Chapter 15: Aurora of the Storm
Pathos of the Palashian Premier Arc
Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, this is just a Fanfiction.
Featured Music: "Ranked Amongst the World's Best" - The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass OST. Chapter Briefing.
"High Score Results ~{Taito Type X²}" - Ultra Street Fighter IV OST. Scene 1 (First Half).
"Factory City Zeiss" - The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC OST. Scene 1 (Second Half).
"Seriousness" - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel OST. Scene 2 (First Half).
"Character Select" - Street Fighter V (Vanilla) OST. Scene 2 (Second Half).
"Tiger & Dragon" - The King of Fighters XIV OST. Scene 3 (First Half).
"Solid State Scouter" - Dragonball Z Original Soundtrack. Scene 3 (Second Half).
"Piccolo's Theme" - Dragonball Z: Super Butouden II OST (Arranged). Scene 4.
Having at last arrived in the grand city of Palashia Impa and company hope to relax in an effort to preserve their strength for the upcoming Palashian championship tournament in the Prima World Tour; the 'Palashian Premier' itself. Unfortunately for them, however, the option remains off the table; in their choice by staying at a nearby inn in preparation they are approached by a man presumably living within the area and a miner himself.
A man by the name of Paul.
He explains fairly quickly and hurriedly that he is presumably the only survivor from a group of miners within the Greymont Mines that have been attacked by nearby fiends; Lizalfos, Keese and even a herd of savage Wolfos. One such Wolfos, a gigantic one at that, menaces the Greymont Mines with a passion not seen since the horrifying days of king Ganondorf's reign; a sentiment that has not gone unnoticed by the speculative Link and Impa.
When Link's mysterious black-haired rival Raynard abruptly appears however even more questions and queries rent the air between them. Though he explains he is present for a mercenary contract on the gargantuan beast Impa, of course, always has her doubts. As they team up, the powered up group of heroes easily exterminate the huge Wolfos, reaping in a huge reward for the stoic Raynard and saving the poor remaining miners, as well as the nearby visiting Palashian mayor himself; a man by the name of Lavrentius Marino.
Exceedingly grateful for his rescue indeed, Lavrentius gifts the adventuring party with nearby seats with which to watch the upcoming tournament with; a sentiment that is seen with great thanks by even the more stoic members of the group. Once they sign up to the Palashian Premier however they soon learn that rules are different cross-country from their beautiful homeland of Hyrule; seemingly having placed in a stand-in to fight Barkner in round three, the royal family have made it their wish that their name remain as 'Unknown'.
As rather expected, the rather rambunctious Link takes the news fairly badly.
As the Deadly Frenzy series continues on however Raynard's next match is called to action and a fiery one it is; for the viewing pleasure of the audience, they get to watch two champions clash and with great power between them for it. Lycidas Marino, former Palashian champion running for three years and Raynard Van Garrick, recently-won Hylian champion.
Although the initial battle begins fairly quickly, Raynard hoped to end the engagement almost as quickly as it began; in a blindingly savage exchange of smashes and projectiles, the small mercenary's attempt is brushed off fairly quickly and surprisingly by the former Palashian champion himself. Lycidas, with a shocking level of endurance, easily turns the tables on the black-haired boy and pushes him to the wall with his next-level adaptation, even into showing him his greatest technique.
The 'Vanishing Dragon'.
Said to be a beautiful green-shaded dragon made entirely out of Aegir and, for its size alone, is impressive enough; its appearance by itself forces the glaring Raynard to adapt and, like his wily opponent, manages to deceive him enough into forcing him out of the ring, effectively winning by 'Ring Out'. Choosing to bask in the hard-won glory he has taken with much difficulty indeed, Raynard readily accepts the assistance the nearby Palashian doctors offer him given his critical condition, allowing the rest of the qualifying top eight to focus on their upcoming match.
Two of which... are close friends. Having met Alwyn through his stint for the Zora's Sapphire in his original journey through Hyrule, Link lets no feelings of resentment for the older and wiser man pass through him as he realises they pair up for the next round in the semi-finals. Alwyn, however, as a former soldier in the Zoran military approaches the conflict with objectivity and pragmatism; a sentiment that, if followed with a superior level of strength and speed, will soon see him advance in place of his close companion.
Perhaps predictably however Link laughs at the notion, having promised his rival Raynard not to lose his position in the tournament until he at least qualifies for the grand finals. Two dear friends indeed now clash for the privilege and honour of qualifying for yet another chance to be proven as Palashia's finest; the national champion indeed...
Scene 1
"Impressive..."
As the crowd surrounding the two fighters roared and screamed on in approval, the watching Raynard could only widen his one remaining open eye up in similar shock; the badly-beaten Lycidas slowly stepped forward and grunted as he stood up to re-join his former opponent on the destroyed ring they fought in together. In spite of Raynard's very narrow victory, he was in much better physical shape than the near-defeated Raynard.
A fact that chilled the raven-haired boy to his bone.
I got lucky, he thought.
Really lucky.
"Good games...," the older man nodded down in a mixture of hard-won approval and respect, frowning as firmly as he had done when he first met the youth. "You're... strong..."
Although the black-haired boy was still gasping in the sheer effort to stand, he rose up his right hand to tremble and shake with his former opponent's, wincing as he did. "Y-Yeah...," he answered in his nodding grimace. "Good... good games..."
YEAAAAAAAAAHHH
"How do you like that folks?" The ever-smiling Mr. Marshall claimed, his light baritone filling the Gossip Stone he spoke into. "Merely a few moments ago they were fighting one another like soldiers; baring all their hate into each strike!"
"And now they're the best of friends," the grinning Tasty Seth tilted his brown-haired head lightly as he added on to his older companion's words, leaning his form back to rest his legs carelessly on the commentator's table before him. "Well... as best friends as guys like that get anyhow." He amended, this time in a shrugging shut-eyed chuckle, drawing a half-laugh from the listening and cheering audience.
