Chapter 1 A lesson that should well be learned.

It was your normal, average day in Twilight Town. Shops were open. School was out. Summer jobs were being looked for. The Struggle competition was on. Kids hung out with their friends and talked.

One thing in particular they talked about was the freaks in the white jumpsuits they had seen last year. The white and grey things that they had been seen all over Twilight Town and the people in black cloaks that seem to have set them lose. Nobody seemed to know what they were or where they came from only that the so-called 'Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee' should have taken action.

But now everything was quiet. No freaks this year only the norm. Sea-salt ice cream included.

Seifer, Rai, and Fuu stood in the sandlot. They had sent Vivi with some munny to go get some ice cream so they had nothing to do except lean against the door of the of building where they kept the Struggle Equipment. They day had been extremely slow. No one had come up to Seifer for a challenge, not even Hayner or Sora. But Sora was usually home in the 'Islands' as he called them and Hayner was working on a way of impressing Olette when she came back from the Islands when Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi came to watch the Struggle competition. No outsiders had been seen yet so he really had nothing to do. He was bored.

Seifer saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see a guy about maybe 18 or 19. He was tall about 6ft; he was rail thin that hid muscle. His hair was probably the most noticeable thing about him. It was red as fire and was extremely spiky so much so that it looked like that back of his head was exploding. All down of what was visible of his arms were black tattoos that resembled the symbols on the freaks. His back to Seifer, but he could see that he guy wore baggy grey pants; a black shirt but that had flames at the bottom. They guy just stood against the wall.

"Hey," Seifer called to the guy his usual air of superiority filtering inside it. . . "You want something? You lookin' for trouble?"

The guy turned around to face Seifer, Fuu and Rai. His face was angular and kind of pale; he had a bit of a smirk on his face that showed that knew more than his face showed. Under his startling emerald green eyes were these long upside-down black tear drop things on his face. Yet the man remained silent.

"You not gonna talk?" Seifer said annoyed. "Who do you think you are?"

The man's smirk grew wider as put his hand in his pocket. "The name's Axel." His voice was full of attitude and sarcasm that the only place this guy could fit in was in Seiner's opinion some sitcom. "A-X-E-L. Got it memorized? And to answer your question, no, I didn't come here for a fight but I'd be happy to oblige." The guy brought his arms out like some gunslinger waiting for Seifer to draw.

Seifer snapped his fingers and Rai and Fuu instantly got into their fighting positions. Axel waved his finger in mock protest. "Now, now, do you think that is fair? Three against one? It seems to me that you're too scared to fight me alone. Instead you have your buddies come up and help. I think you have an inferiority complex here." Axel ginned as Seifer's face showed his anger.

"Are you kidding me?" Seifer said his annoyance toward this outsider was rising extremely fast. He snapped his fingers again and Rai and Fuu backed down. "I can beat you myself I f I have too. This will be too easy." Seifer raised his Struggle sword straight out ready for the fight.

Axel raised his hand again. His smirk grew wider. That smirk was starting to really get on Seifer's nerves. "Now if you really want to show your not weak you'll do it in front of everyone. I'll take care of it. Meet back here in two hours. And be prepared to see the shock of your life." He walked up the street to market street and he was gone from sight.

Soon all over Twilight town, there were posters. Similar to the Struggle ad posters but these were announcing a different event.

YOU LIKE THE STRUGGLE BATTLES?

WELL NOW YOU GET TO SEE THE CURRENT CHAMPION, SEIFER, FACE OFF AGAIST A NEWCOMEMER TO THE BATTLES! COME TO THE SANDLOT AT 3:30 TODAY!

PS: IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE BATTLE AT ALL, GO ON TOP OF A ROOF!

Pence looked at these posters in utter confusion. The Struggle was already under way and suddenly out of nowhere these new posters appear? Something was unusual alright. Pence looked at his watch. It was 1:45 now; if he hurried he could go find Hayner and get good seats for this battle.

