Zelda Art The Hero of Spirits
- Thread starter Azure Sage
- Start date
Thank you both so much! About Regret, Van... His backstory is... Well, it's hard to explain. Let's just say the truth about his past is a big, important secret to be revealed later in the story. 
Alright, it's time for chapter twenty-nine! This chapter is mainly focused on character development, so there isn't too much action this time. It's also a bit longer than usual. I hope you enjoy it all the same, and get ready, because something big is on its way!
Friendly Warning: This chapter contains suggestive dialogue and content.
Enjoy, guys!
I didn’t even realize it happened at first.
I was laying in the sand, sprawled out on my back. My eyes were half closed. Gradually, my enhanced sense of perception faded away, and the background and noise slowly faded back.
My eyes sprang wide open, and I sat up like a rocket. I looked to my left and right, and then dead ahead. Regret walked over to me.
“Good fight, Alphonse! For a second there, I thought I was a goner!” he said while grinning cheerfully.
He extended his hand, and after a slight hesitation, I grabbed it. He pulled me to my feet, and we shook hands.
“Yeah. Good fight.” I agreed, smiling softly, sheathing my sword.
“Alphonse! What happened back there?!” the voice of Layla called out from behind me.
I turned around, and saw Layla hop down from the stands, followed by Zelda.
“I thought you were winning! What happened?!” Zelda exclaimed.
“I guess he got the better of me!” I answered with a laugh.
“What does that mean?!” Layla snapped. She puffed out her cheeks and pouted. “And I worked so hard to cheer for you, too.”
Suddenly, something clicked with in my brain. “Oh, yeah, Regret...” I began, turning back around to face him.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I have something I wanna ask you. Can we meet up later and talk?” I told him.
“Sure thing. You can come by my place tomorrow, around noon.” he agreed.
“Y-Your place?” I asked, feeling confused.
“That’s right. I live with a Gerudo named Maika in the east side of town. I’ll tell her you’ll be dropping by.” he said.
And with that, Regret turned and walked away.
“Alphonse, what’s this about?” Zelda asked.
“That guy could use magic, which is unheard of for humans. I’m an exception, being the Hero of Spirits. I just want to confirm something with that guy.” I explained.
“But he was pretty vague on his directions.” Layla complained. “I haven’t met any Gerudo named Maika.”
“I know her.” I said. “I fought her in the second round. I’m gonna go see if I can find her. I’ll meet you two back at the palace, okay?” I said as I dashed off.
“Ah-- Alphonse! … Man, that guy...” Layla moaned.
“Come on, let’s go, Layla!” Zelda said.
“Fine.” Layla reluctantly agreed.
I quickly dashed through the crowd exiting through the front gates of the stadium, trying to find Maika. Shaking off all the people trying to congratulate me for doing so well in the Fighting Festival, I ducked and dodged through the crowd, and accidentally bumped into King Ganondorf.
“Ah, there you are Alphonse. I was looking for you.” he said.
“Ah... Hello, Your Highness.” I said, bowing to him.
“I wanted to congratulate you for making it so far in the festival! You put on a grand display, especially during the final round! I was starting to think that you might be the one to seize the title of Champion from young Regret, but I guess that kid isn’t going to lose his place at the top for a long time after all.” he said with a laugh.
“Champion? How many times has Regret won?” I asked.
“He’s won the festival four years in a row now!” Ganondorf told me.
“I see... Um, do you know where I can find Maika?” I asked him.
“Ah, Maika. Yes, you should talk to Marluxia about her. They’re sisters, after all.” he told me.
“Thank you.” I said, bowing once again before dashing off.
I knew that Marluxia worked as a palace guard when she wasn’t out hunting, so I headed right to the palace. I ran from the stadium back into the city, and ran as fast as I could through the streets. I eventually reached the palace steps and dashed up.
I came to a stop in front of the doors, panting and heaving. Once I caught my breath, I went inside and tried to find Marluxia. I asked one of the guards, and she said that Marluxia was positioned by the throne room. I went there and found her standing outside.
“Hello, Alphonse. How did the festival go?” she asked.
“I lost to Regret in the final round." I told her.
“Ah, that’s too bad. Then again, Regret is a very skilled fighter.” she laughed.
“Yeah, about him... I heard he lives with your sister, Maika.” I said.
“Yes. What of it?”
“Regret invited me to their place tomorrow. Can you tell me where they live?” I asked her.
“Sure thing.” she responded.
After giving me very clear directions to Regret and Maika’s house, I thanked her and headed back to my room. I passed the front gates on my way and ran into Layla and Zelda, who were just coming in.
“A-Alphonse?!” Layla exclaimed. “I thought you were looking for that Maika person! What are you doing here?”
“I’ll explain in a bit. Let’s get back to our rooms first.” I told her.
“I see... So you’ll be going over tomorrow at noon, then?” Layla confirmed after I finished explaining everything to her.
We were sitting next to each other on my bed, with Zelda hovering over us.
“That’s right.” I nodded.
“Geez, you leave us alone here so you can go solve your mysteries... How rude can you get?” Layla snapped playfully.
“Want to come?” I asked her.
“... Well, I don’t have anything better to do.” she answered.
“This could be fun! I’m kind of excited!” Zelda said.
“Great. Well, I guess we have the rest of the day to ourselves then. What do you guys wanna do?” I asked.
“I’m going to go relax.” Layla said as she stood up. “See you later.”
And with that, she left my room.
“What will you do, Alphonse?” Zelda asked.
“I think I’ll go take a bath. I’m kinda worn out from all the action today.” I answered.
“Okay. See you in a bit.” she replied.
I stood up and grabbed a bath towel from a rack in the corner of my room, and left to head to the bath.
I walked down the hallway outside my room to the right, turned a corner, said “Hi” to the Gerudo guard I passed on my way there, and entered the bath house. I got undressed in the changing room and left my clothes in there. With the towel wrapped around my waist, I walked into the bath.
It was like a hot spring of sorts. It was filled with hot water and lots of steam. Unraveling the towel from my waist and folding it atop my head, I tested the water with my toe and stepped in. The water was pretty hot, but it felt very refreshing.
I waded in all the way and sank down into the water at one side of the large bath. I let out a large sigh.
“This is great...” I said to myself.
I heard the door to the changing room slide open, and I quickly looked over to see who had opened it.
Layla was standing there with a towel folded on top of her head like mine. She had nothing else on.
I let out a gasp as I quickly turned away from her with a loud splash. “What the heck are you doing in here?!” I freaked.
“I came here to take a bath! I didn’t know you’d be in here!” she yelled back. After a short silence, I heard her sigh and say, “You know, this has happened twice already. At this point, I just don’t care anymore.”
I heard her footsteps enter the bath, and I said, “W-wait, what are you doing?!” without turning to face her.
“Taking a bath. What else?” she answered. I heard her plop down in the water close to me.
“B-but... Don’t you care that I’m in here?!” I asked nervously.
“Alphonse... You’ve already seen them twice. I don’t see the point in freaking out at you for seeing them again.” she said simply.
I gulped nervously.
- What is she thinking? Why is she being so relaxed around me all of a sudden?
“Will you quit turning your head away from me?” she suddenly snapped. “I already told you I don’t care if you see them anymore. Quit acting like a child.”
I gulped even harder, and I slowly turned my head to face her.
“See? Was that so hard?” she said plainly.
My eyes accidentally drifted down, and I quickly turned my head away again on reflex.
“Sigh... You really are just too innocent.” Layla sighed.
At first I was confused about why she entered the same bath as me, but then I remembered that the Gerudo are a race of women. It made sense that they wouldn't have separate baths for men and women, because there were no men aside from Ganondorf, who probably had his own private bath.
For several minutes, nothing was said. I kept my head facing forward but I kept my eyes focused away from her. My face was bright red with embarrassment and nervousness. I could hear Layla washing herself, and that only made me feel more uncomfortable.
“Hey Alphonse.” Layla said suddenly.
“W-what?” I replied.
“What do you think of me? You know... as a girl?” she asked suddenly.
“H-huh?!” I said in surprise, finally fully turning to face her. I wasn’t expecting her to ask me something like that.
“W-well... It’s just... My mother died when I was little... So all I had was my dad. But he loved nothing more than the sea, and all he would do was sail with his crew. He would even take me out to sea with him, and he trained me to be a sailor just like him. After he died, I took over as captain...”
She paused for a bit.
“... The thing is, I never had the chance to experience a normal childhood. You know... To go out and play with friends... And talk about girly things with my friends... Or... You know, get a boyfriend... I... I never even had any friends... I missed out on all of that... So I was wondering... Since I have you as my friend now... What do you think of me?”
As she talked, I realized she was being completely serious. She really wanted me to answer this question. But I didn’t know what to say.
Layla had been robbed of much of her childhood due to her father always dragging her out to sea, and when he died she had to take his place. I didn’t have much of a childhood either, having lost my parents at a young age. However, I had Rena to help me through those tough times. But Layla didn’t have anyone. So I honestly didn’t know what to say to her. And that’s what I told her.
“Well... I really don’t know how to answer that...” I said.
“W-well, you know... Do you... Think I’m pretty? You know, that kind of answer.” she said nervously.
That wasn’t hard to answer. “Well, of course I do. You’re very pretty.”
Layla seemed to come alive after hearing that. “You... You mean it?!” she exclaimed.
She leaned close to me excitedly, and suddenly I remembered that both of us were in a bath, and I started panicking as I doubled back. Layla didn’t seem to notice as she cupped both my hands with hers.
“You... You really think so, Alphonse?” she asked again.
“O-o-of course I do.” I answered in a panicked voice.
Layla being this close to me in a situation like this was making me incredibly uncomfortable. I absentmindedly thought about what would happen if Naomi saw me like this, and I suddenly felt like I was going to die of embarrassment.
“... Pretty enough to date?”
Layla’s sudden question made me freeze up.
- … To date? Does she... like me?
“Uhm...” was all that I could manage to get out.
My heart was beating ridiculously fast as Layla’s desperate brown eyes locked with my panicking golden eyes.
Layla suddenly flashed a look that seemed as if she remembered something, and she lowered her eyes and backed off from me a little.
“Oh yeah, that’s right... You told me you have a girlfriend, didn’t you...” she said in a pained voice.
“Y-yeah, I do...” I answered. My heart was still racing.
“... I’m sorry. I kind of forgot myself there, didn’t I...” Layla said sadly. “I’m sorry for saying so many things so suddenly like that, Alphonse...”
“N-no, it’s... You don’t have to apologize.” I said nervously.
“... It’s just... You‘re the first real friend I’ve ever had. You’ve been so great to me... I just...” she paused for a bit. “... I’m sorry. I guess I let my feelings get a little out of control.”
Layla looked like she was about to cry. I didn’t want to let that happen, so I wracked my brain to come up with a way to calm her down. I gulped nervously, apologized to Naomi in my thoughts, and did the only thing I could think of.
I put my hand on Layla’s shoulder. “Alphonse?” Layla began. She was suddenly cut off.
I kissed her.
It was a short kiss on her forehead, and I felt bad about it because I had Naomi, but it was the only way I could think of to settle this for good.
After my lips parted from her forehead, Layla gazed at me with blushing cheeks and trembling eyes. “Alphonse...” she whispered in shock.
“I’m sorry Layla.” I began. “You’re right, I do have Naomi. But don’t... Don’t get so upset, okay? I do like you a little, but... Listen, it doesn’t have to be me. You’re a wonderful person, you have a great personality, and you’re very beautiful. There’s no way you won’t find someone who’s going to completely fall for you. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Just give it some time, okay? And I’ll be with you every step of the way if you need help. That’s what friends are for.”
Layla stared at me in shock for a little while. Soon enough, her lips began to spread into a smile, and tears started to roll down her cheeks.
“... Thank you, Alphonse... You’re always here to help me... I... Thank you...” she cried.
Layla hugged me tightly and buried her face into my chest and cried. I hugged her back, trying my best to comfort her.
But then I remembered where we were.
And I felt what was pressing up against my body.
“Alphonse?! What happened?!” Zelda freaked.
She hovered in front of Layla, who had just entered my room. She was wearing a teal bathrobe, and was holding me up with her arms around me with a wry expression on her face. I was limp and barely moving. I also had a bathrobe on.
“I... had gone into the bath and found him passed out in there. I guess the heat was too much for him.” she lied.
“Oh no... Are you okay?” Zelda fussed.
“Y-yeah... I’ll be okay...” I said in an exhausted tone.
Layla helped me to the bed and laid me down. “You should take it easy tonight. Get plenty of rest okay?” she told me. She leaned in closer to me and whispered, “And thanks again for what you said, Alphonse.”
Layla waved to Zelda and went into her own room. Zelda floated worryingly above me saying, “You poor thing...”
What really happened was that I fainted from feeling Layla pressing against my body in the bath lwhile she hugged me. After I came around, Layla was hovering over me with a worried expression. She joked about me being innocent again, and once she realized that I was still feeling woozy, she came up with that lie so Zelda wouldn’t question why we took a bath together. After we got changed into the bathrobes provided in the changing room, Layla helped me back to my room.
- Man, that was really embarrassing...
As I rested my arm over my eyes, I let myself drift off to sleep. I was glad that I had cheered Layla up, but I didn’t really want to think about it anymore. The guilt of kissing another girl, even if it was just on the forehead, was something I wanted to forget about.
Late that night, after dinner, Layla plopped down onto her bed. She laid sprawled out on her back, and sighed. Looking up at the ceiling, she thought back to the events that took place in the bath, and her cheeks flooded with color. But strangely enough, she was happy.
She couldn’t help but smile as she thought back to it. Was it because Alphonse had kissed her, or was it because of what he said to her afterwards? She couldn’t be sure, but either way, she was happy.
Layla felt like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her feelings for Alphonse had been eating at her since they left Zora Hall, but she didn’t have the courage to say anything to Alphonse until now. Even if her feelings couldn’t be reciprocated, because of what Alphonse said and did, she still felt satisfied. And that made her happy.
“Alphonse... Thanks so much...” she whispered before drifting off to sleep.
“Are we almost there?” Layla moaned as she strutted along behind me.
“We are there.” I answered, coming to a stop in front of a small house.
“Oh...” she said, feeling embarrassed.
Today was the day I agreed to meet Regret at his house, and Layla and Zelda came along. We stood in front of a small house near the outskirts of the city of Nabooru. It looked small and roomy, and it also reminded me of Rena’s cabin. I began to feel a bit homesick. I quickly shook that feeling away and knocked on the door.
“Coming!” a soft and sweet voice answered from within the house.
Before long, the door opened, and I was face to face with Maika. “Hi there.” I greeted.
“Oh, Alphonse! Welcome! Regret told me you’d be coming. Come in!” she said cheerfully.
I thanked her, and entered the house, followed by Zelda and Layla who also said hello to Maika. We were standing in a well-furnished room, with a brown carpet on the floor beneath a glass table, and a big brown couch in front of it. There was an open threshold on both sides of the wall behind the couch, and I guessed that led into the kitchen.
Regret walked into the room from the right threshold, and an excited smile spread across his face.
“Good to see you, Alphonse! Glad you could make it!"
"No thanks to you!" Maika said. "I can't believe you forgot to tell him where we lived! Who does that?"
"Ack! I'm sorry! It was an honest mistake, really!" Regret pleaded.
"It's alright, we still made it here in the end." I said.
"Phew. Glad you're not mad. Sorry, I can be a little... forgetful sometimes." Regret said. He had an odd look on his face as he spoke those words, but it was gone in a second. "Now, what is it you wanted to ask me?”
“Ooh, can we get to that after lunch? I just made sandwiches.” Maika said. “Why don’t you guys sit down and have a bite to eat while we talk?”
Layla and I simultaneously said our thanks and followed Regret and Maika into the kitchen. We sat down at the wooden table in the center of the room, and Maika passed out plates with sandwiches cut in a triangular shape on them. It appeared to have Komodo lizard meat on it.
After saying out thanks, we all dug in. The sandwiches were really delicious. Maika was an excellent cook. I sat next to Regret on one side, and Layla sat next to Maika on the other. Zelda simply floated by my head.
While Layla and Maika began to talk and get to know each other, Regret picked up the conversation from earlier. "So, what exactly did you wanna talk about?"
“Well, I was curious about your magic.” I answered.
“Oh, I see! Isn’t it neat? I’ve heard that humans normally can’t use magic, but here I am! I don’t know how I can use magic, but I’ve been able to use it ever since I can remember.” he explained to me.
- I see... So he doesn’t even know himself... But I’m definitely not wrong... Well, if he doesn’t know, then I guess I’ll leave it alone for now.
“Come to think of it, Alphonse...” Regret continued, “You’re the only other person I’ve met who can use magic!”
“Oh, that’s because I’m the Hero of Spirits.” I told him. “I have permission to use the power of the Spirits.”
Regret’s jaw dropped. “You-You’re... You’re that Alphonse?! I didn’t know that... That’s amazing! No wonder you were so tough! I’d expect nothing less from the Hero of Spirits himself! ... Hey, wow, I just beat the Hero of Spirits himself! Man, I'm awesome!”
“So, Regret...” I began, dodging both is praise for me and for himself. “How did you end up living here with the Gerudo?”
“Maika found me wandering the desert near here when I was little. I don’t really remember anything else before that.” he told me.
“Amnesia?" I asked. He nodded. "I see."
- That may explain why he doesn't know...
