Ganondorf vs Yuna: Wicked Warlock
By Opiate109

The sun hung suspended in the sky as noon hit the city of Grandis Somnium with a blistering heat. Many contestants decided to play it safe and remained inside, taking comfort in abusing their rooms' thermostats. A number of people also ended up at the Soldier's Spirit, desperately seeking something to quench their parched throats. Among these contestants was a familiar group of friends: Auron, Tidus, Yuna and Rikku. They sat around their table, speaking amongst themselves in a cheery manner. It almost seemed as if they had completely forgotten about Yuna's match against Ganondorf Dragmire that was scheduled in a few hours.

"So, Yuna, you've been really busy training these past few days. It's like I haven't seen you at all," said Rikku, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, you seem really dedicated to beating Ganondorf," Tidus observed.

Yuna looked at the blonde-haired man with regret in her eyes. She did not wish to say anything, but she had her doubts about the match. She had trained for days and yet, she wondered if that would be enough. She had heard rumors of Ganondorf's strength and quite frankly, even if the rumors were only a fraction true, they still proved that this man was a force to be wary of. Auron looked at her, understanding what she was trying to hide. He chose to let her speak her mind, however, as he remained as cold as usual and awaited her response.

"I just…want more time with you," she replied. Her response brought a smile to Tidus' face, who reached out to grab her hand.

"I know you'll win. You saved Spira! I mean, how strong can this Ganondorf guy be?" Tidus asked the question almost jokingly, not expecting a response.

"Stronger than you can imagine, so don't you dare let your guard down. Take a look at our three contest organizers. They are stronger than anything that could be found in our world and there still might be potential for them to grow even more powerful," Auron stated. Tidus looked at him in anger, as did Rikku. Yuna looked down, knowing he spoke the truth.

"Auron, you're so serious all the time," laughed Rikku, with a hint of rage in her voice. She gave Auron a glance that just screamed "Shut up!".

"Lighten up...Yuna can handle anything!" Tidus said, trying to regain some of Yuna's lost confidence for her.

Yuna smiled and nodded in response. She knew it wasn't true but she didn't want to spend what could be her last day arguing. Auron shook his head slightly, but remained silent as Tidus began to speak about something that did not interest him. The swordsman looked out the window to see an odd sight for such a bright day. Alucard Tepes was walking towards the bar in his heavy coat, floating through the extreme heat as if he were some exotic mirage.

The half-vampire entered the bar in complete silence. Not even those seated next to the door noticed him. He looked around for a seat that was open and his eyes finally settled on the vacant space next to Auron.

Alucard walked up to the empty seat and looked at Auron, who merely nodded. Dracula's son sat down without a sound and looked intently at Yuna. When she finally returned his gaze, he made a motion to urge her to continue with her previous conversation. Yuna just continued to stare back at the man, as did Tidus. Rikku was the only one that greeted him, although Alucard took no notice of her. He hadn't come here to talk to children.

"Uh…can we help you?" Tidus asked, tilting his head to the side, similar to what a dog might do.

Alucard looked at Tidus for a second or two and then finally opened his mouth to speak. "Yuna, you face Ganondorf today, correct?" Before waiting for an answer, he continued to talk to the young woman. "I wanted to offer a little advice with which to help you. Last year, I lost at the hands of that monster. I don't want to see you share the same fate as I did," said Alucard, his eyes filled with regret.

"Yuna doesn't need your help. She's been training for days and has this battle in the bag," Tidus said, irritation evident in his voice. Yuna was about to calm her companion down when Alucard decided to deal with this comment himself.

"If that's the case then hopefully all will be well. Good luck in your match today, Lady Yuna," he said, slowly getting to his feet. "Auron, good luck in yours tomorrow as well. Farewell." The half-vampire then turned on his heel and silently walked out of the bar, once again attracting failing to attract any notice from any of the other bar's patrons.

"Auron, why are all your friends so weird?" Rikku asked, once she thought Alucard was out of hearing range. As Alucard glided past the window, Auron could have swore that he saw a smile on the half-vampire's face.

"You would be wise to heed his advice. Believe it or not, he actually knows what he's talking about," said Auron, turning to face Tidus.

