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[kaiyabeck.livejournal.com]

Challenge: [ 138: Under-appreciated Characters ]
Title: Duel
Word Count: 330
Notes: I just re-watched The Sword in the Stone for the millionth time recently, and this challenge reminded me of a certain awesome but tragically under-appreciated magician. (This assumes that other members of the Organization were present during the Heartless War-- not just Demyx, Axel, Xemnas and Saïx.)

He’s sick of wasting his time with this geezer.

The wizard’s attacks are easily dodged, and Xigbar wonders why he doesn’t just give it up. He’s quite nimble for an old man, though, conjuring up a shield or an ice wall every time Xigbar happens to shoot at him. It’s obvious that this fight is going nowhere, and the gunman finds himself already getting bored. He suddenly catches sight of Leon currently fending off a group of Heartless less than a few feet away. Warming to the idea of more entertaining prey, he momentarily forgets where he is and cries out as one of Merlin’s spells comes very close to singeing his hair. Biting back a curse, he growls, “You’re pushing your luck, gramps!” and dives into darkness before another spell can follow. Leon is too preoccupied by the Heartless to notice the danger that has just now materialized behind him. Xigbar almost feels sorry for him-- the poor sap doesn’t even know what he’s in for. Chuckling quietly to himself, he readies his gun for a killing shot, right between the swordsman’s self-righteous shoulder blades. This is too easy, he thinks. In fact, it’s almost--

Something clocks him right in the side with brutal, punishing force. Xigbar, who’d been focusing all of his concentration on his target, finds himself suddenly earthbound. He lands rather unceremoniously on his ass, and the force of the blow and the subsequent impact knocks the wind out of him for a few moments. “What the--”

A large blue goat stands directly in front of him, tossing its head in a decidedly confrontational manner. Its long white beard brushes the ground. Xigbar gapes at it-- not only is he still reeling from the fact that a stupid goat managed to get the drop on him, but something about this particular animal seems... familiar somehow. The goat bleats at him, and there’s something unmistakably smug about that sound. Then it speaks.

“Rule one: No disappearing.”

Comments

[fox_the_kitsune]

XD It's true. Merlin doesn't show up in a lot of fic when he really should. Damn, I need to go find that movie now.

That last line is perfect.

[kaiyabeck.livejournal.com]

Hee! Glad you liked it. I just had to work in a reference to the battle between Merlin and Mim-- to me that was one of the coolest animated battles Disney ever came up with.

[masakomoonshade.livejournal.com]

^^

That's a lovely way to have a fight-- I wonder if Merlin is just naturally bad at hurting people, or if he'd just rather not inflict harm.

Lovely, lovely.

[kaiyabeck.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I've always thought of Merlin as a kind of semi-pacifist. It's not that he can't kill people with his magic-- it's just that there are so many more cunning ways to incapacitate your enemies (like turning yourself into a germ and infecting them, for instance-- whoa, plot-bunny... ^_^ ).

[dreamer1789.livejournal.com]

XD Hooray for goat!Merlin! For a moment you had me thinking he might go bacteria!Merlin on Xigbar. You're right, there's just not enough fic with the unorthodox wizard.

[kaiyabeck.livejournal.com]

I actually have a story where Merlin does go all bacteria on Xigbar, but unfortunately it's past the 600-mark. *sadface* I may just try to trim it down and post it, though, because I had a blast writing it. XD

[dreamer1789.livejournal.com]

^^ Go for it.