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A s soft uneven breath could be heard, it was hitching as if the person breathing was in some kind of pain, his hand was pressed hard against his side and when he pulled it back it was caked in crimson. He stared at the blood on his pale hand as if it were a normal sight, just slowly rising upwards before he fell over dizzy from the loss, his wound had reopened sometime since he had gotten on the boat, he remembered falling to the ground clutching his sides and sobbing slightly. The link to his teddy bear was dead, he had severed it making that weapon nothing more then a simple toy as he clutched his side painfully, the blood had already soaked through his bandages, that man and his constant traveling weren't helping. He remembered the world blurring slightly and everything went black. When the light came back around a few people were hovering above him, they were using curative magic on him, he arched upwards suddenly letting out a sharp gasp as if something inside of him had been set off, his skin was stitching itself shut, slowly the sinewy muscle below was being covered and he could feel the skin binding itself together. He remember blacking out again as he saw the pure amount of bloody bandages they had put to the ground, his eyes closing again, he could faintly hear their murmurs as slumber had come to claim him. This was what death was like, wasn't it?
During his slumber, his mental reconnection had begun to reappear, as the bear stirred within his bag slowly climbing out and tapping Miumi a few times to wake him up as the boat had come to a complete stop, Miumi was lurched off his bed slamming into the ground, the room he was in was empty the door had been locked from the inside, as he just lay there for a few moments a faint light was shifting through the porthole that acted as his window to the outside world. Slowly pale hands would touch the ground slowly pushing his body upwards slightly his face obscured by long black hair which was flared wildly. Covering his face and giving him a rather demented looking appearance as Miumi stood up slowly grabbing a ivory comb from his bag. He used the reflective surface of the port hole adjusting his hair so it covered his wolven ears, flashing himself a gentle smile. As he could see his eyes they were icy blue almost white giving him the appearance of a blind child. As he just stood there he could see the grogginess in his eyes and the way he felt so dizzy from that blood loss. The only reason that Miumi was still alive the doctors had said was that his will had kept him going, many people would of died from such blood-loss, and the look in his eyes had even showed he was near the final stages of his life.
His mind replaying the words they had said. "He should of died by now, he has lost so much blood for a small child, those eyes even now as they are losing the glow of life show that he has something he has to do...." Another voice then spoke up. "Why won't he just die already, he should of died before we were half way here, is there something strange about... Maybe he is already dead or an unsent?" Another voice quickly flew in rejecting that entire thing "Guys focus, if we screw up this child will die.... he has a large slice on his side and by the look of it's only around a day old... he must of been in a serious battle, it looks like if he hadn't move or dodged how he did he would of been sliced clean in two." The other men just stared at the man who had spoken, it was strange to know that they were taking this time to keep a single child alive, as Miumi slowly drifted completely into sleep. While reality came back as he was starring within the glass surface, hearing the knock on the door, it was reminding him of when he had passed out against the floor. Slowly his pale figure began to slowly inch towards the door just slowly pushing it open seeing the man who had seen faintly before he passed out. Miumi's voice was slightly cold sounding as the words of thanks leaft his lips.
" Thanks, I can continue my dream now... "
W hen those words left the boy's lips, his eyes seemed slightly glazed over like he was high off some drug, no it was the andrenilla that was pumping through his system, the fact he had just narrowly evaded the hands of death was providing him with that high. As Miumi walked down the hall he could see the man out of the corner of his eye he was starring at MIumi like he was some kind of freak, as Miumi moved the clothing he was wearing coiled tighter around him, that snug black t-shirt with the buttons down towards his navel were undone revealing some of his pale milky flesh. The look was tempting yet adorable and it worked for Miumi, as Miumi slowly pulled his hair into a long thick mane of a ponytail, binding it up with a crimson ribbon. As he did the other could faintly see the other had a tattoo marked on his shoulder which was soon hidden as Miumi reached into his bag pulling out his leather vest sliding his body into it and zipping himself up tightly. He just smiled as he reached over petting his teddy bear. As he moved the small clink of those chain link belts that held up his skirt made of leather. As he moved pivoting around another face in the crowd, the large slit in the sides became visible revealing pale milky white skin which was covered by a pair of leather tights. This was the look of innocents and sin in the same body.
As he moved up the stairs, the click of metal could be heard, As Miumi's bangles on his legs were jiggling underneath the leather straps which spiraled loosely around them, as he came to the top he smiled as his pendent glittered slightly. This boy was intoxicating in his own fashion that was near devastating. As he slowly walked over towards the edge of the deck noticing the small crowd getting off, a few of them had people near them it was a summoner, it inspired Miumi to watch them take this pilgrimage. Miumi slowly followed down beside them as he just looked around this boy seemed to be dazed, he was going to the village, he remembered seeing the summoner and guardian slay the demons, while when he arrived at the entrance his hair had come undone revealing his ears which caused a few people to recoil and some even threw things at him. At which point he feld back to the ruins on the path here, hiding in a tower part looking down as the people from the village looked around he just looked as his teddy bear wondering what he had done wrong. Soon those beady black eyes of the teddy bear moved around and were painted an icy blue he watched below and soon the men disappeared. For a moment Miumi could feel the hot tears slide down his face as he jumped down.
"Why do they hate me so... is it because I'm a demon...? "
H e spoke softly his voice was breaking occasionally as if he were going to break down crying but then the bear spoke and while he did he was rubbing a fuzzy paw against the child's face as if he was going to wipe away tears that had not yet fallen.
"Mi- lord, please don't cry. "
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Word Count : 1333 Exp gained : 133.3
Total Word Count 1,333 Total Exp 133.3 [/blockquote][/size]
Kefka's painted lips curled into a disgusted sneer at the horrid proceedings of this voyage he was now a part of. Curse this malignant land and all who reside in it! They have brough the Court Mage nothing but trouble. It was never even his intention to be out on these fronts in the first place. All he was trying to do from the beginning was to get back to the Empire as fast as he could from a simple excursion to Mysidia, which included a bountiful harvest of mana and the destruction of a small village. But after all, sacrifices must be made to satisfy the Imperial will. That was how it mus be. And those who got in the way would be put down, without regret, without mercy. To Kefka, it was one of the perks of the job. He did enjoy sizzling flesh from bone with a single flick of his red-clawed fingers, his horrifying laugh reverberating across the burning buildings and sending the surviving citizens of that small village screaming in terror back to the darkness and safety of the woods.
