Chapter 65: Revolving Doors; Runback to Memory

Nation of Domination Arc – The World Championships

Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda; this is just a Fan Fiction

Featured Music: "Character Select" Killer Instinct (1994) OST. Chapter Briefing.

"The Instinct" – Killer Instinct (2013) OST. Scene 1 (First Half).

"VS. 1010 (Phase 1)" – No Straight Roads OST. Scene 3 (Second Half).

"VS. 1010 (Phase 2)" – No Straight Roads OST. Scene 4 (First Half).

"VS. 1010 (Phase 3)" – No Straight Roads OST. Scene 4 (Second Half).

"Parry Addiction" – Yakuza 0 OST. Scene 5.


As the 'Nation of Domination' tournament is fast underway, so too are its participants and combatants.

A world title level tournament, invited only by the greatest martial artists around the continent of Aurelia, as the final setting for the Prima World Tour's championship circuit; a setting in which the heroes, after five long years, finally re-unite with one another. Link, following his brutal tutelage under the world's greatest martial artist Sun Hui, has at long last found the answer he has been searching for.

Although his old friend Navi has thus far been undiscoverable, Link's 'answer' to getting stronger in not relying on the Shinzui came in the simple form of forgiveness; self-forgiveness. In a surprising call-back to his original adventure across Hyrule, the former Hero of Time puts down Kage Narumono by making peace with the manipulation he was threaded with by his time's princess Zelda… and by the Great Deku Tree.

This needful act of self-absolution is more than enough to stay and, indeed, even burn Kage's hand into nothingness; the Shinzui-et-Sanmiitai all but vanishes from Link's very body and Aegir itself, with nothing more of hatred and bitterness to cling to, leaving the world itself – almost as if it never existed to begin with. Link utilises this new strength he has been gifted with; a far more potent and safe level of power, further tempered by Sun Hui, to win his first match-up, a fight to the death with one of his last fiercest rivals.

Ragnar Romanov.

Although, thanks to the body-tampering Ragnar had done previously, the fight itself was indeed an explosive one and yet one that ended all too quickly; the poor man falls to the floor, deceased as a result of his own experiments upon his body, yet has Link make a promise.

"Win today…"

It is a promise that Link chooses, without hesitation, to keep to.

In the meantime, as the rest of the higher bracket's matches are filled in, the beginning's winners are:

Link Firbrand, Veronika Fedoroa, Lycidas Marino and Raynard Van Garrick.

In his next upcoming match-up, Link can only speculate as to how their fight will go; essentially a runback since their very first go-around in the Skirmish in Stralanavia and its explosive grand-finals. Hoping to do Sun Hui and his two fellow students, Sathryon and Ragnar proud, Link aims for the very top, opting now to hold absolutely nothing back…


Scene 1

Barkner groaned, the sound of the surrounding Aurelian audience's cheers managing to bring him crashing back to earth, as he soon realised what had just happened.

I can't believe it ended that quickly, he thought to himself in a pained wince.

He must really have gotten stronger over the p-

His ruminations were soon interrupted, though surprisingly politely by the black-haired boy; Barkner double-took up above his current position on the ground, only to find the frowning-faced Raynard himself knelt down toward him atop the ring, single calloused hand outstretched down as if in offering to the shocked Goron.

What's he doing, Barkner wondered.

Is he being genuine?

Barkner's own frown hardened and, as he rose up his rock-skinned palm, slapped it powerfully with the similar-faced Raynard's, pulling himself up with the youth's assistance.

"You…," the frowning-faced Raynard began, somewhat hesitantly, chestnut-brown eyes lowering briefly before soon re-raising as he did. "Did very well. Good fight."

The listening Barkner could hardly believe his Goron ears; his eyebrows both lifted in sheer shock, unable to piece together words with which to respond. It was only when the watching Raynard's fragile frown very quickly descended back into the usually angered-faced scowl he loved to wear so well that Barkner soon realised he was indeed being genuine.

"What?"

"N-No, no it was…," Barkner chuckled back well-naturedly with a smiling nod. "It was a good fight," he reiterated in his nod. "You've gotten so much stronger over the past five years… it ain't even funny."

Raynard's scowl, so easily won on his expression, dropped in favour of a half-surprised frown and then, finally, a lightly-appreciative smile on his face.

"You have too," he complimented similarly, nodding again as he did. "I think you might have just underestimated me is all."

"You ain't kiddin'," Barkner shot back in a half-amused chuckle, flashing the ebony-haired boy with a grin as he stood back up to the ring to meet him, slamming their palms together as if in a martial artists' code of respect. "It ain't just a small upgrade kid… it's monstrous!" He laughed, grinning as he did. "I couldn't touch you!" The Goron laughed again, shaking his rock-skinned head joyously. "You're just way too good now."

Raynard's smile softened surprisingly and he nodded back at his former comrade-in-arms appreciatively. "Thank you… Barkner."


Shocked at the sheer sight of Raynard Van Garrick offering their Goron companion a smile, the surrounding group of friends could only all exchange unsure and wary frowns with one another before soon re-facing the front as they approached. Raynard's smile soon dropped from his face as he turned to leave, presumably to sulk by himself in a similar fashion to earlier.

