Ok, so sorry this took like a freaking month (more than a month), but writer's block was immense with this one and plus finishing up W&C didn't help either. But I'm back with a new chapter, so hooray! Before anything else, allow me to make it clear that this chapter, unlike the last one, is in Link's PoV, and I'll be switching around quite a bit, so... for now I'd like to than all 12 of you who have favorited and all 17 of you who have followed so far! Not to mention the 11 of you who reviewed! So, as is my custom...

Mekakucity: Glad you liked it! I've barely even scratched the surface with the premise as far as the first chapter goes, so we'll see how it all plays out from here!

Guest: Lol, that would be the obvious answer, but if they did, then we wouldn't really have a plot, now would we?

StormTalon1997: Here you go! :D

DuckofIndeed: Ghirahim appears for a little bit in this very chapter, but there will certainly be more of him to come!

WarriorYusen: I love Skyward Sword too! And Ghirahim appears in this very chapter, so hooray! And yes, there will be a few suggestive scenes, but nothing too big... ;D And was it Dark Link? I dunno, we'll have to see!

InsaneZeldaGamer: Glad you liked it! And I'm in the same boat! I love stories that corrupt Link, which is why I write so many stories with that concept myself, hahahaha... XD

WolfRunner326: Ghirahim makes his appearance right in this chapter! As for Dark Link... we'll see!

Pvt. Noah: Yeah, that might have been a bit jarring, but I do picture Zelda constantly at war with both sides of herself though, so...

RandomButLoved: Yeah, this one is gonna turn out to be a tearjerker towards the end... And thanks! 1st person is kinda rough for me to write especially since I'm so used to the omnipresent narration of the trilogy and HW, but I try. And if this was a spiritual successor to Ancient Roots, it would be an honor :3. Hahahaha :D And yes, there will be angst, bloodshed, and conflict galore here, even though its only going to be about 12 chapters long!

ChillVanille: I love them both too (especially Zelink) And thanks! Your compliment warmed my heart :D

alexhacker39: Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!

And with that out of the way, let's get rolling!

Chapter 2: New Master

"All power comes with a price."
-Unknown

Link

"So… what now?" Zelda asks me, a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"What do you mean?" I ask, glancing over at her, even though I know what she's talking about: the Demon Blade, which, even despite its weight, I managed to strap onto my back opposite the Master Sword. Ever since I took it, Zelda's been apparently worried, though I'm not really sure what the big deal is. After all, Demise is gone; it's not like the Demon Blade can do much harm without him, unless Ghirahim were to come out of it, though Fi assured us both that the chance of that are slim. And besides, even if he were to make an appearance, I'd be able to handle him just like I did before.

"I mean, do you actually have a plan about what you're going to do with that sword?" Zelda asks with a frown, glancing back at the Demon Blade as she walks beside me while we head back towards the temple.

"I don't really know," I admit, and it's true. When I first suggested to take the Demon Blade with us, making sure it couldn't cause any trouble was only part of the reason why. I don't know how to explain it, but there was something strange about the sword, something that almost seemed to call out to me. Of course, I want nothing to do with that sword, but for some reason or another, I ended up drawing it anyway. Call it a moment of weakness, but even so, I'm not anywhere near as worried about it at Zelda is. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?

Upon hearing my answer, Zelda only gives me that disappointed look that she always does, clearly wanting me to say more. I give her a small smile, my usual way of telling her not to worry, before telling her the only idea I have right now. "We'll take it back to the temple and keep an eye on it," I suggest, though I know that we'll have to come up with something more permanent eventually, but it'll work for now.

Zelda nods, apparently accepting this as she finally looks away from the Demon Blade. "I don't get it…" she said with a sigh, going off onto a different subject. "How did the Demon Blade even get to that clearing? It should have been sealed away along with Demise when you defeated him… It just doesn't make any sense…"

"No, it doesn't…" I agree, glancing back at the dark hilt of the Demon Blade. However, the moment I do so, that same strange feeling that came over me when we first encountered it in the clearing returns. It's hard to describe exactly, but simply put, whenever I look at it, it's as though time stops and the world just disappears, leaving nothing but me and the sword alone together. And though I should be frightened of the very same sword that caused me so much pain, somehow, in these silent moments, I find its presence… comforting almost. That is, until Zelda snaps me back into reality.

