Wootah: new chapter up! And I got Katie back to workin' on her fic too! And, thanks to Demon Surfer mentioning Bahamut, I had some more inspiration towards Outcasts of Arcadia. Sorry, but Bahamut's not in Black Orchid. And who's in the summon gems is a secret, though I'll tell you that they're called the Lightning Fragment and the Fairy Gem. As for the Tube, that's Dar'ck stuck in there. He's the one slated to be turned into "the Grey One", remember? Anyways, glad to see you people reading. And lastly: All your pleads for Squall to stay strong and resist are in vain! Mwahahahahaha! And now, for what I consider my most comedic chapter yet. Yay for Dincht.
Oh, yeah, and I edited my profile. Check it out. Kudos to anyone who recognizes all the references. (with the exception of the Crimson Angel, since I made that up).
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"Hey, Phil," said Orchid as they strode in the door of the Olympus Coliseum.
"Ah, crap, it's you guys again," grumbled the satyr as they walked up the stairs.
"So, what's the new tourney?" asked Arc, grinning widely. "And where's Herc?"
"Wonderboy's out goofin' off with whatsherface," mumbled Phil. "And it's the Pegasus Cup this time."
"Can we enter in?" asked Orchid, remembering the fiasco with the last tournament and the entry forms.
"You guys are automatically in once you show up," said Phil. "Being that you won the last tournament."
"Sweet," grinned Arc.
"So do we get champ positioning and just have to fight the last match?" asked Orchid eagerly.
"Not on your life," smirked the satyr evilly. "You still got here last."
"Not again!" groaned Orchid. "You're not using that stupid system, are you?"
"Stupid? I think it's brilliant!" protested Phil.
"So do I," added another voice. The three turned to see who it was.
"Zell!" shouted Arc, grinning. "What're you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" smiled the fighter, giving Arc a little fake salute. "I'm here for the tournament."
"Wait..." paused Arc, putting things together. "Don't tell me you got here first!"
"Right before all those damn Heartless," grinned Zell. "Nice hand, by the way."
"Hmm? Oh, this," he said, bringing up his right arm. "Yeah, forgot you guys haven't seen this yet. Got it when I went home. No more stone clunker for me."
"Well, then, I'll see you out on the field," grinned Zell before heading down the hall. "You better not lose to anyone else."
"We're not losing to you either!" yelled Orchid after him.
-
"So that's where Cloud went," said Phil. Hercules, who had shown up a little while ago, and him were being filled in on all the latest news by Montblanc as the other two duked it out in the ring with the Heartless. They had decided that Montblanc might as well sit out to conserve magic and also to provide a better challenge. "Maybe he'll turn up sometime soon."
"Kupopo...it seemed like he was looking for something first," said Montblanc doubtfully. "Could be a while, kupo."
Meanwhile, Orchid and Arc found themselves suddenly wishing they had Montblanc with them as they faced the 3rd seed.
"Run away!"
The two of them scrambled out of the way as a veritable rain of the elements came pouring down from above. The Heartless they faced were no less than twenty mages of all five types, Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Water, and Cure, four of each. But while they had the advantage of range and evasion, Arc and Orchid had the advantage of something else. They were sure they did, they just didn't know what.
"How the hell are we supposed to fight this!?" shouted Arc as he narrowly avoided being flamed, only to get shot in the head with a stream of high pressure water.
"I don't know, how 'bout you figure something out, oh mighty Lord Mousseux!" yelled Orchid sarcastically as she was sent flying by a blast of lightning.
"They're too quick for me!" he complained. "Try some magic!"
"Don't you think I thought of that?" replied the girl irately as she rolled out of the way of a blast of ice. "Whatever I shoot, they just send another to block it and absorb it!"
"Then try something they can't absorb!"
"Like what?"
"Like Terror, or Poison!"
"The green ones are immune to those!"
"Crap!"
They continued to dodge and occasionally try to counterattack as the match went on.
"Could I...?" started Montblanc. Phil shook his head.
"Sorry, kiddo, match's already started. Wait 'till next round."
