Heh, pretty good read you got there, Az—I was kind of trying not to grin at all the mushy stuff, I really was, heheh. Then this crazy hulking psycho comes out of nowhere, and I was like, ok here we go…..that’s more like it. At any rate, Lord Vain approved……go ahead and post more of it, I have a feeling this Byrne guy is gonna get messed up.
Zelda Art The Hero of Spirits
- Thread starter Azure Sage
- Start date
I'm glad you liked it, Vain! And thanks a lot for the feedback! All right guys, it's time for the showdown between Alphonse and Byrne!
FRIENDLY WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE THAT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL READERS.
Enjoy! ^-^
Byrne made the first move. He charged at me and attempted to knock me to the ground. I quickly sidestepped and lashed out at him with my sword. Byrne easily dodged this, and returned with an attack of his own. Our weapons clashed in a flurry of sparks as we each pushed with all our weight. However, Byrne was stronger than me. It was becoming difficult for me to hold out.
Zelda swiftly flew in front of Byrne’s face, distracting him for a moment. That moment was all I needed to gain the upper hand. I pushed him back and swung my sword, but he easily parried it. Zelda tried distracting Byrne again, but he took a swipe at her with his gauntlet. Luckily, Zelda was too quick for him.
With his attention focused on Zelda, I prepared a blast from the Spirits’ aura. I rushed at Byrne, who quickly turned his attention back to me. Our weapons met again, but the impact of my magic power sent Byrne reeling.
“Nice one!” Zelda exclaimed.
“It’s not over yet.” I said sternly.
Byrne quickly got up again, but this time kept his distance. Suddenly, his gauntlet shot forward off his wrist. I barely dodged in time. The gauntlet crashed into the ground, causing some rocks and dust to scatter. The gauntlet quickly retracted back to Byrne’s wrist, and he fired it at me again.
I dodged this one too, and then I got an idea. I quickly grabbed the chain before it could retract, and pulled with all my might. I was hoping to pull Byrne off his feet, but I underestimated the force of the gauntlet’s retraction. It literally pulled me through the air with it, right to Byrne.
Byrne ducked to avoid me as I was slung through the air right over his head. I hit the ground hard. Byrne took advantage of this to try and pin me. But Zelda wouldn’t let him do that. She quickly got in his face again, giving me enough time to get back to my feet.
“You idiot! What’d you think was gonna happen?!” Zelda yelled at me.
“Hey, I had to try!” I retorted.
I quickly powered up another sacred blast as Zelda got out of the way. This time, however, I used it as a projectile, and launched the sacred light at Byrne. He sidestepped and tried to launch his gauntlet again. I easily dodged this, and the gauntlet once again crashed into the ground. Watching the rocks and dust stir gave me an idea.
I powered up another blast, but this time, I slammed it down at my feet. Both Byrne and Zelda flinched in surprise.
“What are you doing?!” Zelda asked.
I didn’t answer.
Just as I expected, the explosion created a dust cloud that completely concealed me from Byrne’s view.
“I see...” I heard Byrne mutter. He must have figured out what I was up to. Zelda was catching on, too.
Byrne may not be able to see me, but I couldn’t see Byrne either. Fortunately, I could count on a certain someone to be my extra set of eyes.
“Alphonse! He’s at four o’clock!” Zelda called out. She could see it all from her position up above the dust cloud.
“What?!” Byrne gasped, looking up at her. Byrne caught sight of a blue light out of the corner of his eye, and quickly turned to see what it was.
The very next thing he saw was me, ready to strike him with a point-blank blast of sacred aura. He had no time to react as I cut across his chest. The force from the sacred power sent him flying. He hit the ground with a loud thud.
The force from that blast blew away the dust cloud. Byrne could clearly be seen lying on his stomach several feet away from me.
“All right, we did it!” Zelda exclaimed.
“Yeah!” we celebrated in unison.
Both of us jumped in surprise. We were startled by Byrne’s voice. We looked over at him, and he was standing up.
“What?! But you got him!” Zelda cried.
Byrne shouldn’t have been able to stand, yet he was on his feet in no time. But, what was most surprising was that there was hardly any sign of a wound. The only thing damaged was Byrne’s shirt.
“I’ll admit, that did hurt quite a bit.” he said. “The shock from that blow was something else. However, that kind of power will not work on me.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
I started getting worried. The last time my power failed me was when I fought Ghirahim in the oil mines. However, back then Ghirahim simply stopped my power. Byrne was actually struck with it. I couldn’t understand why it didn’t work.
“As you know, that blue aura is the magic power of the Spirits of Light themselves. It is a sacred energy, and it can not harm anything similar to it. As such, it would not work against the Spirits themselves, or any servant of theirs, either.” Byrne explained.
I was able to figure out what Byrne was getting at. “Impossible...” I breathed. “You mean... You’re...?”
“That’s right.” Byrne said menacingly. “I am one of the Lokomo, servants to the Spirits. That blade cannot harm me.”
I was so shocked by this news I accidentally let my guard down. Byrne quickly took advantage of this and charged me.
“Alphonse, watch out!” Zelda shouted.
She tried her best to get in Byrne’s way again, but it seems he was expecting it. He swatted her aside with his gauntlet and tackled me to the ground before I could regain my composure.
“Aughh-” I yelped in in pain.
Byrne pressed his foot down onto my chest and twisted his heel. I cried out in pain as Zelda struggled to get up off the ground. But it was no use. She didn’t have the strength, and I couldn’t move.
“This is the end for you, Hero of Spirits. Just know, it was nothing personal.” Byrne said as he reared his gauntlet back. “It’s just business.”
Byrne thrust his gauntlet down, ready to tear out my throat.
“Gack-!” Byrne cried out.
He was caught with a surprise attack; a roundhouse kick to the side of his head that sent him flying.
“No way...” Zelda breathed.
“Hey...” I coughed.
“Well, looks like I got here just in time.” It was none other than Rena. “Aren’t you lucky, Alphonse?” she said with a smirk.
“Thanks for the rescue.” I said as she helped me to my feet.
“Don’t mention it. Naomi told me everything. I was planning to stay out of this and let you fight your own battles, but there’s no way I could just let you die.” she said with a grin.
“Thanks a lot. I owe you one.” I said with a smile.
“Then you can repay me by helping me clean up the kitchen later. You guys really made a mess of things at dinner.” she joked.
“Right, right.” I said with a laugh.
Both of us prepared for round two as Byrne stood up.
“Why you...” he rasped. “Don’t get in my way!”
Byrne charged at us in a fit of rage. I ran forward and cut him off with a strike from my sword. My blade clashed with his gauntlet. Byrne seemed more determined to win than ever. I was hardly able to hold on. But luckily, I didn’t have to.
I quickly backed off as Rena circled around us and threw a solid punch. Byrne blocked it with his left arm, but was pushed back in the process.
“What the?!” he gasped. It was clear he didn’t expect Rena to have so much power.
- That’s what you get for underestimating my mentor!
Rena followed up with a left hook without missing a beat. She nailed Byrne in the jaw and sent him staggering back. That was when I made my move. Byrne quickly turned to parry my strike, but couldn’t block the blow entirely. I managed to break his guard. I quickly cut across his chest again. It didn’t seem to do much, but at least the force from the impact still worked against him. I tried to use that to my advantage and thrust my sword forward in a stabbing motion. The blade came into contact with him, but it seemed to slide right off his skin. I staggered forward because of this, and Byrne tried to take the chance to attack. But he wasn’t quick enough.
I rolled forward to get out of the way as Rena struck Byrne with another roundhouse kick. Byrne was almost knocked off his feet again, but this time he was able to quickly recover from the blow. He lashed out at her again and again, but Rena ducked and dodged every strike until she saw an opening. She landed an uppercut that lifted Byrne off his feet. He landed on his back but quickly somersaulted backwards and got back to his feet. He rushed Rena again, but she grabbed his arm and used his own momentum to toss him through the air.
As soon as Byrne hit the ground behind her, I leapt into the air with my sword charged with sacred power. I brought my blade down through the air, intending to impale him right through his chest. But something happened that none of us expected.
As soon as the blade of the Lokomo Sword made contact with Byrne’s skin, the sword sent a shock wave of aura coursing through my body. It was the equivalent of being struck with lightning.
I screamed in pain as the recoil launched me through the air. I hit the ground and slid to a stop on my side. I tried to get back up, but I couldn’t move. It was as if I was paralyzed.
- Is the sword trying to protect Byrne because he’s a Lokomo?!
“Alphonse!” Rena called out. She tried to run to my aid, but in doing so, she took her eyes off Byrne. And that was a fatal mistake.
Byrne quickly struck her with a slash from his gauntlet. Rena was knocked to the ground. She tried to get up and fight back, but the wound slowed her down. Byrne was able to punch her in her gut with his left hand before she could react. The breath was completely knocked out of her. Byrne then grabbed Rena by the neck with his left hand and raised her off the ground.
“Rena...!” I choked. I tried to get up, but my body was in too much pain.
- Damn it! Come on! Move!
No matter how much I screamed at my body, it wouldn’t budge.
“Any last words?” Byrne asked as he reared his gauntlet back.
“Rena!” I yelled.
“Alphonse...” she whispered. “Please, don’t cry...”
“Rena...” I breathed in shock. “Don’t talk like that!” I shouted through the pain.
“I just want you to know... I love you... Like my own son.” she said quietly. “Remember... Keep living... For the sake of living. Don’t you ever give up!”
As she said those last words, tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Rena!” I shouted again.
“Is that all you had to say?" Byrne asked. Rena didn’t respond. “Very well.” he said coldly.
“No!” I screamed.
I froze.
Every fiber of my being lurched. I felt like I was going to vomit. I felt an immense weight in the pit of my stomach as I watched Byrne toss Rena’s lifeless body to the ground. Her blood splattered around her, and it dripped off the end of Byrne’s gauntlet. Watching her lifeless face seemed to make the world stand still.
It started to rain.
Every drop that fell from the sky felt incredibly cold. Soon enough, it turned into a downpour. The rain mixed with my tears as I lay on the ground, motionless, for what felt like an eternity. I couldn’t take my eyes of Rena’s corpse. The pouring rain began to wash away the blood that seeped from her body, almost like it was washing away her life.
Byrne stood in the heavy rain, staring down at her body with an emotionless expression. He finally sighed and turned around to face me. But he was then caught by complete surprise.
My entire body began to shine intensely with the Spirits’ aura. I was slowly raised off the ground and lifted to my feet by the magic power. The blade of the Lokomo Sword shined like a beacon in the darkness of the night. The light reflected through each raindrop that fell around my body. The sensation was similar to the time in the oil mines when my body was possessed by the Lokomo Sword, but something was different this time.
“What?!” Byrne gasped.
Before he could blink, I was standing before him. He flinched from surprise, but he couldn’t react before I launched his body through the air with the force of my attack. Byrne hit a nearby tree, and the impact caused the trunk to shatter. Byrne fell to his knees gasping for air as the tree behind him splintered and crashed to the ground.
Yes, this was similar to when the Lokomo Sword possessed my body. But this was different. This time, I was in complete control.
“You son of a *****...” I breathed in anger. “You will NOT get away with this!” I screamed.
I rushed Byrne as fast as I could, bringing a fully charged burst of magic in my wake. Byrne dove out of the way as I swung my sword. This blast wave was the most destructive one I’d ever produced. It wiped out a row of trees in front of me, and left a wide scar on the ground.
Byrne was beginning to awaken to the reality of the situation, and realized he crossed a line he really shouldn’t have. He turned around and attempted to run.
“You WILL NOT get away from me, you bastard!” I screamed as I sent another blast wave coursing through the air. This one slammed against Byrne's back, and sent him flying into a nearby rock.
As he gasped to catch his breath after the impact knocked all the wind out of him, I pounced. Byrne turned around to try and block the blow, but he wasn’t quick enough. I tried to cut across his chest again, but the Lokomo Sword stopped once it came into contact with Byrne. It sent another shock wave through my body.
I screamed in pain, but I did not let up one bit. In fact, I pushed even harder. The Lokomo Sword had Byrne pinned against the rock, but it would not cut through him.
“Come on!” I shouted in frustration.
Even though I was the Hero of Spirits as well as the sword’s master, it still refused to hurt one of its own kind. It sent a fiercer shock wave through my body, but I still didn’t let up. Sparks of blue aura spewed from the point of impact between the sword and Byrne’s skin. The rock was finally starting to crack and break apart. Soon Byrne would be able to get away. However, I wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Come on!” I shouted again. Nothing changed. “JUST DO IT!” I screamed.
Finally, the sparks stopped, and the blade began to cut through Byrne’s skin. At last, I was able to bend the Lokomo Sword’s will.
The look of pure horror that came over Byrne's face as the sword began to cut through him was unlike any expression I’d ever seen. But I didn’t really care about how Byrne was feeling at the moment.
The rock finally shattered, and Byrne was sent backward as blood spouted from his wound. He fell to the ground gasping for air, completely unable to move as his blood spilled from his body.
I stood over him, panting. I held the Lokomo Sword high above my head, and charged up another blast of magic power. This one felt to be the most powerful yet, but it also felt incredibly unstable. The aura fluctuated violently, as if it were reflecting my emotions and my desire to kill.
“NOW, DIE!” I screamed as I swung the Lokomo Sword down.
Byrne closed his eyes as the blast wave drew closer and closer.
FRIENDLY WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE THAT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL READERS.
Enjoy! ^-^
Chapter Nineteen
Byrne made the first move. He charged at me and attempted to knock me to the ground. I quickly sidestepped and lashed out at him with my sword. Byrne easily dodged this, and returned with an attack of his own. Our weapons clashed in a flurry of sparks as we each pushed with all our weight. However, Byrne was stronger than me. It was becoming difficult for me to hold out.
Zelda swiftly flew in front of Byrne’s face, distracting him for a moment. That moment was all I needed to gain the upper hand. I pushed him back and swung my sword, but he easily parried it. Zelda tried distracting Byrne again, but he took a swipe at her with his gauntlet. Luckily, Zelda was too quick for him.
With his attention focused on Zelda, I prepared a blast from the Spirits’ aura. I rushed at Byrne, who quickly turned his attention back to me. Our weapons met again, but the impact of my magic power sent Byrne reeling.
“Nice one!” Zelda exclaimed.
“It’s not over yet.” I said sternly.
Byrne quickly got up again, but this time kept his distance. Suddenly, his gauntlet shot forward off his wrist. I barely dodged in time. The gauntlet crashed into the ground, causing some rocks and dust to scatter. The gauntlet quickly retracted back to Byrne’s wrist, and he fired it at me again.
I dodged this one too, and then I got an idea. I quickly grabbed the chain before it could retract, and pulled with all my might. I was hoping to pull Byrne off his feet, but I underestimated the force of the gauntlet’s retraction. It literally pulled me through the air with it, right to Byrne.
Byrne ducked to avoid me as I was slung through the air right over his head. I hit the ground hard. Byrne took advantage of this to try and pin me. But Zelda wouldn’t let him do that. She quickly got in his face again, giving me enough time to get back to my feet.
“You idiot! What’d you think was gonna happen?!” Zelda yelled at me.
“Hey, I had to try!” I retorted.
I quickly powered up another sacred blast as Zelda got out of the way. This time, however, I used it as a projectile, and launched the sacred light at Byrne. He sidestepped and tried to launch his gauntlet again. I easily dodged this, and the gauntlet once again crashed into the ground. Watching the rocks and dust stir gave me an idea.
I powered up another blast, but this time, I slammed it down at my feet. Both Byrne and Zelda flinched in surprise.
“What are you doing?!” Zelda asked.
I didn’t answer.
Just as I expected, the explosion created a dust cloud that completely concealed me from Byrne’s view.
“I see...” I heard Byrne mutter. He must have figured out what I was up to. Zelda was catching on, too.
Byrne may not be able to see me, but I couldn’t see Byrne either. Fortunately, I could count on a certain someone to be my extra set of eyes.
“Alphonse! He’s at four o’clock!” Zelda called out. She could see it all from her position up above the dust cloud.
“What?!” Byrne gasped, looking up at her. Byrne caught sight of a blue light out of the corner of his eye, and quickly turned to see what it was.
The very next thing he saw was me, ready to strike him with a point-blank blast of sacred aura. He had no time to react as I cut across his chest. The force from the sacred power sent him flying. He hit the ground with a loud thud.
The force from that blast blew away the dust cloud. Byrne could clearly be seen lying on his stomach several feet away from me.
“All right, we did it!” Zelda exclaimed.
“Yeah!” we celebrated in unison.
“Don't you think it's a bit early for you to celebrate?”
Both of us jumped in surprise. We were startled by Byrne’s voice. We looked over at him, and he was standing up.
“What?! But you got him!” Zelda cried.
Byrne shouldn’t have been able to stand, yet he was on his feet in no time. But, what was most surprising was that there was hardly any sign of a wound. The only thing damaged was Byrne’s shirt.
“I’ll admit, that did hurt quite a bit.” he said. “The shock from that blow was something else. However, that kind of power will not work on me.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
I started getting worried. The last time my power failed me was when I fought Ghirahim in the oil mines. However, back then Ghirahim simply stopped my power. Byrne was actually struck with it. I couldn’t understand why it didn’t work.
“As you know, that blue aura is the magic power of the Spirits of Light themselves. It is a sacred energy, and it can not harm anything similar to it. As such, it would not work against the Spirits themselves, or any servant of theirs, either.” Byrne explained.
I was able to figure out what Byrne was getting at. “Impossible...” I breathed. “You mean... You’re...?”
“That’s right.” Byrne said menacingly. “I am one of the Lokomo, servants to the Spirits. That blade cannot harm me.”
I was so shocked by this news I accidentally let my guard down. Byrne quickly took advantage of this and charged me.
“Alphonse, watch out!” Zelda shouted.
She tried her best to get in Byrne’s way again, but it seems he was expecting it. He swatted her aside with his gauntlet and tackled me to the ground before I could regain my composure.
“Aughh-” I yelped in in pain.
Byrne pressed his foot down onto my chest and twisted his heel. I cried out in pain as Zelda struggled to get up off the ground. But it was no use. She didn’t have the strength, and I couldn’t move.
“This is the end for you, Hero of Spirits. Just know, it was nothing personal.” Byrne said as he reared his gauntlet back. “It’s just business.”
Byrne thrust his gauntlet down, ready to tear out my throat.
“Gack-!” Byrne cried out.
He was caught with a surprise attack; a roundhouse kick to the side of his head that sent him flying.
“No way...” Zelda breathed.
“Hey...” I coughed.
“Well, looks like I got here just in time.” It was none other than Rena. “Aren’t you lucky, Alphonse?” she said with a smirk.
“Thanks for the rescue.” I said as she helped me to my feet.
“Don’t mention it. Naomi told me everything. I was planning to stay out of this and let you fight your own battles, but there’s no way I could just let you die.” she said with a grin.
“Thanks a lot. I owe you one.” I said with a smile.
“Then you can repay me by helping me clean up the kitchen later. You guys really made a mess of things at dinner.” she joked.
“Right, right.” I said with a laugh.
Both of us prepared for round two as Byrne stood up.
“Why you...” he rasped. “Don’t get in my way!”
Byrne charged at us in a fit of rage. I ran forward and cut him off with a strike from my sword. My blade clashed with his gauntlet. Byrne seemed more determined to win than ever. I was hardly able to hold on. But luckily, I didn’t have to.
I quickly backed off as Rena circled around us and threw a solid punch. Byrne blocked it with his left arm, but was pushed back in the process.
“What the?!” he gasped. It was clear he didn’t expect Rena to have so much power.
- That’s what you get for underestimating my mentor!
Rena followed up with a left hook without missing a beat. She nailed Byrne in the jaw and sent him staggering back. That was when I made my move. Byrne quickly turned to parry my strike, but couldn’t block the blow entirely. I managed to break his guard. I quickly cut across his chest again. It didn’t seem to do much, but at least the force from the impact still worked against him. I tried to use that to my advantage and thrust my sword forward in a stabbing motion. The blade came into contact with him, but it seemed to slide right off his skin. I staggered forward because of this, and Byrne tried to take the chance to attack. But he wasn’t quick enough.
I rolled forward to get out of the way as Rena struck Byrne with another roundhouse kick. Byrne was almost knocked off his feet again, but this time he was able to quickly recover from the blow. He lashed out at her again and again, but Rena ducked and dodged every strike until she saw an opening. She landed an uppercut that lifted Byrne off his feet. He landed on his back but quickly somersaulted backwards and got back to his feet. He rushed Rena again, but she grabbed his arm and used his own momentum to toss him through the air.
As soon as Byrne hit the ground behind her, I leapt into the air with my sword charged with sacred power. I brought my blade down through the air, intending to impale him right through his chest. But something happened that none of us expected.
As soon as the blade of the Lokomo Sword made contact with Byrne’s skin, the sword sent a shock wave of aura coursing through my body. It was the equivalent of being struck with lightning.
