Good chapter again Az ^^ That is what any child would react like if these things are said to them. Keep it up ^^
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Zelda Art The Hero of Spirits
- Thread starter Azure Sage
- Start date
Problem
During this scene, Regret is having some kinda jubilant/confused moment. This is contrasting with the overarching mood; Al knows for damn sure that Drake is not finished and could be marching down on them at any moment. I do not think they should be handling Regret's reveal so flabbergastedly, butt ake it seriously (I know falbbergastedld isn't a word) and calmly. I'm nto suggesting you rewrite this but do take the mood into consideration when writing dialogue. In my honest opinion it should be serious all the way through or more bright all the way through. just my opinion. ^^
Also
I'd*
During this scene, Regret is having some kinda jubilant/confused moment. This is contrasting with the overarching mood; Al knows for damn sure that Drake is not finished and could be marching down on them at any moment. I do not think they should be handling Regret's reveal so flabbergastedly, butt ake it seriously (I know falbbergastedld isn't a word) and calmly. I'm nto suggesting you rewrite this but do take the mood into consideration when writing dialogue. In my honest opinion it should be serious all the way through or more bright all the way through. just my opinion. ^^
Also
I'd*
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Sydney
The Good Samaritan
WOW, AZURE, THIS IS FANTASTIC!! 
Thanks a lot for your comments, guys! Now it's time for Chapter Fifty-Three! Next chapter will be the final chapter. I can't believe it's almost over now. ;~; Last time I said Chapter Fifty-Four might end up being a lot longer than usual, but at this point that might have been an overstatement. At any rate, you can expect the story to wrap up in that one chapter. Now then, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please tell me what you think. :3
“Owowow!” I groaned.
“Stop whining. It doesn’t hurt that much.” Byrne sighed.
Byrne was using his Lokomo magic power to close my wounds. It couldn’t completely heal me, but it was enough to prevent me from bleeding to death. I recalled how Anjean had used her power to instantly heal the broken arm I recieved in my fight with Vaati. Byrne’s healing power was nothing compared to that. Of course, I wouldn’t say that aloud.
Regret stumbled over to us. “Do you think you could heal me, too? I’m beat.” he said.
“Sorry, I can’t do anything about exhaustion. The most I could do is close your wounds.” Byrne said. “Perhaps one of the Demons has healing abilities.”
Unfortunately, all of the freed Demons shook their heads. “Aw, man...” Regret sighed.
“There are medical facilities in the castle. With Drake defeated, the soldiers will probably surrender. We should be able to use the castle freely.” Sigal said. “Let’s take the wounded there.”
“Good idea. Let’s do it.” I said.
Our hearts sank as we heard Drake shout those words. We looked over to where he was lying on the ground. He was slowly rising to his feet, using his sword as a crutch. His stomach was bleeding profusely, so he was probably near death. I couldn’t imagine he was capable of doing much at this point. But still, this was bad.
- I’m in no condition to fight, and Regret is too worn out. Byrne is the only one of us who could fight him right now.
“It’s not over yet!” Drake shouted again.
His body began to glow ominously with his violet magic power. The color was more malevolent than usual.
“I won’t allow you to escape here alive! You’re all going to die here!” he screamed.
The dark aura surrounding Drake's body began to vibrate. It looked really unstable.The ground began to rumble, and the tension in the air skyrocketed.
“Wh-what are you doing?!” Regret asked.
“I’m going to force all of my magic power to self-destruct.” Drake rasped.
“Y-you fool! Then you’ll die, too!” Byrne shouted.
“I will accept that if it means I can prevent that wretch from breathing another second!” he shouted, pointing to Regret. “I will erase this stain from my bloodline, even if I have to take it with me! I will wipe the slate clean”
- He... He’s insane!
The Demons around us began to run away in fear. Naomi clung onto my arm tightly as the rest of us stepped back. We were all scared. I didn’t know what to do about this. I thought about trying to kill him before he could self-destruct, but he acted before I could move.
“NOW DIE!” Drake shouted as he lunged at us.
“No!” Byrne shouted.
Byrne jumped between Drake and us and grabbed him, holding him back. He put up a large barrier of magic power between Drake and himself, and then looked back at us.
“All of you, run as far away as possible! I’ll hold off the blast as best I can!” Byrne shouted.
-What?! What the hell is he thinking?!
“Rgh...! You bastard!” Drake said in frustration.
“Byrne, no! Come with us!” Naomi cried out.
“Please, don’t sacrifice yourself like this!” I yelled at him.
“Don’t you get it?! You have to live, Alphonse!” he shouted at me. “You can’t afford to die! But I can! If I die, I’ll regenerate in a few years. If that happens, I won’t be me anymore... I’ll have no memories of my past self... But still, I want to do this. I’ve done so much wrong in this life. Let me have this chance to do something good! Let me have this chance to start over!”
Drake’s magic power began to grow even more unstable. He tried to break free of Byrne’s hold, but in his weakened state, he couldn’t break out of the barrier. Over half of the Demons had already fled, but many remained there with Naomi, Regret, and I.
I stood still, staring at Byrne. I was speechless for a while. He’d said he was an outcast of the Lokomo. He’d said everything he’s done has been for the sake of his own survival. So now why was he throwing his life away? It didn’t make any sense to me.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked him. “Tell me why it has to be this way.”
“Alphonse, there’s no time! Just run!” he said.
“Tell me why!” I yelled at him. “Why are you giving up your life after all that talk about fighting for your own survival?!”
“I told you already! If you live and defeat Malladus, then I will survive! That’s why I’ve been helping you!”
“But what’s the point in that if you’re just going to throw away your life here?! Why aren’t you fighting to survive anymore?!” I shouted at him.
He was silent for a while. “... This is my way of making it up to you.” he said. “This is my way of repenting for killing Rena and Oz.”
Naomi and I both gasped upon hearing this. “Byrne..." Naomi said sadly.
I said nothing. I bit my quivering lip and stared at him quietly. Meanwhile, Drake’s power was becoming extremely unstable. It vibrated violently, and the ground began to shake with even more force than before. Drake’s magic power was probably going to self-destruct very soon.
“Damn it, let go of me!” Drake shouted.
“You’ve changed me, Alphonse.” Byrne said, ignoring Drake’s struggling. “I no longer think that anything I do will be justified by my desire to survive. I want to repay you for that. And I want to make it up to both you and Naomi for killing your loved ones. This is my way of doing that. Please, let me have this.”
I felt tears begin to drip down my cheeks. I was honestly shocked by Byrne’s resolve. Despite how badly he’d wanted to survive, he was willing to throw it all away for us. That was how strongly he felt about this.
Finally, Drake’s magic power reached it’s zenith. “It’s going to self-destruct! Hurry up and run!” Byrne shouted.
I clenched my fists in frustration. I was trembling as tears rolled down my face. I gritted my teeth as I stared at the ground. Finally, I made my choice.
I ran towards Byrne. Every step I took sent a sharp burst of pain coursing through my body, but I ignored it. I reached Byrne and placed my hands on the magic barrier. I began to flow my own magic power into it in an attempt to strengthen it.
“Wha-what are you doing?! I said to run away!” Byrne shouted at me.
“No! I won’t leave you behind!” I shouted back. “You’re my friend now! I’m not just gonna let you die, you idiot!”
“I don’t want you to die either, Byrne!” Naomi cried as she joined me at Byrne’s side. “Please don’t give up!”
She didn’t have any magic power of her own, but she placed her hands on top of mine and held her ground all the same.
“Stop it! Get out of here!” Byrne shouted.
Regret joined us on the opposite side of Byrne and flowed his magic power into the barrier, as well. The Demons who hadn’t already fled did the same. They all surrounded us in a half-circle, their bodies glowing with the colors of their magic power. All of these auras gathered together at the barrier, creating a multi-colored wall of magic.
“You’re right; I can’t afford to die here.” I said. “But if I’m being forced to abandon a friend, I’d rather be dead! This is a risk worth taking!”
"You have to come back with us alive, Byrne!" Naomi said. "You need to tell us all about the life you've lived! I want to know!"
"I don't get what your deal is, but I can't do nothing and let you die for us!" Regret said. "So live, dammit!"
A tear rolled down Byrne’s cheek. “Alphonse... All of you...” he said, sounding as if he was about to sob.
At last, Drake’s magic power self-destructed. The force of the explosion was unimaginably tremendous. Our bodies shook violently and the magic barrier we created cracked. However, I planted my feet firmly on the ground, and pushed back against this outstanding force with all my might.
I let out a scream of stubborn determination, and the shouts and yells of everyone else blended in with it. Everyone pushed back against the force of the explosion with everything they had. When the barrier cracked again, we pushed even harder.
Finally, the explosion was quelled. It dispersed with an incredible shock wave that caused the barrier to shatter into billions of glittering shards. Everyone was thrown off their feet, and we landed on our backs with a violent jolt.
The ground finally stopped shaking, and a large dust cloud lingered in the air. I struggled to stand up, but my ears were ringing and my body was still shaking from the force of the blast, so I remained seated. Looking around, it seemed that all of us were alive, albeit shaken up.
“We... We did it...” I panted.
Then I looked to the place where Drake had been. There was nothing left of him; only a deep crater in the ground where he once stood. His whole existence was wiped off the face of the world, body and all. The immensity of his magic power had completely annihilated him.
“In the end, he died in vain, huh...” I said.
Regret nodded. “Yeah. If he should regret anything, it's that.”
A whole day had passed since Demon King Drake’s death. The injured and some capable fighters went back to the castle and asked the soldiers to surrender. They did, and without a fight, too. Many of them were actually happy that Drake was dead. Just like the Demons who were imprisoned, they had been held under his thumb.
While at the castle, the injured received medical treatment. Myself, Regret, and many of the Demons who were injured in the battle stayed in the castle’s medical ward. The Demons who couldn’t fit in the ward were transferred to the hospital in St. Versailles. As it happened, my hospital bed was right next to Rinz’s. The two of us ended up bickering a lot. Although, he never made any harmful advances toward me, so I thought that even he was grateful to us, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
Those who didn’t return to the castle went to St. Versailles to deliver the news of Drake’s death. Sigal went with them, and he was reunited with his daughter, Arin. Kurt, Winston, and many others also returned to their families. They held a celebration in honor of Regret, Byrne, Naomi, and I. They were all overjoyed that the tyrant Demon King Drake was gone. Many of the Demons who hated humans also began to rethink their views after hearing about how Naomi and I risked our lives for their sakes. Things were starting to work out.
News about Drake’s death spread like wildfire, and before the day was even over, it reached the center of the Mystic Realm, a place that housed something called the “Council of Kings”. Apparently it was a kind of united government made up of the Demon Kings who ruled each territory of the Mystic Realm. I remembered Byrne telling me that the Demon Kings ruled the Mystic Realm together, but I didn’t know there was an actual council of them until a messenger sent by them arrived at the castle the morning after Drake’s death.
The messenger, who introduced himself as Vespen, wanted to know who was going to replace Drake as the Demon King of this territory. He was informed by some of the Demons that they hadn’t decided yet, but the most likely candidate was Regret, since he was Drake’s son. And so, Vespen went to the medical ward to talk with Regret about this.
Vespen looked to be in his twenties, but considering his status, he was likely over 100 years old. He wore a very official-looking black suit inlaid with purple trimmings, and wore half-frame glasses which kept sliding down his nose. He had combed-over flaxen-colored hair and purple eyes. He spoke in a very official manner.
Regret sat in the hospital bed next to mine, on the side opposite of Rinz. I watched him as he listened to Vespen, and he didn’t look very interested.
“You see,” Vespen began, “We need someone to take over Drake’s roll as the Demon King of this territory. You’re still quite young, but you’ve got exceptional power. Besides, as Drake’s son, becoming a Demon King in his place is your right.”
“Wait a second.” I cut in. “You know that Regret is the one who defeated Drake, right? The Council of Kings doesn’t have a problem with that?”
“No. Though it is called a council, it’s really more of a mutual agreement between all Demon Kings to communicate with each other peacefully and to not interfere with each other. They work together at meetings to discuss issues that affect the entire Mystic Realm, but it’s not like they’re bound by some pact to come to each other’s aid.” Vespen explained.
“So they don’t really care if one Demon King is usurped, as long as the new one follows the agreement?” I asked for clarification. Vespen nodded. “I see. That’s a little cold, but... At least it means there won’t be any repercussions from them.”
“Indeed.” Vespen said. Then he turned back to Regret. “So Regret, what do you say about becoming the new Demon King?”
Regret didn’t answer at first. He looked like he was lost in thought. I could sort of tell what he was thinking. When he opened his mouth, I realized that I had been right.
“I’m not sure I want to...” he said. “The whole reason I fought against Drake was so he couldn’t force me to take over as the next Demon King of this land against my will. Suddenly taking over of my own volition after all of that would be pretty ridiculous. Besides, I want to help Alphonse fulfill his duty as the Hero of Spirits and defeat Malladus. If I were to become a Demon King, I’d be breaking the agreement to not interfere with the other Demon Kings.”
Vespen stared at him quietly for a little while. “I see. So that’s your choice. That’s too bad. I would have liked to have gotten this whole thing settled quickly.” Vespen sighed.
“Sorry about that.” Regret said.
“Think nothing of it.” Vespen said. ‘Well then, thank you for your time.”
And with that, Vespen turned on his heel and left the hospital room. Regret had a sort of downcast expression on his face. I decided to ask him what was bugging him.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“I dunno...” he said. “I was just wondering what my mother or brother would have said about this if they were still alive... Maybe it would have been better if they never died, you know? I probably wouldn’t have gotten robbed of my childhood. None of this would have ever happened.”
“That’s true.” I said. “But I’m glad it all happened.” Regret looked at me in surprise. “If things hadn’t turned out this way, you and I would have never met. I could have never made it as far as I have without you. I survived the battle in the Fire Temple thanks to your help.”
“Yeah, I guess...” Regret said, looking like he was feeling flattered.
“And there are other reasons I’m glad this happened.” I continued. “We got to save all these people from a ruthless ruler. And I learned a very important lesson in my battle with Drake.” I clasped my hands together. “I can’t defeat Malladus on my own. We know he’s got to be at least as powerful as Drake, if not stronger. Thanks to this whole mess, I know now that I can’t do it without you and Layla and Zelda. I’ll need help.”
Regret said nothing. He simply stared at me as I looked down. For a little while, neither of us said anything. Then, I looked over at him.
“Once we get back, I want to fight Malladus.” I said. Regret inhaled sharply in surprise. I ignored his reaction and continued speaking. “I think we’re ready to do it. After everything we’ve been through, I’m certain that we’re ready. We can beat him.”
Regret held that shocked expression for a little while longer, but it quickly turned into a wide grin.
“Yeah! You can count on us...” He said. Then his voice trailed off, and his grin vanished. “Wait a second... Oh man! It’s been two whole days since we’ve been separated from Layla and the others!” Regret exclaimed in shock. “They must be worried sick! We’ve gotta get back to them as soon as possible!”
“I bet you’re in a hurry to jump into Layla’s arms, huh?” I teased.
Regret’s face turned bright red. “W-w-what?! W-where’d you get that crazy idea from?!” he stammered.
I broke out into laughter, and Rinz, in the bed beside me, spoke up. “Quiet down, will you! You humans are all so noisy.” he growled.
“Oh, like you Demons are any different!” I retorted in an intentionally condescending tone, just to get on his nerves.
The Demons in the hospital bed surrounding us began to laugh as Rinz and I continued to bicker. Regret looked like he was cheering up from his previously downcast mood, too.
We only stayed in the hospital ward for one more day before we were released. Thanks to the medical facilities that used magic power to treat wounds, Regret and I recovered in no time. Byrne had made a full recovery by then, too.
Naomi had gone into town and bought us new clothes. She bought Regret a navy blue, collared jacket with white trimmings, a navy blue undershirt, light gray trousers, and dark brown boots. She also found where his gauntlets given to him by Zauz were being kept, after having been confiscated upon his arrival in the Mystic Realm. She returned them to Regret along with his new clothes, which made him very happy.
She bought me a white, hooded jacket with black trimmings, black pants, and black boots. Regret left his jacket unbuttoned while I kept mine buttoned all the way to the top. Naomi had also bought herself a new pair of clothes. She bought herself a baby blue, collared blouse, a dark gray skirt that went down to her knees, white stockings, and black, buckled shoes. She offered to buy new clothes for Byrne, too, but he declined.
The four of us, after saying our goodbyes to everyone, had met up behind the castle per Regret’s request. There was a cemetery at the back of the castle, and all of the previous Demon Kings, as well as their families, were buried there. Drake, having left no body behind to be buried, was simply given a plaque next to his wife Kaya’s grave. On the other side of Kaya’s grave rested Yuri, who had died three weeks prior to our arrival from an illness. Regret wanted to pay his respects to them before we left.
Regret stared down at the graves of his mother and brother with a melancholy expression. “Mom... Yuri... I don’t have any memories of you... But still, here I am. I’m sorry about what happened with Drake... I hope you can forgive me for that. Please, rest in peace.”
After listening to Regret quietly whisper those words to the graves, I spoke up. “Are you ready to go now? We’ve got to get back to Layla and Zelda and Saria, and let them know we’re okay.”
“Yeah... I’m ready.” Regret said.
“Are you sure? We can give you some more time if you’d like...” Naomi said.
“No, it’s fine. Really, I’m okay to go.” Regret said, trying his best to smile.
- You’re not okay...
As I thought that, Byrne spoke. “Then I’ll warp us back to the Physical Realm. I remember where your house is, so I can take us directly to it. Everyone, come closer.”
We all did as he said and gathered around him. Byrne created a sphere of golden aura around the four of us, and we began to warp back home. Just before my consciousness blurred, I noticed Regret give one final look at the graves of Kaya and Yuri. His eyes were full of sorrow, as well as a small tear that barely managed to escape.
After that, my consciousness blurred. I felt that familiar feeling of being dragged through a thin crack in a thick wall, and when I regained my awareness, the four of us were standing several feet away from Rena’s cabin.
Saria happened to be standing in front of Rena’s grave at the time, and she was caught by surprise when we appeared.
“Whoa?!” she gasped. Then she recognized that it was us. “Al! Hey, Zel! Layla! Al is back! They’re all back now!” Saria shouted into the house.
Not a moment later, the door burst open, and Zelda and Layla flew out of the house in excitement. Both of them shouted our names as they ran over to us.
“You guys! Thank god you’re okay!” Zelda said.
“I’m so glad you all returned safely!” Layla said as she hugged me.
Naomi had a strange look on her face as she watched her hug me. Both Layla and I panicked and quickly worked to dispel her misconceptions. Zelda got a good laugh out of that. Then, Layla hugged Regret while saying how glad she was that he was safe. The second she put her arms around him, his face flushed with color. For a second, I thought he was going to faint.
Then, Layla and Zelda finally noticed that Byrne was among us. "Whoa, what’s this guy doing here?!” Layla gasped as she jumped back and got on guard.
“Relax. It’s a long story, but he’s on our side now.” Regret tried to explain.
“Huh?! You’d better tell us everything that happened!” she said.
“We will, we will!” Regret said.
“You guys went on a super-cool adventure, didn’t you?” Saria asked excitedly.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Naomi laughed.
"Zelda and I had a pretty crazy adventure of our own while you were gone!" Layla said.
"For real? I gotta hear this!" Regret said.
While they talked, I looked over at Byrne. I watched him approach Rena’s grave. He stood before it, looking down upon it with a pained expression on his face. I thought I heard him whisper something, but I couldn’t hear it clearly. Then, he made as if he were about to leave. I walked over to him and grabbed his shoulder.
“Where are you going?” I asked him.
“I’m leaving now.” he said, without turning around to look at me.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re staying here with us.” I said.
“What?!” Byrne gasped as he turned around to face me. “But, I... I’m the one who....”
“We already told you, Byrne. You’re our friend now.” Naomi said as she walked over next to me. “You’re one of us now!”
"Don't forget, Naomi said she wants to hear your story! I may not have known her long, but trust me, she is NOT a girl you want to disappoint." Regret said.
"Yeah, I wanna know what your deal is, too!" Layla said.
"If Alphonse and Naomi are okay with you, then I am, too." Zelda said. "And I am a little curious, myself."
“And besides, at the very least we’ll need your help for the final battle against Malladus.” I said. Then I turned and faced everyone as we all gathered into a circle. I decided to convey to them what I told Regret in the hospital.
“I think it’s about time we finish this. I want to go to the Sacred Realm and challenge Malladus soon. I think I’m ready for it now. Of course, I’ll need all the help I can get. That means Zelda, Layla, Regret... and now you as well, Byrne.”
Byrne stared at me in shock. He looked like he was about to break down crying. He really seemed happy to hear my words.
“Wait, we’re going to fight him soon?! Hold up, I’m not mentally prepared for that yet!” Layla said.
“Wh-why did you include me in that, Alphonse?! You know I can’t fight!” Zelda cried.
“You’ve been my partner since the beginning, Zelda. I need you for this.” I said. “Even though you can’t fight, you’ve been a huge help throughout our whole journey. You all have. I need all of you.”
