~Sam's POV~
It had been two days since Brazen had taken over the elfin throne. The soldiers are marching off onto the battlefield, awaiting for the Hyrulians to arrive in the huge field that you could see from my tower room. I wish I couldn't see the field from my room. I don't want to watch as many people, Hyrulian or elfin, die. I especially don't want to see the aftermath of the battle, all the bodies littered on the field…
I pulled the curtains over the window, and tried to ignore the war for the short hours that remained before it began. I dressed in a long black dress that cut off at the shoulders. Freaking figures that the elves only allow me to wear shoulder-less dresses.
I heard a quite knock on the door.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's Brazen. May I come in?"
"Yeah, the door is open. Come on in." He opened the door and walked in. He wore a suit of emerald green armor with a gold band around his forehead, but his bangs covered most of it. He doesn't like his crown too much, so he wears a gold band that pretty much replaces the crown for him.
"It almost seems as if you're in mourning." he muttered.
"I'm going to be." I replied.
"Barely any of my men die in these wars. My men are some of the best fighters there are, Samantha."
"But people die, none the less. I'm not just mourning for your people. I'm not that selfish."
"You really do hate war, don't you? This has to be done. I mean, don't you want to see your sister?"
"Of course, but I don't want it to be at the risk of thousands of lives, no matter what side it's on."
"If I can prevent it, I will have no men die. I am the king, Samantha, and I will be the first one to step into battle. That cowardly princess will probably have someone do the fighting for her."
"Just because you're the king now doesn't mean you're invincible. What if you don't come back?"
"They can't kill me."
"They could still make you a prisoner, if it really gets down to it."
"It wouldn't help them at all, and my sister would take the throne."
"But your sister hates me!" I yelled almost on instinct.
"It doesn't matter if she hates you or not. You have a Triforce, it's her duty to protect you."
"I don't need rescuing all the time."
"What? Then what am I suppose to do with my life?"
"Find some other damsel in distress. But I'll tell you one thing, it's not going to be me. I save myself."
"Every rose has it thorns, Samantha, and I'm not afraid to bleed. Anytime you're in need of rescuing, I'll be your rescuer. If you don't, I'll simply watch."
"Maybe I have more thorns then I do flower."
"Well that's good because I'm a weed. I kill everything, so it's good your more thorns than a flower. Thorns don't die."
"We're really not talking about flowers, are we?"
"I don't see what the difference is. You're just as pretty as a flower. But I'm running out of time, Samantha, and I wish to give you something."
"What is it?" Brazen turns towards the door and says,
"Johnny, you can come in now." And Johnny came in. He was thin, tall with shaggy sandy blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He wore elfish armor, and he somehow looked familiar. His eyes widened, and he walked toward me a little, but Brazen stuck his hand out in front of Johnny and told him to wait a minute.
"Samantha, this is your older brother, Johnny." Johnny ran up and gave me a hug, and I hugged him back, but I was more furious than ever. When he released me, I yelled at Brazen,
"You kept him here this whole time and you didn't tell me?"
"I had no choice but to keep him a secret. It's a very long story and you need to hear it. Nine years ago, when you believed your whole family died and the man saved you from the sinking ship… Samantha… I was that man."
"I knew you were familiar somehow!" I yelled, "Why would you keep that from me?"
"I wanted to tell you sooner, and when I saw my cloak around you, I knew you were the girl I gave it to all those years ago. In all honesty I was surprised to see you in the Elfish City. You were suppose to be in the human world forever. But on that night, after I saved you I went back for your brothers. They were both half-dead and just drifting in the surf. Not knowing if they were going to live or die, I decided to take them back here. They healed quite nicely, actually. Leon was gifted in magic, and Johnny in swords. I decided to make them both part of my army until, of course, Leon fell in darkness. His magic was so great he became the mage of time and was separated from the world. He appears from time to time only to leave messages trying to help the people he cares about. He knows all, sees all, and stays in the shadows until his heart won't let him."
"Was I in the human world first, or was I here first?"
"You were here, Samantha. Born into the high-ruling family of the Underworld. You're full title is Princess Samantha Lea Underworld."
"No way in hell I'm gonna be a princess of anything!"
"You are what you are."
"But this is not what I want to be." He drew his hands into fists, and he said,
"Your father is… well I guess the easiest way to explain it is the Grim Reaper. And he is my master. He told me that my only purpose in life, the only reason he allows me to live is so I can protect you."
"Why would the Grim Reaper have a kid? That's just bull crap! And why would he want a kid when all he does is kill people, and why would he make sure that someone protected me? This is nonsense!"
"Order me, Samantha. Anything you wish, I can never disobey. Even if you told me to kill myself at this very moment, I would do it without a moment's hesitation."
"Show me your magic, then." His eyes grew steely and he stared shaking. But despite all of that, he took off his glove, and he touched the ground and flowers grew from the ground where he touched.
"Oh my God." I mumbled, "Why would you sell your soul to the Grim Reaper?"