I screamed in pain as the recoil launched me through the air. I hit the ground and slid to a stop on my side. I tried to get back up, but I couldn’t move. It was as if I was paralyzed.
- Is the sword trying to protect Byrne because he’s a Lokomo?!
“Alphonse!” Rena called out. She tried to run to my aid, but in doing so, she took her eyes off Byrne. And that was a fatal mistake.
Byrne quickly struck her with a slash from his gauntlet. Rena was knocked to the ground. She tried to get up and fight back, but the wound slowed her down. Byrne was able to punch her in her gut with his left hand before she could react. The breath was completely knocked out of her. Byrne then grabbed Rena by the neck with his left hand and raised her off the ground.
“Rena...!” I choked. I tried to get up, but my body was in too much pain.
- Damn it! Come on! Move!
No matter how much I screamed at my body, it wouldn’t budge.
“Any last words?” Byrne asked as he reared his gauntlet back.
“Rena!” I yelled.
“Alphonse...” she whispered. “Please, don’t cry...”
“Rena...” I breathed in shock. “Don’t talk like that!” I shouted through the pain.
“I just want you to know... I love you... Like my own son.” she said quietly. “Remember... Keep living... For the sake of living. Don’t you ever give up!”
As she said those last words, tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Rena!” I shouted again.
“Is that all you had to say?" Byrne asked. Rena didn’t respond. “Very well.” he said coldly.
“No!” I screamed.
Byrne let Rena drop through the air, and pierced his gauntlet straight through her body.
I froze.
Every fiber of my being lurched. I felt like I was going to vomit. I felt an immense weight in the pit of my stomach as I watched Byrne toss Rena’s lifeless body to the ground. Her blood splattered around her, and it dripped off the end of Byrne’s gauntlet. Watching her lifeless face seemed to make the world stand still.
It started to rain.
Every drop that fell from the sky felt incredibly cold. Soon enough, it turned into a downpour. The rain mixed with my tears as I lay on the ground, motionless, for what felt like an eternity. I couldn’t take my eyes of Rena’s corpse. The pouring rain began to wash away the blood that seeped from her body, almost like it was washing away her life.
Byrne stood in the heavy rain, staring down at her body with an emotionless expression. He finally sighed and turned around to face me. But he was then caught by complete surprise.
My entire body began to shine intensely with the Spirits’ aura. I was slowly raised off the ground and lifted to my feet by the magic power. The blade of the Lokomo Sword shined like a beacon in the darkness of the night. The light reflected through each raindrop that fell around my body. The sensation was similar to the time in the oil mines when my body was possessed by the Lokomo Sword, but something was different this time.
“What?!” Byrne gasped.
Before he could blink, I was standing before him. He flinched from surprise, but he couldn’t react before I launched his body through the air with the force of my attack. Byrne hit a nearby tree, and the impact caused the trunk to shatter. Byrne fell to his knees gasping for air as the tree behind him splintered and crashed to the ground.
Yes, this was similar to when the Lokomo Sword possessed my body. But this was different. This time, I was in complete control.
“You son of a *****...” I breathed in anger. “You will NOT get away with this!” I screamed.
I rushed Byrne as fast as I could, bringing a fully charged burst of magic in my wake. Byrne dove out of the way as I swung my sword. This blast wave was the most destructive one I’d ever produced. It wiped out a row of trees in front of me, and left a wide scar on the ground.
Byrne was beginning to awaken to the reality of the situation, and realized he crossed a line he really shouldn’t have. He turned around and attempted to run.
“You WILL NOT get away from me, you bastard!” I screamed as I sent another blast wave coursing through the air. This one slammed against Byrne's back, and sent him flying into a nearby rock.
As he gasped to catch his breath after the impact knocked all the wind out of him, I pounced. Byrne turned around to try and block the blow, but he wasn’t quick enough. I tried to cut across his chest again, but the Lokomo Sword stopped once it came into contact with Byrne. It sent another shock wave through my body.
I screamed in pain, but I did not let up one bit. In fact, I pushed even harder. The Lokomo Sword had Byrne pinned against the rock, but it would not cut through him.
“Come on!” I shouted in frustration.
Even though I was the Hero of Spirits as well as the sword’s master, it still refused to hurt one of its own kind. It sent a fiercer shock wave through my body, but I still didn’t let up. Sparks of blue aura spewed from the point of impact between the sword and Byrne’s skin. The rock was finally starting to crack and break apart. Soon Byrne would be able to get away. However, I wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Come on!” I shouted again. Nothing changed. “JUST DO IT!” I screamed.
Finally, the sparks stopped, and the blade began to cut through Byrne’s skin. At last, I was able to bend the Lokomo Sword’s will.
The look of pure horror that came over Byrne's face as the sword began to cut through him was unlike any expression I’d ever seen. But I didn’t really care about how Byrne was feeling at the moment.
The rock finally shattered, and Byrne was sent backward as blood spouted from his wound. He fell to the ground gasping for air, completely unable to move as his blood spilled from his body.
I stood over him, panting. I held the Lokomo Sword high above my head, and charged up another blast of magic power. This one felt to be the most powerful yet, but it also felt incredibly unstable. The aura fluctuated violently, as if it were reflecting my emotions and my desire to kill.
“NOW, DIE!” I screamed as I swung the Lokomo Sword down.
Byrne closed his eyes as the blast wave drew closer and closer.
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Hah, that was pretty Rezzical, Az…..oh yeah, Hackedon says he approves—of course he’s gonna approve, that freaking psychopath just loves violence 
But seriously, nice one, crazy overkill for the win. I certainly guessed right when I said he’d likely get messed up pretty bad…..oh man, but now I have the feeling all that mushy stuff is gonna come back up. Eh, nah, likely some sad funeral stuff and then mushy or—well, whatever. Good read again, Lord Vain approved….yeah.
But seriously, nice one, crazy overkill for the win. I certainly guessed right when I said he’d likely get messed up pretty bad…..oh man, but now I have the feeling all that mushy stuff is gonna come back up. Eh, nah, likely some sad funeral stuff and then mushy or—well, whatever. Good read again, Lord Vain approved….yeah.
I like the use of the D word but beyond that, excellent chapter Azure! I really do love how you make use of Byrne and the rest of the cast; I never would've had such thoughts in my noggin. x) Chapter 20 is gonna happen, right?
Thanks a lot, you two!! I really appreciate your feedback! 
All right, it's time for chapter twenty! This chapter marks the point where I stopped in the original version, but this time I'm going to take the story much farther. I have a lot of new stuff planned for Alphonse and Zelda, as well lots of new characters and companions too! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, as well as what's to come! ^-^
“NOW, DIE!” I screamed as I swung the Lokomo Sword down. Byrne closed his eyes as the blast drew closer and closer.
“Alphonse, stop!”
Naomi called out to me as she hugged me tightly from behind. I stopped in my tracks, and the burst of aura faded. Byrne opened his eyes and looked up at us.
“Na... Naomi...” I breathed.
“Alphonse... Please stop...” she said in a shaky voice.
I stood completely still in Naomi’s embrace. I could feel that she was shaking. I couldn’t tell if it was because the rain was cold, or that she was scared.
“Alphonse... You have to stop... You've done enough.” she begged.
“But... He killed Rena!” I yelled. “He has to pay!”
I tried to break free from her, but she hugged me tighter.
“Alphonse, please! I’m begging you... That’s enough... He can’t even move anymore. How can you attack someone who can’t even move? That isn’t like you!” she pleaded.
I stopped, and I finally took the time to take a good look at Byrne. He was lying on the ground before me, bleeding out from his chest, cowering in fear.
- He... He’s scared of me?
“Alphonse, this isn’t... This isn’t like you! I know he killed Rena, and he killed Oz too... And I want him to pay for it, but... What you’re doing is cruel! You’re not a cruel person, Alphonse!”
I cringed. She was right. This wasn’t like me.
“Naomi... I...” I began. I couldn’t find anything to say.
“Alphonse, this is wrong... This is nothing but senseless violence at this point...” she said.
I froze up.
- Senseless violence...
“The Alphonse I know wouldn’t be so cruel!” she continued. “Remember what you told me on our way here? You said that it was thanks to Rena that you’re able to smile again! Well, it’s thanks to you that I’m able to smile again! It’s because you were there for me that I can be happy again! That’s why... That’s why I don’t want to lose you! I don’t want to lose you to this senseless violence!” she cried.
I thought back to what I said to myself in the oil mines.
"This... this is all wrong... Why... Why does senseless violence like this have to exist?!"
“I don't want to be forced to commit violence like that!"
“I don't want to end up like that, as someone who feels nothing.”
My worst fear was actually happening. I was really starting to lose myself.
“Alphonse...” Naomi said again. She was starting to cry. “I don’t want you to lose yourself!
I felt like my heart had stopped for a few moments. Naomi had actually said it. She finally told me she loved me, and it was because I was losing myself to this senseless violence.
- What... What am I doing?
“I love you, Alphonse...” Naomi said while she was crying. “I don’t want to see you do this... I can’t let you lose yourself, Alphonse... I can’t lose you...” she cried.
My hands started shaking, and I dropped my sword at my feet.
“Naomi...” I said. I could barely speak right now. My throat felt like it was closing up. Tears were starting to roll down my cheeks.
“I... I’m sorry...” I finally managed to spit out. “I...”
I looked down at Byrne again, who watched us quietly. I looked over at Zelda, who was still lying on the ground. I looked over at Rena’s dead body. The rain had washed all of the blood away by now. She had no life left in her, and no more warmth to give me. Byrne took that all away. But, I still had Naomi.
“I...” I said again.
Naomi was still hugging me tightly. She was sobbing into my shirt.
“What... What am I doing?” I said aloud this time. “Rena...” I whispered. “Naomi... I... I’m sorry...”
Finally I collapsed to my knees and cried. Naomi came down with me. She didn’t loosen her grip for even a second.
The rain started to slow down.
I knelt on the ground with Naomi, just crying. I cried harder than I had in a long time. I didn’t even notice when Byrne stood up and limped away into the night.
The rain slowed to a drizzle.
Finally able to get up again, Zelda slowly floated over to us and leaned in next to me, as if she was crying with us.
“Naomi...” I said through my tears. “I... I love you, too...”
We knelt on the ground for what felt like hours. None of us spoke for a long time. The only thing to be heard was sobbing. At last, Zelda broke the silence.
“Alphonse... I think we should hurry up and make Rena a grave... We shouldn’t let Saria see her like this when she wakes up tomorrow morning...”
I didn’t answer her right away.
“She’s right, Alphonse...” Naomi agreed.
“... Yeah, I know.” I said at last. “Let’s do it.”
“Just a second, Alphonse.” a familiar, gravely voice said.
All three of us looked around in surprise.
“... Anjean.” Naomi and I said in unison.
“Hello again, Alphonse and Naomi.” she replied.
“Who is this?” Zelda asked.
“This is Anjean. She’s one of the Lokomo, and she’s the one who made me the Hero of Spirits.” I explained. “What do you need? This isn’t exactly a good time.” I asked Anjean.
“I know, and I apologise, but I just have a quick question.” she said sternly.
I stood up. “What is it?” I asked.
“I came here because I sensed a disturbance in the Spirits’ powers. I deduced that the source of the disturbance had come from you, so I came to see what had happened.”
“A disturbance? How do you mean?” I asked her.
“Well, I can’t really explain it myself.” Anjean said. “It was almost as if something was broken... Or bent...”
- Bent? Could she mean...
“Um, I think I might know what you’re talking about.” I said. Anjean perked up. “Earlier, when I was fighting, I managed to bend the Lokomo Sword’s will...”
Anjean seemed surprisingly shocked. “You... You actually bent the sword’s will? That’s incredible... To think you were this strong already... But why would you need to bend the sword’s will?” she asked.
“Well, I had to. The sword can’t harm things similar to it, and since I was fighting a Lokomo, I had to-”
Anjean cut me off. “You what?! You fought with a Lokomo?! Why on earth would you do that?”
“Well, he was trying to kill me. He also killed Rena, as well as Naomi’s stepfather.” I explained.
“That’s preposterous! The Lokomo are the servants of the Spirits! They are beings of good! They would never...” Anjean mysteriously paused. “... What was this Lokomo’s name?” she asked quietly.
“He called himself Byrne.” I answered.
The look on Anjean’s face was pure shock. She actually gasped. I was surprised, because I had always thought she could keep her composure no matter what. That’s how she seemed to me anyway.
“Byrne...” Anjean said in horror.
“Do you know him?” I asked.
“... Byrne was once my apprentice.” Anjean said quietly.
All three of us-- Naomi, Zelda and me-- flinched in shock.
“Your apprentice?!” Naomi said.
“Yes... He left the Sacred Realm of the Spirits many years ago, and hasn’t been seen since.” she said solemnly.
“Byrne told me he was hired to kill me.” I told her.
“To think Byrne has become an assassin... How can I ever face the Spirits of Light again...” Anjean sighed. She paused for a little bit. “... I am so sorry my former student has caused you all so much grief. At the very least, allow me to make help you make a grave for your friend Rena.”
“Thank you, Anjean.” I said.
The following morning, Saria woke up in her room. She yawned and hopped out of bed. She rushed to the kitchen to see what Rena was cooking for breakfast, but seemed puzzled when she didn’t find her there. She checked Rena’s study, as well as the patient room and the living room, but there was no sign of her. Saria decided to look for Rena outside.
Naomi, Zelda and I were standing outside, in front of the grave we made for Rena.
“Al! Zel! Naomi!” Saria called out as she ran toward us.
We turned around to face her, but none of us were smiling.
Saria stopped running. “What’s wrong?” she asked. She looked around, and then asked, “Where is Miss Rena?”
We didn’t answer her at first.
“... Where is she?” Saria asked again.
“Ah, Byrne. Did you finish the job?” Vino asked. “... You look like hell. What happened?”
“... I couldn’t beat him.” Byrne said shamefully.
Vino became enraged. “Are you kidding me?! I hired you because you’re the best assassin in the world! How can you lose to a child?!” he screamed.
“He may be a child, but he should not be underestimated. I made that mistake, and it nearly cost me my life.” Byrne said.
“... I thought you Lokomo couldn’t die.” Vino asked.
“Well, technically we can’t, but our bodies can be destroyed. That’d be the equivalent of us dying. We will eventually regenerate, but that can take years. I was almost destroyed by that boy. If his girlfriend didn’t stop him, I’d be a goner right now.”
“Well then, let’s go over there and kill them all right now, while he's still weak from your fight.” Vino said.
“... I’d stay away from the people close to Alphonse if I were you. I killed someone close to him during our fight, and in return he nearly killed me. Alphonse seems to be the kind of person whose strength responds to how he’s feeling. Trust me, it’s in our best interest to stay away from his loved ones. He’ll be much easier to kill if he doesn’t have a reason to kill us.” Byrne explained.
Vino silently took in what Byrne had said. “... All right, fine. You’re the expert here. I’ll listen to your advice. But next time, I’m joining the fray.”
“How is Saria handling it?” Naomi asked me.
“Zelda’s with her at Rena’s grave. She’s handling it pretty well, considering the circumstances.” I said quietly.
“I see...” Naomi said quietly.
We sat next to each other on the green couch in Rena’s living room. The house seemed very empty without Rena. Things were never going to be the same without her.
“Alphonse... I know I’ve already said it, but, I’m so sorry for your loss....” Naomi said.
“Thank you.”
We were quiet again. Naomi seemed to be struggling to come up with something to say.
“Um...” she began.
“Naomi.” I said suddenly.
“... Yes?”
“Can you do me a huge favor?” I asked her.
“What is it?”
I turned toward her on the couch. “I want to continue my journey as the Hero of Spirits with Zelda. I want to travel around and help people wherever I can. I don’t want to stay here too much longer, because it might put you and Saria in danger, with Byrne still after me. Can I ask you to stay here with Saria and watch over her? She doesn’t have anyone left now.”
Naomi seemed shocked. “Um... I don’t know. Wouldn’t it be easier for us to come with you?”
I shook my head. “It’ll be too dangerous. It would be safer for the two of you to stay here.”
“I see...” she said quietly. “But... I... Alphonse, I don’t want to be away from you...” she said. “You promised me you’d never leave me.”
I paused for a moment. I shifted my eyes away from her as I thought. I looked back at her once I knew how to answer her.
I stood up as I said “I know. I did promise you that. But just because I’m leaving here doesn’t mean I’m leaving you.”
Naomi looked up at me with keen eyes as I stood in front of her.
“I’m not leaving you, Naomi. I will come back. I promise. Please wait for me here, okay?” I asked.
Naomi hesitated for a moment, and then answered. “... Okay, I’ll wait here.” She grabbed my hand. “Promise me you’ll come back safe.” she said.
“Of course I will.” I said. “It’s a promise.”
I leant forward and kissed her forehead. Naomi’s face went red as she stared at me, stunned.
“I love you.” I said as I stood back upright.
I turned around and headed for the door, grabbing my sword on the way out. I strapped it around my back and opened the door.
I walked over to Zelda and Saria, who were standing in front of Rena’s grave.
I patted Saria’s head as I said goodbye to her, and beckoned for Zelda to follow me. Zelda understood what I was thinking right away and followed after me. We walked several steps before we heard a voice calling out.
“Alphonse, wait!”
I turned around to see Naomi running toward me. She jumped into my arms and kissed me.
Saira’s face went red, and Zelda’s probably did too, if she had a face. Both of them gasped as if they were saying “Aw...”
After our kiss, Naomi said, “I love you too. Please, be careful, Alphonse. I’ll miss you.”
“Yeah, I will. I’ll miss you too. Goodbye, Naomi.” I said.
At last, Zelda and I headed off. We waved back at Saria and Naomi as they stayed behind at Rena’s cabin.
"I hope you come home soon, Alphonse...” Naomi whispered as she waved goodbye to us.
As we walked, Zelda and I talked.
“Well well, looks like you finally got yourself a girlfriend, Alphonse!” Zelda teased.
“Knock it off.” I said, embarrassed.
“Just be sure not to screw it up!” she said jokingly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” I snapped.
“Oh, nothing!” Zelda said with a laugh.
“Aw, come on, gimme a break!” I moaned.
“So, where are we going now, Alphonse?” Zelda asked, changing the subject.
“Well, I want to go somewhere new this time. Let’s go to the Ocean Realm!”
“Sounds good!” Zelda agreed.
“All right, then it’s decided! Let’s head off!” I said enthusiastically as I walked off...
… Of course, not without hearing Zelda shout “You’re going the wrong way, Alphonse!”
All right, it's time for chapter twenty! This chapter marks the point where I stopped in the original version, but this time I'm going to take the story much farther. I have a lot of new stuff planned for Alphonse and Zelda, as well lots of new characters and companions too! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, as well as what's to come! ^-^“NOW, DIE!” I screamed as I swung the Lokomo Sword down. Byrne closed his eyes as the blast drew closer and closer.
“Alphonse, stop!”
Naomi called out to me as she hugged me tightly from behind. I stopped in my tracks, and the burst of aura faded. Byrne opened his eyes and looked up at us.
“Na... Naomi...” I breathed.
“Alphonse... Please stop...” she said in a shaky voice.
Chapter Twenty
I stood completely still in Naomi’s embrace. I could feel that she was shaking. I couldn’t tell if it was because the rain was cold, or that she was scared.
“Alphonse... You have to stop... You've done enough.” she begged.
“But... He killed Rena!” I yelled. “He has to pay!”
I tried to break free from her, but she hugged me tighter.
“Alphonse, please! I’m begging you... That’s enough... He can’t even move anymore. How can you attack someone who can’t even move? That isn’t like you!” she pleaded.
I stopped, and I finally took the time to take a good look at Byrne. He was lying on the ground before me, bleeding out from his chest, cowering in fear.
- He... He’s scared of me?
“Alphonse, this isn’t... This isn’t like you! I know he killed Rena, and he killed Oz too... And I want him to pay for it, but... What you’re doing is cruel! You’re not a cruel person, Alphonse!”
I cringed. She was right. This wasn’t like me.
“Naomi... I...” I began. I couldn’t find anything to say.
“Alphonse, this is wrong... This is nothing but senseless violence at this point...” she said.
I froze up.
- Senseless violence...
“The Alphonse I know wouldn’t be so cruel!” she continued. “Remember what you told me on our way here? You said that it was thanks to Rena that you’re able to smile again! Well, it’s thanks to you that I’m able to smile again! It’s because you were there for me that I can be happy again! That’s why... That’s why I don’t want to lose you! I don’t want to lose you to this senseless violence!” she cried.
I thought back to what I said to myself in the oil mines.
"This... this is all wrong... Why... Why does senseless violence like this have to exist?!"
“I don't want to be forced to commit violence like that!"
“I don't want to end up like that, as someone who feels nothing.”
My worst fear was actually happening. I was really starting to lose myself.
“Alphonse...” Naomi said again. She was starting to cry. “I don’t want you to lose yourself!
“Because... I love you, Alphonse!”
I felt like my heart had stopped for a few moments. Naomi had actually said it. She finally told me she loved me, and it was because I was losing myself to this senseless violence.
