(AN: Well, it's time for a new chapter, and hey, end of the West Arena now! Which means we're finally coming to the end, and our group of heroes can soon be free! Let's hope that all ends well...
So, before we get this chapter started, I should explain something: Anyone who's played ICO knows that during the game's cutscenes, there are times where Yorda does talk. If you also played ICO, you know that there is a distinct language barrier for Ico and Yorda. Since one of the game's cutscenes plays out here, I have written out my interpretation of what Yorda's dialogue sounds like, instead of typing out the text, as I was trying to find ways to convert the runic language that Yorda uses into text that I can type, but unfortunately, to no avail DX.
So as such, at the end of the chapter, I will provide the translations as to what Yorda is saying from the game itself (as there is a way to toggle her subtitles in English in the PAL PS2 and the NTSC-U/PAL PS3 version). Alright? Alright, let's get started.)
No copyright message here, go along and read this fic. I'm sure no one will bust you.
After returning back outside to the area with the reflector, Ico and Ratchet had turned it clockwise. Upon it facing the large mirror, a strange sound was made as far away from where Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda were, the light of the reflector hit the pillar with the orb inside of it on the right side.
Much like the one on the left, the stone began to move on its own as it produced magical energy. The burst of energy hit the right side of the door, lighting it up, and most importantly, allowing full access. By the bridge near the West Arena however, a door raised up.
Back at the reflector, Ratchet sighed.
"I think… that's it…" he said.
"Let's hope. There's only one way to find out." Ico replied. "We must return to the main gate."
"Agreed. We should not waste any more time." Clank said. The three got back up on the floors of the mirror, returning back inside the West Arena.
In the main room, since the large mirror was now open, the lombax and horned boy decided it would be easier to exit out from there. Getting on top of it and climbing through the other side, Ratchet and Ico climbed down the ladder as he called for Yorda, waving his hand towards him. The pale princess began to slowly climb down as she reached the ground. Taking Ico's hand, the group traversed through the large bridge from the West Arena until they reached a ladder.
"I don't believe we have climbed up here. Let us see if anything new is here." Clank said. Ico nodded as he started to climb up the ladder, Ratchet and then Yorda following behind him. Upon reaching the top, Ico saw a door that was open.
"Hey, let's go through here!"
The horned boy entered the room as Ratchet and Yorda followed him.
In the new room, Ico saw a lever by his side. Upon pulling it down, the last bridge that was still raised up finally raised down, allowing the group access.
"Ha ha! Nothing's going to stop us now!" Ratchet exclaimed. "C'mon, we're close to our goal!"
Returning back outside, Ico, Ratchet, and Yorda climbed down the ladder and entered through the entrance by the ladder.
Crossing the bridge, the group made their way by the next entrance. Going around, Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda went down the slope and to the next entrance. However, Clank had piped up from Ratchet's back, reaching into his ear.
"Ratchet? I know we're close to reaching the main gates, but… I can't help but wonder… we're close to helping Ico and Yorda escape the castle, but what about ourselves? We're still stranded on here with no forms of communications. More or less, I forgot where our ship even crash landed." The robot said. Ratchet looked behind him and smirked.
"Don't worry about it Clank, our top priority now is to help Ico and Yorda. Then we'll worry about ourselves."
Clank looked at Ratchet. He always was the type of person to put other's issues before his, but in this case, it seems like Ratchet would even die just for the horned boy and the pale princess.
"Do Ico and Yorda matter to you that much?" he asked.
"Yeah, they've had it worse than me. I think it's time they get their freedom like I got mine."
Clank nodded. "I agree Ratchet. We've helped so many people in our time in Solana and Bogon, helping these two won't prove to be a challenge."
Ratchet had been so engaged with his conversation with Clank that he didn't even realize that they were finally at the main gate. Ratchet softly gasped as he saw the large glowing door.
"Wait, we shouldn't go yet. We should rest up for our journey." The lombax said.
"You're right. Let us take a rest on the couch."
Walking to the stone couch just a few feet away, Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda took a hefty rest as Clank put himself into sleep mode.
An hour later, the group finally woke up from their rest, and decided it was finally time. With pounding hearts, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda walked up to the main gate. Ico looked up at it and awed at the sight. Ratchet and Clank looked up at the gate as well.
"Well, this is it, Clank. We're finally free from this place at last." Ratchet said.
"I agree. It's about time we should return home." Clank replied.
Just as the three started to admire the door, a strange glow came from the door as all of a sudden, a burst of electricity sent Ico, Ratchet, and Clank knocked back away. They raised their torso's up and saw the terrifying sight; Yorda was absorbing all of the electricity coming from the door. The gate began to slowly open its doors as Yorda's hair began turning white.
At last, when the gate was open to the point where the four could pass, Yorda dropped to the ground and grunted. Ico ran up to her and crouched by her side.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Yorda took a few breaths before looking at Ico.
"Omotecsus…"(1) she replied, making it the first time Ratchet and Clank heard her voice.
