• Luna Noire:
    Zados’ Final Fight


    It has been six years since the Death of Zados Garretson and his return to the living world only to find the one that he loved had moved on and started a family.

    This…is his final hour…his final fight…

    Robin sat at her home in the Fox Village as she bathed her three children while her husband, LaCortis, was talking with her father the Fox King.

    “Mommy, is something wrong?” one of the children asked, seeing their mother’s face. “Are you alright?”

    “Nothing is wrong, my daughter,” Robin answered quietly as she stroked the child’s fur. “I am fine.” But she knew what she was saying was a lie. Ever since she had seen and spoken to Zados…her joy and happiness had fled from her soul.

    In some distant land of Sol Noire, Zados was standing in a field of dead crops, holding a floating sphere of shining energy. Despite the heat, Zados was unaffected in his black uniform. He looked at the orb. It was the joy and happiness of Robin of the Fox Village.

    “Why do I even have this?” Zados asked himself as he looked at it. “Why did I take it?” thoughts of possible revenge floated in his head and he quickly smothered them. He knew the world was in trouble. Sol Noire was planning to invade Luna Noire. “I have to warn the nation of this danger.” Without another word, Zados vanished from the world of Sol Noire and appeared in the Fox Village of Luna Noire, since they would be hit first.

    He walked up the main road to the palace, enduring the glares of the Fox People. He stopped before the guards and stared at them. When they refused to move, Zados removed his weapons and set them at the feet of the guards.

    “Why do you do this Knight of Twilight?” a guard growled. “We shall not allow you to see the King.”

    “All I ask is enough time to give him warning of a great danger,” Zados pleaded. The guards finally relented and escorted Zados in. the Fox King took one look at Zados and sniffed. “My Lord, Fox King.”

    “What do you want of me?” the Fox King asked coldly. Zados felt anger rise but quickly smothered it. “Speak.”

    “My Lord, a great danger is coming; an army from Sol Noire heads this way!” Garret began.

    “Enough!” the Fox King growled. “Your words are hollow to my ears, Master Knight.” Zados’ heart sank. “Why should I listen to you?”

    “Because…” Zados said as he knelt on hands and knees before the Fox King. From the shadows, Robin watched the scene with her husband, LaCortis. “Your subjects are in danger, their children are in danger, Luna Noire is in danger!”

    “Bah! Sol Noire is our friend!” the Fox King roared. Zados lowered his head in disbelief. “Get out of my sight!” Zados slowly rose. Robin noticed tears in his eyes.

    “I guess I was wrong to ask you for help, Fox King…” Zados said sadly, looking the ruler in the eyes. “You are now…no better than a murderer for ignoring my warnings.”

    “LEAVE!” the Fox King roared again, furious. Zados bowed low and left the King’s presence. He reclaimed his weaponry from the guards and ran to the gate at a full sprint. Tears fell from his eyes as he passed villagers left and right.

    They will all die… Zados thought as he reached the gate. Because of a fool… He moved through the gate and onto the Ancient Fields of Honor. “I have failed….”

    After Zados had left the village, Robin moved out from the shadows to confront her father.

    “Papa, how could you be so rude!?” Robin demanded. “He came with a warning and you turned him away!”

    “He was lying,” the Fox King said flatly. “I do not listen to liars.”

    “He cast aside his pride by kneeling before you!” Robin continued. “He cried when you mocked him!”

    “That is enough out of you!” her father roared. Robin ran out of the hall crying with LaCortis right behind her.

    Zados looked out to the Sea, watching for the ships of Sol Noire. He knew they were coming. He had sent his phoenix, Esconix, to ring the Bell of Warning when the ships land. He…stood out on a cliff.

    “No listens to what I have to say and they curse me when avoidable misfortune befalls them,” Zados whispered. “Not this time…” A horn in the distance sounded. They were here… “And now my time here ends.” He watched ships appear from the ocean fog. Triremes…excellent troop transports. The Knight of Twilight engulfed the closest ship in fire and commanded the sea to swallow several more. “Let them come…” the Bell of Warning filled the air across Luna Noire. Countries scrambled to get their forces together. The Fox King watched the battle unfold.

    “So he was telling the truth…,” the Fox King said as more ships appeared. “Assemble the troops, we go to war!” the call went out and Fox Troopers marched to honor. But only one fighter would die this day… Robin and LaCortis followed the column to the Fields, where many enemy soldiers lay dead by Zados’ hand. “We come to aid!”

