Into the Arbiter's Grounds! I don't own Legend of Zelda.

After they completed a couple puzzles that served as an entryway Link, Makura, and Midna entered a hall where four Poes waited. Three left through different doors and the fourth attacked them.

It disappeared until only a lantern was visible. The boys shifted and used their wolf senses to see the spirit. When it was dead again, the flames from its lantern returned to a torch at the top of the stairs in front of them.

Link and Makura used the lantern to scent out the other three ghosts. When all four of the torches were hit, a wall moved to reveal a door. Through the hall they found a concave wall with a hole to reveal a chest. Link walked forward, looking around in curiosity. He would have fallen in an odd hole in the floor if Makura hadn't stopped him.

"Looks like we need something to move the gears that keep this wall in place."

Link raised an eyebrow and said, "I don't even know how you know that this wall moves. If I had any doubt that you were friends with Midna, they're gone now. Honestly, the way you two think alike scares me."

They continued through the Temple and came to a dark room where a sword was thrust deep into the ground. Paper ribbons with faded runes were tied around the hilt and fastened to the ground in circles varying in diameter.

Midna glanced around and stopped at the ribbons. She said quietly, "We shouldn't do anything to those. I sense strong magic at work here."

Makura's eyes lit up as he said without hearing her, "That's my sword!"

He rushed forward and ran a hand over the symbols he knew would be on the blade near the hilt. Midna asked nervously, "Are you sure?"

Makura nodded. "Zant took it from me and gloated about how 'clever' he'd been to hide it where I could never go. I deduced that to mean the Light World, Hyrule."

Link asked, "How'd he get your sword? I thought you were unarmed when Zant attacked."

"I summoned it when I saw Zant and the malevolent look in his eyes. I underestimated his strength and he got to the Princess. But now that I've found it, I'd be more than happy to run Zant through with my sword."

Makura tried to draw the sword. It wouldn't budge. He tried ripping off the ribbons, but they didn't break. He asked, "Do you mind cutting those off, Link?"

Link nodded and walked to the closest one. As he cut it, a sense of doom struck the room. The ground started shaking and Link said slightly panicked, "Get away from there, Makura!"

Makura ran across the trembling floor and leapt the last distance to land next to Link. A horned spirit rose out of the ground, its black tattered robes flowing around it.

The spirit howled its freedom to the heavens and drew Makura's sword out of the floor. The black blade grew until it fit the spirit's size. It faded until only the sword was visible. Link and Makura dodged a lazy slash.

Makura shouted, "I'll take care of the spirit side. Use your sword to attack when it's visible."

Makura morphed as he ran. As a wolf, he could easily see the demon. He wished he couldn't. As a man he hadn't noticed the reek of death and decay. As a wolf the stench was almost blinding.

Makura shook his head to clear it and focused on the horned devil. It laughed, low and wet as if its flesh had putrefied and wouldn't work the way it was meant to. The creature swung and Makura jumped out of range. It growled with that same rotten sound. The spirit pulled back to strike again, but Makura jumped first.

Makura leapt at the creature's neck and latched onto the flesh that remained. He bit down until he hit bone, but even that felt rotten. The spirit reached up and wrapped its bony claws around Makura and ripped him off, sending chunks of meat and bone flying.

It squeezed its hand and Makura yelped. The spirit dropped him suddenly and Makura landed on his side with a solid thud. Link was slashing and slicing at the monster.

Makura stood up and circled, determined to keep the demon visible. He jumped on its shoulder and bit down on the neck, digging his back feet into the spirit's muscled back to keep purchase. It screamed in frustration and tried to shake Makura off.

Makura hung on as long as he could. Link saw an opening and yelled, "Jump!"

Makura released his hold and fell rather than jumped down. Link stabbed the monster through the heart, the blade protruding out of its back. Link withdrew the sword and ran when the demon started screaming, Makura on his heels.

As they watched, the creature dropped the black sword and clawed at its chest. After a few moments, it screamed again before collapsing into a pile of dust and cloth. Link and Makura edged toward it. Hundreds of moth-like flies flew up and out through a hole in the ceiling.

