Chapter IV – Evil Strikes.
*One year later, Spirit Tracks begins*
Link, Princess Zelda and Alfonzo were heading for the Tower Of Spirits with the train. Link was driving it… Suddenly the tracks where the train was riding on, vanished before his eyes. Link took the brake and the train ran off the tracks… The train stopped and Link stepped out. Princess Zelda and Alfonzo walked out of the train and saw that the tracks are gone… Alfonzo looked the other way, "Your Highness, look over there!" he said. Link and Zelda turned around and saw a dark cloud approaching them and the Tower Of Spirits. Purple foams circled around the Tower, suddenly the Tower breaks apart into 5 pieces. By a mystic power, the pieces of the Tower remains floating above the ground. "What's happening to the Tower Of Spirits?" Zelda asked. Link heard a sound and looked at his left… "Hey, look!" Link said and Zelda and Alfonzo looked into the same direction. Blue-dark foams were approaching them, and they heard something coming out of it… It sounded like… A train… The foams disappeared and a huge demonic train with a demon-face appeared. The train ride just above Link and Zelda's head, they dodged it in time. Black foams came out of the train, making the gang cough.
"Out for a leisurely stroll, Your Highness?" said a voice, "Tsk, tsk, tsk! You know that's not allowed!". Zelda recognized the voice, "Allowed by who? You, Chancellor Cole?". Chancellor Cole gave a smirk and revealed his two horns that he was hiding underneath his hats, "Who else? Who do you think is really in charge?". "Gasp!" the gang said. Byrne appeared next to Cole. "My goodness, pretending to be human is exhausting. Who knew that chancellor was just another word… for royal babysitter?" Cole continued, "I had meant to keep up the ruse a bit longer. But you pushed me to this, Princess. Bringing in the boy and the engineer didn't help either.". "What are you talking about?" Zelda asked.
Cole sighed and said, "I'm talking about your infernal meddling! But now that those vile tracks are disappearing, the time is finally at hand! All we need now is… A little help, hee hee, from you, Your Highness!". Zelda gasped, but Alfonzo stood at front of her to protect her. "I don't know who these two are, Your Highness. But with your permission…" Alfonzo said and draw his sword, "I'd be happy to teach them some manners." Cole floated just above the ground, "Nyee hee hee hee hee! How gallant! How brave! How incredibly foolhardy!" he said. "Enough out of you! My family has served the royal house for generations!" Alfonzo replied. Cole looked at Byrne, "Melodrama bores me. Byrne, would you kindly dispose of this fool?".
"This man speaks the truth, Cole. His movements are not those of an amateur." Byrne said, "But he is only human.". Byrne and Alfonzo prepared for battle, Alfonzo swings his sword, but kept missing. "I told you, I will defend the princess at any cost!" Alfonzo said. "And I told you. You're only human." Byrne replied. Byrne turned around and hit Alfonzo on his back with his right arm. Alfonzo tried to defend himself by holding his sword at front of him, but got badly hit by Byrne with his arm-weapon. He hit Alfonzo so hard that he flew in the air and hit with his back onto the train, knocking him out. Cole gave Byrne an applause, "Nyee hee hee hee hee! Oh, Byrne, you do know how to put on a show!". "It was hardly a fair fight, Cole." Byrne said and walked toward Zelda. "Help me, Link!" Zelda said and Link stood at front of her. "Don't you dare to hurt her!" Link warned. Byrne raised his right arm up and smacked Link away, leaving him unconscious. Byrne got closer, "No! Don't come any closer!" Zelda said.
Suddenly Cole showed up and blasted two purple energy-balls at Zelda, "killing" her. Zelda lost her conscious, her spirit flew out of her body and fled back to Castle Town. "Good work, Byrne. That takes care of the first step of our plan." Cole said and snickered, "Nyee hee hee hee hee! Our work is done here. Come now, Byrne!". Byrne grabbed Zelda and headed with Cole to the top of the Tower Of Spirits. Soon, my angel, you'll be reunited with me… Byrne thought…
*Many time later, after obtaining the Fire Rail Map.*
Link and Zelda had succeeded to obtain the last Rail Map. Zelda giggled in joy and Link smiled upon it. "We got the last one, Zelda!", Link said. "Alright! High-Five!", Zelda said, and they both gave "High-Five". "So this is your handiwork, is it?" said a voice. Link and Zelda got spooked and recognized the voice. A purple light appeared and Byrne warped behind them. "Restoring the Spirit Tracks… Rebuilding this tower… You two were behind of it all, weren't you?" Byrne said. Link and Zelda turned around and saw the same warrior that they've met before. Zelda got behind Link and Link stood position to protect her. "It didn't have to come to this, you know. If you'd just minded your own business…" Byrne said and was about to hit them with his arm-weapon. "STOP, BYRNE!" said a voice. Byrne and the heroes looked over where the voice came from. It was Anjean. "I always suspected this day would come. Indeed, I had a premonition the day since you left the tower about a year ago." she said. There was silence… Until Link and Zelda understood what Anjean just said, that Byrne used to protect the Tower. "HEH?" they both said. "You refuse to listen to me at all…All of this changed since "it" happened, 5 years ago…". Byrne knew exactly what she was talking about and clenched his right hand into a fist, like he did before long ago. "And now look at you. How can I face the spirits of good?" Anjean continued, "The spirits sent us here to continue their work! That you would try to resurrect the Demon King… It's unfathomable to me… and only because you wanted to have "her" back…". "Don't you dare to mention her again!" Byrne said louder and moved toward Anjean. He always hated that she used his beloved one against him. "What are they talking about, Link?" Zelda whispered softly to Link. "I have no idea, Zelda…" Link whispered back.
"So is this what you really want, Byrne? Did you ever wonder what "she" would never wanted this in the first place? Did you even thought of that at all?" Anjean continued. "I SAID… STOP MENTIONING HER!" Byrne screamed and attacked Anjean, but missed his attack. Anjean just dodged away and fired an energy-ball toward Byrne, which it hit him and send him onto the wall. "Hurry to the Fire Temple, Your Highness! Quickly!" Anjean said, "You too, Link! Restore the Spirit Tracks!" and energy floated around Link and Zelda. "But, Anjean, what about you?" Zelda said. "Go! I'll handle this situation!" Anjean said and warped the two heroes away. Byrne got up, but he was too late to stop Link and Zelda. "Now then…" Anjean said, "Shall we continue?". Byrne stood his position to battle Anjean, his former Master. "Perhaps this time, things will be different.".
To Be Continued…