Shadow Of The End

"Guess he flew the coop," Lyn growled as she helped Allard up. She looked up and around them as the cave continued to rumble.

"I'm worried this whole place is about to cave in..."

"You tell me..." Allard grumbled.

"Hey, Lyn...I may need a little help." Callio shouted. He was crouching down next to the women who had apparently been fast asleep when they first walked in, although oddly she hadn't woken up. The gerudo girl stood next to him.

Frowning, Lyn looked away from Allard, letting him go as she jogged over to Callio, kneeling down by the fallen women. She put two of her fingers to the woman's neck, hoping to feel a pulse.

She was alive, although she didn't appear to be in a good way. Her clothes were all torn up, and she had a bruise on her face, along with her body being quite dirty overall.

"I think I recognise her from somewhere..." Callio said, looking over her.

"Her names Uli...I think the man with the blonde hair back at the camp is her husband. Its Rusl, isn't it?" the Gerudo girl said. She looked down at her sadly.

(KERFLUCK)

Lyn's eyes snapped open. This was Rusl's wife?!

Just then, the cave began to rumble again, and this time, chunks of rock and dust began to fall from the ceiling above them. Their time was running out...!

Lyn looked worriedly back to the woman. How the hell were they going to get everyone out of here in time?! She hesitated for a moment, thinking about what they needed to-

"... Jeez, what kind of trouble have you gotten into THIS time, Lyn?"

Her eyes snapped open and Lyn whirled around, standing up to face where the familiar voice had come from. Leaning up against the side of the cave wall, partially hidden by the darkness and his arms crossed, Shadow stood there with a calm expression, though slightly amused. He looked around at all of them, remarking almost boredly, "How'd you even get so many people down here in the first place?"

Gritting her teeth and ignoring Shadow's sarcasm, Lyn frowned as she asked, trying to hide the desperation in her voice, "Shadow! Can you get us out of here?"

The child of darkness rolled his glowing red eyes.

"No, I just figured I'd stay here and get stuck in the cave-in with the rest of you," he sighed sarcastically, shaking his head. He glared back at her. "Of course I can. Why else would I be here?"

The cave rumbled once again. Their time was up...!

"Just do it!" Lyn snapped. She would worry about why or how Shadow was even here later.

"Fine, fine, calm down," Shadow said with a sigh, shaking his head and walking forward, his hands beginning to glow with dark, pulsing magic. He glanced idly at all the participants in the cave, mumbling under his breath, 'This oughta be interesting...' As the magic began to build, he said loudly, "Nobody move. We're leaving."

A few of the men and women panicked a bit as the magic swirled around them.

Allard looked around, his eyes wide. "Wow..."

"Wow...you've got some neat friends." Callio said, eyebrows raised.

Lyn rolled her eyes at Callio, and, sensing the panic of the men and woman, said loudly for them to hear, "Don't worry everyone, he's a friend."

Shadow grumbled this, but knew it'd be useless to say anything else. Instead, he continued focusing his magic and energy on the spell- and, in no time at all, the shadow magic had grown to surround all of the cave's inhabitants. Chunks of rocks and boulders that were now falling freely from the cave merely bounced off the top of the dome-like shield of dark magic surrounding everyone, and, in the center, Shadow's glowing red eyes stood out among the black background.

And, in an instant, the spell took its effect- and, with a quick movement, the mass of shadow magic was gone- along with everyone else who had once been in the cave, as it finally crumpled and collapsed upon itself.

Not a few seconds later, the dark magic which had already begun to form near the outside of the encampment beside Lake Hylia grew to match the size of the cave's interior- and, when it finally dissipated, its presence causing quite a stir and commotion from the townsfolk and soldiers who had spotted it, what was left in its place was all the men and women who had been captured, along with Lyn, Callio, Shadow, and Allard.

Shadow, for his part, hid among the back, standing calm and quiet, but avoiding eye contact or confrontation with any of the others.