Makura became a man again and walked to the abandoned sword. He crouched to grab the hilt. Before he could touch it, the black sword returned to the correct size and shape. Makura sighed in relief and picked up his sword.

He walked to Link and dug through his pouch. Makura smiled and pulled out the scabbard of his sword. Makura strapped it to his back and sheathed the sword so the hilt was over his left shoulder.

Makura sighed and said, "I don't feel so naked now."

Link smirked and replied, "I don't understand how you feel naked without a blade, but not in those robes from before."

Makura shrugged in dismissal. "Just be glad you weren't the one to do what I did. That spirit was rotten. I'm sure you probably never even noticed the smell."

They entered the room now available. They gained the spinner, a disk-like object that didn't seem to have much purpose. They used it to exit the chamber and made their way to the concave wall in the antechamber. They made their way through the rest of the Temple and reached the top room of the Arbiter's Grounds.

Link used the boss key to open the last door and the three of them entered. An ancient skull was partially buried in the sand. Apart from that, the room was empty.

Makura drew his sword and whispered, "I don't like this. Something's wrong."

He took the lead. Midna floated close to his shoulder and Link watched behind them. When they were close to the skull, the air shimmered and Zant materialized.

Makura stood ready, but threw an arm out to stop Midna and Link. "I thought I smelled something foul."

Zant frowned and said, "And here I thought we were friends."

Makura stared him down and replied, "I'm not your servant anymore."

Zant said, "We'll see," and looked past him to Link. "The fact that you're alive is remarkable. No wonder some call you 'hero'."

Link met Zant's scorn with a glare of his own intent to kill. Zant continued, "But this meeting is bittersweet, truly. For I fear this is the last time I'll see any of you alive!"

Makura and Link stepped forward to attack but Midna put a hand on each of them and whispered fearfully, "Zant is summoning an evil unlike any I've seen before."

Makura and Link paused to watch as Zant drew a blade from the air and stabbed it through the ancient skull in the sand. He disappeared and the skeleton came to life. The sand in the room began pulling Link and Makura toward the mouth of the creature.

Midna shouted, "Quick! To the edge!"

Makura and Link ran as fast as they could across the shifting floor and eventually made it to solid ground. Makura asked, "Well, what do we do now?"

Midna said, "The spine looks the weakest. If you could destroy that, the creature won't be able to support itself."

"Yeah, but with the floor like that, we can't get close." Makura replied.

Link coughed and said, "You're making this too complicated. One thing I've learned is that when you're given an item in a Temple, be prepared to use it. You might not even use it again later. We'll use the spinners. I'll draw its attention and you strike when the weak spot is unprotected."

Makura and Midna looked at him in stunned silence. Link tossed his spinner and jumped on it. As he started away, Link said, "It's about time I got to be the bait. Just be ready, since my reflexes are 'so' terrible."

Makura smirked and waited for Link to make his move. When he was halfway around the room he signaled Makura. Makura used the spinner on a track that circled the beast and used his momentum to glide across the sand. Then he ground the sharp edge of the spinner against the brittle vertebrae until it shattered.

Link spun out of harm's way as the monster fell. They repeated this until the monster collapsed and the only thing left was the skull. The sand drained and a gear became visible. After a platform was raised, Makura and Link looked for an exit.

Link said as they searched, "See? That wasn't so difficult."

Midna replied, "I don't know. Something about that fight seemed wrong."

Makura heard a dry scrape and turned around quickly. "Guys! It's not dead yet!"

The head charged at them and knocked them to the base of the platform. Link said, "Get the spinners out! We can ride up the side and strike then."

Makura followed Link and together they attacked the floating head. They struck while it was trying to form a magic ball of energy. It fell and they followed to strike it dead, again. When it was about to rise, Makura used Din's Fire. The sword Zant had placed was a river of dark energy and Makura tapped into it. Midna and Link were protected within the interior of the blast, but the skull monster blackened before turning red then white. Link struck once more when Makura finished and the skull and sword splintered into shrapnel.

