On the edge of the enemy territory, several tents were laid out far along the border of Gerudo Desert. It was only in the day's early morning that the beloved Hyrule Castle was invaded. Knowing their brothers were exhausted and hurt from their recent battle, the gorons offered to fight alongside the hylians. Now in the mid afternoon, the goron and hylian armies prepared themselves for a second battle.

In the largest tent sat Zelda, quietly mulling over her battle strategies to defeat Ghirahim and Zant, and take over the enemy base.

Ganondorf had, for whatever reason, disappeared shortly after his mission was accomplished. Lana, being the active person that she was, had already gone to the desert—joined by some hylian soldiers—just after she teleported Princess Zelda back to safety. While there, the sorceress sent her confirmation that the usurper king and demon lord were left in charge of the fortress.

Zelda, more determined than ever, refused to wait and commanded the rest of her army to travel to the demon king's main base. If they could take Ghirahim and Zant out, they would stand more of a chance against Ganondorf.

However, the princess began to worry. Lana promised she would try to find a weakness in their enemy's territory, and report back as soon as she discovered one. Yet no word came from her since she left. Zelda knew Lana couldn't handle hundreds of monsters on her own. What if she had encountered Zant or Ghirahim along the way?

Ghirahim.

Zelda gritted her teeth together, livid at the memories of their encounter. He had made her feel like a fool—a helpless princess in need of rescue. Her composure would surely be lost if she found him again. Not from fear, but from anger.

"Princess Zelda?" She glanced over her shoulder to see Impa standing near the entryway. Her arm was wrapped in a cast, with other bandages around her many wounds. "On your orders, the soldiers are ready to invade the enemy's fortress."

The princess stood and walked to the sheikah, passing her as she said, "Good. We make for the enemy base now. Waiting any longer could be disastrous. Let's not make Lana wait anymore than she has to."

"Understood, Your Highness. I will...wait here." Impa replied, looking down at the dirt she stood on.

"I'm sorry, Impa. I know staying here must be hard for you," said Zelda softly.

"No need to apologize, Your Majesty. These wounds of mine still need time to heal, and the desert's heat would only make my condition worse," the royalty's guardian pointed out. "I understand, and am happy to hear how much you care."

"Of course I care. Now please, take your time and rest." Zelda gave her one last smile, before leaving to join her battle-ready army.

"I will. Thank you..." uttered the worn general.

As the princess walked to meet with her army, her eyes caught Link when he stepped out of his own tent. The maiden smiled at him, pleased to see him in good condition once again. Her face faltered however, when she noticed the questioning look he gave her. His expression was one of concern.

Zelda quickly turned her gaze away. The hero's perception for others' feelings certainly made up for his lack of words, always seeming to have a great sense of empathy, a side of him she admired.

She knew he could tell she was troubled, but she daren't admit it.

"I'm happy you're doing much better, Link. As much as I want for you to rest longer, and I'm sorry to ask, but will you be able to lend everyone your strength for this battle?" asked the princess.

He nodded without a word.

"Honestly, such a drab place to reside in. Certainly unfitting for one of my status," the demon lord said with a sigh, flipping and twirling a dagger in a bored manner.

"Perhaps... But it is our god's desire for us to stay and guard here. To go against his orders is treachery, which he will not stand for, as well as I."

"I'm well aware of that, Zant. I am merely saying that my tolerance for this heat and sand is beginning to expire," Ghirahim replied to the usurper king, irritation evident in his voice. Snarling, he sent the dagger to dig into the wall in front of him. Now more than ever he was grateful he wasn't human, for he wouldn't be able to stand his skin being covered in sweat.

"By the way," Zant started, "I am curious as to how you managed to defeat the princess all on your own. Wasn't she challenging at all?"

A grin edged its way on the demon lord's face at the mention of the hylian woman. "Of course. She is one of Hyrule's greatest warriors, after all."

"'Is'? You mean you let her live?" Zant questioned, perplexed as to why the demon would spare the life their enemies' ruler.

"I felt no desire to break my new toy so soon. You understand, yes?" his companion casually responded.

"Hmmm, you don't normally go around sparing foes you come across..." Zant, ever so suddenly, let out a high-pitched cackle. "She must have really given one hell of a fight for you to find interesting, huh!"

