CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Fading Corruption
Finding herself on her back on top of a nearby building, Saya got to her feet with the Master Sword drawn as Jedah landed a few feet from her.
"You just couldn't leave it alone, could you?" he growled. "I have had to work my fingers to the bone for this plan to go off without a hitch so far, and just when it seems like we're at the final curtain call, you come back and try to ruin everything."
"You know, that theatre talk's getting really annoying. You want to maybe cut down on it a little bit?"
Jedah gritted his teeth and was about ready to strike at Saya when a certain bow-toting figure appeared before him.
"Don't even think about it." Zelda said sternly, her bow of light loaded and ready to fire.
"Despite the fact that more allies for this little brat isn't a good thing for me, I am slightly glad that you are the one who jumped to assist her."
"I'm not stupid, Dohma. I know what you're about to do. Where's Link?"
Jedah once again gave that shit-eating grin Saya was sick of seeing at this point before he snapped his fingers. There appeared a sphere of light, and when it faded, there stood what had become of Link.
"Behold, princess. Your precious hero."
Zelda gritted her teeth as she started in shock at what Link had been turned into, Saya standing next to her and looking just as shocked.
"What's happened to him?!" Saya shouted.
"He has fallen under the influence of Majora's Mask." answered Zelda. "But his piece of the Triforce should have allowed him to avoid this happening…unless…"
Jedah let out a light laugh as he detected Zelda's suspicion.
"Indeed, princess. Lord Ganondorf has taken the Triforce of Courage for his own. And if wouldn't be too much, trouble, he'd like yours as well."
"Forget it."
"What a shame, then. Link! Kill them both!"
Link let out a banshee-like shriek before the twin tentacles dropped from his hands and he began to whip them at the two women. Quickly shifting forms, Sheik generated a barrier and blocked the two tendrils.
"Saya! I need you to subdue Link to the best of your ability! I think I might know how to get him back!"
"You sure?"
"As sure as I can be! Now go!"
Link rushed Saya, whipping hard and fast at her while she rolled, jumped, and flipped to avoid the tendrils. She didn't dare to use her sword against him lest she mortally wound him, but the battle had hardly begun and he was already proving to be a great challenge. He was too fast for her to counterattack, and even dodging was a bigger challenge than it should have been.
"Just what in the world did that mask do to him…well, aside from the obvious."
Link leaped high, his tendrils poised to fly inward and strangle Saya if she didn't move or block it. In his feral rage, however, Link had left the pressure point under his arm wide open.
"Let's give this a try, then." Saya said to herself as she started to bend her knees. "SHORYUKEN!"
As she shot upward, she slammed her fist into Link's armpit, forcing him to recoil his arm and leave himself open yet again. As he dropped beneath her, she planted her foot against his chest and let gravity do the rest. Link let out a single pained shriek as his back slammed into the ground, but he was far from what Saya would call "subdued", and he quickly demonstrated this when he wrapped his tendril around her ankle and tossed her away. She landed right-side up and went right back at him.
While that went on, Sheik had herself occupied with the furious Jedah, slashing at her again and again with twin blood blades while she demonstrated evasive skills that put even Olympic gymnasts to shame. She flipped to her feet and tossed down a smoke bomb, blinding her opponent to give her enough time to veer around behind him and kick him in the back of the head.
"Blast, just hold still, you little weasel!" the demon hollered.
"Sorry. 'Holding still' isn't part of a Sheikah's job description."
Jedah let out an angry roar as the smoke cleared, raising up his hand as a buildup of energy appeared in his palm. Just as he launched it all at Sheik at full-force, she pulled back on her bow and let fly with a light arrow, piercing Jedah's projectile as well as shooting straight through his chest at the same time. The arrow had only just missed his heart, but Jedah still felt the splitting pain as it ripped straight through him.
The mask was beginning to get irritated, shaking on Link's face before firing twin beams from its eyes. Within a second, Saya caught sight of a large piece of glass on the ground and kicked it up into her hands. The beams reflected on contact, Link vaulting himself out of the way and firing again, this time with Saya running forward until she slammed headlong into him.
"Now to get this freaky mask off of him…"
Said mask didn't react well to Saya grasping it and violently attempting to pull it off of its host. Tentacles extended from its edges, pressing against Saya's face and dislodging her from Link. It was then that Saya discovered that Majora was a learning monster. As it learned more about its host and what he or she was capable of, it could use its host's abilities to fend for itself, and it clearly demonstrated this when two clawed chains came firing out of Link's back and zipping toward Saya.
She danced about as the claws snapped at her arms and legs, barely managing to keep herself out of their reach before she moved just a hair too late. One claw clamped down on her ankle and dragged her forward so she was lying on her back. What a timeto be lying down on the job once the Double Clawshots retracted, and in their place came a massive steel ball attached to a long chain.
"You've gotta be freakin' kidding me!" Saya sputtered as she rolled out of the way just in time for the ball to land on the empty space where she had been.
