Chapter 25: Debut of the Qualifiers

Kara-Throwing in Kaiohdrahl 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.

"Seaport City Ruan" - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Sky OST. Scene 1 (First Half).

"Main Theme" - Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition OST. Scene 1 (Second Half).

"Main Menu (B)" - Super Street Fighter IV OST. Scene 2 (First Half).

"For Victory" - Fire Emblem IX: Path of Radiance OST. Scene 2 (Second Half).


In their adventure across Aurelia, Link and his good group of friends find themselves fast-approaching Kaiohdrahl; a city known for its lush beaches, exotic foods and beautiful sights. Although they first travel to it with full intention of taking part in the 'Kaioh Bio', the next national championship martial arts tournament of the Prima World Tour, the group are swiftly embroiled in what seemed to be an attack on the state city itself; a rather large number of men, presumably mercenaries themselves, attack the beautiful port metropolis in a savage and ruthless assault that sees the poor citizens fleeing in sheer terror.

The attackers are soon identified as the 'Templars of the Weeping Stars'; a regiment of former soldiers from surrounding countries within Aurelia gone rogue. Men without borders, having either been dismissed from their duties dishonourably or simply having deserted their units. These former officers, all veterans in their own right, were led by a single man and a rather infamous one at that; Velkarez Grigovich. Said to have hailed from the northern far-off lands of Stralanavia, Velkarez was a charismatic colonel with an insurmountable amount of experience; far enough to set him apart and grow a rather substantial level of reputation for himself.

It is in this reputation that Velkarez gets the following men of military and experience he desires. He forms the mercenary company, the Templars, in the lofty hopes of achieving what the Sorcerer of the Divine Divide once desperately wished for; a re-united Aurelia, all surrounding territories and countries in one single banner in harmony and peace. In great spite to his intention in following in the virtuousness of the Sorcerer himself, Velkarez's methods are a pale comparison that leaves a bad taste even within bandits' mouths; countless men and women that resist him, civilian or military, are executed with no hesitation. Even when faced with the prospect of losing any potential advantage in his campaign, Velkarez also opts to keep prisoners; two women he once knew quite well within his homeland of Stralanavia.

It is only when Link and his companions arrive in Kaiohdrahl to clash with Velkarez's Templars that the heroes' progress halts almost indefinitely; the brash Hero of Time opts to take Velkarez's challenge personally, a one-on-one duel that sees him fall in battle quite quickly to the far more experienced mercenary. Although Impa, Zelda and the remaining companions of the boy mourn his murder, they make a decision to pursue Velkarez's forces in a desperate and dogged determination to deal their own act of vengeance, joined also by the nearby-travelling and similarly angered Raynard.

While they all fight valiantly they fall, one-by-one to Velkarez's incredible power; a concerning fact that the Sorcerer of the Divine Divide himself warns the resurrecting Link on as he calls him in death. While resting in the Void itself, the gap between dimensions, Link is approached by the godlike figure he once met in his pilgrimage through Termina and is essentially restored to life through not only him, but the great powers that be; a decision not made lightly by the Sainted Three themselves.

"Aurelia and Hyrule still have need of you."

With those wise words the almighty Sorcerer borrows from the likewise all-powerful Aegir of Farore and brings the Hero of Time himself back to the Light World, all without a single mark on him; an act that shocks not only the watching Velkarez but the near-dead Zelda herself. Arriving just barely on time, as he always does, Link manages to raise the morale of his close companions by fighting hard for them but it barely helps; even with the new powers the Sorcerer gifted unto him, he finds himself outmatches by the overly-superior military officer.

He begins to despair when he finds no answer through the man's overwhelming confidence and strength, even through his shape-shifting masks he gained from Termina, before eventually and finally deciding to turn to the darker side of his martial arts abilities.

The Shinzui-et-Sanmiitai.

Said to be a chaotic kind of Aegir that rests within the holy Triforce itself, the Shinzui gives incredible near-godlike strength in its natural destructive power however at the great cost of a loss to its host's humanity. Within the holy Triforce of Courage that Link himself possesses, a second identity, a kind of mirror of himself lives within; a creature of chaos naming himself only by 'Kage Narumono'.

In ancient Hylian, loosely translated to: 'Shadow of What Will Be'; a chilling reflection of Link himself in almost everything bar a small few changes in his muscle complexion, Aegir colour and even fangs atop his countenance. In the time he came from, Sheik once referred to him as 'Dark Link'; a fitting name for an echo of the blonde-haired boy himself, a vestige of chaos that lives only to fight and to kill. It is in the Shinzui that Link's last hope in defeating Velkarez rests in, not through Kage, but through a strange and mysterious artefact he acquired through his adventure in Termina; an extremely powerful relic with history seen only within the ancient walls of Rockvale and its similarly puzzling temple.

The 'Fierce Deity's' Mask.

