Ghirahim teleported to the Sealed Grounds, transporting his guards and Darrow with him. From his position on one side of the Sealed Grounds, his eyes widened at the destruction being wrought on the other side.

An enormous blue dragon was lashing her tail and swiping sharp claws along the surface of the translucent violet shield covering the Sealed Grounds. Ghirahim recognized the creature from detailed drawings he had studied before his ascent to the Surface. This was the form the water dragon took in battle, an enormous wingless dragon-serpent with a fearsome set of antlers and mane around a face with dagger-sharp teeth.

“Faron!” he yelled across the gap.

She looked up at him, her slitted snake's eyes narrowing.  "Who are you?"

Ghirahim sighed.  "Really?" He said, crossing his arms.  "You're attacking my shield and my people and you don't even know who I am? I'm insulted."

"Oh, so you're 'Lord Ghirahim'," she said.  "So sorry, how about we start this over again?"  She lunged at the shield again, hitting it with a reverberating force.

Ghirahim winced.

"Greetings, Lord Ghirahim.  I am the rain that carves stone.  I am the mist that flows through air.  I am the lifeblood of life.  And I want you and your invasion force gone."

"I see," Ghirahim said.  "You bring a compelling argument. But my answer is still no."

"Alright.  Drown you all, then?  I can do that, too."  She slashed the shield with her claws.  Looking up, Ghirahim saw the clouds darken and thicken, but this time he was not the cause.  Water came pouring down.  

 As if this day was not bad enough, this absolutely ruins my hair , Ghirahim thought, grimacing. 

Ferrik and Darrow attacked the dragon with arrows, but they bounced off her armored scales.  Even the electrified tips of the ones Darrow fired seemed to have no effect on her.  Ghirahim signalled for them to stop their attacks.

 Then he brought a series of concentrated  lightning attacks down on the dragon. But after he had stopped, having used as much power in the attack as he could muster without neglecting the damaged shield, the only difference in Faron was that her slitted eyes glowed.

 “You are powerful indeed,” she said to Ghirahim.  “But foolish to attempt to use such power to destroy me, who is the hatchmate of the Thunder Dragon.”

"Maybe it's time to attempt a more diplomatic alternative," Ghirahim said, grimacing at the welts she made in the shield.  He quickly healed them, but--he couldn't keep this up much longer.  He turned to Orynx.  "Try negotiating!"

"What." Orynx asked, his expression incredulous.

“It can’t hurt!"  Ghirahim said.  "You're the ambassador, remember!"

Orynx sighed. "We’re all going to die," he muttered. He raised his voice.  "Faron!  We--we would like to make another offer!"

She paused again, looking over at the guard.  "And who are you?"

"An Ambassador."

"And what is your offer?"

Orynx was silent for a moment.

"An ocean."

"Explain."

"Well.  We have an ocean.  You could have that ocean.  In exchange for not killing us."

Faron tilted her giant blue-maned head.  "And what makes you think I care about having an ocean?"

"The--well--the water thing?" Orynx said.  "You like water.  Right?"

Faron lidded her eyes.  She clasped her front claws together.  "How very perceptive of you,” she said, her voice dripping sarcasm.  “But I am not so simple a creature to be appeased by mere material offerings."

"Then--there is something else you want.  What is it?"

"A good question.  I am the guardian of this forest.  I require all who enter here to abide by my rules--to not cut down the trees--" she eyed the wood shelters and lookout posts constructed under the shield significantly, "--to not allow the smoke from their fires to burn the foliage or choke the air--" again a look below the shield where multiple smoky fires were being tended, "--to not pollute the waters of the forest--and to not harm those under my protection."  She clicked her claws together.

“Oh." Orynx said.  "You mean the Sheikahs, then.  They're under your protection."

At that, there was a booming sound like waves crashing on a shoreline.  Laughter.

"The Sheikahs! Certainly not!  No, I protect the Parella and the Kikwi."

"Then...the Sheikahs must abide by those same terms?" Orynx asked.

"Correct," Faron said.

"Alright," Orynx said.  "What if we agreed to abide by those terms?"

She bared her teeth.  "I do not approve of your war with the Sheikahs, and I am an ally of Hylia, so do not think we can be friends.  But if you release your Kikwi prisoner, and cease the activities I have mentioned, I will cease my attacks on this outpost.  Furthermore, as a final condition, there are places in the forest where none are allowed.  The punishment for disregarding this warning will be death to the trespasser."

She raised a hand, tapping a single dark blue claw in the air, creating a map.  She pointed to the violet spots on the map.  "These are the places you must avoid if you wish to be spared my wrath."

"I see.  Please allow me a moment."  Orynx turned to Ghirahim.  "What do you think?"