Just then, the mood was interrupted by the loud sound of marching coming from outside.
“What’s going on?” I said, confused. “Is there another festival or something?”
Regret's expression suddenly became serious. “No... Something’s wrong.” he said as he got up.
He dashed out of the house, and Maika, Layla, Zelda, and I followed after him. We ran down the street and reached the main road. An army of Gerudo women was racing down the street, heading out of the city.
“What’s going on?” Regret asked one of the soldiers.
“Some stranger is causing trouble at the Desert Colossus!” she answered before continuing to run.
“The Desert Colossus?! But that’s the place where...” Maika exclaimed in a panic.
“This is bad... We have to go check it out.” Regret said.
He raced out of the city and followed after the army into the desert. Maika quickly chased after him.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but we should go too.” I said.
“Right!” Layla and Zelda agreed in unison, and together the three of us followed Regret and Maika.
After several minutes of running, we saw the army come to a stop near the base of a tall rock. The five of us ran around the crowd to the front, and I got a good look at the Desert Colossus. It was an enormous statue of a beautiful goddess carved into the face of the enormous rock. The craftsmanship was absolutely stunning, but I didn’t have time to admire it. There was supposed to be a stranger causing trouble here, so I looked around to try and spot them.
Every fiber of my being shook as the familiar voice penetrated my ears. I stepped forward, to the front of the crowd, and standing several feet ahead was a man I knew.
I bit my lip, and gave a wry smile. “I could say the same to you. I didn’t expect we’d meet again like this.” I answered.
“Yes, it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it Alphonse. I still have that scar you gave me on my chest.” the man answered coyly, placing his right palm on his breast. “I still have to pay you back for that.”
“You did say you’d fight me again, didn’t you... And now here you are...” I said anxiously.
Alright, it's time for chapter twenty-nine! This chapter is mainly focused on character development, so there isn't too much action this time. It's also a bit longer than usual. I hope you enjoy it all the same, and get ready, because something big is on its way! Friendly Warning: This chapter contains suggestive dialogue and content.
Enjoy, guys!
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I didn’t even realize it happened at first.
I was laying in the sand, sprawled out on my back. My eyes were half closed. Gradually, my enhanced sense of perception faded away, and the background and noise slowly faded back.
My eyes sprang wide open, and I sat up like a rocket. I looked to my left and right, and then dead ahead. Regret walked over to me.
“Good fight, Alphonse! For a second there, I thought I was a goner!” he said while grinning cheerfully.
He extended his hand, and after a slight hesitation, I grabbed it. He pulled me to my feet, and we shook hands.
“Yeah. Good fight.” I agreed, smiling softly, sheathing my sword.
“Alphonse! What happened back there?!” the voice of Layla called out from behind me.
I turned around, and saw Layla hop down from the stands, followed by Zelda.
“I thought you were winning! What happened?!” Zelda exclaimed.
“I guess he got the better of me!” I answered with a laugh.
“What does that mean?!” Layla snapped. She puffed out her cheeks and pouted. “And I worked so hard to cheer for you, too.”
Suddenly, something clicked with in my brain. “Oh, yeah, Regret...” I began, turning back around to face him.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I have something I wanna ask you. Can we meet up later and talk?” I told him.
“Sure thing. You can come by my place tomorrow, around noon.” he agreed.
“Y-Your place?” I asked, feeling confused.
“That’s right. I live with a Gerudo named Maika in the east side of town. I’ll tell her you’ll be dropping by.” he said.
And with that, Regret turned and walked away.
“Alphonse, what’s this about?” Zelda asked.
“That guy could use magic, which is unheard of for humans. I’m an exception, being the Hero of Spirits. I just want to confirm something with that guy.” I explained.
“But he was pretty vague on his directions.” Layla complained. “I haven’t met any Gerudo named Maika.”
“I know her.” I said. “I fought her in the second round. I’m gonna go see if I can find her. I’ll meet you two back at the palace, okay?” I said as I dashed off.
“Ah-- Alphonse! … Man, that guy...” Layla moaned.
“Come on, let’s go, Layla!” Zelda said.
“Fine.” Layla reluctantly agreed.
I quickly dashed through the crowd exiting through the front gates of the stadium, trying to find Maika. Shaking off all the people trying to congratulate me for doing so well in the Fighting Festival, I ducked and dodged through the crowd, and accidentally bumped into King Ganondorf.
“Ah, there you are Alphonse. I was looking for you.” he said.
“Ah... Hello, Your Highness.” I said, bowing to him.
“I wanted to congratulate you for making it so far in the festival! You put on a grand display, especially during the final round! I was starting to think that you might be the one to seize the title of Champion from young Regret, but I guess that kid isn’t going to lose his place at the top for a long time after all.” he said with a laugh.
“Champion? How many times has Regret won?” I asked.
“He’s won the festival four years in a row now!” Ganondorf told me.
“I see... Um, do you know where I can find Maika?” I asked him.
“Ah, Maika. Yes, you should talk to Marluxia about her. They’re sisters, after all.” he told me.
“Thank you.” I said, bowing once again before dashing off.
I knew that Marluxia worked as a palace guard when she wasn’t out hunting, so I headed right to the palace. I ran from the stadium back into the city, and ran as fast as I could through the streets. I eventually reached the palace steps and dashed up.
I came to a stop in front of the doors, panting and heaving. Once I caught my breath, I went inside and tried to find Marluxia. I asked one of the guards, and she said that Marluxia was positioned by the throne room. I went there and found her standing outside.
“Hello, Alphonse. How did the festival go?” she asked.
“I lost to Regret in the final round." I told her.
“Ah, that’s too bad. Then again, Regret is a very skilled fighter.” she laughed.
“Yeah, about him... I heard he lives with your sister, Maika.” I said.
“Yes. What of it?”
“Regret invited me to their place tomorrow. Can you tell me where they live?” I asked her.
“Sure thing.” she responded.
After giving me very clear directions to Regret and Maika’s house, I thanked her and headed back to my room. I passed the front gates on my way and ran into Layla and Zelda, who were just coming in.
“A-Alphonse?!” Layla exclaimed. “I thought you were looking for that Maika person! What are you doing here?”
“I’ll explain in a bit. Let’s get back to our rooms first.” I told her.
* * *
“I see... So you’ll be going over tomorrow at noon, then?” Layla confirmed after I finished explaining everything to her.
We were sitting next to each other on my bed, with Zelda hovering over us.
“That’s right.” I nodded.
“Geez, you leave us alone here so you can go solve your mysteries... How rude can you get?” Layla snapped playfully.
“Want to come?” I asked her.
“... Well, I don’t have anything better to do.” she answered.
“This could be fun! I’m kind of excited!” Zelda said.
“Great. Well, I guess we have the rest of the day to ourselves then. What do you guys wanna do?” I asked.
“I’m going to go relax.” Layla said as she stood up. “See you later.”
And with that, she left my room.
“What will you do, Alphonse?” Zelda asked.
“I think I’ll go take a bath. I’m kinda worn out from all the action today.” I answered.
“Okay. See you in a bit.” she replied.
I stood up and grabbed a bath towel from a rack in the corner of my room, and left to head to the bath.
I walked down the hallway outside my room to the right, turned a corner, said “Hi” to the Gerudo guard I passed on my way there, and entered the bath house. I got undressed in the changing room and left my clothes in there. With the towel wrapped around my waist, I walked into the bath.
It was like a hot spring of sorts. It was filled with hot water and lots of steam. Unraveling the towel from my waist and folding it atop my head, I tested the water with my toe and stepped in. The water was pretty hot, but it felt very refreshing.
I waded in all the way and sank down into the water at one side of the large bath. I let out a large sigh.
“This is great...” I said to myself.
I heard the door to the changing room slide open, and I quickly looked over to see who had opened it.
Layla was standing there with a towel folded on top of her head like mine. She had nothing else on.
I let out a gasp as I quickly turned away from her with a loud splash. “What the heck are you doing in here?!” I freaked.
“I came here to take a bath! I didn’t know you’d be in here!” she yelled back. After a short silence, I heard her sigh and say, “You know, this has happened twice already. At this point, I just don’t care anymore.”
I heard her footsteps enter the bath, and I said, “W-wait, what are you doing?!” without turning to face her.
“Taking a bath. What else?” she answered. I heard her plop down in the water close to me.
“B-but... Don’t you care that I’m in here?!” I asked nervously.
“Alphonse... You’ve already seen them twice. I don’t see the point in freaking out at you for seeing them again.” she said simply.
I gulped nervously.
- What is she thinking? Why is she being so relaxed around me all of a sudden?
“Will you quit turning your head away from me?” she suddenly snapped. “I already told you I don’t care if you see them anymore. Quit acting like a child.”
I gulped even harder, and I slowly turned my head to face her.
“See? Was that so hard?” she said plainly.
My eyes accidentally drifted down, and I quickly turned my head away again on reflex.
“Sigh... You really are just too innocent.” Layla sighed.
At first I was confused about why she entered the same bath as me, but then I remembered that the Gerudo are a race of women. It made sense that they wouldn't have separate baths for men and women, because there were no men aside from Ganondorf, who probably had his own private bath.
For several minutes, nothing was said. I kept my head facing forward but I kept my eyes focused away from her. My face was bright red with embarrassment and nervousness. I could hear Layla washing herself, and that only made me feel more uncomfortable.
“Hey Alphonse.” Layla said suddenly.
“W-what?” I replied.
“What do you think of me? You know... as a girl?” she asked suddenly.
“H-huh?!” I said in surprise, finally fully turning to face her. I wasn’t expecting her to ask me something like that.
“W-well... It’s just... My mother died when I was little... So all I had was my dad. But he loved nothing more than the sea, and all he would do was sail with his crew. He would even take me out to sea with him, and he trained me to be a sailor just like him. After he died, I took over as captain...”
She paused for a bit.
“... The thing is, I never had the chance to experience a normal childhood. You know... To go out and play with friends... And talk about girly things with my friends... Or... You know, get a boyfriend... I... I never even had any friends... I missed out on all of that... So I was wondering... Since I have you as my friend now... What do you think of me?”
As she talked, I realized she was being completely serious. She really wanted me to answer this question. But I didn’t know what to say.
Layla had been robbed of much of her childhood due to her father always dragging her out to sea, and when he died she had to take his place. I didn’t have much of a childhood either, having lost my parents at a young age. However, I had Rena to help me through those tough times. But Layla didn’t have anyone. So I honestly didn’t know what to say to her. And that’s what I told her.
“Well... I really don’t know how to answer that...” I said.
“W-well, you know... Do you... Think I’m pretty? You know, that kind of answer.” she said nervously.
That wasn’t hard to answer. “Well, of course I do. You’re very pretty.”
Layla seemed to come alive after hearing that. “You... You mean it?!” she exclaimed.
She leaned close to me excitedly, and suddenly I remembered that both of us were in a bath, and I started panicking as I doubled back. Layla didn’t seem to notice as she cupped both my hands with hers.
“You... You really think so, Alphonse?” she asked again.
“O-o-of course I do.” I answered in a panicked voice.
Layla being this close to me in a situation like this was making me incredibly uncomfortable. I absentmindedly thought about what would happen if Naomi saw me like this, and I suddenly felt like I was going to die of embarrassment.
“... Pretty enough to date?”
Layla’s sudden question made me freeze up.
- … To date? Does she... like me?
“Uhm...” was all that I could manage to get out.
My heart was beating ridiculously fast as Layla’s desperate brown eyes locked with my panicking golden eyes.
Layla suddenly flashed a look that seemed as if she remembered something, and she lowered her eyes and backed off from me a little.
“Oh yeah, that’s right... You told me you have a girlfriend, didn’t you...” she said in a pained voice.
“Y-yeah, I do...” I answered. My heart was still racing.
“... I’m sorry. I kind of forgot myself there, didn’t I...” Layla said sadly. “I’m sorry for saying so many things so suddenly like that, Alphonse...”
“N-no, it’s... You don’t have to apologize.” I said nervously.
“... It’s just... You‘re the first real friend I’ve ever had. You’ve been so great to me... I just...” she paused for a bit. “... I’m sorry. I guess I let my feelings get a little out of control.”
Layla looked like she was about to cry. I didn’t want to let that happen, so I wracked my brain to come up with a way to calm her down. I gulped nervously, apologized to Naomi in my thoughts, and did the only thing I could think of.
I put my hand on Layla’s shoulder. “Alphonse?” Layla began. She was suddenly cut off.
I kissed her.
It was a short kiss on her forehead, and I felt bad about it because I had Naomi, but it was the only way I could think of to settle this for good.
After my lips parted from her forehead, Layla gazed at me with blushing cheeks and trembling eyes. “Alphonse...” she whispered in shock.
“I’m sorry Layla.” I began. “You’re right, I do have Naomi. But don’t... Don’t get so upset, okay? I do like you a little, but... Listen, it doesn’t have to be me. You’re a wonderful person, you have a great personality, and you’re very beautiful. There’s no way you won’t find someone who’s going to completely fall for you. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Just give it some time, okay? And I’ll be with you every step of the way if you need help. That’s what friends are for.”
Layla stared at me in shock for a little while. Soon enough, her lips began to spread into a smile, and tears started to roll down her cheeks.
“... Thank you, Alphonse... You’re always here to help me... I... Thank you...” she cried.
Layla hugged me tightly and buried her face into my chest and cried. I hugged her back, trying my best to comfort her.
But then I remembered where we were.
And I felt what was pressing up against my body.
* * *
“Alphonse?! What happened?!” Zelda freaked.
She hovered in front of Layla, who had just entered my room. She was wearing a teal bathrobe, and was holding me up with her arms around me with a wry expression on her face. I was limp and barely moving. I also had a bathrobe on.
“I... had gone into the bath and found him passed out in there. I guess the heat was too much for him.” she lied.
“Oh no... Are you okay?” Zelda fussed.
“Y-yeah... I’ll be okay...” I said in an exhausted tone.
Layla helped me to the bed and laid me down. “You should take it easy tonight. Get plenty of rest okay?” she told me. She leaned in closer to me and whispered, “And thanks again for what you said, Alphonse.”
Layla waved to Zelda and went into her own room. Zelda floated worryingly above me saying, “You poor thing...”
What really happened was that I fainted from feeling Layla pressing against my body in the bath lwhile she hugged me. After I came around, Layla was hovering over me with a worried expression. She joked about me being innocent again, and once she realized that I was still feeling woozy, she came up with that lie so Zelda wouldn’t question why we took a bath together. After we got changed into the bathrobes provided in the changing room, Layla helped me back to my room.
- Man, that was really embarrassing...
As I rested my arm over my eyes, I let myself drift off to sleep. I was glad that I had cheered Layla up, but I didn’t really want to think about it anymore. The guilt of kissing another girl, even if it was just on the forehead, was something I wanted to forget about.
* * *
Late that night, after dinner, Layla plopped down onto her bed. She laid sprawled out on her back, and sighed. Looking up at the ceiling, she thought back to the events that took place in the bath, and her cheeks flooded with color. But strangely enough, she was happy.
She couldn’t help but smile as she thought back to it. Was it because Alphonse had kissed her, or was it because of what he said to her afterwards? She couldn’t be sure, but either way, she was happy.
Layla felt like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her feelings for Alphonse had been eating at her since they left Zora Hall, but she didn’t have the courage to say anything to Alphonse until now. Even if her feelings couldn’t be reciprocated, because of what Alphonse said and did, she still felt satisfied. And that made her happy.
“Alphonse... Thanks so much...” she whispered before drifting off to sleep.
* * *
“Are we almost there?” Layla moaned as she strutted along behind me.
“We are there.” I answered, coming to a stop in front of a small house.
“Oh...” she said, feeling embarrassed.
Today was the day I agreed to meet Regret at his house, and Layla and Zelda came along. We stood in front of a small house near the outskirts of the city of Nabooru. It looked small and roomy, and it also reminded me of Rena’s cabin. I began to feel a bit homesick. I quickly shook that feeling away and knocked on the door.
“Coming!” a soft and sweet voice answered from within the house.
Before long, the door opened, and I was face to face with Maika. “Hi there.” I greeted.
“Oh, Alphonse! Welcome! Regret told me you’d be coming. Come in!” she said cheerfully.
I thanked her, and entered the house, followed by Zelda and Layla who also said hello to Maika. We were standing in a well-furnished room, with a brown carpet on the floor beneath a glass table, and a big brown couch in front of it. There was an open threshold on both sides of the wall behind the couch, and I guessed that led into the kitchen.
Regret walked into the room from the right threshold, and an excited smile spread across his face.
“Good to see you, Alphonse! Glad you could make it!"
"No thanks to you!" Maika said. "I can't believe you forgot to tell him where we lived! Who does that?"
"Ack! I'm sorry! It was an honest mistake, really!" Regret pleaded.
"It's alright, we still made it here in the end." I said.
"Phew. Glad you're not mad. Sorry, I can be a little... forgetful sometimes." Regret said. He had an odd look on his face as he spoke those words, but it was gone in a second. "Now, what is it you wanted to ask me?”
“Ooh, can we get to that after lunch? I just made sandwiches.” Maika said. “Why don’t you guys sit down and have a bite to eat while we talk?”
Layla and I simultaneously said our thanks and followed Regret and Maika into the kitchen. We sat down at the wooden table in the center of the room, and Maika passed out plates with sandwiches cut in a triangular shape on them. It appeared to have Komodo lizard meat on it.
