The Crossing of the Paths
Second Edition
By MMM/AJ
Part I: Desert Wind

A/N: Hey everyone! This chunk is going up very late in the day since I'm away from home visiting my family this Saturday, but I still managed to slide it in just under the deadline! I'm not gonna stick to my weekly update schedule for this many weeks in a row only to be derailed by a vacation!

This chunk features the new version of the Festival Games from the previous edition. There's still plenty more new content here though, and I have significantly tweaked how the games work. I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 21: Unshackled, Unyielding

Sleep once again proved fitful and unpleasant for Mewtwo that night. No dreams came to him because of the constant interruptions caused by the alchemist fumes and the emotions that tormented him throughout the dark hours. His mind kept going over all the terrible things he'd experienced since he had come to Hypalia. When he first laid down to sleep he found himself remembering the stabbing pain of the Chosen's claws buried in his shoulder. As he continued to try to sleep he couldn't banish the vision of the moldgua devouring Ruisa from his mind. When he did manage to get a few scant hours of sleep, he was forced awake again by memories of Ciela strapped to the table. The lack of sleep eroded his emotional stability, a fact that he could consciously sense as the sun rose and the Gerudos began to gather for the next set of Trials in the town square. Low-key anger and bitterness lingered on the back of his emotional palette like a foul aftertaste. He growled wordlessly to himself as he forced himself up and ate his daily rations. He couldn't help but feel a lingering ember of righteous anger flickering in the back of his mind; the grief he had been feeling for Ruisa was starting to change shape into a desire for revenge.

In that state of bitterness Mewtwo didn't feel too keen on watching the Trial of Combat. As far as he was concerned it was just going to be another day of the Vha'an people dominating the competition while few people he actually knew participated. So instead of going to find Kalana and Ruru and sitting with them, he headed into one of the larger side-alleys of Ven'vha where some of the market stalls had been moved to. He was hoping some window shopping would calm his nerves.

This alley, located up on the second tier, was akin to a long, stretched out horizontal marketplace. He found stalls selling clothing, jewelry, armor, weapons, textiles, gear, and even furniture. He began to browse idly, casting his eyes over the wares as he walked slowly along the row of stalls. Almost immediately though several of the shopkeeps recognized him and began to call out to him.

"Sav'otta Traveler! Come shop with us!"

"I will give you a special discount!"

"Only the best for the hero who shall defeat the Sulaaq!"

The eager calls only served to distract Mewtwo and make him feel uncomfortable. Something about being idolized like that rubbed him the wrong way. Perhaps the sheer gulf between his powers and their magical abilities made him feel like there was a power dynamic at play that would make it unethical for him to take their charity or gifts. He wandered the stalls for awhile longer until he came to a smaller weapons stand at the edge of the market row. He immediately recognized the owner as Arbiter Nereti, who was idly sipping some unfamiliar dark colored beverage from a huge metal stein. Up this close Mewtwo was able to appreciate just how incredibly powerful the woman looked, she was covered in muscles and must have been more than 8 feet tall. Even sitting down on a wooden stool she was taller than him.

"Sav'otta Nereti, I didn't know you also owned a shop. I suppose there's no rules saying an Arbiter can't hold down multiple jobs then?" He asked.

"Indeed. A good day for me is a day when I never once have to exercise my authority and can work the forges or watch my stall uninterrupted." Nereti replied, setting down her stein.

Mewtwo felt grateful for the informal way she treated him. He was able to finally feel a little bit relaxed and talk casually with her while the anger in his mind retreated.

"Are you going to participate in the Trials again today? I don't know enough about how the rules work to know whether you're allowed to enter multiple times."

"Of course. The rule is one entry per person per Trial. I have some scuffs on my pride that need a little polishing after yesterday." Nereti replied, giving him a slight smirk.

"Think they'll match you with Kurala again?"

"I hope so. I'm the current record holder for the most perfect 20-win streaks at the trials, you know. I still lose the occasional streak, with the most noteworthy examples being against the Ravéan champion Teneri, Goddesses keep her, and once against your tribe's chief Hadara."

"Really? She's not even half your size though."

"Hah, you should never judge your opponent by their stature, Traveler. That battle was almost 20 years ago, and I was younger and more foolish then, while Chief Quindalo was more nimble and spry. I underestimated her and used flashy flourish attacks and in response she parried me, slipped around behind me, and put her daggers up to my throat. The way she moved in that moment was unreal; the grace and speed made an eye-blink seem sluggish by comparison." Nereti replied, then picked up a dagger from the rack to her left and began to polish it.

"Ah, so she has more than just birthright to justify her authority then." Mewtwo pondered.

"Of course! Chiefs are held to the highest standard of competency of all our people. They spend more than a century in training before being allowed to take up their golden mantles. I would expect nothing less from her, regardless of how much of Nabooru's blood runs through her veins."

Nereti then reached out and set that dagger on the wooden stand table in front of her. "This is the dagger she defeated me with. Five years after that defeat I managed to best her in a subsequent match and she gave me the dagger as a gift to recognize my growth and improvement as a warrior."

Mewtwo picked up the dagger and examined it in detail. It had a straight, narrow blade without any curves or serration, and the small crossguard was made of what looked to be gold. The pommel had a tiny ruby set in it. It was incredibly light and well balanced, giving him a sense it would perform well when thrown. He realized it was completely identical to the dagger that Hadara had given him to kill Ciela with when Ciela had taken their people hostage during the trip.

"It's a part of a set of two, but she only gave me the one. Told me if I ever defeated her again I could earn the other. But then she and our chief had their falling out and agreed to a ten year hiatus on Taji Alirha and I never had a chance to fight her again. Though in all truth it might not have happened anyway since Chiefs may only compete via tiebreakers and it was already quite unlikely to have two tied games in the span of five years. Usually our tribe wins most of our games each year handily." Nereti said with a boastful tone.

"I noticed yesterday how many Vha'an victories seemed to be piling up." Mewtwo replied, then set the dagger back down on the table.

"Our people are famous for dominating the Trials. The only exception is the Trial of Magic, which has always been historically far more even. The Rakeshan people have given us a run for our rupees more than once when it came to spellcasting. I suspect you're going to take every match this year."

Nereti took the dagger back and returned it to its sheath before placing it back on the rack to her left.

"I am not sure it would be entirely fair, to be honest. I think-"

"You think it would be like an eight foot tall warrior taking on a hunched over five-foot tall old grandmother, yes?" Nereti asked, interrupting him and giving him a challenging look.

Mewtwo's sentence stumbled to a halt as her interruption derailed his train of thought. He realized the point she was trying to make by comparing his strength to her own, then tried to scrape together a response.

"Competitions back on my Earth do usually have rules like weight classes, simply because statistically not every old woman is as strong and fast as Chief Hadara."

"Perhaps, but how much have you observed the work of our mages? Do you know for sure how good a match they might be for you?"

"Well, I suppose not."

"Then perhaps you should not underestimate us." Nereti replied, then sat up a little straighter in her seat. "Take some advice from a woman who has been an Arbiter for nearly 50 years. The night when you confronted Kurala and her Doomseer uprising, you were reckless and boastful. Perhaps some of the people in the crowd were impressed by the show of power you were putting on, but you got lucky. Have you ever heard of an Impediment Curse?"

"No, never."

"It is a form of dark magic derived from a monster from the old world that our ancestors called Sava'shá, or "Bubble" in the common tongue. The beast was composed of a monstrous reanimated skull wreathed in magical flames, which could float through the air and charge at its foes. Physical contact with the flames could impart a variety of curses. Some merely caused physical harm, while some could render the victim unable to draw their blade. A rare form could seal its victim's magic, rendering them unable to cast any form of spells whatsoever. Those who pursue the magical knowledge of witchery were well-known to have learned how to harness the magic of the Sava'shá and wield it to render their foes helpless. I just so happen to know there are several practicing witches in the Suulan tribe too. If one of them had been standing with the Doomseers that night they could have easily cast an Impediment Curse on you and rendered your magic unusable, opening you up to be skewered through the gut by Kurala or one of her followers."

Nereti's words were sobering to Mewtwo. He already felt like a moron for championing his Recover ability without knowing that Gerudo mages could do similar things, but this was a whole new level of wake-up call.

"I see..."

"You have a protective and selfless heart Mewtwo, I could see that when you forbade your tribeswomen to shed blood on your behalf and tried to prevent the Doomseers from harming innocents. But there is an arrogance within you, one that has been nurtured and grown by too many years of comfortable superiority over the foes you're used to facing. I could hear it in your tone as you paraded your skills in front of the assembled tribes, thinking yourself vastly impressive. You think your special form of magic is the perfect countermeasure to all forms of threat. Perhaps on your Earth world it was, I do not know how things operate there. But you must remember that our world is different. There are whole schools of magic you have never once witnessed and they may hide capabilities that you can't even imagine."