"We don't need his help! Yuna will win! I just know it!" Tidus exclaimed. He turned toward Yuna with a wide grin. In his joy he missed the distinct fear in her eyes as she put on a fake smile, more for his sake than her own.

Sitting across the busy bar was Ganondorf himself. Due to the amount of people in the bar, neither he nor Yuna noticed each other. He sat alone, impatiently awaiting his meal that he had asked the staff to cook. When the barkeeper finally brought his food, which was the first time the bar had even been asked to make a meal, he stared at the gruel in disgust.

"Did I ask for this piece of trash to be well done?" Ganondorf asked angrily.

"But…Sir, we don't usually make meals…"

"Well, then you'd think you could get just one right!" Ganondorf shouted loudly, banging his hand on the small wooden table he was sitting at. His plate fell to the floor and broke, along with what was supposed to be his lunch. He stood up quickly and started to leave the bar when he saw Yuna's table.

"And just who do we have here? Well, well, well, if it isn't my opponent, Yuna. I'm looking forward to our match, milady. I guarantee that it will be a gruesome sight to see!"

Auron stood up quickly, drawing his Masamune. Ganondorf backed up a step and smirked.

"Save it for your match tomorrow," said Ganondorf, in a much colder tone. He quickly stormed out of the bar, cracking his knuckles as he did. He punched the flimsy bar door on his way out, sending the cheap door flying off its hinges and splintering into a myriad of wooden pieces. Tidus simply stared at the belligerent warlock with contempt.

------

Yuna stood with her staff in hand, awaiting the arrival of her opponent. In the stands, Auron, Tidus, and Rikku sat in the general crowd. It seems Auron had made a lot of acquaintances here already, as most of the contestants acknowledged the swordsman's presence in one way or another.

Even though the three held out hope for Yuna, the general consensus amongst the fans was that the match would be a sure victory for Ganondorf, who was quickly gaining a following of his own. As soon as the warlock walked into the stadium, the crowd was split down the middle between cheering and booing for the Gerudo King. He didn't pay the commotion any mind, however, as he merely cracked his knuckles and stared at his opponent.

The arena sat in silence as Sephiroth slowly stood up. "You all know the rules. The lower seed gets their choice of scenery. Yuna, what is your choice?"

"Just, um…a rocky field?" Yuna asked, not meaning to sound so questioning of her own choice.

Sephiroth smirked slightly and then nodded. He turned to the stadium's operator, who quickly went to work changing the battlefield. The transformation was rather quick, as the battleground rapidly changed into a grassy field with a number of large boulders littered around the area.

"Will this suffice?" Sephiroth asked, not really caring what the answer would be.

Yuna realized her description was rather vague but nodded just the same, hoping she could use the boulders to her advantage somehow. Sephiroth then turned to Ganondorf. "Which side will you choose as a starting point?"

Ganondorf walked to the nearest corner and then stood very still, indicating that he had made his decision. Yuna trotted to the opposite corner and turned to face the intimidating man. She couldn't see him directly, though, as there was a large boulder in the dead center of the field, blocking each combatant's view of the other. Sephiroth made a little hand flourish and the announcer began to countdown to the battle.

"3…2 …1," the announcer called out, leaving Yuna standing there in awkward confusion. The match had begun so suddenly, almost without warning. She had expected grand introductions, but was left waiting for them as the battle began. As she stared out over the center boulder once again, she took note of a large purple ball floating towards her.

Yuna quickly ran to the right, along the edge of the field. Ganondorf rapidly came into view as his attack landed several yards behind her. The Gerudo King turned to her as she raised her staff in a familiar ritual. She chose to summon Valefor to start the battle off, and in a blinding flash of light, she did just that. Looking beyond her summoned creature, she was somewhat startled to see Ganondorf so calm while staring at the monster, his hands raised as if he were a boxer.

Valefor braced itself and raised its wings. Yuna watched as the dragon-like creature flew towards its opponent at an incredible speed. Ganondorf waited patiently, hoping his timing was correct. Yuna noticed a dark purple glow around his fist, which was cocked back and ready to punch forward at any moment. Yuna shouted at Valefor to stop his flight, but her summon did not hear her. He flew directly into Ganondorf's energy charged punch.

The crowd gasped as Valefor's head snapped backwards in a sickening crack. Valefor flew upwards, dazed but still able to fight, and repositioned himself high above Ganondorf. The two looked at each other, neither one wanting to make the next move.

