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Chapter 50.2:
Inevitable - 25 Pages
Author: Zethar-II
Once again a high pitched
scream was heard from the world above. The three
Shadows, Aberi, Beyami, and Clayaty were up and
about, looking for the source of this new voice.
Finally, a fourth body dropped and landed in front
of the group.
"My, my, my, look how the
tables have turned, Demoni.", Aberi
sneered.
"Hee hee, looks like you
got killed too. Now you know how it feels.", Beyami
giggled.
"Skanky bitch!", was all
the Clayaty said.
Demoni picked herself off
of the floor, and dusted off. Suddenly, shackles
flew from the side and latched onto her arms. She
struggled in vain as the other shadows mocked her.
Finally, she gave up, and slumped to the
floor.
"Don't think you've won
Hero of Time.", she mumbled to herself.
"Oh, but he has already.
Well, that is if our Lord isn't revived.", Aberi
thought aloud.
"But what about the
Supreme Mother? Would she allow such a thing to
come to pass?", Beyami questioned.
The shadow girls looked
about. "Do we really need to say it?" Aberi
asked.
"Yes." Beyami
stated.
"Have you heard? Have you
heard? Do you know what I've heard?"
--------------------
Link stood in the solace
of sun's ascension, the new day casting a warm glow
over the black castle. "How could someplace so evil
actually look peaceful?", he asked
himself.
Bewildered, he brought the
helix shaped Key of Durak up for a closer look.
[Had they actually won? Could they finally go
home?]; questions rolled through his
mind.
Snapping out of his
thoughts, Link ran to his comrades. Zelda opened
her eyes, but closed them as if disappointed to the
fact that she was still alive. For a second, Link
wondered if life was as pointless as the Princess
thought. Draco sat up with a start, but flinched in
pain. Anthy rose, but it seemed as if it were from
a long slumber, rather than from being rendered
unconscious.
Relieved, Link got up to
go check on Yomil. He slowly crept to the edge of
the castle to overlook the garden below. The
sorcerer was still lying in the garden, quite
comfortably it seemed. Link ventured down the
stairs to the garden, leaving Zelda, Anthy, and
Draco.
"Yomil!" Link said,
shaking the sorcerer.
The Kinokan awoke with a
yell. "Am I dead?!"
"We won!" Link had a big
grin on his face and held up the Key of
Durak.
While those words still
echoed off of the walls the ground began to shake.
Under closer inspection they realized that the
whole Castle was quaking. A familiar cackle
emanated from what seemed like the walls itself.
Was this Darkrova's last effort to stop them? Parts
of the floor began to go unstable and collapse.
Pieces of rock fell to the waters below the
floating Palace. Link quickly grabbed Yomil, and
lead him up the stairs to the others.
"We have to get out of
here!" Link yelled as he approached.
"Obviously" Draco
muttered.
An explosion was heard as
the whole lower garden lost its grip on the
Obsidian Fortress and dropped away. Link swallowed
hard as he saw how far it was to the surface below.
"Yomil, can you manage a spell or
something?"
Yomil, still tired from
the finishing spell on the Wraith Lord tried to
think of a spell powerful enough to get them off of
the castle. Then he remembered
something:
I have merely given you
the ability to focus your normal Sliding ability,
Yomil. Use it as you would normally, and Farore's
Wind will aid you. You should not be as easily
distracted.
"I think I can try
something!", he called out to his friends. He stood
trying to focus his remaining energy. [What to
focus on?], he thought. Suddenly he smelled
salty ocean breeze. [That's it!], and he
focused all his energy on Hylia Bay. Just when he
was about to open the portal, he
collapsed.
"Yomil!", Link exclaimed,
as they all ran to his side. "Farore's Wind takes
up much energy, and Yomil is weak.", Anthy
explained matter-of-factly.
"Now what are we going to
do?", Draco asked.
A nearby tower fell from
view.
"Hurry! We need to think
of something fast!", Link yelled. "Anthy, can you
do something?"
"I can try.", she
responded. She calmly walked over to Yomil, and
placed her forehead next to his like she had done
what seemed like ages ago. She closed her eyes, as
the Triforce symbol on her forehead gave off a
faint glow.