Nereti's voice was firm and unflinching, but it wasn't harsh or hateful. Mewtwo appreciated the fact that she was being honest with him without being insulting about it.

"I understand now. Thank you for speaking these things to me with the respect you have shown."

Nereti nodded quietly, then reached over to grab her stein and take another deep drink. She downed nearly the entire thing before setting it down and speaking again.

"You are not a fool, Mewtwo. I would never call a fool one who genuinely wants to protect others and give of themselves so freely. That's the spirit of sisterhood that keeps all our people alive. You deserve to be taught how to fight and survive in a way that encourages that spirit, rather than crushing it. That is how my mentor taught me when I trained to be the Arbiter that I am today. Ignorance is only a vice when it is wilful."

"Well, then what advice would you give me in order to help me to quell this ignorance?"

"First of all, don't simply assume that your spells will always be sufficient to protect you from everything all the time. Treat every single battle as potentially lethal regardless of the strength of your opponent. Expect them to have a power or technique that can nullify those powers and be ready to dodge it. An Impediment Curse can pass through almost all protective spells save for those specifically designed to counter it, so the only effective way for you to avoid it aside from those specialized wards is to not be hit."

"I see. I don't suppose you have advice on how to fight the Sulaaq?"

"If only. Nobody currently alive has ever fought a Chosen or Immortal, only their thralls. But I can give you a few pieces of advice when fighting our people during the Trials. Gerudos have developed a very aggressive fighting style out of necessity after fighting against Lizalfos all our lives. Lizalfos prefer to fight at range with their boomerangs and spitting attacks and they will repeatedly withdraw from a melee in order to keep throwing their weapons. Our people learned that continuously pressing the attack and chasing them down to strike in close quarters keeps them at a disadvantage. This style often comes through during our Trials, so you should be prepared for it. Fight slowly and analytically. Watch for your opponents to make mistakes and then exploit those mistakes to gain an advantage. Remember, unless you're under a specific time constraint there's no reason to be recklessly rushed. Take your time and don't initiate an attack unless you see an opportunity, and even then watch for feints and traps."

"Ah, well I don't think I want to participate in the Trial of Combat, just the Trial of Magic."

Nereti laughed a bit as she replied. "You will see soon enough that there are plenty of spells that can be used in melee combat as well, my friend."

At that point the same beautiful, energetic music began to drift on the air through the town, catching both their ears. Nereti smiled a bit and then stood up.

"Ah, the signups are beginning. I should close my stall and make my way there."

Nereti grabbed her dagger and strapped it to her hip, then began to put away the various blades and spears with comfortably memorized speed and precision. That is, until a thought struck her and she paused to turn and look at Mewtwo.

"That spear you carry strapped to your back...I recognize it. That's the heirloom spear of the Vatorsa family, is it not? I once fought the late Arbiter W'diri during the games and she wielded that spear against me. May I see it?"

"Oh, of course. But how did you know about W'diri's death? As far as I was aware it was fairly recent, and the Rakeshan people haven't come here for Taji Alirha in a long time." Mewtwo asked.

"I heard the news of it last night while talking to a few Rakeshan Guardswomen. I was quite eager to get caught up on the latest news since it's been so long. But please don't delay, I don't want to miss the signups."

Mewtwo nodded in understanding and unstrapped the spear and handed it to Nereti, who spun it in her hands and turned it over to examine the clawed cap on the base. A smile played over her face and she pointed at the wood near the bottom.

"See this strip of bare, exposed wood here? That is old damage from our battle. My blade clashed with the spear and bit into the wood, then slid down to the base, stripping the surface of a layer of wood and paint until it stopped at the cap at the bottom. I can still remember that fight to this day. W'diri was a fierce warrior, I might have lost to her if I hadn't managed to disarm her after that clash. May I ask how you got this weapon?"

"It was a gift to me from Q'diri, the current Rakeshan Arbiter. She wanted to repay me for saving the life of her sister Madiri when we were attacked by a Molduga." Mewtwo explained.

"Ah, I see! This is a princely gift, Traveler. I happen to know this spear has been in the Vatorsa family for generations. They have a proud history of working and training tirelessly to make themselves worthy of being appointed as Arbiters. Unlike the Chiefs, the title of Arbiter is not passed down by blood, the people vote and appoint them every five years. You have to earn that title, both through the skill and strength of your body and through a thorough understanding of fairness and justice. The Vatorsas have had members of their family chosen to be Rakeshan Arbiters for the last five appointments, so it is a venerable family indeed. From what I have heard, they pass down their weapons with the title, so Q'diri must have judged you a worthy successor indeed should she or Madiri die."

"You know an awful lot about the Rakeshan people, given the distance between our settlements." Mewtwo noticed.

"Being an Arbiter is more than just brute strength and skill, as I just said. Knowledge of tradition is vital, and I just so happen to have a keen interest in the history of the Arbiters of all the tribes. I could tell you similar such stories about every single one of them tracing all the way back to the burning of the scrolls. Just because I am an avatar of physical strength does not mean I can't find enjoyment and fulfilment in the academic aspects of my duty as well." She replied with a smirk.

"I seem to have underestimated you in many ways on this day." Mewtwo replied.

Nereti fiddled with the spear a little bit more rather than giving it back. She hummed thoughtfully as she examined several such small points of damage. Just as Mewtwo was about to ask to have it back, Nereti made a proposal.

"I can tell Q'diri has not maintained the spear as well as she could have. Perhaps she finds that the damage acts as a reminder of her late sister's exploits. I can understand the sentiment, but the spear deserves better. Would you allow me to repair and restore it, Traveler?"

"I suppose, but I wouldn't want you to do it for free. You deserve payment for your work. How much would it cost?" Mewtwo asked.

"I actually don't normally charge fees for such work among my own tribeswomen. But for other tribes there is a nominal fee of five rupees." Nereti explained.

"Ah, and I can assuredly afford that."

Mewtwo took off the small pouch of belongings he had been carrying and opened it up. Inside was the shimmering pile of green rupees that Madiri had given him, as well as the scant few of the ones he had won from Ruisa. A feeling of deep sadness suddenly welled up within him when he realized he was about to spend those rupees. He didn't know whether or not he would ever rebuild his friendship with Madiri and it was obvious to him that he would never have another physical keepsake to remember Ruisa by. Suddenly he didn't want to do this anymore.

"Did you not just say you had enough?" Nereti asked.

"I did but..."

Unable to choose between Ruisa's and Madiri's rupees, he closed his eyes and grabbed five of them at random. He set them on the table in front of Nereti before finishing what he had said.

"All I ask is that you handle them with care, some of them came to me from a friend who has since passed. If I'm to spend them on anything, it should be something as important as this."

"Ahhh, I see. I will remember this as I perform the work. The spear should be ready tomorrow evening by sunset. I am sorry for the loss of your friend, may the Goddesses keep her." Nereti replied, picking up the offered payment and bowing her head respectfully.


Mewtwo strolled down the alleys of Ven'vha slowly, making his way back toward the square. He was now a little more motivated to watch today's Trial since he had talked to Nereti; now he was eager to see her give Kurala a thorough thrashing during their fight. But he wasn't in a hurry yet, since he knew the signups were undoubtedly going to take awhile to get through. He explored for an indeterminate amount of time, mostly ignoring the shouts of the shopkeeps and giving polite greetings to the unfamiliar Gerudos who excitedly called out to him. It seemed like Indiru's prophecy had really caused quite a stir.

Mewtwo was heading down a smaller, narrow side-alley when he saw Ruru come barreling around the corner and running toward him. She scrambled to a stop when she spotted him and shouted out to him.

"There you are! Kalana and I were looking for you for the last half hour!"

"Ah, apologies Ruru. I needed to clear my head. The fumes from the alchemist shop have played havoc on my sleep and sleep deprivation stretches my emotional stability quite thin." He explained.

"Yeah I get you, the stinky stuff has been irritating for me and Kalana too. You ready to go pick a seat?"

"I suppose, though it's still fairly early isn't it?"

"Yeah true. I don't have much else to do though, I don't have money to spend on stuff at the markets and I'm not really good at dancing. I would go play with Indiru but I don't think she likes me."

Mewtwo tilted his head curiously. "What makes you think that?"

"She never smiles or laughs at anything. I try to play games with her and tell jokes but it's like talking to a rock."

Mewtwo nodded and knelt down next to her. "It's not your fault, her Seer powers have shown her lots of awful, terrifying things. It's really hard to laugh at jokes and play games when you're scared, you probably can understand that much. Imagine putting yourself in her shoes; she's scared and sad all the time because of what her powers do to her every day. Not even your amazing jokes can get through that."

A look of sympathy and sadness played over Ruru's face in response. She didn't seem able to conjure any more words, so Mewtwo continued.