"I think we say yes," Ghirahim said.

Orynx nodded and turned back to Faron.  "We agree to those terms."

She glanced significantly towards the demons under the shield.  "I'm waiting, then."

Ghirahim walked up to the shield and peered in.  "Alright.  You heard the dragon.  Let's get those fires out!"

Demons scrambled below the shield, some repeating Ghirahim's words for those who looked confused or hadn't yet moved into action.  It wasn't long before all the fires were extinguished.

Faron looked over at Orynx and Ghirahim.  "Alright.  You have yourself a deal, then.  I will expect a meeting with Lord Ghirahim within a fortnight to finalize the agreement.  That is all."

She launched herself into the air then and wound off into the distance.

Ghirahim stared off at her. "That went pretty well.  Though I can't help wondering what is in those forbidden spots."

"Please don't tell me you are planning to investigate them." Orynx said, frowning.

Ghirahim smiled.  "Actually no.  We have far more important tasks ahead of us.  Like finding Hylia and the Sky Hero."

"And when we do?" Darrow asked.  Ghirahim turned his head to face the red bokoblin soldier.

The Demon Lord frowned.  "That, I have not decided on."

Ghirahim knocked on the mahagony door.

“Enter,” Amelia’s voice stated briskly.

 Ghirahim teleported into the room. Amelia raised an eyebrow. She sat behind her desk, writing. She wore a lavender dress and had her hair up in two elaborate braids twisted around the back and sides of her head.

The room was spacious and lined with flowers and vines growing from large pots and vases. A large round window to the right allowed the sunlight through--that was new. Ghirahim took a moment to consider it, the ghost of a smile on his face. Amelia had apparently decided that the standard diamond shape didn’t suit her decor. He turned to face her.

“I wanted to express my regret about--the trial.”

Amelia raised an eyebrow.

Ghirahim stood near a vase holding several large iris flowers. “It was a mess. I should have handled it better.”

“It’s not your fault. You were understandably upset. And Terrin was, ah, his usual self.”

Ghirahim chuckled. “Oh, he caused his share of trouble too, but you give me too much credit. I let my emotions get the better of me. As usual. And for that I apologize.”

She looked up from the papers and smiled. “I appreciate that, Lord Ghirahim, though I don’t believe you are at fault. I’ve always felt your heart was in the right place, by which I mean to say that at least you have one.”

He returned the smile. “Anything I can help you with?”

“No,” she said. “Just finishing up a bit of paperwork for the trial. Nothing difficult.”

“Really?  Not a single person decided to raise a fuss over this--mishap?” Ghirahim said, quirking one hairless brow and frowning skeptically. “You don’t have to suffer alone, you know.”

“You have quite enough to worry about without worrying about my problems, too.”

“This is not your responsibility alone. And I’ll worry anyway if you don’t tell me.”

She sighed again, pushing back a lock of mahogany hair. “There have been a few inquiries. Some of the noble houses have insinuated that I--might have had some part in the, ah, defendant’s breakout.”

Ghirahim scowled. “Who? If Lord Grendel or any of his--”

“It’s not him,” Amelia said, grimacing. “It’s not anyone on the Table. Just some of the other nobles who were present at the trial. They’ve also expressed criticism over a number of--safety issues.” She flipped a paper. “Such as this one, which states ‘insufficient guards allocated to prevent my grievous injury from defendant during his rampage through stadium.'”

“But that’s not your fault! I’m the one responsible for security!” Ghirahim sighed, frowning. “Anyway, they probably want some sort of compensation, so I suppose I’d better prepare to pay up. What was the injury?”

“They describe it as ‘a scrape on their shoulder’. Apparently one of Terrin’s overly long nails grazed them as he ran by.”

Ghirahim’s frown deepened. “In that case...should I pay them off or run them through with a sword?”

Amelia’s eyes widened. “Goodness, you aren’t serious about that second part, are you?”

Ghirahim laughed lightly. “Of course not,” he lied. “Anyway, whatever they’re demanding, you can take it out of my personal funds.”

“That’s a relief, for sure,” Amelia said.  She looked up at him with a smile.  “On both counts.”

“I’m happy to help,” Ghirahim said.

He was glad that Amelia had more restraint than he did. He had never actually murdered anyone during a judgment, though he supposed that what he had done to Lord Sirin might have been worse. And there had been times when he had felt that he was a hair’s width away from ending the life of some insufferably entitled noble. It was one of the reasons he had given the position to Amelia to devote her full energies on. She was more forgiving than he was, and anyway it seemed to him to be too much work for one person, with more self-control and patience required than he felt he could handle.

He would need all of those qualities he could muster anyway, though, for what he was about to do next.