But it had all gone wrong. He was on his way back to the Imperial fold when the dreadnaught he was on was attacked and capsized by a great, fleshy creature that the locals referred to as "Sin", and was washed up on a backwater island somewhere miles and miles from the nearest port or crossing. He couldn't even recall what had transpired upon that horrid scrap of land, something about a bichromatic irised little girl annoying him to no end. He was so close to burning the whole village down by himself, but the engineers had told him that the dreadnaught was floating and ready to set out for the port of Luca. And that was even more trouble. Taking days to find anyone unsupersticious enough to even look at their damaged vessel, the Imperial force finally settled on a group of shady mechanics that the locals referred to as the Al Bhed. They had done a bang-up job of repairing the massive tear in the hull that Sin caused, and were about to begin their journey anew, when the monster itself finally showed up right in the harbor and started wreaking havoc. Others tried to fight it off, but to Kefka, it was time for a little payback. Cannons blazing, the crew of the Imperial dreadnaught gave the large whale monstrosity a full broadside with their Magicite cannons, sending it scurrying back beneath the waves with its tail between its legs. Later on, a tall person known as "Seymour Guado", a so-called "Maester of Yevon", thanked the Court Mage by gifting him with tickets for the blitzball season. Kefka was extremely tempted to just rip the tickets to shreds right on the spot, because it was a snowflake's chance in hell that he was coming back to this God-forsaken continent ever again. However, prudence won over his insatiable rage, because even with this primitive culture, getting saavy with the higher-ups was never a bad thing. And there was something about this Seymour that the Court Mage found to be extremely familiar. Perhaps it was that maddening glow in the eyes, imperceptible to most, but still there, still lingering...
In any case, the doldrums were past and the path home was free and clear. Clear skies (Kefka had to supress a shudder) led the way back to the country of Figaro, where the Emperoro Gestahl would most likely be expecting Kefka's full report. The mage shook his plumed head with disgust. That doddering old fool was getting more and more tiresome with every passing day. It would be time, soon, to think about a regime change for the Empire. And Kefka would be sure to head the full operation, but with a different goal in mind other than World Domination. More along the lines of World Destruction. Ah, even the though sent a chill of enjoyment down his spine, allowing the apalled look to slip into a crazed grin.
"Sails! Twenty degrees off port!"
The Court Mage was shifted from his reverie quite rudely by this shout, and was about to have some words for the one who gave them when he saw the sails themselves. Well, this was a busy sailing lane, there should be ships and tradig vessels, after all. Nothing too odd about that. And yet...
Kefka felt something. Not the gentle sea breeze on his painted face or the spray billowing his cloak. It was internal, and far more intoxicating. Kefka, being an enhanced human by the powers of Mana injection, could also sense, to a limited degree, the scent of Mako from distances. And what he felt was a literal spike of Mana energy, more so than he had ever felt before in his life. The only one who had ever come close to this was... her. Kefka's prized doomsday weapon. Before she escaped his clutches, she was the one hope for crushing those Returner rats and brining the whole continent of Figaro under Gestahl's single dominion. But these readings that Kefka was now feeling, they showed promise of a great force of Mana yet seen by the Empire's fabled Dr. Cid. Whatever was on that boat was infused with Mako energy of such a level that it could rival even Kefka's.
And such power could be useful to my own plans... he thought slyly.
Swiftly, he ordered the crew to intercept the boat immediately. The sail-rigged vessel had a head start, but the Magicite power core of the Imperial dreadnaught soon had both of them deck-to-deck. Grappling hooks were away and planks were laid out. Imperial Marines swept out onto the deck and stood in perfect rows, not a single piece of armor out of line. Kefka stepped onto the deck of the shoddy boat with a flourish of his cape, his icy blue eyes alight and searching. A lieutenant marched up to him, saluted, and reported, "My Lord, the ship has been siezed and the cre has not put up a fight. What are your orders?"
Kefka narrowed his eyes to look at those sailors tht have already been rounded up. They were looking at him with fearful and angry eyes. Pitiful worms. The ones who hold the power are the ones who make the dirty looks. He turned his attention back to the lieutenant and replied, "Search this ship down to the bilges, soldier, and gather up any other crew that may be hiding below. I will have a few questions for them. If they resist, drag them up by their hair. Gather them all upon the front deck, and keep them penned in with your rifles. We don't want any of them leaping overboard before I have had the chance to interrogate them..."
Bowing slightly, the lieutenant scurried off to complete his assignment, but it was obvious that he was extremely curious as to the Court Mage's intentions. They had been sailing home free for the past day, and all of a sudden, their commander wished to hold them up more? What was the point of siezing this ramshackled old boat, anyway. Well, the soldier amended, since when has Kefka Palazzo ever made any sense or reason. He has always behaved irrationally, but apparently, it gained the Empire results, and thus he was continually put in places of great power and influence. Still, it made working for him no less difficult. Just having to look at that clown made his skin crawl...
Kefka didn't watch the soldier go, for his gaze was intent upon a single individual on the deck right then. It was difficult to tell if the child before him was male or female. His slimness and milky-white skin would suggest a girl, and yet his jaw was more anular and formed, suggesting a boy. He was clothed in what appeared to be leather robes and brass abngles round his arms and ankles. A stuffed animal was held in one hand. His hair was dark and extremely long, billowing slightly in the ocean breeze. His eyes were an extremely clear blue, almost like he was stricken with blindness. But that wasn't why Kefka was so interested in him.
The Mana pulsed off this young one's body like a sun's radiation. It was intoxicating, compelling, alluring... Kefka's own icy blue eyes widened at the scope of power than flowed from this small child. Indeed, he was the one whom he had felt a moment ago. This effeminant boy was the source.
A s the silence of the world enveloped Miumi, he was watching the sea and that's when he saw it, along the horizon line and quickly coming towards the island. It was a massive boat made of an almost unknown metal as it came closer, Miumi saw it docking within the ports, but Miumi's fine eyes and senses were helping him pick up what was going on, he watched as a single man who was dressed like a clown seemed to step from the boat, quickly disappearing onto the island after speaking to a few men. They quickly spread off the ship moving in an orderly fashion which seemed to create chaos, he was standing there watching as they began to go onto the ship he had been on. He watched as they dragged people from the ship, Miumi felt a bitter anger burning within his body as he looked down at this. Miumi saw that they were dragging men,children and the crew. Miumi saw the faces that had helped him. As he watched some of them being dragged kicking and screaming by their hair and were being held in place by some kind of weapon which caused Miumi to flinch ever so slightly, as he was becoming more aware of the constant state of war around him. Soon he had heard something, he pretended as if nothing was wrong and he watched in horror. As they had guns pointed in the faces of some of the people, mother and children clung to one another.
During this observation the other had begun to walk towards Miumi, but the terrain worked in Miumi's advantage as a branch was below his foot crunching again slowly Miumi turned to face the other. Those icy blue eyes were met with a pair of blue eyes which were darker then his own but they were filled with a sense of darkness, a near crazy look which seemed to bring death and demise towards all those who came near, but Miumi's gaze was cold and icy as if he were glaring daggers at the other. While Miumi just held his teddy bear to his chest, as he gazed at the other, Miumi's gaze was near captivating it made it feel almost as if you couldn't breath, he held a power all of his own. He noticed the other had a very interesting look having many different colored paints which decorated his face, in a near eerie fashion giving him an almost demonic nature on top of looking like a jester of a sort. As the other just stared back Miumi looked back to the children on the boat for a moment before he looked back at the man. Suddenly the dramatic silence was broken by a delicate voice, which held a lively tone and even a demanding tone. Miumi wouldn't tolerate this man holding those people hostage as Miumi slowly reached down his nails digging gently at his own skin. His voice never faltered as his nails cut some of his own skin he was getting ready for the first move.
