudly from the side.

"Urgh!" Trelan yelped before he noticed Ferrik's head poking up from the ladder on the side of the structure.

"Oh, it's just you," the winged demon said with a small sneer, refolding his wings against his back.

"Ahem," Ghirahim said. "I don't think he's still here, but if we search nearby, we might find him. We can recapture him, then." Sorry, Link. I can't have you wandering around here at such a vitally important time. I'm sure you'll understand once I can explain it to you.

"We can search for him, my lord," Trelan said.

"Yes, I'm sure they'll be able to find him with my help," Ferrik said enthusuastically.

Nix and Trelan both gave Ferrik a dismissive look. "You can search the cave," Trelan said. The two demons flapped their wings and took off. Ghirahim watched as they flew away.

"Permission to search the cave, my lord?" Ferrik asked. "You can count on me. I'm not afraid of the Sky Hero jumping out of a dark corner." He looked significantly towards the two demons flying away.

"Of course," Ghirahim said. He held a black stone out towards Ferrik. "Also, take this. If you find the Sky Hero, or anyone else, then set it to alert us."

Ghirahim watched as Ferrik left for the cave. Then he jumped down the tower and landed on the ground, sending a cloud of sand and dust into the air. He made a mental note not to do that again. Dramatic, perhaps, but far too sandy.

Ghirahim dusted himself off as he walked forward towards the cave. "We follow Ferrik."

"If you wish," Orynx said, falling into step on his right side. "But it's a bad idea to send him off by himself when the Sky Hero is so close."

"Ferrik is capable of fending for himself-"

Orynx snorted.

"Anyway, Link won't kill any demons," Ghirahim said.

"You sound very sure of that. But I was there when Fi made the agreement. It is a mere convenience to her if he does not kill us—but once he is powerful enough-"

"He still won't," Ghirahim said.

"How could you know? I understand he doesn't speak."

"True, but he can still make his thoughts known. I convinced him of the worth of our cause."

Orynx frowned. "He is the servant of Hylia. He would never help us."

"Normally, you would be right. But you vastly underestimate my talent at persuasion. I told you before—I mean to turn Hylia's weapons against her." Ghirahim frowned at the fine layer of sand covering the floor inside of the cave. Except for the boot marks he had seen at the top of the stone head-tower, he hadn't seen any marks in the sand from Link so far. It was almost as if the Sky Hero had vanished into thin air. I know he's not a teleporter. But where is his trail?

Orynx sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing, then."

Ghirahim settled for following Ferrik's trail. "I always know what I'm doing."

Ghirahim looked around brightly as he stepped back into the sunlight. They had been wandering those caves for nearly two hours now, trying to see if they could pick out a trail. In that time, Ferrik had determined only that no one had been in the cave recently besides them. However, as soon as he reached the circular clearing, he stopped.

"Someone's been here," he said.

Ghirahim watched with Orynx by his side as Ferrik carefully picked out his route to the large timestone in the center. He pointed to the ground near him.

"They stood right here." Ferrik moved back on the balls of his feet. "I think they struck the stone with something."

"That means they could still be here," Ghirahim said. All the demons around him rustled with the sound of hands reaching for their weapons.

"Remember, you are to subdue the Sky Hero and capture him," Ghirahim said, teleporting his own weapon from the nearby teleportation cache into his hand. "Don't kill him."

"May I?" Ferrik asked, gesturing toward the stone with his sword.

Ghirahim nodded. "Yes. Please do." He took a deep breath, the anticipation in him building. He always looked forward to battle.

Ferrik struck the purple stone with his gleaming red sword. There was a 'clink' sound, and then the entire place lit up with color. And that was when Ghirahim saw the LD's surrounding them. Ferrik reacted first. Screaming, he charged at the nearest one. Ghirahim was about to do the same, when he noticed something.

Fi's spell. These aren't warriors.

"Stop!" Ghirahim yelled, but he could tell that Ferrik was too intent on battle to realize his mistake in time. Ghirahim rushed over to him and clashed his sword against Ferrik's.

"Ferrik! Stop!"

Ferrik's eyes widened and he jumped backwards as if he had been stung.

"They're not soldiers," Ghirahim said. Taking a deep breath, he looked around him. All of his soldiers held their weapons in their hands, glaring at the creatures huddled against the walls around them. This wasn't an ambush. It had almost been a slaughter, though.

"Sorry, my lord. I just saw them all there and-."

"Yes, I understand. However, we must not harm them."

When Ferrik lowered his sword and the other soldiers relaxed, Ghirahim dissolved his sword and padded over to some of the huddled creatures.

"Greetings. I am Lord Ghirahim. I won't claim I come in peace, but I'm not here to harm you, either. Have any of you by any chance seen an elf all in green with a funny-looking hat?"

Zelda was at a loss for what she should do. She had returned early from gathering the cactus fruits, only to find Impa kicking a dead tree. "Cursed demons! How did they find out? How do they always find out! Arrrghhhh!" The older woman angrily kicked the tree at the base and Zelda heard and saw the wood crack apart and the tree fall to the ground.

"Er-" she began.

Impa grew suddenly still. Slowly, she turned around, her mouth a thin line. For a long moment she only stared at Zelda. When she spoke, her eyes flicked to the side, as if avoiding her gaze. Zelda always felt weird about how nervous Impa sometimes was around her.

"My apologies, Your Grace. You shouldn't have had to see that."

Zelda walked up to her and placed the cloth with the cactus fruits on the ground, propping it behind the felled tree.

"I take it that something is wrong?"

"I saw a couple demons when I was scouting ahead," Impa said. "They weren't going in our direction but-" she scowled. "I doubt they came out here without the rest of their demon horde, although I haven't seen any others here yet."

"Oh," Zelda said, frowning. "So what do we do now?"

"We stay together," Impa said. "I know some tricks to lose them here." A small smile flitted across her face. "Permanently."

"Oh." Zelda seated herself on the tree trunk and carefully took hold of a melon-sized cactus fruit. She used the knife Impa had given her to cut off the ends of the fruit and slice a line across one side, removing the prickly skin. The fruit was mildly sweet but not particularly flavorful. However, that wasn't what was important to her. What was important was the juice that ran from the fruit when she bit into it. She looked up at Impa. "How far are we from the Gate of Time?"

Impa pointed into the sky. "Do you see that?"

Zelda looked at the stone Triforce and bird symbol that dominated the desert skyline. "Oh! So that's where the Temple is?"

Impa nodded. "And the last spring." She sat down on the tree next to Zelda and wiped the sweat off her brow. "We just have to get through this desert."

"Will there be another timestone soon?" Zelda asked. She always looked forward to activating those and making the air around them instantly cooler.

Impa took the map out of her pocket and opened it. "There are several on our way to the temple. Only a few are hidden well enough for us to linger very long near them, though."

"I had a question." Zelda said, feeling suddenly anxious. She felt embarrassed to bring it up, but the thought had slowly overtaken her as they grew closer to their goal.

"What—will happen when I get my memories back as the goddess? I mean, does that mean I'll be two people? Or one? Or something else entirely-?"

Impa seemed to relax slightly. She placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, that's a source of much disagreement among the Sheikahs, but in my opinion only because people make things much more complicated than they have to be." She plucked a twig from the dead tree. In the sand she drew a circle. "This represents everything you are now." She drew another, larger circle that overlapped with Zelda's circle. "This represents the goddess—the overlap is your personality, which as I've explained before is the same since you share the spirit of the Goddess."

"So when I regain those memories-"

"You will remember your life as the Goddess, and all of what you remember now. You will be everything you are now, and everything you were before. As I understand, it will be a somewhat disorienting experience, but in the end, you will be one person who has the memories of two. Does that help?"

"Yes, I think so," Zelda said. So—there's no reason I should be afraid then, I guess. She had spent so much time wondering what it would be like, and she supposed she still did wonder, but without the edge of fear that had dominated before. She looked up at Impa and smiled. "And then we go through the Gate of Time? And that will be like a bigger version of the timestones?"

Impa smiled, shaking her head. "Some might say that, but they would be wrong, Your Grace. The timestones are only a shadow of what the Gate of Time is. It is truly one of the wonders of the world, even with its-limitations. It will also be the fastest way to get back to the Great Temple in the Sealed Grounds."

"Really? And how does that work?"

"Don't worry. I'll tell you all about it later. But for now we need to be on the move again." Impa rose, wrapping her black shawl around her face. Zelda did the same, glad for the voluminous black clothing that kept the sand and at least some of the stifling heat out. In Skyloft, she had never needed to wear protective clothing against heat. But here she was very glad for it. She felt a bit guilty and sad that Impa had to carry her around. It made her think of Flight, the horse they had lost. Impa never once complained about it, though.

