Whoa! This must be like a miracle or something! Me managing to finish a chapter entirely over the course of two days alone (actually, in less than 24 hours) and updating in less than a week after the last chapter! Wow! Even I'm impressed. We'll it all kinda comes from the desire for me to finish this chapter by July 7 (which is the 1 year anniversary of when I posted the first chapter of B&S) so it'll be all nice and well rounded lol ;) Anyway, before we begin, I'd like you to take notice of the new cover I drew for B&S, one that I think looks SO much better than the old one! If you'd like a closer look, you may go here: art/Blood-and-Spirit-redraw-461296363 (if the link doesn't work, go to deviant art and just look me up under the name MiniJen, where you'll find not only the new cover but some other art for the Bound Destinies Trilogy as well!) Anyway, I'd like to thank AmyVideogamer for favoriting! Now onto the reviews!
TheJediAvenger: You go catch them feels girl! GO CATCH THEM!
GO ZeldaXLink: Why, thank you! *bows*
CupcakePride101: Yeah, I did give a little focus to Sheik in this chapter, I will admit... And Veress kinda did have a point; in a way, Link was responsible for Sheik's death, which is why he takes it so hard. But you do have to respect Sheik for her kindness, even if it is in death. And I'm glad you were reminded of Hazel and the Fault In Our Stars! That chapter had several homages to it so I'm glad they showed! But yeah, Hyrule Warriors looks incredible! Personally, I'd love to see Fi, Ghirahim, Sheik and most of all TETRA join the mix, but I'll guess we'll just have to wait... (and yeah, Link does look a little girly in Zelda wii u :P)
Pandora151: Yeah, the feels were pretty intense! And I also want more info on Zelda Wii U. I mean, we didn't even get so much as a subtitle! What's up with that? :P
RandomButLoved: Believe me, it was an emotionally tough chapter to write! :( And yeah, if Link had been corrupted, Sheik probably would have ended up living... maybe... who would really say for sure though? But heavens no, I would never have him go as far as to take his own life! I mean, even if he is upset or depressed or whatever, Link is stronger than that, but (just as a sorta spoiler for this chapter) that doesn't mean all the characters in this story are...
LooneyCat55: Yeah, it was good that Link and Sheik got to speak to one another one last time, to close the book on their friendship. Glad to see you noticed the 5 stages of grief! I hid them in there pretty well I think! :D I've never played a Dynasty Warriors game either, but I think I'm gonna like Hyrule Warriors, mostly because its Zelda and I love anything Zelda-related (with a few exceptions... (CD-i games, 80's cartoon :P) But yeah, the art style is like SS and WW combined... I'm still not really sure what to think of it... :P And YES! Season 3 of Korra is looking FANTASTIC! Older Zuko FTW! XD
Vivi-ntvg: I think its safe to say that the goddesses probably did have something to do with that, or at least Farore did, since she took a liking to Link during their meeting... ;) And I dont think Sheik could have ever stopped being awesome! lol And yeah, I seriously thought that it was some girl in the trailer and not Link, which would have made me pretty darn angry... I mean, Link is like my favorite video game character ever... so yeah... :P
Jarvis R. Yeriel: Yeah I was a little guilty, and so I did give Sheik quite a bit of attention in the last chapter, as opposed to this chapter, which barely mentions her at all actually! :P
YueMelHamachi: Sorry! Attacking the feels is kinda what I do! :O hahaha ;D
NintendoMan01: Seriously :) And yeah Hyrule Warriors looks super intense! I love it already!
Ok, well that's about it! Now let's get started!
Chapter 38: Song of Time
"Through time you've been a friend to me,
But time is now the enemy.
