"Don't think that's over yet, sky child." "I don't think that at all but just get out of my sight now!" Link yelled. "But sky child, do me a favor and mind your Ps and Qs. There is no need to shout. This tempts me unsavory and may turn out nasty. So please, guard your tongue." Link rolled his eyes. Why he must be like this? Such a nerd! Link is pretty much the opposite; lazy, forget things easily, no motivation, and a sleepyhead. He imagined himself lying in his bed, fully covered and turned in his blanket. Almost feeling the warmth of his bed and the relaxing atmosphere he sighed, opened his closed eyes and realized Ghirahim was still standing in front of him. Yes, Zelda is his childhood friend and he loves her in a way and he wants to save and protect her from evil… 'Well, yes, in that order I think, or so,' he thought to himself. He just sighed again. This freaky demon raised his eyebrows in anticipation of receiving a proper answer from Link. "Just stop being mean", was everything Link replied. "It seems like you don't enjoy what you are doing?" Ghirahim grinned, snapped his fingers and appeared right in front of Link, leant forward until he almost touched the tip of his nose and his night black eyes focused Link's without a blink. "Whatever." "I am right, am I?" Ghirahim smirked. He couldn't deny the fact that he doesn't want to do that at all. "I'm just tired lately. I haven't been sleeping well." "And why is that so, sky child?" He seemed really interested. "Well, everyone counts on me and I was told I'm the hero of the world but honestly, I don't want this to be. I just wanna be …" "You want to be what? Not the hero? Not fighting me or any other threats you think you have to because someone told you so?" For a second, Link was really thinking about Ghirahim's words and this surprised him the most. "You wish you could stop all this and go back to your boring, pathetic, short life?" Link nodded. "Yes, I realize I loved my life and now I just want it back because it's short! I just have one. It may be pathetic to you but you don't know how it is to have an expiration date! You have the entire eternity but this fucking journey changes everything in my life. You can simply go on but I won't be the same afterwards. Everything changed when this goddess told me I carry a triforce symbol in me. Courage or something. Yes, I might be brave but something forces me to follow; it's like an internal fire and when I start thinking and question certain things … it hurts; it causes such pain. I've the feeling I become crazy, seriously crazy. I've never experienced something like this before. This internal heat; it burns me; this feeling of necessity. I feel sick in a way. It feels like … I shouldn't question it at all. How can you live with that? I mean, have you ever questioned what you do? If this is your real destiny or if this really is what you wanna do?" Ghirahim looked dumbfounded and increased distance. 'His destiny? What he wants to do? Is this the way it should be? Does he like it at all?' He has never thought about it. He has never questioned it. "I mean, I am a sword spirit, isn't a sword make for a certain purpose?" He asked more himself than Link. "My destiny is to serve someone … I guess so." "But is this what you want for your eternal life? To serve?" Link asked him wholeheartedly. "If you were created to fulfill a duty to or for someone; I mean, what would happen if you don't want to do this at all? Being free? Not bond to anyone or anything? Do you also feel a fire, a necessity inside, a feeling of obsession? I mean … do you understand what I mean?" Link sounded almost desperate. Ghirahim frowned and softly grabbed Link by the scruff of his neck and lifted him until eyelevel. "You have a genuine issue with that, haven't you?" Link nodded without saying a word. "I don't know what I would like to do if I won't be bonded to master. Won't be bonded to anyone. Don't need to retrieve him. I mean, do I really have a choice, the freedom to choose? Am I able to choose? I like what I do, I guess." "What will happen when you succeed and successfully retrieve your mater? Just stay a sword, leant against a wall and wait until he needs you? Isn't that kind of boring? I mean, how long have you been looking for a possibility to free your master? And what had you been doing when you were not looking for that?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I read; I trained; I traveled; I discovered novel places; I learned a lot about other beings; I watched the progress of evolution; I experienced changes in mankind." "And, and did you like that? Did you enjoy this?" "I enjoyed it very much, indeed. I learned a lot." "Is there any other being like you anywhere?" "What do you mean. There is just one demon lord." "I meant, is there any other being like you already living for eons?" "No, not at all. Only a god or goddess can do that." "So, you have been spending your whole life alone here on the surface?" "Yes…" He reluctantly answered. "Have you ever felt lonely?" "What do you mean by 'lonely'?" He kept him still on eye level. "Who have you been talking with during those eons? How is it to outlast all beings? Have you even been close to anyone? Do you crave for closeness? Is there a need for you to be close to anyone? Do you miss it if you don't have one? Do you urge yourself to be close? I mean, being close in a physical and emotional way." "These are a lot of questions you are asking now my dear sky child." "Then, answer them … please. Maybe I won't feel so lonely and lost anymore because no one understands me so far. And I am even not allowed to talk to anyone and this makes me feel even more lonely … maybe you can understand me in a way?" "Being what? Close? How do you mean that? Lonely?" "You don't know what I mean? That's weird, especially for an old being like you." Ghirahim thought hard what to answer; physically and emotionally close? Of course, he read about how to create demons and he