A/N: I've never written Zelda before, much less the interpretation I'm going for in this story, so I apologize if it's not up to par.

Also, I have decided to start using italics for when Fi (and maybe later others, spoiler) speak telepathically to help distinguish it. I don't know if I'll go back and change her past quotes or not.

"Zelda!" Link can't help but exclaim. It was so good to hear his best friend's voice again, feel her weight against his shoulder (even though it was uncomfortable) and just generally know that she was alive and well after everything they went through. "Look, it's a little complicated—"

"Indeed it is. But, I will be happy to let you know the moment Ifigure it out." As soon as she hears Ghirahim's voice, Zelda gasps and jumps so hard that Link almost drops her, much to the demon's confusion. "What?"

"Why is he still here," Zelda breathes, and it feels like she's trying to burrow into his shoulder. "Link, why is Ghirahim—"

"You know me as well!" At the sound of his name, Ghirahim was bursting with a newfound eagerness, trying to approach once again, which was (rightfully) freaking Zelda out. "How fortunate it is that I run into not one, but two of my former acquaintances; it truly is a small world! Listen, I understand this may be sudden, especially considering all you have gone through recently. But I have a couple of questions—"

"Not the time." LInk interrupts after his brain, once again, fails to process the situation in a timely manner, increasing the distance between them for good measure. He twists around slightly awkwardly to whisper into Zelda's ear. "It's okay. At least, I'm pretty sure it's okay. Fi hasn't objected. Fi, it is—"

"There is an eighty percent chance that 'it is okay,'" Fi responds, and Link must be really losing it now because he could swear the sword spirit was making fun of him.

"Fi says—"

"I know, I heard her." Hylia's vessel whispers back harshly.

"You did?" Link thought only he was capable of seeing and hearing Fi. But he supposed it made sense given the sword spirit was a servant of the goddess and Zelda was, well, he hadn't quite figured it out yet. There really wasn't that much time to think it over.

"What is going on?" Zelda asks again. "Why is…" She seems to be about to say Ghirahim's name again, but soon thinks better of it. "Why is he here? And… like that?"

Link glances up at the demon. He seemed to be trying to give them privacy, while also swaying from side to side as he waved his hands and hummed to himself. It didn't seem to be a specific melody like before during the ritual, more like absentminded improvisations. As if he were trying to remember a specific tune but just couldn't do it, simply picking notes that sounded remotely good together.

Link lets out a weary sigh. He feels far older than the teen he really was. "You aren't going to believe this—" he leans in closer and whispers even softer, not wanting Ghirahim to overhear him. "I came here to save you, and Ghirahim transformed and sent a horde of monsters after me. When I defeated them, he started fighting me himself. I was trying to make him fall off this platform, but I accidentally stabbed him. Then he fell, went unconscious, and then there was this strange flash of light that knocked me out too. When we both woke up, Ghirahim was completely different. He seems to have lost all of his memories. He has been weirdly… pleasant ever since; he even stopped the ritual himself."

"You're right, I don't believe it." Zelda replies bluntly.

"Yeah, I can understand that, But the truth is—"

"I don't believe you would ever 'accidentally' stab him." There was something in Zelda's voice that LInk had never quite heard before, even when she was angry. Straining to try to meet her eyes despite their position, it was almost like LINk was looking at two people at once. One was the calm, serene, and wise girl he'd always known. The other he had to really look to see, but it was someone frustrated and severe. It gave LInk a really odd feeling.

"Diamonds, diamonds… I live for diamonds… glittering and fabulous~ I walk in a shining wonderland~" Ghirahim had stopped humming and was now downright singing. None of his lyrics rimed or flowed together at all, but his singing itself wasn't all that bad. It was a bit distracting from their conversation, but at least he appeared so engrossed in his little musical number now that he wasn't paying any mind to what they were saying about him.

As soon as the harshness appeared in the girl it was gone, and Zelda now looked incredulous at what she was seeing and hearing. Did I imagine all that? Link couldn't help but wonder as he tried and failed to find a more comfortable position.

"Okay, this is getting very strange," Zelda confessed. "What is even going to happen now?"

"I don't know, but-" Link could feel himself starting to become a little flustered. "I did tell Ghirahim that I would help him, so…"

"What?" Zelda says loudly, directly into LInk's ear, causing him to cringe and cover it the best he could.

"N-Not with anything to do with Demise!" He quickly clarifies once he can hear his thoughts over the ringing in his ear. "I don't think Ghirahim even remembers Demise anymore. He didn't remember his own name. Come to think of it, without him trying to bring him back, I guess the whole Demise threat is… pretty much gone?"

They both fall silent for a moment, pondering that possibility. Honestly, it was a little anticlimactic. Link thought it was almost certain he would have to fight the evil god at some point. But Ghirahim now being the way he was… "I just said I'd help him remember who he is."

"But that's basically the same thing."

"I've been really careful about what I tell him…"

"And what's the plan, mould him into someone on our side? Do you really think that would work?"

"Well, we can't just leave him like this. He's helpless in this state."

As if to prove his point, Ghirahim suddenly trips over his own feet, falling gracelessly to the ground with a thud that seems to shake the whole platform slightly. Fortunately though, he manages to land on his back, and not his wounded chest. Link would have expected the demon to be angry they witnessed it, or even try to play it off as intentional. Instead, he starts to laugh. Not a taunting chuckle or a manic cackle, an actual, genuine laugh.

"Note to self," he says through fits of laughter. "Do not attempt to twirl with head trauma. The dizziness… it's unreal."

He manages to stand on his own this time, albeit with a bit of struggle. "I hope I haven't interrupted anything with my clumsiness," he said, adjusting his cape.

"Um, no, you're fine. We were just…"

However, the bokoblin who suddenly came running in out of nowhere certainly was. It must have survived the prior onslaught, although LInk swore he dispatched all the monsters back there. LInk wasn't sure how he would manage to fight it in his current predicament, but fortunately bokoblins weren't too difficult of an opponent, so he supposed he'd have to manage.

Except, not really, because Ghirahim beat him to it. "Whoa! Hey now, what is this about?" The demon bends down on his knees so to be more at eye level with the creature.

The bokoblin, not expecting such a calm reaction from its boss, shrieks in surprise and drops its weapon.

Ghirahim looks puzzled. "I certainly don't recall putting you up to this task, but then again, I do not really recall that much at the moment. Please, if you run into any of your fellows, pass along a message to stand down, would you?"

The bokoblin looks to be on the edge of a mental breakdown, but it seems to agree.

"Excellent! And while you're at it, go ahead and take a break. You seemed to have fought very hard, you need one."

The bokoblin's eyes seem to almost pop out of its head before it promptly runs away screaming as fast as its legs can carry it, leaving all its gear (and some rupees!) behind.

Ghirahim straightened up, looking back at LInk and Zelda with an equally comical expression of bewilderment. "Was it something I said?"

Link can barely contain his laughter. "Do you believe me now?"

"I guess I do," Zelda replies reluctantly. "The Ghirahim I'm familiar with would never treat his underlings nicely."

"I have underlings?"

Link sighs for what must be the hundredth time. "I'll explain later, let's just get out of here already."

Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the last chaotic encounter they would have. For waiting for them on the other side of the gate was none other than Impa. And she didn't look happy.