[Invite-Only] Legend of Zelda: Explorers of Hyrule RPG

[portal2lbp2]

"Exactly." Dark Zeph said in response to Shia.
"Have you fooled yourselves into thinking you matter to eachother? You met only a short time ago, and yet you call eachother friends? Do you see how easily one of your own found somewhere better?" He finished, gesturing towards Shia.
He gazed interestingly at her dagger, an idea forming.
"But first, you should get rid of your tires. You don't want to be held back now, do you?" He spoke to her, referring to the others.
"You know what to do."

[AngelOzwin]

Initiate Ferondir of Mira ~ A tower ~ Present Time

Ferondir fell silent. Had he been using her? No. Their alliance was fair, so far as he could tell, and if anything she'd gotten more out of it. "I don't use people, most especially you." Her behavior just didn't make sense.

Didn't make sense... he remembered something his mentor had told him long ago. "Not everyone thinks like you, I doubt anyone does. Sometimes people will do things that don't make sense to you, and that's okay. If you seek to understand them, all you need to do is think of their life, live it, if you can."

So Ferondir tried.
Shia as a child, playing in the streets of her home town, parents struck down by her own ally, living on the street, distrust, independence.
And he understood.
Most of her childhood, she'd sought only one thing, survival.
That's what her actions now were based on.
It was simple math. Zeph was more likely to win, so best be on his side. Ferondir silently pledged to accept her back if they somehow managed to beat the odds.
She may well change her mind should Zeph fall.

What was he to do? The odds were against them. Another piece of advice from his mentor came to mind. "Always assume you'll win, and you'll find a way."

I will win. Now all that's left is how.
"What does a foul demon like you know of comradery?" He spat at the Shade. There was only one thing for it. If she attacked Ferondir, he had to keep her detained until Zeph fell. If she chose to attack someone else, destroy the Shade, somehow. It was cunning, powerful, and fast. There was a way. He just had to find it.

A great pain plainly shown in his eyes when he looked at her."You've made the wrong choice, but, in my eyes, your life is your own, it always has been." Ferondir said. "As for me, I cannot allow... him to triumph."

He held up his staff again and red tendrils expanded from the tip and touched each of his visible comrades, providing them with protection from magic at the cost of his own energy. Shia, of course, had made her choice. He wasn't going to protect her unless she changed her mind.

[invective~directive]

Shiallia - Throne Room - Dark Zeph, Ferondir

Shia stepped closer to Ferondir. With a glance back at Zeph, she gave a quick nod. "Of course." Her gaze returned to Ferondir. It was hard to tell what she was thinking - her eyes looked nervous, like a cornered animal, but her voice was confident and aggressive. "I've made the smart choice. He's going to win, Ferondir. You know that. He's far more powerful than all of you combined." She took another step forward. "Why should I side with you guys, anyway? You're just going to die. At least this way, one of us makes it out of this alive." With this, she lunged forward, aiming to stab him in the chest.

[AngelOzwin]

Initiate Ferondir of Mira ~ A tower ~ Present Time

In the split second between her words and her action, Ferondir decided what to do. A faint.
Shia was right. A direct attack wouldn't work.
He let her come, made to grab her arm but guided her blade to a place in his chest he could survive.
It wasn't much of a plan, but he'd win, and this was the first step.
He crumpled. Muttering a near silent hibernation spell to slow his breathing and heart rate. He would appear to be dying.
What next? He waited, listening.