Link waited patiently for Fi to finish her explanation. She was silent for a full minute.

“Taking all information into consideration, I have reconsidered this course of action.”

Link’s eyes widened.  Did that mean she wasn’t going to explain the situation?

“Ah.  You misunderstand,” Fi said.  “I will give my explanation in short order. But I  propose we move to a more private place,” she said. Her head turned slightly until her pupilless eyes gazed towards the wall.  “Though I am certain he means well, I do not wish to discuss this in front of your friend.”

Link heard a mortified yelp from the gap on the side of his room. Fledge. He smiled and nodded.  Gathering his things, he watched as Fi phased through the door.  Then he opened it and followed her outside.

He followed her through Skyloft, feeling a bit self-conscious since it was midday and his and Fi’s passage was attracting quite a bit of attention.  At least no one was following them.

They made it to the Goddess Statue without incident.

The door closed behind him and Link stood in the darkened room inside the Goddess Statue. It seemed so much bigger than the other times he had stood inside. He guessed that was because it was emptier. Fi floated above Link, her wings clasped in front of her. “As I said, you must understand the consequences of your decision. And to fully understand that, you must not only better understand my nature, but your own. Now I will talk of the bond between us,” she said, “And how it relates to the Goddess, myself, and you.”

“First, you must understand, Link, that though I do not appear of any particular age, excepting the Goddess I am a being more ancient than any who still dwell in this realm today. I have alluded to this before.”

Link nodded, recalling when she had told him her age.

Fi continued. “Second, as I have told you, I am a being of great power. I was created by the three Goddesses outside of this realm, but for the purpose of protecting it. However, they did not anticipate the nature of the threats that your world would ultimately face, focused as they were on more--external issues.”

Link wondered what she meant by that. Fi tilted her head. “I understand your curiosity, but I think it may be better to focus on the matter at hand for now.”

Link smiled ruefully, and Fi seemed to pick up on his mental agreement.

“My role in this world has changed twice to accommodate the shifting nature of the threat in this world. Slavery is something to which Hylia is greatly opposed. People forced to work for the ends of others against their own will. But my current connection to you and the sword you carry is not a simple matter of enslavement, whatever Lord Ghirahim or Scervo may believe.”

Link didn’t understand what she was saying. Hadn’t she confirmed earlier that she was enslaved to him when they had discussed the binding then?

“It is not that simple,” she said.

"There is a reason I was bound to you.  The Sheikahs did not trust me.”

Link frowned.  He had noticed that.  But--they still didn’t trust her.  And he didn’t understand why that was.  He tilted his head.

“I see.  I will explain the reason the Sheikahs do not trust me, then. It is because, in the last war, I was originally allied with the demons."

Link gaped.  A thousand questions ran through his mind.

"Not with Demise, no,” Fi answered.  “No, I fought in the service of another.  That story is not important at the moment.   But perhaps I should tell you a small portion of my history, to aid your understanding.”

Link nodded.

"Link, what do you know of King Arthur?" Fi asked.

Nothing.  He had never heard of a 'King' before coming to the surface, and no one had named a King Arthur.   Link tilted his head.  

Fi looked briefly surprised, her pupilless eyes widening.  "You have not heard of King Arthur? The Knights of the Round Table?"

Link nodded then.  Was she referring to Arthur, then, the famed Knight of the Round Table?  

"Yes, but he was not only a Knight, but also a  King.  It seems the transmission of this essential history has been most unreliable," she said.  "You are aware that Arthur was a demon, though, surely?"

Link gasped in surprise.

Fi's mouth creased into a thin line.  "I would complain to the historians who transcribed this knowledge, except I know that they are all dead," Fi said, sounding vaguely irritated.

She emitted a resigned-sounding chime.  "Allow me to explain the relevance.  I had many dealings with King Arthur and those who served as Knights of the Round Table.  I was once known as The Lady of the Lake."

Link gaped in shock.  That name he did remember from Owlan's history lessons.  The Lady of the Lake had possessed an immensely powerful sword which she had gifted to the Knight--no--King Arthur.  The sword had been immensely powerful and indestructible...

"Unbreakable, to be specific," Fi said.  "The sword I gave Arthur was the Unbreakable Sword.  It was the same sword Demise stole when he murdered him and all the other Knights of the Round Table.  And it is the same sword Ghirahim is bound to today."

This was a lot for Link to take in.  He hadn't realized how all these seemingly unconnected people and relics were related--Arthur, The Lady of the Lake, Fi, Ghirahim, and the Unbreakable Sword.

"I do not wish to linger too long on this, as it would take a great deal of time to explain it all and most of it is not of immediate relevance, but now I hope you better understand the nature of my service to the demons."

He turned his attention back to Fi, and she continued.

