((In the words of the commander at the end of megaman x 4 "I've been waiting to fight with you!"))

Cloud felt a blade cut clean across his back. Sephiroth was just as good as he remembered. He fell on his chest and spit out the sand in his mouth. "Just as I thought, he's miles ahead of me as far as skill is concerned. The only i have going for me is heart." He climbed to his feet fairly quickly and rotated his shoulders, as if trying to massage out the pain in his back. Thankfully the mako energy that he had been treated with at the time of his inception into SOLDIER and the various experiments that were performed on him left him able to fight through pain. "It's been five years since last you and I stood face to face. I cast you down into the depths of the life stream last time, and now I'm going to finish what I started." Cloud took the buster sword in one hand and dragged it as he charged forward. With his left he attempted to uppercut his adversary in the chest, while with his right he wildly brought the enormous blade upward in an arc that was directed straight at Links chest.

Okay Natalie, are you ready? I'm sick of waiting for this. The rules we agreed to, no magic, no summons, no potions, and no outside interference. You can se your sword, your bombs, your boomerang, your hookshot. Anything you like. I've finally come up with a feasible reason for the two of them to fight. Universes have crossed paths and by some sick twist of fate the hero known as Cloud strife has had his mind distorted. Now he has been thrown into a battle against his while, little does he know that Sephiroth is about to appear before him. BUT, it is not really Sephiroth, Cloud's mind is being manipulated into thinking that Link is Sephiroth, and Link's mind is being manipulated to see Cloud as Gannon.




Cloud stepped into the lightless arena. He could hear the crowd roaring around him. "What is going on here!?!" He cried out in combined horror and confusion. 'Who has taken me to this vile place?!?!" The crowd's cheers drowned out his words as he tried desperately but in vain to get his answers. Suddenly he heard gears shifting and gates opening. His eyes fixated on the cause of the noise. At the far end of the sandy arena he could discern slight movement. His eyes widened in fear and amazement as silver hair shone out like an ironic light in the darkness. "SEPHIROTH!" He screamed out only to once again have his words trampled over by the hundreds, maybe thousands who were crying out for the sight of blood. "How am I to face down my greatest foe without my materia?" Hundreds of scenarios suddenly flew threw his head as he contimplated the best manner in which to approach this battle. "Where is the masamune?" He asked himself as he focused intensly on the dark figure, trying to find the slender blade that had haunted his nightmares. "It is time to settle this. This may be my only chance." He dashed forward through the sand, slipping a bit with each step but staying fairly balanced. "YOU BASTARD YOU KILLED HER!" Cloud dove into the air, unstrapping the buster sword from it's place on his back and taking it in both hands. He cut downward, vertically in his descent. His anger had flared up and caused him to go into a limit break attack, the first one he learned, known as braver.

::It made no sense. Nothing was making sense. How had he gotten here? How had Ganon escaped from the sacred realm? But Link didn't have any time to ask himself these questions, because Ganon was charging at him, sword in hand, yelling. Well, the battle started off in Link's favor. Ganon charged, as he usually would have, blindly toward his target. Link quickly rolled under Ganon while Ganon was in mid jump-attack and Link jumped up to his feet behind him. Quickly and in one smooth motion just as Ganon landed but before he could turn around to face him, Link unsheathed the master sword and swung it at Ganon's back. It was the oldest trick in the book, and one Link had learned at a very young age.::

((this battle is gunna be fun, I sense it. I only ask that if a hit looks like it should really hit that you take it, and then I'll do the same for you. k? I know you're a respectful rper, so I don't think this will be a problem. Cool, idea.))

((Does Link hear what clouds saying, or does it get transformed into some other message said by Ganon?))

::Link saw the charge, and raised his shield just intime. The huge sword clanged against the metal, and he successfully blocked it, but the blow was very strong, and it threw him backward from the force of it. Link stumbled on his feet trying to re-gain his balance. He managed to do so, and whne he looked up next he saw Ganon at perfect range, for his bow and arrow.::
"I don't know how you escaped Ganon, but I won't let you threaten MY land again!" ::Link whipped out his bow and arrow and fired and ice arrow at Ganon's feet so fast one could barely see Link switch from sword to arrows.::

(He hears Ganon's incessent blathering. Such as "YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH!" and the like)


CLoud jumped back as the sand before his feet froze. It appeared as though Sephiroth had cast ice 1 or 2, this was obviously not the work of ice 3. Had it been that strong of a spell Cloud would never have been able to avoid it. "Damn it, he's got his materia and I'm left without mine. I don't know if I can win this." He though to himself as he searched his mind for his next course of action. His adreniline was rushing, his heart pumping. He saw no way but by the sword that he could win this battle. "I won't let you live! NEVER AGAIN WILL YOU HURT ANYONE I LOVE!" Cloud's long sealed up emotions were boiling over, tears streemed down his eyes as he raced forward and thrust the tip of his blade towards the one he saw as Sephiroth.

