Link was worried. This shouldn't be surprising, considering that had been the hero's default state of mind for the past few days, but he'd actually felt pretty relaxed for most of the day up to now. Ironic, considering just who he had been spending it with.

Maybe it was because Zelda was finally safe? That probably had a lot to do with it. Even considering the tenseness of their relationship at the moment, the fact his childhood friend was no longer in mortal peril was a great burden off the Skyloftian's heart.

Maybe I should go find her? Link wondered. It could be a good way to pass the time while he waits for Ghirahim to be finished speaking with Eagus, the thing that was currently causing the hero to feel so tense. What does he want with Ghirahim anyway? Does he know who he is?

LInk's blood ran cold at that idea. Most details of the demon war had been lost to time, including Ghirahim's identity. Which was quite surprising, really. Link was sure that even if he had only met the demon once, he would never forget about him.

Thinking back, there was a mention of him in a history book Link had read for class once, but not by name. It had simply said, 'Upon the demon king's imprisonment, his most loyal servant proclaimed himself a lord, and swore to return his master to his former glory.' Or something similar to that, anyway. Nothing about what he looked like, what his powers were, or anything else.

Actually, now that Link thought about it, it was strange. Why was there so little information available about Demise's right-hand man? Not even Fi, a spirit given all the knowledge she would need to help Link on his journey, knew who he was when they first encountered him. Did even the gods forget who ghirahim was? No, that couldn't be right. He didn't need Fi to tell him the chance of that was slim.

So then, why was such a large, vital piece of detail missing from not just the books, but also Fi herself? It made no sense.

It could be a good thing to ask Zelda; she might know, Link mused, but immediately dismissed the idea. The thought of speaking with Hylia's vessel made link feel some type of way that he wasn't ready to admit to himself yet.

He knew how the conversation would go. Zelda would immediately ask about ghirahim herself, and get mad at him when he told her that he was with Eagus. But Link didn't really have a choice in the matter; what was he supposed to do? If he had said no, Eagus would want to know why. Then he'd have more people angry with him.

Link lets out a frustrated exhalation. He couldn't just keep standing here and letting his brain go on wild tangents; that wasn't a good idea, even under normal circumstances. Link was never one for idling; he always had to keep his hands busy. He had to be doing something, otherwise he grew restless. Otherwise, the thoughts would come back.

As if answering his unspoken prayer, the Skyloftian suddenly noticed Pipit and Fledge walking down the corridor towards him. His heart lightened at the sight.

The two boys were his closest friends apart from Zelda. They used to be a really tight nit group, but as they grew older and Pipit became a senior, Link started primarily hanging out with Zelda more than either of them. And of course, the whole heroic destiny thing made everything even more complicated. But now, that could change.

Link waved at the other boys as they came closer, and they both eagerly returned the gesture. "Hey, Link." Pipit greeted warmly, Fledge following soon afterwards.

"Hi guys," Link replies softly. It felt a little strange having such a normal, mundane interaction with his peers, almost as though none of his journey or the even more bizarre aftermath had ever happened. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to my room to study," Fledge explained. "Classes will be restarting in a couple of days now that Zelda's back, really great job rescuing her by the way. I can't imagine what must have happened down there on the Surface."

"I didn't know that!" Link blurts, and immediately feels a bit embarrassed for doing so. But, it was the truth. Link had been so busy with his quest, (and Ghirahim, that he had completely forgotten about school. All that felt like it had happened in a separate lifetime; what had they even been learning about before all this? The hero couldn't be certain, which wasn't like him. He wasn't nearly the scholar that Zelda was, but he did enjoy most of his classes a fair bit. It was satisfying to figure out how every piece of knowledge fit together.

Neither boy seemed to fault Link for his outburst, though. "That's understandable," Pipit says. "I know you've had plenty of other things going on recently, to say the least. And you aren't the only one who wasn't aware. I'm going to tutor Fledge, and I wouldn't mind helping you as well. Do you want to join us?"

Link found himself immediately onboard with the idea. After everything he'd been through, the Skyloftian found the idea of spending some time with his old friends to be just what he needed to calm his mind. Just the thought of sitting in Fledge's room, reading and discussing the material together, it just sounded so nice. He'd done it before, a long time ago. But when? Why had they stopped?

But in any case, Link nods, and falls into step with the others.

Ghirahim moved quickly down the corridor, trying (and most likely failing) to act natural. He couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened, what he had almost done. Now the only thing on his mind was getting away. Away from all of it, at least for a while.