Ghirahim chuckled mischievously, carefully running a finger across the edge of a dagger. "Ah, yes. She was certainly a fun playmate."

One I hope to play with again soon.

"Princess, Link's found out Ghirahim is somewhere in the south of the desert. Wanna join us?" offered Link's companion, Proxi.

Zelda swiped the sweat off her forehead, finding difficulty to breathe properly. She and her army hadn't expected the intensity of the desert's heat. Many were already losing their stamina, including the princess. They had to find the two servants of Ganondorf quickly to stand much of a chance.

"Yes, I'll come with you, and we must be swift. Lana is still waiting for our help."

"Okay, let's go!" Proxi exclaimed as the young knight ran ahead, with Zelda following close behind.

By Proxi's suggestion, the two warriors decided to search the nearby keeps. The South Oasis had been their second keep to locate, and to their luck, it didn't take long to find whom they sought for. Many goron troops rushed to defeat the strong enemy, but were easily felled by the demon lord's blade.

"Hey, there he is!" the energetic fairy shouted from Link's shoulder, "Hey Ghirahim! How about a rematch with Link? Or are you too scared to, since he kicked your butt last time!"

Hearing his name, Ghirahim switched his attention to the young hero. He looked at him for only a second before his eyes rested on Zelda, her own eyes shining with fury. He smirked, just before turning and sprinting away.

"Hey! Come back here, you coward!" Proxi yelled to the fleeing enemy.

Zelda's glare became more fierce. I refuse to be bested this time. And I will make sure he doesn't escape.

"Link, go find and help Lana. I will finish off Ghirahim," she ordered the hero, before running off.

"Be careful, Princess!" she heard Proxi yell.

Everything around her was a blur as she chased down the demon she abhorred. In the back of her mind, she thought it strange, why Ghirahim would suddenly flee from battle. He was a proud and confident creature.

What in the world could he be planning? she wondered.

Only when she entered Arbiter's keep did she finally catch up with her foe. He stood completely still with his back to her, seemingly unaware of her presence.

The princess wasted no time as she charged toward him and leaped. She slashed his back, and he fell without a sound, his body disappearing with a poof of purple smoke. Zelda blankly stared, disbelieving the demon lord had been killed so easily.

"How..." she breathed.

The sound of a finger snap echoed around the room, followed by gates slamming closed from all four entrances, blocking her in. Chills ran down the princess' spine, and she turned around.

There stood Ghirahim, one hand on his hip while the other casually stroked his hair. The smug grin on his face told her he predicted this outcome. "How wonderful it is to see you again, dear princess," he spoke in a cheerful tone.

Zelda's expression hardened, her body instinctively tense and ready for combat. "What happened earlier? I struck you down, yet you're fine."

The demon burst with laughter. "Struck me down, she says! To think you would allow yourself to be tricked by such an obvious fake. You're such a delightfully silly girl!"

Zelda nervously bit her lip. So this is what the strange behavior was all about. It was a trap all along... She grimaced, ashamed and apprehensive about her predicament. And now she knew he wanted their battle to be private, just like before.

"I believe it's time to continue from where we left off last time."

Zelda watched in fascination as Ghirahim covered himself with dark magic in the form of diamonds. His pale skin began to peel away, revealing a second, diamond-hard layer of dark skin from underneath. When the black magic uncovered him, the princess was met with the demon lord's true form.

That's right... He's also a living sword. I nearly forgot.

"Like what you see?" he teased, his voice having a strange metallic echo to it. Zelda chose not to grace him with an answer.

Ghirahim took a brief moment to admire himself, before focusing on the maiden again. He couldn't use this form for long, but he'd make sure to use the most of it with the time he had. He reached out a metallic hand to her, as though requesting for her to grab it. "Come to me, my little goddess. Join me in our dance to the death. Let us finish what we've begun."

The princess glowered, taking up a battle stance. "Gladly."

Link panted tiredly as Zant fell to the ground, defeated by his blade.

"All right! Now that Zant's down, the gates blocking Lana should be opened now!" exclaimed Proxi.

After drinking a potion to soothe his dry throat, Link hurried to Lana, hoping she was managing well enough. Three hours of fighting was bound to overwhelm her.