"Link?" she says, clearly concerned as she grabs my arm and gives it a small shake. I blink out of whatever trance the sword managed to put me under and look over at her, seeing the look of dread in her large, pretty blue eyes. "What's going on with you?"

"W-what do you mean?" I ask, trying to come off as calm and unaware, even though we've both noticed that something's up. But even still, the last thing I want to do is worry Zelda, especially since she already does enough of that on a daily basis as is.

"Why do you keep staring at that sword like that?" she asks with a frown, gazing at me intently.

I shake my head, still pretending that I have no idea what she's talking about, mostly because I don't have an answer to that question myself. There's something about the Demon Blade that almost seems to be alluring in an odd way, but I quickly push that ridiculous thought from my mind. After all, this is Demise's sword; nothing good can come from it at all.

Zelda sighs, easily able to see through my ruse just like she always does. I can't help but feel the slightest bit guilty for lying to her, even though it's over something so trivial, especially since I know that she's always had a tendency to be protective of me. Of course, in light of that, it's a bit ironic that I was the one who had to end up protecting her from Demise and Ghirahim, but ever since then, Zelda's been back to her old ways of fretting over me. She claims that it's because I nearly died while fighting Demise, and I won't argue with her there. But I really do wish that she'd stop worrying about me so much; after all, I am older than her and I handled myself well enough while she was missing for all those months. But even more than that is the fact that I hate it when she's upset or afraid. Zelda's at her best when she's relaxed and cheerful, showing off her beautiful smile and gentle laugh and making me feel as though everything is all right with the world, which is why I'm always so compelled to bring out that sweet, loving side of her, one that isn't hidden away by layers of dread or anxiety, whenever I can.

"Zelda…" I start, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder as I smile at her, hoping that she'll smile in return. She doesn't though; instead she pulls her shoulder away and pouts, clearly trying to guilt trip me even more.

She opens her mouth to start to say something, but before she can, she's cut off by a sudden crash not too far behind us. We both whip around to see a crowd of monsters, mostly Stalfos, rushing towards us with their weapons raised to attack. I clench my fists tightly for a moment, already anticipating the upcoming fight, before turning to Zelda, whose eyes are wide with fear as she sees the group of skeletons.

"Don't leave my side for a second," I command with seriousness, and she simply nods, knowing just as well as I do how dangerous enemies like these can be. Without another word, I step in front of her and draw the Master Sword, holding it defensively as the Stalfos begin to surround us on all sides. Zelda clings onto my other arm nervously, which I allow since her holding onto me will at least help be protect her, even if it might restrict my movements a bit.

Zelda and I turn full circle to see exactly what we're up against: about ten or so Stalfos, though neither of us have any idea where they came from or why they're suddenly attacking us. But even so, I'm the first one to make a move as I swing out towards one of the closer monsters, striking its ribcage and causing it to shatter and collapse. I quickly move onto the next one by thrusting towards it, but this one's smart enough to block my attack with its blade. The Master Sword bounces off of it and I'm pushed back a bit because of the collision. Of course, I'm not about to let that stop me as I regain my stance and prepare to strike again before I feel something, or rather someone, yank on my free arm. But before I can even do anything to pull Zelda closer to me, she's ripped off of my arm entirely by one of the Stalfos. She lets out a frightened scream as the monster begins to drag her away, and I quickly spin around to see that it's holding onto by both arms tightly as she tries to struggle against it.