[portal2lbp2]

Shia's actions seemed to work well. Almost too well.
Ferondir lay sprawled out on the ground, Shia standing over him triumphantly.
For a moment, a brief, barely noticeable, moment his form faltered. A look of horror appeared on his face- though within seconds it was seemingly extinguished, replaced, instead, by the same composed expression that had been there before.
What could that have been? Who could that have been?
Hm. Disappointing. I had hoped for something else.
Now, you're almost ready. He said, now suddenly behind Shia.
Dark Zeph breathed in, enjoying the atmosphere. The temporary chaos that stirred within the cold stone walls.
However, he inhaled more than just chaos, and panic.
His smirk grew momentarily.
He could feel it.
Hope.
So wonderful, how even when confronted with something they could barely even perceive they still remained hopeful.
The feeling of hope resonated within him, he could feel his presence. Zephyrus' presence.
Zephyrus. So wonderful. He was always so hopeful, so full of wanderlust. He had such a want to find the whimsical. Even he, naturally born intelligent, by human standards, and gifted with magic, believed in something more.
Everyone knew of magic's existence, but Zephyrus believed in magic.
Funny, how some wizards act as if magic is there's, as if it's always beautiful, helpful, and peaceful- when really they weren't meant to have it in the first place.
It is mere coincidence that the Goddess' allowed the divine force to react to their stimuli.
It's a force older, and beyond any of their control.
Magic might be beautiful, but like most beautiful things, it is out of control. Neither good nor bad. It is chaos, but in the most beautiful sense.
It is only by something so chaotic that true potential can be allowed to thrive.
That's how he found Zephyrus, after all.
Zephyrus began experimenting with things most wizards could barely begin to imagine, let alone perceive.
He reached into something greater, larger, than anything else.
He attempted to conceptualize the abstract and use it as if it was just something as harness-able as magic.
He attempted to interface with a piece of the triforce.
Something as inherently cosmic as the triforce is something that was never meant to be used as a tool by wizards, but Zephyrus didn't know that.
Most wizards can tell you about the triforce, but what really none can do is explain it.
But Zephyrus tried, and in doing so he made his presence known to beings beyond his own world.
Older, more abstract beings.
Not only did he let them know he was there, he let the abstract in.
He rang a bell, in the hopes of being able to help more than him and his friends. He wanted to help the world.
Here he is, just in need of getting back in control, and being in more control than before.
He could do it, he was going to be great. His friends hope could be just the thing he could help.
If only there was something old and magic and whimsical with them that could give him the motivation to overpower the darkness and the chaos, and restore order.

[TurboBrycerox]

Day 8 (Evening)/Jakub/121/Where: Badlands Bridge/With: Jack

Jakub and Jack looked across the canyon separating the Badlands from the desert.
So how do you suppose we'll be getting across the canyon? Jakub asked, kicking a pebble into the dark abyss. They never heard the sound of it hitting the ground.
Leave it to me. Jack replied.
What, you think you can jump it? Jakub asked skeptically. You think you're some sort of Samurai, Jack?
Jack put his fingers up against his mask and whistled. Suddenly, a familiar chunk of dirt came spinning up from behind the two men.
Ah, old Floroot. Good thinking, lad. Jakub commented.
Oh, well I was actually trying to call a Loftwing-
Before Jack could finish, the Floroot planted itself in the sand, and two large vines spring out from under it's flower. They grew to reach over the canyon and wrapped themselves around two posts on the other side. The Floroot grunted, using all it's energy to grow even more smaller vines in between the large ones to craft a bridge. Jakub smiled and nodded as he and Jack stepped on the vines and began walking across. The vines held together well, and the bridge hardly shook at all. Jack and Jakub continued into the Badlands to find the others.
So... how exactly are you still alive? Shouldn't you be dead at 121 years old? Jack asked.
Hey, technically, there was one person who lived to be 122 years old. Jakub replied. Jack was not impressed. I mean, c'mon. A sentient chunk of dirt just grew vines ten times it's size and bore the weight of two fully grown men walking over a canyon that somehow all the sand from the desert hasn't fallen into and you're questioning my age?

[invective~directive]

Shiallia - The Throne Room - Dark Zeph, Ferondir

Shia Looked down at Ferondir. She hadn't struck to kill, but there he was, bleeding on the ground. Sorry, Ferondir. I'm just doing what I have to. She looked down at the knife in her hand, red with the blood of a friend, and looked almost wistful. "It's nothing personal," she told him quietly, glancing behind her at Zeph's dark form. With a deep breath, she did, as she always did, what she had to. Without even thinking about the action beforehand, she moved her knife backwards as fast a she could, aiming to plunge it into the figure behind her.