"I'm impressed."

Barkner, tearing his boulder-brown eyed gaze away from his former opponent, could only cast his surprised-faced blink forward at the ever-frowning Impa standing before him; as always she led the group with a taciturn quality, unsociable but well-adjusted to any situation.

"W-With what boss?"

"Why with you of course," Impa spoke again, choosing this time to cast a light-faced smile in tandem with her similarly rare chuckle, drawing out comparable reactions from the rest of the surrounding group. "And with him, actually."

"Really…?" The surprised Vassia began curiously, violet-haired eyebrow piquing up in her own curiosity as she craned her neck upward to stare back at the Sheikah on her right.

"Well… yes," Impa responded, her own silver-haired eyebrow rising as she did. "Barkner, of course, did very well considering the match-up he was given."

Zelda, also curious, could only upturn her frowning-faced expression up on her guardian to her top left, hands joined softly at her back. "So what else are you impressed with then Impa?"

"With his attitude I mean," the Sheikah responded again with, this time a frowning-faced nod in the walking Raynard's direction as she did. "I genuinely didn't expect him to be so…"

Barkner cracked a small grin on his face, his own eyebrow shooting up as he did. "Nice?"

"He doesn't seem like the kind of person that would wish negativity on another though Impa." Veronika spoke up in defence of the black-haired boy, frowning as she did.

"Say that to Al…" Malon muttered out distastefully, her own arms folded in light disagreement. Having been referred to, clearly in one of their previous bouts, Alwyn could only revolve 'round his blue-skinned head to face the farm girl with before soon recalling the events of which she spoke of.

Even if they were five-years older by this point.

"Oh that was a long time ago Malon," the wise Zoran shook his head in response. "I'm sure by now he's changed, even if a little."

"I know he has."

The group swung their heads 'round to the baritone's source, only to find the smiling-faced Link speaking this time, his ocean-blue eyes fixated on the back of his scowling-faced rival.

"And I'm goin' to find out for sure."

Realising that he was beginning to march off toward the wayward Van Garrick on his lonesome, the wide-eyed Malon made a sudden break for his weathered tunic before wincing as she missed him.

"Wait, Link!" She called out before sighing lightly through her nose and softening her frown. "Damn it…"


2

"That was a great match today."

Raynard, genuinely surprised by the interruption, could only turn his spiky-haired head backward to face the source, only to re-narrow his chestnut-brown eyes back at it and morph his soft-faced frown into a hardened scowl; an expression he was, by now, well known for.

"What the hell do you want?"

Although he still sounded like a petulant child, and an angry one at that, Link couldn't help but spread the small smile across his facial expression in response to Raynard's cold words, memories of their very first meeting in his original time coming to mind.

"I just wanted to tell you, you and Bark had a great set today," Link chose to smile patiently back at the rude-mannered youth. "He's improved a lot over the past five years… so have you, in fact."

Raynard's hardened scowl softened but only a little, his brow furrowing in quiet suspicion. "Um… thanks…"

"I did miss you Ray," Link smiled back in a genuine attempt at rekindling their friendship. "How have you been?"

"Ah, um… fine…," the current Hylian champion responded with, turning his head away from his former friend, chestnut eyes wandering away as he did. "W-What about yourself…?"

His responses now seemed to be tepid, wary and very careful; something Link noticed and chose to work with.

"I've been great! Preparing for this," the blonde shot back with a friendly grin on his face, raising his arms up to rest behind his ponytailed head as he did – an old habit returning to him. "Getting ready to take on the world's best."

The listening Raynard, choosing this time to huff and shut his eyes as he swung his spiked-haired head away from his rival's, twitched it once as he did. "Hmph."

"Been workin' on any new techniques I should know about?" Link fired back this time, easing back into his old easy-going persona as he leant his blonde-haired head to the side; a wise and crafty move that saw the firmly-scowling Raynard drop his glower in favour of curious-eyed frown at first, and then, a half-interested small smirk.

"I guess you'll find out… won't you?"

Link threw his head back and laughed, drawing out a wider smirk from the listening Raynard.

Something they hadn't shared in years, and something Link had been genuinely concerned they never would again.

With the atmosphere now brightened between them both at long last, Link felt it was finally time to broach the subject he had long-been waiting for; a subject he had been afraid to for over five years.

But now, left with almost no other choice given his rival's ally and the situation they all found themselves in, Link chose at last to broach it.

"There is something I gotta tell ya Ray."

The way he spoke now, a far cry from his recent change in dialect and personality, hearkening back to his old one, could only make the curious Raynard drop his half-smirk in favour of a curious-eyed frown.

"What's that?"

Link briefly lowered his cerulean eyes from his rival's chestnut-brown, before soon re-raising them as he re-opened his mouth to voice his thoughts. "Do you… remember Scaverin's connection to his old master?"

Raynard's eyes narrowed suspiciously back at the blonde boy, curious. "I… think so," he began unsurely. "Ganondorf… of the Gerudo… wasn't it?"

