A/N: At last at last! Okay I honestly do want to give a heartfelt apology for this long wait, I did not anticipate it whatsoever. I had been on such a fast pace and I was very confident I could keep it up, but alas, my life had different plans. I've had simply no energy to give on this crucial section and it's been killing me, I've felt incomplete not writing for so long. But to make up for it, I have a whole lot to post for you guys! Three whole and hearty chapters to dig into are ready. I'm about caught up to the middle areas I had already completed so I reeeaally really hope this will get moving back on that fast pace it had once been. Okay, I won't waste any more time with talking. Thank you all for your patience and kind reviews! I hope you enjoy, and I hope it's worth the wait!


Link didn't want to turn around and enter another conversation with Ghirahim. He felt too wrung out, and he was completely unwilling to exude the energy that it would require. He took a deep breath and stepped out, sitting in a chair hidden in the alcove by the stairs.

The lie, or at least the withholding of information from Zelda, weighed on him, but the weight wasn't from guilt. She kept acting like they could return to every bit of the friends they had been before this, but Link was finding more and more things that created a gap between them. Especially when it came to this stuff… because the more he thought about the situation, the more tired he became as he realized that this wasn't some secret he was keeping from his best friend. This was "enemy" intel the hero was keeping from the goddess.

But he wished it could be as simple as something that was just between them.

He wished he could peek into her room, and sit next to her, pull his knees to his chest, and mumble about the nightmares he'd had – and she would sigh, and push his hair out of the way, and take his hand firmly and tell him that it was okay because she was going to chase off all the monsters… exactly what had happened so many times in their childhood.

But they weren't kids, and these weren't just nightmares, and the responsibility of monster-hunting had been placed heavily on Link by Zelda herself. Not to mention these monsters were ones he'd let into his head; how was he supposed to explain that to her?

He stood and paced into the classroom, looking out the window at the endless expanse of blue sky outside and he tried to let himself relax, reaching for the lazy, at-ease part of himself that was so much his identity before.

But he couldn't shake off the sense that ahead existed a hell that he had chosen.


After awhile of zoning out, he stood in front of his bedroom door and took a breath to steel himself, turning the handle slowly. Ghirahim was easily spotted, as he was lying back on Link's bed, his arm over his face.

Link balked at the sight, carefully regathering himself enough to completely enter the room and close the door, opening the cabinet to place his effects inside; hat, gloves, pouches.

"So… I take it you didn't make any happy announcements during your outing, hm?"

Link stopped in place with his hands on the cabinet doors, his back still to Ghirahim. He didn't answer.

"Not that it's much consequence to me, but I am curious; just when do you plan on telling them?"

Link exhaled through his nose and turned his face to the side. "When I have the ability to explain myself. I don't trust you to where I can… can defend you enough to reassure them."

"That's a lie."

Link tensed noticeably. He slowly turned himself around, hands fisting at his sides. "…What?"

Ghirahim was still lying there but now had one leg up, ankle propped against the opposite knee, his arms behind his head, looking casually up at the ceiling. His mantle, Link suddenly noticed, was draped over the back of the desk chair. He certainly had made himself at home.

"I'm not sure if your attempts at denial with me is more irritating or embarrassing at this point."

"I don't know what would make you believe I trust you."

Ghirahim turned his head to the side to face Link, an expression of amusement so plain on his face Link drew back in uncertainty.

"Link."

"…What?"

"Answer something for me, hm? Where are we?"

"Uh… my room…?"

"Which is located where, exactly?"

"On… Skyloft."

"Tell me something, dear child… if you don't trust me, why have you brought me directly to the center of your rather defenseless people's homeland? Which, might I add, is actually an area I am unable to breach on my own without some extreme magic."

Link stared at Ghirahim with his eyes slowly widening, a shiver running from his head to his toes. He hadn't even considered the fact that there was any danger in this – he'd only wanted to return to some form of comfort and avoid suspicion from a long absence… he'd really only been preoccupied with making sure Ghirahim wasn't seen, not with keeping him from being a threat.

"I- I- well- it's just- it's not like-" Link stuttered.

Ghirahim scoffed and sat up, crossing his legs. "The problem is not that you don't trust me." He raised a brow and Link glowered at him. "The problem is that you do trust me, and that is what you don't want to explain to your unsuspecting little friends."

Link took a short breath, his face flickering through different emotions before he settled on a frown. "Don't act like you know me so well."

Ghirahim laughed at that, stinging the seething boy. He gracefully unfolded his legs and got to his feet, stepping toward Link. "Oh, it's not an act. You humans think you're so complicated, but it's not that hard to pull you apart once I find the correct thread..."

"I doubt you know much about humans at all." Link replied defensively, an uncharacteristic spite in his voice that irritated him with its foreign feel.

Again, the demon laughed. "Why is that, hmm? Because I am a demon, a spirit? You may find this difficult to believe, but I have endlessly more ability to understand you than your previous dull, robotic companion." He scoffed in derision, and Link startled slightly. "She was programmed just as Her Grace wanted a servant; completely subservient, unable to think for herself or feel for her charge, all about the mission, the purpose of her creation. Any emotion she exuded was all to the manipulative Hylia's aims; a logical response to elicit the emotional reaction she wanted from you." Ghirahim sighed, pushing his hair back. "I, however, am entirely the opposite. I don't have human behavior and the nature of your spirit implanted in me as data. I have observation, and I react based on my own emotions… now, I don't think as humans do by any stretch of the imagination, but don't sell me so short, Master." He stepped closer and Link instinctively shrunk back. "I have the ability to envisage, and decide, and wonder, and feel…"

Link stepped back once again, his back hitting the cabinet behind him. "D-Doesn't mean you- you think you can get in my head so easily-" He stuttered quietly, frustration and agitation rising under his reddening cheeks.