After saying out thanks, we all dug in. The sandwiches were really delicious. Maika was an excellent cook. I sat next to Regret on one side, and Layla sat next to Maika on the other. Zelda simply floated by my head.
While Layla and Maika began to talk and get to know each other, Regret picked up the conversation from earlier. "So, what exactly did you wanna talk about?"
“Well, I was curious about your magic.” I answered.
“Oh, I see! Isn’t it neat? I’ve heard that humans normally can’t use magic, but here I am! I don’t know how I can use magic, but I’ve been able to use it ever since I can remember.” he explained to me.
- I see... So he doesn’t even know himself... But I’m definitely not wrong... Well, if he doesn’t know, then I guess I’ll leave it alone for now.
“Come to think of it, Alphonse...” Regret continued, “You’re the only other person I’ve met who can use magic!”
“Oh, that’s because I’m the Hero of Spirits.” I told him. “I have permission to use the power of the Spirits.”
Regret’s jaw dropped. “You-You’re... You’re that Alphonse?! I didn’t know that... That’s amazing! No wonder you were so tough! I’d expect nothing less from the Hero of Spirits himself! ... Hey, wow, I just beat the Hero of Spirits himself! Man, I'm awesome!”
“So, Regret...” I began, dodging both is praise for me and for himself. “How did you end up living here with the Gerudo?”
“Maika found me wandering the desert near here when I was little. I don’t really remember anything else before that.” he told me.
“Amnesia?" I asked. He nodded. "I see."
- That may explain why he doesn't know...
Just then, the mood was interrupted by the loud sound of marching coming from outside.
“What’s going on?” I said, confused. “Is there another festival or something?”
Regret's expression suddenly became serious. “No... Something’s wrong.” he said as he got up.
He dashed out of the house, and Maika, Layla, Zelda, and I followed after him. We ran down the street and reached the main road. An army of Gerudo women was racing down the street, heading out of the city.
“What’s going on?” Regret asked one of the soldiers.
“Some stranger is causing trouble at the Desert Colossus!” she answered before continuing to run.
“The Desert Colossus?! But that’s the place where...” Maika exclaimed in a panic.
“This is bad... We have to go check it out.” Regret said.
He raced out of the city and followed after the army into the desert. Maika quickly chased after him.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but we should go too.” I said.
“Right!” Layla and Zelda agreed in unison, and together the three of us followed Regret and Maika.
After several minutes of running, we saw the army come to a stop near the base of a tall rock. The five of us ran around the crowd to the front, and I got a good look at the Desert Colossus. It was an enormous statue of a beautiful goddess carved into the face of the enormous rock. The craftsmanship was absolutely stunning, but I didn’t have time to admire it. There was supposed to be a stranger causing trouble here, so I looked around to try and spot them.
“Well, well... Look who’s still among the living. Fancy meeting you here.”
Every fiber of my being shook as the familiar voice penetrated my ears. I stepped forward, to the front of the crowd, and standing several feet ahead was a man I knew.
I bit my lip, and gave a wry smile. “I could say the same to you. I didn’t expect we’d meet again like this.” I answered.
“Yes, it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it Alphonse. I still have that scar you gave me on my chest.” the man answered coyly, placing his right palm on his breast. “I still have to pay you back for that.”
“You did say you’d fight me again, didn’t you... And now here you are...” I said anxiously.
“We finally meet again... Ghirahim."
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Hahahah that is a good one! The whole bath thing cracked me up 
You really mix all elements together. Now Ghirahim shows up again Great job once again Az!
You really mix all elements together. Now Ghirahim shows up again Great job once again Az!"Please tell me what you think!"
ok
I have to say that I really enjoyed reading your story. I guess it is just fair if I take the time to write what I think about it.
ok
I have to say that I really enjoyed reading your story. I guess it is just fair if I take the time to write what I think about it.
Your writing style is just great. I guess this is one of the reasons why the story has "it's moments" and why it is not becoming boring ("My heart was beating ridiculously fast as Layla’s desperate brown eyes locked with my panicking golden eyes. ", Chapter 29 or in the 8th: "“Alphonse, this is incredible!!” she exclaimed as she hugged me ecstatically. “It’s amazing!! The Spirits actually named you a hero!! Wow!!” she gushed on and on. As she hugged me tightly, my face went red again. “Oh!” Naomi said suddenly. “Is that your fever again?”")
I like the mix of character development, fights and the rest of the story telling.
If only the character development itself was so balanced. You used the whole chapter 29 just for character development of the "good ones". That is a big contrast to what is said about Alphonse's enemies (nearly nothing). Even more: For me it is like that they just appear suddenly, fight a bit and are defeated by the protagonist. They are like hostile "monsters" chaining for him. A good example is Danyel (appeared in Chapter 25-26). We only know a few things about him, like he has a special sword from "the world of the Demons" (Chapter 25) and he is very strong. ... Yes you're right Alphonse didn't get rid of Danyel himself, but he was helped out by a higher being.
Another example are the demons in general (are they all so arrogant ? how does their home look like ? are there friendlier demons, too ? ...)
About Chapter 13:
I find that to be pretty funny, how you wrote this. I guess you did everything to prevent the reader from building up some sympathy with Ghirahim. He is arogant like hell, insulting ("Vaati is defeated by an insect [=Alphonse]") and kills people, because he is bored. On the other side is the protagonist - morally untouchable - fighting to "protect [his] friends!!". Not that it is bad, it just appeared to be very noticeable for me .
Something strange is about the war of the Light Spirits and Malladus. In the previous chapters, there was not a word said about it, but maybe you have your plans for that already.
By the way: Somehow I liked the character of Anjean. Maybe she appears again...
All in all it is an enjoyable and well-written story (no doubt on it), but ... well you read the points.
By the way: I have read all the 29 chapters.
I like the mix of character development, fights and the rest of the story telling.
If only the character development itself was so balanced. You used the whole chapter 29 just for character development of the "good ones". That is a big contrast to what is said about Alphonse's enemies (nearly nothing). Even more: For me it is like that they just appear suddenly, fight a bit and are defeated by the protagonist. They are like hostile "monsters" chaining for him. A good example is Danyel (appeared in Chapter 25-26). We only know a few things about him, like he has a special sword from "the world of the Demons" (Chapter 25) and he is very strong. ... Yes you're right Alphonse didn't get rid of Danyel himself, but he was helped out by a higher being.
Another example are the demons in general (are they all so arrogant ? how does their home look like ? are there friendlier demons, too ? ...)
About Chapter 13:
I find that to be pretty funny, how you wrote this. I guess you did everything to prevent the reader from building up some sympathy with Ghirahim. He is arogant like hell, insulting ("Vaati is defeated by an insect [=Alphonse]") and kills people, because he is bored. On the other side is the protagonist - morally untouchable - fighting to "protect [his] friends!!". Not that it is bad, it just appeared to be very noticeable for me
.Something strange is about the war of the Light Spirits and Malladus. In the previous chapters, there was not a word said about it, but maybe you have your plans for that already.
By the way: Somehow I liked the character of Anjean. Maybe she appears again...
All in all it is an enjoyable and well-written story (no doubt on it), but ... well you read the points.
By the way: I have read all the 29 chapters.
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JuicieJ
SHOW ME YA MOVES!
You better not mess up the Fabulous. Or Midna will haunt your profile page. Forever (echo).
WARNING, LONG LIST OF COMPLAINTS IN THAT BOX VVVV
All in all, this is a pretty terrible chapter; it left more questions than it answered.
END WARNING [noparse]^^^^^[/noparse]
loljk, amazing chapter! Azure, you sure know how to write romance scenes, even if I question them from time to time! But one thing, I'm still waiting on backstory for Regret. Keep it coming!!
WhyAzure said:
WhyAl said:
Why but what kills me isAl said:
Wait wtf, he's going to be there every step of the way but he WON'T hook up with her? Why can't he explain to his qurl Naomi how the things gon be and how he can be besties with both Naomi AND Layla? >_>Al said:
WhyAl said:
WhyAl said:
WhyAl said:
All in all, this is a pretty terrible chapter; it left more questions than it answered.
loljk, amazing chapter! Azure, you sure know how to write romance scenes, even if I question them from time to time! But one thing, I'm still waiting on backstory for Regret. Keep it coming!!
Thank you so much, all of you! Especially you, Tael! That was literally the greatest bit of criticism I've ever received! Thank you so much! And Vanitas, lol, Alphonse already has his heart set on Naomi. He can't be with Layla. That's why. 
Alright guys, it's time for chapter thirty! Before I post chapter thirty-one next, I want to post a special chapter. Between chapters fifteen and sixteen, I included a special chapter that told the story of how Alphonse and Zelda met each other. I think that now that I've written another fifteen chapters, I should do another one. The next one will be about Alphonse's training with Rena before he left her home and started his journey. What do you guys think about that? Tell me what you think!
Okay guys, enjoy the chapter!
The tension in the air was almost unbearable. I stood ahead of Layla, Regret, Maika, and Zelda, and the army of Gerudo soldiers stood behind us. Ghirahim stood several feet in front of me. As our eyes locked, I sensed an overwhelming desire for bloodshed, and I involuntarily gulped.
“Alphonse... Who is this guy? Do you know him?” Layla asked me in a worried voice.
“Yeah...” I answered without turning around. “He’s Ghirahim. He’s a Demon Lord I fought once before, in the oil mines in the Snow Realm...” I explained.
“Ah! This is that guy you told me about when you got back from the Snow Realm!” Zelda exclaimed.
“That’s right... I guess he finally came back for revenge.” I said nervously. I took a step forward. “Ghirahim! What are you doing here? Why are you causing trouble at this place?” I demanded loudly.
Ghirahim merely answered me with a twisted laugh and said, “What? You don’t know?”
“Know what?” I asked. Knowing Ghirahim, this couldn’t be good.
“Alphonse, there’s a terrifying monster sealed inside the Desert Colossus...” Maika said in a shaky voice.
“A monster?” I repeated.
Ghirahim gave a short laugh to signify that she was correct.
“The Black Dragon of Apocalypse... Acnologia...” a gravely voice behind us announced in despair.
I turned around to see that King Ganondorf had arrived. He was accompanied by two attendants I’d met previously, Shawn and Oorani. Oorani was carrying something wrapped in what appeared to be very old cloth.
“Your Highness?!” Maika gasped as she got down on one knee.
“Black Dragon... of Apocalypse?” I said. Even its name was terrifying.
“Yes.” Ganondorf replied. “It is a fearsome monster from over a millenium ago. My ancestors sealed it away in the Desert Colossus. Not many texts are left that tell of its destructive power. Even I do not know the true extent of its might. But I can tell you this much.”
Ganondorf looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Forget about Malladus... Acnologia could end this entire world in just a few days.”
Layla, Regret, Maika, Zelda, and I all cringed from shock.
- There was such a thing sealed here?
“That’s exactly right!” Ghirahim called out excitedly.
I turned back to face him, and rested my hand on the hilt of my sword in its sheath. “Don’t tell me... You don’t plan to release it, do you?” I asked.
“Oh, indeed I do...” Ghirahim said with a smirk.
I clenched my teeth. “Are you insane?! You heard what he said! If Acnologia is released, this entire world will be destroyed! I thought you were only after me!” I shouted.
“That’s the point. I am after you.” he answered.
I gasped. “What... Then you mean...” I started. I felt my body start to tremble. I bit my lip, and then I screamed, “Why would you go so far just to kill me?!”
“Because you insulted me!” Ghirahim screamed back. It seemed like a ridiculous reason to me, but he was dead serious. “Not only are you a human... You’re a human child! And yet you beat me bloody and forced me to run with my tail between my legs! Just the mere idea that such an insect could do that to me... I almost wanted to kill myself, it was so insulting!” he screamed with rage.
He then raised his arms above his head grandly.
“And that is why I shall use Acnologia to destroy you! I will make you watch as I have it wipe everything you know and love from the face of this earth, and then I will take my time and kill you slowly and painfully. I shall savor every last moment of this, Alphonse!”
Ghirahim pointed at me furiously and shouted, “I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME!”
My friends and the Gerudo people behind me were all trembling with fright. I was shaking myself. Ghirahim would really go this far just to take revenge against me? I couldn’t believe it. However, at this point I was more worried about my friends than Ghirahim’s motives.
If Acnologia was released, it would destroy this world, including everyone I loved. Zelda, Layla, my new friends Regret and Maika... All the innocent people of this world... And... Naomi...
When I thought about the possibility of losing Naomi, my stomach lurched. I felt like I was going to be sick.
- No... I will not lose her.
My eyes that had been lowered to the ground shot back up. I drew the sword clenched in my right hand, and kicked down on the ground hard. I shot forward and soared toward Ghirahim. He quickly materialized a black rapier and blocked the blow. Our swords locked with a bright display of sparks and steel.
“Ghirahim... Listen to me...” I rasped. I glared up at him and said, “I will never let you put my friends in danger. I will stop you here and now!”
I pushed forward and shoved Ghirahim back. He didn’t seem fazed at all. In fact, he began to laugh. He threw his head back and cackled wildly for several seconds before finally lowering his gaze back down to me.
“Very well, Alphonse. Come at me! I shall take delight in beating you down and expelling any shred of hope you have!” he yelled.
He ran his tongue along the length of his black rapier and grinned maliciously. I adjusted my footing and held my sword at the ready.
“We’ll fight, too! We won’t let that monster get loose!” Layla said confidently as she drew her lance from her back.
“Damn right!” Regret agreed. “Maika, get back. You don't have your weapon with you.” he said. Maika nodded and backed off after whispering to him to be careful.
“I don’t think so.” Ghirahim said as he snapped his fingers.
A ring of purple fire surrounded the two of us, cutting the others off. At the same time, hundreds of goblin-like monsters known as Bokoblins appeared in wisps of purple flame. They surrounded the army of Gerudos and my friends.
“No one is going to interfere with us.” Ghirahim said with a gleeful smirk. “Oh, I am so going to enjoy this!”
On the other side of the flames, Layla asked Regret, “What should we do?”
“If those flames are made from magic, then I can break through them!” Regret said confidently.
Without waiting for a response from Layla, he dashed toward the ring of fire, knocking a few Bokoblins out of his way.
“Rrrragh!” he shouted as he punched through the purple flames with a fist shrouded in his red aura.
Ghirahim flinched as Regret burst through the wall of flames. Before either of us could blink, Regret charged forward and attacked Ghirahim with a fist full of magic. Ghirahim easily blocked the strike, but upon seeing Regret’s magic power, his eyes suddenly widened with surprise.
“Boy... You’re...” he whispered.
Regret didn’t seem to notice he was speaking, as he sent his right foot flying at Ghirahim’s head. Ghirahim blocked with his left forearm, and easily pushed Regret away.
“Tch.” Regret moaned.
“Regret, leave this guy to me.” I said.
He looked over at me with uncertainty written all over his face. “You sure?” he asked.
“Yes. Now go help the others.” I told him.
Regret stared at me silently for several seconds before he nodded in agreement. “Alright. Good luck, Alphonse.”
With that, Regret turned and broke back through the ring of fire. He joined Layla and the rest of the Gerudos in the fight against the army of Bokoblins.
“You know that boy is...” Ghirahim said to me.
“Yeah, I already figured that out.” I told him. “But that has nothing to do with this.”
“... I suppose you’re right. Now then...” Ghirahim licked his lips sadistically. “Shall we begin?”
After taking a deep breath, I nodded.
For many seconds, neither of us moved. We stared each other down, both of us daring the other to make the first move. Soon enough, I took that dare.
I stomped down on the ground and kicked off. I rocketed toward Ghirahim, who coyly raised his black rapier to block. However, I did not attack him. I passed right by him, turning on my heel into his blind spot. Ghirahim’s eyes widened with shock as he turned around to face me. The first thing he saw was my blade screaming through the air, aimed straight for his skull.
Ghirahim barely managed to duck, and at that moment, I kicked him hard in his stomach. He choked from the surprise and was knocked off his feet. He quickly recovered in mid-air and returned to the ground on his feet. He glared at me with both rage and shock in his deep purple eyes.
“Damn you...” he rasped. “It seems you're showing me the power you used to fell me in our previous encounter.”
It seemed like he never realized I didn't have control over my actions at that time. However, now I was strong enough to match the power I had when the Lokomo Sword was controlling me. For a second, I thought I had the upper hand, but I quickly pushed such thoughts out of my head. Ghirahim was a Demon Lord, and he nearly killed me when we fought last time. I knew that he wasn’t even getting started yet. I couldn’t let myself underestimate him.
I quickly charged him again, keeping my guard up at all times. Just as I swung my sword to strike, he vanished in a flash of purple aura. I heard the ring of a sword behind me, and I quickly dove forward. As I rolled forward and back up to my feet, Ghirahim’s black rapier cleaved the air where I’d been.
He rushed me this time, and I blocked his blade with my own. Sparks scattered as he pushed with his full weight. I slid my blade down the length of his while easing my body forward. I managed to switch our places with a quick maneuver, and I attacked again. Ghirahim, however, vanished once more.
I was unsure of where he would appear this time, but my eyes happened to glance down at the ground. I noticed a shadow appear over my head. I quickly kicked off the ground and evaded to my right. Just as I did, Ghirahim pounced down from above and dug his sword into the sand where I was just standing.
He quickly pulled his black rapier out from the sand and swung at me with amazing speed and precision. I blocked, and he continued to rain down blow upon blow in a desperate flurry of attacks. I was able to parry and dodge each attack.
