WARNING: Smexiness is contained herein, albeit carefully worded, which is why I think it's safe. For anyone interested in learning more about M vs MA, I started a thread on this topic in Writer's Anonymous. We all know the definitions are a bit blurry, so all we authors can do is use our best judgement.
Enjoy, then ;p
Chapter 16
All's Fair in Love and War
"Do you actually believe that by escaping the demon realm, you've fled the battle? Oh no. No, sky child. The battle has only just begun."
How he had ended up in the demon's clutches once more, he simply couldn't understand. He had parted ways with him just two hours prior. Yet, something had drawn them together again; fate, the Goddess, himself…There was no way to tell. His emotions were whirling. His thought processes were inhibited.
"I foresee wonderful things, sky child. Do you entertain as much faith in my clairvoyance as you ought to?"
It seemed mere minutes ago that he had held Midna in the same position that the demon now detained him. The world, which was turning upside down, seemed to be conspiring against him; to pull him to the demon, to take him away from everything he held dear.
Under his air of calmness lay a storm. Link almost felt as though his fever from the previous night had begun to return…
At some point during his and Ghirahim's short conversation he had turned. He stood with his back to the demon, pressed to the front of his body. He looked to the side as he listened to him. His feet were still, his arms hung down, and his heart was aflutter. A medley of thoughts and feelings conglomerated to form a mass of conflicting emotion. It was strange and frightening to be in the arms of one's enemy.
But this enemy… He was like no other.
"You claimed that to set foot in my residence again would be a thing unseen. Well, I have news for you, hero."
Link was angry. So incredibly angry. More angry than he had ever been in his life. To endure something that was by all rights a crucible, and then to return and discover that the one he had stretched his neck out for, the one for whom he had entered the battle in the first place, did not wish to see him - that took the cake.
Why doesn't Zelda want to see me? Did I do something? Did I fail her? Is Pipit the reason she doesn't want to see me? He grimaced. No matter what, he would always welcome Zelda with open, loving arms. Even if he was…jealous.
And Midna. What to do about Midna? Having been acquainted with each other for only a short time, it was natural for untold secrets to remain between them, but still…
Not to say that their period together hadn't been breathtaking. It was the stuff of legends, truthfully, in the way that he had fallen for her so swiftly. It certainly had never happened to him before. She seemed to incite in him impossibly weird and wonderful feelings. To say the least, she had certainly woken him from the slumber of a rather ordinary life.
Before Midna came along, life for him had been the usual run-of-the-mill existence of any Skyloftian knight-in-training. Link had his small group of trustworthy friends, his two best friends who he equally adored, a comfortable place to live, a satisfying college career, and a bright outlook on his future as a knight. Everything had been perfect. Then, as soon as Midna had appeared, everything went askew.
Link's face twisted with his thoughts. He recalled the event that had occurred in his room three weeks ago, before Midna had come into his life; an eternity ago, it seemed.
Pipit, in all of his sometimes overbearing protectiveness, waited in his dorm in the middle of the night to warn him against the dangers of unprotected sex; as if he actually believed that such lewd activities made up even a single minute of his and Zelda's nightly meetings in her room. How ridiculous…
Link's eyes shifted. Of course he had denied Pipit's unmerited accusations. At the same time, however, his friend's solemnity came not purely from his own imagination.
Pipit had seen it. So had many others at the academy; both students and instructors. The way Link had been looking at Zelda in recent days. Even amidst her dark period of introspection, people had noticed the difference in her behavior toward him, as well.
That is, before she had become aloof and detached from him, making him suspect that she no longer cared for him. But that had been a particularly difficult time for her, with the disturbing dreams that she'd been having, full of unsettling visions. The change had ignited in the weeks before her disappearance, crawlingly building to a maddening state of hopelessness for him up until the day that he met Midna at the Lumpy Pumpkin.
Link winced as he remembered the disquieting weeks leading up to the loss of his best friend. Other than the tiny morsels of information that he had shared with Pipit, he had spoken to no one about what Zelda's remoteness was doing to him. He felt as if a limb was slowly, methodically being severed. Eye contact during intimate conversations and friendly hugs between classes became a thing of the past as her internal struggles began to drag her down. Married with burdensome school and ceremony responsibilities, her turmoil was changing her. And it was killing him.
But they still had their nights. Those quiet, melancholy times in the evening when she needed him there; when his presence was imperative, as hers was to him.
