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July 13th, 2003Preshow Blade rang against staff again and again as he pressed his attack. He wasn't the fastest swordsman around, but his attacks were powerful and far from slow, and she was having a hard time keeping up with him. He finished with a feint to the legs, then an unusually savage downward chop that left even the audience with raised eyebrows. She scrambled away, but couldn't completely avoid the hit, and she fell to the floor with a yelp as he struck her calf. But when she looked back, she discovered the hit had taken its toll on him as well. The awkward attack hadn't hit the way he expected, and it left him so off-balance he had nearly fallen over. She was actually much more proficient in magic than melee combat; now she had a perfect chance to hit him with a spell, then recover herself. But she just couldn't do it. And he knew she wouldn't. After he managed to get back to his feet, he looked back at her just in time to see her finishing off a healing spell. He growled and started to go back into his stance...but then sighed and dropped out of it. "Aeris, please," he complained, putting away the Keyblade. "I was wide open!" Aeris shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sora," she sighed as she got to her feet. They had trained for their match mostly by sparring with each other, and they had done so many times as the month and a half had gone by. They had picked up the pace after the tournament started...mostly at Sora's insistance. "I know you've wanted to train for this seriously, and I know it must be frustrating...but...." "You can't overextend yourself like that," said their sole onlooker. Both fighters turned to him in shock. "Wha...what do you mean, Cloud?" Sora said. "You're too brash. Reckless," he continued, barely believing he was saying the words. "Don't take risks until you don't have a choice. Otherwise the enemy won't have a chance to beat you--you'll lose to your own mistakes." Sora nodded, feeling sick. Cloud had come to almost all of these sparring sessions, but he had never said a word. In the end, though, both fighters knew who he was pulling for. The fact that he had given Sora advice anyway didn't make him feel good at all about his chances. "Well," Aeris started, "I don't really HAVE to pick away at Sora's every weakness, do I...?" "Yes!" Cloud and Sora said at once. They looked at each other for a second. Then Cloud smirked and nodded his head, letting Sora have the floor. "Aeris, I do want you to pick at my weaknesses. Hit me with everything you've got! How could I be ready for the next round if you didn't?" he explained. "...I guess you've got a point there," she admitted. "I'm not going to beat up one of my best friends here just so I can lose to some dumb cyborg in Round 2," he grumbled. Aeris smiled weakly at that. "So please...DON'T hold back. Okay, Aeris?" "...okay, Sora," she agreed, finally understanding him. "I won't hold back." She gave him her warmest smile; as usual, Sora couldn't help grinning back. The Battle As they stepped into the arena, Aeris Gainsborough still had mixed feelings about this. Sure, she was happy to be out there competing, out in the tourney where she had made the sweet 16 last year. But... She wasn't happy at who she was playing. But she wouldn't let Sora win. The young keyblade wielder had approached Aeris before the match, and asked that she not spare any of her energy to give him an edge. So she wouldn't. Aeris and Sora just stared at each other, waiting. They didn't hear the annoucer saying their names, and introducing the match. It didn't matter to them. But they did hear the one word that would start the match. They hadn't zoned out that much. "GO!!!!!" At those words, the fight began. Aeris drew her staff into a defensive position, laid out right in front of her. Slowly, she started to spin it around. It wasn't enough that it would be noticeable to most people. But it was important. In case Sora got the better of her, and actually hurt her badly... She had a little magic. ---- Unbeknowst to Aeris, however, the magic might be in fact unneeded. Sora wasn't sure if he wanted to go for the win. He had really come here only because he wanted to see people. See his friends again, maybe stop the loneliness he had felt ever since the destruction of the Heartless. No luck. He'd been feeling down and unwanted from the moment he stepped into the contest's dimension. Sure, Squall, Aeris, and Cloud were here... But they hadn't been his friends. Only his guides. Sora wasn't sure if he wanted to try. But his competitive spirit got the better of him. He would fight. ---- Sora made the first move. Holding up his Keyblade in his right hand, Sora rushed at Aeris as quickly as he could. He