When Link adorns this veil he becomes something else entirely, a vision and a harbinger of what he is said to become; 'Akuma'. A name he had been given when clashing with The Last Garo and The Forgotten One.

"The drawings... they are of you."

It is said in the Historia books written by the ancient Hylians themselves that the surfacing of 'Akuma' is forenamed to be the end of Aurelia itself; a frightening concept to go along with the likewise chilling powers that the 'Fierce Deity' brandishes. In beating down Velkarez and his mercenary company, single-handedly at that as well however, Link manages to return peace to the land of Kaiohdrahl and its grateful residents. The group are given places to sleep within Tiverpool Castle and, faced with another problem of kidnapped students, the ever-exuberant Link opts to assist them regardless of their melancholy in already owing him and his group.

On the way to Clearwater Institute they are attacked by a nameless woman wearing a raven-black garb in the same manner that the suspicious-eyed Link recognises quite well from his trek through Ikana; something he mentions to his mentor Impa and his other friends once he and Kage eventually manage to overpower her. It is only when they arrive, joined by Kaiohdrahlian knight Shanaari, that they realise very quickly how the students are being kidnapped.

Clearwater Institute has been infiltrated and breached somehow.

Although theory work and academics do not suit the blonde-haired youth he, Raynard and Vassia team up together in order to interview students all morning and all day in an attempt to discover who the potential informant is, all at the behest of their leader Impa. It takes them quite a while in a full day's work but they at last discover the infiltrator; a young adolescent boy only by the name of 'Kale', a name most likely to be a stand in for his profession as an agent.

In a fiery engagement with the powerful Kale Link, Raynard and Vassia all manage to work together in a surprising turn of events that leaves even the Hero of Time himself shocked at their effectiveness; a trait he once never thought could work well with the brash-tempered Palashian princess. Now with their hard-won information they return to their leader to swap their results, hoping at last to bring an end to the unfortunate situation...


Scene 1

"Well done, all of you!"

The baritone of one of Clearwater's many well-dressed lecturers filled the room the group all stood in, some more patiently than others, as they listened on intently, joined by the smiling headmistress of the institute herself; Audra.

The man was a relatively young one, perhaps in his mid-thirties, short and well-kept sky-blue-shaded hair coming down in light spikes over his eyebrows and just above the silver collar he wore. Adorned on his body was a silver shirt rolled up at his sleeves, hands in his deep-black trouser pockets. His shirt remained unbuttoned at the neck and the black-shaded suit-jacket he wore in what seemed to be a fairly smart-casual look that fit him quite well.

"You've all saved us quite the headache!" He chuckled on as he turned his emerald-shaded eyes across the room to rest on each member of the group, receiving their own respective looks of either respect or even mild boredom in the impolite Link's case; he stood in a limp-eyed frown, right pinky lightly turning within the hole of his small and pointed right ear.

Disgusted, the firmly-frowning Vassia slapped at his hand, drawing an annoyed growl from him in response. The watching lecturer let out an amused laugh, likewise joined by the ever-entertained Barkner behind the children.

"Link!" Impa snapped down at him angrily, turning back to face the lecturer. "We apologise," the Sheikah sighed back regrettably. "It's hardly an excuse but they've been working all day and I imagine they're quite tired."

The watching Audra standing behind the man merely shook her auburn-haired head in a dismissive smile, noting her patience in the situation. The similarly smiling man turned back to face the group and nodded on.

"It's all good," he chuckled. "There's no need to apologise; it's all of you that did us a favour remember!"

"Bear in mind that all we did was find one of these rats," Raynard rudely cut into the conversation with, folded-armed as ever and glaring on as he usually liked to. He stood next to the similar-postured Impa and leaned his head at the watching lecturer as he spoke. "For all we know there could be two, three, four, five even... it's completely impossible to say."

The sky-blue haired man's smile took on a curious-faced frown as he tilted his own head to convey the next question on his lips. "Didn't you get any pertinent information from their operative, or...?"

"Not anything more than anyone else would," Vassia sighed in on Impa's left, turning her violet-curled head to face the institute's vice principal before gaining a slight smirk on her face as she chuckled to match it. "Not unless we... torture him a little."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me that you'd be the first one to suggest that." Link spoke up in a low-toned tenor, eyes still humorously deadpan as he frowned on back at the Palashian princess on his right. She double-took in his direction, genuinely surprised that he spoke, before puffing up her cheeks in red-shaded anger as the listening Barkner and Zelda around them chuckled amusingly.

"How dare you! I was raised appropriately you know!"

"Is that right...?"

"All right that's enough!" The watching Impa called down, her contralto raised a pitch as if to convey her annoyance with the pair of children; as expected, they both stiffened and obeyed, their humorous exchange drawing entertained smiles and chuckles from the rest of the amused group. "I think we've all had enough of your shenanigans today."