“To further explain my history, during the time I served the demons in my capacity as the Lady of the Lake I was captured.  As a prisoner of war, I was to be locked away forever, since I could not be destroyed.”  

Something glittered in her pupil-less eyes, then, though Link wasn’t sure what it was. Sorrow?  Anger? The concept of being locked away forever was appalling for him to contemplate.  

Fi continued.  “However, Hylia visited me in my confinement and gave me another option.  She offered to allow me freedom of movement.  But because the Sheikahs did not trust me due to my prior service to the demons, I would need to be bound to the will of another who served Hylia.”

She paused a moment.

"I agreed to these terms."

Link gasped.

"However, I added in a stipulation of my own," Fi continued.  "I would choose the one I was to be bound to, from the pool of her allies.  Hylia agreed to this condition, and so here I am today."

“So you see, while I am bound to you, I am not enslaved to you.  Slavery is a means to force a person to serve you. But I was not forced to serve you, Link.  I chose you.”

Link frowned.  He hadn’t even existed then, though.  How could she have chosen him?  He could never be Eldren, the hero she had originally served.

“Link, while your courage is great, so is mine. I am also unimaginably older and wiser than you. And I am much more powerful than you.  But the same was true of Eldren.  I made my choice for a different reason.  Link, hand me the Goddess sword.”

He did so. She curled one wing around the hilt and held it, blade downward. “This blade is an extension of my power. When you wield it, I lend you my strength. And you lend me your judgment.”

Link frowned. What did that mean?

“Link, you have an unbreakable spirit. But that is not all. You are Hylia’s chosen hero for another reason.”

Link tilted his head.

“Because you are incorruptible. You will always strive to discover the truth, and you will always seek to do the right thing. This, too, is what is meant by your unbreakable spirit.”

Link frowned again. He wasn’t a perfectly good person. He’d--he’d made so many mistakes! And he hadn’t been able to diffuse what happened at the Gate of Time.

There was a sound like bells. With surprise, Link realized Fi was laughing.

“No, you are right, a perfectly moral being cannot be created--such a thing embodies too many contradictions, and in the end, who is to say that their attempt to fulfill their morality would be beneficial? But you are, I should think, the closest thing to such a being.”

That couldn’t be right!

“Do you think I am lying? Mistaken?”

He shook his head. He trusted her knowledge, and trusted she was not attempting to deceive him. Still, it was difficult to wrap his mind around.

“I know this may take some time to come to terms with. There are many matters that you would benefit from understanding better. I estimate it would take me approximately 436 years to properly explain them all to you. Which is why we have not discussed this matter before. I did not think it relevant until now.”

Link frowned. This wasn’t a typical situation. Still, his course seemed clear to him.

“I hope I have explained the situation adequately,” Fi said.

Link nodded, a question forming in his mind.

Fi’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Do I--want the binding to be ended?” She looked away. “I cannot not lie to you--the answer is yes.”

Then why, Link wondered, did she try to dissuade him from freeing her?

“There are three reasons,” Fi said. “Firstly, the process would also make me even more powerful than I already am, though I am unable to say to what extent,” Her blank eyes stared down at him, “as it has never before been attempted. However, my great power was the reason Hylia deemed it necessary to bind me in the first place.”

“Secondly,” she said, “triggering the process would alert Ghirahim of the existence of The Sacred Flames. As a Sword Spirit, he is also able to tap into their powers. Furthermore, demons are particularly attuned to relics like the flames which were created through the powers of Din, Nayru, and Farore.

“Ghirahim has already demonstrated an ability to use the Shard of Truth, a relic of Hylia’s that no demon should be attuned to. Alerting him to the existence of the Flames could potentially be catastrophic.

“Thirdly, that may not be in your best interest.  Link, I not only admire your principles--I care deeply about your fate.  But without the binding, I will make my own choices.  The Goddess Sword and I are inextricably linked. If you should end the binding, I could choose a different wielder for the sword.”

Link didn’t see why the last point should be an issue at all. If she chose a different wielder, she would surely have her reasons for doing so. If she wanted someone else to wield the sword, that would be her choice. Even if it was someone like Groose.

Fi had clearly picked up on his thoughts because she smiled and said, “That would never happen.”

Link smiled up at her. Even now that she had explained her reasons, he didn’t see why any of them should be a good reason to continue her binding.

Fi tilted her head. “You still wish to end the binding?”

He nodded.

“Very well,” Fi said, her voice crisp and professional. “Then you need to travel to the three Sacred Flames. The first one is in the Ancient Cistern in Faron Woods.”

Link stood up and prepared looked through his items. He was going to need to buy some things, and then he could get going.