Hoping to make use of her summon's distracting presence, Yuna was constantly edging closer to Ganondorf. She made sure she still had her secret weapon ready, as Rikku had called it. By the time Valefor flew in to attack Ganondorf again, she had closed in half the distance between herself and her adversary.

The bruised summon flew straight down, brandishing its razor sharp talons. Ganondorf dodged this attack and lashed out to where he was standing seconds prior. Valefor moved its wing quickly and flew up to dodge the murderous punch. Without hesitation, it flew down again, hoping to strike Ganondorf with anything it could hit him with.

The wizard moved quickly to the left, but he was too slow as his right arm was grazed by the sharp beak of the summoned creature. He felt the blood flow out of him as he raised his knee into Valefor's stomach. He continued the assault, connecting with a sharp left hook that sent the summon reeling. Still not out of the fight just yet, the battered and bruised creature flew up again.

Yuna watched all this as she slowly continued to move towards her opponent. She drew a blade from beneath her long robes, letting it gleam in the sunlight. This was a sword that had been stabbed into her doorframe in the middle of the night. A simple note had accompanied and merely said "From: Alucard" and nothing more. She was thankful of the gift, however, as she could not rely on her staff for proper close quarters combat if her summons happened to fail her. She crept closer to Ganondorf, who was now wholly distracted as he waited for another attack from Valefor.

Valefor noticed its master sneaking closer. Understanding its true purpose as a distraction, the winged beast flew in for another attack. His neck still hurt and his right wing had been badly damaged, but it would continue to fight on. Valefor knew that it would be gone within a few more deadly punches, but he had to help Yuna and give her the chance she needed to get rid of the wizard.

With a wild attack, Valefor contorted its whole body around and connected with his talon, scratching at Ganondorf's upper thigh. The Gerudo wizard did not even notice the cut, as he jumped up, fist first. His punch slammed into Valefor's lower jaw and sent the summon reeling backwards. Valefor attempted to fly up, but was too weak. The bloodied creature took one last desperate breath and then collapsed to the ground, disappearing in a flash.

Finding herself only ten feet from her opponent's back, Yuna knew she had to act now. She ran towards Ganondorf, Alucard's short sword in hand. Ganondorf growled as Yuna stabbed into him, driving the blade nearly six inches deep. She backed off quickly and could only stare as blood began to gush out from the wound, running down the wounded wizard's leg and onto the ground.

Ganondorf snarled and collapsed on to one knee. He quickly grabbed the sword and yanked on it. A little more blood squirted out, but he ignored it and threw the blade to the ground. His face was filled with anger as he slowly stood up and turned to face the summoner.

"You…You'll pay for that!" Ganondorf shouted, walking towards his opponent. Yuna knew she had to finish this fast, as she had no hope of facing the man in hand-to-hand combat. She ran as quickly as she could behind the nearest boulder and began to summon another creature. She only prayed that her next summon would get the job done without destroying the entire stadium. Raised her staff once more, she began the short summoning ritual.

In the stands, Tidus looked on in horror as Ganondorf continued to move after suffering the wounds he had. Auron was simply talking to Alucard, Vincent, and Dante about Yuna's next move. He knew which creature was coming next, as he muttered its name under his breath. It better get the job done, as this was the one summon that Ganondorf would actually have to take seriously.

A blinding flash of light and a loud roar overwhelmed Yuna's shout, as Bahamut emerged onto the battlefield. Ganondorf looked on in horror and tightened his fists. Tidus and Rikku were both staring in astonishment at Ganondorf's will to fight, as Vincent and Dante were pointing out the sudden shift in power.

The two younger companions from Spira were both wondering how Auron and his three friends could act like all this was normal. For the first time all contest, Tidus began to consider just how strong the other combatants could be. Rikku just shuddered every time Vincent gave her a wayward glance.

Just as Tidus thought, Bahamut slowly inhaled a massive breath. Yuna hid behind the boulder, hoping that this next attack would end the match. She had nowhere to run and found herself suddenly very appreciative of the scenery she had chosen.

Ganondorf braced himself as Bahamut unleashed his attack. The crowd watched in astonishment as four large balls of dark magic engulfed the warlock. Bahamut laughed to itself as the deadly energy descended upon the lone man. All were quiet as Ganondorf made no move to evade the attack. He merely closed his eyes and rubbed his hands together. All was silent.

