|
Post by Zabuza on Dec 12, 2006 11:39:17 GMT -5
Zabuza found himself surrounded by mist. That didn't bother him, he was at home in the mist. Bands of blood red energy held him immobile, a prisoner in his own mind. He had unleashed the Demon of his mind from it's prison and found himself completely unable to regain control. While he was unable to escape, Zabuza somehow knew everything that the Demon was doing with his body. He could not prevent it, he could only watch helplessly. "I can't believe this happened. I'm not strong enough to defeat him after all...", said Zabuza. "Don't say such a thing Zabuza...", said a very familiar voice.
The Demon grinned it's fangs, excited by the thought of the mayhem it was now able to unleash on the world. Blood would flow through the streets of this simple world, forming sluggish rivers of crimson. Bodies would be piled in great mounds, a testament to his great strength. Then, when everyone was dead, he would use his powers to burn the planet to ash as he left. He would then return to the other universe and meet up with the other Dragons of Earth. Together, they would see all life cease to exist. Suns would be darkened by their power, and life would never again return. First, however, he had to escape this forest. A dark figure stepped into the clearing and stood across the dead fire from the creature that had been Momochi Zabuza. It was covered completely by flowing black robes, giving away no hints as to the identity of their wearer. Ruto wisely backed away, quickly gathering up their few possessions and mounting the Chocobo, ready to escape if she could. "So, you are the one that was sent by Ganondorf to destroy Zabuza. Don't worry, I already did that. As payment, you can take me out of this forest.", said the grinning Demon. "I don't think that is going to happen. I am to destroy every trace of him, including you.", said the shadowy figure. It clapped it's hands, the sound sharp and clear in the quiet woods. Three more figures appeared as if from no where and stood next to the first one. All four of them were identical. "The only way you can escape here is to kill me, and I must warn you, that won't be easy.", said the first of the four. "Hah, brave words from a soon to be corpse. Tell me, who are you? I want to know who could be so foolish as to challenge me directly." Rather than saying anything, the four figures reached up as one and unclasped their robes. They shrugged the black fabric off easily, and it disappeared when it hit the ground. Ruto gasped in shock. Each and every one of the figures were an exact likeness of the same person...Link. Still, they were strangely dark of skin. Instead of any of the usual colors, their tunics were a uniform black. "Shadow Link...", whispered Ruto. "Ah well, this will just be practice for when I kill the real Link. You copies don't have a chance.", said the Demon. It gripped it's blade in it's clawed hand, a grin spread wide across it's face. A row of frighteningly sharp teeth could be see through the creature's spread lips. The sword began to glow softly, emitting an eerie red light. As one, the four Shadow Links drew their blades with a harsh rasping sound.
The four Links shot forward, their blades burying themselves deep in the Demon's blue flesh. When they made contact, the dark blades flashed with a sinister green light. "Is that all you got?", the Demon said. With one blow, his blade cleanly bisected one of the Links, passing effortlessly from it's crotch to the crown of it's head. Dark red blood sprayed from the wound, and the Link fell bonelessly to the ground. The rest of the dark figures jumped away, their blades coming free from the Demon's flesh. "I am the Devil of the Hidden Mist, and your pathetic blows can't stop me." The blue monster stepped over the remains of the fire and the fallen dark Link. It's blade was unstained by the blood of the kill, and the red glow was undiminished. "Which one of you weaklings is next?", asked the Demon. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest, and he looked down. He could see the tip of one of the dark blades protruding through his chest. The three still stood in front him, their faces expressionless. The Demon turned it's head, looking behind it. The Shadow Link it had cut in half stood there, the devastating wound already completely healed. "Looks like you aren't so easy to kill after all.", said the Demon. Blood leaked from the corners of it's mouth as it spoke. The Shadow Link withdrew it's sword slowly. As it did so, the Demon felt the stinging pain of the other three blades penetrating his chest. More blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, dripping on to it's clothing. "Looks like this might be interesting after all.", it said. The red glow suddenly intensified, throwing off huge waves of pure energy. The four Shadow Links were thrown back by the force of the Demon's power, though they managed to maintain their grip on their weapons. The dark blades were jerked cleanly from the Demon's body, slick with blood. For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed the false Link's faces. For the first time, they showed fear.
