Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews! I would've updated a bit sooner, but I went back to add another part to this chapter. In the end, this turned out to be my longest chapter ever! Enjoy the action!
Disclaimer: I don't own Link or anything else from the games. Nintendo has the honor to own it. I also don't own the quote. However, I own Celestria as well as my OCs.
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"Even when we know what is right, too often we fail to act. More often we grab greedily for the day, letting tomorrow bring what it will, putting off the unpleasant and unpopular."
-- Bernard M. Baruch
Chapter 9: I Said No!
"So this is the Arion you were telling us about over dinner?" Link stepped closer to the Messenger. Arion growled at the Hylian, causing him to take a step back. "He's not very friendly."
Veiviser grinned wildly, "It's not Arion's fault. He's not very trusting anymore. But he agreed to help us, which is the important part."
Arion nodded his head in affirmation. He sat down, observing the three Messengers and their riders carefully. To him, he was simply doing this because he wanted to see Kamaria again. If she didn't want to go back to the castle, he would fight to make sure that she stayed where she was. If she wanted to come home, he would gladly give her a ride. These others were just a means to get to her.
Midna looked at the newest member to their group. She didn't like the feral way the Messenger acted, but she couldn't argue that this was probably their best chance at finding the princess. Ever since her hopes for another way to get to the Light Realm had failed, Midna knew that the only way would be to use the amulet with Kamaria. Finding her was more essential than ever.
"Well, let's get going." Midna announced.
Soon the town on Honap drifted into view. The same group of kids who had been playing in the river the day before were passing a ball back and forth. They looked up and stared at the group in wonder. There were four Messengers now, but only three riders. What did that mean? The kids began whispering to one another.
Only one girl stood apart from her friends. Her red eyes narrowed as she saw the riders. She stayed like that for a few moments before rearranging her expression to a more neutral one. With a small smile, she walked up to the group.
"Hey Lita, where are you going?" The oldest boy shouted at her back, but she ignored him. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and then went back to gossiping with the other kids.
"Why did you come back?" Lita asked innocently as she neared the group.
"We didn't find what we were looking for yesterday, but we think we can find her today." Midna answered.
Veiviser nodded his head eagerly. "I can't wait to see her. Hopefully she still remembers me."
"No one can forget your large ears." Link joked, earning a scowl in his direction.
"Why do you think you'll find her today?" Lita asked. Her hands gripped the hem of her shirt as she stared up at them.
"We have help. Now if you don't mind, we'll be going." Midna maneuvered Sleipnir around Lita towards the town gates.
Lita watched their backs with a look of hatred painted on to her face. As Arion glanced back at her, she quickly smiled, hiding away all traces of her anger. The Messenger gave her a questioning glance before turning his head back towards Honap.
"So Arion, can you smell her?" Veiviser asked Arion.
The Messenger sniffed at the air. It was a mixture of many scents, but he could detect the distinct smell of his old rider. It didn't matter that he had not smelled it for a long time. Ever since his birth, he had felt a connection towards the princess. Arion loped off towards a squat home covered in ivy.
"I visited that place yesterday." Midna spoke, recognizing the building almost instantly. "The only people I saw were a grumpy old guy and his wife."
"Maybe she's hiding there." Veiviser said with a shrug. "It doesn't matter anyway. We're going to see Kamy! Yay!" Some startled citizens gave the yelling boy rude glances before turning back to their usual business.
The trio followed Arion, leaving their own Messengers situated by the town's gates. As they neared the house, Midna wondered why she hadn't realized how suspicious the man's behavior had been. The wife must have been covering it up by pretending his attitude was regular. Or maybe he was suspicious of outsiders because he was housing the exiled princess. Well, they would find out all about that.
"Is she inside?" Veiviser asked as they came to a stop in front of the door. Arion nodded.
Instantly Veiviser hammered a fist on the door. There was a loud groan from inside and then heavy footsteps. The door slid open to reveal the pale blonde Twili from before. He scowled as he recognized Midna.
"What are you doing back here? I told you I ain't harboring anybody, but my own family." He tapped the door, so that it began to slide down.
"No!" Veiviser slid down to the ground, quickly sliding himself between the door and the ground.