“Alphonse...” Zelda said.
Layla and Zelda appeared very happy to hear my words, though I didn't really know why. It was almost as if they were thinking "I knew it!", but I didn't press them at the moment.
I turned and faced everyone. “Alright! In three days, we’re going to travel to the Sacred Realm and confront Malladus! We’ll take a break and rest here for those three days. Naomi, you and Saria are staying here. I can’t afford to involve you in this.”
Naomi nodded at me in understanding, although she had a very reluctant expression on her face. Saria nodded, as well.
“You can do it, Al! You’re the best!” she said with a cheerful smiled.
I laughed and patted her head. Then I went back to my pre-battle speech. “Once we get to the Sacred Realm, we’ll go all out! We’re going to give it our all and stop Malladus once and for all!”
“Hell yeah! I can’t wait for this!” Regret said excitedly.
“I’m scared, but... I-I’ll try to be as helpful as possible!” Zelda said.
“I’m gonna give this my best shot, too! This won’t be like the time with Acnologia. I’m not gonna give in for a single second!” Layla said.
Byrne remained quiet. I tapped him on his back. “Come on, you too!” I encouraged.
“... I-I’ll do my best.” he said quietly.
“Haha, good enough.” I laughed. “Now, then...”
I put my right hand out. Layla placed hers on top of mine, and Regret placed his on top of hers. Byrne put his left hand on top of Regret’s, and Naomi placed hers on top of his. We then lowered our hands a little so Saria could reach, and she placed her hand on top of Naomi’s. Then Zelda floated down on top.
“Alright.” I said. “Lets win. Let’s defeat Malladus and save this world!”
The shouting of my friends rang throughout the air as we all threw our hands up. That amazing feeling of our powerful bond reverberated throughout my body. It filled me with energy and confidence. We were ready for it. Together, there was no way we could lose. It was finally almost time...
Chapter Fifty-Seven
“Owowow!” I groaned.
“Stop whining. It doesn’t hurt that much.” Byrne sighed.
Byrne was using his Lokomo magic power to close my wounds. It couldn’t completely heal me, but it was enough to prevent me from bleeding to death. I recalled how Anjean had used her power to instantly heal the broken arm I recieved in my fight with Vaati. Byrne’s healing power was nothing compared to that. Of course, I wouldn’t say that aloud.
Regret stumbled over to us. “Do you think you could heal me, too? I’m beat.” he said.
“Sorry, I can’t do anything about exhaustion. The most I could do is close your wounds.” Byrne said. “Perhaps one of the Demons has healing abilities.”
Unfortunately, all of the freed Demons shook their heads. “Aw, man...” Regret sighed.
“There are medical facilities in the castle. With Drake defeated, the soldiers will probably surrender. We should be able to use the castle freely.” Sigal said. “Let’s take the wounded there.”
“Good idea. Let’s do it.” I said.
“Not yet!”
Our hearts sank as we heard Drake shout those words. We looked over to where he was lying on the ground. He was slowly rising to his feet, using his sword as a crutch. His stomach was bleeding profusely, so he was probably near death. I couldn’t imagine he was capable of doing much at this point. But still, this was bad.
- I’m in no condition to fight, and Regret is too worn out. Byrne is the only one of us who could fight him right now.
“It’s not over yet!” Drake shouted again.
His body began to glow ominously with his violet magic power. The color was more malevolent than usual.
“I won’t allow you to escape here alive! You’re all going to die here!” he screamed.
The dark aura surrounding Drake's body began to vibrate. It looked really unstable.The ground began to rumble, and the tension in the air skyrocketed.
“Wh-what are you doing?!” Regret asked.
“I’m going to force all of my magic power to self-destruct.” Drake rasped.
“Y-you fool! Then you’ll die, too!” Byrne shouted.
“I will accept that if it means I can prevent that wretch from breathing another second!” he shouted, pointing to Regret. “I will erase this stain from my bloodline, even if I have to take it with me! I will wipe the slate clean”
- He... He’s insane!
The Demons around us began to run away in fear. Naomi clung onto my arm tightly as the rest of us stepped back. We were all scared. I didn’t know what to do about this. I thought about trying to kill him before he could self-destruct, but he acted before I could move.
“NOW DIE!” Drake shouted as he lunged at us.
“No!” Byrne shouted.
Byrne jumped between Drake and us and grabbed him, holding him back. He put up a large barrier of magic power between Drake and himself, and then looked back at us.
“All of you, run as far away as possible! I’ll hold off the blast as best I can!” Byrne shouted.
-What?! What the hell is he thinking?!
“Rgh...! You bastard!” Drake said in frustration.
“Byrne, no! Come with us!” Naomi cried out.
“Please, don’t sacrifice yourself like this!” I yelled at him.
“Don’t you get it?! You have to live, Alphonse!” he shouted at me. “You can’t afford to die! But I can! If I die, I’ll regenerate in a few years. If that happens, I won’t be me anymore... I’ll have no memories of my past self... But still, I want to do this. I’ve done so much wrong in this life. Let me have this chance to do something good! Let me have this chance to start over!”
Drake’s magic power began to grow even more unstable. He tried to break free of Byrne’s hold, but in his weakened state, he couldn’t break out of the barrier. Over half of the Demons had already fled, but many remained there with Naomi, Regret, and I.
I stood still, staring at Byrne. I was speechless for a while. He’d said he was an outcast of the Lokomo. He’d said everything he’s done has been for the sake of his own survival. So now why was he throwing his life away? It didn’t make any sense to me.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked him. “Tell me why it has to be this way.”
“Alphonse, there’s no time! Just run!” he said.
“Tell me why!” I yelled at him. “Why are you giving up your life after all that talk about fighting for your own survival?!”
“I told you already! If you live and defeat Malladus, then I will survive! That’s why I’ve been helping you!”
“But what’s the point in that if you’re just going to throw away your life here?! Why aren’t you fighting to survive anymore?!” I shouted at him.
He was silent for a while. “... This is my way of making it up to you.” he said. “This is my way of repenting for killing Rena and Oz.”
Naomi and I both gasped upon hearing this. “Byrne..." Naomi said sadly.
I said nothing. I bit my quivering lip and stared at him quietly. Meanwhile, Drake’s power was becoming extremely unstable. It vibrated violently, and the ground began to shake with even more force than before. Drake’s magic power was probably going to self-destruct very soon.
“Damn it, let go of me!” Drake shouted.
“You’ve changed me, Alphonse.” Byrne said, ignoring Drake’s struggling. “I no longer think that anything I do will be justified by my desire to survive. I want to repay you for that. And I want to make it up to both you and Naomi for killing your loved ones. This is my way of doing that. Please, let me have this.”
I felt tears begin to drip down my cheeks. I was honestly shocked by Byrne’s resolve. Despite how badly he’d wanted to survive, he was willing to throw it all away for us. That was how strongly he felt about this.
Finally, Drake’s magic power reached it’s zenith. “It’s going to self-destruct! Hurry up and run!” Byrne shouted.
I clenched my fists in frustration. I was trembling as tears rolled down my face. I gritted my teeth as I stared at the ground. Finally, I made my choice.
I ran towards Byrne. Every step I took sent a sharp burst of pain coursing through my body, but I ignored it. I reached Byrne and placed my hands on the magic barrier. I began to flow my own magic power into it in an attempt to strengthen it.
“Wha-what are you doing?! I said to run away!” Byrne shouted at me.
“No! I won’t leave you behind!” I shouted back. “You’re my friend now! I’m not just gonna let you die, you idiot!”
“I don’t want you to die either, Byrne!” Naomi cried as she joined me at Byrne’s side. “Please don’t give up!”
She didn’t have any magic power of her own, but she placed her hands on top of mine and held her ground all the same.
“Stop it! Get out of here!” Byrne shouted.
Regret joined us on the opposite side of Byrne and flowed his magic power into the barrier, as well. The Demons who hadn’t already fled did the same. They all surrounded us in a half-circle, their bodies glowing with the colors of their magic power. All of these auras gathered together at the barrier, creating a multi-colored wall of magic.
“You’re right; I can’t afford to die here.” I said. “But if I’m being forced to abandon a friend, I’d rather be dead! This is a risk worth taking!”
"You have to come back with us alive, Byrne!" Naomi said. "You need to tell us all about the life you've lived! I want to know!"
"I don't get what your deal is, but I can't do nothing and let you die for us!" Regret said. "So live, dammit!"
A tear rolled down Byrne’s cheek. “Alphonse... All of you...” he said, sounding as if he was about to sob.
At last, Drake’s magic power self-destructed. The force of the explosion was unimaginably tremendous. Our bodies shook violently and the magic barrier we created cracked. However, I planted my feet firmly on the ground, and pushed back against this outstanding force with all my might.
I let out a scream of stubborn determination, and the shouts and yells of everyone else blended in with it. Everyone pushed back against the force of the explosion with everything they had. When the barrier cracked again, we pushed even harder.
Finally, the explosion was quelled. It dispersed with an incredible shock wave that caused the barrier to shatter into billions of glittering shards. Everyone was thrown off their feet, and we landed on our backs with a violent jolt.
The ground finally stopped shaking, and a large dust cloud lingered in the air. I struggled to stand up, but my ears were ringing and my body was still shaking from the force of the blast, so I remained seated. Looking around, it seemed that all of us were alive, albeit shaken up.
“We... We did it...” I panted.
Then I looked to the place where Drake had been. There was nothing left of him; only a deep crater in the ground where he once stood. His whole existence was wiped off the face of the world, body and all. The immensity of his magic power had completely annihilated him.
“In the end, he died in vain, huh...” I said.
Regret nodded. “Yeah. If he should regret anything, it's that.”
* * *
A whole day had passed since Demon King Drake’s death. The injured and some capable fighters went back to the castle and asked the soldiers to surrender. They did, and without a fight, too. Many of them were actually happy that Drake was dead. Just like the Demons who were imprisoned, they had been held under his thumb.
While at the castle, the injured received medical treatment. Myself, Regret, and many of the Demons who were injured in the battle stayed in the castle’s medical ward. The Demons who couldn’t fit in the ward were transferred to the hospital in St. Versailles. As it happened, my hospital bed was right next to Rinz’s. The two of us ended up bickering a lot. Although, he never made any harmful advances toward me, so I thought that even he was grateful to us, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
Those who didn’t return to the castle went to St. Versailles to deliver the news of Drake’s death. Sigal went with them, and he was reunited with his daughter, Arin. Kurt, Winston, and many others also returned to their families. They held a celebration in honor of Regret, Byrne, Naomi, and I. They were all overjoyed that the tyrant Demon King Drake was gone. Many of the Demons who hated humans also began to rethink their views after hearing about how Naomi and I risked our lives for their sakes. Things were starting to work out.
News about Drake’s death spread like wildfire, and before the day was even over, it reached the center of the Mystic Realm, a place that housed something called the “Council of Kings”. Apparently it was a kind of united government made up of the Demon Kings who ruled each territory of the Mystic Realm. I remembered Byrne telling me that the Demon Kings ruled the Mystic Realm together, but I didn’t know there was an actual council of them until a messenger sent by them arrived at the castle the morning after Drake’s death.
The messenger, who introduced himself as Vespen, wanted to know who was going to replace Drake as the Demon King of this territory. He was informed by some of the Demons that they hadn’t decided yet, but the most likely candidate was Regret, since he was Drake’s son. And so, Vespen went to the medical ward to talk with Regret about this.
Vespen looked to be in his twenties, but considering his status, he was likely over 100 years old. He wore a very official-looking black suit inlaid with purple trimmings, and wore half-frame glasses which kept sliding down his nose. He had combed-over flaxen-colored hair and purple eyes. He spoke in a very official manner.
Regret sat in the hospital bed next to mine, on the side opposite of Rinz. I watched him as he listened to Vespen, and he didn’t look very interested.
“You see,” Vespen began, “We need someone to take over Drake’s roll as the Demon King of this territory. You’re still quite young, but you’ve got exceptional power. Besides, as Drake’s son, becoming a Demon King in his place is your right.”
“Wait a second.” I cut in. “You know that Regret is the one who defeated Drake, right? The Council of Kings doesn’t have a problem with that?”
“No. Though it is called a council, it’s really more of a mutual agreement between all Demon Kings to communicate with each other peacefully and to not interfere with each other. They work together at meetings to discuss issues that affect the entire Mystic Realm, but it’s not like they’re bound by some pact to come to each other’s aid.” Vespen explained.
“So they don’t really care if one Demon King is usurped, as long as the new one follows the agreement?” I asked for clarification. Vespen nodded. “I see. That’s a little cold, but... At least it means there won’t be any repercussions from them.”
“Indeed.” Vespen said. Then he turned back to Regret. “So Regret, what do you say about becoming the new Demon King?”
Regret didn’t answer at first. He looked like he was lost in thought. I could sort of tell what he was thinking. When he opened his mouth, I realized that I had been right.
“I’m not sure I want to...” he said. “The whole reason I fought against Drake was so he couldn’t force me to take over as the next Demon King of this land against my will. Suddenly taking over of my own volition after all of that would be pretty ridiculous. Besides, I want to help Alphonse fulfill his duty as the Hero of Spirits and defeat Malladus. If I were to become a Demon King, I’d be breaking the agreement to not interfere with the other Demon Kings.”
Vespen stared at him quietly for a little while. “I see. So that’s your choice. That’s too bad. I would have liked to have gotten this whole thing settled quickly.” Vespen sighed.
“Sorry about that.” Regret said.
“Think nothing of it.” Vespen said. ‘Well then, thank you for your time.”
And with that, Vespen turned on his heel and left the hospital room. Regret had a sort of downcast expression on his face. I decided to ask him what was bugging him.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“I dunno...” he said. “I was just wondering what my mother or brother would have said about this if they were still alive... Maybe it would have been better if they never died, you know? I probably wouldn’t have gotten robbed of my childhood. None of this would have ever happened.”
“That’s true.” I said. “But I’m glad it all happened.” Regret looked at me in surprise. “If things hadn’t turned out this way, you and I would have never met. I could have never made it as far as I have without you. I survived the battle in the Fire Temple thanks to your help.”
“Yeah, I guess...” Regret said, looking like he was feeling flattered.
“And there are other reasons I’m glad this happened.” I continued. “We got to save all these people from a ruthless ruler. And I learned a very important lesson in my battle with Drake.” I clasped my hands together. “I can’t defeat Malladus on my own. We know he’s got to be at least as powerful as Drake, if not stronger. Thanks to this whole mess, I know now that I can’t do it without you and Layla and Zelda. I’ll need help.”
Regret said nothing. He simply stared at me as I looked down. For a little while, neither of us said anything. Then, I looked over at him.
“Once we get back, I want to fight Malladus.” I said. Regret inhaled sharply in surprise. I ignored his reaction and continued speaking. “I think we’re ready to do it. After everything we’ve been through, I’m certain that we’re ready. We can beat him.”
Regret held that shocked expression for a little while longer, but it quickly turned into a wide grin.
“Yeah! You can count on us...” He said. Then his voice trailed off, and his grin vanished. “Wait a second... Oh man! It’s been two whole days since we’ve been separated from Layla and the others!” Regret exclaimed in shock. “They must be worried sick! We’ve gotta get back to them as soon as possible!”
“I bet you’re in a hurry to jump into Layla’s arms, huh?” I teased.
Regret’s face turned bright red. “W-w-what?! W-where’d you get that crazy idea from?!” he stammered.
I broke out into laughter, and Rinz, in the bed beside me, spoke up. “Quiet down, will you! You humans are all so noisy.” he growled.
“Oh, like you Demons are any different!” I retorted in an intentionally condescending tone, just to get on his nerves.
The Demons in the hospital bed surrounding us began to laugh as Rinz and I continued to bicker. Regret looked like he was cheering up from his previously downcast mood, too.
* * *
We only stayed in the hospital ward for one more day before we were released. Thanks to the medical facilities that used magic power to treat wounds, Regret and I recovered in no time. Byrne had made a full recovery by then, too.
Naomi had gone into town and bought us new clothes. She bought Regret a navy blue, collared jacket with white trimmings, a navy blue undershirt, light gray trousers, and dark brown boots. She also found where his gauntlets given to him by Zauz were being kept, after having been confiscated upon his arrival in the Mystic Realm. She returned them to Regret along with his new clothes, which made him very happy.
She bought me a white, hooded jacket with black trimmings, black pants, and black boots. Regret left his jacket unbuttoned while I kept mine buttoned all the way to the top. Naomi had also bought herself a new pair of clothes. She bought herself a baby blue, collared blouse, a dark gray skirt that went down to her knees, white stockings, and black, buckled shoes. She offered to buy new clothes for Byrne, too, but he declined.
The four of us, after saying our goodbyes to everyone, had met up behind the castle per Regret’s request. There was a cemetery at the back of the castle, and all of the previous Demon Kings, as well as their families, were buried there. Drake, having left no body behind to be buried, was simply given a plaque next to his wife Kaya’s grave. On the other side of Kaya’s grave rested Yuri, who had died three weeks prior to our arrival from an illness. Regret wanted to pay his respects to them before we left.
Regret stared down at the graves of his mother and brother with a melancholy expression. “Mom... Yuri... I don’t have any memories of you... But still, here I am. I’m sorry about what happened with Drake... I hope you can forgive me for that. Please, rest in peace.”
After listening to Regret quietly whisper those words to the graves, I spoke up. “Are you ready to go now? We’ve got to get back to Layla and Zelda and Saria, and let them know we’re okay.”
“Yeah... I’m ready.” Regret said.
“Are you sure? We can give you some more time if you’d like...” Naomi said.
“No, it’s fine. Really, I’m okay to go.” Regret said, trying his best to smile.
- You’re not okay...
As I thought that, Byrne spoke. “Then I’ll warp us back to the Physical Realm. I remember where your house is, so I can take us directly to it. Everyone, come closer.”
We all did as he said and gathered around him. Byrne created a sphere of golden aura around the four of us, and we began to warp back home. Just before my consciousness blurred, I noticed Regret give one final look at the graves of Kaya and Yuri. His eyes were full of sorrow, as well as a small tear that barely managed to escape.
After that, my consciousness blurred. I felt that familiar feeling of being dragged through a thin crack in a thick wall, and when I regained my awareness, the four of us were standing several feet away from Rena’s cabin.
Saria happened to be standing in front of Rena’s grave at the time, and she was caught by surprise when we appeared.
“Whoa?!” she gasped. Then she recognized that it was us. “Al! Hey, Zel! Layla! Al is back! They’re all back now!” Saria shouted into the house.
Not a moment later, the door burst open, and Zelda and Layla flew out of the house in excitement. Both of them shouted our names as they ran over to us.
“You guys! Thank god you’re okay!” Zelda said.
“I’m so glad you all returned safely!” Layla said as she hugged me.
Naomi had a strange look on her face as she watched her hug me. Both Layla and I panicked and quickly worked to dispel her misconceptions. Zelda got a good laugh out of that. Then, Layla hugged Regret while saying how glad she was that he was safe. The second she put her arms around him, his face flushed with color. For a second, I thought he was going to faint.
Then, Layla and Zelda finally noticed that Byrne was among us. "Whoa, what’s this guy doing here?!” Layla gasped as she jumped back and got on guard.
“Relax. It’s a long story, but he’s on our side now.” Regret tried to explain.
“Huh?! You’d better tell us everything that happened!” she said.
“We will, we will!” Regret said.
“You guys went on a super-cool adventure, didn’t you?” Saria asked excitedly.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Naomi laughed.
"Zelda and I had a pretty crazy adventure of our own while you were gone!" Layla said.
"For real? I gotta hear this!" Regret said.
While they talked, I looked over at Byrne. I watched him approach Rena’s grave. He stood before it, looking down upon it with a pained expression on his face. I thought I heard him whisper something, but I couldn’t hear it clearly. Then, he made as if he were about to leave. I walked over to him and grabbed his shoulder.
“Where are you going?” I asked him.
“I’m leaving now.” he said, without turning around to look at me.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re staying here with us.” I said.
“What?!” Byrne gasped as he turned around to face me. “But, I... I’m the one who....”
“We already told you, Byrne. You’re our friend now.” Naomi said as she walked over next to me. “You’re one of us now!”
"Don't forget, Naomi said she wants to hear your story! I may not have known her long, but trust me, she is NOT a girl you want to disappoint." Regret said.
"Yeah, I wanna know what your deal is, too!" Layla said.
"If Alphonse and Naomi are okay with you, then I am, too." Zelda said. "And I am a little curious, myself."
“And besides, at the very least we’ll need your help for the final battle against Malladus.” I said. Then I turned and faced everyone as we all gathered into a circle. I decided to convey to them what I told Regret in the hospital.
“I think it’s about time we finish this. I want to go to the Sacred Realm and challenge Malladus soon. I think I’m ready for it now. Of course, I’ll need all the help I can get. That means Zelda, Layla, Regret... and now you as well, Byrne.”
Byrne stared at me in shock. He looked like he was about to break down crying. He really seemed happy to hear my words.
“Wait, we’re going to fight him soon?! Hold up, I’m not mentally prepared for that yet!” Layla said.