He had never said it to her, nor had he told it to Pipit. He had never even fully admitted it to himself. But, during those nights in her room, he started to feel something different for her. It had been subtle, of course, surging only as her small, soft hands would rest upon him: squeezing his shoulder as she cried, twisting her fingers into his as she talked, lightly touching his thigh as they sat together on her bed…
Later, in her room, when she surprised him with an early birthday gift, he was left completely at a loss. The nuances, the suggestive talk…
Link shivered. Old feelings rose to meet new ones as he felt long fingers trace him.
Everything he had seen and felt in the past several hours, from debilitating illness, to intense pain, to humiliation, to the apparent duplicity of best friends, had been dreadful. Nothing had been positive. Nothing had felt…good.
Except for the demon's touch, of course.
Link's gaze came up. What good were meditations of the heart if he was about to be run through by his adversary, again?
"Such tumult exists in you. Can fascination truly be coupled with this level of disdain?" Link's head tilted.
"What?" he asked, staring ahead. The feel of immense arms around his shoulders and chest left him in a silent panic. How did he end up here? His breathing picked up.
"How can one with such hatred for another still desire that other so?" Ghirahim whispered into the human's ear. With a shortened breath, Link dropped his head to the side, only to have the exposed skin on his neck brushed. Afraid to make any sudden moves, he bit down on his lip. "You hate me, don't you, sky child? Or, you say you do, at least. But why, of all things, would you allow me to do this?" The demon slipped Link's woolen cap off of his head before burying his slender nose into thick blond hair. The human froze as he caught sight of emerald as it rushed to the ground. As one hand secured him to the demon's chest, the other toyed with the sensitivity between his neck and shoulder.
"I don't-" Link started to say before his voice was cut off by a ragged breath.
His head came to rest on his enemy's arm. The sensation produced by the demon's fingers was surprisingly distracting. There was something strangely appealing about it.
"Is it your anger, sky child? The loathsomeness brought on by your disreputable friends? Because I would simply hate to be used as some sort of palliation for your discontentment." With a smile, he breathed into Link's ear, tightening his arms around him as the human's upper body swelled in response. Ghirahim sensed his arousal.
"They're not disreputable," Link argued, trying not to lose his concentration. "They just… I mean, I don't-"
"You're beginning to stutter, hero," Ghirahim mocked, compressing him further.
"Then let go of me," Link said, lifting his chin.
"But you don't want me to, do you?" Ghirahim asked, still rubbing, enjoying the human's mental struggle as much as the previous evening.
"Of course I want you to," Link insisted.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you-"
"Is that so?" Ghirahim interrupted, circling a finger.
"What? No! I said-"
"Just shut up and enjoy it, hero," Ghirahim soothed with a mellowed tone.
"What?" Link asked again, his eyes darting as precariousness worked to steal his nerve.
"This. What is so wrong with just letting loose for a moment?"
"You're kidding," Link spat over his shoulder.
"Don't you think you've earned some much deserved gratification, sky child? You are only human, after all." Link shook his head agitatedly.
"What do you mean?"
"Something to divert you from your troubles; from your friends who have proven to be more of a disillusionment than a solace."
"That's not how it is," Link grumbled. The single aspect of his position that he was grateful for was that the demon couldn't see his watery eyes.
"Of course it is."
"You're my enemy," Link stated, not only to the demon, but to himself. "Why don't you just fight me, kill me, and get it over with?"
"We already played that game, hero," Ghirahim said with a grin. "Remember?"
"I mean kill me for real," Link gnarled through gritted teeth.
"Oh, but I already have, sky child."
"No you haven't. I'm still here," Link said in a shaky voice.
"That's not what I mean, human," Ghirahim told him. As a second hand began fondling the other side of the young man's neck, his shoulders came nervously upward. "You know that's not what I mean."
As the demon's mouth poured a smooth melody, his hands emitted entrancement. There was something different about the demon's embrace, and Link couldn't help but react to it.
"Do you know what it is yet that you owe me, sky child?"
Link tried to stand still, but he found himself twisting and jittering against the demon's touch. He beat back his conflicting feelings, angry over their presence, and livid that he was failing to prevent the top from blowing off of his emotions.
This demon, this fiend would be just as happy to see him choke in a pool of his own blood as he would be to watch him writhe helplessly in pleasure. Link knew this. It was the epitome of love and hate, it seemed, and he couldn't understand it. It left him breathless with worry, disgust, and intrigue…
It was all becoming too much. He hadn't felt this addled since he was a young boy, fumbling through life as a lost soul. The strangeness of it all…Leaving his home to come here…Being dragged against his will into a forsaken realm…Hoping with every ounce of strength that he had to see his best friend again, only to have his reunion with her taken by another…His other best friend, no less…Finding out that Midna was keeping vital secrets from him…
Feeling like he suddenly didn't belong anywhere…
Heavy breaths burst from him as his emotions swirled. His head rocked to the side. He had never felt like this. He couldn't get Zelda's face out of his head. He loved her, he finally admitted, more deeply than a friend loves another. He loved Midna as well, but, at this point, she was a liar; possibly a deceiver. And Zelda, the one he had faced endless danger for…
He just had to explore the possibility, or he would never be content.