The flooring became
unstable. Suddenly, a high tower scattered with
bright bursts of energy radiating outward. Truffle
fell from within the cage of energy, and landed
near the group; no one noticed the freed
soul.
"Anthy, how long more is
this going to take?", Link asked nervously. She did
not respond.
A block of stone right
next to Zelda collapsed. The princess just looked
down at it, and instead seemed entranced by the
waters below.
"Anthy, you probably know
this, but we don't have time."
Draco ran and grabbed
Zelda before the flooring under her broke
away.
"Anthy!"
The group had to now dodge
falling debris from the towers beside
them.
"Anthy, hurry!"
The stone slabs which they
stood on grew cracks across the length of the
castle. Rocks fell from the Castle like giant,
black hail stones. Link closed his eyes as he felt
gravity's pull on him.
------------------
Aberi, Beyami, and Clayaty
were resting in their jail cells, already accepting
their fates. "I guess this time we actually wont be
coming back." Aberi said, sitting in her little
corner.
"Just shut up. We'll be
staying here for the rest of eternity, so we might
as well get comfortable." Clayaty said.
"Hey guys, where's
Demoni?" Beyami brought up. Indeed, the fourth
Shadow Girl was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, blaring sirens
burst throughout the jail. "Prisoner Demoni, come
out with your hands up!" a omnipresent voice
screeched. The silhouettes of guard towers,
complete with search lights were seen. Indistinct
figures wearing police uniforms began searching the
area.
"What did she do now?"
Aberi said, very much annoyed.
"I guess she doesn't like
losing." Beyami joked.
Just then, the jail cells
burst open. In the background, a swarm of Shadow
Girls were seen running from their prisons, many in
chains, others carrying picks and other tools of
menial labor. "How immature. You're just gonna get
in trouble!" Clayaty said disapprovingly. She
quickly realized that she was alone in her jail
cell. "Aberi? Beyami? Wait up!"
------------------
Green winds of energy died
down around the acidic waters of Hylia Bay. In an
uncommon show of fatigue, the Bride of Light
slumped down. Her garments had returned to her
normal tunic, giving Anthy a more corporeal visage.
Slowly, the others in the group opened their eyes
to see a much more stable surrounding. Quickly,
Link surveyed the area.
They were at the waters
edge of Hylia Bay. Unconsciously, they crept away
from the volatile liquid. Without realizing it,
Darkrova's Fortress had moved quite far off shore,
probably some last effort to prevent outside
interference.
The group watched the
black castle, as pieces of the foundation crumbled.
Link swore that he saw a body fall into the water,
but dismissed it. In a violent show of demolition,
the entire castle suddenly seemed to revert back
into building blocks, and crumbled into the ocean.
Having lost all shape, Link was fairly confident
that any trace of evil had been properly taken care
of.
"Wait, what's that?" Yomil
pointed to where the castle had once floated.
There, as if the castle had left something behind,
was a giant void. It was a dark sphere, seeming to
trap all light within it, suspended in still
air.
A quick wind picked up,
and Link saw movement form the corner of his eye.
He turned, but nothing was there. Another quick
movement to his right made Link turn again, this
time he saw a streak of black shoot across his
vision. At first he thought it was a trick of
shadows, but the others were looking about
themselves as well. Anticipating where it would go
next, Link turned in a complete circle, to catch
the streak off guard - that is, if it where
sentient. For an instance, Link saw the image of a
girl. Immediately, he remembered the silhouettes in
the Silent Temple.
An erie and familiar
cackling began to reverberate off of the world
itself. The whole group froze in shock as the
impossible seemed to happen. "Foolish child! Do not
think that you can evade my wrath that easily!
Watch as your precious Hyrule is destroyed! See the
embodiment of death!"
As if in response, the
black sphere near the horizon began to move towards
land. "How is it that Darkrova can still be
alive?!" Draco demanded. Naturally no one could
offer an explanation; except for Anthy.
"She probably anticipated
her defeat and used some sort of magical anchor to
allow her to come back to this realm." Anthy said
in her usual placid tone.
"If there was such a
possibility, why didn't you tell us?!" Draco
shouted as he drew his sword, in case the shadow
should strike.
Anthy looked directly at
the Hylian prince. "It wouldn't have done any good.
Besides, Darkrova is entitled to such a
move."
"Don't tell me, the
Balance?" Yomil's voice wailed.