"Link!" she shouts in a panic, her eyes wide and completely scared. Upon seeing this, my grip on the Master Sword tightens as I try to figure out how to save her, even though the Stalfos has her positioned in front of it in a way that I won't be able to attack it head on without hurting Zelda too. My mind is racing for a strategy, but before I can do anything, I sharp, sudden pain explodes against my back. I let out a hiss of pain as I glance behind me to see just as one of the stalfos's sword finishes tearing against my exposed back. Zelda screams again when she sees the blood that's most likely pouring from the wound, but I ignore both of them as I bring the Master Sword down upon the monster from above, only to have it repelled once more, only much harder. My blade bounces squarely off the stalfos's in a way that it breaks my hold on the Master Sword completely, sending the sword flying out of my hand as it lands just outside of the circle of Stalfos and leaving me defenseless.

I clench my fists again as I turn a slow circle, keeping my defenses even higher than before as I keep my shield positioned in the safest way possible. Breaking out of the circle to get the Master Sword back would be risky, and it's a risk that I don't really want to take since the Stalfos holding onto Zelda has its blade held against her neck. However, as our eyes meet for a split second, I remember that I'm not entirely defenseless, even without the Master Sword. Without thinking, I glance at the Demon Blade still hanging over my shoulder and tense up for a brief second, before Zelda catches onto what I'm thinking and calls me out on it.

"Link, no!" she shouts, the fear in her voice undeniable before the Stalfos presses its sword against her neck until it finally cuts, eliciting a cry of pain from her that finally drives me over the edge. Desperate to save her even more than myself, my hand flies to the hilt of the Demon Blade, but the moment my hand wraps around it, I freeze up entirely, just like I did the first time I laid my hands on it back in the clearing. Zelda, the Stalfos, everything around me seems to disappear as the world grows dark to the point that I can't really see anything at all, save for one thing alone: the Demon Blade itself.

Even though I haven't drawn it yet, it somehow floats about a foot or two in front of me, a dark aura surrounding it just like it did when we found it earlier. I stare at it with wide eyes, finding myself unable to pull my gaze away from it this time as a soft, almost soothing voice that sounds vaguely familiar speaks to me from out of nowhere. "Take up the blade…" it coos, its tone beckoning and even inviting. "You brought down the Demon King. This sword is your right, your prize… Take it… Wield it in battle and know real power… Unlike any you've ever known before…"

Power… Yes, that's exactly what I need right now. I need something in place of the Master Sword, something that can help me protect Zelda from anyone who might try and hurt her. I need power. I need the Demon Blade.

So I take it.

Without any more hesitation, I grip the hilt of the Demon Blade with both hands, a chill running down my spine as I do so, but I force myself to ignore it. The moment I grab the sword, the world returns and practically no time has passed at all as Zelda's still staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. I briefly glance down at the Demon Blade in my hands, realizing that unlike the last time I held it, it barely seems to weigh anything at all. In fact, it weighs about as much as the Master Sword, which after using it so much, has become virtually weightless to me.

I don't even bother giving it an experimental swing as I ram its serrated edge into the nearest Stalfos, crumbling upon impact. Even from this first blow, I can tell that this sword has a ton of power, maybe even more than the Master Sword. Each move I make with it seems so fluid and crisp, and every strike is nothing less than fatal to these monsters. I honestly can't remember ever fighting with so much precision and ease, even with the Master Sword itself. In almost no time at all, I have almost all of the Stalfos taken care of, save for the one that's still holding Zelda, threatening to cut her neck. I glare darkly at it for a moment as I meet its empty gaze, before I do something that it wasn't expecting. Since there's no more monsters blocking my way, I quickly roll around to its side before thrusting the Demon Blade at it, breaking its bony ribs. Though that would be enough to end it, I don't stop there; after all, this thing caused Zelda pain so I can't just let it get off so easily. With a furious shout, I bring the blade down on its fleshless arms, slicing them in half and freeing Zelda from its grip. She scurries away from it while I roughly kick it to the ground, finally stabbing the Demon Blade into its skull, grinning with triumph as I hear it split open and shatter into hundreds of pieces before it vanishes away like the rest of the Stalfos did, in a puff of dark smoke.

With the monsters finally gone, I let out a breath of relief and reclaim the Master Sword, sheathing both it and the Demon Blade together. However, when I turn back to Zelda, the first thing I notice after the light, but not dangerous cut on her throat is the look of shock in her eyes as she stares at me with her jaw dropped in astonishment.