"I think, if you do want to be friends with her, you should instead ask her about the positive and fun things she's seen and done, rather than trying to pour your own jokes and silliness on her. People are happy when you make an effort to ask about the things they like. Maybe she has her own favorite songs that you can sing with her?" He suggested.

"Well ok! That seems like a good idea! Maybe I should do the same with you too! Do you have favorite stuff you like to share?"

Mewtwo hadn't expected her to turn his advice around and use it on him. It was a good surprise though; he smiled as he pondered a brief reply.

"I've admittedly not dedicated much of my time to fine arts and music. But...I do recall you once asked me to show you more of my powers. Since the drain device is down, why don't I do that now?"

Ruru's eyes practically lit up with eager excitement as she replied. "Yeah! Show me your coolest ones! Which one is your favorite?!"

"I am quite fond of flying, actually. Here, would you like to fly with me?"

Mewtwo might as well have asked her if she wanted a mountain of sweets. She bounced up and down in eager excitement and yelled out an immediate "YES!"

"Alright, just take my hand and grip it tightly. Don't let go until we land, alright?"

Mewtwo then offered her his hand and she immediately darted out her own hand and grabbed it. She had a surprisingly strong grip for a child, but thankfully it wasn't strong enough to be painful. He then lifted the two of them into the air with a simple telekinetic push, giving them a sense of instant weightlessness.

This time around Mewtwo didn't need to conceal himself with a cloak. He soared upward at a speed comparable to an eagle's flight, leveling out his body horizontally. Ruru laughed with pure childish glee as they flew, using her free arm to flap like a bird.

"This is awesome!" She yelled, undulating her body with the flapping motion. "Come on, let's go higher!"

"I see you're not acrophobic at least." Mewtwo chuckled, then pushed them upward faster and faster.

The heat of the desert began to fall away as they darted upward into the cool, clear skies above the town. Wind began to whip at them as they gained height, but it was a comparatively clear and still day so it never got uncomfortably strong. The higher they went the more Ruru seemed to enjoy it. Mewtwo forgot his anger and sadness entirely as he soaked in her simple, abject childhood joy.

"Higher! More!" She shouted.

"I'll have to raise a shield though, any higher and the air gets too thin." He replied.

A semi-transparent telekinetic bubble formed around them now in order to hold their air in. It blocked out the whipping wind as well, keeping them warm and comfortable as they rose higher still. The sky directly above them began to darken as they shot upward into the thinner reaches of the atmosphere. The planet curved away beneath them now. Ven'vha was so far below it was nearly impossible to see. Then Mewtwo smiled as he realized how amazing it would be if he showed Ruru what space was like.

"Look up." He said, pointing above them as they surpassed the stratosphere.

"Whoa..."

As the duo zoomed up through the mesosphere and approached the boundary of space, blackness began to dominate the skies above them. The sun, still far off at an angle due to its early morning position, could no longer block out the beautiful twinkling stars above them. Ruru's eyes darted around the sky now, taking in the glimmering swathes of celestial pinpoints.

"And now look down." He said.

Hypalia below them was now a beautiful orange globe with a glowing fuzzy blue atmosphere. They could see for hundreds of miles in all directions now, with the curvature of the horizon being the only thing stopping them from seeing more. Now Ven'vha was entirely impossible to see, and the great mesas of the desert were naught but barely perceptible specks upon the great orange sand seas.

"Wow...you really could have left our world if you wanted to huh?" She asked softly.

"Yes, but I'm glad I didn't. I wouldn't have been able to meet you if I had." Mewtwo replied.

Ruru immediately gave him a big, warm smile. "You're my best friend ever Mewtwo, thank you."

"You and Kalana are both my best friends ever." He replied, giving her hand a squeeze.

Mewtwo then turned his gaze back to the planet for just a little longer, wanting to savor the sight before they headed back down. He found his gaze returning to the East, just as he had done the last time he had flown into space over Hypalia. He remembered the blurry, indistinct green patch he had seen far off in the East, so he intentionally scanned the horizon to see if he could spot it. It was much easier to find this time; he had covered a few hundred miles during the Taji Alirha trip and now he was much closer to the spot. This meant that he could see whatever it was with a significantly increased degree of clarity. It had fuzzy, indistinct borders but it was definitely a deep rich green, like there was an isolated patch of plant life clinging to existence far off in the deepest reaches of the desert. To be this visible from space it must have been quite large in size. He still couldn't quite tell if it really was a forest, but now it was looking a lot more likely.

"Hey Mewtwo...um, can we go down now? I'm starting to feel kinda freaked out for some reason and I don't know why." Ruru said, interrupting his train of thought.

Mewtwo shook it off and immediately realized that he was also sensing something foreboding too. A sickening, sinking feeling of dread was beginning to form in his stomach. It was familiar too; he remembered this exact same sensation coming over him last time before he was chased by a strange red light. He whipped his head around and scanned the blackness of space behind him and sure enough he could spot an extremely small mote of red slowly moving through the starscape toward them.

"Hold on, there might be a little bit of a drop."

Mewtwo then let go, relinquishing his telekinetic grip on them so that gravity could kick in and do its swift work.

"Whaaaaaah! You can stop us at the bottom right?!" Ruru shouted to be heard over the wind whipping at their shield.

"Yes of course, just don't let go alright?"

Ruru nodded and then pulled herself a little closer to him. Gravity rapidly accelerated them to terminal velocity but it still didn't feel fast enough. Mewtwo looked back and saw the strange light closing in much faster than he liked, so he used his telekinesis to push them directly downward, breaking past terminal velocity and accelerating them to nauseating speeds. The curvature of Hypalia rapidly vanished as they plummeted through the atmosphere with a bright blue glowing streak of telekinetic energy trailing behind them. Soon the beautiful blue of the atmosphere washed out the darkness of space and surrounded them again, giving Mewtwo a strange sense of security.

Mewtwo still looked back a second time to try to spot their pursuers. With the daylit atmosphere filling the sky he could no longer see the red light, but he did see an extremely faint, distant black speck in the sky where it had been. This seemed to confirm that the strange red light was some sort of tangible physical object and not a glowing collection of energy. It rapidly vanished into the distance however, taking the strange sensation of dread with it. Mewtwo decided not to mention it to Ruru, not wanting to give her more things to be terrified of.


The excitement and cheers of the festival games were a decent distraction for Mewtwo's mind after the bizarre and unsettling experience he'd had again in space. He was again sitting with Ruru, Kalana, and Indiru on the edge of one of the roofs overlooking the square. They had brought him a slice of Hydromelon as a snack; he took small dainty bites of it in order to stretch it out and make it last for maximum enjoyment.

The first few rounds actually proved quite exciting and engaging despite the fact that Mewtwo didn't recognize the combatants. They actually fought with real bladed weapons which added a terrible, yet undeniably fascinating level of thrill to the fights. He would have been horrified by the injuries this led to if it weren't for the fact that healing magic could reverse them as effortlessly as his own Recover ability. It also was reassuring that there were strictly enforced rules about causing excessively lethal injuries or permanent sensory damage, so they were only allowed to cause glancing blows while using their blades. A full scimitar through the gut was extremely illegal, so the best way to win was to pin your opponent or force them into a position where they would otherwise have taken a lethal blow. Scimitars and spears were the most common weapons of choice, but as the games progressed he even got to see fighters wielding shields, greatswords, staves, and even shortbows. Magic was obviously forbidden since it was purely a test of physical skill, but enchanted items still seemed to be allowed.

The fights themselves were often quite quick. Oftentimes a single good injury could force a fighter to yield. There were plenty of times when combatants simply made fatal mistakes only a minute or two into the match, leading to them being pinned or disarmed. As the matches stretched on however, Mewtwo's mind began to drift. He found himself pondering the possibility of what that green patch deep in the East could be. If it truly was a verdant forest with ample plant life then it could be the solution to the starvation problem that he was looking for. It was close enough to Ven'vha that it could easily be reached in another week or so of Helmasaur travel. It might be risky to bring the entire population of the three tribes there without knowing what the climate was like though. Knowing the Sulaaq, it was just as likely that it was a field of polluted green sludge that they had dumped rather than a forest.

Mewtwo was jarred out of his thought process when Ruru grabbed his shoulder excitedly.

"Look, there's Madiri! She's up in the next match!"

"About time, I was wondering if it wouldn't be until after lunch that we got to see her." Kalana noted.

Madiri was strutting proudly into the circle that had been drawn in the square, holding her scimitar in one hand and a shield in the other. Her opponent for that match was announced while she showed off, a Suulan warrior named Konoru Temora.

"Hmmm, quite an ostentatious name on that one." Kalana noted.

"How do you mean?" Mewtwo asked.

"Oh, Konoru is the name of an ancient historical figure among the Gerudo. She was supposedly one of Nabooru's ancestors. It's quite a statement to name your daughter after her." Kalana explained.

