[Round 4] Link vs. Pip

Pip was sore.

He had been deemed not injured enough following his last fight to receive medical attention, and due to that he was not feeling very happy. He had passed through the last round just fine, but had never really given the doctor an answer.

Did Pip need a partner to help make him better?

To fix him?

He didn't know.

Nobody knew.

On the plane Pip had sat quietly, headphones on, staring into the tiny screen ahead of him. He had seen some of the other competitors getting on too, and they hadn't looked the nicest. There were a few that were bigger than him, and one with a sword that was almost as tall as the boy.

Pip hadn't been afraid.

But he had been uncomfortable.

Planes were small places to fit so many big people.

The blond teenager had been rubbing shoulders with a man with equally crazy eyes for the whole trip. Thankfully the fellow hadn't had any weaponry to put in the over-head compartment. Little did Pip know that Omi Barsait hadn't any real uses for physical weapons. Any comments that might have brought the two together were either dampened by the young boy's headphones, or else were never uttered to begin with. The boy with the deep blue eyes and the man with the sharpened teeth wouldn't exchange any words on their trip.

The boy had gotten off the plane with quiet anxiety and had immediately seen what he was up against.

An audience.

Again.

These people seemed a little more relaxed, but they were still standing or sitting there in hopes of seeing blood spill. They had their drinks in their hands; fruity things with whole rain forests sticking out, and they were currently being entertained by a man juggling fire where the fights were going to start.

A Street Performer?!

Pip loved street performers.

He would stand at the edge of the ring of fire, his hands deep in his leather jacket pockets and his eyes mesmerized. Unblinkingly set on the fellow before him.

The teenager wouldn't interrupt the man's performance. After all, the juggler would probably be eating off of whatever he made from this. Instead the youth would simply stand on the edge of the circle in the sand, closer than anybody else was standing by a good twenty feet, and focus his thoughts.

The crowd was already troubling him, but they hadn't risen to the same level of bloodlust that they had before. It seemed that these surroundings had them all more relaxed.

And that was nice.

His mind was calming as much as it ever did, and his energies were beginning to gather in the only way that they could. And he would wait for his opponent to show. Wait for his opponent to find their designated arena.

Wait.

One hand would come out of his jacket pocket, the hand already in its black leather glove, and pop an airline peanut into his mouth. At least those had been provided for the fighters.

Mmmm.

Salty.

With the arrival of the fighters the juggler with the fire would vacate the area, running in the sand to get off of the beach-side where blades would be crossed and fists would be thrown. The young mental patient would look around to see what had spooked the entertainment before seeing this... child. He didn't look much younger than Pip, but he did look younger. And almost... innocent.

This couldn't be his opponent.

Pip had fought a girl and beat her, he had fought a behemoth and just barely squeeked by. He had fought a tattooed doctor with a giant scalpel. These were people that he had run into at this tournament. And now he had to fight this kid?

Pip was supposed to be the youngest person in the tournament!

He was supposed to be special!

They had called him Special his whole life!

Pip would step up, dropping his peanuts in a fire as he passed, and sliding his hands back into their jacket pockets. He would pass into the circle of fire and begin walking towards his opponent. So far he had only spoken when spoken to, and now would be no exception. His blond locks would trail down his back with a shake of his head as he got to about twenty feet from the Hero of Time.

There he would stand, his boots sinking down slightly into the sand, while bringing his left hand out of his pocket to place it on his left hip over top of the cylinder that could be seen there. It was sheathed, but most everyone in the audience knew what he was touching.

Their bloodlust grew and Pip could feel it grow.

It sickened him.

But what was worse...

He had almost grown accustomed to them.

And that...

That was the scariest.

As Pip found himself facing off with his young counter-part, he would also find the Hero backing away. Backing away from Pip? Was the tall boy so scary?

Pip wasn't scary...

Doctors were scary.

Monsters under the bed were scary.

Those ladies on Halloween with the caramel apples were scary.

Pip was just a boy...

His left hand would touch home on his hip and he would continue stepping forwards, reaching out with his mind to touch on the emotions of the young man before him. Normally he wouldn't have done this, but this crowd seemed quite a bit different from the crowd in the stadium. In the stadium they had all been in seats and raised up above the fighters like in the grand arena.

