And so, they left towards the south of Gerudo, the direction of the center of the blizzard, but not before buying a set of cold-protecting gems and a furtive change of clothes by Cloud, much to his relief.
As they approached the coldest regions, they began to shiver uncontrollably, having difficulty holding on to their weapons.
Suddenly, they saw a small shadow in the distance, only to then disappear.
They chased the shadow as best they could. This wasn't easy due to the increasingly cold temperatures around them. The blinding snow didn't make looking around any easier. It took some time, but eventually, Meta Knight and Cloud managed to spot the shadow and ran to get in front of it. The shadow tried to turn around and get away from them, but Lucina, who was bringing up the rear, was now in front of it. The shadow was cornered.
The trio of fighters slowly got closer and saw the shadow in full. It was a young girl in a pink parka. Her head was hung low, hiding her face from the others.
"You were right, Cloud. It is indeed the Ice Climbers. Or at least, one of them. This one is named Nana." Meta Knight said.
"Nana? Are you well? Why are you causing this blizzard in the desert?" Lucina asked as she moved next to Meta Knight and Cloud.
Nana didn't respond. For a few seconds, she didn't move. Lucina was about to speak again, but Nana suddenly raised her head. What they saw caused everyone to jump back in shock. Nana's face had been changed horribly. Her eyes were now jet black, with the irises a blood-red color. Her teeth were sharpened and jagged like a wild beast. She looked like a demon. And she screeched at them like a demon.
"What on Cetra's name is that?!" - screamed Cloud, taken aback by the sight - "Is it really Nana?"
Before anyone else could ask any more questions, the creature lunged itself towards Cloud, attempting to bite and scratch him viciously.
Reacting quickly, he held his sword in a horizontal position in between the two. She in turn used her claws to grab onto the edges of the blade, while making sounds akin to that of a rabid animal.
Feeling the threat of her fangs, claws, and the sheer cold she constantly expelled, Cloud whipped his arm and used the momentum to fling Nana from his weapon.
Landing on her feet, Nana scurried back, hiding back into the storm.
The three now had their weapons drawn as they were on guard for the rabid Nana. Each of the three looked around warily for the pink-clad child turned demon. Shadows of her passed all three of them, but never struck.
While Meta Knight was keeping an eye out for the deranged Ice Climber, she slowly snuck up behind him, prepared to pounce. But just as she did, Meta Knight turned and kept her at bay with his sword, Galaxia.
The little demon tried to claw and bite the Star Warrior, but he eventually pushed her off. Using his incredible speed, Meta Knight landed a series of hits on her. But before he could deliver a big one, his sword was blocked by a mallet. Unlike the simple wooden one she usually carried, this one was much larger, and made of metal. It was also covered with spikes. She swung the thing around as if it weighed nothing and once again attacked Meta Knight.
Charging towards the girl with his sword in front of him, Cloud tackled her into the ground. Using this opportunity, he tried to use the top edge of his blade to pin her down. However, she was too fast and moved out of the way.
The demon girl made use of the chance to jump on Cloud's arm, biting it. Summoning his strength, he whipped it back and forth until the monster finally released him and landed in the snow. However, the damage was already done: he suffered deep frostbite in it, making him drop his sword in pain.
Lucina finally joined the fray. She stood between Nana and the injured Cloud. The younger girl lunged at the blue-haired princess, mallet in hand, but Lucina parried the attack. The pair traded several blows with their weapons.
However, eventually Nana managed to dodge one of Lucina's attacks. When she did, the demon scratched Lucina in the arm, causing the older woman to wince and drop her sword in pain. Nana quickly grabbed the weapon and threw it into the storm, out of Lucina's sight.
Now left defenseless, Lucina could do nothing as Nana all but prepared to make a meal of her. But just as Nana jumped up and prepared to bite Lucina, Meta Knight came in and swiped his sword at the little demon, sending her flying off to the side.
Cloud, clenching his teeth from both pain and the cold, grabbed his sword and separated the six blades.
