Chapter 7

Densities are Fulfilled.

8-19-15

The Lion Temple

The resounding noise could be heard as far away as the Lion Temple. Or so everyone said to me when we returned there, with an injured cat and his dejected minions. What happened in about a month in this: After dealing with Fangar, Link and I freed everyone that was still encased in ice. After that, we ambushed the guards around Zelda and freed her. A few minutes later, I was back in the Throne Room, demanding that Fangar surrender to us. He agreed.

We also dealt with and The Flying Krock is now grounded nearby Cragger's Commandship and the Phoenix Flyer. It seems like we can go home now, but I can't get rid of this feeling like something else is out there...waiting…

"I renounce the ways of evil. We are no longer frozen Tribes. I, Sir Fangar, deband the Hunters. We are no more!" The sound of ice being broken is heard and a loud cheer rings out around the bridge leading to the Lion Temple. I'm back a little ways from the celebrants. The Lion Legendbeast is lying besides me, head upon his paws, looking in the direction of Spiral Mountain, a corkscrew-shaped mountain rising out of the valley. "You have done well. I am sure your ancestor that came here would be proud of you." The Lion opens his maw to say more, but something catches his attention and he whips his head around to face the forest surrounding the Wolf Camp.

The Legendbeast gets to his paws and I notice that the other Legendbeasts have joined him. "What's going on?" The Lion's gaze makes me feel small and I step back, unnerved. "Something is coming here. Something evil. Something that us Legendbeasts cannot defeat." The Gorilla Legendbeast speaks next. "That stained-glass window down in the Room of Artifacts? What happened that day will happen again. It will happen today. Keep your wits about you, Link, keep that blade of yours unsheathed, and your shield by your side. For He is coming." The beast moves forwards to the edge of the bridge and gazes out over the landscape. "...The Demon King is coming. That creature who killed and maimed so many Chimaens so long ago…" "Wait," I unsheathe the Master Sword and notice that the blade is glowing. Glowing a bright blue, and I realize that I can see the glow of the blade even in bright daylight on the bridge's walkway. "...It's only supposed to glow like this when…" I lift my gaze from my sword to the woods. "'The Evil One comes.' ...How is he here?" "He never left." The sound of a staff hitting stone reaches me and I turn, only to see one of the Lion Elders slowly walking towards me. "As your ancestor never really left Chima. His spirit still resides within you, deep inside yourself. I can feel his presence now." The Elder smiles at me. "Yes, his presence is growing stronger by the second. Even you should be able to feel something." What does he mean by that? 'I have returned.' My eyes go wide in shock and I drop the Master Sword and put my paws to the sides of my head, staring at the Lion Elder. "Who is that?" "That is Eric. Your ancestor. The one who saved Chima long ago." He nods in my direction and bangs his staff on the ground. "The time has come. The Golden Power will be united once more. You are all that stands in the way of the Demon King. If he gets his paws on the whole Golden Power…" The Elder shudders visibly and hurries away from me.

'Well. I wonder why he ran off like that. Pick up your sword. That dot you see in the distance? That's him.' ...Eric? 'Yes?' How come you're not mentioned in anything? 'The Tree for example? It's because my spirit never really left Chima. While I died of old age in Hyrule, I live on here. How can I be in anything if I was here, fighting Ganon instead of fighting him in Hyrule? I cannot. I have answered your question. Ganon is coming to kill you and that cannot happen. He has gained experience since you last fought him, and you cannot defeat him. But I can. And only I alone. Let me see...you also have the Shield? Good, good...the sword...armor…...Chi? You have Fire Chi? Excellent! I can use both Ice and Fire Chi!' I'm still standing at the first steps leading down to the plains. I have a bad feeling about what's going to happen. Eric? That's odd...I don't hear anything-

"RROOOOAAARRRRR! I HAVE RETURNED! RROOOOAAARRRRR! GANON, YOUR HEAD WILL BE ON MY SWORD WHEN I AM THROUGH WITH YOU! RROOOOAAARRRRR!" 'AT LAST. THANK YOU LINK. I CAN FIGHT MY MORTAL ENEMY NOW. DO NOT SPEAK TO ME. YOU WILL TAKE MY PLACE. I SHALL RETURN TO HYRULE AND BE HONORED. YOU? YOU WILL STAY HERE ON CHIMA FOREVER.' As Eric takes over my entire being, I feel as if I'm being torn apart. A few seconds later, I'm lying on the bridge, staring up into the sky. A Lion appears above me, holding a glowing sword in his left paw. No. No-this can't be possible! "I can still read your thoughts, kin." Eric raises the sword in his paws and it blocks out the setting sun. I'm going to die. I'm really going to die. "Goodbye, traitor!" Eric slices downwards-

