Although the desert's weather was harsh, it didn't nearly rival the violance of Eldin Volcano's climate, so Link wasn't complaining. The sand was a bright version of the Volcano's own ground, with patches of grass springing up every few feet or so.
"Where's the next Shard?" Navi asked.
Link looked out through the vast wasteland. "I don't know...there's no landmarks to identify where it could be. Hey, school me up on some Lanayru Desert info."
"Well, there's the old factory, which should be north of here. It was Hyrule's main source of industry."
"That a fact?" Link wondered, and started north. "Worth a shot."
"Not these guys again," Link muttered, peeking into the factory's entrance.
"Find the Shard, Ghirahim. I will make sure no one is getting in our way."
"By no one, you mean the little kid, don't you?" Ghirahim grinned smugly. Now on his stomach was a huge scar from where Link had slashed him. "I'll keep guard, Zant."
"No, I insist, Ghirahim. You're faster, anyway."
"I said I would DESTROY HIM, Zant...I will keep guard."
"Ghirahim, I command you to retrieve the Shard so we can go back to our Master without being completely humiliated!"
"I've had it with your loyalist trash, birdface...I'll exact vengeance on you someday," Ghirahim scowled before slinking away for the Shard.
Link heard Zant mutter, "I'm sorry," after Ghirahim travelled far enough to be unheard. Zant then began walking in Link's direction. Link ducked under a barrel before he could be spotted. Zant kept right next to the Factory's entrance, making it impossible for Link to move anywhere. He peeked outside from a tiny crack in the barrel. Zant was still there.
"I've got it!" Ghirahim cried from inside the factory. Zant walked back inside to view the treasure. This was Link's chance. He picked up the barrel, threw it into Zant, knocking him over, jumped and stuck his sword into Zant's stomach.
"Zant?" Ghirahim was now in the room. Link's sword, stabbed deep through Zant's gut, was collecting blood. Link pulled it out and performed a backflip over Zant, widening the distance between him and Ghirahim. He grinned at Ghirahim, silently gloating. Link was then surprised when Ghirahim grinned even wider right back at him, and Zant slowly stood himself up. Link noticed the wound in his stomach was consumed by some black void, which was quickly closing itself.
"That would've effectively ended my friend Ghirahim, but I'm afraid your melee attacks won't do much good against me. Though I was once man, my Overlord Master composed me of pure darkness. Heh...allow me try your trick on you, give you a taste of your own medicine, as it were."
"No thanks," Link insisted, rolled over, in the process pulling out a bow and arrow, before releasing the arrow upwards Zant's helmet, knocking it off and revealing Zant's true form-a stiff-nosed, albino triangle-shaped head, with sleek red eyes and a frown. Zant shouted, pulled from his waist a black matter that resembled a sword, and leapt at Link. Link dodged to the left, jumped up, and slammed the sword into Zant's head and jumped off, pulling out the sword. He turned, only to quickly duck under Ghirahim's sword flinging through what was almost him, then struck upward to push Ghirahim out of the way.
"Link's the best fighter in the province, idiots!" Navi criticized the henchmen.
"A fairy," Ghirahim grinned and twisted his head, "hahaha...fascinating! One of those will give you extra lives...like a cat! Haahhaahhaha!" Ghirahim lunged for the fairy, but Link thrusted his sword against Ghirahim's, throwing him out of the way. Link jumped backward as Zant plowed through Link's previous position, making it a narrow escape. Ghirahim and Zant, with blood leaking from his head and stomach, stood side by side, raising their swords into defensive stances. Link did the same.
The two fighters attacked from different directions, Ghirahim leaping up into the air expecting to perform a helm splitter, and Zant striking by side. Link ducked and rolled, avoiding both attacks, then back kicked Zant's knee, pushing him over, and slashed Ghirahim as he was recovering from the attempted helm-splitter, right in the shoulder. Ghirahim cried out in pain, dropping his fencing style weapon and falling to the ground, tugging his arm. Link did one final, well placed strike into Zant's skull, and Zant shrunk into a black hole before disappearing into a temporary vacuum of space. Link walked over to Ghirahim, snatched the shard from his left hand, and started a course for the Lost Woods.
"Perfect," Link smirked satisfactorily upon noting there was no fleet guarding the Woods. "I half-expected our king was dumb enough to waste his men for the guard of a boy."
"Gee, you really don't care for the king, do you?"
"Guess I just wised up to how ineffectively he's taking care of the kingdom."
"But you've got yourself a little crush on the Princess!"
"Shut up!" Link yelled, slashing his sword in front of Navi. They continued on into the Forest.