Grabbing the lighter duo, he held two dual blades with serrated edges, who were lighter than his main blade.
Grabbing Lucina's attention, he offered one of the remaining swords.
She gladly took the sword and ran toward the still dueling Meta Knight and Nana. Cloud followed closely behind.
As Meta Knight's sword clashed with Nana's mallet, Lucina came up behind her and swung her new sword at Nana. The demon child quickly turned around and clenched the blade in her sharp teeth. Lucina struggled to pull her weapon free, but to no avail. However, this gave Cloud an opening to attack. He swung his two small blades at the young girl, sending her flying back several feet, and causing her to release Lucina's sword.
Lucina used this chance to get her sword back, while tossing Cloud's near the rest of his.
With that last attack, Cloud could feel himself approaching his Limit Break, growing faster and stronger despite his wounded and frostbitten arm.
"The time to finish this fight is now, before it wears off" - he thought, while rubbing his right arm.
Calling his companions to him, he told them quickly "I have an idea, but I need you to keep her busy and in one place for it to work. Can I count on you?"
Lucina and Meta Knight both nodded and engaged Nana again. Meta Knight flew up and swung his sword at the girl. She ducked and launched an icicle at his wings, forcing him down and making him turn his wings back into a cape.
Nana turned her attention to Lucina, who was also charging her. Nana formed a large ice block and hurled it at Lucina, but the blue-haired princess cut through it with her sword. She then jumped up and prepared to strike the demon girl. Nana was about to block the attack with her mallet, but a swift strike from Meta Knight hit her in the arm and caused her to drop the mallet. Meta Knight jumped back up and reared Galaxia back to strike her. Both Lucina and Meta Knight hit Nana at the same time with their swords, disorienting the feral Ice Climber.
"Cloud, now!"
*A few moments earlier...*
As the others went to face the demonic girl, Cloud finally reached his Limit Break. Planting the swords he was holding into the snow, he reached into his pocket, with his hands shivering from the prolonged cold. From there, he pulled out something he always brought with him: Lightning Materia. Holding onto it tightly, he calmed his breath, watched his companions carefully and waited.
"I'll only get one shot at this. The target is small and fast, so I have to be careful."
When he heard Lucina's signal, he used all of his Magic Power alongside the boost to its damage from his Limit Break to summon the strongest attack he could.
From the sky came down a bolt of lightning, striking Meta Knight, Lucina, and the transformed Nana with spectacular force. Cloud got caught off-guard as he was drenched with recently melted snow caused by the bolt's heat.
Once the smoke caused by the lightning strike cleared, Cloud saw Nana on the ground, unconscious, as she was hit by the lion's share of lighting. Lucina and Meta Knight, who were also hit by some of the lightning, were winded and slightly hurt, but otherwise fine.
After muttering a quick apology for hitting them with the lightning, even though he was only aiming for Nana, the group decided to head back to Gerudo Town and tell them that they had stopped the source of the blizzard. Cloud carried the unconscious Nana in the arm that had not been injured during the fight.
As they walked toward the town, they noticed that the snow clouds were beginning to disperse and the natural desert heat was beginning to take over again. The group quickly discarded their heavier clothes as they no longer needed them. Once the entrance of town was in sight Meta Knight stopped.
"Is something wrong?" Lucina asked.
"I believe it would be best if you entered the town on your own. Cloud is without his female disguise, and I do not think the Gerudo would take kindly to knowing that the source of their recent misery was among them. You must address them on your own. We shall remain here."
Lucina understood Meta Knight's explanation and went forward on her own. She entered the town and made her way to Riju's throne room.
"So you have returned. And it seems you and your companions truly did stop the source of the snow. What was causing such a thing, anyway?"
"One of my former companions. I believe she had been captured by an enemy and corrupted somehow. This is what caused her to act as she did. But she has been defeated, and hopefully we can find her aid."
"I see. Still, I and the entire Gerudo population owes you and your allies a debt of gratitude. If there is anything we can do to repay your kindness, you need but ask."