This seemed much more intimate, and because of that they weren't letting their bloodlust go quiet so crazy as before. Here they were almost...

Respectful of the fighter's struggles.

This would be when the youngest fighter would...

Wait.

What?!

Quote: Wrote:

> "Syaaaah!!"

As this noise erupted Pip's left arm would be coming up to guard his face with his own forearm. If the light were still full then it might be noticed that the young psionic was now gripping something, but in the diminished light it would probably be indistinguishable.

Pip wouldn't see, but the crowd and those watching at home would catch the rush of air fan outwards from the Hero of Time with great alacrity; for it was strong enough to oust fires sixty-five feet away.* This wave of air strong enough to snuff these fires would also be more than strong enough to carry thousands of tiny sand particles away from Link.

Pip hadn't been guarding from these particles in particular, rather he had just been protecting his head.

It was an important body part of a psionic.

The crowd on the other hand would not be quiet so fortunate (wanting to watch the fight and all). Most in the first row immediately behind the young knight would probably suffer a blinding at the hands of such a careless attack as well as a few that would no doubt have sand scarring along any exposed skin, while many others would have to deal with sand floating and sinking in their drinks.

Yuck.

And the Hero of Hyrule?

He would be faced by a sillouette of a six foot three inch tall man, left arm covering his face, and his right hand now removed from his jacket pocket. The right arm would be clenched in a fist at his right side, even though that detail may be hard to discern for Link. After all, a sillouette caused by a dozen or so fires behind the psionic would not be the easiest to read.

Pip himself would notice the lack of light from around his arm as sand flecked against his upraised arm, as well as hear the roars from the crowd that was mostly affected by Link's ill-thought out strategy. They weren't happy, and their mental presence was almost enough to make Pip pull his mind back closed, except for one thing.

Out in the darkness.

There was one mind that he had already tried to connect with.

One that was cold. Not evil. Just cool.

Analytical.

Without emotions.

And through this Pip's energy wells would continue to grow. He wasn't spending his time screwing around. He would be ready when he felt an approach by that mind that seemed separated from the crowd.

The one that was... different.

/Ooc Clarification of *:

HyruleKnightLink Wrote:

> five feet from the edge

HyruleKnightLink Wrote:

> almost half of the ring would be reduced to a frightful darkness

Ring dimensions: 135 Feet - 5 Feet from the side of the arena = 130 ft. Half = 65 ft. Audience is 25 ft. from Link at the point of the Great Spin, which would explain the audience participation in my post. ]

What does that fairy kid think he's doing? Ugh, man! There's sand in my schnapps! Ohh, my eyes!

To say Link was embarrassed would have been the grossest of understatements; he was downright ashamed. Peering over his shoulder at the outraged denizens of Gaia behind him, Link would step away in anxiety as their words of discontent reached his elongated ears. He hadn't intended to cause that much of a disturbance, but such was the effect of his heightened sense of physical ability since rounds previous. It would be the first and last time he would underestimate his own abilities for the remainder of his stay within the GTB.

Turning his head away from the audience, Link would once again lay his cerulean optics upon the silhouetted form of Pip. Taking into consideration the ambiance of the fires still lit around them both, it wasn't much of a silhouette, but it was going to take a few moments for Link's eyes to fully adjust. One arm upraised, his other arm beside him, Reach was simply recovering from the effects of the Hero's attack. As far as Link could tell, Pip was unarmed. Bishop, James, and Leinhart - each had weapons they could use to defend themselves, yet this man had none. Strange to say the very least, it did in fact put Link more on guard.

Lifting his should up and setting it before him, the Hero of Time would begin the slow and tedious trek of closing the distance between he and Pip, the Master Sword held at his side in preparation for an attack.

