Zelda Art The Hero of Spirits

[Vanessa28]

Well done Az! You'll keep the pace going Can't wait for your next chapter!!

 

[Hylian_Monolith]

This was an excellent chapter. After the intense and plot-ful Fire Realm arc, a bit of an interlude is relaxing. Seeing Alfonze pay his respects to Oz was touching, Mazenda's moment was well played and strong, and of course hearing about Rena again was simply heartbreaking. I'm going to be quite sad once this story ends...

 

[Rare Addict]

Stole the words right out of my mouth, Mono! Having just come off of the chaotic Fire Realm saga, this chapter was a perfectly-timed change of pace. As I have said before, most of my favorite chapters of this story are the ones in which we, the audience, just get to hang out with Alphonse and the crew. It isn't just filler, though. More often than not, I learn a fair bit more about each of the main heroes; this chapter is no exception.

Stellar work, as always, Az!

 

[Clank]

It looks amazing, not much to say beyond that.

 

[Azure Sage]

Thanks a lot for your comments, guys. I'm still taking a break from the forums for a still undetermined amount of time, but I'll pop in every now and then to post a new chapter, since I haven't stopped working on it. I need to keep myself distracted so I'm not constantly thinking about what happened to me, and this is a good distraction. So I figured since I'm still writing it anyway, I might as well continue posting the new chapters.

Anyway, it's now time for Chapter Forty-Four. This chapter also doesn't have much action, but the next one definitely will. Heck, I've already started writing the next chapter. I guess you can consider this chapter as the prologue to the Mystic Realm Arc, and the next chapter is the start of it. So, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Please tell me what you think of it.

---

Chapter Forty-Four​

The four of us reached Whittleton close to 10:00 in the morning. Not long after we entered the village, various townspeople ran up to us and greeted us.

“Hey, it’s Alphonse!”

“It’s been a while. Welcome back!”

“Are these guys your friends? Nice to meet you all!”

“Yeah, it’s nice to see you all again.” I said.

Soon, the village chief appeared. “Alphonse, it’s good to see you're doing well.”

“Same to you, sir.” I said as we shook hands.

I heard Layla whisper to Regret in the background, “Whoa, he’s on good terms with the village chief! Alphonse sure has a lot of good connections.”

- Don’t tell me you’re gonna try to take advantage of my title again...

“We’ve been hearing many good things about you, Alphonse.” the village chief continued. “We heard you defeated a leviathan in the Ocean Realm, stopped an ancient dragon in the Desert Realm, and even solved a murder in the Fire Realm!”

“News sure gets around, huh...” I said shyly.

- I wonder if Naomi and Saria have heard about these things yet...

“Indeed. Where are you all headed now?” the chief asked.

“We’re going back to my home. Can we rest here for a bit and get something to eat?” I requested.

“Of course! I shall prepare a hearty meal for you all! Follow me to my house.” the chief said.

“Thank you.” I said.

“Awesome! Thanks a lot!” Regret said.

“We’re being treated to a meal by the village chief himself... Hee hee, we’re pretty lucky.” Layla said to herself.

We waited inside the chief’s house at his dining table. Soon, breakfast foods of all kinds were brought in for us. The food was really good. Regret ended up scarfing down the majority of it, though.

After breakfast, since we no longer needed our winter coats, the village chief was kind enough to take them. We thanked him for the meal and said goodbye to everyone. Afterwards, the four of us left the village.

* * *​

“Wow~! I can’t believe how green everything is!” Regret gawked.

“Haha. You sound just like Naomi when she came here with me.” I laughed.

“I can’t help it! The Desert Realm and the Fire Realm were barren, and the Snow Realm was nothing but white! This is the first time I’ve seen so many trees and plants and grass in one place!” he said.

“Even the Ocean Realm doesn’t have this much plant life... It’s really beautiful.” Layla said. “It’s nice and warm, too.”

“Yeah. It’s warmer than the Snow Realm and the Fire Realm, but not quite as warm as the Desert Realm. It’s a pretty comfortable temperature.” Regret said.

The four of us talked about things like that as we walked. Soon enough, Rena’s cabin, my home, came into view.

“That’s it!” I said as I pointed to it.

I felt a rush of nostalgia and homesickness now that my home was finally within my view again. It looked completely unchanged, and that made me happy. It had only been nearly a month since Zelda and I left, but it felt much, much longer than that.

As we approached the house, Rena’s grave came into view in the front yard. Crouching in front of that grave was a young girl with blonde hair and shining green eyes. She was wearing a pink long-sleeve shirt and a light gray skirt. Zelda and I recognized her immediately.

“Saria!” we both called out in unison.

Saria looked up and over at us, and a big smile overtook her face instantly. “Al! Zel!” she yelled excitedly.

She ran over to me and tackled me with a big hug. I laughed as I fell to the ground on my back and hugged her back.

“We missed you so much, Saria!” Zelda said.

“Yeah! Whoa, have you gotten bigger already?” I said.

“I missed you guys! Naomi missed you guys, too! Oh, while you guys were gone, I got better at playing the ocarina, and I also had my sixth birthday! And...”

“Okay, okay! Come on, we can talk inside! Let me get up already!” I laughed.

Saria got up off me, and I hopped up to my feet. “By the way these are my friends. This is Layla, and this is Regret. Guys, this is Saria.” I introduced.

“Whoa, Alphonse! I didn’t know you were into younger girls! You dog, you...” Regret joked.

“Don’t be an idiot!” Layla chided as she punched his arm.

“Yeow! I was just kidding, geez!” he whined.

“Hmph.” she pouted.

“Hee hee, you guys are funny!” Saria laughed.

As I watched them talk and laugh together, I looked over at Rena’s grave, and smiled warmly. Then, I turned to look at the house, and I felt my heart well up with that intense feeling of longing again.

Standing in the now open doorway was Naomi. In the back of my mind, I guessed that she heard Saria’s shouted and came outside. But I didn’t spend more than a second on that thought. I felt overwhelmed with joy at finally seeing the person I loved again. I could tell by the happy expression on her face that she was feeling the same way right now.

Naomi ran from the doorway to me and hugged me tightly, and we exchanged a kiss. “Welcome home, Alphonse.” she said after our lips parted.

“Yeah... I’m home.” I replied.

* * *​

The six of us spent the rest of the day sitting in the living room talking about all our adventures. I started from the beginning, which was when I brought Saria to Rena’s cabin after Hyleigh City was destroyed, for Regret and Layla, since they weren’t around back then. I also told them about how I went to the Snow Realm to defeat Vaati, about how Naomi and I met, about Naomi’s kidnapping, about my first encounter with Ghirahim in the Anouki’s oil mines, about returning here with Naomi, and about my fight with Byrne.

Then I told everyone about when Zelda and I went to the Ocean Realm and met Layla in Great Bay City. Layla and I talked about what happened on her ship-- of course, we left out the part where I accidentally saw her unclothed- as well as about our battle with Tentalus. Then we talked about going to Zora Hall, and about the attack from Danyel and his group of pirates.

Next, we talked about how we went to the Desert Realm, and about how we met Taylor, Marluxia and Larxene and found our way to Nabooru City. We talked about how we met King Ganondorf and how he requested me to participate in the annual Gerudo Fighting Festival. Of course, Layla and I once again left out the two times I accidentally saw her naked.

We talked about the Gerudo Fighting Festival and how I lost to Regret in the final round. Then we talked about how Ghirahim showed up to take revenge on me for our previous encounter, as well as about how he released Acnologia from its seal in the Desert Colossus, about how the Lokomo Sword broke, and about me achieving my second awakening and managing to destroy Acnologia.

