How Zelda Got Her Groove Back

by ZeldaRubix

Seven years after the events of Twilight Princess, Zelda is queen. However, she must right the wrongs of the past and help a broken hero heal. What lies ahead for the queen? She will be guided with the help of an unexpected friend. Reupload. Original upload May 2012.

31. Chapter 31

Inspiration: LoZ Skyward Sword (Link's character); LoZ Ocarina of Time -the skeleton in the Bottom of the Well (the cryptic message about the royal family); "Purify," by Of Mice of Men; "Watchers," by Dean Koontz ('click, click, click,' *shudder*); introspection, mind probing; MK Ultra (yes, it's real); the Seven Deadly Sins; phoenix the rebirth bird, "Tree of Life," album by Audiomachine.

Original Shout Outs: Time Quell, NekoRose26, LinkKirbyness, Princess of Ikana, Mello-the-Melonhead, Justisya-nyan27, and Maya-430.

Author Note: I really want "Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity," now. Thank you for reading. Reuploaded 9/24/2020

Word Count 17,184

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Chapter 31

The Sacrosanct Paddock, one day later, Link

After concluding our meeting with Midna, the decision was made that Hylia, Elbourne, and I would go look for Zelda. The twilight queen wanted to come, but her absence would have caused an uproar with the Twili people, especially in lieu of what was happening. Also, since the beginning of this endeavor, Zelda was my responsibility. I promised to protect her. I swore I would help her no matter what. I would even give my life for her. I was not going to renege on that. We left the Twilight Palace yesterday. However, before we set out, the dignitaries in the palace were already asking if we had seen Zelda. We still couldn't lie, so we avoided the questioning altogether. At this rate, the news of Zelda's disappearance would be industriously circulated throughout the kingdom before the week was out. The entire country was going to be in a panic if we didn't find her soon. And, I knew Zelda didn't have a week. My concern was growing with each continual minute that passed. There was no telling what Ghirahim would do and was doing to the light queen right now. I didn't want to think about it.

Just stay strong until I find you.

Presently, we were nearing the area known as the Sacrosanct Paddock. Elbourne took the lead in the excavation. The trek was long and arduous. I now understood what Hylia meant when she stated it would have been more difficult for me to find this place on my own. Though some of the landscape was familiarized, there were also marked differences in how the territory was terraformed. There were tunnels where bridges were in Hyrule. There was an entire mountain where a forest was. It took us six hours just to traverse that. The Sacred Forest Meadow was a week's journey from the castle in Hyrule. According to Elbourne, we were getting close and it had only been a day... a day too long with Zelda being gone, but a day sooner than I had anticipated.

Our trek was a quiet one. We were focused on the task at hand. Even so, I still had my suspicions as to how and why Elbourne knew of the Sacred Forest Meadow and its secret sister the Sacrosanct Paddock. Perhaps, it was diligent study. Admittedly, Elbourne was known for his scholarship and excavation. So, there was a possibility that he came across the existence of it from one of the many old texts in the libraries of the elite. There was also the fact that he had access to the Twilight Realm for who knew how long with uninterrupted freedom. I could traverse Hyrule several times over if I had years to do so. I pushed my misgivings to the side because Zelda was my number one priority. The only thing keeping me from going into a rage was knowing she was still alive. If anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself. I needed her, the kingdom needed her, and I wasn't about to give up my search until she was back with me. Until then, she needed to be strong.

We traversed over a bioluminescent bridge of flowers and foliage before anyone finally spoke.

"We're getting close," Elbourne said. "I believe it's just beyond this impasse ahead."

I said nothing, while Hylia nodded.

"You are correct," she stated.

If there was anyone who could confirm anything it was Hylia. I wish I understood her pact with the world better, but I realized it was by her own volition that she did not want to involve herself in Hylian or Twili affairs. Her choice was to keep free will uninterrupted.

"I suppose that's all the validation I need," Elbourne replied.

The goddess merely smirked.

"It is."

I had to admit, Elbourne seemed very genuine in his efforts in finding Zelda. He probably felt the most guilty out of all of us regarding her disappearance. She essentially got taken because she was trying to save him. There was no doubt in my mind that he loved her... considering I heard him utter it to her when she was wrapped in his arms. It was a whisper, but I heard it. I was trying not to be angered by that, but that image of them holding and kissing each other would not get out of my head. Admittedly, I was having a hard time simply dismissing it. That kiss wasn't just one sided. Zelda... Zelda kissed him back with the same amount of affection and passion too. She even told him she loved him. I heard her. The two of them obviously weren't aware of how long I was standing at the entrance of that lagoon. But I walked in right when I caught them kissing. I had an idea what Zelda meant when she uttered those words to Elbourne. I uttered them as well to Midna, but I couldn't be naïve to what she could truly mean. I couldn't relinquish the idea that Zelda might actually be in love with Elbourne. However, she told me she only wanted me. I believed that. I believed her. The Virtue Key made it impossible for me not to, but I still had this lingering doubt. What did she truly want?

I didn't bring any of that up because it wasn't important right now, but I had a feeling the dragon prince was going to be a much bigger issue than I thought in Zelda's decision to marry me. Did Zelda really love me like she claimed? Was she confused with what was going on with her and Elbourne? Was she in love with Elbourne and just not able to admit it to me or herself? These were legitimate questions that needed to be answered. When this was all said and done, she and I needed to sit down and have a serious and sincere heart to heart discussion. I loved her and wanted her more than any woman in the world, but if she no longer felt that way about me, I wanted her to be honest and tell me so. Yes, it would hurt, but I wanted Zelda to be happy. I wasn't going to hurt her like in the past. Maybe something inside her realized that she did indeed loved the dragon prince. I don't know. It was just a confusing mess. Hopefully, the queen would have the answers I wanted. However, if not, I loved her enough to see her happy. She certainly deserved it.

Stop over thinking things Link, I told myself, just get her back and ask when the time is right.

I took in a deep sigh and tried to put it out of my mind. I needed to focus on the task at hand. Get Zelda back. Get Zelda back. Get Zelda back. That needed to be my focus. In the mean time, Hylia, Elbourne, and I continued through the impasse without let up. I still hadn't figured out how I was going to manipulate my form under these unusual circumstances. Hylia informed me I still had the ability to transform into a wolf, but how was I supposed to summon it? I no longer possessed the Shadow Crystal. Was it by means of concentration? Thoughts? The Triforce? Something else perhaps? How was I supposed to do it?

I glanced over at Hylia and saw that she was lost in thought as well. I could tell beyond her cool exterior that she was deeply concerned about the welfare of her ancestral daughter. She played cavalier, but I knew she was probably blaming herself for Zelda's plight. From the beginning, this was essentially the goddess's idea. Hylia probably reasoned that if she hadn't goaded Zelda, none of this would have happened. However, it wasn't fair to place the sole blame on the goddess. Hylia had to understand that Zelda made the decision to go on this quest too. Hopefully she was able to take some comfort in that.

However, Zelda didn't seem to be Hylia's only concern. I also noticed her carefully eyeing the dragon prince from time to time. I wasn't sure if it was because she had new insights on him, or if it was because she felt he was still hiding something from us. But, something was making her watch him closely. In either case, she didn't see fit to speak to him on it now, but I deduced it would only be a matter of time before she did. Something in her thought process was telling her to keep her guard up, and unfortunately, at this time I couldn't be in the know.

Let it be Link, I told myself. It is what it is.

The foliage en route was black and more eclectic, more and more pronounced as we traveled deeper into the woods. We headed towards a precipice that was similar to a landmark in the world of light. The biggest difference was that after the initial jump off, these bluffs on the opposite side led straight into the deeper bowels of the forest. After hopping the gaps and climbing several canopied cliffs, we entered the confines of the deepest confines of the forest, the Sacrosanct Paddock. Upon entering, it was just as Elbourne described, there were distortions of space everywhere. The breaks resembled flashing fractals in the environment. What made the area so spastic was the pull of the forces actuated from the centered space. The forces became greater as we moved closer to the area that mirrored the Master Sword.

Interesting.

Upon our arrival to our final destination, we all climbed a tree like barrier and jumped down to an edifice that served as a marker. However, it appeared more sinister than sacred in this area. The abomination set before us was something out of a nightmare. It didn't make sense for something like this to exist in the world of twilight, and if something didn't make sense with its surroundings, there was usually a bit of truth missing.

"What the hell is this?" Elbourne confirmed. "This wasn't here before."

Hylia raised her brows and didn't say anything in reply. She just crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the site puzzled. I too shared the same sentiments, what in the world was this... this thing?

I took in a deep sigh.

"Oh shit," I muttered, "what in the world have we gotten ourselves into now?"

~SSS~

The Demon Lord's Lair, Zelda

"Don't go to sleep," I whispered, trying to keep my tired eyes opened, "don't go to sleep Zelda."

It was dark and quiet. The way it had been for the last several hours. I was forced to keep my tired eyes opened. The adrenaline that kept me focused was wearing off, and admittedly, my second wind was waning. I was just too exhausted. My will was keeping me awake, but the ticking of time was working against me. I was so drained... so drained. However, so far Ghirahim hadn't made good on his threats. He hadn't done any of the deplorable things he threatened to do. That was my only consolation to this darkness and silence. But, I knew it was only a matter of time before he started up on his antics again. He was probably sitting out there even now... somewhere in the dark... watching me... waiting for me... doing who knows what to himself with a sick grin on his face. That monster's repugnance was extraordinary. It was no wonder ancestral mother shuddered when she spoke about him. I knew he was waiting for me to let my guard down. He was waiting for me to bend the knee. I couldn't allow that to happen. I knew closing my eyes would be a gamble, but if I could just rest them for a moment, just a moment, that would be all the strength I would need. The longer I stayed with this insomnia, the more my body was going to pay for it later. I was already starting to see things that weren't necessarily there. I already second guessed myself twice in thinking I saw Link's magnificent horse Epona, but Epona wasn't here... no one was except him... just him.

