Chapter 15: Team Ganondorf vs Team Peach

Twenty-three.

Robin gritted his teeth in determination. He could feel his muscles, straining and screaming from reprieve. His normal regimen was still not quite attainable, though logic dictated that a half-regimen was already stretching his body to the limit. War had made it necessary to keep in shape, and Frederick's psychotic regimens were finally paying off. Once more, Robin lifted his body, dragging himself over the bar.

Twenty-four.

Robin paused. He was facing away from the door, but he could feel the presence of someone beyond it's portal. He let himself down gently, turning towards the door. Ganondorf walked through, followed closely by Anna. Anna had fully embraced her role as a board member, apparently, wearing a smart looking business suit with medium length skirt. She was berating Ganondorf, and the Gerudo King was very unamused. He turned to Robin, eyes dulled from annoyance.

"Robin, help me out here." He stated grimly. "Your little … friend here keeps talking about 'image' and other words I care nothing about." Anna huffed in annoyance. She tapped her clipboard fervently, Ganondorf twitching with every rat-tat-tat. Robin noted that Anna grinned while this occurred.

"I'm your image consultant and a member of the board, Big G, and I'd like to have the respect I deserve." She retorted. Robin knew she didn't give a damn about respect, it was likely another way to press Ganondorf's many proverbial buttons.

"Seems like both of you are at each other's end." Robin commented. "Anna, you have concerns?"

"Concerns doesn't cover it, Robby!" Anna exclaimed. Robin grimaced. Anna's nickname was nearly as annoying as Gaius's, and had the misfortune of being much easier to remember and say. Anna knew it too. "Robin, Robin, Robby-Rob. Do you guys understand that neither of you are exactly … endearing to the crowd?" Robin raised an eyebrow, while a strange cackle was heard from Ganondorf's direction.

"Endearing isn't exactly a word I thought would be found in gladiatorial combat." Robin said cautiously. Anna looked down at her clipboard, studying some strange near-illegible scribble.

"Endearing is the goal, but marginally likable would be a good start." was the retort.

Robin pretended to look hurt. "Anna, look at me! I'm the epitome of marginally likable!" He ruffled his hair and gave a lopsided grin. Anna grinned and punched his shoulder.

"A for effort, kid. I'll up your grades." Her burgundy hair framed an exhausted but humored face. "But the real problem is the introduction."

"Introduction."

"Yeah, a thing to 'pump up the crowd' while you get into the arena." Anna answered, now distracted by a message on her communicator. She groaned in annoyance. "And little raccoon boy wants to approve it."

"Do you mean a song?" Robin was quizzical. Even after the frequent musical lessons with Maribelle and Cordelia, intricacies like musical psychology were slightly beyond him. "Do you have suggestions?"

"I've never bothered with anything outside of Gerudo music, myself." Ganondorf interrupted.

Anna crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "How about something accessible to the masses?" She retorted. She rubbed her temples in exasperation. Robin noted the bags under her eyes. Despite the lighthearted attitude she took, this was definitely starting to wear her down. "Seriously, we have, like, three hours here."

Robin walked up to Anna. "Why don't you just take a rest, go through some options with us, and we can work through it." He softly reassured her. A rattled sigh came through, and Anna's whole body seemed to vacate.

"Cordy was right, you really do know how to provide support." Anna said. Ganondorf's mocking laughter only served to deepen Robin's blush.

"Anna, I'm not sure that was meant to be shared information-" Robin began. He felt two strong arms upon his shoulders, and the sensation of losing balance. He crashed into a nearby seat. Ganondorf sat himself a few feet to his right. Anna pulled up a seat as well, wiping her hands, clearly satisfied with herself. Robin was unamused. "-So, what are our options here?"

The robe itself was nothing special. It was a ratty old thing, the deep regal purple beginning to fade, nothing more than an ephemeral memory imprinted in cloth. It was the little metaphors like that kept Robin attached to such old things. It sounded better than 'sentimental' or 'old fashioned'. Besides, it made Robin feel comfortable. He had spent most of his time in the mansion wearing various clothes that Anna had provided, but his robe deserved an audience. The golden designs reflected off of the harsh electric light, shimmering like the ocean at sunset. He smiled to himself.