As she stood, Link swung the massive ball at her again. Saya sucked in a breath and held up her hands, managing to catch the ball at the cost of its weight nearly crippling her and forcing her a few inches backward. She began to swing it back, but once she had exposed herself, Link zipped forward and struck her. She lost her grip on the ball, and as she stood, she felt her all bones come close to splintering apart as the ball crashed against her. Flying off of her feet, she rolled head-over-heels before she finally went sliding off the edge of the roof.
She barely managed to get a hold of the edge before she completely fell over, though Link began to advance on her as she began to pull herself up, raising his arms and bringing them down just as…a small figure dropped in and deflected the blow with her wings?
"Get up, Saya!" Lilith cried.
"Lilith, look out!"
Too late. Link tossed out his tentacles and ensnared Lilith in them. While normally a fan of pain in all its forms, Lilith couldn't deny that the kind of pain Link was giving her now was ungodly. She couldn't breathe, she could barely move, and she could feel the dark power of Majora's Mask.
"Bring her to me, Link." Jedah demanded.
With Sheik subdued firmly under his foot, Jedah could now focus all his attention on the treacherous little succubus as Link dangled her in front of him. Looking into the high demon's eyes, Lilith felt only fear. She knew what betraying Jedah would result in, so why was she so surprised?
"Of all the people who would betray me…I never thought you would do such a thing, Lilith. I gave you the freedom you desired. I shielded you, but look at you now. You rebelled…and you sided with those who would see to it that I do not save Makai from its destruction."
"You're not saving it…" Lilith rasped as the tentacles squeezed tighter. "You're destroying it yourself…"
"And how, pray tell? How would you know such a thing? How would you know how governing a world works?"
Jedah's eyes looked down to meet Sheik's glaring red eyes as she shifted under his foot.
"She may not know what you've done bringing Ganondorf back from the dead and offering him the throne of Makai, but I certainly do. You don't know what he'll do to get what he desires. He honestly couldn't care less about Makai or any world. All he wants is power."
"As do all living things." Jedah retaliated.
"No. Not to the extent he does. This is a man who will betray even his most powerful allies to get what he desires. He will burn your world to the ground if he can become even a little bit stronger."
"And what proof do you have of that? He did indeed try to take your Hyrule for his own, but why does he not deserve it? A conqueror must make sacrifices to reach his goal."
"And one of those sacrifices is you. He knew that Saya was alive and she would come back to finish the job. He didn't tell you because he sees you as a liability. He left you here because he wanted Saya and her army to finish you off first. You aren't his partner or anything, Jedah. You're a pawn. You've always been one and you always will be one. All because you have to go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."
While Sheik continued to taunt Jedah, she had unbeknownst to him or Link slipped something out of her pocket and slid it over to Saya as she pulled herself up. This item confused Saya as it likely would have confused anyone. It wasn't any sort of enchanted weapon or elixir or anything. It was an ocarina. A sapphire-blue ocarina with the Triforce glistening cleanly on its mouthpiece.
Sheik lightly tapped two fingers against her own forehead and pointed at Saya, again without Jedah or Link noticing. Standing confused for a brief moment, Saya at last understood and began to shift through Sheik's memories until she found what the Sheikah wanted her to hear. A majestic song rang in her mind, accompanied an image of a very young boy that heavily resembled Link playing it.
"Play the song…the Song of Healing."
Saya didn't fully understand, but what else could she do? She looked carefully at the finger pattern running though her mind before she pressed the ocarina's mouthpiece to her lips. She blew, and the beautiful song echoed through the air. The song caught the attention of everyone nearby, but as Jedah took his attention off of Sheik, she quickly vaulted herself out from under his foot and struck him in the back of his neck and head, subduing him on the ground with his arms pinned behind him.
"Keep playing, Saya!" Sheik called.
Saya continued to play the song and opened her eyes to see a strange sight. Link dropped Lilith onto the ground and began to shriek and writhe about. Saya couldn't stand to see him in such a state, but she continued to play the song, blowing harder into the mouthpiece and increasing the volume. The song echoed softly through the air, reaching Link and causing him to buck about even more.
"What have you done?!" Jedah hollered. "You cannot possibly…"
"Oh, shut up!" Sheik growled before striking him on the head and forcing him into a state of dizziness.
Link screamed again, this scream lasting several moments and sounding much more human-like than the banshee-like screams of before. The tendrils retracted and the proper colours began to return to Link as he fell to his knees. At last, his conscience had awoken as he looked down at himself, realized what was happening, and tightly seized the mask, trying as hard as he could to pull it off of him.
"Come on, Link!" Saya shouted in her mind while she continued to play the song. "You can do it!"
With one final cry and one final strong pull, a brilliant light emanated from Majora's Mask as Link wrenched it off of him. With their vision obscured, Sheik, Saya, and Lilith were forced to shield their eyes for several moments before the light finally cleared. There lay Link in a near-unconscious heap, and laying a few feet from him was the now-useless Majora's Mask. Shifting back into her normal form, Zelda marched up to the mask and raised her foot.
"Bastard!" she spat before slamming her foot down on the mask and shattering it.
