By Bryan Peterson AKA Gades
This is Erim's portion of The Chronicles of the Sinistrals. It covers her existence from when she was Erim to her life as Lufia. As all my stories were, this one will be in parts.
Part 1
Lufia
Lufia sat in a chair, her expression bored. The Play Station controller sat on the TV where it had been placed a moment ago. That You Don't Know Jack game had stretched Lufia's brain to the limit. Now she was wondering what to do next. She got up and went out into the hallway of Alekia Castle, where Jerin and her boyfriend Aguro were just coming out of the room that had been dubbed the cat room. Lufia went in and found it full of cats, (hence the name). She saw Daos' favorite companion lying on a chair and scooped him up. His fur was orange with white stripes. He lay in Lufia's arms and purred loudly as she carried him to where Daos lay in his bed. He was hung over again, but Lufia knew that his furry friend always made him feel good, even when a hangover darkened the light of his day. His smile was delighted, and Lufia could never recall seeing a smile quite like that one on her brother's face before. She had seen joy in him, but it was the joy of conquering and nothing more. "Where's Wedge?" Daos asked. "Last I knew he and your brothers were going to the youth center to play." Daos ground his teeth. Why did he have to get drunk and miss the fun? He decided to cast Stronger on himself and promptly did. "I'll just feed my furry friend here and then see if I can catch up with them." "You should get a bite yourself while the pancakes are still warm." Daos quickly laid down a bowl of food for his cat and some water as well, and then he bolted for the kitchen.
Lufia smiled as she watched the cat, (whom Daos had named Spanky), devour his breakfast. An idea began to form in her head and she decided that now was the time. If it was ever going to happen it must be now. She followed her brother to the kitchen, grabbed a tray, which she piled with her favorite foods and headed for the tower room where Amon had written his memoir. She had her own memoir to write. Opening the supply cabinet the king had ordered placed in the tower, Lufia drew out what she would need and sat down. She first ate the food she had brought, then took up the pen and began to write.
Part 2
The Mistress of Death
Both Gades and Amon regard this writing of memoirs as a way to free oneself of a persistent ghost. For them it was easy, but my story is much deeper. You know all about the Doom Island wars, and my brothers hinted at the fact that I lost my edge when I went to Earth as Iris, the giver of life. Arek had sent me to Earth to observe and to see who might wield Dual Blade against us. When the time came I was to destroy Maxim if my brothers failed. You know what happened. We were defeated. During the time I spent as Iris I met many people and learned to love. This proved our downfall and our liberation. After Daos fell at the hands of Maxim, I warned him to destroy the Mystic Stones or Parcelyte would be destroyed. This resulted in Doom Island's crashing into the sea far away. I remained in spirit, watching humans as they built their futures.
A century later I revived, but had no memory of what my past had been like. I found myself in the kingdom of Alekia, where I met Maxim's descendant, a boy named Wedge. As time got on he became my closest friend. We journeyed together through the land, and after many adventures, I was once again transformed into Erim. But Wedge's love was very strong. He faced down Gades, Amon and Daos in Doom Island, all for me. Even though he lost Dual Blade to me, he prevailed. I told him in sorrow that he must slay me if he wished to prevent the Sinistrals from returning. With some hesitation he did this.
Later I revived again, and once again I had Amnesia. My powers were gone as well. The Elder of Arus, a kindly man named Flake, who had helped Wedge and me on our journey, took me in and nursed me back to health. It was about that time that Wedge showed up again. He was not discouraged by the fact that I had no memory of him. We could make new memories. Then one day he found a spell in a book of magic that could restore memory. It was in the form of a melody, which could be played on a flute. Being a poet and musician at heart, Wedge practiced the melody until he got it right. There was no danger to him even if he made an error, as such magic as that will have no effect if not done properly. When he had it right he played it for me. It worked as he had hoped it would. Though my memories of when I was Erim also came back I was glad to see Wedge, and my previous life's memories came in handy later, as you who were there will know.
The battle with Arek happened a year after the incident in Arus, when we were back in Alekia. We decided to take a vacation to earth, where my brothers were living, although none of us knew that at the time. We defeated Arek in a savage battle, during which Maxim and his wife Selan came to our aid and then returned with us to Alekia. I think back on the days when I was Erim, and how my time as Iris caused me to lose my edge. A part of me still longs to embrace the darkness, and it fills me with great fear. Though Arek was defeated his spirit remains. His wrath with us is great and should I fall to it I would be condemned to an eternity of unbelievable torments. But for Wedge I might already have succumbed. I thank him for that every day.
Part 3
Afterward
Lufia got up and looked out the window. She saw Wedge and Aguro approaching, followed by Gades, Amon and Daos. They were laughing and joking. Lufia smiled and went to meet them.
Gades walked through the street outside the castle, bouncing a basketball ahead of him and singing I am the Champion at the top of his voice. It was a parody of a song from Earth called We are the Champions, and it went something like this:
"I am the champion! I am the champion! No time for losers, ‘cuz I am the champion of the world!" He went on repeating it until Daos smacked him a good one across the back of his head with a wooden paddle used for the game Showdown. Gades promptly shut up. "Now what'd you want to go and do that for?" Aguro asked, "He's right after all." "He was getting annoying." Daos said, "You know how annoying it gets when I sing that I'm Too Sexy song, well this is the same thing." They entered the castle.
Epilogue
Gades sat reading Lufia's manuscript and he felt a pang. Short though the document was it did convey the full magnitude of Lufia's tragic story. Gades wondered if even the writing of this memoir could help her. He remembered that he had sensed peace in Lufia for the first time in centuries, and he reflected that the writing of her story, (which she had told to none), might have been just the thing to free her. He went to the locked and enchanted drawer in one of the filing cabinets in the castle library, and filed Lufia's manuscript in with his own and that of his brother Amon. Then he left the library.
Lufia slept better than she ever had the night Gades read her manuscript. Perhaps it was the fact that the story was finally off her conscience. Whatever it was, she awoke feeling refreshed and well. She then began thinking about the future. There was something she was going to have to ask Wedge. She was not sure how he would respond, since he knew her true nature. However he had accepted that she had once been Erim, and he had always been there for her. She decided to ask him anyway.
When Lufia asked Wedge to marry her he was only a little surprised. Even less surprised was he by his answer, which was yes. He loved Lufia deeply and didn't want to lose her. Perhaps marriage was what had been intended for them. He sighed contentedly. He'd come quite a long way since that day fourteen years previously, when he and Lufia had first met. Then they had been children of seven or so. Now they were in their early twenties. Wedge smiled and embraced Lufia. Together they left the sitting room to go tell their friends the good news.