Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make excellent games for the rest of his days.) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Syrilla and Okam (sorta).
Chapter 25
"I can still beat him..." Cleo told herself, but her confidence was dwindling. "I-I'm sure I can."
Finn, still watching, started toward the path leading to the Altar of Dawn, but Midna grabbed his shoulder. "We can't enter this battle, Finn. It would only endanger Cleo more."
"I can't just stand around and do nothing! She could-could..."
"I know you're scared... I am too. But we can't lose faith yet. Cleo still has a chance... ...even though this realm... may not..." Midna was looking very ill and weak. The princess collapsed, her body's complexion slowly turning negative and Finn knew why. The loss of the Essences of Light might mean the end of the Twilight Realm. She and all her people were getting weaker and weaker while Aku was getting stronger.
"No NO!" Finn knelt and tried to lift her up. "Somebody, please! Please God, Oni, Ra, anybody, I DON'T CARE WHO! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!" As he held on to Midna, the back of Finn's hand was beginning to glow.
Aku was towering over Cleo and Jack. "NOW YOU SEE THE FUTILITY OF YOUR EFFORTS? YOU NEVER STOOD A CHANCE! I, AKU, AM NOW MORE POWERFUL THAN EVER BEFORE!"
"I don't care how strong you are!" Cleo shouted in refutation. "I'm not backing down from you! I'm not scared of you!" Summoning up her courage, she went back on the offensive, but Aku had already disappeared before she could land a hit. She looked around and was able to catch him out of the corner of her vision before receiving a wallop, and another and another and another. The last one sent her tumbling across the ground. She got up and saw Aku's eyes light up and she lifted her sword in front of her just in time to block the lasers. But the force of the blast pushed her back further until she was at the very edge of the roof. Mere inches from falling off, Cleo planted her feet firmly on the ground while the lasers continued to burn the Skribal Sword, overheating it. The sword vibrated violently and then what happened next was truly disastrous.
Cleo's mind was tumbling as wildly as her body after a small explosion erupted right in front of her. All she could think of was that she was falling and she needed to grab the edge, there was literally no room in her head for anything else. This fast-acting instinct saved her, but it didn't save the one thing that made the difference between victory and defeat. The explosion caused a rune to pop off the sword and, as she clung onto the edge, she caught a glimpse of the very thing she needed to win this fight, as the Rune of Oni dropped past her and down into the endless sky.
She climbed back onto the rooftop and looked at her sword. It had reverted back into its original shape. Aku suddenly sprung up in front of her and she reacted in panic, landing a blow to his side. But there was no damage, the blade simply went through him like thick black slime. She tried again and again to no avail and Aku laughed. "I FIGURED THAT NEW POWER CAME FROM A RUNE, AND NOW THAT IT IS GONE, YOU ARE POWERLESS!" Cleo stood there, feeling numb. He was about to strike her when Jack suddenly zipped up to his face. "THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU GET IN MY WAY!" Aku zapped him and the lost spirit fell to the ground.
"NOOO!" Cleo shrieked. She flew to her partner and picked him up. He was flickering. "Jack..." Cleo's voice was breaking. "Jack I'm... I'm sorry..."
"...I... I know... It is... alright... you did your best..." But that, to Cleo, wasn't enough. Jack had traveled so far, fought so hard to go back in time, save his homeland, and destroy Aku so the demon would not exist here today. When he didn't succeed, Cleo had to take over the task of slaying the monster even though she wasn't fully aware of it at first. But now, both their journeys were over, both of them had failed, and the Twilight Realm was falling apart. Cleo began to cry.
Aku grabbed her and lifted her up in his clawed hands. He started squeezing the life out of her and she screamed, tears still streaming. "LOOK AT ME! I WANT TO SEE THE FEAR IN YOUR EYES AS YOU DIE!" She continued screaming as the hard pressure constricted her body. Then there was a loud blast and the pressure suddenly eased, dropping her to the ground. "WHAT?!" Cleo got up and spotted someone also on the ground, but still moving, and her eyes widened in astonishment.
"Leave... the lass... alone!" Scervo was still holding up his arm, smoke billowing out of a hole where the hook had been. He must've shot at Aku and caused him to drop her, even though it hadn't hurt him. Cleo had no idea Scervo could do that.
Despite the pain, she was able to crawl over to him. "Scervo... you're alive!"
"Not for long... this be me last power backup..." He grabbed her hand. "...Lass... don't stop... keep fighting... The Cleo I know... would... never give up... no matter... how impossible... the odds are..." Cleo could hear the hum of his power dying. "Don't let Aku win... give him... hell... for us... all... ... ..." Scervo's power core had finally shut down and his optics dimmed.
"Scervo..." Fresh new tears leaked out as she felt the love and respect she had gained from him and the love and respect she felt toward him in turn. "Thank you..." Her tears started to shimmer.
