Zelda Art The Hero of Spirits
- Thread starter Azure Sage
- Start date
Great chapter as usual, Az! I see that no cliffhanger was used here or before, good job balancing that. Perhaps a bit too much emphasis was put on weak battles, but the Flare Dancer portion was great. As usual, a great addition to the story, hope you get the next chapter out soon.
Rare Addict
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- Jun 15, 2010
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Never before has a battle against a group of Fire Keese been so exhilarating! xD Seriously, these dungeon chapters would be a blast to play through. The traps, especially, would feel right at home in any given Zelda title.
Overall, this was yet another terrific chapter. Not that I was expecting anything less from you, Az.
Overall, this was yet another terrific chapter. Not that I was expecting anything less from you, Az.
Thanks a lot for your comments, guys! :> Now it's time for Chapter Forty-One! The Fire Realm arc should be over by the next chapter, and after that, there will be one last major story arc before the end of the story. So, we're gonna be approaching the end of the story soon. I predict that this story will end up being somewhere around 52-55 chapters in total length, which means there should be anywhere between 10-15 chapters left... Of course, that's just my prediction.
Anyway, I worked pretty hard on this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please tell me what you think. =D
Zelda and I left the room we defeated the Flare Dancer in and headed up the stairs. It seemed like we traveled up a few stories. At the top of the stairs, there was another dimly lit hallway. The two of us headed down this hallway, being cautious of any booby traps that might be hidden.
There was an orange glow at the end of the hallway. Once we left it, we found ourselves in the biggest room yet. The walls were natural rock, and there was a gigantic lake of lava at the bottom. The ceiling came up like a funnel to an enormous crater.
“Is this the heart of the volcano?” I said aloud.
“Alphonse, look at that!” Zelda said.
I looked to where she was indicating. Rising out of the lava lake in the center was a huge, flat platform made of stone. There were a few stone bridges stretching out from doors around the room, including the one we entered from, leading to this platform with a slight downward slope. But what Zelda was referring to was the cage at the center of this platform, or more accurately, the person locked inside of it.
“That’s Darunia!” I exclaimed.
“Let’s hurry over to him!” Zelda said.
The two of us sprinted down the sloped bridge and jumped over the small gap between it and the platform. We hurried over to the center. Darunia was sitting in the cage with his legs crossed and his back to us.
- He looks pretty relaxed for someone locked in a cage... He must have nerves of steel.
Once Darunia heard my footsteps, he perked up and turned around.
“Alphonse!” he exclaimed in surprise.
“Darunia! We came here to save you!” Zelda said.
I didn’t say anything. I was too absorbed in my thoughts.
After getting a good look at the cage, it seemed to be made of a bunch of old bones tied together with rope. It looked really shoddy and hastily made. If it were me trapped in there, I could have probably broken out of it easily with just my physical strength alone. So why hadn’t Darunia, a powerful Goron warrior, broken out of it? What’s more, there wasn’t a single Bokoblin guarding him...
However, before my brain could process this enough to reach a definite conclusion, my thoughts were interrupted by Darunia’s frantic shouting.
“No! You shouldn’t have come here! You have to get away, now!” he shouted.
“What?” I said in confusion.
Just then, a sharp pain erupted in my left arm. When I turned my head to look, I saw that I had been hit with an arrow. Blood began to drip from the wound.
“Owww...” I groaned.
“Alphonse!” Zelda panicked.
I looked around the room, and saw a Bokoblin archer in one of the far corners. It had to be the one that shot me.
“No! It’s too late!” Darunia wailed.
“What do you mean?” I asked him.
Suddenly, the room started to shake.
“W-what’s happening?!” Zelda cried.
“It’s coming! It’s attracted to the scent of blood!” Darunia said in a panic.
“W-w-what's coming?!” Zelda asked in a frightened voice.
“The Behemoth! It’s a powerful monster that moved into the Fire Temple many years ago. It’s here, and it’s been been drawn out by the scent of Alphonse’s blood!” Darunia explained frantically.
- What? That ancient monster Darunia’s receptionist told me about? It’s been alive all these years?!
“We have to get out of here! Hurry!” Zelda screamed.
“It’s no use! The Behemoth is like a bloodhound. It will follow you endlessly once it’s got a whiff of your blood! We can’t run from it!” Darunia said.
“No! Then what can we do?!” Zelda cried.
“If we can’t run, then we’ll just kill it.” I said calmly as I pulled the arrow out of my arm and tossed it aside.
“Are you insane?! Even if you are the Hero of Spirits, this is not something you should confront!” Darunia said to me.
“I defeated Acnologia. I’m sure I’ll be able to handle this. Besides, you said it’s useless to run, right? Then it's better to do what I know isn't useless.” I refuted.
Darunia stared at me for a short while before finally sighing. “You’re pretty stubborn, I’ll give you that.”
I drew the emerald rapier from its sheath and cut apart the cage to let Darunia out. Just then, the lava nearby bubbled up into a fierce geyser. A dark figure seemed to launch from this geyser of lava, and its landing on the platform created a powerful tremor that knocked us off-balance.
Darunia fell to the ground, but I managed to stay on my feet. I brandished the rapier and faced The Behemoth.
This monster was huge. It had dark brown-black skin that resembled sludge, and its body was glowing red, probably from being in the lava. It stood on all fours, and it had a spade at the end of its tail shaped like a two-sided axe. Its large head was in the shape of a hammer. It didn’t seem to have any eyes, but it had large nostrils and a jaw filled with menacing teeth.
The Behemoth seemed to be sniffing for something. It took in several deep breaths with its nostrils, looking back and forth across the room, until finally it turned its head toward me. It seemed to recognize that the smell of blood was coming from me, and drool began to drip from its maw uncontrollably as it snarled ferociously.
“Get back!” I shouted.
Zelda and Darunia both backed off. “Alphonse, be careful...” Zelda said worriedly.
“G... Good luck.” Darunia said.
- This won’t be easy, especially without Regret and Layla backing me up.
The Behemoth roared fearsomely and prepared to charge at me. I met this challenge by charging first. I ran towards it and prepared to thrust the blade of the rapier into its left front arm. However, The Behemoth lifted that arm and attempted to smash me into the ground. I dove out of the way, and got back to my feet with a roll as I landed.
I attacked its hind leg instead this time. I cut through its thick skin with the rapier. The Behemoth let out an ear-piercing roar of pain, and then swatted me away with a sweep of its tail. I hit the ground hard, and skidded to a stop near the edge of the platform.
“Ga-auugh-!” I choked as I coughed up blood.
That blow knocked the wind out of me, and I was in a daze. The Behemoth didn’t waste any time to pounce on me. It leapt over to me and held it’s paw above me, getting ready to pin me down. I managed to lift the rapier and stab it through the beast’s paw just as it tried this.
The Behemoth shrieked in pain and backed off, giving me time to get back to my feet. I wiped some blood off of my lip with my sleeve, and rushed at it again. The Behemoth thrusted its paw forward as if it were throwing a punch, and I dipped past that and cut across its arm.
After screaming in pain again, The Behemoth threw another punch. This one did hit me, and it sent me flying. Intense pain was coursing through my body as I attempted to stand back up. My whole body was shaking, and I was having trouble staying on my feet. My vision was blurred for a bit, too.
- Damn. If this keeps up...
The Behemoth rushed at me, and I evaded it. I resorted to dodging, keeping my distance while trying to find an opening in which to strike. The beast left plenty of openings, but none in which I would get out unscathed if I attacked.
- What should I do...
I then remembered that I had decided earlier to expand my capabilities with the powers of the Spirits. But how was I going to do that in the midst of a fight? What would I do?
- Damn it. I don’t have the time to think about it! If only Regret and Layla were here...
Something hit me.
- That’s it! Regret!
I remembered that Regret’s style of fighting was using his magic power to increase the strength of his fists and attack with them. I decided to try to imitate that.
- It’s worth a shot.
As I dodged The Behemoths flailing limbs, I tried to focused my magic power into my left fist. I’d never done this before, so I wasn’t sure if I could do it. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more difficult than I expected, especially when being hounded by a bloodthirsty beast.
- I can’t concentrate with this thing attacking me!
“Zelda! Please, try to distract it for just a little while!” I called out to her.
“M-me?! I... I’ll try!” Zelda said nervously.
Zelda sped over to assist me. She flew around in front of The Behemoth’s face and tried to grab its attention. Even though The Behemoth didn’t have any eyes, it still seemed to sense that Zelda was there, and it became agitated. As it swatted at her in an attempt to get her away, I jumped back and tried to concentrate on gathering magic power into my fist.
- Come on... Come on!
This wasn’t easy for me. In the past, I mainly used the Lokomo Sword as a medium for the Spirits’ powers, and my learning how to focus magic power in the soles of my feet was by chance. I’d never actually tried to teach myself how to focus magic power on my own like this before.
Despite the difficulty, I continued to focus my mind into my hand. Before long, a bright blue flash of aura surrounded my left hand.
- I did it!
“Okay! I’m ready! Get back!” I shouted to Zelda.
“R-right!” Zelda squealed as she zipped away from The Behemoth as fast as she could.
The Behemoth chased after her, but I rushed at it and intercepted it. The beast swatted at me, but I parried its arm with the rapier and closed in on it. With a loud shout, I punched my fist charged with magic right into its gut.
However, The Behemoth managed to strike me with a powerful blow using its other arm at the same time. Both of us were flung away from each other. I hit the ground hard, and rolled to a stop. The Behemoth hit the ground and caused the platform to shake again.
“Alphonse!” Zelda cried out as she rushed to my side.
“Owwwww...” I groaned as I clutched my left arm.
The Behemoth managed to hit me right on my arrow wound from earlier, causing pain to fill my whole arm. It was starting to go numb, and it was also bleeding a lot. My rough landing also gave me a few scapes, which were starting to bleed as well.
The smell of fresh blood caused The Behemoth to go into even more of a frenzy. It snarled even more ferociously and charged at me. Zelda and I jumped apart from each other and managed to get out of the way just in time. The beast continued to charge at me frantically, and I barely had the chance to evade it. I brandished the rapier again and prepared to rush at it, but just then, I got some unexpected help.
Regret jumped into the fray and landed a fierce, magic-charged punch right on its jaw.
“Regret!” I shouted in surprise.
“Alphonse!” Layla called out as she ran to my side. “Thank God we managed to find you guys!”
- They were okay after all! Thank the Spirits...
It seemed they managed to find their way to this room after being separated from Zelda and I earlier.
“I’m so glad you guys are okay...” I said.
“Save it for later! What the hell is this thing?!” Regret shouted as he jumped back to avoid a swipe of The Behemoth’s arm.
“It’s that ancient monster Darunia’s receptionist told us about. It’s pretty tough, but now that you guys are here, I have an idea. I’ll need you two to keep it busy for a bit. Get ready!” I said.
“Right!” Regret said.
“Got it!” Layla said.
I jumped back behind them and focused on the magic power inside me. Meanwhile, Regret and Layla took up the vanguard, keeping The Behemoth at bay. As I focused on the Spirits’ power inside me, I thought back to what Anjean told me in the Royal Palace’s hospital back in Nabooru City.
“The second awakening first grants you the ability to ‘lend’ your power to those around you. You can temporarily give some of your power to your friends when you’re in a pinch.”
- If I can pull that off, we’ll be able to defeat it!
As I concentrated on the power of the Spirits inside me, I felt it began to well up. Before long, the blue aura of the Spirits began to surround my body like flames.
“This is it!” I shouted.
The aura dispersed in a wide ring of light across the ground, with my feet at the epicenter. The aura spread out to Regret and Layla and enveloped their bodies in a blue light, filling them with power.
“This is just like when we fought Acnologia!” Layla said.
“Alright! Let’s kick this thing’s ass!” Regret shouted excitedly.
The three of us rushed at The Behemoth. The monster roared and charged at us. I swung the rapier up and to the left, forcing back the beast’s left arm. Regret punched The Behemoth in its gut, pushing it back even more. Layla sliced across its chest with her lance, cutting into its hide.
The Behemoth shrieked in agony, and then roared in anger and frustration. The beast jumped up and over us, landing behind us. Its landing shook the platform and knocked the three of us off-balance. Unable to defend in time, I was sent flying across the platform by a powerful swipe of The Behemoth’s arm. I hit the ground hard and was dazed. Regret rushed at the beast and tried to land another blow, but had to stop and duck to avoid a tail sweep.
Layla rushed up in front of Regret and blocked The Behemoth’s arm from hitting Regret with her lance. Using the powers of the Spirits she was borrowing, she forced its hand back with a burst of magic power. Regret then rushed forward to attack, however he was hit with a tail sweep he didn't see coming in time. Like me, he was thrown into the air and hit the ground in a daze.
