gotosleep_idiot | November & December Test Drive Meme

Concerned? Hardly. Did anything really matter now...?

Zagato regarded his new prison with almost a curiosity. That he was attacked was not nearly as surprising as Clef's words. Had the old mage really been so blind? Apparently so. Perhaps that was why he had opposed him and his followers at every turn. Princess Emeraude would now be safe from him? The fool!

"Princess Emeraude was never in any danger from me."

Zagato's voice was almost a growl as his own rage grew the more Clef berated him until he could stand no more of it, not after all he had been through.

"You are the one who condemned Princess Emeraude!"

He had not known he could have grown even more furious. apparently he could.

"How dare you?" his voice a whisper of ice. "We all vowed to serve and protect her. And then Lantis ran away and abandoned her, and when I thought I could not be any angrier, you abducted her. You kidnapped the princess, cast our world into chaos, and then dare accuse me?" Fury in every line of his small body. It was a testimony to his control that his Bending wasn't running wild.

Bringing the name of his brother into this was a very low blow.

"Lantis knew what was to come and his kind heart could not stand to witness it."

As his defense suggested Zagato did not blame Lantis for leaving... had it been possible he too would have left Cephiro far behind, if only Emeraude could have traveled away with him. As long as she had been trapped on that world then he was also it's prisoner. That is why Cephiro needed to be destroyed.

"I hid Emeraude in a place I thought she would be safe. I protected her from those who meant to harm her... it was you who aided the Magic Knights despite knowing what would happen! If you had joined me we could have killed the Magic Knights long before they ever became a threat to Emeraude's life!"

"Have you completely taken leave of your senses!?" Was that the answer? Zagato.... had actually gone insane? Did he actually believe... if that was the case, pity would join anger, perhaps eventually eclipse it. But not yet. Not now. Not when it was simply a hypothesis. Darn school storm teaching him the scientific method! And physics.

She summoned the Knights! They came to Ceiphro to save her, not kill her! I aided three young girls dragged from another world because our legend said they were the only ones who could save her. Do you even hear how insane what you are saying sounds? I should have joined you to murder the people she used the last of her power to summon to save her? YOU are the danger to Emeraude! You chose to kidnap her! And if Lantis saw that coming and fled then...." Darkness in his voice there. If Lantis had known what his brother would do and had left without warning any of them... He shook his head. "You were the threat to her life, Zagato. You are the one who kidnapped her. She called for help. She did all she could to enact the plan that was long in place to save and protect her."

Utterly gobsmacked Zagato raised his chin to look down on this...Clef with confusion and suspicion. Was this actually Clef?

"You are the Master Mage of Cephiro and you do not know the full Legend of the Magic Knights?"

This made no sense at all. Clef knew as well as he and Lantis what would happen when any Pillar of Cephiro called for the Magic Knights. He had been instructor to all of them, had taught them the legend... yet he had forgotten it? Maybe that sealing spell had been too powerful, the diminutive mage seemed to have lost his senses from using too much of his will to break free of it.

Zagato took a deep breath and pressed his hand against the barrier that held him and while he could not break it neither did it push him aside. He couldn't believe he was about to do what he was about to do... give a history lesson to the man who had taught him all this knowledge years before.

"The duty of a Pillar is to pray for the safety of Cephiro. When the Pillar is no longer able to fulfill that duty he or she can summon the Legendary Magic Knights. Their only goal is to save Cephiro by killing the Pillar and allowing a new one to be chosen in their place."

Favoring this Clef with a disparaging look as he attempted to decide if he was an imposer or a pitiable fool who had forgotten the single most important thing in their world's history Zagato pressed upon the shield, giving a meager attempt to warp it to his will.

"Only the Legendary Magic Knights can kill the Pillar."

He wasn't the only one who was that level of stunned. How could Zagato think such a thing! He taught them that legend himself! Zagato really had taken some sort of mental trauma. Given it was too soon for another storm... that was the only reasonable explanation.

"The duty of the Pillar is to pray for the safety of Ceiphro and the people therein," he agreed. "A duty you kept her from, by kidnapping her. She summoned the Knights to save her, not to kill her! Only the Magic Knights can RESCUE her. You... I do not know who did what to scramble your brains, Zagato, but you are the one who is the risk to Emeraude and Ceiphro! You are the one that took her from safety and pushed her into calling the Knights. I will do anything and everything in my power to protect her." That.... No. No storm would ever change that. Not again. He would finish his research with Zelda and Connie and Nita. No more storms. He would protect the Princess, even if that meant dedicating his magic to keeping Zagato prisoner here.

Now that was the only thing this apparent impostor mage said that held any truth to it. It was his fault the Pillar of Cephiro could no longer pray for her world or her people.

"My kidnapping her had nothing to do with her losing the will to pray for her people. She struggled every day to remain true to her duty..."

It had pained him to watch her fight against her own will. Sealing her away, catching mere glimpses of each other through the magical barrier, it wasn't enough for either of them. And he was getting tired of this false Clef accusing him of more than he was guilty of. He would never have intentionally harmed his beloved Emeraude!

Slamming his hand against the barrier he pushed against it with all the force he had. He did not know the magic of this world but he was a man in love. The barrier stood unmoving for a moment and then... ever so slightly bent outward.

"Why must the Pillar give up her happiness!"

"If she was struggling she would have told us and we would have helped her! She always knew we were there and served her! So you deciding that on your own does not make it so! It just proves your own delusion, Zagato!" He poured his will into the shield, strengthening it. He would not be swayed by the delusional words of a mad man.

"She was happy! Before she was kidnapped! She had friends around her, and family, she had our love and support. And then you stole her from all of that!"

“Then you are blind not to have noticed!”

