Part 7 Deceiving Eyes

"Tomi they took her, we have to go after her!" Link exclaimed.

Tomi cocked his head. "Why?"

Link was taken aback. Why? Why in the world would he ask that now? "We have to go after her now and save her. They couldn't have gotten far, so let's go." Link began running down the corridor towards Tomi, but right when he was about to pass, Tomi put out a hand to stop him. Link stopped and looked at him questioningly. Without saying anything Tomi did a roundhouse kick to Link's forehead.

Link was knocked back and he looked back at Tomi with astonishment. Tomi frowned at him "You actually believed my story about my dark half?" Tomi laughed. "You're such a child. You're gullible and obey everyone because you want to do the right thing. My men are already far away with Zelda and you can't do anything to help her."

Link didn't know how to react. So he let his body take over. He charged at Tomi with sword drawn. Tomi drew his sword and the two fought. Tomi had gotten faster since the last time they fought, how could that be? Link tried so hard to get a single strike onto him but all were in vain. Tomi eventually grabbed the blade of Link's sword, stopping his next attack, and kicked him so hard that Link went flying ten feet away.

Link looked up in time to see Tomi walking away from Link back down the hallway. There was only one way he could take and that was the foyer. He was most likely trying to escape and get back to his men so he was going to head back to the drawbridge. He had to get to the foyer before he lost his chance. He wouldn't let Zelda go.

Tomi opened his eyes. He was fully healed, finally. His body was free from injury but he was still tired and he didn't know how well he could move.

He thought he still had enough strength to use the spell his darker half used to leave. "Kironenen!" Tomi sunk through the stone ceiling and down through the various castle floors. When he reached the bottom level he looked around. He was in the foyer. Everything seemed to be the way it was an hour ago.

He heard footsteps coming from the once of the staircases ahead of him. He quickly drew his sword preparing to see his darkness or one of his skeletal minions. But to his surprise he saw Link running down the staircase, covered in blood, angry as ever.

"Link what happened?" Tomi asked, concerned.

Link narrowed his eyes and pointed his sword at him. "Don't waste you last breaths on lies. Just tell me where she is."

Tomi looked at Link hard. Zelda was gone and that would explain his anger but why was Link blaming him? Oh no, he must have gone to Link and tricked him.

"Link listen to me. What you saw wasn't what you think. My darkness is already on his way out of here, we have to get him before he gets out of our grasp." Tomi said.

"You're just trying to fool with my head. Now tell me where she is!" Link said through gritted teeth.

"No, Link you must listen, I am not lying to you. My darkness must have come to you and confused you. Please Link you must believe me." Tomi pleaded.

"Enough of this then, if you aren't going to tell me, then I'll beat it out of you!" Link unleashed a battle cry and ran at Tomi.

Tomi quickly drew his sword and began blocking Link's flurry of attacks. He couldn't harm Link, he looked harmed enough as it was, emotionally and physically.

Link was trying his hardest to get through Tomi's continuous parries, but to no avail. Finally he tried to do something different; he faked an attack to Tomi's head and quickly changed course for his leg. Tomi fell for it and was sliced across the thigh with Link's sword. Link watched him topple over slightly and he back handed him across the face with his fist. Tomi fell to the floor.

Link took this opportunity and ran to the main entryway. Before he could open the door however, Tomi called out a spell.

"Mikarulat!" A wall of energy rose up between Link and the door, locking him inside. Link whirled around and charged at Tomi again. Tomi quickly jumped up to his feet and started to block Link's attacks once more.

Tomi began to realize that in order to get Link to listen to him he would have to take offense and pin him down. Tomi parried three more fierce attacks from Link and quickly slammed his elbow across Link's cheek. Link lost balance slightly and Tomi took his chance casting another spell. "Vokolran!" Link was blown by a harsh wind across the foyer and landed on his back. "Mititjen!" White vapor shot out of Tomi's hand and floated towards the younger boy. This was the spell that Tomi had tried to use on the Fierce Deity but it backfired and he ended up being bound to the floor. Link tried to stand but when he was halfway up he collided with the enchantment. He was shot back to the ground once more with his arms and legs spread, unable to move.

Tomi sheathed his sword in order to appear non-threatening and slowly walked towards his captive. When he was at Link's side he looked down at him. Link was struggling to get free from the invisible bounds but Tomi knew he had him pinned well enough to get close. He had been taught how to speak with a persuasive voice and he would need all of his skills in order to break the hold his darkness had put on Link. He crouched down lower to Link and put a hand over the boy's heart. Link didn't seem to notice, he was too preoccupied with trying to release himself.

"Link, please listen to me." Tomi pleaded. Link didn't hear him, or chose not to pay attention. "I beg you, Link, please. Try to see the truth." No matter how hard he tried, Tomi could not get through to him. Then Tomi thought of something, it was a spell that he had used only once before, it was for situations such as these.

Tomi pressed down a little harder on Link's heart and chanted, "Kuda-tiyo-magju-daja-yalle-coho-osu." Within moments the place where Tomi had his hand on Link's chest began to glow. The spell Tomi had cast allowed him to look inside Link's life force and see if there was anything that there shouldn't be, such as a curse that his darkness would have put. Tomi searched within the different energies that were part of Link's spirit. He couldn't help but notice how much light that was present in the boy's soul. It was as if he had undergone the separation as Tomi had. But one thing stood out from anything else, a small dark spot that was hardly noticeable. Tomi was sure that this was what he was looking for. Tomi immediately reached out with the spell and tried to grab the small intruder of Link's body. The little thing was taken hold of without a problem. Now Tomi only needed to say the last part of the chant and it would be gone.

