So, guest reveiwer Baron Ricardo has asked if Demise will be a woman, since Hylia is now a man.

I didn't really intend on changing Demise's gender, seeing as that Ganondorf is the incarnation of his hatred.

HOWEVER, I recalled that Fi says that Demise appears diffrent to everyone. With that in mind, should we see Demise appear to Zelda as we saw him through Link's eyes, or as a woman? If you leave a vote in a review for this fanfic, you can decide the appearance of Demise in the final battle. I plan on taking the lead choice, when I post the chapter that ends when (and this really isn't a spoiler) Zelda uses the triforce. By my estimate, that would be either four or five chapters in the future, if I go by the timeline of the game.

The moment I post that chapter, I will make a tally.

random facts:

-My favorite zelda abridged series are Xanuzamaki's Majora's Mask (mainly for his take on Majora's Mask itself and just how much nightmare redundancy he created in the Ikana canyon episode.) Hyrule Assasins in Termina (get past the swearing and mature stuff, and it's gold!) and Tauperpa's Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Twilight Princess. I hear he will do Skyward Sword.)

-My favorite Hyrule Warriors characters to use so far are Link (especially after getting the master sword.) Zelda (she has good attacks) Ghirahim (nice range attacks and does one hit k.o.'s on mini-imprisoneds) and Sheik (for her special attack when you need to k.o. a bunch of enemies.

Everyone's favorite boss fight in the game leads to something unexpected (unless you already saw it coming.)

Chapter 6

Secret in the Cistern

Upon finding the location of the trial gate by the tree, I stood at the center and played Farore's Courage and sang along to it.

Actually the second I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, I saw that my companion decided to... dance around me while humming along to the music.

And when I say dance, I mean, make a couple of strange movements before disappearing and reappearing somewhere near me, like a bubble popping without seeing it pop.

Needless to say, I messed up and had to do it all over again. And this time, I tried not to focus on my dancing companion and thought it best to just let him have his fun.

When the song finished, Ghirahim informed me that, in order to access the next area, I needed to thrust the sword in the crest that appeared on the exact spot.

The second I did I felt as if I was being lifted up into the air... and then found myself in an unusually surreal version of Faron woods.

Everything seemed to be tinted in strange, otherworldly hues of blue, and only I and the strange stationary beings I saw ahead of me had a glow that preserved our natural colors.

"What kind of world is this?" I wondered aloud.

"I'm sorry Mistress Zelda, but I can't follow you into this realm." I heard Ghirahim explain. "For this trial calls out to your mind alone."

Instinctively, I reached for my sword- but I couldn't feel it, nor the shield that I carried.

Ghirahim explained everything, but I only interrupted when I found out that I was separated from my physical body.

"So my body is lying on the ground by my sword?! What's protecting it then?! WHat if a monster wants to attack it or kidnap me?"

"I'm watching over it. I can assure you that no harm will come to you, while I stand guard."

I relaxed: I could trust Ghirahim with that.

-Reality-

Ghirahim kept his word. The second Zelda's spirit left her body, it fell over to the side in an ungraceful manner, and he was immediately by it's side.

He got out of the sword and mentally communicated with Zelda as he laid her down in a more comfortable position. In addition, he could see what was going on in the silent realm, within his mind, since he was completely mentally linked to Zelda now.

He knew Farore's silent realm wouldn't give Zelda too much of a hard time: she knew this forest well enough, and she was conservative so she would create the beacons when she really needed too, and use her time wisely. To his relief, she proved him right as she made her way through the obstacles and scouted out the tears.

The guardians were another story. She was terrified at the concept, but she remained determined.

It was kind of a balance, keeping an eye on her progress in the silent realm, and watching over her spirit's vessel...

-a minute later-

Machi the kwiki was taking a stroll and minding his own business.

He turned around the largest tree in the forest, when he saw the strangest sight.

It was that pink creature... Zelda, she called herself. But she was laying on the ground by a sword sticking into the ground.

And that odd companion of hers in the red cloak was... well, one moment, he would be doing the strangest movements and gestures, before he disappeared and then reappeared at another angle and would make a different set of moves and gestures. It looked like he was dancing around the girl, and was humming all the while.

Machi silently observed from a safe distance before he walked away. He didn't know what was going on, and he had no intention of getting involved. In fact, he was pretty sure it was just from taking too long of a nap.