“Wh-why did you include me in that, Alphonse?! You know I can’t fight!” Zelda cried.
“You’ve been my partner since the beginning, Zelda. I need you for this.” I said. “Even though you can’t fight, you’ve been a huge help throughout our whole journey. You all have. I need all of you.”
“Alphonse...” Zelda said.
Layla and Zelda appeared very happy to hear my words, though I didn't really know why. It was almost as if they were thinking "I knew it!", but I didn't press them at the moment.
I turned and faced everyone. “Alright! In three days, we’re going to travel to the Sacred Realm and confront Malladus! We’ll take a break and rest here for those three days. Naomi, you and Saria are staying here. I can’t afford to involve you in this.”
Naomi nodded at me in understanding, although she had a very reluctant expression on her face. Saria nodded, as well.
“You can do it, Al! You’re the best!” she said with a cheerful smiled.
I laughed and patted her head. Then I went back to my pre-battle speech. “Once we get to the Sacred Realm, we’ll go all out! We’re going to give it our all and stop Malladus once and for all!”
“Hell yeah! I can’t wait for this!” Regret said excitedly.
“I’m scared, but... I-I’ll try to be as helpful as possible!” Zelda said.
“I’m gonna give this my best shot, too! This won’t be like the time with Acnologia. I’m not gonna give in for a single second!” Layla said.
Byrne remained quiet. I tapped him on his back. “Come on, you too!” I encouraged.
“... I-I’ll do my best.” he said quietly.
“Haha, good enough.” I laughed. “Now, then...”
I put my right hand out. Layla placed hers on top of mine, and Regret placed his on top of hers. Byrne put his left hand on top of Regret’s, and Naomi placed hers on top of his. We then lowered our hands a little so Saria could reach, and she placed her hand on top of Naomi’s. Then Zelda floated down on top.
“Alright.” I said. “Lets win. Let’s defeat Malladus and save this world!”
The shouting of my friends rang throughout the air as we all threw our hands up. That amazing feeling of our powerful bond reverberated throughout my body. It filled me with energy and confidence. We were ready for it. Together, there was no way we could lose. It was finally almost time...
At long last, the final battle was upon us.
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Heheheh I noticed this before you could notify me 
This reminds me a bit of how Byrne reacted in ST near the end when he sacrificed himself. Although I can't really picture him crying Well done Az! You came a long way and now the end is upon us. I'm ready for the grand finale!
This reminds me a bit of how Byrne reacted in ST near the end when he sacrificed himself. Although I can't really picture him crying Well done Az! You came a long way and now the end is upon us. I'm ready for the grand finale!
Oh wow...
The only bad thing I can find is that its almost over! You wrapped the Mystic Arc up with a bang, and I love how you ended Drake's battle. I found myself literally humming Byrne's theme to myself.
...why must it end so soon... I really missed Zelda and Layla, just realized that.
The only bad thing I can find is that its almost over! You wrapped the Mystic Arc up with a bang, and I love how you ended Drake's battle. I found myself literally humming Byrne's theme to myself.
...why must it end so soon... I really missed Zelda and Layla, just realized that.
Thanks for your comments, guys! I know I said last time that Chapter Fifty-Four was going to be the final chapter, but I decided it would be better to split it into two because of the length. I don't want to ruin the chapter length consistency I've kept up all this time. >.< So now, Chapter Fifty-Five will be the final chapter.
Now then, it's time for Chapter Fifty-Four! I hope you guys enjoy it! Please tell me what you think. :3
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. It was now the night before the day we were going to travel to the Sacred Realm and confront Demon King Malladus. Before Naomi and I fell asleep together that night, I got out of bed to get myself a glass of water. Unlike the last time I did this, there was no grouchy innkeeper to shoo me back to my room, so I reached the kitchen with no trouble.
I went to the sink and filled a small glass from the cupboard with water. I gulped it down greedily, and let out a satisfied sigh as I placed the empty glass on the counter. I rinsed the glass and left it in the sink for potential further use, and released a yawn as I started to leave the kitchen.
After quietly closing the kitchen door behind myself, I happened to glance out one of the front windows as I passed by the sleeping Regret in the living room. Rena’s grave was visible from that window, and I could see that Byrne was standing in front of it. I was curious, so I went outside to talk to him.
Upon hearing the door to Rena’s cabin creak open, Byrne turned around sharply. He looked surprised.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” I said.
“No, it’s fine...” he said.
Byrne looked back down at the grave. I could see an obviously pained look in his eyes. I walked over and stood next to him, in front of the grave.
“What’s the matter?” I asked him. “We had a nice talk the other day where you spilled your guts to us, but you've still been distant.” He didn’t answer. “Is it because you killed Rena?” I asked.
I saw his expression waver when I said that, confirming my suspicion. I didn’t say anything for a little while after that. He didn’t speak either. I stared down at Rena’s grave, and began to think back to that night.
Byrne had appeared before us, saying he’d been hired to kill me. Zelda and I confronted him, but he began to overpower us. Rena joined the fight, but she was overwhelmed before long. Byrne impaled her with his gauntlet right before my eyes.
Remembering that instant caused me to subconsciously clench my fists, but I quickly suppressed the past rage that had consumed me at that time. Now that Byrne had explained his past to us, I felt that I understood him a little better. It didn't excuse the lives he took, but at the very least, it allowed me to gain a sense for why he made the choices he did. I let out a sigh and looked back at Byrne.
“It’s okay, you know.” I said. “I forgive you for killing her.” Byrne turned his head to me in surprise. I continued to speak from my heart. “Yes, I’m still angry and upset about it. But I don’t hate you. I will admit that I did hate you at first, but I’ve learned to let go of that. That’s something Rena taught me.”
I paused for a bit. I recalled the day Rena brought me to her house. She was able to dissuade me from devoting my life to seeking revenge on Vaati. I learned an important lesson from her, and I’d been living my life based on the things she’d taught me ever since.
I continued to speak. “I let go of my hatred for Vaati, and he killed my parents and destroyed my hometown. He also took Saria, Naomi, and Layla's loved ones and destroyed their homes, as well. It wouldn’t be fair of me to continue to hate you if I’ve let go of that hatred, don’t you think? And I know that Naomi doesn’t hate you for killing Oz, either. She’s not the kind of person to hold a grudge.”
“I know that. But still...” Byrne said. “If only there was something I could do to change what happened...”
The two of us went quiet again. I thought for a bit before I spoke next. “I don’t think you should try to change it.” I said.
Byrne stared at me in disbelief. “Alphonse...! Are you saying you wouldn’t want Rena to still be alive right now?”
“Of course I would want that. But I don’t believe in trying to change the past.” I answered. “If we hold onto the past, it holds us back. We can’t move forward if we don’t accept the things that happen. And if the past were to change, who we are in the present would change. I don’t want to change who I am or what I have.”
“I see... I suppose you have a point.” Byrne said. He stared at Rena’s grave solemnly. “You know...” he whispered. “... Maybe it’s time for me to ‘let go’, as well...”
“That’s right. Let go and move on. You can’t expect to build a better future if you’re held back by the past. And I need you help me do just that when we fight Malladus.” I said.
Byrne finally smiled. “Yes. You’re exactly right.” he said, nodding. Then his smile vanished. “Except...” he began to say.
“What is it?” I asked.
“... I’ll tell you tomorrow morning. It would be more convenient if the others were to hear it as well.” he said.
I looked at him with curiosity for a short while. “Alright, then. I’ll wait ‘til tomorrow.” I stood up. “Good night.” I said.
He nodded as if to say “Same to you”, and I went back inside the house. I passed by the snoring figure of Regret sprawled out on the green couch, and quietly opened the door to Rena’s study. I slipped inside and gently shut the door.
“You must have been really thirsty, Alphonse!” Naomi, who was sitting up in the bed, said to me.
“Huh?” I asked, feeling confused.
“Well, you were taking so long...”
“Oh, right. I was just outside. I was talking with Byrne.”
“Oh, I see. I thought you were in the kitchen drinking water this whole time!” she said, giggling.
“Haha, no way.” I laughed.
I walked over to the bed and climbed in beside her. After saying “Goodnight!” to each other, we laid our heads on our pillows and prepared to drift off into sleep. Naomi was the first to go. I laid in the bed on my side, watching her sleeping figure for a short while.
I could have stared at her forever if I wanted to. Her shining black hair draped around her in the bed like silk, and her sleeping face held the beauty and innocent look of an angel. The quiet sound of her breathing and the peaceful look on her face was enough to melt my heart. To me, she was the epitome of beauty; not just in her appearance, but in who she was, as well.
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. “Hey... When this is all over... Let’s get married someday.” I whispered.
I knew she couldn’t hear me, or much less respond, while she was asleep, but I couldn’t hold myself back from saying that. Of course, I planned to propose to her at a time when she was actually awake and conscious for it, but for now, this was enough.
- I can’t marry you unless I defeat Malladus. We can’t live out a happy and peaceful life in this world until the Great War is over. I’ll definitely end it... Then we can be together without any more worries.
Thinking about that, I closed my eyes and gradually fell asleep with her in my arms.
Finally, it was the dawn of the day we were going to confront Demon King Malladus. Everyone gathered in the front yard. I wore the Lokomo Sword strapped to my back. Layla wore her lance strapped to her back, and Regret wore his gauntlets on his hands. Byrne wore his clawed gauntlet on his right hand. Zelda floated in the air at my side. Naomi and Saria were there as well, to see us off.
“Is everyone ready?” I asked.
“I’m ready. Let’s go and beat Malladus!” Layla said.
“I’m scared, but I’m ready, too.” Zelda said.
“I’m ready to kick his ass and save our world!” Regret said.
“...” Byrne said nothing.
“What’s wrong, Byrne?” I asked him.
“I’m sorry. I can’t go with you all.” he said.
Our enthusiastic mood was suddenly brought to a screeching halt. “What?!” we exclaimed. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“I explained to you last night how I violated the rule that states we Lokomo must not harm humans.” Byrne explained. “If I go back to the Sacred Realm now, after all these years, I don’t know what they’d do to me. As much as I want to help you all, I just can’t go back there. The most I can do for you is open a portal to the Sacred Realm with my magic power.”
I took a few moments to think over what Byrne had said. After hearing his story, I didn’t think Anjean would be very understanding if I were to bring Byrne with me to the Sacred Realm. When she appeared before us on the night of Rena's death and told us about Byrne, it seemed like she was hurt by the knowledge of the man he'd become. Byrne was right; there was no telling how she and the other Lokomo would react upon seeing him. It was a detriment to our fighting strength, but I had to agree. It would be for the best if he stayed behind.
I sighed before I spoke again. “Alright. Then please stay here with Naomi and Saria.” I said.
“Alphonse!” Regret said. “We need his help!”
“I know. But there’s nothing much we can do. I think if we were to bring him to the Sacred Realm with us, it could cause some problems with Anjean and the other Lokomo. As much as we need him, it probably wouldn’t turn out well.” I explained.
“Alphonse, this is unusual for you. Normally you’d just bring him along anyway and deal with the consequences when they come.” Zelda said.
She was right; that was typically how I did things. But not this time. “I can’t afford to act so casually for this. We’re up against Malladus. He’s fought on even ground with the Spirits of Light for thirteen years. I don’t want to take any risks this time.” I said.
“Wow, look who’s all mature now!” Layla teased.
“Oh, shut up.” I replied.
“I’m glad you understand. Then, allow me to open a path to the Sacred Realm.” Byrne said.
We all stepped back and watched as Byrne’s body began to glow with the golden color of the Lokomo magic. He held his arms out in front of him, and a sphere of golden light appeared.
“This will take you to the Sacred Realm. Good luck, everyone.” Byrne said.
At last, it was finally time. I was about to take my first step onto the stage of the final battle. My heart was racing with excitement. I almost couldn’t wait. I was ready and willing to go.
- So this is it. The final battle is about to begin. I’ve come so far as the Hero of Spirits. I’ve experienced so many things along with my friends. I can’t believe it’s finally time to put an end to it all.
I took a deep breath. “Alright.” I began. “Before we go, I have one thing to say.” Everyones’ eyes were on me as I spoke. “No matter what happens, you all have to survive. Please, don’t die, no matter what!”
Layla grinned. “Heh. That’s right. We’re definitely going to survive!”
“Damn straight! We’re gonna survive and win this thing for sure!” Regret joined in.
“The same goes for you, Alphonse.” Zelda said. “You’re not allowed to die, either.”
“Right.” I said.
“Go for it, Al! You can do it! You’re the best!” Saria cheered.
Naomi stared at me silently. She held a soft smile on her face. “I believe in you, Alphonse. I believe you’ll win and come back to me.” she said.
“Yeah, I will. I promise.” I said to her, smiling back.
At last, I turned and faced the portal Byrne had created. Regret was the first to enter. His body vanished into the golden light. Layla followed behind him, and Zelda went through next. I was the last one remaining. Before I entered the portal, I said my goodbyes to Saria and Naomi. I ruffled Saria’s hair, and she giggled. Then I hugged Naomi and kissed her on the cheek.
- I’ll definitely come back. I promise you, I won’t lose. I will protect the world you live in, no matter what.
I turned away from her and walked toward the portal, stopping just in front of it. I looked at Byrne, who was keeping the portal open with his left hand. He nodded at me. I returned that nod, and took a deep breath. Once I exhaled, I took the final steps that carried me through the portal.
The surroundings of the Forest Realm and Rena’s cabin melted away, and they were replaced with a field of tall, golden grass. Golden spheres of light floated up from the ground, seeming to be made of pure magic power. I stepped out of the portal, and it disappeared into thin air behind me. I could feel it as I looked around; this world was overflowing with magic power. This was the Sacred Realm of the Spirits.
I’d been to this realm once before, when I first received the Lokomo Sword. That was inside a place called the Tower of Spirits. I could see it off in the distance. It looked amazing from the outside. It was gray in color and reached high into the sky. Close to the top appeared to be a staircase that spiraled around the outside, and it led to the top of the tower. The top appeared to be flat and circular, but four tall pillars were placed, equally spaced from each other, at the edges of it. On top of the pillars was the same half-gear enclosing a golden gem, the same design as the hilt of the Lokomo Sword.
This tower stood tall, rising from the golden grass that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The sky was painted with a myriad of colors like a sunrise. White clouds covered the sky in patches, and were shaped in all kinds of different ways. The sight of the Sacred Realm was amazing and majestic. I was moved beyond words.
“Alphonse, look at that!” Layla exclaimed.
I snapped out of my state of amazement and became conscious of my surroundings. Layla, Zelda, and Regret were all standing around me. Layla was pointing in a direction to the west of the Tower of Spirits. When I looked where she was pointing, my jaw dropped.
It appeared as if there were dancing lights in the sky. There were seven azure blue lights clashing with one blood red light. I could hear the sounds of the battle from where we were standing. It looked so surreal, I almost thought it was an illusion. But, I quickly realized what was going on.
“That has to be them... The Spirits of Light and Malladus.” I said.
I recognized that blood red magic power. Seeing it again sent me back to the night I defeated Vaati in the Snow Realm. After the battle, Malladus appeared and finished him off simply by swinging his arm. A wave of blood red magic power dismembered Vaati in an instant. The sight of that viscious red aura sent a chill down my spine just like it did back then. I was reminded of the intimidation I felt at that time, but I quickly suppressed it.
- This won’t be like that time. Back then, I was so scared of him I couldn’t even move. But not this time. I’m stronger now. I can do this. I can beat him. I can win!
“Hey, check it out.” Regret said.
This time, I looked to where he was pointing. Beneath the aerial fight between the Spirits and Malladus were flashes of golden light. I recognized that as the magic power of the Lokomo. I squinted my eyes and peered at the source of these golden lights. It appeared that hundreds of monsters of many kinds-- Moblins, Stalfos, Bokoblins, Lizalfos-- were engaged in battle with the Lokomo.
“That’s probably Malladus’s army.” Zelda said.
“Let’s go give the Lokomo some support.” I said.
“Right!” Layla said.
“Aw, yeah! Time for some action!” Regret said.
Layla drew her lance from her back. Regret cracked his knuckles excitedly. I drew the Lokomo Sword. I clutched it tightly and gazed down at it. This sword had been with me in many of my battles, and now, I was finally going to put it to the use it was given to me for. I was going to use it to defeat Malladus and end the Great War.
I looked back up towards the battle in the distance. I took a deep breath and activated my ability to lend my power to my allies. My azure blue magic power spread out from my feet and engulfed Layla and Regret.
“Let’s do it!” I shouted.
“Right!” Regret, Layla, and Zelda shouted together.
I brandished my sword and rushed toward the battle. Layla, Regret, and Zelda were right behind me. I focused my power in the soles of my feet and sped off. I arrived at the battle in no time, getting ahead of Regret and Layla. Before anyone on either side noticed me, I cut down a Stalfos with a fast and precise strike. The monster burst apart into nothing but dust and bones. I skidded to a stop in the golden grass.
Both Malladus’s army and the Lokomo stopped in their tracks. The monsters’ surprise quickly turned into rage. They began to charge at me. It wasn’t long before I was surrounded. Layla and Regret caught up to me by then, and they each took down a monster that had attacked me from either side.
More monsters approached us, and the three of us stood at each other’s backs. As a Lizalfos jumped through the air toward us, I swung my sword with a horizontal slash. It broke through the monster’s weapon and cut deep into its blueish hide. It collapsed to the ground as nothing but a pile of flesh.
A Moblin charged at us with its spear aimed forward like a jouster. Layla moved to the side of the spear and jabbed her lance forward. It burrowed into the Moblin’s brownish flesh, and it let out a cry of pain as she kicked it to the ground. Her spear slid out of its body, and it clumsily fell into the golden grass, dead.
Two Bokoblins rushed at us, brandishing their machetes. Regret ducked under the swipe of the first one’s blade, and rammed his fist charged with magic power into its jaw. The Bokoblin had its jawbone crushed by the durability of Regret’s brass knuckle-like gauntlet, and it was lifted off its feet. Regret nailed it in the stomach with a roundhouse kick as it came back down, and its body slammed into the remaining Bokoblin.
The monsters began to panic after witnessing our strength. The Lokomo, however, were invigorated. Many of them began to fight even harder.
One thing I noticed about the Lokomo was that many of them were in small, two-wheeled wagons like Anjean. Others were like Byrne, who did not have such a contraption. All of them wielded golden-colored magic power.
Speaking of Anjean, it didn’t take long for her to appear. “Alphonse!” her gravelly voice called out.
I turned around and watched her roll up to me through the golden grass. Leaving Regret and Layla to fend off the monsters for us, I spoke with her. “Yo.” I said casually.
“How on earth did you get here?” she asked me.
“Byrne opened a path for us!” ... Of course I couldn’t exactly say that. What I did say was that we travelled here using magic. Fortunately, she didn’t ask whose magic power we used. Instead, she stared at my sword.
“I see you succeeded in restoring the Lokomo Sword.” she said.
“Yeah, I did.” I said.
“Then I take it you and your friends have come here to challenge Malladus?” she asked.
“That’s right. We’re going to end this war today.” I said.
“I see.” she said. “I was actually planning to come and check in on you in a few days. I have to say, I’m surprised you took the initiative to come here on your own so soon. I’m impressed.”
“Well, thanks.” I said. I then turned back to the ongoing battle. Anjean watched me curiously as I cleared my throat, inhaled sharply, and shouted at the top of my voice.
Everything came to a stop. The Lokomo and the monsters halted their battle. Even the Spirits of Light stopped fighting. Naturally, Malladus stopped as well. The eight lights in the sky, seven blue and one red, hung suspended in the air as silence fell over the battlefield.
The seven blue lights remained still as the red light descended onto the battlefield. As it floated down to the golden grass, everyone on the battlefield backed away from it. As it touched the ground, the red light faded, and the figure of Demon King Malladus was now visible.
“Well, well, it’s Alphonse. We meet again after all this time. Seems like you’ve become a fine Hero of Spirits, haven’t you?” he said with a grin.
Malladus was exactly how I remembered him. He had pitch black hair and malicious, blood red eyes peeking out from between his disheveled bangs. He wore a white jacket with a popped collar, unzipped halfway down. He wore tan samurai trousers and black boots, and he wore black cloth faulds wrapped around his waist. He had the characteristics of a Demon; pointed ears and fanged teeth. Even his frighteningly calm voice was the same.
Malladus took a few steps forward. Those around us backed away even further. Regret and Layla, who also appeared exceedingly nervous, took a few steps back. Zelda hid behind me in fright. Unlike me, they had never laid eyes on him, and they were clearly shaken upon finally gaining a face to go with his name. Seeing Malladus again in person sent a shock of intimidation through my body, but after taking a deep breath, I stepped forward to face him.
“Oh? It seems you’ve gathered a lot more courage since we last met. Back then, you were so scared of me, you couldn’t even move.” Malladus scoffed.
“Those days are over. Back then, I was weak.” I said. I gripped my sword tighter.” But now, I’m strong.” I began to gradually raise my voice. I took another step forward. “And now, I have strong allies by my side.” I raised my sword and pointed it towards him. “I have the strength and the resolve to beat you! I’m going to win!” I held my hand holding the Lokomo Sword up to my heart and shouted. “For the sake of the Physical Realm and all the people in it. For the sake of the friends I love so dearly. For my sake, as well! I’m going to end you, and this war, Malladus!”