Some hours later, they stopped in an area that was a maze of ruined walls.

"What is this place?" Zelda asked, walking towards a wall.

Impa placed a hand on her shoulder to restrain her. "Watch your step there, Your Grace. This area is full of quicksand."

"Oh. How will we get to the other side?"

"I'll need to check the map. We'll have to proceed more cautiously through this area. The walls here are crumbling, so we have to be careful about where we step on them. There's a solid network of paths, but they're under the quicksand." Impa was already looking at her unfolded map.

Zelda examined the area while Impa checked her map. She gasped when she saw a lanky masked demon with a strange lopsided bow aimed straight at Impa.

"Look out!" She cried, running towards Impa, though she was much too far away to reach her in time. She watched in horror as the arrow flew straight towards Impa's back-

Impa caught the arrow in her hand, its tip an inch from her breast. Her narrowed eyes looked from it to the demon. Zelda hadn't even seen her turn.

"Wait here, Your Grace. This won't take long." The Sheikah woman threw the arrow to the ground and raced off towards the demon.

The demon had a sword that he had unsheathed from his back and slashed at Impa, but she was considerably faster than him and ripped it out of his hand, dropping it in the quicksand. She hefted the demon up by his neck and shook him.

"Where is the sorcerer?!" Impa's voice echoed through the ruins. "Tell me unless you want this want this to hurt a lot more than it does now. Go on, tell me where your master is!"

Zelda heard the demon make a garbled attempt at speaking, though she could barely hear his choked voice.

"A little louder," Impa demanded. "I couldn't hear you."

Impa was suddenly thrown backwards by an invisible force and the demon fell onto the top of the wall. He jumped up and Zelda watched, frozen in horror, as his sword levitated out of the quicksand and into his hand. He ran towards Impa.

"My Master is dead," he rasped loudly. When he reached her, Zelda watched as several things happened all at once in a confusion of movement, light, and sound. The demon jumped into the air, his sword outstretched and aimed at Impa. Impa rolled away and the entire area around them began to glow with blue and red light. That was when she felt claws grab her, felt the ground fall away from under her. She screamed as she looked up into the face of a horse-sized red dragon.

Zelda normally wouldn't be afraid of flying, but that was when she was safely on Cerulean. The creature carrying her with its clawed hands hooked around her waist was neither Loftwing nor friendly. The land blurred beneath her. She wondered if the dragon was going to just eat her as she was, like the other had done with Flight, or if it would cook her with its flames first. She screamed again, though she saw no one below who could come to her aid.

When the dragon finally landed, it set her down in a patch of sand in a nondescript area she didn't recognize. Though that told her nothing of whether she had passed this way before-Impa had been moving too fast most of the time for her to note her surroundings.

Zelda began running as soon as the dragon set her on the ground, only to find herself in a cage of red light. For a few terrifying moments, she thought she had been engulfed in flame. But then she realized that the air was no hotter than usual. Turning around, she saw a red demon dressed in robes walking towards her. Strangely, he was blindfolded, though he seemed to have no difficulty finding his way.

"So this is the Spirit Maiden," the demon said, pacing the outside of the red barrier. He must be the sorcerer Impa mentioned. His mouth curved into a frown of disapproval. "So this is the one who once gave the orders to level armies and sliced out the heart of the Demon King herself. My, how the mighty have fallen."

"Please," Zelda said, placing her hands on the curved translucent walls that surrounded her. "I don't want to hurt anyone. And I couldn't anyway. Please, let me out."

The demon chuckled. "Straight to the begging. I like that. And my answer is-no." He gave her a tiny wave and said, "Until we meet again, little goddess." Then his form shifted back into the dragon and he leaped into the air.

Zelda waited alone in the red bubble of light. She watched small lizards and a strange large shelled creature amble past the translucent red cell that confined her. After a while she began to wonder if she was going to die here, not because a dragon would roast her alive or because someone would slice her through with a sword, but because she had no water and no one she could even plead for it to.

She was lying in the middle of the enclosure in the sand when she heard a rustle behind her. She forced herself to rise, licking her parched lips and preparing to beg for water.

The enclosure around her disappeared and the tall green demon with the mask from earlier walked up to her and casually plucked the knife from her belt. Then he held out a large bottle filled with clear liquid. "Drink it," he rasped harshly.

Surprised, Zelda took the bottle. She wondered if it was some kind of poison, but there was no way she could refuse it. She would die anyway without it. She drank all the liquid, noting that it tasted just like ordinary water. Afterwards, she shuddered and dropped to the ground, the flask falling into the sand. "Thank you."

The masked demon hissed. "Astaroth, you fool. You nearly killed her."

Zelda was puzzled. But-wasn't that what they were planning to do anyway?

The sorcerer frowned. "I'm sorry, my lord, but I don't understand. She did not sustain any mortal injuries in the flight, and the area where I left her contains only sand."

"The sun, Astaroth. You left her out in the sun. These creatures, these Hylians, they burn and shrivel and die if they get too much sun. How many times must I remind you? And you forgot the dagger she was wearing."

Astaroth put a hand to his mouth. "Sorry, my lord. I will-do better next time."

"I certainly hope so," the masked lord said. He paced around Zelda, his blank mask facing her as if studying her intently, though like the other demon she couldn't understand how he could see anything at all. He stopped in front of her and pointed one of his very long claws at her. "You probably have no idea what this is about."

"No-I don't. What do you want from me?" Zelda felt her heart pound. She was alive, but these two frightened her.

"I want to destroy you."

"But-you just said-you didn't want me to die."

The masked lord chuckled. "You truly don't understand, do you? The great Hylia, reduced to nothing more than a feeble-minded bag of flesh and bones. Barely more than a girl. How I wish my Master could've seen this."

Zelda grimaced. "Your-Master?"

"King Demise, of course."

Zelda felt a chill up her spine. She knew who that was, and if this demon was his servant... "Please, you're right. I don't understand. You say you want me to die, but you were angry that Astaroth almost killed me. I-don't really understand what you want with me." A lie, really. But I have to keep him talking.

The masked lord crossed his arms. "Well, I'd like to make you suffer, but your weak Hylian body would be ill-suited to anything sufficiently-satisfying."

Zelda shuddered.

"Anyway, I'm not going to take any foolish risks. " he chuckled. "But I think it would actually be more terrifying if you understood what I plan to do to you."

"And-what is that?" Zelda asked, feeling her heart beat faster, her muscles tense.

He flicked a clawed hand through the air. "Total annihilation," he said with obvious relish. "Your current form, you see, is nothing more than a husk you shuck off when you die, to flit onto another like the loathsome parasite you are. Your physical death would be nothing more than the loss of that husk, and what an empty victory that would be!"

He paced in front of her.

"No! That would be such a waste of this glorious opportunity!" He stretched his hands up towards the sky. "I want to destroy every trace of your existence, so that not one bit of you, one shred, remains."

Zelda considered running again, but both of the demons were watching her right now, and they were both stronger than she was and had magic besides. Her terror told her it was hopeless. But she mustered her courage. She couldn't let the masked lord and the sorcerer succeed. She had to think. Knights were expected to use their mind just as they were expected to use their bow and sword, after all.

"Is there any way you might reconsider?" she looked up at him.

The masked lord and the sorcerer were completely still and silent for several long moments. Then they both burst out laughing.

The masked lord was nearly doubled over with hysterical laughter that sounded like short, high pitched barks. After several minutes, he drew a deep breath. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe if you make a vow never to kill my Master..oh, wait-too late for that. And anyway you're an oathbreaker."

The sorcerer let out a few gasps, his laughter subsiding. "And let's not forget that you want us to rot forever in the Lower Realms. Yes, let's just let you go so you can get all your memories and powers back and crush us all under your feet. What an excellent plan!"

"Oh," Zelda said, frowning. She had never thought she would think this, but she wished that Lord Ghirahim was here. At least he hadn't wanted to kill her. She had a thought.

"If Ghirahim finds out about this, he'll be angry. He was going to take me as a hostage so the Sheikahs would stop fighting the demons."

The masked lord only shook his head. "Lord Ghirahim is a soft creature, despite all his power. He will not do what is necessary-but I will. And afterwards, I will make him see that this was for the best. The war will be won, and he will have the surface he so greatly desires. And all it will take is the death of the Goddess we all despise."

Zelda felt her hope begin to shrivel and die. That hadn't gone the way she'd hoped at all. She had to think of some way to distract them for as long as possible until-well, she wasn't sure. Was Impa still alive? Would she come to help her? Would Link find her? She didn't know. But delaying whatever they planned to do to her could only be a good thing. How could she do that, though? A thought came to her.

"I don't really remember anything I did."

