And here we are, the end to the story. I appreciate you sticking around, to be honest, and for listening as well. But alas, all stories have to end at some point. Mine unfortunately ends here. It was in these last moments that I realized what my life was, just a lament of the damned. Yes, it was in my last moments that I realized that I was damned from the beginning. Damned to fail, damned to never achieve my ultimate goal that I never even realized until the end. Please, won't you hear me out one last time? Won't you listen to the end of my lament?
Everything happened so fast, that I could barely even register it. Before my very eyes, I saw people getting murdered, wounded, and just a few barely making it out alive. While the majority of the citizens are in the safety of the castle, or at least near it, there remained an unfortunate few. I could only spare them a quick glance before I had to return to battle, and put my complete focus on making sure that Vaati remained safe. While I was confident that Vaati would be able to protect himself if this were just a hoard of monsters, a whole legion of demons was vastly different. Especially if they are all attacking you simultaneously.
I cut through them, though the more I sliced through, it seemed like more was appearing. It seemed like there was no end to them. Eventually, I saw the princess as well as Link on their way, and I can say truthfully that this was the only time I was happy to see them. We could use any help we could get, and while our goals were different, we could all agree that the main priority at the moment was to rid of these demons. When they arrived, Vaati and I joined up with them, forming a team of four. This was something never seen before, dark teaming up with light. Honestly it would have been funny at any other moment.
With the four of us teamed up, slicing down the demons went by quicker and easier, but still, with each and every death, more appeared. I didn't even know that there were this much demons, to be honest. It surprised me to see so many in one area, but that was the least of my worries.
"You two! What the hell is going on here! Why are these things attacking!" Zelda calls out in the midst of her attack.
"They have come here to finish me off," I call back to her, and continue, "but don't think they won't try to destroy you as well! Being one of them myself, I can say that they will try to take out you and Link as well!" I turn my attention to Vaati, to see how he is fairing, and I kill a demon that was trying to sneak up on Vaati. But while my attention was on that, I didn't notice another appearing behind me. To my surprise, I felt a blade slash through my arm, creating a nasty and painful gash, hindering me from using that arm to attack as well. I summoned the sword away, and continued attacking using my right hand. Whenever a demon would get too close to Vaati without him realizing, I would attack them for him, but this wasn't exactly the best of strategies.
More than once a demon was able to land a hit on me, and while their numbers were reducing at a slow rate, it was beginning to take its toll on me. The others were starting to get weary too, I could see, but none of them were as wounded as I was. But I cared not for my own sake, just as long as Vaati was okay. He gave me a quick glance, noticing how weary I was becoming.
"Ghirahim, I need you in your vessel," he calls out to me. I nod, and transfer myself inside my blade, much to Link's and Zelda's momentary surprise. While I was a little grateful I would be able to rest up a little and heal, I was more worried for Vaati's sake. Although Link and Zelda were there fighting as well, I myself couldn't protect Vaati from the outside, only being able to assist him through my vessel. I, however, was able to see all around him, and I called out to him whenever there was an attack coming from one of his blind spots.
While I was in the vessel, my wounds healed a little faster than when I was out of it, to which I was grateful. In no time, most of my wounds were closed up, all but the gash on my arm, which still rendered me unable to attack with it. No matter, though, I still had my right sword as well as my magic on my side. When I informed Vaati I was healed and able to battle again, he allowed me out.
"While I appreciate you trying to protect me, Ghirahim, worry about yourself for once! I can't have you getting yourself hurt for my sake," Vaati says to me when I reappear.
"While I am flattered by your concern for me, my dear Vaati" I say and cut through a demon trying to approach Vaati, "I am afraid I will not heed your words. I told you before, they are targeting you more than me currently, and with a good reason, despite that I would rather that didn't," I respond. He sighs in annoyance, and I smile in amusement that he could feel such even in such a dire situation.
"Will you two concentrate! We have hundreds of these guys still trying to kill us!" Link calls out to us. I huff out in amusement, but I still comply, as does Vaati. But while my attention was momentarily drawn away, a demon I hadn't seen coming disarmed me. It immediately jumped for the chance to attack Vaati since I was unable to defend him, or so it thought. I jumped in front of him since he wasn't expecting it, obviously, and was too temporarily shocked to defend. I hardened my arms to act as a shield, them now looking like they do when I am in my true form. The weapon the demon wielded clashed with my arms, and I grabbed it in it's shock at my unexpected defense and killed it.
I tossed the weapon through a small group of demons, and it flew through some of them as I summoned both of my swords, since the gash was gone on my left arm while they were hardened like this. I noticed that a group of demons were closing in on Link and Zelda, so I quickly rid of them for the two. They nodded their thanks, and focused on their own duels, as did I. Within seconds, another group was upon me, and I took a few hits before I wiped them out. I made a quick scan of the area, and I noticed to my great satisfaction and relief that the numbers were down greatly, and we might actually have a chance.