OOC: Heh, just working up to an important event and trying to win an item for my troubles...shouldn't be too hard since I'm the only judge, but hey, I like to give it an effort. More on these developments soon.
|
|
|
Post by Zabuza on Jan 25, 2007 11:08:09 GMT -5
Zabuza battered helplessly at the prison walls in his mind. Though his fists were just a mental projection of his real ones, slamming them into the blood red bands of energy caused intense pain. The ninja didn't care. He had managed to wriggle out of them enough to free his arms, but he was still unable to escape. Not only was he trapped, he seemed to be going mad. There was no way that the person he had heard speak could really be talking to him. "Don't worry...you're not crazy...yet.", said Haku. The teenager's smiling face appeared through the mist, directly in front of Zabuza. "Haku...is that really you? You're dead!", said Zabuza. "It's not surprising you act this way. My master wiped all memory of me from you. Right now, he thinks it is best that you not remember. Still, for a time, I will restore your memories.", said Haku. Zabuza's eyes widened as he remembered everything. Wagnard, Haku...even the mysterious Ashram. "I managed to slip away for a time Zabuza. When I leave, you will forget having seen me. There is only one way for you to escape here, and I will help you. You must turn to your ninpou." "What good will that do me? My body is far stronger than any little spell I can work up." "It's not always about strength, Zabuza. Sometimes it is about speed...stealth...or in this case, Magic. In case you haven't realized, those aren't really muscles you're flexing there. This is all in your mind...it is your mind you must train." "I see." "Not only that, but you'd better hurry about it. That strange woman traveling with you looks to be in quite a bit of trouble." "Just how much do you know about what I have been doing?" "More than enough to know that you have...shall we say, unusual tastes.", said Haku with a smirk. For a moment, despite the situation, Zabuza grinned. "I have unusual tastes? What about you? Always gong on about my 'beautiful muscles'. Now that is unusual." "Interesting. I would call that fish woman a bit more unusual that someone who merely has a thing for muscles. You should see this one woman who serves Wagnard...I think I'm in love...she has bigger muscles than you." Haku grinned. Zabuza merely hoped the strange boy was kidding. Although...at least Haku was talking about a woman. "Zabuza...it is good to see you again. Still, I have come to help you, and help you I will. Time has little meaning here, but it still passes. I will teach you to master the use of your water chakra. No...I said that wrong. I will teach you to become your water chakra. Only then can you escape this prison. We will be training at the speed of though here. You can accomplish great things this way...but it will put horrible strain on your body. Using so much mental energy in such a short time may kill you." "You know I never back down Haku. If it will allow me to escape here and regain control of my body, you know I will do it." "Well then, let's begin. There will be no breaks." The gray fog cleared a little more around the cage, completely revealing Haku's body. He snapped his fingers, and the red bands around Zabuza shot outward. Much to Zabuza's disappointment, they simply formed a much larger cage rather than dispersing. Still, at least he could move his body. "This is so strange...", said Haku. "For once, I am teaching you something." The four Shadow Links got into identical fighting stances, their shields held at the ready. Their dark blades were already stained with the Demon's blood. They sword glowed a strange purple color as energy began to build in them. Soon the light almost matched the intensity of the Demon's red energy. As one, the four Shadow Links unleashed a torrent of dark energy, whirling their blades in a circle. Trees around them shattered under the assault, and even the grass beneath their feet was destroyed. As the energy shot outward, the Demon grinned. Just as the first wave was about to slam into his chest, the Demon disappeared. The Shadow Link's eyes widened in surprise. "Too slow, fools.", said the Demon. His voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. The Links glanced around in confusion, trying to locate their target. "The real Link probably wouldn't have fallen for this...but you guys are just pale imitations. Well, in your case, I guess it would be dark imitations." The Blue Demon appeared standing directly between two of the Shadow Links. His sword lashed out, too quick to see, let alone dodge. Both of the Shadow Links fell, chopped in half at the waist. Seeing this, the other two turned back to back. The two on the ground began to pull themselves together, their bodies easily healing the massive wounds. The beast charged strait for the standing pair, his sword trusting at one Link's heart. With a