"Stop doing that!" The man kicked at Veiviser. Meanwhile, he stopped the door's progress down, so that it would not crush the boy lying there. "Are you an idiot? I said we don't have any strangers here. Now quit it." He gave Veiviser another kick.
The large-eared boy scowled. "Hey, no need to beat me up. I'm not doing any harm."
The man was about to reply, but Midna beat him to the punch. "We know Kamaria's in there. Now please allow us to fetch her. The kingdom is falling into disarray and we need her."
"I told you I don't know of any missing princesses." The man growled at Veiviser and attempted to shove him aside. Veiviser clung to the bottom of the door with an air of determination around him. "Now get out before I call the mayor on you for attempting to break into my house."
"But we really do know Kamaria's in here. Arion, her old Messenger, smelled her in here." Link explained.
"I don't care what anyone thinks. I'm not harboring any fugitives and you have no right to search my house anyway."
"But we really do-" Veiviser began to complain when the voice of a young girl stopped them.
"Daddy, just let them in."
"But Aysel, they're…" The man's voice trailed off as he mouthed words to the girl.
Arion had perked up at the sound of her voice. He began pawing anxiously at the door, whining softly. Veiviser had his head cocked. The voice was a familiar one, but he needed to be sure.
"Let them in, Orson." The voice spoke again except this time it held a commanding edge to it.
Orson grumbled, but raised the door up. Instantly Arion ran past him and tackled the girl. Midna came in slowly, carefully stepping over Veiviser. Link paused to help the boy up before continuing inside. The door slid shut behind them.
"Stop it Arion." The girl laughed, pushing the Messenger off her. She stood up and dusted off her simple dress.
The girl wasn't very tall, but she wasn't too short either. Her crimson hair was choppy and ended right below her ear lobes. Purple eyes stared intently at the newcomers. Her skin was covered in red, intricate designs. Despite her simple dress, she held the pose of a noble. On closer examination, her black and white skin had a light covering of dirt, probably from work done around the house.
"Kamy! It's really you!" Veiviser launched himself across the short hallway with his arms outstretched. Tears of joy flew from his bright eyes. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again."
His arms encircled the girl for a few seconds before she wriggled away from him. Her purple eyes shined with happiness at the sight of her old friend, but her face was carefully composed into a small frown.
Kamaria shook her head. "I don't go by that name anymore." Veiviser gave the girl a questioning look. "Like Orson said, I go by Aysel now."
"Aysel?" Veiviser considered it for a few moments before shaking his head. "You're still Kamaria to me. We're going to take you back home."
Her eyes flashed in irritation. "This is my home now."
"I thought I heard more voices. What is going on here?" A female voice, the same that had apologized for Orson's behavior the day before, came through the walls. A few seconds later, the woman had walked into the hallway, her red eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the strangers.
Orson walked over to his wife and looked at the group. "I suppose we should all sit down and talk about this and what exactly you want with my daughter." He huffed grudgingly.
"Daughter? But you're not from here." Veiviser cocked his head in confusion. "You're from Lunaris."
"I'll explain." Kamaria said with a sigh. She quietly muttered, "Why did you have to come?"
Midna glanced at Link. So this was the Princess Kamaria she had heard so much about. Perhaps after they told the story of what was going on in Lunaris, she would agree to come. However, from the looks of things, she appeared to be quite the brat at the moment.
The trio and Arion were guided into the living room. A large window allowed light into the room. A stuffed sofa and a few armchairs surrounded a very simple coffee table. There were a variety of patches on the chairs, indicating that they were well-worn. Unlike Veiviser's crowded walls, the walls were unadorned except for a few paintings on the wall.
Midna, Link, and Veiviser took the sofa while Kamaria sat down heavily in an armchair across from them. Arion sat by her side, his head resting against her feet. Orson and his wife sat in armchairs too.
"Can someone please explain what you are doing in our house and who exactly you are?" The wife spoke up.
"I'm Veiviser, Kamy's childhood friend." Veiviser began speaking rapidly, "We're here to get Kamaria back home because Galathron is dead and there's no one around. We need a leader and Kamy's the only one who can fit the position. That's why we need her back. Oh, and that's Midna and Link." He gestured at the other two occupying the sofa before staring at Kamaria. "So what do you say?"
