PsycoFangirl: "Cosmic Horror" refers to Gigyas, right?

mysteriousguy898: Bethany DIDN'T take nudes of Ghirahim and Ruto. She might like taking pictures, but she won't stoop that low... oh wait, Ruto didn't wear clothes to begin with... huh. I guess Bethany took nudes after all?

Skyward Wind: Epona is due to make another appearance, but it won't be until the third section of this series. We are still in the second third (The third part will start when we see the return of Fi and Midna.)

Hey guys, I'm sorry it took so long. August was very hectic- a lot happened, and among the following was that I got to finally see Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco for my birthday, which was amazing- like I was in a dream that I didn't want to wake up from. They changed a few things to the production, but it was really cool, and Chris Mann played the title character and I was able to get his autograph. (Read the intro to chapter's 7 and 8 of Time's Trade to see a more enthusiastic HolyMaiden24 get excited about this, to the point of making a very special birthday outtake involving the title song.)

This chapter wasn't completely fun to do, with a few exceptions (I kind of hate how long this level takes in the game). I admit that things changed and I feel like I can write more, but it's getting to the point where I feel it it's better if I update this fic at least once a month. However, I have to finish this because I want to honor my duties as a writer and complete what has been started.

Of course, if you've been following me, you'll notice what I've been getting myself into, and some of you are probably angry at me for it. I want to keep promises, but even I'm prone to faults: I might somehow end up finishing Time's Trade before this, but I don't want to even try to start any future Zelda projects until I finish both that and this fic. I would only do something like, say a Minish Cap AU, if enough people showed interest in it (that means that I need to get a certain amount of reviews with a mention of if you want this to happen or not, and I can't tell you the number I have in mind for that). I would rather be honest with all of you, instead of playing with your expectations and appealing to only a few people.

Please forgive me. If not, I understand.

Anyway, I was hoping to post this on the anniversary of when Skyward Swaps first came out, but I decided that I kept you guys waiting for too long.


Chapter 12: She who wields the sword

The one person who should have been the most guarded by the others was currently doing research in the dead of night: Zelda had pulled up as many images as she could, and even the many books of the past heroes to make sure that what was said was true.

Color pictographs showed Queen Zelda- Hero of Twilight- in her youth with her foster family, the resistance, or with her future husband and family. Sepia toned pictographs showed Zelda the Hero of Time, from childhood to old age, with only a few commissioned paintings (one of which featured her with the King of Hyrule, who became her husband and the father to her own children). Lastly, there were only artistic depictions of Hylia's Champion during her adventures, or just as herself and most of them featured either a red hilted or a now familiar black hilted sword...

There were differences, but there were also uncanny similarities- in fact, Zelda saw that she was almost an exact twin to the Hero of Twilight herself. No wonder Zant acted so off around her: he might as well have been seeing a ghost.

"You should be in bed." Zelda turned to see Vaati, who silently observed what she was doing behind her shoulders. "You of all people need their rest, yet I see that you have things on your mind." He nodded to the drawings and the books.

"I just..." Zelda trailed off as she looked at the drawings of Hylia's Champion again, and the sword in her hand.

Goddesses- was the Master Sword a mere corpse now? A ghost? Everything had changed in one day, and that included her perceptions on even the sword itself.

Not only that, but that meant that there was going to be a lot of explaining to do to a certain sword spirit if things fell into the worst case scenario.

"I should warn you that I will be temporarily joining you tomorrow." Vaati told her. When Zelda looked back in confusion, he explained. "The Princess is the barrier maiden for the Temple of the Sacred Sword. It's my duty to look out for her, in addition to making sure that she actually learns to protect herself. She's improving, but I wouldn't trust her to go against these threats just yet."

He took a book out of his robes and handed it to her. "I had to sneak some things out of my personal library: I didn't want my 'roommates' to snoop through them."

"Which ones?" Zelda asked as she took the book and glanced at the title: it was the Hero of Twilight's personal accounts.

"I'm stuck with a narcissist and a being who thinks that he can 'out-magic' me, so to say." Vaati bit his lip. "The sooner I can kick them out, the happier I can be."

Zelda laughed at the idea of Ghirahim and Zant together in one room. Especially how they appeared to be almost exactly alike in their personalities.

-Vaati's room-

Ghirahim looked at the Twili in faint interest from where he lounged on the sofa. Zant was trying to go through the sorcerer's books to see if there was anything of use or interest, but he suspected that the purple haired man took them away or carefully hid them somewhere.

"So your a king from another dimension?" Ghirahim finally asked.

"That is correct." Zant confessed. "The Twili realm houses those who once walked this earth as practitioners of magic."

"Never heard of them."

"I wouldn't be surprised, considering how little the world knew about us in my era."

"Mine wouldn't be of any interest, beyond that it pre-dates Hyrule. Everyone is still living up in the sky."

Zant almost dropped his book when he heard this. "What did you say?!" He spun around with a look of recognition.

"Everyone lives in the sky where I come from." Ghirahim replied as he raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Maybe you've heard of Skyloft?"

"I... I think I did." Zant recalled all too well what happened in the City of the Sky.

"Is that important in anyway?"

"N-no." Zant shook his head and waved a hand. "It's nothing. Tell me- what are you supposed to be? There's nothing Hylian about you."

"You could say that I am a demon, but in truth, I am actually a sword spirit." Ghirahim grinned. "Want to see my real form?"

"Your... what?" Zant was confused.

Ghirahim suddenly rammed a hand into his body and Zant watched with a disturbed fascination as a black sword with a red stone came out of the man's body. With a triumphant grin that was crossed with a pained wince, Ghirahim held the blade skyward. "Lovely isn't it? It'll belong to the one who will become my Mistress, give or take a few years. That charming blonde commander somehow pulled it out though, so the joke's on Hylia for not making a proper seal." He let out a laugh at this.

Zant felt like he really needed a drink after that revelation about his new companion. He reached for the wine bottle that Vaati provided and was about to pour himself a good one into a nearby class cup when Ghirahim cut in-

"What? You find out that I'm a sword and the first thing you do is take it in with a drink?"

"After all that I've been through today, I could consume the whole contents of the bottle." Zant admitted as he finished pouring the amount he wanted and began to drink it down.

