[h1][center][color=662d91]The Sorceress of the Valley[/color][/center][/h1]
[@Yankee][@Dark Cloud][@Dawnrider][@Lugubrious][@ZAVAZggg]
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[h3][center][color=00aeef]Link[/color][/center][/h3] 

[center][color=00aeef][b]Level 3[/b] [/color] - (25/30) + 1 [/center]

[center]Word Count: 1286 [/center]

[center][color=00aeef]Location:[/color] Limsa Lominscuttle Town ~ The Bismarck Restaurant [/center]
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There is, in every battle, a few scant moments between when battle is declared and battle is joined. They pass quickly. There is enough time for an arrow to cross the distance between two enemies, for a bottle to be flipped and held by the neck, for a soldier to decide whether he is a hero or a coward in the face of the oncoming charge. Usually, there is just enough time for these small things.

Sephiroth slipped into these moments like a knife between the ribs. It helped that no one, until this moment, had had a reason to pay him any mind. He was neither ally nor enemy, just one particularly ominous face in the crowd, until with his actions he declared for the group currently attempting to rescue Link. He moved past the group, placing himself between them and Cia. The Dark Link she had sent to skewer an annoying from, perhaps sensing his killing intent, lashed out but found itself wanting. It's sword went high as the SOLDIERs went low, cleanly slicing the shadow apart at the knees and sending it floundering to the floor. It swung its sword vainly in Frogs direction till it impacted and vanished in a puff of dark smoke. Sephiroth didn't bother looking back to confirm the kill, moving forward to the prey in front of him. Cia met his gaze, eyes narrowed, portal cupped above her head pulsing.

On the other side of the group the first Dark Link spun towards them. Frog stepped back, closing ranks with them and lifting his shield to defend the group. Link started to follow his example, knowing the strength of three shields would be enough to stop their attacker cold. The Cadet, however, had other ideas. After the display of their mysterious new ally Nightsky Ripper practically begged to be put to the test and Ace was only too happy to oblige. As he broke rank with Link and Frog, stepping forward into danger and swinging his sword to his hip, Hat Kid also joined the fray. Literally leaping into action she sailed over the battlefield and began mixing a potion mid flight, finishing as The Cadet drew. Nightsky Ripper flashed out of its sheath. Dark Link brought his sword around with all the strength and momentum he could muster to try and deflect the blow. A ringing sound resounded thorough the rapidly emptying restaurant as they clashed. 

It was not a fair contest. The Cadet's technique was meant for things much bigger and heavier than a single swordsman. Dark Links sword arm was thrown back, his balance shot, and in that moment Hat Kid chucked her vile and let the contents blow up in his face before sailing over him toward more desirable enemies. As the smoke cleared Dark Link got a good look at his normal counterpart as Link, now gripping an [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/d/d9/Broken_Axe_%28Artwork%29.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20150516170639]axe[/url] that had seen better days with both hands, spun once and brought his weapon down on it. It caught Dark Link in the shoulder and exploded into particles of blue light, but the force was enough to fling the doppelganger back into one of the nearby tables.

As this was happening Sephiroth had already leaped into the air, feigning his sword strike but unleashing instead a fireball of terrible power at Cia to maim her beautiful face. This endeavor, however, had assumed she was done summoning Dark Links. As the fire flew towards her another appeared from the portal she held, then another right after. They hadn't been intended as human shields, but they worked. The pair were engulfed in the flames, scattering into so much black smoke. From that smoke leaped another dark Link, bringing his weapon down in a overhead swing at Sephiroth. Regardless of whether it succeed in wounding Sephiroth the Dark Link would vanish like the other three once it performed its attack.

Cia, meanwhile, spun away to gain some distance from the mad swordsman that had attacked her. This was absurd to her. Just how many allies did they have in this restaurant? How many more would come? Perhaps it would be wise for her to escape. She could teleport away, grab an army (it wasn't hard), and come back to try again some other day to really teach them the consequences of interfering with her lov-

All these thoughts were knocked out of Cia's head as a small child descended from above and introduced their skulls to one another. Hat Kid came out the better of the exchange, bouncing harmlessly away, her head harder than even the notoriously hard headed sorceress. Pain rang out in Cia's skull as she stumbled back, head lolling backward to stare at the tented eves of the restaurant. "Fine." She breathed out, her face contorting in pure rage as she whipped it forward to face these meddlers. "[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUZyx_nncBY&t=140s]EVERYONE DIES![/url]"

Cia began to laugh heartily as darkness covered her body, distorting her form like a heat mirage. For a moment it liked like she had an extra arm here, an extra leg there, until one of those mirages separated from her entirely. Then another. Then Another. Three more Cia's stepped out of the woman, aligning themselves in front of her. They were completely identical, save for three key features; each was still wearing the distinctive bird mask that the original had left lying on the differ table, each twirled their own scepter in their hands, and for some reason [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda_gamepedia_en/images/2/2c/HWDE_Cia_Masked_%28Great_Sea%29_Model.png]each[/url] had come [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda_gamepedia_en/images/a/a5/HW_Cia_Masked_%28Master_Quest%29_Model.png]out[/url] as its own separate [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda_gamepedia_en/images/7/71/HW_Cia_Masked_%28Twilight%29_Model.png]color[/url] this time. Perhaps it was a consequence of basing the spell on the underlying magical principles she had observed in the Four Sword. It was also why none of the women seemed any less real or insubstantial than the original. They were all Cia. They were all furious. 

Prime Cia, Purple Cia, threw out her arms. A wave of dark magic spread out across the room, forming a barrier around the exists and balcony of the restaurant and trapping both the party and any unfortunately sluggish guests. As she did Red and Blue raised their scepters at the group and began firing off an indiscriminate barrage of dark magic orbs at the group. 

Green had her own ideas. She broke into a run, going a an impressively quick few steps in her heels before lifting off the ground entirely and hovering around to the side. Once she had a better angle on Frog she whipped her scepter forward like a pro fly fisher. As she did the tip of the scepter flew off on a long wire toward Frog, looking to entangle and pull the knight who had started this whole disaster away from his allies for some personal time. She had felt something from him when he had knocked her scepter away that intrigued her. If she couldn't draw him in she would at least try to give him a hard lash across the skull.

Meanwhile Dark Link pushed himself up from where he had caught himself on the table, sword at the ready despite the nasty chunk that had been taken out of his shoulder and the scorch marks that barely registered against his skin. It seemed as though this one was made of hardier stuff than the simple constructs summoned by Cia from her portals, and flames of its mistresses fighting spirit seemed to fill it with a renewed vigor. It waited for someones guard to be forced open, either from dealing with the projectiles or trying to assist Frog. Then it would jump at the chance to run them through.