Forsaken is by Dream Theater. Be warned, there is smut ahead. . Enjoy! -Matty-cchi
The boy had dark circles beneath his eyes, a tell-tale sign of the nightmares that had been plaguing him. He longed for the sword to be completed so he could distract himself with adventure and excitement. He'd never been particularly good at waiting, and it irked him even now.
"Boy, why is the champion of the goddess travelling with a demon?" she asked after a moment, rocking back on her chair. "Particularly the one demon who tried to kill you on so many occasions." her head was tilted to the side, her eyes fixed on him.
Link sighed and set down the core of the fruit, rubbing his eyes with his other hand. "He saved my life, and he asked for my help." he muttered, looking up at her tiredly. "I didn't have anything to do once Demise was destroyed."
The demon nodded thoughtfully. "I never liked that guy anyway. You did a good thing." she praised. "There's something odd about you, boy. It's like you're filled with a blinding light. Give it enough room to grow, and soon you may be able to turn the darkest creatures to the light." she smiled at him gently. "Just be careful that the light doesn't swallow you. The light is just as unforgiving as the dark."
He studied her curiously, wondering what she meant. "Is that what happened to Icarus?" he asked after a moment of hesitation.
Zero's eyes hardened and she sighed faintly. "He was once a child of the light, much like yourself. We met, and he took a liking to me. It began as a simple crush, but it became stronger over time. I couldn't find it in myself to continue down the path I was taking, one of pain and suffering in others. I began to turn to the light, but he had already become darker. His light faded as mine grew lighter. Creatures of light and darkness were never meant to be together, Link."
The woman laughed suddenly and pushed her hair back from her face – the hero couldn't help but notice the laugh was forced, not reaching her eyes. She looks very, very sad. He thought. "But the light wouldn't exist without the darkness." he pointed out. "It's like one of the stories I grew up with. A boy loved this girl so much, they were always together. One day, the girl grew ill and died. Because the goddess favored her so much, she gave her a place amongst the clouds; a place where she could shine brightly for all to see."
He could tell that the demon was listening intently, her crimson eyes concealing whatever she was feeling. "Every day, the boy looked up at the girl he loved and wished he could be there with her. He grew old and sad, and everyone he once knew had either died or moved on. The goddess saw how lonely he was, and took pity on him. She came to him one night, and told him that she would let him spend all eternity with the girl. Delighted, the man asked what the price was."
"The goddess studied him for a long moment before speaking again. She told him that he would have a place in the sky beside the girl, but they would only be able to be together sometimes. Whenever they weren't together, he would be tasked with watching over her from a distance, forever following her. He agreed, and the goddess placed him in the sky." he continued.
"However, he found that he was still alone. The girl was nowhere in sight. He began to grow sad again, and turned his face away. Suddenly, a blinding light filled his vision. The girl had stepped into view, shining in a way he had never seen before. Just as the goddess had said, he would watch her from afar, until the day they could be together. When he was in the sky, the darkness that covered the land would be filled with a brilliant silver light that only dimmed when he began to grow sad again. Whenever the girl was in the sky, the darkness vanished entirely, the land bathed in the purest golden light. The goddess named them the moon and the sun."
"Sometimes, the two can be seen in the sky together, watching over the land." he finished, sitting back in his chair. "The dark and light can be together, even though they're so different."
Zero remained silent, gazing at her hands. "You make a good point. I shall have to think about it once I finish making your sword." she said softly, getting up. "But be careful. I've never seen Ghirahim this... intense. Don't let your light dim."
With those parting words, she breezed out of the room. Link frowned and stood. I'll borrow one of those swords from yesterday and practice a little. I don't have anything else to do. He thought to himself, wandering through the deserted halls. He found himself in a room full of armor and weapons after a while.
A set of midnight black armor caught his eye, engraved with elaborate designs that reminded him of feathers. He leaned closer to inspect it properly, gazing intently at the metal. A small symbol was etched between two feathers, one too faded to make out.
