-Yorda-
By Julie Danskin
Chapter 5 - Mariya -
"What?" Ico asked, confused, "What did you say, Yorda? What does Keoden mean? You know I don't understand your language!" Yorda shook her head vigorously. "That's it, that's what was missing. That's what she wanted me to remember! I have to sleep, Ico! I have to sleep!" she cried, flailing her arms around her head randomly, again causing her young friend to look upon her with concern. "Yorda, I can't help you unless you tell me!" Ico screamed at her, and she stopped abruptly, staring at him stilly, like a statue. Her violet eyes clouded over again, and Ico gasped. "YORDA! Yorda what's wrong? YORDA COME BACK!" he grabbed her arm and shook it like a stick. She cocked her head at him, a far-away gaze returning into her irises. They were clouding again, and Ico was watching his friend being sucked back into the mental prison she had been held in before. He couldn't let that happen, so he did the only thing he could think of to do.
He hit her.
He slapped her across the face, of course regretting it immediately afterwards. Yorda's head snapped back and she rearranged her head looking in front of her again subsequently. The strange gaze remained in her eyes, and she blinked. As she did so, the curtains affecting her vision, mind control and strength seemed to lift. She shook her head, and looked up at Ico. She put a hand to her face, astonished. "I-I'm sorry, Yorda," he told her, "I didn't know what else to-to do!" Yorda looked at him, then at the ground, and held her hand out in front of her. She looked at herself again, and flung her arms around his neck desperately. Ico smiled to himself, and patted her on the back comfortingly.
Once Yorda and Ico had calmed down, they rekindled the fire and sat around it together, staring into it, watching it lick up the atmosphere greedily. "So what's Keoden?" Ico ventured, feeling she may be ready. Yorda continued looking into the fire, but answered. "Keoden is a name, Ico," she replied, "Just like Ico or Yorda." "I know what a name is!" Ico laughed, "Okay, so who's Keoden, was that your mother's name?" "No. It was my.brother's name." Yorda replied. "I didn't know you had a brother!" Ico exclaimed. "Neither did I.till a couple of hours ago." Yorda said dreamily. Ico looked at her, puzzled. She continued. "I couldn't remember everything that happened in the past. These dreams I have, they uncover what has been." "What happened in the dream?" "I was probably about ten or eleven.a figure appeared at the bottom of the cage. He climbed the tower up to where there was the gap.and he spoke to me, told me he was my brother, that he was angry with me because I was born first and was Mother's heir. I didn't know she was planning to possess me at that time, I don't think he did either. He told me that something else went on in the castle and that he would show me the next night." Yorda looked up at her friend, glad she had confided in him. "So what happened?" "You woke me up." "Oh. Right."
Inevitability scorned the youngsters, and the sun set and the stars rose magnificently, trying to look special compared to the moon. Some formed different shapes with each other, others tried to shine brighter than the others. It was a competition, Yorda thought, as she lay on the sand, waiting for sleep to engulf her, another thing she couldn't avoid, just like she was going to see the horned children for the first time. She closed her eyes, and waited. It seemed an age before she fell asleep, and was glad she could cling onto the sleeping Ico's hand if she got scared, and he would wake her if she screamed.
"Yorda." "Is that you, Keoden?" "Yes." "Hello." "Hello. Have a nice day, sister?" "No. I get frightened a lot. The Shadows hurt me." "Not as much as Mummy hurts the children." "What?" "You heard me." "I don't understand." "Wait."
The cage was lowered, and a key opened the door. There was still quite a drop to the ground.
"Jump. I will catch you." "Promise?" "Yes."
Yorda had jumped, and her younger yet stronger and emotionally determined sibling had kept his word, and caught the light girl in the wispy dress effortlessly.
"Come with me." "Will I be frightened?" "Probably." "I don't know if I want to, then." "You will be frightened in your cage, anyway." "Yes." "Come on, then." "Alright."