"Correct." Anthy ignored
the sorcerer's sarcasm. "We should set up camp. We
must replenish our energy if we are to try and stop
another cataclysm."
"How do you propose to do
that? We don't know anything about it!" Draco was
getting increasingly agitated. As the presiding
monarch of Hyrule, he of course felt that the
safety of the land was his
responsibility.
"Let me help you, young
fools. Only the life of a Hylian Royal can satiate
its hunger." Darkrova's voice enjoyed every
syllable of those words. She began to cackle
uncontrollably as the shadow streaked away. Draco
let out a frustrated cry.
"Draco, Zelda." Anthy
addressed the brother and sister. Her voice was
barely above a whisper. "Realize that there is
merit in her words. Are you prepared to give your
life for this land?" the Bride of Light said
coldly. Draco's mouth moved but it was if he
couldn't summon enough force to actually speak.
Zelda's dead eyes showed no change in emotion, her
gaze slightly shifted to look at the black
orb.
This was too much.
Finally, the exhaustion caught up with Link, as he
fell into darkness.
--------------------
He looked around at the
darkness that fell all around him. The stillness in
the air was heavy and wet. His eyes watered from
the haze that filled them and his body dripped with
the sweat of an unfinished battle. To his right lay
his comrade, brutally slaughtered, and to his left
another, still barely clutching onto the life that
was quickly fading from him.
[This is
familiar.], Link thought to himself. [Wait,
it's different. The dream is
different.]
One of his comrades....
he didn't remember him looking like that.... Blue
scales?
His eyes grew wet
again, this time not from the mist that veiled his
enemy from sight, but from the fury and desolation
he felt right then. Behind him, his only remaining
friend stood apprehensively waiting, wondering what
the next move would be. She was covered in dirt and
blood, and yet to him she still seemed flawless and
beautiful. As his gaze stretched across the almost
barren landscape, he promised, or rather already
knew, that he would prefer to die than let IT, the
monstrosity, the wicked force that was out there
still, strike her down. Suddenly, he turned and was
face to face with another young woman. She had
striking purple hair, with the symbol of the
Triforce on her forehead. She moved her mouth, but
he heard nothing from her. Suddenly, she burst into
rose petals, surrounding Link in their intoxicating
fragrance.
A flash of lightning in
the distance illuminated the field of battle for a
split moment. A shadow. An image. A feeling that
wasn't even real, all pointing in one direction. He
turned swiftly, holding the legendary blade in his
hands.
"Got out of my sight
once, that was my fault," he spoke hoarsely, barely
above a whisper though he knew he'd be heard. "But
you're not going anywhere. Not now...." His voice
trailed off into the distance, as his eyes blinked
away sweat. He couldn't hear the creature's
movements, but he could feel them. Off to the
right… picking up speed, turning…
closer....
There!
"So get used to it!!"
he roared. There was a snarl to his right, and he
instinctively turned to his left, knowing better.
To his surprise, the haze was absent from the air.
And It was watching.
It almost smiled.
Squatting on the ground, hair flailing behind It as
though it had a mind of its own. Its face wasn't
human, its nose sloped forward like a hog's, but
Its torso and lower body were definitely human. It
rested on hoofed feet, and wore shards of torn
clothing.
<YOU GET USED TO IT
MORTAL.> The voiceless words rang in his head.
The Triangle mark on Its hand flashed.
Then in an instant, It
leapt.
--------------------
The moon was lonely in its
luminance, only the distant stars to watch it from
afar. Yet slowly, as if to guard its emotions, a
cover of clouds was drawn over its glowing face,
blanketing the earth beneath in shadow. At the
small camp of heroes, a silhouette could barely be
seen making his cot. Gathering a couple of
supplies, the figure began to walk toward the coast
towards the impending violent doom.
"You're going. . . .", a
voice shattered the morbid dark.
The figure stopped,
shocked as to have been discovered. Anthy appeared
out of the shadows.
"Don't try to stop me."
Draco said without turning to her. He began to
walk.
"I wasn't going to." The
Bride of Light looked after him. "You don't want to
say goodbye to them?"
Draco paused. "I can't. .
. I don't think that I can put them through that. .
. ." Anthy remained expressionless. Draco suddenly
spoke. "Is that why you're out here
also?"
