GCB Fanfics: Vs. Mode

Vs. Mode - Kefka vs. Crono


"Welcome back to Vs. Mode where heroes and villains a multiverse over clash in a battle for supremacy." Lucca announces as the crowds scream in anticipation for blood, blood and more blood. "For those just tuning in, you missed a fierce battle between Mario and Shadow as the black hedgehog almost gave last year's runner-up a run for his money. But Mario eventually prevailed and will go on to battle the winner of this match."

"And if you thought the last match was a nail-biter, you haven't seen anything yet," Brock continues, "Crono has proven himself a contender in last year's tournament, reaching all the way to the Final Four. Meanwhile, his opponent is best known for destroying his home world and being completely deranged. This match promises to have lots of lights, spells and explosions and I would just like to send my condolences to the wonderful people who needs to fix the arena after all is said and done." Somewhere in the stadium, a groan is heard for a millisecond before getting overwhelmed by the audience.

"The sky is clear and the wind is strong and cool," Lucca mentions as the wind plays around with her hair a bit, "a perfect day for Crono's eventual triumph against the insane general turned god."

"A little presumptuous don't you think?" Brock says as he raises one eyebrow at Lucca.

Lucca smiles sweetly at the Pokemon Breeder, although her tone suggests otherwise "If you're allowed to be heavily biased in any match with a pretty girl, then I'm allowed to be heavily biased in any match with Crono."

Brock chuckles nervously before continuing. "Oh, and there's Kefka's theme, signaling the coming of the insane general."

The dark tones of Dancing Mad welcome the coming of Kefka as the former general walks out to the jeering crowds in his flamboyant outfit. He steps forward and back, and pauses in front of the entrance, his face a curious mixture of innocence, joy and rapture.

"They cry for your blood, and seek your downfall. Doesn't this worry you, fallen one?"

And Kefka just laughs, and laughs, and laughs before addressing the man who spoke to him. "So pretty, so pretty, can't you hear them worship me, their god?"

"Worship you?" The voice asks, amused.

Kefka spins around and faces the person talking to him, his face and smile, perfect figures of childish innocence, "They chant my name with such force, they shout for me and scream for me." He says in a sing-song voice, as his smile slowly twists to one more sadistic, "they cry for blood, my blood, and ask for death, my death, but in reality, all they want in their deluded little minds are entertainment and one person's head to pop like a grape." And as quickly as the winds change, his face turns to one of calmness. "I'm just here to give them what they want."

The figure smirks at this pronouncement, "And you think that... you will be the one to hand them their wishes? Crono is hardly an easy a foe as the one you slaughtered." Then the figure pauses, and places his finger on his chin as though deep in thought, "Oh wait, did I say slaughter? I meant almost lost to. Sure you made him crack like an egg shell but not before he forced you to run away the ring in fear, am I right?"

Kefka fumes upon hearing those words, how dare this man insult him? How dare he? How dare he? "How dare you!? How dare you!? Do you think that little spiky-haired freak can beat me!? I'm a god! He's just some pathetic moron who can't even kill a stupid raccoon! I consumed the power of the espers and the three goddesses and destroyed my world and reshaped it in my image. Monsters bow down to me and my power! I do not lose to a young idiot like that!" And as quickly as it came, his anger subsides, replaced by that of child-like joy. "Besides, I have a new toy that is just dying to be played with. And Crono will be my first playmate." The general says as he giggles uncontrollably to himself. The giggle slowly grows into a cackle, and soon it turns into a full-blown psychotic laugh, a laugh that accompanies him as he walks out into the arena, where the crowds jeer at him and cheer for blood.

And in the shadows, the man simply smiles.

"And in the other corner, accompanied by fellow time-traveler Magus," Lucca jumps in before Brock can say anything, "is everyone's favorite red-headed hero who shall kick the butts of his opponents all the way to the finals. He's slew spies, demons, giant hedgehogs from space and almost defeated last years runner-up. It's none other than the hero of time, Crono!"

