CHAPTER 8 – Going Down in Flames

Blah.

If any of you get the reference, PM me. ;D You'll know it when you see it. Seriously, it's pretty obvious. That's what happens when you go a solid week without sleeping properly, and living off energy drinks, coffee, and muffins. . Don't judge me. Going Down in Flames is by 3 Doors Down. This chapter is shorter than the rest, because I wanted to drop-kick my laptop out of the house. Suffice to say... It wasn't flowing as easy as usual, and I got.. frustrated.

He woke to find his head resting on the demon's lap, his hair being stroked softly. He was dressed again and the larger wounds had been bandaged, but the first thing that caught his attention was the Demon Lord and his uncharacteristic silence. Ghirahim was gazing down at the boy, his expression unreadable.

The boy went to sit up but nearly swooned, falling back to the demon's lap. "What happened?" he mumbled, his throat sore and dry from his earlier cries. He remembered the excruciating agony that had wracked his body, a pain that the demon didn't cause.

He glanced down at his left hand on a whim, his eyes widening. The Triforce... the symbol that had been marked on the back of his hand since he had recovered the three pieces... it was gone. The Goddess had abandoned him. He lowered his hand after a moment, his eyes closing.

Why, Goddess? Why have you abandoned me? What have I done wrong? He demanded in his thoughts, balling his hand into a fist.

"The Goddess has forsaken you for feeling the way you do. My kind were made into demons because we were open about the way we felt; the Goddess exiled us to the demon realm, to live amongst the true monsters. Few demons are cruel and sadistic." the demon murmured to him in his mind, still stroking his hair. "Most of my people don't deserve to be called demons. But because the Goddess decided that we would not be swayed, she abandoned us. Just as she has abandoned you."

When Link said nothing, the demon continued. "We were passionate and proud, enjoying our lives to the fullest. She decided we should be humble. My people were not meant to be humble. When we didn't change, she flung us aside like trash."

Link opened his eyes slowly and looked up at the demon, beginning to understand. "She abandoned your people?" he mumbled, his brows furrowed.

Ghirahim nodded slowly, his eyes hard as he began to speak again. "As always, history is written by the victors, the survivors. Our tale was lost over time, and your people began to see us as monsters. Admittedly, some of us are. I, myself, am rather bloodthirsty, but I believe that's because I am a sword spirit. As a weapon, I need to be bloodthirsty and ruthless. There is no place for kindness on the battlefield." he chuckled wryly.

The hero – now not much of a hero, after losing his Goddess's approval – slowly sat up, staring at the back of his hand. While his thoughts had been racing only an hour ago, his mind was deadly calm.

"I suppose you might think of this as being freed. You no longer have to serve the Goddess; you are free to walk your own path, not one chosen for you. That doesn't make you inherently evil, though; it's more like you've become much like anyone else. Not everyone is a hero, sky child."

Not everyone is a hero... the words rang in his ears, reverberating through his skull. He's right... This doesn't mean I'm cursed now, or something. His eyes widened, finally meeting the other's tawny eyes.

For the first time since they had formed their alliance, the boy moved first. He turned slowly and pressed his lips to the demon's, his eyes half closed as his hand raised to touch the man's cheek. If anything, the Demon Lord seemed surprised by the touch. That, of course, didn't stop him from responding to the kiss.

Unlike the previous kisses they had shared, this one was different. The demon's touches were gentle, almost as if he feared breaking the boy. Even the hand that slowly moved to rest on the boy's hip was subdued, almost as soft as the lips against his own. Slowly, his body began to relax.

After a short while, Link began to run out of air. He pulled back and took a gasping breath, opening his eyes again. A drop of water splashed onto his cheek; his hair fell back from his face as he looked skyward. Clouds covered the sky, large droplets of water falling around them.

Ghirahim raised a hand slowly, and without looking away from the blonde, formed a barrier around them. They watched as the rain slid across the smooth surface and fall to the ground, sinking into the grass and soil.

With the demon's barrier protecting them from the wet and cold, they watched the rain.

"Clothes're on the bench." Setanta waved a hand at the pair, ignoring the water dripping onto the floor. "Pay me."

Link almost rolled his eyes, but handed him a small pouch of rupees. "Thanks." he murmured, picking up the bundle. Water was still dripping from his hair and clothes, leaving a small puddle around him. The demon beside him was equally soaked, only he didn't look like a drowned rat.

The man opened the pouch and looked into it, nodding in satisfaction. "Good, good. Now shoo." he waved a hand at them and turned away.

The Demon Lord rose a brow at the boy and put a hand on his shoulder, guiding him back out the door. "Shall we teleport using my 'clicky-thing' or shall we spend hours slogging through the rain and mud? I'd much prefer to get some rest first." he tilted his head, not bothering to form another barrier. They had still ended up drenched once the ground became slick with rain. Somehow.

"Clicky-thing."

"Getting lazy already, sky child?"

"Shut up and take me somewhere warm and dry. And then get me lunch."

"You think you can boss around the fabulous Demon Lord Ghirahim?" the demon demanded, looking outraged. "You think you can tell me what to do? You may be my master, but you do not order me around."