Anthy gave a sad laugh. "I
suppose so. . . we're the lucky ones you know. . .
."
Draco finally turned to
face her. "Does being lucky mean that I have to
leave my sister?! To leave Luto?! To leave any of
them in this hell?!" He trembled at the storm of
emotions which passed through him. He gave a bitter
laugh. "It must be nice to be the Bride of Light.
All you need to do is to act like you know it all
and not care."
Anthy's voice lowered to a
phantom's call. "That is life. . . the hardest
thing in life is to let go. But some of us let go a
long time ago."
"How can you be so cold?"
Draco's voice was nearly silent.
She sighed. "Because I
know what life is."
Draco shook his head as if
he didn't accept her answer. "It's easy for you to
say that, but you can't be so callous. You love him
don't you?"
Anthy's eyes widened at
his words. Her face suddenly looked very sad and
innocent. A tear ran down her cheek. "But that's
our lot in life, we have no reprieve. Even if it
isn't fair."
"But you love him.", Draco
repeated.
Anthy's voice slightly
rose in its intensity. A stream of tears fell from
her eyes. "And that is what is the most
painful!"
Draco stared at her, in
shock to her show of feeling. He replied gently.
"You have a choice. . . I don't. . . ."
Anthy gave a bitter laugh.
"No. . . you could decide not to go, even it meant
death for all of us. You're too caring to let that
happen. I. . . I on the other hand am bound to
fate; there is no exception."
Draco looked confused.
"Look, Anthy, I won't pretend to know what you are
or why you're helping us; all I know is that my
friend cares for you and that you've come through
for us on numerous occasions. But I need to do
this. For them. To give them a
tomorrow."
"Then your decision is
made." Anthy stated more than asked.
Draco nodded anyway. "If
they ask, don't tell them where I went."
"You know I can't do
that.", Anthy looked straight into his eyes. She
turned away. "I would hurry then, before they
awake."
Draco smiled in thanks,
then ran into the darkened path, alone, and with a
mission. A mission he would not be returning
from.
--------------------
Link opened his eyes. He
felt grass around him. Was he back in the forest?
He sat up, looking around and trying to make sure
he wasn't alone. It was the same dream he had...
[The day this whole adventure started. . .
.] Link thought. He couldn't shake the feeling
that something wrong could happen, even if it was
just a dream. He breathed a sigh of relief when he
saw Zelda and Yomil lying by the burning embers of
what was once a campfire. Then he felt a vice wrap
itself around his heart, the lingering images from
the dream still in his eyes. Draco and Anthy were
nowhere to be seen. Despite telling himself he was
being superstitious, Link suddenly feared the
worst.
He got up to look around
himself. In actuality, he was near on the
shoreline; Hylia Bay to be exact. They had somehow
survived. . . again. . . .
Looking up, Link saw that
night had fallen already. [How long was I
out?]
Cautiously, he ventured
out to the shoreline. He looked up at the peaceful
night sky, but then noticed something odd. There,
in the sky, was a giant ball of 'black'. A dark
absence of light that seemed to be slowly moving
towards land. Memory suddenly tore back into his
conscious as he remembered Darkrova's
threat.
Link turned, and there was
Anthy, standing almost up to the acid water's
reach, also looking at the dark energy.
"'Only the life of a
Hylian Royal can satiate its hunger.'" Anthy's
voice echoed.
--------------------
"Was it wise to not help
them?" Vision questioned. The temporarily allied
group floated where Darkrova's fortress had once
stood. They were discussing their next move, and
wondering what the true nature of the mysterious
void that was slowly moving towards Hyrule a few
meters underneath them was.
"They've managed to get
this far, I'm sure they'll be all right." Kyneto
said confidently.
"Although, I did see
something fall into the ocean." the Madame
interjected. "I think it was a person."
"Not so sure of yourself
now, Kyneto?" Empath sneered.
"Tell me again why we let
her live?" Kyneto was of course
irritated.
"Because she is the most
powerful one of us here. Tactically speaking, she
would prove to be a useful asset if we want to
eliminate Truffle." Vision said coldly.
"An asset? Is that all I
am to you Vision? I'm hurt." the Huntress
mocked.
"Nevertheless, we should
return to shore. I'll call the shuttle back." Moda
stated.
