Lost In Termina Ch18

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Chapter 18
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Wool Over The Eyes.
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"Jace, stop..." Iris spoke as Jace tried to stand. "You're going to make it worse..."
He groaned painfully, but got to his feet as he held his hand over the wound across his chest. Iris was quite taken aback... Just a few moments ago, he couldn't even move his hand.
"How are you...?"
"I'm fine." Jace responded with a pain-filled tone. Iris had worry all over her face. She flinched when he slightly stumbled, but he caught himself.
Iris walked up next to him in case he needed help. "Would you just sit down? If you'll give me some time, I'll find your sword and stuff, and I'll help you get out of here."
The blond boy simply looked ahead across the dark open area. He did notice there weren't as many dragalfos laying around as there had been earlier that night. They obviously fled. He did find himself wondering how he'd managed to take so many of the beasts out, before suffering that near-fatal slash. Iris' irritated sighing caught his blurry-eyed attention. He knew the look she was giving him was a stern one, and that if he didn't sit down and give it a rest, she'd make him. 'Like I want to make her angry now...' "Fine..." He responded begrudgingly before sitting down on a rock a little ways off.
Iris was still glassy eyed from before. She hated when Jace was so stubborn, but she'd be lying if she said that she didn't have that same stubbornness. She now did the common act of covering her worry with an attitude. By now, Jace could see right through that.

"I'm sorry, Iris."
"Don't sorry me." Iris responded sternly.
Jace dropped his view to the battle-scarred floor. He jumped when she dropped his rucksack at his feet. He looked up, noticing her putting his sword away in the scabbard that he had obviously lost sometime during the fight. It looked like it was literally ripped off him, for the strap was ripped. Iris had even found her old sword and sheathed it.
He soon sighed. "Stop acting mad."
Iris tried ignoring him, she really did feel frustrated. But, it was caused by her mixed emotions.

"Iris."
She bent down and opened his mangled rucksack. "I'm not acting mad."
"Yes, you are." He answered "But you look like you're about to cry."
"What do you expect!?" She got to her feet and stared him in the eyes. "I thought you were dead, Jace! Fine, I'm not mad, I'm terrified!" Her voice broke at the end.
"And it was my fault." She finished, looking back down at the rucksack, before digging through it.
One of Jace's scuffed leaves twitched. "How was it your fault?"
"I was taken to the dragalfos' chief... You and him are connected by your curse..." Iris answered him weakly.
"... We're connected?"

"We fought for a while, and I stabbed him with your dagger. He told me every time he gets hurt, it hurts you too. I was afraid I had killed you when I saw him dying." Iris wiped her face.
Jace remained silent for a moment, before replying. "He must've lied to you... He tried to scare you. If he died, then I wouldn't be here."
"He was as good as dead, so I guess you're right." Iris pulled the medicine out of his rucksack and put his dagger back into the rucksack.
"Iris, what're you doing?" Jace looked down to her, still holding his chest.
Iris responded. "I'm getting out that medicine."

"It won’t help a wound like this. This needs to be cleaned before having that put on it." Jace added before gently taking it from her. He still sounded terrible.
"But we can't leave it like that." Iris sat back and looked up to him.
"Don't worry about it, I'll figure something out." Jace smiled reassuringly. Iris stared at the rucksack, before putting the things she'd pulled out of it back in.
He then sighed, “You’re really hurt, too. Once we get back, we both need to get patched up.”
She just smiled at him… Well, at least he’s thinking about himself too.

After sitting and watching her for a while, he couldn't help but ask. "... Did you really mean all those things you said before?”
"Huh?" Iris looked up in question.
"Do you really want to stay in Termina? A-and do you really... Like me?" Jace sounded almost afraid of what her answer would be.
Iris paused, before taking a really deep breath. She felt a knot in her throat and felt almost embarrassed for saying such things to him earlier and her face flushed. But it was all true- it just blurted out. She gulped, her voice was still sort of broken. She never answered him though, which only left him hanging and longing to hear her say it right to his face intentionally rather than because she thought he was dead. Somewhere inside, he knew it was true, but at that same time, he had to hear it again to believe it.

"Before I can answer such things, we need to survive first." Iris replied plainly. "No point in making up my mind if I'm going to end up dead before the night's over..."