"I said feed me. That means feed me."

"You are incorrigible, boy."

"Yeah, I've heard that a few times."

The demon sighed. Then they vanished.

The snark duo appeared in front of a cliff face, a small waterfall mixing with the still-falling rain. Lilies filled the edges of the stream, the water gurgling softly. "Where are we?" he murmured, his blue eyes darting around, finally settling on a glowing purple-blue stone. "A Timeshift Stone?"

Ghirahim nodded and led him towards a small cave, partially concealed by the flowing water. "Indeed. The cave is much nicer with the stone activated. Without it, the cave would be filled with rubble." brushing aside the boy's questions, the demon walked onwards.

The hero sighed inwardly as he followed him.

The demon was right though; the cave lacked a door, but the temperature wasn't cold enough to worry about that, and it was sparsely furnished. With only a bed and a table, the place seemed oddly barren, compared to the demon's usual taste.

Dragging the boy out of his thoughts, the demon spoke. "Do you know what you want to do next, sky child?" he asked, his soaked clothes vanishing.

Like the prudish, innocent (pffft) boy he was, he averted his eyes. But not before catching a glimpse of the male's muscular body. He felt his face heating up again, so turned his back to the demon. "I don't know. I want to go to the demon realm, but I'd prefer to get a little stronger before I go. I don't relish the idea of becoming some monster's dinner." he said wryly, keeping himself from thinking about said demon's figure. Blah, blah, Groose in tights, Groose in tights. He thought to himself, biting the inside of his cheek.

And of course, two strong hands began to strip him of his equipment, clothes, and dignity. Well, the little dignity that remained. Soon, he was shivering, the cool air caressing his bare flesh. For once, the demon didn't seem all that intent on messing with the boy. He was silent as he passed the sky child a blanket from the bed, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Well then, we shall rest for today. After losing the favor of the Goddess and having your friends showcase their arrogance – pardon, apathy – for my kind, you must be tired. Look, you're quivering." he teased, tugging on the blue diamond earring the boy wore. "What kind of demon would I be, if I couldn't take good care of my master?" he whispered. "And I am simply one hell of a demon."

The boy chuckled at his words and turned his head to the side, unable to stop himself from enjoying the touch. "Well then, how about..." he turned around and leaned up to kiss along the demon's jawline, his movement a little awkward having not been this... promiscuous. He remembered how the demon had moved earlier, and pressed his body against the other. "How about..." he repeated, his tone soft and playful.

When Ghirahim let his eyes slide closed, wrapping his arms around the boy, Link finished his sentence as he nipped at the demon's pointed ear. "How about you get me some lunch?" he smirked and twisted out of his arms, still managing to hold the blanket around his figure. He might sleep with the demon, but he wasn't about to go prancing about naked in front of him. Not. Ever.

The Demon Lord opened his eyes, looking very annoyed. "One day, sky child. One day." he threatened, letting him go before snapping his fingers and disappearing.

At least an hour later, the demon returned. With a click of his fingers, a loaf of bread and a small pot of honey appeared on the table. A few gold and red fruits lay beside the bread, a bottle of dark red liquid appearing with another snap of the demon's fingers.

Link had made himself comfortable in the cave, curling up on the large bed beneath a blanket. His hair stuck out from under the blankets, ruffled and messy. At the small noises the demon had made, he peeked out at him. "What is that?" he gestured to the bottle. "Something smells fruity... is that it?" he sniffed at the air, wrapping the blanket around himself as he sat up on the bed.

Ghirahim nodded as the boy tore off a hunk of bread and smeared the top with honey, tasting it gingerly before he started to devour the food. "It's wine. I doubt you've had it before, but I'm quite fond of it. You can thank Zero for the food and drink." he stretched his arms before laying back on the bed, his head resting on his hands. "I don't have to eat, so it's all for you."

Why do I feel so... protective of this boy? If I treated him as a possession, I could understand that. I am a greedy bastard, after all. But this kindness? This trust? I suppose it stems from his humanity. If he was a demon, I would be watching my back at all time. Maybe Zero was right when she spoke of his light. The demon thought to himself, gazing up at the cave ceiling.

What will happen to me? She mentioned the effects the darkness would have on someone from the light, but what about the reverse? If light and dark are two sides of the same coin, one would think that it could work both ways... which might leave me distastefully bonded to the light. Not for the first time, he wondered how much of a good idea it was to let the boy become his master.

This will probably bite me in the ass later. I can see it now; the once-hero and the ex-villain end up saving the world. Wouldn't that be nicely ironic? Although... it might be worth it, just to prod the Goddess in the side. Annoying her is likely not a good idea, but irritating her is almost as much fun as irritating her hero. Admittedly, I didn't think she would remove her blessing from the sky child... even for her, it's a little disproportionate. Her chosen hero saves an enemy and forms a truce with him? That's not really worthy of that level of retribution.

Isn't it ironic? Hard work hardly pays. Even I can't help but feel a touch of pity for the boy. Someone with his personality and attitude is bound to face an unhappy life. He probably has some grand dreams of settling down and living to an old age, enjoying a peaceful existence. He will soon know that all dreams eventually disappear, when the dreamers wake.