I don't own Square or Disney or any of its characters or places. So there.
If ever I wanted your opinions…it would be on this chapter. I ask you to review not so much for me…but for you.
You guys have been waiting for it. SO IT'S TIME TO DELIVER! The fight between Sora and Sephiroth is nigh! Check this mother out!
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Shadow Feather: Chapter 15
Give 'em Hell
"So you got your match." Leon stood with his arms crossed against one of the large white pillars in the courtyard. He ran his fingers through his brown hair and gave a small chuckle.
"Yes. Phil arranged a 'prize fight' in the roster with me as the opponent." I played with the Keychain I had made for Sora. The small wing flipped around my knuckles with small clinking sounds.
"I think I saw that one. The Platinum Match."
I glanced up and smiled slightly. "Platinum? Isn't that something."
"How do you plan to fight him?"
"I'll let him win if I think he's strong enough. Otherwise I'll just knock him unconscious and he'll need to try again."
Leon smiled again and laughed. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Cloud and I just fought him." My interest peeked, I listened closely. Leon held his gunblade in front of him and watched the light reflect from it. "I didn't plan on giving it my all. But Sora has gotten much stronger since the last time either of us saw him fight." He let the gunblade create darting lights on the dirt floor. "It seems like after the Hollow Bastion incident, he's been really training himself to become as strong as he can be." He ran his fingers through his hair again and shook his head. "He handed my ass to me."
This was most interesting indeed. "Did he really?"
"Yea. I'm not upset. It just means that we have someone stronger to help save the world." He paused for a moment and then said, "Cloud on the other hand…he didn't ave to fight for keeps. After I got knocked out, Cloud just tore through Goofy and Donald like it was nothing. When it was down to Sora and him though, things got really interesting."
"What happened?"
"They went blow for blow for a long time. They couldn't break each other's guards at all. I've fought next to Cloud before so I know what he looks like at full strength. He wasn't fighting like that but you could see that Sora was giving a hard time at his present level."
"Who won?"
"Cloud eventually gave in and Sora got a lucky shot. They moved past us in the tournament."
I stood there for a moment contemplating everything and then wandered over to the large poster with the teams on it. Sora was at the 12th seed. All the teams below him seemed to just consist of Heartless which shouldn't be a problem for him, although the first and tenth seeds were different. "Rock Titan…and…Hades?" I mumbled.
The door burst open again and Phil ran out. Hercules followed behind him and lifted the man up to the 12th seed spot. He flipped the 12th and 11th and then ran back inside without a word. I glanced again at the board. Sora was fighting Hades next. I figured I ought to see this fight.
Entered the arena with the match already underway. Fire and ice streamed across the arena floor and the contestants darted left and right. Hades finally broke out from the sea of spells and summoned a large fireball to his hand. He threw it at Sora who was dashing toward him. Sora raised his Keyblade, black and sinister looking, and smashed the fireball head on. It flew back at Hades and connected with his chest.
Sora yelled something when he reached the dazed Hades and his body became engulfed in yellow light. Sora struck with a flurry of swift blows. Each one connected and sent Hades reeling backwards. The intense assault finally ended with Sora doing a flip and using his momentum to bring the Keyblade down hard on Hades' skull. Hades looked as though he would recover when suddenly Donald, the duck, leaped from behind Sora and shot a large shard of ice into Hades' face.
The god reeled and fell over backwards. Phil rushed onto the field and threw down a towel, signaling the end of the match. I exited through the doorway and propped myself against a wall. It would be some time for the tournament to end. So I appeased myself by meditating.
After a small while, my concentration was broken when an enormous crashing sound boomed from the arena. Phil rushed through the doorway and yelled at me, "It's the last match!" The name that had been in the First Seed slot came back to me. Rock Titan. I opened the door and looked outside.
Sora and his partners stood in fighting positions in front of me. Beyond them, the entire arena was obscured by some huge rocky outcroppings. I followed the rocks with my eye as they led upward. Finally I reached the top and saw that this thing wasn't just rock, it was something alive. It roared with two heads and stomped, sending shockwaves through the earth.
Sora and his crew ran forward and started to attack the right foot of the monster. After some time it faltered and fell with a crash on it's back. Sora and Goofy jumped and dashed up the monster's leg. I smiled slightly when I saw this and then strolled back inside the waiting room. This would be a simple match. Sora would overcome this mountain with ease.