Cool. Analytical. Almost without emotions. Examining Pip studiously as was the Knight's wont, Link would maintain his approach towards the psychic man while subtly going about the task of mirroring the man's movements. Booted feet stepping over one another, the Hero would likewise begin to circle around his opponent, his eyes taking well to the light and shadow that played upon Pip and adjusting appropriately. And while observing the psychic, Link would come to know him better. Not personally; but physically. The length of his legs and the strides there of, the length of his arms and maximum reach, the way the man carried himself and so on and so forth. Everything had to be taken into certain consideration for it was the difference between life and death, win and lose, a bruise and a bludgeoning.

Peering behind the rim of the Hylian Shield, Link would be oblivious to the sand being thrown at his face. Why? The lighting. Though the Hero could see Pip well enough, that did not mean anything for the tiny particles of sand being thrown towards his eyes. The Knight's only save would be in the actions of muscle-memory as Pip began to step forward in a threatening gait. Faced with the choice of meeting Pip head on or backing down, Link chose the later and shuffled back, the shield presented before him taking most of the sand thrown his face's way by both it's positioning and by the angle in which the sand was flung. Needless to say his face was hit; but it did little in the ways of impairing his vision.

Simultaneous with all of this action would be Link watching Pip swing his lanky arm down to inflict bodily harm upon the Hero of Time. In the act of defense while stepping back, Link would raise and position his shield to ward off the incoming blow which would have the inadvertent effect of saving more of his face from the gusting sands. He was oblivious to the steel baton elongating itself in the darkness above him; but he wasn't going to let Pip hit him either way. Taking into consideration the length of Pip's arm, their proximity from one another, and the angle of which Pip is swinging his left arm at the left side of Link's torso, it was probable that anywhere from between Pip's left forearm all the way to the tip of his baton could hit the steel surface of the Hylian Shield upon completion of Pip's attack.

Regardless of what hit the shield, be it flesh or steel, the physically unimposing Pip would do little in the ways of startling the Hero of Time. The thud would be paltry compared to some of the physical blows Link had contested, and as such give the Hero a small boost in confidence. However, Link was in no position to counter-attack seeing as he was shuffle stepping back. Baring that in mind, he would lower his shield after initial contact to appropriately gauge Pip while simultaneously setting his weight on his backward placed left foot.

HyruleKnightLink Wrote:

> For future Reference: ..he would lower his shield after initial contact to appropriately gauge Pip while simultaneously setting his weight on his backward placed left foot.

There was a difference between back peddling and shuffle stepping. Back peddling implied that Link was stepping back one foot at a time, while shuffle stepping was more of a fencing footwork. While it would arduous to fully explain the dynamics of rocking the body weight to-and-fro, using the leading foot to push back or lead forward, et cetera et cetera, it would suffice to say simply that the Hylian Knight was pushing upon on his forward right foot to push himself back, resulting in putting space between he and Pip while maintaining relative balance.

However, it wasn't perfect with all things considered. Pip was undeniably taller than Link, which would hard press the Hylian Knight just because his opponent's longer strides and longer reach kept the Hero in the hurt-zone. Shuffle-stepping would not be enough to keep a good distance between the two. It would simply delay the inevitability of Pip dominating Link with sheer mass and velocity. Link saw this, and would change tactics appropriately. If his opponent favored offense, then he would force him onto the defensive. Having previously lowered his shield and set his weight on his backward placed left foot upon completion of his shuffle stepping, Link would go about the task of just that.

While Pip pushed and went for the Hylian Knight's firmly planted left foot with his mind while simultaneously pushing into the Hero's shield and throwing an uppercut into Link's gut, Link himself would go about the motions of countering, knowingly and otherwise.

Twisting his torso to the right, and using his planted left-left foot as a focal point of his considerable strength, Link would throw his right arm out with the full intention of knocking the two-hundred and something pound psychic off his feet with the flat surface of his shield. Not to say the Hero of Time would send the youth flying, but there's was much to be considered in the right arm of a young-man who possessed more than twice the strength of an athletic male. And with his shield previously lowered, it would inadvertently already be in the path of Pip's brutal uppercut. However, that wasn't all Link had in store for Pip.

