Well, that's it, chapter written. I'm so sorry it's this late, but my computer's cooling fan stopped, and the people at Dell need to be shot for their incompetence…
Riku: "Well, that's my cameo, actually there are several, cool!"
Yep, I think I'll include you in the story a bit from now on.
Acronos: "You didn't add much on the Rurouni Kenshin world."
I know, a bit disappointed on that, but I did manage to add in a bit before the chapter became 50 pages.
Sienna: "What did you add in?"
Read to find out, but let's just say that Acronos is about to get a taste of an attack one shouldn't be in the way of.
Ifrit: "Most of this stuff is Legend of Zelda, though."
Maioko: "I can't believe what you made us go through in that!"
So I got Acronos drunk, so I had fun torturing you all, it was fun for me at least.
Acronos: "I'm starting to get several scars."
Not too many, the impalement wound heals quickly, remember?
Acronos: "Oh yes."
Anyway, read on and find out what happens.
Disclaimer: "Author doesn't own any legally licensed item mentioned. The plot however does belong to him along with any original concepts."
Narrator: "The disclaimer seems to be getting fixed."
Acronos looked up and up. Above him was the Forest Temple, but the stairs were broken, and the only possible way up was via the tree next to the stairs.
Link pulled out his hook shot, aimed up, shot the tree, and was pulled up to it. Acane smiled and ran up the wall. Acronos sighed, and using the pillars on the wall, managed to wall-jump to the top. Tidus went to the tree and climbed up it and landed with everyone else. Yuna called Valefor, which flew her up to the temple, and Kairi did the same with Bahumat.
Irvine aimed his shotgun behind him and propelled himself to the Temple. Selphie pulled out her old jump rope, caught the top of the tree and pulled herself up, Indiana Jones style. Auron swung his blade into the tree in specific places to make ladder of sorts, and climbed up. Tifa used Auron's ladder, Wakka did a standing jump all the way up, and Lulu levitated.
Auron: "Well? Move it Maioko!"
Maioko: "Uhh, umm..."
Acronos: "Well, it's not that high."
Irvine: "Huh?"
Tidus: "Maioko's deathly afraid of heights."
Selphie: "(Begins plotting)"
Auron: "You're more than strong enough to survive a fall, get over it!"
Acronos: "That's just mean!" He jumps down and walks towards Maioko.
Acronos: "It okay if I fly you up there?"
Maioko: "... Uhh... I... Guess?" Acronos went behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, Triggered, and flew her there. Returning to human form, he opened the door and bowed with his hand pointing through it.
Acronos: "Ladies first." Everyone went through, Link blasted a skultula, and they went into a large square room. Further, at the center were four torches with an elevator. When they went near it, the four flames disappeared, replaced on the torches of four ghosts. Acronos shook his head.
Acronos: "The Poe sisters. (To them) Ghosts, hold so that I may understand!" Though they should have escaped into the four diagonal exits, they floated there, looking at him. Acronos summoned his keyblade, which started shining brightly. He looked at it, confused, and placed his hand upon it.
Acronos: "... I suppose you wish to be freed of the darkness that binds you?" He pointed his keyblade at them. The brightness closed upon the tip and shot out from there along with the unsealing beam, and it struck one in the heart, and after a bright light, a woman stood there. Acronos used this beam on all the ghosts, revealing four women.
One had blonde hair in a ponytail above her head with red clothes and green eyes, and she held a lance on her shoulder. Another had an oval face, black eyes, with long black hair tied in a bun with some still going down, and a blue dress, strangely beautiful.
Yet another wore a green scholar's outfit, with a childish face with a child's blue eyes and short brown hair. The last had red hair that curled at the ends, in a purple dress, with a purple cap similar to Link's, and brown eyes.
Red: "You revived us? Thanks, being a Poe seriously limited my combat skills!"
Purple: "Sam, you really need to calm down. Besides, I'm the one with the best techniques."
Sam: "Shut up Meg, I'm stronger overall."
Blue: "Calm down you two, we have guests. I apologize for the state of the place, but we haven't exactly had a chance to clean in… Has it been 100 years already? Oh well, I'm Beth. This hot head is my sister Samantha, the over-confident one is my sister Meg, and the quiet one is Amy."
Amy: "(Waves)"
Link: "(Waves)" They begin an elaborate series of pantomimes, ending in bouncing around happily.
Sam: "... Well that's a first, she usually doesn't act happy except around us..."
Maioko: "Uhh, mutes tend to be good company for one another?"
Tidus: "Hey wait Acronos, did you just revive dead people? Amazing!" He turns to where he was, but saw nothing at his level, but looked down and saw him clutching his chest while kneeling.
Acronos: "(Notices Tidus looking at him) I'm fine, I just consumed a bit too much energy at once." After a few moments he got up, smiling. Of course, he still felt an enormous amount of pain, but didn't want to worry anyone.
Selphie: "Who are you ladies?"
Meg: "Poe sisters, our actual last name unfortunately."
Acronos: "Hey, there's the feeling of history to this temple. What happened here?"
Beth: "Let's go through this place while we tell you, I haven't properly seen it in so long." The room they were in was a square, and made of gray stone with vines on places where the ceiling met the wall. They went into a courtyard area, it looked like the Temple was a castle, and the ceiling painted to look like a sky, with fog surrounding the place.
Beth: "Sigh, what a disgrace this place has become."
Sam: "... It changed, the armory is nowhere in sight, and there's no place where anybody could live."
They went through the entire Temple, the area reeking of mystery and something historical, with a creepy undertone, especially since there was some sort of music in the background that was extremely unnerving.
The only real interest however was the bow and arrows Link found after killing some skeleton warriors. Finally they got back to the center of the Temple.
Amy: "(Looks very sad) Our home... Has died..."
Meg: "Nothing is even remotely like it once was."
Beth: "Sigh."
Tidus: "Umm, you said you might tell us what happened here?"
Beth: "It is... A long story."
Irvine: "We have time."
Amy: "... I know all the details, I'll tell you..."
Amy's Story
Now, you know that before Hyrule was united under the King, there was a great war, right? Well, before that everyone fought for any power.
Acronos: "Like feudalism?"
Yes, exactly like that. Each war and battle resulted in many casualties and Hyrule was known as the land of bloody rivers. Hyrule Castle was just that, a castle built for war.
Gorons had their outpost on Death Mountain, the desert women had their fort, and the Kokiri didn't exist yet, only us. This place looks like a castle or a fort because it was just that.
Tifa: "Gorons as warriors? They don't strike me as such."
They realized the horrors of war about a year before the Great War and became the most peaceful civilization. Also, the shadow folk worked as assassins, not taking any side, even their own. Anyway, this place was one of the castles in the war. Unfortunately, we were defeated right before the Great War.
... It was a complete massacre. Sigh. As we died, we wished for war no longer, for a better chance for the children. The goddesses heard our plea and created the Deku Tree, the immortal Kokiri children from the ones we lost, and sealed the Forest from the rest of the world. Our Manor was turned into a temple to the Forest Sage, and we should have been happy.
Unfortunately we couldn't properly die, our hatred kept some of us alive as monsters, but it wasn't until Ganondorf came that our hatred could be used.
Normal
Everyone: "... Wow..."
Beth: "Thank you Amy, an excellent rendition."
Maioko: "You were right Acronos, there's a lot of history here."
Acronos: "(Clutching his chest in a death-grip) Yeah, HAH, go me!"
Maioko: "(Concerned) Are you okay?"
Acronos: "(Manages to release his chest) Just fine. (Smiles)"
Meg: "Hmm… You used nearly all your energy and your heart in reviving us, didn't you?"
Acronos: "Well, not really... (Winces slightly)"
Maioko: "Acronos, when we get out of here you've got to rest!"
Acronos: "It's nothing. So, shall we take the elevator down?"
Link: "Right." They take the elevator down and Link rotates the walls of the room, (don't ask) and it opens to the boss chamber.
They went to that room and were in a circular room with a bunch of pictures on the walls. A museum rope surrounded the entire place, with only one exit. After looking around, they went to leave, but spikes went up to block the exit.
Behind them, a floating Ganon on his horse with a trident smirked at them. He reached his face... And pulled it off to reveal a skull that looked like some kind of mutant zombie rabbit?!
Tidus: "Meet Phantom Ganon."
Navi: "Shoot him when he comes out of the picture!"
Acronos: "The real one... Usually looks lighter than the others..."
Auron: "You appear to be injured. Stay out of the fight, it wouldn't be good if you were hurt."
Acronos: "I'm fine, seriously!"
Sam: "A phantom, can you revive this one too?"
Acronos: "No. This phantom was created by someone, you were actual spirits bound to the darkness." Link readies his bow and arrow, aims at what he believes to be the real phantom and waited for it to come our. He hit it and it returned. After doing this several times, it got off the horse and floated around.
Navi: "Respond to its magic attack by sending it back at it!"
Tidus: "Stand on the Triforce marks!" It twirled its trident and sent a fuzzy ball of yellow energy at Link, and they played tennis until the ball just broke. Phantom then charged, trident forward and began a close-range battle. Link blocked the attack, but the butt hit him in the chest.
It rushed at Acronos, compounding the problems further. He blocked the trident and went to counter, but was hit in the head with the back of the trident. He reeled and was sent sprawling by a powerful slash. He got back up.
Acronos: "Guess I'll get some sleep. Grand Finale!" The attack started up... And stopped in its tracks.
Acronos: "Crap, too little energy." Phantom flew at him with a torpedo-like attack, sending him flying again. Phantom raised its trident from the base to perform a deadly finishing strike, but Sam blocked.
Sam: "Prepare for the worst!"
The two began dueling with their spears, but Phantom Ganon still had the advantage. Acane ran in with her spear and the battle evened out. Acronos slowly got up, clutching his chest again. Maioko helped him up and supported him on her shoulder.
Maioko: "Idiot, you've got to accept your limits. Take a break Acronos."
Acronos: "(Chanting, sorta) Must fight, mustn't hold others back, must uphold all dreams, must become stronger, must fight..."
Maioko: "Sorry, but the only thing you 'must' do is rest!"
Acronos: "... ... Must Win!"
He sprang into the battle right as Phantom Ganon had over-extended, Triggered in mid-movement, and slashed it across the back. Phantom swung around, smacking Acronos in the head in the process, and was about to deliver another powerful blow, two spears impaled it in the back, and Maioko ran in and pulled Acronos out of there.
Maioko: "Stop being such an idiot, it's only foolishness to charge into a battle injured!" Acronos seemed to blink and regained his usual self and returned to normal.
Acronos: "Sorry." While Acane and Sam held off Phantom Ganon, Link snuck up behind him and began slashing away at him. The three of them attacking from both sides forced Ganon into the air where he began tennis again.
Link bounced the ball back with a fully charged spin attack and Phantom Ganon was hit and fell to the ground. Link jump-slashed it, finally defeating it. The real Ganon's voice echoed through the room.
Ganon: "Nice job kid. It appears you may be gaining some slight skill. It was pretty good that you managed to defeat my phantom, but the real me won't be so easy! What a worthless creation, I will send it to the gap between dimensions!"
It roared as it was engulfed in blue flames and flung through a portal. Where it was flung, a blue light appeared and a heart container was near the exit. After grabbing it, they headed into the light and came to the Chamber of Sages that they'd woken up in. From the green pedestal, Saria rose.
Saria: "Thank you, Link. Thanks to you all, I was able to awaken as a Sage. (Link starts to try and explain) You don't have to explain it to me. I know it's destiny that we should live in different realms. Now, take this medallion." She gives him a green medallion, which shrinks and takes a place on the hilt of the Master Sword, along with the one Rauru gave him. She turns to Acronos.
Saria: "You aren't really experienced enough to revive people from the dead, you've nearly given up your own life to do it."
Acronos: "Key word being 'nearly', I knew I'd live through it."
Saria: "Just in case you have any more crazy ideas like this, I bestow upon you a power of mine. You should now be able to revive certain people without nearly dying in the process."
Acronos: "Thanks."
Saria: "Now get some sleep before you pass out!"
Acronos: "Right, right. Oh, and Saria? Thanks for being Link's best friend." A white light took over all their sight, and Saria, no, the Forest Sage whispered in Link's ear.
"Saria will always be... Your friend..." They landed in front of the Deku Tree and Link saw a plant sprout in front of it. He leaned down and looked closely at it. After about a second, it sprung up to a small, round Deku Tree sprout about Link's height!
He was flung to the floor in surprise and screamed for a little too long. He got up slowly and cautiously, as one hand nears his sword.
Deku Tree Sprout: "Hi, I'm the Deku Tree Sprout! Thanks to you and Saria, I can grow and flourish. Thanks a lot!"
Link walked towards it and it told him he was a Hylian and told him his history, or at least how he got to the Forest. After that they left to the regular Forest and talked with a bunch of little Kokiri. One asked for tips on fancy fencing since all he'd done was swinging his sword all the time.
Acronos: "Alrighty, I'll teach you something interesting. (The guy pulls out a stick) Hmm… First you put your blade at your hip like this. Now pull your energy into the sword, and slice forward as hard as possible! (Does so) Pretty good, but if you master the move, you should be able to cut through... A tree in the Lost Woods with a stick and that attack."
Kokiri: "What? No way!"
Auron: "Actually if properly used, that's going to become easy."
Wakka: "Wouldn't you need a lot of strength for that?"
Auron: "Not necessarily, but you do need some strength."
Kokiri: "I'll work on it then!" They left and started towards Kakariko village.
Maioko: "When we get to Kakariko, we'll stay the night, got it?"
Acronos: "But the Fire Temple is right up the mountain, and we can get the... (Maioko glares) Fine, we stay. I'll-"
Maioko: "No, I'll set up the bathhouse."
Acronos: "Actually I win this one since you don't have access to it." He starts setting it up. After completion, he begins explaining the rules of the bathhouse, but nearly everyone pays little to no attention.
Acronos: "(Raised eyebrow) Whatever."
Irvine: "Hey, let's go into town and have some fun!"
He drags everyone off eventually and they go around town, at the shooting gallery, messing around, etc. Finally as night falls they settle on a bar. Acronos looks around him warily, knowing that this was not in the game.
Tidus: "Yeah! This is great, I'm actually old enough to legally drink!"
Link: "I'm not, but this 'alcohol' stuff doesn't sound too good."
Auron: "… I'm not getting drunk, you can't properly sword-fight when you're drunk."
Acronos: "Well… I guess that I might as well try it, not like I'm going to ever drink underage anyway. I am 22 about now." Everyone sits down, the more serious swordsmen looking around them at the bright lights, crazed and drunk people, and the overall atmosphere of chaos.
Irvine: "Hey! Care to get us a menu?"
Waitress: "Sure. You all together?"
Auron: "Yes, but he's too little for drinking. (Points to Link)"
Link: "Just some milk for me if you don't mind."
Waitress: "Okay." She comes back in a few seconds with a menu and a bunch of drinks, just so they know which one they like. She tells Link she'll be back with his milk in a bit. Acronos grabs several, smells them, and snaps back.
Acronos: "Yuck! These things smell like they'd burn on the way down!"
Maioko: "They do, believe me." Acronos randomly grabs another one and smells it. Finding this one to his liking, he downs it in one gulp, amid startled stares. The waitress comes back.
Waitress: "Here's your milk. You decided on drinks yet?"
Acronos: "Get me some more of this stuff, it tastes great!"
Waitress: "(Eyes widen) Uhh, just so you know, that's our strongest brew. It's said to be strong enough to cause the guardian of Zora's Domain to have passed out from only a barrel full."
Tidus: "(Eyes widen) That huge whale?"
Acronos: "Nah, probably just a joke, this stuff tastes fine to me. Doesn't even burn on the way down!"
Maioko: "Gimme some! (Drinks a bit) Hey, this is good! I'd like a few of these myself!"
Waitress: "Uhh…"
Tidus: "Umm, just one of these for me, would you?"
Yuna: "I like this one." They all order something.
Waitress: "(Shakily) Anything to eat?"
Acronos: "Do you have any sandwiches?"
Waitress: "Uhh, only a grilled cheese at the moment."
Acronos: "I'll take it!"
She goes off to get their drinks and Acronos' sandwich. She comes back, leaves it on the table and walks away to get her boss' attention. Acronos takes a bottle of the drink, (about the size of his head and a very high proof) and drains it in one go.