"An incredible match for certain my young friend," Marshall nodded along in cheery-voiced agreement. "Two national champions clashing together in a world championship-quality set! You cannot get better than straight from the Prima World Tour ladies and gentlemen."
Seth chuckled on well-naturedly, casting the man a wink as he did. "I second that!"
"Now... as Raynard progresses through round four and into the semi-finals, let's take a look at the information surrounding our next potential pairings..."
"Awesome showin' Ray!"
"Ngh..."
The grinning Link soon lost his exuberant expression as he watched the pained grimace the raven-haired Raynard responded with; a simple brotherly slap across the boy's bare back soon seemingly turned into a more savage one given the pained results of which came of it. The former Hero of Time couldn't help but wince in tandem with his black-haired rival, pulling his left hand back as he did.
"It took... almost everything in me to win that...," the Van Garrick admitted in gritted teeth; a display of the sheer titanic effort it took to remain strong. "That guy... was somethin' else."
"He was at that."
The two Hylian boys, as well as the frowning Alwyn and Barkner nearby, all swung their heads 'round to find the lightly-smiling Impa joined by the similarly folded-armed Malon and Zelda, the little blonde princess poking her head out from her attendant's tall form.
"I'm surprised you managed to take that set...," Impa began again curiously and suspiciously, fire-red eyes briefly shut as she slowly marched forward, head held lowly initially as she did before she soon re-opened her eyes as she approached and stopped directly above the gasping Raynard. "Considering the skill gap between you both."
Feeling insulted, the firmly-frowning Raynard couldn't help but glare his one remaining tree-shaded eye back at the Sheikah in quiet anger. The watching Link sensed the confrontation in the air and chuckled on as well-naturedly as he liked to before stepping forward, as if to initiate himself into the conversation they shared.
"I thought he did really well considerin'," the grinning-faced youth offered into the group, folding his own small arms as he did. "I mean... maybe not nearly as well as I would have, clearly," he amended in his sentence none-too-modestly, grinning on as he ever did in overconfidence, lowering his blonde-haired head as he shut his oceanic eyes in exuberant showmanship. "I mean I'm just that little bit stronger..."
The watching Raynard, in great spite to their initially confrontational and heated meeting, found himself growing a tiny smirk of his own; he shook his raven-haired head and held back a chuckle as he did, as if unable to believe the comedic words from his younger rival's mouth.
"Yeah right," the listening Malon sighed out, rolling her sea-blue eyes in response. "That Lycidas guy would have knocked you silly and you know it."
The former Hero of Time, successful in his attempt to defuse the nearby situation, merely cast his shut-eyed grin shrugging toward the group before him. The watching Impa rolled her own eyes in her folded-armed stare, drawing an amused giggle from the quietly-standing Zelda at her feet.
"All right... come on," the Sheikah sighed out-with, casting her own firm frown down on the blonde boy. "Go and find a place to work on that seal." She ordered the blinking Link and the nodding Zelda next to her. Realising his Sheikah mentor was clearly referring to the recently-placed Aegir Art seal on the Triforce's side of his Aegir.
In other words, one of many cages placed on the powerful manifestation of it; Kage Narumono.
"Aww really? Right now?" The young blonde bemoaned, drawing a firm look from the tall woman.
"Yes. Right now," she ordered, annoyed nodding her silver-shaded head in a top-right direction as if to shoo the two Hylians. "I'd much rather you be ready when and if another accident happens. Wouldn't you?"
The listening Link rolled his oceanic eyes upward in exaggerated annoyance, drawing amused looks from Alwyn, Barkner and Zelda. "I guess..."
"Good," Impa nodded in satisfaction before nodding her head upward a second time to the north-east section of the competitor's box. "Over there; both of you."
"Come on Link."
As the frowning youth swung his pony-tailed head in the smiling princess' direction he couldn't help but bring up a roguish smirk to his expression as he followed along behind her obediently.
"Yes mistress."
As always, the pink-dressed blonde giggled along with him as he easily caught up with her pace.
–
2
"You know what I'm going to ask you about, don't you?"
Raynard, surprised by the sudden query, could only swing his black-haired head in consternation in the direction of the authoritative contralto in which Impa spoke in.
Sure enough, the question came from her.
When the Sheikah rose up her hardened frown to focus on the standing Barkner and Alwyn behind the raven-haired mercenary the Goron and Zoran respectively both nodded in response; a silent affirmation to her silently-spoken order, before they both turned presumably to leave the two alone. The listening Malon, the odd one out, decided wisely to follow them.
Raynard tensed his senses and his muscles for a confrontation with the woman above him, glaring back at her. Although she was mentor to his companion and rival he knew she had no admiration for him or his clan; he in turn also did not care for her or anyone within the Hylian royal family.
A last remaining effect of being the end of the Van Garrick clan.
"Yes...," he at last answered her with, gritted teeth and all. "Just go ahead and do it."
"The reason I'm doing this covertly is out of respect for Link...," the firmly-frowning Sheikah began, arms still ever folded as she briefly eyed the back of the far-off walking Hero of Time and his close companion. "You understand that, don't you?"
The young mercenary darted his tree-shaded eye in the direction of his blonde-haired rival, the scar side of his face twitching as he did before he at last re-faced the Sheikah wordlessly.
"Now... I'm going to need you to tell me this and I'm going to need absolutely no lies from you...," Impa began again, narrowing her eyes suspiciously down at the youth. "Where exactly did you learn that 'Reppuken' technique?"
Raynard's own scowl twitched lightly in response, his chestnut eyes briefly wandering away from the Sheikah's hard crimson. He sighed softly within his nose before eventually re-raising his eye to face hers.
"From... my sensei."
Impa's brow furrowed in a mixture of curiosity and firm pondering. "And who is your sensei?"
"A man from Hyrule."