- What... What am I doing?
“I love you, Alphonse...” Naomi said while she was crying. “I don’t want to see you do this... I can’t let you lose yourself, Alphonse... I can’t lose you...” she cried.
My hands started shaking, and I dropped my sword at my feet.
“Naomi...” I said. I could barely speak right now. My throat felt like it was closing up. Tears were starting to roll down my cheeks.
“I... I’m sorry...” I finally managed to spit out. “I...”
I looked down at Byrne again, who watched us quietly. I looked over at Zelda, who was still lying on the ground. I looked over at Rena’s dead body. The rain had washed all of the blood away by now. She had no life left in her, and no more warmth to give me. Byrne took that all away. But, I still had Naomi.
“I...” I said again.
Naomi was still hugging me tightly. She was sobbing into my shirt.
“What... What am I doing?” I said aloud this time. “Rena...” I whispered. “Naomi... I... I’m sorry...”
Finally I collapsed to my knees and cried. Naomi came down with me. She didn’t loosen her grip for even a second.
The rain started to slow down.
I knelt on the ground with Naomi, just crying. I cried harder than I had in a long time. I didn’t even notice when Byrne stood up and limped away into the night.
The rain slowed to a drizzle.
Finally able to get up again, Zelda slowly floated over to us and leaned in next to me, as if she was crying with us.
“Naomi...” I said through my tears. “I... I love you, too...”
The rain finally stopped.
* * *
* * *
We knelt on the ground for what felt like hours. None of us spoke for a long time. The only thing to be heard was sobbing. At last, Zelda broke the silence.
“Alphonse... I think we should hurry up and make Rena a grave... We shouldn’t let Saria see her like this when she wakes up tomorrow morning...”
I didn’t answer her right away.
“She’s right, Alphonse...” Naomi agreed.
“... Yeah, I know.” I said at last. “Let’s do it.”
“Just a second, Alphonse.” a familiar, gravely voice said.
All three of us looked around in surprise.
“... Anjean.” Naomi and I said in unison.
“Hello again, Alphonse and Naomi.” she replied.
“Who is this?” Zelda asked.
“This is Anjean. She’s one of the Lokomo, and she’s the one who made me the Hero of Spirits.” I explained. “What do you need? This isn’t exactly a good time.” I asked Anjean.
“I know, and I apologise, but I just have a quick question.” she said sternly.
I stood up. “What is it?” I asked.
“I came here because I sensed a disturbance in the Spirits’ powers. I deduced that the source of the disturbance had come from you, so I came to see what had happened.”
“A disturbance? How do you mean?” I asked her.
“Well, I can’t really explain it myself.” Anjean said. “It was almost as if something was broken... Or bent...”
- Bent? Could she mean...
“Um, I think I might know what you’re talking about.” I said. Anjean perked up. “Earlier, when I was fighting, I managed to bend the Lokomo Sword’s will...”
Anjean seemed surprisingly shocked. “You... You actually bent the sword’s will? That’s incredible... To think you were this strong already... But why would you need to bend the sword’s will?” she asked.
“Well, I had to. The sword can’t harm things similar to it, and since I was fighting a Lokomo, I had to-”
Anjean cut me off. “You what?! You fought with a Lokomo?! Why on earth would you do that?”
“Well, he was trying to kill me. He also killed Rena, as well as Naomi’s stepfather.” I explained.
“That’s preposterous! The Lokomo are the servants of the Spirits! They are beings of good! They would never...” Anjean mysteriously paused. “... What was this Lokomo’s name?” she asked quietly.
“He called himself Byrne.” I answered.
The look on Anjean’s face was pure shock. She actually gasped. I was surprised, because I had always thought she could keep her composure no matter what. That’s how she seemed to me anyway.
“Byrne...” Anjean said in horror.
“Do you know him?” I asked.
“... Byrne was once my apprentice.” Anjean said quietly.
All three of us-- Naomi, Zelda and me-- flinched in shock.
“Your apprentice?!” Naomi said.
“Yes... He left the Sacred Realm of the Spirits many years ago, and hasn’t been seen since.” she said solemnly.
“Byrne told me he was hired to kill me.” I told her.
“To think Byrne has become an assassin... How can I ever face the Spirits of Light again...” Anjean sighed. She paused for a little bit. “... I am so sorry my former student has caused you all so much grief. At the very least, allow me to make help you make a grave for your friend Rena.”
“Thank you, Anjean.” I said.
* * *
The following morning, Saria woke up in her room. She yawned and hopped out of bed. She rushed to the kitchen to see what Rena was cooking for breakfast, but seemed puzzled when she didn’t find her there. She checked Rena’s study, as well as the patient room and the living room, but there was no sign of her. Saria decided to look for Rena outside.
Naomi, Zelda and I were standing outside, in front of the grave we made for Rena.
“Al! Zel! Naomi!” Saria called out as she ran toward us.
We turned around to face her, but none of us were smiling.
Saria stopped running. “What’s wrong?” she asked. She looked around, and then asked, “Where is Miss Rena?”
We didn’t answer her at first.
“... Where is she?” Saria asked again.
- SOMEWHERE IN THE FOREST REALM -
“Ah, Byrne. Did you finish the job?” Vino asked. “... You look like hell. What happened?”
“... I couldn’t beat him.” Byrne said shamefully.
Vino became enraged. “Are you kidding me?! I hired you because you’re the best assassin in the world! How can you lose to a child?!” he screamed.
“He may be a child, but he should not be underestimated. I made that mistake, and it nearly cost me my life.” Byrne said.
“... I thought you Lokomo couldn’t die.” Vino asked.
“Well, technically we can’t, but our bodies can be destroyed. That’d be the equivalent of us dying. We will eventually regenerate, but that can take years. I was almost destroyed by that boy. If his girlfriend didn’t stop him, I’d be a goner right now.”
“Well then, let’s go over there and kill them all right now, while he's still weak from your fight.” Vino said.
“... I’d stay away from the people close to Alphonse if I were you. I killed someone close to him during our fight, and in return he nearly killed me. Alphonse seems to be the kind of person whose strength responds to how he’s feeling. Trust me, it’s in our best interest to stay away from his loved ones. He’ll be much easier to kill if he doesn’t have a reason to kill us.” Byrne explained.
Vino silently took in what Byrne had said. “... All right, fine. You’re the expert here. I’ll listen to your advice. But next time, I’m joining the fray.”
- BACK AT RENA’S CABIN -
“How is Saria handling it?” Naomi asked me.
“Zelda’s with her at Rena’s grave. She’s handling it pretty well, considering the circumstances.” I said quietly.
“I see...” Naomi said quietly.
We sat next to each other on the green couch in Rena’s living room. The house seemed very empty without Rena. Things were never going to be the same without her.
“Alphonse... I know I’ve already said it, but, I’m so sorry for your loss....” Naomi said.
“Thank you.”
We were quiet again. Naomi seemed to be struggling to come up with something to say.
“Um...” she began.
“Naomi.” I said suddenly.
“... Yes?”
“Can you do me a huge favor?” I asked her.
“What is it?”
I turned toward her on the couch. “I want to continue my journey as the Hero of Spirits with Zelda. I want to travel around and help people wherever I can. I don’t want to stay here too much longer, because it might put you and Saria in danger, with Byrne still after me. Can I ask you to stay here with Saria and watch over her? She doesn’t have anyone left now.”
Naomi seemed shocked. “Um... I don’t know. Wouldn’t it be easier for us to come with you?”
I shook my head. “It’ll be too dangerous. It would be safer for the two of you to stay here.”
“I see...” she said quietly. “But... I... Alphonse, I don’t want to be away from you...” she said. “You promised me you’d never leave me.”
I paused for a moment. I shifted my eyes away from her as I thought. I looked back at her once I knew how to answer her.
I stood up as I said “I know. I did promise you that. But just because I’m leaving here doesn’t mean I’m leaving you.”
Naomi looked up at me with keen eyes as I stood in front of her.
“I’m not leaving you, Naomi. I will come back. I promise. Please wait for me here, okay?” I asked.
Naomi hesitated for a moment, and then answered. “... Okay, I’ll wait here.” She grabbed my hand. “Promise me you’ll come back safe.” she said.
“Of course I will.” I said. “It’s a promise.”
I leant forward and kissed her forehead. Naomi’s face went red as she stared at me, stunned.
“I love you.” I said as I stood back upright.
I turned around and headed for the door, grabbing my sword on the way out. I strapped it around my back and opened the door.
I walked over to Zelda and Saria, who were standing in front of Rena’s grave.
I patted Saria’s head as I said goodbye to her, and beckoned for Zelda to follow me. Zelda understood what I was thinking right away and followed after me. We walked several steps before we heard a voice calling out.
“Alphonse, wait!”
I turned around to see Naomi running toward me. She jumped into my arms and kissed me.
Saira’s face went red, and Zelda’s probably did too, if she had a face. Both of them gasped as if they were saying “Aw...”
After our kiss, Naomi said, “I love you too. Please, be careful, Alphonse. I’ll miss you.”
“Yeah, I will. I’ll miss you too. Goodbye, Naomi.” I said.
At last, Zelda and I headed off. We waved back at Saria and Naomi as they stayed behind at Rena’s cabin.
"I hope you come home soon, Alphonse...” Naomi whispered as she waved goodbye to us.
As we walked, Zelda and I talked.
“Well well, looks like you finally got yourself a girlfriend, Alphonse!” Zelda teased.
“Knock it off.” I said, embarrassed.
“Just be sure not to screw it up!” she said jokingly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” I snapped.
“Oh, nothing!” Zelda said with a laugh.
“Aw, come on, gimme a break!” I moaned.
“So, where are we going now, Alphonse?” Zelda asked, changing the subject.
“Well, I want to go somewhere new this time. Let’s go to the Ocean Realm!”
“Sounds good!” Zelda agreed.
“All right, then it’s decided! Let’s head off!” I said enthusiastically as I walked off...
… Of course, not without hearing Zelda shout “You’re going the wrong way, Alphonse!”
Last edited:
Chilfo Freeze
Emma Jean Stone
Hmmm. I like the change in emotion, and the fact that Alphonse questions his motives for hurting someone so badly and not feeling a thing. It gives him a great characteristic, making him a very dynamic character. Also, I definitely enjoy the dash of romance! I always try to find books to read that have a bit of love mixed in. Nice work!
AllieHaxorNova
Nine Tailed Hannya.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2011
Great story Azure! All the action and romance took my breath away. This story was clearly well written, and I can't wait to read more ^-^
Thank you so much, you two! It means a lot! ^-^ Okay, guys, it's time for chapter twenty-one! I recently made a sign-ups thread, and Atsuma, Raindrop14, thank you both! Some of your characters will be featured in this new chapter. 
Also, I want you guys to tell me what you think of Layla's character. She's my first time trying out a tsundere, so I'd greatly appreciate some criticism on her.
Okay guys, enjoy! ^-^
Before heading to the Ocean Realm, Zelda and I stopped at the small town of Mayscore to prepare. Both of us were familiar with the townspeople here. We spent a lot of time here back when we had just started traveling together. When we arrived, we were met with a big welcome.
“Hey, it’s Alphonse and Zelda!” said one of the townspeople, Heinrich.
“Hi, Heinrich, It’s been a while!” I said.
“We’ve been hearing stories about you.” said another, named Julia.
“Yeah, we heard you defeated Vaati, Alphonse! That’s amazing!” said a third, called Scott.
“Thanks...” I said shyly.
“He also became the Hero of Spirits!” Zelda said.
“Yeah, we heard! We also told Rena when she stopped by a few days ago. She wanted to know if we heard any news about you defeating Vaati.” Julia said.
“It was as if she knew you would beat him! That woman is something else.” Heinrich said.
Upon hearing Rena’s name, I became solemn.
“How is Rena, anyway?” Scott asked. “Have you seen her yet?”
“Um, Mr Scott...” Zelda began. “Rena passed away last night.”
All three of them became shocked.
“... Oh my god, I had no idea. I’m so sorry, Alphonse.” said Scott.
“Thank you.” I said quietly.
They paused, and then Heinrich said, “How about you two stay the night and rest up? I'll cook you up a fine meal!”
It was obvious he was trying to take our minds off of Rena, so I nodded.
Zelda and I spent the night at Heinrich’s house, just as we used to do when we would stop by here a while back. He gave us a warm meal of meat and potatoes. After dinner, the two of us rested for the night, and in the morning, I ate a hearty breakfast of sausage and bacon.
I thanked Heinrich as I strapped my sword around my back and left his house with Zelda. We walked down the dirt road in the middle of town surrounded by houses and trees. We ran into Julia on our way out of the village.
“Oh, good morning Alphonse and Zelda!” she said cheerfully. She was carrying a basket of food. I guessed she was probably shopping for breakfast for her kids.
“Good morning.” we said together.
“Leaving town already?” she asked.
“Yeah, we’re going to the Ocean Realm.” Zelda told her.
“Oh, I see. Then you should stop by Great Bay City. A friend of mine named Seryph lives there, and he works on a cargo ship. He can help you out and give you a ride across the ocean if you tell him I sent you!” she explained.
“Thank you, Julia!” Zelda and I said in unison. “Goodbye!” we waved as we headed out of the city.
Julia waved back and smiled. “Alphonse, you’re going the wrong way!” she called out with a laugh.
We reached the border to the Ocean Realm in a few hours. We could already smell the sea air. I inhaled a big gulp of it.
“Wow! It’s been so long since I’ve smelled the ocean breeze!” I said.
“Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, as far as I’m concerned, air is air.” Zelda remarked.
“You have a point, but the sea breeze smells good!” I answered.
“Whatever...” she replied. “... Wait a minute, have you been here before Alphonse?”
“No, never, why?”
“Well, you said it’s been so long since you’ve smelled ocean air.”
“Oh, that’s because my hometown, Aboda Village, was on the southwestern shore of the country. It was a seaside village.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah. I haven’t been there since Rena brought me out of there during Vaati’s attack nine years ago...” I said solemnly.
I stopped walking for a minute.
- And here I was trying to put thoughts of Rena out of my mind for a while...
Zelda watched me quietly. “... Do you need a moment, Alphonse?” she asked.
“No, I’m fine.” I said as I shook my head.
"If you say so." she said, seeming unconvinced.
The two of us continued on.
After another hour of walking, we found ourselves at the top of an enormous hill overlooking the Ocean Realm. The cool wind brushed through the green grass of the hill elegantly, and we could see the sunlight sparkle across the vast ocean that was spread out all the way to the horizon line. We could see the silhouettes of a few islands here and there, far out to sea. We could also see waves gently crashing onto the sandy beaches on either side of Great Bay City, which was at the foot of the hill.
“Wow...” I breathed.
“What a beautiful sight...” Zelda said.
We were both gaping in awe. The Snow Realm was beautiful, but this was something else.
“Let’s get moving. We have to find Seryph, after all.” Zelda said at last.
“Y-yeah. Let’s go.” I said, snapping my head back into reality.
The two of us descended the great hill and headed into the city. And man, was it big.
Zelda and I gaped in awe-- again-- at the sheer size of the port town. The only other city as big as this one that we’d seen was the country’s capital, Hyleigh City. The whole place was like a concrete jungle. Buildings lined the various streets like walls, and various clothing lines crisscrossed above the streets. People were everywhere, carrying who-knows-what to who-knows-where. This city was enormous.
“... So we’re supposed to find one person in all of this?” Zelda said.
“... Yeah. We’re screwed.” I said.
Hours went by after Zelda and I split up to canvas the entire city for Seryph. There was always the possibility that he was out at sea, since Julia had told us he worked on a cargo ship. So, our chances of finding him today were very slim.
I had no luck finding him on my own, and I was heading back to our pre-determined rendezvous point; the town square.
As I walked through the streets, I took a good look around. There were a lot of people on the streets, covered in filth. It looked like this place had a lot of homeless people. I had always heard this country was a paradise everywhere you went, but I guess after the death of the royal family, things must have fallen apart in places.
“Hey sonny, you wanna play a round with us?” a vagabond asked me. He gestured to his poker table on the side of the street.
“I don’t know how to play.” I said.
“That’s okay, we’ll show you.” he said, ushering me to one of the chairs.
I was supposed to be meeting up with Zelda, but I figured it couldn't hurt to see what this game was about. So, I walked over and sat across from the vagabond. Two other unwashed street urchins sat at the other ends of the table.
“So, you just take these cards, sonny, and you lay ‘em out on the table.” the vagabond explained.
After a bit of instruction, I was starting to understand how this game is played.
“I think I get it now.” I said.
“Good! Good! Then what say we start off our game with a little wager?” the vagabond proposed.
“What kind of wager?” I asked.
“Let’s see... If we win, we get your fancy little sword you got there!”
Now I realized what he was up to. These guys were trying to con me. I guessed they planned to sell my sword or something. Well, they certainly did look like they needed money. However, I couldn’t risk losing such a sacred sword, so I decided I had to turn him down.
“Sorry, I don’t want to play.” I said politely.
“Oh come on, sonny! Don’t be like that!” the vagabond persisted.
“Look, I’m sorry, but I don’t want to play. I didn’t even come to this city for games; I came looking for a man named Seryph.” I explained.
“Seryph? I know him.” said the vagabond.
“You do?” I said excitedly. “Can you tell me where I can find him?” I asked.
“Hmm... How about this. If you win our little card game, I’ll tell you where to find him. Your sword against our information. How’s that?” the vagabond offered.
I gulped nervously, and considered my options.
These guys knww where to find Seryph. But If I lost this round, I lost the Lokomo Sword, and I couldn't afford to lose something as important as that. But, If I continued to look around for Seryph without any information, it could take days. It was a big risk, but I decided the best way to find him would be to beat these guys in a round of poker.
At last, I sighed and said, “All right. I’m in.”
Zelda fluttered around the streets of Great Bay City nervously.
“Where is Alphonse? I hope he didn’t get lost or anything...” she said to herself.
Finally, she rounded a corner and found me.
“Alphonse! Where were you...” she paused. “What’s going on?”
Zelda stared at the strange sight of three older men standing behind me, in nothing but their underwear, all wearing disdainful looks on their faces. I was carrying a sack of clothes over my shoulder, which hung down next to my sword. I was ginning.
“Oh, hey Zelda! I found out from these guys where Seryph likes to hang out!” I said cheerfully.
“... You did? Well, that’s great!” she said.
I turned back to the vagabond and the two street urchins. “Here. You can have your clothes back. I don’t need them.” I said, holding out the sack of clothes.
The vagabond swiped it from my grasp angrily, and the three of them took off.
“... Alphonse, what happened?” Zelda asked. She was clearly confused.
“Oh, nothing much.” I answered. “Just... It turns out I’m a natural at playing poker!” I said with a big grin.
“Are you sure this is the place?” Zelda asked.
“This is the place that guy told me about. Considering how badly I beat them at their own game, I doubt they would have lied to me.” I replied.
Zelda and I stood outside a tavern near the docks of Great Bay City. The sign read “DEVIL’S NEST”.
“Let’s go in and look for him.” I said.
I opened the door to the tavern, and Zelda followed behind me as I walked in. We headed down a flight of steps, and at the bottom we came across another door. I opened this one up, and we went inside.
The whole room was lit dimly, and it was filled with tables, people, liquor and cigar smoke. Zelda and I headed over to the bar and sat down.
“What can I getcha?” the barkeeper asked. “... Hey wait, you’re just a kid. Come back when you're a bit older, will ya?” he sneered.
“We aren’t here to drink. I have a question.” I told him.
“Ehh?” he said.
“Do you know a man named Seryph?” I asked.
“Yeah, I know him. He usually comes here to refill his ship’s stock of booze. He’ll probably be comin’ in later today if ya wanna wait for ‘em.” he explained.
“Okay. Thank you." I said.
While Zelda and I waited at the bar, we overheard a group of people at a nearby table talking about something that caught my attention.
“No way! That’s gotta be like, the fifth one this month!”
“Yeah, man, I’m tellin’ you. That Leviathan’s freaking scary.”
“I haven’t gone out ta sea in ages. An’ I’m stayin’ in port ‘til that beastie’s gone.”
I turned to the barkeeper and asked, “What are those guys talking about? Is there some kind of sea monster around here?”
“What, ya don’t know?” he asked.
“Nope.” Zelda and I said simultaneously.
“Guess you two are newcomers to the city, then. Lately, a big Leviathan showed up in the waters near here, and it’s been sinkin’ ships like there’s no tomorrow. Only one crew is brave enough to leave port these days, and that man you’re lookin’ for, Seryph, is a part of it.” he explained.
“Wow. I had no idea there was a sea monster in these parts... Scary stuff, huh, Alphonse?” Zelda said.
“You think I could take ‘em?” I asked her half-jokingly.
“What are you crazy? Let’s not even try! I don’t wanna go anywhere near that thing!” Zelda freaked.
“You should listen to your floaty friend, kid. You’ll live longer that way.” the barkeeper advised.