I need to shut my eyes, just for a few moments.

The thought brought frustrated tears to my sockets, but I quickly blinked them away. I couldn't cave to my weaknesses now. I had to fight to stay strong. I couldn't afford to wallow in self pity. I rotated my head to get a crick out of my neck. My entire body was cramped and tired. In the position I was hanging, the ball-in-socket joints of my shoulders were becoming over extended and pulled. If I kept this way, it wouldn't be long before my arms became dislocated from their sockets completely. I worked tirelessly to try and counter this, I lifted my body by my hands and raised myself up the chain to take some of the tension off my shoulders. It worked for a little while, but I realized there was no real comfort for me to be had. I simply didn't have the strength to do anymore pull ups. My arms and back were fatigued. And when I positioned myself to feel if there was anything else I could do, it was then I noticed my bracelet had been confiscated.

My eyes widened immediately at the theft.

What in the-? I wondered in a slight panic.

I was disconcerted by this fact. I looked around frantically for it in vain. I couldn't see a thing, and I was certain Ghirahim removed it from my wrist before he shackled me to this chain. I closed my eyes and prayed for self-control. I was ready to scream. I didn't have the strength to worry about it now. I couldn't. It was gone and I was just going to have to deal with it. Had I been thinking, I could have used it to transform when he had me run away from him. I could have broken from his capture... but then what? He would have chased me, fought me, possibly killed me, and then what? My frustration was mounting, but I couldn't expend the little strength I had left being angry. I needed to remain calm and attempt to get into a comfortable position. I had been up all night, or day, or whatever time it was really. I had no sense of relativity and I needed the rest. When I was finally able to get a measure of solace, I attempted to close my eyes and induce some sleep.

"Just for a few moments," I whispered to myself, "just a few moments."

For an instant, I felt peace. It was the best ten minutes of my life. However, it didn't last long. I was about to be awakened in the most frigid way possible.

SPLASH!

My eyes shot open after a small deluge of water was thrown on my face and body. The maneuver was startling and shocked my senses. The icy water made my muscles tense up and my skin prickle with a piloerection. I began trembling instantly, which made my hanging position worse. That, coupled with the draft in the air, made my teeth chatter uncontrollably for a few seconds. I stared off into the darkness in mild disbelief. I couldn't believe someone could be so cruel, but even with as humiliating as this was, I ironically felt a sense of gratitude; gratitude in that I finally had something to quench my thirst. In the process of whipping my hair out of my eyes, I lapped up some of the water into my dry mouth. The water felt so soothing going down my parched throat, even if it was just a few morsels. I even drank some of the water running off the side of my shoulder. I knew I looked pitiful, but I hadn't had water or food for at least a day and a half now. My body was getting weak, I needed something. I could ignore my hunger pains for now, but I wasn't sure how long I had before acute delirium would set in. The blood supply to my head wasn't going to be enough soon. I needed some sugar or fat to keep it going... to keep me lucid. Even so, I couldn't appear rattled. I had to will myself to keep going.

Stay focused Zelda, I told myself of my sudden awakened state, stay focused.

I coughed as some of the water went down my wind pipe, but then I relaxed and settled in my mainstay position. After the splash, there was a long residual silence. It was unnerving how such a startling occurrence could happen, and then be followed by such eerie quietness. However, I knew it wouldn't last long. None of this nonsense would last long. It was a game to Ghirahim. A sick twisted game, but he wasn't going to best me. I decided not to wait on him and break the silence first.

"I know that wasn't your intention, but thank you for the water," I whispered defiantly. "It's most appreciated."

However, after my utterance I got no reply. I looked around, thinking for whatever reason I was going to be able to see something though I hadn't been able to see anything in this darkness before. I did a back and forth scan twice, and there was nothing.

Where are you, you bastard? Ringlets of water clouded my vision. I know you're in here.

He grunted suddenly out of nowhere.

"That's not very nice," he whispered in reply to my thoughts.

I raised a brow.

"You should have thought about that before you decided to treat a lady of Hyrule with such little respect," I replied.

He groaned, but didn't reply.

More silence accompanied his voice, and then... and then... suddenly, a distinct sound started generating throughout the crypt, gaining momentum as it seemed to seep through the walls. It crept through the darkness and made itself manifest as it got louder and more apparent. I remembered it from before, however that familiarity didn't quell the mystery as to what it was.

So I listened carefully.

Click… click… click…

My throat tightened and my body tensed more.

There it goes again, my heart beat rapidly.

What was that?

Click... click... click...

I looked above me because the sound suddenly bounced off the stone ceiling.

Then it sounded again.

Click… click… click…

I looked all around now, as the sound didn't distinguish itself from any direction.

It was everywhere.

My breathing began to quicken.

Hylia give me strength.

Click… click… click…

I had to focus.

Click... click... click...

I had to concentrate.

Click... click... click...

But then I heard something else, something beyond the 'clicks'.

I felt like I couldn't strain my ears enough.

Is that… is that the tapping of feet?

At my thoughts, all of a sudden the tapping sound stopped along with all the 'clicks'.

No lies.

No deception.

It just stopped.

All of it.

I swallowed hard at this realization.

"What now?" I whispered to myself.

More darkness.

More silence... for ten long minutes.

This monster certainly liked his bouts of unobtrusiveness. It was haunting. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a light shined from a faraway corner of the room. My eyes widened in surprise as I saw this.

"What in the...?"

Soon there was another light, and another, then another, and it went on like this until a number of braziers lit up around the room's circumference. The perimeter was completely ablaze moments later. My heart beat never lessened. I looked on in shock when the room actually became illuminated, and what became apparent was nothing short of a living nightmare.

"Oh my dear goddesses!" I whispered in apt disbelief.

The room resembled a dungeon the way I assumed it would, and the walls were covered in black soot. The air was thick and dank, which made me question how Ghirahim was able to light all the fire holders. The ceiling vaulted into a limestone semicircle, and the chain I was hanging from was fortified into the stone roofing the way I had guessed. The chain was operated by a mechanism on the right wall adjacent to my vantage point. Below me was a four feet wide in diameter hole that looked like it went down forever into a bottomless pit.

I held in my gasp.

That's why I couldn't feel the floor, I looked down for only a moment. There was nothing to feel... but then how was Ghirahim able to stand within inches of me with this hole beneath me?

I didn't ponder over the question too long as my attention was soon thwarted elsewhere by the disgusting realities of the rest of the surroundings. I had no real expectations about the layout of this monster's lair, but the sheer amount of skeletons displaced everywhere inferred to me what he enjoyed doing here the most: torture. It looked like he tortured and killed countless people and animals. It was truly a terrible sight to behold. How many murders had taken place here? How many killings? What kind of person lived in amongst surroundings such as these? A demon, that was who. A sick twisted demon: disgusting, depraved, and deplorable. He would have to be to take this much pleasure in sadism. Admittedly, I felt a little queasy just then. I had to force back the bile that produced into my mouth. The mildewed and rank smell of the carcasses then purveyed my nostrils. There were cadavers littered literally all over the ground. The sight was overwhelming and frightening. However, bones and bodies weren't the only vestiges sprawled about the place. There was something else moving on the ground as well, something I couldn't quite make out. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but when I focused and stared a little longer, I was quite sure that something was there moving, I just couldn't make out what it was.

What in Nayru's name is that?

All the while Ghirahim just sat across the way staring at me like a diseased maniac. His chamber of horrors was clear evidence of that. When I finished my scan of his devil's den, I finally laid my eyes back on him… and he unapologetically stared right back. He was sitting on a wrought iron chair in his customary platinum white suit. How he was able to keep it gleaming white in this dank place was beyond me. Anyway, his legs were crossed and he had a small smile plastered on his smug face.

"I'm glad you're awake," he said to me quietly finally, "sorry for the unorthodox calling card."

I shouldered some of my wet hair from my eyes.

"I was expecting it," I whispered and added, "and if you didn't hear me before, thanks for the drink. I was feeling rather parched."

He looked at me and smirked.

"Were you?" he asked. "Well, I'm glad to be of service to you your majesty."

I scoffed slightly.

"Indeed," I replied.

Our brief exchange ran nil, and afterwards for the next few minutes all he did was sit in his chair, grin, and stare at me. I stared right back, knowing something was to eventually come of it. I grunted when it prolonged.

"Is that all you're going to do?" I asked. "Sit there and stare?"

He didn't reply, but his grin widened.

I decided to go on.

"Do you like what you see?" I flirted. "Is that why you can't take your eyes off me?"

He gave me a long once over and didn't answer my questions right away.

"Are you aroused Ghirahim?" I continued. "Is the demon lord tempted to take the queen?"

The monster chuckled at my blunt inquiries.

"I didn't expect you to be quite so seductive your majesty, and you're clever in thinking you can tame the beast," he replied, but then stood up from his seated position to show me his protruding bulge, "but to call your bluff and answer your question, yes, yes I am quite aroused actually. You can see it for yourself."

I kept my eyes locked on his and didn't consciously look at his member, but I could see the large appendage in my field of vision.

