Chapter 6

Complications

Noirfair

Cloud's POV

After Samus fell, the whole arena was quiet. Normally, I wouldn't be worried, because after the whole battle is ended, you normally are supposed to be teleported out of the arena. But this time, I didn't. I only heard silence after the announcement that the match had ended. I walked over to my buster sword, and picked it up out of the ground. Then there was a blinding light, that pierced my eyes, making me flinch away.

Standing almost in the same place I stood was Taboo, who was Glowing an awkward red color now. "Cloud…" Taboo spoke to me, without opening his mouth. I simply put my sword on my shoulder, and I smirked. "Yes?" I answered pensively.

His red in his body seemed to fumigate even more. "You cannot do what you have just done. We know you are new here, but we can't have you messing with things. You simply can't Just put down your sword like that. It doesn't follow the regulations."

"well, I did it, didn't I? And that is not against regulations, I have read over those carefully. It only says that 'The fighter must only use his skill set and nothing else.' Well, I did only use my skill set, just minus the weapon."

"You're not listening to me." Taboo said impatiently, changing his position to look me straight in the eyes. "If you somehow in any way, jeopardize my Tournament from succeeding, then you and your Friends will regret it."

"What do you mean?" I said, getting a sick feeling in my stomach. Taboo then swirled his hands in the air next to him, in a graceful motion and an image began to appear. It was Tifa, asleep in her room, with both the kids on either side of her. She looked so peaceful, and in perfect bliss.

"What I mean is that Cloud, you want them to wake up, don't you? You wouldn't want anything to happen to them, would you?" Taboo said, his body gaining a grin.

I tensed, since I know exactly that this was no fun and games anymore. "You even lay a hand on them, I'll shove my sword so far up you're a- "

"Oh Cloud, you make me laugh. I don't even have to lay a hand on them. With the snap of my finger, my operative that is watching them 24-7 will do that for me. Now I want you to play fair Cloud. You may be able to cheat death in this world, but you they can't in theirs. No more rules being broken, no more mischief. I can't see all, but if I even see one thing that is amiss, I will blame it on you, since after all…you are the only one I can blame freely. And to me, you are nothing but a scapegoat. But I'm betting on you. If you lose, then Tifa gets the loss. And I can get rid of you as easily as I brought you here. I won't since you are already a part of the Tournament, but afterwards…who knows."

With that, Taboo vanished from sight, and I was left all alone. I stomped my foot on the ground in frustration. He didn't want me to have friends, that's why he gave me that advice before arriving. It did all make sense now. But why did he even bring me here then? That still puzzled me.

My surroundings changed around me, as I was warped back to the manor. Everyone that was competing in the match rushed me, Congratulating me. It all was blurred to me, as I was more focused on what had just happened. Taboo had threatened me. Threatened the people I love. And I was not going to let that happen. I had no way to leave, from my knowledge. Once enrolled, I had no way to exit the tournament. I guess that I HAD to win, without causing too much attention to me, at all. No gossip, no bullshit. I thought I could handle it.

"…Cloud? Cloud!" Samus interrupted my thoughts as she shook my arms. Apparently the rest of them besides for Samus, Roy, and Marth got bored and left. They looked in pristine shape, the bruises they accumulated weren't even visible. Oh, the wonders of Interdimensional Space Travel. "C'mon Cloud! We are going to head to the betting stages now. You gonna come?"

I would've, but with everything that had just occurred, I needed to be alone. "Thanks guys, but I don't think that now's a good time. I'll move all your things while you are gone, ok?"

Roy then looked stunned. "But, it'll be fun! It's kind of like a big bachelor party before the big event! You sure?"

I nodded, and started walking off. I put my sword and exited the lobby, going up the stairs. Once I got to my room, I slammed down my head on the door. Honestly, I had no options but to play by Taboo's rules. I would love to just have fun, but this wasn't for fun anymore. I had to win, and lose at least trying. Because Taboo made it quite clear, that if I lost, then Tifa would be hurt. Or worse.

