Enel's Arrival

[Enel]

The world was white. The wasn’t wasn’t white, though, so that didn’t make any sense. Enel pondered on this as he picked his nose.

“WHAAAT!?” he suddenly bellowed, sitting abruptly upright. His neck snapped left and right, his dangling earlobes slapping his shoulders as he did so. He jumped to his feet and gazed at his surroundings. “This doesn’t make any seeense!” His peripherals landed on the fountain behind him and he turned. A thing of marble, water trickling down from eight descending layers. His eyes reached the top – there was a giant, ornate yellow lightning bolt sticking out of it. He thumbed his chin. “Classy.” The smirk lasted only a second before being replaced by a deep frown once more.

That Omni guy had some nerve, bringing him here. He was obviously some kind of hack, some illusionist who’d eaten a Devil Fruit and thought he was God all of a sudden. Enel snorted. The idiocy on these people. This Omni had no idea how much trouble he was in. He spoke aloud.

“Omni! I hope you’re pleased, because soon you’re gonna be in a world of pain! You think you can trap GOD in your little illusion? HAH! I’m going to break out of here, and when I do, you’re going to be in so much pain you’ll wish you never messed with GOD! ENEL!” He raised his palms up and laughed. “YAAHAHAHAHAHA!”

He waited. His lip curled.

“Hey! You dare ignore God?!”

He waited again. Nothing.

The god snarled. Oh, that was it. He wasn’t just going to kill Omni. He was going to keep him alive, torturing him with electricity until he couldn’t feel anymore. Then he would starve him, watch him shrivel until his ribs poked through his chest. Then he’d cast him up in the sky on a giant golden cross as an example, before hooks tore him into a million bloody pieces. A mad grin was fixed on Enel’s face as he dwelt on the image. He’d wipe that grin off Omni’s face, that was for sure. He’d see him cry tears of blood!

For a time he paced back and forth, thinking of the many ways he’d torture Omni. Then he got bored. He sighed, sitting down with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees. A cold expression was on his features.

He had to think. This Omni’s power had to have some kind of weakness. Some way out. If he stayed calm, used his brain … he’d figure a way out.

[Enel]

After much thought, Enel decided that thought was not the way forward. Far on the horizon surrounding him in every direction, he could see little shapes. Eight of them at every compass point. Of them, only one appeared to be manned.

Heh, thought Enel. Omni clearly wants me to go to that one. It’s the obvious choice. I won’t fall for his trick. He took a step in the opposite direction.

Then he stopped. But what if that’s his plan? He knows I’m too smart to fall for his trick, so he expects me to head in the opposite direction. A wide smirk crossed Enel’s features as he crossed his arms. But I’m still too smart for you, Omni. He unfurled his arms and laughed, “Yahahahaha! You’ll have to do better than that, Omni!” The last word was spoken with derision. Promptly, he began to head towards the western gate.

Despite his all-knowing wisdom, there was a sense of unease in the god’s mind. He would not acknowledge it, but it ate away at the back of his head like the Birkan burrow-nits he’d once caught as a kid. Omni had blathered all kinds of noise about rules and omnilium and other arrogant hogwash that painted him as some kind of ruler. What did Enel need with more power? He already had all the power in the world.

And so Enel made to fly over to the dot on the horizon. But it was strange, because his body wouldn’t transform. He tried. A vein materialized on his forehead as he strained. “What … the … hell!?” he grunted. Then his eyes bulged in sudden realization. “Oh Omni. You son of a bitch.”

“YOU SON OF A BIIITCH!” he roared up to the skies.

He tried again. It wasn’t working. He panted, feeling the blood rush through his head. He’s just trying to get to me, the god reassured himself. It’s all part of his … his illusion.

Enel reared up and shook his head. “You disappoint me, Omni. Honestly? You think you can fool me into believing you’ve taken away the powers of my Goro Goro Fruit? Hah! PATHETIC.” Spittle flew from his mouth, flecked with hate. “I’ll progress through your little game without my lightning powers if I must. They’ll be all the more recharged when I come to get you.”

Still. Enel growled. This was unbelievably irritating. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to walk somewhere. But he wouldn’t let Omni’s games get to him. He reminded himself that it was only because he was so great that something so trifling as having to walk would have such an effect on him. Walking was for mortals. And by forcing the great Enel to walk, Omni had committed the ultimate sin – blasphemy. He wondered how long it would take for his followers to find and eliminate the scoundrel. How Omni had even managed to capture him in his spell was a mystery. Enel saw all on his island, sensed danger coming a mile off. Had he been drunk? He couldn’t remember. Maybe he’d indulged in a little of the Skypiean spirit wine. Perhaps … no. Perhaps someone had had the gall to drug him. Enel ground his teeth. When he got out, he was going on a purge. It didn’t matter whether they’d committed the crime or not. He had to set an example. He’d kill a hundred. No, a thousand. A thousand ought to do it. Maybe level a city or two.