"Well, I suppose I should join you then." Ghirahim set the God's Sword aside, got of the sofa, and moved to the wine. "I too might have a reason to take a pleasing medicinal drink, after all that's happened to me today."

Zant had a strange feeling that the two of them would become friends by the time the night was over.

-library-

"You don't want them to find out about their futures, do you?" She asked.

Vaati's eyes became downcast. "I was once friends with Ceiya when we were children. He showed me the timelines as for his own personal fun- I think he must have hated me for something I've done. I saw things that I wished that I hadn't found out. Some things are just better to remain in the dark, instead of finding out the truth."

"What does that mean?" Zelda asked.

"It's one thing to know about your future." Vaati's eyes darkened. "It's another to find out that you become a monster in one of the timelines. I doubt they would want to find out something similar or worse than that."

-the next day-

The Temple of the Sacred Sword was a special location hidden away in the mountains that overlooked the great sea. To reach there, one needed to be transported through a special circle of magic that was only capable by a member of the Royal Family.

"Oh no!" Orik quickly denied and backed away. "We had enough of that yesterday! My men can guard the Castle Town, just to be safe."

The other Gorons were in agreement. The Sky era division couldn't blame them.

"Hey, where's that Gerudo chick?" Groose looked around. "Come to think of it, where's the green haired girl? Weren't they together?"

"I'm not taking risks with Nabooru." Liam held a small vial up. "I had to get Saria to put a sleeping drug in her morning drink."

"She could help us." Karane somewhat reluctantly told Liam.

"She's rash, and she would get us in trouble if she saw Ganondorf." Ashei flatly told Karane. "It doesn't matter if he's back or not- that woman is a disaster waiting to happen."

Zelda, Impa, Link, and Liam already discussed the case of the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage returning to their owners the previous night. It was a slight cause for concern, but they decided to continue on as if things hadn't changed. There was no telling if this was trick on Ceiya's part or not.

And yet, it was hard for Zelda to get over her anger at Liam for what he hadn't told her. Maybe some day, but for now, she would have to put on a face for everyone's sakes.

Meanwhile, Zant was speaking to the Twili's.

"It should be easy to recognize her magic, but if you can't find her by the time the sun sets, come back as soon as you can."

"It's worth a shot." Ariadne agreed.

"Apparently, he want's to help out." Daphne jammed a thumb at Koji, who merely replied. "I think there's more than enough people heading to the Temple to begin with. What's one more for your search?"

"I don't think it's going to be possible." Beliah crossed her arms as her long hair swayed behind her. "This world is far bigger than we could even imagi-"

"And yet, you know that she would very much like to kill me." Zant placed a hand on Beliah's shoulder, and the woman suddenly let out a startled gasp at the intimate touch from her king. "I doubt she would leave Hyrule, when she has much advantages in her favor this time."

Beliah finally relaxed and grabbed her King's hand over her shoulder. "Whatever happens... don't do something reckless." She pleaded.

Zant gave the woman an appreciative smile before his helmet came back on and let go of the woman. "But of course- as long as none of you do the same."

Meanwhile, Princess Aryll nervously gulped as all eyes were watching her, from both the past and present.

"It's fine, your highness." Vaati tried to reassure the girl. "This magic flows through you. Pretend that we are voices in the back of your mind, but focus within."

Aryll smiled with a nod and walked a few steps away from the group. Once there, she closed her eyes and held out the baton and waved it as she began to chant an ancient tongue that only a very select few could recognize.

"Well, we all had fun." Bethany grinned to Geode as she handed a picture to him. "Seeing as you have an eye for the zora princess, I thought I'd give you something on the house."

To Geode's embarrassment (and the other Goron's amusement) it was a rather well taken picture of Ruto. When the Zora royal realized what Bethany wanted to do, she willingly complied in showing her beauty off in all it's well angled glory. (and it was easily the same with Ghirahim.)

"I have more angles of her." Bethany whispered her promise to Geode, who couldn't fight off his blush.

Ruto noticed this from a distance and cringed. "Is that really how we are going to be seen in the future? Pictures for anyone to enjoy themselves with for practically nothing?"

"I for one, don't mind." Ruto turned her head to see Ghirahim with a pleased grin on his face. "We shouldn't deny the world our perfections. Otherwise, you can choose bliss in ignorance, if it makes you more comfortable."

Zelda watched this exchange as she stood by Link, but her eyes were on Ghirahim: this being was more than just dead in her era. He might not even know that they were going to his own resting place, and he wasn't even aware of the irony in his own words.

"Oh Zelda." Bethany sang as she approached the girl. "I made several copies of them- take your pick. I won't judge, though personally I would have both."

There was a scoffing noise.

Zelda glanced over to see that it was Zant who made the Twili- who was wearing his helmet- was right next to Liam, who was more focused on Aryll. As his subjects disappeared into twilight particles, with Koji in tow, she realized that there would be one more person she needed to speak to.

"Got it!" Aryll cheered out with a laugh as the ground below them lit up with a soft blue light.

Zelda took a deep breath as the light engulfed them- sometime today, she would have to pull out the Master Sword. But was it really the first time? Or was it going to be something like the fourth or fifth time, not counting her theft from yesterday?

-Stage 11-

The Temple was more like an ancient city that was crumbling to ruin, but they all could see the temple in all of it's glory.

Inside that temple, would be the key to their victory. Everything was now on Zelda's shoulders.

Aryll glanced back from her spot and shot her brother a pleased grin, before hurrying back to Vaati. To the wind mage, she also gave him an eager grin, and her tutor responded with a rare, genuine smile of pride.

"It's practically a ghost town here." Link was in silent awe.

"So, you haven't been here before?" Zelda asked.

"Not really." Link admitted. "They sealed this place up with magic, so we couldn't get in. We just broke through the barrier-"

"Except the Master Sword itself is a barrier." Impa crossed her arms. "It keeps a fragment of evil locked away. Once pulled, the spirit will be free."

"And the additional barriers surrounding the temple were made with a special type of magic." Liam added in. "But we already went over what we have to do, so long as we can combine our strengths."

Zelda nodded and turned to Proxy and Sunny (who offered to give additional help as a secondary messenger). "You make sure we are all ready." She told the fairies.

"Right! I'll take to the skies!" Proxy flew up, followed by Sunny.

