Chapter 18
Link leaned into The Demons chest as they both stared silently up at the stars. The other held him tighter, sinking them deeper into the warm water of The Earth Spring. They were heading to The Temple of Hylia to meet Zelda in the morning, having finally broken away from Headmaster Gaepora long enough to formulate a clear plan of action. They could have just as easily gone earlier today; Link couldn't explain why he stalled, but Girahim didn't question him and so the question itself remained answerless. It was like the calm before the storm; they stood upon the brink of something so much greater now. It was exciting and terrifying all at the same time. And so they had ended up here. A small fire blazed happily off to the side of the spring, and every so often they took turns stepping out to feed the hungry blaze. Much to Link and Girahims astonishment, The Demon still retained his magic powers; a small consolation prize, as he had put it, for suffering so much devastating pain. Link had rolled his eyes. Despite this, he took his turn wading out of the hot spring to throw a log on the fire, when they both knew perfectly well he could have easily stoked it into a raging inferno from where he sat if he'd wanted to. Link wasn't complaining; the view was sublime. Smirking back at him, Girahim swaggered back toward the pool, rolling his hips dramatically and gliding his inky arms over his own smooth skin with a sultry look in his eye. Link smirked affectionately, lacing his fingers behind his head as The Demon continued his exotic dance. With a twirl, he turned his back to Link, arching forward, one hand tracing down his leg and the other reaching between his perfectly sculpted thighs. He gave Link the middle finger, tossing his head over his shoulder and licking his lips with that wonderfully serpentine tongue. Link threw his head back and laughed, clapping appreciatively. With a mutual chuckle, The Demon splashed back into the water and drew Link into him again.
"Girahim…" He said softly, finally speaking the first word of the evening, which was saying a lot because the other man was notoriously difficult to silence most of the time… But Link could tell the weight of their final task also weighed heavily on The Demons mind. "Do you know I wouldn't have you any other way?" If this information surprised Girahim, he gave no sign. He traced a long line across the back of Links neck with his tongue.
"Nor I you, my Skychild…nor I you…"
The Next Morning…
A soft breeze ruffled the crown of Links sandy hair, a whisp of cool air sneaking under the blankets and chilling him awake. His breath caught as he drew the heavy wool more tightly around him, his arm reaching out…Grasping at nothing but emptiness, he twisted his head around searching for The Demon. He was nowhere to be found. A small bubble of panic bloomed unpleasantly in Links chest as he pushed up on his elbows, the generally warm air of the land of Eldin turned uncharacteristically cool with the addition of the wind.
"Morning!" The perpetually sarcastic voice of Girahim said brightly in his ear as he felt the weight of The Demons body alight upon his back. "We've got a busy day ahead, my little hero so I've taken the unique pleasure of fixing you up a little something special!" He was certainly in a good mood; hopefully the feeling lasted. He felt the pressure change again as Girahim left him, strolling to the doorway of the abandoned Bokoblin hut and gesturing outward. Links eyes narrowed as he peered out at the re-kindled fire from last night. Despite the wind, the blaze remained calm…and smokeless…Links eyes rolled up, locking on to The Demons. He only winked and strolled out. Link sat all the way up, rubbing sleep from his eyes and combing his fingers through his sticky, touseled hair. They had made love again last night, right up against the feet of The Goddess statue. Links cheeks colored. If his desperate moans hadn't been an ardent enough prayer for Girahims salvation, he wasn't sure what was. Smiling embarrassedly, he set about pulling on his clothes and buckling himself together, strapping their bedroll around his waist.
Link understood at once what had occupied The Demon all morning, as he stepped outside; two plates piled with an assortment of delicious looking foods that Link had never even seen before steamed temptingly behind the leeward side of a large boulder that had not been there last night. Link caught Girahims eye with a raised eyebrow, finding himself indeed grateful that The Demon's ability to do magic had not faded.
"There isn't fried Mogma in there anywhere, is there?" He asked, suddenly wary.
"Absolutely not! Mogma is much too gamey and tough…" The Demon chortled as he settled himself down to eat. A strange thought occurred to Link then that had him wondering why he had never asked before…
"Do you…need to eat?" He asked awkwardly, seating himself cross-legged next to a smaller rock where his breakfast sat. The occasional breeze filled Links nostrils with mouth-watering smells.
