Ah, Halloween. It was Ghirahim and Fi's favorite holiday, beating out the Festival of Time by having costumes and candy. Citizens of Hyrule would carve pumpkins, decorate their homes and/or workplaces with traditional black and orange tapestries, the more extreme would invoke frightening imagery inspired by the Kakariko Well—it remains a mystery to this day how they knew what was inside the well, as well as where they had received such large bite marks in their flesh.
Ghirahim and Fi were not like most citizens. Indeed, they were not like the Hyrulean citizens around them, being sword spirits forged to wage a war that has long since ended. Time had little meaning to them, beyond measuring how long until their—mostly Fi's—cherished friends left this world and moved on to the next.
As such, most Hyrulean citizens prepared for Halloween in the middle of the month to prepare for the actual holiday that takes place on the last day. This was considered acceptable, but Ghirahim and even Fi herself did not.
The first day of the month began with them journeying to the local market for decorations and candy. The decorations were mostly a formality as the couple preferred to create their own using supplies around the house. The candy, on the other hand, was a damned curse.
Ghirahim stretched out his arm and cleared an entire candy shelf into the first of three shopping carts. "I don't know how many times I must apologize, Bluebird."
"One per candy eaten, as agreed," said Fi as she sorted the various boxes and bags of candy.
The Demon Lord pouted. "I did, I apologized for all seventy-six boxes."
"Incorrect," said Fi, floating above him to reach a bag of chocolate-covered Deku Nuts. "You were to apologize for every candy eaten."
"Every single piece?!"
"Every single piece." Fi hefted two matching bags of gummi Medallions; candies designed after the Medallions of the six sages of Hyrule. Her new magical gloves processed the weight variances as she continued to heckle Ghirahim. "The purpose of purchasing confectionary treats ahead of time was to maximize our time and resources. Your sweet tooth has rendered that purpose moot."
Ghirahim chuckled and flicked his hair aside. "I do not seem to recall any complaints last night with those chocolate kisses."
The tuft on Fi's head poofed. She placed both gummi bags in the cart and crossed her arms. "That is beside the point. You ate all the candy and now we must buy more."
"Oh, I am positively alight with grief."
A small smile formed on Fi's lips. "There is a very high possibility that that is false."
The rest of the trip was spent in the same high spirits, for they knew what awaited them at home. Not only did Fi and Ghirahim enjoy sweets and decorating for Halloween, they also greatly enjoyed the tradition of dressing in costume.
With the rise of technology and various media such as television and video games, the inspiration for costumes was infinite. It reached the point where they had to expand their closet to accommodate the sheer number of outfits.
Fi entered the closet—now called the Imaginarium—and flew to the third floor, in which resided the costumes for her and Ghirahim to wear as a couple. After all, it only made sense to have one floor devoted to Fi, one to Ghirahim, and one to them both.
"Ghirahim, do you have a particular choice for this year's costume?"
A moment passed. "This year I would like a black and white motif."
"Understood." Black and white, such a deceptively simple decision. Was one person to dress in black and the other in white? Were they both to incorporate black and white?
After an hour rifling through the racks, Fi left the Imaginarium with her choices. She trusted Ghirahim would approve; he admitted himself that all of their clothes were fashionable to the highest degree and so they were all equally valid.
"Ghirahim, I have our costumes for this year," she said, stepping into the parlor. The sound of paper crinkling drew her eyes to the floor, where she found a trail of candy wrappers leading from the front door all the way to the back porch.
There, she found her beloved napping on a lawn chair, face half-smothered in chocolate. Behind him sat the wrappers for all the candy they had just bought, all three shopping carts' worth.
It was at that moment Fi decided to never allow Ghirahim access to their candy ever again.
The rest of the month passed in a flash. Fi bought more candy and stashed it at Midna's house. When the Twilight Princess proved to be just as untrustworthy as Ghirahim with regards to chocolate, Fi locked the next investment in her private office that could only be opened by either herself, Link, or Zelda.
It was on October 27th that Fi and Ghirahim finally donned their costumes to attend a relatively small Halloween party hosted by Link. They had both expressed great interest in the game NieR: Automata and so Fi chose the costumes of 2B and 9S. 2B's outfit was rather like her own, but Fi would argue that it was purely coincidental. As there would be children present at the party, she also donned a pair of black leggings beneath the costume's thigh-high boots.