" Sir, please tell your men to leave them alone..."
W hen those words left his lips, they held a cold note which was easily detectable as slowly Miumi began to walk towards the other holding that teddy bear in one hand as Miumi stood before the clown, the look of peace and serenity that was painted on the child, as he stepped across the dirty terrain causing small clouds of dust to be kicked up. This child before him had fought against people in hulking armor, against both sin and his spawn and managed to come away alive despite the odds against him. This man before him was slightly familiar looking, he could of sworn he had seen the other before but suddenly the image flashed within his eyes, a person on the boat he had just been on spoke of the man who had caused them to retreat, the metallic boat loaded with soldiers. They said they had seen an almost orb of pure energy and magic slam into Sin repeatedly causing the beast massive pain and even making him retreat, but as Miumi stood before him he wasn't afraid. Many feared death but those who were born in a plane of death and twisted desires, and even those who didn't know what death truly was didn't fear it. It could be that Miumi welcomed it almost. Miumi had no binds to this earth. Only faint faces of those who had saved his life. It was sweet as was the taste of the constantly changing thing called life.
As he got closer he noticed the clown's more sinister like nature but Miumi didn't back down like many would of had, he stopped when he was like maybe ten feet away as Miumi stood there, his soft nature seemed hard to deny and that look of innocents was probably sickening, the truth was if Miumi had wanted he could of probably sent that ship to the bottom of the ocean using a combination of spells. He could of been down there already beating down his men with both his magical and physcial abilties, but as he got closer MIumi could feel that sweet rush of battle, the andrenilla was pumping through his veins. As he just slowly reached back feeling his hair, he grabbed a small crimson ribbon and began to pull his hair into a small ponytail. Miumi slowly reached within his pockets fishing around as he did so he could be seen pulling out a pair of black leather gloves, slowly pulled one down his milky white nails covering his slender fingers and nails, doing the other as well. He would constrict his hands a few times getting used to the snug feel. Miumi wasn't playing those koi little games that he normally did, he was sick of acting that helpless role, he was constantly alert since he had fought against Exdeath. That small child had managed to fight that man no more then maybe two days ago and survive to tell the tale. Some would say he was lucky, others would say he was a fighter
"Now I will ask one more time... please call your men off.." "
H e spoke softly his voice was powerful still but his lips kept moving as gthe bear prodded hin in the side by shifting his weight causing the near invisible chain, the voice got more child-like sounding but Miumi was still moving his lips.
"I don't wish to have to fight. "
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Word Count : 1104 Exp gained : 110.4
Total Word Count 2,407 Total Exp 240.7 [/blockquote][/size]
My, my, it seemed that this little kitten had claws...
Confronted with the prospect of witnessing the deaths of all these people on the boat because of him, the little brat finally seemed to grow the minerals needed to march right up to the Mad Mage and order- order- his men to back away. Honestly, this whole situation was extremely laughable. Kefka could see that this punk was recovering from an injury to his side, no doubt sustained from a kitchen accident gone horribly wrong. But the most pathetically amusing thing about it was how determined this snot-nosed ninny looked to face him and help this unknown rabble. His eyes, the clearest blue so that it didn't even look blue anymore, tried to bore daggers into Kefka's own, but to the twisted mind of the Court Mage, they felt no more threatening than sticks gently prodding him. In all seriousness (which was saying alot, as far as Kefka went), how was he suppose to take this kid at face-value, when the face in question looked so unthreatening? Even the way this urchin tried to talk to the Mage, he could tell that it was a forced act. He tried to sound cool, calm and collected, but Kefka could tell that puberty had not been kind to him, as his voice rose and fell randomly and in progressively greater and greater leaps and bounds. This was making the effeminate pissant before him appear as formidable as a mouse with its tail cut off. The situation alone would have been enough to drive the Court Mage into a fit of hysterical giggles.
So, why wasn't he laughing?
Because he knew that the kid had power. He could sense it, the Mana flowing from his skinny body, positively reeking of the intoxicating power of magic. But it was still wild, untamed, and out of his reach. He could command a short segment of his vast strength, but the majority of it was potential only. It would take years, maybe decades, of training before he would be able to harness the untapped power raging within him. Until that day, he was still a minnow in a small pond infested with crocs. And Kefka liked to think of himself as one of the reptiles, personally. Still, the unyielding thoughts of what this prodigy could do for him was practicaly limitless...
After all consideration, the possible benefits outweighted the risks. Such a tempting young adrogynous lad would definitely be pivotal to creating chaos. That is, after Kefka had broken him away from all those self-righteous ideals that the little sprite was trying to harp upon him at the moment. Those would never do, not at all. Kefka would have to speed his re-education along with the knowledge that everything in this world, every moral or belief or cause, it was all phoney. Lies, safeguards, weaknesses. That wasn't the way the world worked at all. There was no reason or logic or sanity that drove the inner cogs of reality. It was one word to the harlequin mage, one simple concept that tied everything together and explained all the problems and tribulations of mankind...
Chaos.
Randomness, discord, anarchy, it was all the same meaning to the Mage. There was no sense in destruction or violence or Armageddon because there wasn't suppose to be. That was what made such things so much fun! Casting aside one's logic to revel in a continuous bloodbath of chaos... that was true pleasure. That was what always gave Kefka his high. It was what made life worth living. Destruction is what made him see the truth, the universal constant about humanity and love and peace and hope and all that evangelical balogne that all these goody two-shoes tried to postulate to everyone. Anarchy freed his bonds and allowed him to fly away from all this stifling clap-trap of the real world, while also bringing it to its knees.
And that was what the Court Mage would try to shove down this kid's throat. He was doing him a favor. He was going to show him how the world really worked, how misled he was by the lies of society around him, the lies of order and peace and rules. But Kefka ceased his internal ramblings. After all, the brat was readying himself for battle, and so the mage would do likewise. Seeing the kid tie up his ridiculously long hair behind his head and slowly slip on a pair of leather gloves, Kefka smirked and chuckled coldly, shaking his head from side to side. Still keeping up with the intimidating appearances, eh, Junior? I'd recommend that you get a bit taller and put some muscle on that frame before you could try to cow anyone, let alone me. Indeed, there was little on this Earth that could shake someone like Kefka Palazzo. His mind had been shot to hell long ago, so to anyone of a rational mind to try and instill fear into his shrivelled heart the endeavor would be considered a fool's errand. There was no emotion left for fear. Only hate, and the ecstasy of destruction...
Speaking of which...