Zagato’s will was a strong one but the Master Mage had been on this world far longer than he had. Clef had been given time to learn the spells of this land and there was little the trapped Zagato could do against his former teacher’s now reinforced shielding. He never gave up of course, perhaps determination might yet win out over strength.

“She had nothing but her duty to Cephiro! Have you forgotten how the Pillar is forced into seclusion, praying day and night for the well fair of Cephiro and being forced to avoid family and friends due to the distraction they might cause?”

She had her famil and friends... she was happy...
Zagato scoffed at these words.

“She was miserable! She couldn’t even acknowledge the one she lov--...”

This sentence caught in his throat, being quickly choked back. For the Pillar of Cephiro to fall in love with anyone was the greatest crime imaginable. He kept his mouth closed for several moments, forcing himself to regain his aloof calm.

“You are not the Master Mage Clef I once knew.”

"And you are not the Zagato I once knew," he said, bitterly. "You see what you want to see. I don't know where that started or when, but it ends here. Now. I will do whatever it takes to keep the princess safe from you, even if that means dedicating myself to keeping you here...."

It was simply no use. Pushing on this barrier was like trying to get his former teacher to see reason, both were immovable objects, nether willing to give an inch. Zagato’s hand finally dropped away from the shield as he spoke in a low almost a dejected tone of voice.

“Do as you will.”

"I assure you, that was my intention." But... how to execute that intention? That was the harder challenge. He flicked a hand, making the shield into a one way mirror, so he could watch Zagato, but Zagato could not see him as he began to pace in his own bubble. BEcause for all he'd allowed himself to wish for this exact opportunity... he had never actually thought out the details. He had presumed it would take far more work to achieve, and that he would have help from others by this point....

Left to his own devices Zagato found himself blinded to what ever Clef might have planned for him. Perhaps his future was to find himself as a stone statue just as he had left the Master Mage. He closed his eyes and stood there waiting for what ever retribution Clef felt he deserved.

But his thoughts drifted back to her as they always did.

The problem was, his first instinct was to call Nita and the others for advice, but that involved explaining things, which he would not do with Zagato present. And he didn't know anyone he could ask to maintain the shield spell while he went to go get said advice. He wasn't going to risk anyone else's lives that way. He'd dump Zagato in Helix where the man could NOT regain his magic, but Clef would be without powers there as well, and he was under no illusions about his physical abilities. They were utterly absent.

There was, of course, the temptation to just kill Zagato, buying himself a week to figure out something better, but he didn't know enough about death in this world, and didn't want him coming to sooner than Clef expected or somewhere Clef could not find him. Plus, while Clef didn't pay too much attention to the network these days, he was aware there was an ongoing battle over public sentiment, and he did not want to create allies for Zagato. The man was far too capable of that as it was.

Clef sighed. First things first. He needed advice. Without Zagato hearing. He still had not quite mastered texting, though he understood it more than he had just last month.... OH!

There was the first hint of a grin since he saw the other man. "I suggest you not try overhard to escape this shield. If you do, what happens to you will not be my fault," he said, letting his own shield go to walk over and attach a tether to Zagato's. Then he borrowed a trick he learned from Connie and started floating the bubble Zagato was in. Holding the tether, he walked, pulling Zagato along like a balloon.

This was ridiculous. Zagato felt like an errant child being carted towards the 'naughty corner' by his teacher... You might have one that first test of wills Master Mage Clef but that was not the final battle. Enjoy this while you can.

Finally opening his eyes the former High Priest raised his hand and clutched it into a fist. If breaking Clef's barrier was too much for him right now then maybe a more focused attack would work best. He remembered a familiar spell, one of the first he had learned actually and a favorite of his younger brother Lantis. Zagato thought of it now as he attempted to will it into being. His hand was the focus of his efforts but the attack came from above as he poured his heart into ending this. He HAD TO return to Cephiro. He would not fail again!

"Lightening Ball come forth!"

As a sudden crack of thunder broke through the peaceful day an electrified bolt of lighting cracked down towards the Clef and his annoying tether.

Zagato's calling his attack outloud was all that saved Clef, he pulled up a shield just in time, but the impact between the attack and shield drove him to one knee, one hand clinging to his staff, the other hand upraised as a focus for his shield. He quickly built a stronger one around himself, mentally cursing himself for an idiot for underestimating Zagato for even a moment. He had Bent his staff within minutes of arrival, under Nash's tutelage.

He might just have to kill Zagato after all.

He yanked on the tether violently, pulling him down sharply until he was only a foot above Clef's shield. "You failed Zagato. And you will never be returning to Ceiphro. I will not let you harm my princess or my world, ever again!"

The violent jostling he received as the result of his failed escape attempt was hardly noticed, however the look of almost pure hatred in his former mentor's eyes... well, that was an unfortunate outcome of actions he had no other chose but to take. Judge me all you like. Zagato's heart had not changed.

"I told you before Master Mage Clef Princess Emeruade is in no danger from me. And Cephiro..."

Once he had thought the land a beautiful place but is any world truly beautiful if it means the sacrifice of the Pillar's happiness?

"Will fall. Your magic will not be able to hold me forever."

"Your actions lead me to believe otherwise," he snapped. "And my magic will hold. I've had more time to learn, here. To add to what I already knew." And here... he had more allies than you do, Zagato.

November & December Test Drive Meme

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I am loving this so much, THANK YOU

Thank u! When Mew told me of this testdrive I never expected so many tagbacks. :)

Lol. Wake loves to enable, and Clef... Well... yeah. Been in game and active a year.

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This mental image is killing me....

Flails uselessly!

In my head he is freaking out at Link... I will have to share this >.>

Clef might be the best bending teacher around, learning magic through adversity is the Rayearth way!

Very true!