Morning always came quickly in the castle. Servants rise with the sun and promptly get to work on the chores of their craft. Tidying up the endless corridors and numerous rooms, to making breakfast for the royal family, and the apparent bonus of spreading gossip. Fi became aware rather quickly of the rumorous fire that spread through the castle walls. The Princess gave the demon a room!? What was she thinking? Fi could already bet that the flames had flared out into the streets as well. She made notes of every word shared between the staff and the guards as her form glided down the halls. Fi was ready to begin her typical morning routine that had unfortunately gained a step since yesterday.
Turning to the right, she followed the red satin rug to the far reaches of the western wing. Zelda had put in her charge of keeping an eye on their temperamental houseguest. She was honored to perform any task given to her, but she did find concern creeping into her equations and analysis. Fi tried to push it away as nothing threw the numbers off more than fear, but it could not be helped. The world she knew Ghirahim wanted. A hot world of darkness and death. The image scared her, and she hated it. Fi would do what was necessary to stop that from ever coming to pass. That is, after all, what she was made for. The weapon to combat evil when in the hands of the hero she cared deeply about.
Fi stopped when her eyes fell on a curious sight before her. A tower of folded white sheets wobbled as it drifted towards her only once she got closer did she see a pair of dainty hands and feet that carried them along. Fi stepped aside, and the tower stopped as a short maid came into view.
"Good morning, Fi!" The small woman chirped, her expression strained as she shifted the stack on linens on her knee.
"Good morning, Emi," Fi said as her eyes looked up and down at the wavering pile. Emi noticed Fi's interest and laughed.
"I just cleared out the furniture shrouds of the guest room."
Fi would have blinked if she could. Her gaze snapped to Emi. Her features seemed fine, and there were no visible wounds or abrasions. Even her mood seemed unscathed.
"The girls were too afraid to get close to a demon. So we drew straws, and well, I got the short stick. Though it was not that bad at all, the room seemed empty when I came knockin'."
Fi tensed, her form dashed down the hall towards the room. She rocketed away with enough force to knock Emi partially off-balance. The maid yelped as she fought to keep the linens from falling to the floor.
"Oh my..." She muttered, but Fi was already long gone. She rounded the last bend in the hall before leaping through the door and fazing into the room. It was dimly light with candles, and dark sheets and blankets were spread across the bed. Her eyes and mind scanned the room for any signs of life or auras, and she sighed when her eyes came to rest on Ghirahim's form bent over a bowl resting on the vanity. His back was to her, but she could see him splash his face with water in the mirror. His eyes met her reflection as he lifted his head before he turned, patting his face into a towel.
"You know you could have knocked,"
Ghirahim said as he pulled the cloth away from his face. Fi scolded herself for acting so rashly. She nodded.
"My apologies."
Fi watched as the demon opened a small jar of dark pink powder and gently tapped some into the upturned lid. he then wetted the washcloth, ran some water out into the powder, and began to mix it with a brush that rested just off the side. Their 'guest' applied the makeup under his eyes with one controlled and skilled arching stroke of the brush. Ghirahim cleaned the tool, set it down, and closed the jar. He then snapped, and the rest of his appeal appeared on his person in a flurry of red and yellow diamonds. His gold belt with the red jewel encrusted within, a golden forearm bracelet, and his crimson mantle. Ghirahim then threaded a sky blue diamond earring into his one visible ear.
"Apology accepted, I suppose." He cooed. Ghirahim smiled and placed a hand on his hip. "So, are you going to show me around, or are we just going to stand here and stare at each other?"
Fi gave the demon and the room another once over. Nothing seemed out of place, and Ghirahim appeared to be back to his usual self that she remembered all those years ago. Fi turned and exited the room with Ghirahim in tow. The door shut behind him with a click. The pair began their journey down the hall.
"As a connoisseur of Architecture, I must admit this castle is quite lovely. More gothic influences than I was expecting. Though some of the decorations are a bit on the tacky side."
Ghirahim commented as they walked. Fi remained silent. She had nothing to say to him though she did cast her eyes up for a brief moment. He was right; the archways were indicative of a gothic design. Hyrule Castle was often what came to one's mind when one imagined what any castle might look like.
Ghirahim cocked his head to the left as the spirit before him craned her neck to look up. She was a hard one to read. He did not think someone could look more stoic than her. This songbird was not like most others of its kind. Most birds sang sweet songs while flitting about in the morning air; they did not brood in silent scrutiny. Granted...she was no ordinary bird.
