| GCB Fanfics: The Fanfiction Project |
August 18th, 2003Preshow: "Look To Yourself" It was a good night for wandering, Magus decided. But then, they were all pretty good. Clear skies, for the most part. Only had to worry about stumbling upon another insomniac, and Magus could usually sense them far enough away to avoid possible confrontations. Didn't really matter who it was. And tonight, he wanted company even less than usual. So, gliding gracefully across the moonlight field, Magus brooded. And there were many things to think about. First was the Triforce. Since he had unwittingly received it at Ganon's defeat, it had largely remained silent... as though it was concealing itself from him. It had spoken to him only once that he could recollect, and it seemed more drawn to Link and Zelda than to him. It was a source of power--that was just about the only surety. The whole Triforce was said to grant wishes, but Magus had no idea how to use the individual pieces. Ganon and Zelda had seven years to master its power, and Link rarely tapped into the Triforce directly--and even then, it was a subconscious action, barely even noticeable. So Magus simply kept the thing close, although he hid the outward signs of its existence. That was easy enough to do. It seemed to amplify his powers, but even that tended to be spastic and unpredictable. In fact, he only noticed those pre-mentioned effects once, in the confrontation with Sephiroth. Zelda had said that the Triforce responded to the will of the bearer... he knew his spirit was strong enough, but the power of the artifact had only aided him when he was at his most desperate moment. Maybe because of his shadow magic--no, that couldn't be it. Ganondorf had had no trouble using black magic with the thing. But then, his magic matched his evil heart quite well... Not for the first time, Magus wondered why the Triforce of Power had chosen him. At first, he had not even believed that it had. His heart was far from pure--not pure good, like Link's and Zelda's before their changes--not pure evil, like Ganondorf. It also figures that I receive power at the precise moment I do not want it--reject it, even, Magus thought, remembering the circumstances of the Triangle's choice. He wasn't even a member of their world--what would happen once he returned to his dimension, and Link to his? But of course, if Sephiroth had told the truth, the issue would be resolved sooner than that. These questions had been there for weeks, but were no closer to being answered than they were the day of his last match. Magus looked up at the moon. Midnight. He should be getting back. After all, the next match was tomorrow morning. He altered his course back to the mansion. The most bothering thought of all, though... was that he'd need the Triforce to simply survive. Perhaps the Triforce had chosen him because it knew it would not be stuck with him for long... "Magus... Magus... wake up, Magus!" The blue-haired man's eyes snapped opened, and he growled at the auburn-haired warrior (who was standing just out of scythe's reach, unfortunately) Seeing Magus' expression, Crono chuckled. "Hey, turnabout is fair play, y'know?" "It's not that l--" Magus started, before he noticed the clock on the wall. 7:45 am. Only 15 minutes until his match. He suppressed another growl. Nothing short of carelessness... He had gotten back later than he thought... Refusing to show any signs of fatigue, Magus used his scythe to lever himself out of the armchair he'd fallen asleep in, letting his cape fall to its usual position on his back. The scythe had never left his hand for a moment. Perhaps it was just his close call with Ganondorf, or the even more dangerous confrontations with Sephiroth and Link, but Magus had been even more anti-social and wary of late. Done his (lengthy ^_^) morning preparations, he strode out the door, leaving Crono to catch up. Hmm... I wonder how he can get his hair to stay like that... Perhaps a telepath would be aware of the irony in the swordsman's thought, but no one else was. Come to think of it, Sephiroth was probably even worse. Crono couldn't really see him standing in front of a mirror, brushing his hair... ---- Meanwhile... You must look to yourself, champion of courage. That was what the Triforce of Power had told him. Personally, Link didn't know why the thing was so picky--after all, it'd had Ganondorf as its last master. Instead, it had chosen Magus, a complete stranger from another dimension. Suddenly, Link's future looked a whole lot more uncertain. The sorcerers' fight brought a lot of things home for Link. Firstly, how much Magus knew about his (and Ganon's) history. And what did he know about the blue-haired wizard? Almost nothing. Before, that had been a source of confidence. What did he have to fear from some nobody wizard from another world? Link had faced many wizards, and always come out on top. But that was before. Before he knew the true price of ignorance. Ganondorf, after all, had paid the ultimate one. Even the previous matches didn't help much--he could barely see the first in the pitch blackness, and in the second one, Link himself had been blacked out midway through--missing Magus' greatest spell, Dark Eternal. Supposedly, it required a lot of preparation time, but... Link shook his head. Guesswork. That was all he had to go on. Guesswork, and the memories of the wizard's raw, elemental power. His eyes hardened. One way or another, in knowledge or ignorance, he had a championship to defend. And he had just the right weapon to defend it with. Ironically, it had been Magus who reminded him of its existence. It had been hidden anyway in a corner of Hyrule for years--he had never intended to use it again. But to beat Magus, Link would need every trick in the book. Against his better judgment, he had brought it with him to the tournament... promising not to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. Link frowned suddenly... at least he didn't think he had used it at all. Thinking about it made him uncomfortable... he brushed those thoughts aside quickly. He pulled it out of the box he kept it in, and examined it for damage. The mask stared back. White hair framed empty eyes--eyes that refused any expression even when worn. The face was cold, hardened. The face of a true warrior. The Fierce Deity. Known by no other name, this dark spirit had once given Link the power to defeat the evil Majora's Mask and save Termina. Link cradled the mask in his hands... a wistful memory filled him, thinking back to the utter domination and superiority he had felt when wearing it. It had been so easy... Look to yourself... Link blinked suddenly, trying to hear to the words, even as they faded. Was it a memory? Or was it his own Triforce talking? Link listened with his mind, but it was silent as ever. No surprise there. Link sighed and tucked the mask behind his shield. Either way, it was as good of an idea as any. So Link started with his memories. The most recent ones. It was harder than he thought. He cringed as he remembered his first match. He knew it was a slaughter... but each time he had tried to remember exactly what he did... his mind shut down. Gritting his teeth, Link forced himself to remember, delving deep into his own mind. He did not seem to notice the Triforce mark on his hand glowing... with approval? Struggle? None know, and none shall know. The monkey--AiAi--had... what did he do? Yes. He rolled around in a ball. In the first few seconds of the match, he had crashed through Link's sloppy guard. Link was surprised, humbled... and then... then, he was angry. And what did AiAi receive for his courageous, yet futile, attack? Link shuddered as the memories came bursting forth. Ice arrow, fire arrow, boomerang, deku stick, light arrow, fire wand, sword, 5 bombs and uncountable arrows--that was what the simian had received. Enough firepower to slay Ganon again, and he unleashed it all on a monkey. Why? Because he humiliated you. Because your pride was so