"Oh don't be so hard on them lady Impa," the smiling lecturer spoke on well-naturedly, turning his green-eyed gaze down on the pair of children below him. "If it wasn't for them we'd be in a much worse situation than we are now," he chuckled on before turning again to face the concerned Raynard on his left. "And I promise we'll be certain to deal with any more potential leaks and issues," he bowed this time in respect and understanding, eyes briefly re-opening as he re-rose himself. "You all have my word on that."

"Grier's correct; you've all done so much more than is necessary," Audra at last spoke up from the back of the room, smiling on similarly as she strode forward to stand next to the man. "We, that is all of us here at Clearwater, are eternally grateful to you all," the institute's headmistress bowed similarly to her colleague, hands softly joined at her centre as she shut her eyes and re-opened them as she rose back up to her front. "Already we're seeing a much better morale within the students here at Clearwater and that can only be good... we all owe you a lot for this."

"Think nothing of it," Alwyn merely shook his Zoran head, frowning back at the pair of lecturers. "In the end all it took were three of us to deal with the intruder."

"Hardly worth gettin' out of bed for it either..." The disappointed Link muttered in aside from the ever business-like Zoran, leaving some of the listeners with either disapproving frowns or amused chuckles. It was only when the impudent young Hylian received a nudge on his left that he realised the fingers brushing on his own were Zelda's; when he swung his curious-faced frown on her she smiled back at him and shook her blonde-haired head at him dismissively, opening up her mouth to speak silently to him.

'That's rude.'

Unlike with Vassia he at least chose to respect his own princess' wishes, though not without a disappointed huff through his nose; he rolled his oceanic eyes back at her and nodded understandingly. Her smile grew in satisfaction and she threaded her slim fingers into his calloused larger digits. Impa, however as always, did not let him off so lightly as her charge did; the hardened Sheikah angrily nudged him on his right. A simple enough push with no serious force to it but a warning one at that; he winced and nodded in her direction obediently.

"So! What's the next stop for Kaiohdrahl's saviours?" Grier smiled on as he folded his rolled-up arms at the group, turning his green-eyed gaze across each member. "Going to take in some of the lovely sights 'round here?"

"Well we're going on a date."

Surprised by the Palashian princess' bold-toned soprano, and by the sudden grasp she made to his right arm, Link double-took in her route in wide-eyed shock as if unable to bring up the words with which to convey his inevitable embarrassment. At last he found the strength to open his mouth however, giving voice to his annoyance.

"Vassia!" He called out in a chastising tone, irked by her tenacious grip on his arm.

"What?" The violet-haired princess asked in a genuinely curious raised eyebrow. "It's hardly a secret is it?"

The former Kokiri growled back at her, embarrassed as usual when he heard the imminent laughing of his companions around him. More importantly he found himself swinging his blonde-haired head back to eye Zelda, oddly worried about her feelings. When he saw the likewise look of melancholy written across her sky-shaded eyes he couldn't help but feel his heart sink in regret for agreeing to Vassia's offer earlier.

The youth merely shook his head at her, an annoyed frown around his complexion as if to send her a message.

'Don't worry too much about it.'

Although her thin blonde eyebrows rose upward in curiosity the Hylian princess' smile returned, albeit, in a fairly weaker sense.

"Hey if she's getting a date I want a date!"

Malon's similarly irritated soprano behind him made the young Hero of Time stiffen and his frown twitch; perhaps inescapably the room erupted into further laughs that made him shut his cerulean-shaded eyes, wishing dearly to rip his hands from Zelda's and Vassia's grip to pull his forest-green hat over his eyes and hide within it.

"Quite the popular one, isn't he?" Audra smirked over at him, hands ever joined at her centre as she watched on amused.

"I don't get why ye're so modest this time pipsqueak," Barkner grinned on behind the boy teasingly, poking the annoyed blonde boy on his shoulder before he turned his rocky-bodied head up to meet the institute's lecturers. "He's normally a lot more flirty with 'em, trust us."

"Which begs the question," Impa began, a mischievous smile of her own creasing her normally hardened exterior. "Why the sudden change in attitude?"

"Maybe he's not used to affection so easily..."

The surprisingly accuracy and likewise consternation of Zelda's own soft soprano weighing into the conversation made the listening Link turn his zig-zag frown of chagrin and awkwardness on her, finding a half-amused yet well-natured look in her smiling eye.

"Or maybe he's just so used to rejection that when he succeeds he doesn't know how to react."

Vassia's words, so insulting yet so playful, made him swing his head back on his right to glare back at her. He called out at her in response angrily, offended.

"Hey!"

As before, the group surrounding them let out their entertained laughs, joyful in the humour gifted to them.

"I'm sure he'll be fine in the end...," Impa spoke up amidst the cheer, a small smirk of her own adorned on her usually firmly-faced frown as she turned her silver-shaded head down to eye the embarrassed blonde below her. "He's got the 'Kaioh Bio' to prepare for. In fact they all do."

The frowning Alwyn, ever folded-armed Raynard and grinning Barkner all nodded alongside the wise Sheikah's words; a confirmation that left the watching Clearwater lecturers with informed smiles.