Everyone's eyes widen. Maioko drains hers in the same manner. They glare at each other, pour another two bottles into jugs, and begin a drinking contest. Everyone's eyes widen even further, except for Auron, who calmly takes his jug of water and starts to drink, only to sputter.
Auron: "What? Sake? When did I put sake in here? Oh well." Finally Acronos and Maioko finish off all their drinks and hiccup.
Acronos: "(Really drunk) Whoa… The world's all… swirly… (Suddenly sober) I'm drunk off my ass! Oh well. (Shrugs)" Cue a few anime falls, and also a few drinking games and races. Acronos grabs his sandwich and proceeds to rip into it, occasionally biting his own hand and letting a loud curse escape.
Auron calmly sips his sake, seemingly having a very high resistance to being drunk. Unfortunately Acane does not have this resistance, and wavers, extremely drunk.
Acane: "Hic! Wow, this place is all swirly! Oh great, I'm drunk too!" Ifrit popped in with less flare.
Ifrit: "(looks for someone sane, sees Auron) What's going on?"
Auron: "We're in a bar. I appear to have the highest tolerance for alcohol here though."
Ifrit: "Hmm. Serving wench, a large keg of rum!"
Waitress: "(Sour look) I am not a wench!"
Ifrit: "Huh? Sorry then." She looks at him suspiciously, but goes to get his rum. After about a half an hour, everyone is quite drunk, and taking part in the usual drunken activities.
Acronos: "So, Hic, that's how I got even with her."
Maioko: "Wow, that's a, Hic, great torture!"
Acronos: "Yeah, but I, Hic, paid dearly for it. The next morning I woke up to, Hic, find my hair savagely cut by a pair of, Hic, scissors or a knife, so I, Hic, had as short hair as every other guy. (Pretends to cry and strokes his hair) My poor hair! Hic! I'll never let you come into any, Hic, danger ever again! (Starts saying 'My Precious' like Golum)"
Maioko: "What a pity, Hic. (Grabs his hair and smells it) It, Hic, smells great and feels nice, Hic."
Acronos: "Hic, thanks! Yours is very pretty too!"
Tidus: "I've, Hic, got a question? Where are you Poe sisters gonna crash, Hic?"
Beth: "Hic, this place is nice."
Amy: "(Pantomimes for Kokiri Forest)"
Sam: "Hic, I'll stay with Amy."
Meg: "Here's good for me. Let's make sure to visit often, okay? Hic!"
Link: "(To Auron) Why are they acting crazy?"
Auron: "They are drunk due to the alcohol. Keep this in mind for blackmail."
Acane: "Hic, Auron, loosen up!"
Auron: "Actually I am loose right now."
Acane: "Nah, this is being loose." She glomps him tightly, but unfortunately Auron's head ends up in a place where it really shouldn't. He starts screaming muffled by her, Ahem. After much effort he manages to pry her off and his eyes widen enormously as he pants, shocked. Lucky him, he has sunglasses and a really high collar, allowing him to seem calm.
Auron: "(After a moment) Acane, never do that again."
Acane: "Aww... (Pouts)" Meanwhile, Irvine had been dared to make out with a post, and was starting to make an impression, literally!
Tidus: "Hic, enough already! We all know that, Hic, you're picturing Selphie there, and, Hic, we're all drunk!"
Acronos: "Hey Maioko, you already have experience being drunk, anything we should do, Hic?"
Maioko: "We as in the, Hic, two of us? Hic, this form's giving me several ideas."
Acronos: "Hic, agreed, but let's wait a bit."
Maioko: "Aww, (pouts)" From the gaggle of people a few large guys come over. One goes up and addresses Acronos.
Large guy: "Can we dance with your dates?"
Acronos: "Hic, first off this isn't a date, Hic. Second... No."
Large guy: "You want to start something, short stuff?"
Acronos: "Hic, not in particular, but I'm always up for, Hic, defending my friends' honor." With a drunken war cry the guy lunged at Acronos, only to find his target behind him. He swung wildly at Acronos' head, and he ducked and hit him in the stomach with the butt of the blade. The guy staggered, and the flat smacked his head.
Acronos: "Phew I'm drunk, Hic! That shouldn't have taken two hits." Nearly everyone in the bar stands and gives him a challenging look.
Bartender: "Oh great. Take it outside."
Acronos: "Alrighty. Hic, Link can I borrow your shield?"
Link: "Uhh sure, why?"
Acronos: "I Dunno about my barrier and my flat might turn to the sharp part by accident, Hic! (Link hands him the shield) I shouldn't be more than a minute." He goes outside and the other people take out knives, short swords, etc, and smirk evilly. Fifty seconds later Acronos steps back in and tossed Link his shield.
He sits back down and drains another bottle of his drink. He swings drunkenly, regaining the crazy happy form he had been in. After a few moments, a sort of Irish jig started up, and Tidus began some sort of attempt at a dance. Irvine joins him after a moment, and then Link because he finds it funny, Acane joined too.
Acronos: "Hmm, I don't dance often, but..." He jumps on, Maioko follows, and soon everybody drunk, including strangers, jump in and are dancing and singing crazily.
Auron: "... ... I know I'll regret this later..." He jumps in, and so does Ifrit. Soon Acronos jumps out, pulls out his violin, and begins playing a jig of his own, followed by Link, and soon everyone is playing along, with Ifrit adding explosions. After a while it finished with everybody laughing happily. By this time it was about 2:00 A.M.
Tidus was quite comfortably talking, and passed out when he blinked. Soon nearly everybody had fallen asleep excluding Link, Acronos, and Auron.
Acronos: "Link, hand over Farore's wind for a second."
Unfortunately Acronos' fiddling got a different reaction than he'd hoped for and everyone ended up in a bedroom at a portion of the bathhouse. Not noticing if anyone was in the room, Acronos took off his shirt, trench, shoes and socks, jumped in bed and fell asleep instantly.
Riku's section
Riku: "THIS PLACE WAS ALREADY SEALED?!"
Sienna: "It appears that way."
Riku: "YOU MEAN I WENT THROUGH ALL THIS, NEARLY WENT INSANE, AND IT DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING!?"
Sienna: "Sounds about right."
Riku: "ARGH!!!!!!!"
Kid with red hat: "Well, it wasn't that bad, was it?"
Riku: "YES IT WAS!!"
Sienna: "You do realize that you're being very loud."
Riku: "NO, YOU THINK?"
Sienna: "You can stop now."
Riku: "I THINK NOT, I'M OUT OF HERE, DARK PORTAL!" With that he stomped through it. Sienna bowed, thanked them and followed. She noticed they were in Traverse Town.
Sienna: "(Raised eyebrow) Nice choice blonde one."
She sees no Riku. She swings her head around, checking for him but found no one. Finishing the fruitless search, she starts towards the alleyway. Unfortunately she doesn't find him there. Beginning to get a little concerned she starts running through the entire town.
Sienna: "Dammit Riku, where are you? You're my only damn way of getting around, and I'm your only way of sealing worlds, we're a freaking team! " After a while she sighed and decided to perhaps wait a while for him. She went to the hotel and asked for a room. A person with silver hair had rented one out.
Sienna: "Ah, so that's where he got to. I think I know this guy." She goes into the room, but it's Mal in assassin mode instead of Riku.
Sienna: "Yikes! I'm so sorry sir!"
Mal: "Whatever." She runs out.
Sienna: "That wasn't him. Oh well, guess I'll get a room. " She goes to the desk and sees Riku there, negotiating for two rooms.
Riku: "So do you have two rooms or not? (Icy glare)"
Clerk: "(Scared) Y-yes sir."
Riku: "Good." He tosses the necessary payment onto the desk and turns to go down the hall.
Riku: "Oh, hey Sienna. Sorry about leaving you alone like that but I needed to vent some rage on the heartless and get some cash since you're carrying all of ours."
Sienna: "Grr, idiot! Sorry, had to get that out of my system, which room's mine?"
Riku: "You get the blue room, I'll get green. Meet me there in a while so we can determine which world we go to next." With that he opened his door and went inside. After a few hours Sienna came in to find him meditating next to his keyblade. He seemed to be radiating self-hatred from his darkness.
Sienna: "Uhh, Riku? Quit showing off, what's our itinerary?" Riku still radiated for a moment, and stopped and got up.
Riku: "There are two worlds currently unsealed. Legend of Zelda and Rurouni Kenshin. Legend of Zelda is experiencing a time loop, and is half sealed, so we won't go there. The Rurouni Kenshin world is impossible to properly warp to, so we'll probably end up on the wrong side of the world and it's rather large."
Sienna: "Let's go then."
Riku: "Sleep first. Goodnight."
Next morning for Acronos' group
Acronos: "(Groans) What happened last night? Oh yeah, I got drunk. Hey wait; I can't remember most of the night! D: "That could be bad."" He gets up, yawns and opens his eyes to find Maioko gripping his neck in her usual vice grip. He sighed and started to pry her off so he could get breakfast.
Acronos: "There must have been too few rooms again. Oh well, I suppose fate likes torturing me... Why is her vest off and stuff? Hold on, drunken night, my body's older, I'm shirtless... AHH!!"
He flung himself out of the bed and her grip and into a wall with enough force to knock him out again. He slid to the ground, the back of his head bleeding slightly. When he regained consciousness, he saw the sun a few inches higher.
He attempted to ask his computer but couldn't coherently speak. An image of an android with messy black hair, a scope on one eye, and a cannon over the left arm appeared on his computer.
Computer: "Why are you imitating a fish out of water? Hmm, (looks around) Oh... No, nothing happened at all between anyone, don't worry."
Acronos: "Thank God. I need my shirt, where'd I put it? " He began searching the room for it, and this woke up Maioko. She saw him shirtless, almost got a nosebleed, noticed her state of garb, and came to the same conclusion as him.
Maioko: "AHH!"
Acronos: "I have documented evidence that nothing happened during the previous evening aside from me taking off my shirt to get to sleep, so don't worry. Aha! Here it is! (Sniff, sniff) I need to clean this."
Maioko: "… I'm going to take a shower." She goes into the room's bathroom. Acronos transports his shirt away and decides to quickly get changed. After hearing the shower finish…
Maioko: "(Yelp) What happened to my clothes?"
Acronos: "Let me guess, you put them on the counter?"
Maioko: "(Suspicious) Yeah…"
Acronos: "You should have paid more attention to the rules, that's where you put dirty clothes so they get transported to the laundry."
Maioko: "There's still the rather pressing matter of my not having any clothes!"
Acronos: "You want your clothes on during a shower?"
Maioko: "That's not what I meant!"
Acronos: "Sigh, I'll give you my trench." He goes up to the door, turns away with his hand extended to it, knocks, and waits. The door opens about a millimeter, enough to see the trench. Maioko's hand darts out and pulls it in with her in the space of a microsecond.
Acronos of course is surprised, but doesn't turn. After a moment Maioko comes out wearing the trench like a bathrobe and whacks him upside the head.
Acronos: "What did I do?"
Maioko: "Left me with no clothes. Now make it up, you get to comb my hair."
Acronos: "A rather odd choice of repentance, however to avoid another skull-crushing blow I shall comply." He takes the comb from her hand and they sit on the bed. He sees that her hair has many a tangle and is quite soaked. He gives a whistle of admiration. Meanwhile outside the door Tidus was walking to go get or make breakfast, when he overheard something.
Acronos: "You got really wet." He became curious, what could he possibly mean by that? Maioko let out a slight groan when the brush passed through once, and Tidus' eyes widened. (You can tell where I'm going with this)
Maioko: "(Since he's not getting the knots out properly) Harder!" Acronos grunts at this and Tidus' eyes widen even more. Irvine strolls through.
Irvine: "Hey Tidus, why are you-?"
Tidus: "Shh! (Motions to come over)" They began eavesdropping. Unfortunately a result of Acronos' harder brushing was that Maioko began pounding the bed every so often rather loudly, and began increasing in tempo.
Acronos: "Stop squirming, you told me to go harder!"
Maioko: "It's not my fault I haven't done this in a while!"
Acronos: "You should be like me, I rarely have to do this."
Maioko: "Well you're lucky, but I'm not like that, so go harder!"
Acronos: "You'll just be louder!"
Maioko: "Better to get it done!"
Acronos: "I might hurt you."
Maioko: "Just do it!" Meanwhile there was currently a large crowd in front of their door, all with their eyes widened immensely, (except for Link, he's just curious).
Acronos kept at the combing, and Maioko kept pounding the bed in pain, and occasionally moaning or grunting or something. Finally Acronos saw the last tangle before he finished combing her hair.
Acronos: "Alright, this is the last bit of it!"
Maioko: "Then go at it, give it all you got!" With a mighty grunt Acronos did just that, but unfortunately overdid it a bit. For just as everyone's weight caused the door to open and tumble them all into the room, Acronos accidentally flung Maioko onto him so the two were on top of one another and both onto the floor.
This did not help to dispel any fantasies going through their friends' minds as Maioko was garbed only in Acronos' trench coat, which was slightly open in all the wrong, (or right, depending on how you look at it) places, and the force of all this had pulled Acronos' pants down, just a bit. After everyone's shock, Irvine was the first to speak.
Irvine: "I'm proud of you, you finally got some!" Now normally a comment of this nature would cause Acronos' brain to stop, but this was not the case as he jumped up and smacked him across the head with the flat of the keyblade.
Acronos: "You perverted sicko! Why the Hell would you think that?!"
Irvine: "Let's see, Oww, the groans of pleasure coming from here a few moments ago, the yelling, the clothes…"
Acronos: "(Notices what he was talking about, starts laughing) You think?"
Maioko: "(Gets it, laughs too) C'mon, you can't be serious!"
Acronos: "Maioko didn't pay attention to my rules about laundry and her clothes disappeared without her wanting it, and I had to lend her my trench, and to make up for it she wanted me to comb her hair."
Maioko: "See, nice and pretty."
Everyone still has wide eyes of disbelief, and Link just has to ask.
Link: "Hey, what did you guys think they were doing besides that?"
Cue a bunch of sweat-drops and anime falls.
Acronos: "Uhh, yeah… Later Link, only if you're planning on getting stuck on the Ranch with Malon for an extended period of time. Hey wait a minute, why don't I have a hangover?
(Upon hearing the word 'hangover' everyone gets sick) Uhh, Tifa? You get your cure ready; I'll prepare the ice-cold pools. I probably don't have a hangover due to my Devil qualities. " After finishing this he began chucking everybody into the water.
Ifrit: "No! I don't have a hangover, leave me, AHH!!!" He starts writhing in pain in the water, steaming.
Acane: "Oh quit being a baby Ifrit! You're constantly on fire, ice cold water won't harm you!"
Ifrit: "(Stops) I know, but it's fun." He returned to writhing in pain.
Acronos: "Anyway, how about we hit the Fire Temple?"
Ifrit: "Did somebody say something about Fire?"
Acane: "High temperatures? Count me out!"
Beth: "We really should be on our ways. Keep in touch."
Sam: "See you."
Meg: "Goodbye."
Amy: "(Bows)"
Shrugging, they went to Goron City and met with the son of Darunia, named Link as well. After finding out the situation they got a Goron tunic to prevent damage from high heat, and instructions on how to get to the temple. As Link set out for this, Acronos handed him some instructions.
Acronos: "Link, I want you to do some horse riding that would make Malon proud. You know that blue Cucco we got from the Cucco lady? That's the first step. Be sure to go as fast as possible." Link nods and leaves.
Tidus: "Instructions for the Biggoron sword?"
Acronos: "Yep. Let's go to where the Goron Link instructed us, I'm not sure if everyone likes high temperatures." After this was determined, the party was selected as being Link, Acronos, Tidus, Wakka, Yuna, Maioko, and Ifrit of course. They met Sheik near the Temple and he began spouting poetic stuff.
Sheik: "It is a powerful feeling. The connection between two friends. A young friendship will blossom into a true passion and through it you will know the way. Listen to-"
Maioko: "Shut up Sheik!"
Sheik: "(Raised eyebrow) Did I miss something? (Sees Acronos and Maioko) Oh! I get it now. Anyway, here's the Bolero of Fire so you can come back here quickly."
Navi: "A Bolero is a lively Spanish dance in triple meter, don't ask."
Link and Acronos pulled out their instruments and played a lively tune. The Temple wasn't actually that interesting though, the only things of real interest were the usage of a song Acronos had instructed Link to gain to summon a scarecrow as a hook shot target, and the acquiring of a giant hammer.