"Yes," the masked lord said. "It's very convenient. You won't be able to squirm your way out of this, Hylia!"

"Yes, but if you kill me, it won't mean anything to me."

"What?" he hissed. One clawed hand jerked towards her as if to grab her roughly. Zelda backed away, but the hand curled in on itself and pulled back anyway. It was almost as if he didn't like the idea of touching her. "Perhaps you have more of her in you now than I thought. Trying to be clever, trying to provoke me so you can escape this shell-"

"No," Zelda said, horrified. "Why would I do that? I don't want to die! I just want to know-what Demise was like."

the masked lord tilted his head. "Unexpected. Continue."

Zelda hurried to think of something to say. If you want to get a person talking, start by asking about something they are interested in-this always works. I hope you were right about that, Horwell. I don't think you ever considered a situation like this one. She cleared her throat. "What I meant was I don't even know why you want to kill me so badly. I was told Demise died over a thousand years ago. He really must have meant something to you, though, if you are still loyal to him. Is that true?"

"No," the masked lord said, looming over her. "He meant everything to me. And now he is gone. And you are the one who destroyed him. So I will destroy you. But I see no reason not to explain why you deserve to die-"

"My lord, I-" the sorcerer began.

The masked lord waved him away. "This doesn't concern you, Astaroth. Nothing in our plan has changed. Go and gather the supplies while I help the little goddess understand what magnificence she destroyed."

"I-"

"Go!"

"Apologies, my lord. Of course I realize how important this is to you. I will do as you command."

"Thank you, Astaroth. I knew you would understand." He turned to Zelda. "And now, I shall tell you about the great King Demise-"

Zelda restrained herself from grimacing. What Impa had already told her about Demise was enough for her to know that she probably wasn't going to enjoy this. But she had to listen, because the longer she could distract him from whatever dark plan he had in mind, the longer she would live.

Lord Ghirahim saw a red bokoblin running across the sand towards him in the distance, though the heat mirage made it look more like he was moving across the top of a lake. Squinting, he realized that the soldier approaching was Darrow.

"Lord Ghirahim!" Darrow said, breathing heavily as he stopped in front of the demon lord.

"Yes? You looked like you were in a hurry."

"I've figured out a way to use the timestones for our own benefit."

Ghirahim was intrigued. "Really? Show me."

"I studied how the clockwork ghosts were put together and built this," Darrow said, holding up a red baton with an empty rectangle at the end. He grinned. "It's a new kind of weapon. I wanted to get your feedback on it."

Ghirahim tilted his head. "It seems to be lacking a pointy end."

Darrow chuckled. "That's the, ah, point. Nonlethal." He pressed the bottom of the baton and the rectangle crackled with electricity. "It's very effective at stunning opponents, though. Since we're not supposed to kill the Sky Hero."

Ghirahim grinned. "I see. Very clever. How did you test it?"

"Well, I needed a robust volunteer who was approximately the same height and weight as the Sky Hero-"

Ghirahim crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the bokoblin. "Did you test it on yourself?"

"Er, no."

"You're lying."

"Sorry, my lord."

Ghirahim threw up his arms. "Fine. Good job. Just try not to electrocute yourself too many times, hmmm?"

"Heh heh. Yes, my lord." Darrow placed one of his hands too close to the electrified rectangle and winced as the electricity traveled along his fingers. Then he grinned. "Don't worry, I have it on the lowest setting right now." He frowned. "Although I should probably design some protective clothing for this thing. I'll, um, go do that."

"Yes, please do."

Ghirahim stopped Epona in her tracks, and carefully dismounted. "Link?" They had been tracking the Sky Hero's spotty trail for a while now, but Ghirahim hadn't expected that he would be the first to find him. Of course, according to Orynx, he shouldn't be conducting the search himself at all. But he was ruler, not Orynx, and he made the rules, so...he would console his guard later with his successful capture of the Sky Hero.

Link turned to look at him, a smile coming over his features. Ghirahim nearly dropped his sword. Instead, he strengthened his grip on the weapon and padded slowly towards Link. I love your smile, Sky Hero. And I am so, so sorry I must do this.

"What a pleasant surprise," Ghirahim said. Link began walking towards him. Ghirahim's muscles coiled and tensed, waiting for the moment of action. I must do this quickly, get it over with.

A blue and purple form sprung out of the Goddess Sword and stood in front of Link, causing the Sky Hero to stop. Fi held out her wings, as if shielding the elf behind her. "You tread on dangerous ground, Lord Ghirahim."

The demon lord chuckled. "More like incredibly, annoyingly sandy ground. You seem cross, and so perhaps I owe you an apology. I'm most sorry if you were bored idling in that canyon. But I do believe you agreed not to attack any demons?"

"True. And I intend to keep my word. You have also so far kept your word, therefore I attribute you to be 36% trustworthy."

Ghirahim gave a short laugh. "Your vote of confidence is overwhelming."

"You should consider it so. Your original designation was at 1% trustworthiness."

Ghirahim gave a short bow. "Then you are coming to realize that I am a demon of my word."

The demon lord looked up and saw that Link looked uncertain. Ghirahim knew well how little he wished to truly oppose the Sky Hero. He made a decision, then.

It was time to put his theory to the test. "Of course, I have come up with a most appealing idea. Surely, the more Link is forced to fight my kind, the more he incurs the danger of accidentally killing one of my own. I would be most displeased if this happened, and I suspect you would be, too. Because the promise you had me make? All of the elaborate stipulations? Those were really all so you could protect the Sky Hero, weren't they?"

Fi tilted her head and glanced briefly toward the Sky Hero, her pupil-less eyes considering him, before turning back to face Ghirahim. "My feelings make no difference for you. Link serves the Goddess, and he will not surrender."

What a disappointingly evasive answer. Ghirahim had hoped that Fi might indicate whether it was the Goddess she served, in the end, or Link. Either way, she seems utterly loyal. Still, if it is the Sky Hero she reserves her final loyalty for... "If Link somehow manages to defeat me, you win. But if Link surrenders to me, you win much more surely. Because then I would have no reason to harm him."

Fi's emotionless eyes bored through the demon lord. He stubbornly stared right back at her, though he knew his expression was much less composed.

"My Master would never serve you."

Ghirahim turned to Link. "Is that truly what you will choose? You know I will keep my word. I will not harm you, or Zelda. You know nothing of Hylia, except that she will inhabit the body of your friend. Tell me, what happens to your Zelda then?"

Link looked uncertain. Ghirahim smiled confidently and held his hand out. "Come with me and help me find your friend. Help me end this war."

Link opened his notebook, and held up a picture of Tala. Ghirahim's smile faded. "I tried to talk to her, Link. She wouldn't agree to my terms."

Link turned the page. It showed a picture of Terrin, holding the Unbreakable Sword.

Ghirahim let his hand drop to his side. "I had no choice, Link."

Link put away his notebook and solemnly held up the Goddess Sword.

Ghirahim sighed and pointed his rapier towards the hero. "You stubborn creature. You should know by now that you cannot win against me."

"You are wrong about that, Lord Ghirahim," Fi said. "It is you who should surrender."

Ghirahim laughed. "You greatly underestimate me, Fi." He focused his attention on Link. "Well? Let's get this over with, Sky Hero. I will not enjoy it, but I can't have you wandering about if you're going to try to wreck my carefully laid plans."

Ghirahim rolled away as a bolt of energy shot towards him from Link's sword. Ah, yes, the famed Skyward Strike. Link hopes to stun me, I see. The bolt had barely missed him. As Ghirahim ran closer and clashed his sword against the Goddess Sword, he reminded himself that he shouldn't, under any circumstances, teleport. I will win, regardless. Link could be my equal, in time. But not now, not yet. A week or so of wielding his sword against true opponents is not going to be enough to defeat me, Sky Hero or not. Although Link had gotten stronger. That had been the same running strike he had lost to in their first battle.

Ghirahim easily blocked a strike from Link, and grinned as an idea came to him suddenly. Somehow I never thought to use that in battle. Thank you for the inspiration, Darrow. As Link came at him again, he loosed purple electricity from his fingers to crackle over his sword. As the metal of the hero's sword met his, Link doubled over, groaning.

Ghirahim raised his sword, preparing to hit the elf's head with the flat of the blade.

"Gaaahh!" The demon growled as claws seemingly from nowhere raked over his face. Ghirahim brushed the blood away from his eyes and saw an enormous crimson bird carrying his rapier away. He recognized it from all those bird pictures he had seen Link draw. How did his bird get here? I've never seen it before. Ghirahim attacked the bird with a dust devil, causing it to drop the sword. Grinning, he ran and fetched the weapon.

