The Legend of Hilda: Her Wish, Chapter 12

Ravio inclined his head against the door, straining to make out the muffled conversation on the other side. A lump had formed in his throat, but he didn't dare swallow for fear of making even the tiniest sound.

He'd caught a glimpse of the princess and decided to follow her. She had entered Yuga's chambers with a music box in her hands. The whole situation sent off alarm bells inside the young knight's head. What was the princess doing? Eavesdropping on her made him feel guilty, but it was his mistrust of Yuga that made it impossible to walk away. He couldn't quite place why he felt this way about Yuga. It was more than the sorcerer's many character flaws and off-putting appearance, Ravio concluded, although if he had to put what it was into words, he'd be at a loss.

On the other side, he heard Hilda speaking to Yuga. It seemed as though she tried to maintain an authoritative tone, but the longer she spoke the more her voice shuddered. "I want you to leave my kingdom and never return. Leave... Before I am forced to do something I don't want to."

Ravio couldn't believe it. He'd always hoped she would follow his advice, so there was some personal satisfaction in listening to Hilda tell Yuga to leave. Yet these circumstances were worrying. Yuga had terrifying powers. Going into his chambers with news of his permanent dismissal was one of the scariest things Ravio could fathom, yet Hilda seemed completely blind to any danger. If something happened to the princess because of his warning, he'd never forgive himself.

I'm sorry Hilda. I didn't mean for you to do this alone, but what can I do?

"Has the worm been filling your head with his nonsense again?" Yuga's voice was clearer than Hilda's.

Ravio's face grew hot with anger.

"My decision is firm, Yuga. Leave!" Hilda raised her voice and then lowered it. "The alternative is death."

Death?

An uneasy feeling overtook him. Had Hilda taken his words to heart and gone overboard? Ravio's dread was mounting, wondering if there was more to the situation that Hilda was keeping from him.

"I swore an oath to the royal family – to you. I won't leave. Your Grace... I love you too much to walk away."

Ravio's eyes widened, a feeling of emotional numbness overcoming him. Then he was livid.

That's a lie! It HAS to be... Don't believe him, Hilda!

Hilda went silent for, what seemed to Ravio, an eternity. When she spoke again her voice was nearly a whisper, making her words unintelligible to the boy. He strained to hear. Yuga softened his tone, in a way he only spoke to Hilda. At times they spoke so softly that even the faint melody of the music box could drown them out.

Someone as selfish as him can't feel love. He's just using her to get what he wants... What is he planning?

And then after Yuga had calmed her, it sounded as if he were recounting some sort of legend... No, not just any legend... It was the one about the goddess and the demon king. There were differences from the version Ravio grew up hearing, but he knew in his heart that it was all true. Ravio couldn't stop listening, nor could he stop himself from shaking. At this point, he wasn't sure if it was from his intense anger or out of fear. Although he could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation, he'd heard enough. The more he learned, the sicker he felt. There was a distinct ringing in his ears.

It's worse than I thought. Oh goddesses, it's so much worse... It wasn't just my crazy imagination... Yuga is the demon king reborn and he is the bearer of the Triforce of Beauty? How is that even possible?

Still, Ravio couldn't get over the main subject of Yuga's diatribe – his bizarre obsession with Hilda.

With the way Yuga is talking, it's almost like he's... jealous of me? The Captain was right about Yuga. Flagrant... The man is flagrant...

The captain often joked about Yuga's intentions towards the princess, and it always made Ravio severely uncomfortable. In his mind, Yuga was repulsive in both appearance and personality. Ravio couldn't envision Yuga having romantic feelings for anyone.

Ravio, at last, felt the urge to pull himself away from their conversation, feeling thoroughly disgusted by Yuga's admission. Yuga had been told to leave, and somehow that leech had turned the conversation around into his supposed 'love' for the princess. It sickened Ravio so much that he felt gross just for having listened to it. After all, he wasn't some weirdo that eavesdropped on the princess all the time, he was just a loyal servant who wanted to ensure the well-being of the kingdom and the princess.