"I can't go back." Kamaria tilted her head away, so she wouldn't have to look at Veiviser's expression.
"What?! Why not?" Veiviser whined. "The kingdom needs you. And I need you back."
"I swore I would never come back. I'm not even supposed to be in this kingdom, but when Orson found me, I couldn't leave this place." Kamaria smiled at Orson and his wife. "Orson and Livia took me in when I needed it. I can't leave them."
"Then we can take them with us!" Veiviser grinned. He looked over at Kamaria's 'parents'. "You two would love the castle. You'll never have to work a day in your life and you can get pampered to the extreme."
"I like my house and my work." Orson said with a shake of his head. "Whatever happens, I'm not going to Lunaris. I'll stay and die here in Honap, just like my grandparents."
"Kamaria, can you please tell us why you refuse to come with us? In fact, why don't you just tell the story of what happened after you ran away from the castle?" Midna asked before Veiviser could take a chance to speak. Veiviser's outbursts were not helping convince anyone, so Midna had decided it was her duty to take a more logical standpoint on the matter.
"Very well." Kamaria nodded her head. "But please call me Aysel here. I don't want anyone else knowing that I'm the princess."
"But you are the princess, Kamy." Veiviser pressed.
"Do you want the story or not?" Kamaria scowled at him, causing the boy to sigh and nod his head in agreement.
"Alright, Aysel tell us the story."
"After I ran away, I began traveling through the forest. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in living off the forest. Eventually I ended up collapsing and that's when Orson found me. When I woke up, I was here. At first I wanted to leave, but Orson and Livia didn't let me. They wanted to know what a child like me was doing out in the wilderness.
"I told them the truth of what had happened, hoping that it would convince them to let me leave. But I guess they didn't want the guilt of allowing a girl to wander the woods alone." Kamaria smiled at her adoptive parents. "They took me in and took care of me. I'll never forget that."
Veiviser interrupted. "That's great. In fact, I appreciate that they took such good care of my friend. But don't you want to go back?"
Kamaria shook her head. "I like it here. I swore I would never return and I won't. This place is my home. I can't just leave everything behind." She looked down at her hands. "I love the family I have here."
"But you have to come back!" Veiviser turned his head to look for help from his two friends. "Right?"
"She only has to if she cares for her kingdom." Kamaria's eyes narrowed as Midna spoke, "The streets of Lunaris are becoming more dangerous. There's no one capable left to organize anything and crime rate has been soaring. They need a leader and you're the only one they would accept. Of course, if you don't care about what happens to the kingdom, then you can just ignore them. However, if you have any shred of duty within you, you would return and take your rightful place as the queen of Celestria."
Link regarded Midna with awe, muttering, "Who knew you could make such a good speech?" She ignored Link's comment, choosing to stare directly at a fidgeting Kamaria.
"I'm only 12. I don't want to rule. I just want to live life." Kamaria choked out. "There has to be someone smart enough to lead a kingdom there. I can't be the only one."
Orson added, "Surely if things are so bad, you can just integrate Celestria in with your kingdom, Twilight Princess."
Midna shook her head whilst Veiviser laughed loudly. "Ha! You actually think the Celestrians would want a foreign leader. We're too proud to ask a foreigner to rule us."
"I know you may not want to, but it's your responsibility. Trust me, sometimes I want to run off and do whatever I want." Midna cast a glance towards Link. "But I don't because my kingdom comes first. It is that way with all good rulers."
Kamaria let out a long breath, her eyes still boring holes into her hands. "I…" Her speech was cut off by the slamming of a door.
"Nooooooo!" A long wail was soon followed by a small, blonde girl slamming into Kamaria. "You can't leave!" Red eyes turned around to glare at Vei, Link, and Midna. "You can't take my sister away from me!" She shouted hotly at them.
"Sister? You have a sister now?!" Veiviser stared incredulously at the girl.
"You're Lita, aren't you?" Link asked, recalling the questioning girl from earlier.
The girl nodded at Link. "That's right. And you can't take my sister away." She hugged Kamaria closer to her.
Kamaria smiled down at the girl, patting her soothingly on the back. "I'm not going to leave."
