Thanks for all the reviews! Still in the fortress. Please read on. Some of the dialogue taken again from Tales of Symphonia
I don't own anything.
CHAPTER SEVEN: TO THE RESCUE
The sun had already set. The search lights in the fortress were turned on and the guards were on patrol. Link and Raine had to be extra careful or else they might get caught. Raine accidentally stumbled into a jar and broke it.
"Quiet!" Link exclaimed. "Do you want them to hear us?"
"Relax, Link, I'll take care of them," Raine replied.
"Is that so? What weapons do you have?" Raine pulled out her kendama.
"Do you really think a cup and ball would actually hurt anyone?" Link asked.
"It is not a cup and ball," Raine said, "It called a kendama."
"Ken…da…ma?"
"Please, tell me you know what a kendama is."
"Look, I use regular weapons like a sword and shield. Not a cup and ball."
"I told, you, it's called a…"
Two darknuts spotted them. "Hey, you, stop right there!"
"Great, Raine, look what you got us into."
"Will you relax? Watch, I'll show you what my kendama can do."
The guards started to near the two. Link started to worry.
"Uh, Raine, could you hurry up a bit? They're getting closer…"
"Will you hold up, can't you see I'm casting as fast as I can?"
The guards were about a few feet from them.
Raine finished her spell with a chant. "May the merciless, embracive frost take you! Absolute!"
Ice came from the ground, piercing the guards and killing them off. Link was stunned.
"How did you do that?"
"That's the power of the kendama for you!"
Raine dropped to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Link asked.
"I…fine," Raine panted. "Just…a little…tired…"
"Why, you were just fine a minute ago."
"That spell…takes a lot…out of you. My brother…warned me…not to use spells…that took…a lot of magical power."
"Can you stand up?"
Raine got up and dusted herself off. "I'm okay now. Let's go."
"Uh…sure…whatever."
The two made their way back inside the fortress where they saw a huge door. In front of them, they saw two darknuts standing in front of it.
"Let's see what you can do," Raine said. "You take care of them."
"And why do I have to take care of them?" Link asked.
"Because I'm still too weak from casting that spell. Besides, I want to see someone with a sword at work…"
"You're just using that as an excuse. Don't you know any techniques that would protect you in battle?"
"No."
"Do you have any strategies for battle?"
"Yes."
"What are they, then?"
"Pound them with spells until they keel over."
Link looked at Raine funny.
"What?"
"It's a wonder how you lasted this long…"
Link approached the darknuts guarding the door.
"Looks like we got us a pest problem," one of the guards said.
"With a little sword and shield," the other guard replied.
They started to laugh really hard. Link got angry and parried the both of them, taking off their armor.
"What the?" the guard said.
"Who is this guy?" the other guard asked.
"Whoever he is, he's not getting to the prisoners!"
They started to attack him but Link easily knocked them out with a hurricane spin. They were destroyed in a matter of seconds. It was Raine's turn to be stunned.
"Now wasn't that easier than using a cup and ball?" Link asked.
"…alright, I'll admit it, you have some skill."
Link put the sword back into its sheath. "Be on your guard, there are enemies about."
"I only said that you had some skill, not the ultimate swordsman."
"We should get moving."
More steps and more climbing until finally, the two reached the top level.
"Are you ready?" Link asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Raine replied.
The both of them pushed open the huge doors. Inside was a room filled with magitechnology and a
cage. There, inside the cage, was Genis Sage.
"Raine, what are you doing here?" Genis asked.
"Rescuing you," Raine replied.
"I thought I told you not to come here!"
"You did tell me not to come here. I'm just out for a walk."
"You mean, you walked onto a boat and sailed here just to free me when I distinctly told you not to, right?"
"Yup!"
"Raine Sage, you'll be the death of me!"
"I try my best."
"And who is your friend?"
"His name is bugger."
"My name is not bugger," Link replied with disgust. "My name is Link."
"Link? The hero everyone in Windfall is talking about?" Genis asked.
"Wow…I'm that famous?"
"I never heard of you," Raine replied. "Well, whatever. Come on, bugger, we should get Genis out."
"Not until you stop calling me bugger."
"How about grasshopper?"
"No."
"How about…"
"It's just Link!"
"Alright, alright, sheesh!"