I walked up to Phil and said, "Sora will win this one. When he's done and healed himself from the tournament, tell him about my match. Tell him that it will be the most difficult fight he will ever come across. Tell him, to be prepared." With those last words I teleported back into the arena and waited in one of the large tunnels on the side.
Sora struck the final blow and the Rock Titan burst apart into a shower of stones. They jumped and cavorted and then ran into the waiting room. After a long time, the door opened again and Sora dashed out, alone. He stopped in the center of the arena and looked around expectantly. I stood up and stretch my wing to its full length. Time to give him a good show.
I summoned energy to my palm and thrust it outwards, pointing to the sky. Bright symbols formed and twisted, gathering light and drawing the young boy's eyes to them. They swirled in the sky and then shot down a bright pillar of light. The light formed a large dome of bright white energy. I kneeled down and teleported into that dome.
The light slowly dissipated into small sparkles. I heard Sora gasp and take a step back. It was of utmost importance that I make him know that this fight will not be easy. Slowly, inching upwards, I began to stand up. My leather bound knuckles sluggishly left the stone tiles and I unbent myself to stand at my full height. For a while I rested with my back to the Keybearer. I could feel him breathing heavily as his options rushed through his mind. Something about me scared him senseless and he could not place it. He never could. What would make him even more frightened? Ah yes…speed.
My hand darted out like black and red lightning. Sora nearly kneeled down in terror at the sudden motion. My wing followed my hand and stretched outwards to its full span. After a moment I turned to face him. Sweat fell from his brow and he gripped his Keyblade tightly. I smiled coldly at him and stepped backwards slowly. My hand fell upon Masamune's hilt and I cocked my head slightly, telling him that it was time for the match to begin.
The boy shook himself violently and stilled his shaking arms. A look of resolve came over his eyes and then he ran towards me. He was fast. He closed the distance far quicker than I had expected. Still eight feet away I pulled Masamune from its sheath and sliced quickly at the boy. Caught unawares, Sora barely had enough time to bring his own blade upward to block mine. Steel rang on steel and Sora was lifted from the ground. He flew across the arena and smashed into the barrier.
"You need to take this more seriously," I mumbled. "Don't let your fear get the best of you."
Sora struggled to his feet. Using his Key for support he stood up and wiped a trickle of blood from his lips. He raised his key and pointed it toward me. His eyes hardened although they still held fear inside them. "Firaga!"
A large ball of flame burst from the end of his Keyblade. It hurtled toward my head. A large smile began to form on Sora's face as he watched it grow nearer to me. "Never underestimate your opponent." The ball of flame exploded and washed over my chest. Sora let out a cheer and then stopped. I stood there, completely unscathed by his ridiculous attack. Smiling, I cracked my neck and began to walk slowly toward the boy.
Sora panicked. He stepped back and fell against the wall. His eyes darted every which way and sweat began to form on his brow. "Aeroga!" Wind began to flash around his body, forming a protective shield. Sora sighed in relief. I drew closer to him, walking slowly with deliberate steps. Sora cracked a grin and motioned that I should come at him, confident behind his shield of wind.
I darted forward and slashed diagonally with Masamune. The shield of wind did nothing to stop the lightning fast blade as it caught Sora by the hip and sent him flying again. He landed on his hands and knees and coughed up blood. He grabbed at his hip in pain and scrambled to his feet. I began walking slowly towards him once again. Sora looked at me for a long time and I saw the fear evaporate slowly from his eyes. "That's right," I said quietly.
He ran at me again. Another frontal assault. His enormous shoes slapped against the ground. When he was finally close enough I whipped Masamune out again. As the blade grew close to the boy he shouted something. "Sonic Blade!" His speed increased ten fold. Holding his key out straight he took one last leap forward and before I had a chance to switch from offensive to defensive, the Key connected with my stomach.
I stumbled backwards but even as I did that, Sora tore past me. In seconds I regained my footing and turned to face him. I discovered him only inches from me. The Key once again connected with my body and sent me spinning. I caught myself and found Sora as he came around for another attack. I raised Masamune to block the boy's attack but it came again too quickly and I was sent reeling again. He came a fourth time and for another time I fell to the side.