Then we talked about going to the Fire Realm and staying at the Taft Inn. I also told everyone the story of me sneaking downstairs by climbing out of a window looking for a glass of water, and instead found myself looking for a lost necklace with the innkeepers’ daughter, Charlotte. Regret, Layla, and Zelda hadn’t known about that, and they got a good laugh out of it, just like Naomi and Saria did.

Next we talked about reaching Goron City and meeting Kagoron and Zauz. Then we talked about Kagoron’s murder, about how the four of us investigated his death, about how we went to the Fire Temple to save Darunia and fought an ancient monster, and about how I finally figured out that Darunia was the killer. Then we talked about how I reforged the Lokomo Sword with Zauz, and finally about our short trip to the Snow Realm before coming here.

It was a long story, and it took a long time to tell. Before we realized it, it had gotten late into the evening. But the six of us had a lot of fun talking, and Naomi and Saria were delighted to hear about all of our adventures. Layla and Regret also enjoyed hearing about all the things that happened before we met them.

Since it was getting so late, the six of us decided to have dinner. Naomi and I cooked the food together. We made steak and potatoes. Saria told me how she and Naomi walked to Mayscore every week to buy groceries, and it reminded me of how Rena and I did the exact same thing back when I was younger and living here with her.

After we ate dinner, we had to designate who was going to sleep where. Rena’s house had two rooms for patients, each with one bed. There was also a single bed in Rena’s study. Naomi told me that she and Saria had been sleeping there. Back when I was younger, my room had been one of the patient rooms.

“I’ll sleep in one of the patient rooms. Zel, you come sleep with me, too!” Saria begged Zelda.

“Okay, Saria.” Zelda said.

“Yay! Now then, Al, you and Naomi can sleep in Miss Rena’s room, and Layla and Regret can sleep in the other patient room!” Saria said.

- Haha, how did Saria end up being the one deciding this?

Even though I thought that, I had no complaints. I was more than happy to share a room with Naomi.

“That’s fine with me.” I said.

“Me too...” Naomi said.

Her voice trailed off at the end of her sentence, and then her face suddenly flushed with color.

- I guess she remembered Rena’s room only has one bed.

“Tha... That means... Alphonse, we... We...” Naomi stammered.

She looked like her head was spinning just from the idea of sharing a bed with me, and I couldn't help myself from laughing a little bit. Layla, on the other hand, wasn’t very happy about the sleeping arrangements.

“W-wait, hold on a second! I can’t share a room with him!” Layla fussed.

“But Layla, couples should sleep together!” Saria insisted innocently.

Layla and Regret’s cheeks filled up with color. “Wha-what?! We’re not a couple!” she said.

“S-sleep together...?” Naomi whispered to herself.

“So... You don’t like my sleeping arrangements?” Saria asked.

Looking at Saria’s beaming puppy-dog eyes and quivering lip, Layla’s heart melted. “N... No, I didn’t say that...”

“Look, if it’s that much of a problem for you, then I’ll just sleep on the couch in here.” Regret said.

“Really? You’re okay with that?” Layla asked.

“Yup.” he nodded.

“Well, it’s not exactly how I planned it, but okay.” Saria said. “Let’s all go to bed now! Come on, Zel!”

“Okay!” Zelda said as she followed Saria into their room.

“Good night, guys.” Layla said as she went to her own room.

“Good night.” Regret said as he plopped down onto the green couch.

“Well, let’s go to bed too.” I said to Naomi.

“R-right... Okay...” she said.

She was blushing intensely. I couldn’t really understand why.

- Is she really that nervous about sharing a bed?

The two of us entered Rena’s study and made our way to the bed. We got changed-- with our backs turned to each other, of course-- and got into the bed. Even though I said “got changed”, all I really had to do was take off my boots and hoodie; I was wearing a tan long-sleeve shirt under it. Naomi actually got changed into different clothes. Her night clothes were simply a baby blue long-sleeved shirt and gray sweatpants.

When she got into the bed with me, her face was extremely red, and she was acting incredibly shy and nervous.

“Alphonse...” she said quietly.

“Is something wrong?” I asked her.

“Can... Can we really do this? I mean, we’re...” she stammered anxiously.

At first, I did not grasp what she meant by that. “Do what? Share a bed?” I asked.

Naomi stared at me blankly for a short while, then she gasped and her entire face flushed with color. “Ah-ah-ah.... Uhm... Ahhh...” she stuttered. “N-n-n-nevermind, forget I said anything, let’s just go to bed!”

And with that, she hurriedly buried her face into her pillow. I was still very confused, but it didn’t take me long to connect the dots. Once I did, my face flushed with color as well.

- She-she thought...!

It seemed that Naomi took the concept of sharing a bed on a much deeper level than it actually meant. Saria saying that couples should sleep together probably further propelled Naomi into this misconception.

“Wait a second Naomi, you thought that... That...” I started to say.

“Gosh Alphonse, I said to forget it!” she said into her pillow.

“Sorry...” I sighed.

- Geez, I really need to work on my tact...

I laid my head on my pillow and let my body relax. I watched Naomi’s figure for a while as she tried to shake off her embarrassment with sleep.

- She’s really innocent, isn’t she...

“Hey, Naomi.” I said softly.

“Hmm?” she responded, still speaking with her face buried in her pillow.

“Good night. I love you.” I said.

Her shoulders jerked, and she turned her face to look at me. She looked at me with a somewhat surprised expression at first, but that look quickly changed into a soft smile.

“Good night. I love you, too.” she said.

I smiled back at her, and then closed my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep.

* * *​

The next morning, I woke up feeling really well-rested. Sunlight was filtering in from the window on the left wall. I sat up, rubbed my eyes, stretched, and yawned. Then, I looked over at Naomi. She was still sleeping soundly. I sat there and watched her sleep for a short while, then quietly slipped out of bed and left the room.

In the living room, Regret was laying sprawled out, half on the couch and half on the floor. He was snoring at irregular intervals, and occasionally mumbling in his sleep.

“Layla... Oh, Layla... More...” he mumbled in his sleep.

- Wow... Is he dreaming about what I think he is?

“Oh yes... This dinner is wonderful... More food, please give me more of your delicious food...” he mumbled.

“...”

-That’s what he’s dreaming about? ... I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It is Regret, after all.

I shook my head with a quiet laugh, and then walked outside. The morning breeze was cool and refreshing, but the morning sun was pleasantly warm. I stood there basking in this for a short while before I headed around to the side of the house. There was a large basin there meant for washing our clothes or our faces.

When I reached it, I dipped my hand in the water to see how cold it was. It was lukewarm, so I dumped it out in the grass and carried the basin to a small freshwater spring that was a little farther into the forest.

Once I refilled it with fresh, cold water, I brought it back and washed my face. Afterwards, I went back inside the house. Regret was still sleeping, and it didn’t seem like anyone else was awake yet. I walked into the kitchen and searched around in the cupboards and the cooler for something to make for breakfast. I found some bacon and eggs, and I was just getting ready to start cooking them when Naomi wandered in.

“Oh, you’re awake now. Good morning.” I said to her.

“Morning. So this is where you were. Are you starting breakfast?” she asked me.

“Yeah.” I answered.

“Let me help.” she asked.

“Sure. Let’s do it.”

Naomi walked over and joined me at the counter. The two of us got some pans out to cook the bacon and eggs, and placed them on the stove. I began cracking the eggs into my pan, and Naomi began placing strips of bacon into hers.