Ganondorf was waiting outside of his room. As Robin exited, he made a not-so-subtle attempt at casually matching Robin's pace. He was wearing much of the same, but his crimson hair was now ornately done. Robin groaned internally: even Ganondorf had somehow managed to out-dress him. As the duo entered the main foyer, he noticed some interesting changes in décor. The walls, usually shades of crème and eggshell, were now decorated in gaudy pinks, greens, purples, and golds. The purple and gold were opposite a pink and chartreuse striped nightmare on the other wall.

"What a lovely shade of green." Robin heard Ganondorf remark. "It works so well with the pink." Robin stared at his teammate, a sense of worry coming over him. Figures that Lucina couldn't be the only one with terrible color sense. He thought. "I am partial to the Purple and Gold, myself." Ganondorf finished.

"At least we can agree on that."

"Speaking of purple, quite an interesting robe you have. Old?"

"Well-used, not old." Robin corrected. "Old is a word best used for food and people, not clothes."

"Especially for those who defend 'vintage' clothing, I suppose?"

"You suppose correctly." With that, Robin and Ganondorf reached a small room. The room was no bigger than a bedroom, and had several small cubicles. Ganondorf took a seat in the nearest cubicle, beckoning Robin over. He joined his teammate. The Gerudo pressed several buttons on a small panel on the cubicle siding. The panel underneath their feet began to glow white. As Ganondorf began to glow as well, he turned to Robin.

"Don't think too hard while you're in the tunnel." His being had become both present and incorporeal, a shadow and reflection, and then he was gone. And so was Robin. As he floated in the void, he heard various whispers and ethereal wails, pleading with him. This was much different than what Zelda and Samus described portal travel. It was unnerving, but also restful and peaceful. The wailing became more focused, and Robin could see distant visions, an oasis in the void. A glowing sword, lusting for blood. A crimson teardrop, splashing into the dark blue ocean. A crown shattered, lying in snow. Cordelia, eyes a furious storm, swinging her lance with all her might at Robin. Reflected in her eyes were three golden triangles, seemingly both fixed and rotating. It was then that Robin began to see Ganondorf materialize before him. Maybe it had been sensory deprivation, or a fixation on the visions, but only now did Robin notice the cold, clammy touch of sweat all over his body. Only then did Robin notice his labored breathing. Ganondorf looked concerned, and Anna, who must've been on the other side already, was already prepared with a healing stave, just in case. Ganondorf couldn't react to Robin's violent lurch forward, grabbing the collar of the Gerudo.

"What was that." Robin growled. His voice was gutteral, a command from a darker place in the tactician. Anna took a step back in shock, and even Ganondorf looked genuinely startled.

"I told you not to think." He insisted. "That's an experimental transport, it's supposed to be much faster and safer."

"Experimental?" Robin snarled, and let go of his teammate. "Well, safe is a relative term." He replied, almost whispering. He felt Anna's hand on his shoulder. He turned to the secret seller, and the grief in his eyes made it clear to her. She nodded solumnly.

"We can discuss it after the match." She said with finality. "And maybe we should avoid the nightmare tunnel from now on." She gave Ganondorf a reproachful look. Ganondorf shrugged, but his face betrayed his guilt.

As the trio entered and exited a small hallway, the whole area opened up into a large gray space. A din of thousands of voices echoed around them, but Robin saw nothing. Various workers tirelessly went about their business, talking to each other through large communication boxes. Anna noticed Robin's awe-struck face. "Think of this like the Ferox arena." She explained. "You two will enter a tunnel, and come out in the other side of the area."

"Where are we, anyway?" Ganondorf asked.

"The Kalos Pokemon League, apparently." Anna answered. "The area outside of the arena is quite nice." There was a cheer from inside the stadium, and a voice over the intercom boomed. However, Robin could make nothing from the voice. Everything mashed together into a wall of semi-coherent noise.

"Anna, do we know who's fighting right now?" He asked. Anna looked at her communicator in response. The cheering slowly morphed from a violent cacophony to a chant of unison. Robin could slowly make out what they chanted. It was foggy, but he swore he could hear.

"Ah! Falco and Little Mac facing Pac-Man and Donkey Kong! Interesting matchup!"

The crowd continued to chant 'Little Mac!' over and over again, in some sort of frenzied ritual. Robin felt his stomach twist in excitement. Anna was right on the surface, but in reality, this was nothing like Arena Ferox. There were consequences to failure there. Here, the worst punishment was merely losing the match. Robin grinned. Maybe it was the infectious crowd, but he could feel the electricity of the arena as the match came to an end. A loud horn echoed throughout the building, before a deep voice declard the winners. The resulting cheers gave Robin the clue he needed. Falco and Little Mac had come through victorious.

