The Last One
My body trembled with horror, as the words synced in. "Your people are dead." As I fell to my knees, I could feel my already shattered heart be being crushed into a million pieces, my artic blood freezing into ice and small tears of unimaginable pain pouring out of my eyes. I turn to my mother, and see she no worse than me, though she was clearly holding back the tears.
Nothing could express the pain and horror I was experiencing. Every small part of my being was crying in despair, hoping with every last part of them that, Crom was lying. It could not be true! It just could not! "YOU ARE LYING! I KNOW YOU ARE! YOU JUST WANT TO WATCH OUR PAIN FOR YOUR OWN AMUSEMENT! YOU ARE LYING! STOP LYING TO US!" I screamed out in despair, as I turned back to Crom Cruach, with tears of pains flowed down my face.
Crom merely chuckled darkly, which quickly silenced me. "Oh, but I am not lying dear Aisling. Everyone you have ever known and ever loved is gone. The resistance of your father was in vain. He and his soldiers fought desperately to defeat me, but one-by-one they all fell, until finally your father fell. Before my shadows consumed him completely, I could just barely hear his dying words: "I am so sorry Aisling, I did not survive." He grinned darkly, as he watched my torment.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" I screamed out in pain, I clenched my ears trying to block out his voice. Crom only let out a dark laughter at this, which echoed throughout the forest.
"Be silent! I will not let you harm my daughter!" My mother yelled, as she ran in front of me and pulled out her bow and an arrow, and raised it to Crom's eye. Crom frowned at this, and with incredibly fast speed sent her flying several feet away with his tongues.
"MOTHER!" I cried out, as I ran as fast as I could, towards her. Worry gripped me, as I got closer. When I was a few feet away from her, I could see her move a little, before Crom blocked my path and imprisoned me in a square like path, as he looked down on me. I tried desperately to climb out, but simply by touching the bitter cold scales of Crom, I could feel my body dying.
Crom chuckled, as I jerked my now very thin and wrinkled hand back. I fell onto the ground as my strength was sipped out of body. Crom's chuckle died out, as he continued: "Once your foolish father, was taken care of I went to look for the rest of your kind. But of course it did not take long to find out, that they were not in their homes. Bur rather your father and mother had been kind enough, to let them all hide in your castle. And when I found out, do you want to know what I did?"
"N-n-n-no! Shut up! S-s-shut up! P-p-p-please. I-I-I-I do not w-want to know," I stuttered, as I grew weaker and weaker.
Crom simply continued, regardless of my pain: "When I found out, I went to your beloved home castle…and I tore. It. Down! Of course that was when I saw the tunnel, and the rest of your kind, that were unable to enter the cave in time. So I sent my shadows to down there, and killed what little few of your kind there were left. I can assure you, child. If the cave in did not kill them, then my shadows most certainly did." I cried in pain and horror as not only was I being drained, but was told that every one of my people had been killed. Oisin, Ronan, Nuala, my father. All dead. All gone. None of them were coming back.
Crom simply laughed at my pain, as the air kept turning colder, the wind hollowed and the birds continued cawing, joining Crom in his laugh. "Your people are dead, child. And now you shall join the-AARGHHHHHH!" Crom screamed in pain, as an arrow hit his eye only a few feet away from his center. I weakly turned to the source of the arrow, and saw my mother jumping over the body of Crom Cruach, bow in hand and land next to me.
"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!" She shouted in a fire like rage, as she picked me up and jumped over Crom's body.
As she ran from him, I could see as Crom stretched out his tongues, and used it to pull the arrow out of his eye, as it healed up shortly afterwards. "GET BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!" He roared with an equally dangerous fury, as he slithered after us.
Mother simply ignored him and kept running; still hold a firm grip on me. She ran through tress, bushes and rocks, but Crom would keep following her. After playing cat and mouse with him for a few minutes, I could feel my strength returning, as my body turned back to its natural state. My mother saw this, and quickly climbed up the nearest tree. Crom shot a large amount of his venom shadows at the tree we were on, slowly killing it. Mother leapt to the tree next to it, and gently placed me down. There she ordered me: "Aisling, listen very carefully my child. When I attack Crom Cruach, you must jump off the tree and run as far away as you can. Do you understand that?" Fear gripped me once again, as she said those words to me. I understood every word and knew what she would do. But I could let her! I had already lost so many. Oisin, Ronan, Nuala…my Father. I could not lose my mother as well! I could not! But before I could protest, my mother had already turned to Crom and shouted: "DO YOU WANT ME? WELL HERE I AM, YOU SNAKE! COME AND FACE ME!"
"MOTHER NO!" I pleaded as gripped her hand, not wanting to let it go.