...I'm not dead? "Look behind you, idiot. You're so occupied with killing Forester that you didn't even notice me come up the stairs." I open my eyes. The first thing I see is Eric still holding the Master Sword over my head, but it can't go down any farther. Two curved swords are holding it in place. Two very familiar swords. The beast holding the twin blades forces Eric to drop the Master Sword and Eric goes flying about halfway across the bridge. The beast then turns to me. "...I actually came to get rid of Eric...uh...sorry about all of this. Pick up that sword of yours. Eric is evil, I don't know what has happened in the time span he has been here, maybe something is making him evil...he did use a combination of normal and fire chi when he fought me...maybe that's what turned him." With some difficulty, I manage to rise and pick up my sword. I then turn back to the beast and hold out a paw. "Do you know a way back?" "To the Wizarding Castle? Yes. Eric's spirit is the key, kill him and you can return." Lion paw shakes Boar paw and Conner steps around me and begins to clop over to where Eric is lying. I follow him.

Eric is in a sorry state when I reach him. Fur is missing, an ear is torn, he's lost some blood and he tries in vain to crawl backwards to get away from me.

One stab downwards and his life is over. I wipe off my sword on his ruined clothing and I turn to Connor, who is watching Eric's spirit soar upwards into the sky. He then turns to me and I realize that all of my friends are gathered around me. "All of you stand still, all of us are going home."

Connor raises his blue, furry arms and all of us rise into the air, unsure of what is going to happen to us.

8-20-15

10:00 P.M.

On the shores of Fox Lake

...I'm back here. How long has it been? I'm on my back, staring up into the blackened sky. I've begun to doze off when I hear multiple shouts of anger and I sit up, sand flying off of me as I do so. Centaurs. "Cerberus?" The lead Centaur quickly fires an arrow into the sand below him and clops over to me. "I was beginning to lose hope that you wouldn't come back. Where have you been for the past four months?" I get to my feet and look past Cerberus, to gaze at a castle that pierces the night sky. Cerberus follows my gaze and smiles grimly. "In the time span that you and your friends have been gone, so many students have disappeared. Fudge is powerless against Tom, and it's all I can do not to let the Dementors and Death Eaters take any of my people for their 'experiments'." He shudders visibly and the centaurs opens his mouth to say more, but then a furry shape leaps from the woods at me, and I go down in a pile of furry animals. A sharp bark calls off the beasts and I sit up again, only to find a wolf sitting in front of me. "Vera!" "Welcome back. We have found your friends. Follow us." The Mage-Wolf Alpha then leaps up and runs away from me, his pack following him. I'm left standing there with Cerberus, who only glances at me. "You can't go after them on foot. Climb on my back." The half man- half horse lays down and I climb onto the horse half on him. Cerberus stands and gallops in the direction of the Wolf Pack.

The Great Hall

3:00 A.M.

8-21-15

"WHAT." "T-t-t-that's what was said...t-t-the Animagus has returned. Along with Forester and the rest of them." Feirback stands in front of his master, who is silently absorbing this new information. Lord Voldemort turns away from the werewolf, gazing out over the land he has taken over. "Feirback. I have a request for you. Lead the Animagus away from her friends. I shall deal with her alone." The werewolf nods and scampers away. Tom slowly walks towards the twin doors, taking out a slender, cracked with age wand.

The Dark Lord passes teachers and students alike, who all move away from him swiftly. As he passes them, Tom raises the Elder Wand and calls his Death Eaters. Lucius appears first. "What do you need, my Lord?" "I need you to attack and drive away the group in the Forest. All but the Animagus. She is mine." Malfroy nods in understanding and starts walking in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. Several other Death Eaters follow him.

The Forbidden Forest

3:00 A.M.