[Enel]

And so, with great indignation, Enel began to walk across the perfectly smooth, flat ground of the Nexus. After a while, he began to lean on his staff. His bare feet felt sore; scuffed. It had been a very long time since he’d walked further than a few metres. I won’t admit it. thought Enel. I won’t give that albino prick the satisfaction.

Instead, he began to make conversation with the god. “So. What’s dating like, being a blank, hairless monstrosity with no eyes or genitalia?” He grinned to himself. “Oh no. Sorry. You don’t have to answer that.” His grin widened as he walked on. After a while he started up again. “Got any friends in that black, empty void? I only ask because you don’t seem to have much in the way of social skills.” He tittered. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll have time to chat before I kill you. We’re gonna become real good friends.”

Up ahead on the horizon, the figures were beginning to take shape. They seemed to be wearing white armor and helmets. “Jeez. Is everything smooth and white here? You don’t have much imagination, do you Omni?”

They eyed him now suspiciously, holding their black rifles closer to their bodies. As Enel approached, he spun his golden staff in one hand. “OIIII!” he bellowed.

“A new Prime,” said one. He raised his voice. “This is the gate to Coruscant. Please identify yourself.”

Enel’s face twitched and he spluttered. “Don’t play games with me, you little piece of shit.” Then he reminded himself; this is just another one of Omni’s illusions.

The soldiers didn’t seem to know what to say. Enel continued. “So you’re the toy soldiers Omni sent to greet me,” he said. “Honestly, is this supposed to be imposing? Terrifying?” He shivered in mock-fear, then laughed.

The three soldiers looked at each other, then the leader spoke. “We’re representatives of the Empire. You’re in the Omniverse-”

“Shut the fuck up,” spat Enel, clanging the end of his staff on the ground. “I already got told that when I entered. What’s through here?” he gestured with his staff towards the gate.

“Th-this is the gate to Coruscant. The Empire’s … our shining jewel. It’s-Hey, hold on!”

Enel was walking towards the gate, swinging his staff. The soldier put a hand out in front of him.

“We’ll need you to identify yourself so-OOF!”

Enel’s staff had come up, the hilted end slamming into the soldier’s stomach. As the stormtrooper doubled over, Enel swung the staff around himself, swinging it like a golf club. It connected with the soldier’s helmet, a sickening crack sounding through the empty zone as the two other soldiers raised their guns.

Laser fire erupted in a crisscross as Enel ducked, leaning his body backwards. His eyes were on fire, white teeth glistening in the happy moment. He flipped onto his hands and then backwards, evading the oncoming gunfire, and then threw his staff at the left guard. He went down. The right guard shot a hail directly towards Enel, but the Birkan cartwheeled sideways and then jumped straight upwards. The trooper only had time to fire a single shot towards the descending god before Enel’s full body weight crashed down upon him.

Now Enel’s eyes were really on fire. “You … shot me …” he seethed, staring directly into the visor of the helmet below him. His twitching digits touched his bare shoulder. Blood. It felt real. “Curse you, Omni!” he roared, and began to pummel the stormtrooper. He held nothing back, punching until the soldier’s helmet was nothing but a crater.

So consumed had he been that he had not noticed the other soldier, the one he’d thrown his staff at, clambering through the gate. Enel heard the scream from the other side. “He’s mad! Call in help! Get backup now! Get the Judge!”

“Kshh …” Enel grit his teeth. “God dammit.” He went to retrieve his staff. His shoulder burned. It was not deep; merely a graze. But he had not felt his own blood in a long, long time. “Time to make for another gate.” He looked towards the nearest, and started running.

[Ganondorf]

The unblemished white landscape of the Nexus seemed at a standstill as Eighteen and her Gerudo companion flew over them. Of course, this was impossible as the massive fountain at the center of this Verse was growing larger as they closed the distance to it. Likely, the stark landscape was playing tricks on the eye.

Ganondorf paid barely any mind to this, however. His attention was focused purely on staunching the flow of blood from his midsection. In the end, his gambit had paid off… but there was a price to pay regardless. If Link had managed to avoid his desperate maneuver, or had it not been enough to put the Hylian out of the fight, this near-mortal wound would have been the final nail in Ganondorf’s coffin.

Still, Eighteen had proven herself in the end. She had snagged their team an odd prize; this silver dragon on which they rode. The dragon on which they had made their escape may be more accurate. Ganondorf cursed himself that the strange warrior who had joined them had made off with the other egg. He’d have much preferred to have taken both prizes, but the fact he’d gotten away with his life intact was a fine consolation prize.