Jace was afraid of an answer like that. She was being short with him, which proved her words true- otherwise, she had no reason to be embarrassed.
"Anyway. We need to get you out of here. I don't even know where Skits and the palace guards went... _{We're probably trapped in here...}" Iris was mostly worried about Jace and Skits. She was hoping nothing happened to poor Skits.
"I remember the way out... If you can help me, I'll get us out of here." Jace replied quietly.
Iris walked away from him and toward the way she came into the room from before when she witnessed Jace's fight. She remembered she'd brought the Fairy's Orb. Luckily, it was still sitting where she dropped it before. It was glowing a strange purple aura. She picked it up and carried it to where Jace was, and handed it to him. "I got this back for you."
The blond boy took the orb with his scarred hand and looked it over. "... You got the orb?"
"Yes. I couldn't find the other one, though."
Jace turned the orb in his hand to look at each side, not even hearing what she said- seeing as he was too focused and concerned for the this orb's condition. "Why does it look like this?"
"You're asking the wrong person." Iris replied as she stared at it.
Jace groaned before he got to his feet. "Well, you keep saying we need to get out of here."

'Iris.'
The lass stopped and looked around. "Wha-...?"
"What is it?" Jace asked.
"... You didn't hear that?" Iris pondered.
"Hear what?" Jace looked around in confusion.
'Dear one...' A broken voice began in Iris' mind.
Iris shivered. "Who's there?"
'The orb, little deku...'
Iris glanced at the orb in Jace's hand, and he let her take the orb from his hands when she reached for it. He was only confused by her actions, however.
"Great Fairy?" Iris questioned.
Jace leaned in to look at the orb when she mentioned it. The only thing you could see in the orb was darkness.
'Follow the tunnel to the far left, there, you will meet with help...' The Great Fairy sounded weak, almost too tired to speak.
"What's happened to you?" Iris asked the Great Fairy with concern in her tone. There was no reply, only making Iris grow worried.

"What was that about?" Jace queried, leaning on the rock he was sitting on before.
Iris began in reply, "That was the Great Fairy. She told us to take the tunnel to the far left, and we'd find help. She sounded... Sick."
"We gotta find the other fairy, though." Jace replied in concern.
"I'm sure that she wouldn't have told us to go to the tunnel if we needed to find the other fairy first, she's probably not here anymore. And you're in no condition to be looking for anything in this messed up place. You're hurt badly."
Jace remained silent for a moment, before responding. "I know."

"Now let's hurry and go... I'll help you." Iris approached Jace after putting the Fairy's Orb away in the rucksack. When he was back to his feet, she put his arm around her shoulders, and helped him walk.
"This is turned around." Jace laughed weakly.
"What?" Iris hummed.
"I'm usually the one helping you." He looked forward.
Iris shrugged before looking down. "The least I can do for getting you into this mess. You would've done the same for me, whether you loved me or not."
Jace smiled. For once, he was the one with a flushed face.

Jace's dim eyes hardly gave any light as they walked through the darkened tunnel way. They walked quite a ways from the battlefield. Iris found it unnatural how Jace had the energy to walk with him being so beat up. 'He's starting to scare me... There's no way he could've survived. And if he did, he shouldn't have this much energy left. That scar alone is deep, and he's lost a lot of sap... Last time, when we took that beating by the river in Ikana, even losing so little sap from the wound on his side left him worn out and tired. This wound's much worse than that scrape he'd gotten from the nejiron.'

Jace's view was caught by a slight glimmer ahead of them, and the slight bounce of two red slits in the darkness ahead, like something was in a trotting motion. Iris noticed soon too.
A little black ball of feathers came flapping toward Iris happily.
"Skits!?" Iris shouted, sounding more than relieved that her bird brother was okay.
Iris wasn't surprised to see Silver Keaton come trotting up to them quickly. He gave his famous smirk. "This kind little bird, once again, brought me. I was told you two were ambushed. I'm sorry I couldn't get here quicker. Who knew, that of all the tunnels though, we'd actually meet up in this one." His smirk dropped when he had seen Jace up close, and seemed deeply concerned. "Oh my..." His nine swishing tails drooped. "This is bad..." He moved close to examine it. He was taken aback, and wasn't expecting to find Jace in such shape.