- IT'S OVER-

I didn't just pull the sword out of the ground, I ran away from that spot and almost into Ghirahim.

"I still feel my heart pounding really fast, and my hands are shaking, but it wasn't too bad." I confessed, before realizing. "...I have to go through this again, don't I?"

"Unfortunately for you, yes."

"...Great."

"Well, at least you have me to turn to for comfort, right?"

"...You know that I was given something that will make me breath underwater, right?" I held up the water dragon's scale and waited for his reaction.

"...So?" He raised an eyebrow.

...Ok, that didn't go as I expected it to.

-Faron-

Before I met the water dragon, Ghirahim told me that he had no intention of appearing before her, on the fact that he actually knew her from a long time ago.

"She is a powerful being, if the years haven't been to horrid on her age. Let's just say that she would kill me on the spot, if she had the chance."

Faron herself came across as... haughty. Even though she thought I looked like a helpless case, she was crucial to helping me out. Though at the time, she told me that she was trying to recover after a fight with Fi, of all people.

"I wish I could of seen that." Ghirahim snickered in my head. "The most emotionless of souls against the haughtiest of beings: wit versus wit."

As Faron explained that she needed sacred water, Ghirahim told me that we needed to back track to skyveiw temple... much to his irritation.

-skip ahead-

Well, I'll just skip ahead. When I finally got the water, Ghirahim tried to give me a certain number of choice words to tell Faron on his behalf for not keeping any sacred water on hand sooner... all of which I can't repeat and had no intention of doing so, as I didn't want her to get mad at me. Thankfully, she kept her word and granted us access to the Ancient Cistern.

The Ancient Cistern was one of the most interesting places I had come across. At first I admired it's beauty, and when I saw a bird flying over the head of the statue in the middle of the room, I expressed early regret that I would have to probably kill it, because it was a remarkable creature.

But when I was sent to the lower depths, into cold, evil and purple caverns I felt chills go through me.

"I changed my mind about this whole place." I confessed as I rubbed my arms as fast as I could.

"The greatest of evils wear the masks most beautiful." Ghirahim replied. "To everyone, the masks look different, but underneath, the answers are the same."

-whip-

"That doesn't look like it can do much damage, beyond pulling switches. I can think of more... recreational things to do with the weapon."

...I realized that his comments were starting to get out of hand.

-The boss fight everyone loves-

In the chamber, there were strange gold colored metal objects laying on the ground. It was so fog like in this spacious room that I couldn't make out the other end but I did make out someone gracefully perched on top of a column of metal.

"You're persistent." Fi looked down at me.

"Hello to you too, Fi." I sarcastically waved.

"I am occupied with searching for the clues that will aid me in the revival of the demon king."

My mind raced around in confusion at this, but before I could piece together Fi's goals, she continued on.

"You've been a great hinderance in my task-

"If it makes you better, you've been doing the same thing to me too!" I snapped. "I'm on borrowed time, thanks to you."

She paused. "You are very much like your sword. You have a way with words, but your inferiority can be felt through our confrontations. Neither of you can survive without some divine aid, instead of your own abilities."

I felt something snarling in my head- and this time, I couldn't tell if it was Ghirahim, or if it was me.

Just because I wasn't like Fi, didn't make me inferior.

But your not as powerful as Fi, Ghirahim, or even Link. A voice in my head spoke, and it wasn't the one I had been used to hearing for the past several days. You were late once, what if you were late again? What would you do, without your protectors? If you are not a god, then who are you, but a simple young woman from the sky with fantasies in her head?

What if the past repeats itself? Another voice spoke.

"In the end, I have been and always will be your superior." Fi continued on. "In strength, beauty, and power."

After Fi faded away, I stared in horror as the core of the thing she stood on throbbed like a heartbeat, and as the room light up, the creature was revealed to be an enormous automaton, after it pieced itself back together.

"Koloktos." Ghirahim, still angry over Fi, snarled in my head. "He's the guardian of this place, and is as deadly as he is skilled."

What ensued was a nerve wrecking battle, that involved taking advantage of Koloktos strength and using the whip to pull his arms off.

A little sadism never hurt anyone. The voice smugly told me. Go ahead- take your anger out on this menace.

