A/N: We finally get to the real age regression stuff in this chapter. There have been little hints of it before, but this time link is fully little from all of his emotions and poor Ghirahim has no idea what is happening.

Link knew he was dreaming the moment awareness returned to him. He had to be. There was no other explanation for the situation he now found himself in. At least it didn't seem to be a nightmare this time. No, it seemed to be a good dream. Link had never had a good dream about Ghirahim before, though.

Ghirahim was holding him. Had his arms wrapped around him as if he were a baby, and it wasn't scary at all. His outfit and gloves were so silky and soft, and his cape was soft too but in a more fuzzy and velvety way. Maybe Link should be worried, but this was only a dream so he's just going to be happy and enjoy how good it felt.

Still, it seemed that even in a dream being held like this was doing something to him. That swimmy floaty feeling in his mind was back, but this time he was feeling little in a nice way. That hadn't happened for a while because he always avoided it whenever he could.

He knows it's not normal, but sometimes, link just felt small. It often happened when he was stressed, overwhelmed, or sad. Sometimes it happened when he was really happy and excited too, but it was easier to hide then.

He was good at hiding it most of the time. The hero was quite childish by default anyway, so he could get away with a lot more than someone who had a more serious personality. But it was hard. Especially when Zelda was kidnapped. The Surface was very big, with lots of people and creatures Link had never met before. All of it made him feel so little. More times than he could count, the Skyloftian just wished he could curl up into a ball with something soft to hold, away from the dangers of the world. Maybe he could even ask Fi to sing to him, watching over him as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

But he couldn't. He was the hero. He had to be brave, he had to be big.And Fi was gone now, too. He felt so sad that he never asked her to sing for him when things got scary. Maybe she would've said she couldn't because it wasn't needed for the quest. But maybe she would? Fi was focused on the task at hand most of the time, but they had still been friends in the end.

But Ghirahim was here now, even if it was just a dream. And he was holding him and looking concerned, so maybe he would help?

"Ghirahim…" LInk starts, but his throat hurts. He still tries his best to not let his voice come out too babyish.

Ghirahim seems shocked, and for a moment Link worries it's because he knows something is off with him, but then he realizes it's probably just because he never heard the hylian talk before. That makes him smile a little. "Hi."

It takes Ghirahim a few seconds to get ahold of himself to reply. Link doesn't mind, though. He's enjoying being held too much to be in any hurry. "Why, hello to you too, Sky Child. Still among the living, I see. Me too," he smirks. "Someone thought my time upon this mortal coil was not yet complete, and who am I to argue with the powers that be?"

Link gets sad again. This was a nice dream, but he wished his brain wouldn't be so mean to tease him with things that could just never happen. "I'm sorry," he croaks.

Ghirahim quirks an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

"I couldn't help you."

The demon sighs, and LInk thinks he holds him just a bit tighter. "No one could help me, Link. Not while I was so heavily deluded. Because I didn't want to be helped. It was always going to end like this."

Link feels a little frustrated. Why can't Ghirahim understand that he could have done more? That he wasn't doing his job right? That had to be what it was. Otherwise, things wouldn't have gone so bad in the end. "I jus' watched as you were hurted." He immediately feels bad for saying that when he sees the demon's expression go dark.

But Ghirahim doesn't explode. He just looks down at him with that stormy, but not threatening face. "You did. And…" Then the expression breaks. "It meant the absolute world to me."

Link's brain just stops working for a moment. How? How could Ghirahim find anything good about what LINk did at that moment?

The demon sees the boy is confused and explains. "You did not delight in my suffering, even after all I had done to you. Nor did you look away in disgust. You didn't see me as a mindless weapon, an unfeeling killing machine. You saw what was being done to me for what it truly was. And I—" His voice breaks. Oh no, is he going to cry?

Link struggles, but eventually, he gets his arms to cooperate, and he snuggles closer in Ghirahim's hold. He wraps an arm around his back and lies his head against his shoulder, nuzzling the collar of his cape. His shoulder shakes beneath him, but only slightly.

"I am sorry you had to witness that," he manages after a moment, voice still a little shaky. "But you did help me, LInk. By shaking my resolve. And then by simply being there."

Link doesn't know what to say for a long time. He's moved, no doubt about it. Never in his life did he ever think Ghirahim could've thought that about the situation. But doubt still nags at the back of his mind, so he decides he has to be honest. "Feel like I could'a done more."

"You were weakened and injured," Ghirahim rationalized. "You were hardly prepared for a third battle at that moment. Intervening then would have likely just gotten us both killed."

Link knows Ghirahim is probably right, that he has a point. But he just thinks about how awful it was, how he was powerless to do anything, and how that ultimately ended up with Ghirahim…

"O-Oh…" Ghirahim's eyes go almost comically wide, like saucers. "Oh no, it wasn't my intention to—please, forgive me…"

Soft gloved fingers brush over LInk's cheeks, dabbing off the tears that were gathering there. He seems to be held tighter as well, more tenderly. "N-Not your fault," he sniffles. "I jus' feel like I not good enough. Can't do anything right." A part of LInk registers that he's now being rocked, and it just makes him sink even further.

"That is completely untrue," a familiar silky voice whispers, so soft and gentle like he'd never heard but oh he wants to hear more so bad. "Anyone who could say that after all you've done would be… well, I would find that person very annoying, let's go with that."

A tiny laugh escapes between LInk's tears, but only slightly. "I lose everyone…"

"Then everyone are fools," the voice says right away. Didn't even have to think about it. "They were idiots to leave you."

Link manages to look back up at Ghirahim again. "Y-You stay?" Because he wants him to. Maybe it's stupid after everything, but he wants someone who understands, and Ghirahim does. More than he knows, right now. And the demon is being so, so nice to him.

Link never thought Ghirahim could ever be this nice, he didn't think he knew how. But now that he knows, he wants more of it. He wants this to be real by some miracle, and not a dream. He never thought he could feel not just understood, but safe in Ghirahim's presence, but he does. And he wants to keep feeling that way, to not be alone anymore.

It takes the demon a while to reply, but when he does, it fills the little Skyloftian's heart with hope. "If you wish."