After the initial burst of power stemming from his foot, into his cocked hip, and into his right arm, Link would shift his body weight forward and lift his left foot off the ground while he raised the Master Sword up to strike the psychic down, said left foot shifting forward with Link's impending slash. Good tactics to be sure, but nothing could prepare anyone for the unexpected. Link might have narrowly avoided the psychic grab of his left ankle by moving it, but nothing could have prepared him for the surprising psychic pulse as Pip's brass-encased fist slammed into the shield. Currently on one foot as the fist connected with a psychic pulse powerful enough to send the hundred and fifty-something pound Knight + Gear off his feet and into a tumble even if it missed, Link would be sent flying back, his arms and legs flailing for balance as he skittered across the sand on one then two feet.

Coming to a stop and quickly peering over the rim of his shield, Link regarded the large dent in the steel-plate and heaved in a deep and dramatic breath, his chin lifting to regard Pip (and whatever condition he was in) once again once he assessed the damage. If it was the shield Link had brought to the tournament, it would have been surely destroyed; but since it's repair with better steel and sturdier wood, it held up quite good to whatever had happened. If only the Hero of Time could say the same. Rolling his shoulder and flexing his arm, Link grimaced with a tinge of pain as the joints of his right elbow and shoulder began to ache. Not debilitating or enough to make him give up; but certainly uncomfortable.

Pip was to Link, for all intents and purposes, much stronger than the Hero of Time could have predicted. To throw him around like that was something Link had only experienced at creatures and monsters twice as imposing as Reach looked. With that in mind, Link's eyebrows knitted together while he set his jaw in grim determination. Delving into his innate fey magics, Link began to pool his mana and prepare for a spell while he began a trek out of the darkness, his shield once more upraised while he held his sword at his side in preparation for attack.

If only he could see Pip a little clearer...

If only he didn't see Pip as clearly as he did.

Stomach churning in a threat to purge itself of it's contents, the Hero watched with blatant disgust and ever increasing sickness as Pip vomited onto the ground. Stopping and dropping his guard, Link lowered both the Master Sword and his dented shield as he watched, morbidly curious as to what happened to Pip to cause the lanky man to be sickened so. Gazing down with that same horrible curiosity, Link would tremble at the sight of sand sucking up most of the vomit's moisture, leaving naught but whatever Pip had for breakfast and the not-yet digested peanuts from earlier. And if that wasn't enough, Link was downwind.

The Knight's nostrils flared, and he immediately doubled over and dry-heaved before turning his flank to Pip. Right there, in front of everybody, Link's stomach forced some of the contents from his last meal all over the sand. Sickened ever more by the act of vomiting, Link turned his back to Pip and stabbed the Master Sword into the ground before curling his left hand over his abdominal. Immediately fatigued by such an act, it was definitely a time-out for the Hero of Time before he would be able to function properly.

Sniffling and removing his hand from his stomach, Link would wipe his mouth on the back of his leather glove and twist his torso to reach around and grab the wire-wrapped hilt of the Master Sword. Pip's apology might have made the Hylian Knight feel better about what had transpired, but that didn't say anything about the putrid taste of bile still coating the Hero's tongue. Salivating as was his body's wont, Link would spit as modestly as he could towards the side while dragging his blade along his left flank, his cerulean optics lifting as he turned around to look for Pip. There he was, moving into the light, waiting for the Hero of Time. Any doubts of Pip's condition were laid to rest as the man questioned Link's ability continue. Not wanting to offend Pip by suggesting that perhaps the fight should be ended if the psychic was feeling too ill, Link would also make his way into the more suitable section of the arena before giving Pip an affirmative by dipping his chin down in a nod.

Was Pip hiding a sickness? Did he just vomit uncontrollably ever now and then? Link didn't know nor did he have much of a reason to ask. Pip wanted to continue, and Link was there to oblige him. Lifting the Master Sword up and above his head, Link would flourish the weapon and bring it down in a swordsman's salute before lifting his shield in defense and approaching. As far as giant swords went, it would be an insult to consider the Master Sword as one.

The length of the weapon was too short to be considered a long-sword, while the elongated hilt suggested an almost two-handed weapon. As such, it was classified as a hand-and-a-half sword, or a Bastard Sword. Considering the master craftsmanship of the appropriately named Master Sword, it could not have weighed more than two pounds and a scant few more ounces.