knows he needs a woman for but there has never been a woman who was able to keep up with him. There has never been a female demon at all for him; he is just commanding and leading them. "Lonely …" "Do you know what I mean? At least a bit?" Link asked. Ghirahim placed him on the floor. "There has no one been with me for those eons. I have always been on my own. The only thing I knew was I must revive my master. This feels like …" "… Like a fire inside? A necessity? An obsession?" "The only thing, the only way … I will survive." "What do you think will happen if you don't follow that inner force?" "I … don't … know. I think I won't live long anymore …" "I thought you cannot die." "Yes, but if I don't retrieve my master …" "What would you do then?" "I don't know. I just don't know. What will you do, if you wouldn't be on this journey?" "I would just live my life without losing one thought about destiny, fate, goddesses, or demons." "And I would just be a ruler of demons; someone important of course but not forced and bond to a certain usage." "Would you be able to live without being wielded by anyone? If you don't serve anybody as a sword?" "Yes, I guess so sky child." "And, why you don't do that?" "Because I have never thought about it. I have been busy retrieving my master … But, if I stop trying this would mean, I would be the oldest being on earth." Ghirahim glared at him and started smiling devilishly. "Which makes me the most powerful demon on earth." Link took some steps back. "No", he said but it was too late. Ghirahim placed one hand on Link's shoulder, lifted the other arm, and snapped his fingers. Within a second Link felt himself lifted upside down but his feet still standing on solid ground. As fast as it started, it was over. Link looked a bit woozy and dizzy but his vision was not blurred; not a lot at least. Ghirahim looked at him and giggled. "You haven't done this before, have you?" "No." Link choked with his hands on his knees and his body bent. "Is anyone able to do this where you come from?" "Not at all. And by the way, how do you do that?" "Do what?" "This snapping and that something happens afterwards. I've seen this several times already. It looks like you just think about something and then you snap and it happens." "It's as simple as that. I just imagine what should happen and I realize it with the snap of my fingers. Can anyone do this in the sky?" "No." "You want to live a short, boring, pathetic life without being capable of magic, not being a hero, and think about nothing?" "Yes, exactly. A life without any issues, where I can just enjoy every day, and leave all those majorly important things be." "But this does mean you don't want to experience anything?" Now it was Link who looked dumbfounded. "This does not necessarily mean I don't experience anything. You have to deal with your daily routine anyway." "But now you questioned several things in your life and do you really think you can go back and hook up where you left off just like that?" Ghirahim turned on his heels and left Link behind. First, Link just wanted to tell him that I must be that easy but before he could react he realized his new surroundings. It looked completely different than before in phirone woods or even in skyloft. He looked around and recognized endless meadows, little creeks and streams searching their way through them, azure sky covered with the whitest clouds Link has ever seen. It was warm but not hot and he smelled fresh air which caused him to inhale as deep as possible while he closed his eyes and moved his head as he could feel the air around his body. Ghirahim stopped and turned towards Link watching him closely. 'Humans are different. I remember reading something about emotions and empathy, about 'absorbing' feelings, basking in emotions. I simply imagine but he feels. Maybe that's the reason why I've never questioned anything. It seems that he feels his surroundings. I think, imagine, create, or destroy but they just feel what I can do; strange creatures.' "How does it feel being close to someone?" Ghirahim asked. Link, still indulged in the environment, turned his attention to Ghirahim. "You don't know what that means?" He met him with disbelief. "Well, not a 100%..." Link rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you are still a virgin." "A what? A Virgin?" "OMG! You are a virgin!" He couldn't but laugh. "What's so funny about that?" "You have never ever been in intimate togetherness with a woman or a man? But, you can do that, can't you?" Ghirahim blushed, stammered, and harrumphed, "I think I know what you mean now, and yes, I think I am able to do that." "You think you are able?" "I think so, yes." "You should know. I mean, when you make it yourself, you also know." "Myself?" "No way! Come off it!" Link was convulsing with laughter. "Can you tell me what's so funny about?" "It's just, you behave so elegant, decadent, eloquent, and even arrogant but you don't know how to enjoy yourself?" He was bubbling over with laughter. "What do I have to do to enjoy myself?" He was reluctantly asking; eyebrows frowned. Link looked at him and he was not laughing anymore. "You are serious. You don't know what to do, do you?" "I still don't know what is so funny about that." "Are you serious about that? That I should let you know how to do this?" "Yes, I'm eager to learn." A short burst of laughter escaped the hero's mouth, while his eyebrows were lifted. "Ahh, well, then. Why not." Link sighed and walked straight and firm towards Ghirahim. 'Ok. This demon is a tower. I'm mean, how can someone grow so tall or is it just me who is that small? Fuck! I said yes; I've been doing this for years, with guys and girls, so why not with your enemy? Your foe? I mean, damn, dare! After all, he's just a man. A demon lord, but a man. Have I ever 'taught' anyone in this 'topic'? I guess not but anyways.' All these thoughts were running through Link's head while he was inching towards Ghirahim.