"Maybe if you win that we can celebrate in an early marriage," Vassia grinned on, an amused and mischievous smirk written across her porcelain complexion. The listening Link stiffened and lowered his head from view, wanting dearly to turn and run if not for having both his right arm and his left hand already gripped and surprisingly fiercely. "Maybe a lovely ceremony in the Tiverpool Church..."

"I never said he could get married!"

The added sound of Malon's offended soprano behind him was too much for him and the abashed youth dropped down to an embarrassed squat, hiding his crimson-cheeked face from as many people as he could, his hands still gripped by the two princesses on both sides.

"Just leave me alone..."

The tired groan that came from the boy at last satiated the amused group and, as they filled the room with their entertained laughter, they finally dropped the subject.

It was something that Link was shockingly grateful for.

For the rest of the conversation he found himself drifting in and out, focused entirely on the upcoming tournament, his mind wandering on his potential opponents.

"Even if it's still a couple weeks away..." He pondered on half-disappointedly.


"Welcome one and all to the one and only, Prima World Tour, broadcasting to you all live from Tiverpool Castle!"

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH

"My name is Mr. Marshall and with me always is my partner-in-crime... Tasty Seth!" The man's voice continued on exuberantly, his respectful baritone filling the repaired hallways Tiverpool Castle itself, sitting as always at a small hardwood desk and speaking through a small Gossip Stone that enhanced his voice.

"My man!" The grinning youth called out next to the older man in response, as if having been cued; he shot his right fist up in a simple but brotherly-like bump, turning his casually-dressed self to face the countless members of the audience surrounding them on the stands around the commentators. "Yeah, welcome back Aurelians! We're chillin' in the big beautiful blue; Kaiohdrahl herself!"

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH

Mr. Marshall chuckled on, his morale raising in similar cheer to the near-deafening cries of the excited audience. "Right you are Seth! If you're just joining us ladies and gentlemen it's been a full month since our last exciting excursion; the Palashian Premier!"

"It's been too long Marsh, it really has," the grinning Seth responded in a calm-faced grin, leaning back in his chair as if to reminisce. "Even a week's too long for me! I need my fix!"

"Well fret no more my young friend for Kaiohdrahl is to receive the greatest martial arts tournament Prima have to deliver yet!" Marshall called out, a smile amidst the inevitable cheers of the gathering of fans around them. "And not a moment too soon either! I hear this lovely place was subject to an unfortunate takeover merely weeks ago!"

"That's right Marsh!" The contrastingly frowning-faced Seth responded in a grim-expressed nod. "Just a shame our past contestants weren't present for it! They'd have blown those dirty invading Stralanavians out of the water!"

The crowd all laughed out in response, grateful for the humour after such a horrifying ordeal.

"Ah but think again my young friend!" Marshall grinned back knowingly, rising up an index finger in knowing. "Would you believe the men and women that drove the Templars out were indeed past contestants?"

Seth genuinely looked surprised and curious; he swung his brow-furrowed frown on the older man, awaiting his next words as he re-opened his mouth to respond.

"Really?!"

Marshall laughed on as he nodded in a brief shut-eyed smile. "That's correct! It was our fan favourite himself reportedly by the royal family of Kaiohdrahl themselves...," he began again, turning his knowledgeable grin on the excited audience around them. "'Fire Fist Firbrand'!"

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH

"I should have known!" Seth laughed back similarly, his morale shooting up as he slammed the desk in a quick display of excitement. "That kid can't sit still for a hot second! I bet those invaders really regretted choosin' this place for their campaign!" The entertained youth guffawed out.

"Wise words my young friend, wise words!" The similarly smiling Marshall chuckled back. "Not only is he famous in our world tour series but across Aurelia at that too!"

"I can't wait to see who he'll match up with this time!"

"All in due course!" Marshall responded, a light raise of his index finger. "We've got a full roster this morning ladies and gentlemen; two-hundred and eighty men and women signed up for today's national championship!"

"Goddess be damned!" The listening Seth whistled out, genuinely surprised by the information as he re-faced his co-commentator. "That's insane! How many we down to now?"

Marshall chuckled knowingly, a light smirk on his business-like expression as he re-faced the audience. "That's two-hundred and eighty all down to eight! Just as within the great walls of Palashia and Hyrule!"

"Sounds like fun! Anyone we know Marsh?"

"Oh yes indeed my young friend!" Mr. Marshall smirked on as he clicked his fingers knowingly, re-opening his mouth to continue. "We have return competitors here today that, if most of you loyal viewers have been watching, will recognise; we guarantee it! Including the Hylian champion, Raynard Van Garrick, the Palashian champion Vassia Palashia, Alwyn Weirson, Barkner Elbrus and of course the man of Kaiohdrahl's hour itself; 'Fire Fist Firbrand!"