"Do that Tornado thing, like you did in Halloweentown!" suggested Arc as he stumbled away from a lightning strike.
"That totally drains all my magic!" protested Orchid.
"Better than getting beat! Do you see any other option?"
Orchid growled, but relented and stood in the center of the arena, concentrating.
"Keep them off me for a while, okay?" she said as she closed her eyes and began to summon the energy for the spell.
Arc's keeping them off her involved waving his sword and charging at them when they got too close and a whole lot of playing meatshield. That is to say, he spent a lot of time getting smacked around by the Heartless.
"Okay, then," grinned Orchid, opening her eyes and raising the keyblade above her. "Tornado!"
Gale winds tore up the air around her, rending the Heartless mages into shreds of darkness and throwing them about helplessly. Arc was sent flying against the magic barrier that surrounded the fighting area, and even Hercules, Phil, and Montblanc had to shield themselves from the blast a little. When she finished, the fighting area was empty, save for one lone girl standing in the middle.
"Well, I guess that's that," she said with a smile.
-
Taking care of the 2nd seed had been easy with Montblanc rejoining them, healing all previous wounds. It was now down to the final match, the fight against Zell.
"And now, the 1st Seed, Zell Dincht!" announced Phil loudly. There was cheering from the stands, and everyone, including the trio of combatents, looked eagerly to the gates for his enterance.
No one came.
"Where the hell is he?" growled the satyr. Murmurs started going up in the stands as he continued to fail to show up.
"Why do I get this horrible suspicion..." muttered Arc as Orchid started to discuss with Montblanc if this counted as a forfeit. Montblanc decided to give him five minutes before they took it up with Phil.
It was four minutes and several near-riots from the crowds later that Zell Dincht came running into the arena, stuffing something in his face as he went.
"Man, do you know how long it takes to get a hot dog around here?" he grumbled around a mouthful of food as he stepped into the ring.
"How did I know..." sighed Arc. "Always thinkin' with your stomach, eh, Zell?"
"What! I was hungry!" he protested as he brushed some crumbs off his shorts.
"And you almost lost the match by default!" hollered Phil. "This is a tournament, ya lummox! People want to see fighting, not eating!"
"Oh, can it, ya old goat!" Zell yelled back at him.
"Can we get on with this?" interrupted Orchid, waving Nightshade about impatiently.
"Fine, fine," said Zell. "I didn't know you were so eager to be beaten."
"Shove off, Zell," taunted Arc. "You might've been able to kick me around Hollow Bastion, but while you lazed about Traverse Town, we've been toughing it up with the Heartless. Besides, you never saw me in action with this."
Arc waved Sequence about menacingly at Zell.
"Oh, he's got a pinsticker now," said Zell in mock terror. "I'm sooo afraid!"
"Hey, at least I know how to use a weapon, ya savage!" he shouted back. "You just bash things in with your fists!"
"Damn straight!" said the other proudly.
"Phil..." pleaded Orchid to the satyr.
"Hmm? Oh, oh," was the response. "Uh, right. Aaaaaaand, fight!"
"What?" asked the two men, deep in taunting.
Orchid's keyblade caught Zell heftily upside the chin, sending him flying back and skidding across the arena floor.
"Wahahahaha, good one!" cackled Arc maliciously, pointing at his fallen opponent. "She got you good, Zell!"
"Shut up, Arc," growled Orchid, turning and giving him the evil eye. "If you weren't on my team, you'd be right there with him."
Arc quickly stopped laughing and backed away a little.
"Now, you two wanna take this seriously?" she asked, as if daring them to say no.
"Hey, hey, my bad," said Zell as he got up, brushing a little blood from the corner of his mouth. "Sure, I'll take you seriously. Maaaan, haven't taken a smack like that since I stole Squall's boxers and hung 'em over the main gate at Hollow Bastion..."
"Seriously, remember?" shouted Orchid as she charged at him, keyblade ready to strike.
"Hmm?" said Zell as he stopped rubbing his head and looked up. He easily sidestepped her reckless charge and tripped her, sending her in a tangle of limbs skidding past him. "I will when you give me something to be serious about."