While he continued to attack over and over again, I began feeling the enhanced sense of perception I felt when I fought with Regret yesterday. Every move Ghirahim made appeared crystal clear before my eyes, and I was able to accurately dodge and block each strike.
This feeling was amazing. It was like a rush of adrenaline unlike any other. The only thing that entered my mind was “Attack. Dodge. Block.”. All I could think about was the fight. Nothing else seemed to matter. Nothing else even seemed to exist. Not even the small cut I received on my left cheek or the graze I got on my right shoulder during the exchange seemed to faze me. It was truly an amazing feeling.
As I read and countered each of Ghirahim’s movements, I finally spotted a split-second opening. I thrust my sword into that opening without missing a single beat. My sword glided right past Ghirahim’s sword arm and cut through his side.
“Auuuugh...” he gasped. His face became overtaken by a look of pure rage as he backed off.
His blood dripped from the end of my sword, as well as from his wound. He clutched the wound angrily. His body was trembling with wrath.
“You wretched brat!” he screeched.
A veil of his ominous violet aura encased his body as he let out a horrible shriek. His pale skin suddenly turned black and crystalline, and his eyes began glowing with an evil orange hue. The sunlight reflected off his black skin as he raised his right arm up and snapped his fingers. A large greatsword materialized in his grasp, and he flourished it as if to show off.
This was a magic transformation, like Vaati had used before Malladus showed up. I subconsciously gulped as I prepared myself for his first strike. I could tell that the real fight would begin now.
Ghirahim lunged at me, leaving a streak of black light behind him. He swung his enormous sword down through the air at surprising speed, and I barely had time to block. However, the impact created by his sword caused me to stagger. Ghirahim didn’t miss this opportunity.
I kicked down on the ground hard to get myself away from the reach of his sword. Just as the gigantic blade began to dig into my right arm, my body shot back and away from him. I skidded to a stop in the sand on my rear, cringing from the fresh wound on my arm. I quickly stood up, and just barely managed to duck past another powerful swipe of Ghirahim’s sword.
The force generated from his slash created a small gust of wind in its wake, stirring up a cloud of dust and sand behind me. As the blade of Ghirahim’s sword cleaved the air above my head, I took advantage of my position to attack him. His wide swing left an even wider opening. However, when I thrust my sword forward, it merely ricocheted off his black crystalline skin.
Immediately realizing the danger I was in, I kicked off the ground to the left and avoided the next swipe of Ghirahim’s sword by a hair’s width. In the instant my foot touched back down on the ground, I built up the Spirits’ aura in the blade of my sword, and kicked off the ground again, back towards Ghirahim.
Leaving a trail of blue light streaking through the air, I swung my sword as hard as I could. With the added momentum from my speed, I managed to generate enough force to knock Ghirahim’s sword up. I instantly prepared another burst of sacred magic, and this time I swung for Ghirahim’s chest. The impact made Ghirahim airborne, and he fell through the air and hit the ground with a loud thud.
The force from my burst of magic cracked his crystalline skin, and blood was seeping through the cracks as he lay on the ground gasping for breath. The greatsword was knocked from his grasp, and was sent spinning through the air before it lodged itself deep into the sand and evaporated into purple light. The violet flames that comprised the ring of fire that entrapped the two of us gradually dwindled down until they disappeared completely.
By this time, the army of Gerudo soldiers, along with Regret and Layla, had nearly wiped out the army of Bokoblins Ghirahim had summoned.
“Alphonse!” Zelda cried out as she flew over to my side.
I let out a huge sigh of relief before looking up at the worried fairy. “Hey... Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Zelda let out her own sigh of relief.
“Alphonse! You’re okay!” Layla called out as she ran up to me and hugged me. “Man, you really had me worried!” she fussed.
“Whoa, you really did it!” Regret cheered as he ran over to join us.
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Layla snapped at him. Regret raised up both his hands in front of him as Layla leaned toward him angrily. “Of course he did it! Don’t tell me you doubted him!”
“O-of course I didn’t! It was just an observation, honest!” he pleaded.
Watching the two of them go at it made both me and Zelda laugh. Now that the fight was finished, Acnologia’s resurrection was prevented. We could finally relax. Or at least we thought so...
“Da... Damn you, Alphonse...” Ghirahim’s voice rasped.
The laughter immediately ceased, and I quickly turned back to Ghirahim and held my sword up in front of me.
Ghirahim struggled to raise himself to his feet as he gasped for air. “You... I don’t understand...” he said with a heavy breath. He paused for a bit, and once he finally got back to his feet, he continued. “How can someone like you... You’re just a human child... And yet you prevail! Boy... What are you?!” he yelled, clutching his wound with his right hand.
I watched him silently for a short while before I finally spoke. “It’s just as you said. I’m just a human child. My power isn’t even my own. It comes from the Spirits of Light. However... My own power is much greater than that.”
I held my head up high as I said, “My true power comes from my desire to protect the people I love.”
Ghirahim widened his eyes in shock, and then furrowed his brow. “That’s the logic of a soft and weak child! True strength comes from the power you wield in battle!” he yelled.
“And feelings of love and friendship are what drive me to use that power.” I answered firmly.
Ghirahim was taken aback again. “What drives you...” he breathed.
“That’s right. Strong feelings hold more power than anything else. Without the love I have for my friends, I couldn’t possibly become as strong as I am now.” I said.
Ghirahim seemed genuinely shocked by my words. However, he soon lowered his head and began to laugh.
Ghirahim stood across from me with his head lowered, his chest heaving out as his laughter started to become compulsive. Soon enough, Ghirahim threw his head back once more, clutching the sides of his head as he howled with sinister laughter.
Everyone was quiet as they watched him laugh. All of the Gerudo soldiers, King Ganondorf, Maika, Regret, Layla, Zelda, and I as well, stared at him as he continued to laugh like a madman. I was beginning to wonder if his mental state had been broken.
Ghirahim finally calmed himself down enough to speak, and lowered his head. He focused his gaze on me and began to smile devilishly.
“Heh heh heh heh heh heh... None of that matters anymore. You’ve all lost now.” he said malevolently.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked nervously.
I sensed that something horrible was about to happen. Unfortunately, I was right.
“You see...” Ghirahim explained while trying to hold down a few extra laughs, “... The resurrection ritual for Acnologia continued uninterrupted while we fought... And now it is complete!” he screamed as he raised his arms to the heavens.
I, along with everyone else, gasped with pure shock and horror.
- How could he conduct the ritual while fighting me?! Was it automatic? That means the fight was an entire waste of time!
Just then, a bright, ominous light spread out from the base of the Desert Colossus. A magic circle appeared beneath the statue, and dispersed into small sparks of violet aura.
“Oorani! The Sealing Staff!” Ganondorf yelled.
Oorani quickly unwrapped the object she had been holding and passed it to Ganondorf without hesitation.
It was a small, black sceptre, covered in ancient text I didn’t know how to read. The ancient letters began glowing with a white light. Ganondorf held the staff out in front of him, pointing it towards the Colossus, and began chanting something in a language I’d never heard before. Judging by what Ganondorf called the staff, I guessed that he was attempting to repair the seal on Acnologia before it was too late. However...
Just as the brightness of the white light emitted from the staff was reaching its zenith, the staff shattered and crumbled to dust in a burst of violet aura. I quickly turned back to face Ghirahim, and he was standing across from us grinning evilly. His outstretched hand had purple aura lingering around its fingertips.
- He destroyed the Sealing Staff!
The look of absolute horror that spread across Ganondorf’s face was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. It was a mix of pure fear and utter hopelessness. I truly began to understand the severity of the situation.
As the Desert Colossus shook, cracks began to spread all across its surface. Black light shone through these cracks. The ground beneath us began to tremble, as if even the earth itself was afraid. And over the sound of it all was Ghirahim’s perpetual laughter. It was clear now.
And Vanitas, lol, Alphonse already has his heart set on Naomi. He can't be with Layla. That's why. Alright guys, it's time for chapter thirty! Before I post chapter thirty-one next, I want to post a special chapter. Between chapters fifteen and sixteen, I included a special chapter that told the story of how Alphonse and Zelda met each other. I think that now that I've written another fifteen chapters, I should do another one. The next one will be about Alphonse's training with Rena before he left her home and started his journey. What do you guys think about that? Tell me what you think!
Okay guys, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Thirty
The tension in the air was almost unbearable. I stood ahead of Layla, Regret, Maika, and Zelda, and the army of Gerudo soldiers stood behind us. Ghirahim stood several feet in front of me. As our eyes locked, I sensed an overwhelming desire for bloodshed, and I involuntarily gulped.
“Alphonse... Who is this guy? Do you know him?” Layla asked me in a worried voice.
“Yeah...” I answered without turning around. “He’s Ghirahim. He’s a Demon Lord I fought once before, in the oil mines in the Snow Realm...” I explained.
“Ah! This is that guy you told me about when you got back from the Snow Realm!” Zelda exclaimed.
“That’s right... I guess he finally came back for revenge.” I said nervously. I took a step forward. “Ghirahim! What are you doing here? Why are you causing trouble at this place?” I demanded loudly.
Ghirahim merely answered me with a twisted laugh and said, “What? You don’t know?”
“Know what?” I asked. Knowing Ghirahim, this couldn’t be good.
“Alphonse, there’s a terrifying monster sealed inside the Desert Colossus...” Maika said in a shaky voice.
“A monster?” I repeated.
Ghirahim gave a short laugh to signify that she was correct.
“The Black Dragon of Apocalypse... Acnologia...” a gravely voice behind us announced in despair.
I turned around to see that King Ganondorf had arrived. He was accompanied by two attendants I’d met previously, Shawn and Oorani. Oorani was carrying something wrapped in what appeared to be very old cloth.
“Your Highness?!” Maika gasped as she got down on one knee.
“Black Dragon... of Apocalypse?” I said. Even its name was terrifying.
“Yes.” Ganondorf replied. “It is a fearsome monster from over a millenium ago. My ancestors sealed it away in the Desert Colossus. Not many texts are left that tell of its destructive power. Even I do not know the true extent of its might. But I can tell you this much.”
Ganondorf looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Forget about Malladus... Acnologia could end this entire world in just a few days.”
Layla, Regret, Maika, Zelda, and I all cringed from shock.
- There was such a thing sealed here?
“That’s exactly right!” Ghirahim called out excitedly.
I turned back to face him, and rested my hand on the hilt of my sword in its sheath. “Don’t tell me... You don’t plan to release it, do you?” I asked.
“Oh, indeed I do...” Ghirahim said with a smirk.
I clenched my teeth. “Are you insane?! You heard what he said! If Acnologia is released, this entire world will be destroyed! I thought you were only after me!” I shouted.
“That’s the point. I am after you.” he answered.
I gasped. “What... Then you mean...” I started. I felt my body start to tremble. I bit my lip, and then I screamed, “Why would you go so far just to kill me?!”
“Because you insulted me!” Ghirahim screamed back. It seemed like a ridiculous reason to me, but he was dead serious. “Not only are you a human... You’re a human child! And yet you beat me bloody and forced me to run with my tail between my legs! Just the mere idea that such an insect could do that to me... I almost wanted to kill myself, it was so insulting!” he screamed with rage.
He then raised his arms above his head grandly.
“And that is why I shall use Acnologia to destroy you! I will make you watch as I have it wipe everything you know and love from the face of this earth, and then I will take my time and kill you slowly and painfully. I shall savor every last moment of this, Alphonse!”
Ghirahim pointed at me furiously and shouted, “I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME!”
My friends and the Gerudo people behind me were all trembling with fright. I was shaking myself. Ghirahim would really go this far just to take revenge against me? I couldn’t believe it. However, at this point I was more worried about my friends than Ghirahim’s motives.
If Acnologia was released, it would destroy this world, including everyone I loved. Zelda, Layla, my new friends Regret and Maika... All the innocent people of this world... And... Naomi...
When I thought about the possibility of losing Naomi, my stomach lurched. I felt like I was going to be sick.
- No... I will not lose her.
My eyes that had been lowered to the ground shot back up. I drew the sword clenched in my right hand, and kicked down on the ground hard. I shot forward and soared toward Ghirahim. He quickly materialized a black rapier and blocked the blow. Our swords locked with a bright display of sparks and steel.
“Ghirahim... Listen to me...” I rasped. I glared up at him and said, “I will never let you put my friends in danger. I will stop you here and now!”
I pushed forward and shoved Ghirahim back. He didn’t seem fazed at all. In fact, he began to laugh. He threw his head back and cackled wildly for several seconds before finally lowering his gaze back down to me.
“Very well, Alphonse. Come at me! I shall take delight in beating you down and expelling any shred of hope you have!” he yelled.
He ran his tongue along the length of his black rapier and grinned maliciously. I adjusted my footing and held my sword at the ready.
“We’ll fight, too! We won’t let that monster get loose!” Layla said confidently as she drew her lance from her back.
“Damn right!” Regret agreed. “Maika, get back. You don't have your weapon with you.” he said. Maika nodded and backed off after whispering to him to be careful.
“I don’t think so.” Ghirahim said as he snapped his fingers.
A ring of purple fire surrounded the two of us, cutting the others off. At the same time, hundreds of goblin-like monsters known as Bokoblins appeared in wisps of purple flame. They surrounded the army of Gerudos and my friends.
“No one is going to interfere with us.” Ghirahim said with a gleeful smirk. “Oh, I am so going to enjoy this!”
On the other side of the flames, Layla asked Regret, “What should we do?”
“If those flames are made from magic, then I can break through them!” Regret said confidently.
Without waiting for a response from Layla, he dashed toward the ring of fire, knocking a few Bokoblins out of his way.
“Rrrragh!” he shouted as he punched through the purple flames with a fist shrouded in his red aura.
Ghirahim flinched as Regret burst through the wall of flames. Before either of us could blink, Regret charged forward and attacked Ghirahim with a fist full of magic. Ghirahim easily blocked the strike, but upon seeing Regret’s magic power, his eyes suddenly widened with surprise.
“Boy... You’re...” he whispered.
Regret didn’t seem to notice he was speaking, as he sent his right foot flying at Ghirahim’s head. Ghirahim blocked with his left forearm, and easily pushed Regret away.
“Tch.” Regret moaned.
“Regret, leave this guy to me.” I said.
He looked over at me with uncertainty written all over his face. “You sure?” he asked.
“Yes. Now go help the others.” I told him.
Regret stared at me silently for several seconds before he nodded in agreement. “Alright. Good luck, Alphonse.”
With that, Regret turned and broke back through the ring of fire. He joined Layla and the rest of the Gerudos in the fight against the army of Bokoblins.
“You know that boy is...” Ghirahim said to me.
“Yeah, I already figured that out.” I told him. “But that has nothing to do with this.”
“... I suppose you’re right. Now then...” Ghirahim licked his lips sadistically. “Shall we begin?”
After taking a deep breath, I nodded.
For many seconds, neither of us moved. We stared each other down, both of us daring the other to make the first move. Soon enough, I took that dare.
I stomped down on the ground and kicked off. I rocketed toward Ghirahim, who coyly raised his black rapier to block. However, I did not attack him. I passed right by him, turning on my heel into his blind spot. Ghirahim’s eyes widened with shock as he turned around to face me. The first thing he saw was my blade screaming through the air, aimed straight for his skull.
Ghirahim barely managed to duck, and at that moment, I kicked him hard in his stomach. He choked from the surprise and was knocked off his feet. He quickly recovered in mid-air and returned to the ground on his feet. He glared at me with both rage and shock in his deep purple eyes.
“Damn you...” he rasped. “It seems you're showing me the power you used to fell me in our previous encounter.”
It seemed like he never realized I didn't have control over my actions at that time. However, now I was strong enough to match the power I had when the Lokomo Sword was controlling me. For a second, I thought I had the upper hand, but I quickly pushed such thoughts out of my head. Ghirahim was a Demon Lord, and he nearly killed me when we fought last time. I knew that he wasn’t even getting started yet. I couldn’t let myself underestimate him.
I quickly charged him again, keeping my guard up at all times. Just as I swung my sword to strike, he vanished in a flash of purple aura. I heard the ring of a sword behind me, and I quickly dove forward. As I rolled forward and back up to my feet, Ghirahim’s black rapier cleaved the air where I’d been.
He rushed me this time, and I blocked his blade with my own. Sparks scattered as he pushed with his full weight. I slid my blade down the length of his while easing my body forward. I managed to switch our places with a quick maneuver, and I attacked again. Ghirahim, however, vanished once more.
I was unsure of where he would appear this time, but my eyes happened to glance down at the ground. I noticed a shadow appear over my head. I quickly kicked off the ground and evaded to my right. Just as I did, Ghirahim pounced down from above and dug his sword into the sand where I was just standing.
He quickly pulled his black rapier out from the sand and swung at me with amazing speed and precision. I blocked, and he continued to rain down blow upon blow in a desperate flurry of attacks. I was able to parry and dodge each attack.
While he continued to attack over and over again, I began feeling the enhanced sense of perception I felt when I fought with Regret yesterday. Every move Ghirahim made appeared crystal clear before my eyes, and I was able to accurately dodge and block each strike.
This feeling was amazing. It was like a rush of adrenaline unlike any other. The only thing that entered my mind was “Attack. Dodge. Block.”. All I could think about was the fight. Nothing else seemed to matter. Nothing else even seemed to exist. Not even the small cut I received on my left cheek or the graze I got on my right shoulder during the exchange seemed to faze me. It was truly an amazing feeling.