"NOW AISLING! GO! RUN!" Mother shouted at me, as she escaped my grip and leapt of the tree, bow and arrow in hand, as Crom Cruach slithered towards her. Realizing that I had no choice, I quickly jumped off the tree and ran as far away as possible, just as mother fired an arrow at Crom.
As I kept running farther and farther into the forest, I could still hear the roars of Crom Cruach and the screams of my mother echo throughout the forest. As they started to fade away from my hearing, I could feel myself growing more and more worried about my mother. I slowed down, as I began to worry if she would be fine. She was a strong and powerful warrior, and was incredibly skilled with connecting to the forest. But then I remember that my Mother was only one and Crom Cruach was able to kill my father and a whole army of warriors. How would mother be able to defeat Crom on her own? And that was when I realized it. She would not. She knew she would survive this battle, and so she sent me away, while she would give her own life for mine. This caused me to come a complete halt. My mother was going to die. I did not know what to do. One half of me was screaming for me to do as my mother ordered, and keep going. While the other half was crying out, pegging me to go back and help her. I just stood there, desperately trying to figure out what to do. Should I keep on running and live with the knowledge that I could have saved her, or should I go back to help her, but at the risk of my own life?
"ARGH!" A scream of pain echoed throughout the forest. Time seemed to stop in its tracks, as I immediately recognized the voice of the scream. My mother.
My mind was made up. I quickly turned into my wolf form, and ran as fast as I could to the source. My mother was going to die! I had to save her! I had already lost so many. My people, my friends…my Father. I WOULD NOT LOSE MY MOTHER AS WELL! I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, not stopping for a minute to catch my breath. I just kept on running and running, until I was only a few feet away from my Mother. I saw my Mother struggling to get up, with her back behind a large rock, and her body shadowed by the towering form of Crom Cruach. Her quiver had been torn off her, and had been thrown a good amount of feet away from her. Much of her armor, including the helmet, had been ripped off and her body was covered with dirt, blood and a few wrinkles. Her eyes were also bloodshot.
As she loaded her last arrow, her arms and legs began to shake slightly and she was getting weaker by the minute. Crom chuckled as she tried, to aim it at his eye: "It is over Queen Eriu. Once you've fired your last arrow, I will devour you whole. And then…I will come for your beloved daughter. And then the whole world…will be my feeding ground."
"SILENCE WORM!" she shouted, as she let go of her arrow. The arrow just barely missed, the eye of Crom and bunched of his scales, landing a few feet away from her. My mother dropped the bow, just as Crom Cruach opened his mouth and shot his tongues at her. But mother saw this coming, and quickly jumped to the left, only a few centimeters away from the tongues. Then with one swift motion, she pulled her sword from her scabbard, and sliced off a large part of Crom's tongues.
Crom let out an earth shattering, otherworldly shriek of agony, as venom shadows poured out of the stomp of his tongues and landed on the grass with a splat. Both my mother and I clutched our ears in pain, until the shriek finally faded away. Crom Cruach turned and tried to shout courses at her, but it only came out as gurgled nonsense, as more venom shadows started to fall from his mouth. Mother simply ignored it, and prepared to attack again. I was just about to leap in to help her, when I noticed that the venom shadows on the ground started to move. At first only slightly, but then they began to spread and went right towards my mother. Without hesitating, I turned back into a Tuatha Dé Dannan and shouted: "Mother, look down!"
The eyes of my mother widen in shock, at the sound of my voice. She was no doubt surprised to see me, and so was Crom Cruach. However she quickly recovered and did as I asked, just in time to see the venom shadows slithering towards her. She began to slash at the venom shadows, disintegrating them one by one, as they tried to attack. While she was busy with that, I noticed that Crom was beginning to slither towards me, venom shadows dripping from his mouth and his eye never leaving me. What little was left of my heart, froze in place as he got closer and closer to me. For the longest time, I stood in place like an idiot until one thought came to me. Run.
And run I did, as I just narrowly evaded Crom, as he tried to bite me. I smirk a little in satisfaction, until I felt something on up my leg. I slowly turned to leg, and saw to my horror, as a small snake-like venom shadow crawled up my leg and slowly began drinking up my fat and strength. "Oh no. OH NO, NO, NO, NO" I screamed in panic, as I searched franticly for something to cut them off with, when I saw one of my mothers arrow. I got on all fours, and ran towards the arrow as much speed as I could muster. I was far too weak to turn into a wolf, and as the shadow kept spreading up my leg, I could feel it taking away my strength, making me wobbly and dizzy. I soon fell to the ground, right next to the arrow. Acting quickly I grabbed the arrow, with my now very thin and wrinkled hand, and began cutting at the shadow disintegrating it, little by little until it was completely gone.