Suppose you're abandoned by the one you care most about again?

In the second half of the battle, Koloktos pulled himself out of the floor and I found myself running from his blades for dear life. When I repeated the technique of pulling one of his arms off, I noticed that a light was shining on the sword left in it's hand.

I suddenly knew what to do, as if the sword was a calling.

I picked the sword up- which was surprisingly light- and headed towards the automaton.

But when I did pick that sword up, my mind became devoid of any familiar comfort. There was nothing else but the odd voices in my head.

What resulted in something I never thought I could pull off. Every swing I took with that sword destroyed kolokos legs, arms, the cage that protected his core, and even the core itself, until the sword was returned back to it's hands and the process repeated again.

Murder it. Take your anger out on it. Let it know your anger. Become the beast you should be. No one should tell you how inferior you are.

Look at her. She fight's like a demon: she knows how to inflict irony, by using it's own weapon against it.

Suddenly, the fight against the koloktos felt like child's play when I wasn't ambushed by those undead bokoblins. In fact, I started to find it oddly fun, and I was sure it would please a certain someone.

So why did my head suddenly began throbbing like I had a massive headache?

Forget everything- forget caring. Rage against the machine. Become the beast you should be. You don't need anyone else to rely on, but yourself.

She doesn't need hallow, broken steel to help her fight her battles.

Every swing I took, my head ache was growing worse. My brain was throbbing. Even when Koloktos finally exploded into parts, my headache wouldn't go away.

I felt like I had to take a break from all of this for awhile. Something was getting to me, and it felt it was getting to be too much.

After the battle was over, and the room lit up, I made my way past the remains of my opponent, ready to see the first of the sacred flames.

The second I took my first few steps, my headache went away, as if something had been severed.

But then I heard what sounded like an enraged battle cry and quickly whipped around in time to see Ghirahim stabbing his own sword through the head of the automaton.

"Ghirahim?!" I called out, wondering how he came out so quietly without me noticing, until he let out an inhuman roar that contained a rage that made me freeze where I stood in fear, before he began to destroy whatever remains of Koloktos he could reach.

It was not an impressive sight. It reminded me of how I lashed out at him in frustration when I first trained with him.

"It's defeated!" I yelled. "You can stop!" But he didn't listen. Not until the last part of the automaton had been sent flying across the room.

He turned, panting through clenched teeth and directed his anger at me.

"So then." He glared as he slowly approached me, his sword almost touching the ground. "You finally got tired with me. You took her words in, like any desperate fool, and decided to abandon me."

And then I knew why my mind felt so empty and yet so scrambled up. Why I was forming that headache, when I otherwise felt fine.

"I only used it's sword against it, because I figured it could get the job done a lot faster!" I protested.

"You enjoyed the battle using another sword!" His eye narrowed. "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel, mistress?" He sneered that last word out and not only did I find myself afraid, but that word actually stung.

"Look at you! You believed her words too, didn't you?!" I pointed a finger at him as I countered back. "It was like I could feel your doubt, the second she got to us both!"

"I know you hate it whenever I get a new weapon!" I countered. "You make comments each time, like your jealous over them, and yet how often do I actually use them?! Could I have used the beetle for every single monster I've come across?!"

Ghirahim quietly stared at me, his eyes still narrowed. "You're starting to be just like him. In fact, I could feel the small embers in your mind and they were close to matching his own blazing flames."

"Who?!" I demanded as I threw my hands up. "Why are you so cryptic?! Why do you tell me things without explaining them properly?! What is it that make me the bad guy in all of this?!"

We briefly stared at each other as my voice echoed around the room. The sound of my echoes were almost deafening as time seemed to stand still.

Finally, Ghirahim sighed and made his sword disappear. "I knew it was eventually going to come to this sooner or later." He ran a hand through his hair. "I wish it hadn't. As long as it didn't have to be brought up, I thought you wouldn't be put off by me."

He looked me straight in the eye. "You aren't the first one who has wielded the god's sword."

This caught me off guard.

Of all the things he could have told me, I didn't expect this, and it didn't make sense.

"What do you mean?" I slowly asked as I stepped towards him. "You said you were crafted by Hylia for his chosen hero-

"That was only partly true." He grew calm... but I could sense a familiar reluctancy in his tone. "I was reforged for the purposes Hylia intended. I was born from the metal and fires of destructive desire- not from the calm, caring hand of your god."