As I read and countered each of Ghirahim’s movements, I finally spotted a split-second opening. I thrust my sword into that opening without missing a single beat. My sword glided right past Ghirahim’s sword arm and cut through his side.
“Auuuugh...” he gasped. His face became overtaken by a look of pure rage as he backed off.
His blood dripped from the end of my sword, as well as from his wound. He clutched the wound angrily. His body was trembling with wrath.
“You wretched brat!” he screeched.
A veil of his ominous violet aura encased his body as he let out a horrible shriek. His pale skin suddenly turned black and crystalline, and his eyes began glowing with an evil orange hue. The sunlight reflected off his black skin as he raised his right arm up and snapped his fingers. A large greatsword materialized in his grasp, and he flourished it as if to show off.
This was a magic transformation, like Vaati had used before Malladus showed up. I subconsciously gulped as I prepared myself for his first strike. I could tell that the real fight would begin now.
Ghirahim lunged at me, leaving a streak of black light behind him. He swung his enormous sword down through the air at surprising speed, and I barely had time to block. However, the impact created by his sword caused me to stagger. Ghirahim didn’t miss this opportunity.
I kicked down on the ground hard to get myself away from the reach of his sword. Just as the gigantic blade began to dig into my right arm, my body shot back and away from him. I skidded to a stop in the sand on my rear, cringing from the fresh wound on my arm. I quickly stood up, and just barely managed to duck past another powerful swipe of Ghirahim’s sword.
The force generated from his slash created a small gust of wind in its wake, stirring up a cloud of dust and sand behind me. As the blade of Ghirahim’s sword cleaved the air above my head, I took advantage of my position to attack him. His wide swing left an even wider opening. However, when I thrust my sword forward, it merely ricocheted off his black crystalline skin.
Immediately realizing the danger I was in, I kicked off the ground to the left and avoided the next swipe of Ghirahim’s sword by a hair’s width. In the instant my foot touched back down on the ground, I built up the Spirits’ aura in the blade of my sword, and kicked off the ground again, back towards Ghirahim.
Leaving a trail of blue light streaking through the air, I swung my sword as hard as I could. With the added momentum from my speed, I managed to generate enough force to knock Ghirahim’s sword up. I instantly prepared another burst of sacred magic, and this time I swung for Ghirahim’s chest. The impact made Ghirahim airborne, and he fell through the air and hit the ground with a loud thud.
The force from my burst of magic cracked his crystalline skin, and blood was seeping through the cracks as he lay on the ground gasping for breath. The greatsword was knocked from his grasp, and was sent spinning through the air before it lodged itself deep into the sand and evaporated into purple light. The violet flames that comprised the ring of fire that entrapped the two of us gradually dwindled down until they disappeared completely.
By this time, the army of Gerudo soldiers, along with Regret and Layla, had nearly wiped out the army of Bokoblins Ghirahim had summoned.
“Alphonse!” Zelda cried out as she flew over to my side.
I let out a huge sigh of relief before looking up at the worried fairy. “Hey... Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Zelda let out her own sigh of relief.
“Alphonse! You’re okay!” Layla called out as she ran up to me and hugged me. “Man, you really had me worried!” she fussed.
“Whoa, you really did it!” Regret cheered as he ran over to join us.
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Layla snapped at him. Regret raised up both his hands in front of him as Layla leaned toward him angrily. “Of course he did it! Don’t tell me you doubted him!”
“O-of course I didn’t! It was just an observation, honest!” he pleaded.
Watching the two of them go at it made both me and Zelda laugh. Now that the fight was finished, Acnologia’s resurrection was prevented. We could finally relax. Or at least we thought so...
“Da... Damn you, Alphonse...” Ghirahim’s voice rasped.
The laughter immediately ceased, and I quickly turned back to Ghirahim and held my sword up in front of me.
Ghirahim struggled to raise himself to his feet as he gasped for air. “You... I don’t understand...” he said with a heavy breath. He paused for a bit, and once he finally got back to his feet, he continued. “How can someone like you... You’re just a human child... And yet you prevail! Boy... What are you?!” he yelled, clutching his wound with his right hand.
I watched him silently for a short while before I finally spoke. “It’s just as you said. I’m just a human child. My power isn’t even my own. It comes from the Spirits of Light. However... My own power is much greater than that.”
I held my head up high as I said, “My true power comes from my desire to protect the people I love.”
Ghirahim widened his eyes in shock, and then furrowed his brow. “That’s the logic of a soft and weak child! True strength comes from the power you wield in battle!” he yelled.
“And feelings of love and friendship are what drive me to use that power.” I answered firmly.
Ghirahim was taken aback again. “What drives you...” he breathed.
“That’s right. Strong feelings hold more power than anything else. Without the love I have for my friends, I couldn’t possibly become as strong as I am now.” I said.
Ghirahim seemed genuinely shocked by my words. However, he soon lowered his head and began to laugh.
Ghirahim stood across from me with his head lowered, his chest heaving out as his laughter started to become compulsive. Soon enough, Ghirahim threw his head back once more, clutching the sides of his head as he howled with sinister laughter.
Everyone was quiet as they watched him laugh. All of the Gerudo soldiers, King Ganondorf, Maika, Regret, Layla, Zelda, and I as well, stared at him as he continued to laugh like a madman. I was beginning to wonder if his mental state had been broken.
Ghirahim finally calmed himself down enough to speak, and lowered his head. He focused his gaze on me and began to smile devilishly.
“Heh heh heh heh heh heh... None of that matters anymore. You’ve all lost now.” he said malevolently.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked nervously.
I sensed that something horrible was about to happen. Unfortunately, I was right.
“You see...” Ghirahim explained while trying to hold down a few extra laughs, “... The resurrection ritual for Acnologia continued uninterrupted while we fought... And now it is complete!” he screamed as he raised his arms to the heavens.
I, along with everyone else, gasped with pure shock and horror.
- How could he conduct the ritual while fighting me?! Was it automatic? That means the fight was an entire waste of time!
Just then, a bright, ominous light spread out from the base of the Desert Colossus. A magic circle appeared beneath the statue, and dispersed into small sparks of violet aura.
“Oorani! The Sealing Staff!” Ganondorf yelled.
Oorani quickly unwrapped the object she had been holding and passed it to Ganondorf without hesitation.
It was a small, black sceptre, covered in ancient text I didn’t know how to read. The ancient letters began glowing with a white light. Ganondorf held the staff out in front of him, pointing it towards the Colossus, and began chanting something in a language I’d never heard before. Judging by what Ganondorf called the staff, I guessed that he was attempting to repair the seal on Acnologia before it was too late. However...
Just as the brightness of the white light emitted from the staff was reaching its zenith, the staff shattered and crumbled to dust in a burst of violet aura. I quickly turned back to face Ghirahim, and he was standing across from us grinning evilly. His outstretched hand had purple aura lingering around its fingertips.
- He destroyed the Sealing Staff!
The look of absolute horror that spread across Ganondorf’s face was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. It was a mix of pure fear and utter hopelessness. I truly began to understand the severity of the situation.
As the Desert Colossus shook, cracks began to spread all across its surface. Black light shone through these cracks. The ground beneath us began to tremble, as if even the earth itself was afraid. And over the sound of it all was Ghirahim’s perpetual laughter. It was clear now.
We really were doomed.
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Amazing again Azure! very good and I loved the fight. It is so Skyward swordish Now the ancient monster has been resurrected. You are working on a great story here
Now the ancient monster has been resurrected. You are working on a great story here Lovehated the fight, for reasons all too obvious 
No really, it was good...the entire chapter! I'm anticipating some great beast that Alphonse singlehandedly beats again...it is his duty as Hero of Spirits to be a Gary Stu amirite?
No really, it was good...the entire chapter! I'm anticipating some great beast that Alphonse singlehandedly beats again...it is his duty as Hero of Spirits to be a Gary Stu amirite?
Thank you so much, guys! Alright, I know it's been a while since I posted a chapter, but I hope you guys will still read and enjoy this one all the same!
Even though I said that last time, I'm going ahead with Chapter Thirty-One instead, because I'm having writers block issues with the special chapter. And it won't be about Alphonse's training with Rena anymore; instead it will be about the time Alphonse spent with Rena after he came to live with her.
Alright, it's time for Chapter Thirty-One! Please enjoy, and tell me what you think!
As the Desert Colossus shook, cracks began to spread all across its surface. Black light shone through these cracks. The ground beneath us began to tremble, as if even the earth itself was afraid. And over the sound of it all was Ghirahim’s perpetual laughter. It was clear now.
The Desert Colossus suddenly stopped shaking. Everything became quiet. Even Ghirahim stopped laughing. It was as if time had stopped. Everyone was waiting for something, anything to happen, but it didn’t seem like anything was going to happen. Just as I began to wonder if the resurrection ritual failed, the Desert Colossus erupted.
Bits and chunks of rock erupted in all directions, and as this happened, a petrifying roar that could put Vaati’s infamous roar to shame ravaged our ears. The roar was so loud, it created a shock wave, which kicked up a wall of sand. As the shock wave pushed everyone, including me, back several feet, an enormous cloud of dust enveloped the area.
“Let’s go, you maggots! Full steam ahead!” the new Captain of the S.S. Linebeck yelled.
A simultaneous shout of compliance could be heard from the entire crew, and Layla’s former ship chugged along through the waters of the Ocean Realm steadily. Passing by another ship, the foghorn rang out as a “Hello”. Now that Tentalus was defeated, more and more ships began to brave the waters of the Ocean Realm once more.
As Seryph stood above the captain’s cabin, he gazed down at his crew scurrying about on the deck, each doing their own jobs splendidly. Seryph felt that if Layla could see him like this, she’d be proud.
All of a sudden, a terrifying roar pierced their ears. The entire crew, even Seryph, lurched from the tremendous noise.
“What on earth...?!” Seryph gasped as he covered his ears.
Even the waters below the ship were stirred up by the sound. An uneasy feeling overcame everyone on the ship. Seryph didn’t understand why, but his thoughts returned to Layla after hearing that roar.
“Layla... Please be safe.” he whispered.
“Let’s go! Get those supplies to storage!” Zordo commanded.
A few of his Zora followers carried the last remaining crates that Layla’s crew had delivered a few days ago. They scurried through the coral halls with echoing footsteps. Zordo nodded to himself in satisfaction, and turned and walked out to Jabun’s pool.
“Ah, Zordo!” a female voice called out.
Zordo turned his head to see Aquarta approaching him with a smile.
“Hello.” he greeted.
“So, is everything finally in storage?” she asked him.
“Yes. It’s about time, too. Layla’s crew really brought us a lot of cargo this time.”
As the two of them continued to talk, the bubble above them at the peak of Zora Hall began to quiver. A faint roar could be heard, seemingly coming from above the waves.
Zordo and Aquarta fell silent, and gazed up to the surface.
“What on earth is that?” Aquarta asked nervously.
“I don’t know...” Zordo answered.
The waters of Jabun’s pool began to bubble. Zordo stared down nervously at the waters of the sacred pool.
“What could be making Lord Jabun so unsettled? …”
Beneath the softly falling snow, two children were having a snowball fight.
“I’m gonna get you, Mary!” the boy shouted as he threw a snowball at her.
He missed, though, and Mary laughed. “Ha ha, you missed, Czeslaw!” she taunted.
Mary threw her own snowball at Czeslaw, and that one hit him in the face. As he fell backwards into the snow, Mary gasped.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you in the face!” she fussed.
“You kids should be more careful.” the voice of an older woman laughed.
Mary turned around, and saw Miss Mazenda. “Oh, hi Miss Mazenda! We were just playing--”
Mary was cut off by a snowball that hit her in the back of her head.
“Ha! Got you!” Czeslaw declared in triumph.
“That doesn’t count, because I already got you!” Mary snapped at him.
“Nuh-uh!” he retorted.
Miss Mazenda couldn’t help but laugh at these children.
“Oh, young ones these days.” she said to herself.
Just then, a piercing roar shook the air, and even caused some of the snow to fall off of various roofs. Mary and Czeslaw covered their ears.
“Wha... What is that?!” Czeslaw cried out.
“It’s scary...” Mary whimpered beneath the sound of the roar.
“There, there, it’s okay...” Miss Mazenda said as she took the two kids into her arms. “I’m sure it’s nothing...”
She said that, but Miss Mazenda was frightened too.
Firo walked through the village with a spring in his step. He was really happy today. As he skipped through town, he passed by Ed.
“Ah, Ed! What’s up?” he said cheerfully.
“Hey~. Ya seem pretty happy t’day, Firo.” Ed responded with a wave.
“That’s ‘cause we finally got ‘round ta finishing the repairs to th’ oil mines!” Firo said with a big grin.
“Oh, that’s great news!” Ed said. “Man, those Wolfos sure did a number on us.” he reminisced.
“Speakin’ o’ which...” Firo said. “It still amazes me that Alphonse drove ‘em all out by himself.”
“Well, he’s the Hero of Spirits, after all.” Ed said.
“True... I wonder how he’s doin’....” Firo pondered.
All of a sudden, a horrifying roar shook the icy-blue crystal mountains that towered around the village. Both Ed and Firo nearly jumped out of their fur.
“What in blazes is that?!” Firo freaked.
“I dunno... Whatever it is, I hope it doesn’t come our way...” Ed said fearfully.
On a small mountainside, two men walked along the edge of a tall cliff. One had crimson hair and crimson eyes, and was dressed in a black trench coat. The other had a large build, black hair, and was wearing a tan overcoat.
A loud roar shook the mountainside. The two of them stopped walking, and raised their heads to the sky.
“The hell is that?” the crimson haired man, Vino, said.
The black haired man, Byrne, didn’t respond to Vino. “That roar... It can’t be... Could it?” he whispered to himself.
A soothing song filled the air around the small cabin in the woods. A little girl with blonde hair and sparkling green eyes was sitting in front of a grave and playing an ocarina. After she finished the song, she smiled.
“How was that, Miss Rena? I did good, didn’t I?” she said to the gravestone.
“I bet Rena would be very proud of you, Saria.” A beautiful girl with violet eyes and black hair said to her.
“Naomi!” Saria said excitedly. “Is lunch ready?”
“Yes, come on. Let’s go eat.” she said sweetly.
Saria hopped up to her feet, and said, “Bye for now, Miss Rena!”, to the gravestone.
Naomi took Saria’s hand in hers and the two of them walked to the house that used to belong to Rena together. As they walked, however, a fearsome roar penetrated the air around them.
Saria covered her small ears in fright. “What is that noise?!”
“I don’t know...” Naomi whispered nervously.
Saria buried her face into Naomi’s shirt frightfully. Naomi gently stroked Saria’s hair, trying to calm her down. As she did this, she looked up to the sky, and whispered one word.
“Alphonse...”
As the roar finally subsided, the shockwave did too. I coughed away some sand, and turned around.
“Is everyone alright?!” I called out.
Layla and Regret ended up on top of each other, and they quickly separated. Zelda, who had been blown away, rushed back over to me. Most of the Gerudo soldiers had been knocked off their feet, including King Ganondorf.
“Ah... We’re okay.” Regret answered.
Suddenly Regret, Layla, and all the Gerudos froze in terror.
Layla clasped her hands over her mouth. “Oh my god...” she whispered in fear.
I didn’t understand what was going on, so I turned back around to see what had everyone so afraid. As soon as my eyes caught sight of it, I became more terrified than I ever have in my life.
Rising out of the now fading dust cloud, partially obscuring the light from the sun, was an enormous black dragon. It was at least three times as big as Tentalus. It had glowing white eyes, a maw with rows upon rows of frighteningly sharp teeth, and gigantic wings like an angel of death. It had a halberd-like spade at the end of its tail, and its huge hands and feet had sharp claws that seemed capable of piercing steel as if it were butter.
As the enormous dragon slowly hovered down to the ground, it flapped its wings. The force from the generated wind kicked up another small sandstorm. After the sand washed over us, the behemoth landed. It touched down with amazing force, and the entire desert shook.
Standing triumphantly before this monster was Ghirahim. He had his arms raised to the heavens, and he was laughing maniacally.
“Yes! It’s resurrection is finally complete! Behold, the Black Dragon of Apocalypse, Acnologia!” he screamed with wicked delight.
Every single one of us, including me, shook with terror. This was Acnologia? This is what he intended to use to get his revenge on me? I gulped in fright, feeling my entire body quivering in fear.
“Now, Acnologia!” Ghirahim commanded. “Wipe out all these pathetic fools from the face of this world! Deliver vengeance upon the one who shamed me! BRING EVERYTHING TO RUIN!"
Acnologia roared furiously, and raised its left hand high into the air. I immediately sensed what was about to happen.
“Ghirahim! Get out of there, now!” I screamed.
My efforts were in vain. Ghirahim couldn’t hear me over the sound of his own laughter. As he stood before the black dragon, laughing hysterically, Acnologia brought its hand down with amazing speed.
I stared at the large blood stain beneath Acnologia’s hand in shock. Layla cupped her hands over her mouth in horror. Regret was just as horrified.
“Why would... Why would it kill him? Isn’t he the one who revived it?" Regret said in a shaken voice.
“Because Acnologia does not understand the words of man.” Ganondorf answered.
We turned around to face him. “What do you mean by that?” I asked him.