Link's house sat at the edge of the forest, with tall lamps lighting the cobblestone road that led from Hyrule Castle to within the forest and beyond. The air was chilly this autumn night and the two sword spirits reveled in it.
They strolled at a leisurely pace, hands clasped snugly together. The full moon cast down a gentle blue glow where the lamps did not reach, casting their faces in orange and navy.
Ghirahim gave Fi's hand a gentle squeeze. Her eyes shone in the dark, so full of wonder and curiosity. She had all the knowledge in Hyrule, every drop of its bloody history flowing through her veins, but she was still in awe at the most mundane things.
The Demon Lord watched her eyes as she watched a trail of leaves roll past them, caught in the afterglow of a breeze's kiss. She knew exactly how and why the leaves moved as they did, why some turned one way and others turned another, and she smiled at them. Hylia had truly outdone herself with Fi; blending pure Wisdom with the heart to appreciate it.
A leaf floated down from above. Fi caught it in the blink of an eye, yet so gently as if she had plucked it from the tree herself. Her smile grew, and Ghirahim smiled back.
"Life is fascinating," she said. "This leaf has reached the end of its life, yet it lives on. It will break down to its base elements and nourish the soil below, where new life will be born. That life will grow and grow until the cycle repeats."
"Some cycles are meant to break," said Ghirahim, frowning slightly.
Fi nodded. The breeze rolled through her hair and the frills of her skirt. "A cycle of death and destruction, perhaps. But does it truly end? The circle is the single most powerful shape in nature, as it is endless and balanced."
"I can't help but notice this particular cycle being triangle shaped," he said, smirking.
"Indeed. I would not presume on such little evidence, but I believe that we are destined to enjoy this peace for a long time." She squeezed Ghirahim's hand and turned to face him fully. She reached up, threaded the leaf in his hair, and nuzzled into his chest. "I enjoy every moment with you."
"And I you."
"And I'm gonna be sick!" cried Midna, emerging from the shadows nearby with Zelda in tow. "Screw candy, I think I just got a cavity from hearing that."
"Hello, Princess Midna."
"Hey, Fi."
"Zelda."
"Ghirahim."
"Your Grace, what are you dressed as?"
Zelda's cheeks suddenly burned bright red. She wore a lovely pink gown, elbow length white gloves, a poofy blonde wig, and a different crown than was usual. "Erm… A neighboring kingdom's princess."
Midna slapped Zelda's rear with a laugh. "You betcha!" She herself wore a very similar costume, though her gown was bright yellow and the wig was auburn. "And I'm the other one!"
"I thought you were an overturned banana," said Ghirahim. "But you are 'the other princess' as well, I suppose."
Zelda rolled her eyes. "I did not come here to keep you two apart. Play nice or risk upsetting your respective partners."
"Fine." Midna stuck her tongue at Ghirahim and then hurried with Zelda down the path to Link's house, where the party had already started.
To say that Link's party was small was an oversimplification. His guest list included many of the various Links' companions throughout their adventures, as well as the Links themselves, Zelda of Skyloft, Tetra, and several other people and their dates.
A tiny blue light flew up to Fi and bowed her head. "Greetings, Creator Fi."
"Greetings, Pocket Fi. I find your costume, as the youth say, 'so friggin' cute I could die'."
Indeed, the tiny helper was dressed as a Darknut, complete with toy sword and shield. Darknuts were usually very threatening and imposing warriors, but Pocket Fi turned that into a display of tiny heroism. "Please do not die, Creator Fi. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Fi smiled at her. "Not at the moment, but thank you."
"You are welcome. Should you desire punch, Master Link has labeled it as 'Blood Drink', but it is not actual blood. That would be unsanitary."
"I understand. Happy Halloween, Pocket Fi."
"Happy Halloween, Creator Fi."
Following the helper's advice, Fi made her way through the house, politely squeezing between Link of Skyloft and King Daphnes, and found the table of refreshments. She reached for the punch ladle, but then paused at the sound of snickering. She knelt and lifted the table cloth to reveal Toon and Young Link. "What are you doing under there?"
"Nuthin'," said Toon Link, eyes looking anywhere but at Fi's.