The flight away from the other dragon-slayers had been mostly uneventful. The green fields and emerald forests had zipped by, intermittently dotted with the dull browns and grays of civilization. It was during this flight that Ganondorf thanked Eighteen for her assistance. The moment the words left his mouth, the blonde woman jerked as if stabbed and the Rathalos dipped hazardously before righting itself.

“E-excuse me?”

Ganondorf winced as he thoughtlessly chuckled at her surprised tone, “I said, thank you. Were it not for your quick thinking, we would have been left without our new friend here. I may not even have left that cavern alive. Because of you, Eighteen, we may have come out with new scars, but we came out ahead of all the others there.”

They flew on in silence for several long moments after that, before Eighteen replied, her voice just barely audible over the noise of the passing wind, “You’re welcome.”

The rest of their trip was quiet, Eighteen focusing on her flying and Ganondorf on his wound. Setting down just outside the gate, the two made their way through it on foot, allowing the Rathalos some rest in its egg-like form. Once across the threshold, the beast was brought forth again and they mounted it. As with the first time, Ganondorf marveled at the summoning process. In his world, artifacts were all but unknown, and yet now he possessed an item which could bring such a mighty creature to bear. As always, thinking of Hyrule brought thoughts of his imprisonment and of Link. His blood boiled at the thought of what the boy had done to him then… and the trouble he continued to cause.

By the time the Rathalos had reached the fountain, Ganondorf’s rage had died down, mostly because he hadn’t the energy to continue to be mad at the woman. His life blood was still seeping around his fingers, despite his attempts to heal himself via Omnilium. It wasn’t that the technique was not working. Rather, the wound seemed to be resisting his attempts. Probably some effect of that accursed Master Sword Link has skewered him with. Still, the wound WAS closing, if slowly, and the steady stream of blood which had painted the silver scales of his mount red was dwindling to a trickle. Even so, for any who chose to follow him from the gate, the dark ruby splattered trail would be clear against the pure white landscape.

As Eighteen made to turn their Rathalos to the Dunes, Ganondorf spotted something from the corner of his eye. It was a man… perhaps. Whoever it was appeared tiny, both because of height and because of distance. And this person was hurrying towards the gate on the other side of the gate which, he assumed, led to the Verse that eye-patched man and his white soldiers had come from. Normally, Ganondorf would have left this being to its own devices and focused on his recovery. However… the way it moved showed haste. Not a haste to be somewhere, but a haste to be away from somewhere. Curious…

Tapping Eighteen on the shoulder, the Gerudo pointed to the ant-size silhouette darting across the landscape. The android glanced back at him, raising a silken brow in question, and Ganondorf merely nodded. Neither felt like trying to speak over the rush of the air around them, and his meaning was evident in any case. The Rathalos turned and the flight to intercept this strange person had begun.

[Enel]

Enel had no idea how long he’d been running. Logic told him it had only been a matter of minutes, but it felt like forever. This was one strange illusion. Maybe it was a nightmare. But Enel had never had a nightmare as real as this. He was only sure of one thing, and that was that it wasn’t real. But the pain felt real enough. His shoulder still bled freely. He clutched it again and cursed every curse he could think of. “Son of the fucking shit cunting bastard fuckdoctor shit, SHIT!” He wheeled around and checked the horizon. No soldiers. Just a dragon.

The Birkan turned back towards his destination and-

Wait, a dragon? Enel’s neck almost snapped as he whipped back around. A silver dragon. Flying straight towards him.

“Oh, great.” He snarled.

He raised and staff and prepared for the attack.

[Ganondorf]

As the Gerudo and his companion approached their target, it seemed as though they had been noticed. Indeed, the figure had ceased its mad rush and, as Ganondorf got closer, the now visibly male person had faced their direction. Fortunately, the man merely seemed ready for an attack, rather than ready to attack. That meant he could be reasoned with. The Dark Lord couldn’t help but grin at the thought. If the strangely-clad man were willing to talk, Ganondorf would certainly have the upper hand. Years of experience in manipulation had brought that confidence.

Soon enough, the Rathalos touched down and Ganondorf dismounted. By this time, the bleeding had finally stopped, though the weakness it left behind had soaked into his bones. Still, Ganondorf put on his best smile and left his cloak hanging about him to hide the blood stains. Of course, the man’s own wound didn’t get past the Gerudo, but he made no sign of noticing it. Inclining his head in respect, the dark-skinned man introduced himself.

“Well met, stranger. I am Ganondorf. With me is my companion, Eighteen. Might I ask what has a man of your caliber rushing across this depressing landscape?”

[Enel]

Enel looked from the man to the woman. The cogs turned. He nodded. The god understood everything.

“Interesting play, Omni,” he muttered. “Distract me with the blonde, is it?” He spun his staff and wheeled on the red-haired man. “What’s your game?”