Ravio felt as though he were sinking to the bottom of Lorule Lake. Having heard enough to drive him to the milk bar for the rest of his life, he backed away from the door and began to walk down the hall as quietly as possible, then he paused. A hush had fallen inside the room since Hilda had last spoken. Ravio began to break into a sweat, wondering what was going on. Was the princess safe?

I should do something. If I wasn't such a coward I'd just go in there.

Ravio couldn't bring himself to turn back. He had always been somewhat guarded around Yuga, but he'd never felt as fearful of the sorcerer as he did now. Then, hearing the door burst open, Ravio whipped around and felt himself go very, very cold. Yuga's parlous dark eyes locked with his, and then the sorcerer began to advance on the boy at a brisk pace, staff in hand. Under Yuga's long sleeves, Ravio caught sight of the Triforce upon his hand, shining with horrifying intensity.

"No, no, no, no..." Ravio backed away, his heart racing, before turning and breaking into a sprint.

"Yuga, wait! Where are you going?" Hilda called after the sorcerer.

"Look, Your Grace! The worm has been spying on us this whole time!"

Ravio pushed himself down the hall as fast as his legs would carry him, cursing himself all the way. Worse than his eavesdropping, he'd left the bracelet at home. How could he be so careless?

Several servants began to notice the chase. A few stopped to stare, their faces aghast in shock.

"What's going on?" Ravio heard someone shout behind him as he weaved between startled servants, with Yuga in pursuit.

As Ravio drew close to the foyer, he looked back to see Yuga was still after him. Ravio bounded down the main staircase, nearly losing his footing as he descended the last few steps.

Yuga swung his paintbrush-like staff and a dark, multi-colored barrier formed over windows and doors, blocking any means of escape. The magic undulated against the exits in an unnatural fashion - like paint running upward. It bathed the grand foyer in a wash of dark colors and emitted a nefarious humming sound.

"I trapped a rat with a human face! I trapped a rat with a human face!" Yuga shouted in a singsong voice. His high-pitched laugh carried through the foyer, sending Ravio into true panic, feeling as though there was ice in his veins.

I'm not ready for this. I NEED that bracelet if I'm going to stand a chance.

Ravio had to wonder if anyone was ever ready to fight.

"I hate to waste my magic on you, but you leave me no choice. You'll make little else but a grotesque smear on the wall. Exactly where you've always belonged!"

"Yuga, stop this!" Hilda shouted from the top of the staircase. She was out of breath from giving chase.

With nowhere to run, Ravio unsheathed the sword strapped to his back, holding it in front of himself defensively.

"I don't want to fight you, Yuga!" Ravio entreated the sorcerer.

"No need for a fight, if you'll just stand still like a good little worm. This will only take a second." Yuga said drawing near, tapping the shaft of his paintbrush staff against his palm. Ravio backpedaled only to realize he was getting cornered against a wall.

In the meantime, a small gathering of servants and knights in training had begun to converge in the foyer.

The sorcerer unleashed a colorful blast of magic. Ravio dropped to the ground, missing the magical attack by inches.

"You're too quick, worm," Yuga grumbled, summoning a different type of attack.

A powerful blast of lightning struck Ravio from behind, making him drop to his knees, knocking the breath from his lungs.

He can make things come out of the wall... I've got to get to the center of the room, Ravio thought.

Ravio prepared to dodge another attack from the artistic sorcerer. Instead, Yuga summoned apparitions to surround Ravio. The purple-clad knight froze. They were copies made in his own likeness. They stared at him with artificial, unsettling smiles and vacant green eyes. Ravio struggled to plant his feet to keep his knees from shaking.

"Just a preview of how your portrait will look! I hope you like it." Yuga taunted.

This is it... I'm not going to make it. Any second now I'll be made into a living piece of graffiti.

Yuga cackled watching the boy cower.

"S-shouldn't we help?" Ravio overheard one of his fellow knights in training.

"I... I'm too afraid," replied another, sounding embarrassed by his admission.

"This seems to be a personal matter. Better let them fight it out," said another.

"Y-yeah... You're right. Let's wait for the Captain..."