great, you wanted to punish AiAi for even THINKING he could harm you. Link shuddered again. By the three goddesses, what was happening to him? But that wasn't it. The memories flowed freely now, an unceasing, uncontrollable torrent. Yeah, that was fun. Bring on the rest The voice--his voice--twisted cruelly in his mind, mocking him. Those were his only thoughts at the beginning, immediately after AiAi's near murder. It was only after the match, when all the other contestants--even Zelda, the one person he needed the most to keep him sane--started avoiding him, that he realized what he did. And that was only the first match. The second seemed deceptively simple. After all, Fox had asked help from Ganondorf. He deserved what he got.But Link went over it anyway. First, why was he so sure that Fox was cheating? At first, it was Fox's speed that gave him the advantage. He kept dodging and persisted in his attacks. Nothing unusual about that. Also, Link had never kept his weapons a big secret. Most of Fox's "anticipating" could be explained through his pilot's reflexes. Ice Rod countered by Fire Shot. Not a lot of thought needed... He had been right about Ganondorf--but it was a lucky guess. So then, how...? The answer came again, in his memory. "You fought well. Too well, since you were fighting me." Did he really say that? Did he really respect Fox that little? Sure, he was an animal, but so was Kaepora Gaebora--one of Link's most trusted advisors. Once... once, Link had believed in respecting ALL of his opponents, and never claiming victory until his opponent did fall. How could he have changed so much? Was it the thrill of becoming the champion, combined with the desire to hold onto his title? His friends had all noticed the change in him... when he fought, it was like he was a different person. Magus's dire prophesies lingered in his ears... a prediction that, if fulfilled, doomed them both. Link thought back to his promise to Zelda... whatever happened, he had to do the right thing this time. He just had to get through the match... it would all be over soon. Battle: "The Knight Falls" For once, the two contestants made a simultaneous arrival. Shouts for Link quickly blended with people cheering on Magus. The entire crowd seemed to be bursting with energy, as the fans showed their support for their respective champions. This match heralded the start of a new round, and a new level of excitement for the fights. Only a quarter of the original fighters were left. The remaining warriors represented the elitist group of fighters of all that remained. There would be fewer and fewer easy to call matches... it was anyone's guess at this point. One other major change had occurred since the last round, further increasing the crowd's level of enthusiasm. Although you couldn't tell by looking at them, the stands were surrounded by an invisible force barrier. Occasionally someone would spill a drink near the edge, or a kid would chuck a piece of popcorn over the rail... only to watch it bounce back at them, reflected by a blue wall of energy that instantly materialized to separate the audience from the destruction that might be occurring below. Ganon, Mecha Sonic, MegaMan, and Kefka had proven the necessity for that. As the pitch of the battles had continued to escalate, there were no guarantees that the fight would be contained within the narrow walls of the stadium. Thus, the forces responsible for the tournament had set into place an enormous magical shield to separate the audience from the fight. So far as the crowd was able to tell, it did little to obscure their view, but merely ensured their own safety and isolation from the events below. The fighters could fight as they wished without worrying about the safety of their fans. The time scheduled for the day's match was mid afternoon. Magus squinted in the sunlight. The mage had fought two matches in the dark, it was possible he felt out of his element. The magician turned prophet in recent days seemed calm, despite the predictions he had received concerning his fate. Magus's appearance betrayed no emotion whatsoever. His hand rested loosely at his side as he stood up straight, while his other one balanced his scythe on the ground. He was a perfect picture of confidence... or at the very least, remarkable composure in the face of fighting an undefeated champion. Only three fighters had made it into the top sixteen that had not been in the contest the previous year. Bowser, Vercetti, and Magus. Everyone else Link had either beaten, or beaten someone else who did, and thus defeated them by association. Those three were the untested elements in the tournament... the wildcards... and Link hoped that soon they would all be out of commission. Link had spent the previous night at a "Sweet Sixteen" party put on by his fellow participants. Bowser had gone around yelling, trying to disrupt the party, although most chose to find him more as an amusement than an annoyance. Vercetti and the humans were trying to interest him in a game of chance... he had declined. Link was taking enough risks as it was. Link spent his time with his fellow sword fighters, trying to put on a facade of comradery... but he knew it wasn't true. He wanted to win. He would win. Cloud and Crono were decent people he supposed... the three of them had talked for a while about their adventures... although Link hadn't let them in on what had been on his mind as of late. But Link knew the two of them weren't on his level... and they weren't serious enough about wanting to win. Link had made a comment to Crono about his attitude... and Crono merely responded that he had heard it from Magus as well. Link boiled at the memory. Magus clearly wants to win... he'll do anything to try to shake my confidence. But why try so hard to make me think I'm evil...? Link still couldn't believe Magus was right about him, but he had made a promise to Zelda. He would see the match through in a manner to make her proud. The crowd was beginning to grow restless, some of them were grunting impatiently, or shifting in their seats. The murmur faded as Link caught the official's eye and nodded. A gong was sounded, and the referee quickly left the arena. There was no time left to think about what to do, it was just the two of them now. Link held his shield in front of him and began to advance upon the scythe wielding wizard. Magus might have had the larger weapon... but Link knew he had nothing to fear with the sword he carried. Link jabbed the Master Sword at Magus in a quick stroke, hoping to take the frail magician by surprise. Magus sidestepped around the blow, placing his scythe between them. The end of the weapon curved downward towards Link in an intimidating manner... he forced himself to look away. Link pressed his shield against the end of the death sickle as he dived forward, swinging his sword at Magus. The dark magician merely laughed at him, dropping his weapon and leaping away from the blow. Magus pointed a single finger at him... and inexplicably, a geyser began to flow out of the ground. A white stream of water surrounded Link, then burst upwards. Link held his ground as the torrent flew into the air, merely glaring at Magus. The attack seemed to merely be an insult... he felt little pain. Link refused to budge an inch as the water seeped through the cracks in his tunic and finally disappeared. "Is that the best you can do, wizard?" Magus smiled and gave him no reply. He bent downward to pick up his scythe, and Link spotted him gesturing with his free hand, pointing at the ground. What's he doing...? In an instant, Magus leaped at him and their weapons were locked. Link was surprised by the older man's strength... he hadn't seem that strong against Ganondorf... but then, he had not had the advantage of owning the Triforce then. Link gritted his teeth and pressed his sword forward as hard as he could, attempting to gain some leverage. Link was left handed, his sword extended from his left arm, while Magus