The four of us continued to fight, but it was evident that the other three were close to hitting their limit. I was only just beginning to feel fatigued, since I was able to rest while in my vessel.
"I can't...continue fighting...for much longer," I hear Link say behind me.
"We have to! We have to push...through this!" Zelda replies, though she looks ready to drop right then and there. Vaati doesn't say anything, but I can that he agrees with Link. Once again, I take a quick scan of the environment around us, and I determine my next course of action.
"You three, stand behind me. I shall take care of the rest," I say. Link and Zelda look at me in surprise, while Vaati looks indifferent.
"Are you joking!?" Link shours.
"Have you gone mad!" Zelda exclaims.
"You better, I'm close to my limit," Vaati says. I laugh to myself.
"I have one last trick up my sleeve that should get rid of the last of them. Now if you would, stand behind me," I say again. While Link and Zelda do look concerned about this, they do as they are told, while Vaati was already there. Without saying anything else, I emerge myself in white and black diamonds, and I here the three of them gasp in shock. I shift into my true form, and I see briefly Vaati's look of utter fascination, reminding me that he has never seen me in this state. I smirk at the other two's look of pure befuddlement, and I begin my rampage on the rest of the demons.
I blow through them much more easier, taking advantage of their surprise at my shift. I combine my magic and sword attacks, using various sword techniques and taking advantage of my ability to teleport. Within minutes, I already have wiped out a good half of them. And I haven't even begun to sweat. Really, being in this form is much easier with a horde battle like this. But I wouldn't have been able to handle the beginning of it before, even in this form, which is why I waited. It was a good choice too. Using one last trick up my sleeve, I preform a spell that wipes out the rest of the demons. When the spell runs through the last one, I stand there, giving myself a breather. I transition out of my true form into my normal one.
When I turn around, the three of them are looking at me in awe, but it is only Vaati that I notice. Suddenly, I feel fatigued, and I fall to my knees. Vaati runs over to me, and kneels at my side.
"Are...you alright…?" I ask him, barely getting the words out. I start to fall forward, but Vaati catches me.
"I should be the one asking you that," he replies. I laugh slightly, and say, "Don't worry about me. It has just been a while since I have been in my true form. I'm just a little exhausted, that's all." I lean into him, and try to catch my breath. To my surprise, though, he hugs me.
"Damn it, don't worry me like that again. You don't always need to protect me," he says, and I smile slightly, and weakly hug him back.
"If only you knew...you would understand…" I say quietly. He pulls back, and looks at me in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" he asks. I smile, and put a hand on his cheek.
"Why I did so, Vaati. Why the demons so suddenly attacked. It wasn't just because they could, Vaati." I explain, but he looks even more confused.
"Why did they then?" Vaati asks.
"Because I…" I start, but stop.
"Ghirahim?"
Because I-" I start, but a sudden beam in my chest stops me as I gasp in pain and cough up blood.
"Ghirahim!" Vaati shouts, and I can faintly hear Zelda and Link gasp in shock.
"How pathetic...I expected much more out of you, Ghirahim," a voice says with coldness. It is a voice that I thought I would never here, and it makes my blood run cold and my heart to stop for a moment. That voice, the one I was so familiar with, a voice to which the owner, I thought up until now, was long dead.
"D-Demise…" I mutter out. Vaati's eyes widen in shock, recognizing just who suddenly appeared. The other two were also shocked, also recognizing who it was.
"But you're supposed to be dead…!" Zelda says, to which Demise laughs.
"Yes, I suppose I was. But thanks to my subjects, I have been revived yet again! I expected them to be lead by you, Ghirahim. Imagine my surprise when I had learned you had turned your back to us," he says. The other three look to me, confused by what he means.
"Which is why you must die!" Demise shouts, and lunges at me. I close my eyes tight, expecting to feel the pain of death, but I instead hear the a distinct sound of magic upon magic. I open my eyes, and immediately a surprising sight is what I am greeted with.
"You'll have to go through me first!" Vaati shouts. To all of our surprise, he deflected Demise with a shield of magic.
"When did...you-" I start, but Vaati interrupts me.
"I felt it when I awoke this morning. I was going to tell you, but the attack interrupted me," he explains and pushes Demise back. Suddenly, my mind goes early that night, when I finally realized what I felt. The seal must have broke then. I thought I would be able to tell, but I guess I was mistaken.