Yet, it seemed that Zelda's love for him, which she had confessed to in recent days, was gone. Perhaps she had made the decision to move on because of Midna.
And what did Pipit think he was doing?
Link had so much hard thinking to do.
All the people I love… Shaking his head, his eyes watered again.
"I've proven you wrong, sky child," Ghirahim informed him, smirking. "Very, very wrong."
"Why?" Link asked reluctantly. He could barely keep his wet eyes open as his body was gently jarred. The demon's pleased face sat just above his head, out of reach of his sight.
"You said you'd never enjoy my touch." Ghirahim's voice was as smooth as satin as his spread hand cupped Link's chest. "How does it feel to be made a liar of, hero?" As untouched places became filled with sensation, Link's jaw fell.
"I'm not a liar," Link said tightly, straining against the feeling. Staring into the trees, he concentrated hard on maintaining a composed front, but his breathing had long betrayed him.
"Maybe not a liar," Ghirahim said flatly. With curiosity dressing his face, his hands swept down, clasping Link's waist above his belt. His blue eyes dropped as he watched, stunned. "Perhaps just wrong." The demon's hands began to knead his torso. "You could redeem yourself, you know."
"Oh?" Link asked, wondering why he was even responding. His face scrunched as he tried to resist the urge to curl away. Not normally a very ticklish person, he found himself afflicted with a major case of the goose bumps. Either his skin was extra sensitive, or the demon had become more adept at pushing his buttons.
"Does our little rendezvous make up for the get-together that you missed out on earlier?" Ghirahim asked, loving the human's restlessness. His hand teetered over the edge, hovering above unexplored territory. Gasping for two entirely different reasons, Link glanced behind him.
"How did you know that?" he asked, his voice hushed and tense at the mention of Zelda.
"Do yourself a favor, sky child. Make a mental note to swear off asking that question of me, lest you become a broken record." Link looked ahead again.
"If you knew she was in the vicinity, why didn't you…go after her?" His face took on a pained look. The demon's hands felt so good. No, not good…Amazing.
"A slight mishap with an unexpected visitor," Ghirahim said. Link felt fingertips begin to dig into him as the demon spoke. "Your little girlfriend is a special individual, did you know that?" Link winced from the sharpness of the fingernails, confused as to whether or not he was truly here against his will…
"I sort of figured," Link replied painfully.
"Overzealousness, guilty pleasures, and reckless curiosity. All things I am given to, sky child. This day, I fell to one of them."
"Are you saying that Midna stole your resolve?"
For several seconds, no one spoke. As the demon pondered, his hands traveled at a snail's pace. Clinging to his alertness, Link's mind raced. To keep the demon talking was most likely the best choice.
"Why do you look like that?" Link asked, turning his face behind him again. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the demon grin.
"Why, are you concerned for me, sky child?" he asked with a sway of his head. Smiling at the lack of a response, he took a moment to feel, and to see, the human's polarity. He could deny it all he wanted, but the evidence of the physical change was as clear as the cerulean skies suspended above. 'All's fair in love and war', was all the demon would tell him.
The next several minutes were hell all over again. Or perhaps heaven, depending on one's perspective.
Endlessly mocked for putting undue faith in other people, and further derided for being too sentimental over women, Link's frustration blossomed. Before, he was sure that his experiences in the demon realm had provoked him to the height of his anger and disgrace. Now, he was convinced that he hadn't known either state until now.
'Do you know what it is that you owe me?' the demon kept asking him. As he was turned in Ghirahim's arms and forced to look him in the face, he shook his head, knowing that the demon recognized his dishonesty. Ghirahim claimed the truth promptly, however, by taking the human's mouth into his own. A familiar sensation – but stronger than before - drove into him.
Everything that the demon did was pleasurable; a rather agreeable diversion from his anxiety. Link was nervous, torn and uncertain, but he accepted the demon's treatment.
Gripping his hair as he had done so many times before, Ghirahim forced his thoughts upon the human, holding him still during the pleasant jolt. Link sensed himself becoming lost in a world of images, ideas, notions and reflections; a world of pure thought. It felt too good to be real…
"We are a bittersweet symphony, sky child, wouldn't you agree?"