I walked over to the TV and turned it on. I went through the channels, looking for something about Midgar. When I couldn't find anything on Midgar, I turned the TV off and then I got up. I walked over to the door, and from there, I walked to Samus's room. Samus had left me the room key, in my room, which I quickly pocketed before the match. I got it out of my pocket, and then unlocked the door. I walked in to see Zelda on the opposite side of the room, watching television by herself. Hearing the door open, she glanced at me, in a sort of stupor.

"Well, look who it is!" Zelda said calmly, getting a typical princess posture. I walked over, and Greeted her. "Good game, By the way. That was fun."

Zelda looked down and scoffed. "Really? For you it was. I was one of the first people to get out. I don't even know why I got out so early. It wasn't like me to get out so early. I always at least got second or first. I didn't even last. Did everyone pump up their game, or something? It always seems that I need to get better."

I sat next to her, and I put my feet up, whistling. "You know, it seems that from last year, they did demote you, taking away your alternate and making that side of you a fighter all in itself. I guess that you have to just adjust." I looked into her eyes, and finally was able to see what she looked like.

Her hair was loose, but still all collected. Then she wore a white nightgown, along with bunny slippers. It made me laugh, because I never seen her outside of battle. It was almost as if she was a regular person, who had no problems at all.

In all actuality, I met her once. It was brief, since I never really participated in the smash series before. But she had to travel to the outer realms, one time, the reason I do not know. I met her when I was a kid, when she was traveling around Nibelhiem. She looked exactly as she did now, and I didn't know who she was until three years later, when I saw her in the second tournament. I still don't know what he was after, or why she was even in Nibelhiem.

"Yeah I guess. Only Samus and me got that adjustment, didn't we? I guess you're right. But now that Samus is going to your room, who am I going to bunk with? I mean, I don't have that many friends…" Zelda said sheepishly.

"You could literally ask anyone! But to my knowledge, I think Link might enjoy your company…" I said, not knowing what I had implied. Zelda then looked away, and blushed.

"You really think so? I mean, I think that he thinks I'm a bother to the whole kingdom. All I am is a puppet inside the role of the damsel in distress."

I looked at her, and sighed. "Even though me and link are rivals, I bet he'd save you over and over again, if he needed."

Zelda smiled, and moved closer to me. I was glad, because with everything going on, I needed the company. "Thanks Cloud. You need anything? Want to talk?"

I was thinking about telling her my problems, but I decided against it, and looked at the collection of boxes that I had to bring to my room. "I'm guessing you know how to carry boxes?"

Once all the boxes of Roy's and Samus's stuff was dropped off at my suite, Zelda left me to ask Link if he wanted to stay with her. I already knew Link's response. It would be obvious. I walked outside of the mansion from the back entrance that they had, and walked to the practice stages. There was a sandbag, with huge eyes staring at me.

I have seen these things before, and they were the things that people practice on. As soon as I summoned my weapon, in the upper left of my vision would appear the Percentages of me and the sandbag. This was a good way to tell how much damage I could cause with a single one of my hits. On command, I could make the sandbag go back to zero, resetting my progress.

With my buster sword back at my room, I decided that I had to use magic to get it, for two reasons. One, because I haven't practiced my magic in a while, and second was that I didn't want to go all the way back up there! I put out my hands, closed my eyes, and focused on my sword, resting on a box that I had just put in there. I imagined it disappearing, and reappearing into my hands. Over and over, until I felt it's familiar weight. When I opened my eyes, I saw that my sword was now in my hands, but then I looked at the handle, and saw that a yellow mouse was sitting on the hilt.

I yelped, and I almost dropped my sword. The yellow mouse had two red patches on his cheeks, and three brown stripes on its back. Its ears, had black tips, and his tail was in the shape of a lightning bolt, the thick part at the end. The thing had a chubby body and face, and I recognized what it was after analyzing it. Pikachu had somehow gotten onto my buster sword. But how did it get there?