Kefka had no intention of adhering to the whelp's demands in the least, but neither was he going to kill him. The brat was just too valuable to break all in one go. Kefka liked to play with his new toys before he shattered them and moved on to more interesting ones. So, the Mage needed to be smart about this. Looking over to where the trussed-up civilians were being held, Kefka gained such a diabolical idea that his face nearly split in twain from smiling so much about it. Pointing to one of his men holding a woman and her young daughter, the Mage snapped his red-clawed fingers together and gestured to the child beside the mother. The soldier nodded and proceeded to drag the girl away from her mother's embrace. The older woman cried out in alarm and tried to hold onto her daughter, but the soldier smacked her in the side of his head with the butt of his rifle, throwing her back on the deck. The little girl screamed in horror and tried to squirm, but to no avail as the guard carried her over his shoulder to the demented mage, depositing her in Kefka's grasp. Now, the girl was no longer crying out. Her large brown eyes were fearful, tears glistening like diamonds against her cheeks. Her skin turned the color of bone in terror at the man who now grasped her shoulders with red-clawed hands, his purple lips a twisted smile of madness, his icy-blue eyes alive with malice.
His yellowed teeth bared, Kefka turned the child around, holding her shoulders firmly but gently, to face the brat who challenged him. A small chuckle seeped through his horrible mouth, his smile never leaving his face as he stared down at his future toy with triumph in his eyes.
Remember, he thought to himself, we're going to test the neophyte, not break him... yet...
Kefka spoke out to the lad, "I'm afraid that I cannot do such a thing, little one. You see, I'm here for one thing, and one thing only: you. I'll cut you a deal. After all, Lord Kefka Palazzo is nothing if not generous."
He could hear the snickers of the soldiers behind him, which abruptly stopped as he swivelled his plumed head around and caught them in a cold glare which dug like knives into their visors. A few squirmed from it. Kefka retruned to the boy and continued, "I challenge you to a wizard's duel, in order to test out your powers over Mana. If you should win, we shall depart, never to return, and these villagers, all of them, can leave without harm. I swear it."
Kefka allowed his grin to slip a little wider. "However, if I win..."
He caressed the round face of the little girl he held, stroking his white, spindly fingers beneath her chin and along her cheek. She didn't move or breath, she was so scared. And then, he allowed one of his nails to scratch a cut along her cheekbone, causing a thin line of ruby blood to trail down from the wound. The mother behind them wailed pathetically, and the child began to breath more rapidly. Her eyes were starting to well up again, but she didn't cry out in pain. She was too petrified.
A s the other began to slowly make gestures to the beat for a swift moment his head spun, as he did he could see the other's plan he watched as a man who was far more buff then many of the people Miumi had crossed in the world. For a moment he could hear the near hysterical crying off the mother. Suddenly a sickening dull thud caused Miumi to cringe as he watched in horror as they drew their rifle back and smashed it against the woman's skull. His eyes were transfixed as the woman seemed to make one last attempt to reach for her child as slowly her world was going black as her body hit the cold deck of the ship. A thin trickle of blood was running down the woman's pale milky skin and Miumi felt something it wasn't the peacefulness that was there but it was disdain. As the girl was placed down near Kefka's grasp she didn't bother to cry or even breath, she was that afraid but then something within Miumi was burning. The look of hatred was clear within Miumi's eyes as the other began to rake his claws against her face just gently tracing the procealin skin marking it up with his ruby red nails. The others wouldn't get a vocal response instead Miumi took a few steps back this boy wasn't going for the simple method. He let out a single breath before that mana within him began to actually scream. The energy was dangerous.
As the other began to make the conditions. The look within Miumi's eyes was turning more wild, they were loosing their human like quality. As that all to familiar warm pumping effect began to go through his body causing him to let out a slight moan, which had been stifled by clench teeth, coming out as only a groan which could be sounded off as disappointment. As that flicker of life was within Miumi's eyes the very wild animal like look seemed to show he was no strange to fighting. There was no fear within those eyes could it be the boy had no fear of death. No that wasn't true Miumi suppressed his fear as it only held him back. The feeling of raw untapped power was oozing lightly from Miumi it was hard to miss the just rush of energy one could obtain if they came close to Miumi. As slowly the other's speech began to grow longer. Miumi's hands clenched tightly so hard that the leather strained against Miumi's protruding veins. The conditions he made were admirable and Miumi knew that there was little chance in hell he would lose. But the confidence in the other's voice would cause a narrow suspicious within Miumi's stomach. The other was testing him that much was obvious but little did he know Miumi had already planned out the battle. The movements he would make would be precise and deadly. This boy wasn't a fool that much was obvious. He held potential and the essence of death as those eyes looked up from the ground.
Those icy blue eyes would slowly traveling up towards Kefka's men. A few of them actually flinched his gaze was that cold and malice filled. The mother just offered a simple smile as she realize that her daughter's life was within good hands. But all to suddenly the battle began. Miumi's hands began to tighten as he pushed off the ground. Miumi moved across the ground quickly as his hands were coated in blood from earlier. It was hard not to notice that he inflicted the wound now as he looked at the men. Suddenly he swung his arm the blood solidified. As one of the men turned to run or defend himself. Series of bloody blades were flowing from Miumi's hand that was a physical ability but used magical energy. But the narrow wound Miumi had used was already beginning to seal up ever so slightly. The woman had jerked her body free from the guards grasp and ducked to the ground just a single blade slammed into his armor cleaving through it and piercing his skin with the very metal that was sworn to protect him. While Miumi didn't stop there his other hand was glowing, as the magical energy cackled within Miumi, it was hard to tell the spell that Miumi was using as the energy flowed and pivoted. Mid run Miumi jumped upwards slamming his fist against the ground as he did the energy actually caused a small ripple, it looked to be the ground but it was water.
" Undine, I call upon your power of water, stain the enemies with your freezing cold and wash away the blood of the battle ground. ."
W hen those words left Miumi's lips suddenly water began to fly upwards forming a large wave which slammed down just before Kefka the force would end up causing the girl to fall to the ground as he only held her face. The small girl fell and was swept with the water. She went towards the ledge which would lead into the forest and her mother ran towards grabbing her mother's hand. While she jerked her daughter to the side free of the water's current. The boy quickly rose from the ground and ran across the watery battlefield, the water quickly disappearing but it would stay long enough for what he had intended. As he ran toward Kefka. The ground below him began to take on a frosty like feature. It was obvious that Miumi was storing something within his sleeves. As the magical energy flowed to his hand. As Miumi got closer it was obvious this boy was going to end up attempting to obliterate this man. Suddenly Miumi would push off the ground suddenly the spell became obvious a large pulsating blue orb of snow and ice formed. While it was clenched between Miumi's fingers. He was condensing the blizzara spell. As he came down he slammed his fist into the puddle which rested near Kefka's body. This would be an amazing attack for Miumi. As the water flew upwards it was quickly turned into pikes of ice which flew at the other. With the force of bullets shot from his men's rifles.