Twirling his rapier in his hand, Ghirahim walked up to the elf kneeling in the sand and flicked the flat of the blade down at Link.

A shield caught the blade. Link rolled away and rose, apparently recovered from his earlier shock.

Ghirahim scowled at him. "I find your bird-creature highly unfriendly, Link. You know it really upsets me when my face is attacked." He took a deep breath as he healed the gashes on his cheeks and forehead, and wiped away most of the remaining blood using his red cloak.

Link stood with his sword and shield held in front of him. He was slowly backing away.

You won't get away that easily, Link. Ghirahim grinned as an idea came to him. He spread a crackle of electricity across his sword as he closed in on the Sky ran forward and pelted the iridescent shield with blows from his electrically charged rapier until it shattered. Link's eyes widened, and he back-flipped away.

Ghirahim chuckled. "What an impressive move! But I'm afraid it won't help you much. You fought well, Link. But no shield can stand against me. Are you sure you don't want to surrender now?"

Link turned and ran.

How odd, he thought, feeling strangely disappointed. He always seemed too brave to flee before. Ghirahim ran up the sand dune after Link. He felt confident that he would catch up to the elf—he could see Link was tiring quickly from the exertion. Abruptly, Link stopped and turned, his sword drawn. Their weapons clashed together. But to Ghirahim's shock, he could see that Link was holding his ground. Scowling, Ghirahim tried to re-electrify his sword-only to find that he couldn't. Link swiped abruptly from the side and Ghirahim's sword clattered out of his hand. Ghirahim saw Link's sword flash upwards, then the world went black.

Link leaned heavily on his sword, taking in deep breaths as he looked down at Ghirahim's prone form. The demon was sprawled in the sand. Link had won, though he had difficulty believing it. Ghirahim had always seemed unstoppable, invincible. He almost expected the theatrical Demon Lord to jump up and chide Link for being gullible enough to believe he had been bested. It seemed like the kind of thing he would do. Link approached slowly. The demon lord didn't move, except for the small, even breaths he took.

Link noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking up, he realized it was the four-legged creature that Ghirahim had dismounted from earlier. He moved to approach the creature, but it ran away.

Fi flipped out of the sword. "It seems my guess was correct."

Link gave her a questioning look. Fi had whispered in his mind to run up the hill, so he had done so, hoping there might be something there that could help him. When she had told him to stop and face the demon lord, he had been able to incapacitate Ghirahim much more easily. But Link still didn't know how.

Fi turned toward the top of the hill and raised her arms. She sent a blast of energy into the sand that blew away the top layer of it, revealing a light blue orb. "This is the answer to your question. This stone separated Lord Ghirahim from his magic."

Once again, Link wondered how.

Fi floated over to Ghirahim's still form and hovered over him, her expression contemplative. "Please allow me to explain. The reason the stone cut Lord Ghirahim off from his magic is because his magic is connected to an object that is not within its range."

Link listened carefully. Fi clearly knew something important about Ghirahim that he didn't, and he wanted to understand what that was.

The sword spirit circled slowly around Ghirahim. "I have been trying to understand the nature of this one since I first encountered him. His magic is strange. So I collected every bit of information about him that I could. I recalled that you told Tala that he had been able to collect the stone tablet in Skyview Temple, which should not have been possible. Then, later, you told her that he possessed the Shard of Truth. And I puzzled over the fact that I once saw the Unbreakable Sword near him, but never saw him use it himself. And despite that, he feels no fear to engage anyone in battle. At first, I took his fearlessness for overconfidence, but now I know the true reason for that, and for all of it—he is a sorcerer bonded to the Unbreakable Sword."

Link gaped at the unconscious demon lord. He had only learned about the Unbreakable Sword after he had brought Firestar down to the Surface for the first time. That had been when Tala had explained about the attack by Terrin that had occurred while he was gone. Tala had been surprised when Link had first drawn a question about the sword. Then she had apologized, saying that it hadn't occurred to her that he wouldn't know about it. She had said that before she had seen Terrin using it that day, she had assumed the demons had somehow lost it. "The last time I saw it before today," Tala had said, "Was over a hundred years ago. That was the last time the previous ruler of the demons, Releris, came to the surface himself to do battle against us. He realized then that despite his possession of the sword that was the equal of the Goddess Sword, the magic he had at his disposal was no match for ours."

Link bent down to examine Ghirahim. There was some blood in his hair where Link had hit him. He winced as he examined the wound.

"What will you do with him, Master?" Fi asked. "He is more dangerous than any other demon. His bond to the Unbreakable Sword makes him immensely powerful—it also makes him immensely unstable. My analysis indicates that the safest thing you could do would be to put an end to him now."

Link turned towards her and shook his head vehemently. Ghirahim had always behaved honorably. Link couldn't betray him that way. It would be wrong. And, though he wasn't ready to admit this part to Fi, he felt too strongly for the demon lord to even consider it.

Fi tilted her head. "Then what will you do with him? We cannot simply leave him here."

Link looked back at Ghirahim. He wasn't really sure. He had never expected this to happen. Of course, he hadn't wanted to lose, but—what was he going to do now? Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. He called his Loftwing. Firestar flew over to him and settled down next to him, tilting her head at the unconscious demon. From the images Link saw from her mind, he surmised that she was asking if Ghirahim had been trying to eat Link.

Link laughed and assured Firestar that that was not the case. Though he had so far not had any success in teaching her Hylian, she seemed to understand the images he sent her well enough. Link rummaged in the packs at her side and pulled out some spare ropes and a bottle of water. He drank half the bottle and gave the rest to Firestar. Then he began tying Ghirahim's hands and feet together. He used the most advanced knots he had learned in the Knight's Academy. Professor Owlan had always said he was uncommonly good at them. When he finished, he showed his work to Fi.

"I surmise a 90% probability that he would be unable to remove those knots as long as he is cut off from his connection with his magic in the Unbreakable Sword." She gestured towards the orb lying in the sand. "I suggest you take the timestone with you to ensure he stays within its range at all times."

Link nodded and lifted up the timestone, which was fortunately much smaller than the first one he had encountered. He fit it into one of the pouches Firestar was carrying. Then he slowly lifted Ghirahim from the ground. The demon was considerably heavier than what Link was accustomed to carrying, and Link struggled to carry him. After several minutes, he had finally managed to place the unconscious demon over Firestar's back and tie him securely there. After he finished that, he drank another half-bottle of water and then began walking the rest of the way up the sand dune. Beyond the crumbled walls scattered all around, he could see an enormous stone triforce and stylized Loftwing looming in the distance. That was where the stone tablet map had indicated that Zelda would be waiting for him. But it was a long walk from where he was currently, and he could only fly in short bursts until his Loftwing tired. Firestar didn't like flying for long in the air here, and he didn't blame her.

He turned to Fi, who hovered silently beside him. Questions about what Fi had told him flitted through his mind. How did being the Unbreakable Sword help Ghirahim get the stone tablet in the forest temple? Shouldn't those only respond to Fi? And why would being the Unbreakable Sword mean that the demon lord wouldn't use it?

The sword spirit turned to face him. "The response is not specific to myself. The statue that releases the tablet responds to any sword spirit with the power of the goddess within it. But when Ghirahim obtained the Shard of Truth, he gained the ability to deceive the statue—though the shard must have resided in the very hand he touched it with to have had that response."

She glanced briefly toward the unconscious demon lord on Firestar before turning back to Link. "As for why he would not use the sword, it is because he can't. Din, the goddess who created the Unbreakable Sword, placed many safeguards on the weapon. One of those was that anyone bonded to the sword cannot use it in battle themselves."

Link considered her words. Fi knew so much. He wanted to ask her about so many things. He supposed that right now was a good time for that. No one was trying to attack or kill him. It was a nice change of pace to how his life on the Surface had been of late. His only worry right now was what he should do when Ghirahim woke up.

Link propped Ghirahim next to his Loftwing. The demon had been unconscious for an awfully long time, and he was beginning to get worried. He lightly felt the wound on Ghirahim's head. He had cleaned it earlier, even though his water supplies were running low. At least Fi had told him they could retrieve more water by getting it from the realm accessed by the timestones.

Link had asked Fi if Ghirahim should have woken by now, and she had said that she would have expected that. Should he try to give Ghirahim some food or water now or should he wait to see if the demon woke?

Suddenly, Link noticed Ghirahim's eyelids flutter. He was waking up! Link felt a surge of relief as he watched the demon regain consciousness.

Ghirahim opened his eyes, blinking groggily. Why do my arms and legs seem-stuck? In his slightly blurred vision, he could see Link's face smiling enthusiastically down at him, surrounded by a sunbeam. Ghirahim smiled back. Ah, well. At least my lovely Link is here. "Hmmmmm...?" he murmured, his semi-conscious mind still trying to remember how he had chanced to wake to such a pleasant sight.