"I want to go back, please just let me go…"
"Do you remember our time in the manor, outside of the upper hall?"
"Of course…"
"When you embraced me fully?"
"No, I wasn't…"
"No use playing coy, hero, especially when we are there once more."
"This is so wrong…"
"That is precisely what makes it so right, sky child. Don't you grow weary of hiding how you feel?"
"I grow weary of nothing. I'll fight you to the very end."
"Don't be a fool. You are no match for me. Your desire has caught fire."
"No… I hate you."
"Humans always hate that which they are addicted to. Hate, as well as love."
"Are you saying I'll love you?"
"In some way."
"Absurdity at its finest."
"Time will tell, sky child."
"I want Midna… I don't want anything from you."
"And the spirit maiden. Don't forget her, human."
"Fine."
"I find it interesting that you'd prefer death over me. It will not last, sky child. You will falter."
"I'll always choose death over you."
"Do you wonder what happened to the other hero in green, human? The one who was just like you in physicality as well as in mind? What do you think became of him?"
"I don't know, but even if he was like me, I am not him."
"It seems as though you have a theory as to what it is that you owe me, sky child, which proves you to be not quite as dense as you appear."
"Oh, thanks…"
"But if you want the whole truth, you know who to ask. Do it soon, sky child. Ignorance will get you nowhere."
"I'm sick of this. I want you to fight me with a sword and not with your vile words."
"Oh, like I told you when you awoke in my home, I have already won this battle, human…"
In a split-second's time, the demon pulled away as Link found himself off of his feet and falling. As his back crashed to the ground, he shouted, completely losing his breath. He twisted beneath the demon as he felt his wrists pinned to the dirt.
"Ah, we've been here before, haven't we, sky child?" Ghirahim purred in Link's face. "Except this time, you're enjoying it a little more." The demon's eyes flashed before the human, preparing to pull him in. Ghirahim took the opportunity to lean down and place his pale lips onto Link's left ear; his favorite area to touch. Feeling a prickly, tingling sensation where the demon's body was touching him, Link dug his heels into the dirt.
"Have you ever noticed how problems, especially those that originate in your mind, get worse over time instead of better, hero?" The demon glared down at the wriggling human. Fury and delight warred for dominance in his black eyes.
"I…" Link started to say, still unsure as to why he felt the need to respond to such injurious questions. A myriad of feelings clashed for the upper-hand within his own eyes, as well.
"Your emotions are raging, sky child," Ghirahim said breathily. Link had never heard such a level of excitement in the demon's voice. The afterglow of what he had taken part in earlier was draped over him like a shroud.
"You seem a bit…upset, that I have a piece of your sword, hero," Ghirahim teased. "What are you willing to do to get it back?" With a grin, he pressed a knee into the human's lap. Shocked by the sudden pressure, his cheeks began to flush. The demon immediately took notice.
After all this time, after dancing around the act all night, it was finally happening. Or was it? Link's mind went blank.
"You're turning rather damask, again, sky child," Ghirahim taunted, licking his lips and tasting the air. "Especially the tips of your ears. It's rather…cute." Link quickly looked away, trying to stop his eyes from communicating his thoughts.
"You would not have come here if you didn't want to, human," the demon insisted, massaging Link's wrists. "I do believe you have passed my test." Link turned back, attracted by the glimmer of truth in his words. He shut his mouth tightly as the demon moved along his body. "Just admit, my pint-sized hero, that even though your limited intellect cannot establish an explanation, that you are ductile to my beckoning. Then, and only then, will I be happy."
An indrawn breath rushed into Link's lungs as he felt an influx of pleasure where the demon was rubbing. He tossed his head once more as he arched upward. As usual, the demon savored every moment. This human was not only aroused, but he had come here on his own accord. Beautiful.
"I could have easily done this during our first meeting, human, do you realize that?" Ghirahim asked, his voice rising. "I could have made sport with your helpless body as you lay sprawled and unconscious on the temple floor, long before I decided to let you live. I could have asserted my control a second time while you were prostrate and bound in my castle. In fact, our trip was littered with golden opportunities. And do you know why I didn't take them?" Hanging over the human's face, he waited.
"Someone is stopping you…" Link told him in a near whisper, afraid of what his voice might sound like.
"Mm, perhaps," Ghirahim professed, carefully dropping his weight as if poking a bubble to see how much pressure it could withstand. "But there is one very large, significant difference between our previous time together and right now, human. Do you know what it is?"
