Bah, I apologize for the series of cliffhangers that left all my fellow readers in suspense. The endings won't get any better, but no leaving you off at the decapitation of one side of the romantic subplot for Megun-chan! Lol.

Scroll VIII:

Your Worst Enemy is Your Best Friend

SPLURCH!!

Ralph ducked just in time. The blade passed right over him and decapitated the unfortunate Pirate who was holding his arms. Ralph twisted away to avoid another slash, and scrambled up to the hill.

"Man…" he panted, hands on his throat. "I though I was a goner for sure…"

"Ralph!!"

"Huh?" Ralph turned around. "Tael!!"

Tael flew forwards from behind a tree. "I found you!!"

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I though… didn't you want to go with your sister and everyone else?"

"I… I couldn't!" Tael cried. "You're still our friend!! It doesn't matter if you're gonna-"

He stopped himself, covering his mouth.

"If I'm gonna what?" Ralph repeated. "Tael, what's going on?"

"I… I'm sorry, I can't tell you," Tael hung his head. 'I almost let it slip! I'm sorry, Link…'

THWACK!!

"Augh!!"

Tael tumbled forward and into Ralph's hands. A Pirate had appeared from behind and smacked Tael with all her might.

"Tael!!" Ralph called, trying to reach the fairy. "Tael, are you okay? TAEL!!"

The Pirate laughed. Ralph looked up, furious.

"You know…" he smirked. "I'm just about sick of you all!!"

"So, what are you gonna do about it?" the Pirate put a hand on her hip and beckoned to him.

"… I'm gonna take you all out…" Ralph glared.

"Eh…?"

~~~

"So…" Zelda asked as she sat down across from Farore. "Are you related to Din and Nayru?"

"Not that I know of…" Farore shook her head.

"What are you doing here? I mean… why did you come?"

Farore looked down. "something bad's about to happen… to someone here… or everyone…"

Zelda's face grew more worried.

"Link?"

Farore jerked her head up as she heard the Hero of Time's name. "The Hero of Time? Is he here?" she stood up. "I've got to speak to him! It's important!!"

"Link's not here…" Zelda shook her head. "He went back to the Kokiri Forest…"

"But he's not there anymore," Saria said quietly. Everyone looked at her. "He went into the Lost Woods… I don't know why, but…"

Impa frowned with worry as she saw Zelda grow more frightened.

"He left you?"

"Uh-huh… he told me to come here…"

Zelda stood up. "Everyone," she began, "I have a confession to make…"

~~~

"Huh…" Ralph stood up and wiped some blood off his cheek. "Easier than I thought. Much easier without anyone holding me back…"

He stood in the middle of a slaughterhouse. All the Pirates lay dead at his feet, with all their body parts intact or not; he didn't care.

Ralph went over to the rock where he had set the unconscious Tael down. "Hey…" he said, seeing the little fairy coming around. "Are you okay?"

"Uh…" Tael groaned. "Yeah…"

"What were you going to tell me?" Ralph asked. "About what I was going to do…" he paused. "Wait… does it have anything to do with that 'secret' Link told the Skull Kid and Romani?"

Tael shook his head. "No…" he looked behind Ralph and gasped. "Look out!!"

Ralph whipped around. Black smoke rose from each of the bodies into the air. As the two watched, each wisp of smoke took the form of a hideous demon, then they vanished in the late afternoon sun.

"…Demons…" Ralph said decisively. "Like that one that took out Ganondorf… huh. Lucky we got 'em all…"

"I wouldn't be too sure…" Tael said cautiously, looking at Ralph.

"……?" Ralph looked confused.

~~~

Link sat down wearily as everyone else made themselves comfortable. They would stay there, Link said, until Ralph or Tael happened to come across them.

"………………………Tael…" The Skull Kid said quietly, but it was more angry than worried. Tatl looked at him, confused.

"What's with you?" she asked.

"Nothing…" the Skull Kid said quietly. "………..Well, actually, something is wrong. I know where Tael went-"

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US?!?!" Tatl roared. "WHY?!?"

"SHUT UP!!!" The Skull Kid yelled back. "He… he went back to help Ralph…" he said, more quiet.

"Then… why… why aren't we looking for him?!"

"Because… then we'd be helping Ralph, too…" The Skull Kid closed his eyes. "And… if he dies… then… he won't… he won't…"

"Skull Kid…" Tatl looked worried.

The Skull Kid pulled his knees up to his chest. "He won't kill my friend…" he finished.

"Woah! Hang on!" Tatl flew up. "Ralph's you're friend too, isn't he?!……… Isn't he?!"

"No… Link told me the person who killed him in his dream was Ralph. And friends don't kill each other."

"But what if it's not really true?!" Tatl cried. "Just… what if it won't happen, even if he's still alive? Would you kill him them?"

"…"

"And what about Nayru? She loves him, you know that, right? You can't kill Ralph, you'd completely destroy her!!" Tatl exploded. "They've been best friends forever… you can't do that!!! ……You can't!" She said this more quietly.

"………I'm sorry." 'You can't change my mind, Tatl… it's true. He will kill Link. I have to do something about it.'

~~~

Tatl flew through the woods, looked around, and flew towards the east.

"Where are you going?" Ralph cried, running after the dark fairy.

"I'm going to where the Skull Kid and everyone else is!!" Tael responded.

"Wha…? How do you know where they are?"

"It's weird… but I've always thought that my sister and I have some kinda connection with him… that we can always sense each other, no matter what."

"Then how come, from what I heard, it took a long time for…"

"Because he had that mask on," Tael said quickly. "I… I'd prefer not to speak about that moment right now…"

"Oh… ok…"

Someone laughed.

Ralph stopped, looking around. Tael flew up to him.

