AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, it's been a while. Original stories are hard! And dumb people make it even harder! Great! Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Ghirahim had slept easy the rest of the night. As the sun began to shine, Ghirahim awoke to a hushed argument behind him.

"You're telling me you aren't phased by this at all?"

"Dude, it's fine. I trust him. I saved his life, for Din's sake."

"Quiet down, he'll wake up! Listen, we can't trust this guy. Even if he is telling the truth, who's to say he isn't still the same monster he was before? What if he's playing us?"

"Ghirahim is not a traitor to us. Just because he has problems doesn't make him some sort of evil menace to society. I looked passed your problems."

"My problems!?"

"Exhibit A: You are not Groose."

"That is not a problem!"

"Tashuoghgasuhlaskndfuosghfashgoghadsoihiasuo?"

"Yes, this is the place."

"Hadfshuoiiponabudsiygalaygdsiuy!?"

"Yes, I'm positive, you dull scrap heap."

"Eiasidhfgafligdkasygygiabfdskuhbaweghauigdsguoadsigulasd."

"Of course. Are your auditory circuits broken or something?"

"Rhasfdiolhghaosidfghugajbkasfdghasudfadsgyahbnvsmadf!"

"Indeed. You certainly aren't the brightest creature, are you?"

"Ehnasiuogdsh."

"How that Demise chap thought this would be a good idea still eludes me…"

"Uh, Ghirahim, can we have a word?" Link asked, pulling him aside from Groose and Cheeb. They had flown down to the surface, preparing to make a quick stop back at Grooseland's only city before continuing on their adventure.

"Yes?"

"So, I've kind of been thinking, and, I think it's best if…"

"If I left the party because you believe I have a lingering bloodlust?"

"Wait… what? How'd you know?"

"I figured it would come to this. If you truly want me to leave, I suppose there isn't much I can say to deter you."

"Wait a minute!" Groose screamed, leaping over a large boulder, quite literally jumping in the conversation. The forest around them stirred as the oaf landed with a loud thud on the ground. "I'm sorry Link, but we can't leave Ghirahim behind."

"You what, mate?" Link said, bewildered.

"No, you what, mate. Ghirahim is our friend, and it's our job to help him."

"What bullshit is this?" Link cried. "This dude is a bloodthirsty monster! Why am I even still here? I'm surrounded by a psychopath, a dumbass, and a cotton ball."

"Hey!" Groose screamed, kicking Link in the shins. "I am not a cotton ball."

"I was talking about that little Kikwi thing we've been lugging around. Where is that little guy, anyway?"

Ghirahim cut in. "I sent him to go scout ahead. The next Triforce piece is in Eldin, but the entrance is hidden in Faron. I know this from my time there."

"Great, one less person to argue against logic." Link muttered sarcastically.

"Ghirahim may have just a slight, tiny, itty-bitty, miniscule problem, but that doesn't mean that we should just abandon him. He wants to help."

"He's a monster!"

"He's as much of a monster as you." Groose was disheartened by his friend's disbelief.

"If he wants my trust, he'll have to prove he's worthy of it. If he really has his problem under control, he would easily be able to stand by while we beat the ever-living shit out of the next demon chief."

Groose and Ghirahim exchanged looks, and Groose shook Link's hand confidently. As Groose and Link boarded their Loftwings, Ghirahim sighed a breath of relief. All he would have to do is sit back. Then, his fears of abandonment would finally be put to rest.

Cheeb looked around. He recognized this area of the woods, but something about it wasn't right. The trees seemed dead, their leaves didn't sway with the wind. The ground beneath his little Kikwi paws was cold. It was almost as if the life had been sucked out of the forest entirely. Knowing that one wrong turn could lead to certain death at the hands of various creatures, he proceeded with caution. He stepped over a tree branch, continuing further into the forest. The gate should have been around here somewhere. The small Kikwi wasn't too sure what he was looking for. He was simply looking for the mark of the Goddess Din, as Ghirahim had said.

Cheeb's thinking was rudely interrupted as he tripped over a loose vine. He planted his face in the mud. After struggling to push himself up with his tiny flippers, he sat backwards on a log, still dazed. He felt a cold breeze slowly sift through the forest's leaves. Cheeb didn't like this feeling. A deep fear began to grow within him. He spun around, sprinting as fast as his little legs would allow him. He felt as though he was being pursued, though he saw nothing every time he glanced back. He landed himself in a clearing, the sunlight overhead casting an ominous spotlight on the lone Kikwi. The trees around him almost seemed to move on their own, the vines and leaves closing in on him. As if to answer his immediate suspicions, a vine lunged out and snatched the Kikwi up, dragging him into the depths of the dark, shadowy forest.