“Mast--Link,” Fi said. “If I recall, you agreed to meet with the residents of Skyloft before you left for the Surface.”

Link stopped. Fi was right. Well, he would do that, too. He needed to make sure Zelda’s father was aware of what was going on, after all. And Orielle would want to know if her friend was alright. He sighed. He couldn’t just race off to the Surface. Anyway, Zelda was safe for now, so it would probably be best to make sure he was as well-prepared as he could be before he returned. After all, the demons still had most of his items. He had even lost the Sailcloth Zelda had given him, though he had remembered still having it when Darrow took his other items. He guessed it might have just fallen out of his pouch at some point. Its loss made the others even harder to bear.

Link looked over at Fi. At least he could visit the Bazaar to get the supplies he would need.

As Link walked down from the Goddess Statue with Fi floating by his side, he saw Wyrna pacing through the grass, calling out Kukiel’s name. When she saw him, she stopped. Fi stopped as well.  “Oh, Link! I’m so glad to see you! Please, Kukiel is missing. I--I’ve been looking for her all day, but I haven’t been able to find her. One of the other knights is looking, too, but I haven’t heard back from him yet. Can you help me?”

Link nodded. Of course he would help. Kukiel had a tendency to be very inquisitive and unafraid of danger. Fortunately, there wasn’t much trouble to be found in Skyloft, but it didn’t hurt to be extra cautious.

“The other Knight already searched the cave,” Wryna said. “He said he’d look again, but he didn’t see her there. I suppose there’s only so many places she could be, but I just need to know she’s safe.”

Link nodded and drew a quick sketch, which he handed to her.

“Hmmm, well, someone did say they saw her over by the graveyard yesterday,” Wryna said.

Fi jumped back into the sword.  Link was already on his way when Wyrna called out, “I’ll be by the house if you find her!”

When he arrived at the graveyard, the first thing he did was examine the gravestones. However, none of the stones seemed out of the ordinary. Finally he rested on the leftmost stone in the bank. It moved, causing Link to become unbalanced briefly. He heard a scraping sound, and saw the door to what looked like a storage shed open. When he walked inside he realized it had a secret trapdoor in the floor. Opening it, he saw a ladder. Which was interesting. Exactly the sort of interesting that a curious child might be drawn to, he thought. He climbed down and saw that he was on a narrow platform on the underside of Skyloft.

He walked along the narrow platform, hoping that Kukiel hadn’t fallen off it. Then he saw something interesting. A tent made of blankets. It was propped up with sticks. Inside, Kukiel was laying on the grass, her head outside the tent and looking up at the sky. Her head turned when she noticed Link, though.

“Oh, wow,” she said. “I’ve never seen anyone come down here.”

Link stopped in front of the tent and sketched a picture of Wyrna.

“My ma is worried about me?” she sighed. “Guess I’ve been here for a while now.” She held up a bottle of pumpkin soup. “I’ve been livin off the land!”

Link smiled. He recognized it as a batch of Kina’s soup from the Lumpy Pumpkin. Someone must have given it to her since she didn’t have a bird yet and so could hardly get to the Lumpy Pumpkin herself.

“I’ll go home, but only if you agree to my demands,” Kukiel said. “Otherwise I could stay here for another, hmmm, five hours even.”

Link drew a large ‘?’ and showed it to her.

“Well, first I want to see the sword person!”  She smiled brightly.

 Fi jumped out of the sword.  “Greetings, small Hylian,” she said, her expression inscrutable.  

“Yay! I’m Kukiel.  What’s your name? And what kind of powers do you have?  And do all swords have Sword Spirits?”

“Fi. Too many to name, but they include physical dissolution and the ability to nullify powerful magic. And no, most do not.”

“Thank you.  Wow!”  Kukiel said.  She turned back to Link.  “Also, I want to get a sword! But I don’t have any money. And third, I want you to teach me how to be a knight!”

Link sketched a response and Kukiel looked it over. She scrunched her face up at it.

“You want me to come with you so we can ask my ma first? Sounds--suspicious.”

Link crossed his arms.

Fi stared at Kukiel with her usual neutral expression, though she also crossed her wings, an odd gesture he’d never seen before.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Kukiel said. “I have to go home first or you won’t teach me how to be a knight. Fine. You win.”

 Link managed to get Kukiel home and agreed to teach her all about how to be a Knight once he rescued Zelda and stopped the war on the Surface.  In truth, he was uncertain that he could accomplish either of those things, but Kukiel had seemed appeased by his promise. He had also agreed, with her parents’ permission, to get her a wooden sword to practice with.

However, it seemed that there was one more task required of him here.

Wryna looked at Link pleadingly. “She’s--really enthusiastic about knights and she’d really like to read you her favorite story.”