clang, his blade glanced off of the Shadow creature's cleverly angled shield. The Link tried to counter attack, but the Demon was no longer there when his sword came down. The other two managed to pull themselves together and stood up, coming to join the formation. All of the Links stood calmly, their backs pressed tightly together. His movements completely silent, the Demon lurked in a tree contemplating his next move. His eyes glinted with the thrill of the hunt, and he watched his prey intently. Though they showed no fear now, he knew that they were afraid of him. Even with their regeneration abilities, there had to be some way to defeat them. The creature's leg muscles tensed, and he pounced out of the tree with great force, hurtling directly at the cluster of his enemies. The Shadow Links never even saw him coming. With one swipe of his huge blade, the Demon cleanly beheaded all four of them. Their bodies fell limp to the ground, though they soon began to grope for their severed heads. "Stupid creatures, learn when you have been defeated!", shouted the Demon. He began to hack wildly at the bodies, each blow of this sword slicing off limbs and tearing flesh. As soon as his blade passed through, the wounds in the shadow creature's bodies began to close. The Devil of the Hidden Mist howled in frustration as his enemies stood up, whole once more. From a safe distance, Ruto continued to watch, unsure who she should be rooting for. Obviously Zabuza couldn't control the Devil. She gripped her spear tightly, knowing that no matter who the victor was it wouldn't end well for her. "Come on Zabuza, you can do it! Don't seek to control the chakra, seek to become it! You can do it, I know you can!", said Haku. Zabuza strained, focusing all of his mental power on doing what Haku said. A globe of blue chakra surrounded his body, twisting and tossing like a living thing. "My time here is almost up Zabuza, you must hurry! Besides, the Demon will kill that woman if you don't do this. Look at what it is doing, see through it's eyes! It is a part of you, though you are imprisoned. You can do that much." The fog outside Zabuza's cage cleared a little, and a large picture appeared. No, not a picture...it looked like a portal, just out of reach. Through it, he could see several dark forms that looked eerily like Link, wielding glowing blades. Indeed, he was seeing through the Demon's eyes. He could see Ruto in the background, her eyes wide. Though the Shadow Links were continually being stabbed ans sliced by the Devil's sword, their wounds healed at an amazing rate. "Both the creature and they are tired. Soon, one shall triumph. When they do, the first thing they will do is kill that woman.", said Haku. His voice was calm and serious, and Zabuza knew it was the truth.
The Devil knew it's blade had slowed considerably since the start of the battle, and it's breathing was heavy. The Shadow Links fared little better, looking as if they would collapse at any moment. It seemed that the magic used to heal them so quickly drained them. "I won't loose to the likes of you!", yelled the Demon. It lunged forward, spearing one of the Links through it's heart. The creature calmly walked up to the Devil, following the path of the blade. When it was close enough, it slashed viciously at the Demon's body. Roaring in pain, the Demon lifted the blade, causing the Link it had skewered to dangle in mid air. The Demon ran a second Link through, and he joined the second Link on the blade. It was then that the blue devil had an idea. Moving quickly and straining under the weight, he ran the remaining two Links through as well. All of their bodies hung from his long sword, though they were clearly still alive. The Demon continued to push his sword until it met resistance. It's tip sunk into a tree. Grinning, the creature continued it's thrust until the hilt touched the chest of the first Link, and they were all pinned to the tree. The Links swung angrily at him, but he simply slipped out of their range. "You may be living shadows, but I really doubt that you will be able to free yourselves from that!", said the Demon. It chuckled to it's self as it pulled it's second blade from the makeshift sheath on it's back. "Let's see how you like the light, Shadow creatures!", it said. The Demon jumped into the air, it's large blade whirling. Branches fell from the trees, cleanly severed by the sharp blade. Cracks of light began to appear for the first time in the dense foliage, and the Shadow Links began to grimace in pain as their flesh sizzled at the light's contact. Laughing manically, the Demon continued to jump from tree to tree, slashing every branch in reach off with his sword. Soon, he had created a small space of empty branches, allowing the morning sun to creep in. The small shafts of light united into one large beam, focused on the Shadow Link's pinned bodies. The creatures screamed in pain as the light ate into their flesh. burning it to the bone. Their