"You know, we haven't heard from the princess in a long time. I hope she's okay..." said the small fairy.

The young man frowned, worried as well. He knew from experience how difficult a foe Ghirahim was. Yet the way Ghirahim suddenly fled from them was very odd to him.

"Wait a minute. Wasn't it Ghirahim that defeated her back at Hyrule Field?" Proxi asked.

Link skidded his feet across the sand to a stop, bringing a halt to his mission. He looked to where he last saw Princess Zelda chasing down the demon lord. His heartbeat sped up, and his face paled.

"Oh no, it was, wasn't it..." he heard his companion mutter.

Realizing Ghirahim had beaten her once before, Link knew her chances of making it out alive were low. It wasn't that he hadn't any confidence in her skills and power, but the demon proved how conniving and deadly he was several times. Link admitted to himself that even he had trouble with him. Without the portal in the Sealed Temple that Ghirahim was knocked back into, he wasn't sure if he would have come out as the victor.

He should never have left Zelda to fight him by herself.

"What should we do, Link? Should we go back for Princess Zelda?"

The hero turned his head to Lana's location, then back to Zelda's. He fidgeted, unsure of what to do. Reports from soldiers mentioned the sorceress' weakened state from the desert's heat and difficulty fighting off several hordes of monsters. Without help, there was a chance she could die.

Yet Princess Zelda was alone, battling one of their deadliest enemies. No one currently knew of her situation, or even where she was. And if Hyrule's princess were to fall, he had no doubt their forces would instantly lose this war.

Link rubbed his face, wiping sweat off his skin as he tried to come to a decision. Knowing their fate relied on his choice, the pressure began to wear on his mind.

"Hey, tell you what," the fairy offered, "Why don't we quickly go and help out Lana first? Then after that, she can help us find the princess! Sound good to you?"

The knight nodded, thinking the plan would work well. He resumed his travel to Lana's location, hoping Zelda could manage on her own against Ghirahim, even if for a few more minutes.

Zelda forced herself off her knees, her legs wobbling as she watched Ghirahim revert back to his previous form. Several cuts and shallow gashes covered her body. The sight of her blood running across her skin pleased the demon's eyes.

However, Ghirahim wasn't without his own share of wounds. The most his transformation benefited him was the strong defense against her holy blade, and even then she managed to harm him a fair amount.

"I've been careful not to permanently damage you, and even go so far as to be gentle with you," the dark warrior said, "but now you're beginning to push me a tad too far, little girl."

Zelda scrunched up her face at him. "Don't call me 'little girl.'"

"Oh...my apologies," Ghirahim hissed as the last of his skin reattached onto him.

An image of Hylia suddenly flashed in his head. Not as a goddess, no, but in her mortal form. The little girl his mind obsessed over for several millennia with plans of capture.

Her eyes. He couldn't get over her eyes.

Constantly in his thoughts, never giving him rest.

Hylia... Hylia... Hylia...! HYLIA!

Whatever restraint he had was finally lost.

Zelda gasped as the demon unexpectedly charged at her with great speed, just barely able to hold up her rapier in time to block his own.

The princess' face paled at the sight of his eyes. Something had changed in them. They were darker, almost wild.

I don't like this. Something's wrong...

Even in his clouded mind, Ghirahim knew he had changed. A new dark emotion for the holy deity became overwhelming, and his composure faltered. Hatred, fascination, and admiration boiled together into a strong obsession. He now became a demon that had very little control over his senses, preventing rational thought.

But at the moment, he didn't care. All he was concerned about was the human female.

"You're mine, girl..."

He slammed his knee into her stomach, causing Zelda to cough as her breath was knocked out of her. Sensing her momentary distraction from the pain, Ghirahim slipped his ankle behind hers and pulled back. The young woman yelped as she lost her balance and hit the stone floor. Before she could lift herself up, Ghirahim was already on top of her. In one fluid motion, he raised his fist and punched her chest brutally hard.

Zelda's mouth hung open, trying to scream but with no air left in her lungs. She prayed the crack she heard was only her ears deceiving her. Almost automatically, her arm shot up to stab the demon sitting on her. Her desperate effort was proven futile when he caught the blade in his hand, the sharp tip only an inch away from his face. Her fingers loosened their grip on the handle, as if her body alone made the decision to give up. He easily yanked it away from her and tossed it to the side.