Pikachu was looking at me with a curious look. "Pika?" I knew how dangerous this fighter really was, so I just carefully set down my buster sword on the ground and waited for it to get off. It glanced down looking at the ground, and looked at me puzzled. I nodded my head, doubtful that it would understand. It stood there, and then laid down, on my hilt, and fell asleep, with a bubble forming just outside its mouth, and whenever he breathed in, the bubble became smaller, and whenever he exhaled, it expanded.

I sighed. I didn't know what to do. I've heard of Pokémon before, but I never actually have been next to one. I picked it up gingerly and gently, not to wake it up. I set it on a field of grass that was a good distance away from the Sandbag. While I put it down, it curled its paw around my finger and it wouldn't let go. I had to pry my finger out of its grasp, and then I walked to where I was before. I had to remember what I was doing and I remembered what it was as soon as I picked up my Sword. The percentages were still able to be seen in my top left.

The sandbag gave me the same blank stare that it did before. I turned around and raised my sword and prepared for the attack that I had in mind. Then I brought my sword down once, slashing in a diagonal slash. Then I brought it back up for another slash, this time striking upward. Then I brought it down for a final time, almost striking the ground. The sandbag went back a few paces, and then seemingly stood up, all by itself.

I looked at the damage display in the top left of my vision. Only twenty-eight damage. It was a good attack, but it was not my best. I guess that I was still a rookie, being back in my old body. Then I got an idea, that if I practice the move long enough, then I would be able to be better.

I practiced the move about a few hundred times afterward, but to no luck. Still a consistent twenty-eight. It vexed me, because in this world, it seemed that even if you practice, you couldn't get better. Then I had an Idea. If I had my Fusion Sword, I would probably be able to faster, and more powerfully. But then again, I had no idea where my sword was. Or my outfit that I wore.

I realized that I could get my old outfit and sword. All I have to do is focus on them, and use magic like I did before! But to me, that would cost me a lot of energy, at least a days' worth, with the items literally going across the Cosmos. It would be painful, but worth it in my mind.

I started to walk back to my room, when I felt an unknown object land on my back. I literally almost shit myself when this happened, and when I looked, I laughed at myself for jumping. Pikachu had jumped on my back, and was now nibbling on my turtleneck. It tried to climb onto my head, but the way that my hair was formed, it found it uncomfortable and climbed back onto my shoulder.

I was still wary about that, because of the things I've heard about this little mouse, but I walked back inside from the training yard. I walked past the lobby, and saw that people had started arriving from the Betting stages. I hurried to my room, walked inside, and shut the door, locking it behind me. Yeah, it was rude of me, since Roy and Samus were going to be back anytime now, but I needed to focus. Pikachu was still on my shoulder, and I was starting to get used to him on my shoulder.

I took off my cloths except for my undergarments, and went to the bathroom, to change my hair. The way it was now brought on too many unwanted memories. I changed it to look the way it looked before, still spikey, but more leaned back, and not as prominent. I still had the two spikes on either side of my face though.

I went out and sat down on my bed. I began to focus on my outfit, all black, one sleeve still attached. I then imagined my Fusion sword, and stuck out my hands. The magic that I had previously used was nothing compared to this. I felt a huge tugging on my whole body, and immediately felt drained. It was like someone was squeezing the Mako energy out of me, like a rag. But the magic was still not over.

By the time I finished, and opened my eyes, I could hardly move. My breathing was ragged, and my body ached like it was ran over with a bulldozer. I looked at myself in satisfaction though. I was in my outfit, with the Fusion Sword in my right hand. I had slid off of the side of the bed, and fell to the floor, my body useless to me now. The tournament started two days from now, so I should have time to rest.

Pikachu walked on all fours to my side and nuzzled my face. I didn't know what it was planning until I felt it's breathing slow. It had fallen asleep, in front of my face. It was just like a cat! Just before I blanked out, I remembered vowing to give the Mouse a bath.