Ok, I know this is coming back from a several month hiatus, but I really wanted to work on this, so I did! Yay! Now, FYI, this chapter is split between both Link and Zelda (as noted before each section begins) as several future chapters of this story will be. So yeah. Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited! Now onto the reviews!

DuckofIndeed: Oh, there will be more Ghirahim... :D And as for what they plan on doing with the Demon Blade... we'll have to wait and see if Link can resist it!

WarriorYusen: Yeah, I feel ya. As for how Ghirahim works in this story, yeah he'll kinda do what Fi does, coming out on both terms. And yes, POV means point of view :)

Legionary Prime: Glad you like it! And as far as how dark Link will get... let's just say pretty dark... ;) And since this is an AU, it doesn't really have much bearing on the rest of the timeline. This was just a fun little thing I wanted to do after all!

Mekakucity: Glad you liked it and yes there will be more Ghirahim! As for Zelda being annoying, she's not trying to be; she's just super worried about Link!

sirforgotalot: Thanks!

Jarvis R. Yeriel: It always is a disaster when Link gets power, isn't it? I guess its just because he never really knows how to handle it (ESPECIALLY so in L&S, but less so here)

Pvt. Noah: Zelda really isn't trying to be annoying or whiny (and I certainly wasn't trying to write her like that), but she might seem so simply because she is REALLY worried about Link.

RandomButLoved: He certainly is falling under its influence, even moreso in this chapter... And yes, it is getting worse. We can only hope that Link will be ok (though I know what's going to happen, but I won't say anything more) ;)

Alright, we're all done here! Let's get started!

Chapter 3: Needs and Wants

"Instinct is a lie told by a fearful body hoping to be wrong."
-Zaheer, Legend of Korra

Zelda

The hint of discontent in Link's expression doesn't go away until long after we make it back to the temple. I can tell from the silence that's been lingering between us alone that he's unhappy about having to give up the Demon Blade, but he needs to realize that it's for his own good. The raw savagery he used to destroy that Stalfos earlier scared me, especially since I've never seen Link be so unapologetically brutal before. I know the Demon Blade had something to do with it, its dark influence somehow throwing him into a blind rage. The last thing I want is for him to ever be tossed into such burning fury again, especially if there's a chance he might not be able to break out of it.

But even if he is upset now, I'm certain that getting rid of that sword as soon as possible will be for the best in the end. After all, I'm starting to think that the only reason those monsters attacked us so savagely in the woods was because they were after the Demon Blade. It must be having some sort of effect on them, making them act more aggressive, to the point that they've begun hunting us down to get to it. Carrying the Demon Blade around with us only makes us both their targets.

Once we make it back to the Sealed Temple, I watch apprehensively as Link takes the Demon Blade out, staring at it with a look of longing almost, before he finally sets it down before the doors in the back of the temple. I let out a sigh of relief knowing that its out of his grasp, even if it isn't out of his reach just yet. The less he wields it, the better, I'm sure.

"So…" I say casually as I come to stand beside him, drawing his gaze away from the Demon Blade as it lies on the ground, still shrouded in its dark aura. "How's your back feeling?" I ask, remembering how that Stalfos had cut it back in the woods a few hours ago now.

"What are you talking about?" Link asks, giving me a confused look. I frown at him and prepare to explain what he should already know, but he quickly rights himself as he remembers. "Oh, right!" he says, though I have no idea how he could have forgotten about such an injury, no matter how oblivious he often is. "Um… do you want to see?"

I nod, still wondering how he was able to brush it off so easily as he turns around, taking the Master Sword off of his back as well so I can get a better view. However, when I get a good look at his back, I'm surprised to see not a single sign of an injury at all.

"Is it bad?" he asks, though his tone is rather unconcerned with it.

"No…" I say tentatively, pursing my lips as I realize that his tunic isn't even torn at all, even though I saw the Stalfos rip its blade across it. It couldn't have just fixed itself, could it? "It's nothing really worth worrying over," I tell Link, not really sure how to tell him about this. I mean, I understand him not sustaining too much of an injury thanks to the protection of his chainmail, but how in the world did his tunic end up unscathed as well?