By that time, I had recovered, and I charged toward The Behemoth to back up Layla. After she parried its arm, I blocked a third tail sweep with the rapier. I managed to sever its tail, cutting off the spade at the end. The Behemoth cried in agony and jumped back.
Now Regret had recovered too, and he ran over to join us.
“It should be almost finished by now! Just a little more!” I shouted.
“Right!” Layla and Regret shouted together.
The three of us sprinted at The Behemoth to deliver the final blow together. The beast roared with frightened ferocity, like that of a cornered animal. In an act of desperation, it tried to ram its body into us. Regret threw a punched propelled by the borrowed magic of the Spirits, stopping it in its tracks. The Behemoth was pushed back, but recovered in no time and swatted Regret away.
I rushed forward and unleashed a fierce flurry of stabs and thrusts with the rapier, using the blade’s nimble and speed-oriented design to its full advantage. I punctured the beasts thick hide several times, drawing a lot of blood from it. The Behemoth roared in frustration and pain, and managed to swat me away like it did to Regret.
Finally, it focused its malice on Layla. The Behemoth pounced, its maw open wide and ready to bite into her. She dipped down and out of the way, and thrusted her lance deep into the monster’s gut. The Behemoth cried in pain as Layla ripped through its skin with a powerful slice, and finally, she cut through its body one last time with a powerful burst of magic.
The Behemoth’s body was thrown through the air from the force of the burst. Its final cry echoed as it plunged lifelessly over the edge of the platform. Its body sank beneath the surface of the lava. At last, The Behemoth was dead and gone.
“We... We did it!” Layla shouted in triumph.
“Alright!” Zelda and I shouted at the same time.
“Way to go, Layla! That was awesome!” Regret said excitedly.
After hearing that from Regret, she began to blush. “Qu-quit making it seem like I was trying to impress you...” she said nervously.
“No one’s doing that!” I laughed.
“Come on, just take compliments like a normal person!” Regret said cheerfully as he pat her shoulder.
“Sh-shut up! It’s... I’m not...” she said in an embarrassed panic.
Her cheeks got even redder. That’s when I realized that Layla was acting the same way toward Regret as she did toward me when she used to have feelings for me.
- So that’s how it is... Good luck, Layla.
As I thought that with a smile, I joined them and gave both of them a group hug.
“I’m glad you two were okay. I was really worried....” I said.
“Sorry to make you worry like that!” Layla said as she hugged back.
“Heh heh, sorry!” Regret said as he hugged back as well.
Even Zelda joined in, leaning in on us. “I was so worried about you two!” she said, sounding as if she was about to cry.
With her, the group hug was complete. The four of us were now officially reunited. When I raised my head a bit, however, the mood for me darkened. Regret and Layla’s backs were to him, but I was facing him. He never realized that I saw him, but I knew what I saw.
Darunia, who had been off to the side the entire fight, was enraged. His fists were clenched and trembling, and he was staring at the ground with a look of frustration written all over his face. He was angry. We had just defeated The Behemoth and saved him, yet he was angry.
The next second, however, that rage vanished into thin air as if it had never been there at all. Darunia walked over to us with an expression of joy on his face.
“Congratulations, you all! I can’t believe you managed to defeat that monster! You are truly something else.” Darunia said proudly.
The four of us separated, and Darunia shook hands with each of us-- not counting Zelda, who had no hands to shake.
“Awh, it was nothin’!” Regret said as Darunia shook his hand.
“No problem!” Layla said bashfully as Darunia shook her hand.
“...”
I didn’t say anything as Darunia shook my hand.
“Is something wrong, Alphonse?” Darunia asked me.
“... No, nothing.” I said after a short pause.
“I see. Then, let us return to Goron City. I’m sure everyone must be worried.” Darunia said.
“Yeah, I bet.” Layla agreed.
“Alright! Let’s go back and stuff ourselves for a job well done!” Regret shouted as he raised his fists into the air.
“Ah ha ha. I’ll be happy to arrange a banquet for you all. You deserve no less for what your incredible deeds!” Darunia laughed.
“Aw yeah~! You rock!” Regret cheered.
As the three of them began to leave, I stood still. I did not follow them just yet. I stood there quietly, absorbed in my thoughts.
“Alphonse, they’re gonna leave us behind.” Zelda said to me.
I didn’t answer her. I kept thinking about Darunia. I was finally starting to connect the dots. It all made sense to me now. Kagoron’s murder, Darunia’s lies, the kidnapping, the Bokoblins, the cage, and now Darunia’s actions. I finally figured it all out.
“So it really was him all along.” I said.
“What do you mean, Alphonse?” Zelda asked me.
“I finally figured out the truth.” I told her.
Anyway, I worked pretty hard on this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please tell me what you think. =D
Chapter Forty-One
Zelda and I left the room we defeated the Flare Dancer in and headed up the stairs. It seemed like we traveled up a few stories. At the top of the stairs, there was another dimly lit hallway. The two of us headed down this hallway, being cautious of any booby traps that might be hidden.
There was an orange glow at the end of the hallway. Once we left it, we found ourselves in the biggest room yet. The walls were natural rock, and there was a gigantic lake of lava at the bottom. The ceiling came up like a funnel to an enormous crater.
“Is this the heart of the volcano?” I said aloud.
“Alphonse, look at that!” Zelda said.
I looked to where she was indicating. Rising out of the lava lake in the center was a huge, flat platform made of stone. There were a few stone bridges stretching out from doors around the room, including the one we entered from, leading to this platform with a slight downward slope. But what Zelda was referring to was the cage at the center of this platform, or more accurately, the person locked inside of it.
“That’s Darunia!” I exclaimed.
“Let’s hurry over to him!” Zelda said.
The two of us sprinted down the sloped bridge and jumped over the small gap between it and the platform. We hurried over to the center. Darunia was sitting in the cage with his legs crossed and his back to us.
- He looks pretty relaxed for someone locked in a cage... He must have nerves of steel.
Once Darunia heard my footsteps, he perked up and turned around.
“Alphonse!” he exclaimed in surprise.
“Darunia! We came here to save you!” Zelda said.
I didn’t say anything. I was too absorbed in my thoughts.
After getting a good look at the cage, it seemed to be made of a bunch of old bones tied together with rope. It looked really shoddy and hastily made. If it were me trapped in there, I could have probably broken out of it easily with just my physical strength alone. So why hadn’t Darunia, a powerful Goron warrior, broken out of it? What’s more, there wasn’t a single Bokoblin guarding him...
However, before my brain could process this enough to reach a definite conclusion, my thoughts were interrupted by Darunia’s frantic shouting.
“No! You shouldn’t have come here! You have to get away, now!” he shouted.
“What?” I said in confusion.
Just then, a sharp pain erupted in my left arm. When I turned my head to look, I saw that I had been hit with an arrow. Blood began to drip from the wound.
“Owww...” I groaned.
“Alphonse!” Zelda panicked.
I looked around the room, and saw a Bokoblin archer in one of the far corners. It had to be the one that shot me.
“No! It’s too late!” Darunia wailed.
“What do you mean?” I asked him.
Suddenly, the room started to shake.
“W-what’s happening?!” Zelda cried.
“It’s coming! It’s attracted to the scent of blood!” Darunia said in a panic.
“W-w-what's coming?!” Zelda asked in a frightened voice.
“The Behemoth! It’s a powerful monster that moved into the Fire Temple many years ago. It’s here, and it’s been been drawn out by the scent of Alphonse’s blood!” Darunia explained frantically.
- What? That ancient monster Darunia’s receptionist told me about? It’s been alive all these years?!
“We have to get out of here! Hurry!” Zelda screamed.
“It’s no use! The Behemoth is like a bloodhound. It will follow you endlessly once it’s got a whiff of your blood! We can’t run from it!” Darunia said.
“No! Then what can we do?!” Zelda cried.
“If we can’t run, then we’ll just kill it.” I said calmly as I pulled the arrow out of my arm and tossed it aside.
“Are you insane?! Even if you are the Hero of Spirits, this is not something you should confront!” Darunia said to me.
“I defeated Acnologia. I’m sure I’ll be able to handle this. Besides, you said it’s useless to run, right? Then it's better to do what I know isn't useless.” I refuted.
Darunia stared at me for a short while before finally sighing. “You’re pretty stubborn, I’ll give you that.”
I drew the emerald rapier from its sheath and cut apart the cage to let Darunia out. Just then, the lava nearby bubbled up into a fierce geyser. A dark figure seemed to launch from this geyser of lava, and its landing on the platform created a powerful tremor that knocked us off-balance.
Darunia fell to the ground, but I managed to stay on my feet. I brandished the rapier and faced The Behemoth.
This monster was huge. It had dark brown-black skin that resembled sludge, and its body was glowing red, probably from being in the lava. It stood on all fours, and it had a spade at the end of its tail shaped like a two-sided axe. Its large head was in the shape of a hammer. It didn’t seem to have any eyes, but it had large nostrils and a jaw filled with menacing teeth.
The Behemoth seemed to be sniffing for something. It took in several deep breaths with its nostrils, looking back and forth across the room, until finally it turned its head toward me. It seemed to recognize that the smell of blood was coming from me, and drool began to drip from its maw uncontrollably as it snarled ferociously.
“Get back!” I shouted.
Zelda and Darunia both backed off. “Alphonse, be careful...” Zelda said worriedly.
“G... Good luck.” Darunia said.
- This won’t be easy, especially without Regret and Layla backing me up.
The Behemoth roared fearsomely and prepared to charge at me. I met this challenge by charging first. I ran towards it and prepared to thrust the blade of the rapier into its left front arm. However, The Behemoth lifted that arm and attempted to smash me into the ground. I dove out of the way, and got back to my feet with a roll as I landed.
I attacked its hind leg instead this time. I cut through its thick skin with the rapier. The Behemoth let out an ear-piercing roar of pain, and then swatted me away with a sweep of its tail. I hit the ground hard, and skidded to a stop near the edge of the platform.
“Ga-auugh-!” I choked as I coughed up blood.
That blow knocked the wind out of me, and I was in a daze. The Behemoth didn’t waste any time to pounce on me. It leapt over to me and held it’s paw above me, getting ready to pin me down. I managed to lift the rapier and stab it through the beast’s paw just as it tried this.
The Behemoth shrieked in pain and backed off, giving me time to get back to my feet. I wiped some blood off of my lip with my sleeve, and rushed at it again. The Behemoth thrusted its paw forward as if it were throwing a punch, and I dipped past that and cut across its arm.
After screaming in pain again, The Behemoth threw another punch. This one did hit me, and it sent me flying. Intense pain was coursing through my body as I attempted to stand back up. My whole body was shaking, and I was having trouble staying on my feet. My vision was blurred for a bit, too.
- Damn. If this keeps up...
The Behemoth rushed at me, and I evaded it. I resorted to dodging, keeping my distance while trying to find an opening in which to strike. The beast left plenty of openings, but none in which I would get out unscathed if I attacked.
- What should I do...
I then remembered that I had decided earlier to expand my capabilities with the powers of the Spirits. But how was I going to do that in the midst of a fight? What would I do?
- Damn it. I don’t have the time to think about it! If only Regret and Layla were here...
Something hit me.
- That’s it! Regret!
I remembered that Regret’s style of fighting was using his magic power to increase the strength of his fists and attack with them. I decided to try to imitate that.
- It’s worth a shot.
As I dodged The Behemoths flailing limbs, I tried to focused my magic power into my left fist. I’d never done this before, so I wasn’t sure if I could do it. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more difficult than I expected, especially when being hounded by a bloodthirsty beast.
- I can’t concentrate with this thing attacking me!
“Zelda! Please, try to distract it for just a little while!” I called out to her.
“M-me?! I... I’ll try!” Zelda said nervously.
Zelda sped over to assist me. She flew around in front of The Behemoth’s face and tried to grab its attention. Even though The Behemoth didn’t have any eyes, it still seemed to sense that Zelda was there, and it became agitated. As it swatted at her in an attempt to get her away, I jumped back and tried to concentrate on gathering magic power into my fist.
- Come on... Come on!
This wasn’t easy for me. In the past, I mainly used the Lokomo Sword as a medium for the Spirits’ powers, and my learning how to focus magic power in the soles of my feet was by chance. I’d never actually tried to teach myself how to focus magic power on my own like this before.
Despite the difficulty, I continued to focus my mind into my hand. Before long, a bright blue flash of aura surrounded my left hand.
- I did it!
“Okay! I’m ready! Get back!” I shouted to Zelda.
“R-right!” Zelda squealed as she zipped away from The Behemoth as fast as she could.