I wish we didn't have to say goodbye…"
-Pray for Me, Michael W. Smith
Five Months Later
The time of the Interloper War had finally passed. The scorching, bloody summer days in which the violent battles between those loyal to the goddess and those who opposed her had been waged had faded into peaceful, crisp autumn days, which in turn had started to fade into quiet, contented, brisk winter days. All of the trees that surrounded the Sealed Grounds had long been stripped of their once-green foliage, replaced by a thin coating of white snow that had recently fallen upon their branches from the first snowfall of the year. The people who had migrated from Skyloft to the surface had been bewildered and amazed at seeing snow for the first time, as they had never seen such a natural marvel before in the eternal spring-like weather they had once enjoyed in the sky, but they had already learned to adapt to the new frontier that they had decided to settle upon. As the immediacy of the Interloper War began to fade away, the former residents of Skyloft had sought to branch out from their meager camp and create an actual, sustainable society within this new land. And so, with the help of the Sheikah, they had began to build a small, if somewhat primitive village of their own in the northern parts of the land, in the wide, fertile plains between the volcano and the desert, where the weather would hopefully continue to be seasonably warm for them even through the long winter months. At most, the unnamed village only consisted of about twenty or so small dwellings, but it was growing more and more each day as more people moved from the camp near Kakariko to this new society, one that, despite its humble beginnings, they all hoped would prosper and succeed for years to come.
A chilling winter's wind blew across Faron Woods, still blanketed in a shallow layer of snow even though the sun was shining down upon the area, though it did little to warm the forest up. The few birds who had not flown to the warmer northern regions perched themselves upon the barren branches of the trees near the entrance to the main woods, in the area behind the Sealed Temple as Link, Zelda and Terminus met there to see the goddess of Termina off to her native land. For the past several months after the war, Terminus had generously offered to stay within her sister's land for a while longer and aid in the surface's healing using her restorative magic. However, now that the land had largely recovered from the scars left upon it from the Interloper War, the goddess of Termina had decided to depart and return to her own land and people, to resume watching over them once again.
"Well, it seems as though it is time for us to part ways once again…" Terminus said with a bittersweet smile. "May the golden goddesses bless you both, even more than they already have."
"Thank you so much for everything, Terminus," Zelda said with gratitude for her beloved sister, with whom she had gotten well reacquainted with over the past several months they had gotten to spend together. "I'll miss you so much… Are you sure you have to go?"
"I'm afraid I do, my dear sister," she said, taking the girls hands in hers. "My people need me, just as your people need you. But do not despair. My land and I are never too far away… And I truly hope that you both come to visit any time you desire, especially after my little niece is born…" With a warm smile, Terminus placed a gentle hand upon Zelda's round stomach, in which the baby had been growing at a steady, healthy rate, just as the goddesses promised she would.
"Oh, we certainly will!" the girl said with a cheerful laugh as she glanced down at her womb, smiling brightly just as she always did when she thought of the little life inside of it. "Won't we, Link?"
"Of course," Link nodded with a sincere smile. Terminus returned the hero's kind grin, albeit a bit repentantly, as she turned to address him.
"I feel as though I still owe you an apology, Link…" the goddess of Termina said softly as her smile faded. "I know that I am to blame for all of the pain and agony you have had to endure through Majora's cruel corruption, but know that it brings me unending joy to know that your suffering is finally over… If only my hero had been allotted the same mercy… Not a day goes by that I do not mourn over his terrible fate, but knowing that such a fate was not extended to you relieves some of my grief. To know that both of you will be able to have a peaceful future together sets my mind and heart at ease…. And with that said, I believe it is time for me to depart. Farewell to you both. May both you and your land prosper for all time."
Upon exchanging a few more fond parting words and kind embraces with the goddess of Termina, she gave one last smile to the hero and the girl as she enveloped herself in a green light and vanished, teleporting herself back to Termina once more, leaving the couple alone in the chill of the afternoon.