For the first time in two years, the young Yorda had walked on the stone floor of the tower nervously. Her brother, who was slightly smaller than her, perhaps only an inch, held out his hand to her. She took it, and had followed him through a locked door, which led into a small room with boxes and pots, and a single chain. She looked behind her, and saw that up the chain were several broken windows, and she saw her tower beyond them. They had not been able to reach them from the foot of the tower.
"Come on," her brother hissed impatiently.
She followed.
They walked through a door with, and entered a huge chamber Yorda had never been in before, and she had explored most of the parts of the castle. How could she have missed this colossal room? It was full of strange pod-like crypts, all with strange markings on them. Some were lit up.
"The lit up ones are vacant," sneered his voice. "Oh."
Suddenly, a flash from one of those strange doors Yorda could open by standing in front of them and serving her energy into them burst into the room. Her brother grabbed her thin arm desperately, and pulled her over to a hiding place in the shadows of the room.
"If we are caught we will be punished." He warned her. "So keep quiet." Yorda nodded.
She saw her mother's guards enter the room, with a girl in the middle of them. There were about four guards, and one wielded a strange sword with a chain on the end. Yorda wanted to see it, but her brother had told her to stay quiet, so she obeyed. The party moved to a lit-up pod, and it opened with a hiss. The girl, who had horns, began to scream uncontrollably. Her green dress was torn and dirty, Yorda could see from where she was. She was crying, pleading in a language she loosely knew. She could only pick out certain words.
"Please...no.mercy.please.mummy."
She appeared to be very upset, and this made Yorda upset. She hated seeing people ill or hurt or sad, even though she was most of the time. Disobeying Keoden, and not quite being able to control herself, the Princess tore herself out of her brother's grasp, and he hissed to her angrily.
Her bare feet were quiet so the guards didn't notice her. She had reached the pod, which was quite high up. By this time, the girl had one hand secured in a strange wooden block inside the crypt. Why were they going to shut her in it, though? She turned back and saw Keoden creeping up to grab Yorda before she was noticed. She crouched down, and crawled past the guards, who had paused for a while, the girls had bitten one of their fingers and were wondering if they were now cursed. Why would they be cursed? It was only a bite by a small girl, not much older than Yorda. She was probably twelve. "What is your name?" whispered Yorda to the girl in the language the girl spoke, while the guards were looking away. "Mariya." she sobbed. "I'll free you, Mariya, don't be frightened." "YORDA!" hissed Keoden from behind her, and felt a grab at her wrist. "Yorda, it's a mercy we haven't been caught now, come on." "No. I have to help the girl." "Yorda!" "Help me or leave me!" Keoden did neither, he stood like a statue. Thankfully, the guards were nursing their friend's finger. "Am I going to die?" the girl sobbed, "They told me I was going to die! It's not my fault I have horns! I want my mummy!"
Pity flooded the young Princess, and she herself clambered into the crypt stealthily, and silently released the girl's wrist from the wooden block with her strange abilities. There was a small zap and a clunk, which made a guard flinch, and the three children held their breath. The guards relaxed, sure it was just the girl making a noise, that one hand was secure and she wouldn't be able to escape. The girl, when they were sure that danger had been averted, smiled brightly at Yorda, but the young girl just looked at her solemnly, and pulled her out of the crypt. They climbed down a ladder to get onto the bottom floor, and Yorda grasped her hand tightly.
The girl was taller than Yorda, although Yorda was a couple of years younger. Keoden looked very small and frightened compared to Mariya, but he seemed superior somehow when he spoke to his little sister in the cage. Possibly because he was free and she wasn't.
Keoden caught up with them. "The guards, they're bandaging their friend's finger, we don't have much time!" He hissed, and glanced around. The guards were shifting from their posts and were moving back towards the crypt. "Run!" whispered Yorda, and dragged the petrified little girl back into the room with the boxes, the pots and the chain. They scrambled up onto a platform, and heard a disgruntled cry from behind them.