“So, did you sleep well?” I asked her.

“Yeah, I did.” she said.

“That’s good.”

I felt a little awkward. I was trying to start a casual conversation with her, but I couldn’t think of anything to say besides those simple lines. Meanwhile, we finished putting the bacon and eggs into the pans, and we turned on the burners on the stove.

“Hey, Alphonse. I’m sorry about last night.” Naomi said.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, you know, about how I was acting.” she said.

“Oh, that. It’s okay.” I said with a warm smile.

Naomi smiled back. “Okay then.” she said.

I kissed her on the cheek, and her face turned bright red. She smiled up and me and kissed me back. At the same time, the bacon began to sizzle and give off a scent. Suddenly, sounds of a commotion started coming from the living room. We turned our heads to look towards the door, and Regret bursted into the kitchen.

“Food?!” he said.

“...”

“...”

Naomi and I stared at him blankly for a short while. Before long, Regret seemed to become aware of his surroundings, and he calmed down.

“Sorry, but the second I smelled that bacon, I woke up and got extremely hungry...” he apologized. “So, how much longer will it take?”

“Good morning to you, too.” I joked.

“Not much longer.” Naomi said.

Before long, everyone else woke up and joined us for breakfast. We all ate in the living room, because there were more places for us all to sit in there. We all enjoyed breakfast, and after cleaning up, we talked about what we should all do today.

“I was thinking... How about we go visit Saria’s parents’ graves in Hyleigh City’s ruins?” I suggested. “I haven’t ever had any time to visit them since I made them, so I’d like to go do it today.”

“Yay! We’re gonna visit mommy and daddy!” Saria cheered.

“I’m okay with that.” Zelda said.

“Me too.” Naomi said.

“Alright, then let’s go!” Regret said.

“Yeah.” Layla said.

The six of us got ready to walk to Hyleigh City’s ruins. Layla, Regret and I brought our weapons just in case we ran into any Stalchildren or other monsters along the way. We all then left the house and headed off.

- Roy, Gracia... Soon, you’ll be able to see that your daughter has been doing her best to live on.

 

[Vanessa28]

What's not to like about this post? Another great chapter and I enjoy the ones like this as much as the ones with action. You're growing in your story Az as I said before. You really make a fun and great story and I love the banters going on

 

[Hylian_Monolith]

I enjoyed this one quite a bit! The recap at the end, and telling the story we've been reading, was a nice little summary that definitely made me smile at the fond memories. At this point, I feel quite close to Alphonse(spelled it right, woo!), and this little reunion among with the comedy woven within was overall quite nice. Thanks for this chapter... and for this story.

-I know I said it before, but I'll be quit sad when it ends.

 

[Azure Sage]

Thanks for your comments, guys. I'm still taking a break from the forums, but I finished Chapter Forty-Five, so I came online to post it. I'm still unsure about when I'll feel up to being more active again. Also, I'm doing Sign-Ups again. I'm going to need some characters for the Mystic Realm Arc, and I need them for the next chapter. You can sign up here. Thanks in advance.

Anyway, here's Chapter Forty-Five. I hope you all enjoy it. Please tell me what you think.

---

Chapter Forty-Five​

Zelda, Saria, Naomi, Layla, Regret, and I reached Hyleigh City. It was a two hour walk from Rena’s Cabin. The city was still nothing but ruins. While we walked through it to where Saria’s house used to be, Saria had a sad expression on her face.

I thought about how Saria must be feeling. Hyleigh City was her hometown, and it was nothing but piles of rubble now. I could imagine how that must feel. I lost my hometown, Aboda Village, in the same way, but I had never visited its ruins. The last time I was there was when Rena carried me to safety when I was six years old.

I reached down and held Saria’s hand. She looked up at me, and I smiled down at her. A big grin spread across her face, and she squeezed my hand and began walking with a much cheerier attitude.

Before long, we arrived at where Saria’s house used to be. The two makeshift graves I made for Roy and Gracia were still there, and so were their names, which I had written in the dirt.

“I wish I could have made them proper graves, but...” I said.

Saria shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I bet mommy and daddy were happy that you made them graves!”

I smiled at her. “Yeah, you’re right.” I said.

Zelda, Saria and I all quietly said a prayer for Roy and Gracia, and then stepped back to let the others do the same. Afterwards, Saria sat in front of their graves and told them all kinds of things about how she’s been doing. I watched her as she did this, and I felt my heart ache.

I felt warmth grasp my hand, and I looked next to me to see that it was Naomi. I smiled at her and held her hand tighter, and looked back at Saria.

Saria sat talking to her parents' graves for around twenty minutes. That was understandable, since she had a lot to tell them. Finally, she stood up and turned to us.

“Okay, I’m ready to go home now!” she said.

“Okay. Let’s go back.” I said.

“Hold it!”​

This booming voice which I didn’t recognize echoed throughout the ruins of the city. All of us looked to where this voice had come from, and standing on top of a collapsed building several yards away was a person I had never seen before. He was wearing a black trench coat and black clothes, and he had crimson hair and eyes. He was also carrying a straight sword at his waist.

“I finally found you, Hero of Spirits!” his voice boomed again.

That time, however, his voice didn’t reach me. I was too preoccupied staring at the person with him. The moment I saw that person, I felt a certain rage and sadness well up from deep inside me. Naomi saw him too, and the second she laid eyes on him, she gasped, and she squeezed my hand tightly. Zelda recognized him too, and she began to tremble.

Standing next to this stranger was a man with a large build. He had black hair and black eyes, and he was wearing a tan overcoat.

“Byrne...!” I said in surprise.

“What is he doing here? And who is that with him?” Zelda said.

“Byrne? The guy you told us about yesterday?” Layla said.

“Yes... He’s the one who...” Naomi began.

“He killed Oz and Rena...” I said as I stared him down.

I bit my lip as I glared over at them. The stranger grinned, and he and Byrne jumped down from the top of the collapsed building. The two of them began to approach us.

“Layla, protect Naomi and Saria.” I said.

“Okay.” she said.

Regret and I ran into the wide street in front of Saria’s house to face them. Layla stayed behind to guard Naomi and Saria. Zelda joined me with Regret. The two of them stopped several feet away from us.

“Byrne...” I said quietly.

Byrne didn’t respond. Instead, he merely stared at me silently.

“Just what do you want? And who are you?” Regret asked the stranger.

“Allow me to introduce myself.” he said. “My name is Vino. I was a friend of Gray’s. Do you remember him, Alphonse?” Vino asked me.

“Gray?!” I said in shock.

Gray was the name of the leader of the group of thugs who kidnapped Naomi from Oz’s Clinic a while back. I chased after them to their hideout to rescue Naomi. There, I fought and killed Gray in order to save her. Just before I killed him, he told me that there were people who would seek revenge if he were to die.

- Now I get it. Vino is one of those people Gray warned me about. Then that means...

“Byrne, when you attacked me that time, you said it was ‘just business’, right?” I asked him. He nodded. “I see. So, Vino hired you to kill me in order to take revenge for Gray...” I said.

“That’s right.” Byrne replied.

“So that was really okay with you? You were really okay with killing me and anyone who got in your way for someone you didn’t even know... just for money?” I asked him.

“... Hey.” Vino said, sounding somewhat dejected.

“I do what I have to do to survive. If that means I have to kill, then I’m killing.” Byrne responded.

“Don’t you think there’s something wrong with that?” Regret asked. “When you kill someone, you rob them of their future, and you make their loved ones suffer.”