"You are too kind, Lady Riju. If I may take you up on that, I would request some medical supplies, as one of my companions was injured in the fight. I would also like some information if you possess it."
"Information?"
"Yes. Many of my allies were recently involved in an attack. Some of us were captured, while others managed to escape. No matter the case, we have been spread out all over the world. Please, do you have any knowledge of other warriors in this immediate area?"
Riju looked crestfallen. "Not that I can recall. The blizzard cut off most of our connections, so the information we got of the outside was scarce."
One of her advisors whispered something in her ear, and she made a thoughtful face in response.
"I have been told that a strange new island has appeared recently in the bay area that exists to the west of my domain. I am unaware of how it might help you in your quest, but I don't think it's a coincidence."
"You have my thanks, Lady Riju. We shall head in that direction."
"Best of luck to you, brave warriors."
After getting the promised medical supplies from Riju's subordinates, Lucina made her way outside the town and informed her companions of what Riju had told her.
"We should leave for the west immediately. I feel like we will find something of use there." Meta Knight stated.
"I agree," responded Cloud. He couldn't think of anything else to do.
And so, they set out on their new journey. With the blizzard gone, the heat of the desert was overwhelming.
When they eventually reached the beach, they were exhausted and in desperate need of a rest, laying down on the soft sand of the beach.
Looking into the bay, the group saw that it was populated by strange blue fish humanoids. Wanting to get some information out of this place, Cloud separated from the group and approached one of them.
"Excuse me. We're new here. Mind telling us what this place is?"
The fish person responded cordially. "This is Great Bay, home of the Zora people!"
"Zora? That must be the name of these fish humanoids." concluded Cloud. "I see. I heard that a strange new island recently appeared around here. Mind telling us where that is?
"Why certainly, my spiky-haired friend. It is right here."
A giant turtle with a couple of palm trees growing out of its back suddenly emerged from out of the water.
"This is the island that suddenly appeared? A large turtle?"
"That it is, young blue-haired maiden."
"I... see."
"I can tell you four are on a journey. I feel it may be worth mentioning that there is an alternate shore a ways from here that leads to another bay. If you wish, we can have the turtle act as an escort there. However, I feel I must warn you of something. We sent some of our own to scout the area recently. Many of them were driven off by a man wielding a chain whip and an axe."
"A chain whip and an axe? That has to be Simon." Lucina said to her friends.
"Or maybe Richter."
"And a few of them who ventured deeper mentioned feeling a dark presence and hearing high-pitched laughter deep within the area." The Zora continued.
Cloud and Lucina were confused as to what this particular presence could be, but Meta Knight stood in contemplation, a disturbed look in his eyes.
"Well, no time like the present," said Cloud with his usual serious expression. "Let's go before our ride changes its mind." He then ran towards the turtle and began climbing on its back, with the others following behind him, impressed that he was able to do so while carrying the unconscious Nana.
Unbeknownst to his companions, he was dreading the trip. Aquatic transports did not agree with him...
Once all of them were aboard the turtle, it turned around and headed into the open sea.
The group sailed the sea on their turtle transport for a few hours as they headed for the next bay the Zoras had mentioned. Lucina and Meta Knight took the opportunity to relax after their ordeal in the Gerudo desert, while Cloud sat at the back end and vomited into the sea thanks to his motion sickness.
As they traveled, Lucina decided to pass the time by making conversation.
"Do you truly think we will find one of the Belmonts at our destination?"
"It seems likely, based on what that Zora said to us at the Great Bay. The only concern is if we can best him in combat." Meta Knight replied.
Returning from emptying the contents of his stomach, Cloud added "If we come prepared, then it shouldn't be too difficult. We just need to fight him at close quarters until he relents. Question is, how good his position will be before the fight. After all, we're coming to him."
"Not to mention his abilities. He has generations of training in him. As well as numerous weapons." Lucina stated.