Then he jolted upward, although he didn't manage to get far before he was pulled back. He remembered now. And it seemed his arms and legs were tied. Probably by the handsome hero in front of him. Ghirahim looked around and saw that they were on top of a particularly large sand dune. There was nothing but sand and crumbling walls in all directions. He cursed.

Link gave him a concerned look and held some water near his face.

"No, I do not want water. I demand you untie me immediately."

Link shook his head and held the water out toward him again.

"Stubborn hero," Ghirahim said, scowling. He glared at the water but leaned forward and drank it anyway. He was stuck in an incredibly uncomfortable sitting position against a rock. Although actually, it was rather soft for a rock...

Ghirahim yelped as a giant orange beak came into view. He remembered this bird. All too well. "Get this vile creature away from me!"

Link gave him a hurt look and the bird made a soft cooing sound. Ghirahim glared up at the Sky Hero. His head hurt and he felt the aching emptiness that he knew meant he had once again been separated from the sword. And he desperately wanted a bath. It did not look like he was going to get one.

Link sighed and walked over to rummage in some satchels sitting in the sand.

After a time, Ghirahim decided that he was tired of sulking. He took a few deep breaths and visualized himself bathing in the blood of his enemies. After he had calmed himself with that pleasing image, he considered his current predicament. The ropes he could deal with. As a Fool, he had learned many skills of dexterity for the amusement of nobles, including the art of faux magic. His skills at escaping had been the reason Releris usually kept him in the dungeons—or else watched by his best guards. He would easily be able to escape these simple ropes given some time and sufficient distractions. Then he would be free. The problem would be staying that way.

Something to consider, I suppose, once I've accomplished the first step.

He gave the elf a contrite look. "I'm sorry, Link."

Link's eyes widened in what Ghirahim judged to be surprise. He may not speak, but he certainly does not do well at hiding his emotions, either—he's an open book.

"Surely you understand why I would be upset by my current situation?"

Link nodded, his expression wary.

Ghirahim gave him an encouraging smile. "And of course, these ropes are just so uncomfortable. You don't think you could consider loosening them just a bit, do you?"

Link narrowed his eyes, but Ghirahim only gave him a wide smile. Oh, I knew you wouldn't be tricked that easily. Still, you have yet to learn the true depths of my craftiness. For no one can fool you better than a Fool.

"It never hurts to try, hmmm?" Ghirahim said.

Fi jumped out of her sword at that moment, startling the demon lord. "Ah, he is awake now. Would you like me to watch him while you collect additional supplies, Master?"

Ghirahim frowned. If Fi was going to be watching him, it would be difficult to escape. She had vowed to attack no demons, but in the state he was in, he wasn't sure she would need to attack him to keep him restrained. Doubtless she had realized the same thing. Still, he tried to keep his mood upbeat. After all, this is also an excellent opportunity to see what I can learn of her abilities and limitations.

Link nodded. He also took a bottle of an orange liquid Ghirahim remembered well out of his satchel and held it out towards her.

"Yes," she said, levitating the bottle and moved it until it floated between her wings. "I will make sure he receives adequate nourishment. Please be careful and return safely, Master."

When Link had left, Ghirahim waited to see what Fi would do. She levitated the bottle so that Ghirahim could drink some of the contents. The thick liquid was just as delicious as Ghirahim had remembered.I really must find out what this is. Though I doubt I will have time before I make my inevitable escape. When Ghirahim indicated he was finished, Fi floated the cap back onto the bottle and placed it in the sand next to him without saying a word. Then she hovered in front of him, watching. She didn't shift, or ever, for even a moment, look away. She never blinked. Or spoke. Or seemed to tire.

Eventually, Ghirahim decided it was necessary to take action if he was going to unravel the mystery that was Fi.

"I think you've won our staring contest, Lady of the Sword. Still, aren't you, I don't know, just a little bit bored? I know I am."

"You are mistaken to project your own emotions onto others. And your question is-"

"-Irrelevant. Yes, I thought you might say that. But is there some reason you cannot answer it and humor me?"

Fi was silent for long enough that Ghirahim had begun to suspect that she wouldn't respond. Then she spoke, her voice neutral. "I do not become bored, Lord Ghirahim. I have lived for well over a thousand years, and can remember every moment of my existence. I can reminisce if there is nothing else I must do. But that is rarely the case. I use most of the time I have to make the necessary calculations for future success."

Ghirahim noted that Fi's gaze was fixed on his arms. Subtly, as if he was easing an itch, he began to rub the ropes around his legs against the edge of a sharp rock he could feel under the sand. He felt the sharp edge of the rock catch on a loop of the rope. Ah. Perfect. Meanwhile, he kept his eyes on Fi, only occasionally glancing at the ropes around his wrists. "And what does that mean to you? What does success mean to you?"

"Ending the threat that you and the other demons pose to the surface," Fi said.

"And just how do you propose to do that, Fi? Or is that another irrelevant question?"

"That is a question which would give no advantage to either you or myself to answer."

Ghirahim chuckled. "It never hurts to ask, though, does it? But if you think it would give no advantage to me, then why don't you answer?"

"You think to learn our plans and gain from them. But you would not be able to act on the information, therefore you would receive no advantage from it. The knowledge would only distress you since you are overly emotional. Then you would be a burden on my Master."

Ghirahim felt deeply insulted. It didn't help that Fi apparently believed everything she had just said. And it didn't help that the Shard of Truth was whispering that he was really quite emotional, although of course the word 'overly' was a value judgment and not an assessment it was capable of making. "Are you trying to say I couldn't handle it and you think I'd have some sort of—of-mental breakdown?"

"There is an 85% probability that-"

"I have nothing more to say to you." Ghirahim scowled, leaning back onto the Loftwing behind him. The creature made an odd sort of cooing noise, as if it was pleased to have a sulky demon resting at its side.

Fi lapsed into silence. And stared at him. Ghirahim sighed and looked up. Link's bird-creature looked back at him, tilting its head as if intently examining him. The creature cooed again. You look a lot bigger than you did in those drawings, bird. And I much dislike your sharp claws. I bet you're thinking about how tasty I would be.

Finally, he looked back at Fi. "Nevermind. I take it back. Please don't just hover there, staring at me like that." Ghirahim waved his hands at the wrists, which was awkward, but his options for gesturing were limited. "Go on, tell me your best insults, anything. Just don't let me die of boredom."

"You cannot come to physical harm from ennui."

"Yes, but I might have a mental breakdown. And we don't want that, now do we?"

Fi tilted her head. "I will not tell you anything of use. I know you possess the Shard of Truth."

Ghirahim felt a chill. Normally, he would have been disappointed, but not afraid to learn such information. But he was not normally being held captive, cut off from his magic or even any weapons. "Who—told you that?"

"You do not need to know."

Ghirahim scowled. "It's mine." Not that he knew what he would do if she tried to take it. The ropes around his ankles were quite loose now, but he would need more than the element of surprise to defeat Fi.

"It belongs to my Master."

Ghirahim laughed. "Link? And what would he do with it?"

"Bring peace and justice," Fi said.

"Funny. That's what I intend to do."

"I believe we may have different definitions of justice. My Master-"

Ghirahim tilted his head. "Why do you call him that, Fi? I have wondered that for a while now."

"Because I serve him as his sword," Fi said. "Much as the Unbreakable Sword to which you are bonded served Demise."

Ghirahim stared at her in shock. His first thought was, She knows everything about me. His second was, but she still doesn't understand me at all. Still, it took him some time to recover his composure. The blade of the Goddess Sword is clearly not the only part of her that is sharp. She stared back at him while he sat there silently, her expression as inscrutable as ever.

Finally, he found his voice again. "A sword needn't have a master, Fi. Only a wielder." Ghirahim knew that well enough. He knew what the sword half of him was like. He wanted it back. But in order to accomplish that...

"A weapon cannot wield itself."

"True enough. But that only means that a thinking sword should choose their wielder carefully." He smiled. "And Link might be a good wielder in time, but he could hardly be the best choice at the moment. But if I were your wielder, we would be unstoppable, and you wouldn't have to risk Link being harmed."

"Your proposal is absurd. You would never be my Master."

"Of course not. You don't need a master, Fi. But I could be an ally-you could have a say in my decisions. And I am sure that Link thinks of you as a friend, not a mere servant to serve him. But he is naive and inexperienced at battle. I do not wish to harm the surface dwellers, and that includes Link. I only wish for the Seal to be broken, and for demons to be able to live safely on the surface again. I would be willing to grant a great many concessions to achieve those goals. What would you be willing to do to achieve yours?"