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH

The cheer that filled the Tiverpool Castle's walls was strong enough to bounce and reverberate as the very first one; a sheer testament to their passion for the event to come.

"Yo that's twice now our boy Firbrand's hit the grand finals and still been denied the championship," the entertained Seth grinned on as he lightly shook his head, nodding it upward as he turned to face the older man next to him. "What do you think Marsh; who's your rupees on?"

The ever-neutral commentator smiled on professionally as he briefly shut his eyes and shrugged in response before re-opening his mouth to respond. "I'm hardly a fortune-teller my young friend! But... if I was...," he began again, his grin slightly growing as he re-opened his eyes to lean forward. "I'd definitely place mine on him; the odds are certainly in his favour with such a daunting record, and at such a young age!"

"Could be that Van Garrick kid again though!" Seth pointed out, tilting his brown-haired head. "Or even an upset in a newbie takin' the championship!"

"I guess we'll have to see!" Marshall chortled back as he likewise tilted his head before turning to face the audience again. "You'll have all this and more, good folks of Kaiohdrahl, in just a few minutes here at the Kaioh Bio!"

2

"I'd like to thank all of you for your support of the Prima World Tour."

The sound of the lightly-smiling young woman's mezzo-soprano filled the room the competitors all stood in; all eight of them. The ever-grinning Link stood in his karate-gi uniform, wearing his long blonde ponytail at his back as he stood next to his companions; the similarly grinning-faced Barkner on the boy's left, his rocky-bodied hands drawn across his Goron hips and the ever business-like frowning-faced Alwyn standing in a folded-armed state on the blonde's right. Standing similarly to the stoic sea creature was the blonde boy's rival himself, Raynard, in a folded-armed firmly-faced frown of his own, his tattered tunic body leant to the side as he listened on intently.

"As you all know, this is the national championships for Kaiohdrahl and congratulations to all of you fine martial artists for qualifying," the woman continued on at the back-centre of the room, standing next to what appeared to be a whiteboard and two more members of staff, presumably for security in the Kaiohdrahlian knight armour they wore. "Should any of you lose here today, even in the first round, you will all still stand to gain championship points; a maximum of fifty and a minimum of ten points can be gained here today in the Kaiohdrahl national championship."

The listening Link's grin only grew and he rose up his clenched left fist, his excitement growing at the prospect of winning the championship. He couldn't help but exchange a look with the chuckling Barkner on his left and the half-amused Alwyn on his right. When the ever-frowning Raynard caught the blonde's look of morale, the older Hylian boy's frown shifted into an inspired smirk of his own.

"As most of you here are repeat contenders I'm sure you'll all be aware that we use a randomly generated pairing system involving the use of Gossip Stones," the young woman explained briefly, her eyes lightly scanning each member within the room. "As you have all been explained the rules of this competition I'm sure I have no need to reiterate them and so, with that, I and everyone here at the Prima World Tour wish you all good luck in your pairings!"

Just as within the Palashian Premier, when the young woman smiled down at him and handed him his own miniature Gossip Stone, Link tilted his curious-faced blonde-haired head down at its marvellous construction and wonder; a tiny stone of bright-blue and deep-black abyss stared back at him in the centre of it. Within appeared to be a hazy cloud-like substance that, in time, very quickly and somehow slowly formed into a character of an unknown language. Link's brow furrowed as he somewhat recognised the character's origin.

Ancient Hylian, just as before, he thought.

"Hey, Bark..."

The half-surprised Goron in question darted his rocky-skinned head 'round down to face the young Hylian curiously.

"What's that mean?" The former Kokiri demanded rather rudely, pushing up the small Gossip Stone in the Goron's face; Barkner held back from laughing as he near-jerked back in surprise before actually taking a good look at the character laying in the stone.

"Ah! That's...," Barkner began curiously, his boulder-brown eyes narrowing as if to confirm the knowledge he possessed on the ancient text before him. He eventually nodded in acceptance and regained his ever-jolly smile as he re-opened his mouth to elaborate. "Seven I think!"

Link blinked back at his Goron companion unknowingly before pulling the Gossip Stone back and looking down at it cluelessly. "Seven...," he parroted out thoughtfully, eyes glazing over the odd character in the mist-like Aegir embedded deep within the Gossip Stone below. "So I guess I'm in-"

"Block 'B'! Correct."

The young referee's mezzo-soprano made him widen his eyes in surprise and dart them 'round to face her, finding her hovering over him as if to lean down and grab the miniature Gossip Stone in his fingers. He chuckled out nervously as she plucked it from him and nodded down at him.

"Good luck in your match-up!"

As the young referee smiled on in his direction in her well-meaning words, Link couldn't help but nod back in his own regaining grin of self-confidence and excitement, his inner morale rising high for the inevitable clash of his next opponent. He swung his head 'round and exchanged another look with the double-taking Raynard and, as the black-haired Hylian rose up an eyebrow in his own direction, he eventually realised why he was looking and rolled his eyes in an amused half-smirk.