"They'll find us!" hissed Keoden, and jumped onto the chain, reaching a hand down for Yorda, "Leave the girl, her fate is secured!" They were talking in their native tongue, so not to frighten Mariya. "No!" replied Yorda, and took his hand, but reached down her free one for Mariya.
The girl looked up at her blankly, nearly frozen with fear. "Come on!" Yorda cried, "Jarris ia gorres!" Snapping out of her trance, Mariya reached up and grabbed her hand. Yorda's limited strength wouldn't have gotten the two up in time, no matter how hard she tried, but with Keoden's help they flung themselves onto the ledge. The three children climbed up onto the windowsill, the guards now at the door. They ran through the window and jumped down into the tower.
Yorda and Mariya collapsed with exhaustion, Mariya choking with fear, and Yorda's inability stalling her. Keoden hoisted them up impatiently, and they heard links of the chain being interrupted in the next room. "Hurry!" Keoden urged, dragging them to where the cage dangled slightly above them. He first lifted Yorda, and she, abandoning reluctance in returning to her prison, selflessly reached down for Mariya. Keoden was already running up the huge staircase to pull the lever that would raise the cage again. Mariya jumped for it, and caught Yorda's hand. The weak Princess arrogantly ignored her incapability and hauled her up into the cage with her.
It took some time, but Keoden was fast. Yorda was pulling with all her might, and a few more seconds and the girl would be safe in Yorda's cage. Suddenly, there was a yanking sound as the chain groaned into action, and began to lift.
Mariya, still hanging slightly from the cage, gave a little scream as she fell again, but Yorda caught hold of her forearm in the nick of time.
"Hold.on." panted Yorda, hoisting her up.
The cage was rising fast now, if Yorda dropped her, Mariya would fall to her death. She looked down briefly, and saw the three guards yelling at them, watching helplessly at the rising prison. Yorda smiled triumphantly to herself, which gave her a boost of strength, and Mariya was in the cage with her. Not bothering to close the door, which locked itself when closed, Yorda sat her new friend down and the exhausted prisoner looked up at her young rescuer.
"Where's the other?" Mariya panted. Yorda raised an eyebrow. "Other what?" Yorda asked, attempting to catch her breath. "Guard! There were four! There's only three down there."
Yorda looked down, and right enough, three guards stood, waving their arms angrily. Not four. Yorda cursed, but there must be a reasonable explanation. Maybe the fourth went to alert the Queen that a prisoner had escaped. But Mariya was safe in the cage.
Yorda turned and smiled at Mariya, then moved to close the door, eyes closed as it was heavy. Unusually heavy. Yorda opened her eyes, and gasped with terror. A dark arm caught her full in the stomach, and she sprawled against the opposite side of the cage, and doubled up with pain.
"Mariya, get back!" screamed Yorda, and Mariya scrambled, clinging to Yorda's arm, a desperate pleading look in her young eyes.
Yorda looked at her helplessly.
The Shadow Demon entered the cage mockingly, stared at Yorda and hissed in the Princess' language tauntingly, "Nice try, Your Majesty," and wrapped its wispy arm around Mariya's waist.
Mariya yelped, and Yorda, who was in pain, stared helplessly at her friend.
"NO! PLEASE! STOP!" Mariya screamed, struggling against the monster's grasp. Yorda, strength suddenly flooding her, as if she had been given strength by another worldly being which controlled options and abilities, stood up.
She dived across the cage, and grasped the girl's hand, which was clinging onto a bar of the cage, the demon now outside with her, but she had managed to attain a grip. It wouldn't last long.
Yorda flung herself even more forward, and pulled with all her might. She knew she was no match for her mother's servant, but what else could she do but try? Yorda had never been the type to give up.
"Hold on!" Yorda hissed to her companion, and hauled. She saw Keoden's face looking through a broken window at the top the tower, desperate to help, scared to try. He could fling himself from where he was onto the spirit's torso, and drag it down to the bottom. But that would end the young Prince's life. He wasn't prepared to do that as a child.
