**Depending on how far you are in the game, this fan-fiction will most likely present spoilers! You've been warned!**

This was it. Everything that Link had worked so hard for, had bled for, nearly died for, was about to be paid off. Finally, after many excruciating hours of wandering around—at times becoming hopelessly lost, only to find out that he went in circles—, encountering many large monsters that he had never seen before, and barely scraping by with what little red potion he had left, Link stood within only several paces from the large door that separated him from the entranceway to the Skyview Spring. It was this very doorway that would bring him to the dear person that was stolen from him. Though the journey was perilous, Link did managed to benefit here and there, such as finding a flying contraption that retrieved out of reach items for him, meeting the strange but very friendly forest folk called the Kikwi, and even having the privilege of meeting a traveling Goron named Gorko. But those accomplishments only wavered in Link's mind momentarily before they fleeted without a trace. With his eyes trained on the heavily locked door, all he could think about was the person that he had risked his life to save, the person that was just beyond this threshold. Link didn't need Fi, his spirit guardian, to inform him of Zelda's presence as he neared the locked door; he could sense her so clearly it was as though she were standing right next to him.
'Zelda…I'm finally here. Sorry it took me so long.' Link thought to himself as he pulled out an intricately designed key from his pouch. The key was quite heavy, being inlaid with gold, and Link was relieved at the thought of no longer having to carry it. After studying the lock's placement, he hoisted the key up and spun it around until it matched the arrangement of the lock. With a grunt, Link shoved the key into its resting place until there was a large clicking sound that resonated within the empty chamber. With a whirring noise, the lock spun in place for several moments before it fell off of the door entirely, taking all of the chains that had once protected the door down with it. Link took a long, shuddering breath, and sharply shook his hands several times in an attempt to stop them from trembling. His nerves were getting the better of him, preventing him from opening the door. "This is idiotic," Link muttered to himself. "Zelda is in there, and she's waiting for you to open the door and take her back home. So stop worrying and go in there. It'll all be over soon." The little reminder was all it took for Link to calm slightly; he could feel his muscles reluctantly relax from their taut state, his mind slowly releasing all anxious thoughts. But his mind couldn't seem to let go of one feeling, one small, nagging feeling that lurked in the back of his mind; his awareness of Zelda's presence was becoming dim, almost non-existent . Just as soon as he was able to grasp her presence, the feeling was leaving just as fast, and it filled Link with dread. Still, even with such thoughts, he couldn't seem to move his feet that remained steadfast on the cobblestone path. After standing still for a moment longer, Link shook his head and pressed his hands onto the door, pushing firmly. The creaking of aged wood shook the temple, but the door refused to give way. Gritting his teeth, Link pushed a bit harder, even grinding his left shoulder into the door in hopes of jarring it out of its stuck position. Finally, with a heavy groan, the door crept open bit by bit, allowing Link to slip through the tiny space it provided.
The room was dimly lit, and Link's footsteps echoed in the ominously quiet room. Several clay pots hid behind the room's support beams, but apart from that the room was empty. The walls rose high above Link's head as they connected with the concave ceiling. Splashes of gold raced along the walls as they formed intricate shapes and designs that Link couldn't quite understand. But none of that mattered. Just in front of Link was a large golden door with the mark of the Triforce, a crest that symbolized the Goddess, Hylia; Link had grown to know that mark well when his mission to save the kidnapped Zelda began all those months ago.
Link wasn't able to delve much farther into his thoughts, as he was interrupted by a brilliant flash of light that seemed to burst several feet away from the door that he was heading towards. Covering his eyes instinctively, Link gave a little gasp of surprise and immediately tensed; things that came out of nowhere often meant nothing but bad news. When the light eventually began to subside, Link slowly lowered his arm to look around the room.
He was no longer alone. Standing before him was a tall man clad in a red cloak and a white skin tight suit that seemed to have diamond shapes strategically cut out in various areas. Though he was slender, Link could see the stranger's defined muscles protruding from underneath his suit and well-concealed cloak. In the stranger's hand was a long and dangerous looking black sword, and for a moment it appeared that the man was going to strike the golden door with his weapon; however, halfway through his over-head swing, the man's sword disintegrated into smoke and black diamond's that faded into the air right before Link's watchful eyes. Link took a step back instinctively, knowing that what he was potentially getting himself into was more than what he bargained for, that he was dealing with something sinister and well trained in the art of black magic.
The silence was broken by the strange man's soft yet menacing chuckle. "Look who it is…." He spoke in a clear voice, turning slowly to face Link and gazing at him with large black eyes. "I thought that tornado I stirred up would have tossed and torn you apart! Yet here you are…not in pieces."