Silence fell on the pair like a weighty anchor; Raynard lowered his eyes in guiltily-held remorse as the watching Impa's eyes narrowed in even further scrutiny, if that were possible.
"It better not be who I think it is...," she at last responded with in a firmly-held warning snarl that made the listening Raynard shoot up his scowl to face her. "Because if it is..."
"You'll what?" He challenged her, stepping forward and toward her as he glared on back at her. "You'll kill me?" He whispered, his scowl briefly baring his teeth as he did. "Just like you did the rest of my family?"
Impa remained speechless for a few seconds as she met his hateful-eyed gaze, unwilling to back down before she eventually re-opened her own mouth. "There was no other op-"
"Lies," he hissed back quietly, briefly leaning his face closer to hers as he did. "There is always an option," Raynard countered with. "You have no right even wondering who I associate myself with anymore," the mercenary spoke in a slitted glare, his young tenor lowered to match the grave atmosphere he was delivering so successfully. "In fact...," he began again, his brow falling ever-so-slightly as he stepped forward a second time almost as if to challenge the Sheikah even further. "If we're going by our country's justice standards..."
The firmly-frowning Impa furrowed her own brow and refused to take a step back, eyes watching the black-haired boy beneath her carefully.
"I should kill you here for what you and my country did to me," he added on quietly, glowering as he did. "You and that brat of Daphnes'." Raynard added, briefly swinging his head in the far-off direction of the smiling Zelda.
"Settle down."
Raynard swung his hated glare back on the Sheikah, curious and all.
She frowned on back at him calmly and objectively. "You're just fresh from your stand-off with Lycidas, aren't you?" She countered back, silver eyebrow rising upward in tandem with the half-amused superior smirk she liked to wear so well.
The bare-bodied youth's calming glare soon turned angry and he lowered his eyes in silent-voiced defeat, his scowl twitching a third time.
"Just give me a name."
He turned his chestnut-brown eyes back up to face her and he narrowed them; a small period of silence, however short, felt to them like nails on a chalkboard. Eventually however, the glaring Raynard chose to speak before he finally opted to take his leave and tend to his recently-gained wounds. His scowl twitched one last time as he did in a begrudging glower.
"Scaverin."
"Welcome back ladies & gentlemen; if you're just joining us we're already four rounds in the Palashian Premier!"
Mr. Marshall, the senior commentator for the Prima World Tour, smiled on sociably as his light baritone echoed out through the small Gossip Stone he spoke through. His voice knocked pleasantly against the white pristine Palashian palace walls and the tournament's building itself, melding well with the intoxicating crowd cries and hollers.
"And what an awesome four rounds it's been!" Tasty Seth grinned on alongside the older commentator; a younger, much more vibrantly-dressed man that reflected his brash persona. "We've seen some world championship-level quality stuff here folks! It's been somethin' else!" He shot into the conversation with, tilting his brown-haired head as he leant his legs up against the table prompting the briefly-frowning Marshall to lightly slap the young man's legs off it, as if annoyed.
As expected, the watching audience all let out amused chuckles and laughs.
"Right you are Seth!" The wily commentator responded with in a knowing smirk, lightly tilting his head in an approving forward nod as he did. "And do we have a blazer of a semi-finals match coming up for you all!" He began again, this time in his ever-sociable smile. "At last we get to see the blonde rocket go up against the ocean's fist!"
"Yooo does that mean what I think it means?!" The wide-eyed Seth exclaimed out, casting his grin on the older man next to him. Marshall chuckled and nodded lightly in response.
"It certainly does my young friend!"
Just as they spoke, a pair of pictographs shot up on the pristine Palashian walls surrounding the competitor's box; the grinning-faced Link and the contrastingly frowning Alwyn.
Link Firbrand
Aggressiveness: A
Agility: A
Tenacity: S
Alwyn Weirson
Combination Damage: A
Agility: S+
Punishment Proficiency: S
"This is gonna be hype!" The ever-smirking Seth called out excitedly, clenching a fist as he always liked to. "The match we wanted so bad and never even realised it!"
"These two fighters have both had tremendous success together in their climb through the Prima World Tour, however early it may be!" Marshall started as he shook his brown-haired head in a light smile. "But at last they find themselves faced with one another!"
"Speed versus speed Marsh!" Seth added onto the conversation, a gleaming grin on his face. "Hell yeah!"
"Although Firbrand has been a fairly basic contender in terms of his strategies, Weirson has displayed a truly impressive library of fighting styles and methods that has left all of his opponents dazed and disorientated!" Marshall briefly explained in his light smile. "A Zoran with battle experience truly melded in his belt!"
"Gotta root for the drunken fist Marsh." The ever-grinning Seth tilted his head lightly in the chuckling man's direction.
"In any case...," the chortling man began lightly before re-facing the cheering crowd surrounding them. "Only one can progress past this round! A travesty for certain; I would have loved to have seen both contenders battling for the right to Palashia in the grand finals! But it is not to be."
"What can we say guys?" Seth nodded his head upward in the direction of the listening audience. "We got a bigger show for you all planned!"
As expected, they let out an appreciative chuckle.
"Okay Al... promise me one thing."
The Zoran, surprised by his younger opponent's sudden soft-voiced query, turned his blue-shaded head 'round to face him from across the white-tiled arena in a curious-eyed gaze. "Yeah?"
The grin that the watching Link shot him back with made the former soldier crack one of his own, having been infected by his contagious cheer. "Don't hold back on me just 'cause we're friends!" He called out loudly enough for the yelling crowd surrounding them to hear. His modestly-sized pony-tail of blonde hair blew lightly in the wind as he set his bare feet and clenched arms apart, side-by-side he readied himself into a battle stance. "I wanna see the best you got!"
Alwyn couldn't help but hold back a chuckle into a rather modest laugh; a softly-exhaled breath of fresh air through his nose as he shook his ever-injured head-fin. "In that case... the feeling's mutual," he responded with, tightening up his already stiffened stance. "Show me why you should be Palashian champion."