I just shrugged, and continued to look around the tavern. Suddenly, the door swung open, and a man entered the room. He had light tan skin, brown eyes, and white, disheveled hair. He was dressed in a dark, sleeveless shirt and black pants. He certainly looked like he belonged on a ship.
“Ah, there he is. That’s Seryph.” the barkeeper said, pointing out the man who just walked in.
Seryph approached the bar and said, “Barkeep, I’m here for the usual.”
“I know ya are, I’ve got it ready.” the barkeeper said as he reached below the bar. He lifted up an average-sized crate and placed it on the bar in front of Seryph, who subsequently paid him.
“Thanks.” he said.
“Just a sec, Seryph. These two were lookin’ for you.” the barkeeper said, indicating Zelda and me.
“Hello.” we said in unison.
“What do you two want?” he asked.
“I’m Alphonse, and this is Zelda.” I introduced. “We’re planning on exploring the Ocean Realm, and our friend in Mayscore told us you could help us out. Her name is Julia.”
“Oh, Julia sent you two?” he said. Upon hearing Julia’s name, a big smile stretched across his face. “Any friend of Julia’s is a friend of mine. Come with me, you two. I’ll talk to our captain about letting you guys come with us to Zora Hall.”
“Sounds good!” I said, and we shook hands. “Thank you.” I said to the barkeeper. He just nodded his head.
Seryph led us out of the tavern, and down the street to the docks. As we approached the docks, Zelda and I looked around at the various ships in port. They were all different sizes. Some had sails, and others seemed to be steamboats. Seryph was leading us to one of these steamboats. It was enormous, and painted white. It had two large smokestacks in the center, and the one behind the prow was a little lower than the one in front of the cabin at the back of the ship. Zelda and I could see the ship’s name painted on one of the sides: “S.S. LINEBECK”.
“Is Linebeck the name of the captain?” I asked.
“No, he’s the late father of the captain.” Seryph explained.
“Oh, I see.” I said.
I was too busy gaping at the ship to watch where I was going. I accidentally walked into someone, and he dropped the boxes he was carrying.
“Hey, watch it, kid!” he snapped.
“I-I’m sorry!” I apologized.
“Take it easy, Milkovich, the kid’s with me.” Seryph told him.
“The hell did ya bring a kid here for?” Milkovich asked. “And what’s with the fairy?”
“Hey! What’s your deal?! I-I’m not bothering anyone!” Zelda fussed.
“Hey, take it easy fairy girl, I was just asking! I didn’t know if ya were just lost or if ya were with the kid!” he replied.
“Pick up the pace, Jack!” I heard a female voice shout somewhere behind us.
Both Seryph and Milkovich froze up.
“Here she comes. You best get your ass to the boat, Milkovich.” Seryph said.
Milkovich didn’t even respond; he high-tailed it to the boat with the crates he was carrying, as did the man I assumed was Jack.
“Don’t you dare drop that, Fargo! That crate is fragile!” hollered the female voice again. It sounded closer now. A man, whom I guessed to be Fargo, scurried past us to the ship.
“Hey, Seryph! Who are these two?!” the voice asked sternly. I turned around and to my surprise, a young girl was standing there.
She was very pretty, and seemed to be about my age. She had long, blonde hair and brown eyes, and was wearing all black. Her skin-tight, sleeveless jacket was unzipped a bit too much in the front, so it was very easy to tell that she had a fairly big chest. She didn’t seem to be self-conscious of it at all, though. I could tell by the way she acted that she was kind of a tomboy.
“Captain Layla, this is Alphonse and Zelda.” Seryph explained. “I was wondering if they could come aboard for the trip to Zora Hall. They’re here on request of an old friend of mine.
“That so, huh?” Layla said. She walked up to me and gave me a stern look.
“So you’re the captain? But you’re so young. You’ve gotta be at least my age!” I said.
“Got a problem with that?!” she asked threateningly. It didn’t faze me, though.
“Not at all. I’m actually pretty impressed. It's amazing that you command so much respect from your crew at such a young age!” I said.
Suddenly, Layla became a little bashful. She started blushing and said, “W-well, yeah, I guess...” Suddenly she stopped blushing and returned to her stern persona. “It-It’s not like I’m trying to impress anybody or anything, though!” she fussed.
- What’s with her...
“So, can we come aboard or not?” I asked.
“Ha. Just because one of Seryph’s friends sent you here doesn’t mean I’m obliged to let you on my ship.” she said.
“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t expect to be a freeloader or anything. I’ll gladly pull my own weight and help out with anything you need me to.” I assured her.
A devious smile crossed her face. “Heh heh... You better watch what you say, kid. I just might hold you to that.”
“So...” Seryph began.
“That’s right. They can come aboard. Now get that cargo to the ship!” she ordered him.
“Yes, ma’am!” He responded like lightning and rushed aboard the ship with the cargo.
“Thank you for letting us on your ship!” I said gratefully.
“Save it, kid. Now get moving!” she shouted. “Welcome aboard the S.S. Linebeck!”
Also, I want you guys to tell me what you think of Layla's character. She's my first time trying out a tsundere, so I'd greatly appreciate some criticism on her.Okay guys, enjoy! ^-^
Chapter Twenty-One
Before heading to the Ocean Realm, Zelda and I stopped at the small town of Mayscore to prepare. Both of us were familiar with the townspeople here. We spent a lot of time here back when we had just started traveling together. When we arrived, we were met with a big welcome.
“Hey, it’s Alphonse and Zelda!” said one of the townspeople, Heinrich.
“Hi, Heinrich, It’s been a while!” I said.
“We’ve been hearing stories about you.” said another, named Julia.
“Yeah, we heard you defeated Vaati, Alphonse! That’s amazing!” said a third, called Scott.
“Thanks...” I said shyly.
“He also became the Hero of Spirits!” Zelda said.
“Yeah, we heard! We also told Rena when she stopped by a few days ago. She wanted to know if we heard any news about you defeating Vaati.” Julia said.
“It was as if she knew you would beat him! That woman is something else.” Heinrich said.
Upon hearing Rena’s name, I became solemn.
“How is Rena, anyway?” Scott asked. “Have you seen her yet?”
“Um, Mr Scott...” Zelda began. “Rena passed away last night.”
All three of them became shocked.
“... Oh my god, I had no idea. I’m so sorry, Alphonse.” said Scott.
“Thank you.” I said quietly.
They paused, and then Heinrich said, “How about you two stay the night and rest up? I'll cook you up a fine meal!”
It was obvious he was trying to take our minds off of Rena, so I nodded.
Zelda and I spent the night at Heinrich’s house, just as we used to do when we would stop by here a while back. He gave us a warm meal of meat and potatoes. After dinner, the two of us rested for the night, and in the morning, I ate a hearty breakfast of sausage and bacon.
I thanked Heinrich as I strapped my sword around my back and left his house with Zelda. We walked down the dirt road in the middle of town surrounded by houses and trees. We ran into Julia on our way out of the village.
“Oh, good morning Alphonse and Zelda!” she said cheerfully. She was carrying a basket of food. I guessed she was probably shopping for breakfast for her kids.
“Good morning.” we said together.
“Leaving town already?” she asked.
“Yeah, we’re going to the Ocean Realm.” Zelda told her.
“Oh, I see. Then you should stop by Great Bay City. A friend of mine named Seryph lives there, and he works on a cargo ship. He can help you out and give you a ride across the ocean if you tell him I sent you!” she explained.
“Thank you, Julia!” Zelda and I said in unison. “Goodbye!” we waved as we headed out of the city.
Julia waved back and smiled. “Alphonse, you’re going the wrong way!” she called out with a laugh.
* * *
We reached the border to the Ocean Realm in a few hours. We could already smell the sea air. I inhaled a big gulp of it.
“Wow! It’s been so long since I’ve smelled the ocean breeze!” I said.
“Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, as far as I’m concerned, air is air.” Zelda remarked.
“You have a point, but the sea breeze smells good!” I answered.
“Whatever...” she replied. “... Wait a minute, have you been here before Alphonse?”
“No, never, why?”
“Well, you said it’s been so long since you’ve smelled ocean air.”
“Oh, that’s because my hometown, Aboda Village, was on the southwestern shore of the country. It was a seaside village.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah. I haven’t been there since Rena brought me out of there during Vaati’s attack nine years ago...” I said solemnly.
I stopped walking for a minute.
- And here I was trying to put thoughts of Rena out of my mind for a while...
Zelda watched me quietly. “... Do you need a moment, Alphonse?” she asked.
“No, I’m fine.” I said as I shook my head.
"If you say so." she said, seeming unconvinced.
The two of us continued on.
After another hour of walking, we found ourselves at the top of an enormous hill overlooking the Ocean Realm. The cool wind brushed through the green grass of the hill elegantly, and we could see the sunlight sparkle across the vast ocean that was spread out all the way to the horizon line. We could see the silhouettes of a few islands here and there, far out to sea. We could also see waves gently crashing onto the sandy beaches on either side of Great Bay City, which was at the foot of the hill.
“Wow...” I breathed.
“What a beautiful sight...” Zelda said.
We were both gaping in awe. The Snow Realm was beautiful, but this was something else.
“Let’s get moving. We have to find Seryph, after all.” Zelda said at last.
“Y-yeah. Let’s go.” I said, snapping my head back into reality.
The two of us descended the great hill and headed into the city. And man, was it big.
Zelda and I gaped in awe-- again-- at the sheer size of the port town. The only other city as big as this one that we’d seen was the country’s capital, Hyleigh City. The whole place was like a concrete jungle. Buildings lined the various streets like walls, and various clothing lines crisscrossed above the streets. People were everywhere, carrying who-knows-what to who-knows-where. This city was enormous.
“... So we’re supposed to find one person in all of this?” Zelda said.
“... Yeah. We’re screwed.” I said.
* * *
Hours went by after Zelda and I split up to canvas the entire city for Seryph. There was always the possibility that he was out at sea, since Julia had told us he worked on a cargo ship. So, our chances of finding him today were very slim.
I had no luck finding him on my own, and I was heading back to our pre-determined rendezvous point; the town square.
As I walked through the streets, I took a good look around. There were a lot of people on the streets, covered in filth. It looked like this place had a lot of homeless people. I had always heard this country was a paradise everywhere you went, but I guess after the death of the royal family, things must have fallen apart in places.
“Hey sonny, you wanna play a round with us?” a vagabond asked me. He gestured to his poker table on the side of the street.
“I don’t know how to play.” I said.
“That’s okay, we’ll show you.” he said, ushering me to one of the chairs.
I was supposed to be meeting up with Zelda, but I figured it couldn't hurt to see what this game was about. So, I walked over and sat across from the vagabond. Two other unwashed street urchins sat at the other ends of the table.
“So, you just take these cards, sonny, and you lay ‘em out on the table.” the vagabond explained.
After a bit of instruction, I was starting to understand how this game is played.
“I think I get it now.” I said.
“Good! Good! Then what say we start off our game with a little wager?” the vagabond proposed.
“What kind of wager?” I asked.
“Let’s see... If we win, we get your fancy little sword you got there!”
Now I realized what he was up to. These guys were trying to con me. I guessed they planned to sell my sword or something. Well, they certainly did look like they needed money. However, I couldn’t risk losing such a sacred sword, so I decided I had to turn him down.
“Sorry, I don’t want to play.” I said politely.
“Oh come on, sonny! Don’t be like that!” the vagabond persisted.
“Look, I’m sorry, but I don’t want to play. I didn’t even come to this city for games; I came looking for a man named Seryph.” I explained.
“Seryph? I know him.” said the vagabond.
“You do?” I said excitedly. “Can you tell me where I can find him?” I asked.
“Hmm... How about this. If you win our little card game, I’ll tell you where to find him. Your sword against our information. How’s that?” the vagabond offered.
I gulped nervously, and considered my options.
These guys knww where to find Seryph. But If I lost this round, I lost the Lokomo Sword, and I couldn't afford to lose something as important as that. But, If I continued to look around for Seryph without any information, it could take days. It was a big risk, but I decided the best way to find him would be to beat these guys in a round of poker.
At last, I sighed and said, “All right. I’m in.”
* * *
Zelda fluttered around the streets of Great Bay City nervously.
“Where is Alphonse? I hope he didn’t get lost or anything...” she said to herself.
Finally, she rounded a corner and found me.
“Alphonse! Where were you...” she paused. “What’s going on?”
Zelda stared at the strange sight of three older men standing behind me, in nothing but their underwear, all wearing disdainful looks on their faces. I was carrying a sack of clothes over my shoulder, which hung down next to my sword. I was ginning.
“Oh, hey Zelda! I found out from these guys where Seryph likes to hang out!” I said cheerfully.
“... You did? Well, that’s great!” she said.
I turned back to the vagabond and the two street urchins. “Here. You can have your clothes back. I don’t need them.” I said, holding out the sack of clothes.
The vagabond swiped it from my grasp angrily, and the three of them took off.
“... Alphonse, what happened?” Zelda asked. She was clearly confused.
“Oh, nothing much.” I answered. “Just... It turns out I’m a natural at playing poker!” I said with a big grin.
* * *
“Are you sure this is the place?” Zelda asked.
“This is the place that guy told me about. Considering how badly I beat them at their own game, I doubt they would have lied to me.” I replied.
Zelda and I stood outside a tavern near the docks of Great Bay City. The sign read “DEVIL’S NEST”.
“Let’s go in and look for him.” I said.
I opened the door to the tavern, and Zelda followed behind me as I walked in. We headed down a flight of steps, and at the bottom we came across another door. I opened this one up, and we went inside.
The whole room was lit dimly, and it was filled with tables, people, liquor and cigar smoke. Zelda and I headed over to the bar and sat down.
“What can I getcha?” the barkeeper asked. “... Hey wait, you’re just a kid. Come back when you're a bit older, will ya?” he sneered.
“We aren’t here to drink. I have a question.” I told him.
“Ehh?” he said.
“Do you know a man named Seryph?” I asked.
“Yeah, I know him. He usually comes here to refill his ship’s stock of booze. He’ll probably be comin’ in later today if ya wanna wait for ‘em.” he explained.
“Okay. Thank you." I said.
While Zelda and I waited at the bar, we overheard a group of people at a nearby table talking about something that caught my attention.
“No way! That’s gotta be like, the fifth one this month!”
“Yeah, man, I’m tellin’ you. That Leviathan’s freaking scary.”
“I haven’t gone out ta sea in ages. An’ I’m stayin’ in port ‘til that beastie’s gone.”
I turned to the barkeeper and asked, “What are those guys talking about? Is there some kind of sea monster around here?”
“What, ya don’t know?” he asked.
“Nope.” Zelda and I said simultaneously.
“Guess you two are newcomers to the city, then. Lately, a big Leviathan showed up in the waters near here, and it’s been sinkin’ ships like there’s no tomorrow. Only one crew is brave enough to leave port these days, and that man you’re lookin’ for, Seryph, is a part of it.” he explained.
“Wow. I had no idea there was a sea monster in these parts... Scary stuff, huh, Alphonse?” Zelda said.
“You think I could take ‘em?” I asked her half-jokingly.
“What are you crazy? Let’s not even try! I don’t wanna go anywhere near that thing!” Zelda freaked.
“You should listen to your floaty friend, kid. You’ll live longer that way.” the barkeeper advised.
I just shrugged, and continued to look around the tavern. Suddenly, the door swung open, and a man entered the room. He had light tan skin, brown eyes, and white, disheveled hair. He was dressed in a dark, sleeveless shirt and black pants. He certainly looked like he belonged on a ship.
“Ah, there he is. That’s Seryph.” the barkeeper said, pointing out the man who just walked in.
Seryph approached the bar and said, “Barkeep, I’m here for the usual.”
“I know ya are, I’ve got it ready.” the barkeeper said as he reached below the bar. He lifted up an average-sized crate and placed it on the bar in front of Seryph, who subsequently paid him.
“Thanks.” he said.
“Just a sec, Seryph. These two were lookin’ for you.” the barkeeper said, indicating Zelda and me.
“Hello.” we said in unison.
“What do you two want?” he asked.
“I’m Alphonse, and this is Zelda.” I introduced. “We’re planning on exploring the Ocean Realm, and our friend in Mayscore told us you could help us out. Her name is Julia.”
“Oh, Julia sent you two?” he said. Upon hearing Julia’s name, a big smile stretched across his face. “Any friend of Julia’s is a friend of mine. Come with me, you two. I’ll talk to our captain about letting you guys come with us to Zora Hall.”
“Sounds good!” I said, and we shook hands. “Thank you.” I said to the barkeeper. He just nodded his head.
Seryph led us out of the tavern, and down the street to the docks. As we approached the docks, Zelda and I looked around at the various ships in port. They were all different sizes. Some had sails, and others seemed to be steamboats. Seryph was leading us to one of these steamboats. It was enormous, and painted white. It had two large smokestacks in the center, and the one behind the prow was a little lower than the one in front of the cabin at the back of the ship. Zelda and I could see the ship’s name painted on one of the sides: “S.S. LINEBECK”.
“Is Linebeck the name of the captain?” I asked.
“No, he’s the late father of the captain.” Seryph explained.
“Oh, I see.” I said.
I was too busy gaping at the ship to watch where I was going. I accidentally walked into someone, and he dropped the boxes he was carrying.
“Hey, watch it, kid!” he snapped.
“I-I’m sorry!” I apologized.
“Take it easy, Milkovich, the kid’s with me.” Seryph told him.
“The hell did ya bring a kid here for?” Milkovich asked. “And what’s with the fairy?”
“Hey! What’s your deal?! I-I’m not bothering anyone!” Zelda fussed.
“Hey, take it easy fairy girl, I was just asking! I didn’t know if ya were just lost or if ya were with the kid!” he replied.
“Pick up the pace, Jack!” I heard a female voice shout somewhere behind us.
Both Seryph and Milkovich froze up.
“Here she comes. You best get your ass to the boat, Milkovich.” Seryph said.
Milkovich didn’t even respond; he high-tailed it to the boat with the crates he was carrying, as did the man I assumed was Jack.
“Don’t you dare drop that, Fargo! That crate is fragile!” hollered the female voice again. It sounded closer now. A man, whom I guessed to be Fargo, scurried past us to the ship.
“Hey, Seryph! Who are these two?!” the voice asked sternly. I turned around and to my surprise, a young girl was standing there.
She was very pretty, and seemed to be about my age. She had long, blonde hair and brown eyes, and was wearing all black. Her skin-tight, sleeveless jacket was unzipped a bit too much in the front, so it was very easy to tell that she had a fairly big chest. She didn’t seem to be self-conscious of it at all, though. I could tell by the way she acted that she was kind of a tomboy.
“Captain Layla, this is Alphonse and Zelda.” Seryph explained. “I was wondering if they could come aboard for the trip to Zora Hall. They’re here on request of an old friend of mine.
“That so, huh?” Layla said. She walked up to me and gave me a stern look.
“So you’re the captain? But you’re so young. You’ve gotta be at least my age!” I said.
“Got a problem with that?!” she asked threateningly. It didn’t faze me, though.
“Not at all. I’m actually pretty impressed. It's amazing that you command so much respect from your crew at such a young age!” I said.
Suddenly, Layla became a little bashful. She started blushing and said, “W-well, yeah, I guess...” Suddenly she stopped blushing and returned to her stern persona. “It-It’s not like I’m trying to impress anybody or anything, though!” she fussed.
- What’s with her...
“So, can we come aboard or not?” I asked.
“Ha. Just because one of Seryph’s friends sent you here doesn’t mean I’m obliged to let you on my ship.” she said.
“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t expect to be a freeloader or anything. I’ll gladly pull my own weight and help out with anything you need me to.” I assured her.
A devious smile crossed her face. “Heh heh... You better watch what you say, kid. I just might hold you to that.”
“So...” Seryph began.
“That’s right. They can come aboard. Now get that cargo to the ship!” she ordered him.
“Yes, ma’am!” He responded like lightning and rushed aboard the ship with the cargo.
“Thank you for letting us on your ship!” I said gratefully.
“Save it, kid. Now get moving!” she shouted. “Welcome aboard the S.S. Linebeck!”
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I don't like Layla. She reminds me of too many bad past experiences. For all intents and purposes she SHOULD work, but I honestly don't like her in my opinion. I hate her attitude, makes me want to rip a brick wall in half. 
Keep them coming though! I hope this new character of yours will become sweet and less "SHUT UP IM THE CAPTAIN"! ^^
Keep them coming though! I hope this new character of yours will become sweet and less "SHUT UP IM THE CAPTAIN"! ^^
Lol Vanitas don't worry too much about Layla. She's just starting out. I bet you'll grow to like her soon enough. Thank you for the feedback, nevertheless. Okay guys, it's time for chapter twenty-two!! I really hope you enjoy this one, and I also hope you'll continue to critique Layla's character. As I said, she's my first tsundere, so I want to be sure I'm doing it right.
Friendly Warning: This chapter contains suggestive dialogue and content that may not be appropriate for all readers.
All right guys, enjoy! ^-^
“Move it! Get on the ship!” Layla commanded to me and Zelda, as well as to the remainder of the crew.