“Heh heh... Well said, Alphonse.” Malladus laughed. “You’ve got quite the way with words! Let’s see if you have the power to back it up. Meet me atop the Tower of Spirits. We’ll have our final battle there.”
I nodded, and watched as Malladus’s body became enveloped in his blood red aura. That sphere of light rose from the ground and flew off toward the Tower of Spirits. I turned to face my friends.
“Are you guys ready?” I asked.
“Y-yeah. We’ve come this far. There’s no turning back. It’s time to finish it!” Layla said.
“I’ve been ready since we got here! Let’s get going!” Regret said, slamming his fist into his palm.
“I... I’m ready, too.” Zelda said nervously.
I smiled and poked Zelda with my finger. “We can do this.” I said.
“Right.” she replied.
I turned back away from them and gazed out at the Tower of Spirits. I looked to the top of it, where Malladus was waiting for us.
- Alright. It’s finally time to end this. The final battle begins now!
Now then, it's time for Chapter Fifty-Four! I hope you guys enjoy it! Please tell me what you think. :3
EDIT: READ THIS FIRST
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. It was now the night before the day we were going to travel to the Sacred Realm and confront Demon King Malladus. Before Naomi and I fell asleep together that night, I got out of bed to get myself a glass of water. Unlike the last time I did this, there was no grouchy innkeeper to shoo me back to my room, so I reached the kitchen with no trouble.
I went to the sink and filled a small glass from the cupboard with water. I gulped it down greedily, and let out a satisfied sigh as I placed the empty glass on the counter. I rinsed the glass and left it in the sink for potential further use, and released a yawn as I started to leave the kitchen.
After quietly closing the kitchen door behind myself, I happened to glance out one of the front windows as I passed by the sleeping Regret in the living room. Rena’s grave was visible from that window, and I could see that Byrne was standing in front of it. I was curious, so I went outside to talk to him.
Upon hearing the door to Rena’s cabin creak open, Byrne turned around sharply. He looked surprised.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” I said.
“No, it’s fine...” he said.
Byrne looked back down at the grave. I could see an obviously pained look in his eyes. I walked over and stood next to him, in front of the grave.
“What’s the matter?” I asked him. “We had a nice talk the other day where you spilled your guts to us, but you've still been distant.” He didn’t answer. “Is it because you killed Rena?” I asked.
I saw his expression waver when I said that, confirming my suspicion. I didn’t say anything for a little while after that. He didn’t speak either. I stared down at Rena’s grave, and began to think back to that night.
Byrne had appeared before us, saying he’d been hired to kill me. Zelda and I confronted him, but he began to overpower us. Rena joined the fight, but she was overwhelmed before long. Byrne impaled her with his gauntlet right before my eyes.
Remembering that instant caused me to subconsciously clench my fists, but I quickly suppressed the past rage that had consumed me at that time. Now that Byrne had explained his past to us, I felt that I understood him a little better. It didn't excuse the lives he took, but at the very least, it allowed me to gain a sense for why he made the choices he did. I let out a sigh and looked back at Byrne.
“It’s okay, you know.” I said. “I forgive you for killing her.” Byrne turned his head to me in surprise. I continued to speak from my heart. “Yes, I’m still angry and upset about it. But I don’t hate you. I will admit that I did hate you at first, but I’ve learned to let go of that. That’s something Rena taught me.”
I paused for a bit. I recalled the day Rena brought me to her house. She was able to dissuade me from devoting my life to seeking revenge on Vaati. I learned an important lesson from her, and I’d been living my life based on the things she’d taught me ever since.
I continued to speak. “I let go of my hatred for Vaati, and he killed my parents and destroyed my hometown. He also took Saria, Naomi, and Layla's loved ones and destroyed their homes, as well. It wouldn’t be fair of me to continue to hate you if I’ve let go of that hatred, don’t you think? And I know that Naomi doesn’t hate you for killing Oz, either. She’s not the kind of person to hold a grudge.”
“I know that. But still...” Byrne said. “If only there was something I could do to change what happened...”
The two of us went quiet again. I thought for a bit before I spoke next. “I don’t think you should try to change it.” I said.
Byrne stared at me in disbelief. “Alphonse...! Are you saying you wouldn’t want Rena to still be alive right now?”
“Of course I would want that. But I don’t believe in trying to change the past.” I answered. “If we hold onto the past, it holds us back. We can’t move forward if we don’t accept the things that happen. And if the past were to change, who we are in the present would change. I don’t want to change who I am or what I have.”
“I see... I suppose you have a point.” Byrne said. He stared at Rena’s grave solemnly. “You know...” he whispered. “... Maybe it’s time for me to ‘let go’, as well...”
“That’s right. Let go and move on. You can’t expect to build a better future if you’re held back by the past. And I need you help me do just that when we fight Malladus.” I said.
Byrne finally smiled. “Yes. You’re exactly right.” he said, nodding. Then his smile vanished. “Except...” he began to say.
“What is it?” I asked.
“... I’ll tell you tomorrow morning. It would be more convenient if the others were to hear it as well.” he said.
I looked at him with curiosity for a short while. “Alright, then. I’ll wait ‘til tomorrow.” I stood up. “Good night.” I said.
He nodded as if to say “Same to you”, and I went back inside the house. I passed by the snoring figure of Regret sprawled out on the green couch, and quietly opened the door to Rena’s study. I slipped inside and gently shut the door.
“You must have been really thirsty, Alphonse!” Naomi, who was sitting up in the bed, said to me.
“Huh?” I asked, feeling confused.
“Well, you were taking so long...”
“Oh, right. I was just outside. I was talking with Byrne.”
“Oh, I see. I thought you were in the kitchen drinking water this whole time!” she said, giggling.
“Haha, no way.” I laughed.
I walked over to the bed and climbed in beside her. After saying “Goodnight!” to each other, we laid our heads on our pillows and prepared to drift off into sleep. Naomi was the first to go. I laid in the bed on my side, watching her sleeping figure for a short while.
I could have stared at her forever if I wanted to. Her shining black hair draped around her in the bed like silk, and her sleeping face held the beauty and innocent look of an angel. The quiet sound of her breathing and the peaceful look on her face was enough to melt my heart. To me, she was the epitome of beauty; not just in her appearance, but in who she was, as well.
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. “Hey... When this is all over... Let’s get married someday.” I whispered.
I knew she couldn’t hear me, or much less respond, while she was asleep, but I couldn’t hold myself back from saying that. Of course, I planned to propose to her at a time when she was actually awake and conscious for it, but for now, this was enough.
- I can’t marry you unless I defeat Malladus. We can’t live out a happy and peaceful life in this world until the Great War is over. I’ll definitely end it... Then we can be together without any more worries.
Thinking about that, I closed my eyes and gradually fell asleep with her in my arms.
* * *
Finally, it was the dawn of the day we were going to confront Demon King Malladus. Everyone gathered in the front yard. I wore the Lokomo Sword strapped to my back. Layla wore her lance strapped to her back, and Regret wore his gauntlets on his hands. Byrne wore his clawed gauntlet on his right hand. Zelda floated in the air at my side. Naomi and Saria were there as well, to see us off.
“Is everyone ready?” I asked.
“I’m ready. Let’s go and beat Malladus!” Layla said.
“I’m scared, but I’m ready, too.” Zelda said.
“I’m ready to kick his ass and save our world!” Regret said.
“...” Byrne said nothing.
“What’s wrong, Byrne?” I asked him.
“I’m sorry. I can’t go with you all.” he said.
Our enthusiastic mood was suddenly brought to a screeching halt. “What?!” we exclaimed. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“I explained to you last night how I violated the rule that states we Lokomo must not harm humans.” Byrne explained. “If I go back to the Sacred Realm now, after all these years, I don’t know what they’d do to me. As much as I want to help you all, I just can’t go back there. The most I can do for you is open a portal to the Sacred Realm with my magic power.”
I took a few moments to think over what Byrne had said. After hearing his story, I didn’t think Anjean would be very understanding if I were to bring Byrne with me to the Sacred Realm. When she appeared before us on the night of Rena's death and told us about Byrne, it seemed like she was hurt by the knowledge of the man he'd become. Byrne was right; there was no telling how she and the other Lokomo would react upon seeing him. It was a detriment to our fighting strength, but I had to agree. It would be for the best if he stayed behind.
I sighed before I spoke again. “Alright. Then please stay here with Naomi and Saria.” I said.
“Alphonse!” Regret said. “We need his help!”
“I know. But there’s nothing much we can do. I think if we were to bring him to the Sacred Realm with us, it could cause some problems with Anjean and the other Lokomo. As much as we need him, it probably wouldn’t turn out well.” I explained.
“Alphonse, this is unusual for you. Normally you’d just bring him along anyway and deal with the consequences when they come.” Zelda said.
She was right; that was typically how I did things. But not this time. “I can’t afford to act so casually for this. We’re up against Malladus. He’s fought on even ground with the Spirits of Light for thirteen years. I don’t want to take any risks this time.” I said.
“Wow, look who’s all mature now!” Layla teased.
“Oh, shut up.” I replied.
“I’m glad you understand. Then, allow me to open a path to the Sacred Realm.” Byrne said.
We all stepped back and watched as Byrne’s body began to glow with the golden color of the Lokomo magic. He held his arms out in front of him, and a sphere of golden light appeared.
“This will take you to the Sacred Realm. Good luck, everyone.” Byrne said.
At last, it was finally time. I was about to take my first step onto the stage of the final battle. My heart was racing with excitement. I almost couldn’t wait. I was ready and willing to go.
- So this is it. The final battle is about to begin. I’ve come so far as the Hero of Spirits. I’ve experienced so many things along with my friends. I can’t believe it’s finally time to put an end to it all.
I took a deep breath. “Alright.” I began. “Before we go, I have one thing to say.” Everyones’ eyes were on me as I spoke. “No matter what happens, you all have to survive. Please, don’t die, no matter what!”
Layla grinned. “Heh. That’s right. We’re definitely going to survive!”
“Damn straight! We’re gonna survive and win this thing for sure!” Regret joined in.
“The same goes for you, Alphonse.” Zelda said. “You’re not allowed to die, either.”
“Right.” I said.
“Go for it, Al! You can do it! You’re the best!” Saria cheered.
Naomi stared at me silently. She held a soft smile on her face. “I believe in you, Alphonse. I believe you’ll win and come back to me.” she said.
“Yeah, I will. I promise.” I said to her, smiling back.
At last, I turned and faced the portal Byrne had created. Regret was the first to enter. His body vanished into the golden light. Layla followed behind him, and Zelda went through next. I was the last one remaining. Before I entered the portal, I said my goodbyes to Saria and Naomi. I ruffled Saria’s hair, and she giggled. Then I hugged Naomi and kissed her on the cheek.
- I’ll definitely come back. I promise you, I won’t lose. I will protect the world you live in, no matter what.
I turned away from her and walked toward the portal, stopping just in front of it. I looked at Byrne, who was keeping the portal open with his left hand. He nodded at me. I returned that nod, and took a deep breath. Once I exhaled, I took the final steps that carried me through the portal.
The surroundings of the Forest Realm and Rena’s cabin melted away, and they were replaced with a field of tall, golden grass. Golden spheres of light floated up from the ground, seeming to be made of pure magic power. I stepped out of the portal, and it disappeared into thin air behind me. I could feel it as I looked around; this world was overflowing with magic power. This was the Sacred Realm of the Spirits.
I’d been to this realm once before, when I first received the Lokomo Sword. That was inside a place called the Tower of Spirits. I could see it off in the distance. It looked amazing from the outside. It was gray in color and reached high into the sky. Close to the top appeared to be a staircase that spiraled around the outside, and it led to the top of the tower. The top appeared to be flat and circular, but four tall pillars were placed, equally spaced from each other, at the edges of it. On top of the pillars was the same half-gear enclosing a golden gem, the same design as the hilt of the Lokomo Sword.
This tower stood tall, rising from the golden grass that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The sky was painted with a myriad of colors like a sunrise. White clouds covered the sky in patches, and were shaped in all kinds of different ways. The sight of the Sacred Realm was amazing and majestic. I was moved beyond words.
“Alphonse, look at that!” Layla exclaimed.
I snapped out of my state of amazement and became conscious of my surroundings. Layla, Zelda, and Regret were all standing around me. Layla was pointing in a direction to the west of the Tower of Spirits. When I looked where she was pointing, my jaw dropped.
It appeared as if there were dancing lights in the sky. There were seven azure blue lights clashing with one blood red light. I could hear the sounds of the battle from where we were standing. It looked so surreal, I almost thought it was an illusion. But, I quickly realized what was going on.
“That has to be them... The Spirits of Light and Malladus.” I said.
I recognized that blood red magic power. Seeing it again sent me back to the night I defeated Vaati in the Snow Realm. After the battle, Malladus appeared and finished him off simply by swinging his arm. A wave of blood red magic power dismembered Vaati in an instant. The sight of that viscious red aura sent a chill down my spine just like it did back then. I was reminded of the intimidation I felt at that time, but I quickly suppressed it.
- This won’t be like that time. Back then, I was so scared of him I couldn’t even move. But not this time. I’m stronger now. I can do this. I can beat him. I can win!
“Hey, check it out.” Regret said.
This time, I looked to where he was pointing. Beneath the aerial fight between the Spirits and Malladus were flashes of golden light. I recognized that as the magic power of the Lokomo. I squinted my eyes and peered at the source of these golden lights. It appeared that hundreds of monsters of many kinds-- Moblins, Stalfos, Bokoblins, Lizalfos-- were engaged in battle with the Lokomo.
“That’s probably Malladus’s army.” Zelda said.
“Let’s go give the Lokomo some support.” I said.
“Right!” Layla said.
“Aw, yeah! Time for some action!” Regret said.
Layla drew her lance from her back. Regret cracked his knuckles excitedly. I drew the Lokomo Sword. I clutched it tightly and gazed down at it. This sword had been with me in many of my battles, and now, I was finally going to put it to the use it was given to me for. I was going to use it to defeat Malladus and end the Great War.
I looked back up towards the battle in the distance. I took a deep breath and activated my ability to lend my power to my allies. My azure blue magic power spread out from my feet and engulfed Layla and Regret.
“Let’s do it!” I shouted.
“Right!” Regret, Layla, and Zelda shouted together.
I brandished my sword and rushed toward the battle. Layla, Regret, and Zelda were right behind me. I focused my power in the soles of my feet and sped off. I arrived at the battle in no time, getting ahead of Regret and Layla. Before anyone on either side noticed me, I cut down a Stalfos with a fast and precise strike. The monster burst apart into nothing but dust and bones. I skidded to a stop in the golden grass.
Both Malladus’s army and the Lokomo stopped in their tracks. The monsters’ surprise quickly turned into rage. They began to charge at me. It wasn’t long before I was surrounded. Layla and Regret caught up to me by then, and they each took down a monster that had attacked me from either side.
More monsters approached us, and the three of us stood at each other’s backs. As a Lizalfos jumped through the air toward us, I swung my sword with a horizontal slash. It broke through the monster’s weapon and cut deep into its blueish hide. It collapsed to the ground as nothing but a pile of flesh.
A Moblin charged at us with its spear aimed forward like a jouster. Layla moved to the side of the spear and jabbed her lance forward. It burrowed into the Moblin’s brownish flesh, and it let out a cry of pain as she kicked it to the ground. Her spear slid out of its body, and it clumsily fell into the golden grass, dead.
Two Bokoblins rushed at us, brandishing their machetes. Regret ducked under the swipe of the first one’s blade, and rammed his fist charged with magic power into its jaw. The Bokoblin had its jawbone crushed by the durability of Regret’s brass knuckle-like gauntlet, and it was lifted off its feet. Regret nailed it in the stomach with a roundhouse kick as it came back down, and its body slammed into the remaining Bokoblin.
The monsters began to panic after witnessing our strength. The Lokomo, however, were invigorated. Many of them began to fight even harder.
One thing I noticed about the Lokomo was that many of them were in small, two-wheeled wagons like Anjean. Others were like Byrne, who did not have such a contraption. All of them wielded golden-colored magic power.
Speaking of Anjean, it didn’t take long for her to appear. “Alphonse!” her gravelly voice called out.
I turned around and watched her roll up to me through the golden grass. Leaving Regret and Layla to fend off the monsters for us, I spoke with her. “Yo.” I said casually.
“How on earth did you get here?” she asked me.
“Byrne opened a path for us!” ... Of course I couldn’t exactly say that. What I did say was that we travelled here using magic. Fortunately, she didn’t ask whose magic power we used. Instead, she stared at my sword.
“I see you succeeded in restoring the Lokomo Sword.” she said.
“Yeah, I did.” I said.
“Then I take it you and your friends have come here to challenge Malladus?” she asked.
“That’s right. We’re going to end this war today.” I said.
“I see.” she said. “I was actually planning to come and check in on you in a few days. I have to say, I’m surprised you took the initiative to come here on your own so soon. I’m impressed.”
“Well, thanks.” I said. I then turned back to the ongoing battle. Anjean watched me curiously as I cleared my throat, inhaled sharply, and shouted at the top of my voice.
“MALLADUS! HERE I AM! LET’S END THIS WAR!”
Everything came to a stop. The Lokomo and the monsters halted their battle. Even the Spirits of Light stopped fighting. Naturally, Malladus stopped as well. The eight lights in the sky, seven blue and one red, hung suspended in the air as silence fell over the battlefield.
The seven blue lights remained still as the red light descended onto the battlefield. As it floated down to the golden grass, everyone on the battlefield backed away from it. As it touched the ground, the red light faded, and the figure of Demon King Malladus was now visible.
“Well, well, it’s Alphonse. We meet again after all this time. Seems like you’ve become a fine Hero of Spirits, haven’t you?” he said with a grin.
Malladus was exactly how I remembered him. He had pitch black hair and malicious, blood red eyes peeking out from between his disheveled bangs. He wore a white jacket with a popped collar, unzipped halfway down. He wore tan samurai trousers and black boots, and he wore black cloth faulds wrapped around his waist. He had the characteristics of a Demon; pointed ears and fanged teeth. Even his frighteningly calm voice was the same.
Malladus took a few steps forward. Those around us backed away even further. Regret and Layla, who also appeared exceedingly nervous, took a few steps back. Zelda hid behind me in fright. Unlike me, they had never laid eyes on him, and they were clearly shaken upon finally gaining a face to go with his name. Seeing Malladus again in person sent a shock of intimidation through my body, but after taking a deep breath, I stepped forward to face him.
“Oh? It seems you’ve gathered a lot more courage since we last met. Back then, you were so scared of me, you couldn’t even move.” Malladus scoffed.
“Those days are over. Back then, I was weak.” I said. I gripped my sword tighter.” But now, I’m strong.” I began to gradually raise my voice. I took another step forward. “And now, I have strong allies by my side.” I raised my sword and pointed it towards him. “I have the strength and the resolve to beat you! I’m going to win!” I held my hand holding the Lokomo Sword up to my heart and shouted. “For the sake of the Physical Realm and all the people in it. For the sake of the friends I love so dearly. For my sake, as well! I’m going to end you, and this war, Malladus!”
“Heh heh... Well said, Alphonse.” Malladus laughed. “You’ve got quite the way with words! Let’s see if you have the power to back it up. Meet me atop the Tower of Spirits. We’ll have our final battle there.”
I nodded, and watched as Malladus’s body became enveloped in his blood red aura. That sphere of light rose from the ground and flew off toward the Tower of Spirits. I turned to face my friends.
“Are you guys ready?” I asked.
“Y-yeah. We’ve come this far. There’s no turning back. It’s time to finish it!” Layla said.
“I’ve been ready since we got here! Let’s get going!” Regret said, slamming his fist into his palm.
“I... I’m ready, too.” Zelda said nervously.
I smiled and poked Zelda with my finger. “We can do this.” I said.
“Right.” she replied.
I turned back away from them and gazed out at the Tower of Spirits. I looked to the top of it, where Malladus was waiting for us.
- Alright. It’s finally time to end this. The final battle begins now!
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*falls on the floor*
...
The only thing I could possibly pint out as flawed was a stylistic choice. I would have had Alphonse say" I AM HERE!" not "HERE I AM!", but that's just my [perhaps twisted] onion.
It's STILL AMAZING. *climbs back into chair*
Teehee always fun with the Moblins right? Great chapter Az 
I was already wondering when you would post it but there it is :yes: Now see how Malladus willo take this!
Great chapter Az I was already wondering when you would post it but there it is :yes: Now see how Malladus willo take this!
Thanks for your comments, guys! It's finally that time. The final chapter of The Hero of Spirits is upon us. ;-; I've had so much fun writing this story, and I'm so grateful to all of you for reading it and enjoying it. It means so much to me. ;w; It's now time for the grand finale! It's 20 pages long, so it's the equivalent of two regular chapters 
I hope you enjoy it! Please tell me what you think of it. c:
Zelda, Layla, Regret, and I headed for the Tower of Spirits, leaving Anjean and the other Lokomo to handle Malladus’s army. The Spirits of Light stayed hovering in the air above us. It seemed like they were going to back off and allow us to fight.