"Well, there's no time to lose. Jace, get on my back." Keaton laid down, and Jace nodded. The boy rustily moved away from Iris and climbed on as he stifled a painful groan.
"I'm on..."
The sound in his voice made Keaton's ears drop. Iris hugged Skits, and Skits was looking at Jace in concern. But for some reason, Skits kept his distance from Jace. Silver Keaton looked Iris over, then looked forward again. The keaton never showed or mentioned it, but... He could feel a strong aura from Jace, something otherworldly. A hidden darkness that Jace himself seemed unaware of. Keaton had always felt a sort of strange aura around Jace to be honest, but it was small, and it was only because of his curse. But this was very different, and much worse. Something in him was wanting to tell Iris to stay away, but the fox knew something that only the fairies supposedly knew- and that was that Iris and Jace had to stay together for right now, for Termina's sake, and Jace's sake.

After what seemed to be one of the most depressing walks, they eventually reached the hidden passageway that lead outside. Iris pushed open the hidden door, as Keaton crawled out. Now out, they could see that some of the palace guards were here waiting.
"Where did you guy's go!?" Iris scolded.
"Don't be mad at them, they helped too. They helped Skits lead me here." The Keaton smiled.
The guards were relieved that keaton stood up for them. Guards murmured and mumbled among one another when they saw Jace. Keaton continued on through the forest, as the many deku scrubs followed.
Iris felt this whole mission was pointless, since they'd only gotten one orb and got their butts kicked.

The keaton turned his head to look behind him, for he had felt the presence of someone else, but no one was there. The fur on his neck stood, thanks to the uneasy vibes that ran over him constantly.
Iris walked next to Keaton and Jace. When she felt someone looking at her, she looked up to see Jace giving her a predicted thankful gaze. He smiled. "Thank you, Iris."
Iris nodded, happy he had the strength to get so far.

They passed through the thick dying forest, before finally reaching the dark deku village. There were a few deku scrubs walking among the village, as they stared curiously at the injured and bloody Leavance boy on the keaton's back, who was oddly accompanied by the royal guards.
Iris looked back up to him and spoke. "We're almost there Jace, just hang in there."
"I'm not feeling all that bad actually." Jace replied, truly sounding a lot better.
Iris continued, "Well, you still look bad, you-..." She hadn't been paying attention to him. The scar on his chest, it was smaller. A chill ran down her spine! She knew something was wrong now.

The guards ran ahead toward the palace to inform the queen of their return. The fox carrying Jace stepped lightly onto a lily pad, as if he was as light as a deku, before taking wide careful leaps to each pad. Iris and Skits followed after before finally reaching the front gate of the palace. The keaton walked down the long palace entry hall after being let in by guards, and had been met by the rushing and worried queen- who'd been told of Jace's injuries by a guard.

"Verin, child, what happened!" The queen exclaimed with her hand over her snout.
Auran was quick to follow his mother. "Dude, what got ya this time!? You both look like a mess!"
"I was just roughed up." Jace answered whilst re-situating his vest. He then climbed off of Keaton.
"Get Jace some treatment, post-haste." The queen ordered one of her palace guards. They nodded, and scurried off into the palace. The queen then focused her attention to the lad once more. "Follow me, son."
Iris scratched her arm. Instead of pulling a disappearing act again, Silver Keaton followed closely. Jace followed the queen into and through the throne room, beyond a door at the back. A guard made Iris stay behind. "You don't have permission to access this part of the palace." The guard said.
"But I can't leave-..." Iris began.
"He'll be okay." Silver Keaton cut in. Iris glared at him for cutting in, but the fox was not phased by this look. The keaton looked to the guard. "Go on and help the queen."

Iris looked toward the door way of which Jace was taken through, then back at Silver Keaton. "But he's-!"
"Fine. And you know that. Iris, I need to speak with you for a moment..." Silver Keaton spoke lowly. "_{It's about Jace.}"
"Oh?" Iris looked down at Skits, before looking back up to Keaton.
Silver Keaton cleared his throat. "I don't know if you've noticed, but he's acting... Odd. When I first saw him, I would've expected that kind of wound to have killed him."
"I know... I thought he was dead when I saw him..." Iris looked down.
"And now look at it. It's healing over." The vulpine beast uttered. He shook his head. "And I feel a dark energy around him."

Iris jumped at that last bit. "What?"
"I'm just saying little one, this doesn't seem natural at all. I have my guesses that he could be healing this way due to him and the dragalfos chief being connected by that curse."
"But from what I saw, the dragalfos chief was dying. Jace should be dead too, not getting better... Shouldn't he?"
With a small snarl at the situation, the fox growled lowly. "Iris. He's not dead."
"Wait, h-he's not?" Iris' eye's grew.
"No, it's true that Jace and the chief are bound by one power right now, I can sense it. But Jace's injuries should be affecting the chief, and that stab you gave the chief should be affecting Jace, but he's perfectly fine now... I couldn't even read Jace's thoughts, something was blocking me. I don't know what's going on or what's keeping them alive, but the two are still very much chained together."