Once everyone was on board and the cargo was safely secured below deck, we were ready to set sail.
“Let’s go! Get that engine warmed up, Jasson!” Layla shouted below deck.
“I don’t like that Layla.” Zelda whispered to me. “She’s really pushy.”
“I kinda like her.” I said.
“... Are you joking? She’s really rude!” Zelda snapped.
“I think she probably has a soft side under there... Probably.”
“... If you say so.”
Seryph walked over to us. “Hey, I have to ask... You two do know about the Leviathan that’s been sighted around here lately, right?”
“Yeah, we know.” I said.
“Oh, good. Hate to put your lives at risk without you two even knowing it.” he said.
“All right, set sail!” Layla shouted.
A loud fog horn sounded, and steam billowed out of the ship’s two smokestacks. The ship started to move.
“Wow! We’re really sailing!” I said excitedly.
“First time at sea, huh?” Seryph asked.
“That’s right.” I answered.
“Best enjoy the moment while it lasts, because pretty soon...” Seryph began.
“HEY! Alphonse! Seryph!” we heard Layla shout.
“... Too late.” Seryph finished.
“Seryph, get back to work!”
Seryph saluted her and rushed off to the opposite side of the deck.
“As for you, Alphonse.” Layla started.
“Yes?” I asked.
Layla handed me a mop and a bucket.
“Go mop the galley below deck.” she ordered with a smirk.
I immediately knew what she was up to. She was trying to haze me. But I wasn’t going to let it get to me.
“Sure thing!” I said with a smile. I took the mop and bucket from her. “Do you know where I can put my sword, though? I don’t want it to get in the way of my work.” I asked.
“You can just leave it in my cabin.” Layla told me, pointing the way.
“Thank you!” I said as I rushed off.
Meanwhile, Zelda was floating around, watching the crew do their thing. Soon enough, Milkovich walked up to her.
“Hey, you need to do something too, fairy girl!” he said.
“Wha-what?! But... How?! I’m a fairy! I can’t really do much...” Zelda fussed.
“Come on, there’s gotta be something you can do!”
“... What do you want me to do? Swab the deck or something?” Zelda asked.
“Swab the deck?! What do you think we are, pirates? Get real, fairy girl!” he laughed.
“.. But... I was being real...” she moaned.
After I placed my sword in Layla’s quarters, I left the room and headed below deck. However, I did not know where the galley was, so I had to ask one of the crew down there.
“Do you know where the galley is?” I asked a crewman.
“I’m headin’ there myself. Just follow me.” he told me.
“Thank you.”
I followed the man down the hall, past the cargo hold and the engine room, and then down another flight of stairs. There were two ways we could go now; the left seemed to lead to the crew’s barracks. The right led to a wide open room. That was where we were headed.
The galley was painted white like the rest of the ship, and there was an enormous table in the center of the room. At the other end was a door, probably leading to the kitchen. The crewman who showed me the way here went there.
“Are you the chef?” I asked him.
“That’s right. The name’s Nick.” he answered.
I started to mop. “Can I ask you something about Layla’s father?” I said.
“What?”
“The ship is named after him, right? Seryph told me. I was wondering how he died.”
“He was killed a few years back when Vaati destroyed Papuchiya Village. After that, Layla, his only child, took over as captain. She was only twelve back then.” he explained.
“So she lost someone to Vaati too, huh...” I said to myself.
‘What was that?” Nick asked.
“It's nothing.” I told him.
Nick shrugged and went through the door into the kitchen. Not long after, I heard a bunch of noise. I figured he was getting dinner ready.
Several minutes later, I finished mopping the galley. I made sure not to miss a spot, because I figured Layla would use any missed spots as an opportunity to haze me. I wiped my brow and carried the bucket and mop back to the deck.
When I returned above deck, I noticed that the sun was starting to set. I looked around, and I saw that Zelda was still arguing with Milkovich. Then I took some time to watch the crew at work.
Every single crewman worked hard and worked together. They moved and operated like a single, cohesive unit. They worked like a finely tuned machine. I was really impressed that Layla commanded so much respect from them.
I thought about how Nick had told me Layla assumed command of the ship when she was twelve. A twelve-year-old girl the captain of a crew of adult men? No wonder she had to act so tough all the time. A woman and younger than the rest of the crew... She had to be tough if she wanted to stay in command. I was actually starting to admire her, even though I knew now that her tough act was just a facade.
“Hey, Alphonse!” I heard Layla call out.
I looked around, and saw her walking toward me. “Yes?”
“Have you finished mopping the galley?” she asked.
“Yes.” I answered.
“Good. Then go help Norris reload the cannons at the port side.” she instructed.
“Okay.” I said. I paused for a second. “Port is right, right?”
“No, port is left.” she answered mockingly.
“Thank you.” I said.
I walked over to find Norris, although I had no idea who he was. I noticed a man by the railing reloading one of the five cannons on this side of the deck, and figured it had to be him.
“Excuse me, are you Norris?” I asked.
“Yeah, what?” he responded.
“Layla told me to come over here and help you reload the cannons.” I told him.
“Oh, good, I could use a hand. This’ll get done faster. Here.” he said as he handed me a cannonball. “Go put this inside that next one.” he told me.
“All right.”
First, I watched him open a small hatch at the top of the back end of the cannon. He carefully dropped the cannonball he was holding inside, and closed the hatch tight. I mimicked this with the next one. At first I thought a cannonball would be heavy, but for me, it was no trouble to lift. I guessed Layla didn’t know how strong I was, considering I noticed her out of the corner of my eye watching me reload the cannon with an annoyed look on her face. It seems her attempts at hazing me were failing miserably.
I helped Norris reload the cannon on the starboard side of the ship too, and as we did I talked to him.
“Why do we need to reload these cannons, anyway?” I asked him.
“You can never be too prepared.” he said. “We’ve already had one run-in with that Leviathan, and we damn near lost half the crew. That beast caught us off-guard last time, and so now Captain Layla doesn’t want us taking anymore chances.” he explained.
“She doesn’t want you taking chances but she still has you sailing these seas to deliver cargo with that thing prowling around?” I questioned.
“We’ve each got a family to feed, kid. We do what we have to do.” he told me.
“I see...” I said quietly.
After the cannons were all reloaded, both of us bent back and wiped our brows clean of sweat. Soon after, we heard Layla give the crew another command.
“All right you maggots! Dinner time!” Layla shouted across the deck.
A simultaneous sigh of relief washed over the entire ship as the whole crew began moving below deck to the galley to eat. I looked out at the horizon, and saw that the sun had already almost completely set.
- Man, I didn’t realize it was this late...
“Let’s go down to the galley, Alphonse!” Zelda said, flying over to me.
“Sure thing. I’m starved.” I said.
- I really worked up an appetite...
Once Zelda and I reached the galley, we saw that everyone else had already taken a seat. Nick was handing out meals to everyone. After getting my own plateful of food, I sat down next to Seryph and across from Milkovich at the long table.
On my plate was a side of shrimp, a serving of tuna, and a roll of bread. I could see that it was the same for the rest of the crew. Everyone had a bottle of liquor next to their plate, as well.
Seryph popped open another bottle and handed it to me. “Here.” he said.
The drinking age in Hyleigh was nineteen, so I was three years too young to have alcohol. But, I figured a little taste wouldn't hurt.
“Thank you.” I said as I took the bottle from him.
I hesitated at first, but I took a quick sip from the bottle. I immediately started coughing.
“Are you okay Alphonse?!” Zelda asked.
“Ulch...” I coughed. I wiped my mouth and set the bottle down. Seryph and Milkovich couldn’t have been laughing harder.
“First taste of booze, huh kid?” Seryph cackled.
“Yeah...” I said unpleasantly. “This tasted awful... How do you drink this stuff?”
That only made them howl with laughter some more, and I gave them a distasteful look.
I stopped paying attention to them for a bit and looked around the galley. I didn’t see Layla anywhere. “Where’s Layla?” I asked.
“She eats up in her cabin.” Seryph told me.
“Oh.” I said.
“You gotta eat somethin’ too, fairy girl!” Milkovich said to Zelda.
“What? Bu-but... I can’t eat anything! I’m a fairy! I don’t have a mouth!” she fussed.
“Then how’re you flappin’ your gums right now? Sure sounds like you got a mouth to me!”
“Not that kind of mouth! Ugh, you don’t understand a fairy’s anatomy at all, do you?" Zelda snapped.
“Easy there fairy girl, I’m just teasin’!” Milkovich laughed.
Dinner went by with a lot of laughing and drinking. I was actually surprised by how much the crew tried to make Zelda and I feel at home. It was almost like we were part of the crew ourselves. They were a lot nicer than I originally thought. Then again, these guys were a cargo ship crew, not a pirate ship crew.
After a little while, I decided to ask Seryph what he knew about the Leviathan.
“Norris told me you guys already ran into it once before.” I said.
“Ah yes, that was about a month ago.” he told me. “Damn thing wiped out half the crew. There used to be twenty-five of us on this ship, you see? Now there’s only thirteen.”
“Wow... It must have been hard to lose so many people...” Zelda said.
“Yeah, it was... But thanks to Layla’s leadership, we were able to get back to work in no time! That girl is something else, I’ll tell ya.” he said admiringly.
“What's the Leviathan like?” I asked.
“People have started callin' it Tentalus. It’s an enormous, one-eyed beast. It’s got a head full o’ tentacles as well as two giant tentacles for arms. And it’s got skin like steel. We blasted the thing with our cannons, but it barely seemed to faze ‘em. We got away by the skin of our teeth.” Seryph explained.
“S-scary...” Zelda said to herself.
“Sounds like one fearsome monster.” I said.
“It sure is. The worst part is, it always appears during a maelstrom, and that only makes it harder to get away.” Seryph told us.
“Alphonse, maybe we shouldn’t have come to the Ocean Realm after all...” Zelda said worriedly. “There’s always the Fire Realm, you know...”
“Come on, Zelda! We’re already here, so there’s no use complaining.” I said.
“Ohhh, you’re right... But I still don’t like this...” she complained.
“Don’t be such a fraidy cat, fairy girl!” Milkovich said.
“Hey, I have every right to be scared!” she replied. “I’m just a little Forest Fairy! I’d be nothing more than a snack for that thing!”
Once dinner was over, the whole crew got up and brought their plates over to the kitchen. I guessed Nick was going to take care of the dishes. Everyone returned to the barracks across the hall, except for Milkovich, who stayed behind to argue with Zelda some more. I went back above deck by myself to get my sword from Layla’s room.
As I walked, I kept thinking about the Leviathan, Tentalus. If that thing appeared, I would have to be ready. Although, Seryph told me that it only appears during a maelstrom, and the weather couldn’t have been clearer. However, I didn’t want to leave anything up to chance. I had no intention of being caught unprepared myself.
Once above deck, I headed for Layla’s cabin. Without really thinking about it, I opened the door to her room. And I stopped dead in my tracks.
Standing across the room, holding a shirt above her head as if she’d just taken it off, was Layla, staring back at me.
My eyes panned down, my jaw dropped, and my fight or flight response activated.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” Layla screamed, covering her chest with her arms.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were in here! I was just getting my sword!” I panicked.
“GET OUT!” she screamed.
Layla literally kicked me out of her room. I landed sprawled out on my back on the deck.
“And take your stupid sword with you!” she yelled.
She threw my sword out of her room, and it bounced off my head and fell to the floor near me. After that, Layla slammed the door shut.
I didn’t bother getting back up. I was in a daze, and not because she kicked me; I was dazed because of what I saw for the first time in my life.
I don’t know how long I was laying on the deck, but I know it was a long time. All I did was lay there and stare up at the night sky. Soon, I heard the door to Layla’s cabin creak open, and then close. I heard footsteps approach me on the wooden deck, and soon Layla’s face was hovering over mine.
I noticed that she was wearing different clothes, and guessed that I had the misfortune of accidentally walking in on her while she was changing. The clothes she wore now were lighter in color than the ones she wore earlier.
“Why are you still lying on the deck?” she asked me.
“Because I never got back up.” I responded.
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
“... You’re weird.”
“Whatever.”
I finally sat up, and Layla sat down next to me.
“You seem pretty out of it. Did I kick you that hard?" she asked.
"I dunno. Maybe."
“Wait... Was that your first time seeing them?” Layla mockingly asked with a smirk.
"... So what if it was?” I retorted, turning away from her.
Layla started cracking up. “A ha hah, you’re so innocent!” she laughed.
“... Shut up.” I said embarrassingly.
Layla paused for a bit. “Listen, Alphonse...” she began.
I turned back to her. “Hm?”
“I... I’m sorry for hitting you like that. I guess I... kind of overreacted.” she said sweetly. She was actually blushing a little.
- So she has a sweet side after all.
“It’s okay, you had every right to be angry. I should have knocked first.” I said.
Layla stood up. “... I guess I should apologize to you for how I’ve been treating you, too.”
She walked over and leaned against the port side railing as I grabbed my sword and strapped it around my back.
“It’s okay, Layla. I understand. You were just acting tough for your men.” I said as I joined her at the railing.
She seemed surprised. “How did you know that?”
“Nick told me about your father. I could figure the rest out on my own.” I answered.
“Oh, I see...” she said, looking away.
For a little while, we said nothing. I felt kinda bad for her, so I decided I should try to make her feel a little better.
“You know, Layla...” I began. She looked back at me. “I understand that acting tough may help you cope with your father’s death, but you know... it’s okay to let your true feelings out once in a while.”
“What do you mean by that?” she asked.
“I lost both of my parents to Vaati, so I can sort of understand you.” I told her. Upon hearing that, her eyes grew wide with shock. “For a while, I was upset, but I had someone in my life to help me learn to smile again. It’s thanks to this person that I’m even standing here today. She showed me that it’s okay to let your true feelings show, because it helps you get over the pain.”
Layla watched me silently as I talked. I noticed she was starting to take my words to heart.
“You don’t have to act so tough all the time.” I continued. “I can tell you’re just a normal girl underneath, and that's okay. You don’t have to hide it if you don’t want to.” I said, giving her an encouraging smile.
Layla seemed moved by what I told her. She looked away from me for a bit, but when she looked back she was actually smiling. It was the first time I’ve ever seen her truly smile.
“So... it’s okay for me to cry after all?” she said as tears were starting to roll down her cheeks. This surprised me. “I haven’t cried once... Not since the day my father died.” she told me. “I tried to be strong, for him, and for my crew. I thought that if I cried, it would mean I was weak...”
"Being able to cry for someone just means you care about them.” I said. “It has nothing to do with being weak or strong.”
Layla looked at me and said, “You really think so?” I nodded. “... Thank you, Alphonse...” she said softly.
She was still crying, but at the same time she was smiling. Helping people like her was why I wanted to embark on this journey. I felt a small sense of pride, knowing that I was capable of helping others like this. However, this moment ended fast.
I felt a drop of rain plop down on my head. "It’s raining?” I said aloud. That single drop quickly turned into a torrential downpour. “What’s with the weather?!” I cried out.
“Oh no...” Layla breathed as she wiped her eyes. She quickly turned and looked out to sea. Her eyes rapidly scanned the surface of the water, but when she didn’t spot anything, she quickly dashed across to the other side of the ship. I chased after her.
“Layla, what’s wrong?” I asked over the sound of the rain.
She didn’t answer me right away. Her eyes darted around the waters out away from the ship, and then suddenly froze in terror.
“Oh no...” she repeated.
“What is it?” I asked.
I looked in the direction she was looking, and saw a whirlpool forming several feet away from the ship.
“What is that?!” I said.
“It’s a maelstrom!” Layla shouted. “This is bad... We’ve got to warn the crew! Tentalus is coming!”
Thank you for the feedback, nevertheless. Okay guys, it's time for chapter twenty-two!! I really hope you enjoy this one, and I also hope you'll continue to critique Layla's character. As I said, she's my first tsundere, so I want to be sure I'm doing it right.Friendly Warning: This chapter contains suggestive dialogue and content that may not be appropriate for all readers.
All right guys, enjoy! ^-^
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Move it! Get on the ship!” Layla commanded to me and Zelda, as well as to the remainder of the crew.
Once everyone was on board and the cargo was safely secured below deck, we were ready to set sail.
“Let’s go! Get that engine warmed up, Jasson!” Layla shouted below deck.
“I don’t like that Layla.” Zelda whispered to me. “She’s really pushy.”
“I kinda like her.” I said.
“... Are you joking? She’s really rude!” Zelda snapped.
“I think she probably has a soft side under there... Probably.”
“... If you say so.”
Seryph walked over to us. “Hey, I have to ask... You two do know about the Leviathan that’s been sighted around here lately, right?”
“Yeah, we know.” I said.
“Oh, good. Hate to put your lives at risk without you two even knowing it.” he said.
“All right, set sail!” Layla shouted.
A loud fog horn sounded, and steam billowed out of the ship’s two smokestacks. The ship started to move.
“Wow! We’re really sailing!” I said excitedly.
“First time at sea, huh?” Seryph asked.
“That’s right.” I answered.
“Best enjoy the moment while it lasts, because pretty soon...” Seryph began.
“HEY! Alphonse! Seryph!” we heard Layla shout.
“... Too late.” Seryph finished.
“Seryph, get back to work!”
Seryph saluted her and rushed off to the opposite side of the deck.
“As for you, Alphonse.” Layla started.
“Yes?” I asked.
Layla handed me a mop and a bucket.
“Go mop the galley below deck.” she ordered with a smirk.
I immediately knew what she was up to. She was trying to haze me. But I wasn’t going to let it get to me.
“Sure thing!” I said with a smile. I took the mop and bucket from her. “Do you know where I can put my sword, though? I don’t want it to get in the way of my work.” I asked.
“You can just leave it in my cabin.” Layla told me, pointing the way.
“Thank you!” I said as I rushed off.
Meanwhile, Zelda was floating around, watching the crew do their thing. Soon enough, Milkovich walked up to her.
“Hey, you need to do something too, fairy girl!” he said.
“Wha-what?! But... How?! I’m a fairy! I can’t really do much...” Zelda fussed.
“Come on, there’s gotta be something you can do!”
“... What do you want me to do? Swab the deck or something?” Zelda asked.
“Swab the deck?! What do you think we are, pirates? Get real, fairy girl!” he laughed.
“.. But... I was being real...” she moaned.
After I placed my sword in Layla’s quarters, I left the room and headed below deck. However, I did not know where the galley was, so I had to ask one of the crew down there.
“Do you know where the galley is?” I asked a crewman.
“I’m headin’ there myself. Just follow me.” he told me.
“Thank you.”
I followed the man down the hall, past the cargo hold and the engine room, and then down another flight of stairs. There were two ways we could go now; the left seemed to lead to the crew’s barracks. The right led to a wide open room. That was where we were headed.
The galley was painted white like the rest of the ship, and there was an enormous table in the center of the room. At the other end was a door, probably leading to the kitchen. The crewman who showed me the way here went there.
“Are you the chef?” I asked him.
“That’s right. The name’s Nick.” he answered.
I started to mop. “Can I ask you something about Layla’s father?” I said.
“What?”
“The ship is named after him, right? Seryph told me. I was wondering how he died.”
“He was killed a few years back when Vaati destroyed Papuchiya Village. After that, Layla, his only child, took over as captain. She was only twelve back then.” he explained.
“So she lost someone to Vaati too, huh...” I said to myself.
‘What was that?” Nick asked.
“It's nothing.” I told him.
Nick shrugged and went through the door into the kitchen. Not long after, I heard a bunch of noise. I figured he was getting dinner ready.
Several minutes later, I finished mopping the galley. I made sure not to miss a spot, because I figured Layla would use any missed spots as an opportunity to haze me. I wiped my brow and carried the bucket and mop back to the deck.
When I returned above deck, I noticed that the sun was starting to set. I looked around, and I saw that Zelda was still arguing with Milkovich. Then I took some time to watch the crew at work.
Every single crewman worked hard and worked together. They moved and operated like a single, cohesive unit. They worked like a finely tuned machine. I was really impressed that Layla commanded so much respect from them.
I thought about how Nick had told me Layla assumed command of the ship when she was twelve. A twelve-year-old girl the captain of a crew of adult men? No wonder she had to act so tough all the time. A woman and younger than the rest of the crew... She had to be tough if she wanted to stay in command. I was actually starting to admire her, even though I knew now that her tough act was just a facade.
“Hey, Alphonse!” I heard Layla call out.
I looked around, and saw her walking toward me. “Yes?”
“Have you finished mopping the galley?” she asked.
“Yes.” I answered.
“Good. Then go help Norris reload the cannons at the port side.” she instructed.
“Okay.” I said. I paused for a second. “Port is right, right?”
“No, port is left.” she answered mockingly.
“Thank you.” I said.
I walked over to find Norris, although I had no idea who he was. I noticed a man by the railing reloading one of the five cannons on this side of the deck, and figured it had to be him.
“Excuse me, are you Norris?” I asked.
“Yeah, what?” he responded.
“Layla told me to come over here and help you reload the cannons.” I told him.
