//------------------------------// // Wrath: A Link For What Ails Ya! // Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) // by Barrobroadcaster //------------------------------// Dan raced up the stairs to the control center with Phoenix right behind him. The lawyer knew not to ask questions- the snarl told him all he needed from Dan on the subject, but he remained curious. They had been duped again, as Dan had said, but how? Were they racing now to stop it or was it already too late? Tricking Dan and his friends wasn't that difficult. Dan wore his emotions, wore everything about him on the surface. He didn't use deception often and when he did, it was usually through a cheesy disguise or other ruse. Rice had kept them all in the shadows, picked pieces off the board while keeping them guessing and isolated. Rice's true genius was his ability to understand others, after all. Even then though, it was easy to trick Dan and his friends. For the simplest reason of all: They relied on each other. Rice didn't have to outsmart the smartest of them, even though he could. He could lure the lesser among them- the naive, the inexperienced, the skeptical, and the rest would follow. Break a few off from the herd and it was pretty easy to move them in any direction you chose. You could lead them right back to the barn... or right off a cliff. "I can't BELIEVE I didn't see it sooner," Dan said. "How could I- WE, have been so foolish?" "I don't know- what did you see, again? What's this about us getting duped yet again?" They approached the door to the museum, but it opened before Dan could grab the handle. Or rather, a sword cut the door in half from the other side before Dan could grab the handle. "GraaaAAAHHH!!" "NICKY! BATHROBE GUY!" "You killed it, you idiot!" Dan fell backwards as the door came down in half on top of him. The odd robe-wearing swordsman from just a few days ago raised his sword again. Breathing heavy and teeth barred, it was clear this man was out for blood. He brought his blade down again with Dan right beneath it, cutting through what was left of the door on top of him. "Hyeeg!" Phoenix grabbed Dan by his shoulders and yanked him out of the way just as the sword splintered the door. They started running the opposite direction as soon Dan's shoes touched the ground again. Behind them, the stranger stepped over the refuse and was already following them. They reached the south-east corridor- the former villain gallery, and were able to put some distance between them and the slasher. They were still running down the hall when the stranger shouted at them, and that, and ONLY the fact that he attempted to communicate with them coherently, was what caused Phoenix Wright to turn around and say, "What?" "Nicky- WHAT ARE YOU DOING? KEEP RUNNING!" "You killed this place. You've killed this PLANET!" the man thundered. "How? Why?" Thinking quickly, Phoenix responded with the only thing that came to him. "It's... complicated." "Complicated? It's complicated?" the man approached slowly. "Can you put at least one of the swords away? It's not like you need two," Phoenix suggested. Surprisingly, he complied, and even put both swords away. The man seemed to be seething with rage, but unlike Dan, he wasn't as open about it. He could hide it, which made him more dangerous. "There we go, thank you. Now, Dan and I would-" Phoenix turned to Dan, and that was when he noticed Dan had taken the opportunity to bolt. (Should've seen that coming.) "Don't you run from me!!" The man outstretched his hand and shot a globe-sized glowing green-yellow ball from his palm. The ball crackled through the air, streaking at the back of Dan's head as he ran, sparking with electro-plasma energy. It closed the gap between them quickly... then hit the floor and dissipated. Dan spun around, feet coming to a stop. Both he and Phoenix stared back at the man, muscles tensed but perplexed. Phoenix himself thought of running at that point but something stayed his feet, perhaps the need to negotiate, the desire to understand. He hated that about himself. It was something he'd need to work on correcting at some point, he thought. "Dammit!" The robed figure raised his other hand and blue flames shot from the spaces between his fingers. They burned hot enough to heat the space around them; Phoenix could even smell the faint scent of smoke but again, it stopped short of burning them. "Arrggh!" The man growled again in anger. He raised both his hands and shot lightning, purple-glowing electricity from his finger tips, but it fizzled even shorter than the blue flames had. Dan clapped. "Not bad, not bad. I mean, you're no Trixie, but I liked the flames, really. If we get you a hat, could you pull a rabbit out of it?" "Do not mock me! You of all people have no right to mock anyone!" Dan shrugged. "I don't need the right; I have the ability." "Are you actually mocking him or would you really have gotten him a hat if he'd said he could pull a rabbit out of it?" Phoenix asked. Dan thought for a moment. "Mostly column A, little of column B." "You destroyed this planet! The magic is gone!" Eric shouted. "That potential, that energy, all of it, wasted. The majora was all that was holding your world together- do you have ANY idea what your stupidity has wrought?" "Woah woah woah woah... woah," Dan said, hands held up. "Woah. Woah." "Woah," Phoenix joined in. "Woah." "Woah?" "Woah." "STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!" Eric stomped the ground, causing vibrations that would've shook the foundation... had they been strong enough. "Octavia can do ten times that with her cello," Dan commented. "Why? What would possess you to kill the spirit of a world, the source of its magic?" "Well," Phoenix tried to level with him, "that's actually pretty complicated." "She was a creepy stalker and tried to kidnap us. Twilight killed her," Dan stated. Phoenix looked over at Dan. "Or... it's actually pretty simple." "Yeah, the Director has to kill everybody on the planet every so often so Equestria can be remade. She thought if she screwed the planet up enough, she wouldn't have to kill anyone," Dan said. "Honestly, I'm surprised I remember half of it." (You're not the only one.) Eric shook his head angrily. "No, that's- the majora's a spirit! It's tied to a physical body, a focal point. You could've easily just restrained them and it would've contained and preserved them both! Even the physical damage to the planet could've been undone!!" "Wait, what?" "He's saying we could've used Cleo to fix Equestria," Phoenix said. "I... guess he's right about that." (Although I doubt she would've been very helpful.) "Oh," Dan said. "Well, crap. Oh well." "OH WELL?" Eric exclaimed. "Oh well... well, I'M going to destroy both of you. I'll kill everyone here, and if that manages to restart the cycle, the majora will return along with this planet's magic. You can both be pleased your deaths will go to a good cause, then!" Dan folded his arms. "And exactly how are you going to kill us? Your magic's clearly defunct so the fire, lightning and lasers aren't going to do anything except give us something to watch." "Dan, seriously, he-" Eric drew his blades. "Fortunately, I still have steel." "I knew he was going to say that. Dan, really, you walked right into that," Phoenix said. "Yeah I forgot about those." "Let me remind you." "AGAIN, DAN!" "I'M ALLOWED AN OFF DAY, NICKY!" The two swords came down, but they never touched Dan or Phoenix Wright. They were intercepted by another blade, a third blade, that none of them had been carrying. A trio of trinagles were etched into its mirror surface. "Awesome!" "Oh my god, is that actually-" Hero of Legends Pony Link Pony Link's grip shook slightly as he struggled to hold back the robed man. The two bladesmen had their eyes locked on one another. The Master Sword was strong, strong enough that the twin magical blades didn't break it, but Link found his strength matched by his opponent. He didn't blink, didn't flinch. The slightest break in concentration could- "Hey Link! Oh my god, I can't believe it's actually you! Where have you been, blondie? Out looking for rupees all this time?" Link glanced at Dan out of the corner of his eye, but his mouth was gripping the hilt of the Master Sword, so he couldn't have spoken even if he waned to. And yeah, we're going with the silent Link protagonist in this story but don't worry, because Dan is going to do enough talking for both of them. Whether I want him to or not. "Where's something we can hit him with? Dan! Do you still have that gun?" "Relax, Nicky. Link's got this." And just like that, Pony Link shifted his hooves to break the blade lock, then blocked the next strike from Eric. He switched back, rolled and then drew his shield, raised to his hindlegs and went on the offensive.