"Mirada-fuyashuka-miya-duraa-sakka-hei-AHHHHH!" Tomi had begun the chant but right when he was about to end it something struck him from behind. Tomi turned an saw Impa standing over him. She had he dagger in hand and it was pointed and his throat.

"Let go of him, now!" Impa cried. Tomi didn't remove his hand from Link's heart but he turned his head a bit more in order to get a better view of Impa.

"You don't understand he's been cursed by--," Before Tomi could finish his sentence he was smacked across the face with such force that he fell onto his side.

"You! I knew you were not to be trusted." Because of the impact Tomi's hand was removed and the spell had ended. Tomi would have to go back in, in order to get rid of the curse. Also, because his focus had been put elsewhere the invisible bounds vanished from Link's wrists and ankles. Link stood up and grabbed his sword again. Now Tomi would have to try to contain Link while persuading Impa of his good intentions.

Tomi quickly stood and drew his sword again, right in time to see Impa pull out small knives that he recognized as kunai. One at a time Impa threw them at him while Link charged. Tomi quickly deflected every kunai with his sword and came down with a strike on Link's sword. Impa quickly joined the fight with her dagger and all at once Tomi was fighting two on one.

All three of them were moving too quickly in order for Tomi to cast a spell. Another problem was that fighting two enemies was not a normal thing for him, not to mention that both of them had particularly light weapons and so they could move with rapid attacks. He was able to block every attack, but just barely.

Tomi slashed at both of them, Impa leaned back with a dodge while Link ducked. Link, being under Tomi's defensive zone jabbed the pummel of his sword into Tomi's stomach. The unexpected force made Tomi double over, which gave Impa a chance to do a dozen light slashes on him. Quickly Link stood back up to his full height and slashed away as well. Tomi was helpless, slash after slash more of his blood was spilt and his robe became mere strips of cloth. Tomi tried his best to take back control of the fight but every attempt was worthless.

Finally Impa drove her dagger into Tomi's abdomen while Link shoved the pummel of his sword against Tomi's throat, making him unable to breathe. Tomi's body finally gave out and he collapsed on the floor. Defeated.

Link looked down at his enemy. He had destroyed the one who took Zelda away from him for the second time. Yet…something seemed a bit off. Link looked over at Impa who had a smirk on her face. Strange, Link had never seen her happy over killing something, let alone a person. As if she felt him looking at her she looked back at him.

"You'd better go and rescue her, there's no telling what they'll do to her if you don't get there in time to stop them." Impa said. Link hesitantly nodded and walked towards the doorway. When he was almost there however, he saw that the barrier Tomi had placed was still there. That meant…

Link whirled around and looked at Impa again. What he saw on her face was shocking to him. She had an expression of pure ominous bliss, as if this day could not have been better, regardless of a death, a betrayal, and capture of Zelda. Link had never seen her like this; he had never seen anyone like this, not even Ganondorf. That's when Link remembered something. It was something that Tomi had said to him during his description of his darkness. No, he couldn't believe it, it couldn't be true. But in his heart, Link knew it was.

Without a word Link drew his sword again. He walked towards the body of Tomi again and looked down at his unmoving body. Impa looked up as he saw Link approach again. "What?" She asked impatiently.

Without looking up at her he said, "The barrier at the door is still up, he's still alive." In the corner of his eye he saw Impa's eyes widen.

"Then, let me finish this." Impa declared. Link saw her reach for another kunai from her belt but right before she could reach it Link stabbed his sword right through Impa's chest.

All was silent except Impa coughing up black blood. Black, the color of the skeleton knights' hearts, and that was exactly what she was. Link had remembered that Tomi told him the skeleton minions of his darkness could have any identity, except for a few flaws and this creature had the flaw of Impa's personality.

Link watched emotionless as Impa's appearance transformed into once of the armored skeletons. Link pulled his sword out of its chest before it fell to the ground, dead.

Link immediately crouched beside Tomi would was barely holding onto life. But Tomi was able to open his eyes and look at Link. Link looked up and down Tomi's body as if looking for someway to heal him. The only thing he could think of was taking out the dagger from his abdomen. But right when he reached for it Tomi stopped him.

"No…it is too late." Tomi whispered. His words were barely audible. "You must…do this alone. But…there is still…hope. Link…please…repeat after me. Dayu-Cogein."

"Dayu-Cogein." Link said. He felt terrible; he knew he was going to be the cause of Tomi's death. He knew that because of him he had to fight his darkness alone. Completely alone. Tears were threatening to spill over in Link's eyes but he did not show it on his face. He couldn't have weakness for the battle that was going to happen.

"Use it…that spell...when you see my darkness. You can beat him…Link. I know…I know…you can." Tomi said. His breath was sort both he and Link knew it was over. "Good…bye...friend."

"Goodbye, my friend." Link knew that he could finally say that with truth. Never had Tomi wished him true harm, he only cared about saving Hyrule and its people. That was a hero in Link's book.

And with that, Tomi the last White Wizard was dead.

Link stood up and sheathed his sword. He turned his back on the castle foyer and ran outside. The barrier that had been there was down. Link sprinted to the stables and grabbed the nearest horse with a saddle. He mounted it and charged out. Then he rode, past the gate, past the market, past the drawbridge, and out to the Hyrule fields. Not once looking back.

End of Part 7