A smile pulled over Lita's face. At the same time, Veiviser jumped up and complained, "What?!"
"You heard me. I can't leave." Kamaria cast a glance towards her adoptive parents and then down at Lita. "This is the best family I've ever had… I can't abandon them for a kingdom that cast me out."
Lita stuck her tongue out at Veiviser. The boy scowled at the smaller girl.
"Your responsibility to your kingdom comes first, Kamaria. You must return. Just because you take on the position of queen, doesn't mean that you can never see Honap again. You can come back and visit." Midna spoke, her voice tinged with anger. Why couldn't this girl see that she was needed?
"I don't care." Kamaria glared at Midna. "An exile never returns. I have a new responsibility here on this farm. I still need to teach Lita how to do certain things. To me, this family has become more important. I love them."
The next words out of Midna's mouth hurt her. "Sometimes a leader must put their kingdom before their own feelings" The words were far too close to the reason why she had shattered the mirror in the first place and they reminded her painfully of the days without Link. It was hard, but it was necessary.
"Maybe you can do that, but I can't. I can't come back to a kingdom and a capital city that has no need for me. They can find another way to secure themselves. There are plenty of adults who can handle this."
"You're being immature." Midna shouted. "The treasury will not open without royal blood! How do you propose the guards get their pay?"
Kamaria shrugged indifferently. "Blast open the doors."
"But Kamy, don't you care about us. The Kamaria I knew would never turn her back on those in need. She would fight for them even if it sacrificed her own happiness." Veiviser begged. Tears were streaming down the Twili's face.
"That Kamaria is long-gone. The only ones I care about are my family and the others in Honap." Kamaria stood up and turned her head away. Lita tumbled down to the ground and stared up at her 'sister'.
"Don't you want to reconsider?" Link piped up.
"No." Kamaria shook her head. "Now leave and never come back. I've told you everything I wish to say." Arion whined softly. Kamaria looked down upon the Messenger. "You can stay if you wish, Arion."
The Messenger nodded his head eagerly before growling at Veiviser who had tried stepping closer to Kamaria.
"Please… Kamy, don't be like this." Vei begged, his tone becoming more desperate with every passing second.
"Just leave, Vei." Kamaria said softly. She walked stiffly off. Veiviser reached out for her, only to be stopped by a growling Messenger.
Lita smiled widely and stuck out her tongue at the trio. "Don't come back. Ever." She added for emphasis before happily skipping after Kamaria.
"You better leave." Orson said with a heavy sigh. "I wish you luck in finding someone else." He opened the door for them, making a shooing motion with his hands.
"This isn't the end!" Veiviser shouted. "I'll drag you all the way to Lunaris myself! Do you hear that, Kamaria?"
"Scram!" Orson grabbed the boy by the collar and tossed him out of the house. He looked at Midna and Link. "Am I going to have to do the same to you two?" They shook their hands and left the house on their own feet. The door slammed shut.
"That was a huge failure." Link sighed, his head falling.
"Kamaria was a lot different than I imagined her to be." Midna added.
The Kamaria from Vei's stories had sounded caring and selfless. The Kamaria, or Aysel as she preferred being called, didn't care about the kingdom. She was an immature brat unfit to rule a kingdom. But Celestria desperately needed someone to take the crown and bring everything under control. What could they do?
"She wasn't always like that." Veiviser shook his head sadly as he picked himself off the ground. "I just wish she was the Kamy I knew."
"Psst…" A window opened and Livia's head popped out. She gestured for them to come closer.
"What do you want?" Veiviser asked grouchily.
"I want to offer help. I can't guarantee anything, but I might be able to convince Ay- I mean Kamaria to return." Livia whispered.
"Why would you do that?" Midna asked, pressing a hand on Vei's shoulder before he could jump up and down in excitement.
Livia's lips pressed together grimly. "Lita and Orson are both narrow-minded, but what can you expect from people who have never left the village? I was born in a merchant's caravan, so I know a bit more about the outside world." She added, after seeing a cloud of confusion upon their faces.
"So?" Veiviser asked, crossing his arms.