Link nodded in a light-faced frown. "Yeah," he began again. "Do you remember why he was thrown in jail?"

Raynard's eyes lowered and, almost as if in sudden realisation, he shook his head and furrowed his brow cluelessly before re-raising his head to face the Hylian blonde. "No… no, come to think of it… Scaverin only told me that he was thrown in for no reason. He committed no crime."

"Yet."

Raynard's brow lifted.

"You are right though, half-right anyway," Link responded with, frowning back as he did. "Zel and I… we had her father put him in a cell almost as soon as we could."

Raynard glared back at the blonde in an odd sense of anger and displacement, eyes narrowing. "Why?!"

"Because it's not what he did Ray," Link began again, his own brow furrowing as he did. "It's what he will do."

Raynard's angered scowl dropped in favour of another clueless-faced frown, blinking to match and convey it. "What do you mean? What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm not from this time," Link at long last broached with, leaning his blonde-haired head to the side as he stared back at his ebony-haired rival. "I'm from a previous timeline."

Raynard, shocked and unable to find the words with which to respond, could only stare back at the young man in sheer incredulous shock. "You're what?"

Link briefly lowered his oceanic-eyed gaze, as if dissuaded by Raynard's near-disbelieving scowl, before soon re-opening his mouth and speaking again. "It is true; I'm not lying to you."

"How the hell is that even possible…?"

Link's frown grew softer; a kind of understanding frown that only made the watching Raynard even angrier. "You ever wonder how I knew your name when we first met?" He broached this time, drawing out a half-surprised raise of the Van Garrick's eyebrows.

Raynard's frown morphed back into a scowl and, as it did, it grew somewhat desperate; almost as if he were looking for any other kind of explanation. "Y-You could have asked any idiot on Hyrule Castletown's streets!"

"Or your past… for that matter." Link batted back the insulted youth's way, his body leant to the side as he frowned back at him objectively and knowingly.

"M-My past…?" Raynard whispered out, shocked again, chestnut eyes widened as he did. "Zelda! That fucking parasite of the royal family and her kin!" The youth shouted out thoughtlessly and recklessly, now drawing unwanted attention from Link's group of companions behind him; Zelda herself and even Impa both craned their necks their way, curious. "That's how you know!"

Link's soft-faced frown upturned into a saddened little smile, a similarly melancholic look hanging in his sea-faring eyes. "Yeah… I guess I could have, you ain't wrong Ray… but neither am I."

Raynard's scowl lessened, if only to intensify the hardened look in his eye and the inquisitive furrowing his brow took.

"I'm not lying," Link resonated with, re-opening his mouth again. "I came back from a time where you, my friends Alwyn, Barkner and even you all die, one after the other in Ganondorf's rise to power."

The cogs at long last began to work in Raynard's head and, as they did, his eyebrows lifted in realisation.

He must be telling the truth, he thought.

"I can't see any hesitation in his eyes…"

"It's why we jailed him," Link reiterated with, at long last connecting the dots for the poor youth. "He was working with one other person though… someone we failed to catch."

Raynard upturned another eyebrow, curious. "Who?"

Link's face remained unchanged, even as he spoke the next word in his damning sentence. "Scaverin."

The blonde's rival, shocked again somehow in spite of knowing his connections, could only widen his tree-shaded eyes back at the younger man. "W-Wha-?"

"Scaverin was workin' in tandem with Ganondorf to overthrow Zel's father," he began again, continuing. "In fact it was thanks to him… that you and Al both died."

"When was this all supposed to happen?!"

"Seven years into the original timeline where I'm from," Link explained briefly, frowning as ever. "Scaverin uses your past to turn you from the Hylian Rebellion onto to the Dragmire Dynasty… and, from there, sets you on Zel and me in the Water Temple."

Raynard, shocked at the sheer detail of Link's explanation, could only stare back at him.

"He has you unlock Kage Narumono from within me… and he kills you," the blonde threw on the table figuratively. "He manipulated you then… and he's manipulating you now."

Perhaps finding no other potential alternative to respond with, Raynard chose to bare his teeth hatefully and scowl back at the blonde with, growling as he re-opened his mouth. "Y-You're wrong! She told you to say this! She's responsible!"

Realising he was referring to Zelda, Link briefly 'rounded his frown on the concerned expression she carried behind him and issued her with a lightly-smiling shake of his head, before soon turning back to face Raynard ahead of him. "If I was lying Ray, I'd have said somethin' else a lot more stupid and contrived," he admitted, drawing out a frustrated twitch from the black-haired boy's scowl. "I mean… it is out there, I'll give ya that," he laughed lightly back, extending his frown into a light smile before dropping it slowly and softly again. "But it's also the truth."

"Hmph… why tell me?" Raynard countered curiously, eyebrow piquing up again as his scowl changed into a smug smirk on his facial expression. "Hoping to turn me against Scaverin-sensei?"

Link merely shook his head objectively back at the older youth, still frowning. "No…," he answered, his frown slowly upturning into a well-intended smile. "I told you… because you're my friend."