"That's Zero's old armor. She hasn't worn it since I met her." a voice sounded from behind the hero, almost making him jump out of his skin. Once he was sure his skin was firmly in place, he turned to look at the boy.
Icarus was leaning against the wall, next to a wickedly curved pair of blades. "She used these, too." he gestured at the weapons, an odd expression in his eyes. "She made me a set of armor, but I haven't used it. I wouldn't want it to get damaged." he admitted.
"You should." the hero said suddenly, straightening his back. "She made it for you to wear, after all."
The other boy turned his gaze upon him, his golden eyes fixing him in place. "I heard your story about the moon and the sun." he said quietly. "I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. Just as Zero said, my own light dimmed." he looked away, running his fingertips across a set of gilded armor – one that Link realized was probably the one made for Icarus.
"Just because it dimmed, doesn't mean it can't ever be bright again." he murmured, turning to find himself a sword. He felt eyes on him the whole time.
"If you want to practice, you should use one of the blades here. Few of them have ever been used. Zero won't mind if you test her weapons. She makes more all the time." he chuckled, selecting a dagger from the wall. "But you should learn to fight with things other than a sword. If you lose your blade, you won't have anything to defend yourself with."
Link glanced at him as he held the dagger out to him, hilt first. "Are you offering to teach me?" he asked wryly, taking the blade and admiring it.
"I am not." Icarus shook his head slowly and gestured at all the different types of weapons. "Swordplay is fairly difficult to learn, but smaller blades are lighter and faster, so you'll be able to learn quickly. Even if you're not a master with a dagger, you'll at least be able to cause a small amount of damage if you fight with one."
He has a point. He thought. I've contemplated fighting with something other than a sword, but I've never had a chance. This dagger is pretty light though... If I ever face an enemy that stops me from using my sword, I'll be able to use this. A small grin crossed his lips.
"Just remember that throwing your dagger is never a good idea, even if you haven't lost your sword. You wouldn't throw away your sword, so don't throw your dagger." he interjected, interrupting his thoughts. "Keep that dagger. Hell, take a few more for good measure. Learn how to use different types of daggers, and even keep a few on yourself. You can hide one in your boot if you want." he shrugged.
"Thank you." Link nodded to him and twisted the dagger in his hand, slicing through the air with the tip. Satisfied with the feel, he looked back at Icarus. The boy was holding out a sheath the same size as the dagger in his hand. Taking it, he slid the dagger into it and attached it to his belt, checking that it was easy to reach with both hands.
"Pick a few daggers. If they carry that symbol, don't take those ones." he gestured towards the symbol on the black armor. "They belong to Zero. Everything else is fair game. Take your pick, hero."
By the time Link had turned to look at him again, the boy was gone. "Dammit! Why do people keep disappearing whenever I talk to them?!" he grumbled, selecting two more daggers and sliding them into each boot.
"Who keeps disappearing?" Ghirahim's voice came from next to him, causing Link to jump for the second time in an hour. "You're the one who keeps moving about, sky child." his brows furrowed. "Why are you looking at me like I'm the one who committed a terrible crime?"
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
"I do now."
"Well then." Ghirahim placed his hands over his chest, closing his eyes halfway and bowing his head. "Be still, my beating heart." he whispered dramatically.
Link rolled his eyes and turned away, leaving the armory with the demon in tow. "Fight me." he commanded, walking out to the garden and turning to face the man.
The Demon Lord just blinked at him. And blinked a second time. "Most of my fighting relies on magic; if I fight you, there's a chance my power might run out. That would defeat the purpose of coming here." he said slowly, gazing at the boy as if waiting for him to realize how silly the request was.
The hero shook his head and folded his arms. "Fine then. I'll just fight imaginary enemies, because that will teach me to fight properly." he said sarcastically.
Ghirahim was unamused.
"So unless you have something better in mind..."
Ghirahim was suddenly amused.