Tears were streaming down both Mariya's and Yorda's cheeks as the situation became more and more hopeless. Yet Yorda continued to pull. Suddenly, at the same time her hope failed, so did her strength.
She felt her arms becoming weak and heavy, her priorities forgotten. The demon had a flicker of pleasure in its eyes, and Yorda knew then that it had won. As a defiant gesture of refusal, she pulled Mariya another inch upwards, but the monster was also strengthened by Yorda's fear. It yanked Mariya mercilessly from the Princess' grasp forever. If she lunged forward again, she would fall.
Shock filled Yorda and Mariya, both not quite sure if what they had been fighting for the past hour was real, if it was over.
Reality struck them, and Yorda screamed a helpless "Chienyae!"
Mariya looked into her eyes, and smiled.
"Thank you." She whispered, and allowed herself to be dragged down.
Yorda watched numbly until the silently crying Mariya was out of sight and away to meet her fate. Her destiny. What was Yorda's to be? Would she eventually be put in a pod-crypt, when she was the same age as the friend she had failed?
Yorda slumped backwards, slinging shut the door for the last time, and leant against the bars, watching the sun rise through a window. A single tear ran down her cheek, and she listened to Mariya's final scream in the fresh air. How long would it take her to die? Why was her mother doing this to children? Mariya said it wasn't her fault she had horns, so why punish her?
Not caring to wonder, Princess Yorda of the Light and the Shadow gave up for the first time.
It lasted six years.
Yorda woke up, shuddering. "Mariya." she sobbed, and curled up into a ball next to Ico, the sky still dark, and, shaking, listened to her breathing. In, out, in, out. How long would it last? Where was Mariya? Had Ico destroyed her spirit for Yorda's sake? Where was Keoden? What had happened to him? Had she seen him again after that episode? Why were there so many unanswered questions?
The next night she dreamed had much to tell.
Chapter 5 - Mariya -
"What?" Ico asked, confused, "What did you say, Yorda? What does Keoden mean? You know I don't understand your language!" Yorda shook her head vigorously. "That's it, that's what was missing. That's what she wanted me to remember! I have to sleep, Ico! I have to sleep!" she cried, flailing her arms around her head randomly, again causing her young friend to look upon her with concern. "Yorda, I can't help you unless you tell me!" Ico screamed at her, and she stopped abruptly, staring at him stilly, like a statue. Her violet eyes clouded over again, and Ico gasped. "YORDA! Yorda what's wrong? YORDA COME BACK!" he grabbed her arm and shook it like a stick. She cocked her head at him, a far-away gaze returning into her irises. They were clouding again, and Ico was watching his friend being sucked back into the mental prison she had been held in before. He couldn't let that happen, so he did the only thing he could think of to do.
He hit her.
He slapped her across the face, of course regretting it immediately afterwards. Yorda's head snapped back and she rearranged her head looking in front of her again subsequently. The strange gaze remained in her eyes, and she blinked. As she did so, the curtains affecting her vision, mind control and strength seemed to lift. She shook her head, and looked up at Ico. She put a hand to her face, astonished. "I-I'm sorry, Yorda," he told her, "I didn't know what else to-to do!" Yorda looked at him, then at the ground, and held her hand out in front of her. She looked at herself again, and flung her arms around his neck desperately. Ico smiled to himself, and patted her on the back comfortingly.