“Oh, good, I could use a hand. This’ll get done faster. Here.” he said as he handed me a cannonball. “Go put this inside that next one.” he told me.
“All right.”
First, I watched him open a small hatch at the top of the back end of the cannon. He carefully dropped the cannonball he was holding inside, and closed the hatch tight. I mimicked this with the next one. At first I thought a cannonball would be heavy, but for me, it was no trouble to lift. I guessed Layla didn’t know how strong I was, considering I noticed her out of the corner of my eye watching me reload the cannon with an annoyed look on her face. It seems her attempts at hazing me were failing miserably.
I helped Norris reload the cannon on the starboard side of the ship too, and as we did I talked to him.
“Why do we need to reload these cannons, anyway?” I asked him.
“You can never be too prepared.” he said. “We’ve already had one run-in with that Leviathan, and we damn near lost half the crew. That beast caught us off-guard last time, and so now Captain Layla doesn’t want us taking anymore chances.” he explained.
“She doesn’t want you taking chances but she still has you sailing these seas to deliver cargo with that thing prowling around?” I questioned.
“We’ve each got a family to feed, kid. We do what we have to do.” he told me.
“I see...” I said quietly.
After the cannons were all reloaded, both of us bent back and wiped our brows clean of sweat. Soon after, we heard Layla give the crew another command.
“All right you maggots! Dinner time!” Layla shouted across the deck.
A simultaneous sigh of relief washed over the entire ship as the whole crew began moving below deck to the galley to eat. I looked out at the horizon, and saw that the sun had already almost completely set.
- Man, I didn’t realize it was this late...
“Let’s go down to the galley, Alphonse!” Zelda said, flying over to me.
“Sure thing. I’m starved.” I said.
- I really worked up an appetite...
Once Zelda and I reached the galley, we saw that everyone else had already taken a seat. Nick was handing out meals to everyone. After getting my own plateful of food, I sat down next to Seryph and across from Milkovich at the long table.
On my plate was a side of shrimp, a serving of tuna, and a roll of bread. I could see that it was the same for the rest of the crew. Everyone had a bottle of liquor next to their plate, as well.
Seryph popped open another bottle and handed it to me. “Here.” he said.
The drinking age in Hyleigh was nineteen, so I was three years too young to have alcohol. But, I figured a little taste wouldn't hurt.
“Thank you.” I said as I took the bottle from him.
I hesitated at first, but I took a quick sip from the bottle. I immediately started coughing.
“Are you okay Alphonse?!” Zelda asked.
“Ulch...” I coughed. I wiped my mouth and set the bottle down. Seryph and Milkovich couldn’t have been laughing harder.
“First taste of booze, huh kid?” Seryph cackled.
“Yeah...” I said unpleasantly. “This tasted awful... How do you drink this stuff?”
That only made them howl with laughter some more, and I gave them a distasteful look.
I stopped paying attention to them for a bit and looked around the galley. I didn’t see Layla anywhere. “Where’s Layla?” I asked.
“She eats up in her cabin.” Seryph told me.
“Oh.” I said.
“You gotta eat somethin’ too, fairy girl!” Milkovich said to Zelda.
“What? Bu-but... I can’t eat anything! I’m a fairy! I don’t have a mouth!” she fussed.
“Then how’re you flappin’ your gums right now? Sure sounds like you got a mouth to me!”
“Not that kind of mouth! Ugh, you don’t understand a fairy’s anatomy at all, do you?" Zelda snapped.
“Easy there fairy girl, I’m just teasin’!” Milkovich laughed.
Dinner went by with a lot of laughing and drinking. I was actually surprised by how much the crew tried to make Zelda and I feel at home. It was almost like we were part of the crew ourselves. They were a lot nicer than I originally thought. Then again, these guys were a cargo ship crew, not a pirate ship crew.
After a little while, I decided to ask Seryph what he knew about the Leviathan.
“Norris told me you guys already ran into it once before.” I said.
“Ah yes, that was about a month ago.” he told me. “Damn thing wiped out half the crew. There used to be twenty-five of us on this ship, you see? Now there’s only thirteen.”
“Wow... It must have been hard to lose so many people...” Zelda said.
“Yeah, it was... But thanks to Layla’s leadership, we were able to get back to work in no time! That girl is something else, I’ll tell ya.” he said admiringly.
“What's the Leviathan like?” I asked.
“People have started callin' it Tentalus. It’s an enormous, one-eyed beast. It’s got a head full o’ tentacles as well as two giant tentacles for arms. And it’s got skin like steel. We blasted the thing with our cannons, but it barely seemed to faze ‘em. We got away by the skin of our teeth.” Seryph explained.
“S-scary...” Zelda said to herself.
“Sounds like one fearsome monster.” I said.
“It sure is. The worst part is, it always appears during a maelstrom, and that only makes it harder to get away.” Seryph told us.
“Alphonse, maybe we shouldn’t have come to the Ocean Realm after all...” Zelda said worriedly. “There’s always the Fire Realm, you know...”
“Come on, Zelda! We’re already here, so there’s no use complaining.” I said.
“Ohhh, you’re right... But I still don’t like this...” she complained.
“Don’t be such a fraidy cat, fairy girl!” Milkovich said.
“Hey, I have every right to be scared!” she replied. “I’m just a little Forest Fairy! I’d be nothing more than a snack for that thing!”
Once dinner was over, the whole crew got up and brought their plates over to the kitchen. I guessed Nick was going to take care of the dishes. Everyone returned to the barracks across the hall, except for Milkovich, who stayed behind to argue with Zelda some more. I went back above deck by myself to get my sword from Layla’s room.
As I walked, I kept thinking about the Leviathan, Tentalus. If that thing appeared, I would have to be ready. Although, Seryph told me that it only appears during a maelstrom, and the weather couldn’t have been clearer. However, I didn’t want to leave anything up to chance. I had no intention of being caught unprepared myself.
Once above deck, I headed for Layla’s cabin. Without really thinking about it, I opened the door to her room. And I stopped dead in my tracks.
Standing across the room, holding a shirt above her head as if she’d just taken it off, was Layla, staring back at me.
My eyes panned down, my jaw dropped, and my fight or flight response activated.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” Layla screamed, covering her chest with her arms.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were in here! I was just getting my sword!” I panicked.
“GET OUT!” she screamed.
Layla literally kicked me out of her room. I landed sprawled out on my back on the deck.
“And take your stupid sword with you!” she yelled.
She threw my sword out of her room, and it bounced off my head and fell to the floor near me. After that, Layla slammed the door shut.
I didn’t bother getting back up. I was in a daze, and not because she kicked me; I was dazed because of what I saw for the first time in my life.
* * *
I don’t know how long I was laying on the deck, but I know it was a long time. All I did was lay there and stare up at the night sky. Soon, I heard the door to Layla’s cabin creak open, and then close. I heard footsteps approach me on the wooden deck, and soon Layla’s face was hovering over mine.
I noticed that she was wearing different clothes, and guessed that I had the misfortune of accidentally walking in on her while she was changing. The clothes she wore now were lighter in color than the ones she wore earlier.
“Why are you still lying on the deck?” she asked me.
“Because I never got back up.” I responded.
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
“... You’re weird.”
“Whatever.”
I finally sat up, and Layla sat down next to me.
“You seem pretty out of it. Did I kick you that hard?" she asked.
"I dunno. Maybe."
“Wait... Was that your first time seeing them?” Layla mockingly asked with a smirk.
"... So what if it was?” I retorted, turning away from her.
Layla started cracking up. “A ha hah, you’re so innocent!” she laughed.
“... Shut up.” I said embarrassingly.
Layla paused for a bit. “Listen, Alphonse...” she began.
I turned back to her. “Hm?”
“I... I’m sorry for hitting you like that. I guess I... kind of overreacted.” she said sweetly. She was actually blushing a little.
- So she has a sweet side after all.
“It’s okay, you had every right to be angry. I should have knocked first.” I said.
Layla stood up. “... I guess I should apologize to you for how I’ve been treating you, too.”
She walked over and leaned against the port side railing as I grabbed my sword and strapped it around my back.
“It’s okay, Layla. I understand. You were just acting tough for your men.” I said as I joined her at the railing.
She seemed surprised. “How did you know that?”
“Nick told me about your father. I could figure the rest out on my own.” I answered.
“Oh, I see...” she said, looking away.
For a little while, we said nothing. I felt kinda bad for her, so I decided I should try to make her feel a little better.
“You know, Layla...” I began. She looked back at me. “I understand that acting tough may help you cope with your father’s death, but you know... it’s okay to let your true feelings out once in a while.”
“What do you mean by that?” she asked.
“I lost both of my parents to Vaati, so I can sort of understand you.” I told her. Upon hearing that, her eyes grew wide with shock. “For a while, I was upset, but I had someone in my life to help me learn to smile again. It’s thanks to this person that I’m even standing here today. She showed me that it’s okay to let your true feelings show, because it helps you get over the pain.”
Layla watched me silently as I talked. I noticed she was starting to take my words to heart.
“You don’t have to act so tough all the time.” I continued. “I can tell you’re just a normal girl underneath, and that's okay. You don’t have to hide it if you don’t want to.” I said, giving her an encouraging smile.
Layla seemed moved by what I told her. She looked away from me for a bit, but when she looked back she was actually smiling. It was the first time I’ve ever seen her truly smile.
“So... it’s okay for me to cry after all?” she said as tears were starting to roll down her cheeks. This surprised me. “I haven’t cried once... Not since the day my father died.” she told me. “I tried to be strong, for him, and for my crew. I thought that if I cried, it would mean I was weak...”
"Being able to cry for someone just means you care about them.” I said. “It has nothing to do with being weak or strong.”
Layla looked at me and said, “You really think so?” I nodded. “... Thank you, Alphonse...” she said softly.
She was still crying, but at the same time she was smiling. Helping people like her was why I wanted to embark on this journey. I felt a small sense of pride, knowing that I was capable of helping others like this. However, this moment ended fast.
I felt a drop of rain plop down on my head. "It’s raining?” I said aloud. That single drop quickly turned into a torrential downpour. “What’s with the weather?!” I cried out.
“Oh no...” Layla breathed as she wiped her eyes. She quickly turned and looked out to sea. Her eyes rapidly scanned the surface of the water, but when she didn’t spot anything, she quickly dashed across to the other side of the ship. I chased after her.
“Layla, what’s wrong?” I asked over the sound of the rain.
She didn’t answer me right away. Her eyes darted around the waters out away from the ship, and then suddenly froze in terror.
“Oh no...” she repeated.
“What is it?” I asked.
I looked in the direction she was looking, and saw a whirlpool forming several feet away from the ship.
“What is that?!” I said.
“It’s a maelstrom!” Layla shouted. “This is bad... We’ve got to warn the crew! Tentalus is coming!”
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Much appreciated change there, Layla! Although I feel it went kinda quickly, I still like the niceties. Alphonse, I'm sorry to say but at sixteen you should know how a woman's body looks. No, wait sorry. I apologize -- your parents aren't around to teach you about such things. Clean the blood off your nose and help the woman you shall soon marry befriend.
As for Tentalus...
ROUND ONE: FIGHT!
***
Needless to say, Azure, I'm happy about this chapter. Keep them coming, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE edit the manner you defeat Tentalus. Don't copypasta from Skyward Sword, and try to do something different from the big octos of Wind Waker. :yes:
As for Tentalus...
ROUND ONE: FIGHT!
***
Needless to say, Azure, I'm happy about this chapter. Keep them coming, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE edit the manner you defeat Tentalus. Don't copypasta from Skyward Sword, and try to do something different from the big octos of Wind Waker. :yes:
Lol Van, Naomi is Alphonse's girl, not Layla! xD All right guys, it's finally time for chapter twenty-three! I hope you guys enjoy this one! Please tell me what you think. And don't worry Van, it isn't a copypasta of the battle from Skyward Sword.
Enjoy! ^-^
As Layla and I looked out at the maelstrom forming, the ship began to rock back and forth amidst the waves and the rain.
“Go ring the warning bell!” Layla shouted, pointing to the bell up above her cabin. “I’m going to get my weapon from my room!”
I nodded, and we separated. Layla dashed inside her cabin, and I dashed up the steps above her cabin. I rang the bell as hard as I could. It was surprisingly loud.
The crew woke up with a start.
“What’s that ringing?!” Zelda asked, who was still down below talking with Milkovich.
“It’s the warning bell!” Milkovich yelled.
“Don’t tell me... Tentalus?” Seryph gasped.
The entire crew rushed up the stairs, grabbing swords and spears on their way.
“Tentalus?! Oh no...” Zelda shrieked.
I ran back down after ringing the bell and met back up with Layla at the handrail. She was now carrying a lance at her back.
“Are you ready?” I asked her.
“I could ask the same of you, Alphonse. You best know how to handle that sword.” she said.
“Oh, don’t you worry about that.” I said back.
We drew our weapons simultaneously, and the crew accompanied by Zelda burst out from below decks.They lined up behind us. Zelda joined Layla and I at the front.
“Alphonse... I’m scared.” she whispered.
I gave her an encouraging smile, and looked back out to sea. The maelstrom was growing larger, almost reaching the ship. At the center of the storm, the surface of the water began to bubble.
“Here it comes...” Layla whispered.
I heard the entire crew gulp in almost perfect synchronization. I was pretty uneasy too. I had no idea what to expect. At last, the Leviathan began to surface.
Tentalus’ enormous head climbed out from below the sea, covered in tentacles dangling down like hair. Its gleaming large eye in the center of its head peered out at the vessel, then lurched as if it remembered their previous encounter. Tentalus roared ferociously as it towered out of the ocean. Its body was gigantic.
Just like Seryph said, it had two enormous tentacles for arms, and its body looked like it was covered in a thick, silver hide. It had rows upon rows of razor-like teeth in its mouth, looking capable of biting right through the ship.
My heart was beating fast. I was scared, just as much as the crew clearly was.
“G-Get ready to fire on my command!” Layla shouted.
- Layla actually stuttered? She really must be scared...
The crew responded instantly. Five of the men manned the five cannons lined up at the handrail. Tentalus roared once again, and began to slink its way toward the ship. I shook my head to drive away the fear and clear my mind. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. When I opened my eyes again, they were burning with determination. No way was I going to die here. I was going to fight.
Just then, disaster struck.
A loud clap of thunder rang throughout the skies. I barely noticed it, and neither did the crew or Zelda, but Layla definitely did.
“Ahh...” Layla gasped.
Seryph quickly became aware of the situation. “Oh no, why now?” he panicked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
A second, and louder, thunderclap rang throughout our ears. This time, Layla let out a frightful yelp and collapsed to her knees, dropping her lance to the deck and clutching her ears in terror.
“Layla, what’s wrong?!” I asked desperately.
“This is bad. Get her inside!” Seryph commanded.
Two of the crew, Milkovich and Jack, carried Layla back into her cabin.
“What’s wrong with her?!” I asked Seryph.
As another loud boom of thunder penetrated our ears, Seryph told me, “Captain Layla is terrified of thunder.”
I was dumbstruck. “Of all the...”
“Listen up, men!” Seryph shouted at the crew. “Captain Layla can’t help us in her current state. We have to do this without her leadership. Let’s go, men! Fire at will!”
I was impressed with the way Seryph was able to get the crew in order so quickly. I could tell that he was probably Layla’s second-in-command. But now was not the time to think about that.
Tentalus was almost upon us. The crew fired the cannons to fight it off. BANG! BANG! BANG! One after another, the cannons fired. The shots impacted Tentalus’ body. But the monster just shrugged them off and continued on towards the ship.
“Damn it, that thing’s sturdy as ever!” Seryph cried out.
“What do we do?!” Zelda freaked.
The crew took up arms with their spears and swords as Tentalus arrived next to the boat. The first thing it did was swing one of its arms down. It was going to split the ship in two, but I wasn’t going to let that happen.
As the crew cried out in fright, I responded quickly. I sent a powerful blast of the Spirits' aura spiraling at Tentalus’ arm, and the blow deflected the monster’s attack. The Leviathan growled in agony as it backed off a little.
The crew was dumbfounded, and stared at me with their jaws on the deck.
“Wha... What the heck was that, kid?!” Seryph asked in amazement.
“Why is the ship just sitting here?” I asked him, ignoring his question. “We’re sitting ducks like this!”
The crew looked as if they felt pretty stupid for not thinking of that. Could they really not function well without Layla's leadership?
“Jasson, get down there and start the engine! Get us away from this thing!” Seryph ordered as more thunder boomed throughout the sky.
Jasson rushed off below decks to the engine room.
Meanwhile, Tentalus was attempting to attack again. The tentacles on its head suddenly began to move like they had wills of their own. They stretched and coiled around the ship, trying to entangle it. The crew stabbed at the tentacles, and I severed many of them when I let loose another burst of aura.
Tentalus screamed again, and started flailing about with its arms as it withdrew its hair-like tentacles. The monster slammed down against the water’s surface with amazing force, rocking the seas violently. The ship was pushed back several feet, and nearly capsized.
“Everyone, hold on to something!” Seryph shouted over the rain and the thunder.
The ship rocked about, tilting dangerously. But it soon fell back and swayed about, right side up.
“Phew...” I sighed.
“Jasson, hurry up!” Seryph hollered down below decks.
“I’m trying!” Jasson's voice replied from below.
“You guys!” Layla said, coming out of her cabin. She looked pale as a ghost.
“Layla! Shouldn’t you be resting?!” Seryph said.
“Shut up! I’m the captain of this ship, so it’s my responsibility to...” She was cut off by another sound of thunder.
Layla fell to her knees and was visibly shaking.
“Layla!” I called out.
Meanwhile, Tentalus was clearly furious. It roared ferociously once more.
“What kind of thunder is that?!” Layla gasped.
“That's the monster's roar, not thunder!" I shouted.
Tentalus dove underwater, and for a little while, nothing happened. I quickly figured out what it was up to.
“Everyone, brace yourselves!” I shouted as loud as I could.
At that moment, Tentalus resurfaced-- directly under us.
The ship was literally lifted off the surface of the water by the force of Tentalus’ head grazing the rear of the ship. We almost capsized again, but we got lucky. Even so, the damage was extensive.
Zelda was knocked flat on the deck by the force of Tentalus’ surfacing. Several of the crew were knocked off their feet, and Seryph and I nearly lost our balance. Layla fell flat on her chest. Some of the cannons were knocked loose and fell overboard, too.
“Are you alright down there, Jasson?!” Seryph called out.
We could hear Jasson’s voice yell back up at us. “Yeah, I’m fine! But that impact made the engine go dead! We can’t move the ship anymore!”
“No...” Seryph breathed.
More thunder made Layla cover her head with her hands as she cowered on the floor. The entire crew looked devastated. Tentalus was fast approaching the port side of the ship, and it still looked pretty angry.
“It’s all over...” Layla said.
I looked down at her in surprise. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up!” I shouted at her.
“What can we do now, Alphonse?!” Seryph yelled at me. “The ship can’t move, and there’s no way we can beat that thing! We’ve got no way to escape! We’re as good as sunk!” he shouted. He was actually crying a little.
I noticed that most of the crew was tearful too. Had they all given up so easily?
“We’re done for... We can’t win this...” Layla breathed in terror as she shook from the sound of more thunder.
"Alphonse, I'm scared..." Zelda said.
Looking out at the entire defeated crew, and then looking over at Tentalus, I was getting a more and more worried myself. But I still had no intention of giving up. The fact that everyone else had infuriated me.
“Don’t give up!” I screamed.
Everyone turned to face me. Layla looked up at me in astonishment.
“Didn’t you tell me you all have families to feed?” I shouted at Norris. I looked back down at Layla. “You want to make your father proud, don’t you?!” She gasped. “None of you can afford to die here!” I yelled. “And neither can I! I have people I love waiting for me back home, and I’m gonna make it back alive, damn it! There’s no way I’m dying here!”
I turned to face Tentalus, who was almost upon us by now. I aimed my sword at it and shouted, “I swear, I am gonna defeat that thing!
The entire crew looked at me in awe. Layla was speechless too. Zelda got back up off the deck, and flew back to my side.
“I’m with Alphonse! I don’t wanna die here either!” she said.
The entire crew was moved by our determination, including Layla.
“You’re right, Alphonse.” she told me. “We can't afford to die here.”
I nodded to her. “That’s the spirit!”
“Alright, listen up you maggots!” Layla shouted over the first sound of thunder that didn’t shake her. “We’re not giving up, either! We’re gonna beat this thing! No matter what!”
A simultaneous battle cry from the entire crew rang throughout the air as we prepared for our last stand against Tentalus.
Enjoy! ^-^
Chapter Twenty-Three
As Layla and I looked out at the maelstrom forming, the ship began to rock back and forth amidst the waves and the rain.
“Go ring the warning bell!” Layla shouted, pointing to the bell up above her cabin. “I’m going to get my weapon from my room!”
I nodded, and we separated. Layla dashed inside her cabin, and I dashed up the steps above her cabin. I rang the bell as hard as I could. It was surprisingly loud.