    “Now he comes!” Zados spat as he fought an enemy soldier down. “Now he sees the Truth!” he spun and struck down another soldier. “This is my fight to the death!” he whispered a spell that made all of the Fox Army invincible. “I alone shall die here…” He sensed a presence. “Tyrannus…”

    “For a second…I thought you had forgotten me, Master Knight,” Tyrannus laughed. “Since this is not the case, we can skip the formalities.”

    “You have no right to conquer Luna Noire!” Zados shouted as he fought off more and more Sol Noire soldiers. “Leave now and never return unless it is under the flag of peace!”

    “That I cannot do, Master Knight,” Tyrannus laughed. “I will have both Luna Noire and Sol Noire before the month is out!”

    “I will not allow it!” Zados roared, fighting even harder. For hours he fought before both sides retreated for the evening to their camps. Robin moved from injured soldier to injured soldier, tending to their wounds. Zados assessed his and found that they would not kill him anytime soon. So when Robin asked to see his wounds, he politely refused and sent her to the others. “My life is not worth another’s…” he shifted and winced from the pain. “I should not exist…” Finally the camps fell asleep. Zados quietly stood and walked to the edge of the camp. “It is time to do what must be done.” He stepped onto the battlefield to face what Fate had dealt him…

    Robin awoke an hour after Zados had left and found him gone. She alerted to his disappearance to LaCortis and both grabbed their gear and went after the Knight of Twilight…

    By this time, Zados was in the middle of the battlefield, where Tyrannus was already waiting for him.

    “I will not allow you to do this, Tyrannus…” Zados shouted in anger. Tyrannus laughed. “You think that I am joking?!”

    “One soldier against the full might of Sol Noire?” Tyrannus asked, amused. “You must be out of your mind.”

    “The Knight of Twilight is never out of his mind!” Robin shouted, standing beside Zados. “We will not desert him.” Her husband stood on the other side of Zados.

    “How touching, coming from the very person who shattered his heart to nothing!” Tyrannus barked as he drew a sword. Robin flinched while Zados growled. “You still care for her?”

    “I do,” Zados said firmly, stepping forward. “And I will, even after I die here.”

    “So touching,” Tyrannus laughed. Zados had had enough.

    “Halo Veres,” Zados said quietly. Tyrannus stopped laughing and fear flashed across his face.

    “You are really set then?” Tyrannus asked. “Why?”

    “Because I am not supposed to exist,” Zados said calmly. “My… ‘sister’, Elayne, is the only child of Luna and Sol. I was fabricated by Twilight to speak its will to Sol and Luna, nothing more. I am a true Phantom.”

    “That cannot be true!” Robin said. “What about your love for me?” Zados looked at her. “Was that a lie as well?” The Knight Commander looked away.

    “So…why have you come, Zados Garretson?” Tyrannus asked, holding his sword low. “Why have you come to die?”

    “Because I am not supposed to exist…” Zados answered quietly. “I am hollow; I live to die…and die to live.”

    “Then I will spare you a horrific death suffered from a broken heart!” Tyrannus said as he charged forward. Zados drew his sword and blocked all of Tyrannus’ attacks. “Why do you still resist?”

    “Time…” Zados said as he held his guard. “Time is an Ocean in a Storm.” Tyrannus sniffed and broke contact.

    “Time cannot help you!” Tyrannus barked as he got behind Zados. “You cannot bend it to your Will!”

    “Time has answered my call before!” Zados shouted as he clashed repeatedly with Tyrannus. “I will kill us both before the sun rises!”

    “You are insane!’ Tyrannus shouted as the air shook with their blows. “I will be the only one standing when the night ends!”

    “Zados!” a familiar voice called out. The Knight of Twilight spun to see both Robin and LaCortis surrounded by enemy soldiers. Tyrannus took advantage of the distraction and struck Zados through the right side of his chest. “ZADOS!”

    “I told you that I would be the last one standing by dawn!” Tyrannus laughed as a glazed look came over Zados’ eyes as he looked around. “Now I will end it forever!”

    “NO!” LaCortis shouted, blocking Tyrannus’ attack. “I will not allow you to harm him any more!”

    “Very foolish of you, boy!” Tyrannus shouted as he fought the Fox Prince ferociously. Zados could only watch.

    “Run…LaCortis…run far from here…protect Robin!” Zados pleaded as he watched the fight unfold. “Run…”

    But it was too late….

    “You were a fool to challenge me!” Tyrannus shouted, disarming LaCortis and piercing his heart. Robin screamed in pain as she watched her husband fall. She scrambled over to his side and placed his head in her lap.