They continued. The halls then converged and spilled out into an enormous main entrance that seemed to double as a ballroom with an equally grand staircase leading up to each wing's second story. The marble floor shined with fresh polish, and lights danced from an impressive chancellor that hung above. More guards were posted along the walls at intervals, and each one glanced their way, breaking their bearing as a sheen of awe and paranoia enveloped each pair of eyes.
"My my. Quite the entrance too. They spared no expense to furnish this castle, haven't they?"
Ghirahim mused as he followed the floating spirit down the stairs. His eyes studied the chancellor for a moment. Unique jewels suspended by threads, interwoven to create an exceptional glittering dispersion that bathed them in warm light.
His gaze flicked back to Fi as he was expecting some form of a comment on his snide remark. Instead, she seemed to ignore him as her gaze scanned the space, almost as if she was taking in every detail she could. What or who rather was she doing this for? Was her duty not to aid the hero in his quest? A hero that was most notably absent from this obviously daily routine. Where was he anyway?
Ghirahim could admit to himself that he was glad that the reincarnation of the sky child seemed to be preoccupied elsewhere. Still, another part of him was quickly quelled, and stowed into the deepest recesses of his mind, the reason why he was glad. The demon would have been afraid. Afraid to face the human who managed to defeat the Demon King in combat.
Ghirahim also would not have known what to do or how to act. And that piece just added insult to injury.
Ghirahim huffed as Fi effectively ignored him as she floated along. She occasionally nodded towards those who looked her way though once they noticed he was following her, they quickly averted their gaze. The demon pursed his lips as he wondered how he would survive this hellish imprisonment. Boredom was already settling in, and he doubted a monster who was desperate for something stimulating would be a welcome guest in the castle. Ghirahim's frown curled into a smirk. Well, that was it then; if he was to stay here, he might as well have some fun with it, right?
Ghirahim trotted forward, so he was walking beside the other sword spirit.
"What exactly do you do around the castle? I thought you were supposed to be sepulchered in that grand temple and showered with flowers and praise for the next millennium. I'll admit when I saw you come down from on high, I was astounded. Both by your visage and the swing behind that kick of yours."
Fi remained quiet for a moment as they turned down a new hallway.
"My rest has been delayed. A darkness remains in the land despite the defeat of Ganon and his forces."
A dramatic gasp came from the demon lord.
"Oh? So it's my fault? What a pity."
"The chances of this evil presence being just you or the suggestion of a larger plot are inconclusive-a split 50% probability."
Fi retorted. Ghirahim pouted and splayed his hand across his chest.
"Tsk. Come now, 'just me,' that's not giving me enough credit."
Fi seemed to ignore him again as they walked down the hall. The demon sighed, letting his gaze wander. Where were they going? The halls grew thin and less extravagant--more nooks and crannies, wear and tear, signs of a simpler life. Faint squeaks from above betrayed the likely colony of Keese living up in the castle's hard-to-reach places. Ghirahim wondered what other little creatures or monsters had stowed away in the cracks.
Ghirahim's nose is what pulled his eyes from above. Sweet and savory scents wafted into the hall. No doubt the castle kitchen was not far. What would Fi want from there? Speaking of, the purple and blue sprite fluttered forward towards a small open arched doorway, but she jumped back when there was a mighty crash, and an enormous man fell to the stone floor with a broom in his hands. Ghirahim stifled a laugh as Fi hovered over the cook as he groaned. A high-pitched shrill followed.
"Hal, you are on the floor."
Fi stated, looking down at the giant man before hovering out of the way as Hal rose to his feet and brushed the dust from his apron. Hal towered over them both, a kind man with bronzed skin and dark hair. Ghirahim could admit he was nice to look at despite being a human.
"Congrats, you have eyes."
Hal huffed, his smoldering eyes flicked over Fi and the demon standing behind her, who gave a smirk and little wave. Fi cocked her head to the left briefly, and the cook sighed.
"A Keese is loose in the kitchen."
Another crash occurred as a kitchen maid clattered onto the table, scattering fruit and bread. The keese squeaked and darted about the room. Hal snatched the broom from the floor as he charged back into his kitchen. Fi floated in after him with Ghirahim leaning on the door frame.
The kitchen was spacious, with two massive tables covered in bowls and utensils, cutting boards with sliced fruits and vegetables. On a typical day, this place would be hard at work preparing meals for the royal family. Now, it looked as though a tornado whipped through it.