* * *
The crew woke up with a start.
“What’s that ringing?!” Zelda asked, who was still down below talking with Milkovich.
“It’s the warning bell!” Milkovich yelled.
“Don’t tell me... Tentalus?” Seryph gasped.
The entire crew rushed up the stairs, grabbing swords and spears on their way.
“Tentalus?! Oh no...” Zelda shrieked.
* * *
I ran back down after ringing the bell and met back up with Layla at the handrail. She was now carrying a lance at her back.
“Are you ready?” I asked her.
“I could ask the same of you, Alphonse. You best know how to handle that sword.” she said.
“Oh, don’t you worry about that.” I said back.
We drew our weapons simultaneously, and the crew accompanied by Zelda burst out from below decks.They lined up behind us. Zelda joined Layla and I at the front.
“Alphonse... I’m scared.” she whispered.
I gave her an encouraging smile, and looked back out to sea. The maelstrom was growing larger, almost reaching the ship. At the center of the storm, the surface of the water began to bubble.
“Here it comes...” Layla whispered.
I heard the entire crew gulp in almost perfect synchronization. I was pretty uneasy too. I had no idea what to expect. At last, the Leviathan began to surface.
Tentalus’ enormous head climbed out from below the sea, covered in tentacles dangling down like hair. Its gleaming large eye in the center of its head peered out at the vessel, then lurched as if it remembered their previous encounter. Tentalus roared ferociously as it towered out of the ocean. Its body was gigantic.
Just like Seryph said, it had two enormous tentacles for arms, and its body looked like it was covered in a thick, silver hide. It had rows upon rows of razor-like teeth in its mouth, looking capable of biting right through the ship.
My heart was beating fast. I was scared, just as much as the crew clearly was.
“G-Get ready to fire on my command!” Layla shouted.
- Layla actually stuttered? She really must be scared...
The crew responded instantly. Five of the men manned the five cannons lined up at the handrail. Tentalus roared once again, and began to slink its way toward the ship. I shook my head to drive away the fear and clear my mind. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. When I opened my eyes again, they were burning with determination. No way was I going to die here. I was going to fight.
Just then, disaster struck.
A loud clap of thunder rang throughout the skies. I barely noticed it, and neither did the crew or Zelda, but Layla definitely did.
“Ahh...” Layla gasped.
Seryph quickly became aware of the situation. “Oh no, why now?” he panicked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
A second, and louder, thunderclap rang throughout our ears. This time, Layla let out a frightful yelp and collapsed to her knees, dropping her lance to the deck and clutching her ears in terror.
“Layla, what’s wrong?!” I asked desperately.
“This is bad. Get her inside!” Seryph commanded.
Two of the crew, Milkovich and Jack, carried Layla back into her cabin.
“What’s wrong with her?!” I asked Seryph.
As another loud boom of thunder penetrated our ears, Seryph told me, “Captain Layla is terrified of thunder.”
I was dumbstruck. “Of all the...”
“Listen up, men!” Seryph shouted at the crew. “Captain Layla can’t help us in her current state. We have to do this without her leadership. Let’s go, men! Fire at will!”
I was impressed with the way Seryph was able to get the crew in order so quickly. I could tell that he was probably Layla’s second-in-command. But now was not the time to think about that.
Tentalus was almost upon us. The crew fired the cannons to fight it off. BANG! BANG! BANG! One after another, the cannons fired. The shots impacted Tentalus’ body. But the monster just shrugged them off and continued on towards the ship.
“Damn it, that thing’s sturdy as ever!” Seryph cried out.
“What do we do?!” Zelda freaked.
The crew took up arms with their spears and swords as Tentalus arrived next to the boat. The first thing it did was swing one of its arms down. It was going to split the ship in two, but I wasn’t going to let that happen.
As the crew cried out in fright, I responded quickly. I sent a powerful blast of the Spirits' aura spiraling at Tentalus’ arm, and the blow deflected the monster’s attack. The Leviathan growled in agony as it backed off a little.
The crew was dumbfounded, and stared at me with their jaws on the deck.
“Wha... What the heck was that, kid?!” Seryph asked in amazement.
“Why is the ship just sitting here?” I asked him, ignoring his question. “We’re sitting ducks like this!”
The crew looked as if they felt pretty stupid for not thinking of that. Could they really not function well without Layla's leadership?
“Jasson, get down there and start the engine! Get us away from this thing!” Seryph ordered as more thunder boomed throughout the sky.
Jasson rushed off below decks to the engine room.
Meanwhile, Tentalus was attempting to attack again. The tentacles on its head suddenly began to move like they had wills of their own. They stretched and coiled around the ship, trying to entangle it. The crew stabbed at the tentacles, and I severed many of them when I let loose another burst of aura.
Tentalus screamed again, and started flailing about with its arms as it withdrew its hair-like tentacles. The monster slammed down against the water’s surface with amazing force, rocking the seas violently. The ship was pushed back several feet, and nearly capsized.
“Everyone, hold on to something!” Seryph shouted over the rain and the thunder.
The ship rocked about, tilting dangerously. But it soon fell back and swayed about, right side up.
“Phew...” I sighed.
“Jasson, hurry up!” Seryph hollered down below decks.
“I’m trying!” Jasson's voice replied from below.
“You guys!” Layla said, coming out of her cabin. She looked pale as a ghost.
“Layla! Shouldn’t you be resting?!” Seryph said.
“Shut up! I’m the captain of this ship, so it’s my responsibility to...” She was cut off by another sound of thunder.
Layla fell to her knees and was visibly shaking.
“Layla!” I called out.
Meanwhile, Tentalus was clearly furious. It roared ferociously once more.
“What kind of thunder is that?!” Layla gasped.
“That's the monster's roar, not thunder!" I shouted.
Tentalus dove underwater, and for a little while, nothing happened. I quickly figured out what it was up to.
“Everyone, brace yourselves!” I shouted as loud as I could.
At that moment, Tentalus resurfaced-- directly under us.
The ship was literally lifted off the surface of the water by the force of Tentalus’ head grazing the rear of the ship. We almost capsized again, but we got lucky. Even so, the damage was extensive.
Zelda was knocked flat on the deck by the force of Tentalus’ surfacing. Several of the crew were knocked off their feet, and Seryph and I nearly lost our balance. Layla fell flat on her chest. Some of the cannons were knocked loose and fell overboard, too.
“Are you alright down there, Jasson?!” Seryph called out.
We could hear Jasson’s voice yell back up at us. “Yeah, I’m fine! But that impact made the engine go dead! We can’t move the ship anymore!”
“No...” Seryph breathed.
More thunder made Layla cover her head with her hands as she cowered on the floor. The entire crew looked devastated. Tentalus was fast approaching the port side of the ship, and it still looked pretty angry.
“It’s all over...” Layla said.
I looked down at her in surprise. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up!” I shouted at her.
“What can we do now, Alphonse?!” Seryph yelled at me. “The ship can’t move, and there’s no way we can beat that thing! We’ve got no way to escape! We’re as good as sunk!” he shouted. He was actually crying a little.
I noticed that most of the crew was tearful too. Had they all given up so easily?
“We’re done for... We can’t win this...” Layla breathed in terror as she shook from the sound of more thunder.
"Alphonse, I'm scared..." Zelda said.
Looking out at the entire defeated crew, and then looking over at Tentalus, I was getting a more and more worried myself. But I still had no intention of giving up. The fact that everyone else had infuriated me.
“Don’t give up!” I screamed.
Everyone turned to face me. Layla looked up at me in astonishment.
“Didn’t you tell me you all have families to feed?” I shouted at Norris. I looked back down at Layla. “You want to make your father proud, don’t you?!” She gasped. “None of you can afford to die here!” I yelled. “And neither can I! I have people I love waiting for me back home, and I’m gonna make it back alive, damn it! There’s no way I’m dying here!”
I turned to face Tentalus, who was almost upon us by now. I aimed my sword at it and shouted, “I swear, I am gonna defeat that thing!
“I won’t let any of us die!”
The entire crew looked at me in awe. Layla was speechless too. Zelda got back up off the deck, and flew back to my side.
“I’m with Alphonse! I don’t wanna die here either!” she said.
The entire crew was moved by our determination, including Layla.
“You’re right, Alphonse.” she told me. “We can't afford to die here.”
I nodded to her. “That’s the spirit!”
“Alright, listen up you maggots!” Layla shouted over the first sound of thunder that didn’t shake her. “We’re not giving up, either! We’re gonna beat this thing! No matter what!”
A simultaneous battle cry from the entire crew rang throughout the air as we prepared for our last stand against Tentalus.
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*Claps hands and throws confetti* You worked long and hard on it AZ! Well done
No offense Azure but this chapter felt like almost pure, unadulterated filler. It may just be me, but I didn't feel compelled to continue - too much Tentalus!! It's nice that you're having a chapter dedicated to buildup (I honestly prefer it to a silly chapter where Al finds the beast then kills it all in one go), so I won't criticize. I know you have better plans for upcoming chapters
Thank you, Vanessa and Vanitas! It means a lot! ^-^ I'm sorry you felt that way, Van, but I had to split the fight into two chapters. Otherwise, it would have been a bit too long. Besides, it actually works out better this way. Of course, I had to add a little more than I planned in order to make sure this chapter was long enough... Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please tell me what you think, Also, Jedizora, your character will be featured at the end!
Don't forget to participate in The Hero of Spirits: Sign-Ups! I still need characters for the Zoras, and pretty soon I'm gonna need characters for the Gerudo. So please participate!
All right guys, enjoy the chapter!
Layla, her crew, Zelda and I stood on the ship, ready to make our last stand against Tentalus. As the Leviathan approached out ship, Layla called out to me.
“You have a plan, Alphonse?” she asked over the sound of the rain.
“Yeah. Listen up.”
While I was discussing my idea with Layla, the crew stood at the port side of the ship waiting for Tentalus with their spears and swords.
“Hey... We’re gonna make it out of this alive, right?” Milkovich whispered.
“I’m sure we will. I don’t know why, but something about Alphonse just makes me want to believe in him...” Seryph said.
“I noticed it too...” Norris chimed in. “You think he could be that Alphonse...?”
“Listen up, you guys!” Layla shouted. The crew turned to face her. "Ready the front cannons with spears! We need to get it to the front of the ship and hold it there! Alphonse and I will take care of the rest!”
“But... how are we gonna get it to the front of the ship?” Nick asked.
“L-leave that to me!” Zelda said nervously. “I’ll draw it to the front!”
“Way to go, fairy girl! You can do this!” Milkovich said encouragingly.
“... R-right!” Zelda said.
“All right!” I called out from halfway up the rear smokestack's ladder. “Let’s do it!”
The crew’s battle cry rang out as Tentalus reached the ship.
Layla turned to Zelda. “Does Alphonse know what he’s doing?” she asked.
“Don’t worry. Alphonse is the Hero of Spirits. If anyone can save us, it’s him.” Zelda said reassuringly.
“He's the one?!" she gasped."... Alright. I'll trust you guys."
Layla grabbed her lance and dashed up the front smokestack’s ladder and waited at the top. I waited at the top of the rear smokestack. Meanwhile, Zelda headed off to distract Tentalus.
“Uhhh... AHHHHHHH!” she screamed as she dodged Tentalus’ flailing arms. Apparently it didn’t like her being in its face.
Zelda sped through the air, making sure Tentalus was following her. At the same time, the crew loaded the front cannons with spears tied to ropes. Once Tentalus was lured to the front of the ship, Zelda’s turn was up. Now it was the crew’s turn.
“Get out of the way, fairy girl!” Milkovich called out.
“Don’t have to tell me twice!” Zelda shrieked as she flew back down to the ship.
Tentalus returned its attention to the ship, and roared once more as it leaned forward to attack.
“Fire!” Seryph shouted.
The crew fired several spears through the air. They wrapped around the behemoth, who tried to struggle. Its efforts only caused it to entangle itself further. Tentalus roared in frustration as it tried to break free.
“Alphonse! Get ready!” Layla called up to me.
I held my sword above my head, and gathered the power of the Spirits. As the sword surged with power, I noticed a sensation at the soles of my feet. I looked down to see them glowing with aura.
- What is this...?
“Alphonse! Now!” Layla called out again.
I shrugged it off and jumped off the smokestack towards Layla, who was at the top of the lower smokestack. But something strange happened. When I jumped, the aura at my feet propelled me forward. It surprised me for a second, but I quickly focused back on Layla. She was holding her lance in a swinging position.
One of the ropes holding Tentalus snapped.
“Hurry!” Seryph shouted.
“Here we...” I started.
“... Go!” Layla finished.
Just as I reached her, she swung her lance with all her might. The lance connected with my feet, and she launched me through the air towards Tentalus. Since the front smokestack was shorter, we had to do this so I could get high enough to read the monster’s head. The magic power at my feet gave me an extra boost, too.
More of the ropes broke as Tentalus lurched about.
“Come on!” Milkovich yelled.
“This is it!” Zelda shouted.
“You can do it, Alphonse!” Layla called out.
Tentalus finally broke free, but it was too late. The Leviathan looked up at me in the air above him. The beast roared and tried to swat me down, but it was too slow. I swung my blade down, charged with a powerful blast of magic power. My sword pierced right through Tentalus’ eye, and the monster doubled back and shrieked horribly. The force from my burst of aura split the monster’s skull, and the beast collapsed into the sea. It was finally dead.
I fell into the water with a splash, and the waves Tentalus’ body made almost swept me away. I surfaced, still clutching the Lokomo Sword as I waded in the water. I was panting heavily. I’d thought I was going to drown for a minute there.
“Alphonse!” Layla cheered excitedly from the ship. “You did it!”
The entire crew was celebrating. They were cheering and crying and hugging each other in their joy. I was pretty happy, myself. We were all glad to be alive.
Hours passed. The maelstrom was over, and dawn was beginning to break. Now that Tentalus was dead, Jasson could take all the time he needed to repair the ship’s engine. But it seemed to be beyond repair for now.
Safely back aboard the ship, I was standing on the deck at the starboard side, watching the sunrise. Zelda was fast asleep in my hood. I kinda wished she were awake, though. She was missing out on the amazing sight.
The golden sun peeking out from the horizon shone vibrantly in the dark morning sky. Its rays of light sparkled across the waves brilliantly. I was in awe. Watching this, it made me realize just how beautiful this country was. It made me angry that the Demon King, Malladus, was trying to destroy all of that. As the Hero of Spirits, it was my duty to stop him. However, I still wasn’t ready yet. I needed more power.
I thought back to the magic power that appeared at my feet when I jumped from the smokestack. It propelled me through the air. I began to wonder if this was another special property of the Spirits’ power, and I thought about trying to use it to my advantage. If I learned how to use it right, I could use the Spirits’ magic to increase my speed by propelling myself forward with each step, thus giving myself an advantage in battle. I decided I was going to try that the next chance I got.
While I was staring out at the sunrise thinking about these things, I didn't notice Layla approach me.
“Alphonse?” she said softly.
I nearly jumped out of my skin, and I almost knocked Zelda out of my hood. Layla laughed.
“Eh heh heh, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” she said with a chuckle.
“Uh, right...” I said, embarrassed. “I thought you were asleep.”
“No, not anymore.” she said. I noticed she was still wearing her pajamas, so I figured she’d just woken up. “The whole crew is still sleeping though.” she told me.
“I’d imagine... Considering what we all went through last night, everyone must be pretty wiped out.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
Layla became quiet for a bit.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “You look like you have something on your mind.”
“Well...” she began. She started to blush. “I just wanted to thank you.”
- Whoa, wait a second, is she revealing her sweet side again?
“If you weren’t here, Alphonse, we all would have died. You saved us. So, thank you.” she said with a smile.
“No... no problem... It’s what I do...” I said bashfully.
“About that... Zelda told me you were the Hero of Spirits!” she said, suddenly snapping back from her sweet persona.
“That’s right. I am.” I said.
“Ah ha! I’d heard about you, but I never realized you were that Alphonse... How come you never said anything?” she asked.
“You never asked.” I answered plainly.
“… Ugh, whatever.” she said, annoyed by my response.
- So much for “sweet” Layla.
“But you know, you were pretty amazing out there. I was surprised.” she said.
- Or not… It feels weird to have someone who can’t decide if they’re gonna be strict or sweet give me compliments...
“You weren’t too bad, yourself. You’re pretty strong for someone your size!” I said with a naive smile.
“What did you say?!” she snapped.
It was true, even though I trusted her to launch me forward with her lance, I didn’t expect her to be as strong as she was. Not only was she a whole head shorter than me, she looked kind of scrawny too. But, looks can be deceiving. However, unfortunately for me I seemed to have struck a nerve with that comment.
“I may be kind of small, but I’m still pretty strong! Don’t you dare look down on me!” she yelled. Her face was bright red.
“Um, s-sorry, I meant it as a compliment.” I apologized.
Suddenly she calmed down. She seemed a little embarrassed by her outburst, as her face got even redder.
“Wha... whatever. It’s not like I asked you to compliment me...” she said shyly. “A-and it’s not like I enjoy getting compliments from you or anything, be-because I don’t, so don’t even think it.” she added, turning away from me to hide her embarrassment.
I could tell she was the type that gets uncomfortable when given praise. It was actually kind of cute. But I also found the way she was acting kind of funny, and I couldn’t help but to start laughing.
“H-hey, what’s the big idea?! Why are you laughing?!” she asked, turning back around. Her face was still red.
“Sorry...” I said as I calmed myself down. “It’s just...”
“Just what? Huh?”
“... Nothing, nevermind.” I said, still shaking off a few remaining laughs.
“... Jeez, who’d of thought the famous Hero of Spirits was such a weirdo.” she sighed.
“Huh? Me, famous?” I asked, ignoring her comment about me being a weirdo.
“Are you kidding? Tales of you have been spreading like wildfire! Practically everyone’s heard of you!”
“Really? I mean, I knew my name was spreading, but I didn’t know it was spreading so quickly...” I said.
“Are you really surprised? You defeated Vaati, the Demon Lord who’d been terrorizing our world since Malladus started the war with the Spirits of Light! People everywhere have been celebrating his defeat!”
"R-really..." I said shyly.
“That reminds me, I had something else I wanted to thank you for.” Layla said.
“Huh? What?” I asked.
“Don’t you get it? Remember how I told you Vaati killed my father when he destroyed Papuchiya Village four years ago?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, thanks to you, I finally have some closure! You killed the monster that took my father away from me! I really can’t thank you enough, Alphonse.” she said happily.
“Don’t mention it...” I said.
“That reminds me, didn’t you tell me Vaati killed your parents too?” she asked.
“Yeah. They were killed when Vaati destroyed Aboda Village nine years ago.” I said.
“I see... I’m sorry...”
“Thank you.”
Layla hesitated before continuing. “... You were able to personally get revenge on Vaati... How did it feel to avenge your parents’ deaths?” she asked.
“I didn’t defeat Vaati for revenge.” I told her.
“Huh?”
“Vaati had recently destroyed Hyleigh City, killing the parents of a close friend of mine. After that, I decided to defeat Vaati, but in order to prevent anything like that from ever happening again. I just wanted to protect people, that's all. I figured that was the best way to save more lives."
Layla seemed to be in awe for a bit. “You know, Alphonse... You’re really something else...” she said quietly.
I just shrugged it off. Like Layla, receiving compliments like that sometimes makes me feel uneasy.
I felt movement in my hood. Zelda was finally waking up.
“Oh, good morning, Zelda!” I said.
“Morning...” she said through a yawn. “Morning Cap’n...” she said sleepily.
- What’s with “Cap’n”?
“Good morning, fairy girl... Sorry, good morning, Zelda.” Layla said.
“It’s okay... I’m already used to Milkovich calling me that... I don’t mind it...” she yawned. “Is it time for breakfast yet...”
“... Zelda, you can’t eat anything, remember? I think you need some more sleep.” I said.
Zelda yawned extensively and said, “Maybe you’re right... Good night...”
As she went back to sleep in my hood, I said, “It’s morning, you know...”
Layla just laughed. “A ha hah hah, she really must be tired.” she cackled.
“Yep...” I sighed.
Layla’s face started to turn red again. “I’m gonna go change out of my pajamas. Thanks again, Alphonse. For everything...” she said sweetly.
“It’s nothing, really...” I began. I was cut off, though.
Layla leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek.
I was shocked speechless. My face flushed with color, and so did hers. “That... That was just a sign of my gratitude. Don’t you start thinking that I like you, or anything, because I don’t...” she said embarrassingly.
“Uh... huh...” I said. I was still in shock.
- I can’t believe she did that... Maybe she’s actually starting to change from her strict attitude...
Layla then began poking me in the center of my chest as she said menacingly, “And don’t you ever. Say anything. About that kiss. Or I will beat the crap out of you. You hear?”
- Now there’s the normal Layla.
I just laughed and said, “Aye aye, Captain.”
“Hmph.” she grunted.
Layla strutted off to her cabin to get changed. I looked back out at the sunrise and began to zone out again. Thinking about Layla’s kiss made me think back to the kiss I shared with Naomi before I left.