Raine and Link approached the cage and tried prying the lock. It didn't work. Raine got frustrated and started to cast a fireball spell.
"Raine, don't!" Genis exclaimed.
Raine unleashed the fireballs and they bounced off the cage and in all directions. One of them hits Link's hat.
"You owe me a new hat," Link said, stuffing his hat in his pocket.
"Shut up," Raine replied.
Just then, there was a laughter heard from the top of the room. First, it was quiet but increased in volume.
"Show yourself!" Link shouted.
General Gage jumped down from above and landed in front of them.
"Well, isn't this a surprise. When I heard you two escaped I knew that you would come here."
"Who are you?" Link asked.
"He's General Gage," Genis replied, "One of the generals under the command of Lord Irving."
"Who is Lord Irving?"
"It is not for you lesser beings to know about," General Gage replied. "You shouldn't be even uttering his title."
"Let the professor go!" Link yelled.
"Lord Irving has business with him. He's building the mana cannon and ordered me not to release him. You, on the other hand, were not mentioned. Therefore, he'll have no problem if I killed the two of you!"
General Gage unsheathed his sword and swung it around, knocking Raine and Link on their backs.
"Ow…" Link said.
"That hurt," Raine replied.
"The two of you run!" Genis exclaimed. "He's too strong for you!"
"That's right," General Gage replied. "Run! Run like the filthy vermin you are!"
"I'm not leaving," Raine said.
"Neither am I," Link replied.
"Then here you shall die!" General Gage exclaimed swinging his sword around yet again. Raine fired a set of fireball but they bounced off General Gage's armor.
"Magic resistant armor!" He yelled. "You can't win!" Another swing of the sword and they were both knocked down again. This was not looking good.
"We're gonna die!" Raine exclaimed.
"No we are not!" Link replied.
"Look at us. We gave everything we had. Now he's going to finish us off."
"I guess this is it…"
Suddenly, Raine's gauntlet started to glow. Shadow emerged from the gauntlet and darted towards General Gage.
"What sort of trickery is this?" He cried. "No matter, whatever magic you have against me, will be reflected off by my armor!"
Shadow pierced through the armor and into the general's body. Shadow raged through the general's body, hurting him inside. Finally, she got out and shot back into the gauntlet.
"Damn…" he whispered. "I was…so…close…" These were the general's last words. He fell down and dissipated. Raine looked at her gauntlet. Shadow, like always, spoke through it.
"Remember, as long as we walk together, I will protect you." The glow faded away.
"What was that?" Link asked.
"…a friend coming to the rescue," Raine replied.
Link was puzzled but knew that it was better not to ask.
"Hey, remember me?" Genis said from the cage. "Go over to the control panel and pull down the release mechanism."
Link and Raine walked over to the control panel and found a level that had red and white stripes.
"You mean the thing that looks like a candy cane?" Raine asked.
"Yes, that," Genis replied.
Raine pulled down the lever and Genis was freed. He walked over to the control panel and started to push some buttons.
"I'll show them why they shouldn't mess with me," Genis mumbled.
"What are you doing?" Link asked.
"I'm going to program this place to self-destruct. Ready?"
Raine and Link looked surprise.
"Are you serious?" Link asked.
"At the very least, we'll deal a major blow to their stranglehold over this region. If we're going to strike them, it should be thorough and decisive."
"Genis…" Raine whispered.
"Remember, Raine, we're not like them."
"But we're doing the same thing! All this senseless destruction…"
"But we're trying to save lives! They only live to bring pain and misery!"
Genis continued to push some more buttons.
"I've set the self-destruct timer for ten minutes. Let's hurry and evacuate."
Link, Raine and Genis evacuated just in time to see the fortress starting to blow up. A pirate ship was on the horizon.
"Just great," Genis said. "Pirates."
"I know that ship," Link said. "Quick, we got to get there."
"Why?" Raine asked. "They'll just pilfer us and hold us for ransom."
"I know the captain."
"How do you know the captain?"
"I crossed paths with her before."
"The captain is a girl?" Genis asked. "This will be interesting."
"Were you a pirate before, Link?" Raine asked.
"No," Link replied.
"Were you the captain's girlfriend?"
"That's enough, Raine! Just set sail!"
The two boats started their way to the pirate ship, where they were greeted warmly.
So, what will happen next? Please R&R.