Raynard's smug smirk soon sailed away from his face, giving way to the shocked and wide-eyed faced frown. In great spite to all of his greatest attempts at pushing him away, Link still managed to somehow surprise the young man; sending his shock into a further stupor.

"Anyway… take what you wanna with it, no pressure," Link added in a light-faced chuckle. "It was nice to see you again… even if we're enemies this time."

With that, the former Kokiri turned on his heel and left the last Van Garrick with his cryptic if, fairly simple words; Raynard could only furrow his brow over at the back of his similarly Hylian foe, thinking back to the words his mentor once gave him.

"In the end… they are all the same. Manipulative as the next."

And yet still, Raynard thought to himself.

Still, why does he try?

A seed of doubt, however small, was at long last planted within the consciousness of Raynard Van Garrick.


3

"Here we go folks… round seven of the world championships!"

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

"We got a fan favourite of yours fighting in this one today…"

"Hell yeah Marsh!" 'Tasty' Seth cried out in response to the smiling Mr. Marshall on his left. "Fire Fist Firbrand!"

In response to his introduction, another pictograph shot up on the pillars ahead of them and in front of the audience, decorated with statistics to convey the participants' skills. Link himself stared back at the viewer in a fairly modest-sized stance, leaning his weathered blue-tunic self to the side in a simple-faced frown; a far cry from the overconfident expressions he used to love displaying five years prior.

Link Firbrand

Aggressiveness: S

Agility: S

Tenacity: S+

"After our first go around of the opening rounds we finally get to see Firbrand again! Old 'Fire Fist' himself!" Marshall grinned out knowingly. "In having returned from his lengthy five year training period, just like the other competitors, he has grown incredibly, having beaten his first round with shocking ease!"

"Question is though Marsh," Seth grinned back, winking in the older man's direction. "Who's he up against?"

Marshall chuckled, re-opening his mouth as he did. "It's funny you say that Seth, because…"

Up on the opposite pillar on the right flashed up the newly grown-up Veronika's depiction; a coloured pictograph of her own leaning-standing stature, a rare small smile gracing her slightly-tanned complexion.

Veronika Fedoroa

Combination Damage: A

Aggressiveness: S

Side-Stepping: S

"This, ladies and gentlemen, is one of Fire Fist's biggest nemesis'," Marshall smiled into his Gossip Stone, re-opening his mouth to continue. "Current Stralanavian champion and a Stralanavian native herself, Fedoroa has proven herself time and again to be an incredibly skilled competitor; one that belies her young age."

"Yo I do not envy our boy right about now Marsh," Seth grinned back at the older man, drawing out a similar reactive look from him in response. "He's lost to her before ain't he?"

"That's right Seth… in the incredible grand-finals of the Stralanavian Skirmish!"

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

Almost as if pulling from a fond memory of the long-time fans seated within the audience ahead of them, the crowd all screamed in response.

"It was one hell of a match, if you good folks out there in the audience don't mind my saying so," Marshall continued on with a light chuckle, smiling. "One that had everything; thrills, chills and spills."

"I wonder how this one's gonna go Marsh?" Seth batted back in his little excited grin. "It's been five years!"

"Indeed my young friend!" Marshall smiled back, nodding. "Only one way to find out!"

"Link…"

As the two began their approach toward the huge ring offered ahead of them, the frowning-faced Link himself swung his blonde-haired head 'round inquisitively, dark-blonde eyebrows rising up as he did. Veronika stared back at him and they both stopped marching to turn and face one another.

"Don't hold back against me today…," the young Stralanavian began, shaking her long ebony-haired head at him in polite request. "Give me what you gave Ragnar."

Link's eyebrows lifted this time in genuine surprise and concern, his frown deepening in anxiety. "V-Veronika…"

"I'm serious," she reinforced, a soft yet hardened little frown written across her facial expression. "I want you to give me everything you have," she began again, stepping forward, this time to place her hands into his own embarrassed ones, however lightly it was. "Everything."

Link cocked a small grin back at her and nodded, in great spite to the embarrassed flush she managed to bring across his cheeks. "You betcha."

"Welcome back Fedoroa and congratulations on advancing Firbrand,"

The pair swung their heads 'round to find the smiling referee they remembered, greeting them both in acknowledgement as they began to continue advancing toward the ring. Link himself couldn't help but let his smile carry him on and grow as he approached.

"Everyone's been looking forward to this go-around again," the referee continued in his sociable-faced smile, quickly exchanging it between the similar-faced Link and the softly-frowning Veronika. "Ever since Stralanavia… good luck you two!"

As the two began to take their places, Veronika in the 'blue' side and Link in the 'red', the referee stepped in between them, rising up a single arm as he did.

"Red side, ready!" He called out, briefly eyeing the smiling-faced Link; the blonde youth nodded back at him, affixing himself into the Loftwing-style stance; bladed and simple.

"Blue side, ready!"

In response, Veronika nodded similarly, raising up her bandaged fist to start floating lightly in a fashion akin to her robed left, a kind of dreamlike and wavy pose fit for her strange style of battle.

