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"Can we just- OW, would you stop-"

"It's not my fault your hands aren't where they should be. Spread your legs more, as well."

"We've been at this for two hours-"

"And watch where your tongue is or you'll lose it this time."

Link groaned loudly. "You could start off with a spell that isn't electricity-based," he said exasperatedly, and was tempted to drop his defensive stance altogether and just give up, but he knew Ghirahim would just take the opportunity to hit him with another wave of magic. They were stood in a clearing in the middle of goddesses-knew-where, courtesy of Ghirahim for warping them somewhere where they wouldn't run into anyone.

Link had managed to avoid seeing Zelda since he'd cast the binding spell - it felt like an eon ago, now - though that was likely all thanks to her, probably humouring him to give him some space. Link knew that she knew asking him to co-chief had stressed him out, but she still hadn't taken the request back, so Link supposed that she was just biding her time to let him process the big news and 'calm down'.

He wished it was that simple.

Link bit down involuntarily on his tongue again as Ghirahim sent another electric shock towards him and it hit, coursing through his body like living poison. The sun had moved a significant distance in the sky since they'd started practising, not having taken breaks ("resting is for the dead, starling"), and Link was utterly exhausted. He could see Ghirahim was getting more and more impatient as the pain he inflicted also bounced back on him through the bond, as well, but his endurance seemed to be significantly higher than a human's. It made Link wonder with hope if that meant he'd managed to inflict more damage than he'd thought during their first encounters over a year ago, since Ghirahim had backed down so quickly back then.

"It's called negative reinforcement, and if you actually concentrated then this wouldn't be so bad." Ghirahim scolded in a serious tone, and flicked another wave of magic towards Link, who dived out of the way just in time, not even bothering to block it.

"Why are you suddenly so keen to teach me this stuff?" Link yelled at him from his opposing side of the clearing. As he said it, a thought registered in his head: maybe he was only doing this as an excuse to attack him. The defences he'd taught Link so far weren't really effective at all, he mused, it could all just be for Ghirahim's satisfaction.

"I'd rather not be bound to someone who kills themselves just because they're faced by a threat with no weapon to hand," Ghirahim growled back, adding, "I can't think of anything more insulting than associating with something that preposterous."

Link mentally slapped himself for forgetting the initial reason this training had been proposed. Still, all that this magic practice was really doing was exhausting him. He fought to swallow his pride, before reluctantly speaking again.

"Is there not anything... More simple than this?"

Ghirahim lowered his hands, frowning, and relaxed slightly. "More simple than blocking basic spells?" He asked, and although his tone wasn't mocking, for once, Link still felt humiliated when it was worded like that. He nodded, though, giving in, and Ghirahim seemed to consider his question, before clearly coming to a realisation as he snapped his fingers theatrically.

He approached Link quickly, grabbing his wrists and pulling him down to sit on the ground opposite him. "You're clearly not built for being a vessel for magic; you're not a natural at this at all," he said, taking Link's still-bandaged hands to turn them over. The younger man winced, but tried not to react further, realising that, okay, he would like to learn this stuff if there was an easier way. He let Ghirahim control his hands, even though the extra pressure hurt the punctured skin under the wrappings (on top of hurting his pride). The spirit held them both palms-up between where they were sitting, using the index finger of his other hand to trace a pattern into his skin. "The hands are the easiest place to channel magic. You pull the majority of your energy from here -" he said, and prodded his finger into Link's chest, over his heart, "and through here." He used both of his hands to run them down Link's arms, resting them in his still outstretched palms. Link tried not to shiver from being touched, slightly ticklish.

He looked up at Ghirahim, who's eyes flicked upwards to lock with his, when suddenly the spirit smacked him gently on the cheek.

"Eyes closed. Concentrate on that energy."

Link wasn't sure when his simmering hatred had turned into more of a slight discomfort around Ghirahim, and he wanted to slap himself for immediately following the spirit's orders when shutting his eyes, opting instead to bring his train of thought back to the energy supposedly flowing through him. He could definitely feel something in his chest, something that felt like it had been there all this time but he'd only just noticed it, like when you become aware of having to blink or breathe, but he was sure it was just anxiety. Nevertheless, he tried to push it out of his chest and into his shoulders, pull it down his arms and have it fall into his hands...