"Aright then." Zelda took her sword out and glanced at the others. "Let's work together to retrieve the Master Sword."

"First, let's awaken the statues." Liam reminded her, before turning to the Hylian Princess. "Where exactly are they?"

"If memory is correct, the Statue of Servitude is to the west." Aryll pointed. "The Statue of Twilight is to the north, and the Statue of Waves and Flames is to the South."

"Huh... that's-" Liam glanced around the group. "Oddly helpful."

"One statue to a servant eternally faithful." Aryll recited. "One statue to one exposed to the eternal sunset. One statue to a ruler of the elements. Pray for the hero's passage, and the doors will open."

"I will take the Statue of Servitude." Impa proceeded towards that direction. "As a servant to the Royal Family, it is only fitting."

"I know you hate each other, but could you follow her?" Liam quietly asked Ghirahim. "She might need help."

Ghirahim made an annoyed sound and followed after the General, but the truth was that Liam wanted Ghirahim as far from the Master Sword as possible, in the event that something would happen.

"In that case, I will seek out the Statue of Twilight." Zant went north, followed by Agitha, who happily twirled her parasol in her hands as she exclaimed. "And I will join too, just in case!"

"Well, I guess it's a no brainer." Darunia glanced to Ruto. "The last one's all for us." They too went on ahead. In the meantime, the army gradually dispersed themselves, in preparation for whatever would come their way, or if Ceiya would make his strike while he still could.

As Impa sensed Ghirahim following her, she shot the spirit a dark look over her shoulder.

"The feeling is mutual, Sheikah." Ghirahim spat.

"I have a name." She retorted.

"You're all the same to me. It doesn't matter what your name is."

Patience, temperance, humility... Impa reminded herself as they entered the courtyard where the first statue was located, and beyond the walls, they could see the ocean rolling off in the distance. The statue appeared to be a hooded figure that carried a sword in each hand, and here Impa knelt before it on her knees and began to pray.

"I am a servant, bound to the Royal Family since the beginning of time." Impa closed her eyes. "The King of evil has come back to our kingdom. Please grant the hero passage to the sacred sword."

The statue suddenly lit up with the mark of the Triforce at the center of it, but it caused a trigger.

Throughout the lower half of the courtyard, ghostly apparitions appeared in a flash of light. To the surprise of everyone, they looked like a light version of the knights of Hyrule, and they proceeded to attack.

"All intruders must perish!" One of them yelled out in an ethereal voice.

"The sacred sword must remain untouched!" Another yelled.

"Holy-!" Bethany cursed as they swarmed in to attack. "What are these guys?!"

"These are the guardians of the temple!" Aryll told her as Vaati held a protective arm out in front of her and readied a spell in his free hand. "They are bound to this place, until the hero appears!"

"Well why can't they see that were on their side?!" A knight yelled as the ghost knights charged ahead.

Chaos ensued as the living and the spirit world entered a struggle. All the while, those who sought the statues hurried as fast as they could, while Impa was left vulnerable and at the mercy and protection of a sword spirit who hated her with an extreme prejudice.

"I just have to protect a Sheikah!" Ghirahim hissed in anger as he swung his sword out at his opponents and kept them at bay. "What has this world come to?!"

Meanwhile, Zant and Agitha located a set of closed doors that blocked off the northern part of the temple. However, a set of doors was nothing to a being who could easily transport a young lady and himself beyond the doors, and this way of cheating was rewarded, as they found the next statue.

"Keep an eye out for me." Zant requested to Agitha as he approached the statue and knelt in front of it, while the girl turned around to face the inevitable.

"I come from the Twilight Realm, and I require help." Zant spoke. "If this hero... if she is truly worthy of succeeding the Hero of Twilight... of my Lady Wolf... give her the sword she once wielded in my era."

Agitha let out a gasp of horror as the doors opened and the ghost knights came flooding in, but Ashei then came right after them, with ball and chain in hand.

"You shouldn't leave a kid to do a woman's job!" Ashei yelled as she swung the ball right at the knights.

It took a lot longer for Darunia and Ruto to find the last statue. They had to navigate their way through the area right outside the temple itself, where even more ghosts appeared.

"I hate this place already!" Ruto complained as she tried to run after Darunia. "Why did they build this place like a maze!"

"Well you got to admit!" Darunia grinned. "It's creepy, it's ancient, and it's a-maze-ing!"

Ruto groaned at the joke, before they finally came upon the last statue, which held two very familiar looking medallions.

"I'll go ahead and do it." Darunia told Ruto. "You move faster than I do."

"Got it!" Ruto nodded as she positioned herself to attack, while Darunia sat beside the statue.

"I rule over the Goron tribe, and over the fires of Death Mountain." Darunia told the statue. "Give the blonde haired girl passage to the Master Sword: let her into the temple."

"Everyone's at the statues!" Proxy yelled as he and Sunny flew to Link and Zelda. "They are being activated as we speak!"

"As soon as the doors open, run as fast as you can." Link turned to Zelda. "We'll make sure you have a good opening from here on out."

"Got it!" Zelda nodded.

Unfortunately, the amount of ghosts somehow doubled, and were now near the gates to the temples themselves. The living knights had no choice but to force themselves to continue on and fight to protect those who were at the statue, and the one important to the task at hand.

"It looks like the ghost soldiers are in the temple." Liam mused as he readied a spell of his own at the soldiers. "Where are they coming from?"

"You know what, forget waiting!" Zelda told Link. "We should get going, now!"

"Come on, I'll help you out." Link grabbed Zelda by the hand and ran towards the temple, followed by Proxy, who flew after them. As soon as he was sure that Zelda was following him, Link took his sword out and began to charge through the hordes.

"Could someone be pulling the strings behind these attacks?!" Proxy asked. "I mean, this is one defense too many!"

As they continued to run, a burst of magic suddenly hit Link, who hit the ground face first in almost no time flat. Zelda stopped and turned in alarm to see-

"Liam?!" Zelda asked in alarm as the sorcerer approached them, but almost immediately she realized that something was wrong. He looked paler than normal, as if someone had drained the color from his skin and hair.

"You have no idea how GOOD that felt!" 'Liam' let out a crackle before yelling out. "DESTROY THEM!"

"You're not Liam!" Proxy yelled in anger as the ghost soldiers continued their advances towards them. "He would never attack his friends!" He added as Zelda drew her sword ready.