“The only thing Acnologia knows is to destroy. And that’s the only thing it’s going to do. It will destroy this entire world, regardless of who is in it. It will leave nothing left.” he said solemnly. “It’s all over now...”
“No...” Layla gasped. “We’re really... All going to die here?”
“... I can’t... I don’t want to die like this...” Regret said.
“I’m scared...” Zelda said quietly.
I said nothing. I watched them all silently with a mixture of fear and sadness. These were my friends. I didn’t want them to die as much as I didn’t want to die myself. And Acnologia wouldn’t stop here. It would destroy everything else too. Right now, no one in this world was safe.
I looked back at Acnologia, who seemed to be roaring in triumph. I gulped nervously, and then tightened the grip on the Lokomo Sword.
“... We can’t give up.” I said, turning back to face everyone.
Layla and Regret fell silent, and both of them slowly raised their heads up to look at me. They both wore a shocked expression on their faces.
“You mean... You’re actually gonna try to fight that thing?!” Regret yelled in disbelief.
“Alphonse, Tentalus was one thing, but this... How could we possibly beat something like this?!” Layla cried.
“I don’t know!” I yelled back. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna try!” I turned back around to face Acnologia. “I have people I love in this world. I’m not gonna stand by and do nothing while this thing destroys them!” I shouted.
Everyone seemed shocked by my words. All of the Gerudos, including Ganondorf, stared at me in utter disbelief. However, my words seemed to invigorate Layla and Regret.
Both of them stood up. “He’s right... And besides, I wouldn’t wanna go down without a fight.” Regret said.
“I’m really scared, but as long as we’re together, I just know we’ll win somehow!” Layla said, clutching her lance tightly.
Ganondorf watched us in amazement. “You would stand against oblivion to fight for your friends?”
“That’s just how Alphonse is.” Zelda said. “As long as I’ve known him, he’s never given up. If it’s him, then surely he’ll find a way to stop Acnologia.” she said encouragingly.
Ganondorf smiled. “Alphonse is truly something else, isn’t he...” he whispered.
Standing before the enormous dragon Acnologia, I held the Lokomo Sword up in front of me. I was clutching the hilt with both hands. My knees were bent, ready to kick off the ground at a second’s notice.
Layla stood beside me on my right. She was trembling, but she still held her lance readily. Regret, standing next to me on my left, focused his red aura into his curled fists and stood at the ready.
“Here we go...” I said.
Both of them nodded. As Acnologia roared once more, it reared it’s head back. At that instant, I kicked off the ground and rocketed toward the beast. Layla dashed to its right flank, and dodged its hand as it came down to crush her. She tried to cut at it’s hand, but the blade of her lance bounced off of Acnologia’s skin.
Acnologia moved its hand so as to swat Layla away, but Regret jumped in, and punched with all his might. The red aura built up in his fist countered Acnologia’s hand, and knocked it back. Acnologia roared, and used its tail to try and sweep the two of them away. But that’s when I jumped in.
I used a sword slash full of blue aura to counter Acnologia’s tail, and I managed to chip the halberd-like spade at the end of its tail. This only seemed to agitate to monster further. As it roared once more, it flapped its wings in an attempt to blow us all away.
“Regret!” I shouted.
“Right!” he responded.
Regret focused his aura into his right fist, and as I jumped up, he punched the sole of my right foot. The force from his punch launched me up into the air, and I was level with Acnologia’s face.
“Rrragh!” I shouted as I gathered up the Spirits’ aura into the blade of the Lokomo Sword. I held it above my head as I feel towards Acnologia’s face, and swung it down with all my might.
The blade of my sword came in contact with Acnologia right between its eyes in a vast array of sparks and light. I pushed and pushed and pushed, trying to break through its thick hide. But no matter how much force I applied, no matter how much sacred magic I used, it just didn’t seem to be enough.
All of a sudden, I thought I heard something break. It that instant, I was sent flying away from Acnologia with powerful force. As I tumbled through the air and struck the ground, I heard Regret and Layla call my name.
“Alphonse!” the two of them called out.
They rushed to get to my side, but Acnologia swiped at them again. Regret didn’t have time to build a proper defense, and he was knocked into Layla. Both of them were sent flying, and they landed near to me.
“Ow... You okay?” Regret asked Layla.
She nodded.
I sat up, feeling a lot of pain coursing throughout my body. I tightened my grip on the Lokomo Sword, but when my eyes glanced down at it, all hope I had vanished immediately.
Azure Sage said:
Even though I said that last time, I'm going ahead with Chapter Thirty-One instead, because I'm having writers block issues with the special chapter. And it won't be about Alphonse's training with Rena anymore; instead it will be about the time Alphonse spent with Rena after he came to live with her.
Alright, it's time for Chapter Thirty-One! Please enjoy, and tell me what you think!
As the Desert Colossus shook, cracks began to spread all across its surface. Black light shone through these cracks. The ground beneath us began to tremble, as if even the earth itself was afraid. And over the sound of it all was Ghirahim’s perpetual laughter. It was clear now.
We really were doomed.
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-One
The Desert Colossus suddenly stopped shaking. Everything became quiet. Even Ghirahim stopped laughing. It was as if time had stopped. Everyone was waiting for something, anything to happen, but it didn’t seem like anything was going to happen. Just as I began to wonder if the resurrection ritual failed, the Desert Colossus erupted.
Bits and chunks of rock erupted in all directions, and as this happened, a petrifying roar that could put Vaati’s infamous roar to shame ravaged our ears. The roar was so loud, it created a shock wave, which kicked up a wall of sand. As the shock wave pushed everyone, including me, back several feet, an enormous cloud of dust enveloped the area.
- SOMEWHERE IN THE OCEAN REALM -
“Let’s go, you maggots! Full steam ahead!” the new Captain of the S.S. Linebeck yelled.
A simultaneous shout of compliance could be heard from the entire crew, and Layla’s former ship chugged along through the waters of the Ocean Realm steadily. Passing by another ship, the foghorn rang out as a “Hello”. Now that Tentalus was defeated, more and more ships began to brave the waters of the Ocean Realm once more.
As Seryph stood above the captain’s cabin, he gazed down at his crew scurrying about on the deck, each doing their own jobs splendidly. Seryph felt that if Layla could see him like this, she’d be proud.
All of a sudden, a terrifying roar pierced their ears. The entire crew, even Seryph, lurched from the tremendous noise.
“What on earth...?!” Seryph gasped as he covered his ears.
Even the waters below the ship were stirred up by the sound. An uneasy feeling overcame everyone on the ship. Seryph didn’t understand why, but his thoughts returned to Layla after hearing that roar.
“Layla... Please be safe.” he whispered.
- ZORA HALL -
“Let’s go! Get those supplies to storage!” Zordo commanded.
A few of his Zora followers carried the last remaining crates that Layla’s crew had delivered a few days ago. They scurried through the coral halls with echoing footsteps. Zordo nodded to himself in satisfaction, and turned and walked out to Jabun’s pool.
“Ah, Zordo!” a female voice called out.
Zordo turned his head to see Aquarta approaching him with a smile.
“Hello.” he greeted.
“So, is everything finally in storage?” she asked him.
“Yes. It’s about time, too. Layla’s crew really brought us a lot of cargo this time.”
As the two of them continued to talk, the bubble above them at the peak of Zora Hall began to quiver. A faint roar could be heard, seemingly coming from above the waves.
Zordo and Aquarta fell silent, and gazed up to the surface.
“What on earth is that?” Aquarta asked nervously.
“I don’t know...” Zordo answered.
The waters of Jabun’s pool began to bubble. Zordo stared down nervously at the waters of the sacred pool.
“What could be making Lord Jabun so unsettled? …”
- KAKARIKO VILLAGE -
Beneath the softly falling snow, two children were having a snowball fight.
“I’m gonna get you, Mary!” the boy shouted as he threw a snowball at her.
He missed, though, and Mary laughed. “Ha ha, you missed, Czeslaw!” she taunted.
Mary threw her own snowball at Czeslaw, and that one hit him in the face. As he fell backwards into the snow, Mary gasped.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you in the face!” she fussed.
“You kids should be more careful.” the voice of an older woman laughed.
Mary turned around, and saw Miss Mazenda. “Oh, hi Miss Mazenda! We were just playing--”
Mary was cut off by a snowball that hit her in the back of her head.
“Ha! Got you!” Czeslaw declared in triumph.
“That doesn’t count, because I already got you!” Mary snapped at him.
“Nuh-uh!” he retorted.
Miss Mazenda couldn’t help but laugh at these children.
“Oh, young ones these days.” she said to herself.
Just then, a piercing roar shook the air, and even caused some of the snow to fall off of various roofs. Mary and Czeslaw covered their ears.
“Wha... What is that?!” Czeslaw cried out.
“It’s scary...” Mary whimpered beneath the sound of the roar.
“There, there, it’s okay...” Miss Mazenda said as she took the two kids into her arms. “I’m sure it’s nothing...”
She said that, but Miss Mazenda was frightened too.
- ANOUKI VILLAGE -
Firo walked through the village with a spring in his step. He was really happy today. As he skipped through town, he passed by Ed.
“Ah, Ed! What’s up?” he said cheerfully.
“Hey~. Ya seem pretty happy t’day, Firo.” Ed responded with a wave.
“That’s ‘cause we finally got ‘round ta finishing the repairs to th’ oil mines!” Firo said with a big grin.
“Oh, that’s great news!” Ed said. “Man, those Wolfos sure did a number on us.” he reminisced.
“Speakin’ o’ which...” Firo said. “It still amazes me that Alphonse drove ‘em all out by himself.”
“Well, he’s the Hero of Spirits, after all.” Ed said.
“True... I wonder how he’s doin’....” Firo pondered.
All of a sudden, a horrifying roar shook the icy-blue crystal mountains that towered around the village. Both Ed and Firo nearly jumped out of their fur.
“What in blazes is that?!” Firo freaked.
“I dunno... Whatever it is, I hope it doesn’t come our way...” Ed said fearfully.
- SOMEWHERE IN THE FOREST REALM -
On a small mountainside, two men walked along the edge of a tall cliff. One had crimson hair and crimson eyes, and was dressed in a black trench coat. The other had a large build, black hair, and was wearing a tan overcoat.
A loud roar shook the mountainside. The two of them stopped walking, and raised their heads to the sky.
“The hell is that?” the crimson haired man, Vino, said.
The black haired man, Byrne, didn’t respond to Vino. “That roar... It can’t be... Could it?” he whispered to himself.
- RENA’S CABIN -
A soothing song filled the air around the small cabin in the woods. A little girl with blonde hair and sparkling green eyes was sitting in front of a grave and playing an ocarina. After she finished the song, she smiled.
“How was that, Miss Rena? I did good, didn’t I?” she said to the gravestone.
“I bet Rena would be very proud of you, Saria.” A beautiful girl with violet eyes and black hair said to her.
“Naomi!” Saria said excitedly. “Is lunch ready?”
“Yes, come on. Let’s go eat.” she said sweetly.
Saria hopped up to her feet, and said, “Bye for now, Miss Rena!”, to the gravestone.
Naomi took Saria’s hand in hers and the two of them walked to the house that used to belong to Rena together. As they walked, however, a fearsome roar penetrated the air around them.
Saria covered her small ears in fright. “What is that noise?!”
“I don’t know...” Naomi whispered nervously.
Saria buried her face into Naomi’s shirt frightfully. Naomi gently stroked Saria’s hair, trying to calm her down. As she did this, she looked up to the sky, and whispered one word.
“Alphonse...”
- BACK AT THE DESERT COLOSSUS -
As the roar finally subsided, the shockwave did too. I coughed away some sand, and turned around.
“Is everyone alright?!” I called out.
Layla and Regret ended up on top of each other, and they quickly separated. Zelda, who had been blown away, rushed back over to me. Most of the Gerudo soldiers had been knocked off their feet, including King Ganondorf.
“Ah... We’re okay.” Regret answered.
Suddenly Regret, Layla, and all the Gerudos froze in terror.
Layla clasped her hands over her mouth. “Oh my god...” she whispered in fear.
I didn’t understand what was going on, so I turned back around to see what had everyone so afraid. As soon as my eyes caught sight of it, I became more terrified than I ever have in my life.
Rising out of the now fading dust cloud, partially obscuring the light from the sun, was an enormous black dragon. It was at least three times as big as Tentalus. It had glowing white eyes, a maw with rows upon rows of frighteningly sharp teeth, and gigantic wings like an angel of death. It had a halberd-like spade at the end of its tail, and its huge hands and feet had sharp claws that seemed capable of piercing steel as if it were butter.
As the enormous dragon slowly hovered down to the ground, it flapped its wings. The force from the generated wind kicked up another small sandstorm. After the sand washed over us, the behemoth landed. It touched down with amazing force, and the entire desert shook.
Standing triumphantly before this monster was Ghirahim. He had his arms raised to the heavens, and he was laughing maniacally.
“Yes! It’s resurrection is finally complete! Behold, the Black Dragon of Apocalypse, Acnologia!” he screamed with wicked delight.
Every single one of us, including me, shook with terror. This was Acnologia? This is what he intended to use to get his revenge on me? I gulped in fright, feeling my entire body quivering in fear.
“Now, Acnologia!” Ghirahim commanded. “Wipe out all these pathetic fools from the face of this world! Deliver vengeance upon the one who shamed me! BRING EVERYTHING TO RUIN!"
Acnologia roared furiously, and raised its left hand high into the air. I immediately sensed what was about to happen.
“Ghirahim! Get out of there, now!” I screamed.
My efforts were in vain. Ghirahim couldn’t hear me over the sound of his own laughter. As he stood before the black dragon, laughing hysterically, Acnologia brought its hand down with amazing speed.
In that instant, Ghirahim was crushed beneath Acnologia’s palm.
I stared at the large blood stain beneath Acnologia’s hand in shock. Layla cupped her hands over her mouth in horror. Regret was just as horrified.
“Why would... Why would it kill him? Isn’t he the one who revived it?" Regret said in a shaken voice.
“Because Acnologia does not understand the words of man.” Ganondorf answered.
We turned around to face him. “What do you mean by that?” I asked him.
“The only thing Acnologia knows is to destroy. And that’s the only thing it’s going to do. It will destroy this entire world, regardless of who is in it. It will leave nothing left.” he said solemnly. “It’s all over now...”
“No...” Layla gasped. “We’re really... All going to die here?”
“... I can’t... I don’t want to die like this...” Regret said.
“I’m scared...” Zelda said quietly.
I said nothing. I watched them all silently with a mixture of fear and sadness. These were my friends. I didn’t want them to die as much as I didn’t want to die myself. And Acnologia wouldn’t stop here. It would destroy everything else too. Right now, no one in this world was safe.
I looked back at Acnologia, who seemed to be roaring in triumph. I gulped nervously, and then tightened the grip on the Lokomo Sword.
“... We can’t give up.” I said, turning back to face everyone.
Layla and Regret fell silent, and both of them slowly raised their heads up to look at me. They both wore a shocked expression on their faces.
“You mean... You’re actually gonna try to fight that thing?!” Regret yelled in disbelief.
“Alphonse, Tentalus was one thing, but this... How could we possibly beat something like this?!” Layla cried.
“I don’t know!” I yelled back. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna try!” I turned back around to face Acnologia. “I have people I love in this world. I’m not gonna stand by and do nothing while this thing destroys them!” I shouted.
Everyone seemed shocked by my words. All of the Gerudos, including Ganondorf, stared at me in utter disbelief. However, my words seemed to invigorate Layla and Regret.
Both of them stood up. “He’s right... And besides, I wouldn’t wanna go down without a fight.” Regret said.
“I’m really scared, but as long as we’re together, I just know we’ll win somehow!” Layla said, clutching her lance tightly.
Ganondorf watched us in amazement. “You would stand against oblivion to fight for your friends?”
“That’s just how Alphonse is.” Zelda said. “As long as I’ve known him, he’s never given up. If it’s him, then surely he’ll find a way to stop Acnologia.” she said encouragingly.
Ganondorf smiled. “Alphonse is truly something else, isn’t he...” he whispered.
Standing before the enormous dragon Acnologia, I held the Lokomo Sword up in front of me. I was clutching the hilt with both hands. My knees were bent, ready to kick off the ground at a second’s notice.
Layla stood beside me on my right. She was trembling, but she still held her lance readily. Regret, standing next to me on my left, focused his red aura into his curled fists and stood at the ready.
“Here we go...” I said.
Both of them nodded. As Acnologia roared once more, it reared it’s head back. At that instant, I kicked off the ground and rocketed toward the beast. Layla dashed to its right flank, and dodged its hand as it came down to crush her. She tried to cut at it’s hand, but the blade of her lance bounced off of Acnologia’s skin.
Acnologia moved its hand so as to swat Layla away, but Regret jumped in, and punched with all his might. The red aura built up in his fist countered Acnologia’s hand, and knocked it back. Acnologia roared, and used its tail to try and sweep the two of them away. But that’s when I jumped in.
I used a sword slash full of blue aura to counter Acnologia’s tail, and I managed to chip the halberd-like spade at the end of its tail. This only seemed to agitate to monster further. As it roared once more, it flapped its wings in an attempt to blow us all away.
“Regret!” I shouted.
“Right!” he responded.
Regret focused his aura into his right fist, and as I jumped up, he punched the sole of my right foot. The force from his punch launched me up into the air, and I was level with Acnologia’s face.