screams dwindled as their lungs and throats burned away. Soon, there was nothing left of them but ash. Winded, the Demon sheathed his sword and approached the blade stuck in the tree. With a grunt he freed the blade and began to inspect it, making sure that it hadn't been damaged in the fight. "Surely you didn't think I'd forgotten about you Zora.", he said. The Demon's eyes glanced over at where she sat on the Chocobo, trembling. "I'll be with you in a minute, just making sure my blade is all right. I would hate to kill you with a nicked blade." The sword's blade was undamaged, and the Devil grinned. Something shiny caught his eye. There, on the ground amid the ash, a metallic object glinted in the morning sun. He picked it up and examined it. It looked like a key. "Ah, this seems to be the key out of here. Too bad you won't be able to come Zora...", it said. The Demon tucked the key into it's pouch...and disappeared. Ruto's eyes widened in panic. Unlike the Shadow Links, she had been able to see the blur of motion as the creature jumped into the trees. His movements were too fast to dodge, but at least she could see them. "Go ahead and run, little girl. I bet that big bird will be able to outrun me for a minute or two. Besides, it's not interesting unless you run." She couldn't pinpoint the Demon's voice in the dense foliage of the forest, but she knew it didn't matter. She calmly dismounted and gripped her spear tightly. "I won't run for your sick games. I will stand and fight like a Zora!" "Touching, but futile." The Demon jumped down from it's hiding place among the trees, landing roughly ten feet in front of her. "A pity...a chases would have been more thrilling than your weak attempts at combat. Ah well, I guess I will take what I can get.", he said. The Demon licked it's sword's blade. "Bah, they didn't have any blood...what's the point of killing someone if you can't enjoy the blood? I bet yours will be extra salty..." The Demon lunged directly at Ruto, his movements insanely fast. She brought her spear up defiantly, though she knew it was a lost cause.
"You must do it now Zabuza! Become one with the element and save her, or that creature will kill her! DO IT NOW!", screamed Haku. The chakra aura around Zabuza intensified, then began to change shape. The chakra began to twist in a new way around him, burrowing into his flesh. Zabuza shrugged off the pain, knowing only that it wasn't real. It felt as if he were being dissolved in acid, but he didn't care. He had a job to do. Haku darted in as Zabuza's for began to waver. He snatched the red ring from the ninja's finger and replaced it with one that appeared to be a simple gold band with a semi-precious stone in it. "That's a farewell gift Zabzua...so long as you continue to wear it, the Demon won't be able to regain control. Once you leave this place, you should hurry back to the other dimension...the is much more magic for you to learn, and it can only be done there. Seek out a place known as Cosmo Canyon on Earth. Train there, and they will teach you secrets that will help you control the beast. Fare well.", said Haku. Upon finishing his last words, the boy faded out. "Goodbye...Haku...", was all Zabuza managed to say before his entire body dissolved into swirling energy.
The Demon's sword jerked aside at the last moment, drawing a faint line of red across the Zora's throat. The Demon screamed in pain and fell to the ground, clutching his throat. Mist began to stream from it's open mouth, choking it's screams off. The mist thickened, turning into water. It gushed strait up and collected in mid air. Then, slowly, it's form began to shift. It grew arms and legs. The color began to change, turning a deep blue. Then, abruptly, it solidified into Zabuza. It wasn't the normal Zabuza, however. His clothing was an exact duplicate of what the Zora had seen in Zabuza's mind. His clothing was deep blue, and he wore a mask which was transparent, just like water. Creeping tendrils of mist extruded from his body, waving about as if trying to find something to grab. "I'm back, Devil. I am free, and you will return to your prison now. Your services are no longer needed.", said Zabuza calmly. His voice was deeper than before and had a strange quality to it. It didn't sound quite human. "You won't get rid of me that easily.", said the Demon. It tried to stand up, but collapsed in a fit of coughing. The Mist streaming around Zabuza became thicker and surged toward the Demon, enveloping him. Ruto lost sight of what was happening through the thick mist. All she heard were horrified screams from the Demon that had tried to kill her. Soon, the screams cut off, and the only sound that remained was her own heavy breathing. The Mist slowly cleared, revealing a spot on the ground that was completely iced over. Zabuza stood next to it, still in his strange form. He sighed and dropped to his knees. There was a splash of water as his ninja suit dissolved and his mask fell