"Lita does not remember a time without Kamaria while Orson loves her too much to release her. I love her too, but he cannot see the bigger picture. I have seen the chaos that can engulf a village without a leader. The chaos that would spread over Celestria is far worse." Livia shook her head sadly. "The land would not be peaceful anywhere and the chaos would even touch Honap. It is likely that ambitious Twili will start constructing armies to fight for the crown and they may seek recruits in our villages. I do not want that to happen, so I will help you."
"Thank you." Midna smiled at Livia. "We appreciate anything you can do to help."
There was a yell from somewhere inside the house. Livia glanced behind her and began to close the window. "I better go. Good-bye." The window closed.
"I don't understand… Why was Kamy acting like that?" Veiviser muttered, staring at the ground. He kicked at a pebble.
"People change, Vei." Link replied with a sigh. Seeing Veiviser's face fall even more, he added, "Maybe Livia will change her mind and she'll be back to her old self then?"
"You really think so?" Veiviser's yellow eyes gleamed with hope. Link nodded his head.
"This isn't the end of things." Midna said with a shake of her head. "Now let's head home before Link topples over in exhaustion."
"I'm not that tired!" Link complained. It was partly true, partly not. He did feel a bit tired and his footsteps were beginning to drag.
--
They were approaching Lunaris at what Midna considered to be a good pace. Already they could see the large city in the field. She glanced at Link who was leaning forward on Macha. His face was a deathly pale that terrified Midna when she saw it.
"We're almost home." She called to him, in case he hadn't bothered to look up at the approaching city.
Link glanced up before nodding his head. "I hope Naeva's got a good meal ready for us."
Midna opened her mouth to agree when an arrow whistled by her ear, drawing some blood from the tip. Instead of complimenting Naeva's culinary skills, she warned, "Attack!"
Five figures on Messengers circled the trio. The Twili wore light armor, obviously meant for chasing and ambushing their prey rather than heavy combat. Their faces were unidentifiable behind black masks. One of the Twili held a bow while the others each proceeded to drawing cutlasses.
As they were surrounded, the three Messengers backed up, forming a miniature circle of their own for defensive purposes. Sleipnir growled at the other Messengers, his mane raised up in a threatening position. Macha and Eclipse took similar poses.
"What are you doing this for?" Midna asked. She drew the Twi Blade from its scabbard on her back. Despite the fact that this was supposed to be a peaceful mission, Midna had been unable to leave the sword behind in her room.
None of the assassins answered. Instead they silently approached, the one with the bow ditching the weapon for an exact replica of the other cutlasses.
"Sweet!" Veiviser had not said anything for a long time, but now his ears perked up in excitement. "I get to show you my mad battle skills." His club materialized in his hand.
"A club is supposed to kill? I thought you had to be strong to wield one with enough power to kill people." Link asked as he drew the Master Sword.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Veiviser sent a small pulse of magic through his club. Instantly iron spikes burst from the surface of the club. He swished the club through the air.
"Never mind. I should learn that Twili weapons are never simple." Link sighed, turning his attention towards two of the assassins.
"Leave one alive for interrogation." Midna murmured before tapping Sleipnir.
Sleipnir charged towards one of the Messengers with a snarl. The assassin pulled a secret knife from his belt and launched it towards Midna. Sleipnir's reflexes were quick as his tentacles reached up and swatted the knife away. Black blood spluttered out from the tentacle where the knife had left a cut. Sleipnir howled in pain, but ignored it.
By now, Sleipnir was right next to the assassin. Midna swung the Twi Blade in an arc, cutting through the thin chainmail that the assassin wore. Blood squirted out, splashing across Midna and Sleipnir. She would have to clean herself up later.
Link was having a tougher time in his battle against the two assassins he had chosen to target. If he was in full condition, these two would be dead right now. However, it was not so simple. His head was starting to throb terribly and his vision was fuzzy.
Macha noticed her rider's disability and had wrapped a tentacle around his wrist to protect himself further. The ferocity of her charge surprised one of the Messengers, lending Link the time to stab the Master Sword into the assassin's chest. Link withdrew his sword, sending blood backwards. Fortunately, Macha's momentum had been enough to drive the sword through the Twili's chest (making the kill easier). However, the fight was quickly taking a toll on Link.