The copy of the sorcerer scowled. "You two are such nuisances! You keep interfering in my fun and you keep coming back, no matter how many times you get beaten down!" He roared as he sent a wall of magic at Zelda, who quickly dodged it.

Meanwhile, Link gingerly got up off the ground and reached for his sword when he saw the ensuing battle between the fake Liam and Zelda. Somewhere, deep inside him, the part of him that helped bring Shadow into existence was boiling with anger when he recognized the coloring of the fake Liam: how dare he show his face after what he told him!

Link used his sword to hoist himself back up, and quickly hurried into the battle, just as 'Liam' sent an attack at Zelda that knocked her shield clean out of her hands when she tried to block the attack. The shield went flying into one of the walls of the ruins, and the girl was left with only her sword, as the copy let out a laugh. "Can't protect yourself now, can you?"

"Hey faker!" 'Liam' turned too late as Link sliced his sword into his body. 'Liam' let out a cry as the sword cut into him, and yet no blood was drawn as he struggled to regain his balance. Unfortunately for him, Link wasn't done yet, and he sent his full fury at the copy, while Zelda allowed the prince to have his moment with the copy.

"GO!" Link yelled as he blocked an oncoming attack, when 'Liam' was able to recover. Zelda nodded and hurried as fast as she could.

"I'll kill her before she gets the sword!" 'Liam' let out a crazed laugh. "You can threaten me all you want, but I'll get her in the-"

He was cut short when, in the heat of the moment, he forgot who he was dealing with, and Link sent his sword through the copy. The copy let out a startled gasp, as Link glared at him. "You were saying?"

The copy let out a growl and suddenly vanished from Link's sword. In that moment, the spell that confused the ghost soldiers faded away, and they came to their senses.

"Wh-what happened?" The captain asked as he and his men glanced in confusion at the living, as if awakening from a dream.

"Got it!" Darunia suddenly yelled out as his statue lit up.

Throughout each three chambers that contained the statues, the prayers were received, and the statue's burst into light, before it died away, along with the mark of the Triforce. Each person who prayed felt as if their energy had been spent, and found themselves too exhausted to fight, but the doors to the temple finally opened up.

"I can't fight in this state." Impa panted as she collapsed to the ground. "Th-they need us!"

"Get up and fight!" Ashei yelled at Zant. In response, the Twili could only wave an arm up, before it collapsed.

"Ugh, I'm getting too old for this." Darunia complained as he collapsed on his back. "Oh Din, what am I saying? I'm still burning with youth and strength!"

"The doors have opened." The captain realized. "The one who must wield the sword- have they arrived?"

"Yes." Liam smiled. "You are free to go, if that is what you wish."

"Of course." The ghost captain nodded. "Please excuse our trespasses."

"It is fine." Liam assured him. "You were only following orders, sir."

There was a sense of a smile in the ghost's voice as he and all the ghost knights faded away. "Of course. Thank you for understanding."

Meanwhile, only one member of the army and a fairy was inside the beautiful temple, and they was just entering one of the side corridors, when a flash of red filled the building, and they came face to face with a horde of bokoblins, lizafoes, and re-deads.

"What on-?!" Zelda almost stopped in her tracks. Did Ceiya pick up what they were doing, or was this the further doing of Liam's copy?

"Hurry!" Proxy yelled. "Your almost there!"

With no defense in her hand, Zelda was forced to charge through the wave of monsters and leave fate to decide if she would live or parish on her own.

Outside, those who were not aware of the monsters thought that they finally achieved victory, and some were celebrating a bit too early.

"We'll get to see the Master Sword!" Bethany laughed in joy as Ashei was dragging Zant back to the center of the ruins, with his arm over her, while Agitha trailed behind.

"Don't get cocky just yet." Ashei warned as she glanced around the knights. "We still have a few who are missing."

"Brother?" Aryll walked to Link and grabbed his arm. "Do you think she's safe by herself?"

In response, Link could only glance to the temple in worry- this victory felt too easy, and he was very tempted to rush ahead and make sure that she was safe. "Wait here." He told his sister and ran on ahead.

Zelda's heart was beating in anticipation for what was going to come next, and she almost wished that the monsters could go away, so she could find the sword of legends. The sheer number of the monsters made her feel fatigued, and especially after facing the ghost soldiers.

She finally came upon a set of closed off doors, and even more monsters than before, and she pushed herself to fight them all off, even if her body felt like it was already protesting. Slowly they fell, one by one, and she felt that any second- any minute- those doors would open and she-

"They're open!" Proxy yelled, and Zelda turned to see that the doors finally opened to reveal a beautiful forested grove, where something was shinning in the sunlight.

"This is it! This is it!" Proxy laughed. "Go on and get the sword! I'll go and tell the others!"

"This is it." Zelda felt her heart stop as she echoed those words in wonder. With a burst of energy, Zelda rushed through the doors and into the hidden grove as fast as she could. The faster she could do this, the better the chance she would have of getting out of this mess alive and for Hyrule to have a chance of victory for what was to come- it was all on her shoulders now.

The grove was rather beautiful, but her attention was at the sword that was right in the center, with sunlight gently casted upon it. For one moment, it felt like all the fighting that was occurring around her ceased to be, as she stood face to face with the legendary sword that was so often spoken of since she was a child.

Despite that she was in a hurry, she couldn't help but admire the blade since it was the very weapon used by the past heroes. However, she felt a little depressed when she realized something: first, she already pulled this blade out of the pedestal many centuries ago, so this moment was not going to be as special as it should have been. The other... the other was that she already knew the other truth about why this blade was special. Something that no one else would know, because the truth would forever remain a part of speculation and myth.

But no wasn't the time to think- quickly, Zelda grabbed the handle with both hands, but then she hesitated and closed her eyes.

"Please-" she began with as much courage as she could manage as she spoke to the sword. "I know who you really are- I know your true name. I don't know if the others before me knew, but I need your power more than ever! Please remember who I am Ghirahim! Remember that you once gave me to you, in my time of need! Give me the strength to save our past and our present!"

Her grip tightened on the handle and she began to pull, but a pair of hands suddenly covered over her own hands and stopped her.