The referee widened his eyes, slammed his left fist into the space between them, and re-opened his mouth to finally announce the beginning of the match.

"Engage!"


WHOOSH…

SLAM

The frown atop Veronika's face, a fair contrast to the light-faced smile resting on her opponent's carried her on as she flew directly at him to meet his charge, slamming her elbow into his raised right leg; the force of which caused a small quake in the earth below them and bringing out light calls of distress from the watching audience. With little warning, the frowning-faced Veronika pulled both slim hands back and began to stab at the air with lightning-fast speed, forcing the now-similar faced Link to dart his blonde-haired head and his blue-tunic body out of the way in swift evasion and avoidance.

Finally, and perhaps to gain some sense of space away from his much-more experienced opponent, Link pulled an acrobatic back-flip away from the Stralanavian before him to effectively land just a few yards away; as he landed, he almost immediately gave pursuit into the sky above him with a super-fast leap high through the air. Veronika narrowed her light-brown eyes and followed swiftly after him, her smaller and skinnier form easily cutting through the skies in pursuit.

As the rival-pair began to hit so far into the skies they passed clouds, Veronika narrowed her light-brown eyes back at him as she pulled back her light-clawed hand and, with Aegir burning away inside of it visually, she yelled out with effort as she tossed it forward at him; a single projectile.

"Soul Spark!"

Link, narrowing his eyes oceanic eyes back at her, lowered his dominant left palm down to simply catch the sphere of beautiful rainbow-coloured Aegir and, as he did, added it to his own; it dissolved rapidly within his grip and, when it did, he simply swung his left arm back and tossed the Soul Spark back her way in a horizontal swish.

WHOOSH

Veronika set her frown into a hardened one as she began to pick up her speed and, as she soon approached the narrow-eyed Link, the frown on his own expression upturned into a competitive-faced smirk and he exchanged a super-fast series of blows, chops and punches with the young-looking woman below him in mid-air, both somehow hanging suspended in the skies as they did. As they both began to finally drop back down to the earth below them however, the audience in their seats watching intently and with bated breath, they broke their hold together by both back-flipping similarly to land on their initial 'red' and 'blue' sides of the arena, graceful landings and all.


4

In little warning for one another, almost as soon as they both hit the ground, they leapt toward one another in their own styles; Veronika hung back as if she were a sheer arrow itself as if to increase her flight speed and the narrow-eyed Link in a more defensive stance, his dominant left arm hanging under his torso as the rest of him bulleted forward to attack with. As they began to approach one another, their forms sleek and speedy, it was only a matter of time before both began to shimmer; variations of the after-image technique.

Unknown to all the non-combatants watching in the audience, the pair of former grand-finalists found themselves clashing immensely, the only visual proof of such the powerful sounds of their fists and kicks clashing together, echoing out throughout the Great Hall of the People. At long last however and, for the benefit of the poor audience watching, the narrow-eyed Link and Veronika re-appeared in common view, leaping toward one another one last time to clash their arms and fingers together oppressively.

A grunting tug-of-war contest with one another began, the gasping Veronika seemingly straining in attempting to keep up with the calm-faced and frowning Link. It didn't take long for the young Hylian man to take control of the situation however and, as he did, a small competitive-faced smirk formed on his face when he pulled his body back; Veronika gasped as she was pulled back with him before yelping out as she was struck by his leaning-back double-kick.

He flipped to his feet almost immediately and kept the light-hearted smirk on his face, even as she shimmered her slim figure into another after-image; a promise yet to come that she delivered by re-appearing just as quickly below and behind her younger opponent. Almost as soon as she landed did Veronika shoot forward in pursuit, pulling her right arm back; the beautiful midnight-blue scarf she liked to wear reacting in kind by coiling itself 'round her attacking right arm, a masterful use of Aegir-control.

"Soul Spiral!"

In a deft and acrobatically-executed side-flip, Link easily bounded over the yelling Stralanavian in evasion yet, even as he did, seemingly hadn't counted for the next manoeuvre his own opponent chose to execute; an abrupt and sudden flip of her own to end up at the young blonde's undefended back. Now seemingly with no-where else for her foe to run to, Veronika narrowed both eyes and, her scarf elongated and sharpened to a blade, widened her light-brown eyes this time as she swiped it horizontally at his form.

SWOOSH…

She gasped again as her 'Soul Spiral' blade passed through thin air; yet another after-image. Before she could even realise where he was, he spoke up, almost as if for her benefit.

"Over here!"

Veronika's eyes remained widened as she swung her silky-black haired head 'round to her undefended side, only to find the smirking-faced Link waiting for her patiently and confidently.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

"What a way to start!" The ever-smiling Mr. Marshall began out-with from the commentator's box, his baritone echoed by the small Gossip Stone he spoke into laying on the table in front of him. "This match couldn't have begun any more excitingly! With our old former finalists finding furious fists between one another, it's left all other match-ups until now pale in comparison!"