off. Soon, his appearance had returned to normal. "Zabuza...is that you?", asked Ruto. "Yes...it's me.", he said. He stood up with great effort, clearly worn out. "What did you do?" "I sent him back to his prison...and he won't return. Not as long as I have this.", said Zabuza. He pointed to a ring on his finger she was certain hadn't been there before. "Where did you get that?", she asked. "It was given to me by...uh...I don't remember..." Zabuza took a few steps forward, tottering dangerously. Ruto rushed forward to help the ninja. She put her arm around his back and helped him walk toward the Chocobo. "The Demon defeated four Shadow Links...and they dropped a key. He put it in his pouch.", she said. "Yes, I have it. I don't know what it is for, but it must be our key to escape.", said Zabuza. The two made it to the nervous Chocobo, and Ruto helped Zabuza climb into the saddle. She jumped up in front of him, knowing that he was in no condition the steer the giant blue bird. Zabuza's head drooped onto her shoulder, and his eyes closed. "Zabzua...I want you to promise me something. Promise me that when you can, you will teach me to be like you...a ninja. I need to be stronger...I need to be able to defend myself. That creature came entirely too close to killing me twice now. "I will...if that is what you truly want. Still I'm not sure you know what a ninja is..." "I don't care, I need to be trained anyway. That is what you know how to do, and I want to learn it as well." "As you wish...but you won't like my training methods. We can start when we get out of this accursed place...but right now...I'm so very tired..." "Ok, it's a deal then.", said Ruto. Her words fell on deaf ears, Zabuza was already fast asleep.
OOC: Finished learning Shamanize, and gained the item Memento for all my trouble. Well, at least this ended with Zabuza sleeping and not unconscious like usual, that's a good ending for once.
|
|
|
Post by Zabuza on Jan 26, 2007 5:49:34 GMT -5
When Zabuza finally awoke, it was well past noon. his stomach rumbled, drawing Ruto's attention. The weary Zora halted their mount and turned around blinking. "Well, good morning to you too Zabuza. Perhaps we should stop and eat...and figure out a way out of this place. Whatever that key unlocks, I haven't seen any sign of it.", she said. Still bleary eyed and tired from the mental strain of the morning, Zabuza merely nodded agreement and slid off the Chocobo's back. Ruto dismounted as well, and the bird warked happily. It soon began to tear into the surrounding foliage, evidently quite hungry. Zabuza collapsed with his back to a tree, barely able to move. Realizing Zabuza would be no help this time, Ruto set about making came with only a few muttered comments, just below Zabuza's range of hearing.
Soon the Zora Princess had a fire going, and she passed Zabuza some of their remaining dried food. Zabuza ate it gratefully, pausing only to thank the woman. Ruto smiled to herself, grabbed a hunk of dried fish, and sat next to the exhausted ninja. "So, have you figured out a way to get us out of here?", asked Ruto. The ninja swallowed his last bite of dried fish and shifted uncomfortably. "No, not yet. I am hoping something will come to me.", he said. Ruto snorted by way of comment, and all became silent. Zabuza opened his pouch and removed the key, studying it. It seemed to tingle in his hand, as if it was endowed with great magical power. "It's magical...that is plain by the fell. Still, how does one use a magic key without a lock?", he muttered to himself. "Well, have you tried simply invoking it? It may just be a symbolic container for the spell.", said Ruto. She was used to responding when Zabuza was talking to himself by now. He never seemed to care much, and she usually had something good to say. "Very well.", said Zabuza. He climbed slowly to his feet and held the key at chest level, studying it. Feeling a little foolish, he said "I invoke you, key!" To his surprise, the key flashed brightly and disappeared. "I don't know what just happened, but I hope that we didn't actually need a physical key, or we're in trouble.", said Ruto. "It was your idea.", said Zabuza. "Yes, and it seemed to have worked, didn't it?", she said. Unable to argue with that, Zabuza simply turned his attention to their fire. It was a good thing to have in the cool woods, though not needed for anything besides warmth. Zabuza quickly came to a decision, made a few hand signs, and created a bubble of water above the fire. Despite the strain on his mind, using magic didn't tax him in the lest. He dropped the water on the fire, putting it out noisily. "We should be on our way. I have a feeling that we will escape here today.", he said. Those were the only words that Ruto needed. The Zora woman quickly got to her feet and grabbed the Chocobo's reins. The bird warked again, annoyed that it's meal had been interrupted. Still, it had had enough, and responded to the tugs on it's reins begrudgingly.