“I’ve killed people before, but I’m not proud of it. I understand the burden of taking on other people’s hatred for that, and I’ve accepted it. But what about you?” I asked Byrne. “I’ve never killed someone because I wanted to. I did it because I felt I had no choice. But you do it for money. You kill because you want to. Are you really okay with that?”

“You’re wrong. I don’t kill because I want to. I kill because I have to. I told you before, I do what I have to do in order to survive.” Byrne answered.

“Hey!” Vino said again, louder this time.

“Surely you don’t have to kill just to survive?” Regret said. “You could get a job working somewhere and earn a proper living. You don’t have to be a professional killer.”

“You don’t understand the kind of life I’ve lived. This is the only path left to me.” Byrne said.

“HEY! STOP IGNORING ME!” Vino suddenly screamed at us.

The three of us stopped talking and stared at him in disbelief. Vino had a very flustered expression on his face.

“I came here to kill you, Alphonse! How dare you ignore me like that! I won’t stand for it, you hear me!” he yelled.

I stared at him blankly, not knowing how to respond to him.

“Jeez, what are you, a child?” Regret said.

“What did you say, you little prick?!” Vino shouted.

“What did you call me, you jackass?!” Regret shouted back.

- Those two are surprisingly similar...

“Arrgh, enough talk! It’s time I take my revenge! Prepare to die, Alphonse!” Vino yelled as he drew his straight sword.

“Revenge, huh.” I said quietly.

“Yes, that’s right! I’m going to take revenge for Gray’s death! I’ll make you suffer for what you’ve done!” he said.

“Are you really so self-righteous that you think you’re entitled to vengeance like that?” I asked him.

“Wha-what’d you say?!” he snapped.

“Because of me, Gray is dead. That’s true. But, because of you, Oz and Rena, two people who were very close to me, are dead. Do you really believe that you deserve vengeance?” I said to him.

“Silence! How dare you try to lecture me after what you’ve done!” Vino yelled at me.

“Sigh... There’s just no getting through to you, is there?” I sighed as I drew the Lokomo Sword. “Regret, please take care of Byrne.”

“Are you sure? He’s the one who killed Rena and Oz, so wouldn’t you rather fight him yourself?” Regret asked me.

“I’m not interested in vengeance.” I replied. “Besides, the last time I fought him, I got way out of control. I’m afraid I might let that happen again if I were to fight him. I don’t want Naomi to have to see that again. And I especially don’t want Saria to see such a bloodbath.” I said as I clenched my teeth.

Regret noticed that the fist I gripped my sword with was trembling. “... Alright. I understand.” he said. “I’ll take care of this one for you.”

“Let’s do it, Alphonse!” Zelda said.

I took a deep breath to calm my emotions. “Yeah.” I replied to her afterwards.

Regret and I both rushed forward to face our opponents. Vino grinned fearsomely and brandished his sword. Byrne revealed the large gauntlet with blades as fingers that had been concealed in his overcoat. I brandished my own sword and swung it at Vino with frightening speed. At the same time, Regret gathered his red magic power in his right fist and sent a punch hurling at Byrne.

Vino managed to parry my blow, and kicked my stomach to knock me away. Then he charged forward and thrusted his sword. I jumped back and out of the way just in time. While this was happening, Regret’s fist clashed with Byrne’s gauntlet. The gauntlet Zauz had given to Regret protected his hand from the menacing claws of Byrne’s own. Byrne was pushed back a few steps from the force generated by Regret’s punch.

Byrne, noticing Regret’s red magic power, flinched in surprise.

“Boy, you’re a...?!” he gasped.

Regret didn’t hear him, and sent a kick propelled by magic flying into Byrne’s gut. Byrne flipped in the air as he was blown away, and he landed on the ground skidding to a stop. He raised himself up and growled in frustration, and then brandished his gauntlet as Regret charged toward him.


Vino swung his sword toward me, and I parried and swung back. Vino parried that and began to dart around me as he attacked. I turned my body to keep him within sight as I parried and dodged his strikes.

“Alphonse, he’s trying to stay in your blind spot!” Zelda observed.

“Tch. Damn fairy.” Vino grumbled.

“Got it.” I said.

I focused my magic power into the blade of the Lokomo Sword, and then swung my sword in a spinning motion. The aura dispersed around me, cleaving through debris and rubble in its path. The only thing it didn’t cleave through was Vino.

Vino guarded against the magic with his sword, and the Spirits’ magic power seemed to disintegrate as soon as it touched the blade.

“Ha! Your powers won’t work on this sword! It’s an Anti-Magic sword from the Mystic Realm! Its blade cancels out all magic power, including the powers of the Spirits!” Vino gloated.

- That’s just like Danyel’s sword!

“Damn.” I groaned as I continued my assault.


Regret swung his fist at a terrifying speed. It rammed into Byrne’s gauntlet, forcing him to stagger. Regret closed in for another attack, but he had to stop and duck to avoid a roundhouse kick from Byrne. Byrne then brought his foot down to kick Regret from above. Regret jumped back and avoided the blow.

Byrne raised his gauntlet up in front of him and aimed it towards Regret. The gauntlet then fired from his wrist, attached to a chain. Regret focused magic power in his foot and deflected the gauntlet with a kick. He then rushed forward and landed a fierce blow onto Byrne’s gut before his gauntlet could finish retracting back into place.

“Nice try!” Regret bragged as Byrne hit the ground.

Byrne simply spat on the ground as he got back up. He then charged at Regret, who prepared himself to counter Byrne’s next attack.


I thrusted my sword forward, and Vino bent his body out of the way. He returned with a horizontal slice. I parried that with a vertical slice and swung back at him with a diagonal strike. Vino blocked that, and our blades locked together.

“Maybe your blade can stop my power...” I said as I focused energy into my left hand. “... But your body can’t!”

Vino gasped and tried to move away, but he was too slow. I thrusted my palm forward, and it caught Vino in his stomach. Upon contact, the magic power built up around my hand exploded, and the impact sent Vino reeling through the air.

I still had a hard time concentrating my power into my fists like Regret does, but I figured out a loophole. All I had to do was gather the power around my fist, and then let it explode. Of course, the explosion wasn’t very big; it was just a violent dispersion of magic power. But it could still do damage, and it was easier for me to do, too.

Vino cried out in pain as he was sent flying. He hit the ground hard and choked for air. He clutched his gut in agony as he stabbed his sword into the ground to use as a crutch.

“Da... Damn, that was fierce... You bastard...” he coughed.

“Way to go, Alphonse! Let’s finish this!” Zelda said.

“Right.” I nodded.

“Grrr... Don’t think this is over yet!” Vino rasped as he pulled his sword out of the ground and rushed at me.


Byrne swung his gauntlet at Regret, who ducked under it. Byrne then tried to sweep Regret’s feet, but he jumped up and avoided it. In the air, Regret gathered magic power in his foot and kicked at Byrne. Byrne guarded against the blow with his arm, but the impact pushed him back a bit.

As soon as Regret’s feet touched the ground, Byrne attacked again. Regret quickly dipped forward and dodged the blow. At the same time, he headbutted Byrne in his stomach. As Byrne staggered back, Regret caught him in the jaw with a roundhouse kick powered by magic. Byrne was knocked to the ground.

“... You’re quite strong.” Byrne remarked.

Byrne wiped a bit of blood from his lip, and then charged at Regret again. Regret rushed at Byrne in return. They each threw a punch, and their fists collided. Byrne’s fist was knocked back by the force of Regret’s magic power, but he quickly made a comeback with a swipe of his gauntlet. Regret side stepped out of the way, but not before receiving a cut on his cheek.