Memories of being chained to the demon's floor planted themselves at the forefront of Link's mind. He couldn't think of anything other than the strange challenge he had undertaken, for which the demon was to blame. It was exhausting and disturbing in its own right, but it was more than that. And it was happening again. Except, this time...
"I said, do you know what the difference is?" the demon asked, kneading again. A sudden, small whimper escaped the human's lips.
"You'll lure someone in just to kill them, over and over…"
"Not just someone, sky child," Ghirahim said huskily, closing his eyes as his leg brought another snivel from Link's mouth. "You."
Link felt his left wrist suddenly released. A bated arm was quickly replaced by a coddled groin.
"These could be our last moments together for a while. Let's make it special, hero."
Caught off his guard, Link cried out as a river of warmth gushed into him. His body lifted along with his free hand as it groped at pleats of red velvet. He gaped at the sky, wide-eyed.
"The difference is, human, that right now, you want this, and no amount of refutation will discredit that. And why is that, hmm?" As his skillful hand rubbed, he took pleasure in the human's reaction. A bounty of amusement presented itself to the demon. The demon lowered, nudging the young man's face aside as he claimed his sensitive ear.
"One day," he whispered heavily, "you will find yourself in this very same position. But not here. On that day, you will want it even more, and you truly will beg for it, sky child. Because then, you will be completely and unequivocally addicted to me." Link's eyes, mouth and chest were wide and fluttering as he listened. "Save yourself weeks, maybe months of strife, and the trouble of a war, sky child, and come away with me."
Ghirahim steadied Link's head with his hand. Happy as could be that the human's liberated hands were not driving him away, he grinned.
"Everyone has their demons," he said slowly. "I will be yours for a long, long time." His long tongue furled in his mouth. "Expect to see me, hear me, feel me, ever present in your thoughts, in your memories, in your desires…" His hand sped up, causing a rather delicious sound to come forth from the human.
"As much as I want your blood to run, your screams to flow, your agony to overcome you, seeing you turn will be far more satisfying."
Overwhelmed by the heated words alone, Link barely noticed that the demon had refined his stroke, caressing him to hardened perfection through his clothing. His body noticed, however, and let him know without delay. He mumbled quietly, surmounted.
"Like yesterday, this is a special day, sky child. Not only am I able to relive times of yore for a few short minutes, but you have the pleasure of living out one of your darkest fantasies." Link was too enthralled to defend his honor any longer. For a moment, his distress over his friends didn't matter. He simply breathed deeply, undulating under the demon's hand, gasping, twisting, melting…
"Mmm," he groaned.
"I think I've triggered you, human," Ghirahim said quietly, his entire body still, save for his arm. "Unfortunately for you, your girlfriend denied you. Just as well. Let's not forget that you denied her once. And it seems only fitting that the one who started this should finish it."
The demon's eyes were filled with an insatiable lust for the past, and perhaps the future, as he brought this hero in green to a crushing state of euphoria. It was beautiful in every sense. The demon had been waiting so very patiently for this. In a way, his diligence had paid off.
"It's been building up for quite some time, hasn't it, human?" Ghirahim leered, no longer holding his power back.
"Drink it in," he said through clenched teeth, stroking his hand up and down. With fervency, he grasped the front of Link's green tunic to stop him from bouncing. "Drink down every last drop of my intoxication. Let it infiltrate every atom. Allow it to pervade every cell. Feels incredible, doesn't it?"
The demon's hands were hot. They practically singed as they filled him with something altogether foreign. Link ached beneath his clothing. It felt tight and uncomfortable. His head was swimming…What the demon was bombarding him with was of unbelievable potency. Now he understood why he had woken up in such a state the previous night. He felt that even if the demon were to stop, his body would spiral higher and higher until he finally lost it…
"Uuuugh," Link groaned, squeezing his eyelids down. The demon was right…
"Something you need, hero?" Ghirahim asked with a generous portion of cheer. Link's eyes opened, but just barely. His view of the bright sky was blocked by the silhouette of a demon as his body was jerked about. Both fists had been buried inside of Ghirahim's scarlet wrap for quite some time.
"You are guilty, hero. As guilty as can be." Trying not to listen to the demon's provocative words, Link held him between his knees. His back kept arching up on its own. He felt so close…Close enough that it began to burn, but the demon's dexterity held him there with effortless precision. "Guilty of purposely bringing a meager knife to a sword fight. You're an accessory to murder, hero."
How many times do you have to call me 'hero'…? Link thought, groaning. "Goddesses…" he moaned, surprised that he had said it out loud. He certainly didn't mean to.