"Traditionally, no…" He produced, around a mouthful of what looked like some kind of mushroom. "However the urge to do so has been growing in my mind for a while now. It does feel good to partake again! Such flavor! Such complexity! Such stunning texture!" He swallowed satisfactorily. Link rolled his eyes, grinning at this purely simple, rather domestic affair. For some reason he couldn't quite explain, it gave him peace.
Blinking in the soft, filtered sunlight of Faron Woods, Link and Girahim looked on into the courtyard of The Temple of Hylia, squinting for a trace of Zelda. The birds chirped, and a soft breeze rustled the trees but there was no sign of her.
"I think we had better go inside, Link." Girahim said softly, but with more confidence than he felt. No, that was a poor way to show respect or gratitude toward the man who had saved his life. He had all the confidence in the world in him. He did. They proceeded inside the temple, their breath barely making a sound in the overwhelming stillness of the cavernous front room. There, standing before the great statue herself, stood Zelda. She turned slowly toward them, and Links jaw dropped to the red runner beneath them. She was garbed in a rather astonishing red velvet dress, Girahim conceded to himself. Thread of gold embroidery snaked in an almost life-like pattern along the hem of her skirts and over the tight bodice, which hugged her rather beautifully. The low-cut neckline exposed the merest hint of cleavage, and billowing sleeves of creamy silk cascaded in perfect elegance over her slender arms. She was the absolute embodiment of a goddess-queen. Girahim coughed loudly, glaring at the man next to him;
"Has the royal little nymph struck you straight as well as dumb?" He tittered in an undertone, dripping with sarcasm. Link snapped his mouth shut, shaking himself and flicked the end of Girahims ear painfully. Before The Demon could react, Link jogged up the short flight of stairs to the Giant statue of The Goddess, and the real goddess before him and pulled her into a tight embrace. "How wonderfully sentimental…"Girahim drawled, but a hint of a smile tweaked the corners of his lips.
"Are you ready?" She asked in that angelic voice. Breaking the embrace, she moved to the right, gesturing toward a large stone pedestal. She smiled broadly at him, but Link could see tears welling in her eyes. He gazed back at her, their souls connecting for the briefest moment. "Girahim?" She lifted her eyes to The Demon. Bowing, with a hand over his heart, he disappeared into the sword, quite possibly for the last time. Zelda took Links shoulders and guided him directly underneath The Goddess statues clasped hands. She herself strode around to the opposite side of the pedestal to face him, and took both of his hands in hers. Blinking, Link started at the warmth spreading in his left hand. Without letting go of Zeldas fingers, he twisted his wrist to look as the brilliant gold mark of the Triforce upon the back of his hand throbbed and pulsed. The warmth spread from his hand down into his arm, into his chest and down through the soles of his boots, filling him up. Across from him, Zelda closed her eyes and tilted her head back. "Make your prayer, Link"
Flicker. He was dancing the sword with Girahim for the first time in The Forest Temple, trying to shrug off the way he looked him up and down. Flash. Zeldas golden apparition cupped his chin, whispering comforts to him. Flicker. Girahims fingers tangled in the front of his tunic as he kissed him fervently in the hallway of The Earth Temple. Flash. Fi's expressionless face radiated the only form of a smile she could. Flicker. Granny reached for his arm, a kind smile on her face. FLASH. Groose nodded approvingly at him. FLICKER. The Gate of Time ticked. FLASH. Impa. FLICKER. Skyloft. FLASH. Zelda. FLICKER. Girahim.
"Remove your sword, Chosen Hero of The Goddess…plunge it into the pedestal before you, and receive my mercy. May the forces of Wisdom, Courage, and Power grace you with the strength to fulfill your task, and take solace in your destiny." Zelda intoned.
His hands trembling, Link drew his right hand over his shoulder and pulled the sword, and the very soul of the man he desperately loved from its beautiful new sheath. Drawing a shaking breath, he plunged the blade seamlessly into the polished stone before him, and all was drowned in a blinding flash of golden light.
Epilogue
"Batreaux, remind me again how many gratitude crystals it took to turn you into a human?" Link asked nonchalantly, gazing over the rim of his teacup at the demon-turned-man across the table from him.