Just as the rest of the surface had been healing over the course of the past five months, so too had Link and Zelda been recovering, in more ways than one. Of course, they had much that they needed to recover from; while they had received no physical wounds, the emotional wounds that had been left upon their hearts still remained, though they had lessened significantly with time. After the first few weeks, the pain of Sheik's passing had finally started to fade away for both the Sheikah people, who were on the verge of choosing a new leader to replace her, and the hero, who had gradually learned to be at peace with the Sheikah leader's death, just as she had been. And yet, even after that heartache was gone, Link and Zelda both found that quite a bit of strife still existed in the aftermath of all they had been though during the war. During the first few months, scarcely would a night go by without one of them being stirred awake by a nightmare of the past, specifically what had happened during the final battle. The ironic thing was that most of the hero's nightmares were about losing the girl and most of the girl's nightmares were about losing the hero. Traumatic memories of corruption, torture, fighting, separation, and death frequented their dreams, showing that even though all of the danger they had faced was finally gone, it still remained in a place where it would never truly leave: their minds. And yet, despite their dark visions, the two of them were able to take simple solace in the fact that even after it all, they still had each other. Whenever one of them was shaken awake by dreadful dreams, the other would do everything they could to comfort them, until they could both return to sleep, safely enclosed in each other's arms. That steady stream of comfort carried itself over into the day as well, as they both soon began to open up to one another about everything that had happened to them both in the moments they had been apart. Any and all secrets that had once existed between them soon began to disappear, giving way to open honesty for the first time since this conflict had began. And as the trust between the two of them repaired itself, so too did the passion of their love. No longer did they have to live thinking that their love was doomed to die along with one of them, nor did their main concern have to be focused on keeping the other alive and safe. They were finally able to enjoy the quiet moments of being in love instead of constantly wondering when the next catastrophe would fall upon them. For the first time in forever, they were able to see what married life was truly like, without it being impaired by any form of disaster or fear. Indeed, the future looked bright for them both, especially as the days went on in their quiet way and the birth of their child came nearer and nearer.
Contrary to what they had originally thought, waiting for the baby was proving to be harder than either Link or Zelda could have expected. Often times, the two of them would idly discuss what it would be like once their child arrived in the world, wondering what it would be like to be parents. They were both were still rather young to be raising a child; after all, both of them were only about to turn eighteen. But thankfully, they had the kind support of both the Sheikahs and the Sykloftians, all of whom, upon finding out that the girl was pregnant, had not hesitated to help her and the hero in any way they could, which they both greatly appreciated. But still, the couple couldn't help but grow steadily more excited for the arrival of their infant with each passing day, and simply thinking about her gave them both hope for the future that she would now get to have thanks to the mercy of the goddesses.
A cold gale continued to blow across the area behind the Sealed Temple as Link and Zelda slowly embraced each other in order to stay warm. The girl's long blonde hair was tied up into a neat bun, as had become her practice as the baby began to grow more and more inside her and movement became more laborious for her. She wore a light blue, long winter dress with long sleeves and warm white leggings, as well as a lavender scarf she had recently knitted along with some baby clothes. The hero wore his usual green cap and tunic, though he had, like all Sykloftians knights, received a thicker winter one, which he now wore in addition to a blue scarf that his wife had made for him, embroidered with the Sykloftian bird crest and the mark of the Triforce, just as hers was. But even despite the precautions they had taken to stay warm, both of them still found that they were slightly shivering in the brisk winter air.
"We should go inside," Link said as he placed a ginger hand upon his wife's stomach, feeling the baby kick inside of it in response to his touch. "It's too cold to be out here for so long."
"Link, I'm fine…" Zelda said with a small smile, though she understood his concern. Even though the war was long since over, the hero had taken pains to be protective over her and her unborn baby, even more than he usually was. But while some would have found the attention he poured over her to be stifling, Zelda had to admit that she enjoyed it and at times, she even found it adorable and sweet to see just how much Link cared and doted over her. "I really don't mind the cold and I'm sure it's not bothering the baby."
"Are you sure?" the hero persisted, not trying to be aggravating but simply wanting to ensure the girl's wellbeing. "Because we could always fly up north to the village where it's warmer if you wanted too."
"I told you, I'm fine, dear," the girl said with a light laugh, giving her husband a brief kiss on the cheek. "You know, you're so cute when you worry about me…"
Link rolled his eyes at her good-naturedly as he laughed along with her, though he could feel the flustered heat rising to his cheeks. "So, what should we do now?" he asked, changing the subject so she wouldn't have any more cause to tease him.
