Groose sailed through the sky on his Loftwing, Link in close pursuit. The crimson and obsidian streaks sailed through the sky. It was a freedom the two hadn't felt since the great Grooselandic migration. Groose enjoyed the feeling of the wind beating across his face.

They soared through the sky, speeding towards their next destination. Ghirahim had said only one thing: head north.

Groose kept on flying forward, hoping that the direction he was facing was north.

Ghirahim took a step forward, his eyes locked on the dark figure in front of him. Contrary to the oblivious freedom his accomplice felt, Ghirahim was under a burden; a constant, heavy, bearing oppression. The toll it took on his mind was wearing thin. A bleak reminder of his past would always hang over his head, but he could never truly escape it. He could only avoid it. Perhaps a change of heart wasn't the best idea…

"Bah, this is no time for narration!" a far off voice called. It began charging forward, its feet smashing against the ground with every step. "Fight me. Now!"

Ghirahim sighed and unsheathed his blade. Killing off all his old comrades was taking its toll, too.

Link jumped off his Loftwing, planting his feet firmly upon the ground. The area was rocky and barren, a sharp contrast to the plentiful grass-covered island chunks that dotted the world above the clouds. A dark red filled the evening sky.

And then Groose showed up, ruining the temporary beauty Link found in a rock. The two Loftwings squawked, then flew away. As Link paced to the center of the rock, he could hear a muffled clashing of metal beneath him. Confused, he began pacing to the center of the rock. It was a large pillar, and from the looks of things, it must have been hollow. Link reached the center, and shoved a small stone block that lay on the ground.

His adventurous instincts hadn't failed him yet. An all too familiar jingle played, and the ground began to give way.

"Stay here." Groose told Cheeb, who obediently sat upon the ground with a squeak. Link motioned to Groose, and the two both leapt down into the complex cavern system before them.

Ghirahim fell backwards, tripping off the ledge. The lava below him grew brighter as he approached it at a rapid speed. Quickly teleporting, he found himself back on the ledge, now behind the demon chief. Spawning another sword, he lashed out at the demonic force, which backhanded him across the cavern.

His body slammed against a rock wall, shaking the surrounding area. He fell to the ground in agonizing pain. Forcing himself to rise, he lashed out again, striking the demon in the back. He spun around, flailing his hands. Ghirahim ducked under his swinging arm, then leapt into the air. Driving the sword downwards, he was snatched from the air before his sword could pierce the demon's neck.

The chief did little more than laugh, tightening his grip. Ghirahim could feel pain surging through his body, clouding his brain and limiting his powers. He struggled to free himself, to no avail.

"All I'm saying is that ever since we started on this journey, Ghirahim has been acting weird. He used to be all fanciful and somewhat charming, but he's become something different. He has an edge to him, like something isn't right."

"I haven't noticed anything." Groose responded, surveying the cavernous enclosure.

"You aren't a very observant person. All I'm saying is, we should keep a closer eye on him. Think about it. He spontaneously teleported off to fight the first demon chief, then made a blatant excuse to fight the other one. This is our third one, and he's done the same thing. I think he's hiding something from us."

"Link, please, what would Ghirahim have to hide? He's our friend."

"How do we know that? Maybe he's been working with Demise the whole time."

"I suppose it's possible, but it doesn't seem likely."

"Just keep an eye on him, okay?" Link asked.

The two continued around the cavern, searching for a way further in. Soon enough, Link came across a set of iron bars. On the other side, Link could see an illuminated pathway. He tugged at the bars, feeling no give.

"Let me give it a try." Groose called, motioning for Link to step away from the gate. As he did, Groose held his hand up. Groose's glove began to rattle, and Link watched as the iron bars slowly began to vibrate. Reaching their breaking point, the bars gave way, falling to the floor as Groose lowered the Coarstle's Glove.

Link picked up an iron bar, gripping it in his hands. He stepped through the doorway, with Groose close behind.

Summoning all his immediate strength, Ghirahim teleported away from the large demon's grip. He landed on the floor, sprawled out and vulnerable. Rising to his feet, he took up his sword once more, only to be swatted aside. He crashed on the wall, fading out of consciousness.

"Ghirahim? Are you down here?"

Groose and Link landed on the floor of the cave, ready to fight. Groose glanced over at the unconscious Ghirahim, then refocused his sights on the beast in front of him. He was the biggest that they had faced yet, and his eyes burnt a glowing red in the darkness. The only light came from below a ledge, which sat just behind the monster.

"Well, look at that. Fresh meat. Eh, I guess I could kill you both."

Clutching the iron bar, Link ran forth, sprinting towards the demon chief. The monster swung its fist, which Link nimbly leapt over. He leapt over him, then bashed the monster on the head. He spun around to face Link. Link repeatedly swung the iron bar with all his might, all the while slowly falling back towards the ledge. As he neared the edge, Link took his chance. Smashing the beast's hand down, Link jumped onto him, landing on his head.

Driving the hollow iron pole into his head, Link screamed, "Respect the pipe!"

Taking the opportunity, Groose, rushed forward, ramming into the mammoth beast. He tumbled off the ledge, landing in the lava below. The sound of sizzling flesh filled the air. As Link took care of the Triforce fragment, Groose attended to Ghirahim. He was out cold. Groose, being the great friend that he is, slung him over his shoulder and turned to Link.

"So, what do we do now? We've got the three, but Ghirahim is passed out. We can't find any other pieces until he wakes up because he's the only one who knows how to find them."

Link turned to face Groose, stuffing the Triforce piece in his pack. "Well, we've been traveling for Nayru knows how long at this point, we should probably sleep."

"Huh. I never really thought of that. Do we normally disregard basic functions while we're adventuring?" Groose asked.

"We haven't eaten or used the bathroom, either."

"Oh shit, that's a really good idea."

And so, the three heroes rose back to the surface, preparing to take a long needed rest. Groose slept easy that night, knowing that they had obtained nearly half the Triforce pieces. Half probably meant that they were almost done. He didn't know, nor did he care. He was there to save the world, not to do math.