As we ran through the golden grass and the golden orbs of light that rose from the ground, I couldn’t help but to stare up at the Spirits of Light. This was my first time seeing them in person. The first time I actually saw them was back in the Fire Temple. It had a mural of them in the first room. I was just as mesmerized now as I was back then.
The Spirits of Light appeared as nothing more than azure blue spheres of light. The intensity of that light prevented me from seeing the bodies of these benevolent beings. Somehow, it felt as if they were gazing down at me. I couldn’t help but wonder what they thought as they watched me. Had I become the Hero of Spirits they’d envisioned? Were they proud of me? Impressed with me? I couldn’t help but wonder that.
In my battle with Ghirahim in the Anouki Oil Mines, they granted me my first awakening because of my resolve. In my battle with Acnologia at the Desert Colossus, they granted me my second awakening because of my sheer will to protect the ones I loved. With both awakenings, I had proven myself to be the only person in the world who could stand up to Malladus. That’s how it worked, according to Anjean. So was that how the Spirits felt as they looked at me? That was the only thing I could think about.
Suddenly, seven voices echoed in my mind.
- Was that...? Was that them? Was that the Spirits I heard just now?
Before, I could only feel that the Spirits were gazing at me. But after hearing that, I was sure. I could feel it now; the Spirits were gazing at me with pride. They had pride in me. And not just pride; they had faith, as well. Faith that I would succeed and fulfil my duty as the Hero of Spirits.
- I understand. I’ll definitely fulfil my duty. I won’t let you down.
“Alphonse, we’re here!”
Zelda’s voice dragged me back to reality, and I found myself standing before an enormous threshold protruding out of the side of the Tower of Spirits. The threshold was pitch black, so I couldn’t see inside of it from here. All four of us looked straight up, and the sheer height of the tower made me feel dizzy.
“Hey... Just how high is this tower?” Regret groaned.
“I forsee a lot of stairs in our future...” Layla sighed.
“It’s at times like these that I’m glad I can fly.” Zelda said.
“Hey, don’t brag!” Regret whined.
I didn’t join their light-hearted banter. I continue to stare to the top of the tower. That was where Malladus was. That was where the final battle would take place. It was just a little further. Just a little further to the place at which this would all end. I was growing increasingly anxious.
“Let’s get going.” I said.
The others looked at me as though they were surprised by my seriousness-- not that I would blame them-- but they each nodded. The four of us entered the threshold and tread through the darkness. The thumps of our feet walking through grass was replaced by the echoes of footsteps on concrete. Soon, the blackness faded away, and it was replaced by the familiar sight of the lobby of the Tower of Spirits.
Everything was painted gray. There were three other thresholds identical to the one we entered from at the cardinal points of the room. In the center was the pedestal where I received the Lokomo Sword. There was another, smaller, threshold at the top of a large staircase across the room from us.
We crossed the room and headed for the stairs. As we passed by the empty pedestal, a rush of nostalgia filled me with reminiscence. That was only natural. After all, that was the very spot at which I was named the Hero of Spirits.
We climbed the stairs and passed through the threshold. We found ourselves at the interior of the Tower of Spirits. It was a vast, empty room in a cylindrical shape that towered high above our heads. To our dismay, the only way up appeared to be a single, steep spiral staircase that curled around the edges of the room.
After what felt like hours of climbing and complaining, we reached the top. On our way up, the battle outside sounded unusually loud, but there was no way to tell what was happening at the moment, so I forced it to the back of my mind. We stopped on the top landing to catch our breath. By that time, I’d noticed the battle had gone completely quiet. I was curious about what had happened, so I hurried through the threshold as the others followed after me. We found ourselves outside the tower now, on the landing at the foot of the staircase that wrapped around the tower to its top.
From here we could see the vastness of the Sacred Realm in its entirety. The golden grassy plain seemed to stretch out to oblivion, and the orbs of magic power that rose from the ground floated up into the sky. It was impossible to see how high they would go. There didn’t appear to be any sign of a structure other than the Tower of Spirits. It seemed like this world was mostly empty.
Looking down to see how the battle was going, I could see that the Lokomo were celebrating, and the field was littered with the corpses of monsters. The Spirits of Light seemed to have moved from where they were before we entered the tower, so I concluded that while we were busy climbing that infernal staircase, they wiped out the enemy forces.
Pushing all of these unnecessary thoughts from my mind, I lead the others up the last staircase to the top of the tower. We climbed the stairs silently. Now that we were this close to the top, the others didn’t seem to be in the mindset for complaints. Just like me, they were anxious.
Soon, the top landing of the stairs came into view. My heart began beating rapidly. My anxiety and anticipation peaked. My excitement reached its zenith the second my foot touched the top of the stairs.
I stopped and turned to face the adversary that waited here. Regret and Layla stood behind me, and Zelda floated at my left side. Staring over at us from the far side of the wide, circular platform that made up the tower’s roof was Demon King Malladus.
He grinned broadly as we came into view. “So you’ve all come! I take it I won’t be facing just Alphonse, then.”
“That’s right.” I said as I stepped off the top landing of the stairs and onto the circular roof. “We’re going to fight together.”
“I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll gladly take you all on at once. It should make this more interesting.” he said with a smirk.
I walked closer to the center of the roof, and my comrades followed closely behind me. Malladus approached us, as well. We stopped thirty feet apart from each other. For a second, I felt as if I were standing in some sort of arena, but I perished the thought and spoke to Malladus.
“Before we fight, I have to ask you something.” I said.
“Be my guest.” Malladus said coyly.
“I want you to tell me why you did all of this.” I said. “Why did you start the Great War? Why are you trying to destroy the Physical Realm? Just what are you trying to accomplish?”
“Ah, so you want to know my motives. Fair enough.” Malladus said. “In that case, allow me to ask you a question. I promise it pertains to our current conversation.” He paused, awaiting some sort of sign of acknowledgement from me. When I gave it to him in the form of a nod, he grinned. “Very good. Then let me ask you, have you ever wondered why it is we exist?”
I had to think about that for a bit. After serious pondering, I had to shake my head “No”. Malladus kept up that ominous grin, and turned his back to us. He walked a few paces forward before he spoke again.
“I have.” he said. “I’ve given this serious thought. I was born into this life as a prodigy child with extraordinary magical prowess and strength. I was able to achieve the rank of Demon King at a young age. I’ve always wondered why I was born with such power-- not that I’ve ever complained about it, of course. But nonetheless, it had me curious.
“One day, out of sheer curiosity, I thoroughly investigated the history of the world. It was surprisingly soaked with blood. I can’t begin to count how many wars have occurred. There was the conflict between the Demons and the humans that led to the birth of the Mystic Realm, there was the war between the Demons and the Lokomo that was started merely because one race thought its magic was superior, there were the countless territorial wars in the Physical Realm; the sheer number was endless. ‘Why has there been so many wars?’ I asked myself. I was extremely curious. I did more investigating and discovered that nearly every war had been originally caused by an issue of power. That caught my attention. ‘I have power,’ I’d said to myself. I wondered if the reason I had all this power was so I could start a war of my own."
Malladus turned back around to face us as he continued speaking.
“Did you know? The Spirits of Light, as powerful and benevolent as they are, are not the creators of the world. They did not create all the life we see around us in the Realms. There are existences much higher on the chain of being than the Spirits. They are the Gods! The Gods created the Spirits and the Realms and all the life we see around us! After learning of this, I wondered what their purpose in creating all this life was. But then I remembered about all the wars. ‘Why, if the Gods were so kind as to give us life, did they create so many power imbalances between us, making us hate each other so greatly that we’d go to war with each other?’ It puzzled me for so long as I thought about it... What reason could there possibly be for it? But then, I reached a conclusion!
“I believe the reason we exist is for the sole purpose of war! Think about it. Why else would the Gods create such power imbalances between such war-hungry existences? The only answer I could think of was that it was for the sake of entertainment. I believe the Gods gave us life so they could watch in gleeful merriment as we wage war and destroy each other! What could be more entertaining than that?
“You asked me what my motives are? I am trying to do what I believe I was born to do; wage war. That is the reason I started the Great War and have fought the Spirits of Light for the past thirteen years. That is the reason I sent Vaati, the only high-ranking Demon who would join me, to wreak havoc upon the Physical Realm. Whether it’s ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is meaningless to me. Even if it means plunging the world into destruction, I want to fulfil what I believe is the reason for my existence, and in doing so, give the Gods a show they’ll never forget! That’s all there is to it.”
I was stunned beyond words after listening to Malladus’s long explanation. I’m sure the others were just as shocked. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. And most of all, he was completely serious. He believed he was doing what he was born to do, and because the concepts of "right" and "wrong" didn’t matter to him, he was pretty much capable of anything, no matter how horrendous it was. Now that I understood that, it made sense to me. I knew first-hand just how powerful fighting for something one believes in can make a person.
“Malladus.” I began. “I can no longer think of you as truly ‘evil’.” Ignoring the shocked reactions of my friends, I continued talking. “You’re fighting for what you believe in. In that sense, you’re just like me. You’re trying to fulfill what you believe is your purpose. I’m the same; I’m trying to fulfill my purpose as the Hero of Spirits. So, if I were to call you ‘evil’ for following your beliefs, then I would have to call myself ‘evil’, too.”
I paused for a bit. I felt the silent stares of my friends who stood behind me as Malladus and I stared each other down. I felt myself begin to tremble, and I subconsciously clenched my fists. I bit my lip as I felt anger well up inside me.
“But...” I said, continuing at last. “There’s no way I can let you continue this. Not just because it’s my duty as the Hero of Spirits. I want to stop you because I believe what you’re doing is wrong. Regardless of the fact that you’re following your beliefs, it’s wrong! I’ve seen so many people suffer because of this stupid war, myself included. I can’t accept that! I don’t want anyone else to suffer because of you! I want to defeat you and end this war, not just to fulfill my duty, but because I want to do it! I want to save this world!”
Malladus stared at me quietly for a short while after listening to my shouting. He began to laugh. It started low, but his volume increased rapidly. Before long, he was laughing maniacally and grinning broadly.
“Very good, Alphonse! Very good, indeed!” he said loudly. “You’re everything I expected you to be!”
Malladus raised his arms above his head in a grandiose fashion, and blood red magic power poured into the sky from his arms. The sky was dyed red, but that color faded, and was replaced with images of us. It was almost like an illusion. All of a sudden, I could feel several thousands of eyes staring at me. I had no idea who they were or where they were, but we were unmistakably being watched.
“Behold!” Malladus shouted at the top of his voice. “My magic power is broadcasting images of us in the skies of the Physical Realm! Everyone in the country of Hyleigh can see us and hear us now!”
- What?! Magic power is capable of something like that?
“Just what is this, Malladus...?” I asked him.
“It’s exactly what you think it is, Alphonse! I have given us an audience!” Malladus exclaimed in glee. “Those you wish to save will watch as the final battle unfolds! They will see with their own eyes which path their future will take!”
It was a strange feeling. I closed my eyes and took in the feeling of being watched by everyone in the Physical Realm. I was the person on which their fates depended. For them to watch as I do battle with Malladus was very unnerving. But, at the same time, I was filled with even more motivation than before. With everyone watching me, there was no way I could lose, especially since I could feel their gazes and the emotions that went with them.
I could feel all of the people I’d encountered over the course of my journey. The people in the Forest Realm villages of Whitleton and Mayscore. The people in Kakariko Village. The Anouki who lived in the Snow Realm’s crystal mountains. The people of Great Bay City and the Zoras of Zora Hall. The members of Layla’s crew as they sailed the waters of the Ocean Realm on the S.S. Linebeck. The Gerudo people of Nabooru City in the Desert Realm. The Taft family that managed the Taft Inn on the border of the Fire Realm. The Gorons of Goron City. I felt Byrne, Saria, and Naomi, as well. I was especially sensitive to Naomi’s gaze.
The person I loved was watching me as I faced the Demon King who threatened to destroy the world she lived in. I was more determined to win than ever. I tightened my grip on the hilt of the Lokomo Sword, and without realizing it, I’d activated the skill to lend my magic power to my allies. Our bodies shone brilliantly with the azure blue magic power of the Spirits of Light as we brandished our weapons. Malladus’s body began to glow with his blood red magic power The people of the Physical Realm watched as the battle for their future unfolded.
I was no longer conscious of those around me. My concentration and adrenaline were rapidly rising higher and higher. My sense of perception enhanced greatly. My heart was pounding, but my breathing was under complete control. I did not tremble. I only had one thought; defeat Malladus.
“Here we go!” I screamed.
The shouts of my allies rang out in unison with mine, and I kicked down on the ground as hard as I could. I blasted forward, covering the thirty-foot distance in the blink of an eye. My sword was extended out to my right, ready to spring into a powerful horizontal slash the second my body willed it.
In the same instant I covered the gap between us, Malladus generated a scythe like that of Death’s from his magic power. He swung it at me with incredible precision, and I sent my blade flying to meet it. Steel clashed against magic as our weapons collided in a flurry of sparks. Malladus took advantage of the scythe’s shape and began turning the curved blade towards me.
Just before the blade of the scythe reached my skin, the blade of a lance was thrusted into its path. Layla, who appeared on my left, attempted to force Malladus’s scythe away from me. However, Malladus shifted his scythe so that the curved blade could act as a hook, and tugged on Layla’s lance. She lost her balance and stumbled into me.
Malladus twirled his scythe in the air above his head, and stopped it at a position suitable for cutting us both down at once. As he brought down his weapon, Regret jumped between us and grabbed the end of the scythe’s blade with his hand. Thanks to his gauntlets, he avoided being cut. He didn’t waste a second as he yanked the blade toward himself. Malladus was pulled off-balance, and Regret closed in on him.
With a fist packed with magic, Regret hammered Malladus in his gut. The force of impact blew Malladus away, and he was lifted into the air. However, we could hear him laughing with delight as he touched down on the roof on his feet.
“Yes! Good! Good!” he shouted.
- He’s enjoying this... He thinks of this as a show. He’s not taking us seriously yet!
I dashed past Regret and lunged for Malladus. I restrained myself from swinging my blade until I was too close for him to execute an accurate swing of his scythe. I let a burst of magic power erupt from my blade, but Malladus leapt into the air and avoided it. His body front-flipped over me at an impressive height. As he came back down, Regret ran to intercept him.
He let loose a swift roundhouse kick that slammed into the blade of Malladus’s scythe. With his weapon knocked back, Malladus couldn’t attack us with it for the moment. Layla seized that chance as she used Regret’s shoulders as a booster to get closer to Malladus, who was knocked higher up by the force of Regret’s kick. Her lance barreled toward him, and he had no choice but to shield himself with his own arm.
The lance began to rip into Malladus’s flesh, but with a quickly generated burst of magic power, his arm was protected from any further damage. Layla’s lance suffered the recoil from his burst of power, but the momentum she’d created before Malladus knocked her lance away was enough to send him flying, regardless of his success in knocking her weapon back.
I kicked off the ground and sprinted towards the spot where Malladus was going to land. As he fell through the air, he flipped over so that he was upside down. In that position, he swung his scythe out at me with a wave of magic power. I skidded to a stop and guarded against it, but the force was too great. I was pushed back.
Malladus landed on the roof on his feet once again, almost like an acrobat. He raised his scythe up above his head, and prepared to drive it through my body. But at that moment, while I was still stumbling from Malladus’s counter, Regret and Layla zipped right by me. Malladus’s eyes widened in surprise as the two of them closed in on him.
Regret hit Malladus in his stomach with a fierce punch, knocking the wind out of him. Regret backed off, and Layla made her move. She cut across his chest with her lance, releasing his blood from his flesh. As it splattered onto the ground, I rushed forward, passing right by Layla.
Gripping the hilt of my sword with both hands, I slashed at Malladus from the lower right. While surging magic power through the blade all the while, I ripped through his skin, cutting from a bottom-right to upper-left angle. His body was torn open, and his blood splattered the gray stone roof in a crimson shower. The force generated from my attack blew his body away, and it crashed down to the ground in a bloody mess.
“Did we get him?” Regret asked.
It felt as if the people of the Physical Realm watching this were cheering. Layla seemed about ready to celebrate, herself. But I was uneasy. I eyed Malladus’s body cautiously, although the residual aura lingering in the air obscured my vision somewhat.
“Wait! H-he’s getting up!” Zelda shouted.
The panicked voice that came from the fairy floating up above us sent our hopes for victory plummeting. I also felt that the people watching us had ceased cheering. The residual aura in the air finally evaporated completely, and what we saw horrified us.
The body of Malladus was rising to its feet. It was lifted up by his own magic power, just like what had happened to me when I fought Ghirahim and achieved my first awakening. While it rose back up, all of the wounds were closing. He coughed a few times before raising his head. The look he had in his eyes now was different from before, and it made me shudder.
“Well, now... You guys did pretty well. Unfortunately for you, I know how to use magic power to heal wounds.” Malladus rasped. “You won’t be able to kill me so easily.”
The same skill that restored us so quickly after our fight with Drake was now turned against us. It felt frustrating, but I had no time to think about the irony of it. I was more preoccupied with the expression his eyes held.
- He’s no longer treating this as a show. He’s taking us seriously now.
I increased my guard twenty-fold and prepared for his counter attack. Regret and Layla did the same. Meanwhile, Malladus’s body began to shine more vividly than it did before. He was focusing more and more of his magic power within himself. As a result, he was increasing his physical capabilities, such as agility and strength. I involuntarily gulped as Malladus dissolved the scythe he’d created with his magic.
Malladus suddenly vanished. All that was left of him was a streak of blood red aura. Unfortunately, the aura didn’t appear to be streaking toward any particular direction, so discerning his location based on that was impossible. Fortunately, we had someone we could rely on for that very thing.
“Guys! He’s behind you!” Zelda shouted.
I turned on my heel and reflexively held my sword up in a defensive posture. If that reflexive action had been a second slower, I would have been a dead man. Malladus was already upon me, and he fired a pinpointed burst of magic power straight at my neck. I guarded with my own magic, and thanks to that, I avoided getting hurt as badly as I would have been otherwise.
The small concentration of magic power was like a cannon blast. It rammed into my sword with so much force that I was worried it’d break again. Fortunately, it didn’t so much as chip, but I was knocked off my feet and sent flying. I hit the ground roughly and received a lot of bruises. It felt like I’d fractured some bones in a few places, too.
Regret wasted no time as he lunged at Malladus. His fist charged with magic power was aimed right for his head, but Malladus caught it with his own hand. Regret’s strength caused Malladus to slide a little, but he was able to completely stop Regret’s attack. Instead of trying to break free of his grip, however, Regret tried to hold him still by grabbing his arm with his free hand.
At that moment, Layla swung her lance powered by her borrowed magic power. It roared through the air towards Malladus’s neck, and since Regret was holding onto him, it was difficult for him to dodge. However, Malladus made no attempt to dodge; instead, he discharged a wave of magic power, just like Drake had done at times during our fight.
This wave of magic power blew Layla away, but as he was still holding onto to Regret’s fist, Regret stayed where he was. The wave of magic power blasting against his body had knocked Regret into a daze, and he couldn’t defend against Malladus’s attack. Malladus jabbed his free hand into Regret’s gut and released a blast of magic power from it.
Layla, Zelda, and I watched in horror as Regret coughed up blood. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Malladus continued to maintain his grip on him, only letting him go after dealing a powerful roundhouse kick to his jaw. Regret was knocked through the air a few feet before skidding to a stop on his side. Blood was starting to spill from the wound in his gut.
“No!” Layla screamed.
She rushed towards Malladus in a fit of rage. I got up and ran to stop her, but she reached him before I did. Malladus blocked the thrust of her lance by grabbing it with one hand. He then used his other hand to deal a horrific blow to her left arm. She was pushed away with a large amount of force, and she collided right into me.
The impact of her body hitting mine with the force Malladus generated was enough to fracture a couple of my ribs. I had gotten the wind knocked out of me, and I couldn’t move as the two of us fell onto the ground. Her left arm was bleeding profusely. It had probably been broken in a few places. I could feel her writhing in pain as she laid on top of me.
I could feel the horrified looks of the people watching our battle from the Physical Realm. The most prominent of those looks was surely Naomi. The thought of her watching as our bodies were subjected to such bloody rending made me shiver.
“Do you understand now?” Malladus said. “Your power isn’t enough to stand up to mine.”
I hugged Layla as she quivered in agony before getting up. As I rose to my feet, I replied to Malladus.
“You’re right. We aren’t strong enough.” I said. “But, our true strength comes from working together. Together, we have enough power to win!”
“You’ve already been working together this whole time. They may sound nice, but you’re just spouting empty words at this point.” he scoffed.
He may have been right about that, but I strongly believed in the words I spoke. I wasn’t ready to give up. There was no way I could lose today, not after making it as far as I did. I wiped some blood from my lip with my sleeve, and brandished my sword.
“You’re going to fight me alone, now?” he said.
“No. I’m never alone.” I said with a grin.