"Still think a human's propensity to fall to a demon is a myth, hero?"
The strangest part of all was that Ghirahim wasn't actually touching him. Link thought about the prospect of the demon's hand on him. It sent a chill up his spine as he lifted from the ground once more, caught in a strained arc. There was no doubt about it. He wanted more.
"How long, human?" the demon asked, purposely bearing down to gain Link's undivided attention. His blue eyes rolled just slightly as the sensation mounted. "How long have you wanted this? Of course, I already know the answer, but let's discuss it for the purpose of dramatic emphasis." His eyes shifted mischievously as his hand continued. "In the moments before you stepped out into the spring?" He gave Link a chance to speak, but all he got was a squirm. "No, definitely not. You wanted it long before then. Perhaps it was while we went head-to-head in battle. Maybe the clash of my weapon against yours spurred it on?"
This time, Link tried to talk. But, he was rapidly hushed by the demon's stroke.
"No, it was before that as well. Could it have been the stairwell, sky child? Or maybe the Acheron Woods? Maybe after I saved you from those overexcited bokoblins and drew you to my chest? During one of our discussions? Or maybe it was that infamous bound and mute incident?" With a very heavy sigh, Link gestured 'no'.
"Mm, of course not. The answer is no to all of these things, because your…connection to me, if you will, goes beyond our first meeting." He edged forward, sweeping Link's lips with his own. "When your mind was first graced with the sound of my voice. That's when it all began, sky child. The thick, unbreakable crimson thread of fate that binds us would allow for nothing less. And you will pay an unfathomably heavy price for turning your back on it."
Knowing exactly what the human longed for but was too stubborn to request, Ghirahim prodded, toyed and teased, bringing about the delightful entertainment that was the hero's eager moans. After so long, it was oh so satisfying.
"Aah, I..." Link breathed, his mouth dry.
"What exists between us is a living, breathing entity, sky child," Ghirahim declared excitedly as Link writhed. "Can you see it? Do you feel it? It burgeons, bursting forth like a sapling breaking through the soil. It's growing, stretching up tall, expanding. It's alive, my tragic hero." He chuckled as his adroit fingers tugged at the bulky material which so effectively protected the lower half of Link's body. With a smile, he considered the young man's honorable knight's uniform. With broad eyes, Link twitched, anticipating the next step, panting again.
"Oh, this reminds me, sky child. A point of interest. There was something that you asked of me earlier. In the woods, with the stalhound. Granted, you were overcome by sensation, arguably more so than you are even now. But, you called for it, nonetheless. Remember what it was? What the Goddess' hero asked of the Demon Lord?" Trying ludicrously hard not to make any noise but falling short, Link shook his head. It was all he could manage. "No? Well, I can show you, if you like." His hand ceased its movement. Link's eyes dropped, wondering if it was over. It couldn't be...
"Yes? No?" Ghirahim asked with a smile. His relaxed expression was harshly contrasted by the look of desperation before him. The human was sweating, out of breath, and overflowing with the same telesmatical energy that the demon had imparted to him in Azrael Manor. It would linger with him for hours, no doubt. Giving a devious grin, the demon cocked his head playfully. "Well, perhaps it's the proper time for a break."
Just like that, the demon's talented hand was withdrawn and Link was yanked to his feet. Dizzy and half-drunk from overstimulation, his knees quaked. One hand covered his eyes as the other attempted to cover the discomfiting evidence of his arousal. He hunched over, in pain, and cursing again.
"Feeling a bit…cut down to size, hero?" Ghirahim asked with a proud smirk. Dragging his hand down his face, Link glowered up at the demon. "Let's save it for another time, shall we?"
With a hand over his mouth, Link stared at the ground. His hands dropped to his lap as he teetered forward. He leaned onto his knees, shut his eyes and panted.
He stayed that way for a few minutes until he realized that the only noise in the air other than his own heavy breathing was the chirping of birds. Despite the throbbing that permeated his entire lower body, he raised his head to explore the area.
No one.
"Maybe it never happened…" Link grumbled to himself. His reserve clung to the possibility, but his body proved differently. "Oh gods, what just happened…" If anything had occurred, it had started and ended incredibly fast.
Wiping sweat from his brow, he turned to leave the outcrop. He had to leave this place.
Unfortunately, he could barely move. There wasn't nearly enough room in his pants for him at this point. There was just no containing it. He felt like he was going to explode. And it hurt like hell.
"Ah, dammit," he said as his face contorted. "Can't go back like this. I can hardly walk."