"Ahhh, I see. She does look like a capable warrior, even if she's no Nereti."

Mewtwo watched with renewed interest as the two warriors shook hands before their match began. Hadara shouted out the same words as before, "Prepare" and then "Proceed", in Gerudo, and the match was on. Konoru produced a pair of smaller Scimitars and wielded one in each hand while Madiri stuck to her single larger blade and shield loadout. They met in the center of the ring with Konoru aggressively slashing at her with both blades at once. Madiri blocked one blade with her shield and the other with her scimitar, causing loud clangs to ring out over the crowd. Then the dance began, with Konoru aggressively swinging her blades and putting pressure on Madiri with a violent frenzy.

It was clear that most of the blows that Konoru made were light and not intended to break through Madiri's defense. Madiri was able to hold back every single slash with precision and ease. But the sheer speed and quantity of strikes ensured that Madiri was kept on the defense and couldn't make any swings of her own. Combatants could win these matches by pushing their opponent outside of the ring and Konoru had apparently chosen to go for that strategy through sheer attrition. As more and more of those strikes were blocked Madiri was forced to give more and more ground.

"Come on Madiri, you're not so slow that you can't parry and counter these blows. She's getting too overextended with her assault, catch her off guard!" Kalana urged, not seeming to care that Madiri couldn't hear her.

Madiri lost several feet of ground before she finally sprang her little trap. She had waited until she was right up against the chalk line that delineated the boundary of the ring. As a result of this drawn out assault Konoru had spent a huge amount of energy and was losing coordination. That was when Madiri tossed her shield down to the ground unexpectedly, ducked underneath one or Konoru's lunging blows, and punched her square in the solar plexus! Konoru gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and fell to her knee as her entire assault sputtered to a halt. Madiri then used the opportunity to grab Konoru's overextended arm and swing her body forward, causing her to tumble over the line and fall flat on her face outside of the ring.

The Rakeshan people broke into cheers again in response to that quick and decisive victory. A few folks chanted Madiri's name again, but it quieted down quicker than before. Mewtwo did join in for their chant, but he was feeling a little bit deflated by how the short speed of the match made it feel anticlimactic.

"She was super smart, letting Konoru tire herself out like that!" Ruru commented.

"I had a feeling she was going for that, she's just lucky that Konoru was being so reckless. You shouldn't rely too heavily on your opponent making a mistake for you to exploit." Kalana added.

Mewtwo nodded in agreement but didn't really have anything to contribute. Aside from Nereti's advice he didn't have any expertise or training in this type of fighting yet, so all he could do was soak in the excitement passively. Several more matches took place and he almost nodded off and napped through a few of them. Then came the match he was really interested in, Nereti versus Kurala. The whole crowd went quiet when the two walked into the ring together. The silence immediately started building the tension. Only a little wind was blowing that day, but it seemed to come to a complete stop as the two rival Arbiters faced off. Nereti was carrying a massive greatsword that was nearly five feet long from pommel to blade tip, while Kurala wielded a wooden staff comparable to a Bo. They stood face to face quietly for a few seconds, sizing each other up while Hadara announced their names. The height difference between them was pronounced this close, Nereti was easily two and a half feet taller. Then Nereti offered Kurala her hand for a handshake. With the crowd being as silent as they were, everyone could hear it when Nereti spoke.

"Let us put the past in the past, Kurala. We both want what is best for our people in the end."

Kurala looked down her nose at the offered hand, but then released a long breath and reached one hand out to take it. She gripped Nereti's hand tightly and gave it a few quick shakes.

"Don't go easy on me though." Kurala replied.

"Wasn't planning on it."

Hadara cleared her throat and gave the first call. "Bulaar!"

Nereti lifted her blade with one hand, an impressive feat all by itself, and held it perpendicular to her body as she got into a fighting stance. Kurala took a step back and began to spin her staff a few times, making a soft whoosh as she put considerable speed on it. Then, between spins, she raised two fingers.

"I'll have you in less than twenty seconds."

Nereti smirked a little bit but didn't reply.

"Qada!"

Kurala moved with blinding speed and closed the distance in a second. Moving even faster than Konoru had, she slipped around to Nereti's left and moved in for a strike. Nereti was shockingly stationary, almost like she didn't even care that Kurala was moving in so quickly. The staff whipped around and caught Nereti's leg with a sweep, slamming into the back of her calf. Nereti was knocked forward and stumbled to her knee, but didn't gasp or cry out from the blow. Meanwhile Kurala continued to spin the staff around for a follow-up strike, aimed directly at Nereti's back. The wooden weapon impacted with brutal force across Nereti's shoulder blades and made her stumble a bit more. Again she didn't make a sound, only grimaced slightly and staggered.

"I think she's going for Madiri's strategy." Ruru commented quietly.

"I don't think so, Madiri never let her opponent touch her. Nereti is toying with her." Kalana replied.

Kalana's assessment proved immediately correct when Kurala went for a third blow. Nereti whipped her free hand up and caught the staff in her palm with a loud smack, halting Kurala's momentum entirely! Now the crowd gasped in amazement, but still nobody dared chant or cheer just yet. A tiny smile played out over Indiru's face, almost as though she knew the outcome already. Nereti gripped the staff tightly with her hand, then dropped her greatsword entirely and brought her other hand up to grab onto it too.

Kurala struggled to yank her weapon out of her opponent's grasp but it was clear that Nereti's strength far surpassed her. Nereti then stood up to her full height, not even seeming bothered by the huge bruises forming on her back and her leg. The two combatants locked eyes for a brief moment, then Nereti began to yank the staff inward. Hand over hand she pulled, gripped, and pulled, dragging Kurala closer. It was an intimidating sight; Mewtwo was suddenly glad that he wasn't in Kurala's shoes. Kurala tried to plant her feet on the stones to stop the tug-of-war, but again her strength was overwhelmed. Just as she was about to be dragged into grappling range she made a snap decision to let go of her weapon and jump backward to stay clear. Nereti gave her a terrifying grin and then tossed the staff out of the ring entirely. As if to further prove her superiority, she then kicked her own greatsword out of the ring too. She didn't need it and she wanted Kurala to know that.

"You had no intention of using that thing in the first place did you?" Kurala asked, taking on a boxing pose and stretching her neck.

"Maybe I did." Nereti replied.

Mewtwo appreciated the mind games that Nereti was playing with her opponent. He smirked a little bit and felt glad he hadn't dozed off after all. Nereti then stepped toward Kurala and made a swift feint to the left as if preparing to make a hook for Kurala's ribs. Kurala dipped down to dodge the perceived attack only to end up with Nereti grabbing her right arm and pulling her into a grapple anyway. For a few brief moments they struggled to gain a hold on each other, with Nereti angling for a headlock. Kurala had flexibility and coordination on her side though, she managed to slide through her foe's grasp and land a staggering punch directly on Nereti's face! That bought her enough leeway to escape and take a few steps back, but Nereti still seemed undeterred.

"You're past your twenty seconds now." Nereti said, wiping some blood from her nose.

Kurala sneered a bit but didn't reply. She seemed to be thoroughly intimidated now, since she stood back several feet from Nereti and avoided engaging. She seemed to be trying to come up with a plan for how to proceed. Nereti picked up on this and then began to slowly walk toward her.

Kurala stepped backward in response to this approach. Every step took Kurala closer and closer to the chalk line of the ring. Kurala looked outwardly nervous now, while confidnce was apparent in Nereti's expression.

"Don't get overconfident Nereti! She's cornered and might try something desperate!" Kalana said.

"I think Kurala's going to try for a ring-out!" Ruru added.

Once Kurala had run out of room she braced herself and lowered her stance. Nereti, still smiling, walked right up to her and swung a real punch this time rather than a feint. It was a faster and lighter blow that was meant to lead into another grappling attempt, and Kurala took the bait. She dipped down under the swing and slammed her shoulders into Nereti's abdomen with full force, but the blow didn't even stagger her. Nereti instead wrapped her arms around Kurala and began to lift her up off of her feet!

Ruru gasped in amazement as she watched Nereti lifting Kurala up into the air. Mewtwo couldn't help but wring his cloak between his hands; he suspected Kurala was setting up a trap, this was too easy. He briefly pondered using telekinesis to help Nereti, but immediately discarded the thought since Kamilia's magic sense would undoubtedly detect it. In a brief moment his assessment of the fight was again proven correct; Kurala reached one hand down and grabbed one of Nereti's daggers that was strapped to her hip! With a flash of precise motion she whipped it out of its sheath and stabbed it down into Nereti's hip!

Fortunately Kurala had intentionally aimed for the outside of the hip, causing her to avoid striking the deep femoral artery that could have caused Nereti to bleed out if punctured. Nereti still released a bellowing cry of pain from the wound and lost her grip on Kurala, causing her to tumble out of her arms and plummet to the ground.