At the sound of Zelda's voice, Link weakly raised his head. To say he was exhausted and battered was an understatement. His tunic was torn in several places, exposing his scarred and bruised torso underneath it. His two leather gloves were missing, and next to some of his tools like the ball and chain and the Clawshots, his weapons were gone, including his Master Sword.
He barely had the strength to turn himself over onto his back, but managed it with a light groan and a clutch at his ribs. As she got down onto her knees, Zelda slowly raised Link's head into her lap, and once he looked up at her, she felt a smile work its way to her face.
"Don't you ever go getting yourself kidnapped and possessed again. That's my job."
Link weakly smirked, his strength beginning to return to him as Zelda gently ran her hands over him, the Triforce of Wisdom glowing prominently on her hand.
"Well, excuse me, princess."
Saya and Lilith watched the charming display as Zelda continued to heal the exhausted Link, both finding themselves smiling. Saya was relieved just to get another ally back
"What you did back there was very brave." Saya said suddenly to Lilith. "Thanks so much."
"It was nothing…but what did you do?"
"Hm?"
"How did you get him back to normal? All you did was play a song on a flute. It's a pretty flute and all and the song was really nice, but that doesn't make any sense."
"Hey, you're a succubus, I've been harbouring both a binger of darkness and a legendary sword inside of me for the past couple centuries, and this whole journey's been like one crazy comic book plot that some eighteen-year old boy wrote because he thought it would be awesome. Barely anything so far has made any sense."
The two shared a light laugh before they suddenly caught sight of Jedah beginning to regain a steady state and hoist himself to his feet, and as he saw that he'd lost yet another ally, he grinded his teeth in steadily growing frustration and anguish.
"No…" he muttered. "This…this is impossible! This can't happen now!"
Link's weakness was gone the second he laid eyes on Jedah. He furrowed his brow and pushed himself to his feet, and as he raised his hand skyward, his own Master Sword appeared in his hand as if from nowhere along with his hefty shield. He lowered his gaze, glaring so menacingly that even Jedah felt a hint of intimidation especially in combination with his next words.
"You and I have a score to settle…"
Without another word, Link rushed Jedah, slamming into him at full force and sending them both shooting over the edge of the roof. As Jedah attempted to launch himself upward, Link seized him around the collar, yanked him downward, and sent him careening toward the ground with one powerful kick to his chest. As Link started to fall himself and began reaching for his Clawshots when his fall was broken by a sadly familiar figure.
"Need a ride, handsome?" Morrigan cooed.
"Y'know, I actually would." Link replied. "…to the ground, please. Don't make this more discomforting than it has to be, okay?"
"I don't think it's discomforting."
"I do. Besides, we've got us a big bad demon to take down."
"Good point."
The second the two touched down, Jedah was on his feet and glaring crazily at the two as they stood ready to fight.
"This was not how this was supposed to end…" Jedah muttered to himself.
"Either way, Dohma, no more games." Link said sternly. "This is the end of the line for one of us. Let's just go at it and see who wins."
"Fair enough! Have at you!"
The three lunged inward as Jedah brandished twin blades of blood. His blades crossed with Link's, the latter pulling back and striking forward with his shield to throw Jedah off-balance. Once he had done so, Morrigan's wings morphed into spiked ropes and she promptly ensnared Jedah in them, squeezing hard and making sure the spikes dug in.
"Oh, how good it feels to finally have you as a submissive, Dohma." the succubus giggled. "I do hope you misbehave as much as possible."
"I certainly will, but you won't enjoy it in the slightest!"
"Try me."
Jedah let a loud roar, but as Morrigan and Link listened, they found it strangely distorted and animalistic. A strange aura generated around Jedah as the environment faded to white. He broke free of Morrigan's bonds in an instant, and as he continued to roar, his attire faded to black, his skin faded to grey, and large horns began to jut out of his head.
"Fair warning, honey." Morrigan said to Link in a somewhat nervous tone. "Uhh…I've never in my life ever seen him do that. In fact…that looks almost like Dante's Devil Trigger!"
Jedah continued to snarl as he shouted out a threat in a terribly mutated voice.
"Enough of this absurdity! Let me show you just what I am capable of! Remember all the allies you lost at the Aokigahara? Their souls dwell within me, and as such, their abilities are mine to command! Let's see if you can face them all at once!"
His blades fused together, presenting a much longer and stockier one that he now threw high into the air. The blade spun in fast circles before Jedah leaped up, seized the hilt, and brought it crashing down toward the two. As the blade slammed into the ground, it generated a mighty shockwave launching Link and Morrigan high into the air.
"Now the fun can really begin!" said Jedah, his voice cracking halfway and making him sound even more insane than before.
He launched himself upward, his feet slamming into Morrigan in manner reminiscent of Chun-Li's Tensho Kick. As he darted toward Link with another blood blade, the young Hylian warrior blocked the blow with his shield and stabbed, the edge of his blade scraping along the side of Jedah's chest. Jedah himself grunted, and as the three landed, Morrigan opened fire.