As I tried to rise up, I saw a large shadow covering me and heard several drops of liquid drip onto the ground. I looked up, and was greeted with the terrifying sight of Crom Cruach looking down at me, shadows dripping from his mouth. "YOU WILL NOT HARM HER!" My Mother screamed in rage, as she charged at him with her sword pointing towards him, with a shield in her other arm and a look of murder in her eyes. Her body was now cowered with more winkles than before, and I could just barely see her stumble about, as she moved a few steps. This made Crom lose interest in attacking me, as he slithered towards her, I quickly stumbled away from him, going as fast as my legs could carry me.
As I walked away I watched, as my mother got ready for whatever kind of attack Crom, was going to make. Crom lifted his backwards a bit, before flinching it right back towards her and spat out the largest stream of venom shadows I had ever seen. My mother ran out of the way, but the shadows just kept on following her. She let out several growls of frustration, as she cut through as many shadows as she could. But it soon was clear that her drained strength and exhaustion were catching up to her. She soon became to weak to keep a firm grasp on the shield, forcing her to drop it and grab onto her sword with both of her hands. And little by little, her attacks became more slow and sluggish until she could barely swig at all.
I ran out to help her, still holding the arrow, until one of the venom shadows grabbed by my left leg. I feel to ground, as more shadows began slithering towards me. I groaned in pain, as I recovered and cut shadow off my wrinkled arm. I tried to get to my mother as quickly as possible, but again and again a shadow managed to grab onto me, and forced me to cut them off as well.
Just as I had cut off another one of the shadows, I heard my mother cry out a small scream of panic. I quickly turned to the source, and my eyes widen as I saw the worst thing, I had seen since Crom Cruach was first released. My mother was wrapped deep in venom shadows, one of them reaching holding a firm grip on her sword arm, all the while Crom Cruach looked down on her, with a dark grin of satisfaction, his now shorter tongues flickering out of the side of his mouth. Her skin paler than a ghost, her dirty and bloody body consumed with wrinkles and her eyes looking almost lifeless. Simply looking at her my blood became as cold as the air. This was happening. This was not a dream. I was about to lose everything. I had already lost my home…my people…my friends…my father. And now I was going…to lose my mother. NO! I CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN! I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!
With what little strength I had left, I threw the arrow at the shadow holding my mothers arm. It just barley hit its target and disintegrated. As this took Crom aback, my mother gathered up the last of her strength and threw her sword at the eye of Crom, just as the shadows began to crawl up to her face.
Crack. The sword hit the eye of Crom, dead center. And Crom Cruach shriek in pure agony and pain. I clenched my ears tightly as I watched, Crom flinging his head back and fourth, trying desperately to shake off the sword, all the while the air became as cold as a lake of ice, the wind howled with the Dark One, and crows & ravens flew through the air block out the moon, as they cawed. Eventually Crom managed to pull the sword out with his tongues, before he dropped to the ground. As the wound on his eye healed, Crom made a noise that sounded like a pained moan, before slowly turning away from us and slithering into the forest. As he his head disappeared from sight, I could feel my strength return to me, as my wrinkles disappeared and my skin turn back normal. Not only that but the air got warmer, the wind calmed down, there was not a crow or raven to be seen, and best of all the venom shadows began to slowly disintegrate on their own, including the ones on my mother.
"Mother! You did it! The Dark One is defeated!" I cheered in delight as I ran to my mother. However as I did, I saw that she was not moving at all. She simply stood there, as if time had stopped. I was getting nervous. What if something had happened to her? As the last of the shadows disintegrated, I nervously asked: "Mother? Are you all right?" My answer was seeing my mother fall down onto the ground like a rock. That alone made all of my blood turn to ice. "MOTHER!" I cried out in fear, as I ran over to her begging that she wasn't dead. Not her too. I had lost too much; I could not lose her too!
The moment I was next to her, I gently crouched down and carefully moved her so she was facing me. Her body was covered from head to toe, in wrinkles. She was so thin you see her bones, through the flesh, and every breath she took sounded like it would be her last. As she faced me, her eyes slowly and weakly opened, revealing her once light green eyes, now turned crystal white and completely bloodshot. As she looked on me, gave me a sad smile and quietly (nearly whisper-like) said: "A-Aisling…It's over. It's fin-ally…over." She then began to chough lightly.
"Mother…wha-what is happening? Why are you not returning back to normal, like me?" I asked, afraid to know the answer I would get.
"I am afraid…*cough*…that Crom has taken…too much of my life force. I do not think, I have much longer…*cough*…to live," She continued, as she reached out of hold me.