This lead to so many questions in my head. "What do you mean 'reforged'? And who was your last wielder, if it wasn't Hylia?"

Ghirahim's voice darkened. "My former master, though he was as mighty as Hylia, was your opposite. While you seek to protect, he sought to conquer.

The land suffered, from his conquests, and I was loyal to him and him alone. When he wielded me, we slaughtered and took many lives together as one. In my eyes, he was master, father, possibly even something akin to a lover, all at once. He was my world, and I would do anything to please him."

-past-

"Ghirahim."

The spirit of the sword glanced upward towards the sound of a voice, that shook like the earth, burned like fire, and, though calm, hid a storm inside. He smiled and bowed. "My master." He addressed the dark figure before him.

"If I had to do anything to stop Hylia, you would agree to it, wouldn't you?"

"I would." Ghirahim was honest, and those two words couldn't convey the faith or undying loyalty he gave only to one being in existence. It transcended the petty feelings of love and affection that humans gave to one another.

"And you would do anything for me, to ensure that Hylia would feel the most degrading of defeats, correct?"

"I would." Ghirahim pledged once more.

Slowly, Ghirahim's wielder approached him, his sword in his hands. "You're loyalty is your greatest asset, Ghirahim. Any leader would desire you for that alone."

"Yes." Ghirahim almost moaned in pleasure. It pleased him oh, so greatly to be praised by his master. It filled his heart up with all sorts of fancies, so to say.

His master held the great and mighty sword up- the true body of Ghirahim, and not the pure, beautiful avatar he liked to use. "This sword serves me faithfully in every battle: never doubting, nor questioning my commands. It's spirit would do anything for me, and would lay it's life down for me.

"There's only one shame."

Ghrahim's head snapped up.

"... I might not be so lucky again."

The great, mighty sword was suddenly engulfed in red electric light, and black smoke before it shattered into pieces.

Ghirahim's screams were deafening, but they were nothing compared to the sensations he felt in his body as he immediately collapsed to the floor.

So much pain. Everything breaking into pieces. His sword shattered into small fragments, and his pure form, which was perfection incarnate, was being crushed from the inside as a ripple effect.

Everywhere, it felt like every 'bone' was snapping inside, and agony wasn't even the right word for it. He could even feel his back and neck break, and yet he could still feel pain throughout his body.

It was so overwhelming that he never heard the last thing his master said over his screams, nor did he see him walk away and leave him writhing on the ground.

And he would never be aware that his greatest enemy came an hour later, after sensing a lack of an evil aura in that area. He wouldn't see the look of shock, or pity, in Hylia's eyes as he carefully surrounded Ghirahim and his sword with magic before they were teleported to a human village.

-ss-

Ghirahim was surprised at the change of surroundings when he awoke. Instead of a darkened fortress, filled with demons and monsters, he was in what looked like one of the houses that belonged to those villages that he enjoyed destroying.

And by the bedside, towering over him and dressed in armor, was Hylia.

"Look what he did to you, Ghirahim." Hylia bent down towards the collapsed Ghirahim. The sword spirit was laying on top of a bed in his 'pure' form, and the bloodthirsty, ruthless being was broken almost beyond repair: his whole body was covered with cracks, from head to toe, and some even covered his face.

"He casted you aside and betrayed you: is he truly worth your undying loyalty?"

Ghirahim recalled the moment his sword shattered and felt an unusual tremor of fear run through his core. He recalled the confusion of that moment.

He was still confused as to what happened. But he wouldn't let Hylia know that.

Ghirahim hissed as the warrior god stared into his white eyes with his own blue sky colored eyes. "I don't need your pity Hylia! I'd rather you stab me with that mighty sword of yours than hear you spewing out hopeless prattle like the kind you give to your weak bodied people to raise their morale."

"What I pity Ghirahim," The god continued on without being fazed. "Is not how your master ultimately repaid you, but that you were a being created without a chance of knowing what true strength is, or the warm hand of kindness. You were nothing more than a weapon to your master the way you have been used, and he never truly cherished you, if he inflicted this upon you and left you for dead."