"Rest up, Ghirahim. Now, it is my turn to protect you!" Vaati says, and goes head on head with Demise. At some point, Zelda and Link also joined, but I was too wounded from Demise's earlier strike to join. I held a hand to it and applied pressure, trying to stop the blood flow. I turned my gaze to the three of them, watching as the three of them fought my former master, whom I thought would never return. I began to question myself then. How could I not feel his return? How was I not able to see that the other demons were preparing his return?
I pushed my thoughts to the back of my mind when I realized I should be thinking of that later, and trying to find a way to seal Demise again. Various ideas ran through my head as I watched Vaati, Link, and Zelda fight against Demise. Worry arose in me whenever he seemed to gain the upper hand, but dispersed when the three of them regained it. It truly was a sight to see the three of them battle together.
At some point, I am not sure when, Vaati drew my sword vessel, and Demise produced a sword of his own.
So, he has sworn loyalty over to you, it seems," Demise says, but no one responded. Suddenly, Vaati calls to me, and tells me to enter the sword vessel. I comply, and with what remaining strength I have, I transfer myself over. Here, as I have said before, I am able to heal much faster than outside of it, but I already know that it will take a long while for this wound to heal. Various times I told Vaati what to do, and he did as I said. From inside of the vessel, I watched the battle take place, wishing that I could somehow help Vaati.
"While I do appreciate the good fight, I am going to have to end this," Demise says suddenly, and with a powerful gust of magic, Vaati, Link, and Zelda are blown off their feet, and lay on the ground, stunned by the sudden and unexpected attack. My sword vessel lay a little ways away from Vaati's form. But I am still able to see what is going on.
"And I think I will start with this brat that my once loyal servant calls a master!" he shouts, and with astonishing speed, goes to attack Vaati. My eyes widen, and without a second thought, I exit my vessel, and through myself in front of Vaati. I gasp in pain as Demise's sword plunges through me, and I cough up blood.
"Ghirahim!" Vaati calls from behind me.
"Humph. Figure you would sacrifice yourself, Ghirahim," Demise says in disgust, and he lifts his large sword up with me still on the end of it. I cry out in pain, and he swings his sword, throwing me off of it. I land on the ground harshly, and I lay still, not having the strength anymore to move.
"Ghirahim!" Vaati cries, and rushes to my side. He rolls me over so I lie on my back instead of my side, and rests my upper body on his lap.
"Ghirahim, why did you do that! You idiot, you didn't have to do that!" he shouts, but his words are half-hearted. Blood spills out of the corner of my mouth, and my vision begins to darken. I can feel death's embrace, but I resist against it the best I can.
"Because, Vaati. Do you...not realize how much….you mean to me?" I say weakly, barely able to even get the words out at this point. I groan out in pain, and smile at him.
"What are you talking about, Ghirahim? What are you trying to say?' Vaati asks. I cough out more blood, and wipe my mouth of the blood left.
"Vaati…"I say, and take deep breaths.
"I have realized that I...would do anything for you, Vaati. If I should have to throw my life away...then so be it. If it is to protect you...I would do anything," I say, taking a breath here and there. I suddenly feel a wetness on my face, and I look up to see Vaati crying. I lift my arm up weakly, and wipe his tears away. He leans into my touch, and I smile up at him.
"No...Ghirahim...You can't...leave me…" Vaati whispers, and holds me closer to him. My vision begins to blacken again, but I fight it once again. I am determined to spend every last second I have left with him, and I won't let even death take it away from me.
"Pity not my destiny, my dear Vaati. At least...this way...you don't have to spend eternity with me...as a foul creature such as a demon."
"I don't care if I become a demon or not! Can't you see that I want to spend eternity with you!? Yet...here you are, leaving me all alone…" He says, and his voice begins to soften at the end.
"Vaati," I call out to him, and he turns his attention to me.
"Vaati, do me...one last favor?" I ask.
"What is it?" he replies. I smile, and close my eyes, not having much more strength left in my body.
"Just...keep me in your thoughts, will you? Remember me, and you will never be alone...will you do this last thing for me?" I ask, and I open my eyes one last time to see Vaati, to examine his beautiful self for a final time.
"Yes, of course I will," he replies, and I smile widely at him.
"Thank you, Vaati…" I say, and I begin to fall into death's embrace. Images of our time together flash through my vision. Every good and bad time, every night and every morning, they all speed through my mind, and for once, I feel totally and completely at peace. I was able to die happily, a total turn from how I thought I would leave this world. My breathing shallows, and I barely hear Vaati call my name. I exhale my last breath, with Vaati on my mind, and I exist no more.
A/N: Thank you for sticking around 'til the end! Your views are quite appreciated!
Do not worry, for this is not the end! Well, it is for this story, but a sequel awaits! Until next time, my lovely readers!
Update! Find the sequel on my page called Fire for Your Desire!