For one moment, she was afraid that it was the false Liam who was stopping her. She looked up in alarm to see who it was- but it was possibly one of the last few people she would have suspected:

"I knew you would come for me, commander." Ghirahim gave the young warrior a pleasant smile.

"What are you doing?!" Zelda frantically asked. "You're supposed to be protecting General Impa!"

The spirit let out a laugh and shook his head.

"This isn't funny!" Zelda demanded. "Let go of my hands and let me pull out the-"

"Stop and think, dear girl- how or why on earth would I be in two places at once?"

Time stopped when Zelda took in those words and came upon a startling possibility. Somehow, it made complete sense to her, and yet she couldn't believe it all the same.

"...You're the present version of Ghirahim." She realized as the area around them turned white and the Master Sword disappeared from her grip.

She glanced around in confusion before he could explain it: "Your consciousness is currently within a separate time frame outside of the real world. As long as you are holding onto the sword or until you pull it out, you are tied to this dimension."

The present day version of Ghirahim grinned as he let go of Zelda's hands. "It's good to finally see a version of you who knows the truth. Let me guess- this is during the war against Ceiya and I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on Impa, correct?

Zelda slowly unclasped her hands together, but she still stared at the spirit in shock.

"You... you aren't asleep." She began. "You never were asleep-"

"In a way, I am still alive, and in a way, I am dead." Ghirahim confirmed, although there was no denying an air of smugness. "Fate is funny like that, but it all comes down to divine power, thanks to a certain reincarnation of His Sire, and my brilliant determination."

"But I thought you were supposed to be asleep!" A confused Zelda continued. "In order for the Master Sword to be timeless, you had to be trapped in an endless sleep!" she then remembered her research and the recollections. "You were there... you were there for the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight when they pulled the Master Sword out." She then looked up in anger. "Why didn't you tell them who you really were?!"

Ghirahim's smile faltered until there was genuine sorrow in his eyes. "I... I promised I would be there for you. I promised when you put me to sleep.. but you never knew who I was. Not when you were a small child who never grew up with those tales and not even when you were a young woman who was too lost in depression to make the connection."

Zelda was torn between feeling sorry for the spirit and wanting to tear her hair out. "I'm not them! Why does everyone say I'm the same Zelda?! Who am I to you?" She asked. "We know each other, but we aren't the same person we met before. I'm not your Zelda- I'm the girl who pulled out the sword before her, remember?"

There was a silence between the two.

"You- that is to say the first Zelda-" Ghirahim corrected himself "-was cursed to be forever tied to Demise. It was because of this that I wanted to make sure that I would always be there for you, even if I lost my corporal form to do so."

"So... so I'm cursed to be forever reincarnated." Zelda now understood. "I suppose it makes sense." She let out a weak laugh. "All those coincidences, with the names, the destiny, the Triforce- and now I'm part of the cycle."

"You were once a soul who needed guidance and a reminder of what was once important." Ghirahim admitted. "You were once tied to Zant though a friendship so painfully familiar, that I envied him when I saw your memories. I couldn't stand it when you were depressed, and I needed to push you. I can't stand fools who choose to mope, rather than push onward, and you were falling into those habits."

Zelda managed to smile.

"You were once the closest thing I had to a daughter. I regretted taking those years from you- I regret that I didn't stop you from drawing me out, and all the suffering you had to endure all at once and at such a young age. That version of you was with me the longest, but you gave me a happiness that I could never have experienced if I regretted my choices."

Ghirahim closed his eyes as he remembered her. The first Mistress- the one who they all began with.

"You were once everything to me... Oh, I could ramble on about it: I was more than just a weapon to you, you know. You were a part of my soul- your father once said that the sword was an extension of the soul. That was what you told me-" Ghirahim closed his eyes in pain as each memory of those incarnations came to mind, but his first one almost made him stop. "You were everything to me... what else could I say about you when you were Hylia's Champion? We had a bond so strong, that it lasted long after the time of Skyloft was over and Hylia's people once more roamed the earth."

He finally glanced back to Zelda. The first Zelda he knew, even before his Zelda.

"And of course, there's you- the one who cheated time and fate itself." He grinned at her and threw his arms out in a wide gesture. "The Hero, The Daughter, The Wolf, and The Commander- they are all one and the same, and yet not quite! Each girl shares the same soul- the same template- and yet they are never the same! I suppose that must be what it feels like for a parent to watch their child grow with age, and yet I will never regret meeting each and every one of you."

"Wait- so you know how this all turns out!" Zelda realized. "You know if we win or not-" Ghirahim suddenly held a hand up to stop her: a hand that bore two ribbons of pink and green forever entwined around his wrist. "That past version of me is going to forget everything when your battle with the black sorcerer is over."

Zelda was confused. "What? How?"

"There is so much that I wish I could tell you." A dark look crossed Ghirahim's face "This will not be a war so easily won, and there will be much sorrow caused by this. But much like so many years ago, we both have to obey the laws of time."

Zelda opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but he held a finger up this time.

"There will be nothing but headaches, if you try to think too hard on this." He warned her.

"Will... will the old 'you' know the truth?" Zelda asked.

"Perhaps, and perhaps not." Ghirahim shrugged. "That's for you to find out."

Another silence fell between the two of them.

"Once I pull the Master Sword, you'll go back to sleep, won't you?" Zelda sadly asked. "I need to go back to the others, but I don't want to- I don't want to do that to you."

"As long as I get to fight beside you, it doesn't matter." Ghirahim cupped Zelda's cheek and made her look up at him. "Don't you dare pity me- we made our choices long ago. I made my choice without any regret- it's time you do the same and do what's right."

Zelda gently grabbed onto his wrist. "Will I remember any of this?" She asked.

"You will." Ghirahim assured her.

"Good." Zelda smiled. "That wouldn't have been fair if I didn't. Except... I won't be able to look you in the eye."

"You have to."

"...I almost don't want to do this."

"This moment is a dream for you- a pleasant dream, I hope. But you have to wake up, in order to continue on, no matter how brief this moment was."

The spirit bent his head and kissed the forehead of his Mistress reincarnated. "I will be angry if you don't." He warned her.

Zelda let out a laugh as Ghirahim let go of her chin and grasped her hands.

"There's one more thing." Zelda added- this was something that was very important to her, no matter if she lived many lives before or not. "Now that I know, there's something I need to tell you." She took a deep breath and quickly hugged Ghirahim as tightly as she could.