“Yes!” Kukiel said enthusiastically. She took out a well-worn green book. The spine was starting to fall off. Link smiled. “Did you know there used to be--used to be a whole bunch more Knights!? And there was someone named Arthur and he was a Knight too!  And they had a giant round table! Anyway, the table’s not the cool part. The cool part is that all the Knights had their own stories!”

Link smiled and nodded. Arthurian legend was taught extensively at the Academy, if not with quite as much enthusiasm as Kukiel was showing for it.  Of course, with what Fi had just told him, he now knew things no other Skyloftian did.

“You want to know who my favorite knight is?!”

Link nodded.

“Terrin the Timid!” she screamed. “He was the best! I’m going to read you his story!”

Terrin. Link didn’t remember that name from his Academy courses. Of course he knew all the major knights, like Arthur and Guinevere and Lancealot, but, well, there were a lot of them. And his mind wandered sometimes.

Also, he couldn’t help think of the one person he’d encountered who did have that name. And he couldn’t help think of what Fi had told him, about Arthur being a demon.  Perhaps this Terrin had been a demon as well.   

Still, Link was sure the knight Kukiel had mentioned couldn’t be in any way related to Lord Terrin , the demon who had tried to kill him. More than once. And wasn’t particularly timid about anything. He told himself that it was just a simple coincidence. It had to be.

“Your expression is getting kind of funny,” Kukiel said, frowning. “Are you okay?”

Link plastered a smile back on his face and nodded.

Kukiel’s expression brightened. “Then here we go!” She opened the book to somewhere close to the end. “The Tale of Terrin the Timid,” she began. “It’s um, kind of a poem and a story all at the same time. Neat, huh?”

She cleared her throat.

“Once upon a time,

Dressed all in green,

Was a knight who

Never did preen,

Though his skill with a bow,

Made the talents of all others seem low.

Though his command of the blade,

Would get no acc-o-lade,

He had a good heart,

And never missed his mark.

One day he was riding,

Aloft his great brown steed Striding,

When he heard a high scream,

Near a babbling stream.

A family was being attacked.

Two and twenty raiders

Yelled into the night

And told him to flee far away

Forget he’d seen this sight

Or in a grave he’d lay.

But he did not move

Except to draw his bow

Until in the grove,

There was not a single foe!”

She closed the book. “I bet they all ran away really fast!  Look, I drew a picture!” She held up a picture of a knight who looked suspiciously like Link riding a brown Loftwing with the word ‘Striding’ next to it with a small black arrow connecting the two. “Here, it’s for you!” Link smiled and took the picture. It actually unnerved him somewhat, seeing as since the Knight also had a little black arrow aimed toward him with the word ‘Terrin’ at the other end. Still, he gave her his best wide, unperturbed smile. Link took out a pad of paper and drew a picture in response, handing it to her.

“Oh, wow! It’s--it’s me with a sword! As a knight! Thanks, Link!”

When Link left, he tucked the drawing into his satchel as he walked towards the bazaar.

He had a shield to replace.

“Your shield--broke,” Rupin said, his eyes wide and empty. “The spelled metal. That’s nearly indestructable. Broke.”

Link looked between the shopkeeper and the metal shards he’d placed on the table between them that was all he had left of the shield he’d been given.

Rupin laughed, though the sound lacked even the slightest sliver of actual joy. “Ahhahaha, I mean it’s no--problem! I’ll just--get you a new one.” He jogged over to the display of shields and grabbed another shield, then placed it in front of Link.”

“Go, ah, save the Goddess! Using Rupin’s Shields for Absolute Heroes!”

Link placed 500 rupees in front of Rupin.

“Oh, no I couldn--”

Link smiled and placed 500 more rupees in front of Rupin. He had to get rid of some of his money. Since he hadn’t needed to buy anything on the Surface, he’d kept most of it in his room. But it had been piling up. With nowhere to spend it, it had begun to collect in every crevice. He hadn’t even lost the money he’d taken to the Surface, because the demons who’d captured him hadn’t taken it from him either!

“Ah. Hahahaha. Why, how generous of you to--tip?” Rupin scooped the rupees from the table into a large satchel and said, “A pleasure doing business with you, Link!” He said, smiling widely again. He scooped up the metal shards on the table and threw them into a small trash basket.

“Wait. Wait!” Link heard a voice. He saw Peatrice rush up to Rupin’s trash basket.

“Yes?” Rupin said. “Can I help you?”

“Ah, I was just going to take out this trash for you,” Peatrice said.

“Oh.” Rupin’s fake smile faltered slightly. “How--considerate of you?”

“If that’s not a problem, that is,” Peatrice smiled sweetly.