He found Hayner clearing out some old junk for an elderly man.

"Thanks a lot for the help, sonny," the man said in an old, wheezy but thankful tone.

Hayner smiled. "Not any trouble at all, sir." Hayner held his palm out and the old man gave him his muuny for helping.

"Hayner!" Pence yelled to his friend. Hayner turned around and gave Pence a friendly punch in the arm, that didn't hurt . . . much.

"What's going on?" Hayner said trying not to let his curiosity get the best of him. Pence didn't usually bother Hayner when he was working or go looking for him. They now met at the usual spot reading the letters from Olette. "Some big happening?"

"I don't know exactly," Pence said. "But there is this street brawl that gonna take place in the sandlot at 3:30. And I know Seifer's in it!" That's all Pence had too say. If there was a street brawl and Seifer was in it, it was just another chance for Hayner to watch Seifer get his pride taken down a couple of notches.

Hayner ran out of the alley way they were in and headed for the sandlot.

It was 3: 25 and everybody was in the sandlot. Just like they poster told them, everybody who wanted to watch the match was on top of some building. No one wanted to be left out if something big was going to happen. Everybody was here except the challenger to the champion.

"I knew it," Seifer exclaimed after he looked at Rai's watch, "he chickened out after all!" Seifer laughed at his comment. That guy had actually thought he could take on Seifer. Get real!

3:28. Still no sign of Axel. People were startling to get impatient. They were here for a fight and so far they were getting stood up. Some people started to leave but stopped when they heard footsteps coming down the street. A spiky, red haired boy about 18 or 19 came walking down the street. His hands in his pockets and a cocky grin on his face.

"Did you people could start without me? After all those posters I put up, I thought at least you people would have some patience." His grin grew wider as he walked into the sandlot. He looked at Rai, Fuu and Vivi with mock rebuke, "Now, now, we can't have anyone in the arena when things really heat up! You three get on a roof so you'll have a good view." The three looked to their leader confused about what to do next. Seifer nodded his head.

By exactly 3:30 everyone except Axel and Seifer. Seifer held his Struggle sword readying his normal position: his arm stretched out completely. But Axel held nothing. There was no Struggle weapon in his hands. Nothing.

"Where's you weapon," Seifer said a small grin tugging at his face, "or you going to fight bare handed?"

Axel smirked again. And to Seifer that smirk was getting annoying. "You think I would come here without a weapon, did ya?" He put his hands to his sides. "I just like to keep them hidden." Axel spread his hands away from his sides more quickly and a burst of circular flame appeared there. A wave of gasp ran through the crowed as metal disk formed from the flame wheels. "I'd like you to learn why I was once called the Flurry of Dancing Flame!"

A giant ring of flame appeared around the sandlot, blocking all exits. Now Seifer knew why the posters said to be on a roof if you wanted to watch. There was no escape from the inferno.

People started to scream in fear. None of them had ever seen such things. Besides, how many giant circles of fire have you seen? These people had reason to be scared.

"You ready for a fight now?" Axel said his smirk growing wider. "You should never, ever, have challenged a professional." The smirk vanished from Axel's face as he place one chakram in the air and the other on the ground. "BURN BABY!" he yelled. The ground instantly became like a crater of a volcano. The ground was hot yet it was not melting through Seifer's or Axel's cloths. But Seifer did feel a small amount of pain coming through his legs. This would be difficult if not impossible. How could he beat this guy?

"Okay!" Axel jumped into the flame disappearing completely. Seifer looked frantically around himself. Axel could come out of those flames any second from anywhere. Seifer looked to his left to see a bit of the flame bulge out from the rest of the circle.

"Take that!" Axel screamed as he emerged from the fire; the flames still licking his clothes. Seifer had no time to react as his opponent. He was knocked forward by what he thought was a gust of wind and the felt a sudden pain at his side. He looked down as saw something he didn't like: blood. His pure white sleeveless overcoat was no longer pure and white. It now had a new shade running from middle down. A shade much like crimson.