“Rrragh!” I shouted as I gathered up the Spirits’ aura into the blade of the Lokomo Sword. I held it above my head as I feel towards Acnologia’s face, and swung it down with all my might.
The blade of my sword came in contact with Acnologia right between its eyes in a vast array of sparks and light. I pushed and pushed and pushed, trying to break through its thick hide. But no matter how much force I applied, no matter how much sacred magic I used, it just didn’t seem to be enough.
All of a sudden, I thought I heard something break. It that instant, I was sent flying away from Acnologia with powerful force. As I tumbled through the air and struck the ground, I heard Regret and Layla call my name.
“Alphonse!” the two of them called out.
They rushed to get to my side, but Acnologia swiped at them again. Regret didn’t have time to build a proper defense, and he was knocked into Layla. Both of them were sent flying, and they landed near to me.
“Ow... You okay?” Regret asked Layla.
She nodded.
I sat up, feeling a lot of pain coursing throughout my body. I tightened my grip on the Lokomo Sword, but when my eyes glanced down at it, all hope I had vanished immediately.
The Lokomo Sword was broken.
Last edited:
Mudora
Innocent but not fearful.
Your writing has greatly improved! Keep up the good work.
My name is Azure Sage and I will not read Ven's POS writing but will nag him to read *and* respond to my own!!!!
lol JK.
Great chapter but I do have a complaint, a complaint and not really "critique":
lol JK.
Great chapter but I do have a complaint, a complaint and not really "critique":
WhyLayla said:
Why, but more importantly, this sounds like something a villain would say but King Ganondorf is a protagonist.Ganondorf said:
Why, but more importantly, is Al bleeding/sustaining any injuries aside from his special little dagger being broken?Alphonse (narrating) said:
Minor typo
I loved how you descriped everything when the roar happened. Very great story and a very great chapter. I was almost like Ganon fight with then please
Thank you all very much! But Vanessa, that isn't a typo. That's just how Firo talks. Anyway, it's time for chapter thirty-two! I really hope you guys enjoy this one! Please tell me what you think!
I stared down at the broken Lokomo Sword hopelessly. It felt like my soul was being crushed from the sight of it. I could feel every ounce of hope draining from my entire being. I didn’t notice when Layla and Regret called my name. I didn’t even notice the blood dripping from my forehead.
This was the first time I’d felt so hopeless. I didn’t know what to do anymore. All this time, I’d been relying on the Lokomo Sword to fight. I took it for granted. And now that it was broken, I felt completely lost.
“Alphonse! Snap out of it!” Zelda called out.
Her words finally reached me. I snapped back into reality and perked up. “Wha...” I breathed.
“Alphonse, what are we gonna do?! If your sword is broken, then...” she began.
“Then I can’t fight...” I finished.
Acnologia’s roar forced us to focus our attention back to the fight. The enormous black dragon was still flailing its arms around in the sand, trying to swat the persistent Regret away.
“Regret’s still fighting, but he needs help! Come on, Alphonse!” Layla said.
“But... What am I supposed to do without my sword?” I said helplessly.
Layla didn’t seem to have an answer for that. She looked at me despairingly, while sounds of Regret’s struggle echoed in the background. Soon enough, he came flying in our direction, and skidded to a stop in the sand next to us.
“Damn it...” Regret coughed. “Rgh... Come on, Alphonse! Get up!” he yelled at me.
“But... My sword...” I said softly, almost in a whimper.
“... Ah...” Regret mumbled.
No one had seemed to have an answer for me. What was I supposed to do without my sword?
Zelda’s sudden question seemed to strike me deeply. I looked up at her with shocked eyes.
“This isn’t like you.” she continued. “The Alphonse I know wouldn’t give up from something like this. I can’t believe you’re acting like this!”
Her words made me realize something. Zelda was exactly right. This wasn't like me. Normally, I’d still charge in without a second thought, despite the odds. Thinking back, this really was the first time I’d ever hesitated during a fight. I really had become too dependent on the Lokomo Sword.
- What was it I’d said earlier? The powers of the Spirits aren’t mine. My own power is much greater than that. My true power comes from my desire to protect my friends. Strong feelings hold more power than anything else. So, why am I hesitating? If my own power is greater, why am I afraid?
I understood it now. I was afraid because I thought I’d lost the one thing that allowed me to protect the people I care about. But that’ wasn't true. The only thing I’d lost was my weapon. My own feelings were what allowed me to protect the people I love. I still had this love for my friends. As long as I had that, then there was nothing to fear.
I stood up, and nodded at Zelda. “You’re right. Thanks a lot, Zelda.” I said. I faced Regret and Layla, and continued to speak. “I know things look grim, but we can’t give up just because my sword broke. This fight is far from over.”
Regret and Layla grinned. “Damn right! Let’s finish this!” Regret said enthusiastically.
We turned back to face Acnologia, who was thrashing about in the sand. The ground was trembling, and clouds of dust and sand were being kicked up. All the Gerudo people around us were either fleeing in terror or cowering in fear.
“Here we go!” I shouted.
The three of us charged towards Acnologia once again, and this time I was more determined than ever.
As I ran forward, I stopped paying attention to Regret and Layla. I only focused on what I was doing. My sword was broken, but I didn’t care about that anymore. I was going to fight with it anyway. Most of the blade had broken off, but there was about six inches of blade left that was still attached to the hilt. I decided that was good enough.
I tried to focus power in what was left of the blade, but it wouldn’t work. It was as if the sword could no longer maintain such energy now that it was broken. Being unable to properly use the powers of the Spirits was a huge disadvantage, but I still wasn't deterred.
Acnologia roared again as it swung its tail at Regret, who was attacking from the right. Layla was attacking from the left, but each strike from her lance couldn’t pierce Acnologia’s hide. Acnologia swatted her away with its left hand, and then raised that same hand up to try and hit me.
As its gigantic hand came plummeting down towards me, I dodged to the left, and the impact its hand made with the sand created another dust cloud. I decided to try and jump up onto its hand and run along its arm so I could reach its face, but when I tried that, it merely shook me off.
I fell into the sand with a loud thud, and after cursing at myself for not realizing how stupid of an idea that was, I got up and charged at it again. All of a sudden, though, Layla’s body came flying at me through the air, and she knocked into me. Acnologia must have swatted her away again. The two of us hit the sand hard.
“Ow...” I groaned. “Layla, are you okay?”
“I think so.” she answered while rubbing her back.
Both of us got up just in time to avoid Regret, who was also swatted away in our direction.
“Damn this thing! This is hopeless!” Regret complained.
“Don’t give up just yet!” I said.
We charged at Acnologia again and again, but it was the same result. Every time, we would all get knocked away without being able to deal any damage to it. No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn’t wound it. It felt like we were going at it for hours, but I'm not sure how much time had actually passed. Either way, we were getting nowhere.
“Gauhhh-” I coughed as I was knocked through the air again.
I hit the sand and skidded to a stop on my right side. This time, when I tried to get up, I noticed I was bleeding even more. My forehead felt wet, and when I wiped it with my hand, my palm was smeared with blood. I also noticed my jacket was beginning to turn red as well, in the stomach area. I was bleeding there, too.
Not only was I bleeding, I was bruised and hurting. I was beaten badly, and so were Regret and Layla. Their injuries were similar to mine. I realized we couldn’t keep this up much longer. We had to find a way to turn this fight around. But right now, that seemed impossible.
Ganondorf, who was still down on the ground near us, spoke. “So it really was hopeless after all...”
I looked back at him in surprise. “What...?’
“There’s nothing that can be done. Acnologia is virtually invincible. There’s no way we can stop him.” he said solemnly.
“But...” I began. I still wasn’t ready to give up.
“Alphonse... Maybe it really is impossible...” Layla said. She was beginning to sob.
“Damn it... This can’t be where it ends...” Regret said. He was starting to cry, too.
Acnologia roared once more. As this terrifying roar pierced our ears, I gazed at my friends. They were beaten bloody, covered in bruises and injuries, and crying. They'd all lost hope.
“Alphonse... I'm scared...” Zelda whispered to me in fright.
“Damn it...” Regret said as he pounded the sand with his fist.
“I don’t want to die...” Layla sobbed.
I bit my lip as I watched them. I wanted desperately to shout “This isn't the end yet!”, but I held those words back. I wasn't confident in myself anymore. How could I tell them something like that if I didn’t even believe it myself?
“It seems this is truly the end...” Ganondorf muttered. “To think that even the Hero of Spirits can’t protect us...”
Those words pierced my heart like a dagger. I felt the full weight of these words as I understood exactly what they conveyed; I had failed.
I failed as the Hero of Spirits. Ganondorf had lost hope in me. My friends lost hope altogether. I even lost hope in myself. I failed to uphold my duty as the Hero of Spirits to protect this world and the people in it. Acnologia was going to kill everyone and wipe this world from existence. And I was the so-called “hero” who couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t protect anyone. I’m a disgrace. This was all I could think.
I’m a failure. I’m a disgrace. I don’t deserve to be called the Hero of Spirits. I failed to protect everyone. As I thought this, I remembered Naomi. “Everyone” included her. This meant I'd failed to protect Naomi, too.
Knowing that was too much for me to take. I felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest. This feeling was awful. I couldn’t bear the feeling of knowing I failed to protect the person I love. Because I couldn’t stop Acnologia, Naomi would die...
That was it for me. The thought of Naomi dying because I failed was overwhelming. I had failed her, and that knowledge was ripping me to shreds from the inside out.
- I don’t care anymore.
I didn’t care about being the Hero of Spirits. I didn’t care about the Spirits of Light, or the Demon King Malladus, or the Great War. I didn’t care if I lived. I didn’t care if I died. There was only one thing I cared about now, and that was Naomi.
The only thing I thought about was protecting Naomi. The only thing I wanted was for Naomi to remain safe. The only thing I wanted to do was protect Naomi. She was the only thing I could think about. She was the only thing that mattered to me anymore. At this point, I didn’t care if I remained the Hero of Spirits or not. If I could just protect Naomi, then that would be enough.
I slowly rose to my feet. As I did, Regret and Layla looked up at me through their tears.
“Alphonse...?” Layla managed to say between her sobs.
“What are you doing?” Regret asked me.
I didn’t answer either of them. I limped forward, towards Acnologia. Seeing me do this, both of them jumped to their feet in shock.
“Don’t tell me you’re really gonna keep trying to fight that thing?!” Regret exclaimed.
“Alphonse, stop! It’s pointless to continue fighting!” Layla yelled at me.
I ignored both of them and, despite my injuries, charged toward Acnologia. My right hand was still tightly gripping the broken Lokomo Sword. Acnologia, who had been thrashing about, stopped to look down at me. It stared at me as I struggled to run, and then it swatted me away from it without a second thought. I hit the ground rolling, and coughed up some blood.
“Alphonse!” Layla screamed.
She ran to my side and helped me sit up. But I brushed her hand away and continued to try and stand back up. Layla, Regret, Ganondorf, Zelda, and the few remaining Gerudo who hadn’t fled yet looked on at me in absolute astonishment.
I ran towards Acnologia again, and it swatted me away again. I got back up and rantowards it again. It swatted me away again, and I got back up to continue running towards it. Every time it knocked me back, I stood up and continued to try. No matter how much I was hurting, no matter how much I was bleeding, I never stopped getting back up.
Finally, after standing back up once again, Layla ran up to me and hugged me tightly from behind.
“That’s enough, Alphonse...” she cried. “Just stop... Please...”
I tried to break free from her grip, but Layla hugged me tighter. She wouldn't let me go.
“What’s wrong with you?! Why won’t you just give it a rest?!” Regret shouted at me through his tears.
“Alphonse, it’s over... There’s nothing we can do anymore...” Layla sobbed.
The only thing I said in response was, “Let go of me.”
“Alphonse, please! Why do you keep insisting on this?! You can’t do anything anymore! Why won’t you stop?!” she cried.
At this point, I snapped. “Because I can’t let her die!” I screamed.
“What? Let who die?” Layla asked.
“Naomi... I have to protect Naomi...” I said.
Layla quickly realized that I was talking about the girl I loved, and she loosened her grip on me.
“You...” she whispered.
Regret didn’t seem to understand, and neither did Ganondorf or the Gerudos. But Zelda understood.
“Alphonse...” Zelda whimpered.
I continued toward Acnologia again, now only able to limp, while whispering the words “I have to protect her.” over and over again as if it were some kind of mantra. Acnologia roared and swatted me away again. But just like last time, I simply got back up and tried again.
“Alphonse...” Layla said as she began sobbing again.
“I don’t care if you tell me it’s hopeless.” I said as I limped. “I don’t care if I can’t do anything anymore. But I can’t just do nothing. There’s no way I can do nothing when the person I love is in danger. I won’t allow myself to fail here.”
I stopped a couple yards away from the beast. “This has nothing to do with my duty as the Hero of Spirits. This has nothing to do with me not wanting to give up. I just can’t let Naomi die. I can’t ever lose her!” I began to raise my voice. “That’s why I won’t ever stop! I’ll never stop until she’s safe!” I pointed at Acnologia. “I don’t care how many times you knock me back! I’ll never stop getting back up! You hear me, you monster?! Come on!
I suddenly felt warm. It was almost like something was welling up inside me. Without me realizing it, my eye color changed from gold to blue. This blue was the same color as the Spirits’ aura.
All of a sudden, a bright blue light enveloped my body, almost like flames. This was the Spirits’ magic power. It suddenly pulsated, and spread out from my feet. It formed a wide ring of blue aura around me on the ground, and it spread out to both Regret and Layla. As soon as the aura touched them, their bodies became aglow with aura just like mine was.
“Wha-What’s happening?!” Regret gasped.
“This is...” Layla said quietly while examining her hand, which was ablaze with blue light. “Isn’t this the Spirits’ magic?!”
Alone in a vast, empty tower in the Sacred Realm of the Spirits, Anjean sat quietly and monitored the happenings of the Physical Realm where Alphonse and his friends lived. Suddenly, she gasped. Something had caused her to be taken aback.
“This is...” she breathed. “Alphonse, you’ve...” Anjean began to smile. “You’ve finally done it, Alphonse...” she said proudly. “Now that you’ve achieved your second awakening, the time for the final battle is near...”
I stood before Acnologia, who was becoming irritated by the bright light emanating from me. Behind me, Layla and Regret were also glowing with the Spirits’ aura.
“Layla! Regret!” I shouted back to them. Without turning around to face them, I said, “This isn’t over yet! Let’s end this fight here!”
Layla and Regret were hesitant at first. They looked at each other with looks filled with uncertainty.
“I don’t really understand what’s going on...” Regret began.
“... But I trust Alphonse. I think, with this power, we might stand a chance.” Layla finished.
“It’s worth a try... Alphonse was right. This definitely better than doing nothing. Let’s rock!” Regret said.
“Right!” Layla agreed.
Both of them ran up to me and joined me, standing before the black dragon Acnologia. I was still clutching the broken Lokomo Sword in my right hand. Layla was holding her lance in both her hands. Regret had his fists curled to focus his magic power, but instead of his usual red aura, the aura was blue.
Acnologia, now fed up with the bright light, roared once and swung its hand down at us. The three of us separated. Layla moved to its right, and Regret moved to its left. I simply backed up to get out of the way of its hand.
Layla swung her lance with all her might, and as she did, a burst of magic power rocketed from the tip of her weapon. This burst of power caught Acnologia in its jaw. As the enormous beast roared in shock and pain, Regret let loose an attack of his own. He jumped up, propelling himself by focusing magic at his feet the same way I did, and hit Acnologia in its jaw with a magic-powered uppercut. Acnologia roared in agony as it staggered back. We finally managed to gain some ground in this fight. But we weren’t finished yet. It was my turn now.
While Layla and Regret were attacking Acnologia, I stood back. I was subconsciously holding the broken Lokomo Sword above my head, and magic power was gathering where the blade used to be. The aura condensed into the shape of a blade, as if temporarily fixing the sword. Then, even more magic power started pouring out from the blade, and it began to surround me like a whirlwind as I held the blade skyward.
“Regret! Layla! Get out of the way!” I shouted.
Both of them did as I said and got back. They both got behind me, and as Acnologia recovered from their blows, it roared angrily and ferociously. Still holding the Lokomo Sword above my head without even understanding what I was doing, I raised my other hand up and grabbed the hilt.
Acnologia stretched its wings and rose into the air. It opened its maw, and black aura began building up within its mouth.
“That’s-!” Ganondorf exclaimed in horror.
“What is it?!” Zelda asked, who had been floating nearby Ganondorf the entire time.
“That’s Acnologia’s dark magic... Dragon Breath.” he explained. “It's breath that can reduce all creation to ashes. If it uses that, then surely... We’ll all be wiped out instantly. This entire desert will be wiped off the face of this world.”
“Oh no...” Zelda shuddered. “Alphonse!” she called out to me.
Acnologia roared fiercely as it expelled the deadly Dragon Breath from its mouth. The black aura tumbled down and spread out across the desert as it barreled towards us. As it approached, it turned the sand and anything else in its path into gray ashes.
“Raaaaaaagh!” I screamed as I swung the Lokomo Sword down as hard as I could.
All at once, the accumulated aura stretched up to the heavens in the shape of an enormous blade. It then came crashing down, almost as if it were splitting the sky itself. It rammed into Acnologia’s Dragon Breath, and actually cleaved right through the menacing black magic.