"Good," he says succinctly, turning around to face me again as he gives me a playful smile. "Then I won't worry about it and neither will you."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips as I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I mean…" he begins, still grinning at me as he grabs one of my hands gently. "You always worry too much about me, Zel. Even when you have no reason to at all."

"I always have a reason to worry about you…" I say with a sincere frown as I meet his eyes. furtively checking them to see if that hint of red has returned, but it hasn't most likely because he isn't using the Demon Blade anymore. "I… I really care about you, Link… I don't know what I'd do without you…"

He cracks a smirk at this much to my surprise, one that's really sardonic more than anything else. "That's cute," he says, a hint of laughter in his tone as he gives my hands a small squeeze. "It really is."

"Cute?" I ask, somewhat offended that he finds my honest affections for him nothing more than "cute".

"Yeah," he says, still giving me that annoying sarcastic grin. "It's cute that you think that I need you to take care of me. In fact, it's more than cute. It's downright adorable."

"What?!" I asked, completely appalled at how callous he's being. "How can you even say something like that?"

"Because it's true," he says, being even more bold by letting go of my hands only to lightly lace his arms around my waist. Though I want to push away from him, I find that I don't. Darn him and his irresistible good looks. "You should know better than anyone that I'm able to handle myself. I mean, I was just fine without you for all those months while you were gone. In fact, if anyone should be worrying about anything, I should be worrying about you."

I scoff and roll my eyes at this, trying my hardest to hide my blush as I avert eye contact with him. "So do you worry yourself silly over me as much as I apparently do over you?" I ask dryly.

He only takes a second or two to ponder this before shaking his head. "Nope," he says plainly, not even acknowledging the fact that my jaw has just about dropped to the floor in shock at such a response, knowing it's uncharacteristic of him. "I don't worry about you because I know that I'm more than capable of keeping you safe. Anything that tries to hurt you will figure out just how much of a mistake they're making when I take them down."

I can't help but roll my eyes again, not liking how arrogant he's being. It's not like Link to be this cocky. In the past, he's attributed his success against Demise to the power of the Master Sword alone and never really to his own strength. But now, he's acting as though he could go up against a horde of monsters without so much as a single weapon and still win. And I don't like this sudden shift in his attitude at all.

"Yeah, whatever, tough guy," I say sarcastically, finally pulling myself away from him as I cross my eyes. "Just be lucky you have such a good sword to make you strong."

He mutters his next statement under his breath as I turn away, but I manage to hear it nonetheless, and it bothers me to the core: "I'd be even stronger if you'd just let me use the Demon Blade…"

I freeze up upon hearing this, glad that I'm no longer looking at him so he can't see my disturbed expression. The bitterness and strange greed in his tone were undeniable, but there was something else there too… Distain, maybe? But even if it was distain or anything else like it, I've never heard him take such a tone towards me, but sure enough, his words had been aimed directly at me. I should have known based on his arrogant behavior alone that his thoughts are still on that wicked sword. Clearly it's still having an influence on him, just as I feared. I'm half tempted to demand that we dispose of it right now, but as I take a glance outside the open temple doors, I can see that night is just about to fall. I let out a steady sigh as I take a small glance back towards Link, only to see that he's looking behind him as well, more specifically, at the Demon Blade. My breath hitches upon seeing the cold look in his eyes, a look that is full of desire and lust unlike any I've ever seen in him. And, sure enough, as I catch sight of his eyes glancing back towards me, I can see that small hint of crimson red in them once again, stronger, darker, and more threatening than ever before.

I don't try to make much conversation after that, and neither does Link. I can tell he's still feeling some shred of resentment towards me, as much as I don't want to think so. So instead of trying to approach this problem directly, I act natural, not wanting to make him think that I'm onto him and that sword.

We go to bed relatively early, and though Link tries, I manage to intercept his apparent plan to sleep closest to the Demon Blade by flirtatiously cuddling up next to him. We don't say anything to each other as we fall asleep, but I do hear him sigh once; I'm not sure if it's out of frustration or tiredness, but the moment he starts stroking my hair gently as we hold a loose embrace makes me melt a little on the inside. Even if the Demon Blade is having some sort of effect on him, at least it hasn't destroyed the Link I know and love.

At least not yet.