gripped the scythe with his right. The two fighters strained their metal blades, mirroring each other. Sparks shot onto the ground, as Link began sliding his sword down the edge of Magus's scythe. The wizard didn't even seem to be paying attention, his left hand was still gesticulating randomly... Magus leaped backwards again, out of the fray. Link was beginning to grow irritated at the man's hit and run style of fighting. Why doesn't he just fight like a man? Link raced forward only to find Magus preparing another spell. Link closed his eyes and kept running as a fiery wave poured through him. I survived a volcano... I defeated a fire dragon. I can survive this. It's only pain. Link slashed his sword at Magus, and rolled out of the range of his spell before the heat exhausted him. He was satisfied to see a tear in the man's tunic, and several drops of blood smearing the ground. Magus merely shook his head. "You are courageous, certainly. You bear that element of the Triforce well. But your bravery would be better suited in opposition to your foes rather than your friends." Link tightened his grip on his sword. "You are no friend of mine, mage." "I am the enemy of your enemy. I was the instrument of his defeat. Are you so indignant that you can not fight him?" "It makes no difference." Link began advancing, hoping that the conversation would distract Magus enough to where he could land another blow. "I am sworn to protect the Triforce... I can defeat either of you." "Really." Magus left hand stopped twitching, and he smiled as Link grew closer. Link charged hid sword with magic, and swung his sword in a full circle around him. Red flames streaked past his attack... but Magus had already glided away again. He seemed to be inspecting the arena floor. Link spat on the ground. "Coward! You don't even know how to fight. Come back here and taste my blade." "Weapons are merely extensions of the body, knight. True power comes from one's spirit. I have something much more interesting in mind." Magus smiled darkly at him and raised both his hands. The crowd gasped as the arena grew pitch black... like all the light was being sucked out of the air. Link tightened his grip on his sword, turning around slowly in the darkness, squinting to see. This had been one of Ganon's techniques. Two blue orbs, filled with flames sprouted up next to Link. Link stepped forward cautiously, trying to avoid being between them, but two more appeared next to him. Link began running on the path they formed, and the flames kept manifesting themselves. Magus's silhouette began to appear... he stopped a few feet short of his adversary, and the flames completed their circuit, ending in a semi-circle behind Magus, with him in the middle. The crowd burst into applause as Magus was revealed at their center. Link looked around, trying to take it all in. The two of them were clearly illuminated by the strange lights, even if the rest of the arena had grown dark. He glanced upwards at Crono... his friend was leaning back in his chair, clearly impressed. Link snorted to himself. Nice floor show. "What is this?" "My kind of arena. Now are you ready to begin?" Link nodded, and tightened his grip on his sword. Whatever Magus had in mind, Link still bore the sword of evil's bane. Resisting dark magic was its specialty. It was forged to combat even the power of the Triforce... whatever the wizard was planning to do, he could overcome it. Magus fired another fire spell at him, but Link had seen it enough times. He ducked under the waves of heat, and blindly struck at Magus with his sword. But to his surprise, the blade seemed to pass through partially deflected, and its impact was much less forceful than he had thought... it seemed to lose momentum just before it hit its target. Magus seemed barely scratched by the attack. His body shimmered momentarily... then he grabbed his scythe with both hands and swung it horizontally at Link. Link fought to hide any signs of pain... even after it had left, he had felt like the weapon had passed straight through his sides. Not wanting to miss his chance at that close range, Link summoned up what magic he knew, and filled his spirit with the power of the goddess Din. He had used Din's Fire on every opponent so far... Link was surprised Magus was leaving himself so vulnerable. A fiery burst of energy grew from Link, engulfing Magus in flames, and even spreading to the magician's own magical bowls of fire... but when the spell faded away, Magus looked no worse for the wear. In fact, it was the exact opposite. His previous scrapes were gone, and the bloody scar that Link had given him had disappeared. It was as though he had absorbed the flames, rather than being harmed by them. Magus merely sneered at him. "Thank you, that was quite refreshing. I said you could start... feel free to begin any time now." How is that possible... Link quickly jumped to one side as Magus's form shimmered and three enormous blocks of ice crashed onto the ground where he had stood. The wizard's body rippled with light again... a wheel of lightning struck him in the chest, causing him to twitch all over. Link strained his shield arm and brought it in front of him, staving off the rest of the blast. I can figure this out, there has to be some reason... He peeked over his shield just in time to see Magus ripple clear light and thrust his scythe in Link's direction. Link instinctively sliced past Magus and cut his arm. It took him a second to realize the significance of what had happened... his stroke had passed through cleanly. It wasn't blocked... how? Another circle of flame began to flow from Magus in every direction. Link hid behind his shield. I wonder... Hazarding a guess, Link pulled out an arrow, and imbued it with the essence of fire, quickly shooting it at the magician. The fiery bolt penetrated Magus's magical defenses and struck him solidly in the chest. Link watched the magician wave a hand over the flames, quenching them. Link leveled his bow at the wizard, letting his shield rest on his back... he would need both hands, but he just might be able to counter the wizard's attacks. He must be using a two way barrier... Three enormous blocks of ice flew into the air, surrounding Link from all sides. He fired another fire arrow at the first without even thinking. It melted away as the second crashed into his backside, his shield sustaining most of the blow. He fired a second arrow into the remaining piece of ice, and quickly armed an ice arrow and shot it into the magician. Magus flinched again, nearly falling backwards from the blow. Link knew what the wizard likely had planned next... as soon as the magician's barrier changed he fired a stream of light arrows into him. Magus grunted but sustained the attack, hurling his ball of lightning at Link. The elemental spell hit him full force, shocking his muscles and forcing his bow out of his hands. Link staggered to one side, and picked it up off the ground, keeping an eye on the wizard. ---- Magus was taking his time to plan out his next move, re-evaluating his opponent. His reflexes and range of abilities are impressive. It's not impossible to believe he could have beaten so many other fighters, even Sephiroth. And his persistence borders on the obsessive. He's fighting a losing battle here... but neither of us are being harmed enough to make any real difference. And he is gaining the edge... "You fight well for one not born with magic, elf. You must be a credit to your people." Link nodded, still staring at Magus suspiciously. The dark wizard regretted in advance what he was about to do... Link's anger and pride were his greatest weaknesses, but exploiting them meant opening up his darker side. He would have to walk a fine line between showing Link enough of the darkness brewing within him and using that to his own advantage, and allowing Sephiroth to get what he wanted... which was bringing Link to the point where he would kill him, and irrevocably fall to his darker side. "But