“Haha, of course not,” Rupin said. “Thank you for--”

Peatrice rushed away with the trash basin. Ten seconds later, Link heard her call out across the bazaar, “Get your relics! Relics of the Chosen Hero’s epic battle with the forces of darkness! Get your own piece of heroism today!” A small crowd began to congregate around her.

Rupin’s eyes widened, making the fake smile plastered on his face seem all the more out of place. “Haha. A perfect profit-making opportunity, right in front of me. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Link only smiled and shook his head as he turned to leave.

Link was walking back to the Academy when he encountered Groose blocking the path.

"Where's Zelda?"

Link pointed downwards.

"So you still haven't brought her back yet?" Groose asked. "Why not? If you're actually some great hero, why is it taking you so long to rescue her?"

Zelda was currently inside the Gate of Time, and Link had no idea how to get there. On the plus side, he didn't think anyone who might want to hurt her did, either, and she was with Impa, so she was probably safe. Explaining that all to Groose, though…

"What are heroes worth if you’re allowed to be one?!” Groose snarled.  

Link wondered that himself sometimes, but he couldn’t dwell on it here.  He needed to get back to the Academy, so he tried stepping around Groose. Unfortunately that didn't work.

Groose moved his fist back and brought it forward to punch Link, who easily moved out of the way. As it was, Groose's momentum caused him to topple to the ground. Link used this opportunity to continue walking toward the Academy. He was angry at Groose, but he didn't think it would be very fair of him to fight back. Though he really, really wanted to do more than just ignore the man who had tormented him for much of his life.

"I didn't say you could leave!" Groose snarled. Link could hear him rising from the ground. He was now quite a ways toward the academy, a result of his brisk walking, and Groose was now quite a ways behind him. Link continued walking.

He reached the Academy door and opened it. Then he walked into the bathroom and locked the door. He listened to Groose walk past the door. Then he waited. Groose would eventually get tired of searching for him. Either he would figure out where he was and realize that he couldn't get in here with the door locked, or he would get tired of searching and leave. In a few hours, Link would be talking with Gaepora and the other members of the Committee for Assisting the Hero. Maybe he could suggest a shorter name during the meeting. In the meantime, he decided to make good use of his time in the bathroom and take a bath.

As Link settled into the stone tub and turned on the warm water, he realized how much he had missed his home. The Sheikahs didn't see much use in having baths like this one. When he had asked how they cleaned themselves without baths, several of them had laughed. Sheik hadn't, but had showed Link the customary Sheikah method for keeping clean--Lake Hylia. Apparently, the Sheikah cleaned themselves in the lakes and under the many waterfalls in the area.

But the water had seemed so cold to Link. However, swimming in frigid rivers or lakes was considered to build character among the Sheikah, and he hadn't had any other choice while on the surface. When he had explained to Sheik how the Sky People bathed, the Sheikah had been equal parts teasing and jealous.

"Indoor plumbing?” Sheik had said, incredulous. “Changing the water temperature to whatever you want? How do the Sky People handle adversity if they can’t even handle a bit of cold water? Still, I can't say that doesn't sound appealing.  And admittedly less likely to literally freeze you to death."

After Link finished his bath, he headed off towards his room. Groose had long ago given up his search and Link quickly reached his room.

He unlocked his door and walked in. He decided to take a nap before the meeting. As he jumped into bed, he could feel himself immediately begin dozing off.

Ghirahim was standing with his back to Link, staring off the edge of the Sealed Grounds. Link approached the demon slowly. He cleared his throat. When Ghirahim turned around, Link took a step back at the sight of him. His eyes were completely white and pupil-less, similar to Fi's. Also, he wore none of his usual makeup, though his clothing was the same as always. The demon lord frowned, his expression anguished.

"Because of you, Hylia is sealing the demons away. And I had no choice but to use the most powerful magic I can obtain. You have to decide which of us you will help, Link." He held out his hand. Link shook his head, but he took Ghirahim's hand.

Ghirahim smiled sadly. "Thank you, Link. I won't forget your sacrifice."

Link awoke as the sword plunged through his heart. He sighed. At least he hadn't fallen off the bed this time.

“It is time for your meeting with the other Skyloftians,” Fi informed him in her chiming voice.

"Oh, you're here, Link," Gaepora said enthusiastically in his booming voice as Link entered. "I had been hoping--I mean, I'm glad to see you're well, and I hope you can enlighten us all as to the situation with Zelda."

Link gave him a nervous smile. The room was crowded and he was currently the center of attention.

He consoled himself with the thought that at least he wouldn't be doing any public speaking.

"I think we should have a new name," Keet said. "Committee of Assistants to the Hero is just too long."

Peater crossed his arms. "We can just shorten it to CAH."