I wait about an hour or two before I finally hear Link's breathing slow to the relaxed rhythm it's always at when he's fast asleep. Slowly and silently, I gently remove his hands from both my hair and my waist, and then I shift a little away from him before rising to stand. My bare feet don't make a single sound as I tip-toe across the cold temple floor, taking a glance back every now and then to make sure Link's still asleep, but as usual, he's dead to the world. I take in a small breath as I approach the Demon Sword, still in its place lying before the doors in the back of the temple. I shift uncomfortably as I stand before it, feeling the dark aura it emanates. I haven't exactly planned out how I'm going to go about doing this, but I need to figure something out soon, before Link wakes up and tries to stop me, which I know he will. After all, this is for his own good.

I glance around for a moment or two before catching sight on a nearby spare blanket we have lying near the platform. I quickly grab it and throw it over the Demon Blade, taking extra caution to not even touch so much as its scabbard as I wrap the blanket around it. I cringe as I pick the covered sword up, my heart racing from its close proximity to me as I struggle with its bulky weight. This thing is dangerous, and unlike Link, I know that it has to be taken care of immediately.

Still taking care to be as silent as possible, I turn around, only to nearly drop the Demon Blade in surprise and sudden fear. Standing only but a foot in front of me is Link, his arms crossed as he gives me a rather cold look of disapproval. My eyes widen as I look between him and the Demon Blade, wondering how in the world I could have awakened him, seeing as how he's probably the world's heaviest sleeper.

"Um… Link… I…" I stammer nervously, but he's quick to cut me off.

"What are you doing?" he asks a bit harshly, his tone very formal and completely lacking the warmth it usually has.

My mouth hangs open for the longest time, but no words come out. When I finally am able to speak again, I say something I know he'll never buy. "N-nothing."

"Nothing…" he repeats, raising a caustic eyebrow. "Sure… Because you know, it looked like you were trying to get rid of the Demon Blade… without me… But you wouldn't do something so… dangerous, would you, Zelda?"

I take notice of the dark almost patronizing tone he's taking with me, his expression still haughty and icy. In all honesty, I'm more than just annoyed with how smug he's being; I'm deeply bothered. I know the Demon Blade has something to do with this change in his behavior, and the sooner I get rid of it, the sooner Link will be back to his modest, humble, yet charming self. And yet, instead of pressing past him to get the Demon Blade out of his reach, my fear overtakes me and I slowly nod in agreement, my eyes never leaving his as the sliver of crimson in his eyes that seems to glow in the darkness. "No…" I say in a subdued whisper, frowning as I bow my head to look down at the cause of all this trouble laying in my arms. "I wouldn't…"

At last, Link smiles, but it's not his usual sweet grin. Instead it's a triumphant smirk, one that's so unlike him that it makes me pine for his usual kind manner. "That's my Zel," he says coyly as he quickly slips the Demon Blade out of my arms, placing his free hand against the side of my face. "I'm glad you agree with me. I wouldn't have wanted to go looking all over the surface for you in case you decided to do something risky…"

"You know we have to get rid of that sword, don't you, Link?" I ask, finding my boldness once more somehow.

He frowns at this, glancing down at the Demon Blade almost wistfully. "Um… yeah…" he says with uncertainty in his tone. "And we will… tomorrow, I promise."

"But do you really mean it?" I ask a bit distrustfully.

He starts to answer, but before he says a word, his eyes suddenly grow wide and alert. He spins around quickly, and the moment he does so the temple doors burst open. I gasp in fear as Link throws his arm out in front of me protectively, both of us watching as a horde of monsters rush into the temple, completely desecrating its ancient sanctity. It's a large, marauding group, full of bokoblins, moblins, and stalfos, all of them bearing their sharp weapons as they race towards us full speed.

"Link!" I cry out, holding onto his arm tightly.

"Don't worry!" he says, hastily unwrapping the Demon Blade from the blanket. "I'll handle them."

"No, wait!" I say, grabbing onto his shoulder before he can even draw the blade and hurry off into battle. "Use the Master Sword instead, please!"

"There's not enough time, Zelda!" he scolds me, glaring back at me. "Let me go!"

"Link, please!" I practically beg, knowing that if he uses the Demon Blade again, he'll only become more and more volatile and coldhearted. And even if both of us are in danger, I couldn't bear to survive only to lose my best friend in the process.