I wonder... can this be all that you are really capable of? You don't seem to have a single trick left up your sleeve." ---- Link glanced at the back of his shield, remembering his pre-match preparations... but no, it was much too early to even think about that. He could beat Magus his own way. The dark wizard's voice sounded out again, in cold, mocking tones. "You extend yourself so far to beat up weaklings. I would have hoped you would give me the same effort. The former champion against an outsider... you are pathetic. For an elf boy from nowhere, you are remarkable... but as a champion of all these worlds, you are a disappointment. You fight like you're afraid that your own shadow will defeat you if you don't have it under your thumb. You are weak, and so you prey on the weaker." Link gritted his teeth, scarcely believing that Magus had the gall to say what he did. He felt the anger from before returning to him, begging him to wreak revenge on the man in front of him. He willed it to be silent. "You're nothing but another worthless wizard. Hiding behind your spells and enchantments. I've risked my life every day, you just hide away, and let others do your dirty work for you. Why don't you just fight me like a man?" "Like a barbarian, you mean." Link growled, maddened by his inability to respond physically. But he had to know what Magus would do next before he struck... he wouldn't be tricked into healing the man again. Yes, that was it. Link smiled at himself. Not a bad ploy, but it won't work. Still, I can use this time to my advantage... Link summoned up the power of Farore. The Triforce on his palm began to react, recognizing the spell belonging to its master. A green waypoint appeared on the ground, pulsating as it rested between two of Magus's spheres. That might come in handy later... But Magus had already taken advantage of his distraction and was hurling a dark sphere of energy at him. Link felt a twinge of fear... it was shadow magic, he couldn't cast any of that. It was flying at him at impossible speeds for any object to travel... but a smile appeared on Link's face just as suddenly. He unsheathed the Master Sword and swung at it the dark blast full on. ---- Magus realized his mistake as he saw his own dark bomb bounced back at him. Of course, his sword resists dark magic. Magus reached out and wrested control of his own spell, sending it straight back at Link. The Hyrulian merely swung his sword at it again, catching it on the tip of the blade and sending it hurtling at him even faster. It's not detonating... his blade must be reenergizing it somehow. Magus deflected the blow, sending it back to Link, only to have it be returned to him again. Impressive, but I can still use this to my advantage... Magus sent the beam back, and fired another dark bomb at Link. The two spells soared past each other as Link reflected the previous spell. They seemed to be moving faster each time they collided with his sword... Magus knew that eventually one of their defenses would have to give. And that being the case, he might as well up the ante. The air was soon filled with dark bursts of energy lighting up the arena, and zipping back and forth between the two contestants. Occasionally Link or Magus would dive to one side as a dark bomb came close to reaching them... but the spell was bounced back by the force barriers, and it reentered the arena at even higher speeds. The arena was a theater of mass chaos, and the crowd kept cheering louder and louder as Link spun his sword at high speeds to send the blasts hurtling away, and Magus glided through the air, dodging, deflecting, and firing still more at Link. Before long, dozens of bursts of destructive power were bouncing around the arena, like a magical ping pong game, hurtling back and forth between the two competitors. Link's brow was furrowed in concentration, taking in the entire arena in his peripheral vision. He swung the master sword in rapid strokes, twirling his sword, swinging it in full circles, and slicing back multiple beams at a time. Magus was doing the same thing... a blast slipped past him and he had to dive out of the way as it hurled back at Link. And Magus kept upping the pace... pretty soon neither would have anywhere to go as the dark bombs kept multiplying in the air. The strain showed worse on Magus than Link... he was sweating profusely, and was doing more dodging than reflecting. This can't keep up... he has to break. And if he doesn't... ---- A bead of sweat trickled down Link's forehead. Link ducked as a blast ricocheted behind him and scorched the air above him. It was intense, but he felt more alive than he had in months. It was like fighting Ganondorf again, at a insanely higher level. The magician was proving to be more capable than he had thought... but he was showing signs of cracking, he couldn't last. He was no physical fighter, and this was proving it. Link felt as a surge of pride watching the self heralded prophet try to match his level... whatever tricks the wizard had, he was in another league now. Mess with the best, die like the rest. Ain't no contest. Link smirked at himself. It didn't really matter if Tingle had come up with that line, it was still true. Link grinned as the first dark projectile struck Magus, detonating around his blue form. He writhed with the force of the blow, and a volley of his own dark blasts poured into him. He was lucky enough to have some pass over his head, and a few he managed to send flying away, but he was taking a beating. Link grinned again, and let his sword rest at his side. And then the sky began to explode. The dark bombs began to detonate each other, each unleashing their destructive force around them. It was a chain reaction... the blasts began setting each other off throughout the arena. Too late, Link tried to send the ones nearest him away... but they detonated around him, forcing him to the floor, the same as Magus. The wizard lay still on the ground. Link fought back the unconsciousness trying to claim him, and propped himself up with his arm. His eyes rested on his shield. This is my chance... I have to do it now. The Fierce Deity's Mask was tucked behind his shield... the ultimate token of power. With it he could turn into a fearsome samurai... finish off Magus... But no, he couldn't. Link remembered his promise to Zelda... he couldn't win at all costs. He had to be careful... the power was too dangerous, too tempting. The mask seller had said that the evil had left Majora's Mask... but the Fierce Deity might bear some of that danger. If Majora's Mask was so dangerous, this one could be too. Reluctantly, he looked away from it. Magus was picking himself up as well... the air was empty now, there was no residue, the bombs hadn't even left a trail of smoke. The only sign of their coming and passing was in the wounds suffered by the two warriors. He heard Magus's voice call out to him again... it seemed to be tempered with a measure of respect, or at the very least caution. "Impressive. But let's see how you deal with this." If it were possible, the darkness around Link seemed to grow still blacker, obscuring the flames that lit up the floor. He felt a sudden heavy weight on his soul, and the air seemed thick with evil. He squinted to see what was happening... a dark mist was flooding through the air, approaching him steadily... he felt waves of black energy began to pierce his tunic. He swung the sword of evil's bane through the growing cloud of darkness, but it only momentarily pierced the shadow spell, the mist soon reformed around his blow. Link backed away holding his shield in front of him. There has to be something I can do... ---- Magus watched in satisfaction as the dark mist began surrounding Link from all sides. The Triforce resting in his palm was beginning to glow... the intensity of the fight must have finally awoken his need for it. He fired another dark bomb to Link's side, herding him into place. Nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. Soon