Ghirahim choked out a laugh which was more painful to his stomache than it normally should of been. "Kindness? What kind of pathetic things can that do in the long run? You don't know me, and you certainly do not know my master."

"Kindness is mercy Ghirahim. Kindness is something that can bring together power, wisdom, and courage. Kindness is considering others, doing something for someone, and ultimately having a selfless heart." Hylia extended a gauntlet covered hand out to Ghirahim. "You are my enemy Ghirahim, but in front of me, I see someone who has been forsaken and needs my help."

Ghirahim only glared at Hylia's hand, which prompted the god to continue

"I can't force you to understand kindness or change your heart. All I can do is show you what kindness I can offer. Even a god is as flawed as a human, and I seek to atone for my own mistakes."

"I don't need your kindness, Hylia!" Ghirahim sneered. "Go throw those ridiculous concepts elsewhere!"

Hylia sighed and got up. "Then perhaps I need to leave you alone for a bit."

Hylia waved his hand and Ghirahim suddenly felt his body grow numb. It was a relief, but now he truly could not move.

"What. Did. You. Do to me?" Ghirahim was deathly quiet as his rage built up inside him.

"Until enough time passes, I can't afford to let you be a threat to my people." The warrior god explained. You are frozen in time to the point that your body will not accidentally mend itself incorrectly. I will keep the parts of your sword somewhere safe, as further precaution. No matter what happens, I will still heal you- I am not going to let your existence end in shame."

-ss-

Hylia left Ghirahim alone in a sanctuary on the outskirts of the village.

Word spread that a demon was being housed in a small room in the sanctuary. Some villagers came to see for themselves the infamous dweller and almost all of them stared in horror or revulsion at the creature.

The sword spirt's body prevented him from going anywhere, but his mind was active. He plotted vengeance against Hylia and how to reach his master once more for many days.

However he would think back to the moment his master suddenly crushed most of the bones within his body, even in his pure form, and didn't understand why he did this.

All the while, villagers would come and gaze upon him, like some sort of grotesque attraction.

Ghirahim didn't wish to speak to any of them, nor could he manipulate them, because he had no idea where his sword was.

He loathed every single one of those villagers. He hated how self-righteous they seemed, and when they stared in anger, he stared back with mutual feeling.

Eventually, he hated them, simply because it seemed that they were looking down on him, because he was helpless and incapable of harming them.

And it wouldn't occur to him until he got tired of being angry or scheming that he realized the irony of the reversal of fates.

That was when he lost faith in himself: he had no idea if he could ever be repaired the way he used to be. He wouldn't be helpful to his master anymore, which felt like death for him.

He became terrified. What if his master found a better weapon? What would happen if he crossed paths with him once more? Would he be killed for his new incompetence?

He began to wish that he had never been created in the first place, if he was going to be tossed aside by the very being who forged him. He wished for death, instead of this pitiful state.

Then, one day, a small child somehow entered the sanctuary.

"Are you ok sir?" The child, who looked as if he had lived for six years, curiously limped towards Ghirahim without even hesitating.

"Do I look fine, boy?" Ghirahim couldn't find it in himself to muster up any anger anymore. "I've been frozen in this position for far too long, thanks to your beloved god."

The boy let out a weak chuckle. "You have a strange sense of humor." He knelt down beside Ghirahim. "Can you tell me how you came to be this way?"

Ghirahim explained the whole story to the boy, who carefully listened without interrupting once, or showed any fear when Ghirahim's words indicated the desire to cause injury to anyone he wished.

And, without realizing it, he conveyed his experiences in undergoing this current fate, as well as his own fears. Maybe it was because he just really wanted to talk to someone, after all this time of not responding back.

The boy looked at Ghirahim in great interest. "So, I want to ask you a question then: if it was me who was in your position, what would you do? Spare me, or kill me?"

"I'd kill you."

The boy raised an eyebrow.

"Look at me: I have no idea when Hylia is going to release me from this spell, and this is far too humiliating for anyone to go through. Death would be a mercy, compared to this."

"Death can be a kindness." The boy acknowledged. "It doesn't have to be for sheer amusement on the battlefield."

Something about those words made Ghirahim glare at the boy in suspicion. "You are awfully wise for one your age... unless you are some kind of being in disguise."

The boy suddenly burst out laughing and, in a flash of light grew into the familiar form of Hylia, who sheepishly grinned.