It was a common misconception that swords such as these were 'giant', 'unwieldy', 'beastly' or what-have-you. If the past three rounds were anything to judge by, Link's proficiency with his sword was something to be reckoned with. It moved like a reed in deft hands, and was a nightmare to those who underestimated it. It would be a nightmare for Pip if he continued to regard it as a monster it most certainly wasn't.

Approaching Pip, Link would swipe at the man's legs - left-to-right - in the form of a feint.

HyruleKnightLink Wrote:

> Approaching Pip, Link would swipe at the man's legs - left-to-right - in the form of a feint.

Link's opponent would realize that the swing was a feint; a ploy; a mockery; a false showing of intent. Never committing to attacking the Psychic, Link had instead wanted to see what Pip would do if he thought he was about to be attacked by opting for a swordsman's feint. To the Knight's observation, Pip chose retreat while simultaneously reaching into the pouch upon his hip. Curiously, Link had anticipated more of a defense, but would not pass up an opportunity to push the heavier and taller of the two back. The advantage was Link's, and he would not give it up. Long before reaching Pip's right-leg, the Master Sword's descent and swipe would be halted simultaneously with Link twisting his wrist to hold the blade out.

Link had feinted upon his approach. When Pip went shuffling back after seeing the feint, Link would go into a full offense. Broadening his stride to effectively bring himself closer to the Psychic, albeit still out of his own arm's reach, Link would knit his eyebrows even tighter as he watched his opponent swing his right arm up from below. Again, courage was not the absence of fear - it was the mastery of it. Knowing full well the terror and havoc Pip could unleash with one of his punches, which his swinging arm appeared to be, Link would not go into a frantic retreat or attempt to dodge, but rather meet it head on. With his shield yet still held out in front of him, Link would decide to courageously contest the strength of this arm which appeared to be coming up to hit him yet again.

Lowering his right arm down quickly and decisively, Link would plant his right foot on the sand before him, twist his torso to the left, and attempt to jam the edge of the Hylian Shield into top/side of Pip's raising arm before it would finish it's gait. If there was contact, wherever shield and flesh met, it was anyone's guess as to where the needles would fly to with all things considered. If there was contact at all, the trajectory of the needles could be screwed up altogether. Some could potentially hit the shield, while others could very well strike the Hero of Time anywhere between his torso, neck, chin, right arm, and the right side of his head. Contact in general could mean a world of hurt for Pip's arm. However, Link was not done. Simultaneous with the Knight's defense would be the beginning moments of his offense, which could be potentially worse. Using the momentum of his twisting-to-left torso, Link would lift his left foot off the sandy ground and swing his left-arm back, performing a spinning back fist. With the Master Sword. Considering their distance from one another and their general heights, the Master Sword could strike anywhere between Pip's left shoulder to the last few ribs in his side.

"Syaaaaah!!"

..Yet more flames upon torches would meet their untimely demise..

Thud!

Not a direct hit; but good enough! Though the damage done didn't show in Pip's baring, Link knew without a doubt that the young man was feeling it now. After being struck by the cross-guard of the Master Sword backed by Link's superior physical prowess and the momentum of a spin, no one could be immune to such a blow. This filled the Hero of Time with even more confidence, yet it was short-lived once he realized that the cloth at the nape of his neck had been grabbed. Turning his head and gazing upon Pip, Link would immediately flinch once the metallic butt of his opponent's baton struck the top of his cranium. The wool cap and hair beneath did little in the ways of cushioning the blow, yet years of battle and trauma did impress upon Link the ability to withstand such punishment - to an extent. Didn't mean that the Hylian Knight liked it any.

His reaction would be typical to say the very least - he needed to protect his head. It was an important body part of a thinking swordsman, after all. Raising his right arm up and driving it down behind his head, Link's defensive measure would also be an offensive one. The Hylian Knight would put a fine steel-plate between the back of his head and Pip's baton, saving his cranium from brutality, while simultaneously driving the edge of the shield yet again into Pip's right arm, probably aiming to hit somewhere close to the wrist or forearm.