"Hmph... I'm flattered," I said sarcastically.

Ghirahim grinned at my comeback and then walked closer to where I was hanging and stood in front of me. He gave me another long desirous once over before he started encircling the pit I was hanging above. I stiffened slightly when he walked behind me, but I tried not to react too much.

"You're a lot more cunning than I gave you credit for," he said suddenly. "Where did you pick that spiel up? The hero?"

I stared straight ahead and knew I had to try and divert his attention.

"Link taught me many things," I replied, "and he told me to never live in fear, so I decided to do just that."

The monster scoffed.

"Oh he did, did he? He probably should have given you an impromptu lesson on begging for mercy."

I closed my eyes.

"Why? Are you going to violate me now?" I turned my head to look at him over my shoulder. "Are you going to stop with all this mindless talk and show me how cliché you really are?"

Ghirahim chuckled at my words when he finished circling the pit. He went right back to staring at me from his standing position.

"Would you like me to? You seem eager for it."

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"You're disgusting," I said repulsed, "only you would find such a question fitting."

He went to sit back down.

"Says the woman asking for her quim to be ravaged," he countered. "Says the woman asking me to have a male response, but then... not to have a male response. Don't you think that's circular logic O wise one?"

I rolled my eyes.

"You're deductive."

"And so are you," he replied.

There was a brief silence after our exchange. He gave me another long once over with his eyes resting right on my breasts.

"Aren't you scared of me?" the monster asked.

I just stared back.

"Do you want me to be honest?"

He nodded.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

I gave him a once over of my own.

"Yes," I whispered. "Yes, you do scare me."

He seemed surprised by my answer.

"Really?"

I nodded slowly.

"Really, for all the obvious reasons."

He gave me a once over.

"I thought you weren't living in fear," he taunted.

I didn't back away from the statement.

"True, but you asked me to be honest. Being scared has nothing to do with having courage."

He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously for a moment. He then shifted the conversation to his motivations.

"Make no mistake, I'm going to rape you... mercilessly, but I actually decided to leave you alone physically for now," he divulged, "Your spiritual will is your strongest asset. If I want to have any pleasure with you sexually, I'll need to destroy you mentally first. If I took you now it would be no fun... you're expecting it."

I gave him an expressionless stare as I milled through what he was truly telling me. He wanted to get me at my most vulnerable. I wasn't sure if I should have been relieved or more terrified by that prospect. However, I do think he was underestimating the Triforce of Wisdom. It was no mere trinket, and it had gotten me out of tight spots before. It was bestowed upon me from the goddess Nayru herself, and Nayru was no fool. If Ghirahim thought I was going to be easy to break because we were residing in his lair, he was severely mistaken. I was not about to allow a weapon of Demise defeat me in mental and spiritual warfare. Even so, I also realized I couldn't be arrogant either. I had to play his game.

I simply stared at him.

"Oh really?"

Unfortunately, Ghirahim's erection hardened at my tone. I had to force myself to stare only at his face, but when he unclothed his pants and released himself right there without so much as a warning, I had to turn away.

I was disgusted.

I felt like I was going to be sick.

I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed for solace.

"Hylia please..." I whispered to myself.

Ghirahim snickered at my reaction.

"Oops," he taunted, "it looks like I had an accident."

I took in a deep sigh and looked back at the monster, knowing I needed to endure this to survive.

"I suppose so," I said simply.

Ghirahim chuckled again and went to sit back down.

"You are quite the woman my nubile queen. The last queen I had in my company had a similar strong will before she was broken."

I took his words with a grain of salt.

"How do I know you aren't simply saying that for sport?"

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"You don't know, but I'm not."

I continued with the detraction.

"I don't see how another queen would enjoy your company as much as I," I said sarcastically. "You're such a charmer."

Ghirahim grinned at my utterance.

"You are rather witty," he complimented.

I sensed no sedition in that comment so I thanked him.

"Much obliged."

For some reason his grin widened.

"Ohhh," he groaned, "I really really like you, so much so, I might even pleasure you before I kill you so you can know what real sex feels like."

I forced myself to laugh so I wouldn't vomit.

"I already know what real sex feels like," I countered, "and when the hero gets here he can give you a lesson on how to truly please a queen."

He raised a brow at my comeback.

"If he does manage to come here the only thing that is going to happen is him getting confined and watching me rape you the way I promised you he would."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Don't flatter yourself. Link isn't a man that can be easily broken."

Ghirahim scoffed.

"You're just full of deja vu moments for me aren't you?" he said cryptically. "I remember another man's boast just as yours, and he broke quite readily after he saw what I did to his wife."

I then realized he was being very specific about something.

"Come again?"

He snickered.

"Piqued your interests have I?" he taunted. "Well, unfortunately that will have to be for another time."

I beg to differ.

I wasn't going to let him divert that easily.

"Who was the Hylian queen you had in your capture?" I asked outright.

Ghirahim stared at me for a long moment before changing positions in his seat.

"As I stated before, all in good time my dear, all in good time. I'll get back to that later. I have something else pressing I want to discuss with you first."

I gave him an offhanded stare.

"Which is?"

Before I could react to what was happening, Ghirahim opened his mouth and sprung shot his tongue from where he was sitting to my forehead. The movement was so sudden and direct, I couldn't anticipate it. His spongy appendage licked over my forehead, my cheeks and my face, before traveling down my cleavage and rested at my belly button. I only had to imagine what he was going to do now that my birthmark was all but apparent.

"You taste delicious," he whispered.

I tried not to regurgitate.

"What are you-?"

"Will you sing for me? Will you sing for me since you denied your beloved hero the night he made love to you?"

My eyes widened.

"How-how do you-you-?" I tried again.

"How do I know that?" he finished for me.

I was actively trembling now, I just nodded my reply.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and swooped his extended appendage over my birthmark, licking it like it was the last thing he was ever going to taste.

"I simply looked in the mirror," he whispered.

I couldn't register what he meant completely because I was too terrified. And whether I wanted it to happen or not, I started singing this operatic cadence as long as his tongue stayed vested there. I sang and sang and sang before he finally moved his tongue back over to my belly button. I had to catch my breath and took in gulps of air. It was horrible.

"You have a beautiful voice," he taunted. "I can see why your hero wanted to hear you sing."

I said nothing as I stared at him and tried to come to grips with what was truly taking place here. His tongued licked its way back up my body and rested back on my forehead.

"Mmmm," he moaned.

All I could do was close my eyes and pray for closure.

"Dear goddesses," I whispered.

He groaned at my fear.

"So beautiful," he whispered with his tongue still pressed against my skin.

I pursed my lips together so they wouldn't tremble.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. "What now?"

Ghirahim didn't answer right away and stared right into my eyes.

"Do you really want to know?" he whispered.

My heart was racing.

I nodded anyway.

"Yes," I whispered back.

The monster grunted and smirked. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a flash of red light before my eyes and seven words that appeared before them: superbia, invidia, accidic, avarita, gula, luxuria, and ira. They were the same words from the mirror, the attributes so deeply ingrained in this deviant's psyche.

"This is what I call mind rape," he answered finally.

The term was so repugnant I couldn't hide my shock.

"Mind what?" I gasped.

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes and grinned.

"Since you have such a strong spiritual will. I'm going to rape your mind of all its secrets first. Secrets like the love you made to your hero, the guilt you feel for your friend, the insecurities of your rule. You'll be naked mentally and openly exposed. This will be worse than raping your body, because you won't be able to hide anything from me, and once you are completely broken, then, and only then, will I take your body."

I trembled at his words, but I wasn't giving up without a fight.

"If you think I will succumb to you so easily you are wrong! As I've stated before, do your worst!"

I immediately tried to gather as much mental strength as I could and went to defend myself, but was caught unawares again when suddenly he took his protruded tongue off my forehead and retracted it back into his mouth. The red ancient words quickly left my sight and the chamber went back to the way it was before.

I looked around stunned.

What in the-?

"And I intend to, but…" he trailed all of a sudden, "not yet, I'm not going to initiate anything just yet."

My heart was pounding from the shifty display of Ghirahim's behaviors. Admittedly, I was started to get a little rattled from this on again off again mental anguish. It was truly frustrating.

"Why?" I demanded, more angrily than I knew I should have. "Why can't you just begin now? Why later goddamn it?!"

Ghirahim's smile broadened at my anger, but instead of answering my question, he reopened his mouth and shot his tongue back out. He projected it towards my face and pulled it back like he was going to slap me with it. I braced myself and closed my eyes, but opened them when the hesitation prolonged. I saw that he halted the assault in midair, and then instead came close with it and licked my cheek. I cringed, while he laughed and retracted his tongue back in his mouth. Afterwards, he licked his lips.

"I love playing with you, and I can't wait to put my tongue in all your orifices my queen," he taunted, then ran his hand over his clothed genitals, "down boy, down."

I turned away as a surge of bile came on. I couldn't keep it back.

Hylia please give me strength, I closed my eyes.

There was a brief silence... well, there was silence on my end while Ghirahim sat there and relieved himself again. I swallowed the bile back, as I didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he got under my skin, and opened my eyes.

"Are you done?" I asked, trying to make light of his perversion.

Ghirahim groaned sexually.

"For now yes."

I tried to slow my racing heart, as the uncomfortable silence settled between us once again.

"Are you going to keep me in suspense? Are you going to answer my question? When are you going to initiate it?"

Ghirahim got up from his chair and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You just don't know when to shut your mouth do you?" he said suddenly. "Would you like a taste of it now your majesty? Is that what you want?"