While the rest of the water that was leaft was converted into ice with an explosive force which sent pikes flying towards Kefka's more vital areas, such as his stomach his groin and his legs. This boy wasn't playing as the ice spell slowly came to it's end. Miumi pushed off the ground again landing not to far away. But his eyes were more distant for a sudden moment. His vision faded slightly as the world around him changed. Instead the world was being corrupted within only Miumi's eyes. He was standing now among a giant castle, it was floating in what appear to be mid-air while the world was cloaked in darkness. As Miumi had stepped out of the castle. Demons were seen cleaving at one another, but they didn't dare touch Miumi. As there were a couple standing near Miumi. For a few minutes the fighting ceased as many stared in awe at the younger Miumi. He had a very doll like nature. Instead of a pale moon, the blood above them was crimson it was stained with blood that seemed to be never ending. While silently Miumi reached towards the moon. But the couple dragged Miumi back into the castle and sent him to a room. A fine room but the bed was a princess style with tattered covers and ripped pillows. Miumi lived within this demonic world at one point. But he had been happy with just a single friend it was a teddy bear named Ayamu.
A scene was playing out before Miumi's eyes as he remained in battle. A soft sound of crying was echoing within Miumi's ears. There stood a small demon who was named Ayamu. He was bleeding profusely but Miumi looked at it sympathetically. As they expected him to kill the demon before him. But instead Miumi treated the wounds and even formed a bound by mixing their blood they were connected together for all eternity. As he was taken around with Miumi. The two began to explore the castle wondering down among the depths of the dungeon. Demons and fiends were kept there some were roaming free as the two began to walk the path. A few leapt out but the teddy bear struck down the weaker ones who attempted to lay a hand on the loving child who stood behind him. While when one touched Ayamu. A crackle of thunder and a bright flash filled the air as a whip of lightning sliced clean through the fiend. They collected the things they dropped it seemed it was fangs and such. Slowly Miumi began to smile as he gathered materials. Some of them had dropped pieces of metal which woul become newer versions of the weapon. Which stood silently by Miumi. Then the world around Miumi came back he stared at the small devastation he had caused looking at the women and children who had ran far behind Miumi. While the people on the boat attempted to take aim they didn't seem to dare fire without Kefka's permission.
" I'm sorry but I can't allow you to win, so please don't make me have to kill. "
H e spoke softly until the bear suddenly spoke.
"Mi-lord please be strong for the both of us. "
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Word Count : 1600 Exp gained : 1600
Total Word Count 4007 Total Exp 400.7 [/blockquote][/size]
Kefka's grin widened at the sight. Yes, the boy was growing angry. He was losing himself to the pure euphoric release of the Mana coursing through him. The wild beast that was furiously clawing its way to the surface, breaking the restraints of his feeble self-control, clawing through the walls of restraint. Hatred shone in his crystal blue eyes, shimmering with power. This was his first steps to madness that Kefka would eventually teach him. Ignore all the rules. Humans created rules in order to feel more safe and secure in their weakness and mediocrity. But in the grand scheme of things, the world has never worked that way. Nature itself has never responded well to mankind trying to enforce its will upon her. The industrial sectors of Midgar and Vector could claim as much to the contrary, saying whatever it took to keep their profits flowing. But all these little restrictions that man has surrounded himself with will amount to zilch when their ends come. Any action produces an equal and opposite reaction. It was pure laws of physics, inevitable, undeniable. Chaos will wash away their rules in a sea of blood and agony, which will herald the destruction of this pathetic world in a hail of fire and oblivion.
But, the boy hadn't answered his question, and it seemed that he never would, as the Mana suddenly exploded outward from him in a torrent of force. An elementary Water spell, plain and simple, aimed right at the Court Mage and his little hostage. I'll take that as a yes, then, he thought with smug eyes. It seemed that bargaining was not this kid's forte at all, instead going for the more direct approach of trying to blindside the mage before he knew what was going on. But truthfully, the little ploy was sloppy and uncoordianted, without a hint of forethought at all. This neophyte was new to the ropes of magic, and showed experience as such. Still, when he flashed his little glare, Kefka couldn't help but snarl in annoyance at his guards when they flinched at him, muttering under his breath, "Incompetent fools..." Honestly, they called themselves the pride of the Gestahlian Empire, and they're pissing themselves at the sight of the thirteen-year-old boy/girl-child with a teddy bear? Fortunately, he shared none of these weaknesses with his cowardly troops, still staring at the boy with madness glimmering in his eyes, even as the deluge hit him and his bargaining chip head-on. The Court Mage was safe enough, thanks to the enchantments on his robes, which made him immune to the effects of lesser magic, but he casually allowed the girl to be swept out of his grasp and towards the woods. She had fulfilled her part nicely enough, and though he would have truly enjoyed completing the deed he originally suggested, he had no further uses for her. The boy was here, and ready for a fight. No need to bring the mortal scum back into the picture.
And now, it seemed that the boy was trying something new. Interesting. he was using the wetness of the ground to his benefit by condensing a Blizzara spell and firing it forcefully at the ground, causing spears of ice to rise and speed forcefully towards him. Sadly for him, though, Kefka knew what was coming. The way that the Mana reflected off of him before each and every strike, the kid may as well have been shouting his attacks a full twenty seconds before he cast them, they were so obvious. Well, he would remedy that fault as well. Teach him to hide his flaring magical pulses away from prying eyes. It would make him even deadlier. He had the rage, now he simply needed the skill. And if Kefka had to beat it into him, so be it. Invoking the glorious rush of Mana within his own body, Kefka allowed the intangiable, metaphysical power to coalesce and take tangiable form. Heat. Burning. RAGING. The Fira erupted from his red fingertips like a dragon's breath, swirling around him, encasing him within its fiery embrace. This was his Mana, he wouldn't be harmed. As the ice spears hurtled towards him, Kefka, within his flaming shield, jumped upward and spun, making himself a more difficult target. The spears, weakened by the Fira, lost much of their sharpness, but could still impale him should they connect. Two missed him, then a third, but one grazed his shoulder, ripping through the fabric of his puffy sleeve. He took a glancing blow from another along his hip. But the assault had stopped, and Kefka allowed the raging inferno that surrounded him to blast outward. The explosion would do little, if any, damage to the boy, but that was not what Kefka had in mind. Surrounding the both of them, the Fira blast spread across the ground, melting the frost that had taken the Earth, and returning it to water, allowing it to form in muddy puddles.
Kefka landed with a splash on the wet ground, right across from the boy, and stopped to see that he was spacing off, and gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. Come on, what was going on with him now? He was so focused, so determined to kill before, but now he was off in la-la land while his enemy had a chance to take a free shot at him? This would be another little habit that Kefka would need to break him out of. Maybe the Slave Crown, he thought idlely... but no, he made that same mistake with Terra, and she had escaped after... whatever happened in Narshe. He would not repeat the same mistakes twice. This time, he would break him down and make him see the Court Mage's way of thinking, force him into developing the same mindset that Kefka held so near and dear to his own shrivelled heart. He would convert him, sway him, to chaos. But wait, it seemed that the brat had snapped out of it. Oh, well, back to business.