The Behemoth chased after her, but I rushed at it and intercepted it. The beast swatted at me, but I parried its arm with the rapier and closed in on it. With a loud shout, I punched my fist charged with magic right into its gut.
However, The Behemoth managed to strike me with a powerful blow using its other arm at the same time. Both of us were flung away from each other. I hit the ground hard, and rolled to a stop. The Behemoth hit the ground and caused the platform to shake again.
“Alphonse!” Zelda cried out as she rushed to my side.
“Owwwww...” I groaned as I clutched my left arm.
The Behemoth managed to hit me right on my arrow wound from earlier, causing pain to fill my whole arm. It was starting to go numb, and it was also bleeding a lot. My rough landing also gave me a few scapes, which were starting to bleed as well.
The smell of fresh blood caused The Behemoth to go into even more of a frenzy. It snarled even more ferociously and charged at me. Zelda and I jumped apart from each other and managed to get out of the way just in time. The beast continued to charge at me frantically, and I barely had the chance to evade it. I brandished the rapier again and prepared to rush at it, but just then, I got some unexpected help.
Regret jumped into the fray and landed a fierce, magic-charged punch right on its jaw.
“Regret!” I shouted in surprise.
“Alphonse!” Layla called out as she ran to my side. “Thank God we managed to find you guys!”
- They were okay after all! Thank the Spirits...
It seemed they managed to find their way to this room after being separated from Zelda and I earlier.
“I’m so glad you guys are okay...” I said.
“Save it for later! What the hell is this thing?!” Regret shouted as he jumped back to avoid a swipe of The Behemoth’s arm.
“It’s that ancient monster Darunia’s receptionist told us about. It’s pretty tough, but now that you guys are here, I have an idea. I’ll need you two to keep it busy for a bit. Get ready!” I said.
“Right!” Regret said.
“Got it!” Layla said.
I jumped back behind them and focused on the magic power inside me. Meanwhile, Regret and Layla took up the vanguard, keeping The Behemoth at bay. As I focused on the Spirits’ power inside me, I thought back to what Anjean told me in the Royal Palace’s hospital back in Nabooru City.
“The second awakening first grants you the ability to ‘lend’ your power to those around you. You can temporarily give some of your power to your friends when you’re in a pinch.”
- If I can pull that off, we’ll be able to defeat it!
As I concentrated on the power of the Spirits inside me, I felt it began to well up. Before long, the blue aura of the Spirits began to surround my body like flames.
“This is it!” I shouted.
The aura dispersed in a wide ring of light across the ground, with my feet at the epicenter. The aura spread out to Regret and Layla and enveloped their bodies in a blue light, filling them with power.
“This is just like when we fought Acnologia!” Layla said.
“Alright! Let’s kick this thing’s ass!” Regret shouted excitedly.
The three of us rushed at The Behemoth. The monster roared and charged at us. I swung the rapier up and to the left, forcing back the beast’s left arm. Regret punched The Behemoth in its gut, pushing it back even more. Layla sliced across its chest with her lance, cutting into its hide.
The Behemoth shrieked in agony, and then roared in anger and frustration. The beast jumped up and over us, landing behind us. Its landing shook the platform and knocked the three of us off-balance. Unable to defend in time, I was sent flying across the platform by a powerful swipe of The Behemoth’s arm. I hit the ground hard and was dazed. Regret rushed at the beast and tried to land another blow, but had to stop and duck to avoid a tail sweep.
Layla rushed up in front of Regret and blocked The Behemoth’s arm from hitting Regret with her lance. Using the powers of the Spirits she was borrowing, she forced its hand back with a burst of magic power. Regret then rushed forward to attack, however he was hit with a tail sweep he didn't see coming in time. Like me, he was thrown into the air and hit the ground in a daze.
By that time, I had recovered, and I charged toward The Behemoth to back up Layla. After she parried its arm, I blocked a third tail sweep with the rapier. I managed to sever its tail, cutting off the spade at the end. The Behemoth cried in agony and jumped back.
Now Regret had recovered too, and he ran over to join us.
“It should be almost finished by now! Just a little more!” I shouted.
“Right!” Layla and Regret shouted together.
The three of us sprinted at The Behemoth to deliver the final blow together. The beast roared with frightened ferocity, like that of a cornered animal. In an act of desperation, it tried to ram its body into us. Regret threw a punched propelled by the borrowed magic of the Spirits, stopping it in its tracks. The Behemoth was pushed back, but recovered in no time and swatted Regret away.
I rushed forward and unleashed a fierce flurry of stabs and thrusts with the rapier, using the blade’s nimble and speed-oriented design to its full advantage. I punctured the beasts thick hide several times, drawing a lot of blood from it. The Behemoth roared in frustration and pain, and managed to swat me away like it did to Regret.
Finally, it focused its malice on Layla. The Behemoth pounced, its maw open wide and ready to bite into her. She dipped down and out of the way, and thrusted her lance deep into the monster’s gut. The Behemoth cried in pain as Layla ripped through its skin with a powerful slice, and finally, she cut through its body one last time with a powerful burst of magic.
The Behemoth’s body was thrown through the air from the force of the burst. Its final cry echoed as it plunged lifelessly over the edge of the platform. Its body sank beneath the surface of the lava. At last, The Behemoth was dead and gone.
“We... We did it!” Layla shouted in triumph.
“Alright!” Zelda and I shouted at the same time.
“Way to go, Layla! That was awesome!” Regret said excitedly.
After hearing that from Regret, she began to blush. “Qu-quit making it seem like I was trying to impress you...” she said nervously.
“No one’s doing that!” I laughed.
“Come on, just take compliments like a normal person!” Regret said cheerfully as he pat her shoulder.
“Sh-shut up! It’s... I’m not...” she said in an embarrassed panic.
Her cheeks got even redder. That’s when I realized that Layla was acting the same way toward Regret as she did toward me when she used to have feelings for me.
- So that’s how it is... Good luck, Layla.
As I thought that with a smile, I joined them and gave both of them a group hug.
“I’m glad you two were okay. I was really worried....” I said.
“Sorry to make you worry like that!” Layla said as she hugged back.
“Heh heh, sorry!” Regret said as he hugged back as well.
Even Zelda joined in, leaning in on us. “I was so worried about you two!” she said, sounding as if she was about to cry.
With her, the group hug was complete. The four of us were now officially reunited. When I raised my head a bit, however, the mood for me darkened. Regret and Layla’s backs were to him, but I was facing him. He never realized that I saw him, but I knew what I saw.
Darunia, who had been off to the side the entire fight, was enraged. His fists were clenched and trembling, and he was staring at the ground with a look of frustration written all over his face. He was angry. We had just defeated The Behemoth and saved him, yet he was angry.
The next second, however, that rage vanished into thin air as if it had never been there at all. Darunia walked over to us with an expression of joy on his face.
“Congratulations, you all! I can’t believe you managed to defeat that monster! You are truly something else.” Darunia said proudly.
The four of us separated, and Darunia shook hands with each of us-- not counting Zelda, who had no hands to shake.
“Awh, it was nothin’!” Regret said as Darunia shook his hand.
“No problem!” Layla said bashfully as Darunia shook her hand.
“...”
I didn’t say anything as Darunia shook my hand.
“Is something wrong, Alphonse?” Darunia asked me.
“... No, nothing.” I said after a short pause.
“I see. Then, let us return to Goron City. I’m sure everyone must be worried.” Darunia said.
“Yeah, I bet.” Layla agreed.
“Alright! Let’s go back and stuff ourselves for a job well done!” Regret shouted as he raised his fists into the air.
“Ah ha ha. I’ll be happy to arrange a banquet for you all. You deserve no less for what your incredible deeds!” Darunia laughed.
“Aw yeah~! You rock!” Regret cheered.
As the three of them began to leave, I stood still. I did not follow them just yet. I stood there quietly, absorbed in my thoughts.
“Alphonse, they’re gonna leave us behind.” Zelda said to me.
I didn’t answer her. I kept thinking about Darunia. I was finally starting to connect the dots. It all made sense to me now. Kagoron’s murder, Darunia’s lies, the kidnapping, the Bokoblins, the cage, and now Darunia’s actions. I finally figured it all out.
“So it really was him all along.” I said.
“What do you mean, Alphonse?” Zelda asked me.
“I finally figured out the truth.” I told her.
“Darunia killed Kagoron.”
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That was amazing! I had to read three chapters and I enjoyed them all. I loved how you described everything and went into a complete detail with the battle and all. I also like how you work on the relationship between Layla and Regret and the relationship as friends with all three of them together. Now you left us with a cliffy 
You are mean 
You are mean
...Vanessa said it all. This chapter I would risk saying is the best yet. Your skills have improved a lot since the beginning, and even since Acnologia. You took our advice graciously, and I must congratulate you on how well you've applied it. Thank you for taking the time to wrote this!
Rare Addict
Site Staff
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- Jun 15, 2010
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- United States
Talk about a climactic showdown! While some might disagree, I've found that action sequences are some of the most difficult things to write, mostly because of how heavily they rely on painting a picture for the audience. You definitely pulled it off, though! Also, I really appreciated how seamlessly you brought Layla and Regret back into the picture.
I totally didn't see that ending coming, either. Perhaps I'm just slow, but I never caught onto the signs that had been presented. In retrospect, however, it makes perfect sense. Needless to say, this next chapter should be pretty interesting. =P
I totally didn't see that ending coming, either. Perhaps I'm just slow, but I never caught onto the signs that had been presented. In retrospect, however, it makes perfect sense. Needless to say, this next chapter should be pretty interesting. =P
Vee and RA have said what I wanted to say.
Although, in the first paragraph of CH41 I believe you could've conjoined the latter two sentences for some stylistic flair. But I don't know how that'd happen - I'm no writing pro. :I
Otherwise, good stuff all around.
Although, in the first paragraph of CH41 I believe you could've conjoined the latter two sentences for some stylistic flair. But I don't know how that'd happen - I'm no writing pro. :I
Otherwise, good stuff all around.
Thanks so much for your comments, guys! It means a lot. :> Okay, now it's time for Chapter Forty-Two! This is the final chapter in the Fire Realm Arc. Coming up soon will be the Mystic Realm Arc, which is the final major story arc before the end of the story. I hope you guys enjoy this, as well as what's to come! =D
Zelda and I were silent throughout the entire walk back to Goron City. Regret, Layla and Darunia, on the other hand, were quite talkative. They mainly discussed the banquet and the kinds of food they should include. I felt bad for Regret and Layla, because once we got back to the city, I would have to put an end to their festive mood.
Darunia was the one who murdered Kagoron. And once we got back to the city, I was going to expose him. I was absolutely sure of myself now. I wasn’t going to let myself be intimidated into backing down again, especially now that I could back up my claim.
Soon, we reached Goron City. Darunia, Regret and Layla basically paraded their way through the town with me and Zelda hanging back behind them, drawing all the attention from the citizens.
“Darunia’s returned!”
“He’s okay!”
“The Hero of Spirits did it!”
Things like that were being shouted here and there by some of the Gorons as we walked through town. We finally stopped in the center of town, and a large crowd formed around us. Darunia stood at the front of us, waving to the various Gorons in the crowd like a celebrity. I looked around the crowd, and I was surprised to see that even Zauz was among them, although he wasn’t cheering.
“My fellow Gorons!” he shouted over the noise of the crowd.
Everyone got quiet on that cue, and the crowd hushed down to listen to what he was going to say.
“This terrifying ordeal has finally ended.” Darunia continued. “I have been rescued from my kidnappers, and the ones responsible for our dear Kagoron’s murder, the Bokoblins, have been eliminated. And it is all thanks to the Hero of Spirits and his friends!”
The crowd began to cheer wildly again, but this time for Regret, Layla, Zelda and me. Regret and Layla looked like they were enjoying the attention. Only Zelda and I were quiet. We were the only two who knew the truth.
I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. I exchanged a look and a nod with Zelda, and I stepped forward.
“Wait.” I said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Everyone began to quiet down after I said that. Regret and Layla looked at me with puzzled expressions, as did Darunia and the rest of the crowd.
“Excuse me?” Darunia asked.
“The Bokoblins were involved, but they weren’t responsible for Kagoron’s murder.” I said.
The entire crowd became deathly silent. I could feel tensions begin to rise from all the people around me, especially Darunia.
“Wha-what are you saying, Alphonse?” Darunia said with a nervous laugh.
- He’s wary of me... That’s a good sign. At this rate, I might be able to push him into slipping up.
“The one responsible for Kagoron’s murder is right here, in front of us.” I declared loudly. “It’s you, Darunia!”
I heard gasps of shock reverberate throughout the crowd. Regret and Layla looked at each other in confusion, and then back at me. Zauz’s face twisted into an expression of shock. I think he was the one with the most tension right now.