"Where is everyone? Shouldn't they be around here?" Cerberus moves silently, only replying with, "Yes, they should. I fear that something has happened." Just then, light flashes ahead of us and the Centaur stops. "What was that?" I can hear voices now. "Shoot, you idiot, Shoot!" "Death Eaters! Move!" "Hey, Draco, is that your father?" "...Why…" Cerberus rushes forwards, drawing his bow from his side. "EEEYYYAAAAAAA!"

Spells are flying in every direction. I can't see much from Cerberus's back, but I can see enough. Lucius is up in front, advancing upon Ben and Draco. Link and Zelda are wielding sword and bow, creating havoc among the Death Eaters. Connor/Ganon is whirling his golden trident around in circles, sending debris everywhere. I've got to help them. I lean down and yell at Cerberus. "Let me down! I've got to help them!" "No you don't. You have to flee from here-Tom is coming." The Centaur rears, sending me into the bushes behind me. Then I hear something scream and a great flash of light. Did I just escape death?

The centaur falls, hands still clutched around his great bow. Tom strides into the clearing. All goes silent. Tom gazes around at the fighters and asks softly. "Well? Where is the Animagus?" Lord Voldemort's gazes moves from face to face, eyes showing no emotion. He notices Feirback paying attention to a bush by the fallen centaur and Tom moves across the clearing at a fast rate.

Oh no-go away. Please go away...I risk looking through the hole in the bush and I see someone in a black cloak walking towards my location. ...I'm going to die behind this bush.

Tom reaches the bush and stands there, looking down at the werewolf. "Well? Where is she?" "Behind this bush. Do you wish me to pull her out?" The Dark Lord shakes his head. "Let her come out on her own. Wait. I have a better idea." Lord Voldemort raises his cloaked arms and fires at the bush.

… "She still lives!" "Does she?" "Yes. Tom, I suggest you finish the Animagus off now, while she lies before you." "Should I?" "...We tried. Cerberus lies dead, all of us are injured in some way, we are finished."

'Get up.' …..Dragonus? 'You will die if you don't make a stand for yourself. Your are injured, true, but you must fight.' "This has gone too far. Let me take your place. Your friends have shielded you from most of it, but they cannot help you forever." 'Wake. Wake now and rid the world of Tom forever. Wake.'

I'm looking at a sword. A sword that is embedded in the dirt before me. A sword that I haven't seen since I was falsely accused of attacking the Lion Temple. Dragon's Fire. It looks like it came here straight from Chima. Let's see if it is still as powerful. I rise from the charred remains of the bush and reach towards the blade before me.

The Great Hall

4:00 A.M.

Dumbledore walks through the door leading to the balcony. Several teachers follow him. A flash of light comes from the area of the Forbidden Forest. "What is that?" A lone wolf howl rings around the grounds, a howl of fury and anger. Flitwick walks up to the railing. "What was that?"

The Astronomy Tower

4:00 A.M.

At the same time, students are studying the stars. They also hear the lone wolf howl and wonder what has happened.

The Quidditch Field

4:00 A.M.

"I know this game has started early, but we can still-what was that?"

The House of Nash

Somewhere in Ireland

4:00 A.M.

"Beatrice?" The old woman glances up at her family, and smiles. "I have a feeling that someone has been made very angry...I would hate to be on the receiving end of her fury…"

The Forbidden Forest

A Unmapped Clearing

4:00 A.M.

...What even...what am I? "...Hey! I'm a Lion again!" "We all changed?" "How?" "Guys...did you hear that howl?" "Not to mention that flash of light?" I step out of the woods and ignore the animals staring at me, I only see Tom. I raise Dragon's Fire, and the blade literally sings as I swing the sword.

I stand there with my sword deep inside Tom's head. His blood is covering me, but I don't care. A few more seconds, and he melts away, leaving only his ragged, black as night cloak.

I did it. Again. Fur and feathers are smothering me and I shove everyone away from me. "You did it! ...Again...I hope he doesn't come back a third time." I turn from everyone else and wipe Tom's blood from my sword using the grass beneath me. I then begin to walk away from my friends, heading off to another part of the forest that surrounds us. "Lauren?" "Let her go, Ben. She'll find us later. Meanwhile, we should go up to the castle and tell everyone where we've been." As I walk in one direction, my friends walk in another, they are going to the castle, me, to a secret location that only two other people know about. Rachel, Helena? I'm returning Dragon's Fire back to the two of you.

Read the Conclusion of The Raven Saga in Warriors: Legend of The Shape-Shifter.