At that, he heard the sound of rifles being cocked, and he swivelled around to see his men taking aim at the boy. Irate, the Court Mage held up an irritated hand, screaming, "Not now, you blundering fools! This is a test, not a battle! I'll break him myself! Keep on that ship!" Normally, he would've allowed his soldiers to take aim at the boy, but Kefka didn't want his toy damaged by any other hands but his, and his alone. So, he turned back to the boy just as he said his next words, which caused Kefka to eye him oddly. And then, the bear talked, which raised another blonde eyebrow. This was indeed strange. It seemed as if Kefka would be facing two potential opponents. He had wondered what possible function the bear could have, and if he was somehow a weapon, then it would be worrisome as to what kinds of powers this animal possessed that his master didn't. But in any case, Kefka took it into consideration and gave a disappointed smirk at the boy's remark. "My, my, and here I thought you were playing for keeps, boy..." To emphasize his point, Kefka ran his finger along his shoulder wound, collected some of the blood, and licked it clean, a devilish grin on his harlequin face. "But you are mistaken if you think this i some kind of random battle. I'm not so easily defeated as you may think. Show me your best. That was the bargain, was it not?" With that, Kefka leaped to the side, extended his finger, and yelled, "SLOWRA!!!"
Imagine everything around you suddenly going at half speed, the air you breath becoming more cloying and thick, the ground beneath you increasing with inertia, making it harder and harder to move. Your mind is perfectly fast, but your muscles refuse to cooperate quickly enough. You can feel the dull, slow thud of your heart, and yet you still stand. This was the effect of Slow. Kefka had never been a big fan of Time magic, but even he couldn't undermine its uses. There was a plethora of ways to make the enemy weaker, and what better way to break your foe than to make his moves more predictable, more easy to anticipate and counter? The Slowra would extend to his bear, as well, if the toy was more than Kefka supposed he might be. But this was only the set-up to the Mage's next move. Rolling back to his feet, Kefka lept into the air, and once again summoning the ecstacy that was Mana through his veins, taking up his entire form, this time as roiling, static, uncontrollable electric force. Kefka gave a scream as he pointed the Thundara spell downward, not at the boy, but at the ground, which happened to be still wet with water. The whole area suddenly became a cauldron of dangerous, damaging force, electricity skimming the surface and heading straight for the slowed boy and his bear.
WORK IN PROGRESS A s the boy stood there, he looked so frail as if the very wind that swept their battle field could of knocked him down to the ground. Though that was far from true Miumi had become like a statue as he stood there still in the trance like state, slowly it began to wear off just moments after his barrage had finished, while for him it felt like minutes it had only been seconds within the real world. His memories playing tricks with the very time that he believed in. Those icy blue eyes of Miumi's were brought to this world filled with haze, for a moment he just stood there before he blinked, those blurry figures began to sharpen, his gaze was cold and calculating, as the sounds of the world slowly began to rush back. He could hear the sound of the leaves of the plants crinkling. While the scent of the muddied ground filled the air with a rich earthen scent, which caused Miumi to shiver with a state of near ecstasy. While the sense of touch came back and Miumi could see feel his skin tingle slightly as the shiver broke out as well as the very cold feeling of his leather gloves, they were like sticking his hands in a bucket of ice then water. But that last one was taste, he could taste small bits of earth within his mouth for some reason like the faint hint of herbs of dirt. Otherwise he was fine but the other might not be.
Miumi's eyes would slowly widen with a sense of wonder as the other seemed to believe he would survive. Miumi had planned to kill this sick man as quickly as he could to save the world the trouble, and if he couldn't do that the knowing that he would be forced to travel with this man sickened him. He knew that if he went onto that ship, he would end up sinking it before they got more then a mile into the sea. He wouldn't hesitate to kill every wicked man on that vessel as he took it down. He could guarantee with an almost sickening grin that he wouldn't back down if it came to that point. As a soft smile could be seen on Miumi's face as he watched the true power of his own attack, suddenly spears of ice were flying at the man. It was so very interesting to watch the destruction he could cause with such simple magic and his own combat methods. He turned the regular mage's magic into an even more deadly form. As the sickening grin that reflected a sense of malice stained Miumi's face. That innocent child reflected the very man he was trying to kill. But Miumi's innocent face and aura seemed to show that he was far from as twisted. He wouldn't let this man get away for causing that small girl so much pain. They claim that revenge isn't the answer but redemption was a totally different thing Miumi could deliver that, he could play a god for a bit.
It was like a game of cat and mouse and neither was willing to take the role of the mouse. As Miumi's gaze had become almost predatory, as he could hear the woman and the child running further away towards the village where they would hide with another family. Some of the villagers were peaking around the corner watching the fight much like Miumi. Miumi's eyes had grown almost predatory he was like a hawk on Kefka. Not even the slightest breath seemed to escape his eye but he couldn't seen the mana that the other was using making his sight all but useless. But suddenly he could feel it the other's energy was warm and almost like fire as it radiated outwards. As he watched the other began to move their sickly red nails, which probably weren't even polish but the blood of innocents. A sickening look crossed Miumi's face. This man made him want to puke, it was scum like this that plagued the world only to cause suffering. For a moment a voice rang out in Miumi's head it was not Ayamu's but someone from his past it caused him to clutch his one ear. "You shouldn't let men like him walk the earth." The voice was then muffled by Ayamu's "Mi-lord are you okay." A brief nod of his head reassured the teddy bear that his master was going to be fine. That voice was cold and yet caring at the same time it was Lucied.
Suddenly the world's sounds were drawn out by the crackle and cackling laughter of the flames which were emerging from the other and spiraling around him, it reminded Miumi of a dragon's breath as it swept around obliterating the shards, they were large but they were quickly broken down into nothing more then mere icicles that couldn't even be used as a blunt weapon against the weakest of fiends. He watched as the jester pushed off the ground with a twist of their leg causing them to spiral ever so slightly. The soft scent of blood filled Miumi's senses as he watched as a few of the icicles managed to go through the flaming wall, they were shadows beyond the inferno, but the sounds they produced upon a hit were obvious. The sound of the cloth ripping, it sounded strained as if there had been alot of clothing being pulled at once, thinking back to the other's outfit he assumed it was one of the shoulders due to the new shadow of the other man. As the sound of a dull thudding like noise meant another one had hit. He watched as with an almost satisfactory grin. This was the ecstacy of battle and it was pumping through his veins. His way of fighting may not of seemed right, but he fought for the innocent people. He fought for his survival. He was a shield for the weak and the sword for the meek and he would never back down until he knew he couldn't fight.
" This man is no push over... Ayamu be careful.. "
W hen those words softly left Miumi's innocent looking lips, a brief nod was given by the teddy bear. As the flames grew and began to flow quickly towards the ground, Miumi's eyes widened as a brief memory flared through his mind it held such force it actually caused Miumi to stumble backwards. As the mage's flames rushed towards Miumi, the heat was a reminder but instead of the smell of the earth and dry baked earth, he could smell the scent of burning flesh, the crackle of bones snapping in the flames. The sound of the word was replaced by screams. The light was replaced by the darkness of the interior of the castle as he stood there he saw that man, the one who had spoken to Miumi, Lucied, that was his father. Who had maniacally look on his face as he slayed the demons. His mother's arms were wrapped around his body he could faintly smell her perfume. It was sharp like mint and was mixed with honey and vanilla. But suddenly the real world came flooding back. It was a brief moment. Claudia and Lucied the creators of this demon, the mother and father of the spawn. As he looked ahead he could still see the flames rushing towards him taking a luxury leap backwards. But the ice had melted expanding the watery ground so he landed in a puddle of mud with a sickening slop noise. But thankfully the watery mud also diminished the flames slightly.