"other than that – yes, I know exactly what you were thinking and it's not going to happen again – you should at least guide me. You used daggers whenever we fought. Just teach me how to use one properly. Unless you don't know how, which is pretty funny, seeing as how you're a sword spirit."
And Ghirahim was back to being unamused. "I'll show you how not to stab yourself with a dagger, if that's what you want." he snarked. "But I'm not going to go easy on you, sky child."
"I'd be worried if you did go easy on me." he muttered under his breath as the demon walked towards him. "Whenever things are going well, something bad always happens. Every time."
After a few hours of fighting with daggers, the two separated, the hero leaning back against a tree to catch his breath. "I haven't fought for that long in ages. Am I getting any better?" he looked up at the Demon Lord, panting heavily.
Ghirahim nodded imperceptibly and sat down on the trampled grass, one leg folded beneath him. "You're better than when you started." he admitted. "But you're going to need more practice. We'll be staying here until the sword is finished, so you should practice as much as possible. And try to stop telegraphing your attacks. You're incredibly predictable, sky child."
The blonde grumbled under his breath and slid down the tree until he was sitting with his back against it, his legs stretched out before him. "You didn't have to elbow me in the face. Look at this." he pointed at his swollen eye, the skin turning an angry shade of purple. "You gave me a black eye."
"You wanted to fight me. Your enemies won't be so kind in a fight, and neither will I." the demon pointed out.
Link looked at him with his good eye, the other half closed. "Does that mean you're not my enemy?" he asked wryly, tilting his head to the side. "You haven't tried to kill me yet, or broken our truce. Aside from the black eye."
"You needed it. Think of it as a learning experience." he said sweetly. "I wouldn't call myself your enemy... but nor would I call myself your friend. I'd much rather think of myself as your stunning, sensational mentor, who also happens to require your help."
"I'm not even going to argue with you." he sighed and leaned his head back against the tree, closing his eyes. "I don't want you to be my enemy, Ghirahim." he said softly, his breathing beginning to slow as his body relaxed.
"Being your enemy has its benefits, yes, but you'll always be trying to kill me. We certainly can't have that, can we?" the demon's voice sounded from beside his ear, having crawled over to the boy while his eyes were closed and perched next to him. "But if you consider me a friend... I would never be able to torture you, sky child."
Link's eyes were wide as the Demon Lord ran the tips of his fingers across the boy's cheek, almost humming as he spoke. His breath hitched in his chest as the man bit him on the ear hard, the teeth not piercing the skin. "But I can do this, whether I'm your friend or not." he purred, moving to straddle the boy's legs and pin him to the tree.
The blonde found his eyes glued to the other's face, his chest rising and falling faster than usual. He couldn't blink, couldn't bear to tear his eyes away; couldn't find it within himself to resist the demon's advances.
"We still have plenty of time to spare before the blade is complete... why don't we spend it in a more enjoyable fashion?" he teased, moving closer to the boy. "You're good enough with a blade, but your other talents are sadly... lacking."
Once again, Link found himself completely captivated by the unusual golden brown hue of the other's eyes. If he stared long enough, he briefly wondered if he would fall into those endless tawny depths. "You have beautiful eyes..." the words slipped out before he knew what he was saying, surprising them both.
The demon was temporarily disarmed. He looked as startled as he would have been if Link had leaned forwards and bit him on the nose. And for once, he was speechless. "Sky child...?" Almost speechless.
The hero blushed lightly and pushed him back, wriggling free of the Demon Lord's grasp. "I should be practising." he drew one of his new daggers and looked back at the demon. "Come on."
Ghirahim chuckled softly and shook his head. "No more, Link. Even if we practised all day and night, there's very little I can teach you. You'd do better learning from a real fight." he stood up and brushed himself clean of grass and dirt, looking at him with an indecipherable expression.
Link watched him go with a frown, sheathing his dagger again. He always calls me 'sky child' or 'boy'. It's weird hearing him use my name. He thought, standing alone in the clearing. Well, I guess I'll just practice with a bow.