Ghirahim tilted his head and tapped his cheek contemplatively with a smirk. "You, in particular, have given me quite a lot to unravel."

"You don't know anything about me!" He retorted, louder than expected.

The spirit stepped forward once more, invading Link's space and forcing him back so he was effectively pinned to the cabinet.

"Oh, dear child, I think I've already proven that to be untrue..." He reached out and gloved fingers brushed sweetly along the others' cheek.

That was enough to uncork Link's panic and he reacted without thinking, slapping Ghirahim's hand off of him hard. He had barely processed the movement when in a swift retaliation Ghirahim's other hand had snapped out and grabbed Link by the throat, shoving him harshly against the unforgiving wood.

"Now, now. Be careful. I don't think you want to incite me to play rough." Ghirahim murmured with a smirk. Link struggled to breathe, frozen for a moment with sudden heart palpitations as his mind threw him back into the feeling of frenzied battles, sword in hand, dark eyes staring him down-

Anger suddenly fueled the boy into action. "Get OFF!" Link growled, throwing a punch so unexpectedly that it met its mark square and hard, right at Ghirahim's face, forcing the demon a couple steps back.

Link crumpled to the floor with a fit of coughing, rubbing his neck and not looking up. He was so aggravated that he didn't even care if Ghirahim wanted to get him back. His hand throbbed with pain – he'd forgotten that Ghirahim's skin was harder than a human's.

Ghirahim held his fist rubbing at his cheek, his hair obscuring his expression. "A tad touchy, are we?" He mused.

Link slowly pushed himself to his feet. "You-"

The sound of a door opening startled Link fiercely, his skin going cold, but he realized it wasn't his own door.

"U-uh… Link? You okay over there? I was just coming back and I thought I heard something…"

The partition dividing his room from Fledge's side wasn't more than a couple wood panels rather than an actual wall, and Link huffed internally- knowing Fledge, how long had he been standing at his doorway listening before he decided to come in?

"Yeah- fine- all fine. I fell over, is all." He answered, casting a glare at Ghirahim, who raised a brow in amusement. He'd moved to stand close by the wall, making him unable to be spotted through the partition.

"Oh- okay. Hey- you should come talk to me sometime, maybe, if you want to. Been a… well, a really long time since we hung out, I haven't even really seen you since you, um, came back, and all."

Link looked over at the crack in the partition seeing Fledge waving through it, and he managed a small smile. "S-Sure… hopefully we can do that soon. I was just going to go for a walk now, though."

Fledge nodded and moved away and Link sighed quietly, rubbing his forehead with the heel of his hand. Monsters hadn't come out at night on Skyloft ever since Link cleared the final Silent Realm, but from habit he threw his simple blade over his back and gestured Ghirahim to follow. They went up the stairs and out the top floor doors. Night had just fallen, making the streets near empty. He caught Ghirahim frowning at him and he looked at him with a furrowed brow. "What?"

Ghirahim crossed his arms. "Have you a reason you picked up that dull toothpick over my blade?"

Link glanced at the sword he carried and back in surprise. "Uh… I just. Didn't think about it, I guess… and besides," he huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't need anyone seeing that sword just yet."

He glanced around, making a quick decision before he walked over the wall of the school and jumped up to grip the protruding ledge, scooting himself over to the overhang top. He continued along to where he could climb up the wall, reaching the rooftop. Ghirahim appeared in a flash of light, still looking disgruntled as he eyed Link's movement, which he continued up to the second part of the roof. He sat on the edge of it and took a deep breath, resting his wrists on his knees. He glanced up toward Ghirahim, then after a second of thought he tentatively patted the ledge next to him. The demon walked over, and with a single leap he was high enough to land gracefully beside him, sitting in the indicated place. They were quiet a moment, the interruption of their altercation having jarred Link from his emotional state.

"It- it doesn't really matter to you, anyway…" Link mumbled finally, fiddling with his sleeves, his hands bare. "Why are you so bothered by no one knowing, uh, about… you?"

"Well, you'd be a bit miffed as well if you were such a beautiful blade and your master locked you in his bedroom and forbade you any access to the outside world, I'm sure." Ghirahim answered easily, pulling a face.

Link gave a short, scoffing laugh. "Somehow I find it hard to believe you'll actually listen to me, though."

"…What about I am your sword is failing to sink into your little human mind, Master?"

The boy paused, looking to Ghirahim with his brow furrowed questioningly.

Ghirahim stared him down a long moment, then lowered his head and started chuckling quietly, then full-on laughed aloud.

"Do you think I will so unfailingly obey your orders merely because I am striving to be the gold-star-winning sword? I heed what is expected of me because I am bound by our contract."

Link looked taken aback. "You… what? You have to um- obey… me?"

Ghirahim made a show of rolling his eyes, gesturing vaguely.

"…Oh." Link replied lamely, blinking in surprise.

Ghirahim scoffed, then crossed his arms. "Also, I do have some business to take care of, so I would appreciate you lifting your 'keep hidden' order as soon as possible, you see."

Link frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean…?"

The spirit made a vague noise in response and Link huffed, not probing further and leaning forward to rest his chin in his palms.

He didn't see Ghirahim looking over at him with a mixture of wonder and wariness, nor did he suspect Ghirahim's confusion over why the boy didn't use his newfound power to wrench the truth from the demon.

The sky was now fully painted with the deep blues of night, and Link rubbed his eyes with a sigh. "I can't stay here with… all of this going on. We're going back to the surface in the morning." He mumbled, pausing only one more moment before he jumped off the ledge, and headed back inside the academy, apparently having enough faith in his order to the spirit to not bother making him come along.

Regardless, Ghirahim did follow.