Fi blinked at him and then turned to Young Link. "What are you doing under there?"
"Sorry," said Young Link as he crawled out. "We were hiding from Skull Kid."
"Is he creating a disturbance again?"
"Huh? No, we're just playing hide and seek."
Fi nodded, lips pursed. "I understand your desire to play games with friends, but I must urge you to reconsider doing so in a crowded area. There is a strong possibility of injury and/or a fragile object breaking. Please consider playing outside."
Young Link smiled at her, thumb raised. Evidently, therapy and closure has done a great deal for his mental health. "We'll go outside."
"Thank you, Link." Once the two were outside, Fi went back to the table and poured two cups of punch, turning just as Ghirahim entered.
"Ah, there you are," said he, gratefully accepting some punch. "Mm, very sweet. Just like you, dear Bluebird."
"Hey, no grownup stuff!" cried Skull Kid, pointing accusingly at the two sword spirits. "That's just gross!"
"Gross? My Bluebird?" Ghirahim set the punch down, swooped Fi in a dip, and then kissed her for all it was worth. The cacophony of groans and complaints was music to his ears.
The party was a smashing success. The food and drinks were delicious (and immaculately organized by Pocket Fi), the costumes were exemplary, and the overall atmosphere was aglow with camaraderie and fellowship.
Sadly, even a wonderful night such as this must end, and so Ghirahim and Fi headed home at just past midnight. They enjoyed some intimacy in their costumes, and then sent the clothes into the wash. That was the other benefit of costumes, but that was neither here nor there.
Ghirahim wrapped Fi in a blanket and carried her to the sofa, where he proceeded to snuggle in with her on his chest. "I love you, Bluebird."
"I love you too, Ghirahim. Would you like to watch a horror movie?"
"Of course," said he, "but I hardly call them horror. We have seen far more horror than some overpaid director."
Fi grabbed the remote and sifted through the various titles on TV. "Agreed, but the tradition of Halloween demands watching something one would deem 'horror'." She kept clicking and clicking, and then stopped when she saw the perfect movie.
"A romantic comedy?" asked Ghirahim. "Forgive me if I seem doubtful, but how does this count as horror?"
Fi did not answer, she only pressed Play and nuzzled into Ghirahim's chest.
At first, the movie seemed like any other romantic comedy with the haphazard lead trying to woo his sophisticated paramour. Such was par for the course, but Ghirahim's neck hair stood on end when the movie showed the lead's closet and his dreadful idea of fashion.
"Red and purple? In that weather?"
"Excuse me?"
Ghirahim chuckled and massaged Fi's head. "Nothing, Bliebird."
"Are you all right, Ghirahim?"
"Hm?" Besides the garish sweaters, not even organized by season? "Oh, nothing."
The movie continued, and then Ghirahim realized the trap when the lead sat down for a romantic dinner with his paramour. When the lead failed to pull out the chair for his date, Ghirahim sucked in air between his teeth.
"Is something the matter?" asked Fi, tilting her head innocently.
"Not at all," said Ghirahim, kissing her head. His skin crawled at the lead's checkered blazer over a striped polo, but that was forgivable. Barely. His fingers clutched the blanket when the lead tried to pour wine for his paramour. "Please not the dress, that had to have been custom-made."
"Ghirahim, if this is disturbing you—"
He waved her off, kissing her cheek. "Bah, what do I care about what this fool does with his lifestyles."
"'I'll have the salmon,'" said the lead, "with some red wine, I think.'"
"WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ORDERS RED WITH FISH?!" Ghirahim bellowed. "I know it's just a movie and he's supposed to be a barbarian but have some DECENCY!"
Fi reached up and held his arm. "I believe poor fashion sense and manners are what you believe to be 'horror'. I have succeeded, have I not?"
Ghirahim shook his head vigorously. "I refuse to let some poor woman have to go through such a nightmare as that fashion disaster. It was… it was horrible, Fi. He has no sense of style!"
"He does not." Fi stood up and held Ghirahim close. "I apologize for subjecting you to him."
Ghirahim scooped her up and spun her around, kissing all over her face. "It was the way Halloween is meant to go. Happy Halloween, my dearly beloved Bluebird."
"Happy Halloween, Ghirahim."