Ifrit was the only one to make a comment on this after he'd created a giant magma one himself.
Ifrit: "I'm a hand-to-hand fighter by nature, but I could forgo that for a bit…" After solving the puzzles of the Temple and freeing the Gorons from it, they reached the place for the boss battle.
Tidus: "This boss isn't so much a fire breathing dragon than a living, breathing, whack-a-mole game."
Acronos: "You see those holes? When it raises slightly out of there, smash it with your hammer and smash it again after." They jumped onto the platform and the dragon rose, breathed fire and made a show, and dived into a magma hole. Link readied his hammer, and it rose out of the hole.
The dragon seemed to be a Japanese dragon made of molten fire, with a stone head with goat horns and flaming hair. It flew around, and seemed to decide against its previous strategy and go for a more direct attack. It breathed fire like a flame-thrower at him or her, forcing everyone to dodge. It started swinging its claws and smashing its tail around.
Acronos: "What's with the new strategy?"
Navi: "I don't know its weak point!"
Tidus: "With a giant hammer, anything solid becomes a weak point!"
Ifrit pulled out his hammer and smashed the dragon's head into the ground. It swung its body around to fling him into the lava. He floated up blazing with more fire energy. He hurtled a gigantic meteor at it, crushing it one final time, killing it.
It writhed a bit and burnt to death. Link picked up the heart container and they go into the blue light. Darunia appears as the Sage of Fire and gives Link a medallion. They land outside in the crater after that.
Navi: "There's a chill wind coming from Zora's Domain, can't you feel it?"
Link: "I could use some chill."
Ifrit: "(Hisses) Cold bad!"
Acronos: "Hey guys, had fun?" They headed over to Zora's Domain and found the entire place frozen. They went and grabbed a few skultula tokens from the area and went to where the guardian of the Domain should have been, but found a bunch of ice platforms. They went onward through them to an Ice Cavern.
It was rather uneventful, with only a few annoying puzzles involving ice blocks. At the end they killed a white wolf and got iron boots for Link. After a moment Sheik popped in. He began speaking of how water reflects the self, and taught them the Serenade of Water.
Navi: "A serenade is a complimentary night piece, as from a lover to his lady."
Tidus: "Uhh, thanks Sheik, but we really have to go."
Sheik: "Hey, I didn't, ACHOO, name it, (sniffle)."
Acronos: "Hey man, are you catching a cold?"
Sheik: "No, of course not... ACHOO! Okay, so maybe I am. Must've spent too much time in the ice freeing Ruto."
Acronos: "Here, some lozenges. Get to bed and drink some tea."
Sheik: "Alrighty, see you guys later." He uses a Deku nut to disappear. Link takes the iron boots and uses them to get out through a water-filled passage. Everyone else is forced to swim. They exit the cavern and head for the lake where the temple was.
Acronos: "Okay guys, only good swimmers allowed this time."
Tidus: "That would be my area of expertise."
Wakka: "Same here."
Yuna: "I'm an okay swimmer, I have a feeling that I can hold my breath for a while now."
Auron: "Count me out, I just sink."
Acane: "I'm going."
Maioko: "I'm not bad myself."
Selphie: "I can swim, but I'm not as good at diving." With that everyone dived down and Link shot a target thing above the temple entrance, opening it. They headed inside.
Auron: "Now what?"
Selphie: "I have a feeling that we might have to entertain ourselves."
Tifa: "Yeah, and probably with the small army of rather large monsters that have shown up."
Auron: "(Smirking) Well, that's better. Much better…" Back inside the temple.
Acronos: "(Jumbled underwater) I get the feeling something bad is going down outside."
Tidus: "No time, keep going." They found themselves in a temple with three floors, and up to their third-floor height was filled with water.
Acane: "The water temple. Oh boy, I hope it isn't this obvious everywhere."
Tidus: "Actually this is the temple from Hell."
Acronos: "This is the most sadistically difficult temple in the entire game/quest! However, my coming along makes things a thousand times easier."
Navi: "How so?"
Acronos: "I can unlock any door; barred, locked, needs a boss key, sealed by magic, etc…"
Navi: "Yay! Directly to the boss room then!"
Tidus: "Actually we still need this temple's key item to even get to that door."
Navi: "Drat!"
Acronos: "If memory serves, the room directly behind it houses everyone's favorite mini-boss. I can't quite remember what floor… Hmm… Oh yeah, it was on this floor! Follow me!"
Before doing so he leads them to the bottom floor and a room where they meet up with Ruto. She says hi, asks where the Hell they ended up for seven years, and that she's decided to get married if Link doesn't mind. Link of course gasps.
Acronos: "Uhh Ruto? Our souls were imprisoned in the Temple of Light for seven years, Link still has the same state of mind as when you met him."
Ruto: "Oh, darn. Well, just think about it okay? Anyway, we've got to free this temple and save Zora's Domain, follow me!"
Acronos: "Actually Ruto, since I can unlock any door, we're taking the direct route."
Ruto: "Oh, well I'll see you there."
Acronos leads them to a nearby locked door and opens it by tapping his keyblade against it. This leads them to a room partially filled with water, with several dragon statues around, and spaces between ledges. Acronos instructed Link on how to use his hook shot and led them around. They reached the ending of the puzzle to find a bunch of spikes separating them from a locked door and a living mouth behind the spikes.
Acane: "You'd think we weren't wanted!" After blasting the living mouth into oblivion Link used a hook shot target to pull himself over, while everybody else just jumped. Acronos opened the door and they entered a misty room.
The floor was one giant puddle, the colors were those of a setting sun, there was a dead tree in the middle of the room and the door was on the other side. Link took a cautious step forward, half expecting some deadly puzzle. When none came, everyone walked to the door, only to find it barred.
Navi: "Well Acronos? Unbar it would you?"
Acronos: "I prefer the harder way of doing it."
Navi: "And that would be?"
Tidus: "Him." He pointed to the tree. The group walked towards it and leaning against it was shadow Link.
Navi: "Shadow Link; defeat yourself!"
Acronos: "This is it? I was expecting more, oh well. Go ahead and have all the fun Link." Shadow Link got up from the tree and whistled shrilly. From the ground, everyone's reflections rose to form shadow copies of them, all smiling or smirking.
Acronos' copy went up to him, politely bowed, took up a stance, and put on his usual happy smile. Acronos shrugged, bowed, and took up a stance with a grin of a good challenge waiting, and with no interference. Maioko's copy smirked as it bowed rather disrespectfully, but she took this in stride, feigning a bow, only to stick her tongue at it. Her copy laughed and took up a fighting stance.
Link's copy just stood in front of him, shield raised and a copy of the Master Sword at ready. Acane's walked up to her, gave a sign of this being too easy, and took a stance. Wakka's copy bounced the ball a few times, and took up their stance. Yuna's copy stood in front of her, guns aimed and ready. The two stood there, neither blinking. Almost on cue, the battle began.
Acronos charged in with an overhead slash, only to find that his copy had done the exact same thing, at the exact same time, with the exact same force. He allowed the momentum to pull him back and into a lower slash, only to meet with his own attack. With a grin of reckless abandon in his eyes, he started slashing so fast that nobody could even see his blade moving, only flashes of steel and the sparks from the connecting blades.
Acane took this as a challenge and began spearing at the same rate, of course being blocked in the same manner. Maioko was locked in a contest of grips with her mirror image, both trying to outdo the other in coming up with a painful lock and holding it, but neither was succeeding in any way. Link was facing the same difficulty, his shadow copy mirrored his every move, but instead of blocking his jump attack, dodged and countered while he left himself open.
The two Wakka were simply throwing the ball at one another, neither really trying in particular to break the opponent's guard. Tidus on the other hand was slashing like crazy, maniacal delight gleaming in his eyes as he weaves around his opponent, both attempting similar maneuvers to get the first hit in.
After about ten minutes, nobody but the shadows had scored even one hit, and everyone could tell that at this rate they were going to weaken first.
Acronos: "That's it! It is now time for you to die! Sonic Blade!" Unfortunately his copy mirrored this attack completely and utterly, so neither got a hit in. "Ars Arcanum!" Nope, that didn't work either, no matter how explosive the attack ended up.
Acronos: "Crap! He's able to use all my attacks! Think, brainchild of Odysseus, think! Hmm, it's gotta have a flaw somewhere… What was the flaw in Link's in the game? Oh yeah, he had his other weapons, and the spin attack and such.
Hmm, I suppose this copy only has access to what I can do naturally with my body. D: "Key word being 'your' body, mine probably isn't included in that." Point there. Arch: "Magic is a good approach, and remember that while he mirrors your every move perfectly, you still begin it a fraction of a second before. That you begin the entire movement is crucial!" I've got a few ideas. Heh, Heh, Heh… "
He used Firaga, but the copy dodged it, only to be met with Ultima and disappear. Acronos turned around quickly in time to block a quick slash and counter. This time he used his time aura magic to fling it about and stop it for long enough to slash it.
Acronos: "I'll save that in case I'm hurt, that's a bit cheap. "
When the copy next came at him, this time intending to put on the offensive, he ran full tilt at the tree in the middle of the room. It followed right on his tail, but that was important. Acronos kept running at the tree and flipped off it into a downward slash on his opponent's head.
Keeping in this manner, he used his strategy instead of power to do damage, occasionally Triggering and using magic, until finally his opponent was using Ars Arcanum or Sonic Blade instead of slashes, and Acronos was put on a defensive position that really wasn't too advantageous. Finally he used Sonic Blade at the proper time and got in the ending of it on his copy, defeating it.
With Acane, she and her copy were merrily spearing away at each other, occasionally switching to swords, but with no real progress. They whipped their capes around and lunged, but blocked each other. They used the elemental magic of the weapons, but still nothing. Seeing Acronos using his strategy of 'smarter not harder', she opted for that route.
Swinging her spear around, she took off in a different direction. Her copy obviously followed close behind, but not close enough, nobody could really match Acane's speed, not even a copy. Noticing this, she filed it away for the next attack, but for this one she placed the tip of her sword on the ground for a moment and directed the electricity into her copy.
She turned and saw her copy running at her full tilt. She gave a noise of being displeased, making the copy go even faster. Just as the copy was lunging to impale Acane, she sidestepped and tripped her copy with one foot and speared it in the back. Again the copy arrived, but much closer this time.
Acane fended off the sword attack with a spear slash, and zipped around behind her copy for a quick strike. As the copy came at her she called forth Shiva for a quick blast of frigid energy. Acane really didn't even let her copy get near her, and soon found it defeated.
With Tidus, he'd already known this strategy for a long time, but was merely testing out his moves, having fun. To spice things up a bit, he charged his blade with electricity for just one slash, and this damaged his opponent when he tried to block.
Tidus: "(When the copy reappears) You can't even take that little shock? And you call yourself my copy!"
A spin kick to the head and a slash following this caused it to disappear again. Tidus had a major advantage during the whole battle, easily knowing where his own weaknesses would be, where his strikes left him open, when, and exactly how to throw off his copy every time. Since he'd actually seen himself fight from the outside, he easily won against his opponent, making it seem effortless.
With Yuna, neither her nor her copy had blinked before the other, neither had moved. Unfortunately Yuna only has so much patience, and began shooting away, only to find her bullets blocked because her copy was shooting the exact same gun at the exact same place in the exact same way. Yuna decided that if her opponent wasn't going to blink on its own, she'd make it do that.
She slowly inched a gun away, reaching for the bag that held flash bombs. When she snapped her hand forward and threw it, the copy snapped its gun forward. Yuna blasted it several times before it had the chance to dive away or disappear. Getting bored, she cast a barrier and ran up to her copy and began a few punches and kicks. The copy really wasn't expecting this, and couldn't deal with Yuna's magic, so it lost with relatively little chance at all.
With Wakka, he finally got bored of not trying and decided to start this battle off right. He kicked his ball behind his copy, deliberately aiming to miss. His copy did the same and called the ball back, but Wakka just smiled and tugged on the very thin but very strong and very long rope connecting his Blitzball to his wrist. His copy was hit in the back of the head by the spiked ball and disappeared once.
Wakka swung the ball around like a mace, and hit his copy before it could come near. Sensing where it would appear, he launched a lightning ball at the spot, hitting it before it even had a chance to fully materialize. His reactions were almost perfect, allowing him to knock his copy around before it even had a chance to attack. For the final blow, he decided to go for an actual fistfight, just to see if he'd gotten any better.
He spun with his fist out, but felt his copy's make contact with his jaw, sending him back a bit. He shook it off, smiling. He bounced the ball a few times up and onto his hand, sort of as a distraction. He then launched it at the copy, looking like he intended it to hit its head. Instead of launching its own weapon, the copy swatted it away with the back of its hand, but that's what he wanted.
Wakka ran in and swung a punch from the side it had blocked with, missed utterly because he wanted to, and swung into a right roundhouse kick to the head. Now, since Wakka plays a sport that forces him to be an excellent jumper, swimmer, and kicker, this hurts, a lot. Almost needless to say, the copy died.
Link fought his copy man-to-man using his Master Sword, but eventually had to be revived by a fairy when his copy was still at low health. He continued using his Master Sword, using the occasional Spin attack and other random specials until he'd been reduced to relatively low health again.
Deciding that usage of the Master Sword was rather hazardous to his health, he pulled out the Biggoron sword and began stabbing with it like crazy. His copy couldn't jump onto the blade since it was a stab low to the ground and going up, and eventually using this strategy Link defeated his copy.
I'm leaving Maioko for last for no real reason, I just felt like it, but she was rather busy with her copy. None of her moves worked, and she just couldn't get a good grapple in. She noticed Acronos' strategy and decided that perhaps doing something unexpected would work. She ran at the tree, but instead of doing what Acronos did, she ripped it out of the ground and swung it like a pole, sending her copy flying.
When her copy reappeared, when noticed, it found itself squashed under said tree. The copy was spared no mercy, smacked around by the giant tree as if it were a rag doll and the tree a baseball bat. One final crushing smash ended its existence.
The bars on the door lifted and the lake and tree dispersed as well, revealing that they were only in another large room in the same blue style as the rest of the temple. Maioko dusted off her hands and laughed.
Maioko: "Well, that was a great workout!"
Tidus: "You used… the tree?"
Maioko: "Yep! I needed an edge."
Acronos: "You do realize you could have used magic, or perhaps stolen my knife?"
Maioko: "Yeah, but it wouldn't have been as fun! (Laughs)" Link shakes his head and they go through the door. He opens the chest to find an add-on for his hook shot allowing it double range.
Tidus: "Now the next segment is a bit difficult, so watch for the whirlpools." After crossing this crazy section, they were returned to the third floor of the central temple.
Acronos: "Link, give me that Long Shot." Link hands it to him and he goes off for a while. After a bit he returns with a bunch of skultula tokens. He then hands Link the weapon again and they all go over to the boss area, with Link taking Wakka, Acane taking Tidus and Yuna, and Acronos taking Maioko, since they were the only ones who could bridge the large gap. They entered the boss room.
Navi: "Link, be careful, this isn't normal water!"
Tidus: "Yeah, but I'll bet it conducts electricity just as well."
Acronos: "You'll see a freakish-looking core at the center of a watery tentacle, shoot it with your Long Shot to capture it and jump attack with the Biggoron sword when it's near."
They jumped to some central platforms, and soon found a watery tentacle looking at them. They jumped back onto the outside portion, but Link wasn't quick enough, a giant tentacle grabbing him and hoisting him into the air. He dropped the Master Sword in surprise as the thing flung him into the spike-encrusted wall, ouch.
Acronos dived into the water to retrieve the sword, against all common sense, and Maioko's yelling. Of course, if you dive into living water that is trying to kill you, chances are that it won't be pretty. Luckily Acronos is a great swimmer and eventually managed to get the sword, but was immediately flung out onto the wall, hard. When he opened his eyes, he noticed his shoulder was completely impaled. With a grunt of pain, he ripped it out, trying hard not to scream.
Stars flashed before his eyes as white-hot pain shot through his entire left arm. Using Curaga on it managed to stop the pain and close the wound a bit. He noticed Link busy shooting and slashing away at the core. To save some effort, he Triggered again, and the wound began closing up rapidly. He flew in at high speeds and used Vortex to destroy the core.