Makura stumbled to sit down and breathed heavily. Midna stepped lightly to him and asked, "Was that well-done?"

Link said, "I'm not sure if he can cook either."

Makura made a fist and thought about the power he had felt coursing through the sword. Zant was playing with fire. Makura had barely been able to contain Din's Fire from consuming them as well. If this was the true strength of Power that Ganon wielded, it was only a matter of time before it backlashed against his puppet.

Makura, Link and Midna exited the room and worked their way to the top of the Arbiter's Grounds. They had to kill shadow beasts before they could solve the puzzle of the Mirror Chamber. A stone statue of a woman and snake sat heavily in the sand.

Link used the spinner to reach the top where a gear switch was activated. The statue worked as a counter balance for the stone that the Twilight Mirror shone on.

Makura watched as Link and Midna completed the puzzle. Midna floated down ahead of Link. Makura could tell she was happy to be returning home. He was having a hard time controlling his own emotions on the topic.

Makura was glad to be returning home, but the problems they had left behind wouldn't be gone. Makura dropped the chain of thought and focused on Midna. She floated around the stone and stopped. Makura could tell something was wrong and raced to the pedestal. He stopped behind her and whispered in horror, "No."

Midna started trembling, but with anger or sadness Makura couldn't tell. Link came jogging around the corner and asked, "So what's this mirror I've heard about?"

Makura turned to him in warning, but Midna shouted before he could speak, "It's not here! There's only one piece left. Who knows where the rest of them are?"

Makura said calmly, "Midna, please calm down. We should have anticipated this. Zant delayed us with that creature just so he could do this."

Midna turned on him to say, "Every second we delay is another moment our people suffer. I don't even know where my father is! I should have been with him!"

Makura's eyes flashed as he replied harshly, "You seemed ready to turn your back on him a month ago! I want to go home too, but 'our' people have never done anything to save me from suffering. We need to think this through."

Midna smiled humorlessly. "So you would do nothing!"

Makura pulled his tunic to reveal the tattoo on his chest and face. He said lowly with his eyes downcast, "I swore my self to the Princess. She has command of my blade and life for she was the one who granted me both." Makura raised eyes full of fury to meet Midna's and finished, "I have not forgotten my oath, but you would do well to remember yours."

Makura clenched a fist to stop himself from shaking in rage. He slowly released it and started walking away. Link, stunned by their fight tried to follow, but Midna said, "Let the coward go. If he'd rather leave with his tail between his legs, then he deserves nothing from us."

Makura didn't pause. Her severe words weren't directed at him and she knew he was right. Her duty was to more than just a handful of people. If she became emotional about her task, then nothing good would follow. Even so, it hurt that he had to leave for her to realize this. Yet his words were not false. He had sworn himself to her in body and soul. His only task was to do her will even if he didn't like it. He would save the Twili race if she commanded him to.

He had left the Mirror Chamber and was nearing the edge of the platform. Makura closed his eyes and focused himself. He drew his sword and started going through a calming exercise he had learned at a young age. For mages of any talent, losing control of your emotions was dangerous, just look at what had happened when Ganon manipulated him. To combat this, the masters taught their students ways to ensure they never became a danger to themselves or anyone else.

Makura held the flat of the blade in front of his face and closed his eyes. He let his free hand trail over the runes on the steel and exhaled slowly. As he released his breath, he extended his arm. When the blade was an extension of him, Makura opened his eyes and began a complicated series of stabs, slashes, blocks, and strikes. He felt his frustration, anger, and sadness leave until only a calm, calculated sense of accuracy remained.

Makura finished and held his last pose. He was exactly where he had started. Makura closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath before releasing it and sheathing his sword. Makura turned to go back and apologize for his cruelty when he heard Midna scream.

Cliff hanger! So what did ya think? I always found the midboss of the Arbiter's Grounds especially creepy and my writing took a dark turn for it. And the sword was a good place to get Makura equipped with a weapon that wasn't an item. Please read and review.

Also if anyone has any ideas for a new title or baby names for Uli's kid I'd be very appreciative. Might even put out an extra chapter next week! Yay for bribery!