Zelda didn't answer for a moment or two as her gaze found its way to the temple behind them as her mind wandered to thoughts of the Triforce, sitting in its open courtyard, completely unprotected. Her smile faded as she suddenly remembered what the goddesses had told them both months ago, the task they had been assigned, but they still hadn't completed: "You both must understand how important it is that you find a way to seal the Triforce away, out of man's reach, until its power is needed to restore light to the land once more. To prevent such a conflict as the Interloper War from happening again, we ask that, upon your return, you seal the Triforce away within our dwelling place, the Sacred Realm, where we may watch over it for a time…"
The girl had to admit that over the course of the past several months, in the midst of rebuilding a human society upon the surface and thinking ahead to the baby's arrival, she had completely forgotten about this important duty that Din, Nayru, and Farore had entrusted to her and the hero. Without a doubt, the Triforce needed to be hidden away from the hands of mortals, so that their greed could not be aroused as had happened with the Dark Interlopers. Leaving the golden relic out in the open, where anyone could have access to it, had proven to be far too dangerous, and if Veress had not been stopped when she did, she would have easily been able to obtain its awesome might. And so, Zelda knew that it was her responsibility to ensure that the Triforce would remain safe far into the future, even if that meant secreting it away into the Sacred Realm of the goddesses.
With Hylia's memories stirring inside her mind, the girl began to develop a plan, one that she hoped would work in sealing the Triforce away. "Link, come with me," she said with a serious tone, one that told the hero that she was thinking about something relating to the safety of the surface. The two of them headed inside the temple, which, despite its stone walls, was still significantly warmer than it was outside. However, they were only inside of the temple for a moment before reemerging through its front doors, out into the courtyard, where the golden glow of the Triforce radiated onto the white snow underneath it. Zelda and Link stopped and few feet away from it, both of them remembering how hard they had fought and how much they had both lost to keep it safe from falling into the wrong hands.
"I think it's finally time for us to seal the Triforce away into the Sacred Realm," the girl said to the hero as she pulled both the Goddess's Harp and the Ocarina of Time out of her bag. "And I think I know a way we can do it…" Before she went on, she handed the ocarina to the hero, who continued to listen intently, willing to help her in any way he could. "I figured that since the harp and the ocarina can be used to place a seal upon the Triforce, they could also be used to seal it away. It's worth a try, don't you think?"
Link nodded, poising the ocarina to play. "The Ballad of the Goddess?" he asked, referring to the song they were supposed to perform.
"Yes," Zelda nodded as she began to strum the tune upon her harp. As soon as the hero began playing the song on the ocarina, the girl started singing the age-old melody along with the instruments, her voice lovely and clear. "Oh, youth… guided by the servant of the goddess… unite earth and sky… and bring light to the land…"
As the duet ended in a harmonious crescendo, the two of them looked to the Triforce once more, only to find that nothing about it had changed. Zelda frowned as she placed the harp aside for a moment and examined the golden relic, wondering what the goddesses wanted her to do. However, before she could come up with a solution, Link offered up one instead.
"Maybe we need to play a different song," he said thoughtfully after a moment of pondering the situation as well.
The girl was about to question his theory, before she realized that there was some clout to it. After all, the Ballad of the Goddess had been the song she had used to temporarily place a seal upon the Triforce in the past; perhaps a different song was needed to seal it away permanently. "Maybe you're right…" she mused as she closed her eyes for a moment and uttered a silent prayer to the goddesses, so that they would aid her in this important task by accepting the new song she would present to them.
After humming a few experimental tunes to herself, Zelda finally settled on one that sounded appropriate. After giving a nod to Link that instructed him to follow along on the ocarina, she began to strum her new melody, a song that was slow and steady, cryptic and mysterious, and almost hymnal in its echoing tune. The two of them played a few rounds the short song before both the Ocarina of Time and the Goddess's Harp began to take on a golden glow, just as the Triforce did.
After playing one more verse of the song, the girl and the hero lowered their instruments and watched as a blinding light surrounded the golden relic, covering the entire courtyard in its radiance as three unseen, yet familiar voices began to speak to them in complete unison. "Sister Hylia… Chosen hero… We are pleased to see that you have followed our instructions… We accept this sacred melody, this Song of Time, to serve as one of the keys that will seal our golden relic away within the Sacred Realm. The Triforce will be kept safe here, sealed by time itself, and only one of these two holy instruments will be able to break this seal. As the centuries go by, the legend of the Triforce and its power will be lost to mortals, but its strength shall never waver. And if the might of the golden relic is ever needed once more, we shall place a lone passageway to our dwelling place within the Sealed Temple, which will now be known as the Temple of Time. This passageway must be locked behind the great stone Door of Time, with the blade of evil's bane serving as its final key, to ensure that no wicked hearts may enter it. And for this great service you have done to us, we shall reward you and this land with peace for years to come…"
As the voices of the golden goddesses faded away, so too, did the Triforce itself, taken by Din, Nayru and Farore into their Sacred Realm, to be protected and watched over for generations. Yet even though the golden relic had left the world of mortals, Link and Zelda couldn't help smiling at one another in relief, both of them knowing that it would not be placed in danger for as long as the seal of time remained.
