The Bonding(4)

The Bonding is the eighth chapter of My Inner Life and consists of 6 sub-chapters. It follows Link and Jenna as they go through the Pagan Bonding Ceremony mentioned at the end of the previous chapter. The (4) included in the chapter's name is referencing the 4th index entry that explains the ritual further.

Summary
The chapter begins with Jenna describing their travel to the Pagan Monastery mentioned in the previous chapter. They travel through the Gerudo Valley and Gerudo Desert on horseback (despite the latter being impossible in OoT) and pass through 'Gerudo Village', completely forgetting that it is actually a fortress with several prisons and that the Gerudo are sarcastic and aloof instead of talkative and friendly.

When they arrive at the monastery, it seems that Link had somehow called ahead to let the monks know that they were coming. The monks take them inside the monastery and explain the steps of the ceremony which Jenna seems to forget as the monks have to re-explain each step as they arrive to it later on in the story.

The head monk then smears some sort of holy oil on their foreheads before telling the pair about their faith and that they have to perform the ceremony in the nude, because Mother Earth and all that. This causes Jenna to become worried, as this part was not known when she originally agreed, but Link smiles at her and she feels ~all better~.

The monks lead them to a garden where the ritual will be performed and gives the pair two goblets filled with 'liquid'. Link is handed a 'Ruby hilted Dagger' and told to cut his palm and let the blood drop in the goblet. Link does so without hesitation, but when Jenna is given the dagger, she is reasonably worried, but Link tells her it's okay so she slices her hand open and watches the blood drip into the goblet. A monk takes the dagger away while the Head Monk tells them to drink from each other's goblets, which somehow makes Jenna feel connected to Link. They are then told to clasp the wounds together (despite the medical problems that would realistically rise from doing this), and she hears his voice faintly in the back of her mind once they do so.

Next, the head monk explains that to further strengthen their bond, they have to drink each other's 'bodily fluids' (even though blood is also a bodily fluid). This surprises Jenna but once again, Link calms her by holding her hand. Jenna and Link fill the goblets with their urine and exchange them. Drinking Link's urine only seems to 'leave a sour taste' in Jenna's mouth but causes her to feel 'a spirit' around her, which she identifies as Link.

The Mental Bonding
The second phase of the Bonding Ritual is explained to them and the pair take each other's hands and close their eyes. As the head monk chants, Jenna enters a 'void' where after a few moments, she hears Link's voice calling out to her inside her mind. She sees a flame in her mind, which she identifies as Link, and tries to reach for it but cannot. The flame flickers out and she returns to the 'void' before opening her eyes and smiling at Link. The monk tells them that the Mental Bonding is complete.

The Physical Bonding
The third phase of the Bonding Ritual is explained and Link and Jenna's wrists are tied together and held in front of them. A bowl emitting a white smoke is placed between them and they take a big whiff of it and close their eyes again.

The void reopens in Jenna's mind and she hears Link's voice calling out to her yet again. She feels calm as she feels his body against hers but then Link starts screaming in agony and they both feel a horrific, burning pain shoot through them; both feeling their pain as well as the other's.

Suddenly, the pain stops and Jenna feels warmth rush through her again before seeing the flame rise up again in her mind. Link's voice calls from the flame and Jenna tries again to reach it but cannot. Then, the feeling of warmth changes to a 'pleasurable feeling' and Jenna describes the feeling of their bodies merging and how the connection 'felt like having sex' and 'felt as if [they] were one'. The 'void' shatters and Jenna opens her eyes. The ropes are removed from their wrists and the head monk places his hands on Link and Jenna's foreheads and after a minute, announces that the Physical Bonding was complete.

The Spiritual Bonding
The next part of the ritual is explained and two servants place two different coloured pendants around Link and Jenna's necks while drawing patterns on their bodies. The Head Monk starts chanting again and Jenna slips back into the 'void'.

She hears Link's voice again and 'the erotic feeling' fills her body again, and she can feel Link's heart beating alongside hers. The 'erotic feeling' runs deeper through her 'into her soul' and Jenna realizes that the stones on the pendants are connecting their souls together. Jenna feels hers and Link's bodies merge and their minds become one, and she can hear Link's thoughts 'like a distant voice' before his feelings rush through her and she finds herself rising above her body. She sees Link above his body and they merge together, their spirits 'becoming one' before separating and returning to their bodies, 'each carrying a part of each other's spirit.'

Jenna then realizes that they are soulmates, that she has 'learned many new things about him' including his past, and how he feels; things that should have been known already as they are super duper close like wow guys.

The void shatters and Jenna wakes to feeling Link stroking her hair. They kiss and Jenna gushes about how she loves Link. The head monk stops chanting and he tells them that the spiritual bonding is complete.

The Sexual Bonding
In an attempt to force as much sex into the story as possible, the head monk explains that the next part of the ritual is to have sex. Jenna doesn't want to have sex in front of the monk, and although he tells her that only Mother Earth will witness it, she still feels off. Link then tells her it's okay because he's there and Jenna calms down right away. The monk leaves.

Link and Jenna then have explicit and slightly disgusting sex. This sex scene is the first mention of tigers in a sexual context, and it certainly isn't the last.

The Final Stretch
The Monk returns and checks to see if they completed the sexual bonding correctly and is satisfied with the results. How he checked is not explained but it sounds disturbing.

Jenna and Link are led back to the Monastery and are told more about the bond they had just formed. The bond, the head Monk explains, is sacred and special and runs deeper than regular marriage vows. He says that they are connected together forever by a sacred bond that will never be broken, even after death. He then calls his servants back out and they attach jewelry to Link and Jenna which the monk explains cannot be removed by 'the Human hand'. Jenna receives a 'bondage bracelet' on her left hand while Link is given five similar looking 'bondage earrings' that are pierced into both of his ears. The head monk then explains that there are rules for bonded couples.


 * Never remove their bondage jewelry.
 * Link isn't allowed to be alone with other women unless Jenna is there.
 * Jenna isn't allowed to be alone with other men unless Link is there.
 * They're both allowed to visit family alone.
 * They're both allowed to visit a higher authority alone.
 * They're both allowed out in public alone.

If any of these rules are broken, they are 'looked down on' and could face 'serious charges' for adultery. The head monk then alludes to having spies out in the world that can recognize bonded couples and will tattle on them if they do not follow the rules. Despite these stupid rules, Jenna is happy to be bonded to Link. The head monk then shoos them away and the pair leave for home.

When they arrive back, Lilly and Navi ask how it went. Jenna claims to have loved it despite being clearly uncomfortable for most of the steps. The couple explain to the Fairies what it means to be bonded and shows them their jewelry before they spend time hanging out in front of their house on a porch swing and Jenna falls asleep in Link's arms.

A Few Loose Ends
Jenna tells the reader about the additions to their land. She goes on about the farm she added; the Cuccos and 'rooster' that Link bought; the cows, pigs and sheep she got; and the black stallion that King Zelda bred specially for them that they named Midnight Star. They decided on breeding him with Epona who Jenna says will give birth around the time she does despite a horse's pregnancy lasting 11 months while Jenna only has 7 left for hers. Jenna then starts a garden for growing food despite already stating that she had started a farm for the exact same reason. Jenna says that her garden was her pride and joy, next to being pregnant. The chapter finally ends.