Darunia stared at me in anger. But this anger was different from before, in his office. This time, he had a look in his eye like he felt cornered.
“Don't... Don’t be ridiculous! I already told you it wasn’t me!” he shouted angrily. “It was the Bokoblins! You saw the note they left, didn’t you?! They said that they killed him!”
- Got him.
“How did you know what they wrote on the note?” I asked him.
Darunia realized his mistake and took a step back. His expression became more frightened than angry now. Even people in the crowd began to doubt him.
“Alphonse, what’s going on? How do you know that Darunia is the one who did it?” Layla asked me.
“I’ll explain.” I said. I faced the crowd and began explaining my case. “To begin with, let me ask you a question, Darunia.” I said. “On the night of Kagoron’s murder, you and he had planned to have tea at his house. Is that true?”
“Y-yes...” he said nervously.
“Your receptionist said you left your office at 4:30 am, and you arrived at Kagoron’s house five minutes after the murder, at 4:50. But Kagoron’s house is only a ten minute walk from your office. Those times don’t add up. There are fifteen minutes that are unaccounted for. What were you doing?” I questioned.
“I told you! I stopped to talk to someone for ten minutes on my way there!” he answered.
“You did tell us that. But you never gave us the name of that person. Who was it?” I asked him.
Darunia became even more nervous. “Uh... Th-that’s...” he began.
I didn’t even bother to let him try to answer that. I moved on with my interrogation. “Your alibi doesn’t check out. On top of that, we found evidence that Kagoron was drinking tea with a guest just before he was murdered. And there’s also the manner in which he was killed. A rope was tied around his neck, and he was shoved out the window. When we visited you, you told us that you thought it was Zauz because he had been jealous of Kagoron’s blacksmithing skills. Is that right?”
“What? But Zauz isn’t a jealous person...”
“There’s no way Zauz would do a thing like that...”
These things were heard somewhere in the crowd. Darunia’s expression became even more nervous after hearing them.
“You obviously didn’t know what kind of person Zauz was when you tried to blame him. And even if he was a jealous person, Zauz couldn’t have done it. Kagoron was a big man. Zauz isn’t strong enough to lift Kagoron up and out of that window, much less overpower him enough to tie a rope around his neck. But you are. You’re a powerful Goron warrior, aren’t you?” I said.
“That’s true...”
“He’s got a point...”
After hearing more voices in the crowd say these things, Darunia clearly began to panic. “But... Those Bokoblins... They kidnapped me! If I was the one who killed Kagoron like you say, then why would those Bokoblins kidnap me and leave a note saying that they were the killers?” he yelled.
“That’s easy. They were working for you.” I said.
“What? For Darunia?” Regret said in confusion.
“That’s right” I said to him. “He got them to write that note, and he also got them to kidnap him in broad daylight in order to redirect our suspicions away from him. And that was your biggest mistake.” I said to Darunia. “If it weren’t for that kidnapping, I probably wouldn’t have been able to figure it out. I found some clues while trying to save you that pretty much assured me that you did it.”
“Wha... Like what?” Darunia asked me.
“To begin with, the kidnapping itself. A big, strong warrior gets overwhelmed and dragged away by a mere twenty Bokoblins? That’s far too unusual. There’s also the cage that you were locked in. It was made from old bones and tied together sloppily. There’s no way a warrior like yourself couldn’t have broken out of it. On top of that, there wasn’t a single Bokoblin guarding you. You didn’t even look like you were being held prisoner.” I said.
Darunia took another step back. His expression didn’t have a trace of anger left. It was all fear now.
- Just a little more.
“And finally, the fight against The Behemoth. What kind of a proud warrior stands off to the side and doesn’t even lift a finger to assist in battle? And don’t even try to tell me you were scared.” I said.
“Hey, yeah, that’s right! He didn’t help at all!” Layla recalled.
“W-well... That’s...” Darunia stuttered.
“Also, after the battle, I saw the look on your face.” I said to Darunia. “You were visibly angry. But we had just defeated The Behemoth and saved you. Why would you be angry about that? What’s more, the next second you acted like everything was fine. That’s what confirmed it for me. From that point, it all came together.” I explained.
Everyone surrounding us leaned forward in anticipation. They all stared at me intently, dying to hear my summarization of what happened. Even Darunia seemed full of anticipation. With all eyes on me, I began my conclusion.
“Darunia entered Kagoron’s house on time, and had tea with him. Then he attacked and overpowered Kagoron, and tied a rope around his neck and pushed him out of the window. Then, he escaped out of the back window and returned to the scene of the crime later. When we questioned you, you panicked and tried to blame Zauz. After that, you devised a plan to avert suspicion away from you. You rounded up a pack of Bokoblins and got them to write the note, and then you had them drag you away in broad daylight. You then went to the Fire Temple and pretended to be captured, knowing that I would go there to rescue you. You hoped the booby traps would take care of me, and after they failed to work, you resorted to drawing out The Behemoth. Finally, when even that wasn't enough, you gave up on killing me and hoped that I would assume that this was all the doing of the Bokoblins and leave it at that.”
I sighed after I said all that, and looked around the crowd. Everyone was staring at me in amazement, particularly Zauz. Regret and Layla were also stunned. Finally, I looked at Darunia. However, I was surprised to see that he wasn’t angry, or even scared. He looked relieved, as if he was glad this was all over.
“You really are...” Darunia began. “You really are... something else...”
Now everyone in the crowd was staring at Darunia. It was like they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“It was you...?” Zauz began. “It was you?!”
Zauz sprinted at Darunia and threw a punch. His fist slammed into Darunia’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. Zauz stood over him, panting in anger.
“You...” he said between breaths. “He was your friend! How could you do a thing like this?! How could you betray him?!”
Darunia didn’t answer him. He just looked away with a pained expression.
“That’s the one thing I couldn’t figure out.” I said as I walked toward him a few steps. “No matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn’t come up with an answer. Why did you do it, Darunia?”
Darunia didn’t answer right away. He continued to look away from me, as if he didn’t want to face this any more. Finally, though, he stood up and faced me directly.
“I did it for the sake of Goron City.” he said at last.
This caught all of us by surprise. “What do you mean by that?” I asked him.
“Before you arrived here in Goron City, I was visited by a Stalfos. He was part of the army of the Demon King, Malladus.” Darunia said.
All of us gasped at the name Malladus.
“This Stalfos informed me that you were going to arrive in this city soon. He proposed a plan to take care of you, and told me that if I succeeded, I would be granted power and status by Malladus once he defeats the Spirits of Light. I didn’t want to accept at first, but I thought about it, and I realized something. Malladus has unimaginable power. He’ll surely win. I thought that if I got on his good side, I would be able to keep this city safe. Thats why I did what I did.”
After hearing that explanation, everyone stared at Darunia in utter shock. None of us could believe what we just heard.
“For a reason like that...” I began. “For a reason like that... You killed your best friend?”
“I did what I had to do to protect Goron City.” Darunia said. He then began to shout. “Don’t you see? Malladus is invincible! He can fight against the Spirits of Light all by himself! He’s going to win! He can’t be stopped, not even by you, Hero of Spirits!”
I stared at him quietly for a short while. Malladus is invincible? He’s going to win? I can’t stop him? I let those words sink in, and as I tried to comprehend them, a small part of me believed them.
Malladus had unimaginable power. I witnessed only a small fraction of it first hand once before, back in the Snow Realm. Even that small fraction of his power was frighteningly strong. It still gave me chills, even then. However...
“You’re wrong.” I said to him.
“What?” he said.
“I’m going to win. I won’t lose to Malladus. I’m going to defeat him and end this war.”
I said these words with the same unbreakable resolve I had when I said I was going to defeat Vaati back in Oz’s clinic in the Snow Realm. Back then, I was determined to win no matter what, even if the odds were against me. I felt the same way back then as I felt now. I was sure of what I was saying. I believed in myself and in my words.
Darunia stared at me. He was speechless. Everyone around me seemed to stare at me in awe. It was as if my words made everyone want to believe in me. Even Darunia seemed to feel that way. At long last, he lowered his head in defeat. His last words to me were,
That day, Darunia was imprisoned for life on the charge of first degree murder. Layla and Regret received a check-up at the hospital, but because my injuries were more severe than theirs, I had to be admitted to the hospital for a week. After I was discharged from the hospital, I received new clothes, and so did Regret and Layla. We planned to go to the Snow Realm next, so we each received winter coats along with our new clothes.
Regret’s new clothes were light brown boots, gray trousers, and a navy blue, collared shirt with buttons. Layla’s new clothes were black boots, black leather pants, and a black collared blouse. As usual, she had a few too many buttons undone in the front. She also wore her hair in a braid now, instead of leaving it down like she usually does. My new clothes were brown boots, black pants, and a white hoodie with a grayish-black cord tying the collar together, similar to how my previous shirt was.
Before we left Goron City, though, there was still one last thing we had to do. We needed to reforge the Lokomo Sword. It was still with Zauz in his house; the house that was formerly Kagoron’s. I also still had to return the emerald rapier I borrowed.
I stood outside of Zauz’s house with Regret, Layla, and Zelda. I had the borrowed rapier at my waist. I was feeling pretty nervous, because I was still unsure of how he felt about me. However, I didn’t want to let what happened between us discourage me from talking with him, so I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Zauz’s voice called out from inside the house.
I opened the door and entered, followed by Zelda, Layla and Regret. Zauz was sitting by the anvil again. He looked over to me, and unlike last time, he didn’t frown.
“Um...” I began. “I’m here to return the sword I borrowed.”
“Thank you.” Zauz said.
He stood up and walked over to me. I removed the emerald rapier from my waist and handed it to him.
“It’s an incredible sword. It served me well.” I told him as he accepted it back.
“I see...” Zauz said. He paused for a short while before he spoke again. “... Thank you, Alphonse. You kept your word. You found Master’s killer. Thank you.”
“Zauz...” I said quietly.
I was a bit surprised, but I was happy. I was glad he still didn’t hold anything against me for accusing him of killing Kagoron.
“Zauz.” I said again.
“Yes?”
“Please help me reforge the Lokomo Sword.” I asked him.
“Me? But... I’m just an apprentice blacksmith...” he said.
“Yes, but you were the apprentice of Kagoron, the best blacksmith in the country! If anyone can do this, it’s you! No, it has to be you! Please!” I begged him.
He stared at me in surprise for a few moments. He looked at the desperate expression on my face, as well as the pleading expressions on the faces of Regret and Layla.
“... Very well. I’ll do it.” he finally answered.
Our faces all lit up in excitement. “Thank you!” I said.
“Let’s get started right away.” Zauz said. “Your sword is still over here. Let’s get to work.”
“Right!” I nodded enthusiastically.
“Go get some ingots and bring them here.” Zauz instructed.
I went over to the crate at the side of the room and removed a few ingots, and then carried them in my arms over to Zauz at the anvil. Meanwhile, Zauz was heating up the furnace.
“Place them in this bucket.” Zauz said.
I did as he said and placed them in a steel bucket. Once the furnace was hot enough, Zauz used prongs to hold the bucket of ingots in the fire of the furnace.
“Pick out a mold.” Zauz told me.
While Zauz was heating up the ingots, I rummaged through a large chest full of molds for the blade of a sword. I found one that was very similar to the former blade of the Lokomo Sword in both shape and length, and picked that one.
“Bring it here.” Zauz instructed. “Also, go get a bucket full of water, and then bring over the hilt of the Lokomo Sword.”
I brought the mold over to him and placed it on top of the anvil. Then I grabbed a big bucket and filled it full of cold water at the sink. I placed it on the ground next to the anvil. Then, I removed the Lokomo Sword’s hilt from the sheath and brought it over as well.
“Now here comes the tricky part.” Zauz said. “According to what Master said when you first arrived here, you have to channel your power into the mold while I hammer it. You can’t stop, even once. Forging the blade of a sword is a long and arduous task. Will you be able to maintain a constant stream of power?”
“Yes.” I answered. “I can do this.”
“Then let’s begin.” Zauz said.
He removed the bucket from the furnace. The ingots were now completely melted down. I placed the hilt of the Lokomo Sword at the base of the mold, and as soon as Zauz poured the molten ingots in, I began channeling the power of the Spirits into the mold.
The molten ingots glowed red from the heat and blue from the sacred magic. Zauz took a hammer and began pounding the molten metal into shape. I didn’t know exactly how long it took, but I could feel hours drag on and on as we did this. Finally, Zauz stopped hammering.
“Next, lift the Lokomo Sword up out of the mold. Do it carefully, and don’t stop channeling your power.” Zauz instructed.