One of the essences, the Sprite Cloud, started to spark. "Cleo, look!" Jack spoke up. Cleo saw it and couldn't believe her eyes. "Is that...?" The Sprite Cloud was regaining color and the sparks within were coming back to life. "What... what does this mean?" Jack asked.
Cleo stared at the sparks, which reminded her of the spark of friendship she had just felt and the answer hit her. "It's the bond!" she gasped out.
"SORRY TO CUT SHORT THIS FUNERAL! YOU WILL NOT MISS HIM FOR LONG, BECAUSE YOU WILL BE JOINING HIM!" Aku was about to blast her with another laser, but then Finn and Midna appeared, surrounding them all in Nayru's Love and blocking the attack. Aku snarled in rage.
Finn's hand was still glowing as he held onto the weakened Midna. "I don't how long this shield will hold!" Finn said. "We're gonna need a plan, quickly!"
"Mid? What happened to you?" Cleo asked, staring at her friend in worry, her face still wet with tears.
"Finn's... ...keeping me from becoming a lost spirit... with the Triforce of Wisdom," she answered between heavy breaths.
"Cleo, if your guess is true, there may be a way to revive the Essences of Light," said Jack. "Remember the bond we felt between us right before the Skribal Sword returned to you from Scervo's hand? The sword must have felt it too, that was why it accepted you. It was your strong regard for all people, no matter how different."
"Hey guys!? Flamebrow's breaking in!" There had been loud clashes of energy as Aku was attacking the magic shield, cracks slowly forming. "So how is this going to help? How do we make this work for us?"
"I think Cleo and Jack need to forge a strong connection... with all the people of the Twilight Realm..." Midna guessed. "Knowing your sister... she most likely made friends along the way... Isn't that right Jack?"
"Indeed she did. She and I have so much in common. She has followed the same path as me, helping those in need and making the connections that make us both strong."
"Midna, you managed to talk to me telepathically while you were a prisoner," Finn said. "I know you're feeling weak, but can you get in touch with everyone in this realm? Can you help Cleo?"
"I'm not sure... everyone's become lost... I was almost lost myself without you, but I don't know if I can contact anyone..."
"I am a lost spirit still," Jack added. "Maybe I can. Cleo, if you would share your nature with me and Finn and Midna, we may be able to reach out to all those we have met."
The cracks were now on the brink of shattering.
"How do we know it'll work?" Cleo asked.
"Only you know the answer to that." At Jack's words, Finn held Cleo's hand and gave her an encouraging smile. Still holding onto Finn, Midna reached out to hold Cleo's other hand and nodded.
"...It will work... 'cause I have all of you with me." The three of them were locked hand in hand with Jack in the middle. "I don't need a weapon to be great, all I need is a friend." And Cleo felt true happiness fill her grieving heart and mind.
"WHATEVER YOU ARE UP TO, YOU WILL BE DEAD BEFORE YOU CAN GAIN ANY HELP!" Aku boomed as he finally broke through the barrier. But what he saw inside made him hesitate. "WHA-WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
A bright light had ignited, coming from underneath Cleo. A glowing circle in the shape of a flower appeared, petal by petal. The tears still falling were starting to shimmer again, floating up like bubbles. A diamond-shaped light appeared on her forehead and when she opened her eyes, they were also filled with pure light. The tears soared up into the air and traveled over the Twilight Realm, then rained down upon the lost inhabitants.
In Midnight Hollow, the chief was once again feeling as though all hope was gone. But then he looked up and saw rain falling through the trees. The Drabokos were gathering around in wonder. "This rain... this is no ordinary rain... ...Could it be?..." His face fell. "Cleo, I don't know if you can hear me... but we still haven't fully made it up to you for what we had done. I wish to settle our debt, let us make amends to you..."
Flowebb was gloomily cleaning up, after closing the bar, when curiosity toward the rain pulled him outside. He stared at the rain in awe. "Cleo... Thanks for helping me and my business. I want to return the favor."
Meteroi and the other Mortrams were hiding in a cave when the rain brought them all out. "Cleo, you're trying to save us again aren't you... I can feel it in my gut. Don't give up! We need to cheer for her fellas!" The Mortrams began chanting her name.
Defross and Glacia were huddled together, watching the rain with the Snyorgans. "It's Cleo, I know it is," said Glacia. "She fighting out there for us."
"We're both with you Cleo," said Defross.
Squurall was doing some repair work on one of his windmills when the rain gave him a moment of pause. "Cleo, I don't know where you are, but I'm here for you if you need me again."
All of the Twilis in the village were bunched together, reaching out to the tears of light, cheering with the elder woman in the center. "I always knew you would be the one to save our realm... Both you and Jack. Don't let this evil take over... free us all..."
All their voices carried to the Altar of Dawn and one by one the essences were revived. Only the Moon Pearl remained and the last of her tears flowed into Finn, Midna, and Jack, reviving the last essence.