They're cowards... Just like I am... No... Cowardice doesn't help anyone. From now on, I refuse to be that person.

Ravio closed his eyes and extended his sword. He spun, slicing through the apparitions surrounding him in one quick motion. Having cleared his demon-like doppelgangers, he raised his sword to Yuga.

Yuga laughed. "Pathetic..." He summoned another bolt of electricity. This time Ravio pushed away from the wall before the blast could wrack his body with shattering pain. He forced himself past the sorcerer, bumping into him. Yuga stumbled and then regained his footing, grunting in frustration.

Finally, in the center of the room, Ravio breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was safe from Yuga's wall-based attacks. Still, he didn't want to completely underestimate Yuga's abilities. He gave the sorcerer a smirk. "So the goddesses picked you to bear the Triforce of Beauty? They must be blind or have a sick sense of humor, maybe both."

"Wha-what?" Yuga stammered. "How dare you! You'll pay for that!" Yuga stomped his foot in rage, releasing a pulse of energy around himself. Colorful, angry flames shot forth from every wall in the room – as if the summoner held nothing back. Still, the attacks didn't have the range to reach Ravio. Onlookers screamed as they found a safer place to stand.

Yuga had stopped his attack and began to pace as if planning his next move. Ravio then noticed the flames from Yuga's staff had gone out. The artist looked at the golden paintbrush, irritation showing on his pallid features.

"It doesn't matter what you do, Yuga. The hero of Lorule always defeats you in the end, right?" As terrified as he was, he enjoyed pushing Yuga's buttons. If the sorcerer had any insecurities at all, Ravio was certain he understood them now.

"Oh really? If you're the hero of anything, it's rescuing rupees from their imprisonment in other's wallets," Yuga sneered at the boy.

"You're through, Yuga. I'm not going to fight you anymore. You're going to leave now, just like Her Highness told you." Ravio continued to hold his sword at the ready.

The servants and guards whispered among themselves, exchanging confused glances.

"This is over when I say it's over!"

Ravio scowled at the flamboyant sorcerer. "Foolish clown..."

"Come on worm, fight me, or wriggle away like the coward you are!" Yuga advanced toward the boy, holding his staff like a club.

Refusing to back away, Ravio made a diagonal slash through the air in Yuga's direction in warning.

Yuga attempted to block the sword with his staff, but the force of the blow made him lose his grip. The staff clattered to the stone floor, but Yuga barely reacted, continuing to advance on the knight. Ravio swung his sword again, although this time it grazed the sorcerer's arm- just slightly above his wrist. Yuga cried out, more in shock than pain, applying pressure as blood began to trickle from the wound.

Ravio wasn't sure how, but he maintained his composure. Under different circumstances, he would have crumbled and apologized profusely for injuring someone. Despite being a knight in training, the thought of blood spilled in violence was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. He tried to rationalize his change of heart. This was more than mere righteous anger and self-defense Ravio told himself.

I can't hide my head in the sand anymore, knowing I had reason to mistrust him all along. My concerns were always valid. He's only deceiving her, manipulating her heart. I can't let that happen anymore...

The sorcerer continued to hold his wounded arm in disbelief. For the briefest moment, his dark eyes welled up with hopelessness. Then he shot a wrathful glance in Ravio's direction. "I won't lose to you! I can't!"

Yuga's words struck fear in Ravio, feeling the full extent of his hate.

He's not going to back down... He'll never back down because he...

Ravio did not want to admit that Yuga was fighting for Hilda's affection. Although he knew he had to put an end to Yuga's involvement in the princess's life regardless.

What if he hurts her the moment she rightfully rejects him?

"Yuga! Please... Please stop!" Hilda called out again, still standing at the top of the stairs.

Yuga turned to look up at her, his thick, ginger curls cascading at the swift movement. This was exactly the opportunity Ravio needed if he was going to bring this fight to a close. Ravio shut his eyes tight, squeezing the handle of his sword, and charged towards his distracted opponent, leveling his sword at the sorcerer's back. The young knight in training prepared himself mentally for the sickening sound of metal piercing flesh and bone.