Without Malladus noticing, Regret had gotten back up and was now right on top him. He sent a punch full of magic power flying at Malladus, who didn’t have enough time to react. Regret’s fist made contact with Malladus’s cheek.
I thought I heard the sound of something crack as a burst of magic power scattered from the point of impact. I was worried that it was Regret’s fist that had cracked, but it appeared it was really Malladus’s cheekbone after all. He wasn’t knocked very far, though. Malladus recovered in almost no time at all. Regret still hadn’t recovered from the shock of his earlier wounds, so he was in serious danger.
I leapt into action before Malladus could attack. I sprang forward, using magic power focused in the soles of my feet. I reached Malladus in an instant and readied a strike from a slanted angle. If Malladus were to strike Regret right now, he’d lose his arm. But, if he were to attack me right now, he would leave himself open to another assault at Regret’s hand. I thought we had him cornered, but he did something I didn’t expect; he chose to attack both of us at once.
Malladus moved his hand in a strange motion, tracing a line of aura in the air. That aura solidified and became a whip. He cracked it, and it ripped into both of our bodies with a single motion. The two of us were thrown back, and we were left wide open. Malladus looked as if he was going to go for me first.
Just then, I sensed the feeling of Naomi’s gaze vanish. The next thing I knew, a bright golden light appeared several feet away from us.
- Oh no. Please don’t tell me...
My fears were confirmed as Naomi appeared from that light. “Alphonse!” she called out.
- Of all the stupid things she could have done...!
“Go back, right now!” I screamed.
I raced to her side as fast as I could, but just as I expected, Malladus was heading for her as well. He had a gleeful smirk on his face. I felt an immense amount of terror and anger build up inside me. The terror of Naomi getting hurt, and the anger at letting it happen.
Malladus reached her before I did, but he did not hurt her right away. Instead, he grabbed her arms and held them behind her back, successfully restraining her.
“Naomi!” I shouted in panic.
“I can’t believe this girl was foolish enough to come here! That’s so ridiculous, I can’t help but to laugh!” Malladus cackled.
“Let her go right now!” I shouted angrily.
“I don’t think so. Judging by your anger, I’m guessing this girl is your lover? How much fun do you think it would be if I were to pluck off a limb of hers? Or maybe two?” Malladus said.
I had no idea he could be this sadistic. He almost reminded me of Ghirahim in that way. I started to panic. If Naomi got hurt, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I was frantically trying to come up with a plan to save her from him unharmed when it happened.
A gauntlet with bladed fingers pierced through Malladus’s stomach from behind, sending me reeling in shock. Malladus coughed up blood as his grip on Naomi was loosened. I did not miss that chance. I snapped out of my shock and rushed to Naomi’s side. I took her in my arms and leapt away from Malladus.
Now that I thought about it, what had just happened made perfect sense. The only way Naomi could have possibly gotten here was by way of a magic portal, just like how I had gotten here. And the only person around Naomi who could have opened one was none other than...
“Byrne!” I said in surprise.
Byrne stepped out of the portal, and it vanished behind him. Meanwhile, Malladus pulled himself away from Byrne. The gauntlet had pierced a hole in his body, and Malladus was squirming in pain as he began the healing process.
“You came to help us after all?” I said.
“I didn’t plan to do so originally.” Byrne said as he joined us at our sides. “But Naomi wouldn’t stop begging me to come here and help you. I... kind of gave in.”
“That’s great, but why the hell did you bring Naomi with you?!” I snapped.
“I-I didn’t mean to! She ran through the portal all of a sudden, and I couldn’t stop her!” Byrne said apologetically.
“I’m sorry Alphonse... I was just worried about you...” she said quietly.
As much as I loved Naomi, even I had to admit she could be pretty crazy at times. However, the fact that she would jump into the fray like this without any regard for herself showed how much she cared, and how much she wanted to help despite being unable to fight. Her caring nature what one of the reasons I loved her as much as I did. However, it was far too dangerous for her to stay here. I wasn't going to allow Malladus another chance at harming her.
“Take her back, right now.” I commanded to Byrne.
Before he could even open his mouth to respond, Byrne was impaled through the neck by a spike of blood red magic power. Naomi and I gasped as Byrne’s blood escaped his body like a flood. I looked over to where the spike had been thrown from, and Malladus stood there, glaring at Byrne with contempt.
Naomi and I were frozen in shock and terror as Byrne bled out on the ground next to us. “Alphonse...” he managed to get out. “Just as you said... I let go... I have no more...” His last word never reached me.
There was nothing to be done. His wound was too deep, and he lost too much blood. The wound had severed the artery in his neck, and his blood sprayed from his body like water from a hose. There was no way we could have saved him in time. Knowing that made feel powerless. He died right in front of me, and I couldn’t do anything to prevent it.
As I thought this, his corpse began to glow with a golden light. His body quickly faded away, and was replaced with a glowing sphere not unlike the ones that continually rose from the Sacred Realm's ground. This sphere floated into the sky, and before long, it was out of sight. He was truly gone now.
Byrne was dead. Regret was exhausted and still losing a lot of blood. Layla was in too much pain to move. I was bleeding as well, and I had multiple fractures all across my body.
- At this rate... We won’t win...
Malladus’s eyes showed that he had run out of patience. Even if he could heal his wounds, he couldn’t change the fact that he’d experienced an immense amount of pain. He was visibly angry. It was obvious that he was done playing with us. He was going to finish us off now.
With Byrne dead, we had no one to open a path back to the Physical Realm. Naomi had no way to escape now. I wanted desperately to protect her, but there was no way to get her out of here safely. And while I was wracking my brain, Malladus approached closer and closer.
“No! Don’t hurt them!”
I was shocked beyond disbelief as Zelda shouted those words and flew right at Malladus. “No, don’t!” I called out to her. “Get away from him, you idiot!”
Zelda didn’t listen to me. She got in Malladus’s face, trying as hard as she could to draw his attention. Malladus was becoming increasingly annoyed with her. It wasn’t long before he lashed out at her. Zelda just barely avoided the swipe of his hand, but when she tried to back off, he caught her in his fist.
“You're a pest.” Malladus rasped.
He began to squeeze his hand like a vice. Zelda screamed in agony. At that moment, I finally snapped.
- No. I won’t let it happen.
I clenched my fists so tightly they started to bleed.
- I can’t lose her, too. Not my partner. Not my closest friend.
I rose to my feet, trembling. I gritted my teeth. Tears began to roll down my cheeks.
- I won’t lose anyone else. I won’t let him kill any more of my friends.
My body began shining brightly. As if they sensed my feelings, the Spirits of Light appeared around us. They surrounded the roof of the Tower of Spirits. Malladus looked around at them, anticipating any move they could make. However, they did not move.
What the Spirits of Light did was lend me strength. I felt my body well up with energy. Naomi’s body was also engulfed in this warm, azure blue light. Regret and Layla were the same.
The seven voices returned in my head and spoke these words. I nodded in understanding, and raised my sword above my head. I began gathering a massive amount of energy within the blade of the Lokomo Sword. With the Spirits of Light this close by, my power was greatly amplified.
The force created from this power that could “shatter the sky” generated powerful gales of wind that swept across the roof of the tower. This wind, as well as the blinding light, pulled Malladus’s attention back to me. He gasped in shock and jumped back, far away from us. He then raised his arm up above his head, and many spheres of blood red magic power, emanating from his body, began floating in the air around him.
The gazes of the people watching the fight from the Physical Realm intensified. They could tell that whatever happened next would decide the battle. I could feel their desperation. I could also feel their hope. I felt a strong sense of faith, especially from the ones who knew me personally. They were sure I would win, and I wasn’t going to let them down.
“Rraaaaaaaaaaaghh!” I screamed at the top of my voice.
I took off from the ground and ran towards Malladus as fast as I could. The ultimate power of Sky Shatter had finished charging, and I planned to release it at point-blank range. The spheres of red light floating around Malladus began to fire blasts of magic power at me. The range was far too wide to evade, so I just kept running.
Bursts of red magic power grazed me here and there as I ran towards Malladus. I was confident that I would be able to make it, but one tore through my left leg, and I lost my balance. Just as I began to fall, I felt someone grab both of my arms. I raised my head to see who it was, and I saw the smiling faces of Regret and Layla.
Before being hit with blasts of magic power themselves, the two of them threw me with all their might, and sent me back on course to Malladus. He began to panic as I approached and fired bursts of magic power more frantically. Even though some of them pierced my skin, I would not stop moving forward.
At last, I reached him. I thrusted my sword right through his chest. Malladus screamed in pain and grabbed me by the collar, trying to push me away from him. However, Naomi showed up at my side and grabbed my hands. She gripped my hands that held the Lokomo Sword as tightly as she could and released all of the power the Spirits of Light had given her. I released mine, as well.
Malladus was in a lot of pain, and with the added strength of Naomi, he could not push me away. “Grgh! Damn you!” he screamed.
“This is it!” I shouted.
I let out a scream of determination as loud as I could as I released the power of Sky Shatter directly into Malladus’s body. An eruption of azure blue magic power engulfed the area, spreading out across the entire roof. The whole Tower of Spirits shook violently from the force of the power. At such close range, it took everything I had to keep from getting blown away. But with Naomi at my side, I managed to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground.
Zelda, who had escaped Malladus’s grip during our clash, floated slowly down onto my shoulder. She was obviously tired. She didn’t have to say anything. I could tell she was okay. She was still glowing, so that was proof enough that she was alive.
- Thank goodness Zelda’s okay...
When the dust cleared, Malladus was still alive, but just barely. The majority of his skin had been burned off, and blood poured from the body that was almost nothing but a torso with a head. There was hardly anything left of his limbs. Parts of his skeleton were visible beneath the bloody flesh.
Remarkably, he was still rapidly regenerating. Using Sky Shatter had drained me of nearly all my strength, so if he were to successfully heal himself again, it would be over for us. But at that moment, his body was encased by a golden sphere of light. I looked behind me and saw that Anjean had arrived.
Wearing a determined look on her face, she raised the sphere containing Malladus’s quickly healing body high above us. The Spirits of Light leapt into action. They began pouring their magic power into the sphere that Anjean created, strengthening it. At the same time, the surroundings melted away. What replaced them was a familiar sight; the Physical Realm. More precisely, this was the very center of the country of Hyleigh. We had been transported to the Physical Realm, Tower of Spirits and all.
“What are we doing back here...?” I said in shock.
A blood-curdling scream drew my attention away from that thought. I looked up, and Malladus was struggling to escape his confinement in the sphere of light.
“DAMN YOU! I WILL NOT DIE HERE! I AM DEMON KING MALLADUS! I WAS SUPPOSED TO ENGULF THIS WORLD IN FLAMES! THAT IS MY DESTINY! I WILL NOT BE STOPPED!”
As Malladus screamed those words, the Spirits of Light sent more power surging into the sphere. It began to lower to the center of the roof. Malladus struggled and struggled, but it was no use. He could not escape.
“RAAAAAGH! CURSE YOU, SPIRITS! CURSE YOU, LOKOMO! CURSE YOU, ALPHONSE!”
With that final scream, Malladus’s body was absorbed into the Tower of Spirits. The tower glowed with a bright azure blue light, and as a beacon of sacred aura shot high into the sky, the Spirits began returning to the Sacred Realm. At the same time, lengths of what looked like tracks began stretching out across the land from the four thresholds at the base of the tower. From all the way up here, it was hard to tell for sure, but it looked as if the tracks resembled the criss-cross pattern on the blade of the Lokomo Sword.
I felt the cheering of everyone who had been watching the battle. I felt their relief, their joy, their elation; I felt all of it before the images in the sky broadcasting us faded away. It was an incredible feeling.
It was at that moment that we truly won. Malladus was defeated. The Great War was over. I fulfilled my duty as the Hero of Spirits. I didn’t know what to do. I was at a loss for words. I was overwhelmed.
I reached the peak of my exhaustion, and I began to collapse. Before I fell over, Naomi caught me in her arms and laid me down.
“Hey, thanks...” I said in a tired voice.
Naomi smiled, and she hugged me tightly. Regret and Layla limped over to us, and they were grinning broadly.
“We finally won!” Layla said.
“Yeah! We managed to save the world!” Regret exclaimed. “We’re... We’re... Awesome!”
The rest of us laughed. There was no more sadness. There was no more pain. There was only happiness. It was finally over.
“Excellent work, everyone.” Anjean said as she rolled over to us. “Alphonse, I’m very proud of you. You fulfilled your duty splendidly.”
“Thanks.” I said. “By the way, what exactly happened to Malladus?”
“You saw that he was already regenerating even after being hit with Sky Shatter, correct?” she said. “The way things were going, it would have been impossible to kill him. And so, the Spirits seized the opportunity you created, and sealed him within the earth of the Physical Realm. You see those tracks now stretching across the country? Those are the Spirit Tracks, and they will act as his chains. The Tower of Spirits will serve as the lock that holds those chains in place. Malladus may not be dead, but he will remain imprisoned in the ground for eternity.”
“I see. So that’s how it is.” I said. “That’s not a bad way to end things...”
“Indeed.” she said. “By the way, Alphonse, I saw that Byrne showed up to help you.”
- Uh-oh.
I remembered why we'd originally left Byrne behind; he was an outcast. He broke the rule that forbade him from harming humans, and had since spent his life as an assassin.
“Yeah... Byrne became our ally.” I explained to her. “He’s the one who got us to the Sacred Realm.”
“I see... I’m surprised he helped you. I was sure he’d devote the rest of his life to himself and nothing else...” Anjean said. “Why did you keep this from me, Alphonse?”
“Well, I was worried about what you might have done to him...” I said.
“Oh, I would have killed him on the spot, just like any other Lokomo who saw him would have.” she said plainly but coldly.
- I figured as much...
“Now that he’s dead, though, he’s no longer an issue.” Anjean continued. “In a few years, he’ll regenerate as an entirely new person, and he’ll be welcomed back to the Lokomo with open arms.”
“That’s good to hear.” Naomi said.
As I looked at Anjean, there was a look of hope in her eyes. Byrne had once been her apprentice. She must have felt a lot of grief after he failed to kill Vaati and remained in the Physical Realm as an assassin. I could see in her eyes the desire to set him on the right path whenever he'd be reborn. I felt glad knowing that she hadn't given up on him, despite what she'd said before.
“So, what do we do from here?” I asked Anjean.
“I will remain in the Tower of Spirits and keep watch on the seal from now on. What the rest of you do from here on out is up to you. Your deeds as the Hero of Spirits will never be forgotten. But now, all that is over. You’re free to live a normal life now, Alphonse. I hope you will make the most of it.”
“Thank you.” I said.
And with that, Anjean disappeared in a flash of golden light. Now it was just the four of us on the roof.
“So, what will you guys do?” I asked Layla and Regret.
“Well...” Layla began, eyeing Regret.
“I’m gonna go back home to Nabooru City.” Regret said.
I looked at Layla, and it seemed that upon hearing that Regret was going home, she became visibly upset. But, Regret turned to face Layla, and spoke like it was hard for him to get the words out.
“S-so, Layla... Would you... Want to come with me?” he asked, blushing.
The sad look on Layla’s face instantly turned into pure joy. I did’t think I’d ever seen her so happy before. It was all she could to to vigorously nod her head “Yes”.
“Then I guess this is goodbye, guys. I’ll never forget you two.” I said, standing up.
“Yeah. I’ll miss you a lot, Alphonse. You too, Naomi and Zelda.” Layla said as she hugged us.
“It was a lot of fun! I’m glad I joined you guys! I’ll always remember our adventures together.” Regret said with a big grin.
“Yeah, so will I!” I said.
“I’m gonna miss you guys so much!” Naomi said, on the verge of tears.
“I’m so glad I met you guys! I hope we can all see each other again someday!” Zelda said.
After saying our goodbyes to each other, Regret and Layla descended the tower. Naomi, Zelda, and I stayed on the roof for a while longer. I wanted to stay and admire the view from the summit. From that spot, I could see the entire country of Hyleigh. I wanted to gaze upon the land my friends and I had saved for just a little more time.
Naomi and I sat down next to each other on the edge of the tower’s roof and gazed out at the amazing scenery of Hyleigh. Zelda slumped down into my hood, and it sounded like she fell asleep. I couldn't blame her. I was exhausted, too.
“So, Alphonse... What are you gonna do now that it’s all over?” Naomi asked me.
“That’s easy.” I said. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life living with you, Zelda, and Saria in Rena’s cabin.”
“I’d like that...” Naomi said as her cheeks filled up with color. “So how long do I have to wait for you to propose to me?” she asked in a teasing tone of voice.
“H-huh?” I said in surprise.
“I was awake last night, you know. I heard you say ‘Let’s get married someday’, and I was so happy I couldn’t even speak...”
“O-oh, so you heard that after all...”
“Eh heh heh, yeah...”
I adjusted myself so that I was facing Naomi more directly. I took a deep breath, cleared my throat, and said the words.
“Naomi, will you marry me?”
The smile on her face was the happiest thing I’d ever seen. Tears of joy began to drip down her blushing cheeks. It looked like she couldn’t respond, but she managed to voice her reply.
“Yes...” she said.
I smiled and embraced her. The two of us hugged, and we shared a kiss. We spent a short while longer holding each other’s hands as we gazed out at the view before we finally left the Tower of Spirits.
As we stood up and walked across the roof to the stairs that would take us down, I stopped and looked up at the sky.
- It’s finally all over. I defeated Malladus and saved the world. I fulfilled the duty entrusted to me by the Spirits of Light. I’m no longer the Hero of Spirits, now. That role is over... From now on, I’m just “Alphonse”. I’ll live out that role alongside Naomi for the rest of my life. And that couldn’t make me happier. I’m sure you're happy too, aren't you? Rena...
I smiled and wiped a tear off my cheek, and continued to walk with Naomi toward the stairs. I was ready to start my new life with her; a new, peaceful life. A life with no “Great War”. A life with no “Demon King”. A life with no “Hero of Spirits”.
I hope you enjoy it! Please tell me what you think of it. c:Chapter Sixty
Zelda, Layla, Regret, and I headed for the Tower of Spirits, leaving Anjean and the other Lokomo to handle Malladus’s army. The Spirits of Light stayed hovering in the air above us. It seemed like they were going to back off and allow us to fight.
As we ran through the golden grass and the golden orbs of light that rose from the ground, I couldn’t help but to stare up at the Spirits of Light. This was my first time seeing them in person. The first time I actually saw them was back in the Fire Temple. It had a mural of them in the first room. I was just as mesmerized now as I was back then.
The Spirits of Light appeared as nothing more than azure blue spheres of light. The intensity of that light prevented me from seeing the bodies of these benevolent beings. Somehow, it felt as if they were gazing down at me. I couldn’t help but wonder what they thought as they watched me. Had I become the Hero of Spirits they’d envisioned? Were they proud of me? Impressed with me? I couldn’t help but wonder that.
In my battle with Ghirahim in the Anouki Oil Mines, they granted me my first awakening because of my resolve. In my battle with Acnologia at the Desert Colossus, they granted me my second awakening because of my sheer will to protect the ones I loved. With both awakenings, I had proven myself to be the only person in the world who could stand up to Malladus. That’s how it worked, according to Anjean. So was that how the Spirits felt as they looked at me? That was the only thing I could think about.
Suddenly, seven voices echoed in my mind.
Go, Alphonse.
You have the power.
You have the will.
You have the resolve.
It is all up to you.
Fulfil the destiny we have given you.
Defeat Malladus and preserve the Physical Realm.
You have the power.
You have the will.
You have the resolve.
It is all up to you.
Fulfil the destiny we have given you.
Defeat Malladus and preserve the Physical Realm.
- Was that...? Was that them? Was that the Spirits I heard just now?
Before, I could only feel that the Spirits were gazing at me. But after hearing that, I was sure. I could feel it now; the Spirits were gazing at me with pride. They had pride in me. And not just pride; they had faith, as well. Faith that I would succeed and fulfil my duty as the Hero of Spirits.
- I understand. I’ll definitely fulfil my duty. I won’t let you down.
“Alphonse, we’re here!”
Zelda’s voice dragged me back to reality, and I found myself standing before an enormous threshold protruding out of the side of the Tower of Spirits. The threshold was pitch black, so I couldn’t see inside of it from here. All four of us looked straight up, and the sheer height of the tower made me feel dizzy.
“Hey... Just how high is this tower?” Regret groaned.
“I forsee a lot of stairs in our future...” Layla sighed.
“It’s at times like these that I’m glad I can fly.” Zelda said.
“Hey, don’t brag!” Regret whined.
I didn’t join their light-hearted banter. I continue to stare to the top of the tower. That was where Malladus was. That was where the final battle would take place. It was just a little further. Just a little further to the place at which this would all end. I was growing increasingly anxious.
“Let’s get going.” I said.
The others looked at me as though they were surprised by my seriousness-- not that I would blame them-- but they each nodded. The four of us entered the threshold and tread through the darkness. The thumps of our feet walking through grass was replaced by the echoes of footsteps on concrete. Soon, the blackness faded away, and it was replaced by the familiar sight of the lobby of the Tower of Spirits.