A rousing cheer sharply contrasting the jeers for Kefka earlier, accompanies the theme of Crono as he steps out of his entrance. Applause, praise, and words of good fortune in battle shower the hero of time as he walks to the ring. And yet, even though almost every single member in the audience is behind Crono and the downfall of Kefka, he still couldn't help but feel bothered in the face of the crowd.

"The black wind howls." Magus mentions as the two walk to the ring, the wind blowing a little stronger as though fueled by his words, "The crowds see it as a sign of fortune and joy, but this day shall only end in misery and death."

Crono almost stumbles as he hears the all too familiar message but quickly recovers and continues walking as though nothing happened.

"Be wary Crono, one amongst us shall die today. Try to prevent it from being you again."

As the two continue to walk, Crono nods silently, his mind filled with worry on the outcome of this match.

"Magus is now leaving after some parting words with his ally, and both fighters seem ready and pumped up for this match," Brock says as the referee meets them at the center of the ring. "Looks like we're in for a long one today, with no clear winner until the last spell is cast. So Lucca, what do you think?" Brock says before remembering how Lucca is picking sides for this match. He winces as he prepares himself for a long Pro-Crono rant.

"Truth be told, I agree with you that this match is difficult to predict. On one hand we have a person who literally has god-like magic powers. On the other hand, we have a hero who has taken on such beings in the past. Battle tactics is difficult to compare as well, while Crono has more experience in the ring, Kefka has unpredictability on his side. Also, Crono has this little morality problem that actually hinders him in whatever match he enters while Kefka could hardly care what happens to his opponents. Who knows how this battle will go."

Brick breaths a sigh of relief. "Thank you Lucca, for giving us that wonderful analysis..."

"Of course," Lucca interrupts before Brock can finish. "All that is moot since this is Crono we're talking about. Short of plumbers with redundant names, Crono is simply unbeatable in the ring. All the powers in the world could not defeat the sheer awesomeness of the kids of Truce, and even just one half of them will be more than enough for the likes of Kefka. Brock? Can you stop banging your head on the announcer's desk? You might break it and then we'd have to pay for it."

Down in the ring, the Ref-bot raises his flags in preparation for the match. "Player one ready?" He says, as he faces Kefka.

In response, the former general of Vector giggles uncontrollably to himself.

Taking that as an assent, the Ref-Bot faces the red-headed swordsman. "Player two ready?"

Crono nods his head and draws his sword, his face molded into a serious expression as he prepares for the fight of his life.

"Combatants ready. Raise Force Barriers. Match 42, Kefka vs. Crono. 3, 2, 1... fight!"

"Power's on; game's started and Crono immediately charges at Kefka, hoping to end this battle as quickly as possible." Brock narrates, "He raises the Rainbow above his head for an overhead slash and-"

"STOP!"

"-and he veers his sword to the right, missing Kefka's head and imbedding the blade into the stadium ring." Lucca finishes for the Pokemon Breeder in a very sardonic tone. "Ooookay... I can sort of understand him not wanting to kill Tom Nook, but why spare Kefka?"

Down in the ring, Kefka lowers his hand and stares right into Crono with sorrowful eyes. "Must we really... fight like this?" Kefka asks mournfully, "Must we really try to kill each other like savage beasts? We're both rational people aren't we? We are both humans who are Able to think, and do great things. Look at you, a man who saved his world from a great calamity from the stars. Me? I'm a man who overthrew a corrupt leader and claimed the powers of a god. Why are we fighting like this!?" He weeps as his tears splatter on the ground.

As the crowds went silent at the mini-speech of Kefka, with a few of them actually feeling ashamed of themselves for jeering him so loudly, Crono stands still, shocked. Is this really the man who killed Pac-Man so ruthlessly? Were all the stories about him being an evil madman bent on world destruction actually just rumors? He had personally experienced being wrongfully judged before when the fake chancellor charged him of kidnapping Marle, and he never really did believe the accusations against the Mario Brothers. Can it be that Kefka was really just a man with a hateful image molded by the public?