I did as he said and lifted the sword out of the mold, while continuing to stream my magic power through it. The blade and the hilt stayed together as I lifted it. I felt myself beginning to burst with happiness now that we were making progress, but I quickly quelled it. It wasn’t time to celebrate yet; we still had work to do.
“Dunk the blade into the bucket of water.” Zauz told me.
I did, and the steam and heat emitting from the blade vanished instantly. Instead of glowing red from the heat, the blade was now pale white.
“Now, slide the blade into the furnace, and hold it there for five minutes.” Zauz said.
I did as he said and stuck the blade into the furnace. Meanwhile, Zauz moved the mold off of the anvil and out of the way. After five minutes, I removed the sword from the fire.
“Place it on the anvil now. Don’t let go of the hilt, and don’t stop channeling power.” Zauz said.
I did this, and Zauz began hammering at it again. He did this for a number of times.
“Repeat what you just did.” he told me.
I lifted the Lokomo Sword again and held the blade back in the furnace. Five minutes later, I removed it and placed it back on the anvil. Zauz hammered it some more.
“Again.” Zauz said.
We repeated this process many more times. Finally, at long last, Zauz said that it was enough and that I could stop channeling my power into the blade now. He instructed me to dip the blade into the bucket of water again, and I did as he said. The blade cooled off again.
“It’s finished.” Zauz sighed as he wiped sweat off of his forehead.
“Alright!” I said along with Zelda, Layla and Regret.
I examined the newly reforged Lokomo Sword. The blade was about an inch or two shorter than it used to be, but it was also sharper and more lean. I swung it a few times to get a feel for it. The sound of the blade ringing through the air as I swung it felt nostalgic. I missed the feeling of wielding this sword a lot.
Then, acting on what came to mind, I held the Lokomo Sword above my head as I had done when I first acquired it, and sent the powers of the Spirits flowing through it. As I did, the blade began glowing azure blue, and the faded criss-cross pattern that was on the previous blade returned.
- Now it’s complete.
“Great! It was reforged without a problem.” Zauz said.
“Thank you so much Zauz! Thank you!” I said gratefully as I shook his hand.
Zauz smiled contently and said, “Let me give you a sheath to fit the new shape and length of the blade.”
He rummaged around in a chest in the corner of the room and took out a black sheath similar to the one I previously used. It was meant for the mold we had used for the Lokomo Sword. Zauz handed it to me, and I sheathed the Lokomo Sword in it. Then, I reused the strap I had before and strapped the sword to its rightful place on my back.
“While you guys are still here, allow me to gives your friends some new equipment. Free of charge, of course.” Zauz said.
“Wow, really? Are you sure about that?” Layla asked him.
“You guys helped bring Master’s killer to justice. It’s the least I can do to repay you.” Zauz answered.
Zauz gave Layla a new lance. This one was lighter and more versatile, and it was also a dark silver. The hilt was wrapped in black leather that was easy to grip. He gave Regret gauntlets for his fists made of shining silver steel. The gauntlets would help protect his fists from damage, as well as serve a similar purpose as brass knuckles.
Zelda, Layla, Regret, and I decided to spend one final night here in Goron City. We stayed at the inn again. The next morning, we ate breakfast at The Rocky Diner, and afterwards we said goodbye to Zauz and headed for the west gate of the city. From there, we were going to travel to the Snow Realm.
“While we’re in the Snow Realm, I’d like to visit Kakariko Village.” I said.
“How come? Is there something there?” Layla asked me.
“Yeah.” I answered.
Chapter Forty-Two
Zelda and I were silent throughout the entire walk back to Goron City. Regret, Layla and Darunia, on the other hand, were quite talkative. They mainly discussed the banquet and the kinds of food they should include. I felt bad for Regret and Layla, because once we got back to the city, I would have to put an end to their festive mood.
Darunia was the one who murdered Kagoron. And once we got back to the city, I was going to expose him. I was absolutely sure of myself now. I wasn’t going to let myself be intimidated into backing down again, especially now that I could back up my claim.
Soon, we reached Goron City. Darunia, Regret and Layla basically paraded their way through the town with me and Zelda hanging back behind them, drawing all the attention from the citizens.
“Darunia’s returned!”
“He’s okay!”
“The Hero of Spirits did it!”
Things like that were being shouted here and there by some of the Gorons as we walked through town. We finally stopped in the center of town, and a large crowd formed around us. Darunia stood at the front of us, waving to the various Gorons in the crowd like a celebrity. I looked around the crowd, and I was surprised to see that even Zauz was among them, although he wasn’t cheering.
“My fellow Gorons!” he shouted over the noise of the crowd.
Everyone got quiet on that cue, and the crowd hushed down to listen to what he was going to say.
“This terrifying ordeal has finally ended.” Darunia continued. “I have been rescued from my kidnappers, and the ones responsible for our dear Kagoron’s murder, the Bokoblins, have been eliminated. And it is all thanks to the Hero of Spirits and his friends!”
The crowd began to cheer wildly again, but this time for Regret, Layla, Zelda and me. Regret and Layla looked like they were enjoying the attention. Only Zelda and I were quiet. We were the only two who knew the truth.
I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. I exchanged a look and a nod with Zelda, and I stepped forward.
“Wait.” I said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Everyone began to quiet down after I said that. Regret and Layla looked at me with puzzled expressions, as did Darunia and the rest of the crowd.
“Excuse me?” Darunia asked.
“The Bokoblins were involved, but they weren’t responsible for Kagoron’s murder.” I said.
The entire crowd became deathly silent. I could feel tensions begin to rise from all the people around me, especially Darunia.
“Wha-what are you saying, Alphonse?” Darunia said with a nervous laugh.
- He’s wary of me... That’s a good sign. At this rate, I might be able to push him into slipping up.
“The one responsible for Kagoron’s murder is right here, in front of us.” I declared loudly. “It’s you, Darunia!”
I heard gasps of shock reverberate throughout the crowd. Regret and Layla looked at each other in confusion, and then back at me. Zauz’s face twisted into an expression of shock. I think he was the one with the most tension right now.
Darunia stared at me in anger. But this anger was different from before, in his office. This time, he had a look in his eye like he felt cornered.
“Don't... Don’t be ridiculous! I already told you it wasn’t me!” he shouted angrily. “It was the Bokoblins! You saw the note they left, didn’t you?! They said that they killed him!”
- Got him.
“How did you know what they wrote on the note?” I asked him.
Darunia realized his mistake and took a step back. His expression became more frightened than angry now. Even people in the crowd began to doubt him.
“Alphonse, what’s going on? How do you know that Darunia is the one who did it?” Layla asked me.
“I’ll explain.” I said. I faced the crowd and began explaining my case. “To begin with, let me ask you a question, Darunia.” I said. “On the night of Kagoron’s murder, you and he had planned to have tea at his house. Is that true?”
“Y-yes...” he said nervously.
“Your receptionist said you left your office at 4:30 am, and you arrived at Kagoron’s house five minutes after the murder, at 4:50. But Kagoron’s house is only a ten minute walk from your office. Those times don’t add up. There are fifteen minutes that are unaccounted for. What were you doing?” I questioned.
“I told you! I stopped to talk to someone for ten minutes on my way there!” he answered.
“You did tell us that. But you never gave us the name of that person. Who was it?” I asked him.
Darunia became even more nervous. “Uh... Th-that’s...” he began.
I didn’t even bother to let him try to answer that. I moved on with my interrogation. “Your alibi doesn’t check out. On top of that, we found evidence that Kagoron was drinking tea with a guest just before he was murdered. And there’s also the manner in which he was killed. A rope was tied around his neck, and he was shoved out the window. When we visited you, you told us that you thought it was Zauz because he had been jealous of Kagoron’s blacksmithing skills. Is that right?”
“What? But Zauz isn’t a jealous person...”
“There’s no way Zauz would do a thing like that...”
These things were heard somewhere in the crowd. Darunia’s expression became even more nervous after hearing them.
“You obviously didn’t know what kind of person Zauz was when you tried to blame him. And even if he was a jealous person, Zauz couldn’t have done it. Kagoron was a big man. Zauz isn’t strong enough to lift Kagoron up and out of that window, much less overpower him enough to tie a rope around his neck. But you are. You’re a powerful Goron warrior, aren’t you?” I said.
“That’s true...”
“He’s got a point...”
After hearing more voices in the crowd say these things, Darunia clearly began to panic. “But... Those Bokoblins... They kidnapped me! If I was the one who killed Kagoron like you say, then why would those Bokoblins kidnap me and leave a note saying that they were the killers?” he yelled.
“That’s easy. They were working for you.” I said.
“What? For Darunia?” Regret said in confusion.
“That’s right” I said to him. “He got them to write that note, and he also got them to kidnap him in broad daylight in order to redirect our suspicions away from him. And that was your biggest mistake.” I said to Darunia. “If it weren’t for that kidnapping, I probably wouldn’t have been able to figure it out. I found some clues while trying to save you that pretty much assured me that you did it.”
“Wha... Like what?” Darunia asked me.
“To begin with, the kidnapping itself. A big, strong warrior gets overwhelmed and dragged away by a mere twenty Bokoblins? That’s far too unusual. There’s also the cage that you were locked in. It was made from old bones and tied together sloppily. There’s no way a warrior like yourself couldn’t have broken out of it. On top of that, there wasn’t a single Bokoblin guarding you. You didn’t even look like you were being held prisoner.” I said.
Darunia took another step back. His expression didn’t have a trace of anger left. It was all fear now.
- Just a little more.
“And finally, the fight against The Behemoth. What kind of a proud warrior stands off to the side and doesn’t even lift a finger to assist in battle? And don’t even try to tell me you were scared.” I said.
“Hey, yeah, that’s right! He didn’t help at all!” Layla recalled.
“W-well... That’s...” Darunia stuttered.
“Also, after the battle, I saw the look on your face.” I said to Darunia. “You were visibly angry. But we had just defeated The Behemoth and saved you. Why would you be angry about that? What’s more, the next second you acted like everything was fine. That’s what confirmed it for me. From that point, it all came together.” I explained.
Everyone surrounding us leaned forward in anticipation. They all stared at me intently, dying to hear my summarization of what happened. Even Darunia seemed full of anticipation. With all eyes on me, I began my conclusion.
“Darunia entered Kagoron’s house on time, and had tea with him. Then he attacked and overpowered Kagoron, and tied a rope around his neck and pushed him out of the window. Then, he escaped out of the back window and returned to the scene of the crime later. When we questioned you, you panicked and tried to blame Zauz. After that, you devised a plan to avert suspicion away from you. You rounded up a pack of Bokoblins and got them to write the note, and then you had them drag you away in broad daylight. You then went to the Fire Temple and pretended to be captured, knowing that I would go there to rescue you. You hoped the booby traps would take care of me, and after they failed to work, you resorted to drawing out The Behemoth. Finally, when even that wasn't enough, you gave up on killing me and hoped that I would assume that this was all the doing of the Bokoblins and leave it at that.”
I sighed after I said all that, and looked around the crowd. Everyone was staring at me in amazement, particularly Zauz. Regret and Layla were also stunned. Finally, I looked at Darunia. However, I was surprised to see that he wasn’t angry, or even scared. He looked relieved, as if he was glad this was all over.
“You really are...” Darunia began. “You really are... something else...”
Now everyone in the crowd was staring at Darunia. It was like they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“It was you...?” Zauz began. “It was you?!”
Zauz sprinted at Darunia and threw a punch. His fist slammed into Darunia’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. Zauz stood over him, panting in anger.
“You...” he said between breaths. “He was your friend! How could you do a thing like this?! How could you betray him?!”
Darunia didn’t answer him. He just looked away with a pained expression.
“That’s the one thing I couldn’t figure out.” I said as I walked toward him a few steps. “No matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn’t come up with an answer. Why did you do it, Darunia?”
Darunia didn’t answer right away. He continued to look away from me, as if he didn’t want to face this any more. Finally, though, he stood up and faced me directly.
“I did it for the sake of Goron City.” he said at last.
This caught all of us by surprise. “What do you mean by that?” I asked him.
“Before you arrived here in Goron City, I was visited by a Stalfos. He was part of the army of the Demon King, Malladus.” Darunia said.
All of us gasped at the name Malladus.
“This Stalfos informed me that you were going to arrive in this city soon. He proposed a plan to take care of you, and told me that if I succeeded, I would be granted power and status by Malladus once he defeats the Spirits of Light. I didn’t want to accept at first, but I thought about it, and I realized something. Malladus has unimaginable power. He’ll surely win. I thought that if I got on his good side, I would be able to keep this city safe. Thats why I did what I did.”
After hearing that explanation, everyone stared at Darunia in utter shock. None of us could believe what we just heard.