this should all be over. There was nothing the elf boy could do now... his own corruption and arrogance had become his undoing. Typical mistake of the prideful... he should know enough by now to fear me. And yet he did nothing. Magus watch as the black spell engulfed Link, and the Hylian Knight fell onto one knee. Magus spotted Sephiroth's glowing eyes in the stand, and smiled. He was surprised to see the son of Jenova smile back at him, and nod. Magus looked around quickly... there was nothing to catch his eyes... except a small green spot of flame on the ground in front of him. He looked at it, trying to deduce its origin, just as he heard Link's voice scream what should have been his final words... "FAEORE'S WIND!" The Hylian somehow disappeared from the dark mist and teleported onto the green flame in front of him, his own Triforce glowing on his hand. Magus quickly brought his scythe to bear in front of him... but the Hylian hit him with a low blow, cutting him in the thigh. The former champion smirked at him, raising his sword again... He was knocked backwards by a blood red sphere of energy. Magus felt his hand burning... the Triforce was shining more brightly than it ever had before... it seemed to be channeling his own rage, frustration, and will to win. Magus leapt onto Link, only to have his weapon knocked away. The death sickle skidded across the floor. Magus swung his empty right hand at Link anyway... and was amazed by the force of his punch. Link slid several more feet, and coughed violently, trying to pick himself up. Magus restrained himself from swinging another gloved fist at him, and tried to gather his wits. His opponent would have to recognize what he was up against now. ---- Link felt like his chest was burning... slowly, he picked himself up, keeping one eye fixed firmly on Magus. He was surprised to see that the wizard appeared to be awaiting his rise. "I figured you would attack now, wizard. It's the coward's way to fight an opponent when he is at his most helpless." Magus spoke softly, contempt dripping from his words. "Then you condemn yourself." Involuntarily, Link thought back to Fox and AiAi... he had taken them in their weakest moments... he shuddered. I can't let him distract me... he's evil. All that dark magic... I have to beat him. "And you suppose that you fight fairly? Relying on the Triforce, the power that belongs to my people?" "You bear a piece of it as well, knight. Unless if you think you do not carry yours as capably as I do. Is your pride really so great as to be threatened by another strong fighter?" Link stood on his feet, still fighting off the effects of the dark spells he had taken in. He had to beat Magus... he had to reclaim his championship. He wouldn't be beaten in the third round by a nobody. Zelda... Link felt his blood boil. He wouldn't go back to her having lost. Not losing the Triforce to another wizard mattered more than anything else. Link carefully reached for the mask behind his shield, cradling it in his hands. He could feel the power surging from it... begging for release. His mind wandered back in time to when he had first gained it... at the time, he had wondered if its dark powers would be as bad as Majora's Mask. Such concerns were far from his mind now. But with Majora's Mask, the skull kid had turned into a violent monster... a helpless infant had threatened to destroy Termina by crashing the moon onto the earth. And what the skull kid, a frightened little boy had been able to do with his mask, the hero of Hyrule had surpassed by far... when he had worn the Fierce Diety's Mask, he had become an unstoppable force. So much power... But no. He remembered the words of Magus... he wouldn't be goaded into winning on something other than his own merit. They both had their share of the Triforce, he could beat the man honorably. Link instinctively rolled to one side as a black hole appeared between them... Magus had taken advantage of his inaction again. The black hole was sucking in everything around it. He felt himself being drawn closer... he quickly hurled a bomb at it, and fired his ice rod in its direction. The hole gradually began to seal itself shut, compressing around the bomb. He grinned at his success... but then realized that Magus was no longer paying attention to his spell. He seemed to be casting another one. Link suddenly knew what Magus was about to try. His magical barrier had disappeared, there was no longer anything separating the two of them. Link raced forward, trying to disrupt the wizard's plans before he could complete his attack. Over the crackle of the black hole behind him, Link could see two words being mouthed. "Dark.... Matter." "Nayru's Love!" Link screamed. A magical shield appeared around him, and he pressed onward, trying to reach the spell caster in time... The sky suddenly seemed to fill with stars around him as he watched two interlocking spinning triangles rip through his supernatural shield. Magus's ultimate spell... the front of his tunic had been annihilated quickly, only his defensive spell was holding it back. He was just an arm's reach away from Magus. An arm's length... Link gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, swinging his sword diagonally, cutting into the magician. He peeked through the lids of his eyes to see drops of blood hitting the floor... but moving forward had also had the unfortunate effect of pressing his body closer to the dark matter. It seemed to be simply eating into him... his defensive shield was fading away into nothingness. He tried to retreat... and his shield simply disappeared. He fell onto his back, howling in pain as the dark matter finished itself off, leaving a hole in the front of his chest. Blood was leaking out... he glanced up at Magus. The magician had taken a severe cut, but he was still holding himself together, gazing down on Link with a frown. Link simmered again, jealous of the wizard's newfound advantage. He has the Triforce of Power... it's not fair... "Why do you try so hard to beat me?" Link had to think about that one before he could answer. "I have to win... I must win... I've never lost." "Then you have never accepted your own mortality. Idiot. No one is invincible. Nothing lives forever. You will die. Why not die here, where your death will be remembered?" Catching Link's angry glare, Magus shook his head. "I have no wish to kill you." "I..." Link coughed, refusing to show any sign of weakness. "I don't care. I'm sworn to guard the Triforce with my life." "Liar. That's not really why you fight. You want to beat me. Suppose I offered the Triforce of Power to you in exchange for the win... would you take it?" Link shivered, suddenly torn in two. "I..." "Because I would. You can not lose a power that was never yours in the first place. If that means more to you than the tournament, then take it." Magus extended his right hand towards Link, the golden triangle resting in it. The audience began to murmur softly, not understanding the break in the action. Link began to feel his rage building up in him. Magus wanted to humiliate him in front of the entire audience. He would not be bought. "You're afraid of me. You said it before... you know I can kill you." "Anyone can kill anyone else," Magus snapped. "It doesn't take a hero to do that." Link felt his face warm up, and knew he had turned red. His heart was pounding, and felt himself breathing more heavily. If Zelda had been there... he could not be humiliated in front of all his friends. He would. Not. Lose. "You stole the power of my goddess..." Link growled. "Prepare to face the fury of a god." He reached one hand behind his shield, charging at Magus in desperation. The wizard began firing fiery blasts at the ground to his left and right... or what had been his left and right. Link was moving too fast for the wizard to follow. It was just like facing Ganondorf again... Link reached one hand behind his shield and brought the Fierce Deity's Mask closer to his face. He felt