"What?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at her, not sure why she looks so shaken up now that she's safe.

She doesn't answer right away as she glances to the hilt of the Demon Blade behind me apprehensively. "Did you really have to use that sword?" she asks, biting her lip nervously.

"I didn't really have much of a choice, Zel," I say with a shrug, still wondering what she's so worried about. Even if the Demon Blade did use to be Demise's sword, it's still only that now: a sword. "They had me cornered."

"Yeah, well… because you were being reckless," she accuses, crossing her arms and frowning. "You could have beaten them all just fine with the Master Sword, you know."

Upon hearing this, I start to get slightly frustrated, especially since she always uses that reckless excuse against me. But I decide to suppress it for now and instead, I finally call Zelda out on her irrational concerns once and for all. "Calm down, Zel," I say in exasperation. "What are you so worried about anyway?"

"It's just…" she begins hesitantly, before taking a step closer to me. "I don't trust that sword, Link. You and I both know how dangerous it is. And… you wielding it… it just doesn't seem right…"

I simply laugh upon hearing this, knowing that her worries are totally unfounded and that the Demon Blade can't do anything to harm either of us now. "Come on, Zelda," I say, rolling my eyes at her. "It's only a sword. And as much as I hate to admit it, it's a pretty good sword at that. I mean, you saw me take down all those stalfos! It's like this sword was made for me!"

"Are you crazy?!" she exclaims, completely aghast. "You do remember that this used to be the Demon King's sword, right? Just look at it, Link! It's nothing but pure evil, just like Demise was!"

"It's a sword, Zelda," I protest crossly, knowing she's being absolutely ridiculous. "And that's all it is. Demise may have used it before, but he's long gone now. Besides, if I can use this sword to protect you and get rid of the remaining monsters, then I don't see any problem in using it at all."

Her expression is livid as she takes in a deep breath to argue back, but before she can, she's cut off by a sudden flash from behind me. We both glance back, expecting the hilt of the Master Sword to be glowing thanks to Fi, but it's not; it's the hilt of the Demon Blade instead, flickering in a dark glow for a moment before something appears to emerge from it. And before he even fully materializes, both Zelda and I exchange a glance, already knowing what to expect.

"Ghirahim…" we both mutter in unison in the seconds before his form becomes clear, the distaste in both of our tones for our former foe equally matched.

My hand is already on the hilt of the Master Sword the moment he appears before us. He looks exactly like he did the last time I fought him, a dark, metallic form that could easily be compared to Fi, the only difference is that she's not a sadistic monster like Ghirahim. And yet, instead of trying to attack or mock either of us, the very first thing he does is lower himself down on one knee in front of us without saying a word, almost as though he's bowing in reverence.

Zelda and I exchange another glance as a beat of silence passes between us all, but before anything else, I finally draw the Master Sword, knowing that using the Demon Blade against Ghirahim wouldn't do any good since he lives inside of it. "What do you want?" I demand firmly, glaring down at him harshly so he knows that I'm not going to put up with any games.

He finally looks up with a grin that's hard to read; it lacks the malice that he would always show to me during our encounters in the past, but it's far from kind. Instead it's just… disturbing. "Greetings, hero," he says with his usual theatrical flare, ignoring Zelda completely as he solely addresses me. "Or perhaps, as I'm bound by my station to do, I should call you Master, now…"

"Master?" I repeat, still glaring at him suspiciously as I aim the tip of the Master Sword at him, still expecting him to pull some kind of trick. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" Ghirahim asks, raising an eyebrow even though he still has that constant cocky grin. "Well then, allow me to explain. Ever since my glorious vessel, the Demon Blade, was forged, there has been but one condition tied to both to the sword and to me as its spirit. And that condition is that I must serve whoever wields the Demon Blade." His grin finally fades into a light glare aimed at me, though it's not as hateful as it could be. "Even if the used to be my former enemy…" he mutters with a hint of distain.