The crowd roared with gasp and shock. Sure every now and then in Struggle fight a little blood was knocked around but never like this. No guy had ever gotten a slash across his side like that. Sure, Seifer could be a bit of a jerk sometimes. (Alright Bob!) Seifer was a jerk all the time. (Happy now!) But this was getting out of hand. And Pence knew it.

"Hayner!" he cried his voice trembling as he watched the blood flow from Seifer's side. "We have to do something!" His arms were flailing about. He didn't know what to do. He was usually a calm voice of reason to Hayner, but this . . . he had never learned how to deal with stuff like this! He wasn't Sora or Riku! He was just Pence.

Hayner stood there; he was sweating. But it wasn't from the heat of the fire below. It was because he knew that Pence was right. He didn't know what to do. He looked down to Seifer and then to Pence who was racking his head for something to do. Hayner saw the way back down. "Hey, Pence!" he yelled to his frantic friend. "Come on!" Hayner beckoned to his friend as he ran down to fire escape that they had come up on.

Axel smirked at his handiwork. The guy needed to be brought down a couple of steps. Even though he now had a heart he still enjoyed doing stuff like this. His smirk grew wider when heard the crowd gasp. They needed to realize that there safe little existence was always under threat. Whether it be from him, the Heartless, the rest of Organization XIII, or somebody else. That was one of life little rules. Got it memorized?

Seifer staggered to his feat, dazed by his wound. "What do you think you're doing, you maniac?" Seifer said his voice trembling. "Why did you do that?"

Axel grin grew wider. "What do you think?" he sounded almost happy. "Come here I'll make it all stop. You shouldn't have been so antsy for a fight with a pro. I could easily rip you apart. And maybe I will."

Axel raised his hands; the chakrams floated freely from his hands. They span like a car wheel and flames flew around them. "You won't forget this!" Seifer threw his Struggle sword at Axel but it was knocked away by the chakrams. Seifer saw the chakrams him and Axel approach Seifer couldn't move or else be burned to cinders by the flaming disk. Axel raised his hands again and four columns of fire emerged from the fiery ground surrounding him. Seifer closed his eyes for fear of the fiery death engulfing him. He waited for a minute to no longer feel the heat of the columns or the circle of flame that kept them in the arena. He looked to see that they were both gone. Instead was a chakram at his neck. He saw the arm of its wielder. His eyes traveled up the arm to see the face of his opponent. The victor: Axel.

"So are you gonna do it?" Seifer said his voice calm though he hid his great fear. "You gonna slit my--"

"I'm not going to kill you, you dolt!" Axel cut-in. "This was a lesson and this town was student." Axel's face showed fully his attitude and sarcasm again. "Just bringing you down a couple steps of you high horse was a side benefit."

"HEY!" Axel turned his head to see two vaguely familiar faces. A skinny 16 year old boy with blond sweptback hair, camo pants, skull shirt and vest. The other was a round kid with a black hair pushed up through a sweat band on his forehead that made it look like his head was a volcano and erupted. He wore a Dogstreet jersey over a t-shirt and jeans. His face was covered in sweat like he woken up from a horrible dream. "Leave him alone!" the blond boy cried. There was an eerie silence surrounding them now.

Axel looked at the youth and shook his head. " You think that I'm gonna kill this brat?" he spat. "No," his voice became slick but full with attitude, "I came to teach you people a lesson. That you aren't safe from the dangers out there. I've seen the danger. I've fought the danger. And I bought you little of it. To show you that in this little town you need something better than a 'Dispensary Committee' to fight your battles for you. No if you'll excuse me I have to find a place to crash." Axel brought his chakrams away from Seifer's neck and they disappeared in the circles of flam they had appeared from. He put his hands in his pockets and started to walk away. Fuu, Rai, and Vivi helped their fallen leader to a med got him patched up. But nobody saw that guy with the flaming disk for the rest of the day.