Bewildered, he staggered to a nearby patch of trees, leaving the huge stone landmark behind. The sun's luminescence tried to blind him during his miniature, but anguished journey to a darker, more secluded place.
A tightly knit sanctuary of oak trees hailed him from the shadows. With tunnel vision, he stumbled into it, falling to his knees beside an enormous tree. Clutching himself, he doubled over, and waited.
Minutes passed. Then more minutes. Perhaps even an hour. The muscles in his back were beginning to pound from the stress of curling into a tense ball for so long. Similar to the first time, the barrage of pure sensation just wasn't quitting. Only this time, the demon wasn't there to rescue him. Sluggish to acknowledge that something had to be done, Link slowly sat up. Pressing his clenched fists into his thighs, he sat on his heels, stiff and done in.
"I don't wanna do this," Link whined to himself, rocking and squinching his eyes. Still unable to breathe correctly, he practically masticated his knuckles into his skin. The storm of emotion had yet to die down.
Knowing that his body wouldn't rest until it got what it needed, he glanced around, paranoid that the demon was hiding in close proximity. However, he knew that his friends were waiting for him, and that he had to return…even if he was grief-stricken.
With his back to the corner and heated tears in his eyes, he lifted his hand, worked his fingers under the leather and removed his gauntlet. He did the same with the other. Looking up at the sun for a moment, he hoped to the Goddess that no one was around. Preparing himself, he shook his head and took a deep breath…
…..
Feeling heavier than he had before, Link backtracked, but this time, he blazed a trail, no longer caring about the possibility of small, blood-sucking parasites. For what it was worth, he had already braved, and survived, the worst of them all.
Coated in a new layer of sweat, his eyes dripped and his nose ran. He couldn't get what he had just done out of his head.
He had tried so, so hard to think of Midna, but the demon had already laid claim to his thoughts, confiscating and constricting his mind's eye with such indomitable force that all he could think about was him. In a certain sense, that demon had indeed finished what he'd started, domineering him, milking him of every last microscopic bit of pride that still had the futile will to adhere to him. The process was swift, luckily, but degrading as his pent up tension was released in uncontrollable bliss. He was almost positive that the demon was going to pop up unexpectedly, mocking and jeering right at the point where he was helpless to stop his vocalizations. The waves of pleasure far outmatched any experience he'd ever had. Luckily, in the midst of the earth-shattering, heart-wrenching spasms, he had been left to himself.
But, all he saw was the demon, completing the task that Link had yearned for him to.
A fitting end to his first meeting with the demon lord…
He thought about sleep. He daydreamed about his own bed, about normalcy. He needed something, or someone. He needed to recuperate, reorder what his enemy had left in shards…
"Master," came a soft, innocent voice. It staked through the mild, humid air and drilled into his reverie. His feet came to a very sudden stop.
"Oh…my…gods…" Link muttered dismally as his heart dropped into the very pit of his stomach.
Fi. She had been there, subjected to it all. A silent witness to the weakest moment in his life. Devastated, he reached around, placing a gloved hand into his pouch before bringing one of the smaller sword fragments before him.
"Fi…" Link breathed.
"Master, my analysis indicates that you are in dire need of rest, both physical and mental. Your overall well-being depends on it."
"Fi…" he said, holding his palm to his forehead. "I'm so sorry…you had to see such a thing." A long pause imbued the already quiet forest. Link's heart thumped.
"Do not be concerned for me," Fi replied in her usual, objective tone. "I have seen an occurrence such as this in past days." Link's jaw dropped for a moment as a fever-like shudder ran through him. He swallowed uncomfortably, nervously.
"Fi…?" Unable to find the right words, he stared into the glowing metal.
"Perhaps upon arriving in Skyloft, I can share what information I have stored on the matter, Master," Fi explained, her voice the same harmonious sound that he knew so well. He nodded in acceptance.
"I'd like that, Fi," he said. "About what just happened…back there." He winced as his voice broke a bit. "Can I swear you to secrecy?" He bit down on his lip, hard.
"I will keep the matter locked in my memory bank. However, there is no guarantee that others will not discover the truth in time."
"I know, Fi," Link told her, stepping forward through the tall grass. "What does this mean, anyway…Am I no longer worthy of…?" He took a few heavy, uneasy breaths.
"Your unbreakable spirit is still intact, Master. In truth, it has the potential to become stronger, in kind with the Goddess Sword." Turning his head, Link gave a laughing scoff.
"I wish I could believe that, Fi."
"It is factual, Master. You know that I cannot lie." Almost grinning, Link nodded.