His voice was steadily rising.

I edged back.

"I-"

"Do you want to be tortured now since you can't wait?! HUH?!" he was screaming at me now. "IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?!IS IT?! IS IT?! IS IT?!"

An onset of panic came over me.

"Ghirahim-!"

He opened his mouth and spring loaded his tongue, and like before it latched onto my forehead. Before I could say a word, a pulse of energy raged through me and stunned my senses. It was incredibly painful.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed from the shock.

The pain felt like it went down to the depths of my soul. All the while Ghirahim was just standing there staring at me.

"Yessssssssss, that is suffering your majesty, but it isn't enough to bring you physical pain. I want you to endure the mental anguish as well. The sins of your fathers, the past, the lack of atonement of your forsaken bloodline... all of it will be used to ravage your mind."

I could barely open my eyes.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed more.

Ghirahim brought the energy level down a little bit so he could speak more clearly.

"Your family has more blood on their hands than they can conjure for graves. The wars, the deceit, the assassinations in the name of peace, the imprisonment of… heroes." He gave me an obvious look. "I know of them all, but for you, my dear queen, I will focus on only seven family members for the sake of my argument."

It didn't take a genius to infer that he was using seven people to reference his seven sick attributes. I closed my eyes as the energy coursed through me. Suddenly, these swells of manifestations began to appear before my eyes. Images, visions, sights, memories, people, places, and things were all clustered in a kaleidoscope of collages going through my mind. I shook my head from right to left trying to break free of the monster's hold, but he was latched on tight. In fact, my action made him amp up his energy level again.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed once more.

That pulse in particular was longer due to my trying to resist.

"You better stop with the presumptuousness your majesty," he warned. "I don't want to have to kill you prematurely."

It was then I open my eyes and stared at him.

"I don't care if you kill me!" I managed. "But you will never have Hyrule! Not as long as the Hero of Twilight draws breath!"

"Shut up!" he snapped.

Another pulse came on strong, but I managed to keep myself from screaming. It was hard, but I wasn't going to let him have that pleasure. I closed my eyes and winced through the pain.

"The arrogance that resides in your blood dates back way before your day, my dear queen," he went on. "Even before the land was solvent and everyone lived in the clouds. It goes back to the time of the first criminal of your bloodline, that greedy bitch Hylia the Great."

I realized then what he was doing. He was using the attribute he thought fit the members of my family. His twisted logic was going to subvert their true intended goals to make sense for his own personal interpretations.

"You may find it odd that I consider her cardinal attribute avarita," he continued. "But if you saw the way she cunningly lied to your ancestral father, the Hero of Sky, for the sake of her own prefects, you would see that that attribute suits her to perfection. She was willing to sacrifice the man she loved to keep her lies at bay. If that isn't greed, I don't know what is."

I scoffed at his words.

"The only thing pathetic is your attempt to twist the truth," I shot back. "You're a deviation of what's good and right in this world Ghirahim, of course you wouldn't see the logic. What Hylia did was for the sake of Hyrule and the Skyloftians."

Ghirahim got angered by my response, but didn't amp up his energy cell.

"I expected no other type of reply from you. Hylians only think from a Hylian's point of view. Speaking of twisted logic, that brings me to the next scoundrel in your deplorable family, the Hero of Sky."

I tried to remain focused, but admittedly this was very hard, harder than I thought.

"My ancestral father is-"

"-Worm filth!" he interrupted. "Your ancestral father should aptly be defined by the attribute gula. His gluttony for colonizing the lands below –lands that did not belong to him, lands that belonged to my master– shows his, and your, insatiate need for power to rule over all. Even with my forces drawn back for eight hundred years, that still didn't stop the hundred years war from coming within the civil factions, which led to the uprising of one of the most corrupt kings to ever sit on the throne of Hyrule, Daphnes the Great."

I had a feeling he was going to mention my great grand father. How could he not? Even by my own recollection, my great grand father was known for being a keeper of secrets and a deceiver. He often used and betrayed people, stating that the vindication of Hyrule was the reason. I always tried to justify his decisions for the greater good of the kingdom, and many stated that at his death he atoned for a great many atrocities he committed whether in secret or in public. However, he was an enigma, and it wasn't all black and white being a monarch. There were some considerable shades of grey to diplomacy. However, I wouldn't expect a monster to understand that. Ghirahm skipped several generations of kings to mention Daphnes I. The idea that it was necessary to forego so many of my other ancestors and go straight to the rule of my great grandfather was a very significant telling indeed.

"My grandmother worked very hard to preserve the legacy of Daphnes I," I said in defense of him. "You have no idea what he had to consider."

He scoffed at me.

"And look at the end result: mere lip service to his accomplishments, pathetic. The record books, however, say something completely different. Herein lies the bloody history of Hyrule's royal family…" he mocked. "Those words were transcribed from the catacombs of Kakariko Village. You know you're corrupt when the soldiers of your own army leave such messages such as that about your kingship. Daphnes I, is often considered Hyrule's premier monarch because of his best asset and his greatest flaw, his pride. His superbia nearly destroyed the kingdom of Hyrule by venerating a phantom tyrant, an incarnate of my master, Ganondorf, as his advisor. This foolish move purged your beloved Hyrule into darkness for seven years. However, his foolishness was subverted by his daughter, his greatest ally and possibly the greatest princess out of all the princesses of that retched Hylia's lineage, Zelda the Sage of Time."

At my grandmother's name I felt a particular sensitivity. I too considered her the greatest of all the princesses of Hyrule. Her wisdom, grace, and beauty was unmatched. She aided my grandfather in his quest before she fell in love with him and made him her king. There were many things I still wasn't aware of about my grandmother, but from what I did know, she was a kind and wise woman. She was there for me until her death when I was sixteen, and I appreciated all of her efforts to help me. She was always regal and she never lost her air of sovereignty. I admired that about her. What lies was this deviant going to foster towards her?

"You've already said it yourself that my grandmother was the greatest of all the princesses," I said. "You're working extra hard to find a vice within her."

Ghirahim continued.

"Indeed, the Sage of Time was a marvel and a wonder to behold," he agreed. "She knew all the secrets of the past, was able to circumvent and hide from my master for seven years, and help the Hero of Time throughout his journey with knowledge and secrets. However, for all her virtues she had one terrible vice. A flaw that even you my dear queen possess, invidia, envy."

I stared at him in open defiance.

"My grandmother has never been envious of anyone, ever."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"That is where you are wrong," he corrected. "The Sage of Time was jealous of her husband's deep love for another woman," he divulged. "A woman he had to give up to marry her. A beautiful peasant girl with emerald green hair. She never let her jealousy for that maiden show outwardly, but she made provisions to ensure the hero married only her."

I looked at him in open disbelief.

"You're lying."

He suddenly stopped the energy cell through my body. I didn't know what prompted him, but I was grateful for the break. Even so, his tongue was still attached to my forehead.

"You don't need me as a confirmation. You've heard the whispers and witnessed the strain of their marriage. Don't blind yourself into believing they were happily ever after. Besides, even your hero confirmed it when he spoke about his grandmother having a love affair with the hero of old. You sat and thought it was a wonderful memory by the lake."

I swallowed hard and my eyes widened with how specific he was with that.

"How are you-?"

"I heard it from the mirror and acquired the rest from your mind," he interrupted. "I can see all your memories, all your thoughts and feelings, all your dirty little secrets. You're an open book like I said you would be. You... can't... hide... anything... from... me... Speaking of which, that brings me to the next culprit in your family of sin. One of the greatest heroes Hyrule has ever known, Link the Hero of Time."

I was still reeling from what he told me about my grandmother.

My grandfather was in love with another woman? Could Link have been right? No... no, that can't be true… can it?

Ghirahim smiled snidely, obviously having read my mind, and was now aware of my doubts.

"The Hero of Time had regrets," he continued, "deep, painstaking regrets that lasted him to his dying day. Would he be remembered as the hero? What was the truth behind his legacy? Why was he so forlorn? What happened to the hero who became a mighty king?" he taunted. "Some say it was because of the death of the Deku Tree. Others believe it was because he had to leave the forest. Still, others believed it was because he wouldn't be remembered solely for being a hero. However, his greatest regret was giving up the love of his life for duty. But even so, that didn't keep him from lusting after her. Yes, luxuria was an attribute he had to contend with for years until the woman died."

When Ghirahim revealed that, I couldn't help but think about how much my grandmother loved the hero of old.

How could he not love her? Grandmother was wonderful.

I shook my head of the thought and tried to dismiss it.

"You're wrong!"

The monster went on.

"The Hero of Time regretted it so badly, he went into the Lost Woods to reflect on her and never came out," Ghirahim said. "This led to a great deal of trouble for your young father who was forced to take the throne due to your grandfather's sudden disappearance. Daphnes II had a great deal of anger towards his father for what he felt was a desertion of him and his family. The young king had his own secrets, especially where two young peasant girls were concerned, one Hylian the other Gerudo. The Gerudo girl had no idea why the drunk young monarch came to her, but... well, why speak on it now? He's dead, that's why ira suits him to perfection."

I was truly stunned at this revelation. I knew about the Gerudo woman, but I had no idea my father also had another young woman in his past. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. This was what Ghirahim wanted. He wanted to undermine everything my family stood for. They weren't perfect, but they weren't horrible people either.

"Father..." I whispered.

The demon lord offered no solace.