The core exploded like a drop of water, and all the water that it had been using went onto the ceiling and became one large drop that fell, ending the miserable existence of the water temple boss. Devil Acronos handed Link the Master Sword, holding it in mid-air with magic.
Devil: "Try not to loose a blade this important, it's not healthy, for the kid at least."
Link: "(Nods)"
Maioko: "Idiot! You could have gotten killed!"
Devil: "Hello? Part Devil, mostly immortal?"
Acane: "Nevertheless, it was still foolish, I'd have expected better judgment."
Devil: "He knows. Quite honestly, none of us are sure what happened there, one moment we were about to start shooting, the next we're diving. Don't look at me, Archangel, or Acronos, none of us was particularly fond of that sword anyway."
Maioko: "Still, you shouldn't act like an idiot so often, you'll get hurt."
Devil: "I did, ended up with a spike through my shoulder, but look, Devils heal quickly." He points to what was once a wound, but now doesn't even have a scar. After Link grabs the heart container, they take the blue light. In the Chamber of Sages they meet up with Ruto.
Ruto: "Hey guys, nice to see you again. I'm the Sage of Water, not much of a surprise, eh? Anyway Link, it really would have been nice to marry you, for both of us to understand love and share it, but I guess that's just not an option right now. I'll give you this Medallion as a symbol of our… friendship. Take it respectfully!"
That last part she barely manages to stammer out, seeming like she's on the verge of tears, but quickly shakes it off. Acronos' sixth sense picks up that she was repeating to herself that this is what's best; she couldn't be selfish, etc.
Acronos: "Link, remember what I told you to do when we last had to part with a close friend of yours?" Link nods and lightly hugs Ruto.
Link: "Don't worry, no matter what happens our hearts and strengths will always be connected." Her eyes widen a bit, and she nods slowly. The scene changes to white.
Ruto: "Don't worry, Zelda's alive. Oh and don't tell my father, would you?" They are transported to the top of the lake as it fills with water. The rest of the group is on the shore, happily resting from a long battle.
Sheik: "This Lake is filling with water again. Good job Link!" The group lands on the pedestal.
Sheik: "You defeated the evil monster and freed the Sage. Everything is returning to as it was. You really did it Link." He runs forward to check it out and slowly looks out, taking in the view. From behind him, Sheik looks at him, something akin to lust in those red eyes. Acronos notices this.
Acronos: "Hey Sheik?"
Sheik: "Yes?"
Acronos: "Yep, I was right. Your voice sounded a bit girly before, but now you don't just sound like you never hit puberty, you sound like you're not even a guy. And with that look…" He gets up in Sheik's face and examines the eyes.
Sheik: "Uhh… hey look, is that the owl flying over to talk?"
Acronos: "(Draws keyblade and turns) Where!?" Sheik jumps onto the tree, rather surprising since it's about five times anyone's height. Link looks around for a bit, and they hear someone dive into the lake and disappear.
Tidus: "Link, shoot at the sun from over here." He does so, and gets the Fire Arrows. They start to head back to shore where the rest of the group is waiting. Acronos decides to start up a conversation.
Acronos: "Hey, did anyone notice the look Sheik just gave Link?"
Maioko: "Yeah, something akin to lust…"
Acane: "Didn't know he swung that way."
Link: "Huh?"
Tidus: "Don't bother listening, you're not going to understand."
Link: "Okay. Hey Navi…"
Wakka: "I'm surprised, ya? Hey, didn't you do your fancy hormone counting thing, Acronos?"
Acronos: "Hmm, no I didn't. However, did anyone besides me notice that Sheik looked just a tad smaller overall, and that the body seemed a bit, umm, shall we say curved?"
Maioko: "Yep, you're right."
Tidus: "You know Sheik did just seem to have a cold."
Acronos: "Perhaps he switched to what people originally thought was him?"
Tidus: "(Whispered) Zelda?"
Acronos: "Yeah, they probably switch just for the Temple of Time and most likely the Shadow Temple next, a random stranger wouldn't be so concerned about Impa after all."
Tidus: "True, true."
Wakka: "Shadow Temple? Oh great, more copies, ya?"
Acronos: "Actually the entire temple is like a giant horror movie. It is like a tomb, has many zombies, carries all of the darkness of Hyrule in one place, etc."
Wakka: "Not my kind of place! I'm not too into horror movies."
Acronos: "I don't really have a choice. Oh yeah, only plan on going if you can stand blood, lots of it."
Maioko: "Uhh… Well I'll go if there aren't too many others going."
Acane: "Not exactly my kinda place either, but I'll go with what Maioko said."
Yuna: "Well, my magic would come in handy, I'll see when we get there."
Tidus: "It can't be that bad!"
Acronos: "We'll all go to the Bottom of the Well, those who can stand it will go to the temple, how about that?" Everyone agrees to that and they take the group and head back to the Temple of Time. There they find Sheik still guarding the pedestal of time as before.
Sheik: "You defeated the monsters and freed the sage. There are still two to go, one in the house of the dead, and the other in a goddess of the sand. If you want to return to the past, place the Master Sword in the Pedestal of time and you will return to your original time. There will come a time when you must return here quickly. The Prelude of Light is for that time."
He, (most likely she at this point) teaches Acronos and Link the piece, and while they're busy playing a bright ball of yellow light appears above them. Once finished Navi spouts something out.
Navi: "A prelude is a relatively short, independent instrumental composition, free in form and resembling an improvisation."
Tidus: "Thank you for that utterly pointless, and yet strangely informative piece of information."
Navi: "Any time!"
Sheik: "I must admit that the definition is quite applicable. Light is free in form, and we are currently improvising this entire plot of ours. Also a prelude is usually before the actual song, so it would make sense being that the Temple of Time is the first temple you encounter."
Acronos: "You're more poetic too, hmm…"
Sheik: "Umm, adieu!" The Deku Nut makes a blinding flash of golden light this time around.
Tidus: "And so it begins. Return us to the past, Link!"
He pulls out his Master Sword respectfully and impales it into the pedestal. After a momentary blue light, they are returned to their original time as young Link hops off the sword he had just been gripping.
Tidus: "(Blinks several times) Whoa that is a really weird feeling."
Acronos: "Hey, I'm my normal age, thank God! Okay, I am a bit weaker than before, but still, I prefer my normal self any day!"
Acane: "I don't know, I was starting to like the older you."
Acronos: "Uhh…"
Maioko: "Hmm, I'm undecided, and cool it Acane, you know his brain stops."
Acronos: "No more flirting, thank goodness! Hey wait, I recognized it? Oh boy, I travel with an interesting group of people. Okay guys; let's take care of a few things now, and then we'll head to Kakariko village for the Lens of Truth. The places we're heading aren't too nice, so consider the place we're going to visit only a small sample to what we're going to see in the shadow temple."
He and Tidus lead everyone to collecting a few more skultula tokens and heart pieces, and then go to Kakariko, play the Song of Storms to speed up the windmill, and headed down the well. They found themselves in a brown room, the essence of death reeking off the place. After killing a big skultula, they found a dead end.
Acane: "What?! After all that? What a load of-" Acronos puts his hand through the wall at the end.
Tidus: "Did we forget to mention the illusions? 'Cause there are a lot of them." They step through the illusionary wall and into an area mostly flooded.
Acronos: "Now when we say follow us, we mean follow directly behind."
Tidus: "Yeah, there are some illusionary floors too."
Acronos and Tidus led them to a spout that was flooding the entire place, and it had the symbol of the royal family of Hyrule. Acronos pulls out his violin while Link takes his ocarina. They play Zelda's lullaby, which stops the water. Acronos and Tidus again lead, this time back to where they'd come from.
There was a large open area that was now not filled with water. After Acronos blew up another crawl space, they headed through and it led to a dark room made totally of soil. In a circle near the middle were a bunch of white hands with red fingers.
Link: "What?"
Tidus: "Sigh, who wants to be bait?" Before he'd even finished, Acronos went over and got caught by a hand. There was an eruption of soil and a white thing that looked like a block, spikes for hands, and a huge neck. Acronos' keyblade blazed with white light and he cut the hand in two, freeing himself.
The thing had a really long neck so most couldn't hit it due to the way it held its head up. Unfortunately for it, Acronos isn't most people, so he bounced off its chest and downward slashed the head. This didn't kill it, so they had to wait for it to get close and lower its head to bite. When it did so, they all hacked away at it. After a few cuts, it turned and did its strange crawling walk away, and the dirt exploded outward as it tunneled under again.
Acane: "(Shakes head) How can it stand doing that? (Shudders) I have nightmares about that!"
Maioko: "So I have trouble with air, you have trouble with earth, interesting..."
Acronos: "ULTIMA!" He blasted the entire area as best he could, causing it to tunnel up and start moving towards them. When it came close they slashed away at it. After a few times doing this, it died and a treasure chest appeared. Link opened it and pulled out a purple magnifying glass with a red and blue lens.
Tidus: "The lens of truth, able to see through any illusion, but costs magical energy."
Acronos: "I want to try something. (Grabs lens) Someone lie to me."
Tidus: "Hmm, the name of my older copy's sword was the Sisterhood. Brotherhood"
Acronos: "Actually it's the Brotherhood, I heard you think it."
Maioko: "What, you can read minds with that? Crap! I just hope my annoying voice doesn't come in… I'm back, miss me? No! "
Acronos: "(Gives Link the Lens) Ugh, mind reading hurts my head."
Tidus: "Now we've got to grab the skultula tokens around here." After a while, and being sickened by the blood and freaky area, they managed to leave through the Prelude of Light.
Tidus: "I hate that place. I hate the temple, I just don't like the entire thing!"
Acronos: "Alrighty then, now we determine who goes and who doesn't."
Wakka: "I'd rather not go."
Lulu: "Blood, gore, pain, suffering, darkness? I'm going!"
Selphie: "No way, I am not going!"
Yuna: "Umm..."
Auron: "Consider me in."
Tifa: "Seen worse."
Kairi: "Uhh..."
Acane: "I'll only go if I absolutely have to."
Maioko: "I'm not too happy about the idea, buy I'll go I guess."
Tidus: "Hmm…How about you guys go to that temple and we'll take the spirit one. Link will go with us, you head to the shadow temple."
Acane: "Spirit? Now that's a different story!"
Wakka: "I'll go."
Yuna: "Great!"
Link: "Will you need my bow?"
Acronos: "Hmm, no, I've got my darts."
Maioko: "So let's see here, Spirit: Acane, Tidus, Link, Yuna, Irvine, Selphie, Wakka, and Kairi. Shadow: Auron, Acronos, Tifa, Lulu, and me. That about right?"
Group: "Yeah." After a quick farewell they headed on their way, Acronos leaving the lens with Link. He led his group to Kakariko village. An invisible monster ravaged the place. After it sent Sheik flying, Acronos stood at ready, waiting for its attack. As it came closer, his keyblade shone more and more fiercely. Readying himself, he focused his mind's eye...
Acronos: "DIE!" A burst of darts held it off from moving, a blast to the face made it fall and reveal itself, and Acronos began some attacks of his own. It regained composure and flew off. He watched it fly off with a look of distaste. He went over to 'Sheik'.
Acronos: "You shouldn't face something that dangerous like that, Zelda."
Sheik: "(Slightly delirious) Don't worry father, I am not injured."
Acronos: "Learn from the mistake though."
Sheik: "Yes... What hit me? Oh!"
Maioko: "Link isn't here, just us, don't worry."
Sheik: "Well, still..."
Acronos: "Mind teaching me the Nocturne of Shadow?"
Sheik: "But..."
Acronos: "Keyblade Master, I have the ability to go wherever and do whatever."
Sheik: "Well, this song will draw you into the deepest darkness that absorbs even light."
She played a song that Acronos played as well. Once she took the route of the Deku Nut Acronos transported them where they needed to go.
Acronos: "From here on in things get disturbing and hectic. Prepare yourselves." They went into a room with a ton of torches surrounding a short pillar.
Maioko: "Great, just great. How do we light all these blasted torches?"
Lulu: "Leave that to me." With a flick of her wrist they all ignited.
Lulu: "They were recently lit, I just had to call back the flame, a simple task requiring little magical energy."
Auron: "Let's move." They stepped through into the dark temple, but found themselves faced with a rather large gap between them and the next stage of the temple.
Acronos: "I have to fly everyone over, don't I?"
Lulu: "Not really." She tosses Auron and Tifa over with magic and levitates over.
Lulu: "Just Maioko."
Maioko: "Hah, I don't need the help this time, I can run across the wall! (Starts to do that)"
Acronos: "Wait, you're afraid of, (She screams and he lunges full tilt to catch her and send them both to the other side), all heights."
Maioko: "(sheepishly) Yeah, I forgot that I'm not good over bottomless pits, sorry."
Lulu, Auron, and Tifa shook their heads and Acronos began leading. He led them to another of the creatures from the well, which was rather easy to kill since they were older, and pulled out a pair of boots that allowed flotation. He tossed them to Maioko and leads them back where they came, a bird statue surrounded by torches, a huge gap, and a door on the other side of the gap.
Maioko: "You expect me to run over that gap?!"
Lulu: "I can toss you over?"
Maioko: "Uhh, I'll run."
Acronos, due to not having the Lens of truth, was forced to prod the tops of the torches to determine which was the real one, mark it for a moment, and turn the statue towards it. The door on the other side of the gap opened. Maioko aimed herself, closed her eyes, and sprinted across. Lulu chucked everyone else over.
They headed on their not too merry way, and after a hallway, ended up in a room apparently with three walls that could be blown up. Acronos blasted all three, finding only one to be real.
Maioko: "Question: were those walls made of skulls?"
Auron: "Hmm, yes, I'd say these are skulls. Didn't we see a bunch of these walls in the well and a bit further back in the temple?"
Acronos: "Yeah, they're pretty common in this temple."
Maioko: "Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick..."
Tifa: "Heights, death-"
Acronos: "Guillotines, living mouths, invisible rotating scythes of death, invisible monsters, ghost ships on a lake of mist, etc…"
Tifa: "This is basically Hell for you, isn't it?"
Maioko: "... Yes..."
Acronos: "(Concerned) I'll take you out then..."
Maioko: "No, it's better if I get stronger."
Auron: "Good. Acronos, where to?"
Acronos: "Well, this room splits into three. If memory serves that one leads to the compass that goes with this map, that one leads to a small key, and that one's locked."
Tifa: "Well, unlock the door with your keyblade."
Maioko: "No… The long way. Please." Seeing the determination to get stronger in her eyes, Acronos takes them to the door with the compass. Inside are two mummies. Acronos pulls out his violin and busts out the Sun's Song to freeze them, and Lulu turns them into a conflagration, (burns them crispy).
Acronos pulls the compass out of a chest that appeared from that and they head into the other unlocked room. Inside were two grim reapers swinging in a circle, with scythes as big as most of the room.
Acronos: "We collect the silver rupees."
Maioko: "To Hell with the sane way!"
With a running punch to the grim reapers, she breaks the machine that kept them moving. Calmly grabbing the rupees, she opens a door by collecting them all and grabs a key. They return to the locked door, open it, and find themselves in a hallway full of guillotines. They run past them, but get ambushed by a big skultula.
Easily dealt with, they end up in a large room, mainly consisting of several platforms with guillotines, all suspended over a bottomless pit. Maioko couldn't help herself, she whimpered and clutched the nearest object, namely Acronos. His concern tripled.
Acronos: "(Kindly) Mind lending me the Hover Boots for a minute? Close your eyes. (To Lulu) Float her to that large platform over there. (To Maioko) When you stop feeling ground beneath you, keep your eyes shut until you feel ground beneath you, okay? (To everyone) Give me a minute to grab something." He ran across the platforms and reached a room that seemed to have nothing leading to it. Inside he grabbed a skultula token and ran back out. With Maioko, things weren't as easy...
Tifa: "I wonder, what could have made her this afraid? Maioko is a tough person, this is the first thing I've seen get to her."
Auron: "I don't understand the fear of heights at all, but I must admit that even though I am trying my best not to care, this temple is rather, how to put it, freaky?"
Maioko was being floated over the gap, and she had her eyes firmly closed like Acronos had asked her, and like every instinct was screaming at her.