While the flames were gone, the warm air they had produced was not, as Miumi stood there, a sudden gale of warm wet wind swept around him with an almost amazing grace. Those clicks of the men who had raised their guns toward him were rewarded with the sound of Kefka's strange voice which seemed to tell them they had done wrong. It brought a swift smile to his face. If he had wanted he could of struck Kefka then but he preferred to fight face to well... clown face. As Miumi stood as still as a statue there was an almost stotic look to his face as a brief flash back to the sound of yelling that was just as frantic. A brief image of Lucied yelling at him never to go near another demon again, that he couldn't see Ayamu. He came back just as quick though having zoned out for a few seconds. He caught the other's second part of the speech. He watched as the other ran his pale fingers along his bleeding shoulder, he was scooping the blood up and onto his fingers, which caused Miumi to shiver ever so slightly. As he watched the other he sat there licking his fingers with a near orgasmic state of facial features. Did this man get some kind of sick pleasure from his own blood or seeing those around him in some kind of pain. He had withstood Miumi's strongest attack meaning anything Miumi threw at him would just shot down unless he could play the game to his advantage.
Then the jester spoke with a tone all to serious, it was as if he expected Miumi to take the battle perfectly seriously, no Miumi was going to fight and have fun while he had that beating heart within his chest, as the other seemed to have a personal hatred towards fun despite being a jester of the sort as he brought his finger upwards. Miumi didn't know what to expect as he pushed off the ground at the same time. In mid air he was hit by the other's spell which he shouted, but Miumi was lucky the ground didn't move as he landed his muscles taking a bit to adapt but the teddy bear was hit as well but he smirked the other underestimated their ability to work together severely. While the effects were immediate, as Miumi felt his limbs become heavier while his mind was alert as ever. As the breaths he managed to take in slowly became shallower he would watch as the other began to charge up the energy that would be used for a spell unfornatuely Miumi was ready as the blinding bolts of lightning began to fly across the terrain, He pushed off the ground his muslces moving slower but he managed to get out of the direct path, as he was in his hair he shortened the chain and raised his arm, the teddy bear's limbs moving becoming pointed sphere like tips. Before he suddenly used the chains to slam the bear forward, it went like a bullet towards the other.
"Blizzara, "
H e whispered, while the bear closed in he would deliver a an x- slash to the other since he had five claws on each paw ten slices possibly but then he began to recoil quickly just moments before the blizzara spell would hit, just jerking slightly above it giving the other a few split seconds to react to it all. While the lightning that hadn't hit Miumi a few bolts of it had split off from the rest striking Miumi, it wasn't as severe the ground had weakened it slightly so it wasn't a strong as it had once been. But a loud cry filled the air, followed by heavy breathing, Miumi had been shocked and his nerve were going crazy but he wasn't down for the count. As he stood there, his hair was wild now but soon it began to flatten out as the lightning was discharged. As the bear landed by Miumi's ide the chain returning to it's normal length. He had smiled at the other as slowly the other would realize that this boy wasn't going down as easily as he may of expected. Since he had one it quick conjuction his moves were less readable.
"Mi- lord, please fight on "
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Word Count : 2021 Exp gained : 202.1
Total Word Count 6028 Total Exp 602.8 [/blockquote][/size]
Kefka simply shook his head while an amused smirk played along his purple painted lips. He couldn't help it, the situation in and of itself was just entirely too laughable to contain any longer. The mad mage would have liked to think that he kept a single modicum of self-control during this whole pathetic, comedic display of fighting that this snot-nosed twerp was putting on for him. I mean, after all, he could have just strangled the girl when she was in his grasp for the near five minutes it took for the effeminate specimen that now stood before him to create his little tidal wave and wash her to relative safety. But now, after seeing the false detriment of hope shine feeblely within his near-colorless eyes, he simply couldn't take him seriously anymore. And after his little ferocious assault, that got Kefka's hackles up even more. This kid was losing himself to the primal, ferocious rage that dwelt just beneath the surface of his inner psyche. That part within him, within all living creatures, that reacts in such a violent way to the outward stimulii of danger, and reacts accordingly. Logic never entered into the equation when the beast took over. The world was draped in a blanket of crimson, as tangiable as blood over your eyes. All you can see is your enemy in front of you, your objective staring you in the face, and you want nothing more than to gouge those horrible eyes out and crush that leering skull beneath your heel.
Within those moments that the boy had made his first offensive at the court mage, Kefka knew that that was what he was feeling. And he reveled in the thought. With each passing moment, this boy is shedding his worthless skin of morality and is remaking himself more as my servant! Oh, of course, within the boy's mind, he would justify his rage, his internal beast, certainly. He could delude himself into thinking that what he is doing, what he is setting free within his bosom would be for all the most noble intentions in the world. He could lie to himself all he liked... but that didn't change the facts. Not one... tiny... bit. He was losing himself within a construct of his own making, his own choosing. But Kefka liked to think of such a thing in a different format. After all, what was the beast if not a mechanism to deal with situations that your normal emotions could not? It was not losing onesself to rage, to the bottomless insanity of one's inner destroyer. Kefka would describe such a sensation as setting one free. Breaking the manacles, struggling against the chains of obedience, of normalcy, of the mundane, cruel, bleak, perfectly-ordered world. These morals and ideals that the boy was so desperately trying to hang onto, those were the real lies, the real naysayers of How The World Ought To Be. To Kefka, the world ought to be nothing at all...
And besides, to the Court Mage, chaos was just too much fun to throw away in comparison to order.
So, he watched the boy, as the ecstacy of chaos took him, as a small, slow, cold smile was etched upon his lips, and as he cast his spell with madness in his eyes. Indeed, it seemed as though Kefka's influence was reaching out to him faster than he supposed. And, like so many mad minds, there was a trace of arrogance within it, as if the boy was thinking that the mage wouldn't be able to survive his attack at all, that the simple spears of ice being hurtled at him would be the ultimate finisher of finishers, that all the Lucavi warriors and all the 1st class SOLDIERS could fall to their knees at such a tremendous and powerful attack as this one was. And, once again, Kefka had found himself chuckling inwardly. Honestly, who was this kid trying to fool? Arrogance was all well and good for the mad, but if you had such feeble power to boast to back it up, then the overconfident nature was a bit of a moot point. The poor brat obviously had no idea who he was dealing with, otherwise his fragile sense of self-preservation would have kicked in before his insanity had the chance to.
But, the mad mage reasoned, I suppose that was what made this kid worthwhile...