a moment of dread... the other spirits in the masks he wore had been friendly, and had given up their powers willingly. Mikau the Zora... Darmani the Goron... he had felt their spirits as he had taken on their form, guiding him, and influencing him for good... how could he be sure that the Fierce Diety, whatever it it was, wouldn't do the same? How would he know? But no... it was too late to turn back now. As he grew nearer and near to Magus, time seemed to slow down. He felt The Mask whisper encouraging words in his ear. We have to win... we must defeat them... there is no other way. Link tried to clear his head... Zelda's warning seem dim and faint in his recollection, foolish concerns of an isolated princess. Magus's warnings... his heart hardened again. Magus was his enemy. His enemies deserved only death. As he reached Magus, he saw the wizard extending both palms in his direction for a final attack. He whipped out his mask and placed it on top of his face. Blinking blue eyes met hardened red eyes. Link felt a thrill of satisfaction as his form began to change, molding and shifting into something far greater. Magus hesitated in his attack, wondering at the sudden change in Link's appearance. In that moment, Link felt as though he could sense all of Magus's thoughts... and how the man truly saw him. And then he felt a twinge of fear as an evil presence, that had left so many dark stains upon his soul, began to resurface. His eyes desperately found Magus's, pleading for help... And in that instant, they both knew. Somewhere up in the stands, Sephiroth was smiling, and Cloud might have heard him mouth three dreadful words. "It has begun." Link screamed as the changes began to overrun him. Lightning coursed through his elfin features as they merged into those of the mask he was wearing. His light tunic began to ripple and melt into heavier metallic armor, constricting his movements as he struggled to remove the mask. Dark blue iron clad gloves replaced his leather ones... he felt his muscles expanding and his body growing as his form adjusted to the more powerful garments. Link felt the changes cease with a last change that was mental. He felt more focused now, guided somehow, by an unseen hand. Looking down at a puddle left by the ice on the ground, he could see his face reflected... dark elfin runes were painted on it, and his mouth bore a perpetual sneer. Both of his hands were clasped around an enormous sword... his shield was gone, there was no more need for it. His sword was an enormous silver blade in the shape of the infinity symbol... representing infinite power, and his limitless abilities now. He was the Fierce Deity once again. Link began to laugh coldly as Magus stared at him with a wary gaze. A few of the lesser contestants in the stands looked horrified, and the whole crowd appeared to be startled. Link stretched out his muscles and felt his breastplate shift over his chest. He glanced down at it... a triangle rested over his heart. He had some memory that this represented still more power... excellent. We have returned, and this is good. We have destroyed Majora. This one shall be next. Link nodded, his thoughts uncluttered for once. His focus was superb, he knew what he had to do. Magus was nothing... he would kill him as he had so many others. Vague memories of the slaughter of animals filled his mind... and the deaths of all those who were only animals to him. The human, Magus, had some animalistic power imbedded in him, and an artifact of a goddess greater than he... but he was nothing. They were all nothing. He would triumph without failure. He was a dark god, they were mere animals. ---- It has finally happened, Magus realized. There is no turning back for him now. His corruption is completed. Link's aura was diminished... he could only sense a much darker force in him. He watched the new warrior swing his sword through the air, delighting in his newfound strength. This is what Sephiroth wanted to happen... The blue samurai leaped at Magus with an chilling scream. Magus raised his scythe to block, but was quickly overpowered. The legendary weapon of the reaper shattered as the silver sword smashed into it, leaving metal splinters across the concrete floor. Magus quickly flew up into the air and attempted to glide away... the sword struck him in the backside, ripping off part of his cloak, and leaving a scar. Link.... the Fierce Deity... whatever he was now, he was still chasing after Magus. The wizard felt the spiraling blade cut into his knee, and raced off away from the strike. "Coward! Weakling! Delaying your own death is futile." The voice was much deeper than Link's... darker and much more menacing. He could have lead the mystics himself... such pointless pride in him. "If I am to die, then so be it." Magus swerved around and faced his pursuer. "But I shall have such an end that none here will never forget it. Do not test me, Link." "Link?" The Fierce Deity laughed. "I am that and more... I am... Oni... Link." The dark figure seemed puzzled by his choice of words, but returned his focus to Magus. "And soon you shall be... nothing." The Fierce Deity stopped several feet short of Magus, holding his sword behind his back, preparing to strike. What's he doing... he's too far away. He watched Oni Link sneer, and begin to swing his sword. Magus's eyes widened. No....! A disc of blue fire flew out from the spiral blade and struck Magus in the chest, forcing him to the ground. Blue fire poured through his veins, replacing his blood. Every pore, every nerve in his body was exploding with pain. He tried to move, but the flames were filling his muscles, causing them to twitch violently. Magus heard the same cold, hard laughter, and felt another disc of fire penetrate his chest and cause the same reaction. He couldn't even move... but he still had his magic. Magus wished for as much of the Triforce's help as it could spare, and threw up a magic wall in time for it to collide with a third blast. Magus gasped for air as picked himself up. His lungs felt filled with fire... this could not be allowed to continue. From deep inside him, he heard the voice of the Triforce again, counseling him as to what to do next. Not even stopping to think, he followed its advice, running away, manifesting as many duplicates of himself as his magic would allow. He could hear Oni Link laugh again, and heard dozens of sword swipes whiz through the air. He saw a ghostly image of himself disappear as another blue disk struck it, causing it to fade away to nothingness. It was only buying him a little time, and his opponent could clearly see through the illusions... He hid behind a wall of vaporous doubles and watched as Link picked off the fake copies of him first, laughing at them as they wisped away. Magus gathered the energy for a Dark Matter spell, and sent the projectile ripping through two of his own illusions on its way to Link. But the Dark Matter barely seemed to penetrate the dark warrior's armor. The Fierce Deity merely grounded himself momentarily, then resumed swinging his sword, destroying more illusions in rapid succession. Before Magus could even formulate a plan, he watched the last of his illusions be destroyed. The force of the blows seemed to carry a dark wind with them.... no. Magus refused to think about what that could mean. Oni Link was advancing on him... he knew somewhere up in the stands, Sephiroth was laughing at them both. Magus nodded grimly. Link had already played his trump card, but Magus himself had one more trick up his sleeve. ---- Cloud and Crono had raced to the edge of the stands, peering over the rail to get the best view of the action in the newly darkened arena. Link's transformation had shocked them both... neither had anything to say on it, they merely watched in stunned silence. Crono was the first to speak. "He's still surviving... he has to have a chance!" "Who, your friend Magus?" Cloud shook his head. "He's outclassed for once... look at him, he's running