"Why can't we just fly
there ourselves?" Kyneto was ever
impatient.
"First of all, there isn't
much we can do now. Second, this suit needs to
rest." the Madame gestured to her extravagant
robes. "It hasn't eaten in a while." she added. The
group gave her a questioning look, but quickly
dismissed the thought.
"Heh, heh, that's why you
look so fat...." the Chibi Yoshi
mumbled.
After hitting the lizard
across the head quickly, the Madame continued.
"Besides, from there I can better get an idea what
that is." As if in response, the dark sphere let
out a crackle of energy.
"The sooner the better."
Kyneto said. "I still sense an imbalance, and most
likely it is caused by that energy."
"All the more reason to
get a move on!"
--------------------
Draco ran along the
shoreline. He knew what he had to do, but he was
waiting, or rather, hoping to say one final
goodbye. Just as he was about to leave the Bay
altogether, a figure emerged from the water,
illuminated by the pale moonlight.
"What brings his Highness
to the oceans this late at night?" Luto said with a
grin on her face. Her mood quickly darkened when
she realized that Draco was not playing along with
her banter. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern
immediatly filling her voice.
Draco solemnly looked up
towards the dark energy. "What is it?" Luto asked,
fear beginning to creep into her mind.
"You might say that it's
Darkrova's final gift." Draco joked. He looked
straight into the Zora Queen's eyes. "Goodbye
Luto."
--------------------
Bright lights flew around
frantically, creating high pitched noises, racing
every which way. The colors would have stopped any
person to admire their beauty if they did not ring
of dire events.
"Eloa! What has gotten
into the Spirits?!" Kamali demanded.
"They can sense it! As do
I, the energy! It is coming!" Eloa seemed beside
herself.
"What are you talking
about!" Kamali tried to yell over the crescendo of
noise.
"The side of Dark has made
its final move! It will either eliminate the bulk
of Hyrule, or a key player of Light!"
"How can this be allowed?!
The side of Light gets no reprieve!"
"Of course not dear, naive
Kamali. There are no players of dark left. One
would see it fair to even the scale a
bit."
"I do not see how this
Balance ever came about. There are too many rules
that do not make it seem realistic."
"It may seem odd, but the
only reason that we can exist like this is because
of it. If there were no Balance, then there would
only be Chaos, and even the Dark doesn't want
that." Eloa stated matter-of-factly.
"So what can we do?",
Kamali asked.
"Nothing of course."
Kamali scowled at Eloa's response. "We are the
neutral Kamali. You must realize that though we may
have power, using it would be
unforgivable-"
"Because of the Balance."
Kamali finished her sentance. "Yes, yes, I
know."
"We'll just have to watch
and see how the Hero deals with the
outcome."
"As always." Kamali
muttered.
--------------------
The beaten path that
connected Hylia Bay and Hyrule Field was bordered
by steep cliffs; cliffs that were essential to his
plan. Draco assured himself that he had to try, no
matter how crazy his plan was. As long as there was
a remote chance that Hyrule could be saved he had
to. It was his duty....
Draco surveyed the cliffs
around him. He quickly spotted an area with sturdy
looking vegetation. He readied the Hookshot,
briefly remembering Luto, and how he had just left
her in shock by the ocean. But Draco knew that it
was for the best. He couldn't get her
involved.
A familiar clank signaled
that the Hookshot had hit solid wood. Within a few
seconds Draco stood looking down at the ground
meters below. The royal quickly reviewed the
relatively simple plan through his head. He wasn't
even sure if it was going to work, but it was the
only way he could think of to "satiate its hinger".
Alone with his thoughts, Draco just stood, the
events before him flying by so fast that he didn't
even have time to feel nervous.
Suddenly, a powerful wind
picked up around the Hylian. Draco turned to see a
streak of darkness shoot across the ground. A
sinking feeling fell through him as he feared for
the worst. Cackling began to crescendo around the
royal.
"Show yourself Darkrova!"
Draco yelled as he drew the Harmony
Blade.
"Stupid boy." the now
infamous silhouette appeared in front of him.
"You're really going to go through with it? What
have they ever done for you?" she gestured in the
direction of the former Hylian Castle.
"They are my people, it is
my duty to protect them. I have to give them a
future."