“For a reason like that...” I began. “For a reason like that... You killed your best friend?”
“I did what I had to do to protect Goron City.” Darunia said. He then began to shout. “Don’t you see? Malladus is invincible! He can fight against the Spirits of Light all by himself! He’s going to win! He can’t be stopped, not even by you, Hero of Spirits!”
I stared at him quietly for a short while. Malladus is invincible? He’s going to win? I can’t stop him? I let those words sink in, and as I tried to comprehend them, a small part of me believed them.
Malladus had unimaginable power. I witnessed only a small fraction of it first hand once before, back in the Snow Realm. Even that small fraction of his power was frighteningly strong. It still gave me chills, even then. However...
“You’re wrong.” I said to him.
“What?” he said.
“I’m going to win. I won’t lose to Malladus. I’m going to defeat him and end this war.”
I said these words with the same unbreakable resolve I had when I said I was going to defeat Vaati back in Oz’s clinic in the Snow Realm. Back then, I was determined to win no matter what, even if the odds were against me. I felt the same way back then as I felt now. I was sure of what I was saying. I believed in myself and in my words.
Darunia stared at me. He was speechless. Everyone around me seemed to stare at me in awe. It was as if my words made everyone want to believe in me. Even Darunia seemed to feel that way. At long last, he lowered his head in defeat. His last words to me were,
“You really are something else.”
* * *
* * *
That day, Darunia was imprisoned for life on the charge of first degree murder. Layla and Regret received a check-up at the hospital, but because my injuries were more severe than theirs, I had to be admitted to the hospital for a week. After I was discharged from the hospital, I received new clothes, and so did Regret and Layla. We planned to go to the Snow Realm next, so we each received winter coats along with our new clothes.
Regret’s new clothes were light brown boots, gray trousers, and a navy blue, collared shirt with buttons. Layla’s new clothes were black boots, black leather pants, and a black collared blouse. As usual, she had a few too many buttons undone in the front. She also wore her hair in a braid now, instead of leaving it down like she usually does. My new clothes were brown boots, black pants, and a white hoodie with a grayish-black cord tying the collar together, similar to how my previous shirt was.
Before we left Goron City, though, there was still one last thing we had to do. We needed to reforge the Lokomo Sword. It was still with Zauz in his house; the house that was formerly Kagoron’s. I also still had to return the emerald rapier I borrowed.
I stood outside of Zauz’s house with Regret, Layla, and Zelda. I had the borrowed rapier at my waist. I was feeling pretty nervous, because I was still unsure of how he felt about me. However, I didn’t want to let what happened between us discourage me from talking with him, so I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Zauz’s voice called out from inside the house.
I opened the door and entered, followed by Zelda, Layla and Regret. Zauz was sitting by the anvil again. He looked over to me, and unlike last time, he didn’t frown.
“Um...” I began. “I’m here to return the sword I borrowed.”
“Thank you.” Zauz said.
He stood up and walked over to me. I removed the emerald rapier from my waist and handed it to him.
“It’s an incredible sword. It served me well.” I told him as he accepted it back.
“I see...” Zauz said. He paused for a short while before he spoke again. “... Thank you, Alphonse. You kept your word. You found Master’s killer. Thank you.”
“Zauz...” I said quietly.
I was a bit surprised, but I was happy. I was glad he still didn’t hold anything against me for accusing him of killing Kagoron.
“Zauz.” I said again.
“Yes?”
“Please help me reforge the Lokomo Sword.” I asked him.
“Me? But... I’m just an apprentice blacksmith...” he said.
“Yes, but you were the apprentice of Kagoron, the best blacksmith in the country! If anyone can do this, it’s you! No, it has to be you! Please!” I begged him.
He stared at me in surprise for a few moments. He looked at the desperate expression on my face, as well as the pleading expressions on the faces of Regret and Layla.
“... Very well. I’ll do it.” he finally answered.
Our faces all lit up in excitement. “Thank you!” I said.
“Let’s get started right away.” Zauz said. “Your sword is still over here. Let’s get to work.”
“Right!” I nodded enthusiastically.
“Go get some ingots and bring them here.” Zauz instructed.
I went over to the crate at the side of the room and removed a few ingots, and then carried them in my arms over to Zauz at the anvil. Meanwhile, Zauz was heating up the furnace.
“Place them in this bucket.” Zauz said.
I did as he said and placed them in a steel bucket. Once the furnace was hot enough, Zauz used prongs to hold the bucket of ingots in the fire of the furnace.
“Pick out a mold.” Zauz told me.
While Zauz was heating up the ingots, I rummaged through a large chest full of molds for the blade of a sword. I found one that was very similar to the former blade of the Lokomo Sword in both shape and length, and picked that one.
“Bring it here.” Zauz instructed. “Also, go get a bucket full of water, and then bring over the hilt of the Lokomo Sword.”
I brought the mold over to him and placed it on top of the anvil. Then I grabbed a big bucket and filled it full of cold water at the sink. I placed it on the ground next to the anvil. Then, I removed the Lokomo Sword’s hilt from the sheath and brought it over as well.
“Now here comes the tricky part.” Zauz said. “According to what Master said when you first arrived here, you have to channel your power into the mold while I hammer it. You can’t stop, even once. Forging the blade of a sword is a long and arduous task. Will you be able to maintain a constant stream of power?”
“Yes.” I answered. “I can do this.”
“Then let’s begin.” Zauz said.
He removed the bucket from the furnace. The ingots were now completely melted down. I placed the hilt of the Lokomo Sword at the base of the mold, and as soon as Zauz poured the molten ingots in, I began channeling the power of the Spirits into the mold.
The molten ingots glowed red from the heat and blue from the sacred magic. Zauz took a hammer and began pounding the molten metal into shape. I didn’t know exactly how long it took, but I could feel hours drag on and on as we did this. Finally, Zauz stopped hammering.
“Next, lift the Lokomo Sword up out of the mold. Do it carefully, and don’t stop channeling your power.” Zauz instructed.
I did as he said and lifted the sword out of the mold, while continuing to stream my magic power through it. The blade and the hilt stayed together as I lifted it. I felt myself beginning to burst with happiness now that we were making progress, but I quickly quelled it. It wasn’t time to celebrate yet; we still had work to do.
“Dunk the blade into the bucket of water.” Zauz told me.
I did, and the steam and heat emitting from the blade vanished instantly. Instead of glowing red from the heat, the blade was now pale white.
“Now, slide the blade into the furnace, and hold it there for five minutes.” Zauz said.
I did as he said and stuck the blade into the furnace. Meanwhile, Zauz moved the mold off of the anvil and out of the way. After five minutes, I removed the sword from the fire.
“Place it on the anvil now. Don’t let go of the hilt, and don’t stop channeling power.” Zauz said.
I did this, and Zauz began hammering at it again. He did this for a number of times.
“Repeat what you just did.” he told me.
I lifted the Lokomo Sword again and held the blade back in the furnace. Five minutes later, I removed it and placed it back on the anvil. Zauz hammered it some more.
“Again.” Zauz said.
We repeated this process many more times. Finally, at long last, Zauz said that it was enough and that I could stop channeling my power into the blade now. He instructed me to dip the blade into the bucket of water again, and I did as he said. The blade cooled off again.
“It’s finished.” Zauz sighed as he wiped sweat off of his forehead.
“Alright!” I said along with Zelda, Layla and Regret.
I examined the newly reforged Lokomo Sword. The blade was about an inch or two shorter than it used to be, but it was also sharper and more lean. I swung it a few times to get a feel for it. The sound of the blade ringing through the air as I swung it felt nostalgic. I missed the feeling of wielding this sword a lot.
Then, acting on what came to mind, I held the Lokomo Sword above my head as I had done when I first acquired it, and sent the powers of the Spirits flowing through it. As I did, the blade began glowing azure blue, and the faded criss-cross pattern that was on the previous blade returned.
- Now it’s complete.
“Great! It was reforged without a problem.” Zauz said.
“Thank you so much Zauz! Thank you!” I said gratefully as I shook his hand.
Zauz smiled contently and said, “Let me give you a sheath to fit the new shape and length of the blade.”
He rummaged around in a chest in the corner of the room and took out a black sheath similar to the one I previously used. It was meant for the mold we had used for the Lokomo Sword. Zauz handed it to me, and I sheathed the Lokomo Sword in it. Then, I reused the strap I had before and strapped the sword to its rightful place on my back.
“While you guys are still here, allow me to gives your friends some new equipment. Free of charge, of course.” Zauz said.
“Wow, really? Are you sure about that?” Layla asked him.
“You guys helped bring Master’s killer to justice. It’s the least I can do to repay you.” Zauz answered.
Zauz gave Layla a new lance. This one was lighter and more versatile, and it was also a dark silver. The hilt was wrapped in black leather that was easy to grip. He gave Regret gauntlets for his fists made of shining silver steel. The gauntlets would help protect his fists from damage, as well as serve a similar purpose as brass knuckles.
Zelda, Layla, Regret, and I decided to spend one final night here in Goron City. We stayed at the inn again. The next morning, we ate breakfast at The Rocky Diner, and afterwards we said goodbye to Zauz and headed for the west gate of the city. From there, we were going to travel to the Snow Realm.
“While we’re in the Snow Realm, I’d like to visit Kakariko Village.” I said.
“How come? Is there something there?” Layla asked me.
“Yeah.” I answered.
“I want to visit a friend’s grave.”
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I enjoy this writing so much. It's amazing how great and well written this is. I loved the whole Darunia plot. It makes me look different at him when I see him in OoT This is an amazing piece of writing Az :yes:
This is an amazing piece of writing Az :yes:
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Dangit, Darunia! You know not to sign up with the bad guys, no matter what the reward!
I really appreciated the way in which you built up to that moment, Az. Overall, the Fire Realm saga was definitely among my favorites, as it provided a near-perfect balance of adventure, mystery, and character-building.
I really appreciated the way in which you built up to that moment, Az. Overall, the Fire Realm saga was definitely among my favorites, as it provided a near-perfect balance of adventure, mystery, and character-building.
I like this, but I feel it could use some more emotion. For whatever reason, this sounds almost like Al was defeated, in a sense, not necessarily taken aback with Darunia's reasoning. Other than that, solid execution! Bravo!
Handed it to him.
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Thank you so much, everyone! It's time for Chapter Forty-Three! I got this chapter done a lot faster than I expected. The Mystic Realm Arc will be beginning soon. This chapter and most if not all of the next chapter will not be very plot-heavy. I hope you enjoy this one all the same! =D
“Whoa~! So this is snow?!” Regret gasped as he ran around excitedly.
“I’ve never seen so much snow before in my life!” Layla gawked.
“It’s pretty impressive, huh? That’s the Snow Realm for you.” I said.
Zelda, Layla, Regret, and I were now in the Snow Realm. We crossed the border from the Fire Realm not too long ago, and already the entire landscape was blanketed in a white sea.
“Everything is so white! And it’s so cold! This doesn’t feel natural!” Regret said.
“Hah! That’s because you’ve never left the Desert Realm.” Zelda laughed.
“I remember when I was little, Papuchiya Village got some snow. I saw some kids playing around in the snow, doing things like making snowmen or snow angels...” Layla said.
“What? Snowmen? Snow angels? How do you make those?” Regret asked.
“To make a snowman, you roll two or three different sized balls of snow and place them on top of each other, biggest on the bottom and smallest on the top. Then you decorate it with buttons and a carrot nose and a top hat and even a scarf.” I explained to him.
“Aw, we don’t have all that stuff! What about snow angels? Snow angels?!”
“... Dude, calm down.”
“To make those, don’t you just lay on your back and fan out your arms and legs to make a pattern in the snow?” Layla said.
“That’s right.” I confirmed.
Faster than any of us could blink, Regret dropped down onto his back and began frantically thrashing about in the snow.
“Am I doing it right? Am I doing it right?!” he asked, talking very fast.
“Uh...” was all that could escape our lips.
“You do it to, Layla! Show me!” he demanded as he shot up and grabbed Layla’s arm.
“Wha-wha?!” Layla squealed as Regret pulled her onto the ground.
I couldn’t help but notice that Layla started blushing the second Regret grabbed her.
“Come on! Show me already!” he begged.
“... I-I’m not gonna show you especially for you... Y-you hear?” she said with bright red cheeks.
Watching the two of them play around in the snow like that made me feel like I was a parent watching his children play.
“Geez, just how old are you guys, anyway?” I laughed.
“Hey! He dragged me into this! I’m not a child like he is!” Layla complained.
Regret suddenly stopped moving. He had a somewhat lonely expression on his face. The three of us looked at him in surprise.
“How old, huh...” Regret muttered.
“What’s wrong, Regret?” Zelda asked him.