However, the couple only had a moment to revel in this fact, as the hilt of the Master Sword strapped to the hero's back briefly glowed for a moment, before the sword spirit emerged in her usual fashion. "Master Link," Fi said somewhat hesitantly, bowing respectfully before the hero as she always did. "I… I must speak with you…"
Link frowned, immediately realizing how familiar her words were and wishing that this moment didn't have to come. "Fi-" he started to say, but the sword spirit quickly cut him off.
"Master, please," she said with a hint of something heavy in her tone as she turned away from him. "Come with me…"
The hero and the girl exchanged a brief glance before the both relented and followed Fi inside the temple, towards the heavy stone back door, which the goddesses had called the Door of Time. The sword spirit came to a stop before the pedestal in front of the door, giving Link an expectant look as he stopped short several feet away, remembering the last time this had happened months ago and how painful their last parting had been. But now, it would only be even more painful considering the fact that Fi had emotions now, and had seemed infinitely more human upon this second quest than she had during their first one together. But still, the hero said nothing as he solemnly approached the pedestal, already dreading their parting words.
"Master Link…" Fi began, her words slow and steady, though sad all the same. "Indeed, we have been through much together… But as you likely already know, our time together is at an end. The surface is at peace and my purpose here is once again complete. Once more, we must dissolve our arrangement as master and servant. I must return to the Master Sword and return to my age-long slumber… Our companionship has concluded… and this time, our parting will be permanent…"
"You… you mean I won't see you again?" Link asked with a sad frown, hating that he had to part ways with his faithful companion once more.
"I would not say that with such certainty…" the sword spirit said reassuringly, a ghost of a smile upon her lips. "While we may not meet again in this lifetime, I can conclude with 100% certainty that we shall cross paths again in another life. The Master Sword and the Spirit of the Hero are bound to each other throughout time and they always will be. It is the will of the golden goddesses that whenever evil besets this land, the blade of evil's bane will be drawn and used by each hero of this land to drive it back and restore the light of peace to the world. And in each age, when I am drawn by another bearing the Spirit of the Hero, I shall receive life in a new era each time… And in this way, we shall meet again, even if it will never be in quite the same way as this…" Fi let out a sigh as she looked down, remorse and regret in her tone. It was clear to see that, unlike the last time she had sealed herself away, she was much more hesitant about doing it this time, something that bothered the hero immensely.
"Are you sure you have to go?" Link asked, hoping that he could somehow convince her to stay. "I'm sure the goddesses would understand if you-"
"Master…" Fi interrupted him with a small smile of kind understanding. "I know that you will miss me when I return to the sword… and… I will miss you as well… But I am afraid that I must go. It has been decreed by the goddesses that the Master Sword be used to seal the Door of Time, and it is my humble duty to honor that decree… I… I am sorry…"
The hero simply nodded in submission, knowing that there was little else he could do to get the sword spirit to remain with him. Fi could sense his despondency over her departure, and so, she gave him a small smile with the hopes of cheering him up. "Master…" she began. "Do you remember when I reawakened to serve you once more? How I did not know why I had received the ability to understand and convey human emotions? Well, I am pleased to say that I believe I have finally reached a suitable conclusion as to the reason why. When I was first created by the goddess, she gave me one task and one task alone: to serve her chosen hero without question. And, so I could fulfill my purpose to the fullest, I was created without the ability to experience emotions. It was only as we parted ways upon the completion of our first mission together that I felt the sensation of happiness for the first time, and I relished it more than I even thought I could. And, when I reawakened, I believe that a part of my consciousness that I never knew I had awakened as well, allowing me to feel the full range of human emotions, and I have you to thank for that, Master. If we had never worked together, then I may have never gotten to experience such things as joy, or contentment, or even anger and grief. I have learned so much from serving under you, Master, and I cannot thank you enough for all of it. I must say that, even despite all of the hardships we have faced, I believe that our time together has been beyond precious to me. Even years from now, when I am awakened in another time, by another hero, I will not forget the experiences we have shared. I will always cherish them, for as long as time endures…"
"No, Fi," the hero said with a small, somewhat sad smile. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I honestly don't know how I would have gotten by without you. You were the best servant… no; you were the best friend I could have ever asked for."