"Link, hit the deck!" she yelled. "FINISHING SHOWER!"
Link rolled out of the way just in time for Morrigan to begin firing several rockets from her wings, most if not all of them pummeling Jedah and sending him flying away.
"Whoa…" said Link. "Um, nice move, but that made absolutely no sense."
"And I suppose you being able to lug around so much gear and not having it drag you down makes just as much sense?"
"…point taken."
Jedah roared again, lunging forward and flicking out two large masses of blood that formed into two familiar shapes.
"As your demon hunter friend would say, JACKPOT!" Jedah cackled.
"…no." Morrigan said, slowly lowering her face into her palm. "You did not just say that…just…no! Only said demon hunter friend gets to say that! Or Pit! Or Link! Or any hot guy! Or anybody but you, for God's sake!"
"Enough! Die!"
"That's better…oh, wait."
The two shifted into a series of dodges as Jedah's mock guns began firing fast and without mercy. Link held up his shield and rushed forward, Morrigan positioned behind him until they both slammed their conjoined body weight against Jedah. Right away, he repulsed them and performed Ike's Aether attack. As the blade came slamming down, Link bashed his shield against it, locking himself and Jedah in a long exchange of slashes, blocks, and counterattacks.
Jedah balanced himself on his hands and spun himself like a top, launching himself toward Link with his legs outstretched and managing only to make contact with the cold steel of his shield. The demon flipped right-side up again, propelling himself high into the air and launching forth a bloody spear. In one second, Link had flicked out his bow, the single arrow loaded up glowing a soft hue of crystalline blue as he launched it. When the arrow struck, the blood froze rock solid, and Morrigan took that time to seize it and return it to sender.
If one called Jedah seizing the frozen spear in mid-air, zipping forward, and slamming Morrigan against the side of a building with it "returning it to sender", that is. The whiplash slamming her head against the steel girder, Morrigan fell to the ground in a dizzied state.
"It is just you and me, 'hero of Hyrule'." Jedah seethed.
"Fine by me!" Link shouted. "Come on!"
They struck inward, clashing their blades together and struggling to push each other away. Link found his knees starting to buckle as Jedah steadily gained the upper hand, especially when he generated a second blade and added that to the strain. Link began bending backward as he struggled to push his demonic foe away, but steadily began to feel overwhelmed.
"Damn you…" Link growled.
"Now do you see, you vile beast?!" Jedah laughed maniacally. "This is your fate! You cannot defeat the god Ganondorf has become, let alone his loyal steward!"
Link squeezed his eyes shut and gave one final push. One final attempt to get Jedah away from him, and it failed. The blood began to leak from the blade and drape onto Link's hands. It stung him like fire and steadily began to climb up his arm. Was this it? Was he going to die staring at this pompous bastard's maniacally smiling face?
It certainly looked like it as Jedah finally shoved him backward and slammed his foot against the young hero's leg. He wouldn't have it. He shoved himself to his feet, ending up on the receiving end of a brutal slash that just barely whiffed him, leaving a sizable cut on his shoulder. The sting dissuaded him for but a moment before he hit Jedah hard over the head with the hilt of his sword.
"I was going to make some sort of sarcastic remark," Link panted. "But I have to say I'm almost impressed."
"Good. Then let your end impress you even more!"
"I don't know if you've noticed, but there's only so much poetic speech you can spew out before it gets old. And there's the sarcastic remark. Never a miscommunication."
They clashed again and again, beads of sweat pouring from the both of them as they swung their blades over and over. The harder Link fought, the more maniacal Jedah and by extension his fighting became until he finally knocked Link off-balance and slashed his legs. The demon laughed and the hero screamed.
"A little cut is enough to bring you down?! You are no hero! Now die like the wretched little dog you are!"
Link fell to his knees and watched in terrified rage as Jedah finally raised his blade to finish the job, only for the blade to dissipate and Jedah suddenly start to stumble out in a crippled state, his normal colours fading back in before there came a voice.
"The only wretched creature here is you, Jedah Dohma!
Awe and familiarity arose at the voice until its source crashed down to the ground in a crouching position. Most relieved and ecstatic to see the figure was Saya. After all, wouldn't a lost friend reappearing after what looked like his death be enough to warm anyone's heart?
"No…not you!" Jedah sputtered. "I thought you were…you've changed!"
Mewtwo had indeed changed. Violet rings were circled around his biceps and he had gained a considerable amount of height. In combination with the brilliant aura surrounding him, he looked like even more of a force to reckoned with than ever before.
"Yes, that Poltergeist you sent after Jill. Nemesis, was that his name? He wasn't much of a challenge after this…oh, and this? I believe this is what Pokémon Trainers call a 'Mega Evolution'."
"Mega Evolved or not, you die now!"
Jedah split into at least ten copies of himself and surrounded the Psychic Pokémon, who merely smirked.
"No, Dohma, I'm afraid I have much more life left in me."