The prospect of their potential confrontation following their very first one in the Hyrulean national championships was an extremely tantalising one; having just barely lost the last time they clashed together, and having relied heavily on the dark power of the Shinzui, Link genuinely hoped next time to rely on his own strength and eventually come out on top of their rivalry.

Unfortunately however, as fate would apparently have it, they didn't ever seem to match up together since.

"So what'd number you get?" The young blonde pressed forward in an excited upward nod, grinning all the while.

The blonde Hylian's raven-haired rival dropped his own grin as he folded his arms, shut his eyes, lowered his head and rose up two fingers at him in response; only his index and forefinger as if to signify the number itself.

"Three." He simply answered, drawing a half-annoyed tut from the listening Link.

"Damn!" The youth cursed out impolitely, swinging his oceanic eyes up to the whiteboard that their referee sauntered towards. "So you'd be in..."

Alwyn nodded similarly, frowning on forward. "Block 'A', yep." The knowledgeable Zoran answered for the pair.

"What about you Al?" Link questioned the former soldier curiously, uprising one of his straw-haired eyebrows as he did. "What'd you get?"

"Two," he answered in a second nod, directed down at the former Kokiri. "So I imagine I'll be up against-"

"Me!"

Surprised by the big burly Goron's voice again, the group as a whole this time rotated their heads 'round to face him in curiosity only to find the ever-grinning Barkner flashing up a rocky-bodied index finger in the air, held backward.

"I got one!"

Suddenly enthralled by the potential of a collision between trusted companions in a friendly sparring match, the watching Link's curious-faced frown soon upturned into an enthusiastic grin, his cheer rapidly-rising to match it.

"So that means-!"

"Please, gather round! We're about to announce your pairings."

When the group of eight competitors heard the smiling woman's words, the already dwindling chatter in the room very quickly died down as they all marched forward, a respectable distance between most of them all as they awaited her next words. As Link approached on, a smile on his own face, his eyebrows lifted in recognition when he caught a nod of acknowledgement from one of the Kaiohdrahlian knights standing as security for the staff member; a woman he recognised.

She smiled back at him as she nodded, drawing a likewise sociable grin from the uniformed youth; the ever-loyal knight that they had just trekked across Kaiohdrahl with to solve a missing peoples' case, knight Shanaari. He shot her an informal wave as the woman at the front re-opened her mouth to address the group before her.

"In the first match-up, round one will be Barkner Elbrus VS. Alwyn Weirson!"

The listening Link couldn't help but let out an excited call; a morale-infused shout that filled the room and shocked even the normally stoic Raynard into swinging his spiky-haired head 'round in surprise. The youth stood in a fist-clenched stance as he exchanged looks between his likewise surprised pair of companions; Barkner, more taken aback at first, could only blink before nodding in his close friend's direction on his far-right with an enthusiastic smirk, drawing the watching and folded-armed Alwyn to smile back at the Goron in a simple nod of his own.

"Round two will consist of Raynard Van Garrick VS. Lyna Greene!"

The listening Raynard rose up his raven-haired head in response before swiftly darting his eyes 'round the competitor's box for his opponent.

"Lyna...?" He repeated quietly to himself, genuinely surprised by the name and seemingly recognising it. The woman in question to his far-right at the end of the line they all formed turned to frown back at him as she nodded back at him. In his own display of his respect, the last Van Garrick nodded similarly, a hardened frown on his own exterior.

"Round three will be Zayne VS. Ragnar!"

The listening heroes could only all exchange unsure looks and shrugs together as they swept the room very quickly in swift search. It was only a few seconds before they eventually spotted two forms they didn't recognise; two young men both as muscular yet as slim and surprisingly short as the other. One carried scars all over his bare open chest, opting merely to wear a pair of golden-shaded trousers with a beautiful dragon-like design across them. An ebony sash sat comfortably hanging across his waist, further complimented by the similarly raven-shaded shoes, well-worn and well-adorned on his feet. A pair of wristbands sat across his hands, both with spiked decorations that gave the already dangerous-looking man an intimidating aura; one further bolstered by the hardened look in his green-eyed gaze, fixed directly on his new opponent.

The likewise-muscular young man that glared back at him, seemingly the one known as 'Zayne', wore a bright-green and orange-shaded vest across his chest that was also complimented similar-coloured fingerless gloves and his bright-auburn wavy hair. Across his long muscular legs were a pair of green trousers slicked with red-shaded flame-like designs vertically spanning downward; a beautiful if, crude-looking choice. A pair of simple-enough steel-like boots sat on his feet, drawing the surprised-faced Link's oceanic-eyed gaze downward at them.

How the hell can he walk in those, he wondered silently.

Maybe they're not really steel?

If they are though...

"I'm sure glad I ain't his opponent yet..."

Suddenly very grateful for the two mysterious and unknown fighters being paired with one another, Link could only grin over at them before turning back to the front.