[AngelOzwin]

Initiate Ferondir of Mira ~ A tower ~ Present Time

Ferondir couldn't see, but he didn't need to. His body was paralyzed completely, but his soul was alive, quiet and hidden.
At the moment of his fall, Shia reacted. Her song told him an apology, necessity, a hint of regret. She wouldn't have chosen this if not for her goal of survival. He could have guessed that.
Then he heard another response. If he'd been properly alive he would have gasped.
He'd recognize that symphony anywhere.
Zeph had shown himself for a moment. The smallest of moments. His song was so unique. That was all Ferondir needed to know to know he was there. His best friend wasn't dead. Zeph lived. Somewhere inside that body.
The shade hadn't killed him.
I'm coming for you again Zephyrus. He thought. I hope you know that I always will.
He had fought to have hope before, but his honorary brother lived.
"No more will die." no longer.
"None will die." It lifted his heart from despair entirely.
In trying and failing to destroy my brightest hope, you have paved my path to your destruction.
He focused his drifting mind, reaching out a tendril only someone so connected to him could see. Just reach out to me, Zeph. It called, on the frequency of their connection. Reach out, and I will pull you to the surface to face your demon. If Zeph could feel auras his aura would see it, while it remained invisible to all except the two of them.
This was the way. This was the way he'd win. The second step. The pathway to inevitable and impossible victory was growing longer.

[AzuniCatto]

Sapphire saw something in Zeph. There was a flicker of something in his evil grin. Something sane. Then she knew what to do. She pulled out the Ocarina, staring at its shiny surface. I really hope this works... If it doesn't, well... Anxiety swam through her chest as she put the instrument up to her lips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDX4ZwUeOok

[portal2lbp2]

The Darkness abaited- looming behind young Shiallia- as the primordial forms once lurked beyond the precipices of corporeal thought. As such in form: Patiently, expectantly, insatiably.
It knew, as only a predator could, what she would do. No alternates could compare to the promise of eternity that she had been veiled with.
Mortals are always so predictable.
It could perceive her thoughts, it knew her next action- and with none of the human sentiment it had come to find so delectable, the girl hastily thrust the knife towards the boy.
There it is. The emotion- the raw, unbridled taste of panic.
The shade inhaled deeply, absorbing the disarray- the fumes of his failure and betrayal.
Soon he would be gone, and soon he would be his. Forever. Once his mind passed into the threshold between life and death, the state at which reality exists, his essence would belong to the Chaos.
The idea was enticing to the beings very essence.
The minds of Transcendental Conceptionists withheld a unique spark- A matter from before the dawn of reality.
A fundamental energy flowing from his origins- The black sun as the ancients conceptualized it.
When it has consumed the potential it can-
Wait.
That energy? He's reaching his aura out- but to what?--
Instantaneously, the knife thrust into his body.
It phased through his shields, beyond his telekinetic grasp, and pierced his dark aura.
The power of hope and belief, stronger than all others.
Caught off guard, the being lurched back in confusion.
The being, still dazed, became to laugh hysterically as, what could only have been his blood or essence- an impossibly empty but still somehow dark and distorted, began dripping profusely from his wound and escaping out his mouth with every forceful laugh.
I can do it! Zeph's voice escaped through his body, using the distraction Shia had provided to change himself and control the situations around him.
I can fix this! I'm stronger than my demons! It's- my- choice! I can't change the past, but I can fix the present!
His magic wavelength extended out and connected to the hand reaching out to help him.
Dark Zeph weakly regained his stance, ineffectively using the back of Zeph's hand to wipe away the blood, causing it to stream down his arm, coating his cloak in the viscous liquid.