The other assassin had not even paused to glance at his dead companion. Instead he rode at Link, raising his cutlass to swipe the Hylian's head off. Link's ears twitched in alarm, and he let himself drop off of Macha. The blade passed harmlessly overhead. While he had avoided being cut up, the fall had stunned Link. He lay on the ground, breathing heavily and fighting back the growing urge to faint.
Meanwhile, Veiviser was grappling with another assassin. Eclipse was dancing back and forth, dodging any swipe the assassin made at Vei. A knife left the assassin's hand, slicing Veiviser's arm. The boy let out a yelp and scowled.
"You did not just do that! Do you know what I do to people who slice my arm?!" The assassin did not answer the rhetorical question. "Maneuver Omega 6!" He shouted, causing Eclipse to glance briefly in confusion at Veiviser.
Veiviser did not see the confusion as he was too busy leaping off of Eclipse's back to barrel into a surprised assassin. The two fell to the ground, Veiviser bringing his spiked club down on to the mask of the assassin. The mask cracked under the force. Veiviser pulled back as the struggling body went limp. A bloodied face stared back lifelessly.
Midna had turned to face yet another assassin. Admiring the obsidian blade as it glimmered in the twilight, Midna sent a wave of magic coursing through the Twi Blade. This magic welled up and enveloped the assassin. He let out a quiet gasp before toppling over as Veiviser brought his club down from behind. The two smiled at each other briefly before wheeling around.
"Link!" Midna shouted along with Vei.
The Hylian never heard the words. They were drowned out by the wind rushing through his ears as he lost consciousness. The remaining assassin jumped off his Messenger, leaving it to distract Macha.
"Oh no you don't." Midna growled at the assassin.
She surrounded the assassin in magic, sending a very powerful blast of it at his knees. The assassin kneeled in pain, panting softly. Midna rushed over to the assassin. As she ran, the assassin lifted a hand and sent a knife in her direction. Midna's reflexes were fast, but not fast enough to completely avoid the dagger. It glanced off her shoulder, paining her but not doing any lethal damage.
"Who sent you?" Midna snarled as she reached the assassin. Her magic had constructed a giant hand, which had wrapped tightly around the assassin.
She tugged off his mask, revealing a bald Twili with teal markings. Orange eyes stared at her with a mixture of fear and defiance. Despite the fact that he was now unmasked, he did not reply to Midna's question.
"Who sent you?" She shook the Twili, causing more fear to enter his eyes.
The assassin shook his head. He blubbered out. "I don't know."
"Describe them." Midna commanded. "Or else."
The assassin opened his mouth to speak when his face suddenly contorted in pain. He began to scream as his skin turned a crimson shade. A second later, as they stared in confusion and shock, he exploded. Blood splattered on Midna. From the groans coming from her side, Veiviser had similarly been drenched. Bits of flesh that had not been consumed in the magical explosion lay around the field.
"Who would have done something so wicked?" Veiviser asked softly, staring at the blood spot where the assassin had once stood.
Midna shook her head slightly. She didn't know who would do such a thing. It was sadistic and cruel, but it was also a safety net to keep information from reaching the enemy. The only thing Midna was sure of was that someone very dangerous was after them.
--
There was an incessant knocking on the door. Orson scowled. Dinner had finished an hour ago and he had been engrossed in a whittling project. If whoever was knocking turned out to be a stranger, Orson was going to shut the door. Already, one group of strangers had bothered him and he had no desires to deal with anymore.
"Yes?" Orson inquired, glaring through the small peephole he had opened in the door. Seeing an unfamiliar figure entirely in black, the scowl deepened. "What do you want?"
"I want to show you my wares." The figure's voice was a light hiss.
Orson did not trust it for many reasons. One was that the figure's face was entirely cloaked, so reading their emotion was impossible. Second, the voice did not reveal the gender, which aroused Orson's suspicion. Third, his gut was telling him to slam the peephole shut.
"Go away! I don't want anything!" Orson growled, slamming the peephole. He turned his back and walked down the hallway, intent on returning to the wooden Kangaroc he was carving for his daughter.
There was a sudden blast, sending Orson to the ground. The Twili was pinned to the ground by the stone fragments that had once been his door. He coughed and watched as the dust settled to the ground.