Kurala rolled gracefully when she landed and recovered with impressive speed. She darted around behind Nereti while she was still reeling from being stabbed and reached down to yank the knife out of the wound, drawing another agonized yell. Then she pulled the blood-coated dagger blade up to Nereti's neck in an attempt to make her yield.

"I have you!" Kurala yelled.

Nereti whipped one hand up to grab the hand Kurala was using to hold the dagger. Grunting with effort, Nereti began to forcefully pry Kurala's arm away from her.

"Fool, I'm not going be taken by this maneuver again!" Nereti growled.

Kurala didn't have enough leverage from her position behind Nereti to overpower her. Even if Nereti hadn't been a whole weight class above her it wouldn't have been feasible to fight that push. Once Nereti had managed to pull the blade far enough back to give her some proper clearance she then slammed her head backward, colliding with Kurala's forehead and concussing her hard enough to make her lose her grip and fall backward. She landed firmly on her posterior outside of the boundaries of the ring and Hadara whistled to mark the end of the match.

The crowd erupted into jubilant cheers as healers rushed out onto the square and began to heal the wounds both fighters had sustained. Nereti's bleeding thigh wound was sealed up properly with healing magic, and she reached down to pick up her dagger from the ground where Kurala had dropped it when she fell. With one quick motion she slid it into its sheath with a click, then reached down to help Kurala to her feet. The two spoke to each other briefly but Mewtwo could no longer hear them over the din of the crowd. He imagined it was something related to the dagger, perhaps Nereti was offering to pass it to Kurala too if she could ever defeat her in future matches. Ultimately they walked out of the ring side by side, and Nereti patted Kurala on the back as a gesture of good sportsmanship.

Chapter 22: This Little Gambit

Mewtwo came away from the meeting with the chiefs that night completely dismayed. They talked for two hours after the ending of the Trials of Combat and nobody had managed to come up with any new ideas for how to proceed. Inviting Kurala and Nereti to the meeting had hindered more than it had helped, as Kurala was still skeptical of Mewtwo's abilities and was more than willing to act argumentative again. Even though Indiru's words had calmed her concerns about his intentions, she still was worried that he'd be useless in a fight against the Sulaaq the moment he was subject to a drain device and lost his powers again. The resulting arguments, as well as a lack of ideas on everyone's part, led to a miserable experience that accomplished nothing. All they could do was agree to reconvene the next day and decide on whether the three tribes should split up again and return to their normal lives or stay together for awhile longer in order to allow more time to plan. Mewtwo returned to his tent afterward and went to bed early, hoping to make up for the sleep he missed. By now he was so tired that the reeking acrid stench of the alchemical exhaust wasn't able to keep him awake and he crashed into a deep sleep right away.

Most of that sleep was peaceful and dreamless, but the return of the Gaze was inevitable. This time he was eager to see it however, it was perhaps his best chance at getting more clues as to the intentions of the Sulaaq. Just like before he heard more of their voices speaking, and now it was so clear he could easily make out their words with only a few fuzzy interruptions.

"We're running out of time... Need I remind you of the stakes ...little gambit?"

"No my lord, I am... of what we have to lose."

"...you have another idea for how to..."

"Yes sir...seems to have grown attached... as planned, but our last few attempts ...have failed. We can't afford to keep using the beasts anymore, our methods of control are too...need to attack directly if we want to achieve the desired casualty..."

"You know... can't ... attacks in person, how exactly do you plan to..."

"Why not use the slaves we... the north recently? That may have... on everyone, including the target. We can send them in...heavy... and roll over the village's...if we end up losing the... then we've lost nothing..."

"Very well, make it happen."

The words faded away at this point, leaving Mewtwo desperately wanting to hear more. Those words "need to attack directly if we want to achieve the desired casualty" sent lightning bolts of terror through his mind. He needed to know more! Where was this attack going to happen? When? What "Heavy" things were they going to send? He wished there was anything he could do to get clearer reception, but the conversation seemed to be over. The Gaze lingered on just a little bit longer, but soon he had gotten himself so worked up with fear that it broke through the dream and violently jolted him awake. He scrambled in his tent for something to write with, but the pen he had been using to write his Gerudo language notes had gone missing. He desperately wanted to write down the words he had heard before wakefulness robbed him of the memory of it just like it had done to all his other Gaze dreams. He tore through his belongings for several minutes before finally giving up and accepting that it was gone. He grabbed his rations and gear and began to make his way out of his tent and toward Kamilia's house in the hope that he could relay the dream to her before all the words were gone from his mind.

Indiru was the one who answered the door. She looked disheveled and tired, but still smiled when she saw him.

"Mother's not here right now, she's about to start the signups for the Trial of Magic in the square. You should go and sign up now so you don't miss your chance."

"Oh, why's that? Did you foresee a win for me?"

"Actually no, I haven't foreseen how any of the games would turn out. I just want to see your abilities in action firsthand."

"Ahhh, I see. Have you seen the other chiefs at all recently?"

"I believe they are all together down in the square with mother."

"So it seems my path leads me down there regardless. Thank you Indiru."

"Good luck down there, I will be watching your matches eagerly."

Mewtwo turned and began to make his way to the square while the fear continued to gnaw at his gut. He was still eager to participate in the Trial of Magic, but given the fact that his Gaze dream hadn't warned him of exactly when the next attack would take place he had to speak to the chiefs about it before his matches began. He eventually made it down to the square just as Sumati and her troupe began to play their music. The crowd was already beginning to coalesce around Hadara and Kamilia, who were standing back to back and holding long sheets of parchment and pens to write with. He made his way up to the front of the crowd with minimal effort, primarily since most people immediately recognized him and parted for him. He only bumped into people a few times when they didn't notice his presence in the crush.

"Chief Hadara!" Mewtwo called out as he got close.

"Ah, Mewtwo! I was hoping you'd sign up for this, I'm quite eager to have a new Rakeshan champion for this Trial."

"I am signing up yes, but I also have something important to tell you about! Can you please meet with me when you're done with filling out the Tournament entries?" He replied.

"What is it?"

Mewtwo almost replied with a call about thinking an attack could be imminent, but then he thought better of it when he realized that the crowd would probably immediately panic. After the brush with chaos they had gone through a few days ago he figured it was better to avoid giving the public another reason to freak out.

"Uhhhm, does Ven'vha have guards manning the watch towers all throughout the tournament?" He asked.

"Of course! I have towers on all four cardinal directions, and our height means we can see for miles. The guards on duty don't get to skip their shifts just because of the games!" Kamilia shouted, having heard their conversation.

"Don't worry, we won't be taken by surprise during the games! We've worked out guard rotations to make sure of that!" Hadara added.

Mewtwo allowed himself to relax a little bit now. If the guards could spot the Sulaaq coming from a distance and blow on their warning horns then he could just abandon the games and fly out to meet the attack head-on. He could therefore at least afford to wait until the games were over to talk to the Chiefs about his vision during the night's meeting.

"Alright, thank you. When's my first match coming up?"

"You're in... The third bracket. So unless there's some early blowouts, about an hour and a half."


Mewtwo spent the time before his first match mentally preparing himself. He decided to take Nereti's advice and watched all the matches scheduled before his in order to study his potential opponents and the spells they most commonly used. He immediately noticed a trend, the younger and more hot-headed combatants used magic to conjure ethereal blades to wield in the place of traditional physical weapons, which were obviously banned. The older, more wizened fighters used more ranged spells, which varied wildly in types from fireballs to lightning bolts. Only a scant few of them used spells that fell outside of those two categories, like Nereti herself who cast a spell that created a layer of temporary ice all over the ring that caused her opponent to slip and fall. Overall this gave him the impression that Gerudos preferred two primary fighting styles, highly aggressive close-range attacks with melee spells or long range bombardment. There didn't seem to be much use of spells outside of direct defense or offense, and the Impediment Curse that Nereti had mentioned didn't make one appearance at all during the matches he watched. That didn't mean he could disregard her advice of using caution though, so when his match was finally announced he had already prepared a highly practical strategy in his mind.

Mewtwo was a little surprised when he saw his first opponent was Kurala. Rather than going through a few lower-ranked warriors, it seemed like Kamilia had started him out with an Arbiter right off the bat. Healing magic had brought Kurala back to full health without any evidence of the beating she had taken from Nereti yesterday. Once Hadara announced his name for the next match Mewtwo brushed the sand off his cloak and jumped off the roof where he had been sitting, then strolled into the ring. He heard Kalana and Ruru shouting his name, followed by cheers from the Rakeshan people that rose to a full crescendo as Hopeseers from the other tribes joined in.

Kurala met him in the center of the square and offered him a handshake. He eyed it briefly, then took it and shook it.

"No dagger this time?"

Kurala bristled a little bit in response and then let go of his hand. "I do genuinely regret my past foolishness Mewtwo. I know you have good reason to mistrust me but let's try to put the past aside, shall we?"