"Do you know why we're fighting like this?" Kefka asks as he blows his nose against his sleeve. "I'll tell you why..."

In his thoughts, Crono does not notice the magic collecting in the hands of Kefka. However, he did notice the sudden gush of power in the winds, moments before the Flare blasted him clear off the ring and straight into the barriers.

"It's because it's fun!" Kefka shouts at Crono before falling to a fit of giggles.

"And Kefka gets in a cheap shot, taking advantage of Crono's gullibility." Brock deadpans.

"Crono, you idiot!" Lucca screams into her mike, "you do not stop to listen to the raving lunatic no matter what he says, especially if he can cast every single spell in his world. It's simply not healthy!"

"Crono's getting back up, looking a little shaken but not stirred." Brock continues, "Looks like he was able to raise his Rainbow in the nick of time, allowing him to avoid getting the full brunt of the Flare. Crono climbs back into the ring, but it appears that Kefka is still lost to the world in his little bout of giggling. A Lightning 2 reminds him that the fight is not yet over though."

""Kefka looks mighty pissed now. He does not appreciate being zapped like that. But he doesn't have to worry about that shocking treatment for long because here comes dear old Crono to ease the pain with a Slash." Lucca says, sure of her friend's victory now.

The sound of an explosion echoes through the arena.

"Looks like dear old Crono is too busy avoiding getting burned to cinders." Brock says as Kefka cackles with glee, "Kefka's going overboard with the Fire 3 spell, causing various patches of air above the ring to combust."

"This is a bad situation for him." Lucca says worriedly, "Kefka is leading the dance. If Crono tries to attack, physically or magically, he will leave himself wide open. The only thing he can do now is evade, and he can't do that forever."

"Run! Run!" Kefka laughs as he continues waves his arms around like a conductor in an orchestra. "Run, or you'll be well done!"

Crono rolls away from another explosion and narrows his eyes. Slowly he stands, with the Rainbow positioned beside him.

"Crono must have a death wish!" Brock screams, "he's just standing there as Kefka randomly makes various parts of the arena explode!"

"No, I know that look." Lucca says as she grins, "Crono has decided to take this fight seriously and Kefka better prepare himself if he doesn't want to go home in pieces."

"Well, he better have because, unless if I miss my guess, Kefka's about to make him burn!"

"And Crono runs out of the area moments before it explodes, he dashes straight for Kefka at full-speed, seemingly not caring for whatever the magician plans for him." Lucca announces

"This is any better from before!? He's just going to get himself toasted a lot faster!" Brock asks in bewilderment.

"Just trust him." Lucca says, "Besides, Marle's going to kill him if he gets himself killed."

"Well, okay, but... wait, what? "

Lucca ignores the Pokemon Trainer's queries "Kefka casts a massive Fire spell in front of Crono just as expected, creating a veritable inferno between them. Now we'll see if our hero has some idea to get around the obvious obstacle or if he's just being reckless. Crono's moves his sword in front of him and he starts twirling it like a rotor blades moments before rushing into the flames."

"Amazing," Brock says, "the wind he's creating is cutting a path through the inferno. Kefka looks pissed at this development and starts casting another spell. Bits of frost coalesce around the blaze as the Ice 3 spell begins."

"And Crono jumps out of the flames just as the spell finishes and lands on the now solidified chunk of ice. He slides his way down to Kefka as the mad general tries to stop him in vain. Yes, that's the way to do it!" Lucca cheers.

"Crono jumps off of the ice just as Kefka's Bolt 3 spell shatters it to many pieces. And Crono... Crono is spinning in mid-air. He's modified the Spin-Cut to a mid-air variant. Good grief, if that thing hits, Kefka will be pureed"

"Damn!" Lucca shouts, "Kefka gets away with a Warp spell. The missed blow smashes into the floor, leaving a long, deep, curving fissure in its wake as Kefka reappears on the other side of the ring, his clothes now sporting a spot of blood." Lucca grins, "Guess Crono got a hit in before he escaped."

