Her whole body ached, and she couldn't move, first bound by pain and shock, then by a force entirely unnatural. She tried to fight it, knowing her friends would be trying to rush to her aid… not for the first time, and despair washed over her as she thought that at the very end, their efforts might have been for nothing after all.

Then something seized a hold of her, not pain exactly, but a deep-set discomfort she couldn't escape. Her world went black, lost in the recesses of her mind – which felt like it was slowly slipping away, like someone was liquefying her being inside her body to break it into moveable pieces that would be drawn out of her like her very blood from her skin. She struggled to get away from the sensation, to keep herself together as her light faded.

"Alas… the stubborn child is up and at 'em faster than I anticipated… seems this process will take a bit longer than it should. However, perhaps this little hardship can be the beginnings of your penance, so I'm afraid I have no remorse.

"It'll be over soon, dear Hylia…"

Zelda bolted awake, beads of cold sweat sliding down her forehead. She darted her eyes around her room, taking in reality as she gulped in air. The memory of being under the spell to remove her soul had haunted her dreams, but that smooth voice rang in her ears – she hadn't recalled that before.

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like it's all over."

She bit her lip as Link's words rang in her memory, then threw back her covers and hurried out of her room and padded down the stairs, not even bothering to change out of her nightgown first. She stopped at the first door at the foot of the steps and knocked gently a few times.

For some reason, the lack of response filled her with a sinking feeling, and she carefully pushed the door open to see for herself – perhaps he was just sleeping, but even before setting eyes on the empty bed she knew she didn't entirely believe that. After all, sleepyhead Link, not in his room at midmorning – what was that about? And more importantly, she realized she hadn't set eyes on Link since she stopped by that one afternoon.

She stood in the center of his room with uncertainty as she glanced around the familiar space, devoid of a certain familiar smile.

"Oh- h-hi Zelda…"

She turned quickly, slightly startled. "Oh! Good morning, Fledge." She cleared her throat, clasping her hands. "Have you any idea what's got Link up so early?"

He shook his head, but a worried look was apparent on his face. "Well… actually, I saw him head off the nearest platform some days ago, and I haven't seen him around since." He twisted his hands nervously. "You know… this may, um, this may be n-nothing, really, but… well, it's something else unusual, so, so I guess I should tell you…"

She tilted her head and took a step forward. "What is it?"

"Well, um, only just that I… I thought I heard him talking to someone in his room a bit before he left… well, um… sounded a bit more like fighting. But I'm not… really sure… but it's weird for him to just be taking off so much, isn't it? And… that's weird too…"

Zelda's brows had knit together and she bunched the sides of her dress in her hands as she thought about this. "It is a bit…" Her face abruptly cleared and she smiled. "But he sure has a lot on his mind right now. Let's not worry about him too much, yeah? I know Link. He'll be fine."

Fledge blinked, then nodded quickly in agreement. "Yeah! You're right, totally. He's way ahead of the rest of us, so we shouldn't really be questioning him." He smiled brightly, and Zelda nodded in turn.

"Of course. Well, since he's out I'll just head back. Have yourself a good day, alright?"

As soon as Fledge had left her line of sight Zelda was rushing back up the stairs as fast as her feet could take her, the worried lines right back in place on her expression. She quickly dressed for flight, and her instinct told her to go to Faron Woods.


Down amongst the green, the missing hero was sitting with his back to a fallen log near the Goddess Statue, his eyes closed as he felt the rising sun shift where it shone on him, steadily warming his brown hair from the back to the top.

"Just what, precisely, will continuing this residence in the forest do for us?" He heard Ghirahim grumble from somewhere to his left, interrupting the calm silence.

"I told you already… it's just, it'll give us some time, that's what." He sighed in response, not opening his eyes.

"For?"

"For figuring things out, okay? It's easier without feeling like everyone is staring at me."

He heard Ghirahim huff, and he took a breath to center himself again. He still found the ability to speak casually with the demon a pretty strange feeling, his head still reeling with the new development they had to work with.

"…Well, it seems the company has once again decided to find you." He heard Ghirahim snort, and his eyes flew open to see the other looking up at a shape descending rapidly toward them from the sky.

"I will assume your order is still in place and thus take my leave for the moment, Master."