Iris became scared, and this was expressed on her face. "Maybe it's something good? Maybe me taking the fairy's orb broke Jace's connection with the chief? Maybe the leader did die, and Jace is healing because he's still connected with the fairies?"
"It wouldn't work that way. If that was the case, Jace wouldn't be able to handle the Great Fairies powers..."
Iris sat down. "What're we going to do? There's only so much I can do to help..."
The keaton sat down as well, but shared no response. He himself was thinking about it.
"Do you think that while he's being taken care of, we should take the Great Fairy back to her shrine?" Iris asked.
"No." He answered. That dark aura radiating from the orb had him curious. He was speaking with the Great Fairy right now, and she told him to not release her yet.
"Why?"
"Well, for one thing, this is the Ikana Fairy. She wouldn't be able to take herself all the way back to Ikana on her own, she's too weak." The keaton finished.

Iris sat the entire time thinking things through. Little did she know, the keaton was having continuous conversations with the weakened Great Fairy. He was trying get some answers, but all she could tell him was that she couldn't see what either Jace nor the dragalfos chief were up to ever since they both became connected by the curse. The dark magic of the curse was infusing the orb and clouding her view.

Iris' leaves twitched and she heard footsteps coming from the door that she was blocked from earlier. It was the queen.
The autumn-leaved girl stood, frantically eager to hear the news. "Is he okay?"
The queen nodded in response. "Yes, he's doing surprisingly well..."
Iris felt relieved and a little scared at the same time. He certainly wasn't fine before... The queen continued in response. "He said he wants to see you, actually."
Iris perked up and looked at the queen. "He does?"
Silver Keaton's ears shot up upon hearing this, and his head slowly rose. Iris walked toward the queen and looked up to her.
"You can go in child." The queen replied with permission.
Silver Keaton slowly and worriedly rose to his paws. "_{... Wait.} Iris."
She was already walking in. The fox was suddenly hit with a deep sense of concern...


Iris walked through until she reached a room where Jace sat. It was a pretty large room. It was bare and was lined with cots. It looked like where injured guards would usually be tended to. Jacon was bandaged up and his wounds were covered.
"Hey Iris." Jace began, sounding the least bit tired like he did before.
"Hey Jace, you uh... Wanted to see me?"
Jace nodded. "Yeah. Thank you for getting me out of there... I'm sorry for before."
"Nah, I-It's okay." Iris smiled. "I see you're doing okay now."
"Strangely, yes." Jace laughed and rubbed the back of his head. He didn't sound anywhere near concerned.
Iris looked around as she rubbed her arm. Jace noticed how uneasy she seemed to be.
"I know you're worried." He commented, causing Iris to look up at him, and he continued. "But not to worry. At this rate, we'll be able to get the other fairy back soon."
"I guess you're right." She smiled, now hiding her worried actions. "I am glad you're okay."

He stood up and walked toward her. "At least we beat them, we just need to see if we can't find the last fairy."
"Jace... He's not dead... We haven't beaten the dragalfos." Iris replied.
"But you said before that you-"
"I know what I said. The keaton told me that... There's no way you could still be alive unless he's still alive. You two really are connected."
Jace sighed, "Well... That old vulpine is usually right..."
"What're we going to do? Unless that curse is gone, we're stuck..." Iris responded, feeling deterred.
"Yes, but there's no way I could find the cure right now. I've been looking for it for years. I don't know where to look anymore. I say we should take him down, regardless of what happens to me."

Iris grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a cold, concerned glare. She hated hearing that! "Enough of this, Jace! I'm not letting you kill yourself, it's getting old!"
"I never said I wanted to, but I do want to save Termina. One missing life isn't going to matter." Jace uttered lowly.
"It will to me!!" She exclaimed, growing agitated. "I watched you almost die tonight! After all the crap we've been through up to this moment, I don't want to watch it again!! You promised me!"

Jace's eyes widened at her, being hit by the promise again. But he felt that even though she cared for him, he still felt there was more she could tell him. He felt that right now, all he needed to hear was her say I love you again, and thing's would be fine. But he knew he had to be realistic, things don't work that way. Though a part of himself strived to know if it was true... If the wait was finally over.