He crossed his arms in front of his chest and focused, a deep growl welling up within him. At once, Jedah felt afraid. Even from this distance, he could feel the energy building up within Mewtwo's body as a brilliant light enveloped him.
"No…I am not afraid of this…this science experiment passing itself off as a living being!" Jedah told himself. "He is nothing! Nothing compared to me! He will suffer for trying to defy me!"
Someone suffered, but it certainly wasn't Mewtwo. The second Jedah and his numerous clones stepped forward, Mewtwo let out a great battle cry and unleashed a maelstrom of psychic energy, the blast radius quickly expanding and slamming into its intended target. The real Jedah went flying against a wall while the imposters faded into nothing, and as Mewtwo focused his attention back on his opponent, he clenched his fist.
"You have failed, Jedah. Accept it and be gone from this world."
On all fours, Jedah found himself gasping for breath. He was so beaten it felt as though he would collapse right then and there and never get up again, but he couldn't. He couldn't let this happen to him. He couldn't let this pathetic excuses for living beings beat him around so easily.
"I will not accept it. Never! Failure is not an option for me!"
He lunged again, this time generated a blood blade so large that it was even larger than his own body.
"THIS WORLD AND EVERY WORLD BEYOND IT BELONGS TO GANONDORF! YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR DEFYING HIM!"
Jedah had been so focused on this new powerful opponent that he had forgotten about his previous one, so much so that he hadn't seen Link rise from his kneeling position until it was too late. With a loud cry, the hero rushed forward. As Jedah swung the heavy blade, Link rolled underneath it, took his sword in hand…
…and dealt the finishing blow.
Jedah's mouth hung wide open as the Master Sword pierced his heart. He struggled to believe what was happening to him even while it was happening. He found himself down on his back, his mouth still wide open in shock and Link looking down at him with the same determined frown on his face. As Link finally pulled the blade away and sheathed it, Jedah felt his whole body go limp. Mewtwo and Morrigan joined Link in standing over the demon, no remorse lingering in their hearts for what they had just done.
"He…will destroy…you all…" Jedah panted, his voice hoarse and barely audible.
The three parted as Palutena pointed her staff at Jedah.
"You have fallen, and now you will return what you've stolen."
A light fired from the tip of the staff and struck Jedah's chest. He let out a scratchy moan that steadily grew louder until it peaked into a full-on scream of agony. Seven glowing spheres rose out of his chest, steadily angling him up as they appeared and dropping him back down as they departed from him and floated into Palutena's open hand. Jedah stopped screaming, his eyes getting heavier and heavier. Even as Morrigan stepped in front of him again, he didn't have enough strength to make one final swing at her just for good measure.
"You cannot defeat him…" he breathed. "You will never stop him with the kind of power he has now…"
To his disgust, Morrigan offered forth a simple half-smile.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. The person that will be fighting him is way stronger than I'll ever be."
"The girl?! You think that little brat…can stop the Great King of Evil when she can't even take care of herself?"
"How wrong you are. Look at this. This whole army? It's all because of her. She's more powerful that you and I put together in will alone. She's been beaten to hell and tossed of the face of the Earth, and she kept coming back for another round. I admire that…and it's proof that no one can stop her. Not you, not Ganondorf, no one…and I'll be right behind her all the way."
Link and Mewtwo nodded.
"As will we." said the former. "You were right, Jedah. This whole thing's only just begun. We're ready to fight to death to stop Ganondorf."
"You…won't…defeat him…"
"Watch us."
And with that, Jedah let his head fall back as the last of his strength left him. He cursed Morrigan, Link, Mewtwo, Zelda, Lilith, and Saya over and over again in his mind as his eyes closed. The army watched as the life slowly left him, and when it had finally extinguished, his physical form crumble away into dust blown away in the soft breeze. Morrigan watched it leave with soft and somewhat remorseful eyes.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but…I feel kinda empty without that son of a bitch." she said.
"It gets the best of us." said Link. "Especially after they make big dramatic speeches like that."
He caught Morrigan's eye when he scratched behind his head and offered a small smile.
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but you and I actually make a great team."
"Aw, thanks, sweetie!" Morrigan chuckled. "And I gotta say you look great in torn clothes!"
"Don't get any ideas, please."
With the last of the dark forces disposed of, the innocent civilians stared out at the heroes, all silent and just barely able to scrape together what had just happened. At last after what seemed like an eternity of silence, they all broke into thunderous cheers. Who knew where these saviours of theirs came from, but who cared? Saya looked at all of the cheering people with a wondrous smile.
"Yes. If this is what the reward is…seeing innocent people safe and happy…this whole thing's been worth it."
"Said like a true hero, Saya." said Amaterasu as she came up to Saya. "But the battle is not over yet. One thing remains."
A look of determination on her face, Saya turned to Amaterasu and nodded before seven floating shapes touched down in the center of the scattered army. Their seven frozen allies, still fixed in the positions of strain and terror they'd been left with. Stepping in front of them, Palutena raised her glowing hand.
"Now, spirits." she said. "Return. Join us in the world of the living."