While Link did this, his left hand would fidget with the hilt of the Master Sword, the Hero idly shifting it into an underhand grip. If Pip didn't back up, Link would cock his arm, pivot his wrist, and drive the weapon behind him and into whatever flesh was unlucky enough to be in the blade's path.

(Short post is short - massive headache.)

With the constant flux and change of battle, no plan survived contact with the enemy. With his head turned towards the side to properly gauge Pip, Link would most certainly catch the sight of the Psychic's steel-baton coming down to bludgeon him. While there was no time to avoid the attack entirely with Link still fidgeting with the Master Sword, the Hylian Knight would abandon hope of stabbing Pip and instead opt for damage control with self-preservation becoming first and foremost in his mind. Flinching, Link drew his arm back to himself and effectively moved the small target of his wrist from play, instead taking the full brunt of Pip's assault on the top/side of his forearm. So say it hurt would have been the grossest of understatements. Unwillingly, Link's sword would be dropped as it's owners finger tips sprung open, the shock of the body overpowering the shock of the mind. Dismayed, but otherwise incapable of grabbing the Master Sword again lest he leave himself open, Link would twist his torso to the right while simultaneously moving his right arm over his face and elongating it beside him.

The effect? Another spinning back fist; but with a shield. Though Pip's previous psychic pulse had injured the joints of Link's right shoulder and elbow, the pain would do little in the ways of impairing the striking power Link possessed in both momentum and strength. Should the shield hit, it would mean another world of hurt for the psychic.

Zap!!

Gnashing his teeth together and viciously grunting through them, Link would feel the intimacy of several hundred volts coursing their way through his body; but the Hylian Knight would not be denied. Pip had only delayed the inevitability of being struck down by the surface of the Knight's shield, Link's built up inertia finishing what his spinning back fist had started. With a resounding thud of steel against flesh, Link would hardly register the impact, the literal shock of Pip's weapon desensitizing his body to stimulus save one - pain. Balance was nonexistent while the Hero's body tensed up like a piece of wood, and once his spinning momentum was stopped upon collision with Pip's body, Link would hit the sand with his knees like a sack of potatoes.

Fortunately, this would have the added effect of removing the Taser from his neck, thus stopping the current of electricity flowing through his body. A flood of relief would flood through the Hero of Time once the current stopped, normal bodily functions coming faster than anyone could expect from an average human being shocked. Save the burning sensation in the back of his neck and the general tingly sensation throughout his body, Link was no worse off than before Pip's underhand act of electrocuting him. Having no concept of technology and only inferring on what had happened, Link had deduced that Pip could not only punch with more power than the Hero of Time could have imagined, but could also electrocute his opponents on a whim. Amazing powers. Frightening powers. Powers Link's innate warrior spirit could only revel in the challenge of.

But what of Pip? After witnessing him vomit, Link was still under the impression that the lanky psychic was under the weather. Coupled with the youth taking more damage from Link than dealing in turn, the Hero of Time was feeling more and more disenchanted with the prospect of continuing on with the fight. No one could enjoy withstanding the brutality of being hammered with both sword and shield numerous times while dealing with ailments that were not ring-related. In truth, Link sympathized. To him, the fight had already reached the climax. He wasn't in a dungeon; He wasn't storming the gates of Hyrule Castle; nor was he battling for the lives of an entire town. Link was in the Gaian Tenkaichi Budokai to be close to the evil that lurked behind the scenes; he was here to confront that evil and vanquish it. Pip, though more than a worthy opponent, was not that evil. Pip was a boy. A random fighter. A life that could be disfigured with any stroke of a blade, bash of a shield, and casting of a spell.

For Link, this battle was a test of mettle and skill, and both he and Pip had shown their fair share of both. There was no more sense in continuing save to beat upon each other more, which was senseless unto itself. Link still had a job to finish in the Gaian Tenkaichi Budokai, and he couldn't afford to take an injury that would debilitate him next round lest he meet his true opponent. However, this was battle. If Pip wasn't ready to concede, then Link would have to oblige him and finish it regardless of personal feelings. Having delved into his innate fey magics prior to vomiting, Link entertained the thought of casting Din's Fire, but procrastinated to accurately gauge Pip and his intentions. It could be costly in the long run, but Link could not go against his nature and fight someone who wasn't prepared or able to fight back. Clenching his left hand into a tightly balled fist shortly after hitting the ground, Link would begin raising his left hand into the sky, pausing just long enough to see Pip.