You kids- you think you know anything? I̵̠̻̘̬͔̅ͥͪ̈́͌ͭ͌̕͢'̛̺̟̜̫̗̺͎̭̝̗͖̩̹̟͑ͬͯͣͩ͑́͒̍͊́̀̀L͈͎̥͍̩̎͐̌̈̾̃ͥ̑ͥ͑ͫ̇̎̈́ͣ̑̚̕͘L͍͚̯̗̅̉͆ͬͧ̀̈͗̅̀͞ ̡̒̄̽̌͢͏҉̧͖̪̰͈̳̲͔̲̱̫̖̯͍͉B̛̹̜̰̦͔̹͖̗͙̳̘̥̻̥͈̩̥͆̏̌͋̌͑͛̒̈͝͞U̿́͌ͩ̽̍̄̽ͧ̈̏ͬ͏̲̭͓̠͎̯̻͓͈͠ͅR̷̢̮̦͔̰ͦ͒̏͂̚Ņ͒̑͌̈́̎͏̴̷̱͈̬̳͎̟͔͇̺̜͕̱͉ ̵̢̄͂͋̾̃ͬ̓͛̊̾̿̃ͥ͘͞҉͔̤̖̬̭̺͈̹̭͇̺̲̤̤̹͓͚̲ͅT̛̫̱̘̮̞̩̥̑ͪͬͥͤͣ̀̓̈͆̈̈́ͯ̆͛̾͘͞H̸̵ͣ̏́̊ͣ̎ͮ̏̎̌͂ͤ̌҉̪͚͉͈̟̝̙̯̯Ŕ̢͊͛͒̾͂̓͒ͧ͢͏̧͇̟͇̳̝̹̹̮̰̤̠̤O̡͙̼̼̬̘̞̬͓ͬͭ̎ͣ́̕͡U̵͇̳̞̣͌̉͋͐́̿̑͒͑̀̈͛͡G̶̶̃̑ͫ͗̉͋͏͎̰͎̣͙̪̠͎̫̳̼̯̺͖͘H̨̛̫̭͓̪̳̘̺̟͖͓͚͙͎͔̼͇͓ͣ̈́̒̓̌͢͞ͅ ̶̢͙̫̲̺͍͍̹̺̑̄́̾̓ͨ͒̄͐̕͝͠Y̧̺̘̳͓͈͔̣̬̹̝̙͙̜̲̅͊ͧ̊͒ͧ̾̐ͤ̋̚̚͜O͛ͨ̅͗̇̅̑͋̇̌̍͢҉̟̯̖̗̤͉͔̬̠͎̯̝̼̤̱̯̘̺́͡U̵̡̠̙͇͕̭͚̹̐͑̔ͧ͆̆̀͘͟ ̜̜̖̗͇̘̭̣̝͉̫̖̣̝̞͇̘ͫ̐̌̎ͥ͛̚̕͝ͅĄ̵̶̱̱͎͓͈̝̼̒̏̽̄̋͛̈̉̊͆́ͭ̀͝L̨̜͈͎̲͎̳͖̖͚͇̙̱̱͇̼̣̩̩̾ͨ͐̽͋͑̿̑̑̽͑͊͂̚L̴̷̹̥̩̞̠̠͕̯̙̘̬̗̥̈́͗̔̑̆́͟- Dark Zeph began to yell angrily, causing the reality around them to vibrate or distort rapidly- until he suddenly stopped. Zeph was, if not completely stopping him, slowing him down.
Seeing this opportunity, Sapphire began to play the Ocarina.
Dark Zeph grinned, enjoying the chaos, though still furious.
Yo--u don't e-VeN ReAlIze W̧̪̘͎̪͇̥̯͈̦̫̦̘̗̙̝̳͐̌͑ͤ̾͒̑̍ͤ͑̾ͯ͒̽͒ͨ͘͢͝ͅͅha-t thaT Is D-do you?