...This felt stupid, and degrading, and he couldn't believe he'd immediately shut his eyes when Ghirahim had told him to, what kind of-

"There we go," Ghirahim crooned in what sounded like a mixture of relief and pride (which would all be directed at himself for being such a brilliantteacher, most likely) and Link opened his eyes to see a glowing, translucent ball in each of his hands. Ghirahim's own hands hovered above each of them as if to contain them or stop them floating away, and he didn't seem to be bothered by the aura that Link could feel radiating off of them.

"What is this?" Link said, unable to keep the amazement from his voice. He couldn't quite believe this was him, but it definitely was. He could feel it coming from himself.

"Energy. Magic." Ghirahim said simply. "It doesn't have a form right now, but that's what we're going to learn next."

.

As useful as blocking would be in a dangerous situation, both human and spirit had agreed that Link's offence was better than his defence, so they had began with that when starting over. Not more than an hour later, it seemed that Link had an aptitude for manifesting solid objects from energy, much to Link's dismay and Ghirahim's delight, since this had been the sword spirit's favoured technique for attacking in the past.

The first weapon he'd summoned, however, had been a bow and arrows, and were gold in hue, much unlike his teacher's black steel daggers and sabre. It took longer and a few more tries for him to generate a sword, and Link noted how Ghirahim's face contorted slightly in discomfort as his eyes fell upon the golden broadsword that so faithfully resembled the Blade of Evil's Bane.

Eventually they dropped spells and switched entirely to weapon-based combat, and Link felt reenergised to finally have a sparring partner on his level after so long. Ghirahim seemed more enthusiastic, too, enjoying being able to knock Link back without feeling any pain himself. He'd grin whenever it became a close call and one of them nearly hit the other, raising the stakes, and he barely spoke during this time, which gave Link some relief as well.

Hours passed, until the sun was low and blinding in the clear, cloudless sky, and Link let himself sink, panting, to the ground at a stream's edge. He groaned in relief as he splashed cool water over his face with his bandaged hands, soaking the wrapping, though he didn't really care. Ghirahim joined him, throwing the freshwater across his face with a satisfied sigh, which made Link wonder.

Did he sweat?

"Why don't you need to eat?" He asked suddenly, and Ghirahim paused in the middle of rubbing water-covered hands over his face, peeking at the Hylian between his fingers with a questioning look. He lowered his hands slowly.

"I'm a spirit. I feed off the energy of the vessel I'm bound to." He explained, and gave Link a pointed look. The blonde's eyes widened, and he tried not to shudder as an image came to mind of glowing energy being sucked away from his body and being absorbed by the demon next to him, all while being completely unnoticed. "Obviously, that doesn't mean I can't eat," Ghirahim added matter-of-factly, focusing on flicking the excess water off his hands as he said it.

That distracted Link temporarily. "Do you need to breathe?" He asked, and this time Ghirahim replied with a look that said 'really?'. Link's face flushed. "I don't see why you would, unless your body works like a human's," he explained.

"Sky child," Ghirahim said, shifting back a little to turn his whole body towards Link, "This body can do everything a human body can do," he said, and Link didn't miss the suggestive undertone, "but you mustn't forget that I'm so much more."

The two locked gazes then, Ghirahim with narrowed eyes and a smirk, clearly still running on his own mix of pride, despite the circumstances. Link quickly felt uncomfortable, but Ghirahim unexpectedly let his gaze drop before the Hylian had to. All of a sudden the spirit stood, patting his immaculate clothes down before offering his hand to Link.

Link declined and stood by himself, and they headed off, back to home.

They'd decided to only warp in and out of the village, so the walk back through the woods was lengthy and quiet as Link got lost in his own thoughts, not paying attention to what Ghirahim was really doing. He thought back to the earlier comment about his energy being fed off of, and about the rules of the bond, and he couldn't help but wonder that, if all of that were true, how Ghirahim had survived after Demise had been killed.

A sharp pain rippled across his left palm, then, jerking him out of his thoughts. He sucked in air through his teeth and winced, grabbing his own hand reflexively with the other, before staring at the wrappings around it, frustrated, and lowering his hand in defeat.

Ghirahim looked over him as they continued walking. "Something the matter?"

Link shrugged. "Just my hand," he said, brushing it off.

He hoped this pain wouldn't last much longer.

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