[Ganondorf]

Wordlessly, Ganondorf merely stared at the long-eared fellow before him. He sincerely hoped that the man was saner than he appeared.

“Game, sir? I’m afraid I’m not sure of what you mean,” the Gerudo replied, clearly put off balance, “I had thought that perhaps you could use some assistance.”

Ganondorf smiled widely, inclining his head again in respect, “I had assumed you were escaping from some foe, and your wound leads me to believe I am correct. Of course, you’re free to decline my help, if you so choose, my Lord.”

[Enel]

“Kuh! Wound? Your men have done nothing to wound me, illusion. My real body exists out there. How else would you explain the loss of my powers? I am a god! This is but a dream, a fantasy.” He crossed his arms and shot a hateful smirk towards the Gerudo.

[Ganondorf]

Ganondorf quickly suppressed a chuckle, his face remaining as civil as before. Instead, he took a cautious step forward and met the man’s eyes with his own dark green. The man may have been a God, the Gerudo mused, though he doubted it. Taking into account his delusions about his current state, it seemed more likely that he merely had a God-Complex. And that, the Gerudo could us.

“Ah. Yes, of course. I apologize for not seeing it sooner, Great One. Your radiance must have blinded me to the truth,” Ganondorf took a knee, bowing to the strangely-clad fellow before him, “Lord, I regret to inform you that this is no illusion. Rather, it was that being who laid your powers low.”

[Enel]

Enel narrowed his eyes down at the subservient man. “Huh! Well, it’s about time someone around here showed the proper deference. Still, you’re wrong,” he corrected. While he was quick to show his wrath to those who disrespected him, Enel was not an ungenerous god to those who knew their place. “Have you, too, been trapped in this illusion? Poor soul. Tell me, how long have you resided here? How many are there like you? Do not fear me. Tell me everything.”

[Ganondorf]

It was useless to attempt to explain to this man the nature of this Omniverse, Ganondorf knew this now. Raising his head, he once again looked up at the face of this newcomer. There were things to consider here. Should he continue with this farce and gain a new ally? Or should he put this strange being in his place, and lose a possible tool? It wasn’t a hard choice to make, though Ganondorf’s pride certainly felt the sting.

“Lord, myself and my companion have been here not much longer than yourself. Perhaps a few weeks at best. We have just recently returned from an outing with others like us, though these people have given in to the illusion, Great One. They no longer wish to be freed from it. We, however, are willing to bow to your greater wisdom. I would offer you rest and respite with us, while you contemplate how to punish Omni for his desecration of your person.”

[Enel]

“Heh …” The poor fellow with the red hair obviously wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He seemed not to know much about the world they inhabited. He hadn’t even realised that the world was an illusion. Without me, thought the god, These poor mortals are lost. It’s troublesome, but … He laughed kindly.

“Of course I will join you, Mr …?”

“Ganondorf, sire. And this is Eighteen.”

“Ganondorf, is it? And Eighteen. Curious names. Yes, why not. Take me to your home.”

Though he bore a smile, inwardly the Birkan grimaced. He perished to think of what dirty abode these commoners lived in. Probably in some shack, some thirteen snot-nosed brats with the run of the place. But he’d do whatever it took to get his revenge on Omni. For now, he’d endure this humiliation. Soon, he’d see that pretender god bleed.

[Ganondorf]

Rising to his feet, Ganondorf was struck by the size of the man before him. It was seldom when even the tallest of men met his shoulder, yet this stranger did. Though the Gerudo was still the larger of the two, he noted that if they ever came to blows that he would not be able to rely on his size or reach as he could against other opponents.

“My Lord,” the Gerudo began, “Perhaps you could grace us with your name. It would certainly make addressing you much simpler.”

[Enel]

“Enel.” His smile had an edge to it. “You may refer to me as Enel.”

[Ganondorf]

“Very well then, Lord Enel. If you please?” Ganondorf said, gesturing to the silver Rathalos behind them. As the ‘God’ mounted the beast, the Gerudo turned his attention to his Android companion. She appeared to be irked, and he could hardly blame her. The man was grating on him as well. However, Ganondorf was long on enemies and short on friends. Or, he will be once the plebs in this Omniverse realize just who he really is.

As Ganondorf took his place behind Enel, Eighteen directed the Rathalos to flight once again and the now trio headed off for the Dunes. And, as they flew, Ganondorf considered what to do once they arrived. While he’d offered this Enel a place to stay, the sun-darkened man didn’t actually have said place. However, as the Gerudo mulled over the situation, Omni’s words came back to him. With Omnilium anything was possible.

The Gerudo allowed himself a smirk, and even a soft chuckle, easily hidden by the rushing air around them. Yes, he would have himself a place for this man who believed himself god to reside. And Ganondorf knew just what it would be.