In a matter of moments, the two had mounted up and were speeding through the trees. "Remember Zabuza, you promised! As soon as we get out of here, you will teach me how to become a ninja!", shouted Ruto. They were moving quickly now, and the wind whistling past them combined with the twigs and leaves crunching under the Chocobo's feet made hearing difficult. "It's not that easy...generally, we start training from childhood." "No excuses, you promised, and I will hold you to it!", shouted the Zora Princess. "Fine then, when we escape this place, I will see about it.", said the ninja. Much to his surprise, a few seconds later they burst through the dense foliage and into a small town. "Looks like we're out...now, you have to teach me.", said the Zora happily. Zabuza quickly reined in the Chocobo, unhappy about what he saw. The town's streets were almost deserted. The only people he could see were running around in armor, weapons at the ready. The entire area seemed fortified, and this didn't sit well with the ninja. One man spotted the two of them on the Chocobo and shouted an alarm. Several other armed men ran over toward them, brandishing their weapons. "Declare yourselves strangers! Be you friend or foe?", said the first man. "I couldn't tell you that unless I knew whom you served.", said Zabuza. "We here in Rauru Town don't serve anyone.", said the man in a very proud way. "Then I suppose we are friends.", said Zabuza. The ninja climbed down from his mount and helped Ruto dismount, though she didn't need any help. Upon spying the Zora, the guards lowered their weapons. "Oh, you travel with one of the water folk. We rarely see them in this part of Hyrule, but we know that they are brave...and not too shabby fighters either. We need all the help we can get here.", said the man. "We aren't here to get involved in your troubles. We are only here for supplies, then we will be on our way.", said Ruto. "Well, too bad for you then. The town is surrounded by an army of monsters, sent by Ganondorf. You'll have to fight your way through to escape, and if you're going to do that, you might as well help us out here. For your aid, we can see to it that you get the supplies you need.", said the man. "If we don't have a choice, then we might as well.", said Zabuza. The tall ninja turned to Ruto. "Looks like you'll be getting a bit of training sooner than I would have liked." "When you are ready for battle, go to the center of town. The town elder is there right now, and he will inform us of our battle strategy." The guard turned and walked off, no longer concerned about the two.
"Ruto, for your first training, I want you to listen carefully. See this spot right here?", said Zabuza. The ninja pointed to a spot high on his neck, right under his jaw. "Yes, I see." "That is the location of a major artery. When we fight these creatures, I want you to aim for that spot. Hang back, dodge their blows, and wait for an opening. Then, strike swiftly. It isn't too far under the skin there, so you won't even have to put much force into the blow. Speed is the key here.", said the ninja. He looked quite serious, and seemed reluctant to be telling Ruto this. "That spot is vital on any living creature, though it might be difficult to find on some. You might take several tries to get it right, but you will know when you find it. Blood will spurt out with great force. Luckily, you have a spear. Little of the blood should get on you. Ruto looked slightly ill at the concept, but nodded her head. She had asked to learn, and Zabuza was keeping his word. "When training a ninja in my village, the instructors have no mercy. They either teach you, or they break you. I teach as they do. I want you to know that.", said Zabuza. His thoughts drifted back to his days training Haku, and he absent-mindedly caressed the ring on his finger. "You won't like the training...and you will most likely be hurt many times during it...mostly by me. I want you to be sure you can handle that before we truly begin. If you can't, then I won't teach you any more.", said Zabuza. He looked quite troubled. "Zabuza, I have to become stronger. I can't always depend on you to protect me. If this is what I have to do so I don't become a burden, then I will do it...and gladly.", said Ruto. She put her arms around Zabuza and embraced him for a second. "Now, we should get to the town center. I'm as ready as I'll ever be right now.", said Ruto. "Very well."
OOC: Just moving the story on a little. Other than escaping the forest, not much important has happened.
|
|