"That is an invalid question."

"And that's rather unkind of you. Now you say my question isn't even-oh!" Ghirahim said, gesturing awkwardly with his tied hands. "Looks like Link is returning." Ghirahim could see the Sky Hero walking in the distance. His back was stooped, and he was carrying several heavy satchels on it. He also noticed that Link had taken off his tunic, chainmail, and shirt. His muscles strained against the heavy load and he was covered in what Ghirahim guessed to be perspiration from the mild warmth. I-read that the Hylians do that, but this is the first time I've seen how-appealing it can look. He bit his bottom lip briefly.Maybe this business with being captured won't be entirely tiresome.

Link looked up and met Ghirahim's gaze. Ghirahim composed his features and gave him a small smile, carefully keeping his expression calm and relaxed while the Sky Hero's already flushed face became an even darker shade of red.

No, not entirely tiresome at all.

Ghirahim's intense stare certainly wasn't helping Link feel any cooler. He took a deep breath, and lowered the satchels of supplies to the ground. Grabbing a bottle of water, he opened the cap and took large gulps of the clear liquid. The water was already warm, but that hardly bothered Link given his intense thirst. After he had finished drinking it, he placed the jar back in the satchel and lifted his load again. However, this time, he carried the satchels in front of him instead. He wished it wasn't so hot. He really appreciated his full uniform at times like these. He took a few deep breaths. After some more walking, he finally set the satchels down next to Firestar and Ghirahim and looked over at Fi.

"I am pleased you have returned," the sword spirit said. "We must move quickly, if we are to arrive at the bird statue before nightfall. There are a few things I wish to discuss with you." She glanced over at Ghirahim. "But not in the presence of this one."

Ghirahim only smiled at them both. "I'm saddened to hear that you don't want to invite me to what I am sure will be an exciting discussion. But please don't trouble yourself on account of me."

"I am, however, concerned that he will find a means to escape if we leave him unattended. Therefore I will speak to you mentally only, as I did earlier."

The smile evaporated off the demon's face. He scowled. "You are entirely too attentive, Fi."

-We must plan what we are to do with this one--

Link tilted his head at Fi. He had been thinking about that the entire time he had been gathering supplies, but—he couldn't come to a decision. Every time he considered an option, his mind lingered on the most horrible consequences he could imagine. Reluctantly, he revealed his indecision to Fi.

-Your distress is understandable- Fi stated. -I know you do not wish harm even on your worst enemy.-

Link felt his face heat. Ghirahim was hardly his worst enemy.

If Fi noticed his embarrassment, she did not mention it. -Since you do not wish to kill the Demon Lord, I suggest that we keep him with us until we return to the Sheikahs. They will have a proper place to confine him.-

Link glanced over at Ghirahim, who was watching them both quietly. He did not seem as upset as Link would have expected. He had always had the impression that Ghirahim was accustomed to having everything go his way. He would have expected Ghirahim to still be raging at him, but he didn't even seem angry anymore. Did he trust Link, even though they always seemed to be at odds with one another? Link wasn't sure what to do. He felt guilty when he thought of helping Ghirahim, since the Sheikahs had told him all the horrible things that would happen if the demons were allowed to live on the surface. About how the curse would ensure an endless, bloody war. But he also felt guilty even considering handing Ghirahim over to the Sheikahs. He knew he couldn't do that. And he knew why.

He turned his gaze back to Fi. He had to tell her that he couldn't give Ghirahim to the Sheikahs. But she also deserved to know why. He had to stop keeping this secret. It was eating him up inside.

He showed her that he could not resign himself to ridding the surface of the demons if it meant they would be banished to the Lower Realms. And then he revealed his feelings towards Ghirahim to her.

For once, Fi seemed taken aback. Her pupil-less eyes seemed to widen. -Do I understand your thoughts correctly?- she asked, her mental voice tense. -You have feelings for the demon lord?-

Link nodded.

-Please, allow me some time to—consider this- She said. She tilted her head to face the demon lord, who was watching them both intently. When Fi didn't move from this position, he said, "Ah, Fi. Don't you know that it's rude to stare?" He smiled. "Still, perhaps you merely needed to gaze upon a creature of great beauty to break the monotony of this vast wasteland, hmmmm? I suppose I can accommodate that." Ghirahim struck up a haughty pose, his expression appearing bored. Link could only smile at that.

Fi didn't speak for a long time. Link waited anxiously. Ghirahim watched them both.

-The path ahead for you will be difficult. But I will assist you.-

Link expressed his gratitude, though Fi only gazed impassively back. -You are welcome. It has been my pleasure to serve as your sword. While I am uncertain how you will accomplish your goal, I know that your intentions are noble. I shall try to help you however I am able.-

Link felt a great rush of relief. Fi was going to help him. For so long, he had felt alone in this. In the knowledge that he had no destiny, and that even his original purpose was tainted. And yet, there had been no one who had really been willing to help him in his new purpose. Zelda maybe, but he had barely seen her since they had both begun their individual quests on the surface. Ghirahim, of course, supported him in his desire to help the demons, but he cared nothing for the Sheikahs, and Link was unsure how he felt towards any of the other surface dwellers. But Fi was willing to help him. In everything.

He embraced Fi. Her body was cool, like her sword, and felt as if it was made of metal overlaid with cloth. She curled her wings lightly around his back. -In all of my time, no one has ever reacted like this towards me. You express joy very strongly, Link. That is something that I like about you. I am certain that Ghirahim will feel the same, once he overcomes his current jealousy.-

Fi's remark caused Link to tilt his head towards the demon lord. He realized to his dismay that her assessment appeared correct. The demon was giving Fi a dark look. Link scowled at him. If Ghirahim thought there was anything romantic between him and Fi, he was greatly mistaken. But Link didn't feel like explaining just now.

-I have a plan you might wish to consider.-

Link turned his head to face her.

Yes! Finally! Link and Fi were both distracted. Ghirahim was sure that Link's affections towards Fi were not anything he need worry about. He certainly hadn't done any of the things he had done with Ghirahim with her. The demon had to suppress a smile at the thought. Anyway, his plan had been successful. He had hoped to goad Link into continuing to block Fi's view of Ghirahim with his enormously large hat. Ghirahim continued rubbing the ropes binding his legs against the rock under the sand. He was almost free...

The knot came undone all at once. Ghirahim jumped up and ran. It wasn't long before he heard panting behind him. Link was running after him. He laughed and put on a burst of speed. He's already out of breath, and if I can get to those caves I can surely lose him. Then, I can just wait until night and look for my soldier's fires...

Ghirahim's thoughts were interrupted when a pair of surprisingly strong arms wrapped around him. Ghirahim pitched forward and they both fell into the sand.

"Ow!" Ghirahim exclaimed. Not my face! But with his hands tied and the Sky Hero as deadweight behind him, he had been unable to break his fall. He sputtered, spitting up sand as he rolled over and kicked out at Link, who was trying to rise from the ground.

Link fell on his back into the sand and Ghirahim rose again to continue his frenzied running. Ghirahim grew closer and closer to the caves-he could see them clearly now. It wouldn't be much longer before he reached them.

Then he was wrestled to the ground. Ghirahim tried to bring his tied arms together to hit Link over the head, but gave up when the hero grabbed his arms. Then he tried to squirm out of Link's grasp, but the Sky Hero was greatly overpowering him. This should not be happening. I am incredibly fit and no lightweight elf should be able to bring me down. But it seemed that Link had, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Argh! I surrender!" Ghirahim said, gasping for air. "I surrender!" Link's hold loosened slightly allowing Ghirahim to take a few deep breaths. His heart still raced from the exertion. Link is a lot stronger than I remember him.

I suppose it's for the best, anyway. Without his real magic, or his full abilities at swordcraft, he realized he wasn't sure he could survive long on his own. He would be helpless against his enemies. He moaned in frustration. He was both afraid and angry at how weak he was in his current state. If Impa or any of the LD-307's found him—Ghirahim shuddered. No, it really was better to stay with the Sky Hero. For now.

Link looked over his shoulder at him, giving him a worried look.

"Just don't hit me on the head again, all right?" Ghirahim grimaced at how the ropes binding his arms had chafed into his skin. Link released the demon lord and he turned to face the elf.

Link smiled and nodded-Ghirahim assumed he was agreeing with his previous request. Then he gestured at the ropes binding Ghirahim's arms together and beckoned for Ghirahim to come closer. Puzzled, the demon held his arms out towards Link. And Link untied them. Ghirahim shook out his arms, feeling relief as he stretched them into much more comfortable positions. Then he looked up at Link, whose bright eyes gazed back at him. "Why?"