“... I don’t know how old I am.” he answered.
This came as a surprise to all of us. “What? Really?” Layla asked.
“I told you guys that I woke up in the desert with amnesia, right? The only things I could remember were my name and how to do basic things like walk and talk. I hardly know anything about myself, and that includes my age and my birthday.” Regret explained.
- Wow... I had no idea his memory loss was that extensive...
“Regret...” Layla whispered sadly.
Noticing that the mood suddenly turned somber, I decided to brighten things up a bit.
“Well, let’s get going to Kakariko Village. We can get some good food once we’re there!”
The second I mentioned the words good and food together in the same sentence, Regret sprang to his feet and danced around excitedly. “Food~! Food~! Alright, let’s go!” he yelled with enthusiasm.
“... Unbelievable.” Layla sighed.
“Well, at least his spirits are back up!” Zelda laughed.
“Yeah, true. Now let’s get going.” I said as I walked off.
“Alphonse, isn’t Kakariko Village to the southwest from here? You’re going northeast!” Zelda called out to me.
I stopped in my tracks. “... I knew that.” I said, feeling embarrassed.
After several hours of walking, the four of us finally reached Kakariko Village. It had taken us a few hours to get to the border from Goron City, so in total it took us all day to reach Kakariko. It was close to 5:30 in the afternoon by the time we arrived.
“So this is Kakariko Village, huh?” Zelda said. “Alphonse, isn’t this where you met Naomi?”
“Oh, your girlfriend is from this village?” Layla asked.
“That’s right.” I said.
“Whoa, you have a girlfriend? Nice!” Regret said as he patted my back.
“Haha... Why don’t you guys go explore the town? I’m gonna go visit my friend’s grave.” I said.
“Oh yeah, that’s why you wanted to come here in the first place.” Layla recalled. “Whose grave is it?”
“Naomi’s stepfather, Oz. He ran the clinic in this town.” I told them.
“Oh... I see.” Layla said solemnly. “Well... We’ll see you later, then.”
“Yeah. Let’s go find some food!” Regret said as he charged off.
“Hey! Wait for me!” Layla called out as she ran after him.
I watched the two of them run off, and then I looked up at Zelda. “You’re not gonna join them?” I asked her.
“Nah, I’ll stick with you.” she told me. “Besides, I wanna give Layla some time alone with Regret.” she added playfully.
“Oh, so you noticed, too? Alright then.” I laughed.
The two of us headed through town toward the cemetery. I didn’t see a lot of people outside at the moment, but I guess that made sense. It was getting late, so most people in town were probably at home eating dinner right now.
When we arrived at the cemetery, I found Oz’s grave with little trouble. There were a lot of recent-looking offerings in front of his grave. I assumed people still paid respects regularly. I guessed I shouldn’t be surprised about that, since Oz was a beloved person in this town.
“Hey, Oz. It’s me, Alphonse. It’s been a while. I’m still doing okay, thanks to you fixing me up back then. Naomi’s also doing fine, so you don’t have to worry about her. I’ll protect her... forever... So you don’t have to worry. You can rest well, my friend.”
I whispered that as I stood in front of his grave. I heard Zelda whisper my name, so I assume she overheard me. I didn’t really mind though. I sent a prayer to the Spirits of Light for Oz, and then walked back towards the town.
“Alphonse, are you okay?” Zelda asked me.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” I answered.
After leaving the cemetery, I went to Naomi’s house. Of course, she wasn’t there, but I still wanted to go. I walked up to the door, and when I tried to open it, I found that it was still unlocked. Zelda and I entered.
A wave of nostalgia rushed into me. I saw her bed; the bed I woke up in after my fight with Vaati. My old jacket, the one with a pattern of black flames around the waist, sleeves, and hood, was still folded up on top of the bed. The winter coats lent to Naomi and I by the Anouki were still hanging up on the coat hanger. My old sword, originally given to me by Rena, was still propped up against the wall next to the coat hanger.
“So this is Naomi’s house?” Zelda said.
“Yeah. This is where I stayed for a while after my fight with Vaati.” I told her.
“I see...”
The two of us left the house without touching anything, and closed the door behind us. After that, I walked through town to the place where Oz’s Clinic used to be. I wanted to visit that, too. When we arrived there, the entrance was boarded up. I guessed that the property was returned to the town after his death.
“So this is Oz’s Clinic.” Zelda said to herself.
I didn’t respond. I was lost in memories. So many things happened in this clinic. In this one building, my life was saved by Oz, Naomi was kidnapped from here, and many, many people were helped here out of the kindness of Oz’s heart. On top of everything else, this building was also where Oz was murdered by Byrne. The man who spent his life in this building saving lives and helping people had his life taken away from him in that very same building. I couldn’t help but notice the irony in that.
As I thought about all these things, the deep longing in my heart resurfaced. Ever since I left to go to the Ocean Realm, that longing had been nagging at me deep inside my heart. But now, standing in the town I met the person I longed for, it all came rushing back to the surface.
“I want to go home.” I said.
“What?” Zelda asked me.
“I want to go back home after this. I want to see Naomi and Saria. I miss them.” I said.
“... Yeah. I miss them, too.” Zelda agreed. “Let’s go home tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
I stared at the clinic building for a while longer. I sighed, and then decided to look for Regret and Layla. But just as I turned away from the building, I ran into a familiar face. Standing across from me in the snow was a woman in her mid-thirties. She had brown hair and brown eyes, with rimmed spectacles resting on her nose. She could be no one else but...
“Miss Mazenda?” I said.
“Alphonse!” she said excitedly. “I thought it looked like you standing there! It’s nice to see you again!”
“Nice to see you again, too.” I said with a smile as I shook her hand.
“Oh, and who’s your friend here?” she asked, indicating the fairy floating by my head.
“This is my partner, Zelda.” I introduced.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you!” Miss Mazenda said to her with a warm smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, too! Are you a friend of Alphonse’s?” Zelda asked.
“Yes. She was a close friend of Oz’s and Naomi’s, so I got to know her through them.” I answered for her.
“Oh, I see.” Zelda said.
“Oh, yes, how is Naomi doing?” Miss Mazenda asked.
“She’s doing fine. We were gonna head home to see her tomorrow.” I said.
“Oh, that’s great.” she replied. Then she suddenly made a face like she remembered something. “Oh, goodness, I just recalled! Did that young man ever catch up to you, Alphonse?” she asked.
“Young man?” I asked her.
“After you and Naomi left, a man asked me about you. He was a big guy, with black hair... And I believe he was wearing a tan overcoat.” she explained.
I felt myself inhale sharply in surprise, and at the same time I felt a huge chill run down my spine. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zelda had the same response.
- That... That describes Byrne...!
“You... You talked to him?” I asked her, still in complete shock.
Miss Mazenda didn’t seem to notice my shock, as she kept right on smiling as she spoke. “Yes. He said he wanted to meet you because you were the Hero of Spirits. So, I told him where you were heading. So he caught up to you after all?”
- She told Byrne where I was going? Then, that means he only found me because of her...
I suddenly remembered what Byrne had said when he appeared before us back then.
“I’m just lucky that woman in Kakariko Village knew where you were headed. She was certainly more useful than that old man in the clinic.”
At the time, I didn’t have any idea who Byrne was referring to when he said “that woman in Kakariko Village”. But now I knew that it was Miss Mazenda. She had told Byrne where I was going without the slightest clue who he really was.
“Mi... Miss Mazenda, that guy was--” Zelda began.
“Yeah, he caught up to us. He was a really nice guy.” I said, quickly cutting off Zelda.
“Alphonse...!” Zelda said quietly.
“Oh, is that so? I’m glad to hear it!” Miss Mazenda said cheerfully.
The only response I could manage was a weak smile. Miss Mazenda still didn’t seem to notice our morbid moods.
“Well, I have to go now. I need to do some shopping. It was nice seeing you again, Alphonse! Please give Naomi my regards.” she said.
“Yeah... It was nice seeing you again, too.” I replied.
“And it was nice meeting you, Zelda! Goodbye.” she added.
“Nice meeting you, too...” Zelda answered.
With that, Miss Mazenda walked away. Once she was out of hearing distance, Zelda spoke to me.
“Why didn’t you tell her about Byrne?” she asked me.
“Do you really think I could tell her that she sent the man who murdered Oz after me and Naomi? It would break her heart.” I answered.
Zelda and I found Regret and Layla in one of the diners in town. Regret was shoveling food down his throat, and Layla was eating gracefully as if she was trying to make herself appear civil compared to him. I sat down at their table and joined them, ordering some food of my own.
While we ate, I told them that we were heading to my home in the Forest Realm tomorrow morning.
“Naomi and our friend Saria, who’s like a little sister to Zelda and me, are living there right now. We want to go home and see them.” I told them.
“That’s fine with me. I’d like to meet them and see your home!” Layla said.
“Eah, ish bime wib bme doo! (Yeah, it’s fine with me too!)” Regret said through a mouth stuffed full of food.
“... Chew your food, will you.” Layla said in a hopeless tone.
“Alright. Then let’s stay at the inn here in town tonight. There’s a small village called Whittleton a little past the border to the Forest Realm. Let’s stop there and get something to eat on our way.” I said.
“Sounds good to me!” Layla agreed.
“Bame eere! (Same here!)” Regret agreed while stuffing his face.
“... Didn’t I just tell you to chew your food?” Layla sighed.
“Haha. You two make a great couple.” I laughed.
The second I said that, Regret almost choked on his food, and he starting coughing frantically and pounding his chest while trying to swallow it down. At the same time, Layla almost spit up the water she was drinking. Both of their cheeks were bright red. This only made me laugh harder. However, my laughter was abruptly silenced by a swift slap delivered by an embarrassed Layla.
That night, after leaving the diner, the four of us checked in at the inn. Regret and Layla didn’t want to share a room this time, despite the fact that it was cheaper that way. I tried to encourage them to do it, but after getting glared at by Layla, the only people who ended up sharing a room were myself and Zelda.
After getting plenty of rest that night, we woke up bright and early the next morning and checked out of the hotel. We didn’t bother to eat breakfast, because we planned to do that once we reached Whittleton like we discussed the previous night. Even though we all agreed to it, Regret still complained about it.
Of course, Zelda questioned my sense of direction while we were leaving the village, but I told her what I told Naomi when the two of us headed home from this village before; I never get lost when going to the only home I have to return to.
“I can’t wait to meet your girlfriend! I bet she’s hot.” Regret said, mostly as a joke. However, his joke earned him a sharp jab from Layla. “Ow, hey!” he complained.
“If she hadn’t done it, I would’ve.” I joked.
“Hey! I was just kidding!” Regret protested.
“I know, I know. It’s all good.” I laughed.
“Hmph.” Layla pouted, which was the response we all expected from her.
“I can’t wait to see Saria again!” Zelda giggled with excitement.
“Yeah, me neither. I can’t wait to see Naomi again, too.” I agreed.
“You guys must all be pretty close.” Layla said.
“Yeah, we are. None of us are family, but we’re all just as close as one.” I said.
- And the person who truly brought that closeness together was...
As the four of us walked and talked, I thought about the person who was like a mother to me since I lost my parents. She was the person who took in both me and Saria, and welcomed Zelda and Naomi and treated them as if they were family. All that was left of that incredible person was her grave, and me, her legacy.
While my mind filled with thoughts and memories of her, I couldn’t help but feel a sensation of bittersweet nostalgia.
- I’m on my way home now. I’ve made even more great friends, and I’ve met lots of different people and helped so many. Once I’m home, I’ll tell you all about it... Rena.
Chapter Forty-Three
“Whoa~! So this is snow?!” Regret gasped as he ran around excitedly.
“I’ve never seen so much snow before in my life!” Layla gawked.
“It’s pretty impressive, huh? That’s the Snow Realm for you.” I said.
Zelda, Layla, Regret, and I were now in the Snow Realm. We crossed the border from the Fire Realm not too long ago, and already the entire landscape was blanketed in a white sea.
“Everything is so white! And it’s so cold! This doesn’t feel natural!” Regret said.
“Hah! That’s because you’ve never left the Desert Realm.” Zelda laughed.
“I remember when I was little, Papuchiya Village got some snow. I saw some kids playing around in the snow, doing things like making snowmen or snow angels...” Layla said.
“What? Snowmen? Snow angels? How do you make those?” Regret asked.
“To make a snowman, you roll two or three different sized balls of snow and place them on top of each other, biggest on the bottom and smallest on the top. Then you decorate it with buttons and a carrot nose and a top hat and even a scarf.” I explained to him.
“Aw, we don’t have all that stuff! What about snow angels? Snow angels?!”
“... Dude, calm down.”