"A man can feel very incomplete when they lose something precious to them. Daphnes II lost his father to circumstances he didn't completely understand, He also lost a young woman in his youth he loved very much before he met your mother or the Gerudo girl, good queen. Such a tragedy… such loneliness. However, this feeling of insolence wasn't exclusive to him alone. Another loved one in your family felt an extreme sense of isolationism too, your mother Quistis Baalam."

At the mentioning of my mother, I felt a swell of indignation. It manifested itself with my chin quivering. He was insulting everyone in my family, now he even meant to desecrate the memory of my mother. My poor mother who was only guilty of loving my father too much. She was a lady in the truest since of the word: graceful, beautiful, and calm. She could read and speak ancient Hylian. She was a scholar through her own merits. She knew how to hunt, and sew, and use the bow, and so many things –she was wonderful and I wasn't going to let him take that away from me.

"Don't you dare pervert the memory of my mother!" I warned. "You disgusting scoundrel! You only-"

"I had no intention of doing that," Ghirahim interrupted innocently. "A little defensive are we? I was just going to comment on the fact she was the most beautiful woman in Baalam, and was desired by both Xavier of Dragon Roost and Daphnes II of Hyrule, well, not initially, but in time. The raven haired beauty's choice was obvious, she wanted Daphnes, and when her beloved husband died, a part of her died along with him."

I swallowed hard and didn't reply. The weight of my body was really fatiguing my arms, but it felt like so much more now. That was a true statement. When my father died, my mother lost the will to live.

She was so fragile…

I said nothing.

"Quistis was so heartbroken, that nothing mattered anymore," Ghirahim went on. "She even neglected you after a while, her only daughter. You were a young lady in need of her guidance, and all she could do was think of her dead husband. That's why sloth, or accidic, suits her too perfection. Your mother became so slovenly and haggard in her ways, that she would rather die than become the strength bearer her daughter needed."

Even though I would never admit it to him, I did feel a sense of abandonment from my mother when she just stopped caring about life. I needed her and nothing seemed to matter to her anymore. She just sat in her room and stared out the window all day thinking about my father. Her life was her love for her husband and when he died so did she. I knew in some ways she had no room for me that year of her life, so I never held it against her. That's why I always appreciated my grandmother. Grandmother shielded me from that, but then she died too.

I closed my eyes at his words.

"How does it feel to know that you're all alone, and your family history is nothing but a lie?" he whispered. "Your legacy is nothing but a fallacy."

I didn't reply right away.

"My legacy doesn't need your approval," I whispered. "I know my family and I love them with all my heart. You just have twisted logic."

Ghirahim scoffed.

"No, my dear queen," he said, "it's not my twisted logic, it's yours. As I've said before, everything I'm disclosing to you is from your own memory. I took your memories and used them against you."

I avoided his eyes, saying nothing, and he seemed to take offense to my stance.

"You think I'm playing with you," he said suddenly.

I almost laughed and decided to speak on that.

"I'm hanging from a chain with you having the most power a jailer could possibly have, my mind is exposed, and you think I think this is a game?" I said with open sarcasm. "Your summation makes you sound like a fool Ghirahim! Why would I think this is a game when I can hide nothing from you? Brush off your tactics and use your brain for a change!"

He stared at me stunned.

"Shut up!" he snapped, then suddenly amped up his power surge. "I think you're ready for another ravaging now!"

My body stiffened at his words.

"Wait! Ghirahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-" I was cut off by my own screams when the seven words of his attributes flashed before my eyes once more.

Superbia, invidia, accidic, avarita, gula, luxuria, and ira. Diffractions of light pulsed against my forehead in a constant throbbing rhythm. It was more intense than before, but there was no physical pain this time, only emotional and mental pain.

What is this? Why is this happening?

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes at me.

"This is mind rape in its truest form," he answered my question in a calm low voice. "Using every dark attribute against you to hurt you and weaken you to a point where you just break down spiritually."

If I could place my hands over my ears I would. There was this frequency that was grating against my eardrums, and it was mind-numbingly irritating. I shook my head to escape it, but nothing gave me comfort. Soon, the sound of my screams rang in my ears to drown it out, as images of my family streamed through my head. Colors circulated across my pan of vision in a shifting optical sequence. A bright shining of green dominated my acuity for a few moments along with the word avarita. Suddenly, a scene then emerged from it: Hylia of Hyrule was revealing to the Hero of Sky that she used him to save the kingdom…

The vision was at a pivotal moment in the Hero of Sky's quest.

"Do you see it?" Ghirahim demanded all of a sudden. "Do you see the hypocrisy of your bloodline?"

The scene shifted again, with flashings of golden brown light coupled with the word gula, and another scene emerged: The Hero of Sky was relentlessly searching the lands for his beloved friend and future queen…

I was confused by why that moment in time was considered greed. I shook my head furiously to try and disengage Ghirahim's leathery appendage, but it wouldn't budge.

"Stop this please! AHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as the torture went on.

The lights continued flashing before my eyes, swaying and swirling again, surging forward with the color of royal purple. A picture of Hyrule Castle showed before my eyes with a scene coming forth of another family member. The word surperbia suddenly blazed up: Daphnes I appointed Ganondorf as his chief advisor…

Ghirahim was relentless as I continued to scream.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" my voice vaulted.

"Do you feel the woe of your ancestral line great queen?" he taunted. "Hylia the tyrant, the hero who conquered a land that didn't belong to him, Daphnes I's arrogance…" he trailed, knowing there was more to come.

The lights continued the cadence and shined yellowish-green now, and another picture captioned itself before my eyes with the word invidia. Suddenly showing: Zelda the Sage of Time following Link the Hero of Time on his journey secretly to help him… A rapid succession of images began to spontaneously appear with the color changes. The lights shifted from yellowish-green to red. The word luxuria suddenly shined before my eyes and another scene: The Hero of Time saves Hyrule... becomes king and tells Zelda the Sage of Time he doesn't love her… The sequence continued from dark red to bright red in a representation of anger. The word ira manifested itself and then disappeared, along with a scene: Daphnes II ascends the throne and then dies in battle… The lights twirled again and shifted to a very pale fluorescent, almost opaque-like white light. The word accidic appeared in black letters before dissolving as if it never appeared. Again another scene: Quistis Baalam dies a year after her husband from a broken heart…

It was almost too much to bear.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed.

The monster seemed to relish in my pain.

"I'm going to purge your soul with the misgivings of your ancestors and break you queen of light!" he swore, with his malice and hatred for me growing. "You're weaker than I thought!"

I squeezed my eyes shut as the mental assault continued. I was breathing hard, sweating, and within moments I felt I was going to pass out from sensorial shock. The images of my ancestors continued to play in my head like a never ending opera. It was psychedelic. I suspected the final act would be death, my death. The kaleidoscopic sequence was overwhelming my natural defense mechanisms, especially in my weakened state. Even so, I had to keep fighting, I had to.

You can't give in Zelda! You can't!

I concentrated with every last breath of my body.

"AHHHHH!" I screamed, but then got a hold of myself. "I am the last of the Nohanseen bloodline! I will not cower at the mercy of a demon!" Suddenly, a surge of power went through me to counter Ghirahim's strike. It forced his energy in the opposite direction. "I am Zelda! I... am... Zelda! Queen of Hyrule, and the Sage of Light!"

Out of nowhere, the room began to quake and shake. The disturbance was all around us and caught Ghirahim off guard.

"What in the-?"

Suddenly, a blue flash of light erupted from the depths of my soul and manifested itself all around me like a cast of Nayru's Love. The demon lord looked on dumbstruck and almost appeared shaken. Afterwards, I opened my eyes. My whole body was now tinged in blue light. Ghirahim then tried to retract his tongue, but was surprised when he found that the spring loaded action wouldn't recoil the way he anticipated. His tongue was now stuck in my blue barrier.

"Where do you think you're going?" I whispered, then another pulse of energy surged through my body and released from me. "Ah!" I gasped as the residual force left me.

The energy struck the monster immediately, burning and tearing at his tongue before it hit his whole body. Ghirahim's vestige ripped through the barrier and black blood poured from his wound. He looked at me in pure rage as he slithered his injured tongue back into his mouth, but not before he was knocked back into his seat, followed by a sickening crack. From the sound of it, it seemed he hurt himself badly... very very badly.

"You conniving bitch!" he retorted angrily. "You're going to pay for that!"

Afterwards, Ghirahim jumped back up onto his feet, and lunged into an attack to come at me. I closed my eyes as another pulsar of light released itself while he was in a mid-aerial jump. The opposing force on my end was so great, that he got knocked back into the other direction and landed hard onto the moving floor. The monster stared at me in complete and utter shock, but his shock quickly diminished to anger. However, I could tell from his body language that he wasn't going to attack me again. After two attempts, he was going to bide his time and wait for another opportunity.

"You can't sustain that barrier forever," he growled. "When it comes down you're dead!"

I just stared at him, feeling a calm I hadn't felt in a long time.

This is the power of the Triforce of Wisdom.

"I await that time," I said calmly.

I didn't know exactly how I summoned it. The bracelet Hylia gave me was gone. I was weak physically, and by all intensive purposes I should've been dead. The only thing I could relate it to was my innate collective drive and motivation. I wasn't sure how it was working, but I knew it was something greater than myself.

Thank the goddess.

Ghirahim got up from the floor, and quickly raised his hand causing all the braziers to blow out. The room was in darkness once again. However, that didn't dispel my aura barrier, as it illuminated the space around me. I could see Ghirahim's baleful black eyes staring at me from across the room. He no longer had the upper hand as he once did.

"This isn't over," he whispered. "Mark my words."