With the last of her strength abandoning her, Zelda could only lay there as Ghirahim reached down and wrapped his fingers around her neck, making sure she couldn't get back up without choking her. "Submit to me..." he growled.

Her response was a spit to his face.

Almost casually he swiped the saliva off his cheek. The princess was about to tell him off when he suddenly grabbed her left wrist and bent it back hard.

This time Zelda had the breath to scream, and scream she did. The mix of pain and panic made her thrash wildly. She desperately tried to yank her arm away, but his grip held firm. The girl continued to scream as her mind was going into shock. She's had her experiences with broken bones before, but the sight of the demon lord calmly twisting her wrist unnaturally caused her to hyperventilate.

Her scream was cut off when the hand on her throat lifted her upwards, before slamming her back to the hard floor, effectively stopping her screams and thrashes. Darkness crept on the edges of her vision, but she willed herself to stay conscious. Her heart beat violently in her chest, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, but she made no other movements. Her body had been pushed to its limit, and it had enough.

"I won't let you ruin this world," she whispered, "Even if you kill me now, I'll find a way back. I'll do whatever it takes, even if it means my soul were to be tainted."

Ghirahim gave her a toothy smile. "Such valor..." he said, before he leaned down and smashed his mouth on hers.

Zelda let out a muffled squeal of surprise and pain as his teeth sunk deep into her lips. Her mind refused to work properly as she began to panic. She struggled hard, pushed at his chest with her unbroken hand, but Ghirahim held her strongly against him, preventing her from moving away.

No, no! Goddesses, please make this stop!

To her, this was no kiss, but an ugly imitation of one.

The demon growled as her blood ran down his tongue. This, this is what he wanted. He longed for her blood, her cries only for his ears. Caught up in the passion, he lifted her up from the floor and raked his nails over her bare back and shoulders through his gloved hands, wanting more.

The holy warrior breathed through her nose, trying to keep herself from hyperventilating again. Looking over to her right, she could see her rapier lay close. Slipping her arm from between them, she strained to reach for her weapon. Yet seeing the small gap between her and it had her hopes hammered down once again. If only she could get closer; it was just barely within reach.

The young woman let out another muffled yelp when Ghirahim pushed her back down by her shoulders. He grabbed her arms and constrained them from moving as he continued his hungry assault on her wounded lips.

Zelda was on the verge of crying, frustrated and terrified of how things came to be. She had become brash, vengeful, hateful, and her unwise actions finally became apparent to her. She regretted her foolishness, and belittled herself for it.

She let out a soft, relieved cry when she felt his teeth leave her flesh, feeling a lone tear escape from her watery eyes as he did so. In a trance-like state, Ghirahim gave long licks over her bloodied lips, enjoying her unique taste. To give her a shock, he ran his tongue along the edge of her ear, a little disappointed when all he heard was a shuddered inhale of breath. With the madness beginning to subside, he sat up and hovered over her lithe body, proud to see the condition he put her in. He saw her eyes shut, chest shuddering as she breathed heavily.

"Whatever could be the matter, sweet? Do you not enjoy the attention I give unto you?" he asked the unfortunate girl, stroking a thumb gently over her cheek as to mock.

"Why..." the princess whispered, "Why me? Why do you focus so much on me?"

"Because, lovely little Hylia..." He lowered himself over her face and brushed his bloodstained lips across hers, smearing the red fluid on them, not quite kissing. "The fun you bring is far too addicting for me to leave you alone," he answered, keeping his lips on hers.

Zelda moaned in despair at the intimate touch. Then she opened her eyes, looking at his black ones as she said, "Allow me to return to you my own 'fun.'"

Ghirahim's eyes flashed with amusement and mischief, before widening as he felt the painful sharpness of metal dig into his waist. He jerked upward when his sight landed on the intruding blade, which he took hold to prevent from sliding further in. He snarled savagely in anger, realizing the girl had somehow reclaimed her sword without his notice.

"I won't let you outmatch me this time, Ghirahim! You'll pay for all the hardships you've put my kingdom and friends through!" the princess shouted determinedly.