"Hah!"
As the young blonde Hylian laughed back in response and clenched his fists to hover them over one another, the watching audience all let out approving roars and cheers as if to advocate the pair's attitude.
"Red side, ready!"
As expected the grinning-faced Link nodded in response, his body lightly bobbing up and down as if in time with his slow heartbeat.
"Blue side, ready!"
The unusually-smiling Alwyn also nodded, his bladed arms held contrastingly horizontally.
As always, the frowning young woman acting as the staff to the event reached for the gong to sound it loudly before re-opening her mouth.
"Begin!"
–
3
The eager Hero of Time wasted no time in his advance; as the gong echoed out throughout Rocknesse he shot forward in a blindingly-fast air-dash that saw his hair billowing in the breeze. As he fast-approached the older man he swung his body in a deft dive-kick that had his body twisting lightly in a savage-looking roundhouse. Alwyn glared on back objectively as he shot up his left arm to parry the blow effectively, his ocean-teal eyes darting down to meet the former Kokiri's next inevitable offensive; a simple forward left-handed jab.
The Zoran grunted lightly as he caught it before swiftly responding with a simple bladed swipe of his own; the blade on his forearm sung out noisily as it flew over the wide-eyed Hylian's head. When it managed to cut just a single strand of the boy's long blonde pony-tail, he grunted in effort as he short-hopped upward to effectively evade the Zoran's inevitable low sweep before spinning 'round in mid-air and grinning on in victory as he swung his roundhouse directly in response.
FWIP
The narrow-eyed Alwyn moved with a sudden burst of speed that didn't seem human; as he promptly wave-dashed out of the roundhouse's way he swept the floor a second time, this time gripping the tiled arena tightly with his right palm. Link landed down and opted to grasp at the ground similarly to his opponent in an effort to avoid his quick but telegraphed sweep, hanging his legs high in the air as he used the ground to flip backward in an acrobatic swing of his body.
As the former Hero of Time slowly began to approach his descent back to the ground, the half-grin on his young Hylian face told the closely-watching Alwyn all he needed to know; he remained unsurprised even when the blonde boy suddenly and somehow vanished from common eye-view, leaving the witnessing audience all gasping in shock and doubt. Alwyn stood quiet and centred around the middle of the arena, clenched fists at his side as he awaited his opponent's next manoeuvre.
SWISH
His ocean-shaded eyes narrowed as abruptly as the glaring Hylian's form re-appeared; high and mid-air. As he fired forward a sudden roundhouse kick at him, Alwyn simply ducked to match his opponent's level of superspeed before rising up his right palm under his shoulder to catch the boy's fast-descending elbow. Utilising his free left arm, the Zoran reached up and grappled the blonde's exposed elbow before grunting in effort as he tossed him over head, sending him flipping away toward the edge of the ring.
As he landed, however, he wasn't one to be daunted by his lack of success; Link glared forward in concentration and, just as he landed, shot off like a light in his graceful footwork to air-dash directly toward the former soldier. Perhaps inevitably as their fists met, the air around them shimmered from the sheer speed with which they moved; a revelation that left the watching audience screaming and whooping in approving cheers.
CRASH
CRASH
In spite of their equal speed one attack from each of them got through; a simple forward kick from the gasping Link and a single swinging fist from the firmly-frowning Alwyn. Time slowed down for the pair as they hung in the air from their similarly-placed assaults before, finally, they both flipped backwards in recovery. Alwyn's standing form soon shimmered; a sign of superspeed. His form soon re-appeared in the young Hylian's undefended left and he issued out a grunting roundhouse.
CHAK
Link's oceanic eyes narrowed as he caught the assault with a swift raise of his left forearm before he deftly back-dashed to avoid the incoming press-up punch that the frowning Alwyn tossed out. As the former Kokiri skid backwards, the odd tile or two shooting up from the sheer ferocity in which he moved, it was Alwyn this time that chose to press the attack; he shot through the air in a forward air-dash before grunting in effort as he swiped his left bladed arm horizontally, as if it were a sword.
Link similarly grunted as he short-hopped up a second time and, standing directly on the blade Alwyn carried on his forearm, used it as a platform with which to vault off of; in a second acrobatic somersault forward reminiscent of his platforming days in Termina, Link side-flipped over the Zoran's crown before yelling in effort as he swung both legs up to counter-kick the older man across the back of his head. Alwyn reached back and, with both hands, grappled at the sailing ground beneath him before using it to vault up backward in a somersaulting recovery, acrobatic and all.
The newly-grinning blonde-haired Hylian gave quick chase and as the glaring-faced Alwyn shot up his arms in a defensive cross as if to ready himself, the karate uniformed youth's figure seemed to somehow ghost through the surprised Zoran. Realising he had been tricked by the after-image technique far too late, he widened his ocean-teal eyes and attempted to move but the blonde's form was quick to match him.
CRASH
The former Zoran soldier grunted out in a mixture of surprise and light agony as he defended against the fire-coated fists as best he could, his form soon finding itself skidding alarmingly close to the edge of the arena. Seemingly just as he planned, Link very briefly flashed his Zoran companion a wide grin before deftly smashing his flame-glazed fists together and leaping forward to continue his offensive with one last jumping roundhouse kick.
FWIP
The audience all cried out in shock as the gasping Alwyn found himself being launched over the ring's edge, his slim form headed directly for the hard concrete outside of the tournament arena. He widened his teal-shaded eyes and pulled his bladed arms back; extending them into sword-like fins he began to swiftly spin his form 'round in what seemed to be an endless twist, similar to Link's own trademark 'Spin Attack' technique. He watched on in half-surprise, a straw-shaded eyebrow risen up to spice the amused grin on his face.
WHIRRRRRR...