::And then, Ganon charged again!!! It was the third time the dark man simply charged blindly forward toward Link. And Link had to admit he was a bit confused. It was not Ganon's style, and the dark man had been smarter the last time Link had faught him. Confused, but taking the easy move, Link jumped aside as Ganon charged past. Quickly Link swung the Master sword around catching the man in the back for the second time.::
"Did you forget how to fight Ganon? Or did you simply forget who you were dealing with?" ::Link asked. It was strange. No experienced fighter would charge blindly forward, especially after the first two attempts failed. Ganon was acting....well...emotional. And that didn't make a drop of sense.::

"AHG!" Cloud hit the ground face first with a thud. "As always, he's calm,cool, and collected." Cloud picked up his head and spit the blood out from within his mouth. He lifted his left arm and punched at the sand, he did the same with his right. His muscles strained and contracted as he pushed harder, forcing himself to his knees. Finally he threw his right leg forward and jumped to his feet once again. "I WON'T ALLOW MYSELF TO LOSE THIS BATTLE! I AM THIS UNIVERSE'S LAST HOPE AGAINST YOUR EVIL!" His glowing blue eyes flared as his he reached down at the sand for his sword. "Oh no!" He had dropped the sword close to where Sephiroth now stood. "This is going to be impossible, no magic, no sword, and I'm already injured. but I have to try, if I don't this world is doomed as well as all other worlds." Cloud circled his opponent, watching each movement. This was indeed a highly talented and well trained warrior. One thing bothered Cloud though; Sephiroth hadn't said a word to him and that was not the style of the evil bastard. Usually each time he struck he had a sarcastic and sadistic comment. Cloud had expected a battle of swords and of minds but thus far only weapons had clashed. "Where are your mind games now old man? Or are you trying to psyche me out with silence?" The crowd's defeaning cheers would no doubt drown out the words before they reached Link's ears but if they did this enchantment would change the message to something Ganon would've said. Cloud spied his sword out of the corner of his eye, and he had a plan. Cloud began pacing in a circle around Link, trying to make him step away from the weapon long enough so that he could take advantage and grab it. "Damn, he's too smart!" No such opening showed itself. SO now Cloud had to improvise. He had caught his breath and the wounds on his back though stinging made little difference thanks to adreniline and mako energy. Cloud ran forward but this time it was different, just as he closed in on his enemy he dropped down and swung his right leg, trying to sweep his opponent's legs from beneath him.

::And then Link's enemy charged AGAIN! It was too much. Link prepared himself, but at the last moment Ganon dropped down, kicking his leg out and sweeping Link's feet out from under him. Link landed harshly on his back with an "Ooof!" Link was surprised as his stupidity. He should have guessed that Ganon was planning to do something differnet. The first three charges were probably a way of making Link think he'd do the same thing again. On the ground he kne whe was vunerble. But there was an up side. Ganon had dropped his weapon after Link's last hit. Link quickly rolled to the side grabbing it. Link now possessed both swords, leaving his enemy with none. Link quickly lept to his feet, now holding two swords, his shield placed back onto his back for the time being, since he could not hold it with the second sword.::
"You've gotten clumbsy since we last met."

"DAMN IT! I never should've let him notice m sword was on the gorund. This may be the end of me." Cloud dropped to one knee, catching his breath and watching Sephiroth for any weaknesses. "He must have some weakness. Everyone's steps falter at some point." He watched to no avail, Link was a careful fighter, maybe not as highly trained as Sephiroth, but no greenhorn. "I have no choice." Cloud reached down and grabbed the earth with his weathered gloves. Then all in one motion he took off running towards his opponent. As he closed in he swung his arm around, flinging his handful of sand at Link/Sephiroth's eyes. In the moment Link was stunned Cloud dove forward attempting to tackle his adversary.

::Cloud ran at him, and Link was ready knowing exactly what he would do when Cloud reached him. But then there was a surprise. Ganon flung a fist full of sand into Link's face! It was a dirty trick, one he should have expected, but that did not change the results. Link cried out and stumbled backward, blinded. Then he felt a body slam into him and knew he was attacked. Link took the hit hard and fell backward onto the sandy ground. Link managed to hold onto both weapons somehow, but his eyes were stinging horribly. He rubbed at them with the back of his gloved hands as he struggled to stand. He knew he had to get to his feet quickly or he'd be hit again. His eyes watered.::
"You cheating Bastard!" ::Link cried. He managed to get back up, but his vision was badly impared by the grains of sand which scraped painfully across his retnas.::

Cloud knew this might be his only chance to get his weapon back, and hopefully disarm Sephiroth. While his opponent was stumbling around Cloud ran forward, he pulled back his right hand and formed it into a fist. He was within feet now. He swung his right arm wildly in a right hook-like punch, aimed for Link's face. "You're getting rusty in your old age!"

::And before Link could regain his vision, a rock hard fist slammed into his face. He was knocked backward and Clouds sword flung from his hands landing on the opposit side of the arena. At first Link was about to panic, but then he remembered a few tricks he learned during the war with Ganon. Link had been blinded by enemies before. Only with fire, or poison. Link knew how to fight blind.::
::Quickly he got bakc to his feet taking out his shield once more and holding his trusted Mater Sword in his left hand. Link closed his eyes, the grains of sand not stinging nearly as much with them closed. Link kept them closed and listened. Over the sound of the crowd, he was able to pick up the scuffeling of his enemies feet against the sandy ground.::
::He listened for only a second or two, then charged strieght at cloud. He swung back his sword, then whne he reached Cloud thrust it downward hoping to catch Ganon in his head.::

((Hmm...about the no magic thing. I had used Ice arrows earlier in the battle and you hand't said anything. which is why I though magic was ok. Since we nixed the magic, can I still use my Ice, Fire, and Light arrows? Or just regular. Another thing, am I able to charge up my sword? Or is that also considered magic? Again sorry for the mix up.))

((I said no magic))

((Oh holy sh*t! Did you?!?! I thought it was no healing and no protection spells! I'm sorry. Let me re-post that.....read above, I'll edit.))