"Hey, he may be ugly as baboon and smart as one too, but he knows how to fight, Orchid!" cautioned Arc as she got to her feet.
"Yeah, listen to- Hey, what'd you call me!?" yelled Zell at him, interrupting himself.
"Baboooon!" sneered Arc, pushing up his nose and inflating his cheeks like a monkey. "Big hairy babooon!"
"You two are idiots..." groaned Orchid as she watched them yell at each other.
"Really, kupo..." sighed Montblanc.
"Come on, fight, ya numbskulls!" shouted Phil. "Don't eat, don't talk, fight!"
The two ignored the satyr and continued to mock each other and occasionally pummel one another.
"You don't mind if I...?" Orchid asked Montblanc as she walked over to him, waving the keyblade in the direction of the immature mass of stupid that dominated the center of the ring.
"Not at all, kupo," shrugged Montblanc.
"Needlenoggin!"
"Moptop!"
"Thundara!"
Lightning crashed down from above, striking the struggling forms of Arc and Zell alike. As they stood about in dazed confusion, it happened again. Getting to their feet from the blast, too dazed to argue with each other, they suddenly found themselves being electrified for a third time, sending them into a jumbled, dazed mass on the ground. This process repeated several more times.
"Kupopopo... I think you overdid it, Orchid," winced Montblanc as he watched the other two stagger to their feet and sway uncertainly.
"Boys can be so immature," she grumbled.
"Where's that X-potion?" asked Zell weakly as he sorted through his pockets. He eventually came out with a blue bottle, corked and marked "X". He popped the top off it and proceeded to chug it down. There was a certain amount of sparkling, then he shook his head and brushed off his clothes, a little beat, but not too much worse for the wear. "That really hurt, you know!"
"Montblanc, you take care of our idoit while I take care of this one, okay?" sighed Orchid, waving the keyblade at the collapsed form of Arc, then at Zell.
"Got it, kupo," nodded the moogle before heading off to work on healing his unconscious friend.
"Okay, want to start this fight in earnest?" asked Orchid as she walked over towards Zell.
"Whenever you're ready," smirked the fighter.
She smiled, then charged, keyblade at the ready.
"Trying that again?" laughed Zell. He sidestepped at the last moment. However, Orchid had expected this, and skidded to a halt behind him and swung back at his legs with the keyblade. Zell gave a whoop of surprise, but jumped over the swing and dodged back. He got into a fighting position, fists ready, bouncing from one foot to the other. "Okay, now we're getting interesting."
"Alright, then," smiled Orchid. "Moonlight Rave!"
She lunged forwards, then blurred out in a burst of speed.
Zell stared in surprised, and hesitated for a moment. That moment was all she needed to get it all started.
He doubled over as the keyblade struck him in the stomach while Orchid sped by. Turning, he just caught sight of her as she blurred back into view, then pivoted gracefully and shot off again.
"Step!"
The next blow caught him in the side.
"Step!"
He managed to block this one, though his arm was left aching and she hadn't lost her momentum.
"Step!"
He closed his eyes and concentrated. When she hit him, he barely flinched, only kept concentrating.
"Step!"
"There..." he said quietly, raising his fists as she struck him again.
"Fina-"
Zell's hand wrapped around the keyblade's haft as she came close, and he wrenched it out of her hands just as she was about to finish the combo. Orchid went sprawling on the ground as he threw the keyblade away.
"Got you," he grinned. "Now it's my turn."
Orchid called the keyblade back to her, and Nightshade materialized in her hands as she got to her feet. She looked up just in time to see Zell's fist coming, and barely block with her arm.
"Punch Rush!" he shouted as he threw a double punch, hitting her block, then just below it.
"Booya!" He slammed up with his knee, catching her off guard and in the gut.
"Heel Drop!" In an amazing display of flexibility, he swung his leg over her head, then dropped his foot heavily on her.
"Mach Kick! Heel Drop! Booya! Punch Rush! Mach Kick!"