As Alwyn landed safely back in the ring in a very slow descent indeed, some of the watching members of the audience all let out disappointed cries and groans while others cheered. His very form itself, spinning madly in its recovery, had somehow seemed like some kind of high-technological flying instrument. His eyes remained shut even as his limbs stopped moving but, at last, he re-opened them to face the grinning-faced Hylian boy across from him.
"Thank you...," he began in his low baritone. "For not interrupting me in that."
Link stood in a leant position, slim arms folded as the wind blew his exposed pony-tailed head of hair. He rose up a single finger from his position and grinned on as he usually did. "Everybody gets one!"
In an unusual twist of fate indeed, the watching Zoran cracked a grin of his own in response; a rebound to his younger friend's contagious attitude.
"Hmph."
"You can certainly see the familiarity and respect within them," the smiling Marshall began in commenting, speaking lightly through his Gossip Stone. "I imagine, with that rapport, they must be old friends! And yet so different in so many ways."
"I guess he's a popular kid Marsh!" Seth grinned on in from the side, shrugging over at him as he leant his legs up on the table, prompting the older man to lightly brush them off.
As always, the watching audience let out amused chuckles.
"I would certainly think so Seth!" Marshall smiled on as he re-faced the front. "This is truly a match for the ages!"
Alwyn began walking toward his younger opponent in a leisurely pace; a measure so slow that it could even be considered nonchalant. Although Link watched on in half-curiosity, his body still leant to the side and his arms still folded, he opted to err on the side of caution. Sure enough, the fleet-footed Zoran widened his eyes as he abruptly broke his strike to immediately air-dash forward and chop horizontally at the air; Link widened his own eyes before swiftly ducking to evade the strike, his pony-tail briefly suffering from the contact with the blade on Alwyn's sword-fin.
As the Zoran expected, Link swung up his leg in a low roundhouse kick to counter-attack from his kneeling position; the super-fast soldier's form shimmered as the Hylian's leg merely ghosted through him.
An obvious sign of the after-image technique.
Link's simple frown soon switched to his usual overconfident smirk and, as he leant down in a brief grin, he eventually shimmered before vanishing himself as if to give pursuit. Their agility and their forms, barely able to be followed by the mere everyday members of the audience, soon re-appeared in the north-western corner of the ring.
TSH-TSH-TSH-TSH-TSH-TSH
The telltale sound of the grinning Link's flaming fists crushed well with the hardened blades of Alwyn's defensive arms. The narrow-eyed Alwyn widened his eyes however and, with a noticeably blue-shaded colour of Aegir powering through his arms, he pushed upward and forward to send the surprised Link staggering back from his offensive pressure.
It wasn't much, but it was all Alwyn needed; he leapt forward and swept at the tiled ground beneath them both to knock the surprised youth over. As his small body hung up in mid-air the Zoran followed his quick assault up by grunting as he swung a savage horizontal roundhouse kick into the boy, sending him squawking high into the air. As his opponent had done before, Alwyn glared on as he shot high up to chase; as he grew increasingly closer he widened his ocean-teal eyes as he slammed an elbow down on the blonde's body, sending him gasping and tailspinning ruthlessly back down.
Alwyn narrowed his eyes once more and pulled an arm back, presumably to attack with, as he drew his body downward in the inevitable second pursuit. The two warriors' bodies shot down with such frightening speed that their fire and water-shaded Aegir caused an artificial earthquake; a shocking revelation to match the artificial lightning bolt that the two's Aegir made themselves look like.
As they clashed for what felt like the umpteenth time in a lightning-fast series of swings and kicks, Alwyn's offensive successfully landed; as he darted his head out of the way of one of his opponent's swift swings, he shot in a quick jab of his own but one loaded with a surprising level of strength. Although Link caught it he widened his eyes as he felt his form skid backward from the sheer power and ferocity with which it was launched.
SKRRRRR
The Hylian narrowed his eyes in concentration and concern as his older Zoran opponent leapt to continue his offensive; a seemingly endless series of quick successive jabs into the defensive cross of Link's form.
It was simple but fairly effective; a fact that the narrow-eyed Hylian soon found true enough as his legs very quickly began to approach the edge.
"Gagh...!"
He let out a half-surprised gasp as he teetered over the border; a revelation that the wide-eyed Alwyn chose not to let go. He grunted out in effort as he swung at the air in a bladed haymaker and, as half-expected, the wide-eyed Link's form shimmered a second time to indicate the after-image technique.
"He's holding back."
The watching Barkner, Impa, Malon and Zelda all turned their heads down to find the newly reinvigorated Raynard; ever folded-armed and glaring, he cast his scowl out onto the battlefield before them all as a prelude to opening his mouth a second time.
"Why doesn't he just end this already?" The black-haired mercenary muttered out impatiently this time, eyes narrowed in a thoughtful-eyed murmur.
"He is?" Barkner repeated as if for clarity; eyebrow raised he cast it forward and tilted his head as if to confirm the boy's claims. "You mean... Link, right?"
"He means them both," Impa at last spoke up behind them all, drawing their attention; they all turned to face her and she glared on back, arms folded in a similar stoic pose. "Or he should at the very least," the Sheikah began warningly, briefly gazing down at the similarly glaring Van Garrick below her before soon re-facing the front. "It looks to me as if they're simply having sport with one another."
Malon sighed as she rolled her ocean-shaded eyes in an obvious sign of frustration. "That sounds just like him..."
"How dangerous..." The watching Zelda chuckled, an amused grin gracing her face as she rose up her small hands to rest over her mouth.
"'Dangerous' is right...," Impa murmured out disapprovingly, eyes narrowing at the field of battle before her. "I expect this out of Link but Alwyn? They should know better."
"Ahhh ain't it fine though?" Barkner at last spoke up for his two companions, casting the Sheikah a simple yet casual shrug spiced with his usual well-meaning smile. "I mean it's just a friendly match! What's the worst that could happen?" The Goron spoke on, as confident as ever.
