Okay, I'd love to write all my replies, but I've gotta get off soon, so let's cut to the chase!
Many, many, many, many, many, many, MANY thanks to everyone who reviewed for this, "Our Class Will Steal the Mascot", and "The Shadows Within Me"! I LOVE JOO ALL! -hands out totally awesome sunglasses-
Chapter 9: We All Have a Destiny
Lor dodged each strike astoundingly easily for having so little practice. Brandon was having trouble keeping up with the boy flitting before him like a moth. The symbol on his forehead glowed a deep purple and seemed to pulse. Lor took this as a sign to wrap things up as quickly as possible.
"Lord Dameus!" Brandon shouted to the sky, ceasing his lumbering attacks. Lor stared in confusion and turned to Artemis in hopes the great incarnation of the Goddess of Wisdom would have some idea as to what he should do. The girl merely shrugged with a sympathetic expression. Brandon continued.
"My liege and master, grant me with but a trifle of your strength and I shall forever smite this disturbance from your brilliant and infallible plans!" he called. Thunder rumbled and sheet lightning flashed on the clouds' surfaces. A tremendous surge of energy enveloped the vicinity as a thunderbolt stuck Brandon. By the time the light faded, giving way to the storm clouds and their perpetual night, Lor's foe had absorbed immense power. "This is bad," the black-haired boy murmured, eyes wide.
While Brandon was lumbering to begin with, he was now just… monstrous. Spider legs protruded from his torso, a combination of sores and blood hiding the connection point. Large venomous fangs emerged from either side of his mouth. They were almost twice the size of his entire head. His eyes glowed scarlet, and the three-pointed mark shined brightly on his forehead and chest. Artemis closed her eyes and turned around. Lor wanted to do the same, but he was paralyzed by the sight of this horrific creature. If Brandon was intolerable before, this was just insanity.
Lor recovered from his numbness and whipped around. "I have to fight this thing!" he exclaimed to Artemis. The cobalt-haired girl bit her lip. "I wish I could help you," she said in a whispering voice. Lor grabbed her hand and pulled her into the middle of the alleged battlefield. "Then do something!" he demanded. The transformed Brandon rose up upon his spindly legs and screeched a deafening cry. He swung a pointed foot-like apparatus at Lor and Artemis.
"Stay back!" the girl commanded as she raised her hand, palm out, in front of her. A blue crystal enveloped her and Lor. The boy gasped in comprehension. When he and Hieke were waiting for Link at the Sacred Territory, the Hylian warrior maiden had explained to him some of Link's arsenal. Among the many physical weapons he possessed, he also had three small spheres. As long as he was in possession of these items, he could perform Divine Magic. There was Din's Fire, attack magic that created a sphere of fire; Farore's Wind, warp magic that allowed to leap to any location you pleased; and Nayru's Love, protection magic that created a crystal of blue light around its user that served as a shield from any attacks for a limited amount of time. Lor took it that each of the Goddess Incarnations could use one of the respective magic spells.
"Artemis! Keep doing that! As long as you use Nayru's Love, Brandon can't touch us!" Lor explained excitedly. Artemis looked from Lor to her hand to Brandon and back to Lor. She was clearly confused. The boy shook his head. "I'll explain later!" he promised. The important matter at hand was to defeat their opponent. He concentrated all his energy. If he was Hylian, he had to have some kind of power, especially since he was the remainder of a terrible and vicious demon.
"I call upon the Shadows… I call upon the Darkness… Listen to me, and return to your master… return to your lord, Lord Kuro…"
Artemis was distracted by his words just long enough to drop the blue shield. Quickly she replaced it, still in awe that she could perform such a feat. "Lor, what on earth are you doing?" she asked over her shoulder. She wasn't going to risk turning around for fear the barrier would falter and allow Brandon to strike. However, out of the corner of her eye she could see him…
His body radiated in a deep amethyst splendor. Where one would expect to see light forming an aura around him, there was shadow. His pale blue eyes flushed with blackness, leaving not a trace of kindness or compassion. He looked almost like a god, standing there in all his brilliance.
Lor was deep asleep in the realm of dreams. Kuro had complete control of his body, and his lighter half had given it to him, willingly at that. "I'm ba-ack," he sang with a smirk. "And the first order of business is to eliminate your sorry butt. You've tormented this vessel of mine for long enough, Brandon. You're so far dead it's not even funny."
He extended his hand outwards in a manner similar to Artemis'. With a triumphant chuckle he emitted a powerful wave of darkness. It hit Brandon full force, leaving the mutated student no time to comprehend what was going on. His flesh was torn from his bones and blood spattered across the street. His body lay in a mutilated lump in the center of it all. Artemis had long since dropped her shield and now stood with her hands clasped over her mouth, staring at the scene in horror.
Kuro's consciousness quaked, threatening to give out. He turned his mind inward to investigate the cause.
"Give me back my body, you bastard!" Lor demanded as he threw a rock at Kuro. The evil man blocked it. "Where the hell did you get that rock from!" he inquired in awe as he looked around the barren place. There were no stones to be found.
"This is my inner consciousness," Lor stated matter-of-factly. "If I want something to be here, then it's gonna be here."
Kuro grinned wickedly. "Then, since this is my body as well, I suppose it works for me too," he assumed. A rocket launcher appeared in his hands. Lor cursed loudly and ran every which way, avoiding the powerful blasts from Kuro's new weapon. Eventually he had the idea to think up a fallout shelter, which he made haste in doing. The boy scampered into the shelter swiftly and formulated an airplane stationed directly above Kuro.
There was a loud crash outside as the airplane collided with the ground and, invariably, with Kuro as well. Lor ran back out of his shelter and observed his work. Kuro was squashed beneath the large craft. His feet, however were still visible. Soon enough they curled up under the plane with the rest of him, leaving only his black boots behind. Lor raised an eyebrow and walked away.
"Lor, are you all right?" Artemis repeated worriedly as she cradled Lor's lifeless body in her arms. "Please wake up! I'll do that weird magic thing whenever you want! I'll do anything you ask of me! Please just wake up!" She ceased her incessant pleas and sobbed through closed eyes.
"Anything?" questioned a voice from below. Artemis gasped and opened her eyes to see Lor awake with a smirk on his lips. "Lor! You're all right! Are you back to normal?" she asked, hugging him. Lor choked for breath. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! Let go; you're killing me!"
Artemis brought Lor into her house to treat the few wounds he had. They avoided her mother and went upstairs to the girl's room, which had more shades of blue in it than... something really blue. "I'd have to guess that your favorite color is... orange!" the black-haired boy joked. Artemis laughed and put aside the bandages that remained unused. "So what's the deal?" she asked, her expression growing solemn.
Lor sighed. "Artemis, we all have a destiny," he began. "As of late, I've learned that our destiny will always come back to haunt us, even if strong magic denies it that privelage. My destiny is to aid a great hero in his quest to protect a distant land. You're destiny..."
"...is to fight against the evil you are helping to keep locked away," Artemis finished. Lor nodded. "And somehow, it always seems that we know of our destiny," he smiled, "one way or another."
Heh, seemed like a good place to end it. Kinda a shorty, but I'm ill. Don't expect much from an ill girl. Some reviews sure as heck would make me feel better. (Hint, hint) Dude, the contest deadline is in ONE WEEK! Understand? I WILL NOT accept any entries after October 31, no exceptions! Read my profile for further details on the art contest!