"I suppose that was too predictable-"

Ghirahim groaned. "Why did I have to be right?"

"But you passed my test Ghirahim." Hylia continued. "I needed to see if there was any shred of kindness in you, or if you had reflected on your fate before I could heal you. However, I also had to make you understand what it was like, for once, to feel what you hated most."

Ghirahim stared at Hylia.

"...You have a sick mind Hylia. Even though I like how you can think, it's still sick."

The god only smirked as he held a hand out and, suddenly, Ghirahim felt everything in his body change. Everything hurt like a thousand stab wounds, a hundred bombs set off, or blunt objects to the hands, and Ghirahim was still screaming by the time it suddenly stopped and he tumbled off the bed and onto the floor by his own doing for the first time in what felt like eons.

Hylia waved his hand again, and Ghirahim's appearance changed: his entire body changed from dark metal, to a more flesh like appearance, his skin began to turn an almost deathly grayish white, and his hair lengthened. He began to look closer to Hylia and his people, but his appearance still marked him as different from the.

As soon as the sword spirit calmed down, he was able to take on his new appearance. Quietly, he examined his pale hands as Hylia placed a long cloak he conjured up over the rather nude being before him.

"I can't heal your spirit form completely." Hylia explained. "So I had to give you a form that I thought you would prefer. I can fix your sword, but I cannot give you back the extent of your powers."

Ghirahim looked up at Hylia through the curtain of long white hair from eyes as black as night. "Why else would you do all of this?" He asked, and Hylia's face fell.

"I... I let something terrible happen. I don't know what could come of this, but I knew I had to try to fix one consequence from it."

Hylia shook his head and held out his hand. "Come Ghirahim. I want you to come walk with me for a bit: you must be anxious to move around again."

Ghirahim stared at the hand, but as he slowly stood back up, he didn't take it. Hylia didn't mind this though, and quietly lead the spirit of the sword out of the sanctuary- into the light of a new day.

-present-

There was silence after Ghirahim finished his story. He glanced down at the floor, and refused to make eye contact with me.

"Now you know why I am worried of the flames. I have no idea if they will cause harm to me for what I used to be."

"...I'm sorry." I bowed my head in shame. "If I knew what would happen, I would have said something.

I can't figure out why your master would abandon you," I looked back to Ghirahim. "but I am not going to do the same, if it means that I'm going to hurt you. I'd go through all of the previous dungeons at once before I would even think of that! I'd never throw away a friend who is as loyal as you- I'd be more than happy to give them my loyalty in return!"

Ghirahim let out a small smile. "You flatter me too much, Mistress Zelda."

I smiled back and held my hand out. "Well, let's go on ahead and face those flames together. If not, we will have to give someone a good word or two about all of this."

Ghirahim's eyes flashed a mysterious glint of mischievousness. "Oh, I think I already know who that will be."

I understood now, the story my father told me about humbling the pride. How Hylia changed the heart of a heartless demon, by making him be and feel what he hated most. I never would of imagined I would of met that same demon.

-green flames-

I watched as the pillar of green flame rose up, above even the crest of Farore. It was so bright that I almost had to block my eyes with both arms- one which had the sword in hand.

Ghirahim stood beside me, unfazed by the light, but looked a little fidgety at the sight of the flame, which came across to me as being nervous.

"Farore: the goddess who nurtured all life, and the patron of courage. Those she inspires and favors can face darkness, in spite of their fears." I recalled. "Ready?" I asked.

Ghirahim shakily nodded as he walked towards the flames. When he got close enough, he stopped and spread his arms out.

Four smaller flames came out of the fire and engulfed him until they formed one larger flame.

I panicked as I watched the flame shot across the room. Did it work, or would it reject him? But something told me to be patient: have faith.

Suddenly, the flames shot in front of me, and after I safely backed away from it, I saw that Ghirahim appeared to be in one piece and seemed to be safe from harm in the flames. In fact, he seemed to be comforted by it, by the look of content in his eyes.

"It's ok." He answered. "You may raise your sword up."

Thrilled at this revelation, I held it up at a horizontal angle.

The flames suddenly shot out into my sword and I had to use both hands to keep it from flying away.