"Kefka's staring dumbfounded at his blood. This might be trouble." Brock mentions shakily, "If Kefka gets hopping mad when there's a speck of sand in his boots, who knows how he'll react to that. An angry not does not an easy enemy make. He might decide to destroy the entire stadium. He might banish Crono with an X-Zone. He might send Lights of Judgments everywhere. He might turn to his ultimate form. He might... start laughing his head off? Is that better or worse than him being angry?"

"I think... it's worse." Answers Lucca, "At least with an angry Kefka, you sort have an idea on what he's going to do. A laughing Kefka on the other hand, is completely unpredictable. Crono stays still as he watches insane god warily, which is pretty much the only thing he can do since rushing him right now would be too dangerous."

The laugh of Kefka abruptly stops, and the psychotic general faces Crono, "That was a nice little warm-up, don't you think?" he says, a cheerful smile plastered on a face as innocent as an infant.

"He ravaged the ring with all those spells and he calls it a warm-up?" Brock utters in disbelief.

"Now I feel like playing a game, you like playing games don't you?"

Crono doesn't say anything as he tightens his grip on his katana.

"But, oh dear, what can we play with?" the insane magician says, his features etched with mock worry, "Oh, I know! How about this little gem I found lying around the other day?" With a small flourish and a maniacal grin, Kefka puts his hand into his vegetable-like sleeves and withdraws... a red orb.

Brock's eyes bug out as he recognizes Kekfa's ne toy. "Gyah! How the heck did Kefka get his hands on a Master Summon?"

In the stands, a cry of anguish is heard from a spiky-haired individual, "Hey! That's my materia!"

"Your fault for being an idiot and leaving it all alone in the room." Mutters his silver-haired companion.

"Crono is now running straight at Kefka, and I don't blame him. If that is a Master Summon, who knows what he will unleash. C'mon Crono, stop him quick!"

"Crono swings his blade and let's its momentum carry him into the Spin Cut. Say Lucca, out of curiosity, how does Crono keep moving while twirling around like a top?"

"Lots and lots of practice Brock. Crono's almost upon the mad clown and- NO! A magical updraft springs up while Crono's blade was mere inches from Kefka's neck, throwing our hero high up into the air. He safely lands on his feet, his experience and training saving him from a broken neck, but he's too far away to stop Kefka now and the psychotic mage is putting the finishing touches to his summon."

"That's it." Brock groans, "Crono's doomed."

The earth shakes and the very skies scream as the very fabric of time and space are torn asunder. The more magically attuned had to struggle to not faint from the sudden burst of arcana in the air as the Summon spell is cast. Kefka floats within a maelstrom of light, fire and sheer power as the Master Materia manipulates the very threads of mana and tugs from its ancient memory a beast of death and destruction. Crono had to hold himself steady as a strong gusts of wind rush out from where the mad god stands, flattening his clothing against his body and threatening to shred his skin apart. The swordsman watches with horror as a figure slowly takes form within the center of the magical storm. It opens its terrible eyes and its stare seems to pierce straight to the heart of the time traveler. Soon, the spell ends, and the magical bi-products of the ritual disperse into the air, revealing a monster that roars into the heavens to celebrate its freedom from the confines of the Red Materia.

"Kupopo! Wark!"

The audience sits there in silence, not knowing what to say. Some thought that the demon Ifrit would stand tall in his gruesome image, breathing fire down the neck of their hero. Others had expected the king of dragons, Bahamut to make a second appearance in the ring. A few perverts had even drooled over the possibility of Shiva popping out and giving them some fan service.

None had expected the Choco/Mog.

And apparently, none included Kefka.

"And Kefka's jaw drops as he watches the Chocobo rustle its feathers and the Moogle on its back give him a salute before charging towards Crono. So, any comments Lucca?"

Lucca didn't say anything. It's a little difficult to state your opinion when you're too busy laughing.

Seeing his partner a little preoccupied, Brock continues his narration. "Crono shakes away his surprise at seeing the creature and jumps over the charging bird. With a quick swing, he bats away the moogle rider using the flat of his sword and lands on the chocobo's back. The yellow bird doesn't seem to enjoy having a little hitchhiker on its back and tries to buck Crono off as the swordsman holds on for his dear life."