“You’re not doin’ too bad, yourself.” Regret said as he wiped some of the blood off his cheek.


Vino swung his blade with ferocity. I parried and thrusted my sword forward. Vino dipped past it and returned with a thrust of his own sword. I twisted my body out of the way, and then went on to mimick Vino’s style of continuously moving into the enemy’s blind spot.

Vino growled in anger and tried even harder to move into my blind spot. However, I wouldn’t let up. We ended up exchanging blows while moving around each other in a circle. Unfortunately, I tripped on some debris lying on the ground. Vino grinned as he saw his chance.

As I fell to the ground, Vino raised his sword above me and stabbed it down. I barely managed to swing my sword to deflect his blade as my back hit the ground. I rolled to my left, avoiding a second attempt at stabbing me. Vino’s sword dug into the ground. I then hopped back up to my feet.

“Tch. Why don’t you just die already?” Vino complained as he removed the tip of his sword from the ground.

“I have no intention of dying today.” I retorted.

“Well, that’s too bad!” Vino spat as he rushed at me again.


Regret ducked past a ferocious swipe of Byrne’s gauntlet, and threw a punch in return. Byrne dodged out of the way and sent his foot flying toward Regret’s head with a roundhouse kick. Regret countered with a kick of his own.

Regret’s kick was powered by magic, giving it more force than Byrne’s kick. Byrne’s leg was knocked back, and he lost his balance. Regret did not miss this opportunity. He sent his fist rocketing toward Byrne’s jaw. The blow connected, and Byrne was pushed back.

Byrne hit the ground, but this time he didn’t get up right away. “Ack...” he coughed in pain.

“Alright!” Regret said excitedly. “Time to finish thi--”

“That’s enough.”​

This deep, unfamiliar voice that cut Regret off took everyone by surprise. Me, Regret, Byrne, Vino, and the others who were standing off to the side all froze up.

- Whose voice is that?

Byrne suddenly gasped in shock, and his eyes fixed in fright onto the space behind Regret. Vino and I both gasped in surprise when we saw what Byrne was looking at, and so did Layla and the others. Regret turned around, and flinched in surprise.

Standing behind Regret was a big man none of us recognized. He had fierce black hair and striking black eyes. He was quite large and muscular, and he wore a deep violet cloak over jet black body armor. But his most surprising feature was his pointed ears.

- Those ears... He’s a Demon!

Out of all of us, Byrne had the most frightened reaction to this mysterious Demon. “... Th-that’s... Impossible! Why is he here?!” Byrne stammered in fear.

- Does Byrne know who this is?

Regret was shaking in his boots as he stood in the shadow of this fierce-looking man. He was clearly intimidated, which was unusual for Regret.

“I finally found you.” the man said to Regret.

Regret gasped and took a step back. “F-found me? What are you talk--”

Regret’s words were interrupted by the man striking the back of his neck. Regret fell into the man’s outstretched arm, unconscious.

“Regret!” I screamed.

“I’ll be taking him now.” the man said to us.

“Oh no you don’t!” I shouted as I began to rush at this man in an attempt to save Regret.

“Alphonse, no! Don’t get near him!” Byrne shouted frantically as he rose to his feet and rushed towards me.

“Alphonse!” Naomi shouted as she suddenly ran past Layla.

“Wait, Naomi, come back! It’s dangerous!” Layla called out to her.

The man’s cold expression did not waver for even an instant as I rushed toward him, nor did he even attempt to move a muscle. Meanwhile, a violet light that was unmistakably Demon magic began to form in a circle on the ground, surrounding him.

I stepped into this circle without hesitation and reached out and grabbed Regret’s shoulder. At the same time, Byrne entered the circle and grabbed my shoulder, trying to move me away. Also at the same time, Naomi entered the circle and grabbed my arm.

In the next instant, the five of us-- me, Byrne, Naomi, Regret, and the man-- disappeared from the Physical Realm.

“Alphonse! Naomi! Regret!” Zelda cried out.

“Oh no!” Saria cried out.

“What happened to them?” Layla said, stunned.

“They’re probably in the Mystic Realm. Damn son of a ***** stole my prey...” Vino said, putting his sword in his sheath. “The Mystic Realm is the world where Demons live. That Demon was probably using his magic to return there, and the others got caught up in it.”

“So that’s where they are? The Mystic Realm?” Layla said.

“Is there any way for us to get there?” Zelda asked.

“No, you can’t cross between worlds unless you can use magic.” Vino answered as he began to walk away.

“Where are you going?” Layla asked him.

“I’m leaving.” Vino replied curtly. “Alphonse is no longer here, and I have nothing against you all. So I’ve got no reason to stay here any longer.”

And with that, Vino left the ruins of Hyleigh City. Zelda looked back to the spot at where her friends had just disappeared from.

“Please be safe, you guys...” she whispered.

 

[Hylian_Monolith]

Well then. This chapter was mostly a battle sequence, and that's fine with me. For some reason, I like to see the reintroduction of the D-word, once again we're making full circle. And the sudden separation was very interesting... I'm wondering how Alphonse will do without Zelda. This is getting to me a lot, she's been the only constant aside form our hero in the entire story. She's always there, and soon she won't be... Oh ho.

 

[Vanessa28]

Great chapter Az! I wonder who this stranger is and what he is planning to do with regret. Hopefully he won't regret it

 

[Ganondork]

Well, I decided to read your story. Except, like any logical person who needs to catch up, I skipped to your last chapter. All names are familiar from your original version, save Regret, but I could connect dots just fine. Anyway, I have some pieces of critique for you.

“Sigh... There’s just no getting through to you, is there?” I sighed as I drew the Lokomo Sword.

Tautological bookism that follows an improper use of the word "Sigh." This sentence needs revision, greatly.

However, I wouldn’t let up. We ended up exchanging blows while moving around each other in a circle. Unfortunately, I eventually tripped on some debris lying on the ground.

This particular line really stood out to me. It was an example of "Show, don't tell." Unfortunately, you're not doing much showing, but rather telling. You have sentences like this strewn throughout your story. These sentences are a huge detriment to any writer's pieces. You need to take more time fleshing out the situation instead of simply taking the easy route and saying "Eventually."

“Tch. Why don’t you just die already?” Vino complained as he removed the tip of his sword from the ground.

“I have no intention of dying today.” I retorted.

“Well, that’s too bad!” Vino spat as he rushed at me again.

Bookisms. Bookisms everywhere. Avoid these at all costs, and most importantly, never have three in a row. Don't believe me? Stephen King agrees with me.

The best form of dialogue attribution is said, as in he said, she said, Bill said, Monica said.

“Alphonse, no! Don’t get near him!!” Byrne shouted frantically as he rose to his feet and rushed towards me.

This had to be one of the most out-of-character things I've seen in your writing. Why would a villain try to keep the protagonist from meeting a terrible fate?

This story overall was only okay. I think your use of adverbs were unnecessary, and should be avoided at all costs.

The road to hell is paved with adverbs.

Use them as rarely as you can.

In addition, you use dialogue too much. Dialogue is there to characterize your characters, but having them speak during mid-battle is unrealistic. The dialogue itself isn't strong, either. Your constant use of ellipsis and exclamation marks make it seem like it's a bad manga. You can more than easily use out-of-dialogue details to express the emotion. Your general lack of detail of the surroundings, as well as emotions, hurt your story in general. I seldom have an image painted within my head.