- That was just gratitude. Nothing more...
I nodded to myself, and pushed it out of my thoughts. I didn’t want to let myself think about this anymore.
After the crew was awake and everyone had their fill of breakfast, we all crowded around Jasson in the engine room as he attempted to fix the engine again. He was still having no luck.
“Damn it, the thing’s totally fried.” Jasson sighed, irritated.
“So there’s really nothing you can do?” Layla asked.
“I thought that givin’ it some time to rest would help, but it seems all the time in the world won’t do any good. I can’t fix it with the tools we have here. We’re gonna have to make port somewhere and get it repaired with more advanced tools.”
“But we can’t make port if the engine’s dead!” Zelda said.
“Yup. We’re in a real pickle here.” Jasson said.
“What are we gonna do?” Seryph asked.
“Are there any lifeboats? We could use them to get to the closest port.” I suggested.
“No, the lifeboats were destroyed during Tentalus’ attack last night.” Layla told me.
“Oh...” I said, let down.
“Where is the closest port? I could fly there and get help!” Zelda suggested.
“That should work! Nice thinking, Zelda!” Layla said.
“All right! Way to go, fairy girl! You rock!” Milkovich said excitedly.
“Oh, stop...” Zelda said bashfully.
We all went up to the deck. After consulting a map, Seryph explained to Zelda where she had to go.
“The closest port is Zora Hall, which happens to be our destination. They were expecting us by sunrise, so they probably think we got sunk by Tentalus.”
“Why would they think that just because we’re late?” I asked.
“Because for one thing, we’ve never been late. And Tentalus had been sinking ships like crazy. Under the circumstances, it’s only natural that they’d jump to that conclusion.” Seryph explained.
“I see.” I said.
“So, Zelda, we need you to fly to Zora Hall and let the Zoras know we’re okay, but we're stranded and we need their help. Then lead them back here. Can you handle it?” Seryph asked Zelda.
“Yes! Leave it to me! I can finally do something to help out around here! There’s no way I’m gonna let you guys down!” she said enthusiastically.
“That’s the spirit, fairy girl!” Milkovich said encouragingly.
“Go on, Zelda. We’ll see you back here soon!” I said.
“Right!” Zelda said excitedly.
With that, she flew off in the direction Seryph instructed.
It was nearly noon, and still no sign of Zelda.
“You think she got lost?” Seryph asked.
“Nah, I’m the one who's bad with directions.” I said.
“Huh?”
“... Nevermind.”
We both went quiet for a bit. Layla was inside her cabin, doing what, I didn’t know. The crew was scattered about on the ship. Some were up on the deck, but others were downstairs, hanging out in the galley or in the barracks. Jasson was still in the engine room fiddling around with it, even though he knew it was hopeless.
As I was staring out at the open sea, I spotted a small silhouette at the horizon that hadn’t been there before. After the incident last night, I started to wonder if it could be another leviathan. If that were the case, we'd be easy lunch. However, upon staring at it longer, I quickly realized what it actually was.
“I see a ship in the distance!” I shouted.
The crew perked up and dashed to the handrail. Layla, likely hearing me shout from within her room, came bursting out and joined us. I cupped my hands over my eyes to see better. Indeed, it was a ship. Soon enough, it reached us.
“You guys!” Zelda called out as she flew back to our ship. “I brought help!” she announced proudly.
“Great work, fairy girl! I knew you could do it!” Milkovich said excitedly.
The ship appeared to be a small ferry, and at the wheel was a Zora, clothed in armor. He hopped down and boarded our ship.
"Hello, Zordo. Nice to see you again." Layla greeted, seeming to know him.
“Are the fins damp today?” he asked.
I was confused, so I looked toward Layla. She explained that it was a customary Zora greeting.
“Your fairy friend has told us Zoras all about your troubles. We’re simply amazed that you managed to defeat Tentalus. You have our sincerest gratitude. That monster had made it impossible for us to fish lately.” Zordo said.
“Of course.” Layla said. “I'm just glad we made it out of that fight alive.” she said.
“Indeed.” he said. “It would have been awful to lose you. And not just because you bring us good business." he added with a wink. "My crew and I will gladly tow your ship back to Zora Hall.”
Zordo raised his hand up, and on that signal, six Zoras leapt off the ferry into the water. Zordo returned to his own ship and set sail for Zora Hall.
Before I could say, “What about us?!”, our own ship began to move.
“Jasson, was that you?” Seryph called down.
“Nope!” he answered.
I looked over the edge, and I saw that the six Zoras were pushing our ship forward.
“So that’s what he meant by ‘towing’.” I said with a grin.
And so, with the help of the Zoras, we were finally back on course to Zora Hall.
Don't forget to participate in The Hero of Spirits: Sign-Ups! I still need characters for the Zoras, and pretty soon I'm gonna need characters for the Gerudo. So please participate!
All right guys, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Four
Layla, her crew, Zelda and I stood on the ship, ready to make our last stand against Tentalus. As the Leviathan approached out ship, Layla called out to me.
“You have a plan, Alphonse?” she asked over the sound of the rain.
“Yeah. Listen up.”
While I was discussing my idea with Layla, the crew stood at the port side of the ship waiting for Tentalus with their spears and swords.
“Hey... We’re gonna make it out of this alive, right?” Milkovich whispered.
“I’m sure we will. I don’t know why, but something about Alphonse just makes me want to believe in him...” Seryph said.
“I noticed it too...” Norris chimed in. “You think he could be that Alphonse...?”
“Listen up, you guys!” Layla shouted. The crew turned to face her. "Ready the front cannons with spears! We need to get it to the front of the ship and hold it there! Alphonse and I will take care of the rest!”
“But... how are we gonna get it to the front of the ship?” Nick asked.
“L-leave that to me!” Zelda said nervously. “I’ll draw it to the front!”
“Way to go, fairy girl! You can do this!” Milkovich said encouragingly.
“... R-right!” Zelda said.
“All right!” I called out from halfway up the rear smokestack's ladder. “Let’s do it!”
The crew’s battle cry rang out as Tentalus reached the ship.
Layla turned to Zelda. “Does Alphonse know what he’s doing?” she asked.
“Don’t worry. Alphonse is the Hero of Spirits. If anyone can save us, it’s him.” Zelda said reassuringly.
“He's the one?!" she gasped."... Alright. I'll trust you guys."
Layla grabbed her lance and dashed up the front smokestack’s ladder and waited at the top. I waited at the top of the rear smokestack. Meanwhile, Zelda headed off to distract Tentalus.
“Uhhh... AHHHHHHH!” she screamed as she dodged Tentalus’ flailing arms. Apparently it didn’t like her being in its face.
Zelda sped through the air, making sure Tentalus was following her. At the same time, the crew loaded the front cannons with spears tied to ropes. Once Tentalus was lured to the front of the ship, Zelda’s turn was up. Now it was the crew’s turn.
“Get out of the way, fairy girl!” Milkovich called out.
“Don’t have to tell me twice!” Zelda shrieked as she flew back down to the ship.
Tentalus returned its attention to the ship, and roared once more as it leaned forward to attack.
“Fire!” Seryph shouted.
The crew fired several spears through the air. They wrapped around the behemoth, who tried to struggle. Its efforts only caused it to entangle itself further. Tentalus roared in frustration as it tried to break free.
“Alphonse! Get ready!” Layla called up to me.
I held my sword above my head, and gathered the power of the Spirits. As the sword surged with power, I noticed a sensation at the soles of my feet. I looked down to see them glowing with aura.
- What is this...?
“Alphonse! Now!” Layla called out again.
I shrugged it off and jumped off the smokestack towards Layla, who was at the top of the lower smokestack. But something strange happened. When I jumped, the aura at my feet propelled me forward. It surprised me for a second, but I quickly focused back on Layla. She was holding her lance in a swinging position.
One of the ropes holding Tentalus snapped.
“Hurry!” Seryph shouted.
“Here we...” I started.
“... Go!” Layla finished.
Just as I reached her, she swung her lance with all her might. The lance connected with my feet, and she launched me through the air towards Tentalus. Since the front smokestack was shorter, we had to do this so I could get high enough to read the monster’s head. The magic power at my feet gave me an extra boost, too.
More of the ropes broke as Tentalus lurched about.
“Come on!” Milkovich yelled.
“This is it!” Zelda shouted.
“You can do it, Alphonse!” Layla called out.
Tentalus finally broke free, but it was too late. The Leviathan looked up at me in the air above him. The beast roared and tried to swat me down, but it was too slow. I swung my blade down, charged with a powerful blast of magic power. My sword pierced right through Tentalus’ eye, and the monster doubled back and shrieked horribly. The force from my burst of aura split the monster’s skull, and the beast collapsed into the sea. It was finally dead.
I fell into the water with a splash, and the waves Tentalus’ body made almost swept me away. I surfaced, still clutching the Lokomo Sword as I waded in the water. I was panting heavily. I’d thought I was going to drown for a minute there.
“Alphonse!” Layla cheered excitedly from the ship. “You did it!”
The entire crew was celebrating. They were cheering and crying and hugging each other in their joy. I was pretty happy, myself. We were all glad to be alive.
* * *
Hours passed. The maelstrom was over, and dawn was beginning to break. Now that Tentalus was dead, Jasson could take all the time he needed to repair the ship’s engine. But it seemed to be beyond repair for now.
Safely back aboard the ship, I was standing on the deck at the starboard side, watching the sunrise. Zelda was fast asleep in my hood. I kinda wished she were awake, though. She was missing out on the amazing sight.
The golden sun peeking out from the horizon shone vibrantly in the dark morning sky. Its rays of light sparkled across the waves brilliantly. I was in awe. Watching this, it made me realize just how beautiful this country was. It made me angry that the Demon King, Malladus, was trying to destroy all of that. As the Hero of Spirits, it was my duty to stop him. However, I still wasn’t ready yet. I needed more power.
I thought back to the magic power that appeared at my feet when I jumped from the smokestack. It propelled me through the air. I began to wonder if this was another special property of the Spirits’ power, and I thought about trying to use it to my advantage. If I learned how to use it right, I could use the Spirits’ magic to increase my speed by propelling myself forward with each step, thus giving myself an advantage in battle. I decided I was going to try that the next chance I got.
While I was staring out at the sunrise thinking about these things, I didn't notice Layla approach me.
“Alphonse?” she said softly.
I nearly jumped out of my skin, and I almost knocked Zelda out of my hood. Layla laughed.
“Eh heh heh, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” she said with a chuckle.
“Uh, right...” I said, embarrassed. “I thought you were asleep.”
“No, not anymore.” she said. I noticed she was still wearing her pajamas, so I figured she’d just woken up. “The whole crew is still sleeping though.” she told me.
“I’d imagine... Considering what we all went through last night, everyone must be pretty wiped out.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
Layla became quiet for a bit.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “You look like you have something on your mind.”
“Well...” she began. She started to blush. “I just wanted to thank you.”
- Whoa, wait a second, is she revealing her sweet side again?
“If you weren’t here, Alphonse, we all would have died. You saved us. So, thank you.” she said with a smile.
“No... no problem... It’s what I do...” I said bashfully.
“About that... Zelda told me you were the Hero of Spirits!” she said, suddenly snapping back from her sweet persona.
“That’s right. I am.” I said.
“Ah ha! I’d heard about you, but I never realized you were that Alphonse... How come you never said anything?” she asked.
“You never asked.” I answered plainly.
“… Ugh, whatever.” she said, annoyed by my response.
- So much for “sweet” Layla.
“But you know, you were pretty amazing out there. I was surprised.” she said.
- Or not… It feels weird to have someone who can’t decide if they’re gonna be strict or sweet give me compliments...
“You weren’t too bad, yourself. You’re pretty strong for someone your size!” I said with a naive smile.
“What did you say?!” she snapped.
It was true, even though I trusted her to launch me forward with her lance, I didn’t expect her to be as strong as she was. Not only was she a whole head shorter than me, she looked kind of scrawny too. But, looks can be deceiving. However, unfortunately for me I seemed to have struck a nerve with that comment.
“I may be kind of small, but I’m still pretty strong! Don’t you dare look down on me!” she yelled. Her face was bright red.
“Um, s-sorry, I meant it as a compliment.” I apologized.
Suddenly she calmed down. She seemed a little embarrassed by her outburst, as her face got even redder.
“Wha... whatever. It’s not like I asked you to compliment me...” she said shyly. “A-and it’s not like I enjoy getting compliments from you or anything, be-because I don’t, so don’t even think it.” she added, turning away from me to hide her embarrassment.
I could tell she was the type that gets uncomfortable when given praise. It was actually kind of cute. But I also found the way she was acting kind of funny, and I couldn’t help but to start laughing.
“H-hey, what’s the big idea?! Why are you laughing?!” she asked, turning back around. Her face was still red.
“Sorry...” I said as I calmed myself down. “It’s just...”
“Just what? Huh?”
“... Nothing, nevermind.” I said, still shaking off a few remaining laughs.
“... Jeez, who’d of thought the famous Hero of Spirits was such a weirdo.” she sighed.
“Huh? Me, famous?” I asked, ignoring her comment about me being a weirdo.
“Are you kidding? Tales of you have been spreading like wildfire! Practically everyone’s heard of you!”
“Really? I mean, I knew my name was spreading, but I didn’t know it was spreading so quickly...” I said.
“Are you really surprised? You defeated Vaati, the Demon Lord who’d been terrorizing our world since Malladus started the war with the Spirits of Light! People everywhere have been celebrating his defeat!”
"R-really..." I said shyly.
“That reminds me, I had something else I wanted to thank you for.” Layla said.
“Huh? What?” I asked.
“Don’t you get it? Remember how I told you Vaati killed my father when he destroyed Papuchiya Village four years ago?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, thanks to you, I finally have some closure! You killed the monster that took my father away from me! I really can’t thank you enough, Alphonse.” she said happily.
“Don’t mention it...” I said.
“That reminds me, didn’t you tell me Vaati killed your parents too?” she asked.
“Yeah. They were killed when Vaati destroyed Aboda Village nine years ago.” I said.
“I see... I’m sorry...”
“Thank you.”
Layla hesitated before continuing. “... You were able to personally get revenge on Vaati... How did it feel to avenge your parents’ deaths?” she asked.
“I didn’t defeat Vaati for revenge.” I told her.
“Huh?”
“Vaati had recently destroyed Hyleigh City, killing the parents of a close friend of mine. After that, I decided to defeat Vaati, but in order to prevent anything like that from ever happening again. I just wanted to protect people, that's all. I figured that was the best way to save more lives."
Layla seemed to be in awe for a bit. “You know, Alphonse... You’re really something else...” she said quietly.
I just shrugged it off. Like Layla, receiving compliments like that sometimes makes me feel uneasy.
I felt movement in my hood. Zelda was finally waking up.
“Oh, good morning, Zelda!” I said.
“Morning...” she said through a yawn. “Morning Cap’n...” she said sleepily.
- What’s with “Cap’n”?
“Good morning, fairy girl... Sorry, good morning, Zelda.” Layla said.
“It’s okay... I’m already used to Milkovich calling me that... I don’t mind it...” she yawned. “Is it time for breakfast yet...”
“... Zelda, you can’t eat anything, remember? I think you need some more sleep.” I said.
Zelda yawned extensively and said, “Maybe you’re right... Good night...”
As she went back to sleep in my hood, I said, “It’s morning, you know...”
Layla just laughed. “A ha hah hah, she really must be tired.” she cackled.
“Yep...” I sighed.
Layla’s face started to turn red again. “I’m gonna go change out of my pajamas. Thanks again, Alphonse. For everything...” she said sweetly.
“It’s nothing, really...” I began. I was cut off, though.
Layla leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek.
I was shocked speechless. My face flushed with color, and so did hers. “That... That was just a sign of my gratitude. Don’t you start thinking that I like you, or anything, because I don’t...” she said embarrassingly.
“Uh... huh...” I said. I was still in shock.
- I can’t believe she did that... Maybe she’s actually starting to change from her strict attitude...
Layla then began poking me in the center of my chest as she said menacingly, “And don’t you ever. Say anything. About that kiss. Or I will beat the crap out of you. You hear?”
- Now there’s the normal Layla.
I just laughed and said, “Aye aye, Captain.”
“Hmph.” she grunted.
Layla strutted off to her cabin to get changed. I looked back out at the sunrise and began to zone out again. Thinking about Layla’s kiss made me think back to the kiss I shared with Naomi before I left.
- That was just gratitude. Nothing more...
I nodded to myself, and pushed it out of my thoughts. I didn’t want to let myself think about this anymore.
* * *
After the crew was awake and everyone had their fill of breakfast, we all crowded around Jasson in the engine room as he attempted to fix the engine again. He was still having no luck.
“Damn it, the thing’s totally fried.” Jasson sighed, irritated.
“So there’s really nothing you can do?” Layla asked.
“I thought that givin’ it some time to rest would help, but it seems all the time in the world won’t do any good. I can’t fix it with the tools we have here. We’re gonna have to make port somewhere and get it repaired with more advanced tools.”
“But we can’t make port if the engine’s dead!” Zelda said.
“Yup. We’re in a real pickle here.” Jasson said.
“What are we gonna do?” Seryph asked.
“Are there any lifeboats? We could use them to get to the closest port.” I suggested.
“No, the lifeboats were destroyed during Tentalus’ attack last night.” Layla told me.
“Oh...” I said, let down.
“Where is the closest port? I could fly there and get help!” Zelda suggested.
“That should work! Nice thinking, Zelda!” Layla said.
“All right! Way to go, fairy girl! You rock!” Milkovich said excitedly.
“Oh, stop...” Zelda said bashfully.
We all went up to the deck. After consulting a map, Seryph explained to Zelda where she had to go.
“The closest port is Zora Hall, which happens to be our destination. They were expecting us by sunrise, so they probably think we got sunk by Tentalus.”
“Why would they think that just because we’re late?” I asked.
“Because for one thing, we’ve never been late. And Tentalus had been sinking ships like crazy. Under the circumstances, it’s only natural that they’d jump to that conclusion.” Seryph explained.
“I see.” I said.
“So, Zelda, we need you to fly to Zora Hall and let the Zoras know we’re okay, but we're stranded and we need their help. Then lead them back here. Can you handle it?” Seryph asked Zelda.
“Yes! Leave it to me! I can finally do something to help out around here! There’s no way I’m gonna let you guys down!” she said enthusiastically.
“That’s the spirit, fairy girl!” Milkovich said encouragingly.
“Go on, Zelda. We’ll see you back here soon!” I said.
“Right!” Zelda said excitedly.
With that, she flew off in the direction Seryph instructed.
* * *
It was nearly noon, and still no sign of Zelda.
“You think she got lost?” Seryph asked.
“Nah, I’m the one who's bad with directions.” I said.
“Huh?”
“... Nevermind.”
We both went quiet for a bit. Layla was inside her cabin, doing what, I didn’t know. The crew was scattered about on the ship. Some were up on the deck, but others were downstairs, hanging out in the galley or in the barracks. Jasson was still in the engine room fiddling around with it, even though he knew it was hopeless.
As I was staring out at the open sea, I spotted a small silhouette at the horizon that hadn’t been there before. After the incident last night, I started to wonder if it could be another leviathan. If that were the case, we'd be easy lunch. However, upon staring at it longer, I quickly realized what it actually was.
“I see a ship in the distance!” I shouted.
The crew perked up and dashed to the handrail. Layla, likely hearing me shout from within her room, came bursting out and joined us. I cupped my hands over my eyes to see better. Indeed, it was a ship. Soon enough, it reached us.
“You guys!” Zelda called out as she flew back to our ship. “I brought help!” she announced proudly.
“Great work, fairy girl! I knew you could do it!” Milkovich said excitedly.
The ship appeared to be a small ferry, and at the wheel was a Zora, clothed in armor. He hopped down and boarded our ship.
"Hello, Zordo. Nice to see you again." Layla greeted, seeming to know him.
“Are the fins damp today?” he asked.
I was confused, so I looked toward Layla. She explained that it was a customary Zora greeting.
“Your fairy friend has told us Zoras all about your troubles. We’re simply amazed that you managed to defeat Tentalus. You have our sincerest gratitude. That monster had made it impossible for us to fish lately.” Zordo said.
“Of course.” Layla said. “I'm just glad we made it out of that fight alive.” she said.
“Indeed.” he said. “It would have been awful to lose you. And not just because you bring us good business." he added with a wink. "My crew and I will gladly tow your ship back to Zora Hall.”
Zordo raised his hand up, and on that signal, six Zoras leapt off the ferry into the water. Zordo returned to his own ship and set sail for Zora Hall.
Before I could say, “What about us?!”, our own ship began to move.
“Jasson, was that you?” Seryph called down.
“Nope!” he answered.
I looked over the edge, and I saw that the six Zoras were pushing our ship forward.
“So that’s what he meant by ‘towing’.” I said with a grin.
And so, with the help of the Zoras, we were finally back on course to Zora Hall.
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