scared. He should get out of there, it's only going to get worse for him." Crono shook his head, groaning. "He won't. He has to do something... someone has to..." Crono watched in helpless silence as Oni Link caught up to a flying Magus, striking him with electric blue flame. Magus thudded onto the ground, avoiding a few more blue discs slicing above where his head had been. Crono watched, painfully, as Oni Link struck with his sword again and again, sending more and more bolts into Magus's helpless form. It looked like a vicious parody of what Link had done to AiAi and Fox... only his domination was all the more complete. Magus was totally helpless, unable to move as the flames repeatedly shocked his system. How could we be sound blind... why didn't we see this before? The scene was all too familiar... Crono thought back desperately. AiAi had been brutalized... there had been no one there to stop Link in decimating an opponent who could not defend himself. Fox had been saved because of Zelda... but there was no one now to tell Link to spare Magus. Except... Crono stepped backwards, and took a running leap over the rail. He soared over the top... and then was bounced back by a blue wall of energy, landing on his spikey head. "Force barriers, remember?" Cloud sighed, shaking his head and groaning. "There's nothing you can do." Crono tried forcing his sword through the barrier, but even the rainbow sword was repelled. Crono leaned against the rail, burying his face in his hands. Magus was just lying helplessly on the ground, taking a beating... "This can't be happening..." ---- The Fierce Deity laughed, letting up on his barrage to stare down on his defeated foe. "Any last words, mortal?" Magus coughed and raised his right palm. The Fierce Deity grinned at the sight of the emblem of the Triforce... then realized Magus was extending a single finger in a rude gesture. Oni Link roared at the insult and swung his sword, only to be met by a magical wall. Magus was desperately moving his hands, trying to cast some final spell... The Fierce Deity chose to cut him off. Literally. Even as Magus's body flashed from the effort of his spell, his magical wall crumbled away under the pressure of the dark warrior's magical blade. Oni Link thrust his sword deep into Magus's chest, and was satisfied to feel it hit the ground on the other side of him. He grinned, and spat onto the wizard's expressionless face. Magus's eyes appeared to be glazing over in shock. The Fierce Deity cut off his right arm in a powerful stroke, combining the force of his blade with a magical blast of fire. He screamed in triumph at the ease of the act and hacked at Magus's battered body, willing the life force out of it. Magus's clothes were seared and scorched, and his face was barely recognizable. With one last primal howl, the Fierce Deity swung his blade in a full circle, and brought a typhoon of blue energy into Magus's useless body, causing the magician's form to evaporate, and fade into a blue mist. The Fierce Deity laughed... cold, cruelly, and remorselessly. He rolled his head in satisfaction, and spotted another white haired man smiling at him. He seemed powerful as well... Oni Link grinned in satisfaction, already eagerly awaiting his next battle. And then the first lightning bolt struck him straight in the spine. His entire form convulsed spastically, as he attempted to right himself. He tried pushing off of the ground to leap away, but a second lightning bolt zapped through his sides, robbing him of the use of his arms and legs as they twitched helplessly. A third magical blast struck him from below, and seemed to lift him up into the air. His body refused to respond to his commands... but his spirit would. He howled in fury, screaming for knowledge of his assailant. "WHO DARES TO DEFY ME, IN MY HOUR OF VICTORY?" A dark blue shape floated into the air, appearing before his eyes. "I do. I am the prophet and prince of Zeal. Lord of the mystics. Feared by men... and by gods. I am Magus." Oni Link screamed, trying to wrest control of his body away for the forces flowing through him. "What... no... IMPOSSIBLE! I have already DESTROYED you!" "No. I took the liberty of acquiring a clone from the good people of Guardia." Magus nodded distractedly to a red haired boy at the edge of the stands. "Had you been a little less insane, you might have noticed the difference at the end." "You lie...." the Fierce Deity's consciousness raced, recalling the last moments of Magus... a teleportation spell... what a fool he was. "You DARE to defy me? I am a GOD! You are nothing but a worthless mortal... a leech of power." "I have fought and killed gods and goddesses. And you are no god. You don't make much of a demon either." The Fierce Deity strained against his magical bonds. The spell Magus had used had held Crono and his friends captive before, and amplified by the Triforce's power, it was doing its best against the former champion in his new guise. But it was only a matter of time before it broke... and the Fierce Deity had to know this as well. "RELEASE ME! You can not hold me here... fight me now! This gains you nothing." "For a former hero of time, I thought you would appreciate its advantages a little better." The Fierce Deity came into view of some enormous chunks of ice flying around him, and laughed coldly. "Is that all you know how to do? I know your greatest spell. I do not fear it. Finish this now." "So you think," Magus said calmly, struggling to keep the Fierce Deity still even as he attempted to complete his incantation. The enormous blocks of ice began to descend over the Fierce Deity's head, meeting up with a wave of fire. He had to do this fast... he began coalescing the energies of the two spells with the lightning magic holding his foe in place. The elemental energies began to fuse with each other, amplifying their abilities in turn, and completing the triad of forces. An enormous trapezoid began to form around the stunned fierce deity, a bizarre metamorphosis of the three natural forces. Magus smiled, as he sensed Crono watching in awe. He whispered the final two words, bringing the spell to its climax. "Delta Force." The trapezoid began to combust around the Fierce Deity, filling him with fire, ice, and lightning magic. The self-proclaimed god howled in pain, failing to erect a defense against the rapidly changing forces. The spell concluded with an explosion, knocking the dark warrior to the ground, and releasing him from his bonds. Oni Link failed to move, he was either seething on the ground in rage.. or still unconscious. Magus felt like collapsing himself... he didn't think he could muster the energy for another attack. But to Magus's surprise, the Triforce began to speak to him more audibly. You have defied your destiny again, Magus of Zeal. You have done all you can... you must leave this fight for another. Magus's eyes were drawn upwards to Crono and Cloud... he didn't understand, they were both too weak. How could it think... Link can not be redeemed here and now, you must fly while you can. You have more to accomplish than merely winning here. You know this. It was never about winning. You have proven yourself beyond any shadow of a doubt. Go now, and leave this token of power. Even as his mind struggled against the Triforce, Magus felt his heart agree with what the artifact had said. Suddenly, it spun out of his palm and soared into the air, releasing him from its power... and its responsibilities. You have acquitted yourself well, champion of self, and of power. Take your leave while there is time. May you find that for which you search... Magus found himself gliding out of the arena, as if propelled by some unseen force. Link didn't spare him a second glance, his eyes were resting on the Triforce. Magus quickly left the arena to the gasps of the crowd, and a few cheers from those not too stunned to take it all in. ---- Crono watched in dread as the Triforce faced Link for a second time, sitting in judgment of him