"Thank you Ghirahim. On behalf of the past heroes and for always being there when they needed you the most, thank you. And thank you for being there for me- I promise I will use the Master Sword to win this war, and I won't forget the truth for as long as I live."

The sword spirit smiled and held Zelda to him. A few seconds passed, before he allowed a hand to be free and stroke Zelda's hair- that beautiful golden hair that once fascinated him and returned through this incarnation of his Mistress. He wondered if meeting Zelda before his intended Mistress was what caused the interest in her hair in the first place. The long hair seemed like such an inconvenience at the time, and now it symbolized something far more than that.

Of all the Zelda's who came before, this one was special in her own way: she knew him long before he knew her, and she knew the truth, no matter how painful it was. But he wouldn't of had it either way, because, for one moment, Zelda was seeing him for who he was: not a sword, but as a living being.

Ghirahim slowly let go of the wonderful girl, and her arms slipped away from his frame until their hands reunited once more- together as one, as it was always meant to be.

Ghirahim smiled to her and as he slowly faded away. "Thank you... Zelda."

He then disappeared altogether and the whiteness became blinding to the point that Zelda had to close her eyes. She felt the pair of hands fade away from her own as the handle of a sword came back into her grasp.

"This time, my dearest Zelda, I am now yours to wield: you are now and forever always my Mistress."

Zelda felt tears in her eyes as she smiled, before finally pulling the Master Sword free from the pedestal and opened her eyes to the tops of the trees and the sunlight as she held the blade skyward.

The blade brightened up and briefly became outlined with a light that seemed to rival the golden radiance of the Triforce itself. She could feel the blade connecting with her- becoming one with her, as if it had always meant to be.

Zelda stared at the Master Sword as it shone in it's full glory in a golden radiance, before it faded away. Carefully she lowered the sword and glanced at herself in the reflection of the blade and saw, not a commander or young woman, but a hero.

There could be no regrets. Only hope for the future.

"Thank you, Ghirahim." Zelda smiled at the blade of the sword as a dark presence appeared behind her.

"So, the little missy has her hands on a new sword, does she?" Zelda glanced back to see Wizzro floating right behind her.

With a determined scowl, Zelda held herself in a ready stance, with the Master Sword out and in her hand, ready to once again fight alongside it's Mistress.

"Oh no you don't! Wizzro sent a spell out at Zelda, but the young woman was unfazed as she entered the fight against the wizard. She swung the Master Sword out and struck the wizard the moment she could, and allowed the blade it's first taste of fighting in over several decades.

In the brief span of time she fought against Wizzro, Zelda marveled at how well the Master Sword felt in her grasp. It didn't feel as if she was granted a stronger form of power, but it felt as if it truly had been a part of her to begin with. It was easy to wield, and it felt glorious.

It wasn't like when she used it against the Imprisoned, where it felt like a privilege: this was something far more than that. This was the sword used by the past heroes- the sword used to defeat demons and evil kings- this was the sword she had been destined to use since before she was even born. The Master Sword felt as if it had already been her sword to begin with.

Wizzro could feel the full sting of the Master Sword in Zelda's attacks, and he realized that he wouldn't last forever- not only was the girl skilled in her abilities, but the addition of the Blade of Evil's bane somehow felt even more painful than a normal blade.

"Gah, fine!" Wizzro flew back. "I'll take care of the others!" He declared as he disappeared into a dark pool that vanished seconds later.

Zelda didn't waste anytime to hurry out of the temple. "Oh no you don't!" She growled.

It was around this time that Proxy delivered the good news to everyone.

"She has the Master Sword!" He cheered as loudly as he could. "She went into some sort of grove, and she should have it by now!"

"That's great!" Sir Winslow laughed as the other knights let out a cheer for victory.

Aryll let out an excited squeal and hugged her brother. "There's no way you all will lose!"

Link was about to return the gesture, when suddenly a huge number of monsters appeared in flashes of red across the temple grounds. The already small numbers of the army was entirely surrounded, and those who were struggling to rejoin the others were in for a nasty shock.

"Don't just stand there, get them!" Link quickly let go of Aryll and took his sword out, while allowing the princess's tutor to once more keep a protective stance by her side.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Aaron groaned as he and the other knights readied for the next part of the struggle. Elsewhere, a certain sword spirit was struggling to carry the Sheikah general over his shoulder (much to his disgust) and was sending waves of attacks at his opponents with his sword, while Ashei found herself stuck between carrying Zant and facing her enemies. She cursed the goddesses and let go of the Twili king, who fell to an unsightly heap on the ground and readied herself to fight, while the self proclaimed bug princess charged ahead with her insects. As Ashei swung the ball and chain, she barely noticed Zelda, who ran full on ahead towards the center of the battlegrounds, and sliced and cut through her enemies with the Master Sword in her hand as if they were nothing.

"Oh princey boy!"

Link turned in alarm to see Wizzro crackling with laughter. "Payback time!" He sent out a jet of black magic that struck Link right into his chest. The young man was unable to move, for the magic was so strong that it felt like being repeatedly punched in the stomach, with little time to react.

Wizzro let out a happy crackle as Link collapsed to the ground and clutched his chest. The royal could taste a familiar metallic favor in his mouth, and he began to be concerned with just how badly damaged he was on the inside. If he had still been Shadow, it wouldn't have hurt, but now he was a true flesh and blood being once again, and his pain didn't have to solely come from the sun itself.

"KEYAH!" Wizzro moved forward, with hands out and already forming another spell-

-a pink and yellow figure suddenly leapt out into his vision and a blade crashed into his body and knocked him back.

"Zelda!" Aryll gasped as she watched the young woman mercilessly deliver blow after blow against the wizard.

"Is that the creature you told us about?" Vaati asked Aryll. "The one who attacked you?"

"Yes, it was him!" Aryll angrily pointed. "It was because of him that my brother was forced to run away from us!"

"I see." Vaati raised his hand up and began to chant. Aryll was about to ask what he was doing, but then recognized the spell and kept quiet.

"You witch!" Wizzro howled at Zelda from where he knelt on the ground and struggled to overcome the pain from his wounds.

"You're a coward." Zelda only replied as she held the Master Sword out at her side. "Did you think that I wouldn't go after you?"