"Uhm, yes, I believe eighty was the magic number…in a manner of speaking!" Chuckled Batreaux, sipping his own tea thoughtfully. "Why do you ask, Master Link?" He asked coyly, although he believed he already knew the answer, if the knot of suspicion in his chest was any indication.
"Let's just say it's a bit awkward putting on a normal life with someone you know to be immortal." Link took another swig of tea…
… … …. … … …. … … ….
…"I'd have thought it would have been painstakingly obvious considering Demise's first rise to power happened, oh I don't know, LIKE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO?!" Girahim threw his hands in the air, flabbergasted that he was having to explain such a sorely conspicuous trait like this. "I don't know, I suppose I thought it would simply have disappeared with all of the rest of the abilities that Demise granted me at my forging." He shrugged as Link continued to glower at him from the base of the shady tree that they had been all too previously snogging and giggling under.
"For all I know, you could have been cast into another deep, undisturbed sleep in that loony bin of a purgatory you're always prattling on about…" Link retorted, his scowl deepening.
"Ohforfuckssake…" The other exhaled disbelieving, turning away toward the lake and planting his fists on his hips."It's not like it's something I asked for…" He shot back suddenly, whipping back around and offering a hateful glare of his own. "Pssshhhhh…." He waved an impatient hand toward Link, turning his attention back to Lake Floria.
"How do you even know…that you're…"
"IMMORTAL?" Girahim spat viciously. When the boy didn't say anything, he exhaled deeply and turned back toward the tree. Flopping back down next to Link, he plucked a flower from just behind the other, leaning close into him as he reached for it. The Demons eyes locked onto his and he licked his chin as he withdrew the little pink bud. "Look at this flower, Link…What do you see?"
"I see the stupid, pink wreath of the silly things you made yesterday and forced me to dance around in." Link muttered darkly.
"Forced? I'm truly offended Sky-child, I would never force you to do anything!" He feigned innocence.
"Threatening me with my clothes hidden in Headmaster Gaeporas office is as close to 'forcing' as literally drawing your sword." The Demon laughed wickedly.
"Very well, as you say my love…but in all seriousness…when I look at this flower, I simply see another flower; another moment in time. I don't spare a thought for its passing, I didn't second guess myself even as my fingers reached for it only moments ago, severing it from its life force in a mere blink of an eye. But when I see you, my little hero…when I see the way you yearn for the lost beauty of a season past, or weep at the loss of a loved one, or cringe at the sound of a fallen tree…it makes me ache inside. The thing that scares me more than anything else…" His voice dropped into a barely-audible whisper that Link strained his long ears to hear, leaning close. "…is the day that will surely come to take you away as well…to a place where I cannot follow…" He threw the expired blossom to the ground and squeezed Links hands in his permanently blackened ones, tears threatening his eyes. Link didn't know what to say as he leaned his forehead against Girahims, lost in his philosophical thoughts…
… … …. … … …. … … ….
"Yes," Sniffed Batreaux a bit regretfully. "Unfortunately, being neither a demon, nor a powerful being of magic Master Link, I'm afraid I cannot help you in an errand to obtain immortality—"He began but Link cut in;
"No, no, Bats you misunderstand me. Girahim would like to become human…again…" Link added, forgetting momentarily that his demon had indeed once been a simple inhabitant of the surface world, much like himself.
"Ohhh! Uhhh…" Batreaux nearly dropped his tea in his excitement. "I-I see. Well, Master Link I know it took quite a lot of gratitude crystals to turn me…" This didn't faze Link in the slightest. He would clean Pipit's mother's house until the cuckoos came home to obtain however many crystals it would take. He brought his focus back to the conversation at hand as Batreaux continued. "You see, Master Link what I'm trying to say is; Master Girahim isn't what the other demons would deem pure-born. In fact, my former kind would refer to his type colloquially as a 'turned one'; that is to say, a man who has been turned by a great and powerful magic force, as opposed to being simply born into being… I wonder what that makes me then…?" He trailed off thoughtfully, but Link was smiling. He leaned across the table;
"Batreaux, are you saying it would be easier to turn Girahim back then?"
"Well, yes! That is, I believe so Master Link…you see, there is another method…a simpler method that I myself got wind of and tried first, but I eventually discovered that the Cursed Medal simply wasn't powerful enough for me to—"
The Cursed Medal. OF COURSE.
"Bats…" Link said softly, quelling him to silence, "Can you show me?"
THE END