"Uhhh…," the frowning-faced 'Tasty' Seth murmured out, his own voice enhanced by his own Gossip Stone. Marshall double-took in his younger friend's direction on his right, half-surprised before awaiting the next sentence he spoke. "Y-Yeah… furious…"

In response to Seth's flippant retort, the surrounding Aurelian audience below them all gave out half-amused laughs; a welcome change to the hardened atmosphere once descended down on the battle arena. Marshall himself, of course, rolled his eyes and returned attention to the arena below him.


Choosing this time to charge, the narrow-eyed Link pulled back his dominant left fist and leapt at the curious-faced Veronika; almost as immediately as they met did they begin to exchange a lightning-fast series of blows and attacks, one that ended in Link's attempt at a simple swipe with his fist. She easily teleported out of danger's way via use of her elusive Aegir and, re-appearing behind him, caused the young Hylian to snap his head behind him and begin to dart his body and head out of her sudden bladed chops.

He somersaulted over her to return to safety but, as he landed, the young blonde widened his eyes as he vaulted straight after her, head held lowly as if to attack her with.

SLAM

VWEEE…

CRRRRASSSSSSH

In a savage yet positively effective tactic, Link crudely smashed his head directly into the wide-eyed Veronika's exposed chest, sending her sailing and colliding roughly with one of the tournament's pillars. While the referee watched from his position, ready to make a 'ring out' announcement, he nodded when he noted Veronika's feet having not touched the marble floor of the outside of the ring; a clean if, fairly rough, landing.

Rather than letting up, as Veronika once requested him to, Link narrowed his oceanic gaze forward as he set ahead in a fleet-footed march, his small Draerith shoes clicking noisily against the marble tiles below him.

CRASH

Her body now visibly displaying bruises and light patches of red blood, Veronika boldly blew apart the wreckage surrounding herself via use of her powerful Aegir, light-brown eyes shut as she hovered in suspended mid-air, slim arms outstretched to both sides as she held herself high up-right. As Link began to approach the edge of the ring, however, Veronika's own eyes snapped wide open and her form shimmered; like magic, she vanished and re-appeared directly back inside the ring, suddenly within kissing distance of the similarly-shocked wide-eyed Hylian youth.

SLAMMM

"Urgh…!"

VWEEEE…

KERRRASSSSSHHH

Like Veronika before him, it was Link's turn to be sent freefalling vertically through the air, wildly spinning as he did before eventually crashing noisily and painfully against the wall behind him, bringing down debris with him as he did.

DROOM-CRASH

Just as Veronika did mere moments ago, Link blew apart the wreckage around him fairly easily, the only difference in the two being a noticeable lack of fatigue or even injuries on him; indeed, even as he stood in his own frowning-faced wide-open stance, he carried no visible marks of even bruises or patches. He re-opened his sea-shaded eyes similarly before unhooking his arms from both sides and leaping forward in a swift-footed hop, landing himself back in the ring as he did.

The young Stralanavian woman opted not to allow him much time to recover and bound forward in her own okizeme-laid assault, her midnight-blue scarf swinging with her as she swiped it in a manipulated bladed attack; as if it were a sword itself.

SWISH

Acting quickly, Link's eyes narrowed and his frown grew stronger as he took a quick evasive roll to his lower left; quickly returning the favour however, the former Hero of Time used the very marble tiles to bound back off of in a quick cannonballing air-roll, as if to propel himself forward with. Veronika glared back at him similarly before swiftly stepping to the side as he approached, uncurling his body to issue out a deft horizontal chop with his right arm. Even in her first evasion, Link's eyes keenly observed her movement before stepping with her and grunting out as he swung his left fist this time her way; a manoeuvre which she again, evaded.

FWIP

This time Link couldn't seem to follow her; in her sudden vanish, a mere shade of her 'Soul Power' Aegir being left behind as a reminder of her existence, his oceanic eyes darted around in desperate search for her. It was only when he smelt her perfume behind him that he realised exactly where she was, albeit, far too late; he swung his ponytailed head 'round in wide-eyed shock, only to receive a grunting diabolical kick to the chin, sending him gasping and sailing vertically up through the air. Link turned the defensive freefall into an effective recovery by air-rolling into a crouching stance, eyes narrowed below him; Veronika swung her own long black-haired head his way before sliding her slim body 'round and giving immediate pursuit, her hourglass figure sheerly gliding across the marble tiled ground below her incredibly. Link met her approach with his own; a simple super-fast speedy sprint forward.

Even as she shot into him with a swift Aegir-enhanced horizontally-chopping elbow, the blonde youth shot over her in an acrobatic side-somersault, air-rolling a second time to end himself in a crouching stance once more. Veronika glared back at him before using her Aegir to fire a quick orb toward him; while it never made its way to hit him, it was close enough that she could use it as a means of travel. Rather shockingly, she vanished once more and, using the Soul Orb she threw mere moments ago, re-appeared within the orb's stature and forcing it to extinguish similarly. As she re-appeared high above him, she called out in effort as she swung her bladed scarf a second time.