When they stopped, I pulled the sword away. It was still glowing with the green flames, but I could feel some sort of change occurring. I held it outward and watched as the flames made my sword glow and, in a flash of light, the blade extended outward until it grew at least a foot or so longer than it originally was.

I let out an excited gasp. "It worked!" I cheered.

"I feel much stronger now!" An equally excited voice responded back. "Not only is the blade endowed with the ability to do more damage, but I could feel a part of my own powers returning!"

For once, in what felt like a long time, not only did it feel like everything went back the way it used to be, but there was more hope than ever. If Ghirahim could be accepted by the sacred flames... then I could reach Link as well.

As I put my sword away, I felt a strange, warm sensation on the back of my hand. I looked to see the faint outline of three triangles, with one on top of the bottom two over the gauntlet I wore for the sword... and the one on the right was glowing.

"...I'm afraid of being weak too." I confessed. "But it's going to take me courage not to give into my own weaknesses. For Link's sake, for yours, and for so many others, I need to be strong too."

-in conclusion-

"Wait I minute!" I realized something when I left the Ancient Cistern. "Back at Eldin Provence, you never said anything when I got the digging mitts!"

"...You honestly think I'd be jealous over something used for a mundane task?" I heard him say ever so lazily n my mind.

"And the bombs?" I pressed. "I used those against Scaldera, tossed them like balls, blew things up: they seem to be handy in a pinch."

"...To be honest, I feel that bombs are something to be respected, and there is something poetic about the beauty of destruction, in the short lifespan of bombs. There is a reason why bomb flowers are one of my few favorite plants."

I need to get this out of the way:

I am not implying that Ghirahim is gay in this story. Yes, I literally was all 'omg, totally gay!' during his famous 'strike a pose' moment before the second fight against him, what with his personality and... vocabulary.

And I did play with that notion for fun, through his first descriptions of Hylia in chapter one and his encounter with him (Considering which character is connected to Hylia in this fic, I thought it would be amusing, but that is one yaoi one shot I am not getting into, since that subject matter is not my area of expertise.)

However, I also understand that he is also a sword and, while I don't understand the true origins of Ghirahim or Demise (I've heard many theories online) I see it as he is devoted to his wielder, much like Fi is devoted to Link. Ghirahim's most admirable personality trait, beyond the flamboyancy and bloodlust, is his undying loyalty to Demise. Plus, you know how he kills being sadistic.

It's tricky working with a character that you haven't made yourself, but to understand the psychology of that character provides an understanding of what direction the story goes: how would they act if something happens to them? When I got to this chapter, I already knew how Ghirahim would respond to Koloktos, when I considered his nature, and how he expressed jealousy at each new item Zelda got. I originally meant that as a recurring joke, but then I realized that the joke would have a darker turn when I got to everyone's favorite boss fight in the game. Especially if I gave him that backstory.

In addition, it was a gamble, throwing that twist into Ghirahim's back story, because he needed to come around to the good side in a way that could make sense while staying true to his character. How so? The answer became simple as I thought about it: Hylia would have to make him understand what it would be like to be, or better yet, feel 'inferior' and Ghirahim would need ample time with nothing else to do to think on things. And then Hylia ultimately tested him in the most cliche of tests, which some of you probably caught right away.

What was Demise and Ghirahim's relationship like beyond what we know in the game? Why did Ghirahim, in his sword form, disappear from Demise upon defeat? Demise never showed gratitude towards him for reviving him to his true glory... and when I think back, there is something chilling about when Ghirahim was returned to his true form...

Writing this story felt... off at first, because of the concept, but it feels a lot easier to me now. (It's effecting how I'm playing Hyrule Warriors and I almost forget that Ghirahim and Zelda aren't like this in Skyward Sword.) And looking at the dialogue in Skyward Sword and translating it into what would fit Fi and Ghirahim requires some thought, but it was a chuckle (and showed me why Fi wouldn't make as good as a villain. But then again, that would be saying Glados from Portal is a bad villain.)

I'll examine Zelda's relationship with Ghirahim and it's stance in this story, when we get back to Eldin.

And remember: you can effect how Demise will appear to Zelda (man or woman) in the final by voting. Your vote ONLY counts if you include it in an actual review (if it's a flame, it doesn't count. If it's to point out any grammatical errors, I'll count that, because I appreciate those a lot!)