Maioko: "This is pathetic. I can't even fend for myself! I whimpered for God's sake! I've got to face this fear before it devours me and makes me a laughing stock! Now gently ease your eyes open... "
Nope, I am definitely not letting anything go her way, am I? With her eyes open, for one agonizing moment, she was trapped in utter dark and silence. There was absolutely nobody around. She looked down into the abyss and could have sworn she saw demonic hands reaching up for her. The heartless! She desperately thought.
They're coming for my heart like everyone else's! I had to stay in a tree to escape them on my world for a bit while I was tired, and they made that awful dark pool, an abyss of absolute nothingness. Hell is reaching for me! Flashes of every bad scene she'd had with heights, her mind's images of falls, drops off cliffs, barely alive, buildings that had been bombed with her family on top, barely living.
Seeing a plane spiral into a flaming death with her cousin on it, the cousin she'd looked up to, the perfect person, the best fighter, a boyfriend to love her, super smart, everything she wasn't... (According to her anyway) It would be safe to say that whenever she ended up high in the air, something went wrong.
Horribly wrong. No, if Acronos ever flies me again, he'll fall! He'll fall, all my fault, all of this... She landed and slouched onto the ground, muttering incoherently about it all being her fault.
Lulu: "She opened her eyes, didn't she? Great..." Acronos rushed over to where they were and quickly guided them over.
Acronos: "Maioko? Maioko! C'mon, wake up! Curaga!"
Her eyes seemed hollow; she'd retreated into herself. Acronos sighed and tossed her onto his left shoulder rather effortlessly. He instructed the others on what to do. After a room and a small key, they reached yet another room.
Tifa: "Just unlock the door up there." Acronos nods, does so, and wall-jumps up there. Momentarily pausing, he called a token from the nearby room. They entered the door to find a bunch of fans. Lulu simply stopped the winds and they went on their unhappy way. Finished with that, they found themselves in a room with a giant boat on a lake of mist.
Auron: "I suppose we ride that. Is it stable?"
Acronos: "It collapses at the end of the ride. Now, could you move that block over there?" After pushing the block to the point requested, climbing it and the ladder above, (with much difficulty for Acronos), they jumped on board the ship. Acronos called a nearby token and pulled out his violin over the symbol of the royal family.
Acronos: "Hmm, hold on... I might have a song to help Maioko out." He gently placed her down and readied his violin.
Acronos: "Now how was that translated? Ah, yeah, here goes the Song of Healing." He played a short but soothing melody. Everyone slowly felt his or her worries and fears slipping away. The light returned to Maioko's eyes and she seemed to wake up. Everyone's worries dispersed... All except Acronos'.
His worries were all about his friends, and he felt that those worries were not only well founded, but useful. He held onto his worries and fears as if his friends would slip away if he didn't. In the dank aura of fear of the temple, he remembered loosing his world, and for an instant believed that his friends would always fall to the same fate, unless he was always there to stop it.
This fear he let slip though, since he knew that it would weigh him down in combat. The song finished, he began playing Zelda's lullaby.
Maioko: "What? Where am I? This wood, it feels worn... It's cold, but there were people on it once. People... Even here I'm not alone? Why am I moving? What's going on? Where, what?"
Auron: "You're awake again."
Maioko: "I fell asleep?"
Tifa: "To be precise, your fear of heights made you stop thinking due to terror. You kept muttering something about it all being your fault."
Lulu: "Acronos had to carry you here, and woke you up with a strange song."
Auron: "Hey, when does this ship collapse?"
Acronos: "... We fight two skeleton warriors, and the ship will stop moving before it falls. When you see a ledge that looks to be a place to land, be prepared to jump."
Right on cue the two skeletons dropped from out of thin air. Tifa smashed her fist into one's skull, and Lulu finished it of by blasting it off the ship. Auron slashed the other one, but it managed to put up its shield in time. Unfortunately for it, this pushed it over to Acronos.
Since it had its back to him, his keyblade blazed with white light and he ripped through its spine, killing it in one slash. He looked out past the ship and waited for their stop.
Maioko: "(Gets up) Sorry I couldn't help."
Tifa: "Don't worry about it."
Lulu: "Just don't look down."
Acronos: "This is our stop." With that he hoisted Maioko onto his shoulder, making sure she was facing the ceiling, and used the Hover Boots to land them on the ledge.
Maioko: "(Whacks him) What was that about?!"
Lulu: "(Floating over) I believe he was attempting to keep you from noticing the large gap of nothingness you just crossed, and also prevent you from looking downward." She notices where they'd just floated over, but her eye only twitches as she manages to keep her composure.
Acronos: "Long way or short way?"
Maioko: "Long way."
Auron: "More training I suppose." After a few brief scuffles with some monsters and getting another token, they ended up in a room with the walls closing in on them. Actually it was two wooden, spiked walls closing in.
Lulu: "Now this is just weak." With a flick of her wrist, the walls burnt to cinders. Acronos grabbed the boss key from the chest and they went back to where they had landed.
Tifa: "Now what?"
Acronos: "We test my dart throwing prowess."
He launched an energy-enhanced dart at the base of a statue, detonating the bomb flowers at its base and causing it to fall and consequently create a bridge. They went over, opened the door, and found themselves in a large, dark room. Apparently the only land was their current platform and the one in front of the door.
Lulu: "That's a bit far to levitate all of us at once..." With a little energy manipulation, Acronos showed there were invisible platforms on the way there and marked off each one.
Tifa: "That will do."
Jumping from one to another got them to the other side, where they opened the boss door and found themselves in a small circular room with a hole in the middle. Without even so much as a slight notice, Acronos tossed Maioko onto his shoulder and jumped down. Every time someone landed, they bounced. Acronos placed Maioko down again.
Maioko: "Hey, is it just me or does this, (taps foot on floor), sound like a drum?"
With that a four note beat with the first being harder than the other three began being tapped out by giant hands. Acronos placed the flat of the blade on his shoulder and pulled out several darts in his other hand. They all turned to see two large, purple hands, and behind, (but not connected to) them was a purple creature that was only an upper body and one big red eye, seemingly inside a flower.
The beat continued at a quick pace while the upper body became invisible. It started floating around them, still hitting out the beat. Acronos jumped and spun, flinging his darts into the hands, and then charging one with energy and hurtling it at where he believed the center was. His aim was right on, as the thing became visible again and dropped, stunned.
Acronos' keyblade blazed to life and everyone lunged in to slash the thing's eye into oblivion. It started wildly beating the floor, but slowed down and dissolved. Acronos grabbed the heart container for later and they headed into the blue light. Impa rose from the purple pedestal.
Impa: "Wait, why are you here instead of Link?"
Acronos: "Most of my group didn't like this temple, and Link was needed more for the Spirit temple, so we solved this one."
Impa: "Well alright. I don't really approve, but give Link this Medallion anyway." Instead of the usual flashy Medallion scene, she just tosses it to him like a plate. As the scene changed to white, she added.
Impa: "Oh, and tell Link that the princess is alive as well." They appeared outside the temple.
Maioko: "I neverwant to go through that again. I don't even want it mentioned, got that?"
Acronos: "Yes ma'am!"
Auron: "Well, now what."
Acronos: "How did it go again, oh yeah!" He played a strangely dark sounding song and they were transported into a desert.
Maioko: "Ah, now this is a much better change of scenery! Warmth, light, people..."
Tifa: "Are our friends still in there?"
Acronos: "Hmm, I'd say they've just begun the temple."
Lulu: "(Raised eyebrow) How could they have just started if we just finished?"
Acronos: "(Shrugs)"
Maioko: "How do you know all this?"
Acronos: "Well, half of it is my enhanced sixth sense, the other is this strange flashback ability I've just noticed."
Tifa: " 'Flashback ability'? What the Hell are you talking about?"
Acronos: "Well, you know how my time aura has been capable of moving things through time up until now? Well, I've found that I can toss myself around like that, but only an image really, sort of like those cheesy TV flashback things."
Begin the flashback! (Echoes multiple times) Echo! (Echoes) Cool... Oh yeah, take note that everyone is watching this through a portal, and are allowed to comment.
Tidus: "Alrighty then, to the desert!" They found themselves facing a broken bridge, the only one between them and their goal.
Acane: "I'd hate to see Maioko's reaction to this cliff!" (Maioko: "Grr… Talk behind my back will you?")
Kairi: "Now we are presented with the question of how to get across."
Link: "My horse can jump the gap, I'm almost certain of it."
Tidus: "So can the Long Shot. I'll take that one and transport one other person with me for each ride."
Link: "Hmm, two more people can ride with me."
Acane: "I'll jump." She does so, misses the ledge entirely, pulls out a sword, and drives it into the canyon wall, stops, and runs back up. Everyone stares.
Irvine: "You like to show off, don't you?"
Tidus: "Okay, I'll take Yuna and then Wakka over, you take the others."
This happens without any problems and they head over into a fortress. After some time spent on freeing the carpenters in there, one woman jumped in, congratulated them on their thieving skills, and gave them a pass to let them move around freely through the area. They then headed into the Haunted Wasteland and after navigating an area, were forced to follow a ghost that only Link could see with the Lens.
They arrived to a giant woman made of some sort of sandstone, and they went inside the temple. After ascending some stairs, they saw two paths: a tiny crawl space, and a giant gray block. Everyone pushed against the block, but to no avail.
Yuna: "Sigh. We'll have to find a way back here while we're at our normal ages." They went outside, and from an arch in front, Sheik jumped down. (Tifa: "Wasn't she, err, he, err, whatever, just with us?" Acronos: "Yeah, but I think this is the actual Sheik, not Zelda in disguise.")
Sheik: "Hey guys! I got over my cold quickly, thanks to your buddy's... Where the keyblade kid?"
Tidus: "His name is Acronos, and he's at the Shadow Temple."
Sheik: "Actually, if my senses haven't gone on strike, he's done and currently watching us, from ahead in time?! Weird. Any hoot, you're gonna have to come back here as kids, umm, make that 'you have to come back when you're seven years younger'. Right, well, uhh, here's the Requiem of Spirit to return a child to the desert." He plays the song Acronos had played to get his group to the desert.
Navi: "A Requiem is a musical service or hymn in honor of the dead." (Maioko: "Then what's a Nocturne?" Lulu: "Indeed, we never asked." Acronos: "A Nocturne is a dreamy, pensive composition for the piano, usually associated with the night.")
Sheik: "Yeah, it really should have been the Rhapsody of Spirit, or something."
Link walked towards Sheik, but a sudden and strange sandstorm blocked his movement. He shrugged when Sheik simply wasn't there any further, and pulled out his ocarina and sent everyone to the Temple of Time. That includes Acronos and his group, as they fell out of the air.
Tifa: "Well, that was unexpected."
Tidus: "You finished the temple?"
Auron: "Yes we did. Acronos, give Link the Medallion." Both raised their eyebrows, but did as Auron asked. After this they headed to the temple by the song.
Auron: "It is..."
Lulu: "Very warm? I agree."
Acronos: "I hope the temple is cooler."
Maioko: "I don't know, I rather like the change."
Tidus: "Let's keep going."
Inside they saw a desert woman, dark skin, red hair in a ponytail, poofy pants, a top that left little to the imagination, the works. She noticed them and asked what they were doing here.
Link: "Looking for Sages."
Woman: "Sages? I don't know, I haven't ever met one and there are none around here."
Tidus: "Oh, then I guess we aren't doing anything."
Woman: "What great timing! You're small enough, could you go through this tiny hole and get me the silver gauntlets within? They won't fit a kid like you, so you can only give them to me. With them, I can sneak-"
Link: "(Smirk) We can sneak."
Woman: "I like you kid! We'll go deep into the temple and mess with Ganondorf. The name's Nabooru, by the way."
Irvine: "No honor among thieves, eh?"
Nabooru: "Hey! That guy may be our king by tradition, but I don't like him, he hurts people and even kills!"
Acronos: "You don't?"
Nabooru: "Nope. So you know, we don't steal more than is necessary."
Tifa: "You steal food and some money, just enough to live? You're not thieves, you're just people who don't like paying your tab!"
Nabooru: "Well, I suppose. We just need to live, and in case you didn't notice, a desert isn't exactly good for growing stuff."
Acronos: "Hmm, I'd like to try something. If this works, you guys, screw that, nobody will ever be hungry again!" He runs outside.
Nabooru: "What's he going to do?"
Kairi: "Nobody but he knows, but it will probably be spectacular. He tends not to interrupt unless absolutely important." They go outside and find a bunch of grass growing all over the desert sands and Acronos bouncing around.
Acronos: "Hot damn, it works! I am so good it hurts sometimes... Where'd that come from? Oh well, this still rocks; I can force plants to grow! With the power Saria gave me, I could end hunger in a place! YEAH!"
Nabooru: "Cool, we won't have to steal anymore. Forget messing with Ganondorf, just do that all over the desert and he won't have any power!"
Tidus: "Uhh, we should still mess with Ganon, just for the heck of it."
Nabooru: "True."
Acronos: "I just noticed this, I can't blow open the wall with Ultima, it's too thick."
Tidus: "ARGH!! The plot!?"
Acronos: "You're right. Very few of us can crawl through that, and I'll probably end up saving Nabooru. Hmm…"
Tifa: "Final Heaven!" The wall blew open. Everyone blinked a couple of times.
Nabooru: "Uhh, yeah... You guys get the gauntlets; I'll sneak into the other side, okay? Oh, and if you succeed I'll do something great for you." They shrugged and went in. They were faced with a small room with three exits, not counting where they'd come from.
Acronos: "Long way or short way?"
Link: "I already have more than enough experience."
Tidus: "(Sniffles) They grow up so fast..."
Acronos: "(Pats on back) There, there."
Maioko: "Short way, let's save some time with this. I'd like to know who this Sage of Spirit is."
Acane: "Probably some yoga person, you know, one of those freakily perfect people?"
Auron: "Let's go already." Acronos unlocked the door in front of them, after Tifa smashed through another wall. They were faced with a high wall.
Maioko: "Argh! Stupid fear of heights! Ugh, I'll just climb anyway!"
They made it up without incident, killed a lizard-warrior, blew open a wall, and went through the door. They entered a giant room, but there was little to do besides grab a dungeon map. The next room was a giant series of puzzles, with both doors barred.
Acronos shook his head, unsealed the door, got them through, unlocked the next door, got a quick token, and they entered into a middle-sized room with several pillars, and also several suits of armor on thrones.
Tidus: "What!? There aren't supposed to be this many!"
Link: "What's so bad about suits of armor?" He poked one with his sword to illustrate, but recoiled in shock when it got up.
Acronos: "All this and you still haven't learnt dungeon navigation rule number one: expect the unexpected."
It held a huge axe, but it was extremely slow. I mean extremely slow. Due to this, it was taken out in a matter of moments. Each other one was taken out individually as well. The door behind the thrones opened, leading to a hand outside that was suspended several hundred feet in the air.
Maioko: "Holy!" Wisely she turned away. There was a big chest on the hand and Link grabbed the Silver Gauntlets from within it. After hearing a shriek, he looked downward. Nabooru was being sucked into a dark magic vortex created by two witches on brooms.
She shouted to them, probably not knowing if they were there or not. She instructed them to save themselves. Acronos took no heed of this, took a few steps back, and did a running jump right off the hand. Everyone stared in shock, thinking he was trying to die. He Triggered in mid-flight and unleashed Devil Vortex, (the spinning attack I mentioned during the chapter when he first transformed) smacking one witch into the ground.
While they were distracted, Acronos grabbed her hand and began to attempt to pull her out. He didn't have much success, as she slipped out of his hands. He shook his head as the witches retreated into the temple.
The notes of the Prelude of Light echoed as they sent themselves into the future from the temple of time. When they reached the Spirit Temple again, Link pulled on his gauntlets and pushed the huge gray block out of the way. Again opting for the short route got them to a room with one suit of armor, better known as an Iron Knuckle. It was easily defeated, and they went to the room outside, the second hand.
Maioko: "Twice?"
Link pulled out the mirror shield from the chest and tested it out. Going back quite a bit, Acronos unlocked another door, got everyone up a shifting wall, through another locked door, through some obstacles, reflected sunlight into the snake woman room, had Link reflect it onto her face, breaking it, got everybody across the gap, unlocked yet another door, and led them through it.
This led to a larger Iron Knuckle, which after a beating turned out to be Nabooru who had been brainwashed. The two witches who'd taken her used their magic to make her disappear and then escaped.