Orchid tried her best to defend herself against the onslaught of blows, but he attacked unpredictably from all different angles. The last kick knocked her up into the air, completely defenseless.
"Meteor Barret!" he shouted. Leaping into the air above her, Zell raised his fists back, energy flaring as it gathered at his palms. Then he shot downwards, slamming hard into Orchid with a monstrous explosion, throwing her back into the ground below and landing behind her. "This match is over!"
He stood and turned, looking with satisfaction at the unconscious form of Orchid.
"Now, where's that moogle..." he started.
"Hey, aren't you forgetting someone?" hailed a voice.
Turning, Zell faced the now-conscious and ready-to-fight Arc.
"Heh...I was hoping you'd wake up," smirked Zell.
"I didn't know you were so eager to be beaten," mocked Arc with a grin.
They came together with a crash, and the battle began in earnest.
"Not bad, Arc," complimented Zell as he blocked a sword blow, then took a shield to the face.
"You neither," grinned Arc as he was socked in the gut.
They matched each other blow for blow, neither giving up a step. The battle raged fiercly on, both combatents gradually wearing down, but determined not to show it. It seemed like it was going to end in a stalemate, until Zell got careless and tried to get the advantage, but left himself wide open.
"Got ya!" shouted Arc victoriously. He swung his right arm, shield in hand, in an uppercut to the gut, just below Zell's guard, catching him square in the stomach and sending him flying. "Now you're done!"
He leaped and lunged at his opponent as Zell struggled to rise.
"Clockwork Dragon!"
Unnatural flames burst out from his blade and shield and he shimmered blue with the color of time. His arms blurred in their serpentine motions, swiftly moving in unavoidable blows about his enemy. He danced about, every move precise and perfect, like the mechanics of a clock, self motivating, self perpetuating. For every blow Zell managed to block, he was hit by another three.
"Wings of the Dragon, fly into the Azure Sky!"
Arc finished with a final cross slash, and powerful aura flares burst out behind him as he blurred back into normal time and Zell fell unconscious behind him. He let out a slow, long breath and gently relaxed.
"Finished."
The crowds burst out in a roar of cheering as he fell to the ground, completely exhausted.
-
"Man, that was some match," grinned Zell as they sat around, talking on the steps in front of the coliseum.
"Oh, my aching body..." moaned Orchid as she lay back on the stairs.
"Quit your whining, you wimp!" teased Arc with a smile, patting her on the back and causing her to wince in pain.
"I'm so drained, kupo..." groaned Montblanc. "I think I used up all my magic, kupo..."
"Hey, here's somethin' for the Keyblade Master," said Zell, offering a hand to Orchid. In it was a sparkly globule of energy. "It's a combat combo."
"Hey, thanks," said Orchid, sitting up and taking the proffered power. She closed her eyes, then calmed herself as she brought the new energy into her body. The new move pulsed with raw, hard power, pounding away. "What is it?"
"Meteor Barrage," smiled Zell. "It's good for bashin' your way through hordes of opponents."
"Hey, I'm the one who beat you, don't I get anything?" complained Arc.
"I don't give out freebies to idiots," smirked the teenager.
"Hey, who you callin' an idiot, baboon!?" raged Arc, jumping to his feet.
"I'm callin' you an idiot, idiot!" shouted back Zell.
"The only idiot here is you!"
"You must be lookin' in a mirror, ugly!"
"Ugly!? Your face would scare a blind cactuar crapless!"
"Hah! That proves how stupid you are! Cactuars don't crap!"
"Shut up! How would you know, Needlenoggin', you stalk 'em or somethin'?"
"The only stalker here is you! I saw you peepin' on Yuffie that one time!"
"Me! You're the one who has so many hidden dirty mags, your bed posts don't touch the ground anymore!"
"You're both idiots," pointed out Orchid. They ignored her, now that things had gotten physical.
"They aren't gonna stop any time soon, kupo, are they?" sighed Montblanc.
"Not until they beat themselves unconscious."
"I'm
drained. Can you cast any magic?"
"No. Too tired to
bash 'em either."
They sighed. It was gonna be a long time
before they got back on the gummi ship.