"Alright kiddos!" Ganondorf beckoned Robin and Anna towards him. "Once Robin and I walk through that tunnel, we become a team." He paused. "A team that has more brainpower than the other teams put together." He put his hand into the center of the three. Anna and Robin looked at each other, before Anna shrugged and followed suit. Robin put his hand atop the other two. Ganondorf grinned. "Now, let's go get us a championship."

The tunnel was much shorter than Robin anticipated. After only a few steps, he could feel the sweltering heat blowing in his face from the main stage. Anna had left them only a few minutes earlier to join the other board members in a 'VIP Lounge'. Robin had a good idea of what that was, only confirmed by Anna's smugness. He felt Ganondorf tense up slightly.

"Nervous?" Robin asked non-chalantly.

"A little. I'm not used to fighting gods." Ganondorf replied.

"Been one and fought one." Robin said. "It wasn't a cakewalk, but it's doable."

"You've been a god?"

"Yeah, it was okay." Robin had heard several loud thumps. Anna had chosen a particular song from the the options given to them. It was from Samus's world, and it began with bass drum and tamborine in rhythm. The two smashers looked at each other. Ganondorf smiled.

"Well, I've been a sort of god, so I guess we have advantage now, huh?" Robin smirked. Ganondorf had a strange way about him, but the confidence was contagious. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and jogged into the arena. Robin was impressed by Anna's instructions. Wait 5 seconds, then run out. Fire burst out of the ground next to the path the two smashers ran, and the music had reached a loud climax. The spectators cheered enthusiastically, almost fervently.

The smell of cold metal and ozone entered Robin's nostrils. The stadium itself had not recovered from the previous battle, blast marks littered the floor of the stage. As Robin and Ganondorf reached the center of the stage, new music, much more ethereal in nature, began to play. After a few seconds, out came Peach and Palutena. Robin hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Palutena, but the rumors seemed to ring true. She was almost porcelain, a radiant beauty who literally floated above the others. An otherworldly halo eminated from her being. There was a grunt of exertion. Robin turned to Ganondorf, who was clutching his chest.

"Whatever Palutena's doing, she's somehow resonating with the Triforce." He managed to grumble. "That can't be legal."

"Why, Mr. Ganondorf, are you feeling faint?" An almost detached voice asked. Robin realized that it was Palutena, smirking as she looked down upon the struggling Gerudo. "Maybe you should go get looked at?"

"Heh-heh." He spat out. "Nice try, but you won't convince me to quit." The goddess shrugged.

"Fair enough, I thought I should express my concern." She replied. Her eyes danced with starlight from several constellations. Robin frowned. If Ganondorf was out of commission, he'd have to improvise. Granted, he was rather good at it, but some fights are not equitable.

"I'll be alright, Robin." Ganondorf interrupted Robin's thought process. "Stick with the plan." Robin nodded his head before taking a deep breath. A low rumble caught his attention next. The ground shook slighty, and Robin noticed that the paths to the platform were retracting. Underneath them swirled a pit of void. Robin had read up on it, the void itself was just a portal to a 'respawn' center, where you got sent back to your battle. However, this was a one-or-nothing competition, so this information was irrelevant. A high pitched buzzing attacked Robin's ears. An opalescent dome covered the stage like a membrane. This was the force field, designed to keep spectators safe. Ganondorf stalked off to one edge of the stage, and Robin followed. Peach chose to stay center, and Palutena moved back. The intercom blared once again. Robin took one final breath.

3.

2.

1.

Robin leaped up onto a taller platform. Better to be up top then join the scrum at the bottom. He thought. He touched his customized arcthunder tome, charging up. His hairs stood at attention as the current swept through his body. He could hear the growl of Ganondorf as he attacked Peach head on. There was a flash of light, and Robin felt an intense heat upon his back.

"Don't take it personally, Robin." Palutena stated. "We won't win if we don't eliminate you now." Her words were cold, and Robin turned to see a small target appear in front of him.