Down in the ring, Kefka is livid with rage. He glares pointedly at a particular individual in the audience with enough intensity to puncture a steel wall fifty feet thick. "You spiky-haired freak! You said this thing was powerful! What's that stupid bird doing here?"

"Let me guess," Cloud says between laughs, "this is the first time you've used the Master Materia and you chose the first summon that popped up."

"First basic rule of combat Kefka," Sephiroth intones as he chuckles at the madman's plight, "test out your weapons before you use them, as a general you should have known that. Perhaps you need a 'point this at the enemy' sign painted on the side of the materia as well?"

Kefka continues to fume, and had the Master Materia been made of something a lot weaker, it would have been crushed and compressed into a diamond.

The one-winged angel smirks, "Second basic rule of combat, never turn your back on the enemy."

Kefka turns around, just in time to see his entire world get filled with yellow.

"And Kefka gets trampled by a Crono-driven Chocobo." Lucca shouts to the cheering crowd. "I knew all that dino-riding training in the prehistoric era would pay off someday."

"The Chocobo disappears as its summoner has lost consciousness, and the Ref-Bot administers the ten count to wrap up this match."

"Kefka fails to rise in ten counts." The Ref-Bot exclaims in a monotonous voice, "Winner: Crono"

"And the crowd goes wild as Crono beats Kefka with a lot more ease than previously expected. The hero of time continues his steamrolling path to the championship. Can he keep it going all the way past Mario in the next round? Of course he can! Go Crono!" Lucca cheers as the swordsman celebrates his victory.

"Err... Lucca?" Brock says as he nudges the scientist. "Kefka's moving."

As quickly as the laughs and cheers came when Crono's victory appeared to be inevitable, they left as the mad clown rises on one knee. He takes one look at the once cheering crowd, one look at Crono who pauses in the middle of his victory dance, one look at the referee who is leaving the arena to prepare for the next match, then one look at the big screen that is proclaiming Crono as the winner.

Kefka lets out a primal scream that sent chills down the spines of all those watching as he pulls out tuffs of his hair in frustration. A magical aura suddenly surrounds him as he continues to shriek in rage, an aura that is colored with a dark, fiery red to reflect his anger. Then his scream stops and his aura flares down and he falls on his knees, his disheveled hair falling down in front of his face.

The audience collectively blinks as a chuckle breaks the silence that came after Kefka's outburst. The laughter is soft and hardly even half the intensity of the ear splitting scream earlier. And yet, though it is barely audible in comparison, it is somehow much more frightening than the banshee-like cry that came before it.

"Do you know what I hate?" Kefka asks the crowds in general as his shoulders shake from his chortle. "Do you know what I really hate?"

"I really, really, really, hate, hate, hate, HATE LOSING!" Kefka screams he throws the red materia on the ground in anger.

"And here we have a classic Kefka tantrum as the psychotic god goes wild in his anger. Umm... security is going to cart him away any minute now aren't they?"

Lucca shakes her head as she watches the events in the ring unfold. "No. I just called the tournament manager and he said something about the guards wanting a million gold coin raise before they go in there to risk their lives."

"Ah... can't say I blame them for not wanting to interfere with someone powerful enough to be a god."

"Stupid artifact!" Kefka screams as he stomps on the Master Materia. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! How dare you make me lose!?"

"So are we just going to let him stay in the ring until he decides to go?" Brock asks.

"If you want him to leave so badly, then be my guess. Just try not to spill too much blood on the ring."

"I was supposed to win this! I was supposed to show these insects what entertainment is! I was not supposed to lose!" Fire, Ice and Electricity, leap out of the mage's hands and batter the orb with elemental magic.

"Out of curiosity, just how much punishment can a master materia take, Lucca?"

"I'd say a lot. Considering how much it is a part of the Planet's essence and memory, it'd probably take something strong enough to crack a world to even put a dent into that thing."