I didn't flinch.

"I'm aware of that."

With that, he disappeared farther into the darkness, and then suddenly there was a loud slam like the shutting of a door. It was the only time I breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as the door shut, the aura barrier dissipated and I took in a deep labored breath. That took a significant amount of energy to maintain, and I was now very weak. I looked out into the darkness, hoping he wouldn't come back because there would be no way for me to fend him off this time. I grateful I was able to overcome Ghirahim's first onslaught, but I knew as soon as he caught me he was going to possibly kill me. Even so, I had to close my eyes. I had to get some sleep, even at the risk of getting caught. I took in another deep breath and decided that was exactly what I was going to do. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep. In those moments, I thought of Link when he was imprisoned.

"Is this what you had to go through my beloved?" I whispered and felt some tears fill my eyes. "If so, I can't apologize enough."

My tears ran down my cheeks, but I had to remain strong.

It's not over yet Zelda.

My eye lids drooped and were heavy with exhaustion. The darkness was starting to look hazy. There was no way I was going to stay awake... even with that sound again.

Click… click… click…

What is that? I couldn't sustain the thought.

I tried to stay awake for as long as I could, but after a short while, I passed out. I had no idea what was to become of me.

~SSS~

The Sacrosanct Paddock, Link

I didn't know what to make of what was before us. It was strange. It was eclectic. It was obviously something foreign to this land. It was an oddity to be sure. We were all staring at it in wonder and disbelief both at the same time. One thing was certain, Ghirahim was a perverse bastard.

"Only he would think of something this... this grotesque," I said to no one in particular.

The structure before us was the same enigmatic prodigy as the engraving on Midna's locket. There was a large dark effigy that was carved out of twilight wood to resemble a woman begging for her life, as a demonic man stood above her with a spear in his hand to pierce her through. From the male figure's mouth there was a cast of strange black mist that wrapped around his body and spear. Likewise, the female figure also had black mist flowing from her, but it was coming from her feminine orifice rather than her mouth... an obvious distinction made by the demon lord. That creature was sick. Between both carvings were several substantial fractals of space that blinked white and black, like optical images. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen.

"This is madness," I said, not meaning to state the obvious.

Hylia then turned to look at me and Elbourne.

"This has to be the entrance to the demon's lair."

There was no denying that.

Elbourne seemed at a loss for words for a moment.

"I don't understand how this all came about," he shook his head. "It was never like this! It doesn't make sense!"

Hylia went up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not supposed to make sense," she reasoned. "This all happened after Ghirahim was released from the mirror. There was no way you, or anybody for that matter, could have known."

Elbourne understood her reasoning, but was still unsettled with the sight.

"What kind of monster would make something like this?" he asked more to himself than to anyone.

Hylia shared his sentiment.

"The unfortunate kind my friend," she said simply. "It's best not to try and understand a mind you don't know, especially a depraved one like Ghirahim's."

Elbourne merely shook his head.

I stared at the structure again.

"Ghirahim must have been planning a full on assault where, if he got powerful enough, he could traverse his realm, the Twilight Realm, and then Hyrule," I suspected. "He would attack in one fell swoop."

Hylia nodded.

"That seems to be the only reasonable explanation, and since the Master Sword rests in the same mirrored location, he was probably going to free his master, and take over Hyrule with an all out coup."

When Hylia put it that way, it made sense. The whole idea was to purge the holy sword into darkness to free Demise, and the smartest way to ensure that was to make the entrance to the demon's lair right where the Master Sword rested.

That was pretty clever of you Ghirahim, but how would you bring darkness to the Sacred Realm?

"Traversing all three realms at once can create a static effect in space," Hylia said, having read my mind. "If he accessed the Sacred Realm where there was a large amount of residual darkness surrounding him, he could lift the Master Sword without fear of evil's bane and release his master. However, he would need to be powerful enough to do this, in his current state he isn't. That's why he was looking for... for his missing link so to speak."

Elbourne assumed the goddess was talking about him.

"Hylia-"

"I don't simply mean you," she interrupted, "I wasn't saying that to upset you, I was merely inferring."

The dragon prince stared at her for a moment.

"Look, I don't deny now he was after me solely, I've come to grips with that fact. I still don't understand why, but I just want to get Zelda back. If anything happened to her when it should have been me... I'll never forgive myself. I just need to know she's alive. I need to know she's alright."

The goddess stared at the prince for a moment and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, my ancestral daughter is strong, she's alive, and don't think about Ghirahim or his reasons for wanting you right now. Let your focus be your love for Zelda, the way it's always been. That will keep you centered. The truth and all it encapsulates will be for another time. However, I might add that after traveling with you and seeing how you and she interact, I no longer doubt the depth of your friendship. I wasn't always so certain, but now I no longer am a cynic."

I glanced over at Hylia myself, wondering what else she was saying without really saying it. Why does Ghirahim want the dragon prince so badly? What was the big mystery behind all this? I thought some of her wording was odd, especially with how careful she was about not being dismissive. However, with the current situation at hand, I didn't bother to go into it. That was a subject for another time. Right now I just wanted to get Zelda back. I brought the two back to center by focusing on the task.

"Hylia's right, our mission is the queen's safety," I added before addressing her myself. "So, how are we supposed to access Ghirahim's lair from here?"

Hylia crossed her arms over her chest, and studied the tree for a moment.

"It's as I said before, a hole needs to be torn through this area of space and time to make his realm appear simultaneously with this one. The only way to do so without causing a complete shift is with the aide of the Triforce and your ability to transform into a wolf. There's enough stabilizing energy in your holy relic to create a portal."

I nodded at her explanation, now completely understanding what needed to be done.

"Makes sense," I replied.

Elbourne looked between us and spoke up just then.

"I want to go with you, I can't stand idly by and do nothing."

I was about to object, but Hylia preempted me.

"That's out of the question your highness. The rift won't be enough to sustain two people, you could end up someplace else entirely."

He looked at her in open defiance.

"I'm not going to stand here when Zelda's life is in danger."

She shook her head.

"I'm afraid you have no choice. Link must go alone."

Elbourne shook his head.

"I can't! I can't just wait here!"

I took in a deep sigh.

"Elbourne-"

He cut his gaze to me.

"I love her!" he interrupted. "I will not stand back and just watch and wait! I won't!"

There was a brief silence between all three of us after he uttered that. I stared at the dragon prince for just a moment, understanding his feelings completely and would do the same thing if I were in his shoes. However, he also needed to be logical. Say we both did make it to the Demon's Lair, what if in the process of his heroics, Ghirahim captured him? What then? He needed to be sensible, not irrational.

"Look, dragon prince I get it," I said to him, "I know you love her, I love Zelda too, but we have to be smart in how we do this. Right now it would be foolish to waste anymore time arguing when the important thing is Zelda's safety, wouldn't you agree. Every minute we waste is a minute longer Zelda is in danger. You understand that right?"

Elbourne just stared at me for a moment. I knew he didn't want to see things my way, but he didn't have the benefit of that luxury. He had no choice but to concede. Afterwards, he looked away and groaned in disapproval. He was unfortunately in a losing battle.

"Yes I understand," he muttered. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

I nodded, then turned my attention to Hylia who nodded in return.

"It's about time we checked to see if what Midna and Zelda surmised was true," she said to me regarding my transformation process. "It's about time for you to proceed."

"Right."

I then closed my eyes to concentrate. Hylia and Elbourne both remained quiet and watched in silence. The temperature in my body began to rise when there was a sudden subtle swell of energy within my gut. I felt the current go to and fro as it permeated upward from the soles of my feet. The temperature rose more as my skin began to feel hot, and the swell turned to a full on surge. My eyes suddenly shot open as beams of light escaped from me to the surrounding atmosphere. Soon I began to twitch and tick, as my body forced itself over and down onto all four of my limbs. My hair grew profusely from every pore, as four hundred pounds of extra sinewy muscle packed itself onto my frame. My jaw elongated and formed aerodynamically as my teeth sharpened and curved. The canine incisors especially curved down my chin. My spine shifted with a kyphosis along my back and broadened, as it lowered to my new center of gravity. The extension from my nose to tail was now seven feet long. My neck was no longer able to move as freely, as my foramen had changed. I could look from left to right without any problems, looking up however was a different story. The transformation was painful and exhausting initially, but once it was over it felt familiar and exhilarating. I took in a deep breath with my new, but unchanged, set of lung power and howled.

"Oooooowwwwwwwww!" I bayed loudly.

I huffed and grunted as Elbourne and Hylia both stared at me in amazement. It was a rather magnificent thing to witness and only a select few had seen it: Zelda, Midna, Hylia, now Elbourne, and even the postman... yes, the postman. I had no explanation for that.

The goddess pointed to the tree.

"You have to hurry."

I nodded then turned to the sculpture. I climbed to the top and set my fangs into one of the fractals. When I yanked into what seemed like nothing, a black hole in space appeared. A portal. After the displacement was revealed, I quickly ran through it. Hylia and Elbourne looked after me concerned, but soon their faces were closed over from the entrance I created. The kaleidoscopic inverted rotunda of color was all around me flashing red, yellow, green, and blue. I ran through the torn space with a quickened step. Sporadic images from other times flickered in and out of the background, showing kings and heroes of the past: the Hero of Time, Daphnes II, and Zelda the Sage of Time. Ahead of me was a semicircle shaped entrance to the other side, I hurried and ran through it. When I substantiated on the other side, I landed hard on the ground, but wasted no time jumping back up and taking off to the large building in the distance. My eyes widened momentarily when I glanced at the landscape around me. It looked like something out of a nightmare. The earth was black and white, and the dead trees were paler than moonlight. The moon, however, showing in the background was as red as blood, and the sky changed colors from dark green, black, and mahogany.