Pip's response would mean the difference between a walk in the dark or a fight in the light.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Link could have sworn his shield would have hit Pip in the side with his attack when considering their height differences, the leveling of Link's shield-arm, and Pip's own upraised right arm. Link could have also sworn that said shield attack would have had the benefit of at least causing Pip, who was in the possession of a few broken ribs, to at least slow-down when being hit with a swinging with the added weight of a shield with heavily built up inertia. Instead, Pip had maintained whatever he was doing to remain directly behind the Hylian Knight after the completion of Link's spinning back-fist - a 180 degree turn - to once again plug the Hero of Time with electricity that wasn't really electrocuting the spine, but rather being discharged into flesh, nerves, and muscle tissue. To make matters even more complicated, Pip was trying to knee a kneeling man in the back while simultaneously grabbing his collar and pulling back while electrocuting him in roughly the same area.

To say Link was tired of being electrocuted would have been an understatement. To say he was tired of not being able to see his opponent would have been the grossest of understatements. Upon the first moment of feeling that sharp zap, Link followed his instincts and lurched forward, throwing his left shoulder into the sand before him while simultaneously casting not Din's Fire; but rather Nayru's Love. The defenseless needed a defense, and in Link's time of need, Nayru would be most helpful. A fine sheen of pink began to coat the Hero of Time's body just as Pip's knee went to collide with the Knight's twisted-torso area. Just as quickly as the shield was formed though, it would shatter upon impact - a glorious testament to the strength of Pip's power.

The impact pushed Link into the sand (the cloth of his tunic would also tear within Pip's hand, thus freeing Link) painfully albeit better off then he would have been without his spell, but things were getting serious now. Link was getting serious. The pain of his wounds forced adrenaline through his veins quicker then ever; The drive to win had been rekindled in his mind and doubled his determination; The Triforce of Courage burned brightly on the top of his hand, Link's desire to win for a righteous cause forcing the Godly bestowed powers within him to strengthen him. Momentous occurrences would be happening within the Hero of Time while Pip, bless his soul, would be dealing with a severely bruised arm, several broken ribs, a bludgeoned shoulder, and the drawbacks of his psychic energies - if any.

All things considered, Link was just starting to warm-up. Afterall, it was only the first five - seven minutes of their battle, wasn't it? Link had enough endurance, stamina, and strength to go full capacity for hours in battle with his keen conditioning while opponent was hardly up to par both because of his lack of discipline and injuries sustained. The psychic would have done well to realize that a few pains in the joints of an arm, light trauma to the head, and a knee drive blunted by a spell were hardly going to slow the Hero of Time down nevermind put him on his last legs. The psychic should have counted his blessings and conceded, but now it was too late. The battle would continued in the darkness with no conceivable end in sight.

In short, Pip would not be going home anytime soon. Not if Link had any say about it, which he most certainly did. Rolling onto his back after hitting the sand with his shoulder, Link would look at his enshrouded opponent, even if it only was for the briefest of moments, while pulling his arms in and getting ready to pull his knees to his chest should Pip decide to go for a mount. If Pip didn't go for a mount, there was a whole list of things Link could do to bring the pain to Pip. As it was, Link would just enjoy the cool sands at his back, eyes ever observant.

________

Starting Mana Pool: 12 Points Nayru's Love: 7 Points

Current Mana Pool: 5 Points

Chest rising and falling with a dramatic display of breathing, Link would slowly sit forward and pull his legs beneath him, his left hand going about the tedium of dusting himself off while he rose up and to his full yet modest stature. Though Link was fully prepared for the continuation of battle, being overzealous for conflict would only work against him. He was both unarmed, and now aware of another ability of Pip's - telekinesis. Having no prior knowledge of Pip's abilities, Link could only infer upon them if and when he witnessed them. The knowledge that the Master Sword was pushed out of the Hero's reach was more than enough for him to assume that his opponent had the ability to move things with his mind. If such was the case, then things got just a little more complicated. Nothing the Hero of Time could handle; but enough for him to make a change in tactics.