Impa exchanged an unsure look with him before sighing out through her nose in silent defeat.
She chose not to voice her worried thoughts of the dormant Kage Narumono sleeping within Link however.
Alwyn pulled his right arm back from his earlier haymaker before narrowing both eyes as he swiftly and, without warning, swung the blade attached to it sharply to his back-right. Sure enough, as it boomeranged through the air acrobatically, it caught the scent of the standing Link behind him; he cast the fast-approaching sword-fin an overconfident grin before he snapped his blonde-haired head to his left side in deft evasion. As the Zoran boomerang flew past his small and pointed ear he shot up his hands to block the inevitable mule kick setup that Alwyn prepared himself for, sending the pair skidding a few steps across the ring.
SKRRRRRRR
Once the Zoran's initial thrust was counter-acted by his Hylian opponent's defence, Link bent his body below and grinned on as he shot an Aegir-filled kick upward, directly striking the former soldier to send him flying high into the sky just in time for his sword-fin to come boomeranging back toward his forearm. As it slapped back into his grip he turned his ocean-teal eyes downward only to find the similarly-eyed Link pursuing him from below, arms held backward as if to prepare for some kind of projectile.
Alwyn watched on in a mixture of curiosity and vigilance.
Link's straw-shaded hair blew brilliantly in the blaze that he himself helped to create; a fantastic shade of bright-blue that formed within his near-joined two palms at his back-right. He opened his mouth as if to announce his upcoming assault; a revelation that saw the watching Alwyn's senses heighten considerably.
"Shinku..."
Realising the sphere of blue-shaded Aegir within the boy's palms very quickly grew in size and strength, Alwyn gasped out aloud in rapidly-growing anxiety.
"HADOOOOOKEEEEN!"
FWOOOOO
DROOOOOOOM
"Gurgh...!"
Alwyn's scowl grew worse as he crossed both arms in a near-hopeless attempt to block the massive sphere of Aegir and Quintessence; although it was non-elemental in nature, the sheer strength and size of which caused his descent back down to the ground to become delayed.
An achievement in and of itself.
Acting quickly however, and stressing the former soldier even further, Link's super-fast form suddenly re-appeared high above the wide-eyed Zoran. Alwyn's teal-shaded eyes swung up to face the boy but, unable to move for sake of being pinned by the massive sphere of Aegir, he could only watch. Link decided to shoot his companion a winking grin before pulling back an Aegir-charged fist and swinging hard.
"HEYT!"
SMASH-CRSHCRSHCRSHCRSH
"ARRRRGH!"
Finding himself caught between a rock and hard place, Alwyn screamed out in sheer agony as both the full sting of Link's Aegir-filled haymaker and his projectile; a fearsome combination that hit the former soldier from both sides, sending him careering back down to the ring. Even as his scarred and scorched body flew down with the grinning-faced Link, however, his eyebrows rose up suspiciously when he clocked the Zoran's form shimmering again.
CRASSSSSH
His oceanic eyes widened in realisation as the ground spit up tiles and wreckage; all in slow motion to match the horror on the blonde boy's face and the whisper with which he voiced it in.
"No...!"
FWIP
"I'm too fast for you..."
Link didn't dare even turn his head; his eyes snapped to his back and his muscles tensed.
"Aren't I?!"
WHOOSH
Just barely the adept young Hylian managed to quickstep out of the Zoran's way; the former soldier grunted out in effort as he swiped at the air fruitlessly, watching the young athletic hero grapple at the ground before side-flipping acrobatically. As his legs drifted savagely against the tiled arena below him, Link grit his teeth in a mixture of alarm and effort as he darted himself to the air all to avoid the swift Zoran's leaping lunge.
The two saw no rest for one another as they quickly darted around the arena, their figures mere blurs to the screaming and cheering audience, fists and legs flying at near inhuman speeds. Eventually however in amidst the lightning-fast offensive between the super-fast pair, a blow was struck.
CRACK
"Agh...!"
Time slowed down for the watching audience and, at last, they got to watch the results of such a savage-looking smash; the grunting and shut-eyed Link was sent staggering back from an abrupt swipe that the fleet-footed Alwyn planted.
A single foothold with which to launch his next offensive.
CRSHCRSHCRSHCRSHCRSHCRSH
Link's pained grunts and hollers carried him across the arena, as he was incessantly barraged by the firm-eyed Zoran's quick series of jabs and punches. As Alwyn pulled back his free arm to deliver the final blow, it gave the bleeding Hero of Time a minute window of opportunity and one he did not squander away needlessly; he used the valuable time to dart his injured head out of way of Alwyn's follow-up finish before widening his oceanic eyes as he spun his body 'round akin to his infamous 'Spin Attack' technique.
"Kaiten Resshō!"
An element of fire was added to the boy's aura as he wildly twisted in place, easily knocking back and sending the gasping Alwyn pelting back into the air. The Zoran growled and, in a mixture of annoyance and concentration, he somersaulted his body backward to recover in mid-air before narrowing his eyes firmly; like a light, he was out.
CRASSSH
"Gurgh...!"
Link's oceanic eyes widened in a mixture of agony and shock as the quickly re-appearing form of his opponent returned, this time with his lower leg directly smashed fiercely into his lower stomach. The young Hylian found time itself slowing down for them both as his very position was sent staggering up a few inches into the air; a testament to the vigilant Zoran's strength.
When time at last regained its normal flow, and Alwyn shot down one of his bladed arms diagonally to offer a follow-up to his savage assault with, the wide-eyed Link's form shimmered in and out of the deadly sword-fin; an obvious after-image. Sure enough he re-appeared just as quickly to the surprised-faced Alwyn's sharp-left, throwing a reckless but effective fire-coated punch.
FRRR-SMASH
"Ngh...!"