The seven spheres flew into their respective statuesque owners, and the army watched in wonder as they began to regain their colour. Seconds later, they began to stir, and seconds after that, they all gasped for breath and fell to their knees. Marth, Ike, Dante Alpha, Trish, Peach, Yoshi, and Chun-Li. All exhausted but very much alive.
As everyone else began to group around them, Felicia caught sight of Marth. While she was very glad to see him conscious again after fearing she'd never see him again, her conflict regarding the emblem prince and her werewolf companion still remained. She'd never made too many tough choices in her life, but here was one now, and she knew that either choice would seriously hurt someone close to her…or at least that's what she thought.
She let out a quick sigh. It had to be done. She approached the still-dizzy Marth and nearly melted at his smile once their eyes met. It almost made her want to just keep what she had to say to herself. Almost.
"Oh, Felicia!" he said. "Good to see you're alright."
"Marth, there's something very difficult I have to tell you. I know it's not really an appropriate time, but I need to get it off my chest before it gets worse."
"Hm? Uh…alright."
Marth, like any sane individual, wasn't quite sure what the catwoman was getting at, but listened nonetheless. It seemed serious at first, but a little bit of what she had to say was all he needed to hear before he had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing.
"I know we've had such a great thing going for a while now, but it's…it's just not going to work out."
"Pardon me?"
"I'm sorry. It's not that I don't care about you. I do, but I've just known Jon for a lot longer, and I feel like…I feel like he understands me more. Even with his stoic nature, he's just so irresistible to me."
"Felicia, I think there's been some sort of…"
She pressed her finger to his lips, lightly shushing him.
"Don't talk, Marth. It'll just make it even more difficult for us to part like this. It has to be this way. I hope you can forgive me. Despite everything I just said, feel free to flirt with me whenever you like. I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy it…"
"Felicia, I'd never think of doing such a thing."
"Oh, that's good. You're taking this a lot better than I thought. Don't get me wrong: whenever you did flirt with me, it was…"
"You mean kissing your hand? That's just a polite gesture. I'd never even think of flirting with you."
The second Felicia had fully processed what Math had said, she went from being hopelessly romantic to pathetically desperate.
"What?! Why not?!"
"Well, it's…"
"Is it because I'm not hot?! I mean, I'm not trying to brag or anything. I know I'm not as sexy as Morrigan, but I'm not that bad-looking!"
"I know, I know. You're very beautiful, but…"
"Ugh, what is it, Marth?! Please, stop teasing me like this! What did I do wrong?"
Finally fed up with her antics, Marth seized Felicia's shoulders and held her firm. He told it to her straight without building up any suspense, and it seemed that just made things worse.
"I'm already married."
"WHAT?!"
"I have a wife back in my time. Her name is Shiida."
"I can't believe you led me on like that! How dare you play with an innocent girl's heart!"
"Oh, for the love of…I give up."
Elsewhere, Dante Alpha was shaking the stars out of his eyes and helping Trish to do the same, both final brought to their senses just as Vergil and Dante Omega came up to them. Alpha took one look at his brother and smirked.
"What a touching reunion, hey, brother?" he said.
Vergil sneered in response, but Dante Omega was quickly concerned.
"Brother? So…he's your Vergil?"
Vergil looked over his shoulder at the younger Dante.
"So am I to assume you have a brother with the same name?"
"Yeah…trust me: if I knew the reason why there's two of me and two of you, I'd tell you."
"That's not the point. You said that last part as though it were a problem. What is your Vergil to you?"
Omega furrowed his brow and looked away for a moment as all the sour thoughts of his treacherous brother came rushing back to him. The journey they had gone through together to figure out who they were and where they came from…only for him to betray him and Kat at the very end of it all.
"He betrayed me…he betrayed everyone. He sees human beings as just pawns…people that are meant to be ruled over and herded."
"I see." responded Vergil. "But he is still your brother."
"So? Don't you want to kill your Dante?"
Alpha scoffed.
"Bro, if this guy could kill me, he'd have done it a long time ago. He may not look like it, but he's a real ma…"
He began whistling and looking in a different direction once Vergil drew Yamato and laid it on the back of his neck.
"Nonetheless…" Vergil said with his teeth lightly gritted before he sheathed his blade and once again regained his stoic composure. "How exactly does he see humans? Was there anything he said that stuck with you?"
Omega had every thought and reason to deny it, but what good would lying about it do? Vergil could read him like an open book and they both knew it.
"He said that they were frail…but he said it was a reason they needed protection. Why do you care?"
"He had good intentions. Do you understand that?"
"But he wanted to rule over them like a dictator! I didn't help him kill Mundus just so he could take his place!"
The exact words he had said to his brother before they engaged in a duel that effectively destroyed their kinship. That battle alone, combined with how his brother had mercilessly turned his back on both him and mankind, was enough for Omega to very nearly shut himself out from any argument Vergil had, but he listened nonetheless.
"But what was the ultimate goal of that mission?"
"…to free the humans from Mundus' control."