Acronos: "Hey, did you guys notice something? Every single Sage we've met appears to have suddenly gone from Hyrule to the Chamber of Sages, when for us it requires them to call us."
Maioko: "A bit unfair, but why bring it up?"
Tidus: "Hey, now that I think about it, you're right. They go from impossible situations to the Chamber."
Acronos: "Take Darunia for example. He tried to face that dragon without the overly-large hammer we obtained."
Navi: "Yeah, without the hammer you wouldn't have been able to harm it!"
Tidus: "Darunia was a strong man, his fists were probably enough."
Acronos: "If so, why is that dragon famous for eating Gorons, each possessing similar strength? If he managed to hurt it, why didn't we see him or a sign of a struggle? My conclusion: the Sages die to become Sages."
Link: "You mean Saria... Darunia, Ruto, Impa... All of them are..."
Acronos: "Easy there! Loosing their mortal bodies makes them immortal! Just think of it as them finding eternal life. Hey, remember that you can talk with Saria even now!"
Link: "Right. So... What now?"
Tidus: "We kick old hag butt!" They rushed in, climbed up a pillar, and found themselves in a square arena with other smaller arenas on the sides. The witches appeared, one fire, the other ice, and prepared to attack.
Navi: "Bounce their attacks back at them!"
Link: "What's that supposed to mean?!"
Tidus: "Opposite elements, beams of energy, reflective shield, figure it out and block!" Link put up his shield and sent the beam of ice energy awry. He looked at his shield and smiled. After a few blasts of their own magic the two combined. They went from old as dirt with green skin, to tall, green, and young?!
Acane: "What in the blue blazing Hell!?"
Ifrit: "Actually Hell's fires are multiple, good furnace of oblivion! How'd she get young and why'd she wink at us?"
Navi: "Umm, same strategy?" This time the shield charged the blasts away and fired after three of the same. Thanks to teamwork, she went down easily, separated, bickered, and swore to haunt them.
Acronos: "Haunt a friend of mine named Mal, would you?" Elsewhere, Mal sneezed. In the chamber of Sages, Nabooru greeted them and tossed them the medallion. As it faded to white she offered her final statement.
Nabooru: "If only I knew you two would grow into such handsome swordsmen. I would have kept my promise from back then." (Arch: "Barely concealed flirting?" Devil: "Yep.") Rauru told them all the Sages were gathered and that they needed to head to the temple of time. Landing outside the spirit temple, Link took out his ocarina.
Tidus: "Hold on there, we've got some stuff to do first." After collecting every single heart piece and token, (Acane: "Damn the developers for this much stuff!" Acronos: "Now Acane, that isn't polite. I personally liked the challenge given." Maioko: "Yeah, but I don't like how my feet are attempting to slaughter me now." Link: "Hah! I've got a horse!" Auron & Tifa: "Sigh."), they headed over to the temple. 'Sheik' greeted them, and told them about the Triforce and its ability to split.
Sheik: "When Ganondorf acquired the Triforce, it split and he only got the Triforce of Power. The one with the Triforce of courage... Is you, Link!"
Acronos: "Heh. I suppose the only one left that we've known since seven years ago is Zelda. So that must mean she has the last portion, the wisdom Triforce. You do have it, right?"
Sheik: "I'm surprised you saw through my disguise."
Raising her hand, the Triforce mark appears on the back of her left, with the lower left triangle glowing brighter. Zelda appears, in a dress and your standard princess' garb. She explains a little more about the legend, and gives Link the light arrows. The Temple shakes, and Zelda is imprisoned in a pink crystal. Ganon's voice echoes and he taunts them all.
After a brief pause of contemplation, he imprisons Acronos as well. Not one to take this lightly, he smashes against the crystal with berserk force, and finally, using the connection the crystal had with Ganon, sends a thousand dimensions of pain and suffering to him. The crystal changes to a deep crimson.
Acronos: "Better." He then places his keyblade into a portion, twists, and opens the crystal like a door. It shatters like glass. Another imprisons all his friends, everyone in a crystal is stunned, and Link and Acronos are sent flying into a wall.
Ganon's voice: "If you want them, you should come to my tower! (Maniacal laughter)" Once they came to...
Acronos: "Damn him! I really wasn't expecting him to fight that dirty. Let's go, now!" They rushed into the area, and the Sages made a bridge to the floating fortress. While Link taps it to make sure it's solid, Acronos had already started a jump when it was being created.
Acronos: "C'mon, move it!"
Navi: "You really are devoted to your friends, aren't you?"
Acronos: "I try, now let's go before Ganon finds a way to entertain himself!" Once inside they found a barrier blocking further progress.
Acronos: "... The Shadow barrier only, there's something you need in there. We go outside then, grab a magical enhancement, and get the hell up this tower!"
The Shadow barrier took only a little time and Link got the golden gauntlets there. After blasting the barrier source with a light arrow, they were transported out. The energy connection to the barrier weakened and died. The two went outside to a freaking huge pillar.
Link ripped it out and threw it behind him. Acronos' expression didn't even change, and they went into the Great Fairy Fountain. Link played Zelda's lullaby and out came the same scary Great Fairy from seven years ago.
Fairy: "It's you again! It's been so long, and I'm so tired of waiting..." Upon seeing Acronos' expression of utter rage instead of the usual brain stop, the Devil energies rising to the surface, and the keyblade's barrier leave, the computer took matters into its own hands.
Computer: "Let me handle this. (The android it had taken the form of appears) Give it a rest already. Not only doesn't he want you, but he's taken too."
Fairy: "Aww, but he's hot!"
Computer: "(Raises fully charged cannon-arm) And so is my gun! Get the point yet?"
Fairy: "Alright! Don't blow a circuit board. Okay hero, you'll need this defense increase, so here it is." They leave and begin rushing towards Ganon's Castle.
Navi: "Why did you handle it?"
Computer: "His current solution was to mercilessly slaughter her for daring to slow him down in his quest to aid his friends. Well, actually his logic would have probably taken over in mid-attack, so she'd probably just get spooked into passing out."
Navi was a bit surprised, but they continued. Acronos broke the barrier with his keyblade's ability, and they went up the tower. It honestly didn't take that long, since none but Iron Knuckles could stand in front of Acronos for more than a few seconds, (It was five seconds for one of them, and two for the skeleton warriors).
After much running, they reached the top of the tower. The room was square, the windows taking up the whole large walls, each stained glass, and giving off the general feeling of space. There they found Ganon playing the organ rather well, and everyone imprisoned above.
The Triforce parts resonated with power, restoring energy. After a few moments of taunting, Ganon turned to them. Acronos looked up, noticed the keyhole, quickly did his usual sealing routine, and turned to Ganon.
Ganon: "I believe you expect me to attempt to play tennis with you? No such luck. I will stick with energy though. Taste true power!"
He unleashed a shock wave through the floor. Both easily dodged it and ran at him, blades raised. Ganon dodged by moving to the side so fast he left an after-image. Acronos jumped and spun with his blade out, but was blocked by Ganon's large sword. The two slashed at each other, but Ganon was faster and stronger, maintaining an advantage for the entire battle.
Link stepped in, unleashing a deadly spin attack, but to little avail. Ganon floated above it and pelted them all with small, rapid energy bolts. Acronos sent each flying back at Ganon, one hit him, Link blasted him with a light arrow, and the two slashed a few times at him, only to be sent back by Ganon's spin-slash.
Using the full strength of his Triforce, he sent dark energy through the entire room. Acronos' block and Link's shield simply did not hold out and they were flung into a corner. While recuperating, Acronos thought up a plan of attack.
Acronos: "(Whispering) Link, this battle will have to be fought in tandem. He's weak to the light arrows, and his weakest energy shots can be reflected. I'll either fight him close to distract him, or send the shots back. You look for an opening."
Link nodded and they both stood up. Since Ganon was nearby, Acronos launched at him in a fury. He slashed in such a frenzy that with the huge sword, all Ganon could do was block. As he spotted Acronos tiring and saw an opening, a light arrow firmly lodged itself in his back. A Biggoron sword and a keyblade in rapid succession followed this. Ganon floated up again and unleashed two entire-room waves.
Link: "Oww that hurt. He'll probably increase the amount of waves with each arrow, so we need to take him down quickly."
Acronos: "Each of these waves tires him. How about this? You put every ounce of your magic power into one light arrow, I'll give you the opening you need, and then I'll hit him with Ars Arcanum at full strength. If he lives, I still have enough magic to heal us and launch a few more specials. I also have an ether you might need."
Nodding, Link began charging the arrow, and it began to shine almost too brightly for the eyes to look at, no wait, it was now too bright for Link to open his eyes and aim.
Navi: "It's really hard for me to get close enough to target for you. This is your only shot."
Meanwhile Acronos had put all his strength at once into a slash to break Ganon's big sword into pieces. For a moment Acronos had to recuperate his energy, and the time for Ganon to grab his twin swords was time enough. To remedy the blade count Acronos drew his knife and the two fought like mad. Link aimed where he heard the explosions coming from, guided on by Navi who could at least see and give directions, (not as good as the perfect sixth sense fairy targeting gives, but enough).
After about two minutes of crazy slashing, Acronos' keyblade was sent soaring, along with one of Ganon's scimitars. The duel was now in his favor since his blade was quicker. With a lucky cut, Ganon's second scimitar went flying. Acronos smirked, called his keyblade, and made to strike.
Instead of actually going for it, he jumped to the side, allowing Link and Navi to blast Ganon with the supercharged light arrow. The sheer force of it flung Link into the wall behind him, and impaled Ganon into a wall. Acronos raised his weapons. Both his keyblade and knife shone with the orange light of the technique, extended and expanded, and the manna energy flowed.
Acronos: "Ars Arcanum!" After the attack's massive finish, everything was engulfed in smoke. When the dust cleared partially Acronos stood there, barely.
Acronos: "Did we get him?"
The dust finally cleared fully, revealing Ganon still standing there, looking basically unharmed except for his tattered cape.
Navi: "No! That last combo should have finished him off!"
Ganon: "... I commend you, the two heroes have progressed, but you could never weaken my heart to giving up... What?!" He looked down and saw a deep and obviously fatal gash in his stomach.
Acronos: "Heh, I took the barrier off my keyblade long ago."
Ganon: "Ugh, the great king Ganondorf, beaten by these kids? (Coughs up blood) Link, Acronos...!"
With an almighty roar, his body shone with his final magic as the room slowly crumbled, becoming light... When it faded, they were on a barren rooftop, everything seeming brown, gray, or black. Ganon fell to his knees, and onto the floor, dead. From the sky the two crystals descended slowly and released the people within.
Zelda: "Ganondorf, what a pitiful man. Without a strong heart and mind he couldn't control the power of the gods and-" Link put two fingers to her lips to silence her.
Link: "It's enough, let him rest."
Zelda: "... Courage enough for kindness even to your enemies..."
Maioko: "Good job Acronos!" She hugs him.
Acane: "Knuckle-head, you overdid it again... Who cares, it was awesome!" Acronos now had two people hugging him.
Tidus: "A truly awesome performance my friend. You two were far superior to the so called 'king of evil', you didn't even Trigger!"
Lots of praise was then lavished on Acronos and Link. It was Tidus who noticed the tower still hadn't fallen, and Auron who noticed the heartless poking around Ganon's body.
Auron: "Hey, this world was unsealed before, right?"
Tifa: "Yeah."
Kairi: "Did something occur to you?"
Auron: "How come we haven't seen a single heartless up until now, save that shadow over there?"
Tidus: "Ganondorf was probably keeping them reserved for when he got the Triforce, he was the only one with sufficient power to control them."
Irvine: "Wait, you mean we just..."
Selphie: "Destroyed the only thing holding the heartless back?"
Group: "Uhh-oh..." A sudden explosion rocked their position.
Zelda: "What's going on?" Yuna was sent towards the edge of the area, and managed to grab some portion of it to prevent falling. As Tidus grabbed her and began to try and pull her up she looked downward.
Yuna: "There are heartless literally exploding out of this tower! Not many are capable of flight, and I don't envy them when the fall stops, but now what?"
Zelda: "These 'heartless' are quite literally blocking every passageway with their numbers!"
Acronos: "That means the only way down..."
Maioko: "Is directly down?"
Acronos & Maioko: "Where's Bahumat Zero when you need it?! Huh? You? Alright!"
Using what little magic Acronos had, and the whole summon gem, they called forth the almighty king of dragons in its ultimate form. It was as large as a building, its skin seemingly of steel plates, giant claws on five-fingered, two-thumbed hands, a face that pointed forward, had many teeth, a sort of natural crown, two horns pointing back from the head, two more triangular ones near the mouth and facing forward.
Spikes went down the back, there were six thin wings, talons on the feet, a thick tail that thinned at the end into a blade, spikes on every otherwise unprotected bone, a glowing, pulsing crimson orb where the heart was, deep within a cage and protected by plates.
A second gem/orb resided in the center of the forehead, and oddly enough, a keyblade that looked like a dragon clutching two blades by its hands and feet, the tail being the handle, and the dragon's head as the symbol. It picked up its summoners in one hand, and offered the other to the rest of the group.
Once they'd cautiously climbed on, it floated down to a calm landing. It turned to the fort with a sort of raised eyebrow, opened its mouth, and calmly blasted the structure into oblivion with a huge energy cannon. It then disappeared and Acronos and Maioko had to sit down.
Zelda: "(After the tower has finished falling) It's over, finally it's over."
Navi: "Link, I'm sorry I couldn't help you in the last fight."
Link: "You did fine Navi, I couldn't have landed my arrow without you."
Navi: "Well I suppose... (Fairy blush)" A sudden bang is heard. Link steps in front of Zelda.
Acronos: "Hmm, some of us should stick with Zelda."
Selphie: "I'm not the best fighter here, I'll stay."
Irvine: "Long range is my thing, I could help you even from here."
Lulu: "I concur."
Wakka: "Agreed."
Yuna: "I fourth that motion."
Tidus: "Consider me with you. Not like I'm gonna miss this."
Tifa: "Hmm, waiting and long range just aren't my things."
Maioko: "Ditto."
Acane: "Same here."
Acronos: "Kairi and Auron wanna flip to see who goes or just both go."
Auron: "Flip."
Kairi: "My support and attacks are mostly middle-range, but let's flip."
Acronos pulls out a standard coin, with Auron calling heads. It landed on tails. Those selected went in. After only a few steps a ring of fire surrounded the large area, blocking them from going back. Acronos and Link both felt themselves fully restored thanks to Yuna.
The banging came again, and from the pile of rubble, out flew Ganon. His eyes were totally yellow, insanity seemingly etched into every iota of his being. He raised his fists, one bearing the Triforce of Power, the other a heartless crest. Curling inward for a moment, he opened the floating ball he had been in with a roar, and blue light radiated from his body.
Dark energy drained from the environment and into him and he began a transformation. First the blue light from him transformed him into a giant pig demon, and the heartless energies went from there.
He was about three times as tall as any of them, legs thick as tree trunks with talons on the feet, arms just as thick with blades protruding from the elbows outward, a dragon's face, a basic chest and stuff, except covered in armor, long red dreadlocks that seemed capable of being used as weapons, a tail that was long, thick, spiked, and seemed weaker and blue at the end, and two large golden swords with spiked hand guards, with blades radiating dark energy and two shorter blades on the ends of the handles.
Overall a truly fearsome sight. Add in the brown-black sky with thunder and lightning, and this truly became a fearsome battle to the death. Thrashing violently with his swords out, he sent Acronos' keyblade and Link's Master Sword flying. Both were impaled into the ground near Zelda.
Navi: "No way he's holding me back again, this time we fight together!" Acronos called his keyblade to his hand with ease.
Link: "Lucky."
Acronos: "(Points to Link) Biggoron."
Link: "(Unsheathes said giant sword) True, true."
With a war cry they charged at Ganon. In a rage he began slashing madly at Link and Acronos. Both were forced to jump out of the way multiple times to avoid loss of limbs. The two blades impaled themselves into the ground as the two dodged one final time. To take advantage of this Acronos went after the tail.
Instead of Ganon just staying there like he expected, the tail swung at him, forcing Acronos to jump and land on it. He raised the blade and it came to life, igniting itself in white flames. He swung it down into the tail, injuring Ganon pretty nicely. With another round of thrashing he ripped the blades out of the ground and unleashed a dark explosion.