"Indeed. We may all be powerful warriors, but at the end of the day, each of us only wields a sword. While the Belmonts have a chain whip, axes, crosses, and Holy Water in their arsenals. We will have to think carefully about how we will approach our opponent when we face him." Meta Knight added.
And so, the three of them started developing a plan to defeat their future foe.
Once they were done, they sat down in silence. Their destination was in sight, but with the turtle's speed, they could tell that it was at least a couple of hours until they reached it.
A few minutes later, Lucina broke the silence. "Say Cloud. We've been in the same tournament for quite some time now and I still don't know much about you."
Cloud raised an eyebrow and looked at her direction. "What do you want to know?" he asked quietly.
"About your life back home. Do you have a family or friends?"
Cloud looked wistfully ahead. "I do. I have two kids that my girlfriend and I are taking care of."
Pausing for a second, he continued.
"We were also part of a ragtag group of friends. We called ourselves AVALANCHE and we went through all sorts of dilemmas together."
"What sorts of dilemmas did you and your allies face, if I might ask?" Lucina inquired.
"We once had to face giant machines after planting a bomb in a factory. We had to defeat them as fast as we could or we'd get caught in the blast. Another time we had to fight monsters in a cave filled with ghosts to help one of our members find the truth about his father. And another time we infiltrated an abandoned mansion and found a vampire in the basement, who, funny enough, decided to join us." After another short pause, he sighed.
"It was difficult, but AVALANCHE always came through in the end."
"I can understand going through such difficult trials. There was a time after my companions and I traveled back in time and had to help our younger parents defeat an invading dictator called Walhart. It was not an easy task, but my father's army eventually prevailed."
"Hardships can indeed be difficult to overcome. But when we do manage to overcome them, we come out all the better as a result. You two are indeed very strong to have overcome everything you did. But I can tell you have not yet reached your full potential as warriors. I can help you with that, if you wish." Meta Knight said while brandishing his sword.
Cloud thought about it. The past version of him would've probably scoffed at such a proposal, deeming it ridiculous and not worthy of his attention. But since then, he'd learned that strength and wisdom could come in all shapes and sizes, and that some of the most valuable could come from the most unconventional places. Besides, he'd seen Meta Knight's mental and physical skill firsthand and he'd come to respect the round warrior.
"I'd be glad to," he said, looking directly at the swordsman's direction. "I feel like you could teach me a thing or two."
"I would be honored to receive instruction from you as well, Meta Knight," Lucina added.
"Very well. Let us begin while we make our way to shore." The masked knight said as he drew his own blade.
Meta Knight jumped and swung his blade at Lucina, who quickly blocked his blade with his own.
"Very good. Your reflexes seem to be quick enough to block a surprise attack." Meta Knight complimented.
Meta Knight swung again, only to be blocked by Lucina once again. Turning his cape into a pair of wings, Meta Knight flew above Lucina and aimed his blade at her head. Lucina parried the blow as Meta Knight landed behind her. The blue-haired princess spun around and faced the masked warrior.
Meta Knight made ready to strike again, but his blade completely missed Lucina and instead headed for Cloud, who was standing right behind Meta Knight. The blonde swordsman was only just fast enough to jump back and avoid having Galaxia hit his leg. Even then, Meta Knight only missed by less than an inch.
"Never act as a mere spectator to a fight. You never know when one of the combatants may turn their weapon on you. Always be ready to engage an enemy. Also, your reflexes do not seem to be as quick as Lucina's. We will have to work on that." Meta Knight stated.
"I see," replied Cloud, sitting down and placing his weapon on the floor. Subtly, he released the lock on the blades that composed it. As soon as he noticed that Meta Knight's guard was down, he grabbed his two shortswords and launched a surprise attack on the unsuspecting Popstarian.
Meta Knight, noticing the upcoming attack and surprised by the sudden increase of speed, he realized that he wouldn't be able to block and decided to dodge back instead. However, Cloud read this option and dashed towards him, forcing Meta Knight on a losing deadlock against his two swords.
"Never assume that your enemy doesn't have more tricks under their sleeve, either." retorted Cloud.
