Mysticalgems: Of course you would hope the sleeping one lol. Ugh sorry I didn't update when I said I was gonna the internet decided to have problems.

Neko Puppy Star: 1-Fi is ok she just always annoyed me. 8-Erm, I'm sure you've figured it out by now right?

Midna fan: 10-*whispers back* I do too

ShadowLyrics1: Do you need me to PM you whenever I update?

InkSphinx: Yes I am secretly a demon. Shhh don't tell anyone.

Hello readers! Sorry for the late update, I did have this chapter finished but I was looking at it and went 'you know what I can do better' so I redid some stuff and added others in. For my second excuse, Finals, need I say more. And for my last excuse and I'm not quite sure how this happened but I got a boyfriend…I'm still shell-shocked from that. Anyways READ!

Chapter 18

Morning broke over the small encampment, the sunlight somehow threading through the surrounding trees and waking Zelda from sleep. Glancing around she noticed that the bedspread next to her was vacant, which meant that Impa either did not sleep or that she had woke up earlier. Zelda paused mid-yawn as she remembered: today was the day they were going to confront Ghirahim. Quickly she scrambled out of the blankets and under the lean-to. She found Impa in front of the now burnt-out fire, crushing a piece of goddess plume to a fine powder.

Impa glanced up at her charge but did not speak, instead going back to her task. Only when she was finished did she finally explain "The goddess plume's holiness renders ordinary demons powerless. Although Ghirahim is no regular demon, if we mix this powder with some of your blood there should be enough sacred power to bar him from using magic, as well as cause him some physical pain. After that I can restrain him as I would any man."

Rolling up her sleeve Zelda asked "How much blood do you need?"

"The more blood we use, the longer he will be unable to use magic."

It was only at Impa's insistence that they had enough blood when Zelda finally allowed the older female to wrap a bandage around her arm. She sat on the ground, watching the sheikah combine the two ingredients.

Red eyes glanced disapprovingly at Zelda, who had refused to lie down, before turning back to the bowl filled with the red liquid. Carefully, she emptied the dust into the blood and then stirred; the concoction turning a shimmering gold color.

"Are you going to pour that on your dagger?"

Impa shook her head "No, he's too fast for that. However, if an arrow infused with this is fired while his attention is elsewhere it should work. Do you know how to shoot?" When Zelda nodded the sheikah smiled "Good, remember he must NOT see you until after he is constrained."

Zelda returned the smile and nodded again. "Please Link, hold on. Please be alive."

peterandhook

Blood was dripping down the annoying female's fist from where she had it clasped in her palm, when Ghirahim appeared behind her. His arms folded when he spoke abruptly, startling her into spinning around "What is it that you need my presence for this time, Shiek…" He broke off into a cry of pain as an arrow slammed into his right shoulder, penetrating all the way through the flesh and burying itself into the tree behind him.

Impa exploded into action, slamming her forehead into the pale man's face and using Ghirahim's distraction to force his hands behind the tree. Shackling them there, she placed her knife at his throat. "If you try anything…" she pressed the blade a little harder, letting it finish her sentence for her.

Ghirahim glared into her eyes, a snarl forming as he felt the arrow's magic counteract his own. Blood dripping down from his cut lip, the demon snorted in contempt "Really, sheikah, what is it you expect me to do?" he glanced down at the arrow protruding from his arm meaningfully. He brought his gaze back up "I reiterate, what do you need?"

The blonde warrior stared at him for a moment before whistling, never taking her eyes off him.

Brown eyes slid from red ones as they caught sight of a figure wending its way through the foliage towards them. His lips twitched upwards into a smirk before he inclined his head "Greetings Hylia, or perhaps I should say, Zelda."

Zelda gave a short and shallow nod as she walked up, four more treated arrows on her person, one of which was notched in the string.

"Do forgive me for not properly acknowledging your presence" his eyes traveled to the arrow again "I'm afraid I am… not capable of it at the moment." He hissed in agony from the arrow's magic and his brown pupils narrowed "Now, as I asked your dog twice, what is it you want?"

"I want to know what you have done to Link." Zelda replied her own blue pupils filled with rage.

Ghirahim smiled "Ah, yes, the skychild. I'm afraid that the hero you knew is no longer. You'll no doubt be happy to know that he endured the painful torture very well." He grinned, baring his pointed teeth "In the end though, it was the pleasure that broke him."

Blue irises widened "You…?"

Chuckling came from the demon "Oh yes, spirit maiden, I took him and then, well. What further use does one have for a broken hero? Especially when they no longer scream as you ravage their body…" he yelled in pain, crumpling forward as much as he could when Impa slammed her knee into the demon's groin.

"Enough." The blonde warrior growled.

Zelda brought the bow up, the arrow aimed straight at the demon's eye "Tell me the truth demon."

Chestnut eyes locked with the spirit maiden's "Your skychild is gone."

Drawing the bowstring tighter, the small female hissed "You lie."

Throwing his head back Ghirahim laughed "What need have I to lie to you, goddess child?" His expression darkened "Believe me, beautiful captor, your Link is no more."

The girl took a sharp intake of breath, tears of rage and grief starting down her cheeks, she dangled the bow down and fired the knocked arrow into the demon's left thigh. Zelda met his eyes before spinning around and walking a distance away. She stopped, waiting for Impa to catch up.

Before Impa could rejoin her charge, Ghirahim's teeth caught and held to her shirt; his eyes afire with fury "Mark my words, sheikah, you will pay for this." Their eyes locked, both of them measuring the other before the demon let go of her tunic. He watched as they disappeared through the woods "You will pay."

peterandhook

The morning slowly crawled by, each second taking an eternity to pass. Ghirahim stood against the tree, his shoulder and leg alight with pain. A small part of him found it ironic that no sooner after he regained his powers that they were blocked from use, however the larger portion cursed Hylia's name and that the sheikahs were ever formed. His eyes were ablaze with anger as he thought of the dog, Impa. Originally, his plans were just to kill her when it was time but now…now she deserved something more. He wanted to hear her scream. His dark mind was preoccupied with this line of thought when he heard a twig snap. His head shot up and he watched as a female stumbled through the brush. She was a small brunette, her hair in two braids that hung down her back and wore clothes that clearly identified her as a resident of the floating rock. Her brown eyes grew big as she caught sight of him.

"Oh my…are you okay?"

His pale eyebrow rose and he glanced towards the two arrows buried in his flesh as his answer.

The brunette shook her head self-reproachfully "Right, right. Uh. Here let me help."

Ghirahim shook his head "No, not to cause you emotional wounding, little maiden, but I do not think you can nor do I trust you."

"Oh." The bluntness took her aback for a bit before she started forward again "Well, umm, here my name's Orielle." Seeing the pale figure was not going to offer his, she continued "I came here searching for a friend of mine; his bird was getting all stirred up because his owner has been missing for a while. Anyways I rode him here but I haven't seen any sign of Link."

The demon had been half listening to the brown-haired nuisance until the mention of Link, his eyes opened "Link you say? Hmmm you know, I believe I may have been mistaken earlier. Perhaps we can help each other out."

And there's where I'll end for now. Remember to review and thanks so much for reading!