"Another vote of confidence that I'm profoundly thankful for. Thanks, Fi."
….
Standing at the edge of the clearing near the temple, Link peeked out, listening for the voices of his friends. After hugging the jagged sword fragment to his chest for the entirety of his trek, he swung his arm around and dropped it into his bag, safe and secure.
Exiting the shelter of the underbrush, Link set foot into the open area. The monstrous Skyview Temple loomed in the distance, outlined by deep blue. A subdued conversation magnetized him. He followed the sound, wiggling his empty fingers edgily, nervous about facing his friends.
Poking his head out from behind a tree, Link spotted them, standing closely as they conversed. Pipit had his arms crossed and his chin down like he usually did, and Midna was standing with her hands behind her back. Figuring it was rude to eavesdrop, Link gulped, heaved in some forest air and approached them.
Pipit spotted him first, with his head low and his eyes up. Following his gaze, Midna turned, immediately perking up when she saw him. Suddenly feeling awkward, Link straightened up, not wanting to give a bad impression.
"The prodigal son, he returns," Pipit said without smiling. He looked away. Midna gave Link a curious expression. Link came to them, his eyes shifting from one companion to the other.
"Hey," Link said to each of them, sounding less than enthused.
"Man, what happened to you?" Pipit asked, eying him slowly.
"Midna knows. Didn't she tell you?" Link asked, looking at her. "After seeing you with Zelda," he said, stressing the name, "I just…needed some time..." Pipit looked to the side.
"Yeah…" Pipit said, acting distant. In fact, he couldn't seem to look his friend in the face. Forgetting his own troubles for a moment, Link noted Pipit's odd demeanor.
"Are you okay?" Midna asked, requesting his attention in her own subtle way. Prying his eyes from his withdrawn friend, Link focused on Midna. "You look terrible," she said, shaking her head in disapproval. "You're covered in dirt." Pipit's eyes finally came up. "And where's your hat?" Link broke his gaze with her.
"My hat?" he asked, not looking at either of them. "It must've fallen off."
"Link, even if you stood in the middle of a hurricane your knight's cap would never fall off," Midna said, seeing right through his lie. "It's made to stick to your head no matter what." Link glared, Midna made a 'well?' face, and Pipit looked away. Angry, Link turned from her to look at Pipit.
"How was your chat with Zelda?" Link asked in a voice that was just as flat as it was forceful. Pipit stopped in place as his eyes shifted down. Resentful, Link took a step toward him. "What was the topic of choice? How to make your best friend feel as crappy as possible?"
"Link!" Midna called, drawing his ireful stare. "I just asked you a question…? What happened to you? Where'd you go?" Her jaw dropped. Link had twisted away from her again to hone in on Pipit.
"What's going on, anyway?" Link demanded, his face heating up. With a devastated look on his face, Pipit gaped at nothing.
"Quit antagonizing him," Midna chided, stepping closer. "He did nothing wrong. He tried to tell Zelda that you were here, and that she needed to-"
"Did nothing wrong?" Link asked.
"Yes," Midna defended.
"I suppose 'nothing wrong' translates to him accepting her affections, pretending he was the one to endure endless torment for her?" With her mouth ajar with worry, Midna reached her hand to him. "Don't touch me," he warned gutturally, batting her hand away. With wide eyes, she gawked at him, awed by his abrasive attitude. She watched as he refocused on Pipit once more.
"Well?" Link asked, giving a fierce look. Maintaining an isolated gaze, Pipit shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said, starting to shrug, unsure as to whether he should say or do anything.
"Sorry?" Link asked with his adamant face raised to Pipit's.
"Yeah," Pipit told him. "Look, it's not my fault she likes me…" As his voice quieted, Link took a small step back. Midna stood completely still, amazed that Link was being so irrational, especially over Zelda. Sidetracked, Link failed to notice that his infectious fury had begun to affect her, as well.
Gathered in a tight loop, the three friends looked as though a motion-sensitive bomb was alight at their feet. Pipit glanced at Link out of the corner of his eye, expecting to be clobbered at any moment.
"I really did try and tell her to go see you," Pipit insisted.
"Let's go," Link stated dryly, shoving between his friends and tromping in the direction of the nearest marble bird statue. Not moving, Pipit and Midna looked on as he started to leave them behind. The two exchanged concerned expressions. Guilt tinted Pipit's, while aggravation hued Midna's. They shook their heads, silently agreeing that they couldn't let Link out of their sight.
In pursuit of their friend, the two rushed to catch up with him.
Thoughts/comments are appreciated.