No one saw because of his mask, but Meta Knight had a teeny tiny smirk on his face.
"Very good, Cloud. Versatility is a good thing to have in a fight."
Just as Cloud lowered his sword ever so slightly and put them back together, Meta Knight continued talking.
"But there are other traits that are necessary when you-"
Without warning, Meta Knight began spinning and swinging his sword so fast that he looked like a tornado. Cloud held up his own blade for defense. But the superior speed of Meta Knight's attack meant that the former SOLDIER wasn't able to block every single blow. As such, one lucky strike was all it took to knock Cloud down.
"But there are other traits that are necessary when you are fighting, such as anticipating when an enemy might try to distract you mid-fight. You must be able to power through whatever tactics your opponent might use." Meta Knight finished.
Lucina suddenly came up behind the Star Warrior and swung her sword, but Meta Knight effortlessly dodged.
"Approaching an enemy from behind. A valid attack, but not flawless. Though I said your reflexes are admirable, your overall speed is not. I knew you were coming easily. For such an attack to work, you will need to be either faster or stealthier. Observe."
Meta Knight spun quickly and seemed to disappear into thin air. A split second later, the masked warrior reappeared, and struck Lucina hard enough that she went flying into one of the trees planted into the ground of the floating island they were on.
"Now then, next lesson. There will be times when you come up against numerous enemies at once, and must fight all of them at the same time. You are aware of this, yes?"
"Yes." Lucina and Cloud responded at the same time.
"This may not be an issue in some circumstances, but there will be times when your enemies are on a similar skill level as you. You must overcome this. Let us practice. Cloud, Lucina, and I will attack, and you will defend for as long as you can."
"Give me a moment," he replied, while he reached for the rest of his Fusion Sword. "Ready." He stated, as soon as he was finished reassembling it back in one piece, a few moments later.
Meta Knight nodded for Lucina to attack first. Lucina ran for Cloud, quickly clashing blades with him once the distance between them was closed. As soon as their blades locked, Meta Knight made his move.
He came in on Cloud's right side, ready to strike. Cloud saw this and pushed Lucina back before turning his attention to the Star Warrior. The two clashed blades numerous times. Cloud found himself on the defensive and was almost pushed off the moving island.
Lucina took this moment to charge at Cloud once again. The blonde swordsman knew that one more good hit would end this fight, so he had to act fast. Before Lucina could get to him, Cloud managed to execute a Blade Beam against Meta Knight, forcing the masked fighter back a ways. After that, Cloud turned his attention to Lucina. One good swing from his Fusion Sword was enough to send her back just as far as he had sent Meta Knight.
Cloud saw Meta Knight gliding in his direction, ready to attack him again.
Trying to predict Meta Knight's next movement, waited until he approached and used the size of his blade to block his advance by swinging it just as he was reaching him. However, Meta Knight tucked in his wings, landing below the sword and rolling, ending up right next to Cloud. Before the blond swordsman could react, the Popstarian swept one of his legs, causing him to fall face-first.
"You must be prepared to think on your feet, Cloud. Your opponent will sometimes go for the most unexpected of attack patterns." Meta Knight stated.
"Understood," replied Cloud, getting on his feet, holding back his hurt pride. He knew better than to talk back in such a situation.
Meta Knight was about to head for Lucina, who had just stood up after Cloud's attack. The Star Warrior was about to charge on her, but saw something over her shoulder. Something that made him sheath his sword.
"We shall continue with some training exercises later. But for now, I can see the shore approaching. It would be best for us to approach while still strong. Remember, we will most likely be encountering one of the Belmonts upon our arrival. So be ready to engage him and try to remember what I have taught you two thus far." Said Meta Knight.
"I will," replied Lucina. Cloud just nodded quietly.
The three braced themselves for their arrival, knowing an important battle was ahead of them. If the fight against the Ice Climber was any indication, the fact that numbers were on their side did not mean an assured victory. They did not know what the Belmont held in store for them.