Returning to business, Lyn had turned to Uli and knelt down by her. "Callio, give me a hand, here," she snapped, hoping he'd help her carry Uli to Rusl.

Glancing towards Lyn, Shadow mumbled bitterly under his breath, "you're welcome."

"No need, I got her..." Callio said, going and scoping Uli up. When she had her in his arms, however, you could tell he was struggling a bit.

"...heavy." he muttered.

Around them, however, the brief panic had subsided to the sound of cheers when they realised the prisoners were back. The prisoners all embraced they respected loved ones as they came running towards them.

Lyn backed off, nodding once to Callio as he took Uli. She glanced to the side, wondering where Allard was, and if he had recovered at all from the beating he took by Doloris.

Meanwhile, as the newly-freed prisoners and their loved ones embraced and cried, Shadow found himself backing away. Damn them... They had no idea how good they had it. He turned to leave-

Just then, however, Lyn noticed Shadow, and blinked. "Hey! Kid!" she shouted.

"Don't call me kid," Shadow snarled fiercely under his breath, still turned away from her, his fists tightening in anger.

Lyn shook her head. "Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes, "Shadow. C'mon, I'll introduce you to Rusl and the others. We could use your help, here."

Callio nodded, and wheezed a bit. "Yeah...lets go...so I can put her down..."

Allard limped towards them. "I haven't seen magic that powerful before...where'd you learn to do that.

Shadow looked over towards Allard, noticing he was limping. Lyn walked over to Callio, taking him to Rusl as Shadow and Allard followed behind.

As they walked, Shadow gave a small, cycnical grin to Allard. "It's not something you can learn," he answered simply. "It's something all shadow creatures have. Some more than others, of course," he added as a dry afterthought, looking ahead.

Allard nodded slowly.

Rusl was sitting in his tent, his head in his hands, thinking to himself. When he looked up at the group and saw Callio holding Uli, his eyes went wide. He quickly got to his feet.

"Give her to me!" he said quickly, taking her from Callio and laying her down on a bed roll and looking over her worriedly. He looked back up at Lyn. "What happened? What happened to her?!"

Shadow fell silent as they neared the tent's entrance. He tried to stay out of sight, if at all possible, but wasn't about to go run away or hide under a rock, either.

Lyn frowned, watching Uli get handed to Rusl. She sighed and shook her head. "We found all of the kidnapped women and men being held in the caves," she explained. "Before we could free them, the cave started to collapse. Our friend Shadow here helped us out with that," she said, nodding once to the side and looking at Shadow, who returned the nod. Looking back at Rusl, Lyn finished, "Uli here was unconscious when we found her with the others. She's alive, but she needs medical attention."

Rusl stared at her wearily, and then down at Uli. "...I-"

Suddenly, the ground shook again. Allard winced as his leg gave away at the sudden shock and he fell flat on his face. "Urrgh..."

"Yeah, thats definatly not natural." Callio quipped, looking around.

Shadow frowned, looking down at Allard as he fell. Kneeling down, he wrapped an arm around him, easily hoisting him back up- surprising when considering his size, but then again, Shadow disliked it when people judged him by appearances.

Lyn, noticing the rumbles, clenched her fists together angrily. "I don't think the fight's over yet," she said, looking fiercely at Rusl. "First things first, we need to get Uli medical attention. And make sure the prisoners we freed stay safe here."

Shadow raised an eyebrow at Lyn. "Forgetting someone?" he remarked dryly, still holding Allard up with his arms around the other's shoulder.

Lyn gave an apologetic smirk. "Yeah, some help for Allard, too."

Allard glared at her and grunted.

"I'll send for medical help...you go out there and find out whats going on." Rusl said. He looked to Callio, and his eyes narrows. "...I suppose this makes us even, then."

"Yeah...I guess." Callio replied. He looked to Lyn. "If you going out there, I'm coming with you."