"And round four will be Link Firbrand VS. Vassia Palashia!"

The listening youth's eyebrows shot up and, like his nerves suddenly being flared up, he found himself snapping his blonde-haired head 'round to face the similarly surprised Palashian princess on his far-left. She stood on Barkner's left and shot him a high-faced smirk, rising up one of her slim and tender fingers to rest upon her face as if she were giggling over at him. In great spite to her obvious display of disrespect, every competitive sense flared up within him and he merely gave her an excited smirk back, fists rising up and both clenched together.

At last, he thought to himself and yet so quickly too.

"I finally get my runback with her!"

"Thank you all for your patience!"

The referee's well-toned mezzo-soprano echoed on out, essentially dragging the surprised Link out of his excited daydreaming thoughts to swing his head in her direction, re-focusing his mind instead on the upcoming tournament. His grin and cheer soon returned with it, fist clenched at his side boldly.

"Please, by all means, use this time to prepare before we call your names. Round one is about to begin," she began again, turning her nod in on the smiling Barkner and frowning Alwyn before re-opening her mouth to finish her sentence. "Good luck to all of you; Kaiohdrahl awaits its future champion!"


As she bowed forward toward them in a display of respect before heading off, the expected chatter and relaxation of most of the group members began to take hold of the room; a quality lost on the less sociable members such as Raynard, Alwyn and even the new stoic top eight qualifiers themselves.

"Come on guys!" Link called over his shoulder in his usual grin, gesturing for his companions to follow him presumably to go greet the standing Shanaari. It was only when he clocked the ever-frowning Lyna sauntering over, also presumably to speak to the torn Barkner himself, that the watching and blinking Link stopped in his march before soon regaining his grin and chuckling. Barkner shot him an unsure zig-zag-like frown, as if unsure on what to do, before his hardened rocky-like cheeks soon reddened as his young Hylian companion merely winked back and nodded; a simple enough gesture but one even the hard-headed Goron got.

He merely waved his rocky right arm dismissively at the blonde boy, as if to send him away, before turning to face the approaching Lyna. The watching Link let out a light and well-meaning laugh of amusement before resuming his advance, joined by the curious Alwyn, Raynard and Vassia marching along behind him. When the folded-armed Shanaari caught him approaching her, she double-took her pony-tailed head in the group's direction before lightly waving her other companion off; a similar security knight alongside her. As he nodded similarly and walked off to leave her to her conversation, Shanaari let out a rare-faced smile as she awaited the group to approach.

"Small world!" The ever-sociable Hero of Time called out as he saluted the young woman off informally in his light march. "What brings ya out here?"

"Why security of course!" Shanaari called back, a light tilt to her brightly-brown haired head as she rose an eyebrow down at him. "Oh, you're not wearing your tunic anymore."

Link grinned back as he spun around exaggeratedly, a childish cheer adorned on his tone as he spoke. "You like?" He asked, displaying her the full getup of his karate-gi uniform and the bright-orange belt he wore; a standout colour on the tore white uniform.

"Suits you, somehow," she chuckled back. "Though I think I miss your little green hat."

The youth, surprised this time, blinked as he reached up with his calloused hands to paw at his own pony-tailed head of hair before chuckling back as he regained his ever-constant grin. "Yeah, I guess I do too; I ain't myself without it," he admitted. "But this is cool too." The youth finished, firing her a grin back as he rose up both hands to rest upon the back of his head, leaning his straight-held posture similarly as he did.

"So! Are you all signed up for today's nationals then?" Shanaari asked, turning her folded-armed smile around on the remaining group members. They all faced the woman in their respective expressions, some more enthused than others.

"Of course!" The ever-grinning Vassia called back, waving at the air with one of her slim hands as she did. "There's no way any of these amateurs stand a chance against moi!"

Shanaari chuckled, amused. "Confident are we?"

"Little too confident, maybe..." Link muttered in her direction ahead of her, hand placed on his hip as he ran his oceanic-eyed gaze to rest at his back; an action he took so as not to specifically turn around and face the overly-touchy Palashian princess. Almost as if she sensed his very silent inward fears however, the grin on Vassia's face was a telling one as she leaned forward and grasped at his left side, drawing an inevitably-annoyed grunt from him in response.

"What's wrong mon amour?" The purple-haired princess posed forward, eyebrow rising up in an amusing look, as if she revelled in the blonde's embarrassment. "Don't think I can win?"

"Get off me..."

The annoyed mutter he gave out as he wrenched control of his left arm again, another entertaining diversion for the watching group, made even the listening Alwyn and Raynard smirk over at them as Shanaari laughed on in response.

"Well, you'll all have a serious challenge here, at any rate," the chuckling knight continued on, softening her form as she smiled on down at them. "I hear the two newbies involved here not only blazed through the qualifiers, but have gotten stories about them all over the continent. Apparently one of them even learned under Sun Hui."