Alwyn found himself staggering backward, sheerly from the elemental power of the fire that filled his opponent's fist, turning his bruised expression on the staring youth. Link wasted no time and, in his newly-won offence, air-dashed toward the former soldier in an obvious elbow assault. Alwyn glared back before replying similarly; he pulled forward his right arm, blade and all, before swiftly air-dashing forward.
CLANNNNG-SKRRRRR
Alwyn's telltale contemplative frown carried him well and he leant propelled in mid-air along with his younger opponent, his diagonally-held elbow clashing poignantly with the contrastingly grinning Link's. Even as sheer sparks of fire and Aegir sparked between their eyes their expressions, as comforting and anticipative as ever, they failed to drop them.
With a single arm freed up from the ferocious engagement however, Alwyn's teal eyes narrowed suddenly as he grunted and swung it with effort; in response, another of his ever-faithful sword-fins shot out and boomeranged into the air. Link watched on and, with both straw-shaded eyebrows risen up in expectancy, he cursed out quietly to himself before eventually breaking off the hold on his wily opponent before back-dashing to safety. He didn't have long however, for as the Zoran boomerang quickly pinned his retreat from the back, he also found his frontal escape near impossible as the narrow-eyed Alwyn air-dashed forward in pursuit.
I'd rather not repeat a technique, the concerned Link thought to himself in a similarly anxious wince.
"But I guess I got no choice."
With that resolved within he pulled both slim arms back and, coating them with the same fire he had become well-known for, he twisted his form 'round in a fiery defensive spiral. The watching Alwyn, having baited just what he was looking for, widened his eyes and acted with renewed zeal; the frowning-faced Zoran vanished from common view before suddenly re-appearing, high into the air and directly above the spinning young Hero of Time. Link's own eyes widened from his low position and, realising his wily opponent had caught onto his blind spot, began to panic.
"Ooooh what a catch!" The wincing Seth yelled out in a mixture of excitement and frenzy, fist clenched to match his older companion's. "He's goin' down, down, down!"
"It looks as if though Firbrand's 'Kaiten Resshō', while a formidable defensive technique, also has its flaws!" Marshall called out in a similarly heightened frown of his own. "Weirson must have been looking for such an opportunity!"
Seth grinned this time, finding the convenience of inserting one of his many quips into the commentating. "Can't keep a good Zoran down Marsh!"
CRACK-FRRRR
Even while the glaring Alwyn fast-descended down to assault the exposed youth in an electrically-charged spiral of his own, a technique of the Zorans, he soon found his attack knocked back by some kind of invisible shield of fire; even as he drew close it successfully pushed him back and he swore under his breath as he flipped backwards to safety, skidding on as he did in clueless doubt. His teal-shaded eyes narrowed on suspiciously back at the spinning blonde before, at last, Link finished his twist and cast the Zoran one of his usual overconfident grins.
"How...?" The former Zoran soldier murmured out curiously, eyebrow risen up. "There was a blind spot, I'm sure of it..."
"So am I," the smirking-faced Hylian shot back raising up his left thumb to briefly and lightly hang over his nose horizontally; an old habit as he explained the proceedings. "But I knew you were gonna go for that; it was obvious, so I let loose just a little bit of Aegir in that one blind spot," the youth claimed before widening his oceanic eyes to match the powerfully confident smirk he graced the shocked Zoran with. "And with that, I sent you flyin' back the way you came!"
YEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHH
Perhaps incentivized and infected by the blonde's cheer and naturally-high morale, the watching crowd of Aurelians all let loose cries of approval and applause in a genuinely impressed call.
"Huh...," the watching Raynard muttered out lowly, his chestnut eyes narrowing as if in scrutiny before they swiftly returned to match the half-surprised smirk on his face. "Now I'm impressed," the young stoic mercenary admitted. "I had no idea he was capable of Aegir-control, even to that extent."
"Neither did I...," the half-suspicious Impa murmured out in quietly-voiced agreement, fiery-red eyes narrowing back at the grinning blonde boy before them all. "And here I thought the only ones among us with any decent level of such a technique were myself, Zelda and perhaps Alwyn himself," the Sheikah woman admitted, similarly impressed and ever in her folded-armed stare. "He's definitely surprised me at any rate."
Zelda nodded alongside her loyal attendant, threading her small fingers together as she always liked to in her sociable smile, hanging at her centre. "He has improved leaps and bounds ever since he returned from searching for the Spiritual Stones... and from the far-off land known as Termina."
The listening Raynard, his interest piqued briefly by the young blonde princess' words, made him swing his suspicious-eyed glare half on her, silent and curious.
"No kiddin'...," the frowning Barkner hummed out wonderingly, tilting his rocky-bodied head as he stared forward. "When big bro Darunia sent us down the Dodongo Caverns he was no-where near this level of strength."
Although the clueless Barkner, Raynard and even Malon was unsure as to why the boy's power had grown so exponentially since his original quest, the frowning Impa and similarly-expressed Zelda exchanged a knowing glance together; looks of half-guilt and recognition, having been told by the former Kokiri himself of his origins in a completely different time and reality.
–
4
CRASSSSH
The ground spit up debris and tiles from the beautifully carved tournament arena below them both; a direct result of the artificial explosion that the crafty Alwyn created with his Aegir as a quick way with which to approach. Link narrowed his cerulean eyes before back-dashing to the safety of the ring's west edge, eliciting the glaring Zoran to give chase; as he inevitably met with the young Hylian, their fists and legs unavoidably exchanged frenzied swings and swipes.
Finding himself out of options Link grunted with effort as he lunged his small form to his immediate left; in a single tip-toe he barely managed to evade the narrow-eyed Alwyn's diagonal haymaker, his form moving with surprising grace at that. Alwyn pursued a second time and growled this time as he swept downwards with his leg, perhaps in an attempt to knock the young Hylian over; in an acrobatic and abrupt forward-flip however, he effectively avoided the blow before lightly back-kicking the surprised Zoran's figure backward.