The only exception to this is when you are writing a fight scene. Even then, you use fairly simple terms to explain the combat. I think you could easily spice up your diction if you used a thesaurus. This applies to your entire story in general.

It's not a poorly written story, but it could certainly use work. I hope all of this helped.

 

[Azure Sage]

Thanks so much, guys! Ganondork's advice was a big help for me in writing this next chapter. Chapter Forty-Seven is also already three pages in out of the ten I typically aim for. However, don't expect that one soon. I'm busy with school this coming week. EXTREMELY busy. Also, Lord Vain's character makes an appearance in this chapter. Next chapter, I will definitely use the other four characters, so please sign up. I only need two more characters.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

EDIT: READ THIS FIRST​

---

Chapter Fifty​

I felt like my body was being forced through a thin crack in a thick wall. I was familiar with this sensation. I’d felt it before when Anjean brought Naomi and I to the Tower of Spirits, where I received the Lokomo Sword. From this sensation, I gathered that I, along with Naomi, Byrne, and Regret, were crossing from the Physical Realm into another dimension.

On the edge of my conscience, I felt myself being moved away from the mysterious Demon and Regret. Soon enough, the sensation stopped, and I regained total awareness of my surroundings.

I found myself laying on my back, staring up at a blueish-orange sky. I felt grass tickling the back of my neck, and when I sat up, I realized I was laying in a field. As I looked around, I saw many trees and bushes surrounding me. I came to the conclusion that I was in a clearing in a forest somewhere.

Upon further inspection of my surroundings, I noticed that Byrne and Naomi were laying on the ground on opposite sides of me; Naomi on my left and Byrne on my right.

“Hey, Naomi!” I said as I shook her awake.

“Uwaah...” she moaned as her eyes fluttered open. “Al...phonse?” Suddenly, she became aware of the situation we were in, and she shot up into a sitting position. “W-whoa, Alphonse, what happened to us?!” she cried out.

“I don’t know.” I answered. “Wait, what the heck did you run over to us for?! That was way too reckless! And look, you got caught up in this mess because of that!”

“I’m sorry... I was so worried about you, I just kind of ran at you without thinking...” she said.

- What kind of reason is that?

“... Oh well. I’m just glad you’re safe.” I said to her. Noticing that I was still clutching the Lokomo Sword in my right hand, I went ahead and sheathed it. Then I looked around. “Where are we, anyway?”

“We’re in the Mystic Realm.” Byrne’s voice suddenly said.

Naomi and I turned to look at him in surprise as he raised himself up into a sitting position. “This is the Mystic Realm?” I said, feeling surprised.

“Alphonse...” Naomi whispered as she pulled her body close to mine.

She seemed nervous with Byrne right beside us. I found myself feeling the same way. But, strangely enough, Byrne didn’t seem like he intended to harm us, so I calmed down a little. I showed Naomi a warm smile to let her know it was okay, and then looked back at Byrne. I had a few questions for him.

“Byrne, what exactly happened just now?” I asked him.

“I’m not sure myself. All I know is that the man who appeared and took your friend used his magic to return here to the Mystic Realm. The three of us got caught up in it.” he answered.

“If that’s the case, then where is that guy, and where’s Regret?” I asked.

“I can use magic too, since I’m a Lokomo. I used my power to drag you two away from that man to safety, although I didn’t have time to determine the destination. I don’t know where we ended up, but it shouldn’t be too far from where that man went.” he explained.

“So that’s how it is...” I said.

- That’s strange... Why would Byrne want to save us?

After thinking for a bit, I decided to leave that alone for now. “Byrne, you looked like you recognized that guy. Who was he?” I asked him.

“That man...” Byrne began. “His name is Drake. He’s a Demon King, just like Malladus.”

Upon hearing this, Naomi and I gasped in shock. “That guy was a Demon King?!” I said in surprise.

“Wait, Malladus isn't the only Demon King?” Naomi said, looking confused.

“No, there are a few of them. The title of ‘Demon King’ is a rank.” Byrne explained.

“That’s right. I talked with Ghirahim about this briefly, back when I met him in the Oil Mines.” I added. “Ghirahim and Vaati had the rank of ‘Lord’, and Malladus has the higher rank of ‘King’.”

“Correct.” Byrne said. “Those ranks are just monikers for ranking military might, but ‘King’ is special. Those who are Demon Kings also reign over vast areas of land, and together, they rule the Mystic Realm.” Byrne explained.

“Oh... I didn’t know that.” Naomi said with a look of fascination on her face. “Everyone always refers to Malladus as THE Demon King, so I kind of assumed he was the only one...”

“Malladus refers to himself as The Demon King, too. It’s probably just his arrogance at work.” Byrne said.

“But what would Demon King Drake want with Regret?” I asked.

“I have no idea.” Byrne responded.

“Well, then I’ll just go ask him.” I said as I stood up.

“W-wait, where do you think you’re going?!” Byrne asked me.

“To find Drake. I’m going to save Regret.” I told him.

“No, it’s far too dangerous! I can send you two back to the Physical Realm with my power. You have to go back, now!” Byrne said as he jumped to his feet.

“Regret is my friend. I won’t abandon him.” I said sternly.

“So you’ll abandon the Physical Realm instead?! Your duty as the Hero of Spirits is to save the Physical Realm from Malladus! You cannot afford to get mixed up in the affairs of the Mystic Realm! Drake is a Demon King! If you oppose him, he might kill you! And if you were to die here, no one would be left to stop Malladus!” Byrne yelled.

I was surprised, not just because I didn’t expect Byrne to say something like that, but also because he didn’t want me to die.

“Why are you so concerned about whether I die or not? You’ve been hired to kill me.” I asked him.

“... That is true. However, I've had a lot of time to think since we've first met. I realized that you need to live. The only reason I let you fight with Vino is because I knew that you were stronger than him. If you’d killed him, then I would no longer be under a contract with him, and I wouldn’t have to kill you anymore.” Byrne replied. “And besides, Vino is ridiculously stubborn. He wouldn’t absolve the contract, and he refused to pay me until you were dead. And since I was contracted under him, I couldn’t take on any other jobs to earn money. I would have killed him myself, but an assassin killing his client is bad for business. You killing Vino would solve that problem, as well. Two birds with one stone, as they say. Although, because of Drake’s interference, things didn’t exactly turn out that way...”

“So that’s why you saved me, huh... I guess even you understand the importance of what I’ve been named to do.” I said.

“Indeed. The most important thing to me is surviving. If you die, then everyone dies, including me.” Byrne said.

I let those words sink in for a bit. If I got involved with Drake to try to save Regret, it might cost me my life. Drake was a Demon King, so he was at least as powerful as Malladus. Fighting him would be extremely dangerous. Byrne was right; I couldn’t afford to get mixed up with him. I understood that, but even so...

“... Even so, I have to go.” I said.

“Alphonse!” Byrne yelled.

“Alphonse, are you sure about this?” Naomi asked me.

“I’m sure. It may be dangerous, and I know I have a duty to the Physical Realm. But still... I will not abandon Regret! I’d never forgive myself if I were to just leave him here! He’s my friend, damn it!” I said.

“... You’re really serious about this. Very well, then. I... I’ll help you out.” Byrne said.

This came as a surprise to Naomi and me. “Really? You’re willing to help me?” I asked in disbelief.

“Like I said earlier, I need you to live so that I can survive. Besides... It’s the least I can do to make up for killing Oz and Rena.” Byrne replied.

I felt myself subconsciously clench my fists when he said this. I gritted my teeth, and said, “... Nothing you could ever do would make up for that.”