"I WILL PERSONALLY TEAR ALL YOUR ORGANS OUT, YOU LITTLE B-"

There was a flash of gray light that covered Wizzro up.

And seconds later, Zelda was granted the sight of a perfect replica of the wizard of the ring cursing at her with an accusing finger in the finest gray marble she had ever seen.

"What the-?" A loud and hysterical laugh cut her short and she glanced to see a certain sorcerer struggle to hold his composure but he failed and was clutching his chest and his shoulders were bobbing up and down.

"Oh- Din-" Vaati wheezed as Aryll gave her tutor a nervous glance and slowly backed away from him. "That- was the funniest- thing- I've done in ages!"

All across the temple, the monsters saw what had happened to Wizzro and quickly retreated away or were left at the hands of the knights until only the side of light remained. Victory came upon those who sought to protect Hyrule in every incarnation.

Gradually, everyone rejoined the center of the temple, where they bore witness to the hero who now wielded the Master Sword. Zelda glanced around as each knight or member of the army stared at the blade in awe.

"The Master Sword-" Groose realized.

"-it's accepted you." Karane joined in.

Zelda glanced to the royal siblings. The princess grinned and looked as if her birthday was to last for seven days, while the brother clutched at his stomach but was able to give her a smile that spoke of a faith and a hope that he had for her, ever since this whole thing began. It was a smile that made Zelda blush as Ruto and Darunia joined the group, followed by Agitha, and Ashei, who finally finished dragging Zant with them.

The twili finally lifted his head and saw, for the first time in a long time, a very familiar sword in the hands of the one who looked like the Zelda of his era. He felt something inside him that was both pleasant and unbearable as he gazed upon her and upon that sword.

"I remember you." He whispered. That wonderful sword- at least there was something in this era that managed to last, along with the legacy Lady Wolf left behind.

There was a gasping sound, and Zelda turned her head to see Impa stuggling to stay on her feet as Ghirahim took his hands off her, after carrying her for so long.

Ghirahim...

Zelda's grip on the Master Sword tightened: she contained valuable knowledge to Ghirahim's future...

Ghirahim- the Ghirahim of the era of the sky- turned his attention to her.

Zelda summoned up the courage inside her and smiled at him as her grip on the Master Sword loosened until it felt comfortable in her hands. She would be able to smile, for the sake of the one who dwelt within the Master Sword, and continue on with the journey.

-10 minutes later-

"Ungh." Wizzro shook his head and tried to awaken himself. In that exact moment, three blades were aimed in a perfect arc around him.

The wizard glanced up in alarm to see Liam with his book out and ready and Impa, Zelda, and Link all had their swords pointed at him, with the whole of the Hylian army behind them and their esteemed guests waiting on the sides.

"Remember what I said last time?" Link shot Wizzro a dark look. For one split second, it looked as if Shadow had risen to the surface and replaced the prince, and there was no denying that the look of hatred and a hunger for violence was not the same. It made Wizzro shudder at the painful memory of the last encounter.

The wizard immediately tried to fly away, but the second he did, his arms suddenly felt numb and he fell back to the ground in an ungraceful heap. A frantic glance told him that his arms were turned to stone.

Vaati smirked as he held a hand out while he walked a ways behind the quartet surrounding the wizard.

"What kind of freaks do you guys have on your side?!" Wizzro shot the prince a confused look.

"Talk now, or I'll revert back to being Shadow!" Link snapped. "Where's Ceiya?!"

"Argh!" Wizzro snarled in frustration. "Fine! I'll talk pretty boy! He's in the Temple of Souls, but he's not going to be happy!"

Zelda let out a giggle and moved her sword away. "It looks like we have our objective!"

Liam frowned. "Not happy? Why would he not be happy?"

"Oh you should know." Wizzro chuckled. "After all, you and him are the same. Tell me- do you share the same fantasies?"

Zelda felt sick to her stomach at the implication- she had almost forgotten about the reason for this war in the first place.

Liam stared in silence. Finally, he snapped his book shut and turned around. "Come on, let's get out of here." he walked away.

"Wait a minute." Impa protested. "What about him?"

"Send him back into his ring." Liam waved his hand. "I don't want to waste magic on him."

Wizzro mentally panicked, and yet he was aware that there was one last trick up his sleeve: in fact, the count down was about to get to zero at any second.

"Y-you know-" He giggled. "There is something that would make Ceiya happy. Call it evening the odds, so to say."

Liam turned back and frowned at the wizard. "How? We have the Master Sword and two halves of the Triforce. We have a far better advantage over him."

"True." Wizzro nodded. "But..." There it was! He felt the count run down to zero. His eye turned into a nasty toothed grin. "What if I gave him exactly what he wanted in the first place?"

It all happened within in instant:

At that exact moment, Zelda was suddenly encased in a large pink like crystal.

Immediately, panic broke loose as everyone lost their attention on the wizard, and placed it on Zelda, who was the most surprised of all.

"What's going on?!" She yelled and pounded at the crystal with her free hand, but she could barely hear anyone outside of the crystal. "General?! Your Highness?!" He worriedly glanced to the equally frantic prince and general.

Sadly, this was the case on the outside of the crystal- they too, could barely hear her cries for help.

Wizzro laughed as the prince and Liam immediately ran to the crystal, but a black hole appeared under the crystal and a series of black and purple hands shot out, reached over the crystal, and began to pull it down into the void, while another hand appeared right behind the distracted wind sorcerer and punched him in the back of the head. The moment he fell to his knees and lost his concentration, Wizzro's arms became normal again and he let out a very high pitched laugh as he vanished into his own magic.

"So long, fools!" He laughed.

Meanwhile, Zelda frantically looked around as she sank into the earth. Everyone close by tried to cut away the hands, but only more would reappear and render their efforts futile. She could see Link frantically try to cut them away and Liam tried to use his magic from his book... however, there was even more chaos on the other side and she turned in time to see Darunia try to swing his hammer at the crystal. It didn't work, and he was forced back, and Ruto hurried in to try to attack with her water. However, Ghirahim shoved her out of the way and snapped something at her, but that was when another person- Zant- shoved him out of the way and swung his blades against the crystal like a madman. His voice was the loudest of them all, and she could hear him yell only two words as if he was a cat being strangled to death and letting out it's final cry:

"LADY WOLF!"