    “Please Luna, no!” Robin cried holding LaCortis’ hand, tears running down her face. “Please don’t leave me and the kids, Love!” She buried her face into his chest and wept.

    Zados saw the extent of Robin’s love for LaCortis and the pain she was feeling…and knew what had to be done for all to be at peace…

    “All of this is…my fault…” Zados whispered as he struggled to stand. “I have been called many things over the Ages of Time.” He took a slow, thundering step forward. Tyrannus turned in shock to face him. “Everything is my fault…now I must correct what I have done…” Robin looked up in horror at Zados.

    “Zados, Stop!” Robin pleaded. “I cannot lose you too!” But her pleas were drowned out by the howling wind.

    “EVERYTHING IS MY FAULT!!!!” Zados screamed. His cry echoed beyond space and into Time, which quivered and then shattered at the force of his pain and resolve. Slowly the shattered pieces of Time swirled and bent to his Will. “EVERYTHING INTO THE SOUL!!!” he pulled everything that defined him out of him and poured it all into his final wish.

    “Impossible!” Tyrannus growled as he watched Time bend to Zados’ Will. As Time flowed into him, Zados saw all of his past lives and all of the mistakes that he had made and felt the pain of those his mistakes affected and poured it all into his Will. “How did he manage to get Time to bend to his Will?!”

    “Zados…” Robin whispered as she watched Zados in his final act. “I am sorry…”

    “Restobirth…” Zados called out, raising his glowing hand to the sky. Tyrannus moved to stop him.

    “NO!” Tyrannus shouted, thrusting his sword at Zados who nimbly dodged each attack. “STOP!”

    “ETO-KEN!!” Zados roared above the howling wind, slamming the spell into the ground. The spell exploded with such force that Tyrannus was incinerated by its power. The Balance was restored between Luna Noire and Sol Noire. Zados’ emotion for Robin was so powerful that the spell resurrected LaCortis from Death’s Door. Robin was overjoyed to have her husband back and held him close.

    “Oh, LaCortis!” Robin shouted happily. “I thought I had lost you!” LaCortis smiled as he held his wife.

    “I wouldn’t allow it if I could,” LaCortis laughed as he slowly rose. “But how this is confuses me.”

    “I did it…” Zados answered quietly, standing on a cliff overlooking the Sea. “My final wish has been granted. He stuck the Runicsword into the ground for support as he took out a shining orb and sent it to Robin. “This belongs to you, My Lady.”

    “My happiness!” Robin exclaimed as she took it and felt her joy and happiness fill her. “What was your wish?”

    “It was for you to be happy,” Zados said as he felt the sun rise. “Happy with the one you truly love…”

    “Zados, you don’t mean?” Robin asked. Zados took a deep breath.

    “LaCortis…take good care of Robin…” Zados said as his vision began to fail. “I wasn’t supposed to exist…not to this level…” his breathing became quick and shallow. “Never to exist beyond that of a Messenger.” He backed towards the edge.

    “Zados?!” LaCortis shouted as they watched Zados in his suicide. “What are you doing?”

    “Zados!” Robin cried out as she ran to stop him. However she was stopped by a barrier set up by the Runicsword. “STOP!”

    “Be safe, Robin…” Zados whispered quietly. “I swore that I would fall with Tyrannus before the sun rose.” He stopped at the edge. “Goodbye…” The Knight of Twilight fell.

    “ZADOS!!” Robin screamed as she watched Zados fall into the Sea. She sank to her knees crying hysterically. LaCortis moved to comfort his wife.

    “Peace, my love,” LaCortis whispered, soothingly as he stroked Robin’s hair. “He is finally at peace; do not weep for him.”

    “Yes love,” Robin sniffled, looking at the Runicsword. Upon closer inspection she saw that there was a message:

    Four and twenty; six and two
    The Twilight Lord will walk again.
    When day is dark and night is bright,
    The Knight of Twilight will live to fight.


    “He will return in the year 4262 and fight a terrible blight,” LaCortis said, interpreting the Runes. Then the Runes rearranged themselves to say:

    This sword marks where Zados Garretson, Knight of Twilight
    Stood in his final hour of glory.
    All Hail the Knight of Twilight!


    “He is truly at peace,” Robin whispered as she watched the Runes turn charcoal-black. “All Glory to the Knight of Twilight.” She bowed to the Runicsword. “Rest in peace until you must rise again.” As they walked away from the monument, a voice blew on the wind, incoherent to the ears of the man, speaking of dark times ahead…

    To be Continued….