Keet made a face. "That's terrible. What does CAH even mean? It sounds like some distressed bird call."

"Please, fellow Skyloftians," Gaepora said. "We may not have the most inspired name, but can we put this issue aside for later? We have many important matters to discuss."

"All right," Keet said. He gave Peater a challenging look. "For later."

Orielle stepped forward. "So is Zelda alright?"

Link nodded. Both Gaepora and Orielle looked especially relieved, though everyone seemed cheered by the news.

"Wonderful!" Gaepora said.

"That's great!" Orielle said. "When will she be back?"

Link gave them a nervous smile and shrugged.

"Oh. Then I wanted to ask--I've been taking care of Cerulean since Zelda fell to the surface," she said. "And I'll be happy to continue caring for her, anyway she's such a wonderful bird, but it's been kind of expensive with another Loftwing to care for. Do you think you could--"

Link pushed a money pouch into her hands, giving her a bright smile. Another opportunity to clean out the money he had been rapidly accumulating had finally presented itself.

"Oh, er, thanks," Orielle said, peering into the pouch. "Wow. I'll, um, be sure to buy the extra-fancy bird treats."

"I'm glad that's resolved," Gaepora said. "And thank you, Orielle, for agreeing to care for Cerulean."

"No problem," Orielle said.

"Now, Link, if you could appraise us all of the situation on the Surface," Gaepora said.

Link nodded and began drawing a sketch on the chalkboard. He drew Zelda, Impa, and the Gate of Time.  He did his best to try to show that Zelda would be safe as long as she was there.

"Why is she in there, though?" Orielle asked. "What's happening on the Surface?"

Link drew a picture of the demons, led by Ghirahim, and the Sheikahs, with Tala.

Sparrot pointed to the picture of Ghirahim. "That--that's the one I've seen in all my visions. He tries to kill you, Link!"

Link shook his head quickly and drew a picture of Ghirahim grabbing him to prevent him from falling into a chasm, hoping to show him in a friendly light. Perhaps not the most representative situation he'd experienced regarding Ghirahim, but it had actually happened. Even when the demon lord had been angrier than Link had ever seen him, he had still promised not to kill Link. He wanted the residents of Skyloft to understand that Ghirahim and the demons weren't their enemy. He drew pictures of the Lower Realms with the demons and the redeads, trying to show the horrors that the demons wanted to escape.

"They-just want to be free, then?" Kina said.

Link nodded.

Sparrot frowned. "Maybe I'm seeing a future that has been averted? I shall have to consult my crystal again. So he is--not at all hostile, then?"

Link nodded, smiling reassuringly. It was a lie. But Link didn't believe that Ghirahim would try to harm anyone without being goaded into doing it. No one in Skyloft would be in any danger from the demon lord anyway, and he didn't want them thinking that Ghirahim was trying to harm him or Zelda. He still felt a little guilty, but he didn't want the residents of Skyloft to think he should fight Ghirahim, or that it would be at all just for anyone to imprison him or the other demons.

"So, if he's not the threat, who is?"

Link frowned, thinking. How could he explain this? The demons weren't evil. And surely the Sheikahs weren't evil for trying to prevent their own deaths and enslavement? They also apparently had reason to believe that the one who placed the curse was both able and willing to cause such destruction. The one who--of course!

Link drew a demon with lines of power radiating from him. He drew the demon dying at the hands of the goddess, drew him casting a powerful miasma over the land, and then drew death and destruction.

"So, the evil one is dead, but his magic lives on?" Kina asked.

Link nodded. He was kind of glossing over some rather large details but it was, roughly, how he understood the situation.

"If I may comment?" Shad said.

Link looked over to Shad and nodded. Shad cleared his throat. "The demon that Hylia defeated--Demise--I've read some things about the final curse he cast. They were in ancient Hylian, so a bit more archaic than I'm used to, but maybe those books can give you some clues.

Fi jumped out of her sword. "I would be able to decipher the writing."

"Oh!" Shad said. "That would be great!"

"I would be pleased to assist in the understanding of such material," Fi said. “However, Link and I must return to the Surface at this time. We shall look into this matter further upon our next return to Skyloft.”

“I’ll keep the tomes ready for you, then,” Shad said. He turned to Gaepora. “I’m going to have some overdue books, Headmaster.”

“I think in this case, we can waive the fines,” Gaepora said.

Link left the meeting feeling hopeful.  Cerulean carried him to the break in the clouds that led to Faron Woods.  He thought she missed Firestar just as much as he did.  

Still, as he leapt off Cerulean, he realized he felt more optimistic now about his goal.

Suddenly, he felt a hand grab onto his leg.

A man above him was screaming.

This dampened his optimism somewhat.