Everything was painted gray. There were three other thresholds identical to the one we entered from at the cardinal points of the room. In the center was the pedestal where I received the Lokomo Sword. There was another, smaller, threshold at the top of a large staircase across the room from us.
We crossed the room and headed for the stairs. As we passed by the empty pedestal, a rush of nostalgia filled me with reminiscence. That was only natural. After all, that was the very spot at which I was named the Hero of Spirits.
We climbed the stairs and passed through the threshold. We found ourselves at the interior of the Tower of Spirits. It was a vast, empty room in a cylindrical shape that towered high above our heads. To our dismay, the only way up appeared to be a single, steep spiral staircase that curled around the edges of the room.
After what felt like hours of climbing and complaining, we reached the top. On our way up, the battle outside sounded unusually loud, but there was no way to tell what was happening at the moment, so I forced it to the back of my mind. We stopped on the top landing to catch our breath. By that time, I’d noticed the battle had gone completely quiet. I was curious about what had happened, so I hurried through the threshold as the others followed after me. We found ourselves outside the tower now, on the landing at the foot of the staircase that wrapped around the tower to its top.
From here we could see the vastness of the Sacred Realm in its entirety. The golden grassy plain seemed to stretch out to oblivion, and the orbs of magic power that rose from the ground floated up into the sky. It was impossible to see how high they would go. There didn’t appear to be any sign of a structure other than the Tower of Spirits. It seemed like this world was mostly empty.
Looking down to see how the battle was going, I could see that the Lokomo were celebrating, and the field was littered with the corpses of monsters. The Spirits of Light seemed to have moved from where they were before we entered the tower, so I concluded that while we were busy climbing that infernal staircase, they wiped out the enemy forces.
Pushing all of these unnecessary thoughts from my mind, I lead the others up the last staircase to the top of the tower. We climbed the stairs silently. Now that we were this close to the top, the others didn’t seem to be in the mindset for complaints. Just like me, they were anxious.
Soon, the top landing of the stairs came into view. My heart began beating rapidly. My anxiety and anticipation peaked. My excitement reached its zenith the second my foot touched the top of the stairs.
I stopped and turned to face the adversary that waited here. Regret and Layla stood behind me, and Zelda floated at my left side. Staring over at us from the far side of the wide, circular platform that made up the tower’s roof was Demon King Malladus.
He grinned broadly as we came into view. “So you’ve all come! I take it I won’t be facing just Alphonse, then.”
“That’s right.” I said as I stepped off the top landing of the stairs and onto the circular roof. “We’re going to fight together.”
“I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll gladly take you all on at once. It should make this more interesting.” he said with a smirk.
I walked closer to the center of the roof, and my comrades followed closely behind me. Malladus approached us, as well. We stopped thirty feet apart from each other. For a second, I felt as if I were standing in some sort of arena, but I perished the thought and spoke to Malladus.
“Before we fight, I have to ask you something.” I said.
“Be my guest.” Malladus said coyly.
“I want you to tell me why you did all of this.” I said. “Why did you start the Great War? Why are you trying to destroy the Physical Realm? Just what are you trying to accomplish?”
“Ah, so you want to know my motives. Fair enough.” Malladus said. “In that case, allow me to ask you a question. I promise it pertains to our current conversation.” He paused, awaiting some sort of sign of acknowledgement from me. When I gave it to him in the form of a nod, he grinned. “Very good. Then let me ask you, have you ever wondered why it is we exist?”
I had to think about that for a bit. After serious pondering, I had to shake my head “No”. Malladus kept up that ominous grin, and turned his back to us. He walked a few paces forward before he spoke again.
“I have.” he said. “I’ve given this serious thought. I was born into this life as a prodigy child with extraordinary magical prowess and strength. I was able to achieve the rank of Demon King at a young age. I’ve always wondered why I was born with such power-- not that I’ve ever complained about it, of course. But nonetheless, it had me curious.
“One day, out of sheer curiosity, I thoroughly investigated the history of the world. It was surprisingly soaked with blood. I can’t begin to count how many wars have occurred. There was the conflict between the Demons and the humans that led to the birth of the Mystic Realm, there was the war between the Demons and the Lokomo that was started merely because one race thought its magic was superior, there were the countless territorial wars in the Physical Realm; the sheer number was endless. ‘Why has there been so many wars?’ I asked myself. I was extremely curious. I did more investigating and discovered that nearly every war had been originally caused by an issue of power. That caught my attention. ‘I have power,’ I’d said to myself. I wondered if the reason I had all this power was so I could start a war of my own."
Malladus turned back around to face us as he continued speaking.
“Did you know? The Spirits of Light, as powerful and benevolent as they are, are not the creators of the world. They did not create all the life we see around us in the Realms. There are existences much higher on the chain of being than the Spirits. They are the Gods! The Gods created the Spirits and the Realms and all the life we see around us! After learning of this, I wondered what their purpose in creating all this life was. But then I remembered about all the wars. ‘Why, if the Gods were so kind as to give us life, did they create so many power imbalances between us, making us hate each other so greatly that we’d go to war with each other?’ It puzzled me for so long as I thought about it... What reason could there possibly be for it? But then, I reached a conclusion!
“I believe the reason we exist is for the sole purpose of war! Think about it. Why else would the Gods create such power imbalances between such war-hungry existences? The only answer I could think of was that it was for the sake of entertainment. I believe the Gods gave us life so they could watch in gleeful merriment as we wage war and destroy each other! What could be more entertaining than that?
“You asked me what my motives are? I am trying to do what I believe I was born to do; wage war. That is the reason I started the Great War and have fought the Spirits of Light for the past thirteen years. That is the reason I sent Vaati, the only high-ranking Demon who would join me, to wreak havoc upon the Physical Realm. Whether it’s ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is meaningless to me. Even if it means plunging the world into destruction, I want to fulfil what I believe is the reason for my existence, and in doing so, give the Gods a show they’ll never forget! That’s all there is to it.”
I was stunned beyond words after listening to Malladus’s long explanation. I’m sure the others were just as shocked. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. And most of all, he was completely serious. He believed he was doing what he was born to do, and because the concepts of "right" and "wrong" didn’t matter to him, he was pretty much capable of anything, no matter how horrendous it was. Now that I understood that, it made sense to me. I knew first-hand just how powerful fighting for something one believes in can make a person.
“Malladus.” I began. “I can no longer think of you as truly ‘evil’.” Ignoring the shocked reactions of my friends, I continued talking. “You’re fighting for what you believe in. In that sense, you’re just like me. You’re trying to fulfill what you believe is your purpose. I’m the same; I’m trying to fulfill my purpose as the Hero of Spirits. So, if I were to call you ‘evil’ for following your beliefs, then I would have to call myself ‘evil’, too.”
I paused for a bit. I felt the silent stares of my friends who stood behind me as Malladus and I stared each other down. I felt myself begin to tremble, and I subconsciously clenched my fists. I bit my lip as I felt anger well up inside me.
“But...” I said, continuing at last. “There’s no way I can let you continue this. Not just because it’s my duty as the Hero of Spirits. I want to stop you because I believe what you’re doing is wrong. Regardless of the fact that you’re following your beliefs, it’s wrong! I’ve seen so many people suffer because of this stupid war, myself included. I can’t accept that! I don’t want anyone else to suffer because of you! I want to defeat you and end this war, not just to fulfill my duty, but because I want to do it! I want to save this world!”
Malladus stared at me quietly for a short while after listening to my shouting. He began to laugh. It started low, but his volume increased rapidly. Before long, he was laughing maniacally and grinning broadly.
“Very good, Alphonse! Very good, indeed!” he said loudly. “You’re everything I expected you to be!”
Malladus raised his arms above his head in a grandiose fashion, and blood red magic power poured into the sky from his arms. The sky was dyed red, but that color faded, and was replaced with images of us. It was almost like an illusion. All of a sudden, I could feel several thousands of eyes staring at me. I had no idea who they were or where they were, but we were unmistakably being watched.
“Behold!” Malladus shouted at the top of his voice. “My magic power is broadcasting images of us in the skies of the Physical Realm! Everyone in the country of Hyleigh can see us and hear us now!”
- What?! Magic power is capable of something like that?
“Just what is this, Malladus...?” I asked him.
“It’s exactly what you think it is, Alphonse! I have given us an audience!” Malladus exclaimed in glee. “Those you wish to save will watch as the final battle unfolds! They will see with their own eyes which path their future will take!”
It was a strange feeling. I closed my eyes and took in the feeling of being watched by everyone in the Physical Realm. I was the person on which their fates depended. For them to watch as I do battle with Malladus was very unnerving. But, at the same time, I was filled with even more motivation than before. With everyone watching me, there was no way I could lose, especially since I could feel their gazes and the emotions that went with them.
I could feel all of the people I’d encountered over the course of my journey. The people in the Forest Realm villages of Whitleton and Mayscore. The people in Kakariko Village. The Anouki who lived in the Snow Realm’s crystal mountains. The people of Great Bay City and the Zoras of Zora Hall. The members of Layla’s crew as they sailed the waters of the Ocean Realm on the S.S. Linebeck. The Gerudo people of Nabooru City in the Desert Realm. The Taft family that managed the Taft Inn on the border of the Fire Realm. The Gorons of Goron City. I felt Byrne, Saria, and Naomi, as well. I was especially sensitive to Naomi’s gaze.
The person I loved was watching me as I faced the Demon King who threatened to destroy the world she lived in. I was more determined to win than ever. I tightened my grip on the hilt of the Lokomo Sword, and without realizing it, I’d activated the skill to lend my magic power to my allies. Our bodies shone brilliantly with the azure blue magic power of the Spirits of Light as we brandished our weapons. Malladus’s body began to glow with his blood red magic power The people of the Physical Realm watched as the battle for their future unfolded.
I was no longer conscious of those around me. My concentration and adrenaline were rapidly rising higher and higher. My sense of perception enhanced greatly. My heart was pounding, but my breathing was under complete control. I did not tremble. I only had one thought; defeat Malladus.
“Here we go!” I screamed.
The shouts of my allies rang out in unison with mine, and I kicked down on the ground as hard as I could. I blasted forward, covering the thirty-foot distance in the blink of an eye. My sword was extended out to my right, ready to spring into a powerful horizontal slash the second my body willed it.
In the same instant I covered the gap between us, Malladus generated a scythe like that of Death’s from his magic power. He swung it at me with incredible precision, and I sent my blade flying to meet it. Steel clashed against magic as our weapons collided in a flurry of sparks. Malladus took advantage of the scythe’s shape and began turning the curved blade towards me.
Just before the blade of the scythe reached my skin, the blade of a lance was thrusted into its path. Layla, who appeared on my left, attempted to force Malladus’s scythe away from me. However, Malladus shifted his scythe so that the curved blade could act as a hook, and tugged on Layla’s lance. She lost her balance and stumbled into me.
Malladus twirled his scythe in the air above his head, and stopped it at a position suitable for cutting us both down at once. As he brought down his weapon, Regret jumped between us and grabbed the end of the scythe’s blade with his hand. Thanks to his gauntlets, he avoided being cut. He didn’t waste a second as he yanked the blade toward himself. Malladus was pulled off-balance, and Regret closed in on him.
With a fist packed with magic, Regret hammered Malladus in his gut. The force of impact blew Malladus away, and he was lifted into the air. However, we could hear him laughing with delight as he touched down on the roof on his feet.
“Yes! Good! Good!” he shouted.
- He’s enjoying this... He thinks of this as a show. He’s not taking us seriously yet!
I dashed past Regret and lunged for Malladus. I restrained myself from swinging my blade until I was too close for him to execute an accurate swing of his scythe. I let a burst of magic power erupt from my blade, but Malladus leapt into the air and avoided it. His body front-flipped over me at an impressive height. As he came back down, Regret ran to intercept him.
He let loose a swift roundhouse kick that slammed into the blade of Malladus’s scythe. With his weapon knocked back, Malladus couldn’t attack us with it for the moment. Layla seized that chance as she used Regret’s shoulders as a booster to get closer to Malladus, who was knocked higher up by the force of Regret’s kick. Her lance barreled toward him, and he had no choice but to shield himself with his own arm.
The lance began to rip into Malladus’s flesh, but with a quickly generated burst of magic power, his arm was protected from any further damage. Layla’s lance suffered the recoil from his burst of power, but the momentum she’d created before Malladus knocked her lance away was enough to send him flying, regardless of his success in knocking her weapon back.
I kicked off the ground and sprinted towards the spot where Malladus was going to land. As he fell through the air, he flipped over so that he was upside down. In that position, he swung his scythe out at me with a wave of magic power. I skidded to a stop and guarded against it, but the force was too great. I was pushed back.
Malladus landed on the roof on his feet once again, almost like an acrobat. He raised his scythe up above his head, and prepared to drive it through my body. But at that moment, while I was still stumbling from Malladus’s counter, Regret and Layla zipped right by me. Malladus’s eyes widened in surprise as the two of them closed in on him.
Regret hit Malladus in his stomach with a fierce punch, knocking the wind out of him. Regret backed off, and Layla made her move. She cut across his chest with her lance, releasing his blood from his flesh. As it splattered onto the ground, I rushed forward, passing right by Layla.
Gripping the hilt of my sword with both hands, I slashed at Malladus from the lower right. While surging magic power through the blade all the while, I ripped through his skin, cutting from a bottom-right to upper-left angle. His body was torn open, and his blood splattered the gray stone roof in a crimson shower. The force generated from my attack blew his body away, and it crashed down to the ground in a bloody mess.
“Did we get him?” Regret asked.
It felt as if the people of the Physical Realm watching this were cheering. Layla seemed about ready to celebrate, herself. But I was uneasy. I eyed Malladus’s body cautiously, although the residual aura lingering in the air obscured my vision somewhat.
“Wait! H-he’s getting up!” Zelda shouted.
The panicked voice that came from the fairy floating up above us sent our hopes for victory plummeting. I also felt that the people watching us had ceased cheering. The residual aura in the air finally evaporated completely, and what we saw horrified us.
The body of Malladus was rising to its feet. It was lifted up by his own magic power, just like what had happened to me when I fought Ghirahim and achieved my first awakening. While it rose back up, all of the wounds were closing. He coughed a few times before raising his head. The look he had in his eyes now was different from before, and it made me shudder.
“Well, now... You guys did pretty well. Unfortunately for you, I know how to use magic power to heal wounds.” Malladus rasped. “You won’t be able to kill me so easily.”
The same skill that restored us so quickly after our fight with Drake was now turned against us. It felt frustrating, but I had no time to think about the irony of it. I was more preoccupied with the expression his eyes held.
- He’s no longer treating this as a show. He’s taking us seriously now.
I increased my guard twenty-fold and prepared for his counter attack. Regret and Layla did the same. Meanwhile, Malladus’s body began to shine more vividly than it did before. He was focusing more and more of his magic power within himself. As a result, he was increasing his physical capabilities, such as agility and strength. I involuntarily gulped as Malladus dissolved the scythe he’d created with his magic.
Malladus suddenly vanished. All that was left of him was a streak of blood red aura. Unfortunately, the aura didn’t appear to be streaking toward any particular direction, so discerning his location based on that was impossible. Fortunately, we had someone we could rely on for that very thing.
“Guys! He’s behind you!” Zelda shouted.
I turned on my heel and reflexively held my sword up in a defensive posture. If that reflexive action had been a second slower, I would have been a dead man. Malladus was already upon me, and he fired a pinpointed burst of magic power straight at my neck. I guarded with my own magic, and thanks to that, I avoided getting hurt as badly as I would have been otherwise.
The small concentration of magic power was like a cannon blast. It rammed into my sword with so much force that I was worried it’d break again. Fortunately, it didn’t so much as chip, but I was knocked off my feet and sent flying. I hit the ground roughly and received a lot of bruises. It felt like I’d fractured some bones in a few places, too.
Regret wasted no time as he lunged at Malladus. His fist charged with magic power was aimed right for his head, but Malladus caught it with his own hand. Regret’s strength caused Malladus to slide a little, but he was able to completely stop Regret’s attack. Instead of trying to break free of his grip, however, Regret tried to hold him still by grabbing his arm with his free hand.
At that moment, Layla swung her lance powered by her borrowed magic power. It roared through the air towards Malladus’s neck, and since Regret was holding onto him, it was difficult for him to dodge. However, Malladus made no attempt to dodge; instead, he discharged a wave of magic power, just like Drake had done at times during our fight.
This wave of magic power blew Layla away, but as he was still holding onto to Regret’s fist, Regret stayed where he was. The wave of magic power blasting against his body had knocked Regret into a daze, and he couldn’t defend against Malladus’s attack. Malladus jabbed his free hand into Regret’s gut and released a blast of magic power from it.
Layla, Zelda, and I watched in horror as Regret coughed up blood. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Malladus continued to maintain his grip on him, only letting him go after dealing a powerful roundhouse kick to his jaw. Regret was knocked through the air a few feet before skidding to a stop on his side. Blood was starting to spill from the wound in his gut.
“No!” Layla screamed.
She rushed towards Malladus in a fit of rage. I got up and ran to stop her, but she reached him before I did. Malladus blocked the thrust of her lance by grabbing it with one hand. He then used his other hand to deal a horrific blow to her left arm. She was pushed away with a large amount of force, and she collided right into me.
The impact of her body hitting mine with the force Malladus generated was enough to fracture a couple of my ribs. I had gotten the wind knocked out of me, and I couldn’t move as the two of us fell onto the ground. Her left arm was bleeding profusely. It had probably been broken in a few places. I could feel her writhing in pain as she laid on top of me.
I could feel the horrified looks of the people watching our battle from the Physical Realm. The most prominent of those looks was surely Naomi. The thought of her watching as our bodies were subjected to such bloody rending made me shiver.
“Do you understand now?” Malladus said. “Your power isn’t enough to stand up to mine.”
I hugged Layla as she quivered in agony before getting up. As I rose to my feet, I replied to Malladus.
“You’re right. We aren’t strong enough.” I said. “But, our true strength comes from working together. Together, we have enough power to win!”
“You’ve already been working together this whole time. They may sound nice, but you’re just spouting empty words at this point.” he scoffed.
He may have been right about that, but I strongly believed in the words I spoke. I wasn’t ready to give up. There was no way I could lose today, not after making it as far as I did. I wiped some blood from my lip with my sleeve, and brandished my sword.
“You’re going to fight me alone, now?” he said.
“No. I’m never alone.” I said with a grin.
Without Malladus noticing, Regret had gotten back up and was now right on top him. He sent a punch full of magic power flying at Malladus, who didn’t have enough time to react. Regret’s fist made contact with Malladus’s cheek.
I thought I heard the sound of something crack as a burst of magic power scattered from the point of impact. I was worried that it was Regret’s fist that had cracked, but it appeared it was really Malladus’s cheekbone after all. He wasn’t knocked very far, though. Malladus recovered in almost no time at all. Regret still hadn’t recovered from the shock of his earlier wounds, so he was in serious danger.
I leapt into action before Malladus could attack. I sprang forward, using magic power focused in the soles of my feet. I reached Malladus in an instant and readied a strike from a slanted angle. If Malladus were to strike Regret right now, he’d lose his arm. But, if he were to attack me right now, he would leave himself open to another assault at Regret’s hand. I thought we had him cornered, but he did something I didn’t expect; he chose to attack both of us at once.
Malladus moved his hand in a strange motion, tracing a line of aura in the air. That aura solidified and became a whip. He cracked it, and it ripped into both of our bodies with a single motion. The two of us were thrown back, and we were left wide open. Malladus looked as if he was going to go for me first.
Just then, I sensed the feeling of Naomi’s gaze vanish. The next thing I knew, a bright golden light appeared several feet away from us.
- Oh no. Please don’t tell me...
My fears were confirmed as Naomi appeared from that light. “Alphonse!” she called out.
- Of all the stupid things she could have done...!
“Go back, right now!” I screamed.
I raced to her side as fast as I could, but just as I expected, Malladus was heading for her as well. He had a gleeful smirk on his face. I felt an immense amount of terror and anger build up inside me. The terror of Naomi getting hurt, and the anger at letting it happen.
Malladus reached her before I did, but he did not hurt her right away. Instead, he grabbed her arms and held them behind her back, successfully restraining her.
“Naomi!” I shouted in panic.
“I can’t believe this girl was foolish enough to come here! That’s so ridiculous, I can’t help but to laugh!” Malladus cackled.
“Let her go right now!” I shouted angrily.
“I don’t think so. Judging by your anger, I’m guessing this girl is your lover? How much fun do you think it would be if I were to pluck off a limb of hers? Or maybe two?” Malladus said.
I had no idea he could be this sadistic. He almost reminded me of Ghirahim in that way. I started to panic. If Naomi got hurt, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I was frantically trying to come up with a plan to save her from him unharmed when it happened.
A gauntlet with bladed fingers pierced through Malladus’s stomach from behind, sending me reeling in shock. Malladus coughed up blood as his grip on Naomi was loosened. I did not miss that chance. I snapped out of my shock and rushed to Naomi’s side. I took her in my arms and leapt away from Malladus.
