Chapter 7 Eternal Love

This chapter is basically the same as how it was rpged out, except I did feel that I needed to tone down Scarlet's language a bit. So yeah, sorry Sammie, but I couldn't bring myself to put stuff like that in a story. I am really really really proud of this part, Sammie and I both pretty much agree that this scene was the epitome of the whole rp.

The dark night faded away as the golden fingers of dawn rose from the eastern horizon and extended upwards to the sky. Scarlet opened her eyes quietly. Then she yawned, and stretched.

"Hmm... Josh? You awake?"

"Yes," Josh said, rising up slowly. "Nothing else happened during the night."

Scarlet smiled.

"That's good."

Josh held a hand out to her.

"Come on," he said. "We'd better get moving."

Scarlet took his hand and pulled herself up. Then, together the two of them walked off into the forest together. Josh's mind was clouded with doubts. How could they survive now without Pedrez? Pedrez had never been very nice to either of them, but he had been the only one Josh had ever heard of who was able to truly fight against the Dark Horse.

"Josh?" Scarlet suddenly asked. "We'll be okay, right?"

"I don't know," was all he could say.

Josh didn't have the answers. He was just a knight who had gotten thrown into all of this. Josh did not know why the Dark Horse wanted to kill him, or why Pedrez had just left them. What he did know was that he had a responsibility to look after Scarlet, and he intended to carry it out. Suddenly they stopped. Before them on a tree there was an arrow carved in the bark.

"What's the meaning of this?" Scarlet asked frowning.

"Do you think he's trying to give us directions?" Josh asked.

"But who?" Scarlet turned to Josh. "I mean which one? Pedrez or Ashira?"

"Hmmm..." Josh touched the arrow gently. "Should we follow it? Or maybe go in the opposite direction? Whoever put it may have been expecting both..."

Scarlet thought about this silently.

"Lets... follow..." she offered hesitantly.

Josh nodded, and turned to follow the arrow. The arrow carved in wood that could lead them to their deaths. For the rest of the day they followed that arrow through the forest. Both of them were getting nervous. Scarlet tugged her sleeve silently.

"Josh, did I make the wrong decision?" she asked. "This... hasn't lead us anywhere."

Josh held up a hand, and stared off into the forest.

"Yes it has," he said suddenly. "Do you see it?"

Scarlet looked where he was pointing. Through the trees she saw a house sitting silently in the middle of the forest.

'But... hadn't Pedrez told us that somewhere in this forest... Ashira lived?' Scarlet thought silently.

"Do you think..." Josh said, "that Ashira wants us to find his home?"

"Maybe..." Scarlet replied, walking over to the house silently. "Maybe not. Lets find out..."

"Okay," Josh followed after her.

It was a humble shack made of logs. But it was in disarray as if whoever lived their never took care of it or was only there like once a year. Josh took in a deep breath and finally opened the front door to the home, holding it open for Scarlet.

"Nice place," he said stepping inside. "Lots of space..."
Scarlet nodded.

"Right... I wonder where he is..."

"Not here," Josh stepped slowly to the table and looked at the pictures there. One showed a girl. The other showed a girl and a guy sitting together in the grass. Scarlet walked over to the table, and trailed a finger over the picture of the guy and the girl.

"Josh... do you think... that those people..."

Josh took the picture out from the frame and read the back.

"Ashira and Senra," he said.

Was this the Dark Horse before he became the psychopath that he was? Was this his girlfriend?

"Josh..." Scarlet whispered softly. "That's... that's him and his..."

"Girlfriend," Josh finished.

He nodded.

"Maybe this is the reason why he became the way he is now."

Suddenly they heard a burst of air. Josh suddenly shouted, before falling to the ground. Scarlet shrieked and jumped back. A poison dart jutted out of the side of his neck.

"Josh!" she cried out, before turning and looking at the mysterious attacker. "You!"

Pedrez stepped out of the shadows.

"Buenas noches doncella..." Pedrez muttered, glaring at her.

Scarlet fired an arrow. Pedrez ducked, and the arrow flew over his head, slamming into the wall. Then he jumped forward, and slammed Scarlet into the wall, causing her to bash her head painfully. She struggled against him, but Pedrez was stronger. He slammed her head back against the wall again, before jumping backwards and raising his crossbow. Scarlet stared at him, ready to die. Then at least she would be with Josh.

"No..." she whispered.

Pedrez fired. Scarlet screamed. Then slowly, she slumped to the ground.

"Y-y-you..." she whispered, before the darkness overtook her.

As she slowly faded away a few thoughts flew through Scarlet's brain.

'How could he...'

'I shouldn't have told him to follow the arrow with me...'

'I shouldn't have...'

Pedrez looked at his two fallen enemies in triumph. Then he put his crossbow aside, and started dragging both of the bodies away.

Darkness. A thread of light. A voice. A cry. A shadow. Josh shivered, holding his eyes shut, blocking out the scary world that he knew surrounded him. One thought went through his head.

'Am I dead?'

But he looked forward and saw a light, beckoning to him. Josh reached for it. He awoke to find himself tied to a post out in the yard in front of Ashira's home. Scarlet was no where in sight. There was however another post standing right in front of his.

"Scarlet?" he said.

No answer.

Scarlet opened her eyes slightly. Where was she? And where was Josh? She looked around but didn't see him anywhere.

"Where... am I?"

"Put these on," Pedrez threw a purple outfit at Scarlet. "And don't even try to escape."

He glared down at her with his cold eyes.

"Josh is outside tied up, and if you run I swear he will scream for three hours before he dies from the blood pouring out of his arteries."