again. After what it had done before, surely it wouldn't... "Power of the goddess Din!" The samurai laughed, despite his humiliation, and prostate form. He propped himself upright to face the spinning triangles. "You rejected me before... I reject you! I have gained something far greater... you are nothing to me now!" Power by itself is pointless, champion of darkness. Courage and pride you bear, but you lack wisdom. You have not learned your lesson... and now you have surrendered yourself to Oni. You lost faith in yourself... you must return to knowledge of who you are. Crono could not believe his eyes at what happened next... the Triforce was growing closer to him. Link was merely shrugging off the Triforce's words, looking around the arena warily for an opponent to fight. What do you believe about power? Crono thought desperately, trying to remember everything the Triforce had said. Power is what I use to protect myself and others... to try to right wrongs... but so much is always wrong... every action affects something else. Changing one thing can ruin something else. Power is the undercurrent of life, but still volatile, and dangerous. Crono felt hollow... he knew he had failed. His answer felt inferior to Magus's. He thought of his wizard friend... he hoped he had made it out of the arena all right. To his surprise, the Triforce spoke to him again. What do you believe about the champion of courage? Link? He has fallen... I don't understand it. Why does anyone turn evil? He has to be stopped... someone has to defeat him, or he could hurt others. The Triforce began spinning away, leaving Crono simultaneously disappointed and relieved. Your motives are pure, champion of time. You use your power well. But you are not the one to bear this artifact. Keep your heart filled with wisdom, and do not be too swift to judge those you can not understand. Crono watched the Triforce fly over his head and approach his friend, Cloud Strife. His heart raced... was it possible...? What do you believe about power? Power spawns jealousy for those who lack it. The desire to be powerful dominates entire lives. Those who have power are no different, or better than anyone else. They bear a greater burden, or merely abuse their greater privilege. The pursuit power is empty in the end... there will always be another more powerful. Its utility is greatest when joined to the power of others. What do you believe about the champion of courage? Crono watched Cloud's eyes sadden. His eyes were moist... Cloud looked like he was thinking back to his own past. He has lost himself, wanting to make himself into someone else. He must accept who he is, and be content with that. He surrendered his will to another, just to win. I believe he can be brought back. He must... his friends would do anything for him, and I would count myself as one of them. He must be saved... but he must save himself as well. Your speak the truth, champion of spirit. You must bring him back to the light... or all shall be lost. May you fulfill this charge with wisdom, and have the courage and power to bring it to completion. Crono felt a shared thrill run through him as the Triforce disappeared next to his friend. He glanced at his friend's hand... the symbol was there, sure enough. Cloud smiled at him, and gestured towards their seats. Crono sat down distantly, trying to take it all in. What could this all mean...? ---- On the ground floor, Oni Link had given up trying to find his foe. Magus had slinked off. Afraid. It was pathetic. He raised his hands over his head in a cheer of triumph... but there was no response. The crowd was silent, gazing at him curiously. Perhaps they expected someone else...? His hands wandered up to his face. Yes, that was it. The mask over his face was not what they expected... regretting it with every minute, Oni Link began to pull the mask off of his face and return to his former form, doing everything he could to keep his will intact. The light began to rush out of him, his clothes shrinking and his body diminishing as he returned to be... merely the boy, Link. Link looked around, a little dazed... at least he felt normal. The Hyrulian twirled his sword in the air, posing for the crowd, and they began to reward him with a growing wave of applause. But one section of the audience was peculiarly quiet... the contestants were talking among themselves in hushed tones, still trying to make sense of everything that had happened, and were more than a little worried. Link snorted. They didn't understand yet... but they soon would. They all would. He smiled darkly. His victory was only a few matches away. Aftermath: "Sin" The mask bounced off the wall and clattered to the floor, in the infinitely black corner of the darkened room. It lay on the ground, face up, gazing into space with red, empty eyes. Link dropped to his knees, drained, slumping against the wall. He was shivering, a sheen of icy sweat covering his body. The Fierce Deity mask drilled a hole into the Hylian's being with its accusing, soulless stare. Why reject me? Our power is unsurpassable. Why should you fear the power, the gift which is mine to bestow upon the champion of the Fierce Deity? "I... I can't..." Link was quaking, shutting his eyes tightly. What had happened? His memories of the fight were vague, as if viewing a poor-quality recording. Muted flashes of light and sound, pain and pride... what was this? His body wasn't his. "I... promised... Zelda." She is worthless. If you reject me, you will be worthless. Is it possible that the one who claims to be the champion of courage is afraid of his own potential? Victory is all that matters, and I can give that to you. The price is irrelevant. The voice of the mask laughed coldly, chilling the young champion to the bone. The words the mask spoke were poison. The part of Link's mind that still was his knew that... the mask was not to be trusted, he could not control it. Yet the knight found his legs carrying him over to where the harmless-looking item lay... he picked it up, looking into its empty crimson eyes, the color of dry blood. "You're wrong. I shouldn't trust you. I won't let you win." Oh, but my young knight... I have already won. The mask laughed again, a laugh that was even more horrible to Link's ears... for it was his own. ---- Cloud Strife was sitting in his own chambers, staring at the back of his hand. The three triangles with the topmost glowing that had been imbedded there when the Triforce had come to him were gone. They would not whisper to him as they had done at the stadium. Cloud was almost tempted to believe that the entire thing had been a delusion. Yet for some reason... somehow, he could feel the power of the Sacred Triangle within him. He knew it was there, but it refused to manifest itself. Why? The thoughts running through his spikey-haired head kept returning to one person: Link. The entire mood of the tournament seemed to have changed... it seemed colder. Darker. The Oni had appeared during the match tonight, and he refused to leave the minds of those who had witnessed the fight. The Triforce had come to him for a reason. All things happened for a reason... but for the life of him, Cloud couldn't figure out what it was. ---- The portal loomed in front of him, a swirling vortex of energies, humming with barely-contained mystical power. A lesser man would have crumpled from the injuries Magus had recieved during the battle... Magus was no lesser man. Janus Zeal stood tall, preparing to return home... his journey was over. An instant before he reached the event horizon of the mystical doorway, a flash of blue and purple appeared out of the corner of his eye. Magus froze, his peripheral vision catching the image of a young woman with sapphire hair, dressed in a flowing, royal purple gown. No... it couldn't be... The Prince of Zeal spun around rapidly, but saw only empty hallway. And the portal was calling him... Magus turned and walked through. He had a search to continue. Next Entry Back |