Link resisted the urge to shudder; the man's words crept in his head, confirming that it was indeed this man that stole Zelda from him on that fateful day. Instead, he kept his piercing blue eyes on his potential opponent challengingly, unwavering and strong. It was the man that broke the staring contest when he closed his eyes and shook his head, giving another quiet laugh. Before the stranger turned his back on him once more, Link was able to see that the man was clearly not Hylian; though he spoke the language of the Hylians well, he was unworldly with his pale skin, stark white hair, and deep purple toned skin that swept underneath his eyes. A lustrous blue diamond hung from his right ear, and though the man's hair swept in a fashionable manner on the left side of his face, Link could see the faint lines of a black diamond adorn his skin just above his sharp cheekbone. While Link studied his features, the man became seemingly focused on the door once more. He gave a light snicker. "Not that your life or death has any consequences." He said nonchalantly, glancing over his shoulder to see if he was able to produce any sort of reaction from Link. When it was clear that Link wasn't going to show any sign of emotion towards his apparent worthlessness, the man sighed and, once more, turned his attention to the door. "It is just the girl that matters now. And I can sense her, here, just beyond this door." The man spoke slowly and with obvious enunciation, letting his words sink into Link's consciousness and take effect. A smile was apparent in his voice as he continued. "Yes…we plucked Her Majesty from the clouds and now, she is ours."
The stranger gasped and shook his head slightly, allowing his white hair to sway back and forth on his head. "Oh, but listen to me go on! I'm being positively rude and uncivil. Allow me to introduce myself." With a flourish, the man spun gracefully to face Link and gave a wide grin. "I am the Demon Lord who presides over this land that you look down upon, this place you like to call 'the surface'. You may call me Ghirahim." Ghirahim opened his arms and gave an elegant bow that seemed both powerful and arrogant.
Without getting back up, the demon lord raised his head from his hunched position and locked his dark eyes with Link's own blue ones. "In truth, I very much prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim…but I'm not fussy."
Link narrowed his eyes, allowing the anger that had been building inside of his chest from the moment Ghirahim opened his conceited mouth, to finally unleash itself. With a growl, Link reached over his shoulder and gripped the hilt of his sword with a gloved fist. The sound of the Goddess Sword leaving its sheath bounced off the walls and filled his ears, but not once did his eyes leave Ghirahim's; even as he adorned his heavy shield, Link refused to falter. He knew that showing any sort of submission would give Ghirahim an edge, an upper hand during their upcoming battle. Once again, it was Ghirahim that broke their gaze. He gave a sharp laugh and, closing his eyes, slowly stretched back to his full height. He clucked his tongue condescendingly, shaking his head in the process. "Did you…really, just draw your sword? Oh, you foolish boy." Ghirahim gave an enticing smile that made Link shake with anger, and he had to resist the urge to run forward and attack his opponent while he was still weaponless.
Link took a deep breath, deciding that harnessing his anger would be the safest action to take at the moment. Though he refused to place his sword back in its sheath, Link willed his muscles to relax from their taut state; he wanted to be more relaxed, but not so much to the point where he wasn't prepared. The demon lord didn't seem to care of Link's apparent struggle to remain calm and gave a wave of his hand, commencing to run it through his short hair with slow, deliberate strokes. "By all rights, the girl should have fallen into our hands already!" He let out a laugh that was not entirely sane, and Link was glad that he decided to keep his sword in his hand; Ghirahim's hand worked faster through his hair, making it messy and disheveled, and the calm demeanor that he had portrayed only moments earlier vanished at a rapid pace. "She was nearly ours…but that loathsome servant of the Goddess snatched her away from my reach! Do you have…any idea…how that made me feel inside?" Before Link could even think to respond, Ghirahim began shout with all his might, waving his arms around in a crazy manner. "It made me furious! Outraged! Sick with anger!"
As he spoke, Ghirahim's body disappeared before Link's alert eyes, leaving only fragments of yellow and red diamonds in his wake. Link let out a sound of unease and looked from side to side, trying to spot the vanishing villain before he was taken by surprise. Amidst the silence, the demon lord's words loomed in the air, a voice without a body. "This unfortunate turn of events has left me with a strong appetite for bloodshed…still, it hardly seems fair, being of my position, to take all of my anger out on you…."
Link didn't know how to react as the voice grew louder, drawing closer to him with every passing second; he continued to look around the empty room, his eyes darting to each corner in hopes of spotting any sort of life. He was taken by surprise when he felt the cold body of the demon lord press up against him from behind, breathing lightly down his neck