Once Yorda and Ico had calmed down, they rekindled the fire and sat around it together, staring into it, watching it lick up the atmosphere greedily. "So what's Keoden?" Ico ventured, feeling she may be ready. Yorda continued looking into the fire, but answered. "Keoden is a name, Ico," she replied, "Just like Ico or Yorda." "I know what a name is!" Ico laughed, "Okay, so who's Keoden, was that your mother's name?" "No. It was my.brother's name." Yorda replied. "I didn't know you had a brother!" Ico exclaimed. "Neither did I.till a couple of hours ago." Yorda said dreamily. Ico looked at her, puzzled. She continued. "I couldn't remember everything that happened in the past. These dreams I have, they uncover what has been." "What happened in the dream?" "I was probably about ten or eleven.a figure appeared at the bottom of the cage. He climbed the tower up to where there was the gap.and he spoke to me, told me he was my brother, that he was angry with me because I was born first and was Mother's heir. I didn't know she was planning to possess me at that time, I don't think he did either. He told me that something else went on in the castle and that he would show me the next night." Yorda looked up at her friend, glad she had confided in him. "So what happened?" "You woke me up." "Oh. Right."
Inevitability scorned the youngsters, and the sun set and the stars rose magnificently, trying to look special compared to the moon. Some formed different shapes with each other, others tried to shine brighter than the others. It was a competition, Yorda thought, as she lay on the sand, waiting for sleep to engulf her, another thing she couldn't avoid, just like she was going to see the horned children for the first time. She closed her eyes, and waited. It seemed an age before she fell asleep, and was glad she could cling onto the sleeping Ico's hand if she got scared, and he would wake her if she screamed.
"Yorda." "Is that you, Keoden?" "Yes." "Hello." "Hello. Have a nice day, sister?" "No. I get frightened a lot. The Shadows hurt me." "Not as much as Mummy hurts the children." "What?" "You heard me." "I don't understand." "Wait."
The cage was lowered, and a key opened the door. There was still quite a drop to the ground.
"Jump. I will catch you." "Promise?" "Yes."
Yorda had jumped, and her younger yet stronger and emotionally determined sibling had kept his word, and caught the light girl in the wispy dress effortlessly.
"Come with me." "Will I be frightened?" "Probably." "I don't know if I want to, then." "You will be frightened in your cage, anyway." "Yes." "Come on, then." "Alright."
For the first time in two years, the young Yorda had walked on the stone floor of the tower nervously. Her brother, who was slightly smaller than her, perhaps only an inch, held out his hand to her. She took it, and had followed him through a locked door, which led into a small room with boxes and pots, and a single chain. She looked behind her, and saw that up the chain were several broken windows, and she saw her tower beyond them. They had not been able to reach them from the foot of the tower.
"Come on," her brother hissed impatiently.
She followed.
They walked through a door with, and entered a huge chamber Yorda had never been in before, and she had explored most of the parts of the castle. How could she have missed this colossal room? It was full of strange pod-like crypts, all with strange markings on them. Some were lit up.
"The lit up ones are vacant," sneered his voice. "Oh."
Suddenly, a flash from one of those strange doors Yorda could open by standing in front of them and serving her energy into them burst into the room. Her brother grabbed her thin arm desperately, and pulled her over to a hiding place in the shadows of the room.
"If we are caught we will be punished." He warned her. "So keep quiet." Yorda nodded.
She saw her mother's guards enter the room, with a girl in the middle of them. There were about four guards, and one wielded a strange sword with a chain on the end. Yorda wanted to see it, but her brother had told her to stay quiet, so she obeyed. The party moved to a lit-up pod, and it opened with a hiss. The girl, who had horns, began to scream uncontrollably. Her green dress was torn and dirty, Yorda could see from where she was. She was crying, pleading in a language she loosely knew. She could only pick out certain words.
"Please...no.mercy.please.mummy."
She appeared to be very upset, and this made Yorda upset. She hated seeing people ill or hurt or sad, even though she was most of the time. Disobeying Keoden, and not quite being able to control herself, the Princess tore herself out of her brother's grasp, and he hissed to her angrily.