Now that I thought about it, what had just happened made perfect sense. The only way Naomi could have possibly gotten here was by way of a magic portal, just like how I had gotten here. And the only person around Naomi who could have opened one was none other than...
“Byrne!” I said in surprise.
Byrne stepped out of the portal, and it vanished behind him. Meanwhile, Malladus pulled himself away from Byrne. The gauntlet had pierced a hole in his body, and Malladus was squirming in pain as he began the healing process.
“You came to help us after all?” I said.
“I didn’t plan to do so originally.” Byrne said as he joined us at our sides. “But Naomi wouldn’t stop begging me to come here and help you. I... kind of gave in.”
“That’s great, but why the hell did you bring Naomi with you?!” I snapped.
“I-I didn’t mean to! She ran through the portal all of a sudden, and I couldn’t stop her!” Byrne said apologetically.
“I’m sorry Alphonse... I was just worried about you...” she said quietly.
As much as I loved Naomi, even I had to admit she could be pretty crazy at times. However, the fact that she would jump into the fray like this without any regard for herself showed how much she cared, and how much she wanted to help despite being unable to fight. Her caring nature what one of the reasons I loved her as much as I did. However, it was far too dangerous for her to stay here. I wasn't going to allow Malladus another chance at harming her.
“Take her back, right now.” I commanded to Byrne.
Before he could even open his mouth to respond, Byrne was impaled through the neck by a spike of blood red magic power. Naomi and I gasped as Byrne’s blood escaped his body like a flood. I looked over to where the spike had been thrown from, and Malladus stood there, glaring at Byrne with contempt.
Naomi and I were frozen in shock and terror as Byrne bled out on the ground next to us. “Alphonse...” he managed to get out. “Just as you said... I let go... I have no more...” His last word never reached me.
There was nothing to be done. His wound was too deep, and he lost too much blood. The wound had severed the artery in his neck, and his blood sprayed from his body like water from a hose. There was no way we could have saved him in time. Knowing that made feel powerless. He died right in front of me, and I couldn’t do anything to prevent it.
As I thought this, his corpse began to glow with a golden light. His body quickly faded away, and was replaced with a glowing sphere not unlike the ones that continually rose from the Sacred Realm's ground. This sphere floated into the sky, and before long, it was out of sight. He was truly gone now.
Byrne was dead. Regret was exhausted and still losing a lot of blood. Layla was in too much pain to move. I was bleeding as well, and I had multiple fractures all across my body.
- At this rate... We won’t win...
Malladus’s eyes showed that he had run out of patience. Even if he could heal his wounds, he couldn’t change the fact that he’d experienced an immense amount of pain. He was visibly angry. It was obvious that he was done playing with us. He was going to finish us off now.
With Byrne dead, we had no one to open a path back to the Physical Realm. Naomi had no way to escape now. I wanted desperately to protect her, but there was no way to get her out of here safely. And while I was wracking my brain, Malladus approached closer and closer.
“No! Don’t hurt them!”
I was shocked beyond disbelief as Zelda shouted those words and flew right at Malladus. “No, don’t!” I called out to her. “Get away from him, you idiot!”
Zelda didn’t listen to me. She got in Malladus’s face, trying as hard as she could to draw his attention. Malladus was becoming increasingly annoyed with her. It wasn’t long before he lashed out at her. Zelda just barely avoided the swipe of his hand, but when she tried to back off, he caught her in his fist.
“You're a pest.” Malladus rasped.
He began to squeeze his hand like a vice. Zelda screamed in agony. At that moment, I finally snapped.
- No. I won’t let it happen.
I clenched my fists so tightly they started to bleed.
- I can’t lose her, too. Not my partner. Not my closest friend.
I rose to my feet, trembling. I gritted my teeth. Tears began to roll down my cheeks.
- I won’t lose anyone else. I won’t let him kill any more of my friends.
My body began shining brightly. As if they sensed my feelings, the Spirits of Light appeared around us. They surrounded the roof of the Tower of Spirits. Malladus looked around at them, anticipating any move they could make. However, they did not move.
What the Spirits of Light did was lend me strength. I felt my body well up with energy. Naomi’s body was also engulfed in this warm, azure blue light. Regret and Layla were the same.
This is it.
It is time to finish him off.
You are brimming with enough "love" for your friends.
You will be able to use the ultimate power granted to you.
Even Malladus will be defeated if you use it.
Finish him off like you did Acnologia.
Use the Sky Shatter technique to destroy Malladus.
It is time to finish him off.
You are brimming with enough "love" for your friends.
You will be able to use the ultimate power granted to you.
Even Malladus will be defeated if you use it.
Finish him off like you did Acnologia.
Use the Sky Shatter technique to destroy Malladus.
The seven voices returned in my head and spoke these words. I nodded in understanding, and raised my sword above my head. I began gathering a massive amount of energy within the blade of the Lokomo Sword. With the Spirits of Light this close by, my power was greatly amplified.
The force created from this power that could “shatter the sky” generated powerful gales of wind that swept across the roof of the tower. This wind, as well as the blinding light, pulled Malladus’s attention back to me. He gasped in shock and jumped back, far away from us. He then raised his arm up above his head, and many spheres of blood red magic power, emanating from his body, began floating in the air around him.
The gazes of the people watching the fight from the Physical Realm intensified. They could tell that whatever happened next would decide the battle. I could feel their desperation. I could also feel their hope. I felt a strong sense of faith, especially from the ones who knew me personally. They were sure I would win, and I wasn’t going to let them down.
“Rraaaaaaaaaaaghh!” I screamed at the top of my voice.
I took off from the ground and ran towards Malladus as fast as I could. The ultimate power of Sky Shatter had finished charging, and I planned to release it at point-blank range. The spheres of red light floating around Malladus began to fire blasts of magic power at me. The range was far too wide to evade, so I just kept running.
Bursts of red magic power grazed me here and there as I ran towards Malladus. I was confident that I would be able to make it, but one tore through my left leg, and I lost my balance. Just as I began to fall, I felt someone grab both of my arms. I raised my head to see who it was, and I saw the smiling faces of Regret and Layla.
Before being hit with blasts of magic power themselves, the two of them threw me with all their might, and sent me back on course to Malladus. He began to panic as I approached and fired bursts of magic power more frantically. Even though some of them pierced my skin, I would not stop moving forward.
At last, I reached him. I thrusted my sword right through his chest. Malladus screamed in pain and grabbed me by the collar, trying to push me away from him. However, Naomi showed up at my side and grabbed my hands. She gripped my hands that held the Lokomo Sword as tightly as she could and released all of the power the Spirits of Light had given her. I released mine, as well.
Malladus was in a lot of pain, and with the added strength of Naomi, he could not push me away. “Grgh! Damn you!” he screamed.
“This is it!” I shouted.
I let out a scream of determination as loud as I could as I released the power of Sky Shatter directly into Malladus’s body. An eruption of azure blue magic power engulfed the area, spreading out across the entire roof. The whole Tower of Spirits shook violently from the force of the power. At such close range, it took everything I had to keep from getting blown away. But with Naomi at my side, I managed to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground.
Zelda, who had escaped Malladus’s grip during our clash, floated slowly down onto my shoulder. She was obviously tired. She didn’t have to say anything. I could tell she was okay. She was still glowing, so that was proof enough that she was alive.
- Thank goodness Zelda’s okay...
When the dust cleared, Malladus was still alive, but just barely. The majority of his skin had been burned off, and blood poured from the body that was almost nothing but a torso with a head. There was hardly anything left of his limbs. Parts of his skeleton were visible beneath the bloody flesh.
Remarkably, he was still rapidly regenerating. Using Sky Shatter had drained me of nearly all my strength, so if he were to successfully heal himself again, it would be over for us. But at that moment, his body was encased by a golden sphere of light. I looked behind me and saw that Anjean had arrived.
Wearing a determined look on her face, she raised the sphere containing Malladus’s quickly healing body high above us. The Spirits of Light leapt into action. They began pouring their magic power into the sphere that Anjean created, strengthening it. At the same time, the surroundings melted away. What replaced them was a familiar sight; the Physical Realm. More precisely, this was the very center of the country of Hyleigh. We had been transported to the Physical Realm, Tower of Spirits and all.
“What are we doing back here...?” I said in shock.
A blood-curdling scream drew my attention away from that thought. I looked up, and Malladus was struggling to escape his confinement in the sphere of light.
“DAMN YOU! I WILL NOT DIE HERE! I AM DEMON KING MALLADUS! I WAS SUPPOSED TO ENGULF THIS WORLD IN FLAMES! THAT IS MY DESTINY! I WILL NOT BE STOPPED!”
As Malladus screamed those words, the Spirits of Light sent more power surging into the sphere. It began to lower to the center of the roof. Malladus struggled and struggled, but it was no use. He could not escape.
“RAAAAAGH! CURSE YOU, SPIRITS! CURSE YOU, LOKOMO! CURSE YOU, ALPHONSE!”
With that final scream, Malladus’s body was absorbed into the Tower of Spirits. The tower glowed with a bright azure blue light, and as a beacon of sacred aura shot high into the sky, the Spirits began returning to the Sacred Realm. At the same time, lengths of what looked like tracks began stretching out across the land from the four thresholds at the base of the tower. From all the way up here, it was hard to tell for sure, but it looked as if the tracks resembled the criss-cross pattern on the blade of the Lokomo Sword.
I felt the cheering of everyone who had been watching the battle. I felt their relief, their joy, their elation; I felt all of it before the images in the sky broadcasting us faded away. It was an incredible feeling.
It was at that moment that we truly won. Malladus was defeated. The Great War was over. I fulfilled my duty as the Hero of Spirits. I didn’t know what to do. I was at a loss for words. I was overwhelmed.
I reached the peak of my exhaustion, and I began to collapse. Before I fell over, Naomi caught me in her arms and laid me down.
“Hey, thanks...” I said in a tired voice.
Naomi smiled, and she hugged me tightly. Regret and Layla limped over to us, and they were grinning broadly.
“We finally won!” Layla said.
“Yeah! We managed to save the world!” Regret exclaimed. “We’re... We’re... Awesome!”
The rest of us laughed. There was no more sadness. There was no more pain. There was only happiness. It was finally over.
“Excellent work, everyone.” Anjean said as she rolled over to us. “Alphonse, I’m very proud of you. You fulfilled your duty splendidly.”
“Thanks.” I said. “By the way, what exactly happened to Malladus?”
“You saw that he was already regenerating even after being hit with Sky Shatter, correct?” she said. “The way things were going, it would have been impossible to kill him. And so, the Spirits seized the opportunity you created, and sealed him within the earth of the Physical Realm. You see those tracks now stretching across the country? Those are the Spirit Tracks, and they will act as his chains. The Tower of Spirits will serve as the lock that holds those chains in place. Malladus may not be dead, but he will remain imprisoned in the ground for eternity.”
“I see. So that’s how it is.” I said. “That’s not a bad way to end things...”
“Indeed.” she said. “By the way, Alphonse, I saw that Byrne showed up to help you.”
- Uh-oh.
I remembered why we'd originally left Byrne behind; he was an outcast. He broke the rule that forbade him from harming humans, and had since spent his life as an assassin.
“Yeah... Byrne became our ally.” I explained to her. “He’s the one who got us to the Sacred Realm.”
“I see... I’m surprised he helped you. I was sure he’d devote the rest of his life to himself and nothing else...” Anjean said. “Why did you keep this from me, Alphonse?”
“Well, I was worried about what you might have done to him...” I said.
“Oh, I would have killed him on the spot, just like any other Lokomo who saw him would have.” she said plainly but coldly.
- I figured as much...
“Now that he’s dead, though, he’s no longer an issue.” Anjean continued. “In a few years, he’ll regenerate as an entirely new person, and he’ll be welcomed back to the Lokomo with open arms.”
“That’s good to hear.” Naomi said.
As I looked at Anjean, there was a look of hope in her eyes. Byrne had once been her apprentice. She must have felt a lot of grief after he failed to kill Vaati and remained in the Physical Realm as an assassin. I could see in her eyes the desire to set him on the right path whenever he'd be reborn. I felt glad knowing that she hadn't given up on him, despite what she'd said before.
“So, what do we do from here?” I asked Anjean.
“I will remain in the Tower of Spirits and keep watch on the seal from now on. What the rest of you do from here on out is up to you. Your deeds as the Hero of Spirits will never be forgotten. But now, all that is over. You’re free to live a normal life now, Alphonse. I hope you will make the most of it.”
“Thank you.” I said.
And with that, Anjean disappeared in a flash of golden light. Now it was just the four of us on the roof.
“So, what will you guys do?” I asked Layla and Regret.
“Well...” Layla began, eyeing Regret.
“I’m gonna go back home to Nabooru City.” Regret said.
I looked at Layla, and it seemed that upon hearing that Regret was going home, she became visibly upset. But, Regret turned to face Layla, and spoke like it was hard for him to get the words out.
“S-so, Layla... Would you... Want to come with me?” he asked, blushing.
The sad look on Layla’s face instantly turned into pure joy. I did’t think I’d ever seen her so happy before. It was all she could to to vigorously nod her head “Yes”.
“Then I guess this is goodbye, guys. I’ll never forget you two.” I said, standing up.
“Yeah. I’ll miss you a lot, Alphonse. You too, Naomi and Zelda.” Layla said as she hugged us.
“It was a lot of fun! I’m glad I joined you guys! I’ll always remember our adventures together.” Regret said with a big grin.
“Yeah, so will I!” I said.
“I’m gonna miss you guys so much!” Naomi said, on the verge of tears.
“I’m so glad I met you guys! I hope we can all see each other again someday!” Zelda said.
After saying our goodbyes to each other, Regret and Layla descended the tower. Naomi, Zelda, and I stayed on the roof for a while longer. I wanted to stay and admire the view from the summit. From that spot, I could see the entire country of Hyleigh. I wanted to gaze upon the land my friends and I had saved for just a little more time.
Naomi and I sat down next to each other on the edge of the tower’s roof and gazed out at the amazing scenery of Hyleigh. Zelda slumped down into my hood, and it sounded like she fell asleep. I couldn't blame her. I was exhausted, too.
“So, Alphonse... What are you gonna do now that it’s all over?” Naomi asked me.
“That’s easy.” I said. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life living with you, Zelda, and Saria in Rena’s cabin.”
“I’d like that...” Naomi said as her cheeks filled up with color. “So how long do I have to wait for you to propose to me?” she asked in a teasing tone of voice.
“H-huh?” I said in surprise.
“I was awake last night, you know. I heard you say ‘Let’s get married someday’, and I was so happy I couldn’t even speak...”
“O-oh, so you heard that after all...”
“Eh heh heh, yeah...”
I adjusted myself so that I was facing Naomi more directly. I took a deep breath, cleared my throat, and said the words.
“Naomi, will you marry me?”
The smile on her face was the happiest thing I’d ever seen. Tears of joy began to drip down her blushing cheeks. It looked like she couldn’t respond, but she managed to voice her reply.
“Yes...” she said.
I smiled and embraced her. The two of us hugged, and we shared a kiss. We spent a short while longer holding each other’s hands as we gazed out at the view before we finally left the Tower of Spirits.
As we stood up and walked across the roof to the stairs that would take us down, I stopped and looked up at the sky.
- It’s finally all over. I defeated Malladus and saved the world. I fulfilled the duty entrusted to me by the Spirits of Light. I’m no longer the Hero of Spirits, now. That role is over... From now on, I’m just “Alphonse”. I’ll live out that role alongside Naomi for the rest of my life. And that couldn’t make me happier. I’m sure you're happy too, aren't you? Rena...
I smiled and wiped a tear off my cheek, and continued to walk with Naomi toward the stairs. I was ready to start my new life with her; a new, peaceful life. A life with no “Great War”. A life with no “Demon King”. A life with no “Hero of Spirits”.
A life with just “Alphonse”.
Credits
Alphonse
Original Character
Zelda
Named for “Princess Zelda” (The Legend of Zelda)
Naomi
Original Character
Layla
Original Character
Regret
Original Character
Rena
Original Character
Saria
Named for “Saria” (The Legend of Zelda)
Anjean
Based on “Anjean” (The Legend of Zelda)
Byrne
Based on “Byrne” (The Legend of Zelda)
Vaati
Named for “Vaati” (The Legend of Zelda)
Malladus
Named for “Malladus” (The Legend of Zelda)
Roy
Original Character
Gracia
Original Character
Oz
Named for “Oz Bezarius” (Pandora Hearts)
Alphonse
Original Character
Zelda
Named for “Princess Zelda” (The Legend of Zelda)
Naomi
Original Character
Layla
Original Character
Regret
Original Character
Rena
Original Character
Saria
Named for “Saria” (The Legend of Zelda)
Anjean
Based on “Anjean” (The Legend of Zelda)
Byrne
Based on “Byrne” (The Legend of Zelda)
Vaati
Named for “Vaati” (The Legend of Zelda)
Malladus
Named for “Malladus” (The Legend of Zelda)
Roy
Original Character
Gracia
Original Character
Oz
Named for “Oz Bezarius” (Pandora Hearts)
Miss Mazenda
Original Character
Firo
Named for “Firo Prochainezo” (Baccano!)
Ed
Original Character
Simon
Original Character
Ghirahim
Based on “Ghirahim” (The Legend of Zelda)
Gray
Original Character
Vino
Based on “Vino” (Baccano!)
Maiza
Named for "Maiza Avaro" (Baccano!)
Heinrich
Original Character
Julia
Original Character
Scott
Original Character
Seryph
Character provided by Gobli
Milkovich
Original Character
Nick
Character provided by Raindrop14
Jack
Character provided by Raindrop14
Jasson
Character provided by Raindrop14
Fargo
Character provided by Raindrop14
Norris
Character provided by Raindrop14
Tentalus
Based on “Tentalus” (The Legend of Zelda)
Zordo
Character provided by Jedizora
Fynn
Character provided by Terminus
Aquarta
Character provided by Chilfo Freeze
Danyel
Character provided by Satan
Ganondorf
Based on “Ganondorf” (The Legend of Zelda)
Vee
Character provided by Vanessa28
Taylor
Character provided by blue-eyes
Marluxia
Character provided by Ventus
Larxene
Character provided by PK Flash
Shawn
Character provided by Hero of Time
Maika
Character provided by Violet
Oorani
Character provided by Egregious
Acnologia
Based on “Acnologia” (Fairy Tail)
Original Character
Firo
Named for “Firo Prochainezo” (Baccano!)
Ed
Original Character
Simon
Original Character
Ghirahim
Based on “Ghirahim” (The Legend of Zelda)
Gray
Original Character
Vino
Based on “Vino” (Baccano!)
Maiza
Named for "Maiza Avaro" (Baccano!)
Heinrich
Original Character
Julia
Original Character
Scott
Original Character
Seryph
Character provided by Gobli
Milkovich
Original Character
Nick
Character provided by Raindrop14
Jack
Character provided by Raindrop14
Jasson
Character provided by Raindrop14
Fargo
Character provided by Raindrop14
Norris
Character provided by Raindrop14
Tentalus
Based on “Tentalus” (The Legend of Zelda)
Zordo
Character provided by Jedizora
Fynn
Character provided by Terminus
Aquarta
Character provided by Chilfo Freeze
Danyel
Character provided by Satan
Ganondorf
Based on “Ganondorf” (The Legend of Zelda)
Vee
Character provided by Vanessa28
Taylor
Character provided by blue-eyes
Marluxia
Character provided by Ventus
Larxene
Character provided by PK Flash
Shawn
Character provided by Hero of Time
Maika
Character provided by Violet
Oorani
Character provided by Egregious
Acnologia
Based on “Acnologia” (Fairy Tail)
Mr. Taft
Original Character
Mrs. Taft
Original Character
Charlotte
Original Character
Kagoron
Based on “Kagoron” (The Legend of Zelda)
Darunia
Based on “Darunia” (The Legend of Zelda)
Zauz
Named for “Zauz” (The Legend of Zelda)
The Behemoth
Based on “The Behemoth” (Tales of the Abyss)
Vlad
Original Character
Svena
Original Character
Koron
Original Character
Roma
Original Character
Drake
Original Character
Original Character
Mrs. Taft
Original Character
Charlotte
Original Character
Kagoron
Based on “Kagoron” (The Legend of Zelda)
Darunia
Based on “Darunia” (The Legend of Zelda)
Zauz
Named for “Zauz” (The Legend of Zelda)
The Behemoth
Based on “The Behemoth” (Tales of the Abyss)
Vlad
Original Character
Svena
Original Character
Koron
Original Character
Roma
Original Character
Drake
Original Character
Rinz
Character provided by Lord Vain
Arin
Character provided by Violet
Sigal
Character provided by musicfan
Winston
Character provided by TatlTails
Kurt
Character provided by Wolf Sage
Yuri
Original Character
Kaya
Original Character
Vespen
Original Character
Thank you so much for reading!
Character provided by Lord Vain
Arin
Character provided by Violet
Sigal
Character provided by musicfan
Winston
Character provided by TatlTails
Kurt
Character provided by Wolf Sage
Yuri
Original Character
Kaya
Original Character
Vespen
Original Character
Thank you so much for reading!
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