With a short, mocking bow, Ghirahim vanished, and Link stood and took a few steps forward as the purple Loftwing stopped its dive and began to spiral down instead, alighting with a shake of its feathers and letting Zelda hop off before it leapt back up into a lazier flight.

"Link…! There you are!"

He nodded and offered a smile that fell when the light in Zelda's face dimmed into worry.

She fiddled with her bound hair, looking to the side. "I… I was worried when you weren't in your room this morning…"

He blinked in realization. "You came looking for me?"

She nodded. "Yes, and then I heard you left again so I… I came to find you here. I'm lucky you weren't further into the forest." She bit her lip. "Link… there's… something important I need to talk to you about."

He nodded once and stepped closer to invite her to speak, looking at her with steady attention. He didn't show it, but he felt his chest tighten.

She took a breath, looking down in thought. "Well… I've been… feeling something lately – it reminded me of what you said. Like there's something unfinished, or… I'm not sure. But it's got me unsettled, and…" Her eyes drifted to the side, and her sentence trailed off. Link started to speak but then she took a step forward, looking past Link now, as though enraptured by something.

"Link… hey… where did you get that sword…?"

The boy froze, his heart leaping into his throat.

He slowly turned to look, and saw Ghirahim's blade was laying out a short distance away, near where he had been sitting moments ago – he remembered had been cleaning it before being distracted. He could feel static rushing in his ears, his mind racing with what he should say.

Zelda still seemed caught in wonder. "It looks strangely familiar…" she murmured, stepping closer to it, just past Link.

"Zelda!" Link abruptly snapped, taking her wrist and making her look back toward him. Her eyes jumped in surprise at the sudden sharpness to her friend's expression, which faded as quickly as it had come. Link took a quick breath in composing himself from whatever had gripped him into stopping her so immediately. "That sword- it's… look, it's hard to explain, but…" He shook his head, swallowing hard.

She fully faced him again, taking her hand back. "Link… you found something on your last trip… didn't you?"

He looked at her helplessly, his mind racing, but he already knew - he couldn't lie his way into more time again.

"…Yeah, I… I did." He cast his eyes down and took a breath before meeting her eye again. "Zelda… I need you to listen to me very carefully- and I need you to trust me." He spoke much quieter, looking at her with gentleness and urgency mixed in his blue eyes, his hands tense at his sides. "Because… no matter what, I've never let you down, and everything I have ever done has been to protect you…"

She looked at him with alarm mixed in with the faith she had in him, but she nodded calmly. "I know… please, tell me everything."

He swallowed and looked down again. "I told you that I sensed something unfinished, or still wrong, somehow, and… with what you just told me… maybe… maybe you and I sensed the same thing. I came down here because I just felt compelled to, I felt… something that brought me here to the temple. And… I…" His throat closed anxiously, and he flinched before the words even left his mouth.

"I found… Ghirahim. He's still alive."

He could feel her horror practically emanate out of her, and he felt cold with the pressure of everything he had to reveal to her.

"He… what… no…" she whispered, pressing her fingers to her mouth. "You mean- you didn't defeat him after all…? What happened?" She looked over him in concern as though checking for injuries. "Link- you didn't have to fight again… did you?"

He sighed in resignation and let his hands go slack. "No. He was in no way able to fight. But… I couldn't kill him. Or… or I wouldn't. I'm not sure. But I couldn't just leave him there… he was…" He shook his head. "Zelda, he could hardly even move. It didn't feel right to just kill him while he was hurt and pretty much defenseless."

"Then… what did you do?" She asked quietly.

She was looking at him with such worry that he could barely meet her eye, but he forced himself to. He swallowed again and pressed himself to keep going. "…Listen, I… I need a new sword. And he offered… to be that."

"You- you're going to be his- Link- he tried to kill you!" she stuttered. "You can't have- do you know what that means if you-"

"He's not the first sword spirit I've been bound to." Link commented dryly, a humorless smile on his lips. "I… I know what it means. I really do. I don't have another option, anyway."