“I know that. But I still want to try.” Byrne said. “I said before that I do what I have to do to survive. But I thought about it a lot, and I realized that I didn’t truly have to kill them. I was so absorbed in doing anything I could for my own survival that I lost sight of what’s right. So please, let me do this much, at least.” Byrne said.

I still hated Byrne for killing Oz and Rena, so I wasn’t sure if I should let him help me. However, I remember that before I fought him back then, I told him I’d make him understand just how precious life is. I began to wonder if he was actually beginning to understand that. Despite this, I was still unsure of how to answer him. But Naomi answered before I could open my mouth.

“Okay. You can come with us.” she said.

“Naomi, are you sure?” I asked her.

“Yes. I think he deserves a chance. Besides, hes strong, so he should be able to help us.” she said.

“... Okay. If you’re fine with him coming with us, then we’ll take him along.” I said, giving in to her.

I still wasn’t sure about this, but Byrne had hurt Naomi just as much as he’d hurt me.

- If she’s okay with this, then I suppose I should be okay with it, too.

“Thank you. Thank you both.” Byrne said.

“Being thanked by you doesn’t feel right...” I sighed. Then something clicked in my mind. “Wait a second! Naomi, what do you mean by ‘us’?!” I asked her.

“I’m coming, too!” she said.

“No way! It’s too dangerous! I don’t want you to get hurt. Byrne, please send her back to the Physical Realm.”

“No! Regret’s my friend now, too! I know I can’t fight, but there’s gotta be something I can do to help! Please, Alphonse!” she insisted.

- Aw man, I just can’t say no to her...

“Alright, fine. But please, be careful. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt.” I said to her.

“I feel the same way about you, you know! Please don’t do anything too crazy, Alphonse.” she said.

“... Right.” I sighed.

“Let’s see if we can find a town nearby. We can ask around there about Drake.” Byrne suggested.

“Alright, let’s go.” I said.

I grabbed Naomi’s hand and held it tightly. The three of us left the clearing and walked through the forest. Along the way, my thoughts returned to Zelda, Layla, and Saria. They were left behind in Hyleigh's ruins, and surely they must be worried sick, wondering what had happened to us. I decided that it would best to trust that they'd be okay, and knowing them, I knew they could trust us to be okay, as well. I decided we'd explain everything when we returned with Regret.

Next, my thoughts wandered back to Byrne. I began to think about his true self. My first impression of him was that he was a heartless killer only interested in money, but it seemed like he just needed a way to survive. I wondered how much my words were able to affect him, if they truly did affect him at all. If he really was beginning to change his ways, perhaps he could be helpful.

There was always the possibility that this was all just a facade to get us to let our guard down before he killed us, but if that were the case he probably wouldn’t have risked his life trying to stop me from approaching Drake. On top of that, I didn’t know the circumstances that made him take this path, so I couldn’t understand him very well even if wracked my brain about it. I decided to put it out of my mind for the time being. We had more important things to worry about, after all.

As we walked, I noticed the land begin to rise upward. The forest was getting thinner as we walked further up this hill. Soon enough, we reached the top of the hill, and the forest ended. And what we saw from the top of that hill was breathtaking.

The hill’s elevation was enormously high, and it overlooked an incredibly vast valley. The valley was criss-crossed with rivers and dotted with trees and hills and fields. The sunlight beaming down from the morning sky made the rivers sparkle brilliantly.

“This is beautiful...” Naomi said in awe as the three of us stared out at this sight. “I had no idea the Mystic Realm looked like this...”

“This isn’t how I’d pictured this world at all. Growing up, I was taught that Demons were evil beings and their world was an evil place filled with darkness and suffering...” I said.

“Yeah, same here.” Naomi said.

“That was due to the deep-rooted prejudice between humans and Demons.” Byrne said.

“Prejudice?” I asked him.

"That’s right.” Byrne explained. “Centuries ago, Demons lived in the Physical Realm. But they didn’t get along with the humans. The humans feared the Demons because of their ability to use magic, and Demons looked down on humans because they couldn’t use magic. Demons considered themselves superior because of this, as well as because their life spans are longer. There were many clashes between the two races, until finally, fueled by both the human's prejudices and hatred as well as their own sense of superiority, the Demons collectively used their magic to travel to another dimension. They felt they deserved better than breathing the same air as the humans that loathed them so much. The world they ended up in became the Mystic Realm.”

“Wow... I had no idea about any of that.” I said.

“I only know about it because I’m a Lokomo.” Byrne told us. “We Lokomo never die, and even if we’re killed, our bodies will regenerate after a few years. However, by the time we regenerate, we no longer have any memories of our lives before we died. ... At any rate, I’ve been around long enough to know about this.”

“It’s sad that humans and Demons couldn’t get along back then.” Naomi said.

“Yes, I agree. Even today, humans and Demons still harbor that contempt for each other. Power can cause corruption and misunderstandings. This is true for everyone. Even the Lokomo, whom you humans regard as a sacred race for their connection to the Spirits of Light, are not innocent of this.” Byrne said.

“What? Really? But Anjean was so nice...” Naomi said.

“Not all of them are bad. However, I remember quite a few Lokomo who were very arrogant, and considered themselves second to none but the Spirits. It’s because the humans regarded them so well, as well as because of their powers, that they began to develop a sense of superiority, just as the Demons did.” Byrne explained.

“Huh... I had no idea that some Lokomo were bad.” Naomi said.

“... I’m a perfect example of just how bad a Lokomo can be.” Byrne said. “Just as there are good humans like you and Alphonse and bad humans like Vino, there are good Demons as well as bad Demons. This is true for every race, even the Lokomo.”

“In the end, we’re all the same, huh.” I said.

“That’s right.” Byrne said.

The three of us were silent for a little while. I began to think even more about Byrne’s true self. To me, he was starting to seem less and less like a bad guy. I still couldn’t forgive him for killing Oz and Rena, but I was beginning to think that he had a good and honest side to him, even if it had been twisted by the life he'd lived up to this point.

Putting that aside for now, I started gaze out upon the beautiful valley, searching for a town. This high elevation was a perfect vantage point. Sure enough, I spotted one towards the center of the valley.

“Hey, there’s a town down there!” I said as I pointed to it.

“Great! Maybe we can ask around there for directions to wherever Drake lives.” Naomi said.

“I have a feeling they’ll point us to that castle.” Byrne said as he pointed to the side of the valley opposite from us.

Also on a high elevation overlooking the valley was a large castle. We could tell it was large even from this distance. All we could see of it was its silhouette in front of the rising sun, though.

“Do you think that’s Drake’s castle?” I asked.

“I don’t know for sure, but I’m willing to bet it is. We should ask around in that town just to be safe.” Byrne said.

“Good idea. Let’s get going.” I said.

The three of us began to descend the hill down into the enormous valley.

- DRAKE’S CASTLE -​

Regret was beginning to regain consciousness. His eyelids drooped open, and his vision was blurry. He felt around with his body, and he discovered he was being carried on someone’s back. When he attempted to move, he heard a clanking sound, and noticed that his hands were bound by handcuffs.

The sound of the handcuffs alerted the person carrying him, and the man turned his head to look at Regret.

“Oh, you’re coming around, Young Master.” he said.

Young... Master?

Regret didn’t understand why the man called him that, but he recalled that he had just been attacked by a mysterious person while fighting with Byrne.

“H-hey! Where am I?! What happened to me?! Let me down!” Regret said as he began to struggle.

“His Majesty was right, the Young Master is quite unstable right now...” the man carrying him said to himself. “My name is Rinz. Please relax, Young Master. I’ll let you down soon. We’re almost there.”