"And you succeeded in it together as brothers. With your brother, you couldn't have hoped to bring Mundus down. Even disregarding your journey together, you're family. You cannot turn your back on family. Even though it may pain you and you think you might not have it in you, you must find in your heart to at least try to forgive him."
Alpha had the thought to butt in with a snappy comment, but he could tell Omega was having a moment. He'd already hurt the kid badly enough. He didn't need any more of it. Omega sucked in a puff of air through his nose and let it out.
"Alright. I guess it's worth a shot."
Lilith had the thought to go over and help the seven as she saw Lucas and Ness run off to do the same, but at the sound of someone calling her name, she halted. She turned and the source made her want to run away almost instantly.
"Get away from me, Morrigan!" she cried.
"Lilith…"
Lilith shifted her arm into a Shadow Blade and lunged, only for Morrigan to catch her at the wrist. Lilith squirmed in the elder succubus' grip and started screaming, and it only took a moment before Lucas telekinetically forced Morrigan away and jumped between her and Lilith.
"Lucas, please stand aside." said Morrigan.
"I promised Lilith I'd protect her and I don't plan on breaking that promise now!"
"I'm not going to absorb Lilith. I just want to talk to her."
"Oh, yeah right."
"Honest. If I'm lying, you can run me through."
As much irritation as trusting this woman had brought Lucas and everyone else in the past, he could hear some sincerity in her tone. He looked over his shoulder at Lilith, and she seemed to be considering the same thing. She looked at Lucas and gave a tiny nod, and he thus stepped out of the way.
"What is it?" Lilith asked.
"I thought it was very important that I absorb you into me and regain my full power, Lilith. You're right. I didn't care a whole lot about what you thought of the whole situation. I only cared about me. And no, I won't just say it's in a succubus' nature to be selfish, because I fully admit that I went far beyond that…this whole thing is my fault. Had I taken responsibility, maybe I wouldn't have brought everyone here such phenomenal pain."
Lilith continued to listen intently, blinking frequently to keep a couple of slowly growing tears out of sight. She didn't want to cry in front of Morrigan. Not yet. She needed to hear the almighty topper.
"Being with this army for a little while, though, I think I've finally realized that I don't need that power anymore. I never did. Me becoming just a tad bit stronger isn't worth it if it takes even just one beautiful soul out of the world."
The elder succubus lowered herself onto one knee, and when their eyes met, Lilith felt all of her malcontent for Morrigan wash away. They weren't just two piece of a puzzle anymore. They were companions…sisters.
"Can you ever forgive me?" Morrigan asked.
Lilith's answer brought joy to Morrigan like no one could ever believe. She began with slow and steady steps forward, stopped for a few seconds, and then ran forward into Morrigan's open arms. She let the tears fall and held herself tight against Morrigan. Watching this display warmed the hearts of everyone who saw it, Saya especially. Saya herself now privately reminisced on everything that had happened thus far and how much blood, sweat, and tears had been contributed by everyone there.
But was it worth it for them? Was fighting for her really what they wanted? She'd been thinking about that the entire time this whole thing had been going on, and now was as good a time as any to finally do something about it.
"Everyone!" she called. "Gather around me for a minute!"
The heroes obeyed, all curious to hear what Saya had to say though many could guess, and for those that did, their guesses were 100% accurate.
"There's something I have to make very clear. I have to go and stop Ganondorf. We're going straight into the lion's den here. Some if not all of you are probably going to get hurt. In fact, it's very possible some if not all of us will die. Remember, though, that there's been no oath taken, no promise or anything like that that makes you have to go any further than you want to. Even if I have to go it alone, I won't hold it against any of you. If anybody wants out, please speak now."
She expected at least some of them to hesitate and leave, but no one did. Secretly, she wanted at least some of them to say they'd had enough. The coming battle would probably be one of the most gruelling things in their lives, and she didn't want them feeling like they were being forced into anything. What sealed it for her was when the three Celestial Mothers stepped forward.
"You are not forcing them into anything, Saya." said Amaterasu. "This army was amassed because these people all believe in good over evil."
"The hardships they have suffered through are a testament to how they all." added Palutena. "This isn't servitude. It's comradery."
Saya looked out at the army. They all looked determined and ready for the final battle, the ones with swords unsheathing and raising them high. As she looked further out, she spotted Phoenix standing ready with a gun given to him likely by one of the Dantes, and she even spotted Frank and Ken standing there, as well. Who knew where they came from, but thank the stars they had come to help. They were all willing to fight and possibly die for this cause. Not for her, but for every innocent person that had been or would be caught in Ganondorf's foul plot.
"They are ready, Saya, and so are we." said Amaterasu. "We only require you to lead us to victory. What say you?"
Saya's smile returned. This was it. Here was their fighting force, and here were the heroes that would save this world and all beyond it from the clutches of darkness.
"Alright!" Saya shouted, raising her sword triumphantly. "This day we fight!"