Kefka raises his hands as he speaks in a calm tone. "I was supposed to laugh at their faces!" Then he shrieks as he throws his arms down and fire a concentrated blast at the materia. "They were NOT SUPPOSED TO LAUGH AT ME!"

"Something with enough power to destroy a planet huh?" Brock deadpans.

Wordlessly, Lucca nods as she watches Kefka fire blast after blast at the orb.

"Something like say... the Light of Judgment?" Brock continues in a voice that is heavily tinged with fear. "Then again, it's just a materia right? Nothing bad can happen when a materia breaks right?"

Lucca does not say anything as she adjusts her goggles to see through the blinding light of Kefka's blast. With the miracle of technology, she is able to see through the haze of magic, but she almost wishes that she wasn't able. Behind the curtain of light, she spots the Master Materia seeping an emerald colored substance.

In the audience seating, Aeris doubles over and clutches her head in pain.

"Aeris!" Cloud shouts as he tries to support her. "What's wrong?"

"The Materia..." Aeris mutters, "The Master Summon, the lifestream... it's screaming in pain. Cloud, it's going to..."

When the materia finally shatters from the blows, no one notices it aside from Lucca and Aeris. The immediate sequence of events however, is a little hard to ignore.

First, an invisible force flings Crono out of the ring, and he lands on the ground outside unconscious, his body suddenly riddled with wounds, burns, frost, and boils. However, aside from Lucca, his acquaintances, and the more hardcore fans of the swordsman, no one notices his dire, near-fatal state during the current situation.

At the same time, the fragments of the materia immediately turn into a thick green mist that spreads at an alarming rate. The strange substance flows through the fighters' entrance and climbs up to the audience seats and soon, the emerald fog completely covers the entire stadium. But that is not the thing the caught the forefront of the crowds' attention either.

What made their eyes and ears stay transfixed on the stadium in horrified fascination is the scene of phantom-like beasts that soar out of the destroyed artifact, beasts that roars and wails and howls in dissonant voices, tones and pitches that grab their hearts and fill them with fear. Like a flight of spirits rising up to the heavens, the ghostly beasts fly around the air in a seemingly disorganized dance.

Then they converge on where Kefka stands, and 27 figures took form and stand around the madman.

"Are you the one who freed us from the chains of the ancient ones?" One of them speaks in a deep booming voice.

"I feel your essence." A lithe voice says, "You share a strong magical aura within you, one that exceeds even our own."

"Powerful liberator, allow us to serve you." A third one requests in an echoing tone that everyone in the stadium hears, and one by one, all 27 summons bow down to Kefka.

"...oh ****." Brock says, perfectly summing up the thoughts of everyone with two words.

Kefka looks around at his new minions, and laughs and laughs and laughs. The summons melt back into the lifestream as Kefka strides out of the arena, still laughing like a loon.

"Hmm... you know what?" Kefka says with a loud enough voice for everyone to hear as he stops just in front of the competitors' entrance gate. "I never did like this tournament."

Then he snaps his fingers.

In the northern end of the audience seating, a portion of the lifestream reforms into a demonic beast. Ifrit howls the nightmares of hell as the people nearby shrieks in terror and tries to scramble away.

In the southern end of the audience seating, a portion of the lifestream reforms into a gigantic bull. Kjata bellows out its anger as people scramble away from it.

In the eastern end of the audience seating, a portion of the lifestream reforms into a peculiar, non-descript creature. The winds of Typoon scatter those who are not able to get away fast enough.

In the western end of the audience seating, a portion of the lifestream reforms into the visage of a wizened old man. The heavens cry their fury as Ramuh raises his staff on the fleeing crowds.

And in the center of the arena, the lifestream swirls and solidifies into a large monstrous figure. Bahamut, the king of dragons, gives out a terrifying roar that shakes the very foundations of the earth and sky. Its stares down its snout straight at Crono and takes one thunderous step.

"Ta-ta everyone." Kefka giggles, "Have fun!"

And the insane god walks away as the Dawn of Chaos begins.



Today's Author: Seijun
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