"Give who the future? If I
remember correctly, your 'people' don't exist
anymore. All that's left is the Oni, and I think
they hardly appreciate your sentiment."
"It's because of your evil
that the world is the nightmare as it is now! But
if there's even the slightest chance that Link can
reverse all of this with the Book, then that's good
enough reason to sacrifice myself!"
"How honorable." Darkrova
said in disgust. "Certainly more honorable than
most men."
"Be gone shadow! You have
no power here."
Ignoring the hero's last
statement Darkrova continued. "A noble king
indeed... much more than your father ever
was."
"What would you know about
my father?", Draco vehemently responded.
"Lady Peach was so readily
welcomd; but it's what you would do for anyone from
a neighboring country, wouldn't you? Without
getting anything in return?"
"What are you getting at,
witch!" Draco lost his composure for a
moment.
"How dense are you
royals?" Darkrova laughed. "Fine, do you really
want to know daddy's little secret? Even your
father wasn't above succumbing to mortal desire. A
well placed sign of affection, and he was eating
out of my hand.
Draco froze. Was she
saying what he thought she was?
"He didn't complain when
we began sharing a bed. Your mother was easy enough
to delude; she didn't see what she didn't want
to."
"That's not true and you
know it!" Draco yelled.
"Oh, did I shatter the
little boy's childhood fantasy? You're father isn't
the perfect incorruptible wise king anymore is he?"
the shadow mocked. "But if you don't believe me, so
be it. Just ask him when you get to the other side!
Oh, and what perfect timing!"
Draco turned to see the
dark orb entering the ravine. Crackles of energy
struck out, crumbling parts of the opposing wall.
His mind swirling, Draco just stood in shock trying
hard just to keep standing. His world was coming to
an end.
--------------------
"Draco!" Link's voiced
echoed through the air. The young hero was quickly
joined by the reawakened sorcerrer as they searched
for the missing king. Link paused for a moment,
they had covered most of the coast, but there was
no sign of Draco. He quickly glanced back to Yomil
not needing to ask if he had found
anything.
"It's no use." Yomil
sounded frantic. "I can't sense him in the
vicinity. . ."
Link kicked the ground in
frustration. "You don't think he believed
Darkrova... oh Goddesses... he's going to sacrifice
himself."
Yomil stood, dumb from the
realization. "Oh no... no! He can't! He wouldn't
leave without telling us!"
Link shook his head.
"No... it sounds like something he would do... he
doesn't want us to get hurt."
Yomil suddenly turned back
towards the camp.
"What is it?!", Link
called after the wizard.
"I don't see
Zelda."
-------------------------
Draco stared blankly at
the approaching void, his whole mind in shock over
Darkrova's revelation. The shadow cackled manically
and began to dance around the air. "Awww, poor
little prince, finding out his daddy wasn't the man
he thought he was."
The dead witch's words
were lost on Draco. "It was my father's fault
Darkrova even got into the castle... the reason all
those people died. . ."
"Hmmm, I see all of you
aged to adults, but you're obviously still children
on the inside. You can't accept the idea that
adults are just lies and selfishness. You're all
weak and petty beings, you should be thanking me
for taking all of you poor bastards out of your
misery. You're nothing more than pawns to Derdekea
and her so called balance."
"You are as much of a pawn
as anyone here." A voice cause both the shadow and
Draco to jolt back in suprise. Anthy stood, no,
floated in the air. Her eyes seemed empty and
almost glowing. She cast an almost condenscending
look towards Darkrova's shadow. "And dust to dust,
so to the darkness you shall return." With that, a
bright beam of light suddenly exploded out of
Anthy's chest and hit the shadow. Yet rather than
scream, the shadow began to laugh. As she faded
from the reality, Darkrova turned towards Draco.
"This is too good. But I'll give you a little hint,
too bad you're going to be dead."
"What&endash;"
"Do not be decieved by
appearances. Derdekea is not all that she seems.
She may prove to be a far greater threat than I
ever did. You fools don't even know what the Bride
of Light was made for!" With that, the shadow began
to dissolve, her terrible laughing all the more
intensified by the dead air. Draco stood, dazed.
When he glanced towards Anthy, he found the Bride
of Light to be gone. He slowly looked down into the
ravine as the orb approached. After all that had
passed he had to admit he questioned if it was
worth jumping.