"But… he… Link…" she had her hands clasped in front of her chest, looking shaken. "He tried to destroy you, me, our whole world. How could you still…" Her big eyes turned sad and she stepped forward, putting her hand on his chest. "You already saved so many- please. Don't give up your life like this for him. There has to be something else-"

He put his hands over hers with a small smile and a shrug. "It doesn't matter if there was. I did it already… that's his sword, there."

Her eyes turned round with shock, her face going pale.

Link sighed a bit roughly. "Zelda… I-I'm sorry, and I know this must sound really scary, I… I can't imagine this being easy for you…"

No matter what, I've never let you down, and everything I have ever done has been to protect you…

"But listen - you know that I will never let anything hurt you again. Especially him. Right?"

I need you to trust me.

"I trust you," Zelda answered with ease.

"I- wh- what…?" The boy blinked at her, taken aback.

"Of course I don't like it, but… Link, if this is about having faith in you, then… you deserve that from me, at the very least."

He stared at her for a long moment, but all he felt he could do was hug her tightly in gratitude. He could sense her heartfelt desire to understand, to make things easier on him, and he hadn't realized how much the fear of her reaction had weighed on him. And for a moment, he could pretend they were the friends they once were, scared over something like training or exams and finding comfort in the solidity they had. But instead of Zelda fretting over her lazy, sleepy best friend and leaping in on his behalf to save him from a mistake he hadn't even made yet, here she was telling him he'd earned her automatic faith in him. It felt like a lifetime away from "father, I don't think he can do it!" and all at once, the estrangement between them resettled.

"I know you just want to do the right thing, and you who have proven your courage and wisdom to all the gods and creatures of this land…" She smiled at him as they parted, giving her formal words a feeling of acting. "Well… I can only hope to be here for you if only as a fraction of what you've done for me."

He nodded, smiling wearily.

"Come back as soon as you're ready, okay? I want to have another meeting so we can get started on surface construction as soon as possible."

She left him to his space, taking off back into the clouds. But she didn't land for awhile yet herself, her mind churning. He deserved her support, no doubt… but still, was it right?


It was drawing into the darkest hues of the evening outside the kitchen windows, where Zelda sat brooding over a mug of tea growing cold on the table as her fingertips tapped the rim. She abruptly raised her eyes as a shadow caught her attention, startling as though to stand, but she eased herself back down as recognition came to her.

Ghirahim stepped into more light and gave a bow. "Good evening, Your Grace."

She drew herself up with a rigid expression. "Ghirahim…" She returned stiffly.

Ghirahim hummed softly. "You're looking well… but how fairs your mortal form? Still masquerading, I see." He smirked with a flip of his wrist.

"You're one to talk." She raised her chin defiantly, but Ghirahim only shrugged.

"Now, now, it would be crude to engage in an argument as our first act in the new roles we now inhabit, don't you agree?" He smirked as she scowled.

"…Your orders were lifted, I see."

He elegantly waved a hand. "Yes, but a few other restrictions were put in place, should that ease your mind."

"I'm not afraid of you anymore, demon," she countered, folding her hands – which shook just imperceptibly.

"Well, I certainly have no intention of disobeying the master I have voluntarily struck up a contract with." He put the side of his hand to his middle and performed a fluid bow. Despite the sincerity of the words, something about the entire action held a certain hint of mockery, as it always did.

"I will hold you to it. As the spirit of the chosen hero's blade, I cannot help but expect high things of you." Zelda responded coolly.

Nothing about it was visible, but there was a very faint sensation of Ghirahim bristling before it faded almost immediately.

"As you should." He straightened, standing tall and aloof. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Zelda abruptly cut him off.

"Why Link?"

He stopped, eyeing her for a moment as she turned her face away.

"…Why… did you make Link your master?"

Ghirahim's face recomposed itself and he tapped a finger to his lips. "He was the most obvious candidate, wouldn't you agree? I am a powerful sword, and he is a strong swordsman."

"But he killed your previous master… one whom you seemed so utterly loyal to. What does that mean I should expect of you in this new contract with Link?"

Her undertones were fairly obvious: will you fail in defending him, and merely continue on to the next alpha swordsman?

Ghirahim's expression darkened and his sigh held hints of irritation at what she implied. "Little goddess… forgive me, but even you haven't a clue what truly went on in the war with Demise."

Before she could question him further, he snapped his fingers and disappeared.