Even? Lyn looked from Rusl to Callio. They knew each other?

Still, she looked back at Rusl and nodded. "Right," she said, looking over at Callio. "You and I will make sure they refugees are safe and try and get to the bottom of these damned quakes." She turned and walked out of the tent. Nodding to her, Shadow then looked over at Rusl and helped Allard walk inside.

"I'll stay here and help keep watch when medical gets here," he said simply with a frown, helping Allard sit down on a blanket nearby.

Callio followed her out.

"Thanks..." Allard said, coughing as he laid him down. Rusl left the tent briefly, and shouted out for a doctor.

Shadow nodded and sat down by the side, frowning as he looked over at Uli. Trying to keep away thoughts he knew wouldn't help, he looked back towards Allard, raising an eyebrow.

"So how'd you get so beat-up?" he asked, his voice almost casual.

"There was this guy in the Horde camp...a demon...he came out of nowhere." Allard coughed. Behind them, a doctor came in with Rusl, and they sat down around Uli.

---

As they walked further down the camp, it became apparent that a huge shadow was looming over the camp, as if the sky had gone dark. Suddenly, a scream rose out, and people began to point up to the ridge where the Horde had been situated on the other side of no mans land.

Lyn looked up, noticing the shadow. Her eyes went wide.

"Everyone seek shelter!" she yelled, running for her horse. Grabbing Filly's reins, she jumped on her back and jerked the reins to the side, riding the horse through the camp as she shouted, "Get inside! Everyone seek shelter and get inside!"

Meanwhile, Shadow listened to Allard and nodding, briefly glancing to the side when the doctor entered. Returning to Allard, he frowned in curiosity and confusion. "Tell me more about this demon," he pressed.

Standing on the ridge was...something. It was huge, mishappen, and was clad in irregular stone armour, as if it had wrenched itself from the Earth. The Collosus towered above everything, being even bigger than the ridge itself.

Callio summed up what everyone was thinking. "What. The. Fuck." he said.

---

"He...he was kinda...I can't think of a word for it. He looked pretty slim and dainty but then he just rips you apart..." Allard wheezed.

Lyn saw the Colossus, and her eyes widened as she slowly backed up her horse.

Still looking at it, she snapped quietly to Callio, "go get Shadow. Now."

She then pulled back the reins of her horse, and Filly reared up, neighing. "I'll draw its attention away from the villagers!" she shouted. "Hiyah!" And with that, they were off, riding towards the Colossus in hopes of drawing its attention.

Meanwhile, Shadow frowned, trying to think of what Allard meant. "So he was a person?" he asked with a frown. "Not an imp-like creature or anything?"

"Lyn!" Callio shouted after her.

The Colossus didn't appear to be intrested in the villagers, or Lyn. It was just loitering about atop of the ridge, as if at loss of what to do.

---

"Yeah...it looks pretty human from a distance...but...but its got horns, and claws, y'know?" Allard coughed.

One of the Militiamen ran in. "Rusl...I think you need to see this."

"Can you not see the state my wife is in?!" Rusl snapped at him.

"I understand that, but...fucking hell, man, have got to see this." the Milita man said incrediously.

Rusl sighed, and looked down at Uli, sitting a hand on her stomach and kissing her on the cheek.

"I'll be back." he said, getting up and leaving.

Lyn ignored Callio, continuing to ride ahead. It didn't seem as if it were directly attacking the villagers... But she had to make sure it stayed that way. She urged Filly onwards, the horse easily overtaking the jagged cliffs without any hesitation.

"Horns and claws..." Shadow frowned as he mused quietly what this meant. He crossed his arms, deep in thought. Just what kind of creature was it? What kind of powers did it have, and its intent with the villagers? He knew a wide variety of shadow monsters, surely there was one that fit this description...

He looked up in brief surprise as the other man came in and urged Rusl to leave. Shadow gave a curt nod. "Don't worry about her," he said firmly. "I'll stay here."