The sword spirit smiled warmly upon hearing this, inclining her head in respect to her master one last time. "Thank you, Master…" she said softly, yet contentedly. "I must now enter into the sleep that calls me to the sword and so the time has arrived for you to drive the Master Sword into the Pedestal of Time before you, sealing the doors to the Sacred Realm for a time…"
Fi said nothing more as she bowed low before Link one final time, waiting for him to lay the blade of evil's bane to rest once more. For a long moment, the hero frowned at the sword spirit, wishing that there was any other way but this, but ultimately knowing that this had to be done. And so, after giving the sword spirit, who had always been so loyal and supportive to him, one final glance, Link drew the Master Sword in one swift movement and, after raising it high into the air, he thrust it down straight into the pedestal as Fi glided into it into a flourish of light, entering into her long slumber once more. Once the sword was secured within the pedestal, the Door of Time began to rumble shut all on its own, sealing the back part of the temple off so that none could enter into the passageway to the Sacred Realm. And then, once the door had closed completely, it was over. The newly-deemed Temple of Time lay silent and stately just as it always did, ready to wait at rest until another era.
However, as the hero turned to return to the girl, who had been waiting for him at the bottom of the steps to the platform, the Master Sword enveloped itself in a soft light one last time, as the sword spirit relayed once final, soft message to her first master. "Farewell, Master Link…" Fi said as the hero turned and gave the unseen sword spirit one final smile. "We will meet again in another life…"
The early afternoon air was still cold yet clear as the hero and the girl stepped outside of the temple into the courtyard, which now seemed quite unspectacular with the Triforce no longer resting in the center of it. Large pieces of the Statue of the Goddess were still strewn over the stone ground, still not repaired from Veress destroying it months ago. There had been talk among the Sheikah that there were plans to rebuild it, but as Zelda looked out upon the courtyard now, she realized that perhaps it was something that the surface didn't really need anymore. As Hylia had told her in their last meeting: "From the ashes of this dying age, a new world will emerge, and it will be one birthed by your generation. I represent an age long past, but you, Zelda… You represent a bright future…" Indeed, the age of Hylia was now at an end, even if the girl was still her mortal reincarnation and always would be. But as Zelda had always believed, she was still her own person, and now more than ever, perhaps it was time to embrace that fact. So much had changed over the past several months that nothing could really ever hope to be the same again. The era of antiquity, in which the goddess had waged war against the demon king, had come to a close, opening the book for a new era to begin, its pages blank, yet hopeful.
As the couple stood looking out across the courtyard, Link couldn't help but feel somewhat lonely in the aftermath of Fi's departure, knowing that she was the second close friend to have left him in the last few months, including Sheik. It seemed as though the hero and the girl were in the very same position they had been several months ago: just the two of them, depending on one another and no one else, but enjoying every minute of the quiet solitude that they could spend in each other's company. And even if they were no longer alone on the surface, it certainly did feel like it now as the thick silence of the wintery world around them filled the air.
"Well, I guess it's just the two of us now, isn't it?" Link said as he turned to Zelda, trying to replace his disappointment with solace over the fact that now they could simply enjoy being together from every moment after this one.
"Yeah, I guess so…" Zelda said with a small smile as she placed one hand on her womb and took her hero's hand with the other one. "At least for a few more months anyway…"
They both laughed blissfully as they thoughtlessly embraced, pulling in close to each other with warm smiles as they gazed into each other's eyes, simply reveling in their love. And, as their lips tenderly met, they thought of all that they had overcome to get to this moment, all of the pain, the struggles and the heart ache, and, all of the joy and peace that awaited them in the future, which was, for once, finally in their reach.