With Dragon Breath having been run through, the black aura dissolved into nothing. The immense amount of sacred magic power tore through the air towards the airborne Acnologia, and when it made contact with the dragon, it split right through its skin.
Acnologia let out one final cry as its body was split into two halves. These two halves fell to the ground with a tremendous thud, and then dissolved into particles of blue aura. Finally, Acnologia was defeated.
The Spirits’ magic power that had been lent to Layla and Regret faded away, and they returned to normal. The aura surrounding my body faded too, as well as the aura that made up the temporarily fixed Lokomo Sword’s blade.
I stood in the sand, panting. I was exhausted. Layla, Regret, Ganondorf, Zelda, and the Gerudo people stared at me in utter disbelief. However, right now I was too tired to feel their stares.
After whispering to myself the words, "I protected Naomi", I collapsed to the ground and passed out.
Chapter Thirty-Two
I stared down at the broken Lokomo Sword hopelessly. It felt like my soul was being crushed from the sight of it. I could feel every ounce of hope draining from my entire being. I didn’t notice when Layla and Regret called my name. I didn’t even notice the blood dripping from my forehead.
This was the first time I’d felt so hopeless. I didn’t know what to do anymore. All this time, I’d been relying on the Lokomo Sword to fight. I took it for granted. And now that it was broken, I felt completely lost.
“Alphonse! Snap out of it!” Zelda called out.
Her words finally reached me. I snapped back into reality and perked up. “Wha...” I breathed.
“Alphonse, what are we gonna do?! If your sword is broken, then...” she began.
“Then I can’t fight...” I finished.
Acnologia’s roar forced us to focus our attention back to the fight. The enormous black dragon was still flailing its arms around in the sand, trying to swat the persistent Regret away.
“Regret’s still fighting, but he needs help! Come on, Alphonse!” Layla said.
“But... What am I supposed to do without my sword?” I said helplessly.
Layla didn’t seem to have an answer for that. She looked at me despairingly, while sounds of Regret’s struggle echoed in the background. Soon enough, he came flying in our direction, and skidded to a stop in the sand next to us.
“Damn it...” Regret coughed. “Rgh... Come on, Alphonse! Get up!” he yelled at me.
“But... My sword...” I said softly, almost in a whimper.
“... Ah...” Regret mumbled.
No one had seemed to have an answer for me. What was I supposed to do without my sword?
“Alphonse, why are you hesitating?”
Zelda’s sudden question seemed to strike me deeply. I looked up at her with shocked eyes.
“This isn’t like you.” she continued. “The Alphonse I know wouldn’t give up from something like this. I can’t believe you’re acting like this!”
Her words made me realize something. Zelda was exactly right. This wasn't like me. Normally, I’d still charge in without a second thought, despite the odds. Thinking back, this really was the first time I’d ever hesitated during a fight. I really had become too dependent on the Lokomo Sword.
- What was it I’d said earlier? The powers of the Spirits aren’t mine. My own power is much greater than that. My true power comes from my desire to protect my friends. Strong feelings hold more power than anything else. So, why am I hesitating? If my own power is greater, why am I afraid?
I understood it now. I was afraid because I thought I’d lost the one thing that allowed me to protect the people I care about. But that’ wasn't true. The only thing I’d lost was my weapon. My own feelings were what allowed me to protect the people I love. I still had this love for my friends. As long as I had that, then there was nothing to fear.
I stood up, and nodded at Zelda. “You’re right. Thanks a lot, Zelda.” I said. I faced Regret and Layla, and continued to speak. “I know things look grim, but we can’t give up just because my sword broke. This fight is far from over.”
Regret and Layla grinned. “Damn right! Let’s finish this!” Regret said enthusiastically.
We turned back to face Acnologia, who was thrashing about in the sand. The ground was trembling, and clouds of dust and sand were being kicked up. All the Gerudo people around us were either fleeing in terror or cowering in fear.
“Here we go!” I shouted.
The three of us charged towards Acnologia once again, and this time I was more determined than ever.
As I ran forward, I stopped paying attention to Regret and Layla. I only focused on what I was doing. My sword was broken, but I didn’t care about that anymore. I was going to fight with it anyway. Most of the blade had broken off, but there was about six inches of blade left that was still attached to the hilt. I decided that was good enough.
I tried to focus power in what was left of the blade, but it wouldn’t work. It was as if the sword could no longer maintain such energy now that it was broken. Being unable to properly use the powers of the Spirits was a huge disadvantage, but I still wasn't deterred.
Acnologia roared again as it swung its tail at Regret, who was attacking from the right. Layla was attacking from the left, but each strike from her lance couldn’t pierce Acnologia’s hide. Acnologia swatted her away with its left hand, and then raised that same hand up to try and hit me.
As its gigantic hand came plummeting down towards me, I dodged to the left, and the impact its hand made with the sand created another dust cloud. I decided to try and jump up onto its hand and run along its arm so I could reach its face, but when I tried that, it merely shook me off.
I fell into the sand with a loud thud, and after cursing at myself for not realizing how stupid of an idea that was, I got up and charged at it again. All of a sudden, though, Layla’s body came flying at me through the air, and she knocked into me. Acnologia must have swatted her away again. The two of us hit the sand hard.
“Ow...” I groaned. “Layla, are you okay?”
“I think so.” she answered while rubbing her back.
Both of us got up just in time to avoid Regret, who was also swatted away in our direction.
“Damn this thing! This is hopeless!” Regret complained.
“Don’t give up just yet!” I said.
We charged at Acnologia again and again, but it was the same result. Every time, we would all get knocked away without being able to deal any damage to it. No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn’t wound it. It felt like we were going at it for hours, but I'm not sure how much time had actually passed. Either way, we were getting nowhere.
“Gauhhh-” I coughed as I was knocked through the air again.
I hit the sand and skidded to a stop on my right side. This time, when I tried to get up, I noticed I was bleeding even more. My forehead felt wet, and when I wiped it with my hand, my palm was smeared with blood. I also noticed my jacket was beginning to turn red as well, in the stomach area. I was bleeding there, too.
Not only was I bleeding, I was bruised and hurting. I was beaten badly, and so were Regret and Layla. Their injuries were similar to mine. I realized we couldn’t keep this up much longer. We had to find a way to turn this fight around. But right now, that seemed impossible.
Ganondorf, who was still down on the ground near us, spoke. “So it really was hopeless after all...”
I looked back at him in surprise. “What...?’
“There’s nothing that can be done. Acnologia is virtually invincible. There’s no way we can stop him.” he said solemnly.
“But...” I began. I still wasn’t ready to give up.
“Alphonse... Maybe it really is impossible...” Layla said. She was beginning to sob.
“Damn it... This can’t be where it ends...” Regret said. He was starting to cry, too.
Acnologia roared once more. As this terrifying roar pierced our ears, I gazed at my friends. They were beaten bloody, covered in bruises and injuries, and crying. They'd all lost hope.
“Alphonse... I'm scared...” Zelda whispered to me in fright.
“Damn it...” Regret said as he pounded the sand with his fist.
“I don’t want to die...” Layla sobbed.
I bit my lip as I watched them. I wanted desperately to shout “This isn't the end yet!”, but I held those words back. I wasn't confident in myself anymore. How could I tell them something like that if I didn’t even believe it myself?
“It seems this is truly the end...” Ganondorf muttered. “To think that even the Hero of Spirits can’t protect us...”
Those words pierced my heart like a dagger. I felt the full weight of these words as I understood exactly what they conveyed; I had failed.
I failed as the Hero of Spirits. Ganondorf had lost hope in me. My friends lost hope altogether. I even lost hope in myself. I failed to uphold my duty as the Hero of Spirits to protect this world and the people in it. Acnologia was going to kill everyone and wipe this world from existence. And I was the so-called “hero” who couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t protect anyone. I’m a disgrace. This was all I could think.
I’m a failure. I’m a disgrace. I don’t deserve to be called the Hero of Spirits. I failed to protect everyone. As I thought this, I remembered Naomi. “Everyone” included her. This meant I'd failed to protect Naomi, too.
Knowing that was too much for me to take. I felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest. This feeling was awful. I couldn’t bear the feeling of knowing I failed to protect the person I love. Because I couldn’t stop Acnologia, Naomi would die...
That was it for me. The thought of Naomi dying because I failed was overwhelming. I had failed her, and that knowledge was ripping me to shreds from the inside out.
- I don’t care anymore.
I didn’t care about being the Hero of Spirits. I didn’t care about the Spirits of Light, or the Demon King Malladus, or the Great War. I didn’t care if I lived. I didn’t care if I died. There was only one thing I cared about now, and that was Naomi.
The only thing I thought about was protecting Naomi. The only thing I wanted was for Naomi to remain safe. The only thing I wanted to do was protect Naomi. She was the only thing I could think about. She was the only thing that mattered to me anymore. At this point, I didn’t care if I remained the Hero of Spirits or not. If I could just protect Naomi, then that would be enough.
I slowly rose to my feet. As I did, Regret and Layla looked up at me through their tears.
“Alphonse...?” Layla managed to say between her sobs.
“What are you doing?” Regret asked me.
I didn’t answer either of them. I limped forward, towards Acnologia. Seeing me do this, both of them jumped to their feet in shock.
“Don’t tell me you’re really gonna keep trying to fight that thing?!” Regret exclaimed.
“Alphonse, stop! It’s pointless to continue fighting!” Layla yelled at me.
I ignored both of them and, despite my injuries, charged toward Acnologia. My right hand was still tightly gripping the broken Lokomo Sword. Acnologia, who had been thrashing about, stopped to look down at me. It stared at me as I struggled to run, and then it swatted me away from it without a second thought. I hit the ground rolling, and coughed up some blood.
“Alphonse!” Layla screamed.
She ran to my side and helped me sit up. But I brushed her hand away and continued to try and stand back up. Layla, Regret, Ganondorf, Zelda, and the few remaining Gerudo who hadn’t fled yet looked on at me in absolute astonishment.
I ran towards Acnologia again, and it swatted me away again. I got back up and rantowards it again. It swatted me away again, and I got back up to continue running towards it. Every time it knocked me back, I stood up and continued to try. No matter how much I was hurting, no matter how much I was bleeding, I never stopped getting back up.
Finally, after standing back up once again, Layla ran up to me and hugged me tightly from behind.
“That’s enough, Alphonse...” she cried. “Just stop... Please...”
I tried to break free from her grip, but Layla hugged me tighter. She wouldn't let me go.
“What’s wrong with you?! Why won’t you just give it a rest?!” Regret shouted at me through his tears.
“Alphonse, it’s over... There’s nothing we can do anymore...” Layla sobbed.
The only thing I said in response was, “Let go of me.”
“Alphonse, please! Why do you keep insisting on this?! You can’t do anything anymore! Why won’t you stop?!” she cried.
At this point, I snapped. “Because I can’t let her die!” I screamed.
“What? Let who die?” Layla asked.
“Naomi... I have to protect Naomi...” I said.
Layla quickly realized that I was talking about the girl I loved, and she loosened her grip on me.
“You...” she whispered.
Regret didn’t seem to understand, and neither did Ganondorf or the Gerudos. But Zelda understood.
“Alphonse...” Zelda whimpered.
I continued toward Acnologia again, now only able to limp, while whispering the words “I have to protect her.” over and over again as if it were some kind of mantra. Acnologia roared and swatted me away again. But just like last time, I simply got back up and tried again.
“Alphonse...” Layla said as she began sobbing again.
“I don’t care if you tell me it’s hopeless.” I said as I limped. “I don’t care if I can’t do anything anymore. But I can’t just do nothing. There’s no way I can do nothing when the person I love is in danger. I won’t allow myself to fail here.”
I stopped a couple yards away from the beast. “This has nothing to do with my duty as the Hero of Spirits. This has nothing to do with me not wanting to give up. I just can’t let Naomi die. I can’t ever lose her!” I began to raise my voice. “That’s why I won’t ever stop! I’ll never stop until she’s safe!” I pointed at Acnologia. “I don’t care how many times you knock me back! I’ll never stop getting back up! You hear me, you monster?! Come on!
“I’M STANDING RIGHT HERE!”
I suddenly felt warm. It was almost like something was welling up inside me. Without me realizing it, my eye color changed from gold to blue. This blue was the same color as the Spirits’ aura.
All of a sudden, a bright blue light enveloped my body, almost like flames. This was the Spirits’ magic power. It suddenly pulsated, and spread out from my feet. It formed a wide ring of blue aura around me on the ground, and it spread out to both Regret and Layla. As soon as the aura touched them, their bodies became aglow with aura just like mine was.
“Wha-What’s happening?!” Regret gasped.
“This is...” Layla said quietly while examining her hand, which was ablaze with blue light. “Isn’t this the Spirits’ magic?!”
- THE TOWER OF SPIRITS -
Alone in a vast, empty tower in the Sacred Realm of the Spirits, Anjean sat quietly and monitored the happenings of the Physical Realm where Alphonse and his friends lived. Suddenly, she gasped. Something had caused her to be taken aback.
“This is...” she breathed. “Alphonse, you’ve...” Anjean began to smile. “You’ve finally done it, Alphonse...” she said proudly. “Now that you’ve achieved your second awakening, the time for the final battle is near...”
- BACK AT THE DESERT COLOSSUS -
I stood before Acnologia, who was becoming irritated by the bright light emanating from me. Behind me, Layla and Regret were also glowing with the Spirits’ aura.
“Layla! Regret!” I shouted back to them. Without turning around to face them, I said, “This isn’t over yet! Let’s end this fight here!”
Layla and Regret were hesitant at first. They looked at each other with looks filled with uncertainty.
“I don’t really understand what’s going on...” Regret began.
“... But I trust Alphonse. I think, with this power, we might stand a chance.” Layla finished.
“It’s worth a try... Alphonse was right. This definitely better than doing nothing. Let’s rock!” Regret said.
“Right!” Layla agreed.
Both of them ran up to me and joined me, standing before the black dragon Acnologia. I was still clutching the broken Lokomo Sword in my right hand. Layla was holding her lance in both her hands. Regret had his fists curled to focus his magic power, but instead of his usual red aura, the aura was blue.
Acnologia, now fed up with the bright light, roared once and swung its hand down at us. The three of us separated. Layla moved to its right, and Regret moved to its left. I simply backed up to get out of the way of its hand.
Layla swung her lance with all her might, and as she did, a burst of magic power rocketed from the tip of her weapon. This burst of power caught Acnologia in its jaw. As the enormous beast roared in shock and pain, Regret let loose an attack of his own. He jumped up, propelling himself by focusing magic at his feet the same way I did, and hit Acnologia in its jaw with a magic-powered uppercut. Acnologia roared in agony as it staggered back. We finally managed to gain some ground in this fight. But we weren’t finished yet. It was my turn now.
While Layla and Regret were attacking Acnologia, I stood back. I was subconsciously holding the broken Lokomo Sword above my head, and magic power was gathering where the blade used to be. The aura condensed into the shape of a blade, as if temporarily fixing the sword. Then, even more magic power started pouring out from the blade, and it began to surround me like a whirlwind as I held the blade skyward.
“Regret! Layla! Get out of the way!” I shouted.
Both of them did as I said and got back. They both got behind me, and as Acnologia recovered from their blows, it roared angrily and ferociously. Still holding the Lokomo Sword above my head without even understanding what I was doing, I raised my other hand up and grabbed the hilt.
Acnologia stretched its wings and rose into the air. It opened its maw, and black aura began building up within its mouth.
“That’s-!” Ganondorf exclaimed in horror.
“What is it?!” Zelda asked, who had been floating nearby Ganondorf the entire time.
“That’s Acnologia’s dark magic... Dragon Breath.” he explained. “It's breath that can reduce all creation to ashes. If it uses that, then surely... We’ll all be wiped out instantly. This entire desert will be wiped off the face of this world.”
“Oh no...” Zelda shuddered. “Alphonse!” she called out to me.
Acnologia roared fiercely as it expelled the deadly Dragon Breath from its mouth. The black aura tumbled down and spread out across the desert as it barreled towards us. As it approached, it turned the sand and anything else in its path into gray ashes.
“Raaaaaaagh!” I screamed as I swung the Lokomo Sword down as hard as I could.
All at once, the accumulated aura stretched up to the heavens in the shape of an enormous blade. It then came crashing down, almost as if it were splitting the sky itself. It rammed into Acnologia’s Dragon Breath, and actually cleaved right through the menacing black magic.
With Dragon Breath having been run through, the black aura dissolved into nothing. The immense amount of sacred magic power tore through the air towards the airborne Acnologia, and when it made contact with the dragon, it split right through its skin.
Acnologia let out one final cry as its body was split into two halves. These two halves fell to the ground with a tremendous thud, and then dissolved into particles of blue aura. Finally, Acnologia was defeated.
The Spirits’ magic power that had been lent to Layla and Regret faded away, and they returned to normal. The aura surrounding my body faded too, as well as the aura that made up the temporarily fixed Lokomo Sword’s blade.
I stood in the sand, panting. I was exhausted. Layla, Regret, Ganondorf, Zelda, and the Gerudo people stared at me in utter disbelief. However, right now I was too tired to feel their stares.
After whispering to myself the words, "I protected Naomi", I collapsed to the ground and passed out.
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You probably won't get this, but any KH fan will. "I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!!!" omg that is all I could hear when I was reading through this chapter. I really like weaponless Alphonse; he screams Sora to me.Al said:
Great chapter overall! Keep it up! Only THOS ;p