Small pellets of energy leapt at Robin, who barely had enough time to jump back. As he fell, he pulled out his Arcfire tome. Shouting out a word of power, a pillar of flame grew in front of him. He saw several pellets smash into the flames. Robin landed hard on the ground, the sounds of static and smell of ozone filled his senses. As he got up, he was flung by a heavy impact. Blinking in shock, Robin gingerly got onto his feet. Only to feel the impact of more energy blasts. Dear Naga, she's faster than I thought. Robin thought. He planted his left foot hard, spinning around. He materialized a small blade, blue and shaped like a teardrop. He swung at Palutena, hitting only an afterimage. He swung again, and contact was made with her staff. Another word of power, and a large explosion erupted in front of him, singeing his hair slightly, it's sickly sweet scent filling his nostrils.

Another flash of light, and she appeared again. Robin felt a pit in his stomach. Palutena looked unharmed. In fact, her face was painted with looks of disappointment and annoyance. "Are you done playing with your muddled words?" She asked, far to quietly to be natural. Robin panted; there was no chance of him beating her one-on-one. He jumped back, almost running into Ganondorf.

"Do we need a new plan?" He shouted at the tactician. Robin shook his head.

"Teleporting is an annoyance, but I can work around it." The tactician responded. "Just remember my signal, alright?" Ganondorf grunted in affirmation, before once again running towards Peach. Robin threw another Arcfire at Palutena, who teleported over it. He growled in frustration. The burning sensation was back. He felt something strike his shoulder hard. He rolled with the impact, but still felt overwhelming pain. Instinctively, he reached out to his right, screaming "Nosferatu". He heard a surprised yelp, and the pain in his shoulder dulled. Palutena materialized several feet back, looking slightly perturbed and clutching her arm. Robin smiled. She can take damage.

The victory was short lived. He heard an approaching yell, and felt the full weight of Ganondorf strike him in the back. As both of them struggled to get up, Robin found himself grumbling.

"How did you manage," He asked Ganondorf accusingly. "To get thrown around by Peach?!"

"Her little brat can reflect physical damage." He countered. "It's hard to get a punch in."

Robin groaned in response. "We need to end this now. A prolonged encounter will prove disasterous." He could see Palutena approaching. "Back to back, and I need to to be ready to spin around and throw a punch."

"While spinning."

"Hopefully she won't have time to react."

"While spinning."

"You're plenty agile enough, Ganondorf." Robin steadied his legs. He would need fast reactions. There was a crackle of lightning. Robin's hand glowed with a unnatural crimson. "Heh, forgot about that." Robin chuckled. Pulling out a green tome, he shouted out another word of power. The elwind flung him upwards, and he could feel the wind flow through him. He felt a surge of dark magic, the nausea it produced, and suddenly, the radiant heat that Palutena emanated ceased. There was a geyser of hot air that knocking Robin sideways. As he tumbled, he saw Peach slamming a golf club into Ganondorf's side. Robin pointed at the princess, and felt the electric charge leave his body.

"Checkmate."

Robin was swarmed by several reporters, all asking the same five questions. He could feel Ganondorf and Anna pull him along, pushing people out of the way. The official interviews would happen in a minute, but Robin could barely focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

Apparently, after Peach fell off the stage, courtesy of Ganondorf, Robin had let out a big primal scream of celebration, before passing out. It took several minutes for Anna to revive him, and a couple more before he could get up and leave the stage.

"We're getting you … attention … stay awake." He could hear Anna, but she grew more and more distant.

"The hell you … doing?" Ganondorf's growls were but a faint whisper in the wind. Robin looked up. Ganondorf was but a blur, red and purple swirls dancing in his sight. It was nauseating, but what was worse was the bright light was kept popping in and out of view. Robin paused. It was … enticing. The light seemed to take multiple forms, morphing like shadows and leaves under the moonlight. Strange, how it seemed to call to him. He reached out, but couldn't grasp the light. For a moment, Ganondorf's arm was still, and Robin saw the light clearly.

A small triangle glowed fiercely, while two other triangles glowed like candles in the wind, struggling to live on. He could hear it whisper ancient texts and arcane words. Flames erupted from the center, reaching out to him. Visions, much like the one's he had before, came crashing through his conscious mind.

The tears of a black-haired woman, whom he had never met … or not yet met.

The blue clad warrior, fury in the eyes, pulling out a arrow of light.

A crimson fury, attempting to shatter a wall of light.

Something, more machine than man, laughing maniacally as he swept through armies of men.

"... Robin?"