Sometime later…
A dull, unchanging darkness, flecked with pieces of light, was what filled the skies of the realm that served as the prison to those who had rebelled against the goddess Hylia. The world that they were forever trapped in was one far different from the glorious lands of the surface, over which the brilliant sun shined bright in the day and the glowing moon dominated the starry night skies. Within this realm, the inhabitants of it knew neither night nor day, but rather the same constant thing: twilight. Every second of every day was encompassed in the glow of an unending dusk, which a few of the former Interlopers had taken to in the few months that they had been imprisoned within what they called the Twilight Realm.
However, there were still many who reviled the dark prison that they had been forced into, those who craved to return to the world of light and live in their native land once again. And even fewer among them desired to conquer the land that they had been banished from, their former leader being perhaps the biggest proponent for this. But Veress no longer had the undying support of her followers anymore, as most of them placed the blame for their imprisonment upon her. But the former Interloper leader, in the depths of her insanity, had ignored their angry outcries against her and had chosen to take to living in solitude instead within the darkened realm, hating every moment of her imprisonment and wishing every day that she could return to the surface and make the hero and the goddess pay for putting her here.
As she looked out across the Twilight Realm and its skies, flittering between light and shadow, Veress once again cursed those who had defeated her and her powerful Fused Shadow, just as she constantly did. Bereft of her power, the Interloper leader had found that there was really nothing left in her life worth living for. The Fused Shadow was no more, her followers had turned against her, she was forced to live the rest of her days in this accursed prison and worst of all, what still filled her heart with grief and guilt every time she thought about it: she had killed the only friend she had left with her own two hands. The only thing that she really had left to look forward to was the destruction of the descendants of the goddess and the hero, but she knew that her curse would not come into effect until centuries from now, long after she was dead and gone.
But as she thought of this, a sudden idea came to the faltering mind of the Interloper leader, who slowly turned to face her knife, hanging from the wall behind her. She knew that aimlessly waiting for death had become a useless, hallow pastime, one that was no longer benefiting her. So long as she lived, her curse would not come to pass; and really, she saw no point in prolonging her own existence, for it would only postpone what she desired the most: the eternal end of the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero. And, in the depths of her ever-increasing insanity, Veress could only think of one solution to this dilemma.
With a crazed, dark grin, the Interloper leader took her knife and ran a finger down its sharp edge, her unmatching red eyes filled with a lust for blood, this time, her own. She did not hesitate in raising her blade up high into the air, and, as she stared at it for a long moment, she simply began to laugh in deranged triumph, knowing that not only was she about to escape the pain of this life, but she was ultimately furthering the vengeance that her descendants would bring about.
"The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!" the Interloper leader shouted wildly as she threw her blade down, digging it deep into her own chest. Her wicked laughter continued to come out in shuddering breaths as she collapsed to the ground and blood began to pool around her, until her voice faded away completely and death took its cold grip upon her, just as she had desired.
In the aftermath of Veress's self-invoked death, the room grew eerily quiet, until one lone sound rose into the echoing chamber: the nearby sound of an abandoned, orphaned infant crying.
Well... That was dark! Sorry guys! I promise that THIS is the last depressing thing in this story! I mean it! Its all bliss and contentment from here on out! But anyway, aside from the dark latter half of this chapter, I thought the bulk of it wasn't that bad, what with all the romance, lore and most of all FLUFF! I haven't written fluff in forever! hahahah... ;) But all the same, its kinda sad to believe that we really only have 2 chapters left... But don't worry, the next two chapters are going to be about as happy and cutesy and love-dovy and whatever as it can get (but I promise that they're not TOO unbearable with it!) ahahaha After all, we want a happy ending, don't we? And so...
Chapter 39: A New Era
Epilogue: Blood and Spirit
Afterword
And so, once more, I extend the call for ya'll (ya'll?) to ask any and all questions you may have about B&S, as well as the rest of the trilogy and I promise to answer them for you! And with that said, don't forget to REVIEW! (I mean it, I am less than 10 reviews away from 300 reivews and whoever is that lucky 300th reviewer gets a free virtual cookie! ahahah ;D Until next time!