"Fine!" he shouts in aggravation, tossing the Demon Blade down at my feet roughly in obvious anger. I've never seen Link show such a temper before, but he doesn't even apologize for it as he rushes for the Master Sword. He barely even has time to pick it up before the monsters are upon him, but he's quick to draw it almost instantly, tearing through the nearest bokoblin trying to attack him. I remain at the back of the temple, my back pressed against the wall as I anxiously watch Link fight, knowing that he doesn't like me getting involved in any sort of fray since I really don't know how to fight. But still, I'm relieved to see Link fighting with the Master Sword again, knowing that it's much more natural than seeing him wield the Demon Blade. Its sacred light glows in the darkness of the temple with each foe he takes down, and while he's plowing his way through them, more continue to pour into the temple with each passing minute. Most of them converge on him, even though he's more than able to handle them, fighting aggressively, brutally even. I frown as I watch him, knowing that while he fights with skill and precision, he rarely ever gets so fierce and violent. I chalk the reason for this up to the Demon Blade once more, glaring down at it as it sits right in front of me, its darkness sending shivers down my spine.

However, as my attention is on the Demon Blade, I fail to see the pair of stalfos approaching me until one of them suddenly grabs onto my arm. I scream in sudden panic as bony fingers wrap around both of my arms tightly, their piercing red eyes locking their predatory gazes onto me as they begin to drag me forward. I nearly trip over the Demon Blade as I glance over at Link with wide eyes, only to see that he's still caught up in trying to take down a shielded moblins. "Link!" I cry as I struggle against the stalfos' hold, refusing to let them capture me again twice in the same day. "Link, help!"

I don't get to hear his response. Before the stalfos can even drag me fully out of the temple, one of them tosses me into the nearest wall roughly. Pain explodes across my vision, but what hurts most of all is the last thing I see before I fall unconscious: Link looking not at me, but at the Demon Blade instead.

Link

I didn't have to see it happen to know that Zelda's been knocked out by those stalfos. Not that I could see it anyway, thanks to the huge moblins blocking my view of her. Like all moblins, it's both burly and annoyingly durable, but even so I rush to take it down, slashing away brutally at it any chance I get. However, by the time I finally take it down and can see the rest of the temple again, Zelda's nowhere to be found.

"No…" I whisper in sudden dismay, remembering all too well what it felt like months ago when that tornado stole her away from me. Back then, I had feared for her safety nearly every day, I had missed her so much that it hurt more than anything else. Now, the only thing I feel is anger; I worked so hard to save her. I bled and suffered and nearly died, and those stupid, foolish monsters think that they can just take her away from me again! I clench the hilt of the Master Sword tightly and let out an enraged shout, doing a fast, powerful spin attack, which knocks down nearly every bokoblin surrounding me. I'm seething with rage towards all of them by this point, and the rest of the remaining monsters apparently take notice as they take frightened steps away from me. Though I'm still glaring at them, I take some satisfaction in that; they should fear me, especially since I've killed so many of their kin and I could just as easily do the same to them without a second thought.

I only need to take one step forward to get the rest of them to run off out of the temple and into the night. Though they take the front door, I can see that the side door going out to Faron is hanging open, giving me a good idea as to where those stalfos headed off to with Zelda. The only question is what would they have to gain by kidnapping her? Demise is gone, so who else would want to-

"Ghirahim!" I shout angrily, turning to face the Demon Blade sitting up on the platform and giving it a vicious glare. On cue, he materializes outside of the sword, standing on the platform in front of it as he crosses his arms and smirks at me.

"Yes, Master?" he asks, his tone annoyingly knowing and smug.

"Don't call me that!" I demand harshly as I hold onto the Master Sword tightly, ready to end him once and for all. "Where did those stalfos take Zelda?!"

"Why, Master, whatever do you mean?" he asks innocently, which only makes me angrier.

"Don't play dumb," I hiss bitterly. "I know you sent those monsters to attack us! Why'd you order them to take Zelda?"

"Master, I can assure you that I did no such thing," he says defensively, his expression completely appalled. I don't buy it for a second though; this is Ghirahim after all. Not only is he a liar, but he hides his lies behind his theatrics. "In fact, it hurts that it would even accuse me of doing that."