It was a place unlike any I had seen before.

Zelda... please be alright.

I sniffed the air and quickly picked up her scent. Afterwards, I flashed my senses and suddenly saw an iridized trail of blue heading off into the north. She was somewhere in that large dome. The scent went on for miles and miles and I ran like there was no tomorrow, for which in Zelda's case, there may not have been. My heart pounded at the thought of Ghirahim making good on his threat and violating her. It made me run faster. I howled again at the blood red moon, hoping against all hope that she could hear me coming for her.

Hang on Zelda, just hang on!

~SSS~

The Demon's Lair, Zelda

A dream of freedom:

The expanse of the ocean was deep, wide, and glistened a turquoise blue. I was standing in the middle of it with my hands clasped together and my eyes closed. A wave of water flowed over me and I became soaking wet, but I never left my stance. In fact, my lips were trembling because I was supplicating in a moment of prayer.

"Please let me have some strength," I whispered, "please…"

Another wave came and enveloped me, and I still didn't move.

Then another.

And another.

It was as if I was getting baptized... purified...

Purified…

Purified…

I kept praying when suddenly I heard a man's voice.

"Zelda…" he whispered.

I stirred, but didn't open my eyes.

"Zelda…" the man whispered again.

I still didn't open my eyes.

"Zeeellldddaaaa..." he whispered again, prolonging his enunciates.

It was then I opened my eyes. I blinked several times to try and focus, and that was when I realized I wasn't in an ocean anymore. I was still hanging from that chain in Ghirahim's keep, however, I wasn't alone. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw an apparition had suddenly appear in front of me.

Who…?

The apparition was an extraordinarily handsome man wearing a green tunic, with light brown hair and soft blue eyes. He wasn't wearing a hat, but he did bear the emblem of the Triforce on the back of his right hand. He bore a sword and a shield with the crest of the royal family, and he was smiling at me warmly. I knew I shouldn't have been, but I initially felt afraid.

"Who-who are you?" I finally stammered.

He wasn't alarmed by my question and understood my dismay.

"My name is Link," he divulged, "I'm the Hero of Sky. I'm your ancestral father Zelda."

When he uttered that I looked at him stunned. Was this delirium I was experiencing now? Had I really gone that long without food and water?

"Ancestral father? How are you-? What are you doing here?"

He put his hand to his chin with a smile still on his face.

"You looked like you could use a friend right now since Hylia is busy. That crazy goddess has a heart as big as the sun. That's what made me fall in love with her in the first place."

Tears fill my eyes at the sight of him. I just couldn't believe this was happening right now.

"The Hero of Sky…" I whispered in relief as a tear rolled down my cheek.

Link reached out and wiped it away with his translucent hand.

"I know it's been hard on you Zelda," he said softly. "You bore a heavy burden during your reign, and you still are, but I want you to know I'm very proud of you. You do the Nohanseen name justice."

I bit my lower lip at his words of approval and closed my eyes.

Recognition at last.

"You have no idea what that means to me coming from you," I whispered sincerely.

Link smiled again.

"I think I do, but you also have no idea how much you mean to Hylia and me. That's why she was so eager to see you happy. You, out of all the Nohansens, deserve it the most."

The tears wouldn't stop welling in my eyes. I trembled in happiness knowing I was making my ancestors proud.

"Thank you."

Link smiled again and then looked around.

"It seems you got yourself into a little bit of a predicament," he divulged in a somewhat joking manner.

I scoffed, trying not to be too cynical. My chained state could hardly be described as a mere predicament. I was in serious trouble.

"To say the least," I replied, attempting a smile of my own.

Link returned it.

"I know you can beat him Zelda," he said suddenly.

When he said that, I looked at Link with weary eyes. I was so tired of fighting. I didn't think I had any strength left. Ghirahim was relentless.

"I wish I had your optimism."

He went to reassure me.

"You have something far more precious than optimism Zelda. You have the whole backing of your ancestors, along with the Triforce of Wisdom. Ghirahim doesn't stand a chance against you, that's why he wants you to think he can break you."

I knew he was right, but I was so despondent it was hard for me to see that.

"Ancestral father I don't know if I can go on much longer. I really do feel the weight of these bonds."

Link knew I wasn't talking about physical bonds, but the ones weighed upon my mind.

"I know... I know," he said calmly, then changed the subject. "Now, I want you to tell me about your dream Zelda."

I looked at him surprised in that moment, finding the question a bit unorthodox.

"My dream?"

He nodded.

"Yes, your dream."

I still didn't understand the gist of his reasoning, but decided to answer his question anyway.

"All night... well, to be quite frank, I dreamed of water. It was very strange."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, with a look of inquiry on his face.

"Why would you dream of water now?"

I shook my head, unsure.

"I don't know. I guess maybe I want to wash the weight of this mess from my shoulders."

Link reached out and caressed my cheek just then.

"That's it exactly. You just want some solace from your pain."

I stared into his beautiful blue eyes as if I were staring into his soul.

"Yes," I said breathlessly, "I just want to be free. I just want to be purified."

Link smiled at me again.

"Let me help you by reassuring you. You can defeat Ghirahim if you keep a calm heart and spirit, and once you're completely 'purified' everything you dreamt up last night will make its way back to you."

I was slightly confused by what he meant.

"How?"

"You'll know because you bear the Triforce of Wisdom," he replied. "Just soothe your mind, and you'll find the strength you've been conjuring up all night. Remember the Hylian Paradox Zelda… you will find your 'holiday' if you remember that."

I was perplexed by his final words, but was overwhelmed by the comfort I felt from them. I wasn't alone in the dark anymore.

"But how does that apply to the present?"

He grabbed his chin again.

"Not everything applies to the present. Some things are strictly for the future."

I looked at him with tired eyes, but was beginning to understand what he meant.

"I see," I whispered.

Link grinned at me again.

"You're a bright girl."

Tears refilled my eyes.

"Thank you so much."

Link wiped them away from my face again, then kissed my forehead.

"I love you Zelda," he said softly, and I noticed he was starting to disappear now. "I'm very fortunate to have an ancestral daughter like you."

My eyes widened suddenly in fear. I didn't want him to leave.

"Please don't go!" I begged. "I need you!"

Link's smile broadened as he faded away.

"I'll always be with you Zelda, always... even when you think no one is there and you're alone in the dark, I'll always be with you."

With that, he faded away, and I was alone in the dark once again. I looked around desperately for him in vain, but saw that he was truly gone. Afterwards, I let my head hang low and cried softly.

The dream was over.

~SSS~

I gasped when I opened my eyes and looked around.

"Ancestral father!" I called out quietly.

No one answered.

"Are you there?" I whispered to the darkness.

I scanned the blackened room again, but no one was there. I pursed my lips together and realized it was all a dream. I let the last few remnants of my tears fall, and finally the feeling of emptiness subsided.

Thank you Hero of Skies.

I sighed and settled back into my normal position. However, the moment of quiet was short lived. The silence was disrupted by the horrible sound of that click… click… click…

I still had no idea what that was.

My eyes shot open and I froze.

Click… click… click…

The sound moved up the walls.

Click… click…click…

There was a scuttling across the ground.

Click… click… click…

The tapping of metallic sounded above from my chain. The sound was made all the more terrifying by something suddenly crawling down my back.

"Dear Hylia," I whispered, as the thing made its way down the back of my leg.

Suddenly, the braziers lit again, and the entire room illuminated once more, with the 'clicking' sound clearly made manifest now. There were thousands of baby skulltulas everywhere.

I gasped.

Click… click… click… as the spiders crawled up the walls. Click…click…click… as they scuttled across the floor. Click… click… click… as they crawled down the chain I was hanging from and starting to nest on my body.

I began to hyperventilate.

"No please!" I begged to no one in particular.

The limestone room was dank and thick with mildewed air. My attention was so preoccupied, that I hardly noticed Ghirahim standing in the middle of the room while thousands upon thousands of spiders literally crawled over each other and covered the stone ground. He too looked different, with his arms appearing dark brown while the rest of his body appeared platinum white with diamond infringements. He also looked extremely upset. our last scuffle obviously didn't sit well with him.

"I'm done with the games your majesty," he got straight to the point. "After I disclose a few things to you I'm going to kill you and then rape your dead body because you sicken me so much."

I stared at him surprised, but wasn't as taken in by his threats as before.

"Is that so?" I tried to keep my voice calm.

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes.

"Your arrogance will be your undoing," he warned. "Remember, I told you, you weren't the first Hylian queen I broke. She was proud too before she was mercilessly ravaged."

I scoffed.

"You deliberately changed the subject," I noted, "why?"

My question frustrated him further.

"I told you why!" he exploded suddenly. "I control things here! Me! This is my realm!"

I paused as I felt a haunting familiarity behind his outburst.

Why does that seem so... so normal to me?

"I'm aware of that," I said calmly in reply.

However, my cool disposition was about to be challenged, as the spider crawling up my leg was now coming towards my face. I edged back as it took out its anthers to attack me. Surprisingly, and possibly unintentionally, Ghirahim shot a blast of dark matter at the creature, destroying the horrible little monster instantly. The guts splattered all over me. He also shot three more intending to attack me on my belly and thighs as well, covering me in spider goo. I was repulsed, it was disgusting.