The massive explosion rocked the stadium to its very core, shattering the deadly quiet with a cacophonous blast. Bags of popcorn and soda spilled out everywhere. It felt as if a minor earthquake had woken up and sleepily decided to attack the arena. After a moment or two, all was still and silent once more. There was a giant crater where the Gerudo King once stood.

'Oh good,' thought Alucard. 'It seems as if this hellish fight is finally over.' His skin suddenly crawled as he heard a grating laughter. Faint at first, but slowly growing in intensity over time. It was a sound that Alucard had remembered hearing the previous year. 'On no! That's…'

Ganon, the Lord of Darkness, stepped out from smoking gaping hole. His pig-like shape had been mocked by many competitors, until he used it to destroy much of his competition the previous year.

Bahamut looked at Ganon angrily, disgusted that a mortal had emerged from its attack relatively unscathed. Ganon stared back, barely looking up to see the creature's eyes anymore. He held his trident in his right hand, which was currently surrounded in a thick blue flame.

Bahamut kicked its foot at Ganon, who easily blocked the assault with his left hand. Ganon countered by stabbing his trident forward and through the Dragon King's thick scales. Bahamut roared in pain and began to backpedal but the creature quickly regained its balance and composure.

The dragon stared at its opponent in hatred. It opened its mouth and prepared to use its Mega Flare attack. Ganon stepped forward and smiled slightly, challenging the creature to do its worst.

Bahamut unleashed its ferocious attack, causing several spectators to brace themselves in fear of being hit. Once its attack died down, Bahamut looked down. Unable to find any trace of Ganon, it was just about to relax its guard when a snort from its left grabbed hold of the summon's attention.

Bahamut quickly took to the skies. His quick thinking proved to be useless, however. Ganon jabbed upwards with deadly speed and caught the dragon in the leg. Bahamut attempted to pull its leg free but found that the trident was stuck too deeply for it to make any additional move.

Ganon snorted again, adamant in his assault. Bahamut prepared to attack, as did the ferocious pig demon. The crowd watched in shock as Bahamut unleashed another Mega Flare. Ganon sent tens of lightning bolts crackling through Bahamut's leg in retaliation. The two attacks came together and created a flash too bright for any spectator to see through, leaving them to only guess at the outcome of the might clash.

What seemed like hours passed before the light faded. Gasps went through the crowd as they saw the bloody scene that lay before them. Ganondorf, forced to revert to his human form, lay bloody and bruised, his face down in the ground. A few feet away, the large, smoking body of Bahamut lay charred and lifeless.

The crowd waited to see if either one moved, while Yuna crept towards Ganondorf's still form. She picked up Alucard's sword, the one the Ganondorf has so callously thrown away before. Walking with a slow pace, she was quite cautious, knowing that in at any second the warlock could spring into action and attack her. As she approached her opponent Bahamut's body slowly disappeared, much like Valefor's had.

In the stands, Tidus sat in shock. Rikku, who was on his right, also could not believe what she had just seen. Ganondorf had single-handedly defeated both Valefor and Bahamut, and he may still be alive. It seemed as if Auron was correct after all. No such creature existed in their universe who could evenly match this terrifying man.

On the field, Yuna hoped Ganondorf was still too weak to get up. She heard his heavy breathing as she moved closer. Things started to move for the worse, however, when Ganondorf slowly began to pick himself up. She ran towards him, but The King of Thieves was not caught off guard this time, as he rolled to the right and brought himself into his unique fighting stance.

Ganondorf planted his feet in the earth, brimming with newfound energy. Yuna stumbled forward and took a few seconds to regain her balance. By the time she turned to see where Ganondorf was, it was too late. The wizard raised his heavy foot above the summoner's back and brought it down with a sickening crack.

Yuna's body collapsed onto the ground, her hand losing its grip on Alucard's short sword. The wizard stood over Yuna, who was still breathing. She turned on her back, only to see her fearsome opponent standing over her menacingly.

"Your pets put up a good fight," he said, weakly. "I'll give you a true warrior's defeat."