As he wound up for his fifth attack I closed my eyes and teleported out of the way. He careened past where I had been and then stopped in confusion. I burst back into reality with a leaping slash from behind the bewildered child. The blade connected with his shield and shattered it. Sora flew head over heels across the stone tiles to land ungracefully on his knees.
As he stood up I gazed into his eyes. There was not even a hint of overconfidence in them. All I saw was a cold cautiousness. "Excellent."
Sora dashed head long at me. I raised Masamune and half-heartedly made a horizontal cut in his direction, leaving me with enough time to revert to the defensive should he try his Sonic Blade attack again. When Masamune was about to collide with the boy he jumped high over the blade and flipped gracefully toward me. Twisting swiftly he brought his Keyblade down in a hard strike directed at my head.
I side stepped the aerial attack and raised one arm upwards. Sora landed and whirled around, intending to strike at me again. "Time to die," I said softly. Sora's pupils dilated in terror and the ground beneath his feet burst into flame. The pillars of fire reached up to the sky and lifted the boy along with them as well. I watched him closely as he plummeted to the ground. In mid air he cast some low level ice spells on himself to put out his flaming clothes as well as Curaga. "Amazing…all that before you even hit the ground," I muttered in awe.
Sora fell to earth with all of his health in tact due to his cure spell. He landed lightly on his feet and immediately pressed the attack. He came at me with a series of quick strikes which I parried easily. When our blades broke apart again I raised my arm and prepared to summon fire again. Sora flipped away nimbly and yelled the name of another attack. "Ars Arcanum!" Gold light surrounded his body and he tore through the pillars of flame. He hit me again and again and finally pushed me out of the flames and to the ground.
As he leapt to stab at me on the ground I teleported across the arena. I looked at him for a moment and he turned to face me. We stared at each other for a time and then I raised an arm and motioned with it. "Come."
Sora, drawn in by my taunt dashed recklessly in my direction. I ran toward him and as we were about to meet in the middle, I teleported again. I reappeared across behind Sora by the edge of the barrier. Sora looked around wildly hoping to find me. "Descend Heartless Angel." I traced bright lines of light in the air. Sora stood across the tiles from me and watched with caution in his eyes. When I finished the spell a small symbol formed over the boy's head. He looked up, not knowing what to expect and suddenly it burst.
I saw him open his mouth to scream. I saw him fall forward, hoping to stop himself with his arms and legs. I saw his eyes open far too wide and tears form and evaporate instantly on them. His face hit the ground and he lay there silently. I waited for a moment. One finger twitched and he dazedly stood up. He was checking himself for magic; I could see that easily enough. I began to run toward him. He looked at me with absolute terror on his face.
I drew nearer and he took off running. I was faster than him and pulled up next to him. Masamune flicked out in a horizontal attack and the boy dove recklessly to avoid it. He crawled with tears in his eyes away from me with all the speed he could manage. I struck down with Masamune at his exposed back and he covered his head and rolled away. He made it to his feet and began to stumble across the tiles. He was reaching into his pocket for something. I teleported directly next to him. He looked at me with horror as I raised my palm to the sky. He threw his small bottle into the air. Its shiny blue contents shimmered in the light. The ground grew warm beneath my feet and a blue light formed above the boy's head.
Fire burst up everywhere and Sora was hurled across the tiles to smash loudly into a pillar. He fell slowly to earth. I looked sadly upon his limp figure and shook my head. Perhaps I had gone too hard on him. That attack was too much for him. I would need to leave that one out next time.
"Ahem?"
The voice sounded from behind me. I whirled around to catch the Keyblade directly in my face. I rolled over myself and leapt to my feet to see Sora land lightly on the ground. He brandished the Keyblade in his hands and dashed toward me. I felt a smile creep onto my lips. "Fantastic."
We exchanged a flurry of blows, each stronger and more daring than the last. Sora evaded my thrusts and slashes with ease and returned with some of his own less refined attacks. I dodged and blocked the strikes easily enough but was caught unawares when Sora preformed a backflip over Masamune's blade and hurled his own blade at me. As the Keyblade flew at me, flipping over and over. I let loose a wide grin and fell into a more ready stance.
I tore around the Keyblade and began to strike again and again at the bewildered Sora. The blows came quickly one after another. Without any sword, Sora was left defenseless. When he finally avoided one swipe, he caught the Keyblade as it came flying back to him. In a futile attempt to block the oncoming strikes, he held up his sword. I broke through his guard instantly and continued to attack again and again. When I judged that it was finally enough, I leapt high in the air and tore downward, striking the ground in front of Sora. The strike sent ripples of darkness and lightning coursing through the stadium.