If he was any other kind of mage with a hint of power in his veins, Kefka would not have wasted his time. There were plenty of individuals who could brag about such power that they possessed, but back them into a corner, and they would inevitably piss themselves with fear, their knees knocking audibly from five leagues away. It was really quite pathetic, and disappointing. This kid, however, he must have sensed the Mana flow within Kefka, and yet he maintained his superior posturing about his simple, and horribly plain, attack. Thus, he became far more interesting in the Court Mage's icy blue eyes. Any person who could continue such a insane facade as this one could was well worth his precious time. But, as the old edict goes, neophytes should learn to respect their elders, and this punk was pushing it with his preening about his skills. Thus, Kefka would smack him out of it with a proper dosage of pain.
However, the mage had to admit that he was a bit surprised that the twerp's attack actually connected, however slightly, with his body. He might have been able to attribute that to his carelessness, or his lack of creativity to devise a proper defense. He should have guessed that using something as simple as a Fira shield couldn't fully deflect the power of the ice spears thrown t him. But, his mistake, and he had paid the price for it. Thankfully, the injuries he sustained were not debilitating in any way. A simple cut to the shoulder and hip, easily sewn up and fixed. To Kefka, ills of the body barely mattered, because of his inside knowledge that the continued heath of said body was pointless, as all will rot to the ground anyway. Same went with useless emotions such as love, peace, and hope. Utterly useless, the whole lot of them! Why did living beings have such things? It didn't accomplish anything, as far as he was concerned! Incompetent fools! They would soon learn their sorry mistake of putting stock in such assinine and imbecilic notions as love.
All that mattered was that thebody carried him far enough to accomplish his goals. And these mere scratches that he had endured would be no problem at all. In fact, to show the poor twerp how committed he was, he even licked the blood clean from his own finger. He truly did enjoy the revulsion that crossed the youngster's face at the spectacle. Ooh, harmed your little virgin eyes, have I? Well, tough! You try to face me down, junior, and you're in it for the long haul!
Kefka then proceeded along with a brief monologue to his opponent about showing him his ultimate power, but honestly, Kefka didn't mean as much by it as the kid might have thought he did. True, Kefka wanted to see the brat's full capabilities with his Mana energies, but why rush to the end with your unbeatable strength when you can draw it out, and savor the conflict while it lasted? Allow the carnage and destruction to run free. After all, that was the fun of battles to Kefka: the fact that there were no rules when you were in a fight for your life. Anything went. A pure and simple form of the chaos he desired to promote. For all reason and logic to be consumed by panic-enduced pandemonium and anarchy, in the still seconds before Darkness took over it, in a massive explosion, preferrably. That was his eventual dream, and he had come to terms with seeing it realized long ago. And thus, should this snivelling urchin prove himself useful in this fight, Kefka would consider using him to fulfill this most gracious honor. It would only be fitting that a boy of his apparent talents would have a hand in destroying the world, after all, just as he, Lord Kefka Palazzo, would be the one to destroy it. Such a fitting end it would be, for all of them...
But, in any case, on with the task at hand, as... the boy seemed to shoot him a glare that defiantly stated that he would not be beaten as easily as Kefka would think, apparently.
For a few solitary moments, Kefka just stared at this boy, his icy blue eyes scrolling over his features.
And then, he began to laugh.
Oh, deary dear, this was just too good! The evil, slimy chuckle that wormed its way out of Kefka's throat and into the air was filled with malice and patronizing accusation. This kid, this worthless, gender-confused, teddy-loving brat still thought, after all this time, that he was considered worthy enough to take with him already?! What a joke! Kefka's eyes watered with ecstacy at the sheer stupidity the kid was exuding, he doubled over and slapped his knee with atrocious glee. Oh, dear lord, this punk was something else. Really one for the books. He hadn't proven squat to the Court Mage as of yet! He was dirt! Lower than dirt! No, lower than lower than dirt! The effeminate boy had yet to prove anything to the mage beyond that he could summon a few twigs made of ice, which hardly did anything to Kefka once they were tempered with a little fire. How could he even think that he was being considered the post already? That's what this whole battle was for! To test him! Had he not made that clear? Hadn't he explained that fully just before the battle began that he was being considered for the post, but had to prove the job?
Ah, whatever. If he's gotten some preconcieved notion in his head about delusions of grandeur, let him have them. It would be that much more gratifying when he crushed it into the dust.
But, on with the attack. Kefka launched his Slowra spell at both the boy and his bear, which would most likely work to his benefit later on, and then launched a Thundara spell around the entire area, turning it into a seething dome of compressed magical energy running wild. However, despite being slowed, and despite being up to his ankles in water from Kefka's last defensive maneuver, the punk had managed to leap into the air and partially avoid his electrical assault, save for a bit of zapping which made some of his hairs stand up on one end. Honestly, the improbabilities of that last move were so astounding that the Court Mage didn't even wish to comment on them. But his reverie was shattered when he noticed a blasting wave of mana energy coming from the twerp, probably another attack.
Interesting, even with both of the combatants slowed, the bond which existed between them appeared to be mental, thus overriding partially the effect of his Slowra spell. Quite clever on his part. The bear was suddenly speeding towards him, and Kefka sensed that another Blizzara blast was coming his way, despite the fact that his opponent was launching it without speaking the words. While it would have taken anyone else by surprise, Kefka had long since adapted the mannerism of reading Mana signatures from others, thereby nearly predicting their next magical maneuvers instantly. And so the boy's Blizzara had lost some of its shock value in that regard.
And yet another loophole that Kefka could take advantage of. While the bear was in fact propelled by the metal chain that tied the two together, it's actual attack, an x-scissor move which would slice Kefka's body if he didn't dodge, was susceptible to the Slow spell. Thus, once it reached Kefka, it would be less than halfway to completing the move, and its impact, however much it gained from its flight travel, wouldn't be as much as if it wasn't slowed. Ah well, time for the poor boy to learn from his blunder...
Right before the bear would have connected with Kefka, the Court Mage leaped right over it, placing a painted hand on the bear's passing head to steady himself, and recieving a scratch on his wrist from the clawlike arms for his trouble. In the process of this, he also summoned the influx of Mana energy within his body and summoned another Fira blast, launching it right into the oncoming Blizzara, deflecting it off to the right, where it shattered against the wet ground.
Not content to simply end the festivities there, Kefka continued forward in a roll, making sure to kick the bear savagely in the back as he passed behind him to add to his acceleration, leaped high over his quarry, and fired his own version of the Blizzara spell.
An icy orb formed from the air at the flying Court Mage's finger, and immediately went to the right of its intended target. Further and further away it drifted downwards, until it seemed as if it would collide with the ground about a yard away from the kid. But suddenly, inexplicably, it bounced right off the ground with a resounding boink! and refracted right at the stationary boy. It then exploded into dozens and dozens of tiny, crystalline, razor sharp pieces shotgun style, covering a wide range, descending right upon him and his bear. Kefka completed his aerial passover and, coming to the ground, rolled again upon his pointed feet, facing the brat as he was about to recieve a faceful of sharp, icy debris.