Everyone let out a thunderous cheer, rocking the whole city and letting Ganondorf know from wherever he was that they were ready to bring this conflict to a close. When the cheering died down enough for any individual soldier to be heard, Marth and Ike shot each other cocky grins before stepping forward. As a crowned prince and leader of a mercenary group respectively, both were master strategists and weren't afraid to prove it.
"If we may." said Marth. "We can't just run in there swinging like madmen and expect to come out without any scars. We'll need to use strategy."
Ike laid out a piece of parchment with a grid already drawn on it. With that, the army began to plan out their counterattack. Every suggestion from every member of the army was taken into consideration, and before long, they had themselves a perfect battle strategy.
"We are ready." said Amaterasu. "Now, everyone! To war!"
I'm back, baby...man, that doesn't suit me at all.
Now how about that Hyrule Warriors Direct?! ...anyone? Anyone care about Hyrule Warriors besides me? Well, anyway, I have to say I was a wee bit disappointed because they didn't really show anything new that I wanted to see. What they did show was awesome, but like I said, it was stuff we already knew. However, there was one pleasant surprise, and that was Ganondorf's reveal trailer at the end. First off, nice hair. Second, if you thought he was a badass before, you ain't seen nothing until you've seen him in Hyrule Warriors. Forgive me for liking a brain-dead easy series, but really! Dynasty Warriors and all it's spin-offs are just awesome and a lot of fun to play!
...sorry you had to see that.
SOUNDTRACK SO FAR
Saya, Ness, and Lucas- "Pollyanna" from Earthbound (SSBM)
Marth to the rescue- "Together We Ride" from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (SSBM)
X and Zero versus Kirby and Meta Knight- "Meta Knight's Revenge" from Kirby Super Star (SSBB)
Link versus Morrigan- Morrigan's theme from Marvel versus Capcom 3
Link versus Dante- "Never Surrender" from DmC: Devil May Cry
Krystal and Trish versus the Moblin horde- "Lock and Load" from Devil May Cry 1
Krystal versus Mewtwo- "Poké Floats" from Super Smash Bros. Melee
Saya versus Ghirahim- Ghirahim's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Frank versus Ghirahim- "On a Mission" from Dead Rising
Courthouse caving in- "No Redemption" from DmC: Devil May Cry
Samus escapes- Metroid Prime main theme
Chun-Li versus Samus- Chun-Li's theme from Street Fighter IV
Standoff on Mount Fuji- "Douchuumen" from The Mysterious Murasame Castle (go on Youtube and look for a version by a group called ysk1210)
Saya and Lucas- "Love" from Mother 3
"LET'S ROCK!"- "Devils Never Cry" from Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
The Devil Trigger- "How Old is Your Soul?" from DmC: Devil May Cry
Ryu and Ken versus Juri- Ryu's theme from Street Fighter IV
Jedah's assault on the airship- Airship theme from Super Mario Bros. 3 (SSBB)
S.I.N. versus B.S.A.A.- "Ride on Sea" from Resident Evil: Revelations (or Biohazard: Revelations if you live in Japan)
Ike to the rescue- "Eternal Bond" from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Saya's sorrow- "Kinder Days" from Sin and Punishment: Star Successor (known as Successor of the Skies in Europe and Australia)
An army of twenty-one- Main menu theme from Super Smash Bros. Melee
Dante versus Dante- "Empty" from DmC: Devil May Cry
Saya's rage- Tabuu's theme from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tetra's pirates- "The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Lagiacrus- "Sea and Land Tremble" from Monster Hunter 3
The Ancient Mother- "Shenandoah" from Endless Ocean
Vergil versus Lilith- "Super Ultra Violet" from Devil May Cry 1
Moblin attack on Tokyo- "Taiyo High School Rooftop" from Rival Schools: United by Fate
Mac and Batsu to the rescue- "Minor Circuit" from Punch-Out! Wii
Star Fox reunited- Star Fox: Command's ending theme
Amaterasu's "little game"- "Humoresque of a Little Dog" from Earthbound (SSBB)
Halberd going down- "Crisis" from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Samus versus Ridley- Ridley's theme (any variation you choose but my pick is the one from Other M)
X versus Ridley- "Dr. Wily's Castle" from Mega Man 2 (look for the version by SongeLeReveur)
Captain Falcon to the rescue- "Mute City" from F-Zero (SSBB)
Wild Pokemon to the rescue- Pokemon Red and Blue theme
Attack of the Shadow Queen- "Shadow Queen stage 2" from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Sheik to the rescue- "Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (SSBM)
Attack on Aokigahara- "You Will Know Our Names" from Xenoblade Chronicles
Their last chance at escape- "Justified" from Dead Rising
Amaterasu's confession- "Luma" from Super Mario Galaxy
Saya and company versus Takamaru, Lilith, and Giga Bowser- "Final Destination" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
A surprise return- Super Mario Galaxy theme
Ryu's rampage- Akuma's theme from Marvel versus Capcom 3
Link returns- "Song of Healing" from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Link and Morrigan versus Jedah- Legend of Zelda theme (there's an awesome rock remix by a guy called Elias Bardsen on Youtube. Go check that one out.)