"I'm only accusing you of it because it's true," I retort, holding out the Master Sword as I take a step forward. "I'm through playing games with you. Tell me where those monsters took her and what you want with her or else!"

"I have no dominion over that rabble any longer," Ghirahim says with an unconcerned shrug. "And I have no need for your precious spirit maiden either. My only objective now is to serve you… my Master…"

I let out a frustrated sigh at this, wishing that he'd stop calling me his master. The only one who's allowed to do that is Fi. "Oh yeah?" I ask challengingly. "Then prove that you have nothing to do with this. I bet you can't."

"I have a very simple idea for proving my innocence, Master," he says with a confident smile. "Why don't you ask my darling little counterpart? Oh, what's her name again? Fi? I'm sure her infinite knowledge will be able to solve this once and for all."

I send him a harsh glare for how he just took a sarcastic dig at Fi, but I hesitantly follow his suggestion. "Fi," I say, drawing her out of the Master Sword immediately. "Where did those monsters come from?"

"According to an analysis I performed during your earlier battle with them, I calculated that there was a 76% chance that the monsters acted on their own accord," she reports. "I am also able to sense that the stalfos that captured Zelda are taking her through Faron Woods. I suggest perusing them immediately."

"I will," I say with a resolved nod. "Thank you, Fi."

As she returns to the Master Sword, I look over at Ghirahim briefly to see the smug grin he's giving me. The last thing I want to do is admit that he was right, even if Fi confirmed that he was, so I simply walk past him towards the side doors, not bothering to say so much as a single word to him. Of course, it'd be far too easy for him to just remain silent; but no, instead he calls out to me again.

"Oh, Master?" he asks, and for some reason I find myself stopping and turning towards him. "Are you sure you don't want to take the Demon Blade with you…? I'm sure its strength would be quite useful against those annoying little stalfos… Don't you agree?"

I stop scowling as I look towards the Demon Blade, still lying on the ground where I threw it down earlier. I stare at it for a long moment, remembering just how good it felt to wield it earlier and how much I honestly want to do it again. Whenever I use that sword, I feel powerful, like nothing could ever get in my way. Like I could completely and utterly defeat anything that crosses my path.

But I promised Zelda that I wouldn't use it. And even more than that, I'm only going to have to fight two stalfos, both of which I could easily take down with the Master Sword alone. In all honesty, I don't need the Demon Blade.

But you want it.

It's that voice again, the same one I heard the first time I wielded the Demon Blade. I don't know where it comes from, but I don't really care. After all, there's no denying that it's right. I do want the Demon Blade. But just because I want it doesn't mean I have to have it.

But you deserve it.

I might deserve it; no, I do deserve it. But I don't need it. Do I?

Yes, you do need it.

I do need it. I want it. I deserve it. I need it. With its power, no one will ever stand a chance against me. With its strength, I could slaughter any foolish monster that thinks it can stand up to me. With its might, I could do anything, including protect Zelda. She just doesn't see it yet.

That's why I have to prove it to her, prove that not only is the Demon Blade harmless, but that it's really an asset. She needs to see that even though it was Demise's sword in the past, it can be used for good depending on who wields it, just like the Master Sword. And I see no better way of proving this to her than using it to save her once again.

Thankfully, Ghirahim doesn't say anything as I approach the Demon Blade. Instead, he goes back into it, clearing the way so I can pick it up. I hesitate just a bit before doing so, remembering the look in Zelda's eyes when she had pled with me not to use this sword, but I quickly push it out of my mind and pick up the Demon Blade, strapping it to my back opposite to the Master Sword. She doesn't understand how special this blade is yet, but she will.

I'll make her understand.

The stalfos didn't leave me much of a trail to go by, but it doesn't really matter. Fi makes finding pretty much anything easy thanks to her dowsing ability, which I use generously to track Zelda's aura. And thanks to that, it doesn't take me too long to catch up with them. I find them dragging her along about halfway through the woods, towards the direction of Skyview Temple. Normally, in a situation like this, I'd go in for a sneak attack, but seeing as how I have two incredibly powerful swords at my disposal, I might as well take these two head on.