Iris continued, "It's all just happening too fast for me. Ever since you broke the news of your curse to me, I've just had a hard time believing all this is happening to me now. I just don't know what I'm going to do if-if... If something happened to you when things do come to an end."
"Iris..." Jace shrugged her hands off his shoulders, before giving her a hug. "I know, I feel the same."
This made her sigh. Jace let go of her and smiled weakly. Iris hesitated, but she moved away and cleared her throat.
"I guess I'll go tell everyone you're okay." Iris added as she began leaving.
Jace walked to a stump table and he picked his vest up off of it, and put it on. "I'll meet you in a second, okay?"
Iris forced a smile in acknowledgment and left.


Silver Keaton was relieved to see her okay. He rose to his paws and took a deep breath.
"He's okay, and he is on his way." Iris answered... Skits flew around Iris, giving a happy-sounding caw.

Silver Keaton approached her with question. "Did he act off at all?"
"If by off, you mean like being Jace? Then yes." Iris responded, trying to make herself sound okay.
"Good." Silver Keaton twitched an ear, before seeing Jace walk into the room. All eyes were on him and murmuring about him.
Auran smirked. "Don't scare us like that, man, we thought you were a goner for su-..."
Jace held no reply, and had an emotionless look on his face. Iris turned to him and was about to speak, but a sudden obvious detail was what she noticed. Silver Keaton began growling and the fur on the back of his neck stood on end. "Stay away from him!"
Everyone took notice to it as well soon... That his eyes weren't the common red, orange, and yellow. But a deep black, green, and yellow. Like a reptile. His pupils were slits.
"J-Jace!?" Iris' voice rang in fear.

"That's not Jace!!" The fox growled. "I knew something was wrong!"
Soon, a dark expression fell over his eyes. "What? Not happy to see me, babe?"
Iris' leaves drooped. Never had she heard such twisted hatred in his voice. His voice sounded otherworldly. It sounded like multiple echoing voices speaking, as if there were more than one soul in control.
Jace walked toward Iris once more, of which Keaton jumped in front of her to protect her. Iris was merely frozen in place, taking deep breaths. It was only moments ago that she was talking to him, and he was fine. "That is him, Keaton." Iris added.
"So girl, you could try killing me back at the fortress. But now let's see if you can kill me with the face of the one you love, huh?"

"How're you doing this, dragalfos!?" Silver Keaton roared.
"Don't you remember me? Or are you truly getting that old? I've got a name, you wretched old man. The dragalfos was only my puppet. A living vessel is my only way of surviving in this world." The mind controlled Jace unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Iris, ignoring Keaton now. "You can call me Majora. Let our fight begin, my dearest love."

"Don't make me fight you friend... You're stronger than this..." Silver grunted.
The boy laughed as if Keaton just told a joke. "Friend? Who you talking to, you silver rug? Ain't no one present to hear you but me."
Silver Keaton glared at Jace and snarled his teeth before running forward and lunging at him. Jace was not phased, standing in place. Silver Keaton soon squealed in pain when Jace's sword slashed down the fox's side, a sharp yelp soon followed as he crashed to the ground.
Iris gasped, and everyone in the room backed up in shock at the terrifying scene of Jace leaving the whimpering fox to lie- after moving so swiftly! The ancient eyes soon looked at his sword, staring at Keaton's blood and laughed, before glancing at Iris. She recognized those sharp eyes. But they were filled nothing but the soul of a demon. This terrified her deeply.

Iris shook her head, her terrified voice cried out. "No. No, I'm not fighting you!"
"You have to!" He came closer. "Draw your sword!"
"C'mon, I know you're in there!" Iris cried out, backing away now. "You can hear me! I know you can!"
Jace gave a wicked laugh, "You really think you can reach him? Keep trying! I find this body much better to be honest. I guess its limited time is something I'll have to ignore. It's smaller, like the body I had before the last, that Skullkid. Fifty years ago, wasn't it? Taking down my underlings was surprisingly easy with this body! Drack’s death was no loss. I always wondered how it would be to control a Leavance. It's quick, small and agile. I can see the perks. Much better and easier to control than that dumb beast I was once attached to."

Iris growled and she glared intensely. "It was you!? You did that to him!?" Iris gave a small pause, before continuing. "You're stronger than that! Fight him!"
Jace ran forward, aiming the sword at Iris. No longer was she going to tremble in fear. The hyrulean stood firm and reached to draw her sword. One way or another, she wasn't going to let this demon have his way.
"This reunion's over!" Jace finished.






To Be Continued...