swung his blade at Aeris's shoulder as fast and powerfully as he could. But she blocked it. The two attacked and parried for a few minutes, keyblade against staff. Though Sora was the swordsman, he didn't have the upper hand. The match appeared even. In brawn and weapons, neither Aeris nor Sora had the power to defeat the other. It looked like it would come down to magic. Sora, again, was impulsive enough to attack first. Bringing up his Keyblade to sorcery position, he cast Fira on Aeris. It simply bounced off, and Sora had to lunge to the side of where he was standing to avoid being hit be a ray of fire. It took him a few seconds to recover, and by the time he was on his feet again, Aeris had her barrier restrengthed. But Sora had one last trick to play. He had never tried it before, as he had never needed to. But now, he thought he might have to. He cast a fire spell on his keyblade. The keyblade's tip flamed. It was clear that if it touched anyone, the burns would be quite severe. But he never had a chance to use it. Aeris hit him once, with the tip of her staff. It was enough. You see, Aeris had the idea of a magically powered staff too. But she used thunder. And her staff had built up enough volts that one hit would knock someone out. In one hit, Aeris had won. She looked in the stands, and saw Cloud, with a faint smile on his face, and the "thumbs up" symbol. But it hurt to beat Sora. Aftermath "...I really am sorry, Sora," Aeris said, again, as they reached the portals home. Sora shook his head and sighed. She had apologized to him at least a dozen times since he had woken up. He'd tried telling her it was okay, that it was his fault anyway for not reacting to her attack. But it was no use. He was about ready to tell her she was making him feel worse...but he was only a few steps away from home, now. "It's okay, Aeris. Really," he chuckled. "I've learned a lot while I was here, and I'm sure it'll come in handy." She nodded sadly. "Well, good luck in the rest of the tournament!" Sora said. "I know you'll do great against those other guys." "Thank you!" she beamed. "Good luck to you, too, Sora. I hope we see each other again soon." They hugged each other goodbye, and then he left. She shed a tear as she turned away from the portal...but she didn't have long to grieve, as she heard a loud groan coming from around the corner. "Who's there?" she asked. She only got another wail in response. The voice was gruff and very loud...but she was still shocked when she rounded the corner and saw its owner. "Bowser??" she said, staring at him with wide eyes. "OWWWWwww...I don't feel so good," the King of the Koopas moaned, holding his stomach and rolling around on the floor. Then he looked up at her. "Aeris! You're...Aeris, right? You know those Cure spells like the other magicians, don't you?" "Yes, I do," she said, her concern overriding her disgust for the savage turtle. "Oh, good...I really need one," he groaned. "...cause after listening to you two idiots fawn all over each other, I'm about to throw up!!" Aeris sighed and shook her head as Bowser laughed at his own joke. "I don't think I've ever heard anything more sickening in my life!" he continued, getting to his feet. "'OHHHH, Sora, I'm sooo sorry!' 'OHHHH, Aeris, I'll miss you sooo much!!' 'OHHHH, Sora--I love you!!!' HA! Hey, forget that Cure--you got a spell called 'Barf Bag'? Cause that's all that'll help me now! BWAhahahaha!!" "Bowser...could you tell me something?" she asked calmly. He didn't answer right away--he was too busy laughing--so she asked anyway. "Why did you eat Ness?" He grinned. "Oh, the kid with the bat? Like I said--because I was hungry, you maroon!" He started laughing all over again...then abruptly stopped. "Too bad some idiot reminded the medical ward they had to send him home...." Aeris smiled. "I remember that. They pumped your stomach, right?" She couldn't help chuckling a couple of times. "IT WAS YOU, WASN'T IT??" Bowser roared. "I'll get you for this!!" He rushed her right there in a rage, but she easily avoided the clumsy charge. As he pried himself out of the wall, she cast Planet Protector on herself, still feeling the effects of her battle with Sora. She finished the Limit Break mere seconds before Bowser's paw smacked her head--with enough force to take it off. "Graah...invincibility," he grumbled, shaking his hand. "It's Mario all over again..." "I'm sorry I laughed at you, Bowser," she said, "but that really was an awful thing to do. You should be nicer next time." She started away from him before he could respond. "Good luck against Yoshi and Cloud!" she said, smiling and waving. Then she walked back down the hall, humming to herself. "...what a lunatic," Bowser muttered. Then he grinned. "I think I'm in love...." Next Entry Back |