FWIP

Just as she did, Link's firmly-frowning figure flung itself out of reality by suddenly disappearing; mere super-speed that left the watching Aurelian audience calling out in shock and approval. Veronika, utilising her near-psychic fortune-telling abilities, swung her raven-haired head 'round and stabbed her arms enhanced by Aegir as if they were blades wildly, seemingly hitting nothing but air. In spite of the lack of visual prowess from the audience however, the sound of her attacks were met with the defensive manoeuvres of her Hylian opponent; a mere invisible blur of sheer speed and movement from him.

This time he re-appeared safely, drawing out a second excited cry of approval from the watching people in the stands surrounding them. He shot up his elbows in constant defence of Veronika's savage and relentless assault before finally narrowing both eyes and swinging a quick roundhouse to catch her with.

FWIP

Just as he did mere moments ago, the young woman's form shimmered in an after-image and, before he could even react in time, she shot a low roundhouse of her own; a sweep to catch him off balance.

"Urgh…!"

THUD

Even before he dropped harmlessly to the marble floor beneath him, she followed up with a dogged and determined barrage of bladed strikes and punches; all of which Link somehow managed to dart his head out of range of, glaring back at her as he did. Leaning back with a very small window with which she gave him, Link slammed a double-kick into her chest, sending her grunting up and high up back into the air above. As she reached a few meters above, her form shimmered again and she vanished, leaving the frowning-faced Link staring back.

Veronika's slim figure re-appeared and, like a raven descending on down, her form vanished and re-appeared constantly in its rapid plunge, both arms ready to attack with. Link watched her carefully, brow furrowing suspiciously as he set his legs apart in order to counter her inevitable aerial assault. Instead of choosing to attack him directly however, she opted this time to fly by him, leaving merely a trace of her perfume and Aegir behind, forcing the youth to spin his whipping curtain-haired head in immediate pursuit.

He leapt at what he thought seemed to be her in a simple air-dash punch only to find her vanishing yet again and re-appearing behind him; with widened cerulean eyes Link could only dart his shock-faced expression back her way as she grit her teeth together and yelled out with effort in her own counter-attack.

SLAM

"Argh…!"

VWEEE…

The ferocity of her roundhouse was strong enough that it sent him spiralling toward the edge of the ring, high in the air; as he began to approach it however, and even before he reached the air outside of it, the young blonde widened both blue-shaded eyes and pulled both arms back horizontally. Snapping his eyes shut again he exuded a powerful fire-shaded Aegir aura of his own, brightening up the arena considerably before suddenly and abruptly spinning and twisting his body endlessly and rapidly.

"Kaiten Resshō!"

FRRRRR

Like a spinning top itself, Link utilised a familiar technique he had grown accustomed to and attached his natural elemental Aegir to it, gyrating ceaselessly and fiercely with one goal in mind.

Recovery.

Merely shocked at the sheer sight of it Veronika could only stare in wide-eyed awe, simply watching as he slowly turned his hovering and suspended body back toward the ring; as Link began to approach the marble floor beneath him, the burning fire exuding from his body successfully burnt and blackened the beautiful stone beneath him.


5

"Incredible…," Veronika murmured out, gasping in the effort she maintained to defeat him, a bead of noticeable sweat dripping down from her porcelain forehead. "Link…"

The firmly-frowning form of the fiercely-fisted fire-elemental fighter could only upturn his hardened look into a softened curious one, blinking back at her. "Uh?"

"You're… you're not taking me seriously enough…"

Her sudden accusation made the listening young man hold back a wince and he lowered his blonde-haired head, raising up a left palm to rub at the back of his ponytailed head embarrassingly.

"Um… I'm sorry Vickie," he began apologetically, attempting to call on their former closeness a mere five years prior, perhaps in order to soften the blow. "I just… didn't want to…"

"Beat me too quickly?" The young Stralanavian interrupted him impolitely, an insulted frown upon her otherwise pleasing countenance. Link smiled this time in guilty acceptance, nodding back at her. "I know you think you're being kind… but that's an insult Link."

He followed through with his wince this time, a kind of pained and concerned look dotted around his own visage.

"Please…," she began again from halfway across the ring, her hardened disapproving frown returning to a softened and pleading one. "Give to me… everything you have."

Just as with Ragnar and, this time thankfully without the added danger and anxieties of potentially killing her, Link nodded back in response; opting this time to listen and obey to her fairly reasonable request. He uttered not a single word and reached his calloused hands up and out of the dark-blue weathered tunic he wore before pawing carefully and struggling lightly to pull up at the light-blue shirt he wore under it.

"Agh…"

THUD-SMASSSSH

The sound of his undershirt forming a small and new crater beneath them both caused the watching audience to all exchange murmurs, and the shock-faced Veronika to exchange her own clueless frown with the clothing before her and her blonde opponent.

"Finally…," Link gasped out, almost as if he had shed himself of a new skin entirely. "I can breathe again…"

He reached over to the small gauntlets resting across his arms and, similarly to the seemingly-light Draerith shoes he wore procured from his last mentor, dropped them all to the ground, one after the other.