Alwyn widened his viridian eyes as he found himself lightly skidding toward the edge; with expectance, he managed to halt his movement and kept his eyes narrowed on the slow-somersaulting and recovering form of his opponent. Time seemed to slow down for the super-fast pair; as Link began to land in an acrobatic side-flip, left hand clenched at his side and his right opened up to catch his fall, the firmly-frowning Alwyn pulled his two arms back presumably to ready himself for another charge.
FWIP
Like a light, Alwyn was out; he re-appeared just as quickly behind the wide-eyed blonde youth and Link reacted in kind. He gasped in effort as he swung his body swiftly to avoid the incoming vertical blow; Alwyn's haymaker tasted the ring's tiles beneath him, spitting up wreckage as the Hero of Time shot up a right roundhouse kick in his evasion before deftly leaping back to disappear.
FWIP
In an athletic dive-kick, Link shot into view once more, his slim form ghosting through the vanishing Alwyn's; he skid noisily against the ground beneath him, using his left hand this time to catch the ground with. His eyes widened however when he sensed his opponent's next fast-approach; almost immediately he shot up his right leg to counteract the glaring Zoran's abrupt re-appearance above him.
SMASH-SMASH
"Gurgh...!"
"Hrngh...!"
Time slowed down a second time for the two warriors as they reeled back in agony and surprise from their sudden increase in speed before, at last, it returned to normal again.
THUCKTHWUCKTHWUCK
Alwyn's body, similarly to his younger opponent's, rolled almost endlessly through the air before he eventually somersaulted into a graceful-enough recovery, frowning on as he landed. He rose up one of his slim arms to rub at the light trickle of blood the blonde-haired boy managed to draw; as he turned his teal-coloured eyes down to marvel at it he couldn't help but bring up a light smirk on his face, chuckling lightly as he did.
"Hmph...," he murmured out. "You've come a long way... since Lord Jabu Jabu..."
"You too!"
The Zoran, surprised his low-voiced thought was even heard, turned his raised-eyebrow frown upward to find the newly-grinning Link staring and waving back at him from across the ring.
"I don't even recognise you as the same guy!" The rambunctious young Hylian grinned on, bringing up one of his own arms to lightly graze at the trickle of blood on the side of his mouth. "You're a lot stronger 'n I remember!" He shot out with in his charismatic, bruised-faced smirk, his pony-tail and fringe blowing in the wind.
YEAAAAAAAAAHHH
"An impressive level of sportsmanship!" The smiling Marshall began, casting his words into the ring before him. "A relatively unknown Hylian young Firbrand may be but he's definitely a charming one!" He explained briefly, rising up his free left index finger into the air as if to further extrapolate. "He's certainly won the hearts and cheers of our loyal crowd!"
"Can say that again; this is like a dream match for me!" The contrastingly grinning Seth shot into the conversation with. "I never knew how much I wanted this match!"
WHOOSH
The watching crowd, surprised by the blonde's sudden movement, all turned their heads 'round to find him swinging his right arm horizontally as if to throw a punch into the air. He cast the watching Alwyn a knowing grin before winking and swinging both arms this time diagonally to hang at his centre, lowering his straw-shaded head as he did. At last he completed his technique, however, for he shot up both hands and a light-green aura of Aegir filled his body. Alwyn watched in genuine curiosity as a sphere of wind-shaded Aegir quickly formed above the boy's crown.
Is he going to use it as a weapon, the Zoran wondered silently.
Decisions, decisions.
"Ready Al?"
The boy's abrupt call made him dart his head down, his injured head-fin swinging with the sudden movement. He rose up another unsure eyebrow as the former Hero of Time merely shot him one of his many overconfident grins. As the young Hylian rose up both arms in a vertical fashion to suit a projectile, he pulled them back behind him and set his feet apart; an obvious stance to ready another technique.
It was obvious even to the watching Aurelian audience that he was planning another Hadoken technique.
"Not this time!"
As his words echoed on out of his mouth, his legs began to viciously pound against the ground beneath him in pursuit, drawing up pristine-white tiles and debris. If the grinning Link was concerned, even in his terribly vulnerable position, he didn't show it; indeed, even as the glaring Alwyn charged at him, he still opted to stand there and charge his remaining Aegir presumably for a projectile assault.
Alwyn pulled both arms back and the blades within them clicked to attention; it was all he needed. The former Zoran soldier leapt up into the air before descending fast downward in a spiralling bladed assault of his own, his form a mere blur to the human eye. It was only when he landed however that his eyes widened in surprise; instead of cutting through flesh or even shimmering through an after-image, instead they merely hit nothing but air.
"How's that even possible?!"
His inward thoughts were soon answered but not by man.
SCHWING
He suppressed a gasp and darted his head behind him only to quickly realise why his attack had missed; the wind-shaded orb that Link had summoned earlier had re-appeared and, this time, directly behind him. The wide-eyed and smirking-faced Link stared back at the Zoran; now within point-blank range and with no defence to fight through to boot, he at last yanked his arms forward and opened up his mouth to announce his last assault.
"Shinkuuu HADOOOOOKEEEEN!"
DROOOOOM-FRRRRRRRRRRRRR-CRSHCRSHCRSHCRSHCRSH
Although the poor Zoran had only just barely managed to bring both bladed arms up in cross-formation defence, the incredible close proximity his opponent had gifted him with, alongside the intense level of the projectile essentially had enough force with which to send him flying straight out of the ring. Instead, of course, he was sent bulleting into the wall below one of the many audience stands, crashing painfully and abruptly into it.
CRASSSSSSSH
Perhaps, inevitably, the horribly-injured Alwyn soon found himself descending down from the wall in a painfully-peeling fall, coughing from the ordeal as he did.
THUD
"Ring out!"
The woman's voice, obviously the referee, managed to shake and wake up the gobsmacked audience and even the watching commentators.
"Alwyn Weirson has fallen out of bounds! The winner of this set is Link Firbrand!"