He shrugged and headed back to the armory, choosing a simple wooden bow and a quiver of arrows before making his way to the target outside. Not one of his arrows missed the target.
Exhausted from the day's training, the hero slowly made his way to his bedroom. He had eaten a hearty dinner of stew and bread – made by Zero, as she had an hour or two of free time while she waited for the metal to cool fully. Dinner had been quiet, but he was beginning to feel comfortable with these strange people.
Zero was a little too intense, constantly asking questions about Skyloft and his adventures, pestering him for every little detail. Icarus sat in surly silence, speaking only to ask for a second helping of stew. Ghirahim somehow dominated most of the conversation, simply chatting as they ate.
It was the strangest dinner he had ever had, but one of the best. He smiled to himself as he tugged off his tunic, setting it at the foot of his bed. I almost want to stay here. He realized, stripping down to his trousers before climbing under the blankets. They're like a family, despite being absolutely bonkers.
He sighed happily and curled up on his side, bringing his knees to his chest. I'll have to come back here. His mind drifted into thoughts of warm bowls of stew and freshly baked bread, the sound of laughter and pointless chatting. He fell asleep, a smile still on his lips.
A warm hand on his cheek woke him, his eyes slowly opening. "Sky child... wake up." a voice sounded beside his ear, making him shiver despite the warmth. "This won't be as much fun if you're asleep." he teased.
Link looked up at the demon, not entirely surprised to find him straddling the boy's legs again and murmuring into his ear. "What is it now?" he mumbled, a little grumpy at having been woken up. "It's not even dawn yet."
Ghirahim smirked at him and lowered his head, running the tip of his tongue down the hero's neck. When the blonde shuddered, it only served to incite the demon; bites and small bruises began to litter his neck and shoulders, the boy too tired to bother resisting.
After all, it did feel kinda nice. He hummed and bared his neck to the other male, his eyes sliding closed again from the feeling. Unlike the last time the two were together, things did not dissolve into a blur. If anything, he felt more alive than ever.
A groan escaped his parted lips as he felt the demon push his knee between the boy's legs, pressing up against his hips. He couldn't help but rock back against it, unconsciously raising his hands to tangle them in the man's pale hair.
A tiny part of his mind noted that they had somehow slipped further under the blankets, pressed tightly together. The larger part of his mind told the smaller part to shut up and enjoy the fun.
The Demon Lord growled softly and bit the youth's lower lip hard enough to draw blood as he slid a hand down, almost tearing his pants off. Also unlike last time, the two were heated, almost frenzied as the demon sank into the boy again.
He threw his head back with a cry, cut short by the demon's hand over his mouth. "No yelling." he purred, slowly moving his hand away. "Behave yourself, sky child." Beneath him, the hero gasped and writhed pathetically, trying to keep himself quiet as well as get the demon to move.
Finally, the demon rolled his hips – one long, drawn out motion that had Link biting his lip to keep himself from letting out another cry. The pain was more intense than he remembered, his hands shifting down to tear into the demon's back, drawing lines of crimson across the pale flesh. He tasted blood on his tongue and numbly realized that he must have bitten through his lip, feeling the warmth seep down his chin.
With his chest heaving and limbs quivering, the boy arched up against the larger male. Ghirahim growled again, a black dagger appearing in his hand. He slowly slid the tip across the hero's collarbone, bending his head to lap up the fresh blood as he began to tear into the boy.
Eventually, the combined sensations proved too much for the boy, leaving him spent and limp beneath the Demon Lord. The dagger cast aside, the male sank his teeth into the young man's neck as his release washed over him.
The two lay there, the silence broken only by their heavy panting. Neither one wanted to be the first to say anything, so the silence continued on. The demon finally moved to lay beside the boy, one hand idly stroking the fine muscles on the young man's chest. Breaking the silence, the demon spoke.
"Your eyes are beautiful too, sky child."