With pure rage giving him strength, the demon managed to pull out the intruding weapon, ignoring its edges cutting his hand. "You...! How dare—!"

The two warriors were startled by a loud bang behind them. Ghirahim turned, his glare intensifying when he saw Hyrule's hero had broken through one of the gates, sword in hand and ready to fight.

"Well now! I had begun to think you wouldn't arrive," said the demon lord. "Although you are indeed fashionably late, I would have appreciated it if you had shown a little later..."

Another loud bang, and Ghirahim was flown off from Zelda almost instantly.

"If anyone's "fashionably" late, it's you!" Lana stepped in through the large hole she had created in the wall. "You should have been sent back to your own era days ago."

"Ah... You again!" The demon lord growled out, clutching at his side while struggling to stand after the sorceress' powerful blast.

With a mutter of words and precise waves of fingers, Lana conjured a portal on the wall behind him. "This time you won't get to run away, Ghirahim! You're going back to where you belong!"

Ghirahim eyed the portal, knowing he may never return once sent through. On one hand, he could go back to serving his true master, Demise. Yet on the other, he found himself equally content with serving Ganondorf, sensing the man was a new "Demise." Even as a loyal demon, he was unsure to whom his loyalty lay more with.

"I'll send you there myself!"

Too late to react, the demon lord's chest was run through by the princess' sword. She stood in front of him, tired but strong, with her left arm hanging at her side with her crooked wrist. She looked up at him. "I told you I wouldn't let you harm my people," she said.

A pained grunt escaped Ghirahim, unable to respond properly. He was baffled, wondering how she could have possibly recovered and approached him so quickly without his notice.

With a boot to his torso, she ruthlessly shoved the demon away, effectively freeing her sword from him. Ghirahim stumbled back, the simple movement sealing his fate. The gravitational pull from the portal began to drag him toward it. Quickly summoning his sword back into his hand, Ghirahim planted the blade into the ground and crouched down, hanging onto its handle. While it was preventing him from nearing it any closer, his wound from the princess made him weak, and caused his grip to loosen gradually. He knew at this point he was delaying the inevitable.

But he refused to leave alone.

Taking a risk, he let go of the rapier with one hand and snapped his fingers, causing a small red glow to appear over his chest. With the reach of his arm, he aimed the light to travel across the room and hit the princess, successfully connecting the two.

Zelda let out a gasp at the strange magic. She tried to grab and pry it off, but her hand went right through the red string. "What are you doing?!" she demanded.

Ghirahim gave no answer, instead making another gesture with his arm. Zelda felt the sudden pull from the string, and was horrified to feel she was being dragged right to the demon.

"No! Stop this, Ghirahim! You've already lost! Let me go!" she desperately shouted. She felt Lana grab her to prevent her from moving, but the pull of the dark magic was too strong for them.

Knowing she had to act quickly, Zelda summoned her bow and arrow of light, forcing herself to ignore the excruciating pain from her broken wrist. She aimed at the wound on the demon lord's chest, and sent the arrow straight through it.

"Princess, no!" Lana cried.

A startled grunt passed Ghirahim's lips, his grasp on the sword finally lost, and was sent flying into the portal.

Zelda screamed as she was yanked away from Lana and flown towards the portal, unwillingly following the demon. Just before she could be sent through however, another pair of arms latched onto her. Hearing the head next to hers groan from the pressure, she knew it was Link who had saved her. With some difficulty, he swung the Master Sword in front of them, through the red string. The Blade of Evil's Bane proved its power as it severed the magic, dissipating it in an instant. With it gone, the princess was free from Ghirahim at last.

From Lana's command the portal disappeared, giving the warriors a moment of rest.

"Thank you, Link. Thank you..." Zelda shakily breathed out. Link smiled tiredly in return, resting his chin on her shoulder.

He wasn't sure how much time he traveled through, but he sensed it wouldn't be much longer before he reached his destination.

Even though he had lost, Ghirahim still wore a grin on his face. He may have indeed failed Ganondorf's order to wipe away any intruders, but it no longer mattered to him.

Although he was disappointed he couldn't bring the hylian princess with him, he reminded himself that there was another "Hylia" waiting for him.

And so he went, resuming his previous mission to capture the spirit maiden.