The master sword was removed by the Hylians… or was it? Are there more then one of the blades of evil's bane? Looks like both forces were heavily damaged in the battle. Thanks, Dark Magnus, for your help on this chapter. Credit where credits due, folks. With out him, we wouldn't have this chapter.

I own nothing. Nothing! (Except for Keller, Lycis, Enris, Nosferatu, Lilian, and Grim. I also owned Tuthmoss, but he was eaten) And we will see Roy again very soon, I promise. Would I lie to you?

Chapter 14: We All Answer To Someone

Part 25: A New Friend

Marth opened his eyes. He was lying on what felt like a soft bed. He felt his side. Not a scratch. All of a sudden his friends ran in, babbling.

"Marth! You're alive!" Samus said. Around her, the others all smiled. He looked around.

"Where are Saria and Ness?" He asked. "Or Gooey and Mario? And what happened to DK?"

Samus looked concerned. "We don't know what happened to Saria and Ness. They disappeared last night. Gooey… we think he might have eaten something that disagreed with him."

"You mean that mummy?"

"Yeah. Mario is lying up in another room. That Col. Grim guy gave him a nasty wallop. DK is checking with the other apes."

Marth blinked. He had just remembered what had put him here. "Where's Lycis?" He growled. Samus looked at him carefully.

"Your loyal subjects are preparing to burn him as an evil son of a bitch." Marth blinked.

"I'm not in the mood for sarcasm. Where's Lycis?"

"About to be set on fire in the front courtyard. The Hylian wizards are all busy gathering sticks, though I think they're done."

"You were serious?" At Samus's nod, Marth got up and ran so fast there was a small thunderclap.

* * *

The nobles of Hylia stood in front of the massive pile of wood they had built in the courtyard. They talked quietly amongst themselves as Enris adjusted his judge's wig. Around him, Wizards flew around, piling more sticks onto the pile. When all was in readiness, a few knights prodded Lycis forward. Enris cleared his throat. "Are you Lycis von Alric?" He asked. Behind him, the Altean exiles who had fled here from the Ostian league's defeat were under careful guard.

"Yes I am. And why bother with this mockery? You're going to find me guilty no matter what I say." Lycis said, resignedly. "Even if I tell you that because of Marth, my family was killed. My wife, my children, dead. My nation almost obliterated. Because of that man you call king."

Enris sniffed haughtily. As far as he was concerned, dying for your country was the best way to die. "That confession should speed things along." The nobles all nodded. "Very well. I, Sir Enris Yvresse, sentence you to be burned to death. If there are any who object to this sentence, step forward." The other Hylian knights provided the subtext 'and be hacked to pieces'. "Do you have any last requests, scum?"

"I wish to be buried near my wife, back in Altea."

"Very well. Prepare the fire."

Marth had watched, horrified, as Enris ignored what Lycis said in his defense. Now he could take no more. He strode forward, jaw thrust out, Master Sword in his hand. "Stop this travesty! There will be no execution here!" Rather than celebrating, Lycis screamed.

"No! Please! I want to die! Please!" He threw himself onto the floor. "Please, send me to see my family! Don't leave me in this empty existence! I beg you!" He broke down into tears. "Please, kill me! Let my pain end!" Still crying, he lunged at one of the torch bearers, grabbing the torch. He ran to the pyre. Marth saw in horrible clarity just what Lycis planned.

"Stop him!" Several Hylian knights grabbed him, knocking the torch from his hands. "Bring him to me." They complied, throwing the pathetic man onto the ground. Lycis groveled. "Oh, stop that."

"Your majesty, he is a danger to you. We must kill him."

"Right now, he is a danger to no one but himself." Bending down, he looked into Lycis's eyes. There was no anger, no hatred. Only a terrible pain, so vast that it frightened Marth. Marth nodded. He had already lost one friend to such pain. He was damned if he was going to lose Lycis to it. "Lycis, I should have you killed. You are an attempted assassin."

"I'm no assassin. I'm a failed hero." Lycis whispered. Gaining strength, he stared at Marth. "You can't know what it was like in Altea. Indeed, still is like. Safe among the Hylians, you forgot us. I thought that if you died, the suffering of your people would end. You are our king! You should be helping us! With the Hylians, you could help us. Yet you do nothing."

Every word stabbed at Marth as sharply as Lycis's dagger had. "I'm no king. The Hylians call me such only because I married Zelda. I don't deserve to help you. I don't deserve any of what happened." Marth broke down. "I failed you all. I lost both of my kingdoms. Once because I left an enemy behind, and twice because I angered a friend. I'm no leader."

Lycis smiled sadly. "Yet you are our king." Standing up, he gestured at the surrounding Hylians, and at the other Alteans. "You are the only one we have, and we will follow you." Putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder, he sighed. "You are our king, and both your kingdoms need you."

Marth nodded sadly.

Part 26: Punishment

Keller kneeled before Ganon. He was a trifle alarmed. The summons had been very fast, barely giving him enough time to restore his form. He shuddered. Being stabbed by the master sword was one experience he never wanted to repeat. He looked around. Ganon's other lieutenants stood behind him, also wondering why they had been called. Ganon spoke. "You failed me, Keller."

"Great Lord, I did no such thing. Victory was with in my grasp, I had the rebels on their knees, and…" Keller babbled, scared.

"Silence! What care I for rebels? I sent you to kill Saria, yet you, in your arrogance, thought that I would care about some small army? I sent you for one purpose, and one purpose alone. And you failed me. Failure should be punished, should it not?" Keller nodded, mutely. The other lieutenants all swallowed. Keller was going to be an example. Keller tried one last time to save himself.

"Great Lord, please! Let me explai- AUGH!" Keller was wracked with convulsions. Purple and black bolts of electricity skidded across him. He screamed, agonizingly. Ganondorf smiled. The pain ended. Keller looked up, :Great Lord, I beg" Ganondorf raised his hand. On it, the Triforce of Power glowed, followed by the Triforce of Courage. "Great Lord, no!" Massive jolts shuddered through Keller. He screamed again, curling up as waves of pain entered his body. The jolts disappeared. Keller tried to speak again, but then came the flames…

* * *

Hours of excruciating pain later, Keller was allowed to return to his castle. Massive scars lay etched along his body. Huge burns covered his exposed areas. His eyes were a faded red, as if they had been stripped of all vitality. His wings (Yes, his cape is really 2 wings) had been reduced to shreds, his right arm hung uselessly at his side. Lilian came running to him. "Are you alright, master?" Keller glared at her. He raised his hand, took all of his anger and pain, and channeled it at her. While he was no Ganondorf, he was still powerful enough to reduce her to ashes, which quickly moved away from him. Lilian obviously thought it best to stay far away from her furious master.

Keller looked out at the night sky. "This is two I owe you, Marth." The stars had no response. Somewhere out there, though, was the Harvest Moon. And somewhere on that moon was Saria. "Saria, I swear in Ganon's name, I will see you dead." He turned. In order to regain his strength, he would have to feed. And he had the perfect meal. A certain red headed young man.

Next chapter, Saria and Ness meet with someone… unexpected, to say the least. And the return of Roy! YAY! Not that he'll reach the Harvest Moon, yet. First he has to meet everyone's favorite 2 dimensional character.