The shadowy figure knelt by him. "Where is she?" It hissed into his face.
"Where is who?" Orson growled, coughing slightly. He was not easily intimidated and while this figure terrified him, he would sooner die than reveal anything.
"The princess. Where is she?!" The figure's voice was quiet, but it was also very furious.
"I don't know what you're talking about." The day had finally arrived. Ever since Orson had learned that his adoptive daughter was the princess of Celestria, he had always feared the day when someone would find her. He had known that the group that spoke to them today would end up causing trouble even if they were unaware of it.
The figure's hand glowed violet. A small dagger made of indigo magic formed in the figure's hand. The dagger pressed against Orson's throat, making a small cut into the flesh. Some blood trickled to the floor, mixing with the blood that had begun to drip from his back.
"Tell me or else." It hissed angrily.
"I told you I have no idea what you're talking about." Orson spat. He was losing patience with this figure. Perhaps losing patience with someone who could easily kill was not the best idea, but that was the way things were.
"Tell! She's somewhere in this house, isn't she?" The figure dug the knife further into the man's throat.
He groaned at the pain and sighed, "Fine. I'll tell." The words gurgled out from his mouth. He paused to spit out some blood.
"Yes?" The figure moved the knife back, its voice turning into a gleeful hiss. "Go on."
"She's gone." Orson smirked.
"What?! She would not have left you all alone. I know this! She refused to return home! How could she have left? You're lying!" The knife was back into his flesh, cutting ever closer to his jugular.
"Okay then… She's hiding. I told her to go and hide somewhere so no one can use trickery to take her away." Orson was still smirking. Ever since the strangers had left, Orson had gone to vast measures to ensure his daughter's safety.
The figure considered this new development. It had suspected an easy kill today. A simple assassination done by getting into the house and now it appeared that the princess had disappeared. It would search the house thoroughly for her.
"Daddy… What's going on?" A trembling voice spoke, taking in the scene of her father kneeling on the floor, his head held up by the shadowy figure.
The figure turned to look at the girl. This wasn't the princess. This was just a small child, completely innocent of any disastrous deeds.
"Run, Lita." Orson commanded. "Run!"
The girl's lip trembled as she shook her head. Tears rolled down her face. "Daddy! Daddy!"
"Lita!" Orson's voice turned very strict, causing the girl's tears to stop falling. "Listen to me. Run away with your mother. Don't look back. Daddy's just taking care of some business."
Lita's eyes shone with trust as she nodded her head. As she turned away, she asked, "Everything's going to be okay, right Daddy?"
"Everything will be fine." Orson lied.
"Okay then." Lita ran off, her tiny feet making quick sounds as she ran to awaken her mother.
The figure watched her go, but to Orson's relief, it did not pursue. Instead it turned back to Orson and sneered, "How precious. Lies made to a kid to protect them."
"She doesn't relate to this problem." Orson growled. He didn't like the way this thing acted. He didn't like how inhumane it sounded.
The figure didn't make any motion to indicate it had heard Orson. Instead it said in a rather calm voice, "One of my ancestors said those very same things to her daughter. Do you want to know what happened?"
Orson trembled. He had a feeling he knew what happened though he had no desires to let the fact be uttered aloud. "You'll never find her. She's safe from your evil. You'll never find her." A crazed laugh bubbled up from the man's chest.
"Useless." It hissed before sliding the knife deep into Orson's throat.
Orson let out a choking sound, some blood bubbling up past his lips. His head dropped down to the ground as scarlet blood began to coat the floor. The figure stood up, dusting off its garments. The magical knife flashed out of sight as the figure walked towards the stairs. It would find the princess and kill her. Vengeance would be made.
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A/N: And that's a wrap for today, folks! I enjoyed writing the later part of this chapter especially since it's been a long time since I've wrote action. Action is hard to write sometimes, but it's also really fun to do. Some questions to consider: Who was that figure? Where has Kamaria gone? Will I ever take over the world? All shall be answered soon (except the world domination thing… It's a long-term project). Reviews are appreciated and make me very happy though you are not obligated to press the button down below.
Twilight Phantom Dragon