"Draco... no...." A voice
suddenly pulled Draco back into reality. He stared
in shock as he saw Zelda behind him. For the first
time since the Temple of Silence, Zelda's eyes
fillled with emotion. Tears began to flow through
her long dry eyes.
Her presence was all that
he needed to reaffirm his action. "Zelda, I have
to." He said without a second thought.
"No!" Her voice, so long a
deathly whisper, retook its former volition.
"Please, there's not
enough time." Draco glanced at the approaching
torrent. As he gave his sister his last words, time
seemed to drown out all noise. "Zelda, I love you,
I will always love you. This is the work that I
have to do. I want to give the others a
tomorrow."
"No..." Her eyes suddenly
looked fierce. "Let me do it Draco. It said the
'blood' of Hylian Royal... I have as much a right
as you do." She shifted her gaze, her eyes looking
dead again. "I don't need to live." Suddenly,
without waiting for his response, she suddnly
struggled forward towards the end of the cliff.
Without waiting for a second Draco caught her and
held her back.
He gently shook his head.
"You're my little sister, it's my job to protect
you, even before my job as a king." His eyes became
serious. "This is my fate Zelda, we knew that when
we first started this quest that there was going to
be sacrifice."
She painfully closed her
eyes and pounded on his chest with her fist, not
out of violence, but out of protest. "Don't leave
me Draco... I can't go one in this world. It's too
painful, it's too chaotic. You're needed here, I'm
not. If Link uses the book, they're going to need
you to help rebuild everything. Just let me do
something useful..." Her voice choked off in
sobs.
Draco gently held a finger
to her lips to silence her. "Here, take these." He
handed her the Harmony Blade and the Hookshot.
"Tell the others that I'm okay. You have to take
care of every one now, you're the Queen of Hyrule
now, Zelda... You can't run away from fate or
life." He kissed her on the forehead and slowly
moved away. "The hardest things in this world is to
live in it. Be brave, Zelda... live for both of
us."
Archs of dark energy tore
through the air as the orb menacingly marched
towards Hyrule. Zelda could only stand with her
tears as she said good bye to her brother. With one
final smile, Draco, King of Hyrule, turned and ran
towards his fate. As his form dove into the black
mass, all of Hyrule seemed to stop in awe.
Everywhere, all creatures seemed to pause as the
air became silent. Even the wicked Oni stopped
their normal clamor as if they sensed a great event
about to pass. It was over in an instant. Draco
closed his eyes and accepted what was to come as
his body hit the dark energy. For a moment he
gasped, the sheer force tearing into his body; then
there was only silence. The black orb exploded into
millions of small lights. The sun began its
ascension over the ruined landscape.
Zelda stood, tears of
emense sadness, yet overwhelming pride and joy for
Draco's noble sacrifice beginning to reawaken her
long dead heart. Slowly, looking towards the
sunrise, she smiled slightly as new tears began to
fall. "I'll live Draco, I'll live for you and me. .
. I'm not going to waste any time." Zelda turned to
see Link and Yomil racing towards her. "Or
anyone."
-----------------------------
Anthy watched all of this
from far away, her eyes were still vacant, the
Triforce symbol on her forehead still glowing. At
once the glow faded and her eyes regained their
life, she fell to the ground crying. As she looked
towards the snow-like lights that were the remains
of the black orb, her face took on a look of pure
anguish. "Forgive me, dear Prince... rest, noble
King...."
"You've done well Anthy."
Derdekea's voice caused the Anthy's gaze to turn to
one of dispondent sorrow. "You know what you're
next task is."
"Please... no more!" Anthy
sobbed.
"Bride of Light! You dare
raise your voice to the Holy Mother?! Find your
place!"
"Yes, mistress." Anthy's
voice took on the flat emotionless tone that had
become ever present as of late. "I will do you're
bidding."
-----------------------------
Acidic waves lapped
against the shoreline. After a particularly large
wave ebbed back to the safety of the ocean, a
battered figure lay in the sand. Truffle coughed
out of instinct, laughing to himself. "I can feel
it. Soon! I will be complete!"
The dark shadow streaked
from the beach, flying towards a destination not
known to many. On it's journey around Hyrule it
finally found it's hiding place. The Gateway of
Eternity stood tall....
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