"Of course. I will give you the exact same fair treatment as I plan to give to all my opponents." He replied.

"Bulaar!" Hadara called out.

Kurala took a few steps back and produced a small wand from her waist. It was about as thick as a human finger and was topped with a small ruby that shimmered with red light. Mewtwo eyed it curiously, then brushed his cloak back a little and stood up straight, staring her down. No more words were said between them as they waited for Hadara's second call.

"Qada!"

Kurala began to wave her wand at him, but he enacted his plan far quicker than she could react. Using telekinesis he grabbed her ankles and jerked her up off of her feet, flipping her upside down and suspending her a few feet above the ground. He didn't even move his physical body as he did this, wanting to look calm and effortless as he lifted her into the air. She yelped angrily and dropped her wand, and then Mewtwo simply flicked her aside and tossed her to the ground outside of the ring. The crowd gasped in amazement as Hadara whistled to indicate the match was already over. It had taken just a couple of seconds for Mewtwo to completely humiliate Kurala in front of all three tribes, and he hadn't even needed to break a sweat doing it. He then turned and quietly walked out of the ring to sit down at his usual spot, where Kalana was gawking and Ruru was laughing.

"That was brutal! Almost disrespectful!" Kalana said as he sat down next to her.

"Nereti gave me some battle advice. I am making it my plan to never give any opponents a chance to cast a curse at me, regardless of who they are. Simple practicality and safe efficiency are more important to achieving my victory than flashy, boastful flourishes." Mewtwo replied.

"That speed made it flashy in its own way, Sa'oten!" Ruru laughed.

"Just don't think that you can use the same strategy in all your matches and win, Mewtwo. Your future opponents are watching too." Kalana warned.

"Of course. I have more than one idea in mind. I almost wish I could have a match against you now Kalana." He said with a playful smirk.

"Goddesses, no thank you! Sometimes you scare even me a little bit!"

Mewtwo chuckled and then patiently waited for his next match, watching the two others that happened in the interim. When his named was called again he found himself up against a Suulan mage with a wiry thin build and short, scraggly hair. She had a bit of a wild look in her eyes and lots of unusual jewelry, and she carried a large wooden staff with gems dotting it regularly along its length. Mewtwo assumed she was one of the witches that Nereti had mentioned and kept his eyes sharply trained on her as he stepped into the ring and waited for Hadara's voice to start the match.

"Bulaar!"

The witch, whose name had been announced as Zeritha, suddenly grabbed a potion from her pack and chugged it down greedily before the next call to begin. Her body began to glow with a soft, fuzzy white light. Mewtwo's psychic third eye suddenly struggled to perceive her clearly, as if the potion's effects were blurring and distorting her presence and energy.

"Qada!"

Mewtwo mixed up his strategy to avoid Zeritha predicting his first move. Instead of trying to grab her feet he suddenly teleported himself into the air directly above her and began to hover. She scanned the area around her with a confused look and shouted something in Gerudo, though Mewtwo couldn't quite hear it from above. The people in the audience mumbled to themselves as they tried to figure out what had happened. Mewtwo made his next move swiftly before he could be spotted; he pointed his hand down at Zeritha and fired an Ice Beam attack directly at her head. Before the young witch could even realize what was happening the beam struck her barrier and encased it in a thick, crystalline shell of ice!

Zeritha's witchery was stronger than Mewtwo expected though. The barrier she was wearing protected her body from the direct effects of the ice prison, giving her time to use a spell that conjured gouts of flame from her hands that shattered it to pieces. She then jerked her head upward, following the source of the attack, and spotted him.

Zeritha raised her staff and pointed the head of it at him, causing the emerald embedded in the end to shoot out a jet of searing green flames. Remembering Nereti's warning, he simply teleported out of the way a second time, dodging the attack entirely. He appeared behind her and let loose with a burst of concentrated psychic energy aimed directly at her back. The sheer speed of his teleportation and attacks caught her off guard. Even though the glowing magical barrier absorbed the brunt of his attack she was knocked off her feet and sent tumbling to the ground in a heap, dropping her staff entirely. Mewtwo pushed his advantage and used his tail to swipe the staff to the side, sending it bouncing out of the ring out of her reach. He tried to grab her with telekinesis while she was struggling to her feet, but the magical force around her made it incredibly difficult for him to get a grip. It was like her entire body was covered in a layer of sticky goop that made any sort of grasping tool just glide off entirely. His failed attempts bought her enough time to get to her feet. She was reaching for a wand when Mewtwo decided to try a different strategy instead. He used one of the most powerful tools in his moveset; the technique that humans had simply called "Psychic." Normally this was a ranged attack targeting the foe's brain, but Mewtwo predicted that Zeritha's barrier would block it. Instead he focused all of the attack's energy on one single pinpoint spot on her shoulder so that it wouldn't hit a vital area if it pierced through. The invisible force struck her barrier like an ethereal railroad spike, causing the glowing barrier to distort and buckle before shattering. Some of the force struck her shoulder, cutting a deep wound and sending her tumbling to the ground a second time. Now nothing was stopping him from grabbing her and tossing her aside with his mind, and Hadara whistled to call the end of the match. Once again the Rakeshan people cheered him on as he stepped out of the ring and went to sit down and rest a little bit.

Kalana clapped him on the back with one hand as he settled back in. "I've never seen anyone just shatter a magical barrier like that before! Usually it takes something trickier like a mana draining spell or a curse to get through. I guess I shouldn't be surprised after seeing what you've done in the past, but still!"

"She put up a good fight, certainly more than Kurala did. But I'm still almost worried that I'm not putting on a good enough show for people." Mewtwo replied.

"Friend, we haven't seen anything like this in the entire history of Taji Alirha! If this isn't a good enough show for the people then I'm not sure what would be!" Kalana replied.

That put a smile on Mewtwo's face, and he watched patiently as the next set of matches played out. It was nearly an hour before he was called back, giving him time to chew on a jerky lunch and recharge a little. An excited smile came over his face when he saw that his next opponent was to be Nereti. He jumped down off the wall as his name was called, then approached Nereti in the ring and offered her his hand. She shook it with a steely grip and gave him a big smile.

"I can see you've started taking your opponents a little more seriously."

"I may be arrogant but I know good advice when I hear it."

Nereti laughed and then let go of his hand as Hadara gave the first call to prepare. She produced a four foot long blue wooden cane with a curled hook on the top and raised it above her head, causing a glowing blue cascade of shimmering sparks to flow out of the cane and encircle her body.

"This barrier will not shatter as easily as the last one though Mewtwo. I'd wager my dagger that not even you can penetrate the magic of the Cane of Byrna!"

"Then I'll just have to get creative." He replied.

"Qada!"

Just like before, Nereti chose not to initiate the fight with her own attack. Holding the cane in one hand she took a cautious fighting stance and began to circle him slowly, watching to see what he did. He knew she wanted to draw an attack out of him in order to exploit any mistakes he might make. So he simply stood there and watched her patiently, focusing his psychic senses on her and studying her movements. The cane's magic wasn't interfering with his senses like the barrier that Zeritha had used, but the sheer amount of energy it was harnessing and enshrouding her with was impressive. He could tell just by his psychic sense that it was stronger than the telekinetic shield of an Alakazam and it didn't seem to have any inherent elemental alignment, so he couldn't exploit any type advantages to break through it. Still, he wasn't entirely unconvinced that Nereti's claims about the cane's magic weren't overinflated. She had every reason to play mind games with him, and her battle with Kurala proved she was more than willing to try them. So instead of spending too much time pondering a complex trick for his opening attack to try and bypass the barrier, he decided to test its strength with another head-on Psychic attack just like the one he'd used to pierce Zeritha's barrier. His eyes glowed a brilliant blue and the same invisible needle of overwhelming telekinetic force struck at the cane's barrier right in front of Nereti's left shoulder. The aura of blue sparks around her seemed to draw together to form a much denser barrier at the point of contact and a huge burst of blinding blue and white light exploded outward as it successfully repelled his attack. Nereti didn't even flinch.

"I think you'll find that this legendary Cane's might makes me quite impervious to all forms of attack." She said in a slightly boastful tone.

"I suppose I will have to try something other than attacking then."

Mewtwo was glad that Nereti didn't seem to be advancing on him yet or casting any of her own spells. It gave him a chance to gather his power and try something else. He chose one of his personal favorite utility techniques called "Disable", which would interfere with Nereti's own abilities by preventing her from casting anything. Or at least, that's what he hoped would happen. It was designed to function on Pokemon and would block specific moves. He had no idea if this would work on Hypalian magic. He locked eyes with Nereti and his eyes flashed a bright greenish-blue as his powers responded to his call, and initially it seemed to have bypassed Nereti's barrier. The blue sparks didn't gather or flash and there was no explosion, but nothing else seemed to happen. Nereti almost seemed confused by this, she raised one eyebrow as she watched him.