Though Acronos' light-elemental blade was strong against that type of magic, he was flung into a pile of rubble and it collapsed on him. Link ran in to try and get a few hits in, but Ganon charged his aura into a sword and sent an energy blade at him, forcing Link to jump away with his shield raised. In the meantime Tidus had charged up an attack of his own and jumped into the air to use it.
Tidus: "Solar Energy Rain!"
Since Ganon was almost completely darkness-elemental, this injured him even though it hit his back. As Tidus landed he shot forth another blade beam, only to have one of Maioko's long-range punches stop it. Both her and Tifa ran in as Link momentarily blinded Ganon with a light arrow to the face. They lifted him, jumped into the air, and flung him to the ground.
He roared in pain and did a powerful dark energy blast towards them, but they dodged. From the rubble that Acronos had been in a clawed hand emerged, followed by a minor explosion sufficient to throw all the stuff away from Devil Acronos.
Devil: "(With the time aura in full effect) Haste squared!"
Instead of allowing his keyblade to pulse with the usual dark strength of the Triggered form, Devil Acronos let the blade float just a bit out of his grasp and shine with white fire. He then proceeded to move so fast that all you could see was a slight black blur, and due to the environment that wasn't even really visible.
He slashed Ganon all around before he could even move to block. He thrashed around, trying to damage Acronos in any way, but failing miserably. Back with the group guarding Zelda.
Irvine: "Can I borrow some holy energy Yuna? (She gives him some) Thanks." He then fired a holy blast at Ganon, doing enough damage to force him to the ground. The firewall dissipated momentarily.
Zelda: "Link, get the Master Sword now while you still can!" Everyone runs over, and Acronos' Trigger strength runs out. Link pulls the Master Sword from the ground.
Acronos: "Okay, here's a bit of strategy. Ganon's weak points are his face and tip of tail, and he's otherwise very armored. Link and I are the only ones who can damage him with our weapons, the Master Sword and a similar weapon, the Triforce Emblem. He can be damaged by anything holy though, magic, laced attacks, etc. Just hit him when you have the chance."
With that they left to face Ganon again, and the firewall came up as he began to get up. Not about to be nice, Acane Angel Triggered and impaled him in the head. He roared in pain, now fully up. Raising his head up for a moment, he unleashed black flames on everyone remotely near. Of course, where there's lots of fire, there's Ifrit.
Ifrit: "(From within the flames) Nice! You might want to add a bit more hatred in there though, it isn't perfect."
A small fireball hit him. Ifrit nodded in satisfaction as if he were grading a test. Ganon nodded like a student... And continued to unleash dark powers at them. Acronos ran at him, probably attempting to slide under his legs and cut the tail, but Ganon did a horizontal slash that Acronos was forced to block.
His blade erupted into molten white and it seemed to solidify completely for a moment, long enough for him to fling the sword away. What he wasn't counting on was Ganon spinning around and hitting him in the back with the sharp back of the sword and his tail. As Ganon watched the results of his handiwork, (Acronos being flung away and getting up with a pained groan), Link snuck around to slash at his tail, only to be met with a dark explosion.
When Ganon raised himself to gloat, he was assaulted by holy magic and attacks. After he shook it off he was met with a keyblade to the head and a Master Sword to the tail. Acronos momentarily turned to everyone and nodded quickly. When he landed he executed the last two moves of Ars Arcanum, one lower slash to send him above Ganon, and as he infused his blade with holy essence, everyone did the same.
A collective shout of "Holy!" rang out and Ganon was again forced to the floor. This time Zelda blasted him with some of her energy, enough to keep him in place. Link began to walk towards Ganon's face as he was instructed to deliver the final blow.
Acane: "Move! What are you waiting for, a written invitation?"
Before Acronos could say that that wasn't nice, Link ran over and drew his blade, which shone with blue light. He had the perfect move in mind, (keep in mind that he's a lefty) and began.
A slash from the upper left to lower right, upper right to lower left, finished up with a stab to Ganon's face. Link waited a moment and put his foot on Ganon's face and ripped his blade out. Ganon began thrashing insanely the storm's lightning increasing.
Zelda: "Six Sages... Now!" She summoned her own powers as the Seventh Sage. From nowhere and everywhere at once they heard Rauru's voice.
Rauru: "Ancient creators of Hyrule! Let us combine powers and send the incarnation of evil into the void of the Evil Realm!" (Devil: "He uses the word 'evil' a lot, doesn't he?" Arch: "Quiet, you!")
Everyone saw it happen, (more like sensed it) each of the Sages assuming a stance, becoming a ball of light, zipping around and combining to make a vortex of white. Though nobody could look around and tell where they actually were, they saw Ganon in his human form floating in a total void of nothing but white.
Ganondorf: "CURSE YOU... ZELDA! CURSE YOU... SAGES! MOST OF ALL CURSE YOU LINK AND ACRONOS! When this seal breaks, and it will, I will return and EXTERMINATE YOUR DESCENDANTS!!! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!" As everybody regained sight and the regular abilities of being physically there...
Acronos: "Another life-long, or in this case eternity-long, grudge. Sigh, I seem to be racking them up, aren't I?" Then they noticed their surroundings. They were in the sky, literally in the sky, as in no ground anywhere in sight. Acronos felt a rather familiar vice-grip to his neck.
Maioko: "AHH!! WE'RE GONNA FALL AND DIE!!!"
Zelda: "Oh, I'm sorry, I was unaware that you were afraid of heights. Does this help?"
The clouds solidified beneath them, making a white floor. Maioko lightly tapped her foot on it, and finding it stable released the death-grip she had, but still stuck near Acronos. (Please note that the reason for this is that he has identified himself as a person who is willing to help with her fear of heights, and also a source of comfort. The fear is reducing her to the basic instincts such as safety with someone stronger and willing to help.)
Zelda: "Now Link, please give me the Ocarina. As a Sage I can return you to your original time with it."
Tidus: "Zelda, you seem almost famous for rash decisions. Why not just let us go back whenever we feel like it with the Master Sword and Pedestal of Time?"
Tifa: "Hold a moment. I have a question. Why has Acronos' keyblade been bursting into white fire every so often in this quest?"
Acane: "(Sherlock Holmes hat) It is simple elementary my friends."
Irvine: "Where'd you get the hat?"
Acane: "None of your business Irvine, and the answer is the keyblade's innate ability."
Everyone else: "...?"
Acane: "As most know, each of Acronos' keyblades are capable of increasing their powers based on certain things. It is obvious that this keyblade must react to a dark environment, (heartless, night, etc.), by emitting sufficient light to be equal with it. This keyblade is therefore the most powerful one to use against the simpler heartless."
Yuna: "Umm, Acronos will most likely gain a blade with even more strength, so what do you mean?"
Acane: "Indeed he will gain a keyblade with more physical strength, but with this one's advantage against dark creatures, it will always be superior, no matter the opposing weapon or enemy."
Wakka: "Where do you know all this from?"
Lulu: "Indeed, you seem to know the most about the worlds, keyblades, key holes, etc."
Acane: "I met an old guy when I was a kid. He was a storyteller and taught me all this. At the time I thought it was a wonderful fairytale, (going off into memories) I kept imagining what it would be like to fly to different worlds with the keyblade master, getting stronger, escaping from Sin and the sorrow of Spira, sigh, even defeating all my worries... (Keeps going)"
Acronos: "Well that was... Interesting?"
Tidus: "Hey Acane, did this guy happen to wear a robe that was once white, carry a staff with one jewel at the top and… Acane? Hey, Yo! She's not paying anyattention to anything!"
Yuna: "Don't worry, you can ask her later."
Auron: "Well, another session of wasting our time."
Zelda: "... You travel with an interesting group of people, Link."
Link: "... They're nice though. I'll go back myself if that's okay."
Zelda: "Alright, but be sure to close the door of time. Recuperate your lost childhood, go back to where you are supposed to be, the way you are supposed to be."
Link: "I've only been in this body for a few weeks, nothing to worry about."
Navi: "Yeah." With that they were returned to the Temple of Time.
Acronos: "Party at Lon-Lon Ranch!"
Zelda: "You wanted to stay seven years older for a party?"
Tidus: "Yep, the party where everyone goes, even Kokiri!"
Link: "Huh?"
Navi: "Kokiri die if they leave the Forest, you die if you leave the Forest. Never says that you die immediately, just like every other race - in time." With that she started to leave.
Acronos: "Hey, where are you going? Can't have a victory party without the heroes."
Navi: "Yeah, go."
Maioko: "He means you too."
Navi: "But I didn't-"
Link: "Help? You did, more than you'll ever know. Let's go." Though Navi was basically a light bulb, you could see a smile on her as she landed on Link's head.
Later, at the party, Selphie was found attempting to match-make Link and Malon with only slight success. This time Acronos wisely stood far apart and played his violin for the crowd, giving fiddling a try. Maioko, Irvine, Acane, Ifrit and Tidus were making rockets and your standard fireworks by magic. Lulu was watching Wakka juggle Gorons with amusement. Auron was dueling ten desert women at once for no readily apparent reason. Yuna was doing the can-can with the desert women, having fun.
Everyone was having great fun dancing and playing. Due to the proximity of sunset to Link's fight, and the time necessary to make preparations, the party took place in the evening. After many hours night turned into day and everyone left. Link replaced the Master Sword, closed the Door of Time, and began to bid his new friends goodbye.
Tidus: "Hey wait a minute. Yes we defeated Ganon in the future, but what about now?" The regular Ganon steps out from the shadows of the doorway.
Acronos: "I suppose the whole thing was basically a dream."
Ganon: "I can't believe you stood at the base of that sword for so long and simply closed the door! You brats will open the door to the sacred realm for me!"
Tidus: "Umm, we kinda aren't seven years older anymore, and due to that quite a bit weaker."
Acronos: "(Cracks neck and knuckles) Actually all that stuff in the future has made me level up several times. I'm now level 50 from 35. The outcome was basically a tie before, let's see what happens now!"
Ganon fired a small blast at him while drawing the large sword. Unfortunately for him, everybody was already attacking him with holy magic before he had the chance to pull it out. Acronos gave him a few quick cuts, dodged the power punch to his skull, impaled Ganon's leg quite forcefully, placed the barrier on, and smacked Ganon on the side of the head with the flat of his blade, knocking him out.
Acronos: "Corny, but I gotta say it. Another one bites the dust. (Blasted song playing in the background!)"
Acane: "Now what?"
Acronos: "I call Zelda, drag this to the King, and we leave."
Link: "A light arrow should work, right?"
Tidus: "The bow and arrow are too big for you."
They went outside, and with much difficulty Link fired a light arrow into the air. Upon the explosion, he played Zelda's lullaby. Within a minute Zelda and Impa rode up. Acronos offered them Ganon's prone body and escorted them to the castle. Once presented, the King made to give them medals.
Tidus: "Nah, we're okay."
Acronos: "We were just leaving Hyrule now anyway."
Maioko: "Be good Link." Link nodded.
Navi: "Don't worry, I'll make sure of it!"
Zelda: "I hope we all meet again soon." In their heads she says she remembers what happens, and everyone bows and leaves.
Auron: "There are no save points here."
Acronos: "Forest Temple here we come!" With that they transported to the gummi ship.
Lulu: "That was most interesting."
Selphie: "I'd rather not do it again, each time we went forward or back in time I got sick." With a bit of a laugh everyone took his or her accustomed positions.
Maioko: "Where to, navigators?"
Acane: "Well, the star chart has a list of all the worlds left unsealed."
Acronos: "And according to my senses only one remains unsealed." He pointed to one little dot, a little larger than the rest though.
Acane: "Rurouni Kenshin."
Acronos: "The anime with more people skilled with swords than just about any other."
Acane: "With the way anime goes, you never know."
Acronos: "... We're going to have to be extremely careful on this world."
Tidus: "Why, it's just a bunch of people swinging swords around like us?"
Acronos: "No, I'm most likely not even capable of comparing to these guys without my magic. One can move faster than the eye can see, the main character killed several thousand competent swordsmen to begin a new era of Japan, another is a thin guy who can break trees in half the long way with one punch, and who knows how many insanely powerful warriors we'll encounter."
Maioko: "I can break trees with one punch too, remember?"
Acronos: "He's actually a weakling compared to the others."
Maioko: "Are you saying I'm weak?"
Acronos: "No, just that we should be careful." As he put the ship in gear to zoom off, other things were occurring.
Sienna: "Where are we again?"
Riku: "Uhh..."
Sienna: "WE'RE LOST?!!"
Riku: "No, Uhh, not really... I think?"
Sienna: "ARGH!!!" a couple came up to them and spoke with a German accent.
Guy: "What are you two doing out here?"
Woman: "Oh, you are only children. What could you be doing?"
Riku: "Hmm, we're looking for a place called Japan?"
Guy: "Oh! Aha, you're a long way off."
Woman: "This is Germany."
Sienna: "Argh!"
Riku: "I told you we'd probably end up on the wrong side of the world."
Sienna: "Sigh, and all we're looking for is this Kenshin fellow."
Guy: "Kenshin you say? There is a rich little boy near who has been telling stories of this Kenshin person for some time now."
Woman: "Maybe he could help you?"
Riku: "Sure, what's his name Miss?"
Woman: "Oh! (Smiles) There's a mansion nearby, look for Yutaro."
Riku: "Thank you very much." After departing from the couple Sienna grilled Riku briefly.
Sienna: "How'd you do that?"
Riku: "(Shakes head) I used to get candy out of adults on the Islands that way. You just feed their ego and they'll do what you need."
Sienna: "Ugh, you're like that annoying rival of mine. Both of you manipulate people with ease. Sigh."
They went over to the mansion they guessed was the right one and asked. The kid came out and they talked for a while. Eventually it was agreed that he'd get them on a ship to Japan. After a few days he came to them saying that he had the ship ready.
Yutaro: "Now, your boat leaves from Madrid in a few days so I'll get you a carriage to there. Your trip will take a few weeks, (Riku and Sienna stutter with wide eyes) Yeah, pretty quick isn't it? I'm surprised how fast tankers are getting. Anyway, I have a carriage waiting there too that'll get you at least to the area, and further past that you will have to walk, but I'll give you a map."
Riku: "(After managing to get his jaw off the floor) Uhh, thank you very much Yutaro. Without you we'd probably end up walking there." Yutaro nodded and their journey began.
Yutaro: "Send my regards to Kenshin, and if you meet a kid with messy black hair named Yahiko, tell him I'm getting stronger than he is."
Riku: "Right, thanks."
Sienna: "A few weeks? Stuck with you?"
Riku: "(Rolls eyes) We've already been stuck with each other for quite some time now. Besides, we'll have a whole boat to keep the distance." Unfortunately for him, they both ended up nearly insane after a week. To relieve tension they turned to the only thing a male and female like them could do together to relieve tension. Can you guess what I mean?
Sienna: "Stay still!"
Riku: "Hah, you can't even keep up!"
Sienna: "How does he have this kind of energy? Ugh!"
Riku: "Weak! Hah! You even have a quicker weapon!"
Sienna: "Oh shut up, your dark keyblade must be giving you the advantage." No, not that, sparring!
Zidane: "I must truly be careful with this mission. If I fail this one, I die, end of story. All right, here's my target! Going in for the kill... "
Lloyd: "Zidane, just wait your turn to the fridge for the sake of what little sanity we have left!" Zidane fell from the ceiling.
Zidane: "Aww, C'mon Lloyd! You're no fun."
Lloyd: "Sigh, I think you have an obsession with eating, but for some reason you don't gain a pound."
Zidane: "Hah! Go high metabolism."
Lloyd finished getting his food and Zidane reached to acquire the food of life, only to be bodily thrown away by Blasphemy. Attempting to counter, he lunged, but was flung into another wall. Once Blasphemy finished, Zidane managed to pry himself out of the wall. He started walking towards his precious food, expecting no resistance this time, but Oni appeared out of a portal and began getting something to eat for himself.
Zidane roared in frustration and waited for Oni to finish. He reached for the handle only to literally be sent flying by a hungry Sora. When he landed he stayed there a while, twitching like a crushed cockroach. He got up and saw that Mal was now getting food as well. Almost in tears he waited further and the moment Mal came up from the fridge Zidane viciously lunged, only to be grabbed out of the air by magic and pulled over to Malfoy.
Malfoy: "Refrain from getting in the way of my spells."