At this point, the crystal suddenly jolted, and then dropped through the ground at a quicker pace, before all went black.

-?-

A flash of light occurred for one moment behind the crystal prison, until she found herself in an unfamiliar location devoid of any of the people she had been fighting alongside.

The crystal faded away, and Zelda was finally free, but she was now in some sort of strange chamber that was barely lit by dim purple lighting and the floor was black and white checkered.

Zelda took a deep breath and told herself to calm down before she turned around- and let out a sharp gasp as she took two steps back when she saw herself.

Or rather, three versions of herself. Each one was a mirror life-sized copy and stood perfectly poised each appeared to be in a deep sleep while standing upright, within some sort of red cushioned nook with gilded rose patterned designs around it, and each one was dressed in a different style of dress that emphasized certain body features.

Seconds passed, before Zelda realized something was off- they weren't exactly her. The girl to the right who wore the colors of a beautiful sunset sky looked exactly like the Hero of Twilight from all those years ago. The second wore forest green, with hints of gold, red, and blue and she looked like the Hero of Time from the old sepia pictures and paintings, and was the only one who didn't have ribbons in her hair. The last girl- who wore pure white and sky blue hues- didn't look as familiar to Zelda, but she had very noticeable features that reminded Zelda of Marni from the era of the sky.

Zelda realized who this was: she was Hylia's Champion and Ghirahim's first Mistress.

"Those are among your most recognizable faces, my dear."

Zelda's eyes widened when she heard that familiar voice and she turned in alarm to see a figure in the shadows. She could her the smugness in his voice as he then stepped out to reveal himself. A familiar face greeted her, but the wisdom and kindess was replaced with the all too obvious gaze of male lust.

"Each face masks a burden, but they all overcame the impossible." Ceiya could not have been more triumphant than in that moment.


Outtake:

Call-back

You were once everything to me. Oh, I could ramble on about it: I was more than just a weapon to you. You were a part of my soul- your father once said that the sword was an extension of the soul."

It was at this moment Ghirahim seemed to realize something important.

"Actually, that reminds me." He crossed his arms and scowled at her. "I have a long list of complaints in regards to something important. Something that's been bothering me, like an annoying insect."

This surprised Zelda. "Such as...?"

Ghirahim took a deep breath- and then all hell broke loose.

"First off, why did you still insist on using something so childish like a slingshot?! And you actually used sticks as if they were weapons- sticks that you only used for lighting torches! And then you had that boomerang, but you only used it for possibly thirty minutes total-

-One minute later-

"-Somehow, you defied the laws of physics and used a hammer with should have been used by that rock-headed idiot, like he's using it now. Sorry about what happened in the fire temple, by the way-

-One minute later-

"-Used a damn mirror to kill off the two witches-"

-One minute later-

"They left behind a means of transportation that made you spin around with it! You had to rely on Zant to use it, and keep your eyes closed the whole time! What kind of idiot designed such a thing?!"

-One minute later-

"The ball and chain! Really, how was that even physically possible for you? What made you even think you could use it? You're lucky you even had the gauntlets!"

-One minute later-

"The damn rod lost it's power when you left the temple, and all it was good for was to possess statues! The damn thing was impractical! If I ever see that feeble stick again, I-"

-One minute later-

Ghirahim had to take a moment to compose himself. His face looked flush and he seemed incredibly fatigued.

Meanwhile, Zelda could only blankly stare at him, after enduring the most insane rant she had ever heard.

"...Aryll wasn't kidding. You really are prone to jealousy over other weapons."

Ghirahim held up a finger as he struggled to compose himself. Finally, he gave Zelda an incredibly dark look. "There is one weapon that you found, that makes me extremely outraged at your possible infidelity. In fact, it had the audacity to exist in the first place and makes me consumed with such loathing, that I would have basked in the glory of sending my wrath upon it."

"What weapon could do that?" Zelda nervously asked.

Ghirahim let out a crazed laugh before he told her the answer and named the doomed weapon of his hatred: name that filled him with such bitterness, jealousy, and hatred, that he would destroy all of Hyrule just to find it again and engage in sweet bloodshed.

"If I ever- EVER- see the boomerang spirit who calls herself Lexi, I will make her deaf with the sound of her own screams and blind by the horror of her own slaughter.

-?-

"Hughhh." Lexi violently shuddered in the middle of a card game.

"What's up Boomerang?" Skull Kid slapped a card down on the table, while Scrapper was sorting through his own cards... and Ivan was stuck in the jar and shouting profanities at all of them.

A very pale as snow Lexi explained with a tiny, wavering voice:

"I just felt something akin to the combination of the disgust caused by Sonic 06, the outrage from Andrew Lloyd Webber making a sequel to Phantom of the Opera, the fear caused through Five Nights at Freddy's and Slender, the petty jealousy caused through reality dating shows, the aggravation that people have at Disney for Frozen and everything it stands for, the hatred over crappy reality tv shows and the families within them who don't deserve a second of our attention, and the need for blood from countless people who hate that books like Fifty Shades of Gray and Twilight are regarded as good literature."

There was a horrified pause amongst the group.

"In other words, Mistress Lexi?" Scrapper prompted.

"In other words," Lexi stated in a perfect deadpan voice. "I have a feeling someone want's to kill me."

There was another horrible pause.

"So then!" Lexi happily chirped as if nothing happened. "Do you think we will get our own TV tropes page, or are we not cool enough for one?"


Vaati, you took away Zelda's victory! Darn you!

I don't hate Frozen: I just hate how bad the franchise has grown and almost overshadowed other animated films. I think that might be why the main characters aren't official Disney princesses yet- because they'll lose profits.

Also: never had there been as much protest to a sequel online as there had been for a fan-fiction taken to extremes and onto the stage. I admit that some parts of it are guilty-pleasure worthy, but you guys should have seen how bad that time period of protesting was.

And yeah, saying I don;t like Fifty Shades of Gray and Twilight makes me a hypocrite, considering what my favorite musical (and one of my fan preferred ships) is and what kind of fan fiction I tend to write, but I do consider the reality of things like that, so let's not get into it.

Oh yeah, disclaimer: I don't own everything mentioned in Lexi's conversation. There, I disclaimed them.