"Trying out a few curses of your own?" She asked cautiously.

Mewtwo gave her a sly grin that masked the uncertainty he was feeling. There was no external sign that could tell him if Disable had worked, so he had to just bluff and keep moving.

"Maybe. You'll just have to see."

Mewtwo then kicked off of the ground and flew a dozen feet or so up into the air and used his telekinesis to create a brutal column of intense wind that struck the ring and buffeted Nereti violently. If telekinesis itself couldn't budge someone shielded then maybe a good old gale-force wind could do it. He watched as the wind caused Nereti to stumble backward a little, but she smartly threw herself to the ground and laid down flat to present less surface area to the incoming air. Still holding the cane in one hand, she gripped the ground with her other hand and kept herself perfectly stationary. Impressed, Mewtwo stopped the wind and tried one more indirect tactic. He used telekinesis to grab onto the stones of the square beneath Nereti and began to rip them up out of the ground, carrying her up into the air with them. Acting quickly he then hurled the stones out of the ring, hoping to toss her out before she could react.

Nereti was too swift however, she gained her feet with catlike speed and jumped off of those stones back into the ring before she was carried all the way out. He reversed course and then hurled the stones back at her in the hopes that their momentum could knock her, barrier and all, out of the ring entirely. She merely swatted the stones out of the air with the cane, showing no signs of being affected by the force of the blows.

"Come now, you have more tricks than that up your sleeve don't you?" Nereti called out.

"I suppose I do. I hope you will forgive me if this one seems...less than honorable."

Mewtwo then floated down to face her on foot again, landing quietly and locking eyes with her. His eyes began to glow as he called up the power of Hypnosis. This time however the barrier didn't seem capable of protecting Nereti, she watched him for a brief moment before her eyelids began to drop and her muscles faltered. She tried to fight the effect for a few seconds but it was clear she hadn't anticipated such a sneaky, indirect trick. He felt guilty as he watched Nereti drop to the ground in a heap as sleep overtook her. The cane fell out of her limp grasp and he grabbed it and tossed it aside before using telekinesis to gently lift her up and set her outside of the ring. Hadara whistled yet again to mark the end of the match and Mewtwo let go of the hypnosis and let Nereti return to wakefulness.

"Wh-what? What happened?"

"I found a specific technique that could get through the Cane's shield. I just had to use one that wasn't technically an attack and didn't cause any damage. All it took was hypnosis and you were sent briskly off to slumber."

Mewtwo offered Nereti a hand and pulled her to her feet, then used telekinesis to fetch the cane and hand it back to her.

"Well I'll be a Lizalfos's tongue. I guess I lost our little wager. Here, you earned it."

Nereti took the cane back and then drew the dagger from her hip and handed it to him.

"I feel slightly guilty about ruining your plans to take the full set from Hadara." Mewtwo replied, hesitating to take it from her.

"Don't worry, I'm just passing it on in the same way it was passed on to me. Consider it respecting the tradition that Hadara started."

Nereti then put the dagger into Mewtwo's hand and closed his fingers around it. She then clapped him on the back and began to walk out of the ring.

"You better take that Champion title after this though Mewtwo. I may not win in the Trials of Magic very often, but I think everyone who you beat so easily will feel a lot better if you can just cruise through to victory with the same ease that you had while beating us!" Nereti joked.


Mewtwo was grateful for the fact that the Trial was paused for lunch before his next slated match. He had burned through a not-insignificant amount of his reserves during his matches and even an hour or two of resting time would help him recharge a little. He sat with Kalana and the others and ate a big plateful of vegetable medley from the canned Sulaaq food supplies. It was bland and mushy with almost no flavor, but it beat the hell out of the horrible Leever jerky and the now-boring Molduga jerky. When he finished, he decided to take another brisk walk around the alleys of Ven'vha by himself to collect his thoughts.

Mewtwo walked those alleyways quietly and pondered the events of the last few days. He realized that he was feeling a little disconnected from the events taking place around him; he hadn't even paid attention to all the official rules of the Trials when they were announced, nor had he really paid attention to any of the other announcements Hadara and the other chiefs had been making. Things seemed like a blur, undoubtedly because his worries about the Sulaaq were still heavily distracting him. He also realized that the grief for Ruisa was still patiently sitting and simmering in the backburner of his mind too, interfering further with his ability to focus. This distraction could come back to bite him during his last match in the tournament, or worse, distract him while he's fighting the Sulaaq. He fretted wordlessly over this until his wandering took him to a small plaza on the topmost tier of the town. Here were a few stone benches recessed into the stone floor, with beautiful geometric Gerudo patterns and runes carved into the rock. He decided to sit down and think for awhile, until finally an idea came to him.

Mewtwo had been surprised by how useful his psychic vision had been when he looked into the fate of Ciela for Kamilia, maybe it was worth using it again? He decided to try and force another vision while sitting on that bench alone, hoping it would give him more clues about the Sulaaq that could quell his worries and help him clear his mind. He closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, and after a few minutes he began to channel his psychic power toward inducing another vision.

For awhile it seemed like nothing was going to happen; only darkness and silence met his third eye's gaze. He was about ready to give up when suddenly he began to hear something. No visuals came through this time, but he heard two menacing male voices mumbling something to each other. Pushing himself harder, Mewtwo focused as sharply as he could when he realized those voices were familiar. These were the same Sulaaq he had heard during his Gaze dreams! Adrenaline began to pump through his veins and he scrambled for his notebook while keeping his eyes shut, wanting to write down everything he heard this time.

Luck smiled brightly on him, once the voices were audible he immediately recognized the words they were saying. It was the same conversation from his dream that morning, but this time much clearer! He had been wise to borrow a new pen. Now he wrote furiously, copying down everything they said.

"We're running out of time, Admiral. Need I remind you of the stakes involved in this little gambit?"

"No my lord, I am very aware of what we have to lose."

"Then I trust you have another idea for how to proceed?"

"Yes sir. The target seems to have grown attached to the vermin as planned, but our last few attempts at picking them off have failed. We can't afford to keep using the beasts anymore, our methods of control are too unreliable. We need to attack directly if we want to achieve the desired casualty percentage."

"You know we can't perform attacks in person, how exactly do you plan to pull this off?"

"Why not use the thralls we harvested from the village to the north recently? That may have extra impact on everyone, including the target. We can send them in older, outdated heavy tanks and roll over the village's door with minimal effort, and if we end up losing the entire deployment then we've lost nothing of true value."

"Very well, make it happen."

The vision halted immediately after that last line was spoken and Mewtwo stared down at the transcript he had written. His heart pounded in his chest now as he pondered the meaning of what he had heard. "Grown attached"? "As Planned"? "Desired casualty percentage?" He couldn't grasp what this all meant through all the boiling dread in his mind, the thought of heavy tanks smashing through the gates of Ven'vha was putting him nearly into a panicked state. He jumped into the air and flew back down to the square to find someone to tell about what he had just heard. He quickly spotted Kalana and flew down to land next to her, grateful for the fact that Ruru and Indiru weren't nearby.

"Kalana, we need to talk in private. Right now."

Kalana saw the fear evident on Mewtwo's face and immediately jumped to her feet with a nod. She led him away from the gathered crowds around the square and took him to an empty house, shutting the door behind them.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"I just used my psychic powers to conjure another vision. This is what I heard." He replied, then handed her his notes with the transcription.

Kalana scanned over them and a look of deepening fear crossed her features.

"This was spoken by the Sulaaq?" She asked as she handed it back.

"Yes, I'm sure of it."

"Did you get anything else? A time for the attack, or the direction it's coming from?"

"No, nothing."

"Oveer!" Kalana cursed angrily, then began to frantically pace around the room. "Then we know an attack is coming but there's not much we can do! You still feel confident that you can stop them, right? You lifted our entire caravan after all!"

"One attack, yes. I might even be able to free the Ravéan thralls they're going to use to pilot their tanks. But I'm terrified of what they meant when they said I've "grown attached to the vermin as planned." There really can only be one interpretation of this Kalana, me being here with the Gerudo people is playing into their hands. They must have some sort of plan, and that plan relies on me staying here with the three tribes."

Dread continued to grow on Kalana's face as she listened to him and paced fervently. "Worse, if an entire division of vehicles and a swarm of Ravéan thralls is so cheap that they can afford to carelessly toss it all away without fear of losing it all, then I shudder to think what they might try next after you defeat them too! They did say they are running out of time!"

Anguish played across Mewtwo's features as his brain began to put together the pieces a little more clearly now. His tail violently lashed back and forth behind him as he spoke next.

