Part 4 Confessions
Zelda opened her eyes and found herself looking into Link's concerned face. He set her down on the ground and moved his hands over her arms and legs. "Are you alright?" Link asked. Zelda just looked at him. She put her own hand on his cheek. Link looked up at her and started to slowly rub her back. Slowly, there faces drew closer together. This is what both Link and Zelda had wanted for years and finally it was happening.
Or it would have happened if they hadn't heard a sound. It was the sound of someone coughing, and it was coming from Tomi. Tomi had survived. Link and Zelda stood up and looked down at him.
"He's alive!" Zelda said astonished. Tomi had cuts everywhere, two arrows protruding from his body, and he had fallen roughly thirty yards to the hard ground. Link quickly pulled out his bow again and cocked another arrow back, ready to fire in case Tomi though of getting up again.
"Link..." Tomi said weakly, "please…I must…tell you something." Link scoffed.
"Whatever it is I don't want to hear it," Link shot back. Link pulled back the string on his bow even farther back.
"Please…just hear…what I… have to say," Tomi pleaded. This time Zelda scoffed, Link narrowed his eyelids.
Through gritted teeth Link said, "Listen to you? After you broke into the castle, killed the guards, kidnapped Zelda, held the King prisoner, attacked me, and tried to murder Zelda…twice. Why should I possibly listen to you?"
"Because if you don't…everyone will die." Tomi explained.
"I don't think so; I have you at my mercy not the other way around."
"It will not be I…who will kill…it is someone else. Please…listen to me. I came hear…to warn you." Tomi replied. He was obviously weak, he had not opened his eyes and his breathing was becoming shallower.
"Well you done a good job of asking," Zelda said sarcastically. Finally Tomi opened his eyes and looked at Zelda. His face may have been covered in so much blood that they couldn't tell differently, but Link and Zelda both saw that Tomi looked frightened, sorry, and most of all desperate.
"Princess Zelda…I'm…sorry if…I have hurt you," Tomi said. He sounded so pathetic that Link began to think if he was telling the truth. "Link…please…will you…allow me to…heal myself?"
"What do I look stupid?" Link shot back.
"No…but I must…have strength to speak. Link…it is my duty…to tell you. If I do not…then Hyrule will die…and it…will be my fault." Tomi pleaded, this time a bit frantically. Link was beginning to feel like he should ease up. But something told him to not let him say anything, it might be another spell. But then again it might not be, he knew that magic took energy and Tomi seemed to be lacking in that department. He also realized that if Tomi really was planning to harm him or Zelda that he could have easily done it. But right now he was asking Link for permission.
"Alright fine heal yourself, but only enough so you can speak, not so you can move. And I swear that if this is a trick, I will give you an arrow right between the eyes," Link threatened. Zelda looked at Link with curiosity. Link nodded to her as if say, "It's alright, I have it under control."
With shaky and slow movements Tomi reached for his belt. He pulled a small vile of red potion out of a pouch. He uncorked the vile and drank it. He exhaled after drinking to see that his breath was scarlet, a sign that the potion was working. Immediately his cuts closed. He grabbed the arrows and took them out. The holes the arrows had made closed as well. Even his white robe's holes were somehow stitched back together.
Tomi sighed with relief and looked up at Link while getting into sitting position. "My body is cleansed and I have enough strength to talk, but I am not powerful enough to cast a spell. You do not have to worry about that," Tomi explained.
"Don't tell me what I should worry about," Link said forcefully, "you will sit there and tell me what you have to say and you better hope it's good enough for me because if it's not I will not let you leave this castle alive."
"Very well," Tomi responded. He bent his neck so his chin lay on his chest and remained that way for a moment. When he looked back up he had a look that said, "Listen closely." "It is important that you hear this and you can judge me afterwards in any way you want; it doesn't matter to me because at least I have told you." He took a deep breath and began.
"I am a wizard. The life of a wizard is experimental. We try things that have been said to be impossible. We go and do things that people have never heard of. We can make dreams come true by learning how to use our abilities in certain ways.
"My name is Tomi, the last White Wizard. The White Wizards are wizards who have chosen to completely follow the light. The Black Wizards, as you can guess are the opposite and are followers of darkness. A normal person, wizard or not, always is born with a light side and a dark side. But there are…methods in which a person can separate those two halves and become two different people. That is how the White and Black Wizards are formed. But of course it could be foolish to do this to someone and allow the dark side to walk around freely. So, we found a way to capture the darkness right when they were separated.
"There were always people there to make sure the separation would go smoothly, and those people would wait for the darkness to appear. Once it did, they would pin it down and kill it immediately. Of course no one was told of this process before hand because whatever the light knows the darkness knows when they are in the same body. So if you told someone the plan to kill the dark side right away, the dark side would know.
"I wanted to be separated from my darkness and so I asked for it to be done to me. But the night before it was going to happen to me, I overheard some of the other White Wizards talking to each other about what exactly would happen. I did not know that it was crucial for me not to know, so I went along with it as planned.
"The next day I stood in front of the White Wizards and they began the enchantment. When it happened, when I had become two, it was the most wonderful feeling that I had ever felt. The temptations to do dark deeds were gone; I was free and open to do all the things that the light would have me do. I can't describe how much of a release there was, it was like invisible chains that covered my entire body had deteriorated.
"But my bliss was short lived because when I opened by eyes, I saw my darkness killing my comrades. I tried to fight him but he somehow brought me down. Strange isn't it? You would think that since we are both two halves of the same person that we would have the same power. But I learned later that if a person can have a more powerful darkness if they had committed unforgiving sins in the past. Which is exactly why I wanted to be two different people; I want to be free from the curse of my past.