H̷̷̸̨̭͔͓͖͈͉͎̹̱͇̗̘̣͆ͪ̿̍̊̅ͩ̀̏a̡̢̦̞̘̱̍̍ͣ͑͊̑ͫͯ́ͥ̿͢͝͞H̴̳͍͚͈̩͚̪ͫ̇ͩͩ̀̅̂ͫ͛ͤ͐̔͋͆̌̒͜͠͝Ạ͍͙̟̬͍͓̭̙̮̳̯̦͔̦̤͍̀̏ͧ͐̍͡͞h̷̝͚̹̳͎̰̞̺̺̖̮̽ͣͦ͂ͫ͋̄ͦ̽ͯ͘ͅȁ̹̯̠̰͍̩̹͙͍̞̥͇̘̳͖̭̘̻͋̽̓ͣ̿̐͒ͦͭ͐́̚ḣ͈̪͍̜͚̘̳͕̜̦̮̱̣̫͇̜͍̾̓͊̿ͦ̄ͩ̇͂̈́ͫͫͫ̇ͣ̍ͧ͜H̴̬͎͎̼̠̬͍̩̮͉̯̰͓̻̦̗̮̍̓̒̽̒̒̓̿ͩ̈̀͜ͅͅA̶̴͇͍̹̹͚̠̺͙͎͈̞͔̫̙̭͉͒̂̄͋͒͑̈͆̿͋̕̕͟h̷̝͚̹̳͎̰̞̺̺̖̮̽ͣͦ͂ͫ͋̄ͦ̽ͯ͘ͅȁ̹̯̠̰͍̩̹͙͍̞̥͇̘̳͖̭̘̻͋̽̓ͣ̿̐͒ͦͭ͐́̚ḣ͈̪͍̜͚̘̳͕̜̦̮̱̣̫͇̜͍̾̓͊̿ͦ̄ͩ̇͂̈́ͫͫͫ̇ͣ̍ͧ͜H̴̬͎͎̼̠̬͍̩̮͉̯̰͓̻̦̗̮̍̓̒̽̒̒̓̿ͩ̈̀͜ͅͅA̶̴͇͍̹̹͚̠̺͙͎͈̞͔̫̙̭͉͒̂̄͋͒͑̈͆̿͋̕̕͟

The ethereal notes thrummed melodically out of the Ocarina, Sapphire supposedly being enhanced by her own magical energy.
Her music flowed through the room, perpetuating a metaphysical sense of serenity and calm, lulling the dark energies into nonexistence. Instead, turning them into good energies.
Streams of pure light began to flow around the room- seemingly energetic and alive.
The song of healing seemed to come from every directions defying laws of sound and passing through all things material.
Dark Zeph was stilling trying to get control, however it was too late- he tried to speak, to cast, to dissapear, however the Ocarina's magic was absolute, given by the Goddesses.
Zeph's eyes began to glow, as a familiar blue light replaced the dark glow that was there previously. He began to glow, as beams of light shone off of him reflectively.
Everything was still, the distorted magic that was holding the room together paused. Time seemed to stand still.
Zeph stood, damaged and unsure, still with Dark Zeph's blood on clinging to his clothes.
Before he could say anything, light exploded from him so bright that he looked like an angel. Momentarily, it almost looked like he had wings made of pure light energy.
A sound like a still wind circulated the room, harmonizing with the Song of Healing.
A joyful cheer could be heard contrasted against a disembodied, wrathful screaming.
The screaming, however, disappeared completely, leaving the joyful cheer to itself, as an empty, void-like, energy expelled itself from Zeph's form as the darkness, imprisoning somewhere where it can never come back.
As quickly as it started, the light rushed from Zeph, passing through the others.
Zeph stood where he was, looking back to normal, as if nothing happened, his memory returning to him.
"Everything's going to be alright." He managed to say, before there was a bright flash of light.
When the light disappeared, everyone was back outside the door they came through, except this time, instead of there being a portal, the door was wide open, and the room looked like it normally would have- save for Zephyrus standing in the center confused.
Everything was back to normal, as if none of it had happened.
In fact, it felt quite like it didn't, as those who had experienced it could, for the time being, remembered in pieces.
Though it could be felt that things weren't just back to normal, they were getting better. A lot better.
The hardships of the journey had passed, the story was coming to an end, and with things getting better, you can hope for a happy ending.