He called over his food while Zidane sat there pouting. When Malfoy finished Zidane looked all around carefully. Lance walked over, pulled out a sandwich and some other stuff, waved to Zidane, and left. When he determined that there was no longer any further threat to his precious fridge he strolled on over happily. He grabbed the handle and looked around once more.
He pulled open the door, prepared to feast on the goodness within... Only to find one single, solitary eggplant.
Zidane: "An eggplant? An Eggplant!?! I hate eggplants and I went through all that for this?! ARGH!!!" His roar of pure fury echoed through the halls and to the next few worlds, some of which reported earthquakes.
Blasphemy: "We're out of food, aren't we?"
Lloyd: "The good kind, yes."
Blasphemy: "I'm guessing the yelling is Zidane?"
Lloyd: "Yep."
Blasphemy: "I'm going to have to force someone to shop for us soon."
Lloyd: "Zidane might not last that long."
Blasphemy: "What, are you suggesting that I should care about his health and well-being?"
Lloyd: "No, he'll probably go shopping himself."
Blasphemy: "(incredulous) Zidane, shopping? If the little crazy guy lives through it I'll be surprised."
Lloyd: "What's the big deal, I've been to markets on my world, and it's not that bad."
Blasphemy: "Yes, but the nearest place for food is a supermarket, and Zidane... Well, let's just say he still doesn't understand the principle of pushing a cart instead of throwing it."
Lloyd: "(Totally calm) He's dead."
Blasphemy: "(Equally calm) Yep." Back with Zidane, who had transported himself to the supermarket Blasphemy had spoken of.
Zidane: "Okay, according to Blasphemy I'm not supposed to destroy the place and steal from their unconscious or dead bodies. Now what did he say about these carts? 'First off: do the exact opposite of what you think you should do. Second: …'
I can't remember what the second part was, but I think you need to set the cart on fire and throw it. Hmm… I should calmly push it into the store. "
When he reached the automatic doors they opened like every time. Zidane, of course thought something was going to jump out and try to stab him. So of course he had his daggers out in a microsecond. After determining that nothing was going to kill him he slowly walked in, (by the way, this stuff is based off a Devil May Cry fanfic. I'll try and make different jokes, but if these are yours I apologize in advance).
The place looked like your average supermarket, but there was a bit more graffiti inside than would normally be acceptable. However Zidane is a thief and merely nodded at it.
Zidane: "Hmm, I think I should run through this place and horde everything and then escape after throwing a smoke bomb behind me.
That means I should walk about and choose only what I need and pay for it. I hate paying for something I could otherwise steal, but whatever. "
He started to walk in front of the isles, but they were all so colorful and tall... Zidane didn't want to go in, he expected ambush. So, thinking with his stomach, (which he believed was currently trying to eat itself), he decided to ask for the cereal isle. He saw a uniform and went up to the person and looked up at his face.
Way up, way, way up. Zidane was beginning to have second thoughts, but he's a courageous fellow who hates giving up.
Zidane: "Ahem?" The guy looked down at him and his eyes seemed to say 'what, this puny guy?' and his appearance was that of a bouncer more than a store clerk.
Giant: "(Kindly in a high, squeaky voice) May I help you?" Zidane wasn't expecting that and barely managed to contain his laugh into a snort. He promptly began coughing.
Zidane: "I'm sorry, it's a cold coming on. Could you point me in the direction of the cereal isle? And a place where I can grab a lozenge?"
Giant: "(Slightly sour look) Isle six is the cereal isle, and you'll have to go next door for a lozenge."
Zidane: "Thank you." Once in isle six and far away, Zidane collapsed into a quiet fit of giggling. Once he got up, his eyes widened and began twitching.
Zidane: "So many colorful things... Must steal..." A mother quietly led her child away from him. Zidane went over to a box of Cocoa Puffs.
Zidane: "Chocolate... More... Sugar..."
Several more people began vacating the cereal isle. Once he had grabbed three or four boxes of cereal, he tossed in a few snacks as well. He then went to the meat isle and grabbed a few steaks and eggs and such.
Zidane: "Hmm, Oni is definitely a vegetable (vegetarian), so I'd better grab some of that soy and tofu stuff. " After grabbing a few meat substitutes he went over to the cleaning products isle. His eyes widened upon seeing some twine on sail.
Zidane: "I could kill something silently with that! " He grabbed it but found another hand on it, a gangster.
Zidane: "It's mine, I touched it first."
Gangster: "We have a saying: he who laughs last usually is the last one standing"
Zidane: "Huh?"
The guy punched him in the face and started to run off, only to be tackled to the ground. They began to wrestle for a while, and Zidane head-butted his opponent, forcing him to release the twine. As he ran he felt a sharp pain between his shoulder blades, he rolled to find that it had come from a needle. Zidane cursed his not having brought his weapons in and grabbed a broom. The guy lunged at him, but Zidane turned to avoid it and smacked the guy in the side of the head with the broom.
Satisfied, he tossed the broom and twine into the cart and headed over to grab further sugary snack foods. He then went into the fruit and vegetable isle. Seeing the nearby bags with pictures of putting stuff in, he began stuffing various things in bags and haphazardly chucking them into the cart. He walked over to the milk area and grabbed some skim milk and soymilk.
Then went into the frozen foods aisle and his eyes widened in joy. After grabbing many frozen things and an ice cream or two his eyes settled on the last bit of whipped cream. His eyes shone and his mouth watered... There was someone else eyeing his prize, his finely tuned thieving senses told him. He turned to see an enormously fat woman licking her lips.
The two eyed each other, daring the other to make the first move. The fat lady did, pulling a Matrix or something and all but flying towards the tasty treat. Zidane was shocked, but sprinted over, and both grabbed at the same moment. Zidane pulled it over to him but the lady bit into his shoulder. He winced and his grip loosened enough for her to attempt to rip it out of his hands and towards her.
Always the thief, Zidane flipped over her and pulled it out of her hands while she was surprised. Before he could take a step away, she belly-flopped onto him, crushing and smothering him in layers of flesh. He attempted to scream, he felt as if he were in quicksand.
After a few moments of fierce struggle he managed to squeeze out. He was tired, and didn't expect a football tackle. He rolled out of it and roared, lunged, did several kicks to her face, and a tackle to the midsection. What he didn't expect was her dirty and evil cheap shot.
She kneed him where you should never knee a guy. Zidane dropped the whipped cream and curled into a fetal ball, clutching the area of suffering. The fat lady bent down, picked up the cream, kicked him in the stomach, eliciting a groan, and strolled off. After a few minutes Zidane got up shakily and limped over to his cart and tried to support himself on it.
Zidane: "Oww... Note on life; never get between a large woman and her food. Oh the pain..." He grabbed a bag of ice and applied it. His shriek was heard through the store.
Zidane: "(Shivering) Dammit! Isn't this supposed to help, not do worse?!"
Removing the ice, he collapsed into the fetal ball once more. A few minutes later he grabbed his cart and hobbled over to the cash register. He saw a psycho with a flame-thrower holding up the store.
Now, there is only so much Zidane can take without going insane. This qualifies as double that. Using his dark portal ability he called his double-bladed pole-arm.
Psycho: "Now, you will give me all the money, and-"
Zidane: "Yo! F face! Get your sorry ass off the register and let me buy this s or you'll find this pole shoved through you the long way!"
Psycho: "Up yours!"
Zidane: "Eat s (Rest of insulting deleted to preserve rating) Die!"
Zidane cleaved the guy's gun hand off and knocking him out by accident, (he intended to make due with the threat). A cheer went through the market and they let him have his stuff for free. It was a very haggard Zidane that trudged through the castle's front doors.
Mal: "Hey Zidane! Where'd you go off to?"
Zidane: "Food... Supermarket... Stop me from eating and I will kill you slowly..." He walked, (more like limped) to the kitchen. Mal noticed how he was walking and winced. Once Zidane reached the kitchen he dropped everything onto the table and pulled out some utensils and the flame-thrower he'd taken from the psycho guy.
He then began voraciously tearing into anything within a five-foot radius. This included the table. When finished he let out a satisfied belch and went to bed. Right as he was about to get some much needed sleep...
Lloyd: "Zidane, we have an assignment!" Zidane roared/screamed loud enough to collapse the roof in the dungeons, nearly impaling Sora.
Now to the actual Rurouni Kenshin world. Everyone appeared in a brief flash of light where nobody happened to be around.
Maioko: "Where are we?"
Acronos: "Hmm… Japan, Meiji era, Tokyo. The place we need to go is a few miles that way."
Maioko: "Hold on, the capital of Japan in the 1800's? Cool!"
Irvine: "Hey Acronos, those pots from Onimusha will probably be worthless here, right?"
Acronos: "Actually if I remember my history the pots are at least a few hundred years old, so they probably have high value."
Irvine: "Yeah, we're rich!"
Acane: "Shut it!"
Maioko: "This is the land and time of the ninja, and there are probably thieves around here."
Tidus: "You mean like that guy?"
Wakka: "Oh boy, ya? Thieves could be trouble."
Acronos: "Not everyone is as strong as those guys I described to you."
Wakka: "Phew!" One came near them, a sleazy-looking guy, very thin.
Thief: "You wouldn't happen to have some spare change for a poor man like me, would you?"
Acronos: "I have nothing in currency, but is a bit of gold alright?"
Thief: "(surprised) Umm, yes I suppose." Acronos tosses him a chunk of gold about the size of two fingers.
Acronos: "Will that suffice or will you require more?"
Thief: "Uhh, no, this should feed me for a long time."
Acronos: "Okay, that's good don't spend it all in one place." The guy strolled away happily.
Acane: "Why did you just do that?"
Acronos: "Well, why bother fighting? We have more than enough for any hotel, and at the rate we take on worlds, we'll be billionaires from all the heartless we fight."
Maioko: "He has a point there, and I have another question. If we're in Japan, how can I understand the people here? I only know a bit of Japanese." Acane opens her mouth to explain but Tidus cuts her off.
Tidus: "For some reason all dialogue between worlds is translated. Each world has different languages in itself and some are common among worlds, but there are always translations between worlds but not within the world itself."
Lulu: "When did you learn this Tidus?"
Tidus: "I told you guys about the storyteller, I listened to what he said too."
Acronos: "Right, well let's go. I've located the proper direction." About an hour later they were still going. By this time they were in the town.
Selphie: "Hey, I'm hungry, can we stop for lunch?"
Acronos: "Sure, I suppose that's a restaurant." The sign was entirely in Japanese.
Maioko: "I thought you said everything was translated!"
Tidus: "That's what I thought too!"
Acronos: "Hmm… Akabeko? Cool, we're close! Onwards, to food!"
They went inside and after some chatting found a seat. It was very loud in the restaurant and difficult to order properly, and they had to choose separate seats. A young waitress greeted Acronos, Maioko, Acane, and Auron.
Waitress: "What will you be having, currently our special is miso soup."
Acronos: "Never had miso before. Devil: "It's okay, it tastes like a cross between mushrooms and wheat bread, and since there's a discount you should probably get it." I'll have that then."
Auron: "(Since I can't remember any Japanese dishes aside from Miso, let's just say he orders like he actually knows what he's talking about.)"
Acane: "Umm, I heard something about a beef pot?"
Waitress: "Yes, it's one of the better dishes if I say so myself."
Acane: "I'll have one of those then."
Maioko: "Make that two."
Waitress: "Alright. Sir, are you sure you only want soup?"
Acronos: "Hmm, some fish on the side if there's any, if you don't mind. Hey, you seem familiar... Have I seen you before?"
Waitress: "N-no, I don't think so."
Acronos: "(Jovially) Well then, I'm Acronos, nice to meet you now, then. (Offers hand to shake, remembers Japanese custom and bows)"
Tsubame: "Oh, my name is Tsubame, nice to meet you then. (Bows a bit unsure of what else to do)"
Acronos: "Yep, thought so, I don't usually forget anime faces. We're looking for a man named Kenshin, might you know where he is?"
Tsubame: "Umm, Himura-san lives at the Kamiya dojo up the path that way."
Acronos: "Thank you very much." She leaves to get the order.
Acane: "What was that about?"
Acronos: "She struck me as familiar since I usually remember anime faces, so I figured she knew Kenshin. I was right, even about her name."
Auron: "Be more courteous when addressing people here."
Acronos: "I know, it even felt weird breaking all those customs anyway."
Things progressed smoothly after that, everyone getting what they wanted, paying for it, etc. At one point or other conversation heated up at a nearby booth. A cup was thrown in the general direction of a nearby booth, but Acronos simply grabbed it out of the air.
Acronos: "Excuse me, please be more careful, you almost hit someone."
Acronos looked at Auron for approval on his actions and he nodded. Unfortunately the man who threw it was rather large and stood up, obviously drunk.
Man: "Children should know their place!" He swung at Acronos, but he blocked.
Acronos: "(Takes a sip of his soup) Judging by the scent of alcohol coming off you and the wildness of your punch, I'd say you are drunk. Please refrain from any further activities and go home for a while."
Man: "Why you punk!" Another easily blocked swing. Acronos reached forward and picked up a glass of tea.
Acronos: "Try some tea instead, it is healthier." The man pulled out a knife this time, making Acronos turn to him.
Acronos: "Look, I'd rather avoid fighting."
Maioko: "C'mon, this guy's easy."
Auron: "Too easy, that's why he won't fight."
Acronos: "Nah, I'd rather nobody got hurt, that's all."
Man: "All of you fools believing you're superior! Even a child now! I will end your life as a testament to the foolishness of the Meiji!" He lunged at Acronos with that, but found a keyblade blocking his knife.
Acronos: "Please, I really don't want to fight." He noticed that the place had gone silent.
Man: "Die!"
Acronos: "Sigh. (Blocks) Go to sleep." The sleeping spell knocked him out instantly. His friends got up, drawing concealed weapons.
Acronos: "You need to get some sleep as well." A snap of his fingers and they were snoring. The restaurant stared at him.
Acronos: "Right, I'll be leaving then, I apologize for interrupting your meals."
He bowed and left. Conversation resumed as normal. A few minutes later Auron came out to see Acronos basically asleep while leaning on the wall.
Auron: "I am presuming that you are fine."
Acronos: "Yeah. I needed a break from noise for a while anyway."
Auron: "I will wait here as well." Ten minutes later everyone else came out.
Lulu: "We got some extra in case you got hungry."
Acronos: "Nah, I'm fine. Let's go." Following the directions given, they soon saw a large structure near.
Acronos: "Finally, that's probably the dojo. That should hopefully be it." From the opposite direction Riku and Sienna were still a day's walk away.
Maioko: "What happens if it's not?"
Acronos: "We offer a potion to say we're alchemists."
Auron: "Not a bad idea, they're fairly common still."
They were within a few meters of the dojo when Acronos saw a red blur coming towards them, and sensed an extremely rapid motion near them, only by feeling the wind move. He sensed an attack coming, but before he managed to do anything he felt his friends being flung to the ground while he heard the one thing you never want to hear when standing still...
Red blur: "Amakakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki!" He knew what this meant and was already calling his keyblade in a futile attempt to save himself.
Acronos: "This move can't be blocked except by something with tons more strength than me. To make things absolutely clear... I'm screwed. "
With that thought clear in mind, along with the barest survival instincts screaming, Acronos started to move his keyblade to guard, even as the blade came closer and his blade was still being summoned.
Riku: "Well?!"
Well what?
Acronos: "Should I begin writing my will?"
You mean you haven't already?
Acronos: "Right then, I think that should go to... (Begins writing will)"
Acane: "Hold your horses there, a red blur using the Amakakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki? That's Kenshin, and he uses a reverse-blade sword, a sakabatou. Even if he hits you dead-on, you won't die."
Acronos: "True, but a will is still a good idea when you're constantly fighting for your life. Would you like my computer? You are the person with most of the data."
Acane: "True, thanks, that would be okay."
Narrator: "That does is, chapter complete, thank goodness!"
Well, that should about wrap this up. Next chapter I should have more Rurouni Kenshin stuff, the plot I have in mind definitely requires Saitoh Hajime, Kenshin of course, and probably Aoshi. By the way, I mentioned four Rurouni Kenshin characters; think you can name them all?
Oh, one more thing, I have a thing about my spelling, so if you could give me a few places or names and their proper spelling in a review I would be immensely happy. One final thing, any Japanese words given in a review would be appreciated, thanks.