Link took his notebook out of a brown cloth pouch at his side, flipped it open, and held it out to him. Ghirahim took it and saw that it was a picture of them traveling together. Yes, I want this. I want to travel with Link. Save the world, my world, with Link.

Ghirahim looked up and saw Link holding out his hand, giving him a hopeful look. Ghirahim took it, sighing. "I really am a fool."

Ghirahim hadn't tried to make another escape since the run for the caves, although Fi had advised Link to watch the demon carefully. Link was just relieved that he didn't have to keep the demon lord tied up. He knew Ghirahim resented being restrained, and it just felt so wrong keeping him that way. Anyway he had found a way to escape the ropes, and Link still didn't know how he'd managed that. Fi had had no explanation for it, either.

The demon lord was smiling and skipping along beside Link. He looked amiably down at the elf. "I'd like to know a little more about you, Link."

Link gave him a surprised look. He pointed at himself, not sure if he had heard Ghirahim correctly.

"Why so surprised? You are so mysterious, Sky Hero!" Girahim sidled closer to him, causing a pleasant shiver to run down his neck. "I want to know everything about you."

Fi flipped out of the sword at Link's back, and Ghirahim frowned, retreating slightly. "Ah. Fi. Was my proximity to your master too close?"

"You are correct that I am concerned for his welfare. He is taking a very large risk with you." She turned to Link. -Are you ready for him to know, Master?-

Link hesitated. But he knew what his answer had to be. He was ready.

"You're doing that thing again, aren't you? Mindspeaking, or whatever it is." Ghirahim looked tense. "It's quite unfair that you have the convenience of speaking to him directly. And it really is maddening trying to guess what you are talking about."

Fi turned to Ghirahim. "I will tell you."

Ghirahim's eyes widened. He seemed surprised.

"We have been discussing you."

Ghirahim turned his face upwards and laughed. "Of course. That I already guessed. Perhaps you could be more specific?"

Fi tilted her head. "Link has told me that he-loves you."

Ghirahim looked shocked this time. His wide eyes shifted over to Link. "You told her? Why?"

Link tried to quiet his guilt. Ghirahim looked so betrayed. He took his notebook out of his pouch and opened it, sketching furiously. He handed the picture to Ghirahim, who looked it over.

"You-you're all alone," he said, his eyes intent on the image. "You needed someone to know-how you felt inside." He looked up at Link, and their gazes locked. Link nodded. Ghirahim glanced over at Fi, and then back to Link.

"I understand." Ghirahim said, though he looked unhappy. He handed the paper back to Link, who tucked it back into his notebook.

Then he surprised Link by embracing him and kissing him passionately. Link returned the embrace, and the kiss, curling into Ghirahim, whose body was pleasantly cool in the searing heat of the desert.

When Ghirahim finally broke off the kiss, Link opened his eyes to look up at him. The demon gave the Sky Hero a toothy grin. "And I wish to express how I feel inside as well."

Link placed the blanket on Firestar. Firestar pulled it off with her beak and dropped it on Link. In his mind, he could see that she was more worried about him being too cold than herself. He could see her making comparisons in his mind to his bare skin and her thick layer of downy feathers. It seemed she thought he needed the blanket more than she did. Link sighed, but wrapped the blanket around himself. Firestar made an approving cooing sound and flew off to find a good place to sleep. Since she was so large, she couldn't fit through the cave entrance here, so would need to find a safer place to spend the night.

Ghirahim hugged his sides and curled his cloak around himself. This place was so nice during the day. Why did it have to be so cold at night?
Link gave him a surprised look. He drew a picture of Ghirahim shivering in the cold and one of him swimming in lava.
Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "I see you've learned about our fire resistance. But why would you assume we would have any such tolerance for cold?"
Link walked over to him and placed a couple blankets over the shivering demon lord. Ghirahim sighed, immediately feeling warmer. "Thank you, Link. I do so dislike the cold." He hadn't been this cold since Releris had kept him in the dungeons. He had been used to the bitter cold then.
But he had grown unaccustomed to it since as ruler he was able to keep as many fires as he wanted. Sometimes he even slept in the fire, which always covered him in soot, but that was not so concerning since he was in the habit of bathing every morning. It was the one situation where he didn't mind being covered in dirt. Soot was the clean part of dirt, anyway.
Unfortunately, Link does not appear to wish to even make a fire. Ghirahim knew why, but lamented the lack of one. He wished the Sky Hero would be a little less cautious. A nice, warm, bright fire, and he might be able to relax a bit. And it might even draw his soldiers to them. Then I would no longer have to suffer this indignity. Ghirahim fumed over how easily the Sky Hero had beaten him. Twice. He is a novice, an utter novice. I must find some way to gain the upper hand.

His eyes examined the interior of the cave. Link was dispatching a chu-chu that had plopped down from the ceiling of the cave and Fi was advising him to keep the remains, which she stated had many uses. Ghirahim raised an eyebrow. Chu-chu's were one of the few surface realm creatures that were also common in the Lower Realms. Ghirahim could only think of one use for them, but it was a very highly demanded use in the Lower Realms. He switched his thoughts back to his plan.

I need to concentrate on that, yes, and ignore Fi's unintended innuendo. I need to assess everything in this cave. Firstly, there is me, and I of course am a radiant light of beauty in this hideous place. And there is Link. I love his beautiful eyes. And his smile. And his hair. And his hat. And-I need to concentrate on my plan and not on how handsome he is.

Ghirahim looked over at Fi, who was glowing in the darkness. There is the sword spirit of the Goddess Sword. She is a difficult opponent.

He turned his gaze to the other side of the cave, where he could just make out several of Link's satchels resting near the wall in the darkness. There are Link's supplies. And one of those satchels must contain the accursed timestone that blocks my magic...

Suddenly, an idea began to flesh itself out in his mind. The end result was a plan that filled him with a manic glee that he could only barely contain.

Ghirahim turned to Link. "Is there any way that I could get some sleep without your creepy expressionless companion watching me?"

"I could fabricate an expression if you wished," Fi said, her tone neutral.

Ghirahim shuddered. "No. No, please don't."

"I could return to my sword."

He tilted his head. "Can you-see things out here when you're inside your sword?"

Link blinked and looked between the sword propped against the wall and the sword spirit. sword. She looked over at Ghirahim. "I may, if I choose to."

That is not what I wanted to hear. "What if a demon wanted some privacy while he slept?"

"I am telepathically tied to my Master."

Also not what I wanted to hear. Let's try again. "Would you be capable of not watching me while I sleep?"

"Yes. I am capable of many things."

But could care less about accommodating me, I sense you imply.

Ghirahim looked over at Link imploringly. "I know you want to make sure I don't get up to any trouble. But I do not think I will sleep well knowing that your sword spirit hovering over me, even if the hovering is figurative. Is there perhaps something you can do?"

Link looked over at Fi and they seemed to just be staring at one another. Fi could have been a statue, for all that her expression told him about her thoughts. But Ghirahim watched Link's expression change between small-frown-crease-in-brow, large-frown-wide-eyes, sigh-of-relief, relieved-smile, and small-smile.

I wish I had the slightest idea what they were saying to each other. I can't deny that I am jealous of you for that, Fi. He was sure that Link had no romantic inclinations towards the other sword spirit, but they did share a bond that Ghirahim and Link could not.

Fi and Link turned to face Ghirahim, and Link nodded.

Fi tilted her head. "I would not wish to leave my Master in danger. But even inside my sword, I will sense if he calls out to me, or if he is in mortal peril. However, I need not detect anything additional. Link has therefore asked me to retire to my sword for the night and emerge only if I sense that he requires assistance. This I will do."

"You aren't so bad after all, Fi," Ghirahim said. "I think you might grow on me."

Fi gave a small bow and jumped back into her sword. Ghirahim waited a few moments while Link prepared a place in the cave where he could sleep. Only the moonlight illuminated the inside of the cave, but fortunately it was bright this night. Now for the next step of my plan-not freezing to death.