“Almost where?” Regret asked.

“To your room.” Rinz said.

My room? What is this guy talking about? I don’t understand what’s going on. I have to get out of here.

Even though he thought that, Regret was still feeling weak, and he couldn’t break out of the handcuffs. He tried condensing his magic power around his fists in an attempt to bend the metal of the cuffs, but he found he was unable to gather any power. Rinz seemed to notice this, and spoke.

"I'm afraid you'll find it impossible, Young Master. Those handcuffs are made from a metal that negates magic power. You won't be able draw on any power as long as those are on your wrists." Rinz explained.

Regret sighed, giving up on breaking free for the moment. He looked at the surroundings as Rinz carried him on his back. They were walking through an extravagant-looking hallway made of smooth and vibrant gray stone. A velvet carpet stretched out beneath their feet on the floor. Paintings of all kinds hung from the walls, and vases and busts stood on pedestals along the edges of the hallway.

Next, Regret examined Rinz himself. He appeared to be in his late twenties, with jet black hair combed back neatly and dull orange eyes. He wore a black military uniform with red trimmings and carried an officer’s sword at his waist. He had four red stars on his left shoulder, so Regret assumed this man was a high ranking military officer. But, whose military did he belong to? And what did he want with Regret? He just couldn’t understand it at all.

Suddenly, Rinz stopped walking. “Here we are.” he said as he let Regret down.

Rinz opened the doors to a luxurious bedroom filled with all kinds of expensive-looking furniture and decorations. He led Regret inside, and then removed a key from his pocket. Rinz used it to unlock Regret’s handcuffs. After rubbing his wrists to drive away the sensation of being chained up, Regret noticed that he could once again feel the flow of his magic power throughout his body. He then turned to Rinz.

“What exactly do you want with me? Why did you bring me here?” Regret asked.

“His Majesty will arrive soon. He will explain everything to you then. Please wait here, Young Master.” Rinz said. “I’ll be standing outside the door, so please do not attempt to leave.”

And with that, Rinz saluted Regret and left the room, closing the doors behind him.

What’s with him saluting me? And why does he keep calling me “Young Master”? This is so confusing... I guess I should wait for whoever “His Majesty” is to come and explain everything to me. I won’t get anything done until I find out why I’ve been brought here.

After deciding on this, Regret began to search the room while he waited. He examined the large bed at the back of the room. The red bed sheets felt very soft and comfortable, and so was the large, matching pillow. He peeked under the bed, but nothing was there.

He opened the closet in the back corner to discover that it was a walk-in and that it was completely empty. He walked over to the dresser on the left side of the room and opened it up to discover that it was also empty.

Then, Regret walked over to a drawer in a cabinet on the right side of the room. He opened it up, and then became overwhelmed with shock. There was only one thing in this drawer; a small portrait of two young boys.

The boy on the right, who appeared older than the other by a few years, had light chestnut-colored hair and sparkling brown eyes. He had his arm around the younger boy, who was smiling just like the older one was. They appeared to be brothers. However, the younger boy was...

“... Me?” Regret gasped as he reached down and lifted the picture out of the drawer.

Regret rubbed his eyes with his free hand and then widened them as he stared at the picture. The boy on the left was indeed Regret as a child. He could not mistake that. He was certain that he'd never seen the other boy before. But looking at the boy's hair and eyes that were the same as his own, as well as the boy's face which was not unlike his own, Regret could do nothing but stare bewildered at the portrait.

Just what is going on here?

As Regret thought this, the doors to his bedroom suddenly opened. Regret turned his head to look, and standing in the threshold was the mysterious person who interrupted his fight with Byrne and kidnapped him.

“It’s you!” Regret said in surprise.

Does this mean that this guy is “His Majesty”?!

The large man stared, emotionless, at Regret, or rather, what Regret had in his hands. “I see you found that portrait.” he said.

“S-so what if I found it?” Regret asked, feeling intimidated by the man’s presence. “Who are you, anyway? Where did you take me? Why am I here? And what’s with this picture? Why am I in it?! Tell me!” he went on to demand.

“Relax. I’ll explain everything in due time. First, let me tell you about that portrait.” the man said as he fully entered the room and closed the door behind himself.

“... Alright. Explain already.” Regret said, trying to calm himself down.

This guy might have the answers I’m looking for. I’d better listen to him.

“To begin with, my name is Drake.” he said to Regret. “That portrait... It was his-- Yuri’s-- most prized possession.”

“Yuri?” Regret asked.

“The boy standing next to you in the portrait.” Drake said. “Three weeks ago, he died from a severe illness. He was only nineteen years old. Still just a baby...”

Still just a baby? But nineteen is basically an adult...

“This room used to belong to Yuri. Everything has since been removed, except for the portrait you now hold. Yuri treasured it above all else. It was the only memory he had of his younger brother Regret...” Drake said.

Younger brother Regret. As in me? But... How can that be possible?!

“Hold on a second! Are you telling me that Yuri was my older brother?!” Regret said.

“That’s right.” Drake said. “He was older than you by three years.”

“Wait, slow down. Hold on...” Regret said as he pressed his palm against his forehead. “How can this be possible... I have a brother? He died three weeks ago? Just what the hell is going on here?! I don’t have any memories of him! I don’t know anything about myself or my childhood! How is it that you know this?!” Regret asked frantically.

“I know because I’m the one who raised you.” Drake said.

“Raised me? Just what are you...” Regret said in shock as he took a step back.

Regret felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and several chills were flowing down his spine. He was visibly shaking and breaking out in a cold sweat.

What’s happening? What’s happening? What’s happening? I don’t understand any of this!

“Just... Just who...” Regret shouted in confusion and panic. “Who the hell am I?!”

“You probably lived your life in the Physical Realm believing you were a human, am I correct?” Drake asked.

“Be-believing?” Regret said.

“I’m sure you’ve become able to control your magic power by now. Surely you must have questioned why you can use magic when other humans cannot?” Drake said.

Regret felt his stomach lurch.

Is he saying that I’m not human? Then, does that mean everything I grew up believing was false?

“The truth of the matter is quite simple, actually.” Drake said. “There were never any humans with magic power of their own. You are not a human, Regret. You are a Demon. And not just any Demon; you are a Demon Prince, the son of a Demon King... My son.”

Regret felt himself freeze up. He was in complete shock. He merely stared at Drake blankly. Finally, his lips began to quiver as if they were attempting to form a word.

“... I... I’m a Demon...?” Regret said in shock.

Regret clasped his hands onto his head, dropping to his knees. The portrait of Regret and Yuri dropped to the floor, hitting the ground with a small clanging sound. The tiny noise from the fall echoed for half a second before it disappeared. The only sound that remained in the room was the sound of Regret trembling in shock.

 

[Vanessa28]

Well that was really a very good twist to the story Az! Very very good!

 

[Ventus]

Great chapter but I noticed a lot of "he said, she said" stuff. I don't think all of the "X said" need to be there; it should be clear enough through dialogue who is speaking to who. To expound on that, I also would say that you should avoid things like this:

“Uwaah...” she moaned as her eyes fluttered open. “Al...phonse?” she said.

You've already established that Naomi was speaking, why do you need the "she said" after Al...phonse? ?

Otherwise, fun-filled chapter. :yes:

 

[Lord Vain]

Pretty nice chapter, mah boy, I noticed one error though...

I won’t get anything done until I found out why I’ve been brought here.

I think you meant to put find instead of found there, am I right?