The listening Link could only blink back in response, the gears in his brain working. "'Soon' what?"

"Sun Hui, 'S-U-N'," Alwyn spoke up for the Kaiohdrahlian knight, ocean-blue arms folded as ever. As the eyebrow-raised Link swung his straw-haired head 'round to face the former Zoran soldier, his curiosity won, he kept his mouth half-open as he listened. "I think it's a Draerith name."

"Oh... wasn't that the one who taught-?" Vassia began unsurely, her own violet-haired eyebrow rising up in curiosity as she tilted her head ever so slightly.

Shanaari smiled back as she nodded in confirmation. "That's right," she answered. "The world's greatest soldier; Sun Hui also taught him."

Link listened on, his ocean-shaded eyes widening this time in legitimate surprise. "R-Really?!"

"I've only heard of this but...," Raynard began in response, his chestnut eyes shut briefly as he shook his lowered head, re-rose it and re-opened both eyes to face the knight above him. "I never would have thought that there was any credence to the rumours."

"Well, they're all true! Apparently," Shanaari chuckled back as she shrugged her shoulders in cheery reply. "If anything's to be gleaned from this experience so far anyway."

"Which one is it, do you know?" Alwyn asked curiously, swinging his halved-fin head 'round to narrow his sky-shaded eyes at the far-off leaning forms of Zayne and Ragnar. While Zayne marched around the competitor's box in what seemed to be a casual-laced stroll, hands placed comfortably within his trousers, the contrastingly folded-armed Ragnar leant against the wall across the room glaring at him.

It was a look that echoed rather similarly with the surprised Raynard himself.

"I believe it was... him," Shanaari began lightly and quietly, nodding her brown-haired head in the direction of the short-haired Ragnar. "Mr. Ragnar there."

"So he was taught by a sensei that taught the world's greatest soldier huh...," Link began half-curiously, an initial frown placed on his face that soon gave way to an excited-faced smirk as he rose up a similarly enthused left fist clenched upward. "This is gonna be hype!" He hissed out, his grin threatening to split his face.

"Or it's gonna be quick," Raynard interrupted the youth with, his chestnut-brown eyes briefly shut in a hardened sigh, his small arms ever folded stoically as his disappointed blonde-haired rival swung his head 'round to face him. "This guy was taught by one of the greatest martial artists in the world... a sensei that taught the world's greatest soldier," he reiterated, eyes narrowing as they glared over at the leaning Ragnar. "If anyone's got a chance at winning this championship... it's him."

"Then there's this person too," Alwyn brought up carefully, turning his head over his shoulder to cast a quick look at the seemingly casually-walking Zayne. "We know little to nothing of him... for all we know it could be him that takes the Kaiohdrahl championship."

"Not if I got anythin' to say about it!" The ever-hopeful Link called back in another quick-rise of his clenched fist, grinning away before turning to face the four behind him. "I'm gonna take it this time, I promise!"

While Alwyn and even the ever-aloof Raynard relented their firm-faced frowns to softened smiles, the listening Vassia upturned her own smile into a devious-faced smirk.

"Is that so...?" The Palashian princess began deliberately, drawing an anxious looking frown from the listening Hylian; he double-took toward her and his grin very quickly dissolved in favour of a worried look around his oceanic-eyed gaze. "Well... how about a friendly bet then?"

The listening Shanaari and Alwyn exchanged a look together, knowing and amused. Raynard watched on in indifferent apathy.

One of the frowning Link's eyes narrowed at her in scrutiny. "Such as?"

"If you win this championship... then we don't have to get married."

Genuinely surprised by the girl's reasonable offer, Link's eyebrows lifted up before very quickly descending back down to match the furrow his brow gave when remembering his next query.

"And if I lose?"

This time Vassia's grin returned and in full flow at that. "Then you have to buy me a ring."

Shanaari pulled her pony-tailed head back to give vent to a sudden laugh that made even the well put together Alwyn near cringe, drawing a painful-looking wince from the listening Link himself.

That's one hell of a gamble, he thought to himself, turning his head away as if in thought. His eyes narrowed however as he turned back to eye her carefully, almost as if to gauge whether she were telling the truth or not.

She hasn't lied to me yet, he reminded himself.

"It'd be nice to be rid of this marriage thing... I got it bad enough with Ruto back home anyway, one chick at a time."

Let's do it, he finished hopefully.

The youth nodded and stepped forward in a grave-faced frown, rising up one of his slim arms to shake her hand with. Vassia grinned on in satisfaction as she swung his grip with hers, a contented look in her eye.

"It's a deal!" She grinned back.

"Well... this has shaped up to be an interesting morning." Shanaari chuckled on as she recovered from her earlier amusement. Raynard sighed out silently to himself through his nose, eyes shutting in his folded-armed frown as if to distance himself from the display.

"And an even more interesting afternoon." Alwyn finished for the woman, a similarly entertained smirk drawn about his older expression.