This is pathetic, he thought to himself. I didn't even go through with… and yet, I cannot bring myself to face the reality. A humorless, bitter laugh bubbles up from his gut, and it's almost painful as it escapes his lips and echos in the empty hall. The sound of it is haunting, even to himself. He's grateful no one else was around to witness this; he likely looked quite deranged at the moment. Or maybe not just looked. After all, what kind of sane person has impulses like that?

Ghirahim stops, leaning heavily against the wall. He closes his eyes and grips the front of his cape with shaking fists, just able to feel the velvety fabric through his gloves. He knew it was selfish, that he didn't deserve them, but he wished Link were here. Or his sister. His sister, who he didn't so much as remember the name of, and had probably done something terrible to as well, if his current track record was anything to go by.

Before he even realized what was happening, Ghirahim found himself reaching out. Not with his hands, but his mind. His senses. His lips part and his tongue flickers out, tasting the air. Where are they?

He was pretty well acquainted with Link's scent already, and he was easy to identify. His sister's was a bit less familiar (why is it less familiar?) but it's practically overlapping the Sky Child's, like a spiritual shield.

He hadn't gone far. He was still inside the academy, but what's this? Two unfamiliar scents, boys Ghirahim had yet to meet. They were all relaxed and contented, so they were no threat to Link, which was good. But that didn't stop Ghirahim from feeling a sudden pang in his heart.

It shouldn't surprise him that Link had other friends, and it was a good thing. But, the Sky Child tasted so happy, so at peace. In a way that he never quite had around Ghirahim. There had always been a tang of anxiety, wariness. He never completely let his guard down, and now it's almost like he was … relieved.

Stop! He chastises himself, retracting his tongue. He'd gotten all he wanted to know. I have no right to feel this way; Link deserves to have people he can feel safe around. Even if… I am not one of them. Even if I'll never be one of them, and in fact, am not so much as an afterthought.

Of course he feels that way, why did you ever believe it could go any other way? This is simply the way of things. Get used to it.

A brand-new sensation brought Ghirahim away from his lament for a moment, and this time it was from inside himself. A tightness in his face, a stinging of his eyes…

No! No, no, no, not this. Not now, not here!

Ghirahim quickly began walking again, in a direction where he sensed no people were located in. He had to do something to take his mind off all of this, else he was going to have a complete breakdown, and that was simply not going to happen; he would not allow it!

Soon, Ghirahim found himself in what appeared to be the main classroom of the school. There were several desks, and many bookshelves. Best of all, it was completely vacant. But how to occupy his time?

Sometimes, when one is desperate for something to do, they'll latch onto the very first thing that catches their attention. And Ghirahim was no different. Pacing back and forth in the front of the room, wiggling his fingers about absentmindedly, and he remembered.

One of the very first things that had happened when Ghirahim had awoken the day before. A snap of his fingers, a puff of sparkles. Diamonds.

A part of him protested. Didn't he remember the last time he played with power? But this was different. How could diamonds be harmful? He wasn't sure why, but the thought of diamonds being anything other than safe simply did not compute to him. It was an impossibility.

And so, that was how Ghirahim got the courage to begin exploring the magical side of his power. Taking a deep breath, he stretched out a hand and snapped.

And just like before, a little cloud of diamonds was sent twinkling and tinkling through the air from his fingers! It was beautiful! Ghirahim could feel his lips turning up at the sight of them.

Unfortunately, just like the first time, a deep ache in his chest followed soon after the tiny show. Ghirahim groaned and massaged the area softly. This was annoying. It appeared that whatever part of him that was responsible for this magic was injured, and whatever he was doing now irritated the wound. But thankfully the pain was short-lived, and it soon faded to nothing much more.

If I pace myself and take it slow, it will probably be fine…

But the pain lasted for a good few seconds, and that was more than long enough for his thoughts to stir once more. He needed something to fill the gap.

Glancing desperately about the room, Ghirahim's gaze landed on the nearest bookshelf. Perfectly. Walking over to peruse the titles, Ghirahim found a worn copy of what appeared to be a history book. Flipping to the beginning, Ghirahim created a system.

He would read a page of the book, noting down any tidbits he'd like to research further on the blackboard (hopefully the instructors wouldn't mind him borrowing some chalk.) when he reached the end of the page, he would snap his fingers, admiring the diamonds once more. Finally, he would return to his reading until he reached the end of another page, or his chest stopped hurting, whichever came first. It was an enjoyable time. Almost enough to distract him from the less physical pain in his heart.

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. I originally didn't plan for this chapter to be as angsty as it turned out, but I think it really works. Poor, poor Ghirie. Don't worry, he will be comforted very soon. And taught not to be so wreckless with his powers while injured.