"When I retuned to my senses I saw that my darkness had escaped and everyone, all of the White Wizards had perished. I was alone. I had brought about the death of my friends. I knew then that I would never rest easy as long as I knew that he was out there. I chased him down on many occasions and confronted him, every time he won and left me to die but by some miracle I always survived. I was lucky, I guess. But I noticed something strange; he was casting spells that I had never even heard of and his sword…it was different. It looked alive. The blade possessed a red tint with black veins running every which way. The hands looked as if it was made up of animal intestines.
"Along with his sword he gained other things, he also became so powerful that he is able to summon followers that look like they are dead. They are naked skeletons and are only covered in black armor. They have the power to take the form of anyone that they have seen before. But that trick has flaws. There are always subtle signs that tell you that they are not the real person.
"But as for you, Link, I came here because I have heard of no other warrior with your reputation. Your strength, speed, endurance, caring heart, and desire for what is right is exactly what I need. But I needed to make sure that you really were as powerful as they say. I needed to do combat with you but I needed to see your full strength and I heard the time you fight strongest is when someone or something you care about is in danger. So I needed to take Zelda and use her as a lightning rod. Once you came here and I fought you, I knew that you were the one I was looking for. Also…you defeated me, which is a good sign. Because if you can't beat me, you obviously cannot kill my dark side. But before, during, and after the fight I was regretting what I had to do in order for you to get here," Tomi looked at Zelda again, "I am truly sorry about kidnapping you Princess Zelda, but I hope you realize why I did it. I never was going to hurt you."
Tomi took a deep breathe and sighed greatly with relief. He finally got that all out, now it was up to Link to decide if he was going to help him or not. He looked back to Link and waited.
Link still had his bow aimed at Tomi but he wasn't sure he needed it anymore. While listening to Tomi's story he watched his eyes and listened to his voice. Link had learned how to notice signs of a liar and what he saw told him that Tomi was telling the truth. Finally Link lowered his bow and put it away. He still had questions though.
"If you are completely light…then why did you kill those guards in the foyer?" Link asked.
"I did not kill them, they live within me," Tomi explained, "I have the ability to borrow a person's energy and I can always give it back. If I die the energy goes back by itself. I just needed their energy so I had enough to do battle with you."
"Why did you threaten me so many times if you weren't really going to hurt me?" Zelda asked with such anger that she was almost yelling, "Huh? Answer that!"
"I needed you to feel fear so Link could see that you were scared and thus he would fight with more motivation." Tomi answered. "But before I go any farther with questions, do you want me to lower the barrier holding the King?"
Link and Zelda both looked back towards the throne that the King was sitting in. The King looked back at them with his eyebrows raised and mouthed, "What's going on?" Zelda ran to her father and felt the wall that was still up.
"Yes lower the wall," Link ordered. Tomi lazily waved his hand and suddenly the wall was gone. Zelda ran up to her father and kissed him. "Everything is alright sir, I have it under control."
The King was about to say something but decided not to. Link looked down at Tomi again. "You can stand if you want," Link said calmly, he decided to try and trust Tomi. He would keep an eye on him and watch for any strange behavior, just in case.
Tomi stood, shakily and smiled at Link. "I really am sorry for what I have done to you and everyone else…would you like me to heal you wounds? I feel a bit better now," Tomi requested. Link thought about it, but before he could answer the door to the throne room opened to reveal an angry and tired Impa. Impa saw Tomi and quickly drew her dagger, but then she saw Link standing there calmly and she put a curious look on her face.
"What's going on?" Her voice was frantic. Link went up to her and softly pushed her hand with the dagger down by her side.
"It's alright, he isn't going to hurt anyone else" Link said soothingly. Impa raised an eyebrow, she trusted Link and if he said he trusted this guy, then she did too.
Zelda and the King were approaching. Tomi looked at the King and bowed his head. He was worried the King would be the most furious. But actually the King looked at him and said, "Zelda has told me that she isn't quite sure of you, but Link seems to be comfortable around you. I would like to hear exactly why you are here, though." Tomi repeated why he was here, nothing about the separation or the other wizards though. After Tomi had told the King and Impa they both felt a little better but not completely. Even though Tomi was asking for aid from Link and it was understandable that he would want to test Link first, it was still a bit over the top to kidnap the Princess and the King and leave Impa pinned to a wall.
"That was a bold move that you tried, son." Impa said in an angry tone. Impa did not feel very content with his answer because when ever Zelda was in trouble; her emotions were on a riot. "Link may trust you but I don't. Know that I will be watching you." Impa looked at Zelda, "Sweety, would you like to come up to your room and get changed?" Zelda nodded and walked with Impa towards the door, but as she passed Link she thought of an idea. She turned around to face her father.
"Daddy, can Link stay the night?" Zelda asked. The King looked at Zelda, then at Link, and back to Zelda.
"I suppose if he wants to." The King said simply.
"I would like that," Link answered.
Zelda smiled at Link and walked out of the room. Once they were gone Link turned to the King and asked, "Sir, could Tomi stay here tonight too? I need him to ask him more questions."
The King thought for a second and looked at Link and Tomi. He trusted Link so he said, "He may stay in the spare room next to yours." Link looked at Tomi and he nodded back.
"That sounds good, I'll show him where it is," Link gestured for Tomi to follow and headed for the door that Zelda exited from. Link opened the door for Tomi and he stepped out.
Before Link could leave, he felt the King grab him by the arm and whisper in his ear, "Watch him, Link."
Link looked at the King and nodded, "To tell you the truth, I don't fully trust him either. I will stay up all night if I have to." Link replied. The King released Link and allowed him to leave. Link found Tomi in the hall waiting for him and motioned to follow him. He guided Tomi through a maze of halls until they arrived at his room.
End of Part 4