Robin opened his eyes slowly. A worried face, framed by burgundy hair, looked down upon him.

"Oh thank Naga." Anna said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I was worried I'd have to call Cordelia with bad news." Robin struggled to get up, but felt Anna's hand on his chest. "Take it easy, slugger. You ran yourself through the wringer, just relax."

"What happened?" He asked, hesitantly.

"You overexerted yourself." Ganondorf sat in the corner of the room. "Held on to that electric magic for too long."

"Ah, at least we won."

"Smashers don't usually flirt with death, Robin. Especially not if they win." Ganondorf scolded him.

"Oh." Robin replied, embarrassment creeping across his features.

"You could've fried yourself alive."

"But it didn't."

"Do you always take stupid risks in order to win?" Ganondorf asked. Before Robin could answer, Anna nodded her head glumly.

"Always try to get yourself killed so others don't die." She said. "That's Robin's motto." She stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with the board of directors." She stomped off into the hallway. Leaving Robin and Ganondorf alone. Robin could hear a heavy sigh come from the Gerudo King.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say she likes you." He finally said. Robin snorted in response.

"People say that about Lissa and I as well." He said. "You know better." Ganondorf smiled. "And besides, she's been dating someone in secret."

"Oh-ho?" Ganondorf was curious. "Someone I know?"

"Doubt it." Robin replied. "But she's been out and about at odd hours, though. And she keeps asking Cordy and I for advice." He felt a rush of blood to his head. He blinked hard, attempting to refocus quickly. "I think it might be Stahl." He winced. As if he knows who Stahl is.

"You think she might be stalling?" Ganondorf wondered aloud. Robin shook his head fervently, making the throbbing headache worse.

"No no no." He muttered. "Look, it's not important." He pointed at Ganondorf's hand. "What's on your hand?" The Gerudo looked down at his hand, confused. "I saw a light coming from it."

Robin could see his eyes narrow. "Describe it to me." Ganondorf demanded.

"It was like the sun, beckoning me with it's brilliance." Ganondorf looked perturbed. "It was a … triangle? The shape kept shifting."

"Beckoning?" Ganondorf sounded worried. "Have you not read anything about the Triforce?" Robin shook his head. He had read about it once in the book he had borrowed, but the information was vague at best. Maybe the owner himself could tell him more.

"Humor me."

"Well, Robin." He continued. "The Triforce is a magical item, one that can grant power beyond your wildest dreams. Many desired it. Many died seeking it. And for eons, it has been tied to the destinies of three people."

"Zelda, you, and Link." It wasn't a question. Ganondorf nodded his head. Robin was unmoved. The explanation was pure poetry. Roundabout description with no clear meaning. The headache didn't help either.

"Precisely." He answered. "The Triforce has deep magic behind it. It's … unusual for people to see it without us actively using it." This gave Robin pause. The meaning was lost to him. "I've never seen someone actively communicate with it."

"It wasn't communication, I couldn't talk to it. More like, I could hear whispers and I saw … visions."

"What kind of visions?" Ganondorf was whispering now, tension gripping him. Robin could feel the room close in on him, starting to suffocate him. Maybe it was his imagination, but the shadows played amongst each other in a hellish dance, clawing desperately towards the light. He reflected on the visions. The crying girl, the arrow of light, the red shadow, and the metal man. It was distant, almost surreal in nature. Part of Robin desperately wanted to tell Ganondorf everything, but something within him hesitated. It was all so strange, and the visions had been a result of Ganondorf's Triforce.

"I'm … not sure. Nothing was familiar." The darkness subsided. Ganondorf seemed tense, but more relieved. "S-Something bothering you?" The Gerudo shook his head.

" … It's nothing." He replied. "The Triforce can be used to influence people. But I have never heard of visions coming from it …" He began muttering to himself. "I need to check on something." He said resolutely. "Will you be alright for the evening? Anna said she'd come check on you later." Robin nodded, still coming to terms with what happened. "Excellent. I'll see you tomorrow." As he turned to leave, he made one last comment. "And you did good today, kid. I really like your spunk!" And with that, he was gone. Robin attempted to grin, but couldn't manage. He noticed his hands were shaking.

And Robin was left to the darkness again.

Finally! The first match is over! As always, reviews, comments, and any questions are appreciated! Thanks to everyone for their support!

I'll answer some of your questions at the next chapter!

Next Chapter: Lucina, Samus, and the Future