Her bare feet were quiet so the guards didn't notice her. She had reached the pod, which was quite high up. By this time, the girl had one hand secured in a strange wooden block inside the crypt. Why were they going to shut her in it, though? She turned back and saw Keoden creeping up to grab Yorda before she was noticed. She crouched down, and crawled past the guards, who had paused for a while, the girls had bitten one of their fingers and were wondering if they were now cursed. Why would they be cursed? It was only a bite by a small girl, not much older than Yorda. She was probably twelve. "What is your name?" whispered Yorda to the girl in the language the girl spoke, while the guards were looking away. "Mariya." she sobbed. "I'll free you, Mariya, don't be frightened." "YORDA!" hissed Keoden from behind her, and felt a grab at her wrist. "Yorda, it's a mercy we haven't been caught now, come on." "No. I have to help the girl." "Yorda!" "Help me or leave me!" Keoden did neither, he stood like a statue. Thankfully, the guards were nursing their friend's finger. "Am I going to die?" the girl sobbed, "They told me I was going to die! It's not my fault I have horns! I want my mummy!"
Pity flooded the young Princess, and she herself clambered into the crypt stealthily, and silently released the girl's wrist from the wooden block with her strange abilities. There was a small zap and a clunk, which made a guard flinch, and the three children held their breath. The guards relaxed, sure it was just the girl making a noise, that one hand was secure and she wouldn't be able to escape. The girl, when they were sure that danger had been averted, smiled brightly at Yorda, but the young girl just looked at her solemnly, and pulled her out of the crypt. They climbed down a ladder to get onto the bottom floor, and Yorda grasped her hand tightly.
The girl was taller than Yorda, although Yorda was a couple of years younger. Keoden looked very small and frightened compared to Mariya, but he seemed superior somehow when he spoke to his little sister in the cage. Possibly because he was free and she wasn't.
Keoden caught up with them. "The guards, they're bandaging their friend's finger, we don't have much time!" He hissed, and glanced around. The guards were shifting from their posts and were moving back towards the crypt. "Run!" whispered Yorda, and dragged the petrified little girl back into the room with the boxes, the pots and the chain. They scrambled up onto a platform, and heard a disgruntled cry from behind them.
"They'll find us!" hissed Keoden, and jumped onto the chain, reaching a hand down for Yorda, "Leave the girl, her fate is secured!" They were talking in their native tongue, so not to frighten Mariya. "No!" replied Yorda, and took his hand, but reached down her free one for Mariya.
The girl looked up at her blankly, nearly frozen with fear. "Come on!" Yorda cried, "Jarris ia gorres!" Snapping out of her trance, Mariya reached up and grabbed her hand. Yorda's limited strength wouldn't have gotten the two up in time, no matter how hard she tried, but with Keoden's help they flung themselves onto the ledge. The three children climbed up onto the windowsill, the guards now at the door. They ran through the window and jumped down into the tower.
Yorda and Mariya collapsed with exhaustion, Mariya choking with fear, and Yorda's inability stalling her. Keoden hoisted them up impatiently, and they heard links of the chain being interrupted in the next room. "Hurry!" Keoden urged, dragging them to where the cage dangled slightly above them. He first lifted Yorda, and she, abandoning reluctance in returning to her prison, selflessly reached down for Mariya. Keoden was already running up the huge staircase to pull the lever that would raise the cage again. Mariya jumped for it, and caught Yorda's hand. The weak Princess arrogantly ignored her incapability and hauled her up into the cage with her.
It took some time, but Keoden was fast. Yorda was pulling with all her might, and a few more seconds and the girl would be safe in Yorda's cage. Suddenly, there was a yanking sound as the chain groaned into action, and began to lift.
Mariya, still hanging slightly from the cage, gave a little scream as she fell again, but Yorda caught hold of her forearm in the nick of time.
"Hold.on." panted Yorda, hoisting her up.
The cage was rising fast now, if Yorda dropped her, Mariya would fall to her death. She looked down briefly, and saw the three guards yelling at them, watching helplessly at the rising prison. Yorda smiled triumphantly to herself, which gave her a boost of strength, and Mariya was in the cage with her. Not bothering to close the door, which locked itself when closed, Yorda sat her new friend down and the exhausted prisoner looked up at her young rescuer.