“To make those, don’t you just lay on your back and fan out your arms and legs to make a pattern in the snow?” Layla said.
“That’s right.” I confirmed.
Faster than any of us could blink, Regret dropped down onto his back and began frantically thrashing about in the snow.
“Am I doing it right? Am I doing it right?!” he asked, talking very fast.
“Uh...” was all that could escape our lips.
“You do it to, Layla! Show me!” he demanded as he shot up and grabbed Layla’s arm.
“Wha-wha?!” Layla squealed as Regret pulled her onto the ground.
I couldn’t help but notice that Layla started blushing the second Regret grabbed her.
“Come on! Show me already!” he begged.
“... I-I’m not gonna show you especially for you... Y-you hear?” she said with bright red cheeks.
Watching the two of them play around in the snow like that made me feel like I was a parent watching his children play.
“Geez, just how old are you guys, anyway?” I laughed.
“Hey! He dragged me into this! I’m not a child like he is!” Layla complained.
Regret suddenly stopped moving. He had a somewhat lonely expression on his face. The three of us looked at him in surprise.
“How old, huh...” Regret muttered.
“What’s wrong, Regret?” Zelda asked him.
“... I don’t know how old I am.” he answered.
This came as a surprise to all of us. “What? Really?” Layla asked.
“I told you guys that I woke up in the desert with amnesia, right? The only things I could remember were my name and how to do basic things like walk and talk. I hardly know anything about myself, and that includes my age and my birthday.” Regret explained.
- Wow... I had no idea his memory loss was that extensive...
“Regret...” Layla whispered sadly.
Noticing that the mood suddenly turned somber, I decided to brighten things up a bit.
“Well, let’s get going to Kakariko Village. We can get some good food once we’re there!”
The second I mentioned the words good and food together in the same sentence, Regret sprang to his feet and danced around excitedly. “Food~! Food~! Alright, let’s go!” he yelled with enthusiasm.
“... Unbelievable.” Layla sighed.
“Well, at least his spirits are back up!” Zelda laughed.
“Yeah, true. Now let’s get going.” I said as I walked off.
“Alphonse, isn’t Kakariko Village to the southwest from here? You’re going northeast!” Zelda called out to me.
I stopped in my tracks. “... I knew that.” I said, feeling embarrassed.
* * *
After several hours of walking, the four of us finally reached Kakariko Village. It had taken us a few hours to get to the border from Goron City, so in total it took us all day to reach Kakariko. It was close to 5:30 in the afternoon by the time we arrived.
“So this is Kakariko Village, huh?” Zelda said. “Alphonse, isn’t this where you met Naomi?”
“Oh, your girlfriend is from this village?” Layla asked.
“That’s right.” I said.
“Whoa, you have a girlfriend? Nice!” Regret said as he patted my back.
“Haha... Why don’t you guys go explore the town? I’m gonna go visit my friend’s grave.” I said.
“Oh yeah, that’s why you wanted to come here in the first place.” Layla recalled. “Whose grave is it?”
“Naomi’s stepfather, Oz. He ran the clinic in this town.” I told them.
“Oh... I see.” Layla said solemnly. “Well... We’ll see you later, then.”
“Yeah. Let’s go find some food!” Regret said as he charged off.
“Hey! Wait for me!” Layla called out as she ran after him.
I watched the two of them run off, and then I looked up at Zelda. “You’re not gonna join them?” I asked her.
“Nah, I’ll stick with you.” she told me. “Besides, I wanna give Layla some time alone with Regret.” she added playfully.
“Oh, so you noticed, too? Alright then.” I laughed.
The two of us headed through town toward the cemetery. I didn’t see a lot of people outside at the moment, but I guess that made sense. It was getting late, so most people in town were probably at home eating dinner right now.
When we arrived at the cemetery, I found Oz’s grave with little trouble. There were a lot of recent-looking offerings in front of his grave. I assumed people still paid respects regularly. I guessed I shouldn’t be surprised about that, since Oz was a beloved person in this town.
“Hey, Oz. It’s me, Alphonse. It’s been a while. I’m still doing okay, thanks to you fixing me up back then. Naomi’s also doing fine, so you don’t have to worry about her. I’ll protect her... forever... So you don’t have to worry. You can rest well, my friend.”
I whispered that as I stood in front of his grave. I heard Zelda whisper my name, so I assume she overheard me. I didn’t really mind though. I sent a prayer to the Spirits of Light for Oz, and then walked back towards the town.
“Alphonse, are you okay?” Zelda asked me.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” I answered.
After leaving the cemetery, I went to Naomi’s house. Of course, she wasn’t there, but I still wanted to go. I walked up to the door, and when I tried to open it, I found that it was still unlocked. Zelda and I entered.
A wave of nostalgia rushed into me. I saw her bed; the bed I woke up in after my fight with Vaati. My old jacket, the one with a pattern of black flames around the waist, sleeves, and hood, was still folded up on top of the bed. The winter coats lent to Naomi and I by the Anouki were still hanging up on the coat hanger. My old sword, originally given to me by Rena, was still propped up against the wall next to the coat hanger.
“So this is Naomi’s house?” Zelda said.
“Yeah. This is where I stayed for a while after my fight with Vaati.” I told her.
“I see...”
The two of us left the house without touching anything, and closed the door behind us. After that, I walked through town to the place where Oz’s Clinic used to be. I wanted to visit that, too. When we arrived there, the entrance was boarded up. I guessed that the property was returned to the town after his death.
“So this is Oz’s Clinic.” Zelda said to herself.
I didn’t respond. I was lost in memories. So many things happened in this clinic. In this one building, my life was saved by Oz, Naomi was kidnapped from here, and many, many people were helped here out of the kindness of Oz’s heart. On top of everything else, this building was also where Oz was murdered by Byrne. The man who spent his life in this building saving lives and helping people had his life taken away from him in that very same building. I couldn’t help but notice the irony in that.
As I thought about all these things, the deep longing in my heart resurfaced. Ever since I left to go to the Ocean Realm, that longing had been nagging at me deep inside my heart. But now, standing in the town I met the person I longed for, it all came rushing back to the surface.
“I want to go home.” I said.
“What?” Zelda asked me.
“I want to go back home after this. I want to see Naomi and Saria. I miss them.” I said.
“... Yeah. I miss them, too.” Zelda agreed. “Let’s go home tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
I stared at the clinic building for a while longer. I sighed, and then decided to look for Regret and Layla. But just as I turned away from the building, I ran into a familiar face. Standing across from me in the snow was a woman in her mid-thirties. She had brown hair and brown eyes, with rimmed spectacles resting on her nose. She could be no one else but...
“Miss Mazenda?” I said.
“Alphonse!” she said excitedly. “I thought it looked like you standing there! It’s nice to see you again!”
“Nice to see you again, too.” I said with a smile as I shook her hand.
“Oh, and who’s your friend here?” she asked, indicating the fairy floating by my head.
“This is my partner, Zelda.” I introduced.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you!” Miss Mazenda said to her with a warm smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, too! Are you a friend of Alphonse’s?” Zelda asked.
“Yes. She was a close friend of Oz’s and Naomi’s, so I got to know her through them.” I answered for her.
“Oh, I see.” Zelda said.
“Oh, yes, how is Naomi doing?” Miss Mazenda asked.
“She’s doing fine. We were gonna head home to see her tomorrow.” I said.
“Oh, that’s great.” she replied. Then she suddenly made a face like she remembered something. “Oh, goodness, I just recalled! Did that young man ever catch up to you, Alphonse?” she asked.
“Young man?” I asked her.
“After you and Naomi left, a man asked me about you. He was a big guy, with black hair... And I believe he was wearing a tan overcoat.” she explained.
I felt myself inhale sharply in surprise, and at the same time I felt a huge chill run down my spine. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zelda had the same response.
- That... That describes Byrne...!
“You... You talked to him?” I asked her, still in complete shock.
Miss Mazenda didn’t seem to notice my shock, as she kept right on smiling as she spoke. “Yes. He said he wanted to meet you because you were the Hero of Spirits. So, I told him where you were heading. So he caught up to you after all?”
- She told Byrne where I was going? Then, that means he only found me because of her...
I suddenly remembered what Byrne had said when he appeared before us back then.
“I’m just lucky that woman in Kakariko Village knew where you were headed. She was certainly more useful than that old man in the clinic.”
At the time, I didn’t have any idea who Byrne was referring to when he said “that woman in Kakariko Village”. But now I knew that it was Miss Mazenda. She had told Byrne where I was going without the slightest clue who he really was.
“Mi... Miss Mazenda, that guy was--” Zelda began.
“Yeah, he caught up to us. He was a really nice guy.” I said, quickly cutting off Zelda.
“Alphonse...!” Zelda said quietly.
“Oh, is that so? I’m glad to hear it!” Miss Mazenda said cheerfully.
The only response I could manage was a weak smile. Miss Mazenda still didn’t seem to notice our morbid moods.
“Well, I have to go now. I need to do some shopping. It was nice seeing you again, Alphonse! Please give Naomi my regards.” she said.
“Yeah... It was nice seeing you again, too.” I replied.
“And it was nice meeting you, Zelda! Goodbye.” she added.
“Nice meeting you, too...” Zelda answered.
With that, Miss Mazenda walked away. Once she was out of hearing distance, Zelda spoke to me.
“Why didn’t you tell her about Byrne?” she asked me.
“Do you really think I could tell her that she sent the man who murdered Oz after me and Naomi? It would break her heart.” I answered.
* * *
Zelda and I found Regret and Layla in one of the diners in town. Regret was shoveling food down his throat, and Layla was eating gracefully as if she was trying to make herself appear civil compared to him. I sat down at their table and joined them, ordering some food of my own.
While we ate, I told them that we were heading to my home in the Forest Realm tomorrow morning.
“Naomi and our friend Saria, who’s like a little sister to Zelda and me, are living there right now. We want to go home and see them.” I told them.
“That’s fine with me. I’d like to meet them and see your home!” Layla said.
“Eah, ish bime wib bme doo! (Yeah, it’s fine with me too!)” Regret said through a mouth stuffed full of food.
“... Chew your food, will you.” Layla said in a hopeless tone.
“Alright. Then let’s stay at the inn here in town tonight. There’s a small village called Whittleton a little past the border to the Forest Realm. Let’s stop there and get something to eat on our way.” I said.
“Sounds good to me!” Layla agreed.
“Bame eere! (Same here!)” Regret agreed while stuffing his face.
“... Didn’t I just tell you to chew your food?” Layla sighed.
“Haha. You two make a great couple.” I laughed.
The second I said that, Regret almost choked on his food, and he starting coughing frantically and pounding his chest while trying to swallow it down. At the same time, Layla almost spit up the water she was drinking. Both of their cheeks were bright red. This only made me laugh harder. However, my laughter was abruptly silenced by a swift slap delivered by an embarrassed Layla.
* * *
That night, after leaving the diner, the four of us checked in at the inn. Regret and Layla didn’t want to share a room this time, despite the fact that it was cheaper that way. I tried to encourage them to do it, but after getting glared at by Layla, the only people who ended up sharing a room were myself and Zelda.
After getting plenty of rest that night, we woke up bright and early the next morning and checked out of the hotel. We didn’t bother to eat breakfast, because we planned to do that once we reached Whittleton like we discussed the previous night. Even though we all agreed to it, Regret still complained about it.
Of course, Zelda questioned my sense of direction while we were leaving the village, but I told her what I told Naomi when the two of us headed home from this village before; I never get lost when going to the only home I have to return to.
“I can’t wait to meet your girlfriend! I bet she’s hot.” Regret said, mostly as a joke. However, his joke earned him a sharp jab from Layla. “Ow, hey!” he complained.
“If she hadn’t done it, I would’ve.” I joked.
“Hey! I was just kidding!” Regret protested.
“I know, I know. It’s all good.” I laughed.
“Hmph.” Layla pouted, which was the response we all expected from her.
“I can’t wait to see Saria again!” Zelda giggled with excitement.
“Yeah, me neither. I can’t wait to see Naomi again, too.” I agreed.
“You guys must all be pretty close.” Layla said.
“Yeah, we are. None of us are family, but we’re all just as close as one.” I said.
- And the person who truly brought that closeness together was...
As the four of us walked and talked, I thought about the person who was like a mother to me since I lost my parents. She was the person who took in both me and Saria, and welcomed Zelda and Naomi and treated them as if they were family. All that was left of that incredible person was her grave, and me, her legacy.
While my mind filled with thoughts and memories of her, I couldn’t help but feel a sensation of bittersweet nostalgia.
- I’m on my way home now. I’ve made even more great friends, and I’ve met lots of different people and helped so many. Once I’m home, I’ll tell you all about it... Rena.
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