"Hey!" I shout as I step into their view, prompting both of them to turn around and drop Zelda, who's still unconscious. I grin confidently as I draw both the Master Sword with my right hand and the Demon Blade with my left, holding both of them out towards the stalfos. They both let out fierce shrieks as they rush towards me, each of them drawing their own four swords, but I simply shake my head and laugh at their blind attack. "This ought to be fun," I say to myself, still smiling as I rush forward, thrusting both of my blades at a different stalfos. Their swords only block the Master Sword, but the Demon Blade has enough weight behind it to completely shatter their rusted blades in half. The first stalfos reels back in shock at this and I take the opportunity to jab the Master Sword into its ribcage, swiping it upwards quickly in order to break all of them and slice through its skull.

As the first one collapses in defeat, the other one draws its blades back in retaliation, preparing to bring them all down on me at once. However, I immediately block all of them with both blades, pressing hard again them as the stalfos struggles to maintain tension between us so I won't end it. But what the stalfos doesn't anticipate is me suddenly bringing the Demon Blade up, using the Master Sword to block its swords as I ram it into the side of its skull brutally. The stalfos stumbles back, dropping two of its swords in the process to nurse its heavy injury, but I give it no time to recover. I pounce upon it, stabbing both swords into its ribs as I push it to the ground. It weakly tries to struggle to get up, but it's far too late for that by now. I slip the swords out of its crumbling bones, only to thrust them both back into its head not just once, but over and over again, watching with nothing less than utter satisfaction as it split into pieces each time, always smaller than the last. Somehow, it elicits a small laugh from me; I had been right after all, this was genuinely fun. And even more than that, it's a statement. I don't know if any of the monsters that managed to escape the temple earlier are watching, but I hope at least some of them are. Let it be a lesson to any of them who try to mess with me or Zelda again. The only reward they'll receive for doing something so foolish is death.

I keep pounding away at the stalfos until its little more than a pile of broken bone pieces. I rise to stand as it vanishes into a puff of smoke just like the other one, feeling as though justice has been served well enough. Now that the coast is clear, I sheath both swords and head over to Zelda, who's still completely out of it, even as I gently try to shake her awake. Fortunately, she wasn't injured too much by those stalfos, aside from the blow she took to the side of the head and a few cuts and bruises from being dragged all this way. I let out a sigh of relief, satisfied that she's safe, even though I wish she had been awake to see me take those stalfos out using the Demon Blade.

Knowing that she's not waking up any time soon, I gently scoop her up into my arms, holding her close to me as I begin to carry her back to the temple. I've barely taken a few steps forward when she begins to stir a little bit, her eyes fluttering open as she looks up at me. "L-Link?" she groans tiredly, straining her eyes to properly see me in the darkness of the night.

"Shh…" I quiet her softly, smiling down at her as I brush a stray hair out of her face. "You're safe now. Go back to sleep, ok, Zel?"

She begins to say something, but drowsiness overtakes her first so she simply lets out a contented moan before her eyes slip shut again. She leans her head into my chest and as I take her back to the temple, I find it hard to keep myself from staring at her. After all, she's just so adorable, so beautiful, so… pure. I often forget that she's the reincarnation of a goddess, but in moments like these when her simple loveliness seems to shine like the sun, it's easy to see it.

And yet, for as much as I adore her, a small part of me can't help but feel… betrayed by her. She tried to tell me that the Demon Blade was nothing but trouble, but so far, it's been nothing but useful. I'm not really sure what her problem is with it, but I know that if she tries to convince me against using it again, I'll convince her into letting me use it.

She is not in charge of you, after all.

No, she's not. I can do whatever I want, even if she indirectly guided my fate into being her chosen hero. Even when we were kids, Zelda had always tried to tell me what to do, practically dragging me across Skyloft on her bidding nearly every day. Perhaps it's time that Zelda realizes that I 'm in charge of my own fate, even if that fate includes wielding the Demon Blade. She's wrong about it entirely; I just know.

Well there's that! Some disturbing developments to be sure, but at least we got some Zelink shipping in there! So next time around we're gonna get pretty much more of the same, still ever furthering the plot along. But for now I'm kinda tired (and hot since our air conditioner is broken T_T) so I'm gonna take my leave. Please leave me some REVIEWS if you will. Until next time!