"Mother, what are you-" I began confused, before I suddenly realized what she was saying. And when I did, the amount of horror, pain, sadness, desperation and hopelessness I felt, was beyond description. My blood turned so cold it would kill a normal human, my skin turn paler than it was when I was near Crom Cruach and what little was left of my heart, disappeared into oblivion. "No! NO! MOTHER YOU CANNOT DIE! Here, let me help you up! Everything is going be, y-you just to rest. T-that is all!" I exclaimed in desperation, my voice cracking as I spoke. I went to help her up, when I felt something cold and bone grip my arm. It was my mother.
"Aisling, I am afraid there is nothing any of us can do. We may be powerful…*cough*…but even we most die," she solemnly told me, before gently holding my hand.
"NO! NO! N-N-NO MOTHER, PLEASE! DO NOT GO! I-I-I-I I HAVE ALREADY LOST ALL OF OUR PEOPLE. OISIN, RRONAN, NUALA, F-FATHER! I-I-I-I I HAVE LOST SO MANY! I CANNOT LOSE YOU AS WELL MOTHER! I DO NOT WANT TO BE ALONE! PLEASE, DO NOT LET ME BE ALONE!" I cried in despair, as my voice cracked and tears started pouring from my eyes like a waterfall.
"Aisling…you will never be alone," my mother answered, as she slowly let go of my hand, and wiped out my tears. "I will be watching you, from Sidhe. And so will your father, your friends and your people. Everyone you have ever known will watch over you my dear. As long as you remember us, and all the good and ill we been through, you will never be alone."
As she wiped away the last of my tears, I gently grabbed her hand as comfort. "I do not want you just watching me, from Sidhe. I want you to be her, with me! I need you here! THE FOREST NEEDS YOU." I exclaimed.
"No Aisling…the forest needs…*cough*…needs you." My eyes widen as the new of my responsibility hit me, as my mother continued: "You must protect it, like our people have for so many years. You must protect it and everyone who lives there."
After a few seconds of silence, at the shock of my new responsibilities, I panicky stuttered/exclaimed: "B-b-b-but mother, I…I am not ready yet. I-I…I am still not finished with my training…a-a-and I am not strong or smart enough to-"
"Aisling…" My mother interrupted calmly, as she continued to give me her sad smile. "…I have seen your progress…*cough*. I have seen you grow and mature, into a beautiful, strong, fast, smart and capable child. I have seen…*cough*…your skills grow, as you have yourself. I have seen you walk for the very first time. I have heard you speak your first words. I have seen each and every one of your accomplishments, and been proud of you for every single one. I know that you are ready, Aisling." As she finished, her held my hand a little tighter. "Aisling…*cough*…I need you to promise me. Promise me…that you will protect the forest. Treat all of its inhabitants and life as equal and never let anything happen to it. Promise me this Aisling," My mother asked of me, her voice sounding more hoarse, as said kept talking.
I did not answer at first; I was too moved by the words of my mother, to know what to say. I felt honored, proud and sad. Regardless I knew that even if I were not ready yet, I would protect the forest. I was not going to let anything happen to it. The forest and its lives were all I had left now and I would not lose them too. I could feel small tears, starting form from my eyes. I wiped them away as I finally solemnly answered: "I promise mother. I promise will all my heart."
The sad smile of my mother widen, as she kept hold my hand. "I could not be more proud of anyone, than I am of you Aisling. From the moment you could crawl, I have been proud of you." As continued, I could see a single tear flow down each of her eyes. "My only regret…*cough*…is that I will not be here, to properly see how much greater, I know you will become. I love you…my precious daughter…my dream…my little…Aisling."
And with those final words, my mothers' eye rolled back, her eyelids closed up, her breathing stopped and she became numb. "Mother? MOTHER?" I exclaimed in panic, as I felt her grip on my hand fade away. I already knew what had happened, but I still could not bring myself to believe it. When I got no answer from her, I gently placed my ear to her heart and heard…nothing. She was dead. It all dawned on me and all my emotions were replaced with pure sadness. I gently placed her hand back onto the ground, and rose back to my knees.
From the corners of my eyes, I could feel tears starting to form. But I could not cry now. I had to be strong. I had to be strong for my mother. I tried to fight back the tears, but no matter how hard I tried tear by tear began to flow, until I finally I could not take it anymore. I wrapped my arms around the lifeless body of my mother, and tears began flowing like giant waterfall. I did not bother to fight back anymore, as I just let the tears keep falling. I just kept hold on the body of my mother body, trying to find some comfort as my tears stained her clothes. I had lost everyone, my people, my friends, my father and now my mother. I was alone.
Well I hope you all enjoyed that, and don't try to kill me for writing this. Just in case you haven't seen the movie, Crom Cruach isn't dead just yet nor is his eye forever damaged or destroyed. You'll see both eventually. I would also like to say that there are only three more chapters left, until I'm officially done the first half. After that we'll be moving on to the second half, which will be the movie with some other chapters, which take please during that time and a few little twists along the way. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed it.