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD

Veronika, having been watching the entire time, could hardly believe her eyes; she looked from each piece of clothing he had previously adorned weighing him down, approximately calculating each's staggering heft.

"L-Link…"

The former Kokiri raised up his straw-haired head to face her night-haired one, half-surprised. "Yeah?"

"How much do these weigh…?"

Her not-so-strange line of questioning still left a bewildered look on the youth's face, even as he traced her stare with a blink to find her casting her beautiful-eyed gaze down on the clothing he once wore so freely before. "Oh this?" He clarified for her, straw-haired eyebrow as he pawed at one of the boots he so recently removed.

She nodded.

"Oh… uhh… I dunno, around two-hundred and fifty-sixty pounds maybe?" He winced back at her; numbers unfortunately not his speciality.

"And… you've been… wearing that the whole tournament?"

Link allowed a half-amused smile to crease his complexion as he re-opened his mouth to respond. "Well… yeah," he chuckled back at her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I been wearin' it for the past five years," the Hylian admitted to in his light-eyed smile. "Sun Hui-sifu's orders."

Veronika, horrified at the revelation just revealed to her, could only stare back in open-mouthed wide-eyed shock.

I can't win this, she thought to herself wisely.

If he was able to outperform me weighed down heavily as that…

The blonde youth stood back to his feet and, hopping up and down as if in readying for the finishing move, the watching Veronika stiffened in growing fear as she affixed herself back into her own fighting stance. Link, by contrast, chose to flash her his usual friendly smile; a well-intentioned invite.

"It's been fun so far… let's enjoy the rest of this Vickie."

Veronika, fighting past the fear of massively-underestimating her opponent's true strength, opted to return the smile; an affectionate one she reserved only for him.

"Yes…," she sighed lightly through her mezzo-soprano, leaving him with an odd look of longing upon her light-brown irises. "Link."


With little warning she glided her slim body forward, her midnight-blue scarf whipping wildly in the wind with her long black-shaded hair as she did; as she approached his form, Link gave her one last frowning look before abruptly vanishing from sight.

Another sign of superspeed.

She attempted to intercept his movement with a swift Aegir-enhanced chop of her left arm; an assault that saw naught but air for the youth immediately shot out of sight a second time, his own slim form slipping by her somehow. Veronika swung her narrow-eyed head back, her silky-black hair whipping with her as she did before she almost immediately gave pursuit; a quick leap into the air that saw her rapidly attempting to fire off stabs and swings with her magic-enriched palms. She finished her whiffs, seemingly this time and finally with a connection; her forearm.

SLAMMM

The two broke off their hold together and back-dashed to relative safety; watching him carefully, Veronika set her legs apart and, as she did, her slim blue-dressed figure began to shimmer and gleam. Link watched her suspiciously and curiously, initially unsure until he began to witness her very form itself divide; indeed, before his very eyes did she split apart into four identical copies of herself.

Link's brow furrowed as he exchanged looks between each standing form of Veronika, blinking. "I'm sure Zel told me somethin' about a sword doin' this five years ago…" He whispered in light jesting, more for himself than anyone else, cracking a small grin as he did.

Opting not to wait for him to regain his bearings, the four copies of Veronika all leapt at him together, pulling their Aegir-enhanced palms back presumably to strike and stab him with. In quick barrages of dive-kicks, thrusts and general assaults, Link somehow managed to evade all attempts before, finally, a single punch got through.

CRACCCK

"Ngh…!"

Surprised by the level of strength she still possessed after dividing herself into four, Link staggered back a few steps, a light burn mark left on his right cheek from her powerful magical ability; a second copy of her followed this up with a simple yet effective roundhouse kick.

SMACCCK

As the poor Hylian was sent twisting back through the air, a third copy of Veronika re-appeared behind him, presumably to relentlessly and aggressively follow up the follow up; as she pulled her closed-fingered palm back to attack with and he approached, she finally grunted as she shot it forward, presumably to end the fight with.

SWISH

In surprise the young Stralanavian could only widen her light-brown eyes at the sudden-vanishing sight of her blonde opponent, all copies now darting their eyes in swift and desperate search for him.

"HEYT!"

WHOOSH

SLAMMM

Veronika widened her eyes and called out in shock as the similar wide-eyed Hero of Time shot down toward her in a deft diagonal dive-kick of his own, slamming his shoeless foot directly into her chest. As a result she was sent flying back into the other three copies of herself, dispatching all three imitations and the original whipping backward through the air uncontrollably.

VWEEE…

CRASSSSSH-CRASHCRASHCRASH

All four slammed horrifically and painfully against the stand's large wall, designed to protect the watching audience, before the injured four eventually all dropped down to the beautiful marble floor below them; a quadruple fall outside of the ring's bounds.

"Ring Out!"

Almost as soon as the referee made the match-ending announcement did Veronika's four Multi-Form assault also come to an end; as they all dogpiled atop one another, only one form of the slim, beautiful Stralanavian was left, laying face-down on the ground below in light pain.

"This set's winner… is Link Firbrand!"