"I didn't think she could talk." Ratchet said.
"Neither could I." Clank replied. The two friends walked up to Ico and Yorda as a strange rumbling was heard and felt. They looked straight ahead of them and saw that the stone bridge that Ratchet and Clank had passed through when they first arrived began to connect to the other side. Ratchet saw that in only a few minutes, he, along with Clank, Yorda, and Ico were finally free from the Queen.
"It's time…" he said. The lombax then noticed that there were a plethora of idol doors on the other side that wasn't there previously, and hoped that Yorda could handle it. However, the pale princess seemed even more pale and weaker, most likely the door drained her of her energy.
"I'm just hoping we can make it…" Ratchet thought. Ico took Yorda's hand as Ratchet and Clank ran, Ico following behind her with Yorda. However, Yorda began to limp and then fall to the ground, causing Ico to turn around.
"Ratchet! Clank! Yorda's weak!" he yelled. The two returned back to the prisoners of the castle.
"Yorda… you're not OK…" Ratchet said. "Listen, we're going to get you across. I know you're weak, but you have to do it, it's our only chance to escape from the queen."
Yorda looked up at Ratchet before Ico helped her back up on her feet.
"It's not safe for Yorda to continue running. It seems we have no choice but to walk." Clank stated.
"Dang it… I hope we're able to escape before the queen notices." The lombax said. The group began to walk down the steps and finally, on the bridge they had been working so hard to get to. In just a few minutes, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda could finally be free.
However, fate had a different destiny in mind. Reaching the half-way point, Ratchet, Ico, Clank, and Yorda were unaware that the pillars began to omit electricity, shooting it at Yorda. Ico was flung forward as Yorda could no longer advance. Ratchet and Clank turned around and saw the electricity holding Yorda in place.
"T-The queen… she knows we are trying to escape…" the robot said.
"No! We aren't gunna let her get away with this! We're this close to the end!"
The impact of the electricity was too great for Yorda, as she soon collapsed to the ground. As Ratchet, Clank, and Ico were about to reach to her, the bridge began to rumble. Ico yelped as the fur on Ratchet's neck began to rise up. Ico lost his balance from the rumbling and fell over, almost falling off the bridge had he not grasped on the edge. Ratchet soon followed, grabbing Clank tightly.
"Hold on buddy! You too Ico!" he yelled.
He then suddenly felt the bridge retracting, knowing full well the queen was the reason for this. Attempting to get himself back up on the bridge, Ratchet threw Clank on the bridge as he and Ico finally got on the bridge with a burst of strength.
"We only have one shot at this!" Ratchet yelled. Ico jumped to the other side as Yorda surprisingly took his hand, the mace soon falling below into the sea. Ratchet and Clank however, missed their jump and almost fell, but Ico grabbed his hand at the last second. Holding his Omniwrench under his armpit, Ratchet held onto Ico's hand as Clank hung on his foot.
"I-Ico! Don't let go!" Ratchet exclaimed. He looked below into the sea and cringed, knowing full well that death was close to him.
Despite her weak state, Yorda had tried her best to pull Ico up. She grunted as her pale face began to slightly gain color. Ico's face was full of fear as he tried to get a way for the pale princess to pull both him and Ratchet. Yorda was trying her best to pull up the three, moving closer to the edge as her grunts became louder.
Unbeknownst to Yorda however, a large dark shadow was looming over the bridge, covering it in pitch black shadow. Yorda could feel a large chill coming closer to her, knowing full well who it was. With all her strength, she tried one last time to pull up Ico, Ratchet, and Clank, but to no avail, as the black shadow soon reached her fingertips. Her feet began to get cold until they felt like they had been turned into stone.
Even below the bridge, Ico and Ratchet could feel the chill.
"W-What's that?" shivered Ratchet.
From above the bridge, the shadow soon hit Yorda's legs as she began to whimper. As it reached her waist, the chill became even cooler as Ratchet and Ico could swear they felt another person there.
And in that moment, a black veil of shadow flew right next to Yorda, with a pale face visible within it. Ratchet and Ico gasped, not only was she the same person that Ico had encountered when he and Yorda first arrived at the main gate, but she was also the same woman Ratchet had encountered in his dreams.
It was none other than the Queen.
As the shadow reached Yorda's arm, Ratchet began to shake his head heavily.
"Y-Y-Yorda! N-No! No! Don't let go!" he yelled. However, it was too late, the shadow had consumed Yorda's hand as she let go. Ratchet, Ico, and Clank had faces of terror on their faces as they screamed, falling down into the sea. Yorda had no choice but to watch her friends die. Just as the shadow was about to fully consume her, Yorda's last words were formed.
"Nono…mori…"(2)
As the girl was soon consumed by darkness from her mother, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico saw that the sea was diameters away from them. Ratchet shut his eyes tightly, knowing that in just a few seconds, his life would end.
The three hit the water, and nothing else emerged from it…
(AN 2: Translations -
(1) - A little more...
(2) - Thank you...)