"Where's the other?" Mariya panted. Yorda raised an eyebrow. "Other what?" Yorda asked, attempting to catch her breath. "Guard! There were four! There's only three down there."
Yorda looked down, and right enough, three guards stood, waving their arms angrily. Not four. Yorda cursed, but there must be a reasonable explanation. Maybe the fourth went to alert the Queen that a prisoner had escaped. But Mariya was safe in the cage.
Yorda turned and smiled at Mariya, then moved to close the door, eyes closed as it was heavy. Unusually heavy. Yorda opened her eyes, and gasped with terror. A dark arm caught her full in the stomach, and she sprawled against the opposite side of the cage, and doubled up with pain.
"Mariya, get back!" screamed Yorda, and Mariya scrambled, clinging to Yorda's arm, a desperate pleading look in her young eyes.
Yorda looked at her helplessly.
The Shadow Demon entered the cage mockingly, stared at Yorda and hissed in the Princess' language tauntingly, "Nice try, Your Majesty," and wrapped its wispy arm around Mariya's waist.
Mariya yelped, and Yorda, who was in pain, stared helplessly at her friend.
"NO! PLEASE! STOP!" Mariya screamed, struggling against the monster's grasp. Yorda, strength suddenly flooding her, as if she had been given strength by another worldly being which controlled options and abilities, stood up.
She dived across the cage, and grasped the girl's hand, which was clinging onto a bar of the cage, the demon now outside with her, but she had managed to attain a grip. It wouldn't last long.
Yorda flung herself even more forward, and pulled with all her might. She knew she was no match for her mother's servant, but what else could she do but try? Yorda had never been the type to give up.
"Hold on!" Yorda hissed to her companion, and hauled. She saw Keoden's face looking through a broken window at the top the tower, desperate to help, scared to try. He could fling himself from where he was onto the spirit's torso, and drag it down to the bottom. But that would end the young Prince's life. He wasn't prepared to do that as a child.
Tears were streaming down both Mariya's and Yorda's cheeks as the situation became more and more hopeless. Yet Yorda continued to pull. Suddenly, at the same time her hope failed, so did her strength.
She felt her arms becoming weak and heavy, her priorities forgotten. The demon had a flicker of pleasure in its eyes, and Yorda knew then that it had won. As a defiant gesture of refusal, she pulled Mariya another inch upwards, but the monster was also strengthened by Yorda's fear. It yanked Mariya mercilessly from the Princess' grasp forever. If she lunged forward again, she would fall.
Shock filled Yorda and Mariya, both not quite sure if what they had been fighting for the past hour was real, if it was over.
Reality struck them, and Yorda screamed a helpless "Chienyae!"
Mariya looked into her eyes, and smiled.
"Thank you." She whispered, and allowed herself to be dragged down.
Yorda watched numbly until the silently crying Mariya was out of sight and away to meet her fate. Her destiny. What was Yorda's to be? Would she eventually be put in a pod-crypt, when she was the same age as the friend she had failed?
Yorda slumped backwards, slinging shut the door for the last time, and leant against the bars, watching the sun rise through a window. A single tear ran down her cheek, and she listened to Mariya's final scream in the fresh air. How long would it take her to die? Why was her mother doing this to children? Mariya said it wasn't her fault she had horns, so why punish her?
Not caring to wonder, Princess Yorda of the Light and the Shadow gave up for the first time.
It lasted six years.
Yorda woke up, shuddering. "Mariya." she sobbed, and curled up into a ball next to Ico, the sky still dark, and, shaking, listened to her breathing. In, out, in, out. How long would it last? Where was Mariya? Had Ico destroyed her spirit for Yorda's sake? Where was Keoden? What had happened to him? Had she seen him again after that episode? Why were there so many unanswered questions?
The next night she dreamed had much to tell.