Scarlet scrambled to her feet, and glared at him. Without her red clothes on the Dark Horse could kill her.

"Heartless bastard," she glared at Pedrez.

Scarlet grabbed the purple outfit. Pedrez then turned and walked out the door, leaving Scarlet to her privacy. At least he did have some decency. Scarlet sat down helplessly, hugging her knees. She couldn't run, for Josh's safety.

'But if I stay, Ashira will... he... he will kill me.'

She looked at the ground silently before standing up.

'If I must die,' she thought, 'then I'll die standing straight, as opposed to hiding like a coward.'

"Are you done yet?" Pedrez said coldly through the door. "Or would you like me to come in an make you hurry up?"

Scarlet glared at the door.

"I swear! If I ever get my hands on you..." she hissed.

Slowly she changed out of her red clothes and into the purple ones, feeling the way a knight does when he takes off his armor before walking into the battlefield.

"I've changed my clothes!" Scarlet then snapped angrily. "What more do you want from me!"

Pedrez opened the door, and raised his crossbow.

"Come with me," he stated simply.

Scarlet followed Pedrez without hesitation. She wouldn't let Josh die because of her.

"Pedrez?" Josh said, upon hearing footsteps approaching him from behind. Pedrez walked over to the pillar right in front of him and started chaining Scarlet to the pillar.

"Neither of you is safe now," Pedrez said. "And all I have to do is wait."

Scarlet glared at him and spat in his face.

"You're screwed up..." she cried out angrily. "I don't think that your parents would ever want you to do things like this. Selfish... What you are doing is for your own selfish needs..."

"Silence!" Pedrez's eyes were filled with rage.

He slapped Scarlet painfully across the face.

"Hey!" Josh shouted, glaring at him. "Keep your hands off of her!"

Pedrez slapped Scarlet again, this time on the other cheek, before grabbing his crossbow and walking off towards the trees. Scarlet looked at the ground, her bangs falling in front of her face, tears dripping down to the ground.

"Its okay," Josh said, trying to comfort Scarlet. "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Scarlet whispered. "I... I feel sorry for those two..."

Josh hung his head.

"I'm sorry I brought you into this," he said looking at the ground. "I'm sorry for everything."

Scarlet looked at the troubled knight and managed a smile.

"Josh... Josh... Don't be sorry, I'm... I'm glad I met you..."

"I'm glad I met you," he turned and looked into her eyes, smiling slightly.

Her light purple eyes shone slightly as Scarlet smiled.

"At least we die together..."

Josh nodded.

"Sometimes there is a blessing in death too," he said. "Lets face it, we've never died before..."

He chuckled unpleasantly, but then became serious again. Josh thought about the current situation. Over this time something had changed within him, for when all of this had begun he was lost, depressed, and doubtful. Now he was whole again, and he felt that what he had fought for was returning to him. And there was only one thing that was bringing it back.

"Scarlet?" he looked up at the lost Gerudo.

Scarlet looked up.

"Yes Josh?" she asked softly.

His words had gotten her to think. She was so glad that she'd met him.

"I..." Josh stopped.

How could he say this? Josh just kept looking in her eyes.

"Well..." he continued, "before all this happened... before I met you... I felt lost, empty inside. My heart was empty, you know the feeling, don't you?"

Scarlet bit her lip and nodded.

"Yes," she mumbled softly. "I do."

Josh looked at the ground.

"Its not empty anymore. Something is in there again. You know what?"

He looked back up into her eyes. Scarlet looked away with a faint blush, smiling.

"I think I do," she said quietly.

"You..." Josh kept looking into her eyes.

His face slowly grew warmer.

"And I hope you stay there... in my heart..."

Scarlet smiled, and nodded.

"I'll always stay there Josh," she smiled. "You won't get rid of me that easily."

Josh met Josh's gaze and kept smiling.

"And I hope..." she whispered, "that you'll stay here too..."

The two of them kept looking into each other's eyes. Something was happening here. Josh's heartbeat quickened, and he leaned in towards her, but doubts plagued his mind.

'You're a fool Josh. There's no way she'd ever feel anything for you.'

But Josh ignored his doubts. Today was his dying day, and he did not want to die a lonely knight. Scarlet blushed, and glanced away. But then she too leaned in towards Josh.

"Josh... I..." she whispered, averting his gaze with a shy smile. "I think I... I think I love you..."

Their lips touched, and they shared their first kiss. Josh hoped and prayed that it wouldn't be their last. A tear rolled down his cheek as they continued to kiss.

"I love you..." Josh whispered, pulling away for a second.

"I love you too," Scarlet whispered, and they kissed each other again.

"And I hope..." a tear trailed down her cheek. "That I can keep on loving you, even after we die..."

They kissed again for a long time. Then when they broke away Josh smiled warmly at her.

"Death won't end anything," he whispered encouragingly. "Death is just a path that all of us must take eventually."

Scarlet nodded faintly.

"You're right, death is just another adventure..." she said softly.

She leaned in for another kiss. His lips met hers again as they thought about the end and what it meant for both of them. They cried and kissed as they shared their last moments together. The kiss, so perfect, so meaningful. But they were not alone there. Something else had come upon the two of them. Something called true love. The kiss ended and they just looked at each other, savoring the sight of the other.

"Now we just... wait for it I suppose," Josh said.

Scarlet nodded and turned, determined.

"Yes..."

Scarlet rubbed her last trials of tears away and looked off into the distance, her eyes narrowing at the upcoming darkness. Darkness meant Ashira was close. She looked back at Josh, hoping to be with him for eternity.

They made their silent wish, their silent prayer. Their plea to the heavens. And heaven heard them. They were not alone.