"Kalana...I think...I think I am beginning to recognize a terrible pattern here. This vision confirms they sent those Moldugas out to attack us, and I did notice a Sulaaq device implanted in the remains of the first molduga that we faced in the desert before Taji Alirha. First they sent one Molduga after us, then they sent ten. Now they're sending a whole division of thralls in tanks. It's a very clear pattern of escalation. Even if we defeat the coming attack, I don't think we can keep this up. What if they send a hundred Immortals after that? Then thousands? Whole armies of Chosen? I'm strong but I'm not that strong. I may have my Aura Sphere ability that can destroy one of them in a one-on-one fight, but they have their own dark powers that can just as easily destroy me. We can't hold out against them forever!"

"Then what can we do?! We already know what will happen if we attack them and threaten their dominion over the planet, they can just press the button on their superweapon grid and burn the whole planet to ashes!" Kalana retorted.

"Maybe they can burn a good chunk of this world, but you and I just destroyed every single capacitor in the local tower here near Ven'vha. They haven't even had a chance to dig out their collapsed train tunnels yet. If we can strike at them somehow before they rebuild the weapon in the tower here, then they can't strike back at us!"

That gave Kalana pause; she stopped pacing for several seconds and stood in one spot thinking quietly. "You're right. I also think I realized something else. When they said "we can't perform attacks in person", maybe that's more than just a lacking of troops. Maybe there's something actively preventing them from sending the armies of Immortals after us. I don't know what that something could be, but let's try to think over every aspect of this."

Mewtwo nodded and set his notes on the table on the north side of the room and leaned over them to think. Another spark of realization came to him then.

"Kalana, something strikes me about the wording here, "That may have extra impact on everyone." This is too specific to ignore. They could have said "This may be enough to kill everyone", but they didn't. They must be referring to something other than mere violence."

"Yeah, you're right. Here, they especially say "including the target", which I'm betting means you Mewtwo. They also say "casualty percentage", which further implies that they actually don't want to wipe out the entire village, just a significant chunk of it. What sort of impact do you think they mean then if it's not the eradication of our people? It certainly can't be anything conducive to farming more slaves!"

"Impact...emotional impact. They're trying to inflict misery on us! Intentionally! That would explain why they planned on me "growing attached to the vermin", they want me to befriend you and the rest of the Gerudo people so they can inflict emotional torment on us all by slowly slaughtering us bit by bit!" Mewtwo shouted, now finally fitting all the pieces into place.

Kalana's fists had been balled up with stress and anger before this, but Mewtwo's words suddenly caused her to let them go and dangle limply by her sides.

"Sa'oveer, I can't believe it. But why? Why are they doing this?"

"Like I said...sadism. They're getting their jollies off. They probably don't even need the slaves anymore, this is just a game they can play with the surviving remnants of the Hypalian people after they already got everything they wanted. They've probably refused to fire their towers just because they want to drag this game of misery out as long as they can for their own twisted enjoyment."

"You're still enough of a threat to them for them to have sent that Chosen after us once before though! Maybe that's also why they mentioned you as "The target"?" Kalana proposed.

"Then...that leaves us with only one grim, terrible conclusion to draw. If I am the primary target of their emotional torture, then I can't stay here with the Gerudos any longer. If I leave then they won't have any reason to send that attack here and kill a percentage of the village. I'm risking the lives of every single one of you by staying here and needlessly keeping you in the line of fire. I need to leave, immediately, before their attack can even come."

A look of fresh shock played over Kalana's face in response to this. "No. No no no, I'm not going to let you go off alone, Mewtwo. I didn't let you before and I won't let you try it again!"

"It's the only way. I need to go, not only to draw the attack away but to find a way to strike them down before they rebuild the tower here near Ven'vha! This is the only window of safe opportunity I have for it, if the tribes split up then I can't feasibly bring down towers near all three of them at once in order to guarantee they all survive if the tower network is fired. If I can just strike them now, even if they fire then it won't matter, everyone will be saved!"

"And what about the starvation problem then?! If the Sulaaq are destroyed then there will be no more food for our people to eat!" Kalana retorted.

"I think I have a solution to that too. Earlier yesterday morning I decided to show off my power of flight to Ruru and I took the two of us so high up that I could see for hundreds of miles in all directions. I think I saw a patch of green land deep in the East, far beyond the known limits of Vha'an territory. If it's as verdant as I think it is, then the Gerudo people could move there and start farming their own food again."

"That's a colossal gamble! What if it was an illusion like a desert mirage? What if we go over there and it's an inhospitable swamp where no food crops can grow? Or maybe we go there but we can't manage to stretch our supplies long enough for a crop to fully mature and end up starving while the immature plants are still growing?!"

Mewtwo hung his head sadly. Initially he couldn't come up with an answer to any of those questions and he knew Kalana was right to be concerned. "It's the only hope I have to grasp onto Kalana."

Now Mewtwo began to pace too. He clenched his fists and wracked his brain thoroughly. "Maybe, if the drain devices all stop sucking the energy out of this world it will recover and the desert will recede and life will return. Maybe with the devices down I can fly from tower to tower, stealing the last batches of supplies from dozens of towers in order to hold over the tides of starvation until crops can mature. Maybe I could even commandeer the hydroponics technology that the Sulaaq have been using to grow the food."

"Do you know if it's even possible to defeat them all? They may not even have one single weak point to their empire. There might not be one singular emperor holding their power structure together. We don't even know where their headquarters are!" Kalana interjected.

At that point the door to the house where they were staying slammed open. Mewtwo and Kalana turned and saw that Indiru had burst in, her eyes still fresh with wild fear as though she had just seen a terrible vision of her own.

"I know where it is!" Indiru said, shutting the door behind her and walking quickly over toward them.

"Indiru, please, I told you that you didn't need to do anything more for us." Mewtwo said, softening his tone and walking up to intercept her.

"This isn't about what I need!" Indiru gasped, her eyes still wide and filled with horror. She charged over toward the desk where Mewtwo's notes were, producing a pen.

Kalana interposed herself between Indiru and the table, trying to reach down to gently pick her up. "Indiru! Please calm down! You're-"

"STOP!" Indiru screeched, cutting Kalana off. Her voice sounded utterly panicked and the sheer emotional force caused Kalana and Mewtwo to reel backward.

Suddenly Mewtwo realized that Indiru was giving off a plume of psychic energy strong enough for him to sense even without actively looking for it. It must have meant that she was having a vision right at that very moment! She struggled to climb up onto a chair and grabbed a blank sheet out of Mewtwo's notes, then started to furiously scribble. Kalana recovered from the stunning effect of Indiru's screech and began to move toward her to pick her up, but Mewtwo reached out to grab her shoulder and stop her.

"Don't interrupt it, she's having a vision too. It might not be good for her to break her concentration before it finishes!"

Indiru scrawled recklessly while mumbling softly under her breath. She reverted to speaking Gerudo at this point and her words were too fast and erratic for Mewtwo to properly translate on the fly. But when he looked over her shoulder to see what she was drawing, he immediately recognized it as a crude, nearly illegible map. She worked on it for less than thirty seconds and suddenly slumped forward onto the table, dropping her pen. She sat back up immediately though, a look of panic on her face.

"No, I wasn't done! Goddesses please, let me see the rest!" She begged, casting her face upward toward the ceiling. "Please! Véma Ahuma grant me the rest, I need to help them!"

Mewtwo reached out and placed his hand on Indiru's shoulder to gently pull her away from the pile of papers.

"Indiru, it's ok. Please, remember what I said before. Just set it down. For your own sake, set it down."

Indiru squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists tightly, her whole body quivering and tensing with intense effort as though she was trying to will the vision to come back. "I almost had it all!"

"It's alright, just set it down." Mewtwo said using the most soothing tone he could conjure.

Feeling utterly heartbroken for the young girl's plight he tugged her into a tight hug and held her in his arms. She broke down into more sobs again as he held her, but she stopped trying to force the vision or fight his grasp. Kalana, whose face was filled with an equal amount of pained heartbreak, leaned down and joined the hug, giving a soft kiss to the top of Indiru's head.

"You have done more than enough for us little vehví, we will take your map and find our way there. Just...take a few deep breaths and let go, you've done it. It's over. You don't need to do anything else." Kalana whispered.

Indiru didn't have any words left, she merely cried for a few more minutes in their arms before eventually calming down to a whimper. Mewtwo let go once he sensed her calming, and Kalana lifted her up in her arms.

"Come now, let's get you back to your mother ok?"

"You can't...tell her...what you're about to do. She'll try to stop you. It has to be a secret." Indiru whimpered.

"I understand. We'll just tell her you had a really bad vision that you can't remember the contents of. Come on now." Kalana said softly, carrying Indiru over toward the door.

Kalana paused for a moment before she reached it though. She turned to face Mewtwo and called out "Start gathering your things. We need to leave tonight. And yes, I am going with you, no amount of arguing will change that. We'll meet up again in the Helmasaur garage at nightfall."