"Please… don't…" Yuna begged, struggling to get the words out, but was silenced forever as Ganondorf brought his boot down on her head. He felt her warm breath on his leg as she slowly exhaled. He was pleased to hear the crack of bones and the shocked gasps from throughout the crowd. Yuna's right hand, still loosely holding her staff, slowly loosened its hold. After what seemed like minutes, Yuna finally dropped her staff, something she had never done in battle before. Ganondorf nostrils flared as he saw the blood spread in a pool under his boot. His work was done.

He finally removed his foot and wiped the red trail off on the grass as he walked. Tidus and Auron both stood up, followed quickly by Rikku and Alucard. Dante and Vincent watched in silence, as Ganondorf informed the judges' that the girl was indeed dead, taking extreme satisfaction in this fact.

Tidus swore under his breath and Auron drew his sword. In their eyes there was no need for the warlock to kill the girl when he had the fight won anyways. It was just cruel and unnecessary. Each of them could barely contain themselves from rushing down to the field and ending the man's life right then and there.

Ganondorf walked out of the arena as the announcer finally declared him the winner. Auron put his sword on his seat and ran alongside Tidus and Rikku, reaching the floor of the arena. The very least they could do was send Yuna's body back through the portal themselves. They owed the summoner that much.

Vincent, Alucard, and Dante left in silence, as did the rest of the competitors. Many were sickened and hoped to find solace in alcohol, while some quickly went to the training grounds. Only two, besides those on the battlefield, did not immediately leave the arena. The just stared at the scene in silence.

------

Sephiroth sat in his hotel room, awaiting the arrival of his two expected guests. He was seated in his favorite chair, the room dark, his eyes closed, and his mind clear. The One-Winged Angel was breathing in and out, slowly, as if meditating.

His state of calm was interrupted as he heard a knock come from the hotel room door. Sephiroth got up and walked quietly towards the door. He opened it slightly and looked out to see who was there.

Big Boss and Revolver Ocelot stood in the doorway. Big Boss was holding Auron's sword, the Masamune, in his hands. Sephiroth motioned for them to come in and walked to the center of the room. The two men followed him inside, with Ocelot making sure to shut the door behind them.

"We brought the sword, now it's time for you to keep your end of the deal," Big Boss said, no emotion in his voice.

Sephiroth didn't speak. He just nodded and began to perform some sort of spell. Big Boss and Revolver Ocelot had no idea what was happening, but stood silently and waited for the ex-SOLDIER to finish. Two tendrils of dark energy began to flow out from him like a river and inched their way closer to the two men. Rearing up themselves like they were snake heads ready to strike, the dark energy bolted right for their hearts.

Both men showed no indication that they were afraid. Instead, they welcomed the dark power and let it do whatever it was supposed it to do. When the whole process was over, they both felt stronger. The could breath much easier, their thoughts were clearer, and their muscles felt stronger.

"Now go! With that extra boost, the two of you should easily be able to eliminate your competition. Big Boss, you should have it even easier, as Auron will be without his favorite weapon and still distracted by the grisly death of his dear companion," laughed Sephiroth.

'One soul down and I am basically guaranteed to get one tomorrow as well. I may have took a little more time to amass my power, but I will soon catch up to and surpass the others. This is actually going to be quite easy after all.' With nary a sound, Sephiroth indicated that he was done with the two of them and beckoned them to leave. Not wanting to hang around with the unpleasant man any more, the military men did just that.

In the hallway, Big Boss and Revolver Ocelot walked quickly, hoping not to draw any attention. They used the stairs to get to the lobby, not even risking the elevator as someone might spot their uncharacteristic descent from the penthouse. Despite their caution, they were still spotted by someone.

Kratos Aurion watched the two leave Sephiroth's room and waited until they had exited into the stairwell. Kratos knew something was amiss, as Sephiroth would never have entertained any visitors normally, especially the likes of those two. 'Something's going on. Cloud and Sephiroth are both acting strangely. And that Link…' Kratos wondered to himself, hoping to figure out just what was going on before any more bloodshed happened at this tournament. While he might not be the most righteous person here, he did not encourage any wanton murder.

Being careful not to make a sound, he slipped out a window and floated down to the ground below, keeping well to the shadows to avoid detection. He wasn't exactly sure what he needed to do, but he knew this responsibility was too big for him to handle alone. He had to get some help. And fast.