Sora fell to one side with blood streaming from his left leg. He muttered "Curaga" and immediately pressed the attack. As we traded blows I watched him closely. I could see in his movements that he wasn't just fighting with me. He knew that this battle wasn't what mattered. He wanted to become stronger. He wanted to become the strongest. That was the only way he could protect people. He had to beat me in order to become stronger and protect more people. That is what he was fighting for.
I could have let him win. I could have let him strike me down just then but I wanted to test him one more time. He needed to overcome this final obstacle if he wanted my blessing on his journey. We broke apart again and as he jumped forward to attack me again, I teleported away. Again and again I teleported around the arena. He stopped chasing me and instead held his blade at the ready. I finally came to rest in the center of the tiles. My body glowed bright gold and I held Masamune aloft.
Sora dashed at me but when his blade came into contact with my body he was thrust back by the sheer energy that surrounded me. I hurled Masamune into the sky and looked at him. My silver hair whipped around wildly and I pointed toward him.
"I shall take you to the promised land!"
The arena turned a dark shade of blood red and something began to form in the sky. Sora stumbled to his feet and cast Aeroga on himself again. He stood close to the barrier and held his key at the ready. Above me, large chunks of rock hurtled to the earth. They landed and created large shockwaves with their arrivals. Sora rolled to the side to avoid an impending rock and jumped to avoid the shockwaves of energy. I raised my hand and began to summon power into it. A small red ball of energy sparked to life in my palm and began to grow. As it grew the small meteors began to circle around my body.
Sora jumped and dodged and avoided most of the circling rocks. The red ball in my hand grew until it shadowed the whole arena. I looked at Sora who was facing down and oncoming boulder. He wiped sweat and blood from his eyes and jumped toward it. He cut forward with his Keyblade and the rock burst into pieces. His hair fell about his face and he looked at me with a look of cold determination in his eyes. Those eyes spoke for themselves.
"You will not kill me here, so give me everything you have, I will not die for you."
The rocks around the arena exploded as a wave of energy gushed from the little boy. I slowly brought my hand down and the enormous red sphere began to fall toward Sora. He raised his Key and jumped head long toward it. The explosion rocked the Coliseum. Bright white light blinded me and fire burst forth from the sky. When I opened my eyes, I saw a silhouette against the sky above. It fell toward me with an outstretched hand and blocked out the sun.
"RAGNAROK!"
Sora's Keyblade connected again and again with my chest and stomach. When I could take no more I fell backwards onto my knee. Sora landed on his feet and looked at me. His eyes no longer looked to be so full of power. They seemed only to be the eyes of a young boy once again. I stepped back and clutched at my chest. Summoning more magic to my person I smiled slightly and caused light to form around me. Sora looked at me with kind and somewhat apologetic eyes. White light formed around me and I floated gently into the sky.
As the light coalesced about my body I let the Keychain fall from my outstretched fingers. In a burst of white light I teleported into the tunnel from where I had came. Sora was still staring at where I had disappeared. After some time he walked forward and reached down to grab the Keychain. He looked at it and smiled.
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I'm not sure I like the ending of this one…it was hard to bring a battle like that to a close. I really want your opinions on whether or not I did the fight justice. I think I did a good job but I'm not sure. Also I'm thinking of making the next chapter be the fight between Cloud and Seph. Couple of things I want your opinions on.
1. Should I go by the script? Should I use the dialogue that is used in Final Mix or should I make up my own? I can use the script, it would fit, but should I use some poetic license and try to spice it up a bit?
2. Should I even do that part next? I feel like two fights in a row would be kinda silly. Would you guys want that? Or should I take a break?
3. Should I try and continue this story past KH I story line? I think I could pull it off. Stuff with the XIII Order. It would be fine with me or should I just make a new story as a sequel or just end it at the end of the first game?
I value all of your opinions! Give them to me please! Speaking of which…I have so much gratitude for Unita and vratix for the awesome reviews you guys gave. Vratix…I hope I did Sora and Seph justice like you wanted. Tell me what you think alright dude? Thank yous to everyone for reading! You are all so cool!