"…Ralph?" Tael waved a tiny arm in front of him. 'What's wrong with him…? He looks zoned out…!'

"T… that was Nayru!!" Ralph exclaimed. "I've heard that laugh so many times before-"

"And you'll never hear it again…" a voice replied.

'Huh?'

Everything went dark.

"What the-?" Ralph spun around. "Tael!? Hey, Tael, where'd you go!? TAEL!!"

'This is seriously weird… where am I?' Ralph began running in one direction. 'I'm not running into anything… Tael! Nayru!? Anyone!!'

That laugh again. Ralph whipped around.

"Who's there!?"

"Oops, so sorry…" A figure stepped out of the darkness. "It's just so funny to see you, of all people, helpless like this…"

Ralph gasped. "No……!!! Nayru!?"

It was unmistakably Nayru. She had the same bright blue eyes, the same blue hair… but… something was wrong.

"Nayru?" Ralph said, beginning to smile, "Is… is that really you?"

"Yes," Nayru looked down. "I'm sorry I've been such a burned on you…"

Ralph blinked. "Not at all…" he said, surprised. "I'd never think that…"

"Really?" Nayru looked up. "Well…"

"Nayru…" Ralph began, scratching the back of his head and blushing. "I… well… I-"

Something black rose out of the ground behind Nayru.

"Nayru!!" Ralph cried. "Watch out!!"

Nayru turned around, eyes widening. Before Ralph could do anything to stop it, a giant black hand grabbed Nayru tightly.

"NAYRU!!" Ralph screamed, drawing his sword.

~~~

"Ralph! Ralph!" Tael was shaking Ralph's arm frantically, "Ralph, what's wrong! Wake up!!"

~~~

Ralph dropped his sword as the black hand sank into the ground, Nayru still with it. "No…" he gasped. "Nayru…chan…"

'What the hell is this!?' he thought. 'This… it can't be real!!'

FLASH!!

The ground Ralph was standing on lit up. Ralph jumped up and looked down.

"You poor child…" a black-winged… something… was rising out of the glowing ground and stood to face Ralph. "That's only your worst fear. You fear you're going to lose her… and right before you tell her you love her, too! Well… sorry to disappoint you, but…"

"Who…" Ralph stepped back. "Who are you!?"

The demon unfolded her black wings and faced him.

"No… you… you killed Ganondorf!!" Ralph grew pale. "What did you do to Nayru!?"

"Nothing…" the demon shrugged. "She's perfectly fine."

"Wait…" Ralph narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by 'Sorry to disappoint you'…?"

"What I mean is that she doesn't really love you at all," the demon smiled. "If you tell her, you're sure to only get your heart broken…"

"No…" Ralph glared at her. "You liar!! Nayru and I have been friends since we were little-"

"Maybe…" the demon wagged her finger. "But ever since that incident with Veran…"

"You… you know Veran!?"

"Well, yes… and I think after that, her opinion of you has grown slightly for the worst."

"Huh?"

"I hear people talking, you know… your little Oracle friend told that other girl… Din… she said she couldn't stand you! She was glad you stayed behind… She says you don't think at all before you attack. You destroyed that Pirate in front of her, after all… and even after your friend…" She shook her head. "Link, too. He thinks you only get in the way. He wasn't at all worried when you went to kill your ancestor. He didn't care if you died. No one did."

"No…" Ralph was hit hard by these words.

'Yes…' the demon smiled. 'His mental defenses have weakened! Now's my chance! I can use this boy to destroy the Hero of Time and get the Triforce! My efforts have not been in vain!!'

She walked towards Ralph, who had sank down on his knees. She knelt down next to him and cupped his chin with her hand, forcing him to look at her.

'Now you're all mine…' the demon smiled cruelly.

'N… Na… Nayru…'

Ralph could hardly feel anything after that. As soon as the demon forced her mouth onto his and gently nudged his lips open, he went numb. But it didn't matter anymore. It didn't.

'Nay…ru… How… could… you………?'

~~~

Nayru looked up. "Ralph…" she said quietly. She stood up.

"Nayru?" Din sat up. "Is something wrong?"

"It's Ralph…!" Nayru said.

"Huh?" Link sat up. "What about him?"

"I… I felt it, just now…" Nayru said. "He was… calling out to me!" she turned around quickly. "I know where he is!"

"Then let's go get him back!" Link stood up as well.

He, Nayru, and Din ran off into the woods, leaving Tatl and the Skull Kid behind. The Skull Kid sat on a tree branch, watching them go silently.

~~~

"NO!!" Ambi stood up quickly, looking at the Sages with shock and fury.. "He'd never!! He'd never do such a thing!!"

Zelda looked down. "I… I'm sorry, Queen Ambi…" she said quietly. "But… I've got a bad feeling right now that something's going to happen… and…"

"But… he'd never… especially not Link!!"

"He tried to kill you once before, didn't he?" Nabooru snapped. "And he would have, too, if…"

Zelda turned around. "I've just got an awful feeling," she said, "That it's going to involve him… and for the worse, too… I'm so sorry."

~~~

"TAEL!!" Navi flew out of Link's hat as she saw the fairy. "There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"

Tael smiled. "Sorry to worry you!" he said, "But…"

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

"It's him…" Tael turned around. "Ralph…"

"Ralph!" Nayru cried out in happiness as she saw him. "You're okay!! I'm so glad…"

Ralph turned around. Nayru gave an involuntary shudder as Ralph gave her the darkest, most dead look she had ever seen in her life. His eyes weren't glazed over, but ice cold, even when they looked at her.

"…Ralph…?"

WOW, I use too many cliffhangers, methinks. But it's about time, huh? Things are starting to get good!! ::grabs popcorn::

Expect the next chapter up next week. Same bat-time, same bat-place ;)!!

~ Megun-chan