Ghirahim jumped as the keese soared past his face. He blinked, so even keese has changed with time. Its single eye darted about the room as it fluttered up and clung to an opened cabinet. His eyes narrowed; something seemed off about the creature. Its flight pattern...
"The little bastard is earning a dismembered trip to the apothecary!"
Hal hissed. Fi looked over at the kitchen staff before she carefully approached the cabinet. She paused as the keese shrieked at her, the little hooks on its wings digging further into the hardwood. Fi's shawl rippled as she reached up, startling the creature into taking flight once more. It darted around her but not fast enough to avoid a strike with a black high heel. The keese tumbled to the floor, squeaking as it struggled to hold itself up. Hal rushed over to deliver the final blow with a broom, but the monster retook flight and crashed into an upturned basket.
"You're never going to catch it if you keep this up."
Ghirahim twirled his hand at the scene. Hal huffed.
"Then why don't you help instead of just standing there watching?"
"Because I find watching you struggle to do even the most straightforward of tasks entertaining."
Ghirahim purred, though watching the little creature struggle and fight inside the basket made him admit that the beastie had spirit. Snapping his fingers, a dark-colored cloth appeared in his hands before Ghirahim stepped towards the woven case. The fabric fluttered in the air and was draped over the container. Ghirahim patted the closed end with his palm, and the keese quickly retreated before it was scooped up and swaddled in the cloth in one swift motion.
"Now that wasn't so hard."
Ghirahim said, earning a glare from the cook.
"No...it wasn't. Now, give it here so I can put an end to it."
Hal moved from behind the table towards the demon but was stopped by a gloved hand.
"Ah. I caught it. It's only fitting I decide the creature's fate."
Ghirahim held the bundle to his breast. He could feel the keese trembling through all that cloth. No wonder it fought so hard. It was afraid. Ghirahim's flinty eyes flicked to Fi.
"Though I will say, you could at least have the courtesy to kill it in one blow."
Fi stayed quiet before turning to the kitchen staff while Ghirahim stepped from the room.
"I will make sure to inform everyone you will need some help and time to clean up."
Hal nodded in understanding before they went to work to tidy up the mess they had made. Fi floated out.
"There is a 95% chance that you will not kill that keese."
"Oh? Was it that obvious?"
"I was under the impression you lacked mercy."
Fi added, continuing down the hall. Ghirahim chuckled and followed after her.
"For humans, my dear. Only for humans."
The rest of the day continued with relative ease. Fi went along with her routine, dragging Ghirahim all over the castle for reasons so pointless that he could not be bothered to come up with them. She essentially went around making sure things were in order, and if they were not, Fi made a note that she would no doubt report back to her precious princess. Ghirahim was thankfully spared the torture of sitting through diner, not that a demon would ever be welcome at such a thing.
He returned to his room, placing the bundle onto the bed and taking a moment to remove his mantle. The keese squeaked softly and carefully pulled itself from the blanket to sneak a peek at its new surroundings. The tiny hooks in its wings curled to the sheets. It shrieked as it suddenly bounced when Ghirahim plopped down onto the bed. It withdrew into the bundle once more. He simpered and drummed his hand beside his thigh, adding a soft chitter.
The keese, after a moment of consideration, crept back out from the bundle. Its singular eye watched the demon for any sudden moves. Once it drew close enough, it seemed to study and sniff at Ghirahim's hand.
Ghirahim cocked his head as the bat-like being drew nearer. It favored its left side-undoubtedly a symptom of the day's earlier events. His fingers lifted and gently petted the creature. It froze and went stiff at first before relaxing and seeming to enjoy the attention. The keese purred softly, its eye closing in content.
"Don't think my kindness comes for free."
The keese chirped, and its eye opened to give the demon lord a curious look.
"I'll be needing your help with something." Ghirahim grinned as the bat hopped into his lap. "We'll give the songbird something to sing about."
He snapped his fingers, and some bandages appeared. Ghirahim started to wrap it around the sprained wing.
"In exchange, I'll heal your wounds, and you keep your life."
The keese blinked before nestling into the demon's lap. It cooed softly and made itself comfortable. Ghirahim kept petting it.
"So we have a deal then."
He laid back on the bed, and his mind quickly went to work to fabricate his next plan. Ghirahim would have some fun yet despite the situation and maybe, just maybe, teach these pathetic humans an essential lesson about who they decide to keep as an unwilling houseguest.