"After my mother died, I tried to take my own life. I had no power, I was weak, and the only person I had ever loved was gone. I welcomed death. The only thing was, he welcomed me as well. He convinced me not to die, to remain living. He gave me a purpose in life, and I sold my soul to him for the power of death."
"And you dare call the Hyrulians power hungry?"
"I understand how you must feel. But back then I was merely a boy."
"You haven't grown much."
"That may be true, but then again I don't really have to explain myself. Or my reasons for becoming one with the devil himself." He looked up at me with great hate, "And I'm tired of trying to save my damned soul. And I tired of your loving relationship with the world. Well, Sam, for your information…" He pointed at a guard, and the guard fell dead instantly.
"The Grim Reaper chose me as his successor," he said "He wishes for me to take this world and turn it into nothing but death and destruction." His eye glowed red, and continued, "And personally, I can't wait to watch it all burn to hell." I felt like crying. I felt like taking a stone and throwing it over his head, snapping his neck.
But he can't die anyway. What's the point?
I yelled at him louder than I thought ever possible. And the more I let it out, the louder I was, and the better I felt for finally letting it all come out.
"If you really wanted the world to burn in hell, why would you save me? Why would you make all of these pathetic promises to me about keeping all these men alive. You lied to me, dammit. You dirt cheap bastard, you lied! You think I can't handle it? That I'm some mindless kid walking in a world she doesn't understand? What you don't realize is that I would have rather died that night nine years ago than to live through the nightmare you put me through. I was abused physically and mentally and emotionally all my life by my adoptive father, and I had to kill him before I got here to save my sister's life, and you thought this whole damn thing was better for me?"
"Brazen, man, take it easy." Johnny whispered, "Sam, you have no idea what's going on here. It's okay that you killed someone, we've all killed thousands of people in our lifetimes. If you kill to protect someone's life, it's a miracle, and that person will never forget it." At this point, I had tears stream down my face.
"To hell with you all! I'm so sick of all these secrets and lies."
"I was just trying to do what was best for you!" Brazen yelled. I interrupted him before he could continue, and slapped him across the face, yelling,
"I don't think they dig graves close enough to hell for the likes of you!" I ran away, and I was so desperate to get away from him that I ran all the way up to the tallest tower. But I never got to the very top of it. I could barely see through my teary eyes, and a bedroom door opened for me as if to be a safe haven. I collapsed on the floor and just balled my eyes out for what seemed to be hours. My whole world turned inside out, and I didn't even care when I heard the sound a war starting.
A part if me wanted Brazen to die. But another part of me still cared. Which is probably why I'm still crying.
I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and I quickly panicked and slapped the hand away as I turned to face the figure behind me. I gasped.
It was Leon.
"Leon?" I asked. "Shh, I don't have much time." He said, "God damn stupid human emotions! Samantha, I have to tell you the truth. I don't know why Brazen is so dead-set on keeping you in the dark. He never was weak and gave into suicide to your father. He watched his mother repeatedly being stabbed as she held him. He felt the blade slightly prick his chest once the blade went through his mothers chest. And once she was dead, Brazen's father killed him. Stabbed him through the heart, but the boy just wouldn't give up. He wanted revenge, as he sat there dying looking at his mother's corpse, Samantha! Then our father struck a deal with him. He gave him life, power, strength, the key to death itself. And all he had to do was give away his soul. Which our father only used to make him his personal slave. Our father made him bring nothing but death and destruction on the world. Then he made him protect you, but somehow along the way, he started to fight the Grim Reapers orders. He'll sacrifice himself for anyone, Sam. Brazen put you in that world so our father couldn't use your power. He saved me an Johnny from death. Johnny found love, and became a man. And I… All I wanted to do was watch over you. With the power of the all-seeing eye, I know everything, Samantha. Which is scary, but the only thing that brings me comfort is that the future could be changed."
"Did you watch me all those years?" I asked sheepishly.
"Do you remember when Mark got into that car accident, and he was hospitalized for a week. I made that happen with my own magic after he struck you for the first time. I'm not allowed to interfere with the human world anymore, and my punishment is great. But sometimes I just can't help myself. It killed me watching you two girls suffer the way you did."
"Is Kellie okay?"
"I really shouldn't say, but yes she's alive and well. But here is my warning to you, Samantha. You must stop this battle! Kellie, like the idiot she is, is fighting trying to get you back. And the elves and Hyrulians… If they're not stopped…" A red, hand-shaped mark grew over his throat, and he started wheezing and hunched over.
"Can't… I can't talk anymore." Then he faded away.
"Thank you, brother." I mumbled to him, even though he wasn't there anymore. With new determination, and fear of never seeing the hot-headed elf-boy again, I dressed in elfish armor and charged into the battle.
(A/N) Well, here's Chapter 7, and all hell finally broke loose with one of our favorite characters, Samantha. So, we hope you like it, please review and tell us what you think!