Of course, I'm shocked upon hearing this, but before I can even react at all, Zelda quickly cuts in. "No!" she proclaims fiercely, her hands balling up into fists as she glares hotly at Ghirahim, who scowls right back at her. "Absolutely not! Link isn't your master, because he isn't the wielder of the Demon Blade and he never will be!"

"Why don't you let him decide that for himself, your grace?" he barks harshly at her, not trying to hide how much he hates her like he apparently was towards me. "He's a grown boy; he can make his own choices without you having to mother him."

I pause before saying anything as both of them look towards me, mostly because I can't help but feel, as odd as it may sound, that Ghirahim might actually be right. Zelda does try to mother me, a lot. She always has, and sometimes, it really is annoying and overbearing. I'm able to come to my own conclusions and decisions without her, and she should realize that, but for now, I do have to agree with her on this one all the same. "She's right," I say coldly. "I'm not your master."

"So you choose to reject the great might that the Demon Blade could offer you then?" Ghirahim asks, a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.

I hesitate again as he asks this, remembering just how effective and strong the Demon Blade really is. If I had to give Demise credit for anything, it would be the fact that his sword is incredible. I felt so powerful when I was using it earlier, and though it's a feeling I really don't want to give up, when I see the pleading look in Zelda's eyes I know that I have to for her sake. "Yes," I say with finality, glaring down at Ghirahim. "I want nothing to do with you or your sword. Now leave us alone."

"As you wish…" he says succinctly, though his tone makes it sound as though he wants to say more. "Master…"

I know he only called me that again to frustrate Zelda even more, but before either of us can protest, he disappears in a burst of black diamonds, most likely returning to his place inside the Demon Blade. Zelda and I look to each other again, both of us clearly unnerved by everything Ghirahim had said and implied. Though I'm not going to admit this to Zelda, if I could wield the Demon Blade without having to think about Ghirahim basically serving the same role to me as Fi does, then I would. I know I don't really need it, but I want it. It makes me feel more powerful, more capable than I ever have been before. But I know that Zelda won't allow it, especially not now after what just happened.

"We have to get rid of that sword," Zelda almost mutters as she glares at the hint of the Demon Blade. "Both it and Ghirahim need to be gone from the world once and for all. Don't you see that now?"

"Yes," I agree, but only really to the part about Ghirahim. Without him, the Demon Blade really wouldn't be that bad; in fact, I could even see it being helpful. "But what can we do with it? Remember what Fi said earlier: it's not exactly that easy to get rid of."

"We'll come up with something," she says with resolve. "For now, all we really can do is keep it locked away and secured so it can't cause any harm."

"So, we'll take it to the temple then?" I ask with the slightest hint of anticipation, knowing that the Demon Blade won't be too far out of reach there.

"I guess so," she says with a frown. "But Link?"

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"What?"

She sighs, glancing down nervously before quickly taking both of my hands and holding onto them tightly, speaking in a voice that almost sounds desperate in a way. "Promise me you won't use the Demon Blade again," she said pleadingly. "Please, Link. I… I'd feel so much better if you didn't. Please… Just… promise me, ok?"

I frown down at her, noticing how her dark blue eyes are starting to sparkle with the first sign of tears. Seeing her like this wrenches my heart and though I want to pull her into a comforting embrace, I don't. Instead, I think. The strength of the Demon Blade is compelling and tempting, and with it, I know that nothing would be able to take me down or hurt Zelda ever again. I do think she's worrying over nothing, but when it comes to making her happy, I've always complied with whatever she wants. It's a weakness of mine, I guess, which is why I give her hands a reassuring squeeze and smile at her, knowing I'd give up anything for her sake. "All right," I agree, watching with both contentment and a strange sense of dissatisfaction as her eyes light up with newfound joy. "I promise."

Well, that's that. Again, sorry this took so long, but hopefully we won't have the same issue next time around. As for next time around, we'll get more Ghirahim, more zelink fluff, and more action, so yay! For now though, let me know what you thought in your REVIEWS! Until next time! :D