Tactics he would go through with if and when he reached his feet. The act of standing up was a good opportunity to capitalize upon. ____

Mana Pool: 5 Points Mana Regeneration: +1 Point(s)

Current Mana Pool: 6 Points

Link had expected as much. Be it a battle-high or Pip's natural disposition, such dishonorable brutality was as expected as Link's use of his shield as a defense. However, Link was off-balance and attempting to rise while Pip was unleashing his baton upon him, and thus had to take into consideration the wisdom of using his shield to defend himself. Not only would raising his arm be lagged due to the awkwardness of his positioning; but the Hero of Time also assumed that Pip could call upon a power to send Link several feet back and into the air. If Link caught such a powerful blow on his shield, it would most certainly injure not only his arm from trying to contest it; but his whole body - his back most importantly. Another thing Link had to consider in that brief second of watching that arm coming down to smite him would be the fact that he was weaponless. Well, swordless. If there was one thing Pip should have expected, it was that Link used his shield both offensively and defensively.

Now that the Master Sword was out of his reach, the Hylian Shield strapped to his right arm would be his only true weapon, which he would not use to inadequately defend himself with. All things considered, he couldn't use it offensively either - Pip was out of reach. With not much of a choice as far as options went, Link would do the only thing he could realistically conceive of and properly do in a situation like this - he attempted to tackle Pip *just as the psychic's arm would be coming down ontop of Link's head.. Tucking his chin to his chest, Link would push off of his already bent knees while simultaneously delving once again into his innate fey magics to cast a jump spell on himself. The spell coupled with Link's fine physical condition would mean a monstrous tackle should the Hero of Time's leading left shoulder barrel into Pip's torso.

As for the steel-baton that was aiming to crack his skull open, Pip would over-shoot his diving target moments before being hopefully bashed into. Din Willing, Link wouldn't kill his opponent. _______

Mana Pool: 6 Points Jump Spell: -5 Points Mana Regeneration: +1 Point

Current Mana Pool: 2 Points

*: Edit.

Crack!

In a poof of sands and clothing, both Link and Pip would hit the ground in more pain. Pip had to deal with a banged up knee-cap whereas Link had a little more to contend with on his end. The bone of the shoulder itself was as durable as ever, yet the muscles and tendons that formed the rotator cuff would be worse for wear. Upon impact with the rock-hard surface of Pip's knee coupled with the momentum of Link and placement of his shoulder, the Hero of Time's shoulder cuff would be traumatized upon the thud of flesh meeting flesh. Though the adrenaline blunted a great deal of the pain at the time being, it did nothing in the ways of restoring mobility to the now next to useless arm. As far as reaching around, grabbing, or pulling went, Link's most dominant arm would be dead-weight.

With his chin landing somewhere around Pip's naval, Link's cerulean optics would be shut from the sheer shock-and-awe of the impact his shoulder made with Pip's knee; but it wouldn't be too long before he garnered enough know-how and strength to effectively keep up some measure of offense. Maintaining a mount or even going for one in his condition would only prove futile for the Hero, so tucking his right arm into his chest and close to his left shoulder and shifting his body-weight, Link would roll to his own right and into the sand beside both he and Pip. Not only would Link unknowingly dodge a psychic attack aimed for his cranium, but it would also set Pip up for receiving an attack from Link's one and only remaining weapon - his Hylian Shield. With his torso already twisted to the left at the finish of his roll, Link would once again shift his body weight, but towards Pip while simultaneously lifting his shield arm up and bringing it down in suite.

The flat surface of hardened steel aided by both gravity and Link's appropriate shifting of his body weight would come crashing down towards the left side of Pip's torso. Considering the curve of the shield and Link's body somewhat laying 'downwind' from Pip, none could accurately say where the shield would hit if and when it connected save for somewhere around Pip's lower left torso. If Link were a normal person, such a blow wouldn't do much in the ways of damage; but considering the adrenaline in his veins, his superior strength, coupled with his right arm's bruised joints and his general lack of a proper angle, damage would be relative.