"You're going to be aware of a lot of things in a moment," he divulged. "I'm going to tell you a story about a Hylian queen and a demon lord before I kill you."

I stared at him cynically, but felt an overwhelming sense of foreboding too. I sensed this was not going to end the way I thought.

"What are you talking about?"

Ghirahm stalked towards the pit, killing several skulltulas in the process.

"I'm talking about an alliance that bore something horrifying. Well… horrifying if you happen to be the dragon king."

My stomach suddenly churned and I held my breath.

What… the… hell…?

I edged back involuntarily.

He can't be saying what I think he's saying, he can't.

"Lady Constance?" I whispered.

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes at me and nodded.

"Yes... Lady Constance."

My throat tightened.

"What did you do to her?"

I think I already knew the answer. I just didn't want to utter it.

Even so, the monster didn't answer my question directly.

"Remember when I told you about the man who was forced to watch me ravage his wife? Well, that lucky couple was King Xavier and Queen Constance of Dragon Roost when they were newly weds. The king made a pact with me before he ascended the throne. I told him I required blood in return, but not in the conventional way."

My eyes widened as he went on. He grinned at my expression.

"You ever wonder why Xavier hates his son so much?" he taunted rhetorically.

I didn't answer.

My heart accelerated with each word. I always likened the disapproval of Elbourne to never being able to measure up to Xavier's impossible expectations. I wasn't even aware until recently that Elbourne wasn't Xavier's son until the dragon prince told me so. I never imagined it was anything like what this monster was purporting. Even so, I was still wanted to be in denial.

He can't be… Elbourne isn't…

The monster nodded.

"He is my lady," he said to my thoughts, "the dragon prince... should rightfully be called the demon prince. He's… my… son."

I froze as pure shock entered my veins. Pure complicit shock. I didn't know what to say.

"Dear goddesses," I whispered.

Ghirahim grinned at the disclosure.

"Let that sink in."

I closed my eyes and shook my head in denial once again. There was no way that could truly be possible. Too many things didn't match up.

"You're insane! He couldn't be your son! He looks-"

"-Just like the Hero of Twilight," he interrupted. "I know, I made sure of that. I cursed the demon seed to look like the hero that would save Hyrule so he could have a chance to marry you. I know you princesses love your heroes, so why not make a nemesis look like a hero? It was my hope to usurp your throne through a blood linked marriage and storm the Sacred Realm to purge the Master Sword that way and free my master. However, it turns out Elbourne has too much of that retched Hylian blood in him. He's too deeply in love with you to take you by force like he should have in the lagoon, even though he's wanted to in the past."

I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe ir.

"You dirty bastard!" I retorted. "How could you do something so deplorable?"

He had no qualms about giving me an explanation.

"It's very simple actually, if the dragon king wanted to ally himself with me he was going to have to offer me something. He didn't want to involve Constance naturally, which made me want her all the more. It was then I made her the only bargaining chip he could use. It was either the death of his dear wife the queen as a sacrifice, or the raping of her to produce a hybrid offspring while he watched."

I didn't know what to think now.

Xavier really had no choice after making that pact, I felt a sudden pang of pity for the king. It was either see Constance live or die. It was no wonder they had so many problems in their marriage.

I couldn't get over it. I could not wrap my head around Elbourne being the son of Ghirahim. However, when I stopped to think about some of his cruel traits: his lack of empathy, his disregard for others, his promiscuous behavior... it actually made sense. Elbourne was a callous man, with the exception of his dealings with me, but he struggled with that inherent darkness his whole life. If he had given in at the lagoon, he would have lost the little piety keeping him lucid. I also now understood something else. Elbourne being biologically Ghirahim's son was why Hylia couldn't read his mind. And if Xavier were under Ghirahim's influence, it was why she couldn't read the king's as well. Hylia was not associated with darkness, only light.

"Since he's proven himself useless I'm going to take my essence back from him to gain my full strength," he went on. "I would have been successful had you not gotten in the way. However, that was only a minor setback. I will capture him in due time and return to full strength."

I was only half listening.

"Take your essence from him?" I caught. "Don't you mean you're going to kill him?!"

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes at me.

"He'll die if I want him to die, and as it stands now I've had enough talking! It's time I put you out of your misery!"

With that, Ghirahim suddenly lunged at my chain and came sliding down it until we were face to face with each other hanging in the air. I was terrified of the closeness, but not as much as when he came close and kissed me. He forced his long tongue down my throat and I gagged. It was suffocating and disgusting.

"You want to know why I named him Elbourne?" he whispered when he pulled away.

I didn't answer as I stared into his soulless eyes.

"It means 'lamb of god,'" he said in a low voice, "I considered him my 'lamb' since I am his god."

I was repulsed and showed so by spitting in his face.

"You're no god!" I countered. "You're nothing more than a weapon and a tool! Elbourne will never be like you!"

The monster didn't flinch at my actions.

"We'll see about that," he then slid his hand between my legs to grope me.

I cringed at his touch.

"I think I've treated you like a lady enough," he squeezed my labia roughly in his hands. "It's time you learned a lesson."

He pressed his mouth against mine again. The skin of my wrists was tearing slightly with the addition of his body weight. The blood was running down my arms as I struggled to fight him off.

"No!" I screamed through a muffled kiss.

I was feeling the worst kind of fear possible. I shook my head away from him, trying to free myself, but Ghirahim was relentless.

"Hold still you stupid bitch!" he roared when I bit him in return.

He slapped me across the face after that and my nose began to bleed.

He's going to kill me! Terror gripped me.

He forced his tongue back down my throat as it tasted of both blood and bile. I was near a point of no return, when suddenly a voice rang through my head.

"Zelda!" the voice ordered.

My eyes shot open.

What in the-?

"Zelda!" the voice belonged to the Hero of Skies. "I told you, you are stronger than him!"

Ancestral father! Help me! What can I do?

Ghirahim pulled back and stared into my eyes.

"That bastard can't help you now!" he replied, having read my mind.

"Zelda you can do this!" the Hero of Skies went on. "He knows he's no match for the power of the Triforce!"

Link-

"Use it!" he interrupted my thought process.

I didn't reply, instead I just did as I was told and closed my eyes. Suddenly, a blue light surrounded me and erupted from within my soul like before. Ghirahim saw that and looked on in disbelief.

"Ahhhh!" I cried out feeling an extraordinary pain followed by a surge of power.

Is this the true power of the Triforce of Wisdom?

Ghirahim was sent flying backwards from the force. Afterwards, my shackles broke, some of my superficial wounds healed, and I was floating in midair. My clothes quickly changed from my dress to those of the Sheikah. My hair changed from dark brown to platinum black with my blonde bangs, and wrapped itself into a bandaged headdress. I maneuvered from my position over the pit and landed hard on the skulltula infested floor. The monster was astonished.

"You insolent witch!" he screamed, then lunged at me.

I dodged his attack and opted to run for the exit. There was no sense in wasting time fighting a foe where I didn't have the weapon to completely put him down. The Master Sword was needed for that and only Link could wield it. Ghirahim quickly turned and ran after me.

"Come back here!" he demanded.

That certainly was a stupid request. I ran as fast and as hard as I could until I got to the exit. I flung the door open, ran down the stone stairs, and made my way through another exit. When I got outside I ran as fast as I could towards something, anything that would get me away from Ghirahim. I ran out onto the unbridled barren terrain and hoped for the best.

I need a miracle to get out of this one... a miracle.

~SSS~

Link

I ran and ran, still following the scent, when I notice a figure coming in the distance towards me.

Who in the world is that?

I put back on my senses and saw that the blue light was heavily surrounding this person. I needed no other guesses.

Zelda! I thought in relief, but panic soon set it when I saw the demonic madman now running after her.

I doubled my speed and ran towards her.

Hold on Zelda! I'm coming!

~SSS~

Zelda

I was breathing hard, and running as fast as I could with my new found Sheikah strength. However, a terrible sense of dread welled in my stomach when I saw a huge wolf running towards me in the distance.

What in Hylia's name-? What is that?

~SSS~

Link

I saw Zelda hesitate when she caught sight of me. So, to reassure her, I lowered my head and ran straight for her. When I was near her, I slide between her legs and had her ride me bareback. She looked shocked at the maneuver, but then soon realized who I was.

"Link!" she said stunned, and then held onto me tight as she could while I made a sharp U-turn and headed back towards the portal.

I've got you Zelda! That bastard is never going to hurt you again. Never.

~SSS~

Zelda

I held on tight as Link and I rode for the portal. Ghirahim was snarling like a rabid animal as he ran after us, but soon stopped his pursuit when he realized he didn't have the power to overcome us both.

"This isn't over!" he screamed. "Your kingdom will fall you pathetic excuse for a monarch! I will attain my power and it will fall."

I closed my eyes at his words, and realized the situation was more dire than I could have imagined, but I was grateful. I was grateful to Link for coming to rescue me when he did. I was grateful to Hylia for giving me the strength to pull through. I was grateful to Elbourne for having the guts to withstand his inherent inclinations. And lastly, I was grateful to the Hero of Skies for giving me the reassurance of his love when I needed it the most.

Thank you ancestral father, I looked up at the heavens, you have no idea how much you've given me in my hour of need.

Link and I rode until we got to a break in space. At it we jumped through and saw the last of the ghastly demon lair, but we both knew that wouldn't be the last we would see of the demon lord.

---

Now you know why the last few chapters were 'Elbourne-centric.' Also, those of you who are alone in dark places, whether in your mind, or in the physical world, please don't give up. Don't ever give up.