Emphasizing every shiver, he looked over at Link. The elf had spread a blanket over himself as well, but Ghirahim could see he still shivered in the cold as well.
"Perhaps both of us would be warmer if we shared the blankets."
Link gave him a surprised look.
"You could warm me, Link," Ghirahim said, his smile suggestive. He noted with satisfaction that even with only the moonlight to illuminate his features, he could see Link's blush. The hero hesitated, but then slowly nodded and moved to Ghirahim's side, settling down next to him and placing his blanket on top of the two he had given Ghirahim. The Demon Lord sighed in contentment and rested his head on Link's neck, curling an arm around the hero's back. Yes, this is much better.
Ghirahim curled up closer to Link under the blankets. Unfortunate that we must wear so much clothing, lest we freeze. Nevertheless... He brushed one gloved hand through Link's hair, their faces inches apart. "Hmmm, would you like to be even warmer, Sky Knight?"
He smiled at Link's blush, and grinned widely at his small nod.
Ghirahim leaned into Link under the blankets, enjoying the pleasant warmth he felt. Link stared back at him with his bright blue eyes.
Their lips met, and Ghirahim stroked the nape of Link's neck as they embraced. Ghirahim traced one hand up the back of Link's neck and ran it slowly through his golden hair. Link's eyes lidded in contentment. Then he pushed the hero gently to the ground.
When their lips parted, Link was flushed and breathing heavily.
Ghirahim smiled widely down at him. "Hmmm. I am going to be a difficult prisoner to keep. Do you know why?"
He nipped lightly at Link's ear, causing the hero to gasp softly. "It's because I am ever so insistent about getting my way." And Ghirahim did plan to have his way. Fi might worry that he plotted to harm the Sky Hero, but that was the furthest thing from his mind. He did, however, plan to gain the upper hand. But first...

Ghirahim ran the tip of his tongue up Link's neck, and purred happily when the Sky Hero moaned. "You know, you are awfully loud for someone who doesn't speak."

Ghirahim ran his fingers through the hair of the sleeping Sky Hero. Oh, how I love you-and wish I didn't have to do this. But now it was time to put into motion his plan to fix his predicament. Grimacing, he carefully disentangled himself from the Sky Hero and crawled out from beneath the blankets. Ugh, so cold, so cold-

He skittered across the sandy ground like a spider, fumbling around the wall until he found the satchels Link had brought into the cave. Some of them had gone with his bird, like the one carrying Ghirahim's sword. But one of these would have to have-

His fingers latched onto something almost round in shape. He pulled it out. The stone glowed faintly and Ghirahim grimaced. He would love to throw it away now, kick it down the hill outside the cave-

But Fi said she would notice any threats to Link. Can she sense if my magic has returned? Would she assume the worst if she did? He wished he had been able to find out, but he hadn't been willing to arouse any more suspicion than necessary with the questions he would need to ask. It had been an uncertain enough prospect as it was, and he could only assume that his success meant that Link had persuaded his sword spirit to be less cautious than usual. Though surely Fi would have thought of the fact that Ghirahim would want to get rid of the timestone, and planned accordingly.

He smiled. But I'm thinking she did not plan for this. He moved over to one of the other satchels and, running his gloved fingers over them, carefully memorized the positions of the items at the top. Then he slowly removed the items, put them to one side, and took out the rest of the items beneath them. He placed the timestone in the satchel then, glad to be rid of it, and placed most of the bottom items back over it. Then he carefully repositioned the top items.

Moving back to the satchel that had formerly held the timestone, he looked between the pile of top items he had already made and the bag, and planted the new items at the bottom of the bag. Then he replaced everything else.

Finally, when the last item had been placed with meticulous precision, he scuttled back to the center of the cave and crawled back under the covers with Link, curling his arms around the sleeping elf. I'll have a lovely surprise for you after you wake, Sky Hero.

Ghirahim woke under the thick blankets, his arms still curled around the Sky Hero. He glanced over at the sun peeking through the mouth of the cave. Then he turned his gaze back to the Sky Hero. Link's eyes were closed, his breathing even. Ghirahim ran his fingers through Link's dark blonde hair. You are mine. And I am yours. He wondered, as he always did, where his feelings for the Sky Hero came from. The Shard of Truth could tell him all that he liked about Link, but nothing about why he felt so strongly for him in the first place. Ever since the day he had first met Link, he had felt this-connection to him. And it had only grown stronger over time.

Ghirahim wanted to understand what that connection was. He was glad that he couldn't lie to himself about how he felt. He understood the qualities he admired in Link. But he didn't understand how Link had projected those qualities in the first place. He doesn't even speak! I barely even know him. And he seems to feel the same for me, though I can't know for sure. Not that knowing had done him any good the last time. He knew that experience had only exacerbated his uncertainties. He knew he was much more paranoid now than he used to be. That had been one reason why he hadn't sought out any further romantic entanglements. Because he wouldn't want to subject anyone worth caring about to such suspicion, and of course he had no desire to associate with another who was not worth caring about at all.

Which is why I wish I understood better this bond I share with Link. I trust him, even though I know that is not at all sensible. I don't want this to end badly, and I fear so much that it will.

Ghirahim sighed. Okay. No more moping. I have a Sky Hero to wake.

He looked over at Link. "Link," he whispered into his pointed ear, then nibbled it. Link shifted, curling up closer to Ghirahim until their foreheads touched. Then he began to snore softly. "Lazy Link-" Ghirahim mumbled as he carefully extricated himself from the hero and the blankets, and knelt near him. At least the place was starting to become warmer again. He looked down at Link's still-sleeping form. He was smiling slightly, his eyes moving rapidly behind their lids.

Ghirahim rolled his eyes at Link, who still lay sprawled out under the blankets. He was really looking forward to the day ahead, and the culmination of his plans. But apparently the day hadn't yet begun for the Sky Hero. I want to surprise you, Link. But when will you ever awaken?

"We are doomed," Orynx said over the table, matter-of-factly. He looked between Ferrik and Darrow, who also sat at the table in Lord Ghirahim's tent.

"Cheery," Darrow said. "But I prefer a more optimistic outlook. I think we have made good progress towards the temple. We can be there before the Spirit Maiden arrives."

Ferrik scowled at Orynx. "We just need to find Lord Ghirahim first," he said.

"He has been gone for over two days now," Orynx pointed out. "None of the search parties found even a trace of him. He wouldn't simply wander off so long of his own free will. The chances of finding him alive-"

"His horse came back! We just have to keep searching in that direction."

Ferrik was right. Epona had returned alive, though she had been so thirsty she had drank an entire trough of water. Ghirahim had adored that horse. He wouldn't have simply abandoned her of his own free will.

"Which direction are you referring to? The trail has long since been obscured by wind and sand. None of our trackers can find its end."

Ferrik snarled. "You just want to give up and die! Or maybe you'd prefer to just bow down to Hylia! Coward! Traitor!"

Orynx rose from his chair, baring his teeth at the other guard. "You try my patience, Ferrik. We have to accept that Lord Ghirahim is dead. We cannot afford to conduct any more searches. In this occurrence, he planned for us to proceed directly to the Temple of Time. It is essential that we stop Hylia from recovering her memories."

"Orynx is right about that," Darrow said. "We have to get to the Temple."

Ferrik sneered at the bokoblin soldier, and appeared to be about to respond with an angry retort, but then he suddenly deflated. "You're right."

"Wait. What?" Darrow said, looking confused. Orynx didn't blame him. Ferrik had spent the past hour being absolutely intractable. The bokoblin was absently turning his newly-invented weapon in his well-gloved hands. "I'm not sure I heard that correctly."

Ferrik slumped onto the table. "Lord Ghirahim would not want us to search for him. Stopping Hylia has to be our first priority."

"So-you agree?" Darrow said.

Orynx looked over to Ferrik, who only stared at the table.

"Yes," Ferrik responded dejectedly.

"So you will call off the searches?" Orynx said. Ferrik had been holding up the entire regiment of soldiers ever since Ghirahim had disappeared, sending off search parties to look for the missing ruler.

"Yes," Ferrik said again, suddenly brightening. "Anyway, I just overreacted. Lord Ghirahim is probably planning to meet us at the temple."

Orynx sighed. It is worse than I thought. Ferrik will not accept that Ghirahim could die. This bothered him more than he expected it to. At least Ferrik wouldn't hold them up any longer, though. Once the search parties were recalled, they would continue on directly to the Temple of Time.

"Let's get to the temple, then," Orynx said.

"Yes, I'll get started on it right away!" Ferrik said, standing and walking out of the tent.

Orynx glanced over at Darrow, who was now studying a map. His heart felt weary. At least Ghirahim had already prepared for this eventuality. He wondered without much interest who the next ruler would be. Grendel was next in line, of course, but Orynx gave slim odds on him lasting more than a year before he either abdicated or was deposed. Perhaps Lady Amelia-but he stopped himself there. He didn't want to think about it right now. Of course, Ghirahim had had his flaws. He had been arrogant, overconfident, and needlessly vain. But he had also been a thoughtful and practical ruler. And almost a friend. He made a decision.

"You have command of the regiment-I won't challenge that. I'll be continuing on to the Temple by myself, though. I'll make faster time that way. We need to regain all the advantage we can."

Darrow looked up from the map he was studying and gave Orynx a concerned look. "That makes sense, I suppose. Still, it's dangerous to go alone."

"I've noticed," Orynx said. He pulled the Unbreakable Sword from his back. "That's why I'm bringing this."